#i'm like well i see why he did that and i think it makes sense even if i don't like it and wish he wasn't doing it

[mikansei]

from the trailblazer's perspective:

we met some weird guy who wears a statue on his head, who was kind of a dick to us, but then we went on a little entomological field trip where he was oddly encouraging. surprisingly nice to us afterward for all that he literally interrogated us first. but herta runs around as a doll and we're plenty weird ourselves, so dr. ratio is whatever, i guess. we probably think of him as "that weirdo who was on the herta space station once," which is an association i'm sure he'd hate - but hey, at least we don't call him "scholar king."

from the trailblazer's perspective:

we met some flashy IPC guy because we accidentally held him up in line at the hotel check-in, himeko tried to negotiate and it turns out he's a professional cutthroat negotiator, but it all worked out and he gave us his fancy room. he also loomed over us with freaky glowing eyes and maybe threatened us, but it was kinda vague and it's not like he really hurt us. well... until he did. the trailblazer gets the opportunity to be verbally sore about that, but the fight didn't really feel like cocolia, like phantylia; like aventurine had gone mad and wanted to take over and/or destroy the world. his grandstanding didn't make any sense to us at the time, though, and fighting him sucked ass. but we lived and - as we found out eventually - so did he.

then the trailblazer boards the radiant feldspar, and we see aventurine's hologram talking with ...boothill? okay. who explicitly says they're working out some kind of shady underhanded deal to find oswaldo schneider which, subtlety thy name is not boothill, but that's none of our business i guess. but aventurine's there(-ish) and alive and not cackling mad, which is an improvement.

then we go into the next room over and see that herta space station weirdo, dr. ratio.

huh???

and the first thing he says to us is "no wonder that gambler likes you so much."

huh???????

everything about this is news to the trailblazer. since when is dr. ratio not only on penacony, but in the dreamscape, aboard the exclusive invitation-only dream cruise ship? since when does he not only know of aventurine, but was apparently on this mission with him? since when does aventurine like us??? we just got done mutually trying to kill each other! his hologram didn't seem sore about it, which is great for us, but doesn't exactly translate into "like!"

why are we hearing this from him and not aventurine? why does he know aventurine's thoughts on us in the first place?

dr. ratio really just shows up, yaps about aventurine unprompted, recommends us reading material, complains about the crowd and then is like "k i'm done here. ur dismissed."

the trailblazer had bigger things to think about but i, the player, do not. the fandom at large may feel like 2.3 fell flat, but the fall of the roman empire is still within the wheelhouse of my roman empire. i never left the radiant feldspar. i am still aboard this fucking ship.

[liketolaugh-writes]

I'm confused about how you read that entire exchange and apparently did not absorb it but I think you maybe need to watch Danny Phantom again.

Yes. I am aware of all of those mentalities. I am aware that a large portion of the DPxDC fandom wants Danny to expect Superman to be Kon's parent (because apparently parenthood is something that can be forced on you and God forbid you feel violated.) I am aware of where Danny gets the grudges that people invent for him (a character that does not hold grudges against anyone except Vlad.) I am aware that there are multiple Flashes and that Danny is equally happy to insult all of them (because talking back to authority is a thing that Danny does. Ever. In his canon.) And I am well aware of how much of the DPxDC fandom likes to portray the Justice League as a bunch of idiots, which... is also not consistent with any of their canons and just, again, comes down to the chip-in-the-shoulder a lot of people seem to carry for heroes these days.

None of that is what I'm addressing. Fandom is built on headcanons and expanded universe, and it's great to build those things! It's great for them to build extra backstory to meld the two universes together, to fill out Danny's kind of flimsy canon, to have Danny already have opinions based on that backstory. You can write all these things if you want. I understand that people enjoy them, and DPxDC has a particularly mutated fanon that people have built over years now. People love these stories!

The part that I am illustrating is that the manner in which it's usually carried out is extremely unlike Danny. See above (far above) characterization notes. But especially, doubly so, for a Danny that grew up knowing and loving the Justice League for most of his childhood, before he had any reason to resent them.

Quite frankly, out of anyone, I would expect Danny - who routinely fights for a town that hated him for half the cartoon, and rescues people that have been cruel to him personally - to understand how terribly difficult it is to be a hero at all. To understand that they work hard to save people every day, that the Flashes time-traveled under great duress and out of pure desperation (as Danny usually does), and to understand that anyone who works around the clock to rescue people is, fundamentally, a good person even when they make mistakes or act out in anger. Repeatedly - with Valerie, with Dora, with Ghost Writer and Dash and Amorpho - Danny is shown to have an intense sense of empathy that lets him forgive people who have acted against him and are not sorry about it.

(And, personally, I think that Danny, having been cloned, would understand how violated Superman felt even if he doesn't agree with how he responded - but that's speculation, I suppose.)

And finally, while I understand the motives writers have for this portrayal (see, again, above notes about fandoms with sweet protagonists that take a lot of shit) the problem is that this vengeful behavior people want him to have is extremely out of character for a boy who:

Apologizes to Dash for something Dash doesn't even know he did (overshadowing him to stick his head in a trash can)

Goes to intentionally let his dad capture him because his dad was having a really bad day

Is the first to suggest a truce the moment he thinks an antagonistic character might be open to it (true of Valerie, Dash, all of his rogues, and occasionally even Vlad)

Once genuinely thought Jazz was beating him up out of anger and responded by apologizing and trying to convince her to calm down

Pretty much only ever just wants people to get along?

