#i will say there have been things that i've liked about the season but there's just too much wrong with the show for me to truly enjoy it

[captainsbestgal]

I've been on this train for years, and I'm a huge MCU fan. Hell my username is MCU related.

Nothing has gotten me excited for an MCU movie until they dropped the new Captain America trailer. It looks like they're going back to the semi-political thriller genre that they did for the second Captain America film. If that's the case, I'm hyped. But I'm skeptical. I don't exactly trust the MCU to do this story justice. And ffs they had to change the name of the movie cause it was originally pretty antisemitic (a new world order). They also changed the background of a character so she was no longer a Mossad spy, which is a whole other can of worms. Some say they went too far with changing her background while others say they should've just gotten rid of her character all together because she represents a genocidal government.

Thunderbolts looks like it's gonna do my man Bucky dirty, and Agatha has had no appeal to me. From the gifs I've seen it makes me really confused who this show is even for.

This doesn't even get into their failed movie/tv phase post Endgame. Thor 4? Eternals? The Hawkeye TV show? Ms. Marvel? Echo?god theres probably more that im forgetting about. The only ones that I think that were all that good wete Loki, the faclcon and the winter soldier, and wandvision. Loki was good but like theres a second season, and i dont think anyone could tell you what it's about. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which I adored but apparently no one else did. And WandaVision which I think may have been their best show by far, but they really clung onto Agatha when I think having a show about the CIA guy that Randall Park played wouldve been more fun. Like him running around the US, investigating superhumans or local super heroes would've been really cool.

I know this was a major throw things at the wall and see what sticks era, with Ironman dying and Steve Roger's going back in time they had little to no main characters left. But they really oversaturated the market with characters and none really had the magic that the OG movies had. Even those left from the OG movies are no longer appealing. Like who REALLY saw the 4th Thor movie?

They fucked it up themselves and they're trying HARD to unfuck it (ie Robert Downey Jr. coming back as a villian).

Tldr Marvel didn't think their cinematic universe through and is floundering now.

it's so insane the the mcu is still making new shit. like stop it already. go home. who is still watching.

[loulovingho]

So I made a teeny tiny fic based off this post. I'm not super comfortable writing for SWAT chacters yet, because I'm only on season 1, but this is just a funny little thing anyway! Enjoy!

“You're kidding me.”

They'd just wrapped up a ten hour hostage situation that included Molotov cocktails being tossed in their direction by a group of angry white supremacists. Local LAPD, SWAT, and the fire department, were all on scene, getting things wrapped up before heading back to their respective stations.

Rocker pulled his gaze from the firefighter to Hondo. “What?”

“Seriously, Man? Again?”

“I've been single for a year now.”

“You've been divorced for a year. Not single.”

Rocker rolled his eyes. “I just looked at the guy.”

“Yeah, and I know that look. Rocker, no.”

“Just because it was bad one time doesn't mean it'll be bad a second time.”

“Bad? It wasn't just bad, Man, it was almost deadly.”

“You're being ridiculous. I'm gonna get the guy's number.” Rocker went to leave but, before he could get too far, Hondo was grabbing onto his vest and pulling him back. “Give me a recap, Rocker.”

“Of?”

“The last firefighter you went out with, go over it with me. If you finish the story and still wanna go after that guy,” he put his hands up in surrender, “be my guest.”

There was a five second stare down between them before Rocker broke. “Met him on a call.”

“Mhm.”

“He was nice, Hondo.”

“Until?”

“Until it all went up in flames, okay! It went up in flames.”

“Literally.”

“I'm aware. The man set my life on fire,” he stared out toward the setting sun, “and my apartment. Who asks someone to move in before they say I love you? Who does that?”

“Not to mention the whole having to have twenty-four hour protection from all the death threats.”

“Like I was supposed to know the guy was Instagram famous?” He glared his eyes at the bitter reminder. “Hoards of angry fans that wanted him with some other calendar firefighter. And the other calendar firefighter is straight, Hondo! He's straight!”

“Rocker,” Hondo placed a hand on Rocker's shoulder, “I say this with love. No. More. Firefighters.”

Rocker tilted his head. “I did gain some Instagram followers myself though. After the breakup they said they'd follow me come hell or high water.”

“Which you're about to go into if you ask that man out.”

Rocker placed his hands on his hips, thinking about Hondo's words. The firefighter in question walked by at that point, giving Rocker a smile.

Rocker returned it with a grin of his own.

Hondo sighed. “You're gonna go after the firefighter aren't you?”

Already walking away, Rocker turned back to Hondo and winked. “It can't be bad twice in a row, can it?”

[gingernut1314]

Sack of Potatoes ch. 3

Summary: You messed with the wrong gang and just as you think you've lost, a familiar face comes to your rescue.

Content: female reader, gendered terms, pre-season 1 arcane, introduction to Vander, Canon typical violence (description of being jumped), young Silco, young Vander, young reader, the boys come to your rescue, slight Arcane season 2/League of Legends spoiler (Janna)

Word Count: 2.9K

A/N: Okay, so I've kind very loosely planed things out and there is only going to be one more chapter as them as teens and then we are officially aging up! I hope you all enjoy!!

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You had royally fuck up. 

More so than usual, which was saying something because you had a tendency to fuck up on a daily basis. But today, gods, today you’d pissed off the wrong gang of Undercitians. A group known to put fourteen-year-olds six feet under for fun. 

What had you done, exactly? Well, this gaggle of idiots tended to take trophies from whoever they terrorized, and one item in particular had caught your eye instantly. 

In lack of better words, it was pretty and shiny and you wanted it. 

And it had been too easy to steal it off them. Some would say they deserved to have had it stolen just for that fact alone. 

You cut sharply down a crowded road, pushing and shoving people out of your way. The gang was too close for your liking. You could clearly make out every curse and insult they threw your way. 

If you could just get to the docks, you could take them head-on without fear, but you were in the heart of the city and nowhere near the docks. 

Just as you made to push out of the crowd and run into any building you could get into, a pair of hands grabbed you around the waist. You screamed, but a hand was shoved over your mouth before you could really get a strong bellow out. 

“Thought you could get away, you fucking cunt.” The guy who’d grabbed you hissed gleefully. 

You were dead. Oh gods you were so dead. 

“I caught our little fishy!” He shouted, his gang throwing up wicked laughs as he dragged you away. You wriggled and thrashed and kicked about, trying desperately to get away, but it was no use. He was stronger than you by a mile. 

You were going to endure a slow, truly horrible death all because you’d wanted something shiny. Because your greed had gotten the best of you. 

Weak! Pathetic!

If only you had listened to Janna. If only you stayed put when she told you to stay put. Of only you had stayed in the dunk little cave you called home and practiced your magic like she said.

Stupid. So, so stupid. 

You were dragged down a dark alley and thrown roughly to the ground. The skin on your hands and knees split, but you pushed the pain down and got up as fast you could muster.  

Get away. 

You needed to get away-- 

“Where do you think you're going little fishy?” You screamed as another pair of hands grabbed you, Before you could even throw a punch, you were shoved into one of the brick walls of the alley, nose giving a blood-curdling crunch. The pain made it so you could only give a pathetic whimper. 

If there was anything you hated more than enforcers or fancy Piltover pansies or gaggles of foul-smelling boys, it was breaking your nose.

More hands grabbed you, tossing you against the wall, to the ground, and into more awaiting hands. Hands that grabbed at you shirt and hair. Everything was happening so fast. Too fast for you to get a hold of yourself and fight back. 

Weak!

There was no hope of being rescued, you knew that. 

In The Lanes, it was kill or get killed. Fend for yourself and expect nothing from anyone. 

And Janna was nowhere near the city right now, her winds having been called back to the sea for some reason unknown to you.

It was over--your life. Over when it had only truly just begun. 

“Giving up so quickly, fishy?” One of the cruel boys teased, grabbing a fist full of hair and pulling you to your feet. A small, sad sound escaped your lips. “We’re not done playing yet.” The guy, who was as butt ugly as you could get, got right up in your face. His yellow teeth were on display for your eyes and yours eyes only. His breath was so vulgar it nearly made you puke. 

“I think,” You gasped out, “you need a breath mint.” 

Rotting teeth did not like that. 

The guy dealt a swift punch to your temple, your knees nearly giving out from under you but you fought too damn hard to keep yourself up.

Gods , your vision was getting spotty. You tried to blink the blackness away, but it only made it worse. 

“You little whore. You’re gonna--” 

“That’s not a very kind thing to say to a lady.” A voice spoke from behind you and the gang. 

It was a voice you’d heard before…but your mind was too foggy to truly pinpoint it. 

“Don’t you know not to stick your nose in our fucking business?” One of the gang memebers hissed. 

“If you can call beating a kid to death business.” The voice said something else but your hearing was faded in and out. 

Child?

You were not a child. 

Suddenly, you were thrown to the ground, pain flaring in your elbow as more skin was ripped open. If you made it out of this, you were going to be in pain for days.  

And to top your horrid day off, you landed in something wet. Something you prayed to any god listening was just street water and not piss. 

Shouting filled your ears, but faded out in seconds. 

Shit, that couldn’t be good. 

The screaming and your hearing loss. 

Get up, get up! Your fogging mind screamed at you. It was the only thing you could hear anymore, so you were inclined to listen. 

With gritted teeth, you struggled to get to your hands and knees, your open wounds screaming almost as loudly as your brain was. Before you could shove to your feet, a pair of hands grabbed you under your armpits, trying to get you up.

No, no, no! Not again! They’ll kill you!

And you found you really, really didn’t want to die. 

You clenched your fist and swung without a second thought. 

Knuckles collided with someone's jaw. 

Pain flared in your fingers brightly. 

You’d fucking broken them --gods damn it!

The person, a man by the sound of it, gave a grunt, his grip on you loosening. You ignored the new pain in your hand and wiggled out of your captor’s grip, falling back to the ground in the process. 

Someone was saying something, but you couldn’t make it out past the pounding of your heart and buzzing of your ears.

Your vision slowly started to fill with color again just as another pair of hands placed themselves on your shoulder. 

“--ts me! It’s me, remember?” 

That voice. You knew that voice. You liked that voice.

And that voice was calling your name. You didn’t just give your name out to anyone and the only person you had given it to in the past few months was…

You blinked rapidly, turning to look at the boy who was calling your name. 

Long, dark hair attached to a thin, sharp face. A face that bore two blue-green eyes.

Seafoam eyes.

“Silco?” Your voice came out cracky and hoarse from all the screaming you’d done. The boy nodded, thin lips set in a frown. 

“Yes.” You looked back towards the alley you’d been dragged into, finding bodies sprawled out down the tiny space. Some of the bodies looked like they’d been beaten to hell and have one hell of a headache when they woke up. But the other bodies--they didn’t move or breathe and sat in pools of red. 

What the hell…had--had Silco done that? 

Why?  

Why the hell was he here? 

