#normally I don't get the appeal of villains

[mimble-sparklepudding]

I do hope so. I think that bringing disparate groups together to overcome a common enemy is highly rewarding. And if the common enemy happens to be an evil sexy catboy in leopard-print speedos, well so be it.

Wonder if the Loporitts, Omnicron, and Arkasodara are gonna also get to kill Nhaza'a Jaab.

[sparrowlucero]

i enjoy ur bird abode thoughts! I was a genuine enjoyer of the show when it was airing, I’m no die hard fan though and love to see ppls personal takes on the overall story/plot. Im curious if you also would agree or have any thoughts on the impacts The Mouse’s cancellation had on the shows ability to be more than it was? srry im not super eloquent with my words, but basically ur response to that ask got me wondering if part of the reason the show like genuinely wasnt all that ground breaking or unique in the end plot wise (other than the villain faces consequences in the end ig) as far as YA/Teen animation goes, was because of The Mouse’s inability to let the writers flesh out the show before gutting it? i have a negative bias toward The Mouse franchise and obviously dont know anything about how writing a show under the eyes of a franchise that big would work, its just smth that rattles around in my head and wanna know what u think!

Well to an extent, but I think it's much more the effect the studio had on how the owl house started out as rather than it not getting a full season at the end - It didn't escape my noticed that the show was initially announced as being a "horror comedy" when it doesn't really seem like either, especially by the second season, and yeah, the original pitch bible is obviously aiming for that much more than the show proper is as it goes along (and is honestly seems quite a bit more funny, weird, and dark, with an overarching plotline about a giant bug being used to religiously suppress people, eda able to cure her curse by killing luz, and one of the major characters being a teen boy awoken from a sleeping curse who ends up being a weird little bigot because he's from the 13th century, among other things)

(side note, i just noticed they actually specifically describe the thing i assumed the show was gonna be about here. huh.) but ultimately the bulk of the show that was actually made seems very influenced by a writing team that was genuinely interested in making a tropey YA fantasy story rather than just being mandated to. I mean even in what aired you can see the show sort of settle in ways that feel less like studio interference and more like, you know, art students creating their ideal fantasy show, like how King is clearly Eda's roommate who's funny because he looks like and sounds like a little dog despite being an adult man at the beginning but by the end they've made him her adopted sad backstory son who's explicitly a child. While I think a third season would have made the show as it existed better, because they clearly didn't get to finish the plot they wanted to (frankly to the point where some major aspects of the show are a bit confusing, I'm still not sure what a grimwalker is), I don't really fault the show for that but also don't think that hypothetical season (which pretty clearly would have been mostly about the magic school teens going to normal school) would suddenly flip around into something that I personally found interesting and subversive. Nor should it, really; again, it being Queernorm Harry Potter thing is clearly the intended appeal of the show, it's not really a flaw but just not a genre I'm personally interested in when compared to what I initially expected the show to be.

HOWEVER I will say they robbed little weird girls of their representation and that can't be forgiven

[nightingale2004]

The reason I became a snape fan.

When I was a kid and watched the Harry Potter movies, I didn't like Severus at all. I found him quite terrifying, actually, and I didn't really remember much of the movies. When I was introduced to the marauders, I had the biggest crush on Sirius, and I would even imagine being friends with them.

But then, when I rewatched the Harry Potter movies and even looked at the books. I didn't like the marauders at all because of what they did to Severus, and I also realized that Severus, both as a person and as a character, was the literal definition of "appearances can be deceiving".

Severus literally dressed up and delivered his presence the same way a normal supervillain in any action movie would. But then, when it was revealed that he wasn't actually trying to hurt our hero but to save his life along with looking after him and helping him reach victory, I felt completely guilty for misjudging him.

I then dug myself deeper into the Snape fandom, and I learned a lot about him from both the movies and books and how people could relate to him.

I don't excuse the man's actions for bullying children and all that. But I will say, given his situation and the fact that he has dozens of unpacked trauma and issues, he never unpacked. I can imagine all that baggage can make anyone similar to Severus. Especially if they have been tormented, bullied, SA'd, manipulated, and abused throughout their whole life just because of who you were, where you came from, and what you looked like.

I found myself even relating to Severus because I have been through similar situations in my life. To me, Severus was this character that deserved pure happiness. He was a character with flaws. He was a character that most people quickly judged, including myself.

Severus gave everything to protect his students, including Harry, despite him being the child of his bully. He may dislike Harry because he looks like James, but he still protects him and keeps him alive.

I believe if Severus had the time to heal and deal with his trauma that he had carried around for centuries, then he would've been much happier.

I fell completely in love with severus as a character because of who he was inside and out and how people saw him.

I even managed to understand who the marauders and their fans really were.

Severus doesn't deserve the hate given to him but deserves respect for how much he sacrificed and given for the order, to Dumbledore, and to Harry. Severus made mistakes, he did bad things, he is a grey character, and he is human.

Like I said, I'm not excusing his actions towards his students, but I salute this man because of what he did. He became a spy for the order, protected the child of his childhood best friend and bully, tried to save the life of one of his tormenters, brewed wolfsbane for the other, tricked the dark lord, tricked the Death eaters, risked his life countless times, protected his students to the best of his abilities, and tried to save as many as he could.

Others want to romanticize the death eaters because they find them attractive, including FREAKING VOLDEMORT AND BELLATRIX. I will never understand them.

But these are one of the many many reasons why I side with Severus. He is truly a brave, caring, and protective soul once you truly dig deeper and get to know him. He may be scary, he may not be the most appealing to you, and he may look like a classic villain. But there is soooo much more to him than meets the eye, and I salute the fanfic writers and the Snape fandom for seeing it too. I also know that Alan probably saw it, too, and he would be incredibly proud of what the Snape fandom has made as a community and as fans.

So this is my reason. Please respect that. If you don't like that, then ignore this post.

[jellybeanium124]

Stede excused himself from the brightly lit ballroom with two hundred chatting people and loud band to go to the bathroom. He sat on the toilet for five minutes in the brightly lit bathroom as other fundraiser guests walked in and out, doing their business and washing their hands.

All he wanted to do was go home. He didn't want to talk, he didn't want to be wearing a suit, he didn't want a fancy meal. This was unusual for Stede. He normally loved wearing a fancy suit while eating a fancy meal and talking nonstop, but he was tired and his whole head and body was buzzing. His suit felt too tight and itchy, and he swore he could feel tags rubbing against him, and his shoes hurt.

He left the stall and washed his hands and started wandering around. He shouldn't be doing this, abandoning the party to snoop around like a curious child, but he couldn't go back in there. What was he supposed to do? Go find Mary and stand behind her while she talks like a functioning adult? He didn't even know why he felt like crap.

The entire building the party was being hosted in was bright and fancy, but at least here in a random hallway with benches and candelabras on the walls and plush velvet carpeting, it's quiet.

He turned a corner and saw a man sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall where a bit of it juts out to form a small corner. He's got his knees tucked up to his chest.

"Sir, are you okay?" Stede asked, walking over to the man.

He looked surprised to see someone. "What? Yes, yeah, I'm fine. I'm with the fundraiser benefit, that's why I'm here. I just... needed a break."

"Me too."

"...You wanna sit?"

"Ok."

Stede sat down on the carpet next to the man, and stretched his legs out.

"I'm Stede," he said, holding out his hand.

"Stede??" the man echoed, shocked. "Shit, Stede Bonnet?"

"Um... yes?"

The man seemed to grow shyer, and looked away. Stede put his hand down. Then he pulled his knees up and sighed.

"You've probably read those articles, right? About Bonnet Suits? Where I'm the silly spoiled son of an evil Disney villain?"

"Yeah... might've..."

"Well, Mr. Teach was right about some things. My father is evil. There's no appealing to his humanity no matter what. He won't make any of the changes I want to make in the company. That's why everyone thinks I'm so useless. Maybe all my ideas are stupid anyways... I just have stupid ideas..."

"What are your ideas?"

"Pay every single employee who works in the factories making suits for us the equivalent of $15 an hour. Every single one. I've done the math 40 different ways, it's possible! We could pay them more, but I've got to start somewhere. My father always shuts me down and tells me I'd be throwing away hundreds of millions in profits. I've stopped trying to convince him to do something by explaining how this will help the people who make the suits that made him fucking wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, and right now I'm working the whole 'everyone loves human rights this will get us more customers and we can charge more if people think we're sustainable' angle but even that's not working. I can't take it anymore. I have a little boat. I bought it as a fiftieth birthday gift to myself. It's sitting at a pier in Rhode Island right now. No one knows about it. Not my father, not my wife... once I grow some balls I'm going there and getting on my boat and I'm not coming back."

The man blinked at him.

"Sorry... fuck... I don't know why I said all of that. Fuck, there's journalists at this thing. I'm supposed to be doing good for my father's reputation, not sitting in a hallway talking about what a piece of shit he is..."

