#i want exploration of his family dynamic and his friends and how he's kinda just. a run of the mill contract killer

[necrotic-nephilim]

Before reading the comics, thanks to sladixk fics, i genuinely thought that dick always lost to slade, now I know that most times when he's and adult he beats slade no problem but it got me wondering how you feel about this canon-fanon difference

OHH this is a good question!!

i think sometimes fanon makes Slade a little... too badass. i think something some fanon fans don't understand about Slade in the 80s/90s is that he was like... kind of a loser? like don't get me wrong he was a main villain of the Titans for a while and he was certainly meant to be a formidable villain but this reputation he has in fanon almost supersedes him. (for example with specific plots: the fandom interpretation of the Judas Contract is Slade as the mastermind, but the writers have said that Terra was supposed to be the big villain manipulating everything. which is a ridiculous thing to put on a teenage girl getting groomed but, it does depict the intention of who was supposed to be "at fault" in that story) and don't get me wrong, i definitely love playing up the reputation and aura Slade has, but he really is a general contract killer on the level of like, Deadshot. personally, i wouldn't even put him on Lady Shiva's level, i think she far outranks him.

and to be fair to some fanon, recent comics have... tried to badass-ify Slade. some of his more recent Deathstroke runs are really trying to put him as this guy with legions of men underneath him who's this *deadly* killer who can take on Batman and Superman and all the like. and i just find that... boring? like, do i enjoy him being a smarter-than-average villain with a lot of connections? yes. but i don't think anything in his backstory really lends him to being as formidable as he appears in some fanfiction that puts him on this untouchable level. i would personally go as far to say i think *most* of the Batfamily could beat him in a fight under the right circumstances. bc Slade really is just Some Guy who got a serum from the military and went AWOL. (there's certainly more to his backstory than that, but at a glance, he's really not a trained fighter from birth like other characters are) and whilst i do enjoy Slade being formidable i have to admit, it was sort of fun when he was a loser? and i've gotten a kick out of certain comics that point out he's only a terrifying villain when he's up against teenagers. (Ghost-Maker calling him out on that is one of the funniest things, to me) like could Slade give Batman a serious fight? sure, but i don't see him ever winning unless you *really* nerf Bruce. and i really don't see him ever winning against most of the Batkids once they've got some years under their belt. Slade's scare factor was always tapered by who he was against, and he was a *Teen Titans* villain. so he's a little ridiculous and sometimes just sort of a weird loser. and i say that affectionately.

furthermore, on the flipside, i think... sometimes, we woobify Dick a bit too much to my tastes. or, really any Robin who gets shipped with Slade but of course Dick is the standout in popularity and i find it's more prominent with him. it's really a general slash problem, in which one man must be the Strong Top and then other must be the Weak Bottom. and that manifests in Slade being physically larger than Dick (which in canon, ehhh i think the size difference would be largely negligible) and him being able to beat Dick. bc it makes for more fanfic scenarios where you can put Dick at Slade's mercy for porn, for angst, for whatever you'd like. Slade is a good pick if you want to really put Dick on the weaker side, bc you can play with healing factors and strength enhancements. so on a physical level, Slade will be stronger than Dick. does that mean Slade can beat Dick in a fight? historically, no. i mean, Slade trusted Dick to train his own daughter in the Renegade storyline, so i think this is a fact even Slade is aware of.

i don't think it's a bad thing fanfiction likes its big top/small bottom tropes. if you want to make Dick a submissive, pliant bottom who is going to lose in a fight to Slade for your dead dove porn, get it. i've probably written or will write the same. it's appealing and it's a very common trope for Dick. but it becoming the fandom norm does sort of nerf Dick, occasionally. i think some fans don't fully comprehend the actual level Dick is on, where he's very close to being an equal to Bruce, if not already Bruce's equal. in fandom Dick is sort of trapped in this "post-adolescence but not full adulthood" state that does not acknowledge he has been an adult running superhero teams for years. he was filling in for Bruce in the Batman mantle all the way back in the 90s. he can defeat villains like Slade, and usually without a lot of difficulty. to me the only time you can realistically make Dick lose and it be "in character" is either 1, to have Dick *very* early on in his Robin years (i think if he's past 16, he can beat Slade) or 2, very deeply wound Dick/have him in a psychologically altered state via drugs or something. otherwise yeah, i think Dick wins 99% of the time.

but fanfiction is fanfiction, and it doesn't *have* to be canon. esp if Dick losing to Slade is just a sexy prerequisite to porn. do i wish more fanon explored Slade as kind of a loser? absolutely. do i think Slade is *too* cool in most fanon? also absolutely. but those are my tastes and i don't begrudge anyone who just wants a strong, mean man to whump the shit out of their blorbos, which usually, is the purpose of Slade. i find most fanfic with Slade tends not to be exploring Slade's character. they're simply using him as an easy stand-in for a metahuman who's morally grey and very mean but has a nuanced history with Dick, or whoever else. which, very valid. not all fanfic needs to be a character study, but i do think it'd be cool to see more Slade-centric fics that *do* want to be character studies.

[danikamariewrites]

If you're willing to do a more platonic/familial request, could you do some headcanons on being Rhysand's youngest sister?? And then I had an additional idea of being his sister + Azris' mate... but I'll let you decide which aspects you'd like to write about :) (if you want to write about it at all, of course!)

Princess of the Night Court

IC x reader (platonic)

Notes: I went with reader just being the sister I hope you don’t mind, I wanted to explore this dynamic before hopping outside the night court

Warnings: some angst

Being the second born of the former NC High Lord meant you had the freedoms to do some things your brother couldn’t

However much you pushed your brother’s buttons when he became High Lord you still loved each other. And you really stepped up to help him with his royal duties

You were a bit nervous and relieved when your father died. You knew what he expected of you but you were unsure how the power and position would change Rhys

The biggest blessing Rhys gave you was the freedom to marry whoever and whenever. There was no pressure and he would not dare use you as a bargaining tool, ever

Being princess came with the never ending princess treatment

Your people adored you and you them

You frequented shops in Velaris and always made sure to talk with everyone and hear their troubles

It also meant that Azriel and Cassian were your forever body guards

And how fun is it to ditch them?! It’s even more fun when they finally track you down. Their faces all scrunched in anger and that vein popping in Cassian’s forehead that you just want to poke

The two were your brothers, there was no denying Az and Cass treated you like the sister they never had

They were just as protective (maybe more at times) than Rhys is of you and you loved them for it

When you had your first heartbreak one of the first people you went to for comfort was Azriel. He was always your shoulder to cry on and he’s a good listener

The three of them would be up anyone that hurt you

To try and have some semblance of a normal life while Rhys was gone you tried to date. It did not go well. The male you went to dinner with had said some nasty things about your family and came home bawling your eyes out. When you told Cass, Az, and Mor, Cassian was the most angry. He left and came home with bloody knuckles. That night he sat next to your bed reading you stories like when you were little

After Rhys came home from under the mountain you gave him his space and were more serious than usual

Something you hadn’t had in a long time with your brother was a sleepover. You used to crawl into his bed at night when you had nightmares and Rhys would reassure you that everything would be ok

Just as you were planning to go to Rhys for a sleepover to make him feel normal a knock sounded at your door. Opening it you found your brother looking disheveled and on the verge of tears. You pulled him in and you got into your bed. You laid there in silence for a very long time, both wide awake. “I know you can’t and don’t want to talk about everything yet. But we’re all here for you Rhys. I’m here for you big brother. And I won’t think any differently of you for any of it.” Rhys just pulled you into a bone crushing hug and cried and cried until he fell asleep. You hadn’t seen him cry like that since your mother died

