#that's a different discussion tho

[mathewton-cl]

As An IzuOcha Shipper…

…them not ending up together isn’t the problem.

Horikoshi taking the “leave it up to interpretation” approach and then proceeding to COMPLETELY AVOID ADDRESSING their relationship status is the problem.

Horikoshi failing to tie up that one last loose end for Uraraka’s character arc (not closing off her feelings) is the problem.

Again, I ship IzuOcha. Still do, because I’m stubborn. Would I have liked for them to end up together, even if it was only a somewhat blatant implication that could be handwaved? Obviously. But you know what? Maybe I would be upset if the story went out of its way to explicitly de-confirm any chance of Midoriya and Uraraka being a romantic pairing, but I’d at least respect it and understand it a lot more if the story let Midoriya and Uraraka actually talk about this, or at the very least SHOWED US them talking about this. I’d understand if Uraraka completed her character arc by having a heart to heart with Midoriya and telling him that her feelings have changed, her priorities have changed, and Midoriya understands and they remain good friends. Let’s be real, romance isn’t Horikoshi’s strong suit, despite his many attempts to leave romantic implications throughout the series. I’d completely understand if he just had Midoriya and Uraraka talk and they didn’t end up together, because at least then it still provides both of their characters with closure.

But no, that’s too simple. Let’s just “leave it up to interpretation,” because it clearly wasn’t that important, right?

Well, as many people on the internet have already brought up, if it wasn’t so important, why did you spend so much time putting emphasis on it? Why did you have Uraraka, up until the FINAL WAR, have her crush on Midoriya be a crucial part of her character (it wasn’t her only character trait, mind you, but it was still important)? Why did the penultimate chapter have the class come to comfort Uraraka and tell her that they can talk to her… and then come the next chapter, Uraraka apparently hasn’t done anything regarding her supposed crush on Midoriya? For literal YEARS!?

…see, this isn’t even a shipping problem anymore. This is a character problem.

Horikoshi, for whatever reason, chose not to include a romance for the main character and his supposed love interest. And again, that’s fine, not every story needs to be a romance. Two problems with it here though (well, one problem and an observation):

1) Choosing to not at least address the romantic subplot with a “I think we’re better off as friends” encounter, thus actually concluding the subplot and providing a sense of closure, not only leaves the result feeling underwhelming and frustrating, but also actively damages Uraraka’s character arc. We can have her address the problem that caused people like Toga to exist, but heaven forbid she talks about romance with Midoriya.

2) Despite his supposed aversion to romance, Horikoshi still went out of his way to give Gentle and La Brava wedding rings… he’s willing to establish a side romantic pairing without bringing too much attention to it, but he can’t be bothered to do something similar for the arguable MAIN pairing? It’s the “Togata has special clothes so he doesn’t end up buck naked, but Hagakure’s still gotta go commando” debacle again…

I’ma go ahead and wrap this up ‘cause I don’t wanna keep y’all much longer, but like… being optimistic, this ending was… functional. I’ve got my problems with it, obviously, I don’t think it was BAD bad… but it certainly wasn’t good. It works. Barely. And it’s ‘cause of stuff like this.

Midoriya and Uraraka didn’t need to end up together, truly. All Horikoshi had to do was put the smallest amount of effort and give us something of substance, something with closure. Instead, we got what we got.

I get that he was exhausted and wanted the manga to be over… but that excuse only holds up for so long.

[fresanita]

Angel Dust Turns Human pt6

"Alastor & Angels background 3"

Pg1 Pg2 Pg3 Pg4 Pg5

Originally this was part of pt5, but Tumblr doesn't allow more than 31 pics so☹️ Sorry it took awhile, I've been putting off positing this mainly cuz I've been busy w assignments and wanting to catch up w my hobbies💔 but I finally finished fall classes so YAYAYA🙂

Antoní is PLATONICALLY blushing bc he's flustered that someone would care enough to give him something in general🙂🫶!! He's thinking, 'Woah, a whole scarf! Omg, this is so sweet and kind!!' (NO ITS NOT IT'S THE BARE MINUMUM-). Also, sorry, Alastors shoulders kinda look less broad😓! Also, pg 15 (or 16?) Angel dust's cheeks look more pinchable than I remember lol🤭!

