#something he didn't want/was due to tragic circumstances

[lunaicfantastic]

my controversial™ steddie take is that I think eddie would never have short hair, actually

[te3mo]

alright now that ive settled back into the land of tumblr as i eagerly search for more father paul content id like to drop my thoughts that i had written down as i finished the finale because oh👏🏻my👏🏻god👏🏻

the entire show was brilliant, but im specifically discussing pruitt here bc im a hopeless romantic and his interpersonal tragedy moved me the most.

spoilers duh

The revelation that this entire mess erupted only from a lifelong desire to somehow reunite with Millie and Sarah was agonizing to me. The God fearing priest feared death above all.

I've been on Reddit and watching reaction videos on YouTube and nobody seems to be touching on Pruitt and Millie the way I wished they would. I know we didn't get much content regarding their story in the show - only the brief reconnection under tragic circumstances in the finale - and I do wish I knew more, had more detail, but I think the fact it was left so fleeting and vague made it all that more sombering in the end. In so little time, it was shown how deeply he adored her; always had, always would. Of course there are several brief moments throughout the entire series that indicate such, but we can't truly put all the pieces together until the end.

Mildred immediately recognizing him despite her limited coherency due to her advanced dementia. The way he tears up simply sitting beside her for her first in-home communion and gently adjusts her blanket.

The way he interacts with Sarah whenever he sees her - staring at her from a distance, which Sarah comments he has done her entire life and assumes it was with judgment and perception that she is a sinner, since she is a lesbian. But no, it was always the opposite. He gazed from a distance out love and a yearning to be by her side raising her - and at the Crock Pot Luck now, he gazes as he always had but this time with the desperate hope that he will get a second chance.

He tells Sarah he's proud of her when any opportunity arises. Proud of her for caring for the community - she isn't "just doing her job," she is simply a wonderful human being. Proud of her again, he says, when she douses the church in gasoline. His flesh and blood he has admired from her birth despite not being the one to care for her and watch her grow from the perspective of an active father - he is so proud of her. He was always so proud of her. No matter what she did, he was proud of her.

Millie begins to regress in age, and Sarah continuously tests her cognition - is her mother really "here" now? How aware is she, truly? And when she asks her what her father's name is, Mildred hesitates. She is clearly coherent at this time, she so quickly confirmed that her childhood chores were the dishes and her rebellious youth was for boys and booze, but when Sarah asks what her father's name was, she hesitates. Sarah has to press for the answer - although it is a brief hesitation, it is a hesitation nonetheless.

When Pruitt returns for her in-home communion and meets her upstairs this time, there is something to be said even just in his body language as he leans casually against the door threshold, smiles at her with such warmth, saying that Sarah informed him she was feeling better. Followed by the way Millie shakily says his name in disbelief and then the way they hold hands while he ecstatically exclaims he has so much to tell her. He sounds like a giddy child with so much fun news to share; I interpret his thoughts as something akin to "I've lived such a long life wishing you could have been by my side, but let me tell you all about it since you weren't."

The finale. My God, the finale. Their conversation as they sit alone in the church now burdened with blood. "It was you," he said. The only thing he ever wanted was her, but she never asked him to take off the collar. She never would have - she clarified this. Everything he ever did, this entire disaster, was all because of her. He wanted a second chance; he wanted a true miracle. A true miracle, to him, was the ability to be together with Mildred again and love their daughter together. His commentary that Mildred was never a sin, never a mistake. That Sarah was never a sin, never a mistake. That he would have done anything for his Millie; he would have gone anywhere in the world with her.

Sarah's death. Hamish's acting is just *chef's kiss* in every damn episode, mostly through how passionately he expresses himself. Constantly. Every episode. But the sheer horror on his face at the sudden sound of a gunshot from behind him and Sarah immediately being struck down, and his impulse is to chase Sturge down and tackle him and kill him. There was no thought process to this - this was an act of pure impulse stemming from turmoil. It was an act to protect his daughter - IMMEDIATELTY eradicate the threat to her (though she is obviously already mortally wounded). Mildred runs in, crying for her baby girl, and Pruitt desperately tries to force his blood into her mouth as a last ditch effort to "save" her, but even in death Sarah does not want this. This is not resurrection, this is a curse, and so she rejects it and dies. She dies while, for the first time in her life, seeing both her mother and father right over her. Together.

The way Pruitt carries his daughter out of the church in silence. Mildred stays behind briefly only to ignite the church, which Sarah had already flooded with gasoline. And then they walk together and sit on the bridge, which Millie had explained was Sarah's favorite spot as a little girl.

While Pruitt caresses the face of the daughter he so dearly wanted to openly love and cherish, he rips off his clerical collar. He tosses it away without care. Mildred never asked him to take it off and never would have, and on his own accord, he finally does. His daughter is dead, and the rest of them will all be dead soon, too. The prayers for his miracle went unanswered. He will not get his second chance.

And as the sun rises and the island burns, he asks not God for forgiveness, but Mildred.

I loved every aspect of this show. I have no complaints. I imagine I will rewatch this multiple times. It has been a while since I've been so emotionally impacted by a piece of media. I loved the dynamic between Riley and Erin, I loved Leeza forgiving Joe Collie, I sobbed during Riley's sacrifice and I loved Sarah's character long before suspecting the dynamic between her and Pruitt. I loved every symbol in the entire series.

But above all, I loved the love Pruitt had for Mildred.

Anyways pls do follow me if you're as obsessed as I am, I haven't been active on here in years but Tumblr has always been great for fangirling and this seems like a great time to write fanfiction again.

[em-harlsnow]

I wanna talk for a second about Fiona and JimmySteve, and I want to compare them to Gallavich

They have a lot of similarities:

Fiona loved him more than she'll ever love anyone, and I think Jimmy's the same. Just like Ian and Mickey.

Obviously, the whole on and off thing, since both couples had one of them leave and come back again and again.

I think with both Ian and Fiona, their partners outside of jimmy or Mickey are always characters which relate to Jimmy or Mickey. That's weirdly phrased, but I think it's more like both Ian and Fiona would be like 'oh, Mickey used to say stuff like that' or 'Jimmy kissed better'. Like their other relationships are almost a consequence or comparison of their main love.

Both couples also have a hell of a lot of chemistry.

However, they're also so very, very different.

Ian and Mickey are an example of loving someone an insane amount and, against all odds, it works.

Fiona and JimmySteve are an example of loving someone an insane amount and it not working.

Fiona and JimmySteve are a tragic trope; they'll never work. I don't think Fiona goes back to him after she leaves. I hope she finds someone else who she loves, perhaps not as much, because loving someone that much is hard and a little destructive.

Ian and Mickey are not tragic. Their storyline is, but they can't be tragic because they will always work out. They can't stay away from each other. Magnets.

