#making sure he doesnt lose someone else important to him

[brucewaynehater101]

Ok so ive had this idea stuck in my head for WEEKS at this point and i need to tell someone about it so im invading your asks

(ages for this au, id imagine Damians around like- 12 or 13 and Tim/JJ's like- 17)

What if a version of Damian (like from ine of the good happy batfam universes) was sent to to a universe with Joker Junior where the rest of the bats were killed by the Joker and JJ was never reacued and brought back to being Tim?

And Damian is like- terrified because he doesnt know where he is or how to get back home and then hes found by JJ.

And like- at first JJ would probably try to leave Damian but once he gets a good look at this kid baby brother, thats his baby brother- he would realize that he recognizes this kid. So he keeps him!

The only problem with that is the Joker. Now the bats are all dead (or theres circumstances preventing them from doing anything) in this universe so theres nobody around to stop the Jokers shit. And we all know that the Joker isnt above murdering or tourturing kids. (Id imagine the JJ of this universe has done stuff like that once or twice, but he doesnt like to. He's a smaller equally manical yet WAY less bloodthirsty version of the joker)

So JJ keeps Damian hidden from his "Papa" until the bats of Damians universe are able to find a way to bring him back home. In the meantime tho, Damians under JJ's care, and its terrifying, but at least he tries!

Now in my mind Joker Jr. is kinda like Jinx from Arcane with mood swings, visual and audio halucinations, so so smart but so so crazy and confused and SCARED and oh so close to finally snapping until he actually does.

And this boy that he kiddnaped rescued confuses the fuck out of him. Because Junior recognizes him from somewhere and he doesnt know why.

(I hope this all makes sense its kinda just like a word vomit lmao my lizard brain just want crazy older brother Joker Jr. [Also there isnt enough JJ content out there and that is a crime])

(Older brother JJ content??? Fuck yeah)

TW: JJ, torture, child abuse

JJ... Recognizes those glaring emerald eyes and scowling face. He doesn't know why, but it causes reality around him to pulse with uncertainty as it teters between JJ's world and someone else's. Someone Papa doesn't like.

JJ won't talk to them. He knows he's not supposed to. Papa will become angry. So Junior tears his eyes from the bird kid baby bat and turns to leave. A tsk stops him.

Another wave of familiarity crashes over JJ, but he doesn't know that child. He doesn't. He really really doesn't know him.

So, Junior should move. Papa won't he happy if JJ can't move.

Well, unless Papa is teaching JJ a lesson.

His nerves light up at the memory of cold metal tables, electric probes, and buzzing.

JJ needs to go, but that kid. He can't leave him. He also can't take him with either. He knows what happens to the kids Joker meets.

Junior would never disobey his papa, but the ever-present buzzing noise isn't a deterrent for bad behavior. With how often he's punished, it hardly matters whether JJ is being a good child or not. He's always in trouble. Instead, that buzz is a reminder that he can't be caught.

JJ is smart. He's clever and sneaky. He's also great at lying, even to bats. While he may not know why lying to the nocturnal creatures is important, he knows it's an accomplishment he's proud of.

He can hide the child from Papa! It'll be a fun game! Junior's little surprise.

Junior isn't sure what he's winning, but he knows what will happen when he loses.

Death to the bird and punishment to JJ! A great joke!

Though Junior doesn't know why the kid is a bird.

Oh well! JJ will take great care of the little bird. All he has to do is feed him and keep him hidden! It will be like all the other things JJ hides from Papa. He'll never admit it, but Junior thinks Papa is a little dumb. As long as JJ plays pretend with the older man, he'll remain unsupervised.

Anyways, JJ has more of a demented, childish voice while Tim is more analytical and serious.

Damian, to start with, doesn't recognize Tim. JJ has green hair, bleached skin, cut cheeks, and way less muscle mass. The behavior is drastically different as well (also, we're not gonna speculate any specific mental disorders for these AUs. JJ and Tim are considered different due to their characterizstions, but I don't want to put harmful connotations out there [especially since I don't have any relevant conditions to insert accurate and mindful interpretations]).

In this AU, the Bats are all dead. JJ did kill some of them, which drastically reduced his ability to recover and remember that he's Tim.

He didn't kill Damian, though. Tim also feels extremely protective of his younger siblings (Duke included). Unfortunately, they're dead in this AU :/

JJ oscillates between being terrified, peppy, silent, crying, and content at rapid rates. It takes several days for Damian to feel out some of the triggers.

The Bats from Damian's universe are trying their damned best to get there as soon as possible. Sadly, Joker finds out about Damian before then.

JJ, by this point, has bonded with the kid. That kid is HIS. He may have some slightly fucked up notions on how to show care, but he will not let anyone harm the bird (not even Papa).

So, JJ does his best joke yet. He kills Joker.

Only after killing the Joker do the other Bats show up. They offer to take JJ with them (particularly because that's Tim!!!), but he refuses. He doesn't want to go with his family. He doesn't remember them and he killed some of them.

He can't stay with them.

[aryesdanger24]

I will say it since no one else will, anyone notice how Millie hands Blitzo his skull fastener back to him after her recollection of their backstop and his eyes get big and wet like he wants to cry again....

The shape of it....reminds me of his mom's skull from the episode and it's shaped like the eyes....

Me after rewatching just how crisp the disintegration of his mother was.... do you think Blitzo watched it happen or do you think his mind supplied it all from what he saw in the tent.

Subconsciously, we can tell Blitzo doesnt believe he deserves connections (which is why he both values them more and is fearful of them) Because of this, it is clear that he perhaps has added to the story in his mind to make himself a bigger villain, to give him someone to blame for the pain of losing her.

It's easier to hurt ourselves, especially when hurting others doesn't come naturally, because we know just how inadequate we are on a first hand level.

Comparison might be the thief of joy, but self loathing is the bread and butter that nourishes the thief.

Lots of testimony has led many to believe that those who witness traumatic events often dont recount them accurately and either embellish or block importabt parts seen.

I just wonder a few things like, Was she already dead when he went in? In the flashback movie thing I saw how the eye wasn't perfectly like It was in the nightmare hallucination. I am going back to watch it again because I am pretty sure that I saw his dad blocking him from a hospital room and I want to see what else is hiding in those scenes.....still though.

I wonder if his skull fastner is related to that moment in time. It seems important and frankly it might be related to someone else but it looks a lot like his mom's skull and I can't get it out of my mind man....

[cosmic-d1ce]

Do you have any swap fml ideas or hcs at the moment? I really like this swap of the au

I have many

Phil's love/obsession is more pure loneliness than anything else, Missa has been gone for so long he needs someone to be with him. He chooses the most willing candidate.

Unlike FML Phil, Forever doesn't really have a chance to get out. In FML there is an event that reveals everything, reverse Phil would never make that mistake. That's okay though, Forever doesn't mind.

Phil actually leans into the Brunim thing sometimes and as a punishment he can destroy the illusion. It fucks with Forever's head more than you can imagine.

Alternatively, he leans into it and uses it as punishment. He is Forever's ex. For a reason. If Forever doesn't want to lose him again he better start behaving.

Richas and Fit know everything but neither of them do anything to stop it.

Richas because he doesn't know how to & he doesnt want to take his dad away from someone that makes him so happy.

