#like girl she's not even a real character on the show

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Excuse me, do you have any posts on writing well written female characters/protagonists?

Writing Notes: Female Characters

Conducting research through observation – including self-observation – is the very first step in creating memorable women characters.

We observe the women in our lives. We watch and learn, noticing how they engage relationally with family, friends, colleagues, and strangers.

Creating memorable women characters is much like developing memorable relationships. The only way to have meaningful relationships is to be real:

Be willing to share.

Be honest.

Listen with an open heart.

Love without judgment.

This is all very easy to say and much harder to do.

But it’s what’s necessary if we want to have rewarding and lasting friendships and partnerships. And the same is true if we want our female characters to connect with audiences.

Let your female characters speak to other female characters about something that matters. In doing so, you will make women and girls visible.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before writing from a woman’s perspective:

Why are you assigning a female gender to this character?

Are you just doing it to show how cool and hip and progressive you are?

Are you writing a biting, sardonic social commentary?

Do you want to create a realistic portrait of a woman?

Is there an added level of symbolism to your gender choice?

Let the answers to these questions dictate how you assign gender to all of your characters, not just the female ones.

Using men and women to foil each other can create an delightful dynamic in your story, as long as you avoid stereotypes. Here’s a list of stereotypes:

The delicate flower. She barely talks above a whisper, she’s sad, so terribly sad, suffering from the pain of a mysterious past.

The femme fatale. She’s a sexpot, only wears skin-tight clothes, and has a gun with your name on it.

The crazy girlfriend. She’s also got a gun.

The stay at home wife. She’s wholesome, virtuous, and dependant. Her only will for living is to be a wife and a mom.

The career driven. She’s cold-hearted and she wears designer shoes.

The most beautiful girl in the world. She’s so beautiful that she doesn’t even know it, but every other woman around her hates her.

Stereotypes make a character fall flat.

They deflate what could be an interesting character.

Refer to the Bechdel Test. By no means is this “the end all and be all,” however the test is useful in determining whether you story supports two active female characters who aren’t solely wrapped up in a guy and/or his journey. A story passes the Bechdel Test if it has:

two named female characters

who talk to each other

about something other than a man.

The tool is a great reminder that females, even in a love story, can discuss other matters that don’t include a man or romance.

There is no formula for creating complex female characters.

For that matter, there’s no such thing as a step-by-step approach to crafting compelling stories with complicated characters of any gender.

But we can begin to intentionally reflect on how we think about gender representation in film, television, literature, and other media.

We can think about the people we love and consider how the screen stories they see will impact their lives, today and in the years to come. We all want our loved ones to feel confident and empowered and inspired.

We’ve recommended films, television shows, and books to our family and friends not only because we think they’ll enjoy them, but also because we think the stories will in some way be helpful to them. Our stories can help.

They can make viewers/readers laugh when they feel down. They can help them process their feelings and experiences, escape into a fantasy, or visualize possibilities for their future. The benefits of screen storytelling are limitless.

And if we populate our stories with characters that represent all of humanity, in all its complexity … who knows? Maybe someday this conversation will be outdated and unnecessary.

STRONG CHARACTERS. Come in all shapes, sizes, and genders. Every creator has a different idea of how strength is expressed, but there are a few ways to ensure your audience understands the type of character you’ve created when your focus is on writing a strong female character.

Writing Tips: Strong Female Characters

Creating strong female characters is the same process as creating strong characters in general—they need backstory, motivation, and depth in order to cultivate a three-dimensional profile that makes them feel like believable, real people. Here are some ways to write strong female characters:

Give her complex emotions. Vulnerability and emotional depth are important characteristics for good characters of any gender. A strong woman shouldn’t be written as a one-dimensional trope—she can be a stoic warrior who cries when her best friend dies, or a sweet kindergarten teacher who boxes to deal with her rage. People are complicated and often unpredictable, so giving your female character the same complex range of emotions you yourself experience as a human being is a good way to start writing stronger characters.

Give her multiple kinds of strength. Physical strength isn’t everything—even the most hulking adversary can be taken down by smart, tactical fighting—and a female lead doesn’t have to be a bodybuilder or professional athlete in order to be strong. There are different types of strength that female characters exert. They can have confidence, wit, and mental fortitude. They can be brilliant scientists who stand up for themselves when no one else will listen. They can be stay-at-home mothers who won’t tolerate their spouse leaving a mess. Female characters have their own strong opinions and morality and aren’t just generalized for being women.

Give her female allies. Sometimes writers try to make a female character appear stronger by turning her into a “tomboy” who only has male friends. However, your female protagonist can just as easily draw strength from the women who surround her. Giving your female lead character female friends can help her feel more like a real-life person.

Give her more than her looks. Describe the way your female protagonist looks in a way that informs who she is. Does she have a defining physical feature that is integral to the storyline? Does her body language denote a particular personality trait? Brainstorm ways to avoid or subvert clichés (“she was pretty but didn’t know it”), which can weaken an audience’s first impression of your character.

Characteristics of Strong Female Characters

Strong female characters can encompass many different types of women, with varying opinions on what is considered “strong.” In order to write strong female characters, old tropes and stereotypes (like the damsel in distress or the nagging wife) should be avoided, as they can be detrimental to how your female character is viewed as a whole. If you’re looking to write a strong female character, check out some common characteristics below:

She has her own opinions. A strong female lead will listen to her own instincts and make her own decisions based on her own value system (even villains have their reasons for their choices). She’ll make mistakes, but she’ll always try to learn from them. A strong character isn’t immune to influence, but they have their own thoughts and feelings about their world and the things that happen within it.

She is her own person. Strong female characters don’t all have to be single, independent women. They can be in relationships and care about their partners without being weak or codependent. However, a strong female character has her own identity and trajectory that she follows, as well as her own ambitions and goals outside of her relationship with another person.

She has flaws. Strong female characters have struggles and flaws just like everyone else, but what makes them strong is how they deal with their shortcomings. Even the strongest characters have weaknesses, but that’s what humanizes them and makes them relatable to audiences.

She’s tough in her own right. What makes a female “tough?” The term is subjective. Is toughness just a character’s ability to physically bring down foes? Or can it be her ability to think fast under pressure or negotiate with powerful figures? A stay-at-home mother can be just as tough as a soldier—a woman’s role does not necessarily dictate who she is as a person.

Give her conflicting personality traits. Conflicting personality traits make a character interesting. Balance traditionally feminine and masculine character traits, as well as give your characters several flaws and strengths. Conflicting character traits not only make your female character three-dimensional but also provide for interesting internal or interpersonal conflicts in your story. You can imagine characteristics—positive, negative, or neutral—in pairs of opposites, such as:

Bookish & arrogant

Gossipy & trustworthy

Pensive & uninhibited

Kind & tactless

Empathetic & selfish

Examples of Strong Female Characters

Strong female characters are not flawless and unemotional—they’re complicated, just like everyone else. Authors, along with screenwriters for TV shows and film, have portrayed a great number of strong female protagonists in a variety of roles. Here are a few that are especially memorable:

Buffy Summers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a powerful heroine with awesome fighting skills who can be both tough—even when chasing a love interest—and empathetic—even towards those who have wronged her. She is a three-dimensional character, and she always tries to do the right thing.

Ellen Ripley: Sigourney Weaver plays alien-fighting heroine Ellen Ripley in the film Alien. Ellen Ripley is straightforward, physically strong, and a smart main character—but she also has strong maternal instincts that sometimes drive her decisions. All of those traits coexist with one another without lessening the strength of her character.

Katniss Everdeen: In Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, Katniss is a young woman living in a dystopian world, who volunteers her own life in order to protect her younger sister. While sometimes impulsive and susceptible to the manipulations of others, Katniss grows throughout her story arc, becoming a skilled warrior who makes sacrifices to keep the ones she loves from harm. Although she has love interests, most of her decisions are based on survival and not romance—because as long as she’s alive, she can keep her family safe.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Here are some notes and tips I compiled from various sources. It's interesting to see where the authors' advice overlap. Choose which ones work best for your specific story. Hope this helps with your writing!

[andyholls]

So this is Abby “built like an Ox” Anderson?…

I understand that the show is an adaptation, and I don’t understand the hate for Bella Ramsey, as someone who’s played both games a hundred times, I thought Bella did a good job portraying Ellie in season 1, the tough Ellie who’s also still just a kid, was great.