Better yet, why the hell would he risk his life to save yours? 

Your heart gave a painful twist in your chest. 

What if he was here to finish you off? 

You pulled yourself out of Silco’s grip, all but throwing yourself at the closest brick wall. All your wounds screamed at you to stop, be you had to keep moving. 

“What are you doing?” Silco asked, seemingly unamused. You hissed through your teeth and pulled your feet under you, using the wall as support. “You’re just going to hurt yourself further.” 

“What the fuck does it matter to you?” You snapped, taking Silco in again. He had stood back to his full height, a smirk on his thin face. 

He found this funny. 

“You’d think she’d be more appreciative, seeing as we saved her life.” He spoke, but he wasn’t talking to you. No, what you had failed to take in was the other guy standing in the alley with Silco, rubbing his jaw. A tall, hulking guy who could no doubt squeeze the life out of you with little to no effort.  

“Throws a mean punch, I’ll give her that.” The gigantic man’s his voice was warmer than that of Silco’s. Not that Silco’s voice wasn’t nice. You much preferred it over this stranger’s. 

“Who the fuck is that?” Silco ran a hand through his longer hair, casting a glance toward the other guy. 

“I’m Vander. A friend.” The other guy spoke, seeming to try and come off as unintimidating as he could. It was working, but only a bit. Like--a hair’s width bit. 

“Why were those halfwits after you, anyhow?” Silco asked, changing the subject off his friend quickly. You sniffed sharply, your nose so clogged with blood it was a struggle to breathe. 

You’d have to fix that quickly before it healed crooked. 

You reached into your jacket pocket, pulling the golden flask you’d stolen out. Silco caught it with ease when you tossed it his way, though his eyes widened like it might explode.

You nearly laughed, remembering the last time he saw you throw a flask. A flask that had exploded. 

“They stole that off some rich guy from Piltover. I thought it was an okay replacement for the one I broke.” 

“Wait--this is the girl that chipped your teeth?” Vander gave a deep laugh that lifted your spirits near instantly. You looked back to Silco whose lips were purposely glued shut, his arms crossed. He was the embodiment of annoyance.

“You’re kidding?” 

“Made a V shape and everything.” You all but slapped a hand over your mouth, a small laugh escaping your lips. 

“Need I remind you I just saved your ass.” Silco seethed, giving you a direct look at his front teeth. 

They were chipped, alright. In that same V shape Vander had said. 

You let out a chest-rumbling laugh you couldn’t have helped stop even if you had wanted to. A laugh that had most, if not all, of your wounds barking at you again. Vander joined in with a bellowing laugh right alongside you. 

“Holy shit! Oh gods, that’s horrible.” You spoke, trying to stifle your laugher. Silco’s face flushed red and his eyes narrowed. He was pissed now. “I guess I owe you more than some fancy flask, huh?” 

“Oh, you owe me for more than my teeth. I just saved your life.” Vander walked over then, slapping Silco on the shoulder. 

“Come on, brother, don’t be like that. We’re just having a little fun.” Silco gruffed, shrugging Vander’s hand off his shoulder sharply. 

“Well, I don’t share in your amusement.” 

“I know, I know,” A bright smile pulled to his lips, “How about we get a look at you, yeah?” He asked, turning his attention back on you. 

Your heart twisted in your chest again and you tried to stand straight. Tried to look like you weren’t some weak, pathetic little creature.

He isn’t going to hurt you. He just helped save your life for god's sake! But as Vander got closer, you couldn’t ignore the fear that burst from your chest. 

“Thank you, really, but I can manage on my own,” You stumbled out a bit too quickly, trying to push off the wall to walk away. Your knees nearly gave out again and you fell back to the wall with a frustrated hiss. 

“You can hardly stand on your own. My father owns The Last Drop, just over there. We’ll get you patched up and you can be on your way.” You cut a look over to Silco who was still sulking behind Vander. When he noticed you looking his way, his eyes narrowed in that calculating, all-seeing way they had when you’d first met him.

“Vander, you’re scaring the kid.” He briskly made his way over to you.

“I’m not a kid.” You hissed as Silco came to a stop before you. 

“I feel as though we’ve already done this.” He extended his hand for you to take. You eyed it, then Vander, who smiled your way, before your gaze landed back on Silco. His eyes hadn't left you. Not even once .

“Nothing is going to happen to you. Not with us around. Promise.” Silco softly said. 

It shocked you, his tone. Though you didn’t know him in the least, you could tell just by the look on Vander's face this wasn’t a regular occurrence. 

But what did that mean? Was it something to worry about?

You pushed your thoughts down as your pain began to bubble up once more. You really needed to sit down and these two didn’t seem horrible . 

Hesitantly, you reached out your unhurt hand. 

Silco was quick to change his position to accommodate this, taking your hand up in his steady one. He gave a kind nod, pulling your arm over his shoulder and wrapping his other around your waist.

Damn-- he may be built like a sting bean but there was muscle under those clothes of his. Muscles you could feel work as they helped you along. 

Your nose took another clogged inhale of breath and you felt your heart untwist and flutter against your ribs. 

It was very hard for anyone in The Lanes to smell good, thanks to the overall nasty atmosphere. It was very rare to come across anyone who didn’t smell like the polluted air they all lived in, but Silco-- Gods he smelled good. Fresh. Like he’d been able to take a shower recently.

It almost had you forgetting about all your aches and burning pains until he started all but pulling you back down the alley. 

“OW! Fuck ! You could try to be gentle .” You whined, grabbing a fistful of his jacket and tugging like he might stop him.

“Oh, would you stop your complaining?” Silco huffed. “This is me being gentle.”

“I’m a complainer . I complain.” You huffed right back at him. 

“I can tell.” Silco was quick to shoot back. A quick response that stirred a sort of-- excitement in your chest. There were very few people who didn’t find your ability to go on and on annoying. Very few that did this sort of--back-and-forth. A back-and-forth Silco was and had engaged with you. 

You wondered for a moment if he was annoyed. If he would tell you to shut up and drop you right back into the bloody alley and leave you there.

“Maybe I wouldn’t have to complain if you weren’t dragging me along like I was a sack of potatoes.” You continued.

“Might as well be a sack of potatoes.” 

“I have dense bones.” 

“I can tell.” You have a mockingly offended gasp.

“I’ll have you know my dense bones are a veryyy sensitive topic to me.” Silco gave a scoff that sounded more like a stifled chuckle. 

“Wasn’t it you who compared yourself to a sack of potatoes?” 

“I don’t remember that.” Silco shook his head in that same held-back amusement. “I bet your bones are brittle. Like a strong wind would knock you right over.” 

“I’ll have you know my brittle bones are a very sensitive topic to me.” You pressed your lips together tightly, trying your hardest not to let the laughter bubbling in your chest out. But the longer you held it in, the more it leaked out in sharp pfftted spurts. 

“O-oh yeah?”

“Oh yes.” Silco continued, a glimmer in his eyes that made it all the more difficult to not burst into laughter. “Ever since I was a child people would point out my brittle bones. And here you are now, doing the same.” He gave a mocking forlorned shake of his head. “After I just saved your life as well.”

“I didn’t need saving.” 

“Oh really?” You nodded matter-of-factly.

“Really. I was this close to getting the upper hand.” You showed just how close with your hurt fingers, wincing at the pain that shot through your hand at the movement. “You ruined my plans.” 

“Well forgive me. Shall I stop carrying you too?” 

“If my dense bones are a hindrance then be my guest. I can walk on my own.” 

“I doubt that.” 

“I can . Be better than getting dragged around so brutishly.” Laugher filled your ears. Not Silco’s laughter which you were so close to hearing again, but a deep, bellowing laugh. You turned your head just as Silco did to find Vander there. You’d almost forgotten all about the hulking man. 

“What’s so funny?” Silco shot his way. Vander merely held his hands up as if to ward off his friend. 

“Oh nothin’, nothin’.” Vander gave Silco a look you couldn’t quickly figure out. A look that had Silco’s cheek grow a bit of a pinkish hue.

You were once more annoyed at your inability to fully grasp all emotions and silently cursed Janna and her near-robotic ways. 

You watched Silco grit his teeth Vander’s way, that pink hue only deepening when he glanced your way and found you watching him closely.

You liked that color on him. You liked it very much.

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[yumeka-sxf]

2-year anniversary post

My blog is now 2-years old~!

After my last anniversary post, I had quite a list of projects planned; in addition to making posts for all the upcoming SxF content, like the movie, season 2, and the video game, I had other personal projects in mind as well. I wanted to start on my Japanese Linguistic Observations in Spy x Family series, which I was able to write five posts for as of now! (I've currently exhausted all the topics I wanted to discuss for that, but I may come up with more ideas later on). There was also the Spy x Family Character Tracker, which took me a while to get motivated to do, but once I did, I'm proud of how it turned out 😃 I also made a lot of scan posts this year too, like the workbooks and my series of miscellaneous collab scans.

But compared to my last anniversary, which was at a time when there was a lot of new SxF content on the horizon, we've been in a bit of a dry spell the past several months. Hype for the aforementioned movie, game, and anime season have died down, and merch and collabs have slowed as well, since there hasn't been new anime content to promote. But I consider it the calm before the storm, lol.

This is also why my posts have gotten a little less frequent lately - there hasn't been as much new SxF content in general besides the manga chapters, and as mentioned previously, I was able to check off the projects I had wanted to do. So as of now, I don't have much new content planned in the coming year besides continuing my Chronological Analysis on Twilight and Yor series when season 3 airs (still no release date yet, but I'm betting on spring of 2025). I'll also make posts for each anime episode like I did with season 2. And of course, I'll continue my manga chapter reviews, and make merch and scan posts when I can.

I've always tried to maintain a "quality over quantity," "only write when I have something to say," mentality for the blog. I don't want to force myself to write when I'm not motivated (this is also why I don't take part in community writing projects and the like). I also have other hobbies besides SxF, so I like to focus my limited free time on those when there isn't much going on in the SxF fandom. Occasionally I think to myself, "Hm, I haven't posted on Tumblr in a while," but if there isn't anything I feel like writing about at the time, it's better if I hold off rather than force myself to churn out something uninspiring.

But as I said, I feel like we're in a calm before the storm. Season 3 will already be exciting enough, but there's a good chance more content will follow. The next Jump Festa is scheduled for late December, and as usual, SxF will have a dedicated panel with the four Forger voice actors in attendance!

