#or I guess big brother

[glubby-guppiez]

*the groovypuff girls

[wintergrofyuri]

catgirl dogboy friendship is something that can be so personal

[zivazivc]

do you think freesia and jd would ever get back together? or will they stay sort-of friends?

I'm not going to lie, I kinda like the idea of them starting to date again and seeing where it takes them. 🙈 freesia sneaked into my heart for some reason (she kind of started this new trend of mine where i make ocs that were created to be dicks and then me just getting protective of them and trying to reason out their awful behavior kasjsdj)

also their ship already has a #1 hater and #1 supporter, both of which are doing it for the wrong reasons...

[fyeaheddiemunson]

[kashmimo]

baby pokemon trainers 🐣

[starry-bi-sky]

Clone^2 - Separation Strikes

"Why do I have to go?" Damian asks, surly and accent-thick, it sounds more like a demand and a whine at the same time. Sitting on the kitchen table with his arms crossed, in a green t-shirt that Danny bought him at a whim when he was at a thrift shop, and black shorts, he's never looked more like a kid. There's a little backpack leaning against the table leg, Damian begrudgingly picked it out when they went shopping.

His English has grown in leaps and bounds since Danny found him -- er, or more accurately; since Damian was spat out in front of him. -- and very little did they have to use the translator on Danny's phone these days.

Which meant one thing: Damian can start attending school comfortably now. And 'go' was the Amity Smiles Child Care Center. Danny and Jazz went as kids until they were twelve, and Mom and Dad actually managed to convince the center director to let Damian enroll for the summer.

And it was summer; Damian starts today.

"Because," Danny says, trying and failing to hide the smile pulling on his face, his heart warm and soft, and also laughing at Damian's expense; "being cooped up in the house all day isn't good for you, and you're starting school in the Fall. And, in Jazz's words: you need to have interactions with other kids your age for the benefit of your social development. And besides, it's only for the morning."

Damian's nose scrunches up, and his eyes roll so violently that for a moment, Danny thinks about joking that he'll get his eyes stuck like that. He holds his tongue; his little brother already looks like he's five seconds away from committing an act of violence.

"I don't need social interaction." Damian sneers, his cheek in his hand; a neverend pool of pride. "I am--"

"The Blood of the Demon Heir, better than everyone else." Danny cuts off, waving his hand in dismissive circles, his voice mockingly deep. Damian's brown skin darkens in embarrassment, and he scowls at Danny. "I know, bud. But Jazz is right, -- don't tell her I said that, -- you should be around kids your age."

Especially when he starts First Grade in the Fall. Honestly -- Danny was a little nervous to send him to the center. Damian's long since cut the habit of trying to kill or otherwise maim people, his palms ache-burn with gentle reminder, but his tongue was as sharp and as cutting as his sword. He still struggles with trying to quell it when he's upset. Vicious child-weapon that he once was, and will never be again.

Danny knows that it comes from a place of fear and defense, that Damian lashes out because that's what he's been taught. That at the end of the day, he doesn't really mean what he says, and he's learning to express himself better. But the other kids don't know that, and kids can be unforgiving and cruel.

Danny just...

His slow beating heart sighs, melancholy settles behind his lungs.

He doesn't want Damian to be outcasted. He doesn't want him to be alone.

Not like he was.

Damian sneers again, but says nothing, his shoulders crawling up to hide his ears like a turtle receding into his shell. Danny watches him silently, leaning against the kitchen counter with his own arms crossed. The clock hanging on the wall ticks in their ears -- it's almost time to go.

He watches Damian, careful, and so he sees it when his little brother's stone-shell pride and petulance shudders, and cracks. The darkened furrow of Damian's brows weakens, and for a moment, slants back.

Ah, Danny thinks, his own shoulders slumping. Epiphany washes over him, and his sad-heart soothes in warm understanding. So that's what it is.

His head tilts, and his hair spills over his shoulders, messy and fluffy, tickling his neck. Some of his bangs fall into his face. "Hal 'ant easabiatan ya habibi?" He asks, voice low and soft. Just as Damian's English has improved, so has Danny's Arabic. He still stumbles over himself some days, and Damian says his accent is trash, but they can have whole conversations now in Damian's mothertongue.

(Danny was incredibly proud of himself for it.)

Damian's face darkens, his blush spreading across the rest of his face, and he ducks his head down. Grown-out curls, black-brown and springy, falls over his eyes. "La!" He yells, loud and indignant, and not at all convincingly. "La 'asheur bialtawaturi!"

