#his fighting skills are underrated

[clockwork-carstairs]

Jem the fighter

“It may be something people forget because Jem is delicate and plays the violin, but he’s a warrior. He fights like hell in all three books. He’s the one who teaches Will to fight”

i know cc meant "fights like hell" both about literal fighting (ie how jem taught will) and also largely jem's fierce will to live, but man it got me thinking about how good a shadowhunter he was. even when he was actively poisoned and dying he could still fight. i mean in clockwork prince in that scene where they scrabble outside yorkshire manor, it’s jem who bests will despite lacking will's build due to his sickness. at age 12 he was a perfect shot with knife throwing. when we see modern jem fighting, he’s always deadly. sometimes i wonder about an alternate world where jem was never ill, and how amazing a fighter he really could be, and how freaking OP jem would've been with cortana. and then i cry quietly. ah

[turtleblogatlast]

Shockingly underrated thing about Leo is that he’s legitimately charming when he wants to be?

He’s the Faceman! He’s persuasive! That’s not just some random title he gave himself with no backing to it. People will listen to him. Even if they think he’s being annoying or if they’re upset at him, people listen to him anyway! There’s a reason his bros push him out front to talk to people, and when this happens, that talking nearly always works.

Moreover, Leo knows people. He looks at them and takes into account how they act and what they’re like as he makes his way through the conversations. It’s easy to forget this aspect of Leo’s character because he only brings it out when he really needs (read: wants) to, but it really is a notable part of him that always love to see.

And I say charm in particular because he has a knack for not only getting people to pay attention, but for getting people to stay and listen to what he has to say.

[hauntingblue]

21st century "et tu, brute" moment

[hourcat]

👇

[hadesisqueer]

I once read someone say that Avatars are powerful because of the Avatar State but that as benders they were usually just average or just a bit above average in all elements and like. Bro.

Aang wasn't as good of a Waterbender/Earthbender/Firebender as Katara, Toph or Azula, yeah. People forget that those three are not average benders, they're prodigies; Azula and Katara are not Top Tier yet compared to other Waterbenders or Firebenders (their adults versions in their primes however would probably be Top Tier lmao, but Katara lacked experience yet —mind you, she actually wasn't an actual master herself until like the end of the show and the point of her is that she kept working and improving all the time— and other Waterbenders like Pakku or the bloodbending brothers could probably defeat her, and a teenage Azula is insanely strong but would still be outclassed by people like Iroh, Ozai, Sozin or Jeong Jeong as well), but they are WAY above average lmao, definitely still among the strongest benders of their time. Book 1 Zuko himself, who I've seen A LOT of people underestimate, is actually WAY above average and strong and skilled enough to defeat high ranking Fire Nation officers much older and experienced than him like Zhao. And the only Earthbenders who could match Toph are King Bumi, Jianzhu or Yun-- or an Earth Avatar. Aang not being at their levels after not even a year of training —no, guys, he didn't master any of the elements in just a year because it's physically impossible to do that, Katara, Zuko and Toph all said he didn't master them— doesn't mean he's an average Waterbender, Earthbender or Firebender. He's a talented kid and a fast learner, give him more time, a few years and he'll be pretty good at all of them; not surpassing the Top Tier Masters of the elements, but way above average. I could see him reaching Mako's, Bolin's and maybe Tonraq's levels of their elements when he is an adult; not Max level, but actually talented, not just 'a bit above average'.

And in Airbending? Dude, Aang was far from being an average Airbender even in Book 1. He is the second youngest Airbender to get Master tattoos and one of the youngest bending masters overall. Aang was a prodigy. He was incredibly skilled and had a lot of raw power as well. He was powerful enough to stop a volcano by himself with just Airbending at age 12, so imagine what he could do when he was at his peak. People don't realize how much this kid held back in fights lmao. Even without being the Avatar, he'd probably still be the strongest member of the Gaang lmao so yeah. "Average bender" the shit I have to hear--

Now, Korra is far from being a 'just above average bender' at any element either wtf did you watch the show with your ass. She's a bending prodigy who mastered three elements by age 17. She is not at Ozai's level at Firebending, but she seems to be at Mako's (and one day I'll talk about how underrated Mako was as a bender fr tbh). She's not as good of an Earthbender as Toph, but she could handle people like Bolin or Su Yin. She is not at Tenzin's level but could still beat Pre-Flight Zaheer just using Airbending.

And Waterbending? Well, she doesn't seem to use it that much to Firebending or Airbending so she is probably average tbh

Making a huge wave over 100 feet in the air with enough force to hit a giant mech like that and trapping the mech by immediately freezing the water? With no AS and no full moon, and at day? Yeah, Korra, who probably mastered Waterbending when she was like 8 or 9 and is therefore one of the youngest bending masters in the series, is definitely not a Top Tier Waterbender with insane raw power. She's just average-good. My God.

Not just this. Kuruk was literally a bending genius with all elements. Kyoshi wasn't skilled at the start but had insane amounts of raw power. Roku's weakest element seemed to be water and he was still shown to be very gifted with it when he was done with his training.

The problem here is that we usually don't get to see much of the Avatars at their strongest, if at all. But properly trained Avatars are probably very far from being just average benders in any of the elements, even their weakest. And it really seems they tend to be beasts with their native elements lmao.

[pigfacedbitch]

Dating Clovis

summary : general headcanons of dating the son of Hypnos.

word count : 0.5k

type : headcanons

pairing/s involved : Clovis x Reader

warning/s : threatening someone (?), otherwise it's just fluff. 😘

here is my masterlist!

Note : I love me some sleepy boi😍 I am slightly obssesed with him since he was introduced in The Lost Hero, an underrated character if you ask me.

It's always funny to see the new campers' reactions when they hear that Clovis is dating you.

"Really? (Y/N) and Clovis? But she's so energetic and he's...not."

Honestly, many people feel bad for you because Clovis is not an ideal boyfriend. He's not exactly... what's the word? Present.

You're singing along by the campfire? He's sleeping on a log nearby. You're training to enhance your fighting skills? He's drooling all over shields. You're having a meeting with the other counsilors? He's dozing off beside you.

Not to mention, THIS BOY MANAGES TO FALL ASLEEP IN THE WORST OF SITUATIONS.

"(Y/N)! Wake your boyfriend up, the empousai almost killed him!"

"I swear to the gods, love! We are in the middle of a battle!"

He's a heavy sleeper, deal with it.

However, he tries to stay awake a little longer for your sake. Do the others take advantage of that? Yes. 😂

"Percy, what do you need my help with?"

"Actually (Y/N), we need Clovis' help."

"You need me to keep him awake again, is that it?"

"Well, yes-"

"Let my boyfriend sleep, Jackson."

The best method to keep him awake is by kissing his chubby cheeks, squeezing him in your hold, or ruffling that tangled, blonde hair.

You will hear whines of complain but once you stop, he will rub his head against you and ask you to continue. He's like a cat.

