#not in like a negative way in fact very much the opposite but boy there are one or two chapters that i just kind of shake my head through

[splickedylit]

i've never read Eyeshield 21 but I took one look at this spiky sharp bastard and I've decided that I love him

so spiky

AND YOU'RE CORRECT lmao. That's Hiruma Yoichi, he's a menace and I love him. Every manga should have a dangerous weirdo with a book full of blackmail who drives the plot forward by being an absolute crazy person. Eyeshield 21 is a football manga, and he's just out here blackmailing and scheming and being an audacious chaos gremlin.

ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS MANGA MIGHT HAVE OUTLANDISH PROPORTIONS OR FEATURES BUT AT LEAST THEY LOOK LIKE HUMANS!! Hiruma why are you like this?!?!

[bi-badass-geek]

Hades 1 vs Hades 2 Designs

● Hermes besides Hypnos was first character that made me think when i saw him oh some time has passed since Zag's escapes indeed, makes you feel that time skip. In this particular debate between those i'm really digging both but if needed to say which i prefer would go with second. I feel it should be said he sure rolls nicely with longer hair i would say darker outfit too but that's probably because pallet that's used for levels.

Ps. I saw post that mentioned how his ring is the same as ones Charon is wearing in first game and if it's a hint at something i'm here for it!

● Zeus for this god specifically there is discourse about how his pose is less dynamic and oh boy if i don't agree with that so much. In first game you see him and his look makes you think yeah this is the king of gods while in second game man is just there with posture i take often because i'm useless gay that don't know what to do with my hands and feels like they took all this might and put it into chiseling his nipples & abs into his golden chestplate. Not to mention the detail of missing the iconic bolt! Don't think it needs to be said but 100% would pick Hades 1 design out of those options.

● Poseidon the King of the Sea another example in my humble opinion where they went with flattening that dynamic looks exchanging it for man that just standing there chilling which is good for him but where first screams cool uncle second one goes uncle that wants retirement. I really like how we can see the trident now tho and need to point out his outfit sure got more print on it. When it comes down to pointing out which one is the winner in my eyes it would be 2020 one.

● Aphrodite if she wasn't the one that got thrown into drama because people double standards and hypocrisy. Design from first game and the pose straight up makes you think of love, lust, seduction all the things that are associated with said goddess. As for Hades 2 version i have no clue why it feels like this considering it's actually the opposite because we can see armor on her legs now but she feels less covered for me, do i find it negative or in any way problematic? Not one bit let the woman show off all her assets all day long! Really love the adds of her weapon and shield makes you immerse in the store of oh fights are happening around these parts. From seduction to i stand here at the ready kinda vibe and i'm really digging it.

Ps. Another post i read was about fact that her war paint i will call it (not 100% sure if that is it or just line for the giggles) is reference to Ares and considering her myth i really like that touch!

● Hypnos was the first OG i saw and was like man not only catching up on his sleep but also got such glow up i absolutely adore the design. Not to say he looked bad in Hades 1 but there it was like okay nice to Hades 2 like Damnnn and his lil helpers that keeps him up! Love the fact that of all things they made him be tucked into his cape like burrito.

Ps. I really do hope by the end of the game we get to wake him up so he can try out that nectar that we all leave there waiting.

● Chaos so many things to say and at the same time silence says it all. Seen people focusing on fact some out there call them he or how it's a downgrade from previous but don't even elaborate why they think that because everyone has right to have their own preference but at least put it into words instead of going trash next..there was also notion how they resemble Meg and while i see where people get that idea from for sure before reading that my mind didn't went there at all. I think both designs really work with someone who is primordial originator and how time goes so can their form. I find it very fascinating that they put old skeleton with new one and adore galaxy under suit makes me think of Nyx right away and how they're connected. Can totally see how between those two gamers got major stance that left reminds them more of male and right of female beings but at the end of the it chaos is chaos. Gotta take chair routine from Meg while they at it! The face on the shoulder surely throws me in loop tho fits? Sure. Does it disturb me in micro scale? Yes. About frames and poses don't have much to say cause both caption the essence of i mind my business everything unrelevant until i say so.

Ps. I know it's about physical aspect but let me say Chaos roasting Mel about how her brother is amusing one out of two Hades spawns is living rent free in my brain.

[xjulixred45x]

okay, I think I'll focus on making a few requests before doing the final work on HADES....BUT FIRST ONE LAST WORK ON KNY.

in this case from Kimetsu Gakuen/Kimetsu Academy.

mainly to make up for the Angst of Kokushibo and his son, so here we go (I'll just refer to reader as "son" because it's easier).

We already know that Kokushibo is dedicated to being Muzan's "bodyguard", and probably thanks to this no one entertains the idea that this man has children or a family in general.

but no, he does have them.

He and his wife (Haruhime seems to be a popular name for Michikatsu's wife so I will use it here) taking into account their work they do everything possible to keep their children's lives anonymous, whether teaching them at home or in high-level private institutions. They will not settle for less for their children.

and I can imagine His oldest child (reader) being especially gifted in those types of areas, the type of child who has the best grades as a child, and has a higher than average IQ level. which makes his parents very proud. that's for(due to recommendations) they decide to put him in various activities to "stimulate" him and have many possibilities in the future.

This causes son to unintentionally become an Overarchiver, that is, he goes to MANY activities at the same time, some he likes, others not so much, but he doesn't dare to tell his parents (especially his father) for fear of disappointing them. .

When he is very Burnout, he does REALLY innocuous and intricate things to miss his activities and his father doesn't notice, it is literally easier to do a stunt.

Kokushibo is not a bad father here, if he comes from the same background as in the original manga, he himself does not know how to have a normal upbringing for any of his children, so he tries to be the opposite in every way of his father, encouraging his child and not discourage him. apart from the fact that he personally fears that his son will be afraid of him (which ironically in a sense is already happening...)

Probably despite being so talented and deadly, he doesn't even realize how negatively this affects his son, his high expectations of him come more from ignorance (of not being very emotionally intelligent) than from a real urgency for his son to stand out in everything.

Other than that, he's a pretty decent father. when he gets the chance, he brags about his son and how smart he is to "trusted" people, tries to go to his son's sports/debate shows, supports him when he gets in trouble (even if he gets in trouble at home ), etc.

I imagine that being an Overarchiver, Kokushibo's son receives many MANY comparisons from both teachers and parents of other students, so he is not very popular so to speak...

You can see Kokushibo even forcing Kaigaku to give him certain reports about his son😅 and ironically they both end up becoming friends (Kokushibo doesn't know whether to be happy or worried, on the one hand his son finally has a friend, but it turns out to be the worst influence possible) .

Kaigaku even ends up helping Kokushibo's son get away with his escapades and relax a little, which would be nice in a way.

(he also tried to convince him to vandalize the bike of a boy who was especially mean to him, but son ran away).

the meetings at the Tsugikuni house when Kaigaku and Kokushibo are there at the same time must be VERY awkward.

some extra information about this:

*I think Kokushibo's other daughter (the youngest, I'll call her Mitsuki) is also an overarchiver, but more inclined to art, things like theater, ballet, choir, etc.

*I can't decide if Haruhime and Kokushibo would be separated. But let's say yes because I enjoy an intimidating woman who is soft on her family(same with Koku).

*Kokushibo's eldest son takes martial arts, debate classes, history, mathematics and probably knows how to play at least one instrument.

*as I said, Koku doesn't usually talk about his kids to many people, but his desk probably has several hidden photos of his kids (as children or at certain important events, he's that kind of dad).

*Koku is the overprotective father, Haruhime is the loving but strict mother.

*Muzan has probably tried to infiltrate his son or Mitsuki into Kimetsu Academy, but Haruhime (and lowkey Koku) WILL DIE before their children set foot in a public school.