There is certain completed element of Fiona and JimmySteve's goodbye, which every single Gallavich goodbye lacked. Even Mexico, when logically they both knew there was no chance of getting back together (because Mick would eventually come out of prison, ruling the season 1,2 and 6 goodbyes out), lacks a completedness. There's no goodbye, just an 'I love you - fuck you' which almost says 'I'll see you soon.'

Fiona and JimmySteve say goodbye. He tells her he loves her, much like Ian did, but she still needs something else. They could have been together, nothing was keeping them apart that time. (Aside from his compulsive lying - but this is about the couple and not about Jimmy).

They were an example of people falling in love with the wrong person. Love doesn't mean it works. They weren't right for each other, and I think that's one of the saddest things. Just because they loved each other, does not mean they can be together. Sometimes love does not conquer all.

Ian and Mickey are different. They fell in love with the right person, they almost moulded themselves to fit each other better. The reason they stayed apart so long was mostly due to circumstance - which you can argue for Fiona and JS too, but most of their problems could be solved with communication. Half the time I watched Fiona and JS, I felt like they were speaking two different languages. They couldn't understand each other, couldn't hear each other. It's really hard, I think, when you love someone so much, but you just don't fit right. They didn't love each other right.

("Why don't you go cry to your gay dad about it?" "Living in a goddamn slum" "I trust you - that means more to me" "I love you - I think I need something else now" "You need to let me go, you need to let me let you go")

I've always felt like Gallavich were on the same wavelength, they understood each other.

("You love me, and you're gay." "You're sick." "You're so much better than that." "I understand better than anyone: you're afraid of your father, you're afraid of your wife, you're afraid to be who you are." "I love you - What the hell does that even mean? - It means we take care of each other" "I love you, Mickey Milkovich, and if you'll let me, I'd like to spend the rest of my life - Jesus Christ save the fucking speech you pussy.") See, they get each other.

There's a lot to be said about their miscommunication as well, but they clearly get each other, in a way that Fiona and JimmySteve don't. It's like puzzle pieces. Ian and Mickey's pieces fit together, even if there were external forces keeping them apart. Sure, it may not be a perfect fit, but what is in humanity? There's so much beauty in imperfection. Fiona's and Jimmy Steve's pieces didn't fit. There were giant gaps where there shouldn't have been - such as JS's lying problem and Fiona's inability to feel empathy for anything he went through. Have you ever got so frustrated with a puzzle you just try and shove two pieces together so hard because you just want them together so bad? Maybe they'd look better in the puzzle if they went together. No matter how hard you try, they won't fit.

It just doesn't work, and that's so hard to accept. That sometimes, it just does not work.

I thought about this because of the sound trending on TikTok from Ocean's 11.

"Does he make you laugh?"

"He doesn't make me cry."

Anyway, rant over. Again, I'm not talking about the actions of JS or Fiona individually in this, those are whole different essays and I don't like JS enough to rewatch all his scenes and put one together for him. I think I've done one on Fiona though, but my feelings towards her are complicated. I'm talking about them as a couple.

Also, I'm not saying JimmySteve is anything like Mickey, or Fiona is like Ian.

Sorry for the deep stuff, I didn't think this would get so heavy.

[phoenix-king-ozai]

I'll like to headcanon that maybe Azulon tried to be a good father once like Ozai with both of his sons but maybe Ilah died protecting Ozai making him blame Ozai for her death. How likely do you think something like that would be?

My Thoughts About Azulon & Ozai’s Turbulent, Tragic, & Toxic Parent & Child Relationship!

My theory is that Fire Lord Azulon’s wife Fire Lady Ilah died to give birth to Fire Prince Ozai while she was middle-aged and Azulon wanted a spare heir in case of Crown Fire Prince Iroh's death on the battlefield or his incapability to procreate (Iroh had Lu Ten very late in life despite being a promiscuous war general) Azulon also wanted a younger child for the return of Sozin’s comet. Ilah refused because she knew the risk involved and Azulon forced himself on her as his right as Fire Lord and her husband. Ilah despises Azulon after this despite his apologies and guilt due to her shunning of him.

Azulon truly loved Ilah but let his temper and desire go to his head. Fire Lady Ilah refuses his apology and never forgives him for his martial raping of her. But on the other hand, she is somewhat happy and hopeful about their second child. Crown Prince-Shogun Iroh on the other hand is ecstatic about having a baby brother or sister. The birth of Prince Ozai during the Summer Solstice and the hottest day in the history of the Fire Nation bring joy and pride to Fire Lord Azulon and Crown Fire Prince-Shogun Iroh as this is a sign that the newborn has been blessed by Agni the Spirit of Flame & Sun itself!

Azulon and Iroh’s joy and pride turn into hatred, horror, sadness, and despair when Fire Lady Ilah dies of traumatic pregnancy, covered in blood and burns. The horror and trauma that their beloved wife | mother suffered had left a gruesome, bloody, and violent image in their mind. Azulon despite knowing the truth that he killed Ilah through his actions of marital rape, uses baby Ozai as a scapegoat to let out his anger, rage, fury, and despair. Iroh also grows to despise & resent his baby brother and refuses to touch or hold him out of complete neglect, but later comes to regret his part in the emotional abuse on his innocent child brother.

The newborn’s only aunt’s Li and Lo look after their baby nephew, teaching him the ways of their father, his grandfather Fire Lord Sozin. The Imperial Clan of the Fire Nation: Ryuzo Clan (Fire Lord clan). The Fire Nation Royal Family has lost one powerhouse in favor of another. Strong, gifted, and intelligent like his mother and brutal, ruthless, cunning, proud, and above all a powerful warriors like his brother, father, and grandfather before him.

However, whereas Ozai was neglected and despised over Fire Lady Ilah's death by Iroh and Azulon. Lu Ten wasn't despised or mistreated by Iroh and Azulon compared to Ozai. Probably because Azulon cared more about having his heir to his first-born son and having his first grandson. Also, I believe that Iroh later realized that the neglect, isolation, and emotional abuse his brother suffered during his childhood had emotionally scarred him. He didn't want the same fate for Lu Ten despite his beloved wife dying just like his mother had. Lu Ten being the Golden Child of the family and Azulon and Iroh's pride and joy despite having the same circumstances that befall him, and Ozai being the Black Sheep of the family; causes him immense loathing and jealousy of his nephew's happiness and relationships with his father and brother.

Honestly, I don’t think Fire Lord Azulon would be physically abusive toward Fire Prince Ozai. He would probably be ruthless and harsher on his second son due to the resentment he has for being the primary cause of Ilah’s death. However, he is still his son and of his blood. I just don’t think that Azulon was particularly soft and gentle in his parenting with Ozai due to the lack of Ilah’s influence. I could see Azulon training Ozai far earlier and far more harsher and brutally than he did Iroh. I believe that Fire Lord Azulon sees a lot of himself in his younger son Ozai than even his oldest Iroh. My headcanon is that both Azulon and Ozai are massively gifted, skilled, and talented natural-born Firebending masters. Whereas, Iroh while having skills had to work extremely hard with unrelenting dedication and determination to achieve his father’s demands and aspirations. Ozai on the other hand had firebending skill and talent come naturally towards him like a turtle-duck in water. My belief is that Azulon, Ozai, and Azula were natural born geniuses whereas Iroh, Lu Ten, Zuko had to work extremely hard and had issues towards mastery and skill.

