#how can she explain kid?

[fortheloveofkiller]

Caldia wasn’t quite ready to explain her current life situation to Vinn…

[steddiealltheway]

Something that is canon in my mind that I forget to tell people:

The reason why Steve can’t get bitches in his Scoops Ahoy era is because there’s a rumor going around that he’s gay (probably because someone caught him hooking up with Eddie)

[buggiebite]

Long Day at School

Daddy! Peeta makes my heart melt. Figured everyone needed some of him to withstand the winter.

[tequiilasunriise]

When Steph and Cass get married they don’t take the last name Brown (Daddy Issues™️) or Cain (Daddy Issues Prime™️) or even Wayne (Steph absolutely REFUSES to become a Wayne nosirree), but a secret fourth thing (Gordan).

[dykedvonte]

Mini rant below and in the tags, the only time I’ll talk about this and my personal take on it.

The way people talk about hypothetical male Anya on Twitter and the idea of how Mouthwashing would play out if the genders were swapped makes me remember how people still don’t take sexual assault and rape with male victims with the same gravity, especially when the perpetrator is female.

[rizaposting]

been thinking a lot about my royai kid ideas lately but i don't think a lot of people will like them because i don't name the kid after maes lol

[redysetdare]

I think maybe instead of always defending Caryn Pines as "the good parent" there should be more discussion about how she also could've been abusive to an extent, just in a different way than Filbrick.

[hauntingblue]

Last arcane episode ever..... here we fucking go....

[princemick]

just had a test with a graduating class which counts for 12.5% of their final grade and that might have been one of the most emotionally taxing 2 hrs in recent history

[recurring-polynya]

if i were a hisagi stan i would just keep drawing fanart of him with kazeshini's chains attached to his wallet until i got bullied off the internet

[nerime]

my coworkers are being turbo transphobic and literally refuse to listen to answers to questions they fucking ask argh!!! I can just tell you!!! I can just answer you!!!!! I have answers!!! to the ridiculous questions you ask in a mocking way!!!! if you listen for one second I can just fucking explain!!!! 😡😭😡😭

[bunnyboy-juice]

im shaky, im nauseous, but it is done

[silviakundera]

Haha I also used the dickless bore. I thought that only the two main characters came back didn't know he did as well. I still don't buy him ever being into her but that's just me I do wonder if he's going to try and kill her again. I do think Li Rong is treating him too well for my liking she should at least treat hit similarly or worse than she treated ML I want to see wet paper towel non stop suffer.

on one hand, imo a SRQ who is heartless doesn't work for the story the writer is trying to share with us. On the other hand, it's totally ok to decide to be a full-time hater towards a minor character, just because it's fun. I support haters! 🎉 \o/ 🎉

One thing that I think is relevant when comparing LR's reactions: if PWX had killed her, the motive would have been as part of his mission to have his childhood love Qin Zhenzhen's son become the next emperor. (Remember, he came over to threaten her life over that right before she died and called his ex Zhenzhen lmao) THE AUDACITY. In contrast, LR is viewing her murder at SRQ's hands as part of the revenge plan for the Su family's execution.

Some passages of Li Rong's POV:

After a few moments, she whispered: “Where did the scent on you come from?”

“If I say it, you might be upset.” Pei Wenxuan’s eyes had a hint of gloating at others’ pain.

Li Rong thought for a while and frowned, “Su Rongqing?”

“Yes.”

...Li Rong said nothing. She blankly stared into the fire.

Pei Wenxuan turned the fish over and looked at her with a smile, seemingly quite happy. Li Rong found that he had a fearless, unabashed look of enjoying a good play and couldn’t help but be a little fazed.

She believed everything Pei Wenxuan said.

---

Su Rongqing was someone that she saved with her own hands.

That year, Prince Su rebelled, and Su Rongqing’s elder brother spoke up for Prince Su. Later on, he was falsely accused of colluding with Prince Su, implicating the Su clan with treason.

At that time, Li Chuan was so furious that he fainted. He put the entire Su clan in prison without going through the Joint Trial of Three Divisions first and put the men to death and the women into exile. She disagreed with this decision and rushed to beg Li Chuan before the Su clan received their sentence. After being subjected to ten planks, with Pei Wenxuan’s intervention, she was finally able to ask for amnesty for the Su clan.

Even if the death sentences can be forgone, it was impossible to escape punishment while still alive. Even though the men of the Su clan could live, they would be subjected to castration. The others couldn’t bear the humiliation, so they all committed suicide in prison. When she arrived, there was only one man “desperate for life and afraid of death” left among the men of the Su clan, Su Rongqing.

At that time, she had told Su Rongqing that she saved him without the intention of asking him to repay her. She could give him silver and a position, so that he could continue to live a good life in the future.

