#she is back to being a lead in her own show!!

[boyfriendsmalec]

I want to thank you so much for this video and for all of your work in the Byler fandom.

I used to be a casual Stranger Things fan, but fell off in S3, for several different reasons. One being that I could not stand Mike and Eleven's relationship and how Mike's character abruptly changed. While there were other non-Mileven related reasons I stopped watching (which I won't get into in this post), it was only when randomly stumbling across this analysis video that I actually went back and finally finished S3 and S4.

Of course Stranger Things being such a popular show, I heard way back in 2022 that Will's character was confirmed to be gay and in love with Mike. But I still didn't watch the show. Because while I was happy to hear that confirmation (as I suspected Will was gay in S1/S2 as a CASUAL watcher) I never anticipated that Mike could return his feelings. I remember in S2 thinking they were cute together and mourned the fact that they couldn't be together, because Stranger Things was a "mainstream" Netflix show, and I didn't think they'd ever have the guts to establish a main romance between two male characters.

However watching this video changed something fundamentally in my perception of the show. I realized how much I had been burned by other queer-baiting shows and how that led to me misinterpreting the queer subtext with Mike's character.

I went on to watch more and more analysis videos of Mike on YouTube, and finally came back to Tumblr after a long hiatus to read long threads on Mike's character analysis and Byler evidence posts.

Mike's character to me is now fundamentally changed and saved by the queer analysis of his character. Mike reminds me in some ways of my own journey of both denying and discovering my own queerness, and I'm honestly shocked I missed the subtext in the earlier seasons. So it's no wonder that if I (and many other queer fans) missed that subtext on first viewing that most heterosexual GA members would completely miss it, leading them to be dismissive toward the idea of Mike being queer, and even the idea of Byler being a possibility.

And while I of course can't be one-hundred percent certain that Byler will be canon, I feel after all the analysis I've consumed, that it's a high possibility.

Ultimately many things lead me to believe Byler will most likely be canon, but the largest one that convinced me was when you spoke about the characters' arcs.

As you said, El is learning to not need others and is learning to be independent/defining who she is on her own terms. Mike, however, desperately wants to feel needed (he's the paladin/the protector of the group). And Will is the only one who needs (loves) Mike the way Mike wants to be needed (loved). Byler ending up together would be the only narratively satisfying way of resolving the El-Mike-Will love triangle.

There's so many other good points you brought up throughout the video. The blocking of the characters, the color theory, the little details in their costumes and set designs for their bedrooms -- it's all given waaaay too much thought to be coincidence. And Byler isn't given the same dismissive treatment that many other show creators give to "fanon" ships. It's respected (and even celebrated) by the actors on the show, and treated as though it's a genuine possibility. Netflix has even marketed Stranger Things with an emphasis on Byler over Mileven!

Again I thank you for your service to the Byler (and Stranger Things) fandom, and for allowing me to see the light!

My video "A LAWYER'S EVIDENCE that Mike and Will become a romantic pair in Stranger Things" is out!

Many of you have followed me ( @teambyler ) or read my essays analyzing Byler (I've linked some of the most-shared ones below). I am actually also a LAWYER who has a YouTube channel called RONALD OFF THE RECORD, and I just released my big video on Byler! (I also have another YouTube channel with 45K subscribers that I mention in the video)

I'm prepared to put my professional reputation as a lawyer on the line to comment on a piece of science fiction, because goddammit this is important to me! It is not "delusional" to think Will and Mike will become a couple, and there is nothing wrong with you if want it to happen! This is a video essay I've been planning for at least SIX MONTHS, and I put a lot of work into it. Please share, and please leave comments. Enjoy! =D

0:00 Why this video 1:38 Hate for Byler on the internet 10:16 Case for Mileven 15:21 Case for Byler: Starting premises 17:56 If Will were a girl… 25:30 The evidence! 29:05 EXHIBIT A: The Snow Ball 31:34 B: Mike's reactions to El and Will being upset 34:21 C: Season 3 ending montage 39:16 D: Airport reunion 47:51 E: Rink-O-Mania argument 51:28 F: Heteronormativity, audience expectations 58:25 G: Throwing away the letter 59:55 H: 2nd heart-to-heart scene 1:05:43 I: Mike can't say he loves El 1:13:27 J: Platonic reunion 1:15:12 K: Will's role convincing Mike to say "I love you" 1:20:08 L: Effect of the "love confession" on El 1:39:54 M: The Painting Lie 1:43:22 Honorable mentions 1:45:27 Non-diegetic evidence 2:01:23 Actor statements 2:10:34 NOT how you write an unrequited love story 2:16:07 Why Byler SHOULD happen (queerbaiting, etc.) 2:28:21 A more powerful story 2:35:45 A personal note

I'm now making this my new pinned post, so I'll list a few of my posts here for people to check out.

ADDITIONS: -28:00 On "We should normalize same-sex friends being affectionate, they don't have to be gay," I should have been clearer. HOMOPHOBIA is the reason for that stigma. Straight friends feeling like they can be affectionate in our society HAS to include normalizing LGBT+ people. -1:16:55 I should've said this more clearly: Will reminded Mike that who HE is, HIS unique qualities, make him worthy of love and make El love him, not dumb luck. And Will of course could convey that because Will loves the actual nerd MIke and everything he is. -1:17:06 Mike making El "not feel like a mistake" doesn't fit El, because she says that Mike looks at her "like I'm a monster, too". Nor did she "push you away because she was afraid of losing you". That's Will, not El. Mike felt love because Will was describing himself. -1:52:36 I forgot to mention that, in the original Nina opera, Nina's lover is ALIVE and DOES return. The Duffers changed the story so that Nina's lover does NOT return, to further suggest Mike won't return! -2:35:22 I'm kicking myself for not being more specific about Mike and Will being heroes in more than one way: I think the theme of bullying from s1 will return, with Will (and also Mike) having to face bullying for being boyfriends in Hawkins.

EDIT: I hit 1000 subs, only to discover THIS VIDEO CANNOT BE MONETIZED. ='( I think I put over 100 hours of work in this video, and this isn't sustainable for me unless I get support. This also means I can't make public videos with the same quality -- using show clips and music makes a stronger impact. I've considered deleting and reposting an edit, but that would losing all the wonderful comments and CUTTING OUT THE LAST SCENE. ='( ='( ='( NO. FUCKING. WAY.

So this is what'll happen: future videos NOT use clips and music to the same extent, except versions I post on my Patreon. And I need Patrons because I don't make money as a social-justice lawyer, and rely on that plus YouTube ads. Here's the Patreon link! (Any future video will be clipped, with the full version on Patreon) https://www.patreon.com/c/theruleslawyer

Some other @teambyler posts:

Mike was saying "I love you" to Will

Questions to ask if ever you have Byler doubt

How the Duffers have set Will up to have a happy ending in Season 5

The most heartbreaking way Byler can culminate (and how I predict it will) (I know this is less likely than an "escape from Camazotz" possession scenario, but I still want this to happen =D )

How the Duffers likely will make the general audience AWARE of Byler and CHEER for Byler

-teambyler

[knowbites]

　✶　SPRINGTIME LONGING　｡｡　feat.ㅤhan jisung

　────　as soon as he meets you, he's head over heels . . .

⠀ pairing.⠀⠀han jisung x f!reader⠀wc.⠀⠀3 k words ⠀ genre.⠀⠀fluff⠀cw.⠀⠀not really, it's a cute love at first sight fic, bridgerton inspired. mention of little wounds tho ( scratches, really ) & minho 's soonie is a paid actor here!

an.⠀⠀happy saturday .. and happy bday to @cinhomi ! hi my sweet rora, this is for youu! i know it's short, and just an edited version of an old fic of mine, but this is one of my fav works out of all i've written so far, and i wanted to gift it to you. i hope you like it 🤍

The carriage stopped, and Jisung didn't wait for the coachman to open the door before jumping out. He was late, and although it wasn't unusual, his old friend Minho would kill him if he didn't show up on time.

He didn't bother to look at his pocket watch as he walked the cobblestone path of the Lee manor's entrance, hands clenched into fists, and flashed a quick, apologetic smile at the housekeeper who opened the door for him before his fingers caressed the metal knocker. Her eyes, wrinkled with years, narrowed into two crescent moons at the sight of him, a smile curved with amusement: she had watched him grow up, had memorised his habits. The Lord Han she knew would never have arrived on time, even if he had wanted to.

Jisung hurried inside, giving her a brief grin as he felt the housekeeper taking the hat from his head to put it away, and paused for a moment to take a deep breath of air. The hall was empty, the only source of noise being the bustle coming from the kitchen, and Jisung knew that the guests had already been moved to the garden. According to the thorough planning that characterised his friend's mother, the gathering on the beautiful outdoors patio would lead to a long-awaited ‘welcome home’ meal, and Minho would surely notice his absence.

Shit.

He hurried through the hallways, the rustle of the fabric of his pants like a steady tune that followed the firm thuds of his footsteps on the marble floor, the soundtrack of a march that haunted him until he reached the big blue room. He had spent many afternoons playing with Minho in that place, scampering around the sofas and the servants, sneaking in and out to wallow in the grass, and he could almost feel the tightness in his throat closing up, as if he had just run with his friend to the oak tree by the lake and back.