I also don't know why you assumed I was basing my entire opinion off drabbles and dialogue snippets, because... no? The stimulus for this entire post was in fact a fic of nearly 10k, which I stopped reading because I was so mortified that Danny kept insulting people that were actively helping him and being considerate and understanding? I don't even read drabbles outside of Tumblr. I prefer longfics, always, and I assure you that I still see all of this pretty regularly. I don't think I've once seen someone imply that Danny holding a grudge is unusual for him.

Why is Danny everyone’s mouthpiece for their random grudges against various superheroes? Why is it SO COMMON for Danny to show up and immediately start chewing people out?

Like. Danny? Mr. ‘My Parents Shoot At Me But It’s Fine’? Mr. ‘Dates The One Ghost Hunter At His School’? Danny ‘Dash Can Shove Me Around I Guess’ Fenton? Holds a bunch of grudges against popular superheroes and tries to punch them at the first available opportunity??

I know it’s become a pretty popular characterization in fandom for Danny to be pretty testy/spiteful, I just don’t really get it

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

So for new year cards...

Jack SSR is actually so cool; I like it. Malleus SSR is beautiful and all, but he really reminds me of a bride in forced marriage tropes. 😭

[Referencing the Twst JP Jan 2025 schedule!]

Finally, some good fucking food for Jack stans 😭 Port Fest feels like so long ago… fbjssbdjjs I feel like I can’t appreciate his design as much as others can. I’m not into the skintight undershirt on a character as buff as Jack is, and I'm confused as to why his gloves are... like that??? But!! I do like his fluffly little boa thing and how enthusiastic his pose is. You can tell he’s really putting his all into the New Year Sale~!

Malleus got another new hairstyle (any hairstyle that's different than his default one is a win in my book www)!! I think it's a well-liked look among his fans; I already saw so many people commenting that he looks like a love interest in a reborn as a villainess isekai or something to that effect.

I also saw some chatter around the thin fabric that Malleus seems to have over himself. A common joke is that it's a "wedding veil", but given the traditional Japanese clothes everyone is wearing for the new year, it's more likely also a Japanese article of clothing. A friend theorized that it's a 被衣 (kazuki/katsugi), a garment worn over the head that fully covers the body. These are mostly donned by noblewomen to cover their faces when they go out--and that sort of makes sense, given that Malleus himself is a noble. How demure and mindful... I thought the veil could also be a frost blanket (you know, to protect the budding flowers from the cold)?? But I'm not entirely sure right now; maybe the vignettes will give us more context!

A friend and I were speculating as to what flowers might be featured in the initial card art and the conclusion we came to was ume (plum) blossoms. The color and shape are similar, and they're a classic flower in winter anime. Something else I noticed was that the same flowers seem to appear in Sebek's New Year Attire from two years ago! If you compare Malleus and Sebek, you'll notice that the lighting is much warmer in Sebek's too. In fact, all previous SSR cards are pretty much like that, save for maybe Trey but at least Trey is shown to be in front of the shop. It really makes Malleus's card "stick out", since he's the only one that appears to be in a lonely and isolated location, just him and the plum blossoms.

On the subject of clothing worn by Japanese women! The same friend and I talked about Jamil's New Year Attire too. (Figured I'd throw this in here since I'm already talking about the other three 2025 New Year boys. Don't wanna leave him out, y'know??)

You can see that he has his hood up in the initial card artwork; my friend joked that Jamil's a newlywed. Why? Brides that choose to dress traditionally for their wedding days wear a wide white headdress/hood called a 角隠し (tsunokakushi), which covers an elaborate hairstyle like Jamils'/j. The "tsuno" (horns, as I'm sure you're all familiar with) in the name refers to the "horns of jealousy"; the tsunokakushi is meant to blanket the jealousy so she can enter her new married life at peace.

Of course, the shape, color, and context of the tsunokakushi is very different than what Jamil's got going on and the Twst team most likely did not intend for this comparison to be drawn, but I thought that this was interesting to share ^^ (*feeds Jamuil yumes this delulu cultural trivia*)

Aaaand let's close out with Floyd! The answer to his question is simple, actually. To put one's arm inside the kimono is just a very casual or relaxed way to pose. It suits Floyd and his attitude, doesn't it?

[impala124]

Bad Buddy Ep 5

My thoughts on Ep 1 | Ep 2 | Ep 3 | Ep 4

Me, at the end of this episode:

Well, @starryalpacasstuff, I understand why you were excited for me to get to this episode, because it was a lot. So, here we go:

Pat definitely isn't beating the puppy allegations with his propensity for sniffing everything.

Don't be a lying liar now, Pran; you think Pat's face is the epitome of cuteness. I know they are going to hurt me because they opened this episode with this domesticity.

Ok, I need 3 business days to process my feelings about Pran's doodles of their interactions. Pran, my beloved, is a top-tier yearner.

"There's nothing wrong with rewearing clothes." Pat is a sustainability king.

Ink, are you a PatPran shipper? If so, please join Pa, who is waiting for you in the corner with snacks.

Pat, tell me you didn't bring Ink to the place where you had your first date with Pran. You did? The betrayal! I guess I'll have to forgive you because you yourself weren't aware that you were on a date with Pran.

Pa's in the house, guys. Reason has entered the chat. I love that she encourages him to know if his feelings for Ink are genuine or not.

I hope we get to see more of Ink and Pa together, even if it's just them being friends.

Oh, this is interesting. Pat is subconsciously realizing that he sees Pran in a different light. What exactly? He doesn't know. I do feel bad for my confused son, though.

Pran saw Pat and Ink on their date at the mall. Why is the world conspiring against my boy to only cause him pain?

So, we're going the jealousy route now, aren't we?

Not Pat asking Pran if Wai ever spent the night in the dorm 💀💀. And Pran, totally unaware of Pat's emotional turmoil, answered that Wai in fact did sleep right where Pat did.