The movie and season 2 were announced at this event in 2022, so there's a good chance we'll get more juicy announcements this year! Even if not another movie, I'd be happy with more artbooks, collabs, and other things down the line! There's also a good chance an idea for another SxF project will inspire me and I'll start working on that. Who knows. But I do know SxF is still a popular series with many more years of content to produce! And I look forward to seeing, and blogging about, it all 😁

[vitaminseetarot]

Pick a Card: Your Next Upcoming Transformation 🌕🦋

Hey y'all, welcome back for another pac reading for our last supermoon of the year. This full moon is in Taurus, so we are encouraged to step back and focus on resting and self care in between these tumultuous and difficult energies we are currently running through. Every late autumn season invites us to explore how we have transformed over the year and how we are still evolving. This Scorpio season in particular has been very emboldened and expressive as I've seen its presence in everything from neighborhood construction to politics. And while I will avoid making this post too charged, I will use this post as a reminder that I support all marginalized communities who are feeling confused and vulnerable at this time. I hope you find this blog to be a safe space.

Butterfly imagery has been surrounding me, and I was even gifted some butterfly magnets this season. Butterflies represent the soul and its deep transformative abilities. As we release the old, we may be able to spread our wings to be magnets for better times ahead. So I've created six piles to show where and how this process is shifting you to your next chapter.

1. Pink Butterfly - Little Princess 2. Red Butterfly - Inferno 3. Yellow Butterfly - Spirited Yellow 4. Green Butterfly - Willow Hedge 5. Blue Butterfly - Sea of Tranquility 6. Purple Butterfly - Joie de vivre

Pile 1: Pink Butterfly - Little Princess

6 of Pentacles, Queen of Cups; Appreciation, Marquise, Wolf, Grandmother Moonstone "Forgive, not because they deserve it, but because you deserve peace."

Good evening, pile 1. Your next chapter involves balancing your needs with the needs of others. Perhaps for a while, you have been on one end of an extreme when it came to exchanging. You may feel as though you give too much without receiving the equivalent in return, and this realization means that your generous energy is wearing down on you. It could also be the other way around, where you could feel guilty when others give you things because you're not sure how you will be able to return the favor. It may feel easier to lean on oneself than to grapple with paying back such a gift, as you wouldn't want the other person to feel tired too. I'm feeling many hang ups on both ends when it comes to generosity, and this energy may be arising due to the holiday season getting closer. With the Marquise card showing the Libra symbol above the 6 of Pentacles, balance is the emphasis here. Balance is not always an exact 50/50 at the time of exchange. Cycles will come where you may rely on the help of others more, followed by phases where those same people will come to need and appreciate your help. This is balance in a higher order sense, in terms of your lifetime and not just one season.

It could have been that, in childhood, you were given strange attitudes and beliefs on giving and receiving. I'm getting a weird reaction from seeing "Little Princess". Some part of you may want to embody the princess archetype, who lives in abundance and receives adoration. But maybe there were people who used it with a more negative connotation, like saying "bratty princess" or "spoiled rotten princess". This could have been from family, friends, or even ideas picked up from TV. It could have been that others act like they're spoiling you or really going out of their way when they give you or help you with something. It's such a sticky back and forth, and in time it becomes harder to receive or be grateful from such a source of negativity. And now you've been getting this intuitive nudge that healthier beliefs need to be created.

This season is about observing these negative beliefs and reclaiming your feelings of gratitude and generosity, in a sense. Gratitude isn't about settling for bad standards; if you get a bad gift or a good gift out of somebody "spoiling" you, it's not a reflection of who you are but of where they're at in their own journey. If they don't seem grateful for what you do, that's also a part of their own process. Some people won't be able to reciprocate, just as there are times where others will give more than you can give back. You can embody a healthy princess archetype by allowing yourself to receive without guilt, and letting yourself give without exhausting yourself. People above all like to know they're being appreciated, even if the gift isn't perfect, which means you're off the pressure from finding that perfect thing too. It's ultimately the thought that counts, so whatever you give or get, release the burden and enjoy the gift swapping. If you feel others don't appreciate what you do, please understand it's part of their own life to deal with and please give yourself that gift of self-appreciation.

Pile 2: Red Butterfly - Inferno

XXIII Prism, XI Justice; Future, Tear, Lion, Anandalite and Lemon Balm "Try. Make mistakes! Try again. Perfection does not exist."

Good evening, pile 2. You're transforming into a time of life that's filled to the brim with creative passion. There is an overflow of fiery hot emotion in this group, see how the volcano plumes from the lion's head. You may be getting a lot of ideas at this time for what to make next, some of you could be working on a project now but I'm also getting that many haven't started yet and only will when the grand idea comes through. There are two ways I'm interpreting these projects. They could be artistic or writing projects, but it could also refer to the creation process of forming and completing new goals. This group could benefit greatly from making vision boards, especially for what you want to see or do for next year. Interesting enough, this tarot deck has two additional cards and you got one of them, the Prism, which I interpret to mean "everything". This card sits below the Tear card with the Gemini symbol, so you may also benefit from using a notepad to write ideas down as you get them on the fly. I'm hearing that the ideas that make you feel the most will be the most potent when made physical, you are being asked to work closely with your emotions as a creative compass.

Your cards are bright and hot, but must be tempered with cool confidence. You are stepping into a fresh role where you can imagine your visions easily coming to life. I don't have the Moonology deck in this reading but I'm reminded of the Leo card where it says "confidence is your key to success" because it's such a strong affirmation. Your task is to be your own cheerleader to keep the energy and momentum brimming alive. Cause that's the thing about fire: it will eventually burn out if it's not attended to. Cool casual confidence is a firewood coated in fat, it's what starts the fire and keeps it going long. Not every idea will be the great one, but it's important to put down anything that comes to mind. There will always be time, with the Justice card, for sorting and deciding what works and what doesn't later on. You know how you don't edit a story chapter by chapter, but only after the full draft is complete? This goes for anything you work on, even for future plans.

It doesn't seem like it now, but you are moving into a time where you will have the spark and the passion to move your vision forward. Making excited plans about what you will do or make next will put you in a better mindset for starting them. If you're looking at these cards thinking "passion? motivation? I've never felt so depleted, how could this be true?" then perhaps you're now in a space where sitting with your heavier feelings with grace and integrating them needs to be prioritized beforehand. Part of this transformation process into living in a more impassioned state requires small steps. Intuitive freewriting in a journal may help to break up darker feelings into something more manageable, or you may find another healthy creative outlet for dealing with difficult times currently. But if you've been convincing yourself that you can't create because you're in a bad mood, you may in the process of shifting around your perspective so that creating becomes a means to work through the bad mood. Beautiful, incredible things could come from embracing artistic skills from every facet and angle.

Pile 3: Yellow Butterfly - Spirited Yellow

10 of Wands, VII Chariot Rx; Self Love, Brilliant, Unicorn, Golden Topaz and Yellow Rose "Better to regret the things you've done than to regret the things you didn't do."

Good evening, pile 3. Goodness, do I want to give this group a big pat on the back for all you do! Whatever you've been working at over the months, you have been pushing hard! So much so that the end result doesn't even feel all that great anymore; you're just happy for it to be finished so you can take a break. This pile may have a lot of tired students who will be finishing out their semester in the next few weeks and you're excited for the brief moment of rest. You are very bright and intelligent as well as hard working and I feel your transformation involves acknowledging your talents and strengths. Maybe things didn't end the way you hoped for them to, like getting an A- instead of an A+, but you can still congratulate yourself for the effort you put in anyway, because to do so would congratulate you for who you are. And I get that this pile has had to deal with some major disappointments, but sometimes things just don't work out the way we intend them to. Sometimes the teacher just puts down a random grade because they're tired, maybe there isn't a good reason why. It's not worth belittling your own abilities.

Unicorns indicate something spectacular and magical. To see one before you is to see what cannot be easily believed. Next to the abundance card is a sign of great things to come. The Earth symbol in the Brilliant card reminds me of the Wheel of Fortune. At this time, things may feel "cursed" or futile, but a big spin of the wheel is due to come during your next evolution which may propel you to a different octave of luck. And it may not even be luck but rather the positive karma from the work you've done now. Trust that your good intentions and efforts will be reflected back to you when the stars align, but now is a time to pat yourself on the back and give yourself the recognition you need. The Morbid Mirror says "better to regret" but I wouldn't even say that. You don't need to spend any more time regretting the wrong choice on the quiz or that you answered a question awkwardly in a job interview. What's done is done and you don't need to beat yourself up for what didn't work out.

Forgive yourself for not meeting every goal perfectly, and forgive yourself if your energy to keep pushing is waning. This may be a time where you need to focus more on cheering yourself up and resting than trying to figure out what went wrong or how to make it right. Remind yourself of all the times where things have worked out before and affirm your own brilliance. Don't let the silence of today make you think that you don't deserve good things for what you give. Have faith your efforts will be met with great reward down the road. For now, your catalyst to transform involves making peace with yourself and creating opportunities to be happy. Enjoy the little things that raise your spirits up, and take pride in what you've accomplished so far no matter what.

Pile 4: Green Butterfly - Willow Hedge

6 of Swords, I Magician; Self Esteem, Sunflower, Swallow, Ethiopian Opal "The most damning lie you can tell is the lie you tell yourself."

Good evening, pile 4. Your next phase in life involving moving on from a rough chapter in your past. There could have been an event that scarred your sense of trust or elicited deep insecurities, like an audition but not getting the desired part, or a friend group wasn't what you thought it was. You'll be walking away from something that was toxic, whether it be a situation, group, person, or even from something within you like a limiting mindset that has tried corrode your self esteem. The Willow tree is traditionally a tree representing sorrow and loss, so at this time you may feel despondent and unsure of how things will change. But a hedge represents a boundary line between the known and unknown. Please remind yourself that things are meant to change, that from this difficult time a more prosperous time can later come, even if it's not clear now. The Swallow is a sign of hope and optimism showing you that you are meant to shift away into a better time. Do not let yourself get stuck in believing that the way things are is the way things will always be, as that will close doors faster than the wind. The only door you're meant to close is to the past that left you feeling hurt and torn. Soon, upon leaving the chrysalis, you will be able to open the doors to greater change.

The Magician makes full use of the here and now, using whatever they have at their disposal to see their goals through. Just because you don't see fresh flowers blooming doesn't mean the earth isn't ripe for new possibilities. Many plants can be seeded in the autumn that will blossom and grow fresh food in the spring and summer. There is more you can do with what you have now than you think. With the emphasis of wings in this pile, I'm getting that you're at the peak of something. You've risen up and overcome something difficult for which you don't give yourself enough credit. Only a vast horizon filled with potential lies before you, which you can do with however you please. You're not meant to forever stay frozen at the peak, reflecting on the toxicity you left behind, but to glide back down and start anew.

The Sunflower always faces the direction of the sun. So should you turn your attention to what in life makes you feel most good about being alive and being you. This is how you can move on, by making space for what you wish to grow. The Opal card speaks of children and birthing something into being, so however low you feel about yourself now, remember that we are all flying in our own altitudes and that there's always room to expand on yourself as a person. If you feel beat up because you didn't make it onto a sports team, place energy on creating the next opportunity to play at the game. Talk to yourself truthfully and fairly as if your child self is hearing everything because your inner child is the part of you who will help guide you through your transformation. Harness your courage to take the next step forward as in your next chapter you will be in perfect alignment to achieve whatever you wish.

