#i'm not invested much anymore but sadly i'm still invested enough to keep up with it

[milfbrainrot]

.

jackie dies and haunts the whole show literally and emotionally and literally again

laura lee dies heroically after turning lottie into a religious prophet whose spiritualty underlines everything that happens later on

nat dies in a way that was honestly stupid but only written because her actress wanted out. she got a post-death sequence like jackie. laura lee even shows up in lottie's near-death-experience sequence actually. and nat's death fucks up misty in a way that we are continuing to see the effects of.

meanwhile!!!!!

crystal literally existed so misty could have someone to talk to and then feel guilty about killing. she was so inconsequential beyond that the fandom thought she was a hallucination and still would think that if mari hadn't talked to her for half a second one time.

javi died in a freak accident in a way that let a white character live. actually everyone only got to live because of cannibalizing him for the most part. his death was appreciated and there was ceremony about it. he's still remembered by travis clearly. everyone dies in this show so i don't mind that this was given actual weight. but in addition to everything else surrounding characters of color... i still don't feel fantastic about it because.....

travis died in his own freak accident to further the plot forward without us ever even really meeting him as an adult. he died to further nat's story along, kind of like how javi did. i don't think we'll ever actually find out if what happened was true or not now that lottie's gone. and we certainly won't get much payoff to it with nat gone. "tell nat she was right" lol okay about what? guess we'll never know bc everyone adjacent to him also died so this was for nothing.

now lottie's dead lmfao. granted we have to learn more about it all but if both melanie and simone are pissed about it i'm guessing it doesn't make much sense and they're right about the wasted potential. to me it comes off like the writers didn't know how to handle her mental illnesses (akin to going "tai doesn't have DID haha" handwavey bs so they don't have to put in the effort to portray an actual disorder with care in balance with the genre) and didn't care enough to figure it out like they would've if she was a white 90s darling icon. she died so the other characters, namely misty (who... another character of color also died for the development of...) can have stuff to do now in figuring it out. and if melissa IS the new survivor, kinda fucked up to kill her off to make space for a white girl.

now it seems like ben, disabled gay man of color, is going to die next ep and i get why. there is at least some decent symbolism around the death of civilization, i suppose like javi was the death of innocence. but wow this feels like a pattern!

maybe if tai's wife and son weren't afterthoughts i'd feel less weird about all this. i get why their son has to be off-screen for actor age reasons but like. tai abandoning them for her white ex gf is choice. tai abandoning politics is choice.

i've also been following simone's career for like 7 years now and i've seen so many cases of her getting amazing roles that she deserved SO much only for her character to get discarded in a way i'm not sure would happen if she were a white woman.

idk man i don't think the writers are intending for it to come off this way, and i'm white so maybe my perspective is imperfect here idfk, but this is so goddamn tiring lmfao.

i guess i just hope that the theories about some people being left behind in the wilderness are true because idk how many survivors they can even really have at this point. i do think i saw mari in the rescue footage from last season, assuming that can be at all trusted, and there was a possible leak about akilah as an adult. who knows, maybe ben also survived out there somewhere!

it is too early to make a final judgement on the whole entire show but SO FAR it is not looking good loll.

[bitchesgetriches]

I have a question about boycotting million and\or billionaires. How much financial damage can it do? Is the aim political damage? Asking because I've seen 'Boycott Jkr to stop her financial influence on British politics' stuff around and I'm just wondering if it will actually have an effect on her financially? The women has millions of not billions of pounds and I'm just not sure a boycott, at what is probably the tail end of her career, can do. I personally don't buy HP merch because I don't like her anymore and I don't want to show her any support, but it's more political for me than actually trying to un-millionaire her.

You are one smart cookie, my dove! For you're right: what we as individuals do to boycott millionaire creators like J.K. Rowling will have very little affect on their bottom line. But boycotting is not without merit. Lemme 'splain!

Why it won't affect her income:

- She's already a billionaire. And when you have a billion dollars, it's easy to KEEP a billion dollars even if you never work for another dollar again in your lifetime. That's because of the power of compound interest through investing. Rowling doesn't NEED your money anymore, because her own money just keeps replicating itself.

- Her legacy is secure. In 50 years, people will look back at her transphobia the same way they look at Tolkien's racism and say "she was a product of her time." Her transphobic ideology will not age well because acceptance of transgender people is on the rise. But historically speaking, people might go gently on her because right now... she's sadly not alone in her transphobia. The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice.

- Rich people will always have a disproportionate say in political policy until world governments put laws in place to mitigate their power. In the United States, that means overturning Citizens United (among other things). I'm sure the UK has a similar fight to get money out of politics, and you should look into it and get involved!

Why a boycott still matters:

- THE WORLD IS WATCHING. The arc of history doesn't just bed towards justice on its own. It gets BENT that way by people like you who are willing to make a fuss against discrimination and injustice. J.K. Rowling is such a famous, powerful person that I'm POSITIVE a lot of people who never even knew transgender people existed are being educated on trans rights by the outcry against her. You need to raise your voice every time she says something transphobic, to make sure her viewpoint is countered where the ignorant can see and learn.

- She's such a beloved figure for so many people, and has a reputation for teaching about love, friendship, acceptance, and being anti-bigotry. Her hypocrisy when it comes to trans rights is a startling contrast to this reputation. So boycotting her products now is a way of saying "It's not good enough to say you're against bigotry. You have to live that principle in every way, and be willing to learn and adjust over time."

- Again, this is a reeeeeeeally public fight. There are people out there who are creating content that is directly influenced by this fight! Boycotting a transphobic creator shows others who are less successful that there are consequences for transphobia, and they will learn and adjust accordingly.

Anyway, I hope that helps kiddo! I know the boycott is not for everyone (a friend has massive Harry Potter tattoos she's not covering up, for example). We ourselves wrote a couple of Harry Potter themed articles a few years ago, and we're leaving them up. Context is important, and we don't believe in sugarcoating our history. Some stuff doesn't age well, and sometimes we all make mistakes! But we're learning.

I think talking about this stuff, even in the vein of Your Fave Is Problematic can only be helpful. As painful as the boycott and discussion is right now, I'm optimistic about a more trans-inclusive future.

[imagineabrighterworld]

Nothin’ On You // Sero x Shy!Reader

A/N: Kinda long! But I owe Sero for taking so long on finishing this! Hope you like it! ^^

The first time you meet is for a school project

In middle school he was the cool guy that got along with pretty much everyone. At first you would hide away, which was easy with a quirk like yours. You would turn translucent and mute according to your mood, so every time you tried to muster up the courage to talk to him when he passed you by in the halls, you would completely disappear. It was a game of chance to see who was paired with who when the fated project came up, but when you were paired with Sero you almost entirely disappeared off of the face of the earth. You begin to wonder if you could escape class without being noticed when he makes his way over and plops down in the seat next to you.

"Name's Hanta Sero, what's yours?"

Your face flushes, body turning translucent for a split second before you take his hand and shake it. "It's..." Your voice fails you. Of course it had to happen now. Your quirk just had to be a two-in-one kind of deal.

Lifting a finger, you scribble your name down on a loose piece of paper and offer it to him.

He looks at the scrap of paper with curiosity. “Cute name.” He looks back to you. “Is that your quirk? The..?” He motions to his body and mouth.

You nod sagely.

He beams. "Nice to meet you."

The tension in your shoulders lessen. Grabbing your textbook and one of your notebooks made for this type of situation, you write down several questions before pointing to the textbook pages.

He reads each message, surprisingly more patient with your quirk than others. Some expected you to push past it or get over your shyness, but he went with it. It made you feel.. valid. Like your quirk wasn't a burden.

“Sounds like we'll be having a few all nighters on this one, Mr. Takeshi expects waaay too much of us if he wants this done in a week.” Sero looks at you curiously. “What do you think? We could do it at one of those 24/7 cafes nearby.”

Feeling yourself relaxing, you realize you've returned to being opaque as you nod in agreement. "Sounds like a plan."

His smile brightens. "Hey, your voice is pretty cute too chica!"

This time you're glad you disappear from sight, hands covering your mouth as he laughs heartily.  

The project was an odd success

After your initial shock and shyness of being paired up with Sero, you both were a rather successful couple when it came to academics. You split the work equally and helped each other when either of you needed it. While he wasn't always the brightest, he always managed to put a smile on your face when you were studying long into the night, when your eyelids grew too heavy and your will to study lessened. When the day of the presentation came and you both took to the front of the class, it was his support that kept you from disappearing out of fright. However, now that it was over, you were surprised he still wanted to hang out with you, even if it wasn't required anymore.

“Oi, chiquita bonita! Over here!” Sero waves to you from across the classroom. He was sitting in his normal spot with his usual clique, and normally you didn't mix with them. They seemed nice, but it was always awkward when you joined him. You felt like they only tolerated you because of him.

Gathering your items, you shuffle out of your desk space and join him, blushing slightly as he scoots his seat to the side to make space for you right next to him. You could feel the burning stares of the girls surrounding him. You held on though, focusing on staying opaque, knowing he would try getting to the bottom of why you were nervous. Oh if only he knew how hated you were by his clique of girls.

“We did pretty good on the presentation didn't we?” He asks while draping an arm across the back of your chair, his body completely at ease. “Even the cabrón was impressed.”