Out of everyone of the Inner Circle you were the most overjoyed to have Rhys home

You did everything in your power to make sure he was comfortable and welcome

The sacrifices he made for the court were ones you would never forget

Watching Rhys fall in love with Feyre made your heart swell. You saw a light burn in him that hadn’t been there since he was younger

Becoming friends with Feyre was a journey

She didn’t like you at first since she only knew the stories that Tamlin and Lucien had told her

Fun lil bit of history Tamlin left out was that you and him hooked up but he was kinda mad it was only ever that and not more

But when you and Mor broke through and Feyre trusted you enough her friendship was a beautiful thing

And you had a new buddy to pick on Cassian with

Learning Feyre was pregnant after the war you were so excited to be an aunt! You were going to spoil the shit out of this baby boy

[heartbreakprincewille]

Masculinity In Young Royals

So, in honour of Ke Huy Quan and the team of Everything Everywhere All At Once sweeping the Oscars(been crying about it since morning), I was watching this BRILLIANT video essay(check it out it's so well thought out!) about Waymond(Ke's character) and this gave me thoughts about Young Royals as well, because hyperfixations go hand-in-hand, right? :)

Masculinity, and especially different portrayals and aspects of its prevalent notions is a theme brilliantly explored in the two seasons of Young Royals. I wanted to talk about some characters, and this list will progress from worse to better(not using the word perfect because nuance > perfection).

Note: The traits I will discuss further are not restricted to just a cis or male perspective, anyone can exhibit these traits, but since assertion of masculinity is a constant spectacle in Young Royals, I will associate some traits with it.

1. Vincent

Vincent, especially in S2, embodies the worst traits on the masculinity spectrum, and since his character is understandably not offered the privilege of nuance, he comes off as this typical, toxic, sort of "alpha-male" character, especially after he's elected as the prefect and Rowing Captain. He constantly bullies others, especially Simon, tries to enforce the hierarchy of privilege and class firstly through August and then by himself. As soon as he sees an opportunity shown by Wilhelm to take control in his hands, he doesn't take much time to betray his "friend", August(although August of all people getting betrayed is certainly irony at its best). He kinda reminds me of the Royal Court in some ways- their presence furthering the divide of tradition and social systems in their respective environments.

2. August

The only reason August is not placed higher than Vincent in this list is the privilege of nuance August is provided with throughout the story. This nuance is what sets him apart in the narrative, but is also the thing which dooms him as a character.

August is misogynistic, sexist, classist, obsessed with power and privilege and feels entitled to both of them, set to further the class divide just like Vincent. He stokes his ego like fire, and if someone tries to cross him, he does not hesitate to burn them with the flames, like Wilhelm exposing his money issues and August violating Wilhelm and Simon's privacy in return. He's manipulative, he's calculative, he knows how to scheme things in his favour(failed attempts, though) and he's just a walking red flag of a person. He also falls around the worse side of the spectrum of masculinity.

But, he is offered nuance by the narrative. In S1, it's in the form of familial and personal issues: his dad killing himself, financial problems, addiction issues and possible issues of body dysmorphia. In S2, through his relationship with Sara, we are shown a different side of him- a side that is capable of being vulnerable, capable of being soft, and this almost sparks this hope within the audience that maybe August can change a little, for the better.

But then he's offered a chance of power and his hamartia is revealed to the audience: his inability to change. The greatest tragedy (which is also its brilliance) with August's character is he cannot change for the better. Even if he tries to. He can have opprtunities to grow, but it will be a Herculean labour for him to take advantage of those opportunities and actually change. He is so deeply entrenched in his perceptions of toxic masculinity and power and lost in his conceited, privileged worldview that it's quite hard for him to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And it's what sets him apart in the narrative- despite all his nuance, he is still a terrible person at his core. The nuance is just what separates him from all his shallow and one-dimensional preceding antagonists of the past.

3. Nils

Nils brings a neutral perspective to the extreme hyper-masculine and cishet dynamics upheld by August and Vincent. He's revealed to be queer in S2, but chooses to be discreet about it- which gives him a chance to build solidarity with both his cishet peers(Vincent and August) as well as a fellow queer person (Wille). He's not dismissive of Wilhelm's queerness, but he believes it to be something "better behind close doors". He's one of the few people who actually acknowledges Wilhelm and Simon's relationship, but is also dismissive of it, mainly because of the difference in their social standings. He's devoid of the typical "heteronormative" traits associated with masculinity, especially in S2, but he still uphelds the toxic class hierarchy and privilege.

4. Simon

Simon is a quite interesting character to me on this list because he subverts these traits in a very unique way.

Usually canonically gay characters in media are often stereotyped to possess "feminine" traits, which is NOT a bad thing at all, BUT mostly the portrayal of such characters usually leans more towards the mockery of the "feminine" traits, rather than something which strengthens the queerness of that character.

Simon is actually very different from this famous rendition of gay characters- he's actually very masculine in his behaviour. He exhibits two typical masculine behaviours in general:

1. "Man Of The House", or taking the mantle of emotional(and sometimes financial) stability in a house in one's own hands. He often takes matters in his own hand, especially when Sara says or does something that disrupts the peace of their little family. It's interesting because despite being the youngest person in the family, Linda subconsciously lets him take the mantle on his shoulders, without realizing how heavy it can be. And consequenty, it brings us down to the second trait:

2. "Suppressing emotions", or avoiding being vulnerable in public spaces or with people one loves and trusts. Simon constantly shoves what he's feeling deep in his heart, he refuses to break open in front of people, in front of Wille(S2 E6 gun scene) and would go to lengths to maintain a facade of "everything's fine!" even if he's breaking inside. It makes sense because his backstory alludes to hesitation to open up to people and it can be possibly related to his familial trauma, but it's still interesting nevertheless because he shows incredible emotional maturity throughout the story, much more than his predecessors on this list. He's devoid of both the toxic traits of heteronormativity and elitist behaviour associated with "masculinity" in Young Royals, but he still possesses a different set of problems associated with orthodox masculinity.

5. Wilhelm

Wilhelm is, in my opinion, the closest example to what is emerging as the new definition of "masculinity" in the current media. Wilhelm, through his immense emotional journey and growth in the two seasons, subverts all the traits of masculinity displayed by his predecessors in the list with grace and humility.

He's not obsessed with upholding traditions and asserting heteronormativity like Vincent and August, he is quite indifferent to it in S1, the only "compulsion" he feels to do so is immediately after Erik's death in S1, which he quickly overcomes as well. His "revenge" attempts on August by pulling rank and exercising his privilege stems from a feeling of injustice and anger rather than something he enjoys or feels the need to practice at all.

August's hamartia is Wilhelm's strength. Wilhelm, unlike August, displays great capacity to change for the better, which he constantly does throughout the story. Love knocks on both of their doors as an opportunity to grow, to change for the better, and while Wilhelm embraces it, August slaps the door shut on its face.

Unlike Nils, neither Wilhelm's queerness was never given a chance to be discreet in the first place, nor he ever felt the need to do so. The idea of keeping his and Simon's relationship a secret was more of an idea subconsciously conceived by Kristina in Wilhelm's head rather than his own desire to be secretive.

