#i think this show would be much improved by them having a more complicated relationship

[lightlycareless]

Do you think Naoya and his brothers feel a slight resentment in the change of Naobito’s behavior towards Naohime when compared to raising them? While Naobito is certainly not Grandpa of the Year, I’m sure his behavior is a significant improvement to how he raised his own. So I’m curious if they’d hold some anger towards him or Naohime(I doubt Naoya would but I think he’s feelings might be complicated) since it shows Naobito had the capability to be better but wasn’t? Or do they think that Naohime is just a Naobito whisperer Lol

Now isn’t this an interesting ask? This is a can of worms I feared opening because it might put some of Naoya’s relatives in a bad light but hey, that’s just how some families work haha.

Anyways, I won’t say much here, everything will be either on the actual post or afterwards :> I hope you enjoy my analysis of the situation!!

Warnings: none. Difficult family dynamics.

I would love to say that all of the Nao-siblings are responsible, mature adults when it comes to their feelings but let's be real, when Naohime comes along that’s when the real issues with their nephews begin.

Sure, they always considered them to be quite spoiled from Naoya’s willingness to give them whatever they want, followed by having an actual mother that cares for them, to finally, how they don’t seem to go through the same suffering they did when growing up around people like the Zen’in. (You defend them, Naoya is somewhat softer when training them, etc)

They don’t like the whole dynamic around your family…

BUT Naohime just takes it to a whole ‘nother level. At the intervention of Naobito, they finally realize that what they felt upon seeing your family… might’ve been akin to jealousy. It’s just that Naoya gets to experience that as well this time around.

However, the worst part of it is that nobody really expresses their sentiments, so they kind of just continue to grow bottled up inside them—and you don’t blame them. It’s the first time they get to see Naobito being… well, an actual human being and not the monster they grew up to fear and avoid, so they just don’t know how to process it.

Naofumi kind of gives you hints about their current turmoil, or at least that what affects those present at the estate—I dare say Naosuke and Naohito couldn’t care less about this because they’ve moved on, really. They’re rarely home anyways. And truth to be told, when they’re told about Naobito’s and Naohime’s relationship, they don’t really believe it— but outside of that, he’s used to never being up to anyone’s expectations so there’s no difference now :’(.

Naohiko is very vocal about it too, always complaining about how the old man “now has a heart” and how “ridiculous he looks” acting like that. He blames it to old age, that he’s growing senile, or he’s finally lost it, but…. Well, he won’t do anything outside that. Like Naofumi, he’s accustomed to never being to anyone’s expectations. Dare say, he probably has children too at this point, so he can’t bother himself to care about other kids that aren’t his.

Naoaki and Naoya though… they take it the worst.

Naoya is conflicted in the sense that he’s happy that finally one of his kids appear to be of his father’s approval (he’ll never admit it, but he’s unfortunately cursed to always seek his approval, one way or the other.) it’s just that… he never expected to see that kind of behavior coming from him. For the longest time, he believed it was too ingrained in Naobito’s DNA to be evil… alongside the eternal questioning of “what does Naohime have that I don’t to earn that kind of treatment?”

He eventually overcomes this when Naohime reassures him of being the best father ever (it’s a type of “Father adores Naohime, but Naohime adores me, so take that!!), because to him being a good father is much more important than being a good son (at least to someone like Naobito.) and besides, to compare himself to Naobito is… his worst nightmare haha. But all possible thanks to your and the kid’s support ♥️.

Naoaki… yeah, he’s the worst. He effectively hates Naohime, unjustifiably, but he couldn’t hate Naobito more so he has to take it out somehow, you know?

Now, he won’t do anything outrageous, but… he’ll try to diminish her achievements, make her feel guilty about what she does or doesn’t do, and most importantly, project his own insecurities onto her, like comparing her to her siblings. Naoaki genuinely believes she doesn’t deserve all that she gets, thinks that he's worked harder and such. Kind of a “I spent my whole life training to try to appease my father, and this kid is just born and suddenly she’s all he’s ever wanted?”

But by that point Naoya is the leader of the clan so if anything happens he’ll make sure to take the necessary measures to protect his family, though I think that Naoaki would rather live anywhere else than be under the control of his brother. So, kind of like Naosuke and Naohito.

Naohime is quite a spoiled kid, but nonetheless, she’s equally loved by you and Naoya, and Naobito, it seems haha. You really did come to change the Zen’in estate for good 😭😂.

TLDR: Naoya is a bit conflicted but eventually surpasses this situation because he loves Naohime too much to let such petty things bother him. (It took YEARS to get this mature version of Naoya OOF worth it) Naoaki already disliked everything that had to do with you and Naoya so now this is just— great lol. He’ll avoid Naohime most of the time… unless Naobito inspires her to mock him 💀

There you have it :> what I believe their thoughts would be regarding Naohime’s odd relationship with Naobito. They for sure think she’s some kind of Naobito-whisperer lol and those bold enough might use that to their advantage (like get favors and such, very bad influences indeed) but I also believe it doesn’t really matter since I envision that by the time she’s around Naoya is effectively clan leader. It’s a miracle that Naobito is still around by that point lol.

I hope you enjoyed my short analysis, and you don’t know how happy it makes me to read that y’all are interested in my other characters 😭!!!! It’s the highest compliment I could get, so thank you so much for sending in this ask 🥺♥️

Take care and hope to see you soon!!

[winepresswrath]

i'm obsessed with the mean princess now. she's awful but the direct contrast between IU's sincerity and innocence and her calculated attempts at manipulation have enthralled me.

[nextstop-fixationstation]

OK analysis time! Matt said that Marcy's affection towards Sasha was more surface level than Anne's, which was described as "complicated." People might assume that this means that Marcy's affection for Sasha wasn't deep, or that their relationship wasn't.

If we're being honest here they weren't presented as having depth to their relationship so much as having acts and services. They're on the level with each other and can interpret each other's needs for a plan but they are lacking somehow when it comes to each other's emotional needs. This is something Darcy touches upon when they say they might not have ever been friends at all, and might be a core conflict between Sasha and Marcy. It's also a good example of why Anne is the actual Heart of their friendship. She connects and makes their dynamic deeper. While Marcy is desperate to keep people together and hates being alone, she admits she lacks a core understanding of emotional intelligence and this is something she admires in Anne. Marcy treats herself as a tool and mostly makes friends by doing things for them and complimenting them. She's kind of the perfect POV character for a journal that gives lore specifically because she's very attentive to things like strengths and weaknesses and team synergy, but isn't necessarily attuned to emotional intelligence. She kind of blocks herself off from feeling certain things too keenly or doubting herself, and masks it using this peppy overachiever persona.

Maybe if Marcy were more emotionally self aware, she would have been even more openly hurt by how dismissive Sasha is of her interests (even though Sasha clearly does like nerdy things), or she would have noticed that her friends don't really care for RP (etc). But in the series what we see is a Marcy so afraid of being left alone that she'll hide every emotion and every hurt aside from what she thinks will make people stay - she delivers compliments, improves infrastructure, says all the right things to earn trust. She's a great twist antagonist! Admitting that her friends don't or can't reciprocate her interests or desires is important to her arc, because it serves as a lesson to her that friendship is more than just doing things together or doing things for each other. Marcy and the others aren't just tools in schemes and plans.

We hear from Anna that Sasha has difficulty knowing when to bring other people to the table, so for someone like Marcy who thinks that she needs to earn everything through acts/upgrades, it makes sense that their relationship remained very surface level. Neither of them pushes the other to see things differently, while Anne does. Anne can acknowledge where people hurt and hurt her, and can acknowledge that this doesn't mean they aren't friends or significant to each other. Anne notes the complexity! It's why she's so compelling.

So, Marcy acknowledging how hurt she is that her friends don't want to do what she wants is significant because she also says, "I believe in you." Love goes beyond the stuff we do for each other. There's a bit of faith, too. What she did isn't right either. Being hurt isn't an excuse.

Darcy isn't just "evil Marcy," the Core is also every temptation for Marcy. Escapism, distraction, perfect friends who go on quests with her whenever she wants. There's a darkness to this kind of insecure attachment that Darcy reveals. Fear of inadequacy and irrelevance. Fear of loss. Fear of change. Fear of what is deeper than skin deep. Maybe my friends will forget me if I move. Maybe I'm just their nerd, just like Sasha's just cool. So their relationship isn't surface level to us, because this nuance is communicated to us through the subtleties of the show's execution. It's a really well acted, well boarded, well written show with fantastic music! It's really amazing!