You smack him lightly on the back of his head. You didn't know a lot of spanish, if at all, but you picked up some slang from the boy next to you. “Don't be mean Hanta, he's not all that bad.”

The girls’ hiss at your action, but Sero only laughs and tugs you closer under his arm. “Lo siento cariño. I'm sorry, but it's not my fault he has a stick up there.” He gestures upward with his middle finger.

You knew if you tried speaking, your voice would have fizzled out like a drop of water on a hot stove.

After the project you two were nearly inseparable, everyone knew you and Sero were an item (even if you both didn't see it)

“Dios mio! What did we do to earn this princesa?”

You turn around to the source of the voice, pausing on decorating the stage of the auditorium. It was Sero, you could tell immediately by his voice, but what you didn't understand was the context of his words. What was he talking about?

The confusion must have shown on your face as he moves closer and climbs onto the stage, walking up to you until he was by your side. “You're all dolled up. What's the occasion?” He holds you by the shoulders and peers behind you as well, earning a pinch on his cheek.

“It's the dance this week, remember? But the play is before, so we have to set up so it's all ready for the night. That means dress rehearsals too.” You were a part of the theatre group, an odd choice for someone who disappears when they get stage fright, but you were heavily invested in what you did. It was a passion you indulged.

“Aye, yeah I forgot about that.” Sero rubs his neck and looks at the ground, deep in thought. At least for two minutes. After the two minutes he peeks at you with a mischievous grin. ”Wanna go to the dance with me?”

To your credit, you manage to stay opaque while your heart beats wildly in its cage. “Thats a dumb way of asking me out.” You mutter while sliding down from the stage, nearly cutting yourself on one of the loose planks.

“¡Cuidado!” He holds his arms out, ready to help you down. “I don't want my date to get hurt you know?”

“I can still dance in a cast.” You brush off his concern with a rare smile. Crushes aside, you appreciated his friendship and concern.

“The fuck is this, Romeo and Juliet? Get a room!” A classmate yells from the lighting stage, laughing when you flip them the bird.

Sero joins in the laughter, leaving soon after apologizing to your classmate. Said classmate meets you in front of the stage, arms crossed and looking back and forth between you and the now closed auditorium door.

“So are you guys dating now?”

“No, we're just friends.” You rub your neck, feeling the translucency crawl up your neck. But it couldn't wipe away the smile on your face.

You gravitate towards each other

Stretching your arms in front of you, you twist your body to the right and sigh as you feel a pop. You didn't particularly like gym class but it was nice to get a good stretch.

Looking around at the field in front of you, you wave at the occasional friendly face. You had friends in this class, which made it even more bearable.

"Hola princesa!"

Sero?

Turning around you grin at the familiar face. You run to the fence blocking you in, gripping it as you watch your friend run to you. He holds your hand through the fence, a normal occurance and a habit you've grown fond of.

"What are you doing here?" You question while turning your hand in order to squeeze his, heart fluttering when you see the small tinge of pink on his cheeks.

"Just here to say hi. My next class is in E block." He peers over your shoulder. You were about the same height, somewhere around 5'4, so you relished being able to see him eye to eye (mostly) while it lasted. He grew a bit over the break of your first year. "Playing anything?"

"Volleyball." You shiver. "I'm team captain, but I suck at it." Who would you pick? Would you actually be a good leader? You feel your voice leave you as you begin to rival that of an onion skin, growing more and more invisible.

A small pinch on the back of your hand pulls you back to reality. Sero waggles a finger, tisking at you. "Don't sweat it, you'll do great." He squeezes your hand before backing up, walking backwards as he heads to class. "Just breathe princesa!"

"Got it." You whisper to yourself, waving to him as you watch him enter the building across from you.

Sadly by the end of your second year, he had grown taller, leaving you craning your neck to look at him.

When he entered U.A. you still cheered him on

Graduating middle school was tough when you split off into different schools. You knew you would keep in contact, but it was so much harder to spend time together when you didnt attend the same schools. Still, with each video chat and phone call, with each text, you showered him with all your love and support. He wanted to be a hero, and you were happy to support him with that dream!

You: Saw you on the tv, you were amazing!

Sero: thanks 😙 still lost tho 😅😅😁😁

You: Yeaaah🤔 but you still looked really cool! Still, didn't realize you were strong enough to pull that Todoroki guy that way 🧐

Sero: Im just full of surprises princesa 😘

Sero mentioned you often to his friends

You were mentioned in at least one conversation a day, it didn't matter the context, you just sort of popped up. What could he say, he loved you! You were his go to for support and someone he truly valued. Plus you weren't crazy like his classmates. 

“You keep talking about her but we've never actually seen her.” Mina leans forward on her palm as she sips at her milk tea. “You're not lying about her are you?” She wiggles her eyebrows, eliciting a laugh from Sero. 

“Course she's real.” 

Kirishima lays his head on the table of the booth they were at, looking at Sero with confusion. “Got proof? It’s not manly to lie to your friends bro.” Sure he believed in his friend, but after a year of just hearing about a special girl, it was hard to keep believing without some form of proof. 

Sero holds up a finger as he pulls out his phone. Placing it flat on the table, he pushes the power button and watches his friends faces light up as they view his lock screen. It was a picture of you.

“Woah! Who's the hot chick?” Kaminari asks excitedly as he returns from the bathroom. “Is she single?”

Sero powers off his phone before smacking a piece of tape on his friend’s mouth, surprisingly feeling a twinge of anger at his words. You were his best friend! He had to protect you!

 On the inside he knew his anger was from deeper feelings, but for now it was just from the fact that he may need to defend your innocence from his own schoolmate. You were so shy, he knew Kaminari’s flirting would be too much for you.

“Yeah, no cabrón. She's taken.”

You were there for his graduation

Needless to say, you were at his graduation! It was difficult to find him amidst the crowds of families wanting to take pictures of their children and siblings, and even some heroes wanting to say their goodbyes! You were absolutely bombarded and neigh invisible after overthinking the whole thing, so when you finally found him you were stunned into invisibility when his friends jumped you. 

“Ohmygodohmygodit'sactuallyyouuuuuu!” Mina screams as she pulls you into her, squeezing the life out of you before you can get a breath out. 

The boys were much gentler, but just as excited. Especially Kaminari.

“Hey it’s the hot girl- more like the gone girl, what's happening?” He questions as you disappear from sight, your voice completely AWOL.

Sero smacks his face as he curses his friends out. “Chingues! Give my girl some space hijos de perras!” 

Mina gives you enough space to breathe but holds you much like one would a hostage. For a hero course student, you believed that she would have done very well as a villain. 

“Nope! We get to meet this girl of yours, Tape Boy!” She looks down at you, squinting to try making out where your face would be, unknowingly glaring directly at you. “He talks about you almost nonstop yet you haven't visited us at all, how unfair is that?” Mina grins. 

You come into focus, your voice a mere squeak as you brush some hair out of your face. “A little? I should've visited..” You introduce yourself to his cadre, your name stumbling off your lips. 

“Hot and shy? What a cutie!” Kaminari hugs you from your available side where Mina wasn't holding you in a headlock. 

A whip of tape smacks the blonde and sends him reeling back to Sero who holds him in a similar hold Mina was holding you.

Your friend ruffles Kaminari's hair in a somewhat violent manner, grinning at him with threatening eyes. "Go easy on her cabrón. She's not used to so many people doting on her."

They were doting on you? You tilt your head and look at Mina who was still examining you. "I don't think I deserve to be doted on, that's not what's going on here right?"

"Of course not, but you and I are gonna have some girl time while the boys get us a spot at a restaurant! You're gonna tell us all about how you and Tape Boy here met!" She chirps excitedly, pulling Bakugou in with her free arm as he tries escaping past her.

You feel a drop of sweat as you accept your fate, watching Bakugou attempt to wrangle his way to freedom. "Sure, sounds nice."

Sero made it rather big as a hero, see, he wasn't the strongest hero but he was very popular

He had always been popular, so it made sense to you when his ranking kept going up and up until he was in the high twenties. You knew he was good at what he did, being a source of smiles even in dark times, but it always brightened your day when you heard your coworkers mention him in passing. 

“Have you heard about the hero Cellophane yet?”

“Yeah! I think I saw him around yesterday. He was eating soba with Shoto.” 

You look backwards to see the faces of your junior coworkers. They were in a different department than you, but you enjoyed chatting with them every now and then. Mostly when it came to heroes as you had somewhat of an insiders look. 

Had you forgotten to mention you were friends with Sero- Cellophane? 

You debated whether to tell them over tea one day until you heard their next words.

“He’s kind of hot isn't he?”

... Maybe you would keep the secret to yourself. 

As a hero he makes time to drop into your life, sometimes randomly 

What else was to be said? Really?

A blur flashes by your face, causing you to yelp in shock, stepping back and nearly falling onto the unforgiving pavement. Luckily, said blur created a swing of tape just in time to catch you, pulling you forward and bringing you into his arms. 

“Lo siento mi corazón! I didn't mean to make you fall.”  Sero grins at you, his arm wrapped securely around your waist. He definitely meant to make you fall, you could see the mischief behind his eyes. 

“As if Hanta.” You pinch him on the cheek, a smile coming to your face when he whines. “Look I’m happy to see you but I've got to get to work on time today, no funny business.”

