#i have a love hate relationship with that arc

[eeriepromis]

Caleb Drama & Hypocrisy

[I originally posted this on the official subreddit but I'm not sure if it will get approved by the mods there. The servers are currently down too. - UPDATE: It did not. Flagged as hostile and uncivil instead which it is NOT.]

I want to have a civil, constructive conversation about something that’s been bothering me and many others in the community: There’s been a lot of hate directed at Caleb & Caleb girlies (even before his official release) and it’s only getting worse now that his limited Myth is coming out. This isn’t about “not liking a character.” Everyone is entitled to that. This is about the ongoing hostility, mod bias (not reddit, if you know you know), and the double standards we’re seeing everywhere.

People are saying Caleb “stole” Sylus' wings theme or question why he already has a kiss in his myth. That’s … not how any of this works. The writers and artists literally work on all the characters. There is no such thing as one character “stealing” a theme from another. That’s like arguing over who’s allowed to wear capes in a fantasy setting.

Saying his myth kiss happened “so early” compared to the other LI's ignores the fact that Caleb and MC have a long-established relationship, unlike others who were strangers. (except Zayne who also had a kiss) Of course their development may look different. I'm not even able to enjoy that kiss since it's full of pain and despair - right before both of them literally seem to explode.

Caleb fans had to wait over a year, watching everyone else get content, CGs, story chapters, and celebrations - and yet we’re the ones being called entitled?

The hypocrisy is wild. People say “you have to watch Sylus’ Myth to understand him” (his actions) - And I agree! Sylus has a complex story. He made MC shoot him in the chest, brought her to an EVER scientist because he couldn’t resonate with her, wanted him to experiment on her which could have mutilated her Evol, and still - we are told to give him grace because his Myth explains it. And it does! He’s layered and ultimately loves MC deeply.

But you know what?

So is Caleb.

Caleb isn’t some manipulative monster. [here and here's why] He’s a character who went through trauma, experimentation, isolation, (in his CURRENT life) and still chose to sacrifice himself to survive and protect MC [db4sylus explained it here] - and even fights against a command to kill MC in the new Myth. His Myth and main story arcs are full of nuance - but most people stopped watching at his Main Story and judge him from there. How is that fair? (remember that without context it would be so easy to accuse Rafayel as a seriel k*iller, Xavier as a cheater, Zayne as rude and Sylus as a cruel kidnapper)

The same thing happens with Xavier, who gets called “boring” or “plain” - when in reality, he's anything but boring or plain - and ready to make morally gray decisions and be ruthless. [Has the Light Vanished?] (also let's not forget his *intense* freakiness. It's always the quiet ones guys)

Or Zayne, who’s called robotic, vanilla and cold, even though his Myth is (also) one of the most heartbreaking love stories in the game and used to be happy and warm - but something broke and cursed him. [Snowfall Embrace] - [Fractal Library Analysis] (whispers brat tamer)

Or Rafayel, constantly reduced to “bratty” or “dramatic,” when outside of MC he’s deeply guarded, serious, and vengeful. He’s only vulnerable with her. [Rafayel suffered a lot.] (so poetic, so incredibly deep, thoughtful and introspective.)

Sylus also is misinterpreted all the time even by his own fans as some ultra toxic red flag (I've seen some disturbing fanfics) Because there are those people who actually are into psychos and that kinda fantasies. [kiti_kiwi explained him beautifully] He is actually such a hopeless romantic and softie for MC - so very open for all her whims. (cough brat enabler cough)

Having those fantasies is alright, don't want to shame you (I don't really care tbh) - but some truly think those are canon to the characters; and that's where the issues lie.

If you’re going to hold one LI to a standard of deeper context, that should apply to all of them.

Every single love interest in this game has a duality. That’s literally the point. They are written to be flawed, complicated, and deeply in love with MC. They would never truly harm her. Everything they do - no matter how misguided (and there are truly worse fictional characters in other media) - is to protect her. That’s what they live for. (true giga simps my babies are *nods*)

So why is this fandom so divided and hostile all the time?