Sasharcy IS very complicated! But it's complicated because they never dig deeper with each other until it's too late. It's also why it's significant that Sasha is the one to ask, "Can we save this friendship?"

Why is friendship with Marcy so easy? Is it because they got along and there's mutuality here, or is it because they didn't let themselves get any deeper than what was easy? It's so easy for them to just be the controller and the executor.

Forgiveness is hard. Forgiveness takes time. It takes a lot of thought, discussion, and work. Friendship in the long term, deep enough to mean something and hurt when it's gone, is similar. It's not just sentimentality and acts of appeasement.

aaaaand that's what i think matt meant when he was like "marcy's affection for sasha was kind of surface level"! I will admit I was like noooo Matt noooo don't say it was surface level whyyyy but like i had time to think abt it so i'm fine now lol lmk ur thoughts💙

smth i didn't add to my original tweet thread is that i DO find it interesting that marcy appears to specifically empathize with the experience of lonely people who grow up a certain way or doing things a certain way to protect themselves from loneliness. she seems to have an intuitive understanding of people fitting into groups via niches, but is drawn to people who already seem like outcasts as opposed to being able to identify it when someone is surrounded by people they seem to easily connect with. Marcy has this fundamentally insecure and lonely viewpoint that makes her very interesting to read and analyze, and I suspect it also contributes to her popularity. I mean, clearly *I* love her

[astroyongie]

Astroyongie Podcast S01 E01

Note: This is the sum up resume of the Podcast held on my discord channel voice channel. Another episode will open next week.

All notes were made by the talented @killuachii <3

Censured Version

Connection between Seonghwa, Hongjoong and Chungha?

→ Hongjoong-Chungha: some type of connection, some type of relationship, not romantic but are

close, share friends together, at the moment close friends one might have crush on other

→ Seonghwa-Chungha: not very good relationship, Chungha pick me perception, might not like her very much, energy feels off, Seonghwa tends to not like female friends of the members, possessive?

On going problem between txt and one female managers/supervisor. What’s the situation?

→ two members who had complications: Beomgyu, Taehyun,

Beomgyu: issue happened a few years ago, had rumors/scandals, a time where everyone thought he would leave, behind the scenes: had a very unhealthy way to cope with relationships, slept around a lot which managers had to step in, felt very overwhelmed with the music industry, fame, tours, coping: unhealthy relationships, that stayed, one sponsor left so they had to find another one, Beomgyu doesn’t like how company treats him, how group/life/paycheck is handled, is very frustrated, has to wear a mask and can never express himself, troubles with one female and one male manager, everytime he wants to do something for himself they restrict him, member could be caught in the middle

Taehyun: has some clashes, is very reserved, thinks in a certain way, company tells him what to do and so fights happen between him and the manager

Enhypen currently preparing for comeback: what are the thoughts on the comeback?

→ Jungwon: he is happy with the comeback, exactly what he expected, isn’t very stressed, no anxiety, expects that this comeback will get them further than before

Heeseung: just like Jungwon, he also thinks that other members improved their skills a lot, is very content with everything, expect him to have a lot of attention for this comeback

Jay: very tired, a lot of chaotic and heavy energy, he feels like he isn’t ready yet/ not as good as the other members, touching his mental healthy, he likes it but still is unsatisfied with his lines, screentime, etc., a little insecure about the comeback

Jake: super confident/happy, he will slay the boots house down, he is confident with everything he has done for this comeback

Sunghoon: fragile, nothing to do with comeback, his body a little fragile (injury?), pain in the hips, tired, unsure about his movements, how he will perform, afraid he will not exceed expectations of fans

Sunoo: isn’t very happy with the comeback, thinks he is a filler member, thinks company gives more to the other members than to him, not very excited for the comeback, fights in the background, had issues with his sponsors, stayed a long time without and company didn’t support him to get another sponsor, felt left out

Niki: also in a good mood, expected to show a new version of himself, wants to show his fans that he has worked on himself aesthetically wise, is very confident, expecting to reach a new goal, win new awards and get more recognition

how does stray kids feel about joining Lollapalooza?

→ one member (probably Hyunjin) feels very confident about the performance, wants to show people what he can do, very excited, Minho is also very excited, has no fears. Chan not very excited, probably very tired due to the going from place to place, wants more in Korea, doesn’t want to go to socialize with other idols/performers at the moment one of the members (unclear) going through harsh period, many schedules seem overwhelming, is very tired but in overall very excited

Enhypen has a world tour, thai fans angry at company, in Thailand big event coming up but

Enhypen are not coming to Thailand. Reason why they don’t?

→ connected to the money they would receive (opinion without cards), behind the scenes: for two

reasons: one of the people in the company isn’t doing their job right, made group loose money, while other countries offered more money for them to come one of members sponsors, probably worked some strings to go to another country

what was the reason for bullying and who were the perpetrators/victims?

→ happened in the beginning when they were in iland, victims: A and B perpetrators: X, Y and W, things are better now, members are better, physical/verbal fights, staff would also joke about it, Y was mastermind behind it, W easy to influence when it comes to the people present, when he is with bad people he acts like them, when he is with good people he adapts their way of thinking, C wasn’t doing anything against it but made jokes, main A but B because he protected him and therefore became the next victim, a lot of jealousy + were young boys, X felt guilty later

Does xh’s Gaon have a girlfriend

→ no

can i ask about txt Hueningkai social group? if he has people that will support him in need?

→ he has but they are not physically in his life, people he isn’t with him everyday, groupchat, probably online friends

How is keita pookie doing?

→ is doing fine and good, very focused on finances, investing in himself, wants moneyyy

Who was jake's EX idol girlfriend

→ [Censored]

I wanna ask about Wonwoo Seventeen. Is he still in relationship with his idol girlfriend now after he faced some problems with her recently?

→ still with his gf, have been together for more than 3 years, they will end up marrying probably

Jay and love

→ high standards, easily bored, has honeymoon phase but then looses interest, when relationship gets serious he freaks out, has been with a lot of people, mommy issues

Biggest ego in kpop

→ Jungkook, type to get annoyed when people talk to him, Baekhyun he is type too roll his eyes when people talk to him, a lot of younger idols with big egos

Which group is almost the same on camera and off camera ??

→ too complicated to answer, all groups have their image

Does Yeonjun has mommy issues?

→ doesn’t think he has mommy issues

Who is the idol that you think has beef with the most people?

Wooyoung and Seonghwa from ateez

Is there any idol that you think would be amazing to have as friends? because of their energy or something else

→ Chanyeol, he is always chill, doesn’t push introverts, on the contrary: johnny: doesn’t understand mind of introverts

Was there ever an incident where you do readings for idol and then realize holy shit this bitches gay.

→ yes, [Group censored]

How's Felix love situation rn?

→ very complicated, doesn’t understand his own feelings, very fragile mind, has this one *individual*, gives him unconditional love, he needs it a lot, finds comfort in it, *individual* will lways stay with him despite the toxicity

Continuing the gay theme, have you ever encounter an in-group relationship?

→ [Censored]

all txt members are straight

You've said before that Felix and that dumbass might be soul mates

→ have karmic relationship, might be the reason that their relationship is very complicated

I’ve heard jaemin gf was someone from the company and I've herd there on the verge of breakup

→ complicated, hasn’t done reading on him in a long time, had a longtime relationship with someone of [Group censored], no news if they are still together, doesn’t have insights if he is with someone of the company

Who is Hueningkai idol gf?

→ [Censored]

Will you ever do readings on smaller groups like xh, cravity, etc?

→ currently only JO1

What's happening in han jisung skz love life?

→ ever since he broke up with *individual*, things have been a mess, currently single

Yunho situationship

→ dating life chaos, was dating an idol that wasn’t in Korea but then started flirting with a younger idol, not ongoing, motives: thinks with dick (lmao)

Protecting younger idols?

→ sponsors are not all bad and are professionals for the money, but also some that are perverted, there are no specific things that protect them

What about Wonyoungs sponsor?

→ a powerful man, has an unhealthy obsession with her, is very strict with her image, her weight, etc.

Rei confessed feelings to older member member?