“No funny business?” He repeats after you, rubbing his chin in thought. “Then I guess I’ll have to escort you to make sure you get to work on time.” 

Your eyes widen as you feel his hold grow tighter and more secure as he holds you flush against him. Oh no. “Wait Sero-!” 

And just like that, you were in the air, swinging from building to building with him propelling you both forward. You attempt to scream at him but your voice is lost along the way as you hear the clicking of cameras. 

Oh god they were taking pictures.

“Niña don't worry! We’re almost there!”

 Luckily for you, you were never caught on camera. So your quirk did have some uses. 

The media was sure he had a partner 

The photos really ended up getting him in hot water as every interview he did, the topic of romance was brought up. Fans would notice he would avoid the topic of love, but on his social media he would constantly mention a girl. No one knew who this girl was, but fans and news stations were determined to wring it out of him. 

Once the red light of the on-air button was out, the reporter in front of Sero swiftly covers the mic pinned to her lapel and scoots to the edge of her seat. Sero watches in quiet amusement as the whole station becomes silent. Weird. But he knew why they grew quiet so fast. They wanted information, and if even the news anchor waiting for his time to come up stopped his boisterous laughter, it must've been important. 

“Off the record. Do you have a secret sweetheart stashed away somewhere Cellophane?”

Oh. This again. 

He stretches his arms in front of him as he runs through his normal excuses and dodges for this question. All still viable and working, but.. Maybe he could give a little hint. The media was on his ass about this after those photos were taken of him and his girl, so it was only right to clear the air right?

“Turn on the cameras. I’ll give this to you.”

You were crushed when he admitted he did have a sweetheart (of sorts) and even more so when the media suspected it to be the Stealth Hero: Invisible Girl

The media did end up getting a bit of info out of him  and when you heard about this special girl your heart couldn't help but crack under the thought of him distancing himself from you to be with her. You treasured your friendship with him, romantic or not, you didn't want it to end. Because of this fear, you are the one who starts to close yourself off.

“Chiquita, what's wrong?” Sero follows you as you make your way to the kitchen, a bowl of chocolate coated pretzels in your arms. “Are you sick? I can stop by the pharmacy for you.”

“N-No, its okay. I'm not sick..” You back up when you see his arm stretched outward, flinching when the back of his hand meets your forehead. 

He hums. “No fever.” 

You push past him, abandoning the bowl of chocolatey treats on the counter. You felt yourself becoming frustrated. Not with him, but with yourself. His opinion meant the world to you- he was your best friend! And you were letting this relationship of his get to you. How petty could you be? He did nothing wrong. In fact, you should be happy for him, finally dating his high school sweetheart.

But the thought of him dating Invisible Girl- the irony of him dating an invisible girl- was just too much for your heart to take at the moment. 

You had no way to take out this frustration. So it was reflected onto him. 

“Cariño-”

“Please!” You slam your hands on the counter, voice fading in and out as you hide your face in the collar of your turtleneck. “Please.. Just go.”

The apartment was quiet, filled with only your ragged breathing as you hold in your rampant emotions. When he leaves with a silent goodbye, you're unsure if the breaking sound surrounding you is just in your head or if something truly reached into you and tore your heart to pieces. 

He makes it very clear who that sweetheart is

Finally, he announces just who captured his heart. It was live on a jumbo screen, playing as you were out getting “groceries” for the nights dinner. 

The hollow feeling in your chest wasn't easing, and it definitely wasn't made any better when you saw the Stealth Hero on the television next to her team. Though your calves were certainly doing better with how much speed walking you would do when you passed by convenience stores with tabloids lining their windows, photos of Sero and Invisible Girl on the front. 

Work went by dreadfully slow, and lunch went by just as uneventfully as usual. You ignored the chatter of your coworkers, uninterested in what they had to say. 

After the report came out, no one was talking about the top heroes anymore. They all were focused on the potential lovers and what other secret admiring the heroes had in their ranks. If other heroes were hiding their own affairs. If the popular Cellophane could hide his romance, maybe someone like Deku or Shoto could be too. 

“We’re going out for drinks later, want to come with?” Your junior asks as she slings her purse strap over her shoulder. “Jin is paying~”

You respond with a polite smile. “No thanks. I’m going straight home.”

- - -

Going straight home was the plan, but in the end you had to make a quick trip to the nearest grocery store for dinner. Something quick, as you didn't have the energy to make something complicated. 

Which meant you ended up buying only instant ramen.

It was on your way back, crossing a busy sector when the sound of your friend on the jumbo screen caught your attention. 

“She's my corazón. Mi vida.” 

You look up at the screen, stopping in your tracks.

Sero was blushing, a shy smile on his face, but his eyes were lit up with joy. You heart pulses rapidly in your chest, a blush creeping up your cheeks. You had never seen him so flustered, it was always the other way around. 

“I’ve loved her since middle school. I never wanted to drag her into this, so I never confirmed her name- but its not Invisible Girl!” He amends quickly, looking at the reporter with a knowing look. He wags his finger, his infamous cocky smile replacing the twitterpated look from earlier. 

“Sure, she has a similar quirk, which is how those photos came to be.” He leans back in his chair. 

“You want to know her name right? I guess it wouldn't hurt to say. I’ve kept it hidden for so long, but here it is.”

And then he said it.

He said your name.

Looking directly at the screen, he smiles gently, eyes full of the warmth you've been craving ever since you were paired for that project years ago. 

“Ella es mi tesoro. She is my treasure.”

Extra: 

Racing home, you're not surprised when you find the lights on in your apartment. In fact, it only spurs you forward. 

Yanking open the unlocked door, you drop your groceries and launch yourself into Sero’s arms as he held them open for a hug. 

He was sweaty from rushing from the news station to your apartment, but neither of you were concerned about it as you laugh. You laugh at the tape still clinging to his clothes, you laugh at the ramen spilling out of your grocery bags, you laugh at your tears.

You laugh at how long it took for you both to finally admit how much you loved each other.

“Mi corazón.” He pulls back from the hug and cups your cheek, looking at you with love softened eyes. “I love you.”

Tears brim your eyes. 

You speak in the clearest voice you've ever spoken in. Skin bright and flushed pink. 

“I love you too.”

[karenwilson]

Buck and his romantic relationships

Honestly there is so much to dig into when it comes to Buck and his romantic relationships. There are some constants that can be found in nearly all of his relationships and some things that are constantly changing and evolving.

One think that strikes me about the women he has dated were strong and independent or arrived there at the end. Abby, Ali, Taylor, even Veronica they all stood their ground and were their own champions. They put their needs and mental & physical well-being first, something that society always expects women not to do. It's something I actually really appreciate about their storylines even if it comes with Buck being unhappy. None of the women set out to hurt him, they just didn't want to put themselves second. And that is perfectly okay.

But let's dive deeper into each of his relationships. Bear with me, it's a long one.

Abby Clark

Abby was his first serious relationship and now we know why. Due to his upbringing and his parents' abusive behaviour he never really forged any important relationships apart from Maddie. I think it got even worse when he got the jeep as he skipped from place to place, never staying for long anywhere. He didn't have ties anywhere and that made him restless and only seek out sex to forge some intimacy because that was all he thought he could get and something that would hurt him the least.

Anyway with Abby he was able to connect with a woman (one he wasn't working with anyway) on a deeper level. It only worked because it didn't start out as something physical. He didn't know what she looked, only knew her voice and good heart. I doubt they even would've met had it not been for the 911 calls, because they have so little in common.

Buck is actually pretty self-aware when it comes to his behaviour around women but hasn't really faced it before. That's why he tells her that he thinks it isn't a good idea if they meet, because he's worried he'll revert back to his usual coping strategies and it'll end up with him losing their connection.

But we also see that he's inexperienced and that although he knows how to seduce women he's lacking self-confidence in other aspects. He doesn't know unconditional love apart from Maddie and even that trust was broken when she didn't leave with him, when she left him behind. So he often worries he'll do something wrong and put her off; he goes over the top to get her attention - which he has done before in his life. Remember, he could only ever get his parents' attention when he did something big and reckless.

Abby has her own shit to deal with and Buck doesn't really know what to do with that in the beginning. It's not the light-hearted, sweet relationship he might have been hoping for but instead serious and heavy. But helped by Bobby's advice he works through his doubts and puts himself out there, puts Abby first. He always puts other people first, because that's who he is (and lbr, it's not healthy). Sadly to his own detriment because he is more invested than she is; Abby has her sick mother to take care of and is drawn in several directions at once. That's a heavy burden for anyone, especially someone working fulltime. She doesn't want to put her mother in a home as it wouldn't feel right but I also think it comes from a place of societal pressure for women to take care of other people. When her mother dies I actually thought it was a very real and important step for Abby to take put herself first, to take care of her own needs and do something that's vital to her claiming herself again.

I think Buck understands why she has to go but it still leaves him with the impression that he's never good enough, that people always leave. Because that's the experience he's made in life and nothing has changed that for him yet. And I totally get where he is coming from, that he believes it's his fault that she leaves, that he isn't good enough, that she doesn't love him enough. I do believe Abby never felt as deeply for Buck as he did for her but even if she did, sometimes love doesn't fix people. Abby was broken and exhausted and that's something Buck couldn't help with but that doesn't mean he wasn't enough.

She definitely did him dirty by leaving him in the dark and not giving him a clean break when she knew she was ready to move on.

Thanks to Maddie and the 118 he was able to partly work through those issues and put himself out there again.

Ali Martin

To be honest, Buck dating Ali came out of nowhere for me. Yes, they did connect a bit at the beginning of season two but I honestly didn't see her coming back as a love interest for Buck.

(And is it just me or do I just not remember it but Bobby stopped giving Buck relationship advice after Abby???)

But I thought they were really cute when they were together; the show just didn't make a very good job of establishing their relationship. They had to few scenes on the show but that was by design. I think the show never intended to keep Ali around, she was (sadly) just a plot device for the show to propel Buck's development. It established Buck's behaviours and the patterns in his romantic relationships. He years for deeper connections and a serious romantic relationship that he gets in too deep too fast. Buck doesn't do shit halfway, he gives it his all.

With Ali he was able to go the next steps of moving on from Abby, he had someone who made him happy for a while but of course the show had to reassert that people leave Buck, further damaging his self-esteem. I think it's perfectly understandable for her wanting to end their relationship at this point, when remaining in it would cause her too much pain and grief by always being worried about Buck and whether he would come home that night, would still be alive. That's a lot for anyone to deal with. So it was better for her to get out at that point instead of dragging it out and therefore making it more painful for both of them when it eventually ended.

But Buck doesn't view it as her leaving because of the dangers of his job but because of him. So yet another person leaves him because he's not enough, not right. Being a firefighter is important to Buck, he sees it as his calling, something he is good at and feels right. He defines himself by his job and that ends up doing damage, especially after the bombing and his subsequent leg injury. Buck feels lost when he can't do his job anymore because he feels like he IS his job. That's why Maddie telling him he's good enough and is worth everything even without his job was so important. His job is an important part of who he is but he isn't his job.

Taylor Kelly

I think with Taylor we saw the mere-exposure effect. Buck has a bit of a thing for voices as we first saw with Abby. With Taylor he knew her voice, heard her whenever he drove to work and obviously liked what he was hearing. And when he met her during that accident he was attracted to her not just by voice but by her looks as well.

Because of his dating experience with Abby and Ali and generally just trying to be a good person, he doesn't want Taylor to get the wrong idea. He likes her, possibly wants to get to know her more and doesn't want to leave her with the wrong impression. Taylor isn't having any of it, because she knows what she wants and what she wants isn't a relationship with him when they first meet. She's young, confident, successful and takes what she needs.

For Buck he has to cut the cord before he gets in too deep. He knows what he wants now and he doesn't want to fall back into his old habits of having sex and not having a meaningful connection. And if he doesn't get out he might fall too fast too hard already knowing it won't go anywere. Plus Taylor tries to expose secrets about his work family and quasi-dad and that would never work. Even if Buck wants romantic love he's not going to step on his 118 family to get it.

When they meet again more than a year later there are no hard feelings (whether that's amnesia on the writers' part or Buck has come to terms with her behaviour we don't know [yet]). Due to their previous actions Buck seems to think Taylor isn't a human being with feelings and hasn't been changed by the pandemic as well. I love Buck but it's ironic that he didn't want to hurt her in season two but inadvertently does so by using her as a shield in season four without her consent. I don't like what he did at all and Taylor was absolutely right on hanging him out to dry on that "double date" and calling him out on him using her like this, by not telling her what she was about to walk into. From her reaction we know he presented the situation differently because he (rightly) figured she might not come otherwise.

It'll be interesting for me to see where their relationship is going. I'd love for them to become friends and see where it takes them from there.

Veronica

I'm only including her for two reasons: She was Buck's first step to dipping his toe back into the dating pool again and acted as a catalyst to rekindle/change Buck and Taylor's relationship. Plus she also fits the strong woman type Buck goes for (although she additionally has a no-fucks-given attitude and isn't here to coddle anyone and their feelings).

To be honest, looking back on it Buck felt a bit OOC to me during their date. I mean yeah, he's just starting to date again and isn't used to doing it anymore and people change but... He didn't have a problem talking to Ali, Abby, Taylor or any of the women he chatted up with at bars and other places before. Why would he suddenly get so flustered? Even if they started on the wrong foot and he put his foot in his mouth... it just like it was put by the writers there for the laughs and not because it's how Buck would (re)act?? It just feels weird to me now. What did feel real to me was his need to impress her and makes sure she likes him, because Buck needs to be liked and he's really uncomfortable with somone not liking him and not knowing where he stands. He needs to clear the air now, to know what's going on so he can move on. After Abby and being left to doubt himself and being left in the dark about where they stand has left a mark on him (see also him making sure to talk it out with the 118 and especially Eddie after the lawsuit).

Well, that's it for now.

[redxblueihateloveyou]

Ok so I've been stalking your blog for the past couple of hrs after seeing your TadaAi posts (I'm drowning in the period drama that is this ship) and I find you ship Tododeku and rinharu (god i can't stand bakudeku and makoharu) and seems like we share a lot of our views on fandom and ships probably because we're older (I'm 22). Followed and looking forward to your input in the future!

Also you might've given me the motivation to finish watching Free! XD

Hehe yay, please, we need more ppl in our “house of oldies”, make yourself at home lol. And we share a lot of ships?! Even better <3

I knooow, I can’t believe we’ve got a gay “master who fell in love with his servant” ship in the anime, just what I needed for my idiotic collection lmao

But also these two have too much going on between them, so much wasted potential in my opinion, it’d be so interesting to explore (but sadly no xD), they were still the only interesting thing for me lolz. I love complicated morons, who became the victims of a huge unrequited requited love misunderstanding, bc they’re insecure morons lmao and they just have 2 of my fav ships vibes, so it’s probably mostly this haha. 

Oh, I’m inputting *wink wink*, can’t wait to finish the vid, I’m having too much fun with it. I’ve just literally spent several minutes trying to get whether I’ve put Tadashi’s sexy mole in the right distance from his eye in the “him moaning on the table” manip lolz. What can I say... I picked the best hobby, with all the support I’m getting with my vids, I’m living a dream xD

You know, I think I’ve said it before, but when it comes to bakudeku, I at least understand what ppl hope to see there and why, but like.. it’s just not happenning. Also imagining Bakugou lovingly hugging Midoriya is just so OOC I start laughing all the time. And whatever ppl say, in any ship whether they’re enemies or rivals or anything, if you can’t imagine them being tender with each other, smth is not right in my opinion. Also once again, who needs idiotic bleating Midoriya, idk. I’m just tired of the endless “die, deku/out of my way” yelling, I like watching Bakugou going to parties and amusement parks and doing silly stuff, too. Like I’ve said before, pride won’t ever let him change the way he behaves with Midoriya, even when they’re doing “great”. If he was the one, it wouldn’t have mattered, no matter how tough you are, and it wouldn’t take that long. I also don’t think they’re that kind of relationship, like they move each other for sure, sometimes, yeah (not always in a good way tho), but be together in a relationships? Can’t imagine that. Like not all rivals have the rivals to lovers dynamic, no matter what ppl say. But I get the shipping, bc 1stly these two are playing too huge of a role in each other’s lives, 2ndly Midoriya is obsessed with him and Bakugou obsessed with him too (just in a bad way lmao) and 3rd ppl want that “enemies to lovers” dynamic, since many love it (me included, when it done right and progresses right), so they’re trying to write that “to lovers” bridge, that just doesn’t fit here in my opinion, simply bc Bakugou won’t be soft with Midoriya, like ever in a way, you’d want, and I don’t think it’s possible for them to go there.

Tododeku on the other hand, 1stly they also play too huge of a role in each other’s lives, 2ndly Midoriya is obsessed with him too and Todoroki is lovingly obsessed with him in return, 3rdly they are also rivals to lovers, and I have no problem imagining the second part, it won’t be OOC, 4thly Midoriya when he’s with Todoroki is my fav Midoriya, he’s happy, he is cocooned and he’s badass af (and like when he told Endeavor to fuck off or yelled at Todoroki “the fuck are u doing?” xD are still the best), 5thly Midoriya forgets about Bakugou, when he’s with Todoroki a lot and it’s just funny to me, 6thly they healed each other so nicely, I can’t not be into that, 7thly when they’re together I have like 0 worries, idk I’m like “he will catch him” anyways haha, Bakudeku just don’t give me this vibe. It’s like yeah, they won’t let each other die, but it’s always this chaos of “out of my way”, “I don’t want your help” and “let me punch you before I punch the villain” that I’m just “oh for god’s sake, pls bring in Kirishima and Todoroki so we could just go home, it could’ve been solved in 2 minutes” lmao. Etc, etc.

Tododeku just have too many winning points over bakudeku for me, same with kiribaku over bakudeku, even tho I 100% get bakudeku as a ship ofc. Also idk whether things would be different if Todoroki wouldn’t exist in the equation, but the moment I saw that s2 scene where Bakugou started yelling and Todoroki just ignored him and was like “was Midoriya always this good?”, there was no going back to me XD. Like they both obviously see that Midoriya is wonderful, but only one reacted to that in a way that I wanted. And I’m a sucker for the ships who don’t give a fuck and like “yeah, I find him amazing and everyone should know that”. Todoroki is also one of those guys, who if you give them the much needed love, they’ll return it tenfold with a forever devotion. And all of my fav ships are like that: Yullen, Rinharu, Mikayuu, Wangxian, Akakuro, etc. They’re like “well, I ain’t an idiot to let someone this precious go”, you know lol

On the other hand, when it comes to Kirishima, Bakugou can do all kind of ridiculous thing I wouldn’t imagine he would do to keep him or make him happy, you know. Kirishima is also the only one, who can put his arm around Bakugou without it being cut off, so I don’t make the rules here lol.

