#he EARNED that win

[askdacast]

"how did the guy with no friends win?"

except, he did have a friend in the end

Pearl, a past winner who was also all alone the entirety of DL and went mad because of it

Pearl, who won because the person who betrayed her at the very start atoned for what he did by sacrificing himself and giving her the win

("I guess I forgive you after all...")

Pearl, who after healing from that betrayal went on to open her heart to alliances in the end (Nosy Neighbors + Grian et. al.) and eventually did find one she could call...family (The Mounders)

Pearl, who was the ONLY one to extend that invitation to the friendless villain ("I guess you found your family after all, Scar")

Because she was the only one who knew what it was like to be all alone, like him

But also come back from that dark place and reach out to someone who suffered just like her

And in the end they became a duo, she even tried to sacrifice her life for that fellow 'undeserving' lonely person, and only didn't because he wanted a 'fair' (for a given definition of that word) fight

Even at the end, Scar's "I'm gonna get you Pearl!" loses just...a tinge of the angry, bitter bloodlust he'd been baring throughout the session, and sounds almost playful

And then "she's dead scar. you won."

He killed the only person left who considered him a friend because she, in a sense, gave her life to him

It didn't start with the duel. It started with her hand of forgiveness.

but also because Scar really did become so much better at pvp like dang his red kills were vicious

[theatrebooknerd56]

My god how Astrid treats hiccup and how the episode frames him in the Thawfest episode pisses me off

because like, he DESERVES to win. When you lose all the time at everything you learn to accept it. He has been called a loser and brought down his whole life

and this is something he's REALLY good at. This is all of Hiccups strengths and he's doing something he excels at. He deserves to be happy about that and be proud of himself. It's not even like he was cheating to get ahead at all. He was winning fair and square.

But he was guilted into throwing it so he would lose at the one thing I don't think anyone in Berk could truly beat him at

[tarnussy]

having fought every boss in the game now, daddy Whore's grab is the funniest one in my eyes

[hilleneuve]

This was one of the best NASCAR races I’ve seen in awhile. Absolutely wild from start to finish, and cleaner racing than I expected given the inexperience and weather conditions.

And I am so happy for SVG winning it, he fucking earned that, superb racing from him all weekend day. I hope this win means we get even more drivers from other disciplines in the Project 91 seat in the future (and hoping Kimi is willing to come back and win in it too).

[communitypoolswimlessons]

I watched the latest Imp and Skizz podcast and can I just say, in my eyes, Grian genuinely trying to win a second time is completely valid! I don't think it would have taken anything away from the series lore, or spotlight from the other players! He worked hard on this series, and every series before it, assembled a hardworking background team - this thing's his baby. And even if it were any other player going for a second win, I wouldn't mind.

It's not scripted, it's fun to watch, and could you imagine the fun ways to include that in the lore?

[guardian-angle22]

911 Lone Star | S3E9 -> S5E1

[canisalbus]

Absolutely sending me that vasco sleeps butt fucking naked with his weird little Victorian doll boyfriend

Different strokes for different folks.

Vasco finds sleepwear kind of unnecessary and restricting. He doesn't insist on sleeping nude and can go to bed decently dressed if the situation calls for it, but if it's up to him and he's comfortable and in trusted company, he prefers wearing very little.

Machete gets cold easily and has weird body image issues, not being properly covered tends to distress him. Plus he has a thing for high guality garments and wants to look pretty or at least passably presentable even in bed.

[demonslayedher]

Rengoku-san was so, so close to cutting off Akaza's head, yet Akaza still felt more terror about dawn.

[justaz]

semi-dark king merlin au, someone from ealdor tells king cenred about merlin and he is captured and held as a slave in essetir. since merlin despises captivity and servitude, he’d rather be dead and free than alive and in chains so he acts out and pisses people (especially the king) off so they’ll think him too much trouble and kill him. at first they stick to beatings until merlin manages to get his chains around a few necks and now has a body count so they kill him…..only he wakes back up a few hours later and king cenred is Intrigued and keeps him close. merlin keeps acting out but no matter how many times they kill him, he won’t stay dead. merlin has this moment after waking up perfectly fine after his twenty seventh death where he is hopeless and believes there to be no escape, not even thru death. a few other sorcerers in chains come and help him clean up and give him a lil peptalk, realizing him to be emrys, and then they revolt and take over the kingdom and crown merlin as king and now uther is like “wtf” bc his neighboring kingdom who was kinda sorta on his wavelength about sorcery, though uther did not approve of keeping them alive, is now a kingdom ruled by magic. he goes to war with them but with magic running free and fucking emrys on the throne, they don’t make a lot of headway. anyways merthur meet on the battlefield, enemies to lovers, you get it

[imlittlebitdie]

The idea that McLaren should hamstring Oscar in the remaining races to increase Lando's chances of a WDC is ridiculous to me. And not just because the fact that hamstringing Oscar could very well be detrimental to his own development as a driver.