*(what none of them know is that Kaigaku already put his son in school several times, just because).

*Haruhime definitely doesn't like Kaigaku, Mitsuki tolerates him. Kaigaku is afraid of Haruhime.

*Jigoro adores Son, thinks he's a good influence and probably threatens Kaigaku not to do anything to the poor boy🤣Zenitsu can't believe Son is so nice and at the same time is Kaigaku's friend ("blink if he's holding you against your will")

*Yoriichi probably knows about his nephews and they know about him. but they try to see each other without Koku being there (since he gets angry with their mere presence). They think it's funny.

Overall, just a weird family with communication problems, but who love each other.

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[mariacallous]

I read the NPR article about Richard Reeves and the 2024 election and masculinity etc and I'm once again where I always am with him - there are a few things I sort of agree with but overall I want him to shut up.

“The irony is that this was supposed to be an election about women and about women's rights. And of course, it still is.” Reeves says, “But it's striking to me how much of the debate and so much of the performance, almost of the election so far, has actually been about competing views about masculinity and manhood.”

This summer, philanthropist Melinda French Gates distributed $1 billion to causes supporting women and girls. Reeves was surprised when his institute received some of that money.

“What she's come to realize is that a world of floundering men is not likely to be a world of flourishing women, and that we do have to rise together. And that actually, if men really start struggling to do their bit on the home front or in the labor market, it's not like that women end up unscathed from that,” he told Morning Edition.

According to the American Psychological Association, boys tend to perform worse in school than girls, statistically, and are now less likely than girls to attend college. Reeves, in his analysis, says that boys go on to live unhealthier lives as well.

Is the issue that schools and jobs and modern relationships are causing men to struggle? Or is it that misogyny and sexism are contributing to why school performance is down for boys, why college enrollment is down for men, why women are, in some fields and areas, doing better/advancing more?

Reeves says Republican demonstrations of masculinity have become more performative, with increased bravado and machismo. This shift is evident in who has introduced Trump at past Republican National Conventions. Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, introduced him at the last two conventions, but this year he was introduced by Dana White, the head of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

On the Democratic side, Reeves says the fact that Harris is a woman gives her more “permission” to speak on the issues of boys and men.

He also highlights the significance of Harris choosing Governor Tim Walz as her running mate to contrast Trump’s style of masculinity. “It'll be interesting to see if they follow this up with any policies. But a high school coach, a high school teacher—there’s a way in which Tim Walz is embodying a more service-oriented form of masculinity.”

Reeves points to memes about Walz that praise his masculine traits.

“There's all these memes now he'll fix your car. He'll make sure you get home safely. Like he'll put his arm around you. Be a coach.”

I don;t necessarily disagree with this analysis, but it's very surface-level and anodyne, and doesn't touch on how much negative masculinity is embraced and portrayed by the Trump campaign.

When asked what actions and beliefs define masculinity, Reeves was initially reluctant before sharing his perspective.

“There are very many different ways of being masculine. But I would say that the longest and best established definition of masculinity that I found as I've done this work is really of being of service to others, of being of for more than yourself.”

Reeves explains that historically, what has distinguished a man from a boy is the ability to “generate more of something than you need for your own survival.” It conjures up the idea of the “breadwinner” of a family, though Reeves says it doesn’t necessarily mean that.

“I think the idea of a man who exists only for himself, that's actually the opposite of masculinity. And so there's a certain selflessness to all of the definitions of masculinity that I think is positive, that I think should define what modern manhood is.”

"the longest and best established definition of masculinity that I found as I've done this work is really of being of service to others, of being of for more than yourself.”

Okay...

Recent polling from the Pew Research Center shows that more men tend to vote Republican. But even among the younger demographic of Gen Z, women are heavily Democratic, while men are more likely to lean Republican.

“It really is more driven by the movement of young women to the left than of young men to the right, although it is now both,” Reeves says, “But what's interesting about this is that if you look at the attitudes of young men, of Gen Z men towards gender equality, for example, there is no evidence that they are in any way less supportive of gender equality than previous generations. If anything, they're more supportive.”

He goes on to say, “I think it's a real mistake on the part of people on the left to see the move of young men towards the right and see that as a turning towards the right when it could just as easily be a turning away from the left, because they don't see themselves in the rhetoric and aesthetic and politics of the left.”

Reeves says that many young men feel “quite homeless politically,” and that sense of not belonging makes them open to the right if they feel that they are being heard.

“The problem is that on the right there are absolutely no policy solutions to help young men.”

“But what's interesting about this is that if you look at the attitudes of young men, of Gen Z men towards gender equality, for example, there is no evidence that they are in any way less supportive of gender equality than previous generations. If anything, they're more supportive.”

I think that's actually very incorrect? In fact, haven't we seen the opposite?

"I think it's a real mistake on the part of people on the left to see the move of young men towards the right and see that as a turning towards the right when it could just as easily be a turning away from the left"

A distinction without much of a difference if it ends up in the same result, and even he is qualifying that that's what's happening.

Reeves says that many young men feel “quite homeless politically,” and that sense of not belonging makes them open to the right if they feel that they are being heard.

“The problem is that on the right there are absolutely no policy solutions to help young men.”

So it's almost like policies aren't the problem?

I am so tired of him and his shtick, and the fact that his argument is based on very cherrypicked and personally biased thinking (would we have written "Of Girls and Women" if he'd been the father of three daughters and saw how things were shaping up against them? Doubtful).

@thecardiganqueen @larkandkatydid et al

[musicalmoritz]

One thing I rly hate in fandoms is ooc angst just be for the sake of having angst. It gets to the point where a lot of angst is corny to me bcuz ppl just make it to be emo without considering whether or not it actually aligns with canon

Kou Minamoto is one of the biggest examples of this that I’ve seen. There are so many angst posts abt him being sad that Nene is with Hanako, when he acts the exact opposite way in canon. The only time he’s really acted jealous over her was when Teru flirted with her, and that was more because he felt betrayed by his brother. He didn’t seem upset at all when Hanako crashed their “date” in Yako’s boundary, in fact he was perfectly happy to let Hanako tag along

There is plenty of angst to be made with Kounene, especially considering Nene’s short lifespan. Since the ship is treated as the designated “healthy” pairing in the fandom I also don’t see a lot of talk about how Kou’s savior complex would negatively impact their relationship. There’s just so much to talk about with them outside of the whole “Kou is sad because Nene has a boyfriend” thing. Kou has a boyfriend too so like, now what?? I’ll admit I’m very biased here, I don’t like the unrequited love trope very much. The angst that goes along with it isn’t really my cup of tea, so whenever I make Kounene fics/posts they’re almost always from Nene’s pov with her liking him back. It’s not that it’s too sad for me it’s just kinda lukewarm?? And some of it gives Nice Guy vibes idk. The way I see it, if one character isn’t interested then that’s where the relationship ends, so I don’t see the point in shipping anything that’s completely one-sided. Not trying to yuck anyone’s yums, this is just a preference

Anyways Kounene is a really good ship with a lot of potential besides just being “sad boy Kou hours.” There is another character that Kou gets very possessive over but for once this ain’t about them so I’m directing my attention towards Kounene. And preferences aside, I’d rather the angst just be in character. Teru is a character that gets very mopey about his crush being one-sided, so a lot of these Kounene angst posts would work great with him and Aoi or Akane. Again, it’s not my favorite trope in the world but I can see how it would make sense with him. But for Kounene I think there’s so much angst (and fluff) potential we’ve been missing out on by reusing the same trope. Let’s get creative with it!

[texas-gothic]

Before I begin, please note that this is all ESPN Sports Room-style analysis and that Kamala Harris is every bit the genocidal monster that her boss is. Neither she nor anyone attached to her will be seeing my vote. Not that that matters since I live in a deep red state where my vote would end up going to Donald Trump regardless. Yay deeply undemocratic election system!