These flashbacks are killing me. Pran was really soft-launching a confession by saying that he wanted to compose a song that conveys the sense of 'born to be together.' AHHHHHHHH.

Something about Pat asking Pran if he would like him if Pran were Ink and Pa telling Pat that she would confess her feelings to Ink if she were Pat is making me wanna chew on glass.

Pran asking Pat if Ink is at the contest venue and saying that she should be there to support Pran😭😭😭😭.

NO. HE DID NOT. Pran, bestie, tell me you didn't belt out the song that you wrote with your high school 'friend' in a competition against him. You did! Is it petty? Maybe. Petty Pran is in the house and I AM LIVING. I support him 100 percent.

Ink, the woman that you are!!! "You don't seem to be afraid of heartbreak." She was spitting nothing but facts here. Now that Pat knows where he and Ink stand, I hope she remains being a great friend to him because my boy's a mess, and he can use all the help he can get while sorting out his romantic feelings for Pran. I don't think his friends are going to be of any help in this matter. He has Pa, but I think Ink can be more objective when it comes to Pran.

Pat is jealous that his 'friendship' with Pran is a secret.

Pat really went from saying, "I'm not your wife," to acting like a jilted wife in this episode.

Pran, the philosopher that you are. I have half a mind to write about his "Nothing means nothing" to Wai regarding his relationship with Pat.

I'm not really feeling Wai here, guys. Pran asked him to not interfere, but why did he still hit Pat? Thank God that Pran, haver of all brain cells, told him to go home.

Was it only in Ep 2 that Pat wanted to meet the person who was crushing on him on the rooftop? We sure came a long way from there.

Pat is very open about his feelings. He doesn't know why he is feeling what he is feeling, but he still is trying to explain them to Pran.

If we're not enemies, do you think we can be friends? Why? Do you want us to be friends? No.

Can I get this etched onto my soul? Please and thank you.

THE KISS. God, the emotional weight it carried!! Their reactions after they part from the kiss are very telling—Pat has a smile on his face, and Pran is crying and not with joy. After Pran leaves him alone on the rooftop, I think it dawned on Pat as to what all just happened.

Side note on jealousy vs. envy:

Jealousy: to get upset and angry because someone you love seems interested in another person. Envy: to wish that you had something that another person has.

Pat is jealous when he sees Pran and Wai together. Pran, on the other hand, was envious of the person who was on the receiving end of Pat's affections. Jealousy wasn't what Pran had experienced till now when it came to Pat, because he never imagined that he had a chance with him. This is where we see the differences in their personalities and the reason for Pran, with tears down his cheeks, leaving Pat behind on the rooftop after their kiss. Pran has made peace with the fact that he'll be a yearner forever where Pat is concerned. Pat, my beloved, is a bit impulsive and wants to throw caution to the wind and see where things land, unlike Pran, who is a planner and enjoys structure and order in his life. Just because Pran had feelings for Pat for all these years doesn't mean that he thought about how he would deal with them if they were reciprocated. Classic yearner mindset!!

Tagging the usual suspects: @shortpplfedup, @incandescentflower, @starryalpacasstuff, @7nessasaryevils, @greenteadumplings, @grapejuicegay, @madworld-bbs, @usodeshou. If anyone wishes to be tagged in the future, let me know.

[aishangotome]

[Nica Schwartz] I Can't Return to a Time Before You Part Premium Ending

Startled by the scream, I turned around to see the woman from earlier stabbing the man.

Kate: Eh...?

Emaciated Noblewoman: It's your fault, it's all your fault!

Presumed Husband: Gyaaaaaah, Hyyyaaaah!!

She stabbed him repeatedly, and the man's hand, which had been resisting, slipped to the ground.

Kate: !!

Passerby Man: Someone get a doctor!!

The woman, straddling the man, started laughing as a pool of blood spread across the ground.

Emaciated Noblewoman: I did it, I did it!

Emaciated Noblewoman: Now I'm free!

(Free...?)

The familiar word was what Nica had just told the woman, and--

I gasped and looked up to see him wearing a faint smile.

Kate: Nica...?

Emaciated Noblewoman: To think I no longer have to see him buy women and keep them in the mansion, their numbers ever increasing! It's heaven!

Emaciated Noblewoman: Yes, where is he!?

The screaming woman's gaze turned towards us.

Frightened by her wide eyes, I instinctively stepped back, but--.

Nica: ...Humans really are stupid, aren't they?

His muttered words reached only my ears.

The woman, having thrown away the knife, approached us and was stopped by the city police who had rushed to the scene, but she shouted to Nica,

Emaciated Noblewoman: See, now I'm free!

Emaciated Noblewoman: So choose me over her!

At her clearly deranged behavior, he stepped in front of me protectively.

Kate: Nica!

Then, he approached the woman and tightly grasped her hand.

Nica: Whether you're free or not, my lover is this girl.

Nica: I have no intention of going out with any other woman, and besides, we only talked once, right?

The moment he let go of her hand, the stunned woman began to tremble.

Nica: Auf Wiedersehen. We'll probably never meet again.

*Auf Wiedersehen is "goodbye," but literally translates to "until we see each other again." In this context, Nica may have said it with a sarcastic underdone, saying goodbye while implying that he hopes he never sees her again.

He gave her a cold look, put his arm around my waist, and started walking.

Emaciated Noblewoman: W-what? Why did I do this?

Emaciated Noblewoman: Noooooooooo!!

Nica: Don't look.

He pulled me closer, and as we walked away, the woman's cries echoed behind us, a stark contrast to her earlier triumphant shouts.

-

In the quiet city night, away from the commotion,

Nica: Oh dear, we wasted time on something unnecessary despite being on a date.