He stood in the doorway, taking a deep breath to calm the erratic beating of his heart, flattening the lapels of his suit jacket against his chest. He wanted to think that the shaking in his hands was the effect of a day too cold and a coat not thick enough, but the weather had changed in the last few weeks and there was no snow left that hadn't melted. Jisung closed his eyes. He knew it was a side effect of his lack of social skills. He just didn't know why he kept arriving late to places when it made him so uncomfortable to have to enter a room full of people totally alone.

Then he realised that on that occasion it was the garden that was full of people, and he was the one who remained in a room, and he chuckled, shaking his head. What an idiot. He would be fine. Plus, he knew the Lee family—it wasn't going to be that bad.

Jisung opened the glass door carefully, almost afraid of shutting himself in, though he was not sure whether he was terrified of not being capable of getting out or of being unable to get in, and measured his steps as he made his way out into the courtyard. The first to notice his presence was Lady Lee, Countess of Gimpo, and on her face was drawn a beautiful toothy smile that Jisung could not help but mirror on his own lips, walking towards her when she quickly gestured for him to approach her.

The Countess ignored the panicked face of the butler, who should have announced Jisung as soon as he had arrived, and instead greeted him effusively and affectionately, pleased with his answers, his easy laughter and the myriad of promises about organising a gathering with his own mother as soon as possible.

Minho and his family had been travelling during the coldest months of the year, and now that the first rays of sun heralded warmer days in its most comforting form, they had finally returned, to enjoy the few months of heat before the new courting season began. And Jisung couldn't wait to hug his best friend again, even if it meant putting up with all the jokes about the experience he had gained in Europe and how little he had been missed. It was part of who Minho was, all the teasing, the sharp smirks, and the least he could do was get to his welcome back event on time, which… Well, he hadn't been able to do.

Lady Lee's attention gradually slid from her son's friend to the man she had been chatting with before, and Jisung took it as the signal to withdraw, offering a respectful bow towards them and walking away. He tried to —finally— find Minho in the crowd, but there was so much hustle and bustle and so many people that he felt overwhelmed, nervousness creeping back into his system, so he decided to wander to the margins of the patio, where waiters were standing by with trays, ready to serve the dishes as soon as the lunch was announced.

From the outside it was much easier to find Minho, distinguishing his broad shoulders among the people, moving in laughter at his companion's words. He smiled, recognising every curve of his best friend's back, the confidence in his posture, the heat rising to his cheeks as Jisung realised how big Minho had become, and saw the soft waves of his dark hair move in rhythm with his laughter. And he saw you, the companion, giggling too, covering your mouth with an expert twist of your fan, your cheeks flushed, in front of Minho. And when you looked at him, for a minute he forgot how to breathe.

Because looking into your eyes was like listening to a melody. He could hear the quartet that Minho's mother had chosen for the event playing from the little wooden platform by the lake, but it was a completely different tune than that. Your gaze, cheerful and serene, sang of mischievous breezes swaying the treetops at will, of dances without music barefoot on the grass and of the warm rays of the sun kissing your skin. You brought the spring with you, that spring that filled him with life and hope after a harsh winter, and as he lost himself in your shinny pupils, standing among the multitude, he wondered how his heart had been able to beat until that moment when it hadn’t had you to beat for.

“Hey, Ji!” Minho called his name, following your gaze, and approaching him in a couple of steps, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug.

Minho was dry in words, but his actions showed clearly enough how he truly felt.

Jisung's body reacted with the force of habit, relaxing into his hold with a quiet sigh, letting himself be embraced by the soothing warmth of Minho’s arms, but immediately tightening his grip on him, as if he was afraid that he would get back on that ship with the sudden desire to travel again. He couldn't allow it, he wouldn’t, at least for a long time. Unless they went together, that is. And after one last squeeze he let him step away, Jisung's hand firm on Minho's back, as Lee's only son turned to you.

“This is Lord Han, as I told you,” he explained, and you bowed before him, lowering your head with a lingering smile curving your lips. Jisung wanted to kiss that smile into his mouth, but he cleared his throat instead, trying to fill his mind with other —more appropriate— thoughts.

“Milady here wanted to visit our city,” he continued, offering his hand to you, waiting for you to rest it over his, and squeeze it with a familiarity that made Jisung’s heart sting, “so I proposed to her to travel back with us and stay for a while. She was the girl I told you about in my last letter.”

The last letter that had arrived that morning, and that he hadn't read because he was arriving late.

“Then you were absolutely right, my brother,” Jisung uttered, his words withering in his tongue as he linked the word ‘propose’ between you and Minho, “you were going on a trip to try and find beautiful views out there in the world. You truly discovered the most breathtaking one.”

Minho gave Jisung a playful punch on the shoulder, his chest filling with pride, ready to affirm any compliment his friend could mutter about you, but he stopped when he saw you addressing Jisung, your voice delicate and honeyed, still hidden behind your fan. 

“My lord really praised your composer skills during our trip here,” you whispered, averting your magnetic gaze from his as if you were having trouble bearing the knowledge that Jisung was observing you, completely stunned, but also desperate to continue any kind of conversation with you. “He forgot to add how much of a gentleman you were.”

But just before either of you could utter a single word, you heard Lady Lee drowning out a terrified shout, standing by the terrace, completely overpowered, and a spark of furious orange fur running across the grass like a shooting star in the darkest night. Minho gasped, and Jisung knew. His cat.

You were the one who took the initiative, unaware of the startled glares, smashing your fan into Minho's chest and grabbing the hem of your dress in one swift move. Before Jisung could realise he was chasing after you, both of you followed the mischievous creature at a fast pace, ignoring the calls of the rest of the men at the event. Jisung stared at your back, starstruck, breathing caught in his throat as he realised you were faster than him, heart rate increasing every second that passed in his hasty run. The only thing he could comprehend was that it wasn't the first time he had dealt with Minho's cats, that they knew him, and that for them you were a stranger. It would be his fault if the animal got stressed in your presence and ended up hurting you.

The hurried race took you both to the forest adjacent to the Lee property, and by the time Jisung spotted your figure among the foliage, he froze. Your elaborate bun had come loose, your flowing hair falling over your shoulders, and you had your dress pulled too far up your thighs, fully prepared to climb the tree where Soonie was waiting, curious about what you were doing.

Jisung couldn't think. He didn't know if you had heard him arrive, if you had even been aware that he had chased after you, but he didn't care. He could only focus on the smooth skin he was witnessing —more than he had ever seen in his life— contrasting with the darker colour of your dress. You didn’t seem uncomfortable being barefoot, your low heels abandoned among the thick roots of the weeping willow, one foot resting on a gap between the folds of the robust trunk and your hands holding tightly to the lowest branches.

It would be difficult to reach Soonie, he thought, because its branch, although low, was too thin for a human, even dangerous with the way it was located above the lake. Jisung could understand why the cat had chosen that tree. He also liked the way its leaves swayed in the wind, and it really did look like a giant feline toy, but Soonie and his two brothers already had scratching toys and little houses in the manor, all handmade by Minho. The adventure had to end before something went wrong.

He had wanted to warn you of his presence, but a leaf creaked under his boots, alerting you, scaring you, and making you lose focus on your tightrope walk along the branch below Soonie's. You lost your balance completely, and Jisung saw your hands trying to grab onto something, anything, before falling into a loud splash on the edge of the lake. Jisung would have laughed if his heart hadn't jumped in his chest, if you had been someone else, if he wasn't so deeply scared that you were seriously hurt.

Jisung stated in his place, paralysed for a second. He would have laughed, if his heart hadn't jumped in his chest, if you had been someone else, if he wasn't so deeply scared that you were seriously hurt.

He rushed over to where you were, mumbling a string of “I'm sorry’s” as you quickly emerged from the water, taking a breath of oxygen, desperately holding onto the hand Jisung was offering you. Your hair formed spirals in the water, floating around you, just like your dress. The water was up to Jisung's waist, but he felt so overstimulated that he wasn't able to process how he had just gotten his pants wet. All he could think about was that your gloves had torn, and that he was touching your skin, the soft but bloody skin of your outstretched hands, and that you were so close he could feel your rapid breathing against his body.

He cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the thoughts that were popping into his head, and pulled you lightly so you could stand up. Only instead of getting angry with him, blaming him for spying on you, your lips curved into a smile, and you let out a crystalline laugh, closing your eyes and relaxing your shoulders in front of him. You were the picture of happiness, cheeks still rosy and your chest rising and falling against the corset at full speed. Even he felt on edge, with adrenaline bubbling against his ribcage.

“There’s no need to be sorry, lord Han” you whispered under your breath, your eyes falling over him, Soonie purring above your heads. “It was a funny accident. I shouldn't have tried to climb so high.”

You weren't apologizing for running away, Jisung noticed, and he couldn't help but widen his smile at it. He was getting lost in your gaze again, too captured by you, and everything was going too fast. He didn't know if it was good or bad, but he didn't want to stop. At least until he realised that you were getting goosebumps, and the first shiver ran through you. He cursed himself for not having acted sooner, and helped you out of the lake with difficulty, the ground on the shore completely muddy under your bare feet and his heavy boots.

