#he gives it praise even when it loses battles and it's the most spoiled big baby ever | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

michaels-reality · 4 years ago

Note

jsaghka whats wrong with ok ko?

Okay so I will spoil the whole main plot of the series with it but there are 3 main problems I’m gonna get into with this series and it’s problems with character design, jokes on child neglect, and ableism with system caricatures. And this is coming from someone who enjoys the show before anyone thinks I’m just hating to hate on it. But again, these issues are so big for me that I would not recommend this show to anyone skjhskjf.

1. Issues with character design

Alright, so first off, please look at this picture of the majority of the women of the show and tell me what’s wrong with it?

Yeah! Almost all of them have the exact same body type! I’ve seen people praise ok ko with its diverse character design but if you boil it down, almost all the women have the same cinched waist and big hips. And for the characters the characters that do have different body types, it's almost unfair to compare them to the rest of the characters, like you can’t compare Carol to Rippy Roo because Rippy Roo is an actual animal. And you can’t compare Dendy to Enid, because Dendy is a child and Enid is a teenager. And for the Ladies that have an actual difference in body type, that’s like 6 characters out of how many? And to those characters that have different body types, the Hue Troops only show up for 2 episodes and even then the main focus isn’t on them so they barely get any screen time, Punching Trudy shows up for one episode to fight Punching Judy, Pheobe shows up for 7 episodes but she’s a background character and I don’t ever remember her speaking, and then there’s Foxtail. Foxtail is probably the only female character that has a different body type that has an important role in the story and shows up for more than just background appearances.

Compared to the men in the show, there is way more diversity but even then, there is a lot of making the upper half of them bigger and giving them tiny hips and legs.

There is also the issue that kinda pisses me off is the racial ambiguity of everyone. Like most of the characters aren’t even human so whatever, but there are characters like enid that have darker skin but she has straight purple hair so what are we supposed to get from that? I mean, I guess there is some wiggle room for anyone that isn’t white to claim her but then you start to see that all these darker skinned characters seem to always have straight hair and that’s also a problem. The only character I can confidently say is black is foxtail and she has straight hair. And the only character that is said to have curls and an afro is RADICLES who is BLUE and an ALIEN! Like it makes me mad that our curly haired and black coded character is designed like this. Like, I get it, he’s an alien, he’s blue, he’s not human, BUT WHY DID HE HAVE TO BE THE ONLY ONE? WHY CAN’T THERE BE ANOTHER CHARACTER WHO IS DARKER SKINNED AND CURLY HAIRED?

It’s so ironic given that ok ko has one of the BEST racism metaphors I’ve ever seen in episode 28. Dendy says kappas don’t need pow cards to be heros but it feels nice to be appreciated but this show is not making me feel very appreciated right now sjglksjgds.

2. Jokes about child neglect/abuse

OKAY! BOXMAN! I LOVE BOXMAN BUT WHAT THE FUCK?

Okay, so in the show, Lord Boxman has robot minions that he is constantly annoyed with the performance of and punishes them and yells at them. AND I WOULDN’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS IF BOXMAN DIDN’T REFER TO THEM AS HIS CHILDREN! It’s shown in the show that Boxman raised them as baby robots and they call him daddy and they have a very familial relationship. But it’s constantly joked about with Boxman saying how they never make him proud not taken seriously in the show. Like, in the second episode, one of the first things we see Boxman do is put Darrel in the furnace and Darrel says “I deserve this” BUT DON’T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY CUS DARREL IS A ROBOT AND HE’S BACK 2 SECONDS LATER! The robots get emotional over any sense of approval, like at the end of “Villains Night In” Darrel and Shannon literally fall apart after Boxman gives them shirts and says to “keep up the good work”, and the end of Plazalypmics, Darrel, Shannon, and Raymond get participation trophies and are really happy with that. Like, this isn’t normal.

The whole relationship between the robots and Boxman is actually pretty toxic and kind of bothers me sometimes. The robots seem to have a very intense sibling rivalry but it’s over the affection of Boxman, which is unhealthy but most of the time it’s just played off as funny joke for the tv. And it becomes even more apparent because episodes without Boxman, like Rad likes robots, it shows them getting along fine and even worrying about each other. And in season 2, Boxman comes back from the sun and Darrel stands up to him and says he doesn’t need him anymore, but one “I’m proud of you” from Boxman and Darrel is back to wanting his approval. LIKE ITS ALMOST NEVER FRAMED AS A BAD THING OR TAKEN SERIOUSLY! I AM NOT A FAN OF HOW THEY TREAT THIS! Like, I can admit it gets better after Venomous comes into the picture and Boxman has that realization of “oh I should be proud of my kids achievements” but to me it looks like this whole forgiving your abuser plot line and I fucking hate it! And Boxman still admits to incinerating his robots after the company switches over to his and Venomous’ ownership when discussing what to do to punish them and he says “I usually see improvement in my robots after I incinerate them.”

And even if it got better, it’s still played off as a joke in all of season one and normalizes terrible behavior. Child neglect in tv shows, especially in children’s media, played off jokes and funny are never good and can be insensitive to children who are in these situations seeing it played up for laughs. You can argue that being on the villain’s side frames it as a bad thing but that kinda loses meaning in a show like ok ko where you start to see the villains as regular people and not necessarily bad, just “evil”. I just feel like this could have been treated so much better and not trivialized like this.

3. System Caricatures and ableism

Let me start off by saying, I am a singlet and I don’t have as much authority on this type of thing so feel free to correct me on anything I get wrong or add on in anyway.

With that said, KO and TKO along with Shadowy Figure and Professor Venomous are terrible system caricatures. KO is 6-11 years old is prime age to develop a system, so when shadowy figure comes into KO’s life and traumatizes him, he splits. And so we begin our little “evil alter ego”(quoting the show! using this phrasing is terrible and should never describe a system like that) stereotype.

I’ve talked about OK KO with my friends who are systems and it makes them mad that this show had so many moments to be good system rep and then it turns around and fucks everything up! Like TKO could have been written well. TKO is very clear on stating he isn’t KO and is his own person but everyone still refers to him KO and treats him like a bad thing because he isn’t KO. And when TKO acts out due to being referred to as KO and rightfully being upset, they act like it is some evil act against them and they need KO back! Like, the show misses its own point so much!!! If they treated TKO like a person (which he is!!!!!) then half the problems they have wouldn’t be a problem in the first place. And TKO has done nothing wrong other than wanting to front! KO even talks about TKO as another person but they address him as such!

The way people talk about TKO in this show makes me so mad, like when Dendy does tests on KO in “Mystery Science Fair 201X” to bring out TKO, TKO finally comes out to deal with the feelings KO can’t deal with and then they almost do it right when Dendy realizes she was the one that fucked up and then SHE APOLOGIZES TO KO INSTEAD OF TKO FSDGHSDFJ!!! And they always treat TKO as a threat as if he’s a danger! Like TKO’s a kid just like KO and acted out when the people around him upset him! Like a kid! And the last time TKO shows up in season one in the finale, TKO actually SAVES everyone in the plaza and leads the battle away from the plaza but because “oh but TKO is the evil” they go and try to stop him from saving them? Like yeah he got a little reckless but he only ended up hurting people in the plaza when Rad and Enid interfered. They treat him like a problem because they MAKE him a problem!

Also, the moments where everyone tries to bring KO back by saying “you are loved” and all that, that’s actually really manipulative! Like, they’re using positive triggers to kick TKO out of front and that’s actually a really rude thing to do. They’re trying to bring to front who THEY want to see and it’s not fair to TKO who is fronting. It also goes the other way around when Dendy is experimenting on TKO to try and get him to front.

And then even KO treats him terribly, locking him in a cage, then keeping him in his head all the time, and then when he finally lets TKO out and TKO acts out from being locked in his own head for so long, KO then traps TKO in his subconscious. Which is terrible! TKO should be allowed to front and should be treated like his own person! It’s so weird how the show almost gets it right but then does shit like this that makes it terrible again. Like KO has a headspace and he creates things in his headspace and he talks to TKO like another person and they communicate their feelings but then the show turns this all on their head when KO locks TKO away and blames him for destroying everything when he’s the one trapping him in his brain.

There is also the problem with TKO being the one with all the power and changing his appearance cus that all contributes to the system caricature. Also, TKO and KO integrating at the end of the series? ALSO VERY BAD AND HARMFUL CARICATURE! Alters are different people and they should be treated as different people and KO is not TKO all along THEY ARE DIFFERENT PEOPLE! And integration is possible but it’s usually not by choice. And even then, integration being the end goal of a story is a very ableist narrative and shouldn’t be written.

And it confuses me, why does shadowy figure have his own pow card but TKO doesn’t. Like, KO and TKO are established more as being different people than Shadowy Figure and Venomous so why doesn’t he get his own pow card? Like the end of season one, TKO fought the fight at the plaza and used his power to defeat Boxman jr but at the end KO ends up leveling up instead. And on the topic of TKO’s power, again, that shouldn’t be a thing. TKO and KO should both have access to the same power because they use the same body because that's how systems work! They use the same body!

And I know what the show was trying to do like “oh TKO is a manifestation of all the bad feelings that KO has!” but there are so many ways to do that without making a caricature of systems. Like if you didn’t make TKO a person then this would have been fine. Like if other people didn’t see TKO this could have been fine. There are ways to make a manifestation of your negative emotions without doing it like this. And the way this show did it is such bad writing, because you are meant to think TKO is this terrible manifestation of emotions but all you see is this scared kid who doesn’t know where he is and lashes out when he gets rightfully upset. BECAUSE LET ME REMIND YOU! TKO AND KO ARE BOTH 6-11 YEARS OLD! THEY ARE KIDS! THEY’RE SITUATION SHOULDN’T BE TREATED THIS WAY

And my guy shadowy figure...... bad. Shadowy Figure and Venomous’ is not only a terrible caricature but also very inaccurate. With KO and TKO, their system developed at the correct time as a child, but with Shadowy Figure and Venomous, they developed after Venomous got his snake disease. And, Venomous doesn’t even know about Shadowy Figure and that can be a result of dissociative amnesia but it’s really unfortunate. And again! the end of the series! Shadowy Figure and Venomous integrate into one entity and it’s terrible! Because they aren’t the same person and shouldn’t be treated as the same person! And again with the whole “evil alter ego”. Like Shadowy figure only exists to traumatize KO and make him split and create TKO. And the fact that they turn out to be KO’s dad??? Yikes??? Like again, these are terrible caricatures and are harmful to systems and should’ve been treated better in the show.

---

Like, I love OK KO, I used to hold this show very close to my heart and made me very happy to see this show with the amount of LGBT rep but looking back it was very bad in many ways. Like that racism episode I mentioned, that shit resonates with me! And I appreciate characters like Dendy and KO and I still love the boxbots and venomous, I just wished this show lived up to the potential that it had.

TL;DR: OK KO has a problem with misogynistic character design and colorism, normalizes child neglect, and has put out an ableist narrative with system caricatures.

#long post #racism m #colorism m #misogny m #ableism m #ok ko #malware-rants #intergration m

177 notes · View notes

constantlyunlightening · 4 years ago

Text

Good

Day 11: Praise Kink w/ Sero Hanta

Warnings/Other Kinks: Praise kink, grinding, this one is pretty soft

This one is less smutty but it's more or less a chance to give Sero some much deserved attention :)

Also, I'm super behind in fics, whoops. I'll just catch up when I can. Which means some days you'll get more then 1! Sorry. But life is kicking my butt lately so....

Disclaimers: 18+ years old to read, all characters are aged 20+

You always got worried seeing Sero doing actual hero work. That was natural though, right? You loved him. So of course, seeing him in the throes of battle, no matter how talented he was, you couldn't help but get nervous. Being a pro hero came with the constant threat of harm, and while you weren't going to stop him from doing his job, you naturally had some concern.

So sometimes when a particularly newsworthy story popped up on your feed, you'd watch for Sero and the times that he popped up are the times you'd endure the whole video to make sure he was safe.

You'd analyze those videos with your heart pounding in your chest the whole time. However, once the villain was caught and you knew your Sero was safe, that was when your buzzing adrenaline shifted to admiration. Once the anxiety was soothed, it made time for you to rewatch the video and see how truly amazing your partner was.

Cellophane was a fantastic hero. Maybe not the most widely known or popular hero, but a phenomenal one all the same. He was quick thinking and always put others first (a trait that worried you to no end but was endearing all the same). Clever even in the heat of battle and almost always giving off that signature smile of his at the end of a capture. The way he handled resume missions was a dream too.

Plus, he pulled it all off while looking absolutely gorgeous in your humble, but totally 100% accurate, opinion. Needless to say, the second time you would watch videos of his hero work, after knowing he was safe - they just hit different.

Your partner had returned from work today while you were still feeling that swell of pride and admiration bubbling within you, which ended up with you coaxing him to lay on his stomach on your bed and then you climbing up to straddle his back. He was an underappreciated hero and while you couldn't suddenly become the millions of adoring fans he deserved, you could absolutely be the best fan you could be and smother him with all the affection you could muster.

"Does that feel good, baby?" You purred, leaning into the hands you had crawling up his back, kneading the muscles underneath and watching Hanta melt into the mattress below. Every knot you felt in his body, you worked on smoothing out, causing him to make little groans and grunts beneath you before he turned more and more into putty.

"Yeah, it does. When did you get so good at this?" He asked as you moved your hips back further to draw lower on his back, continued to press your palms down to give him a sweet taste of pressure. Maybe you just wanted to feel him up some more too.

You pursed your lips a little, giving a low hum as you pushed your hands back up and you had to conceal your smirk at his groan. "I don't know if I'm good. I just think you're long due for some attention. You work so hard, poor thing." He didn't respond except for a small grunt of content as you cooed out, voice dripping with sugar and sweetness. "But you're so good at what you do. The best hero I've ever seen."

"That's an overstatement. I'm good but I-" you cut him off when you found a particularly tight spot and pressed down and out, pushing your weight into your arm and causing him to lose concentration with a particularly pretty moan. He even made the best sounds. You were being nice and relaxing right now but you had to admit, those little noises of his were enticing. They reminded you of the sounds he made hot up against when he had you flipped out on the bed.

"None of that today," you chirped, your movements slowly caressing back up over his sides. "You've been doing so well. Today, I wanna spoil you. Give you lots of rewards for being such a good boy." That last little pet name escaped you as you dropped your chest closer to his back so you could fan your breath against his ear. The teasing bit of heat you laced your words with had the desired effect as you caught the faintest twinge of red coloring the tips of his ears just before he buried his head in the pillow.

He was working on collecting himself, but you didn't let him, instead you climbed off of him and pushed him over so he was facing the ceiling. You beamed at that pretty flush on his cheeks. "What's gotten into you today-'

"Did me calling you a good boy do something for you?" You always knew he liked praise - he had always liked being recognized for his achievements, even if it wasn't a priority. Something about giving a good stroke to his ego once in awhile - and possibly a good stroke of something else.

You were once again straddling back over his hips before he could wiggle away into a different position and he soon had his wide eyes locked in on you, one hand coming up to scratch the back of his head as he tried to play it cool. "I don't know if I'd say that. Although you having your hands all over me since I've gotten home has done something for sure."

"Oh, so you don't want me to call you a good boy?" Your hands were once again trailing over himself, this time tracing a line up his abs. But before you were doing it for his pleasure, and right now, you were doing it just to get a feel of the sculpted body underneath you. "You don't want me to tell you how good you did today? Or about how good you made me feel when I saw you being all heroic on the news today?" You had to hold the teasing out of your voice, instead opting to keep it with a more saccharin note. "You're really impressive to watch, ya know? I see you in action and all I can think about is you and how excited I am for my big, strong hero to come home and wrap his arms around me." You had settled on his lap and were absolutely overjoyed to feel something twitch underneath you. He hadn't exactly been soft when you had climbed on him earlier but you liked that immediate reaction you got as you tapped at his pecs playfully. "I get really excited waiting for you to get home and be just as good to me." You rocked your hips, letting the fabric of your clothes grind against him for just that slight bit of friction - just enough to give him the tiniest taste as you looked down at him and a more coy look graced your features. "Don't you want to be a good boy for me?"

Judging by the way his body shot up beneath you, he certainly did.

Although, he took you off your high horse in the next moment as suddenly he bent his arms and tape was flying out from his elbows - tape that wrapped right around your waist and tugged you down against him harder. "You're trying to tease me on purpose," he announced, face still hot with his sheepishness but there was a cocky little smile dancing on his lips - and damn, did you adore that smile. "And I hate to say it, but it's working."

Another tug on the tape and you found your body pushing down onto his again but you still found the time to burst out in little giggles as you worked in tandem with him, dry grinding on top of him with motions that got forceful when he tugged you down. "Well, yeah. I can tell." You grabbed at the waistband of his pants, slowly starting to ease them down when you could between your rocking until they were pushed past his hips. "So, that means you do want to be my good boy, right? Want me to give you a big reward?" You managed to stagger your hips timing just enough so you could duck your hand down his pants, working to grab his length and pop him out. But before you could get a hold, another stretch of tape reached out and snagged your wrist, tugging it back out where he could see it.

He may love the praise and attention, but he had never been the type to just sit back and only let things happen to him. That just wasn't his style. And so, while he'd absolutely enjoy you doting on him… well, he wanted to make sure he earned it first. "I'll be whatever you want me to be. But if you really want me to be a good boy-" you didn't miss the way his voice caught just a little "-then I'm going to make sure I make you feel real, real good first."