I honestly think that Harris has a really decent chance of winning this election with Tim Walz by her side. I was almost dead certain she was going to pick someone like Shapiro or Kelly who would have alienated key voting blocks, but no, she actually did the smart thing.

Walz is smart because he continues to hammer on Trump's biggest weakness while distracting from Harris's own. No matter what she and her allies might have to say about a fresh new start, it remains the case that Kamala Harris is still the other face of the most unpopular administration since 1968. By all means Donald Trump should have been able to coast by on an awful economy and taken the Presidency with ease. But then he went and picked professional pervert weirdo JD Vance as his running mate. A strange little man who can't shut up about how much he hates women at a time where Trump's biggest sore point is women's rights. And while it might not seem possible, Tim Walz makes JD Vance look even worse.

Walz, as governor, is extremely popular with his electorate. He has an especially rare record of actually doing the things he set out to do and has been flagrantly ignoring the Democratic Party line of "Look pretty and do as little as possible." People wanted him to defend public education and the rights of minority groups, and he has done so with flying colors. All while his colleagues in Washington allowed abortion rights and affirmative action to crumble while they were too busy scrounging together trillions of dollars to fan the flames of proxy wars.

Vance, on the other hand, has only been Senator for a little under 2 years. And in that time he has done little besides contribute to the partisan havoc that has largely deadlocked this term of the legislature. He's gone on a lot of bizarre, right wing podcasts, sure, and maybe that's what matters to the core base of Republicans, but I don't imagine the fact that he got to sit down and talk with Tim Poole once will play very well with undecided voters. Then there's the myriad of scandals that has broken out around him only since his nomination as VP. Did Vance fuck a couch? Does Vance want to strip people without children of their right to vote? Why does Vance follow so many people who post about "towel boys"? Why did Vance google dolphin pornography? Why did Vance right the forward to Project 2025, maybe the least popular thing to ever come out of an already unpopular think tank? The questions with this guy never end.

So on one hand, we have a beloved governor whose record of firm, swift action and following through on promises might just cover for the current administration's record of the opposite, and on the other hand, a living embodiment of the kind of weird, extremely-online reactionary nonsense that Trump needs to avoid, whose bizarre behavior keeps pulling in more and more of a negative spotlight on their campaign.

This is still a tight race. Kamala Harris was not that popular to begin with, and Joe Biden has given her a lot of baggage on her way to the White House. But Tim Walz might just be likeable enough with voters that they can look past all of that. Largely because it's hard to look away from the weirdo running opposite of him.

I guess we'll just have to find out.

[meanbossart]

I love Izzy so much, I feel for him tremendously.

Can you tell us something about his future relationship, whatever it might be, with Grodderick? Or is it under wraps for spoilers? 👀

Sure! The details of their relationship are never relevant to the plot, it's more of a background thing that changes some very minor character interactions in ways I doubt one can predict by simply learning about it - I'll still leave it under a cut for anyone who wants to avoid it. I'll also skip certain story beats which allow their relationship to happen in the first place that are most definitely spoilers, and only talk about the actual dynamic between them and post-ANE events, so if details feel amiss, that's because they are.

So it's probably obvious that they're meant to develop a romantic relationship lol this happens after Grodderick gets somewhat "stuck" with Izzy around through certain circumstances. Izzantar, in his predicament, happens to be far more comfortable around him than anyone else because of his predisposition to feel safe around "slave" races. Now, that's obviously not a great start to any relationship, romantic or otherwise lol but it is what it is.

They grow a little closer through Grodderick's endless patience and sincere curiosity about a culture he isn't familiar with. Izzantar, despite his experiences, considers the underdark his home, he can only properly conceptualize of surface customs by comparing them to his own culture, and Grodderick is the only one willing to hear it without judgement - with the eventual wisecrack or pushback. But the way he does it is one Izzantar comfortable with.

Likewise Izzantar would probably defy Grod's own generalized negativity around the orc-ish side of his culture (and frankly be positively shocked it has any merit at all). It's a funny little game of "no, YOU have internalized hate" they keep playing between themselves by accident.

Another major point here is that Grodderick is a) the only person who sees Izzantar as an adult and b) someone who immediately recognizes him as someone with an anxiety disorder. With time he would help Izzy to calm the fuck down and not always assume the worse out of people. His company also allows Izzantar to feel more at ease in public settings in the surface as a drow, and Izzy's brazen company and completely unfiltered perspective is a breath of fresh air to Grodderick. He thinks he's funny, he recognizes and participates in his dry humor, he doesn't offend easy, and he's the furthest thing from a drow. This makes him an apt friend choice and later a romantic interest. Being hot and having cool tats helps LOL

Also they both like to partake in a little devil🌿 which is likely how their first meaningful interaction ever happens (Izzantar sees him smoking and is like "oh boy I could really fucking use some of that right now")

They probably starting fucking kind of casually. It's entirely on Izzantar to pursue him since Grodderick isn't interested in feeding a drow's ego, which is a funny interaction of its own where Izzantar just blows up frustrated that he won't make the first move, since he's used to being a very passive partner. Something along the lines of "WHY DON'T YOU WANT TO FUCK ME" probably comes out his mouth verbatim LOL they get over this non-misunderstanding quickly and Izzantar is just happy to have sex in a way that's completely the opposite of what's expected of him in the Underdark as a popular breeder. Obviously he also finds Grodderick profoundly attractive both for his confidence, smarts, appearance, and frankly his imposing presence because he's not immune to a little bad-boy charm.

I think they catch feelings around the same time as one another, and proceed to get on a long-term relationship.

Izzantar (this is post ANE and never mentioned) eventually sets shop somewhere as a jeweler. He gets a lot of business based on the fact that he's a drow and knowingly plays up the part of someone who's mystically more knowledgeable and skilled about precious stones and minerals than most because of his race (on top of his genuine talent). His bad attitude is also hysterically seen as charming drow bedside-manner and indicative of the quality of his work to wealthy clients.

He lets his hair grow out and for semi-plot-related-reasons starts passing as a female drow (also, he just likes it) Grodderick doesn't care either way. At that point they're living together and get a cat that Izzantar names Angkacha. To his despair, Grodderick nickanames it Chacha and it sticks. Izzy wants the cat to be a vicious killing machine but whenever he casts animal speak on it the cat's just like OOOO MAMA ME LOVE MAMA and he hates it (but not really, he would kill for this cat)

aaaand here's some old doodles of him from that point of his life! The last two have been uh cropped for uh reasons

[tippenfunkaport]

Bow's Character Arc

There was a discussion on Twitter from people who were confused about Bow’s character arc and whether he had one (he very much does, and it’s actually one of the clearest / most spelled out in the entire show!). To help anyone experiencing that confusion and because it’s never a bad idea to understand how character arcs work if you want to be a writer/storyteller, I might as well break Bow’s character arc down for anyone who might find it helpful.

Buckle in, it's nerd time!

At the most basic, a character arc is a change (usually growth) a character goes through over the course of a story. Usually good (positive change arc) but sometimes bad (negative change arc). It’s very often a reversal aka the character is often in the exact opposite state by the end of the story than how they start it out. It can be trickier to follow in an ensemble story like SPOP because there are a lot of characters with parallel story lines going on and multiple arcs colliding in different ways, but She-Ra does a really good job of giving each of the four leads arcs (with Catradora as the main leads, Glimbow as the secondary) near equal time.

Yes, including Bow.

What I think throws people about Bow’s arc is it’s based on hypocrisy.