→ was [Name and group censored], but never physical or romantic they just went eating or something crispy and hot tea: *member* also tried to talk to *individual* and tried to snatch him despite Rei’s feelings for that person

Is Seok Matthew dating rn?

→ not dating, his heart is broken, not seeking any relationships and is healing his heart

Which idols would be survivors if a zombie apocalypse happened (Group: Skz)

→ Hyunjin, Felix, Han, Changbin and Jeongin would die, Minho would turn into a Zombie so he can bite Chan’s ass

Sunghoon gf

→ [Censored]

[thequietkid-moonie]

HIIIIIIII, can I request tbhk characters x gyaru S/O who get made fun of for their fashion taste?

Lots of love<33

Gyaru S/O is constantly made fun of

[ HEADCANONS ] [ Tsukasa, Yako ]

[ Toilet Bound Hanako-kun / Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun ]

× Gyaru is a japanese fashion style, it a little complicated to explain so i recomend to search about it

I have to admit that i have mixed feelings for the gyaru fashion style, there are some outfit that i think are reaaaaally cool but there are others that i find weird, haha but anyways, this was quite interesting to write! hope you like it!

Tsukasa Yugi

Tsukasa can be quite violent but that doesn't mean that he doesn't love you, because when he does fall in love he is really serious about that love and has no problem with expressing how much he loves you with everything he has and with whoever is in front of him (as if it wasn't obvious with how clingy he is)

Tsukasa tends to do as he please and what he wants so he doesn't really has filters when speaking, he will tell you from the start that he find your fashion style weird, but he mean it in the best way posible, no matter how much he insist on saying that is weird he also find it fascinating and pretty funny!

Tsukasa is quite mesmerized by your style and with each day that pass it just become part of his day greeting you at the first hour of the day (or when you came to school depending on that if you are human or supernatural) and taking a moment to apreciate your outfit, always giving you a compliments along with a big hug (most of the time he repeat the same compliment but his big wide smile shows that he is being sincere)

He totally loves your style, he find it quite funny and actually love playing with it a lot, is not rare for you to have him clinging onto you while playing with your clothes and accesories (with time he just learn to don't be too harsh or even try to steal it so you don't have to be without your precious clothes or accesories)

In all honestly, Tsukasa just loves you so much that he loves talking about you with Sakura and shows you off at every chance he has, and your beautiful fashion style only gives him more reasons to show you off, insisting that you have to show your amazing outfit to everyone in the broadcasting club whenever you are wearing something that he finds specially cute or mesmerizing

Tsukasa is so in love and even proud of you and your relationship that it will be a surprise when he find out that there are some people that tend to make fun of you because of your fashion style, and this isn't a pleasant surprise, he is mad at whoever dares to say something bad about his precious partner and he will make sure they don't say something like that about you ever again (there is no way he will let them go away with making fun of you and the more hurt you are the more harsh he will be with them)

Yako

Once Yako falls in love she does it really hard, it take her a while but once you get right to her heart it is going to be quite obvious how much she cares for you and likes you (mainly for the obvious soft spot she has for you)

Yako can be a little blinded by her love for you, finding all about you quite interesting and mesmerizing (specially if you are a human), so you having a gyaru fashion style is something that she will love and hate

It makes you happy and she feels intriged by it, by how much accesories and colors you use, she will give some criticism coment about your fashion style, mainly in hopes to help you improve it and make you look even more beautiful (mainly when she thinks is too much or that it doesn't suit), but also you can heard quite a lot of compliments about your style

Yako won't really be too willing to try an outfit with your style because she has her own style, however it isn't imposible and she would be willing to try a not too exaggerated or extravagant outfit (just let her make it), still she is more than willing to use a single garment or accesory if you ask her, something that matched her own outfit (although, if you gift her an accesory is more probably that she doesn't use it often because she prefer to keep it somewhere safe as her little treasure, but don't point it out or she will get defensive over the fact)

Over all, Yako likes quite a lot your style and is really supportive over it, besides, if it makes you happy then she doesn't see why not just be yourself, thats why she doesn't tolerate other people talking bad about you or your style, most of the time she doesn't do more than scolding (more like insulting) whoever had say something bad about you and tell you to don't listen those idiots

But getting to know that you are being made fun of because of your style make her furious, no one should made fun of you just because you are just being you, she is going to be back and forth from angrily rant about how mad she is with those idiots and trying to comfort you, she is quite protective over you but reminds as calm as she can because she doesn't want to cause problems, however if the bullies came to physicaly atack you or say something that really have hurt you then she will take the matter into her hands, it doesn't matter if is a supernatural or a human she will teach them a lesson (even if she have lose part of her power already that doesn't mean she isn't still powerful, and she will make those idiots regret even just thinking bad about you)

[1000dactyls]

I wanna know if you have any thoughts on Valka and Sroicks parenting and how that affects hiccup? Because I'm loving so much of your content rn, especially your drawings!! But when I see stuff like Tgirl Hiccup while I think they would be supportive, I don't think they would be ... the best because their not really the best. Like ofc they tried even Val when she came back, but it doesn't and won't ever make up for everything else it's so complicated, and nuisanced would love to hear your thoughts!!

Im going to break this post into addressing stoick and valka separately because valka is such a non-entity in hiccup and stoick’s familial life. valka’s section will be underneath the ‘read more’

But I definitely agree! Unfortunately for Hiccup (and also not to project ijbol), it’s so hard because stoick’s best isn’t enough. Oh, stoick tries! He tries so hard — between the movies and the shows, he so clearly cares for his son. But he can never be just Hiccup’s dad; Stoick is the Chief of Berk before he’s Hiccup’s father, and both he and Hiccup know that. Hiccup grows up self sufficient and is used to a lonely home. The kind of free reign that he gets (and the resulting knee-jerk reaction he has to any kind of responsibility after 15 years of said free reign) doesn’t make for great conditions to cultivate a healthy, loving, traditional parental relationship

Still — i think stoick is more supportive than we give him credit for, at least going off the RoB/DoB characterizations. (Again, I haven’t finished watching RTTE, so Im not gonna speak for anything there.) When Hiccup makes moves for more freedom and responsibility, even as early as s01e01 “How to Start a Dragon Academy”, Stoick works with Hiccup to grant him that freedom. He makes attempts to connect to his son, albeit misguided and inevitably circling back to his own interests/role as the chief of Berk and not just Hiccup’s dad. For example, s01e07 “How to Pick your Dragon” shows Stoick ending up listening to Hiccup about getting a dragon, even though he mostly gets a dragon because it further suits his interests as a chief, which he realizes on the flight Toothless and Hiccup take him on. Which also leads to the core conflict of the episode! Because Stoick’s attempts to understand Hiccup are ultimately rooted in his own narrow perception of the world, that there is a Right way and Wrong way to do things, and Hiccup’s way is most definitely not the right way.

But Stoick listens. Over time, he picks up the signs when his child is frustrated and genuinely asks how he can help (s02e15 “A Tale of Two Dragons” 3 options talk). And after the events of the first movie, Stoick makes more attempts to involve Hiccup in his going-ons, such as the portrait of the chief’s family or contacting Johann to find a beloved childhood plushie. So i think stoick tries, and his best isn’t enough, so thank god hiccup isn’t dependent on only stoick and the both of them know this. And just because the both of them know this doesn’t mean that stoick doesn’t try to improve their relationship at all. In the end, he’s just really set in his own ways and his own traditions.

So in a world where Hiccup is trans, I do think Stoick is supportive no matter what direction Hiccup ends up going. Is he confused? Yes, always, because there isn’t a very established tradition even if Berk does have a history of trans folk. I think stoick has to try really really hard, and he messes up a lot in the beginning. Like, you know when your parents are trans affirming in a really weird and even insulting way? That happens a lot for Hiccup and Stoick. But they work together and Stoick works to try and get on Hiccup’s level, whether that means sending terror-mail to Johann to inquire about trans literature or gender-affirming clothes or dialing Gothi to move Hiccup’s t/e prescription to the front of the line.

……..argh, Valka.

Of course Valka tried when she came back, but the conscious decision to stay away for twenty years and miss some of the most important milestones in your child’s life says a lot, and I think Hiccup also knows that. Especially because of how similar they are, even though Valka would immediately accept and adore and absolutely love Hiccup and all his Hiccup-ness right off the bat… I think he’s aware of how different and better his life could’ve been with Valka’s understanding presence. In the end, one parent stayed and tried their best. And one didn’t really try at all, not until they reconnected again.