#sero hanta #kinktober #bnha smut #sero x reader #my writing #i fell so behinddddd #ahhhh #im sorry #ill catch up eventually sorrryyy

179 notes · View notes

theomengirl · 4 years ago

Text

~ GOM as a father ~

[notes] ~ hello! i' m sorry for not being active for the past two weeks because i was battling writer's block, and since college has started it also got in the way of my writing. the requests are piling up and i'll try to work on them as soon as possible ;;; here's a hc of your fav gom boys while you wait. thank you! ♡

Kuroko

the most normal out of the 6.

he’s really appreciative and compliments his child on something they do.

the type to give a sweet morning call and kisses them as soon as they wake up.

later at night, he would read them books and stay longer before their bedtime just to have a simple talk. “what was your favorite part of today?”

also assures them that he's all-ears if they're bothered by something.

no matter how bad his day went, he would never show it in front of them.

you and Kuroko always stick a note filled with encouraging words on their lunchbox to boost their spirit.

sets a healthy lifestyle to help with their growth because he doesn't want them to take after his low stamina.

he loves to assist when they have an art project and he'd display the artwork at home while giving a pat on the head. "look at this awesome work made by you."

Kise

the moment he officially became a dad, he cried for a whole day.

one night, you felt exhausted and Kise wasn't on the bed the moment you woke up. then you found him at the room next door, snoring on the carpet with scattered diapers while your child was sleeping soundly in their crib.

hangs family pictures all over the house and he puts his child's shots throughout the years. he's also active on social medias to boast about his little family.

he's clingy and would give big hugs and kisses at random times, for no reason at all. often argues about who love whom more.

a little sad when they refuse to accept his affection. "dad, stop it. i'm older now." "doesn't matter, i'd still hug and kiss you every day even if you grow grey hair."

spoils them with toys until there's barely any space to keep them, which gaining him a whack from you. "don't buy toys anymore." but he just couldn't look away and came home with another one.

brags about the magazines which he featured on. "doesn't your dad look handsome here?"

he takes his child to his photoshoot site once in a while and the people there would squeal.

his heart breaks if he sees them getting frustrated or sad. "hey, you have your mom and me. you'll always be our biggest pride so let's figure out together, alright? now should we crash at your favorite restaurant?"

gets excited when they do. he's also good at role plays, sometimes a cop, a prince, a monster, etc.

Midorima

a little awkward and confused as how to act natural when his child pretend to shoot him or he plays a prince.

"mom, can you play with me? dad's terrible." then he'd call Kise to ask for some advice.

often doubts himself whether he's a good father or not, but that thought got washed out after his child came home saying he got an A for his essay; 10 things i love about my father. reading it before he leaves for work has become a routine.

bonds over basketball. he'd teach his child how to shoot threes and encourage them until they get better.

he makes sure they keep lucky items with them every day.

totally lost his cool and was panicking when his child got a fever. you tried to calm him down but he instantly rushed to the hospital, only to return home again because the doctor said it wasn't serious; just a usual fever every kid runs to.

the type to set a curfew.

might push them in term of academics, but not too hard. and he would always praise them no matter how bad the score they get. "it's just a number. i just hope you understand the subject so it'll be an advantage for you in the future, you can always do better, because you're our son/daughter."

lowkey jealous if the Shutoku uncles get close to them and glares at Takao because his child seems to favor him.

Aomine

the troublemakers in the house, especially if he has a son. a carbon copy just in a smaller size.

definitely passes on his basketball legacy and they would lose track of time. you had to call them multiple times over dinner only to get responded with "5 more minutes!" and lasted for another hour.

tells them the importance of teamwork no matter how good they are in basketball. he doesn't want his child to repeat his mistake in the past.

"why are you worried over the exam you just finished, when the scores aren't out yet at that? honey, tell the kiddo what place i was during high school," he said as he laid down on the sofa, watching tv while picking on his nose. "your dad was in last place."

he would give a lesson to whoever tries to pick up on or belittle his child.

try to position himself a friend instead of a parent so they'll not be afraid to open up to him.

calls them with pet names he comes up with or he just go with "oi kiddo"

lots of skinship and he often buries them under his large body or traps their head under his shirt when he's being playful.

"don't grow up too fast. i'll be sad, you know?"

Murasakibara

despite his habit of unhealthy eating, he restricts his child to do the same.

"no more candies." "but dad, you had it more than me. can i, please?" "no. you're still growing, your teeth will rot." "so can i eat as much as you once i grow up?" "still no."

the happiest when the school invites parents for a one-day activity together. the other children hover around him because they find his purple hair amusing.

you were amazed by how much he had matured after having a child compared to before the marriage.

rewards them with snacks and sweets if they achieve something.

loves to give them teddy bear hugs.

Akashi

sets good examples that his child would follow; a man with manners.

pays full attention to their education. at the same time he takes things slowly and is aware that his child isn't a machine that should excel at everything.

"please do tell me if you ever feel like the lesson doesn't suit you. talk to me, okay?"

says "i love you" or "you're the greatest thing ever happened in our life" whenever he gets the chance.

tries his best to spend some time with them despite his busy schedules as he doesn't want to lose track of their growth.

takes them along to his business trips, classical concerts or simply playing basketball with the uncles from Teiko in hopes that his child will learn naturally by watching.

he would never demand them to be perfect like the doctrine he received from his father, because his child's happiness is number 1 priority above anything else.

teaches them leadership skills and how to earn other people's respect without hurting them.

overall, he avoids to repeat his past by being more considerate and affectionate to his own child which he treasured so much.

#kuroko no basket scenarios #kuroko no basket imagines #kuroko no basket x reader #kuroko no basket #kuroko tetsuya #aomine imagines #aomine daiki #kise ryouta #midorima shintarou #akashi seijurou #aomine x reader #kuroko's basketball #kuroko no basuke #anime #sports anime

138 notes · View notes

featherymalignancy · 4 years ago

Note

This is totally up to you if you want to answer this ask: What were Nesta's parents like? Their names, personalities, jobs, where they came from etc. Also curious about Nesta's aunt and uncle too :)

Okay, I SWEAR, I was gonna try and keep this brief. I literally whisper-screamed said to myself, “Keep it brief, Cara.”

Nesta, Elain, and Feyre’s Parents: Tim and Ines (neé Afonso) Archeron. Tim was a third-generation native Californian, Ines was, as we know, from Portugal 🇵🇹

Archeron Grandparents:

Tim’s dad Rick was an attorney (and an antisemtic prick, see Nesta’s mention of him in Fucking Lawyers for an example).

His mom Marie was a housewife.

Rick was a functional alcoholic “big drinker” and died when Nesta was 14, Marie died while she was in college.

Afonso Grandparents:

Ines’s father Sebastião was a professor of Antiquities at The Univeristy of Coimbra

Her mother Heloísa worked in her father’s butcher shop until she had Ines (she a dope cook, y’all).

Sebastião died two years before In Vino Veritas starts. Heloísa is the only of the four grandparents still alive.

(SIDENOTE: can we fucking TALK about what she’s gonna say when she meets tall dark and gorgeous Portuguese-speaking wine expert Cassian??)

Heloísa: *in Portuguese* Amorzinho, why have you not married this man yet?

Nesta: Avó, stop!

Heloísa: *still in Portuguese and well within earshot of Cash* If I was forty years younger I would marry him myself!

Tim & Ines (background):

They were both lawyers, they met in law school at Stanford (high achieving runs in the family).

Tim was worked as an M&A (mergers and acquisitions) attorney (can be boring shit but a lotta moneyyy). Ines was a special prosecutor trying drug companies for malpractice and fraud (social justice warrior FTW)

They both worked a LOT, especially when the girls were really little, so the girls were raised by a nanny named Benigna (Beni). Ines had insisted on a nanny who spoke Portuguese, and Beni was from Brazil.

Beni got unexpectedly sick when Nesta was 10, and she died after a too-brief battle with breast cancer.

It was Nesta’s first real experience with loss and she was inconsolably heartbroken, making Tim and Ines realize that they’d allowed their children to be almost completely raised by someone else, and that the girls had basically just suffered the loss of a parent.

At that point Ines decided to cut back to working half time to spend time with the girls, who were 10, 6, and 4.

Between losing Beni and her parents having been gone so much when she was little, Nesta was incredibly anxious to please her parents and make them proud. She was involved in a lot of activities and was very hard on herself, especially for a child. She was serious and dedicated, and though Ines tried to calm the best of Nesta’s outward fretting, she didn’t know how to cope with the more deeply-routed issues of Nesta’s compulsion to be the best. Instead she wrote it off as Nesta being incredibly bright and kept signing Nesta up for activities and paying for any private lessons, competitions, workshops etc. that Nesta expressed interest in. (Look, Nesta had to have something to tell her therapist about)

Starting the year Beni died, they began to take trips to Portugal every summer to see Nesta’s avô and avozinha.

before that, they’d only gone a handful of times, and Sebastiâo and Heloísa were thrilled.

Tim wasn’t close to his parents because of his dad was verbally abusive and his mother was permissive and enabling, so Nesta and the girls were much closer to her avô and avozinha.

Her grandfather spoke English but her grandmother didn’t really, so they spoke almost exclusively Portuguese when they were there (Tim was just sorta...j chilling with his incredibly mediocre Portuguese—he only usually stayed a week anyways, and he worked the whole time).

At home they spoke a mixture, Ines often spoke to the girls in Portuguese and they replied in English unless she insisted otherwise.

Family Ties...

Tim’s closest friend from law school (and the best man at his f*cking wedding) was Beron Vanserra.

Ines was not really a fan but she just sort of tolerated Beron for Tim’s sake, and Beron was clever enough to mostly behave when she was around, though he was definitely the friend who was always trying to coax Tim on a coke-filled bender to Vegas every time her back was turned

Whereas Tim and Ines had children later in life (Ines had Nesta at 35, Elain at 39, and Feyre at 41), Beron married his college sweetheart right out of law school, popped out two boys—August and Adrian—and fucked off for a younger wife. They got divorced without kids after like...a year

His third wife, Flavia, became good friends with Ines. She had her first boy, Eris, three years before Ines had Nesta. They were both pregnant around the same time with their seconds, Lucien and Elain.

The two couples were close and they took vacations together etc. AKA...the kids played together a lot as kids.

Tween/teen Nesta had an ENORMOUS crush on Eris. A senior in HS when she was a freshman, he...did not give a shit. When they ran into each other three years later (Nesta: 18 and two years into raising her two tween sisters and Eris: 21 and a swaggering senior prick at USC) and he hit on her that she was decided she hated him, lol

When Nesta was 14 (Eris: 17, Elain/Lucien: 10, Feyre: 8), it came out that Flavia had been having a longgggg term on-again, off-again affair with her college sweetheart. Screaming matches and paternity tests ensued...and it came out that Lucien was not Beron’s

Ines supported Flavia when Beron filed for divorce and came after Flavia with a VENGEANCE. Ines got Flavia a sick-ass divorce attorney, and sis cleaned up in the divorce 🧹 🧼 🧽 💵 . She and Beron had a very strained custody agreement, where Lucien mostly lived with his mom and saw his “dad” (Beron) only occasionally. Eris, who was about to go to college and was mad at his mom for this embarrassing secret, lived with Beron.

Tim, put off by how Beron handled Lucien’s paternity, distanced himself from Beron, and they were never close after that.

When Tim and Ines died, Flavia was one of the people who stepped up the most to help. Nesta was fiercely independent about the whole thing, but Flavia did babysit for Nesta when she had her own activities, and sometimes she would fill the Archeron fridge with groceries or do the mountain of laundry or take the younger girls back-to-school clothes shopping. Still, she was quiet about it knowing that Nesta considered herself a failure for any little thing she couldn’t do for her sisters.

Tim and Ines (personalities):

Tim

Tim was easy-going and fairly mild.

Of the three girls, Elain is most like him in temperament.

Like his dad, Tim was a total workaholic. He loved his daughters a lot, always bragging about them to colleagues and friends, but he wasn’t really around enough to really show them.

As a result, his main role as a parent was spoiling them with things.

Tim’s dad had been the diciplinarian, so Tim hated “being the bad guy” and was thus incredibly permissive. On the rare occasions that he was in charge of the girls alone for a weekend, there were...literally no rules.

Had he been alive, Tim would have strongly encouraged Nesta’s decision to pursue law school. He likely would have been more skeptical of Feyre’s choice to pursue fine art.

Ines

Ines was more type-A in her personality

Of the three, Nesta is most like her

As the daughter of a classics professor, she had a great love of classical art and music. She would have been pleased that Elain planned to be an academic like her Avô. She also highly encouraged Nesta’s pursuit of opera even though HS Nesta secretly would have rather done musical theatr (like literally any other teenager?)

Ines had been very close to her parents growing up and had planned to return to Portugal when she graduated law school; even though she loved Tim, she was sad when that didn’t happen

She was very nurturing with her girls, but less tolerant of them acting out. Appearances were important to her, and she expected her girls to be well-behaved.

Nesta, always desperate to please, was praised by every adult who ever met her for being perfectly well-behaved

Elain, easy-going and somewhat shy, was quiet and complaint by nature. She never caused problems and rarely even cried

Feyre, a fiercely independent spirit from day one, did not give a FUCK about making a scene if the need arose. Oh, it’s Christmas and Mamã bought Feyre a pretty dress to wear in the Christmas photos? Who cares; not Feyre! She wants to wear her Jasmine costume from Halloween, and if Mamã says she can’t, Feyre is PERFECTLY happy to make a good huge scene in the middle of the bougee photography studio...

OKAY FUCK THIS IS WAY TOO LONG BUT REAL QUICK THE AUNT AND UNCLE

Ines was an only child, Tim just had the one younger brother named Mike. Mike was the “disappointment” according to Rick, because he chose to major in communications and had no interest in law school.

Mike is incredibly unassuming and lived in Tim’s popular, affable shadow. Not lame but definitely unremarkable

The Archerons grew up in the affluent Beach town of Santa Barbara, but Mike was so vexed by his parents he move 385 miles away to Sacramento (if you know California, WEIRD flex on Sacramento of all places, but you do you Mikey)

He married a very sweet middle class girl named Linda and got a job in Insurance

They never had kids of their own, and though he and Tim were friendly, they didn’t really get together much because they just had vastly different lives/lifestyles

Mike and Linda were shocked and sort of bewildered when Tim and Ines died and they were awarded custody of the girls (literally do you not really know what it is to agree to be someone’s legal guardian, Michael ???) and they sort of started haphazardly making plans to move the girls up to Sacramento, even though every time Nesta called they weren’t much farther on arrangements.

Elain and Feyre FREAKED out when they were told they’d be leaving home and their friends and moving to Sacramento with Uncle Mike and Aunt Linda (10 yo Feyre: I HATE Sacramento, it’s a shithole!) and when Mike and Linda still didn’t really have any helpful insights on schools, etc (the Archeron girls all attended private school) Nesta decided the move made no sense.

She basically announced that they weren’t gonna move and that she was just going to handle the girls. Mike and LInda sort of (vaguely) protested before being like “yeah you right, we suck at this”. They still controlled Tim and Ines’s estate and helped Nesta deal with all that, but she took it over the MINUTE she turned 18 and they didn’t really have any part after that besides sheepishly calling like “so...hows everything going? Are you liking school okay?” 🤦‍♀️

Nesta tried to make an effort to be closer with them when they were all younger but like...as adults the Archeron girls have sort of tacitly agreed that Mike and Linda are sweet and they’re family but like...they aren’t that much fun to be around. They’d much rather go to sushi and get drunk on Christmas Eve rather than go to Sacramento and force polite conversation with their aunt and uncle

Okay so yeah! There is a far too detailed thing about her parents, hope you enjoy!

#fanfic friday #feathery answers #In Vino Veritas background info #Archeron parents #Archeron Family History #feathery researches #research #Archeron Sisters #In Vino Veritas

43 notes · View notes

kewltie · 5 years ago

Text

Pale blond hair, keen emerald eyes, and a gentle, honeyed smile cresting on her face, she is the darling of the hero’s world and an angel sent from heaven to tame that unruly father of hers – only a fool with think that – but Eijirou knows her by another name: Kasumi-chan, the monster princess.

People often forget behind that pretty smile of hers is Bakugou Katsuki’s daughter and just like her ornery father, she also needlessly wields a sharp and callous mind that cut down anyone stands in her path. Mercilessly and relentlessly, she’s a hell raiser. It’s in her blood.

“Uncle Eijirou,” she smiles sweetly at him as she approaches, which immediately set off the all alarm bells in his head, “I heard you and Auntie Mina have been trying for a baby.”

“W-what?” Eijirou sputters in his seat. “Where you hear that?!”

“Around.” She gestures vaguely into the distance as though that explain everything. “Now, I have an offer for you: how do you feel about taking in Hanabi? I know he’s not good for much right now since all he does is cry, eat, poop and sleep.” She makes a face. “But I’ve been told that babies outgrow of it eventually and because he came out of Papa, I’m sure he’ll be handsome one day, so you don’t have to worry about him staying ugly for long.”

“W-wait!” Eijirou makes a hacking sound like he’s choking on air as he stares at her incredulously. “A-are you seriously trying to pawn off your new baby brother to me?!”

“Yes!” she chirps up unrepentantly, leaning in close. “I don’t think we need another kid in our household. I’m already perfect.” At that, she puffs up her chest proudly. “Babies are kinda useless, don’t you think? I don’t know why everyone is so fascinated by them when I’m right here.” Her body deflates as her face scrunches up in displeasure. “I just don’t get it!”

