#he’s always been a character i’ve never been able to stop thinking about simply because he’s so fascinating

[prettydjarinsoloinspires]

in my humble opinion, Rick Grimes is the sexiest character of all time. i will be taking no questions at this time. thank you.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

can i be honest? im a fan of azul but his dream felt like it lacked impact. there were some very interesting moments and its better than the prediction that he would already be rich and own the world

like really? azul becomes a famous athlete and bullies others, then he takes over night raven? i feel like his struggles with his own identity and food could have been further explored and he is based off of ursula, which should extend to vanessa, right? it was the perfect reason to give him a total makeover and show that he has to be comfortable in his own skin before anything else, even if his other ness was what made him a target of bullying in the first place

your thoughts and worries on book 7 post has affected my perspective and i cant help but feel like something is missing 🥲 maybe all the budget went into Jade and Floyd?

[Referencing this post!]

As I’ve previously expressed, I have a lot of my own complicated feelings about the direction book 7 is taking, specifically with how the OB boys’ dream segments are presented and resolved. Azul’s dream is no different; it felt very contrived due to the formula TWST insists on running with in every new installment. It’s becoming even more apparent with each update, and it is really grating on me.

But!! Before I get to what I believe are shortcomings with Azul’s dream, let’s review what Anon has to say.

I feel like, no matter what, there will always be people claiming that the OB boys’ dreams are “missed opportunities”. This is simply because these characters have much more deep and complex issues than the rest of the cast, so we will naturally scrutinize them more. TWST is basically only able to go with one angle when they tackle the dream, leaving the other threads unexplored. This will surely annoy or disappoint people who wish that TWST would have addressed a different issue instead, or perhaps something closer to their personal interpretation of the events. In Azul’s case, I feel like some people (particularly in the west, not so much in the east) see Azul’s weight concerns or relationship with food as a prominent part of his character, so they wish that book 7 part 10 had looked into that more. However, that was never a big focus in canon, so it follows that TWST would want to dedicate its time and resources to the most pressing thing (which would be more centered on Azul’s general self-confidence, greed, and how those tie into his sense of identity). At the same time, they probably wanted to avoid a lens that is too broad. Having the focus be on Azul’s “otherness” or being an octopus might veer too heavily into something way beyond the scope of the ~10 parts of the story he has to himself.

We also need to consider that these dreams are meant to be shallow interpretations of what the dreamer desires (according to Idia). Only the OB boys get to go more in depth due to bring dragged down into deeper layers of their dreams. Azul wants to be accepted by his peers and is insecure about his lack of athleticism (as one reason why he was bullied was due to not being able to swim as fast as other merchildren). So of course the surface level of his dream makes him a star athlete beloved by all. The whole “his plan succeeds, he steals everyone’s magic, he takes over NRC” thing happens in the second layer of his dream, which, like all previous OB boys, is a dark display of what would have happened had they not been stopped. And finally, Azul being a bully is nothing new—we saw this behavior back in book 3 as well. He became the very thing he despised back when he was a victim, and now he continues to perpetuate that cycle of bullying in an effort to affirm confidence in his “cool” new identity. I think the dream was very intentional in trying to entice him with the promises of power and acceptance. That, in turn, shows us that the desire to be a successful businessman (the thing many of us thought would be his dream) actually hinges on Azul’s longing to be accepted. His struggle with his identity and how it depends on how others perceive him was portrayed. I’m just not sure if the idea was executed in the best way, since it sounds like the message may have gotten muddled along the way and it definitely requires some reading between the lines.

I noticed that you cited my original post where I detailed my concerns about book 7 and how that has influenced your own thoughts 💦 I hope that it just… informed or supplemented your opinions rather than suddenly altered them to be more “in line” with my own. I never want to be the kind of person who claims their interpretations are the “most correct” I’m not Riddle’s mom, okay?? 😭

About Jade and Floyd’s dreams, I feel like those are less heavily critiqued because they, by virtue of not being an OB boy, have fewer stakes and are predominantly there to be silly. It’s like contrasting Epel wanting to be big and buff to Vil literally murdering Neige; there is just no comparison. Even then, I wouldn’t necessarily say Floyd’s and Jade’s parts received “all the budget”… They seemed like pretty basic storylines to me, perhaps dressed up slightly better thanks to the new undersea assets and bioluminescence reveal.

My issues with Azul’s dream segment is how… ham-fisted several elements were. All of it, for the sake of sticking to the pattern already established earlier. It feels so unnatural and stilted because you just KNOW it’s written this way to fit the template 😔 For example:

Why did Jade become SO dumb when they were trying to figure out where Azul had moved the contracts? He’s supposed to be much smarter than how he is presented here. Wouldn’t his immediate thought be to check Azul’s room? But NO, Jade can’t come to that conclusion on his own because we need a contrived reason for each student to use their UM before the ending :/ so Jade has to waste time using his UM to get the truth out of his dream!self.

Jade and Floyd sitting around and going “………….” while they watch Azul make an ass of himself was such a time waster. Clearly you have enough brains to know what would trigger him, so why are you not acting on it???? Oh yeah, because we need to show more cool stuff in this dream like La Grotta!

Azul literally turns to the camera and tells his OB self, “Unlike you, I’ve changed.” It’s way too on the nose with what it’s trying to communicate. It breaks immersion and makes it so obvious the characters are outright stating their character development to make sure we all “get it”.

What was the purpose of Azul using his UM to get the mermobs to sign a contract to give all their power to him???💀 Bro can just say “excuse me, I forgot something back at the Coral Rush field” and they’d probably let him pass. But again, Azul isn’t allowed to do that because he MUST use his UM before the ending. Because Azul’s UM requires that another person willingly agree and sign a contract, his mandatory UM use before the grand finale feels particularly forced.

How many times do I need to listen to Idia/Ortho or other characters warn us about how we can’t have too many people dream hopping or else bugs might happen or Malleus might notice… It’s almost like the devs realize how long this is being dragged out for so they have to remind us every so often.

Not only that, but we get such poorly constructed explanations to keep characters behind while a new character goes with the main group. Why don’t you just leave them all behind once they’re awake then?? Oh yeah, because we NEED to drag along the current student into the next dream so everyone gets a cameo. It’s so inorganic how the characters are chosen to stay behind, Jamil just conveniently volunteers himself while we also listen to another spiel from Silver and Sebek about how their training makes them more stable than the twins to keep dream hopping.

I would actually consider Azul’s dream… serviceable? Like it isn’t fantastic or anything but for what it is, it works. It’s cohesive enough. But god, did I dislike how rigid it was… Nothing happens because it’s natural, it happens because the script demands it happens. To quote another post:

If anyone has played the first Ace Attorney game, this feels a LOT like that part in case 2 where Phoenix is too dumb to check the back of a receipt until Mia literally tells him to. The [characters have] to actively be made stupider because the scenario calls for it, and that really rubs me the wrong way.

[tens-girl]

Finished Rivals… have things to say…

Spoilers obvs ——>

Eeeeeeeeekkkkkk!

If you go into this show knowing it’s gonna be big, bold, brash, and unapologetic about being those things, you’ll have a great time!

The hair, the costumes, the music (oh god, the music - who stole my playlist?!), the cast - just everything is dialled up to 200% and if you dare to question ‘is it good though?’ it just shrugs and cuts to another sex montage.

Let’s be honest, I came (ahem) for David Tennant, but honestly, I stayed for so much more. He is brilliant of course, he always is, and his ability to capture the exact centre of a Venn diagram of pathetic and evil is unmatched - nobody does it like he does. He draws sympathy for a truly awful character, and certainly made me headbutt a wall a few times wondering how Tony kept making such terrible decisions. (Also if someone could supply a montage of him shouting fuck with full passion I’d be very grateful) - as he got more pathetic I honestly couldn’t resist him. His destruction of the Declan set is one of the most laughably pathetic things I’ve ever seen and I was almost crying watching it.

Meanwhile, they’re bending over backwards to make us like Rupert and I just can’t do it. He also makes lots of terrible decisions (mostly with his dick of course) and for me it undermines the apparent ‘he loves Taggie’ thing. I just wish he’d go home and play with his dogs.

(Also Gertrude is my favourite character, just the best dog!)

Shout out to Victoria Smurfit who knocks it out of the park as Maud - she has some of the best line deliveries in the whole show, particularly as she prepares to leave for London and resume her career.

But honestly, my heart belongs to Freddy and Lizzie. If you’d told me I’d be grinning with happiness, with tears in my eyes, for a sex scene between Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson before I started watching this, I’d have called a doctor for you, but that’s the truth. They are spectacular and I adored them. I’ve never been a fan of Danny before, but he completely seduced me here, and I already loved Katherine (IT Crowd fans in our house) - but between them, they supplied the real ‘rooting for them’ heart of the series. I want to see them together in everything now!

Back to DT - the top tier irony of having his character win his first BAFTA and then have him clubbed over the head with it… priceless, and I personally suggest the academy honour him with a long overdue nod for this role simply in order to see him receive it with trepidation in case he gets bludgeoned with it. It even beat the joyous irony of Tony being all true blue and Tory after… well everything that went down this summer!

(Also, the way Tony passed the award to Cameron as they collected it made me think that if David had won this year for Crowley, he’d have absolutely asked Michael up on stage to give it to him because Aziraphale should share it)

And lastly… Love is a Battlefield is an excellent song, but I will never be able to listen to it again now. Oh pathetic-evil DT characters, please stop wobbling my moral compass (sorry, I’m writing Kilgrave fanfic right now so I’m all over the place in terms of right and wrong)

Anyway, it was great fun and I’ve told everyone to watch it, 80s references bingo cards at the ready!

[wayfayrr]

So this is very much a self indulgent mini-fic, venting about some stuff that I've been dealing with recently <3 I'm working on requests and some other fics but I got told to post this to get it off of my chest anyway @cloudninetonine @angry-trashcan thanks for the confidence boost to be able to post this

“Hey, you’ve been sitting over here for a while, you feeling alright?”