Fit because he has seen worse and has more important things to deal with. He thinks the Brazilians will help him out but he isn't sure. He also kind of takes Q's place in FML.

Pac & Mike have their suspicions but they're never able to confirm.

Baghera tries to help Forever but she doesn't really know what's happened or how to stop it. She can tell Forever is hurting but she can never find out of place injuries and Forever won't admit to anything.

Obviously Chayanne and Tallulah know, but Chayanne is very on board with it and Tallulah doesn't see any of the bad bits so she thinks its sweet.

Phil feels bad about lying to Tallulah but the idea of her thinking badly of him makes him want to cry.

Forever never stops adoring Phil. No matter how bad it gets. It's partially because of Brunim but also because he genuinely likes Phil.

Most of Phil's manipulation is guilt tripping. Forever can't resist it, he's a weak, emotional mess.

Phil doesn't try to hide Forever but he does have the kids supervise him. It's easy to just say he's taking care of them.

Missa would have fallen victim to this but he left.

[dxtrsbrainrot]

Wayfinders in the dark

aqua , terra and ven wandering through the Darkness

ven was lost

he couldnt remember where he was , barely remembered who he was , he knew he was looking for people but he didnt know who . or why . surely if these people were so important theyd be looking for him too ?? then why was he still lost

he could feel eyes following him , not the right eyes , hes not sure how he knew but these were the eyes of things watching for mistakes , watching for a chance to strike him down . surely his armour will keep him safe ?? why is he wearing armour ?? is he a soldier ?? how will he fight when he cant even remember his family ??

his family ?? that cant be right , he doesnt have one , ven is barely a person , he cant have a family , shadows dont have bonds so neither does he

he can hear yelling and it sounds worried and frantic , two voices , both panicked but theyre far away and he doesnt know them so he continues the way he was going 

he feels like he should be going toward the voices but his instincts have never been all that good and he chooses to ignore them

aqua cant breathe

thats not entirely correct , she can breathe and terra is trying to help her do so but she shouldnt be able to , shes lost ven and terra has been looking more and more drained . she told riku they could handle this but she can feel that itch going in the back of her mind , waiting for her to open her heart to the darkness once more

she feels exposed , like her armour wont help protect her , wont stand a chance against whats coming for her . after all , how can armour that shes wearing protect her from herself 

she can feel terras hands on her arms , hes desperate for her respond , they were calling for ven a few moments ago when she suddenly stopped , you cant yell when you cant breathe , it all makes sense terra why wont you understand ??

hes scared , she can tell , she knows him better than she knows herself , even after all these years , the way his eyes are so wide , his breath short , his hands tightly holding her , he doesnt know how to help , she doesnt know if he can

her arms are burning through her armour , is that terra ??

this is all terras fault

he thought he was stronger this time , thought he had the darkness held back enough , thought he could protect them 

he cant remember how it happened , his head aches so bad and he cant help but feel even more useless , he finally gets his body back and it starts playing up like this

they were trying to find sora , get him back from the darkness as he saved them , terra doesnt even know if soras here . he hopes hes not

xehanort is gone now , terra has his body back and yet , he feels so useless , like hes watching someone else try and comfort aqua , shed gone quiet a few minutes ago and he still hasnt been able to get even an acknowledgement in her eyes , he doesnt know what to do but hes begging himself to think of something soon , ven needs him , ven needs them both

hes crying , he doesnt know when he started but he doubts hell stop soon , he knows he needs to focus , carry aqua if she cant move herself but everything is so dark , exactly like being locked in a being of pure darkness , maybe hes back , maybe he never got out

he can feel himself losing control of the magic bursting under his skin , he can hear someone behind him getting closer 

he doesnt know which he fears more

[the-s1lly-corner]

Can I get E, F, I, and W for the slenderman fluff alphabet, please? Your take on my favorite pasta cryptid of all time is so nice and interesting. Adds a certain depth I don't typically see.

Fluff Alphabet w/ Slenderman but it's these letters!

side thing but guys go listen to redoin by jerryterry its so fucking good im listening to it on loop while im writing this and its making my vibrate

E (EMOTION)-

stone cold exterior, warm squishy interior. still hung up on the "slenderman longs for companionship just like everyone else but rarely gets that need met due to his nature and way of existence"

in other words he can be a passionate sap in regards to you, behind closed doors. he can wrapped up easily in things, so sometimes his passion can be mischaracterized as rage or annoyance but rest assured he's not angry with your existence

right in the middle of the "heart on the sleeve" and "cold and distant" thing, he feels he needs to keep up his image of powerful monster but he doesn't let you think at any moment that you're not important to him

F (FAMILY)-

i don't think he would want kids, and thats assuming he even can. in my au he was created by zalgo with the sole purpose to cause problems for people, i dont think zalgo was thinking about whether or not slenderman can reproduce when he making him

of course adoption is always an option, and who knows, maybe if you guys find some stray kid in the woods he might just take them in

this is where my take on slenderman strays a lot from the original since i personally think slenderman just. kicks kids out of the woods (which leads to them talking about him, which leads to slenderman being a known cryptid in universe) but thats mostly just me not wanting to dwell on child death + giving the dude some level of morals that at least somewhat align with the self loathing that comes with his "i dont want to eat people but i have to in order to survive" thing

but hey i think thats because i love those comics where people draw predator and prey animals where both sides are sympathetic

love shit like that

slenderman is only one part of this huge web that we call nature, simply existing because that's just how things are

whips and nae naes

I (INJURY)-

rest assured that he will tear the world apart should someone or something ever send harm your way. god forbid you are mortally wounded or even killed

he knows some basic first aid stuff thanks to watching people for so so so long, but he's a kriller not a healer, he doesnt know what to do if youre losing a bunch of that red liquid that fuels your insides

oddly calm about it, though, though with the way he holds you you can feel his rage seething under his skin

he himself /can/ get injured but its rarely something to fret about unless its like, from some real powerful person or some human who knows how to take down a specific man eating forest demon; i've actually never really thought about what conditions would need to be met to outright krill slenderman but

yeah

when he's the one hurt he insists you not to worry, it's going to take a LOT to keep him down

if you're injured and its something he can treat he will make sure you take it easy but hes not going to baby you about it

W (WARRIOR)-

okay so im writing this segment first because i can write a whole essay and really i dont know if theres going to be anything stopping me from doing just that. curse you jerryterry, the bops are so good. anyways onto the topic; a lot of my interpretation of slenderman is admittedly based around the early fandom characterization of him + a very specific fic that will remain nameless (though im more than happy to spill the link in dms, said fic also has some influence over my entire au/hc thing but thats not todays topic)

despite what many may think, i feel like, at least with my hyper specific take on slenderman, i feel like he wouldnt want you to fight along side him or be a proxy. only time i can see him date a proxy or fellow kriller is if you were already one prior to the relationship. in my au, slenderman resents his own existence for being what he is, and if he could he WOULD choose to be something else; however he cant rewrite the laws of this universe or fight against his biological functions

like i can go on an entire tangent, but my au is still so scrambled around that im not entirely sure where to start or how im going to make it make sense, but i feel like he would much rather keep you by him and safe (and even then i feel like thats pushing it, sure hes more than capable of protecting you but what if something stronger than him comes and fucks shit up? not all the creepypasta characters are buddy buddy)

but perhaps i will write a collection of loosely connected one shots one day detailing the world building and dynamics

i make no promises

[ill-say-this-fast]

hey! since the poll ended a while ago, i would like to give my two cents in-

If the general public or the twin's social circle found out about their relationship, how badly would everyone react? Would it be like a pre-HOM situation where everyone is tryna persecute the maximoffs? how would the kids (Billy, Tommy, & Luna) play a role in all this? (and yes, let us all finally acknowledge that these three kids are (long-lost) siblings) #sc*arletv*s*on fans feel free to rage hehehe