Meaning…

He encourages his friends to talk it out and share their feelings… while hiding his own feelings from his dads and repressing his frustrations with having to be the middle man between Adora and Glimmer (Season 4)

He declares that average people (such as the kitchen staff at Dryl) don’t need the princesses and are just as capable of fighting the Horde themselves… while he believes himself and his abilities inferior to Princess Entrapta’s

He reminds the others (esp Adora) about the need to accept help… while refusing any help for himself (think about “Don't worry about me. I'm the one who worries about you. Can we go back to that? Please?” in Pulse through to that moment when he agrees to let Glimmer take him to check on his dads in Return to the Fright Zone and literally leans on her)

I think a funny way to sum up his character issue is: Not me, though.

This arc progresses across all five season as he gradually changes. He starts the series out repressing his feelings from both his family and friends while doubting his abilities and refusing to ask for help (he IS Adora’s mirror, after all!). Over the course of the series he learns to express his feelings instead of bottling them up (The Beacon > Reunion > really all of Season 4 but it comes to head starting with Boys Night Out through Beast Island > Stranded), gains more confidence in his tech skills (The Frozen Forest > Signals > Flutterina > Mer-Mysteries > Corridors), and starts to learn to ask for help (The Beacon > Pulse > Return to the Fright Zone).

Which of course all culminates in The Heart Parts 1 and 2 where he finally wraps up all threads at once by

a) asking Scorpia to trust him (putting faith in someone else to help)

b) completing Entrapta’s program to unchip everyone (proving he IS as good a scientist as she is)

c) giving the speech to everyone on Etheria rousing the common people to fight Prime (average people can make a difference… which he now fully believes that includes him).

And while you can make the argument that confessing to Glimmer is part of his arc to share his feelings, the fact is that he completes a full character arc without ever behind reduced to just someone’s love interest because none of his character growth is tied to his romantic relationship at all (which was what the original tweet claimed). It's all his inner journey to have faith in himself and his abilities and how they relate to his friends and loved ones.

And thus the guy who starts the series as “only one around here who’s not a princess” with doubt in his tech abilities ends the series as confident Tech Master and future King of the regular people he sought to inspire, which is about as textbook a reversal as you can get.

Does it come out of nowhere?

His character arc progresses and takes significant focus in the following episodes….

S1:E6 System Failure

S1:E10 The Beacon

S2:E1 The Frozen Forest

S2:E3 Signals

S2:E7 Reunion

S4:E3 Flutterina

S4:E4 Pulse

S4:E7 Mer-Mysteries

S4:E8 Boys Night Out

S4:E10 Fractures

S4:E11 Beast Island

S5:E3 Corridors

S5:E4 Stranded

S5:E9 An Ill Wind

S5:E10 Return to the Fright Zone

S5:E12 Heart Part 1

S5:E13 Heart Part 2

That’s 17 episodes out of 52 which means his character development gets approximately 32% of the focus of the entire show… which for an ensemble cast like this where he’s one of four leads is just about dead on as it's over a quarter of the episodes.

That's a significant chunk of screentime with multiple episodes devoted specifically to his character journey.

Is his journey as flashy and action sequence-y as what Adora, Catra and Glimmer get? No, but it's a) a show marketed to girls so it makes sense they get the more cinematic scenes and b) his arc is more emotional and thus didn't need to hinge on big action like theirs did. Though considering the culmination of his arc is him as a 100 foot tall hologram speaking to the entire planet, I personally feel like that was pretty hard to miss.

If you look at all of this and still want to say that Bow did nothing or had no character arc, I think the thing to ask yourself is: why is it so important to you to discount the accomplishments and character growth of this character specifically?

In conclusion, this is the face Bow makes when he spent five season growing, changing and kicking butt as Tech Master and Voice of Reason and you say he did "literally nothing"...

[thelunarfairy]

Tsukasa's discerning gaze

Due to the number of times I've received questions with this phrase involved "Tsukasa liked seeing his brother's face when he killed him" it made me want to talk about it.

The Yugi twins are opposites. While Amane doesn't like to talk about how he feels, Tsukasa is sincere and talks whenever he feels like it.

Hanako very easily shows his emotions according to the way his body reacts, Tsukasa is difficult to read, he is unpredictable precisely because he doesn't show it.

Tsukasa is interested in understanding his brother, and since Amane doesn't like to talk and in fact he doesn't speak, Tsukasa found a way to make the older twin show how he feels.

Tsukasa pushes him to the limit, makes him get into situations he hates or doesn't know how to deal with, precisely because he can't hide it.

Amane's body is very responsive, no matter how much he tries to hide it, he doesn't always succeed. The eyes, the body, they always give it away.

Tsukasa likes it when Amane shows something, because it means he's feeling it, and the way he reacts lets Tsukasa know exactly how he really feels.

So, we return to the phrase from the beginning "Tsukasa liked seeing his brother's face when he killed him"

The only way Tsukasa could find out how his brother was feeling were his expressions. That's why he says he liked the expression on his face when Amane killed him, because he was finally sincere, even if in a negative way.

Tsukasa tries to see Amane's face after saying that he liked the expression on Amane's face when he killed him, and you clearly see that Hanako tries to hide it. The expression on his face shows us how sorry he is, how bad and guilty he feels for remembering the day he killed Tsukasa.

And what does Tsukasa say to him when he finally gets to see his older brother's face?

He understood from the expression on Hanako's face that he felt guilty for killing him, so Tsukasa says he loves him as he knows Amane regrets it.

That's how it works.

Look at Hanako expressing himself without saying a word in these examples.

Now see him trying to hide them

It's clear how the way Hanako expresses himself works, isn't it? And Tsukasa knows that.

Yashiro knows this, he can't hide his jealousy towards her, and what does she like to do most? Bragging to him when someone is interested in her or flirting with someone in front of him.

Yashiro takes the time to try and guess how he feels.

As long as Hanako doesn't say how he feels, this will happen again and again. Tsukasa won't care about this, he will push him to the limit so that he finally has the courage to come out.

As I already said in some of my posts, Hanako is the boy who forces himself to hold back, he doesn't allow himself to be free to do or say what he wants, he holds back.

And what does Tsukasa like?

[veliseraptor]

Top 5 fucked up family bonds!

oh mannn. I feel like this one fluctuates depending on, like, what fandoms I'm focused on at the moment, but to try to shake it up a little since I've answered a question like this before (though that was specifically for siblings! and no shade! just challenging myself, mostly, since most of these are probably going to end up being siblings, that's just what I'm like)

1. Azula and Zuko. Since Avatar is in the air lately and I just queued a post about them, and I am deeply invested in their relationship even if I don't talk about it a huge amount these days - I think about this one in particular from Azula's persepctive. The way that Zuko is the negative that Azula measures herself against, that she pretends not to care about him but I think he occupies a substantial part of the way that she constructs herself in opposition to him, as everything he isn't, the negative model she will never be. But then there is Zuko's end of things, the push-pull between the ever-present comparison between them where he falls short and the fact that I think he genuinely does care for her even as he doesn't, I think, really know how to deal with her, or really understand her. And also any family relationship involving attempted murder is going to be like catnip to me.

2. Kinn and Vegas. Family dynamics where I am both very into the family dynamic and also kind of ship them occupy 3/5 positions on this list, which says something that I think is just about the way that sufficiently obsessive and entangled relationships between a pair of people is going to lure me into seeing what I can do to make it more fucked up (with possible fucking). But anyway!

I love how they make each other worse, all of the time. They bring out the absolute worst in each other, always; they fail to see each other clearly and perceive each other beyond their flaws but also beyond how their respective fathers have pitted them against each other like fighting roosters. They're mutually obsessed with each other no matter how much I think Kinn would like to pretend that he is aloof and indifferent. It's a mess. It's delightful. Also the only non-siblings on this list. Notable for the fact that in their first scene I failed to recognize them as cousins and assigned them ex-boyfriend energy.