Naps together is a must! Clovis will drag you to Cabin 15 if he has to, you can't refuse. Not that you will.

Also provides you with the fluffiest of pillows, softest of blankets, and the most delicious milk you ever tasted (not that type of milk, you dirty minded-👁️👄👁️)

He may not take you on a date the normal way but he will use his ability to manipulate dreams— joining yours and his.

There, you can be wherever you want to. At the top of Eiffel Tower, swimming in the sunken Titanic ship, or performing with your favorite artist on a stage.

Anything you want, Clovis will make it happen. It's his way of making up to you, I suppose.

He always mutters your name in his sleep with a dreamy smile on his face. This often gets him teased by his siblings, or anyone else who witnesses it happen.

"Seriously (Y/N), I heard him moan your name!"

"Leo, stop it."

"It's true, it was a very good dream."

"Clovis!"

I don't think he ever gets assigned to any quests but you do. He's still asleep whenever you say goodbye to him but expect that he'll visit you in your dreams.

He'll ask how you're day went, updates with what's going on in Camp Half-Blood, spilling the usual tea; that kind of stuff. I assume time stops in dream land so you and Clovis have all the time in the world.

He will also visit dreams of the people you're on a quest with, warning them that if something happens to you they will never wake up again. This boy can be dark, don't test him.

You still wonder why all of them are so overprotective over you.

Hypnos seems to approve of your relationship because ever since you started dating his son, you never had trouble falling asleep again.

[slytherinshua]

MY HEART RETURNS

summary. your love is pursuing his dreams as a violinmaker in italy, leaving you to wait for his return. genre. slight angst. fluff. based on whisper of the heart. warnings. some crying. reader feels lost and alone and like she's not good enough :( not proofread. pairing. zhanghao x fem!reader. wc. 1.3k. request. no. a/n. tiánxīn = sweetheart btw. ofc hao is already perfect for the role of seiji cause he plays violin (also he looks like seiji fight me). for all the other writers out there (even tho i don't ever plan to get properly published) we all relate to shizuku so much :') her struggles are so relatable and i just love whisper of the heart so much i think its such a beautiful and underrated ghibli movie. divider by @/aquazero.

The night air nipped at your cheeks as thoughts swirled in your head. Hundreds of worries, feelings, and uncertainties followed you wherever you went, and all you could wish was to be back in high school when everything felt a bit easier. Back with Hao to occupy all your thoughts and in turn take your mind off of everything.

Sometimes you wondered if waiting was really worth it. You were doing your best to pursue your dreams, do well in your final year of university, and throw yourself and your work at different publishers, hoping that one liked you enough to give you a chance. But you felt like a constant failure in comparison to your boyfriend. You’d always thought opportunities were more beneficial than school. Hao only seemed to prove that to you.

He was working in Italy, getting valuable skills from the masters. You were still stuck in your hometown, going to the same university everyone else in your family had gone to, trapped in the same system. You wanted to get out, prove yourself, do something meaningful with your life. But did you even have the talent to? Were you even worth it?

On nights where your thoughts just wouldn’t leave you alone, you grabbed a handful of Hao’s letters and walked up the hill back to the spot where you used to watch the sunrise with him. You missed him more than anything. Without his presence, you felt lost. There was no one to ground you, no one to reassure you, no one to believe in your flimsy dreams.

You hadn’t received a new letter in a while, and you were starting to wonder if it was a post issue, or if Hao was too busy to write. You hoped you would get one soon. It was the start of Winter already, and a breeze blew past you, causing a chill to run up your spine. You hugged Hao’s old jacket closer on your body. It must be even colder in Italy…

You slid one of the old letters out from its envelope. You were always careful to keep everything intact. From the colourful wax seals to the elegantly written address, to the coarse texture of the fancy paper, everything about it was precious to you. Hao was always meticulous, and his presence could be felt from every detail of the card.

Tiánxīn, how are things back at home? Lonely. 

How is your writing? Did you finish the last 3 chapters you were struggling to write? I finished the final draft last Saturday. Are you proud of me?

I’m doing well here, although I never stop missing you. At least one feeling is mutual. 

It’s the beginning of Spring as I write this, and the flowers are starting to bloom. Every pink bud reminds me of you. How are you always so romantic, Zhang Hao?

I taught some kids how to hold a violin properly the other day— one of them almost dropped it. I swear my life flashed before my eyes. If they had broken it, I could’ve gotten kicked out. They don’t know that they’re handling a piece of wood worth thousands of dollars. As much as it scared me in the moment, spending time with the kids cheered me up. Childhood innocence is an endearing thing, don’t you think? It is. Is it bad that I wished you had gotten kicked out just so I could see you sooner? I want you to tell me everything about Italy with your own voice.

I’m starting to find beauty in things that used to annoy me. It’s a strange feeling, but I think I could get used to it. The flowers used to only make me sneeze, but now they’re a gentle reminder of who I’m living every day for. Children used to get on my nerves, but now I can only think of your baby pictures. I keep working hard every day hoping that I’ll get a break to come visit soon. I’ve been saving up for tickets. Hopefully before Winter, I’ll be back in your arms. It’s Winter now… I miss your arms around me.

Ever yours,

Hao

You could only sigh and blink back the tears that had formed on your waterline. Why did he make you miss him so much? You sniffed, from the emotions and from the cold. It was getting even later in the night, and while you didn’t want to leave your special spot, you also needed sleep.

When you got back to your cheap apartment, you sprayed some of Hao’s perfume on your pillow and changed into pyjamas. It was funny how much time went into hunting for the exact fragrance he wore; but you had been thankful for it every single day since you bought it. Any way you could to bring traces of him back to your home was worth it. You fell asleep hugging the pillow tightly and hoping that he would grace you in your dreams. 

A soft puff of air hit your nose making you scrunch it up. It woke you out of your slumber, but not enough to open your eyes yet. You were in a confused bleary state trying to figure out where it came from. You definitely didn’t leave the fan on in the middle of Winter, so why…?

“Tiánxīn, wake up.” 

You blinked your eyes open slowly, furrowing your eyebrows as the view came into focus. Light from the morning sun shone through the window, cascading down until it hit the side of a face. Hao’s face.

“Am I still dreaming?” You whispered. A lump formed in your throat at the thought that you were— you must be. How could he be right in front of you? He was still far away in Italy.

He shook his head, a smile splayed on his lips. He moved closer, his weight dipping down on the bed. You could only stare, memorising everything about him. His eyelashes fluttered as his gaze dropped to your hand and he reached to hold it. His hands were warm and the skin of his palm was soft, although his fingertips were roughened by calluses after years of playing strings. He cupped your cheek with his other hand, brushing his thumb against your skin.

“I missed you. I’m sorry it took so long for me to come visit.” He frowned slightly as he saw tears start to build in your eyes. You squeezed his hand, as if still deciphering whether he was actually real. It had truly been years since he had first gone for his apprenticeship and then got accepted full time to make violins and teach. Although you had communicated through letters, it could never compare to being with him like this. 