“Just been thinking… I was part of some drama before I was uh brought here. It’s just, it’s just messed with me a bit I guess. I’ll be fine when we need to start moving again, don’t worry wars.”

After a brief second of fabric shuffling, he sits down and leans on me. It’s an oddly comforting feeling, different too like he’s bothered by something? What could’ve set him off so badly?

“Would you mind if I asked you about it? It’s clearly bothering you so, you should get it off of your chest and well, I’d just like to help you through this.”

“If you really want to know, it’s a little complicated though and while I can make a lot of it make sense to you I’ll have to leave a couple of things out.”

“Sounds like you’re willing to get it off of your chest though, so would you care to explain it to me honeybee?”

He’s being more persistent than usual too, have I really been looking so badly bothered by my thoughts? The worry does feel nice however, it feels more like talking to an old friend than anything which is wonderful seeing as I’ve not been able to reach them recently. I’ve just been stuck rereading old messages in a new context while my phone endlessly buffers to reach impossibly far servers.

“It’s… I’d been having issues with this person for a while… they used me more than anything, kept asking me for advice and making everything about them and brushed anything I or my other friends were trying to say off and sent things they really shouldn’t to people unwarrented… and then everything else.”

“Everything else? You don’t have to cut yourself off, with how you’ve been acting the rest feels like it’ll be worse anyway.”

“They just - someone connected some dots and pointed them out to me and I just… I’ve been going back over what they said and - and - and it made me think. They told me they associated my voice with a character they always got weird over, they kept fawning over my accent and how they’ve only ever heard it in fiction before, they gave me weird compliments when I was talking about things I did as a kid and that’s not even getting me started on how they treated my friends. I just… I feel so disgusted, seeing it in this light. Every bit of my skin just itches with disgust towards myself. Sorry I didn’t mean to share so much at once - I’m just tired. They didn’t even like me, it was like they only wanted me for where I’m from.”

The way he stilled sent a shiver down me, did I say to much? He might have not meant it when he said I could share… I mean theres no way he could’ve known… or does he think I’m simply overreacting? I’m probably just overreacting anyway.

My heart started beating again when he softened and pulled me to rest on him.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that all. They’re the one who is disgusting, not you, never you. I’ll speak to time, you should just rest for the rest of the day. I can lend you my scarf and you can just have a nap or I could ask wild to make your favourite food and you can just rest.”

I didn’t get a say before he’s already draped it over my shoulders; he’s leading me back over to the others and setting me down next to sky as he goes to speak with time. 

“Hmm? Did something happen, are you feeling alright dove?”

“Ah well, wars is going to ask time if we can stop for the day because I’m just dealing with some memories. I hope it won’t bother the others.”

“I doubt it, everyone’s been tense and tired recently. I know I have, I’ve been about dying for a rest. Would you care to join me too?”

Leaning back against him is all the response he needs as my eyes flutter closed, he’s so warm and comfortable. There are few people I’d prefer to rest next to. 

><><><><><><

“So then old man, I think that’s a good enough reason to settle for the day, don’t you?”

I know he’ll agree, asking him like this is simply a formality. After all, how could we continue when a member of the group is in such a state? On the verge of tears just from thinking about someone for a little bit too long. 

“You’ve never asked this for anyone else, but fine.” “Thank you Time, I’ll pay you back for this.”

“And Wars?”

“Hmm?”

“Go take your anger out on something, it’s not a good energy in the camp. Not if they’re so fragile right now. There’s apparently a standard bokoblin camp just a little south.”

He’s seen right through me then, but now I don’t need an alibi for when I come back.

[hxhhasmysoul]

General Thoughts on Yuuta?

As few as humanly possible? I wish the fandom let me forget about this boy.

I’ve never found Yuuta interesting. Now, thanks to fandom I find him downright annoying. 

Yuuta has strong Shinji vibes at the beginning of Zero and while it’s realistic, there are people who are like that, I just find it boring. This is a very personal bias but as a person who has several concurrent mental issues, I have a strong dislike for characters and actual people who make their mental illness their whole personality. 

His arc in Zero also doesn’t excite me. He is super powerful from the start but can’t control it. Then he puts practically zero work into it an can control it.. He seems like a scrawny loser but starts to do gymnast shit with a sword really quickly. His CT is Copy, where he just copies the techniques of others and uses them in a more powerful way than they do, with no conditions or downsides.. When he needs to, he learns reverse curse technique and can apply it to others which we learn is super hard… 

Basically, everything he needs to know and be able to do, he is able to do in the moment he needs it… 

And Yuuta has no principles, not ideals. He is unfazed by Getou’s fascist speech. Yuuta fights Getou because Getou directly harms Yuuta’s only friends. It’s really sad because Getou actually is shown to have a vested interest in pursuing Yuuta, or more precisely Rika. I mean Getou’s plan and ideology are nonsense, but what fascist ideology is internally coherent anyway, it’s always reactionary drivel that focuses on targeting the weak instead of trying to get to the bottom of societal (in this case jujutsu society’s) problems. But Yuuta has no personal connection to Getou, no thematic one either. 

I think Gege really noticed what a weak protag Yuuta was because all of this is fixed in Yuuji whose ability to perform gymnastic feats is established in chapter one. Who also has principles and a personality more complex than: I’m depressed.  Same with Getou and his primitive plans are replaced with Mother, the perfect plotter, and their amazing multi-layered plans. The Gege added Sukuna, an emotionally constipated jujutsu and poetry nerd who can also forge a plan of his own. And Mahito, a creepy kid curse who thinks he can plot but alas adults were in the room, so no he can’t And Yuuji has a deep personal and thematic connection to all three of them, and likewise.

It really shows how much Gege grew and developed the world of JJK between Zero and the main series.

There’s a hint that Yuuta’s so powerful partially because of Rika’s love for him. She loves and she stayed with him after she died. “Love is the greatest curse”. So the arc goes that Yuuta is told that he can stop keeping Rika’s soul from crossing over, can break her curse by simply talking to her, releasing her. 

And this is where Gege in my opinion really made a serious mistake. The way this is set up, and later much more well developed in JJK proper, there should’ve been a cost to releasing Rika. There is a strong idea of balance and give and take to jujutsu. Gege had a perfect opportunity here to grant Yuuta space to grow by depowering him. Letting Yuuta lose some of his powers by letting go of Rika. But Yuuta just became more powerful for JJK proper… 

And that meant there was nowhere to go with Yuuta’s character. Yuuta was still unconnected to any of the major villains and barely to any of the important characters, only to Maki and Gojou, though he barely interacts with either in JJK proper. 

I and also other people have written before how Yuuta literally does nothing during the final showdown, how he only pauses the fight, prolongs it and distracts from the people who Sukuna actually connects with during the fight, ie Yuuji and Maki. Or how he wasn’t even necessary to kill Kenjaku.  

And Yuuta has no personal connection to either Kenjaku or Sukuna. He has a forced thematic connection to Sukuna when he takes over Gojou’s body, a pathetic attempt at becoming the strongest. And he has that connection for like five minutes in the story… 

If Yuuta never appeared in the JJK main story… it would’ve been almost the exact same story. Gege needed Yuuta for one moment, just after Shibuya to fake Yuuji’s death. And maybe even that could’ve been handled differently. Someone else could’ve fought in Sendai instead of him, there are other capable characters to fight in the Culling Games.

_________________

More posts on Yuuta by me and others. If I missed any good ones, please tell me and I will add them to the list.

[remylebeaugambit]

Hey! Love your blog. I’ve come away from comics lately and most of fandom simply because of how bad the writing is and how unhinged fans are towards things they don’t like/accept, particularly in the Romy fandom.

I used to really like them but I totally agree with some of the stuff you’ve previously stated on writers, mostly on Gambit. I stopped reading anything Rogue & Gambit because it was so disheartening to see that after their marriage Rogue still treated Remy like he’s her purse or something. A lot of Rogue fans blast him for the early days when he was still married to his first wife and the lying or whatever but never acknowledge that they weren’t even really an item, Rogue was constantly pushing Remy away, mixed signals, left him to die in Antarctica even though that wasn’t her decision to make and not once was she ever called out for it. Gambit is always going to be morally grey, he’s a good guy but he’s a criminal, it’s all he’s ever known, it’s his life and Rogue has never accepted that side of him, never put in any effort with his family or friends or home. She talks down on him and about him a lot, humiliates him in various stages of their relationship then calls him her best friend but never actually put any effort into their friendship even when he was trying so hard, it always felt like there wasn’t a genuine friendship, they were just super horny for each other and the sexual tension is gone now they’ve done all that and it hasn’t got better so what’s left to continue. How many times has he said he’d leave her alone if that’s what she really wanted, has stood aside and let her be herself with other people even when it hurt him. How many times has he tried to move on and she’s dragged him back because she gets jealous and makes him feel guilt for trying to move on when it’s her telling him she doesn’t want him or “needs space” or “doesn’t trust him” but berates him for having feelings about her kissing Deadpool etc when she’s constantly pushing him away over her “not able to touch.” Didn’t stop her from touching other people or treating other men better than Gambit when he’s supposed to be someone she loves. It’s a reoccurring event in their dynamic and I’m kind of glad people are seeing it and not really enjoying the ship anymore. The way I see it and probably a lot of other Gambit fans do, is Rogue simply doesn’t want him to be with anyone else but she also doesn’t want him either, it’s like the idea of him being happy elsewhere is so irrational to her she has to keep him around, he’s very much a bitterly in a jar and she’s suffocating him. He worships her and she loves that. She doesn’t particularly care about him, just what he gives her. It’s a very one sided relationship and had they not got married I think people wouldn’t be as fired up over it. Really can we blame the writing when she’s constantly written that way? Can’t we just accept Rogue is messy and won’t ever really know how she feels about Gambit. Does she love him or just love his love for her?