My heart was still pounding loudly.

Nica: You must have been scared. I was surprised too; I never thought she would kill someone.

Kate: ...Didn't you use your ability?

Nica: Eh?

He stopped walking and looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Kate: Didn't you use your ability to charm her and make her kill him?

My voice trembled, but I couldn't help but ask.

(Nica's ability is to charm people, and the condition for activation is to hold their hand.)

(At that time, Nica held the woman's hand and told her to be brave.)

After that, she seemed to become like a different person and killed someone. Then, when he held her hand again, she seemed to return to her senses. Seeing this,

Kate: I can't imagine her changing like that unless you used your ability.

That was more than enough reason to believe he had used his ability.

Silence fell, and only the sound of the river flowing reached my ears.

How much time had passed? A heavy atmosphere lingered until he finally sighed.

Nica: ...What if I said I did use it?

Kate: Huh...?

Nica: But there's no proof that I used it, and it was her own will that killed her husband, right?

Nica: I didn't tell her to kill him.

Nica: Well, it's true that there were dark rumors about him.

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, I was at a loss for words.

Nica: He was killed because of a grudge.

Nica: I have nothing to do with it.

(This person...)

His demeanor, as if the man deserved to be killed, made me feel a chill down my spine.

(Why...?)

Today was fun, he was a wonderful person, and I felt happy spending time with him.

I didn't realize.

(I didn't know anything about the true nature of Vogel.)

Just like Crown, who punishes evil with evil, Nica, who belongs to Vogel, might also be on the side of evil.

Nica: Hey, little Robin. Am I the bad guy?

Kate: I don't know if you're a bad guy or not.

Kate: But if you really did use your ability...

Kate: I despise you for turning a woman who wasn't supposed to be a murderer into one.

Nica: ...Hah.

His scornful laughter made me flinch, but I continued to stare at him without fear.

Nica: You really are an interesting girl.

He took a step closer, then another, and before I knew it, I was cornered against the railing.

Nica: But this is troubling. I don't want you to hate me.

Nica: Because right now, I seriously want to make you fall for me.

Kate: !

Suddenly, he grabbed my chin and forced me to look up.

His face was so close that our lips almost touched, and his sensual scent tickled my nose as I held my breath.

His deep blue eyes narrowed seductively, capturing my gaze, and he whispered,

Nica: Hey, why don't we...

His sweet and charming voice, like a whisper, temptingly swayed my heart.

Nica: ...really start dating?

(Oh, maybe I can't go back anymore.)

--What bloomed in the dark night was a white, evil flower.

FIN

.

.

.

Part 2 | Bitter Ending

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[stromblessed]

this tweet is absolutely one of the milder ones i've seen on my feed which just proves i need to stop looking at twitter but this example of shipping goggles leading to basic misinterpretations of arcane season 1 scenes that are quite cut and dry thematically might be the straw that breaks my back

what do you MEAN Viktor was being gentle. what do you MEAN viktor was calm. he was not. Viktor says "you... ordered this? why?" he's surprised, offended, and sounds almost betrayed at the idea that jayce would order the blockade. viktor is confused, then flabbergasted, then angry, then furious. there is a gradient between "gentle and calm" and "screaming spitting mad" and viktor is somewhere in the middle of that gradient, but just because he isn't screaming and yelling at jayce, that doesn't mean he was either gentle or calm

"what difference does that make?" is also not calm - it's showing that Jayce has not been fully mask-off prejudiced in front of Viktor before, and Viktor is so thrown that Jayce would and does take the mask off in this moment, showing that Jayce is not so different from the average prejudiced citizen of Piltover despite being Viktor's friend, that he is genuinely asking what is going through Jayce's head. Viktoris trying to make Jayce make some sense, but the words do still show confusion and distress

and then "I'm from the undercity" IS angry, now that Viktor realizes what Jayce is saying and why. he is not being gentle or calm or even all that understanding towards Jayce - Viktor is hurt and angry and he lashes out to make Jayce think twice about what he's just said, though the damage has been done because Jayce's words and actions have combined to move us and Viktor towards an understanding of who Jayce is and what he truly believes when his back is up against the wall

also i can't count how many times people have re-interpreted Viktor slapping Jayce's hand away as a cute funny thing he does, rather than an act of anger - frustrated, righteous anger

the reason reading this made me so frustrated is because it's one more step toward the broader fandom's continuing re-imagining of Viktor as a mild, sweet, often passive character

and to take it one step further in what i've observed, it helps re-imagine Viktor as someone who is versed enough in the prejudices Zaunites face on the daily to easily handle Jayce's prejudiced words and behavior. this serves not only to make Viktor sweeter, gentler, and frankly smaller than he is in canon - especially in season 1 - but also, depending on the day, may try to make Viktor more "perfect" and noncombatant, ignorant or completely separated from the concept of the Piltover/Zaun conflict, a more "ideal" activist (an aspect of his character that is implied in season 1 and then is unfortunately all but abandoned in season 2), or just more well-versed in Zaun vs. Piltover sociopolitics, which he simply is not. Viktor is both clever, and also a messier, less heroic character than all that, while still being a target of Jayce's prejudice directly but mostly, usually, indirectly. and Viktor does not perfectly understand this. he only knows and sees enough to be offended and frustrated throughout the story

there's having one's own interpretations of canon, and then there's mischaracterizing consistently and constantly, leading to the state of the fandom today where it's increasingly difficult to have nuanced conversations about characters like Viktor or Jayce. why not ship jay//vik but WITH Viktor's anger, the complications, and the messiness

or is that not an option now that the writing of season 2 glossed over any difficult social or political concepts that did exist in season 1

[kawa-goat]

General Thoughts on Buried Secrets (Hello Neighbor)

Not sure if I'd classify this as a rant post or not. Spoilers ahead, obviously.

