#have a retconn

[morgana-ren]

i love angst, and i love your writing, but please, PLEASE, i beg you, could you write some hope of tav ever returning now that the imbecile, has realised the error of his ways 🥺😭 (either way, thank you so much, for all your astarion writtings, it has made me feel things, the angst is real and my masochistic heart loves it🥲)

First part of the story HERE

Common complaint I got on that one! So I fixed it just for y'all. This ending is much less sad and much more sappy, so here is the comfort you need after all that angst!

"Darling, will you smile for me? Just once more. Please--"

He feels her cheeks in his palms, the soft skin against his battle-hardened callouses. Desperation cradles his unbeating heart, and for a moment, the emotion is far too much. A searing flame after centuries of frost. A bonfire in a blizzard. It hurts-- it burns--

"My love, I just need you to--"

"Anything my lord, anything at all for you. Simply command me and I will do anything you ask."

"No, I can't-- I-- I won't do it. I won't. I won't!"

"My lord?"

Her head cocks, turning slowly to look upon him, but her eyes-- they are empty; beetle-black and hollow. Her smile is uncanny as a painted doll, her movements disjointed and inhuman. Her teeth are stained crimson with blood, dripping, dripping, ever dripping down, never swallowed, only pooling.

She is light as a feather as she slips away from him, her skin marbling into a sickly gray before ash spreads across her body as a disease, smearing her form into nothingness. Only her face is left untouched, pretty as porcelain, unflinching and unfalling save a small crack that splinters down from her forehead down to her eyes, revealing inky black abyss beneath.

"My lord-- Oh, my tender, vicious lord. I can feel your anguish-- your hunger. Devour me to be whole once more--"

Her blood smells of rot and she--

She is too far gone to save. Too far gone to ever be saved.

"I won't!"

Whirlwind. Pain. Confusion and dread and seeping anguish. A maelstrom of rage and all-consuming despair swelling from within his soul—

—his soul?

The world around him falls away, a wicked tornado thrashing him about, his mind howling in the eternal winds--

And suddenly he is in a chair.

Not a throne. A chair— and a rather uncomfortable one at that.

"What in the hells—"

His vision spins, nausea curling his gut into a wicked tide of sickness barely restrained by his teeth. He tastes stale blood crawling up his throat, threatening to overturn onto the faded rug beneath him.

"Did you see what you wished for, little spawn?"

The voice takes him by surprise. It is not hers, but another, less familiar voice. The wailing animal in his head retreats to a dull roar as his memory creeps back. A brightly colored tent assaults his vision, piecemeal rugs and odd, foreign trinkets abound on makeshift shelves, and before him sits a strange old woman, hood pulled heavy over her straggling gray hair.

"I-- What was that?"

He sees her cracked, aging lips upturn, gnarled hands placed protectively over a strange orb on the table touching his knees. "I have shown you your future, vampling. Was it to your liking?" Panic rises within his stomach again, and though he does not breathe, he clutches his chest. The smell of incense clogs his nostrils and again, the wave of sick threatens to spill forth. Wretched taste of metallic, aged blood sits heavy on his tongue, all sensation too much-- all of it too much.

"No-- No, that cannot be it!"

"This is your path, Pale Elf. The road you walk. The power you seek is well within your grasp, but as I told you before, it will cost you everything."

He vehemently shakes his head, denying it. Denying it before her and all the Gods.

"You told me upon entry that no price was too great for your reward. Do you still agree with this sentiment?"

"No! Not-- not her. Not her. Not that! I couldn't--"

"You can and you shall, sure as the moon follows the sun. You will have everything you ever wanted, but cost of this ritual is plain before you. You cared not for the many souls left to your mercy that are crushed beneath your tyrannical fist in your ascension, but what of the sole one that resides in your heart?"

Her. The light of his life. The air he breathes. The sun on his frigid flesh, the warmth that melts his icy heart.

"No," He hisses, trying to stand, but ultimately unable to muster the strength. "I won't! There-- There must be another way. Show me!"

"There is no other way," She says, solemnly. "It is inevitable."

He swallows down the information like a boulder lodged in his gullet. Her words echo endlessly in his mind, bouncing off the walls and lodging shards of ice directly in his soul.

"What if I-- What if I don't ascend? Tell me, what if I don't?"

She smiles again, teeth flashing through her thin lips. "That is another path, little elf." "I need to know. I-- I need certainty. I won't do this to her, but I--" He pauses, grappling with everything in his mind, desperately flitting about to absorb it all. "If I am going to forgo this, I need to be certain. I need to know that I can protect her, that she will be safe--"

But the woman simply shakes her head.

"Everyone must choose. For some, the path is dark, but for you, you see more than most will ever have the comfort of knowing. I can offer you nothing more. Should you initiate the Rite, you know this will come to pass. I can tell you nothing more if you choose to not. The future is yet unwritten, and the quill resides in your hands." "Then why can I not have both!" He slams a fist on the table, clawing at the soft wood. For the first time in ages, tears prick at his pale lashes and frustration wells a knot in his throat. "Why--" "Because one path is wholly your own, while the other is a tangled web, such is the nature of deals with the Hells. You will get everything you ever wanted and lose everything that made it worth having."

His head slumps, defeated and miserable. Silvery tears slide down the curves of his cheeks, even as he attempts to bite them back. He thought he would find comfort in knowing the future, but all it has given him is utter horror.

"Despair not," She continues. "Yes, you will wither under the sun, an eternally cursed dweller of the night, but all is not lost, is it? The one you love, will she stray from your side?" "I wanted her to have better than that," He sniffles, needling his lip with a fang. "I cannot brave the sun, but her-- She deserves better than that-- better than me."

"And what of what she feels?"

His brows furrow, and he peers up at the woman from tear-beaded lashes.

"You are a night walker; it is in your nature to be selfish. But love is not selfish, little vampling. You must fight your nature, your inherent self-loathing, or your love will always find the fire. What of what she desires?"

"She loves me," He says with absolute certainty. "And I--" "Do you love her?"

"Yes," He hisses, almost insulted that she would ask. "More than anything. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Then the rest matters naught. If you love her, you will allow her the agency to choose-- something you deny her as an ascendent. You must grow past your own follies. To love is to be vulnerable, and you must allow both yourself and her this freedom."