3. Felix and Mildmay. Okay so I've included them on lists like this before but they deserve a mention anyway. Because boy! What a mess! From the beginning! They love each other so much and it's a disaster! Felix's attraction to Mildmay at least in part because he doesn't know how to love without sex! Mildmay's hopeless attachment to Felix despite all the cruelty he dishes out! They're just...I love them and I love their mess of a relationship and I also love how it develops over the course of the books into something better. Honestly the only one of these pairs that does that. Kudos to them.

4. Celegorm and Curufin. Okay, this one is built a little bit on a towering edifice of headcanon, but so sue me, and it's not entirely! There is on page content for these two! So there!

A friend of mine has the tag for these two #the other brotherwives and I feel like in some ways that sums it up for me - the way that they are, again, entangled in each other in a way where they always come as a pair, and their personalities both complement and contrast each other, and they're just so. All the sons of Feanor are a mess of codependent relationships but these two kind of stand out by virtue of always being paired, in everything, including all their worst choices, even their deaths. And again, I have a towering edifice of headcanon in particular about how their relationship both decays and calcifies over time, becoming both more desperately close and also more tangled with resentment at the way things fall out, but ultimately they can't be separated from each other.

5. Millions Knives and Vash. Throwing out a wildcard I haven't talked about much, but like. Wow! Another sibling relationship tailored to cater to me that came as a surprise out of left field and decked me in the face! I still need to read the manga but at least when it comes to Trigun: Stampede the sheer toxicity here, the fucked up love and protectiveness and possessiveness and guilt and the way that ultimately while Knives' goals exploit Vash it doesn't, I don't think, erase the love; I think he still sees it as for Vash's own good, even as he's doing much the same thing he deplores when humans do it. I have headcanons about part of Knives' motivation for crashing the ships has to do not just with self-protection but protection for Vash, and the way that decays over time is. Chef's kiss. Love it.

Bonus mention to Lucivar and Daemon and, because I just can't leave them off and they do still have a special place in my heart, Thor and Loki. But also for a non-sibling relationship again possibly out of left field, I actually think a lot about Loki and Odin too, and if I still have MCU feelings sometimes those are one of them.

[nemoys]

a very long messy review of link click (season 2)

alright so reading through a bunch of (mostly negative) reviews of the season thus far i've come to my own conclusions over how this season felt, and i really feel like addressing them since i personally feel like it deserves recognition (and rightful criticism) within certain aspects. really interested in everyone's takes so lmk whatever you think about all these aspects i'm about to gloss over.

NOTE ; i'm not going to be talking about the art direction or OSTs . i believe those have been nothing short of phenomenal and i feel like we can all universally agree over that

1) tonal shift : from a more emotionally driven s1, coupled with sprinkles of slice of life moments, we turn to a mostly thriller/mystery plot line. personally, i've always seen this coming. the tonal shift really didn't take me by surprise. with the lg stabbing at the end of season 1 it almost seemed inevitable that the more light hearted aspects of the first season weren't going to happen. more importantly, it was very clear that there was always a higher presence to fight. link click was always meant to be a thriller, this was always the plan, and so i suppose logically i assumed the second season would follow that path. i understand how people might've felt disappointed, or 'robbed', but i don't think the shift was all that shocking quite honestly, it was always set up. link click was never light hearted, even at s1.

the more shocking shift has to be the shift from an emotional, to suspenseful change in writing. the emotional writing in link click has always been the best part of the show and that hasn't changed, the emotionally driven plot lines of s2 (chen bin, ltc/ltx) have been written very well. the suspenseful writing also works. replaces the tear jerkers with an unsettling anxiety, and it's executed relatively well. you can clearly tell that the crew's been experimenting quite a lot with this season, and yes, that's usually what season 2 is for.

2) pacing : now i totally get the criticism in this aspect. in my opinion, the weakest part of s2's been the pacing. with overly drawn out fight scenes, and unnecessarily long recaps, i think the issue has to do with the fact that lc just has a LOT to address, and so it makes us feel less inclined to sit through longer scenes that don't directly advance the plot.

obviously i get that the fight scenes show off a lot of the animation budget #tm and they do look great but the fact that we had way too much time dedicated to a five minute long fighting cutscene in the FIRST episode just made me feel impatient.

3) red herring endings: alright this might be an unorthodox opinion but, aren't red herring cliff hangers a norm in general with these kinds of shows lol. idk i've come to expect the total opposite every time so it doesn't really bother me i guess i'm just used to the medium. not really a lc problem it's a story telling problem in general but that's just marketing i don't know what else to say.

it'd be nice if they followed through but some part of me thinks they're pulling a whole boy who cried wolf situation, eventually they'll pull the trigger when we don't really expect it.

4) shipping/ main trio reconciliations : it's a really serious ongoing situation. i kind of get why the main trio/shiguang don't get a chance to talk things over amongst themselves, it just isn't the time. keep in mind everything that's happening rn is happening continuously, there are no gaps within the days or anything, kind of makes sense that they don't really talk about it. they probably will get to once it's all over, which might be well into s3. again, this was always meant to be a thriller more than it was trio focused. also idk about you guys but i think we actually did get a lot of sweet moments within the trio, cxs and lg, even the sibling dynamic with ql and cxs were really lovely this season.

5) the women: okay i REALLY don't understand the problem here. the women are written well. ql is written FANTASTICALLY and all side characters like ltx and that one red eyed lady i'm forgetting the name of were great too. hell even chen bin's wife was great. i think for a donghua/anime where women are usually given dirt in terms of actually strong writing, lc has always been very solid. their lives do not revolve around the men in the show it just happens to be that men are a part of their lives. they have very distinct personalities and aren't treated like weird objects to gaze at (what a bar lol) but yes i do think the women are written quite dimensionally.

6) unanswered questions : when have linear shows ever answered questions (especially mc based) in season 2?? when has season 2 EVER tied loose ends? when it comes to linear television, season 2's purpose almost always build towards a greater evil/climax. there's a reason why season 2 hasn't answered questions we've had, season 2s in most shows rarely ever do. from what i can tell, with a confirmed s3, i've always expected s2 to simply do its job as a second season and further raise stakes and raise even more questions. i do get the frustration, i get the lack of any backstory, but i want to refrain from making any actual comments over that till every episode's aired ahah, however, im not too mad at it. i just think this show's ride is currently still at an increasing accelerated pace (guys i'm sorry i study physics), things will only be explained once we've once hit the climactic point or go downhill right after. time will tell i guess

Conclusion

overall, i think this season was actually pretty solid. s1 set a very unrealistically high bar, as s1 in my opinion is one of the best seasons in television period. but s2 and s1 shouldn't be compared in the same way, their tone is quite different, and needs to be analysed individually instead. i'll make a complete review once the season is over, but honestly i've come to enjoy the season most when i stop expecting too much out of it. i think people had way too many things they've expected from s2, that were bound to simply never happen.

that said, i do hope the crew takes the valid criticism regarding the pacing (and ig the character focus?) into consideration and implements it well into s3. it's worth noting that i believe nothing was meant to be complete with s2 in the first place.

i've really enjoyed this season, and i'm beyond ecstatic to rewatch it all once it's done airing, in order to properly take it all in. it's had its flaws, more than s1 has had (let's be real s1 had little to none). but that's bound to happen to shows when they head down their linear routes. currently sitting at a 7/10

[nighttime-horrors]

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　All Yours　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

⊹ฺ Requested by @ohauggieo

⊹ฺ Characters: Farz Murphy (BTD2)

⊹ฺ Contains: Fluffy as hell; Jealousy; Actually very sweet, haha; Third POV; Use of (Y/N); Gender neutral Reader; SFW

⊹ฺ Note: I'm so sorry this took forever, lovely! I hope you like it! <3

— ♡ Minors and Ageless Blogs DNI! ♡ —

Farz Murphy never pouted. Or rather, he did, but would never willingly admit it.

