#ideal husband is Roy

[normal-amount]

I started watching Ted Lasso for the first time and unintentionally saw my ideal husband that I never thought I wanted and needed in my life

now I have a crush, and I'm crying

[i-merani]

[myplasticadversary]

Need Shiv to get to fuck Nan and/or Sandi, I believe in her <3

[wherewolf]

the responses i’ve seen to shiv’s ending seem very quick to write her off as just another sad victim of the cycle, which isn’t without truth BUT!!! that is not even remotely the summation of shiv’s story.

i don’t think she votes yes to “save kendall” or to try to finally set her brothers free. and i don’t think her main concern was that ken was becoming their dad. she absolutely noticed and didn’t love it, but that was not her motivation in betraying him. she was thinking about herself.

it’s tempting to make a martyr out of her as she is the only female child and we see her suffer the onslaught of misogyny that comes with that. but to make her into a saintlike figure who got beat takes away the power and intelligence behind her decision.

at this point she’s stuck between two non ideal choices, but she recognizes that they have accidentally made her the single most important player in the game. because while she can’t have the outcome she’d prefer, she has the power to decide the fates of everyone else. the written off lone woman now holds in her hands the fate of every man in her life.

so she thinks about the long term benefits of both options and realizes that one side leaves her completely without any leverage.

her brothers have proven to her multiple times in the last few days alone that they will cut her out and walk all over her the first chance they get. siding with them leaves her nothing to bargain with. she would just have to hope that ken would actually take care of her. and that level of vulnerability is not only unacceptable to her, it’s stupid. and shiv fuckin roy is not stupid.

so she thinks about the other side and about what she actually wants for her life. and against her better judgment, it’s becomes unfortunately clear that she wants tom. the way she wants him is not altogether loving or even good but it is necessary to her. she sees relationships as having winners and losers and she chose this man specifically so that she could be confident in her ability to win. except now he’s grown some balls and made himself unavailable to her.

she may not like the way her husband is evolving but she already placed her bets on him, so she’s sure as hell not losing to him now. there’s also a part of her that feels intrigued by this new man she’s married to. it’s interesting to have a sparring partner in him instead of having to looking for excitement outside of their marriage.

so for maybe the first time ever, she processes what tom has said to her and thinks about what he actually wants.

he needs her to prove that she cares. he needs to know that she is capable of sacrifice. if she can’t find it within herself to do this for him, then she will lose him, and by extension, she will lose.

siding with tom gives her the opportunity to once and for all make a grand-stand gesture of love, but more importantly, it creates leverage for her. never again will he be able to hold the moral high ground over her head. never again can he say she doesn’t love him. never again can he call her selfish or uncaring. above all, he can never betray her again, because she just removed all of his moral justification for turning on her. he doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s just taken back all the power in their relationship. just in a more subtle way than she’s used to operating.

and just like that, she has the ceo of a multi billion dollar company in her pocket, while situating herself as the only descendant of logan roy to still be playing the game, having removed her brothers from the equation permanently. she may still be far from the top but she’s creating a path for herself to climb.

so yes, she’ll let tom play king for a day, and she’ll have his baby and say “congratulations,” and play the gracious wife, but tomorrow is a new day with lots of room to maneuver. and when her husband puts out his hand, she’ll place her own on top. but she won’t grasp it because she doesn’t need to.

[longwuzhere]

Second half of My Adventures with Superman ep 7 easter eggs and references

Some cool Easter eggs I caught watching My Adventures with Superman that I want to show to people so they can be in on it with comic book readers

My episode 1 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 2 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 3 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 4 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 5 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 6 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 7 first half of easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 8 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 9 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 10 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman comic issue 1 post is here

My Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman comic issue 2 post is here

My Easter eggs and references for My Adventures with Superman comic issue 3 post is here

(SPOILERS if you haven't seen the show yet):

Mxy knocks over a display case that contains the Helmet of Fate. The mystical, god containing item, makes its first appearance, along with Doctor Fate, in More Fun Comics #55 (1940) the panels were done by Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman. The Helmet of Fate is the one controlling the body as it contains the god, Nabu, the Lord of Order. The helmet grants anyone who wears it magical powers and the mantle of the Doctor Fate. Usually the person most associated with the it is Kent Nelson but recent comics had Khalid Nassour take up the Doctor Fate name.

Next we see Mxy pass by the Cosmic Rod of Starman/Stargirl. In the

comics the original owner of the Cosmic Rod was Ted Knigh, the original Starman. The Cosmic Rod he wielded was about the size of a flashlight. It wasn't until Starman #4 (1994) (W: James Robinson, P: Tony Harris, I: Wade Von Grawbadger, C: Gregory Wright, L: John Workman) that his son, Jack Knight took the new and improved Cosmic Rod that his father made and used it for himself to take up the Starman name. The staff would then get passed on to Courtney Whitmore aka Stargirl who at the time took up the name Star-Spangled Kid, when Jack retired the Starman identity to raise his kid. Courtney took up the Starman name as Stargirl and used the Cosmic Rod to carry on the name. The Cosmic Rod gives its wielder flight and energy projection.

Mr. Mxyzptlk then passes over a flight ring in the display. Very good homage to the Legion of Superheroes. Originally the LoSH wore belts to allow their members to fly, but Brainiac 5 was able to make flight rings so they can be less encumbered by the belts as seen in the panel from Adventure Comics #329 (1965) (W: Jerry Seigel, P&I: Jim Mooney, L: David Huffine). The LoSH are a group of young superheroes from the 31st century who are from various parts of the galaxy that fight evil as a team. The group was inspired by reading the history of what Superman did and they want to uphold his ideals and legacy. If they do show up in the show I'll definitely talk more about them.

In another display we see the Soultaker Sword. The sword is associated with Tatsu Yamashiro aka Katana. It and Katana make their first debut in the Brave and the Bold 200 (1983) (W: Mike Barr, P&I: Jim Aparo, C: Adrienne Roy, L: Jim Aparo). The sword was forged by Muramasa, who imbued it with magical properties where whoever kills with the sword, steals the souls of the victim's. Tatsu's husband and children were unfortunately slain by the sword, wielded by her brother-in-law and Tatsu has since then taken the sword and use it to avenged those who were slain by him. Because of the swords magical properties, it can be used to harm Kryptonians. Yes magic is a weakness for Superman.