They are hard words to swallow, and yet, he feels the truth resound in them. She would not leave his side, even as he tried to force her to understand. Even as an instrument of his manipulation and schemes came to light, she stood steadfast with him, hand entwined in his, ready to face the fire together.

"I-- I need to know she will be safe."

Again, the woman shakes her head. "You cannot. You must fight fate if you wish to overturn it. You face dire odds, though throwing the dice in your favor now will doom you later should this outcome be the confirmation of your fears."

He sighs, face crinkling as he sniffs once more, summoning the willpower to swallow down the agony of his choice. He finds the strength in his legs to push himself upward from the chair, weak and shaking as a newborn fawn as he does so. "I will do whatever I need to. Anything."

"Then you may yet see this through."

He can hear the fanfare of the circus outside, the bawdy bards strumming away on their lutes and banging on drums, the elated screams of the children and their parents. Facing the light now seems impossible, but he must find his way home to her-- he has to be with her now now now--

"The coin first, boy."

He snaps out of his delirium only long enough to fish his hands into one of his pockets, bringing out a coin. Aged and neglected, the sinister engraving of a skull peers up at him from his palm, ruby eyes gleaming in the light as he tosses it into the woman's knobbily-jointed hands.

"Best of luck to you, night-child," She tucks it away. "We may yet meet again." "No offense, but I hope not."

"Me too, Little Star."

He pays little mind to the bustling streets and bursting taverns of Baldur's Gate, his feet carrying him back to camp as swiftly as his body will allow. It takes him until sundown even as he damn near jobs, ripping through the tree line and into the ruins with the intensity of a man starved.

"Astarion!" Karlach greets him, trying to wave him over. "I've got a bet with Gale about--" "Where is she?" Astarion immediately cuts her off, looking around frantically.

"Who?" Karlach raises a brow.

"Who else?" Wyll crosses his arms, looking intrigued at Astarion's intensity.

"Oh! In her tent, I think. Why? Gotcha a special something' in town for her, eh?" Karlach tries to rib at him, but he pushes past her without a second glance.

"Bet it's a fancy new dress he needs to tear off of her immediately," Karlach rolls her eyes before returning to her business.

He bursts into her tent to find her hunched over a book, tongue poking from between her teeth, as she scans over the page. This only lasts a few seconds before he scrambles onto the bed, squeezing her as tightly as he can manage, burying his nose into her hair, tears brimming in his eyes once more.

"Woah, hey!" She laughs, carefully setting her book aside, trying to discern what in the hells he is mumbling endlessly into her neck.

Need you-- need you-- love you-- can't lose you-- don't ever--

She hushes him, realizing something has gone terribly, terribly wrong, kissing his head and tugging him close. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She tries to cup his cheeks and bring his face up but he adamantly refuses, hard-swallowing the urge to bawl into her shoulder with every ounce of willpower he has. All he can manage is to cling to her, half sobbing, visions of that terrible future swimming in his head. He cannot let it come to pass, he will not--

And she holds him, cradling him in her arms, hushing him gently. Her face creases with worry, running her hands through his silvery hair as he pulls him into her lap.

"Little Star, what's wrong? You seem so upset. What can I do to make you happy, my love?"

"Is it done?" Ulma leans down as she enters the tent, carefully dodging the intricate tassels of the blanket strewn over the entryway.

"It is," The strange old woman replies, still rubbing the coin with her worn thumb.

"And?"

"I showed him nothing but truth," She says quietly. "I did not manipulate his vision. Only channeled it."

"That tells me nothing. I need to know if our children are safe."

"I cannot tell you this, Ulma. You know of the ways of our tribe; our relationship with these magics." Ulma's lips purse, her exasperation evident in her humorless expression. "I need to know--"

"His reaction was genuine. That was not my doing. He knows the price of power. I cannot tell you if he will pay it regardless," The old woman's head lifts, a slight mischievous smile playing on her lips. "But I can tell you what I think."

"And what do you think?"

"I have seen his soul-- the heart of it. I believe you will see our children yet. He will spare our heart to spare his own in kind. It beats in that woman," Her eyes twinkle in the low candlelight, a genuine smile widening across her cheeks. "I believe he can find redemption yet."

[cnl0400]

(Trying to make sense in the Simeon human >> demon pipeline. Very Headcsnnon heavy post so be warned)

Simeon steals the Ring of light and gets told off by Michael. Michael enters panic mode because that means Simeon messed up with a human life spawn and he would be punished/banished for this

(Reminder that in the conversation with Michael in S2OG, he mentions how If he would have been more like MC, things would have gone different and he wouldn't have lose Lucifer/his brothers. So in a way, trying to stop Simeon from falling/being punished Is his "second chance" on doing everything right)

The punishment for messing with a human life spawn Is basically being forced to wander through darkness for all eternity (both NB & OG mention different punishments for Lilith, my rule Is that the newer version it's whats considered canon unless stated otherwise), and going against the CR in general Is losing your angel status and become a fallen angel. So Simeon punishment was odd since the start

To stop the whole process of Simeon becoming a fallen angel, Michael turns Simeon into a human. In that way, Simeon doesn't have enough magic to go throught the whole metamorphosis. Also explains why he was defenseless for the whole S4OG

S3 happens and Simeon Is "human" the whole time. Probably in the same way that MC Is human (that they can see that he's not a regular human and has a supernatural origin, but still pretty weak by himself)

Raphael regularly checks on him for the whole S3, he was probably keep in the dark about how bad the situation situation Is, judging by his actitude in L48NB

S4 Happens and Raphael gets into the exchange program, to keep Simeon safe and to inform Michael about whatever changes he may be going through. Luke also says that Michael asks him more about Simeon so it's probably that Simeon being human just was a way to gain more time to fix the whole issue

** The whole Nightbringer/Time traveling arc happens (S1 & S2 of NB), not a lot happened here since the time barely moved in the present

They return to the present, Solomon cast a protective spell on Simeon and that's where everyone starts to see that something Is going on with Simeon. My theory Is that now Simeon has enough magic in himself to "transform"

(Also: Simeon apparently still has hidden power within himself, even after becoming "human" but tbh that's makes everything more confusing. Sry Solomon)

** Something that I found interesing Is that 7 Lessons after L41, this lesson was the one they choose to make reference to the past. Solomon references his time with MC in Cocytus hall. Does this mean something? Probably not. But I'm still on the cracktheory that Simeon & Nightbringer are in this together.