The man swallowed. "Yeah..."

"Enough about my stupid problems, you really don't seem okay. Are you sick? Should..." Stede cut himself off and looked at the floor.

"Should...?"

Stede shook his head. "Nothing. You came out here for some peace and quiet, and I'm fucking it all up. I can go now."

"I wouldn't mind if you sat and we had peace and quiet together."

Stede smiled at him briefly, before leaning his head back against the wall and letting out a sigh.

For a few minutes, the two of them sat together in silence. It felt a little good, at least, to know that there was someone else here who couldn't stand to be at that party longer than thirty minutes. A kindred spirit, maybe. A potential friend.

"I'm Ed Teach," the man said quietly, after a few minutes had passed.

Stede's heart dropped through the floor.

He was sitting next to the man who called him an ineffectual, under-qualified, empty-headed heir to a despicable fashion fortune. And he was right.

"Oh," Stede said.

"That's it? 'Oh?' You're not going to have me thrown out? No yelling? You're not even gonna bribe me to stop talking about your dad's company and the shit he pulls?"

Stede shrugged. "Eh, we deserve worse."

"You're a lot different than I thought you'd be."

"You're a lot different too. I thought you'd be a ruthless and mean sneaky journalist."

Ed sighed. "It's hard being like that all the time... I thought you'd be a prick. A real entitled asshole."

Stede smiled gently. "At least one thing my father never gave me was his personality."

Ed nodded. "But y'know, if you're really serious about change, why don't you just fucking do it? Stop waiting for your dad's approval, go to Cambodia and Bangladesh, and pay them out of your own pocket? Running away to Rhode fuckin' Island isn't gonna help anyone."

Stede cocked his head at him curiously. "Could I do that? Go behind my father's back and just... pay them out of my own savings? Is that legal?"

"I mean, you can give people money. You can write checks. You could write me a check right now. That'd be legal."

Stede raised an eyebrow. "Writing a check for my nemesis journalist? That'd be awful suspect, even if it's legal."

"Okay okay okay not me specifically, but, like, you can do that. You can write checks. I know you're sitting on millions and millions of dollars, Bonnet."

"Okay," Stede said, standing up. "Let's go."

"Let's?"

"Yes. Let's go. Fuck em."

Ed stood up. "Now?"

Stede nodded. "Now. Let's get our passports and board the first plane we can. I'm going behind my father's back, like you suggested."

"And you want me... to come with you?"