Back then, she didn’t have any special feelings towards Su Rongqing. It was just that he had saved her before, so after he took care of her, bit by bit, she felt grateful, and…vague sentiments towards him.

For the most part, she sought to save the Su clan for Li Chuan and her own conscience. The Su clan was a prominent, noble family. It was difficult for her to sit back and watch if they died in such an ambiguous manner.

At that time, Su Rongqing refused to go.

...It wasn’t that she had never thought that Su Rongqing would not take revenge on her. After all, it was Li Chuan who ordered all the men of the Su clan to be beheaded and exiled all the female family members. It was impossible for anyone to forget this blood feud, let alone the formerly first and most outstanding gongzi of that year?

For so many years, she had never dared to give him real authority, observing him and guarding against him while still trying to help him live a better life. She couldn’t actually kill him because of her own conscience, but she couldn’t actually trust him and give him power.

In the end, he still decided to act. He killed her first, then successfully took her authority in the name of eliminating Pei Wenxuan. If she guessed correctly, he would not leave with the advisors. Instead, he would borrow the excuse of taking revenge for her and enforcing the will of the people to join forces with the Empress, assist Li Xin in ascension, and fight to the death against the remnants of Pei Wenxuan’s faction.

...

She had anticipated this possibility from the moment she took Su Rongqing in, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit regretful when it actually happened.

[softquietsteadylove]

Just Gil causally cracking some bones because they dared to slap Thena

AU is free to choose :)

"Oh, come on."

Gil shared the sentiment. He pulled the truck over, already bracing himself for whatever trouble was about to take place. He was sure they were just drunk kids partying, but sometimes that was the worst kind of citation to give.

Thena walked ahead, as the White Wolf would. They were almost at the end of their perimeter check and on their way back home when they spotted the fire through the trees. It wasn't in a particularly big clearing, the fire was way too large for the wildfire regulations of the state. And every once in a while it would surge, and it was definitely because they were tossing liquor onto the flames for fun.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Who the hell are you?!" Thena snarled right back at them. She walked into their little bonfire, happily knocking over an abandoned camping chair and a few bottles on her way. "Anyone want to tell me why you have a fire the height of a tool shed built in the middle of the damn woods?"

"Fuck off, Tomb Raider, it's open land, we can camp where we want."

Gil grimaced. So, this was going to go even worse than he expected. He attempted to inject some reason into the conversation. "Look, guys, the fire is way too big, it's a hazard. It's not a properly dug fire pit, or raised off the ground."

"Oh, sorry Sparky," another of the young men laughed at them. They weren't slurring their words but they were clearly far from sober. "I didn't realise the cops get called on people just trying to have a good time."

"We're not cops, guys, we're the fire department," he frowned, crossing his arms at them. "We don't care if you're walking around with booze or smoking anything. What we care about is you not setting the entire area on fire in the dry season."

"Oh yeah?" a particularly cocky, particularly mouthy one stood up from a log. He tossed his lit cigarette - at least, Gil thought it was a cigarette - on the ground (literally after he was just told to put it out properly!). He sauntered over to them, bottle of whiskey in hand. "If you're firefighters, doesn't that mean you're public servants? My tax dollars pay your fuckin' salary!"

"Our salary has nothing to do with your rich daddy," Thena snapped at him, pushing him back from Gil and into a position where it was harder to ignore her again.

"Hey, you're not allowed to touch me!"

"Oh, really?" she drawled, picking at his button up shirt - why would he wear that camping - and then his baseball cap and then just giving him a pat on the cheek. It was lighter than a slap but harder than something one would call affectionate. "Every single one of you needs to pack it up. If you're still here by the time we come back with the hose, you're getting sprayed."

"Won't that, like, kill us?"

"If only I could be so lucky," she rolled her eyes at them. She walked towards the other two, examining the scene. "We may not be cops, but you might not want to be caught with this amount of liquor. What if mummy and daddy discover what their precious little angels are up to?"

"We didn't-"

"Clean it up!" she snapped at them.

But they weren't high school kids, they were easily in college, maybe even graduated. And Gil didn't like the looks on their faces. He rolled his shoulders, drawing his posture up. "Seriously, guys, I don't want to have to come back and turn you over to actual cops."

The other two looked at their ring leader. Their complacency had limits, it seemed, but he didn't exactly tell them to stand up and fight his battle like little minions.

Thena walked past him again, and Gil had to admit he watched the guy closely. He didn't like the vibe any of them had, especially that one. He put his hands in his pockets, ready to get back in the truck.

"Hey, Snow White?"

"What did you-!"