“It’s okay.” You tried to steady your voice, force the lump in your throat down, blink back the tears. But you couldn’t with him right there.

“Don’t cry.” He wiped your tears carefully, his touch soft as always.

“Kiss me. Please?” 

And he obliged. He would always do anything within his power to see you happy. If you told him one day to fly to the moon and bring you back a piece of it, he was sure he would find a way, just to see you smile. The feeling of kissing him again was indescribable. You’d forgotten how it felt to be kissed by his soft lips, how they melded with yours like a dream. As if you two were meant to be.

You knew you always were. Your love story, although it sometimes felt tragic, was like something out of a fairytale. You would never forget the lengths Hao went just to get your attention. How ambitious, determined, and caring he was. He was your constant motivation to keep striving to be better. 

It was hard to live for your dream while being so far apart from him. Part of you knew that he would have to go back. Maybe in a month, maybe in only a week. Maybe sooner than that. Your heart would break once again saying goodbye to him.

But, for now, as he kissed you in the morning sunlight on your bed, you felt your heart healing from his touch. The long years away from him were a small price to pay for moments as precious as these. 

↳ zerobaseone taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @eternalgyu,, @okshu,, @chewryy,, @haecien,, @sobun1est,,

@emmylksblog,, @talkingsaxy,, @thesunsfullmoon,, @chenleszone,, @sxmmerberries,,

@cupidslovearrows,, @dimplewonie,, @50-husbands,, @hursheys,, @mjupis,,

@kangtaehyunzzz,, @nonononranghaee,, @forever-atiny,, @nicholasluvbot,, @stantxtforabetterlife

[bwaybwaycwaycway]

Quick rant about Authority in Disco Elysium

I'm writing this because I had someone rightly call me out at work for second-guessing myself for not trusting in an answer I gave. Specifically, I was asked to identify a type of fire extinguisher from a distance, and even though I was correct, I wanted to check my answer by going up and reading the label. It reminded me about internal confidence in yourself and the things you say.

Authority is an underrated skill in Disco Elysium.

I get why people dislike it. Whenever Authority gets a failure, it has extremely violent, sociopathic responses to the situation at hand, like telling you to hurt people or, in a very famous scene, put a loaded pistol in your mouth. This kind of behavior upsets Kim, who serves as the moral compass for most players, so you stop taking risky Authority checks and don't bother wearing clothing that boosts the skill. You eventually think of Authority as a skill used by people who want to go the Fascist Cop route.

And then you get to the Tribunal. At the end, only one skill will save Kim. Authority. It isn't even you giving him a real order, it's mostly asserting that there is danger and that Kim must respond to it, and ignore your broken half-dead body. It seems like a weird choice that Esprit de Corps isn't doing this, as it's the cop-related skill, or Suggestion, as it is the skill best used to convince others.

No, only Authority will snap Kim out of his panic and make sure he survives the fight without serious injury. And that's because Authority is a skill that, when it succeeds a check, is about personal confidence in your ability as a police officer, and a human being living their life in Revachol.

Authority sure does get you into bad situations, and if you choose to go down the path of the Honour Cop, suggests thumb-fucking yourself to display said honour. But when it succeeds, Authority is barely there, just reminding you that you've got this. You know what to do, you've known all along. You're confident in your actions and accept responsibility for them when Authority is taking lead.

People don't trust cops with low Authority. Sorry Cops, as Kim says, are actively harmful to the reputation of the RCM. Apologizing and second-guessing yourself makes people lose faith in the government you represent and in your ability to solve the case or help them live their lives. A lot of negative modifiers are due to you appearing weak or lacking confidence when you first meet people, as they don't think of you as a trustworthy cop who can fix things.

Finally, the confrontation with Kim over asking him to share a secret about his past, involving the Eyebrow Off, shows that Authority is something that isn't abusive when used right. Kim uses his Authority to convince you to drop the question when you fail, but if you succeed, he share a little fact about his childhood that's of no consequence except it's slightly embarrassing to him. You learn on a failure though that Kim's Authority is immense, and it shows through his confidence in himself and his job as a cop.

Authority is about showing other people, sometimes even falsely presenting, confidence in yourself and what you're doing. When it fails, it pushes you to assert this confidence again, especially in the face of someone trying to assert their Authority over you. It wants you to be a good cop, but has such a narrow way of thinking that it can get you or other people killed multiple times.

[epickiya722]

🐯 FAVE YUJI ITADORI POSTS 👊

Okay, here are some of my favorite posts I have had on my blog(s) so far (I did the same with Miruko)! Meta, headcanons, fics by me, pictures, etc. I created this list to make it easier for me to refer back to a post I need, but also for others to navigate if they're interested.

💖

Why I Find Him Likeable

The Underrated But Adored MC

They Stay Putting Him in Orange

When He Smiles, When He Doesn't

Fighting is Not a Game to Him

No Domain Expansion Needed

It's a Train Station

Yep, Let's Talk

Should Have Stuck to Jumping, My Ass

His Skills

Quite Adept

Yuji's Selfishness

Risky, Very Risky

Leave it in the Past

A SPECIAL Breakdown

The Claws are His Thing

His Crazy Pupils

His Crazy Pupils (Part 2)

His Crazy Pupils (Part 3)

It's the HAIR!!!

Finger Count

What about Tengen??

Could It Be Sukuna's Technique?

Could It Be Sukuna's Technique? (Part 2)

Could It Be Hate?

Sukuna, Yuji's Biggest Hater... or is He?

A Contradiction to His Beliefs

Sukuna Hates His Own Face

3 Times a Charm! IN THE FACE!

The Generational Outfit

Hair Color Headcanon

Hair Color Picker

Hair Color is Rose Gold

The Time I Brought Up Yu-Gi-Oh

The Vessels

Pink Haired Buddies

They're Family Now

The SK8 Version of Yuji

The BNHA Version of Yuji

Tiger & Rabbit (Part 1)

Tiger & Rabbit (Part 2)

Tiger & Rabbit (Part 3)

ItaFushi & Their Parents

Spot the Difference! (Brothers Together Edition)

Fire 🔥 & Ice ❄

Yuji & Sukuna Twinning (Part 1)

Yuji & Sukuna Twinning (Part 2)

Yuji & Sukuna Twinning (Part 3)

Yuji & Sukuna Twinning (Part 4)

Yuji & Sukuna Twinning (Part 5)

Okay, Maybe They Are Twins...

Reincarnation *Shrugs*

Yuji & Suguru (Part 1)

Yuji & Suguru (Part 2)

Yuji & Suguru (Part 3)

Oh, We Got a Bloodbender!

Tattoos & Hairdos (Part 1)

Tattoos & Hairdos (Part 2)

Kenjaku, What Are You Planning?

Kenjaku, Is This What You're Planning?