If some of my points don't make sense, we can discuss it in the comments. It's 1AM by the time I'm writing this post, so forgive me if the text feels all slammered and not cohesive.

Took me a decade to finish it, but the secrets were unburied (like Jay would say).

And holy crap, I have pretty strong feelings about this book.

Okay, it's not that bad, but comparing to the previous two... it felt flat. I don't know how the explain it in more cohesive terms, but it didn't hit the same way the previous two did.

First, I like the ending. Though it ended on a pretty sad note, this is exactly what the Nicky trilogy (it feels surreal to actually type that) was leading up to.

The very prologue of Missing Pieces is a warning for Nicky to stop wandering, else he'd not make home some day. Nicky's character in general is centered around that: wandering.

"Oh, but what happened after he got kidnapped? What about Nicky's friends? How did he escape?"

Questions like this come from a misunderstanding. The books aren't meant to be your introduction to the lore. They're meant to be an additional piece of information, for those that were curious about the world of Hello Neighbor and wanted to know more about the past.

The true story is told in the games. Make no mistake—Hello Neighbor is a gaming franchise. The story originates from the games.

The ending of Buried Secrets is one-to-one with Act 1 for a reason. You're meant to read these books with the knowledge from the games. So that when you read the trilogy, you went: "Oh, so that's how it happened."

At least, this should be in theory. The sad reality is that games just fucking suck in storytelling and gameplay, to the point where the actual plot is shoved aside for other matters. That's why, in most cases for fans, the books act as an introduction to the story of the games, instead of how it should be in the other way around.

This is why Buried Secrets ends in this cliffhanger way. It's a prequel of the games, but it isn't meant to be an introduction. It's meant to be an additional explanation. You can blame the games' lack of quality for this.

Anyway, I liked the ending because it tied up Nicky's wandering arc in a pretty neat way.

... And that's it. That's literally the only thing that I like about this book. Everything else feels forced just to reach this specific ending.

I'm not sure if Carly was forced to make this a trilogy, but either way this definitely harmed the pacing and plot. Every character is written in a specific way that feels a little unrealistic based on the previous books.

See, Nicky is supposed to break into Peterson's house alone, without the help of his friends. Their method of justifying this is by having literally everyone in town suspecting that Nicky was the one behind the weird activities. No matter how illogical that seems.

My biggest complaint is Maritza.

Like, I won't lie that she isn't reasonable at first glance. Maritza is tired of fighting. She wants to move on. She thinks Nicky is changing for worse because of his obsession with the case. This is all understandable.

The problem is, instead of trying to convince him to move on, she would rather believe he did all of this to frame Peterson specifically? Despite knowing what Theodore's capable of, she'd rather believe that her closest friend would lie to everyone just to convince them of something they were already certain (that Theodore is fucking dangerous)?

I get they tried to apologize to Nicky by the end of the book, but it's too little and too late. Yeah, Peterson framed Nicky in an ill-timing, but would Nicky's only friends believe he'd actually do all of this ALONE?

It just doesn't feel natural.

The beginning and middle part of the book is literally Nicky getting kicked around like an abused puppy and being lonely again. The latter chapters, as well as Jay and Lu, kinda hard carries the entire book. Earthpro is not as interesting as it was in Waking Nightmare. And Buried Secrets tries really hard to get you to hate Trinity and Maritza with the "we are changing clubs" thing.

Overall, I wouldn't say It's a bad book, but definitely the weakest and most surreal among the three.

[rottenpumpkin13]

I kinda want to see the trilogy get completed now. We've heard from Sephiroth and Genesis, but what are some unhinged things that Angeal has said?

(Also, happy holidays :))

Angeal's brand of unhinged quotes is just him slowly losing his battle with sanity, composure and kindness towards his peers.

• "Genesis, I swear to the goddess who is sick of your shit, if you set ONE more thing ablaze for your 'artistic vision,' I'm going to make a fire extinguisher well acquainted with your ass, you dramatic matchstick."

• "Hey Sephiroth, here's a wild concept: That 7-foot sword isn't a can opener. I know basic tools are beneath your godlike intellect, but if you keep stabbing soda cans and then calling the resulting explosion a 'miscalculation,' I'm going to flip you upside down and use your head as A MOP."

• "You don't need 'organic, cruelty-free, ethically sourced' quinoa, Zack. You're going to drown it in hot sauce and eat it standing over the sink like usual anyway."

• *When asked why he has two mugs on his desk* "One says 'World's Best Mentor,' and the other says 'Please Kill Me.' Which one I use depends on the day."

• "To whoever dried their socks in the microwave: Congratulations! You've discovered how to make maintenance cry AND prove evolution can go backwards."

• "Sometimes I think about putting in a transfer request to literally anywhere else, but then I remember they'd probably still find a way to forward Zack to me."

Angeal: WHAT IS THIS? Zack: My secret snack stash! Angeal: WHY IS THERE CHALK IN HERE?

• "DO NOT. TOUCH. MY AIR-FRYER."

• "To whoever stuffed a whole turkey in the microwave, congratulations on finding yet another way to prove SOLDIER enhancement doesn't affect common sense."

• "Guys, I just mopped these floors. Now there's muddy boot prints all over it! Is basic hygiene too advanced for your enhanced brains, or do you just enjoy making my life hell?"

• "I saw a 20 gil candle today labeled 'smells like the ocean.' For that price, I better hear seagulls, taste saltwater, and feel sand in my ass."

• "Sephiroth, for someone who can sense danger, you sure don't sense when you're making the cadets cry by standing silently behind them in the elevator."