Yes, Abby’s physique is not realistic in real life, but it’s almost like there wasn’t even a try. I have no doubt in my mind that Kaitlyn Dever is a great actress but where’s Abby?

Abby in the game was a tank, she looked like the type to survive the apocalypse, but you expect me to believe that this Abby is Isaac’s top scar killer, and survives all Abby went through? Same with Bella Ramsey in this season, this is the girl who’s gonna kill half of Seattle, an unborn child, hunt Abby down with nothing but a map and again survive everything Ellie went through.

I understand it’s an adaptation and it’s not the game. Yes Maria also is blonde and pale in the game but that didn’t make a difference to her character. The details that are missing are some of the big reasons people love Ellie and Abby so much.

I’m still going to watch the season don’t get me wrong, but I’m sorry that is not TLOU 2 Ellie and Abby.

(Rant over)

[greenfiend]

Why I’m confident that El was willed into existence…

In a show that frequently references superheroes, alter egos, clones, “subs”titutes, and swapping places…

Is it truly that far fetched to believe that our main “hero” is actually the boy who likes to hide in disguise all along?

In other words, let me explain the evidence that Will created El and what it means for the ending of the show.

I’ll begin by saying that even back when I was a GA watching the show, I sensed that there has always been a supernatural connection between the two of them.

Think about it. Will vanishes, El first appears then El vanishes and Will re-appears. They “swap places”. Will is “good at hiding” and thus El takes over as the lead.

El is a masculine girl (at least power-wise), while Will is a feminine boy. They are connected but yet within the show they aren’t that close? Sure they’re “siblings” now but the writers made a choice not to focus on building up their relationship/bond. In fact, we see them continuously being separated from each other. This conveys a subtle message to the audience:

They cannot co-exist.

They both take up the same role within the show. Let me explain…

Let’s start with similarities between Will and El

Both are around the same age

Both are quiet

Both have a mother who is loving yet distant and both mothers are implied to have mental health issues and are heavily paralleled.

Both have a complicated and ab*sive relationship with their father/“papa”

Both are associated with powers

Both have been victims of bullies

Both have trauma and struggled with their emotions

Both are associated with repressed memories

Both are romantic love interests for Mike

Both are heavily connected with the supernatural

etc etc…

Let’s talk symbolism…

I’ve mentioned this many times before but the writers have subtly used the explosion of “Little Boy” the atomic bomb as a metaphor for Will’s disappearance.

“Little Boy” is Will Byers himself. The real “Little Boy” bomb caused a nuclear fission reaction. Fission means to “split in two”. We also have the Phineas Gage metaphor that conveys splitting of the brain.

On top of this, in the flashback of El opening the gate for the first time, we see the Demogorgon feasting on an egg. When El sees this, we see cracks appear and the gate opens. The egg cracks. This is further implied with this line:

If the hair is a nest, the egg is the head. The head “split”/cracked open. Like an egg, the head hatched… which implies a birth!

Notice how they chose an “owl” out of all birds? Owls are associated with wisdom, and the Greek Goddess Athena. How was Athena born, you ask?

Zeus had a “splitting” headache and then Athena was born from his head.

”Splitting” is also a term within Dissociative Identity Disorder when a new alter/personality emerges. Alters are often seen as “superheroes” as they often protect the host/the system from experiencing trauma. They take over, and “swap places” with the host/other alters. There are common alters roles within a DID system, and one of them is called “The Gatekeeper”.

“The Gatekeeper” controls access to the gate, and to the memories (sound familiar?)…

To add to the “splitting” analogy, we have multiple references to El being “half” and not “whole”. Notice how she’s “twice” as happy with Will present, after being “half”way happy? Two halves = a whole.

Another planet/different species

We have many references to the UD being another planet. If the UD is another planet, all those who inhabit said planet are a “different species” or rather, aliens.

As we all know, El is heavily inspired by “E.T.”, a famous alien character. When she comes to “Earth”/the right side up, she is, essentially, an alien. She doesn’t fit in because this is not her world.

El was even paralleled to D’Art who, as we know, was a “new species” that literally came from Will’s head!

D'Art is a "new species" and El and Max are a "different species" aka "material girls". This implies that they all were created.

They aren't from Earth but instead they're from "another planet". We are given a hint to this in the shot above on the left. A globe (Earth) near another round sphere (Will's head...)

Relevant Media References Within the Show

Within the show, we have many references to other media- specifically media that contains a character with an alter-ego.

Superman is the simplest one to explain, so I’ll start with that. As we know, Mike said El was “Superman”, and that he was “Lois Lane”, prior to Will expressing his love for Mike using El’s name. The writers chose to reference Superman for a reason and it’s not just because El has powers or that Mike is gay. We are supposed to connect the dots and conclude that:

Will is Superman’s alter-ego: Clark Kent. The seemingly nerdy ordinary guy who loves Lois Lane but who is (secretly) Superman.

(Read the line from Lois above, it is incredibly relevant to Will and El)

Another commonly referenced movie within ST is The Neverending Story.

(Atreyu looks into the mirror and sees Bastian…)

The similarities between Bastian (bullied bowl cut boy) and Will are fairly obvious, as well as the similarities between Atreyu (the hero) and El. Well, it turns out that Atreyu was actually Bastian the whole time.

X-Men has also been referenced within the show.

Will asks Dustin for "X-Man 134" in the very first episode. This comic is significant because it was the first appearance of "Dark Phoenix".

In the book the Dark Phoenix is accidentally unleashed by the Mastermind who is tinkering around in Jean's brain trying to unlock the full potential of her powers. x

I argue that the "Mastermind" is actually Will himself who unleashed El into the world. He cast "fireball" unleashing El, the phoenix.

That's not the only X-Men clue however...

In the original Montauk script, it was X-Men 269 that Will asked Dustin for.

@threemanoperation made an excellent post about that here.

There are clear references to gateways and "splitting" which are incredibly relevant to this theory.

Karen's Novels

In this scene, Karen is reading a book called “Tender is the Storm”. In that book, there’s a surprise twist at the end:

These two "twins" that the main character is torn over end up being the same person.

Now keep in mind, the previous novel Karen reads also has clear relevance/foreshadowing. Credit below goes to @/kaypeace21, her post is here.

Sound familiar?

Hawkins Lab/Tunnels

Tunnels are something that we see a lot of... especially in Will's drawings in ST2. He draws tunnels from his mind... it's his mind map.

So... El came from Hawkins Lab, and escaped through these tunnels.

Hawkins Lab...

There's lots of subtle clues that "Hawkins" is metaphorically Will. Let me explain...

"Hawkins" is still healing from the gate being opened = "Will" is still healing from the gate being opened.

"But some of him is here, too. In me. It's like... it's like he's reaching into Hawkins [me] more and more." - Will

"Hawkins" isn't the same without Will because "Hawkins" *is* Will!

So El came from "Hawkins" lab = El came from "Will's" lab.

A laboratory is a place where things are created.

The mind is a "prison" as Papa states. Then we have Hopper and Henry comparing Hawkins Lab to a "prison"/El being a “prisoner”.

El is a prisoner of the mind…

Thus we can conclude: Hawkins Lab is Will's mind, and that is where El came from.

She was a prisoner of his unpleasant and traumatized mind who managed to escape into the real world.

El's Memories

The biggest question is... if El came from Will's mind, how does she have her own memories?

The answer to this is fairly simple:

El has Will's memories...

A major clue of this is in ST2. In a flashback, we see Hopper teach El Morse Code. Later on within the same season, we see that Will knows Morse Code...

Now I know this sounds like a stretch for some, but the major reason why is because we know so little of Will's past explicitly.

We have never seen Will and his father Lonnie directly interact. But through many many clues we can infer that Lonnie had a profoundly negative effect on Will. Not only was he obviously homophobic and a deadbeat father... but many clues point to him being so much worse. I talk about much more in this post.

"Papa" may not be real, but rather a manifestation/altered version of Will's father.

In one of the comics, we see a clear parallel here between El and Papa and Will and Lonnie. The father shutting out the child and ignoring their cries.

Perhaps the biggest clue of El having Will's memories, however, comes from 4x02.

Lets break this down:

In ST1, Jonathan tells us that his father forced him to kill a rabbit on his birthday and it was traumatic for him.

In ST2, March 22 is established as Will's birthday and we are told by Owens that "The anniversary of an event can bring back traumatic memories."

In ST4, we are told that "our brains protect us from trauma" by repressing memories.