Ozai probably had it FAR rougher than Zuko during his childhood. If Ozai's mother Fire Lady Ilah died in childbirth and Azulon despises him for it and Iroh neglects him and joins the military to cope with the loss of their mother. Then that could explain Ozai being a FAR more ruthless, cold, and hateful version of his son Zuko. Zuko at least had his Mother Ursa, Uncle Iroh, Mai, and Ty Lee to comfort him. Ozai used to treat his children decently well. Zuko and Azula used to have a happy childhood and play with each other!

I believe that Ozai and Ursa had a long loving, complex, and complicated relationship. Ozai's imperialistic ambition and brainwashing along with paternal abuse by Azulon made him extremely emotionally damaged and socially unstable. Iroh had Ilah and Zuko had Ursa to help love and guide them. Ozai probably only had abusive Azulon and neglectful Iroh; who both probably hate him due to Ilah's death in childbirth along with the warmongering, totalitarian, vicious and conivining Royal Court! Children surround by horrible people in a negative environment tend to not turn out good in their adult years especially with over a century of imperialism and child abuse neglect and maltreatment from their elders in their youth.

[altocat]

Hi! I’m kinda new to the Crisis Core fandom (although a longtime FF7 fan) and I really enjoy your writing so I was hoping to hear your thoughts on something if you’re willing to share!

I really loved Angeal’s character, and I don’t know if I missed something but I feel like some really tragic elements of his death are overlooked? The man was already crumbling from the discovery that he couldn’t be the honourable hero he had worked his entire life to be due to a circumstance beyond his control, and was, by his own definition, a “monster” who had the same power as Ms Calamity from the Sky JENOVA, and then he discovers his own mother’s body after she commits suicide? That is such a huge amount of shock and trauma for any one person in an entire lifetime, and it all happened extremely fast.

I don’t want to suggest that him having Zack kill him was the right course of action, because I don’t think it was. However, I do think Angeal deserves a little grace for not having the best plan at this point in time. Losing a parent can be one of the most difficult kinds of grief to navigate, and he had to do that on top of the degradation/shattered self/deadbeat dad trying to steal his body parts.

So I guess I’d just like to ask you your thoughts on Angeal and the circumstances of his death? Am I being too soft about him? Thank you in advance for your time and I really appreciate all the writing you share with us 🌸

I think you hit the nail on the head. Angeal was wronged just as much as Genesis and Sephiroth. He feels like a hypocrite for wanting to be a good and honorable soldier when in reality his entire life is a lie. And he dies passing on that legacy to someone he hopes will surpass him, who in turn finds someone HE hopes will surpass HIM.

I think the tragedy of Angeal is that while Genesis lashed out and Sephiroth goes insane, Angeal just sort of gives up. He directs all his anger and bitterness towards himself and seeks to end his own existence as quickly as possible. He was obviously in a lot of pain. And while Angeal definitely has done some considerably questionable/morally gray things under Shinra, it's important to note that he's also Shinra's victim. And was just as lost and confused as the others. He didn't get to be an honorable hero in the end. But his loss also influenced a legacy of heroes in his wake.

[erteona]

Hello everyone

I was inspired by other artists who are reworking somewhat orignal paste stories and decided that I would try it too. So here's Eyeless Jack (I decided that if you dislike it in this form, it would become my OC).

I want to point out that his story is still not worked out by me and there are plot gaps, etc. Also, the drawings are only serve to better visualize the character however, they do not have to be factually correct and may differ from each other (that uniform didn't work out for me but I was already losing my nerve over it lol). I tried to model on actual history but I'm not an expert on British army.

In my version, he is a soldier of English descent who ends up on the Old Continent to help soldiers fight the enemy as a field medic. In 1915, the Germans introduce phosgene and diphosgene as a battle gas (characterized by the smell of fresh-cut grass, it accounted for 85% of soldier deaths btw). During one of the battles in which Jack participated, it was used to fight an ententa, but gas masks were used as a way to deal with the poisonous fumes. While fighting an enemy entrant in the trenches, a soldier managed to rip off his mask which immediately resulted in gas poisoning and chemical burns to organs (trachea, eyes and lungs). Despite the help of comrades and medical attention, he could not make it due to his injuries being too extensive.

I haven't quite worked out the part with what he does as a posthumous wanderer. But I was thinking of something along those lines:

As a phantom of a soldier who died too young (did I say he was of college age? No? Now you know) under tragic circumstances, he appears in places like battlefields/fields/open spaces in misty, cloudy, rainy or snowy weather and sows terror among the already terrified soldiers at the prospect of sudden death. It reveals itself mainly to the stranded and near-death without letting them forget what awaits them in the near future.

I hope you enjoyed it and it's really nice that someone is reading it <3

[louisajamess]

I feel very bad, sad and devastated on the bedroom floor due to the circumstances, I don't even know where to begin... I still can't believe what's happening and the truth is I never imagined I would write this one day.

Life didn't give me the opportunity to meet you, however I was fortunate to meet you from a distance; about 12 years ago I saw you for the first time and I started listening to a couple of your songs, but it wasn't until 3 years later that all the magic happened, and little by little you won my love, respect and total admiration, I never thought I would love someone so much without knowing them. As the months went by I learned to recognize your voice, you had an extraordinary voice and lately you had made songs with very high notes, and I don't understand how it is that you had never used it in that way before being so powerful to the level of making your skin crawl. Through your music, videos, photographs, messages, posts and interviews I got to know you a little and I realized that you were a great human being full of many qualities, virtues and skills, that like everyone else you made some mistakes but you tried to be a better man.

I would have loved to have you as a brother, sometimes I felt jealous of your sisters because they had you and I didn't. You should know that I always had you on a pedestal, you had a very pretty look and your smile was my sunshine every day. God knows how many times I asked him for you, although I think they weren't enough. I would have loved to be part of your life just as you were part of mine.

I don't know exactly how things work after death, but what I am sure of is that eventually I will also die and then I will be able to see you at last; before I wanted to live forever, but now I don't, because I have a couple of reasons for not staying. I hope that in the next life destiny will give me the honor of meeting you so I can be everything I couldn't be in this one. Maybe it's time to start paying more attention to reincarnation.

I always tell myself that God does everything for a reason, so maybe he needed an angel by his side, although to be honest, we needed you more here than he did there. But now heaven is happy because it has received the brightest star that will illuminate every night and of course from today all the sunrises, sunsets and evenings will be more beautiful because you are there; today we all dress up, some to say goodbye to you and others to welcome you, the time has come for you to delight everyone up there with a magnificent concert.