I love all the LIs. I started playing this game for the lore and story, not the romance. (it is my first otome and I am demi so there's that) But what I’m seeing right now (people refusing to engage with canon content, inventing toxic headcanons, and spreading hate from surface-level takes) isn’t criticism. It’s misinformation and targeted bullying that are also misleading new players.

You don’t have to like Caleb. You don’t have to main him. But please stop punishing the people who do. We waited over a year for him. And we deserve to enjoy him in peace. If you don't like others spreading misconceptions about your LI - then don't do it yourself to other LI's.

I also think some people in this fandom seriously underestimate how much Caleb girlies are actually going through - and how much hate, judgment, and bias we face daily across multiple platforms. Not just mild disagreements - I'm talking about accusations that are deeply personal and honestly crossing the line.

We’ve been called in*est apologists.

We’ve been told we love “red flags” and psychos (it's okay if you DO, but not if you are accused of it because of misconceptions)

and there must be something seriously wrong with us.

We’ve been mocked, ridiculed, tone-policed, and banned in places where every other LI Main has been allowed to thrive. It’s not just tiring - it’s isolating. (To be clear: I'm not talking about this subreddit!)

And yet - despite all of that? The Caleb channel in the Discord became a safe haven. More like a lads-general that accepts and understands Caleb but is also so very open to gush over every LI with open arms and every girlie. I’ve met Caleb fans (even Mains of other LI) who love him for wildly different reasons. Some are drawn to his protectiveness. A lot of us are the eldest daughters, so they like to be the ones to be cared for for once (to be free of all the responsibilities and expectations of others) and Caleb is so very good at caring. Some adore his teasing and flirty softness. (his VA makes it all sound SO authentic!) Some love his character design and uniform. Some see themselves. (the Millennial vibe, the responsibility, the yearning for freedom) And his cooking is always yearned for!

I'm also one of those who were worried about his portrayal in the new Main Story Arc at his release. That part was suffocating. It was hard to watch and play through. I'm not into yanderes or psychos at all. I didn’t enjoy it. It wasn’t what I wanted for him at all. (I'm also not into his Colonel uniform, sorry my fellow pipsqueaks xD but I know he hates it too.) At least Sylus had the twins as comedic relief *cries internally* And guess what? That’s okay.

What mattered was that I kept reading. I followed his entire arc - his Myth, his Anecdotes, his Bond Story, his Moments. And what I found was a character who made sense. (just like all the others) Who was still trying, still loving, still fighting against the worst parts of his world and himself - for her.

But that part? The part where we explain why we do see the nuance? The part where we talk about how we don’t excuse the red flags, but understand where they come from? It gets ignored. Every time.

This isn’t about defending toxic characters. It’s about wanting the same space to enjoy complexity as every other LI community has already been granted. And being tired of having to justify our existence in a fandom that’s supposed to be about love, choice, and story.

So before you assume Caleb fans are “into red flags,” (not denying there are a few, just like some Sylus girlies too tbh) maybe talk to a few of us if you don't understand. Ask why we like him. Listen when tell our reasonings instead of just dismissing them because they don't fit your context-lacking headcanon narrative. Respect that his arc, like every other LI’s, is layered, painful, and intentional.

We aren’t asking to be everyone’s favorite. We’re asking to exist without being attacked for it.

Please, let’s stop the "he-said-she-said" hate cycle. Let people enjoy what they love. That’s what fandom is supposed to be. Love, create and evolve together. (and angst together. totally angst together.)

I don’t care if you don’t like Caleb. That’s valid. Not every LI is for everyone. But the constant policing, mockery, and moral grandstanding aimed at fans who do like him is just exhausting. It’s okay to enjoy a character with flaws. It’s okay to enjoy different kinds of romance stories. That’s literally the point of this genre.

This is a game. A beautiful, story-rich, emotional game. Let people enjoy it. Let us enjoy our LI. And please stop treating us like we’re the enemy for doing so.

