#it'd be so easy to just say something like “the maidens are off on their ged quest”

[haaam-guuuurl]

Fixing The Seven & Junior Year/Unquangling the Time Quangle:

We can do this guys! We can make it make sense! Let's go!!

Actually, knowing what we know now about the academic workload of junior year, it makes even more sense that Zelda, Ostentatia and Danielle would want to graduate early to avoid all that

And timeline-wise, a couple tweaks and we can make it work - The summer of the Night Yorb happened, and the Seven are coming back to school in those few days after the Night Yorb has been defeated but before the Bad Kids return, because that journey takes time, and it actually makes sense that the Bad Kids start the year a couple days late

So, the Seven’s first day is Aguefort’s last day, he’s there to receive them and break the news and tell them about the GED, but he’s leaving right after on his journey with Ayda

Then, we change T7 a bit so that it’s only during the first semester and all of them graduate early (so they just don’t happen to catch any of the Bad Kid’s mess at the end of the year, and they’re just far from school for the first semester and that’s okay)

Some wackiness to explain why Aguefort is in T7 finale – Tectonya could have contacted him in the Time Quangle to let him know about the Seven’s success, and he goes back to Elmville for a day specifically to receive them and have them officialy graduate, casting time stop so that he isn’t spotted by anyone at the school (which did happen in canon, it was just for no reason, but this would be an actual good reason!). Why would he do this? Because he’s Arthur fucking Aguefort. He’s just silly like that. And I think we can admit the Seven are his favorite students

Also, in ep 1, Penny thinks there isn’t a student council just because Aguefort’s been lying to her about it because he knows she would be amazing and he doesn’t want anyone at school in a position of power more powerful/capable than him - that's just canon

Finally, I want to add an entire missing, subtle subplot to explain Zelda and Gorgug: after they were reunited at the end of spring break, they were fine and good together; and through more Sophomore Year quests (like in Boys Night) and the summer of the Night Yorb, they have learned their lesson and communicated plenty even when apart. However, once Junior Year starts, and Gorgug is super busy with the multiclassing without an MCAT stuff, and Zelda with the maidens and the GED, they just start not having time to prioritize relationships (pun with the JY downtime stats very much intended) and eventually start realizing they’re drifting apart and going in different directions. Zelda didn’t really have her own arc of difficult family or future stuff in T7 like the rest of the group, which hey, I understand the nature of NPCs, and Brennan wasn’t going to narrate a whole other plotline just for and by himself, but it would be very easy to say that Zelda was dealing with a whole other thing in the background - namely, struggling in her relationship and coming to terms with the idea that it would be for the best to break up with her boyfriend, despite them still caring for each other. Ideally, post T7 ending, somewhere at the end of the first semester of JY (in which yeah, slight canon change, Gorgug and Zelda would have been together in until now, but only in the background, like how they were together in T7), they met up at Basrar’s, just like their first date, and had a talk about how Zelda’s graduated now, and how Gorgug’s really busy and how they don’t know how they really fit into each other’s lives anymore. They’ll always love each other, but amicably break up and part ways, each going on to their own adventures.

And I think that's it! All the inconsistencies between seasons I could find. And I do believe it works like this! Lmk if I forgot anything or if there's any reason this doesn't make sense 👍

[rabbiteclair]

Hello again!

Wanted to ask your opinion (and if it exists, the canon explanation), on how flying works in touhou, and who is/isn't capable of it.

Can literally every youkai fly with magic? I'm guessing not since at least Nitori has a backpack copter, and I don't recall any Kappa flying in the mangas either. Which indicates that character sprites floating in the mainline games don't necessarily imply flight. Which means everyone is sus.

(And could Sanae fly before coming to Gensokyo? Is ignoring gravity a Shrine Maiden thing or does her and Reimu's flight differ?)

This is one that's bugged the hell out of me for years, because for all that we joke that the series is about girls flying around shooting lasers, people rarely fly in the manga. Like it happens, but mostly seems to be in emergency sort of situations, or when there isn't a good alternative. There are some exceptions, especially if you count people just kinda hovering, but in general I get the vibe that most of Gensokyo doesn't really fly unless they've got good reason to.

... and sometimes not even then, considering Marisa free-climbed up fucking Youkai Mountain.

This also seems to vary a bit from manga to manga. I haven't exactly done a full survey of them, but I think SSiB shows a lot more + more casual flight than the others. (If I had to guess completely offhand going on nothing but my memories, for amount of flight Sangetsusei > SSiB > WaHH > FS. I'm way behind on the ongoing ones so couldn't tell you there.)

Some of this can probably be chalked up to SSiB being a bit more action-oriented than the others. Beyond that, maybe ZUN's thoughts on the matter have changed over the years, or maybe he just tells the artist to draw 'Marisa heading up the mountain' or something and leaves it open to their interpretation. Maybe I'll do an actual numeric analysis if I get bored and have about 15 spare hours sometime.

... but that rant's only tangentially related.

The ability, at least, seems pretty ubiquitous. Putting aside the stuff in the games, GoU in particular implies that basically everyone involved is flying. Even Wakasagihime. If you wanna get technical Sanae says she's 'swimming through the rain' but that's flight as far as I'm concerned. I'm gonna say if the mermaid can fly, basically everyone past a specific level of supernatural prowess can, and Nitori's backpack helicopter is the flight equivalent of a bicycle.