Maybe in another universe things are different, maybe there we do know each other, maybe we are great friends, and it may be that happiness is complete. I would like to think that all this is a lie and false, or that you will take a long vacation, or that you will sleep for several decades and that is why I will not hear from you for a long time. God willing this will be a nightmare and I will wake up as soon as possible. This was always one of my biggest fears and I swear that all I want (for Christmas) is for you to come back.

This concludes a happy, great and amazing stage of my life and I fear that I will have to live knowing that I was never able to meet you, that I don't have a single Polaroid with you and neither your autograph; I will be left with the desire to do many things with you, by and for you.

You leave a huge void in my heart, one that no one will ever be able to fill, it will be hard for me to process the fact that you're gone, of course it will hurt me for the rest of my life, and I can assure you that you're taking a big part of me with you that will never come back, and tragically I will have to start over.

Thank you for being part of my adolescence and youth and of an entire generation. Something that I will treasure for the rest of my years was hearing you sing at midnight while the moon lulled me to sleep. I also thank you because you were one of the reasons I had to do many things, you completely changed my world, although without you it will no longer be the same.

You were part of the eighth wonder and had a very big impact on this planet, you have definitely left a huge mark and terribly billions of people are suffering because one of the greats has left.

I am truly sorry for what happened to you, you did not deserve to leave in that way, neither at that time, nor in that place... however, I will remember you for how loving you were, friendly, affectionate, intelligent, wise, kind, nice, charismatic, empathetic, gentle, skilled, capable, generous, courteous, strong, talented, admirable, sensible, cordial, happy, brave, respectful, smiling, chivalrous, attentive, noble, cheerful, persevering, dedicated, understanding and disciplined. Now everything will remind me of you, especially the clouds, the rainbows, the wind, the sea, the trees, the flowers and the mountains because I feel that is where I will be able to find you.

Much of what is written here I told you in life, although I think you never noticed it, but there is also much that I did not tell you and it was because I thought there would be more time, I was wrong... now wherever you are I hope you already know about me. There is so much I would like to tell you, so much that it is very difficult for me to put it all here.

Right now I would like to shake your hand, hug you and give you a kiss. I wish you peace, tranquility, happiness, light, eternal rest and may God receive you in His Holy Glory.

My condolences to your family, friends, girlfriend and to all your fans who truly loved you. With teardrops in my eyes I say goodbye to you, I will never forget you because you will always have a very special place in my heart, I will miss you like you have no idea, I love you with all my soul. Fly high and rest in peace.

���🕊💐🍃☀️☁️🌙⭐️⚡️🌈🌍❤️

[poeedamerons]

I anticipated it, and despite my futile hopes, it happened. One of the most masterfully written books on World War II was transformed into an overly dramatic series lacking any complexity, glorifying a Nazi as our heroic figure. If you can't grasp how messed up these changes are, then just get out.

This wasn't an adaptation; it was a complete distortion of the original story. Having read the book, it's infuriating to witness the show's blatant disregard for the profound moments that reveal the humanity in people, the major moral dilemmas, and the portrayal of Werner as inherently good, wiping away all shades of his moral complexity. He's essentially an entirely different character, suggesting a world where individuals are either inherently virtuous or irredeemably evil, with no middle ground. Werner's numerous transgressions are trivialized and never brought to light, leaving his path to redemption woefully incomplete. His character portrayal is utterly disjointed.

And Marie... she was as unremarkable as the color beige. It's not just about her acting skills (acknowledging she's a newcomer), but her entire character lacked any memorable impact.

Werner is a brilliantly written character who evokes our sympathy, as he was just a small grain of sand on a vast beach. Even though he had little control over his circumstances, he was still a part of the bigger picture. His most redeeming moment came when he helped Marie, making his eventual death in the book all the more heart-wrenching. He found a glimmer of light within himself, only to meet a tragic end, while someone like Volkheimer, who way less deserving, survives and grows old. The injustice of this situation was painfully evident. However, all of this depth and complexity is missing in the show. It's like it never existed.

Moreover, the absence of Frederik, who represents the greatest source of light and humanity in this book, is a significant loss. Frederik played a crucial role in Werner's personal growth. He is also an element of resistance, and his absence robs the story of an important element.

A major oversight was aging the characters in the adaptation. Portraying them as children would have underscored the loss of their innocence and the cruel theft of their youth and early adulthood by the ravages of war. It could have highlighted the extent of their suffering during that time, a reality that is frequently disregarded. War spares no one and the book is brutal about it.

The alterations in the storyline didn't align with the original narrative and it was disservice. The portrayal of the scene where Werner fixes the radio was entirely inaccurate. Moreover, all the German adult characters were depicted as cartoonish embodiments of evil – there were no layers of complexity. In the book, they were initially amiable towards Werner, but their behavior changed not because they are some cartoonish evils, but due to the complexity of human nature. They were kind to Werner because they wanted something from him, and once their purpose was served, the pretense disappeared, as Werner comes to realize.

The show completely mishandles the chronology, revealing crucial details about the Battle of Saint Malo without delving into the complexity of why the characters are the way they are or how they arrived at their current situations. The portrayal comes across as overly simplistic and lacking the depth present in the book, as if the producers attempted to compensate for this by sprinkling a handful of meaningful quotes, hoping to capture the essence of the profound analysis found within the book.

The decision to have the characters speak English with their national accents was distracting and bordered on being caricature-like. While I understand the desire to appeal to an American audience, it seems questionable whether the series would even be marketable there. Aside from the general American taste for hero-focused war movies and the presence of Mark Ruffalo, there seems to be little appeal for the American audience. Presenting a Nazi character as a hero would likely not sit well with viewers. It might have been more effective for the show to cast German or French actors and have them speak their respective languages, which could have added at least layer of authenticity to the series.

To be honest, I could continue to elaborate on how this show tells an entirely different story. With the characters aged and Werner surviving the Battle of Saint Malo, the essence of the narrative undergoes a significant shift. Overall, the series fails to capture the poignant essences of the book, offering viewers a simplified and emotionally detached rendition of what was originally a profound narrative.

Apart from the fact that not all Nazis enjoyed being Nazis, I’m not sure what we’re supposed to take away from this series… even the significance behind the title of the book seems to have been overlooked and might not be understood by the audience.

Honestly... this was four hours too long.

[paragonrobits]

I'm exploring a few different ideas for a fic that ultimately focuses around the idea of damaged people from ruined worlds or little left to go back to coming together in the form of Farmworld Finn surviving his battle with the Scarab and traveling to Vampire World to continue the good fight in a way that matters to him while his kids get to grow up somewhere safe; there, he meets up with Vampire World Bonnibel, and they team up to fix things as best as possible, possibly even following their worlds merging as a result of cosmic auditors noting that their worlds are otherwise untidy enough and better suited mashed together

But its not enough to just have Princess Bubblegum, Finn the human and Jake the dog together again; there is a FOURTH member of that found family. It's not complete without Marceline, adopted Petrikov. But the Marceline of that world is... perhaps, too far gone. A corruption of the Marcy we know and love. Redemption is for her, perhaps not IMPOSSIBLE, but certainly something outside the scope of what I want to do. But you know one possibility?

