#in which this guy's motivations exist bc of the times he lived in but he literally invented the times he lived in

[lord-squiggletits]

Onyx Prime = Shockwave time travel plot is such shitty writing I could and WILL (eventually) write multiple essays about it it's so fucking bad.

[tobiasdrake]

In Dragon Ball Daima, when Goku says he "wasn't really involved" in raising the kids, I chuckled bc. Yeah. That's true. But also, that's not really a bad thing??? As someone with a dad who was around more often, but who was actually a POS at various points, I WISH my relationship with my dad was as pleasant as the one Gohan and Goten have with Goku. Do you similarly feel the debates about Goku as a father are tired and way overblown?

I... can't really agree that the existence of parental abuse is a solid argument in favor of parental neglect.

But setting that aside, the thing about Goku is that. Like. As a husband and a father, he kinda sucks. In predictable ways. There's nothing special about the ways that he doesn't live up to the expectations of his family role. It's exactly the way you would think he wouldn't live up to it if you've spent more than five minutes in conversation with the guy.

He's an absentee dad with no marketable skills beyond punching fish out of a lake and no motivation to seek employment. He spends all day pursuing his favorite hobby. His son isn't as interested in it as he'd like and so they struggle to connect and misunderstand each other, but they both love each other nonetheless even if they lack common ground.

That's it. That's what his parental shittiness boils down to. He's a deadbeat who'd rather do katas in the backyard all day than obtain a steady income. Sometimes he disappears for months or years at a time to go where the winds of martial arts will take him. He's never really risen to the challenge of his marital and familial role. Never allowed his life and mindset and personal ambitions to change in the ways that would be expected of a parent.

And. Like. Yeah. That's Son Goku. Is anyone surprised that he kinda sucks at this? Literally his complete understanding of marriage when he started was "You and Chi-Chi will live in the same house." That's it. Those are his wedding vows: He will share a house with Chi-Chi.

And he's been mostly successful at it. There are a couple black spots even on that meager expectation. Yardrat, mainly.

But as a general rule, once the Discourse Engines have had their say, anyone who just "kinda sucks" will inevitably wind up being the rope in a tug-of-war between "ABSOLUTE MONSTER WORST EVER" and "DID NOTHING WRONG".

This is just what happens. When two sides start fighting over something and getting defensive over a long period of time, the opinions slowly slide towards increasingly extreme caricatures of what the original argument was about. After a certain point, any amount of nuance becomes a concession to the enemy.

It's a valid criticism to say that Goku is neglectful and self-absorbed. It is not a valid criticism to say that Piccolo or Vegeta are better fathers than him.

"Man, I'm a WAY better Dad than Kakarot." ~TeamFourStar Vegeta, Dragon Ball Z Abridged, intentionally ironic.

Part of this does, in fact, roll up to Dragon Ball Z Abridged. I don't think they originated the Bad Dad Goku discourse but they certainly escalated it. Company CEO and one of the three head writers KaiserNeko has talked multiple times about how throwing so much fuel on this particular fire is one of his regrets as a creator.

Which is why the show went to great lengths to reverse course in its final season, but the damage was already done. And the result is two very entrenched sides, one built around the idea that Goku is unforgivably monstrous as a parent and the other around the idea that Goku's a perfect dad actually and y'all should shut up.

Meanwhile Goku himself just... kinda sucks at parenting in predictable ways that are consistent with his established character.

See also: Avatar Aang.

[cyanoticfireflies]

Hazbin Hotel - Rewatch Thoughts (Episode 1, Part 2)

Charlie kicks into song #1, “Happy Day in Hell,” and KeeKee is just kind of floating in the air listening along with all the rest.  Just an observation.

Okay, so some of the stuff we see in Hell: one very dead ant/praying mantis looking demon, some actually not *that* kinky sex (guys, we’re on AO3… if you know you know), and a slew of dead bodies in the road.  I assume those are fresh kills and not leftovers from last week’s extermination – though maybe?  They smell awful and have flies, which means the dudes picking up corpses in the Pilot are very inefficient at their job.

Real talk about the barbed-wire pair – what’s the status on Sinner/Imp relationships?

 Because in HB we kind of see some of the social stigma of, say, a Goetia prince and an imp.  Though there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of noise about a Sin and an imp – probably because everyone is way too distracted by Lust falling in love.  And with a Sin and a hellhound, it is telling that the party is populated by imps and hounds exclusively….

We do get an imp and a sinner making out in the music video Addict (the ladies with Valentino) but that strikes me a bit more as “someone told Valentino that lesbians making out was hot and he said “Yeah, sure.”

Anyhow.

I feel like when Charlie hops up on the car we get our first real core philosophical discussion here.  “If I can show them the dream I’ve dreamed, that anyone can change.”  This is *optimism.*  This is highly simplistic so we as first-time viewers of the show can understand Charlie’s personality and motivation.

This is not realistic.

Vivianne did a livestream where she talked about just this idea and that part of the conflict is that maybe not everyone can be redeemed.  Are we holding out high hopes for the loan sharks that came to the hotel with a battering ram in episode 5?  The skeezy sharks that tried to date-rape Angel in episode 4?  *Valentino?*

(That last one actually wouldn’t surprise me that much if they tried it, but also how?  If HH pulls it off and genuinely manages to redeem the most universally hated character in the show, I will be impressed.)

Some people don’t want to change their ways and be redeemed.  Others may have done things so horrific that it’s hard to imagine them being able to truly change their ways and move forward with the rest of their existence.  There’s a sliding scale of what is and isn’t forgivable, and VM said herself that the scale is very person-to-person and it’s something the series will struggle with.

“But I do think there are certain things, you know, to me, from my perspective, that I feel like are irredeemable and, you know, when that line is crossed, I’m like ‘that can’t be uncrossed.’”

Counterpoint to Charlie’s singing, Vaggie starts talking about the angels.  She’s 10,000% convinced that this isn’t going to work, and at this point in the show first-time watchers are just nodding along.

But we know that Vaggie isn’t just repeating anti-angel slander here.  She knows better than anyone in Hell except maybe big Lulu himself what the angels are like because she *was* one.  When she says they’re stubborn, don’t change their minds, are bloodthirsty, she’s talking from hardcore experience.  And specifically exterminator experience.  We only really spend time with Lute as far as the exterminators go, but – as we’ll see later on in this very episode – Vaggie is pretty much hitting the nail on the head describing her own personal knowledge of angels.

Also, it’s worth noting that Vaggie says “those angels,” “they.”  This is partially to avoid spoiling the big reveal later on but also because Vaggie genuinely doesn’t think of herself as an angel anymore.

She no longer has wings.  She’s no longer an exterminator.  She lives in Hell.  She doesn’t have any personal connections – that we’ve seen yet – to anyone in Heaven but has a Hellborn girlfriend.  Vaggie’s life exists in BC and AD in terms of “Before Charlie” and “After Demon [Princess].”  More on this later.

 (What moron killed this dude and then *left. the. drugs?*)

This next part is, to me, where “Happy Day in Hell” cooks.  You sing it, Princess!

So… Travis?  Why???  What is this dude’s deal?  Not even getting into the pilot or Addict videos, but in episode 4 – so actual published show cannon – this guy directs Valentino’s porn.

His literal job is watching porn all day long, live and in 3D.  But he wants to spend his free time watching other porn and getting so randy he’s practically humping the windows?  Me thinks his sins are related to a porn addiction that is very not under control.

Moving on to Cannibal Town, I have a legitimate question.  We’re told that sinners can’t “double-die” unless they take an angelic weapon to the face.  Does that mean that those who are cannibalized in Hell don’t actually die from it? 

And if they won’t die from it, are there people who volunteer to be eaten?  Do the cannibals take turns deciding whose turn it is to eat and whose it is to be eaten?  And then after they’re eaten, do they just respawn?  Is there a lottery system?

It's been a long time since I was in band, but I think the sheet music behind Charlie is actually correct, which is like a super impressive little detail.  Tri-pe-let-hold.  There’s-just-no-way. 

As someone who likes shows where the person “playing” music is so far off of the music that it’s laughable sometimes, it’s just really cool to see.  It probably wouldn’t have been any more – or less – work to just make something up, so there was no reason not to.  But I’ll still give the kudos!