And like! I dont think Valka and Hiccup would ever be as close as Stoick and Hiccup were. Like it is one thing to idolize your parent in absentia and build up this idealistic wholesome perfect image of who they are, getting your characterization from their partner who never got over them even after 20 years. And it is another thing to meet that parent and realize… wow! They also don’t measure up to what I needed them to be as a child.

And so for all of Valka’s understanding, for all of the easiness it is for Valka to understand Hiccup, especially in a world where Hiccup is trans — it’s not Valka who had to deal with the bureaucracy of Hiccup’s gender change, nor aided in the social transition for people Hiccup has spent his entire life with. It’s not Valka who asked uncertain, blunt and somewhat invasive questions about Hiccup’s new identity, or found weird and strange ways to support it. It’s not Valka who would’ve gotten an entirely new wardrobe commissioned or talked to Gothi about medical transition.

Like, I think Valka tries, and it’s easy for her to understand the idea and support Hiccup. But i dont think she’d ever be Hiccup’s first choice when it comes to questions about who s/he is, not when there are people who stayed and tried much harder than her, and know far more about Hiccup than she ever did and maybe will.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for accepting money/gifts from my mom?

(🦭🐟 to help find later)

Ok bear with me here because this is a serious question w/ some context even though the question doesn't seem bad.

My (19NB) mom (54F) is not a very good parent. Things were not great when I was a kid, to say the least. It's complicated to get into so I'm gonna glaze over most of it and say I plan to go low/no contact when I'm older and can afford to support myself on my own. For now I'm amicable since I need help while getting through college. This has been my plan for a WHILE but I've started to feel a little guilty?

My biggest issue with my mom is the way that she treats/treated my siblings. Sometimes she gets on my nerves but I know I have the privilege of being the youngest (and the favorite) therefore my parents don't pull the same kind of bullshit with me. For example one of my siblings had family therapy with her, and she would frequently not show up and leave them to do the exercises with the other families in the group session that they didn't know. She also complained about their suicide attempt. She talks down to my oldest sister because she couldn't pursue the medical career my parents wanted because she couldn't deal with the cadavers, and since she spent her whole education trying to reach their standards she's been lost trying to figure out what she wants for herself, and my parents keep harping on her for not having a career plan and being "useless". This is only the tip of the iceberg, and it's plenty enough for me to feel justified in my decision to eventually go no contact. I am not asking if AITA for cutting her off, that is not where the guilt is.

It's always been the case that instead of directly saying she was wrong my mom would spend a lot of money on us and buy gifts (usually stuff she likes and not what we like, but I figured out I could leverage her guilt to buy specific things bc free stuff ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ even if I don't forgive her). I think this is because she didn't have much money growing up so now she's a shopaholic now that she has the money to do so (both my parents are in the medical field so they are far from poor. abt upper middle class). She also keeps defending our uncle despite us bringing up how he's creepy and pervy and makes us uncomfortable, and she has some... interesting political takes (like defending the price of insulin being so high???)

My mom I think has been trying to be better but she still never apologizes for any of her actions and is guilt trippy by saying stuff abt how we all think shes a bad mom that caused all her kids to be depressed and suicidal. So its not enough of an improvement for me to forgive her, but I do notice that she walks away from situations sometimes rather than blow her fuse, and she's more tolerant of my ADHD and queerness than she used to be. And she's been trying to be more supportive of me and my decision to pursue an art career. I do believe that people can get better and change themselves, I just think in the case of my mom it's too little too late (and she hasn't improved her relationship with my siblings as much). I've also been polite and friendly since I'm still living with her.

So like, this combined with me accepting her gifts makes me think I'm leading her on? Like she thinks that she's salvaging a relationship with one of her kids and that I'll stay. And I feel a little bad about that. Like if it was JUST the gifts I would feel no guilt bc if she thinks she can bribe her way into our good graces without changing her behavior than shes gonna be down money and still have no kids. But shes trying to improve, albeit slowly and not when we needed her, but better nonetheless. So it feels less "this is the least she could do given the trauma" and more "i feel like i'm taking advantage of her".

One of my siblings refuses to accept her money on principle (they've already moved out) and it makes me think I should probably do the same, but also i dont know if I can since I don't have a job yet and I'm still in school, so maybe just refuse the gifts thing? But neither of my siblings seem to have an issue with my relationship with her, so maybe I shouldn't feel bad? She's treating me better so I feel I have less justification for using her wealth for my own benefit, even if I still don't forgive her for how she treated my siblings.

Basically, AITA for still accepting guilt money/gifts from my shitty mom despite planning on cutting her off later on?

What are these acronyms?

[tozettastone]

Whats your ranking on akatsuki ships, partnered or otherwise?

I contemplated doing this ranking with all of the most common Akatsuki related ships but there were over 20 without even counting the OFCs and Reader fics. There were 4 Sakura pairings alone LOL. So I'll do a partner ship ranking I think.

I know that when they did this same ranking earlier today, @mixelation accounted for how the fandom treated these ships in their rankings. But I am ranking based on what dynamics I think these ships could deliver me. I'm not judging by what fandom actually gave me. I'm measuring with my ✨heart.✨

6. Orochimaru/Sasori

I cannot imagine this as a sexual or romantic ship, but I can admire the sheer amount of psychic damage these men would do through pure pettiness. This is really two dramatic judgemental bitches leaving no survivors. So that's fun, right? But as a ship? Nah.

5. Konan/Pein

I understand the canon basis for this ship but I am not very interested in either of these characters and they are not improved by proximity.

4. Sasori/Deidara

They're both cute and their philosophies are completely opposed. However, I think Sasori's regard for Deidara is not really articulated in canon and it's hard to imagine him having positive feelings about him? I don't think there's anything really interesting to chew on here, personally? It's like arguing and not much else, to me. It's an aesthetically pleasing pairing but the character dynamic is not compelling me.

3. Deidara/Tobi

Incomprehensible but at least I can see that Obito enjoys baiting Deidara and Deidara shows curiosity about Tobi. You can build a ship from the ground up if the characters are interested in drawing a reaction out of each other. I can see Obito getting attached and becoming extremely weird about it, which is always a plus. Obito has the canonical Uchiha problem of really imprinting on his precious people so I think it could end up being quite fun if written from an "Obito is erratic and unwell and Deidara is just beginning to realise he's bitten off more than he can chew," perspective. Good ship vibes.

2. Itachi/Kisame

Nobody writes this ship as a Kisame, who hates lies, deceiving himself about the character of Itachi, whose entire acquaintanceship with him is based on a lie, and I understand that this is extremely complicated to manage from a character perspective. In my heart this is a complicated relationship between a guilty and increasingly sick Itachi who can't quite dedicate himself fully to his partner, and a wilfully (as opposed to medically) blind Kisame who absolutely can.

Anyway, we love a ship that features a giant toothy violent dude whose leash is very loosely held by a consumptive teenager who is, deceptively, capable of equal or greater violence.

Also, service top Kisame. Like... yeah?? Obviously. I'm into that.

1. Hidan/Kakuzu

I am predictable. Everyone knows what I'm like about Hidan and Kakuzu. They are spouses who slay together. S-tier pairing. I have written... so... much... about... them....

[erinelliotc]

What do you like about Eddy? Do you really think him and Double D will work out?

I think Eddy is the most interesting, deep, complex and well-written character on the show. It seems contradictory to say this, but even though Double D is my favorite character, I think Eddy is the best character. He's full of content for psychological analyses, something I'm passionate about doing because I love psychology and writing, I love analyzing human behavior, so complicated characters like Eddy are perfect to me in that sense (just as I am fascinated by Jinx from Arcane). I have so much to say about Eddy, I feel like every day I think of something new about his character, and I find this so exciting!

My analyses of each Ed will only be done in the future after I rewatch the show another two or three times, so I won't write here everything I have to say about Eddy. But you can find some of my EEnE analyses by scrolling through the posts in this tag. I talk about him in some of them.

But about Eddy and Double D... EddEddy is my OTP, you know? I've already talked a lot about them, and of course I'm going to talk much more in the future too. You can read a little about what I think of their relationship here.