"Of course. Presumably I'll need a journalist on my side when this shitstorm goes public," Stede said with a manic smile.

~~~

Obviously, our juvenile stunt didn't immediately solve everything. Bonnet Sr. still had access to Stede's finances, and drained his bank accounts so the millions he gave out in checks would bounce. But our stunt wasn't without its value. It immediately brought public attention to Bonnet Suits, and the fashion industry and its abuses in general. Bonnet Sr.'s now infamous meltdown during his interview for Reuters caused him to step down as CEO, leaving Stede to take over. Over the course of the following year, Stede made sweeping reforms inside the company, all according to plans he'd spent years trying to get his father to implement. Yesterday he publicly announced that he's retiring, and now here I am, retiring as well. People often compare us to Romeo and Juliet, with one reporter who shall remain nameless calling us "just as fockin stupid as those teenage twats." And perhaps we are just as stupid and headstrong as them. I did get on a plane to Bangladesh with a billionaire approximately 5 hours after meeting him (he'd never flown on a commercial flight before, he was adorably excited about trying the "airplane food" and requested a pin with wings on it like kids get). But now it's been well over a year, and I'm still stupidly in love with him, so up yours. I'm going to retire and spend the rest of my days eating fresh lobster rolls and relaxing on my husband's little boat. Journalism has no doubt taken years off my life, so I'm going to spend whatever time I have left happy.

Take it sleazy, Ed Teach

[incomingalbatross]

Sooo... I just watched Labyrinth, and I remember seeing some posts of yours talking about how it's good and similar to other stories (like OTGW). And in some ways, I see that? But also like.... I need a little help making any sense of it, lol

Sorry, I know this is super random, but I was just curious to find out why you like it and what you see in it, so I thought I'd ask!

Of course, I'm happy to talk about Labyrinth! :) Thank you for the ask!

(Disclaimer that I haven't watched it in a year or two, but I still remember it fairly well.)

In terms of similarity to OTGW: both stories center on a teenage protagonist who is a dreamer, but too caught up in themselves, and to some extent running away from their life. This manifests PARTICULARLY in their neglected and/or rejected responsibility to their younger half-brother. They end up in a liminal, otherworldly space that operates on much more narrative logic than they're used to, and can only save their lives/souls and make it home again by saving said younger brothers first.

Sarah rejects her brother at the beginning of her story, while Wirt abandons his care for Greg near the end, but you can see the similar beats there, right? They're both dealing with normal teenage stress + the stress of parental divorce (probably) and remarriage, and seeing their younger brothers as an emblem of Everything Wrong In Their Lives. In reality, their younger brothers are forcing them to live in reality, where they have duties and connections to other people, and can only find maturity/fulfillment through embracing that.

Jareth and the Beast are also very similar figures, I think; Jareth is a more seductive tempter figure, playing to Sarah's ego and to romance tropes, while the Beast plays with hope and despair. But they are both trickster figures who use bargains -- seeming windows of hope -- to entrap vulnerable mortals (Wirt and Greg, in the Beast's case).

AND. Both Jareth and the Beast are defeated by someone calling them out as empty and powerless! Wirt says, "this is dumb," and demolishes the Beast's entire facade -- he's not keeping souls in the lantern, he's the one dependent on the lantern, and he can't keep Wirt or Greg if they're ready to go home. Sarah's "You have no power over me" has the exact same weight -- it's wrapped up in theatrics of these being Specific Magic Words, but it's the meaning of them that shatters Jareth's power and sends her and Toby home.

In both stories, evil tries very, very hard to convince these kids that they need it. Jareth wraps it up in a lot more complicated temptations -- I'll make you happy, I'll make you powerful, I'll give you glamorous parties and material comfort and everything you ever wanted if you fall down and worship me -- while the Beast sticks to a brute-force message of despair, with the crumbs he offers as all that there is -- "There is only my way." But in both cases, the message is: you need me.

And in both stories the protagonists go: No. I don't need you. I don't need anything from you. In fact, you have nothing to give.

At which point it's revealed that evil needed them. Needed them to buy into its strength, its ability, its substance -- or it doesn't have any. It crumbles away, and they go home.

...So! Those are the big similarities between them, I think, for me? I like Labyrinth, as its own movie, because I like the classic fairy-tale structure of "the fairies/goblins/elves took my loved one because I messed up, and now I gotta get them back the hard way." I love the atmosphere of the Labyrinth and Sarah's friends (though your mileage may definitely vary on this movie, depending on your tolerance for Henson Creations ;P). I love Sarah, who messes up, but who is still plucky and brave and kind through most of her trials! The friendship between her and Hoggle (...a Woodsman parallel?) is my favorite. And while I'm very much in the minority of this fandom in not really feeling Jareth's appeal, as a villain I think David Bowie does an excellent, glittery job. And we get music.

[olderthannetfic]

What's the appeal of buddy cop ships? No hate, I just don't get it. Most of the time I just see Coworkers and not anything special. Mulder and Scully comes under that, right (not cops but same vein)?

--

People usually include FBI and other law enforcement when they talk about "buddy cops".

A lot of these canons have the most absolutely bugfuck insane work partnerships where the show constantly, constantly sets up situations that directly pit their new date or other personal life against not only solving this week's case but against their buddy's survival.

Starsky & Hutch, Miami Vice: these are not normal work relationships.

Secretly having to nurse your buddy back to health after the villains forcibly hooked him on heroin? Taking unauthorized leave because you refuse to believe he died in that explosion and even after he shoots you, you still refuse to believe he's actually evil? Running background checks on all of your buddy's dates and secretly giving them "You're bad for him" talks? Does any of this seem like just normal coworkers?

What have you actually been watching, anon?

[ordinaryschmuck]

I have plans for a web comic. Your standard, superhero comic, written and illustrated by me and likely ONLY by me. A comic that has this premise:

"When some of the world's mightiest heroes are discovered to be dead, with more villains growing and super killers out in the world, it's up for humanity's last hope to band together as a single team for justice. Unfortunately, humanity's last hope includes a narcissist, a coward, an idiot keeps losing fights, a homeless person who wants a normal life, a super genius that's thirteen-year-old, a shape-shifting pacifist, and a recovering drunk leading them all. Will they be able to save the world? Well...They'll certainly try."

It'll have lots of stuff that makes superheroes fun. Action, comedy, heroes being human, struggling to do good for both the world and for the people in their lives, tragic backstories that show why the heroes make sure no one has as bad of a day as they did, SELECTIVE intense violence, heroes advocating for redemption over final acts of violence, and some gay characters...Alright, that last one's more or less implied in most superhero content, but why not include here, right?

I love this idea, these characters, and all the plans I have for them. The problem? On the internet, it's a shot in the dark if whether or not what you make is popular. And I don't know if my heart can take it if the first few pages of my comic go up, and only ten people see it with two of them liking it. I can't take it anymore. I've tried three times to make a webcomic, really trying to make something good and pouring everything I have into each one, only for my work to go unnoticed and unappreciated.

"Maybe they're not good."

Yeah. Maybe. Maybe my writing's not good enough to stand out. Maybe my art-style isn't appealing enough to some people. Maybe my jokes aren't funny enough. Maybe my ideas aren't interesting enough. Maybe my story's aren't profound enough. Maybe...I'M not good enough.

...But at least maybe it'll be worth another shot. Who knows, this will finally be the one to worth trying and get a lot of attention. At least, worth trying for a year and see how big the numbers are. But here's the thing: I want to make sure first. I want to know, going in, that I'll have enough people supporting me.

So, here's what I want: 1,000 notes. I don't want money, I don't want donations, I want 1,000 notes on THIS POST to tell me that my creative mind is worth creating again. If I get 1,000 notes, at any point throughout...let's say the rest of the year, then I'll do it.

I'll make another webcomic. And hopefully don't waste my life doing it.

[animentality]

it's ok to not like durgetash because I strongly suspect that only deranged, depressed, adhd gays who majored in either the arts or the social sciences like durgetash, and not everyone fits that demographic.

you have to have an English degree or some degree in making shit up to think Enver Gortash and the dark urge were in love.

you'd have to have taken anthropology or sociology or psychology to be analyzing every nook and cranny of potential durgetash scenarios with the precision and wide flung delusion that it requires. adhd would certainly help, because your thoughts spiral in directions that normal people can't comprehend.

you're seeing into a ninth dimension inaccessible to the neurotypical.

and last but not least, you must be a special kind of freak to find the two worst villains of the game sympathetic and tragic, but even more so than the normal kind, where fans woobify tragic villains or imagine them as being soft with one another.

you don't need them to live happily ever after. you don't need them to be redeemable. you don't need romance to be soft or brutal. you walk the fine line between, you know it's a coin on its side, capable of falling either way.

it's not just about forbidden love or love that ends in tragedy or toxic obsessive love or enemies to lovers.

it's also NOT about the redeeming power of love.

it's about how two of the foulest, most inhumane, sadistic people in the world can still love because no one can fully reject their humanity, and there is beauty in obliteration, there is comfort in watching wretched people destroy one another without realizing they were even doing it.

most heroes are saved by embracing love. most villains are destroyed by heroes in the end, precisely because they could not embrace love.

you have to be a specific type of little weirdo, to love the idea of flipping the script, and seeing villains embracing love, but that's what destroys them in the end.

so if you don't get it.

that's alright.

I get it.

the appeal exists in the margins of the BG3 fandom, just as the canon relationship exists in the margins of the story.

[qqueenofhades]