The scowl on the man's face was practically permanent, but how could it not be? Farz had always been easy to set off, and it was one of Vincent's favorite things about him. Vincent, was currently not on Farz's list of favorite things or people now, though. He couldn't be with the way his arms were around you and pulling you into him at the bar while Farz was on the opposite side of the room.

The only solace Farz got from his current predicament was that you seemed exhausted and kind of tense. Obviously, Farz wasn't thrilled with the negative implications of your rigid posture and the way you looked like you were about to pass out, but that just meant that Farz would be able to get everything he wanted from you once Vincent left. Farz wanted Vincent to get distracted by something or for him to get in a fight just so he could swoop in and take care of you. Was it possessive on his end? A little, but Vincent wouldn't even be aware of your existence if it weren't for him.

Farz could have smiled seeing Vince's large hand give your shoulder a squeeze before slightly pushing you away in Farz's direction. He wasn't sure what distracted Vincent enough to push you away, but Farz was far from complaining. Route 66 wasn't exactly your favorite place, and if Farz could help fix your night, he would, even if it was only to focus your attention on him for awhile. He would give anything for your undivided attention.

As you got closer, you finally made eye contact, offering him a sleepy smile he fought hard to not return. Farz had an image to uphold in his head. Instead, Farz settled for a nod of acknowledgement that he knew you wouldn't question.

"Hi, pretty boy." You quietly greeted, leaning into him. Farz felt heat rise to his cheeks and he weakly nudged you, hoping to create some space between the two of you. He knew the attempt was pointless, though; you pretty much always knew.

"Hey." He lamely responded, huffing at the fact that you were still in his space. You didn't want to budge.

Your bottom lip jutted out into a teasing pout before you poked Farz in his cheek. "What's wrong, bub?" While the question came out casually, Farz could hear the concern behind your words. If he were less aware of himself and his surroundings, he would have melted.

Farz just shook his head, leading you to a quiet table in the back. "Nothing."

Farz could feel your disbelieving stare on his back and knew you weren't going to drop whatever suspicion you had. One of the first things that Farz learned about you was how observant you were and he hated it. He motioned for you to get into the empty booth he led you to before getting in behind you, sharing the seat. As he sat, Farz ignored the slight raise to one of your eyebrows.

"Liar."

He scoffed with an unbelievable eyeroll. "I'm not lying."

(Y/N) looked at Farz incredulously before grabbing his hand that was closest to them, lacing their fingers together. "Yes you are." They laughed. "That's okay, though." Farz felt his eyebrows knit together in confusion. "You'll tell me eventually." (Y/N)'s hand squeezed his. "My pouty boy."

Farz's frown deepened and he refused to look at them. "I wasn't pouting." He stated. "Just observing."

"Observing what?" They asked, looking at Farz with an amused look.

Farz fought every instinct to groan and smack his feet against the ground like a frustrated child. He would never be able to explain it, but (Y/N) always got their way with him. He hated it. While he didn't give in to the impulse of acting like a toddler, he did, once again, huff and roll his eyes.

"Aww, baby." (Y/N) cooed, taking their hand from Farz's and using it to tilt his head towards them. "Are you jealous of me being with Vincent?" Farz felt his face burn, but he couldn't bring himself to look away. All of (Y/N)'s attention was finally on him and he wasn't about to give it up. "My sweet boy, you know I'm all yours." Even with the giggle in their words, Farz could hear the sincerity and he knew that he was all (Y/N)'s, just like they said he was.

[pononoin]

you’re a very talented artist and i don’t have any ill will towards you. but some things need to be cleared up here. the problem is and has never been making kyle a trans man. there is nothing inherently wrong with that headcanon. the problem is when you overtly feminize the only jewish character to the point of charicature when he has not ever shown any of those traits in canon. that is indeed unintentional antisemitism because it perpetuates many pervasive negative stereotypes about jewish men being effeminate, weak, and not “real men”, that we often see in media. there is a very long history of this that dates back centuries and i implore you to do some research on it if you think this is not a real issue. it is not okay no matter if your kyle is cis or trans.

this is not to say that giving/playing up characters feminine traits is an inherently bad thing either. the problem arises when you completely strip the character of all other traits to the point where they are unrecognizable for the purpose of fitting them in a box. the kyle we are given in canon is dynamic and complex, and he is actually great representation for jewish boys. it is antisemitic to remove all of his masculine qualities in order reduce him down to a vapid little twink stereotype for big manly macho bear stan. honestly, those feel like completely different and more shallow characters than the ones we were given. what about all of kyle’s masculine traits and all of stan’s feminine ones? nope, kyle is the only one that usually receives the feminization treatment. very suspicious.

we all just need to think critically about the biases we may be unknowingly playing into. it would be disturbing if someone portayed tolkien as a “thug” despite being the opposite of that in canon, and it is just as disturbing to see kyle uwu twinkified for the exact same reasons.

finally, i don’t appreciate non jews in your comments deciding what is and what is not antisemitism. goyim do not get to decide that. if you’re jewish and you disagree, that’s fine and i’m open to counterpoints. non jew fujoshis that just don’t want their kink criticized, sit this one out.

I understand your point about your situation and what shocks you, however I never did that with any intention?

While Kyle's religion is something important in his character, it doesn't make it his whole being and the fact that I make him "a twink" or whatever (I literally just give him eyelashes or a short jacket by an accident) has nothing to do with it either, doing it because he's Jewish is pretty much the thing I really don't think about when I draw or explain my Kyle

My kyle, yeah, because that is very important, my kyle with my headcanons, not the canonical kyle and you will never see me say that my interpretation of Kyle has to be the real one next to the canon or is superior

Just as I interpret Kyle one way, there are other people who do it with other characters why attack only mine and applaud the others if we are talking about beating the stereotype? I am very sorry but as long as I am aware and calm that what I do is not something for fetishistic purposes or offensive, I will not change my headcanons. If you want to see a more canon Kyle, more "macho" or whatever you can easily look for more artists! I'm sorry I'm not one of them.

I'm very sorry that my interpretation of Kyle made you uncomfortable but I'm just a trans masc person trying to be okay with me and reflecting that there's nothing wrong with having certain feminine traits and that I don't owe masculinity or femininity to anyone through a character I really like. But I promise I’m not doing this with antisemitism purposes.

[senka-mesecine]

Idk if this is too much to ask you to write but what do you think the ideal dates are for the platoon boys? Thank u sm!!

---

― For Taylor? Especially post-war Taylor? Weed, music, slow dancing and you. Anywhere. Anytime. It can happen in an intimate, dimly lit room somewhere for all he cares, away from prying eyes, because hey, that room contains just about everything he technically needs for an excellent time, which is the exact opposite of his least perfect figurative date which undoubtedly involves all the pomp, ceremony, pretentious mingling and posturing of high society; the very environment he grew up in. All the inane questions. All the formalities. All the stares. The judgement, of course. All those bullshit rules and expectations. The very thing he ran to the 'Nam from. If he ever went out to such an event with you the first and last thing on his mind would be how to get the heck out of there, retire somewhere, light up a blunt and actually just unwind in your company. That's the perfect date and a cause for happiness.

― O'Neill likes beaches, palm trees, sunsets, tanning oil and the whole shebang. You asked for a perfect date, so yeah, what's the point of even asking if he can't describe literally the most stereotypically perfect image humanly imaginable, with all the elaborate details that go along with this fantasy. The type of crap you'd put on a postcard and send someone to make them angry and envious of you. Maybe throw in a Pina Colada in there with a tiny umbrella. Someone cooling him with a bamboo fan. He wouldn't mind a massage either. Basically, man just wants to go to some paradise island with you and go native out there for a spell. Maybe you can feed him grapes. And then undress too. Feed him grapes while you're undressed. Ah, who are we kidding. It's quite the opposite, I imagine. Man would probably end up massaging your feet by an open pool and cockily beam with pride while doing so (all unprompted).