In ST4, Will's birthday (the anniversary) is forgotten (repressed memories).

In ST4, on March 22, El has flashbacks to a massacre... and the song "Wipe Out" plays. "Wipe Out" can mean two things: to kill (a rabbit?) and to eliminate something completely (memories).

So... with all of that knowledge... wouldn't you say that it's interesting that El has traumatic memories on Will's birthday?

I think it's fair to conclude that:

Will experienced something very traumatic related to his father on his birthday (March 22), and he has repressed the memories. El, as the "Gatekeeper Alter"/superhero protecting Will/the system, has access to Will's memories.

Gatekeepers control access to specific memories or protected alters and can, in some cases, prevent unwanted switching. These alters aid in preventing traumatic memories from escaping from the alters who control them, thus throwing up amnesiac walls to protect the whole system. x

Which is why in the NINA plot line, it was all about El retrieving back memories... Will's memories. Or rather, altered versions of his memories.

Just to re-affirm the point that Will does not have his own memories... we were gifted with this subtle clue.

"Larry" is a nickname for Lawrence/Laurence. Lonnie is also a nickname for Lawrence/Laurence. So basically:

Will doesn't remember Lonnie. Or rather, he only vaguely remembers Lonnie.

El has Will's memories of Lonnie, and we see them through her flashbacks with "Papa".

This is exactly why we never see Lonnie or rather rarely have any direct mentions of him within the show. He is a deeply repressed memory.

I could go on about this because there are tons more hidden clues but this post will get FAR too long.

Why did Will create Eleven?

Wherever you go, the number 11 seems to find you - this is an angel number. x (credit to @thestrangestthing89 for pointing this out).

To answer this question very simply: Will created El as a replacement for himself. She was his "guardian angel" to protect him from his trauma, but also to erase him.

We really do not discuss this enough, but Will has crippling self-esteem issues! That's why he's so selfless and that's why he always tries to hide. He doesn't believe he's worthy of... anything.

El is a strong, brave, and socially acceptable version of himself. She has superpowers and she can be with Mike, because she's a girl. It'd be acceptable.

But over time we see that El could never replace Will, nor does she want to! El replacing Will causes everyone to be miserable. Will, Mike, his family, and El herself.

How it may be explained within the show

So, DID itself was not a term that existed within the 1980s, it was called "Multiple Personality Disorder". My guess, however, is that they will not use any specific medical term. They will, instead, use a DnD term:

"Changeling" x

According to folklore, a changeling was a substitute left by a supernatural being when kidnapping a human being. x

After Will vanished, El, a supernatural being, appeared in the same place. This whole time El was a "changeling"/substitute for Will.

El's Ending

El's ending has been a hot topic as of recently, for a good reason. People are scared she'll be killed off and express their discontentment with that. Will she be killed off?

Not exactly. Let me explain.

El is E.T., an alien who ends up returning back to their own world. The same thing will happen to El. As I explained, El came from Will's mind, and she will return to Will's mind! This will be her own choice, because she's not adapting to the real world. It's been a constant loop for her, and she's not happy. She hasn't felt like she belonged.

She's tired of being forced into roles that aren't her own.

El and Will will "combine" via fusion. This is where the "Little Boy" metaphor for Will returns. El came into the world via "fission" (splitting) and will return via "fusion" (combining back into Will).

The important thing to note here is that she will not "die".

As Henry states, she will live on in the mind. Most likely, a much more pleasant version of the UD. My guess is her ending will be similar to Frodo's at the end of Lord of the Rings.

(Notice how she disappears into Will? That's obviously intentional visual foreshadowing).

I have even more to say on this but this post has been long enough!

What are your thoughts?

[rotating-hyperfixations]

Yellowjackets Rewatch Thoughts - 01x01

Starting my rewatch for season 3 and thought I’d share my thoughts this time around.

Top 10 pilot episode of all time, sets everything up so well

You cannot convince me that Jackie and Shauna were not intentionally played to be read as have feelings for each other, there are far too many moments of them acting gay in this episode alone for them too not have.

Jackie, baby girl, you are terrible at faking your orgasm

Soccer scenes do not hold up as well this time around, none of those bitches look even remotely comfortable in the game scene except maybe Sophie Neliesse

Speaking of, Sophie Nelisse and Sophie Thatcher look like children; Jesus Christ

Adult Shauna you are so fucked up even from the pilot (also I’m available)

Taissa, how the fuck did you fumble Simone (also, once again I am available)

Pre crash and medicated Lottie and pre crash Van, my shaylaaas

Also Courtney borderline being out of frame in the pep rally scene when Jackie and Shauna stare longingly at each other (#gay) because she’s so tall makes me chuckle

Allie’s leg getting fucked up, maybe one of the goriest scenes of the show (which given all that happens is saying something)

Jackie standing like a fucking NPC after the Allie leg thing also makes me laugh

Callie’s such a teenage dick in this episode, I love it (the horrors are coming for you kid, so enjoy it)

Jackie and Shauna bedroom scene gay

Jackie’s little team bonding circle was the inspiration for the sharing shack, I don’t have any real reason other then vibes

TaiVan crumbs during team bonding my beloved

Nat seeing Misty across the fire, cinema

Local street name jump scare with Port Monmouth

Shauna saying she will raise the baby to kill Jeff out of spite = foreshadowing? (Please)

Taishauna friendism my beloved

Needle drop with the montage of the characters home lives is one of my favorite scenes in television

Do you think Tai’s parents kick themselves for not driving her to the airport

The last time Mari’s hoodie was clean was the takeoff of this flight, now it’s a biological weapon

Hurts knowing that Jackie won’t get to climb Shauna like a tree in Seattle like she wanted too

Teen Shauna’s eyes were looking particularly baby deer this episode

[hiskillingjar]

Since you were asking for questions to distract you:

What is one thing you have been DYING to share about Echo, Lawrence, Ren and/or Strade? Literally just use this ask to go on a rant about whatever/whoever you want 💛

*fiona apple voice* what the hell, sure.

long post so under the cut. general headcanon dump for ren/fox, law and strade be upon ye. echo is included.

ren + fox 🦊

can't speak japanese (think this is canon) and feels weird and traumatised about it. makes an effort to learn after strade's death, and by fox age, he's fluent.

(also) after strade's death, he attends community college (by fudging a high school degree and upping the sob story of an abusive boyfriend) and gets a degree in coding :)

really struggles to eat vegetables and dairy. would only eat meat and carbs if he was left to his own devices

both of these make his not entirely subtle ED habits flare up, though, so he's kind of a bad eater. don't take him out for dinner, he'll overthink it for days

has a pintrest where he collects outfit inspiration ^_^

sort of self-conscious about his height but knows it's an asset in his younger years. starts wearing heeled boots as he gets older.

lawrence 🥀

can't watch movies or tv shows without disassociating. it makes existing as a human being sort of exhausting

had a crush on their guidance counsellor at school and fantasised about her raping them. felt immediately bad about it and had an OCD doom spiral that made them stop going to see her

generally sex and romance repulsed, to the degree that they questioned if they even had the capacity to feel those emotions at all

turns out, just super depressed

when they do feel romantic or sexual, it can be very overwhelming and intense. which is why they prefer to just. not feel it lol

struggles gaining weight but develops a bit of a gut as they get older. they're a little self-conscious about it.

has a few hang-ups about masculinity, queerness, gender nonconformity. their dad put some fucked up ideas into their head as a kid (which also explains their OCD)

has two broken molars and crooked teeth from not looking after them when they were younger

strade 🔨

coffee drinker. likes it strong but with two sugars. won't drink tea, thinks it's a bad use of caffeine

not a picky eater but won't eat vegetarian "fake" meat. he has like a visceral reaction to it. real dad core energy in that respect.

on the subject of dad core, totally does that thing where he'll walk into a room and just stand there watching tv for twenty minutes. has done that when ren watches anime. no sitting, just...standing.

yellow teeth <3 from smoking when he was younger (with the occasional cigar in his older age) and coffee drinking.

never broken a bone, but has a fuck ton of scars and scrapes. his back especially (from fucking ren <3)

has a few masochistic inclinations. likes a punch to the face, likes to get scratched up and beat up. it gets his blood pumping

very comfortable being a verse, but wouldn't sub for love nor money. ultimate power bottom when he's doing it

acab. really doesn't like police. like he knows how to chat to them and put on the charm and all that, but he doesn't trust them. acab.

echo 🪒 (that's her emoji) (also just facts I feel like sharing)

echo was named and based after echo and query, the riddler's lesbian sidekicks in the batman comics. i developed the two of them into a genderfluid domsub lesbian couple for a batman 2022 fanfic, and got so attached to echo that she became her own character <3

echo's design was partially inspired by trianon serious weakness, but more so that I miss having black and green hair lol. she also has all of my piercings :)

characters who also inspired echo are vikki from what happens next and beth from manhunt by gretchen felker-martin

echo works at fictional cafe that's a stand-in for st*rbucks because of their gender affirming care benefits.

when she and law first met at therapy, she thought they were a clocky trans girl. had absolutely no idea they were basically cis until they told her

her favourite video games are metal gear solid (of course), silent hill and yume nikki

she'd never ever tell anyone she likes anime (because it's cringe apparently), but her favourites are neon genesis evangelion and berserk. has a secret fondness for madoka magica too

echo has one (1) other friend who's a detransitioned butch nb called matt (they/she). echo bullied matt in high school, and they eventually dated but broke it off amicably. they play call of duty together on thursdays.

echo has fucked every woman in law and her's group therapy, and she hates it.

