#i like giving her unnecessary lore. it's a good time

[graunblida]

ah it's that time of year again where i debate whether or not i will make lexa's name short for something 👀

[sunatsubu]

Jayvik and time paradoxes

I can't stop thinking about Jayce/Viktor. They're driving me insane, absolutely INSANE. Because everything about them is a time paradox??

This is pretty rambly, I'm just trying to get my thoughts down in my attempt to stop going crazy over them and also just figure out what the heck happened because I'm still kind of confused about some stuff, also I am not very familiar with game lore, mainly just the show.

They circle each other and are so intrinsically linked in so many ways, being both cause and effect to each other's fates. Starting at a random point that ends up circling all the way back:

Jayce and Viktor invent Hextech

Jayce gets drawn into politics as a result, away from Viktor

Viktor gets desperate, experiments with hextech on himself, with Consequences (Sky)

Viktor asks Jayce to destroy hextech

Jayce, unable to let Viktor die after Jinx's attack, fuses him with it instead

This leads to Machine Herald viktor, but not quite; like Pre-herald I guess? Where Viktor still retains some humanity

Jayce gets told by alternate Viktor to stop him from becoming the Herald

In his attempt to do so, he kind of causes/hastens it instead?! (more thoughts on this below*)

alternate Herald Viktor regrets everything and saves baby Jayce/gives him the runestone**

Jayce grows up wanting to research magic thanks to mage Viktor, and cue s1 events that end up circling back to the first point**

*I can't stop thinking about how kind and gentle Viktor seemed when he was trying to help Vander. It really seemed like he was on a path to using his new powers for good, without any sinister effects (though maybe I missed some hints, need to rewatch). It wasn't until after Jayce blew his heart to smithereens that he seemed to start on that path of deeming emotions and humanity unnecessary, solidified when Jayce rejected him to join him as partners again.

**Still trying to wrap my brain around these last two. The existence of alternate Herald Viktor that brings our Jayce to his destroyed world in order to ask him to stop our Viktor - does this imply that Viktor would have still become Machine Herald even if Jayce hadn't tried to kill him? Was it an inevitable thing? Or is this still more time paradox shenanigans, where Viktor asking Jayce to stop/kill his younger self, is both the cause and effect of Herald Viktor? And yet another paradox, Viktor inspired baby Jayce to research magic and ultimately invent Hextech, which is what was needed for Machine Herald Viktor to come to pass. So it seems like there are actually 2 paradoxes related to the creation of Herald Viktor/apocalypse post Viktor's revolution.

These time paradoxes defining their existences makes me think they weren't supposed to exist. Or at least, the ways they so significantly affected the world, weren't supposed to come to pass; Hextech, Viktor's Revolution, apocalypse. So while their ending breaks my heart into a million pieces, it makes a lot of sense. In order to cancel out what they'd do to the world (or just Piltover? this is another point I'm curious about, did viktor's revolution affect ALL of humanity?), they had to erase themselves from existence. It's so. romantic and tragic, but not really on both those counts? Like somehow deeper, too deep, to put such simple labels on. Honestly I don't even really know how to describe what their story makes me feel.

Bit of a tangent, but one interesting anomaly is the alt timeline Ekko was in. So Jinx would always be an important factor in Jayvik's fates since her attack almost killing Victor is the catalyst for a lot of things. Mage Victor says Jayce is the one thing across all timelines that could stop him, implying there are MANY timelines where Herald Viktor comes to be. Which thus means in all those timelines, Jinx is the unstable mess we know and love, the one who would attack the council. So that makes it interesting (and kinda gutting because its like Jinx is destined to suffer in most timelines) that Ekko's alt timeline was most likely rare in its stability, where despite Vi being gone, Powder is relatively happy and the world (Piltover/Zaun) is quite peaceful.

This is a seemingly random segueway, but Jayvik very strongly reminded me of the german show Dark. (WARNING FOLLOWING IS MAJOR SPOILER FOR THAT SHOW)

A completely different genre and story, but both are about two people whose destinies are so linked together throughout time and alternate universes, but weren't supposed to exist. And they could only save the world, allow it to go on untouched from the devastating effects they would have on it, by taking themselves out of the equation.

[riverssongs13]

First, let's just get this out of the way for I'm still seething about the storytelling mess that was Familiar By Thy Side (and parts of Darkest Hour). I want to appreciate the fact that this masterpiece of an episode is more than 10 minutes shorter than the previous one, which had so many unnecessary parts; this half hour of an emotional roller coaster ride has done so much more to progress the ENTIRE show's plot. We finally pieced the puzzle of Lilia's kookiness and her "jumps". We got so much more Teen lore from this than the Teen episode itself. We now have resolution to all the (previous) trials, Alice's… state, Rio's real identity, Jen's importance… We even dealt with the damned Salem Seven as a bonus. So many things happened but it was not overwhelming at all. If this were a suit I'd say it's bespoke indeed.

Now, what I truly loved about this episode is how it was able to paint a non-linear narrative with so much finesse, with each twist and turn taking us to different parts of a single timeline, without making it nauseating, all while pulling the threads to secure the stitches in place and make sure the seams are tight without it puckering. Like embroidery that adds patterns on different areas, we finally sew it all up to see the final tapestry.

The whole fandom has definitely theorised all about how Lilia's weird "inserts" are connected, each episode giving us more pieces to make sense of. But of course it feels infinitely better seeing it ourselves, and how they make up a whole linear timeline in Lilia's mind-POV, while Agatha and the gang are left confused with the breadcrumbs of phrases left for them at different intervals. I absolutely loved how this time discrepancy was used. No more boring-ass unnecessary flashbacks filled with drivel. This time, the past is completely enmeshed with the present, and is used to decide on what's needed to be done to get the desirable future outcome.

This "time is non-linear, it exists simultaneously at all points" phenomenon has certainly been used in countless other media (Fringe and its Observers come to mind), but I love how actively Lilia used it. Her being in that tea-leaf reading lesson held so much significance to her as a Trial Subject, as a Coven Member, and as an Individual Witch. Her time in the gazebo reminds me of The Time Traveller's Wife; existing in all the times, getting sent and pulled back and sent again.

That gazebo was both her prison and her escape. Being stuck in that place made her think her life is a rigid series of unfortunate events, and she can't do anything but be helpless in the face of tragedies that befall everyone she ever cares about. Having had the power to see the future yet be unable to prevent her original coven's death perpetuated her self-depreciation, thus she spent 450-ish years giving in to the usual witchy tropes and misconceptions (the palm reading and tarot tents and the minor scams here and there, but a girl's got bills, ya know), even if it hurts her in the process.

So then, prison AND escape, right? Being tethered to that specific point in time, with her mentor guiding her path to self-rediscovery, was crucial to Lilia's ability to escape her shackles, because she needed to realise she put the shackles on herself. Having a powerful but dangerous gift and being actively afraid of it is quite the self-fulfilling prophecy of doom. You're scared so you stop using it altogether but then you can't control it so all that suppression does more harm than good (looking at you, Charles. What you did to Jean was cowardice. Also, hello? Elsa??). Lilia exclaiming "I was bad at tea leaves" at her literal first day of training might just have been the reason why she spent her life believing she's bad at it. She planted the very idea in her brain (Inception? lol).

This whole forward and back travel from the Road to the Gazebo is instrumental to Lilia coming to terms with the idea that time for her does not move in a straight line. Her confession to Jen, paired with her mentor's wise words, makes her admit that she does, in fact, have a problem. First step to recovery and all that. This then leads to her unravelling the next layer of her issues, which is death to all she holds dear. Granted, she has seen so much death within her lifetime. 450 years of life would do that to you. Something she cannot possibly control.

But that's the thing, isn't it? She was never supposed to control anything. Her job as a Trial Subject, a Coven Member, and an Individual Witch is to SEE. See the trial with the eyes of 450 years simultaneously happening, the heart of someone who wants to protect her coven, and the power of a witch who can walk through the threads of time's tapestry. Once she sees that, and once she accepts that Death is not a Bad Thing, and once she lets go of control, the pieces started to fall into place.

Which then makes her SEE that she's the Traveller. This tarot reading is about her, and she has been sprinkling the answers throughout her timeline, waiting to be plucked by the Awakened Calderu of Now. Give credence to who she is, and her power that Must Not Be Feared. Recognition that she needs her Coven in order to succeed. Acceptance for what she has lost along the way. Welcoming the path ahead no matter where it leads her. Embracing heartbreak, sorrow, and grief. Undertaking miraculous transformation. And finally, the beginning of the end, the end of the beginning.

How fitting is it that we see the start and realise it was actually the end? The fall, initially thought as something dangerous, was in fact just part of the journey. Death, once feared, now embraced like an old friend. Something that perpetuates the cycle. The past, shrouded in darkness, now illuminating the path ahead.

So now we see, she wasn't actually falling. If you ask me, she was flying. Flying to that gazebo in a garden somewhere in Sicily, 450 years ago, about to start her very first lesson in reading tea leaves. Her mentor saying, "Let us begin", and her ultimately saying, "I loved being a witch".

[loycos]

How do you think Ekko feels about Caitlyn and Vi, separately and as a couple? Reed Shannon (Ekko's VA) stated in a post on how Caitlyn found her humanity and grace through her struggles; plus he resposted(?) a meme of Caitlyn alongside Ekko, Jinx, Vi and Isha from that gangster family meme; I don't know if you know the meme, it was the best way I could describe it.

again diving into personal headcanon territory, with a little bit of support from League lore (idk if its still relevant). i feel like i need to explain what my post canon vision for caitvi is to articulate what i think ekko would think of them. ramble incoming:

i think caitlyn and vi are gonna be enforcers again, caitlyn as the sheriff and vi her second-in-command (deputy). caitlyn will try to reform the enforcers with a stricter hand, and a watchful eye. theres a reason she didnt take her seat in the council- caitlyn is all about doing the hard job on location, seeing reality through her own eyes- she doesnt want to help by sitting in a tower and discussing things in theory, shes practical and realistic and she wants to experience the real thing. her job as sheriff will allow her to make that change while still giving her the access to do things on the field.

vi joining tbe enforcers will mainly be done to stay close to caitlyn and protect her if needed. vi never had a big direction in life other than the people she loves- she would jump on the opportunity to spend more time with cait and have the chance to punch people with her big gauntlets. her position as deputy is absolutely unearned in terms of experience or even commitment to the cause- but caitlyn is the sheriff and she put her there, so vi and her can stay close. which other enforcers, and pilties, and zaunites, are extremely aware of. it is corruption, even if relatively unharmful one. having a zaunite as the deputy made a lot of pilties upset, especially when shes so underqualified, and made them question caitlyn's ethics, for good reason. mega especially when vi is known to overall act out of line, cause unnecessary property damage, show overall disrespect to the reformed enforcer protocol and not bind herself to schedules, and yet get absolutely no punishment, let alone acknowledgement of her misdeeds by her boss, who turns a blind eye (wink wink) to her shenanigans.

so yeah, other enforcers are fuming, the pilties arent happy, and zaunites? well, despite caitlyn trying her best to solve the issues that ran years before she was born, there's only so much changing the protocol can do for her. she is harsher on enforcer violence and the prison under her watch has changed to be more humane, but its not like she can control every single enforcer personally. so its not perfect but its slightly better than what it used to be. caitlyn herself has the exact same attitude towards both pilties and zaunites- kind of cold, calculated, no bullshit taken, unapologetic, yet with a layer of empathy underneath the surface. kind of similar to what grayson was. this attitude doesnt win her people's favor on either side, but it does earn her respect- and especially in zaun, where her family status means nothing, that means a lot. she's definitely not a "champion of the people"- i think most people in the city actively dislike her, and the (true) rumors of corruption arent helping.

as for vi, zaunites see her as a traitor. she is known to be kind of a bulldozer that can be quite trigger happy, especially when it involves caitlyn (who we already discussed people dont really like) being in danger or disrespected. she has a dismissive "and what about that" attitude that is very zaun in nature, but since shes now wearing a badge, zaunites get annoyed with. pilties, of course, absolutely hate that attitude. so she isnt seen very favorably either, on either side of the river, just like her girlfriend.

the relationship between them is kind of an open secret. every enforcer in the force knows vi is only in her position cause she "gives caitlyn favors under the table", and those rumors reached topside and bottom as well. and again, they arent untrue, theyre just a relatively mean and shallow reading of the actual relationship between the women. neither caitlyn nor vi ever acknowledges these rumors. they stay at a 6 feet distance from each other while working, but the fact they are so interlinked really leaves no other answer. they know everybody knows, everybody knows that they know, and it's never addressed directly by either of them. their relationship is kind of an anigma to people on both sides- pilties think caitlyn settled for a street rat, zaunites think vi sold her soul to be with a rich pig. no one really knows the history or intimate details about their relationship, for obvious reasons, and thats what it looks like to them on the surface.

righttttt, this ask was about ekko. i got carried away. so ekko. how does he play into all of this? while he's not entirely on the average zaunite camp, he is reluctant to work with caitlyn, but does so anyway because ultimately they share similar goals. while he understands vi better than most people, and knows she always puts her loved ones before any political cause, he can't help but feel a little betrayed by her choice. i think he doesnt really see what vi sees in caitlyn, and since he doesnt "get" that, vi's choice to stay with her at all costs looks odd. especially since caitlyn on the surface just looks like a cold, authoritarian bitch. with good intentions! but still a bitch.

in the end, it all comes down to masks. i imagine post canon caitvi are both sporting masks for protection, and have their walls really high up in public. and can you blame them? they actively wear their weakest spot, their achilles heel- each other- on their sleeve. theyre in public positions, have a lot of eyes on them, and their "professional" relationship is extremely looked down upon. so caitlyn acts colder and harsher, and vi puts on a bravado of "i dont give a shit" and uses violence as a threat to deter people from seeing her as weak. the walls are there to ensure their safety. but like we saw in the series, when its just the two of them, all those walls crumble, and they allow themselves to just be vulnerable.