It’s sad to see what he’s been reduced to. It’s sad to see Rogue made out to be the victim when actually, throughout comic history, Gambit is the victim and yes, he’s a victim of her too. She gaslights him, manipulates him and guilts him constantly. He’s just there to be her cheerleader and it’s not consistent with his personality. Remy knows when to end things, he did it with his first wife when it wasn’t working for him even though that was his first true love and someone he would always love no matter what, they’d always be intertwined. Having him with someone who is constantly hot and cold with him, who never defends him to her friends or mothers who have done terrible and disgusting things to him isn’t it. That’s not love, that’s using him for her own needs. Gambit should just be a solo character again and back with his OG friends in team ups like Storm, Bishop, Jubilee, X-23. People who are his people, not just people who put up with him because he’s Rogue’s husband. He has a family who yes, are messy but they love him. He has friends who’ve been pushed aside so his entire life and personality revolves around Rogue. He’s a joke really. We saw that on Krakoa and I stopped reading then. It was sickening. So much has happened between Rogue and Remy that I could never ship Romy again. Just thinking about it is gross. And Rogue fans need to sit back and take a good look through comics again. Rogue’s treated Gambit terribly from the beginning. Remy was a mess, traumatised, flaked in and out of being a hero/criminal but he’s had growth. He should be shown some respect for all he’s done for the X-men and Rogue more than anyone.

People keep blaming crappy writing when actually, her character has been very consistent in how terrible she is to Gambit. That’s not bad writing, that’s just how her character was written to begin with. Even if it changes now (which it won’t) the damage is done. Antarctica, Mystique, Magneto, Avengers all of that tally’s up against Rogue. Remy grew up and became a better man, for his friends, for himself and for Rogue. Rogue has never once changed. Has never once been genuinely sorry for how she’s treated him and other characters, (I won’t ever let folks forget how she treated Dazzler, Rogue is not a girls girl my friends). Rogue and Gambit is a cycle of what ifs and never will be’s. It’s been drawn out for too long and Romy fans think they have some kind of claim to Gambit only for Rogue. They’ve never really been friends, it’s “mentioned” but never shown. They only ever have drama and it’s 99% Rogue’s doing most of the time. Gambit’s character has been squeezed to death for Rogue, stuffed into a box he’ll never belong in for her. All she cares about is how she looks as a hero, which in itself makes her a crappy hero. Remy is selfless, Rogue does everything for a reason. That’s okay, she’s allowed to be a messy character, she was raised by the messiest woman in Marvel comics, it’s only natural she shares qualities with Mystique. Rogue would be a more interesting character if she was allowed to be messy, at least she’d have a personality other than loud, bossy, the always right hard done by wife. Gambit is always made out to be the problem-criminal who’s never going to be any good… let’s all think back on how Rogue was first introduced. A villain. A villain raised by a villain. I see one problem and it isn’t Gambit.

He’s not perfect, nobody wants him to be. But he’s a good man with a rough history who continued to have a good heart anyways no matter how badly he’s treated. He has a few loyal friends, one big ass messy family and three beautiful cats. He’s more than the bumbling husband. He was NEVER a bumbling husband. Romy fans are entitled to their ship, everyone is but it’s consumed fandom and his character in comics. It’s not good for him and by now it’s never going to change. He deserves better than that. There are loads of characters he has great potential with who will never see the light of day because of how popular Rogue is. Gambit married Rogue (out of the blue because that whole comic made no sense at all) and suddenly he’s her obedient pet who can’t think for himself, can’t go anywhere without her, can’t have interests or friends or even see his own family because of her like, what? And that’s a loving healthy relationship? Are we all on the same planet? Would this dynamic be hyped up if it was the other way around? Would Gambit exist at all if he behaved towards Rogue how she does to him? The scales are very unbalanced. I don’t see why Romy can’t be a side story like Rogueneto or Roguepool or Roguestorm. Why does it devour Gambit’s character but not Rogue’s?

This is no hate at you, by the way… I’m just rambling and I’ve seen you’re pretty open to discussions on the good and bad of both characters. I’ve made this out to be very against Rogue but actually it’s just Romy, beyond that she’s okay, I don’t mind her at all. She has good and bad qualities which is human, that’s great but the Romy ship is sinking for me. I haven’t come across many blogs who are open to discussing Rogue in a more negative light, that’s the only reason I’ve babbled for so long, sorry about that. It’s sort of been giving me brainrot! I hope this doesn’t come off as offensive to you. I’m very ship and let ship, I personally just think Romy has blown up and is casting a storm cloud over other characters who don’t get a look in anymore and other ships get shot down by Romy fans so much that it’s just a very negative space to be in especially if you aren’t as fond of Rogue as you are Remy. He was my favourite character, I always saw him in a sort of kindred light, if that makes sense? All the trauma he suffered through his life and he still hasn’t caught a break makes me really sad, particularly when Rogue/Romy shippers shut any critical views down with “He’s married, he’s happy.” Because he clearly isn’t. No one would be in that situation. Obviously he’s fictional and they aren’t real but Marvel comics has always been about showcasing real life problems and truama. Remy had a few near escapes from Rogue but he kept being dragged back, I don’t think that’s fair. Rogue has whole lives and love interests beyond Remy yet Remy is there for Rogue and nothing else. It’s very disheartening as a Gambit fan.

Sorry for the long ass word vomit.

First of all, I’m glad you like the blog 😉 Second, I tend to be concise, so I’ll try to keep it brief.  

I mostly agree with you what you said, but you know why I will keep blaming the writers? As Gambit fans, we are pissed off at how he is written as Rogue’s husband, but if that wasn’t the case, what would the chances of him being written well be? I say low because that’s his history, unfortunately. Rogue is the issue right now (and has been on many other occasions) because everything revolves around her and she is written as super selfish and she is shown neither respecting her husband nor standing up to him. However, Gambit has mostly been treated as a disposable character, a small player, an inconvenience. He hasn’t been respected outside their relationship either. There are exceptions, obviously, but he’s the most shitted popular character on the X-Men roster. The relationship is a huge part of the problem, but it’s not the only problem. Back in the 90’s, he used to be as popular as freaking Wolverine and Marvel made a point to unreasonably destroy that popularity. Then, those fucking movies with unrecognizable characters and Wolverine as a protagonist contributed to that; comics mirrored the movies, even though it should be the other way round. There was no Romy in the movies, and still, it took Gambit almost two decades to debut on the big screen, and it sucked because he had almost no screen time and the script sucked, the writing sucked. Again, we can blame the incompetent writers for that, not his nonexistent relationship with Rogue in that universe. Even Tatum’s Gambit hasn’t been unanimous among fans. 

As I’ve stated before, most Romy fans are actually Rogue fans in love with the idea of her hot boyfriend. I know I pissed a lot of them with that statement, but that’s what they show. Romy fans are in love with a fact that they are married, but what good is it when Gambit’s devoid of all his personality? When everything is about Rogue? That’s my problem with it. I am bitter that we’ve been deprived of seeing Gambit interact with other characters and having other relationships, romantic or not, and now he’s married. All the while Rogue is the self-insert hot girl, and even though I haven’t been interested in her character for so long that I don’t know half of what happened to her while she was on other books, it maddens me.

No, if this were the other way around, people would go nuts over it. It’s a double standard. Most members on Gambit Guild are pretty much against the relationship and the people here on Tumblr hate us there for that and calls us sexist. Many Rogue/Romy don’t see they’re the ones being sexist when they defend Rogue’s behavior towards her husband or simply pretend there’s no problem.

In short, to be honest with you, I often feel inconsistent. I’ve been critical of their relationship for most of the time, but at the same time I cling to the idea of them, that magic that child me saw in them. So I believe the potential. If there weren’t any, they wouldn’t be such a popular ship. But then again, the comics hardly ever showed us that potential. I must be stuck on fanfiction mode.    

[hannah-h-pleb]

Hey hey hey. Did you miss me? Sorry I’ve been lacking in writing, empty brain plus school is not a good combination 😟

As much as I love Cartman with all my heart, it’s time I put out some Kenny content! He’s my second favourite and I’m convinced him and I are the same person, so I gotta show my boy some love 🧡🧡

General Kenny headcanons coming up! He’s aged up here, as all characters I write for usually are :))

Kenny McCormick: General Headcanons

Kenny doesn’t die as often anymore, but I still put him as a huge klutz. He’s constantly falling, tripping, and injuring himself somehow. His friends are always like “Dude you’re gonna kill yourself one of these days!”….meanwhile he’s died countless times and no one (except for Cartman and a few others) remembers

He’s developed a decent tolerance to pain due to how many times he’s died. He could accidentally lean on a hot stove and barley feel it. It really depends on the day though

He's kind of a goober. He loves to tease people and joke around. Also likes to joke around as a way to make light of dark situations. Once you've died as many times as this guy has, you reach a point where you stop taking life so seriously

He has blue eyes, but they’re a darker shade of blue, so sometimes they almost look purple depending on the lighting

This guy definitely loves to smoke weed, but that's the farthest he'll ever go as far as drugs are concerned. He refuses to go down the same path as his parents, plus he remembers his "cheesing" days and doesn't care to revisit real hard stuff. Just give him a joint and he's set

Actually one of the most chill people you'll ever meet. Everyone gets along with him. He isn't one for drama, but if he happens to be caught up in the middle of drama, he'll either silently observe or he tries his best to deescalate the situation to calm everyone down so everyone can get along

This is canon (and a topic for another time), but he's a huge perv. But not in a creepy way. He's constantly making sexual innuendos out of, literally everything. Always on the hunt for porn magazines, but he never does anything overly weird like sneaking into bathrooms or anything like that. He's a, "respectful perv" if you will

He's always looking to help out others wherever he can. One of the most selfless people in his inner circle. He's a sweetheart

The best big brother to Karen even as he gets older. Always looking out for her. Can imagine that when things get bad at home, he dips out of the house and takes Karen for drives to calm her down. Probably gets her a treat from the convenience store as well

Also knows lots about periods. When Karen is on "her time of the month", he keeps her stocked up with pads, tampon, treats, heating pads, the works

You would think he's this nonchalant delinquent, but dude's actually so smart. He does well in school, which comes as a shock to his friends because they never see him study. His grades are nearly as high as Kyle's, but his weakest subject is math

Favourite subject? Science. Absolute science nerd. Loves chemistry, physics, biology, all of it. He's so intrigued by it and constantly pushes himself to learn more

I put him as a huge car guy. His love of NASCAR when he was little turned him into a car lover and very knowledgeable about cars. You need your oil changed? He's got you. Having car trouble in general? He's on his way to help you out. Loves playing around with different modifications to his own car, accessories, you name it

Out of the main four, he has a closer friendship to Cartman. As he's gotten older, he's gained a better understanding of why Cartman is the way he is and therefore is able to understand his behaviour. The pair are simply chaos together. Kenny goes along with whatever Cartman does for shits and giggles, unless it’s something really messed up

He’s a huge flirt and a tease, loves pushing peoples’ buttons and finding out what makes them tick

All in all, Kenny is just a chill goofball. Everyone loves him, and he’s one of the best people to be friends with 🧡

More than likely making a part 2. Love this dude 🧡

[archivalofsins]

Now I bet nobody thought they’d see me discussing Kotoko again- Given the things I said about her ideology. I bet a lot of people think I have nothing positive to say and this is going to be full of I told you so’s.