I can't tell if part of the reason people don't recognize Biden's accomplishments is because society is so shallow and easily swayed by loudness over depth, or because Biden is just too quiet and prone to focusing on the idea that his actions speak louder than his words.

Like yeah, the latter thing is important, but we live in a REALLY shallow society; maybe a bit more bragging about your substantial achievements would be helpful here.

I get what you're saying here, but this kind of thing always seems to hinge on "the Democrats need to be doing more/Biden needs to be saying more/the Democrats are not doing it right/etc," and I just don't think that's the actual problem. Yes, in the past the Democrats have relied on the tactic of just doing good things and hoping that people will notice enough to vote for them, but that TORPEDOED them in 2010 (they didn't aggressively defend/market the Affordable Care Act, the Tea Party crazies got to set the narrative about GOVERNMENT OVERREACH, and they got shellacked so badly that they didn't control the House again for the rest of Obama's time in office). Fortunately, they have awoken to the fact that we live in a corporate noise machine owned and operated by cartoonishly villainous billionaire oligarchs who don't care if the country is pushed into fascism as long as they get their tax breaks, and where the average voter is well conditioned by said media to accept the BOTH SIDES BAD narrative without question.

Whether it's true or not is beside the point; if you flood the zone with enough BS, people act as if it is. See all those polls about how people think the Democrats are "too liberal" more than they think the GOP is "too conservative," even though only one of those parties is actively trying to end democracy. See the people who think Trump and Biden are equally ethically compromised. Etc. etc. Biden has already been considerably vocal about his accomplishments, has given several major speeches about the danger to democracy (which he did just the other day), but it is already so filtered and twisted in a radioactively toxic media atmosphere that just talking more or trying to trumpet more isn't going to help.

The DC media is full of a bunch of narcissists who like to make false equivalences and also openly hanker for Trump to be back in office because it makes them more relevant; they get to break juicy exposes and shocking headlines and whatever else, that gets more clicks, they get more exposure, etc. Biden is (as noted) boring, as in he's not on Twitter every day saying something ludicrous (and if he said even ONE ludicrous thing, far less the nonstop stream of BS that Trump constantly spews and which somehow still makes the media yell about how BIDEN should be the one to step aside, he'd be toast), and just does the job. That's not very Sexy and Marketable. When he talks about how he's doing the job and what he plans to do next, the media is too busy commissioning a dozen bullshit Horserace!!! polls and talking about how, in case we haven't noticed, he is 80 and that is somehow, implicitly, a more disqualifying fact than Trump's 91 goddamn serious treason-level felonies, including for literally trying to overthrow the government. Our politics and civic society have been so irreparably poisoned that actual competence is completely beside the point and makes a normal president less appealing than one who's just insane all the time. Everything's just a game show! Everyone's opinions are equal! Live in all the alternate universes you want! Who cares if we accidentally end democracy? Just another headline!

This is likewise not helped by the fact that in this relentlessly commodified social-media universe, Republicans are constantly on message and united behind their candidates, no matter how openly fucking awful they are, while leftists/liberals/Democrats (and people who claim to be) are constantly tearing into and criticizing their candidates in a way that makes Joe and Jane Low Information Voter even more susceptible to believing the "Both Sides" narrative -- after all, if the Democrats are attacking the Democrats, they really must be bad! Yes, we are not in a cult and therefore are able to have an actual discussion about things, but this falls into the "We're Just Holding Them Accountable!!" line that is just an excuse for ripping the Democrats even more than any of those people ever criticize or actively oppose the Republicans.

Hence all these braindead takes about how Biden should step aside, Biden should drop Harris, Biden should do X Y and Z and this is all his fault, instead of anyone remotely trying to come to grips with the extreme polarization and fascism of the other side. I keep yelling about it, and a lot of other people I respect keep yelling about it, because yet again, we've learned fucking nothing from 2016 and we're teetering on a repeat of it. See how all these Online Leftists want to scream and yell about Biden ending the train strike, and then somehow never seem to have heard that he kept working with the unions for months afterward and got their sick days. Even the people who, in a remotely more functional political landscape and/or if they possessed one (1) working brain cell, would vote for the Democrats get their endless jollies and moral holier-than-thous by absolutely incinerating them. Who needs the Republicans, when these guys will do it for you?

Anyway. Because America is a land of morons manipulated by billionaire corporate interests, just doing the right thing and hoping people notice enough to vote for you is not enough. That's why, indeed, the Democrats have learned that you have to talk about it and push back and argue for what you've done. But when it still exists in this environment that will twist and taint and misrepresent and grind it into tiny pieces, because said billionaire corporate interests are genuinely afraid that the Democrats' current policy plans could dismantle their hegemony if allowed to continue, that's only a very small part of the problem, and we have to recognize that.

[haleigh-sloth]

Hi! I saw some people saying that Hawks is gonna have a mental break, but honestly I don't see that happening currently, do you think there is a chance for that?? (I tough only him realizing that villains can be saved through Ochaco but nothing more than that maybe him been involved on the Todoroki plot but it's seems that they are now far away from him)

Maybe you are focusing on the extreme negative connotations with the word "mental break" and not really reading it for what people mean when they say that, which is:

Hawks's walls that close him off from everyone and everything and his own true emotions need to finally come down. And that happening is not going to be a fun or smooth or easy process. He needs to "break", as in, those mental walls/barriers need to break. And with that, an emotional and mental "break" should follow behind it.

I can vouch for several friends of mine who desperately want to see him cry. That's really what people mean when they say mental break. Because Hawks won't cry, he won't express hardly any emotion right now because he's not facing what he's done and what he really feels. I wrote about the villains needing to CRY and I feel the same applies to Hawks. The cathartic emotional and mental release people are wanting is because they want him to face his actions, face how he really feels about them, and challenge his way of thinking. That is not an easy process (See: Tomura), so it shouldn't just be something he casually shrugs off like no big deal. If you're thinking people are wanting a legit psychotic break then no, that's not true. And if they are, well, weird, but that's not the crowd I'm talking about here.

I'm sure you didn't want a whole thoroughly thought-out response to this but this is the consequences of your actions (jk)

You brought up Ochacko as Hawks realizing villains can be saved, and yes I agree that's a thing that should happen. Hawks killed Twice, and then proceeded to say he wants to be like Twice. That is not a normal thought process. And in the act of killing Twice, he struggled internally due to his own conflicting feelings on the Jin Bubaigawara he grew a sort of attachment to before the PLF raid, and used language indicating that he genuinely felt pretty fondly of Twice---and then proceeds to stab him in the back (literally). I highly recommend checking out @transhawks meta on the interaction between Hawks and Twice before he killed him, as it really points out some of the emotions Hawks was cycling through in that moment. Also, re-read that scene anyway because you can clearly see Hawks struggling with the situation, only to snap at the end.

So again, even within the context of fictional bnha it's not normal for Hawks to stab a guy in the back and murder him, express pretty much zero remorse about it at all, and then proceed to say you want to be like him because you like him as a person.

Hawks and Twice were put into a mirror situation of Izuku/Tomura, Shouto/Touya, Ochacko/Toga. Twice was Hawks's villain. And Hawks actually kickstarted the whole narrative of attempting to save a villain you've formed a connection with by appealing to their needs in some way and using who you are as a person to that villain. The thing about their situation is that Hawks failed. For obvious story-telling reasons, like he can't accomplish what the kids' goal is before they do, before they even get a chance to entertain the idea of it. But for character-related reasons such as Hawks refusing to face himself and be vulnerable. Twice was just openly vulnerable 24/7, but Hawks didn't let his walls come down even one bit, which was the problem in their dynamic. The problem extends beyond that because Twice is gone now, and you can see that Hawks won't even be vulnerable within himself, to himself, for himself. He just won't do it. And with these hero/villain pairs the manga has set up for the end game, vulnerability from BOTH sides plays a huge part in the kids succeeding at their goal of saving. Hawks refuses to do that, so therefore he failed.

And rather than reflecting on his time since then, what we get when Toga!Twice shows up again:

is Hawks immediately resorting to killing him again, still not facing the mess of a situation it was when he did it for real back in the PLF war.

When Hawks talks about Twice in the way that he does--such as wanting to be like him and liking him as a person (yk like when he killed him), it's framed pretty ominously:

And this panel brings me to his involvement with the Todorokis.

Do I know how Hawks's involvement with Toga will lead into/tie into his involvement with the Todorokis? No, I don't and can't really see the pathway YET, but he's tied to both and it's uncharacteristic of Hori's writing style to leave things unfinished/unaddressed, so I'm confident he's going to make it happen.

Hawks and Endeavor, my god. Hawks, for lack of a better way of phrasing it, wishes Endeavor was his dad. It's coded this way, Hori doesn't go out of his way to beat the allegations either with his art:

Hawks's parasocial attachment to Endeavor (who quite literally never pays any extra mind to Hawks or spares a thought toward him during this whole final arc (or ever tbh)) is not a good thing. It's not cute, it's not sweet, it's not a normal admiration. Hawks's commentary on the Todorokis, his intrusion into their conversation during the hospital chapters, his curiosity about special details (like Shouto's eye), him insisting on just supporting Endeavor literally no matter what--there is nothing positive about that. Hawks even says it himself that he admires Shouto for facing his family's problems, when Hawks never got to (through no fault of his own, but this is a testament to how he feels about the Todorokis). In a sense Hawks just...wishes Endeavor was his dad. I mean that's the most blunt way I can put it. He views Endeavor (the doll) as a source of comfort, like a child would/should their parent. Little Hawks and little Touya being placed in front of Endeavor, whose face is split evenly on the page, is not subtle. It's clear a choice has to be made, and Hawks is not the choice Endeavor is going to make. Touya is.