[beetle-blogging]

I'm still not done with this theory. I thought about it again in context of the transcripts of the Small Print in the Marriage Agreement bc something about it niggled at me, and I connected some dots. This is gonna be long and partly a rehash of some of my previous posts, sorry.

TL;DR: Betelgeuse might be, or might have been in the past, trying to gain immortality through marrying and then murdering Lydia the same way Delores tried to do to him, except in BJBJ, he was trying to contractually obligate Lydia into the steps of the ritual through the small print of the marriage agreement. One of which, apparently, includes Falling In Love. He's only trying half-heartedly, though. Cause he likes her.

There was literally no reason for Delores to have been in the second Beetlejuice movie except to give Betelgeuse an excuse to narrate his backstory and exposit to the audience about the immortality ritual that Delores tried to pull on him.

Betelgeuse is clearly both intimately familiar with the ritual bc he was a victim of it, as well has theoretical knowledge of it, or else he couldn't have narrated the flashback like that. He, while alive, wouldn't have known about the cult or the requirements and purpose of the ritual, or even that there was one. He had to have looked that up later.

The ritual definitely requires marrying and then murdering your spouse and stealing/binding their soul, and likely also requires the love of the victim (at the time of the wedding? Wedding night? Murder? Cause while Betel doesn't seem to like Delores anymore, he did look smitten in the flashback and called himself "bewitched". Love is at least useful to get them to marry you) - and possibly also for the victim, because Delores was still acting like she had some possessive, fucked-up love for Betelgeuse. That part is actually very weird. Why the hell would she STILL act like she's into him when she murdered him, or at least tried to? I know fanon has it that he's a fantastic lay, but it's been 600 years. While I'm at it, I doubt the consummation was just for fun or done as a last kindness for the condemned, so there's another likely necessary step of the ritual.

And while that backstory and bit of lore was imo very interesting and sad, it didn't actually add anything, did it? We didn't need those particulars, fun as they were to watch, they weren't relevant to this movie. "Betelgeuse's ex wife is pissed and hunting him" would have given us the same movie minus the lore. Or just write her out. We didn't need her stalking the halls, or killing Bob - which was just added to give her more to do - or even showing up at the church, either. She was completely unnecessary after that flashback. Or even at all, if nothing further is ever going to be made of that ritual or cult (and would we want another soul sucker in BJBJBJ?). Ok, she was scary in a hot way, but that's it. Even without her, Astrid could have opened the door to the Sandworm in order to get rid of Betelgeuse in the church, who'd then have rerouted it to only Rory, followed by "We had a deal" etc just fine. The number 1 complaint people have about this movie is that Delores was just there for no reason. Betelgeuse/Delores does follow the theme of Love Betrayed same as Astrid/Jeremy and Lydia/Rory, and that's neat, but that wouldn't have required a background story involving a cult and a ritual that can get one out of the dead thing, for good gain you Immortality, through marriage and murder.

Then there's this:

Delores: Your soul belongs to me, my love, for eternity.

Betelgeuse: You don't want to spend eternity with me.

That sounded like they'd be bound together forever, not like she was going to eat his soul. At least, it sounds like that's Betelgeuse's understanding of what Delores is after. He'd still have been by her side. He just didn't wanna be after she killed him. Ok, so that bit is also there for a reason. Everything else, between flashback and church scene, is filler. Poor Bob.

Now we come to this transcript of the small print of the Marriage Agreement (only the highlighting is mine, transcript by jadeluz-official (who deactivated, and I don't know their current username or I'd link directly), which tbh, I'm not sure if we can count the text as canon bc it's basically imperceptible to the majority of the audience, but if the transcript is accurate then the contract is plain fascinating:

Do you see what I'm getting at? Cause the Immortality Ritual Theory occured to me weeks before I ever saw that transscript, I first mentioned it on my blog here and send herefortheships an ask related to the idea before that... but the part where Love might be an requirement for the ritual just hadn't occured to me then. Then I reread that small print which would compel Lydia to love Betel, my mind flashed back to Betelgeuse saying Delores had bewitched him, and I was like, uhhhh.

In context of my theory, Betelgeuse trying very hard to to woo Lydia (firm, very visible canon) and also having a contract ready that would obligate* her to love him for eternity and to fulfill all his needs (which is technically in the movie, but barely legible), is very sus. We've got love, marriage, sex (needs), and two people bound together for eternity all covered. The only stuff that's missing is the blood-drinking and the animal sacrifice. Which, 1) might have just been for the satanic aestetics, and 2) would still have been very easy to get Lydia to do if that contract had made her fall in love with Betel.

*again, the canonicity of that small print is questionable, but it does recontextualise Betel's wooing A Lot. Or like, make his motivations for it more ambiguous. Why write the Agreement like that? Why write it at all? (Was that in the script? I very badly want to read the script but I can't find it)

None of the above imo invalidates the headcanons/observations I and other people have made about how Betelgeuse did not try all that hard to either enforce that marriage agreement - which HE never even signed.

(he didn't even have Lydia sign it below when it says it will become effective once it's signed below, and yes I am being pedantic about a prop that people likely weren't meant to read anyway, but someone did bother to write it and it is meant to be a contract written by a demon/evil spirit who makes a lot of deals, so the signature being in the wrong place is really funny to me)

An agreement which should not have been voided by the Code 699 violation anyway bc it's an engagement, not a marriage. Nor did he physically/magically force Lydia into marriage in the church despite having ample time, plus there's his suspicious failure to fight back against banishment and instead inflating like a balloon and becoming helpless at the first "Betelgeuse".

Those can't all be out-of-story oversights. Maybe the handbook was meant to say "voids marriage contracts", but even so, the contract makes the code-violation it's own loophole. There's so much wriggle room to get out of the marriage. It's like the scriptwriters made a list of ways Lydia could escape the marriage this time, and then used all of them.

I don't think Betelgeuse really wants to screw over Lydia the same way Delores did him. At least, not anymore. But the pieces are set up in a way to suggest that the thought has occured to him, and that he might keep the ritual in his proverbial backpocket in case "have her fall in love with me and agree to stay with me forever voluntarily" fails.

Or maybe, he believes that the immortality ritual is still his actual plan A - cause this theory does imo fit quite nicely (as a retcon) even into the first movie where he said he wanted out of the creepy dead thing for good, cause he's arrogant enough to believe he could get Lydia to "help" him with that if only she let him out for a bit so he could make her like him (tbf, Toonverse proves him kinda right; he can be lots of fun) - and is now deeply, genuinely confused why he keeps self-sabotaging and giving Lydia outs, cause he himself is not aware just how deeply he's fallen for her after 30 years of watching her and trying and failing to get her attention. Too deeply in love to just give her a love potion (Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian had them, and hey, if Truth Serums exist...), take her to a church, take her to bed under the influence, and then kill her. And too much in love to make her love him through a contractual obligation that she'd be bound to after the wedding.

Betelgeuse pointed Astrid to that loophole in the Handbook by drawing her attention to the book in the church and implying she'd find info about his and Lydia's deal in it. Mention of the deal is not in there, only the loophole to it is. And he knew she saw that page already because he clearly followed her to Jeremy ("She decided to trade lives with the boy"). This self-sabotage could have (further?) backfired on him because the other page she'd flipped to at Jeremy's was the one about Sandworms.

He's a deeply, deeply conflicted man.

[genericpuff]

Rachel "Retcon" Smythe Strikes Again!

Okay, so I've been seeing pictures of Volume 4 of Lore Olympus floating around, and people are ALREADY FINDING RETCONS.

Most notably so far, some added panels in the Hades and Apollo confrontation that happens outside Artemis' house (when Persephone steals Apollo's lyre) in Episode 81.

This is the original scene, for anyone who needs a refresher:

Aaaand here are the panels that were added.

(all pictures of Volume 4 are courtesy @iwannagutyou on IG!!! thank you for giving me permission to use these! <3)

First of all, the art. It's so noticeably bad. You can tell Rachel has completely lost her ability to draw these characters in the S1 style, I'm fairly certain she took the panel of Hades from the old version and just copy pasted it to try and get around it (look at the posing) but it's incredibly obvious looking at that third panel that LO is not and can never be what it was back in 2017-2019. Those first two panels seem like they were copy pasted from the previous ones, which is just sad if those are the lengths she has to go to to come even close to replicating the older style.

Now, this just might be due to camera translation, it could very well look better IRL, but the colors just look so incredibly desaturated and the lines blurred out, to the point that people are doing double takes over whether or not panels have been directly changed - they haven't been, they've just been so sucked dry of their colors that they look off enough to cast suspicion.

If anything it's a harsh reminder that LO has kinda always had art problems, especially with its lazy humor and stupid meme faces.

Of course, to be fair, color loss can happen in print, but seeing how slapped together these books tend to be, I wouldn't be surprised if they just didn't put in the effort to convert the page art to CMYK or at least tinker with the saturation in editing some more to ensure it would come out more vibrant in print.

Now. Excuse me while I go on a bit of a crackpot rant here. Newbie puff pals beware, because this is gonna get dicey and you're about to learn where my tinfoil-hat rep comes from but I just have to talk about it.

Back to the added Apollo panels, where Persephone asks Hades not to hurt him and he looks nervous before she says "I just want him to leave".

Maybe it's just me, but it's a little weird that THESE are the panels they decided they needed to add. It's weird that she's asking Hades not to hurt Apollo when she's about to break into his car and steal his lyre just a few moments later. It's weird that the implication seems to be that she's referring to Hades' act of violence towards Tori... but Persephone doesn't know that's happened yet. So this feels like an unnecessary retcon that's doing more harm than good.

But I feel like the timing of this is kinda messed up as well, as this book released just days after the release of the last FP episode in which Apollo has his 'side' of the assault story told through his perspective, which is often considered a HUGE no-no in writing assault stories because it often comes with the implication that it's asking for empathy from the audience. We already know Apollo is delusional, we already know he thinks him and Persephone are meant to be despite her constant rejection of him, we didn't need a flashback from his own warped perspective explaining that very thing, the only purpose to do such a thing this late in the game would be to try and get the audience to 'connect' with him (it's giving S3 Bryce from 13 Reasons Why vibes). Now we have this scene of Persephone asking Hades not to hurt him (despite the structure of the episode being literally fine before, this change wasn't needed) getting snuck into the physical book release just a couple days after the newest FP tried to present Apollo in an empathetic light (and let me tell you, that's a whole essay and a half that I'll be getting into eventually).

Shit, if I wanted to get REAL Pepe Sylvia with it, I might say that hypothetically, the whole point of the random Leuce abuse episode - despite Persephone having no way of knowing what she attempted as Hades hadn't told her and she wasn't there to see it and we weren't shown her overhearing them in any way - and the following episode that was mostly padding of Hades and Persephone having sex - no consequences or follow-up whatsoever to the Leuce scene - was just to pad out the episode release schedule and buy time until the book came out so that Rachel could release that Apollo POV episode right before the book came out and revealed those new added scenes of Persephone asking Hades not to hurt Apollo, in what could be a sly artificial attempt at minimizing the SA plot so Rachel can finally just brush aside the one major plot point she regretted writing the most. After all, it wouldn't be the first time Rachel's controlled the pace of her comic to release certain moments at certain times that line up with IRL events.

But, y'know. I'm gonna quit on that thought while I'm ahead because it's probably making my credibility meter drop into the red. My ADHD has been real bad lately and it's really starting to show LMAO All ima say is that IDK who Rachel thinks she's fooling here, this kind of shit is stupid easy to fact check when the digital version of the comic is available online to read.

To end on a much funnier and lighter note, remember how Rachel tried to retcon the Demeter/Hera/Hestia relationship by changing the line "I miss my sisters" to "I miss my friends"? Well, there was one panel that had been missed in the webtoons version that still refers to them as sisters. You can still find this unedited line in Episode 78.

And uh. They forgot to fix it again for the book.

It's permanent now. That's permanent marker. It would have cost them nothing to find this in the webtoon version and fix it before it got sent to the book editors. Now it's gonna cost them thousands because the book editors didn't bother (or know) to check.

There's also this... weird shit going on with the speech bubbles. Like, they're REALLY FUCKING OVERDOING IT with the speech bubble outlines. I don't know who made this choice but it was a bad one. Gross. Don't do that. It looks so cheap.

But let's be real, at this point I feel like the book editors are just outright sabotaging Rachel because who the fuck calls themselves a professional when they do this shit-

Oh, and there's no bonus episode, just sketches. Which is fine. But it makes me chuckle to think that Rachel just didn't have time in her already razor-thin buffer to draw up a new episode to pass off as "cut content".