Little detail that cracks me up every time is Husk’s original VA being the flasher Trenchcoat Demon.  “Touch his parts” indeed. 

Sorry, buddy – only certain fluffy spiders get to touch the parts.  Imagine getting told you’re being replaced by Keith David only for them to find a part for you anyway and it’s that.  Mick Lauer must have a great sense of humor.

Without going into too much detail on my job, I actually do a reasonable amount of communication with and visits to embassies in Washington, DC.  Charlie’s experience of walking straight in the front door and ambling around until she finds the reception desk is definitely a suspend your disbelief moment for me. 

I know the whole point is that it’s abandoned and creepy.  But no metal detectors or bag checks?  At least there is a sign in sheet.

Someone pointed this out, but how does Adam eat through his mask?  I know that the ribs are a hologram, but so is Adam, so assumedly the real Adam is eating real ribs up in, like, the atelier off of Sera’s office? 

In episode 6 we later see him drinking through his mask while he’s walking around with Lute, but that’s normal drinking.  This is like he’s shoving the ribs through a rib-stripper that mechanically separates the meat from the bone.  That whirs.

The hologram part of Adam’s presence does seem to be entirely arbitrary, though, based on whether the scene wants him to pull a prank on Charlie or be slightly threatening.  Her hand goes right through him when they go to shake, but later on he is able to grab her wrist and physically move her. 

Is there a button up in Heaven?

Wait… if Adam is a hologram for Charlie, is Charlie also a hologram for Adam?  Is he in full VR like he’s sitting in the Heaven Embassy in Hell, or is he sitting in his own office and just Charlie’s physical presence is being projected?  Or did the design the two rooms to look the same so no one would get lost on where they are?  If Adam moves a chair in Heaven, does an identical chair move in Hell so that if Charlie walks in that exact spot the two images won’t overlap?

I may be thinking too much about this.

We go back to the hotel, where Vaggie wants to create a new commercial. 

I love that Angel can’t be within a few feet of Husk without basically going “the old man… I desire him.”  Poor Husk.  His eye is actually *twitching.*

Notice me not saying anything about the genuinely impossible physics related to another (missing) eye.  So proud of myself.

Alastor creates a new camera for them, and I’m genuinely curious what his thought process is.  The photo camera he makes seems pretty congruous with his time period (aside from some antler decorations), so it seems like he conjures what is familiar for him.  But when he creates the video camera, it includes an eye and even eyelashes. 

I wonder if this might be related to some part of his backstory with Vox.  We know that Vox has cameras set up all over the place and watches people, so maybe Alastor associates video cameras with being watched.

Vaggie films Husk and Angel first, and I love hearing awesome actors act like they’re awful actors.  But this also makes me curious what the storyboard Vaggie has in mind is.  Also, there’s no way Vaggie actually handed Angel a script that said “big, strong daddy.”  She’d die.

I know the “you come” set up the Angel-filthy-moan joke, but it should definitely be “you’ve come” – possibly setting Angel up for a “not yet, baby” joke…  Either Husk really needs the script that close to his nose to read it or the scriptwriter didn’t get good grades in grammar.

Scrub that counter good later, Niffty and/or Husk.  We know where Angel’s *everything* has been.

… I’m not even asking what the skeletons around the bar are from, but one does look like a snake. 

Maybe that’s why Sir Pentious thought they other residents had it out for him.

I’ll get into this more in episode 4, but even this early we can see Angel adopting some of Valentino’s mannerisms  when he’s making passes at Husk.  “Baby-cakes” from the pet called “Angel-cakes” by his own master…. 

I know it’s upsetting you, Husk, but take the lid off the bottle first.

(We'll pick up in Episode 1, Part 3 due to Tumblr's 30 images-per-post limit.)

[toytle]

Hi! I love your art style it's like. Breathtaking. And your hcs on barry are some of my favourites of all time?

What do you think of "The Ballad of Barry Allen by Jim's Big Ego as an analysis of Barry's character?

are you asking or are you telling me 🤨 lol THANK YOU i put all my headcanon power into him <3

for the ballad, i love their song stress, and this isn’t bad at all as far as fansongs go. but there’s a reason i don’t include it in my barry playlist, and it’s ultimately bc it doesn’t fit my narrative haha

the song was made in 2003 and i haven’t read many comics before then, so idk how well it aligns w barry’s characterization prior to flashpoint, but i’m basing my playlist off post-flashpoint, so that’s where a lot of the differences will lie

for starters, the song only includes one half of barry’s relationship to his superspeed, and it’s important to me that a barry interpretation includes both sides of that coin. instead, it’s playing on the idea of the dark side of the hero fantasy, an inherently optimistic genre. which, fair, being a superhero sounds like a nightmare, but that angle is less novel to me when that’s the extent of the analysis (and i’m a little over the whole “i hate being a superhero” storyline in general, personally). the song is basically abt how much it would suck to have superspeed bc the world slows to a crawl and you’re left behind bc no one else can keep up w you. and it’s true, that is a very real setback! especially for someone like barry who’s already prone to self-isolation and time management issues! but what does the song actually have to say abt him as a character?

the thing is, barry isn’t a “i wish i wasn’t a hero” kind of guy. he’s a “could i be so strong [to give up the flash]? or do i love the thrill of these powers too much?” kind of guy. he’s a “knowing what i know now… if i could go back in time… maybe i would’ve been somewhere else the day lightning struck my lab and electrified those chemicals, ready and willing to forfeit a life of dodging deathtraps and battling villains… who am i kidding? there’s no going back. no do-overs. like everyone else, superheroes can only follow the path destiny has laid out for them, whatever lies ahead.” kind of guy. yes, barry is caged by his superspeed, but it would be misleading to not present it first and foremost as the very thing that frees him. it’s a double-edged sword that gives him purpose, and that freedom in obligation is what motivates him to keep going. as a wise man once said, “all you can do is go forward.” (“thanks.” “superman is pretty smart isn’t he.” “hm.”)

i think the real kicker for me was this lyric: “i’ve got time to think about the past… how my life was so exciting before i got this way.” my sincerest apologies to mr. allen, but he does not feel complete to me without his mother’s death or his father’s false imprisonment. this backstory contextualizes everything for me. his life was NOT exciting before his superspeed, it was lonely and full of escapism, either in his sci-fi/comics or his dedication to finding justice. i am of the belief that barry didn’t truly start living until he got his superspeed, over 2 decades of waiting around before he rly understood freedom and what it meant to live for himself. i get what they’re trying to do here, but this is what i mean when i say it feels like the song characterizes barry around the concept of his speed rather than how barry’s speed defines him as a person

ik i can’t expect a 4min song to include every aspect of a character’s timeline/development/nuance (esp before some of that even existed lol), but my issue isn’t that it doesn’t cover enough ground—it’s not bad that they had a theme and stuck by it, i actually love the lyrics from a speedster perspective. my issue is that i don’t think this is a good framing for barry’s character as a whole. for all his regrets and suffering, barry is optimistic to the point of denial. choosing this to be The theme to represent barry just. doesn’t feel like barry to me. it’s more like barry is the placeholder subject as an excuse to sing abt superspeed

if this was somehow less overtly a “BARRY ALLEN FANSONG” and maybe more metaphorical or even non-fandom, then it would be a dif situation and i might have dif opinions. at the end of the day, this has more to do w my pickiness than the quality of the song, and the fact that it even exists is so exciting for me as a barry allen enjoyer first, human second. but if you’re going to call smth a character study, i Will be getting my hopes up

[r41nc4ndy]

Compiling my german Zip headcanons!

Made These during school, so there‘ll probably be some mistakes as I‘m not supposed to even bring my phone 😝 (update: hi yes I ended up continuing and finishing this at home)

one of my moots lowkey motivated me to do this

Hope you enjoy this!

CW: Mentions of alcohol/beer, occasional swearing!

DISCLAIMER: These Are Just normal HCS, no x Reader or x Character.

Do not cry "you‘re racist!" As I was both born and raised in Germany.

Some of these are based off of things I as a german have experienced or heard.