The unknown fate of the original Marceline of Winter King's world. And one potential vibe I have for why she might be angry at Winter King even after his death and the source of some complex feelings, and what Ice Marceline actually was, can all be summed up by a relevant panel of Protoman from the Mega Man comics:

Winter King Marceline raises a LOT of questions and open ideas.

We don't have anything to go on, besides the fact that an Ice Marceline acting as a play replica implies that she is either gone or Winter King THINKS she's gone. Betty is also dead, or that Winter King believes she is. So here's my idea; the Marceline of that world IS still alive, but quite different from mainline Adventure Time world; I propose that she actually occupies a similar role to Magic Woman Betty, as a magically powerful wizard who has done complicated things and even acted as an antagonist in her desperate attempts to save Winter King from himself, but in the end it was too late, and she couldn't save him.

The idea I have is that for various reasons, she is not connected to the Finn of her world or Princess Bubblegum; its likely that if they ever knew each other, the circumstances behind her Simon's death and his crimes against that PB left her with a very severe conflict of loyalties and was ultimately too distanced from either; its not impossible that at some point she MIGHT return to them, but I'm thinking that the mode her is that these are people who were meant on some level to unite in the Finn/PB/Marceline family triangle, but due to accidents of fate or bad circumstances, it didn't turn out that way.

In this case, that particular part of the eternal recurrance did NOT work out for them, but through the actions of Fionna and Simon bringing other worlds together, they have a chance to start anew; Magic Marceline comes to vampire world and meets up with them, deciding that she can at least fix SOMETHING even if she can't save the man that used to be her father.

This take on her draws much more on her demonic nature; her soul sucking powers have been honed so that she's stolen magical power from others with the intent of ultimately trying to find a way to do the same with the Ice Crown without harming Simon in the process, and she's garnered a bunch of different wizard powers that let her do the sort of things Marceline can otherwise do. This version of her most likely looks more human, similar to Marshall Lee in Fionna's world; not sure why yet but maybe she has actively altered her appearance to distance herself further from her father, or she simply looked more like her mother here.

As another detail on how warped and tragic the dynamic of Winter King was, I'm also thinking that her relationship with him was full of conflicts leaving her feeling tremendously messed up; she loved him but she hated what he'd become, she known for a while there was not coming back from what he'd done but she still tried so hard, and in the end he deliberately forgot her in favor of an illusion of the child she once was.

[ssaalexblake]

pre s12 a little '12 Knew Missy didn't betray him' headcanoning was soothing in a 'sometimes i like it when we get nice things' but that is absolutely in no way canon and the doctor genuinely believed the master abandoned him (and everybody else) to die and this belief in her betrayal is the only thing that allowed Missy to succeed in fulfilling his ideal of goodness (without hope, without witness, without reward) because if he had known, had he suspected, then what Missy did was witnessed. Them becoming friends due to her goodness voids the true sentiment of her actions. (It doesn't. According to him it does though.)

The doctor's ignorance allows that one small bubble of time to exist where the master, despite everything counting against them, all the circumstances piling up together to make it so hard for her to do it, did something Good. I mean, I disagree with his rules on goodness, but as per the rules of the story that was written, Missy does succeed. The tragedy is, of course, that they can never be friends again because of it, because in the doctor's arrogance at deciding what is good and bad with no leeway, he demands she receive no reward nor have any witnesses to her triumph (simm doesn't count, he's literally her).

When Dhawan!master arrives on scene, he tries to murder the doctor and all her friends and then rubs it in her face that he feels deep in his hearts that murder and chaos is just It for him. It's what gives him the warm fuzzies. It's what he's Meant to be doing. He also rubs it in her face that he just Doesn't Have A Good Side. This is what we call targeted manipulation as he's deliberately trying to mentally torture her (and did a great job at it, too, lets be real).

13's reaction to him in s12 is her reacting to betrayal. This is 13 thinking all their work was for nothing and the master just lied and led them on to avoid being executed and that they didn't Care about their friendship, it was all just a big ploy. A huge lie. A betrayal of the highest order because this is what the doctor wanted the most in the universe and it was just a joke to the master. It also doesn't help that he is actively lying to her face about why he's acting the way he is the entire time he's on the show.

The doctor can't actually know what they don't know. I do not claim that 12 was being anything but arrogant in s10, I agree he was, I think his absolutely flagellating views on what can and can't be considered true virtue is a great massive window into why he's the absolute pinnacle of self hatred and depression, of course he hates himself, the biggest peacock in the universe who needs an audience like he needs air actually thinks that to be a truly good person you cannot be doing it for any kind of reward or recognition. What a stunningly depressing view into his mind.

But the point is, I guess, that these two are both the stupidest idiots in the universe and peak narrative tragedy. Unable to meet in the middle (doctor's fault). Self centered reaction to discovering best enemy's tragic backstory leads to deaths of billions and a metric ton of victim blaming and false idolisation simultaneously (master's fault).

They cannot speak honestly. They will not speak honestly. There is so much going on with them both i could write a dissertation. A total mess. But The Doctor Must believe the master betrayed and abandoned them, hence 13's ignorance, because otherwise everything Missy did means nothing.

[decoloraa]

Meet Helen: A state alchemist that was stationed at Briggs.

Helen (no, she doesn‘t have a surname yet, I‘m procrastinating) was a lively woman with a lot of energy, a lot of humor and a big heart. She got her state alchemy license because of her basic alchemy skills, but she does research on a very new alchemy field, which doesn‘t really get recognized by the military tho. Because of that, she was sent to Briggs.

Being a major, she naturally started working with Jung a lot, and they easily got along. Helen was quickly drawn by Matthias‘ determination and charisma. Meanwhile, Matthias was fascinated by Helen's skills and wit. Very quickly and without any of them planning to, they got closer and fell in love.

For a year or two they had a secret relationship without anyone at the Fort knowing. They even shared vows, but of course their marriage isn‘t official and rather just a promise to each others. All of this took place when Jung was in his mid twenties and thus happened years before Casther and Val came to Briggs. In the end, they will never meet her.

Helen's and Matthias relationship came to a quick end when a mission they both attended went wrong. The details aren't clear for myself yet, but Helen gets captured by Drachmans and will never be seen at Briggs after that. It's safe to say that what happened fueled Jung's abhorrence for Briggs‘ general, but it was also Jung's greed was a reason for what happened.

It's no secret that Jung is quite problematic in the story and acts as an antagonist. So what happened? Has he been like this all the time?