[ck-stone]

How I, a random nobody with too much time on my hands, would have tweaked: Arcane Season 2, Act 2

Just picture it; the dark levels of the undercity, lights flickering in the distance, fog smothering the ground. Our heroes are running through the labyrinth of alleys, anticipating Ambessa’s soldiers or Warwick at each turn. We hear panting. We hear screams in the background. The score is silence and warning horns and low droning strings and percussion that thumps like a heartbeat (think Rio's theme (Agatha All Along) meets the Winter Soldier's theme). One of the characters is bleeding and they press on, hunted down by the strange wolf with glowing eyes. The other refuses to abandon them knowing that they may be condemning themselves as well. We were robbed.

Let me be clear, I love Arcane. I think it’s a masterpiece, I am enjoying the new season, and Lord have I never been attracted to anyone in my life as much as I am attracted to Vi, but that doesn’t mean that I’m above admitting when there’s a drop in quality. And let’s call season 2, act 2 for what it was: a transitionary chapter. Everything that happened, happened only to move the characters into place for act 3 and set the stage for the finale of the play.

So let me enrage you with some of my opinions.

(Disclaimer: This is meant to be an equally thoughtful and comedic critique. These are my opinions, and a lot of this is practice for my own work. If you don’t like them don’t come at me. I don’t give a shit.)

Bringing Vander back was unnecessary and lazy.

Why? Well easy, we already did this in season 1. We lost Vander. We as the audience knew that he wasn’t going to get a happy ending. It was a repeat of an emotional moment that worked in season 1, so they did it again in season 2. It was the same trauma, the same heartbreak, and another dead sibling. Old tricks which felt stale.

I also bet if someone were to clip all the scenes where we got teases of Warwick, it would be longer than the scene that had actual Warwick in it. Now, I know that Arcane is not above retconning League of Legends lore to suit them, but Warwick was something that sat really weird in Arcane canon. Warwick in League lore is a bloodthirsty mindless animal. Aside from his creation, that is all we know. He’s this mysterious force that lingers in the background until your character has that goddamn symbol on your head and then you’re panicking cause you can either finish with the buff you’re trying to get your team and die, or run back to base and have your team scream at you when wolfboy gets the buff even though you have more kills than the ADC cause no one appreciates a good fucking jungle player. Warwick should have been that mysterious force. We needed more intrigue, more dread, more panic, more horror-esque moments where characters are being stalked and we, the audience, are biting our nails at the edge of our seats, unsure whether or not our favourites will make it out alive.

But we get it, they needed to bring the sisters back together. I just think they could have found a different way to do it and still achieve the same outcome; that Jinx now recognises the pressure and stress and guilt and fear Vi held as the eldest, that she no longer put Vi on a pedestal and now see her as a person, and that Vi recognises that Jinx has grown up without her and does not need to be saved, and therefore can stop defining herself by her ability to protect people.

Caitlyn’s development felt as stable as a wet noodle.

In the last act we watched the rapid descent as Caitlyn lost to her anger and grief. And then Vi calls her ‘Cupcake’ and we see the rapid uptick of her story, but none of the in between aside from some skulking around as Vampire Cait (still fucking hot though). We as the audience actually have very little to go on during this time. We don’t know how much of Ambessa’s propaganda Caitlyn fell for, we don’t know how much she questioned, we also don’t see any of the yearning that Ambessa claims Caitlyn was doing for Vi (but plenty of Vi pining, just your average wlw experience). In season 1 Caitlyn was possibly the most compassionate character, and so we can assume that with a little time, she was able to recover some of her nature, but unfortunately the writers seem to be delivering this information by just, telling us. When telling stories, we often say ‘show don’t tell’ as you know, that’s how you tell a story and engage the audience.

Also, her and Maddie just seemed so out of character. Maddie is a subordinate—it is a clear abuse of power—not even to mention that it can barely be called a distraction as Maddie brings enforcer talk to the bedroom. Perhaps that is the distraction. I understand the writers were trying for a juxtaposition of how Cait treats Maddie vs Vi, but it ultimately just feels like them throwing in sex for sex sake. The only thing I can think is that perhaps Maddie is playing a bigger role that we the audience have not been clued into yet. Perhaps she’s spying for Ambessa. Who fucking knows.

And (now this may just be me being sensitive to the topic so perhaps it is not as big a deal as I’m making it out to be) Caitlyn hitting Vi needs to be addressed. That is not a-o-fucking-kay people. Yes, because hitting your partner is bad, but also because hitting your partner, your caring, sensitive partner, who you know suffered years of physical abuse at the hands of your kind (enforcers), is super uber bad. This needs to be acknowledged between the characters, especially for Caitlyn’s arc, as this is testament to her becoming the very thing she fought against in season 1. In this instance, hitting Vi was a more symbolic act than it was a simple mistake, and hurt far deeper than just physical pain. She would need to accept that this was a thing she did, for both her and Vi’s healing, and take responsibility for her actions. In season 1, Caitlyn was horrified to learn about the way Vi was treated, and then went on to shut down the lower levels of Stillwater in season 2, so she clearly still feels strongly enough about it to take action. It would need to be addressed in order for them to move on. And if they end together without having established good communication first, then they will be toxic for each other (I ship it, but I’m also realistic).

Jayce and the mystery of teleportation.

Now, firstly I just want to say that Jayce and Viktor’s stories are poetic with how they mirror and intersect. The foreshadowing was beautiful, the little details like the cog, the fact that Jayce and Viktor represent the two sides of the Arcane; that which is always creating, and that which is always destroying itself. Arcane at its core is a story of siblings, being held together by affection, necessity, being torn apart by the world and ideologies (which includes the cities, as they’re sister cities), and these two are no exception.

My complaint about Jayce is that, how the FUCK did he get to Zaun? He has been missing for months, magically reappears in a structure that surely would have some form of security, and then hobbles his way through Piltover to Zaun looking like a madman, including through the checkpoints, with a Hextech weapon, and no one seems to question it. Realistically, with martial law in place, as well as a literal army surrounding the compound, Jayce would have had a much harder time getting to Viktor. Yes, I am nitpicking, but I am not about to suspend disbelief just because the scenes were pretty.

So then Stone, how would you have approached these points?

Firstly, those three episodes could have been two (and then one more episode to expand on what they already had).

We left characters like Ekko, Heimerdinger, and to an extent Mel and Sevika, to instead focus on a story we already knew the ending of (Vander), which only serves to lessen the impact as we as the audience have gone from guessing to anticipating. There’s an army in Zaun. Surely the rest of the city would have been at least curious about what Ambessa and her forces were doing in the undercity. Even if nothing came of it, you’d have Sevika trying to rally people to do something about it, and even this in itself would have built tension.

And as beautiful and melancholic as it all was, Vander’s backstory, meeting Jinx and Vi’s mother, was ultimately unnecessary beyond that of pulling heartstrings. It would have had a place in season 1 (especially as there’s nothing in season 1 that alludes to Jinx and Vi having known Vander prior to their parents dying, so it just feels like a rather major detail to overlook), but unfortunately in season 2, it simply cramped what was already a rush to the end. We got the letters to Silco, the photos, we as the audience could piece together the rest from there, and it would feel a little more bittersweet watching the sisters piece the past together too.

We needed more Warwick as Warwick. We could have just as easily had Jinx and Vi get back together for other reasons, perhaps due to Vi’s downward spiral into self-destruction, perhaps related to the chembarons and their search for Jinx, perhaps because Zaun is unifying and they kidnap Vi as she was an enforcer for like five minutes, perhaps still because of Warwick, but rather the threat he poses, especially if Ambessa gets her hands on him, and then had them meet up with everyone else as the Noxian was still hunting the wolf. It didn’t necessarily have to be at the compound where Hammertime (shellshocked) went to assassinate Robot Jesus. We could have had those dark scenes of hide-and-seek amongst the fog and caught glimpses of Vander within, just enough to leave the audience questioning and perhaps allow Vi and Jinx to escape alive (I really wanted those dark scenes of hide-and-seek amongst the fog).

We needed more of Caitlyn's development. There needed to be some sort of acknowledgement about what happened in the previous act. It didn't need to be a conversation—that could wait until act 3—but we at least needed to see something, even something as small as Caitlyn carrying guilt. They had a chance to lean into certain themes here, explore the type of person Caitlyn wanted to be, and have her face who she has become, see her at her lowest. Would her mother be proud of her? Does she feel as if she's making a difference? Has she become the evil she sought to destroy? They could have brought back the 'what are you shooting for?' line, which would have been a nice touch. Just anything to sow the seeds of her development.

Also, does Mel not question how she survived a torpedo to the fucking back without a scratch? Cause I sure as hell am.

But all that being said, act 2 was still decent.

And fuck did I cry when Isha said her goodbyes. That hurt. Like, a fucking lot. Looking forward to whatever emotional hell they have prepared for us in the final act.

[soapsinthebox]

character ask um sona thouughffs perhappps 😁do soba. Sona :)

Greets Gekko!! and of course, im always happy to talk about my cancelled aunt, she is my pfp after all

Favorite thing about them

Oooh this one is hard... "Favorite" is a little too wide of a definition for this, so ill narrow it down to what hits the hardest for me, and that is most definitely, the "flawed mother" angle they were going for her.

Sona isnt perfect, as much as she wants to claim otherwise, she believes in ideologies that actively put Frisks friends in danger time and time again, and as shown, is even willing to act on them in the imperfect routes, but they still love and see the good in her, because thats what theyve grown up with their whole life, and for someone who has a mom in a pretty similar situation, that hit so fucking hard for me.

Sona... they could never make me hate you Sona...

Least favorite thing about them

I dont really understand the hair motif they were going for, it feels unnecessary, out of place, and compared to all the other powers she could have had in the concept art (Doll powers, omega form, ect) just feels... idk, boring to me? i just feel there was so much more potential for her.

Favorite line

"If you dont have determination, you have to fake it!" lives rent free in my mind. its the perfect way to show off one of her main ideologies, In Sonas mind, theres just simply no thing called weakness or imperfections, and anything that is lacking can be fixed right up like a doll, who cares if itll never be as genuine as the flawed and complex human being that they used to be?

Theres also the iconic "I only take the souls of children if they disobey me!" line, which i like for a lot less complex reasons. just, out of context funny lmao.

BrOTP

The possible relationships she can have with Dalv, and her relations to integrity are both very intriguing to me.

Like, for Dalv theres this whole thing with them that they are both flawed individuals who ran away from their problems in the past, but ended up with completely different outcomes (Dalv was ripped away from society, while Sona actively got herself involved in it) but also like?? for something fluffier, i like to imagine that Dalv is good with kids, and the idea of him running an orphanage with Sona is really cute to me.

And integrity... oughh, its seen both in the no romance endings and the perfect sans route of kc that Sona really cared for integrity (their ending having the most lore, only second to Justice because...well, uty reference, her giving them flowers in that one cg), So the idea of her in a uty scenario (cough cough kcy cough cough) finding out about what they did and their fate is a REALLY interesting angle to consider for me. so many thoughts, oh so many of them.

And then last but certainly not least, theres her and Chara which i feel like i dont talk about NEARLY enough but since this section is getting long, ill just end this off on that kc shouldve had more Sona and Chara interactions.

OTP

... Its Sonaroba, is anyone surprised.

Theyre so interesting and mentally ill and evil i need to put them in a snowglobe and shake them as hard as i can. Like, you have two woman who were both wronged by the world in some capacity, and when proven wrong, are so tunnel visioned that they basically just beg for death. only that one is past that arc and has learned to grow, while the other, despite having the chance time and time again, hasnt. They're two sides of the same coin, they're two different outcomes of the same person they're they're they're-

My incoherent ramblings aside, i also really enjoy Sonanny, they're the doomed old woman yuri ever and i refuse to take any criticism /j like, theres a reason Nanny is the only adult not controlled by Sona right? IM GOING INSANE-

nOTP

... Im actually at a loss for what to put here lol. I mean, i guess theres Sona and Sans, but its just so stupidly evil and toxic that i kinda just, thrive in it now

I guess her and Starlo?? but theyre not compatible anyway so i dont really get why people would even ship it to begin with.

Random headcanon

The hat she has in the concept art right?? i imagine she actually still has that hat somewhere, and wears it on special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays. its just so cute i cant help myself rahhh-

Unpopular opinion

Im actually not that familiar with what the major idea around Sona is since i only really hang out in niche spaces, maybe i should hang around Andrews community more-

But since "Sona isnt just some random racist mom and her character goes so much deeper than that" isn't really a fun answer, im gonna say that i think we (and by we i mean like, the twelve people in the kissy cutie community) Really dont explore her Mexican origins enough. theres so many fun things you can do with it like the original game does-

Song i associate with them

The main two songs i associate with her are Suburbia by Will wood and the tape worms, and ruler of everything by tally hall.

Suburbia in particular feels like her trying to fit herself and eveyone into a "generic" standard, and the ar-15 part in particular feels like Chara speaking to her like "cultures not your friend" and "Culture is more afraid of you then you are of itself", making it a duet between the Siblings?? ouggh can you see the vision.