• *To Sephiroth and Genesis* "How do you two destroy a Wutai stronghold in thirty minutes, but take three hours to fold a basket of laundry? Is that like a skill of some kind?"

• "These mission reports read like a teenager's diary. 'And then I heroically swooped in'. Genesis, no the fuck you did not. I was there. You tripped over your own coat."

[miaukyuu]

just imagining being in a kpop group, you're that more quiet member, prefering to be in your own and not liking to be the center of attentions at all, it's kinda ironic that you're in a kpop group and doesn't like much attention, but you are there because you love music!

as any other kpop group, you and your members change hair colors to each era, or atleast change for the most important ones. but you don't really like this idea, not wanting to ruin your perfect hair, but your company always insisted on that, so after so much begging, you finally gave in. but it wasn't a big change, you just dyed a small racoon tail at the back of your hair, and after that day, you decided to paint your hair black, because it was harder to take off, so your company had no choice but leave you alone.

one of the group members, Shin Jungwoo, was also your best """friend""", or that was atleast what you called him, because anyone could see the stupid tension between you two and the way you looked at each other. but anyways! he was the complete opposite of you, he loved to be the center of attention, no doubt of why he was the center of the group, always talking a lot at the interviews, wearing eye-catching clothes, and obviously, dying his hair a lot. like seriously, a lot. he loved pastel colors, yellow, blue, purple, and his current one, pink. you two were in totally opposite sides of the color spectrum, and that made you a really good ""duo""!

obviously, with that, the ships would start, matching your doubtful relationship with the golden retriever and black cat dinamic.

jungwoo was always seeing what the fandom posted about him, passing hours on twitter just searching his name. so imagine how angry he was when he saw the fanfics of you two, not because he didn't liked the ship, but because you were always the top! seriously? just because he had pink hair he had to be the bottom? he got really annoyed with that, and got decided that he would prove them wrong.

first, it started simply, pushing you in his lap while they were recording the vlogs, talking about how small you were on his side, or even about the way that you got scared easily with anything and he had to protect you! he did that for some months, but it didn't seem to change anything, making him even more annoyed. you, noticing that he was acting weird, quickly went to ask him if it was everything okay.

— I know that everyone is stressed with the comeback and our schedule, but in the last weeks you seem more than you ever were, are you okay? — you asked him worried, you were best friends, so he could count with you to help him with anything, nobody should pass for stressfull things alone, without saying nothing!

— well, i can't lie right? there were some things that I read of me, of us, that just made me really annoyed... — he said looking at you with serious expression, his eyes staring without a flinch...

— you already know that you don't need to pay attention of what they say, focus on the good things! there are a lot of fans that love you and your work. — you said trying to cheer him.

a smirk appeared at jungwoo's face, and in a blink, you were laying down on the bed while he was on top of you.

— oh, you're right! I don't need to mind of what they say if I know it's not true. but at the same time I just can't stop thinking of what they wrote, can you believe they made a fanfiction of us and made me as the bottom?! this is inadmissible! do you think I look like a bottom?

— uh?... — you felt like a mess, at the same time that you were flustered by the position, you were also really confused, what the fuck he was saying?

— right! it doesn't make any sense, they just say that because they never saw you moaning while you're having a wet dream with me! — he said and immediatly attacked your lips, a desperate kiss.

after that, it was just water down for you. poor your members that had to hear the moans of someone who was being used as jungwoo's stress relief.

notes: I'm really sorry that I specified the reader's hair color, but it was necessary for my text construction lol.

Not revised! Also sorry for any errors english is not my first language!!

[ultimate-marysue]

I’m hoping you can answer a question for me. I need a Jason Todd expert, and you seem like one.

I’ve seen two big posts recently. One argued that Jason and Tim can’t stand each other, don’t trust each other, and can barely work together (if at all). The other says that in the new canon, Jason and Tim are basically best friends, and Tim is Jason’s favourite sibling. Both posts cited a bunch of different runs and authors/artists, and called the other side misinformed.

So, I ask you: what is the actual relationship between Jason Todd and Tim Drake? Are they close friends and brothers, friendly/neutral acquaintances, or enemies?

I hope you can answer me, or if not point me in the direction of somebody who can. Thanks!

Hey! I wouldn't call myself the Jason expert (that's @glitter-stained ) but I'm currently writing a fic about the relationship between these two so I feel like I can explain the two conflicting versions.

The most important take away is: people are really unhappy with current canon for a variety of reasons, one of the most notable ones being Jason's writing in general (RHATO specifically). This means canon has lost a lot of power after New 52 because characters act, well, out of character and fans point out how it doesn't make sense.

As for canon: yes, they are good siblings that get along pretty well with varying degrees of sassiness depending on the run. This happens after Jason "makes amends" with the family at some undisclosed time in new 52. This new canon is way more wholesome and it shows the members of the family getting along way better than their pre-New 52 counterparts ever did. My favorite comic depicting this good relationship is Knight Terrors: Robin, but the most canon option is RHATO (which has plenty of moments between the two) as pictured below or even Chip Zdarsky's Batman run where everyone gets along pretty well.

So, it's canon right? Yes, but what is canon if fans don't accept it? The first thing I said is how people are dissatisfied with New 52 and RHATO specifically, which happen to be where the examples of these two getting along come from. I'm not going to get into why they think Jason or Tim are out of character cause that's its own post, but in the relationship between them it's pretty easy to point out: it's just not earned.