Like His Mom, For Real

HE IS LIKE HIS MOM, FOR REAL

A Complicated Family Tree

No Point of Knowing

The Pink Sky and Cherry Blossoms [FIC]

The Star's Rebirth AU [FIC SERIES]

You Are My Special [FIC]

The Craving That Paints Your Lips Red [FIC]

The Glow That Pierced His Soul [FIC]

When You Had Enough [FIC]

When You Have a Crisis [FIC]

Maybe Someday We'll Meet Again [FIC]

💖

[yanderes-galore]

May I request a Yandere Vector The Crocodile Concept From Sonic please? Romantic/Platonic? I don’t see enough of this guy, he’s so underrated.

He is very underrated, so I will try my best to write down some thoughts on him.

Yandere! Vector The Crocodile Concept

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Stalking, Jealousy, Manipulation, Clingy behavior, Delusional behavior, Slight violence, Breach of privacy, Kidnapping, Blood mention, Dubious companionship/relationship.

Vector is described as easy going yet loud mouthed.

He's a detective who takes his job seriously and loves money and music.

He's a true leader who can sometimes be bossy despite his easy going nature.

He keeps a cool head in stressful situations and is quite tough.

He has a temper problem and can come off as aggressive but will try to be gentle.

Ironically he's a "snappy" crocodile.

He has a kind heart and while being slightly selfish, cares for his friends and tries to keep strong morals.

He never wants to do anything dirty or illegal and says cool + determined.

He's a bit volatile but overall I'd imagine he'd be goofy.

He seems like he'd be easily jealous but try to hide it from you... and fail miserably.

Due to his moral compass, he'd have second thoughts about the idea of kidnapping or murder.

In fact, that just doesn't seem like something he'd do.

He'd do things that he tries to convince himself are legal.

Such as stalking or slight manipulation/isolation.

He's just... following you very close or looking out for you... not stalking.

He's just trying to encourage you to make the right decision... not manipulating you.

He definitely starts small, but he's delusional.

Jealousy is normal, right?

Vector just... wants to feel included.

It's harmless... It's not his fault if he picks fights with your friends, right?

He is so deep in delusion when it comes to you.

He thinks you two are closer than you actually are, often using his skills to research about you.

He's a detective after all, following clues to gain info is what he's good at.

Your friends will note that it sounds like he's interrogating them, when he asks about you.

Vector definitely writes down all he learns about you in a locked journal or something.

One he gets quite defensive of.

Vector probably often gets himself into fights often with others, although he feels horrible when you catch him.

He's clingy and delusional, trying to rationalize all he does for your attention.

I know I said he wouldn't kidnap or murder... but with his delusions?

I mean... surely he'd try to make excuses?

It's not kidnapping... he's just taking you to a safer place.

It's not a fight... he's defending you.

It wasn't murder... It's just an accident.

He'll tell himself this even if you cry or he's covered in blood.

For the most part he's harmless if kept in check.

He's incredibly affectionate, always giving big hugs and inviting you to listen to music with him.

If he does manage to get into fights, he can be ruthless.

After all.. he's a crocodile.

If you've seen how crocs fight, you'll know what I'm talking about.

He may try to hide his darker feelings and jealousy from you.

He wants you to be his alone yet tries his best to hide it.

Perhaps part of him does know it isn't right to feel this way.

But eventually you'll find out...

Eventually you'll run and he won't be able to handle it...

Meaning Vector will have to chase you to get you back to him... even if it requires a bit of force.

[affectionatecorpse]

Okay as a distraction from my previous post, I'm going to do another analysis. Yay! This time we'll be covering another video game, but this isn't actually a horror like the previous posts, so untense your shoulders. Today I'm going to be talking about Yinu, from No Straight Roads, from the perspective of an ex child prodigy.

No Straight Roads is a vastly underrated game, so I'll give a brief introduction. The game focuses on protagonists Mayday and Zuke, two members of a rock band who go on a mission to take down their oppressive EDM based government, NSR, and reintroduce rock to the city. The plot sounds simple enough, but the layers go incredibly deep, so I highly recommend playing/watching the game for yourself to form your own thoughts about it's complex messages. Obviously, spoilers ahead.

Now NSR is made up of 6 EDM artists who power the city. But one particular artist greatly stands out from the rest. This artist is Yinu.

Yinu is by far the youngest of the artists, for starters, at only 9 years old. She's a child prodigy, and at this young age, she's already won many awards for her music and gained a massive following. But unlike the other artists, Yinu isn't actually an EDM artist. She's a classical artist, who's skills are in piano. Now this usually wouldn't matter, but when she's one of the EDM based leaders, it's immediately a bit odd how she herself isn't an EDM artist.

We'll come back to this. Now, Yinu, as mentioned, is a child prodigy. She was taught from a young age to play piano by her father, and quickly mastered the art. But when her father grew ill and passed away, it was just her and her mother left, with Yinu inheriting his beloved piano. As she continued to play in his honour, her skill began to grow, and so did the attention she received. She quickly became a celebrity, and her mother used this as a distraction from their shared sadness.

By feeding the fans and the attention, Yinu's mother developed an unhealthy coping mechanism. She began to lose sight of what the piano meant to them. And I expect, so did Yinu. It's a very common thing, when your hobby becomes a job, it just loses it's fun, and is no longer a luxury to do. More a necessity. It's never said explicitly, but I interpreted this phenomenon to have a strong effect. Yinu played because it was a job, and what her mother wanted. Her mother became blind to her daughter's struggles, as she never really noticed the fact Yinu didn't want to play for other people, but for herself, and her father's memory. This is shown through her eyes becoming white and cloudy during the battle, while Yinu's stay the same.

I may be projecting. I was actually a child prodigy myself. I had a knack for my writing, and it was my greatest passion. My interactive imagination kept me distracted from the war my parents were fighting against each other. As a kid, I was never really their child. I was a weapon. A way for them to get at each other. I'd trail between houses, passing on messages and information they could use to slander one another, and I was rewarded for doing so by being shoved out the way and left to do what I wanted, while they paid no attention.

I used my imagination, my worlds, my characters, to escape my reality. To keep me company in my depressing solitude. To avoid forgetting them, I began to write them down. This was what got me the attention I so desperately craved. By 10 years old, only a year older than Yinu, I had published my first book in my local town. Finally, my parents were proud of me, so I kept going. I wrote until my hands were sore and fragile with blisters. I wrote until every page of my notebook was fuzzy from correcting my spellings.

It wasn't an escape anymore. It was a necessity. Something I had to do in order to be recognised. It wasn't fun anymore. It was no longer a way out.

As I got older, I began to matter less. I wasn't a smart child anymore. I was just a Person. I wasn't Somebody, I was just... Anybody. I found my parents stopped caring when I lost that spark again, and this time, I didn't get attention when I tried fixing that.