[mintyys-blog]

BEFORE THE WAR— preserum! bucky barnes

WARNINGS: war, draft, pregnancy, character death.

Brooklyn, 1942

The streets of Brooklyn were alive with the sound of swing music drifting from open shop doors, the chatter of neighbors leaning out of apartment windows, and the occasional honk of a passing car. The summer heat had settled thick in the air, but nothing could stop the steady buzz of the city or the way Bucky Barnes walked beside you, hand tucked casually in the pocket of his slacks.

“You got any plans for the weekend, doll?” he asked, nudging your shoulder playfully as you strolled down the sidewalk.

You smirked. “That depends. You askin’ me on a date, Sergeant Barnes?”

His grin was instant, boyish and smug as ever. “Wouldn’t call it a date. More like me takin’ my best girl out to show her off.”

“Oh, is that all?” You shot him a teasing look. “And here I thought you actually wanted to spend time with me.”

Bucky laughed, the sound warm and familiar. He threw an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close as he pressed a quick kiss to your temple. “I always wanna spend time with you, sweetheart.”

You rolled your eyes, but your heart still flipped the way it always did when he got like this—soft and sweet in a way only you ever got to see.

The two of you had been inseparable for as long as you could remember. Bucky was the boy who pulled your pigtails when you were kids, the one who taught you how to throw a proper punch when you got older, the one who made you feel like the only girl in the whole damn city.

And in return, you were his doll. His best girl. His soft place to land when the world got too rough.

“You wanna go dancing?” he asked suddenly.

You raised a brow. “Since when do you like dancing?”

“Since I realized it’s a real good excuse to keep my hands on you,” he said with a smirk, winking as he twirled you playfully in the middle of the sidewalk. You let out a laugh as you spun, the hem of your dress lifting before you landed against his chest.

Bucky held you there, his arms secure around your waist, his expression shifting from playful to something softer.

“You know I’d do anything for you, right?” he murmured.

The question caught you off guard. “What’s gotten into you, Barnes?”

His grip tightened slightly, just for a second, before he forced another easy grin. “Nothin’. Just makin’ sure my girl knows she’s special.”

You narrowed your eyes, sensing there was more behind his words, but before you could press further, he kissed you—soft, lingering, like he was trying to memorize the feeling.

And for now, you let it go, letting yourself melt into him, savoring the warmth of his touch.

Because whatever was on his mind, whatever weight he was carrying, you knew Bucky would tell you when he was ready.

At least, you hoped he would.

Brooklyn, 1942

The summer heat had faded into a warm, breezy evening, and the lights from the dance hall cast a golden glow on the sidewalk as you and Bucky stepped outside. Music still pulsed from inside, couples twirling across the floor, lost in the rhythm.

Bucky had been quieter than usual tonight. Oh, he still flashed that signature grin, still twirled you around like you were the only girl in the world—but something about him felt… off.

You noticed it in the way he held you, just a little tighter than usual. The way he looked at you, like he was trying to burn the image of your face into his memory.

And now, as the two of you stood outside, you watched him as he exhaled, rolling his shoulders as if trying to shake off whatever thoughts were eating away at him.

“Alright, out with it,” you finally said, crossing your arms.

Bucky glanced at you, his easy smirk flickering across his lips. “Out with what, doll?”

“You’ve been actin’ funny all night. Thought maybe you were just distracted by how good I looked, but now I’m thinkin’ there’s somethin’ else.”

His lips parted, but he hesitated—just for a second. If you weren’t paying close attention, you might’ve missed it.

Then, just as quickly, he was Bucky again, flashing that boyish grin as he leaned in. “You do look real good tonight, sweetheart.”

You rolled your eyes. “Nice try.”

Bucky sighed, running a hand through his hair. For the first time tonight, his mask slipped—just a little. “Let’s take a walk.”

That was never a good sign.

The two of you started down the quiet street, the sounds of Brooklyn still buzzing in the background. You walked in step with him, waiting for him to speak.

Finally, after a long pause, Bucky exhaled. “I got a letter.”

A chill crawled down your spine. “A letter?”

“From the draft board,” he said, voice quieter now. “They’re sendin’ me overseas.”

The world felt like it had been knocked off balance.

You stopped walking. “You— You’re goin’ to war?”

Bucky turned to face you, his jaw clenched like he’d been dreading this moment. “Yeah, doll.”

For a second, you couldn’t breathe. The noise of the city faded, replaced by the pounding of your heart.

“When?” you finally whispered.

“A couple weeks.”

A couple weeks.

You felt sick.

Bucky stepped closer, his hands gently settling on your arms. “I didn’t wanna tell you tonight. Wanted to give us one more night without it hangin’ over us.”

You searched his face, and suddenly all those little moments from earlier made sense—the way he looked at you, the way he held you so tight, the way he kissed you like he was afraid it’d be the last time.

Tears burned in your eyes, but you refused to let them fall.

“What if—” Your voice wavered, and you swallowed hard. “What if you don’t come back?”

Bucky cupped your face, pressing his forehead against yours. “Don’t say that.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it?” Your voice cracked. “People don’t come back from war, Bucky.”

“I will.” His voice was firm, steady. “I swear it, doll. I’ll come back to you.”

You wanted to believe him. God, you wanted to. But the fear dug its claws into your chest.

Bucky pulled you into his arms, holding you against him like he could shield you from the world. You buried your face in his shirt, inhaling the scent of him, memorizing the way he felt.

Because no matter what promises he made, war changed people.

And you weren’t sure anything would ever be the same again.

Brooklyn, 1942

A couple of weeks.

That was all you had left with Bucky. The thought sat heavy in your chest, a constant ache that refused to ease. But you didn’t want to waste time crying—not when every second with him was slipping away.

So you made a choice.

If this was all you had, then you were going to make the most of it.

The next morning, you showed up at Bucky’s apartment bright and early, swinging open the door like you owned the place. His mother barely blinked—she was used to you by now.

“James Buchanan Barnes, get your lazy behind outta bed,” you called, hands on your hips.

A groggy groan came from the other room. “Doll, the sun’s barely up.”

“It’s almost nine,” you corrected, marching into his tiny bedroom. “And we got things to do.”

Bucky was still sprawled out in bed, shirtless, hair a mess, eyes barely open as he peered at you. A slow smirk tugged at his lips. “Can’t we just stay here? I can think of plenty of things to do in bed.”

You threw a pillow at his face.

He laughed, rolling onto his back. “Alright, alright. What’s the plan, sweetheart?”

You hesitated for just a second, gripping the hem of your dress. “I don’t know yet,” you admitted softly. “I just wanna spend today with you.”

Something in Bucky’s expression shifted. He sat up properly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before reaching for your hand. “Then we’ll do whatever you want, doll.”

The two of you spent the day wandering through Brooklyn, revisiting all the places that held meaning.

You stopped by the candy shop on the corner where Bucky used to sneak you chocolate bars when you were kids. The owner still recognized him and slipped you both a piece, chuckling as Bucky winked and said, “Some things never change.”

You made your way to the boardwalk, where the two of you had spent countless summer evenings. The salty air, the distant laughter of children, the old wooden planks beneath your feet—it was all so familiar, so comforting.

“Remember that time you pushed Steve into the ocean?” you teased as you both leaned against the railing, watching the waves.

