#i honestly feel so bad for them both

[kuchuhisho]

everytime i reread the last arc of aotb i feel like i get the concept more. this is what i'm assuming is the deal, and kind of long-winded thoughts about all of it and the whole meta narrative around it

The last arc is when the line between JPV and Azrael really blurs and they're "merging" . He doesn't need the suit anymore because his body is starting to act 24/7 as Azrael, he's having bouts of dissociative amnesia again because Azrael is still separate enough but JPV is struggling without the distinction of the suit. This "merge" isn't instantaneous and smooth (I dont think it ever is) which I think explains the bumps, the ups & downs of his abilities and also the changes in personality. His body is absolutely not used to this and needs to adjust, which honestly makes sense that it sets off alarms in Leslie...

...but again, it seems like a problem that genuinely could've resolved itself with tact, patience and some understand from everyone. He was absolutely struggling through this and needed help, it definitely wasn't great that this was happening as he was regressing back into Lilhy's grasp, and doing something bad like beating up those metagenes just for her.

Dick immediately labels him as nasty & a jerk because of the personality changes, because Azrael has always been the "mean & aggressive" one while JPV must fit their standard of "meek, shy & nice" all the time or something is wrong. Spirals even deeper because of the Fairchild arc, and Bruce projecting onto him so much.

It seems to resolve that way, the ultimate answer being not that something was wrong with his body but that he was changing. And he deserved grace, patience, and understanding. And how the lack of understanding or care for any bits of him that could be attributed to Azrael really killed him.

His pouting face at the resolution was cute lol. I would also be frustrated if I had a manic breakdown over being told I was dying but it turns out I wasn't and that's just how I am.

I would really love it as a concept, I think it's a fitting narrative for JPV & Azrael and has been shown time and time again with Brian misunderstanding him as well. They love him, they just don't understand his needs, only what they think might be good for them— and in the end not really actually listening to him or letting them speak for themselves.

The ending is just rushed, and it requires that people who have been shown to believe in him when others doubt him (Cass & Oracle especially) simply can't act or the story will change. Which seems to be a recurring problem in this solo tbh, his strongest relationships are with women but the women in his life aren't allowed to affect him as much as his relationship with Bruce. Unless you're Lilhy, I guess, who they refuse to give any on-screen characterization besides "power corrupts", she cares but she's confused but she needs to use him. His relationship to Barbara as a sibling is retconned in favor of making it so he had feelings for her that she turned down (???) and Cass is, just not allowed to interact at all.

In post-rebirth works his relationship with Brielle is a little similar I think. The women in his life only really get to be the steps to his downfall or his redemption! I read that somewhere and I really agree.

I had more but I should probably get my thoughts together properly since this is already long. This is basically JPV & Azrael's life

[avayarising]

No but let’s talk about the whole Apokalips thing in Our Worlds At War. Young Justice 1:35–37, Superboy 1:91, Impulse 1:89.

Kon really, really screwed up. His impulsive and insubordinate actions, expressly against Robin’s orders and in full opposition to the rescue mission they were engaged on, led directly to:

the permanent death of one team member (Slobo is not Lil Lobo even if he does have his memories, and neither are any of the other regenerated Lobos, most of whom also die; original Lobo remains dead)

the partial death of another (Bart is in a coma for over a week after experiencing the death of his speedforce duplicate)

the start of Greta’s corruption arc via Darkseid

and the torture and thorough traumatisation of the rest of team (they are held in VR worlds where they are forced to live through the deaths of their loved ones and their own deaths, repeatedly).

Tim leaves Young Justice over this. Bart stops being a hero altogether for a while.

And we never see Kon apologise.

Okay so yes he acknowledges to himself he is entirely at fault for this. He spends a whole issue agonising over what he’s done and yes, he resolves to apologise to Robin.

But he never does. He gets distracted by some fallout from the war and by Joker’s Last Laugh. Tim gets involved again in World Without Young Justice, when reality has been altered and none of them are who they should be.

And then after that, Tim, who is relieved that his identity has been revealed (something he wanted to do long ago) in a way that he couldn’t control or be blamed for, asks to rejoin the team.