So at 'congratulations you are now strong enough to participate in Incidents' level 1 everybody unlocks Fly and Shoot Bullets, I guess. Are these just really easy tricks to master if you've got supernatural power, or does something about Gensokyo make them a lot easier to do? idk, and the only support I can think of for either side is that nobody seems to struggle with it once they get into the outside world in ULiL. I default to the former interpretation, but the latter could be fun to mess around with.

But, going off of the stuff above about people choosing not to fly in the manga, I'm gonna guess that flying is a lot easier for some people than others. Aya in particular seems to do it rather more often than everyone else, and it'd make sense for it to come more naturally to her. Kasen shows up flying on her pets quite a bit in WaHH. So maybe flying everywhere would just be like someone who runs everywhere. Like, yeah, you could, but very few people would willingly do that to themselves without a good reason, even if it's a killer time savings on paper. Plus there are social aspects to consider too--flying through the middle of the village seems like it'd raise a bit of a ruckus, and completely break cover for any of the stealth youkai.

Finally, for Sanae--I've always figured she could fly before Gensokyo, just because it's fun to think about. But then I am a known enjoyer of the 'Sanae had miracle powers, could fly, and talked to goddesses every day starting around middle school, and it led to problems' interpretation.

(And, in general when I'm writing the setting I throw in a good bit more casual flight, both because it's cool and narratively convenient.)

[youcallyourselfafilmcritic]

This was easy to ignore when it was some dumb meme but press have reported on it enough for Cameron to respond so let's go over why James Cameron would not be a good choice for the Titan implosion

(let's ignore the fact that his friend was on the sub)

Two things made Cameron uniquely qualified to direct a Titanic movie. First off the sinking is dramatic and chaotic. Passengers freaking out, the scramble for minimal lifeboats, cold water sliding in and pushing debris and disrupting apparatuses on board, it breaking in half, those in the water futilely waiting for rescue while they freeze to death etc. Horrifying stuff but damn exciting viewing that utilises Cameron's distinctive strengths as a genre action director: escalating the stakes and tension with vast scenarios that are naturally occurring but hit you out of nowhere and keep you gripped

The climax of Titanic is up there with Terminator 2 or Aliens: it's the Poseidon Adventure on acid and Jim takes every advantage of this opportunity

The Titan imploded in seconds on the first day according to most experts (the Navy likely knew this on the first day). There's no real rising action or tension unless you want to just make shit up.

The second? Well Jim loved the Titanic long looooong before he ever put pen to paper on the script

Guy's not just a director with a pitch-he's an oceanographic explorer with deep, intimate knowledge of that ship. He's not fascinated with the sinking, he's fascinated by the Titanic. He's been down there 33 times-he's BUILT his own sub! Guy's obsessed.

*HE DIDN'T EVEN WRITE THE FUCKING SCRIPT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO HE CONVINCED HOLLYWOOD TO FUND AN EFFORT TO DIVE DOWN TO THE FUCKING BOAT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO EXPLORE IT*

The Titan was a minor annoyance for him until it got his friend killed. So like he's not gonna have that passion or keen interest and also has a billion and a half Avatar movies to make. If you genuinely want this movie and are not just memeing he ain't your guy.

But also in general it'd make a shit narrative film. You know why there's a love story in Titanic? Because otherwise it's a laborious wait for the iceberg to hit or you have it immediately and forego all tension building. You need something to keep the audiences invested so they decided a love story. Jack and Rose are-of course-fictional but that's alright as there were fucking THOUSANDS of people on that ship it's easy to slot them in. The people on the Titan likely died Day 1 and died immediately. It was an incredibly tightknit space with five people. Not much narrative potential here unless again you entirely break from the story.

(not the picture of those who died sans Stockton Rush but gives you an idea of the size two people are snug in there)

So the meat of the film is on building up or the aftermath. While the aftermath could have some potential that's not the story-and this is something at a glance it DOES have in common with the Titanic: the hubris and utter arrogance of the wealthy.

And this is where I say the lifeboats are short-sighted and the irony of it sinking on its maiden voyage (this wasn't The Titan's first trip) this is more an accepted truism of not only the elite fools who invested in it but the engineers and public: this ship was unsinkable. Everybody thought this.

Nearly the entirety of the deepsea diving community told OceanGate their submersible was heading for disaster.

Stockton Rush was not some prideful but short-sighted man blinded to the risks of his vessel thanks to like-minded peers. He was an arrogant, greedy fool who wanted to create a rich person's tourist trap one of the most famous graveyards in the world via the cheapest resources possible. His Randian-levels of self-righteousness made him fish food and led to the horrific death of a teenager. He fucked around and I doubt he took the nanosecond before his body was eviscerated to contemplate how he found out

And here's the final thing: this all probably works best as a documentary. A deep dive (sorry) into this company and their blowhardy foolish methods to goad rich idiots out of their money. The factors that led to this. But that isn't a narrative story even focusing on the hubris angle. Because there is plenty of hubris in the Titanic-oh is there a lot!-but there's also a romanticisim. Hence why romance stories work so well when adapting it.

