#did somebody say corruption arc??

[petroplant]

When the worlds come to an end, Starchild

You cannot escape to the dark streams of the sea

[aeithalian]

Apollo and the demonization of power

I graduated and I'm back on my shit, y'all.

I saw this post by @apollosgiftofprophecy (hi Alder) about whether or not Apollo should have stayed mortal instead of regaining his godhood, and may I just say I 1000000% agree.

To summarize the post: if Apollo had chosen to stay mortal, his promise to Jason (to remember what it means to be mortal/human) wouldn't have meant nearly the same as if he'd gone back to Olympus. Regaining his godhood allowed him to chose to help people with his full ability and remember his humanity for however long it takes for him to fade.

And if I may add on: Apollo even talks about maybe choosing to stay mortal at some point in the latter half of the series, but eventually comes to the conclusion that to chose to stay mortal would be akin to running away from his problems. And he's right: if he chose to stay mortal, he wouldn't have to face Zeus again and he could shirk his responsibilities as an Olympian. So he decides against it (not that he really ever has the chance to chose). And I just love to take this as a great moment of character development and an insane amount of self-awareness for somebody who started their arc where he did.

But it also got me thinking. And, in short, I came to the conclusion that Apollo must be an idealist simply by the way he views power.

In this case, fiction reflects reality: villains want power. They want control. They want to squash rebellion. And that, typically, is an occurrence we typically only see with villains. Never with the heroes, who rarely want power outside of defeating their enemy. But here we have Apollo, who spends the entire series literally seeking power in his attempt to regain his godhood.

And that has morphed into something really interesting when it comes to representation of power in classical media. More often than not, power is demonized. It's seen as something inherently evil. If a character wants power for themselves, they're likewise seen as evil. Any one of your classical antagonists are going to, at some point in their stories, want power in any which way it presents itself. Voldemort of Harry Potter wanted to live forever. Sauron of Lord of the Rings wanted the Ring of Power. Palpatine of Star Wars wanted control of the galaxy. Zeus wants to rule the Olympians. The list goes on.

On the other hand, in stories where a protagonist seeks power to destroy their opponent, they eventually end up discarding their items of power because they don't want to be 'corrupted'. Harry Potter refused to use the Elder Wand. Frodo destroyed the Ring of Power. Luke Skywalker turned down the Dark Side. Even Percy Jackson declined godhood.

But Rick, in writing Apollo's character, takes an interesting approach and a fun subversion of this trope that I, for one, absolutely love. Previously, he'd written Percy to turn down godhood because he primarily wanted to maintain his humanity. To Percy, being a god and being human are two mutually exclusive concepts. They don't coexist. For Apollo, on the other hand, he accepts power out of a sense of duty, and vows to use it well in the spirit of his promise to Jason. There is no demonization of power. And to Apollo, humanity and godhood are not exclusive concepts. So what does that mean post-trials?

There are two perspectives at battle here. First is demonization: 'power is inherently evil'. But the idea that power corrupts is not necessarily a fact: in my opinion, power in and of itself isn't evil. Yes, it's dangerous, but it's more or less a blank slate. What you do with power, who you are when you have it, is what defines it. And that's a pretty nuanced take, and it comes with its ups and downs, requiring those powerful protagonists to be your most responsible, most dutiful, most kind characters who take up the mantle of power with the full understanding of what it means. Who's to say that you can't achieve power and use it well? So there's the other perspective: 'power is a blank slate'.

Let's look at power from a Zeus vs. Apollo perspective:

Zeus wants power (or at the very least, to maintain his power) as a way of controlling people, squashing rebellion, and maintaining order in the way he sees fit, without any sense of legitimate justice or care for others. It is Zeus' actions that make him evil, not his power.

Apollo, on the other hand, seeks power as a way of solving problems, creating solutions that benefit the greatest amount of people possible, and creating a lasting difference on others to change for the better, just as he did. More often than not, when he reminisces about having power in the series, it's more out of a place of 'this terrible thing wouldn't have happened if I were a god', or 'I could help better if I were a god'. Never once does he view power as a way of controlling or manipulating others. Power, to Apollo, is just the ability to love to the greatest extent possible (re: my meta on Apollo's fatal flaw).

But the interesting thing here is how Apollo views power in general, outside of his own. The idea of demonizing power doesn't even occur to him, despite the fact that he's been the subject of abuse for millennia. What's fascinating to me is the fact that Apollo, having been hurt so often by Zeus' power, doesn't ascribe that same generalization to his own person.

I find that very interesting: abuse does wacky shit to people's brains. By all means, that should have irrevocably changed Apollo's perspective on power as a whole, right? Not if you've learned to view power as something that is part of you, no.

I don't know how other gods besides Apollo view their own power, I actually think it's accurate to say that gods view power as something inherent to their nature. And, honestly, maybe it is. But that's besides the point.

Regardless of whether or not power is inherent to gods, Apollo, throughout his journey, realizes that it must go hand in hand with responsibility and humanity. Power is a privilege. That 'blank slate' perspective is one he learned in his trials, the knowledge that the power he has is something he shapes, and something he has no excuse for. If power is inherent, all of Apollo's wrongdoings are his own failings.

And that's even more interesting when you relate it to his relationship with Zeus. Apollo must likewise know that Zeus' wrongdoings are solely his fault, not a result of his power. It's a fascinating perspective of power coming from somebody who has none, who's been hurt by somebody who has so much. To maintain that optimistic view of power as non-corrosive when faced with your abuser is, I think, the glaring mark of an idealist.

So, what does this mean post-trials?

I think, along the same vein, there is a point where the idealist breaks. They have a glimpse of reality: all is not well. For Apollo, that's at the end of the series where he decides that Zeus is beyond all hope. Take this quote from the Tower of Nero:

Some fathers don't deserve [reconciliation]. Some aren't capable of it. I suppose I could have raged at him and called him bad names. We were alone. He probably expected it. Given his awkward self-consciousness at the moment, he might have even let me get away with it unpunished. But it would not have changed him. It would not have made anything different between us. You cannot change a tyrant by trying to out-ugly him.

More often than not, my favorite stories are the ones where the main character gains power, keeps it, and uses it for good. Aragorn accepted the crown of Gondor. Luke Skywalker chose to train a new order of Jedi. Apollo regained his godhood. And readers of any of my multichap fics know that I love to write this trope as well.

But, much like my mutuals and I have been yelling from the rooftops for LITERAL YEARS, Apollo's story is not over. And once the idealist has 'broken', like we see in the scene above, there's only one way it could go.

To see somebody mishandling their power in a way an idealist knows is corrupt is quite literally a recipe for revolution. Look me in the eye and tell me that the way ToA finished wasn't setting up a revolution. Do it, I dare you.

Regardless, it's safe to say that, at some point, somebody's going to take a look at Zeus and say "you know what? Anybody could do better." Just saying.

Anyways, vive la révolution.

[a masterlist of my other metas]

[zacki0gaming]

Season 2, Episode 3 Rant

Ladies and gentlemen, another episode, and unfortunately, it is yet another bad one…

The Video

MAJOR SPOILERS WARNING!!!!

In continuation of Parts 1-4, Ajacent is finally and completely cured of her corruption by Pyrare's hero, Gold. Unfortunately, this episode still undermines Ajacent's entire character arc, leaving it in tatters.

In addition, her purified form's design is fine, but it lacks inspiration, appearing goofy to laugh at. The headpiece resembles a fucking large, unsightly cheese cracker, like the ones I enjoy from a box of Cheez-Its on the weekends. Her overall appearance evokes the look of checkered cheddar cheese from Pine River Dairy, the kind I typically find at Stop & Shop.

Back to the Video

Ajacenus and Ajavex warmly embraced Ajacent in a heartfelt reunion, welcoming their youngest sibling with a big sisterly hug. Meanwhile, Pyrare, concerned for Gold, noticed that he had lost part of his face. Despite this, Gold reassured him, implying that he had faced far tougher corrupts in the past.

After this, watch how some of these lines in this conversation plays out.

Ajacent: What in the world happened to me? - What’s wrong? You can’t even damn remember how you got corrupted with also no explicit explanation!

Ajavex: You were corrupted! But that cheesy nacho over there cured you! - SHE DID NOT BRING UP THE NACHO JOKE FOR GOLD!!!

Ajavex: Hmm. Maybe I should’ve stayed in the mountains.

Pause the video hard.

SOMEBODY EXPLAIN ME THIS!?!?!

Ajacent: I didn’t think this virus was gonna be this bad - YEA NO SHIT THE VIRUS WAS THIS CHAOTIC, YOU CHEESY FU-!!!

Back to the Video

Pyrare then approaches the sisters and informs Ajacent that his friend Pentellow has successfully restored the Poly Forest in the Land of Pentagons. He suggests that she consider staying there instead of returning to the mountains. Pyrare also cautions her that the inhabitants of the Land of Pentagons are easily frightened, with some even breaking apart at the sight of monsters.

Ajacent, laughs a bit, was not suprised and says as long it’s not the mountains then says that she will be on her way. Ajavex, still excited, also says she’s going too as she flies off with Ajacent. Ajacenus tells the duo to wait and cautions them to be careful. Ajacenus then says to Pyrare that they will meet again soon as she leaves off-screen.