Eijirou looks around helplessly for any kind of cavalry coming to his rescue, but the devious brat had zeroed in on him right away when he decided to separate himself from the party for a moment to take a breather. She’s definitely taking no prisoner by the fierce glint of her eyes.

He’s in deep shit this time.

“Kasumi-chan, you know how much everyone and your parents absolutely adore you,” he tries as she preens under his praise, “and Hanabi-chan.” Her face crashes immediately. “Especially to your parents, because you’re both their precious children and they could never choose between you two.”

“Why not,” she snaps, her eyes narrowing with a predatory sheen that keenly reminds him how very much she is Bakugou Katsuki’s ridiculously spoiled daughter. She has been an only child for far too long. “He not only keeps my parents up late at night with insistent crying but they never have enough time to play or pay attention to me! Babies are the literal worst! They’re so gross and annoying, and I just don’t understand why adults go crazy for them!” She rolls her eyes, bristling with contempt. “Just take him back wherever he came from!”

Eijirou’s next words must be chosen with extreme care. “You were like that once too, Kasumi-chan,” he points out.

Kasumi cocks her head, brows furrow, and frowns. A gauntlet of emotions run across her face: confusion, annoyance, and then finally, it settles into disbelief. “Unlikely,” she scoffs. “I was never that irritating. I was the most perfect baby. Grandma Mitsuki always said so.”

“That’s��well,” he starts, thinking of Katsuki’s early years with Kasumi and the anxiety and fear that had bled from him. How even Katsuki, who had bulldozed his way through U.A. and the hero rankings so easily, can be brought down by a babe swaddled in a pink Hello Kitty blanket.

Children can humble even the fiercest of men. Bakugou Katsuki was no exception.

Reluctantly, he acquiesces, “You were a pleasant baby.” She squints at him so he hurriedly corrects himself, “an excellent, wonderful, and most perfect baby.” Which immediately has the effect of lightening her mood up dramatically because someone got to feed that Bakugou’s ego of hers.

“I know,” she agrees amiably, and there’s smugness in those words.

“But,” and this is where he might die, he thinks somberly, “it’s not really Hanabi-chan’s fault he can’t do anything right now. You know he’s young, so he needs a lot of help to do things like you once did. And I’m sorry that you think we’re ignoring you, but he’s just a baby, and he needs so much from us. From you too. You’re his big sister now and he’ll look up to you one day, so won’t try to be kind to him?” Eijirou doesn’t so much go on his knees and beg, but it’s a close thing.

It sounds pretty reasonable to him, a sound defense of Hanabi’s existence while appealing to Kasumi’s powerful sense of pride. Kasumi, for all her the crazy ideas that she get stuck in her head, is logical and thoughtful. Thankfully, that part of her is all Izuku’s. Hopefully, that’ll be something she’ll channel instead.

There’s a beat of silence too heavy between them that makes his skin crawl as Kasumi’s face goes blank and indecipherable. Then, slowly and coldly, she says, “Are you asking me to sacrifice my happiness for that wet diaper rag?”

“No!” he says, aghast. Of course, she took it the wrong way. And, “Is that what your baby brother?!”

She folds her arms across her chest. Impertinence lines her body. “I call it as I see it.”

He sighs long-sufferingly. A thing, he quickly finds, to be extremely common around the Bakugou. They’re all going to drive him to an early grave.

“That is not what I meant at all,” Eijirou tries once more. “Just think of a little brother as an investment. Like a tree. He’s small and, uh,” he cringes, “useless right now, but as you care for him one day, he’ll grow older and will bear you fruit of happiness in return.”

She wrinkles her nose at his attempt at persuasion. “That’s dumb,” she points out, cutting through his nonsense with childish bluntness. “Trees can grow by themselves in the wild even without my help and what can Hanabi even give me when I’m not lacking anything? I’m happy with my life,” she insisters with narrowed eyes. “Hanabi’s existence doesn’t improve my life in any way. I can’t even think of anything that he did to make me happy since he’d arrived here, so I doubt he’ll be able to change my mind about it in the future too.”

Eijirou shakes his head and almost cry into his hands. Her sheer stubbornness is truly profound. “Kasumi-chan, he’s your brother! You can’t just give him away.”

Frowning, she places her hand on her hip as she stares him down and he feels like he’s pinned to her bull eyes. “If you think he’s so great and all that, then why don’t you just keep him. Take him home with you tonight.”

And they’re back to square one again, he thinks hopelessly. He groans out loud.

“Well, do you want Hanabi or not?” she demands, tapping her foot impatiently.

“I would very much like to keep my head intact,” he answers solemnly, because if Katsuki doesn’t kill him first then Izuku’s disappointed frown would.

Kasumi looks heavenward for a second. “Coward,” she mutters lowly under her breath.

But, clearly, not low enough because he heard it all right. “Hey,” he says defensively. He’d tried. Like, a lot given who he is dealing with and for all the years he had known her, barely able to walk on her own two feet, he’d only won a handful of battles against her. It doesn’t speak much of his successes.

“Fine,” she huffs, “there’s plenty of other people at this party. I’m sure I’ll find someone else who can take Hanabi with them when they leave tonight.”

Eijirou’s eyes widen and before he can tell her to stop her crazy plan, because seriously, she runs off to find her next victim. For a horrifying moment, he just sits there and considers either going after her, or—or he can get a drink to erase this entire fiasco from his memory.

Yea, a drink sounds about right about now, he thinks hysterically. There are days when Bakugou Kasumi is a trial as much as she is a blessing to the world. This is one of those days. Let’s leave it to her parents to rein her in. He’d already lost the battle, no need to lose the war too.

#bakudeku #fic snippet #series: re:kasumi #future futuuuuuuuure FAR FUTURE scene #if/when bkdk have another child #and kasumi has to deal w sharing the spotlight w a new silbing #she is not DOING WELL lol

38 notes · View notes

bnhaficsforthesoul · 5 years ago

Text

Shinsou fluff alphabet

Starting off this blog the right way

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

He really likes your eyes

Hes definitely the type of person that puppy dog eyes work on

When you look up at him with those pretty eyes he just melts into them

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

He would want a baby eventually

Like after you get married

But he loves the thought of having a baby with you

Seeing which traits come out from both of you

Or adopting a baby, he thinks that would be awesome too

He loves kids, hes just kinda scared that he doesn't know how to take care of them

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

He is the c li n g I est mf

He acts like hes not but he is

He doesn't have a preference when it comes to being the little or big sppon

He loves holding you

Just wrapping his arms around your shoulders or waist and hugging you as tight as possible while pressing little kisses onto your forehead

And when you hold him he melts

He feels so loved and wanted

Play with his hair plz plz plz

His eyes will flutter shut and hell just be like

"Mmm... so comfy"

It's so cute

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

Toshi is pretty spontaneous

So dates will either be

Let's go out at 3 in the morning and run around the city and buy junk food

"Babe, I got us reservations for this super fancy restaurant so make sure you get dressed up. Were leaving in an hour."

They're always fun tho, even the more formal dates are super silly with you two making jokes and just being crackheads

E = Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))

To Hitoshi, you are his inspiration

His reason for moving forward in life

Before you, his only goal was to become a hero - and even then no one seemed to believe he could

Then theres you

You who tells him that his quirk does not make him evil

It's super effective against villains

hell be a pro hero someday

Before he wanted to become hero simply because why not

But now he wants to become a hero for you, to show you that your positive words were not misplaced and he is someone you can count on

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

It was one night after he was training with Aizawa in martial arts (since he knows his quirk isnt the most effective in battle if he cant get it to work)

And he walked out of the field to see you standing there with this big smile on your face

"What are you doing here? It's late, you should go home."

"I was but then I saw you training and wanted to watch 😊"

He kinda gives you a weird look and is like why

"Cause you're super cool Shinsou! If I wanna be a pro hero I need to make sure I can get strong too, so I wanted to take some pointers."

His eyes widen and hes like- you think I'm cool??? Me who has to do this training cause my quirk is useless most the time?? Me who's quirk actually sucks?? You think I'm cool.

You just give him this big smile and you're like well ya anyways see you tomorrow

And he kinda is just like fuckfuckfuckfuckdu kkckcdudyhsj the whole way home cause wow you're super cute and you're the only person to ever praise him like that

He lies awake all night and is like I'm in love fuk

So ya, he was in love long before you even started dating

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Hes so gentle with you

Like hell brush your hair out of your face and move it behind your ear

When you kiss his hand kinda just cups your jaw and his thumb rubs your cheek

He presses little kisses on your forehead when you hug

Theres times when he can be more rough, but you're his baby and he cherishes you so much

He doesn't wanna scare you in any way and treats you so well

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

When you're walking he likes to place his fingers with yours and holds onto your hand tight

But other than that, he prefers holding your hand by placing his on top of yours and lacing his fingers while his thumb rubs your pinky

Hell pick up your hand and press kisses on it

Lowkey to tease you cause he likes to see you blush but still

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

His first impression of you wasn't the best? It wasn't the worst either tho

He first met you at the sports festival

You were fighting after he did, so when he was walking back and you were going out you saw him

So you were like "great job in the match!!"

And he thought you were teasing him cause he felt he horribly lost so he got kinda pissed

And was like "ya whatever"

He realized you weren't lying later tho, when you kept talking to him whenever you would see him at school

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

Oooooh yes, boy gets so jealous

You're HIS baby, not anyone elses

Hes put up with a lot of shit and a lot of shitty people and now that he has someone who loves him and he adores back - he doesn't like the fear of losing them

It's less of he gets angry when people flirt with you and more of he gets scared

Hes scared hes not the best and that you might decide you'll leave

He knows you love him and are loyal to him, but he cant shake that fear

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

So he initiated the first kiss

It was after your first date, and he kinda just kissed you out of nowhere (and you didn't mind at all)

While he does kiss you fairly gently, its lots of times a way to tease you

He loves to kiss you more roughly- the kinds of kisses that leave you breathless and your lips bruised

But he starts gentle half the time so that you get frustrated and have to try and make him kiss you deeper

Lots of tongue

Lots and lots of tongue

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

You did

Again, He knew he loved you before you started dating

But he didn't wanna put you off by saying it too soon so he waited for you

He did things to help you know he loved you, but he waited until you said it

The first time you said it you were cuddling

You were lying on his chest and he was playing with your hair on his bed and you quietly said "I love you Toshi. So much.."

His eyes widened and he got the biggest smile on his face

"I love you too baby"

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

His favorite memory with you is probably one of your first dates

He took you to an amusement park

You were holding hands the whole time and you were so happy throughout the whole night

Hearing your beautiful laugh, being able to play the games with you and win you prizes since hes for some reason super good at them, getting to be that annoying couple that just cuddles in all the lines

He was in heaven

of course you had to do the stereotypical couple thing and ride the ferris wheel

But! It got stuck when you were almost to the top (if only it had been at the top - it would have been peak amusement park date romance)

You two were so ready to kiss at the top, but now you get to make out for like 30 minutes?? Awesome!

Getting to have a whole photo shoot together with all the pretty lights from the park and the city?? Double awesome!

Sitting in the cramped seat and being able to just talk and cuddle without worrying about school or anything?? Tripple awesome!!!

Everything about the night was perfect, and now you two love going on amusement park dates (tho none will ever beat this one)

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

He won't Spoil you too much, hes broke anyways

Besides, hes not the most materialistic person anyways so he would rather give you gifts of like dates and stuff

When he does give gifts, it's more personal things

Hell spoil you for your birthday and anniversary tho, if you really want something hell do his best to get you it

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

Pink

Why?

Because he loves that cute blush of yours ~

He teases you all the time, anything to get you to blush

So when he sees a pink, especially in the shade of your blush, he kinda smirks and is like aw

Also, its such a soft color, and you're his baby so he gets soft for you

So honestly pastel colors remind him of you too, but mainly pink

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

ANYTHING that will get you to blush

Hes tested out them all

Honey, sugar, babydoll, bub, cutie, EVERYTHING

But his favorites are baby, and kitten.

He likes cats so he tested out kitten and the BLUSH that erupted on your face, he was hooked

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

My dude he is so into ball room dancing

Like I guess that's modern if you're rich, but neither of you are so that's something you only see in like old movies

Dead ass he took you to an abandoned castle just to dance with you while he played music from like the 40s

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Loves rain

Wants to go play in it

He will drag you out into the rain so that you can run around and act like little kids

Then you'll come in eventually so you dont get sick and make tea and cuddle

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

Hes more of the type that will just ignore his feelings when hes sad

Like it's no big deal they'll go away

But you got mad at him for doing that so now - he just tells you

Hell text you and be like "hey.. can we cuddle..."

And you'll immediately know what's up and run to cheer him up

When you're sad, he takes a more direct approach

He wants you to tell him straight up what's wrong, and hes willing to wait if you need time

Hell hold you until you're ready, but he won't leave until you're feeling better

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

He loves gossipping

Like you two talking about dumb stuff your classmates do

Makes up like 70% of your conversations

Also about movies, or TV shows, hes into a lot of fandoms and loves talking about them

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

You

Playing

With

His

Hair

That's it

Hes stressed? He will plop himself into your lap and you just know

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

He likes showing off his martial art skills honestly

Hes gotten good at them, and many of the students dont bother with learning any formal fighting style since they're more into just using their quirk or swinging as they please

So it's something hes proud of

Hes also proud of it cause the 2 people he looks up to the most - aizawa and you - are also proud of him for it

So he loves showing you new things hes learned, or showing you how to do them so that you can be safer

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

Again, hes spontaneous, so it kinda just came out

You two were just goofing around one night - spending time with each other since soon you would go into working at an agency since you had graduated

He was just thinking about how much hes gonna miss not being able to be around you all the time

So this man deadass ran into a gas station that was still open, bought a ring pop, and ran back out and was like

"Shit babe I'm so sorry this is such a horrible proposal but I'm doing it cause I don't wanna back out so- (y/n), will you marry me?"

Hes down on one knee holding this ring pop and he expected you to start laughing (you did later) but instead you started crying and you just jump into his arms nodding

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Serendipity by BTS

His world changed when he met you, the love his life

Theres so much hurt in life, and you are his happiness

Even when you two fight, you only come back stronger

Hes so happy with you, and so hes worried that something will happen to take you away from him

This song kinda captures that

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Yes

All the time

He planned it a few times fully before when he actually did, and they were all much more romantic than the ring pop

He thought of the ring and everything

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

Cat

Do I even need to say that

He wants you two to be crazy cat parents so bad

Even tho the max you ever have at a time is 2

#bnha #mha #boku no hero headcanons #boku no hero imagines #boku no hero fanfic #boku no hero academia #boku no hero x reader #shinsou imagine #shinsoubnha #shinsou headcanons #shinsouhitoshi #mhaheadcanons #fluff alphabet #shinsouxreader #shinsoufluff

87 notes · View notes

joyofcrime-elinorhigh · 4 years ago

Text

Hello everybody, my name is JoyofCrimeArt, and legacy can be an fascinating thing in regard to animation. Since cartoons are made with the intent of being seen years or even decades after they're created, it can be interesting to see how the general consensus people have about a series can change over time. One day you can be on top of the world, and your series is loved by critics and audiences alike. But then, something happens. Sometimes it's a specific episode. Other times a season. Maybe it's a controversy within the fandom. But whatever it is, something happens that causes peoples opinions to turn. And suddenly your show has gone from being universally praised to becoming much more divisive. And when something like that happens, it can be hard to recover. It happened to Steven Universe. It happened to Rick and Morty. And it happened to Star vs. the Forces of Evil.

Created by Daron Nefcy, Star vs. The Forces of Evil premiered on the Disney Channel and Disney XD in 2015, and quickly became one of the hot cartoons that everybody was talking about. It makes sense, as it came outright around the time where more continuity based fantasy series were really starting to take off, so it's natural that it became a hit. While the series was generally well regarded upon its debut, as time went on the series became much more of a "love it or hate it" type of show. And while that's not too uncommon for any show that amounts a large flowing, what makes Star vs. so interesting is that it seems like nobody can seemingly agree when the show got bad, if it did at all. Some people say the quality dipped after the first season. Others say the third. Some say the fourth. Others say that the show was good until the finale. And some say that the show was solid throughout. This divide among fans is why I feel confident calling Star vs. The Forces of Evil one of the most divisive shows of the 2010's, even if the debate around it isn't nearly volatile as other series. But now that the series has ran its course I have to ask, does it hold up? Did the show really go down hill, or is the hate undeserved? That's what I'm here to find out.

I feel like I'm in an interesting place to talk about this series because, while I tend to try to keep up with all the big name animated show coming out, I actually didn't watch most of Star as it was running. I watched the first season until my family cut cable right before the finale of season one (You know, around the time people started to care about the show.) And only caught up with the show in the last year or so while doing research for my "Top 30 Cartoons of the Decade" list. So I went into the series mostly blind with the exception of a few spoilers. I just felt like this was important to point out as I feel it may have an effect on my view of the show.

Also, while I usually try to go spoiler free when I do a general overview of a series, for this review I may have to go into some spoiler territory. Since this series features an ever changing status quo, as well as a lot of major characters who aren't introduced until late in the series' run, doing this review completely spoiler free would be difficult. So I'm going to be doing this review under the assumption that anybody reading this has already seen the show, and are just curious to hear my take on it, or don't care about being spoiled. So if you wanna go in blind I suggest you sign out now.