Like- I'm genuily confused??? I was there during the US5 & Tokio Hotel beefs, I was there during the Team Edward and Team Jacob wars and also during the Big Time Rush and One Direction phase. None of those fandoms seemed as divided and infighting like this one. Where are these people taking all the energy to hate and the jealousy from and why are they attacking fictional pixels and fans who can't change anything about their issues instead of working together instead?

Sincerely, A tired but still standing Caleb girly (and lore nerd) (thanks for reading through my TED talk if you've made it this far)

P.S.: A random thought that I've had while writing - I'm expecting all counterpart LI to have a darker lore and more "obvious" red flags than the OG3. Maybe the 6th will even be a Phoenix. Wings could be a counterpart thing. If you've haven't noticed yet - the overview in the Café where you select your LI: The OG3 are in white clothing, while their counterparts are wearing black so far.)

Lots of love to my fellow pipsqueaks.

[exhuastedpigeon]

See the thing is, I know that a part of my dislike of the Diaz parents is personal. It's because I grew up as the oldest kid in a Catholic family with too much put on my shoulders at a young age. I know this about myself. I know that when Helena nitpicks Eddie's choices and makes him feel smaller she's not doing it on purpose, she's doing it because she actually believes she's right.

And here's the thing, it's so easy to hate a character because they remind you of someone in your life. It's easier to hate that character than your own parent. Because here's the thing, Eddie still loves his parents so much even though they've hurt him, even though they aren't actually helping him. It's easy for us as the audience to hate them because they aren't our parent.

But putting yourself in Eddie's shoes it becomes easy to see that he believes the things they tell him and he resent them and he really does think he's a failure as a father and a man, and he still loves them. He loves them and he wants them to be proud of him and he wants them to accept that he's a good man and a good father. He is going to keep wanting that.

9-1-1 isn't a show that usually has it's characters cut their shitty parents off. And 9-1-1 also isn't a show that has characters act without motivation. Eddie's parents still see him as an 18-year-old kid who got his girlfriend pregnant. In their heads (especially his mother's head from what I can tell) he's still that boy instead of the man we've all seen him grow into.

And Eddie's going back to El Paso. He's going back to his hometown. He's probably going to do the thing a lot of people do if they have to move back to their hometown – he's going to revert to who he was when he lived there out a sense of self preservation. Except that isn't who Eddie is anymore, it isn't who he's been for a long time.

What I hope for Eddie and his parents out of this arc is a realization that Eddie is no longer the kid who got his girlfriend pregnant. He's an adult man who is going to make mistakes, but he owns those mistakes and tries to be better. He's a damn good firefighter and medic. He's grown and I think both Eddie and his parents need to realize what that means.

Because I will likely never forgive Helena Diaz for what she said to Eddie in Eddie Begins, but that doesn't mean Eddie won't and that doesn't mean Eddie shouldn't. If he as a character decides he wants to keep trying with his parents and if his parents start to accept him for who he is and treat him like an adult, I think that's a pretty decent end to that saga.

Especially if Chris gets to see his dad revert to who he was in El Paso and realizes this isn't who his dad is, his dad is the guy who built him a skateboard so he wouldn't be left out. The guy who runs into burning buildings for a living. The guy who learned to cook. The guy who makes mistakes but learns from them.

At the end of the day I don't know if Eddie and Chris rebuild their relationship without Eddie figuring out how to rebuild his relationship with his parents too. This show loves giving parents the chance to redeem themselves, they're probably going to do that with the Diaz parents, but as long as it isn't just Eddie saying he was wrong and everyone agreeing and moving on, I think a story where they realize no one was right and everyone fucked up and they can move forward together is a pretty good one.

[yannaryartside]

Carmy’s guilt arc in s3 is incredibly unearned.

I am not against a guilt arc, but the way the show presented Carmys, the length they brought to it, and the analogy of it all...its extremely out of place/theme.

Many people have mentioned this..

Carmy didn’t do anything to Claire.

He had the bad luck of her hearing a mental breakdown/suicidal ideation episode. The whole of him feeling bad for it throughout the whole season and saying he cannot apologize is like saying it is your fault that your significant other read your diary and was troubled by its content. Like saying a person should feel bad for what they confided in a friend or therapist. Even if he were to break up with Claire later, we can all agree he would not have used those words; that's not Carmy.