When we cut back to the League of Loises ship, Jalana goes Flamebird on everyone and name drops Comet. This is a very good homage to Comet the Super-Horse. Comet made his first debut in Adventure Comics 293 (1962) (W: Jerry Seigel, P: Curt Swan, I: George Klein, L: Milt Snapinn) Comet, along with Krypto the Super-Dog, Streaky the Super-Cat, and Beppo the Super-Monkey, formed the Legion of Super-Pets to save the Legion of Superheroes and Superboy from Brain-Globes of Rambat. Give Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow a read if you want to check out a really cool Comet story.

Krypton gets a name drop, Superman's home planet.

Someone on the MAwS team is a Kingdom Hearts fan.

Kryptonite is finally introduced in the show, the most well-known weakness of Superman's. Fun fact Kryptonite made its first appearance not in the comics but on the Adventures of Superman radio show in 1943. It wasn't until 6 years later in 1949 that Kryptonite is introduced in the comics in Superman #61.

At the League of Loises HQ we see MAwS Lois and Mxy walk down the hall with holographic projections of various Loises in the DC multiverse. The one on your left is obviously Lois Prime aka Fleischer Studios Lois the one on your right is Superman the Animated Series Lois. The one next to StAS Lois is Superwoman from Action Comics #60 (1943). The issue was created by Jerry Seigel and George Roussos where Lois dreams of having Superman's powers and saving the day.

As Mxy searches for his hat we see him open up a cache of various weapons that the Loises have collected. Some of them are pretty recognizable like the Card Captor Sakura staff that's by Mxy's head, Guts's giant sword from Berserk above Mxy on the second shelf from the bottom.

As the episode wraps up we see MAwS lois activate the data sphere she took from the headquarters and sees evil Supermen tearing up the city. The first we see is an homage to Overman from Animal Man #23 (1990) (W: Peter Milligan, P: Chas Truog, I: Mark Farmer, C: Tajana Wood, L: John Costanza) and the second is designed after Justice Lords Superman from the Justice League cartoon.

Overman is from a world where all superheroes are part of the government and each one is a clone from him. Justice Lords Superman is from the two-parter episode "A Better World" where his Flash died, Superman kills President Lex Luthor in retaliation and he and the Justice League become dictators. Gotta admit Superman does look pretty cool in that suit.

That will be it for this week's episodes Easter Eggs and references. If you made it this far down the post and want to see the other MAwS Easter Eggs and references post you can find them here:

My episode 1 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 2 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 3 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 4 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My episode 5 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Episode 6 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Episode 7 first half of easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Episode 8 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Episode 9 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Episode 10 easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman is here

My Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman comic issue 1 post is here

My Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman comic issue 2 post is here

My Easter eggs and references for My Adventures with Superman comic issue 3 post is here

[fizzigigsimmer]

Fargo s5 Episode 8: Manipulation and Codependency.

I am UNWELL after this last episode. I have so many thoughts. What it says on the tin, this is just me processing my reaction to the latest episode so if you are not caught up, spoilers will be found within.

Let’s start with the lady of the hour. Miss Dot. Miss Dorthy Lyon 👏🏾 Put some respect on her name. This character is endlessly fascinating to me. She’s incredibly complex. Almost over powered in one sense, but also incredibly fragile. We’re seeing now in clearer detail what an accomplished manipulator Dot is. She’s not just a fighter. She’s not just hiding and masking her trauma. She is actively playing the people around her and moving them around a board in her mind. The same way Roy does. The same way anyone in a position of power does, honestly.

Roy and Loraine and people in general, we seek control over others out of a place of insecurity, in order to make ourselves feel safe in our little worlds. Survivors of abuse are particularly good at this, and it’s something I am so glad to see the narrative touching on. The media likes to paint victims with cinderella syndrome. They are often childlike innocent caricatures who are endlessly kind and pure in the face of unjustified cruelty, purely so that audiences will emotionally attach to them quickly and feel whatever amount of fear and revulsion the creator wants for the antagonist. But the reality for real people who suffer domestic violence and other forms of abuse is that they’re just people. They have the same potential for good and bad and selfishness, they developed unhealthy coping mechanisms and they learn to play the game just like everyone else. And when you live your life in fear, you have more incentive than most to get good fast at controlling your surroundings.

We see another example of this in Karen this episode. Roy’s current wife is no stranger to her husband’s violent temper and is very aware of the danger he represents. When he’s humiliated in spectacular fashion and likely to lose his election, there’s this palpable tension in the air as the family rides home. We know heads are going to roll, and from the look on Karen’s face so does she. When she first opened her mouth I was so scared for her. lol I wanted to reach through the screen and shake her, like “shut up! That man will kill you.” At first I thought she was being hopelessly naive, saying exactly all the wrong things to try and comfort Roy that were only pressing on the wound. BUT THEN! Then we watch her turn it on Dot. She calls her a curse, playing into Roy’s belief that there are scales to be balanced in order to make the world right again, and pointing out that all of this only happened when Dot came back. She basically says, Dot’s the reason you have bad luck not me. Go hurt her and not me. And then he does. It’s brilliant.

I was on the edge of my seat watching Dot desperately try and hang onto her world. Everything from her name down to who gets to remind Wayne to take his Lactaide medication, using anything and everything at her disposal to do it. When Roy isnt impressed by being reminded he married a child around his own son’s age - oh please, she had hair and her period so she wasn’t a child - she switches tactics quick as a whip and leans hard on Roy’s family man ideals. She relentlessly forces him to confront the contradictions in his actions by reminding him he is destroying a family. Finally, when that fails too she delivers a violent threat. You will do as I ask, or I’m going to hurt you. The writing here was so masterful. They are opposites. We’re rooting for her, and yet, they mirror each other. Dot has been using manipulation tactics she learned at the hands of her abusers to carefully curate a place where she feels safe, and now that it’s all crumbling around her she’s finally starting to see it for herself.

Her scene with Gator was particularly poignant. Because when he comes in, he’s subdued and we get the feeling that he’s there (whether he’s going to admit it or not) purely because he wants to see her. Her, the big sister who used to comfort him while he watched his father abuse his mother. Who then replaced his mother and became his father’s wife while his own mother seemingly abandoned him. The way she plays him in this scene is so heartbreaking to watch but also incredibly insightful. She knows why he’s here: because deep down he wanted to see her. She dances back and forth between playing on their buried bond ( “I didn’t tell the FBI anything” implying, she wouldn’t tell them anything that would hurt him) and plucking on his insecurities (you’re sloppy, you’re weak, you’re a fuck up and your daddy doesn’t love you).