And.

Kon and Cassie do this:

(I’m not blaming Snapper, Ray, or Slobo, none of whom were there when this went down even if Slobo does have the memories of it. They are just following Kon and Cassie’s cues.)

And Tim reacts like this:

Which is not the reaction of someone who has already received a heartfelt apology.

And yes, then they hug and welcome Tim back into the team. But I think Tim ends up fully internalising that his leadership (and his refusal to share his identity, like they have any right to it) is to blame for the whole debacle. And Kon lets him go on thinking that.

[timeisacircleofangst]

because guys we've all talked about how Curly had to watch Anya die, but he had to watch Daisuke die too

like yes Curly watched Anya overdose but he also heard Daisuke calling for Anya as he crawled out of the vent. He might not have witnessed his actual death but he saw him all bloodied and distraught at being too late to save her

and I just think about how he felt. How guilty he must have been. You just watched the arguably two most vulnerable people in your crew die and you could have prevented it, but you didn't. You were charged with protecting them they were your responsibility but now they're gone and you get to watch

[astrolotte]

Genuinely intrigued by the potential of Peri and Irep's dynamic but only in a platonic way so I end up not vibing with the fandom's portrayal of it 😔😔😔

(No but listen LISTEN they were kinda-almost-friends when we last saw them in FOP, yeah? Now they're enemies, with both actively fighting each other, and Irep going so far as to try and kill Peri's parents. What happened? When? What influenced it? Did they ever become friends, or did it nosedive the moment the cameras turned off? What about Sammy? How do Irep's parents factor into this? Could it ever be fixed? There's just so much we haven't seen, and romance just feels like too easy a solution to me. Let their friendship be easy to break, fragile. Let them have to work to keep the connection. Fairies and Anti-Fairies are literally made to be opposites, so what happens when two genuinely and truly become friends?)

((and yeah I guess a lot of this could factor into a romantic angle but ALAS the fandom seems to be leaning heavily into the funny toxic yaoi angle 😔 I don't mind it! By all means, please have your very harmless fun! But it ain't my jam :P Perhaps I'll have to write a oneshot myself...))

(((see tags for more rambles i guess. whoops a bitch spoke too much in there as he always does)))

[noel-levine-fan]

drawing from an AU

[agir1ukn0w]

I'm sorry but I just do not subscribe to the opinion that the hunger games movies were in any way bad or that they "butchered" the characters or themes that suzanne so meticulously and lovingly created, because a) she was always a constant presence in the creation of those movies and the directors/producers were very respectful and mindful of the differences between her books and what they could actually implement in a visual medium that would make sense and propel the story forward in a way that made sense in their interviews, and b) even though the movies definitely don't show all of the thematic nuances of the books, and although they do gloss over/erase a lot of the ways that the games affect katniss and peeta (namely his disability/her loss of hearing), and while the movies are quite preoccupied with the visual aesthetic and streamlining the story for a wider audience, they do still contain the heart and soul of the books and, to me, the creators seemed fiercely protective of suzanne's core vision. also fuck you they're just amazingly well-shot, well-written, and well-acted films, including the mockingjay movies, and i will die on this hill

[bistaxx]

... Will you guys please let me talk about hgduo/gossipduo/mockingjays/ whatever they are called a little more pleaseeeeeeeeee, they make me unwell and I want to get my thoughts about them out of my head- or more specifically about them from Bad's point of view!

There's a familial air to it, but it's just not true to define it like that- and that doesn't make what they DO have any less powerful or significant- They have a unique bond and that continues to be true, even during painful times like this.

Cellbit WAS Bad's responsibility at one point, and that time came and went- he got him through the war and into adulthood ( aka 18 years old or close to it.) They meet again as old friends and generally respect each other as such... but even so Bad can't deny he still feels some duty to watch over the man once he starts crumbling- much like how Cellbit as well can't help but reach out to Bad during this time.

but there's limits.

like- Bad for years had and still wants to protect Cellbit, he's had an influence on him, he taught him how to survive, he himself acknowledges he has some responsibility over Cellbit, looking at Cellbit right now feels like looking in a mirror, he doesn't like having to give up on him, but if it's between him and the kids he's choosing the kids every time... and he knows there is no simple way to save someone who refuses to let themself be saved.