Now, if Horikoshi wants to write a satisfying conclusion for Hawks similar to that of the LOV setup to have an emotional catharsis moment later on, then he'll make this impact Hawks believably. That should NOT be something Hawks just shrugs off like it wasn't a big deal. Because it 100% will be/should be treated AS A BIG DEAL. He's clung to his image of Endeavor since he was a child. Endeavor the hero, who beats bad guys. Not Enji, the father who rejects heroism in the name of saving his villain son--who burned Hawks's wings and went after his mom let's not forget. That is not something we've seen Hawks contemplate internally. The whole fight Hawks is worried about Endeavor, meanwhile inside Endeavor's head he's thinking about himself or his kids. The relationship is not the two way street Hawks would want it to be. And it's gonna be made clear, and that should hurt.

So, two major things here that really shouldn't be just "¯\_(ツ)_/¯" moments for Hawks. Ochacko saving Toga (dressed as Twice) should be a pretty jarring awakening for Hawks that HE tried to save Twice, but he failed. But Ochacko is succeeding in saving Twice's friend. It should be a pretty upsetting event to look back on that situation and realize that killing Twice really wasn't the answer, or the only options, because Ochacko saving Toga (again, currentlydressed as Twice) is living proof. Hawks failed, and Twice, the guy he says he likes, is dead. Endeavor choosing family (Touya) over heroism (Keigo) should also be upsetting, because his childhood ideal Endeavor is gone.

Both of these things happening should be challenges to Hawks's thoughts and feelings about himself, and that should not be a smooth process that doesn't involve strong emotional reactions from the character. There's a LOT left to be done with Hawks and that's why people want to see it.

Am I confident that it'll happen to the level of that I am confident Tomura, Touya, and Toga will be saved? I wouldn't say I'm that high up on the confidence scale, just because Hawks has always been so weirdly handled by Horikoshi that I scratch my head at his choices with Hawks sometimes. But I AM confident they will be addressed. Hawks maintaining his cool guy demeanor would be really stupid and disappointing tbh, especially because the LOV losing their "cool" demeanor elevates their stories so well and I think Hawks deserves the same treatment.

[gayuu-the-necromancer]

William Rex Chapter 17

 WARNING! The following story contains scenes of violence and torture.

｡⋆｡˚🦋˚｡⋆｡

I slowly open the door to my room, listening to the rain drops tapping on the window.

(Let's talk to Victor first)

Victor is a man who always looks at William and everyone in the Crown with compassion and cares for them.

He decided that he couldn't move the Crown, so it would take a lot to persuade him to do so.

(...Don't be timid)

I took one step into the corridor and then----

???: "Kate....!"

???: "See. I told you she would come out soon."

(Eh....?)

When I look towards the voice, I see Liam and Harrison.

Then there was Mr. Alphonse, standing by the window, looking at me.

Kate: "What are you all doing here....?"

Harrison: "Where are you going with a face like that?"

(If I can convince Victor, the next step is to get the Crown to help me)

(There should be no need and no point in lying and deceiving here)

Kate: "....I was going to go and negotiate with Victor."

Harrison: "I figured it would be something like that."

Harrison: "I know you're not the kind of person who stays in your room when you're told to 'behave'."

Harrison: "That's what Will likes and that's what he wants everyone to do."

Harrison looked at me rather seriously with his light-coloured eyes.

Harrison: "The time to turn back is now. You can lock yourself up in this castle, safe and quiet, and then you can go back to your normal life."

Harrison: "Tonight, whether a certain villain dies or lives, you don't have to know about it, and you can go on with your normal life as usual."

Harrison: "You still have a way back to that warm sunshine."

(Looking back...Harrison was also there that night when we all first met)

----FLASHBACK----

Aloof man: "Sorry if that freaked you out, but these are just props for a stage play."

Kate: "Liar...."

Aloof man: "....It would have been good for you if you had pretended to believe me."

----FLASHBACK ENDS----

(You went to great lengths to keep me out of this world of darkness with your lies)

Perhaps the lie he told at the time was a roundabout kindness.

Kate: "....Thank you, Harrison."

Smiling with gratitude for their concern and an apology for letting it go unchecked.

Harrison: "....Guess, that's it then."

Harrison smiled thinly, as if he knew what my response would be and shrugged his shoulders.

Harrison: "You were going to try negotiate with him about the Tower of London, right?"

Kate: "Yes, I want to free these innocent prisoners. Before William does."

Harrison: "What happens after he agrees? How do you prove their innocence?"

Kate: "....It is difficult to prove their innocence and salvage them through a straightforward process."

Kate: "If we were to appeal in court that their arrest itself was unjustified, they would probably be dismissed."

(If the arrests were engineered by the Privy Council, at least some collusion with the police is certain. The police cannot be relied upon)

(Even the courts would use the prisoners' trumped-up charges against William)

Kate: "There are two ways to prove his innocence. Either William pleads guilty and testifies that he has nothing to do with them...."

Kate: "Either that or William himself will be in a situation where he cannot be charged with a crime."

Kate: "If Mr. Brian wrote an article, the latter might be possible....but I am still uncertain."

Kate: "In the meantime, their freedom and dignity continue to be damaged. And William is not going to let that go unnoticed."

Kate: "I don't want to see the prisoners get hurt, and I also don't want to see William hurt."

Harrison: ".......Let me ask you something."

Harrison: "William is actually killing people. Do you think it's right that he should go free of that charge?"

Kate: "It's not....right. Killing is sinful, no matter who it is or what the circumstances are."

Kate: "But I can't stand by and watch him be judged...just because the evil he perpetrates is not right."

(That's how much----William saved me)

(That he rescued me from being unreasonable, listened to my heart and pushed me to be on my own....)

(I know how much it means to the people he saved and I know how much it means to him)

-----Options------

Pretending not to see.

Even if it's not right.

Even if stained with the same sin.

--------

Kate: "I will not be sorry if I am tainted by the same sins as William."

Harrison: "....Oh."

Kate: "Now we have to rescue the prisoners and stop William from being lured to the Tower of London."

Kate: "And in due course, the prisoners will be exonerated. ....That's the best I can do now."

Harrison: "....So that's what you've been thinking about all morning and all this time."

Harrison: "And what? Now you're going to convince Victor?"

Kate: "Yes. I also need your help, so let's start with Victor."

Harrison: "I don't think that would do anything."

 ｡⋆｡˚🦋˚｡⋆｡

Harrison: "I don't think that would do anything."

Kate: "Eh, but..."

Liam: "Victor said 'Be as quiet as possible so they don't know you're here', right?"

Liam: "He didn't say 'don't do anything'. So as long as we appear quiet, we can do anything."

(Nn...)

Kate: "That's what he meant!?"

Kate: "But, 'the Crown cannot be moved in the name of her Majesty the Queen...!"

Alphonse: "In simple words, he meant 'I won't give you orders, so you guys can do whatever you want.' "

Kate: "That's...what he meant...."

Harrison: "Yes, that is, as far as that freak is concerned."

Liam: "Let me escort you to the Tower of London. Haha, I'm looking forward to it, a prison that's rumored to be haunted!"

Kate: ".....So, you guys will help me?"

Harrison: "We'll be working with a minimum number of people to keep a low profile, and Liam's ability to disappear makes him perfect for infiltration, don't you think?"

Liam: "....I think Will would have appreciated it more if we'd waited and trusted him."

Liam: "But if we let you go without telling him...he'll probably be sad."

Liam: "I want Will to compliment me. Oh and you too, of course."

Kate: "Liam...."

Liam's eyes were filled with madcap curiosity when he said 'fun'

Now it was like looking for a landmark in total darkness, both haunting and desperate.

We don't yet know what the circumstances are.

William may be in one of his most important strongholds.

Harrison: "I'll support you from the outside in case of emergency...And also, I don't know why Al is here."

Alphonse: "Master El asked me to do this in his place."

Kate: "Master Elbert...?"

Alphonse: "Yes. He said 'Your abilities are more suited for inflitrating enemy territory'. And...."

Mr. Alphonse puts his lips to his ear. The sweet, decadent scent softly wafted over my nose.

Alphonse: "I have always thought that if Mr. William were to be killed, it would be by an innocent civilian."

(Eh....)

Alphonse: "It's going to be a hilarious spectacle whichever way it goes, so I thought I'd follow along."

(He doesn't care if William lives or dies, or if the prisoners are freed...he is just going there for shits and giggles...?)

The attitude that everything is a farce appears to be unreliable.

I wonder if my emotions were showing on my face, but Mr. Alphonse didn't seem offended and smiled.

Alphonse: "Fufu. Don't look so worried. If necessary, I will be a helpful ally. Of course."

(....I am aware that I am trying to do something selfish that I cannot achieve alone)

(I don't care what the motive is, as long as I can get help...!)

Kate: "Yes, thank you!"

We had some discussion and strategy on the journey to the Tower of London and how to move internally.

Harrison: "That's how many people are housed there. It's not easy to break them out."

Harrison: "If you don't think it's possible. I suggest you just investigate this time and go back...just saying."

 ｡⋆｡˚🦋˚｡⋆｡

We secretly left the castle for the city of London, where the skies were dark, hinting on a possible downpour.

Liam: "Okay, we're about to move. Close your eyes if you feel scared."

Kate: "Y-Yes! ....!"

A floating sensation hits my body and I gasp in instinctive fear.

With me in his arms, Liam leapt lightly over the roofs of London houses.

Liam: "Will showed me this route. He said its beautiful and he likes it...woah!"

Kate: "Ah."

Liam: "Ahaha...It's thrilling and fun, isn't it?"

Liam: "Will is a genius at enjoying life, isn't he?"

I smiled somewhat unsteadily and agitatedly, nod at Liam and cling desperately onto him.

(He is trying to talk about something to make me feel at ease...!)

Kate: "Oh and Mr. Alphonse, have you used....this route?"

Alphonse: "Yes. I've been using it sometimes with 'friends' since Liam told me about it."

Alphonse: "We play this fun little game where, for every roof you fly over, you get a drink and if you get scared or fall off, you lose."

(What a dangerous game...and who are these 'friends'....?)

Alphonse: "Well, it's certainly a good route for tonight's operation. Because there are policemen roaming the streets."