Jisung avoided looking at you as he turned slightly to take off his expensive suit jacket, ready to give it to you, but when he turned to offer it to you, he saw that you were removing your dress. He rushed to put his jacket over your shoulders before you could continue, shame creeping up his neck and leaving a trail of blush in its wake, and you flashed a mischievous smile, fully aware of it.

“I’m not going to end up naked in front of you, lord Han” you assured him, grabbing the thick fabric of your dress and leaving it on the grass, the figure of your body crafted by the thin white nightgown you wore underneath, before snuggling into Jisung's warm black blazer, “you should court me before we get there.”

Your words snapped Jisung out of the haze he was in, suppressing the urge he had to run his hands along your arms to help you warm up, and he picked up your dress and shoes from the floor, keeping his hands well occupied. He was a gentleman, he shouldn't… He had to involve you both in situations appropriate for a young lady like you. Not in an improvised swim, where you were going to end up so... God, so delicate and delicious, looking at him that way.

But he couldn’t. He couldn't continue with that train of thought. Not when everyone knew where you were, when Soonie was judging you two among the roots of the tree, approaching Jisung with the confidence of having found a familiar human. Before he could get any closer, you crouched down, holding out your fingers so he could smell them. It took a suspicious look and realising that Minho's cologne was still soaked in your skin to accept being held in your arms, sticking to your body to provide you with more warmth.

Jisung had to remember to buy Soonie more treats the next time he visited Minho.

“Are you coming?” you asked, oblivious to the way the vision you were was killing Jisung inside, you in his jacket, with that cheeky smile, your hair a wet mess, but still looking so beautiful.

Still, he nodded, treasuring every second in his memory. One look, and you had cast a spell on him. He would follow you wherever you asked as long as you were the one to guide him. He felt like he was in the verge of a cliff, knowing you now held his heart in your hand as easily as you had taken Minho's cat, knowing that if you broke it it would hurt more than a bad cut with a rusty knife. He had fallen catastrophically, but he was sure it would be a pleasure to be irrevocably yours if you'd let him.

ㅤㅤwith love ,　© mars.　do not copy, translate, repost, share this work as yours on other platforms or feed it to the ai !　🔭 ˚. ⋆͏

[razorblade180]

A Disagreement

Ruby:Alright everyone, glad you can make it to the meeting.

Weiss:You pulled out a map in the middle of lunch.

Ruby:Still counts. Anyways, we’ve been settled into Vacou for a few weeks and I think it’s about time to make moves towards success.

Yang:Umm we’ve been running tasks every day.

Ruby:Yeah, to recoup. It’s been helpful but I think it’s about time we start doing expeditions around the nation. Salem isn’t going to show up full force from the gate. Emerald said Tyrian and Mercury left before you even went to save Oscar. Odds are they’re hiding in remote villages or near a water source. I say we get the jump on them.

Blake:Do you know exactly where to start? Vacuo isn’t exactly small.

Ruby:Nope. I’m thinking it’s best to start the farthest and work our way back. It’ll take a couple weeks but I think this the play.

Blake:If they’re closer in though, they might attack while we’re gone. Sure we will be notified and there’s fighters here to help but-

Ruby:They’ve been doing fine without us, plus we can’t exactly ask them all to pick a spot to look. That’s way riskier.

Weiss: As far as Salem knows, we’re dead. They’re not expecting us to look for them, unless they’re already inside.

Ruby:If that was the case, I doubt they would’ve let recovery go so smoothly.

Yang:Even so, there’s still so much here to be done for people. I’m with Blake on this one.

Ruby:Yeah well, what else is new.

WB:…

Yang:…I’m sorry? What’s that supposed to mean?

Ruby:What? It’s not the first time you guys are on the same page.

Weiss:Right, but how you said it was a bit…

Yang:Rude. And kinda unnecessary.

Ruby:Unnecessary? Y-….Actually, I’m sorry. Can we move on now?

Yang:…No.

Blake:Yang-

Yang:No, let her speak her mind. Finish that thought. *crosses arms*

Ruby:…I just find it a little funny you think that callout was unnecessary. It wouldn’t be the first time you two divided the decision making. Didn’t go well last time either.

Yang:Hey, last time I checked, Oscar wasn’t on your side either about keeping secrets.

Ruby:Oscar didn’t say he’d “follow my lead” then decide to make a major decision without talking to anyone aside from their crush.

Blake:I- that’s on me. I’m sorry.

Yang:Hold on, you seriously can’t be blaming us for how things went down.

Ruby:All I’m saying is it didn’t do anyone any favors. You do get that you didn’t just blindside Ironwood in that office? Weiss, did you know?

Weiss:N-No. I didn’t know about Robyn Hill escape.

Ruby:Neither did I. *shrugs* Go figure? Like I said, I’m not pinning everything on you two.

Yang:Looks like it.

Ruby:Kinda how it looked like my plan wasn’t working, even though you didn’t follow it?

Blake:Okay, maybe we should take a break?

Ruby:Why? Yang wanted my thoughts and I’m giving them. Don’t stress over her attitude.

Blake:That’s not-

Yang:Okay, now you’re actually being a jerk. Blake was just-

Ruby:For the love of gods, stop speaking for her! You rush to her defense faster your own sister!

Yang:Oh that’s rich! Last time I checked, I fell rushing to your defense!

Weiss:YANG!

Yang:WHAT!?

The blonde looked at Weiss briefly before looking back at her own sister who just stared coldly, causing a pit to form Yang’s stomach.

Yang:I-

Ruby:Whatever. *turns around* Wouldn’t be the first time you got hit because you rushed in, but I don’t see you pointing fingers at Blake. Is that unnecessary too? *walks out*

Blake:*hugs herself*….

Yang:*red eyes* RUBY! HEY!

Weiss watches Yang storm out after Ruby. Her initial response was to reach for Blake to provide support, but Blake held her hand out and shook her head. This wasn’t about her and she understood that, even if Ruby’s words stung. Blake and Weiss took off after the sisters, getting outside just in time to see Yang grab Ruby by the wrist.

Ruby:Let go of me!

Yang:You think you get to walk off after that!? That was low and you know it!

Ruby:And blaming me wasn’t!?

Yang:I-

It happened faster than Yang could think. One second, Ruby was still. The next, a right hook surrounded by petals hit Yang’s face so hard she stumbled backwards in shock as her face stung. Yang looked ahead and saw another right hook, catching it before proceeding to grab a left. Before she could even speak again, Ruby headbutted her in the mouth; the impact let her grip loosen on the girl. Yang saw Ruby shadow swing for another punch and without hesitation, Yang kicked her foot outward hard.

Yang’s boot landed right against Ruby’s gut and sent her rolling backwards across the dirt, lying there for a full second before slowly rising to her feet. Yang’s eyes immediately turned back to normal. She didn’t mean to hit her that hard.

Yang:Ruby! Are you-

Ruby:JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!

Petals exploded everywhere and Yang was tackled to the ground in an instant. Her arms raised to block her face as Ruby began throwing blow after blow. Yang wasn’t sure what happened to the girl who couldn’t throw a punch to save her life, cause right now each strike felt heavy.

Ruby:All you’ve done since Haven is go against the grain and stuck by Blake. You never actually take my side!

Yang:There are no sides! We’re a team!

Ruby:Then listen to your leader instead of your partner for once!

Yang:You sound like Ironwood!

Ruby:And you’re acting like Raven!

All it took was Ruby to slow down for a second to allow Yang to grab her by the collar and fling her away. Ruby bounced back as Yang got up and the two of them swung at each other. With poor reach, Ruby chose to dodge after getting socked in the face and begin evading a series of blows.

Yang:All I’ve been trying to do is keep you safe! To keep everyone safe!

Ruby:You ditched me the first chance you got at school! You didn’t even think about me my partner!

Yang:School and the real world are two completely different things!!

Ruby:They weren’t to me, you- you hypocrite!!!

Ruby kicked the side of Yang’s right knee. Yang buckled instantly and received another right hook that followed through with a left before another speed tackle that put her on her back to get wailed on some more.

Ruby:Telling me to grow up; step up as a leader! Make my own decisions and spread my wings but then disagree with me! You want me safe one moment and tell me you don’t care what I do the next! Say you’re proud I’m the leader but never show real support!

Yang:Support isn’t blind obedience or constantly agreeing! Blake and I don’t even agree on everything!

Yang returned the headbutt Ruby gave, knocking her off and keeping them both dazed as their aura flickered from the impact. Before either of them got the chance to move, Weiss ran over and grabbed Yang while Blake held Ruby, restraining both of them.

Ruby:*bloody nose* Hey!!!

Yang:*bruised face* Let me go!

WB:Not until you both calm down!!!

Ruby:Me!? I’m not the one who couldn’t leave well enough alone and then got upset when they finally got the same criticism they’ve been dishing out for months!

Yang:If you’re going to blame me then fine! I don’t care! I’m your big sister! Yes, I want you safe! You’re damn right I want you to grow, but I’m not gonna let you make choices I think will do more harm than good! I won’t pretend I’ve done everything right but I never tried to! So go right ahead and keep pinning everything on me! I’m never going to apologize for not wanting to lose you like mom!

Ruby:…Then stop making it easy to walk away from you! You’re the reason I drank-

Yang:….*eyes widened*

Ruby:…You’re the reason I drank the tea.