—————————————��—————

☆ I already mentioned this in another post, but she had her first drink of alcohol free beer at the whopping age of 12.

☆ Curses the ever living shit out people in German whenever she‘s really annoyed.

☆ Sneaks beer into school and only shares it with Oliver, Edward and SOMETIMES Miss Circle (Favorite Student privileges)

☆ I feel like Engel at least speaks German, so when Zip, Oliver and Edward are bullying Claire and Engel (as well, I‘m assuming), she‘d throw in something WILD in German and Engel is kinda like: oh that‘s not.. 😀

☆ LOVES Bernd das Brot

☆ She would totally know "Komm, lass uns tanzen." by HEART (alongside Chip).

☆ Although it‘s rare, she sometimes lets out her German accent. For example, she‘s currently rambling and ends up pronounce the German R

☆ Says digga even if she‘s speaking english. It‘s permanently part of her vocabulary.

☆ Dresses with more drip than your average German classmate 💀💀 and she definitely judges them too

☆ When she was very, very young (like around Chip‘s age which I‘m assuming is like 5), she was a HUGE Bibi Blocksberg and Bibi & Tina fan. Had a lot of merchandise of them that she would NEVER EVER share.

☆ Would purposefully draw the ugliest outfits on the characters from the Top Model Books and put the little sticker clothes that came alongside on to the most brutal and metal characters ever.

☆ Always had Satch pencil cases. Thought they wer boring and drew on them. Free canvas lol.

☆ Loves saying German jokes in English to Edward and/or Oliver bc they make no sense in English.

"Hey, hey, guys. Can I tell you a joke?"

"If it‘s funny, go for it."

Zip, who‘s trying to control her laughing "Okay look, Two Hunters met each other."

"And?"

"They both died." Zip bursts out laughing.

"That makes no fucking sense."

"IT DOES"

☆ I feel like she has a little notebook where she writes a bunch of dumb stuff down, including many, MANY German memes only Germans would get. Meine Mama, meine Tante, der kleiner-

☆ Always has that German candy on stock (only for Chip, the coolest little brother!)

☆ Can open a beer bottle with literally ANYTHING you give her (except if it‘s a weak material, then obviously she can’t.)

☆ Praises German lunch knowing damn well it sucks ass. She only likes it because they got a mini burger and chocolate Santa once in kindergarten.

☆ Finds the raw existence of Frankfurt, Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Bayern so hilarious for no reason

☆ Whenever Engel tries to say something positive in German (idk in what scenario he‘d do this, but imagine he would), she‘d counter react by saying something diabolical in Germany (technically you could count this in another hc I wrote down.. oh well <‚3)

☆ Knows a lot of kid shows, German or not, but always prefers (and often times only knows) the German version of them like; Sofia die Erste, Jake und die Nimmerland Piraten, etc.

☆ makes fun of American food (it‘s so processed okay 😭)

"Haha! Seriously? That Fanta is basically just chemicals! Your stomach will LOVE that chemical burn!"

"Please let me drink in fucking peace"

—————

That‘s all for now! Should I write a German Zip FF? It won‘t be romantic and honestly only contain Zip being a menace but in GERMAN

[neonbodyache]

neon

abt

u can call me neon! Welcome to my 3d blog 25 | black | chronically ill | they/he

Pro recovery for all! Except not for me rn lol which of course means Pls dni if you are in active recovery I’m just living my life 😭 and that means a lot of cycling between destructive habits, this is my safe space to talk about it because none exists for me in real life, and hopefully to commiserate with others in the mud with me, not to cause any harm.

I both b1nge and r3strict in fucked up phases i cant rlly control so tw for discussions of over3ating and r3stricting!

middle image is me from some years ago as a way to hold myself accountable every time I open my own blog lol. Don’t look like that anymore but ill get it back or something better >.< Stats Post coming soon!

blog

will tag the heavier shit as #vent (but heavy is relative so follow at your own risk) that may mention sh, sui, and mania/delusions but not intensely. no graphic self images will ever appear on this blog. I will crack tasteless jokes at my expense / post obviously fictional blood or gore tho

Harm reduction/reminders are #reminders Rambles are #neonyaps

But I mostly post lots of spo- meals, body, fashion- couple of sillies and diet/lifestyle stuff in ways I find motivating or otherwise but i like trying to romanticize my issues bc being fucked in the head just gets so dreary if u dont at least try to be creative when u can

my spo posts/moodboards will have a range but be mostly masc/androgynous side :’) all will be under #neonboards and u can find me on that tag if i ever get got

other

been on tumblr since 2013 just never this side unless u count silently scrolling long lost tags when i was younger so pls be patient if i make faux pas when posting in the community!!!

my interests will inevitably slip thru ive got a few hyperfixations that will become obvious! n im a big film guy ! I like some anime and viddygames but I’ll censor the names partially so they dont show up in tags :-P

Thx for stopping by xox

[ni-kol-koru]

KnB 30-Days Challenge

Day 10 : Favorite Team

Shūtoku High School BC 🏀🧡

Another very difficult choice for me. Every team in this show has unique characters, an interesting dynamic and their own unique playstyle and something special, like a quirk. I kind of know what my TOP 3 teams are, but choosing one of them seemed like an impossible mission... So, I made a little system that will help me pick my favorite team. When I added and substracted some points, Shūtoku won!     

Shūtoku, as a team, has some of my most favorite characters ever. It is also the only team (after Rakuzan) in which I love and adore absolutely every member! Since I rambled about Shintarō and Kiyoshi, and am going to ramble about Kazunari very soon, let me just talk about the forgotten two of Shūtoku: Taisuke Ōtsubo and Shinsuke Kimura. A lot of people seem to forget that these two guys exist. They don't look super flashy, like Shintarō and Kiyoshi for example, because they have dark brown hair and dark brown eyes and generic hairstyles. They don't have prominent personalities either, like the other 3 members, who have their own very distinctive quirks and personality traits. But, that is just the surface. I was very curious one day and decided to scratch it and dive a little more into the lives and personalities of these two handsome boys. Well, after researching about them, they turned out to be very interesting, and dear to me.    

Taisuke Ōtsubo. He is a serious, responsible, determined captain and a great sportsman. He is the pillar of his team on the court and is there to cover up the mistakes of his fellow members by saving every rebound he can. Everybody seems to think he is just tall, strong and scary and rough, but seriously, this guy is just a teddy bear. Other than being very kind and showing it in form of great sportmanship, he has some really surprising hobbies. It's cooking, cleaning, and knitting! In Extras, he is shown to be really skilled with needles and yarn, knitting a scarf almost 2 meters long during a boring class! He also carries things he made in his bag all the time, like mittens, hats... These things he does are not usually something that men do, and I just love how he looks like the manliest man ever and has these hobbies, breaking the patriarchal norms. He also really loves his team and always takes care of his teammates, knowing how to motivate them and cheer them up when it's needed, and tending to them when practices get tough and they feel sick. My favorite thing about him is that he likes spending his free time with his little sister, Ōtsubo Tae! Her age was never confirmed, but she is somewhere around 15, or maybe even 16, if we think about what Yūya said. Now, a lot of big brothers seem to, for some reason, find it boring, and even embarrassing, to hang out with their little sisters, but no, not Taisuke Ōtsubo. This guy loves it, we know it because he chooses to spend his free time in her presence! Taisuke is 18 years old, a grown man, basketball player, graduate student, preparing for college and adult life, and in a busy time like that, when he finds free time, he still spends time with his little sister. I can totally see them cooking together and cleaning together, but another activity that I can see them doing is just, talking. Taisuke can sit and talk with his sister all day, listening to her without feeling the need to interrupt her of mansplain anything if she just needs to let things out, or offering honest advice and support when she needs it. He is also surely protective of her, making sure to let everybody in her life know that if they hurt her in any way, he will find out and they will pay for it. He is just ready to do anything for his sister, I think. Another little detail about his character, that I really love, is that he is part of the Library Committee, which means he likes to read, and help people find books they like! Not only that, but his favorite subject is physcis, which means he is good at it, and that only reveals how smart he actually is! This man literally has the words 'Perfect Guy' on his forehead, how can people sleep on him like that? The only thing he can't do is kill a cockroach (actual canon and his actual only shortcoming).   