[angelsaxis]

"why get mad at authors and writers for not giving you what you want? Just write a fanfiction" why get mad at someone you commissioned not drawing and delivering the art they promised when you can just draw your own art?

[vault81]

i still feel like the Fallout TV show should've just been like.. it's own seperate canon? different universe or smn idk, kinda like Arcane or Dragon Age Absolution? I feel like that would be even EASIER than trying to shoe-horn in all these different retcons into an already established (and bordering convoluted tbh) canon.

You could probably do even more fun and interesting things with it, because you don't contradict previous entries! you can literally just do fucking whatever and it'd work 100% better.

[battery-anon]

aspryn, how do you feel about taclus' assumption about your lack of autonomy? he said that minthy forced you to see her after a "misunderstanding," which apparently was a prank. talcus seemed very quick to gloss over what that was, so if possible, could you clear that up?

also, how would you say minthy acted during your <3< relationship? again, talcus was very quick to call it controlling without naming specifics, so i'm inclined to hear your side before making a decision.

ooc btw she is not beign nicer becuase she likes aspryn moar she is beign nicer as a waey to get answers :skull:

my lack of what ? hold on let me goergle that ?

meyenthy never forced me to see her eye dont theyenk ? eye asked for her help weyeth the battery theyeng ? eye theyenk thats the meyesunderstandeyeng/prank ? yeah eyet keyend of was both those theyengs ? you can read back on my blog ? eye theyenks eyets tagged as the saga or sometheyeng ?

meyenthy ? please do not read theyes part ?

meyenthy eyes a very bad keyemeseyes ? eye dont theyenk eyets controlleyeng ? were just worlds worst peyetch couple ? weve never had much hate and mostly just care about each other ? eye guess to talcus that meyeght seem controlleyeng ? sure shes annoyeyeng but she also eyes so helpful and just ? ? ? eye leyeke her a lot ?

leyesten eyem at fault for most of theyes ? eye dont theyenk meyenthy or talcus should be blamed ? eye steyell leyeke meyenthy and eyet hurts to talk to talcus but eye dont theyenk eyet eyes a bad troll ?

eyef you need a troll to take the blame peyeck me ? please ?

[crockersbian]

honestly homestuck HAD so many kinda dogshit relationships in it that i don't really blame people for seeing the mutually-assured destruction going on with Vriska and Terezi and jumping to conclusions but like. dude they were only relationshipping before the cycle of violence began or after it was finished canonicity-wise.

[deathmetalangel]

HARDLY SEEMS FAIR

robby keene x fem! reader

warnings: "casual" relationship", swearing, arguments, crying, heavily ldr coded, implied hookups, slut shaming, cheating, angsty

“in what world is that fair robby?"

oke so this is kinda a retconnned chapter from my wattpad book that i'm just extending and making more ambigious instead of clearly x oc. i hope y'all like it tho. i am sorry i have been gone for so long :(

Y/n plays with the ends of Robby's hair. He was laying with his head in her lap while they just relaxed in her room. It was calm, domestic. A small and very rare moment for just the two of them. No outside force would intrude and break their safe haven. There was no what if's that lingered in the air. Nor past resentments that hung over them like an ominous cloud determined to damper their moods. 

It was just Y/n and Robby. And that's all they'll ever be. No labels. She figured that much after the last time she'd brought it up. But she's become so full of him she can't even bring herself to care. She'd rather have what they have now, whatever it may be with him. Rather than risking losing him, and the routine she's started to build around him. 

She hums softly. Her mind far off. "Y/n?" She hymns in acknowledgement without turning her head. "Something happened this weekend."

He was lying. This had been going on for weeks. He had been having doubts for weeks. He'd been seeing her for weeks. "What happened? Another karate fight?" She wasn't the girl who got heartbroken. She was never the second choice. She got what she wanted. And she wanted him, however she could have him.

"I kissed Sam Larusso."

Y/n freezes. Her body betraying her as she tenses up. She has no right, she knows that. They were 'casual'. Just her and Robby. Non-commital.

"I mean big deal right? We were drunk anyways. Just felt bad not telling you. I know were not dating so it's really not your business, but don't worry about it. I mean we've fucked so often what does a kiss even mean?"

A kiss. To her it meant everything. An act of intimacy that they rarley ever shared. So innocent, so pure.

"Get out of my room Robby." Y/n mumbles, her voice above a whisper. The teen sits up from her lap and looks at her incredalously. He was only telling her to keep her in the loop. She didnt have the right to be mad. So why was she making a big deal about this?

"What?"

"You heard me. Get the fuck out of my room Keene."

He furrows his brows in a toxic coctail of anger and confusion. "Why? You can't get pissed at me for this Y/n. We aren't fucking dating. Don't get all aggro on me like you're some psycho girlfriend when you're a friend with benefits at best."

Y/n stands up and pushes the boy out of her room. "Get the fuck out of here Robby! If it didn't mean anything why don't you go fuck her then? Go whine about your mommy issues and daddy issues to her and leave me the hell alone."

"You have some nerve you know that right? Don't act all high and mighty now. You're a whore. Why the hell would I ever actually take you seriously when I can get everything I want without the label or work. You're easy, I could never do that shit with Sam."

Her breath was stuck in her throat as the boy she truly thought cared began to berate her as if she was a random person on the street. The boy she suffered for. The boy that was really never her's to keep. Y/n forces herself to wipe her anrgy tears and push Robby once again.

Y/n's hands were shaky, she desprately wanted to cry. To scream. To give in and give him the satisfaction of getting to her. "Oh so you can come over whenever you want, make me listen to your shitty life, and basically force yourself into my own life, but all that means nothing right? Well guess what Kenne. You kissed her, and she still doesn't want you!" She presses her finger into his chest while her voice level rises. "That same girl is still with Miguel. So just because you wanna jump ship and 'upgrade' doesn't mean she wants anything to do with you. Face it babe, you're just white trash."

"Shut the fuck up Y/n." Robby practically spits back.