In "short":

Eddy's backstory and his character development fascinate me. Characters who are emotionally broken to the point of developing a problematic personality fascinate me. Characters with mental disorders or traits of mental disorders fascinate me (I personally see him as ADHD with borderline and narcissistic traits, and perhaps a bit of histrionic traits too). I love analyzing and understanding what led them to that point, what made them so difficult to deal with, what hurt them so much that they developed an emotional armor and/or that makes them act like selfish jerks. The way Eddy's brain works fascinates me, his behavior, his defense mechanisms, everything. And to me the best part is seeing the little moments where the show shows us how he actually has a terrible self-image deep down and is not as confident and secure as he tries to show himself to be. I love seeing a character who isn't just a jerk, but someone who acts like a jerk because of things that happened that he tries to hide or that he doesn't even understand or realize happened (Eddy's reality denial defense mechanism is very strong, so I think a lot of the things related to his brother he genuinely didn't realize were problematic and had hurt him because his brain denied them to protect him. And it's common for our brain to block memories as a way of protecting us from the truth because it thinks we'll not have the emotional structure to deal with it, and I believe it may have happened to him), someone who is deeply hurt and does everything he can to hide it, someone who doesn't want to be emotionally vulnerable and tries to act like the most confident person in the world... Characters like this are the most interesting to me. And besides, I find Eddy extremely funny and annoying in an adorable way. I love his chaotic behavior, his voice and the way he talks (God bless Tony Sampson)

He and Edd were made for each other. Would they kill each other if Ed wasn't around? Absolutely. But their relationship is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and the combination of their personalities is what makes them grow and have their character development. They mature and improve because of the influence they have on each other. Their personalities complement each other perfectly because one is good where the other has to improve. And the love and affection they have for each other is visible and makes me emotional

[midnight-blue-goth]

Do you think Gwen was the better girlfriend for Duncan than Courtney?

Oops, sorry for late answer. But here it is! Remember, this is my opinion.

-

This is a tough question because it really depends on how we define "better." Both Gwen and Courtney have their own unique ways of expressing love, and it’s important to acknowledge that all three—Duncan, Gwen, and Courtney—have been hurt in different ways, whether physically or emotionally, during their relationships. I wouldn’t say one is definitively better than the other, but they express love in vastly different ways.

Courtney’s Love for Duncan: Courtney's love seemed rooted in wanting to “improve” Duncan. Her idea of love appears to be: “I can help you become a better version of yourself.” This mindset is evident in her behavior—especially in All-Stars, where she acknowledges she has a “type,” which are people she believes need “fixing.” I don’t think Courtney saw her behavior as controlling or out of line; it likely stems from how she was raised, though we don’t have much background on her family life to know for sure.

Rejecting her attempts to “fix” someone would hurt her deeply because, for Courtney, that rejection likely translates to a lack of trust or love. This could explain why, despite everything that happened between them (like the TDA contract fiasco), she repeated her pattern of making lists to change Duncan. To her, this may be a valid expression of love. I sometimes wonder if, subconsciously, she seeks out people who need the most "fixing" because it boosts her pride when she can claim she’s “saved” or improved them. It’s like she views fixing someone as a trophy, a badge of honor she can show off.

One big challenge for Courtney is that she tends to put her pride and reputation above everything else, including relationships. While that might work for her personally, it does have consequences—like a lack of close friendships or support when things go wrong. Did she end up with any friendship at the end of the show? Whether she’s aware of how her actions come across is up for debate, as we mostly see her in competitive situations, not everyday life.

I wish we could see her outside of any romantic relationship because she doesn’t need one right now. Especially not with someone like Duncan, who, no matter the situation, seems to pull her down.

 I truly believe she’s better off alone, focusing on building meaningful friendships and growing as an individual. But unfortunately, it feels like we’ve missed that chance.

Gwen’s Love for Duncan: Gwen’s relationship with Duncan feels a little less complicated, but not without its challenges. I don’t think Gwen was necessarily a “better” girlfriend than Courtney—she just loved differently. 

After being cast on the Villainous team, she became hyper-aware of how she was being perceived. That shift likely triggered her need to be seen as “good,” which might explain why she distanced herself from Duncan. By that point, their relationship represented the very thing she wanted to avoid—being perceived as bad.

While I don’t fault Gwen for stepping back, I do think it would’ve been better if she and Duncan had some kind of closure or a more meaningful conversation about their relationship. It felt like a loose end, considering how much she fought for that relationship in the previous season. 

I guess that's something left for fanfiction, lol.

But more importantly:

Duncan’s Role: Ultimately, being Duncan’s girlfriend is highly circumstantial. His mood, his level of emotional investment, and the loyalty of the other person all play a huge role. We know he values loyalty (even though there’s some irony there, given his actions in TDWT). He also craves freedom and doesn’t want to feel restrained. A partner who can meet him with the same level of affection and loyalty without trying to “control” him seems to be key for him. If he feels any of these needs are neglected, he would dip out of the relationship—no questions asked.

But that’s not all:

I’ve got a pretty dark theory about why Duncan seems drawn to difficult, even physically violent, romantic relationships. It’s not just about Courtney, either. Remember when he was literally wrestling an alligator and said, “I’ve had tougher girlfriends than him, and uglier.” That line hints at him being used to dating people with aggressive or combative behavior.

My theory is that Duncan is unconsciously seeking out girlfriends who remind him of his father—especially the controlling aspects of their relationship. His dad being a cop probably meant Duncan grew up with a strict, authoritative figure constantly trying to control or “fix” him. In this sense, Duncan’s relationships could be a way for him to relive or rebel against that dynamic. It’s almost as if he’s continuing the fight he had with his father but through his romantic partners, engaging in a kind of resistance that mirrors his rebellion.

Gwen as an Exception:

Gwen doesn’t fit into the violent, combative dynamic that Duncan seems to be drawn to, and this is where my theory takes a different turn. With Gwen, Duncan may have found something new—someone who wasn’t trying to control him but also wasn’t afraid to accept him as he was. Their relationship feels more introspective than confrontational, very different from the clashes he had with Courtney. Instead, it’s centered on emotional vulnerability.

This might be why some people found their relationship “boring”—it wasn’t meant to be an explosive drama. Instead, it quietly opened up the softer, more vulnerable sides of both of them, and I can’t emphasize this enough: We are not meant to see them. Us watching them feels like an invasion of privacy (which is, again, ironic given how their romance started)

This sense of privacy also explains their disdain for Sierra, despite her being supportive of their relationship. For Gwen and Duncan, their relationship was personal, their own business, and they hated the idea of someone else prying into it.

If given more time, their relationship could have revealed a different side of Duncan. It would’ve been fascinating to see him lower his defenses even more, showing how a relationship built on mutual understanding could shape his character. We had a little bit in TDAS, Episode 3. Saving her from the leech, without any reservation. 

We’d already seen the endless downward spiral of his conflict-based romances over two seasons. This one had the potential to break that cycle, offering something deeper and more meaningful for both of them.

–

Uhm.. conclusion? I’d say: Miscommunication and trauma response, all around. See you in AO3 🤙

[skitskatdacat63]

Prince Jenson of Somerset

+ process & lore

Yayyyyy omg finally have drawn portraits of the four main characters!!!! I'll show the process of Jenson's first and then them all four together. Though it's a shame the Seb/Fernando ones are older, I think it's hopefully obvious how much I've improved since November?

Look at him in all his handsome, princely glory 🥹 It's funny, I'm always happy with the second sketch and initial lineart, and then I start coloring it and I absolutely hate it, and it takes a significant amount of time into the painting for me to like it again. And then I reach a certain point and I'm in love with it again. Ugh though I gotta say, I love drawing the curls, it's just so 18th century, but at the same point, man I always will love my original lineart for the hair the best ah. Also yes I absolutely had to give him a big ass hat with feathers, he really is that kinda guy to me. I originally drew a bicorne and then realized that those don't really exist until basically almost a century later oops, so tricorne it is!!

Okay now omg look at them all together 🥹

Haha wow I have improved a lot! Just like the Seb/Fernando ones, Mark and Jense's were meant to be put together. I think there's a lot of inherent characterization in their poses that highlight the difference between them. Mark is looking up, very wistful, looking up to greater people, greater things. Jenson's head is tilted down, almost looking at the viewer, he is very satisfied with his role and revels in it, he's here to slay!

Okay, yes, lore, characterization, sorry that it is so far down on the post!!