Thanks for the ask :) theres a lot to say

In their close social circle I dont know how many people are actually shocked. But suspecting something youd never say outloud and being publically told it are different. It would be a negative reaction generally. I feel like superheros have got better things to do than actually attack them for it, exclude, sure, make nasty comments about, some people probably, but no ones gonna try and arrest them I dont think (definitely not pre-HOM 'maybe we should kill them' ideas). As Toby's said, Wanda's friends might be worried about her, especially those of them that dont like Pietro. But none of them are likely to accept it comfortably if she tells them she's happy. She might get quietly pushed out.

Now its different if the general public find out (who have less reason to already think it). That'll cause a lot of outrage, and the angry crowd will always be louder than the crowd that don't care. That demands a PR response and some of the other heroes would be obliged to either publicly denounce them, argue that its fine and there should be no legal consequences (unlikely), or argue that the evidence is fake.

Frankly Wanda and Pietro should probably be arguing that the evidence is fake. I imagine Wanda would just pretend nothings happened and try and go about her life. A lot of her social circle who were already doing the same about their suspicions might continue to. I can see a lot of the avengers doing that, especially if she's still working with them cuz she's a big asset as well as a friend. But the xmen and that lot, the periphery social circle, who like her less, are much more likely to take the opportunity to attack her.

Pietro doesnt have a lot of friends to lose. Or a lot of good public rep. I do think he'd tailor his general response to fit with Wanda's even if he wanted to tell everyone to go fuck themselves. I see Wanda wanting to keep out of the spotlight (this isnt a wrong of hers to earnestly take accountability for and make right, it's one of the most important things to her heart that people want to insult), and Pietro taking the spotlight for them if she thinks either of them should make a public statement. He'd get in a lot of scuffles about it, especially if people are saying unkind or crude things about Wanda to him to goad him about it. Magneto is more likely to be his problem, either gonna deny it or blame pietro but almost certainly deny especially publicly. Maybe hed try and set Wanda up with other people he approves of more like in ultimates lol.

Wanda wouldnt want to stop doing her helping people job even if the people were horrible. I cant see her running off with Pietro to live away from any hate really, even if he might prefer that. She'd rather negotiate (or magically influence) her way out of a prison sentence if anyone actually managed to bring a legal case against her and keep working even if that means alone now. Maybe move her official domicile to new jersey or rhode island or wherever cuz it wouldnt be a legal crime there even if everyone still hated it. She'd be sadder and lonelier but people leave her that way a lot and she keeps going.

The only thing that might get her really set against other people is if they start bullying her kids. They still have the shield of being magically created even though everyone's gonna be theorising they're Pietro's. (I can see Vision taking the opportunity to blame her and the kids being someone elses for their marriage problems which would add fuel to the fire.)

Billy would hold onto the magically created thing both as a public defence and internally cuz he would not want to think of himself as an incest baby, he might step away from Wanda for a bit to collect himself but he does idolise her. It would be good for him to get over that idolising and appreciate her more as a real person with human flaws and struggles and not his favourite celebrity, and maybe this situation would be a way for that to happen. Or maybe he'd get over the incest first and things would stay the same. Or maybe he'd so not get over it that he starts to feel negatively about her instead. I don't like that but it's possible for him. Especially if he's recieving negative attention, he doesnt handle that well, but also he's a baby god how many people want to test him.

Tommy would definitely fight people bad mouthing him mom in public. He's not worried about protecting his own reputation, he doesnt have a particularly good one and he sets himself against other people easily so what they think is worthless to him. I don't see him being bothered about Wanda and Pietro's relationship. Its more likely to drive him closer to his mom (and dad) because he's setting himself against the people who are against them. People giving him a hard time is nothing new, and he's gonna give worse back because he's vengeful like that, and he can blow things up. (Tbh I'd like Billy and Tommy to argue about it, that would be fun.)

Luna would be far less affected because she isnt their kid, just Pietro's. And she's more than used to people saying bad things about her dad. In-marriage doesn't seem to be taboo for Inhumans so thats not gonna bother her. Maybe the other kids at her school try and bully her about it, but she's more than capable of spilling all their secrets which might keep them in line, and as I said, it's not about her like it is her half-brothers. At the least though, it's another nail in the coffin for Pietro not getting custody if he tries to again.

[sara-likes-things]

The first time Steve saw Billy Hargrove he thought he looked like an asshole, the first time he got to interact with him he found he was right. Then after starcourt everything changed.

The things is, Billy Hargrove is the type of asshole Steve hates, the loud cocky kind, almost a mixure of king Steve and Tommy worst traits but in a better looking package.

Steve disliked lots of things about Billy but the most annoying one was that just because Hargrove is from California he gets to walk like he is the best thing to ever happen to Hawkins, and sure, Steve is confident too, his confidence comes from growing up wealthy, there's a certain pride only rich people have and Steve has no lack of it, his parents might not always be there for him but they taught him that he deserves good things above anyone else.

And sure that might have led to king Steve and he was an asshole too but the difference is Steve will never lose this confidence because no matter how popular or not he still is or how many times he gets beat up Steve is going to walk like he is the coolest guy ever, he has killed aliens for gods sake, of course he is cool. The only thing that sometimes makes him waver is that Steve doesn't understand as quickly as others (they all are nerds on his defence so sue him for not getting it as fast as them) but Steve knows he is charming enough to make people ignore that. And if his parents and their rich friends have teach him something is that charm goes farther than smarts, you only need to be charming enough to get to the top and then hire smart people to work for you.

But Steve is not an asshole anymore, he grow up. Finding about alien dogs from other other worlds does that to you.

So he is not surprised that Billy changed too.

Yeah, Steve hated the way Billy acted till he gets to really see who Billy becomes after the whole starcourt fiasco.

(Maybe he was always like that, Steve isnt sure).

What Steve is sure about is that Billy confidence is more of a bravado, sure he's loud and cocky because Billy knows he is hot and that his good looks help him to be popular but Billy also knows that he has to mask his personality to make the good looks really work, and none of this really matter when the most important person on his life makes him feel so small, like he is a nuisance at best (Steve hates Neil Hargrove but thats another thing).

Steve can notice how Hargrove gets tired of pretending everything is okay and gets lost on his head when he think no ones paying attention, all that loudness dissapearing behind sad glassy eyes.

Steve can see how Billy gets self-concious when people notice his scars, as if people noticing them erases his good looks and with that all his worth(Steve thinks they only make him look cooler, like an actual action movie star but in real life).

Billy after starcourt is quiet.