Pile 5: Blue Butterfly - Sea of Tranquility

XV Devil, IX Hermit; Learning, Mazarin Rx, Hawk, Pixie Helpers and Green Aventurine "Just being born, makes you worthy of being here. Let yourself just be."

Good evening, pile 5. Your next transformation is a smooth and steady pace of growth. You're entering into a phase of life where you can exist and embrace the fullness of your life for how it is now, at its best. It's strange to put it like this, but with the Mazarin card in reverse it's almost as though your growth path doesn't actually involving growing in the traditional sense. So during this season you may experience a sense of regression or going backwards, and this is to brush up on old sticky lessons that need to be cleared out. I feel this lesson has to do with the fixation on self-improvement. This pile may be the type to put a lot of time into ameliorating your life and relationships. You could even be thinking about your New Year's resolution when we haven't even yet entered December at the time of this reading, just because you wanna get ahead on your to-do list planned out for next year. However, I'm seeing that your transformation will involve some pulling back and withdrawing your energies to highlight overlooked aspects.

We live in a culture of constant doing, and it makes sense that this feeling ramps up during the end of the year. There could be real engagements that require attention due to real deadlines, but sometimes our brains make up deadlines just for feeling like it makes sense to do so. The Hawk is vigilant, always keeping a sharp eye on every task and detail. For some things, you may have a lot more time than you believe you do in working something out. It's okay to occasionally sleep on something and come back to it. The Hawk also speaks about self-sabotage. Could you be putting unneeded frustration on yourself when maintaining a flexible outlook might help you reach your goals sooner? It's like if you're trying to write a song but you're not sure how to finish it: it make take less time to just put it aside and come back to it instead of straining at the same verse for hours on end.

If, during this regression, you feel lost at what to do, perhaps taking time to meditate or center your mind may be the best course of action, instead of spinning wheels to figure out the next thing. Life is not a neverending to-do list where we're meant to go from one thing to the next right away. Your transformation forward requires compassion for not being where you want to be in the present, but finding space to breathe anyway. Be more discerning with how you use your time and remember that free time isn't wasted time. It's okay if you feel stuck in a certain position, but it'll be easier to rise from that when you let yourself be and avoiding pushing too hard. Within that tranquil state, great ideas and solutions can come. We don't always need to chase for the next great problem to tackle to feel like we're making proper use of the present. There is purpose in the peace and silence of doing nothing. You will transform into somebody who understands the value of resting your thinking mind when it's needed.

Pile 6: Purple Butterfly - Joie de vivre

XIV Temperance, King of Cups; Retreat, Heart, Tiger, Laboradorite and Blue Lotus Flower "Everything is energy and energy never dies; it just transforms."

Good evening, pile 6. This pile is for the intuitive people out there! There is a lot of psychic energy in this group. Your transformation is on an almost imperceptible level, too subtle for those who are not as spiritually inclined. This could involve some kind of moment of awakening or enlightenment, but it may not necessarily be a dramatic one. You are stepping into a more mature and balanced disposition, not the kind of awakening where we suddenly get clued into to the basics of souls and spirit guides, but one that involves a shift on how you view the world as a whole. Joie de vivre means "joy of living" in French, and it refers to having a cheerful and optimistic outlook on life. You may have been working on the heavier aspects of spirituality, like doing shadow work, getting used to the idea that it's how all spirituality functions. But I'm getting a brighter view of seeing things here, realizing that nothing stays the same so that the good can come along with the bad. You'll be shifting into a spirituality that satisfies you with a sense of hope, love, joy, and community.

The Tiger represents opulence, so you may receive an abundance of psychic energy and information during your shift. This could come as automatic intuitive knowing (clairsentience), or through vivid meaningful dreams that provide deeper revelations about people and self. The Temperance card shows that this revelation is not one of fireworks but of a more intrinsic lasting sense of contentment. These are downloads meant to help you see that while spirituality isn't all sunshine and rainbows, it's also not all doom and gloom either. You may be retreating from doing the big bold kind of karmic work over this transformation period, which is okay as there is always a time for doing and not doing, and I really feel with your maturity that you've already done a lot. Now it's time to pull back from the shadow work so to find balance in between the lessons.

The secret to this transformation is non-attachment. Let the events and moments in your day come as they may. You will soon get the sense in your spirit that there is a constant inner joy that doesn't respond to external circumstances even if they're intrusive or annoying. With the unconditional compassion of Pisces, you find that bad situations that come up do not tend to last long when your heart is directing itself towards what you feel love and gratitude for, you won't be able to as easily dwell on the worst parts of the day over the best. And with less dwelling on negative parts of the past means less need to heal those parts. If something falls away, another thing will come to fill the gap. Your regenerative abilities are potent for this next phase of your life. I'm talking like this unshakeable faith in the best outcomes while feeling fine with things even when the outcome is far from ideal. This transformation is a form of wisdom that heals and will continue to heal as you gracefully move forward. Some may mention that you have an aura glow around you, which is your transformation at work.

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2024, @VitaminseeTarot ™

[bokettochild]

🎶For the twelfth day of Christmas, my Ketto gave to me-🎶

Closure!!!!!

So, I've been talking about this for a fair bit now and debating the logistics, and I have decided to do it: A Christmas of Closure!

I have so many unfinished/on hiatus fics, some that never got past the first part, and this is my effort to (1) relieve myself of the guilt of not finishing them and (2) give a bit of closure to the readers who still wanted more from the story.

How does it work? You guys can choose any story of mine that you wanted to see more of, and the first twelve will get a little love this holiday season, with me posting one update every day leading up to Christmas, and ending on Christmas day with either whatever I was most excited to share, or what took me the longest and I needed more time for LOL

They key to this is that it's stories I've already started, so rather than spending half my writing time trying to figure out what it's going to be about, I'll hopefully just be giving words to something that's sat in my brain for the last few months/years. I'll get to share with you what was supposed to happen, while maybe jump-starting my own creative process so maybe (no promises) I'll actually be able to finish the story! (Again, NO promises, but also I hope so!!!)

(Specifics below)

All stories are on the table with the exception of TBBU, since that's already a work in progress and I will get there independently (*she lied, like a liar*). There might be others that have reached their natural end as well, and I'm not up to making zombies, but I can't name any right off, so go nuts and choose whatever you feel has been on life support for too long :)

Whumptober/Sicktember/Febuwhump prompts are up from grabs, but only in the form of continuations of already written pieces. I will not be writing prompts that I failed to post on time in this challenge (maybe another time)

The age of the fic doesn't matter, but be aware I might not be able to capture the same voice as I used to use. My writing style has changed and developed, but I will try and match my own freak when I can.

You CAN ask for specific things! I will not take unkindly to you popping in to say "write an update for story XYZ and maybe have ABC happen?" I can't promise that ABC will happen of course, because maybe that's not what was meant to happen, but I promise to consider any and all suggestions regardless, and try and make a Christmas present that you'll enjoy :)

The stories will get posted starting on the 14th of December and ending on December 25. There will not be an Ao3 collection, but I will have a master-list here on tumblr.

I hope that covers everything, but if you have any questions I didn't answer, please feel free to send an ask, so I can answer publicly, in the case others had the same question <3

[geekgirles]

I've seen people say things about Amalia not being queen material because she was always far from her kingdom, and I can't help but think they're taking everything at face value. Like they assume that just because the plot takes place while Amalia is usually away on an adventure, that's all there is to it and her circumstances, when in reality nothing is further from the truth.

First of all, back in season 1 the show didn't exactly shy away from confirming Amalia essentially spent her early life confined in the Sadida Kingdom and most likely never stepped foot outside of it until she decided to run away. Hence why she failed to understand the chamberlain wouldn't be able to pay for her expenses when she was in Bonta.

And why did she run away in the first place? That's right. Because her family insisted she remained cooped up in the palace ever since the queen's death. And considering Queen Sheran Sharm died when Amalia was little, that all means she had spent 13 years "trapped" in her kingdom as early as season 1.

Now, I don't think we have an exact date for the Brotherhood's adventures, how long they lasted. But I'm gonna go with my gut and say each journey they took place in the span of several months to a year, tops.

That would mean the first time Amalia left home she wasn't away for that long, anyway.

Not to mention, after dealing with Nox and before Eva herself ran away to get Pinpin back in season 2, it was established the Brotherhood of the Tofu spent several weeks, maybe a month or two, in the Sadida Kingdom. With Yugo and Adamaï helping Amalia with her duties because she was swamped with them, to the point she somewhat reverted back to her brattier days (which is not excusable, but it does show that, at 13-14 at the least, Amalia was already in charge of many administrative duties and responsibilities and under a lot of stress).

In fact, the only reason she didn't stay in her kingdom for the entirety of the season, besides her wanderlust, is the fact that trouble kept popping up. Originally, they only left to get Eva back after she ran away in search of Pinpin, and once they returned from that, the only reason they left the kingdom again was because of Qilby's appearance and his lies deceiving them into helping retrieve his Dofus by painting it as a humanitarian mission for the sake of the Eliatropes.

And before you point out Amalia was supposed to stay in her kingdom that time around but chose to run away again, let's not forget how, technically speaking, she didn't sneak away at all, shall we?

In season 2, the roles had been reversed. Amalia thought she was sneaking away again, but not only was Eva in the know and totally in favour of it (as opposed to her reluctance from season 1), but so was King Sheran Sharm. Remember? He went as far as to have Renate and Canar prepare plenty of provisions for her. Meaning, that time around, Amalia had her father's approval, which implies she didn't actually do anything wrong.

And again, their adventures kept them away from several months up to a year, but not much longer. In fact, the only time it was confirmed they spent a year away was during the post-season 2 manga, and that was an accident because they didn't account for time flowing differently in Emrub.

Now, let's add the time of the OVAs. The special episodes are stated to take place 6 years after season 2, with Flopin and Élely being little kids but not babies or toddlers anymore; Yugo stuck in his childish body despite being, what, 19(?); and Amalia being old enough to marry—given she is 22 in seasons 3 and 4, that would make her roughly 20-21 years old.

Six years had gone by between the second season and the OVAs, and if we add the year away from the manga, that means that Amalia dutifully spent 5 years in her kingdom, carrying out her royal duties and most likely only leaving for a few days at a time at most in order to visit her friends for important occasions like their birthdays. Though this is speculation on my part based on the events of the manga. Days she got to spend away because she probably had her father's permission to, as he wholeheartedly approved of her friendship with the Brotherhood of the Tofu. Meaning, once again, that Amalia wasn't doing anything wrong.

Then the OVAs came, and she had to leave for Frigost, and this time indefinitely since she was to marry Count Harebourg, therefore becoming his Countess and needing to remain by his side in his realm. And, again, because that was a marriage of convenience for the sake of her kingdom, she wasn't just allowed to leave but expected to. But even when it was revealed Count Harebourg planned to either exploit Yugo and the Eliatrope Dofus or the Sadida forests to benefit Frigost and the wedding didn't come to pass, it wasn't like Amalia stayed around to sightsee either.