Jense would probably be the fan favorite if this AU was an actual book or show or something. He's the guy you randomly find while browsing Wikipedia and you're like, woah this guy is so cool??? Unlike Sebmarknando, he doesn't really have the same level of angst, he's kinda just chilling. He's a bit harder to write a lore post about, because he's basically that character who is always magically around the corner, ready to witness some crazy thing and just breeze past it.

He is less linked to Seb than people like Mark and Fernando, because he's basically just his personal minister of transportation(read: horse fucker), so he avoids a lot of the relationship complications and drama, but that isn't to say he's completely uninvolved. He really likes Seb, and loves to hang around with him and serve him, but he's not as beholden to him. He's who everyone goes to air their grievances or to get away from the others, and he's very happy with this role. He's generally willing to play any side in an argument, but does tend to have a pretty big soft spot for Seb overall(Seb also gives him cuteness aggression, and he wants to bite him. Especially when Seb puffs himself up and acts super bratty when he gets offended at not being seen as a proper ruler.)

He's royalty from other kingdom, but pledged his loyalty to Seb's kingdom when he was quite young and has served him(his father first) ever since. He started off somewhat low in the military, rose to a pretty high rank, was a renowed war hero, and then ended up retiring pretty early to tend to Seb's horses. That's an oversimplification, but yeah. He liked the military life, was very good at it, but decided he had done enough, and wanted to be involved in more direct service, albeit more laid back. As I mentioned in Mark's post, Mark *really* doesn't understand his choice to do this, because if Mark had been in Jense's position, he can't ever imagine being able to let all that go and living the quiet life.

He is the palace whore, everyone has been with him honestly. It'll be like, some man walks into his bedroom, only to see Jenson in bed with his wife, but instead of being angry, he's like "wow you couldn't even wait for me??" He's just very carefree, and happy to just slut around and tend to Seb's horses.

I think he definitely still advises Seb, and would go to battle if truly need be, but generally seems to be living in a different world than the weird psychosexual homoerotic political drama that the others seem to be living in. But as I said, it's not like he doesn't contribute to it! He loves to goad Fernando, and constantly plays devil's advocate in "debates" between Fernando and Seb. He's also obviously the one that keep "accidentally" locking them in rooms and forgetting where the key is.

Sorry if this isn't very explanatory, I hope it gives a general idea to the type of character he is???? As always, let me know if you have any questions! I kinda struggled on what to write here because I'm finishing this at almost 8 am 😭 so I'm not sure if it's great or not. But basically you need to know: horse fucker who is generally breezy and carefree but also can be a bit of a menace to society every once in a while.

[einsatzzz]

give me your favorite manga or anime of all time. NOW. like, the ones who changed you as a person. if you are okay with questions like that!

Charlotte!!!! More anime/manga asks yipeeee I'll give you the three I can think of rn! For this one, Gintama is definitely my all-time fave but the others are in no specific order at all

Gintama - This one started off as a comedy at first and it really took its time endearing me to all these quirky and funny characters, while also showing glimpses of the layers beneath them. Then comes the "serious" arcs, that's when I start screaming and crying when I get to know more beneath those layers. The comedy is definitely still the highlight in this series for me, whenever I feel down I would pick a random Gintama episode and just watch it. Tbh, even if it has 300+ episodes, I can confidently say that I probably already rewatched it at least three times by now. But another highlight for me here is the mangaka's godtier ability to shift the tone between say comedy and serious/heartwarming moments, the transitions feel really smooth and it doesn't feel forced or out of place. I mentioned this in Jojo's ask, but this series really helped/supported me through my most depressed teenage years and it's probably not an overstatement to say that its one of the reasons I'm still alive rn. One of the quotes there that I can still vividly remember is "It's always darkest right before dawn". On the more goofy side, even to this day, I still have that one monkey's long ass name memorized lmao (the tagalog version specifically) Even if I change interests and fandoms, it will always be #1. The writing style, the characters and the comedy in Gintama are all such a huge inspiration, as well as a standard, for me. If you're familiar with Gintama, you can see lots of pieces of it in the way I want to portray and execute my own stories.

Pandora Hearts - THIS ONE CERTAINLY CHANGED MY BRAIN CHEMISTRY AS WELL. ITS ALSO VERY MUCH A MASTERPIECE. But my brain treats it the opposite of Gintama, in the way that after I finished reading the manga - I never reread it again. That's just how much the story destroyed me so thoroughly. I'm so afraid to re-experience it lmaooo I cried a lot of times for the characters there and the plot twists are nothing short of insane. I really love how complex the characters, their relationships with e/o and their lore are in this story. This series really fuels the angst + extremely complicated story lover in me. It's also a huge inspiration for my stories ����🤭🤭 If you're not familiar with this one, I recommend searching this one anime ost it has called "Lacie" (to avoid spoilers, don't go for the sideshow ones dkdhdj). I'm so attached to that ost, it has been a source of both comfort and sadness in one package. One of these days, I'll get enough courage for a reread...

IDOLiSH7 - I discovered this idol series when I was in college! (specifically experienced it first in the mobile game form) I thought its gonna be the usual happy lighthearted idol story that I'll move on from after a few weeks BUT NO! BRAIN CHEMISTRY CHANGED!! I didn't expect them to go so much deeper than that and I didn't expect to love & be attached to all the main characters, it's insane. Some of the characters' problems like Mitsuki's even hits so close to home, it really made me go *pause and starts walking around the house*. And thats just part 1 of the story, and then it's gets even worse (in the best way possible) in further parts. It doesn't help that the anime for it was done with a lot of love and care in it, elevating and improving the source material even further (adding/emphasizing symbolisms, more foreshadowing, etc). I just know that the main people involved in the creation/production of its anime were also as much of a fan as I am 🥺💖✨ (THE SONGS ARE BANGERS TOO!!!)

That's all for now, let me know if you want me to list more hehehe I rambled a lot for each of these three, but tbh, I still don't think it's enough to express hm these series meant to me dkdbmssbsn

[taddymason]

What are your thoughts on each of the Ninja? I'm just curious

Ooooo okokok this is going to be so long, I'm going to explain my first impression of them when I was a child and how it has changed over time.

Cole: I really didn't care much about Cole when I saw the series for the first time, like, as I remember he was my least favorite character on the team and he seemed boring to me. Now? Easily my favorite ninja. It's funny because of the team it's easily the one I identify with the most in terms of personality. I LOVE how most of his arcs have to do with the potential of his elemental powers, probably one of the ninjas who has grown the most in terms of skills over the course of the series. I know I don't talk much about the way they develop him and how much he matures throughout the series, especially how he becomes more and more open with the team, but he is one of my favorite characters.

Zane: I always liked Zane and he always remained my second favorite ninja. One of the parts I like most about his development is how he becomes more confident and sassy, especially in the new seasons. What I do not like is how many other ninjas's jokes about him are limited to "Zane, we need to adjust your honest/sarcasm ciurcuits", etc. It gets pretty tiring and somewhat contradicts the whole point of his character to be reminded that he's a nindroid when the whole point is that he actually sometimes ends up being a lot more human than everyone else but that's it. (ALSO Why did the writers forget that he had a falcon?)

Lloyd: sooo Lloyd is a complicated one because I don't really have strong feelings about his character. I guess one thing that kept me away every time I rewatched the show was thinking that he's like they put every cliche of a protagonist in a blender and most of his arcs feel that "predictable" when you compare him to the others. BUT I like what they are doing with his character on DR and I think it is his best season so far, SO definitely in DR it is more entertaining to see his development and his relationship with the kids.

Kai: Kai is a character that for me... is fine, I don't love him too much like most of the fandom. Again I think that in DR they are doing justice to his character since he feels that in Wildbrainera he was quite forgettable as if the creators didn't know what to do with him (like, I'm not a fan of his arc in S11 because we have definitely seen that lesson a Lot of times). I really love the development of him anyway and his relationship with Nya & Lloyd is one of the best parts of the series.

Nya: I'm going to be honest, I only started to like Nya in S9, before that with the sexist way the writers wrote her in the first seasons when I first saw the series I found her annoying (and S3 and S6 didn't help) . I think her character definitely improved after the Oni trilogy onwards because the creators began to give her REAL CHARACTER FLAWS and take her more seriously because then I started to like her character more.