"Oh, so you can disrespect me and belittle me in my own fucking room, but when its you its a problem? Grow up Robby. You're a man baby and a hypocrite. In what world is that fair Robby? Maybe in your little made up fantasy where Sam picks you and you leave me for dead. So go stay there. Cause you're sure as hell not welcome here."

Y/n throws everything he's given her at him. Every last peice a memory they shared together. Posters, drawings, braclets, anything that adorned her room. All of it thrown to him and crashing down like victims of a violent storm. Tears streamed down her face as he backed up to her door.

She opens the door for him and grabs his sweater and keys before shoving it in his chest. The boy watches her dumbfounded.

"Stay away from me Robby. Go back to some other slut that can put up with your baggage and shitty attitude for one night stand status. Because I'm done."

He looks at her, but there wasn't the girl he knew looking back at him. Not with how she glared, not with how she stood, and not with how she felt. Her eyes, the e/c irises reflected love, now they were dark. Harbors for her contempt. The grimace on her face was unforgettable. Especially as the last thing he seen before she slammed her door on his face.

Robby swallows the spit in his mouth, a hard lump of guilt not wanting to go down. He didn't think any of this would happen. He wanted her to care, but he didn't want to fight. His temper, his father's god forsaken temper, and his own damned ego.

He wanted what he had with her, with Sam. The girl next door with a rich family and big house. Like something out of a book. Not the girl that did whatever he said for the sake of making him happy. He really did want to just abandon her, didn't he? After everything.

Choking back his frustrations the boy marches down her stairs and lets himself out. He liked what he had with her, but he wouldn't fight for her. Guys only did that for the girl they want.

[dinogoofymutated]

So i have a question regarding Kurts genetics. Destiny and Mystique are his biological parents from what I read. Mystique changing into a man and taking on the appearances and I guess abilities of Count Wagner and Azazel. which would explain Kurts bamf ability and his demonish appearance.

Now hear me out, what if these genetics show in his children. They look like a mix of Kurt and his SO but imagine instead of blue skin, red skin. Devilish apperance and tiny horns n tail. Or ginger/red hair like mystique. (I'm using that for a lil side AU with some oc of mine for funnies)

What are your thoughts about it? I am kind conflicted on how Kurt came to be because some sources say that Mystique was his mom and Azazel his father.

This is a good question!!

To clear up some of his parenthood confusion, his parents keep changing every once in a while. Nightcrawler has always come from mystique, but originally his dad was count wagner, and then it was changed to azazel, and the most recent retconn is the Destiny/Mystique birthstory! I don't know why they keep changing it so much, and I can't think of any other Characters who have gone through the same thing either 😭 but I guess it all depends on what version you prefer/read/ watch.

And as for what genetics his kids would get, I don't really know, but here's a photo from Google of what some of his kids have looked like in some comic runs! The two in the middle are from Kymri and Talia's mom is the scarlet witch. (Feel free to correct me of I'm wrong yall, I haven't personally red this run!)

[conceptofjoy]

still havent read anything post canon related so i might have some wrong assumptions, but why did they make john do the “coin flip” meat candy thing after it was established that he was p much above binding narrative decisions… like if it were a repeat terezi thing or a dave thing id get it but johns the retconner?

[papiliomame]

Finally I read the new graphic novel too and it was very enjoyable. I went in with zero expectation so I was pleasantly surprised with the big thing everyone is screaming about. Amazing art, amazing story amazing everything! Gabriela Epstein is a genius. She managed to solve many problems with the show and expands the lore in a cohesive way while also be in line with the humor and tone of the original show accompanied with wonderful illustrated panels!

Under the cut are some of my thought about it:

SPOILER WARNING!

First things first: Phantom Planet retconnned! Now the series can continue with the loose threads of the original show and the new one from this novel without making some brain gymnastic to make the events from the episode fit in these stories.

Techonological progress: Everyone upgraded to a smartphone and they even have internet and social media( which makes it funny that Vlad used an old fat destop PC for his research as a (former?) billionaire)

RIP Tucker's PDA.

Danny mentioned that Vlad terrorized him for the past few years, that means Danny is at least 16 or 17 years old in this?

Ghosts don't need to breath. Vlad didn't have a helmet on while in space in his flashback .

Clockwork doesn't shapeshift in his other forms for some reason.

And he was quite reckless to put the thermos with Phantom just there in the open, you would think you would seal an apocalyptic threat somewere safe away or something like that.

Clockwork's staff is part of the timeline itself. interesting...

Also Clockwork is really the emodiment of time not just a random ghost with the title passed down by the oberservants( read some fanon about that)

Ghost Speak is canon! Well atleast the language of the ancients is. It consist of basically of old dead languages.

The translation of Vlad's rubbings is incomplete I wonder if there is more to it.

Hmm not sure how I feel about this but the Fenton parent are still bad parents in this, like how they not care about Phantom although Jazz said that this is Danny from another timeline. Now I wonder if they would even adopt Dani with this attitude.

Badass Valerie and badass Jazz!

The Source is a beautiful place.

The truth about ghosts which is revealed in there is so deep and give so much material for worldbuilding

But one thing is sure: Ghost are souls/emotions/ energies of people or beeings who ones lived and not monsters.

Implication that ghosts are immortal. Does this count for halfas too?

Danny got a new power: fireworks

Obsessions are canon!

The fight scenes are wonderful illustrated!

Danny is really much more powerful after his newfound purpose. He didn's retransformed after the ghostly wail, he can create ice glaciers with his ice powers and his shield withstand Phantom atomic explosion attack.( also RIP A-Listers and Lance Thunder from this timeline and everyone else who was there and wasn't protected by Danny's shield.)

Phantom insisted that he is not Danny but much more than that, however while he was falling apart he glitched out and we saw Danny Phantom's face and Phantoms face but not Plasmius face in there, I wonder why.

Danny becomes the avatar!

The Valerie cliffhanger: Phantom was falling apart without an anchor, does that mean Valerie will also fall apart if she doesn't wear Clockworks medallion anymore?

The last scene: Clockwork encourage Vlad to do more with the clones and the scene is also a parallel to the ending to " The Ultimate Enemey" how the observants shift the responsibility over Phantom to Clockwork.