Wilhelm even subverts the traits displayed by Simon in this regard- the position of the "Man Of The House" falls on him in the form of "Crown Prince of Sweden", and although he understandably struggles with the role initially, by the end of S2, he consciously embraces the role with grace and humility. Compared to Simon, Wilhelm wears his heart on his sleeve, he is not afraid to express his true emotions to the people he love and trusts, and even to strangers.

[prying-pandora666]

“The Search” Rewrites, Book 4: Air, Leaks, and A Call for Help from the Fandom

I’ve talked a little about the Book 4: Air restoration project @book4air. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out! Three full episodes are already out and episode 4 is going to cover Zuko’s early days right after his banishment, exploring his relationship with Iroh and the world as Zuko understands it as a lost boy rapidly coming into manhood.

Wait until you hear the VA’s performance with music and everything! It’ll break your heart.

But I want to talk a little bit about what comes after these next few episodes: our adaptation of “The Search”.

If you’ve seen our adaptation of “The Promise”, you’ll know it was quite faithful. This won’t be the case for “The Search”. For the purposes of the overarching story we are telling, this story is getting overhauled. (Please still support the original release if you’d like to see the canon version).

The biggest change that’s been announced is the addition of Toph. The team felt that a story about family, identity, and faces could benefit from including Toph’s perspective as she comes from a unique but toxic family situation, has a strong conflict between the performance expected of her versus who she really is, and is completely blind and so faces don’t even register for her.

Here is the sample scene we released:

But I want to talk a little bit about what we are changing about Zuko and Azula’s roles in the story. While the set up is virtually unchanged, there is one small alteration that makes a big difference.

(Sorry for the poor quality, this is technically unreleased content and I’m being kinda risky leaking it.)

Ursa’s letters are now a diary. This means that rather than get random flashbacks, the narrative framing now becomes Zuko and Azula reading these entries together. As a result, they get to discuss their discoveries about their family, and even share each other’s perspectives.

What that means is that when things like Zuko dangling Azula over the cliff happen, now we actually are forced to address it. The characters have to talk about how they treat each other and the reasons why. They have to confront the toxic family dynamic they’ve been forced and groomed into since childhood. Zuko has to realize his mentally ill little sister isn’t the monster here and in fact he’s the one with all the power now, and Azula has to realize that Zuko can be trusted if she can let go of her fear long enough to talk to him about her vulnerabilities.

We also address issues like this:

Many people criticize this for being OOC, but I think there’s a way this could easily not be. Sokka has been known to be juvenile and reactionary as a first response, the difference is that he always eventually apologizes and learns from his mistakes. Without even needing to be asked.

Threatening a mentally ill person who has just been removed from an asylum—even as a joke—is not okay. It would be questionable even if they’d been friends before this, but considering their prior relationship it really does seem like an boneheaded lack of awareness or compassion for how triggering this could be.

So rather than remove this interaction, we addressed it. And I am really taking a risk posting this here, but here is a brand new script page:

Sokka isn’t just comic relief. Sokka is smart, Sokka is compassionate, Sokka is brave, and Sokka knows when it’s time to apologize and reach out versus when it’s time to fight.

Safe to say, there are several things that stay the same and we tried to keep faithful to the spirit of the story, but there’s a lot we wanted to do for the Gaang and for the Fire Sibs, and I hope you’ll join us on this adventure, whether you’re a diehard fan of the comics and just looking for a fun AU, or you hate the comics and would like a rewrite, or even if you’ve never read them and would just love to return to the world of ATLA.

The only trouble is, we can’t do it alone. The project is very expensive and time consuming to produce. Our team pays for everything out of pocket and some of us don’t even have reliable housing, so it’s been a hard time.

If you can help in any way, even only by spreading the word so YouTube will stop burying us in the algorithm, that would be huge!

If you can afford to help, we have a Patreon where you can get all sorts of early goodies.

Reblogs and comments greatly appreciated! As the head writer and voice of Azula, this project is very near and dear to me. Avatar was my first pro-writing gig when I was just a homeless 19 year old, and it’s here for me again as I struggle to rebuild my life and health that COVID destroyed.

I love this series and the community that has helped me through the hardest times in my life. I can’t wait to make something beautiful with you all!

[sibylsleaves]

I am 100% with you on wanting the show to explore buck’s desire for a family, specifically kids. And yeah, personally, I’m kinda hoping, if bucktommy does break up, that’s largely the cause of it — there’s still a lot of mutual care and love between them, but they just want fundamentally different lives. Cos if they do break up, particularly for buddie reasons, it would suck to sabotage the sweetness of how they’ve come together by making their breakup ugly. Sad and painful, sure, but ultimately amicable.

BUT if they DON’T break up, buck wanting kids is still a really cool dynamic for them to explore. Is Tommy reluctant because of his upbringing? If so, does buck try to compromise his own desires for children to make Tommy happy and so he doesn’t leave? Or what if Tommy is all in and buck wants them too, but then freaks out because he knows what it’s like to have a parent who can’t regulate their own emotions and makes everything about them (even if that’s not a fair assessment of buck, it’s what he could think about himself) and Tommy has to convince him he’d be amazing.

And sure in a perfect buddie future, Christopher is such a huge part of Them and it seems obvious they’d have another kid/s — Eddie now being in a place where he’s ready to be a parent and he gets to actually BE there this time, and we already know how wonderful he is and how well he and buck work together as parents. Plus older brother Chris?? Can you even imagine? That baby would be so lucky. (though I am sceptical they’ll ever go anywhere with buddie, even if it would be amazing)

honestly, I’d love a scenario where, with or without Tommy, buck meets a kid on a call and ends up fostering her (come on, girl-dad buck? too perfect). Like, this man is such a natural caretaker and has so much love to give, let him be a dad, show!

yeah i think the reason I'm so drawn to this storyline is because a) it feels SO obvious to me that this is something Buck would be thinking about at his age, and because of the chris of it all and the sperm donor of it all. and literally ALL of his close friends are parents. and they LITERALLY SET THIS UP IN THE PILOT EPISODE WITH THAT DRAINPIPE BABY. LIKE.

And also b) I can't really think of another show that's had a MALE character like desperately want parenthood. it's always a woman who wants kids and the guy is like i don't know...or it's a woman wanting kids and deciding to make that happen for herself (off the top of my head, I know House and 30 Rock BOTH did this storyline). And I feel like if any show was going to tell that story, it would be 911, and if any actor would want to tell that story, it would be Oliver Stark, because he's said like one million times what he loves about Buck is that he's like this seemingly traditionally masculine guy but he's actually quite soft and has all these wonderful layers to him, and being a caretaker/wanting to be a father is a big part of that.

I could definitely see a storyline where Buck is actually confronted with the question of like, do you want kids/are you ready to have kids and freaking out about it. And I think, Buddie or not, the resolution to that storyline HAS to be Chris. Like Chris being the one to tell him of course you'd be a good dad, Buck. You've been helping dad raise me since I was seven. COULD YOU IMAGINE. I'd weep.

And yeah, I can imagine older brother Chris are you kidding me??? I have considered this at length.