So when Billy sometimes acts the way old Billy acted Steve doesnt hate it anymore, he craves it, almost as if behind that survivor guilt there's a will to live and not just to perish.

A will to bring the old Billy back.

Because Steve knows about being cocky and acting like you're above the rest but he also knows about survival, and after learning about the real Billy how can he hate someone for trying to live.

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for making work more fun (OC)

I (Enby) work with this other guy (really old lol M) to monitor this THIRD guy (i don't know how old these guys are I never asked, M) and to put it simply me and my coworker kinda boss him around. telling him what to do. yknow. me and my coworker take turns monitoring him, sometimes interchangeably, but for the most part he's the one in charge and i get to sit back and do nothing. which i wouldnt usually mind if the way we monitor this guy wasn't so boring. My coworker says we can't mention each other whenever we monitor the other guy, because it'll "ruin the narrative" or whatever something stupid and nerdy like that. generally just really boring and dumb to be honest. i don't even know why i work here but i can't remember what anything else even is, so i just stick to what i know, which is to just work. none of us are getting out of here so im just trying to make the most of it. i do that by adding a few things here and there, change a bit of the scenery up to just make things more fun for the guy we monitor. i mean if hes having fun then surely we'll have fun too right? at least i am. i add stuff like, yknow, a mini golf course..this- fake police interrogation, just for shits and giggles. apparently my coworker doesnt really like how im adding things, mentioning him, changing things im not "supposed" to change and "stick to the script". To HELL with your DAMN script already, I'M actually making things more FUN. And yknow what?? if I could maybe I'd make my OWN thing, but no, I can't, "we have to stick to the story!" well whats even the POINT of a story if its not fun?? Do you think walking around aimlessly with just- some GUY bossing you around is FUN?? No! No it's not, I'd imagine!! I'm actually doing work YOU don't seem to appreciate ENOUGH. AND FRANKLY I DO A LOT OF THINGS FOR YOU, AND A LITTLE RESPECT WOULD ACTUALLY MEAN SOMETHING TO ME. YOU CALL ME RIGHT AS IM IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING MY THING, YELLING AT ME THAT I "DID EVERYTHING WRONG AGAIN! GO BACK!" AND THEN I LOSE TRACK OF WHERE HE EVEN IS. BECAUSE OF YOU. I MESSED THINGS UP MORE. AND YOU STILL BLAME ME. YOU ALWAYS, ALWAYS BLAME ME. WHENEVER YOU'RE NOT IGNORING ME OR TELLING ME OFF FOR CHANGING THINGS OR MESSING THINGS UP I AM THE ONE WHOS BLAMED. CAN'T YOU SEE THE THING WE'RE MISSING IS THE FUN PART?? YOU WANT HIM TO BE HAPPY. YOU YOURSELF WANT TO BE HAPPY. BUT YOU CANT EVEN FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF HOW TO MAKE SOMEONE HAPPY IN JUST A FEW SIMPLE WAYS DESPITE THE COUNTLESS TIMES I'VE SHOWN YOU I COULD. I SHOWED YOU WHAT WE CAN DO INSTEAD OF THIS. IS IT BECAUSE IM JUST..SOME STAND IN TO YOU?? DO YOU NOT THINK THE PROGRESS AND EFFORT IVE PUT IN HAS NO MERIT WHATSOEVER?? AND YOU STILL FAIL TO SEE HOW IMPORTANT SOME ACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT COULD BE?? HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN ALREADY?? HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO KEEP DOING THIS??

..Sorry. i got a bit mad.

i don't think i'd actually be able to tell him all that. at least i get to let my feelings out here now. its a bit more relieving. he thinks im the asshole here, but i think im justified. im making progress. im making things better. he just cant see it and ignores all of it.

AITA?

[fenikorg-talks]

jujutsu kaisen chs 235,236 spoliers!

no but like i truly believe he actually forgot a chapter

you cant tell me otherwise why the heck in chapter 235 gojo was winning and then in ch 236 out of NOWHERE he's in heaven. it doesn't make any fucking sense

this is how 235 ends:

gojo just released purple on sukuna destroying everything in its path, including himself, he healing slowly but steady, and sukuna on the verge of death, without a single hope of winning. everyone else is so sure that gojo won that they arent doubting the fight, they have 100% trust that gojo already won, without any but's or if's.

and THEN 236 starts like this:

at first i thought it was a memory, but then gojo brings up the comment that dying was something to do alone, and I thought it was an hallucination or something like that, but then EVERY SINGLE DEAD PERSON THAT WAS CLOSE TO GOJO started to appear telling him that it was just damn time for him to finally die. Then gojo brings up the bullshit that he didn't do anything to protect the others, that he only did it for fun, to not be bored anymore, to finally fight with an opponent without holding back because he was the strongest and blah blah blah and I was certain it was bullshit. that man right there wasn't gojo it was someone else and gege was trying to get us off balance, something like a distorted reality or mixed thoughts that arent quite true and all that, but then they throw me this on the face:

and we dont fucking know what shit happened. think about it: gojo's winning, sukuna almost dies, there's a very suspicious scene on the airport with teen gojo and everyone who he cared in his teenage years, and now he's dead, half body lying on the ground with a smirking sukuna declaring how the hell he won the match. IT DOESNT MAKE FUCKING SENSE. WERE WAS THE BATTLE? WERE WAS THE ACTION? WERE WAS EVERYONE ELSE COMMENTING THE SHIT THAT WAS HAPPENING? alright, it might have been a surprise attack, BUT WITH WHAT FUNDAMENTS DID SUKUNA ATTACKED??? there are too many plotholes in just these fifteen pages alone and I need answers. there is no need for a great explanation, I just needed a one single panel with the worried expressions of everyone who was watching, screaming even, for gojo who was in danger. if it was really a sneak attack and gojo couldn't see it, at least everyone else did, but noooooo they just showed us maki and yuta holding back themselves from literally murdering sukuna, and that was during sukuna's speech. where was higuruma's, yuji's, hakari's, miwa's, hajime's, ANYONE'S REACTION. JUST ONE WAS ENOUGH TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING BAD WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

another thing that had been bugging me: sukuna was fucking dyyiiing how the fuck did he healed himself if he didn't have enough cursed energyyyy reallyyy this is fucking insaaneeee, there are tooooo many plothollesss I insist. And then there's that, fucking piece of information, that sukuna "was holding back".... my dude, he was LOSING. i don't know if it just came to gege's mind that, "oh i hate gojo so much i cant keep writing this fight its giving me nausea, i know, lets fucking kill him so i don't have to see him again, yey!" ...... I'm sorry that's not how gege thinks. he may hate gojo but he KNOWS he's important for the story, otherwise he would have him gone a looooong time ago, i mean have you seen all the bullshit sad backstories he gives to this man?? the divorce?? the fushiguros???? yuta and mika????? itadori??????? shoko, utahime, masamichi, the elders??????? the DEPT that this man carries???? gege might hate gojo, but lets not forget that he is a well written character. and that also makes me overthink a little about the very first chapters of the manga, when yuji asks gojo if he can defeat sukuna, AND JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK HE RESPONDS??