Yes and no. Matthias never was manipulative with Helen as he is with Val years later. I doubt characteristics like this just appear out of nowhere, so I'm sure he already had some tendencies back then.

So, is this a "He lost the love of his life and went mad" kind of thing? Definitely no. I like Jung way too much to give him such a cheap excuse. Losing Helen didn't turn a switch in his head that made him toxic. This would be an excuse for the things he does later, and that's not something I want. Jung does questionable choices, and he needs to be held accountable for it.

However inserting pointless trauma that doesn't do anything in the story also isn't my interest. Losing Helen was horrible for Jung and paired with the circumstances of how it happened, it did leave a mark on Jung. He most definitely became more unruly due to this, and I doubt he would've reached his level if Helen had stayed around. Would she have been able to "save" him? Very unlikely.

I had the fight of my life with myself on whether I would make this (and another things related to it) happen. I was unsure if this would fit Jung, and the trope of 'lost love' can be cheap if handed poorly. But keeping its impact in mind, I decided to make this 'canon'. This info doesn't change anything on Jung in the story I told yet, it's just an addition. It's not an excuse and not even a proper explanation.

Also, I really like the parallel between these two and CasVal. Both of them chose to be together despite the laws and dangers this job holds. However, in the end, things ended tragically for Matthias and Helen. They're almost a mirror for what could've happened to CasVal. Not only because of that ;)

There's a lot to unravel with these two and I did include some important hints in these drawings. I'm unsure what I'll share just like that, but I'm open to talk about things if anyone manages to figure out the hints. So feel free to speculate in case you manage to connect some dots :D

This goes for my lore in general, btw. I never know what to really share and what to keep a secret, but if you have speculations, feel free to DM me or send an ask. Then I'll definetely talk about it!

If you reached this point: Thanks for reading everything and for being interested in my lore!

[phoenix-flamed]

I'm revising the headcanon I've had since pretty much the beginning of this blog, that Anabella and Elwin were arranged to marry when Anabella and Elwin were little kiddos, based on the circumstances of them both being firstborns -- or rather, him being his parents' firstborn child, and Anabella being her parents' firstborn daughter, since Elwin was a male heir.

Yna has been telling me her thoughts regarding the canon characters' arranged marriage. She brought up important points regarding Anabella's lore blorb talking about it not just being her beauty that had her proposed as Elwin's bride, but also her family line having produced numerous offspring thus far that awakened as Dominants of Phoenix.

Me being me, I'm a doofus who for some reason hadn't really absorbed the details of her bio -- important details like that one. Oops.

While it doesn't really impact much of anything, I still want to tweak stuff to better take these details into account. Elwin always knew, from childhood onward, that he was going to marry someone within House Rosfield for the sake of siring the next Dominant of Phoenix. But the decision that it would be Anabella specifically didn't happen until he was in his late teenage years, or something like that. The note of "bride for the young Archduke" does indeed make it sound as though the marriage was a hastier arrangement out of necessity, maybe due to his father's unexpected and premature death and Elwin's subsequent ascension to the throne. I agree wholeheartedly with Yna on that, and now that she brought it up, I can't unsee it.

So I'll say that the arrangement was officially established with Anabella as his betrothed due to his father's declining health, when my Elwin was around 18 or so -- since he's a few years younger than canon Elwin is. And it was that further decline of his father's health that prompted Anabella to be brought to Rosalith a year or two following the decision of their engagement, so that the couple could become acquainted with one-another before their union. However, they were expected -- and intended -- to have had more time, but it was tragically cut short when the former Archduke passed away.

Obviously all of this is flexible according to the headcanons of RP partners, but.

[nyx-the-misthios]

Something I've kinde been wanting to do for a little while is to make a post about one of my favorite comfort characters: Namikaze Minato. So I'm gonna do that lol.

Now, Minato's story is a tragic one. And I'm not just referring to his life. It is a well-known fact that Kishimoto can't write a female character to save his life. However, it isn't just the women of Naruto who have also been poorly written. A fair number of male characters have also fallen victim (no, I am not a man, I'm an afab non-binary), and Minato is one such character.

Let's start with the discourse surrounding his teaching as a Jounin sensei. First of all, that was his first time teaching. You'd be pretty hard pressed to find *any* first-time teacher that doesn't make a boat load of mistakes. Mistakes are human nature, after all. Secondly, he was also kind of set up for failure. Heavily traumatized young child soldier, who is the last of his clan? A blacksheep whose training has been neglected? A civilian girl who ends up being reduced into a damsel in distress (Kishimoto...)? Sound familiar? Kakashi, Obito, Rin > Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura...

The dude was set up for failure, and he didn't have the luxury of peace time when he was training them. Minato was still constantly getting pulled away due to being one of the few Jounin that could effectively defend Konoha's frontlines, so that also severely affected his ability to train his students.

Quick little disclaimer that I couldn't really find much in regards to what that time period is like because who needs a consistent backstory/timeline, am I right? Ugh, anyway. Please take this with a grain of salt.

Secondly, and this is where I see Minato getting a *lot* of hate for. His Hokage reign.

Minato probably holds the record for the shortest reign in the history of Konoha (no, I will not include Danzo. He doesn't count) Minato was Hokage for how long? 10 months to a year and a half roughly. That is incredibly short. Dude probably had several projects he was working on, only for them to collapse entirely upon his death. He likely was actively working with Kushina, who had also been wanting to be Hokage (but got passed over for some reason) on several things to help improve the village and make it more habitable for everyone (especially children) but the night of Naruto's birth is when everything came crashing down and Konoha was under the brink of total genocide by one of their own.

We don't know exactly the circumstances in regards to Kushina's health, but I have strong suspicion that when Kurama was forcibly ripped out of Kushina *just after going through what is the hardest thing any woman could go through* aka childbirth. She was already in the process of dying, and she would have needed intensive medical treatment in order to not eventually pass away due to the extensive trauma her body went through. And Kurama *has* to be sealed within a Uzumaki or a specially prepared object.

The only Uzumaki that even had a chance of survival was poor Naruto, and I just know that Minato was likely beating himself up for it. Yes, Minato knew how Jinchuuriki were treated (he married one after all), but I believe his last words of hoping that his son would he seen as a hero instead of being ostracized was mainly because he'd hoped that it would be explained in such a way to properly paint Naruto as a savior. But the information got leaked and warped to paint Naruto as a demon instead. It is truly tragic that a character with such hopeful promise was poorly executed and was doomed from the beginning.

I hope that anyone who reads this can at least be a bit kinder to characters like Minato who were doomed from the beginning. If you still hate him, oh well.

[ravynfyre]

Dogs and Politics - a Rant

I genuinely cannot fathom the fact that there are people out there justifying the bullshit that kristi noem pulled.