As soon as they freed Joris, Atcham, and Kerubim and got some exposition on Tristepin from Rubi, realising she had the means to save her kingdom by having Pinpin help, the group split up in two and they turned back around towards the Sadida Kingdom. And all that in just a few days, a week or two at most.

Then comes season 3, taking place a year, year and a half, after the OVAs, with Amalia now 22 and confining herself to the palace more than ever because she's watching as her father withers away each passing day and she's trying to avoid Armand and Aurora since all they seem to care about is getting her hitched and out of their hair.

To be honest, I'm not sure how long they're supposed to have spent in Oropo's dimension and Inglorium, since it feels like only a few days, but then Armand reveals in season 4 that he had only been king for a few weeks and the timeline gets kinda wacky. Because... Amalia just returned the day prior? And she spent the whole time by their father's grave?? What, did he leave her be to the point of risking malnourishment and dehydration for several days??? It just doesn't make sense.

Anyway, confusing timeline aside, what does this tell us? Simple, it tells us that Amalia was only away from home for about 2-3 years, which isn't all that different from when our parents send us to study abroad in real life. Which, at the same time, means that out of 22 years of her life, she remained 19 in her kingdom, performing her duties. And that's even without taking into account the fact that 90% of season 4 took place in the Sadida Kingdom, or the four months between Yugo and Amalia's wedding and the events of The Great Wave, where Amalia (and Yugo) stayed in her kingdom, ruling it.

Unlike Armand, Amalia might have been more interested in adventure than power and politics, and she might not have had the same kind of training as he did as heir apparent, but she is in now way, shape, or form incompetent or unprepared when it comes to ruling her people. Now try to tell me she was always away or that she is irresponsible. I dare you.

[arcane-ish]

What's the point of Commander Caitlyn?

I've been thinking about the Commander Caitlyn arc. Namely, why does it exist?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not attached enough to Caitlyn to object to it on a "Cait shouldn't do that" or "that's too harsh for Caitlyn and Vi to get over this as a couple".

There's no League lore reason for why it has to exist. And if they just wanted to fulfill the theme of the season of everybody becoming what they don't want to be, I feel like they could have gone for some other external reason for example to force Caitlyn to take over as sherrif to protect Vi or to have a better handle on Ambessa.

So why was that not enough.

The most obvious thing would be for the show to want to make a deeper point about fascism. But I'm kind of deeply unconvinced that that is the case and that the show's politics are that deep. The way the show approaches politics has always struck me more as aesthetic and referential rather than being like a deep, meaty exploration of the topic.

So me theory is that this is actually about Jinx.

The show wanted to split Vi and Cait up, so Vi and Jinx could interact for a bit without Cait playing a role (since Cait is such a major cause of tension and jealousy). And for that there needed to be a split and for that split to be pretty complete (as Vi is very puppy dog over Cait, so it needed to be drastic).

Maybe we'll even get a little "Jinx proves her maturity by starting to understand how much Vi cares about Caitlyn, even if she doesn't approve":

That said, I have to rant for a bit

This scene makes no sense to me.

I can buy into the whole conflict about shooting the kid. I can get into Cait being so angry and offended that Vi is comparing her to Jinx that she hits her with the butt of her rifle.

But this line. What exactly is Caitlyn complaining about here? What actions of Vi's would constitute being like the other, bad, animal Zaunites?

Just that she got into Caitlyn's way? Even though that was sorta what Caitlyn specifically asked her to do originally? Because Cait sees it as Vi choosing "her people" over Piltover? Why would that even be a terrible thing in Cait's moral system?

I feel like that scene would have worked much better with a "I can't stand the sight of you anymore" line as a way to follow up the sort of slide into darkness Cait has been experiencing. Don't get me wrong, it's a line that works well for calling back to other lines and for breaking up Caitlyn and Vi as this is likely something that deeply resonates with Vi.

But I'm just not convinced that that is a line that makes a ton of sense for Cait to say here.

(but I'm willing to be convinced otherwise, so hit me with your best explanation that is more than just "Cait is messed up and saying dumb stuff")

[crooked-wasteland]

It's been so odd seeing Ghostf*ckers currently sitting at 7.9m views two weeks later despite the boost of Hazbin's launch and the other episodes not doing anywhere near as bad; anything you feel might've factored into it?

I've mentioned it before, but I am happy to explain my perspective again. I obviously don't have the complete picture in front of me, so it's really only a grain of salt. More of a thought experiment than anything else.

For starters, the spike in views following Hazbin was a predictable boom and bust situation. There is a give and take with different styles of streaming, specifically around the trickle or binge models. More people will watch a series that is available to be binged vs one that is still in progress. Like some people who wait for the entire season to drop before picking up a new show. These sorts of drops see huge initial views, but people stop talking about the shows much faster.

The overlap of cultural impact as well as financial success makes Binging content appealing to the finance people, but the real money comes from maintaining cultural relevance. Which is why binge releases are generally criticized, especially by artistic people.

On the flip side, episode by episode releases, especially those like webcomics and web series need to maintain a sense of consistency to retain an audience. There must be deadlines that are achieved relatively consistently. It's even more important for content that is hosted on algorithm-heavy platforms like YouTube. It's why most content creators have an upload schedule to maintain their algorithms and promote their channel being recommended.

This is especially important on social media platforms because, generally speaking, only 10% of your audience are actually subscribed. While YouTubers don't get paid based on their subscriber count, it's used similarly to viewership. A channel like Mr. Beast has deals with mainstream studios like Amazon because of his subscriber count, in junction with the number of views he accrues.

The 10% active subscriber count is actually seen as a general positive so long as your views stay around that number, because it means others are being recommended your channel outside of your base. Once you get stuck in your "base" you're waiting for that thing ice to finally break. It means no one is discovering you and your legitimately risk losing everything. Most often from stale content, people becoming bored or disillusioned with what a creator is creating. And having no fresh eyes on your content, you will disappear in the algorithm eventually. For some people it means they can still survive just fine doing the same old things, for others (usually those who see the money before the art) it means the loss of everything.

The issue with inconsistent uploads is a major one that Medrano actually beat in the first season. The Vivziepop channel was so infrequently uploaded on, episodes being posted essentially the moment they were done, and yet Medrano maintained 35 M - 50 M views an episode (until Ozzie's which topped out at 28M before Hazbin Hotel, Medrano's first attempt at writing for the series).

So what I mean to say with that information is Medrano actually succeeded against the odds for the first season. She should have faded into obscurity, but the support for her show was legitimate and beat the odds of an inconsistent uploads schedule. I was never subscribed to her channel and didn't have Twitter until this year, but I would search Vivziepop every 3-5 months and usually saw a new episode had been uploaded in the last week to a few hours prior.

So while this is anecdotal, I'd argue that it was the general norm at the time. Reaching 35M when you only have 8.6M subscribers necessitates genuine effort of the part of the watchers to seek out the content themselves. And that's a good thing. You want people to be motivated to seek out your content on their own volition.

With that said, it explains all the possible, and probably, issues being had.

1) Upload Fatigue

Since viewership has fallen, Medrano has been posting more frequently to her channel. Mostly low-effort Vlog content that her main base is legitimately not invested in. People who love musicals and Broadway would recognize the low quality musical fodder Medrano creates. Animation fans, meanwhile, are not interested in celebrity actors being friends with Medrano.

That sort of content is what you see on Adin Ross' channel. If you don't know who that is, think Andrew Tate, but somehow more pathetic. The TL;DR is that his claim to fame was playing a video game with LeBron James' son. That's not what most people are really interested in, unless they carry the same fundamental psychology of the 'Man-osphere" or conservative grifters.

Additionally, these videos don't hit that 10% subscriber base. With 10.4 million subs, her lowest performing videos should still hit at least 1.4million views. Her major sale videos (Halloween and Valentine's mainly) still see this proper 10%

But the Vlog videos...

It isn't surprising that the video focusing on the fans being seen with Medrano and her friends would be the most watched, because of this mindset of piggy-backing self-worth off of someone else's name.

So for the fans that actually like the show, or at least want to support the series, are now being hit with a ton of videos they don't care about. Which can and usually does result in a loss of subscribers or your subscribers turning off their notifications for your channel.

2) The Show Left it's Base

Hazbin being aired on Amazon introduced many people to Vivziepop. There is a sense of quality that one expects from a big name like Amazon, regardless of how most of their shows they directly fund are not that great. But with the series leaving it's base, it offers new fans while threatening, and definitely delivering, a complimentary spike in criticism. Many people who would have accepted a subpar web series are going to be far more harsh of a show with a studio behind it.

With more voices discussing the issues of the series, it teaches people how to identify sub-par content and a lot of those people will lose interest in it once they realize the show isn't actually quality.

There are far more videos discussing the issues with Hazbin than there are of Helluva Boss for this reason, but once the luster is removed from one, inevitably it will impact the other.

3) The Story Sucks

This is obvious as we see more fans becoming less enthusiastic about the story. A badly written show can and will still be loved by those who love it. But it has become more obvious that the writing isn't subversive, just negligent. The characters aren't complicated, they are puppets. The creators aren't creative, they are regurgitating tropes without substance. The emotions are hollow.

But worse than any of that is that the show is contradictory to itself. Which makes the show feel unreliable, but that leads to the last point:

4) Medrano Exposed Herself as an Unlikeable Person

Medrano's description for Apology Tour exposed her to her YouTube base. YouTube is a place that craves authenticity, to the point they have manufactured it. There is a right and wrong way to be on YouTube, and the right way requires a ton of accountability, even when you probably don't owe anyone it. But accountability is something you must have on the platform, and Medrano was a bit too personal in how she made excuses for Stolas while not playing an even hand towards her main character.

That sort of attitude, fictional or not, will result in people turning their back on you. People have lost their whole channels over the same attitude. And the way Medrano handled it was responding to her twitter fandom criticizing the show, letting everyone know she doesn't see anything wrong with the behavior being expressed.

And that doesn't really sit well on YouTube. Not in the communities she's trying to cater to.

And like I said, this is all with a grain of salt as I can't say for certain. To be safe I believe a little of all of these play a role in Medrano's decline, but all of it is just my opinion.

[grandpeachpersona]

It's A Man's World

Chapter 5 (Batter up)

a/n: To clarify, I do not own the rights to any pictures or names used in this story, except for Sierra Riley. All other rights and names belong to the NFL and MLB. Additionally, some characters are inspired by the game MLB The Show 24, which includes fictional characters. The title of the book is inspired by the song "It's a Man's World" by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome, for which I also do not own the rights. All rights are held by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. and Unichappell Music, Inc. Enjoy!