Anyways, we're finally kinda back to the present!😁 but uh-oh, Angel knows there'll be consequences eventually☹️ I feel like Alastor has only been saying Antoní, but I promise he'll have more dialogue in the next one😥!!! He just missed his little boy; he hasn't said that name in years!! Also, I should let it be known that Angel Dust's human form WILL be getting a haircut‼️ it may look aesthetically messy, but it's actually just clumped up hair!🤫

Again, sorry for the delay and hope you like pt6🙂🫶

Tag list: @diffidentphantom

[graythursday]

‘gotham gazette’ newspaper promo for ‘the penguin’ hints at harvey dent addition to the universe— “is our legal system dented beyond repair?” + riddler crumbs :>

[sforzesco]

I got. thoughts. about valens and voices in imperial roman history. but I also got a lot of thoughts about uhhhhhh choosing your brother for co ruling the Fratricide Foundation Story Empire. many thoughts about themistius' oration too

Brotherly Love, Themistius (trans. Peter Heather & David Moncur)

⭐ places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app / insta

[crows-king]

I've been thinking a bit about how Galinda and Fiyero work as foils(?), and the contrast between their goals, personality, and their relationship to social influence individually change how they navigate their specific social situations.

And why it puzzles me when people judgmentally compare them and what they'd do in "What-If" scenarios as a gotcha to make one seem better/worst. Because in my mind they are similar but not comparable, because they fundamentally have very different personal stakes.

Primarily because of the difference in how they act in an Active (Galinda) vs Passive (Fiyero) approach to social engineering. And also, because one of them in writing is more developed as an individual than the other.

I'LL MOSTLY BE TALKING ABOUT: WICKED MOVIE - PART 1

Galinda is inherently Active. She has wants and desires that she's driven to achieve, and so actively plays the part of the good socialite because it will help her become more popular and to eventually become "Galinda the GoodSorceress". "It's not about aptitude, it's about the way you're viewed", and so on. It’s the one thing she knows she’s good at.

Of course, she also likes the attention and validation, but her charms doesn't come as naturally as she wants others, and probably herself, to believe. (I love that quote Ariana said somewhere about how "Galinda sees herself as a graceful swan, when she's actually a very stiff, but still beautiful swan", or something of that sort). She's insecure that she’ll lose people's favour and thus her most important asset, so she continually appeals to them. It's an act that she simultaneously enjoys doing for the most part, but also traps her from ever being truly close to anybody for fear of being known and not meeting expectations and losing that adoration. Until Elphaba that is.

Because of her drive to fulfill her dreams and to keep her best asset, and personal desperate need for validation, she has a much more obvious internal conflicts when she has to choose between Elphaba/the moral good vs keeping with the good graces of authority and/or the public. She's more prone to being influenced by others, and many of her choices become a calculated risk. She’s often times selfish and chooses her own desires, but it’s what makes her such an interesting and very human character. The struggle she balances when she’s forced to choose for better or worse.

In contrast

Fiyero is Passive. Dancing Through Life is literally him telling others that being lazy and not thinking is the best way to cope and enjoy life by ignoring problems. He is discontent with his life, but doesn't really acknowledge it until Elphaba reads him. Much like Galinda he is also playing a part, but it's not as tightly controlled as Galinda because he doesn't have an end goal for it.

Of course, while he probably doesn't want to lose his princely privileges. His passive "brainless" approach doesn't really put him in risky situations that would put him in conflict leading to losing things he cares about, because he really doesn't have a lot to lose. (Which is a byproduct of the fact he is primarily written as a love interest side character without much of an arc or motives outside his love triangle relationship to Elphaba and Galinda).