But the biggest card that Dot tries to play is Linda. She tells Gator that she saw her and tries to bring him into her fantasy that Linda got out and has healed from her trauma. That she loves him and never meant to leave him, and that everything will be okay if he just helps her get out. She can take him to his mother and they can leave all of this behind him, and he can finally be free to be the person that deep down she knows he wants to be. And I just love the way this scene was played. Because while it is tempting to believe that Dot is purely just confused from the accident and the sleep deprivation, the music lets us know that more is going on here. We hear flutes, specifically those played by snake charmers. Gator is the snake, and Dot is hypnotizing him before our very eyes. This isn’t the first time Gator has been connected to snake imagery/symbolism either. When Dot decides to tell him why he’s not named Roy after his father, she likens him to a pale little lizard. @tdciago did an excellent post on some of the symbolism we’ve seen in the show thus far, and it really emphasis how often Gator is likened to or associated with snakes: His character bio compares him to the snake in the Garden. His LOL tattoo has forked tongues on the Ls. He's got a "Don't tread on me" flag featuring a snake in his room. He stopped at the Gas 'n Go to "drain the snake." He left an empty Slim Jim wrapper in Donny Ireland's evidence box, that looked like a shed snakeskin. He said that Munch came up "snake eyes."

And as much as Dot’s speech about Linda is about playing on his natural yearning for his mother, it’s also about them too. It’s about Dot. In a way, Dot is also saying that she’s sorry. She never meant to leave him alone. She loves him and she wants things to be alright. They can be if you just help me. Gator obviously wants to believe what Dot is saying is true all of it, but he’s not as dumb as everyone seems to think he is. He knows Dot lies to herself and to others and he calls her out on it. With a single line “You’re lying. You’ve never once in your life told the truth.” we’re left to wonder about all the lies Dot has had to tell over the years. First in order to survive on her own as a teenage runaway, then when she was taken in by the Tillmans, and again when Linda disappeared and she became Roy’s wife.

She told herself that Linda got out, that she was somewhere safe and free and building the life that she wanted. At first she used this lie not to have to face the reality of Roy, of her own likely end, maybe even to appease the twisted sense of guilt she would feel taking Linda’s place and in the light of Gator’s grief over his mother’s sudden absence. Later, she probably used this lie to give herself the courage to be her own Linda. To get out and make the life for herself that she deserved, even if it meant having to leave Gator behind. Even if he doesn’t understand all of the pieces, in his heart of hearts Gator knows his mother is never coming back. She’s either gone or dead, and either way she left him just like Dot did, and Dot is lying to herself.

“I hope you die in here Nadine and that you never see your kid again.” Because that would be justice in his eyes. That would balance the scales. Because he’s never getting out, so why should she?

“No you don’t.” And it’s true. She knows him. Knows he wouldn’t even be here if he weren’t soft. She gave him an opportunity. This was Gator’s crossroad and he chose to stay his course, and the looming figure of Munch reinforces the message that Officer Witt Later delivers, the consequences for Gator are almost here.

Dot too is approaching a crossroad. Because as the episode progresses she is forced to finally confront one of the lies she’s been telling herself for years. Linda is dead. She never made it out. She’s buried under the windmill with Roy’s other enemies. This is not the first time that Dot has seen this windmill, because it was also in her dream about Linda. I would not be surprised if all of Roy’s wives did not witness a body going into that ground at some point or another because of how Karen was so quick to redirect Roy’s rage to Dot. They’re on different sides of the line but they are both fighting for the same thing. To be with their children and not to end up rolled into an early grave.

[lulu2992]

Uncovering the unreleased Far Cry 5 in-game Encyclopedia

The almost complete but unused in-game encyclopedia, reconstructed thanks to the oasisstrings file.

Please note that it’s still cut content, so some information might not be relevant anymore.

You can read the oasisstrings file here. Pictures from this encyclopedia were also extracted and posted by @xbaebsae here.

Part 4: Locations - Henbane River

Tanami Residence

Some idiot drove a dredge into Roy Tanami's property, damaging his bunker beyond repair. Out of options, Tanami swallowed his pride and joined the Whitetail Militia up north.

Vasquez Residence

Home of Mr. Vasquez, former employee of Nolan's Fly Shop.

Hollyhock Saloon

One of the first businesses to fall to Eden’s Gate when they banned alcohol in the county. No one knows if the owners moved or were taken.

Can of Worms Fishing Store

Rods and tackle a-plenty. Owned by Sherri Woodhouse, who does salvage runs for sunken treasure in her spare time.

Deep North Water Treatment Plant

Built in 2002 to treat the toxic water from decades of mining practices. Today, Eden’s Gate uses it to disperse Bliss into the water.

Misty River Gas

A local gas station by the water, owned by Mr. McDevitt.

McCoy Cabin

Home of Darby McCoy who joined the cult against his will. This cabin is both close to the water and the Misty River Gas, an ideal spot for the cult to run operations.

Peaches Taxidermy

Mable's a rough-edged taxidermist. She lives here with her pet cougar.

Barlow Residence

Residence of Dr. Phil Barlow. He was a pharmacist who joined Eden’s Gate.

McClean Residence

Residence of Travis McClean. He was a former Air Force veteran turned prepper. Like so many others, he and his husband are on the run from Eden's Gate.

Eden’s Gate Outreach Center

This was once a place to learn more about Eden’s Gate and the Father’s message. Nothing out of the ordinary, until it became what it is today.

The Pillars of Eden

An outdoor amphitheater and a place of worship for Eden's Gate.

Drubman Marina

The Drubman Marina began in 1992 as an oil sands prospecting venture. Hurk Drubman Sr. became rich, but ost the property in a divorce to his wife Adelaide. She has big dreams for the place.

Silver Lake Campgrounds

A place to camp with a nice view of the mountains, the water, and the Whitetail Mountain Rail Bridge.

Silver Lake Summer Camp

An old summer camp. It was forced out of business by Eden’s Gate about 8 years ago. The cult used this place to stockpile their goods while their bunkers were being built.

Howling Cave

A well-known wolf habitat. The cult frequently takes animals from here and sends them north to Jacob.

Taft Lookout Tower

An old firewatch tower built in 1945. The cult uses it as a checkpoint and surveillance location. As expected, it is heavily guarded at all times.