However, that’s far from the case. So, let’s get started on what has to be the best finale to trial two. What everything has been building up to from the very beginning-

Spoilers, for Deep Cover, Yonah, the streaming heart cover and all things KOTOKO YUZURIHA!

Firstly- Man really giving up soon? Is it really over with just that? It’s hard to think that people even liked her character at all if this is all it takes to have people switch up. I’ve been honest about it from the jump these characters could be the worst people imaginable, and I could still be able to find a way to like them. Calling it game over before the starting bell even chimes it’s kind of weak, isn’t it?

So, what have we learned about Kotoko that we didn’t know before? She’s judgmental of everyone around her including herself. Hardheaded and never considers the idea that what she believes could be wrong. Quick to run with her own assumptions and doesn’t show mercy to anyone regardless of their perceived weaknesses or shortcomings. She’s been the pull yourself up by your bootstraps or get stumped under hers type from the jump.

What exactly has changed here?

That she’s pointing some of that vitriol and hatred in our direction now? That she reiterated the fact that she does not intend to go easy on someone just because they’re young? That her morals weren’t as righteous as people assumed them to be? Well, it’s not Kotoko’s fault everyone conflated the definition of vigilante with hero. Because of what- how they’re commonly portrayed in media?

Vigilantes are consistently shown as people with immense privilege who believe themselves to be above the law for one reason or another. Some do in fact attack children, some do in fact kill people regardless of if they’re weak or strong just because they’re in their way, to some the ends really do justify the means and morals are simply a weakness to be ignored that stops them from meeting those ends.

I don’t know what anyone else here thought a vigilante was but maybe how mainstream comics and superhero culture has become watered down that word for a few.

Yes, Kotoko is still a vigilante if she attacks people that others find to be weak or worth protecting. Because a vigilante is simply someone who believes that they themselves are the law. That only they know what is truly right and have the will to act on it.

Literally anyone can be a vigilante, it doesn’t mean they’re morally just or right. It just means they’ve said that everyone else is inadequate and only they can right the wrongs they see within society regardless of what anyone says or whose job it actually is to do so.

Oh, she’s not a vigilante like Batman from Batman the Animated Series. Yeah, Bruce Wayne literally went to a mountain to train and has a psychiatry degree. Kotoko is on a break from law school. I don’t know what made anyone here conflate Kotoko with the traditional idolized concept of vigilantism but- Unfortunate that whoever did played themselves on that one.

A vigilante has never been and will never be a person that is morally correct.

Bruce Wayne commits crimes and lets others commit them. His no kill rule has led to the deaths of thousands including his own sidekicks and romantic partners. People play by his rules or hit the fucking bricks. He’s not always the good guy or the pinnacle of morality. He’s just a guy with his own morals.

Just because people disliked the individuals she was attacking before does not mean she will only attack people whom we dislike. That’s the point of being a vigilante, you don’t act on other people’s orders, you work under your own discretion.

From the beginning of trial two everyone has told us Kotoko is this way from Jackalope-

To Yuno,

Yuno: Yep! Kotoko, who you forgave, went super violent, and then injured people came rolling in one after the other! Es: You mean Mahiru and Fuuta. That was an incident even I had not expected. Yuno: Really? If you ask me, Kotoko is someone I would never want to make my friend, though. She’s the type who picks a conclusion from the very beginning and won’t actually talk with you.

And what does she do from the beginning of her second voice drama Yonah. Pick a conclusion from the very beginning instead of actually speaking with Es. When Kotoko sees that Es is upset she assumes that they are upset because she wasn’t able to properly punish Mikoto Kayano and Amane Momose. This is after she tells Es that they were late as well.

Throughout her second voice drama based on the translation I’ve seen she makes minute references to some of the second trial interrogations of the prisoners and even their trial songs.

For example,

“In order to stop someone, you have to squeeze their throat without mercy.”

Purge March

“So nary a sound can be uttered a second time, I’ll crush your throat too.”

“You’ll forgive their sins just because they’re close to you? Make their punishments less sever just because you get along with them? What next- Are you going to start giving them leniency based off their looks? Their personality? How long you’ve known them?”

Despite that Kotoko says she’s playing by Milgram’s rules and taking into consideration what Es' superiors want her statements are in direct contradiction to Jackalope’s own desires. Her getting upset with Es for forming attachments and voting based on biases is directly antithetical to the project Jackalope is trying to have and has claimed to want to have from the beginning.

This is especially interesting considering that Kotoko calls Es imperfect but from a conversation from the bonus story that came with the Milgram novel we know for certain that Jackalope considers Es the perfect guard.

So, if Kotoko thinks Es is bad at their job and that they are an imperfect guard her statements are directly in conflict with Jackalope’s our superior and the one running this Milgram/advising us.

A second reference to another interrogation comes up during this statement as well-

“…Hey, Es. Please, listen. I don’t want this either. I’m at my limit. I can’t stand it anymore. If someone died because I bashed them online and you find out about it- Even if I learn my lesson from it that won’t put an end to all this.” Futa… “Listen, I’ll forgive you for what you’ve done too. I’ll accept this pain. SO- please- Forgive me, I’m begging you!” … “It hurt… It hurt so bad, I thought I was going to die. I was scared!” Huh… “The feeling of getting judged by countless people at once is the worst, too… I can’t sleep feeling like the whole world is watching me.” … “I’m tired of everything hurting and being difficult. PLEASE! I’m sorry! ES!!” … Sigh… Futa. It’s not like I hate you guys. “… …!” I’ve been by your side for a long time, and I’ve had a look inside your hearts. Even if you are murderers, you’re no longer just strangers to me. That connection is something that can’t be cut so easily. “R-right-?!” Seeing you hurt like this makes me regret my actions too. Haahh… I’m feeling torn since my judgement my judgment may have made the situation more complicated for you guys. “…!” And also…first and foremost. I’m starting to think of you all as something like comrades. “Es…!” It’s a pity… that I’m…the warden. “Eh?” No matter what kind of suffering you’re going through, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to evade justice. “…?! That’s…!” Either way I have yet to figure out what the relationship between your current hurt self and the crime that you committed is. “…” Of course I can’t blame you for not having words of apology to say to the person you killed. “…!!” But even if you apologize to me about things that happened in the past- It’s not like I care. “Gwuahh, you’re wrong! YOU’RE WRONG!” Thank you, Futa. I realized that this requires resolve. “…!!!” The warden has to… I have to judge the sins of my comrades without holding back even while they’re weeping right in front of me. Phew- That’s all the interrogation is over.

Like honestly Es came into Kotoko’s interrogation acting real different from how they came into trial two.

Throughout her second trial cd everything given to us restates and further highlights the sort of character Kotoko has always been.

Streaming Heart perfectly following up on the disdain she's shown towards herself and receiving affection that was alluded to with her previous cover Anti Beat.

While her voice drama and song show off just how much she knows about Milgram in subtle ways without just laying it out on the table for all to see.

Heavily alluding to the fact that she’s been looking over things in her own way since the series began. Something that was heavily implied during Mikoto’s first voice drama when she came out of hiding from somewhere to help Es.

So, what does this mean exactly? Kotoko isn’t just being a pain in the ass because that’s her regular state. I mean it is but- She’s heard every prisoner's statement on her since the beginning of trial two. She’s seen every music video, heard every excuse, see how they behave in front of the guard- and did what Yuno told us she did from the drew her own conclusions about them without talking to any of them.

Kotoko also admits she’s been eavesdropping from her first voice drama because when Es asks her how much she knows she says,

Even if it’s true that you saved me, I don’t remember promising to forgive you for that rogue-like behavior.

“Is that so? Then, I’d like to ask- is Milgram purposefully designed that way?” Designed that way…as in letting prisoners do what they want? “You should be the one to know about this. The cells here don’t even have locks.” I…should know? “For example me being suspicious of Mikoto Kayano’s actions, carefully tracking him and his behavior, it’s all under your permission.” In deciding whether to forgive or not… One has to observe human nature… “It’s something like that.”

From the beginning up until now Kotoko has been using Es to get the information she wanted on the other prisoners. Because that’s expressly the deal she made. Something she reiterates in Yonah.

Cooperation is about doing what the other party cannot do. Meaning she is cooperating with us so we can do what she cannot. Not just that we’re just cooperating with her because she can do what we can’t. Es/us are the guards we can interrogate and interact with the prisoners how we see fit.

“Guard-san… no. Es. Don’t you want to join forces with me? I think the two of us would make good partners.” Join…forces with you? “With, you in the role of prison guard with the information you gather from interrogations, and me in the role of prisoner with the information I gather from my daily life in here… Working together and sharing our findings what do you think?”

But that’s weird, isn’t it?

She said sharing our findings but during her first interrogation and her second Es never shared any information, did they?

They never willfully told Kotoko any of their opinions on the prisoners. Yet she still acts as though information was shared. Because she wasn’t really asking. Throughout both of her voice dramas and over the course of Milgram one thing is consistently showcased about Kotoko. She doesn’t ask for permission ahead of time.