Also, watch what Pyrare fucking says next, chat…

Gold: How come you did not fight her? - YEA PYRARE, HOW COME YOU DID NOT FIGHT AT ALL AGAINST AJACEARE!?!?

Pyrare: How come? Well, it isn’t right for men to hit a female. Corrupted or not. - HUH!?

Pauses the video again.

So let me get this straight… Pyrare...

Puts mic close toward my mouth Regardless of the villain's gender, whether it's corrupted or not, in your universe, whether it's a female or male, you STILL need to DEFEND yourself from harm. Just like how Ajacenus, Ajavex, and even your fucking hero, Gold, were fighting off Ajaceare while you were standing in the background doing NOTHING!!!

You SHITTY TRIANGULAR-SHAPED PIE HEADASS!!!

This is exactly why I find pacifist characters like Pyrare to be frustrating and overrated. My frustration with Pyrare is only growing because of this. At least Ajacenus and Ajavex, while still pacifists as well still fight against Ajaceare UNLIKE YOU!!!

Back to the Video

Pyrare notices a storm approaching and tells Gold that they should return to the village. The scene shifts back to Dub at the tower. In a fit of rage, he yells and questions the corrupted female flower about Ajaceare's defeat, his feet stomping from the force of his anger.

The corrupted female flower answers that it was the caretaker of the yellow tree, Pyrare. The corrupted female flower explains to Dub that she and the others have a witness (this word was spelled wrong as withness here) who saw the entire fight. Dub then asks her which caretaker it was, also expressing hope it wasn’t the anxious one, Cube. The corrupted female flower responds that the witness was Pyrare, the caretaker of the yellow tree.

Pyrare, shocked upon hearing this, tells her to return to her post. After the corrupted female flower leaves, Dub says that he has decided to come out of retirement. He then looks at the large pink and white octagram, which likely holds his notes and other important information.

Pauses the video.

Let’s look at this btw while providing screenshots for it…

According to this, this first one showcases Dub tracking the Caretakers’ current status.

Pyrare - Pyrare's status was previously marked as 'Disappeared' for some reason. If I can theorize that at some point before the main events of the series began, Pyrare unknowingly went missing as Dub used to contemplate whether Pyrare was dead or not. Up until now, Dub likely never realized that Pyrare had been with the other Caretakers and Heroes the entire time without his knowledge.

Pentellow - Pentellow's current status is marked as 'Evolved,' which essentially means that she has reached her full strength (her Tree Form) since Season 1, Episode 10.

Iris - Iris’s status is interesting because it is labeled 'Altered.' I suspect that this alteration is connected to his link with the Reaper creature, which may have changed his state after his revival. I can further evident this with features like his now black-glowing triangle chest and the new abilities he gained from the Mark behind his head.

Cube - Cube’s status is currently labeled 'Infected', which means that he is still semi-infected with the virus because of his corrupted counterpart, Cubic as a clone re-infecting him once again since Season 1, Episode 9.

Now on to the second image. It shows off a check list of what Dub has did so far in the series.

Every flower is infected ✔

Caretaker of the cyan tree is infected ✔

Lythorus is infected ✔

Purpex is infected ✔

Ajacent is infected

Circumsphere is infected

Cube’s data has been collected ✔

Hexagram is infected

Cyanide has been created ✔

Green tree beast (or Tree Monster) has awoken

Reaper is infected ✔

Circusic is infected ✔

From what I can observe, Dub has been meticulously tracking shapes that were previously or are currently infected by the virus. He’s been checking off completed tasks, reviewing the Caretakers’ statuses, and receiving reports from the corrupts, all while working from his tower through this large pink/white octagram.

Also, Dub. You need better servants my guy…

Back to the Video

After scratching off Ajacent, who was now formerly infected, Dub stated he needed to find a replacement, adding that those pieces weren't going to search for themselves. He then called Lycanthropy, informing him that Ajaceare was gone and no longer in charge of searching for tree pieces. Lycanthropy, after briefly acknowledging Ajaceare's loss, readily accepted his boss's request, assuring him that he wouldn't disappoint him. Dub responded that he better not.

Let me fucking guess, Lycanthropy is gonna be the next to go somewhere in Season 2…

After hanging up, Dub then sighs and says that he should check up on Cyanide, knowing the feeling that she somehow failed her task.

Dub: I get the feeling that she somehow failed her task. - NO SHIT, TWICE!!! YOU CREATED A FUCKING NAIVE CORRUPTED HERO THAT CAN'T DO SHIT IN HER TASKS SO FAR!!!

Video ends here

Errors

Final Verdict

Overall, I would rate this episode a 4/10 (Below Average). Season 2, Episode 3 continues the disappointing trend of Season 2 thus far in my opinion. It lacks little to no good substance and completely ruins Ajaceare's character by getting pathetically overpowered. The only somewhat interesting part is at the end, where we learn more about the Caretakers' current status, such as Iris's status being 'Altered', which actually catches my attention. However, we could've been focusing on something else entirely then seeing Ajaceare getting clapped...

P.S. Ajaceare's boss level was quite cool to watch.

[spectrechosts]

If Anything Could Ever Be This Good Again

The start of one of my older works, and the first time I wrote explicit pornography.

There was a prompt account for magical girl stories, and I wrote some number of responses for it despite the fact that I've only seen Madoka and nothing else of the genre. This is the series in which that influence is the most obvious, what with the Shining Rangers very blatantly just being Power Rangers with Madoka style fail-evil power gems.

Full Series

Dark Ranger Megavolt was causing problems again.

Some of the Shining Rangers would say that she had always been a problem, even when she was still Shining Ranger Obsidian. Scarlet in particular was known to insist that having an edgy antihero on the team was just asking for a heel turn, a fact that she eagerly reminded them of whenever Megavolt's ire wasn't directed at her.

Turquoise had long since stopped arguing that said heel turn might not have been so inevitable if she didn't talk about her that way. Nobody agreed with her anymore.

Obsidian had gone missing during the battle against the Venusian Legion, and three months later Megavolt had turned up with a power gem corrupted by hate and a serious grudge against the team that had left her to die. (Turquoise had looked for her, she had sifted through rubble until her hands bled, until Magenta had dragged her kicking and screaming away from the battlefield.)

If she was in a bad mood, Megavolt was known to crash battles midway through and start electrocuting everyone in sight. Multiple Rangers had ended up in the hospital from these ambushes, some retiring from the team entirely. Curiously, she never seemed to do so when Turquoise was involved.

This time, she had blown the electrical grid. Overloaded a substation. Flashy, but not directly harmful to the rangers. A neon sign saying: "Here I am!"

She wanted attention.

"Well if it isn't my favourite ranger. Alone I presume?" Came an icy voice from a catwalk overhead.

"…Yes."

The other rangers had noticed by now that somebody never seemed to come out of Megavolt encounters quite as badly off as the rest of them. And so, whenever an obvious taunt like this came up they were happy to let Turquoise handle it on her own.

"Of course you are. You know, sometimes I feel like you're the only one who really cares."

"Maybe if you stopped trying to kill our friends they'd come visit more."

"Our friends?"

She thought that might strike a nerve. Megavolt dropped to the ground from her unseen perch, lightning spewing from her power gem in purplish arcs as her temper flared.

"I didn't know I had friends on the team. Can I meet them? Maybe throw a little tea party?"

Turquoise would like to pretend that Obsidian had been less of a bitch than Megavolt, but honestly this was pretty standard behavior.

"Let me guess, is Scarlet my friend? I did always feel this delectable tension between the two of us. Ooh, ooh, is it Veridian? She wanted me back on the team."

Veridian wasn't with the Shining Rangers anymore, after making the mistake of pointing out to Megavolt's face that prancing around in an evil reflection of her Shining Ranger dress was still centering her identity around them, and that that meant she clearly wanted to come back.

"Nobody wants you back on the team, least of all you. You made that very clear." Turquoise lied. She wanted her back on the team a little bit, even if they were clearly far past that being possible.

"You're right. Your team is a bunch of assholes who don't know a good thing when they have it." Megavolt approached Turquoise slowly, a streak of lightning arcing past her but leaving her untouched. "They didn't appreciate me."

She caressed her cheek, the slightest tingle of static on her fingertips. Turquoise's heart skipped a beat.

"They don't appreciate you. But I do." She purred, and Turquoise nearly swooned. If the bad girl act had worked on her as teammates, it was devastatingly effective as enemies.

"Join me, Turquoise. You could be so much more without them holding you back. No one could hurt us ever again."

It was tempting. It was always tempting. The Shining Rangers had grown distant, there were only so many times you could go to bat for one of your team's most dangerous villains before people started to question whose side you were on, prior relationships be damned. She went on missions without backup more often than not these days.

"I'll n-never join you!" She tried to say resolutely, batting Megavolt's hand away. It was somewhat less convincing than intended, but had the desired effect. Megavolt sighed, and then everything was pain, searing and blinding as she buried an electrified fist in Turquoise's stomach.

Turquoise slumped to her knees, and Megavolt threaded her fingers through her hair and grabbed a handful, roughly yanking her head up to look at her.

"Must we do this every time, Turquoise? You know that was me going easy on you."

She did know, she had seen what Megavolt had done to her teammates, she had felt her power light up her nervous system and spent many a lonely night trying to chase the same feeling with a TENS unit she kept hidden away. It was never enough.