I see my own struggles in Yinu. The song she plays starts simple, and slow. Relaxed and full of passion. She finds herself completely in her element. But when her mother gets involved, her playing becomes more desperate. It gets faster and more tense, as her mother doesn't even consider putting her aside. A parent's normal reaction to her child being physically attacked by two adults would be to take the child away from the situation and make sure they're okay, but Yinu's mother just lifts her up, and tells her to keep playing.

Yinu obliges, and plays more determined than before, like she's terrified of letting her mother down. She constantly assures herself under her breath, and repeatedly mutters reminders to herself to keep her fingers curved as she focuses. In the next phase, Yinu and her mother have been repeatedly hit and injured, yet her mother still doesn't remove Yinu from the situation. Instead of being mad at the attackers for hurting her daughter, she yells at them for ruining her performance, as if that's the more important thing here. She destroys the walls around them, outraged, and orders Yinu to play even harder.

The song gets incredibly intense here, and it's here that you notice the piano fading out. At the start of the song, it was purely piano playing. But by this time, the piano is playing alongside EDM music, at just around the same volume. In the next phase, Yinu is knocked to the ground from a great height, and calls to her mother to catch her. But... she doesn't. She isn't caught, and alongside her piano, she crashes to the ground. Her mother doesn't even notice she's fallen and is hurt. She just completely ignores Yinu's cries, and focuses entirely on the destruction of the concert.

The song is almost completely EDM now. Yinu is out of frame, and it's the mother you're battling at the end. And even as Yinu sits alone on the ground, without looking at her at all, her mother just tells her not to stop playing no matter what. But despite Yinu's continued efforts, the piano barely shines through the techno anymore.

I should also mention the visuals. At the start of the fight, Yinu's mother was completely out of sight. Then, she poked her arm out of the curtain at the back of the stage to lift Yinu's piano out of range, but she remained out of sight. The curtain then gets moved, and she is now fully visible, but still further back in the dark than Yinu. After she rages and destroys the hall, she is very clear and visible, taking up a lot of the battlefield while Yinu is mostly out of frame of the camera. In the final phase, Yinu is no longer there, and her mother has completely taken over the battlefield.

First phase

Final phase

After defeating Yinu's mother, Mayday and Zuke prepare to celebrate their victory. But... they're interrupted. By Yinu, the one everyone involved forgot was part of this battle. She knocks the two off the giant rose they were standing on, and also probably their high horse. She's muddy, injured, roughed up, and still, her mother never asks her if she's okay. She doesn't even praise her for knocking them down by herself. She goes to nearly acknowledge it, saying "Yinu, my dear, you got them!", but that isn't actually praise. It's a mere acknowledgement, which she thinks is enough. And after saying that, she once again orders Yinu to play for her.

To which Yinu completely breaks. She finally loses her patience and just snaps, screaming that she hates them all, while slamming the piano keys in a burst of anger to triple the speed of before. But her outrage is still in beat. She still plays her song for her mother.

When our main characters get back up to her, and recklessly knock down the rose, Yinu plummets near to her death. She clings desperately to her piano, the one thing she has left of her father, but ultimately cannot hang on, and while she's protected from the fall by her mother, the piano is not, smashing into pieces as it hits the ground. And while she solemnly mourns this valuable part of who she is as a person, her mother STILL doesn't acknowledge it. She moves past Yinu and goes straight to yelling at Mayday and Zuke again, ready for another round of fighting without even checking on her daughter.

But Yinu stays strong. For herself, for her father, and for her mother. She feels she's the only one who can. And even when her piano is in pieces, her concert hall is destroyed, her appearance is tattered, and her injuries are stinging, she plays on. She just sits there. And keeps playing the song. Slow, and sad, like she's completely burnt out. But feels she's not allowed to quit, or she'll be letting her mother down.

This is when we cut back to the EDM detail. Because Yinu is not an EDM artist. The EDM, the unbearable fame, the place in government... it's all her mother. The EDM starts when her mother joins, and completely takes over when Yinu is no longer part of the battle. Only at the end does the piano come back, as Yinu steals back her own song from her mother's hands, and plays her classical music her style, with the Rock/EDM metre spiralling out of control, as the music now is neither of those genres. It is 100%, completely authentic, Yinu.

Holy shit. This whole sequence hits hard. From the desperate attempts to please her mother, putting up with the demands to keep playing no matter how hurt or stressed she is, only to break down and immediately get punished for it, and sadly go back to what she was doing before, because her rebellion resulted in her most treasured possession getting destroyed? Yinu is an incredibly tragic character. No child should have to put up with the grief, the pressure, the stress, and the burnout that she feels.

The activity that bonded her and her late father ended up being what ultimately hurts her, all because her mother couldn't process her own grief in her own way, and put her daughter at major risk because it stopped the hurting, instead of actually sitting down and talking with Yinu about the mourning and pain they both feel in their hearts.

I wish I'd had exactly what I want for Yinu. I wish my parents had talked to me about their separation. I wish they had figured out their issues and stopped feeling so angry at each other all the time, so they could live their separate lives in peace. I wish they had kept me out of their hatred for one another. I wish they had treated me like their child. I wish they'd loved me more than they hated each other. But they didn't. And I ended up alone, sadly writing this post, in the same way Yinu ended up sadly playing what's left of her piano in the ruins of her once polished, sparkling concert hall.

https://youtu.be/s1BEh5gZ90k?feature=shared

Here's a link to the song Yinu plays throughout the battle. Take a listen for yourself, and you'll see what I mean by the intensity growing, as the EDM takes over the classical more and more.

[yuzuyoon]

jimin has always been discredited, by hybe, armys and even his group mates.

i believe that everyone "accepted" that jk was the only one who received all the privileges, as if they “believed” that only he deserved it.

then along comes jimin, conquering records, attracting a huge audience and building the best solo fanbase, all by himself.

so i imagine the hatred and envy everyone feels because it's something like "i can't believe jimin is succeeding without any help 😡"

jimin is a quiet talent if that makes sense. he always does things humbly. i need him to get more greedy about things because once he does, he's gonna be getting all the attention and accolades. jimin has so much talent and skill but he's never showy with it (like jk is with his singing).

jimin really has been underappreciated. idc if he's the most popular member, he's actually the most underrated member and you can fight me on that

[astrowaffle]

Wow you guys really seemed to like the steampunk AU, that post got way more attention than I was expecting, so here's some more information and stuff:

-The world is still like a videogame that they got trapped in but now it’s a steampunk adventure-y type game with circus elements 

-The adventures are probably a bit different

-They’re probably more like, fantasy adventure video game style things with like puzzles and fighting? Idk I'm not a big gamer I've never actually played any steampunk video games. What are those like?

-Instead of circus tent, there is a big wagon thingy that I'll draw eventually

-there's still not much of a story and I'm not sure If there'll ever be

-I'd also kinda want to make some mini comics for this au but I suck at coming up with ideas :/

Pomni:  

-She likes to craft things

-friends with Gangle and Ragatha

-still very anxious but less anxious then normal Pomni?