Jay: soo, when I saw the series for the first time Jay instantly became my favorite ninja. I liked that there was a balance between the sarcastic jokes and the fact that he would then do something surprising like being the first to do spinjitsu, being a genius on roller skates, him shooting in space, etc. It's those moments in which he proved to be the thinker outside the box of the team that were very entertaining along with his humor, his powers, the duality in which he could be a bastard, an idiot and a genius at the same time was what made him that was my favorite on the team

Now, I'm not a fan of Jay when it comes to the new seasons where they basically removed all the traits I'm listing and turned him into a man child who only makes pee jokes. They literally took away EVERYTHING that made him a useful member of the team, he is a completely different character that really the only thing he has is... he is just the "uwu guy on the team". Honestly, it could be a whole essay explaining how I hate Jay from S11 onwards but I'll just leave it at that I hope DR gives him real development (and for a change it doesn't have to do with Nya)

[tgammsideblog]

Tgamm Season 2: Fixing Ruben and Esther's characters

Another common problem that people have with Tgamm Season 2 is the lack of development of the Chens have, mainly Ruben and Esther. Ruben does get some scenes yet he falls rather flat. The same could be said for Esther, who doesn't exactly get proper characterization beyond the Chens introduction episode.

Just like i did with my post about Jinx, i want to give my opinion on how i think these characters could have been explored in season 2 and how that it would have improved their arcs.

On first point, it is clear that Ruben and Esther needed more episodes exploring their characters. I think Ruben needed an extra episode exploring his past and Esther one or two episodes about her, maybe the relationship she has with Ollie and June or her dynamic with Sharon. (That we didn't get to see unlike the rest of the Chens-Mcgees dynamic).

For Ruben, i think he could have had a whole episode exploring his backstory of what happened to him after he was scared by Geoff when he was a kid. Bill Motz gave an idea of what his life was like growing up and how he met Esther. Based on his characterization on ¨Frightmares on Main Street¨ and Bill's description of his past, it is easy to come to the conclusion that Ruben was made fun of the idea of how he was haunted by a ghost while he was a teen.

When he grew up, he tried leaving all that stuff behind but got involved in searching about ghosts in these ¨ghosthunter¨ forums, which are full of misinformation about ghosts. Esther found out about this and told Ruben that she believed him that a ghost had tried to ¨attack¨ him. This was important to Ruben as Esther was the first person to believe what happened to him.

If we have had an episode showing some flashback about this, it would have made Ruben and Esther's relationship feel more meaningful, as there would be more context of how they ended up together. It would have given more idea of how Ruben became a ghosthunter and how he fell into all this misinformation about ghosts.

For Esther, she could have had an episode about her relationship with Ollie or June. I believe it would be preferable with June since she doesn't get much screentime neither, that way both Esther and June would be getting development. It could have been something outside ghosthunting. Maybe them hanging out or doing chores. Molly or Darryl could have been involved in some way. Maybe June is trying to impress Esther with one of her inventions and Molly and Darryl are helping her.

Another episode could have been about Esther hanging out with Sharon. ¨The New (Para) Normal¨ leaves an idea that they can get competitive with each other, so my guess is that they could have had an story about they getting too competitive and them learning to not get carried away. It could have been a funny silly episode that nothing too serious happens. Showing the Chens/Esther in a more casual situation.

Both Ruben and Esther could have had an episode that takes place after the Necrocomicon episode about them seeing how Ollie has been acting more distant towards then since the con. They don't get what it is going on or why their son acting this way. Most of the episode Ollie avoids them, trying to not interact with them.

Maybe they have a talk with Ollie at the end but things are still complicated between them. This could have served as build up for ¨Jinx vs The Human World¨ events with Ollie finally deciding to confront them again of their views about ghosts.

In all, Ruben and Esther needed more episodes in Season 2 to develop. Ruben need more exploration to his backstory than the flashback we got in ¨Book Marks the Sprite¨. That way they could have had proper characterization and be more interesting as characters.

[creative-kny-fics]

OMGG YOU SHOULD DO LEE!OBANAI AND LER!MITSURI!!!! THEY ARE MY FAVORITE AND I RARELY SEE TKL FICS OF THEM ALSO YOUR SANEGIYUU FIC???? I FELL IN LOVEEE

ALSO IF MY REQUESTS ARE TOO MUCH FOR YOY I WILL BACK OFF LMAO

We think the same! Their relationship is very cute! Although in the manga or in the anime they didn't have many moments, it doesn't mean that it's my favorite ship! So sure! (Thanks)

Warning: This fanfic contains tickles. Also remind them that I don't speak English, so if they find any errors, let me know to correct it. I hope you like it!

Ler: Mitsuri Kanroji and kinda Kaburamaru

Lee: Iguro Obanai

'You look distressed, Obanai. Is there something that gives you a complex?', fuck, Iguro wanted to go unnoticed, but he couldn't do anything. He turned to meet the master, who was accompanied by Gyomei, but... Maybe...

'You promise... not to say anything...?', he whispered, Kagaya smiled and pointed to a place next to him to sit down.

Despite being embarrassed, he steeled himself, fuck that shame, the more time passed, the more opportunities he missed

Kagaya waited patiently, he wanted Iguro to gather his courage and comment that he was overwhelmed.

'I'm... In love...' 'Kanroji, right?', Iguro looked up, Gyomei knew?!. 'H-how did you know?'

'Sure, I may be blind, but I can sense and feel people's emotions. When you talk to her everything in you is different. Your tone of voice, your look, your aura, your behavior. Everything changes, it's evident and it's almost impossible not to notice it' 'That's very sweet Obanai, I couldn't expect less from a boy as good as you, but then tell me, if you're in love, why haven't you shown it to her?'

Iguro sighed, but when he looked away he saw Kaburamaru. Well, he guess what should he tell them about, he needed urgent advice and support

'It's because I don't feel like I'm enough for her. I know almost everything about her but she doesn't know anything about me, I haven't told her for fear that she'll panic and hate me or stop talking to me. I want Kanroji to be happy, I want to give her that happiness, but I don't think I can... I'm not enough'

Gyomei cried, reciting his verse and Kagaya's smile diminished a bit, it was not possible for one of her children to feel bad Unless I thought it was insufficient, I couldn't tolerate this.

'Iguro, I'll tell you this and I want you to think my words well. The past does not affect the present, from your words I can realize that your past was sad and complicated, but despite having the option to be cruel, you didn't. You decided to improve and I'm proud of you. I don't think Kanroji cares about that, she's a good-hearted girl and you're a boy who always strives to meet my expectations. And well, with what Gyomei has said, I'm sure that you and she are soul mates. Go ahead, don't be afraid of the answer, trust that you will find happiness', Kagaya gently caressed Obanai's head, he was completely sure that everything would be fine for the couple.

'Oyakata - Sama... Himejima - San... Arigato', Iguro thanked, so he got down to business.

He planned everything, the place, the time, the activities, the food, everything was perfect. Iguro was gaining confidence, those words made him think and reconsider, there was no time to waste, it was now or never

'Okay, today is the day. Finally I will tell her everything I think and feel for her' 'Iguro - San!', she arrived, Iguro kept him calm.

'Tell me, what was so important that you needed to tell me? Or well, show me' 'I was sent on a mission a few days ago, while I was walking I found a tree with beautiful flowers that reminded me of you. I wanted to invite you to have lunch under its fruits', Kanroji blushed and became extremely nervous.

'EH?! Iguro - San and me?! On a date?! I can't believe it!!', Kanroji was excited, it was too much for her, it was so much that Obanai had to move her to wake her up from her trance

The answer was obvious, that's how they both went to the place.

Iguro sometimes looked at Mitsuri out of the corner of his eyes, she smiled as she saw everything, admiring and thanking him for taking her to that place.

'This place is so pretty Iguro-San!' 'I knew you'd like it, now, close your eyes, we're about to arrive and I'd like it to be a surprise' 'E-eh! O-Ok-Okay!', Mitsuri closed her eyes, Iguro took her hands and I carefully led her to the picnic she had planned for so long.

'Are you ready?' 'Of course! Don't make me wait any longer!' 'Then open your eyes', Mitsuri opened her eyes slowly, beginning to water, everything was so beautiful.

It was a picnic under a tree that matched the color of her hair and from which beautiful flowers sprouted that fell on the blanket and the baskets with food, but something was missing, Obanai extended a bouquet of roses towards her, she couldn't take it anymore and began to cry

'Ka-Kanroji-! Why are you crying?! Didn't you like it?!' 'No, I didn't like it...', Iguro's eyes widened, expecting the worst.