And ruler of everything... oh ruler of everything my beloved, everything about it fits Sona so well for me, especially the chorus?? Ayaygdgyduhhuh

I actually was story boarding a ruler of everything Sona animatic, i lost interest since school started, so heres the rough beatboards

Favorite picture of them

The little full body Xan cut out lives in my mind rent free, like look at her guys shes so full of bliss and whimsy

Thanks for the ask!! sorry this got a little long lol, i am a yapper at heart

[winns-stuff]

LO RANT:

Because why not? I just don’t understand the way that fans think, on one hand we can’t associate or even compare Lore Olympus to the myths because they’ll say “well it’s her retelling she doesn’t have to do things exactly alike” but on the other hand when you’re talking about the story by itself they’ll then try to counter whatever argument against Lore Olympus by saying “this is what they did in the myths!! why are you guys mad at greek mythology??” so which one is it because it’s giving me a headache. I get so tired of seeing the exact same argument from fans it’s so redundant and I mean that in the nicest way possible, I’m sure a lot of you are great people but the things y’all say and do for this comic is insane.

Rachel is adding yet another sex scene and people are rightfully angry. We’re in the climax where the world is basically in an apocalyptic state and the gods are all in danger of having no mortals to worship them and give them any purpose and it’s all because of Persephone, no one is thinking “oh yeah this is the perfect time for intimacy” and if you wanted to give fan service to those who are craving it you should’ve did it in a more calmer setting?? No one is threatening Rachel and telling her that she needs to add these ridiculously high stakes to her comic which prevents her from smoothly writing NSFW of the main couple, she’s literally doing this herself which is one of the reasons why it gets so annoying whenever fans get mad at people for being upset or disappointed. She’s doing this to herself, am I saying harass the woman or cyber bully her? No but that’s not what a lot of these people are doing, in every single webtoon especially one as big as Lore Olympus you’re going to have people who view your content differently or disagree with the way you’ve written things. I’m not trying to encourage the idea of changing your entire story to bend to those people but a large majority of your fandom are starting to have the exact same complaints and it’s clear that your plots are not being fleshed out at all, these people are just asking (no, begging really) for a cohesive story not a masterpiece.

Which brings me to my next point, all of the criticisms and explanations many critics have been sharing are entirely valid. You cannot put a sex scene as a replacement to storytelling, it just never works since it adds virtually nothing to what’s happening. Especially right now when, like I said before, Rachel is starting to spiral the plot into chaos (I’m not being insulting by saying this it’s literally chaos it seems like all of the characters are in trouble) and introducing or welcoming back a lot of intriguing plot stories and characters that many people are excited to see. To make an odd and unnecessary shift to romance in the middle of absolute destruction is crazy, especially when none of it is earned. I’ve said this in my later rants but I’ll say it again because it’s true, the romance between Hades and Persephone has no stakes and it never will it seems since Rachel doesn’t even allow stuff like that to happen. Nothing about their romance keeps you straddled on for the ride or leaves you at the edge of your seat which is why so many people are bored with their dynamic if there even is one to begin with. Slow burns and other romances are all about the payoff that’s what everyone’s here to see, after chapters on chapters of wondering if their love will brave the dangers around them and between them we finally get our question solved with appropriate intimacy.

Lore Olympus as a whole rarely wants to develop actual relationships in real time, it only skips to “the good bits” while completely ignoring the fact that the entire bonding experience between your ships and your fans rely heavily on us actually witnessing their chemistry/bond and being shown why they should be together, not being told by forces outside of the relationship.

All in all the potential sex scene is just terrible timing on Rachel’s part and it should’ve been done while literally nothing was happening to avoid all of the backlash that it’s getting now.

[enam3l]

the big question (rockstar eddie x reader)

4.6k words / pure fluff / suitable for 16+ / a follow up to this / an ode to this one / the events from october mentioned in this fic happen here

a.n: I took a break from this series at the end of December, ending with a cliffhanger to carry on right in the new year. But things don't always work out! I had been going full steam with this series since it started at the end of October and I was burnt out. At times I really wanted to just give it up. However I couldn't quite let this family go. The most amazing part is how many of you have become so attached to this series and have supported me none stop from the start and throughout my break. This series started my first go at fanfic, now there are nearly 1000 of you following. This one is for you, a lot of you know who you are. This is the biggest step in Rockstar Eddie & Reader's story yet. ily all. thank you from the bottom of my heart. enjoy!

you can see all rockstar eddie x reader stories and lore at #enam3ls rockstar eddie or the masterlist! and check out my new series love, lola

There is a hole burning through Eddie Munson's pocket. A small velvet box scorching the leather of his jacket, desperately crying for his attention. It takes everything in him to not fiddle with it and risk drawing your attention. Eddie woke up, limbs tangled in yours after reuniting yesterday after three gruelling weeks apart. You had swept him away with your sexy surprise the moment he walked through the door, distracting him from what he was going to do. Therefore today was the day. Eddie Munson was going to propose.

The ring had been in Steve's safe keeping since Halloween because who better to act as his personal Gollum other than Mother hen Harrington. So early this morning Eddie slipped out of your grasp, grateful several rounds of I-missed-you sex last night had exhausted you, and he called Steve. The plan was set in motion. Eddie nudged you awake a couple of hours later to announce Steve and Marissa were hosting brunch, suggesting you went there before your usual Sunday routine in New York. 

It was easy for Eddie and Steve to slip away to retrieve the ring, with you and Marissa instantly falling into your own little world. As you and your friend squealed, from behind you, Eddie's chocolate eyes glared at Steve's caramel ones, which were tearing up knowing what would happen before the end of the day. Marissa dragged you away into the apartment, rattling off her to do list. Despite having lived with Steve in Hawkins for two years now, Marissa had hung onto her New York apartment. You'd always assumed she'd kept it for sentimental reasons, having inherited it from her grandfather. Her and Steve still used it to have getaways. But the sudden decision to sell had you slightly suspicious. 

'So how come you've randomly decided to finally sell?' You tried to dig.

Marissa had been your friend for too many years now, her reactions never went unnoticed. Like how at your question she cast her gaze away, pretending to occupy herself with some packing. 

'Just... um, finally felt time. And like... could always do with the extra cash...' she rambled. 

Your best friend instincts tingled, certain that something was afoot. Secretly hoping the reason is what you want it to be. But you let it slide as you see the blush creep up her tanned cheeks. You're sure she'll spill soon enough. 

In the bedroom, Steve retrieved the ring from its hiding place. Attempting to insert the code into the mini safe through teary eyes. 

'Why have you got a safe, man?' Eddie questioned, peering over his best friends shoulder. 

'I bought it! I wasn't taking risks,' the safe unlocks and Steve brandishes the velvet box, 'you trusted me with this and I am taking my job very seriously!'

With unsteady hands, Eddie takes the box, holding it tight like it might disappear. 

'That's... unnecessary but appreciated. Thanks Harrington, you're a good friend... my best friend.' 

Eddie's voice croaks with emotion, all the plotting, all the waiting, it's finally about to pay off. The friend who introduced you to him, is now helping him propose. Steve was already a wreck but seeing Eddie's brewing tears and rare sentimental words, push him over. 

'You're my best friend too, Munson,' Steve sobs, 'I love you, man.'

Eddie cracks in return, pulling him into a bear hug. 

'Shit, love you too, brother,' Eddie sniffles, 'couldn't have done it without you. Survived it all. Done the band... met her. Couldn't have done it myself.'

Steve is near spluttering at the gooey sentiments oozing out of his best friend. 

'You deserve it, Ed. Deserve her, deserve a happy ending.'

For a while, the pair just stand there embracing and smacking each other on the back. Eventually they straighten up and dry their eyes before you and Marissa catch them and assume one of them is on death's door. 

Despite the sea of boxes, Marissa pulls off an excellent brunch. Some how it was all your favourite foods. But even that couldn't distract you from the bizarre energy surrounding the dining table. Marissa picks at her food like it's poisoned. Steve keeps gazing at you all moony eyed. Then Eddie can't even look at you at all, his shoulders rigid under his tee. You eye them all suspiciously as you finish your meal, something is definitely afoot. By the time you leave their apartment, no one has cracked. The only thing that has cracked is your spine as Steve hugs you goodbye so tightly you wonder if he loves you or is trying to kill you. As soon as you're on the street you turn to Eddie who has become mute in the last half hour. 

'Maybe it's a good job they're selling the apartment, clearly there's a gas leak. Everyone's so freakin' weird today...'you rant to a frankly, gormless Eddie. 

'Good god. Have you been inhaling it too? Let's go, loverboy!'

You roll your eyes and take Eddie's clammy hand, tugging him along behind you. Internally, he's grateful for your ability to take charge as his nerves have rendered him useless. He follows you hopelessly through the streets of New York. Inside he's praying you just think the coffee didn't agree with him, rather than the truth - which is his mind is racing a million miles a minute over how he's going to ask you to marry him. 

Thankfully, you've gone into your usual Sunday market mode. Eddie watches as you transform into a woman on a mission. Carefully eyeing everything that interests you. He finds himself smiling as you lose yourself in an array of flower stalls. Your soft finger tips brushing against even softer petals. There's an endless collection of different types, half he's never seen or heard of before. But he knows you will have. Knows you'll buy a bunch that are alien to him and he'll have the pleasure of listening to you explain their origin and meaning. By bedtime he'll know what they represent, where they grow and every little myth about them. Despite your swooning over the colours or shapes of the petals, Eddie believes no flower holds a candle to your beauty. Amongst the sea of flora, you stand tallest, brightest and boldest. You return, grin beaming and proudly flourishing your chosen bouquet before him. 

'Pretty,' Eddie murmurs, 'but not as pretty as you, sweetheart.'

He kisses your forehead and you keen under his sweetness. Both the blush on his cheeks and the nervous bob of his Adam's apple goes unnoticed. You walk on whilst Eddie's brain swirls looking at the flowers you hold proudly. Will those be what she chooses for the wedding? He wonders. Will she even want a big wedding with floral arrangements and table settings? Is she going to throw a bouquet? Who will catch it? 

Without realising, Eddie finds himself approaching your usual bench at the park with you. Apparently around the time he had begun wondering where you'd like to go on a honeymoon, you'd bought two pretzels and brought him to the park. 

'Are you sitting down, Eds?' Your voice chirps. Pretty eyes wide looking up at him in confusion from where you sit on the bench. 

'Yeah, sorry baby. Was miles away...' he remains gazing at you dreamily as he takes a seat. Once his backside touches the wood, you shuffle up next to him, legs swinging over his. 

'No worries, my dreamy boy,' you coo.

Pressing a kiss to his already glowing cheeks. Your head rests against his shoulder as you both begin to pick at your pretzels, watching the world around you. Opposite and just a few benches down sit an elderly couple. They lean against each other, near mirroring you and Eddie. Their echoing laughter shows their wrinkles weren't from age but a life worth living. It's a future you've always dreamed of. Considering you've been together four years now - as of this month - you're hoping it's a future that'll happen with Eddie. 

'I think...' you pipe up, 'if I'm like that in fifty years, I know I'll have lived a pretty great life.'

Eddie stirs at the sudden sound of your voice. Too focused on listing every shade he could spot in your iris, to realise what caught your attention. 

'Hmm? Like what, sweets?'

'Like that!' You subtly point to the sweet old couple. Upon seeing the subject of your daydreams, Eddie's heart twinges. He wants to stand up and scream in the middle of the park THAT WILL BE US, HAVE YOU NOT REALISED I HAVE BEEN SWEATING ALL DAY THINKING OF A MOMENT TO PROPOSE TO YOU. But now isn't the moment to propose. Something just doesn't feel quite perfect yet. It'll hit him eventually. 

'You big softie,' he smirks, pressing a kiss to your temple. 'Is that what you'll still want, to be all crinkled and still in this old park?' 

He says it as coolly as he can muster, all the while his brain shouts please say yes, please say yes, I'll live in this park until we die if you wanted. 

'Yeah... what good is money and fame and success if at the end of the day, you've not got anyone to share it with forever.' 

You nuzzle further into his shoulder, praying that he gets the hint. Eddie chuckles, 'I don't know if I'll make it that long, baby. This rock n roll lifestyle takes its toll...'

He's met with a mocking look as you sit straight to stare at him. 

'Eddie, honey... you literally sulk if I don't make you a smoothie every morning. You take vitamins!' 

He cackles, peppering kisses over your sassy little face. 

'Ssh, Y/N! Anyone could be listening. You'll have my beauty secrets on the cover of tomorrow's papers.'

The next stop on your Sunday tour de force is the record store. It's the place Eddie is certain you've both spent most of your income since moving in together. As the chime of the bell announces your arrival, you're met with a cheerful wave from the owner. You've definitely paid to put at least one of his kids through college. Eddie tails behind you as you skip across the creaking floors in search of something. He smiles to himself, this is how it's been since the night he met you; him hopelessly willing to follow you to the end of the earth. In meeting you, overnight he was transformed from a wallowing lonely rockstar into a lovesick puppy. He'd never go back to the way it was. 

Already you've foraged a handful of singles and are setting up the record player at the back of the shop floor to listen. A listening area is set up behind colourful beaded crystal curtains. The light from the old big windows refract through them, glittering rainbows across your perfect features. You're a fucking dream, he thinks, as he pulls back the curtain to join you. 

Your fingers fiddle to play the first single and the speakers hum with the opening notes to It Must Be Love by Madness. Once the lyrics start you're softly singing along, approaching Eddie with gooey eyes. Hoping he understands how much each lyric resonates with how you feel about him. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you tug him close. The two of you sway together as the chorus kicks in. Both faces beaming with goofy grins. A sickening sight of mushy affection to anyone else outside of the scene. But to the pair of you, it was just another moment inside the bubble you'd found yourselves in since meeting. Eddie takes your hand to spin you around, the finger tips of your free hand brushing against the crystals causing them to tinkle. 