Not another word was spoken. Absolute silence fell upon the team as tears flowed from Ruby, her face riddled with guilt and disgust before scrunching up; she sped out of Blake’s relaxed grip and fled into town. Not a single person chased her. Blake and Weiss looked at Yang who just…sat on the ground, her glow fading. Her eyes seemed to dim and her head dropped, leaving her to stare at the dirt.

[she-took-the-heartland]

There are two very different but tangentially connected topics I've been thinking about: Covey lineage and homophobia in District 12.

We learn in TBoSaS that there are six remaining Covey members. There are three Baird cousins: Lucy Gray, Maude Ivory, and Barb Azure. There are two Clade brothers: Billy Taupe and Clerk Carmine. And there is the adopted Tam Amber.

Lenore Dove is confirmed to be a Baird whose mother died in chilbirth. When Haymitch finds the Covey graveyard, Lenore Dove's grave is next to Lucy Gray's and Maude Ivory's. This seems to imply Maude Ivory was Lenore Dove's mother.

"Clerk Carmine and her other uncle, Tam Amber, have raised her since her ma died in childbirth, seeing her pa's always been something of a mystery. They're not blood kin, her being a Baird, but the Covey look out for their own."

-SotR, pg. 8

From SotR pg 371 and 372

Since TBoSaS was released, it's been speculated that Katniss was descended from the Covey. So it isn't at all surprising to find that Burdock was also a Baird. Given that Lucy Gray is long missing/dead, and Maude Ivory is likely Lenore Dove's decesed mother, that leaves Barb Azure to be Burdock's mother.

"She [Lenore Dove] wasn't one of Burdock's Everdeen cousins, but I knew she had some distant ones on his ma's side."

-SotR, pg. 7

I remembered that in TBoSaS, Barb Azure is mentioned to have been dating another woman.

""She [Barb Azure] just started seeing a gal down the road," confided Lucy Gray when they were out of earshot of the house. "Probably glad to have the place to themselves for the day.""

-TBoSaS, pg. 430

This got me thinking more about homophobia in Panem, and I gathered as many references to queer relationships as I could find throughout the series.

In TBoSaS, we have the Barb Azure wlw reference which seemed to be socially acceptable in that time. Also in TBoSas, Coriolanus brings up a gay couple from the Capitol and does not express their relationship to be taboo:

"They had come to see Pluribus Bell, an aging man with lemon-tinted spectacles and a white powdered wig that fell to his waist. He and his partner, Cyrus, a musician, owned the shattered club and now made do by trafficking goods from its back alley."

-TBoSaS, pg. 32

It seems likely in the early history of the Panem, homophobia was not an issue in the Capitol or the Districts.

However, a few quotes from Katniss in Catching Fire and Haymitch in SotR lead me to believe at some point, homophobia was used to control District citizens specifically.

"That's when she revealed that he'd [Clerk Carmine] been together some thirty years with the fellow in town who replaces busted windows. They have to keep it quiet because loving differently can get you harassed by the Peacekeepers, fired from jobs, arrested even."

-SotR, pg. 13

By the 20th hunger games, 10 years after Barb Azure was seemingly openly dating a woman, Clerk Carmine had to keep his relationship with a man secret.

But there's no evidence that Capitol citizens are punished for same-gender relationships. It's hardly mentioned in the original trilogy, but it is implied that when Finnick was forced into prostitution with rich people from the Capitol, it wasn't just women who were paying for him.

"But ever since he [Finnick Odair] turned sixteen, he's spent his time at the Games being dogged by those desperately in love with him. No one retains his favor for long. He can go through four or five in his annual visit. Old or young, lovely or plain, rich or very rich, he'll keep them company and take their extravagant gifts..."

-Catching Fire, pg. 209

It's sad, but I think Suzanne Collins added these details to show that restricting the freedom to love who you want is another way of controlling the Districts. They are given freedom to choose who they want to marry... as long as that person is someone they can reproduce with to make more children for the hunger games.

Perhaps Barb Azure was bi, or more tragically, perhaps she was forced to assimilate, to marry an Everdeen man and have children. She always seemed to be the Covey member most tied to duty and responsibility.

[redspades]

In defense of KTV:

I understand why people might not like it, for the same reasons that people don’t like GOM. What I cannot stand is how people say that she ruined Gareth and how much KTV is overshadowed by HTV. And I only have one complaint about KTV, how much woman are used to prop up Garden’s relationship as if they’re nothing but a tool. Also linking back to how Rina views women.

Issue 1)

The best part abt KTV is about how aware it is. It’s so meta of Rina Kent to write that a character acknowledged to being r*ped. And then to give that whole r*pe a reason, not to justify the act itself but in the whole of the book it’s perfect. They’re both fucked up, fictional and the actions have reasons. The r*pe actually is part of the story and leads to the bigger picture and both the characters actually ACKNOWLEDGE IT. People who hate this are allowed to hate it but acknowledge that both these characters are (1) fucked up (2) fictional

Issue 2)

“Gareth is a bad brother” idk what to say abt this bro. He and Killian have a diverse and unique dynamic that differs from Landon/Brandon and Creighton/Eli. Landon and Brandon are twins, love each other that brotherly camaraderie. Not to mention are different from Killian and Gareth. Eli and Creighton are more similar to Killian and Gareth, all four are downright psychotic. Except Eli actually is very outward with his affection towards Creighton. Creighton is the little brother he chose.

I don’t get people’s hate for Killian and/or Gareth for being horrible brothers. Y’all this is their dynamic, even before when the fandom considered Killian the “bad guy” for being a bad brother to Gareth, and now seeing Gareth’s the “real bad guy” people hate him for being a bad brother. THEYRE BOTH FICTIONAL AND PSYCHOPATHIC. Plus everyone is forgetting one element to this, Gareth’s love for his father. Gareth loved his father more than he loved his brother, whether that is a factor that is Asher’s fault is to be told another day or to be left alone. We forget that Gareth’s ideal self is his dad, and that he craves his dad’s affection and hides his true fucked up thoughts and behavior to be the perfect golden boy for his dad. He cares about his dad. That is part of a core of his character. Eli don’t gaf abt Aiden bro 😭 Aiden lowkey don’t even gaf abt Eli bc Creighton is the baby of their family

Don’t forget a part of Gareth also cares about Killian, seeing as how he almost shmurdered a kid for breaking Killian’s ankle. And even if it’s because he sees Killian as his possession or not, KILLIAN SEES GARETH AS A POSSESSION TOO!!! THIS DOESNT CHANGE ANYTHING. I’m gonna tweak tf out if I have to defend this point again. THEYRE BOTH GOOD AND BAD, ITS NUANCED!!!!!!!

Let’s not forget that Killian knows that Gareth lives off their father’s attention and makes a show out of having a newly developing connections with their dad just to spite Gareth. Like that one chapter where Gareth was doing archery in the rain without a care because he was just so so sad about being left behind and replaced by his brother. Kayden had to be the one to get him out of there. Some ppl just don’t get inferiority like I do 😔

Also need to mention that Gareth feels like Killian was made to stave away his loneliness. No matter how fucked up the both of them are or how they show their “love” to each other, it’s in the way that they both want it and understand it. The core of their relationship is their hatred for each other but because of new present events now they can grow past that. Something called development.

Issue 3)

“Rina Kent ruined Gareth and Glyndon’s relationship” and it’s a quote of Gareth saying Glyndon is naive. SHE IS, SHE IS NAIVE. I love Glyndon don’t get me wrong, she’s my favorite of the main 4 (save for Mia, Mia is my bbg) but she’s naive and Gareth obviously plays on that for his own benefit. It’s her kindness and good natured heart that makes her naive but it’s not like he hates her.

Once again, this is the fandom’s own interpretation of how they saw Glyndon and Gareth’s relationship. In no way did they have like a thoroughbred friendship, they just had images of one and the fandom blew that up out of proportion. Bruh we knew Gareth was sort of fucked up from the start (just not how fucked up). You remember the scene where he kissed Glyndon just to fuck with Killian? And you’re telling me you “didn’t expect this” DID WE READ THE SAME BOOKS?

However, this does not negate the already existing relationship that Glyndon and Gareth does have. It’s not like Gareth cares about her outside of how he uses her to tame Killian but also uses her to get him off his back. Gareth didn’t say that he hated her guts and wanted to stab her or some shit, he just called her naive for being so kindhearted. The fandom can still have the Gareth and Glyndon friendship.

Issue 4)

“Gareth is fucked up for only worrying about the fact that Kayden had a wife and not that he was getting revenge on his wife’s r*pist and shmurderer.” Did we even read the same book? Gareth IS fucked up… I fear that’s his whole thing. Are we not gonna touch upon the fact he’s okay with stabbing his hand just bc he got fucked over by Kayden or the fact he literally had large ass slashes of his own self harm scars on his arms just because he found out Kayden was using him?

Let’s not forget that Gareth was on the belief that Kayden was using him to get revenge on his grandpa (who Gareth also adores and loves very very much). Gareth whose a psychopath and the number 1 D1 crash out of everyone in the RK universe (he wins that award), is tied between his love for Kayden and the fact that Kayden is just using him for revenge on his family. Those are both very difficult things itself. It’s not even in Gareth’s nature to care about people outside of himself and those he holds dear. He couldn’t handle that heart break and had to turn it on himself to find a way to vent that.