"I-I won't submit to-" She choked out, and Megavolt threw her to the ground and zapped her again. Her muscles spasmed uncontrollably and she writhed in a mixture of pleasure and pain.

"Uh-huh?" She said teasingly.

Turquoise's breath came in ragged gasps, and she whined at Megavolt's taunting. The shock had run it's course, but her legs were still trembling.

"Use your words, hero."

Her mind was swimming. There was a part of her that recognized that Obsidian was gone, that she was never coming back, and that her and Megavolt really needed to stop doing this. It wasn't healthy for either of them to linger on the past.

There was another part of her that was horny as absolute shit, and only stayed with the rangers for these fleeting encounters.

"M-More…" She whimpered, and Megavolt smiled.

"That's what I thought." She said, her voice laced with smug superiority. "Get up."

Turquoise would have loved to obey, but her limbs didn't seem to be working right at the moment. She got to her hands and knees and struggled to get her legs to support her body. Megavolt just watched, amused.

"Pathetic. I don't have all day, hero. Up." She said, and Turquoise was dragged upward by her wrists. Steel cuffs underneath her Shining Ranger armbands lifted her into the air, a gift from when Obsidian's domain was limited to magnetism. She dangled helplessly a few inches off the ground as Megavolt brought her up to match her height, their faces almost close enough to touch, and Turquoise made an embarrassing noise as she struggled to close the distance.

"Awww, do you want a kiss?" She teased, just out of reach.

"Please…"

"Do you miss me, hero?" She continued, circling her ensnared prey, tracing electrified fingers along Turquoise's legs under the hem of her dress.

"Y-Yessss…" Turquoise whined as Megavolt withdrew her fingers. She couldn't see her anymore, but she could feel the static in the air grow more intense, making the hair on her neck stand on end. Megavolt leaned in, her breath hot against Turquoise's ear.

"Do you love me?" She hissed.

"I do, you know I do."

"How fucking romantic." She said, and dropped her. Turquoise landed on unsteady legs, her wrists suddenly unbound as Megavolt walked away, lightning dancing off of her skin in uncontrollable arcs.

"Wh… Wha-"

"Tell me, Shining Ranger-" Megavolt spun on her heel to face her again. "When after you have your fun little Romeo and Juliet escapades with me, you go home to my enemies, is that love?"

"What are you talking-"

"When they send you out to fucking die on your own, and you still choose them over me, is that love?"

"They need me-"

"Oh they need you? Because they seem to be doing fucking great without me!"

"Do you think-"

"They couldn't wait to get rid of-"

"SHUT UP!" Turquoise screamed, and Megavolt shut her mouth and crossed her arms.

"Do you think I'm doing great without you? I thought you had died! I didn't leave my room for weeks! And then you came back, but did you come back for me? Did you come let your girlfriend know you were alive before launching into your stupid fucking crusade?"

"They left me-"

"Fuck you! I found out you were alive from fucking Scarlet telling me that she always knew you were bad news. Do you have any idea how that feels? And now my entire role on the team is to be the dipshit who tells everyone that 'Oh, Megavolt isn't that bad, that's our friend, we can't fight her' while you do everything in your power to prove me wrong, except not everything, because everyone can fucking tell that you're leaving me alone, and they treat me like shit because of it, and the only person I could possibly talk to about it only ever meets me to fuck and try to convince me that I should also be trying to kill the Shining Rangers, and then has the AUDACITY! TO TELL ME! THAT I DON'T LOVE HER!?"

All was silent save for Turquoise's haggard panting and the crackling of electricity, fading in intensity as Megavolt's anger died down. She glowered, unsure of what to say.

Turquoise sniffled. "Coming here was a mistake, I should- I should leave."

"Wait." Megavolt said, and Turquoise waited. She approached her, meekly this time, her villain persona set aside.

"…Talk to me about it. Please."

Turquoise laughed a strained laugh.

"I pretty much covered all of it there. Team fucking hates me now because I keep going to bat for you."

"Fucking bastards, I'll- I'll-" The gem on her chest crackled to life and Turquoise embraced her, quieting it once more.

"Don't."

"Why?"

"Because I'm asking you not to. I know they're treating me badly, I know they treated you badly. Every time you ask me to join you, I want to say yes. But until I'm ready to cross that line, you don't hurt them on my account. Okay?"

Megavolt grumbled and hugged her back. "…Okay."

"And then after we get their asses, we're finding a less shitty team and being heroes again."

Now it was Megavolt's turn to laugh. "We are? Honey I don't know if you noticed, but I have a bit of a whole rage-fueled power trip thing going on."

"Please, in all of your little ambushes you always zap the villains first, I've seen the footage."

"Maybe I don't want the competition."

"Or maybe, despite your grumpy exterior, you're such a softie that even a corrupted power gem is only dragging you down to morally gray."

"Morally gray?" Megavolt said, eyes wide with mock outrage. "How dare you."

"I said what I said." Turquoise said, smirking. "I don't even consider you a real villain."

Megavolt gasped.

"In fact, I think you're downright nice."

"Oh, I'll show you how mean I can be." Megavolt purred. Turquoise's arms were wrenched from around Megavolt by her wrists and locked above her head magnetically. Megavolt released her grip and let the cuffs pull Turquoise upwards, not enough to match her height this time, just enough that she couldn't touch the ground beneath her feet.

"Th-This is an old trick Megavolt, show me so-mfng!" Turquoise was cut off by Megavolt sliding her middle and ring fingers into her mouth. The remainder of her taunt died in her throat, and she pursed her lips and sucked gently on the invading digits.

"Do you think," Megavolt hissed, and internally Turquoise had to admit that said old trick was still very effective, the combination of being lifted off her feet and Megavolt still being able to look down on her doing unspeakable things to her mind. "That you're in any position to tell me what to do, hero?" A tiny shake of Turquoise's head. "Do you feel in control?" Another. "No, no you don't."

Megavolt admired her handiwork, gently fucked her fingers further into Turquoise's mouth, lingered in this moment, in the faint gurgles Turquoise made as she pushed her fingers in and her hollowed cheeks trying to suck her deeper as she pulled them out.

"I could kill you right now, you know. One good jolt to the brain, no more Shining Ranger Turquoise, no more hurdle between me and my revenge." Turquoise's eyes widened (She knew she wouldn't do it, but she wasn't going to make Megavolt put on a performance by herself), and she attempted to whine through Megavolt's hand. "But I won't, you know why?"

"Becuh ou wof meh?" Turquoise gurgled, and Megavolt smiled and rolled her eyes and pretended she couldn't understand.

"Because I don't need to." She said, and withdrew her fingers, leaving Turquoise panting, drool dripping down her chin. "You couldn't stop me if you wanted to, and you don't want to." She dragged her hand down to the neckline of her dress, smearing saliva across her throat. "I know what you want."

Turquoise didn't doubt it, but Megavolt was dragging things out, which meant it was time to be a brat.

"Really?" She huffed, still short of breath. "Because I wasn't getting those fingers wet so you could make a mess of my tits."

Megavolt frowned and took her hand away. "Well, if I don't know what you want then I suppose we're done here." She said, and Turquoise buckled instantly.

"No no nonono not again please I need to cum I'll be good please-" She babbled, and Megavolt pounced on her.

"This is exactly what I mean, hero." She cooed, hooking one arm under Turquoise's knee and lifting it, spreading her legs and exposing her soaked panties. "It's so easy to make you submit. But you know what-" A devilish grin crossed her face. "You can be in charge." She looked at her other hand, lightning arcing between still slick fingers. "You want to see a new trick? You want to cum? I can do that." She placed that hand on Turquoise's other thigh, and waited for her to realize what was coming.

"Wait, wait waitwait-"

"No." Megavolt said, and sent her power surging from one hand to the other using Turquoise's lower body as a conduit.

All the air left Turquoise's body in a strained cry. Her legs jerked as she lost control of her muscles, but Megavolt's grip was like iron. Her pussy clenched down on nothing as all of her nerves were overstimulated without so much as a touch, and tears streamed from her eyes as her lungs burned.

"I noticed you were enjoying the whole electricity thing, did some research on how to do it right instead of just throwing lightning at you. Do you like it, pet?"

If Turquoise was capable of forming words, she might have said something about how this probably didn't count as doing it right, much less safely, but she was busy struggling to breathe as she drenched the insides of her thighs with cum, completely overwhelmed by the energy coursing through her.

Megavolt stopped, and Turquoise gasped for air, gulping down lungfuls as her entire body shook.

"Hmm. Maybe I overdid it."

"You….think?" Turquoise panted. "You….. fucking……….. bitch."

"Is that any way to talk to someone who gave you what you asked for?"

Turquoise glared at her. "Thank….. you…….. mistress."

"Good girl. You think you can keep going?"

"Yesss." Turquoise hissed, "But do not do that again unless you actually want to kill me."

"We'll fine-tune it some other time." Megavolt said, slipping her fingers down the front of Turquoise's underwear, making her shudder at finally being touched. "But you've been a good girl, it's time for your reward. No more electricity."

"Mmmuh-" She groaned, still incredibly sensitive. "-Maybe a little electricity."

"Of course." Megavolt cooed, sliding two of her fingers along Turquoise's slit, lubing them in her wetness. "Anything you want."