This isn't 2021 where the two contenders are so close in machinery and skill that defensive driving from their teammates is *required* for success. Yes, of course, it always helps. But in 2021 both Max and Lewis proved that -- whichever one did end up winning -- they had earned it.

It is incredibly challenging, I think, for anyone in complete honesty and with credibility to say that Lando has, on merit/skill/talent, absolutely earned this WDC or successfully made the case to be first driver.

Setting aside, McLaren mistakes, Lando has left a lot of points on the table throughout the season through unforced errors and poor starts. That's on him, and unless he can fix that, it will keep happening and other drivers without those issues will keep besting him. Including Oscar.

I can't, and won't, speak for anyone else, but unless Lando's form seriously improves over the next 8 races, a WDC for him would not feel genuinely earned to me.

[quietwingsinthesky]

I just personally think that if you decide a character should be heterosexual or cisgender because you think they’re boring or you want to use it as an insult against them, you are probably not a very nice person.

[oceandiagonale]

Actually, Guzman is his spanish name.

OH YEAH some other folks pointed that out too, makes sense since it's an irl Spanish name (probably why I see it around a lot!) 😳

(normally it's a surname, I've only seen it used as a first name once in a blue moon -- but also in the pokemon world it's pretty clear that naming conventions aren't the same lol)

[moeblob]

You know, I'm sorry for another story time but my life has been very stressed lately and today I got a huge boost. SO.

As some of you may know, I moved states at the end of July and have been here since August 1st basically. Social anxiety is a struggle but I'm making it. And there's this easy to reach by walking convenience store and almost every time I walk there I walk past a gem store. And I think to myself almost every single time "I love the store has a bouncer". I didn't say anything to him at first! But one day I got brave and proceeded to make an absolute FOOL of myself as I am on my way back from buying some sodas and ask him "are you like the store bouncer?"

The man looks at me and smiles and gives a little chuckle and says pretty much yeah? And then I say more awkward things and then promptly leave feeling very embarrassed. I purposefully AVOID that lil corner for a couple days and then finally feel brave enough to walk by cause it's ... like. Literally right by my destination. Man isn't even outside that day and I think phew! I can't be creepy if I can't talk to him!

BUT THEN I SEE THAT HE IS DIRECTLY INSIDE CHATTING TO A WORKER. And he sees me. And smiles and stops whatever conversation he's having and exits the store to say hi. (I am definitely beaming, like a normal person, because I apparently am NOT creepy enough to this man more than a foot taller than me who could easily kick my ass if he wanted) So we just chat. For maybe ten minutes? It's very nice! We have a Very Normal Conversation! I feel better about the first interaction because I had a second interaction.

So now............ today. I am once again wandering around and on my way to lunch when I pass the gem store and I'm like "hello again!" to the gem store bouncer. We begin to chat again and he mentions a pendant they recently appraised that he likes and I, thinking this entire time that the store was ONLY appointment only and I would never be allowed inside, am casually mentioning "yeah, I was born in June and we have three birthstones and like.... none of them are dark enough for me. I mean there's pearl which I'm not a fan of and then moonstone and another." And so he's saying they have a sheet inside to show birthstones so we walk in together to find out the mysterious third stone.

And the sheet only shows pearls. And I'm like "this is a crime against June babies" and then I somehow start talking to one of the female workers and I'm saying "yeah I just kinda like walking by here and seeing the bouncer" and she looks at him and is like "oh I like that." and I admit I have no other idea what to refer to him as (I don't know his name at this point anyway) and she's like "most often security guard."

Ah. Yes. Like a normal person would think. Security. Yes. Not "gem store bouncer". She then leaves to grab a coffee from across the street and I leave with the bouncer and somehow we get into talking about wearing mostly black and how he's pretty goth and then I mentioned a sweatshirt my aunt sent me once saying "I'm only wearing black until they come out with something darker" and he grins and says it's a life motto. Then the woman returns with her coffee and he tells me to tell her what I said, so I repeat it and she looks me dead in the eye and says "that was made for me. Also I love that you called him a bouncer it's hilarious".