And it hurts! It hurts seeing Cellbit like this! It hurts having to let him burn! It hurts watching someone he cares for falling down the same path he is! It hurts knowing he's hurting others the way it did for him seeing Cellbit like this! It hurts having to choose his kids over his protege/ student/ former responsibility/ the kid he watched over years ago/ old friend/ his 'something'!

Like, cc!Bad brought up this internal mental tier list that q!Bad has- I still deeply believe that q!Cellbit is quite high up there even if he'll never be at the level his kids are at- like he loves Cellbit enough that he ACTUALLY CONSIDERED putting parts of his months long plan at risk to save him- even if it was just during the stress of that moment that still means a LOT from Bad- but he was always going to choose his kids in the end!

Based on what I know of q!Bad (which is admitably not a lot lol) there is next to nothing that'd convince him to give up on his kids- with Cellbit he's able to see that he can't help him because Cellbit sadly does not want to be saved- and for Bad that means he simply has to accept it even if he really doesn't like it- the emotions from that night have processed and he's looking at the situation from a more logical and resolute perspective. If it means him and Cellbit may one day clash, then with a heavy sigh so be it....

but if it was Dapper or Pomme... I just don't feel certain in saying he'd be able to come to that conclusion, especially not after one night. Even if it would be the 'smart' thing to do. It's one of the key differences between the dynamic he has with them vs Cellbit...

But, in a perfect situation, he would've done everything to save them both.

Anyway thanks for reading, posting this at hell hours so my beloved mutuals won't see my hgduo ramblings but tagging this anyway for other people to see LMAO-

[angy-grrr]

I don’t get why ppl keep saying bkdk is dead or Horikoshi broke off bkdk. If that were true, this extra would look very different as you pointed out multiple times. The extra was still heavily focused on them and I hate how ppl are letting one no dictate the entire relationship. Izuku asks him to be a special lecturer too. I think the no just needs more clarification but other than that it is mostly fine. If a ship were to be shut down by the creator, it would look very different. Same logic for if a ship were to be canon, it would look different than what we got in the end for izu///ocha. This extra was bad in different ways from ships. It was just a whole lot of nothing that doesn’t meaningfully add anything to the story but I guess we shouldn’t be surprised since it is an extra. It is still an ambiguous ending that can be pretty fixable by one shots by Horikoshi in the future or even better by fanfiction lol. Except for the Toga part. That is just inexcusable

himiko-chan :(

and yeah! like even tho 431 is terrible not only for pairs but also for the whole story, it only confirmed Katsuki feels something really strong for deku and he doesnt notice bc he doesnt consider himself to be that great; they keep talking, and they keep being in each other's lives with no problem -they also imply they will work on communicating their feelings, as the special lecture is about this topic and deku also thinks katsuki doesnt see himself in a high regard. This is actually something that could be used in the future, as their relationship and arc isnt completely finished -in the way that they arent at a point of no miscommunication, no yearning, etc. They still need something to work with in regards to themselves and each other in the process. When it comes to midoriya and uraraka, idk what exactly could develop from what 431 tell us -seems to be mostly about paying attention to the ppl in your life instead of just letting life happen I guess? But idk what conversation or arc they could have together that wasn't resolved already, it was a really weird choice to focus on them as if there needs to be more explored -which is why choosing to not make them talk to each other nor think of the other in these years is potentially interesting, like the only way they could actually need to talk things up or have a separated special moment is if they just stop being friends and want to talk more from now on. Like, if they kept their friendship these years and were part of the other's life, there wouldnt be a moment like this at all.

I think it hurt mostly ochako -and deku if we interpret it as "deku just wants to be teacher, he is super happy about it, and loveeees so much his ex bestie after 8 years of no contact and never thinking about her"-, more than the bkdk relationship.

It would be interesting to see those one shots, if he does them -I know he said he wanted to do more things and little drawings and content for it, but idk if he will do something elaborate or just one page of something silly. I think he still has to opportunity of working with the material and make something at least not this bad -or completely ignore 431 and just continue with their adventures like 430 implies lol If he wants to double down with the "romance" I have no idea how he could do it with what he has tbh, unless he just ignores the plot and their personalities.