Gil felt as if he'd heard a gunshot. The slap had a real crack to it, because the bastard hadn't held anything back. He looked happy about it, too--proud of himself. For...slapping a woman across the face.

He laughed as Thena stumbled back, blinking through the shock of it. "If you can touch me I don't see why I can't do the same. Don't say I'm not a feminist, because I'm not gonna go easy on you just for being pretty."

Thena recovered quickly, she moved her tongue around in her mouth and spit after probably nipping her tongue with her teeth from the impact. She glared at him. "And they say chivalry is dead."

"Come on, man."

"Yeah, let's just leave."

Gil ignored the other two. His only problem was this motherfucker. He walked over to him calmly. He had to be calm. His chest was burning but he controlled his breathing as he went over and picked the guy right up off the ground.

"What're-"

His little friends yelped as Gil slammed the guy down into the dirt. It was soft forest floor, he was fine; he couldn't be unconscious yet. Gil grasped his shirt again, lifting his head up before bouncing it off the ground like a ball.

"Hey," Gil leaned in, snapping his fingers in front of his dazed eyes. "Stay with me, Sleeping Beauty. Pay attention."

The guy just groaned, barely holding it together.

Gil picked him up again, adjusting him a few times until he could stand on his feet. "You think it's funny to slap a woman?"

The self proclaimed 'feminist' attempted to mumble something, but it was completely incoherent. It was honestly a total coin toss whether it was an apology or something that would just piss him off more.

Gil grabbed the front of his shirt again, making sure his head wasn't wobbling around when he spoke to him. "If I ever see you again, I'm gonna rip your little bobble head right off your scrawny shoulders."

Gil wound all the way back, landing an open palm slap that felt like it shook the trees. His little buddies were silent, unable to even freak out. Gil tested the kid's balance but he might have fainted from the slap. He shook him.

A few of the bones in his ear might have been damaged from that.

But Gil huffed. When his eyes opened again he let go of him. He stumbled and then fell over, trying to drag himself anywhere that might be safe.

"L-Listen, we're sorry, okay? We'll clean all this up!"

"We'll put out the fire! You'll never see us again!"

Weren't so complacent now, now were they? Gil rolled his eyes. He watched as they put an arm each over their shoulders to drag their positively incapacitated friend away.

"Anything else, buddy?" Gil leaned in for the final word from the man of the hour. His head was dangling and he was trying to mumble something again, although the side of his face was swelling rapidly. "Wassat? I can't hear you!"

"He said he's sorry!"

"Very sorry!"

Thena stepped aside as they rushed him away, she was assuming to the designated area for parking up the trail slightly. "Should we be letting them drive anywhere?"

"I'll call them an ambulance," Gil shrugged, pulling out they keys that had fallen out of their new friend's pocket when he was on the ground. He tossed them to her, "he's probably a little concussed."

She chuckled, examining the keychain, featuring their very expensive alma mater and the logo of the luxury car brand in question. "I'm not going to thank you for the knight in shining armour act. If you hadn't have knocked his lights out I might have given it a go."

"Sorry to deny you," he smiled halfheartedly. He knew that Thena wasn't the type to shy away from a fight, and that she wouldn't think it was helpful for him to lose it on a bunch of spoiled brats over it. But he scowled anyway.

She made a face as he just barely brushed the tips of his fingers over her cheek. "I'm fine."

"It's swollen," he corrected. He could still recall it perfectly, replaying it in a morbid and horrific way since the second it happened. The wind up, the glee on that asshole's face. The way Thena's silhouette against the fire was so much smaller than his.

She shrugged, testing the damage for herself with her own palm. "So I'll have a cold one when we get home. By tomorrow, it won't even matter."

By tomorrow she would have a bruise, and Gil wondered if this anger in him was really going to go away just like that. He wasn't usually the angry type, but he couldn't just let something like this slide.

"Thanks," she said more quietly, nudging his arm with the back of her hand. She slipped her hands into her pockets as she started in the direction of the truck. "I know you were just being sweet."

He sighed. If that was how she wanted to think of it, then he wouldn't stop her. But sure, what he thought was a completely natural response could be chivalry if she was used to living with wild animals.

Thena was already on the radio, ordering medical assistance to their location. Gil dragged his feet behind her until he could pull himself up into the truck cabin as well. "I suppose we should wait until we're sure those morons get picked up."

"I guess," Thena said lightly. And he knew damn well it was her way of saying they didn't have to rush home. If she was in pain, there was no way she was going to show it that easily. It simply wasn't her style.

"Y'know, if your boys hear about this they'd be just as pissed as I am," Gil muttered in his own defense. And smiled, because it did get a laugh out of her.