Tim and Jason have genuine gripes with one another and opposing morals most times. We don't get to see a moment where post Red Robin, Tim decides maybe sometimes killing is the answer, even if not for him. We don't get to see him learn that Jason wasn't an idiot disobeying Batman and that he was tricked by his mother. Jason doesn't know about Tim's 16th birthday and thus assumes that he just blindly idolizes Batman. He thinks his Robin run was just like his own and doesn't understand just how much shit Bruce put him through, thus assuming he's a bit spoiled.

Fans don't think either of these characters could just turn around and suddenly start liking each other the second Jason gets admitted into the family (something that also happens without much of an actual explanation?? At least not a satisfying one). It's not even that they necessarily have a personal vendetta (at least not Jason, and Tim is a very forgiving character), so it's not something out of the picture. A lot of their problems with each other stem from Bruce and his teachings and the language around Jason after his death.

In conclusion: it's not like the characters can't overcome their differences and come to find friendship or siblinghood in one another, it's more so that it requires more development. This has always been DC's weakest point, relationships and characters changing suddenly to suit a new direction disregarding their actual personality and values. So, it is canon, but a lot of people argue it shouldn't count if characters don't behave like themselves. There's a dissonance between the original characters and their current iterations that has not been bridged with character development.

But by all means, it is actually canon! People just have genuine gripes with how current canon disregards the previous canon. It's like getting attached to a character but suddenly it becomes this unrecognizable caricature that has barely anything to do with the OG but you're meant to acknowledge it as the same person. So, yeah, fans aren't happy, but I guess everyone gets along now.

Again, not a lore expert, but I hope I could explain why you could find two post with plenty of evidence arguing for opposing points.

[eri-pl]

So… what's the idiot envious of, exactly???

So I noticed it when reading BoLT, but the Silm also says (back in Ainulindale) that Melkor was

envying the gifts with which Ilúvatar promised to endow them [Elves and Men]

OK. Which gifts? Professor, sir, which ones? The only thing that makes half of a sense here is the out-of-Musicness of Men, let's leave this for later.

Elves' harmony with Arda? Melkor is an Ainu, he has this innately.

Elves' cool skills? See above.

Them liking each other and being able to have a normal social life? Nah, the Valar (those who aren't jerks) have this too I suppose. He would be envious of them too.

Men being able to leave Arda? Again: as an Ainu, Melkor is innately bigger then Arda… OK, I suppose he would like to come and go as he pleases, go to Arda and be as harmonized as Elves, and then leave freely… but nobody has that! I mean ok, I can see how he overestimates what the Incarnates have and talks himself into envy, but this feels somewhat stupid and counterproductive even for him. (Ofc if we were to assume that Men originally had both, it does become easier to understand… But then also we're getting near the "aren't Elves kinda nerfed?" landmine, which gives me some trouble in general)

OK, now let's talk about the out-of-musicness. I think Melkor assumes that he's got this too, I think? "It came to Melkor's mind to add themes of his own invention" or whatever the wording is. And tbh all the Ainur have the quality of "having existed before the Music", so… OK, I can see how he maaybe would be envious of the Men being able to ignore the Music after it was sung, and maybe he is (subconciously, I think) aware that he can't do so. And this fits well with the story of children of Húrin, which is basically "Melkor proving to Húrin that Men are bound by doom too". So… it's not like the Men have a lot of this ability, it seems. In general it does not feel like a wholly satysfying explanation.

Still, why is he envious of the Elves too? Because Féanor made will make the Silmarills? This sounds like a stupid reason even for Melkor.

And don't tell me about the Second Music, because then we're back to the category of "Melkor is an Ainu, he has that innately". Well, had until he got himself kicked out from the orchestra, but this happenned a lot later.

Unless it's the "I was here first and I'm better, so why do they get to have the cool stuff too?!?" which I feel is a slightly different vibe of envy (is this even proper envy or just jealousy?) than what Tolkien was going for. (But the "why new baby so loved?" syndrom about Manwë and then about incarnates makes Melkor even more similar to Feanor, which I like).

Like… there is the vibe in the Silm that Men-and-Elves are getting sooo muuuch and so of course Melkor is jealous… but when I unpack it, what are they getting exactly that he did not? Professor?

Oh, and also in BoLT Ainulindale: "the giving of that gift of freedom [to Men] was their [the Valar, in modern terms: the Ainur] envy and amazement" — what. The other Valar were envious of it too? Which ones? Names, please. (Makar I suppose but tbh he's to dumb to appreciate it)

Seriously, sir, what.

It almost starts feeling like "the Men are more real and the fairies and spirits get envious of that"

[strange-anni]

I forgot this one. When Max and El are ordering ice cream it's Max who gets the strawberry at first and El the vanilla ice cream. But that's not right so they need to trade.

Fusing is exactly what happens at the Steel factory

and before that there is the fusion of two men in a hospital

So yes, I think it fits very well. A factory for construction and fusion

I'm not surprised that out of all the three Fred is the one with the address on Cherry Street. He's also the supposed murderer with Survivor's guilt. It's likely another hint towards Will

And Chrissy lives on Popular Tree Road. That can't be real right? I mean I don't live in the US and I don't know the naming convention for streets over there but "Popular Tree Road" sounds just entirely made up. (by Will most likely)

I agree with Hawkins lab being a prison because it's entirely inside Will mind and it would not surprise me if Mike unbeknownst to him had something to do with it's creation.

Just trust me! (and Will most likely did)

It's Mike who brings up the fact that there is a military base under the Department of Energy. Mike is also a liar. (Credit for finding this out to @/thefirstlioveyou) I highly doubt it's true and I also do not think Ted ever said that. It's conspiracy stuff and Ted is not into that.