If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be playing for the Atlanta Braves, I would have told you. You're lying, but here I am. After the draft, I had to fly to Florida for spring training, and then when that was over, I flew to Atlanta to sign my rookie contract, which is $380k for my first year plus a 2 million signing bonus. Then fly to Cincinnati for my first game for the season. Safe to say I've had a crazy couple of weeks. 

Oh and how fitting that Joe is throwing out the first pitch since its Reds opening day.  So it's really true what they say. It does come full circle. 

I walked out from the clubhouse into the away dugout. I noticed Joe in the batter's box swinging a bat at baseballs as they fired out the shooter and must I say he looked damn good while doing it too. 

Ok, time I come clean about something. Do I have a crush on my best friend Joe Burrow? Yes. Am I scared to tell him? Yes. Why? because if I do I'm going to make a complete fool of myself and I just do not want to risk that and possibly losing a friend.  

But friends don't text each other every day for random things or have late-night phone conversions like they used to when they were in LSU together. To sum it up over the last couple of months Joe and I have slipped back into our old ways and not that I'm complaining I just wish we were more. 

I noticed Joe had finished and might as well say hello. I walked out towards home plate catching the tail end of his conversation “I'm so proud of her…to watch her play in college I knew she was big league bound and now she's here.” I heard Joe tell my teammate Austin Riley, a third baseman. 

“There's the woman of the hour!” I hear Ja’marr call out as I make my way toward the group, my heart racing with a mix of excitement and nerves.

I shake my head, feeling a bit overwhelmed. “Stop! I'm done crying for today,” I reply, my voice tinged with a slight whine, reflecting the emotional rollercoaster I've been on.

Ja’marr looks at me with a supportive smile. “How do you feel? Are you ready for this?” he asks, his eyes filled with genuine concern. I nod slowly, trying to muster a confident expression despite my jitters. “I feel ready; I’m just trying not to overthink everything,” I admit, forcing a nervous smile.

“Sis, you’ve got this in the bag!” Ja’marr encourages, his voice steady and reassuring. “Don’t let them cloud your mind—just play your heart out, like you do every time.” His words resonate with me, pushing back the self-doubt that threatens to creep in.

“Ri, you’ve worked your ass off for this moment,” Joe chimes in, giving me a playful nudge on my shoulder. “You’re going to absolutely kill it today! And we just happen to have front-row seats to witness your brilliance.” His enthusiasm and belief in me fill me with warmth and motivation.

Nodding, I accept their words with a grateful smile, feeling a rush of confidence. “Thanks, you guys! That really helps. But now I have to ask: what the hell is this?” I say, gesturing pointedly at the Cincinnati jerseys they are both proudly wearing. They burst into laughter, clearly thinking they could charm their way out of my noticing their blatant team allegiance.

“Hey it was a gift from them but believe me I would wore yours if I could” Ja'marr gives his excuse. I turn to Joe waiting for his.

“I'm from Ohio.” he gives the most obvious answer—typical Joe.

------

Against all odds, Joe delivered a flawless pitch after the pregame festivities and the stirring national anthem. I could feel the excitement coursing through me—this was my moment, my MLB debut.

As they called my name, I heard Joe and Ja’marr erupting with cheers from their private suite through the crowd their support only boosted my confidence and set the stage for what was about to happen.

I locked in my focus, ready to face the pitcher. He glanced at the runner on first, then turned his gaze to me and wound up for the throw.

The pitch came rushing straight at me! I instinctively jumped back, narrowly avoiding it. “One ball, no strikes.” But that wasn’t a mistake; he wanted to rattle me. Too bad for him—I’m not easily shaken. 

I reset myself, gripping the bat firmly, ready for the next challenge. The pitcher checked the runner again and delivered another pitch.

This time, he made a crucial misstep—an offspeed pitch! I saw it coming, and without hesitation, I swung with all my power. The crack of the bat was electric, and I sent that ball soaring out of the park. A home run on my very first hit! 2-0, baby! Now that’s how you make an unforgettable debut. 

-------

We won only by the skin of our teeth 5-4. I had just changed out of my away uniform into some sweets and a hoodie when I heard a knock on my locker room door. 

“It's open” I shout, not feeling like walking to the door. 

The door opens and Joe pops his head in “Hey can I come in?” 

I waved my hand “Yeah come on” 

 He steps in closing the door behind him “Getting ready to head out just wanted to say you looked great out there today” he compliments. 

“Thanks, I had to show off a bit, you know. Oh! I meant to give this back to you, but everything just happened so fast,” I said, remembering his chain that he gave to me to wear on Daft Night. But I never did give it back to him. If I remember right, I was in my gym bag. Bingo pulled it right out. 

I went to hand it back to him be he stopped me “Keep it Ri” 

 “Huh?” I said making sure I heard him right. This boy is crazy.

Joe cracked a little smile “Keep it...believe me I've got plenty”  

I looked at him to make sure he wasn't joking “You sure cause this is worth more than my signing bonus” I joked nervously.

He smiled and nodded his head “Yeah I'm sure think of it as an ‘I knew you would make it’s gift”.

I smiled “Ok no take takebacks Burrow,” I said putting back in my bag. 

“What are you doing when you leave here?” Joe asked suddenly. I shrugged my shoulders. “It's still early so I'm not really tired. Might just chill back at the hotel. Why what's up?” I answered taking a seat on the bench.

He looks at me for a second then slightly shakes his head. “Some friends of mine wanted to go out to eat and all but Ja'marr had to leave soo…” 

“You want me to go in his place?” I finished the sentence for him. 

This is not anything new. I went to a lot of Joe's events as his plus one back in LSU. And he did the same thing for me. 

“Yeah but if you want to call it a day I understand” he quickly says.

I shake my head with a laugh “No I'll go with you, Joe. Plus it would be nice to get a breather before tomorrow's game” I said, opening up my suitcase. 

“Give me a few to get changed and I'll be right out”

Joe raised his eyebrows “You really could go in what you have on” he said nonchalantly 

Is this boy out of his mind? “Joe I'm not hanging out around people I don't know in a hoodie and sweatpants,” I said looking at him all upside his head.

“Yes, you can cause one where only going to Texas Roadhouse. Two you just finished a hell of a baseball game and have a right to wear this. And if someone has a problem with it then we can go and have our own dinner” he says the confidence just flows out as he says it.

My stomach should have not tightened up but I just love how protective this man is. Biting my lip not knowing what to say except “Alright let's go”

-------

Joe was walking me up to my room after that impromptu hangout session with his friends which by the way all amazing. 

“Yeah I'm definitely paying for this tomorrow,” I said feeling like I was ready to pop. 

Joe gives out a small chuckle “Yeah that makes two of us”  

I give him this funny look “You got time to burn it off, Joe. I on the other hand have to play a game tomorrow” I said pulling out my keycard for my room. “Fair point Far point,” Joe said not disagreeing with me

Stopping in front of my room “This is me” I said turning to Joe “Thanks again for inviting me” I said suddenly nervous as I looked at him and his features pretty blue eyes, dirty blonde hair so silky you could run your fingers through it and not get tangled. To some it up this boy was fine. 

His voice knocked me out of my thoughts “No thank you for coming. I owe you one for this Ri” 

Yeah, a date.

“What’d you say” I saw Joe's eyebrows raise..Did I say that out loud could have sworn I said that in my head. 

“I didn't say anything,” I said quickly shaking my head trying to avoid this conversation at all costs.

“Nah, Nah you said something. What did you say?” he asked stepping a little closer. Looking the other way with a blush on my cheeks “I said a date” I repeat my words still not looking a him. 

He stood there with the biggest smirk on his face “I still didn't hear what you said say it again and this time” he paused to gently grab my chin “Look at me” 

Soaked absolutely Soked straight through.

Unable to move I said it again looking straight dead in his eyes “A date. You owe me a date” 

Joe nodded his head and let my chin go “That's what I thought you said” he said stepping away from me. “Ok, how about this. If you get to the World Series which I know you will I'll take you on a date” he said proposing a challenge or more like a bet. “Ok and if I don’t,” I said waiting for the catch no pun intended. 

“Then I still take you on the date’

[fantasticmoonsalad]

Caitlyn and Jinx parallels - and the conclusion they hint at

I think (and other people have guessed this too) that Caitlyn will lose an eye by the end of Arcane.

This is why. Spoilers for Arcane S2 Act 1 below (and some stuff from the trailers)

To me, the way that the show is currently portraying Caitlyn and Jinx points to this conclusion. It's pretty obvious to everyone that the two characters have been set up to be narrative foils. Jinx, from what I've seen in trailers for Arcane Season 2, will become a symbol to the people of Zaun, representing revolution from the Piltovian elite who have been abusing them for countless years.

Jinx's character represents the best of Zaun -- the ingenuity of the people there can be seen in the way she builds and creates devices from Piltovian scraps. She is also capable of incredible violence, the sort of acts of revolution that are necessary to induce change.

By the end of Act 1, Caitlyn has become a symbol of Piltover. She comes from an old, wealthy family, one that changed the very foundation the city was built on through their wealth and engineering.

Through these parallels, we can guess that when other characters describe or say things about Jinx or Caitlyn and the power they have as symbols, there is a double meaning -- they also apply to their foil.

Take this for example. Salo is talking about Caitlyn, about the power and prestige her name gives her. But is he?

When I first watched this scene I was struck by how ambiguous the wording is -- it took a few viewings to realise they were speaking about Caitlyn. Ambessa mentions that Caitlyn "overpowered" Salo in the council chamber when she stormed up and laid out her plan for a strike force. But we, the audience, know of another girl who overpowered Salo (and the other councillors) in their chambers.

The dialogue is foreshadowing what will happen around Jinx -- the way her actions and name captivate Zaun and the movement that will grow around her.

But why do I think this leads to Caitlyn losing an eye?

The episode before, Smeech - a chembaron, arguably a member of the closest thing Zaun has ever had to their own council (which is like... yeeesh) says this to Jinx:

When we think of a long-range type in Arcane, who do we think of?

Jinx is also technically a long-range fighter, but she's much better at close-up scrapping than Caitlyn, who almost gets her ass kicked by Sevika (and probably would have if not for the Hexcore glitch).

Caitlyn losing an eye would be devastating as she is a long range sharpshooter who relies heavily on her vision. Smeech's moment with Jinx was the part that convinced me this was going to happen.

There's other stuff, too, if you apply the "using the other foil as foreshadowing" rule.

Jinx's classic "who, me?" look also has her showing one eye.

And obviously in the poster, Caitlyn has literally put pins in Jinx's eye. Not worried about that rebounding at all Cait?

There's more. Caitlyn at her most reprehensible (gassing the Undercity) has one eye.

The Caitlyn doll Jinx made has one eye (I think, it's hard to tell).

This is a bit more of a long shot, but when Caitlyn thinks she sees Jinx at the old arcade in Zaun, she flips and shoots the figurine.

We get a quick shot of her eyes beforehand.

Don't you think the pupils kind of look like dartboards? Like targets?