-has a very logical mind and is good at puzzling things together but also doesn’t do well under pressure and typically panics in stressful moments where these skills might be useful

-She can play the flute because flutes are good, they are the best instrument. (I am totally not biased just because I play the flute in marching band)

-My headcanon for regular Pomni is that she’s less anxious than she initially is in the pilot after getting used to things, like, beyond the anxiety, her actual personality is very cheery and friendly, also very logical, because idk it just fits her somehow? So yea, that headcanon also applies to this au 

-but of course she is still an absolute nervous wreck because yes

-How else is she supposed to react in this situation

-also look at those fingerless gloves I want those

-the gears in her eyes turn when she is thinking

Gangle:

-Also likes crafting things

-friends with Pomni, Zooble, and Kinger

-she often borrows  sewing needles from Ragatha to sew her comedy mask back together when it’s torn, and also constantly tries to craft new ones

-She really likes her boots

-I don’t blame her those are some nice boots

-Ok wait a minute what if that little wing bow thingy on her head is actually a pen/quill that she can use to write stuff?

-ooooooh yes I like that

Caine: 

-✨monocle✨

-He can control the time of day with the clock that’s on his hat

-It’s a lot harder for him to heal injuries in this world, he can’t just instantly fix anything anymore it requires a bit more effort

-I’m doing this because I like when injury and pain and suffering

Bubble: um- idk it’s just bubble but now they’re a robot I guess

Kinger:

-ok but what if he had a collection of mechanical insects? Omg designing mechanical insects would be so fun-

-The clock that he wears is broken but he doesn’t notice. And Time is irrelevant anyways

-damn those gloves are fancy

-they probably feel really silky

-and his robe is also very silky because mmm good texture

Zooble:

-They are a robot now

-also a mechanic/inventor because nobody else is and somebody had to learn how to make new robot parts

-their right arm can go s t r e t c h

-bonds with Gangle over their hatred of Jax

-they’re also kinda protective over her

-I lowkey ship them (this ship is so underrated)

-No but seriously why do see zero art of this ship

- Zoob’s in denial about their feelings and still pretends not to care because they’ve had such a “I don’t give a shit about anything” attitude that suddenly developing feelings for someone has caught them off guard cause they suddenly are giving a shit about something and they don’t know how to handle it, But if Jax does anything to Gangle they will rush in to protect her in a heartbeat and just try to play it off as it just being because they don’t like Jax BUT WE ALL KNOW THE TRUTH ZOOBLE JUST CONFESS ALREADY-

-ok that got way too rambly let's just move on now

Jax:

-MY FAVORITE

-he likes shiny things

-He will collect those shiny things

-He also very fast because look at those LANKY RABBIT LEGS

-I mean technically that’s already cannon, did you see how fast he ran away after seeing abstracted kaufmo? He just z o o m e d outta there

-those keys on the chain are only a small portion of his collection

-his room is definitely full of weird steampunk knick knacks because yes

-He uses them to prank people

-the centipedes he has to scare/annoy Ragatha are mechanical

-I’m so excited to design mechanical centipedes I love bugs so much guys you have no idea I finally have an excuse to draw insects and maybe people will actually care because it’s fandom related now

-He does not like getting wet. At all. (this is also just a general headcanon for him but especially in this au)

-floofy

Ragatha:

-the seams of her fabric are prone to tearing so she always carries a needle and thread to sew herself back together. she's good at sewing

-My main headcannon for normal Ragatha is that her button eye is a parallel to an eye injury she had in real life before joining the circus, but in this AU she probably acquired the injury in this universe.

-she’s good at using tools and weapons but not in like, a mechanic sorta way like Zooble but in a defense sorta way

-like, she’s very kind and caring but also sorta tough and even though her body is good at falling apart, she knows how to use strategy to fight and um wait what would they even be fighting-

-idk I haven’t thought about that yet

-Gloinks?????

-do those exist in this au???

-wait it’s my au why am I asking this

-overall she is very, “tries to help everyone else and seems very tough on the outside but is prone to falling apart both physically and mentally but just gets good at quickly patching it up and ignoring it until it become too much for her to bear”

-pls help her she needs therapy

-they all need therapy

-I’m pretty sure we’ve all established that at this point

-but I’m just making sure you know that it’s still a consistent factor in this au

[nerdyenby]

Me making literally any two characters foils:

So Scott and Scar in secret life express love in opposite ways. All three of Scott’s lives were given willingly, the man lives and breathes sacrifice. He wants to see those he cares about succeed more than he cares about his own chances. He runs to Martyn, to Gem, and tells them to kill him. Scott has made it far enough too many times to have any illusion about how these games end. When he dies, he wants it to be not a tragedy but an act of love. His game has to end somehow, and it might as well be at the hands of his allies, giving them a parting gift to increase their odds however he can. Scar, on the other hand, hadn’t won before. While Scott often has the most dedicated and steadfast alliances in these games, Scar tends to end up alone. Scar, who is clumsy and is actively unbothered by jabs at his apparent incompetence, was never expected to make it this far. No one thought Scar would win, least of all himself. Being so consistently underrated with his skills often going unnoticed, he’s as surprised as anyone by him making it as far as he did. Still, it is largely because of his reputation as accident prone that Scar refuses charity. Pearl offers her life on a platter to him several times, but he adamantly refuses every time. Out of character, Scar tells her that he doesn’t want to win that much, not like that. If he’s going to win, it’s going to be by his own merit. Besides that, he won’t accept sacrifice on account of respect. He says to Pearl over and over again that she gets this far because she’s good at what she does, that she should be proud of that. Pearl deserves better than a lackluster sacrifice to someone who was barely even an ally earlier that same episode. She deserves to take it as far as she can, Scar refuses to get in the way of that, not unless he has to. When it comes down to the two of them, he was more than willing to fight as long as she fought back. Scar wasn’t going to tolerate Pearl sacrificing herself, out of both pride and admiration. But what if there was another factor as well? After all, Scar’s been on the other side of sacrifices before. The first winner of the series achieved as much largely due to Scar’s willingness to offer himself up. Scar had urged Grian to kill him as soon as they were both on red, but — just like Scar four seasons later — Grian refused. Instead of doing what Scar said and killing him then and there, the pair headed back home. They said their goodbyes, and leveled the playing field as much as possible. Regardless, Scar knew who had to win. Scar has always been a better fighter than anyone has given him credit for, if he had any desire to be the one left standing, he would have put up more of a fight. Instead, he took his time and pulled his punches while Grian mercilessly wailed on him. Grian wouldn’t accept a direct sacrifice, just like Scar refused with Pearl, but that doesn’t mean neither Scar nor Pearl had any plans of making it out alive. Looking back at Third Life, it’s hard to say if Scar regrets how he handled the final duel, if he wishes it had happened differently, but we know his and Grian’s relationship was never the same. Grian distanced himself from Scar, they always gravitated towards one another but Grian kept pulling away. Scar may not regret the way Third Life ended but Grian does, and Grian’s regret haunts Scar too.