"I-I never did get that kiss…"

Megavolt answered with her lips against hers, and Turquoise silently cursed herself for not asking her to release her arms first so she could pull her in deeper. She was already lightheaded and Megavolt was not helping, biting and sucking and making her whimper into her mouth. She tried to follow her as she pulled away, whining at the loss of contact until Megavolt sank her fingers into her pussy and derailed her train of thought.

"How was that?" Megavolt asked smugly, slowly pumping her fingers in and out.

"M-More, deeper." Turquoise begged.

"The kiss, or-?"

"Both, fuck, please-"

Megavolt obliged, sinking into another kiss as she pressed deeper inside her. Her thumb drew tight circles around Turquoise's clit, and she could feel her tightening as she arched her back and tried to press her hips into Megavolt's palm. She continued relentlessly until Turquoise broke the kiss, strain evident on her face.

"G-Gonna cum again, I, haah-"

"Good girl."

"Fffuhh, sh-shock me, be mean about it." She moaned, submissive even when calling the shots.

"Beg."

"That was begging-" She whined.

"Mm. Beg more."

"Please I'm so close-"

"Then beg, hero. Beg for your ruination at my hands or I'm not going to give it to you."

"P-Please, Taraaaa"

Megavolt shocked her (Harder than she meant to; Surges of emotion lead to surges of power, tricky to control), and Turquoise howled as she squirted all over her hand. Megavolt fucked her through it, curling her fingers, drawing out aftershocks for as long as she could until Turquoise squealed that it was too much.

She slowly released her wrists, easing her down into her arms until they both lay snuggled together on the ground.

~

Turquoise quietly munched a spoonful of cereal back at Shining Ranger HQ.

"Oh good, you're back."

She winced. Scarlet.

"Hey Scarlet."

"How did dealing with Megavolt go?" Scarlet asked, and Turquoise put her spoon down because this was going to be a whole fucking thing.

"It went fine." She answered.

"Oh it went fine? You went and fought our worst enemy by yourself, and it went 'fine'?"

There wasn't any good answer for this, was there?

"Yep." Turquoise said. Scarlet was going to yell at her anyway, may as well not give her more to work with.

"You know, it's funny, because everyone else barely survives encountering her, but for you it's always 'fine', isn't it?" Scarlet said, in the tones of someone who very much did not find it funny.

"What do you want me to say, Scarlet?"

"That you're a traitor? That you're fraternizing with the enemy?"

"Technically I was fraternizing with our ally-"

Mistake.

"Oh here we fucking go-"

Turquoise prickled. Every fucking time they had this argument Scarlet just ignored that Obsidian had been on their team. "Just because you didn't like her doesn't mean she wasn't our teammate."

"You wanna run that by me again?" Scarlet fumed, and Turquoise felt a chill run down her spine.

Actually, she did want to run it by her again.

"You know what's actually funny, Scarlet? Is that I was nice to Obsidian, and now Megavolt doesn't hate me. Isn't that weird? Isn't it fucking wacky how that works out?"

"If you think you can pin this-"

"What is there to pin?" Turquoise screeched, and she felt the chill spread through her extremities, her breath faintly visible in the air. "You all treated her like shit and now she hates you. It's really fucking straightforward!"

Scarlet stormed towards her, cursing. "I knew we should have fucking thrown you out the first time you came back unscathed from meeting her, you fucking-"

The chill built to an icy point in Turquoise's chest, and Scarlet slipped, cracked her head against the table with a sickening thud. Turquoise shakily got up and looked where she fell. Scarlet wasn't moving, blood pooling under her head and onto the patch of ice she had slipped on.

"O-oh shit, oh shit oh shit-"

Turquoise pressed her hand to her gem and it hurt, the frost biting her skin.

"Ooooh shit okay oh god-"

She bolted down the stairs and made for the door, but Magenta was in her way.

"Woah, what's up?"

"Haha you know just going out to do Shining Ranger things splash water on stuff you know me okay bye." She babbled, and darted around her and out the door. Luckily there was a bus right there, and she got on without checking the destination.

She really wished she knew where Tara was living nowadays, because apparently she was joining Megavolt's team whether she was ready to or not.

[withering-sunflower-dust]

You know, I'm thinking abt an empires au more specifically an actor au. I've seen a lot of different actor/behind the scenes aus which has very much dragged me into a rabbit hole for esmp/alsmp actor/behind the scene au

Sooo I'mma post something for it instead of letting it rot my brain!

Random interviewer; How do you take shots with your uhh, evil counter part?

Sausage's actor; oh Supreme?

Random interviewer; that's what you guys call him on set set? over here we call him Bratwurst

Sausage's actor; yea that's understandable, But to answer the question he's not actually green screened in

Random interviewer; really now?

Sausage actor; yea, I think the writers thought the plot would be perfect because I have a twin brother *points off screen*

Bratwurst's actor; sup!

Sausage actor; his voice is a lot different, he normally uses a voice changer on set

Random interviewer; I see!

_____

Interviewer; how did the writers come up with the ending for season 1?

Gem's actor; that's actually a really funny story!

Interviewer; how come?

Gem's actor; season 1 with an actually supposed to end like that we had an ending plant out for like months, but then one day I guess somebody broke havoc and then the sets kind of burnt down.. not entirely there were a lot of sets that were still okay to use like mythlands, The cod empire, and like some others but yeah that's kind of how we ended up with that ending for season 1

Interviewer; so we could've had a different ending?

Gem's actor; yes actually! Our original ending was actually..uhm.. how do I say this..okay I think our show would have actually been rated R if we had the original ending we planned

Interviewer; woah now!

Gem's actor; it's true! Even with the blood and things we have now on the show it's still only PG-13, but I think with that ending it would have definitely been rated R, {*Scott's actor*} was actually supposed to drop an f-bomb at the very end

_____

Interviewer;what are your opinions on the ships?

Scott's actor; uh, I love the ships the people drawing these pieces of art are so talented honestly

Interviewer; if I were to ask what's your favorite ship, what would it be personally for you?

Scott's actor; uuuh, oh that's a hard one, I would say the Jimmy and Scott ones. But, the sausage and Scott ones have a very special place in my heart

Interviewer; and why is that?

Scott's actor; I'm actually married to {*sausages actor name*} so like when I see these fan arts of these two characters that basically resemble us, it makes us feel so appreciated cuz we never thought the day would come where people would be drawing us in a physical relationship

Interviewer; wait, YOU'RE MARRIED?!

_____

Interviewer; if I can ask where did the concept of your season 2 skulk corruption come from?

Shelby's actor; uuh, personally I think it was inspired by sausages season 1 corruption I think it was supposed to be a continuation of that and with a closing space for it since this is our final season so we wanted to close off any kind of potholes and I think this was the perfect way to do it by getting my character corrupted and having {*sausages actor*} help my character out with this whole thing cuz that was like a whole friendship arc I never thought I would see but honestly watching it back I loved how it came out

Interviewer; I see! Well what do you think of the ships?

Shelby's actor; uh, season 2 nature's wife was actually {*sausages actor*} idea but we like went along with it, mind you this was before it was announced to the crew me and {*Katherine's actor*} was actually dating

Interviewer; that is truly amazing!

Shelby's actor; it is! Sometimes on set we joke about how {*sausage's actor*} actually has psychic abilities outside of his character

_____

Interviewer; who do you think were the most chaotic people while filming together was?

Joey's actor; uh, for season 1 I think {*fwhip's actor*} has explicitly answered this question in his YouTube Q&A on his channel, while just on set even if behind the scenes one of the most fun and chaotic people to be with is me and {*sausages actor*} we rock havoc on set

Interviewer; yea that makes sense

_____

Interviewer; a quick question before we continue with everything, who was playing Hermes?

Joel's actor; oh that's actually something I've wanted someone to ask

Interviewer; why is that?

Joel's actor; The Kid that was playing Hermes is actually {*sausage's actor*} Son well more like adopted son but same thing, the kid that played Hermes is actually {*Scott's actor*} and {*sausage's actor} son, so yeah that's actually really funny to think about, cuz both in cannon and real life Hermes is actually {*sausage's actor*} son in both realities

[themightymoose]

Penny For Your Laughs

Did Pepper order that herself

With what money???

The pets being obsessed with the box

They really are just silly little guys

I think Pepper needs to watch some Drew Lynch to know what true comedy is 💀

It's at least good to know that the others do enjoy Pepper's pranks

YouTube "pranksters" take notes

Pepper mishearing schtick as stick sounds like something I'd do

It's pretty cute how affectionate Blythe is with the pets

Everyone being good sports about it :) I can't wait to see how this will inevitably backfire

I love how everyone is wheezing when Pepper starts to make fun of Mrs. Twombly

Pepper I think you're killing them

I forgot subplots exist

The Biskits are me trying to play basketball

It's true sadly 😔

Look at Blythe being the bigger person

wait where's Jasper

no wonder I forgot about him

he never shows up

GIRL WATCH DREW LYNCH I AM BEGGING YOU 😭😭

Pepper may be my fave but that doesn't mean she's immune to my bullying

Oh hi Jasper

I thought we lost you for a second

Blythe they are judging you so hard

Sorry Blythe they went to get the milk

Is that still funny

Russell can play video games apparently

Pepper 💀

I feel like a disappointed parent right now

Sunillll

He looks so sad :(

I actually remember the outcome of this is that Penny floods the shop with her tears let's see if it's true

It's true

Sunil I don't think an umbrella can help you here buddy

Russell scolding Pepper kydvkyrsc

"I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed." - Russell, probably

You guys did not have to trample Pepper like that 💀

am I using the skull emoji too much

Why is Jasper not with you guys again

I remember this banger

You guys corrupted her oh no

At least everyone is still trying to be nice to Pepper

Hopefully she won't get the Rainbow Dash treatment down the line

Russell, Sunil, and Vinnie just agreeing to be juggled

Why does this sound like a breakup song

Olivia Rodrigo don't got nothing on Pepper Clark

These instances happening throughout the song aren't even Pepper's fault

I guess this means I have to make some more angsty headcanons

A travesty, truly

Pepper literally gave Penny a flower

I think??