But to everyone else, let's dive in and talk about Star vs. the Forces of Evil.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hJ5ecrpp8k

Star vs. The Forces of Evil stars (He, get it. I'm funny.) Star Butterfly. A princess from the dimension of Mewni who, upon her fourteenth birthday is given a wand of unbelievable magical power. However, after causing nothing but trouble with her new found powers in her world her parents decide to ship her off to Earth, where she can be somebody else's problem. There she befriends a human boy named Marco Diaz and the series mainly follow these two as they go on all sorts of magical adventures as they battle all sorts of evil monsters and ne'er-do-well who want to take the wand and use its power for themselves. Or at least that's how the series goes at first. As the series goes on it begins to focus more on the world building, as Star and Marco discover that the kingdom of Mewni isn't as great as they first believed, and are forced to battle political corruption, conspiracy within the royal family, and the generation spanning systemic racism against monster kind.

The best place to start when talking about the show are the characters. Lets start with the main leads.

We got Star, your typical fun-loving, ditzy, hyperactive action girl. Which seems to be a common trend in Disney Channel cartoons now that I think about it. But she does enough to stand on her own. She's a fun character, and an overall good lead for the series. I admit that her bratty nature and general stupidity could turn some people off, and there are times where it can get a little annoying, but I never minded it all that much. I think that's kinda suppose to be the point of her character. She's a royal, and spent her whole life with a silver spoon in her mouth. So it makes sense she would be a bit selfish and be unaware of the world around her. And she does improve over the course of the series, as she begins to take her job as a princess more seriously and spends much of the series actively fighting against monster prejudice. Though I'd be lying if some of these less desirable elements of her character don't continue to pop up every now and again, even later in the series and especially in the last couple of episodes. Also she's kinda a sociopath. Like especially early on in the show there are like...a lot of casualties to Star's antics. I'm kinda surprised Disney let them get away with that.

Also, can I just say that I am sick and tired of people asking "When is Disney going to include their first LGBTQ+ princess, completely ignoring the fact that Star is bisexual as fu*k. Like, come on now!

Marco is also a good lead. He's a neurotic, responsible, karate student who often acts as the straight man to Star's antics. However, I like the fact that he's not a total stick in the mud. Sure he's more cautious than Star is but he's still capable of getting in on the adventures as well. He comes across as a realistic teen with his own set of flaws. Namely his insecure nature and general social awkwardness. I also like that due to his expertise with karate he's able to hold his own in a fight even without magic. He always feels like Star's equal and never like a sidekick. He and Star have a great dynamic in general, and the two play off each other well. They contrast with each other and It feels like the two really cover each other's flaws. And it's kinda refreshing seeing two characters who are so different manage to genuinely get along with each other.

But of course, we also have the forces of evil that the shows title so clearly mentioned. Each season focuses on a different villain, and something that I really like is how all four major villains are introduced relatively early on. So the show doesn't suffer from that "Dragon Ball Z" type thing where it's like "Haha! I know you just defeated the villain, but now's there's an even BIGGER villain who we just haven't happened to mention until now!" They've always around in the world, and many of them even start out as joke villains only to become more serious later down the line. And they manage to do that in a way that feels very believable.

The best example of this is the shows first villain, Ludo. Who upon introduction is portrayed as a completely comedic villain who Star could easily take in a fight. But things change when a new more serious villain, Toffee, usurps him as the season one antagonist. Stealing his castle and army in the process. Come season two and Ludo is left alone, having lost everything, and is forced to toughen up in order to get back what he once had. He builds a new army, stronger than his first. He finds a new castle to form his base in, and becomes a genuine threat to our cast. Scrappy underdogs villains who lost everything might be one of my favorite tropes in fiction. Other examples of this trope used effectively would be Peridot in Steven Universe and Jamack in Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeast. However, while those shows use this trope as an opportunity to have these villains go through a redemption arc, Star goes the other way and uses it as an opportunity to make a character become more of a threat. That said, he never loses the comedic charm that made his fun to watch in the first place. Part of me honestly kinda wish that Ludo stayed the main villain of season two, instead of being usurped Toffee yet again. That said, the episode "Princess Quasar Caterpillar and the Magic Bell" does a good job giving his arc a satisfying conclusion.

Speaking of antagonist, let's talk about Tom Lucitor. Star's demon ex-boyfriend. While not a season spanning villain like Ludo or Toffee, he has several appearances early on as a recurring antagonist only to go down the more traditional "redemption arc" route later on. And I just want to say upfront, Tom is one of my favorite characters. Not in the show, but in fiction in general. It would of been so easy to make Tom your generic "toxic boyfriend" arch-type but even early on it's made clear that even though he's an antagonist, he isn't pure evil. His love for Star is genuine, but the problem is that he hasn't earned it. He tries to improve himself and become a better person but his own anger issues and jealousy keeps getting in the way. Specifically jealousy of Marco because he seems him as a romantic threat. But as time goes on, he does become better. He learns that he and Marco have a lot in common and eventually accepts that he can't make Star love him, and lets her have her space. And that, ironically, causes Star to becoming willing to open up to him again. They become friends and eventually get back together. But what I like is that while he has gone through efforts to improve and work through his problems, they still persist throughout the series. He's still very insecure and is looking for constant approval from Star. He still is jealous of how close Star and Marco are even though he has become friends with both of them. And it's shown several time that Tom tends to put his own problems above the problems of others. It shows that even though he wants to change and is willing to change, that doesn't mean that change come easy. It takes time and can be a long process. These are realistic character flaws that make Tom such a more complex and relatable character in my eyes. I relate a lot to Tom with his desire and constant struggle to improve as a person, and I feel like it's a struggle that's easy for a lot of people to relate to. Also...he's just such an edgy dork. He's...he is good boi.

Another fantastic character is Eclipsa. Introduced about halfway into the series, Eclipsa was a former Queen of Mewni who was imprisoned in crystal due to dabbling in dark magic and for running away from her arranged marriage and marring the King of the Monster, Globgor. The show builds up mentions of Eclipsa early on, with characters talking about how evil and dangerous she was. Eventually she becomes free from her prison (cause lets be real, whenever there's a villain sealed away somewhere you KNOW they're going to get out.) But surprisingly, when we see her she actually doesn't seem that evil. She's polite, kind, and is even willing to go through the proper legal channels to prove that she isn't as bad as people say she is. She is an excellent example of a morally ambiguous character cause for the first several episodes we the audience don't really know if she is actually a good person who's just been judged too harshly by society or if she is actually evil and this is all an act. As even as the show goes on and it becomes clear that Eclipsa is a good person at heart they still manage to keep the audience guessing. Much like Star, Eclipsa can be kinda selfish and impulsive, making her a bit of a loose cannon. Despite the shows title "Star vs. The Forces of Evil" Eclipsa goes to emulate one of the shows major themes. That life isn't that black and white.

The show deals a lot with shades of gray when it comes to its characters, as all characters have there own motives and backstories and relations with each other that can make them either allies or enemies depending on the circumstances. An example of this is the Magical High Commission, a group that monitors magic across all the dimensions. throughout the series it is shown that they stand on the side of Mewni. So in season two when Mewni is being conquered by Ludo and Toffee they're good guys. But just like most most people in Mewni they hate monsters and believe that Eclipsa is evil. Making them antagonist in seasons three and four. Their motives stay the same, but their role in the series changes.

However despite my praise not all the characters are great. In fact the show can be kinda hit or miss with their cast. The characters that are great are really great, but then you get characters like...

(Art by JelloApocolypse)

You know what, I have to be honest. I kinda like Pony Head. I know a lot of people say she's annoying and selfish and contributes next to nothing to the plot...and they're right. But I also just kinda like her. I think what makes her more bearable to me is that she's kinda disliked in-universe. Even Star, who is Pony Head's best friend, often times get sick of her crap. Real talk though, can we all agree that Pony Head is basically just a discount Lumpy Space Princess from Adventure Time? Like, they're nearly the exact same character.

A character who I don't like as much though is Glossaryck, the magical spirit guide that lives in Star's spell book. I never really got his deal. Sometimes it seems like he likes Star and genuinely wants to help her become a better magic user, while other times it doesn't seem like he really cares. He dies in the beginning of season three only to come back a few episodes later acting like a wild animal and yelling "Globgor" over and over again without any explanation as to how or why. Than at the end of season three it's revealed that it was all an act and he was fine the whole time. Like...why? We later learn that is a highly recognized historical figure in Mewni. Why is he yelling his name? And why does nobody question why he's doing this? I can buy that Star and Marco might not know who Globgor is but most everybody else seems to. I keep expecting that moment for his motivations to click. Where it's revealed how everything he's done was all an elaborate ploy to help Star or something, but it never really happens. Though my opinion of him does slightly increase in season four, but that's just because Keith David took over the role of voice actor. And adding Keith David can make anything better.

Some characters can even change in quality between seasons. Janna is this edgy punk girl who joins the main cast in season two as a new friend to Star and Marco. I liked her well enough in season two even if some of her more abrasive elements could be somewhat obnoxious. She's more or less absent for most of season three. Then come season four she returns and I found her more annoying. I don't know if her character got worse or if it was just the fact that her character didn't work as well in later episodes after the show had become more dramatic. But near the end of the season, they give her some long overdue character growth. Not a lot, but some. And I found myself liking her more.

There are other characters in the series as well, and they tend to vary. Star's mom, Moon is a BAMF and I like Buff Frog a lot. Jacki and Kelly are fine characters, though I admit there's not that much to them outside of being love interests for Marco, though they still have there own personalities. King River's kinda annoying but I've seen worse examples of the "dumb dad" trope and Alan Tudyk gives a great performance.

And since I don't have time to go over my thoughts on EVER character in this series, I'll do what ever online review does when they don't have time for nuance. Create a tier list!

If It's not apparent by now, the characters in this show run the gambit. With the best ones being some of my favorite characters of all time, and the worse one's just being generally annoying. However, if there's one thing that this show excels at is not painting things as black and white. No character is evil without a reason and all the heroic characters have un-heroic flaws to their characters with unique motivations that make sense for their characters. (For the most part anyway.)

The shows animation is also really good. Featuring thick outlines and a lot of nice coloring on the characters. (Even if some of the background colors can be a bit drab at times.) Most of the first season is done in flash, but it's good flash, which does well to accentuate the character expressions and the fluid action scenes. Part way through season one though the show's animation changes to more traditional animation. I think there is a bit of a divide on which style people consider to be better, but I personally prefer the look of the later seasons. The bouncy look of the early season one episodes look good, but I don't know how well that would of worked in the more dramatic and somber moments that happen later on.

I also appreciate the world building. The first two seasons are set mostly on Earth in the town of Echo Creek, but the last two seasons changes things up and focus much more on Mewni, allowing us to explore both settings. I know some people don't like the change as it resulted in several of the characters introduced earlier being written out of the show but I never really minded that. I think Mewni and the cast of characters who inhabit it are on the whole more interesting than the people of Echo Creek. (I mean does anybody really miss Sensei Brantley?) Plus the change in setting allows us to get a bit of a role reversal with Marco being the fish out of water, and Star having to show him how her world operates. And even if you do prefer the Earth setting we still cut back to it on occasion. And when you add it all up the total series runtime between the two setting is fairly evenly.

I like how characters can kinda come and go in this series, as it shows that the world doesn't revolve around Star and Marco. And it allows the writers to see which characters people gravitate to and focus on them while keeping less interesting characters out of the way. It also allows for character arcs to actually have conclusions, without the need for them to be drawn out just for the sake of keeping characters around longer.

Let's talk about themes for a moment. Specifically the main theme of prejudice and systemic racism in the show. It's handled...okay. It's kinda standard stuff and it doesn't go super complex on the issue, but for what it is it works though. That being said the show can be a bit confusing in terms of what counts as "monsters" and what are just regular races in this world. Which can make the metaphor a little muddled. I get that the idea is that there is no difference, and that monsters are only deemed as bad as an excuse for mewmans to justify their mistreatment of them, but it can still be confusing as to who's oppressed and who isn't and to what extent. I feel it would be even more confusing for a younger children watching who might not understand all the nuances of this stuff. However, the way the show tackles this isn't bad either. And the fact that the show tackles this element at all is admirable.

But who cares about systemic racism! That's not the real reason people are watching this show! We all know that everybody is really here for the shipping!

Yeah, as the series went on the shipping seems to become a much more major element within the series. So much so that to many the increased focus on the shipping is often cited as one of the main elements that caused the show to go down hill. However I never really minded it. I mean Star vs. has always been a bit of a love letter to the shojo/magical girl genre and romance is a very important element to those types of shows. So it makes sense that it would be used here. And I think it's used pretty well here overall. These are just kids struggling through these types of feelings for the first time, So it makes a lot of the stupid decisions that they make feel a lot more believable. But if this kind of thing isn't your cup of tea, it might end up bothering you. Because they do devote a good amount of time on it.

But you're probably wondering, who do I ship? Am I team Starco or team TomStar? And honestly, while shipping has never been something I've ever gotten too invested in, if I had to pick I would probably have to say team Starco. Which may be surprising as I previously went on and on about how Tom was one of my favorite characters of all time. But this is the way I see it. Tom's whole arc is about learning how to get over his jealousy and controlling nature regarding his relationship with Star. And it's shown that even after he's dating Star, and has everything he thought he wanted, he still couldn't fully get over his hangups. Even though he loves Star and Star loves him, it's clear that the relationship still isn't exactly the most healthy. And it's clear that they are going in different directions in their lives. Tom knows what he wants. To be with Star. But Star doesn't know what she wants. Not all relationships have to end because one person does something wrong or because one of the parties involved is a bad person. Sometimes two people just aren't compatible in that kind of way. And seeing Tom be the one to break up with Star shows just how far he's come as a character. Plus, like I said earlier, Star and Marco have great chemistry. And I do genuinely see them working as a romantic couple, beyond the fact that there the two main leads.

Besides, StarTom is technically incest so....

*record scratch!*

Oh wait, you didn't know about that.? Yeah, according to the official "Star vs. the Forces of Evil Magic Book of Spells" Star's Great Great Great Grandmother Rhina Butterfly was in a relationship with John Roachley, a second cousin to the Lucitor's. Now granted that would mean that Star and Tom aren't THAT related. But still. Incest none the less. Not that it even matters anyway since all of the Mewmans are descended from like five random people!

Seriously, this is some Ishigami Village levels of incest we got going on here.

But despite how heated the flames wars can be, I think we can all agree that Tomco is the best ship anyway. Like come on now.

So yeah, even the shipping elements didn't bother me. To be completely honest, while the show did have some problems here or there, I found myself enjoying the show well into the fourth season. But I knew it was coming. Since I was watching the show months after the series had concluded, I had heard things about the finale. A finale that figuratively "cleaved" the fan base. But in order to talk about the finale we have to go a few episodes back and talk about the episodes leading up to it. Obviously spoilers ahead.

To briefly recap, at this point in the series Eclipsa had become Queen of Mewni along with her husband Globgor after Star relinquished the crown to her. And many of the Mewmans are upset by Eclipsa's new "pro-monster" policies had left to live with the former Queen Moon. Meanwhile Mina Loveberry, a legendary monster fighter from generations far gone, had begun building up an army to invade Eclipsa's castle and take Mewni back from the monsters. A lot of people I hear don't like Mina as a final villain, but honestly I was surprised by how threatening they were able to make her despite how goofy she is. And her backstory about basically being a magically altered super solider driven to the point of insanity really helped to make her sympathetic. (Like I said, in this show everyone is painted with shades of gray. Even genocidal lunatics.) She invades with a Solarian Knight, a giant magic powered mech and it takes all of our heroes working together to barely defeat it. Until it is revealed that it was only one of many. It's an amazing twist that really leaves you wondering "How are or heroes going to get out of this one." Up to this point I was digging this final arc. But that's when I finally got to it.

To me, the moment where Star vs. the Forces of Evil got bad was the moment it was revealed that Moon was working with Mina to reclaim the thrown from Eclipsa.

It just doesn't fit Moons's character to do this. While it is shown throughout the season that Moon does not agree with Eclipsa more extreme policies, It was still shown that while Moon may be against Star's decision to give the crown to Eclipsa, she acknowledges that since Star was queen at the time and was within her right as queen to decide what was best for the kingdom. And in previous episodes she seemed generally happy not having the responsibility that comes with being queen anymore. But now she suddenly wants her kingdom back? If she wanted it back, all she had to do was say so from the start. At the start of the season most Mewmans still hate Eclipsa. It would not be that hard to stage a coup if she really wanted, especially since the magic high commission and all of Mewni would be on her side. Why would she work with Mina, who Moon knows is insane and racist even by Moons standard? Sure Moon and Eclipsa definitely don't see eye to eye on a lot of things but Moon still wouldn't want her dead, and Moon knows that Mina wants to kill her. I know she thought she could control Mina's army but that's still a big risk. It seems uncharacteristically reckless for a character as intelligent as Moon to make these choices.

So then, after it turns out that Moon can't control Mina's army, our heroes are basically screwed and are forced to hide out in a special tavern located at the edge of the universe to wait things out while Mina begins rounding up all the monsters in Mewni. They are all trying to figure out a plan on how to possibly defeat Mina's army when Star suddenly goes on a rant about how magic is bad. And this idea had been brought up a few times in the series, but overall had never really been portrayed as a major aspect. But suddenly the show treats this as if it's all the magics fault, and that everything would be better if it was gone. And that's when Star comes up with the genius plan to use go to the magic dimension to destroy all the magic. Thus making Mina's forces useless. And while I admit that yes, they are very much been pushed to a wall here, this has to be one of the most overkill ideas they could of possibly think of!