But Mike just thinks it's cool like he is fascinated by superpowers, Star Wars and supernatural things. I know this also speaks a ton of Mikes own issues here but it would not surprise me if Will believed him when he said that and incorporated it into his own mindspace. (at an earlier date as I don't think Mike said it all for the first time in S1)

There are also a lot more connections. Like the fact that the lab is an underground basement and the most prominent basement we see in the show is Mike's basement. Then there is the fact that the lab people use Polaroids while out of all the Moms/brothers we see making photos of the kids, it's Karen Wheeler who uses a Polaroid camera

It's not malicious. Not really. I think Will tried to create a place where he could hide or get help from and used Mike and the Wheelers as inspiration because he likes them a lot and feels safe when he's with them.

This post by @threemanoperation also has interesting things to say about the military facility being connected to the shed

I completely agree on the last part. El did exist before but only in Wills mind and took over to front the body whenever there was a need for it. She was there when the CSA happened and I don't think she understood entirely what was going on but she understood enough to know something was wrong.

There is also another layer to it. El can barely speak when she steps into the world making it unlikely for her to ever speak of all the a*use she suffered because she just doesn't have the words for it. (It's why I think age appropriate sex ed even for kids is so important. Give them the language to describe what happened to them and they will have an easier time speaking about it)

Yeah when Will vanished in 1983 Eleven stepped out of the lab for real and became real like some of the other alters. It's also possible that Will didn't need her for quite some time prior to that as Lonnie has been gone from his life. And then one day he didn't want to lie to Mike, told him the truth and suddenly there was need again as the Demogorgeon stepped out of Wills mindscape scaring Will into believing his father is father is back. So El and her superpowers were needed once again. She steps into the world and becomes real.

The bomb explodes

Btw do you have any idea on the ice part? Why "he likes it cold"? I've thought about it for a while and it just doesn't make any sense to me. At first I thought it might be related to Lonnies drugs. The best storage temperature for coke is 0-10°C (32-50°F) but I'm not sure if this is it. Like it's better to store coke in a cool environment but if it's too cold it can damage the drug as well. So I don't think that's it.

This is the source El finds in the void and it's twofold. It's the father. In this case it's Neil but he's just a stand-in for Lonnie.

The other source is the Steel Works warehouse BRIMBORN but that's not how it is presented to us throughout season 3.

It reads more like BRIMBORN as a shadow covers up the B pretty consistently, making us unable to read it

Warning for discussions of CSA under the cut

We also get the full address of the steelworks warehouse and it's

Brimborn Steelworks 6522 Cherry Oak Drive

This is how where the MF possessed Billy. Cherry Oak Drive

Lonnie also means oak tree

Max also tells us Billys full address

Billy Hargrove 4819 Cherry Lane

Billy lives on Cherry Lane but he lost himself and got possessed by the father at Cherry Oak Drive. A lane to drive on...

Source

Billy was a Cherry Lane at first until he got corrupted in the Cheery Oak Drive

Billy is short for William and a stand-in for Will

We also learn more about cherries and their availability

Hopper says there is no cherry in the 7-Eleven. Apparently they had only strawberry

That's not entirely true tough as we see with Alexei here. In fact it seems like they have only cherry and cola. But Hopper still drove there even though it was way out of his way. So I'm sure he would have gotten cherry if it were there, right?

Well, maybe it's more like an either/or situation with the Seven and the Eleven in which one number is the cherry and the other is the strawberry . Maybe they are mutually exclusive

As we've already seen though, it's Will who is already associated with cherries via association of Billy which in turn can only mean one thing

Eleven is the strawberry

But

In the end there is no difference. Cherry and strawberry taste the same. They are the same. Just sugar on ice

But what's a strawberry anyway?

Source

First of all of this goes with the Will Byers has DID theory.

For the longest time I was convinced that Will created Eleven on the day he vanished in the woods but I don't think that's what has happened any longer. I think she was there long before. Ready to take over whenever Will needed her to use her superpowers to absorb what he couldn't face.

That's why Eleven is a strawberry. She was there ready to save Will whenever Lonnie sold off his son to buy dr*gs. It's why there is still a cola next the cherry in the 7-Eleven. Coca-Cola or just coke. Other sources also say that a Strawberry is a woman who willingly sells se*ual favors to buy dr*gs. (although willingly is hardly the word I would use here)

In the beginning of the first season El could barely speak and was more like a child who didn't understand anything. This was also done for her protection throughout the years I think. The less she understood what happened, the better it is for her (or so the reasoning goes)

But she still understood the most important part

[monstermoviedean]

i was prepared to re-evaluate my love for dean and my confidence in understanding his character and his actions but the closer i get to the end the more i believe in him.

[silusvesuius]

i legit love when a character's gender is so integral to their personality (and perception obviously.) like so concrete that if genderbent their whole shtick would just be absolute dookie. anyways i'm just writing this text so i can talk in the tags (My beautiful safe haven)

this 14 minute song is soooooooooooo FYRE

[vilelittlecritter]

Me: "I don't like people, I prefer being on my own and not talking"

People: "oh okay we'll leave you be then"

Me: "wait no PLEASE COME BACK I WANT LOVE-"

[todayisafridaynight]

huh...wuh..accidentally hit daigo with the bpd beam (unintended projection is scary) in sumn im writing but now im thinking daigo could totally have it chairman daigo is better at managing it but 2006 daigo is already doing bad whats another thing on the pile hes got the risky behaviour he's got the impulsiveness maybe the unstable relationships (im reaching i think)..maybe im just smarter than everyone and right and awesome wow..

(i rambled sorry) (my bad) (headcanons are so fun for me sorry)

you come into my house and proclaim yourself smarter than me when it comes to daigo dojima i will make your execution quick and painless

unfortunately you're right in this one instance cause i dont know a licka anything about BPD so i'll SIMPLY have to take your word on it. whats another trouble for the boy yk