[sillysymbol]

who's your favorite criminal clownery character to draw? favorite to write/think about? favorite dynamic? and can i get a fun fact or something you havent shared yet about them :]

YES YESSS SICKOS HAHA YESSS

my favs to draw are pirplexa and shirley for some reason. pirplexa because she's like a weird son to me (i'm very attached to her! shes like my favorite oc ever! i went off when i designed her!) + shirley because ever since i changed her hair style shes been a lot easier+more fun to draw. i think also carni i love drawing her w different hair styles and clothing.

my favorites to write for are pirplexa/carni/prince. that makes sense cuz theyre like. the Main protagonists+villain, but its really fun to explore their different personalities/backstories. Dude writing backstories especially for pirplexa and prince is so fun for me. also recently writing xio has been really fun n interesting to me. in general i think its fun to explore Why A Character is like That, why do they behave like that!

i got a lot of dynamics i like exploring but my favs are carni/pirplexa, carni/trill, prince/shirley, prince/xio and babs/miles. for carni dynamics its fun because she's one of the more happy/chipper characters, contrasted with pirplexa being more cold/untrusting and trill being more calm and collected. i plan for carni and trill to really dislike eachother at first, but eventually start to understand and fall for eachother <3 while with carni and pirplexa its more about pirplexa learning to trust and make friends again.

prince and shirley are siblings with extremely different world views and thought processes, they really dislike eachother. they grew up in the same enviroment yet reacted to it completely differently.

prince and xio is fun to me, ive been trying to give xio more of involved in the story+cast&crew while prince just thinks of her as his cute secretary. he sucks real bad! she doesnt like him she barely tolerates the others but he pays her to kill people so shes like whatever i can deal with this. and then she finds out he wants a consensual workplace relationship and shes like YAY HOW CAN I MANIPULATE THIS MAN!!!!!!!!!!!

babs/miles are dating at the beginning of cc, but their relationship gets a bit complicated due to babs being a little crazy about him and miles struggling with his sense of masculinity, its really not a relationship thats meant to last for long, its a bit tragic. (also why they are in love by david byrne is in both of their playlists LOL)

a few fun facts:

i dont think ive shared here is that prince and shirleys parents were movie stars! they met on the set of a film and had multiple movies with eachother. prince and shirley both had an odd childhood under a lot of surveillance from the public, plus their parents weren't very great parents. they both react to their trauma very differently, prince being "grateful" for it, giving him media training and feeling like his parents crafted him (even when he knows his parents didn't have much faith in him and bet a lot on shirley), while shirley absolutely despises the rest of her family. of course she'll go to the annual family dinner with prince, but that doesnt mean that she won't loathe every second of it.

pirplexa is a dog person! he loves dogs! he doesn't own one because he doesnt think hes in the right headspace to have one yet, but he will pet every random dog on the street. i like to think a few years after the events of cc when he's mentally better, he does adopt a dog.

miles and shirley don't get along very well, shirleys kinda like a bully older sister, she puts him in headlocks and stuff.

if you get the color symbolism (heh) in cc i will give you a badge. idk

shirley likes to write, babs likes to sing, miles likes to draw and design.

trill originally got a degree in botany, but realized she wanted to pursue comedy/acting instead. she can still correctly identify plants!!! yay!!!

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Can we please get more of canonish Killer & Nightmare in fanfics? Fanon is okay but it’s so overdone and kinda boring now.

Fanon Killermare rarely has anything interesting done about it. The dynamic is just “tsundere Boss Nightmare” and “simp Killer.” Killer never feels like his own character, just there to simp (and I suspect Nightmare simps just use him as a sorta self insert so they can simp for Nightmare through him or something).

Only Nightmare’s trauma is actually acknowledged and never Killer’s. Nor how Nightmare plays a role in it.

The power dynamics inherently baked into their relationship is ignored. And if not ignored, it’s romanticized.

Like, no it is not a good thing that Nightmare falls “in love” with a man who’s soul he can use to physically, mentally, and emotionally control whenever and however he pleases. No Killer will not appreciate that.

No Killer does not like being under Nightmare especially after he worked so hard to get out from under Chara. Nightmare Is Not His King.

Like, can we please acknowledge in fanfics how Nightmare literally took away Killer’s choice to live or not? Can we acknowledge in fanfics how Killer, up until meeting Color, is only alive because Nightmare is forcing him to be?

Can we acknowledge how hopeless he feels under Nightmare? And how Nightmare knows this and doesn’t care?

Can we acknowledge how a part of Killer—stage 1—does not want to be with Nightmare, let alone want to be alive?

I don’t want Killer being in love with Nightmare first. I want Nightmare falling in love with Killer, and Killer not being able to trust that at all.

I want Stage 1 fearing that he’s trying to manipulate him. I want Stage 1 spending this whole “courtship” in disbelief because he legitimately can’t tell if it’s real or not.

I want it to be acknowledged that Nightmare forcing Killer into Stage 2 & staying in it isn’t gonna give him what he wants and will only subconsciously push him further away.

I want Nightmare working to fix himself and his mistakes and actually make it up to Killer. Even if that includes letting Killer go.

Killer deserves to be the one treated with love and care in the Killermare ship for once. He shouldn’t have to be the one who always puts in the work.

Nightmare needs to earn Killer’s loyalty. Not just take it and force it however and whenever he wants.

—-

I’m aware that my version is still toxic, but it doesn’t even have to be something like this. I just want Killer to be his own complex character in fanon Killermare the way Nightmare is allowed to be.

Not only is fanon Killermare boring and repetitive, it never acknowledges Killer as his own person. It never acknowledges his backstory or how he was created, nor his emotionlessness.

Nightmare is allowed to not know what a healthy romantic relationship is, but Killer is somehow expected to know these things even though he spent years being tortured until he broke and was created into something new—and that new something was used to kill people—his friends and family—for years and years?

Stop pretending Nightmare is Killer’s King. He isn’t nor would Killer ever accept him as that. He worked so hard to gain some autonomy over his existence and y’all want to shove him under Nightmare and pretend like he’ll willingly accept it? Why is Killer never allowed to explore his existence and found out who he is as a person?

It’s just simp, simp, simp, loyal, loyal, flirt, flirt, with y’all.

No hate on those who ship this, but fanon Killermare can be a lot more than what it is now and I hate that it isn’t.

[starrylayle]

dead boy detectives season 2 (and possibly season 3..) predictions

ok i know that dbda has not even confirmed a season 2,,,, but a girl can dream. So here's all the things i want to see in this hypothetical season 2:

Finding Niko!! there are a lot of speculations that she didnt actually die and was saved by sprites (due to that lucky charm the walrus man gave her). And i hope this is true!! And if it is, i'd like to see they boys, crystal and possibly jenny getting wind that shes not alive and go on a rescue mission,, meanwhile niko is experiencing supernatural shenagians of her own.

Speaking of Jenny,,, more of her please. Love our goth butcher lesbian father figure and i want to see more of her. Also i want her and the night nurse to fuck. it would be so good. i literally ship them so much and they've barely interacted lmaoo.

I want charles and the cat king to have a one night stand. I dont care how it happens i just want it to happen. And i want charles to find out and get jealous :)))

Justice for monty!! I kinda hc that he tries and to break free from Esther's control and finds his own place. Maybe he calls on the cat king for help. Maybe the cat king is annoyed at first but slowly warms up to this crow boy. maybe he teaches him how to shift from creature to human. and one thing leads to another.....

I want Charles to have a sexuality crisis.

Edwin going on little gay ghost dates. possibly a new secondary love interest for him and jealous charles???

More of Edwin and Charles' times at school!! I wanna see flasbacks, how they were like when they were alive, their friends (or lack ther of..) and family dynamics. And for charles, i want to see how his cultural background and mixed heritage played into his life.

