#just some thoughts

[chronicsyd]

I’ve seen a couple people bring up “Vi could have gone to Ekko and the Firelights instead of joining Caitlyn and the Enforcers” when others mention that Vi’s “home” is where her family/loved ones are, she isn’t really loyal to Zaun Especially when it’s been run into the ground by Silco. However, there’s a couple of problems with this.

1) the way the Firelights operate doesn’t really fit Vi’s mo. The Firelights hide/observe most of the time and are strategical in how they combat Silco and his crew. Meanwhile, Vi’s a “punch first, ask questions while punching” kinda gal, she doesn’t think twice when she see’s Sevika she goes in knee first, she and Jayce go fist flying into one of Silco’s Shimmer facilities to destroy it. so it’s pretty logical to say that there’d be opposition on how shits being run between her and them.

2) But More Importantly, Vi thinks Ekko’s dead at that current point. She doesn’t see him from S1 Ep7-S2 Ep9. She sees the explosion, assumes he’s passed, and after that doesn’t see him when she goes after the Shimmer Facility, has her rematch with Sevika, and gets kidnapped by Jinx. During Act 1 of S2, the Only person left in Vi’s life Is Caitlyn, Vi feels responsible because Jinx has murdered her mom and wants to protect Caitlyn. She joins Caitlyn because Caitlyn explains to her her fears of one of them ending up dead if Jinx and Caitlyn fight 1v1 and expresses her frustration with everything falling apart at the seams, and with Caitlyn’s strike team there aren’t any civilian casualties like there Would have been from a full scale Enforcer Invasion, because with the Enforcer invasion we'd probably see a scene similar to the opening bridge scene where Vi and Powder's parents died (because Yes using the gray Is bad, but no one actually dies, Viktor’s declining health is due to a prolonged condition of constantly living with the stuff for several years). So if Vi thinks he’s dead, why would she just up and ditch Caitlyn for the Firelights when there's no one there that she gives a shit about?

Now it could be argued that Vi thought Jinx was dead to until she shows up again, but the thing with Jinx is that Vi can see she was saved with however much Shimmer Singed injected into her. The same can’t be said for Ekko, so the argument that Vi thinks he’s dead still holds up because Vi doesn’t see him after that.

This is part of an issue that I’m seeing with the fandom where they seem to forget they have more imminent knowledge than the characters do, and they’re making arguments based on Their knowledge rather than the characters. Which is pointless when you’re trying to make a character analysis because a lot of the time it falls into a personal bias because of the information that the audience has. And I'm seeing this kind of fallacy all over the place when it comes to discussing Vi and Caitlyn especially.

[lotus-soda]

I wanna point out something, Katai probably never had an entrance exam, whether Kunikida did or not is still up for debate, but the real fascinating thing is, at 20 Fukuzawa let Kunikdia handle the first (that we know of) entrance exam.

I have my own theories about how old Kuni was when he joined the ada but that's for another date.

Point is, Dazai's entrance exam could have been given to anybody elese, Yosano and Ranpo were at the ada for longer, and Fukuzawa himself didn't handle it. Kunikida must have risen through the ranks fast, especially at a young age. I'm really curios now on his backstory!

[twilight-zoned-out]

Some things about Allan:

He’s the only one who reacts to the narrator

He’s the only doll (besides the Weird House) who isn’t swayed in some way by Ken’s takeover

He also declares himself as “Ken's buddy" (making canon his official box description) which makes his inability to be swayed more interesting

He has bendable legs (probably the only reason he tries to jump the fence instead of going around like everyone else)

He easily decked a half-dozen construction Kens and could probably singlehandedly win the Ken fight

He seems to know more about the real world than most Barbies

He knows what NSYNC is 

He knows about other Allan copies living in the real world (I’m trying to figure out if he made this up to convince the humans he can live in the real world, but even if he did, how does he know what NSYNC is???)

There are no other Allan models

[machveil]

Simon Riley being a menace, but subtly…

Simon Riley hiding your keys as an excuse for you to ask him for help. he does it sparingly, every other month or so - he just likes seeing you light up and sigh when he ‘finds them’… he had them in his back pocket for twenty minutes.

Simon Riley purposely putting your favorite snacks somewhere you can’t reach after grocery shopping. it was an honest mistake! he was totally just on autopilot and wasn’t even thinking about it… he’ll get them for you if you say ‘please’.

Simon Riley noticing your phone, forgotten and discarded on a table. he picks it up, doesn’t return it immediately. your phones missing, but Simon’s there to hand it back to you. when you’re going through your camera gallery later that week you notice a wall of photos… Simon, his masked face from different angles, a couple fishbowl lens shots, and then buried in the middle is one of his balaclava tugged up slightly - cracking a small, toothy smile at your camera.

Ghost being a menace, but it’s in your face…

Ghost, who’s walking in front of you, stops suddenly so you smack into his back. dressed in full uniform and bulky, looks over his shoulder and scoffs… “watch where you’re walking.”, pretending this isn’t the fourth time he’s done it today.