Raptor Peak

A mountain peak that's a favorite nesting spot for birds of prey.

Camp Cougars

The Resistance has set up a camp to use as a base of operations for attacks against the cult and rescue missions for those on the pilgrimage path.

Dire Wolf Basin

A smoking basin that Eden's Gate has claimed as their own. Also a place of worship for the cult.

Sabre-Tooth Springs

These hot springs and the nearby cave used to be a tourist destination. It's right next to a road, meaning this location spent little in advertising. Today, it only attracts the cult.

Eden’s Convent

The very first building set up by the Project at Eden’s Gate in Hope County. People came here for spiritual retreats and to learn the Word of Joseph. When they left, if they did, it was with a permanent smile on their faces.

Sacred Skies Youth Camp

Formerly a Christian youth camp that was shut down fifteen years ago when the population dwindled. Eden’s Gate quietly bought it ten years ago. They use the land for growing Bliss flowers while living on-site.

Joseph’s Word

A statue of Joseph Seed that was constructed almost overnight. It commemorates the Father bringing his Word to the world. It also houses a rare, one-of-a-kind manuscript that is sacred to Eden's Gate.

Purpletop Antenna

Eden's Gate controls the radio towers. There's no signal but Joseph's Word out here.

Dead Man’s Mill

A water mill left over from the gold rush heyday. Everyone in Hope County has a different version of how it got its name, but the most popular story is a man's suicide after the closure of the mines.

Mastodon Geothermal Park

A tourist attraction established in 1836. People used to come here to admire the unique geological landscape. Now Eden's Gate uses it as an execution site.

Chan Residence

Back in the day, the owner of the Sacred Skies Youth Camp lived here. The cabin now belongs to Jasmine Chan, a big game hunter who was recruited into Eden's Gate against her will.

Counselor’s Cabin

This used to be the counselor's cabin when the Sacred Skies Youth Camp was in operation.

Nature Cabin

It once belonged to the Sacred Skies Youth Camp. Kids would come here to learn about animals, or rest after hurting themselves on the nearby zip line.

Throne of Mercy Church

A gold rush era church run by Jerrod Wilson, a preacher and rival of Emmet Reaves in the late 1800s. The church survived until about ten years ago when the cult closed it down.

Administrator’s Cabin

This used to be the administrator's cabin when the Sacred Skies Youth Camp was in operation.

Boshaw Manor

The humble dwelling of Charlemagne Victor Boshaw IV, gentleman fire enthusiast.

King’s Hot Springs Hotel

Once a spot for the posh to "take the waters," a landslide triggered by an earthquake in 1917 closed it temporarily and made it a ghost hunter's gem. It reopened, only to close again in 1994. Eden's Gate has put it to good use.

Moonflower Trailer Park

Once the fanciest trailer park in Montana run by the Boshaws. When the economy dried up and the Boshaws did nothing to retain their tenants, people relocated to the Silver Lake trailer park in the Holland Valley.

Sinclair Residence

Frankie Sinclair dreamed of being a world class French chef. Only problem? He couldn't speak a lick of French. He worked at the King's Hot Springs Hotel until it closed in 1994.

Horned Serpent Cave

A sulfur cave that's part of the volcanically active landscape of the region. It was once an industrial site, but the cult has turned it into a mass grave for Angels who can serve the project no more.

Henbane River Station

Copperhead Rail was created in the late 1800s by Emmet Reaves. It was shut down in the early 70s after the last of the local mining industries dried up. This station has been abandoned ever since.

Grimalkin Radon Mine

Once a part of a radon spa chain, it shut down in the 60s. Guy Marvel fell in love with the aesthetic and figured it’d be the perfect place for his next movie masterpiece.

Lydia’s Cave

In 1912, some loggers saw a girl eating a goat with wolves. She was captured in this cave and brought to a doctor who named her Lydia. She escaped and was last seen deep in the wilds suckling two wolf cubs.

Whistling Beaver Brewery

This brewery and pub opened in the late 1880s. It closed in 1916-1918 for Prohibition and reopened in the 30s. Pushed out of the national market by artisanal beer, the brewery was struggling and quietly sold to Eden's Gate.

The Misery

A dredge that belonged to the Catamount Mining Company. When the mines dried up, they tried to get gold from the riverbeds, but failed and abandoned it. The Resistance tells horror stories about what goes on there now.

Faith’s Gate

A bunker under Faith's guardianship. It is shrouded in Bliss, ensuring that those who are sheltered here will not be frightened when the Collapse comes.

Feeney Residence

Home of Dwight Feeney, a prepper and chemistry aficionado who joined Eden’s Gate when they promised him an important role in the creation of Bliss.

Eden’s Altar

A place of worship for Eden’s Gate. The faithful gather to hear sermons about Joseph’s visions and plans.

Gethsemane Greenhouse

A building used to precisely control the growing conditions of plants. Whatever these plants were before, they are now Bliss flowers.

Lorna’s Truck Stop

Lorna Rawlings used her BINGO winnings to create the best place for hard-working truckers like her husband to refresh and refuel. The cult came to take the place. She said no. She hasn’t been seen since.

Henbane River Chalets

A tourist trap that was shut down by the cult. The lake view was also sought after as a filming location.

Aubrey’s Diner

One of the first places to close when the cult took over. Their grilled cheese was no good.

O’Hara’s Haunted House

A professional clown named Edward O'Hara bought a barn and turned it into a haunted house that was a Halloween tradition in Hope County. Edward himself disappeared, and people disagree on whether or not the cult got him.

Ghost Cat Mine

The old mine has been closed for decades but the headframe warehouse is still there, used by the cult to store their containers of Bliss.

The Last Best Resting Place

An old, overgrown graveyard left from the gold rush era.

Jones Residence

Home of Kanti Jones, a Blackfoot woman and ranger who used to work in Whitetail Park. She was forced into retirement when the park closed. She fought against Eden’s Gate, dying in a shootout in her home.

Nelson Residence

Home of Coyote Nelson. He tried to lay low and enjoy fishing and painting but his peaceful pastimes didn't save him.

8-Bit Pizza Bar

The presence of pizza and an arcade made this the most exciting spot for teens within a hundred miles.

Pepper Residence

Holly Pepper and her girlfriend Charlie were among the first locals to join Eden's Gate. They abandoned this house and were never heard from again. The cult turned the property into a grow op.