It is awful to hear that a relationship was a waste of time for your significant other. Still, Carmy could only be guilty for hurting her if he said that to her, like, on purpose, more, even if he ever had the intention to hurt her.

Also, that scene when he is in the anon meeting and hears an abuse victim being (rightfully) guarded around their abuser and Carmy comparing himself to that, feeling he was a bad person not worthy of forgiveness….He is comparing himself to Donna and how Donna hurt him so much and for so long.

That’s is so fucking unearned. Incredibly out of place. Like giving 80 years of prison for an unarmed robbery.

He is missing a relationship that was shallow but made him feel less defective, and now that he is spiraling and hallucinating his previous abuser, he doesn’t have any option but to think back on Claire as the only one who could fix him/love him. He is mistaking the comfort and absence of mind Claire gave him as peace.

But he is ultimately just using the loss of this relationship to hate himself even more because how could he let go of this good thing? He thinks he is inherently a bad person, an unworthy partner, and a bad son. It's funny how is Donna who planted the idea that once you make a mistake, you should be (unjustifiably) punished to no end; that is the point of gaslighting.

For a show that seems to care and understand the subject of abuse, how all redemption has to respond to the gravity of your acts, making Carmy go on such a self-destroying/self-deprecating cicle for just basically thinking out loud while he was also dealing with a triggering event and thought he has in a safe space just venting to an old friend...It’s honestly horrifying.

The analogy just doesn't hit. He is comparing himself to an abuser (Donna) who actually used her struggles to manipulate people around her to make them feel guilty so they would do things to please her.

People can go on periods of reflection on the people that they hurt and what they meant to them, but it doesn't help to the analogy that every clairexcarmy scene is just shallow as fuck. It doesn't help that he hasn't earned her resentment, acting out of ignorance, his flaws or malice, just bad luck.

He hasn't even gotten to reflect on the things he is actually doing wrong, like pushing away his loved ones, isolating himself, and betting the whole house and their futures on a trip to defend himself from his abuser, former chef (Chef David) standards. An even when he gets to do that, reflection has to be more on the "you can do better, we are here for you" because he is not acting out of malice. Carmy has never, ever been an abuser. The way the script constantly shows him being kind to people who were inferior in the culinary industry, even when he wanted to be the best, speaks volumes on how he is incapable of becoming Donna precisely because he is not a bad person. He is not manipulative, selfish, or dismissive.

I think this is all on purpose, for the sleight of hand that would come later.

I think this is a trauma bonding "love" that carries an unearned punishment because codependent and toxic relationships are precisely that. We may get to that later. I have to find more time for reading.

[bl-inded]

Faifa deserved to have better friends in the show! Because they didn't give him that, I think Yotha is just bearing the brunt of the show deciding Faifa only needed (romantic) "love" to be "seen". And Yotha is sadly the only one who talks about Faifa constantly enough to have to deal with it.

Listen, I love this show, especially the faifawine arc (honestly, because of the faifawine arc!). But this arc uses a storyline that I hate so much- "you just haven't met the right person" and somehow handles it so beautifully! Because the concept isn't that Wine was enough to change Faifa, it is that they loved each other enough to be a positive influence on each other. And that I 100% believe in and will always eat up!

But Faifa had virtually no friends in figuring anything out!! He is a very private person, obviously, he bottles everything up! And this arc was supposed to be about him not doing that anymore.

(ep22)

They made it a point to show us how often Faifa shows up for other people (which is constantly) and that is the reason most of us fell in love with him.

And when his arc started I was really excited about him finding love, but I was soooo excited to see Phuri, who was apparently his only real friend!

Louis is a delight in this show! Steals every scene he is in. What Phuri unfortunately isn't, is a good friend to Fa (at least he doesn't have enough screentime to prove otherwise). I love their playful banter, but he doesn't even do as much as Ben and Jay!

No one shows up for Faifa except Wine.

(ep21)

And Yotha- he shows up for Faifa when there is an external conflict. He's never been good with emotions.