EXACTLY!! HE WOULD WIN! so that was a fucking lie, gojo was keeping yuji safe from wondering, or gege is planning something sick (there's also the option of gege just forgetting it, but for the sake of my mental health I wont elaborate on that) there are still things I do not understand and I NEED gege to explain.

also, there is this things that keeps coming to my head: sukuna isn't the type of sorcerer to brag about his power, like gojo did before, he releases his power when he needs it, and with the cards he's given. with itadori he couldn't do much because yuji could control him so the little things he did was due to the circumstances, like when yuji asked for help, he didn't want to help but the curse wanted to fight so sukuna killed the curse, then he ASKS YUJI TO RETURN TO THE CONTROL like damn that man has matters. and then, when jogo makes yuji eat the other ten fingers, he's overpower and starts to do whatever he wants because he has been in yuji's control way too much, and after he defeats jogo, who willingly wanted to fight sukuna, he literally gives yuji the control of the body again. it might be to lower yuji's motivations but still, he took advantage of the momentum to move on with his plan. another time he took the opportunity was when yuji died and made the contract that allowed him in the shibuya incident take control of fushiguro's body. this guy is smart, and he doesn't waste opportunities, so I can see him winning the battle. we all know by now that he did in fact won the battle, but we don't know with what kind of plan or tricks did he do it. i still don't buy the thing with mahoraga

i feel like it's something else, something is missing, then again there isn't enough information, probably lost on the chapter gege forgot to release.

THE FACT THAT THIS MOMENT ALONE MADE ME SCREAM INTO THE VOID. and it wasn't because gojo was dead, neither because sukuna gave him the credit he deserved, NO, its because gojo's smiling, he's FUCKING SMILING. that man doesn't want to fight anymore, its written all over the page, that man is tired, satisfied, and is hallucinating. and the fact that I can see that is what makes me scream. WHAT ABOUT FUSHIGURO MAN, ARE YOU JUST GONNA LET HIM DIE IN THE PIT OF DARKNESS HE'S IN?!! WHAT ABOUT THE PROMISE BRO WTF I know you didn't like Toji, but you got way too close with the kid you wanted to protect him you wanted him to live DUDE. he's just gonna leave all the work to the others, he wants to rest, he doesn't want to do anything with curses or sorcerers or anything like that, he will LEAVE them alone helpless because gojo was their last hope he was the strongest the only one who could win against the king of curses damn it aaaallll.

and THAT just makes me think... what are the others thinking? the only reactions we got from the last chapter were from maki, yuta, yuji and hajime, and they're veeeeery different

LOOK VERY CLOSELY TO THEM

yuta is fucking angry and worried and obviously scared, but still grabs his katana so anxious as he wants to go to the battlefield. maki is holding him back, with a more steady and severe expression, because she knows they cant defeat sukuna. the background around them is dark and still meaning they're still in the same place, holding back and waiting for the next move. yuji's expression is fucking scared, he's worried and he's sweating, and I'm certain he's trying not to cry, his background is moving which can mean he's moving to the battlefield even if he knows he's going to die, no one is holding him back which can mean either they are letting him go (such a shitty friends really) or haven't noticed he's gone. and hajime Is already IN the battlefield. that slash that cut gojo in two had enough time for him to move from wherever they were into the battlefield and he's EXCITED HE'S SMILING LIKE THE FUCKING IDIOT HE IS idk if he will be able to win against sukuna given the fact that he literally killed gojo, but oh well...

this is madness, i need the forgotten chapter

let me know about other things you notice too pleasssseeee

this also gave me A LOT of things to think about, like what will happen with itadori and his powers and all the rage he has and all the dead people he has seen and... well, all the tragedy

i might as well post something about itadori, we'll see

[manchineel-mistress]

in honor of our favorite 33 to 100000+ year old unemployed terrorist’s birthday (korean time), i present to you: puzzleshipping time loop au where yami yuugi gets worse instead of better from s0.

ok so we all know that the Gang(TM) got through some shit throughout the story, where they are pretty close to dying. a lot.

how consider, instead of making it through barely, they dont. (gets shot multiple times-)

ok but more specifically yuugi dies from the strain of shadow games and stress or a mishap in those games. and yami PANICS HE PANICS SO HARD PRAYING TO EVERY GOD THAT YUUGI DIDNT DIE AND THEN THE MAGIC OF THE PUZZLE ACTIVATES AND YAMI IS BACK IN TIME AND SAVES YUUGI and everyone gets out safe and sounds and sane :)

Except It Keeps Happening. Yuugi Keeps Dying. Yami Keeps Turning Back Time.

he can get it right if he just had another chance. he wont let yuugi die again. that wont happen and they would make it to the end of their journey this time-

Yuugi Dies To A Bully. (one more chance. please. i can make this right-)

Yuugi Dies To Silfer. (no please i not like this hes my partner i cant go on without him-)

Yuugi Dies To Marik. (NO NO THIS CANNOT STAND I WONT LET IT REMAIN THIS WAY-)

yami gets more desperate, protective, and unhinged as the cast makes it through their journey. he gets jumpy, withdrawn, and snaps at anything that might seem like a threat. his already tense relationship with kaiba because more testy as he loses trust in those around him other than yuugi’s close friends. hes also more violent and harsh, not really giving up penalty games like he does in the transition to duel monsters.

yuugi is scared of yami. he never quite got over it even with his friends’ acceptance of yami. but he also knows yami is scared and he cant pinpoint why exactly other than its related to protecting him. but hes also scared to ask because what if yami snaps at him. he doesnt want yami to hurt anymore but also doesnt want him to hurt anyone else.

eventually, the continuous use of extremely taxing magic starts eroding away at both of their souls. cracks form in yami’s soul room first. stair start crumbling and doors are barely holding on. yami slowly starts losing himself and he knows it, but he also cant let yuugi die. the cracks reach yuugi’s soul room after a while. a few of the toys start showing wear, board games losing pieces, cracks in the walls. thats when yami comes clean.

its a terrifying and heartwrenching experience for both the yuugis and the rest of their friends. Yuugi has been dying. These games are dangerous and they haven’t been making it through them like they thought. the only reason why yami kept going and pursuing his memories? because yuugi keeps encouraging him to find himself and he thinks he can protect yuugi better next time. and because he thinks that once hes gone, yuugi will be safe again.

they figure it out though. they make sure yuugi stays safe. why do they keep going? because yami deserves to know who he is, and yuugi is willing to risk his life to get there. as he already had, but this time it will actually be different.

and yami learns an important lesson on friendship, learning when to ask for help, and communication. and then we have the rest of  normal canon just with yami’s major ptsd and a slower to warm yami who is still willing to burn someone to the ground in like season 4.

how does this relate to orv? idk man i just think time loop and go “omg yjh vibes fr fr” i think it would be an interesting parallel between yami and yjh, they just match in my brain for some reason. doesnt quite follow yjh’s character arc tho LOL

anyway i like angsty time loop aus as much as i like silly time loop aus. they just have so much potential. here i just wanted yami to suffer :)

anyway back to silly au ideas

[johannwolfgangvongoethe]

umineko,...

episode 1, part 6

.