Shinsuke Kimura. Calm, hard-working, doesn't like the spotlight and prefers to stay out of trouble. That's pretty much the only things people know about him. Though, reading between the lines of his behaviour, I found a couple of really endearing character traits! I He is a really supportive person, but he is doing it rather quietly most of the time. In games, he sets up solid screens to give his teammates freedom to move and opportunities to score, though. He also brings delicious fruits when practices get exhausting, and he is there to help his teammates if they ever feel sick, like when he was rubbing Kazunari's back and called for help when he felt like throwing up. He is even supportive in the strangest way possible, by always offering a pineapple to Kiyoshi when he is irritated, supporting his dear friend's anger issues. When times call for it, he knows how to motivate his teammates and give them a reason to stand up on their feet and continue fighting. He is extremely hard-working and he proved it by practicing harder than everyone until he finally reached the starter line. That's a thing I really admire him for. Something that caught my attention when reading his Wiki page and exploring his character was how he likes to spend his free time. He spends it by helping at home. Now, if you know that his family owns a convenience store and grows their own fruits, it probably means that he helps with taking care of the said plants, carries heavy boxes, cleans the store, helps in organising new arrivals, works as a cashier and so on... However, if you ever happened to notice the fact that he doesn't have a mother, it adds another, whole different meaning. Having only a father means that all the house and store responsibilities fall onto him when his boys are at school, which is difficult to balance. So, taking care of the house, cleaning it and cooking meals, probably sometimes falls onto his two sons, and very likely Shinsuke, as the older brother, takes care of most of those things. This boy is another level of hard-working. We can even gyess that he gave up college to continue the family's bussiness, because he is never shown worrying about any college entrance exams, like the other two Third Years. He is just, wow. The moment I completely fell in love with him was when I listened to a Special CD. In the said CD, he reveals such a beautiful side of himself and he tells us about something really important for him. He talks about wrestling. He has been doing it since he is 8 years old, it's something that he loves a lot and is extremely passionate about! I wish you guys could hear his voice when he talks about wrestling, he just sounds so happy and passionate! Oh, and he gets so excited when he finds out Shintarō knows a thing or two about his sport! Listening to that part of the CD always makes my little heart melt! Shinsuke is so precious to me and I just love him so much!

If you get into typology, Shinsuke and Taisuke both have a Kanji in their names that means 'Support', showing how important they are for the Shūtoku team. Also, they are really handsome, and it's a hill I will die on. If anyone disagrees with me on this one, I am willing to argue until the end of time.   

Now, the characters aren't even the best part of this team. What I endlessly love is the chemistry and all the different friendships between all of them!

Three Third years and two First years in a single team is a really interesting combination itself. Almost like parents and children. Getting along with each other, as two separate generations, was probably something that they had to work on a lot, but in the end, they did it! Since the beginning, the First years had respect for their Seniors by listening to them and respecting their opinions. Sometimes, the Third years had to pick their younger members up and give them motivation to keep fighting. They are also there to tend to the boys when they feel unwell and are always willing to offer their help when they get in trouble, like in the Midorima's Unlucky Day Extra! An important step towards the team working well was Third years getting along with the fact that the First years, were indeed, special, and needed to be cut some slack for such behaviour from time to time. Honestly, realising that they will be on the same team only for a single year breaks my heart every time, it breaks theirs as well... The moment Shintarō and Kazunari pointed that out in their game against Rakuzan was the only time I cried in the show. Seriously, I love these guys so much.     

Shūtoku has some really interesting friendships as well, one of the most precious friendships being the one between Kazunari and Shintarō. It is obvious that these two are inseparable! After all, they are always there for each other, on the basketball court, in school and even in private life, offering support and having fun! Kazunari cares for Shintarō really deeply, and he shows it by carrying some of his neccesities, such as tape for fingers and sometimes even lucky items with himself, and always being there to cheer him up and protect him if the upperclassmen are picking on him. Shintarō is pretty tsundere, usually trying hard to not show how much he actually appreciates Kazunari and his thoughtfulness, but every time he softly smiles and relies on his dear friend he reveals to us how much he appreciates him.

Another friendship that is very dear to me is the one between Kiyoshi and Shinsuke! These two share the same story on how they got their well deserved positions as the starter members of the basketball team. They worked harder than everyone, stayed late to practice and got close because of that, possibly practicing with each other a bunch of times. But that's not everything, The Extras really reveal just how close these two are! They are actually classmates as well! Being in the same class with someone surely brings two people together, so these two being in the same classroom for 3 consecutive years surely did its wonders! Now, their personalities might clash a little, because Shinsuke is calm and Kiyoshi is rather uptight, Shinsuke prefers to stay out of trouble while Kiyoshi attracts a lot of trouble, but they are also similar in their determination, seriousness and hard-work, which is why they can probably get along. In the anime, we can also see these two tease each other sometimes, in the besties way, of course. The Extras also show how sometimes, when paired up, these two know how to 'have fun' by poking at their underclassmen (which is a little mean, but they never really hurt anyone, as far as I know, so they are forgiven). Oh, and of course, they have this famous pineapple/pick-up truck deal, where Shinsuke always offers his fruits or vehicle to his dear friend when he is irritated. It is just so iconic, like their own little inside joke!

There is also something very interesting going on between Taisuke and Kiyoshi. At one point in the anime, Taisuke reveals to Shintarō and Kazunari that they go to idol concerts together and that idols are actually their common interest! As someone who is into idols myself, I can see them collecting albums, CDs and photocards and trading them with each other all the time, which is something that is fun when done with friends! But that's not quite it... Remember when Taisuke said he was really used to seeing Kiyoshi work so hard? Well, I somehow came to an idea that they practiced basketball together, more specifically, that Taisuke helped Kiyoshi with polishing his fundamentals and mastering dribbling against an opponent with good defense. This duo kind of makes sense, because Taisuke is just supportive like that, he is the type of a guy who would help others in need with no hesitation, and Kiyoshi just screams 'someone help' as a character and a person, and especially in that period of time, I think. So, naturally, they were kinda drawn to each other, and later when they realised they have some things in common, they became good friends! I can kind of see Kiyoshi always feel so grateful for Taisuke because he supported him and helped him in some really tough times, and probably even picked him up when he fell. Also, before Taisuke revealed their shared interest to his underclassmen, he was about to say something about Kiyoshi, but he cut himself in the middle of his sentence and never said it. I can feel that he was about to say something really nice about him, groundbreaking for their relationship even, and I am still mad he never finished it...

Shūtoku is also a team with a lot of brothers and sisters, where every regular memeber we know has a younger sibling! Shintarō, Kazunari and Taisuke have younger sisters, while Shinsuke and Kiyoshi have younger brothers! Sadly, we never got to truly meet any of them. We only know something little about Yūya, only know Tae's name and looks, and the appearance of little Kimura. Unfortunately, we have nothing for little Midorima and little Takao. Well, still, it's really something interesting to think about, all the possible big brother tropes that the regulars of Shūtoku might be! It's sad that we don't have almost anything for some of these younger siblings, but that doesn't have to be all that bad! It leaves room for our own imagination and creativity to shine, we can make up our own fun headcanons for their looks, ages, personalities and relationships!

I just love this team so much! 🧡

[thepeanutbutterwizard]

Idea for Dr.Julien:

Wu met Julien before the latter died.They talked about prophecy and Zane's role in it.Julien was confused,but trusted Wu.

Years later when Wu found amnesiac Zane he was confused.He went to the forest where he met Julien before and found out that he died and that Zane is nindroid.

options:

Julien gets resurrected for the purpose of having someone able to repair Zane just in case.When Wu gets enough influence over Borg to have him repair and/or modify Zane without questions he either gets rid of Julien or still has him around for different purpose. Julien had tried to get to Zane through falcon,but Wu got rid of it and threatened Julien that if he tries something like that again, Zane will get hurt.Julien is too afraid to risk anything.

Another option:Julien stays dead.

Another option:Julien gets resurrected or doesn't die similar to option 1,but Wu actually tricks him.Magic,tea,lying and all the other stuff.