I live on a farm. I have livestock. I also have EXCEPTIONALLY high drive dogs. Most of my high drive dogs have EXTRAORDINARY prey drive. Those drives are most of WHY I have those specific dogs - either because I looked for those specific traits myself, intending to tap into them to train for emergency services, or because those drives got those dogs into trouble in their previous homes and I was their "last chance".

I have been dealing with, training, and learning FROM, drivey dogs for over 20 years now, as an actual intentional thing... however, looking back on my 49 years of life, it is quite clear that drivey, "unruly", "problem" dogs have always been the kind I gravitated towards. My current sighthounds - half borzoi (russian wolfhound) and half scottish deerhound - are probably the most "mellow" dogs I have ever had.

And even the beerhounds have killed animals on my farm.

My female beerhound snagged a feral kitten once that tried to cruise through my yard. my male beerhound was accidentally left outside for a couple hours in the ass end of a morning once (in a secured yard) and he managed to kill a guinea, a hen, and a rooster, DESPITE being mostly blind. My whole pack got ahold of a feral kitten I was taming once, when I left my farmsitter in charge while I was out of town for a day. I was attached to all of those critters, yes, even the fucking guinea. I was disappointed and upset that they were killed.

I did NOT take those dogs "out to the gravel pit and shoot them in the head".

TWO of my malinois (that have both since passed due to old age) had managed to catch at least one lamb each and had a big ole time. One of those malinois managed to kill *three* lambs in his life, because every time I managed to thwart his ability to reach them one way, he would find another fucking way. Now, my farm is a hobby farm, and my livelihood doesn't depend on my livestock - more like my livelihood is dragged *down* by my livestock, if I was being honest - but I'm not in this shit to kill animals. EVERY animal death on my farm is terrible and tragic and *MY FAULT*.

Not the dogs'. Not the cats'. Not the sheeps'. ...okay, so the year that one horse I had started killing newborn lambs... that was his fault. But know what I didn't do? I didn't take the horse out back and shoot him in the head. I moved him into a pen where he couldn't get to the lambs and then I looked for a new home for him that didn't have lambs. (And no, I have no idea why he started killing them, except that he'd never been on a farm with sheep before, and hey, guess what? That made the issue MY fault, too! I should have been more cautious about assuming that he'd be fine with lambs since he had no issue with sheep. That was MY BAD.)

Every single time a dog managed to capture an animal and kill it, that was on ME for allowing it to happen. For allowing the circumstances that put that animal in the place where it was *able* to be caught. That put that dog in a position where it had access to something that would trigger its instincts to that degree.

My placid, sweet, docile sighthounds? Borzois and Deerhounds are HUNTING DOGS. They are bred to hunt wolves and the european version of our elk. And they are damn good at it.

My malinois? Malinois are herding dogs... the type of herding dog known as a "header" rather than a "heeler", because they use their predatory instincts to intimidate their herds and flocks into moving where they want by giving them a true and real predatory staredown, and when that fails, *biting them in the fucking face*. Or trying to, anyway. Herding dogs are NOT "livestock guardians". They aren't there to *protect* the livestock... (so that whole "sheepdog" movement about worshiping cops and gun nuts "protecting" the populace just makes me fucking laugh, but I digress) they are there because they are, at heart, a *predator* whose instincts have been honed to help us manage and move livestock.

But even my true livestock guardian dogs - all great pyrenees - will only take so much from their livestock before even *they* will attack to protect themselves. I have horses and sheep and cows and geese and chickens all free roaming in the same pastures. The cows, when the most recent pyrs arrived, got snarky and stupid with the pyrs, and tried to intimidate them. The dogs put up with it for a while, until they felt threatened by the charges, and then they chased back. And if the cows hadn't quit their shit, the pyrs would have actually drawn blood, because the dogs know they are there to protect their livestock, but they won't let the livestock kill them to do it. But the cows learned, and now the pyrs only chase predators and "pests". BUT! One of the livestock dogs *does* have a taste for baby chickens. Adult chickens are perfectly safe, but there is just something that is TOO tempting about chicks up to a certain size, and if he has the opportunity, he'll munch one down in about two seconds flat.

My hens have adjusted to guarding their chicks better... because I didn't take that dog out back and shoot him.

COULD I stop him from snacking on baby chicks? Sure. I would literally have to break him to do so. Like, break his spirit until he was a shadow of himself, I mean, and then he would be an absolutely worthless livestock guardian. Just like stopping my sharper malinois from snacking on lambs would literally destroy them, and their ability to train for the kind of independent problem solving I GOT them for. And I am honestly not sure if I could break the sighthounds of their prey drive... it's just too intrinsic to their blood and soul.

HOWEVER! What I *can* do is ensure that none of these dogs are put into a position where they can make that decision in the first place. Every feral cat that shows up on my farm now gets trapped and fixed, so I don't *have* kittens scampering through the secure dog yard anymore. I have organized my fences and pastures better to exclude dogs from the pasture unless I allow them in... and my current malinois problem child, even though I *think* she just wants the chase rather than the kill, I have a set routine that ensures that she never has the freedom to even *attempt* to access the pasture where the sheep are. Inevitably, that will not be foolproof, and I do expect that someday, she'll figure out a way, or I will literally fuck up, and she'll get out there, or one of them into the yard, and she'll get herself her first lamb.

And I won't take her out back to shoot her for it, either. Because she's a dog. She's a dog who has all the instincts that I PICKED her to have, which means she is NOT livestock safe, and so it is incumbent upon ME to ensure everyone's safety. Because yes, I am training her... but there really *are* limits to the amount of instinct resistance one can impose on a dog, when you deal with the level of dogs I do.

And when the accident happens, I'm *still* not going to kill that dog. I'm probably not even going to rehome it, which would have been the CORRECT fucking response to a dog killing your chickens or your neighbor's goat (rehoming). I'm most likely going to examine exactly how *I* fucked up to allow the accident to even occur, and try to figure out how to keep that from ever happening again. Because that is the CORRECT response, and not to sociopathic one.

And before anyone comes for me with the, "but not every dog can be saved", yeah, I fucking know. I took in two dogs once, and tried my hardest to rehab them. One had attacked a child, one had attacked a horse. The child... The story I was told was that it was provoked, and I believed that. The horse? I saw that one happen, and it was a case of excessive prey drive and an unstable dog - a bad situation that was HUMAN CAUSED. I took both dogs in to try and save their lives, because both owners *wanted* to "shoot" their dogs right then and there...

And I failed. I spent a year each working on those dogs, and I couldn't fix them enough that they would ever be safe, except for one of them in a very specific situation that 1) I couldn't find, and 2) couldn't guarantee would not change. They were two of the only dogs in my life that I was ever actually afraid around. And I couldn't fix them. I could not make them "safe enough" to go to new homes. Their quality of life sucked, and it wasn't fair to them. Hate me if you want, but, yes. I had them put down - safely, quietly, and *humanely* at a vet's office after an evaluation, where the vets agreed with my opinion. What I did not do was take them out back immediately and shoot them. I gave them a chance, tried to fix their training, and gave them time and security. So no, not all dogs *can* be saved, but all dogs deserve the CHANCE to be saved.