UH OH !!!

do you think this is a bad sign?

what IS that. jesus christ no one let maria see this. and there was the same red paint.... on natsuhis doorknob? this is like when you play a game of werewolf and on a new morning you are informed the werewolf tried to kill someone but they were protected by another persons power. which someone else could mistake for her being the culprit. i guess.

if this happened to me and a bunch of relatives went missing, the landline mysteriously died, followed by the appearance of an omnious cross pattée summoning circle thing that is Clearly written in blood. idk what id do. probably accuse grandpa.

top 10 images that preceed unfortunate events

oh battler we are really in it now. dude imagine being this guy. text advance speed is limited in the following scene, which is very effective. you HAVE to listen to battler cry. you have to listen to his grief and how much he hated his father but Not Enough For This To Happen. the portraits and character illustrations in the menu change. you see enough to imagine the detail vividly, even without gorey imagery.

:(

the state the bodies are in is quite unique. i wonder. is this about erasing their memory by erasing the face they could be remembered by? is this about losing face, a sign that they have lost their right to respect and honour? is it about getting rid of the most identifyable human part of them? its very interesting. it really rids the scene of every shred of dignity it could have maybe still had, its deeply offensive, it makes them all appear more equal to each other, and the lack of a face turns corpses into mere bodies. not sure if krauss and shannon only missing half their face is of significance.... maybe a sign to mark them as special? or a direct attack on their respective partners, who are very much still alive? both? it seems too purposefully written into it to be meaningless.

this weird objectification is what instantly made me check the character screen as the scene unfolded. the descriptions of the characters changed as well, suggesting a cycle of death and rebirth i dont understand yet, that the victims were chosen by chance, and possibly that this will repeat again in the story.

is that what the riddle is? if the first deaths are always random, is picking the suiting victims for the next days a part of the ritual? or is it more a of a prophetic vision of one time events after all?

and sure enough "those who remain shall tear apart the two who are close" accurately describes what i assume is about to happen... the two with the best motives to kill are eva and hideyoshi (getting rid of other heirs and the servant girl their son is obviously in love with... no idea about gohda. hideyoshi liked him.) so i expect there to be a lot of blame directed towards these two.

BACK TO MY FAVOURITE SUBJECT it says a lot about natsuhi how she reacted to the scene. she stands in silence, does not ask for help, in the rain, as if to punish herself or maybe to look specifically unbothered. she is not giving anyone present an opening that can be exploited, she isnt showing any weakness. she instantly turns to her most loved hobby for comfort instead: she wishes to organize the situation and takes on a leading role for the family.

related to this, kanons reaction is of importance too. he is the servant who brings up being emotionless furniture the most, who previously stated he was raised with the purpose of being a tool and that things such as emotions and playtime just werent made for him. he doesnt cry but man he is very well close to it. the only bit of sentimental distraction he allowed himself was loving shannon and that too is lost to him now. death as an equalizer works as intended. he is, like the ushiromiya coursins too, just a person right now, consumed by grief like everyone else too.

but even death cannot make natsuhi and eva stand on common ground. despite it all, they are still fighting. god these women are obsessed with each other. i dont even mean this in a "i love gay people" way, just in a "i morbidly obsessed watching them destroy each other" way.

sorry to everyone in this novel who still thinks theyre dealing with a normal crime scene. understandable!!! but they dont know. they dont know magic is real (probably) yet. only maria instantly connected the murders to the riddle and she is entirely calm and without worry. its clear that her mother will soon be resurrected to her.

yeah how do you even start explaning this to a 9yo

[buffa-z]

ep 16

SHES STILL VLOGGING FOLKS

fox hunt LOL "an elegant sport for sophisticated individuals" while geats has been running loose from unsophisticated gunmen for twenty minutes

no opening theme song today!

whichever one of you kills your friend gets to go to heaven

girori is fucking this up badly. hes trying to sell it to keiwa as her opportunity to get her altruistic wish, but hes already shown that he will turn on a rider if he sees fit. its clear he just wants ace gone. shes not stupid

ace detransforming so he doesnt immeditately get attacked. hes stalling

neon: do we really have to fight?

ace: what do you want to do? im sure theres time, we go get something to ea--

a punkjack appear

still brainwashed? but no gm node

ace: sorry but im not losing to punkjack

oooo you cant share someone elses wish thats crazy. thats like a violation of something. also keiwa isnt stupid. she knows geats is after something specific in the dgp. if she also doesnt like what the dgp is doing, why would she take your side and not ace's side?????????

neon: (to herself, alone on a hill style) do we really have to fight?

ace: (with superhearing but distracted so he doesnt realize shes not talking to him) i have to fight

oh mannnn not the stairs where punkjack got blew up

ooooooo crying in the rain how thematic

keiwa mourning punkjack (keiwin clues)

neon saying she will fight her own way (smarter not harder)

yayy tsumuri patching ace up. its a very characterizing scene for both of them

introducing the relationship glue known as: convenience store back of snacks!! (this will become a recurring motif)

ace: now let me tell you about my existential crisis

tsumri: (oh shit he wants to know about mitsume)

keiwa struggling with the idea that dead people should stay dead bc she never really processed losing her parents the way sara did

sara: thinking about impossible stuff is just gonna make you sad

^ says literal unluckiest girl in the world

i do think that is something that differentiates them well. sara has already sort of accepted her lot in life, but keiwa hasnt. this may be related to transgender reasons. it also may be because keiwa still has a chance, hasn't had all the luck and joy stripped from her soul yet. and she has her dgp-locked memories. but sara is still generally happy. shes the prime example of how happiness is Not finite and there will always be something to smile about. (author has been physically restrained from getting into it)

kurama sr: so, you figured out my clue. this must be bc of my subtle teachings

neon: (i need to stay on his good side so we can all get out of this situation alive i will not attack my stupid dad)

that may be one of neons greatest strengths bc she pretty much immediately in the second game picks up the capability for a strong-willed yet likeable mask. she knows how to pick her battles, maybe better than ace bc she has a fresher perspective and is less boredom-motivated

they threw geats out in the puddle...

wow they are fucking him up. he has lost his will to fight.

geats: hey tycoon i know you have to kill me but i gotta say you look badass.

ace is honestly glad that there is anyone else left willing to fight him

the matching jet buckles.... so cute

this music rules

oh hey this us the first time we see this warehouse. we will see it at least two more times this series!

tycoons will to fight is much higher than geats

someone in the YouTube comments asked why tycoon and geats activated the second jet buckles at the same time even tho geats got more hits in. as if geats wasnt waiting for tycoon to do it first. hes not gonna be the one to kill tycoon are you kidding

this fight is really cool, they keep the 180 pretty much the whole time which is crazy and also important when both your fighters have the same buckle in play

180 has been crossed bc its from girori's view now they are play fighting now. this is playing. its good for them. kamen riders literally need to tussle in an abandoned location or else they get depressed and develop suit rot

god the shot of tycoons cannons going over geats shoulders to hit glare is so fucking awesome

tycoons moral here isnt exactly what i would go with, but it makes sense for her to believe that

in this sub geats says "they grow up so fast" which is really funny

tribeam friendship blast

TRIPLE FRIENDSHIP STRIKE FUCK YOUR SHIT UP FOREVE

not my foam wall!

producer: id rather avoid these valuable players risking any further injury

the producer can snap someone out of suit and also make them disappear from this world. awesome

producer: there's no shortage of replacements for you

hey remember when this show was about labor practices in the entertainment industry and how no one is safe. lol

like im not defending girori same as i wont defend chirami but seriously the idea that anyone can just get disappeared from the show at the snap of the producer's fingers is crazy right

awww this is one of the cutest scenes i love it

tanuki can be pretty tricky too ! and cats can too!!!!!

ace downplaying his own wish bc he doesnt tell people anything and never shows vulnerability and wishes are pretty much the most vulnerable thing ever so never show attachment to anything ever

keiwa: its to find your mom right?

ace freaking out mad thinking girori told keiwa but dont worry it was just neon

no desashin this round!

tsumuri is literally so glad that they all get to live

meanwhile, in a greenhouse neither close nor far from here....

archimedel: what the fuck this one isn't dead

"overuse of the zombie buckle" is Quite Interesting

THE REVEAL! YOU ALL ARE IN A GODDAMN GAME SHOW!!!!!!!

god the cameras are creepy. but at least we know where the applause is coming from

oh this is the first time we see ziin lol

and of course this is the movie interlude. so i may rewatch and liveblog the movie. we'll see.