She takes the fact that Milgram is not taking precautions to stop prisoners from observing each other as permission enough to start observing Mikoto. Probably why he doesn’t fucking sleep too. Since she implies, she’s been observing him since Milgram started simply because he was acting funny and emphasizes their cells don’t have locks. To be honest just because no one is saying that you can’t do something doesn’t mean they’re in support of your doing it. The lack of an objection is not indicative of consent but okay Kotoko okay.

So, why did Es or really anyone here think Kotoko would treat them differently?

Especially when she showed off, she was already observing the interrogations from the jump. Then she never answered how she got into the room either. She just kept that a trade secret and diverted the conversation to a secondary issue.

How did I break into the interrogation room- What a funny question. Es the cells don’t have locks here. Hey, do you want to team up with me? To someone like Kotoko who can get anywhere she wants to and see whatever she wants within Milgram-

Someone like Es who barely has a full grasp of what's going on is always going to be beneath her or just another prisoner. We still don't even know how she figured out who had the highest guilty percentages. She's that ahead of us and that's an issue.

Guilty or Innocent might not even stop her at this point.

Her voice drama puts on full display her disgust in disappointment at not only Es' behavior over trial two but the audience's behavior as well. Then Deep Cover barrels in with all the vitriol she feels towards the other prisoners who spent all their interrogations framing her as a threat to them- People who are no better than garbage to her.

Going around crying about unfairness for someone giving them back what they gave and deserve. Going as far to say just like Futa that's karma isn't it. Even pointing out Es and the audience wouldn't care at all if they didn't feel like they knew these people or her. They'd just see a bad guy getting what they deserved just like they saw with her first mv and everyone would be oh so happy right?

Why is it any different when it happens to a bad guy that you know? If something is bad it's bad regardless of, who does it right? Why should it matter if you think they're nice, if they're just a kid, if they were having a hard time- It's so dumb because none of those things cancel out what the person has done. It doesn't bring back the people they've killed it's just making yourself feel good.

Taking those things into account won't make them change, won't stop them from offending again- It's so dumb. What about their victim's reasons, their lives, their struggles? People like that who just go forgiving the unforgivable because of those sorts of feelings alone can't change anything. The only thing they can do is excuse everything then act like what happens after that is nobody's fault.

It's nobody's fault I just did what I thought was right, I didn't think this would happen, it'd be good if I could have made it so it wouldn't have happened, even if my choices were bad ones they were still my own, to save the things that couldn't be saved I had to try it's all nonsense and never ending justification all the way down. Can any of that be considered taking responsibility at all?

While still carrying that feeling of self-loathing and recognition. that just screams I hate it because it's like me and that means i'm like you. It's annoying and depressing because that's just how people are. They're contradictory. Their morals are flexible. They're not subservient to any will but their own and even if someone else were to come a long and call them stupid, weak, overly sentimental, delusional, self-righteous, promiscuous, entitled, or a liar literally they don't have to fucking listen.

That's the entire point of Milgram, it's not about giving anybody what they want but everyone being able to do what they want because they want to. Plain and simple. But when you play like that the least you can do is take responsibility for your actions instead of conveniently putting all your problems on someone else.

Like Es said to Futa-

No matter what kind of suffering you’re going through, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to evade justice.

It's hard so what- Would it be more fun if it were easy? Is living a fulfilling life something that can just be handed to everyone as simply as forgiving a transgression that didn't happen to you? It's different because it does feel like it's happening to you.

Because that's how people are and that's how they're always going to be.

[irondad-defensesquad]

I love you (you don't have to say it back, though)

Also posted on AO3!

My last work this year. Happy New Year to those who celebrate it! Still hope you have a great day today :)

--

Tony was usually not allowed to go to his father’s workshop. When he was very small, he was able to sneak inside, but the more he grew up, the less frequent it became. Not with Howard becoming increasingly angrier at him.

By the time Tony went to boarding school, he knew better than to bother Howard.

Except, occasionally, his father would take him to the workshop without saying much. He just expected Tony to follow him without protest.

But don’t be mistaken. Tony couldn’t tell Howard about school or his day overall. He couldn’t ask for help with his homework (after all, Tony was supposed to be smart on his own). Their time was strictly professional, not some father and son bonding.

The boy had to be stiff and silent like a rock the entire time, unless Howard asked him to build something while bearing a judgmental glare, already expecting Tony to fail. Either the man would say nothing, or he would straight up say Tony was doing it completely wrong. Regardless, that always meant their lab time was over and Tony would be kicked out of the workshop.

Nowadays, Tony had his own workshop where he allowed anyone to come in, bots or not. Someone in particular has been coming here a lot more.

It’s so different from the past. Tony and Peter are not even working on the latter’s suit anymore. They’ve abandoned their tools and Peter’s homework has been put to a stop. What for?

Peter has been ranting about Star Wars and how unfair it is the way people have been treating some of the new characters from the most recent trilogy.

Arguably, Tony has only seen the original trilogy years ago, but he was never a fanboy. He might not understand everything to the lore, but he’s not at all bored or annoyed by Peter’s long ramble. He’s listening all the way through, never looking away.

Peter seems to have not noticed Tony staring at him with all the attention in the world, because suddenly… The kid gradually quiets down and stops talking, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

“... what?” Tony asks, confused. “Why did you stop?”

“Do you think I’m annoying?”

Tony sits closer to him. “No, of course not.”

“Why? I talk too much and- gosh, I’ve been ranting for half an hour about Star Wars…”

“Hey, I don’t mind.”

“But it’s so stupid, Mr. Stark.”

“Kid, it’s not stupid. It matters to you. Besides, you could talk about literally anything and I would listen all the way through.”

“Why?” Peter doesn’t believe him. “Are you just saying that to be nice?”

It hurts Tony hearing the kid’s insecurity.

He squeezes one of Peter’s shoulders.

“Oh, kid… I mean what I say. I like listening to you. I…”

… that word.

Love.

Is he going to say it?

“... I like having you here.”

Ah, dang it.

Still, the light in Peter’s puppy eyes returns. They look like the clean starry sky they can see from upstate. It does sting Tony’s heart how surprised Peter is to hear those words. He feels regret for not letting the kid know how much he likes his company. Tony will make sure to correct that from now on.

He pulls the kid in a half hug, squeezing him. Peter is very stiff at first, but he eventually relaxes and lies against Tony’s shoulder like a cat. If Tony isn’t seeing things, the teen is probably about to cry.

After this, they go back to work. Peter asks for help and Tony guides him. When the kid solves it, Tony praises him.

Then, the two leave the workshop together to eat ice cream and watch a dumb sitcom.

Tony eventually notices Peter has been staring at him with the same stars in his eyes.

But not in a mere fanboyish way.

After that, Peter lies against Tony again.

“I like being here, too,” he says simply.

It shouldn’t be surprising, right?

Still, Tony’s eyes blur.

Nothing rolls down, but truly, he’s not made of iron.

And that’s more than okay.

Tony smiles and lies his head on top of Peter’s, wrapping an arm around the kid.

Maybe he didn’t say what he meant just yet… but maybe Peter knows it.

Still, Tony will say it. He promises that.

[yagamisdiary]

Amara, your ability to evoke emotions within your readers is truly impeccable. It takes a lot more talent and skill to do so than many might think. Your work and prowess as an author is one to be commended for sure.

One particularly tragic character is Ambrose. I’ve caught up on the story a while ago and ever since I simply just cannot stop thinking about the complexity of his character. Throughout the story, he came across as simply a womanizer who was too consumed by himself. However, his death gave me much to reflect on.

The tragedy of his character comes from the fact that he spent both his life and his death in internal suffering; he simply could not catch a break! As he was growing up he never stood out at all, he was never particularly good at many things and on top of that his siblings outshined him in many fashions. Elijah had his incredible intelligence and likeness as the future king, Kai had his humour and talent to succeed at practically everything and yn had her exceeding kindheartedness and healing abilities. Then there was Ambrose, who was always in a gray area. He was never anyone’s first thought. What he truly wanted deep down was acceptance from his family. He wanted to be seen, acknowledged, and to feel useful. This never came easy as he realized his parents would always be occupied with another one of his more prominent siblings. The realization that he would not get what he yearned for from his family caused him to develop a character that grabbed everyone’s attention in order to compensate for the attention he so badly both wanted and needed from his family. He found comfort in the temporary affectionate moments he shared with various princesses but the feelings were fleeting as it could just never quite fill that gap in his heart left by his treatment by his loved ones. It was like a leaking bucket.

That’s why he became so close to yn, out of everyone, she was the only one who could relate to his feelings of uselessness and being overlooked. When she was younger, yn’s method of bonding with Ambrose was through praise. When I first heard that I thought to myself how conceited he must have been. But now it signifies so much more— not only was she the only one who understood how he felt, but she actively worked to better his confidence and fill the void. She was an extension of himself, which is why he loved her the most out of all. This is why he made sure to incorporate her into his plan of redeeming himself. Just like he promised when they were kids, he would never leave her behind. He had his own twisted ways but in hindsight he actually did try to make her dream of healing the world and becoming a queen come true. The love he had for her was very profound and may slip past someone who doesn’t pay attention to the smaller details. Which is why his death just hurts so much more.