Now, I've seen a lot of people online saying that by doing this, Star would be committing mass murder on a multiverse scale, potentially destroying many universes. And I think that is a bit of a reach. From what we see in the series, it seems to me at least that magic is kinda a rare thing in the universe. That's why so many villains are trying to steal the magic wand away from Star. And I see very little implying that there are whole universes that are reliant on magic outside of Mewni. THAT SAID THOUGH, this would result in the deaths of a lot of innocent people. But Star really only seems concerned with the fact that once magic is destroyed, all people who come from parallel universes will return to their home universe, meaning she won't be able to stay with Marco. Which makes Star seem beyond selfish and generally pretty horrible.

Hekapoo, one of the high commission members, despite being made of magic and knowing that she will die from this, is totally on board for this plan because plot. And our heroes travel to the magic dimension to destroy all the magic. Which they do. Defeating Mina's forces and leaving her powerless. She still manages to escape however because nobody decides to actually, you know, try to arrest the person who just committed a political coup and nearly whipped out an entire race. They just let her walk off, because she's powerless now. I mean what's the worse she could possibly do, right?

So yeah, Mina is defeated, but everybody is sent back to their home dimensions. But somehow, through the power of love I guess, the universes of Earth and Mewni begin to merge. Thus allowing Star and Marco to be together. Happy ending, I guess? I don't know. Like Star and Marco being together is treated as a good thing. But we also see humans screaming as there world have now been overrun by monsters. Is this suppose to be a joke? A bittersweet ending? I'm not really sure.

In concept the idea of a universe merge is actually a pretty interesting idea. As it feels like a natural progression of the shows themes of racial tolerance and mutual understanding. Now that we've gotten semi-tolerance between monsters and mewmans we could now have an arc about trying to bridge the cultural gaps between the humans and the mewmans. Plus it would be a good way to appease both the people who enjoyed the earlier seasons focus on Echo Creek, and fans of the later seasons who preferred the stories set on Mewni. It's not a bad idea, but it needed to A.) be set up better and B.) needed more time to be fleshed out. I get that it's designed to be a sequel hook, but it's not like this is something that the series had been building up to to the point where we the audience can put together what happens next. As is, it's just weird.

So yeah, the last couple of episodes of Star vs. where a total mess. It's fitting that the finale to Star happened to come out the same day as the finale of Game of Thrones. While I'm not going to act like there weren't some parts I liked or some good ideas sprinkled throughout, this finale was pretty bad. How do you have a show that preaches acceptance and equality and end it with a genocide?! But hey, genocidal problems call for genocidal solutions am I right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ufmrn7BCuA

My God, It's Dragon Ball Super all over again.

And the worse part is that the series didn't have to end this way. Cause the show actually had a pretty good episode about half way through the season, "Cornonation" which would of acted as a great series finale! With the series ending with Eclipsa as Queen and ruling with Globgor by her side, with the mewmans finally accepting monster kind. You'd have to change a few things, like rap up Mina's plot and put Star and Marco together, but other than that it could of really worked. Admirably it may end up feeling more like a finale for Mewne as oppose to a finale for Star but it would thematically fit with the message of the series. Or if you really wanna keep this finale more in tack just don't have Star destroy the magic. Just have Star, Moon, and Eclipsa go off and do the one thing the three of them had never tried doing. Working together. And have them defeat Mina the old fashion way. They even allude to this idea in the tavern episode before Star goes on her whole "We gotta destroy the magic" kick.

It is a bit ironic to think that a show that's whole message is about unity could end up being so divisive with it audience. I genuinely believe that had the show ended on a better note, people would look back on the show more fondly. Despite the flaws. To the people who don't like Star vs. The Forces of Evil, I can understand where you are coming from. Even if you ignore the finale there are things to not like. A lot of things aren't very well explained and the show has its fair bit of plot holes. The series can be repetitive with its frequent shipping and "racism is bad" episodes. And some of the characters can be a bit annoying, including our main lead at times.

That being said though, I have to say, I can't bring myself to hate this show.

I don't know what it is, but I just found myself getting really invested into this series. Maybe it was due to me hearing so much bad things about the later seasons that I had low expectations, and while that may be part of it I don't think that's the whole reason. When you watch as many cartoons as I have, and for as long as I have, it becomes harder for things to impress you. Sometimes it can feel like your just checking shows off of a box, which is something that I've been trying to improve upon. But watching this show, it brought me back to the way I felt back in the early 2010's when I first started getting into these types of series. For all of Star's flaws, and trust me there are many flaws, it felt like it was doing something unique. Like it was in it's own little world that wasn't quiet Adventure Time and not quiet Steven Universe. And the series stuck with me after I finished watching it, which is surprisingly kinda rare. It's why I became interested in doing this review in the first place.

Star vs. the Forces of Evil is a flawed show. Very flawed. But I'd rather have a flawed show that's unique than a perfect show that's something I've seen a million times. And while I may not be a fan of how it ended, I don't think that should completely take away from all the good that this show has to offer. This show isn't going to be for everybody, and If you somehow made it this far into the review without seeing the show than I hope I've said enough to help you figure out if this show is right for you. But for me, despite everything, the series still has it's magic.

What did you think of Star vs. the Forces of Evil? I really genuinely want to know on this one. Did it go downhill and if so than when? Leave those thoughts in the comments down bellow. Please fav, follow, and comment if you liked the review. And have a great day.

#Star vs The Forces of Evil

6 notes · View notes

hopelesstvaddict · 6 years ago

Text

The Last of the Starks - Random thoughts on Episode 4

It started so promising though

This fourth episode opened with the aftermath of the Battle of Winterfell and a tearful funeral to bid farewell to the departed characters. Ramin Djawadi offers some more of his genius to score the scene… and that’s about his only meaningful contribution to the episode. What a shame after the mastery he displayed in the previous episode. The rest of this one is underscored with reused bits and pieces that sometimes work (Brienne and Jaime were scored by an unreleased cue that worked - but strangely previously accompanied Tyrion, Shae and Sansa at their wedding and later during Tyrion’s trial; Littlefinger’s theme reappears as Sansa makes the decision to tell Tyrion about Jon’s parentage) and frankly sometimes are total misses. Take the scene where Cersei and Dany’s forces face off at the gates of King’s Landing. It’s scored by a mashup of a cue that was previously used for the Boltons and a snippet from The Spoils of War intertwined with I Choose Violence. And to top it off the credits that roll right after a scene that should be deemed as tragic are accompanied by Shall We Begin, the same that ended Dany’s arrival at Dragonstone in 7x01. Hardly fitting, right ?

I have read that Missandei’s death reminds the viewers of Ned’s death. Well, Ned’s death was followed by Goodbye Brother, a sorrowful and quiet variation of the Stark theme - proper for mourning. Finishing here with this triumphant variation of the Targaryen theme removes any occasion to mourn for Missandei; some other episodes even finished off without any music at all. And if they really wanted a triumphant cue, the triumph is all for Cersei here so a variation of The Rains of Castamere would have worked better than Dany’s theme. This is absolutely not a victory for Dany here

Please do yourself a favor and go listen to I’m Sorry For Today by Ramin Djawadi. Then tell me this is not a better cue to end this episode. Wanna know something else ? It’s Greyworm and Missandei’s love theme. So… I just want to say a big no-no to whoever was in charge of music here

And then it spiraled down

Time constraints are back and it makes everyone worry about the rest of the season. The show already struggled during its entire seventh season with these problems of days/weeks spanning within minutes of an episode not to mention characters maddeningly being able to teleport literally anywhere they were needed to be. Well, it’s back on and it hurts everyone from the audience to the story to the characters themselves. While the first three episodes seemed to have learned from the previous mistakes by allowing the gravity of the situation at Winterfell to be really felt - giving the battle against the dead and the loss of characters much more impact - this installment reverts to what drew audience away from S7 by trying to pack too much in an episode that suffers from the lack of impact these developments should - in theory - have on viewers. In previous seasons, this episode would probably have been divided into two or even three episodes. I’ll say it again, I still don’t understand why HBO allowed the seasons to be shorter when 10 episodes per season was clearly a good rhythm. This decision to cut S7 and S8 down did nothing good to the show

Anyway we lose more characters here and that’s the big problem. It seems that the previous episode pulled back its punches and restrained from killing too many just to create an effect of surprise and shock in this one. But that’s just about it. There’s shock but no lasting emotional punch. We lose Rhaegal and Missandei but we hardly feel anything other than pure shock. There is no sadness, no real emotion. They’re just gone and on we move. It’s like the whole Viserion situation all over again only worse. Losing Rhaegal so soon and in such an unceremonious way serves in theory to create shock. Except the fact is, it only comes off as writing off an asset that is not needed anymore. And very poorly at that. What use was Rhaegal then apart from having Jon fly him for a few cool scenes ? In this case I’d have preferred him to die in the Battle of Winterfell

Since Dany lost Rhaegal, I don’t really see any point in her losing Missandei as well. Her dragon is largely enough to make her tip over the edge. Unless Missandei’s death furthers Greyworm’s story instead. Dany is already on her way to end up completely alone, having lost Jorah, most of her army, now her confidante and it remains to be seen how her commander will react to the death of his love. That was even confirmed by the producers as something very intentional. Varys is also lost to her and on the verge of taking Tyrion with him. On a positive note, Lena Headey continues to shine but I think Emilia does a tremendous job as well in portraying Dany’s descent into darkness

Jon and Dany are sinking and drag everyone with them

In any case, Dany and Jon seem headed for disaster. He still cannot say I love you back and what little faith I have left in Jon compels me to think he at least will not participate in the mass murder Dany seems to be leaning into. This at least is an aspect I am glad was not rushed over. The gradual transition of Dany from hero to tragic and morally questionable protagonist (to avoid the V word) is not - as some claim - too sudden to be credible; we have seen the seeds planted firmly in S7 and even earlier. Dany has my sympathy because I can still recognize her story as a tragic one and I feel for the losses she suffered. But in terms of ruling and politics, she’s no match to Sansa whom the remaining players still seem to take no notice of, as one of the best fitted rulers around (if not the only one)

Notice that Jon and Dany’s one-on-one scene is silent. There’s no music there, no Truth variation (thankfully!) to underscore it, a big contrast to the Jaime/Brienne scene. There was no romantic context to read here. Another observation : she uses touch as a means to get to Jon, just like Sansa did

Then there’s the Jon problem. I don’t know what to say about him because I hardly recognize the character. Who is this man who doesn’t even pet his direwolf ? Now I’m happy that Ghost gets a better ending than Rhaegal but this is a big disservice to a character that used to be much more important not just for the story but to Jon as well. Plus he keeps pushing his allegiance to Dany on his siblings and I bet Sansa was THIS close to blurt out loud that this was HIS allegiance, not HERS

And I can’t even begin with Jon still constantly shutting Sansa down. Anyone can literally understand the benefits of letting soldiers rest. And it’s not ‘provoking’ as Tyrion later states. It’s basic human concern mingled with a touch of military savvy. I wonder why everyone misinterprets literally what comes out of her mouth. It doesn’t take an A++ military strategist to come up with this kind of suggestion. Yet BOTH Dany and Jon shut down this basic guideline from Military 101. Sansa can’t even be bothered to argue with Jon anymore and honestly I don’t blame her. It’s up to Arya to call him on his bullshit

On a positive note, once again, Arya and Sansa synchronize themselves by holding their hands behind their back at the war council - a nice way to present a united front. Notice however that this time around, Arya is better at hiding her displeasure at Dany than her sister when in S7 she was pretty vocal about the Northern lords. Usually Sansa is the more diplomatic one, yet this season she can’t help but speak up to Dany. One then remembers Sophie Turner’s comments on a ‘more passionate fight’ this season than a political one. Sansa ‘loses it’ because she is triggered about Jon and Dany

And for an episode called The Last of the Starks its pivotal scene feels a lot underwhelming. First let this fact sink in : this is the FIRST AND ONLY time that all the Starks share some screen time alone and speak as a family. Yes these kids have never interacted onscreen before. Anyway, Arya and Sansa finally learn the truth of Jon’s parentage. Yet we’re denied the actual telling and their reactions. Jon doesn’t even do the deed himself; instead Bran does it. Was Jon ever really needed then ? I’ve seen speculation that Jon specifically refrained from telling them himself so that he could technically keep his word to Dany. Why not but still frustrating

The next time we see Arya, she’s on her way south. So is Jon. Only Sansa seems really affected by what she has learnt. And for a house that places so much importance on the pack as family, you have once again a family that is not only divided because of Jon’s parentage, his allegiance to someone all of his siblings haven’t praised a single time but also geographically as two head south - possibly to never return - and two stay home, one of whom is not really part of the family anymore. So what happens to 'The pack survives’? Are they even a pack anymore ? Were they ever ? Sansa alone seems to still cling onto this futile notion. Jon leaves everything that ties him to the North behind, from Ghost to Sam and Tormund, not to mention his cousins. And yet, there’s still NO GOODBYES

I’d speculated before that Jon and Sansa might argue more over his Starkness. That seems unlikely now since the two haven’t had any one-on-one scene since the first episode. Given how Jon treats her I kind of stick by my point that he doesn’t deserve her. With only two episodes left, even if Jon magically reveals that he was playing some kind of game, this late in the endgame would feel cheap and effectively rendered less impactful

And on Sansa, again the time jumping does a great disservice to her - but that’s not the only time her character is dealt a poorly with. The framing of this installment makes it like Sansa couldn’t wait to snitch on Jon to Tyrion. Instead, a lot of time has passed per the producers who told us that this was a very thoroughly thought decision on her part. Well, that wasn’t what transpired on screen and if really some time has passed, then her onscreen upset appearance is not even a reaction to Jon’s secret

Anyway Tyrion asks her if she is alright. She is not. Cue the parallel to Littlefinger’s ‘what do you want that you do not have ? Why aren’t you happy ?’ This episode clearly points out Jon as the answer. And it’s not just her protectiveness over him - also, wasn’t HE supposed to be the one who protects her? - it’s the look of pure unaldultered adoration and fondness she shoots at him during the celebrations only to be tarnished by what everyone interprets - rightly - as jealousy over Dany. Notice that when she’s had enough and goes, Jon notices. Why she keeps being so faithful to him is a bit beyond me honestly but hey I don’t have Sansa’s patience with everyone else’s bullshit

On Jaime and Brienne : I was happy they got together and then mad at Jaime for going but I can’t blame him really. Sitting out the rest of the war was never a viable option for him and I like to think that Sansa subtly prompted him to go with her comment on Cersei

Logics fly out of the window

As many pointed out, the logistics of I-Can-Magically-Teleport-Myself -And-My-Fleet-Euron are all but credible and the odds of hitting a flying dragon not once, not twice but three times in a row and then miraculously miss one dragon with a dozen simultaneous arrows are downright ridiculously low. But then again… a flying Dany could not spot the Iron Fleet when she was airborne. So let’s just not dwell too long on this one

Sansa did not catch on PolJon. When Arya tells Jon she respects his decision to kneel in order to bring Dany’s forces north, Sansa is stunned. But previously, we thought that she had understood why Jon did it when she was conversing with Dany. Apparently not

Not a bad episode really. But clearly, the lesser of S8 so far and one that’s very worrying over the final two that have so much to wrap up.

#game of thrones #got #game of thrones thoughts #got thoughts #got meta #game of thrones meta #sansa stark #jon snow #daenerys targaryen #arya stark #cersei lannister #jonsa #anti jonerys #anti-jonerys #jaime lannister #brienne of tarth #tyrion lannister #jaime x brienne #ramin djawadi

81 notes · View notes

misssophiachase · 6 years ago

Photo

A gift for @supremeuppityone for kicking our asses in Klaroween Bingo : ) I'm sorry it took me so long, I hope you like what I've done with your prompt. It's a very loose fusion with the movie of the same name.

"She met him while robbing a stagecoach - which meant she had no time to get distracted by a pair of dimples."

Maverick

Wyoming, USA - July 1883

"I suggest you drop those reins and step down from the coach real slow," she demanded, her gun pointed squarely at the driver's chest. It wasn't an easy feat to catch a passing stagecoach but it seemed they had stopped to water the horses and Caroline decided it was the perfect time to attack.

She looked down briefly at her once pristine dress now caked in dust and god knows what else from the elements, Caroline was hoping she could get this whole ordeal over and done with so she could bathe and change. She considered herself a lady after all, not that you could tell from her current appearance.

In all of the time surveying her clothing situation the driver still hadn't moved an inch. Caroline rolled her eyes annoyed that a chauvinistic, male idiot couldn't take her seriously even with a gun trained on him. Tiring of his inaction she aimed her gun and pulled the trigger, knocking off his cowboy hat in the process.

He was shaken, so much so that he fainted from the coach without any further effort on her part. Caroline made a mental note to do that first next time. What robber bothered with conversation anyhow?

“Admirable effort, love,” the voice seemed to materialise from nowhere. Unfortunately, it was a rare accent in these parts that she knew well and was immediately annoyed she hadn’t shot him instead of the driver.

“There’s that condescending attitude I know all too well, Mikaelson,” she growled, her gun focused on his smirking expression. Now directly in her sights, it was difficult to ignore those crimson lips but even more so those dimples that seemed to be taunting her.

Caroline shook her head determined to get those particular facial features out of her mind and focus on her current task at hand.

“Seems I beat you to this stage coach, Forbes,” he offered, stepping from the carriage and making his way towards her gun in hand. It was difficult not to notice just how handsome he looked in that suit. “But I’m willing to share as long as you don’t shoot the driver just yet.”

“Why?”