The Titanic is a symbol of a bygone era-and a lot of this is rooted in classism but that last gasping sighs of Victorian-era innovation is something to be marveled at feeling like a culmination of the invention of the steam-powered train. It also examines this classism (which the 97 film explores-albeit briefly) in that there were third class passengers and most of them died. It reveals the beauty and elegance of the era but also the abuse and callousness of a time 2 years before World War 1 changed everything. It perfectly encapsulates the majesties and the tragedies of this late 19th/early 20th century culture which I think is why so many people are fascinated by it. Our world just isn't built like this anymore.

Not only were the passengers fucking billionaires (so the class angle at least on the vessel is gone) the hubris is easy to sum up. We know this guy is a jackass-there's nothing as interesting following his jackassahoonery before the sub explodes compared to exploring the societal culture of a time long gone depicted on the Titanic.

So this isn't even a it's too soon thing-the first movie about the Titanic was made 30 days after it sunk and with one of the survivors (this was back when movies were made in five minutes at the budget of a cup of coffee). A narrative feature on the Titan is a boring idea and far far below the skillset of the director who newspapers are now saying should make it all because it exploded visiting a famous ship he made a famous movie about

Also, again, he's a bit busy making a fuckton of Avatar sequels I guess one person wants. That person being James Cameron.

[readingoals]

Mid Year Book Freakout (2023)

I wasn't tagged to do it but I did this last year so thot I might as well do it again this year lmao.

It's a little bit of a cop out maybe, but I think the best book I've read this year is Pride and Prejudice. It's about the hundredth time I've read it and it was my top book from last year, so it feels like cheating to say it. But it's also an edition that Lauren annotated for me so reading it was an entirely new experience too because of all her notes!

This one's easy because it's the only sequel I've read this year, and that is A Clash Of Kings by George R.R. Martin! I really love the ASOIAF series and I'm so enjoying this re-read.

This is tough because I've re-read a few books this year but I think I have to say Sylvester by Georgette Heyer. It's been years since I first read it but I'm so glad I revisited it. I had the best time reading it again and annotating it.

Just like last year, mystery is my most read genre so far. I've been continuing to make my way through all of Agatha Christie's books - one per month - as well as some extra mysteries on the side, so it's really not a surprise.

Aside from mystery, my next most read genres are historical and, much more surprisingly, romance, with three books each.

Oh, so many. But the ones at the top of my list are The Villa by Rachel Hawkins, The Cloisters by Katy Hays, Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill, and The Adventure Zone: Eleventh Hour graphic novel by The McElroys.

For the first time in a long time I actually do know about and am looking forward to a couple of releases. I have Hopeless Aromantic: An Affirmative Guide to Aromanticism by Samantha Rendle on pre-order. It'll be released at the end of this month. And then I think Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson is due to be released later this year too.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides was a huge disappointment. I'd heard so many good things but I just hated it so much.

I think the biggest surprise so far has been Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie. Mostly because it started off a little slow and I thought it'd be one of her more ~okay~ mysteries, but it ended up being quite exciting and interesting and fun.

Either that or Victoria Frankenstein's Monster Cock by Broken Arrow because reading Frankenstein inspired erotica was not on my personal 2023 bingo card and it ended up being actually not bad.

I think I have to say my fave new (to me) author is Tirzah Price who wrote Pride and Premeditation (and the other Jane Austen Murder Mystery books). Partly because Pride and Premed was such a fun read and really well done. But also partly just because process of elimination leaves her as the only real option.

I've only read from 6 authors I'd previously not read from so far, and of those I hated 1, I disliked 2, and enjoyed 2 but not enough.

I think I have to go with Sylvester, Phoebe and Tom from Sylvester by Georgette Heyer. I just really loved their dynamic and they were so frickin fun to read about.

Runners up would be Jon and Rick from Bachelor Kisses by Nick Earls purely because they were such dumbass dickheads.

At first I was going to say nothing I'd read so far this year had made me cry but then I remembered that I re-read Daisy Jones and the Six. Even though I knew what was coming the ending still got me.

Bachelor Kisses by Nick Earls. It's set close to where I live, I find the characters and story so funny, and I love Earls' writing style. Re-reading it was an absolute joy.

But also Ace and Aro Journeys just cause it was nice to read something that related so directly to me.

There's a couple of books that stand out I think. Number 1 has to be the illustrated edition of A Clash Of Kings. I already owned AGOT and I'm excited to eventually have the whole series in a matching set.

I guess The Villa would also be up there - I love the colours, how bright it is. And then also the hardcover Penguin Classics edition of Frankenstein which was one I'd wanted for ages.

There are only a couple that I absolutely have to read. The copy of Frankenstein that Lauren annotated for me is top of the list. And then also Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel - I said I was going to read it all the way back in March and then didn't, so I'd love to actually pick it up.

I also want to prioritize reading my backlog books. I'm trying to read 5 of them this year and so far I've only read one (although I'm also currently reading one now), so I definitely want to pick up a few more in the second half of the year.

[buckybarnesdiaries]

white wolf: “the show must go on”

first part — second part

third part — fourth part (soon)

© gif credits to the author, i found it on google. if you're the author lemme know your @.

bucky barnes x reader. ⎢ masterlist.