I appreciate the ideas, but my problem with Dr Julien isn't about where to fit him into everything, it's a matter of characterization

Like, they way everything with him is framed and the way all the other characters talk about him in cannon tells me the writers intended for him to be a very good person and outstanding father, but there are a few things that he actually does that, well, rub me the wrong way to say the least.

First off, there's Echo. I know that from a meta perspective he was left behind bc everything after S2 is a retcon, and the writers needed to give Jay a team of allies to fight Nadakhan with and didn't seem to fully think the implications of 'a rusty Zane clone that Dr Julien decided to never mention has been in the lighthouses hidden basement since the last time the ninja were there' through. 

But that leaves us, in universe, with the father of one of our main characters building a copy of his son, presumably due to loneliness, and then never acknowledging this copies existence once he got the original back in his life, abandoning him in an environment that is actively harmful for him.

Next, the memory switch. There are two big things that bug me about the memory switch.

A) Why install a memory switch in the first place? I can't think of a good, not-creepy reason to add a switch to my robo-son that literally turns his memories on and off. Was it specifically for when he died, bc he wasn't like super old when he first completed Zane, and the flashbacks seem to imply that Zane and Dr Julien lived in the treelab for a few decades. If it wasn't to try and spare Zane the grief of losing him, than what could have possibly motivated Dr Julien to instal it?

and B) Dr Juliens outright refusal to remove the memory switch when Zane asked him to. Not only did Dr Julien completely ignore Zanes very reasonable concerns (having a memory switch is a massive liability that could have easily been used against him and his team), he denied Zane his own bodily autonomy bc he felt Zane was perfect the way Dr Julien built him. And if the guy who made him thinks he's perfect, than who cares how Zane feels about the body he's stuck in? ((As a trans person with parents who don't support that part of me, this issue really hits close to home. Can you tell?))

All of this put together gives me a picture of a man who see's Zane as an extension of himself and his accomplishments, and doesn't truly see Zane as his own person. Which doesn’t exactly jive with what cannon is going for, and could lead to things going much differently, especially since I think I’m going with a route where Zane hasn’t regained his memories or even confirmed he’s an android by the time Dr Julien is found.

So that’s my issue with Dr Julien. Do I go with him being the good man that cannon frames him as, or do I lean into the more accidently shady traits that the writers gave him? Bc the way I end up going with him could lead to some major changes, especially for Zane.

And it will also influence whether Echo exists.

[gilbertfortnite]

WISH I had motivation to write bc I have these childhood headcanons abt Francis where like. It was both great and awful, and he feels a lot of mixed emotions about it. Mostly nostalgia, even for the bad parts. Glory and whatnot. Tbfh he mostly misses the swords and impeccable aesthetic and feeling important. Compared to everyone else, he grew up very privileged, got to live the fancy life with luxurious goods and lots of praise.

But with that came a lot of cons. Extremely strict and abusive discipline, warped view of how things work (like basically saying thoughtless shit like "why are you poor? Stop being poor?"), it made him very rejection sensitive and turned him into a bully who picked on anyone weaker than him, he would justify it saying that's just how life is since his mentors/bosses were harsh on him too. Emotionally unstable, all that stuff, yeah. I don't think it's a stretch to say his punishments must've been harsh bc... C'mon look at the time period.

Over time he would be very conflicted about patriotism, what loyalty meant and what it meant to love his country- he gets to live a good quality life while many of his own people are struggling to get by, which doesn't seem right if he exists BECAUSE of them. Reality keeps beating him down and mellowing him out over the years (esp via losses lolz), he learned empathy and compassion the more he understood and loved the common man. It takes a long time for this process to occur.

In canon he has said a few things suggesting that he dislikes what he went through, although he still doesn't say what exactly it was. Telling women he truly wishes they live good fulfilling lives so they don't need to try again, when they ask him if it's hard being a country, he shrugs it off but thinks to himself that it's grueling but doesn't say that because he doesn't want to worry them. He insistently tells Antonio he wants children to be able to live comfortably without hardship, almost angrily passionate about it in his tangent. Ivan mentions it's a good thing they can forget parts of their past because it would be traumatizing to have a lot of events always on their mind, to which Francis nervously agrees.

He also cries A LOT. Like as much or more than Feli. Could argue that it's just general cowardice but he's always immediately assuming the very worst will happen to him during any hint that he might get an ass beating. A lot of his friendships also seem a bit one-sided, and he frets about how he can count on to not hate him— while also insisting that everyone loves him. I find it interesting that during the worst and best times, he always seems to go to Arthur.

Don't take all this as woobifying his gov or whatever please. I'm just applying the "funny rich guy is a bit fucked up and sad actually" trope to him.

[llycaons]

ep38 (1/3): that which resembles a romance but is in fact a horror short film

lsz is eager to help ofc, but wwx doesn't know who he is yet

wwx asking for jl and the jiang bell matters - his connection to his old home and family. and apparently the jiang bells are powerful? they were more described in the book. I actually forgot they were even in the show since they're barely talked about

THERE SHE IS!!!!!!!! I love a-qing, such a strong personality, her own goals and motivations, curious and intelligent and out for herself and brave. it is shitty to pretend to be disabled, but I'm going to blame the author for that instead of a 16 yr old orphan girl living on the streets. it's not like it doesn't backfire on her anyway

also she's so funny. 'why do men dress nice when they're poor, this is an attack on me specifically'

FIRST MEETING!!! that blindfold is alarming but the blood looks a little pale (fake)

ohh I could swoon. saints and heroes don't really exist in this world, it's too complicated and brutal for them to survive. but xxc was as close as anyone else ever got and I think a-qing knew she'd never meet someone as special as him again

not to say he doesn't have flaws - his naivete is disastrous for all of them and he overlooks her concerns out of a patronizing dismisiveness when he should be respecting her instincts, which helped her survive all her life on the streets. also, it's admirable of him to be nonjudgemental but xy just has odious vibes and it's a tragedy he was so charmed by him that he didn't pick up on that. sort of a xxc jgy situation except xy was fully in love with him or whatever approximates love for him and I still think jgy was mostly using lxc to survive. so another dark foil to wx just as songxiao are a lighter (but still tragic) parallel

anyway he thinks a-qing is funny and is clearly endeared by her, and she clearly likes him a lot despite lying to him. their dynamic has so much chemistry and potential for being great family, it's a shame they're not more popular to write about. this is probably one of the only reasons he's had to smile since he and SL parted ways

smart girl! this guys sounds like bad news, so get outta there

ah! curse the hyperdeveloped senses of a cultivator!

unlike the tragedy of wwx, this could literally have all been avoided if not for a single person - there are many ways to rewrite this and just have them never cross paths. of course, that misses out on the richness of this story and the themes at play, not to mention their significance for the wider narrative, so I don't particularly like yi city fix-its before the fact. but they're definitely easy

christ he's bleeding like craxy. what did they do to him. and why didn't they do it better

of course as soon as he sees xxc he's like FUCK

yeah and if xy lets xxc touch his hand he'll know he's missing his pinky

...not that I like to think about them having a relationship but IF they had sex I wonder how he managed that

god this is so kind 😭 why couldn't it have been wwx that xxc found and they just had a nice little family time (they're cousins or something) for a decade or so before wwx was comfortable enough to leave. MAN

a-qing sleeping in that coffin then hopping out is so cute I love her

it's only been a day and already he looks perfectly groomed clean robes clear skin fully hydrated etc. the man knows how to look good I gotta say

and he starts right off by being a piece of shit to a-qing. I think the siblings dynamic can be really funny but lbr in canon he terrorized her and she hated him for it