He spent the entirety of his life suffering internally. He finally executed a plan to redeem himself which ultimately failed in the long run, which is very sorrowful. But what’s more is that his death was spent suffering too. Yn occupied a very special place in his heart and he worked hard to get them both better opportunities. His last moments were spent coming to the realization that the one person who he truly loved above all else and sacrificed many things for stabbed him in the back, literally and figuratively. Furthermore he was scared. His mature external body had fooled people into thinking he was an adult, but deep down his severe conflicting emotions prevented him from developing past being a child. That’s what he was, a scared, hurt child trapped in the body of an adult. He spent his last moments feeling betrayal and fear. Now that I think about it, the reason he feared death was likely because he felt that if he died, he would no longer be able to attract attention and that eventually people would forget about him completely. :(

As I read on I can’t help but feel occasional guilt for the fate of Ambrose. He was mentally gone but part of me wonders what could’ve been if he hasn’t been killed, instead he was brought into therapy and treated. Ambrose lived and died in suffering, and spent his last efforts trying to obtain a better life for him and yn, which is why guilt arises whenever yn is enjoying herself, knowing that Ambrose should’ve been right by her side enjoying himself just as much.

wow wow wow let me just start off by saying I LOVEEEE WHEN PPL SEND ME CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF ONE OF MY CHARACTERS LIKE IM OBSESSED

you read him so well i’m honestly speechless! ambrose is one of my favorite characters in the book and in general. people sorta raise their eyebrow at me when i say that because well… you know

the truth is that ambrose’s faith was sealed from the very first chapter, i knew his path from the very start and knew how i wanted everything to go

as i continue to write his character, i found myself getting attached to him and dreading his impending doom that i knew was coming…

ppl either hate him or love him which i think is a truly undeniable sign of a complex character! he had such kind moments where you couldn’t help but love him, you almost hated loving him

and then there were moments where you would stop yourself and say, “why is he doing this? i just started to like him”

i have no additional comments or corrections to your post because honestly you READ TF OUTTA HIM LOL i mean everything was spot on it’s unreal

thank you so much for even taking the time out of ur day to not only read the story but to create and write out this analysis! i don’t think ppl see it from my pov but when i get simple messages about my stories or characters it’s definitely gives me motivation to continue & lets me know that my effort does not go unnoticed !! so again thank u so much 🫶🏼

also i’m so down to read ur character analysis for the other characters!

[annot8]

Ok, here are something thoughts about Assassin’s Fate :)

I have mixed feelings. Overall, this was a wonderful book with a lovely and devastating ending. But there were some things that bothered me. (It’s still a 5 star book to me but I’m a nitpick)

Things that bothered me first.

There were a lot of characters in this book, and Fitz’s perspective was too limited for them to earn their place in the story.

Kennitsson bothered me the most. His could have been a story of him rejecting the legacy of his father and trying to make things right. There was hints of him trying to be his own man but his character was not explored enough for me to really care when he eventually sacrifices himself for Paragon.

A lot of the other Liveship characters suffered from this as well. It was so nice to see Althea, Brashen, Wintrow, Etta and Clef again, but after the initial excitement, it kind of became a sort of… now what? Paragon’s return was the only one that really felt impactful because he actually has a purpose in the story.

Out of the youngsters that join Fitz and Beloved, Spark and Per were fun characters but can someone please tell me what Lant’s purpose in this story was? Spark and Per are fun little reflection of baby Fitz (an assassin’s apprentice and a stableboy) and they both did stuff, but I feel like I spent this entire story waiting for Lant to do something!!! I like him as a character but why was he there????

The one other thing that bothered me was the fake out death from Fitz in the tunnel. My guy had already been shot by the worm dart. He was dying either way. If anything, I think it would have been way more impactful for him to get back to Buck with Bee - all the while Nighteyes is trying to tell him somethings wrong. Fitz, who acts delusional as if he’s getting paid to do so, dismisses the worries and think he’s won, all for him to finally accept it once he sees Bee safe again in Buckkeep. Idk, I just always hate an unnecessary death fakeouts.

But let’s stop being so negative because this book had so much good in it!!!!

Fitz encountering the Paragon was a moment I’ve been waiting for since Amber carved his face and it did not disappoint!! I too would threaten anyone who tried to take Amber from me - Paragon, you’re a real one.

Paragon in general was a joy. Him turning into a dragon was a real bittersweet moment (because it left Althea and Brashen without their ship and took away their escape route from Clerres) but if anyone deserved to choose his own fate, it was him. The revelation of what wizardwood is was so haunting in Liveships, and to see them reclaim their proper form was incredible.

Also, we know Mercor was Maulkin, and I’m a firm believer of the Heeby/Shreever theory (cause if I accept she never made it I will simply die :)), and to know that Tarman (who was improved with Sessurea’s corpse) maybe decided to become a dragon as well, therefore reuniting the three main serpents from liveships, makes me so unbelievably happy.

Moving away from the Liveship characters, god I love Bee. I love Bee much. What a gal. She is so like her mother and three fathers (her parentage is completely insane). I loved her relationship with Wolf Father - who was a better father than Fitz or the Fool, and he is a dead wolf :).

Had it not been for Vindeliar, she fully would have escaped on her own. Dwalia was no where near a match for my girl. She out here biting people and running away and being cryptic. What I loved most, was that she manages to overcome the one thing that has always gotten the best of fitz - she was able to let go of the past. She got the real vengeance against clerres and the servants by burning the scrolls. Without her, Fitz would not have reminded the dragon’s of what the servants did to them, and they never would have come to finish what she started. She is the character ever. The destroyer.

Beloved was a character Ihad complicated feelings about in this book. I need to make it very clear, I love him. I love this character with all my heart. However, there were times in this that I didn’t like him very much. I know that’s because we’re seeing him through fitz’s perceptive (and fitz does not like Amber) and because he has gone through so much, but it still made me a little sad. Obviously, he’s not gonna be his old self when he’s heading back to the place where he was imprisoned and tortured for twenty years, and I can’t blame him for that.

He still had some incredible lines and moments though, and I’ll always be a sucker for Fitzloved.

That brings us to Fitz. Jeez man. He is my favourite character of all time. There is no question about it. No one else even comes close. He acts admirably in this book, and I really feel like he had grown so much since being the loner who lived in a cottage in the forest. He wasn’t always the best father, but in this quest, he did his very best. I’m proud of him.

To me, he will always be that little boy :’)

This story was always going to end with him dying - if that’s how you wanna view him going into the wolf. Fitz is incapable of staying out of the world of Buckkeep politics. He can’t run from a fight, or from the crown, or from who he is. He was never going to be able to settle down and have a simple life - as much as he deserves one.

And of course, we had to have one frustrating piece of miscommunication between fitz and the fool.

‘He hasn’t offered to come into the wolf with me so I won’t ask him.’ vs ‘He hasn’t asked me to go into the wolf with him so i won’t offer to.’

God these guys will put me into an early grave. I adore them.

Bee literally had to shout at Beloved to stop being stupid, he obviously loves you!!!! God.

And that final line… Fitz, Beloved, and Nighteyes, joined as one, watching over Bee from the shadows. And Kettricken smiling knowingly.

I think the mountain kingdom will be a better place for Bee than Buckkeep. It’s nice to see a Farseer finale sort of escape that pull. And I would trust Kettricken with my life so I hope she’s up to the task.

Yeah

[saturn-sends-hugs]

OK, finally writing out my thoughts for ep9 (cause MAN AM I EMOTIONALLY DRAINED RN 😭)

Honestly this is gonna be more of a character deep dive of how they’re all functioning post ep8 but HERE WE GO

(spoilers under the cut)

First off, oh. my. god.

I’ve seen some people saying that episode was filler and to that I say WHERE. Did you see all that character development??? Like yes we didn’t get a big Empire plot or anything but like??? Hello???

This episode was SO important for so many reasons:

First off, Echo is gONE AAAAAA 😭😭😭 Was i devastated? yeah, maybe, a little bit, but i was fully expecting this episode to just brush past that and it DIDN’T.

I feel like much of the time Echo seemed almost unnecessary (stick with me here). You have this elite clone squad with all these enhancements and skills, so what are they gonna do with this fifth member? This always felt like a theme for me, especially in fics, that Echo would feel like an extra and struggle to find his place in the squad (Which isn’t true, he’s very necessary, but until now that’s been hard to see).

After Crosshair leaves, it changes a bit. The Batch is used to working with only four members, so although losing Crosshair obviously shook them, they held together (in part because they had to focus on Omega and other things). So here, Echo can step in and fill Crosshairs role somewhat as lookout or copilot or whatever, and he always backs up the others in their roles as well.

Echo is a good friend to Wrecker, able to joke around in ways Hunter (as the leader) and Tech (just not jokey in that way) can’t. He’s there for Hunter as Corporal; second in command and just generally another leading figure (like in season one when Hunter is captured and he leads the Batch through Kamino). Echo backs Tech up in pretty much every way, like just generally knowing what Tech is talking about and how to help (copiloting, ship maintenance, brother handling, etc). And of course, Echo is so so good with Omega. He teaches her to use her bow, he knows how to be a bit more disciplined than Hunter while still being super attentive and sweet, he is simply Mom™️.

And then he leaves.

Not gonna get too deep into that because we all know his reasoning, but while I expected this episode to focus on the Batch working without him, I didn’t expect them to show us how they struggle once he’s gone. Because holy shit they do.

Obviously, Omega is most noticeably affected. She’s struggling with a part of her family, someone she never wanted to think of leaving, being gone now. But the others are struggling too, and that’s only making things worse. Wrecker and Tech are fighting, which although she’s somewhat used to that, this time they’re not stopping. Hunter isn’t doing anything about it either, and none of them are saying anything about Echo being gone. She’s thrown off, no one is acting like themselves (because they’re missing Echo too although she can’t see it yet), and oh right, THEY JUST LOST THE MARAUDER.

But now for the others.

The minute they stepped off the Marauder in this episode, they felt wrong. And none of them really mentioned it or outwardly showed it that much, but they missed Echo too.

Wrecker was off. He’s stuck with just Hunter, Tech and Omega now, and he’s being affected by all their emotions. In the past, Crosshair was who he could joke around with, a role Echo filled afterwards. Now, Hunter and Tech just don’t fill that role, and while Omega might normally, right now she’s definitely not feeling up to it. He’s sensing the tension there, and everyone’s emotions are just setting him on edge, so he’s getting rowdier, more argumentative. He doesn’t mean to be, but he’s upset and he’s struggling.

Next, Hunter is doing what he always does: trying to move on. He’s not ignoring it per se, and I’m not the best at understanding Hunter, but it seems like he’s just trying to keep the team going. And again, it’s more of a challenge without Echo. The fights that used to spark up, Echo would help handle. Or better yet, they wouldn’t be real fights because Wrecker and Tech wouldn’t be so on edge. Hunter is struggling to keep them on track without him, especially with so many other factors at play (Omega being upset, new dangerous mission from Cid, Marauder is gone, how much more can go wrong wait no Mr Filoni please don’t answer that).