It’s not more so that he doesn’t care about Kayden’s ex wife and wants to kill her (he would have if she were alive tbf) but he felt betrayed because of Kayden’s purpose with being with Gareth in the first place. And the most heartbreaking thing is that Gareth couldn’t find it in himself to kill Kayden or even hurt him farther than scraping the lily off because he would be hurt to see Kayden hurt. Ts got me, had me in tears.

However, this leads into what the actual issue of KTV is.

How many (fictional) woman are going to suffer because of Rina Kent’s writing? In KTV, Harper had to suffer to prove a point abt Gareth’s character, and Cassandra had to die to prove a point about Kayden’s character and their relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I love Gareth and Kayden and I love the drama but I just don’t like how women have to be on the receiving ends of suffering just to prove a point in the story. As if there nothing else but just tools (don’t get it twisted, Cassandra and Harper were just tools and the stories of their SA’s are once again, just tools to further the main relationship).

I mean, yeah sure there are other female characters that didn’t suffer as much and weren’t put into a negative light. Like Zara, and Kayden’s mom’s. But it’s becoming very clear that Rina doesn’t view or write woman very positively? Not to say she’s a woman hater but it’s just that the internal biases are there and very prevalent.

Another issue is that KTV is overshadowed by HTV, Vaughn and Yulian. I don’t wanna hear abt Vaughn and Yulian I want Kayden and Gareth 😭 let them have their moment, Vaughn and Yulian will get their time.

[meanbossart]

How did Du Drow’s personality and behavior change after turning away from Bhaal and losing his urges?

Very minimally, really. His personality changes most dramatically throughout the course of the campaign, but it's gradual enough a process that it shouldn't feel that way, at least.

Barring the standoffish-ness that he starts with (which I think is an understandable reaction to losing all of your memories and suddenly being in a life-or-death situation with a bunch of strangers) DU drow starts off as a person who isn't interested in anyone's well-being but his own, nor is he invested in anybody's story or their outcome. Everything he does is in the interest of his own survival or personal, subjective ethics (saving Arabella because she's an individual child in distress- not saving the tieflings in act 2 because they've served their purpose and he doesn't care for them as a group). He's charming, and even polite, but he makes it very transparent that he doesn't care for the happiness or comfort of others.

By act 2, he finds himself with people to care about and whose goals he's invested in - he kills Yurgir so Astarion can get his answer from Raphael even though he thinks it's an objectively dumb idea. He helps Shadowheart fullfil Shar's trials despite the fact that her religion seems like absolute nonsense to him - he wants to make these people happy when there is nothing in it for him., and that's absolutely novel. He's also a slightly warmer person by then who is friendly to, like, half of the party.

By act 3, he's been inspired by Shadowheart's rebellion and is kind of mirroring that in his own way. He enjoys occasionally helping refugees in the outskirts of the city if for no other reason than to go against the grain - he develops a bit of a "fuck the rich" and a Stick It To The Man attitude that I think is inherit to the man that he is, and harkens back to his forgotten days of living-rough as a youth; when he would only enter cities to thieve or collect supplies and looked at the more privilege sects of society as weak and pompous. He lets Yenna into camp after she shows up because dude just loves an urchin, he tries to free the prisoners from the Iron throne and then help out the slaves at the Steel Watch Foundry, he gets Minsc back to afford Jaheira some peace of mind and doesn't hesitate to refuse his father's gift.

Besides Shadowheart's and Astarion's stories, I think learning that the bloodlust he thrived in was imposed upon him rather than organically acquired was what most sent DU drow into an identity crisis. The idea of doing things against his will unbeknownst to himself, or of being a pawn in an authority figure's game, is something that brought him equal amounts of shame and anger. It also triggers him to want to get in touch with the less violent side of himself - since, supposedly, that was actually all him - and leads him to want to do the best by all of his party members (to mixed results, considering Karlach's and Gale's fates) and establish the depth of his existing relationships.

...Ironically, I think being killed by Bhaal and then resurrected by Withers led him to slightly stray off that path of improvement. I mean, the TRUE evil's been banished! Now he can stop feeling guilt and shame and worry and just live his life COMPLETELY free from critical thought! Literally the first thing that he does upon waking up is declare that he's cured, and then announce that he's a blank slate - he isn't, and we all know that.

DU drow then proceeds to be confused as to why he still enjoys murder and mayhem for like 2 months, until Shadowheart and Astarion gently knock some sense into him (not by dissuading him from enjoying murder and mayhem - but recognizing that that's a part of him that wouldn't go away at the simple snap of a bony finger, and an urge that he has full control over.) Naturally, what Wither's did also did his invincibility complex no favors.

So... He really is kind of the same. He is slightly more in-touch with his own empathy and open to the pleasures of life, but his base personality has remained pretty intact - I would say he turns out to be what that young, lanky forest cryptid would have been all along, had Bhaal never entered the mix.

[aquaaquila]

Manipulation was something she came up with to please Su-Han, when SHE'S actually making the decision regarding this she prefers to not go through all of this. And like, her plan in Ephemeral was indeed to ask him his identity and make herself forget about it as only Su-Han is interested in this information.

If you're talking about Hack-San then fair as this is after New York special, both of them should be more cautious regarding their escapades outside of Paris, Marinette should've actually thought about this sooner, but the move itself wasn't even the problem. Chat was upset over his possessiveness for LB, not because of her hypocrisy as many fans like to tell.

He also has proven to go MIA in season 4 making LB call on back-up in both Kuro Neko and Ephemeral and in Penalteam she had to establish a full team because he couldn't play soccer.

"Trusting others" the only who has her full trust that is solely her decision is Alya. Luka and Alix find out by virtues of being time travellers and both of them are pretty absent from Marinette's life because of this. Kagami and Felix figured out her identity on their own and do nothing. Nathalie and Marinette never intended to collaborate until the finale and it was just a set of circumstances that made them in such position. She doesn't trust Su-Han at all. Fu is the one who reached out to her.

Like seriously it all boils down to Marinette trusting Alya and of course she trusts Alya as she does have her in her civilian life, while the universe proved that whenever Marinette or Adrien find about each other's identity it leads to the apocalypse meaning Chat Noir would always be Chat Noir to Marinette as he can't be his civilian self and Marinette had a breakdown because of her civilian life.

Both of them were stupid in Strike Back because of Risk and both of them acted on the very thing they internalised over their flawed run as superheroes for 4 seasons. None of this would've happened if the adults didn't screw them over. They absolutely would trust each other more if Fu allowed them or if Gabriel didn't threaten to end the universe with his stupidity. And in Strike Back LB literally turned apologetic towards CN, what else do you want?

Both CN and LB decided what they did in Kwami's Choice, neither of them has any room to complain here. Alix is content with leaving her home and both of them leave because both of them can't shut up about being time travelers who know everything (Luka did try at least, meanwhile Bunnyx has a public identity to her classmates and not only).

The show constantly makes Marinette responsible for everything and screws her life over. And Marinette literally grew up by the standards of the show, that's how she unlocked her new powers.

Honestly, in my opinion, Marinette saying she doesn't trust Chat Noir for THIS reason did nothing but VALIDATE Alya in her anger.

Cause all that Marinette actually says to Alya here is that Marinette doesn't want Chat Noir to know because she thinks it's way too likely that Chat wouldn't stand for that lie either and not knowing who the boy underneath Chat's mask is would leave Marinette helpless if Chat were to flip her off and just decide to tell Adrien the truth as civilian behind her back.

Like, that's literally all Marinette said to Alya here. Even if she probably didn't even realize it, it nothing but VALIDATED Alya in her opinion that telling Adrien is the right thing to do because now she being told by Marinette that Chat would side with her, ALYA, and not Ladybug if he knew.

So from Alya's perspective, it's Marinette vs both of her partners who she deliberately keeps in the dark BECAUSE she suspects they wouldn't agree with her.

Which is ironic cause Alya started this conversations asking if this is a Ladybug and Chat Noir vs Rena Rouge situation, only to find out it's Chat Noir and Rena Rouge vs Ladybug.

[noxious-antidote]

I want to talk about House M.D. and my two favorite episodes: House's Head and Wilson's Heart, and what I think they mean.

Spoilers. Be warned!

I think House's Head (S4E15) and Wilson's Heart (S4E16) are opposites of one another; House's Head is the antithesis to Wilson's heart, and vice versa.