I thought this was kind of dumb. like even if she was blind anyone would feel a SWORD. and if he learns she's not really blind, what, xxc is disappointed? I suppose it means he's less careful around her. bc she was able to witness a lot of his crimes bc he wasn't as watchful, assuming she couldn't see (and therefore could never understand what was happening? ableist of him)

a-qing: please don't leave me alone with this scary stranger we picked up by the side of the road, he's really aggressive and he's lying about who he is and I think he's dangerous

xxc: oh you silly girl. he'll be leaving soon *immediately starts flirting with him*

actually xy comes at this with a very specific angle. it's almost like he's emulating wwx - he presents himself as someone hardworking, uncomplaining, and good-hearted despite the hardships he's clearly gone through. of course xxc was taken in

haha no big deal! I'll just casually drop this little fact! it's definitely not something I want you to know about me so you can sympathize with me while admiring how blase I am about it! MAN

on the one hand I can see why xxc is being so open-minded and I appreciate his kindness. on the other hand he IS misled by his own feelings and she is also literally right. she gives him good reasons not to trust him and he's like *pats her on the head* we'll be fine

the head-pats are sweet when coming from adults to their kids (or jyl to wwx) but it just feels patronizing here

literally this is blatant flirting. a-qing off to the side going 😭 he has a crush what I am supposed to do now!!

and THIS??? I was so shocked the first time I saw this I was like THIS is allowed but wwx and lwj can't hug??? huh??? idk the exact specifications of the censorship but in some ways xy/xxc hits you harder with the gay subtext than any other couple including wx which is so wild to me. and also deeply tragic obviously

I think it helps that the writers have a very solid idea of what this relationship is and exactly how each character felt at every moment of it. meanwhile for wx interactions can be very inconsistent and confusing. anyway GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM YOU FREAK

so yeah overall super eerie and frightening to see xxc fall so readily in love with someone you KNOW is cruel and sadistic and lying to him and deceiving him. like this could have been a cute second-love kind of deal with a new family in a new city. fresh start. but then again, no it couldn't have

[yuukei-yikes]

your kenjirou fanfic made me curious... what are your hcs for haruka's dad?

TY FOR READING IT :D erm erm let me link the fanfic again. maybe i can tempt someone to read it. i wrote a little about haruka's dad in there😳 bur also bc i will be talking abt it in this post heh

SURPRISINGLY i dont have a super concrete headcanon for haruka's dad? i see the consensus is that He Sucks and He's Awful and another hc ive seen a lot is he HATES takane because SHE MAKES HARUKA WANNA LIVE😩😩😩... which is kinda funny to me.

i dont think mr kokonose hates takane. i dont think he knows she exists! i think he spent so little time with haruka and even less time actually chatting with him he would've never met takane or even heard about her a lot. he probably knows haruka has one classmate and has probably heard her name but i doubt he'd care to remember it. another thing abt haruka's dad hating takane bc She Makes Him Wanna Live.. i dont think he'd KNOW about haruka's pain and how much he wants to live. he never spent time with haruka or talked with him to know him so personally, especially since haruka was in denial and doesn't even admit to himself he's desperate to live until he's in his last months of life.

about the general idea haruka's dad is an asshole. well... ITS PRETTY MUCH IN TEXT. haruka describes him as an offbeat guy who plays life straight and narrow and never jokes around. also the kind of person who can tell a 10 year old boy who just lost his mom "Hey ur also gonna die in a few years" lol. so yeah probably not the Best guy around

haruka's "whatever" attitude (ive talked abt this in another post i know sorry im repeating) i think comes a lot from his dad?? like since his dad acts Whatever about everything + his illness especially, haruka also learned to be like that. it's pretty much the only reference he has and the only coping tool he can find. so haruka represses his feelings and feels like he has no right to say them out loud. for example when he realises he's in love with takane. he says "i feel i have no right to say it". that has something to do with haruka being conditioned to believe nothing he feels or does matters, because he's just gonna die soon anyway.

it's also said mr kokonose became Weird once haruka's mother passed. i was never a fan of this detail because... hm... scientist dad becomes cold and distant after mother passes away because he just loved her So Much........ why does that sound familiar?

jin i respect u for writing men so deeply in love with their wives but there's too much repetition there with the tateyama parents. like girl.... personally, I'd rather imagine haruka's dad like he's Always been a weird distant guy. in fact not only that but i headcanon his mother was like this as well. i think it's easy to hc the mom to be as cheerful and nice as haruka since we know exactly nothing about her personality, but idk why i enjoy the hc where both of haruka's parents were kind of cold and not very affectionate people in the first place. and when the mom passes, haruka's dad kinda goes No Contact. it just adds to haruka being so desperate for any kind of connection with people LOL like my guy doesn't even THINK of his dad when he's dying

these are one of haruka's dying thoughts 😭😭😭 like HE JUST. DJFDKFKRKFK SORRY ITS A LITTLE FUNNY HE MENTIONS KENJIROU AND NOT HIS DAD‼️‼️‼️ dont get me started on kenjirou and haruka's father/son relationship (will get started)

ok haruka's dad works at research labs. in the fanfic i wrote i also made it to be like. he researches diseases and vaccines and shit. i think he'd do that kinda job. and i think it's very much motivated by his family. and since he did that kinda job he knew how hopeless haruka was, especially after the passing of the mom. mr kokonose being like welp. might as well crush his hopes before they even exist👍 like maybe he feels like he's doing some good by preparing haruka for the truth lol ...and maybe haruka's dad technique is like erm. i was already sad my wife died so ill keep distance from haruka so i dont get sad again 👍 so its rather a selfish move on his part to tell that to haruka. like i dont wanna dad u anymore this shit sucks

like i said i dont have a concrete hc i honestly do kinda enjoy the idea of haruka's dad just not giving a fuck about him LMAOOO BUT for the sake of answering, the way i wrote it in the fanfic was different.

the fanfic is about kenjirou. so when i wrote abt harukas dad it was more about kenjirou and haruka's bond than about haruka and his dad. like since earlier in the fanfic kenjirou has that convo with haruka and takane where haruka realises he's trying to admit his role in their deaths and haruka kinda asks him like. PLEASE JUST LIE LIKE I DONT WANNA KNOW. and kenjirou isnt even able to lie for their sake. it really broke haruka's heart and ruins his (and takane's) image of kenjirou. so when i wrote the bit abt haruka's dad later on, i wanted it to be more about... kenjirou knowing just how much of a bad dad mr kokonose is, particularly because kenjirou played a father figure for haruka in the past. yet he fails him so so badly. not only that but kenjirou is so focused/depressed about kano refusing to speak to him at the moment. so when he finds out mr kokonose is Apparently managing a bond with haruka, kenjirou is like AUUGGGGHH because this OTHER dad he once considered a bad dad is doing better than him. kenjirou fucked up his bond with haruka AND kano. thats kinda what i was trying to do there, idk if i did it succesfully LOL i also think he and kenjirou should be old man yaoi together bc it'd be funny. anyways moving on

yeah i think haruka and his dad would be in each others lives post str. i also think it'd be DEEPLY awkward for both of them its definitely NOT the father/son bonding of all time. lol. they see each other not super often and when they do it's not that cool. since its mentioned haruka's dad plays life Straight and Narrow he isn't super excited abt haruka's poor excuses about where he's been, why is he not dead/dying anymore and WHAT DO YOU MEAN ur drawing for a living WHAT DOES THAT MEAN‼️‼️‼️ so haruka probably. doesn't visit a lot❤️ but maybe haruka gifts him a painting and despite his dad doesnt understand how the hell haruka's paying rent he still puts the painting up. and haruka sees the painting is on the wall next time he visits and while neither says anything, haruka's thankful for the acknowledgment and his dad likes the painting and appreciates the gift. i think that's as tender as they can get lol.

erm erm haruka's dad doesn't know how to deal with this unexpected turn of events like. his dead kid just suddenly showed up again. whats a cringe old man to do?

in the fanfic i also wrote it like he kinda thought takane was cool bc she had a more stable job than haruka LMAOOOO that was sorta just a callout to what i talked abt earlier, since a popular hc says mr kokonose would dislike takane. so i was like you know what. lets make it he likes her better than haruka (<- my insane need to make everyone love takane)

quick takane mention please let me mention takane. i think haruka would refuse to bring takane to meet his dad bc seeing his dad is just so. emotionally draining and doesn't want her to sit through that and he's also probably like. passive aggressive a lot and haruka knows takane would kill the guy. sooo yeah. eventually theyd obviously meet and it is as painful as one can imagine bc mr kokonose probably googled what to say and is treating meeting your son's girlfriend like its a job interview. haruka and takane walk out of there in Shock. but yeah he likes her in his own weird way

conclusion: i wrote abt it mostly because of kenjirou. i agree haruka's dad is probably a dickhead but he could be a funny one too👍