And of course, Tech misses Echo. Yeah, he seems really cold and uncaring in this episode at first glance, but OMG that is the furthest from the truth. I honestly think Tech is struggling the most without Echo to fill in that fourth role. Tech always tends to want everything working smoothly, and without the help of a fourth member, Tech is really stretching himself in order to accommodate. And on top of that, he just really misses Echo. When Omega tries to call Echo, Tech immediately knows he won’t respond because his comms are off. And why might he know that?? Well to me it seems like Tech already tried calling him, probably long before Omega did 🥲

Tech in this episode is just at the end of his rope. He’s way less lenient than he might normally be with Echo around, because now he feels like it’s on him to almost be that “second in command”. Normally, Tech can just focus on his work and let the others handle themselves/each other. So when Wrecker drops the case in this episode, normally Tech would trust him to have it handled, and they’d all move on. Instead, Tech takes the case himself. To me this is pretty familiar cause ahem autism, which is a very fitting trait for Mr “I process things differently but I still feel just as much” Tech to have. I struggle to let people get things wrong, and at this point, on edge and pushing himself too hard, Tech is so over it that he decides the only way to get it done is to do it himself.

Edit cause damnit tumblr didn’t save for some reason but basically up until now, we haven’t truly seen how much Echo does for this squad. Yes obviously we’ve seen that they all love and appreciate him, but now that he’s gone we’re truly seeing how important he is, and I just think that’s so so good to see!!! He’s not just the Mom that keeps them from fighting, he’s also just a genuinely necessary and important member with his own role in keeping this squad together.

Basically, ECHO YOU BETTER GET BACK HERE RN I STG—

(no but really, they genuinely do need him 🥲)

So yes, Echo left and the Batch needs Mom back. But it’s not just because Echo was the responsible one with brain cells (although thats also true), it’s also because he is genuinely a necessary part of this group, not just an honorary member to fill in space for Crosshair. We saw in this episode what happens when you take him out of the equation, and it was bad. That right there made just me happy because despite him being gone, it was very clear that nothing would just be “fine” without him, and the batch needs him way more than he probably thinks 🥲🥲🥲

Ok uh I didn’t mean for that to be so long bUT LISTEN, I just think there was so much to that episode and I could talk abt it for HOURS, THEY NEED THEIR BROTHERRRR

[latenightswaudiobooks]

Always Only You

Book 2 In Bergman Brothers Series

What it’s about: A duel P.O.V. slow-burn forbidden office romance book. Where your leads are a Shakespeare loving hockey player with a heart of gold that I would describe as a golden retriever is hopelessly in love with a fiercely guarded and independent social media manager I would describe as a black cat. This book is comedic gold and has great chronic illness and autism representation!

Pages or Run Time: 10 Hour 18 Minutes

⭐ Overall Rating: 100/10 (I loved this book so much) (I'm not even exaggerating I LOVED this book!)

🌶️ Spice Rating: 6/10 (There are some scenes but nothing crazy but I was content with it!)

I don't think I need a trigger warning for this one unless you count living with the highs and lows of autism or chronic illness. Always check the books for the actual list of trigger warnings though!

Why To Read Listen: Real authentic chronic illness and autism representation, it's a hockey romance, a reverse grumpy x sunshine, and to top it off it's got the best quips/dry humor.

‼️ Beyond Here Contains Spoilers ‼️

Favorite Character: Frankie she was the first character I can say I felt completely seen and understood by and she is hilarious. I wish she was real so I could actually meet her.

Least Favorite Character: Also Frankie? I saw myself in her to much and felt little me screaming at her during every self sabotage. They hurt me just as much as they hurt her. Taking that away I loved her. I guess if I had to pick one outside of her that I unfortunately can't give much commentary on because they technically aren't really in the book except maybe a second. It's the god damn "reporters" more like paparazzi.

Favorite Part: When Ren convinces her they can take care of each other. It wasn't a one way street and that he wasn't leaving.

Least Favorite Part: When Frankie was in the hospital with Pneumonia and freaks out at Ren for missing his game and going with her to the hospital/staying with her. She breaks up with him in a giant moment of self sabotage. It broke me. I was so angry with Frankie in that moment but, I also know I would of done the same which made it more painful.

Favorite Quotes: “I’m okay. Sometimes I feel big feelings and they make me have tears.”

“I’m tough." "I know you are." "I can take care of myself." "You have." "You still do. You always will. I’ve just joined in, too. Now we take care of each other.”

“Men have been objectifying women for millennia. Simply doing my part to settle the score.”

My Thoughts: I will say it again I LOVED this book! This was a slow burn I was sucked right in to, kept my attention, and made me want more every time I had to stop listening! That is rare for me! As a autistic person with a chronic illness and chronic pain I finally found a romance heroine I could actually relate to! She talks about feeling as if no one can love her because of how she acts and reacts to things. She feels as if she will be seen as a burden because of her illnesses and because of it she believes everyone will leave her and she will never be able to find love. Our hero through (almost 😉) everything stays a ball of sunshine and loves her without a thought towards her illnesses in the sense of he doesn't see her illness as any reason to love her any less and the thought never crosses his mind. He cares for her health so much that she feels suffocated towards it at a point. I would describe him as being like a helicopter parent at times which I would also find suffocating. I felt so seen, but also called out by this book which at first I found unsettling, but in the end I loved it. I had never felt like the romance stories could be real or at least real for me until this book. Some of the situations and dialogue reminded me so of my lovely fiance and I. The hero said many things to the heroine that she has said to me. The heroine said many things that I've either thought about her or talked to her about. It has a happy ending in the end and I was left happily content

I will read more in the series!

Give me book recommendations based off this book!

[aeoki]

White Brim - Battle Royal: Chapter 10

Location: Forest (night) Characters: Tsukasa & Eichi

Eichi: You’re rather cloy, Tsukasa-kun. Maybe Keito influenced you in a bad way at the kendo club.

Tsukasa: Hasumi-senpai has nothing to do with this! Please don’t try to change the subject!

Eichi: I’ve been talking on the same topic for the entire time. If you think the things I say are vague, then I think you’re the problem here, seeing as you lack the capacity to connect the information together in your head.

Tsukasa: …………

Eichi: Hehe. If you agree with me and can’t say a word, then you can never control the upperclassmen in your strong “Knights”.

If you truly became the “king” – a ruler – then you should learn how foolish it is to listen to everyone’s opinions.

For example, let’s say you had your way here. I’m sure you’re wanting to settle the score with the adorable Touri.

Tsukasa: That’s right! I was very close to cornering him in our previous battle – I shall defeat him with my own two hands the next time we meet!

…We both have our own family circumstances so if it weren’t for this opportunity, then I wouldn’t be able to fight with him head-on. That’s why tonight will be the night we settle things once and for all.

Eichi: Right. We have a fate that’s connected by blood – In other words, a fate we bear as those who were born and raised in those families.

If you and Touri are truly ready to fire at one another, then in the worst-case scenario, it would end up being a bloody war between your families.

It won’t be shrugged off like two highschoolers having an argument because they get on each other’s nerves. That’s not the only position you two hold – You’re also representatives of everything that your family shoulders.

Tsukasa: Yes. I’m fully aware of that, of course.

That’s exactly why up until now, I could only do trivial things such as arguing with that horrid person, so my Frustration is all pent up.

So I’ll take this opportunity to do it.

Eichi: No no. That’s exactly why your wish cannot be granted.

Tsukasa: ………?

Eichi: Let’s talk about the fundamentals, shall we, Tsukasa-kun?

Originally, “Clam Digging” can be traced back to a real tragedy that happened a long time ago in the past.

I don’t know how much your parents or teachers have told you regarding my family’s prosperity.

But even if you did hear of our achievements, I suppose as the victors, the past will always be glorified.

It’s a story from a long, long time ago. As the mannerless invaders who marched right on in to this bountiful land, we drove out the people who were living here peacefully.

And our family was able to thrive by robbing the bounties from the indigenous people.

This is the original sin that all of the “nobles” who have flourished in the Yumenosaki area since long ago share.

This “Clam Digging” game is a ritual that serves to remind us of that bloody history.

Reminding us of the fact that we’re awful and plump fishermen who overhunt the innocent fish.

Tsukasa: …………

Eichi: You want to settle the score between you and your fated rival in a fair one-on-one battle as anyone would from a military family? You must be picturing quite the spectacular heroic tale.

Let’s face reality, Tsukasa-kun. We’re evil demons who one-sidedly trample and devour the weak creatures from an overwhelmingly advantageous position.

As long as you’re a “hunter (fisherman)” and he a “prey (fish)”, you cannot have your battle with Touri. You mustn’t.

That wouldn’t be a triumphant battle. It would simply be one-sided bullying where you beat your hateful rival to death from an advantageous position.

Do you require further explanation as to why I’m stopping you?

Tsukasa: No… My apologies, Onii-sama. I’ve come to my senses now.

I never knew our families bore such a gruesome past.

Eichi: It’s just a fairytale though – I don’t know if it’s based on true facts, just so you know.

Besides, you’re an honest and kind child, so you appear to be hurt after hearing our history.

But the lesson I had learnt from the “Clam Digging” legend is that wrongdoings can be justified.

Tsukasa: …………?

Eichi: Only the victors create history. We just have to spread the history created upon flowery words and pretend we’re secretly repenting in the shadows.

Under the guise of a secret ritual that the commoners know nothing about.

It’ll be like holding a memorial service for those we trampled on – one that soothes our conscience.

We’ll announce that we mustn’t allow another tragedy to unfold all the while we stuff those same mouths with delicious, fresh fish.

I’m moved, Tsukasa-kun. Those clean and pure are dirty and those dirty are clean and pure – It’s all so repulsive that it almost seems beautiful in my eyes.

We cannot learn from our past mistakes. All because we don’t see those actions as mistakes.