[just-jae]

"Apology Tour"

Helluva Boss in respects to the episode "Apology Tour", demonstrates an overt shift in storytelling that not only went far out-of-character, but handled their portrayal of a toxic relationship, ironically in a toxic way.

To start, Im aware that the show has had storytelling flaws, and have since moved on and accepted that it's ultimately unplanned story subject to retconns (Such as with Moxxie, Stella, Octavia and Stolas) as well as just not going in any particular direction sometimes, especially given these are relatively new characters and personalities, and a story started as a small side-project with only one planned season, compared to Hazbin Hotel, who's characters have been in development since Viv was a kid, whom she had a clear and set vision for by the time Hazbin Hotel started production.

That being said, these past few episodes give me an impression that the focus of their story is shifting, due to the lacking cohesion between prior setup and Apology Tour and the one-sidedness in this episode's story, even if we only rely on the show's content for context.

They set up that Blitz is self loathing, having developed a deep-seated self hatred after causing the death and traumatization of people he cared about, internalizing other's opinions, effectively having given up on being the person he wants to be and considering himself a failure in that regard.

But, its not just self loathing, as Apology tour insists so strongly. Its also disillusionment with love. Blitz once knew love in the form of his mother, Fizz his best friend, and (maybe) his sister at least into his pre-teen years. He even attempted to confess feelings for Fizz with a letter on his birthday, and still cares about his sister enough to go look for her when she leaves the insane asylum.

He nearly believes Stolas's texts and his words in Full , because that's who he is at his core, someone who loves and longs to be loved, but convinces himself that Stolas doesn't actually mean what he says, and thus acts accordingly. Somewhere along the line he learned that "It's an act" after being betrayed, abandoned, or otherwise hurt by people he trusted with his heart. People like his father, Fizz, exes, or even people he set up performance act for, whom ultimately rejected him-- hence why he gave up.

"You tried a solo act, it didn't work out so well."

Unlike Stolas, who, since birth has been raised by emotionally distant, fake people who pretty themselves up despite being rotten and who "pretend to want to fuck his scrawny twig-ass" (his wife btw) because they have to. Honestly, I don't know why he'd consider his relationship with Blitz to be any better than his wife's.

Because they were drunk the first time i guess >=>… Seriously was that episode even canon--

Blitz went into the room already certain that Stolas was getting bored and about to cut him off, making efforts to appeal to Stolas-- a guy whom he considers an unpleasant chore to be around, insisting "I can do better". He even begs, that he'll do anything with DESPAIR -- as if expecting to be even more uncomfortable just to maintain their arrangement. And this moment shows clearly that Blitz never wanted to do any of the stuff their "relationship" is built on. He's there because those are the terms Stolas set for being allowed to use his book.

"Once a month, you return the book to me, followed by a night of passionate fornication!" Stolas, as usual conveniently ignores that this is the situation Blitz has been in since they met and proceeds to act like Blitz is the jackass for hating him AFTER ADMITTING THAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP was "NOT RIGHT". Blitz doesn't even initially steal from Stolas (when they're children) because he wants to, but because his dad is making him do it.

In Full Moon, Blitz snaps and goes on a rant about "Everything you've put me through" and how people like Stolas have tended to treat people like Blitz, because just as Stolas feels hurt, Blitz has also been hurt, as much as he tries not to be, such as the sentiment he expressed in "Ozzy's" (Which, btw was their last serious on-screen conversation), that Stolas has made him feel used more than anything. Even if Blitz initiated their arrangement, Stolas trying to make it an emotional relationship feels like a lure to be hurt, and having to reject that offer, especially after seeing a genuinely loving relationship, also forces Blitz to verbalize WHY he rejects the offer, being that at no point has Stolas done anything but sexualize Blitz and disregard his own disinterest and discomfort, which has been apparent throughout the serise.

Blitz has, up until this point, made it blatantly clear that he hates having sex with Stolas, and avoids doing so unless he needs to maintain access to the Memoir.

Blitz has been completely transparent about how he feels about their relationship from the get-go.

ALL that being said, it's becoming apparent that "Apology Tour" marks a noticeable shift in the storytelling style, where the writers are starting to portray specific unrelated life experiences through these characters, even if it doesn't line up with the situation set up by previous episodes.

In apology tour, Blitz not only doesn't take Stolas' breakoff seriously, but doesn't even believe that Stolas genuinely doesn't want to fuck anymore (despite having started the episide thinking he was getting bored, and having a history of breakups). And even exhibits behaviors of being possessive of Stolas, going over to his house to insist on nothing being different, getting angry when Stolas kisses another guy, even claiming that he "Stole" his bird.

In apology tour he's angry at Stolas, not for putting him in an emotionally vulnerable position, but for being emotionally vulnerable and rejecting his sexual advances, which felt not-only OOC as fuck for Blitz but resembled traits of a narcissist more than someone who was self loathing or emotionally insecure. He even says shit like "Stolas always wants to talk to me" as if suddenly he can't fathom that someone doesn't like him or doesn't want to be with him rather than the opposite mindset that's been set up throughout the series.

Apology Tour wants to tell a story of projected self loathing, but uses experiences with narcissistic tendencies to do so, through a character that, prior to this specific episode was anything BUT, and whom specifically had a history of initiating breakups SPECIFICALLY because he didn't think people actually loved him and were just luring him in to be hurt (or because he was predicting things were starting to go downhill and just decided to be to first to jump ship).

I can tell this episode is a depiction of personal experiances with breakups from certain kinds of toxic relationships, but the entire time these characters didn't feel like themselves but other people in their skins.

What bothers me, specifically, is that in sympathizing so one-sidedly with Stolas, Apology tour villainizes Blitz, and disregards the mistreatment HE'S endured from Stolas, suddenly blaming him for Stolas's insecurities and heartbreak when AT NO POINT did Blitz ever pretend to like their arrangement or be interested in Stolas. AT NO POINT were they ever even in a relationship. It was a transactional fucking that STOLAS required for Blitz to use the book. Stolas catching feelings doesn't obligate Blitz to suddenly put his own heart on the line, especially when he's already vulnerable in that he relies on Stolas for his business to operate.

STOLAS HIMSELF admits that their relationship was transactional in FULL MOON. AGAIN, Stolas was the one who made sex the requirement for getting the book in the first place when he could have just been lending Blitz the book without that.