More slowburn of charles and edwin please.

Charles and edwin accidental and drunken kiss scene. Escaalates charles sexuality cris and edwin's gay pining.

I realised I havent mentioned Crystal yet, but i want lots of exploration on her too!! Her dealing with the effects of having her memory back, trying to right her wrongs, interacting with her parents, etc.

Oooh also idk if anyone else wants this, but i like the idea of crystal meeting the boy whose body David possessed and getting to know him better. Maybe they could even become an item!! It would be jarring but pretty interesting.

New characters (+possible secondary love interests??)

Pretty much it for now... but this show is slowly consuming my life so there will probably be a part 2 lol.

[shoyastars]

Villain Mistin au

Where Mistin was ‘convinced’ to stay as a villain by their ex girlfriend, somehow making it to the point they’re both Fiancé’s. However Ray seeing them on the street after years of searching, he decided to make his move.

His plan was simple, they can fall for him or Binary Star… but one problem… they’re fiancé didn’t seemed to like this, and not in a, “don’t steal my future partner” for example… it seemed more predatory, as if they were going to try everything they can to convince and control Mistin, not to get with him.

It clicked, she wasn’t just using them… they were also trying to get into Mistin’s older brothers good graces. He was known to have a healing ability… but as much as they’re brother can heal…. He can also hurt…. And kill…. They’re brothers ability was unclear in how it works to Ray, the NAHA is still pondering whether it’s a good idea to find and capture alive or kill on site.

However Ray’s problems were not connected with the NAHA, it was with Mistin’s ‘fiancé’ and how they’re practically brainwashed into thinking they love her. So the new plan was to get them out as soon as possible… out of the relationship, out of the soon to be ‘special day’ even if it seems wrong, he won’t stand by while they see Mistin look miserable without knowing they’re miserable.

Getting to know them is easy, growing closer to… however, taking off the red tinted glasses? Not so much.

Will Mistin be able to take off those glasses and see the signs in front of them? Or will they simply cut Ray off for they’re future ‘Partner’?

We’ll probably never know….

And that’s all the details I think I’ve shared for this lol! Anyway I’m kinda interested in others oc’s villain au’s I wanted mine to be kinda slow burn, yet like super reasonable as to why Mistin doesn’t just get up and leave. Because I did mention before they’re ex girlfriend was very manipulative and controlling, she even resorts to violence if she sees she’s not going to get her way… in this au, they’re more ‘convincing’ than ever, she still resorts to some kind of violence if not given her way, however I believe that is enough you want to hear about her.

——————————————————————————

Possible questions

——————————————————————————

Why isn’t Mistin with double?

Mistin always saw him as a friend, they never really saw him as dating material when growing up. More like a third brother to them type way. The way they look out for him and help him out when being messed with by the older kids. They didn’t know he thought of them in such a different way, until he eventually told them.

Does the toxic fiancé/Girlfriend have a brain wash ability?

Hm, I’m not too sure… that would seem too easy, so I’m going to say no, I haven’t really thought of the ability because they’re in the main story was someone of the past who changed they’re personal take on a relationship, the person who only saw their relationship as beneficial than actual love. Mistin feelings were never returned because it was never real. Mistin wanted to be loved… not used…

How come they aren’t so aware in this au?

They didn’t think they’d be able to find someone better, also… they’re self worth was beaten down many time in their times being a villain. Meanwhile with Ray they’re slowly regaining they’re self confidence again.

How did Ray become aware of Mistin’s family?

Oh come on, I’m sure Ray took background checks on us.

Will we get a fanfic of the au?

Depends if when i finally get the Ao3 writing done, I might consider making it. It might go more in depth with my characters and possibly mention more upon what relationship Mistin and their ex have from then to now. It will include a toxic relationship, an unhealthy dynamic between her and them. Maybe even exploring more family lore behind Mistin.

That’s all! Have a lovely day, afternoon, or night wherever you are!

The next chapter of The Star Hero & The Misty Crook will come soon.

Next chapter is called…

Is It Really You?

[rnn11203]

recently i am mesmerized by the idea of Nishiki/Reina + Yuya/Kazuki.. (most delusional yakzua shipper)(perhaps u get convinced?)

i like to think reina is pretty well acquainted with the boys too, they both run buisnesses very close by and both know kiryu well enough. I’m a big fan of onesided feelings too, which is why i like reina/nishiki so much, but i also kinda think the same could be true with Yuya. I think theres a really interesting dynamic to be explored there with Reina and Yuya. Both are kinda blinded by two attractive men with lofty ambitions and goal oriented personalities, both nishiki and kazuki put on acts for their respective jobs and i think its safe to assume they soften around Reina and Yuya which probably only fuels those two unrequited feelings.

i also like to think nishiki was only acquaintances with Yuya and Kazuki (pre killing dojima) I think Kazuki and Nishiki would get along pretty well though. I like to think Yuya and Reina are friends tho, I can see Kazuki off handly commenting that nishiki should quit being yakuza and come be a host for him. I can see them being playful with each other, would nishiki reminding him that yakuza arent allowed in his club and kazuki telling him he could be the exception be too self indulgent of me ^^’’? its interesting that reina calls nishiki “nishikiyama-kun” but calls kiryu “kiryu-san”, is it even more indulgent of me to say maybe Kazuki calls him that too? side note but i always think of nishiki being rather young, younger than kiryu, reina, and even maybe yumi too. but i think its cute to think Yuya is the youngest out of the 4.

After the events of killing dojima and kiryu being sent away, i think nishiki would avoid that area of town for a bit. mostly because hes busy though. i have this headcanon that Nishiki returns to reina right after killing Matsushige, that she cleans the blood off of him while hes dazed, that when nishikis hands are cleaned his forehead damped from the now crimson rag, he kisses her and its everything she wanted but nothing she wants. her own hands are now smeared in blood and the night he came back to her he was different. i still dont think his change would be entirely unwelcomed, hes boldened, ambitious, and isnt that pathetic slobbery mess anymore. its always interested me that whenever nishiki was about to strike her, she sees it in his eyes, of course she has, shes worked at the bar most of her life after all. I dont think hed ever strike her again, not because of morality, but it just wasnt worth his effort. he knows hes already engulfed her. maybe hes always known.

As the nishikiyama family grew i think theyd slowly pop up frequently around Serena. they arent exploiting her though, its half to send a message to other families, and half to watch her, maybe partially to protect her too. that being said, i think theyd bump into yuya often picking fights with him, harass the hosts, and their looming presence bothers their customers. I can see Nishikiyama captians/lieutants trying to collect a protection fee too like back in 0. All would be unsuccessful thanks to yuya, but still them just being there hurts buisness anyways.

I like to think Yuya sees Nishiki standing at the entrance, his hair is slicked back, a pristine white suit, and he’s different. maybe he tells him to get lost, maybe nishiki tells him hes the exception, remember? i could see that really firing yuya up. but before any punches are pulled Kazuki interrupts, I think Kazuki wouldve invited nishiki to discuss the issue their having.