Hope County Jail

20 years ago, a riot caused a jail break and a bus full of escaped prisoners ran off the road somewhere in Holland Valley. Later on, the prison closed due to budget cuts. Today, the Cougar resistance takes shelter here.

Nolan’s Fly Shop

Nolan Pettis ran his fly shop and gave fishing tours happily for years, although he was never a famous outdoorsman like local celebrity Skylar Kohrs. The money for his shop dried up and he joined Eden’s Gate.

Johnson Residence

Bob and Penny Johnson struck it rich in cattle futures, then they lost everything. After such a fall from grace, Joseph’s cult seemed welcoming. They handed everything over. No one knows where they are now.

Bright Warden Radon Spa

A health spa shut down in the 60s. Eden’s Gate has been spotted going in and out of this mine, using it as a storage facility.

Prosperity

Founded by rail and lumber baron Emmett Reaves. As the industry dried up, the town died and people moved west to Fall’s End. What remains of the ghost town is now used by junkies and the homeless.

Abercrombie Residence

Home of Melvin Adams Abercrombie. He robbed a bank in the 1940s and got away with it. He used his money to build this property and to prepare for the total collapse of the global financial system.

McCallough’s Garage

Once owned by Steve McCallough. He tried to warn everyone about Eden’s Gate, and even had a getaway car and some supplies ready. One day, his shop got boarded up and Steve was nowhere to be found.

Jessop Conservatory

Dr. Rachel Jessop created this place to protect and research at-risk flora and fauna. After budget cuts gutted her funding, Eden's Gate bought her out and devoted the facilities to developing potent strains of Bliss flowers.

Harrison Lookout Tower

One of the towers built in the 1940s to spot forest fires. It was abandoned ten years ago when funding ran out and the cult bought the property. It overlooks the site of one of Clutch Nixon's legendary stunts.

Seeley’s Cabin

Residence of Dwight Seeley. He worked in the local mines and then got kicked out of his place when the cult took over.

Deer Tiger Mine

Established in 1912, this mine was closed down in the 70s. Eden’s Gate appears to use it for storage.

Puma Mine

Another relic of a bygone gold rush, the Puma Mine has been abandoned for decades.

Ancient Bison Tunnel

A closed-off tunnel. No one gets in. No one gets out.

[glendajackson]

RIP Glenda Jackson (1936-2023)

Glenda's love affair with acting began in her teens. Near Hoylake, in the North Country she comes from, there were three neighborhood cinemas, each showing two films a week. She hardly missed a one, and very quickly in her growing up, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford became her ideals.

They still are, and she longs to meet them. "They had incredible style and ability," she says. "They knew their medium and what they could do with it. They had a superb sort of arrogance. When they walked, they ground the poor beneath their heels." (When she was told of Glenda's devotion recently, Joan Crawford asked, "Who's Glenda Jackson?") Glenda remembers every film Joan Crawford made; and that she wore a different gown in every scene, no matter how humble the character she was playing. And, when her husband died, "the marvelous, tight-fitting black dress and widow's weeds she wore to the first board meeting of his company after the funeral."

For years, hunger was a commonplace in the lives of Roy and Glenda. They had five shillings (about 70 cents) between them when they were married 12 years ago. Their first flat was so inhospitable that they spent their nights in a "super four-poster," center stage in the London repertory theater where they were both working, and the bed was one of the props. An understanding carpenter would bring morning coffee when he awakened them. "It was the largest bedroom I ever slept in," says Roy.

It was the beginning of two years in which the only steady work either of them could get was waiting on tables, working in factories and pubs, selling in shops, where Glenda would steal little things like food or packages of razor blades that she could hide under her skirt. They don't apologize for this now. "It kept us alive," Roy says. "The terrible part about hunger" says Glenda, "is that you can never see when it will end."

Despite this hiatus in her career, Glenda has somehow managed to appear in about 200 productions, which could go far toward explaining why she is so skillful and adaptable as an actress. Often, when she was in repertory, she did a new play every week, seven shows plus morning and late-night rehearsals for next week. She would double as assistant stage manager, which meant sweeping out the theater at night, scrounging props and stage furniture, painting scenery.

Glenda was, she says, the first actress in London to go on stage completely nude. It was a play in which, incredibly, she was both Christine Keeler on her way to jail, and Jacqueline Kennedy at the funeral of her husband. Christine's bathtub, overturned, became the President's coffin. The whole skit lasted only four minutes.

Since then she has been willing to act in the nude, "as long as the purpose is not spurious or sensational." Clothes, she feels, like stage sets, often only hamper and distract from the action. "You can't equate nudity and sex," she says. "Actually, the greatest intimacy between two people doesn't depend at all on whether they can lie together naked."

What does she regard, then, as a convincing way to evoke intimacy? "Maybe a couple cutting their toenails. No one ever does that in public." In any event, she is delighted that "the whole enormous hang-up about sex is well and truly smashed, and a much saner attitude is around."

[finedinereception]

quite frankly the only roy mustang ship i could actually believe in is roy/alex. they are ideal for each other. they are the eccentric weirdos in public who actually probably need therapy. alex has the better moral compass. roy would ruin the life of anybody whos rude to his husband. most importantly olivier would fucking hate this development so goddamn much it would be unreal.

[dysfunctional-family-fight]

Round One

The Roys (Succession) VS The Todoroki family (My Hero Academia

The Roys

Members: Logan, Connor, Kendall, Roman, Shiv, Marcia, Tom, Greg

Propaganda:

"Ummmmm capitalism has rotted their brains to the extent they can no longer make extent connections. They will betray each other for money and prestige and attention from their dad who has difficulties loving then." "i don't even know where to begin. the real question is what about them ISN'T dysfunctional. the entire series is just logan playing fucked up mind games with his children while they all try to rip out each other's throats for personal gain. they do love each other even if they're very repressed about it"

Todoroki Family

Members: Enji Todoroki, his wife Rei, and their four children, Toya, Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shoto

Propaganda:

CW: physical abuse, burning

"ugh so enji and rei had an arranged marriage because of their compatible quirks. enji has a fire quirk and rei has an ice quirk. enji is a pro hero who was obsessed with surpassing the no 1 hero, all might, but he ultimately never could. this obsession led to him trying to create the perfect predecessor that could surpass all might. basically he "trained" his eldest child, touya, to the point that he almost killed him due to touya's body not being able to handle his fire quirk. touya later becomes the villain known as dabi, whose life goal is to kill endeavor. (endeavor is enji's hero name) his middle children, rei and natsuo, are basically side-lined by enji in favor of his youngest, shouto. shouto has a half-fire half-ice quirk. basically enji's ideal child. due to the abuse rei faced at the hands of her husband, she had a mental break and poured boiling water on the side of shouto's face that resembled enji's, permanently scarring him. she got sent to a mental hospital shortly after. so basically shouto faced a ton of physical and mental abuse at the hand of his father in the name of training, so he hates the guy. understandably. most of them hate him lol"

[thefutureiswhat]

New Fargo Season 5 character portraits, via the FX website. Official character descriptions under the cut.