“I don’t really like manual labour or getting my hands too dirty if necessary.” Klaus replied crisply, his eyes travelling over her dress, his meaning not lost on Caroline.

“How about I just shoot you instead? Between you and me I’m beginning to warm to the driver, you not so much.”

“That’s not what you said last night, love.”

Thirteen hours earlier...

Klaus Mikaelson wasn’t from here and it was fairly evident given the dubious welcome he received as he journeyed throughout the sleepy towns of Wyoming towards his final destination.

He’d rebelled from his high society upbringing to travel from England to take advantage of the lucrative beef export trade that was thriving in the United States. Well, that’s what he told his family anyway. It was really an excuse to escape the rigid life they had mapped out for him to follow.

Klaus wasn’t one who liked to be tied down and although he expected it, it took him a few months to realise that he wasn’t cut out for the life of a rancher. The climate and conditions were foreign and so too the people who saw him as nothing more than a spoiled Englishman with few skills to offer.

But he’d always prided himself on his wit and intellect. His speed to finish a book with minimal effort, his exceptional knowledge of history and, thanks to his grandfather, an impeccable poker record and ability to read even the most unreadable of people.

It was edging close to 10pm, Klaus had been playing at the poker table in the local saloon. Generally, most of the inhabitants didn’t take him or his poker skills seriously given his origins. But that was the best part.

He was up a considerable amount, the cowboy to his left wasn’t taking it too well. Klaus kept his eyes firmly trained on his hand flickering over his gun holster ready to draw at any moment.

What he wasn’t expecting was a sharp intake of perfume and a beautiful blonde to take the empty seat to his right. Her skin was pure white, her eyes the deepest of blues and those lips a cheeky shade of pink. Not that he noticed at all.

Klaus didn’t consider himself old fashioned but women didn’t play poker, that was how things worked here last time he checked.

“Deal me in,” she instructed, glancing curiously at the cowboy with the itchy trigger finger. Not surprisingly he sat up straight and did as she’d asked. He no doubt thought he’d get something sweet in return.

Klaus watched as the cards were dealt swiftly, the blonde picked up her hand her expression stoic at first. It was only after she’d procured two extra cards that her nose twitched briefly. It was damn cute, first and foremost, but her biggest tell. She had a good hand and Klaus knew it. He surveyed his cards noting nothing more than a pair of sixes.

They went around in a circle, the cowboy raising the stakes. Given the way he was tapping his left index finger on the table, Klaus knew he had nothing and was attempting to bluff his way out of trouble. He decided to do the same, his eyes resting on their newest competition. She called it and won the hand as he’d expected.

Klaus was more entertained than anything, the cowboy not so much. Rather than draw his weapon, he berated her and her place at the table like the sore loser he was. Klaus meanwhile was intrigued. It was clear she could fight her own battles given her steely gaze, strong stance and equally sharp tongue.

“Seems like someone has a little man complex and can’t handle losing to a woman,” she bit back, gesturing towards his groin.

“She does have a point,” Klaus murmured. “My apologies for your shortcomings and I don’t mean those less than impressive winnings.”

Any goodwill the cowboy had previously shown was destroyed in an instant as he drew his gun and fired. Klaus didn’t think just ducked and covered her protectively as a round of shots peppered their surroundings.

It wasn’t an unexpected occurrence but it was inconvenient. Klaus had hoped to secure the funds needed to enter the big poker tournament on the Green River Paddle Steamer in a week’s time.

What he hadn’t expected was for the woman he was trying to protect to push him away and pull her own gun from beneath the multiple layers of her dress and aim it squarely at the cowboy. Seems like she didn’t need him at all.

A shot fired which landed just south of his little man syndrome which was enough to scare him away, leaving his money in his wake. She scooped it up happily, handing him a share.

“Even if you did cower like a girl, I’ll still give you half.”

“That was actually trying to protect you,” he shot back gruffly. As much as he wanted to hate her it was far too difficult given the way she made him feel. Frustrated with a side of begrudging attraction.

“Is it the stuck up Englishman in you?” She mused. “Because it’s kind of cute.”

“Oh really?” He smirked.

“How about we just have a drink, don’t want your head to swell any more.”

Present day...

“I said nothing of the kind,” she argued, thinking back to their evening together but dismissing his version given it implicated her actually feeling something.

“You said I was cute.”

“Obviously I was delirious,” she shot back. “It wasn’t difficult given all the male egos I was trapped with under the same roof.”

Caroline Forbes didn’t need a man, she never had in the past or ever would in the future. Seeing just how badly how mother had been treated by her father first then subsequent men, Caroline had decided they were all bad news.

When her mother passed away unexpectedly, Caroline knew she needed to make the best of her own life. She’d decided the only way she could improve her existence was to try and make a better life for herself.

Caroline had shown promise in poker from a young age. That much she knew given how the saloon staff who minded her while her mother looked after clients praised her talents.

She had always worked alone and today wasn’t any different. When he decided to ruin both her poker match and first stage coach hijacking, Caroline knew this guy was just bad news. Moreover, he just liked to rain on her parade.

“I’m getting the impression you don’t like me very much.”

“What gave you that idea?” She scoffed. “I just need to be at Green River and you’re messing with my timeline.”

“Something we happen to have in common then,” he offered. “Seems like we have a perfectly functioning stage coach to take us there.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “I’m riding up front with my new driver friend, I’m sure there’s no hard feelings after that whole shooting incident.”

“That scared to be in such close proximity of me huh?” He replied, cheekily. “If you’re taking part in the poker championships I could give you some tips.”

“Like not to blink?” He was silent at first, absorbing what she was saying. “You do it if your hand is bad.”

“But how...”

“Turns out you’re not as wonderful as you think.”

“Says the girl whose nose twitches if her hand is good.” At that point they stopped bickering and just looked at each other carefully considering their options.

“How about we make a deal then?” Caroline offered. “We exchange notes in time for the poker tournament in transit then go our separate ways?”

He’d nodded half heartedly, Caroline put it down to the fact the horses were riding on uneven ground at that moment.

It was only when the sky darkened and Caroline found herself in the coach due to the inclimate weather that things became more clear. He’d offered the blanket immediately, Caroline not expecting such a kind gesture from a man. But his blue eyes were kind and she found herself sharing the warmth.

Morning broke, Caroline nuzzled against the nearest surface not expecting it to be his toned chest and his crimson lips so dangerously close to hers. If she moved an inch they’d be kissing. Surprisingly it didn’t bother her at all.

“Pretty sure we’re going to be wanted across the state now,” he murmured against the bare skin of her neck. “But I’d bet on you anyday, love.”

“You just wanted me to say you were cute again, right?” She grinned, cuddling into him as close as possible.

Maybe,” he drawled, pulling her closer and placing a chaste kiss on her temple.

“Because I’d bet on you any day too,” she murmured, finally feeling at peace even given what they might face. “But that poker match is ours to lose and you know how much I hate losing.”

#klaroween bingo gifts #misssophiachase #supremeuppityone #klaroline drabbles #klaroline #hope you like it

34 notes · View notes

makeste · 6 years ago

Text

BnHA Chapter 028: Cavalry Battle Part 1

Hi everyone, I have HERO A on repeat. Time for some Sports Fest antics.

Previously on BnHA: Everyone picked teams for the cavalry battle. Like a half dozen people swarmed Bakugou going PICK ME!! and he was all WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU PEOPLE. Deku teamed up with Ochako and Iida, but then Iida was like WELL ACTUALLY and ran off to be on Todoroki’s team. Then my new favorite, Mei, was like HEY and so Deku picked her instead, and also Tokoyami, because Deku is the guy who somehow wins the entire fantasy league after sitting out the fucking draft.

Today on BnHA: The cavalry battle begins. Todoroki hints at having Daddy Issues. Deku’s team holds the others at bay through the power of zero-g, sentient bird shadows, and jetpacks. Bakugou gets trolled by some punk from class B and loses his shit. Todoroki and Deku face off.

(As always, all comments not marked with an ETA are my unspoiled reactions from my first readthrough of this chapter. I’ve read up through chapter 51 58 now, so any ETAs will reflect that. lol yesterday was a very productive day)

Todoroki has a pretty good thing going, not gonna lie. Iida brings the speed, Kami’s quirk is the perfect defense, and Momo can protect them against being hit by Kami’s electricity themselves. meanwhile Todoroki can probably just ice the ground and send everyone else flailing. I wonder if that would be against the rules

they’ve easily got the best defense out of the whole group, and with Todoroki as their one-man offense... everyone else needs to watch out

oh?

what are you just gonna sit this one out or something? I see he’s looking at the stands though

Todoroki. could it be that you have... Daddy Issues

because I’ve been waiting for a character with Daddy Issues, Todoroki

just. it’s another Thing That I Like, bud, so I’m just warning you now

(ETA: need I even say anything more here)

OHO

oohhhh

this must be the famous Endeavor we’ve heard so much about, then :D

and you know, I’d been wondering why he never uses his fire powers, and ever since he mentioned that his dad was a flame hero, I had a feeling that it might be something like this

so I see he does indeed have Daddy Issues, and self-imposed weaknesses on top of that! boy that sure is stupid, Todoroki

(ETA: even though he has Reasons, I still stand by this statement. he’s allowed to be dumb, though; he’s a kid and he’s been through a lot.)

so now let’s talk about this Endeavor guy. I can immediately see that he, like Vongola Primo before him, just refuses to ever not be on fire at all times. there’s just no reasoning with these people

also this dude literally has a mustache made of fire, which is just the most excellent thing I’ve ever seen

I mean, the beard is also cool, but. the mustache. SO UNNECESSARY. SO BIZARRE. I FUCKING LOVE IT SO MUCH

yay we’re finally gonna get started

WOW the gap between first place and third place in that first competition was a whopping 9,999,800 points, apparently. lmao

that’s not how point distribution usually works, U.A. but, you do you

so my boy Kacchan has Sero and Mina on his team in addition to Kirishima. Sero’s tape skills will definitely come in handy offensively. and Mina... FUCKING WHAT IS YOUR POWER ALREADY, MINA. at this point I really need to know, because the anime seems to assume that everyone watching already knows, so they have no problem showing it, and so whenever she comes up on screen I have to like shield my eyes and block my ears because I don’t want to be spoiled :/

(ETA: this was a thorn in my side for so long, it’s a relief to finally not have to worry lol)

and now our second place winner from the previous match, Todoroki, who’s worth... 205 points

this is like fucking Quidditch. why even have other parts of the game. just everybody go after the damn snitch

not wasting any time, I see

honestly it’s kind of a waste to go after him right off the bat, unless you’re Todoroki and your team has a nearly unbeatable defense. whoever gets Deku’s headband first is just gonna paint a target on their own backs. I expect Bakugou to go for it anyway, of course, but really it’s just stupid

and that’s, of course, assuming that Deku and his surprisingly excellent team can’t fend them off regardless

yes, Steel Ryohei, everyone does indeed know that

omg

you go, Hagakure. honestly, the odds seem pretty damn stacked against your team, but best of luck

god I’m struggling with Tokoyami’s name. but I won’t give up!! PLUS ULTRA

anyway so he asks Deku what they should do and Deku’s like RUN AWAY DUH

uh oh looks like that’s not gonna be quite so easy

this vizard guy appears to have a quicksand quirk or some sort. quicksand has always traditionally been a millennial thing. who gave you permission to take it

well, Ochako, better get to it

OH WAIT

LOOOOOOL I FORGOT ABOUT THE JETPACK

JETPAAAAAACK

jetpacks are also a millennial thing, but fine, just let all these gen z manga kids take all of our cool stuff then. that’s what happens when the series is being written by a millennial, I guess

I sure hope Deku is having the time of his life right now

Jirou is going after them with her headphone jacks lol. what are those gonna do

couldn’t even get close

that’s so cool that his shadow can take care of even the stuff they don’t see coming

I just went back to chapters 5 and 7 to check Toko’s rankings, and he got 9th overall in the practical part of the entrance exam, and then 5th in the gym tests they did with Aizawa on the first day. so he’s a pretty big threat all things considered

Deku does indeed seem to be having the time of his life!

I like watching these kids fly around and have fun

apparently everyone is weightless except Ochako! good job not puking so far, Ochako! you’ve gotten stronger!!

oh wow, bit of a jealous moment for her here after Deku offhandedly praises Mei

YOU’RE BOTH GREAT, LET’S ALL BE FRIENDS AND NOT FIGHT

Hagakure’s headband has been snatched! whoops

looks like that Viktor Nikiforov-looking guy has taken it

what was it even worth, anyway, like 20 points? just sit the rest of this one out guys

I guess it’s still worth going after everyone else’s headbands, given that second place, third place, etc. are still worth fighting for if you can’t get those 10 million points for first

here comes Shouji with his hidden Mineta

oh shit Mineta’s stupid fucking grapes have gotten stuck to the cool moon shoes that Mei made

just take them off then I guess

OH SHIT THEY’VE GOT TSUYU TOO

I FUCKING KNEW WHOEVER GOT HER ON THEIR TEAM WOULD BE GETTING THEIR MONEY’S WORTH

I SWEAR TO GOD IF THAT LITTLE SHIT MINETA TRIES ANYTHING WITH HER IN CLOSE QUARTERS, I’M CALLING ENDEAVOR TO COME OVER HERE AND LIGHT HIM ON FIRE

ahahaha and here comes this lunatic at last

Kacchan also seems to be having the time of his life somehow

oooh! he tried to blast them but Toko even managed to block that!

lollll. never stop making weird faces my dear son

now Sero’s snagging him back, since he was just flying around on his own up there

apparently it’s legal for him to do that as long as his feet don’t touch the ground

so he can just go flying around all Tsuna-style as much as he wants, with Sero there to catch him at the end

do any of these pro heroes want this boy as their sidekick yet?? I’ll be pretty pissed at them if they don’t

(ETA: 3500 draft picks... I’ll take it.)

everyone is talking about how awesome class A is

and now everyone’s going “WHAT?” and “OHH?!” all of a sudden! what’s going on?

OH DAMN. SOMEONE TOOK BOTH BAKUGOU AND MINETA’S HEADBANDS

there appear to be two teams from class B with a ton of points all of a sudden, so I’m pointing fingers in that direction!

but worth noting that Todoroki has also amassed a total of 615 points now, so he’s clearly been busy as well!

Bakugou probably got his snatched while he was flying around without a care in the world solely focused on grabbing Deku’s band

oh wow it was even easier than that

THIS BOY GOT SOME MOVES HOT DAMN

and now he’s bragging about how class B purposely hung back in the first event and focused on observing the other class’s quirks instead

don’t go getting such a big head just yet, kid. come back to me once you’ve taken a stab at Izu’s headband why don’t you. you’re not the only one who hasn’t shown his quirk yet

also, what a stupid thing to be bragging about. again, the whole point of the sports festival is to show off. if you’re gonna hang back and hide then what’s even the point. I guess some of the pros watching might be impressed with your strategizing, but personally I wouldn’t have risked getting eliminated without getting the chance to do something to catch the audience’s eye

damn this kid is really going all in on his insult fest now

okay, this is at least the second time that incident has been brought up since Bakugou came to U.A. it was definitely a bigger deal than I thought. for someone like Bakugou, it can’t exactly be enjoyable to have everyone recognize you from an incident in which you were a helpless victim and needed to have your ass bailed out. that’s like the exact opposite of what he wants to be known for

and it’s a pretty fucking low blow to bring that up, no matter how obnoxiously he was running his mouth at the start of the competition. Bakugou, you have my permission to tear this guy a new one should the opportunity present itself

and now he’s snapped

I think this Viktor guy is underestimating what he’s gotten himself into here, but also Bakugou is most likely playing right into his hands by predictably getting enraged and forgetting about the real target

class B really went and created a whole rivalry with class A out of thin fucking air

well if that’s how it’s gonna be, I hope class A makes a comeback and shows everyone just why they were so hyped up to begin with

uh oh, now Deku’s starting to feel safe, what with everyone going after other teams. MISTAKE

oh dang

:D :D :D this is so much fun. GO ON AND RASSLE THEN

BONUS:

MY GIRL MIDNIGHT

“FAVORITE THINGS: VIBRANT YOUTH, THRILLS”

LOL SHE WAS ALMOST THE HOMEROOM TEACHER

HER NORMAL CLOTHES ARE SO NORMAL, BUT I GUESS HER DAY TO DAY UNIFORM IS SO SPICY THAT WHEN IT COMES TO HER EVERYDAY CLOTHES, SHE JUST WANTS TO RELAX AND CHILL

I ACTUALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT HER QUIRK IS THOUGH LOL

(ETA: based on her use of it at the end of the finals, seems to be some kind of sleeping gas type thing that knocks people out)

#bnha #boku no hero academia #makeste reads bnha #todoroki shouto #midoriya izuku #tokoyami fumikage #uraraka ochako #bakugou katsuki #midnight #lol I read so many chapters yesterday that these recap chapters are becoming more and more distant #if I was fast enough to put up more than one a day I'd seriously consider it #but it takes too long and that's valuable time I could be using to read more chapters lmao #gotta say so far the sports festival is still the standout arc #I've still got more than two thirds of the series to go though #so we'll see what's to come!

90 notes · View notes

azeher · 6 years ago

Text

On Queerbaiting, Bad Voltron Bad, and Adashi

I finally found the time and patience to bring you this post. Take it however you want. Unfollow me, love me, fall in love with Ryan Renolds... Just take your pick.