Looking down below at Mr. Alphonse's comment, the shadows of police officers can be seen all over the city.

(Indeed, if we were walking on the ground, we would likely be---)

Cold sweat trickles down my spine as I recall the gun being pointed at me.

I felt a deep sense of relief at being hidden in the darkness of the night.

(I never thought....that darkness could reassure me)

We arrived at the gates of the Tower of London, as previously discussed,

Liam disappears and Mr. Alphonse, gently removes his leather gloves.

Alphonse: "Well, shall we get going?"

.........

Alphonse: "Thank you for your efforts."

Security guards: "....Excuse me, who are you? If you don't have a pass then----"

Alphonse: "Oh my, have you forgotten the face of your colleague?"

Alphonse: "We've gone to a lot of trouble to 'bring prisoners into custody'. "

When Mr. Alphonse touched the nape of his neck and whispered, the guard's attitude changed.

Security guard: "Oh yes. You can go through."

Alphonse: "Thank you. Then, shall we."

The gate is opened and we slip inside through the gap.

(Such a convenient ability to break in so easily...right?)

Kate: "Wouldn't this mean that if we let him think he's being restrained by Alphonse's ability, he doesn't actually have to be restrained?"

Alphonse: "Wow! You're very sharp even at times like this."

(Of course...!)

Alphonse: "Oh, you're not angry?"

Kate: "....If you think of it as a cooperation fee, it's about as cheap as being tied down."

Alphonse: "Aha! You're funny. I wish Mr. William had let me borrow you for a day."

(You completely think people are toys or something....)

.................

With the help of Mr. Alphonse and Liam's ability to fool the police, things went according to plan.

They stole documents from the control room and located the cells where innocent prisoners were being held.

We ran inside the cold towers, using the floor plans as a guide to kill our footsteps.

Liam: "These towers used to be used for the detention of high-ranking political prisoners and for executions."

Alphonse: "It is a horrifying historical place to invite Mr. William to feed on the general public...."

Alphonse: "Not bad, Grimsley."

Liam: "....! Al, Kate, I hear something at the bottom of the stairs."

I listened for Liam's voice, and sure enough, from downstairs, I heard what sounded like a scream.

Kate: "....Let's go."

 ｡⋆｡˚🦋˚｡⋆｡

With each step down the stairs, the multiple screams become more vivid and stirring in their poignancy.

(...This is---)

Alphonse: "...It looks like we're in the right place."

While hiding in a corner of the staircase, we listen downstairs.

The screams of the condemned prisoners echoed behind the layers of bars.

Policemen: "You were involved in the crime, weren't you? Look, if you don't tell us what you've done, you'll never walk again."

Prisoner: "Stop! No! I'm innocent!"

Prisoner: "I didn't know that man was smuggling drugs! Please believe me, there must be some mistake....."

Policemen: "The company you built with his support...was it something about freedom for all?"

Policemen: "And at the same time he's smuggling drugs. What a hypocrite. Come on! Tell us where he is!"

Prisoner: "No! I don't know...I really don't know...!"

Policemen: "Tch...do it."

(!!)

I see a prisoner with his head in a water trough and manage to keep my voice from jumping out at the sight of it.

Turning to the prison next to the condemned prisoners, we saw people looking exhausted and staring at each other.

Young prisoner: "Why do we have to go through this...? It's all his fault..!"

Older prisoner: "....That guy..don't you owe Sir Rex a debt of gratitude too. ...It's not right to hold a grudge against someone like that."

Young prisoner: "Oh yeah!? Okay then...where the hell is that William?"

Young prisoner: "If he is not involved in this, why isn't he coming out and saying anything! The only reason he can't come is because that article is true, right!?"

Young prisoner: "....I was going to prove to people that slum-borns are not inferior to people born in normal circumstances...."

Young prisoner: "When I said that, he even wrote a letter of recommendation to the university saying 'you can do it'....!"

Young prisoner: "I'm a slum-born, and now I'm hearing that he buys and sells people like me. It felt like all this time he had been using me.."

Young prisoner: "I thought he was my benefactor and but now, I can't...forgive him..for deceiving me like this...!"

(...As I thought)

(Anger at this unreasonable treatment naturally turns to William)

The police are suppose to be 'justice'. But they capture these people without any evidence and tortured them without due process of law...

Even the people who are labeled as evil by the police do not easily recognize it as a 'crime'.

(If William comes here and hears these people cursing him...)

(He wouldn't mind, but...I don't like that)

Liam: "Kate, are you okay?"

Kate: "...I'm fine. We know where the prisoners are. Next is..."

Kate: "'Mr. Alphonse will get the key to the relevant prison', right?"

Alphonse: "Yes. It's easy to deceive them, don't worry. You two can hide in the corner until I get back."

Mr. Alphonse wandered off and I was about to discuss our escape route with Liam, when----

???: "Ugh..Nn..."

I thought I heard a familiar voice from the nearest prison and looked over to see----

Kate: "Mr. Brian....!?"

 ｡⋆｡˚🦋˚｡⋆｡

Liam: "You mean the one who wrote that article...?"

He had fiery red hair and looked emaciated, perhaps from the assault.

(...Why are you here?...)

Liam: "Hold on, Miss Kate...I'll make a noise and get the cop's attention."

Liam: "In the meantime, ask him what happened. I'll be back as soon as I've attracted the police."

Kate: "....Thank you very much."

Liam's figure suddenly disappears from sight, and a few seconds later----

At the far end of the prison-lined corridor, a loud noise could be heard.

Policemen: "What's going on!?"

A flurry of police officers head to see what's going on.

(Now)

I went downstairs and rushed to Brian's cell.

Kate: "Mr. Brian...."

Brian: "Nn!? Miss Kate, why are you here...?"

Kate: "That's my line...! Why are you here?"

Brian: "...I went to Grimsley to ask him about the truth."

Brian: "The charges I wrote in that article were a frame-up... and he came clean."

Brian: "That Sir Rex is really an organised assassin of evil who cannot be brought to justice by the law."

----FLASHBACK----

Grimsley: "Nevertheless, it is also true that he is a mass murderer."

Grimsley: "As the revolutionaries' movement has brought about new laws and expanded the rights of citizens, assassination squads...."

Grimsley: "An anachronism, don't you think?"

Grimsley: "You're clever enough to realize that it's in the best interests of this Britain to keep quiet, isn't it?"

-----FLASHBACK ENDS-----

Brian: "....I couldn't...nod my head. I said, 'give me some time' and left his office. On the way home....I was attacked and now I'm here...."

Brian: "Why are you here? Did they catch you too?"

Kate: ".....No. I snuck in here because I wanted to free you all."

Brian: "Why....?"

Kate: "Well----"

At that moment, the upper floor suddenly becomes noisy.

There were angry, shrill voices, whistles and the sound of many footsteps.

(No way!!)

.............

----A black shadow alighted gracefully from one of the carriages.

Security guard: ".....Whoa, that's----"

Raindrops wet the red and gold of his cloak and the silver of his swaying hair, reflecting off the street lamps as if decorating the darkness of the night.

The man slowly looked up as he walked towards the gate.

Her blood-red eyes gleam seductively in the darkness.

William: "Good evening. Sorry for intruding you all."

William: "I have friends who have been invited here, so I was wondering if you could let me in."

Security guard: "W-William Rex....!"

Soon after, a high-pitched whistle shook the silence of the night.

Guards and policemen quickly rush to the gate and pointed their guns at William.

Older policemen: "You are charged with murder! Put down your weapon and surrender!"

William: "Ahahaha, that's an enthusiastic welcome. Now....who should I dance with?"

William was in no hurry and looked around at the policemen as if he were looking at a cake in a bakery.

William: "You detain and tortured innocent people and violated their freedom for this purpose alone."

William: "....If there are extenuating circumstances, it is that they are orders from someone in authority."

Older policemen: "What are you talking about! Hands up! Or else....!"

William: "Raise your hand? Okay then."

William: "Raise your hands if you feel any remorse in your conscience about what is now taking place in the Tower of London."

Older policemen: ".....!?"

Young policemen: "W-Why...why are my arms...!?"

The officers were stared down by William, as he ordered them.

Some were puzzled by their own arms lifting of their own accord while others were mortified by their colleagues.

Old policemen: "Tch, you're breaking an order! You're breaking an order!"

William smiled gently as a man who appeared to be his superior officer barked at him.

William: "Don't scold them. They are just being honest with themselves."

William: "Whoever raises their hands now should stay in the corner, silent."

William: "As for the rest----"

William: "Plead guilty."

Chapter 18

[chaifootsteps]

(Patreon anon) Here's the last of what I have of my QnA archive, I don't plan to repledge so cheers to whoever uses their money to snitch like me.

-HB season 1 takes place within one year

-Wally Wackford won't appear much in season 2 but will be important in the future.

-Vivzie would love more Wally merch but her merch lead doesn't feel confident in it selling well.

-Vivzie hasn't consider making pride merch because "It's the kind of thing that big corporations to try to appeal to a generation they're not normally involved in."

-Vivzie claims the whole show is a celebration of pride and doesn't feel the need to make pride merch but would be down to making if there's a demand for it. (With the amount of fan merch I've seen, there is)

-She claims to do general research for the HH character time period but doesn't integrate the history into their backstories as of now.

-Viv's open to oversea convention appearances and has been trying to get a booking agent to travel more for European conventions.

-Paimon's a big shapeshifter and is only an owl because that's what he needs to be.

-There was a time where Vivzie hated Zoophobia, saying if something doesn't work out, keep trying new projects that excite you.

-One hell year equals a lot of Earth years, so stolas existed well before 1985.

-Vivzie actually loves Mammon's design, she conceptualized it and had someone else finalize it. Sort of like how Oz was designed by someone on the team with Vivzie finalizing it.

-Vivzie wanted to show men can be abused too with Stolas

-Jeremy Jordan might join be cast by Vivzie since she knows him

-Stella may not want Stolas dead right away anymore, just at a later time. (This was asked pre-Western Energy)

-It's currently unclear when we'll get HH merch with their full series designs since they're owned by A24. (This was months before the recall of that Sir Pentious keychain that used the full series design)

-At the time, they were aiming for a three month wait period between HB episodes for season 2.

-Unlike HH, HB isn't considered a musical to Vivzie but will have elements to it in season 2.

-Vivzie doesn't remember what the golden feathers in epsiode 6 meant. Adam saids the artist come up with a bunch of ideas.