Dorothy "Dot" Lyon: Depending on who you ask, "Dot," portrayed by Juno Temple, is a wife and mother, a member of the PTA, a fighter, survivor or a tiger. She’s tenacious to almost a delusional fault, never giving up no matter how impossible the circumstances. Ultimately, she’s a mama bear with a lion’s heart.

Roy Tillman: “Roy Tillman,” portrayed by Jon Hamm, is one of those constitutional sheriffs, a rancher preacher, defender of the American gospel. A man who works from sunup to sundown shepherding God’s land. In Roy’s own reality, he is the law and therefore is above the law; he’s the judge, jury and too often the executioner.

Lorraine Lyon: “Lorraine Lyon,” portrayed by Jennifer Jason Leigh, is CEO of the largest Debt Collection Agency in the country, with two billion dollars in annual revenue. Lorraine is poised, regal and opinionated. She’s also a huge donor to any candidate or cause that she believes in, regardless of political affiliation (read: anyone that can be helpful to her in the future).

Wayne Lyon: “Wayne Lyon,” portrayed by David Rysdahl, has the forced cheer of a man whose mother raised him with a thick brew of disappointment and guilt. Now he owns a car dealership and three quarters of a fishing boat. A sweet guy who doesn’t match up to society’s (or his mother’s) definition of masculinity, his ideal evening is playing sock hockey at home with his daughter, Scotty.

Gator Tillman: “Gator Tillman,” portrayed by Joe Keery, is a handsome charmer, the way the snake in the garden was a charmer. He’s a sapling struggling to grow in the shadow of an oak, desperate to prove himself to his larger-than-life father in the absence of a mother’s love. With daddy issues up there with Oedipus Rex’s, Gator wants to be a winner but unfortunately doesn’t know what the word means.

Witt Farr: “North Dakota Deputy Witt Farr,” portrayed by Lamorne Morris, is the guy when you look up the word “reliable” in the dictionary, you see his picture. He splits the check down to the cent, not because he’s cheap but because he’s fair. He’s dogged, earnest and Minnesota Nice.

Indira Olmstead: “Minnesota Police Deputy Indira Olmstead,” portrayed by Richa Moorjani, is a practical woman – socks before shoes – and good at puzzles, which may have led to her career in law enforcement. She struggles to manage her finances while supporting her husband Lars and his delusional dream of winning the Masters Golf Tournament.

Ole Munch: Age unknown, birthplace unknown. On any given day, “Ole Munch,” portrayed by Sam Spruell, looks as though he could be 30-60. Some say he has always been here, blowing through the American landscape – the dark shadow waiting for us at the end of the hall. He’s carved from stone, relentless as the sea, the forces of physics don’t apply to him.

Danish Graves: “Danish Graves,” portrayed by Dave Foley, is Lorraine Lyon’s in-house counsel and primary advisor. A country club type, who has never been in a real fight, but sees himself as a winner, when clearly Lorraine is the heavyweight champion and he just holds her spit bucket.

[orion-lake]

Hello 2024!! I present you with my favourite creations for Jaurary 2024. If there is any content that is not public or work safe, it will have an *asterix next to it. Please, take a look and remember to like and reblog any content that you enjoy.

— Happy anniversary to Fearless by @antoniosvivaldi

the babygirlification of Olivia Dunham by @richardgrimes

Wednesday YOUNG OUTCASTS+ETYMOLOGY by @remusjohnslupin

oh,yourloveissunlight @lgbtqcreators creator challenge - gay rep by @craintheodora

DR. FRANK-N-FURTER (THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW) by @malafvma

certified babygirl™ (in/sp) (our flag means death) by @yenvengerberg

Ed + Stede's Journey so far [S1-S2] by @crowley-anthony

@pscentral event 20: antagonists — Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband by @siobhans-roy

2023 album releases: SpeakNow(Taylor'sVersion) by Taylor Swift by @antoniosvivaldi

@giftober 2023 | Day #6: Red by @antoniosvivaldi

Broadchurch @lgbtqcreators creator challenge: free choice by @renrapp

— 1989 (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift (October 27th 2023) by @starlighdt

2023 album releases:1989(Taylor’sVersion) by Taylor Swift by @antoniosvivaldi

Taylor Swift in the 2020s + Eras of the albums she has re-recorded so far by @antoniosvivaldi

Helen Norville | The Newsreader by @richardgrimes

[clonerightsagenda]

accidentally recreated the oldest and most tired FMA fandom joke on discord this evening

Kat Harrowhark is Hohenheim if he was a mentally ill teen lesbian

Gill Hm. Hmmmm. I get what you’re saying but the above messages were Certainly Something to read back to back when I got home just now

Kat lmao my apologies

Gill It’s just funny bc I’m like “wait why is Harrow like Hohenheim in the specific context of the above panel” before I Realized

Kat nah she is just a philosopher's stone made of the murder of her people Everyone talks about the HS and warhammer influences on TLT but I do feel like it has some FMA vibes particularly in that Hiromu Arakawa is perhaps too into deeply unbalanced codependent partners

Gill “Riza and Roy are little bit too much like a prototype necro/cav pair”, I thought, before remembering that there’s at least two or three other FMA duos that fit that bill also Ling and Lan Fan, Ed and Al themselves, Scar and Mei, also Izumi and her husband,

Kat Arakawa loves her brawler duo especially if one of them is sworn into service to the other and kind of insane about it Olivier and that dude with the mohawk Arakwa I only find this Romantic (capital r not necessarily lowercase) if they can quit their job

Gill Iirc (it’s been A Very Long While since I read the endgame chapters) isn’t Father’s master plan that turns him into a bishie not entirely unlike Cam and Pal’s soul gestalt gambit? Except with Cam and Pal it was more or less mutually consensual and God wasn’t involved,