The only disclaimer I’ll make is that the Voltron crew and the marketing team of DreamWorks are very capable of queerbaiting. I’ve accused them of doing exactly that before, but I was just getting ahead of myself. I just don’t think they’re queerbaiting us after all, not on purpose (the voltron crew at least. The marketing team can go eat a spoiled banana). But at the end this is like the Schrödinger’s Cat, we won’t know until we get to see the very last episode of the final season. I mean, korrasami was queerbait until the very last seconds before the credits rolled.

BUT, the crew has made quite the mistakes along the years, and I’m gonna make a list of them:

1- Opening their mouths. Just really, they should have stayed quiet, taken the initial praising and shown gratitude and that’s it. The very first and biggest mistake they made was thinking it was a good idea to talk about the show to the fandom. Not only they never knew how to handle it, sometimes they forced themselves to lie. By creating such an narrow relationship with the fandom they allowed them to ask them for things they wanted into the show. They allowed them to ask them questions they didn’t know how to answer and sometimes they had to be purposely misleading to avoid spoilers.

2- Believing their own misleading answers. And this is how I know they’re not queerbaiting on purpose. Because they tend to get passionate when promoting the show, they’ve said things in ways that could be misinterpreted by the audience. They think they’re saying something harmless, that the small difference between what they say would happen and what actually happens will translate well, but it’s never the case.

3- Not trying to know their fandom. This isn’t entirely their fault. It’s obvious the fandom they got wasn’t the fandom they were supposed to get. I.e., the fandom should be made up of grown ups that loved the 80s Voltron and came back out of nostalgia, and of little kids looking for cool space battles, and of teens that like action and humor mixed together. Because that was their target audience. Rather they got a fandom pertaining to an entirely different genre. They got people who don’t really care for the plot (don’t even try to argue with this. The hundreds of posts I’ve seen the last three years claiming smt along the lines of “Voltron would have to pay me to watch the show for the plot” prove me right) because it bores them, and are only focused on the one thing the show openly isn’t about: Romance.

4- The writing. Legend of Korra didn’t have perfect writing. Voltron doesn’t either. This studio puts all of its effort and talent out there, you can tell, but they still have a long way to go. Still, what they do is not bad, despite what spiteful people want to make others believe. This studio has some of the most beautiful animation out there and their strengths rely on art, humor, fight sequences, music and very dramatic scenes. Those are the five things they’ve mastered. But their writing and character focus are lacking. This is not something they can’t fix. Instead of trying to drag them down and boycott these amazing and talented artists and writers who are also human beings, we could give them the support they need to improve and keep delivering stories and characters we can fall in love with. I mean, we fell in love with these characters even when the writing wasn’t perfect. This season, whether some of you want to admit it or not, had the best writing they’ve offered so far but to dissect this statement would mean making yet another long post and just no.

5- The characters’ arcs. We’ve already established they don’t know how to write characters or romance. They’re good with other sorts of relationships but romance is the thing they’re worst at. And they also suck at being constant with characters’ arcs. The biggest proof? I didn’t know the fucking protagonist of Voltron was indeed Keith until like season 4, and I only found out cuz I watched some episodes of 80’s Voltron around that time and was struck with the realization. It was impossible to tell because so far all the focus of the story had gone back and forth between Shiro and Pidge. Then Keith and eventually Allura got their own arcs. So, how about Pidge makes that math cuz it doesn’t add up? How was acceptable for them to be unclear about who the central figure in the show was? Keith was introduced as the fourth character. And they even formatted the first half of the first episode so it looked like Lance was the protagonist. The second half they were already giving up on him and turning him into a joke and Shiro finally emerged as the central figure.

6- Romance. So they completely suck at romance and they made a good decision about leaving it out. But did they really? Cuz the show says yes, but the crew’s comments and awkward writing say otherwise. And this is what takes us to the next and saddest mistake:

7- ADASHI. I know you all read this far only to get to this point. I’m gonna include Ezor and Zethrid here as well because they’re also consequence from the previous point. Shiro is an amazing character and him being gay IS indeed a big triumph. We will forever know such a great and important Asian character is canonly gay. But the writers made all the rookie mistakes they could make surrounding his sexuality, AND Ezor and Zethrid’s relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I for once don’t mind these lesbians being on the dark side because they were still pretty badass and cool even though they were villains, but they took their ambiguous villainess too far, which wouldn’t have been a bad thing wasn’t it because they were the only lesbian couple in the show. So rookie mistake number one: Picking the wrong characters to be your representation when you’re gonna be so limited with representation. They also killed them off, which, well, they kinda deserved, but again, they were the ONLY lesbian couple, so how about give them the chance to redeem themselves (and your own writers)?

They introduced Adam and established he and Shiro simply didn’t work together but then killed off Adam without allowing us to get to know him, and without allowing him and Shiro to get some kinda closure. But the crew, again, didn’t know how to handle the way to go about hyping the show, and were yet again misleading by letting us believe we’d spend some time with Adam. They genuinely thought there was nothing wrong with killing him because he was no longer part of Shiro’s life and because war’s like that. So rookie mistake number two: Not being honest about the fate of one of the two confirmed queer characters in the show. When you have so few queer characters, and you really think you had to kill one of them, don’t treat it like a spoiler, BE honest, so the public knows what to expect. Soften the blow. Maybe they could have said he wouldn’t be in the show too long, and we would have made our guesses. Rookie mistake number three: Pick him as one of the casualties. I understand the intention of this was to make Shiro lose someone because of the war, but did it really need to happen? Did Shiro really need to lose someone? I’m sure no big plot point in the story would have changed if Adam had lived. Rookie mistake number four: Kill him before we got to know him and before he talked to Shiro again. If the purpose of his death was to impact Shiro or us, it would have had a much bigger effect if they had had time to interact again.

Now, could Voltron as a whole fix all of these mistakes? Yes. Yes they could. For starters, they should start talking with the truth. That would actually help to heal the fandom a lot. At this point, being quiet won’t serve of any purpose. Now it’s their real time to talk, but honestly.

Second, it all depends on how they wrap season eight. If they’re really planning on making a healthy queer relationship canon and explicit, that could be their salvation. They’d have to do it right, and it is possible, but fairly hard, especially with romance not being their strength.

Third. Adashi. Yes. Again Adashi. Remember when I said I had complicated feelings about what they did to it? Well, aside from what I already said, there’s this extra bit. And it is that they truly could have had a good reason to kill off Adam. I know that it makes you angry, but this is a possibility. Maybe the point is to let Shiro move on, find love again. He’s healthy now, not fearing about dying anytime soon and he’s matured. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes. And there are not reasons to believe Adam won’t be featured in another future flashback that could deliver that sense of closure we and Shiro need. So, in short, the reason I’m not as angry as I should be, is because this can still be addressed in the show.

It’s easy to be pessimistic and not to trust the ending. For all we know, eighth season might be just 13 episodes of quiznak writing and the mice founding their own theme park, but until the box gets opened we won’t know if the cat is dead.

#adashi #queerbaiting #voltron #vld spoilers s7 #and these are my final thoughts #this is what i think and this is what i feel #so don't bother me anymore

142 notes · View notes

nanashi1869 · 6 years ago

Text

🌼Flowers for my wounds🌸

(@kondo-hijikata @liuet in case you feel like reading it? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

~Yes, woo what a surprise, a long rant about the Shinsengumi again, how original Nashi. ~

Why thank you, dear reader ;) In all seriousness though, all the previous rants I made were spoiler free and it made me ridiculously furious that I held back all the salt and awe I have in me just for the sake of not spoiling any potential newcomers. I’ve covered some of this in vague posts hundreds of times, but today I will break that habit, I will spoil this to hell and back and enjoy it just as much.

You've been warned.

PS: I’m doing this entirely based on my memory and some snippets I’ve seen one time too many for my own good. Inaccuracies are bound to happen.

As always, what better way to begin than with the infamous episode 33...

I'm kidding, today I'm starting by digging into the post office. As with the usual routine the theme to talk about with this wreck is - guilt. Guilt over losing money in a gamble like a complete fool, guilt over buying a book and being too big of a shit (with rather solid arguments) to admit it, guilt over making rules you can't break even though going through the consequences once was enough to make you regret it for the next few miserable years... (Yes I lied, inadvertently everything comes back to the foolish daffodils). But let's talk about our pure accountant who is one 'i' short of being nothing but cute. Let's talk about the edge they put us on a bit before the main event took place, when the (drama version) of the idiot trio tore that scroll. Never forget that could have been the reason for all our tears, yet in the end it still had to be some more complex scheme. An act with the convict being an innocent man and the true criminal roaming free, while Toshi had all the time in the world to steep in deep, raging self-denial over the legitimacy of his past actions and life choices, all the while ending up the scapegoat to whom all the anger can be directed towards. The subtlety with which we were deceived to think the "actual events" of episode 38 were to play out earlier is truly commendable. But with this drama nothing is ever easy. You get to know a new character, someone moves a chess piece and then instead of moving forward everything takes a step back and lets you seethe with nervousness because, without realizing, you've been tricked and have to wait for all the heartbreak a while longer. Takeda's resolve to keep to his decision, regardless of consequences, was in his eyes, completely justified. It did make sense to try and prevent Kano from buying the book for Ito in order to protect the group from his growing power, the action simply failed due to Toshi's own greed after it. Kawai innocently, perhaps naively, thought lending money more than once would not be punished in hopes his friends would be saved from harm. It is his kindnesses that is ultimately his doom and it is the unexpected, usually harmless twists in life that turn it into a spiral with no point of return. Takeda's following quest for redemption ends up being just as pointless as Kawai’s death - he is killed in an instant of hate directed at him, where the assailants are unaware of his reasoning for the justification of his friend's demise. The book too, loses value as Ito gets his own copy later on.

Most, if not all, tragedies in this drama happen because someone is trying to protect or shield - and idea, a person. Toshi's friends die because he must protect the order of the group for Kat-chan, Yamanami and Akesato have a rift in their final moments because they cannot be honest (likewise Souji and Hide), Kat-chan's relationship with Tsune suffers because he lies about Miyuki, Nagakura and the others write the petition to shield the group from Toshi and Kat-chan's (propensity) ego. The pattern is pretty clear.

I'm going to loop back to the script for just a second - watching this drama knowing what will happens adds a thrill, it makes you question when an event will take place even though you know the chronological sequence, because the “mini-arc” leading up to it has to be completed first and the tension must be just right. How long that is depends on the episode and event of course. But each arc is a stepping stone to a new point of no return.

I think, since I've mentioned him, I'll take a bit to talk about Ito as well. I love, love, love the confrontation Kondo and Ito have right before his death. It's absolutely stunning despite being simplistic in nature, because what Kondo states is in fact the very obvious truth and in no way some overly wise notion of the situation. However, it's that simplicity (to me) that adds to the charm of the scene. If you expected some courageous battle of wits, you might have been sourly disappointment, but otherwise - see the pattern? - what brings people to their knees is once again the basic things in life. Kondo’s sincerity, the fact that life is and always will be (mostly) separated into black and white for them. Farmers and samurai, poor and rich - they fit in a narrow grey zone, yet even there they are bullied, pushed away to leave. It's everything complex they're trying to achieve being haunted by little things. It's the desire and determination to be something big and more buried into the ground by the small things they were raised with, holding them back.

Ah, it’s about time this goo got to the good part.

No, it’s still not episode 33. Firstly because I’m sure everyone is tired of my whining about it and secondly because I like to leave best (in my opinion) for last.

This is for our Gargoyle and Tofu. Just imagine, for a second imagine that final hug again and bathe in it, then come back to me, okay? The wedding rings champagne caps and Toshi’s little grimace when he tries to convince himself ‘it’s not over yet’. (At this point I would just like to praise Mitani again for giving us closure with that hug, unlike some other shows I watch *side eyes knife pile*). I’m really glad the two of them got to hug it out before the whole deal blew up. Everytime a ‘Kat-channn’ or ‘Tossshii’ came around my heart melted a bit. THE DYNAMIC IS SO GOOD. (I get so, so jealous each time I see well written relationships between two guys. Doesn’t matter if it’s boyfriends/best friends/would-die-for-you combined or only one of these included. (*cough* NIF & Bleach for one *cough*) I don’t even know what to say! We all know Toshi would sacrifice the world for Kat-chan. We all know Kat-chan trusts him above all else. The guilt one feels and the content of the other having come so far together and being such a power combo…*noises*

I don’t even know how to put this.... (@kondo-hijikata help this is your expertise)

I’m going to move on to some more feathery stuff because I’m really at a loss about these two (analysing NIF’s LC/MCS has engraved so deep into me it’s ruined my perception for everyone else, I apologize).

Right, feathers…

I wrote about Serizawa and his issue of not being able to get over his “I’m a bad guy, therefore I must act like it” complex...somewhere before. I can’t find it, but I’m very sure that was once a thing. I know most people hate the man with a burning passion and part of me probably does too, yet the way he is presented also makes him fascinating, like he is very self-aware but cannot change anything about that (this is similar to Toshi’s “indifference” (we all know he actually cares) of his path to become the villain - he knows that what he is doing is morally wrong and has no intention of stopping). I feel like in the end both of them continued with “bad guy” roles simply because they were too far down that road to stop.

I would analyse Serizawa’s character more, but I honestly don’t remember much anymore. I did want to mention this though. Toshi on the other hand…feels like someone who desperately wishes to rage quit everything, but keeps on going out of pure spite.

And since I’m speaking of our beloved vice-commander - one thing that opisses me off is that Kotetsu got mentioned, but the whole wow deal with Kanesada got dropped out, even in the movie. *cue bawling over that Katsugeki finale* I was hoping for that when Tetsu showed up dammit!

Am I tiring you yet? Come, sit down, have some tea Gen-san made because he is totally ok and alive an happy and you cannot convince me otherwise because the hugging thing did not happen. Period.

…

Lastly, because my mind is going blank this is quite long - the bane of my existence and the one thing (to me) more cursed than Ryoma himself. (I’m lying PMK upped this x100000 and I am not over that either. I’ll confess immediately I did not read the whole thing yet but this, this haunts me).

This stupid episode with it’s stupid ending and it’s stupid decisions. *insert me yelling about rice balls on the Mibugishiden review post* I mean what is it with this drama and ending brutally sad episodes with (unintentionally?) funny moments? *cue Toshi’s squeaky crying* I have covered my thoughts about Akesato here and here though and since that essentially recaps everything I want to say, I won’t repeat myself. (Thought you’d have to read through 5 more pages of me screaming? I did too before I forgot what I wanted to say.)

I might make a part 2 someday, if I think of more to say, but for now, I’m done, leaving you with this stressful mess. Feel free to add your own opinions, I’m really curious about what the rest of you think.

~Nashi out~

#taigaqueue #personal #long ass rant just because #this has been a while in the making #I HAVE FEELINGS OKAY

2 notes · View notes

lordavanti · 7 years ago

Text

Hvitserk Marathon # 1

Request: You are the only person who can keep him calm when he's so angry (dark Hvitserk on board 🔥) PS.: love your works and you are amazing writer! Keep going bc YOU ARE THE QUEEN 👸 Note: This one is a little longer than I expected it to be but who cares. Thank you for giving me this, thank you for everything. You are amazing and I’m hardly a queen. Warnings: Angst - Dark Hvitserk Words: 1405

Taglist: @itharley @burningsunshin3 @miss-brightly-red @inthenameofodin @decaffeinatedeaglefart @float-autumn-leave @zombie-zayde @nothingbuthappydays @dani-si @ivarbarnes @supervalcsi @sweetvengeancee @odins-missing-eye