[greasydumbfuck]

watched the 2004 punisher movie yesterday with pixie and honestly i had fun 👍 some stuff was good some stuff was eh some completely irrelevant stuff made me mildly annoyed. but most of all it was funny and they had frank hang around with his tits out for multiple scenes so i mean how could i not have a great time tbh

[good-enemy]

Finally started watching severance, I'm a few episodes in and I have several questions, first off why does Helly only seem to own 1 pair of shoes

[assblastergaster]

fuckkk veilguard really got my ass…started off honestly weak as hell and then i gave it a chance and then they hit my ass with Virmire 2, the sixth sense, and that old couple from san andreas scene all in less than 30 minutes. bioware when i catch you….

[throughpatchesofviolet]

I love the Manager of La Manchaland ID story--seeing her go around and interact with the Barber, Priest, and Princess, and then seeing her not just vanquish the "Father" who'd abandoned them and forced them to suppress their instincts, but also take responsibility of the Family from him after ... it felt like the Bloodfiends got their justice.

[queenerdloser]

i started watching the french 2024 adaption of count of monte cristo and oh they like. CHANGED THINGS changed things. BUT unlike the other appalling adaptions i've seen a) at least everyone is actually fucking french and there are no horrendous pronunciations of anyone's names and b) the changes so far all make sense narratively and sweep some of the narrative bloat off to the side, very necessary for a movie length adaption.

[anthromimicry]

[franeridan]

thinking again about how in trigun 98 they had nick kill someone with the face of a child posing as an orphan for vash, and how in tristamp they had him kill a child in the body of a monster who had no choice in what had been done to him, and how instead in trimax nick for vash kills a man who'd approached vash for a death match, who'd demanded to either kill or be killed, a man nick had given vash a fair chance to fight and win against and who nick would have left alone hadn't said man attacked vash when his back was turned after the duel was over and done with, a man who'd been one step from possibly seriously harming vash hadn't nick stepped in. and about how after in all three versions vash yells at nick for it, but only in trimax nick tells vash that he's lucky he's there to play the devil for him so that he can stay a saint, and only in trimax in the arc right after vash ends up thanking nick for killing for him and protecting his home when vash couldn't because of his own morals, and only in trimax in the end when nick isn't there to play the bad guy for vash he ends up being right, and vash ends up having to dirty his hands himself to protect what he loves - while both in 98 and for now tristamp vash stays a saint until the end, and that fight they have ends in itself, and the only lesson it leaves you as a viewer is that nick is jaded enough to kill a child

[j-esbian]

(one of) the most frustrating parts about the portrayal of drow society is that it wants to create Reverse Sexism without uncoupling itself from some. pretty foundational patriarchal ideas. it ascribes to the (tired, essentialist) notion that men are inherently good at certain things, and women are inherently suited for different things

but rather than the basic subversion of “women are warriors and men are the homemakers” or even early feminist thought experiments like “traditionally ‘women’s priorities’ are given importance over ‘men’s’ (ie things are governed by council, importance is placed on childrearing, etc)”, menzoberranzan is “this society still holds to patriarchal values and women are not as good at these things which is why it’s demonstrably worse”.

the biggest tell is that they have to control the male population to maintain female dominance, the implication being that in a fair fight, men would easily overpower them. it assumes the misogynist ideas as fact that “women are inherently weaker” and also “women are duplicitous” so the drow fighting style is based on stealth and sabotage rather than “”honorable”” face- to-face combat (letting lie also the assumption that the only avenue for ambition is through military violence, and therefore still making it so that they are reliant on men, even as disposable shock troops, for their success).

the only things that keep women in charge are by stacking the numbers on a systematic level, and through sexual domination on the individual level (because clearly the only real power a woman can have over men is her sexuality).

it is a society where “men act like men” but women don’t act like women; it is evil because an act of god created an aberration against the “natural order” of things, and there is no one to tend the hearth (because if the women won’t do it, no one will)