(ep20)

I mean, he was so bad with Gun, Arm and Fa had to play mediator. So it's not a shock that he doesn't see Faifa is in soo much pain because of what their mom did. Yotha understands anger; he doesn't understand sadness over something that should make Fa angry.

(ep16)

But he still understands Faifa! (He's probably the only one at the table to make this connection and continues to do nothing about it :) )

(ep18)

And I think that's why he's getting so much flak. I think he's getting a disproportionate amount of hate (and defence) for what is happening to Faifa. But I'm still mad at Yotha, and this is why I feel justified about it.

I'm mad at Yotha because I want Faifa to be mad at Yotha. Because Yotha might be the safest person for Faifa to show his anger to, and he's too scared to do that, too! They are brothers, and it doesn't matter if it wasn't Yotha's responsibility to inform Fai of anything about his mother's flight being delayed- Yotha knew, and that alone should let Faifa be whiny and angry- but he wasn't.

(ep21)

I am angry because having a fight, showing you're upset, and knowing that your relationship is stronger than that is a privilege - one that Faifa doesn't seem to allow himself to have. If he has it with anyone, it should be with Yotha (or Phuri, but the show didn't give him much to do at all, but I digress).

We, as the audience, have seen Yotha, we know him, and we know he loves Faifa. And knowing he loved Fa makes it so much worse that he still doesn't feel loved or wanted. I don't think Yotha is a bad brother or a bad character. In fact, I'm angry because he's a well-written character!

(ep13) (Like, where did this Yotha go after he got a boyfriend??!)

It just seems like the show decided that he is going to be a Gun simp and nothing else. And that falls back into another trope I hate. Being in a romantic relationship is not an excuse to ignore everyone in your life. Priorities can change, but not to the extent that you only have one priority! Yotha is a better brother than that, and I think we deserve to see that side of him as well!

[rowinablx]

Alright, let’s break this down for the Buddie shippers who might be upset about Buck and Tommy as a canon pairing. The core issue here isn’t about preferring one ship over another—shipping’s a personal thing, and everyone’s got their favorites. It’s about how some of the loud, negative reactions to Tommy Kinard and his actor, Lou Ferrigno Jr., can come off as incredibly homophobic, even if that’s not the intent.

First off, Buck being with Tommy is a big deal—it’s his first canonical queer relationship on the show. For a lot of fans, especially those who’ve wanted queer representation for Buck, this is a win. Tommy’s not just a random guy; he’s a fleshed-out character who’s helping Buck explore his bisexuality. So when some Buddie shippers go hard with the crying, screaming, or sobbing about BuckTommy, it can feel like they’re rejecting Buck’s queer arc outright. That dismissal—intentional or not—can read as discomfort with Buck being with a man, which ties into homophobic vibes.

Then there’s the specific hate aimed at Tommy’s actor, Lou Ferrigno Jr., like calling him ugly or trashing his appearance. This isn’t just petty; it’s personal and crosses a line. Tommy’s a gay character, and attacking the actor who plays him—especially over something as shallow as looks—starts to look like a proxy attack on the character himself. It’s not a stretch to see how that could be interpreted as targeting a gay man for being gay, even if the real issue is “he’s not Eddie.” It’s the intensity and the focus that make it messy—disliking Tommy’s vibe or wanting Buddie instead doesn’t need to spiral into tearing down a guy playing a queer role.

The homophobia angle gets stickier when you consider the double standard. If Tommy were a woman Buck was dating, would the reaction be this visceral? Absolutely!!!!! It's happened to every single one of Buck's canon love interests.

Buddie shippers might argue it’s about chemistry or loyalty to their ship, but the volume of outrage over BuckTommy specifically—Buck’s first same-sex relationship—can signal to queer fans that a gay pairing isn’t welcome if it's the wrong one. That’s where the hurt lands, even if some shippers don’t mean it that way.