House's Head doesn't have the answers. It doesn't even have the question. It raises questions, yes, but it barely answers the correct ones. It's a bunch of speculation. House's Head jumps around from place to place like it did in No Reason (S2E24), you could even think of it as replicating the weird mismatch-y hallucination sequence. It jumps around, it follows an order, yes, but not the correct order. You don't get a sequence, it confuses you. It leads you to think that, well, maybe...it is all in his head, like the title suggests. House's Head is also basically drowning in anything but emotion, which is what Wilson's Heart is laced with. House's Head is analytical, it's curious, the viewer gets to literally watch the puzzle get put together as House himself pieces his own mind together, but the viewer is at a disadvantage. You have to fill in those jumps and the missing pieces, even though they state it sequentially. They show House waking up from sleep, after the dream with the Woman in Black. They show him actively going in and snapping out of his delusional state, but you can't help but feel a little lost with the jump cuts and the visuals jumping back and forth, from memories being recounted, to reality, to him retelling what happened. It all happens out of order too. You get the first thing last, that being them on the bus, and even then, you still don't have all the answers! It's such a mess (albeit an artistic mess, but a mess (fits the episode scenario..y'know..)) and it loses you, like how House gets lost in his psyche trying to find the missing piece.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, Wilson's Heart is the antithesis to House's Head. But what does that mean? At the start of Wilson's Heart, you technically have all the necessary answers. They know who Jane Doe #2 is, they know where she is, they know why House was in the crash, they know why it happened, they know all the necessary details to it...but it doesn't answer the emotional aspects to it, which is what Wilson was seeking out from the beginning, since House was put into the hypnotic state. He questioned why House was seeing Amber in his hypnosis, and later in the MRI he sort of accused House of having feelings for Amber. In my opinion, he saw what he wanted to see, heard what he wanted to hear. From the beginning of House's Head, and maybe even a bit before that, he seemed a bit weary of House's relationship with Amber, not that he outright thought there was something between them, just thought House had some feelings that went unsaid, something of the sort. When it came down to those being 'necessary', Wilson heard what he wanted to. He desperately wanted to know why his girlfriend was with House, at a bar, and then on the bus crash that killed her. Later on, actually in Wilson's Heart, Wilson argues with everyone until the end that Amber will stay frozen, they aren't warming her up. He hangs on to the slightest hope that there will be a cure for her, he lets his feelings control rationality. He so badly wants the emotion, the answer, the everything behind it...even if it means someone gets hurt a bit more, that someone being House. Of course, Wilson doesn't mean for him to get hurt (I think he was aware of the risks, but again, in this episode, emotion usurps reason), but it hurts him more. These two episodes are gorgeous episodes, filled with emotion and they're both mysteries but in different ways. Different emotions between the two, too. I cried the first time I watched Wilson's Heart, absolutely GUT-WRENCHING episode. Broke me. They are both amazing pieces of art, season four was definitely my favorite season (but I did enjoy the end of season five with hallucination Amber!).

[peachsayshi]

idk if this fits the storyline but what if babydaddy!sukuna is a part time waiter at a restaurant and one night, he had to take orders in the table where y/n or reader is on a date w the lawyer mentioned in the other parts? what do yoy think will happennnn?

ohhh, so in this au, sukuna actually works in a gym as a personal trainer, but let's roll with this idea, nonnie.

what if said lawyer goes on a gym date with the reader, and takes her to his fancy gym where sukuna just so happens to be in session with a client. she's an older woman, a rich widow who was recently instructed by her doctor to increase her fitness activity. she liked working with sukuna, and he also pleasantly enjoyed her own company.

I think the interaction seeing you both would be awkward. you're caught off guard that sukuna is there, and he just rolls his eyes because of course the lawyer would pay triple the price just to be in this exclusive gym.

sukuna watches this guy try to show you how to use the weights and equipment - but he's too busy staring at your ass instead of focusing on your form. sukuna does everything in his power to resist intervening - up until the lawyer decides to show off.

he's doing bench presses, but is prioritizing showing you how strong he can lift rather than pay attention to what works for his body. sukuna ideally would like to watch him falter, but that can lead him to injuring himself pretty badly.

he sees the guy struggle to benchpress the weight, his face going a little red and sukuna instantly excuses himself from his client for a moment to swoop in.

he picks up the weight with ease, sees the relief in the guys eyes as the heaviness lightens against his chest. his arms bulge, his sheer strength a subtle sign of dominance as he places the weight back on the rack. he grabs about bottle of water and a towel, offers it to the guy even though his face is firm.

"you need to be more careful," he says sternly, "you can hurt yourself if you don't know how to properly lift or use the equipment..."

he glances over to you, a little flustered as you try to check in on your date.

"thank you, ryo..." you say sweetly.

"don't worry about it," he answers softly, an instant change in tone when addressing you.

he apologizes when he returns back to his client, who stares at him with knowing eyes when she notices his gaze still lingering on you both as he watches you both leave the gym together.

he didn't even know how somber the sigh was that left him until he met his client's eyes who was staring at him knowingly.

"so," she said, "is that the one who got away?"

sukuna's cheeks burn red. it's his own fault for being so chatty with her in the first place. but the truth is, the only friend he really had nowadays was uruame. besides them and his daughter, sukuna didn't keep much company.

"let's just get back to our session, alright?" he insists, but she gives him a devious smirk that only proves that she will prod out the answer that she's looking by the end of it.

[arcane-ish]

I think Silco tried, but I think it's to Jinx's credit and to her maturity that she didn't take him too seriously.

I wonder if that's a reason why so many Silco/Jinx fans are unsatisfied?

I think this moment was deeply important to Silco, for his growth. But when we look through Jinx's arc in season 2, we don't really see her go back to that moment and draw strength from it.

Instead when we see her imagine Silco, we see her remember a very different part of him, the philosophichal/analytical/talk-y part of him.

I actually think it's a very interesting trait of Jinx and Silco's relationship. You have like one side who wants to boil it down to a simple "he manipulated her and controlled her" and you have another side wants it to be "he supported her and it was perfect".

But what we have in season 1 is that Jinx pushes back against Silco quite a bit. Yes some of it you can see is teenage rebellion (like stealing the crystal against his wishes, or struggling to finish the weapon), you have her accusing him of lying and of course the "blablabla, he betrayed you", and I see the "if he had read that everything would have been different" as another version of her pushing back at Silco's narrative. And this of course continues in season 2 where calls his revolution stupid and admits she would rather hang with Isha.

I think in retrospect that even though it was such a big moment for Silco and for the show, I don't think it changed that much for Jinx?

Like it didn't fix her issues of insecurity (she certainly doesn't seem to feel like she's perfect), not did it really strenghten her dedication to Silco?

I would argue what Jinx's relationship to Silco is at it's core that he sees through his words (read: doesn't take them all that seriously), but sees through to the vulnerability inside and relates to that. And that she cares for him because of that. She sees beyond the facade and relates to the messy/broken person underneath the facade. (thinking back to the Council Archives and "He is broken/Just like me")

Which of course I think fits with why Silco picked up originally, because he saw himself in the distraught crying child.

And just because their connection is actually based on Silco's broken/coping hurt scared parts it's not like she can't appreciate a good facade (after all, she puts up big entances even though she's a mess inside). Hence, why she imagines him cool and ranting in her hallucination rather than let's say fellow broken and honest. (though that would have been interesting too, I think that would have worked even less as a lead up to her suicide attempt).

To me Silco tried to forge her, but Jinx was strong enough to stand up to a lot of it. Vi doesn't see that because for the most part she doesn't see and understand the ways Jinx actually resists Silco.

Though I would argue that Jinx caring for Isha is actually one way she resists Silco's stated message (ie everyone betrays us/it's only us/everyone is out to get us), while actually following his actions (taking in a little girl and bonding with her and putting her first). Then again I would argue it's generally a frequent theme of Silco's character that his words and his actions don't necessarily always match. And again credit to Jinx's strength and intelligence that she sees through that.

But yeah, imo it's pretty clear that in season 2 she is still searching for something and that of all the messages she gets Ekko's resonates with her the most.

(I think in the context of Vander being the other dad, it's interesting that he actually doesn't say much in season 2 and in so far that you can read him at still having a message it probably might be to stick together as a family and neither Jinx nor Vi follows that. So in that way he also gets ignored. Which again I think is healthy because it's important for children to follow their own path)

Silco told her “Don’t cry. You’re perfect.”

That was toxic positivity. That was locking her in place as this static ideal that could never grow. But she wasn’t perfect. She was a fucked up mess, and she knew she was a fucked up mess. But by saying that she’s already perfect Silco basically told her there’s no way to get better. How can you improve, be better, if you’re already perfect?

Vi told her “Maybe we can rewrite your story.”

Oh Vi. She tries so hard to connect with her sister and say the right thing but she just doesn’t quite get it. That’s essentially saying “you were evil before, I need you to be good now. I need you to be what I want.” Vi really tried her best and she wasn’t really conscious of it but she was always trying to mold Powder/Jinx into her vision, opposite but equal of Silco.

Ekko told her “No matter what happened in the past, it’s never too late to build something new.”

Jackpot. That was it. That was what she needed to hear. Because that doesn’t sit in judgement of what she’s done, that doesn’t condemn her mistakes or try to push her to conform to a particular vision, and it doesn’t lock her into some static ideal. It doesn’t even say that she has to change. It simply says that she doesn’t have to be completely, ontologically defined by her past. New growth is possible.

[personinthepalace]

Olympia has grown up!

Anna Cathcart as Agent Olympia in Odd Squad (2016) and Kitty Covey in XO, Kitty (2023)

[defectzim]

TaTr is real and good. <- have a whole story in its head that would NOT fucking happen in canon.

[nagisas1simp]

Section 1 -

How does it feel to be a MagiKey user?

Misaki: “It makes me feel kinda weird though atleast I can train to help my fellow magical girls,boys, and people.”

How popular are you in MagiKey rankings?

Misaki: “At least in a mid section due to how “secretive” I can be”

Which MagiKey would you rather have than your own?