Bucky grinned. “He dared me to.”

“He almost drowned.”

“Nah, he was fine.” He shrugged. “Besides, I jumped in after him.”

You shook your head with a laugh.

Then Bucky’s voice softened. “We’ve had some good times, huh?”

Your chest tightened, but you smiled. “The best.”

He exhaled slowly, drumming his fingers against the railing. “I don’t want you to sit around waitin’ for me, doll.”

Your brows furrowed. “What are you talkin’ about?”

“I mean it.” He turned to face you fully. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. And I don’t want you puttin’ your life on hold for me.”

Your stomach twisted. “You promised you’d come back.”

“I will,” he said quickly. “But I don’t want you to be lonely.” He swallowed, his voice dropping. “If you meet someone—”

“Don’t,” you cut him off, shaking your head.

Bucky looked at you with something between love and regret. “Sweetheart—”

“I don’t want someone else,” you whispered. “I want you.”

His throat bobbed, and for the first time, he looked truly lost. Like he didn’t know how to make this easier for you—for either of you.

Finally, he reached for you, pulling you into him. You melted against his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt as if holding on would somehow keep him here.

“You’re my doll,” he murmured against your hair. “Always.”

You closed your eyes, letting the moment sink in, letting yourself pretend—just for a little while longer—that time wasn’t running out.

Because soon, it would.

And neither of you knew what the future held.

Brooklyn, 1942

The night before Bucky was set to leave, Brooklyn felt different. Quieter. Like the city itself knew what was coming.

You sat on the fire escape outside his bedroom window, legs dangling over the edge as you stared at the twinkling lights below. Bucky was inside, lying on his bed, tossing a baseball into the air absentmindedly. Neither of you had spoken much since dinner.

Because what was there left to say?

You sighed, gripping the metal railing tighter. “I hate this.”

Behind you, the sound of the baseball landing in Bucky’s palm stopped. “I know, doll.”

You turned to look at him. He was watching you, blue eyes shadowed with something deep and unreadable. Slowly, he sat up and patted the space beside him.

“C’mere,” he murmured.

You hesitated before climbing back through the window, settling onto the bed beside him. As soon as you were close enough, he pulled you against his chest, his arms strong and steady around you.

For a long moment, you just lay there, listening to the sound of his heartbeat.

“I don’t know how to say goodbye to you,” you admitted quietly.

Bucky let out a slow breath, his fingers tracing idle patterns along your arm. “Then don’t,” he whispered.

You lifted your head to look at him, brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… don’t say goodbye. Not like it’s forever,” he said, brushing a strand of hair from your face. “I’ll come back, sweetheart. No matter what it takes.”

Your throat tightened. “You don’t know that.”

“I do,” he insisted, voice firm. “Because I have to. Because I got somethin’ worth comin’ back to.”

You swallowed hard, fighting back tears. “Promise me.”

Bucky cupped your face, eyes never leaving yours. “I swear it, doll.”

And for that moment, you let yourself believe him.

He kissed you then, slow and deep, like he was memorizing the feel of your lips. Like he was trying to leave a piece of himself with you. Your fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, desperately trying to hold onto him—to this moment—for as long as you could.

The night stretched on, and neither of you spoke about tomorrow.

Instead, you let yourselves pretend that the world wasn’t changing. That when the sun rose, everything would still be the same.

But deep down, you both knew better.

And as you fell asleep in his arms, you wondered if you’d ever feel this safe again.

The years had been kind to Brooklyn, but they had been cruel to you.

The war had taken Bucky, or so they said. When the soldiers returned, they came in droves, but Bucky wasn’t among them. No body to bury, no remains to mourn. Just the cold, harsh reality that he was gone. You never got closure. Never got to say goodbye.

You had held on to hope for months, years even. The letters you sent, the prayers you whispered every night, the way you clung to every scrap of news you could find. But eventually, you had to face it. Bucky was gone, and you were left to pick up the pieces.

And then you found out.

You were pregnant.

The news had hit you like a freight train, but even in the devastation, there was a flicker of hope. Bucky had left a part of him behind—your son, James.

Raising him without Bucky was the hardest thing you ever did. The little boy had his father’s blue eyes, his smirk, and his unshakable sense of loyalty. You saw Bucky in everything James did. In the way he stood tall, the way he cared for those around him.

But there were nights when you cried yourself to sleep, wishing more than anything that Bucky could be there. He should have been. He should’ve been there to see their first steps, to watch James grow into the man he was becoming. But instead, you raised him alone, pouring all the love and care you had into him.

When James was older, he married and had children of his own, carrying on the legacy you and Bucky had started. But your heart never truly healed.

Then, on a quiet afternoon, years after you had passed, James was sitting with his own children, when the doorbell rang. It was a sharp, unexpected sound, one that made him frown in confusion.

When he opened the door, there stood a man—older, with a rough edge to him, but his eyes… those were unmistakable.

“James Barnes?” the man asked, his voice low and filled with a depth of emotion that James didn’t understand.

James blinked, taking a step back. “Who are you?”

“I’m your… father,” the man said, and James felt the words hit him like a physical force.

His father?

The words barely registered. His mind raced. He was supposed to be gone. He was supposed to have died in that war all those years ago. Yet here he was. James had seen photos of him… he looks the same.

“You’re… you’re him?” James asked slowly, stepping back further. He couldn’t believe it. The man before him looked like Bucky, but younger. His features were weathered with time, but those eyes, the same shade of blue that James had inherited, were the same.

“I had to see for myself,” Bucky said quietly, as if just being in the presence of his son was enough to break down years of walls.

James’ heart beat wildly in his chest. It didn’t seem possible, yet here was the man who had never come back, the man who had vanished without a trace.

“Mom… Mom talked about you all the time,” James said, his voice thick. He shook his head in disbelief, his hands trembling as he spoke. “She never stopped talking about you. She never let me forget who you were.”

Bucky’s throat tightened, the weight of those words hitting him harder than anything else. He had no idea. He had no idea that you had held onto him all these years. That you had kept him alive in your memory for your son.

“You— you never told me,” James murmured, stepping back as if still trying to process.

Bucky swallowed hard. “I couldn’t. I couldn’t remember who I was for so long. But now I do. And I had to come back.”

He looked at his son, seeing the resemblance in the set of his jaw, the curve of his smile, and even in the way James stood—proud, unyielding. He was Bucky’s son in every sense.

“I never thought I’d see you,” Bucky continued, his voice barely a whisper. “But here you are. All grown up.”

James stared at him for a moment before stepping forward. “Come inside,” he said softly, his voice cracking. “I… I think Mom would have wanted you to meet your grandkids.”

Bucky nodded, his heart heavy with emotion. He followed James inside, unsure of what came next, but knowing that he couldn’t go back to the past.

What mattered now was the future—the family he had missed.

And as he stepped over the threshold, into a world he’d lost so long ago, Bucky Barnes found himself home at last.

As Bucky followed James inside, the sounds of children’s laughter filled the air. James’ home was warm, the kind of place that felt full of life—just like you would have wanted it to be. The walls were adorned with family photos, many of them capturing moments of joy you had never gotten to witness.

James led Bucky into the living room, where two young children were playing on the floor, their faces lighting up when they saw him.

“They’re mine,” James explained, his voice softer now. “My son, Ben, and my daughter, Emma.”

Bucky stopped in his tracks as he took in the sight of them. Ben, a boy with messy dark hair and curious blue eyes, was standing at the toy chest, while Emma, a girl with your bright smile and Bucky’s cheekbones, was sitting beside him, her laughter filling the room.

It hit Bucky like a wave. These were his grandchildren. He hadn’t been here for any of it. For their births, for their first steps, for the bedtime stories.

James knelt down in front of them, his voice warm and affectionate as he called out to his kids. “Hey, you two. I want you to meet someone.”

Ben looked up first, squinting at Bucky with those familiar blue eyes. Emma followed his gaze, her eyes widening in curiosity.

“Kids,” James continued, his voice cracking slightly, “this is your grandfather. My father. His name is James—your papa.”

Bucky’s chest tightened at the word. Papa. He hadn’t thought he’d hear it, but hearing it now, spoken from his son’s lips, made his heart swell. He’d missed so much, but he was here now.

The kids blinked at Bucky, not entirely sure what to make of the stranger in their living room. But then Ben, ever the curious one, took a cautious step toward him.

“Papa?” the little boy asked hesitantly, his gaze flicking between his father and the man in front of him.