Sam helps Bucky to ask you out for a date and it’s a disaster, but he gets it.

word count: 1'9k.

warnings/tags: none. bucky being so innocent gives me life. + he being so damn cute as always.

author notes: none of my stories contain reader’s body descriptions to be inclusive.

Join the tag list here.

“Have plans with your girl tonight?”

Bucky clicked his tongue, putting down the weight to the holder, not turning to Sam still doing squats and an awkward noise out of breath. His partner couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and giggle while shaking his head, fast enough to steal the soldier's clean towel before he reached it.

“She's not my girl”.

“Not yet, you mean, uh?” He joked then, using the clothing like a whip to hit the metal arm. “But, you have plans or not?”

“Yeah, we have plans”. Bucky admitted eventually, glancing at Sam also stealing his bottle of water. “She invited me to watch a movie”.

It was the innocent and unworried tone of voice from him that made Sam choke, cough, and laugh at once.

“What?”

“Oh, man… Can't believe you're sinful enough to do what we do but too innocent to not see what that means”.

“It means we're gonna watch a movie”.

Bucky was confused at the laughter, trying to understand what he was referring to as he rested his back against the wall and crossed both arms over his chest. Expecting anything else from his wise friend.

“This is the twenty-first century, you ancient. We don't watch movies”.

“What d— What do you mean? You have Netflix, HBO, Prime Video… What's the point?”

Sam was deadpanned, staring in silence at the soldier, not believing what his ears were hearing. “We, guys, don't watch movies with girls, even less when they are the ones inviting us”.

Bucky squinted at him, tilting his head like a lost poppy would do, not being able to read between lines. His partner gasped exasperated, running a hand up and down his face.

“You know, man? Sometimes I feel alone, not having anyone to laugh with about that forties' manners of yours. Should I call Sarah, maybe?”

“Cut the show”. He hissed standing up and passing him away.

“Oh, no, no, no… the show has just started, man, and I have my popcorn ready”.

Bucky had been beating around the bush the whole day, trying to let it out of his mind. Of course, it was something that would happen sooner or later, and —more than of course— he wanted it to happen. The mere fact of thinking about you and him, flesh against flesh, hearing you moaning his name and making you feel good caused him goosebumps and an awkward sensation beneath his black jeans. Suddenly, swallowing saliva turned impossible, biting his lower lip while ringing the intercom of your apartment. Your response didn't last more than a couple of seconds, opening the door downstairs and waiting for him at the entrance of your apartment.

The butterflies fluttered within your bellies when Bucky stepped out of the lift, showing you that charming smile that could make you kill anyone who dared to erase it from his face.

“Trying to get me drunk?” You joked as he raised the bottle of red wine in his left hand.

“Maybe?”

“Missed you today”. You whispered at the soft kiss on your lips and his arm getting wrapped around your lower waist.

“So did I”. He sighed, sounding a little tired, caressing your nose with his.

Yesterday he talked to you about a routine medical check-up the government used to do every six months until he earned his pardon. Four hours of intense exercise to make sure the supersoldier serum was still doing its effect, as he started to feel somewhat tired since he stayed in Wakanda. For Bucky, it was really easy to open up himself with you and talk about his past and some of the things he did. And he didn't complain when you helped him to take off his leather jacket, watching him rubbing his left shoulder.

“I, uh… also was this morning with Sam. Training”. He told you, following you to your kitchen to find a couple of glasses. Turning at him, you couldn't help but raise an incredulous eyebrow. “Don't look at me like that… I know to perfection what you're thinking”.

“You're a telepath now?”

“God, no. I have enough with the voices inside my head, to hear someone's else”. He chuckled resting against the fridge. “But you're very expressive and I was trained to read body language”.

“So, what am' thinking?” You asked driven by curiosity, entertained on opening the bottle of wine.

“Look at this guy… He looks hotter than a barbecue”.

You broke into a loud laugh, shaking your head as you grabbed the drink and the glasses. “Not even close, Sergeant”.

“Liar”. He blurted into your face, passing him away to the living room where the Thai takeaway was waiting for the two of you.

“I'm not lying! You're a lousy body reader”.

“So… you can do it better, uh?”

“Didn't say so, but… yeah”. You replied, placing the wine and the glasses on the coffee table next to the big green sofa.

“Okay, go ahead. What am 'thinking, genius?”

Standing in front of him, some inches away, you squinted at his eyes in advance of touring his posture from top to bottom with your orbs.

“Look at that girl… she's hotter than a volcano”.

“Not even closer, soldier”. Bucky repeated your words, kissing his teeth and causing you to laugh again.

“Liar”.

The night went on, enjoying your dinner and watching the first part of Scary Movie. Since Bucky told you that he loved the horror genre, you thought that it'd be a good start. As you finished the Thai dishes, you two cuddled on your sofa, and it felt nice to be embraced by his muscly arms and had your head rested on his shoulder. He had never been that happier before, imagining for a moment —staring at you by the corner of his eyes— that he wasn't a retired lethal assassin controlled by a bunch of psychos, just a guy watching a movie with his girl.

For some reason that increased his pulse, having to clear his throat as the thought dried it. You couldn't let it go, wrinkling your nose with curiosity, raising your face slightly at Bucky trying to focus on the movie, and pretending everything was going okay.

“What?” He murmured about to laugh nervously, putting his head back a couple of inches to look better at you.