[theamazingmaddyas]

Riordanverse characters who never interact in canon, yet I'm convinced they'd be best friends: A compiled list with explanations because I think about this way to often.

1) Georgina (Trials of Apollo) & Harley (Heroes of Olympus & Trials of Apollo)

There are four works in the Georgina & Harley tag on ao3, and all four have been written by me, that's how series I am about this friendship.

Firstly, I headcanon that the reason there's no year rounders during The Sun and The Star is because most of them decided to go to Waystation to attend school. Harley's eight in The Hidden Oracle and has already been at camp for at least a year and a half, minimum (as he's in the Hephaestus Cabin in The Lost Hero, and it's stated that no Hephaestus kid as come to camp in months before Leo), so why else would he all of a sudden not be a year rounder? He's certainly not staying to fight in the wars like some other demigods.

Now, back to Georgie and Harley. They're only a year apart, if that, and the other is probably the first person they've ever met close to their age, which would definitely spark friendship. Secondly, both of them have a sibling-like relationship with Leo (I almost started sobbing when Leo told Harley about how he was the one who helped him find his way back home in The Hidden Oracle, Leo and Harley are such an underrated sibling pair), which will bond them. And three, both are incredibly artistic and love building things. Just imagine Georgie and Harley drawing plans for the Waystation together? Adorable.

2) Kayla Knowles (Percy Jackson & Trials of Apollo) & Sadie Kane (Kane Chronicles)

They'd dye their hair together, chew bubblegum and eat lollypops, complain about their nerdy older brothers, and show off their skills to each other. They'd be an unstoppable duo.

3) Alex Fierro (Magnus Chase) & Lavinia Asimov (Trials of Apollo)

Queer kid with a designated color pallet, a non-common weapon, whom is incredibly artistic? You can't tell whether I'm talking about Alex or Lavinia (hint, it's both)

Match made in Elysium (or Valhalla in Alex's case). Lavinia would show Alex some simple tap steps, and Alex would show off her pottery skills, and teach some to Lavinia. Lavinia thinks Alex's garrote is the coolest thing ever, and Alex keeps petitioning for a manuballista fight in Valhalla. (Odin has not agreed yet, but Alex is not deterred in the slightest).

4) Kayla Knowles, Sadie Kane, Alex Fierro, & Lavinia Asimov

You're not surprised in the slightest, are you? These four make a deadly quartet of died hair, weapons, and bubblegum, and I adore them for it. As for why I did Kayla & Sadie and Lavinia & Alex seperately, it's because I think they'd be closest with their respectively friend pairing, but also they'd make a great friend group. I'm already in love.

5) Hazel Levesque (Heroes of Olympus & Trials of Apollo) & Butch Walker (Heroes of Olympus)

Intimidating son of a non-intimidating goddess and a non-intimidating daughter of an intimidating god. Also, they both adore horses, and I could totally see them hanging out in the Pegasus stables when Hazel's visiting Camp Half-Blood.

6) Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, & The Sun and the Star) & Blanche (Chalice of the Gods)

The second Child of Hades/Pluto & Child of Iris friendship??? But seriously, these two would be besties. Both only ever dress in monochromatic clothing, and Blanche is literally known for her ghost stories at camp and Nico is the Ghost King? Blanche would beg Nico to help her out with her photography—the Hades Cabin is literally her aesthetic to the tee, and she loves photographing dead things. Nico would summon a skeleton so she could photograph it on dead grass Nico accidently killed.

And if they did joint ghost stories? All I'm saying is they could charge an admission fee and the amphitheatre would still be full. (The effects they can do with Blanche's, well blanching, power, and Nico's shadow manipulating would go insane)

7) Piper McLean (Heroes of Olympus & Trials of Apollo) and Silena Beauregard (Percy Jackson)

They would be that sibling pair at camp, and it's such a horror that we never got to experience it.

Silena would help Piper tap into her more feminine side, and show her that not all femininity is bad—which Piper has a lot of trauma revolving—and I think would help Piper come to terms with her feelings for Jason and her queerness a lot faster than it actually happened, because Silena would help her talk through it instead of bottling it up. (Besides, Silena knows all about crushing on boys and girls *cough* Beckendorf and Clarisse *cough*).

In turn, I think Piper would help Silena with her fighting skills and strength. Yes, Silena has Clarisse, but Clarisse is a hit hard and don't back down fighter, while Piper would be more patient, which is what Silena would need. Also, they both know what it's like to be manipulated and have to make choices about whether or not their friends and family will live or die, and that's a common ground for them both.

8) Nico di Angelo & Mitchell (Heroes of Olympus)

This is solely because of the fic, Gurrlfriend by Erikthonius on ao3. Honestly, if you've read that, you'd understand where I'm coming from. I don't have any other evidence besides that.

There will probably be more where this came from!

[david-talks-sw]

why do so many people hate on Mace Windu?

'Cause he's too much of a badass for them to handle! Jokes aside, this is a subject I came across a few times. If I had to guess why?

1. "Mace was a jerk to Anakin!"

A lot of people see Mace as "always being antagonistic towards Anakin". When - if you look at the facts - that's not really true.

In Episode I, sure, Mace initially votes to not let Anakin into the Jedi Order. But shortly after, when it's put to a vote a second time, Yoda is the only one still not wanting Anakin to join.

Implying... that Mace was cool with it!

Hell, there's even a non-canon comic that covered this, with Windu actually arguing letting Anakin into the Jedi Order against Yoda because he thinks Anakin will bring Balance to the Force.

In the comic, he also suggests giving Qui-Gon’s lightsaber to Anakin.

In Episode II, he's actually defending Anakin. He and the Council are confident in Anakin's ability to have his first solo mission, praising Anakin's skills and - in a deleted scene - even reminding Obi-Wan to have more faith in his Padawan.

Finally, in Episode III, at a first glance, it looks like Mace is indeed written in a way that makes him antagonistic to Anakin (the same Anakin who turns to the Dark Side in the same film, so maybe his instincts weren't so off after all...)

A lot of people say "he says he doesn't trust Anakin!" and I've already covered what that's really about here:

TLDR: he says he doesn't trust Anakin when he's 1) on a secret mission 2) with Palpatine. Which makes sense, because Anakin isn't exactly subtle and he has an emotional attachment toward Palpatine who everyone can see has Anakin wrapped around his finger.

Also, if you wanna count it... the novelization of Revenge of the Sith justifies this by the unbearable stress he is under.

A stress due to the Clone War and his whole Order being drafted into being warriors when they're supposed to be diplomats, thus causing hundred if not friends of his comrades to die (and don't even get me started on how hard the loss of clone lives must weigh on him).