-Sinners technically don't need food and water to live, it's mostly out of habit and indulgence. Electronic sinners like Vox find a way through cartoon logic.

-Because of how long episode 8 was taking, Vivzie and Adam have started making HB comics of what happens between the episodes. They're still figuring it out with HH.

-If Oz ever met Valentino, he would hate him. The team jokes that Val would be very "notice me senpai" with him.

-Stolas is confirmed to be 8ft tall with Blitz at 5ft.

-Fights between an overlord and a goetia would barely happen so Vivzie wouldn't know which one would win.

-Tilla was removed as a sibling because Blitz's family was still in the early works, she's going to be renamed.

-Vivzie doesn't have a specific favorite villain archetypes, she enjoys ruthless mean girls and dramatic, and theatrical messed up villains like The Joker.

-Episode 6's collaboration was fun for Vivzie but complicated because she had to manage an entire second team, There were file issues and they had to go back and forth to make sure they were correct.

-Vivzie's interested in making more Zoophobia merch but doesn't wish to for other older projects. She mentions it'd be hard to convince her merch lead that anyone would want to buy anything from her older works.

-Stolas does have guilt with his affair and he has a lot of turmoil related to it.

-Leviathan will have a cameo in season 2

-Vivzie can't give specifics but Stolas doesn't have many friends who we might see them in the future. Stella has two friends who at the moment of that QnA don't have names.

-White marks on Imps are scars, and can be added for aesthetics (Unsure if she means design wise or in-universe cosmetics, possibly both with how Barbie looks)

-Stolas's job is to look into the skies of Earth and find prophecies in them and inform Hell of what's to come in the future, he doesn't do much other than that.

-Oz has a broad range of powers, there were too many to list in the timespan of the QnA.

-Octavia takes after Stolas in that she's socially unaware, Vivzie claims she also unaware of her parents's relationship because of Stolas trying hard to make it seem things are fine and does that to a "good extent".

-we'll see what Octavia and Stella's relationship is like later.

-Vivzie would like to release an artbook bigger than their con-exclusive one for HB after season 2 and when the team is free to organize the production art, she's unable to do one for HH at the moment.

-DHORK will return

-She's still figuring out the sins but don't want them to be fallen angels since it doesn't matter in HB, but it will for HH. So she wants to wait until HH to decide. (Possible they figured it out with HH season 1 done)

-She finds people saying the childhood friends trope with Stolitz being fanservice frustrating. (As seen with her recent rant of the overall story)

-Vivzie adopted Pixel a year and a half after she graduated SVA. She didn't explain how she got Honeybee and Nugget.

-full quote "There would be demons from the ring of Lust who would be asexual, and they will get to that in the future. But she generally imagines that lust demons wouldn't think it'd that much of a taboo. Lust demons would generally be confused by the concept, but they wouldn't have any hate.

Asmodeus would be an example of someone who wouldn't understand asexuality"

-She would like region-free dvds of HB but it would require re-negotiations with everyone who was involved with the show, if they do release it, it'll be difficult to make it region-free.

-Stolitz didn't interact at all between the 25 years apart.

-She put a lot of her life into Loo Loo Land, and yes...Viv's dad was openly horny in front of her and her sisters growing up, Viv found it funny but like I told Lemon...There was no mention of how her sisters felt about it.

-Viv put aspects of herself into Octavia but claims to not be a self-insert. Fizz has an aspect that is directly from Viv that we'll see in season 2 that she feels needs to be shown.

-HB was spun off because IMP was originally for HH, with Vivzie thinking they were better off as their own thing. HB's also about exploring Vivzie's hell like the demons that possess people.

-HB/HH was inspired by Batman and various musicals with the idea that she wanted a worlds with nothing but villains.

-The fan interpretations of Andrealphus were pretty close to what she's written for him.

-Vivzie's interpretation of Stolas's "I used to think that I was bold, I used to think that love was for fun" is meant that he's never gotten the chance to experience true love with him being gay and he had an arranged marriage.

-She wants Stolas and Stella's relationship to be something that's debated.

-The Von Eldritches will not appear in HH season 1

-question "How did Viv get to where she was? How did she get Hazbin and Helluva produced?"

answer: "She has reps who set her up with people very interested in her show. It was the producers who pitched their interest in her. This is what happened with Hazbin in that production companies showed what they would do for that show. When A24 showed interest in Hazbin, that's when she started pitching it to others (No mention of that those others are)"

-The certificate on Loona's adoption paper was signed by Beelzebub.

-HH will have the same level of NSFW and dark as HB is at the time of season 2's beginning, (I'm not sure why people are thinking it'll be even more if she has to obey S&P with a TV show) she admits to not having a good gauge of what's too extreme as she just does what she wants to do to tell her story. HH is new territory since it's more story based than HB.

-YT doesn't allow the use of the word "cunt" so Mammon will be heavily censored with the amount of time he saids it. There's also a scene in HB that a storyboard artist went too extreme on and Vivzie was afraid it would be rejected but turned out to be okay. (This ask was in September 2022, she didn't mention which scene but if I had to guess it might have been the dildo room)

-Oz is aware of Fizz being an imp, but Vivzie doesn't know if it's an open fact and she might use it as a story element someday.

-Rosie is an overlord, that's all Vivzie can say when asked what kind of demon she is.

-At the time Vivzie was still figuring out how time works in hell, Sinners are stuck at the age they died as while Hellborns do age.

-Stolas would have thought of Blitz a lot after their day together and has a problem separating fantasy from reality, Blitz would have never thought of him.

-Blitz's horse obsession started as an inside joke among the team

-Vivzie can't say if season 2 will have a Stolitz kiss

-Episode 6's collab started 4-5 months before the episode came out, There's no plans for season 2 to have one but Vivzie would love to do it again.

-When asked if any new characters will join IMP in season 2 Vivzie said "Not this season!"

-Stolas can transform into other things, but Vivzie is still deciding if it's something he can do on his own or needs the grimoire for it.

-Vivzie uses Google sheets to write and takes the complete draft to something called Final Draft to finish it

-That white cyclops guy that shows up in Cherri Bomb's segment of Addict is likely to change but that's all Vivzie can say.

-Striker was confirmed to be a hybrid hellborn.

-The client giving birth button in episode 1 was an oversight on Vivzie's part but did say that IMP had hellborn clients before

-Any remaining reveals of HH characters will be minor characters from the pilot, the final reveal will be a brand new character. (This was before the Adam reveal, so he could have been the final one)

-The thing about the sins being a pseudo-family with "nice and asshole" ones were accurate to what's been told to you, same with them technically being goetias, they're just in a different category.

-We'll see Oz and Mammon's relationship in the middle of season 2.

-A lot of material things have been made in the greed ring, it's very industrial, full of banks, smoggy and crime ridden like that was seen in the Chaz episode.

-HH and HB are planned out but said that there's "wiggle room' in that they figure out as the show goes by how they get to the events.

-Vivzie's still deciding what special powers Striker would have as a hybrid.

-If Vivzie had unlimited funds, she would love to make a movie for HH and HB and to speed up her production pipeline. she had issues in 2022 with her working more on HH.

-Claims that HH will definitely come out in 2023, but she also mentioned season 2 of HB will have a more consistent release schedule at the same time.

-Vivzie would like to make a height chart for the HB characters but claims the team doesn't need one because they know the size of them already.

> Vivzie hasn't consider making pride merch because "It's the kind of thing that big corporations to try to appeal to a generation they're not normally involved in."

Says Vivzie as she can't put out Sallie Mae merchandise fast enough, despite her having one speaking line and about five seconds of screen time.

> -HH and HB are planned out but said that there's "wiggle room' in that they figure out as the show goes by how they get to the events.

She's flip-flopped on how planned out the show is so many times it's not even funny anymore.

> Stolas does have guilt with his affair and he has a lot of turmoil related to it.

Figures this was before both scenes where he says he has zero guilt and would feel bad if he thought he did something wrong but doesn't.

> -Stolas would have thought of Blitz a lot after their day together and has a problem separating fantasy from reality, Blitz would have never thought of him.

What a fascinating character trait that we were all looking forward to seeing more of after Blitzo told him off in Ozzie's and popped his delusional bubble! What a shame it was downgraded to "Stolas, as always, did nothing wrong."

> -She wants Stolas and Stella's relationship to be something that's debated.

Liar.

> -She put a lot of her life into Loo Loo Land, and yes...Viv's dad was openly horny in front of her and her sisters growing up, Viv found it funny but like I told Lemon...There was no mention of how her sisters felt about it.

> -Vivzie doesn't remember what the golden feathers in epsiode 6 meant. Adam saids the artist come up with a bunch of ideas.

Remember when we all thought that was important? Oh Vivzie, you fucking hack.

Thank you so much for all of these, Patreon Anon. Hopefully someone else will step into your shoes but for now know that you're braver than any Marine.

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Featured Fic Friday!

Welcome to Featured Fic Friday! A day where I, or someone who suggests one, tell you about a fanfic that I really enjoy! Spoiler's under the cut! Today's featured fic is...

The Untouchable Moon by Mutatedbunnies (Explicit, Incomplete)

Nightmare is an unstoppable force of evil in the Multiverse, spreading his negativity as far as he is able to reach. Many fear him, many worship him. But he's gone missing. A "Slice of Life" fic in which one of the biggest baddies in the Multiverse decides to give up his career as a villain and shack up with a simple barista skeleton. How will Nightmare adjust to life as a simple monster, working to make a living next to his partner? And what about the life and the monsters he left behind to pursue his new life?

An explicit fic this time, differing from previous fics I've recommended. I chose this one specifically because it's a very different vibe from what I normally offer, both in the contents & the emotions it gives off.