What confounds me is when people compare them and judge what their choices would be in if they were placed in pivotal moments, because we never really see them in situations with similar stakes.

For example, the Lion Cub scene. Most people interpret this scene as an act of braverism and heroics by Fiyero. And in some part it is, he's spurred on to save the cub, and he and Elphaba do. But it's telling that he only does this after everyone is asleep and there are virtually no risks. Any present social or physical conflicts that could arise? POOF! Gone. The worst that could probably be done to them is being punished, or even kicked out, if they’re discovered afterwards. Which Fiyero is not new to and doesn't really care about, and while maybe uncertain for Elphaba, is also unlikely because she's Morrible's irreplaceable pupil.

Some people use this scene as evidence that under his facade, Fiyero is secretly valiant like Elphaba thinks so. But I think in actuality tells the opposite. It reveals that Fiyero does care about the Animals, yes. But, the fact he only acts when prompted and there are no longer any present risks initially makes him seem less brave than Elphaba, and even Galinda. Because it contrasts with the Ozdust dance scene between the girls. Where Galinda had to make an active choice to do the risky and brave thing as an apology for hurting Elphaba, and offer to truly connect with her in front of everyone with the possibility of social out casting. She has an obvious internal conflict and risk assessment where she ends up picking the moral good over her personal comfort and social appeal. I'm genuinely curious on what kind of choices Elphaba, Galinda, and Fiyero might have done in that situation if they weren't given the perfect out by the magic poppies.

Would Galinda have helped in with the lion cub if she were awake? Probably, but who knows? Because in the narrative, Galinda isn't really put in a situation where she could choose good without being watched or without someone breathing down her neck. The prospect of being punished and kicked out from Shiz would also be most plausible and ruinous for Galinda. Morrible would definitely use it as an excuse to kick her out, or at the very least punish her, if she could, and it could throw away her only chance of achieving her dream of becoming a sorceress. She would have probably joined them in the end, though. If only to make sure they were safe. Compared to Fiyero, she has more conflicts of interests because she has personal aspirations and influence based on her reputation, and thus have more fears and consequences to consider in losing it.

Would Fiyero have joined Elphaba on the broom? Maybe, mostly likely. Because narratively, he’s never given a reason why he shouldn’t. He doesn’t see his worth and his skills intrinsically tied to public influence and opinion. He doesn’t have any wants or wishes he would have to abandon. He’ll have to leave his friends and family, but it’s not shown how close they really are to him outside Feldspar, his Horse friend, and he’s probably joining them anyway. He’s definitely more equipped to survive on the run compared to Glinda. Unlike Glinda, who is proven right in the end to being most useful when she can wield her powerful social influence For Good, Fiyero would probably be most useful as a sidekick to Elphaba. He was always written to be Elphaba’s follower, it’s no surprise. It’s also easier to take risks when you don’t have much to lose. But I think most people would agree that would make a less interesting story.

[instantpansies]

life is hard for us oz fans who are only meh about wicked. have half a meme.

[impish-ivy]

Something I wanna see in Nightbringer is Mammon losing his shit, I don’t care why or how. I just wanna see this man go crazy.

The potential is there, we’ve only seen him lose it once. It was in a devilgram but those are so loosely canon—talking main story here! ^^’

I mean look at this

This is not a sane Mammon-but it’s the Mammon I wanna see

Just realized those are the attic stairs behind him. What?

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Outdrawn

f/f contemporary romance

two cartoonist who’ve been rivals since uni, and now have competing webcomics online, have to work together on the relaunch of a cult classic at the comic press they both work at

they both struggle with art-related physical and mental health issues, and complicated families

[telesodalite]

Been thinking about idw1's outliers lately, and how sort of wild the whole concept is from a worldbuilding standpoint, and it struck me that most confirmed outlier abilities tend to be really useful, or flashy, or powerfully dangerous, and few to none tend to be like, really boring, or totally impractical, or even entirely useless? Which, doesn't really make sense when considering the fact that outlier abilities are seemingly random.