Look, it’s fine to love Buddie. Eddie and Buck have a deep bond, and shipping them makes sense, I used to ship it. But when the response to BuckTommy is less “I’m sad my ship didn’t happen” and more “this is unbearable, Tommy’s actor is hideous, make it stop,” it’s not just about disappointment—it starts to undermine a rare, positive queer storyline. That’s the part that stings for BuckTommy fans and queer viewers. You can mourn Buddie without torching Buck’s growth or the guy helping him get there.

[peridoxikal-redux]

Various DQB2 doodles that popped out once I started my second playthrough of this game

I....forgot how much I loved it 😭

[ayyunah]

Whole buncha broccoli up there

Late Day 22 of Mobtober 2024!!

[taddymason]

ok i wasn't going to do this BUT

Some people in the fandom have the element of "independence" and Nya's phrase "I don't need anyone" SO attached to her as if any other trait contradicts her character.

Guys, Nya's vision is not OOC. That she shows concern for the whereabouts of her fiancé who she hasn't seen in years, and who could very well be dead or could have "moved on without her", is not out of character and even more so when her reaction to this is to instantly realize that it's fake, her fears always have to do with what is out of her control and this vision clearly emphasizes that.

Like, guys, do you really want "Nya is afraid of being normal / Nya is afraid of losing her powers 2.0"? Instead of showing us real vulnerability on Nya's part from irrational nightmares in which she ends up reacting with anger and denial? You want the character to remain static, and for her to have the same fears about herself as in season 11 when:

We've already seen that fear, so there's no point in presenting us with information we already know.

Nya ALREADY faced that fear. She sacrificed herself at the cost of losing her humanity, she returned and regained control of her powers. When you've been through something like this, it makes sense that your fears evolve.

I don't see anyone complaining about Lloyd's fears not being the same as those in s11 (and his fear also went from being something about himself to being afraid of disappointing someone else.) I'm sorry, but it doesn't make sense introduce a fear that won't make sense with the arc Nya will have this season with Jay's obvious amnesia. Nya showing vulnerability/concern for someone so important to her does not make her any less independent.

[labotor]

late-night waltzing at the House of Hope 🎶✨

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

See, I think Charles’ annoyance and frustration with the Cat King really was just pure protectiveness and not any kind of jealousy - it’s understandable, because Edwin is not telling him what happened even though something clearly did, which is not typical for them. Edwin doesn’t usually hide things like this! Of course he’s worried!

Charles’ reaction to Monty, on the other hand, is difficult to explain in a way that isn’t jealousy. You could say he’s being protective again, but Charles shows no sign of distrust in Monty, and had no idea of who Monty was or that he might betray them - he was actually very chill with him, except in a select few specific scenes. You could say he just doesn’t like him because he got brushed off during their first meeting, but not only does that not seem like Charles at all, it also doesn’t make sense, since, again, in most instances, Charles is genuinely friendly and is happy when Monty compliments him and seems to have come around to liking him (it completely flies over his head that this is a petty jab at Edwin on Monty’s part but oh well hahaha). You could say it changes up their status quo a bit and that bothers Charles. I do think this bothers him a bit, but I think, unlike Edwin, Charles’ fear and frustration here is directed more at situations (the Cat King whisking him away for several hours, as an example) than others. He’s sociable and likes being able to talk to new people. There’s absolutely no way he’d begrudge Edwin doing the same - and he doesn’t… with Niko. Edwin and Niko hit it off and become very close and that never bothers Charles at all. He’s incredibly endeared to her, just like the rest, and for the most part, he’s chill with Monty too, and smiles pretty knowingly when Edwin confesses to him having awakened some feelings. The only exceptions, where he shows definite annoyance, are when Monty first shows up and gets really in Edwin’s personal space to show him the astrology chart he made, and when Edwin is so sucked into the book Monty gave him that he doesn’t hear that Charles is talking to him, to which he annoyedly says that they seem to have been “spending a lot of time together”.

You could say he’s unused to having anyone get in Edwin’s personal space like that, but, again, Niko. She’s very tactile with him and he doesn’t seem to mind all that much; they spend time together watching things. If it was just someone getting close with Edwin in general, not only would that be weirdly possessive for the character, but it would also mean he would show discomfort with anyone getting close, I think. Does Charles see Monty as more of a potential threat than Niko, seeing as he knows her and her personality and doesn’t know Monty? Well, maybe, but again, Charles shows no sign of distrusting Monty at all.