Ghost who has his patience running thin when you ignore him. he’s been polite about it, maybe a bit short. you’ve decided to play dumb, get back at him for messing with you, “Didn’t quite catch that, Ghost.”, and he smiles under his balaclava… “That’s alright, we’ll play a little Simon Says then, yeah?”, a low, rumbly chuckle resonating in his chest, “Simon says look at me, lovie.”.

[stop-watches-and-sorcerers]

I think Bakugou would kill for a lot of people but the only person he would die for without hesitation is Izuku and I think Izuku would die for a lot of people but the only person he would kill for without hesitation is Kacchan

[paper-lilypie]

man sometimes I forget how good we have it in the sun and moon subfandom, like from the very beginning it’s been a hella welcoming community to newer creators and newer creations in general. still see the love and encouragement among us. it’s great here

[domesticandlovingmonsters]

I'm a big sucker for a monster having such a soft spot for someone, that when they're full of rage, a simple touch on the arm or a word softly spoken, calms them. You see their muscles relax and their eyes lose that fire behind them.

It's just so sweet and I get so mushy thinking about it.

BUT I also go feral for when that person validates the monster's anger. They step aside, not out of fear, but because they don't want blood on their shoes. The monster glances at them, and you see the person's eyes harden a smidge and the tiniest nod tilts their chin.

Give me scary monster's that don't need to be calmed or soft!! But also let me see that adorable safe space scene when the monster finally lets their shell crack enough to let someone in!!!!

[amis127]

Jammer's arc this season is making me think of Lou's genius take on Pinocchio as a metaphor for the struggles of Black boyhood and WHEW!!

That constant impossible pressure on his shoulders as he enters adulthood. The way he talks about taking care of his mom and life back home. THE GOAT HOOF COMING OFF HIS CHEST?? Jammer could very easily be my younger brother and so many young guys I know and boy howdy let me tell y'all I burst into tears thinking about all the goat hoofs on all their chests

On a related note, there's something about people (including Sam in this too) who make others feel welcomed that gets overlooked so often - where does that desire come from? Why do you think a charismatic person would prioritize community if it comes so easily to them? I think folks see the "quantity" (so to speak) of the community created and don't consider the quality of those relationships. And yeah you can't ignore the racial aspect of this. The sort of unexamined "this is my Black friend" vibe they are up against in their lives. Jammer and Sam are not just being kind good hearted people. They are searching for something substantive and I really need them both to have moments that let them dig into why that is soon.

[aotearoa20]

Lotta fics with little elrond and elros tend to have Elros being more drawn to fighting and Elrond to healing, which is all well and good

But I propose to you an Elros who was the first to lean towards healing and medcines. 'The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known' is Aragorns sign, and he is from Elros' line.

For sure both of them have that association and Elrond choosing Immortality means he likely surpassed Elros in terms of skill just for fact of living longer but Elrond was Gilgalad's Herald and Bannerman, in my mind he began as the fighter and Elros began as the healer

[sunflowerdigs]

Btw, if the plan is for Eddie to come out/realize his feelings for Buck, how brilliant is it of Tim Minear to frame his arc this season as a search for joy? It means that anyone in the audience who opposes Eddie's ultimate realization opposes Eddie finding joy.

It was also really smart not to have any dialogue in the final scene or cut the music when Buck entered. If Buck and Eddie had talked, and the music had cut, and the lighting had changed, it would have ended the dance scene rather than extended it through Buck's entry, and the association with Eddie's joy would have been lost. Instead, the audience experienced Eddie's joy unflinchingly surrounding and embracing a miserable Buck. So whenever the audience recalls joyful Eddie (which they will because Ryan Guzman dancing in his underwear is an event) they'll associate him with Buck.

Probably really obvious stuff, but I've always thought that Tim's grasp on manipulating an audience (and when to do it) was pretty impressive, so, I like breaking this kind of stuff down. No one can say for certain that the show is going for Buddie at this juncture but, if it is, that last scene has helped ease the way.

[thedevilundercover]

The ultimate comedy/angst idea. Tim has issues with authority without even knowing what authority is.

Like he's the pinnacle of latchkey kid. His parents weren't there to tell him no or anything and he has a shit ton of money. In the comics he very clearly goes "lol no" to every rule and has the "ask for forgiveness rather than permission" mindset.

Imagine when Bruce gets his shit together and like wants to start actually parenting Tim rather that Tim parenting him and like it fails miserably.

Bruce, using the BatDad Voice™️: Tim, I forbid you from doing that

Timothy "Rules? I have no clue what that even means" Drake thinking that this was a joke: lmfao that's cute

And maybe Bruce has a little learning arc like wow this kid is fucked up, wow I fucked up. Whoa I got parented by a baby and now that baby has a fucked up sense of self and has matured way too fast and lost it's childhood because I'm an emotional wreck who had to rely on a whole ass baby for emotional and mental support.

[the-witchhunter]

DP x DC worlds greatest detectives ramble

You ever just get a bit tired of the batfamily being dumb?