He was nervous. Danny can see it now, in the hunch of his shoulders and the tightness of his face, and faintly, he can feel it too. In the ecto-rich air of the Fentonworks House, it thrums, barely-there, like a hummingbird behind his lungs.

Danny can't stop the little, fond smile that forces itself across his lips and upticks the corner of his mouth. "It's okay to be nervous, little brother." He says, he sounds like Jazz when he says that. He doesn't think she'll mind him borrowing the nickname.

He pushes himself off the counter, and Damian refuses to look at him, hiding behind his hair and in his shoulders. It takes three long strides for him to reach the table, and Danny turns, plants his hands on the ledge, and hoists himself up. Right next to Damian.

Damian leans into him easily when Danny's arm wraps around his shoulders and tucks him close to his heart. He can feel his ear against his ribs. Danny hunches over him, resting his chin on Damian's head. "It's so okay to be nervous, actually. I was nervous, Jazz was nervous." He tells him, scratching the blunt edge of his nails across his scalp. "Everyone gets nervous."

"'Ana last aljumiea." Damian mumbles, as small and feeble as he was the night on the OPS Center balcony, realizing that his mom and the League weren't coming for him. Realizing that he was replaceable.

Danny's half-working heart squeezes; in grief, in rage, and his faucet eyes sting. He breathes in carefully, and presses his nose into Damian's hair in a loving faux-kiss. "You're right, you're not everyone." He says, steady and strong, because if he's not a pillar for his family, who else is he?

He can feel Damian's eyes flick up to him, and Danny smiles into his black-brown curls. Tilts his head to squish his cheek against him instead, hand dropping to thumb below Damian's lashes. "You're Damian Fenton," Because the adoption went through a few weeks ago, and he's still riding that high, "You're my baby brother. O' Artist Extraordinaire, Kickass with a Sword, Vegetarian and Wonderful Co-Ghost Hunter."

Damian tries to stifle a smile, and fails. Score! Triumph gathers in Danny's gut, his smile grows wider. He squeezes Damian tight, and only releases him so he can look him in the eyes. "And if anyone gives you a hard time at school, and I mean anyone--"

Danny has bad memories of the teachers looking the other way when the other kids were bullying him, all because he was a Fenton.

And Danny, bleeding heart, bleeding hands, loves his family more than he will ever love himself, will never let Damian experience the same injustice. Not if he can help it.

His eyes narrow, and the buzzy-film of ectoplasm covers his eyes, making them glow, "--You tell me. And as your awesome great big brother-and-technically-dad-but-only-biologically, I will handle it."

Damian, wonderfully made, full of light, his little brother Damian, giggles weakly at him. A sound that's worth it's weight in gold. The scary eyes dissipate, and Danny matches the sound with a cock-eyed, impish grin, dragging Damian into a soul-crushing, too-tight hug. The kind that only annoying older brothers can give. "Got it?"

That gets a proper, if short, laugh out of Damian. He wriggles in Danny's arms, trying to break free. But Danny does calisthenics, his arms are as big as Damian's head, so it doesn't work. "Understood, now, daeni 'adhhab ya 'akhi!"

Danny laughs, loud and bright, and loosens his hold just a smidge, only so he can adjust his grip and hop off the table with Damian still in arm.

"Never!" He crows, hoisting Damian slightly. One eye flick at the clock, and in one quick move, he secures Damian under one arm like a football, and hooks his foot under the strap of his backpack. Kicking it up, he tosses it into the air and catches it with his free hand, and slings it over his shoulder. "Now, to the car, my boy! Before we're late and Mom and Dad get charged."

Damian groans, childish and dramatic and long, but his face is all squished up with a wide grin and glee. Danny can taste his joy beneath his tongue.

"And, if my little pep talk didn't encourage you," He says, reaching the door to the garage, flipping Damian up onto his hip instead. "If you have a good day today, I'll make you bal mithai when you get back."

Like all kids at the promise of sweets, Damian's eyes widen and glitter. Danny loves seeing Damian be a kid, it's his favorite thing in the world. "I will!"

[cloudabserk]

it’s kind of silly but i wish people i knew irl cared about the fandom stuff i care about :(

[puppyeared]

you are umasou

[luck-of-the-drawings]

so REVENGE, HUH? or justice, if that makes you feel better. it tastes the same when cooked just right. 'I REALLY WANTED A BROTHER.' such a shame to burn a bridge you so desperately wanted to keep, especially when it wasnt even you who started the fire. especially when you hope that not a single fragment of that bridge ever washes ashore.[MAY IT ROT FAR FROM MY SIGHTS] an unfortunate loss! atleast he has his friends.