As the song builds up to the end, Eddie dips you down dramatically causing you to burst into fits of giggles. His eyebrows wiggling theatrically, pleased he made you laugh. He plants a sloppy movie star kiss to your lips on the final notes of the song. Once he brings you back up, you can't help but take in the beautiful boy before you. His round nose, all consuming smile and those deep chocolate eyes you see your future in. Well into his twenties, he is still effortlessly boyish. 

'I think you're the silliest boy on earth, Eddie Munson,' you whisper. 

Eddie gasps in faux outrage. 

'And I think you'll find I'm a man, Miss Y/N. You should know!' His naughty grin widening causing you to roll your eyes to mask the brewing giggle. 

'Can we do the photobooth?' You ask hopefully. 

'Ugh! Who am I to deprive my sweetheart. Of course!' 

You squeal and skitter off to the old photobooth that sits in the other corner of the shop. 

As Eddie follows you, a poster tacked to the notice board catches his eye. Upon seeing the listing, a cartoon bulb virtually appears above his head and lights up. Perfect. He smirks to himself as he walks to find you waiting. The photobooth was an old one the owner had taken from the beachside funfair. For some reason, you absolutely loved it and insisted upon going in every time you came in store. Honestly, Eddie had never particularly cared for being photographed. Inside he was still an awkward rejected teenager who wanted to curl up on himself. When you're continually gawped at for your appearance and for sticking out, you lose the desire to want a permanent reminder of yourself. But now, he didn't mind photos. Not when they were with you. He liked how his smile was just from being in your presence. Liked how he has a physical memory of an adventure together. A frozen moment in time of being hopelessly in love with you. 

You push him inside the booth, then clamber on top of his lap before pulling the velvet curtain shut. 

'Pull that curtain tight, baby. Don't want the people to see what we get up to!' 

You swat at his shoulders. Admittedly, it wouldn't be the first time you would take some none PG photos in a booth together. 

'Behave, Munson! Are you ready?' 

Eddie nods. So focused on the word Munson falling off your lips he doesn't notice you press the buttons. He's dying inside to call you Munson back. Desperate to officially be a family.

The first flash startles him, ensuring a photo of you looking perfect and him looking awestruck. 

For the next flash he sinks his teeth into your shoulder causing you to squirm and burst into giggles. 

The next you get him back by licking the side of his face and he looks like he enjoys that far too much.

He wonders if he should ask right now. Have the moment he asks if you'll be his forever, in a photograph forever. But then he remembers the poster that caught his eye. No, he'll refrain. There's an even better option. 

The final flash, Eddie pulls you into a deep kiss. The kind where both of you lose your fingers in the others hair. Hopefully, the next time you kiss like that, you will have just agreed to be the future Mrs Munson.

Your smile beams, pleased with the finished product. Another strip of photos together for you to add to the collection you have hanging on a string in the bedroom. 

'They're perfect,' you squeal, 'okay, I'm just going to go get those singles and buy them. See you in a min!' 

Eddie is grateful to the universe for distracting you and allowing him to spring into action. Once your back is turned he fleas back over to the poster, ripping it off the board and scurrying to the phone for public use. His calloused tips hammer in the numbers and he makes a very important call. 

By the time you've left the record store, the sun had hidden behind the clouds. A soft light casting over the city. You swing your joined hands between the two of you. 

'So, what's next, Eds?'

Eddie fakes a dramatic ponder, his ringed index finger tapping his lip.

'Well, a little birdy told me that someone's favourite film is playing at her favourite movie theatre...'

Your face lights up with excitement as you gasp. 

'Seriously?!'

'Yep! Would I ever lie to you about such serious matters? Wanna go?'

His heart-warms as you practically dance on the spot. 

'Yes yes yes!'

Internally he cackles, he knew you couldn't resist. The plan was officially in motion. 

It was hard to concentrate, not that Eddie needed to, you'd made him watch the movie countless times. But with the anticipation and excitement fizzing inside, ready to explode any second like a shook up soda, it may as well have been on mute. He's already raised suspicions with you by the way his knee relentlessly jiggled, causing his chain to rattle and the popcorn to spill.

'Ed, I told you to pee before we went in!' You whispered passive aggressively in his ear like a mom. 

God, you'll be a great mom he thinks, although he's never pushed the topic. Always assuming if you wanted kids you'd tell him. He'd raise a herd of sheep if that's what you wanted, he's so hopelessly stupid for you.

There was no need to watch the movie when he could watch you. See how the screen reflected and flickered in your sparkling eyes. How they lit up at your favourite moments and how he'd catch you subconsciously mouthing along with the romantic declarations. He wanted to make a romantic declaration, a perfect movie moment just for you. You were the strongest person he knew - somewhat terrifying at times - however inside you were soft and sweet. That was never more obvious than when tears sparkle in your eyes at the climax of the love story. Nothing made Eddie feel more privileged than knowing you opened up that soft centre to him. Trusted him with that most vulnerable part when so many people before had tried to poison it. You were it for him. 

It's quiet in the lobby when you skip out of the screen, the hand that clutches Eddie's is sticky from candy.

'Enjoy the movie?' He asks innocently, internally chuckling that he's merely buying time. You spin around to plant a sugary kiss on his lips. 

'Always,' you hum, 'never gets old. Thank you for watching it with me again.' 

Eddie grins, he wants to declare how he'll watch it over and over with you until the end of time - but he's not giving up the game yet. So he just smiles and returns the kiss. 

'Okay, I'm gonna pee before we go!' 

And with that you pad over the sticky crimson carpets to the bathrooms. The movie theatre is verging on an artefact at this point, but it has become a beloved refuge for the pair of you. After meticulously picking a quiet corner of New York where you could exist unbothered, your first weekend in your new home was spent seeking out what the area had to offer. That's when you found it. Aged and grand with a delicate carved stone front. The only identifier that a building so beautiful was a movie theatre was the old manual listings board. It quickly became a quiet haven to waste away your days in. Watching niche, bizarre and forgotten films alongside regulars; half of whom as old as the building itself. 

As soon as you disappeared into the bathroom, one of the staff swept past Eddie. Inconspicuously whispering, 

'Operation the big question is ago, everything is set!'

The message was followed by a small thumbs up, mirrored by the other staff stood behind the concessions stand. It was happening. Eddie Munson was going to propose. 

His sweating palms went to check the small box was still tucked into his jacket pocket. Check, still there. He ran over everything he wanted to say when he asked the big question. Then a couple times more, just to be sure. Oh god, he groans to himself, why is this the longest pee she's ever taken. He's a man on edge! But still, double check on the speech. It's not like he's been assembling this declaration of love gradually since meeting you in that dingy bar four years ago. As if it's not the sentiments that have made up the majority of Corroded Coffin's lyrics ever since. 

By the time you exit onto the street, Eddie is perplexed that you haven't notice he's shaking like a leaf. He retracts his hand from yours, earning him a sulky pout and he tries desperately for his words not to tremble like his hands. 

'Have you got your camera, sweetheart?'

You quirk a brow at the random request. 

'Um, yeah? It's in my bag somewhere...' you trail off as you feel up the fabric for the rectangular shape. Once you're satisfied it's there you look back up, face still puzzled. 

'How come?'

'Wanna take a picture...' Eddie bats his lashes, giving you his sweetest look. He sees the suspicious squint in your eye and hits you with some smooth talk to keep you just where he wants. 'Cos my girls lookin purdyyy.'

Just like magic, he cracks you, causing a giggle to overtake your skepticism. 

'Well, if you insist. S'pose I shouldn't deprive you of your muse,' you poke at him as your pass the Polaroid over. 

I can't believe this is working, Eddie's internal voice screams. He shuffles back towards to road. Angling the camera so the cinema can be seen perfectly behind you. The soft lights from the billboard and the setting sun casting an ethereal glow over you. 

'Do I have any chocolate or anything on my face!' You panic suddenly. 

'No... you're perfect,' Eddie's voice breaks as he speaks but you're distracted as you pose. 

The camera flashes and captures the most important moment of your lives so far and you're completely oblivious. You scamper over towards Eddie, grabby hands seeking the freshly printed photo. He gnaws his lip as you wiggle with the developing photo. 

'So silly, Eds, why did you want a pictur-' you trail off as the picture emerges on the paper. Eyes squinting then widening. You look to the photo, then to Eddie, then to the photo and then finally you turn around. 

The cinema's listings board has been rearranged. The title of the film you just watched and the timings have been swiped off now replaced with the words 

'SWEETHEART WILL YOU MARRY ME?'

A noise between a gasp and a sob gets caught in your throat.

'What the fuck?' You whisper. 

When you finally turn around, Eddie Munson, your boyfriend, the strange rockstar in a bar you met by sheer coincidence four years ago, is down on one knee with a small box in his hands. 

'Eddie...' you croak. 

He raises his quivering hand to stop your words. 

'Y/N, I know I never shut up but just let me speak first...'

You nod, all words lost anyway. 

'Y/N, I have spent my whole life feeling not quite right, not quite good enough, not quite whole. I never had a real family, never managed to live a normal life. Went through hell and back... literally.'

His voice wavers and tears prick, the same as you at the mention of his childhood and the place that nearly stole him before you ever got to meet him. 

'By some miracle, I managed to get a second chance at life. The band worked out and I accepted that was more than I ever could've asked for. But I still wasn't whole. But it was better than I ever thought someone like me could get. 

Then at a random show, back in the town that tortured me, something I can only believe is a miracle happened. The most beautiful being I've ever seen appeared. You. And by some stroke of luck, you saw me. You saw me in a way no one ever had and ever has. I spent that whole night with you and for the first time, I felt that hole inside me begin to fill. And I chased you to Chicago because it was you, you were what was making me whole. 

You were the missing piece. I can't believe I get to have a life with you and I can't imagine a life without you now. 

You're my family, the family neither of us have. I want to make that official. Want to give you the family you've always deserved. 

Y/N Y/L/N will you please, marry me?'

Your tears have long escaped your eyes, now a wet trail runs down your pink cheeks. Eddie's brown eyes seem bigger and brighter than ever, in them glimmers every shade of brown. In them is your future. You push past the lump in your throat. 

'Yes, Eddie, yes. Of course. You're everything to me. I think it would've been a yes when you followed me to Chicago when I met you for just the second time. It was always going to be you. Always you. Yes, please,' you sob. 

'Oh thank god,' he sobs in return. 

'Now, please get off the floor-  this is New York!' You laugh, tugging him up by the wrists and pulling him into a kiss. 

His plush lips crashing to yours passionately, both of your brushing cheeks wet with tears. It feels like the first kiss of the rest of your life. Suddenly, Eddie pulls away. 

'Oh, shit, I forgot to give you the ring!' His panic makes you giggle.

The soft velvet box, he'd been gripping finally reveals the ring that had been in hiding since October. The treasure inside causes your breath to hitch. 

'Eddie...'

'Can I?' He asks nervously as if you hadn't said yes.

His big hand holding yours, thumb running over the finger he hopes will signify you're his forever. You nod and he slides the ring on perfectly, as if it was meant to be. The ring is breathtaking, delicate and unique, clearly vintage with a story. 

'It's... it's gorgeous. Baby, where did you get it? I just - I couldn't have picked one more perfect.' 

Eddie blushes. Now he's truly about to expose how much he's thought about this moment. 

'I remember we once went to some pawn shop and there was this big display of second hand jewellery. I caught you looking at all those rings... looked so sad. Told me how you were always jealous of people who had family heirlooms like that. You never had one cos of your family. Didn't have a history to pass on. And it made you sad people would give that away. So... I saw it and I thought maybe we could rescue someone's heirloom and make it our family's. Start a new tradition y'know.'

You're not sure how or when you stopped crying that night. The love you'd been harbouring for Eddie all these years finally began to spill over. Never in your life had you felt so loved for who you were to the core. Now you got to spend your life with him. Perhaps the tears stopped when your bodies were tangled together that night. Becoming the epitome of making love. As you both panted the promise of your future, the magic words drawing you closer to the edge. 

'Mrs Munson.' 

That was your future. Eddie was your future. Everything you hadn't had growing up no longer mattered. You were at the beginning of your true family, The Munsons. Both of your eyes fluttered heavy with sleep, dreaming of the prospect of how the Munson family would grow. But that was a conversation for another day. 

Before sleep finally takes you, a question comes to you. 

'Eds?' You whisper into his chest. He sleepily hums in response. 

'When did you get the ring?'

He can finally reveal his secret now. 

'Last year... in October. Steve's been harbouring it for months. I found it in California near the recording studio,' he chuckles. Proud of his cunning and for not cracking sooner. 

Of course he's been planning this. Yes, you think, I’m the luckiest person in the world to feel loved like this. You fall asleep laughing with him. The pair of you delirious with exhaustion and love sickness.

my taglist angels: @whoahoney@lukewearingbeanies @esme-viridian @elysian-chaos @munsonology@mseddiemunson @kreepja @midnightsgetawaycar

[dizzystqrs]

personal h2o lore & mermaid rules explanation

disclaimer: h2o: just add water is by no means a scientific show, the creators even said that they didn't put much thought into the specifics of anything, but if you are like me and Upset that they didn't, this is for u <3

disclaimer 2: these are my personal best-of-my-ability explanations, but they r Not canon at all, and absolutely feel free to disagree!

here we go!!