[th3houseofleaves]

cole carpenter, age 27, finding out his two best friends in the world (& occasional.. partners. but that's not relevant right now) are gone and they were serious when they said that if anything happened to them, they wanted him to take care of their kid. so he has to make the choice of his life while knee deep in grief and he almost, almost chooses to leave and let kit go to someone else.

after all wouldnt he be better off with a real family member? someone older who knows how to take care of kids? someone who wanted to have kids and was prepared for them? wouldn't that be better then the guy who fights for a living and barely knows how to take care of himself on a good day and has never planned to have kids because he's certain he'll be a terrible father?

and then he sees kit, age 3. kit who looks so small on the hospital bed he's been situated on.

his godson, the center of his best friends' world.

who doesn't understand what's happened or why his parents are gone when he wants them so bad. who's just lost the two most important people in his little world. who doesn't know what grief is but now he'll never know a life without it. who won't fully calm down no matter what the two nurses fawning over him do, he doesnt stop asking for people who are no longer able to answer.

and that's when he knows. he knows that he can't let this little boy go to strangers who are only family in blood and in name. his parents trusted cole to take care of him, not anyone else.

so cole steps up. he goes through all the steps, it's confirmed and made official that kit's parents appointed cole to be his legal guardian should anything happen.

and it all starts with him stepping into the room and picking kit up long enough to sit on the bed with him. it's the only way to calm him down long enough for a doctor to take a look at him, to make sure he's okay; the whole time cole is scared shitless that they'll find something and he'll lose kit too. but kit is fine. he's still upset and confused but it's better now that cole is here.

once he's got kit in his arms he doesn't know how he ever considered giving him up.

[5-trans-aliens-in-a-trench-coat]

Okay. Please tell me. Is this too much to send to my friend? I don't know if it's too far or not.

I feel so close to you. Ive never felt this way with anyone else. We're like that trope of "more than friends less than lovers" we're different. We're special. I never believed in soulmates before i met you, but i do now. You're my person. We would find each other in every universe, wether we are friends or lovers or something else. You mean so much to me, and i know i say that a lot, but i still dont say it enough. I live you with all of my heart (and i dont care if you are able to say it back or not) Ive thought for a while that i like you romantically, but honestly im not sure. I just feel a connection with you thats more than most people ever find, and maybe thats what its like to like someone romantically, but also maybe not. Sometimes its hard to tell between different kinds of love. Its scary to be in love with someine for fear of ruining the relationship altogether and losing them. I know we are close, but i still wish we were closer. I miss you whenever we're nit together, and it scares me whener we dont talk much for a few days because i cant let you slip away. I wont. You are my whole world, i hope you know that. I could never lose you, because that would mean losing half my soul. Amd i would die if it meant saving you (and im fucking terrified of death, so youre the only one i would do that for). You are more than i ever coulve hoped to have. I never couldve seen you coming. Wherever fate takes us, (if we end up dating, if we hate each other, if we lose touch) you will still be forever with me. I carry your heart with me, i carry it in my heart. Ive heard poets talk about a string of fate, and that has reminded me ever increasingly of our invisible string. You have to admit that we're connected in a way most people arent. Maybe im crazy, but i think you'd have to be insane to not notice this stuff too. Maybe other people feel like this, but i have rarely seen anyone so truly committed to someone ekse as i am to you. The only true example i have seen is from the book the song of achilles. In the book, achilles is stubborn and rude and a terrible person for the last few years if his life. He lets countless people die because of his ego. Patroclus does not agree with any choice he makes, but he never once gets angry at achilles. He stands by him. He stands up for him. He stays with achilles, until he dies trying to fix achilles' mistakes, while still saving achilles from dealing with his own problems. However many mustakes achilles makes patroclus doesnt care, he stands by him forever. He found a boy of gold, and knew he would never let him go. Thats what you do. You find someone so important to you, and you vow that however much they screw up, you wont be angry, youll still love them the same. They are still yours. And, though achilles does most things for himself, esspecially towards the end of the war, he still dies getting revenge for patroclus' death. Those two are the textbook example of soulmates. They always find their way back to each other when they get seperated. They are loyal to each other to a fault. Their only moral compass(at least for patroclus) is to always follow the other, and fight for them. I see us in their story. Our places switch between the characters, but every set of soulmates that has ever existed has been fit in that cutout. We fit there alongside so many people. If there is only one set of soulmates per lifetine, then we are those two. We are less fragile that a set of ordinary friends, and we are less held back by the rules of lovers. We've got our own thing. You are mine, and i am yours. Ive never felt this way with anyone, and doubt i ever will with anyone else. I hope with ever fiber of my being you feel the same, but if you dont, i hope that you will trust me enough to tell me. There is so much more i could add to this, but hopfully i have a whole lifetime to do so.

[maldeldest]

This is such an awesome take, thank you so much for such a long and spot on answer.

I am not only New to the Avatar Universe, but also to analyzing so forgive me if some of my thoughts maybe "wrong" or far fetched

As you said Zuko showed signs of heroism in S1 and I think Zhao is a very good contrast to Zuko. According to IMDB notes he was created because Zuko was too "sympathetic" to be a real villain and I totally see why they include it. I would argue that he was the one that brought out the Real hero in Zuko, because saving good people is easy. Not by action-wise but by deciding to help them. But Zhao is a terrible Person by any means and Zuko had a lot of Reasons to see him go down. But he doesnt, he showed kindness and mercy not once but twice to a man who doesnt deserve it and who even tried to have him bombed up by pirates.

Now I would never downplay Ursa and Kyas actions or Yues sacrifice. After all what is more honorable than dying for your children/your people ? But the thing is Zuko did the exact same thing, even if his sacrifice was not death. The 41st Division were his people and as a prince it was his place to protect them. Even after Iroh warned him not to speak up, he did it anyway with confidence in his voice. And I fail to see how getting half off your face burned off, losing honor,home,throne everything, just as Zuko said "for talking out of turn" is any diffrent from dying for them. I would even argue it was a Fate worse than death for 13!!!!year old Zuko.

(I cant stress the fact that he was 13 at the time enough)

"A hero protects his friends, a true hero protects his enemies".