[myokk]

Eloise and her brother, Leo🫶

[profounddefendorcrusade-blog]

Starlo should be Clover's dad

Why? Because ↓

1) Both dress into cowboy-themed attire to feel braver/more important than they are

2) Clover, instead of a regular kid, wants to feel like a hero; Star, instead of a regular farmer, also wants to feel like a hero

In reality, Star is not the tough guy he pretends to be. His optimism, protectiveness and caring nature make him a hero though.

In reality, Clover started off as a scared kid who became more confident and skilled thanks to Flowey's resets. Their heroism comes from their forgiving and selfless nature and the hidden courage they got the chance to explore.

2) Both acted childish during a dangerous situation Clover came down the mountain with a toy gun so that it would bring them comfort/they'd feel more in control of the situation (if you remember, Frisk refused to play with Asriel's toys in UT, saying how they're "too old," and I assume Frisk and Clover are the same age).

Starlo brought a fake gun before confronting Clover in genocide, just to feel cool.

3) Both not only value justice, but base it on compassion

Clover's entire mission was to bring justice (avenge the kids), but along the way changed that mindset (in pacifist). Star says how him and his posse aren't bandits, tests Clover's sense of justice and morality with the trolley problem, and wants to give Ceroba a second chance despite her actions.

4) Starlo's got protective fatherly instincts

5) fatherly pride

8) a lot of monsters associate Clover with the Dunes/Wild East

9) oh and... Starlo referred to the Wild East as Clover's.... home. Twice.

he could have easily said 'Wild East'

... get the adoption papers.

[rusted-fairy-wings]

Ninjago, Kai, and the Subversion of the Chosen One Trope: an analysis

So, I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about Kai's genuinely incredible character arc and how the show subverts the chosen one trope through him. Here's my analysis :)

(Warning: Long)

In the pilots, Kai is completely disinterested in the idea of becoming a ninja/hero. All he wants is his normal life with his sister; he only pursues becoming a ninja after Nya's kidnapping. There's a sense that a huge aspect of Kai---the part of him that loves adrenaline, that wants to fight, that is ambitious to a fault---lays dormant.

Contrast that to season 1 where there's been enough time passed for Kai to cement himself as part of the original team (Kai, Zane, Jay, Cole). After Kai discovers the Green Ninja Prophecy, Kai's ambitious, selfish side rears its head as he becomes convinced he deserves the chosen one title. Granted, all of the original boys react similarly; they all think it should be them. However, the primary focus is on Kai, and watching it gives the impression that Kai is especially desperate for the title.

Already we have these contrasting images of Kai between season1 and the pilots. He's gone from zero interest in being a ninja to developing an obsession with being the chosen one. This obsession develops into a sense of desperation within Kai, a desperation to prove his worth. Kai suggests "contests" like the one to discover Samurai X's identity that will "prove" who deserves the title; it becomes his only focus in the show.

Furthermore, we see the True Potential arcs which heavily emphasize Kai's reckless desperation. Kai watches as the rest of the team one by one reaches their True Potential. They discover and/or remedy inner turmoil, becoming more in tune with themselves and growing as people, allowing them to more fully use their powers. As these arcs come up, it's worth noting every single ninja but Kai seems to have dropped their heavy interest in being the green ninja. Kai grows frustrated because in his mind, his not reaching his potential yet threatens his belief that he is the green ninja.

Note I haven't mentioned Lloyd until now. Let's backtrack a bit to talk about Kai and Lloyd.

At the start of the show, Kai sees Lloyd as nothing but an annoying, bratty nuisance. However, as time progresses, Kai gains new perspective on Lloyd, especially after the team takes him in. Begrudgingly, Kai begins to see Lloyd less and less as the annoying son of Garmadon and more as a younger brother he holds a lot of care for. At first he hates whenever he's stuck with Lloyd, but as the show progresses we see that annoyance begin to be replaced with affection.

Now, flash forward to episode 10 "The Green Ninja." Kai's frustration at not reaching his potential is on full display. Kai is even caught by the other ninja trying on the green ninja gi, further showcasing Kai's conviction in his belief that he is the chosen one even though the others have moved on. Further trying to prove he is the green ninja, Kai picks a fight with Garmadon (who has teamed up to rescue a kidnapped Lloyd), trying to unlock his true potential and show he's the one destined to defeat the dark lord. When they arrive at the Fire Temple to get the fangblade + Lloyd, Kai is the one who draws his golden weapon despite the instability of the volcano and Wu's warnings. He's desperate and ambitious, and that puts every single character present at risk; his desperation literally causes a volcanic eruption.