It might just be for the song

Also how is the bee your fault

Well that evil arc didn't last long did it

They just got scorched by that sick burn

Acting like they got shot

Did a bicycle just come out of her pocket

Pepper being shocked that the word "sorry" works

I guess you could say it starts with sorry- *gets shot*

Please somebody get that reference

[calliecopper]

Been getting back into Stranger Things recently and this is probably a hot fucking take but Nancy and Steve works 100x better than Nancy and Jonathan romantically in my humble opinion.

Stranger Things is clearly a show that leans heavily into 80's archetypes and cliches. One of the classic cliches is the popular/smart girl dating the jock guy, but then she falls in love with the loner underdog. I feel like season 1 definitely hinted at this being a possibility, but what I really loved was that they didn't actually do it. At the end of the season, Nancy gives Jonathan a kiss on the cheek, and then he walks away, and Nancy goes to sit next to Steve. It felt almost like a final goodbye to the potential romantic feelings that could've been there. It directly goes against what you'd expect the series to do, like season 1 actually does a lot, especially with the teens.

Two teenagers having sex? They should die while the smart "not like other girls" girl lives to fight the monster, right? No. The teenagers live, and the smart friend dies without anybody there to witness it.

The loner dude and the smart/popular girl are sharing a bed? There should be some tension there, right? Nope. Nancy is fucking traumatized, and she just doesn't want to feel alone; she's bonded with Jonathan through trauma, and in that moment romantic and sexual feelings are nowhere near her mind, she's simply seeking out comfort in somebody who made her feel safe in a moment of need.

There are more examples of this, how the show both honors 80's cliches while also subverting expectations. But then season 2 rolls around, and things change.

Obviously, Steve, as a character, subverts the typical 80's jock douche cliche that he very easily could've been. He has undergone the most character development and change of any character in this series, and it's clearly served well as he's now a fan favorite. This process did begin in season 2.

But season 2 also gave us the beginning of Nancy and Jonathan's romantic arc. Now I'll admit, 14 year old me was SCREAMING for them to kiss back in 2017, but as I've grown older I feel more and more icky about it. It plays right into what fans were expecting to happen, even when the characters themselves - to me - seemed to display little to no romantic interest in each other until Murray outright says it.

Nancy and Jonathan are victims of a very cheap trick to build romantic tension between two characters- outside influences and characters.

The woman after Jonathan is arrested who says that only love can make somebody be so crazy, even though Jonathan was completely justified in beating the shit out of Steve because he was being an asshole, and was not at all implied to be an act of jealousy based in feelings for Nancy.

Mike asking Nancy if she likes Jonathan, which is a question that really seems to come out of nowhere and feels like a very unlikely thing for Mike to have asked given the current situation.

Then, the most egregious of these examples, Murray telling the two characters that they have romantic tension. This breaks the very basic writing rule of "show don't tell" in the most literal way.

The only reason Nancy and Jonathan ever had tension is because of that 80's cliche, and outside people telling the characters they liked each other.

Then, you have Nancy and Steve. I find their romance in season 1 to be incredibly compelling in multiple complex and fascinating ways.

These characters are never TOLD to have tension with each other. They're never INFLUENCED to like each other. From before the show starts, they're already seeing each other. It's clear that both characters actually like each other just because they like each other, and not because of shared trauma or outside influences. A fascinating aspect of this is Steve's typical jock douche demeanor that has Nancy questioning Steve's intentions with her.

The show sets up the idea of Steve "corrupting" Nancy through Barbara. "This isn't you," she tells Nancy, right before Nancy goes upstairs to sleep with Steve, which has been set up as something she's hesitant to do. It's very clear that Nancy is petrified that Steve is only interested in her for sex, and after she does sleep with him it's clear that she feels a sense of shame or upset. With the 80's cliche, this probably would be the case. Steve would've only used her for her body, then she would run into Jonathan's arms and be treated with the respect and love she deserves. But then, Steve is still interested in her. He actively defends her against his friends when they're teasing her about Barbara. He's shown to be worried about her multiple times between Barbara's disappearance and when he finds her with Jonathan.

Steve is given redeeming qualities that show how much he genuinely cares for Nancy, even if he is somewhat consumed with his own woes. Then, on the flip side, we see genuine conflict that feels a little less forced than that between Nancy and Jonathan. Steve is self-consumed and more concerned with getting in trouble than giving the police valuable information about Barbara's disappearance. This is incredibly believable for his character at this point. Then, when he thinks Nancy is cheating, he's a complete douche to both Nancy and Jonathan, and rightly gets his shit kicked in for it.

But then he shows genuine remorse for his actions in helping clean up the theater, and then going to apologize to JONATHAN. Not only to Nancy in order to get back into her good graces, but to the other person he GENUINELY hurt because he GENUINELY wants to right that wrong.

Now this isn't a "Jonathan is a horrible character" party, he definitely is a good character, and Steve is not "better" just because he's a fan favorite.

I have a difficult time articulating my thoughts clearly and stringing them together to make them coherent, but my point is:

I feel like Nancy and Jonathan would've worked way better as platonic best friends bonded through trauma. I feel like this would've allowed Jonathan to operate more as his own character instead of being turned into "Nancy's sidekick" for most of the series. It also would've allowed Nancy to just have a friend even after Barbara's death.

I also feel like Nancy and Steve would've worked better as a sort of "slow burn, right person wrong time" romantic relationship. Nancy is no doubt traumatized and feels guilt for Barbara's death, which happened to take place while she was with Steve. The basis of the Nancy/Steve fight that ultimately ends their relationship is that Nancy doesn't feel like she can just move on. To paraphrase, Nancy is saying "Pretending like we're in love, like we're just dumb teenagers at a dumb party, like we didn't kill Barb, is bullshit." Then Steve, still being a bit of the self-consumed guy he is, focuses only on the "like we're in love" piece. "You don't love me?" he asks. And I think that this just pisses Nancy off. I'm telling you that we killed Barbara, that I can't live with myself and this guilt, and you're worried about our relationship? "It's bullshit."

I don't necessarily think that Nancy didn't love Steve. I think that she simply wasn't in the right place to love ANYBODY. And I think he was still too immature for Nancy to maintain a relationship with him.

Nancy can't be with Steve because she's simply too consumed with her guilt, and Steve is too consumed with maintaining a sense of normalcy to confront that guilt head on. She NEEDED Jonathan in that moment, because he shared that guilt in feeling responsible for Will's disappearance. He had just as much a desire to burn Hawkins Lab to the ground. It wasn't until Steve was FORCED to grow up in order to protect Dustin, Max, and Lucas that he finally let go of that desire to be normal.

I think both Nancy and Steve needed those two-ish seasons to grow and heal for them to even consider reigniting that flame. Then, in season 4, when Nancy sees Steve as somebody finally willing to do the hard thing and be an adult, I think she finally starts to consider allowing herself to love him again.

So, in my ideal version of events, Nancy and Jonathan would've been really close platonic friends, and Nancy and Steve would've been tragic lovers who simply couldn't find the right time for each other.

Anyways that's my word vomit. Don't take this as a ship war thing cause that's stupid I think everything is good I just wanted to express my preferences

[rawliverandgoronspice]

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

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

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

Hey!

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

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

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

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

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

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

[vvindication]

8, 17, and 20 annnyyy ocs for the suffering asks

ily ghost thank u for sending me oc asks (platonic) 💖💕💞 im gonna answer for multiple bc I CANNOT be stopped

8. Do they feel glee at the sight of blood? this is such an pointedly edgy question and I love it for that. do any of my ocs ??? generally no, but circumstantially yes

this doesnt fit with my planned Disco OCs answers because I can easily say no for them off the top of my head without much thought, but I do think my Cyberpunk man Vance gets some sort of fucked up thrill from drawing blood when fighting with knives in close combat. the smell makes him sick for trauma reasons (best friend died horribly) but he's a vengeful & impulsive adrenaline junkie, ofc he likes getting into risky fights and making his enemies bleed

funny thing is he almost always feels guilty about hurting people anyway. hes just very good at hiding it under a sarcastic veneer <3

17. What little regrets do they have? ohhhh okay this ones gonna be more difficult for me. I always think about the big hard-hitting stuff (as seen below . um) lets see ...

Vincent regrets not being able to identify unclaimed deceased. does that count as little? actually compared to everything else he's got going on, yeah, im counting that. he regrets plenty of social interactions, not being comforting enough for distraught civilians, not being supportive enough for fellow officers drudging through the same soul-sucking work he is. he always wishes he could do MORE to help others, but hes just one neurotic little man surviving day to day in a war-torn city, in a barely functioning police force

I know for sure theres shit im not thinking of with my other beloveds but now im super stuck thinking about codependency cause I wrote that answer first. oops. codependency ..........