[mayxthexforce]

maulkie actually means everything to maul. genuinely. his existence changes maul in a way he didn’t think possible. while his need to get revenge against sidious is still very much a driving force for him, his need to keep maulkie safe is stronger. initially he thinks maulkie could be a key part of helping him take down sidious. now the thought of losing maulkie is more terrifying than the thought of facing sidious alone (he’s not dumb tho so he’s not gonna do that either). maulkie is the first person maul truly cares about since savage and he has no intentions of repeating the same mistakes he did with his brother. BUT ALSO. i think the relationship with maulkie is gonna fuck up his connection to the force bc he’s essentially (trying) to let go of his revenge needs for maulkie’s benefit. SO HIS LITTLE PRINCE MEANS EVERYTHING TO HIM.

quinlan,,, the first time maul lets his need for companionship win. for one night,, but it was worth it lol. he’s reaping the benefits of kilindi and komari coming before him bc while maul is good at living in denial about both situations, the need to have what he lost is still there. maul is so terrible at letting his guard down around anyone, but quinlan is so good at getting him to do it anyway. touching him without any intentions of hurting him. loving him and being devoted to him with no catch, no ulterior motives, just wanting the feelings to be reciprocated. i know we were joking about the power imbalance ships ndkfnjfknjgk but this is actually the first relationship he’s experienced without that imbalance. they’re equals and maul doesn’t (usually) feel the need to assert dominance like dear old daddy palps always taught him. 

i’ve rambled now but he loves his kids too. cal and galen are his little guys. they’re a big deal for him too bc they’re the first time he has the position to train how he was trained, to punish how he was punished but he can’t. he can’t put someone through the same things he was put through.

FERAL. maul thinks feral was born with the instructions to purposely piss him off everyday. but he loves him. would do anything for him. i love the relationship arcs they go through and feral ultimately being the voice of reason.

and finally maul respects rook which is saying a lot considering how he treats most of his… soldiers?? employees???? while he will direct her towards potential death should he need to, he would always prefer it if she didn’t die.

What does my Muse mean to yours?

I love this so much AAAAAAAAAAAAA

Maulkie loves Maul. He looks up to him both as an example that someone can walk away from Sidious and live, which gives him more hopes for the future than he ever thought he'd get to have, as a cautionary tale on what to avoid doing (don't go after Obi-Wan Kenobi, basically), and also as the father he never thought could want him considering he was created to kill him. He's learning so much from Maul and is really grateful.

Quinlan feels safe with Maul, which is a little ironic considering everyone is constantly telling him that Maul is incredibly dangerous. But Maul is the first person he's felt he's an equal to, Maul doesn't judge him for his 'crazy' thoughts or because he fell to the dark side and committed atrocities.

Cal and Galen both have different approaches to being mentored by Maul. Cal was used to the boogeyman-like tales about Darth Maul all through the clone wars and even before that, but then he meets Maul and it's... different, Maul is far from a good person, but he's trying to be a Master to Cal. As for Galen... well, he's used to his mentors being Vader, who was quite neglectful, distant and violent when it came to training him, and Proxy, who was supportive and his only comfort... when his primary directive wasn't making him try to kill Galen; but Maul is different from Vader, and Galen sees a lot of himself on Maul- like Maul is the adult version of the child taken away from his family by a Sith that Galen is.

Feral grew up in Maul's shadow, actually meeting him was something he never thought he'd get to do and it's... strange. He's not disappointed, far from it. It's actually a breath of fresh air to see that Maul is just some guy. Yes, he's powerful and he's different, but he's also just a mortal Zabrak just like him- one that Feral feels he can actually teach some things to, mostly about their culture and heritage.

Rook admires Maul. Ironically, he brought her hope that perhaps Mandalore could go back to its former glory. Perhaps the Death Watch was not the way, but Maul's lead was by far better than Vizsla's. Even if he had ulterior motives, he had actual goals and was ambitious and determined to reach them, not just wanting the throne because some ancestors of his used to sit on it. She also respects strength and Maul is the strongest person she's ever met, so it's easy to follow him.

[ohulancutash]

The other problem with the whole 'men are trash' narrative, aside from the important need to extend care and love to men, which I very much believe in, is that I really think I see it harming people who date men as well. Especially women, since most women dating men are cishet and so exposed to less queer theory that can help them break down masculinity and patriarchy and gender roles etc etc.

If your experience of dating men is a couple of really 100% shitty experience, he’s a cheater, he’s a nasty drunk, he doesn’t care about consent, he’s emotionally absent and treats you like you’re completely unspecial and you’re selfish for ever wanting to feel special to him, and then you find a guy who is only half those things... Sure he’s a nasty drunk, but when he’s sober he’s so attentive and romantic. Sure he cheats, but he’s not emotionally abusive. Sure he dismisses all your emotions and berates you for wanting closeness, but he does the dishes. And the other stuff, which I won’t detail for trigger reasons, but hey he gives you compliments that the last guy never did. You don’t necessarily realise you still need to get out. Because men are trash, right? That’s a given, so you must have lucked out if you found a trash man who also, sometimes, makes you feel good. You don’t realise there’s better relationships out there that you can find. It’s the part-time predator as your best roll of the dice, or being alone forever.*

*(And of course we all know that being long-term single is a really valid way to live your life that has as good a chance of happiness as partnership or companionship, but realistically the ‘alone forever’ for sociological or personal reasons is a big motivating fear for a lot of people, and it can take energy and peace to deconstruct that that someone might not have in the throes of a bad relationship).

This especially affects people trapped in cycles of getting into abusive relationships, for whatever host of reasons. ‘Men are trash’ is just another mantra that can normalise your partners’ abusive behaviour such that you don’t realise the pattern you’re stuck in exists at all, or needs to be broken. You just date men, and men are trash, so of course he hurts you all the time and you feel like shit. That’s what having a relationship with a man is, isn’t it? And you’re “supposed” to get in a relationship with a man and put up with ‘marriage being hard’ and men being shit, because that’s the reality of life.

I think I would have got out of my little cycle of abusive relationships faster if I had known that men are out here who are kind, emotionally regulated, emotionally present, consistently supportive, have integrity and value honesty and trust and are sickened by the concept of ignoring consent. I think it’s really important that people, especially those looking to build relationships and homes with men, know that men are wonderful and loving and make warm safe presences – because then when they find a man who doesn’t measure up to that they know they can toss him out without any dilemma.

If the default for men is ‘bad’, then the bad men making minimal effort to show up in one [1] area of their lives can look like good options. If the default for men is ‘safe, loving, kind, stable, good-hearted, trustworthy’ – because it is, those men are out there, I know so many of them - then those same bad men look as disposable as they should.

(In the knee-jerk-humanities-grad-need to cite my sources, this was the result of a discussion between me and @morrismorristhehandyman, not my thoughts alone. Although these are all my words, if you have fault with them at all that's on me lol - I wrote this in an ADHD haze after this phenomenon popped up in an AITA on reddit from a woman in a relationship with crappy man who she was unsure about leaving bc he was romantic and fixed stuff around her house. Fwiw readers, take it from me, you can have a relationship with a man who is romantic and fixes shit around the house AND who respects you and makes you feel safe every single day. If you don't have the latter half, leave him. You can find whatever flavour of man you might want to look for, handy, romantic, great cook, great taste in movies, kinky, vanilla, whatever you find physically attractive, hiker, painter, candlestick maker etc etc etc amongst the men who are kind, supportive and good).