Jedi of the Republic: Mace Windu writer Matt Owens seems to echo this sentiment:

"The Jedi are like atomic bombs: they have so much power, but they really don’t want to use it. Mace is a masterful warrior who doesn’t relish fighting. Such use of his power goes against his code, but if he doesn’t use it, what will become of the Republic? As a member of the Jedi Council, he is under pressure because he is a leader. He’s forced into an uncomfortable situation where he is doing something he doesn’t entirely agree with for what he believes is ultimately the greater good. But he has to be sure of himself because he has so many others looking to him for direction." - Matt Owens, Star Wars Insider Special Edition, 2021

So it's not personal toward Anakin at all, but Anakin's whining and making it all about himself certainly isn't relieving the stress.

But hey, let's suppose he is a dick to Anakin in Episode III (he's not, but let's go along with it).

That's still one movie out of three. So if there's a change in attitude toward Anakin from Attack of the Clones to Revenge of the Sith...

... what spurred it?

What event would make Mace go from telling Obi-Wan to have faith in Anakin to having him be adversarial toward him?

It would've been nice to see that in an episode from The Clone Wars, which partially exists to fill in the gaps between AOTC and ROTS.

I mean, was there a time where, for example, Anakin prioritized saving Ahsoka over a bunch of people in a building, leaving Mace to do it himself?

Still, we get moments between them, and they're not all negative:

They have fun banter, at times, right? But then we hear Dave Filoni say that Mace had an issue with Anakin from day one.

"You see, Mace Windu’s the guy that tells little Anakin ‘no, he will not be trained’. You cut to Anakin and he’s like, ‘What??’ There’s this look on Anakin’s face like, 'I’m gonna remember that, you’re a negative, why are you doing that?’ So you have to look at it, the Jedi are - though they mean really well for Anakin – they’re always telling him 'no’. They’re always saying 'no, you’ll be expelled, you’ll have to leave the Jedi Order’. [...] So when you get to that point-- all these things I’m talking about get you to that point where Palpatine’s on the ground and Mace Windu has a lightsaber at his throat and he’s saying “he’s the traitor”. So Anakin’s there and he’s choosing between the guy that’s always told him “no” - that, while he respects him and [Mace’s] not a mentor, but he’s a fellow Jedi - and the father figure [of Palpatine] who holds the key possibly to immortality and you saving this person you love in Padmé." - Dave Filoni, Rebel Force Radio, Star Wars Fan Days III, 2009

So... I honestly don't know who to listen to.

If we're meant to see Mace as "negative toward Anakin" then the episodes failed to convey that properly.

If we're not, then why is Dave Filoni saying the above?

Same thing goes for the recently-published novel Brotherhood, written by Mike Chen.

Like, I want to give the novel the benefit of the doubt and say "yeah, but we're only seeing Mace through Anakin's eyes, so of course the opinion is biased and exaggerated." But then I hear Mike Chen say stuff like this...

"And, like, [Anakin’s] constantly pulled in every direction and the finally, when you go from that to Revenge of the Sith where it’s like “hey, my wife is going to die unless I listen to my cool uncle, who has never been mean to me” and then you have Mace Windu who’s like “TAKE A SEAT, SKYWALKER!” y’know, it’s like who’re you gonna listen to? It really makes sense, it feels very organic, from that perspective." - Mike Chen, Beyond the Blast Doors, 2021

... and it's clear my arguing "unreliable narration" would just be me expressing a headcanon.

2. "Mace represents everything wrong with the Jedi"

Then, another argument I heard once is that he embodies everything wrong with the Jedi Order. As said in this comment here:

Wow, that's a whole bunch of hate hurled in Mace's direction.

Also inaccurate.

The fact is, Mace is - like most Jedi - a space shaolin/buddhist monk. He's incredibly wise and spiritual as heck. But when it comes to it, he's a no-bullshit kind of guy, especially when considering the Jedi being forced into a war.

As Samuel L. Jackson put its:

"Mace is a voice of reason. He thinks before he speaks. He's pretty calculating, mostly even-tempered, and he's not to be trifled with. He knows that the war is coming and he has a pretty good idea who is behind it. [...] Mace Windu has known Obi-Wan Kenobi for a very long time. Mace was a contemporary of Qui-Gon Jinn. He understood his faults and admired his qualities and can see that Obi-Wan has taken on some of Qui-Gon's strongheadedness by wanting to train Anakin Skywalker." - Samuel L. Jackson, as reported in Star Wars Insider: The Skywalker Saga Collector’s Edition, 2021

That doesn't mean Mace isn't compassionate or empathetic. On the contrary:

Here’s Mace taking down a criminal who was using child soldiers.

See that teenager who shoots at him in the final panels? At the end of the comic, he tries to have her freed.

Then, here’s Mace going out of his way to save a Twi'lek girl.

And this post, right here, lists a ton of examples of Mace putting others before himself in The Clone Wars.

Oh, you wanna go Legends? Let's go Legends.

Here’s Mace before and after saving an old lady from thugs.

Here’s Mace being kind to a starving Sith worshipper who tried to start a mob to kill them, choosing talk and mercy over violence.

Here's Mace praising Anakin!

One time, Obi-Wan almost died on a mission. Mace stayed by Anakin's side the whole time Obi-Wan was undergoing surgery.

Here’s Mace calmly agreeing to disagree with a Jedi who thinks the Order shouldn’t have joined the Clone War.

Hell, here’s Mace being nice to animals.

Mace Windu embodies everything right about the Jedi Order.

3. Misc "arguments"...

A number of silly, small things I hear sometimes:

"Oh he called her 'citizen' what an asshole!" He refers to her the same way she referred to herself. Ahsoka's been gone for months she doesn't have context and letting her into the fold in that particular instant would spell disaster. It's not personal, Mace even gives her a respectful nod before the call ends.

Then there's:

"Mace never apologized for the way the Council treated Ahsoka!" Because Plo Koon apologized on behalf of the whole Council.

“You have OUR most humble Ahsoka.” Plural. He’s speaking for all of them, nobody contradicts him, thus showing they agree. It’s a 22-minute TCW episode, they’re not gonna have each Council member apologize individually. It’s common sense. I'd also hazard that the "this was your real trial" line lingered from the first draft of the script as originally, Ahsoka didn't leave the Order at the end of "The Wrong Jedi" and prolly got promoted to Jedi Knight.

Also:

"Mace Windu once believed himself to be the Chosen One, he was jealous of Anakin!"

Uh... I'm just gonna post this one again...

Then there's this one I read which just made me cringe:

*sigh*

Yeah that TOTALLY sounds like something Mace “You Can’t Kill The Zillo Beast 'Cause It’s An Innocent Living Creature” Windu would do.

Intentionally leading his Jedi brothers to slaughter is so typical Mace “Get The Men To Safety While I Risk My Life For Them” Windu behavior.

So, why do some fans not like him?

I honestly dunno.

The only other reason I can think of (like the other Jedi, he's not as flawed as Anakin, some see him and the Jedi as holier than thou, he's nothing like Luke Skywalker) is explored more in detail here: