#i'm not sure if anyone will want to do this but if we're in the mood for some low stakes gifting between friends?

[starrieangel]

🎄❤️Mouthwashing Crew on Christmas💚🎁

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday ♡ Here's my present to you all: more headcanons!!

Features: Curly x Reader, Anya x Reader, Daisuke x Reader, Jimmy x Reader

rb's appreciated! 💚❤️

Curly☃️

I think Curly would love surprising you..!

He's up before you, already has the coffee (or hot chocolate or tea) ready for you when you wake up. 

When you finally get out of bed, there's extra presents under the tree, and the tree is even more festive and beautiful than how you left it!!

(Is Curly Santa..??)

He's not materialistic in the slightest, but a good gift means a lot to Curly if it shows you put a lot of thought into it..! It makes him feel special that you are thinking about him ^u^

He's a good gift giver, but bad at wrapping them XD He's trying his best ok !!!

After opening presents, you guys cuddle and watch your favorite goofy christmas movie while cuddled up in your new sweaters/socks/blankets :)

His favorite part of Christmas is Christmas dinner tho, and you guys whip up a big feast and invite all your friends and family !!! 

He’s the classic “my boyfriend only cooks meat” stereotype, like he cant cook but he will fuck up a christmas ham or a thanksgiving turkey or a barbecue.. let him cook fr

Bonus: Curly is definitely the Santa at the office Christmas party..!! Maybe you get to sit on Santa's lap ;D 

Anya❄️

Panicking because she's bad at getting gifts..!! 

She gets to the store and.. oh no there's too many choices

“I'm not sure what candy Y/N likes... I'll just get one of each.. oh dear..”

She would try making handmade gifts like sewing or knitting or crochet but she doesn't get them done til the last minute...

She dang near cries when you see the itchy, raggedy sweater she made you and you beam at her “I love it!!!” and you do! because she made it ♡

I feel like she likes peppermints and candy canes... just her vibe

You two make a gingerbread house together !!

Yes it falls apart a little, but it doesn't matter because you both had so much fun making it :) (and decorating it with all that candy she bought !!)

Bonus: She is a based eggnog drinker. And maybe she does spike her and Daisuke's eggnog at the office Christmas party ;D

Daisuke🎁

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Winner 3 years in a row

(I like the popular headcannon that Daisuke likes thrifting, so) He loves going to the thrift to find ugly christmas sweaters (so you can match) and even finding cool antiques/retro items to give as gifts!

Always gives at least one prank gift, but otherwise he is pretty thoughtful! 

He doesn't get you a present unless it really reminds him of you! I feel like he gifts thrifted vinyls and jewelry, secondhand designer, like his gifts are honestly peak and they're always perfect for you

He's in charge of the Christmas party!! and he's committed to packing as many christmas themed activities into it as possible

Dedicated Christmas Movie Showing, gotta watch all the classics!

Hot chocolate bar, christmas cookie buffet, pin the nose on the reindeer, ALL OF IT 

Strategically ties mistletoe to ensure highest occurrence of Kissing You ;3 “Uh, oh, Y/N! Looks like we're caught under the mistletoe.. again! How unlucky.. guess we'll have to.. you knowww..” >:3c

Bonus: He would get tipsy at the office christmas party and would try to hug you or kiss you the whole time, and you’re like “plz ur embarrassing me”

Jimmy🎄

Jimmy is actually really good at getting gifts. Like, really good. Like, you mentioned this thing in passing 6 months ago, and he either remembered it or bought it for you and hid it for 6 months. He knows exactly what to get you!

He's not really a huge fan of the holidays

That being said: He enforces Mistletoe rules like it's his job

Everyone thinks he's a grinch, so he doesn't usually get the best presents from others. It doesn't help that he never makes a christmas list or tell anyone what he wants 

(mostly because he doesn't want to be disappointed when he asks for something and doesn't get it, or he's afraid to ask for something “dorky” that he actually really wants)

When you ask him what he wants for christmas, he just kind of shrugs and says he'll like whatever you get him

So it's extra special when you return the favor and get him a gift just as thoughtful as he gave you :) You get him the video game or album or band tee (idk what men like) that he offhandedly mentioned weeks ago :) He can't hold in his surprise that you remembered!

“Woah, babe! I can't believe you remembered.. This is perfect, thank you baby” And then he wraps you into a tight hug!

Bonus: Yea, Jimmy had to fill in as Santa one year when Curly was busy/sick....... He made a kid cry.

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know in the replies what you think, send an ask if you have a request, and rb if u liked! Thanks for reading!💚❤️

Merry Christmas!! ☃️💚🎄❤️❄️❤️🎄💚🎁☃️❄️❤️❄️❤️🎄💚

[writingwithciara]

blinking lights -quinn hughes-

summary: with planes grounded for the holiday due the snow storm, y/n & quinn are forced to spend christmas together. but oddly enough, neither of them seem to mind much

word count: 3.4k

pairing: quinn hughes x roommate!reader

note: i LOVE writing roommate quinn honestly

"i'm sorry mom. i won't be able to make it home this year. all flights out of vancouver are cancelled." y/n looked at the website opened on her laptop. her mom was sighing on the other end of the line. "i know. i'm sorry. but i should be able to visit in the new year. i promise."

"it's okay honey. i'm just glad that you'll be safe." her mom sighed again. "are your roommates stranded too?"

"i'm not sure. quinn left earlier to catch a flight so it's a possibility."

"well for you sake, i hope you're not alone for the holidays."

"i hope so too, mom." y/n looked up when the door opened. "gotta go, mom. quinn's home."

"okay sweetie. i'll call you tomorrow."

"alright. sounds good. love you."

as y/n hung up, quinn sat next to her on the couch.

"no luck?"

"unfortunately." y/n sighed and closed her laptop. "i'm guessing the same goes for you?"

"yeah. it kinda sucks. it's the first christmas i won't be able to see my family."

"at least neither of us will be alone this year."

"fair point." quinn chuckled and turned on the tv. "what should we watch?"

"frosty the snowman. always makes me feel better."

"got it." quinn smiled and put the movie on. he glanced around the bare apartment. "since we'll both be here for christmas, why don't we decorate? we can also combine traditions and do them together."

"i guess it beats sitting in an empty apartment. we definitely need some christmas spirit in this place."

"strongly agree. we'll go out tomorrow to get some decorations and we'll make a day of decorating and traditions."

"alright." y/n turned her attention to the tv screen. "my mom is supposed to call me tomorrow and she may want to talk to you."

"why?"

"i don't know. i suppose it's because i talk about you a lot but i think she's not sure if you're a guy or a girl. never really specified, honestly." she smiled. "i'm only telling you now so you're not completely shocked when she calls."

"alright." he smiled. "should i expect any questions?"

"she'll probably asked why i'm living with you and stuff like that."

"okay. i think i can handle it." quinn smiled.

after the movie, they both went to their rooms to get some sleep. decorating their apartment was going to be a huge task but if anyone could do it, it's y/n & quinn.

the next morning, y/n woke up early and sent her mom a text.

hey mom. i'm going shopping with quinn today and we're gonna be decorating our apartment after. i'll call you later, alright? love you <3

the second she heard quinn moving around in his room, she smiled and put on a pot of coffee. y/n watched him walk into the kitchen slowly. he smiled at her and sat at the counter.

"ready to shop for decorations today?"

"you bet." y/n smiled and poured them each a cup of coffee. she was excited to spend more time with quinn than she was used to. for the past 3 years, she had been harboring a crush on her roommate but the timing to tell him was never right. he was almost always in a relationship and his girlfriends barely liked her. they tolerated her, at best. and that was why she didn't spend a whole lot of time with him.

when the time came, quinn drove them to the seasonal store downtown. they went their separate ways once inside so they could get the decorations faster and have more time putting everything up.

while walking down the 'gifts for her' aisle, quinn saw something on the shelf that he knew y/n would love. it was so perfectly her that he just couldn't pass it up. he couldn't help the way his heart beat faster just thinking of what her reaction would be. he was so far gone for her but didn't want to risk pushing her away. especially not when she was finally spending time with him again.

it took 20 minutes to get everything and quinn insisted on paying for everything. he didn't y/n to see the gift he was getting her.

when they got home, quinn quickly hid the gift in his room, deciding he would wrap it tonight and give it to her in the morning. by the time he made it back to the living room, y/n had all the decorations sorted out in piles based on each room they were going to work on.

"so i figured you could get started in the kitchen while i worked out here. fair warning, i may need your help after."

"then why don't we work together?" he chuckled. "wouldn't that make more sense?"

"well i was going to play christmas music and when i dance, it looks weird."

"i highly doubt that." he smiled. "i've seen you dance before."

"that was always choreographed or because i was drunk. but i'm sober and don't want to make a fool of myself."

"y/n, i don't think you're capable of doing such a thing. just let me help you out here."

"alright, fine. but no judging me on my dance moves, hughes."

"i would never." quinn smiled and grabbed a box of lights. he grabbed the necessary items to get started while y/n put some music on the speaker. "wanna start on opposite ends and meet in the middle?"

"yes sir." y/n grabbed the other decorations and went across the room. halfway through the 3rd song, quinn was done hanging lights. he turned to look at y/n. she was dancing and in her own little world and quinn couldn't help but admire her more. how could she think she'd look like a fool? he thought she was beautiful and one day, he was going to get the courage to tell her.

when y/n turned around to grab something, she noticed quinn staring at her. it suddenly made her self conscious. "what?"

"nothing. i was just watching you dance."

"oh. i'm sorry about that. i told you i looked like a fool when i dance sober."

"quite the opposite actually. it was pretty cute." he chuckled and headed to the kitchen to start decorating, leaving y/n to stare with red cheeks.

it took her a minute to follow but when she finally got to the kitchen, quinn was already halfway through decorating.

"wow. you work fast." y/n smiled and instead of offering to help, she just leaned against the counter and watched him.

"yeah. sorry about that. i just couldn't help myself. i know you wanted to help with the decorating."

"no. it's perfectly fine. i like observing." y/n smirked and pulled out a mug. she poured herself some hot chocolate and sipped it while quinn went back to work. while he worked, y/n climbed onto the counter and smiled. this was the perfect way to admire quinn without feeling too guilty.

by the time quinn was finished, y/n had a mug of hot chocolate made for him. when she handed it to him, their fingers brushed against each other, causing y/n to draw her hand back quickly. the moment was interrupted when y/n's phone was ringing. she glanced down at the caller id.

"it's my mom." y/n showed him the phone and hit the 'accept' button. her moms face filled the screen in seconds. "hey mom."

"hey sweetie. how's your day?"

"it's good. quinn and i have been decorating for an hour. the place looks amazing. wanna see it?"

"in a minute. i want to meet your roommate."

y/n looked up and held the phone out to quinn. he took it and moved to stand beside y/n so they'd both be on the screen.

"hi. it's nice to finally meet you."

"oh my. you're certainly not what i was expecting."

"y/n informed me that you would say something like that." he smiled.

"how's it going, living with my baby?"

"mom!" y/n turned her face into quinn's shoulder while he chuckled.

"it's great. we're having the best time." he couldn't stop smiling. y/n's head fit perfectly in his shoulder. it was like a dream come true to have her this close. "she's amazing and probably my best friend."

"i'm glad she has such a good friend, honestly. i was so worried about her."

"you don't have to worry about her now. she's in good hands." he chuckled and threw his arm around y/n's shoulder. she grabbed the phone from him and smiled.

"alright. we gotta finish decorating. i'll talk to you later. bye mom. i love you."

"bye you guys. love you too."

after she hung up, y/n turned to quinn. "i'm your best friend, huh?"

"yeah, actually." he turned to stand across from her. "and it kind of hurt when you distanced yourself a little bit over the last 2 years. thought it was something i did. but i'm really glad you're coming back around."

"yeah i'm sorry about that. but none of your girlfriends liked me so i thought it'd be easier for your relationships if i wasn't around a whole lot."

"why didn't they like you?"

"i don't know." y/n shrugged and turned to refill her mug. "but for the record, you're my best friend too."

"glad to hear it." quinn smiled slightly before walking out to the living room. although he had just called her his best friend, he didn't like hearing the word come from her mouth.

"quinn," y/n called out after him as she followed him into the living room. "i'm never going to distance myself from you again, okay? it was hurting me too."

"i'm sorry you felt like you had to give me space. and i'm really sorry they didn't like you. i don't understand why they didn't. you're one of the most likeable people i know."

"i try to be. and i don't understand why they didn't. but it's all in the past and i've learned from my mistakes." y/n sat and looked at him. "i can never stay away from you, quinn. it'll probably kill me."

"well i'm glad you're sticking around because it would probably kill me too, if i'm being honest." he turned to face her and smiled. "so, are there any traditions you have with your family that we can do tonight?"

"my mom and i usually bake cookies and eat some random take-out while watching home alone or how the grinch stole christmas. but we don't have to do that."

"why not? it sounds like fun."

"you'd really want to bake cookies with me?" y/n's eyes widened and she couldn't help the way her smile grew.

"of course. if it makes you happy, then i'll do anything."

y/n tried to ignore the way her heart wanted to beat out of her chest. never in her life had she met a guy so willing to do anything she had asked. it took everything in her not to launch herself across the couch and kiss him. she had to keep reminding herself that they were just friends.

while they baked cookies, both of them enjoyed the closeness of the other. side by side and covered in flour. usually, quinn hated messes but with y/n, he didn't care.

when they put the cookies in the oven, quinn wiped his hands on a towel.

"i'm gonna go take a shower. you order dinner and pick out the movie. i'll be out in a bit." quinn didn't wait for her to reply. he just headed into the bathroom to shower. he spent half an hour in their and when he got out to get dressed, he realized that with his quick exit, he forgot to grab a new shirt from his room. the one he was wearing was covered in flour but luckily the rest of his clothes were fine. he put on his shorts and walked out into the hallway.

y/n looked up from the couch and watched quinn walk into his room. she only got a brief look at him but she was still speechless, regardless of having seen him without a shirt many times. she quickly turned her attention to the tv when he came walking back out to join her on the couch.

"food should be here in 10 minutes and i decided to go with home alone this year. is that okay?"

"it's perfect." quinn smiled and threw his arm around the back of the couch. the couch was big enough for at least 7 people but they were sitting on the same cushion. not close enough to be touching but close enough to feel the heat radiating off of each other. and every few seconds, quinn's thumb would rub against y/n's shoulder. but neither of them seemed to care.

when the food arrived, quinn went to grab it. and when he sat back down, he was closer to y/n than before. as they ate, y/n tried not to focus on the closeness of her best friend. it was hard but she was able to do it.

until he swung his arm back over the couch. he may as well have just placed it across her shoulder with the way his hand was resting there. as they watched the movie, quinn had moved his arm down to where it was actually resting across y/n. she looked at him with an innocent smile, which he adored, then went back to watching the rest of the movie.

when the movie was finally over, y/n stood up and stretched. "well i'm gonna get ready for bed."

"before you do, i was wondering if you wanted to take part in one of my family's traditions."

"it's not going to be something weird, is it?"

"no." he smiled. "unless you count wearing matching pajamas to bed on christmas eve."

"oh my gosh. my family does the same thing." y/n giggled. "wait, do we have matching pajamas?"

"yeah. i bought them a few days ago and was intending to give you a pair before i left for the holidays but i guess it was just meant to happen this way. be right back." quinn smiled and ran to his room. he returned seconds later with the pjs. "i hope you like them."

"they're a gift from you, quinn. i always like those." y/n smiled and headed into her room to change. quinn did the same and they managed to come out at the same time. all he could so was admire the way the clothes fit y/n perfectly. "how did you know my size?"

"because i know you." quinn chuckled, not wanting to admit it was because he stared at her so long that he memorized everything.

"you're the most perfect roommate, quinn." she smiled and threw her arms around him. "thank you."

he immediately hugged her back. "you're welcome."

"okay. well it's bed time now. i'll see you in the morning. good night quinn." y/n ran off the her room to try to get some sleep. but she knew that would be impossible, due to the overwhelming attraction she was feeling. if she didn't tell quinn soon, her emotions were going to shut her down.

as quinn sat at the desk in his room, he couldn't stop thinking about how excited y/n had been when she came out in the pjs. he had seen her happy many times but there was just something different this time.

he wrapped her gift neatly and set it down beside his bed. it was going to be the first thing he grabbed in the morning and he hoped she would love it as much as he loved her.

when the sun rose the next morning, quinn grabbed the box and headed out to the kitchen. y/n was normally a morning person so he was surprised that she hadn't woken up yet. he set the box on the counter and began making coffee. just as he was adding the finishing touches to y/n's coffee, she walked out of her room.

"good morning, quinn."

"good morning, y/n" he smiled and handed her the coffee. when she took a sip, her whole body instantly warmed up.

"this is the best coffee i've ever tasted. thank you." she grinned and continued to drink it as they both made their way onto the couch.

"so what else does your family do for christmas?"

"we stay in our pjs all day and spend time together. it's pretty boring but if you're around the right people, you can have the best time."

"well then that's exactly what we will do today." quinn smiled. "oh, before i forget, i have a present for you. close your eyes." he got off the couch and grabbed the gift from the kitchen before returning. "i hope you like it."

y/n unwrapped it carefully and opened the box. she pulled out a teddy bear with a canucks jersey on. and not just any jersey. a demko jersey. he even came with mini goalie pads and a helmet.

"i know how much you love thatcher so when i saw this, i just knew i had to get it for you."

"i love it so much. thank you, quinn." y/n set the bear down and hugged quinn. "i didn't get you anything. i'm sorry."

"it's alright. you being here is enough of a present for me." he rubbed her back and smiled. when y/n pulled back a little, her whole expression had changed. she was still happy but there were tears in her eyes.

"i appreciate that, quinn. but i feel like it's just not enough to make you truly happy."

"y/n, you're more than enough. you are the perfect gift."

y/n smiled and placed her lips on his. he was shocked at first and just as y/n was about to break the kiss, quinn pulled her closer and kissed her back. they stayed in that position for a few minutes before either one of them wanted to let go. when they separated, quinn rested his forehead against y/n's and smiled.

"if i had known that would be the outcome, i would've told you those words a long time ago." he smiled and held her face. "i've been wanting to say it for as long as i've known you but the timing was never right. you had steven and i had my own relationships. but i guess that's kind of a cowards excuse, huh?"

"nothing about you says 'coward', quinn." y/n smiled and closed her eyes. "you're the most kind, patient and sweetest man i've ever known in my life. these last 3 years of random relationships and hook-ups have all brought us to this exact moment. the moment where i can finally tell you that i've had the biggest crush on you for the past 3 years. i know it sounds insane but i like you a lot quinn. and maybe that's why your girlfriends were always jealous. they could probably tell how i felt and they didn't want me around to screw up their chances with you. that's why i had to keep a distance from you. i didn't want to have to make you choose between me and them because it would've been a losing battle for me."

"if that had ever happened, you would've won every single time. i never really cared about all those other girls. the only one that matters to me, is you. and i hope i conveyed that well enough in that kiss."

"seems pretty evident now." y/n smiled and finally opened her eyes. "guess that was kind of stupid of me, wasn't it?"

"not at all." quinn smiled. "like you said, the last 3 years of random relationships have brought us to this moment right here. the most perfect moment." he placed a kiss on her lips again but didn't give her enough time to reciprocate. "i love you, y/n. everything about you is so perfect and it's been driving me crazy for 3 years."

"i can't believe that the planes being grounded are the reason we're here together."

"me either. but i wouldn't change it for anything."

"i wouldn't either." y/n leaned up to kiss him again. "for the record, i love you too."

[some-ghoul]

I'm gonna ramble for a minute for something that's been eating at me ever since this dropped. I find it wild the amount of flak and hate this video is getting and from chuds who are now going to videos a decade old and saying "they've always been bad/jello fell off".

I should preface saying; I fucking love one piece. It's one of my favorite pieces of media and I have tattoos to show my love for it. I've grown up with this, I've watched the entirety of it and read it to its current release, I've done so for the past 20 years. So I really mean it whenever I say this series is important to me!

This video AIN'T fucking wrong about the points it makes and it's criticisms it has!

Luffy's last heartfelt interaction with a crew member of his was Whole Cake (before that was probably pre-time skip at Sabaody)

Anyone who isn't the big 3 don't get nearly as much screentime whenever things are happening or having a bigger role besides exposition/needs to be rescued

Don't fuckin lie to yourself about women having shit rep in OP

The sexualization of characters is a real fucking issue that so many people have with the series.

The 2 types of women in one piece boob and butt or shaped like a wide bowling pin.

Oda who has multiple times stated, "We could really learn a thing or two from Shojo writers" WHILE REFUSING TO EVEN TOUCH ON WHY PEOPLE WHO ENJOY SHOJO WOULDN'T EVEN GIVE OP A CHANCE

The series is really over-bloated with so many side characters where injuries/death means as little as it would in dragon ball I'm listing more just watch the fucking video

I had an interaction with someone who doesn't even stay up with it, watched the video, and then went, "yea I dunno he was a little mean to Oda I think that's fucked up". Brother, if this was any other random manga author you wouldn't even bat a fuckin eye about the jokes made at them. You just got a take from the comments and decided that's the one you're going with it.

Fuck, then there's the group bringing up the whole dubbing thing and like. I'll just be honest. If you're trying to spin a story to me about someone who got a dream job position, hired to do a show they hated and has pretty queerphobic rep, and instead they say tuck that and do it their way? I dunno man, that's pretty fuckin cool of someone who wouldn't compromise for their morals.

Someone tried saying one of the characters in the cut section was a trans character so it's just virtue signaling more than anything and I'm like, "ok. What pronouns do you use for Yamato then?? You apparently really care about the representation of queer folk so, OBVIOUSLY, we're not gonna have a bad discussion about this yea?"

This isn't even me trying to be like, oh I gotta defend my favoritest widdle guy who I have loved since forever. I'd do this shit on some randy who just dropped this with no other previous content!! Just because someone finally laid it all out there and took shots at the guy who's never really been criticized harshly for the bad stuff in their long running series of 25+ years and the mistakes they've made throughout it doesn't instantly invalidate the genuine issues the series has!

Also the Franky joke is funny! I sure would love more stuff to be done with that character IF ODA DECIDED HE WOULD WANT TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE CREW THAT WASN'T JUST FROM THE EAST BLUE!!

The first So This is Basically in many a moon.

CAST & CREW

WRITER/ANIMATOR/NARRATOR - Me! ARTIST - Bo Hello MUSIC - PLASTERBRAIN

MACHVISE - William T. Sopp PRINCE GRUS - John Van Doran MORLEY/CARROT/SHITTEN☆FARTER - Zack Maher DON KRIEG - Jason Marnocha ZORO - Cyrus Rodas VIZ USING TWO HYPHENS INSTEAD OF AN EM DASH - Oz Ryan ADDITIONAL VOICES - Ryan Palmer

[livencorazon]

I wrote to as an anon on this blog once, I already forgot the name of the blog but I do remember what I wrote since I have them on my drafts. Anyways...

It's a DC x DP fanfic, of the GIW being good guys and actually training the residents in the Amity Park once abilities started appearing because of the ecto-contamination of the town. Of course everyone in the town are Ecto-Contaminated, but Danny's Class are more than Liminal, and they're not exactly normal people (outside of their liminality, that is). I managed to at least write 1,900 something words of the idea.

Contaminated

Danny stared blankly. Tucker choked on what he was eating with Star quickly patting his back. Sam sighs alongside Paulina. Wes whimpered, hiding his face. Dash hit his head on his desk. The rest just stared. Lancer groaned at the side.

It was not a reaction the people in front of the class expected. James Howard was the head of the Martha Wayne Foundation, he oversee the foundation and made it part of his work to deliver the news in person. It was the reason why he and his group came to Amity Park. It was odd when he received the paper, it was filled with nonsense at the same time it made sense. Besides, they're better than the rest so they got the Free Trip.

"I take it it's not a good news?" James sighs which snapped everyone out of their spiral.

"NO!" He jumped at their shout and stared bemusedly.

"Mister Howard, this class was not supposed to win... It would cause problems..." He stared at the teacher blankly before breathing in and stared at the Class.

"Raise your hand if you have any relation with the Rogues of Gotham or any enemy of the Batclan, or anyone at Gotham, at all," He toned and didn't blink seeing hands raised. Gesturing at one of them, he waited patiently.

"Not Batman but Superman... My father is his... Archenemies," The girl hesitantly says and he could feel their eyes judging his reaction heavily. There's no doubt that if he reacted negatively, he'll find himself thrown outside.

"I see, what's your name miss?" He asks, taking out his Waynetech Tablet.

"Paulina Alexandria Luthor, sir," He nods before gesturing to another one.

"Wes Weston, sir. The Riddler is my maternal uncle," He nods and typed that down.

"Tucker Foley, sir. Commissioner Gordon is my maternal uncle," He hums and nods.

"Sam Manson, sir, Poison Ivy is my older half-sister," He made an acknowledging sound.

"Dale Thomas, sir, Duke Thomas is my second cousin,"

"Star Al Ghul, sir. Yes...those Al Ghuls... I'm related to them through Grandfather Ra's eldest son,"

"Theodore Drake, sir, Timothy Drake-Wayne is my older twin brother," That earned gasps from the rest of the class and even James looked up, only to withheld a sigh as Theo proceeded to remove his mask. Of course, the younger twin would have the Drake thinking and hid his appearance well.

"Garrett Crowne, sir. Richard Grayson-Wayne is my... Clone?" James stared blankly as he typed that down.

"Jackson Todd. I'm his twin brother," Jackson said and James nodded, immediately knowing which brother he was talking about.

"Kwan Napier... My father is Joker,"

James Howard nodded as he typed that down and close his tablet. He pinch the bridge of his nose before looking up to.

"Was that the reason why you deliberately made a mess of the paper?" He asks and one of the girls raised his hand.

"We're also not sure if we are allowed in the city, sir. We're all more than Liminals here, we have superpowers. We know how the Bats dislike those with superpowers in his city," She explained earning nods.

"Right. But that's only because they refuse to fight mind controlled, overpowered children," He explains.

"Besides, I did my own research, you children could handle yourself than the other schools who wanted to go to Gotham for shits and giggles," He dryly says.

He handed out slips of paper before reminding them of the itinerary. He gave a few more warnings before leaving, but not after leaving his number to be used just in case of emergency. He nodded at the men in White suits guarding the school and left for the gates.

Seems like Amity Park is another Gotham, but not that bad. James has a lot for things to report to the CEO.

Back to the classroom, there was chaos at the sudden reveal. It suddenly made sense for everyone involved, they only quietened down when Danny whistled sharply.

"Alright, since secrets are out, let's all plan what are we going to do in Gotham,"

"Let's just go with the flow. Knowing our luck, the itinerary won't be followed," Paulina huffs earning laughs from the rest.

"Like that trip in Nanda Parbat," Star dryly says earning groans from the rest, recalling that particular field trip. It was a mess in epic proportions but they got a weird grandfather out of it. A very rich grandfather who still sent them allowance every week.

"What hotel did you choose?" Lancer curiously asks and Danny smiles.

"Grandfather hijacked my selection and decided that Raal Hotel would be better," He said in amusement making the rest snort.

"That's his hotel, isn't it?"

They broke out into laughter before they decided to simply mingle around.

THE NEXT DAY

James Howard raised an eyebrow when the Class turned up. They're not wearing bright colors nor dark, but neutral colors it seems, and they wore hair clips in their heads, even the males, it looked like it was customized and cared for.

He nodded in greeting and they chirped back their own replies. He tilted his head at how unhuman sound it was, then remembered the pamphlet he received from those guys in white when he arrived in the town of the people no longer being human due to exposure and then shrugged.

"Mister James, you should wear this, so we're the same!" Star chirped and he accepted the hair clip. He eyed it for a moment before clipping it on his hair earning cheers from the rest. He chuckled and ushered them towards the private plane.

"Mister Wyane agreed to my request of borrowing his private plane for this. While I know you have control of your superpowers, I also know you like it if you're not hiding them," He said with a soft smile. He laughed when the moment they entered the plane, they started floating around. It says a lot of the training the crew had that they didn't flinch.

He blinked when they decided to fuse some glowing green goop all around the plane and looked at Lancer for explanation.

"Since they're more than Liminal, bordering Ghost, there's a high possibility that the plane would glitch. This way, everyone is safe. Let Mr. Wayne know though, he might react negatively that his plane is... Haunted," He explains and James nodded, already typing away on his Amity Phone. Negative energy and all that causes glitches so he has to buy a new phone from the town itself. And he had to send another piece for the CEO when the man practically begged to have one.

Receiving an affirmative, he gave the man a small smile and a thumbs up before settling down on his own seat. When the plane is in the air, he simply sat as the students started wandering around.

Or in case of Garrett and Theo, cartwheeling on the aisle.

He chuckled and activated the Wayne Kids code. The plane was designed to keep passengers entertained, designed by one Richard Grayson-Wayne, putting his siblings in mind. He watched as students stilled before some went straight to the shelves filled with books, some went to the area filled with board games then some went to the game station. He eyed their teacher who was fast asleep, wearing noise canceling earphones and his eyes covered.

He decided to quietly watched over them in the mean time.

Arriving at the airport, James sighed when he saw a few Rogues milling around. And despite wearing a disguise, people could still identify them. He hid his laugh seeing how the Class eyed them dubiously, some even facepalmed and groaning in their hands. Still, they did not approach the Class even if he ushered them to the mini bus. James raised an eyebrow to the driver who grinned and winked.

"Alright kiddos, for the duration of your field trip, I'll be your only driver. No substitutes and all, and even there is, I'll let your teacher and Sir Howard know. The names Jay," He said with a grin.

"Now what's the name of your hotel?" He asks.

"Raal Hotel!" Jackson chirped, not knowing the other class was eyeing Jay and Jackson discreetly. He gave kudos to the man who didn't outwardly react other than nodding and starting the bus.

"Everyone, control them for the duration of the drive," Lancer reminded making everyone nod and took out things. James realized it was to keep them calm and distracted. He looked at Lancer curiously who sighs.

"As long anything works on electricity, it affects them," He said making him hum and nod in understanding. Arriving at the hotel, he chuckled when the children practically ran out, some exited through the window before they started jumping on their toes.

Lancer sighed and nodded at them. In no time, they disappeared. James, Jay, and the discreet guards looked towards Lancer who smiles and gestured for them to head inside. They were then led to one of the rooms by a receptionist when Lancer asked for the visual room, a room with multiple screens that soon lit up the moment Lancer pressed a button.

"What are they doing?" He couldn't help but ask as he look at the Children that split off.

"Burning off the excess energy," Lancer says pointing at one Samantha Manson, who was growing a lot of green on another side of Gotham. Tucker Foley was by the beach making huge sand castles. Dale was in the sky, shooting light making it look like lightning.

He'll have to tell the Bats to ease their paranoia. He mused eyeing the rest of the children.

A few minutes later, they all disappeared from the cameras, Lancer then ushered them to the lobby and waited. The first to enter were Paulina and Star. Both wore different clothes than they wore a while ago and had handful of shopping bags.

"Don't worry, Mister Lancer, we did pay for them," Star says with a huff earning a fond eye roll from him.

The next to arrive were Dash, Kwan, Wes, and Dale. Dash was carrying two closed boxes while Dale was carrying three. Wes was only holding one and Kwan has two.

"They keep appearing in my direction!" Wes was quick to say when Lancer pointed the box filled with grappling hooks and shurikens.

"I hope you don't hand them out to your classmates, hm? They're destructive as it is, no need to add weapons in their arsenal," Wes nodded with a blush, his face turning green. James didn't blink at that he already saw them back in Amity, how even their blood has a tigne of green.

Valerie, Garrett, and Theodore stomped inside and Lancer readily opened his arms to which the trio went and slumped, switching to their small forms and curling up around the man.

Tucker arrived smiling sheepishly as sand followed his steps. Sam arrived cradling a plant and smiling innocently at Lancer who merely shook his head.

When Danny and Jackson arrived, everyone in the class stared and Lancer sighs.

"Danny, JJ, why do you have a child?" Lancer asks and Danny giggles hugging the child close with Jackson doing the same.

"Mine," They hissed and Lancer sighs.

~

Somehow, the child multiplied overnight and Lancer was used to it that he ushered the group to a mall to buy new things. Danny and Jackson with the help of Garrett and Theodore, the four children made sure to hold the hands of the kids who were swimming in the clothes they wear. Star and Paulina alongside Sam was gleeful in picking out clothes. Kwan, Dale, and Dash was behind them pushing the carts. Valerie, Wes, and Tucker was busy with shopping grocery.

The Gothamites gleefully scanned their purchases, if those kids were Gothamites and some assassins, well, good for them. It's pretty clear the kids are loaded, with how willing they are to spend a lot just for clothes. Good for them.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

One of the problems I had with the online radicalization of Jalil in reunion is how it actually occurs. Jalil is supposedly radicalized by a message board, but it’s provided by alliance and the AI mascot he uses is Lila. So it’s left muddled on what exactly is happening here.

Is there really an internet based opposition to LB and CN? You wouldn’t think it since Paris enlarge is shown to still support them. But the presence of message boards would imply at least some support for monarch even if it’s mostly trolls. Or is alliance fabricating it for Gabriel to upset people in a targeted way? Or is it just Lila with a bunch of alt accounts? It’s really hard for me to tell just how wide spread this is as a problem for Paris considering it’s dropped after this one episode.

I'm also not sure how seriously we're supposed to take the criticism shown in that episode. It feels very much like the sort of BS we get with Su-Han where he points out a legitimate concern but in the most obnoxious, inflammatory way possible so that the audience feels forced to disagree with him. It's terrible writing that isn't very fun to watch. Reminds me of all the awful live-action Disney reboots that try to engage with every critical take anyone has ever had, leading to a lesser story. They would be much better off to just ignore the criticism they don't want to properly address and have fun with the story even if there's an arguable flaw. That's what suspension of disbelief is all about!

You want Paris to support Ladybug and Chat Noir no matter what they do? Cool! That works! Just don't take an episode and introduce the idea that there is actually criticism out there because that makes us start to question things like anon is doing here.

Another great example is the "issue" that Gabriel never uses the butterfly miraculous to heal his wife when it feels like that should be within its power. The show was totally correct to never address that on screen because the butterfly probably should be able to heal her! The reason it can't is because then the show would end. If the writers tried to explain an in-universe reason, then it would be as nonsensical as their explanation of how the rooster works:

Gabriel: There! (to Orikko) You! You can grant me any power I want! (closes the Grimoire and walks toward Orikko) You will give me the power to travel through time! Orikko: No, you're mistaken! Time travel is Fluff's power and I can't grant the power that already belongs to another Kwami! Gabriel: Are you trying to deceive me?? Orikko: (nods) By all means! Read the Grimoire again! (Gabriel reopens the Grimoire.) Sass: Each Kwami represents a concept, and a concept can only exist once in the universe. Xuppu: Too complicated, Sass! Let's use an example to make things simpler. Take Tikki, she is the Kwami of Creation, and creation is creation, and if there's another creation than creation, then it's not "creation", it's "replication"! Gabriel: Then grant me the power to locate Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous! Orikko: Trouble is, that's not a power; that's a wish! Xuppu: For instance, if I asked Santa for a pair of socks, that's a wish. But if I want Santa to grant me the power to knit socks, then it means Santa needs to know how to knit socks in the first place so he can teach me! Gabriel: (groans angrily) Grant me the power to unmask Ladybug and Cat Noir's secret identities! Xuppu: No can do! Orikko: (shoves Xuppu away) I cannot give a power that would disrupt another Kwami's magic. And being able to conceal the person behind the costume, well, that's part of the magic of their Kwami. Gabriel: (enraged) So you're utterly useless!

If all of this is true, then how do the goat and the peacock make things? Isn't that Creation? And how was the butterfly able to make a time travel villain? That's Fluff's power! And how was Gabriel able to offer to make Marinette into a villain who could unmask people via the butterfly? That's going against the miraculous' powers!

The answer is simply that the lore was not thought out in a way that stands up to even the most basic questions. When that's the case, the only way to handle the problem is to just ignore it. Keep your on screen explanations as shallow as your lore. Don't try to add depth that isn't there. Trying to address it just highlights how shitty your world building is.

[kvetchlandia]

So...

I went today to see "A Complete Unknown," the new James Mangold flick about Bob Dylan's early years in the Village, from his arrival in New York City in Jan, 1961 until he went electric at the Newport Folk Festival in July, 1965.

I've been a Dylan nut since I was a little kid. This, I'm sure, has little to do with any genius or musical/artistic insight on my part. Rather, it's probably just a bit of luck that fell my way in having an older sister with excellent musical taste who first turned me on to Bobby.

Don't worry, I'm not going to give away anything, for those of you who might find yourself reading this and who want to see the film but haven't done so yet. I'll limit my comments to a few, very general points.

I've read some reviews that are critical of the film for compressing some events, combining others and flipping some chronologies, as well as for leaving out some people who were important parts of the Village scene in the early 60s. I think such criticisms are silly. We're watching a piece of dramatic art based in reality, not a documentary on that reality. Four and a half years of life can't be squeezed into a bit more than two hours of screen time without taking such license. We're not going to sit through those years in real time. The screen writers and the director have to make choices and they did so in order to tell the story they wanted to tell.

The only criticism I'll share, and I feel sharing it won't in any way way interfere with anyone's enjoyment of the film, is that I wasn't particularly happy with the way Suze Rotolo was portrayed. For those who aren't Dylan fanatics and who don't have a clue who Suze Rotolo was, she was Bobby's first love and muse after arriving in the Village. In fact, at Bob's request (he was involved with the making of the film), Suze's name wasn't even used, because even though she has passed, she was always a very private individual and all these years later, Dylan still wanted to respect that privacy. In the film, she's known as Sylvie Russo. In any case, Suze was a very strong, politically active young woman, a red-diaper baby (as am I), an activist in the Congress of Racial Equality and an artist in her own right. She's the person who introduced Bob to politics, getting him so involved that he was both a participant in the Freedom Summer integration and voter registration drives in the Jim Crow South in 1963 and a singer at Martin Luther King, Jr's March on Washington for Job's and Freedom, also in 1963. It was though her influence that Dylan wrote many of his most powerful early political songs. Due to their rocky relationship and ultimate breakup, she was also the subject of some of his most beautiful ballads from that period. I just don't think any of that comes through particularly well in the film. The writers and director chose to focus more on his time with Joan Baez. I understand why they made that decision. I just think they could have managed to do so without giving such short shrift to Suze.

As far as the acting goes, Monica Barbaro is fantastic as Joan Baez and she also does a superb job of singing in Joanie's style. Edward Norton is very good as Pete Seeger. Scott McNairy is heartbreaking in his few scenes as Woody Guthrie, already deeply disabled by Huntington's Disease when Dylan first visits him shortly after arriving in New York in 1961. Timothée Chalamet, of course, has to carry the weight as Bob. He's pretty effective. He doesn't have Dylan's charisma nor is he as stunning looking as the Dylan of 1965 was, but he still pulls it off.

All right, I've said enough. Go see it. You'll like it.

[originalleftist]

Yeah.

If your utopia is one where religion does not exist, then it is one where the majority of Earth's cultures have been destroyed, and this is seen as a good and enlightened thing. And that is xenophobic and imperialist as hell.

The idea that we should base our values and actions on evidence and fact, not on superstition or bias or assumption or indoctrination is, as far as it goes, a good one, at least in my view. BUT, if we're going to be honest, it is simply not possible to always do so, and probably never will be.

What do I mean? Well, forgive the essay, but this is something that I've been wanting to write about for a while, and this seems as good a time as any.

Because, how many things can we actually prove, beyond all doubt, are true? I am not an absolute relativist who believes everything is relative, contextual, or subjective- "everything is relative" is, in and of itself, an absolutist claim, after all, and therefore inherently contradictory. But the number of things that we, with the information we as humans have, can definitely say are beyond question true is really limited, at best.

Descartes famously tried. He asked, if one were being deceived by a demon, how could one know what was true? And his famous "I think, there for I am" was as far as he got- and he even questioned that somewhat, later on.

Another possible example I've heard (via a college philosophy class some years back) is mathematics, at least as abstract concepts- 1+1 will always equal 2, for example.

Of course, applying this to the real world is a lot more complicated. I have two computers in front of me on my desk- or so I think. But how do I really know that? Because I see them, touch them, remember owning them? But suppose I was delusional? Suppose I'm dreaming and unaware of it? Suppose I'm actually in a simulation, like the Matrix? I have no proof that any of these things are true, the best evidence I have suggests that they are not- but I can't absolutely disprove any of them either.

I cannot even know, much less prove, that I am typing this post. Only that I think I am, because that is what my senses and memory tell me.

Of course, we can say that such and such is probably true, based on the evidence in front of us. And for most practical purposes, we treat that as good enough. To borrow some legal parlance, some things may be considered proven to the balance of probability (ie more likely true than not, the standard for civil court verdicts in the US), and some may be considered proven beyond a reasonable doubt (the standard for criminal conviction in the US). But we cannot be absolutely sure (one could also debate the definition of "reasonable doubt", "balance of probability", etc).

Of course, it would be impossible to live our lives based only on the very limited to non-existent range of things that we can prove are absolutely true. We would be paralyzed, unable to take numerous actions that are (based on the best evidence we have available) necessary for us to function and survive. I cannot prove that I will die if I never eat, or if I stand in front of a speeding truck. But I would not care to put it to the test, especially since, so far as we know, there is nothing after death and so there would be no way to know whether I was wrong if I died.

So what is my point?

That, in practice, we have to take most of the actions we do in life, and think most of the things we do, based at least in part on faith. We might use our senses, and probability, and try to approximate a best guess of what is true, but there is very little that we really know, and can prove beyond all doubt. We must trust that our conclusions are correct, or be paralyzed.

We must, in some sense, to some degree, take leaps of faith. Every single moment of our lives.

Some people have a set of beliefs organized into a formal religion. Some don't.

But ever single person on Earth acts based on belief and faith, all the time- and couldn't function otherwise. And anyone pretending otherwise is kidding themselves.

Realizing this honestly really changed my views on how open to be toward those more formally religious than myself.

I find the opinion that religion wouldn't exist in Star Trek kind of extreme. The notion seems to rely on the idea that, in the enlightened future Star Trek proposes, religion is too barbaric of a concept to survive.

This is, first of all, untrue within the text of the franchise. Pike is said to have had a religious upbringing in SNW, McCoy seems to have some connection to Christianity, Picard is agnostic, a lot of the Bajorans including Kira are religious, there is a Muslim background character in Lower Decks, and the crew seem pretty open to the idea of God existing in Star Trek V. Hell, there are tons and tons of biblical references in TOS. There's a whole episode called Journey to Babel.

But even aside from canon evidence, the idea that religion is something that humans must evolve past in order to reach their full potential is pretty uncharitable. People aren't all going to believe the same thing. The best thing we can hope for in the future is not that people will stop having these different beliefs, but that (so long as they do not condone poor treatment or devaluing of others), we will stop seeing certain religions as barbaric and we can simply believe them and express them without pain. A world where you could walk down the street and see an atheist, a Christian, a Hindu, and any other religion, all treating each other's beliefs with respect, not forcing their views on others. Just listening and understanding.

Quite frankly what we need is more representation of religions in Star Trek. Religions from indigenous peoples, African nations, Asian nations, etc. have seen little coverage or reference in Star Trek at all. And I think that's a shame. Star Trek has always been about growing as people and educating ourselves as times around us change. It doesn't matter if a religion has 100 followers or 100 million followers. People can always learn more about them, and I'd love seeing a future where they are all equally valued and get to be seen.

[achaotichuman]

Warning, lengthy ACOTAR villain headcanon ramble ahead. Villain discussed: Ianthe and the Hybern Twins.

God I fucking hate how SJM turned Ianthe into a rapist, you're telling I can't make a hundred posts going on and on about my Ianthe and how this bad bitch absolutely was strutting the cat walk of running the world without anyone thinking twice about her because she's that fucking smart that she outwitted one of the most hyper-aware High Lords, all because Miss Maas decided she wanted to make all her female villains sex offenders because she doesn't know how to write them.

I'm going to anyway.

Also like, the twins were *definitely* possessed by Valgs right? Like, we can all see that? Right????

Come onnnnn, the potential story!!!! Dagdan and Brannagh hangin about the Hybern castle while Tamlin was there as a kid, and him ending up just following them around whenever his father dumps him and he's afraid of Amarantha or someone else finding him, and whelp, they're the only ones who haven't been mean to him so might as well follow em right?

And then the twins are like

Brannagh: "Uhm... want a beer?"

Dagdan: "HE'S FOUR"

Brannagh: "I DON'T KNOW WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH HIM???"

And then he just ends up hanging out with them every time he's there, like they're his cool cousins, and they teach him Hybern traditions and fighting techniques, and help horn his skill. Like Tamlin is wickedly observant and despite never wanting the crown, he is grade-A certified for the job, mans eliminated slavery without a single thought, that kind of ruling does take some knowledge. Yet, he's terrible with people. COME ON THE TWINS TRAINED HIM

"Oh but Asher, the incest"

No no no, they're aro/ace, and don't show any sexual attraction towards Ianthe, and Feyre, having the biggest crush on Ianthe, sees the twins not tryna jump her and immediately assumes incest. Which, is only half-relatable Fey fey. I get the whole crush part, but you jumped to conclusions a little there.

Back to the Valg possession theory. Imagine if the twins were like, "Hey uncle, what you're doin is a little uncool, we're gonna dip."

KoH: "..."

KoH: "Shove em in the Cauldron and see what happens."

Blah, blah, blah I didn't pay attention in TOG when they were explaining Valg demons, blah blah blah, possession, dark magic, etc etc

You get the idea.

(They were gonna dip and not help Prythian out at all, unless asked by Tamlin because they don't actually care. They just don't really want to hurt Tamlin)

Now the KoH has two obedient highly trained slaves that he wants to use, and Tamlin volunteers to have them at his Court, because when he went to Hybern, Tammy was like

"Omg, I could just get my cool cousins in spirit to help me out, they've always been there for me whenever I was in Hybern, surely they'd help out-... What? Oh their souls have been eaten and their just mindless demons now? Okay, cool.... *broken sobs cause more of his family is dead*,"

So now Tams got the twins at his place and he's also desperately trying to find a way to get them unpossessed cause he is absolutely not losing anyone else. And then boom, Feyre and Lucien kill them, they both dip, Ianthe's later killed and oh no, now all his family is dead or has left him. That was counter-productive.

Basically, I am describing the biggest angst fic ever. Ianthe, being not a rapist, but the baddest bitch in Prythian who is holding all the strings, she's got a list... of all the people that once double crossed her, she's checking it twice... to see which ones she wants to kill immediately and which ones she wants to have publicly tortured. She's using her friendship with Tamlin as a means to manipulate him and prop herself up to get close to the Cauldron so she can use it.

This fic would also absolutely have a scene of Tamlin on his knees sobbing and begging the twins to come back because goddamnit he fucking needs them, and know they're still in there, and they're just not but he can't accept it.

I also feel like Ianthe would enlist the twins (and probably Jurian) as her evil little henchmen. Jurian just here cause he likes making fun of Ianthe when Feyre is inevitably fucking everything up, but not in the cool protagonist fucks up the evil villains plan way, no, Feyre is just being unhinged and Ianthe can't deal with this, and Jurian is NO HELP

There'd be a scene where Ianthe angrily throws her robes on the floor screaming "I QUIT, I QUIT, I CANT TAKE THIS ANYMORE" and storms off. Jurian picks it up and puts it on and pretends to be her, and Ianthe runs back to snatch it off him.

Ofc remove all the sexual predatory behaviour (Ianthe might be a villain, but she is the High Priestess and she has to be an example, afterall she wants all this power because she believes the Priestesses should be in charge of everything)

Like, Ianthe is just this unbelievably strong-willed, intelligent and powerful person, then you also have Lucien, who is... the exact same, just minus all of the evil. DO NOT TELL ME THEY WOULDNT SASS EACH OTHER TO HECK AND BACK

Tamlin turns his back for five seconds and they are snapping. Dramatically tossing their hair at each other, the doors are being slammed like a teenager releasing their pubescent angst.

Also, Ianthe x Elain, come on.

In summary, I have a massive crush on Ianthe, and I think the twins could have *so cool*

This is my entirely unedited thoughts on this subjects, it is late, and I sleepy. If you made it to the end of this, you get a little gold star.

[dollypopup]

The way some of y'all talk about Luke Newton is just. . .I need this fandom to check itself with a swiftness, because the very thinly veiled ableism is ENOUGH. Like it is WILD to see, in the year of our lord 2024, people either actively infantalizing or talking down this grown man.

Calling Luke Newton stupid for behaviors that are just him displaying his Neurodivergence? Ableism. Saying it because it takes him longer to answer a question is ableism. Saying it because he said something 'incorrectly' or not as eloquently on the fly as his neurotypical costars? Ableism.

Saying he's boring because he's quiet or he doesn't talk as much (because he often needs more processing time and/or has anxiety to surmount) is ableism. Knitpicking his social media and how he doesn't interact as much with a fandom that has actively been cruel to him is ableism.

Assuming Luke is out here like some helpless little lamb clinging to Nicola because 'oh, she's his comfort person!' instead of recognizing that they both lean on and like each other? Is ableism. Saying he has a one sided infatuation with her BECAUSE he needs her as said comfort person is ableism. Essentially being all 'awwww, poor wee baby, he has anxiety so thankfully his neurotypical costar is there to pick up the slack!' is. ableism. You cannot in one breath say that Nicola's love language is touch but also that Luke is the only one ever reaching to hold her hand because he needs her to ground him. That's ableism.

They both like each other. They have a very close relationship and they both clearly admire the other and like to be around one another. To frame it as him being some inept toddler and her as his more capable caretaker and 'thank God he has her to give him the save' is ableism! That's ableism, babes!! And in many cases people don't recognize that's what they're taking part in, but that's what it is.

He is a grown man and a hell of an actor. Yes, he's quieter than some of his costars. Yes, he contemplates what he says in his mind before he says it, and it takes him some time to do so. Yes, he doesn't behave the way his neurotypical peers do. He doesn't have to. He won't- because he has a neurodivergent brain. And he shouldn't have to behave as a neurotypical person or an 'acceptable' neurodivergent person to have respect from people who claim to be his fans.

He's been outspoken and unapologetic about being a neurodivergent actor with ADHD and dyslexia and how that can contribute to difficulties in the current media machine. He has discussed his coping mechanisms. He has specifically done so because he knows how difficult it can be to be a neurodivergent person in the limelight, and he uses that spotlight to show other neurodivergent actors they can be successful, too. And people saw this openly neurodivergent man and said some mad out of pocket nonsense about him.

As the tour comes to a close, I just really need people to look back on their beliefs and viewpoints during it and do some reflection, because I am side-eying a LOT of takes that have gone largely uncontested.