“Seems like you're gonna have a heart attack, what's the matter?”

The soldier breathed heavily through his nostril, expelling all the air in a sight through his parted lips. A lower giggle escaped them as your eyes widened a little more interested in his response to your question.

“Sam… Sam said something this morning”.

There it was. Your grimace turned skeptical, sitting up to borrow the control remote and pause the movie. Turning to face him and placing an arm on the headrest, you puckered your lips in a funny gesture watching him click his tongue.

“Things are different nowadays and… y'know, we used to watch movies”.

“And that's what we're doing”.

“Yeah, but… it's like… now there are some kinds of non-speak social rules”.

You knew exactly what he was referring to and seeing him somewhat troubled and tense just made your heart melt. It wasn't that he was scared, but it almost felt like.

“Is it your first time since the forties?” You dared to ask, clearly with no intentions of making fun of him.

“I've never really… y'know, I was in my twenties when I left Brooklyn. I me— mean, 'm not stupid, okay? I've done things but not… sex like… to the whole point”. Bucky didn't have his eyes on you when he made that confession, rubbing the bridge of his nose by inertia as his nervousness increased. “And now everything… is pretty different”.

“It doesn't have to”. You just replied, stretching a hand to his right one to intertwine your fingers. “Listen, Buck… We don't have to, okay? We don't have to do anything if you're not ready. We can watch the movie and then… you can go, or you can stay to sleep with me”.

“I'd like that”.

“Leave?”

“Yeah, totally, if you excuse me, ma'am… I gotta leave” He clearly joked, about to stand up until you pushed him down to the sofa bursting in laughter. “Nah, I, uh… I mean, I'd like to sleep with you tonight”.

“I'd like too, and to wake up tomorrow morning with you”.

“Yeah, would be very awkward if you go to sleep with me and wake up with another guy in your bed”.

Bucky smirked at you, biting his upper lip before leaning to press both on yours. He couldn't believe you were being so comprehensive with him, not making any other uncomfortable questions, nor kicking his ass out of your house. At that moment, he realized he was madly in love with you, bringing you closer to himself so he could embrace you tenderly between his arms. And you let him, not wanting anything else than to be with him.

At the moment the movie finished, you both stretched your hands to the ceiling with a yawn opening your mouths. You palmed his thigh to beckoning at him, urging the soldier to follow you as you rubbed your eyes using your knuckles, a little sleepy. Turning off the lights on your way to your room, you changed your clothes for a baggy Iron Maiden's t-shirt, as he stripped himself leaving his clothes on the chair in front of your bed, only wearing a pair of black boxers at the end.

You were about to ask him which side he preferred when the words died on your tongue, glancing at him with his flesh hand over his dark grey shoulder. It was the first time you saw the vibranium arm in all its glory and Bucky gave you the impression of being embarrassed. He'd never stop surprising you with plenty of emotions for things that for you didn't have any importance actually —like the fact of not having two real arms.

“Come here”. You murmured, kneeling on the mattress and palming the other lateral, observing every one of his actions till lying next to him, in the middle of the gloom of your room.

Covering both of you with the sheets and turning on your sides to face each other, Bucky took the initiative of wrapping you close to his chest, as he placed his head on your pillow. He couldn't help but take a soft breath from your heavenly smell impregnated in, provoking a smile to grow on your lips. Surrounding his neck with your arms, you sunk your fingers in his short hair, gently caressing his scalp while you started to spread tender short kisses all around his face.

“This feels good”. He purred with such a pleased tone of voice, closing his eyes as he adventured his warm hand under your shirt to draw invisible patterns on your back.

“So good”. You affirmed, peppering his cheek with a bunch of noisy smooches.

Bucky squeezed you between his grip, hiding his face into the gap of your shoulder and neck, causing you goosebumps because of his exhalation against your skin. He was comfortable being that close, with no distance separating your chests and your legs intertwined in a bundle. You saw how relaxed he was when he pulled his head back to the pillow, noses touching and his eyelids closed.

“Good night, Buck”. You whispered, still feeling his caresses on your back, leaning to kiss him one last time.

“Good night, doll”.

a / n: i hope you have enjoyed the fluffiness of these three chapters because the fourth is gonna be... chaotic.

feedback is appreciated, please, leave a comment to let me know if you liked it.

and support writers with a REBLOG!!! 🤍

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[hyperfixation-hideout]

You reblogged something once about how sometimes rwby quotes feel out of nowhere or make not a lot of sense for the character or situation. i wondered if you have a least favorite quote for any of the characters, not to like dunk on the writing or anything just like how you said sometimes they're mildly baffling. do you have a least favorite weiss quote? i feel like most of hers are good

That's a good question, thanks for the ask! Well, the dialogue exchange I'd had in mind when reblogging that (I think? It was a long time ago lol) was the end of v6

Ruby: Is it weird that I'm a little nervous?

Yang: No, I'll believe we've made it to Atlas when I see it.

Weiss: Well, believe it.

It just felt... off? Ruby asked about nervousness, not whether they'd actually get there. It feels like Yang's line was just meant to set up Weiss' rather than respond to Ruby's. (Also idk how much time passed on that airship but wow did they get to Atlas fast)

But that's a pretty inconsequential example :P If you're asking for a least favorite Weiss quote... I've got one, and oof, it's a doozy, I'm so sorry XD I can't just share the quote and leave it without explanation, cause it's all about the context, so this may get long. It's not just confusing for the timing or phrasing, but contrary to the situation, and actively (in my opinion) detracts from Weiss' character.