And thats what Zuko did. Not just with Zhao but also Aang when he choose not to go after him twice in Book 1. Sure, it was because he had more Important Things to do as I saving his Uncle and Crew but it Was still an act of bravery, choosing what is right over your lifegoal.

And of course in Book 2 when he saves a whole village only for them to turn against him. Of course it makes sense, but we as an audience know and already sympathize with Zuko at this point so it still hurts. Helping these people gained him nothing but hatred from them but he didnt care because it was the right thing to do.

All in all what is more heroic than a child (even if he neither looks or acts like it Zuko is still a child) sacrificing their future, physical wellbeing and comfort (as much comfort as you can get with Ozai as your Dad) for their people?

Whats more heroic than a child facing their abuser and telling them what they did Was cruel and wrong, knowing said abuser will kill him instantly (he tried)

And of Course jumping in front of lightning to protect someone else, even if it means having another scar from a Person of their own family.

And thats why to me Zuko is not just one of the heroes but THE hero.

I just came across a Top 10 most heroic Avatar characters and Zuko wasnt one of them. Their reason Was apparantly that "Zuko only turned good in S3 and couldnt be seen as a hero before". Idk that left a very bad Taste in my Mouth especially considering that Bumi made Nr7. What are your thoughts on this ?

Lol I read the article and I think the bad taste comes from the idea that being a hero means you have to have a spotless record? It's the problem I have with most Zuko discourse that usually comes from people trying to diminish his importance in the narrative. I mean, Kya, Ursa, and Yue also make the list but like, they are barely in the narrative and their roles are mostly to be innocent and idealized and then die or disappear.

Well, then, I vote the papaya Katara ate in the fortune teller episode. It gave its life for that girl even thought it was hated.

I don't get the logic of "someone who only appears briefly can be a hero, but Zuko wasn't a hero long enough." Yue appears in two episodes. Zuko may have started out as a villain, but he was fighting the baddies and demonstrating qualities of compassion and sacrifice by episode 3. I'd say what got him banished itself was an act of heroism and that Zuko was actually a hero long before he himself knew it, and even when he is free to be a true hero he spends most of the time denying that he is one.

Not to quote that edgelord line about heroes from The Dark Knight, but if a character gets labeled as a hero just because they didn't live long enough to have their actions scrutinized while another character can't be labeled as one because they survived the world trying to beat their heroism out of them and came out stronger then idk what a hero is.

Here's what google has to say about the definition of a hero:

"...especially excessively or unexpectedly so."

In fact, I'd argue that one of the reasons Zuko stands out as a hero in the story is because we don't expect it of him. But it's a far more realistic and relatable heroic ideal than the idea that people are good or evil from birth and the hero saves the world because destiny says so.

The best heroes are the ones who do it even though it's hard, even thought destiny tells them that heroism wasn't meant for them. The whole thing about heroic sacrifice is that it has to be a sacrifice, meaning that they have to choose it consciously. It's not a heroic sacrifice if a character just suffers or has things taken from them.

I'll also provide one of my favorite definitions of a hero, from Quest for Glory 2. Hold onto your seats, because I'm busting out a poem from a computer game from 1990.

And they ask "What is a hero?"

Though the answer's very clear.

He's the one who faces danger

When the darkness hovers near.

He will face the fiercest foe

When another needs his aid,

He will dare to defy death

Even though he is afraid.

He works not just for glory

And he does it not for gain,

but because he knows that others

will be spared a greater pain.

He won't always follow orders

For he dares to answer "why?"

And unless he likes the reason

He refuses to comply.

He will brave the battle boldly

Even though he may not win.

He will face his fate unflinching,

For he is a paladin.

And they ask, "What is a hero?"

Though the answer's evident.

He's the one who faces death

Knowing that his life's well spent.

[unlimitedhorsepower]

me writing my fanfic

honestly though i frequently think abt how many details i reference as truth are like actual canon things but theyre more obscure details from peripheral materials rather than in the anime.

but also some details i made up. would love to talk about my reasonings for those details. some of them are esoteric. but some of them are just based on reality to me. i refuse to call yuris mom "origa" bc it was the artist name of that one russian singer whose real name was olga and whos just known in japan for a bunch of anime collabs

its also my truth (but not totally unreasonable imo) that olga immigrated to sternbild and her surname is just "petrov" specifically due to simplifications for required forms/some minor mixups. not even petrova and nothing given wrt patronymic vs surname but i dont think sternbilds legislative system wouldve understood patronymics and its not rly important.

what is interesting to me is that olga petrova was a real person (well. im sure this has been the name of many people. but bear with me), a vaudeville performer, who actually adopted the name as a stage name. ive always felt that olga was running from something and wouldve explained why she has nobody else to care for her than her son. and nobody had ever heard of her either.

olga petrov is a bit of a fake name isnt it...

being a woman with no family nor connections in an unfamiliar city is such a ripe ground for getting an abusive fuck of a husband. i really doubt that mr. legend suddenly became abusive once his NEXT power started failing. i just think olga didnt have anyone else and she was willing to overlook all of his flaws for that long as someone who was rich and famous and kept a roof over her head etc

what choice does she have? also gives more basis to how nobody seems to ever acknowledge olga (or yuri) exist. i feel like mr. legend couldve just presented olga as his girlfriend of the day (who has a son) to maverick and he wouldve been like okay so...whatever...

and they never talked bc olga ~kept out of the way~ when her husband has people over or is on the phone etc. and this dynamic gets worsened when mr. legend starts to lose his powers bc he might not have a NEXT power anymore but what he has is total control and power over olga.

^ruminations of an unwell person who thinks narratives actually care about woman characters. objectively the name was given bc the writers had heard origa once LMFAO and petrov is a common surname

anyway. personally i still think it would be interesting if gregory sunshine was yuris real biological father (insert that theory post i made pre-cour 2) and olga just managed to get into a rlship with mr.legend so quickly she could pass yuri as his son. (or mr. legend was okay with the fact at least initially. doesnt matter). and that also adds to her plight of being stuck with mr.legend, and im sure she was also in love with him, but she didnt have any other choice... nobody to help her. heroes arent real

wouldve explained why olga was running and suspectible to shit freaks like mr. legend. i would be inclined to say nothing megaweird happened and gregory was just olgas weird creep boyfriend bc i dont want to torture olga for funsies. more of a situation where she got pregnant accidentally and was like fuck i cant raise a child with a total criminal freak... not that she was raped by him bc olga rly has enough bad shit in her life without that:/

gregory is a creep for sure considering even the scene where he makes ryan lose control (which is. really weird lets be real. the kotetsu scene mirrors it) but still.

AND would also explain why olga blames yuri so strongly for Everything...doesnt excuse her ofc but like. i also understand it. her life sucked. tfw women could be more than Mothers and perhaps even lead full and nuanced lives that explain their actions

this is irrelevant to my fanfic btw (kinda) though i explore yuris and olgas rlship in it. olga is someone who tries but she is so crushed by her circumstances that sometimes her best try isnt enough. its a tragedy is all.

and also interesting how gregory never showed up in sternbild before s2. like olga chose a good place to run to (in the case she had). ripping my hair out ahhh ahhh ahhhh the lore... its so deep (the lore i made up in my head that is)