Bucky kneeled down, slowly, so as not to scare them, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. “Yeah, kiddo. I’m your papa.”

Ben’s eyes searched his face for a moment, before his lips parted in a hesitant smile. “You look like my daddy.”

Bucky chuckled softly, his heart swelling at the comparison. “I sure do, don’t I?”

Emma, ever the bold one, stood up and crossed the room, her little hands reaching for Bucky. “Can you play with us, papa?” she asked, her voice as sweet and innocent as any child’s could be.

Bucky’s breath hitched in his throat, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say. He had missed so much of their lives, but seeing them—seeing his grandchildren—was the reminder he needed that he had something to live for.

With a soft laugh, he reached out, lifting Emma into his arms. “I’d love to, sweetie.”

As the afternoon passed, Bucky played with Ben and Emma, the sound of their giggles filling the house, and the weight of the years seemed to lift just a little. For the first time in so long, he felt at peace. He hadn’t come back to the life he’d lost—but in these little moments, with his children and grandchildren, he had found something that felt almost as important: a new chance.

James watched from the doorway, a small smile on his lips as he saw his father with his children. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion—knowing that, despite everything, Bucky had come home.

“Mom would have loved this,” James murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

Bucky glanced over at his son, the weight of the years and the distance between them settling in. He cleared his throat, trying to push the emotion down. “I know she would have. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for her.”

James walked over, his hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “You don’t need to apologize. You’re here now. That’s what matters.”

And as Bucky watched his grandchildren, his heart filled with a bittersweet joy. He was here, and he would be a part of their lives from this day forward. He would never make the same mistake again.

He had a family now. A family that was waiting for him to be the father and grandfather they needed him to be. And with a full heart, Bucky promised himself he would never let them go.

[helianthus21]

.

[butterflysonnets]

yes i'm rooting for m*leven breakup because byler is neat but mostly? i'm rooting for m*leven breakup for the sake of el and mike.

to me, their romance was always a puppy love born out of a combination of social pressures, naïve curiosity, and a lack of true understanding regarding intimacy and romantic love and what it really is. it was real in that they do truly, deeply care about each other and they are close friends, maybe even shared an attraction, but a maturing romance is so much more than that. they've grown up and out of being boyfriend/girlfriend, and that's okay! i think television/film needs to show more often that most of us don't have definite "soulmates" or first childhood loves that we spend our whole lives with. it doesn't mean these relationships meant nothing and didn't impact us, it just means they've run their course and that something else is in the cards, and this is part of life!

i've always felt el was at her best and most confident self when broken up with mike, discovering who she was and what she liked alongside another girl her age instead of just relying on mike for mentorship on how to live in the real world. she deserves more of an opportunity to find herself, her autonomy, and her independence, and to love who she is, and she's made it clear she's felt insecure in the relationship with mike because she isn't being loved and understood the way she wants, needs, and deserves from someone who is her partner.

also, it's okay if mike doesn't love her in "the way he should". he is not obligated to love her romantically and stay in a relationship with her just because she's a girl, because she "needed someone", or because he cares about her a lot. he shouldn't be pressured into a romance if it's not truly coming from his heart. he deserves freedom to find out and honour who he is, too, instead of just staying in his non-functional first relationship — one he got into as a child, essentially — and defining himself that way because it's what's expected when a boy and a girl are close. he loves her in some way, yes, but it's okay if he doesn't feel comfortable or secure being her boyfriend anymore, for whatever reason that is. he's felt insecure too, and that's valid and it matters.

they are their own people and are steadily growing and changing every day. they need time to figure out who those people are, and it's become clear (at least in my opinion) that those people aren't meant to be a couple at this stage.

they deserve freedom. they deserve to grow up and be authentic to themselves and not feel like they need to lie for the sake of a relationship. they deserve to move on from this version of their relationship that isn't making them happy and rekindle the best part of their bond: their strong, beautiful friendship. they don't have to be a couple if it doesn't make them stronger and better and happier people.

i think it would be healthy and wonderful for a show, especially one consumed frequently by young adults, to show a relationship starting, progressing, and ending on good terms in this way. sometimes things don't work out, and that is okay.

[undead-moth]

I know I've been on about this for a while now and I'm being a hater but you're telling me SydCarmy was "always meant to be platonic" even though there are two seasons of writing making use of tried-and-true explicitly romantic tropes, themes and writing signals, and SydLuca is going to be romantic because...he was nice to her on screen for a few minutes?

I don't even care if people ship SydLuca, or if they just prefer it, but you can't honestly tell me that you believe Carmy was always meant to be a friend but Luca is an obvious love interest.

Just because Syd and Carmy haven't kissed or confessed their love to each other doesn't mean that isn't very obviously the direction this show is going. The Bear has already shown you who is endgame. It has shown you every episode of the show so far.

Honestly I really don't think The Bear fanbase understands this show or cares about these characters or the story being told here, which is unfortunate because this show is shockingly well-written in comparison to most shows right now, and we should be so grateful for it but all we're doing is complaining that the writers led us on by not making a ship canon fast enough. It's just. Sad.

[xbuster]

Oh god, are we really entering the era of anime about fake Vtubers

[odessastone]

on the topic of my "Illari gets recruited by Talon" theory, today I got a kill streak on her and she says "I've done worse, and I'll DO worse."

Doesn't sound like a very heroic thing to say lol

[langfield]

i just want to preface by saying that if i accidentally misconstrue the meaning of your post, it’s because i had to make a couple of logical leaps in the places where you didn’t finish your sentences! i also wanted to point out that the point of this post was never to make ‘blanket assumptions’ about why people don’t like double exposure. at no point was anyone on this post saying that the only issue people had with double exposure is the fact that chloe isn’t in it. rather, people were rightfully pointing out that pricefielders are unfairly emphasizing the importance of chloe’s physical presence in the game. and this is not coming from a place of disliking chloe or wanting her out of the game! the op of this post is a fan of chloe and ships pricefield. actually, pretty much almost everyone on this post likes chloe and does care a lot about pricefield. this post isn’t about double exposure being perfect, nor is it about hating on chloe or pricefield. there’s a big difference between haters making blanket statements about chloe/pricefield fans and people who love this character and ship bringing up genuine problems with the way said character and ship are worshipped in fandom to the detriment of another, aka max. it’s not difficult to find evidence as to why people would believe that many pricefield shippers only care about max insofar as she is with chloe. for example, many people did not care for max in the original game! people hated her for ghosting chloe for all those years, people felt that she had been unfair and cruel to chloe, and they largely found her bland and uninteresting as her own character. there was a lot of max hate in the fandom during the early days! not to mention, when before the storm came out, there was nowhere near the amount of outrage that max was not present in the game as there is about chloe not being in double exposure. and while, yes, bts is a prequel, there is still something to be said about how the characters were treated by fandom. rachel, like max, was constantly measured up with her flaws put at the forefront while people wondered if she was ‘good enough’ for chloe. of course, people want the best for their favourite characters, but rachel and max have always been widely talked about in terms of chloe rather than for the sakes of their own characters. even when amberpricefield was popular, as the ship name suggests, chloe was always depicted as being in the middle of that relationship. people generally didn’t care about max’s and rachel’s relationship outside of the fact that they both love chloe … which completely ignores max’s very real feelings about rachel, and instead sands it all down into ‘chloe gets the girls she wants and she kisses them about it.’ this is valid, of course, but shows an interesting line of thinking.

none of this is particularly new, though. as you’ve mentioned, this brand of pricefield shippers have been around for a whole decade, and unfortunately, their behaviour hasn’t changed much. ever since the first game came out, there has been cry after cry for a ‘life is strange 2’ that would function effectively as a pricefield dating sim. and every time a game comes out that is not about max’s and chloe’s relationship ( which, by the way, these companies are not obligated to create -- they have their own visions for what life is strange games look like, and they are entitled to write the games in the way that they envision ), there has always been a huge amount of backlash from fans who only care for the franchise because of max’s and chloe’s relationship. even the creators of the beloved lis1 have confirmed through tweets that pricefielders have sent harassment to them and others simply because chloe and max were not in lis2 :

not only is this childish, but it’s rather horrifically disrespectful. it is undeniable that pricefield shippers have harassed the writers, actors, and creators of the life is strange games and rejoiced when said people have lost their jobs and have been repeatedly made to feel unsafe and targeted in online spaces ( if you want evidence of this, you can find examples even here on tumblr, with accounts saying the narrative writing team deserved to lose their jobs before christmas ). many of these people are queer, poc, and part of other marginalized and oppressed communities. it is ludicrous to me that pricefield shippers repeatedly prioritize a fictional white sapphic ship over the livelihood, physical safety, and emotional safety of real life marginalized people and then claim that they are doing so in the memory of “one of the most important lgbt gaming couples of all time”. i personally don’t doubt pricefielders’ perceived loyalty to ‘the game’, ‘the franchise’, etc. i doubt their love for the characters within the games and their openness to exploring any part of the franchise that does not concern chloe, or max-and-chloe.