Misaki: “If I had to choose I would choose either Layla’s or hittako’s due to how their powers and personalities kinda relate to me the most”

Why did you become a MagiKey user?

Misaki: “Well…I don’t remember clearly but I was about to get run overhead by a car but a gem appeared and it turned into a key then a white explosion happened and now I am here in this magical world..”

How long have you been in MagiKey

Misaki: “I don’t count the years tbh but I think about 2 years, that’s why most people don’t know most of everything about me.”

Section 2 -

What is their motivation to keep being a magical user?

Just to survive and be in the background. Misaki hates doing something that she never wanted but it is what made her survive…

How are they usually in a battle?

Misaki is the type to fight due to how she trains but knows when to stay back when they sense danger. They have a high alert system and tells the people who are beginning out to get out the way when danger lerks by. Misaki normally uses her powers

Misaki’s first ability, “blindly shine” can temporarily blind a specific target with a blast of light and the target can be anyone she chooses but she chooses to only use this ability when she is critically wounded.

Her second ability, “thorny heart” can control people with a mask : 🎭. But if she puts it on too much people, it is harder to control them and it is normally in a small amount of time but she normally does this when she is the only one left standing…

Her third ability, “sealed” can trap anyone in the vicinity of Misaki. Though it would be inclose range and if the opponent is strong willed then they can be able to break out and can easily hurt misaki.

Her fourth and final ability, “my dear dandelions” is her most powerful ability right now and this ability can tie anyone up no matter what but of course every power needs a weakness so this weakness is that if the person she ties up is strong willed the then can break out of it no matter if they are weak physically or strong physically.

How are their daily lives?

She normally just reads in a corner with some of the people she likes and walks around the school with tsukiko, Misaki sees tsukiko as a younger sibling to protect but won’t tell them just to make sure no one knows a single weakness in her.

What is their opinion on other MagiKey users in general?

She secretly care about them (but pretends to not care as much) and does see them all as new found family due to her “real” family not really care for her mental and physical health.

Section 3 -

What are your OC's struggles as a MagiKey user?

It’s mainly herself. Due to how when she is in her magical form. Their are voices in the back of her head telling her that everyone she cares about will eventually know about her lying and hate her for it and she can sometimes she visions of what with happen in the next few minutes.

One time when tsukiko first followed her, Misaki thought they were trying to make her open up which lead to a misunderstanding and Misaki yelled at tsukiko but then saw their terrified face and misaki apologized and said she just wasn’t ready… Misaki felt bad and wanted to apologize profusely due to that terrifyed look… it looked just like how she did when she was younger… a terrified child. Misaki gave tsukiko a gift just to make them happy and let them just follow her around..

She also doesn’t trust shin as much due to their ability of showing the truth. Misaki often blames themselves for all the mistakes she has done and knows she is a bad person and doesn’t deserve what she has now. She doesn’t deserve to had another chance at living…

What is their favorite color?

A reddish pink but also likes yellow and purple.

Section 4 (extra things I wanted to add)-

Theme song

top of my school - by Katherine Lynn-Rose

What she think of other MagiKey users:

Qix Trix/Quartz (@/quartztwst)

Misaki: “They're quiet but at least they are more peaceful then the other chaotic people.”

Fragaria (same as Qix Trix/Quartz)

Misaki: “she’s…energetic? I don’t know how to explain it.. but atleast she good with talking to.”

Layla (@/laylakongg)

Misaki: “she is my favorite. She is quiet and our powers work very well together though she does tend to work alone like me but not all the time”

AJ (@/karamatsuboy-aj)

Misaki: “he’s very weird sometimes.. but his singing is good, I could listen to it. If he wasn’t so… energetic..”

Shuu (@/oya-oya-okay)

Misaki: “she is quite… interesting?”

Yuu Ni (@/thatsadguymochi)

Misaki: “she is pretty new so it’s best to not really get too close to her but I trust she won’t betray us.”

Hittako (@/hittisbuzzing)

Misaki: “She very interesting but she’s alright.”

Tsukiko (@/yumaandyukitaka)

Misaki: “she’s like a lost child. But she is nice company to be around with.”

Luna (@/waitlexist)

Misaki: “we don’t talk…but I think she is alright”

Undine (@/juchioris)

Misaki: “I don’t pay much attention to her but she is cool, i guess”

Kogane (@/kogane-twst)

Misaki: “one day she might get stuck in a tree just because a cat looks cute… but atleast the cats go to me once they jump down.”

Yuubeni (@/bunniehunn)

Misaki: “she’s weak, yes but atleast her magic ability are an high endurance of her soon getting more powerful and stronger…mentally.”

Yuka (@/chaotic-snow)

Misaki: “she is quite stubborn and has an innocent that will fade if she doesn’t learn about real life but I get why and I won’t ruin her childhood by telling her all the real things that happens in the real world.”

Yuu Fontaine (@/allykakamatsu)

Misaki: “they are alright. A knight in shining armor, that’s what I nickname them.”

Yuya (@/cheerleaderman)

Misaki: “I would like if they could tell me what space looks like due to how i haven’t really cared to look at the facts of it.”

Liánhuā (@/lafashionlsta)

Misaki: “I help her around the school when I am not in my form”

Alistair "Ali" (@/sunnysidesevenup)

Misaki: “they are quite chaotic but I don’t quite like that they have mind-reading due to my thoughts being… anyways.”

Yuuel "El" (@/stxrgazingattheclouds)

Misaki: “her personality is like a galaxy. Messy yet beautiful.”

Elay (@/dgiterart)

Misaki: “she’s pretty and is highly skilled”

Shin (@/liyuviq)

Misaki: “I don’t like them. It’s not like I want to kill them because I hate them. It’s jus that… they can reveal the truth about someone so I rather stay way from them…”

Rika (@/rinxleona)

Misaki: “she is a maid but she does it in an interesting way.”

Yuue (@/blueberriesblueberrie)

Misaki: “she looks like a ballerina tbh but atleast she is a good opponent.”

Yurena (@/ranas-twisted-wonderland)

Misaki: “I don’t know much information about them but they are a bug…”

Evelyn (@/h0neybane)

Misaki: “she looks like the moon so I always call her moonlight like my creat-.. wait what was I going to say?”

Airinniz (@/hanizmiyu)

Misaki: “she is beautiful and I would love to know more about her which I’ve already have.”

Akshara (@/twistedtalestory)

Misaki: “she is certainly diverse but we don’t talk much and her powers are certainly destructive as well..”

Yae (@/fi1nn)

Misaki: “she is in the support class but we sometimes hangout and get along well.”

Yuina (@/doe5dollars)

Misaki: “I relate to her and she is an amazing person in general.”

Vinny (@/cephalotyrant)

Misaki: “he is my son now. Anyway, I play card games with him(btw I let him win just to make him happy).”

Iris (@/lficanthaveloveiwantpower)

Misaki: “she’s cool and kinda nerdy. We get along well, we also read together”

Yumi (@/marinahavik)

Misaki: “energetic. She always wants to talk to me but I didn’t want another Tsukiko event to happen so I let her talk to me.”

Kirara (@/shinysparklesapphires)

Misaki: “she is basically the opposite of riddle. Which, i am not complaining tbh.” (Btw misaki doesn’t not like Kirara like that and sees Kirara as a sister)

Satori (@/soupidee-doo)

Misaki: “quite easy to manipulate them tbh but atleast they have strength to save themselves.”

Belladonna and Schneider (@/ieatfriedeggs)

Misaki: “I think belladonna is quiet? I guess but Schneider is easy to talk to…”

Yuurei (@/universaln0b0dy)

Misaki: “I think she is almost insane.”

Nova (@/nivvetsworld)

Misaki: “she is a definitely a god like a deadly one…”

Chiz (@/chizramue)

Misaki: “she is basically like Red and White Flowers Together(bad omen, representing blood loss and death) which I like due to how I am like Black Dahlias(symbols of betrayal).”

Bya-Chan (@/starlee246)

Misaki: “the way he use blot is quite.. interesting.. but it is still fairly dangerous to use blot.”

Mia (@/happilybeingthenerd)

Misaki: “she’s kinda stupid for leaving the team a lot but I don’t blame her. I do it too. Also is she Zeus?”

Alenna (@/the-dumber-scaramouche)

Misaki: “I prey with her every now and then.”

Hisui (@/ghostiidasponk)

Misaki: “I haven’t got the chance to hangout with her yet but I got some time to hangout with her now and I’m going to cook some delectables for her.”

Kimiko (@/slumberingrose-fandom)

Misaki: “I do wonder if she has read a bit too much Snow White and Adam and Eve stories…”

Yuki (@/galacticstationsblog)

Misaki: “i like to draw frequently with her and we normally like doing drawing challenges”

Euphelia (@/artarmy24)

Misaki: “we don’t talk as much but sometimes we hangout under a tree.”

Vee (@/heyhellohihowareyou)

Misaki: “he’s very energetic… like the others”

Nepeta (@/nepeta-and-co)

Misaki: “weird. But at least they are unique then the others…”

Vizzie (@/twistedwonderlandshenanigans)

Misaki: “they are dangerous. I stay away from them fo that reason. Best to now get on their bad side.”