Then it's just Lloyd and Kai trapped in the erupting volcano with Lloyd and the fangblade both at risk, forcing Kai to choose. But it isn't as simple as choosing between Lloyd and the weapon. Symbolically, the fangblade represents Kai's ambition, his perceived destiny; to Kai, getting it proves that he is the chosen one. Put simply, Kai is forced to choose between the perceived chosen one and the real one. And it is in this moment Kai has his epiphany and finally sees the error in his ways. He realizes that this entire season, everything has circled back to Lloyd: stopping him, taking him in, caring for him, and ultimately saving him. This causes Kai to understand his true role in the prophecy as master of fire--being Lloyd's protector. Kai unlocks his True Potential, finally understanding himself and being the one to realize Lloyd's destiny.

This isn't a choice I personally see a lot of media making. We see a main character (Kai) struggle and fight and overcome his flaws in pursuit of a predetermined destiny only to discover it was never his destiny at all. All of his struggles and growth don't lead to him fulfilling his dreams of being chosen; he doesn't finally reach the point where he's worthy of the green ninja title. The green ninja reveal isn't a triumphant moment where Kai finally gets what he's been fighting for. Instead, it's a moment of tragedy, a moment where a scared child discovers he will have to be in a life or death battle with his father who he once aspired to be just like, who he loves more than anything. Kai's arc ultimately leads to acceptance of his true role and determination to protect Lloyd.

Even though Kai's arc has closed off in a sense at this point, the show further reinforces it as it progresses. In the season 2 finale, when it's just Kai and Lloyd left, Kai sends Lloyd to face his father/the Overlord without hesitation. He recognizes his duty is to protect Lloyd and does precisely that... he stays back to fight so that Lloyd may move forward and do what has been foretold.

In season 4, Chen tries to tempt Kai, tries to persuade him to his side, preys on Kai's old insecurities surrounding being the Green Ninja. Although it seems at first Chen was successful, it is revealed that Kai was working as a double agent, never intending to join Chen and never being tempted by the power offered to him. The only time he wavers in his character growth is when Chen's staff's power tries to overtake him, something out of his control. When of sound mind, Kai refuses to be tempted and is unwavering in his resolve to protect Lloyd and be satisfied to his true destiny.

Again and again, after Kai initially realized the path his ambition and desperation was leading him down, after Kai understood the truth about himself and accepted it, Kai makes the right choice. His character growth is cemented, and without fail, he does everything he can to protect his team and protect Lloyd. He finds peace and acceptance in his own destiny, even if it's not the one he envisioned for himself.

TLDR: Kai's desperation to be the green ninja turn him reckless and obsessed. Ninjago subverts the chosen one trope by not having our lead character earn the green ninja title by the end of his struggles, instead accepting his fate. As the show continues, Kai stands firm in his growth and acceptance.

[sophfandoms53]

Chelsie saying not knowing about the flip is unfair to the house,,,,, almost like that’s the point….

[psychologicalwarclaire]

Big brothers need comfort too

[baejax-the-great]

My brother died very suddenly yesterday.

He was the kind of person who always had dozens and dozens of friends everywhere he went because he was easy to talk to and funny and treated people with respect, and his friends ranged in class, race, age, social ability, introversion and extroversion--no matter who you were, he could and would befriend you.

He would scold me for not asking him for help when I needed it, and he would mean it. He taught me to tip well. He loved helping people. He played practical jokes on the new kids at work, including getting one guy to "chop flour" because the flour they had in the kitchen was "too coarse."

He introduced me to some of the best food I've ever eaten in my life. He would always help with a recipe that wasn't working. He would tell me what to buy my foodie friends for their birthdays, and he never got it wrong. He loved meat and whiskey but also wine and fruit and he got me to eat beets even because he knew how to make anything good.

Mostly, he thought that people were all deserving of respect and decency. He was outspoken on this. For all that his friends ranged across demographics, he didn't tolerate anyone being hateful around him. But even then, he was nice about it. He would try to get people to come around to his side. He saw the good in people.

And he was happy. He had finally quit chewing tobacco and managed to stay off it for three years. He had a girlfriend he really liked. The pandemic had put him out of work for over a year, but he was back at his job and doing well and he liked it. He was good at it. And it's complete bullshit that he's gone.

[edorazzi]

Some Thunderbirds Are Go comics I’ve been working on over the last few weeks! Sorry to everyone but I’m completely obsessed with this show lately. Love these boys so much.

Feat. Scott getting some dopamine from Virgil, Gordon and Alan getting creative (inspired by a Distractible clip) and John forgetting how gravity works. I’ve got the scribble bug so lots more of these are on the way! 💖