it is true that life is strange 2015 revolves around max’s and chloe’s relationship. it’s true that the game would fall apart if you removed either of those characters from the game. similarly, life is strange 2 is about sean’s and daniel’s relationship, and the game would fall apart if you removed either of those characters. before the storm would fall apart if you removed chloe or rachel. true colours would fall apart if you removed alex or gabe. and double exposure would fall apart if you removed max or safi. ( honestly, i would argue that double exposure would be a stronger game overall if there was more of max’s and safi’s relationship in it! ) the simple fact of the matter is this : double exposure is not the same game as life is strange 2015. again, people understood this about before the storm. before the storm is a game about chloe’s and rachel’s relationship. max is a presence in that game but she is not a character in it. similarly, double exposure is a game not about chloe and max, but about max and safi, and while chloe’s presence is always there in double exposure, she is not a character in that story. sometimes a character needs to be removed so that another character can have new relationships and flourish. like max and chloe say in the first game and farewell, they will always be max and chloe even if chloe dies or if they’re apart from each other. i don’t understand how max having her own game with her own relationships devalues the bond that she and chloe have. max loves chloe, and she always will. this is abundantly clear whether you choose bay or bae. this is abundantly clear even in their so called ‘shitty’ ‘ooc’ break up, with max acknowledging that chloe would still drop everything if max called and that she’s one day going to reunite with chloe when she’s ready. however, max does deserve to grow as a character on her own and to have her own stories independent of chloe, just as chloe has had a story independent of max. a story that was told.

and as for your bullet points about double exposure’s failings :

the cash grab cat dlc and the alderman plotline being completely dropped are actually very common criticisms the game faces, both from haters of double exposure and from the most devoted of fans. it’s two rather glaring errors that are always brought up and i’ve never seen a single person try to defend or excuse those choices. as for max not caring about killing a man, she’s also the same girl who was able to brush off frank bower’s death at eighteen if chloe kills him ( doesn’t even rewind instantly and assures chloe it was self defense before looting his corpse ) and is capable of letting an entire town of people die as well. when max has a goal, she is extremely capable of tuning out everything else to work towards it. i’m not exactly surprised by her reaction nor do i think it’s out of character, but i ( like everyone else ) wish there was more to it than that. double exposure drops the ball on all plot writing in later episodes and everyone agrees on that matter. you’re not contributing anything new here?

safiya explains the ‘power thing’ to us point blank in episode four, actually, and it’s not hard to figure out. her shapeshifting abilities is inherently tied to how lacking she, safiya llewellyn-fayyad, is made out to be by her mother. as a single child of a divorce ( an event that easily causes the kid to feel like the problem ) and as a brown woman in society, there has always been a pressure on safiya to be perfect and unwavering in said perfection. she tells max her powers awakened because, in highschool, she wanted so desperately to be someone who wouldn’t disappoint her mom … and then she stopped being herself entirely. she shows during the krampus roast that she is more comfortable in other people’s skins than her own — absolutely tearing into lucas as vinh but then completely clamming up when it’s just herself up there, confronting him in front of everyone. safi hates herself. safi thinks she isn’t a real person without maya. she thinks that the only way to be free is to be someone who isn’t her mother’s daughter. some of this is implied, but most of this is explicitly explained or stated by safiya herself to max in moments of honest vulnerability or roiling distress. her powers make sense for her character! i’m not trying to be mean when i say this, but i do wonder how much of the game you have played when this is explained to you as plainly as can be in episode four. just like max and alex ( and daniel, though his are more vague and metaphorical ), safi’s powers intensify and soothe her core insecurity and thus creates a deeply personal character problem in equal measure.

safiya isn’t evil, either. what about her is ‘evil’? the game doesn’t vilify her : safiya is always allowed her exit to freedom at the end, with the only choice being if max will wait for her or not, for a multitude of reasons max can give to moses depending on said choice. again, safiya has spent her entire life playing someone else’s game, never being allowed to live her own life or make her own decisions, and being forced to hide her entire true, authentic self because people would be scared of the real her. this is also explained to us in the final scene! yes, safiya’s talk of gods and monsters and being destined for greater things is scary, a tad delusional, but it is all coming from an emotional place. she’s at a point in her life where everyone she’s ever cared for has betrayed her, despite her repeated forgiveness in her mom’s case. but … there’s max. someone who never hurt her and someone who’s like her. safi realises she’s not alone, despite feeling that way for most of her life, and that there is more out there. so she shuns the normal and embraces the powerful and flees. to view safi as evil is a rather simple perspective on the matter … but this doesn’t surprise me because people think that safi finding people whom she can connect with is somehow her forming the avengers? and … taking over the world? it has always been clear to me that safi merely wants to understand herself and that, to do so, she must find people like max : who have been there, done that, and came out better or worse for it. at best, she’s looking for a community. at worst, she’s maybe forming a cult. perhaps if people tried analyzing these characters instead of dismissing them or barely paying attention to them when on screen, these assumptions wouldn’t be made and things that are rather obvious would actually be seen. but most fans haven’t bothered playing double exposure themselves or, if they had, went into the game expecting to hate it. believe it or not, this does affect immersion and how you will view things.

caledon is a campus in the town of lakeport, vermont. there is not a lot of wiggle room one can do with a small, college setting. if you compare double exposure’s primary location to the other games ( arcadia bay for lis:1, lis:2 has no set setting whatsoever because it’s a travel game, and lis:tc is exclusively about haven springs ) there’s a noticable size difference in our caledon setting versus actual small towns or entire states. i do think there could’ve been more variety for sure, like seeing abraxas house or more of the school itself, but seeing a bunch of teacher offices and living spaces would also get repetitive. i’d say that max should’ve left campus more, but the plot calls for her to say exclusively on campus due to the safi importance, so … not much they could’ve done there. they wrote themselves into a corner, which is entirely fine to criticize! but i also think the smaller setting makes sense and wasn’t something they just did due to laziness, or something.

every lis game has powers. and it wasn’t the main driving force of the game anymore than it was in lis:1. yes, double exposure is impossible to tell without max’s or safi’s powers, but lis:1 wouldn’t be a game period if max couldn’t rewind to begin with. could max’s time hopping ability be more connected to the themes? naturally. that i can agree with and have no complaints.

your opinions are subjective about the characters and max herself, so i don’t have much to say there. you are entitled to think so! and it’s a very valid critique if that’s a problem you had with the game. however, i and many others found max caulfield perfectly characterized in this piece of media and found double exposure’s cast to be one of the better parts of the game. hannah telle also loves max dearly and wouldn’t return to a title that would write her in a way hannah herself couldn’t see. she’s been nothing but happy about max’s return and i love double exposure for handling max in a realistic way : all the ugly bits, all the progress regression due to triggering trauma, and all the loveable cringe parts. she isn’t max from lis:1 because she developed in many ways and was stunted in many others. i could explain your points about her immaturity, regression, and selfishness away but it wouldn’t change anything. you have your opinion, and others have theirs.

the rest of this, i won’t bother with commenting on. the points you make seem to circle back to the things i already addressed in this post, somewhat, so i’ll let this lie. to reiterate my earlier statement : nobody in the original post was claiming that double exposure was perfect, nor were they anti-chloe or anti-pricefield people like you claim. they are more than right to call out things as they see them, and these comments don’t at all mean that they either a.) didn’t understand life is strange 2015, and / or b.) think that double exposure’s only point of criticism is chloe price and pricefield. i’d suggest maybe reading the post thoroughly as well as assessing your audience so you don’t make such bold and rather unfair blanket statements yourself. thank you!