Sure I appreciate a good “Danny is weird and the Bats try to figure out his deal and draw wrong conclusions based on incomplete evidence” fic as much as the next guy, and I’m definitely not saying not to write them

But the thing is, they’re all really smart. It’s their whole thing, they’re a family of detectives that dress up in colorful costumes and fight crime, but detectives nonetheless

And I get it’s for humorous effect to have otherwise intelligent people be incredibly dumb about one thing, but it’d just be nice to see them be smart sometimes. Even in a fic where they’re drawing the wrong conclusions, it’d be nice to see them use their detective skills

Like build a case so solid Danny questions whether they’re actually right about him and if he’s just confused

Or just apply it to more conventional situations/crimes

Because frankly it’s funnier if you show they’re smart before having them do something really stupid

If you build them up a bit, then it’s funnier when they fall down.

“Where did he go? It’s like he vanished into thin air!?”

“Don’t be silly, see these scuff marks? Someone recently went down this way. The gravel here has been disturbed indicating this manhole cover has been moved recently. Now if we just prop this up…”

“…huh, is that…?”

“Killer Croc and not the twink we were just tracking?”

“Yeah, that”

“Yeah, that’s killer croc… hi Waylon”

*large scaly hand darts out and drags Bat in question down in the sewers while Danny watches invisibly*

[after-witch]

Something about imagining yandere Phantom Troupe members in a "red string of fate"-style soulmate AU finding their soulmate when the soulmate is out doing super mundane tasks is so appealing to me

like, Feitan having to trail a soulmate while they shop for groceries, hemming and hawwing over prices, putting stuff back, making detours to find special treats, oblivious (or, perhaps not?) to the creepy man on their tail.

Or Machi silently stalking her soulmate as they go to the doctor--she frowns at the realization that it's a specialist's office; as they run all those mundane errands that the Troupe no longer has hands in, at least not normally.

Or Chrollo finding his soulmate at--of course--the library, and getting little thrills as he sees what books they pick up or put down. Perhaps deciding to take the plunge to talk to them as they sit at a public puzzle table, the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation without seeming like he's been following them through the stacks.

[oshikiri-toru]

I'm a strong believer in Soap & Ghost not wanting kids and not really caring to "start a family," but I do love the idea of them taking in the older neighborhood kids.

They don't foster or adopt, too lazy to jump through all the legal hoops and unending paperwork, but they'll have the troubled children on the block come in for dinner almost every night. Kids whose parents couldn't give a damn about them, already gave up on them, or are too tired to actually parent.

They let them help with house work and pay them so they know what it's like to earn instead of steal, they'll invite them to parties to know what it's like to have community, and they'll show up to their games or plays to let them know someone will always be proud.

Teens are always in and out of their houses, knowing it's always a soft place to land, knowing Soap and Ghost don't already see them as lost causes. Knowing if they have a bad trip or get badly hurt that they won't get in trouble or screamed at, they'll get help.

It helps that they both understand the kids, lost and alone in a world that doesn't give a damn. Sometimes they have heart-to-hearts, let the kids cry until they can't anymore. Other times they teach them how to properly swing at a punching bag to healthily release their anger. Occasionally they'll actually fight the kids just to show them they aren't as tough as they think before teaching them better ways to settle conflict.

Most importantly, they show the kids that no matter how fucked up your life is, how hard things get, or how much it feels like it's all ending, it'll always end up okay. They'll grow up, make a life for themselves, find people who care about them, and can help make the world a better place so the next generations of kids will feel a little less like they did.

They'll never have kids of their own, but they sure as hell look out for the kids in their lives.

[alexxuun]

Vash’s scars exploration, both stampede ver and manga ver.

I found it quite interesting that Stampede Vash have more technological cover up and his “burned” skin seems to reveal his muscular layer, which is actually just bark. On the other hand, Maximum scars is more human, surgical scars, stiches, burn and wound scars. There is something to be said about choosing to make Stampede more Plant/ less human than Maximum…

[polin-erospsyche]

The parallel between these two scenes is heart breaking to me but oh so so loud in their meaning.

In the first one we have Colin fully dressed waiting patiently fuming as Penelope is not dressed yet. She’s vulnerable and he has his shield up. He has the upper hand. He leaves her. She stays behind hurt.

In the second one the roles are reversed. She’s fully dressed, ready for the day. He’s in what looks like his yesterday’s clothes. She is in action while he’s paralysed and not moving. She leaves him this time around.

But really it’s more than that. It’s the fact that by the second scene she is on her way to become her fully actualised self. She’s more self assured, less scared. She is moving ahead, physically and figuratively. He’s still rooted in one place, in his anger, his hurt and his trauma.

These two scenes mirror each other, but they’re also so different in the relationship dynamic. The first one is anger and hurt and Colin sees LW. The second one is a crossroad. Colin either stays rooted in place and looses Pen or he moves and have to come to the acceptance that the person he vowed to destroy is in fact the person he vowed to protect and there is no separation between the two.