Now, to preface because I know how easy it is to see the beginning of something and assume the rest (especially if the topic is similar to one you've heard ad nauseam & ad hominem): this is not about whether Ruby should've lied to Ironwood. I'm neither debating that morally nor narratively (actually, I liked the initial decision to have Ruby do that; it was an interesting character moment!). This is about this specific line in this scene with these characters and how it impacts the larger message and themes in play. I love Weiss, she's one of my faves, but this particular writing choice irks me.

Ok, with that out of the way, here's my least favorite Weiss quote:

"Everyone thinks what they're doing is right. But usually, they're just looking out for themselves. And their secrets."

This was said to Winter in a scene alone together in v7ch5. She's drawing a clear line between their discovery of Ozpin's secrets and their worry about Ironwood. Which is good! The volume had been establishing the Oz parallel really well: ch 2 when Ruby lies (and Oscar's leitmotif plays during both her lies/half-truths) and glances to Oscar the exact moment he looks away from her in disappointment, and she looks hurt; ch 3 when Yang expresses discomfort with the choice but begrudgingly goes along, asking how Oscar feels about it, and we flash back to Oscar confronting Ruby by saying "doesn't that feel like what Ozpin did to us?" and Ruby looking guilty (as Oscar's motif plays over her once again); ch 4 where Ruby confesses to Qrow she can't tell if what's best is what's right, or if she's no different from Oz (I'm ignoring Qrow's response for now or this'll be way longer lol); ch 5 with this line to Winter.

The issue I have with this line isn't the first sentence, because it's by and large accurate: most people do generally think they're doing what's right. And oftentimes they're actually hiding things to do so. For example: YOU RIGHT NOW, WEISS.

Again, this isn't about whether or not I think the lies were justified. It's about how this line makes her seem like -- and I hate to say it, but it's the most accurate word -- a hypocrite. It'd be one thing if the show addressed this and had her realize that, but it never does. It doubles down in the later scene with the Winter Maiden. Winter says that Ironwood isn't keeping secrets, not from her. Weiss replies, "Can you be sure?" To demonstrate how crucial she is to Ironwood's plan and how much he trusts her, Winter entrusts Weiss with this huge secret: that she's planned to be the next Maiden. But rather than having Weiss reflect on how honest her sister is being with her while she continues to hide the very secrets they resented Ozpin for, she smiles and says they've both carved their own path :)

Eddy in the commentary for v7 said they were going to have Weiss tell Winter the truth there (I'd have to double check for the exact wording), but that "it worked better as Winter telling secrets while Weiss kept them from her." I have to disagree. It would have worked if the narrative addressed it, like if Weiss felt bad about it, or afterwards went to talk to Ruby about it. Maybe asking if she can at least tell Winter, to have Ruby respond that Winter would just tell Ironwood, and they couldn't risk that yet. Then later (and they can still do this in v9), have Ruby feel guilty when Penny gets the powers, knowing her choice to accept them was based on incomplete information, regardless of whether or not the complete info would have changed her decision. That choice is what made Cinder target her. That power is why she died. Just like Pyrrha.

I know Pyrrha had less information about Salem than Winter did at that point (correct me if I'm wrong, it's been awhile since I've watched v3), but in essence, important truths about the dangers of being a Maiden & fighting Salem were kept from them both. After Pyrrha's death and the Fall of Beacon, I'd expect the team to want to prevent anyone else from taking on that burden without knowing the price and full risks. But Weiss didn't bat an eye when told her sister was in the same position. We don't know for certain whether Weiss told her team about the plan offscreen, or what we're supposed to assume, but because it was never brought up and never reflected on, it comes across as Weiss bitterly (I say bitterly bc of the line delivery) insulting Oz and insinuating Ironwood is likely lying to Winter and may not be trustworthy, while she herself continues to remorselessly lie to her.

In one line, it shows her opinion of Oz hasn't changed, her self-justification for lying as an exception to the rule because they're actually "doing what's right" -- the irony of that line would've been so cool to explore -- her disdain of others' secrecy, and her complete lack of self-awareness that she's making accusations of things she herself is doing without a trace of regret or doubt.

It's just a frustrating line to me, because it takes a really interesting morally grey setup for the protagonists, makes it an even darker grey, and instead of challenging it, frames it as a cute sister bonding moment. All while simultaneously showing that despite making essentially the same decisions, the team (or at least Weiss, Qrow, Ruby, and Yang based on her line in the v6 finale) is still blaming and/or resenting Oz rather than reconsidering the difficult position he was in now that they're in it and following suit. Which, tbh, is where I thought that plotline was headed, but that's another conversation :P

If they'd followed it up and had the hypocrisy impact her view or lead to character growth, thus highlighting the complexity of these decisions and setting up the team's understanding of Oz (instead of a flimsy "trust is a risk"), it might have wound up as one of my favorite lines of v7. There was so much potential there, and the choice to ignore it as confirmed in the commentary is one that will forever flabbergast me.