I dont see Nishiki/Kazuki having “real feelings” for each other tbh, i think for them its mostly aesthetics mostly some strange fondness they have with each other. I think they have similar personalities though nishiki more cruel. I think they both admire each other for their work, have similar regrets about how work has consumed them in ways they hadnt realized before. I think kazuki would like that nishiki was cute, that he could be wittled down back to how he use to be, that he was playful, smug, and confident too. theres soemthing about nishiki thats refined. where yuya is sloppier. yuyas cute in his own rough way though. I think nishiki would like the dynamic between him and kazuki, nishikis hard to say no to, kiryu, yumi, reina, even kashiwagi and kazama knew this about him. nishikis alluring, but in a way that a siren is. luring sailors into rocky sea to devour them whole. Nishikis always been greedy though.

i belive the issue would be solved rather quickly, well, quick for them, agonizingly slow for yuya who watched them from the lower floor. i can see his stomach dropping seeing kazuki laugh up their with him. I think nishiki would easily reign in the nishikiyama family, under the pretense that he still remain the exception. i can see kazuki explaining this to yuya but yuya being completely dumbfounded by why. irritatingly, for yuya, it works. the nishikiyama family disperses. though highranking officers pass by to Serena still. even more cumbersome, nishiki takes the offer to heart and DOES show up to stardust from time to time, teasingly requesting Kazuki too. i think their relationship bothers yuya alot, kazukis dismissive of it, saying that nishiki just likes their selection of drinks and menu. it bothers him more that hes so left out of it the most though.

Maybe one of those days yuya goes over to Serena, i think hed notice she looks different, a defeated look in her eyes. she wants to marry him, she tells him thats what she wants, but he only says “if thats what you want”. she tries to ignore it though, yuya notices she has new earrings, a new necklace, and shes wearing nicer heels and a more expensive belt too. it only then hits him that Kazuki had been wearing a more expensive watch, different cologne, a new stud in his ear too. kazuki brushes it off as a particularly wealthy customers gift. but all of the items are too close in taste for it to be such a coincidence……….

ahhh this post is getting way too long and way too self indulgent! ill hurry it up by saying i think yuya and reina would both be involved too but in a more jealous and messy away… i think nishiki would rather like yuya (i can see their dynamic be similar to how i see nishiki and shinji too)

btw isnt it interesting that kazuki says he was funded/helped by kazama !?!? like what was that about !?!?!?

[kijosakka]

TD Alenoah AU, where Noah came from a messed up family like Alejandro did... When Noah was a kid, Noah's parents became divorced and Noah's mother took the sisters, while leaving Noah with his ambitious father (because the mother grew to resent anything male)... Noah's father wanted to take advantage of the fact that Noah was a genius to make Noah a scientist or something and get rich off of him... Noah's father pressured Noah to study hard all the time, to go to a great college and earn the love of his father... The father would sometimes even make Noah stay up late at night studying until Noah knows everything perfectly (which is why present teen Noah gets tired so easily)...

When Noah was finished with elementary school, his Aunt (from his mother's side) and Uncle came to visit Noah and they were horrified at how his father was treating him... Noah's father got thrown in jail and Noah's mother refuses to take care of him, so Noah was taken in by his aunt and uncle; they became Noah's true family... The aunt and uncle were very loving and kind and patient with Noah, which Noah is very grateful for... Noah's little cousins look up to Noah and idolize him, while in return Noah cares about them deeply... His cousins are currently 10 and 12 years old girls; they're chaotic, love sports and love having adventures in nature; Izzy and Eva remind Noah of his dear cousins...

Noah had NEVER told anyone this before, not even Owen, because Noah is ashamed of his past... But Noah eventually decides to tell Alejandro (who he was friends with for a super long time at that point), when Alejandro first told Noah about how horrible his family was... When Alejandro heard what Noah went though, he gave Noah a hug! 💔❤️💖

i do think exploring how noah would not only interact with alejandro in this scenario but how it shapes him outside of his canon characterization could be really interesting here.

because, and please take this with a grain of salt i’ve been patiently waiting to take my ap psych class for months and still haven’t been able to, in-universe at least, noahs general Behaviors are kinda just. there?

granted this is narratively because he’s a comic relief character but my point here is that he’s just kinda an asshole. that’s just how he Is. but here it would make more sense for that to be more of a defense mechanism than a facet of personality — leading into how this hypothetical noah would socialize.

^ sticking in a parallel here to alejandro’s family dynamic (the made-up one. in my head.), there might be a general. lack. of it.

i can imagine what with such a heavy push to focus only on academics, noah ended up missing out on having friends and further than that, potentially believing it as normal for a good while; and while he’d come to learn (pre-td) that wasn’t the case, i’d imagine TD would be the first time that notion is ever confronted head-on.

head-on beyond family, of course, imagining that when everything is said and done and he’s under custody of other family he’s rightfully touchy about the subject and prefers to not confront the issue at all — and of course the potential here for noah to lean hard into academics as a kind of escapism since he really didn’t grow up with much else.

not to say he doesn’t have any growth at all, because i can definitely see burnout hitting noah like a semi around his highschool years (not to mention chronic sleep deprivation and years of ignoring bodily cues).

so say his grades slip, and despite being in a better environment he is still terrified of punishment; he’s, for lack of a better term, really fucking stressed out. and through that, some well meaning family member brings up the idea of total drama (seeing as in-universe it’s implied it was more in-line with a talent show and all the contestants believed it would take place on a 5-star resort), and,, to be honest i can see it as possible that noah would read into it as 'we don't want you here' and accept out of reprimand.

circling back around -- total drama is the first proper thing to confront his lack of socialization; while i am a tragic fan of the 'noah got himself eliminated on purpose' theory, i do think it would make more sense here for him to have genuinely not known. Zero Social Skills.

(^ and is furthermore an example of how his childhood shaped him -- he doesn't think he needs to be good at socializing because he's academically smart and that should be enough. that's always been what he's pushed towards, and the standards are logically lower here -- he'd been taught that's all that mattered and while he's learned since then that is objectively false, this is the first time he's being forced to face it.)

anyway i'd imagine he finds eva, izzy, and owen all easiest to socialize himself with because of all their specific personality traits and how there really are no faux pas he's in fear of making (and ofc the parallels he sees with certain cousins and his friends).

post-tdi but especially post-action i think would be when noah also moves on to confronting those issues with his family specifically (bringing up things like his major stresses with academics), leading to him being pulled out of school entirely and doing self-paced online coursework,,, and of course now giving him time to Get A Job.

world tour,, ngl going full au here i do think it would work better if alejandro and noah left off WT as genuinely just friends -- what with the familial traumas and potentially rather heavy themes, i think it'd work better overall for their dynamic to literally just be friends for a while and have it develop into something more later.

also just as a concept i think it would be funny for alejandro and noah, once learning about each others terrible families and being deeper into the healing process themselves to just make the worst fucking jokes ever. most inopportune. izzy laughs along while eva and owen are quite concerned (sticking alejandro into team escope + owen here btw. put that Guy in That Group)

[phlurrii]

Sudden, random thought: What’s Meau’s relationship with their parent? I know she’s fond of her brothers (particularly wormy boi), but do they regard Arceus as just a creator/genetic parent or truly as their loving, caring parent?

Been waiting for this one, I actually have a entire comic planned for it after we finish Noe’s arc to really explore it… but for now I get to yap away ;D

Meau in the early days had a great relationship with Arceus, who they vaguely consider a father/mother, but rarely refer to them as such. Arceus kept them back for a good while before releasing them into the world as shown in the timeline. As they needed Meau to be a bit different form her brothers, specifically:

* She needed to understand how raising a life was.