Monty is a boy. Okay. So something about seeing Edwin so close to a boy that is not him, getting lost in thought over something this boy gave him, really rubs Charles the wrong way. Charles appears to catch on just as quickly as anyone else that there is something (or it looks like something) between Edwin and Monty. He is not surprised when Edwin comes out to him in episode 6, and in fact, seems to have just been waiting for him to verbalize it. He smiles and is not bothered at all by Edwin showing (what he thinks is) a romantic interest in Monty - he just doesn’t like it when Monty clearly shows a romantic interest in Edwin. Um. Well. Well.

Charles is jealous. I really don’t know what else to say.

Look, when I first watched this show, I actually didn’t want them to end up together romantically - I love the idea of one having fallen in love with another who does not reciprocate and the two of them still loving each other just as much. That Edwin’s confession made them closer instead of making things awkward is such a beautiful outcome to this build up and I absolutely love it. However. On my two rewatches, I caught a lot more little details, and I think it would be very strange if the show did not follow up on this. That, plus the deliberate quality of these “jealousy” moments where the camera focuses on him, Charles’ Orpheus coding throughout the show, the fact that Edwin’s arc was far more about realizing his feelings for Charles specifically than just coming to terms with his sexuality, and that even the actors admit that Charles’ response to the confession kind of left things open, it really seems to me like the path leads to a romantic endgame for them, or at the very least, that this possibility will be explored in more depth.

**This is just my reading of it. Please do not use this post as a gotcha for anyone who loves them as a platonic duo or people who really love Crystal and Charles together (because let’s face it, they’re super cute too). I’m just doing my rambles. As per usual.

[coquelicoq]

little seiji must have thought shinobu hung the moon. based on the way he talks about her now, and the way he seems to have modeled kuromisa's appearance after her...like he needed to create an air of mystique that people would be drawn to and he immediately went well just dress up like nee-san. he worshipped her in that special younger sibling way. how did her resentment of him shape the person he's become? what did her leaving the clan do to him?

[snixx]

nina salazar-roberts is such a beautiful case study in comphet and I genuinely think her arc deserves so more appreciation

[shikai-the-storyteller]

It's taking me ages to write this chapter because every time I look through old VODs / notes to check something, I come across moments like this that make me want to lie down face-first on the floor:

[Context: Pac commits to the idea of taking the Happy Pills so he can create a cure. He's about to write a note to Cellbit to explain his plan.]

Pac: If Cellbit puts himself in this position, it's worse for everyone, because Cellbit is smarter when it comes to coming up with strategic plans, so he is the thinking mind of the Favela Five group, so if he no longer has the mind, he’s not capable of solving this whole problem, you know? But if I put myself in this position to help Cellbit so he can get the cure... You understand? It's better if I'm the bait. Right? I can't- I can't carry things alone guys, I've already lost Mike [...] if I lose Cellbit and I alone had to carry things, I won't be able to. But I think Cellbit can manage better. He is more independent, and he has Roier. He has a husband. I'm trying to– to be lucid here, understand? That's all.

Date: September 11, 2023 || Timestamp: 03:10:10

[darthenderson]

Me watching the end of “Amor Fati”/ The end of the Diana arc:

[lemongogo]

why do i love the conflict more than anything else . the misery . the incompatibility that spreads like oil slick . wanting so desperately for resolution that never comes . hmmm

[jane-lynndrake-t]

I'd like to ask about your brother.

<3

Jamie is my half-brother. He loved creepy crawlies and flying things.

Mom would lock me alone in a room with him to 'bond'.

And I used to really dislike him because he ignored me for weeks. After about a month, I was so frustrated that I threw his book and deliberately got him in trouble.

As payback, he would talk my ear off about owls and insects every time he saw me.

Looking back, I was lucky my brother was, well, Jamie.

It's never a good idea to lock your 8 year old daughter inside a room alone with a 15 year old boy.