And this isn’t some fairytale from the past – It’s something commonplace that still replays itself over and over in our daily lives.

We’ll continue to steal. We’ll flourish by stealing at Yumenosaki, at ES and from others. All the while pretending to repent as that disgusting behaviour becomes justified.

We’ll live on while we eat the weak and use it as sustenance for ourselves.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[daughter-of-melpomene]

drop five facts each abt all your Wednesday ocs pls!! (including Esther bc it’s a crime that I don’t know much abt her fr) -🍂

Ahhhh, thank you so much for asking about them, Alvita!! I am also gonna tag @luucypevensie and @dancingsunflowers-ocs since they’re my other Wednesday girlies. <3

We’ll do some facts about Esther first, since she’s my properly-introduced baby:

Given that I don’t think I’ve properly explained Esther’s outcast type to anyone besides Grace, I’ll explain it now: she’s a nephilim! Her mother, the woman who acted as a surrogate for her fathers when they were having her, was herself the daughter of an angel and a human, and because of this Esther is able to tap into a few different angel powers (if not all of the ones available to a nephilim, because Esther is a quarter angel rather than half).

These powers include being able to manipulate and generate light, being able to calm other people’s mental distress simply by projecting calming energy at them, being able to release powerful blasts of light that can cause physical destruction (which is what lead to the collapsed bell tower that got her transferred from her old school to Nevermore), and being able to wield a glowing angel sword by summoning it from the astral realm which is able to destroy demonic creatures (not that Esther has met any of those yet).

Esther’s family is actually pretty rich, with both of her fathers being lawyers and partners in their respective firms (which are actually rival firms, a fact that Esther and her younger brother Maddox find hilarious). Esther doesn’t like showing off or flaunting her family’s money, but she also doesn’t let it stop her from wearing nice clothes and buying her friends expensive gifts on their birthdays or other special occasions.

The St. Claire family also has a golden retriever, which Esther’s fathers rescued as a puppy when Esther was seven and Maddox was three. Esther was allowed to name her and chose the name Reno, after the main character in the musical Anything Goes, because her obsession with classic musicals had started even at that young age. Reno is an absolute sweetheart who always misses Esther whenever she’s away at school, and the entire family absolutely adores her.

Esther has never officially come out as a lesbian to her dads and Maddox - they’ve all pretty much known since Esther was pretty young, and when Esther finally comes home on a school break holding Wednesday and Enid’s hands, everyone just kind of shrugs and welcomes the two girls into their home.

Next, let’s talk about my beloved bitchy lesbian fairy Padma:

Every fairy has an affinity for one of the five forms of elemental magic: fire, water, earth, air, and metal. Padma’s affinity is for fire, because of course it is.

Padma is a twin! Her brother Akshat has an affinity for earth, doesn’t attend Nevermore - he is instead homeschooled as the majority of fairy kids are - and is pretty much the exact opposite of Padma in every way. He’s very quiet and passive, and doesn’t have even a hint of her quick temper.

Like Esther, Padma is also a rich girl (I mean, her family has been around for centuries since fairies live a really long time plus they can literally enchant people), but she is a lot less afraid to show it off. She’s always wearing the latest fashions and has her nails and makeup freshly done, and whenever she gets a coffee from the shop in Jericho she always leaves a twenty dollar tip or something even more because she just has no idea of how much thinks cost.

A really big part of the reason Padma is so determined to compete academically with Bianca for so long is because, deep down, she’s really afraid of people seeing her as just a stupid, pretty rich girl, when she’s actually wickedly smart and cunning. She’d rather rip out her own teeth than admit this, though, or at least it takes her a long time after they even start dating for her to admit it to Bianca.

Sometimes when Eugene’s not around and she’s stressed, Padma will go to the spot where he keeps his bees and just chill with them to calm herself down. Fairies, being forest creatures by nature, have an innate connection with all plants and insects, even if they don’t have an earth magic affinity, and Eugene’s bees really like Padma and will often bump against her face to say hello to her.

Now let us talk about Gus, my beloved stoner werewolf:

Despite werewolves very rarely maintaining canine characteristics when they’re in human form, Gus very much does - he always gets incredibly excited when someone he likes returns after being gone, even if they were only gone for a few minutes, and if you scratch a certain spot behind his ear he will just melt into a happy puddle.

Gus is also insanely clingy and affectionate when he’s high, and it doesn’t even really matter who it is he’s clinging to; if you’re close by and not already hugging or cuddling someone, you can expect a lap full of Gus, burrowing his head into your shoulder and giving you a bunch of compliments in a hazy voice.

Gus has had a bi flag hung up above his bed in his Nevermore dorm since he first arrived at the school. His first roommate, a haughty psychic who came from a super rich family, made a douchey comment about it, and it didn’t even take a whole week for Gus to report the incident to Weems and get his roommate expelled (Nevermore, thankfully, has a very strict no-discrimination policy). He doesn’t really care if people insult him, but he was not about to let the guy think that kind of behavior was okay and risk him repeating it with someone else.

As kind of a surprise given his general sunny disposition, Gus actually really likes true crime podcasts. On most given nights when there’s not some kind of get-together he needs to provide weed for, you can find him sitting on the window seat in his dorm room, smoking a joint with the window open and with his phone playing a podcast beside him.

Gus’s first kiss was actually with Yoko; it was at a little party thrown for Ajax’s birthday freshman year, after Yoko’s spin landed on Gus during a game of Spin the Bottle. The kiss was really quick, but it was also nice, and Gus is pretty proud to say it was his first kiss (and to tease Yoko about her supposedly wanting to kiss him again, which she always rolls her eyes at him for).

Speaking of Yoko, let’s finish these facts off with her new girlfriend, Holly:

I’m still not going to reveal exactly what Holly is just yet (you know, Alvita, of course, but I’d like to keep it a bit of a secret still), but I can tell you with absolute certainty that she hates it about herself. Despite attending a school full of what most people would consider “monsters,” Holly sees herself as an actual monster, and would give almost anything not to be the way she is.

What she is has also caused a lot of problems between her and her family, and as such, she’s one of only a handful of students who stay at Nevermore year-round, not going home for the holidays or summer break, which only serves to add to the layers of mystery and fear that most Nevermore students have around her.

Holly very nearly gives Xavier a heart attack the first time she speaks to him, after Wednesday defeats the Hyde and she decides to start trying to make friends - which, consequently, is the first time she’s really spoken to another person since coming to Nevermore. He nearly winds up falling off a balcony, she scares him so much, which Holly feels really bad about, but he’s also quick to reassure her about it and strike up a genuine conversation with her.

During the time when she kept to herself and didn’t speak, Holly would usually keep herself busy with embroidering various things, which she learned from her grandmother. She’s incredibly good at it, and even gifts Yoko a handkerchief embroidered with a quote from Dracula for their first anniversary.

Holly’s favorite holiday was always Halloween when she was a kid (coming from a family and a very long line of outcasts, it was kind of inevitable), but due to some very significant reasons from her past she can hardly stand it anymore. She now throws all of the energy she used to put towards Halloween into celebrating Christmas, and though of course everyone around her notices how much she avoids Halloween, they’ve learned by now not to question it.

Thanks again for asking me about my babies!! Love you!! <3

[rainershea]

What does Simon need? (Fionna and Cake spoilers)

————————————

As we wait for the next episodes, I’m looking for an answer to the crucial question that the show has so far confronted us with: exactly what will need to happen to Simon for him to be able to stop being depressed?

This is about more than a character, because Simon’s suffering is a depiction of the experiences that actual people with depression go through. I don’t expect watching a depressed character get out of that depression to instantly cure anyone’s actual depression, mental health isn’t as simple as that. But like with all stories, this story has the potential to provide people with a powerful kind of encouragement. Watching a character overcome a struggle can have the same effect as seeing a friend overcome it: it shows you that reaching a better point in your own life is possible. And if this show can do that for someone, this part of Simon’s story will come to have benefits beyond simply continuing a piece of art.

So how can this happen for Simon? I feel the clues for how he can become happy are apparent throughout not just the second episode, but throughout the entire series. We all know Simon and his life has value, he’s a character we’ve always been rooting for. From the moment he was introduced, fans have been observing how smart and sensitive he is, and we’ve wanted him to overcome his pain. He‘s someone who’s responded to extreme hardship by acting heroically, and the things his heroism brought are still able to be seen; he was the one who made it so Marceline could survive, and go on to contribute her own great things to history. Because his value is so clear, not just Marcy but also Finn and PB are shown to care about him. But having people who care about you won’t necessarily stop you from having depression, there are countless things that can cause this problem.

In Simon’s case, the thing that’s caused it is alienation. A sense that because he doesn’t fit in with his surroundings, there’s not a point to him being around. He could try to fix this by pursuing a new life purpose, but having a “life purpose” isn’t absolutely necessary for being happy. Think of the scene in Soul where the film clarifies that someone can lack any great achievements, and still gain fulfillment from life purely through the beauty of everyday moments. From our perspective as viewers, who‘ve often gained a deep emotional attachment to the world of the show, it seems like this should be easy for Simon. And maybe trying to connect with the world in this way could help him, but only if he does it in a more therapeutic way than he tried to in this episode. There were moments in his quest where he was starting to become happy and normal again, telling stories about his past to Finn, but Finn had taken him to a place with the intent of looking for danger. And that soon derailed the therapy project.

It has to be possible for him to find happiness without getting Betty back; if there’s no hope for him without that happening, then there’s no hope for anyone who’s experienced loss. I think the writers are aware of this, since they’ve decided to create a realistic story about depression and how someone can get help for it. Whatever things cause him to get happiness, they’ll have to be earned, both narratively and emotionally. Because depression isn’t something that can be escaped with logic, it’s an issue that’s too complex for me to really be able to understand (especially since I’ve never too seriously experienced it). I hope this show teaches me something about it, and about how to help anyone who might be affected by it.

Another thought: what could also help him is if he tells Marcy about his situation, at least more than he may already have talked to her about it. That would make for an arc where the one he saved ends up returning the favor by helping “save” him in a different way.