* She needed to have much more complex emotions than her brothers. They can feel, but not to the extent she can. She feels like any of us, with a nuanced, complicated, and deep sense of self. Unlike her brothers and Arceus who are much more limited.

* Social skills, she needed social skills so she was kept behind to socialize with Arceus and develop that ability as well.

So, TLDR, she was the spoiled golden child, Arceus’s favourite creation. Being released into the world and absolutely flaunting it to her brothers she was daddy’s favourite. Creating life and creatures. She was has the most time out into her, she knew it, and she was a total brat about it. However, as she began to live, with all these complex emotions… she began to feel lonely. Talking with her brothers who could only understand so much, and only Giratina really made the effort to understand her and develop his own…But in her own dimension she was by herself, no companion, no one to speak to, no friends.

She couldn’t simply create herself a friend, given they would be aware she created them solely to be her friend and that skewed the dynamic immediately. And if they ever wanted to be on their own or explore elsewhere, Meau would be alone again. Also she was just… a lot older now and creating brand new life and expecting them to just stick with you… not realistic. And she didn’t want to create an artificially perfect friend that would stay with her, it wasn’t genuine. And she needed that authentic connection.

She was all alone, given these emotions and feelings of a normal pokemon that had a much shorter life expectancy, except she was effectively immortal. She began to realize her father kinda… screwed her over on this one. He didn’t know what he was doing in truth as he was inexperienced in the end. She suffered those consequences. She began to sincerely resent Arcues since then and with him very rarely answering her calls for help or just to talk, it just grew more and more bitter till some stuff eventually went down. Which finally caught Arceus attention, but instead of talking with her he just… did something else. Without telling her.

Currently their relationship is still strained, she doesn’t hate him… but she certainly resents him for what he did to her and then didn’t bother to fix the problem. This grew ten fold when she gave birth to Bucket and Arceus never once came to see them, to her knowledge, Arcues never meant his own grand kit and she doesn’t bother with him at all. Family time is mostly just Giratina and, sometimes on a good day, Dialga. She’s… never actually spoken to their newest younger brother. Not on purpose, just never feels like a good time.

But that’s the gist of their relationship! We’ll get some more visuals in Noe’s arc where this’ll all be explained better X3

[chipsncookies]

Have you ever thought of making an Explorer oc or explorersona?

Ok so this is not really my oc or sona, he exists in the show (but I'm sure he's actually different than what i designed so i think this counts as oc..?) recently i made a fan design for gibeon!!

Yes you can tell based on his hair i headcanon he's amethio's father lol.*

I think as a leader, Gibeon is, well he always seem cold and calculating, and he and Amethio are related to Lucius' friends** so he wants his son to continue whatever his/Explorers goal is (assert his right as descendants of Lucius' friends? Money? Power?) meanwhile as a father maybe he cares for Amethio but he's too caught up in his own ambitions that he forgets/doesn't realise his expectations for Amethio is putting pressure on him.

I headcanon he distances himself from Amethio in an effort to not coddle him, because he wants Amethio to grow on his own + not want to show favoritism among the Explorers members***, but he makes sure Hamber reports to him about the boy (we see Amethio communicates with him a lot). Even though Gibeon is not harsh with Amethio - removing him from the mission but did not scold or berate him like i expect a villain team leader would do - Amethio still feels the need to measure up to him. Which is made worse because he's in his emo teenage years (just look at him in the new op)

He doesn't have a good role model, he doesn't have people to confide to (well actually he has Zir and Conia but he doesn't talk to them about his feelings) and the rest of the Explorers are not really friendly with him either so he's kinda stuck, he feels he had no choice but to do things on his own.

I like to think that their family ties will be tested one day, with Amethio questioning if he's really worth to be a successor for Gibeon. Since episode 1 fans have noticed the different dynamics between amethio-explorers and liko-rvt, the former is cold and formal(?) meanwhile the latter is more organic and found-family like, therefore many people speculated amethio will join rvt and find that they treat him better (im in this camp and i want him to sing the pokerap)

*This is mainly based on my interpretation of Amethio's behaviour, how he really wants to get the pendant no matter what, it could be caused by him wanting to gain approval from his father. And during the first Explorers meeting, Amethio was physically present, suggesting he was near their headquarters compared to the others who joined virtually - suggesting closer ties? He's also not afraid of breaking rules by continuing to pursue the pendant even when gibeon officially removes him from the mission and he's not punished for it, compared to how Hamber (the butler) is more strict with Sango and Onyx.

***Also Amethio has his own personal grunts and a submarine meanwhile other members don't really have those (spinel only has a van lol).

**Hamber pretty much confirmed that Explorers have ties with Lucius (they were his friend), and Terapagos had a strong reaction to Amethio specifically??

This turned out really long im so sorry anon I'm obsessed about Explorers especially Amethio but thanks for asking!! 💖💖 I'm pretty sure a lot of these will turn out wrong but it's fun to speculate lolol

[funnylovepuppis]

I should probably shut up about it because there is so many other people talking about it. But I can't stay silent about it. I can't stress enough how upset and uncomfortable I am with being here in buddie fandom right now.

As a bisexual myself, I agree with the importance of its representation in mainstream media. Especially when it comes to male characters, who are really low in static speaking. We can all agree on this, and hopefully, we can all see it. I'm really thrilled about Bi Buck's journey and about finding his happiness. He's not fixed, he just found out about his other sides he never knew they were existed before. As @m3r1m4r5u333 said in their post, bisexuality is not a personality, just a small piece in whatever color that is a part of many more pieces of soul. Buck, like many real-life people, is trying to figure out himself. I honestly don't think that self-journey will ever stop, not just on sexuality but on many other things. That's how living is, right? So yes, it's very exciting and kind of carefree for him, and I'm truly happy. He deserves it big time after all that he has been through. And I really think that Tommy is genuinely the right person for him at the moment.

But aside from me being bi, I'm also demisexual. Honestly it's more than that for me, because besides the need for emotional connection before sexual intimacy, I need some degrees of emotional connection before even getting into dating. So as you can see, I'm very much attached to Buck and Eddie relationship. I'm mostly finding myself a lot in Eddie's character. I do feel a lot of pressure on starting to date someone nowadays. And I'd probably be single for a long time because that's kinda how how people go to date. You meet someone you like and interested to explore the romantic dynamic and that someone is a completely stranger to you so it's kind of scary and stressful.. I'd rather be someone's friend and then lover..

Yes, best friends have a different kind of love than just two friends. That doesn't necessarily mean that it must have a romance subtext or under the surface, especially when it comes to two people of the same gender. And sure, all the things related to buddie are open to interpretations and any ways that people who see it differently are pretty legit.

We can argue about why things are the way they are. I can acknowledge that Eddie is not in the same emotional place as Buck, and it can be taking a long process for him, if at all, to realize his own feelings about himself and Buck. But at the same time, I can say that although it seems like Buck and Eddie communicate in a very healthy way, there's a sense of underground miscommunication that leaves both of them scared to make a move or talk about their deep feelings and observations on their own relationship. Because what they have is great, so why ruin it for a good change, right? And there is lots of evidence that saying buddie are partially soulmates. Having back from each other. Their reactions are when the other one is in a dangerous situation, such as the firetruck, the wall, the shooting, and the lighting strike. The will. The family moments of Buckley-Diaz. Going to each other's home as a safe place. The teasing from surrounding people about them. The jealousy. Their parallels to other couples on the show/

I guess I'm trying to say to the people who are feeling like some people are not very happy about Bucktommy because they are not appreciative of the new queer couple or the very fact that it's B-Buck canon. I understand the need for bi-representations and am happy to see that. It seems very worth the long wait for this. And yet, I want to say, give buddie stans time, including me. Because our feelings are legitimate and matter, too. It may come as rude or not excited about Bucktommy, but I think this is coming from being afraid and uncomfortable with how quickly many people from the fandom are shifting from Buddie to Bucktommy, even if they still believe in Buddie Endgame. Give us time to fall in love with this couple and connect with them. Give us time to warm up for them. Give us time because we have been attached to Buddie for 5 long years. We have been memorizing all of the episodes, plots, and quotes. Writing for 5 years, Buddie fics. Making beautiful gifsets and fan art.