This whole time STOLAS has been the one controlling the terms by which their relationship is maintained, and never made an effort to pay attention to how Blitz felt about it until Blitz actually told him no, even then he completely disregards the obvious vulnerability and fear of being hurt to focus instead on Blitz's self loathing.

"Why cant you just open up to me--someone who's talked down to you multiple times, litterally called you a plaything, needlessly disregarded your boundaries and discomfort, and who exploits your need of me for sex-- and just admit that you hate yourself?? I've tried so hard to be nice to you since the first time you refused to do what I want! Why aren't you giving me what I want?"

Like. TF? How is Blitz the bad guy here?

This could have been remedied just by swapping the character's roles.

Stolas should have been the one portrayed as a clingy, emotionally deaf asshole, (That he's been since his first appearance), who struggles to comprehend genuine love and actually being loved-- as opposed to Blitz who's just afraid of loving and self-punishing.

Blitz should be the one who's catching a break here.

An alternative approach to this story: Blitz realizes there's another way to get to the living world, and warily asks Stolas to help him get it, even offering to keep banging afterward as thanks, or, taking a risk that maybe Stolas genuinely cares about him. Stolas is too insecure to actually choose to give Blitz that freedom and potentially never see him again, and/or take him seriously at first because he's so sure everyone's happy with the current arrangement-- an arrangement that, frankly he's familiar with after living with his wife for years.

Maybe this could reveal that Stolas just felt that, being used/needed (for the memoir) was the only way he was even going to get close to something resembling a relationship and just hesitated a bit too long, causing Blitz to quickly back out and go for the crystal himself. Then maybe Stolas shows up to help anyway and they have a similar conversation as in Apology tour, without the made-up "we all hate this guy, its all your fault, you're the shitty one" party that, if anything just reinforced Blitz's self loathing.

Seriously. The dude's even a better dad than Stolas is-- he actually pays attention to Loona, and is capable of loving her and interacting with her even when she's a dick bc he's used to people being dicks and not kissing his ass when they're not drunk-- unlike Stolas.

So why does Apology tour make the entire situation Blitz's fault and make him soley responsible for their and EVERY "relationship's" failure? Why isn't Stolas made to confront or even acknowledge the way he's treated Blitz up until Ozzy's? (except for some flirting in a filler episode and some texts on a phone)

Why does the show make it BLITZ's obligation and responsibility to be sensitive to Stolas's feelings and vulnerabilities and to be vulnerable to Stolas after a majority of their relationship BY STOLA'S OWN ADMISSION has been transactional with Blitz being the one reliant on Stolas and therefore having an unfair power dynamic?

Because its not their story, they're being used to tell someone else's story.

Stolas sure does prop himself up as making efforts to be kind and loving pretty often. I guess that's why his daughter hates him so much and feels unloved and abandoned, why Blitz never felt loved by him, and why we literally see Stolas abusing and bossing around imps that work for him, if not talking down to them like he does to Moxxie and Millie.

I can accept that the show is veering more toward using the characters to tell personal stories, and that the change is probably going to cause a loss of serial cohesion, but this was such poor way to handle the relationship and dynamic between these two characters and is infantilizing and glorifying Stolas as a pure -of-heart sweetie way too much.

Because we even saw before, that when when they're just cuddling, Blitz adores it. He likes the idea of a relationship, and having someone to hold, in a non-sexual way but can't let himself actually be vulnerable, especially not with people like Stolas who talk down to and take advantage of his reliance in order to maintain access to an asset they need to run their business.

This was careless. It's like watching a truck full of baggage veer across several lanes to make a last-minute exit onto a different highway and spill half of its bags all over the road in the process.

I had a problem before when they tried to portray Stolas as a kind and caring father who's done nothing to earn his daughter or spouse's spite. And I have a problem now when they try to blame and villainize the person who had less power in a relationship and has been shown not only being mistreated and used but capable of loving and respecting others, as shown with his relationships with Loona and Moxxie, and emotional vulnerability even when they don't want to be.

I do appreciate that they're putting in effort to portray painful personal experiences, but for fuck's sake at least review the history of the characters you use to tell the story before you go and blame someone in the LOWEST CLASS OF SOCIETY who RELIES on the other MUCH MORE POWERFUL person for FINANCIAL STABILITY and whom ALREADY PANDERS to SEXUAL DEMANDS AGAINST THEIR OWN PREFERENCE for the failure of a NON EXISTANT RELATIONSHIP and FOR NOT LETTING THEMSELVES BE VULNERABLE WITH SOMEONE THEY ULTIMATELY DONT TRUST.

I was actually rooting for them to finally break tf up because it's toxic af, and they somehow managed to make me hate it.

Literally they could have just swapped their roles and made the story make a lot more sense based on the setup, but No, Stolas is the sweet and innocent romantic one that needs saving and Blitz is the tough, cold hearted, reads hand, clingy jealous ex with narcissistic tendencies… for this one episode…

-----

Okay upon looking into it further it looks like a lot of the mismatch between what Stolas says and what Stolas does is intentionally him being in his own head. I really wish they would make that clear instead of Blitz being portrayed as such an ass-- like more assholish than usual, having an entire party of people who hate his guts in particular as if he's somehow worse than the average hellspawn, and having Blitz not refute most of the criticisms Stolas throws at him.

Like, the most Blitz has to apologize for is blowing up at Stolas for trying to help him, but. That's all he did, yelled. He even waited for Stolas to reply and even tried to apologize. So. Idk, if they're really gonna chalk all this up to "It's Stolas being in his own head" they-- I want them to come down so hard on his ass after this.

[radioactive-earthshine]

i hope this isn't too big of an ask but i have an idea for a fic with jenni and bart and i really want to get jenni right. is it possible that you could create a jenni specific reading list? i basically want to read only the comics she shows up in. im not saying that legion of supers is bad i just dont have the time to read everything for one person.

Post-Zero Hour Legion of Super-Heroes but it's only Jenni Ognats Reading List (you're still reading a lot of comics anon).

** NOTE ** Jenni is a reoccurring character in two comic series that run simultaneously for a long time; Legionnaires and Legion of Super-Heroes (1989) - you will be flipping back and forth between series. For my sanity, I am grouping the series separately and listing just the issues she appears in.