Ok, all done! Sorry if this was too ranty, anon -- I uh. I get kinda carried away in analysis and sometimes come off as more emotional or upset than I am 😅 I just wanted to express my dislike for this line thoroughly to avoid confusion (and hopefully prevent people getting heated in the replies, especially since those often showcase they didn't actually read the whole post and/or took it in bad faith). I'm not bashing or saying you can't like this line or plot point! RWBY is a piece of media I enjoy watching, so when something like this happens that I feel is inauthentic to a character or message, I care about it strongly.

[thewidowsghost]

Daughter of the Sea - Chapter 3

Percy's POV

Confession time: I ditch Grover as soon as we get to the bus terminal.

I know, I know. It was rude. But Grover is kinda freaking me out, looking at me like I am a dead man, muttering, "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to be the sixth grade?"

Whenever he gets upset, Grover's bladder acts up, so I'm not surprised when, as soon as we get off the bus, he makes me promise to wait for him, then makes a beeline for the restroom. Instead of waiting, I get my suitcase, slip outside, and catch the first taxi uptown.

"East One-hundred-and-forth and First," I tell the driver.

A word about my mother, before you meet her.

Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world, which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck. Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.

The only good break she ever got was meeting mine and (Y/n)'s dad.

We didn't have any memories of him, just this warm sort of glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile. Our mom doesn't like to talk about him because it makes her sad; she has no pictures.

See, they weren't married. She told us he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back.

Lost at sea, my mom had told us. Not dead. Lost at sea.

She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me and my twin on her own. She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.

Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him, then showed his true colors as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nicknamed him Smelly Gabe. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.

Between the two of us, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her, the way he and I got along...well, when I came home is a good example.

I walk into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe is in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blares ESPN. Chips and beer cans are strewn all over the carpet.

Hardly looking, he says around his cigar, "So, you're home."

"Where's Mom and (Y/n)?" I wonder aloud.

"Your mom's working," he says. "You got any cash?"

That was it. No Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?

"I don't have any cash," I toll him.

"Here," comes a voice, holding out a ten to the man.

Instantly, a smile sneaks its way onto my face.

"Hey, Perc," my twin sister says with a smile.

(Y/n)'s POV

I grab my brother's suitcase and carry it into his room; I set it down on the bed.

"You wanna come sit in my room?" I ask and Percy nods, a smile still on his face.

I lead the way to my room and when I open the door, Percy sinks into my desk chair.

"Percy?" comes our mom's voice.

She opens my bedroom door.

Our mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room. Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad. I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Percy or Gabe.

"Oh, Percy," she hugs her son tightly. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas.

Percy's POV

Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central. She'd brought me a huge bag of "free samples," the way she always did when I came home.

We sit together on the edge of (Y/n)'s bed. While I attack the blueberry sour strings, (Y/n) stealing a few pieces of candy from the bag, Mom runs her hand through my hair and demands to know everything I hadn't put in my letters. She doesn't mention anything about my getting expelled. She doesn't seem to care about that. But was I okay? Was her little boy doing all right? The whole time, (Y/n)'s eyes were sparkling with amusement.

I tell Mom she is smothering me, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, I was really, really glad to see her and (Y/n).

From the other room, Gabe yells, "Hey, Sally—how about some bean dip, huh?"

I grit my teeth.

My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire, not to some jerk like Gabe.

For her sake, I try to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I tell her I'm not too down about the expulsion. I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin. And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the headmaster said. I liked Yancy Academy. I really did. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost convince myself. I start choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr. Brunner. Even Nancy Bobofit suddenly doesn't seem so bad.

Until that trip to the museum...

"What?" my mom asks. Her and my sister's eyes tug at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"

"No, Mom."

I feel back for lying. I want to tell her about Mrs. Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I think it'd sound stupid.

Mom purses her lips. Both she and (Y/n) could tell I was holding back, but neither push me.

(Y/n)'s POV

"I have a surprise for both of you," Mom says. "We're going to the beach."

Percy's eyes widen. "Montauk?"

"Three nights - same cabin."

"When?" I ask excitedly.

Mom smiles. "As soon as I get changed."

I can't believe it. Mom, Percy, and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.

Gabe appears in my doorway and growls, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"

"I've got it," I offer, rising from the bed and walking out into the kitchen to make the dip for Mom.

An hour later, we are ready to leave.

Gabe takes a break from his poker game long enough to watch me and Percy lug Mom's bags to the car. He keeps griping and groaning about losing her cooking - and most importantly, his '78 Camaro - for the whole weekend.

"Not a scratch on this car, you two," he warns us as I load the last bag. "Not one little scratch."

Like we'd be the ones driving. We're twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame us.

We get into the Camero, me in the passenger's seat, and Percy in the back.

Our rental cabin is on the south shore, way out at the tip of the Long Island. It is a little pastel box with faded curtains, half-sunken into the dunes. There is always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets, and most of the time the sea is too cold to swim in.

Percy and I love the place.

We'd been going there since Percy and I were babies. Our mom had been going even longer. She never exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place she'd met mine and Percy's dad.

As we get closer to Montauk, Mom seems to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turning the color of the sea.

We arrive at the cabin, open all the cabin windows, and go through our usual cleaning routine. We walk on the beach, feed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and much on jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples my mom had brought from work.

I guess I should explain the blue food.