[mastersoftheair]

that's fair! i really do get why people would be upset about croz's relationship with sandra, i do. ig the main thing that bugged me was the idea that sandra's been "reduced" to "just a love interest". episode 6 was divided into 3 parts that focused on 3 of the main guys. and since a 3rd was about croz, his 3rd- by extension- was also about sandra. sandra isn't introduced as a one-note love interest, or anything "reduceable" imo. she's intelligent, quite forward, dedicated to her work, enjoys debate, and an altogether very interesting person (crazy refreshing for an hbo war show). she has agency here. she doesn't exist For croz. it just so happens that croz is there.

her sleeping with croz would've been a decision she made while being fully aware that he's married (she's not dumb). so, obviously a bad look for croz for doing that (he knows better), but it makes sandra interesting to me, too. she's likely a spy. does she have other motivations? is she here to have a good time with a friend? or a 3rd option?

i also guess it didn't turn me off like that bc these shows so often romanticize these men (men in general, really), often at the expense of the female characters. in band of brothers, nix's wife leaves him- and took the dog! compton gets unceremoniously dumped during christmas from over half a world away. also, while not directly connected to the men of easy company, there's that whole scene in carentan where dutch women are publicly shamed and shaved for "sleeping with the germans" (which genuinely disturbed me the first time i watched it, bc nothing about that felt right (just the implications), but then they just...kept it pushing). and in the pacific, outside of lena imo, all the other (two) named women feel like they only exist to be a conquest of some kind or something for the men to angst over.

the men doing the cheating isn't explicitly shown in band of brothers (i feel very doubt.jpg about that tbh). i do think it's Way more implied in the pacific (there's also the "what's the missus think about kitty cat" scene). so, it's there, just not focused on.

(warning: about to get soapboxy) i get that they're called the "Greatest Generation" (this is usually attributed to only the men tho) so, by default, they tend to be deified and deemed untouchable. which is a bit much bc they were just Some Guys (usually in their early 20s). guys in their early 20s are the same no matter the generation imo. they weren't perfect, they had normal flaws (probably exacerbated by their wartime experiences). they likely weren't all that Great if you got to know them. next to all the ww2 movies/shows that are contractually-obligated to sing these guys' praises by any means necessary, i think we'll live if one show wants to go "also, he cheated on his wife". like, i love croz in this show. he's also a man lol. And he's a member of a group that bombs people. idk, weigh it.

as for the german civilians, i took a few classes in undergrad about the holocaust and the second world war (not including my own personal research ft. a shitton of books), so i fully understand that most germans were aware (to varying capacities) of what was going on. i can also see how it'd be hard to devote time to really Showing it in this show (what with the nine episodes, the shorter runtimes, and how Physically Distant these men were to their bomb targets). all they've got room for is scattered speculation and egan seeing up-close-and-personal what bombs like his does to actual communities and the people who live there (they fucking hate his guts). maybe it's hard to force a feeling of sympathy for these people, and it's not the point of the show either.

but idk. for me, the fact that most germans were aware of nazi crimes is what allowed some to do what they could to help. there's hundreds of germans counted in the "righteous among nations", for example. there were (scattered) german resistance groups, like the white rose. there were german protestors and espionage networks. ordinary germans made assasination attempts on hitler's life (they failed, but credit for trying). the crux of it is that there were people who just Tried. it wasn't most of them, sure, but innocent bystanders still existed (not that the main characters would've known that for sure, and tons of viewers don't see it my way, but it personally bothers me more than affairs). i really dislike any narrative that claims "they're all bad people, so they deserve it" bc it's a Hell of a slippery slope.

huge apology for the essay, i understand where you're coming from. i just had to shit say bc i'm chronically opinionated and my brain kept cranking out more words lol

tl;dr- it's ww2. people be cheating.

this isn't even me being a certified CrozGirl (i'm an hbo* war girl, if anything)- but some of the reactions to croz getting it on with sandra feel very "i can excuse war crimes, but i draw the line at extramarital affairs" tbh

[puppy-phum]

BAD BUDDY THE SERIES ↳ Main Six + Myers-Briggs Personality Types [Rose Colors] [Planets] [Zodiacs]

insp.

some of my thoughts under the cut!

first i gotta state that i am not that well versed with the mbti types. i have not explored them in depth or studied the whole ideology/theory behind it. i am, however, obsessed with various personality tests and such (which is the reason this "series" exists) and that's why i threw this idea at my six favorite characters. here some more thoughts on my choices:

pran: i am starting from him bc all of this is based on him. i thought about these types solely bc of my own personal connection to pran's character and as i'm a little selfish when it comes to him, i categorized him the same type as me. i thought INFJ fit him tho, especially bc of the privacy part. pran is slow to open up - if he ever opens up at all. he also has the nurturing side as we see when he takes on the role of a leader and guides his friends despite obviously not being the type to seek such a role by himself.

pat: i actually took the test twice while thinking how pat, or my own version of him, would answer the questions. this is what i got to him and i think it fit. he's easy to charm everyone around him, socializes with anyone, is enthusiastic about anything that steals his attention, and most of all, cares fiercely about those he thinks of as his ppl. the site also stated that ESFPs often focus on physical sensations which made me think about pat's obsession with smell.

ink: after our two main guys, ink was the easiest to figure out. she's very supportive and likes teaching other ppl (her enthusiasm towards teaching pha photography just bc she enjoys showing pha things tells a lot). she also has a tendency to nudge others towards the right direction when she notices there's a problem, and that often helps those ppl to grow. she says things like they are and hopes the best for everyone. i also found it quite fitting that like this, ink is the extroverted version of pran.

pha: very like her brother, pha takes everything with stride. she's accepting, sensitive to others and their moods, and adapts very quickly. i thought about her and pat a lot while assigning her as ISFP bc i felt like she was quieter than her brother, preferring to live more in her own world than within the outside world. not that she's reserved or antisocial but a bit more modest than pat. she also seems to have a growing curiosity towards crafts and arts which am sure she will master in no time.

korn: after finding the type for pat, i thought korn was very obvious. even the name feels fitting - "the dynamo". even if pat is their group's leader, korn is the one who often pushes things in the motion, in good and bad. he is the driving force of things, accepting many of pat's ideas and then inspiring their other friends to follow. like a true ESTP, he is also very playful and likes keeping things far from serious. am not sure about his practical thinking tho - i dunno if i would trust korn with an emergency :'D

wai: was actually the hardest one to assign. i kept struggling with trying to figure out what his core motivators were and how he would fit within the main scales these personality types use to determine the person. i thought he was introverted like pran - his bad temper makes him a hard person to approach. but he actually goes to other ppl quite often when he finds company he likes. this left me with two options: ENTJ and ESFJ. ENTJ was labeled "the commander" which sounded fitting, but wai absolutely lacks the qualities of a leader. he prefers to follow; no matter if it's his best friend or the authority figures in his life. he's too impulsive or meek to be a leader. so i abandoned that and chose this one instead bc of the tendency to think black and white. i feel like wai does have strong opinions on how things should be done or how others should behave. this is why he also clashes with others so often. he is dedicated to the ppl he loves tho - which also kind of explains why he becomes such an ass once his loyalty to pran doesn't seem to get answered in similar intensity.

[bronzetomatoes]

like we meet her and she's tired of spending eternity watching her little brother which like yeah who wouldn't but like, from what we see little Nico isn't a handful or anything he's just a bit overenthusiastic at times? And like I get it right sympathetic character motivations and stuff but then she just leaves Nico with Percy forever??? After 1 slightly positive interaction with him??? Like there's barely any inner turmoil in her decision to to join the hunt with Artemis and reject him forever??? And then she just endangers herself and dies for it which directly leads to Nico's emo phase?? Like her character exists solely to die for Nico to get sad and then for the rest of the books percy is saddled with the blame for ruining nico's life (which like no matter what happened he probably would've ended up blaming himself cause he's that kinda guy but like) and bianca is just forgotten about after battle of the Laberyth until one conversation between Pluto and nico and like, idk her writing just bugs me so much like it makes some sense but in ever step of the way she stops looking impulsive and more callous and stupid. Anyways yeah Jason is cool and his death got me to finish reading the burning maze because i had gotten kinda bored also calypso mid at best i put her too high <3

No you're real for that. I'm not the oldest but leaving either of my brothers behind would be the hardest decision of my life there's no way I could throw everything away after one conversation w a goddess. It's also even iffier bc they hadn't even gotten to a stable place yet?? Leaving my siblings behind in the middle of a poorly hashed rescue mission in the middle of the woods like. Hello.

Jason makes me so so sad to think about and his death is made 200 times worse bc he never lived in the first place 👍 and literally anyone would solo your fav if your fav was calypso