I think Caitlyn is going to get very injured in her quest to get Jinx. Everything she throws at Jinx has managed to rebound at her. Even using the tunnels her family built and unleashing the Gray on the gangs of Zaun got Uno-reversed on her -- Jinx just blew it up to the surface (with her own flair, of course).

Vi even says it out loud, comparing Caitlyn to Jinx - the thing that pushes Cait over the edge and past the point of no-return.

Also there are a lot of profile shots of Caitlyn in the intro and the show that only show one eye.

[canonicallyobserving911]

Review of Episode 8x7 "Hotshots"

Before I delve into this I want to make two things crystal clear. First, I understand 9-1-1 is NOT the Buddie show but the reason I started watching it was because of the shooting and Buck's and Eddie's dynamic. Therefore, since I primarily watch for Buck, Eddie and Chris, I want to see movement in their storylines. Second, I enjoy 9-1-1 as a whole, it's the only show I watch on a regular basis and I like all the main characters. I've watched every episode since season 2 and I even watched a few from season 1 but since it's not my favorite, I don't revisit them unless I need to make GIFs.

I'm indicating this upfront so there aren't any misunderstandings because it's one of the first things people say when someone criticizes an episode. Everyone interprets media differently and people watch for different reasons but their reasons for watching doesn't negate their opinions about an episode or a season. Therefore, it would be great if people stop using the "It's not the Buddie show" excuse when they want to dismiss other people's criticisms because two opposing opinions can coexist. The truth is for some, 9-1-1 hasn't been great for a long time. Therefore, just because one person likes it and they believe it's great that doesn't mean everyone else has to agree and vice versa.

Now let's get back to the regularly scheduled program...

IMO, last night's episode WAS NOT GOOD. The editing was poor, the pacing was off, there were entirely too many guest stars and they completely overshadowed the main characters. It gave seasons 5 and 6 vibes and I didn't like it one bit. The episode didn't even qualify as "filler" for me and it shouldn't have been included in 8A since the mid-season finale is next week.

Since my review of 8x7 "Hotshots" will primarily be NEGATIVE, I'm putting it underneath the cut but it will be a fair and balanced review and I will include information about all the main characters.

Let's get started.

Bathena

I'll start this section with Bobby and Athena because I believe their retirement arcs are being reestablished from the beginning of season 7 but it was horrifically horrible the way it was handled.

Athena's been a sergeant for years and the last time her and Bobby talked about retirement, I mean really had a conversation about it was in season 4 and she said she wasn't ready. But she's four years older now and while that may not seem like a lot of years to some, when someone has a demanding job like hers, there are bound to be some challenges. Her leg being injured while she was trying to catch Flash Rob could have happened to anyone and it doesn't matter their age, however my issues with her storyline ARE MANY and each one is valid.

First, it would have made sense to see her talking to Bobby on-screen about how she was feeling. As someone who's counseled people preparing for retirement, her storyline should have been handled with more dignity and respect. IIRC, Athena's close to 60 years old and the retirement age for people in the LAFD is 55 (so they can start collecting their pension), therefore it would have been better if she sat down with Bobby and shared her concerns about what she wants to do. However, instead of getting that, the audience saw her talking to Hen about it which is cool because FINALLY, after 84 years of them not having any best friends time, they talked but at the same time, it would have been helpful for women struggling with a decision like hers in real life so they could see how to approach it with their spouses or significant others. Second, Sparks was a hothead, she knew it but her captain was too concerned about the amount of money the city spends to train them. She should have listened to Athena and if she would have then that innocent woman wouldn't have been shot in front of her daughter.

PSA: I live in the U.S. and tempers have been palpable here for the last 9 years and with everything that's getting ready to happen in 10 weeks, this IS NOT THE TIME to air an officer involved shooting on TV. It was in bad taste especially with everything that's going on and that has happened in the past. I'm a woman of color and flashbacks of four years ago came to mind and I really didn't need to see that on my screen. I live blogged and my post after it happened proved that I was in shock.

Bobby's nightmare with the "Hotshots" TV show continued and what a cluster f~ck that was. First, the new chief is a jerk (I said it last season when he took credit for the cruise ship rescue) and he's a spinless jellyfish. It IS NOT Bobby's job to do the chief's job but he laid it in his lap and told him to handle it. WTF? He did it because he knew Bobby wouldn't say anything but the chief should have met with Gerrard and explained what was happening. Instead, he sent Bobby to clean up the mess. While I'm on the subject, who replaced Gerrard with a pod person? He was so unrecognizable it was ridiculous. Second, why was Brad allowed to job shadow with Bobby after all the mess he's caused? Buck, Chimney and Hen (I'm not including Eddie because in 6x1 he said he didn't want Bobby to ask him about being captain) are all right there and Bobby's NEVER offered to let any of them job shadow with him but there's a rude actor who throws his weight around on set and he just gets to do whatever TF he wants? Ridiculous! Third, it appears their setting up Bobby's retirement arc too but why don't they do better by him and Athena? Let them sit down and discuss their career goals. They're building a house so why not let the audience hear them say what they plan to do once it's finished?

OAN: Where is Harry? He was recast last season but he hasn't been back since.

Henren

Hen was barely in last night's episode and even though she had two episodes this season, why has her arc come to a standstill? In 8x5, her and Karen were arguing about Hen working so much especially on the holidays but it was wrapped up with a line from Karen, "I'm glad you were working." 🙄 Since they have two kids at home, it would be nice to see Hen talk to Bobby about working a flexible schedule or adjusting the schedule so they can work rotating holidays. Reminder, Madney's getting ready to have a baby (I'll talk about this next) which means Chimney might go out on paternity leave so there are some things that should be discussed to prepare the 118 for whatever is going to happen. Also, what happened to Hen and Chimney's friendship? They haven't been shown as besties since before season 7. I know Madney stepped in to help them with Mara but it seems like the showrunner replaced Hen and Chimney's dynamic by pushing Henren and Madney storylines together. All four of them were always friends but Chimney and Hen have a ride or die friendship and I'd like to see more of that again. I'm not counting the argument they had in 7x2 about having each other's back because that was a big nothing burger.

Madney

Maddie and Chimney have been relegated to the back since their wedding in 7x6 and used to help Henren keep Mara but once they finally got a storyline of their own (Maddie's pregnancy) it was once again put on the back burner so Maddie could worry about her brother. She's his big sister but she was holding back their good news because she didn't want to make him feel bad. There was a better way to handle this and it sadden me especially after all that Madney went through with their first pregnancy. Granted Buck figured it out and he was happy for them but they deserve to celebrate this pregnancy. It's good news and they shouldn't have to hide it from anyone. While I'm on the subject, I'm happy for them but at the same time, last night gave season 4 vibes and it seems like Maddie's pregnancy will be used to bring the horrible and emotionless Buckley parents back. TM is doing a repeat of season 4 so IMO, Phillip and Margaret will be there in 8B before Maddie gives birth and it seems like it'll be another "Love me anyway" moment for Buck and another rude comment from Margaret about Maddie's age but we'll see.

Chimney hasn't had a storyline all his own since the engagement ring debacle in season 6 (I'm not counting 7x6 because Doug was in it and that was a CHOICE). I'm really hoping they won't sideline him and just make him be the dad again like they did in season 5. KC deserves his own storylines just like the other mains and it would be great if he could get them. Also, I miss his friendship with Hen.

Buddie

Buck is still trying to get over a breakup and I get it, I really do but he didn't know that dude from a can of paint and he spent the entire 6 months doing the same thing he always does and that's identify himself via the person he's with. He did it with all his previous love interests, therefore, it would be nice to see Buck take some time and do some retrospection on why his relationships always fall apart. I'd like to see him ask himself why no one wants to stay. What is it about him that makes them want to leave? Until he answers those questions, he'll remain on the hamster wheel. I know I'm in the minority but I don't want to see Buck going on any dates or hooking up with random people because he has attachment issues. He doesn't know how to separate them like some people do and his first scene in season 1x1 proved it. He had sex with a woman he met on an app but when he tried to get to know her, she told him he was good at whatever they just did but she didn't want to ruin it by getting to know him. That's been his entire existence on this show and I'm ready to see Buck grow. Sure, he stressed baked and that's cool or what not but I would have liked it better if he actually looked at his past to see what he's been doing. It's not healthy for him to identify himself through the eyes of someone else. Furthermore, when is ANYONE FROM THE 118 going to tell him the truth? Family should be able to share the good and the bad so why hasn't someone suggested he do that? I know Maddie deals with him like she's wearing kid gloves and I'm not saying they need to tell him everything but someone should suggest he take a step back from dating at least until he figures out what he wants. Does he want to get married? Does he want a family? No one knows including Buck because he's never said it. He did tell Eddie he loves kids but IIRC, he's never admitted if he wants to have one of his own. Additionally, Buck should have these conversations before he gets in too deep with someone or else things will end up like before. He was on a different page than all his previous love interests and it was clear they wanted different things but they NEVER TALKED ABOUT IT AND THAT'S F~CKING FRUSTRATING.

Be clear, Eddie is my favorite character and I'm frustrated with the way his storyline has been handled this season. For six years, his arcs have been sidelined and made about Buck but the one season when he finally gets an arc of his own, it's pushed aside and not focused on. I didn't expect last night's episode to be Buddie centric but what I did expect was to see more movement in Eddie's storyline. We haven't seen him attempt to talk to Chris but once and that was in 8x1. Why hasn't he taken a quick trip to El Paso? Newsflash, GM doesn't have to be in the scene the same way he wasn't in 5x17 when Eddie and Pepa went to Texas for Ramon's retirement party. I want to see some movement on this front because Eddie's a great dad and it doesn't make narrative sense for him to be helping Mike reconnect with Weston when Eddie hasn't been shown trying to visit his own son. He said he didn't want his parents raising him so what is happening here? Are they just going to let Helena and Ramon raise Chris for the next year? This is unacceptable on all fronts. Also, what does Eddie do besides go to work? Other than showing him dance to "Old time rock and roll" in 8x6 and him packing away his Halloween decorations in 8x5, NO ONE knows what he does when he goes home. They don't have to show it but it would be nice to hear him say he went to a class or he took a weekend trip. It's not fair for Eddie (Chimney too) to be sidelined in favor of others. While it's true a lot of his screen time was wrapped up in Buck's relationship, Eddie deserves to have his own storyline and I for one was excited to see him happy. It appears that's over until 8B and who knows what kind of BS they'll throw in there within four months.

Finally, I want to talk about my overall impression of last night's episode. Why were there so many guest stars when people we know and love haven't been seen? Where's Ravi, Linda, Sue (she was in Aisha's birthday video) Detective Ransone, Detective Romero all of the others that have guest starred on the show? They brought a rookie cop on for one episode and it was asinine. Flash Rob could have been a no name actor since they didn't really do anything with his character.