Ko Mallory (@/croshelee)

(When Ko Mallory was alive)Misaki: “she is adorable. She is also my new child now!”

(When Ko Mallory died)Misaki: “… I…I don’t want to talk about it…it’s just.. let me leave for a moment…”

Lamiyre (@/schweindivine)

Misaki: “I think she is cool just because it is quite funny to get teleported to some random place”

Lillian (@/iluvmusicxoxo)

Misaki: “she is a type of jester to kill you if you don’t hangout with her…”

"Messenger" (@/dollie-ballerina)

Misaki: “I have nothing to say tbh.. she normally keeps to herself…”

(Btw this took too long to do😭😭😭😭)

Overview(all together):

Misaki: “some of them are quite overpowered and could easily kill anyone while I have my powers with flaws🥲”

Redesign:

Redesign with scythe(misaki’s weapon):

Questions for the MagiKey Users!

(Quartz and Yuu are examples!!)

(Please copy and paste the questions!!)

Section 1 - Your OC Answers!

1. How does it feel to be a MagiKey user?

Quartz: "God, it feels awful honestly but I ain't got much to do at home."

Yuu: "I really like helping people with our powers! I also get to meet so much people!"

2. How popular are you in MagiKey rankings?

Quartz: "I'm not that popular honestly and I'm glad."

Yuu: "A lot of people seem to know me but I'm not really a fan favorite when it comes to top 10."

3. Which MagiKey would you rather have than your own?

Quartz: "Uhh.. What's her name? Metamorphosis (@/lficanthaveloveiwantpower). Yeah. I think her power is neat and cool. It's probably more unique than what I have right now. I wanna make cool psychological illusions too."

Yuu: "I like Divinity's (@/nivvetsworld)! Their abilities look so powerful! Aahh! It's so cool! The weapon and everything!"

4. Why did you become a MagiKey user?

Quartz: "Yall act like I had a choice. That fucking bird that i hate."

Yuu: "Quartz was one and I was suddenly given a key years later haha! I just wanted to spice up my life a little!"

5. How long have you been in MagiKey

Quartz: "Three years. I'm pretty old but it's cool I guess."

Yuu: "Only a year! I'm still learning from Quartz and others. I wish to develop more of my abilities so I can help others!"

Section 2 - You explain!

6. What is their motivation to keep being a magical user?

Quartz genuinely has no idea. She doesn’t have the energy to go through Crowley's bullshit but she also doesn't know if she's able to stop now. She's three years in already.

Yuu just thinks it's fun and exciting. In the foundation that they were raised in, not a lot of things were fun as this. They also really like to help people and seeing people being happy. They genuinely wish to see people live.

7. How are they usually in a battle?

Quartz doesn't really like attacking and likes to support other MagiKey users but if she has to fight by herself, she will. She's actually really quick on her feet and disappears too easily like a rabbit. Her goal is to catch you off guard so she can strike you down but she doesn't usually have well calculated strategies.

With her first ability, she uses the scarves as a tool to restrain her opponent right after she makes them confused by pulling them out of their mouth. She can use the scarves to potentially choke and tie things to the opponent.

Her second ability let's her to summon anything out of her hat. She can even summon people. YES. PEOPLE. If someone is in trouble in a different area, she can summon them out of her hat. They might get dizzy after. She also can summon explosions made out of confetti and basically anything except actual weapons like guns, bombs.

In her final ability, she can blind people with her other eye. She can only use this in the beginning of a fight so she can land the better attacks.

Yuu doesn't really do most of the fighting but they can swing the heavy basket at an opponent to do heavy damage. They're mostly there for support as well with their energy boosting strawberries. They actually have really bad stamina but with the everlasting supply of strawberries, their stamina is boosted a lot. They are the one who tries to pull the MagiKey users together to fight.

Their first ability is them swinging that heavy ass basket at an opponent. In their early fights, they used to be super stiff but now their moves are fluent with them easily throwing the basket at an opponent and being able bounce it back to their hands. No one is able to pick up the basket but Yuu because it feels super heavy to others.

The energy boosting strawberries are their second ability. These strawberries can boost mood and performance in battles. They never run out of strawberries and they can make it rain strawberries with a swing of their basket.

Their last ability is a giant scary Grim popping out of their basket. They don't actually have to place the basket on the ground. They can carry it and let Grim attack opponents or scare them. Grim is SUPER hungry so anything he sees that is not an ally is TUNA.

8. How are their daily lives?

Quartz and Yuu don't really do much but go to school in their foundation. After that, they head to MagiKey's secret training school.

9. What is their opinion on other MagiKey users in general?

Quartz thinks they're cool. Nothing much to say but she's always curious on why other people would even agree to being a Magical User considering how young and risky the job is. But she's a hypocrite since she is one of them.

Yuu finds them amazing and super cool. They love to see other user's fights and cheer them on.

Section 3 - Deeper Level (might get emo)

10. What are your OC's struggles as a MagiKey user?

Quartz always thinks of herself as one for not thinking a lot but the thing is that she does. She absolutely tries to stop these thoughts from roaming into deeper territories but how could she not?

In her three years of experience, she has encountered dead magical users and ones that died after corruption but she never tried to pay attention to it. She refused to because that is what is sacrificed when you do these duties: your life.

She always wondered why mostly children are chosen to defeat these so-called enemies in secret and how messed up it sounds but it's just a thought. It's just a thought.

When Yuu encountered their first intense battle which was with a corrupted magical user, their whole perspective changed. After defeating the corrupted user, the corpse of a young magical girl was left behind and it scarred Yuu completely.

It felt like a joke. It felt disgusting.

It felt like a dumb joke because what are you saying these monsters are just kids with problems? Couldn't we have found another way? If they knew that this would happen, wouldn't they recruit different people for this job? And what about their family? What will their family think seeing their child dead because of "unknown" reasons?

Yuu has tried to continue on after that but no matter what, the memory of the cold, limp body of that magical girl from that day keeps eating them alive.

11. What is their favorite color?

Quartz has no favorite color

Yuu likes yellow

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

why didn't they just use franziska for literally all of this.

[milo-is-rambling]

Weight talk tw I guess idk how to describe the post sorry im a little high

It’s so weird being around people who talk about weight problems (IOP) and like idk it brings up weird shit in my brain almost anxiety that I should feel bad about myself somehow like I’m doing this wrong being confident idk. Weird self doubt thing that happens when you’ve loved yourself (hmm. Rephrase. I don’t care about being fat. let’s say that.) and then you’re in a room full of people having a group discussion about how they avoid living their life in happy ways because they don’t want to become like you. But you love yourself. But everyone in your life since you were little has been dieting and talking about weight and specific numbers (someone was anxious about gaining seven pounds! SEVEN. If they saw my scale they would shit themselves. I put on seven pounds taking a big bong rip Jesus fucking Christ seven pounds. I wanted to rip my hair out.)

Next time weight issues come up in IOP I’m stepping out of the room. Like idk how to explain it cause it’s like not a trigger but I guess it is ? But it’s just so weird like the way I’m triggered makes me want to cry why does the world hate me for being fat what the fuck !!!!

[demilypyro]

I'm interested in the gradual development of Miss Pauling.

Originally an almost incidental character in the Team Fortress 2 comics alone, no official model existed for Miss Pauling for the longest time. Her first appearance was in the WAR comic from 2009, two years after the game's release. She is mentioned by name, but you can tell her character isn't nailed down here yet. They probably aren't even sure if they're going to reuse her at this point. The Administrator herself isn't even fully developed yet.

Despite the tangential nature of her character, she made regular appearances in the TF2 comics, always executing the Administrator's will, though not much was really established about her personality or characteristics beyond being hardworking, extremely competent, and very loyal.

Around this time, the fans started making their own models to use her in fanworks, though with not much to go on in regards to her personality, there weren't many people taking an interest in her. The few times she did appear in fanworks, she was often relegated to just being the token girl character.

In 2013, Valve released Ring of Fired, the first of seven full-length Team Fortress 2 comics that would end up being the main source of character development and plot progression for the universe. And Miss Pauling was there as one of the lead characters, although her characterisation was still rather thin in this first issue.

The big moment here is the Love and War update. In 2014, seven years after the game's launch, the short film Expiration Date was released, the 15 minute video supposedly being a pilot for a potential TF2 tv show. That tv show never happened. However, Miss Pauling was one of the lead characters of the video. It finally gave Miss Pauling an official 3D model, which was notably somewhat different looking from her comic appearances up to this point, as well as a canonical voice.

It also established several defining traits to her character: she was extremely neurotic, kind of awkward, a bit silly, and she had a knack for gallows humor. These traits were heightened with the following Gun Mettle and Jungle Inferno updates, which gave her a bunch of voice lines where she talked to the player characters and let her kookier side show.

These traits would make it back into her characterisation in the comics going forward, finally reaching Maximum Pauling. She became the true Main Character of the TF2 comics, usually being the main perspective character, as well as being the character with the heaviest choices to make as the plot reaches its climax.

While Miss Pauling still to this day doesn't physically appear in the Team Fortress 2 videogame, she has become one of the most important characters of its surrounding universe, and you'd be hard pressed to find a fan who doesn't really like her. It's been fun to watch her develop from an incidental lore character to the unofficial tenth member of the main cast. I'm a huge fan of her.

Okay end of post