A 14 month old hunting dog deserved better than to be shot in the fucking head in the back woods because he killed some chickens. That bullshit didn't make Noem a "country girl", or some sort of rural badass, or "pragmatic"... it made her a fucking sociopath.

And anyone who agrees that she "did the right thing"? Can suck my fat fucking ass. I'll stake out an acre for you, you fucking sociopath.

[izzyspussy]

@fallenangelontheceiling not responding on the post because I don't agree and I don't want to be annoying in OP's notes.

I do agree that Jamie isn't really an "angry person" (although to be frank, I don't think anyone is an "angry person" anymore than a person is, say, a "problem child"). I don't think he has much of a natural temper, sure. And he had a little less reason to be mad at Nate because he wasn't around to bond with him when he first started coaching. I also think at the time Nate was coaching for Richmond, Jamie was kind of full-up on emotional goings-on and he didn't really have the space to connect with anyone who wasn't already important to him or that specifically sought him out. And at the same time Nate was certainly not seeking anyone out, because he was struggling over his feelings of inadequacy and abandonment. So there's that, those are some reasons I guess I could agree Jamie might not have been as upset at Nate as everyone else.

So I don't think he's "struggling to maintain" his anger at Nate, I think he might have slightly less of it due simply to the fact that he and Nate were never that close. Also the fact that he looked away... I mean, maybe he was just looking where he was going lol. I don't think that's the right way to describe this, because I don't think he would try to make himself feel something he doesn't. He's as angry as he is, no more no less. He's already said before he doesn't do what everyone else does, he does what Jamie Tartt does.

I wasn't aware as per your note that we don't see him getting freaky on the pitch because he's sitting out, so like OP I also thought he was behaving while even Sam wasn't. But I attributed that more to the fact that Jamie is autistic very focused on whatever he's previously decided he's going to do, and yes clearly the team did not discuss that they were going to go fucking haywire and he didn't get The Signal so he just... didn't get that aggressive because it was previously established he's only aggressive (on the pitch) under very particular circumstances.

What I really disagree with is like. I think a lot of people really strip Jamie's character (and Roy's for that matter) of any traits that are threatening or unpleasant. But he meant the things he said and did in season one, or at least did and said them with intent. That post talks about how he's only mean and pushes people because he's scared of the other shoe, which in some cases I would agree is probably true, but I would say only specifically with authority figures. Or maybe even more specifically with unfamiliar male authority figures (like Ted). Sometimes he's mean and pushes people because he's mean and pushy. Not everything he ever does that people don't like is due to his Tragic BackstoryTM. He's not just a prick because he's "scared and his father conditioned him". He's also a prick because he's a prick.

(There are other posts by other users that do this much worse than this post could even dream of, which I actually kind of Take Issue with because I find it quite a patronizing way of thinking about victims. We actually do have, like. Personalities. in addition - and sometimes even totally unrelated! - to the Backstory. Jamie was not created in his trauma's image.)

I also don't think he's quite emotionally aware enough to recognize similarities between him and Nate's situations at this stage, and I don't think he'd be very likely to think through that the players don't deserve to be punished for their coach's behavior without being prompted at least a little bit. He's been to therapy; he isn't a therapist. He didn't go apeshit on West Ham because he wasn't told he should (or could), and that's all. In my professional opinion.

[yumeka36]

I finally finished the final season of Attack on Titan.

I've been an anime-only enjoyer of the series ever since it started airing 10 years ago. It immediately blew me away with how much action, drama, and suspense every single episode had. Unfortunately, watching the episodes staggered across the years was not the best way to experience the series, especially as the story got more complicated and more characters and subplots were introduced. It wasn't long before I'd have to refresh my memory every time a new season or cour would air by consulting wikipedia episode summaries, lol. But even with that, it's the kind of series where something in one episode will be relevant many episodes later, and I know I missed out on a lot of those details due to watching the series with so many gaps over the years.

But regardless, I was able to follow it well enough and appreciate everything about it. AoT has some of the best drama, action, and world-building I've seen in any anime - every episode left me in suspense! Obviously the story evolved over the years, with the post-time skip episodes being very different from the season 1 episodes, but it still delivered in terms of entertainment quality.

As for the ending itself, I thought it was good. The idea of someone wanting to wipe out humanity to save the world isn't anything new, but it's a plot I like, especially when it's done in a unique way like AoT. I loved that the series didn't paint any of the characters' choices as being the "right" one - not Ymir's, the Jaergerists', Zeke's, the Scouts', and certainly not Eren's - but in the end we understand why they each felt their choice was right, and that's what makes them relatable and interesting. I also love how the series portrays the sheer desperation of people in a world ravaged by war. Even though I had trouble following it, the political world-building in AoT is stellar.

I'm also glad I got to fully understand why Eren did what he did. Admittedly, it was hard for me to sympathize with him after the cruel things he said to Mikasa. But now that it all makes sense, I'm glad he got to reconcile with everyone before he died. Compared to how he's portrayed in the beginning of the series as a typical hot-headed shonen hero wanting to get revenge for his mom, to everything we learn about him by the end of the series, is mind-blowing. What an awesome protagonist turned antagonist.

Though I do think Eren turned out to be an interesting character, Mikasa and Armin were my favorites. Even though Mikasa started out with her only notable quality being her attachment to Eren, her character development throughout the series really came through, especially after the time-skip where she had to make very difficult choices. But even before then, I could feel her love for Armin and her fellow comrades, so Eren wasn't the only thing she cared about. And in the end, she chose to not only kill the person she had dedicated her life to, but also sacrifice the happiness she could have had with him, in order to save everyone else. And Armin always seemed like the most "human" of the group, always showing care and concern for everyone and wanting to help out, regardless of how dire the circumstances around him were (but not a pushover either).

I wasn't expecting a total happy ending for a series with such raw emotions and intense violence, but was hoping it wouldn't be too terribly tragic either. So I felt the ending we got was a good, bittersweet, middle ground: Eren was able to fulfill his wish for his friends to live out their lives in relatively peaceful conditions, but war would always be inevitable. But gosh, the epilogue during the credits blew my mind the most! Seeing the characters visit Eren's grave up until they too passed on, then hundreds or even thousands of years later we see giant cities being built up, then torn down by wars, only for the world to seemingly be destroyed again...it just kept going! I also liked the open-ended final scene which hints that the titan cycle could repeat itself again someday.

Overall, despite the long gaps between seasons, I'm glad I stuck with AoT all these years. I'll bid it a somber farewell for now, but I hope to rewatch it again in the future without the long gaps between episodes. Like I said, I missed out on a lot of the build-up to what happens in the end simply due to not remembering things that happened in episodes I watched years ago. This is definitely a series deserving of a second viewing!