Suggested LOSH reading.

Legionnaires

#0 - Her first appearance #19-#27 #29 & #30 #35-#43 #45 #50 #53 #55 & #56 #58 & #59 #61 & #62 #64 & #65 #76 - #81 Annual #2 Annual #3 - Jenni centric, this is her journey back to the 30th century after she leaves Bart in Impulse #12

Legion of Super-Heroes (1989)

#62-#69 #72 #75 #80-#84 #88 #91 #100 #104-#106 #108 #120 #122 & #123 #125 Annual #6 - Her origin story Annual #7

Once these series end you will no longer be flipping back and forth.

Teen Titans/Legion of Super-Heroes: Universe Ablaze

#1 & #2 #4

Legion Lost (2000)

#1 - She doesn't really say anything or do anything so this may be skipped honestly.

Legion Worlds

#1 #4 #6

The Legion

#4 #6 #10-#18 #20 #22 & #23 #25 #27-#29 #32 & #33

Teen Titans/Legion Special

Single issue. The 'end' of her primary run where she and her team are flung into the Void to become the new Wanderers.

Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds

#1-#5 - Where Geoff Johns retconns her origin (it's his primary thing) and gets multiple things wrong but she does play an important role.

That is it for her primary 'team' appearances, there are many other comics however that she appears in!

Suggested Flash reading

Impulse (1995)

#9-#12

The Flash (1987)

#108-#111 #145 - #150

The Flash 80 Page Giant (1999) #2

Single issue. Jenni uncovers some history concerning Wally that leaves her hopeful...

Other suggested comics

Young Justice: Our Worlds at War Special

Single issue, not much happens but she does meet with Bart.

Green Lantern (1990)

#98 - Jenni meets Kyle Rayner and talks about how Green Lanterns and Speedsters go together, Kyle nopes out.

[still-a-morosexual-help]

So. What are your thoughts on how Luke was introduced in nb? Cause I always pictured him being... created? I guess is the word? A decent while after the fall to give him even more emotional distance from the brothers and the war. More time to think of them as Just Demons rather than as angels who fell recently you know? Plus I seem to remember him having never met the brothers when they were angels (could be wrong)

But him being around in nb makes me think that right after the brothers fell their father went about making some new angels to replace them, like Right Away. This time making them as younger children starting out since making them as adults didn't give nearly as much control over their actions as he would like (if we assume asmo's 7 days after I was created line means created as an adult, which it might not I'm now realizing. Maybe all angels are made at like 10 y/o or whatever?) Like he wanted them to be able to grow up enmeshed in the celestial relms teachings to avoid another rebellion you know? Instead of just being adults told rules to follow if that makes sense

This!!!

So s3 confirms that Luke wasn't around when the brothers were angels

And S1 confirms that s1 itself was the first time Luke was meeting the brothers (Simeon too I think? Like it was the first time after the Fall)

So yeah. I was fine with all the other retconns but that's the one that actually annoyed me

But ig since Luke is a main side character/a beloved part of the original characters and MC is going to stay in the past for possibly more seasons they can't cut Luke fully out

Obey Me! also canonically has alternate universes so this could be an AU instead of the direct past? Though so far it's playing out like it's the direct past, definitely gonna have to see how it plays out and how the present is affected (specially given the Lesson 10 cliffhanger)

Okay so I do think the brothers were somewhat younger when they were created? Because the way Lucifer sometimes treats them and the way they sometimes treat him - it feels like he's on instinct caring for children rather than adults? But I also like the idea that God realised his first batch came out fucked up and immediately baked a new one. Really fucked up. Amazingly angsty for all of Lucifer's daddy issues (remember how both Lucifer & Simeon's greatest fear is their father/creator)

[sadcharactersrmykryptonite]

Completed tsats, in the middle of exam week, guess I have my priorities straight. Okay, let's get into the pro and con opinions of mine in this book.

Pros

1.Nico got over his trauma. Not completely of course, but he is on the right path. And the cocoa puffs are really cute ( send me fanart).

2.I am glad nico is more emotive in this. We saw him smile more, make jokes and generally be more optimistic then the other books. I felt like titan's curse nico is coming back and i love it. I love that nerdy side to him.

3.We see him cry it out. After so long of seeing him being described as emotionless, cold and scary, it was nice to see him letting out his emotions.

4. I love that he is so affectionate with will. We already know that nico is physically affectionate with the people he cares about, like hugging Jason, reyna, and kissing hazel on the cheek. It makes sense that he will be affectionate with his bf.

5. I love that the entire story revolves around how kind nico is. Like we knew that nico was the only one who saw and talked to hestia. His selflessness is the most important trait of his but also the most overlooked. But it's also the trait that got him in the most trouble. I am glad that he told nyx to f**k off, it means he is learning to prioritise himself and i am so glad for that. Also it felt so good to see people and deities acknowledge that, too the point that a primordial goddess was threatened by it. Listen up kids, KINDNESS IS YOUR BIGGEST STRENGTH NOT A WEAKNESS.

6. I liked will's characterisation. He's exactly what I taught he will be, kind, daring, supportive and brave. And he learns, accepts his mistakes and meets nico in the middle, what more can i ask. ( I feel like a parent giving their blessings to their child's so)

7. Nyx felt threatening, way better then gaia. And I really liked the way the final battle was more psychological then physical. And the new development in wills powers, that's a head cannon that felt validated. He can use plague powers, powerfull sunshine boy, nico, powerful sunshine boy.

8.Bob and small bob, they are the best. And them being happy and enjoying their freedom, ah, I was crying. I love them.

9.The deities crying over solangelo. I get it, they are so cute. Kind of shows a human side to them. And that talk about lost souls with gorgyra, yeah, another scene that brought me too tears. The fact that they still have hope. Warmed my heart.

10.Loved the talk about change , and being true to yourself and having the option to choose. It read nicely and it's a great message for the kids out there, not just LGBTQ kids, to everyone. And even bitter adults can learn this lesson. So be open minded people.

As a literature student, I am done with all the nihilist, Existentionalist, tragic stories that I had to read. This was the cheesy, funny, pure, and sweet book that I wanted to get rid of all this stress. And that's what I want from a percy Jackson series book.