[desired-misery]

[This conversation is a major wip, but it is happening while the BSAA is trying to coordinate a medical evac for Leon.]

Piers settles next to Leon. Leon’s eyes open the tiniest sliver to glance at him before closing again. Still conscious, somehow.

“Hm?” is all Leon gets out as a question, so Piers makes an assumption about what he is asking about.

“We're trying to figure out how to handle this,” Piers says. “It's a logistical issue.”

Leon briefly glances at him, clearly costing him a significant amount of effort. “... why?”

“Apparently there is a pretty big risk of killing you if we move you at all.”

Leon closes his eyes again. “Is there really?”

Piers shrugs. “Don't know the specifics or the logic behind it, but the knife might be in just the right spot right now to keep you from bleeding out. And moving you at all might change that.”

“Hm.” Leon is quiet for a moment. “So… I'm gonna sit here until what? Forever?”

“No,” Piers says, studying Chris’ back. Chris is exceptionally tense, forcing himself to stay still even though what Chris really wants to do is pace. But there are people here to see that, so Chris is restraining himself. “We'll have to take that chance.”

“Okay,” Leon says immediately, easily.

…

Surely Leon isn't scared of dying, but Piers wonders what he thinks about it.

“I can hear you thinking, Piers. What?”

Piers hesitates, reconsiders, then reconsiders again. He takes a breath. “Are you religious?”

That prompts Leon’s eyes to open again, just for a second. His smirk is too brief to be interpreted. “Nope.”

Interesting. Piers doesn't know if he is— he thinks he isn't, but maybe if he was dying, he'd be thinking differently. What is that saying? No one is an atheist in a fox hole?

“Why?” Leon asks.

Piers shrugs. “Just wondering.”

“What about you?” Leon asks.

Piers does not wince. “Grew up Christian. Don't know anymore.”

“Ah. Same, but Catholic.”

Piers is surprised. After hearing that steady, unbothered refusal, he wasn't expecting Leon to say that.

Leon then smiles again, this time with an edge to it. “What, were you trying to figure out if it was a waste of effort praying for me?”

“No.” Piers says, defensive. Startled by the flash of guilt to realize that no, he didn't have that urge at all. His mother would be ashamed of him.

“Just wondering. In case—”

Leon's eye roll barely qualifies as one, but the emotion is enough. “Don't have to do shit with me if I die. Fuck, just toss me into a pit or something. Or leave me here. Doesn't matter to me, I'll be dead.”

Piers twitches reflexively at the thought of treating anyone's remains like that.

Leon’s lip pulls back to show teeth. “Oh, so you're at least agnostic, then?”

“You're not?”

“The only higher power I believe in is the US Government— and they can't do shit about me if I'm dead.”

Piers didn't realize that kind of talk would bother him— not until Leon is sitting next to him, dying, saying things Piers’ mom would consider blasphemous.

Piers looks away. “That's… grim.”

“It's the truth. One I know for a fact. Everything else is… speculation.”

“So you don't believe in an afterlife?”

There is that sharp smile again, as if Piers is being funny.

“Nope. Death ain't nothing but the end.”

…

“Are you scared?”

“No, Piers.” Leon says, soft and low. “Just tired.”

“You're not worried at all? Not even a little?”

“Not about dying.”

...

Piers is standing there to meet him, half-blocking the way to where Leon is—

“I can do it, Chris—”

“No, I will.”

Piers’ frown is unsteady. He has had less practice than Chris has; Chris won't make him to spare his own feelings. But when Chris steps past, Piers follows. A few strides behind, but still he follows. Chris does not have it in him to tell Piers not to.

It is part of the job. That's how it is. Eventually, something is going to take you out—

And classic Leon, not going down without a fight. Chris should expect nothing less. He counts seven BOWs in the hallway leading up to where Jacob is standing with two others from Bravo. They are in a rough semi-circle facing the body slumped against the wall, wedged against a beat up locker. Chris has to step over three more BOWs piled at the body's feet—

Chris hears his breath catch in his chest despite trying to prepare for it, for seeing familiar dirty blond bangs obscuring Leon’s face. His head is tilted down, knees to his chest, one arm in his lap. He is wearing dark clothes— nondescript combat gear, rare for Leon. All the good that did him.

“Damn it,” Chris breathes. As he kneels, he taps his earpiece to switch back to Hunnigan’s line. Kneeling doesn't give him much better view of Leon’s face, but that's him. Dried blood covering his chin, from—

Fucking christ, there is something sticking out of his chest— body armor, Leon was even wearing body armor this time and it still didn’t save him. Dark, patterned. Knife handle. BOWs don't use knives—

“Poor bastard got stabbed. Still went down swinging,” Jacob says, somber and reverent.

“Captain?” Hunnigan prompts in Chris’ silence.

“... we found him, Hunnigan. He— he didn't make it.”

Her silence only lasts a few seconds.

“You checked for a pulse?”

Chris takes a breath. “No, he's—”

“Check.”

Chris winces. “Hunnigan, he won't—”

“Confirm for me, Captain Redfield.” Her voice is flat but still strong. Better than what Chris can manage right now.

It must be standard operating procedure for her. Chris swallows. “Yes, ma’am.”

He pulls off one of his gloves, scanning over Leon’s body again. No other major injuries he can see. Other than the knife to the chest. It is a little left of center— when did someone have time to stab him in the middle of all of these BOWs? Unless Leon had been stabbed earlier and it took a while to bleed out. God, what a way to go.

Still, Chris is very glad he isn't infected. It is not a fate he wishes upon anyone. Taking another steadying breath, Chris presses two fingers to Leon’s neck.

Leon twitches. His hand jerks—

And Leon’s bloody handgun, drawn from his lap, presses into Chris’ throat as the trigger is squeezed by a red-stained finger.

[setmeatopthepyre]

Okay so I finally watched The Episode and honestly... I'm cautiously optimistic? I know (I know!) the interviews, etc. and i'm not saying they're definitely getting back together. I just think doors were left open on purpose and maybe decisions haven't been fully made yet.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

also "textless" versions of these, wahooo

[designedparadigm]

Also the more I think about it, the more I realize I really don't want to lean into anything fluff/gentle/fix-it with Ghost. It's just not inherently his character to me and I just? Don't fuckin care for it. I lose my interest in it so fast and I can't pin why I just know it's not up my alley for him. His journey is not one that gets a happy ending. He's damaged, broken beyond repair, and it's about acknowledging that and learning to live with it. Some things are too late to be repaired. There are other ways to live and still live up to the fullest. There are people with jagged edges that fit his jagged edges. It's bloody and it's rough and that's what he needs. He lives and breathes a bloody and violent existence, he needs someone to slot that back in with.

There are like one or two exceptions I've had to the rule but... I mostly find myself struggling to connect if it goes too mushy with him. Wherein Ghost himself would pull back and push against it. Not want it. Because it's foreign. It's? Disgusting to him in a way. It's not him, it feels like a perversion of what he is. To think he wants that in any way has him curling up his lips, sneering. It's not him.

So I think I might? Lean more into going through that arc and journey with him. His was never a healing story. And it never will be. It's coming to terms. Finding your way around that. Flaws that are cemented, flaws that someone else can work with.

[megumi-fm]

.

[kuromi-hoemie]

why is it always the forbidden fruit that entices me the most (⁠´⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠.̫⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠`⁠)

[violentlydefending]

genuinely always so shocked to see mirei hate. like literally god forbid women do anything.