"My boys are just as bad as you are. But they would know better than to step in for me," she gave him a pointed look. He shrugged and attempted a cute smile. She rolled her eyes at him and settled into her seat more comfortably. "You fellas have too much sympathy in you. But a swift kick in the nuts always does the job for me."

Well, he could definitely agree that it was deserved, in this case.

[creativity-deficient]

Soooo what are y’all’s hcs on the Tweak family 🤔🤔🤔

[imminent-danger-came]

I love reading your tags- especially when theres just even MORE info dumping there.

The least favorite character ask made me giggle a bit, "This character that appeared for a single episode is actually pretty cool. And this character is really awesome in this particular context. But ALSO I really like this character with very little actual screentime."

You‘re absolutely right though! Characters whose only purpose is to fill a particular role are chosen really well too! Like the Host Girl; sure, she doesn’t really have a personality or anything, but she doesn’t NEED to have one. As you said, she‘s collateral damage. She gives us more insight to Wukong, she shows us just how ruthless he can be. He‘s willing to kill the epitome of innocence: A child. A defenseless little girl with a cutesy voice, who was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

(It‘s also worth a mention that, contrary to Wukong, she revealed a softer side of Macaque. Not to the extent the fandom built it up, but in an arguably more meaningful way. He‘s worried/feels bad for a total stranger. Even if it was only a concerned look, she once again gave us a deeper insight to a member of the main cast.)

And the characters with less focus either have really genuine interactions (Yellow Tusk with Azure) that just endear you to them, or they drop a banger line (like the Jade Emperor) before their purpose is fulfilled.

Nothing wrong with being a plot device if it‘s done well!

This wasn‘t really much of an ask rather than me rambling. Sorry.

I welcome rambles in my ask box! Half of you that show up in my ask box could just write your own analysis posts.

And you're also totally right! There isn't anything wrong with characters that are there just to function as plot devices. Sometimes a child is there just to be a child, and that's all they need to be. I think I feel this way about Megapolis (a name for the city that hasn't even been mentioned in show). Like it's a city filled with innocent people, it's MK & the Gang's home, and that's all it kinda needs to be tbh. LMK has to be extremely tight with what it chooses to focus on because of time constraints, and it does that well. When it comes down to it, focusing on the characters/plot is more important than focusing on the setting (which I think debatably wouldn't contribute much anyways—like we don't need more of a reason to care about the city, you know?).

I have this same opinion when it comes to the Demon Bull Family, which may be an unpopular take, but the truth is that a lot of their development happened off-screen. After ROTSQ and until we see them again in 3x06, it's clear that there have been positive changes between Red Son and his parents. I think I've seen some folk want Red Son to cut off his parents entirely, but that kinda goes against the core of his character. Part of Red Son's appeal for me is his complete devotion to his family despite their flaws (saving them in ROTSQ and EYD, attempting to save them in 4x09). Red Son and Princess Iron Fan only ever wanted world domination because that's what DBK wanted, and after that failed—they gave up. They hit the bricks. Red Son then started a food business with his dad (jealous of MK and Pigsy's noodle shop mayhaps?), and I think it's telling that DBK would even agree to do that to begin with. DBK and PIF's disregard of Red Son may not be acknowledged in the way people want, and I get that, but it's not that it didn't happen. I'd say there's another jump in their development between the end of 3x14 and the beginning of 4x09, where the fact that DBK calls out for Red Son as he gets taken away shows a closeness between them that we hadn't seen before. It's also clear that DBK has grown past the person who only wanted to create the world in his own image, chastising Azure Lion:

Demon Bull King: "How many times must you be struck down chasing this same foolish dream?"

(4x09 Roast of the Monkie Kids)

-

(Plus "This pursuit of yours has warped your mind brother—it is the only reason I could imagine that you would have the nerve to assault my home and harm my family!" echoing PIF in 1x10 "Come to your senses, this power has poisoned your mind!"; Azure unreasonably considers DBK a traitor like DBK had unreasonably considered Red Son a traitor, etc.)

DBK, unlike plenty of other antagonists in LMK (Spider Queen, LBD, and Azure specifically), learned to stop and accept the world as it was. He failed as a conqueror, but he still had his family, and he could try and not fail as a father for his "half-baked son"—or that's how I interpret DBK anyhow.

((I also want to bring up the fact that DBK didn't dare use the Samadhi Fire ring he had to power himself up with Red Son's furnace in AHIB. Like, even the Mr. Bull King has some restraint—there are prices too great to pay for the world, hence why he gave up on world domination after 1x10, when he almost killed his wife and son.))

To me it makes the Demon Bull Family feel like characters that exist outside of MK & the Gang, and can grow/change even when they're not on screen with our main characters, and I think that's cool. We also legitimately didn't have time for anything else.