So it’s not like I can’t stand bakudeku, more of like can’t imagine this work, to me it’s easier to imagine todobaku in a relationships, but not bakudeku lolz.

But when it comes to makoharu, I just have a huge problem with it and I will never get it. Bc they don’t bring anything good in each other like AT ALL, I don’t even understand what kind of relationships this is from their shipper point of view; they give each other nothing, and one of them is totally in love with someone else and wants a future with him. And that someone also head over heals with him and also wants a future with him. And I hate how 99,9 % of mh fans don’t give a fuck about Haru or Rin whatsoever and just ignore their character’s everything. Bc Makoto. I’m also like if you love him so much, the fuck would you want him to be with Haru anyways, dude doesn’t reciprocate, like at all. I’m at confusion, like name good points of this ship and what good can they do for each other characteristically. There is none, it’s like a damn swamp. Like usually I can give my notp some points, but this is like... they’re both no good for each other... like... why would anyone even want this idk. Don’t tell me “for the childhood friends” one-sided dynamic, like why won’t you also ship Shion with Safu then, like even he seemed more invested in that, than Haru in makoharu lol.

Even if you think of them from the point of view of “the two who are always walking together” ships, that are everywhere nowdays (even tho since Haru moved to Tokyo, he was always with Asahi instead), but even if... those kind of ships are usually at least make each happy and are enough for each other. Haru on the other hand, when he doesn’t have Rin, he is walking with Makoto like a ghost, not even caring if he’s talking next to him AND he’s getting ennoyed by him. Like explain, how someone’s shipping them romantically. It’s been showed like 20 times, that with Rin, but without Makoto, he can be perfectly happy, without Rin tho, he never is.

Also someone explain, what exactly is the point of splitting up two characters, who are happy together, make each other the best versions of themselves and want to be together whole-heartedly? Like I know many start shipping smth, bc the relationships are better in the other pairing, for example, but this is like... definitely not the case here. Like what exactly is missing in rinharu, that makoharu has? Lack of progression and mutual inspiration?

So yes, if you’re into rinharu, totally finish Free! They’re like doing sooo incredible and holy shit they’re inspiring, I mean, look, they’re now the tokyo olympics ambassadors, like how many of yall gay ships reached that? you can’t miss out on them, and also they’re so hilariously romantic, they literally made a wish to swim with each other since they were 13 and did everything to get each other there, I’m.. you’re lying, if you didn’t cry watching them as chibies making wishes on a star and watching them now. One of the most wonderful development in my opinion. Like who would’ve thought back in s1, that we’ll get Haru yelling on top of Rin about how he made him want a future with him, def not me lmao and now all the olympics boyfriends fanfiction are true, I mean, idk what to say anymore. I miss them so much, I can’t wait for the movie :D

[littlemisssquiggles]

So I'm currently head-over-heels for The Dragon Prince and I don't think anything will pull me out of this obsession for a long time. While I'm crying over this show, what did you personally enjoy about the quality of the plot and the characters in general? I'd love to hear your opinion from your amazing writing while I (im)patiently wait for season 3.

Hey there Snowflake. Sorry for the late response. That’sactually a really good question. Admittedly, what first drew me into The Dragon Prince series was the fact that it was created by the one of the originalHead Writers for Avatar:The Last Airbender.

A:TLA will always remain a gem inmy all time favourite animated series list so knowing that one of the men responsiblefor shaping its story branched out and made his own thing immediately peaked myintrigue. It was basically the same sentiment Ihad when I first heard about RWBY being a fan of Monty since his fan made animations like Dead Fantasy.

It’s kind of hard for me to describeexactly what it is that appeals to me the most about the writing for The Dragon Prince. I guess if I’m being completely honest here, what I love mostabout this series are itscharacters. More importantly I love how theseries writes its characters and treats them.

This might be an odd question to ask but have you ever been invested in a series where you got the sense that atsome point the show-runners just forgot how to write for their own establishedcharacters? So instead we get moments where characters behave out of characterbased on what the series has established as their personality and you get thesense that they are only acting this way for the sake of pushing the plot regardless of whether or not the characters’ actions makes sensein the context of who they are as…well…a character?

I’ll give you an example soallow me to deviate here for a sec. Are you familiar with a series calledMiraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir? In case you don’t know, it is aFrench 3D animated series following the heroic conquests of Ladybug and ChatNoir---two teenage heroes tasked with protecting the city of Paris from thenefarious masked villain known as Hawkmoth who uses butterfly-type monstersknown as Akuma to infest unsuspecting citizens; feeding into their negativeemotions to transform them into supervillains who Hawkmoth then task to stealLadybug and Chat Noir’s miraculouses which are the source of their power.

There’s also the titbit where Ladybugand Chat Noir are each other’s love interests, both in and out of costume. Ladybug isactually a young girl named MarinetteDupain-Cheng, who in her civilian form is in love witha boy in her class named Adrien Agreste. However unbeknownst to Marinette, hercrush Adrien is actually Chat Noir---her partner in crime-fighting and as Chat Noir, Adrien is inlove with Marinette as Ladybug.

The whole point of the series is that thesetwo knucklehead teen superheroes are in love with each other but as each other’s counterparts while being completely oblivious to the truth abouttheir respective identities. It’s a brilliant concept and if all of that sounds like something very interestingto you then it is.

Despite what I’m about to say, keep inmind that Miraculous is a really goodshow . In spite of my current misgivingsabout it as someone who has been with its since its first season, I would still recommend it to anyone curious about giving it a watch.

It’s a delightful cute show. I justhave some things to say about it but this is only myopinion . Even if you might appreciate mythoughts and views on certain things, my opinionis NOT law.  My opinion is only a representation of mythoughts and feelings toward a piece of medium I indulge in. It’s not a reflection of the overall quality of the medium. Those views are up to you. 

Forgive me if I sound like I’m ramblingnow but I genuinely feel it important to give that small disclaimer since wekind of live in an era of free speech where others use their opinions to lambastothers on why their opinions are right or wrong; based on their opinion.

I am not one of those people. You areallowed to like or dislike something regardless of whether or not you agreewith my opinion of it and vice versa. All I ask is for respect of my views and I shall give that of yours in return.

That being said, let’s talk Miraculous. Andin regards to how on earth this ties into TheDragon Prince, we’ll get to that surely.

At the start, Miraculous was one of my favourite animated series especially as a fan of 3D art and animation.I also couldn’t get enough of the whole Ladybug and Chat Noir love story especiallywith all the multiple pairings that branched out from this one couple---Ladynoir, Adrinette, Marichat and Ladrien. It was silly but adorable all the same and I ate up the fluff like the hopeless romantic I am. 

However; as the seasons went by, itultimately became rather difficult for me to remain truly invested in seeing these two characters achieve their goals since I couldn’t relate to them anymore. 

It’s glaringlybothersome to me now how everything is just always handed to Marinette/Ladybug, our so-calledbeloved protagonist; even when her actions of the day might prove that she doesn’t deserve it. And it certainly doesn’t help when this is done at time at the expense of Chat Noir/Adrien who is often kept in the dark when he’s supposed to be the deuteragonist who shares relevance to the plot as our main heroine.  

It’s hard for me to care aboutthe relationship between Adrien and Marinette/ Ladybug and Chat Noir anymorewhen the show constantly contradicts itself on wanting to show their relationshipmoving forward while also backpedaling in other episodes (for example: episodes such as Animaestro and Oblivio from the current third season).

This makes any progression the plotattempts to pull for their development feel pointless in the end and after three seasons of this tango, as a Miraculer, I’vesadly lost interest in wanting to see our two heroes get together.  This is sad because that’s technically the backbone ofthe show. Fans know that Ladybug and Chat Noir are going to get together because theplot has established that from the get-go and constantly reminds the audiencethat this is going to be a sure endgame. But where it ultimately fell short for me iskeeping me invested in the pairing. While I’ll admit that I was fully on board forthis ride when it first started, now after three seasons, I’m tired. The whole ‘Oooh! Will Ladybug and Chat Noir fall in love both as superheroes and civilians? Will they learn each other’s true identities’ song and dance has become stale for me and even the introduction of imposter love interests doesn’t help.

It only serves to kind of sour the pot for me. Why bother developing these fake relationships when you’ve done the equivalent of nothing to help progress Marinette and Adrien’s relationship both as themselves and as heroes. Season 2 started us off with something that could’ve been potentially great if furthered in its current season but so far, Season 3 hasn’t done much to service the development left behind from that last season.

All things considered, I still like Miraculous andI’m still going to keep tuning in for future episodes since thereare other aspects and characters within the show that I liked enough to keep medevoted.

I still like Adrien very much as one ofthe supposed main two characters (even when the show might make you thinkotherwise). But in regards to LB and CN’s whole song and dance with their so-calledlove story, it’s hard to cheer for a relationship between two characters whenthe show constantly flip flops on what their relationship is supposed to be.