20. Are they codependent? Do they have abandonment issues? YOUVE ACTIVATED MY TRAP CARD !!!!! this is one of the fun new characterizations im leaning into hard for Mr. Travart and his very apparent relationship problems. hes been abandoned A Lot (both by choice and by tragedy) and it fucks with him so much. he wants to be loved so bad that when he finds an ounce of it he'll give his soul for it. yaaaaay codependency !!! 🎉💖🎉

this is a big reason he falls for Arcelis so hard when flirted with. he wants to think somebody actually wants him for who he is, even if he is a corrupt politician blatantly manipulating him, and it (obviously) gets him into a fuckton of trouble.

basic history behind this is he and his mom were abandoned by his father before he was even born, his mom died as a teenager, the uncle who took him in literally only did so as a favor to his sister who'd died and treats him like shit. I think part of him thinks he has to Make Up For Something because people keep leaving and he wonders why HE hasnt been a victim of circumstance yet. why does he have to stay and suffer?? not even to mention Arcelis breaking up with him and Joakim dying for him ...

he doesnt unlearn this by the time he gets involved with Harry OR Kim. thats a point I particularly want to make. he isnt magically fixed by these relationships and would sacrifice his own life for them in a heartbeat whether they appreciate it or not. something something ... life without them would be more painful than dying. at least he wouldnt have to face more loss that way

... can you tell Ive been writing some heavy shit lately. hehe ^_^

[larathia]

So that's it for the BSD anime fans for a while. Probably a few years, really. At least.

Final thoughts, therefore, on the anime:

Fukuchi, you ....idiot. You 'made Fyodor stay in prison' because 'what could he do from Europe'? REALLY? You ACTUALLY thought you had ANY control over Fyodor's ability to affect your little plot? DUDE. I'll admit, I laughed out loud when he said that. That was just...the dumbest damn thing he could've said.

The manga had better not make this final episode take more than one chapter. YA HEAR ME, ASAGIRI? Y'GOT NO MORE DAMN EXCUSES FOR THIS CHAPTER POINT-FIVE BS. You've got a whole season's worth of anime to create, minus somebody deciding on another light novel adaptation for three or four episodes of it. Chopchop.

No. I don't think Fyodor is dead. Yeah, that was probably actually his actual arm. An arm does not a corpse make, nor has having two arms ever affected his ability to SERIOUSLY fuck people over. We still don't know the nature of his ability, and it's entirely possible that he will resurface later. At most, at most, he's been weakened - and even that may prove temporary. Fyodor is like the Joker; don't believe he's dead until you have a DNA-verified, fully autopsied corpse. Even then, check for clones.

Bram is...whole. On the loose. I mean, he clearly likes Aya, so yay there, but ...I don't think this is the last we see of him.

I honestly do not believe Fukuchi's plot did jack squat to avert a coming global war. He may have changed some parameters, but the way he went about things means a) nobody learned a damn thing and b) a LOT of people just got the shit and piss scared right out of them, and c) scared people are extra, EXTRA stupid.

Side Note 1: Fyodor has to enact his ability through touch. Does he use the hand that apparently got blown off? Is his power ambidextrous? Somebody go check and get back to me.

Side Note 2: Chuuya was never a vampire? How the hell did he manage to get ordered to go to Muersault without other vampires working that out? Vamps don't seem to be telepathic with each other, but they're ALL tied to Bram. Surely Bram would notice Chuuya's not vamped? I'm ...actually kind of hoping upcoming manga chapters clear this one up, because while I expect ass-pulls, this one feels weirdly egregious.

Side Note 3: So...let's see. Yes. Dead Apple, Corruption Arc, Guild Arc, and now this long plot. Dazai and Ranpo know how to handle Fyodor now. Spend a while struggling theatrically. Set up dramatic countermeasures so Fyodor sees his rats running the maze he's built. And then arrange to kick him in the balls at the point where he thinks he's won. Fyodor's plots have gotten more direct, more dangerous, and have ever more layers to them, so "the point at which he thinks he's won" but does not have Yet Another Maze waiting is the real tricky bit, it seems. But the procedure's pretty well down pat now.

I'm not saying it makes me unhappy, but the manga damn well better explain how Akutagawa is not dead and also not a vamp. I don't want that handwaved, please and thankyou, because it affects A HELL OF A LOT OF THE WHOLE PLANET.

[access--granted]

I'm bad at thinking on the spot, but I have some firm faves, lol. (Disclaimer, I accidentally wrote you an encyclopaedia, sorry!)

1. Jill. REmake was my first game early this year and I played as her. It's what sucked me into fullblown brainrot lmfao. I've played most of the series now and for the most part, Jill has remained one of the most consistent and realistic female characters throughout the series (imo). I mean, I've never looked at my screen an thought "has the director ever seen her character before? What the hell is this?" Which in RE is a rare occurrence lmfao! She isn't super, overly sexualised and I honestly just thoroughly enjoy her personality and story. She knows who she is and what her goals are. Death Island absolutely solidified this for me. It made me feral, I stg. Her arc was phenomenal. I want a brand new Jill campaign. I need her as a main game character again soon. She's one of the best. SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE WITH CHRIS KILLING WESKER INSTEAD OF SHEVA SOMEBODY HAS TO SAY IT. An original that holds her own. Just... *chefs kiss*.

2. Claire. Similar reasons to Jill. She has clear motivations and a good arc. Her campagin is my favourite part of RE2make and I think it's shamefully underrated. I found her realtionship with Sherry a lot more significant than Leons and honestly, her A playthrough was just... better? That's perisnal opinion though. I wish they'd let this woman buy a new outfit. She's worn the same jacket since '98. Recycling queen I guess, lmfao. I don't think people really give her enough attention or credit. She's incredibly kind and patient but could also beat me to a pulp. Phenomenal.

3. Chris. Okay, a few iffy portrayals but he's overall a very solid character. I like him so much because he's a "terrifying but actually very soft and huggable" trope in my mind, lmao. I can't shake the Awkward Father vibe, no matter how many 400lbs machine guns he plays around with. I just think he's very tired and wants to watch a football game with friends. Give him a break.

4. Ethan Winters. It's fucking Ethan Winters. Ethan and Rose were excellent new additions to the cast. I adored them. They were something different, refreshing, realistic (minus the lego man hands... dude's made of mold tho so...) and just very likeable. Dude just chills in the background at functions wanting to go home.

5. Leon. Leon's equally one of the most interesting but frustrating protagonists. I think his OG progression is a complete mess. There's some parts I love, some parts I think make zero sense. I always got the sense that they wanted to be ambitious with Leon, but didn't know what the audience would and wouldn't accept. Does this man have a personality? Yes, we'll hint at one, but we absolutely must adhere to naughts cringe hero stereotype just incase. He often leaves me perplexed, but I enjoy him. He's fun to nitpick and study (and make fun of!!!) and he arguably has one of the most interesting long-term stories. I think remakes are going harder to bring this to light. At it's core, the Leon story is about his relationship with corruption, the government and how he deals with it and who to trust. It could be... SOMETHING. I think we're getting there. The changes in remakes are making it more and more possible. They're taking risks and it greatly benefits him as a character overall. He makes sense. He's understandable.

(PS a lot of this sounds like nonsensical jumbled ass, I'm so sorry lmao. I did not sleep and I need pain meds today bc hashtag chronic pain. If this message is total dumbassery jibberish you have my deepest apologies!)

Ahhh, hi! I absolutely love a good old encyclopedia ask, don't you worry. (And you're probably gonna get a long ass answer too, lmao).

REmake Jill is my favourite Jill. Her kick ass determination and personality are just so good. She was my first ever example of a strong female character as a kid, and she's always been my absolute fave. Totally agree with you that DI sold her to me even more. She desperately needs a new campaign in a mainline game ASAP, I've missed her too damn much.

I feel like Claire has had most hate in the franchise (in my personal experience, at least), and honestly, I don't get the whole "Claire is so annoying" crap I've seen people say in the past. She has good motivation. A college student going to search for her S.T.A.R.S member brother when she doesn't hear from him, only to survive a hellish night amidst a viral outbreak and cure a child? So badass.

Chris is 100% awkward dad vibes despite his badassery and boulder punching skills, no doubt about it. He's more sensitive than people understand him to be. (Which literally makes no sense, considering how broken he is whenever someone he cares about doesn't make it, lol). Let this man live, put his feet up and relax.

Ethan, my guy. I fucking love him so much. I remember how so many people hated him, back when RE7 first came out. "Oh, but he's just some random guy who is looking for his missing wife. How boring." Uh, isn't that what makes him so much more interesting? He's not an agent, or a S.T.A.R.S member, or whatever like the others are. He's a man willing to go above and beyond to save someone he loves. He gets put through so much shit and still selflessly sacrifices himself. What a guy.

Leon is a hot mess (affectionately). Capcom wanted to do things with OG Leon, and they just didn't know how to go about it. He's definitely a fun one to pick apart and analyse. You're right, though. I definitely think they could really polish what kind of character they want him to be with future installments since they've already gotten him to a pretty decent place already. I've always loved him, but he sure has been a roller coaster ride, hahaha.