I want to see the main characters grow professionally and personally. If they don't, it'll be the same old same old and the show will continue to struggle. People get bored when storylines are rehashed and they aren't moving so TM needs to move their stories along before viewership falls any lower than it already has.

I don't have any hopes for next week and if it ends like 6x9 did, on a dud, I won't be surprised.

This is my overall review and I expected more from last night. The editing was sloppy and a lot of the things included in the promo were cut for who knows what. I wanted to see Buck and Jee-Yun baking but that was maybe 20 seconds. I also wanted to see less of Brad and if he ends up working at the 118, then WTF? It seems like TM is setting it up so he can change careers at an older age but I don't want that. Grow the MAINS WHO ARE THERE NOW BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE IS ADDED TO THE DAMN CAST.

I'll end this here because I'm getting frustrated just thinking about what may happen for the remainder of season 8.

[justafterjericho]

PEACKEEPING OCCUPATION?!!!ZAUN'S PERVERSE ABOMINATIONS???!!!! FUCK YOU CAITLYN!!!!!!! (I'm at the start of the 5th episode and had to take a pause and write this rant to calm myself xD)

But also on serious note I really like how they've been writting Caitlyn this seasons. I've been kinda annoyed at the forth episode and Caitlyn being all peaceful on Ambessa (while we see what's actually happening in Zaun), but in retrospect I really like it. Because it really shows that Catelyn is still Caitlyn.

I've seen posts here about how the Caitlyn we know is still in there and it kinda felt like what Vi did with Jinx the whole time in the 1st season - the "She's till there, I can reach her". Like 10 years old Powder (or however old was she in s1a1) was somewhere hidden (inprisoned) inside the whole nightmare that is Jinx (from Vi perspective) and the moment Vi reached her sister and "free her" Jinx would become the (idealised version of) little Powder. It was the kind of cliché that you can see in lots of media, but I'm pretty sure people actually don't work like that. Jinx is different from Powder because of shit ton of trauma but also because she's quite older. Her exsperiences shaped her and because they were so extreme, they shaped her extremely, but Jinx and Powder are the same person just at the different point of time. Jinx herself my visualise the change as POwder being death but that doesn't make it actually true. Vi, after her own trauma from the end of s1e3 and the years in prison views change as something inherently scary and when she realised both that her sister won't turn back to little Powder and that her sister is pretty unstable and quite terrible person who did terrible things, decided to continue her divorcing od Powder and Jinx but instead of trying to save Powder decided that Powder (her sister) is death and was killed by Jinx (not her sister) who's pretending to be Powder and thus defyling her memory. Which is quite interesting from the perspective of what it shows us about Vi and her phsyche but doesn't change that it isn't true. Vi my disown Jinx as her sister, that's her right and I wouldn't even really blame her (even though I symphatised with Jinx a lot in the first season and I actually really like her thgis one), but that doesn't change the fact that Powder survived and changed and became Jinx, Powder didn't die, she changed but she's still alive only now she's using a name Jinx.

Unlike Jinx, Caitlyn didn't actually changed during years of growing up from child to adult (or almost adult) after big traumatic event, for her there wasn't really that big of a time between the traumatic event and present time in act 2. I still kinda thought that she would like became this merciless dictator doing war crimes unrecognizable from Caityn in season one, but she didn't, not really. Well she's dictator doing and allowing terrible things to happen (including war crimes) but at the same time she's still quite recognizable as Caitlyn in what she's saying, in how she's thinking. She's not some nightmerish version of Caitlyn under which the "real Caitlyn" from season 1 can be found. She's Caitlyn who was traumatised and before that spent her whole life in very privileged positions raised with lots of biases, that now reared their ugly heads when they become justified to her. But she's not a wholy different person. And she doesn't see herself as a bad person - so she's justifiyng all her actions while being quite self-righteous (her conversation with Ambessa - it's easy to see the "Old Cait" here with the whole peaceful speaking, but you have to ignore the fact that she's actually in charge, Ambessa is manipulating her, yes, but Caitlyn is the one making decisions, Caitlyn is the one who made the decisions to "peacefully occupy" Zaun, who's letting all the police brutaloity happen and at the same time she's moralizing to Ambessa and I don't think she's seeing the irony).

[johanna-swann]

The annoying thing about the break up is that it would have made so much more sense if they'd had Tommy break it off because of any of the multiple things Buck says in that conversation that are kind of weird. The vibe that Buck also kind of wants to be Tommy, which isn't helped by him replacing Tommy twice over. The fact that it's been six months of Tommy apparently being open about the kind of work he had to do on himself to get to this point but Buck still hasn't really taken Tommy off the pedestal. Asking someone who probably has a house to move in to a loft. Springing a mention of a possible future marriage on him when it doesn't seem like it's come up before. The writing in this episode was so bad but they still managed to unintentionally give Tommy actual reasons to decide he was done.

I'm not sure what Buck "replacing Tommy" is referring to here, but a lot of the other stuff I agree with. Even upon first glance that break-up made so little sense to me that I immediately jumped to the conclusion that this was merely one of the "hurdles" we were promised and they'd get back together in season 8b.

It was always a possibility that Tommy wouldn't be Buck's "forever love", but the way they broke up was... strange, to say the least.

First of all the Abby thing makes zero sense. It doesn't fit with the way Abby talked about her ex. Even if she didn't want to talk to Buck about being engaged before, she would've at least mentioned to Carla that the terrible break-up she had to relive over and over again came from her fiancé, not just a boyfriend. It doesn't make sense that Tommy never mentioned her to the 118 either. She was basically his beard, right? Isn't the point of those relationships that you can pretend to be straight in front of others? And then Tommy actively hid his relationship with her instead?

This only served as a conversation starter though, it wasn't the reason they broke up. In his conversation with Josh Buck didn't feel comfortable using the l-word, but he did admit seeing and wanting a future with Tommy. Which he later also said to Tommy himself.

Then the very moment Buck said the words "move in" I immediately went "not a-fucking-gain!!" Because this rushed, overcorrecting clinging - throwing ideas of marriage and so on around without even having exchanged "I love you"s yet - is such a Buck 2.0 thing to do. He didn't even take into consideration that Tommy lives in an entire ass house. You promised us Buck would get off the Hamster wheel Tim! He has been more grounded than I've ever seen him in a relationship, but then suddenly, nope. Character growth who?

And lastly Tommy's answer. Maybe he just got cold feet, but. Why did he even give Buck a second chance in the first place when he already thought this wasn't going to go anywhere. If he thought what Buck needed were more casual queer experiences, then why did he stay with Buck for six months? And if he liked Buck enough to be afraid of getting his heart broken, wouldn't he have left that relationship earlier?

I mean. They ended up breaking things off over liking each other too much, essentially. Find the sense in that.

And maybe while Tommy was too pessimistic and scared, Buck was still viewing the relationship too much through rose-tinted glasses. But that's when you say: "Hey, we kind of want the same thing here, but I think we still have a lot to talk about and to figure out about each other. Maybe let's just date a little longer and come back to this conversation in two or three months."

(Though I think Tommy struggling and working on himself is one of the very things Buck so admires about him. It's not that Buck is (love-) blind to this information, it's part of what makes Tommy's confidence so attractive to Buck.)

[joontroverted]

a month or so ago, tengen told me that we were going on a picnic date, and i got all dolled up. so imagine my surprise when he took me to his family graveyard and paid our respects to them (rest in peace, thank you for your sexy genes and your sexy generational wealth) and ate under the cherry blossoms as though they were not dead and buried beneath us <3 as sweet as it was of him to want to share that part of him with me and meet his family, i very very kindly asked for a do over, this time with just us!

he's a busy man, but he would never compromise on his flashiness, so the moment the rainy season passed he took a whole day off just for our picnic date. all he told me was to wear something pretty and probably refrain from accessorizing much (all while he's the one who accessorizes the most among us). when the time comes, he takes me to the river down the town and surprises me with a picnic on a boat!

the breeze makes my hair sway behind me, and tengen cannot take his eyes off of as i gaze at the trees and vines we row under. he only ever seems to focus on the food when he's feeding me because he doesn't wanna mess up my lipgloss or spill over my pretty dress, what a man. he loves more of the intense seafood like pufferfish (which i have no particular interest in) but he splurged on the seafood i generally like to have! we are stuffed by the time we get to other side of town. he takes me on a walk where we lock arms and lean into each other (me more on him because he's 6'6" and broad) while he shows me around the town. he eventually takes me to the marketplace that is well known for their jewellery and buys me a pretty waist chain (ps not the chain in the pic lol) and rings and earrings (he knows me too welllll)!

we finally settle down by the meadow alongside the river where he lays me down, and tells me stories of the places he's been to and the places he wants to take me too. he's a hopeless simp for me, so trust, when he sees a rose he immediately picks it up and presents it to me (a rose for my ruby he says, he is so lame i love him). the rose is the color of his eyes and the color of my lips and the color of his lips soon because we can't resist kissing, and ohhh we kissed for so long, till a fucking mosquito bit me </3 the only thing biting your ass (yes he hiked my skirt up that much) and smudging your lips is me, he says, as he calls for the boatman for a boat back home immediately.

our loyal and understanding boatman does not even comment a lil bit on how i started the day with no jewelry and red lips and ended the day with lots of jewelry and my lover covered in my lipstick :)

ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚ sooo very late to post this because it's such a cute and dreamy selfship prompt and i wanted to write something right because i don't write so much about my selfships! we are engaged to be engaged here, so he's courting me! i was confused as to whom to write about at first but then marena lovie wrote for me with kei, kento and toji and i could not live up to her lovely ideas lolll so that gave me the oppurtinity to write for tengen! look how carried away i've gotten 😭

no pressure tags: @awwgasm @cursingtoji @gothbachira @chuuyasboots @nappingmoon + anyone who wants to join in!!

in light of missing the warmth of spring & summer, let’s make some picnic plans with our partners ! find a picnic location, a food you absolutely have to bring with you, your picnic date outfit & something you n’ your partner do during the picnic ! i’ll go first !

zayne always picks spots by water whenever we go out on picnics because he knows i love it so much (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) and we bring plenty of books to read !! unfortunately he brings medical textbooks and i bring dark romance books so we don’t share what we’re reading ૮(˶˃ᆺ˂˶) i’ll always bake jam tarts to bring with us & zayne always makes it a habit of feeding me one…

tagging a few of my favourite selfshipping babies (absolutely no pressure) & of course it’s open tags anyways !! @heiayen @mlkbwunnies @kokonoiis @tetsuskei @qichun @osamwah @kentophilia

[illusioncanthurtme--art]

Physically? I am sitting in my bedroom. Mentally? Spiritually? I AM DEAD ON THE FLOOR!!!!! THESE TWO HAVE KILLED ME!!!!

(Another drawing! This was originally attempt #1 at drawing stan, and then fiddleford just showed up. Kinda feels like them five minutes after the above acting like nothing happened though, so it works sdjkgkjfshj)