Surely not everyone who's born an outlier gets something useful?

And I don't mean like, "good" useful, but any sort of useful, even if that means you can kill people with your voice, or give a power boost by exploding yourself, those are still "useful".

But surely there had to be some with abilities that were totally impractical, or nonbeneficial, or at the very least just insignificant or purely aesthetic and pointless?

[noirshitsuji]

every once in a while I will see this take in the bb fandom that like 'nothing has felt like Black Butler since X arc' (usually Noah's Arc Circus) which I find. very interesting. I think the implication is usually that nothing has felt as like serious or gritty or psychological thriller-y or devastating, or that somehow the vibe has gone weird. and like, this is not to diss anyone's interpretation. but also.

this is a story where one moment the main boy character is wearing a dress and being accosted by a pedophile nobleman and the next he's nearly been human trafficked. and then it turns out his aunt is jack the ripper and she dies at the hand of her grim reaper ally who decides to turn on her for being unable to kill her nephew. cue flashback to the extremely tragic life she's had and the complicated feelings she has about said nephew as a result, although ultimately her love for her sister, that she seems in him, means that she cannot slaughter him as she has so many others.

and then next arc, the culmination of an indian prince's coming of age where he's processing his loneliness and neglected upbringing comes during a contest where people are trying to obtain the royal warrant for curry. and the main character wins it by inventing the curry bun, a japanese dish, in Victorian England, after the elderly queen rides in on a horse wearing sunglasses and declares him a winner.

like. idk what to tell you, like yes the Circus Arc was very dark and all but are we really going to pretend that the boy band thing during the blue cult arc was out of left field??? for the person that did pride and prejudice and zombies on the titanic?? like this has always been the type of story this is wdym-

[assumedcryptid]

maybe an unpopular opinion but i like to think glinda WANTED to throw that torch in No One Mourns The Wicked HEAR ME OUT

they come out w a GIANT EFFIGY of her misunderstood best friend!! They're celebrating her death!!! And she's looking at this thing, and handed the torch and maybe she's thinking that she'd love to tear down the misrepresentation of her old friend, that maybe taking down this effigy will allow the people their peace and celebration, while allowing her friend to rest.

Like, burning the effigy is almost releasing elphaba of the wickedness that was thrust upon her.

(and also maybe glinda just wanted to get rid of that thing asap because of how fucked it was 🤷🏽‍♀️)

The whole song she's acting like she's just as happy as the rest of them, I can see the effigy being a last straw of sorts. So she's not burning her friend, she's burning the people's awful perception of her.

[eregion-era]

Who can I bribe to make a Silvergifting amv to the tune of No One Dies from Love (Tove Lo)...

[cicada-candy]

I get the sense that Nina is gonna haunt the next season.

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

In The Care of Magic

cozy erotica novella

the only witch in a small town of humans who regularly use her services but are ungrateful goes to her cottage in the woods to get away for a bit

she comes across an interesting book in her library and decides to summon a sex demon to relax, and after a few days they also start to become friends

bi MC, aro agender LI

Blessed By The Cupid Distribution System

romance/erotica novella

follows a woman feeling lonely and left out on valentine’s day who wishes to experience a relationship

and a cupid on her first free assignment - who hears her wish and offers to find her a potential date, or they could spend the day together

and then they spend the day together. etc.

trans demisexual MC

[aphverse-confessions]

Maybe this is too obscure but I'm kinda disappointed by the lack of polyam characters/art in this fandom. The "has two hands mentality" literally changed my life and when I looked at Aphverse stuff, especially Minecraft Diaries with Garroth, Laurance and Aphmau and it just feels like the obvious solution to me. I just feel like there's a lot of untapped potential for polyamory in these stories especially given how much the fandom loves shopping.

.

[puppppppppy]

Xīn Yá and @crow-cap ‘s Little Sailor