1. are the girl's human forms and mermaid forms separate bodies?

short answer: no, they aren't--but the episode red herring does make it seem that way, when emma's red hair is only in one form. however, if they were separate bodies, emma's finger cut in season 1 and rikki's head injury in season 2 which they both got in mermaid form would not have stayed when they transformed back (but they did!) it's more of a bodily permanent-to-not-permanent basis on what stays and what leaves during a transformation.

long answer: opalsiren also has a detailed post on this if you're curious (and i do highly recommend giving it a read bc it changed my life, reshaped my reality, watered my crops, etc etc) but i'll try to explain it here too

if we look at what stays and what leaves during a transformation, we can sorta see a pattern

freckles, scars, wounds, hair texture/length, bodily proportions (mermaid forms age along with their human forms) and eye color all stay the same, meanwhile clothes, accessories, makeup, hair dye, etc, all disappear. furthermore, anything permanent, genetic, or breaking the skin keeps, and anything temporary or sitting on top of the skin disappears, and then reappears later. (ex: hair length stays consistent because hair follicles penetrate the skin and go beneath it, semi-permanent hair color doesn't cuz it inly sits around the hair follicles. would dying your hair fully & permanently transform too? mayhaps!)

a scientific way to explain this would be that the transformation process takes into account genetics and then the current state of your body before making the switch into either form. so, during the 30 seconds it takes to transform, the process involves reading the genetic code (eye color, skin color, face shape, etc, and also perhaps it only does this the first time, and saves the information for the future?) and then the state of the body (wounds, age, weight, hair length, etc) and then proceeds to alter the genetic makeup to the incoming body type with the new information. (and all of this needs to be read so that the transformation doesn't mess with anything integral or unnecessary, and doesn't cause unwanted changes!! for example i like to think a mermaid bleeding out would not transform back, in order to preserve the body's energy and resources)

2. how do the girls get clean?

this is by far the most common question i see and. u know what... it is a good one to ask LMAO

as i went into before, anything that doesn't permeate the skin will disappear when transforming. this includes dirt and grime!! it will just disappear, then come back like everything else. while they could wash their face and arms in mermaid form, their legs will still be grimy cuz theyre unaccessible!! so like,, how is no one complaining that the girls smell all the time?

so first, fun solution; i like to think that a good solution is that the transformative process is cleansing, as in they straight up Turn Into Water so every single impurity on their skin (such as dirt, oil, makeup maybe, etc) is washed away in both human form and mermaid form in the 30 seconds it takes for them to fully turn. this is a little hard to explain scientifically but i think it would make more sense when given the magic treatment--it just does it bc it can.

semi-boring solution, probably the canon one: their mermaid skin IS their human skin, so cleaning a mermaid tail is just like cleaning their human legs. would make sense as to why they all take baths w their tails! this is also probably the canon explanation, because when dr. denman transforms a scale in her lab, it shifts right back into skin, meaning it is, essentially, the same material. this conflicts a teensy bit with previously established lore in my opinion but . yknow. it is a mermaid show for kids 💀

actual boring solution: there is a canon specific amount of water content that transforms them, which i believe is like above 32% or something. if a liquid contains 32% water, boom, tail. however, it wouldn't be too hard to find alcoholic wipes that contain less than that water content, which they could use to clean the parts of their body that the mermaid tail obscures. straight bars of soap are sometimes less water content than that too, so they could pretty easily just scrub then dry-wipe it off. is it... more sanitary/safe than just washing with water? probably not! but it's an option! and if you dont vibe with the above options, this is a p good alternative

3. hey, what the Fuck is the moonpool

fantastic question. literally no one knows. they are soooo vague with this piece of lore it actually makes me upset considering how COOOL it is that there is an ancient magic pool in a volcano on an abandoned island. they fumbled the bag so hard guys

heres like, pretty much everything we know canonly abt it (in h2o lore only, not mako mermaids, all my homies hate mako mermaids)

- it works hand-in-hand with the moon & planets

- it, or the water in it, is sentient, and is aware of any dangers to it

- it seems to have a connection to fate (as in, the 1950's mermaids & their connection to the 2000's girls)

- there are several of these (implied, but there could just be only one other in ireland)

- each one has a specific set of water-based powers to give out, evenly divided among each person that jumps in the moonpool in a full moon, and these powers can be amplified on specific nights. (this also seems to correspond with personality)

-it is magic. (this is a point because it is Very hard almost near impossible to explain it scientifically)

and yeah! i personally have a few headcanons for What the moonpool is and how it works, but i think it's a lot more fun to make your own so go crazy (and there is no way i could explain it cuz i have like 8000 thoughts abt it and None of them fit in a tumblr post) !! if youre curious u can read my fic about it tho B) xoxo

anyway that's all!! feel free to tack on any questions or answers slash disagreements about this silly little mermaid show as well !! <3

[thegayhimbo]

Ranking The Stranger Things Tie-Ins:

Now that I've finished the reviews (for the time being), I wanted to do a ranking of all the tie-in comics, graphic novels, and books. Originally, I was just going to do a Top 5 Best and Worst List, but I figured it would be more fun to make a complete list of all the tie-ins while also giving my brief thoughts on each one (especially for those who don't want to read my lengthy reviews). Please note this is all in good fun and just my personal opinion, which can be subjected to change.

Also, this list will NOT include any of the show's episodes, video games, tabletop games, children's tie-in books, the Choose Your Own Adventure book, the Stranger Things Experience, or the stage play The First Shadow.

With that out of the way, let's begin in order from Worst to Best:

#26: Stranger Things Summer Special (See Review Here)

I never cared for Powell and Callahan as characters. They barely have anything to do with the show's main arc, they're NOT funny, and the "bumbling cop" trope is something I've grown tired of in recent years.

The premise of this short, where both of them are conveniently present at key events during season 3 in their lousy pursuit of being "good cops," all the while having constant near-misses with the Upside Down, the Flayed, and the Meat Flayer, is a repetitive joke that quickly grows old. That's not even getting into the huge continuity errors plaguing the short and creating a bunch of plot-holes. Completely unnecessary. Hard pass.

#25: Stranger Things The Bully (See Review Here)

This only ranks slightly higher than Summer Special because I like the artwork better, and it doesn't mess up the show's continuity like the previous comic did. However, that's all this really has going for it.

For whatever reason, they decided to make an entire graphic novel focusing on Troy and James (the bullies from season 1), and all I could think about while reading it is "This is a huge waste of time." I already didn't like Troy to begin with, this comic does NOTHING to improve my opinion of him, and considering that neither James nor Troy have appeared on the show since (and probably aren't coming back for season 5), I don't see what the point of this story was. This paragraph from my review sums it up best:

#24: Stranger Things x TMNT Crossover (See Review Here)

I'm sure there are fans who enjoyed this bizarre trip while embracing its absurdness and surrealism, but I am not one of them. I like TMNT and I like Stranger Things, but I draw the line at saying both properties exist in the same universe. That's not even getting into the haphazard attempts by the writers to make this comic canon with the show. Knowing the Duffer Brothers, that's likely not going to happen.

#23: Stranger Things Tales From Hawkins (See Review Here)

The idea of doing an anthology comic focusing on Hawkins residents was intriguing, but the end result was disappointing. They should have broadened their horizons regarding which characters to focus on, and not just set the stories exclusively in the first 2 seasons.

Murray's story (Issue #2) and the Pumpkin Patch Rivalry (Issue #4) are arguably the best ones. The rest are either forgettable or derivative.

#22: Stranger Things Six (See Review Here)

My first venture into Stranger Things comics. I've come a long way since then! :)

I remember looking forward to this particular comic to learn more about Hawkins Lab, Dr. Brenner, Project MKUltra, and the special kids............only to feel underwhelmed when I actually read it. I wanted to like Francine/Six, but I didn't find her interesting or compelling as a character, and the attempts to include other aspects of the show's lore (i.e. The Upside Down, Terry Ives, El and Kali, etc) felt shoehorned. Combined with the direction season 4 went, and it's a safe bet to say this comic is NOT canon (if it ever was).

#21: Stranger Things Suspicious Minds (See Review Here)

Suspicious Minds ranks slightly higher that Six for doing a better job fleshing out the experiments that were taking place at Hawkins Lab, as well as giving more details about Kali, Terry Ives, the test subjects, and El's biological father Andrew. It helps that Brenner is a threatening presence in this book, and that the narrative excels in maintaining suspense.

However, similar to Six, the events of season 4 render most of this book non-canon. That's not even getting into a major continuity error regarding El's date of birth that sticks out like a sore thumb.

Suspicious Minds serves as a cautionary reminder that if you're a creator and you've planned out a major twist for your show, then you either need to have a direct hands-on approach to how tie-ins are written and approved, or you need to be willing to share that twist with those you've hired to write tie-ins for the universe you're managing.

In any case, it is PAINFULLY CLEAR the Duffer Brothers didn't share information about Henry/One/Vecna with Gwenda Bond when she worte this book (or Paul Dichter for that matter when he helped oversee its development), and boy does it show in the final product. 😖

#20: Stranger Things Kamchatka (See Review Here)

Another example of a comic where the premise sounds intriguing, but they squander it on characters who aren't going to play a role on the show while also giving very little (and in some cases, contradictory) information about the show's lore.

While I liked the darker tone, the Cold War setting, and the spy thriller aspects, the characters didn't do much to impress me, and I was also frustrated by the lack of canon characters (Hopper, Dmitiri, Yuri, etc) who could have been in this comic and weren't. It's not bad, but it is mediocre when it didn't need to be.

#19: Stranger Things Into The Fire (See Review Here)

A sequel that improves on its predecessor (Stranger Things Six). While the comic likely isn't canon for the same reasons Six isn't, I appreciated the personal stakes this time around, I loved the creepy gothic aesthetic they did with Jamie/Nine's hallucinations, and it was nice to see Kali utilized in this story in a meaningful way. Here's hoping the Duffer Brothers wise up and bring Kali back for season 5 because she deserves so much better!

#18: Stranger Things Creature Feature (See Review Here)

One aspect of Season 4 that was disappointing was how little we got to see of the family dynamic with El and the Byers once they moved. It's hinted at, but not explored deeply. Creature Feature dives a little more into that, as well as El's struggles with PTSD, and gives a nice heartwarming scene between El, Jonathan, and Will towards the end that makes the short stand out.

However, the one-shot comic is sadly brief, and it may leave people frustrated about why they didn't go for a longer comic/graphic novel about El and the Byers adjusting to life in Lenora. I would've been interested in seeing that!

#17: Stranger Things The Game Master (See Review Here)

A one-shot comic where we get to see Steve and Nancy back together after the events of season 1 while also getting a surprisingly sweet interaction between Steve and Mike that isn't them griping with one another. I don't care much for Steve and Nancy's relationship, but I did like their attempts to help Mike feel better after El's apparent death. That was enough to elevate this short.

#16: Stranger Things Erica's Quest (See Review Here)

Not a fan of the artwork, but I was happy to witness the Scoop's Troop back together again. I also love how this short confirms Steve has played D&D before, which gives context to that scene in S4 when Dustin calls Steve asking him to be a substitute player in Eddie's D&D campaign.

#15: Stranger Things The Voyage (See Review Here)

Major improvement on Stranger Things Kamchatka. It's highly doubtful the show will include any mention of this comic (though if the Duffer Brothers decide to bring back the Russian arc for S5, I hope they incorporate Dr. Karine as the main antagonist), but the story is scary, suspenseful, and has the kind of gruesomeness you'd expect from an R-Rated horror film.

#14: Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (See Reviews Here)

Having grown up reading a lot of murder mysteries, I have a soft spot for the genre. Hearing that Hopper's backstory involved him tracking down a deranged serial killer in New York City back in the 70s while also dealing with a dangerous cult was enough to get me on board with this book.

This novel isn't perfect, but it makes up for its shortcomings in creative ways. Hopper's backstory with the NYPD is fascinating, the story's focus on issues related to poverty, crime, mental health, law enforcement, and societal woes works well (even if they drop the ball towards the end), Hopper's interactions with El in the present are a highlight, and the narrative is effective in keeping the reader invested.

#13: Stranger Things Erica The Great (See Review Here)

A light-hearted graphic novel that bridges Erica's arc between seasons 3 and 4 while expanding on her growth as a character and development as a D&D play. It was cool seeing Erica's friends get their day in the limelight (one of whom might be making an appearance in S5), and the story has enough funny moments to keep the reader entertained.

#12: Stranger Things Flight Of Icarus (See Review Here)

I know fan reaction towards this book was cold when it was first announced, and I'll admit parts of it were hard to read given we all know how Eddie's story ends. I'm not a fan of media that teases false hope to the audience, only to cruelly yank it away.

That being said, I will go to bat for this book: It's well-written, and does a good job expanding on Eddie's character and his relationships with others (Wayne, Al Munson, Jason, etc). I also appreciate the book's themes regarding "forced conformity," and its scathing criticisms towards individuals and institutions (school teachers, law enforcement, students, residents, etc) who scapegoat and punish people like Eddie for existing while allowing (or in some cases, enabling) truly vile people to get away with being vicious and cruel towards "acceptable targets."