Fighting a spoiled little brat like Ivar always made the other one anger somewhere, just like he did now. Despite he wasn't all that spoiled and little anymore, Ivar lived by his reputation of being a fearless pagan king. He and Hvitserk sided not so long ago and yet here they stood before each other. Ivar mocking him and Hvitserk getting angry over it. He could hide it all he want but you saw the strength he putted in his strikes, the manor how he clenched his fingers around his sword as Ivar grinned in satisfaction. You looked a little worried, standing there against that tree while your man was fighting his brother. Ivar got a change and he took it, wiping Hvitserk his legs from right underneath his body, causing him to smack on the ground with his back. 'Is that all you have big brother?' Ivar mocked. His eyes shifted and he looked at you, tilting his head because he saw your angry glares. 'What, he doesn't need your protection, or does he now?' He looked down to his brother who got up, wiping the dirt from his sword by stroking it over his trousers before he shoved it back in his belt, not giving his brother a single. 'Don't start pouting brother.' Ivar grinned. You shifted your eyes towards Hvitserk who walked your way. His eyes darker, more dominant and angry. 'Don't let him get to you like this.' You whispered when he was in reach. You laid your hand against his chest to stop him from walking by, he signed. 'He should be thankful I'm standing on his side.' Hvitserk answered boldly. Ivar changed him, he became more fierce, darker and when you looked up in those eyes you so much loved you saw a certain dominance you liked. It wasn’t much but it was there. Hvitserk wasn’t a boy anymore, he was a man and people should fear him, his brother should on occasion fear him. ‘I’m thankful for you standing on his side.’ You confessed. Hvitserk looked a long time down to you before he nodded, stroking his fingers over your temple down to your cheek. ‘Let’s go to the feast tonight. Drink a little, forget a little.’ You advised him. ‘Have you a little.’ He followed, you smiled on the little playful smile that broke open on his face. ‘If you ask politely.’ You winked. He grabbed the side of your neck and pulled you closer, you smirked, opening your lips to his desire. You distracted him for the bigger problem, that raging fire on the inside that was ready to explode. Your head rested on your fingertips, lightly and gracious as you always tended to be in public. ‘Y/n.’ You turned your head and looked into those cold blue eyes of a king. ‘Ivar.’ You greeted him, throwing Hvitserk a look from across the other side. He was having fun, he was calm and enjoying himself, it was a long time ago since you saw him smile like that. What happened, between the brothers … it changed them. ‘King for you.’ He dragged his cripple ass in the seat beside you. You shifted your eyes and looked back to him. ‘I’m not easily manipulate as all your loyal subjects around here.’ You pointed out. If he wasn’t treating you with any respect why should you. He laughed, enjoyable. ‘You are really a serpent, all beautiful and gracious on the outside but lethal in your words and acts.’ He leaned over the chair rest and stroke two fingertips over your cheek. You pulled away, tilting your head while pointing the finger around your cup towards him. ‘But you are the most poisonous snake of all Ivar. I’m not sitting here for you, I’m here for Hvitserk.’ You made a subtle point and he clenched his teeth. Just as he was planning on saying anything Hvitserk walked over, placing his cup with delicacy on the table. ‘I was just telling your girl the meaning of obedience.’ Ivar smiled joyful. Hvitserk rested his eyes in a moment on him before he looked at you and you just gave him a reassuring glare back. ‘She doesn’t has to obey you brother, she is mine.’ He stated neutral. You cocked up a little smile and looked back to Ivar. ‘And she fights for me. Maybe I should learn her a lesson or two, the hard way.’ Ivar hissed. He couldn’t bare the idea his brother had a strong woman at his side. And in a way Hvitserk didn’t believe it either, otherwise he wouldn’t grab his brother at his tunic and pull him harshly over the table. ‘Hvitserk!’ You warned him as Ivar smacked with his back against the wooden floor of the great hall. Everything was so silent in that moment, everybody stopped moving around as Hvitserk pulled his dagger. ‘You don’t get to speak like that brother.’ Hvitserk warned him. And just something in his voice even scared you. He sounded so far away, so coldly and you froze in your movements as he pinned Ivar down underneath him. ‘Come on brother, kill me. What is stopping you, I killed Sigurd, I scared Ubbe away, you even lost sweet lovely Margrethe.’ Ivar whispered to him. You rushed over the table as Hvitserk pulled the dagger a little back. ‘Hvitserk,’ you grabbed the sharp edges of the dagger, falling aside him on your knees as the pain stung through your body. ‘You don’t want to kill him. You are not him, you are not Ivar.’ You started. Blood dripped between your fingers to the floor but you didn’t released it, because he even wasn’t looking to you. ‘Look at me.’ You said softly. Hvitserk looked away from his brother and his raging eyes met yours. ‘This is not you, I know things are hard on you but don’t let it affect you. There are others ways of dealing with it just,’ you bite your lip as his grip softened and he let the dagger loose. ‘just don’t forget that I’m here, I’m always here, the little light in the darkness. Don’t ban your brother away because he is hurt himself.’ You followed. Hvitserk released a breath and looked back to Ivar who was still pinned down underneath him. ‘I’m yours, I always will be.’ You promised him. And with those words he came from his brother without saying a word. You could swear to see Ivar breath out in relief as you stood up and walked after Hvitserk out. Only when the door felt shut you heard the great hall restart his feast slowly. ‘I hurt you.’ Hvitserk murmured, walking his way home without looking over his shoulder to you. ‘You didn’t.’ You reassured him. He turned around, grabbing your wrist before you even had the change to pull back. ‘What is this then?’ He asked pained. ‘This is me protection you. I meant it Hvitserk, I’m here, I’m yours.’ You looked up from the large cut in your hand to him. He was battling his demons, you saw it in his eyes. ‘I wouldn’t never leave you for him.’ ‘I can’t,’ he swallowed and cupped your face. His eyes got so vulnerable so fast. He signed, pressing his forehead against yours. ‘I can’t lose you. You are the only one.’ He swallowed and closed his eyes. You wrapped an arm over his shoulder and he wrapped his around your body. ‘I’m sorry.’ He whispered. ‘There is nothing to be sorry about, Ivar crossed a line.’ You reacted back. You pulled yourself back and stroke your hand over his jawline. ‘If you would ask me to marry you I would be able to stronghold you, to show the world that you are not alone. I love you Hvitserk, let me help you in the fights to come.’ You stated with a weak smile. He looked a long time into your eyes before his dark cloud faded a little. ‘Marry me?’ ‘Yes.’ You answered. And his smile widened, pressing his lips onto yours in a longing. ‘Let’s go celebrate that.’ He whispered in the crook of your neck. You laughed, enjoying the feeling he gave you. ‘There he is again.’ You praised his love, his hunger, his playfulness. He never would be as lost as Ivar was sometimes, that was because he had you to pull him from out of the darkness into the light.

#vikings imagine #vikings #Hvitserk imagine #Hvitserk #ivar the boneless #dark Hvitserk #King Ivar

195 notes · View notes

mistressemmedi · 7 years ago

Text

Ten things to watch for in the 2018 Dakar Rally

By: Valentin Khorounzhiy, News Editor at Motorsport.com (x)

The 40th edition of the most gruelling rally event of all, the Dakar, begins on Saturday in the Peruvian capital of Lima. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the two-week marathon event.

#1. Rain, rain, go away

The 2017 rally's route was received considerably better than that of its predecessor, with many a competitor praising the increased focus on off-roading and navigation and a lesser reliance on 'WRC-style' road stages.

The downside was that a significant chunk of that route didn't actually feature competitive running, with persistent heavy rainfall dominating the Bolivian leg, as well as sections in Argentina.

Day-to-day conditions were rough (particularly in Bolivia's Oruro bivouac, which turned into a swamp overnight), a number of stages were shortened and two – including the much-anticipated 'Super Belen' in Northern Argentina – were canned.

Rain in Bolivia is no one-off issue, and the troubles of the 2017 event left the likes of trucks frontrunner Gerard De Rooy and Hans Stacey, as well as top car-class privateer Erik van Loon, calling for a rethink of the route.

Dakar is still going to Bolivia this year – albeit for a shorter stretch – and none of the three aforementioned competitors will be with the rally this time, De Rooy in particular deciding to contest the Africa-based Eco Race instead.

This is by no means a mass exodus, but Dakar organisers will be wary of the rally becoming too much of a hassle for the European privateers that make up most of its ranks.

They could really use a smoother run in 2018 – and for the returning Peru leg that opens the route to be a success.

#2. Last hurrah for two veterans?

The news that Peugeot would be bowing out after the 2018 race was a big deal in many respects, not least because it could be the catalyst for retirement for both Stephane 'Mr. Dakar' Peterhansel and Carlos 'El Matador' Sainz.

Peterhansel, comfortably the most successful competitor in Dakar history, was inundated with retirement questions immediately after claiming his 13th event win last year.

With the 2018 race marking Dakar's 40th anniversary and Peugeot calling it quits, it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see Peterhansel hang up his helmet now – but the 52-year-old is yet to commit one way or another.

He recently told Motorsport.com: “I don’t really have plans. After Peugeot’s announcement to stop the Dakar programme, we weren’t surprised because we suspected it, and there isn’t any nostalgia for the moment as it’s not over yet! But there is a bit of sadness.

“We lived four years of an exceptional adventure so now, I just feel like leaving this behind me and focusing exclusively on this next Dakar and doing the best I can.

“Then I will see what I will want to do next. But currently, I don’t even give any thought to what’s going to happen after crossing the line of the next Dakar.”

Sainz, three years older, has struck a similar note. But with no obvious new manufacturers on Dakar's horizon, both his and Peterhansel's options would be limited if they wanted to keep going – and it's not at all unlikely that one, or both, will decide this race will be as good a time as any to step aside.

#3. Loeb's moment of truth

Sebastien Loeb's successes on the 'WRC-style' sections of the 2016 Dakar were to be expected, but it was his and co-driver Daniel Elena's strong performances in off-roading and navigation last year that marked the crew as potential champions-in-waiting.

Well, about that... Peugeot's announcement that its Dakar programme would conclude with the 2018 event suggested Loeb and Elena won't get as many chances as they really ought to, and the Frenchman's subsequent blunt confirmation that this year would be his “last chance” has now driven the point home.

Loeb clearly has what it takes to win the Dakar this time. He already looked Peugeot's fastest driver last year, but ran out of time to make up for a navigational mistake in a head-to-head duel against the shrewd Stephane Peterhansel.

And despite his obvious talent, Loeb still hasn't won a cross-country rally. Most recently, he squandered a very real chance in the Silk Way Rally when he crashed out, handing the win to fellow Peugeot man Cyril Despres (who should likewise be a factor in this year's Dakar with another year of car experience under his belt).

So, it's now or never, and the pressure on Loeb will be considerably higher this time around. And while a Loeb victory would be popular, Peugeot has insisted it is not planning to stack the deck in favour the nine-time WRC champion.

“The only thing we know ahead of the race is that many things will happen – with weather, with incidents, with driver, co-driver and navigational errors,” said Peugeot's Bruno Famin.

“It is impossible to know who will win, whether it'll be Loeb or not. For us, the important thing is that one of us wins – and then we'll be satisfied.”

#4. Spoiling the farewell party

Nasser Al-Attiyah topping the opening stage of the 2017 rally for Toyota prompted Carlos Sainz to say Peugeot had been treated unfairly by changes to restrictor regulations – with the 4x4 cars allowed an increase and his two-litre buggy getting a reduction.

But that, of course, was very much a false dawn. Al-Attiyah crashed out of the rally early, and while his fellow Toyota drivers kept in touch with Peugeot over the opening stages close to sea level, their heavier, normally-aspirated cars were no match for the 3008DKR at altitude.

Come 2018, further measures have been taken to level the playing field, with the buggies made heavier while the 4x4 cars get a weight break and increased suspension travel.

That should take the Toyota camp halfway to preventing another blowout. The other half would be its chief hope, Al-Attiyah, staying out of trouble.

After his bruising 2017 exit, the two-time Dakar winner dominated the Cross-Country Rally World Cup for a third straight year, and should have a strong shot at ruining Peugeot's farewell party.

Still, even if the rapid Qatari doesn't keep the car in one piece, fellow Toyota driver and 2009 champion Giniel de Villiers almost certainly will, the South African having finished each of his 14 Dakars so far - and only once outside of the top seven.

#5. Mini's double-spec strategy

The recent unveiling of X-Raid Mini's all-new 2WD buggy means the team will play both sides in the 2018 race.

Mikko Hirvonen and Yazeed Al-Rajhi, who have spearheaded the outfit's recent efforts, will be piloting the buggy, whereas 2014 champion Nani Roma – back in the Mini fold after one year with Toyota – will stick with the 4x4.

But despite a two-fold strategy and a formidable line-up, toppling Peugeot and Toyota might be too tough an ask for now – at least according to former Dakar champion and Mini tester Jutta Kleinschmidt.

“It's difficult to say because we never saw it racing, they only did tests in Morocco,” she told Motorsport.com. “For my experience, it will have some technical problems, I'm quite sure, because it's a long race.

“I don't think it's already competitive, I would be very surprised. It could make some good results but to win is so hard. Peugeot suffered the same in its first year [in 2015] and then the second year was really good.

“I also think they put all the effort in the buggy, they hadn't developed the other car, not much at least.”

#6. KTM-Honda rivalry approaching boiling point

Last year, KTM continued a stranglehold on the Dakar’s bikes category dating back to 2001 thanks to Sam Sunderland, but the Briton's maiden triumph certainly wasn't without controversy.

It owed much to a one-hour penalty that was handed to all four Honda factory riders on the fourth stage for illegal refuelling – at a stroke turning Joan Barreda’s 19-minute lead into a 41-minute deficit. Barreda went on to lose by 43 minutes.

One month later, during KTM’s MotoGP launch, CEO Stefan Pierer made headlines when he accused his “most hated” rival Honda of trying to cheat its way to Dakar glory.

Honda eventually returned the compliment when Ricky Brabec accused KTM of always getting its own way with the organisers in October’s Morocco Rally, won by Mathias Walkner.

In response, KTM rally sport manager Jordi Viladoms told Motorsport.com: “[Brabec] says there is a person who speaks well with the FIM and with the organisation, it’s clear he’s referring to me.

“I appreciate the sentiment that I do my job well, but it’s not KTM’s style to talk about other teams like that. We are a little surprised, but they have their style and we have ours.”

Those comments have set the tone for what promises to be another fascinating Battle Royale between the Dakar’s pre-eminent two-wheeled brands.

#7. Barreda's year at last?

If anybody has emerged as the heir to Dakar bike legends Marc Coma and Cyril Despres in recent years, it’s Joan Barreda, winner of no fewer than 18 stages in the South American event since 2012. And yet, the Spaniard has never finished on the overall podium, let alone won the title.

Last year’s one-hour penalty was merely the latest in a long line of misfortunes for Barreda, who lost strong victory chances both in 2016 and 2015 due to mechanical trouble.

The Spaniard’s luck didn’t improve after last year’s Dakar either. He broke his collarbone in March and then broke his wrist in August, compromising his preparations for this year’s event.

Following surgery, Barreda is finally ready to return to competitive action. But the 34-year-old insists finally capturing a maiden Dakar victory is the not the be all and end all for him.

“I want to try at least to win one Dakar because it would be the prize for the work of all these years,” Barreda told Motorsport.com. “But it is not something that obsesses me or stops me sleeping. What I dreamt of, I have already achieved: to be the reference rider.”

Barreda’s opposition will be stiff, not least within his own Honda team, where impressive 2016 rookie Kevin Benavides – who was forced to skip the event last year – will also start among the favourites for victory.

At KTM, reigning champion Sunderland is joined by 2016 winner Toby Price, last year’s runner-up Walkner and former enduro star Antoine Meo, while FIM Cross Country Rallies champion Pablo Quintanilla spearheads sister brand Husqvarna’s assault.

Not to be discounted either is Yamaha, which has recruited Franco Caimi from Honda to join Adrian van Beveren and Xavier de Soultrait in its works line-up.

#8. Replacing de Rooy as Kamaz's chief headache

The two Dakars Kamaz has lost since 2009 had both gone to De Rooy, who is sitting out this year's race – so the Russian truck manufacturer should fancy its chances.

It'll have a strong line-up as usual, with champions Eduard Nikolaev and Ayrat Mardeev, rising star Dmitry Sotnikov and Anton Shibalov in an initial support role.

Sotnikov's fortunes will be of particular interest - his Kamaz is to be equipped with a new straight-six engine instead of the traditional 16-litre V8. And it is not as big a gamble as it might sound, given that Sotnikov has already headed a Kamaz Silk Way Rally podium lock-out in a similar configuration.

That's not to say Kamaz will have a clear run at victory, as the team still has to overcome the likes of regular frontrunner Ales Loprais, his fellow Tatra driver Martin Kolomy and Martin van den Brink.

And while de Rooy is absent, his IVECO team should now be spearheaded by Argentine Federico Villagra, who too can be a formidable rival.

A former WRC regular, he has finished in the top four in his first two truck-class Dakars and further proved his credentials by winning the Morocco Rally last year.

#9. Karyakin versus Casale

The quad class might lack the wide recognition and marquee names of other categories at Dakar, but it gives no quarter when it comes to drama, competition and unpredictability.

A cursory glance at this year's entry list would paint the 2018 event as a duel between the reigning champion, Russia's Sergey Karyakin, and '14 champion/'17 runner-up Ignacio Casale.

Casale, having lost by over an hour last time out, feels he was “in very poor shape” then and is approaching the event with renewed confidence, but Karyakin will be no weaker this time and is motivated to prove his maiden triumph was no “fluke”.

Of course, these usually don't work out so simple. Last year's race featured five different leaders and six different winners, and all of them are back in 2018.

Among those who could disrupt a potential Karyakin-Casale showdown are fellow past champion Rafal Sonik, Argentine riders Jeremias Gonzalez and Pablo Copetti, Bolivia's main hope Walter Nosiglia, Dutch cross-country world champion Kees Koolen and Peruvian Alexis Hernandez, who ran at the front of the race in 2016.

But most curious, perhaps, will be the speed of French duo Axel Dutrie and Simon Vitse, who both mounted a serious dark-horse challenge on their respective debuts last year.

#10. From the touchline to the cockpit

The sight of non-motorsport celebrity isn't a particularly rare occurrence for the Dakar Rally, with cameos ranging from Margaret Thatcher's son Mark's infamously disastrous 1982 outing to ski champion Luc Alphand's slow and gradual path towards a full-on Dakar win in 2006.

And this year's race will mark the latest addition to the roster in the form Andre Villas-Boas, 40-year-old Portuguese football manager who just a few years ago was seen as the next big thing in the sport.

Villas-Boas remains the youngest manager to win a European club competition, his Porto side lifting the Europa League trophy when he was just 33. But subsequent stints at English giants Chelsea and fellow London powerhouse Tottenham were ultimately inglorious, swiftly halting his rapid ascent.

Still, he is no spent force, which is what makes this cameo particularly exciting. He has just walked out of a lucrative deal with China's Shanghai SIPG and is frequently linked to various football clubs in search of managers.

He's also clearly not contesting the rally on a whim, long-known to be a motorsport fan intent with a dream of racing at the Dakar.

That, of course, is no guarantee he'll do well – but he has commendable enthusiasm, a handy co-driver in former KTM rider Ruben Faria and a solid piece of equipment in the Toyota Hilux.

If you're partial to football, or just keen on more mainstream recognition for the Dakar, Villas-Boas will be worth keeping an eye out on.

#dakar #dakar2018 #dakar rally

3 notes · View notes