One minute they are destined partners; made for each other because they are meant to be important to eachother. Therefore, their strong dynamic is meant to be proof of what makesthem work as both a team and potential lovers. Next minute Ladybug is a ‘strong, independent heroine who doesn’t needChat Noir’ and he’s painted as more of a liabilityto her than an asset---the loveable yet fumbling bumbling idiot sidekick whosesole purpose is to be a dude inthe distress for the sake of pumping up Ladybug’salready plot-inflated ego all the while gullibly kissing her ass even duringmoments when she treats him terribly.

I humbly apologize in advance if thereare any fellow miraculers reading this response post who might feel veryoffended by my comments toward Miraculous. I’ll admit. My words are indeed harsh. Sorry. But... I still wishto stand by them because they are a blunt representation of my current stancetoward the current state of writing within the show.

I used to reallylike how Miraculous portrayed itscharacters. Loved it even. For three years, Miraculous was my top favourite show and fandom. But following the end of itssecond season, I don’t know how to feel about it anymore. I still like it but its characters man---my interest in their growth is dwindling. 

I guess the biggest gripe for me with Miraculous atthe moment is that I don’t feel as if the characters have really grown at allsince the show first started. Even after two full seasons going into its thirdrun; despite the plot thrusting them into scenarios that one would assume would help them to change (for better or worse), these characters---at least our main ones feel thesame. I know the show has done things to show progression for its charactersespecially in terms of relationships. However it all feels meaningless in the end.

And the flip flopping doesn’t help thiscase. At times, I felt as if Miraculous was being written by two different typesof writers. One who wants to show these characters growing from the people theyused to be because they are meant to while another just wants to keep thesecharacters in the same tropes they started off with. I’m not sure if any other Miraculershares the same opinion but that’s how I feel.

That being said and getting back ontrack, it’s the complete opposite with TheDragon Prince. In this show, I can tell that theplot actually does affect the characters and they react to them in ways you might expecttheir character to react to it given their established personalities. I also lovehow the Dragon Prince has this nice balance to it.  It knows how to juggle its more and heart-wrenching serious moments with its comedy in a way that rarely feels jarring. At least to me.

In TDP, I get the stronger sense that thesecharacters shapes the story in the world around with their adventures and individual experiences being veyr important to the narrative as opposed to the contrary where the story is this and these characters are molded to fit whatever story the writers feel to thrust them into; if that makes sense. And this all boils back to just how much I lovethe characters of this show. I don’t think there is a single character in theTDP cast that I don’t like.

I even have a soft spot in my heart forthe supporting side characters who our Dragonic Trio occasionally interact with during their travels. This is why I was so relieved to see Grenfinally be freed in Book 2. It’s about time my beautiful strawberry man gotfreed.

The DragonPrince is so great that I even care about itsvillain characters as much as the heroes. Even though Lord Viren and hischildren: Claudia and Soren are painted as the antagonists to our Dragonic Trio, I like that there is so much more to them than just that. On the contrary, there are aspects ofthese three that makes me think they’re not villains. Particularly Lord Viren. The guy isn’t just the classic mustache twirling bad guy. He has layers. Depth. 

I understand that Lord Viren is supposedto the bad guy however; he’s not entirely bad. There is a good side to him and its evidence in his relationship with the royal family. You cantell that Viren genuinely cared for King Harrow and had great respect for Queen Sarai since she saved his life. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is thatthe characters of TDP feel real to me. They don’t feel like just characters in a story. They feel like peoplewith experiences that their audience can relate to. Connect with. The Dragon Writers know and understand their characters as people and know how to write for their characters and because of howwell they’ve portrayed them, it makes me as the viewer more interested in theirstories as the main plot carries on.

I pray that the Dragon Writers keepthis up going forward with the remaining books. Sometimes show-runners start to suffer from writer’s fatigue and/or forget how to write for the verycharacters they created the longer the plot is stretched to the point that the series comes to feel like it lost direction at some point (coughsVoltroncoughs). 

I hope this won’t be the case for the Dragon Writers.Two seasons in and these guys continue to keep me loving their world and Icannot wait to see these characters be fleshed out further in the upcoming book. The Dragon Prince Book 3 cannot come any quicker.

I can’t wait to see what Rayla and Callum’s adventures with Zym across Xadia will be like. I still can’t believe they separated the Dragonic Trio. Usually you have to wait like…what…three-four seasons to get the squad ripped apart but nah…The Dragon Prince did that in season two.

Still in shock over that. But as much as I’m going tomiss Ezran in the party, I’d by totally lying if my Rayllum shipping heart isn’t beyondecstatic to see what these two duo adventures together will belike. Particularly following Rayla’s near confession.

I’m curious to see how that will affectthe way Rayla interacts with Callum from now on. I’m mostly just excited to see blushingRayla awkward about her crush on Callum. As of Book2, I think it’s safe to say that Callummight be over his crush on Claudia. Or perhaps his resentment over hers and Soren’s betrayal currently outweighsany former romantic feelings he might still have for her. Feels bad m’dude. I don’t ship Callum with Claudia at all but that doesn’t mean I want Callum to hate her.I really like Claudia as a character and I want the best for her and Soren too.My children are going down a dark path and I don’t like it. Especially Claudia. I still stand with my theory where I don’t think Book 2 will be the last timeClaudia will use the extreme form of dark magic to aid with Soren’s paralysis.I still think Soren is still permanently paralyzed and that Claudia’s spell isonly a temporary fix meaning that Claudia may have to keep performing Viren levels ofdraining magic from other magical beings to keep her brother stable…which is going taint herso much. I just hope that in the end, Soren will be the one to save his sisterfrom her own damnation.

At the end of the day, Soren and Claudia love each other and will do anythingfor each other. If there is anyone I trust to save Claudia should she ever loseherself to dark magic (which let’s just face it, will tragically happen down the line); it’s Soren--- thevery person she’s doing this for. Damn! The Writing for these two is so good! Megaprops to the Dragon Writers for writing such an engaging, strong brother andsister dynamic and sibling love and loyalty to one another without making it borderline…well…incestuous.  

I don’t want to see Claudia fallto the dark side, guys. Despite being a firm user ofdark magic like her father, Claudia is actually the opposite of her chosen element. I feel as if Claudia was willing to theput in the effort to awakening her arcana as Callum did, she could possibilitybe another Sky Mage like Callum or perhaps an Ocean Mage. Or maybe an Earth Mage? Who knows. It’s all just theories and speculation of mine for now.

Speaking of which; next up is Ezran. I’m excited to see what his travels will be like. Ezran is so young yet he’s sodown to earth and possesses a level headed maturity and outlook on the world around him that one can appreciate.Ezran will make a great king some day and if Book3 is the kick-starter to that part ofhis arc towards that goal then bring it.

I am ready to follow Prince Ezran on his own separate journey back home with Smexy Dreadlock Man (I’m sorry his name escapes me at the moment but his handsomeness doesn’t).

This also makes me curious if Ezranwill ever get to meet the young queen---the daughter of the Two Queens who gavetheir lives along with Ezran’s mom. I’m actually really, really interested inseeing Prince Ezran meeting QueenAanya.

I kind of low-key ship Aanya and Ezran. Yes, I know they haven’t met at all and we have zero idea of howthese two would get along should they encounter each other. Nonetheless, theidea of Ezran and Aanya coming together intrigues me because of how perfect itwould be should it happen.

I love the idea of Ezran someday possibly marrying Aanya with thetwo joining their kingdoms. After all, theQueens of Duran sought out King Harrow during their crisis in the winter andKing Harrow was willing to open his kingdom to the People of Duran.

Sure Viren tried to fight against it atfirst but Harrow stuck to his guns. Both Ezran and Aanya are currently the very young heirs to their respective thrones expected to lead their people. Aanyahas already begun her ruling and now Ezran is on his way to reclaim his throne. Bothlost their mothers who sacrificed their lives for their people. If Ezran andAanya meet, I think they can hit it off and make great friends. While I doubt romance willbe a thing for them since they are still children, I still want these two tomeet and form a close long-lastingfriendship that could one day potentially lead toa union that unites two kingdoms like their parents did long ago. But that’sjust me with my theories.

I’m hoping that Ezran’s adventures withSmexy Dreadlock Man will lead to him possibly passing through Duran while alsoencountering BirdHarrow along the way. That’s a reunion I’malso looking forward to.

And yeah, that’s pretty much all I haveto say for now on The Dragon Prince and its upcoming season. 

Fair notSnowflake, you’re not the only one excited for Book 3. Maybe you should follow Tim Kamiski on Twitter. I believe he’s an Art Director at Wonderstorm working on TheDragon Prince Game. He released a poster art for Book 3 that looks hype.

It’s a shame we’ll possibly have towait till early next year for Book 3. But until such a time, I hope my response toyour question was a good enough one to help you ride the Wonderstorm till the next season, fam.

~LittleMissSquiggles(2019)

[nemirutami]

I'm a huge fan of your work, and seeing that piece for hackers memory reminded me I still need to play that game. I had a lot of fun with cyber sleuth but I was worried there wouldn't be enough new content to keep me interested. How would you rate hackers memory compared to cyber sleuth?

Thank you for the kind words!

Alright, full disclosure, I have a lot of opinions, so I apologize in advance.