Considering how certain individuals on Tumblr and varying social media platforms have been treating others for the past few months, this book couldn't have come during a more relevant time.

#11: Stranger Things Halloween Special (See Review Here)

A delightful Halloween comic taking place before season 1 which centers around the Party telling an urban legend about the Child Eater of Hawkins, which coincidentally has eerie parallels to Vecna. Creepy artwork, an unsettling atmosphere, and a fun twist at the end! :)

#10: Stranger Things Hawkins Horrors (See Review Here)

Same deal as the Halloween Special, except it takes place between Seasons 3 and 4, and features multiple horror stories told by Steve, Robin, Nancy, Max, Lucas, Erica, Dustin, and Mike while they're all trapped in the Video Store during a power outage. The stories are scary and reminiscent of horror anthologies like Tales from the Crypt and Goosebumps, and some of them even cheekily foreshadow certain events that occur in season 4.

#9: Stranger Things Runaway Max (See Reviews Here)

Like Flight of Icarus, this book is hard to read, albeit for a different reason: I don't enjoy stories with characters trapped in abusive situations, and this book does not pull its punches in depicting the utter hell Max suffered through living with both Neil and Billy.

That being said, I grew to have a new appreciation for Max's character because of this book, and I liked seeing her backstory, her perspective on the events of season 2, and her thoughts about the characters she interacts with. I loved seeing her relationship with Lucas develop, I liked her brief interactions with Steve, and there was a satisfying payoff in her standing up to Billy and finally regaining some control over her life. If you love Max's character, this book is for you!

#8: Stranger Things Winter Special (See Review Here)

The closest Stranger Things will ever have for a Christmas Special (not counting the endings of the first two season finales). So many little details (i.e. the way the Party explains different Christmas stories to El and how she visualizes them, the revelation about what happened to the demodog in Joyce's fridge, etc) that make this an enjoyable read.

#7: Stranger Things Lucas On The Line (See Review Here)

One thing I will say for the tie-ins is that I appreciate how they expand the perspectives of characters from the show. Such is the case with Lucas on the Line. It takes place between seasons 3 and 4, and explores Lucas's attempts to come to terms with his trauma, the growing rift between himself and Max, his attempts to balance his strained relationships with his friends and his desire to play basketball and break out of the "nerd" stereotype, and it gives a very brutal but effective portrait of what it's like for Lucas to be one of the few black kids in Hawkins constantly surrounded by people who are either outwardly racist or project their biases and prejudices in truly insidious ways.

There are two reasons I'm not ranking this novel as highly even though it's a fan-favorite: 1.) There are continuity errors that took me out of certain moments while reading it, and 2.) The third act (which is when S4 begins) does a clumsy job tying in with the rest of the book and its themes. I really wish the book had continued with Lucas's story up to the end of S4 instead of stopping halfway through.

#6: Stranger Things The Other Side (See Review Here)

I always wanted to know what was going on with Will in season 1 when he was taken to the Upside Down. This comic thankfully elaborates on that and doesn't disappoint. Will's journey to survive is both intense and terrifying, and the way the comic seamlessly connects itself with the events of season 1 is to be applauded.

I have no clue what the Duffer Brothers plan to reveal in season 5 about the Upside Down and why time froze in 1983 when Will was taken, but considering they talked with the writers and artists for this comic and gave their stamp of approval, I'm hopeful the events of The Other Side won't be retconned.

#5: Stranger Things Science Camp (See Review Here)

Who knew that when Dustin went to Science Camp, he walked right into a Friday the 13th movie? 😂

Don't want to spoil too much about this one, but I had a blast reading it. Dustin's perspective is always entertaining, the comic works as a brilliant introduction for Suzie, and the mystery plaguing the camp is genuinely interesting and has a good twist. High recommendation.

#4: Stranger Things Zombie Boys (See Review Here)

I'm still bitter that the character of Joey Kim never made an appearance on the show despite the camaraderie he had with the Party, as well as how he gave the boys some catharsis from all the shit they were put through in season 1.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the premise of the Party making a zombie movie, and I appreciated how it handled the characters' trauma without being patronizing. The artwork was also impressive and beautiful to look at. Here's hoping we get more comics and graphic novels like this in the future!

#3: Stranger Things Tomb Of Ybwen (See Review Here)

At its core, the comic manages to explore an aspect that wasn't given much coverage on the show: Will's reaction to Bob's death and his attempts to come to terms with it. All of which culminates in a quest Will undertakes when he finds a map from Bob that (allegedly) leads to an ancient Viking treasure buried in Hawkins.

I don't want to give too much away in terms of spoilers, but the story is both emotional, sad, and heartwarming, and it does an excellent job reinforcing the friendship between all 4 boys while also demonstrating the impact Bob had on Will's life.

#2: Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons (See Review Here)

Speaking as someone who's occasionally crafted various fantasy scenarios in my head to cope with the stresses of life, this comic was deeply relatable. The show never shied away from emphasizing the importance of D&D to these characters, and this comic expands on that by illustrating why they became interested in D&D in the first place, how they've used D&D to cope with living in Hawkins, how the events of the first 3 seasons factor into how they play D&D, and how the game evolved with them as they continued to get older. It's like the piece of media from your childhood that stays with you as an adult. Arguably the best comic in the series (so far).

#1: Stranger Things Rebel Robin (See Reviews Here)

My favorite book and tie-in of the series. Speaking as someone who's gay, this story spoke to me on a personal level, and there were a lot of parallels I was drawing between Robin's experiences in high school and my own: The fear of being outed and ostracized. The desire to break free and explore the world. Recognizing the injustices that exist in society and wishing you could do something about them. Getting a nasty dose of reality that people you thought you could trust aren't reliable, and may even be more awful than you anticipated. Been there, done that, still dealing with some aspects of it.

It's funny because even if you take out the plot elements relating to the Upside Down, you still get a great coming-of-age story, and one that speaks to many people, LGBT+ or otherwise.

That concludes the ranking and reviews for right now! Thank you again for those who've been reading them! :)

[dedmasya]

HN's lore and fandom are literally broken atm

Every time when something shitty happens with this poor franchise I had the feeling that I should write something about it. And the last AS teaser was like a spit into my face, so here you go. HN has problems, the fandom, the franchise itself. And these problems are huge. We all know that it's a some kind of a milking cow at the moment, it's already a very sad situation. People around me (with whom I hang out and they are/were in HN fandom) liked the way how story went when Nikita was around. It's obvious, that he wasn't involved in modern HN2 and projects that were created after. It may sound stupid to those people, who don't have this feeling, but you just know that he hasn't participated in development. It's like a style, handwriting. You can try to copy it, but it still will be a copy. And his style, his handwriting is nowhere. The last time I felt that HN is HN was when HN2 alpha 2 teasers were seen. I was excited, had high hopes. Felt that special vibe. But later? Nothing. Lore problems. SIGH. Every fucking interpretation of this poor game fails, contradicting each other and original canon. We have the game. The first and original resource of information, everything else should be based on it, not the opposite(!). These books are a cash grab, I have almost all of them, I've read them, but they're a cash grab literally. I can say it as a person who is writing too and who can point out that everyone is freaking OOC in them, including Theodore. And no matter how TB wants to be "an animation studio" or smth, they're GAME PUBLISHERS hiii hellooo hi??? You're supposed to publish games, they spent money on absolutely unnecessary product that can't even give them these money back, as I suppose. You all do know that Ted never freaking ever had a brother. Even the book one had SISTER, but it was just a random fact even and her existence in the lore was... Not important. Lore keeps being overwritten over and over again, it's nowhere HN already. The legacy was destroyed or smth. I won't even say anything about poor HG that had amusing potential! Are u guys really okay with this? Cuz I'm not. It feels at least disrespectful to Nikita, imho. I would be so depressed if my creation was turned into a milking cow for someone else. HN1 had a meaning, morality. It wasn't just a game for fun and giggles, it was a message, it was an art. Like a good movie, like a good book. But a good game. Maybe with bugs, yes. Maybe it wasn't 100% perfect in different aspects, but it had soul. And imho HN could be a russian gamedev savior at some point, cuz russian gamedev is half alive. And old fandom... People who are new to this franchise probably doesn't know a lot of facts, some don't even understand what was HN1 about, even if it's obvious as hell. People are not friendly to each other for some reason, despite they're a part of one community. Stop stabbing the same boat where we all in, you will drown not us, but yourself too. So we should be respectful to each other, we're the one community, no matter if we want it or not. I miss old HN. No fucking mystic, just metaphors and messages. No random flat characters, no 100 boring and unnecessary spin-offs, including a freaking cartoon. And as a conclusion HN = Nikita (and Dynamic Pixels ppl) No Nikita = No HN Text is not systematized as it should, maybe there are even grammar mistakes. But it's an emotional vent.

[redninjaoutfit]

Colt De Luca relationship chart with canon characters!

Posting more about my greasy son because the interaction charts reveal a lot of lore that I haven't already mentioned in my previous posts 😈

More under the cut cause it's.. a lot!

The main trio ---------------------------------

His relationship to the main gang is probably shared with a lot of the other clique members at Bullworth - dislike.

Gary - it's clear enough why Colt hates his guts. Gary is a sociopath who manipulates and uses others to his sole advantage. Colt hates all sort of bullying and unnecessary violence towards which Gary has a clear liking. He is chaos and Colt hates chaos.

Jimmy - though he respects him for defeating Gary, Colt still feels unsettled by Jimmy's way of conflict resolution. He thinks he enabled Gary's sadistic nature in a way and is too much of a brute.

Petey - while Petey holds a general respect for Colt's sensitive nature as a Greaser thinking him one of the good ones, Colt considers him a two-timer who, like Jimmy, enabled Gary but didn't even try to stop him.

The Greasers

--------------------------------------

This section is probably going to be the lengthiest since Colt himself IS part of the greaser clique and his relationship with them is the most in-depth. Though he gets along with them and they consider him part of their little found family there is some unresolved tension which his friends either refuse to acknowledge or don't see at all.

Johnny - He and Colt have a friendly relationship which is unfortunately strained on Colt's part. While he appreciates all his leader has done for him, how he stood up for him to the Jocks and the Bullies when they tormented him, he wishes Johnny would give up his obsession with Lola as it inhibits his sense of judgment and, as many greasers think anyway, drives him crazy.

Lola - While he wishes he could enjoy being around her more, Colt is put off her by her toxic relationship with their leader. He thinks it'd be better if they'd split permanently. He feels like a child of parents who refuse to get a divorce but really should. She also treats him rather condescendingly for his age and personality.

Peanut - They're friendly on a day to day basis but there's tension between the two for many reasons, the primary one being their perception of Johnny. Colt thinks Peanut is too much of a doormat for their leader and enables his bad decision, at the same time he feels bad about his obvious unhealthy attachment to Johnny. Peanut senses Colt's pity and hates it but can't find it in himself to confront him about it. Peanut's also sort of jealous about Colt being Ms. Philips' favourite student

Vance - Great friends who share an appreciation for beauty! Though Vance's more about vanity and Colt's about the arts, they find common ground. Colt finds Vance's word-plays rather amusing and creative and tries to convince him to pursue writing

Ricky - They get along rather well seeing as Ricky has been around the De Luca brothers for a long time before they started attending the academy. Though Colt doesn't take much interest in fixing bikes himself he enjoys sitting around the autoshop with Ricky and reading him his own poetry and Ricky enjoys hearing it even more as he is also a sensitive person at heart and wishes he could also write well. They often cause mischief to the Jocks together. CERTIFIED HATERS!!

Norton - one of the most ouwardly sensitive Greasers other than Colt, of course they're friends!! Norton, despite being twice Colt's height and size admires the little guy for being himself and not putting on a tough act like the rest of the greasers, himself included. He also treats him like an artistic mentor of sorts, coming to Colt for advice when trying to improve his own painting skills. He sees a lot of Ponyboy in Colt (wonder why) who's his favourite Outsiders character. Probably got a sunset painting from Colt once or twice. Cried every time! Also the most fiercely protective of him when Lucky's not around.

Hal - with Hal being more brash and rude, they're not as good of friends as for example Norton n Ricky are with Colt but they still enjoy each other's presence. Colt entertains Hal's creepy interests such as true crime and criminal mysteries, though what he wouldn't tell Hal is that he's quite the scaredy cat at heart.

Lucky - well. They are brothers so there's that! Their relationship is incredibly complex. Their parents passed away in a motorbike accident when Lucky was 6 and Colt was 2, got adopted by their neglectful uncle and from then on had to pretty much fend for themselves with Luck doing all the raising for Colt instead of the uncle. Lucky thinks of himself more like a parent to Colt than a brother or friend and though they love each other and are incredibly close both wish their relationship would have been different, that Lucky was less overprotective and Colt was more mature. They never talk about it though cause "if it works then that's all that matters"

Lefty - THEY'RE THE BEST OF FRIENDS I SWEAR TO GOD. Ever since the brothers moved to New Coventry to live with their uncle and Colt was able to roam the neighbourhood freely (with Luck of course) he got adopted by Lefty (and back then Luis) who often spent his days outside cause of his own less than ideal home life. They experienced every part of growing up together and are so attached at the hip when one's not present you ask the other where he is. They get up to mischief together and give Lucky sleepless nights but they wouldn't have it any other way.