― Bunny. God, Bunny. What on earth would Bunny even consider a perfect date? Running over road kill while speeding on the open highway? Maybe placing a can on top of someone's head, pulling a gun and saying 'Hey, babe! Watch!' as he aims. It is very difficult to imagine him in a civilian life and the unhinged crap he'd get up to, but in any case he got to be sadistically braggadocious, got to do whatever he wants, got to, the way he'd see it in his unhinged mind's eye, impress you and he got some pussy for it too afterwards, because what it boils down to. Getting laid with you is the perfect date. Indulging in some delinquency on the side? An excellent appetizer and side dish to said perfect date's outcome. Everything else is stupid and distraction to him from what he really wants. It's best just to put out. Might just sate him and distract him from doing something chaotic.

― Wolfe's the polar opposite of Taylor in that he undoubtedly wants all the fluff, puff and pomp of higher society. All those Ivy League graduates. Colleagues from West Point. And of course, him, flaunting you. These are his type of people and individuals, unlike those in his platoon, he actually fits in with. Here, he is not a fish out of water. This is a place where his socialization is well received, he's seen as at least semi-competent over the fact he served at all and what's best, he's seen as something positive instead of something negative. It's his compatriots from the platoon that might not fit into his world over here if they were ever figuratively present, the tables finally turning and Wolfe privately might relish that thought the same way he relishes showing you off, sipping on some champagne, ensuring you're in your finest attire yet while he half-smiles like the cat who got the cream.

― Swinging on a hammock in his arms? Literally, you think Elias needs more than that? Man genuinely strikes as easygoing and casual enough to consider, lets say, a nap date as a perfect date, because yeah, to quote him, feeling good is good enough and that's just about all he wants when he's in love. To feel good; feel happy. That's a philosophy he abides by. Unencumbered, carefree and light. I imagine him, in say, a civilian life, out underneath a shade somewhere where it's still sunny enough to feel the warmth on his face, just having done smoking some weed, maybe some soft music playing from somewhere and him caressing the top of your head as you're nuzzled into his chest, dozing off, being outside on that hammock long enough to actually see the first stars at dusk accompanied by the early moon peer up from above head. That's the definition of paradise. Everything else is missing the point to him.

― Hard to explain just why, but Rhah strikes as the only person on this list who'd consider something usually seen as a traditional date as his perfect date, convinced his person needs to be pampered and treated right because he isn't an animal; meaning that, yeah, he'd want the meal, the candles, the set table, the atmosphere, the everything. Probably cooks himself too. Sets up the whole scene. Throws on translucent red shawls on all the lamps to ensure the coloring of everything is a deep red because that's the color of love, baby. Undoubtedly doesn't choose a restaurant, rather goes for something more intimate of the homemade variety because he thinks civilians are inhuman robots not in touch with reality and he'd rather avoid meeting any of them, if possible. You get the roses, you get the schmoozing, you get a million and one complement delivered in that gravely voice and you get the romance in the most classical sense possible.

― For King? Fishing? Somewhere in a creek back home? You're both buck naked? Surrounded by pine trees? Bathing, splashing around, laughing like a pack of unruly kids, swimming around and having fun? He eats you out at one point? Maybe someone busts out the weed for good measure and maybe that person is him? Maybe not? What? You don't think that's a perfect date? Stop lying to yourself! Everything described is the exact opposite of the high stress, hard working environment of daily military life; everything he couldn't have there (with the exception of the reefers), he gets to have and experience during a figurative perfect date with you and he makes sure to experience it as frequently in quantity as humanly possible because in his own words, it's all gravy now that the war is done and he wants to make sure he indulges in that gravy guilt free without any pressure or social expectations involved.

― Again, Barnes and Elias are more similar than they think, because much like Elias, Barnes doesn't need much for something to be perfect, even though he'd staunchly deny there's such a thing as 'perfect' because it's not realistic to reach out for nonsense like that, but deep down, below all the cynical gatekeeping and rampant gloom and doom, a bottle of something hard, a good smoke, a meadow somewhere and you; all he really wants and needs. Literally imagine him as the type to just observe the wild nature of Tennessee somewhere up in Hill Country and be content with that, as far away from the world as humanly possible. it's the closest to peace he's gotten, really. In fact, man needs so little in way of quality time spent it's almost daunting. He is quite literally the definition of 'you're all I need.' Not at all a mere figure of speech with Barnes. Not just pretty words. Nope. He means that. Somewhere you'll never be found so he can have you all to himself. There. A perfect date. But then again, with him that sort of thing is never just a date; it's a lifestyle, really.

[moonferry]

who's ready for a *drumroll* parent lore dump!! and by that i mean, i'm going to give some lore about kent and jodi's parents in fsioy.

like 2 people are gonna care about this but it's okay i'm doing it for me 🫂

ANYWAY. let's get started. this is probably gonna be long and rambly but i hope it makes some semblance of sense.

warning: mentions of abuse, manipulation, anger issues, divorce

jodi's parents:

mother: diana smith (thank you spacesapphi for coming up with her name.)

diana is 48 years old & a mother of 4 children- jodi and her 3 older brothers. she has peachy-auburn hair similar to jodi's, however it's impossible to tell because she is always wearing some sort of cover (ie a bandanna or bonnet). her most prominent features include her deep worry/frown lines and her downturned mouth, which is almost always formed into a sneer

diana struggles with anger issues & they often get out of control. on more than one occasion, she has even gotten physical with whoever she's arguing with. despite this, she means well and always apologizes directly after. she never means to actually hurt anyone, it just happens.

diana always wanted a daughter and almost gave up when she was given three sons. because of this, when she finally gave birth to jodi, she had some pent up resentment. it didn't help that around this time, jodi's father had filed for divorce. the beginning of jodi's childhood was particularly rocky and she was often left in the care of her older brothers (who, by the way, all grew very protective of their younger sister.)

jodi's parents would often be found arguing and their voices would get loud enough to shake their small apartment (which was far too small to accommodate all 6 of them). i would like to say things got better once the divorce was finalized, but i would be lying. it got worse. much worse. diana was left with her four children & barely any income. she had previously inherited her mother's old bookstore - a small place in the middle of town that she was using for extra storage - and decided she would turn it into her own. because jodi was still very young, she often had to accompany her mother everytime her mother journeyed into town, so jodi has practically grown up in that book store & was very familiar by the time she was old enough to "start working".

diana is still struggling, mentally, and unfortunately doesn't have a "healthy place" to express her negative emotions. and, as it turns out, she liked the idea of having a daughter better than the practice of actually having one - she created this idea in her head of how the "perfect daughter" should be (likely by noticing how other young women in town acted or seeing her sister's children) and applied a tremendous amount of pressure for jodi to become this made up idea, becoming upset whenever jodi would fall short or do something "out of character". she would always claim that she knew what was best for jodi (she didn't) and would often manipulate her into listening or doing what she wanted.