'I LOVED!! THANKS A LOT!! IT'S THE BEST THING THEY'VE DONE FOR ME SO FAR!!', Mitsui hugged Obanai, who blushed and felt somewhat uncomfortable, he wasn't used to physical contact, but because it was her, he put up with it

'Kyaaa! This is delicious Iguro-San! Thank you very much again!' 'There's no problem, okay? Huh?', Mitsuri pushed some food to Iguro's mouth, but Iguro immediately shook his head and refused.

'Iguro - San, come on, open your mouth! Eat with me!' 'No thank you I am fine'

Kaburamaru hissed. Iguro hadn't even eaten at home, he must have been hungry, so if he didn't eat something Kanroji offered him, he himself would force it.

For a whole minute, Mitsuri was trying to get Obanai to eat something, but he wouldn't. He knew what was under his bandages would displease him. No matter what his stomach growled at, he wouldn't eat anything.

'Iguro - San...' 'Kanroji-!', Iguro covered his mouth, looked at Kaburamaru, he wasn't on his neck, where was he? A tingling in his back made him jump. 'Damn Kaburamaru, not now! Not in front of her!', Iguro thought, trying to shake his snake out like that, to no avail-

'Iguro - San, everything alright...? Are you getting a fever? Your cheeks are red' 'I-I'm fine-! D-don't w-worry!', Mitsuri put down her food and approached Iguro, noticing that his haori was acting strange, as if something was moving in it.

'Kaburamaru-Kun? Is it inside your uniform?' 'Ye-Yes! O-Okay!', Mitsuri got closer, she could see that under his bandages, Obanai was struggling to hide a smile, Kanroji then understood

'Iguro - San...YOU'RE TICKLISH!', she exclaimed excitedly.

Iguro shook his head, saying that he just felt weird because Kaburamaru was biting him. 'Oh yeah? Then it won't matter if I do this~', Iguro's eyes widened, seeing how Kanroji was coming closer moving his fingers, he tried to get away from her, he only managed to do it a few inches, before Kanroji caught him, hugging him so he wouldn't run away.

'Kanroji, let's talk about this...' 'It's not good to lie Iguro - San, do you know what liars get? Tickles!', Mitsuri squeezed his sides, there was no reaction, maybe he wasn't ticklish there? Wait a second...

Kaburamaru! Mitsuri took a closer look, Kaburamaru was... on his back? Mitsuri blushed and laughed, it was the first time she had seen someone with a ticklish back.

'How about here?', Mitsuri gently ran her fingers along him back, the reaction was immediate, Iguro arched his back and covered his mouth and face with him haori in embarrassment.

'Ka-Kanroji-! I swe-! Gah! I'm-!' 'Again lying Iguro-San? I think you need a little lesson. 'Kaburamaru, could you come out for a moment? I don't want him to hurt you', Kaburamaru came out almost immediately and wrapped himself around Kanroji's neck, well Iguro, it seems that there will be no reason for Kanroji to leave you anymore

Mitsuri gently slid her nails into Obanai's lower back, who in response fell onto her chest, trying as hard as he could not to laugh, it was humiliating. They were alone, but it did not take away humiliating

'Come on Iggy! Laugh for me!' Mitsuri didn't stop, she knew he wouldn't run away, he was trapped in her hug.

'Kahahahanroji-! Grr! MPHM!!!', Mitsuri whispered in his ear. 'Cute~...'

It was enough, Obanai was unable to hold on and began to laugh, trying not to hit Mitsuri with his kicks.

'KAHAHAHANROJI!! STAHAHAHAP!! NOT THE BAHAHACK!! GEAHAHAHA!!' 'Awww~ Iguro-San, you're so cute~! Listen to that giggle! It's the cutest I've ever heard! Not your back? For what reason? Is it too ticklish? Can't stand a few tickles? But everyone needs to be tickled sometimes, don't you think?', damn, Iguro felt his ears burning, the childish tone with which Mitsuri spoke, regardless of the way he tickled,

3 words: Obanai was screwed-

'Besides, today you did a lot for me. You bought me food, you brought me to this beautiful place, I'm sure you must be tired! Come on, relax a bit!' 'WAHAHIT!! I CAHAHAN'T!!' 'Why can't you~?' 'BECAHAHAUSE-...!! I WAHAHANT TO TEHEHEHLL YOU SOMEHEHETHIHIHING!!', Mitsuri stopped, looking at him curiously.

'You wanna tell me something? What's wrong?', Iguro caught his breath, it was only a few seconds but, hell, he didn't think that Kanroji would make him scream in such a short time.

'Iguro-San...?', Mitsuri placed her head on his shoulder, waiting for the answer.

Iguro sighed and took her hands, staring into her eyes...

'Kanroji, do you remember the first time we met?' 'Yes, I remember, it was at Oyakata-Sama's residence, I was lost... But, Iguro-San saved me'

'...I must confess, ever since I saw you, I was planning to ignore you or walk past you and leave you with that problem. But, as time progressed, I was able to get to know you better, you were able to touch my heart. Your charisma, your way of treating others, your kindness and heart really captivated me and I fell in love with you, but I was unable to tell you because I wanted to get to know you better first so I could know everything about you and start a nice relationship. Although it was also because I was afraid, afraid that you wouldn't reciprocate me and get away from me. I'll totally understand if you don't feel the same, I just wanted you to know'

Iguro opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Kanroji crying. I knew... She didn't...

'I love you too Iguro-San!!', Mitsuri came over and hugged him.

'Your words were the most beautiful that a man has ever said to me! I love you! I am so happy! Every day what happened with you, I forgot my insecurities because you saw me with those eyes of love, my days were brighter and my meals tasted sweeter when I ate with you! I love you so much!', Mitsuri tried to lower Obanai's bandages but he wouldn't let it.

'Perhaps your opinion will change... After seeing this...', Mitsuri didn't care and lowered his bandages, seeing Obanai's scar.

'I know, it's disgusting and disgusting... You don't have to...' 'You don't care about my strange hair color, why should I care about that?', Mitsuri leaned in and kissed him.

'Isn't love pretty?' 'Mhm! Yes it is!' 'Ara~ I thought he wouldn't dare' 'They are made for each other, that's final', commented the hashiras seeing Mitsuri and Obanai return happily holding hands

[weewoo911]

I read your posts about Helena Diaz and I agree so much, every time she says something I get tensed for something worse to come. Her conversation with Eddie where she told him to not drag others down with him was so brutal, I somehow felt less shocked by the Buckley parents. What hits harder is that Eddie is somehow alone in dealing with her. With Buck there was Maddie and then Chimney who understood how fucked up it is. With Eddie he's got sisters but he's expected to hold more responsibility otherwise (even if Ramon seems to be improving). It's terrifying in a way, with how it's complicated because she wasn't even an absent parent so the memories are gonna be mixed.

I would really like it if Eddie got some kind of interaction w his mother in whatever is coming up bc I think the potential conflict there is really interesting.

I think a lot of times when people have kids really young, their own parents can end up doing a lot of heavy lifting, and with the best of intentions they can still end up treating the young parent as a child. I think that’s essentially what happened with Eddie & Shannon. Wanting to help turning into treating them both as incompetent, which took a toll on them both.

“Don’t drag him down with you” is a legitimately wild thing to say to your own kid- especially when he has just been left by his wife and is working three jobs to try and build a better life for his disabled kid. I’d love for that to be explored more- why his parents were so sure he was going to fail to the point they were ready to take his kid.

(Also to be clear I don’t know that they would have ever actually tried to take custody of Christopher, I don’t think we can take the coma dream as a direct canon for what would have happened- but if Buck thinks in his subconscious that it could have happened then what has Eddie said about his parents)

I also think it’s interesting to view it in contrast to Buck’s parents, because where Buck’s parents were under invested, Eddie’s parents maybe wanted too much agency over his life. And Eddie is a character who clearly feels the weight of other people’s expectations on his shoulders.

So yeah, I don’t mind if they go redemption arc - (though I think the show went too hard with trying to redeem Buck’s parents, Eddie’s dad and Chimney’s dad- we also can send the message that bio family relationships sometimes just can’t be fixed) - or full on screamfight but I’d just like it to be explored and have a satisfying resolution

Sorry this post ended up kind of long, but I didn’t want it to be straight up dunking on the character- I like having messy characters and conflict- it’s what makes the show interesting!