Kat hm. he retained his own personality, he just slorped up souls for fuel. closer to John eating Alecto really no one really pulls a Paul although frankly given how everyone behaves in this story I'm honestly shocked no one give them ideas

Gill Gotta draw the line somewhere

Kat which fma characters would die fusing their souls together into some platonic ideal of their relationship that is also kind of a corruption arc bc it involves self destruction, a list tbh though everyone seems more keen on dying before the other person in their little battle couple

Gill Hmmmm You know if anyone was gonna do it I think it’d be Roy and Riza

Kat would Roy and Riza haha I was gonna say or is their self hatred THAT strong

Gill Is their mutual devotion/co-dependence stronger than their individual self-loathing? Find out next week on Fullmetal Alchemist: Locked Tomb Edition

Kat wait a second I cannot fucking believe this because she is always the punchline of FMA jokes but canonically the person who pulled a Paul non consensually was Nina always comes back to the fucking dog

Gill God damnit

[strangesmallbard]

i do hesitate to end shiv criticism with acknowledgment of her privilege. obviously no one has to empathize with shiv roy personally—once you break away from the Aristotelian drama, it’s really hard to empathize with a woman who covers up sexual assault and just made 3 million dollars from that deal—but her positionally reveals the lie capitalist patriarchy sells, and white cishet women often eat up. by further acknowledging shiv’s marginalization in her own cultural context, we can better understand white supremacy, misogyny, capitalism, and power.

for example: the baby. white supremacy needs more white, able bodies. according to the white supremacist belief system, these babies come from white, able-bodied cisgender heterosexual women (the only true women to people who ascribe to this belief system.) a woman is a wife and a womb. she derives all her power from her husband and her children. in the usa, power and capital are synonymous.

logically, shiv should be able to wield her considerable privilege (money) to break the glass ceiling. but she can’t. logan infantilized her; even though he could logically realize she was the ideal heir, she would always be his little girl. tom never could stomach his subservient role; that was bound to explode, eventually. her brothers sexualize and demean her; even though they love her, they would never accept her as the boss.

in s4, shiv tries to use mattson, only to be used in turn. mattson logically knows shiv is smart and capable, but most of all, he wanted to fuck her. any respect derived from his attraction to her; when he realizes she’s pregnant with another guy’s baby, he loses this respect. he’s also super fucking weird about women and doesn’t like when they’re powerful. shiv knows this information, and thinks she can play it smart enough to come out on top. but the heterocapitalist patriarchy swings the hammer, and shiv has to rely on the husband she once controlled for power, in the end. (and we cannot victim blame here—again, you don’t have to empathize with shiv to understand how everything went down.)

tl;dr - shiv roy can use her own considerable capital to gain power, but not ultimate power nor respect. even if she did win the job, she’d have to contend with misogyny tenfold. she’s the kingmaker and never the king. her brothers elected a fascist for president and her husband is in charge of her father’s company. we cannot diminish the role of kingmaker in reifying these harmful systems, but we can examine its many nuances to learn more about them.

[shadowqueen402]

A "Perfect" Ending

(This fic is based off of @kayssweetdreams's A "Perfect" Vacation fic. This is basically a Bad Ending! AU fic. But don't assume all hope is lost. Someone will make a guest appearance in the end 😉. I hope you like this!)

Prim smirked in pride and victory, watching the people living their everyday perfect lives. The city, that had once been Timeville, was now called Perfectville. And everyone was behaving…perfectly. Prim had finally gotten what she worked so hard to get.

Especially a certain man that she longed for since 1995. That man was none other than Roy Montgomery, Aria's father.

See, after Prim accomplished her goal of making everyone perfect, she had her guards imprison Esme, Aria's mother. Then, she "persuaded" Roy to be her lover while she took Aria under her wing. Otherwise, he'd never see Esme again.

Now, Prim was living her ideal perfect life; with Roy by her side and her five perfect "daughters". Aria, who had been brainwashed into being perfect, was soon labelled as "The Most Perfect Girl In All Of Perfectville" and was seen as a goddess.

As much as she wanted to gaze at her accomplishments, there was an…important matter that she wanted to discuss with Roy, her "husband".

She made her way to her office where she spotted Roy, staring out the window with a glum and tormented look on his face. He had been doing this since Prim took over Timeville. With an sickeningly sweet smile, Prim placed a hand on Roy's shoulder.

"Gah!" Roy yelped, jumping a bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry, darling. Did I scare you?" Prim let out a giggle.

"…I…I…didn't hear you come in…" Roy confessed.

"After all this time, you still can't tell when I'm standing behind you?" Prim made a fake frown of amusement. "I thought you would have been able to tell by now, darling…"

"To be fair, you do make a habit of…being unpredictable…" Roy pointed out.

"…So what were you doing in my office this time, darling?" Prim asked before her gaze landed on a pile of tapes that were scattered on the floor. Ones that she remembered fondly recording back in 1995. "Oh! Are those our old tapes? The ones we made back in the nineties?" She giggled. "Did you get a bit nolstalgic for the good old days?"

"…Well… I suppose you could say that…" Roy shrugged.

"You know, I had a nolstalgic moment today, darling." Prim's smile held some disdain into it. "I saw someone who I haven't seen in two decades! …And by that, I mean this is the first time he's seen ME in two decades."

Roy snapped his head to face Prim, his so-called "wife". A look of shock and suspicion flashed in his eyes. "Who are you talking about!?"

Prim's smile remained. "Oh my! Are you jealous, darling? Are you worried that someone improper is going to try and steal me, your perfect wife, away from you?"

"That's…actually the last thing I worry about." Roy frowned.

"Oh, darling!" Prim gushed like a lovesick schoolgirl. "That is ever so romantic! See, I knew you were perfect for me!"

"Right…" Roy averted his gaze. "So who did you see today?"

"I'll tell you all about it on the way to the airport, darling!" Prim responded with a beam.

Roy widened his eyes in shock. "Wait—airport!?"

"That's right, darling," Prim said. "Start packing your bags immediately! We're going to Japan!"

"We can't do that!" Roy protested. "What about our jobs!?"

"Don't worry, darling." Prim didn't seem bothered by Roy's reaction. "I've already called our bosses and informed them that we just needed to take a little trip. They were VERY understanding!"