HOWEVER, she later reflects on her actions and realizes she has been an awful person (thanks to best boy kent). she tells herself she is going to get the help she needs and to be a better mother to her children . she and jodi have a long road of healing ahead of them, but she is willing to take it - no matter how long it takes.

jodi's father: samson sawyer

samson is a 47 year old man, father of 4. his most prominent features are his kind eyes and almost entirely grey hair (due to stress and constant arguing with diana)

he is the polar opposite of diana and rarely gets angry or even raises his voice. he absolutely adores his children and took on a sort of "house husband" role when he wasn't at work. in fact, he only divorced diana out of reluctance and his need to protect his children. he did love diana, at one point, he just couldn't take the arguing anymore.

when the divorce was finalized, samson actually attempted to gain full custody of their children, but he was denied. he visited them almost weekly - until diana found out about it and threatened to call the police if he ever showed up at her home again. jodi makes a trip to the outskirts of the city every weekend to visit her father, whom she loves very deeply. in fact, the nickname "starfruit" actually came from her father - when jodi was a baby, all she would eat was starfruit purée, none of the other baby foods would even be allowed near her. she told this fact to kent and he liked it so much that he started calling her it as well (tho he would likely tell you "it's because of her favorite fruit" because he doesn't want to embarrass jodi). samson often listens to jodi and asks how things are "back home". he's a very good listener and has a personality that makes people want to talk to him.

also, notice how his last name is "sawyer"? that's very important. jodi's three brothers actually share this last name (jodi's is smith due to the divorce taking place when she was a child) & mayhaps kent will have an encounter with a "sawyer" in the war (jodi's brothers are still overseas, you know :eyes:)

kent's parents!!!

mother: misty neilson

misty is a 43 year old woman with shoulder length blonde hair. she is almost always dressed in the latest fashion & runs a small gossip circle with the local women. despite how she loves to chatter, she also has such a kind heart and always puts others before herself (something kent inherited). misty was unfortunately widowed after kent's father had enlisted. but don't worry, she takes solace in her "close female companion" ruby.

kent has always admired his mother and how she was able to make even the gruffest of men smile. misty has a bubbly personality and is much more of a "people person" than her late husband. she loves her son (who is her only child) very deeply and wants to see him succeed, even if he's still a bit childish and has a lot to learn.

misty instantly took a liking to jodi and treated her like the daughter she never had - offering maternal affection and advice, allowing jodi to borrow her jewelry or clothing, and even styling jodi's hair. to jodi, misty was the mother she always wanted. misty was over the moon when she found out kent and jodi were engaged and went into "wedding planning overdrive"(by that i mean she gathered a group of local women and organized the whole thing herself).

kent's father: christopher neilson.

chris was a 45 year old man who was most known for his hearty laughter and the wrinkles around his eyes from years of crinkling when he laughed. some say his heart was the biggest thing about him - he couldn't bare to see someone in pain or an animal suffering, he always had to help. that was, unfortunately, what led to his death after his enlistment.

chris was originally from the valley and had a very distinct southern drawl (however he learned to hide it over the years), though he moved to the city as he was searching for jobs in his mid thirties. he had stopped at a small cafe in between searches and met misty - who was a waitress at the time. she had accidentally spilled coffee on his shirt and he burst into a huge fit of laughter. misty then apologized very profusely and chris replied "you're quite alright, ma'am." he decided it would be better not to scout out more jobs with a coffee stained shirt and waited at the diner until misty's shift was over. there, misty asked what she could do to make it up to him, and he asked her on a date.

kent always admired his father; he always seemed capable of everything and never appeared afraid. his father was extremely caring, despite his gruff and burly exterior (he was 6'0 and built like a refrigerator, had an extremely long beard and hair spiker than kent's own, for starters). kent wasn't as close to his father as he would've liked and a part of him will always regret that - his father wasn't much for physical affection and the most kent received was a tender pat on his shoulder or back (kent so wishes he could've gone back in time and hugged his father back that day)

also... what if i was to say.. misty was the mother jodi wanted and samson was the father kent needed.. what then? ooh i have an idea for a kent/samson interaction Oooh... (also u see what i did there teehee. let's just say i'm very particular with the names i chose)

[yellowbluemoonshine]

In one of your posts (the favorite ship list), you mentioned that Ochaco is the more "masculine" in IzuOcha relationship, care to explain the reasoning behind that assessment?

Soft Boy & Tough Girl

Yeah, sure, and here’s what i mean in this post when i said Uraraka is the ‘masculine one’ in their relationship;

Izuku is unique shounen character for having alive mother because most of the shounen male characters lost their mother in some way or another and  Izuku’s father doesnt seem to be around either. Which is also why having a loving mother is the reason why Izuku is soft.

Something i really like about Izuku’s character is; Izuku cries when he is sad. He just cries, feels scared and he doesnt feel shame for crying or being scared. He doesnt feel any shame for being vulnerable. And i really like that about him because it is really rare to see in a male character.

Traits traditionally viewed as masculine in Western society include strength, courage, independence, leadership, and assertiveness.

Basically, Izuku is not masculine guy. He doesnt have any strength, he is scared, he is more follower type than leader, he has very low esteems. Especially at the start of series. This is who Izuku is.

He is just a normal boy and the reason i like this is because in media, we get many male characters who is most likely masculine, most of the time, they suffer from toxic masculinity, they feel insecure and lash out and sadly, audience seems to like it.

And later in series, even Deku gets stronger, even he gets confidence, become leader, or braver, he is not trying to look himself more masculine. He is not trying to dominate other people in any way. Basically, he doesnt show toxic masculinity.

And i like Izuku is not like that. We always gets to see bad examples of when a boy shows his vulnerable, he gets to hear ‘you are not man enough’, ‘you have to be strong’ but i like that story tells Izuku opposite.

‘Is your burden so heavy that it doesnt even let you cry? It looks like something you should share with us.’

Also when Izuku says 'heroes dont cry', Shouto is the one who reminds him again that its okay to cry. (This is also why i ship Tododeku too.)

The thing is some people is more sensitive to emotions, some people cry more easiely than others and thats how Izuku is. Izuku is very soft boy, he is very empathic, he is sensitive to other people’s emotions and he cry easiely and that is okay.

Compared to Izuku, Ochaco is kinda opposite.

She is tomboy but not your usual tomboy you see in media. She is not wearing boy clothes or extreme feminine clothes. She is just tough and she has the confidence. She wears whatever she feels comfortable with. Its like it doesnt matter to her and i love that.

Though, Ochaco is the one who seems to repress her sadness and any other negative feelings compared to Izuku who shows it freely. Which is why i think Ochaco is comfortable with him, even in novel she says, the first day at school seeing Izuku like that made her comfortable because she realized she wasnt the only one who felt nervous.

Also, unlike the ‘boy save the girl’ trope, in their relationship, its opposite. Its the ‘girl saves the boy’. Ochaco is Izuku’s hero since day one. The fact that before he was powerless, before the time he proved his worth to others, the fact that she showed kindness to him means a lot to Izuku. She was always kind to him, even when he was at his worst. Their helping each others happens too. Ochaco feels admiration towards him and think about him a lot, (writing has its flaws) but whenever Izuku thinks about his most important people in life, she is always part of it.

And another reason why i like izuocha and not other ships with her that much is because even though, Izuku was never masculine guy, Ochaco doesnt seem to see him as less guy or less attractive. Actually, seeing him so true to himself is what makes him attractive to her. Instead of populer guys in her class such as Bakugou who is good example of toxic masculinity or Shouto who seems tough and perfect, at least from outside. She just loves Izuku. She loves the boy whom everyone sees him as loser but to her, he was never a loser, she never sees him crying as annoying or bad thing, it is just part of him and she accepts it. And not only Ochaco doesnt mind Izuku's being vulnerable but also Izuku doesnt mind being protected by her, it doesnt feel him any inferior, actually it only makes him happy.

And when Izuku is vulnerable, instead of judging him, she holds his hand and says ‘Its okay’ and she is like ‘i am gonna protect this boy’. Unlike the usual romance where men always protect the women, Ochaco protects Izuku and thats fine because it doesnt matter if its a boy or girl. The one who needs help deserves to be protected. In this relationship, boy is the more vulnerable and emotional one and she helps him. Thats okay, this is normal, this is what healthy, supportive relationship is.

And this is the reason i love Izuocha at first place. Yes, writing has so much flaws but i love their origin relationship. And i hope we get better writing but well, its very nice ship.