Unfortunately discontinued, the story leaves off at a place that doesn't leave you wanting too much, a satisfying ending. It's hard to describe the appeal, what drew me to this fic. I think was the vibe the fic gives off, a soft melancholic darkness. Maybe I'm just a sucker for slice of life fics.

Regardless, the author does a good job of making you attached to the characters. The relationships are well written, especially with how the characters interact with each other.

Spoilers ahead!

I love how Ccino & Nightmare are written. The way that they act around each other is so interesting to me, & how their relationship progresses the longer they're around each other. They're both so in love, & changing each other in ways that benefit the both of them.

Speaking of relationships, let's talk about Dream & Cross. More of a background ship, we don't get to see much of the two. What we do get to see, though, is a formerly forbidden romance growing with the obstacle no longer blocking it from doing so. It's incredibly cute to read the two interact with each other.

[satancopilotsmytardis]

I’m very sorry for the long ask, I’m incapable of minimizing my words in text.

I’ve stalked your account silently for like two months and have stockpiled some questions (that you don’t have to answer). And I apologize for repeating any questions you have answered before

1. Have you ever considered doing a totally normal non-quirk au for shigadabi? Like just normal people, no powers or anything. They can still do crime and have the same relationships to their families, but they just can’t burn/dust them respectively.

1.5. Connected to this question, how do you feel about shigadabi have their actual natural hair colors (aka shiggy having black, and dabi being a redhead). Personally I like the thought of black hair shiggy, but even in a normal au I think dabi would still dye his hair because duh.

2. I can’t remember if you actually wrote this, my mind is saying yes but my memory can’t be trusted. Would you ever consider swapping the heroes and villains. Whether shigadabi would be lawful heroes can be up for debate.

Again you don’t have to answer any of these, I’m asking out of pure curiosity and don’t expect these concepts to become actual fics. Thank you for reading anyways :)

Hello! I'm glad you like my work and I hope that you've been having fun hanging out on the blog!

1: I'm not interested in writing an AU without them having some kind of ability/magic/supernatural thing going on. IRL I actively avoid consuming media that doesn't have a fantastical element to it because I find those kinds of things exceedingly boring, so I would never write an AU that made Shigadabi 'normal' even if it was like a mafia AU or something like that.

1.5: I don't have any intention of writing them both with their natural hair colors. I love Shigaraki's white hair and I prefer Dabi's black hair over the white (and I hate his red hair with a passion). Not only that, but I feel like giving them their 'natural' or 'original' hair color would stray too close to it being a story about 'Tenko and Toya' which are versions of their characters that I don't care for. I want to write about Shigaraki and Dabi so creating stories that lean into who they were (in any way) before that, doesn't appeal to me!

2: In conjunction with 1.5, I don't really have any plans or desire to do a hero AU for Shigadabi because that wouldn't be Shigadabi to me anymore. Shigaraki and Dabi don't want to be heroes, Tenko and Toya did. Since I don't want to write Tenko and Toya, doing a hero AU is extremely unlikely. The only whisper of interest I have in this concept is maybe one of them getting swapped with a hero version of them or a hero version showing up in their universe and them discovering the hero is basically Homelander from The Boys, and even then, that idea isn't super engaging to me.

Sorry to be a downer, but I like what I like and I'm at the point where if I don't want to write something, I won't force myself to engage with it anyway! But I am, genuinely, always happy to answer questions like these! Thank you for asking!

[spicyicetea]

So... Me again. Did I just put a post out saying that I probably won't update any time soon? Yes. Am I now putting out a chunky post about a Pokémon au I've been making as stress relief? Yes. Am I scared of being judged or people thinking the au sounds dumb? Very much so. Well here's my au! Please enjoy, I beg you.

Distortian au

This au is centred around my personal favourite pokemon characters and a villain team me and my friends made up one night. The evil team is refered to as team lotus and their main goal is to open a reliable pathway into the distortian realm to comune with Giritina. I don't want to give too many spoilers about why they're doing this, in case I do end up writing a longer story, but it isn't for inherently evil reasons, like self gain or the destruction of humanity. The Y/N character in this AU would be the younger sibling of the leader of Team Lotus. Y/N is unaware of their siblings association with the team and works with the other trainers at trying to take down the team.

Speaking of which, the other strong pokemon trainers, like the champions, gym leaders and other powerful trainers (Like Emmet and Ingo), would join in the fights trying to take down the team as they recruit technology and members of other evil teams from other regions. The team is hiding itself under a man made resort island that is currently hosting a world wide battle competition to determine the the strongest trainer in the world.

How would this change the actual characters?

Well the personalities of the characters wouoldn't change in any extreme way, however I would be applying personal headcannons onto them for what happened after the events of their game/games or just how I believe they would actually act. Just as an example of what I mean by this, I like the idea that certain evil team leaders would have tried to redeem themselves after being defeated. Obviously some of them would have remained set in their ways, characters like Ghetsis not being willing to change his views and Giovanni wanting to change for the sake of Silver but struggling due to old habits. The other evil team leaders I can see redeeming themselves are like Archie and Maxie as they were just very... dumb with their actions and I'm a big believer in a Cyrus redemption arc where Cynthia forces him to therapy out of pity and he reshapes team galactic to monitor the distortian realm with their technology after damaging the veil between the distortian realm and the normal world. I can't help myself, I tend to like the bad guys more than the good guys in pokemon games, or at least the older ones, the newer ones just don't have the same spark and appeal as the old ones in my opinon, excpet for Guzma... I love Guzma.

More about Y/N:

Although I refer to them here with they/them pronouns, if I were to actually write them I'd prob use fem pronouns because it's what I find easier to write for, especially for shipping reasons. As much as I would love for it to be completely self insert with the pokemon team being up to the reader, I will have to make hard decisons if I ever have Y/N in a pokemon fight or just relaxing with their pokemon. For any posts about this au, feel free to put suggestions for pokemon for Y/N to have, the more I see it, the more likely I am to consider it as an option.

Now time for me to dump all my art regarding this au onto yall, or at least the stuff on my iPad. Most of the drawings are just the slight redesigns I use for the au stuff I have written so far. Most are slight changes, but some get complete outfit changes like Cyrus to fit his new role in the au.

[azurdlywisterious]

Tell me your fave vaults

Okay, I somehow narrowed it down to a top five (honorable mentions are basically every single other vault) (except Vault 81) ( i wish the experiment actually happened and the overseer didnt shut it down i wanted the psychological horror :/ )

Vault 77- This is the crate of puppets vault, featuring the crate of puppets guy. This Vault wasn't a part of any game, rather it is from a comic that was promo material for fallout 3. and like, penny arcade understood the assignment on demonstrating how fucked up vault-tec is in thirty six panels. Like my one critique is that it's so short, but with the direction they went with the plot and the topics they tackled and it being 2008, it was probably for the best. Anyways the whole comic is free on the Internet Archive and its a nice snappy read (almost to its detriment like straight up plz someone get ari aster on the phone he'd make a fantastic adaptation of one man and a crate of puppets legit)

Vault 112- ooh hoo hoo unlike most vaults that I just remember from reading the wiki blurbs back in high school, this one was fully brought to my attention in a game of magic where i exiled a ridiculous amount of my library to get a winning card and also my missing dad (shout out to adventure costs!!!) and in that game i vowed to find it. I didnt know that it was a part of the main plot of fo3 yet but that didn't take long to find out. This is the creepy simulation one that i see as almost a proof of concept for the evil within vibes-wise (i fucking love the evil within series but thats besides the point). Legit terrified me in a way that should not have been possible (maybe im the one with unchecked issues that people being saccharinely nice to me sets off alarm bells in my head but it could also be that i had to get into a vr pod first) (who knows?) Anyways I proceeded to ignore like half of it and I'm looking forward to the next time i play and actually interacting with it a bit more (also one of my twelve fallout ocs is from this vault i made it work given this vault's canon ending)

Vault 11- Oughhhhhhh epistolary enviromental just altogether wonderful storytelling. the posters. The Posters! The ones that read "I Hate Nate" but the deeper down you go the more you find that have been graffitied to read "I Hate Kate" perfect wonderful amazing. Not to mention granting us with "Don't Vote Glover He Has A Family" which idk I love that out of context but I do. In context it's downright horrifying and the absurdity of it actually adds to the horror. Love love love Vault 11.

Vault 108- Gary. Gary Gary? Gary! Okay in all seriousness the story of this one is bonkers and also I'm a sucker for cloning (I had a cloning phase in third grade). Like, they found a guy that was going to die in a few months to be overseer so that there would be a power vacuum. Okay, normal social experiment for vault-tec. This eventually leads to them cloning a guy named Gary and then all the Gary clones killing the rest of the dwellers so now the only people in the vault are Gary clones. For the life of me I do not remember the chain of events that led to it and no i will not look it up it's funnier this way.

Vault 88- Look this one is boring to most people. Its a mix reviewed Fallout 4 DLC but dammit, I like getting to design my own Vault. As someone who got into Fallout because of the Vaults it was incredibly appealing to get to be the villain for once. And then I saw that my victim was this sweet guy named Clem (and also I was playing a goody two shoes but thats besides the point). Like I can tell they wanted to write Clem to be annoying so that you felt less bad basically torturing him but I found him so sweet and earnest I just couldnt. I fucking love Clem I would die for Clem hes like if a golden retriever was a person that I wanted to make sure kept his agency and autonomy. Plus it was really fun getting to piss the overseer off with some actually decent written dialogue. Like bonus points for that. And I still havent finished building the vault! amazing. absolutely wacky but also amazing.