Honestly, I always love getting long asks like this, especially from mutuals I wanna talk more to. It's just a shame I'm such a socially awkward coward and can't initiate conversation myself. 😂 I had a lot of fun answering this, so thank you, and I really hope you can rest up soon!

[bardic-perdita]

Can I get aaaaaaaaa🤔 mock turtle and tweedle dumb?

Thank you for the asks!

Mock Turtle: How did you get the idea for this OC?

Breoch

My one goal when making him was "pretty elf boy". Breoch was always going to be an Astarion romancer, but I didn't realise when I created him that 'Tav' and 'Dark Urge' were two different options on the character creator. So early Breoch was pretty evil for the first few hours of the game (which really excited Astarion, I can tell you). Everything else about him sort of stemmed from the events of the game and learning more about drow culture/Menzoberranzan.

How come none of the Menzoberranzan drow knows about Breoch despite him being from a noble house? Maybe his house has fallen from grace. Why? His great-grandmother slept with a dragon. Etc.

I also wanted to play around with his moral compass: to create a character that has the potential to be kind-hearted and noble; to have had the perfect family and upbringing to be somebody that inspires others— only for him to use those special chances to seek power and slowly become corrupted by a society that would rather see him dead. His overall story arc is: good among good people -> evil among 'evil' people -> evil among good people -> good against 'evil' people.

Shrike

I'll be honest and say that Shrike started out purely for aesthetics. I wanted a paladin durge with an autumnal pallette because I thought it would be interesting. Most of their backstory came about as I answered questions like these on tumblr, or with my discord co-conspirator. I wanted them to be more canon compliant than my silly durge Zeke, so the game basically gave me their story for me.

They also romanced Astarion as I wanted to see the numerous Durge/Astarion interactions. I have romanced other companions in multiplayer games (like Lae'zel and Karlach), and Gale with Zeke. I think Shadowheart, Minthara and Wyll are the only companion romances I haven't seen yet.

I've only recently reached a point where I feel like they've fully developed both visually and from a story writing perspective. So uh, expect to see some fics and/or playlist for them soon!

Tweedle-Dum: Which location in canon is their favorite place?

Breoch understandably likes Menzoberranzan and the Underdark generally, but he'd also be impressed by the Sharran temples.

Shrike would love the swamp (before the illusion drops) and the circus

[eorzeaisnotcrash]

Day 28: Blunt

In which Alisaie prematurely ends what might have been a re-corruption arc.

I hate this place.

Joceline shivers. I know.

We weren’t supposed to come back here any more.

I KNOW.

You let Gegeruju’s friend draw your tits for nowt!

Well, the money we raised did pay for loads of supplies, so I still might get out of having to do any work.

I will take the reins and teleport us back to Radz-

“Joceline Joestar-Fortemps!”

That’s the second time today she’s been called that, and for the second time today it gets very quiet inside the retired Warrior’s head.

She turns to the one calling her and says, “Look, if you really didn’t think I helped, I can go to Costa del Sol and see about getting the receipts-“

“Oh, we’re going to discuss that later,” Alisaie snaps. “Where’s Esteem?”

“Where she usually is. What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong is I‘ve been speaking with your new friend -pardon me, your new work associate Zero-“

“Well, we have been working together to keep Shtola safe while she tries to learn more about the Void-“

“And she’s shared some interesting words and phrases with me, such as ‘real friends’, ‘big shots’, ‘grateful’, ‘monster of the sennight’, ‘unpaid labor’-“

“What’s that got to do with me? She told me herself voidsent always make deals when somebody wants something.”

“It would seem that someone has been giving Zero the impression that the Source isn’t that different from the Thirteenth. And if you’ve done nothing wrong, then why are you sweating out in the snow?”

Not many things make it past Alisaie, do they?

“I thought you’d learned from being on the First, Jojo.”

“Yeah… but after that there was THIS awful place, and Zenos, and the end of the world, and the philosophy lessons… I’m trying. That’s all I can do. Did I say anything that wasn’t true?”

The red mage crosses her arms. “Although you didn’t exactly lie to her, you might have tried to be less dour about it. Jojo?”

“Yeah?”

“The next time you feel like telling someone ‘how the world actually works’… don’t!”

[knowlessman]

okay, so iirc they rescued the nerf-dart kid (…the kid they were making the darts-that-nerf out of) who is actually a time anomaly kid and everyone's in the hospital. oh shit, and mr future sight is dead, and also maybe all might isn't going to die (he's totally gonna buy it in either the season finale or next season), anyway bhna s4e15-19

oh fuck, and the league of villains tortured overhaul and like took his hands I think. heh, he turned into a resident evil boss but then got ethan winters'd. it's like, a pun or something

new OP, huh. anime is so weird about when it gets new OP's… wait, is this an old one? they've had that splash image or whatnot at the end before, with the band instruments. beh. go figure

hm. slendervest going rogue?

sudden Firefly-ass guitar riff o_0

"have you heard rumors of a wild man living in this area?" don't tell me you're banking on bigfoot to come rescue you -- oh my gawd it is bigfoot. well, biggerfoot. cept he seems to be made of rock -- "one of All for One's faithful servants… Gigantosquatchia"

(togata) "I have what Nighteye predicted with his Foresight! I know I'll get my Quirk back!" …this is pessimistic, but you have what he told you when he used it. still, it's good to see somebody talk about "I'm not going to cry" without it being because of toxic masculinity or appearances or something; like, togata actually feels hope and in any case believes in Nighteye's ideal of, like… idfk, nontoxic positivity? hard to describe

heh. figures bigfoot would get away

(bakugo and todoroki at remedial license training thingy) oh boy, endeavor has something to say -- HAHAHAHA DAMN RIGHT, HANG UP ON HIS ASS ZUKO

huh. forgot about Ed from the dodgeball arc. aughta be interesting.

…uh-oh, is this vampire girl again? : /

and mr meatball. I guess meatball is double-d

(back view of shady characters) oh shit it's the league of villai - oh nvm that's just principal tiredman from the dodgeball arc

(new end theme) who the fuck is this guy, why does he have all might's hair. don't try and tell me this is all might, all might's eyes have no wossname, sclera I think? all might is a bionicle, this is just a normal guy. cosplayer maybe

pfft, forgot ed's backstory was that endeavor mr incredible'd him 'XD like, some celebrities are just gonna be dicks about it, okay? attention is power, and power corrupts

okay so yeah this is how vampire girl gets a bigger part in the show then. …shit, she must have the real camie in a cellar somewhere, that sucks : / -- "but because of her foggy memory of the days before the exam…" so it could not be knife-girl? …it's gotta be knife-girl tho. -- wait shit they know that vampire girl replaced her??? …the league - I mean the cops know knife girl's quirk, right? maybe the league guessed that they would've figured it out anyway, and - but whatever tests they did on camie to find the anesthetics probably would've revealed the switch if vampire girl was impersonating here agin, right? fuck dude idfk, I give up

(orca doing a drill sergeant routine) 'XD wtf did the mangaka watch full metal jacket before writing this bit

…I guess babysitting will teach you patience if nothing else will? or at least that's the thinking here?

okay, bakugo and the kids have baited each other into fighting now, looks like lawsuit o'clock (to say nothing of camie)

the whole overarching "the age of heroes is over, it's the age of villains now" theme is, like… idk this is just a weird show

quirk… singularity… doomsday. …okay, I guess that's a thing now??? (are we gonna get eugenics-y about this, I thought the show was being pretty good about not doing that)

"is this bad? are you saying I'm just sitting here watching things get bad and doing nothing?" YES, orca, most of these superpowers are lethal fucking weapons, there are no responsible goddamn adults in this entire show -- also why are your eyes so fucking scary, do real whales have sarlacc pits where their eyes should be?

"the rest of you also did a good job" you mean the six or so kids in this class whose names and even vague deals we still don't know? only like four characters even got screentime

"strange things started happening" : / already thought laserguts was kind of annoying. is… ? considering Magne, I've got a bad feeling about this -- (the literal next scene) ugh, fucking hell, yeah this is gonna suck -- ("I know") I already have assumptions about how this's gonna be taken and how it's gonna turn out to have been intended and like, okay, if I'm right, it's stupid in a way that could be funny but it's also still creepy and laserguts is still officially not positive representation

meanwhile midnight is teaching a school class while carrying a… what, cat o nine tails? a fucking bdsm whip, idk. while carrying that around. this is such a weird fucking show

aoyama I hate you. weewoo tier. gonna call the bad-lgbt-rep police on your ass. whaddaya mean lgbt police is a contradiction in terms, fuck off

-- do I need to know what that french phrase is that he carved into it? …nah, I don't. I really don't.

"it's because we both have quirks that mess up our bodies!" …I guess that could've been worse? thank fuck it's over, at least

school festival stuffs. idk, no comment

(visiting eri, flashing back to the whole brouhaha of last arc) chisaki was a good villain. he made you want to hate him for, like, real reasons; he wasn't just directionless evil for its own sake or bizarrely pretentious, niche evil with incomprehensible motivations and its head up its own ass.

…who is this sean connery looking fucker. is he just here to try and do some clownery at the festival and get clowned on? ugh, fine, guess I'll watch the next one and find out -- ah. a libertarian. or something.