I like shipping, pricefield is fine and all, but I feel like it’s pretty strange that so often Max isn’t appreciated individually as a character outside her relationships with other characters especially Chloe! The thing is DE is kinda of a cash grab because Deck Nine is in financial trouble I think, but it got people talking about Max again and people were saying they were excited to play the game. And then the actual game came out and when people found out Chloe wasn’t in it, they were no longer interested in it and people were saying the game disrespects Chloe  and pricefield and stuff….blablabla. And that part is a little strange, because I had the impression people liked Max, but like the people forgot Max exists as a character outside of Chloe. Like hello…this is Max Caulfield we’re talking about here, she’s the main character here! she’s her own person with her own thoughts and stuff. But it feels like  at this point that a chunk of the fandom views Max as an accessory to Chloe and as a part of pricefield which is kinda sad. There were people literally saying Max cannot work on her own as a character without Chloe….which is a choice to make. Idk sorry for this essay, I didn't know where I was going in it, but the discourse is clearly making people feel weird in some ways….and you’re not wrong in your assessment of Max and DE.

NO BECAUSE I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.. i love shipping tbh like its just silly whimsical and fun but some people (like pricefielders..) only enjoy that aspect of the media and thats SO UPSETTING.. because you dont even like it you just like the ability to ship characters. and it sucks that people only view max as an accessory or that she's not interesting w/o chloe because she is her OWN PERSON. and i dont get how people dont see that and see her as a part of pricefield (as you said) rather than her OWN PERSON. she doesn't NEED to be in a relationship with chloe to be "interesting" considering the girl went through unimaginable trauma and still struggles with that pain in DE (ptsd perchance?). i dont get how people cannot look deeper into her character rather than just seeing her as an accessory to chloe. people act like chloe is max's lifeline and shes NOT.. she can function (semi) normally in society with or without chloe. i truly dont believe these self proclaimed pricefield fans actually like max, they just like chloe.

[forcedhesitation]

why should it just be steve who has all the torturous purgatory realm fun?

[steeltwigz]

Saw a post abt the Sonic movies that was like "plz filter negativity posts better" which is GOOD AND TRUE you should be doing that. Ok. But then they kept going to imply that the criticisms of the Sonic movies are all entirely Personal and Ignorable and not like. Usually abt the horrific copaganda, misogynistic writing, and Paramount's disgusting zionism.... Guys a lot of ppls problem w the Knuckles show wasn't JUST a bastardization of Knuckles' character or thinking Wade was annoying or whatever, but like was focused on the grotesque Zionist message from that one episode 😭😭😭 you can enjoy something and still recognize that it has intrinsic and huge glaring flaws and talk abt them. I think actually you Should be speaking up abt the misogyny, zionism and propaganda the SCU supports and discusses, ESPECIALLY if you like the movies! Its important to be able to recognize these things in media and admit that even media you personally enjoy can be deeply problematic, instead of hiding it away and pretending those HUGE FLAWS aren't issues actually....

[pianapplez]

Hello there 👋👀,

So I just found your blog and had a lot of fun scrolling through all the pjo show crit😂 I couldn't help but notice that one tag you left on a post where you said you had some beef with Annabeth's portrayal in the books 👀 Would you mind elaborating on that if you're comfortable with it🙈? Because I absolutely share that sentiment, but it's sooo veeeery rare that I see other people express anything like it... I've found that trying to be a part of the fandom can be pretty alienating most of the time, if you're not exactly the biggest most devoted Percabeth shipper...😅 And often any criticism leveled at Annabeth just gets you a smack with the "internalized-misogyny" hammer... it's even worse in the tv show now due to... obvious reasons...

Again just if you're comfortable with answering of course🙈 There is a reason I stayed on anon after all...😅😂

Really glad you asked because i finally get to ramble about this heheheh (going forward, know that i skimmed over The Last Olympian to have a clearer sense of what I meant because that's the book where Rick fumbles her character more than the others)

i'm gonna try to make as much sense as possible but short answer would be, she's underdeveloped. Long answer:

She really got on my nerves in the last two books, with the whole Rachel debacle and then the Battle of New York. I can't really remember a single moment in those books where she and Percy aren't bickering or having heated discussions, which really made me question their friendship status. Of course, it's not like friends can't fight and it obviously builds up the (romantic) tension between them, but it got unbearable at one point.

I understand she's a teenager in an incredibly stressful situation that didn't even get to have a normal upbringing- she grew up way too fast (run away at 7, head counselor at 12) while also not really maturing, which is not a problem for a character, if it is handled properly. Given the fact that I am writing this, Riordan did not.

On the surface, my biggest beef is that Annabeth is not exactly held accountable for her actions (ie. treating Rachel a bit like shit and going off on Percy for a bunch of stuff.) I know Percy is to blame a bit here: as far as we know, in TLO he basically cuts the greek world out of his life as much as he can as a coping mechanism. And while yes, he never apologizes either, he doesn't give her nearly half the hard time she gives him: always either giving him the cold shoulder (there must be at least one example of this in the entire series but i cant be bothered to look it up sorry) or starting an argument only to then storm off (see the "you're a coward, Percy Jackson!" scene, which is not the fairest example since she was confronting Percy about ignoring camp but also was a bit too harsh about it) (especially after finally reading the prophecy and being under the impression that he was absolutely going to die when he turned 16 lmao) or just straight up storming off (see, Annabeth reacting when Rachel shows up for the first time during the battle of new york). While most of these feel, at least to some degree, fairly justified given how the entire situation does an absolute number on her emotions, she comes off a bit brattish and like she's trying to rile Percy up, especially when it comes to Rachel, which in the context of a battle that could mean the destruction of the world.... Well, it reads as a bit childish to me, and i wouldn't exactly have that much of a problem with it if it was dealt with in some way (a two-way apology would be nice).

After that first impression, i realized that Annabeth is barely ever anything else other than a plot device (when relating to Luke) or a love interest (when relating to Percy). This might be because the books are on Percy's POV. Hell, on the third book he's even conflicted when Annabeth is considering joining the Hunters of Artemis, aka, when making a choice for herself would mean he loses her (which is fine and dandy but it feels like Percy is more upset about her choosing her own path rather than being sad about not seeing her as often); we really only get a few glimpses of her, as in, actually her when she's on her own.

Obviously it's impossible to talk about Annabeth without touching on percabeth, which also is, in my opinion, what hinders Annabeth's character the most. On paper they sound great. The guy whose fatal flaw is loyalty falls in love with a girl whose been let down by people over and over, and she decides to never give up on the boy whose always had people give up on him (can't find one of the million posts that talks about this right now but it always goes something like that) And yeah, the bickering is really well written! But that's literally as far as it ever goes: they don't ever seem to have fun together, because 8 times out of 10 the bickering ends up being passive aggressive, and mostly done by Annabeth. My biggest gripe about percabeth is that their friendship seems to be based off... shared trauma. Literally. Other than going on quests together we are given no examples of them hanging out, nor a reason why they would want to spend time together in the first place, not even a shared hobby. Yes, in the fourth book they had a movie "date" planned but of course they didn't even get to it, and surprise surprise, they had a minor discussion, and surprise surprise, Annabeth was passive aggressive again. It's hard to picture them having fun together when even the author doesn't write in any scenes in which they get along smoothly (and before you say anything, a scene in which they get along where neither of them is about to die, and they're not talking about previous adventures. Gets a bit hard then, doesn't it?) It's even harder to picture them as a couple when the moment she gets upset about something, she starts coming off as emotionally manipulative (see, again, literally any conversation with Rachel or about Rachel)

To be fair, the books are relatively short and don't allow many "filler" chapters, if you will; there's always something happening to keep the main plot or a minor plot point moving forward, but it's not like there is no room to develop the characters' relationships, especially when we're talking about the main char and what is essentially his endgame. As an example we have Percy and Clarisse, or Percy and Beckendorf. Their interactions are brief but still hold so much weight.

Worst of all, Annabeth could be one hell of a character; what's most interesting of all is how being a daughter of Athena she is still incredibly emotionally driven, which is displayed very clearly with her fatal flaw being pride: her telling the Sphynx that her questions were too easy was not smart nor strategic: it was completely impulsive. I seriously think she wasn't far from being the best character in the series had she been given more time.

I guess i have as much beef with Annabeth as i have with Rick for doing her dirty. I really could sum this up with: while her emotions are justified, she acts upon them quite poorly. And this is what i mean when i say she's underdeveloped, because it would've been nice to see her come to her senses a bit.

Would love to read anyone's opinions on her character though, feel free to comment, even (or especially) if you don't agree with me!

[texeoghea]

kamen rider really is a series about women. with obstacles. to me