The Preppies

--------------------------------------

You'd think a Greaser's relationship to the Preppies would be more straightforward.. well, think again! While his perception of the rich is similar to that of his fellow "paupers" Colt's never been one to straight up despise them despite his gang's expectations.

Derby - dislikes him for obvious reasons - not only is he rich but also ridiculously entitled. He's been ridiculed by Derby countless times for anything ranging from his paint-stained clothes, his Greaser status, his immaturity (ironic) and lack of money. It never felt like it was actually meant to hurt Colt, rather stroke Derby's own ego hence why Colt doesn't really hate him and simply sees him as a spoiled brat.

Pinky - maybe they're not the best of friends but the times they actually had an opportunity to talk they got along rather well. Outside of Pinky being just as spoiled of a princess as Derby, Colt appreciates her indifference towards a person's economic class. He'd much rather be seen as fascinating and "real" than spat on and ridiculed.

Tad - their history is surprisingly loaded for two people who almost never talk to one another. Normally, with Tad being as much of an insufferable git as he is Colt would have no choice but to dislike him like he does Derby or Bryce. It's different, however, with Tad's family history involved. Their relationship started off as pure dislike but morphed into hesitant, conflicted sympathy on Colt's part once he found out about Tad's father's abuse (which i think he'd be rather private about despite him loudly talking about it in game). Tad DESPISES Colt for "pitying" him and either avoids him or tries to make his life a living hell so Colt would stop looking at him like that TM. Tad actively plots against him as he does with Peanut, confusing other preps who don't know about their history.

Gord, Chad and Justin - they don't have very bad blood between them outside of the whole class clash shtick between the Greasers and the Preps. Colt DOES dislike Justin more though primarily because of his association with the Jocks and desire to befriend them. After all they've done to him, Colt can't fathom the idea of willingly hanging around them.

Parker - despite being from two completely different factions these two have great friendship chemistry. They met when Colt wandered into Old Bullworth Vale and gotten targeted by the other rich kids with the then rich Bryce at the helm of the attack. He was the one to actually help him clean up and "escort" him around the neighbourhood so he could get what he needed. The selfless act moved Colt and since then they've only grown closer and were it not for clique loyalties they'd be able to consider each other besties. They hang out in private out of the sight of their respective groups and Colt even got Lefty to like Parker!

Bryce - the only Prep Colt actually honest to god can't stand. To him, Bryce is just like Derby but his words are much more cutting and he actually means each insult he spews. He's also been targeted by Bryce as "boxing practice" and ridiculed for his interests and personality. Bryce feels much the same and doesn't understand why Colt "refuses" to hide and repress things about himself that make him such an easy target. Victim blaming much?

Bif - strangely enough Bif and Colt get along rather well! Though he's often used as the muscle and protector of the Preppies, Bif holds little actual honest contempt towards poor people who aren't directly out for blue blood (such as a majority of the Greasers). He has a lot of "pauper" hobbies and interests and is more relaxed and secure in his identity than his friends. Colt sees and admires that about Bif whereas Bif sees his old, small self in Colt and feels strangely protective over the little Greaser who doesn't really go out of his way to instigate trouble with the Preps. Colt would like to get closer to him but knows it's pretty much impossible with Bif being Derby's bodyguard. Doesn't stop both of them from wishing though.

The Jocks

--------------------------------------

It's apparent in the graph but Colt holds a degree of dislike towards every Jock. Like I've already mentioned, it's less the economic status of a person which matters to him and more how they treat others which the Jocks as the top clique have a tendency towards "putting people in their place".

Ted, Kirby and Dan - the least hated of the hated on the football team. They've all given Colt hell but it could be worse. He can see right through their tough guy personas and likes to point it out which makes them all hate him even more. If he's gonna be brutalised either way Colt can count on using his tactic of hitting where it hurts to at least make the beatdown bearable.

Mandy - being the girlfriend of Ted automatically puts her on the hate list and Colt in no way appreciates the way she speaks about other people and how much disgust she looks at him with.

Bo and Bob - dislikes them more out of principle than the pure animosity he feels towards the rest of the Jocks. Same with Justin, he would be neutral towards them if it weren't for the fact they willingly choose to associate themselves with "those blood-thirsty roid monkeys".

Luis - this one is interesting to say the least. He, alongside Lefty, grew up with Colt and they used to be best friends back when they were children. Then at some point during puberty Luis started growing bigger and stronger than both of them and began distancing himself without explaining why (didn't want to seem uncool). They remained friends albeit looser ones but Colt still felt bitter. The situation got bad when instead of joining the Greasers like he was expected to, Luis chose to associate himself with the Jocks who at that point had already targeted Colt pretty vehemently. Worst came when, as part of his hazing, Luis was forced to make Colt's life a living hell for a full week. Which he did despite his brother's and cliques attempts to stop him. So there's that! Colt despises him, feels betrayed and used, leading Lefty to also abandon his long standing friendship with Luis, only ever conversing to get intel from one another on clique business since on group level the Jocks and Greasers aren't rivals.

Juri - Colt's second biggest tormentor. If it weren't for Juri and Luis Colt wouldn't even hate the Jocks as much as he does. Being new best friends and wrestling buddies with Luis, Juri has a natural bias against him, not to mention his personality, appearance, interests and pretty much entire existence being girly enough to warrant and instant beating whenever the Russian does manage to catch Colt. His and Luis' friendship painfully reminds Colt of what the three of them alongside Lefty used to have before Luis betrayed them and Colt does feel resentment towards Juri for taking his place even though he doesn't want it anymore

Damon - since he attacks everyone out of principle of being "better" than the entire school combined, Colt has no choice but to hate Damon. He sees him as nothing more than a terrifying annoyance on his way to and from the Autoshop or when sneaking into Harrington House.

Casey - doesn't have enough spiteful agency against other cliques to warrant pure hatred from Colt. He's a prankster and while he often jokes at the expense of others, he doesn't usually go out of his actual way to make Colt miserable specifically. For that, he gets extra points above the others. Still not enough to put him in neutral category though.. he's a Jock after all.

The Nerds

--------------------------------------

Colt's relationship with the Nerds is forcibly pretty much that of the other cliques - hesistance and antipathy. While he doesn't like to join others in tormenting them like the rest of the Greasers do, he prefers if they don't acknowledge him at all - he's already facing Nerd allegations for his interests.

He also secretly admires them for their academic prowess and wishes learning came to him as easily as it seemingly does to them. He has used their aid on schoolwork a couple of times in exchange for artistic favors such as drawing their GnG characters but makes them swear not to tattle to other cliques, especially the Jocks.

He may pretend like he's just as negative towards them as the rest of the Greasers, once Jimmy brings about clique unity he will gladly interact with some of the Nerds like Melvin, Cornelius and Beatrice and maybe even join their GnG session once or twice (until he realizes most of them are incredibly weird).

The Bullies

--------------------------------------

The Bullworth welcoming committee gladly tormented Colt in the very beginning of his school journey, before he officially became a Greaser. Afterwards, despite nothing about him actually changing, the Bullies wondrously seemed to leave him alone.

Colt dislikes them because he finds bullying in general disgusting and is more of a lover than a fighter. According to him, everybody should feel free to be whoever they are as long as they're not hurting other people which the bullies very much are for no good reason other than pure violence and abuse.

Colt uses his privileged position as member of a clique above the Bullies to sometimes snitch on them to the prefects and get them busted for attacking weaker students, remembering his own tormenting and how much he wished somebody would have helped him out back then.

The only bully he doesn't hate as much as the others is Tom because that boy's never been one to seek him out and give him his commupins of his own volition. Still beat on him but only around his friends.

[minthe-lover]

Polyamory in lore olympus

okay! so you know how I'm a desperate bitch for poly rep... guess I needed to add the word good in front of that cause this shit isn't it.

So one thing that I just need to say.. is I'm confused where the fuck rs is doing her research, cause a polyamorous 'pod' isn't a very common term and has the exact same meaning as polycule. Cause rs has proven to not be one to actually do alot of research, so it feels weird that she used a term like that.

Now another thing is that Poseidon wasn't polyamorous before... I could only really find two thing that point towards that. The first being a joke about him looking a second wife.. which in context is clearly just him using it to edge on hades... and it's never mentioned again.

That and the end of season 2, with the one panel of a bunch of people including Amphitrite hugging Poseidon... I assumed this was just his children. I really don't dislike Poseidon being poly I think it could've been really good rep but rs either did have him being poly since the beginning and just never actually put any thought or time into saying it... or added it after the fact to lampshade and earn more points for being inclusive.

You know what.. it may be the first... but given that we have Persephone saying the identical line as leuce.. and Hades just.. didn't correct her? like come on hades I know your a horny fucker but also Poseidon is now someone whos being actively bigoted against whenever someone saying he's a cheater.. and you don't stand up for him if the person is making you horny? Also it just retroactively makes all the bitching that hades does about his brother cheating gross... cause hades is now basically blaming Poseidon for how OTHER people wrongfully view his poly relationships.

Now something that just really piss me off.. is that this is being confirmed by hades just saying he's poly.. besides one panel of him hugging his partners, we haven't actually seen him being polyamorous. Why was does he still only have one wife, why haven't we seen any of these other partners... and why aren't we learning this from Poseidon himself.

It just... annoys me, am I supposed to applaud at the fact that hades said the word polyamous? We just have Poseidon, Amphitrite and then bunch of nameless and basically faceless people... it just feels so half assed. You just had a wedding scenes.. have Poseidon and his partners be together during that.. have him mention his partners while they did the dumb best man bit. Like have us learn that Poseidon picked hades as his best man over zeus multiple times.. that would be a sort of funny way to learn about it.

Just a little bit more... it wouldn't be that difficult. It really fucking hurt when you have like four separate hetero-normative monogamous relationships that you give so much time and thought into but any level of queer relationship is completely fucking ignored. It's so fucking clear that these are just here to make this comic look more progressive when it just fucking isn't.

Like rs you went out of your way to make Athena and Hestia gay and then just never actually did anything with it... And now Poseidon is the same. You have multiple kinda unnecessary chapters learning about how Aphrodite and Hephaestus got together just so we can have the name drop of Kassandra really... But you don't have at least one chapter actually about either of the queer relationships in this comic.

Also I just think it's important to talk about Zeus with this. I've seen alot of fans say that Zeus is polyamorous because hes a serial cheater.. which is just a wonderful unproblematic stereotype/s. While I don't see as much of that directed at poseiden... he's very much repeatedly labeled as a cheater by the story, so again either rs planned for him to be a poly character and decided it would be... funny? if he was unchallengedly called a cheater repeatedly.. or again Rs retroactively made all the characters that call him a cheater just assholes and also decided it would be best to pick a cheater to be the polyam character.

This really just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, cause polyamorous people have so little representation and most of it is pretty shitty or stereotypical and lore olympus a story so focused on monogamous romances had a great chance to actually make something good... christ one chapter of just Poseiden and his relationship could be enough to make it good. Instead we have a character repeatedly labeled a cheater and then have someone else tell us he's actually poly.

[rosewoodconch]

RWCH Readathon 2024: Day 2

Undercover Princess - Chapter 4

This chapter is pretty much straight up exposition and lore dumping but i respect how its done.

The Houses:

This chapter for whatever reason always felt a little bit off to me, like in the way some of them act. The whole thing with Lottie saying the full name of the whole just feels unnecessary. We already know how out of place she feels, can we give her a win please?

BUT I do really like that we are introduced to the houses not by what all the houses are and mean. It's not oh conch is brave and determined and ivy is... etc

Its focused around the students and the environment.

we see that Conch students can be confident and overbearing at times, but when Ani goes off to the conch building, she meets Saskia, and i love that that shows the warmth that conch students have too - They're passionate and resolute about their beliefs

Can you tell I'm a lil bit biased?

Stratus students are resourceful, which we learn with the merlin falcon statue. Elwin? I swear its called Elwin. But that stratus students can get carried away with their thoughts.

Ivy students, being the righteous group, we can already see in how Lottie interacts with Rosewood, wanting to make the world better but also believing in their morals like how Lottie slams the door to wake up her roommate because she thinks shes in the right?

Each house has good and bad qualities and I like how its shown rather than told.

The dorm:

I want that dorm

I mean I'm glad i never had to share a room at uni in dorms, but it sounds so big and pretty and ugh. LIKE A BALCONY??? gimme

Ivy is the oldest of the three dorms, so it makes sense to be the furthest but it still has some familiarity to lottie. It's like the bakery.

Ryley is terrifying and I'll never forgive Connie for A. not elaborating on why a deer is for Ivy. and B. NOT SHOWING US THE CONCH BEAR STATUE AT ANY POINT (Please correct me if im wrong because i'm upset and would like to be wrong.)

Professor Devine being equated to a fairy godmother is so... ugh i love this book and its lil foreshadowing moments.

And of course... They were Roommates

OH MY GOD THEY WERE ROOMMATES

I'll never forgive lottie for slamming the door to wake p Ellie I also wouldve immediately picked a fight if my roommate did that after I had travelled internationally across the world for the first time ever

Other:

Sanastacia will always have my heart <3

Summary: Ani is an icon, I'm sad that Lottie doesnt actually keep in touch with Ollie after all their planning, and I dislike chapter five because yay more miscommunication so I'm sorry for how salty I'll be in the next one