"the school festival is one month away!" …the fuck? y'all made it sound like you had a day. hat n clogs even said the deadline to figure out what you were gonna do would be like eighteen hours or so after you found out there'd be a festival.

aye, teachin him how to use… okay well I can't call it that… uh, the paper football attack. the finger gun. teachin im how to use that without breakin his fingers. and just in time to show it off against mr connery, I imagine.

…huh. looks like the festival arc takes up the entire rest of the season tho, so I'mma leave that for next time

[cartoonemotion]

i just think it could be interesting okay. sorry that this is so long but hear me out.

the whole thing with rattleballs being programmed to serve pb "100%", which is intentionally paralleled with finn's dedication to bonnie to the point where he sells rattleballs out, even though he'd explained to him that pb had destroyed all of the rest of the rattleball units and he alone managed to escape, and just barely (i know that was because finn figured bonnie would do the right thing but again that assumption came after hearing a whole story about destroying a bunch of guys). its only through fighting his nature and disobeying direct orders that hes able to survive, but in the end when hes found out and confronted again he submits to that same loyalty and tells pb she can do with him what she wants

when she instead says that he can continue protecting the kingdom from the shadows, he does literally respond with "that is marginally better than hiding in a dump", but then when she makes the gesture to effectively Knight him end ups being touched and coming to appreciate the gesture

we dont get to see much more of it onscreen but obviously making him and finn parallels was super intentional, i think down to rattleballs talking about how he and the other units were "programmed to crave violence" but he'd managed to find peace and use it only when necessary; a lot of finn's arc over the show deals with the same thing, i think stated the most outright and strongly in gumbaldia when he goes on his last-ditch diplomacy mission (which he also disobeys pb to do !!!)

IN CONTRAST !! scarab is a guy who follows the rules of his job to the letter, to the point where hes imprisoning his coworkers for very minor offenses that dont actually do any harm. when orbo wont listen to him the first time he tries to go directly to the capital B Boss (and seems to defer to whoever they are more than anybody else. at least up until. Well You Know), but when orbo offers to hear him out personally he tries to appeal to his authority after all

this plus his reaction to when his boss tells him to back off of fionnaworld once its canonized ("its not fair ! i did everything right !") leads me to believe that he doesnt just start being disobedient after the call telling him he cant repo fionnaworld, or even just when he starts ignoring the incoming calls as hes trying to track them down through the multiverse; he was always going to follow his own will and instinct, against the direct authority he felt loyal to 🤔 almost kind of like somebody else we just discussed

just like rattleballs though, he kind of ends up where he started (its not a perfect 1-to-1 okay. but none of these are). prismo even says it was orbo who "let him off easy" (though with prismo "putting in a good word for him"), so orbo is still his boss. and if we're to take it into consideration that orbo is the one who decided his punishment, idk. up to viewer interpretation if it was more prismo or orbo's idea, but that sounds like a gesture of some kind to me considering how badly he wanted to be wishmaster. obviously he might not appreciate it now...

but a couple hundred years is a long time !

so finn and rattleballs have some parallels to each other, what about fionna and scarab ? well firstly theres this post by @finedinereception that i love that points out how both of them have had to deal with being in seemingly dead-end job(s) they dont want, and denied what they feel like is their "true calling in a way", but i dont think it stops there !

now, how much scarab actually cares that fionna and cake are possibly corrupting other universes, and how much he just wants to undermine prismo and/or get back at him in his imagined one-sided ongoing rivalry is a different post (personally i think its a little of column A and a little of column B), but the fact of the matter is that as much as fionna and cake deserve to exist and shouldnt have their entire universe exploded, their appearances in other universes do have unintended consequences (i wanna say both negative and positive because of the appearance of the tank at the end but thats. the execution of that is debatable. but i see what they were going for.)

fionna hasnt gotten to learn the same lessons over the same amount of time that finn has, so it makes sense that her guilt with treating some of the other denizens of these universes like their npcs and beating on them in the beginning begins to compound with stuff she cant actually control, like what glitches appear where and why. and scarab picks up on this !

later when she makes the effort to tell him "no hard feelings", its not just that shes telling him she doesnt want to hold a grudge over him for trying to repo their universe before it was canonized, in a twist of irony (that i fucking love so much), shes like the one person telling him what he probably wants to hear: he kind of had a point. she knows where he was coming from. i mean she learned a lot about being more responsible with her actions, and whether scarab realized it or not he kind of helped her learn that lesson (though the suicide baiting and attempted murder were not necessary)

and scarab obviously got schooled too lets be real. we dont even know what those other alerts he was ignoring were for (except for the one with the cosmic owl lmao) but i dont think its a stretch to say he was putting other universes at expense to chase his own fantasy. i mean i think if nothing else him absolutely fucking shit up in the farmworld universe counts as a clear example of just that

now i know scarab gets to hang out in the time room and fionnaworld has a bit of magic to it now with some of the other universal crossovers, ANDDD im glad fionna grew to appreciate her world for what it was. and those are both their own kind of happy endings. that being said it kind of feels like she mostly only got to see the scarier and more messed up sides of The Magic shed been dreaming of and that just doesnt feel right to me. i also think its unfair that she should be the only finn variation (that we see) who doesnt get to have melee weapon (specifically sword) proficiency. even babyworld finn got to show off some stake sword skills in the tank. im just saying. if she were to ever wish for the ability to fight like a total badass the way her other alt selves get to... sounds to me like a good "practice wish" to theoretically try to grant

and even disregarding everything else above, even if you disagree with me which is totally fine, you can't disagree with this: they threw eggs at him

full circle

listen. listen to me. okay

listen. understand my vision. okay ?

[david-talks-sw]

What do you think is the intended meaning of the moment when Vader sees a version of himself as a kid with his mask as his face when he enters Padme’s ship in the Fortress Vader comic arc?

Hmm, if I had to guess, it'd be that Vader - at this stage in his life - sees himself as "a bad apple from the start".

The thing to keep in mind is that there's layers to Darth Vader.

The first layer is one of rationalization. The lie, the thing he keeps telling himself.

"I'm the Chosen One. I have brought peace, freedom, justice and security to my new Empire. The Jedi turned against me, they're traitors to the Republic, I caught Windu trying to assassinate the Chancellor, they're evil! I am what Obi-Wan made me and he turned Padmé against me. I'm not Anakin Skywalker, he was weak and I destroyed him. I am what remains. I sacrificed so much in my quest for power and here I am: a Sith Lord. And one day, I'll be the master and everything will be mine."

But deep down... in a place Vader doesn't like to acknowledge even exists... Vader knows the truth. It's a layer of guilt.

"I'm a traitor. I slaughtered my brothers and sisters. Friggin' kids. I'm a monster. I once dreamed of freeing the slaves, now people are being enslaved by the very system I helped build. I committed countless atrocities. I am not Obi-Wan's failure, I did this to myself. I killed Padmé. She'd be ashamed of me. I'm all alone. And I deserve it, I deserve all the pain the universe has to offer."

And even deeper... there's this glimmer of good...

... but the guilt and the rationalization layers keep suppressing it, be it because Vader doesn't deserve the chance to be good, or because being good is being weak.

So we get to the vision of Anakin with Vader's mask as a face, in Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith #21.

So first off, I think there's clearly some Momin mask-induced Force hallucination/mind games afoot. Vader isn't wearing it, but we know that mask is somewhat "haunted".

That said, I think this particular hallucination draws from that guilt layer mentioned above.

Vader seeing the child with his face is that guilty side of him saying: "you were this monster from the get-go, from the very start you were twisted and evil, if only they'd known maybe they'd be alive."

And one hand... sure. That fear, that anger, that possessiveness was definitely there as early as TPM.

On the other hand... who doesn't feel fear, or anger? Who doesn't get attached to loved ones? Vader's subconscious makes a valid points but ultimately reaches the wrong conclusion.

George Lucas was very clear about this: Anakin started out as a sweet, kind boy. Not a demon child.

"[In the original trilogy the issues is] 'How do we get [Vader] back to that little boy that he was in the first movie, that good person who loved and was generous and kind? Who had a good heart.'" - TIME magazine, Cinema: Of Myth And Men, 1999

"[A lot of people said Anakin] should’ve been this little demon kid. But the story is not about a guy who was born a monster – it’s about a good boy who was loving and had exceptional powers, but how that eventually corrupted him and how he confused possessive love with compassionate love." - Rolling Stones, 2005

" He was a sweet kid, helpful, just like most people imagine themselves to be. Most people said, "This guy must have been a horrible little brat -- a demon child." But the point is, he wasn't born that way -- he became that way and thought he was doing the right thing. He eventually realizes he's going down the dark path, but he thinks it's justifiable." - Wired, 2005

"The thing about Anakin is, Anakin started out as a nice kid. He was kind, and sweet, and lovely, and he was then trained as a Jedi. But the Jedi can’t be selfish. They can love but they can’t love people to the point of possession. You can’t really possess somebody, because people are free. It’s possession that causes a lot of trouble, and that causes people to kill people, and causes people to be bad. Ultimately it has to do with being unwilling to give things up." - An Oral History of Star Wars: Episode I, 2019

Fact is, though, that the fear, the anger, the attachments... they were left unchecked. So they festered, partially thanks to Palpatine's enabling, and eventually when the time came... they consumed him. As explained by Lucas multiple times.

The problem wasn't being afraid or being angry. It's that he never let any of it go.