Cons

1.It was rushed. But I think I understand. I mean they had to put nico's solo tartarus plot, the actual plot of the story and also address their trauma, add fanservice, create a believable story for why nico had to go to tartarus again ( sideyes hades) , yeah way too much for a spinnoff.

2.I would have love to know more about will. Don't get me wrong, as I gushed about it, I really like their interactions. But it felt like he was made for those interactions, like will solace is still not an individual character but nico di angelo's boyfriend. To me it felt like Rick was telling," look at this sunshine boy, I would tell you why he is perfect for nico", hence the earlier blessing comment. ( you have my blessing will, you have my blessing). But I don't care about it much, for me I was looking forward to Nico's story and I got it so I am happy.

3.There were inconsistencies, like bianca and his mother. It felt like a retconn, but it's also a story about gods, so it makes sense that hades will do it.

4.The tartarus parts didn't hit as much as I thought it would, nicos past solo trip, that is. Maybe it's because the story was written by two authors. I cried but it didn't tear my heart out. Maybe because I know nico gets out. Hmmm, something to think about.

5.Please dont take this the wrong way, but I didn't like how they constantly kept saying boyfriend. Like I get it, I know you are a couple, I want you to be couple, but it felt like the authors didn't think they would come across as a couple and kept on reminding us. This is one nitpick I have in this book.

Oh another nitpick. I wanted to see the other characters, like hazel and reyna and how did I forgot apollo. I need more apollo. I really wanted to see nico's reaction to reyna joining the hunters. Not much just a tiny reference, like when they were talking to gorgyra, like she also abandoned me, something like that.

And that's it. I can't think about any more cons.

TLDR: This book left me feeling like a proud mama who's watching her son grow up to be a hero. And that's exactly what I wanted. So, this book is a 10/10 for me. Cherished forever.

[silveragelovechild]

Each time a Venom movie is announced, I swear I won’t go to see it. But when I read reviews of Tom Hardy’s over-the-top performance, I’m lured back into the theater.

I’ve never read a Venom comic book so I don’t know Venom’s lore. I don’t remember the plots of the first two movies, except that the Symbiotes are depicted as vaguely evil aliens that eat humans. And that Hardy, as Eddie Brock, has to break Venom of his nasty dietary habit.

In the new movie we are now told that the Symbiotes are actually friendly, willing to sacrifice themselves to save the human race. Huh?!? That’s a big step backwards and a retconn.

To accomplish this, a new set of vicious aliens are introduced - hungry bug-like creatures, led by a mysterious faceless entity called Knull. He wants to kill everyone in the universe (sort of like an all-or-nothing Thanos).

For some reason Sony decided to hire Andy Serkis to do the motion capture for Knull. Why did they bother? In the opening he is sitting with his head hanging down. And in the end, he lifts his head to show his CGI face. Literally anyone could have done that. An animatic puppet could have done that far cheaper than hiring Serkis. Knull is null and void!

While Venom: The Last Dance isn’t great, it (Hardy) kept me entertained. It’s certainly better than Marvel’s recent crap - Ant-Man Quantumania, Thor Love & Thunder, and The Marvels.

(I did learn one thing… in the previous movies, I assumed Venom lived inside Eddie’s butt and popped out, looking over his shoulder. In this movie, it’s clearly shown that Venom is attached to Eddie’s lower back, not his butt. So Eddie hasn’t been anally violated since 2018. Whew!)

[teleforce]

I'VE FINISHED LESSON 20

Spoilers under the cut! Read at your own peril. I’m not really doing any deep analysis and this is just my first take right after finishing the lesson and my general reaction.

So first off

Devs...please...please let us romance Mephisto, Thirteen, and Raphael

And

I just found this very funny and cannon for Mammon now.

Secondly

Aside from this very last bit from the post credits...kinda underwhelming finally.

The brothers stay, Raphael leaves without a word after they give their decision, everyone knowing full well the Celestial Realm threatened war, you're still stuck in the past and will be an exchange student at RAD with Solomon (I see you retconnning Devs! You can't fool me!!), and it ends with a 6-8 lesson ball.

Interestingly, when Diavolo bestows your new title (Devilsitter) and you're given a forehead kiss there is a white flash.

We always get fade to black whenever we're kissed. Or just the background.

White flashes are our soap opera stereotype signaling something important is about to happen or did.

And Diavolo brought up future of Devildom a few times

Overall, my rating of the story 7.5/10. We got a shit ton of lore which I love about how things came to be in the first game and even new info like Solomon and Diavolo's personal issues and their struggle with them. Like how Diavolo feels he's not ready to be the leader of the Devildom and there is a lot a pressure placed on his shoulders to be the best from his family's legacy.

But...there are times where the stakes where high and kinda dropped. Like the mid-season climax where Lucifer and the brothers confront Diavolo, Diavolo's king's gambit whatever, you in a coma, war with the Celestial realm looming, you possibly being banished.

Now the first part was handled well, I think.

Diavolo'a trial was important, I just wish it was more challenging for him and not just him addressing his Daddy issues and insecurity. But we did get to make out with him, so...horny points, but also it was nice seeing Diavolo being open with MC. Opena and honest. Which is something he’s tried to do in OB (I’m only up to lesson 49 I don’t know how everything or what else happens from then on).

Coma, boring. The threat of banishment is a constant in the background of the first half. And the whole threat of war...completely dropped.

I mean we had a possible interaction also with Michael and for sure Nightbringer. Solomon knows who Nightbringer is (I believe this is reviled in one of the hard lessons and I’m only up to 11 on) and is being very guarded over his own history, yet desperately wants you to ally with him. Well sorry my dude, the brothers are offering me free love and cock while you

Sorry, the whole professor teacher/student role playing shtick ain't my kink

So

Off with you, creepy old man (no offense to those who like him, you do you, more power to you).

I want Lucifer, Satan, and Diavolo to tell me everything will be safe and alright while railing me. And they offer their love unconditionally (I’m not here to debate Diavolo’s questionable actions let me love this himbo prince in peace!).

So that’s my initial reaction to it all. I loved all the lore we got, the story could have been handled better, I think. However, it is the first season and the curse of the first season is that it has to establish foundations for the next seasons to do well so it may not exactly be the most exciting. I’m happy with what we got and it was fun to play. I just hope we don’t have to wait long for season 2.