I did not enjoy cybersleuth past chapter 10 when Nokia [insert spoiler here] and ever since then, I always felt like we (as protagonist) were secondary to the plot. Which would have been fine, had Nokia gotten fucking development within cybersleuth to take over as protagonist instead of us. On top of getting no development to [insert spoiler], she’s extremely irritating, which didn’t make me like the fact she was considered more important to the plot at all. She even talks to you as if you’re her sidekick and let me tell you, this shit can be cute because DRV3 managed to do it in a way where the character (Kaito) is earnestly trying to help the protagonist (Shuichi) develop past his anxiety and fears. But that’s not what they did here. It didn’t work. It just felt like Nokia was putting us down, regardless of how “uppity” and “positive” she was trying to phrase it. Sidenote: I also absolutely detested how she treated Agumon and Gabumon so lmao when chapter 10 dropped I had no fucking idea WHY because imo they should’ve hated her. 

We never SAW how she got into the position she got in (Ch10). It felt absolutely hamfisted and undeserved. Kind of like a “oh yeah, it’d be cool if this happened now” shit. Then, to top it all off, the protag magically breaks the rules Suedou sets before them, basically slamming a middle finger at the screen saying “you thought this would make sense? no, we need to hamfist a happy ending sort of kind of maybe, it’s all very unclear WE DONT KNOW”. Honest, I completed all quests and side quests, got max hacker rank, entire field guide, I did everything to cover every last bit of the game, and I’m still sour on the turnout and the payoff because the game so clearly didn’t give a fuck about its own rules since it constantly broke them and failed to foreshadow Kuremi entirely. I enjoyed a bunch of the sidequests more than the main plot of the game, and to be fair, I believe I also remember the sidequests better than the main plot and this should absolutely not be the case.

That being said.

Hackers Memory does not fuck around, and I say that in the best way possible.

It presents you as secondary in the big scheme of things at the very start, (in regards to the original cybersleuth ending, because the story takes place at the very same time events are happening in cybersleuth) but it makes you a protagonist of your own story, and this is truly where the game shines. 

It really makes it all about you- as Keisuke- as an individual, from the very start to the very end. It feels more like a journey of a specific protagonist with a fixed personality, and if the original had done this instead of give us a more flat character, I think I would have enjoyed the game more. I couldn’t stop playing this game the moment I got it, and easily beat it in about 4 or 3 days because I was so invested. Hell, in Cybersleuth, I never gave a fuck to collect all medals, and I decided to actually do it for this game just because I adored every last aspect of it? I did gacha in this videogame for 8 hours that gave me absolutely nothing in return, this is how you know I’m serious about the quality of a game- I waste time in it doing POINTLESS SHIT and I still have fun.

I went in expecting to be secondary, but the plot absolutely knew how to shine the spotlight on this protagonist (Keisuke) flawlessly and draw out his best characteristics. Cybersleuth protag is a clean slate at best, but Keisuke has a variety of very unique responses even without giving you the option to respond. He reacts very fixed to certain events, giving you a general feel of what he’s actually like, which is different from the signature way Cybersleuth Protag simply cocks their head a little or does the “:o” face when someone says something surprising. Keisuke has a lot more expressions, and you can easily tell what the characters are feeling (once you get to know them) just by their expressions alone. There’s a scene at the very start of Hacker’s memory where Yu (Protag’s best friend) and Keisuke share 4 silent “...” dialogue boxes with only a small variety in expression. 

At my first playthrough, I had NO CLUE what this meant. I assumed it was all an awkward silence (since it’s quite literally at the start of the game) but after knowing exactly every little aspect of their personalities- that entire scene bears a different meaning. I could TELL what both of them wanted to say, and what they wanted to convey without actually having to use words. That might be because what facinated me most about Hacker’s memory was exactly Yu and Keisuke’s friendship. What’s great here though isn’t just the fact that this happens with Keisuke and Yu. It happens with every character. I replayed, noticing the quirks early on, and knowing the backstory- was aware of why they were acting the way they were. I knew of the secrets, I knew of the motivations, and honestly, I think Hacker’s memory only gets better a clean run right after you beat it. Yes I... I’m being serious. I replayed it the very second I completed it. This might also tell you something of how invested I am, and how big of a change this was to experience in contrast to the original cybersleuth which left me glaring at the ceiling angrily begging for the plot to make some lick of sense. And unlike cybersleuth, the plot here, is quite honestly, really good. Despite the stakes not being as high, and ultimately won’t matter in the end (because cybersleuth end)- you... FEEL like it matters more. Just because of how intimately you’ve come to know the characters that’ve been with you for so long.

All the relationships are developed, focusing mainly on the team at Hudie (your new hacker team). When I say the relationships are developed, I mean, quite literally, every important character has some role to play in the other’s life. Ryuji: the leader, a mentor to Keisuke, who later becomes a follower of Keisuke’s- outlining a good start and end for their dynamic as leader becomes follower and the student becomes the master. Chitose: Aloof and carefree, never quite speaks up against Ryuji despite the shit he knows Ryuji is causing, but becomes more mature and manages to put Ryuji in his place after he loses control. Erika: A shut-in with a one-track mind (Ryuji’s little sister), doesn’t open up to anyone, not even her brother, especially LIES to her brother to protect him (and Ryuji does the same to Erika, outlining the fact they’re both trying to protect each other but simultaneously hurting each other in the process without knowing) but she learns to rely on Keisuke (Chitose and Ryuji are childhood friends, so naturally, she can’t tell CHITOSE her worries because he’ll get worried and relay the message to Ryuji, so Erika in a sense sees her oppertunity to open up and ACT once Keisuke joins Hudie) and opens up to HIM later more than anyone else. Chitose acts like a second big brother to Erika when Ryuji isn’t around, and he also acts like comic relief character that’s there to give Keisuke some time to relax between cases. Unlike the first game, you actually FEEL like a hacker this time around, giving you a wider variety of hacking options, including minigames (which sadly arent that fun but- hey, it’s something. The part that IS fun is the BONDS you get to rank up- THEY’RE LITERALLY CALLED “DATE TIME!” and they’re the ONLY reason I played so so many of those minigames).

The game isn’t dominated by women anymore (If you play as female in CS, you’ll quite LITERALLY only see Arata every couple of chapters in a sea of tits, and while this is usually an aesthetic I can get behind, I hated absolutely every goddamn female character with the only exception being Kuremi. I detested Date so much. Every time she opened her mouth I wanted to mute the TV. I absolutely LOATHED Nokia for everything and anything she did. I couldn’t stand Fei because of how aggressive she was (even if Fei and Yuuko was something I definitely would have shipped had Fei just been toned down, and LUCKILY- I absolutely love Fei now, but that’s ALL thanks to Hacker’s Memory- I actually like NOKIA now too- which is all thanks to Hacker’s Memory as well). I liked Yuuko bc she hit all my right notes, until she proved to be a tsundere in disguise (she also manipulated us and admitted to it so I quickly said FUCK NO to that and she dropped on my list) but even she managed to get better treatment in Hacker’s memory. I hated Jimiken too, to be honest. I disliked a LOT of characters in cybersleuth, but once they appeared in Hacker’s memory I? I saw a new side of them that I didn’t before. There’s 1 particular “Hacker Memory Fragment” you pick up about Yuuko that details her visits to the hospital to check up on her brother and honestly? This shit. This one hacker’s fragment managed to give me so much better insight into her character than ALL of cybersleuth. Now that shit is admirable imo. I admire Hacker’s memory for making me LOVE every character I disliked. Date was one character I disliked thru Hacker’s Memory too, but towards the end, even she grew on me. I still don’t like majority of her dialogue, but she doesn’t seem so one-dimensional anymore. My main problem with Cybersleuth was that everyone seemed to have “THE ONE MOOD” and that was it. I loved Arata because he varied a lot, and he and the protagonist had some really, really good chemistry, but that’s about it? Compared to how I love everyone from Hacker’s Memory, I wouldn’t even consider the two games on the same level, simply because of how well the second one was executed in comparison?

I took my time with this reply, because to me, cybersleuth was average as a digimon game for me. Cybersleuth had a villain i absolutely ADORED!! But they did piss all and nothing with him. He had such an interesting goal, but when everyone gathered to stop his plans it was like. He lost all motivation for his goal? What the fuck. You don’t even get to fight him he’s just. There. He was awesome, they shoulda done more with him, and my only qualm about hackers memory is that they STILL DONT DO ENOUGH WITH HIM. He gets a bit of a backstory without WORDS really it’s all implied and shit but it explains why he acts the way he does in cybersleuth. You understand the reason behind his actions now, what got him there, and his motivations more clearly. God I wish we got more of him though. Cybersleuth for me was a 4/10 as a game and a 6 or a 5/10 as a Digimon game. I’d honestly play DW3 over Cybersleuth if I had to be perfectly honest...

Now, Hackers Memory however managed to score 10/10 for me of all the digimon games I’ve played- putting it at the... top, actually. For good reason. The characterization is consistent, every characters motivations are clear, every character has reasons to take the actions they take, and none of it seems forced or random or even undeserved. Sometimes, you’ll dislike a character the game wants you to dislike. It will lead you in to turn your expectations around and force you to think of a character in a completely new light. You’ll end up loving each and every character regardless of how shitty they act because you can understand the way they think. You can empathise and you can relate much better than you could in Cybersleuth IMO because so many characters in Cybersleuth made me think “well, Angela, if you weren’t such a BITCH maybe i’d feel sorry for you” which was a perpetual mood tbh. I felt absolutely no sympathy for a lot of the characters in Cybersleuth bc I felt like they deserved the shitstorm they got. Whereas, in Hacker’s Memory, the only character that DESERVED to be punished, actually GETS PUNISHED, and the character that does something wrong goes out of his way to REDEEM HIMSELF. Now this is some tasty characterization I tell ya. 