See, Gabe had once told Mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a small thing at the time. But ever since, Mom had gone out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. This - alone with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano - was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, like Percy.

When it gets dark, we make a fire. We roast hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom tells us stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She tells us about the books she wanted to write when she gets enough money to quit the candy shop.

Finally, it seems that Percy gets the nerve to ask about what was always on our minds when we come to Montauk - our father. Mom's eyes go all misty. I figure that she was going to tell us the same things she always said, but neither Percy and I ever got tired of hearing them.

"He was kind, Percy," Mom says. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, two. You have his black hair, you know, Percy, and you both have his green eyes."

Mom fishes a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy, (Y/n). He would be so proud."

Percy's POV

I wondered how she could say that. What's so great about me? A dyslexic, hyperactive boy with a D+ report card, kicked out of the school for the sixth time in six years.

"How old were we?" I ask. "I mean . . . when he left?"

Mom watches the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."

"But...he knew us as a baby."

"No, honey. He knew I was expecting twins, but he never saw you two. He had to leave before you were born."

I try to square that with the fact I seem to remember . . . something about my father. A warm glow. A smile.

(Y/n) and I had always assumed that he had known us as babies. Mom had never said it outright, but still, we'd always felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen us . . .

I realize I feel angry at my father. Maybe it was stupid, but I resent him for going on that ocean voyage, for not having the guts to marry Mom. He'd left us, and now we are stuck with Smelly Gable.

"Are you sending me away again?" I ask her. "To another boarding school."

She pulls a marshmallow from the fire.

"I don't know, honey." Mom's voice is heavy. "I think . . . I think we'll have to do something."

"Because you don't want me around?" I regret the words as soon as they come out of my mouth. (Y/n) bows her head, looking at the ground and Mom's eyes well with tears.

Mom takes my hand and squeezes it tight. "Oh, Percy, no. I - I have to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."

Her words remind me of what Mr. Brunner had said - that it was best for me to leave Yancy.

"Because I'm not normal," I say.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. But you don't realize how important you are. I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd finally be safe.

"Safe from what?"

She meets my eyes, and a flood of memories comes back to me - all the weird, scary things that had ever happened to me and (Y/n), some of which we'd tried to forget.

During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked us on the playground. When the teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed (Y/n) when she'd told them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.

Before that—a really early memory. I was in preschool, and a teacher accidentally put me down for a nap in a cot that a snake had slithered into. My mom screamed when she came to pick me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope I'd somehow managed to strangle to death with my meaty toddler hands.

In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move.

I know I should tell my mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art museum, about my weird hallucination that I had sliced my math teacher into dust with a sword. But I can't make myself tell her. I have a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I don't want that.

"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," my mom says. "They told me that was a mistake. But there's only one other option, Percy—the place your father wanted to send you two. And I just...I just can't stand to do it."

(Y/n)'s POV

"Our father wanted us to go to a special school?" I ask, a little confused.

"Not a school," she says softly. "A summer camp."

My head starts spinning. Why would my dad - who hadn't even stayed around long enough to see me and Percy be born - talk about a summer camp?

"I'm sorry, (Y/n)," she said, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I—I couldn't send you two to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."

"For good?" Percy asks. "But if it's only a summer camp.

Mom turns towards the fire, and I know from her expression that if either of us ask her any more questions, she would start to cry.

I have a weird, vivid dream. It is storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse, and a golden eagle are trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf. The eagle swoops down and slashes the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse rears up and kicks at the eagle's wings. As they fight, the ground rumbles and a monstrous voice chuckles somewhere and beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder.

I run towards them, knowing I have to stop them from killing each other, but I am running in slow motion. I know I am too late. I see the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horse's wide eyes, and I scream, No!

I wake with a start.

Outside, it really is storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses. There is no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.

With the next thunderclap, my mom and Percy wake. Mom sits up, eyes wide, and says, "Hurricane."

I know that's crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seems to have forgotten. Over the roar of the wind, I hear a distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound that makes my hair stand on end.

Percy's POV

Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice - someone yelling, pounding on our cabin door.

My mother springs out of bed in her nightgown and throws open the lock.

Grover stands framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he isn't . . . he isn't exactly Grover.

"Searching all night," he gasps. "What were you thinking?"

My mother looks at me in terror - not scared of Grover, but of why he'd come.

"Percy," she says, having to shout to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"

I am frozen, looking at Grover. I can't understand what I'm seeing, and I see (Y/n) looking at my friend.

"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" he yells. "It's right behind me! Didn't you tell her?"

I am too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly. I am too shocked to wonder how Grover had gotten here by himself in the middle of the night. Because Grover doesn't have pants on - and where his legs should be . . . where his legs should be . . .

Mom looks at me sternly and talks in a tone she'd never used before, and (Y/n) flinches: "Percy. Tell me now!"

I stammer something about the old ladies at the fruit stand and Mrs. Dodds, and my mom stares at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.

She grabs her purse, tosses me and (Y/n) our rain jackets, and says, "Get the car. All three of you. Go!"

Grover runs for the Camero - but he isn't running, exactly. He is trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs makes sense to me. I understand how he can run so fast and still limp when he walks.

Because where his feet should be, there are no feet. There are cloven hooves.

Word Count: 3041 words