I now observe that he (all black suit black shirt black tie) and her (black sweater with black/white striped pants n black shoes) are indeed somehow the gem store goth club. And then she heads back in and he says he's sorry they don't have any cookies to offer me, they normally have cookies in the back for employees, and I'm like "ah no it's fine thank you".

And then I left feeling like I was somehow allowed to join the Cool Goth Club at the gem store.

Anyway, sup, my new favorite person is the goth bouncer at the gem store and he makes me smile so much when I see him.

[silentreigns]

Trying to go through the tags to celebrate this win but all I am seeing is people saying that the win was gifted and Charles deserves better from Ferarri

[yardsards]

Forever mourning that we would’ve had a scene in the finale where the protagonists apparently reach a resolution with Odalia on some level??? It got cut so Camila could take her place and hell yeah more for Camila, never gonna apologize for that. But man it’d have been nice to have both. The Odalia-Collector storyline set up in CotH was evidently going somewhere there but in the end the finale was already extended ten minutes past the usual mark.

Also yes plsss on the twins! Emira my dearrrrr you were molded into the new Odalia into the next showman matriarch while your sister was meant to become the next Alador the next moneymaker!!! What are your thoughts what if we had a storyline about you being your own person!!! I have to acknowledge that there’s always someone who’s going to have to take the fall for another character to shine at this point in the story but man.

i'm actually mostly happy with how things ended with odalia. i really like that amity never forgives her and continues to go no-contact with her. far too often, media does a "but they're your PARENT, it would be wrong to cut them out of your life" message, and having that be the dominant cultural narrative can be really harmful to victims of parental abuse. so it was VERY refreshing to see a story that said "this character going no contact with her abusive parent was the right choice"

that said, i think there could have been a way to give odalia's storyline more of a resolution without tossing that down message down the drain.

see, you know how i've complained before about how making odalia a full-on villain really undercut her storyline as just an abusive mother. how it accidentally kiiinda had the implication of like "the abuse on its own wasn't enough to cut her off. she had to be willing to kill literally her entire race in order to earn that." which i don't think was intentional.

i think it would have been cool if the resolution to her arc was like. she's no longer a full on villain. she helps our protagonists and makes up for her involvement in the big plot. she's technically on our side now... but that still doesn't make up for the abuse, and amity still is better off without her in her life.

i'm imagining a scene of like, after odalia helps the gang with the collector in some way, she talks to amity. says something like "i will admit that you were right, for once. helping with the day of unity was a poor business decision on my part." and maybe even a "these months with the collector have shown me you weren't such a bad daughter" perhaps followed by a pompous "so i will forgive your little outburst at the factory and accept you as a member of my family again" (despite, y'know, being the one who got cut off)

so amity goes off on her. says it wasn't about the day of unity. or, at least, wasn't JUST about the day of unity. that it was about the years of being treated like a puppet rather than a person (cue some kind of clever shot of the collector's puppets). she says that he friends have shown her what real love is supposed to look like, and her time with camila has shown her how mothers are supposed to treat children, and that none of odalia's actions have matched that. so she says that no, she will not be allowing odalia to be her family anymore.

and odalia doesn't understand, just keeps arguing that she only did these things because she wanted what was best for her family. and so amity leaves.

-

AND YESSS THE TWINS. like. i get it. the show had a lot going on and not a lot of time, of course the protagonist's girlfriend's siblings aren't gonna get that much time dedicated to them. but man. i love me a fucked up family and i want to know more about those two so bad. emira especially. like her twin brother (who, up to that point, had exactly as much relevance as her) got his own episode subplot and she got nothing! and like she interests me for all the reasons you said AND like. she seems to be odalia's favorite (perhaps tied with edric, perhaps even above him) but she seems even more cynical about BOTH of their parents than amity does. AND LIKE she's got eldest daughter syndrome despite being a TWIN! she seems to feel responsibility for looking after her brother who is the exact same age as her! i need to know what's the deal with that dynamic! god the fic ideas and headcanons i have about her that i never got around to writing/finishing

[ishouldbedoingalright]

the number of people cheering that gareth's gone... babe he ranks third for all-time victories as england manager and all european championship runs to the final have been under his management. no men's manager has ever done that. he completely transformed how the england team are viewed not only by the public but by the players.