Thank you for reading this if you have reached this far. 🩷

[key-rk]

Have you ever thought of exploring Drake & LP’s friendship beyond their work of being hero & sidekick?

Mmmm, Personally, I don't think it would change much if they're working or not, since Launchpad tends to be pretty true to himself. Drake not so much, but around Lp, he tends to be quite honest with himself as well. I'm gon ramble a bit about something that bothers me a little when it comes to how the franchise sometimes treats their dynamic. n then go back to the q at the end! (⁠◔⁠‿⁠◔⁠)

One thing I've noticed, and it was incredibly apparent in the new 'Darkwing Duck' comics; was how easily Launchpad is dismissed. In one of the earlier issues (can't remember each one SOZ) Drake states he was going to retire his hero work again and in response to that fact, Launchpad walks out–to find a 'job' elsewhere. Which I think is incredibly absurd. But what's more absurd, is the fact that Drake AND Gosalyn just let him walk out. (DID WE FORGET THE EVENTS OF 'U.F.FOE' OR 'INHERIT THE WIMP'. Gosalyn was so upset by the idea of Launchpad leaving her life, to the point of tears / close to tears.) I just think it's out of character, even if they don't follow the same universe.

The second thing is the episode of 'Dead Duck'. 'Drake dies' and Gosalyn and Lp are left alone. While it isn't explored too much, Gosalyn is now entrusted to Launchpad. Pair that with the fact that that entire episode was Drake's subconscious (unconscious state), it means Drake is actually relying on Lp. He knows something might happen, and he trusts Launchpad to keep his little girl safe. Even if in another episode (?) Launchpad states he'd do just that "take care of Gos as if she were my own" and Drake is hesitant. "Don't give up your day job yet, buddy." Even if he doesn't acknowledge just how important Lp is to him, subconsciously he relies on his friend a lot.

Lastly, it's the episode of 'Time and Punishment', which honestly deserves its own post to ramble about but anyways. Just after Gosalyn disappeared, we were shown Drake in an awful state. Barely doing anything on his own, depressed and grieving. Launchpad stayed and tried hard to distract him (which is a good idea tbh, because a couple times has 'distracting' himself been a way to cope. Especially in this episode.) We also see Launchpad free, roaming amongst the patrolled streets of St. Canard. Which I think is interesting. Darkwarrior has locked away so many people for the most mundane things and yet he allowed Lp to roam free for so long. Subconsciously, at least for a while–he still cared a little for him. Even he, DARKWARRIOR didn't completely throw him away. (I'm a BIT salty about that comic volume😮‍💨)

Anyways.

I think, beyond their hero work, they'd be incredible close. They're a family and that's been expressed a lot. They need each other too. Even if we were to erase the hero/ sidekick job for one second, their characters go beyond that. They both have their desperate need to be needed and wanted, and not to mention how well they bounce off each other. With Lp not taking much to heart and often letting Drake rant and sulk without complaint. Drake needs someone like that. Drake needs someone in his corner to help him out of his little depressive episodes, give advice, to remind him of mundane things like PT meetings. Whereas Launchpad needs to be needed and to help (which was explored). And he would most definitly be needed in a family setting.

They really are a lot more than just Hero/Sidekick. They're family and it's hard to break that bond. The trust in one another is very strong. Drake would keep Launchpad around, raising Gosalyn because he's just as important to her as Drake is. Both characters bring out the best in each other, so I don't think Lp would be quick to leave, nor do I think Drake would be quick to let him go.

uhh yeah

basically, i feel their dynamic would remain the same. If anything, the hero/sidekick thing makes it stronger. Hope this answered it okay, ik I kinda went off and rambled about something semi-related, but I think it was important to point out :)

[romainlettusdinnerparty]

in honor of me starting my 2947829184th glee rewatch i wanted to post a light analysis of finn hudson vs mike wheeler that i was reminded i wrote down in a time i was (sadly) much more convinced of a byler endgame than i am now,, cuz i kinda had a point

here she is:

i would love for someone to do an analysis of byler vs kurt hummel and finn hudson (would like to interject here to say someone should definitely do this and do it better with like actually siting stuff) like how a show (also explicitly about outsiders) purposefully creates an unrequited gay man to straight dynamic and how entirely different that is from how stranger things sets up mike and wills dynamic.

i mean they’re completely different shows and glee is a satire so it might be hard to compare them 1 to 1 because glee doesn’t tend to give that much weight to any relationship in its like first twoish seasons but i think its a good example for how it would be so easy to just make mike so obviously straight and not at all into will (it wouldn’t even have to be about el, with finn its not about quin or rachel, its just that hes not into men and is into women) and they’re choosing not to, they are choosing to lean into that dynamic and (this is important for this comparison) NOT in a brotherly way, not in a familial way, their relationship is never once compared to that (mike and el’s is but thats not entirely relevant here). In glee kurt liking finn is much more about his identity than it is about a romantic relationship with finn, they explore their relationship in depth in seasons 1 and 2 (and never again we dont have to talk about it yes i am bitter) but it is never not once implied that kurt’s feelings could be reciprocated, no lingering shots on finn’s face while hes watching kurt, nothing flirty, finn shuts him down multiple times, finn knows kurt likes him, its not used as a big reveal because that is NOT WHAT IS PLOT RELEVANT!!

what is relevant is kurt coming out to his dad and kurt’s overall identity and learning to stick up for himself and finn helping him do that in a BROTHERLY way (by the end of season 2 their parents are married and they are literal step brothers, there is no way to misconstrue their relationship) if wills feelings for mike were not reciprocated or at least impactful on their relationship there is no reason to make the audience anticipate mikes reaction to them, to save them for a reveal with an incredibly plot relevant lie that has to be uncovered, this has to alter their relationship in some way and literally what purpose would it serve if it was just a rejection?? why would you wait to reveal that if its only purpose is then essentially will’s identity? if the point of season 4 was to build back up mike and wills friendship, why not use that is something they have to overcome in the beginning of that season? why save it as a reveal? the actors have harped on the fact that mike doesn’t know about wills feelings so when they are rebuilding their friendship this is at least not a factor for him. (back to glee) when finn and kurt were building their relationship as brothers and friends, kurt’s romantic feelings were acknowledged as something they had to work through, they were not saved as a big aha moment because they wouldn’t have changed things. bottom line is that the reveal of wills feelings will change the nature of mike and wills relationship and there is no reason (besides like a villain origin story? thats all i can think of. cuz his arch isn’t about figuring out he doesn’t need romance or that he has the love of his family and boys arent important, he doesn’t have romance and the entirety of seasons 1 and 2 were about how much his family love him and the whole boys are stupid thing is for el) for that shift to be in the form of a rejection