To top it all off, because the game has to follow cybersleuth logic, I absolutely thought they were going to fuck the end.

No.

No, it was.

It was absolutely perfect.

It was emotional, it didn’t feel forced, and best of all?

It made sense.

As fucked up as the ending from cybersleuth was, in this universe, they can’t control their end because of the first game--- so this ending has to happen regardless of what they FEEL is fair. Which means, yes, the ending is unfair. But it leaves you with this... bittersweet feeling of longing- wishing they COULD have made a change. It’s a really nice metaphor for how things sometimes are out of our control, and we’re forced to deal with a fate someone else drops on us regardless of what we may feel or want to act on. We just have to make the best of it?

10/10 as a Digimon game, and 9/10 as an actual game because I do believe I am nitpicky as fuck and I rarely give 10/10′s but if I wasn’t a nitpicky fuck, this game would DEFINITELY easily be a 10/10.

If this ramble wasn’t indication enough, I really love Hacker’s Memory. You should definitely play Hacker’s Memory.

[yonglixx]

oh yeah there's a few groups i like!! of course my ults are skz but i'm also keeping up with ateez, itzy, twice, shinee, day6, and a.c.e :D as for casual listening, i listen to about a million groups but mostly bts, monsta x, txt, nct, red velvet, blackpink, sunmi, somi, chungha, and so on

if i'm correct it should be around 2am right now in your timezone (it's 10am here) so you'll wake up with this ask in your inbox hehe

so i've fully settled on what type of gifset i'll make for you by the time christmas comes around, i'm gonna have to step a little out of my comfort zone but i'm really looking forward to making it for you 🥰 i hope you're looking forward to receiving it as well hehe

and uh can we talk about the incredibly beautiful gifs you're making at such rapid speeds ??? bc i could never 😭 i always sit down with my laptop thinking 'ah, time to gif' and then i never gif </3 i'm especially in love with your felix x star countdown set he looked so good there 😔💘 (who am i kidding he always looks good)

oki i think i have some more q's cooked up in my little brain;

who are you closest to in height? (for me it's seungmin)

you also said you were a new stay in the first ask i sent so i was actually curious on when you started stanning? which, by the way, good choice 😌

and more in general, how long have you been into kpop? what was your first kpop song?

do you own any albums??? if yes, how many? (i'm curious bc i'm always spending too much money on albums and then i complain about being broke </3)

do you have irl friends who also like kpop? (i'm incredibly lucky bc my three closest friends are also kpop fans, one of them an atiny, the other an army, and the last a deobi and moa)

i hope you had a great weekend, sun ☀️💞

— your skzanta ✨🎁🎄☃️

You are absolutely the sweetest like I woke up to this message so your predictions were correct❤️❤️ I am so, so, sooo excited like you really don't have to do anything special but I am so looking forward to my gift and I know I will love it no matter:) the fact that you are doing this for me is enough❤️

Yes, besides skz and bts,I also love Ateez, TXT, and I occasionally listen to NCT 127, Blackpink, ENHYPEN, Shinee (I love Taemin), and some random K-pop recs on my Spotify haha bc I'm still kinda new so I want to know what is out there❤️

I saw the new group, they are pretty young and so good already but tbh, I don't think I will invest in anymore groups bc having three main groups is enough for me. I don't know how people do it like I can't multitask like that 😂

OMG!!! thank you so much for your kind words but you are so right, I make way too many gifs for someone who is going through finals :(( whenever I see anything new, esp with Felix, Im like hes so cute I have to gif that 😂😂 I may have some issues haha

So I like to call myself "fun-size" and I'm probably most closest to Changbin❤️

I started stanning SKZ around the time CHEESE(MV) was released so about 3-4 months now, but it feels like I've known them since forever❤️

My first Kpop song was "MOON" by Jin and ofc, my first group was also BTS❤️❤️❤️

sadly, I don't own any merch yet because im too overwhelmed by everything already and there are so many content of the groups I like that I need to go through first. Like, believe it or not, I'm still watching (and rewatching) Run BTS 😂

I'm also very lucky to have two amazing close friends (ONE OF THEM IS ALSO AN ATINY!!!!!) who love , and who also had a hand in getting me into K-pop but they don't have blogs dedicated to their favs haha nonetheless, it is very nice knowing that I can always vent to them and that we can always jam to K-pop when we're together. My sisters tolerate it and I think they are slowly starting to like it, they just don't wanna admit it yet😂😂

These were so fun and I know I already said it but I always love your questions, you are so lovely and I already love you❤️❤️ I hope you are having a wonderful day❤️❤️

[vickiexz]

i'm so confused that i can't help but ask wth happened that roman reigns isn't popular anymore??

oh sweet summer child

roman reigns’ “popularity” is a very complicated beast. he’s popular in the sense that he is one the wwe’s biggest merch movers, is consistently highlighted in shows and ppvs, and has a pretty decent following among young kids and ladies. which by company standards is enough. but for smart ass fans who think they know everything about wrestling and how the wwe should be run, it’s not.

for what it’s worth, a big part of the blame lies with the wwe. vince mcmahon saw that roman was big, pretty, homegrown and had a family pedigree within the company, and strapped a rocket to him before he was ready. when he was with the shield, he was fine. people loved him as the big silent powerhouse as long as he had the dynamic of seth rollins and dean ambrose to bounce off of, and the crowd went bananas whenever he wrecked shit (they still do, honestly). his problems started when they split about three years ago, and his weaknesses became more apparent. he’s a brilliant athlete and fast learner, but he doesn’t have the agile diverse moveset of some indie worker who’s been wrestling since he was a teenager. he’s also a naturally quiet person who doesn’t do well having to recite long monologues in front of a huge crowds, but the wwe kept on writing bad scripts for him that he didn’t have the mic skills to make work, and the audience ripped him apart for it.

then he got hurt. he spent six months out recovering from hernia surgery, and when he got back he got the superstar of the year award at the slammy’s (which is a fake awards show that supposedly is determined by fan votes). unsurprisingly, the audience called bullshit. it was pretty obvious at that point that the wwe was trying to convince its audience that roman was something that he was not simply by saying so, which pissed a lot of people off. they also were giving him the misguided superman treatment - trying to show the audience that he was dominant and impressive by having him never lose cleanly, but then not giving him any real or consistent character development that would make him a heroic figure. instead, his characterization mostly made him look arrogant and bland.

this is where shit gets weird. roman got better. being dropped into the frying pan at first didn’t agree with him, but he adapted. now he consistently puts on excellent matches with fan favorite wrestlers. the writing of the show has also figured out how to better work with him, by giving him short and sweet promos, and capitalizing on the beastly nature of his physicality and style of wrestling. the writing isn’t perfect, but that’s a problem consistent through all of the wwe’s shows and characters, and isn’t exclusive to roman.

but the audience doesn’t seem to care about any that. or at least, a certain portion of the audience that is very very noisy did not. most people who are actually interested in, you know, enjoying wrestling and having a good time have figured out that they can just relax, watch roman work and cheer him. but there’s a lot of people that are extremely invested in being right, and having already decided on a point of view, don’t want to give up on it. they want want to act like they know more about the wwe than the wwe, and never want to be worked, because who wants to be a mark and admit they’re doing exactly what a big fat company is telling them to do? they insist that roman is still being “shoved down our throats,” that he can’t wrestle, that he’s not worthy of the position he’s in in the company, and they give him endless shit for it. the vitriol spikes during wrestlemania season, which roman has main evented for the past three years, and this year he got the honor of facing the undertaker in what was most likely his last match ever, which sent his hater through the roof. it’s now pretty much expected that whenever roman walks out, he will be faced with a tsunami of boos, and there isn’t a whole lot any one can do to change that.

there’s also a lot of sexism involved. smarks will say shit like “only women like roman, and it’s just because he’s hot,” as though women’s role in the fandom is illegitimate and male fans have never found a female wrestler attractive. like i said, it’s complicated, and it’s at a level now that’s pretty disgusting. kids at wrestling shows who just want to enjoy themselves and cheer for roman end up getting intimidated by older men who shout them down. roman’s older brother just passed away really suddenly and twitter was riddled with assholes saying it should’ve been him instead. but sure, yeah, it’s the “booking” that they hate, and yet you cheer vince mcmahon when he shows up.

sorry i wrote a book as a response, it’s one of the most talked about issues in all of wrestling, and there’s some incredible articles and threads written about it (personal favorites are lady j’s building an empire series which she sadly hasn’t finished yet, and tim kail’s “you will keep booing roman reigns and it will change nothing” which is amazing). and i haven’t even touched the racist aspects of it. a lot of people say that best way to remedy the situation is turn roman heel (make him a bad guy so that the boos will actually be justified). that might have been a viable option maybe a year ago, but the wwe knows what they want from roman now, and they’re getting it. and with the audience acting as predictable as they are now they know exactly how to control them. so one way or another, everyone’s getting worked.