"How long will we be gone for?" Roy asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, darling," Prim answered. "It will all depend on how fast I track him down…"

"What about…our daughters?" Roy mentioned. "Tomorrow is Yuri's, Dolly's, Misère's, and Kaylo's first day of school! And tomorrow is Aria's first day of college!" He still was not used to calling the first four mentioned girls "his daughters". Especially since, in reality, they weren't his. Only Aria was.

"If our daughters are anything like their perfect mother, they'll have absolutely no problems whatsoever taking care of themselves!" Prim insisted. "Oh, I hope our perfect Aria meets someone that is special, proper, and perfect! It would be so nice if she's gotten a proper boyfriend by the time we get back!"

"…I hope not…" Roy muttered truthfully, shuddering.

"What was that, darling?" Prim asked, glancing at her "husband".

"N-Nothing, sweetums…" Roy mentally cringed at the nickname he forced himself to give Prim.

"Enough dawdling, darling!" Prim waved his reply off like it was nothing. "We have to get going now! We don't want to miss our flight to Tokyo!"

"Uh, shouldn't I pick up the tapes?" Roy looked at the tapes that were still scattered on the floor. "They're scattered everywhere!"

"Don't bother, darling!" Prim was smiling like an excited person.

"What if…our daughters find them?" Roy had an uneasy look on his face.

Prim's smile widened as she pulled out two suitcases; one belonging to her and the other belonging to Roy. "You know, there's a part of me that hopes they will."

Floating outside of Prim's mansion, a humanoid being that bore a red striped jester hat scowled at the sight of Prim's and Roy's retreating forms. He recalled how confused he had gotten when he noticed that Timeville was changed into "Perfectville" and how graceful and proper everyone behaved around him upon arriving to the Waking World.

That was enough to give him a sensation that something was very, very wrong.

His theory was proven when he saw how Aria behaved. She was no longer the same person that she used to be. Rather, a shell of her former self. Her smile was eery and too nice. Instead of her usual outfit, she now wore a light blue blazer over a white shirt with a black ribbon, a light blue, mini pencil skirt, white thigh-lengthed socks, and black loafers. He wanted to talk to her and ask if she was okay. But something told him that that was out of the question.

Instead, being the clever Nightmaren he was, he hid in the shadows and kept a close eye on Prim. When he saw the platinum-blonde haired woman who proudly called Aria "her perfect daughter", he glared at her in suspicion. She obviously did something to his girl and he was going to find out. One way or another.

After some silent spying, he finally got the answers he was looking for. He now knew what Prim did to Aria and those other four girls. He now knew where Esme, Aria's true mother and Roy's true wife, was being kept. And most importantly, after eavesdropping on her conversation, he now knew where Prim was dragging Roy to.

And he was NOT happy in the slightest bit.

Messing with him was one thing, but anyone who dared messed with his Aria practically had a death wish. Rage gleamed in his icy blue eyes as he clenched his fists.

Prim was going to PAY!!

He would show her absolutely NO mercy!!!

Trying his hardest to remain calm, he turned to face a Goodle who was flying a bright green bird-like Nightmaren.

"Return back to Nightmare," He ordered the Goodle. "Tell Master Wizeman that I will return a little later. There is a…personal matter that I must take care of."

"Yes, Lord Reala," The Goodle replied, flying away to head back to the Night Dimension.

Madame Prim, Kaylo, Misère, and Dolly belong to @kayssweetdreams

Aria, Esme, and Roy belong to me.

[yumeirochaser]

watched macross: do you remember love?

okay i literally just watched this movie bc i hated the show and wanted to watch the (better) sequels. it is a very well animated movie, with exquisite art and aesthetics. and really good mechanical and character designs.....

but it's also a total mess. a very, very sexist mess.

like man the gender essentialism in this thing is off the charts. it's also kind of a michael bay movie since it's about the cool military otaku guy getting hot chicks except it tries to say Something about women and men and like. it's bad

it doesn't help that hikaru starts bland and nicer only to become a slimeball and misa joins on his assholery later and there's roy whose entire character is hating women but wanting to fuck them and ughhhhhh. hikaru even falls in love with misa in a sequence where she literally stays in the kitchen and starts acting like a trad wife playing house and making fake food in the ruins of a town. it fucking blows. like i don't want to be too negative but this movie is just so mean.

but there's. one character. who is the highlight of it all. the one and only lynn minmay. she starts already tired and disillusioned with the idol business and mostly sees hikaru as a way to cope with her depression and escape the pain. being a normal girl from a small place, in a world too big for her. she's too naive to be with this guy she just met and she has been drafted far from home to do this idol gig and this is like. way too much for someone like her. she has a fling with hikaru...and then she gets kidnapped by aliens who force her to kiss her abusive cousin. and then she gets separated from hikaru and waits for him....while he starts cheating on her with misa when they both fall into the trad family delusion in a deserted earth. and when she meets them again they treat her like shit.they reveal he cheated on her, and don't even try to comfort her until it's time to use her singing as a weapon to stop the war. she says selfish stuff but she also just feels so tired, esp since she was made an ambassador for the galaxy during this. hikaru treats her coldly too. but then she swallows her pride, pulls her pants, and decides to sing with all her heart for the sake of the world and the family that she no longer has. she gave up her youth, an after this, dissappeared in the end and became an idealized image.....she's so tragic....

minmay was the only character who overcame the fantasy she wanted to live in at the start. bc hikaru and misa actually like, don't like each other that much, they just like the trad wife and husband fantasy they have with each other. but minmay, who initially wanted to use hikaru as a fantasy to escape her miserable life as a naive idol coming from nothing in an unknown place, actually grew up and moved on. choosing to live in reality, even if it's not perfect...she still sings.....

i don't think this arc of hers was like, intended? bc in the end it is played in the text as her having a tantrum. but like. the reframing of her character as being depressed from the start combined with the context of the tv show and HIKARU CHEATING ON HER makes her feel really sympathetic. in the end, everyone won and got to live their ideal lives but her. she's not a little girl anymore, but a woman who has to live in the real world. i do feel later shows noticed this and retroactively made her tragic but like. damn. the fact that she was supposed to be in the wrong, and that she was hated back in the day like, says so much about the era and type of show this is. truly rancid. i'm glad she got reappraised and reframed as a hero later on.....minmay deserved better.

sorry for the word vomit i just feel a lot for her. she was treated so badly in this awful, awful film. i came out of this really loving her character and i'm glad later stuff recognizes that she was sympathetic and influential but like. god, this is just too mean. too awful.