#the ot3 is going strong which is great

[copperbadge]

So the algorithms have informed me of a White Collar reboot: https:// variety.com /2024/tv/news/white-collar-reboot-willie-garson-1236028159/

Which hope is more futile: no more Nazi loot, or canon OT3?

Oh, no, it's like running into an ex you dumped years ago because they were awful but they look amazing and are obviously flirting with you. Oh, no, White Collar, I cannot allow you to break my heart a second time.

I feel like...Jeff Easton did not react super great to the entirely justified yelling about the badly mishandled Nazi Loot plotline last time, but I do think he maybe learned that Nazis are in fact a real thing and not a plot point that you get to play with however you like. And the climate vis-a-vis fascism in 2024 is very different from what it was in 2011. I think any production or distribution company would give him much less of a free hand in terms of "Let's do a lighthearted dramedy plotline about the lasting ramifications of intentional and industrialized genocide. Oh, we will mostly ignore the genocide part, don't worry."

Fuck, I hope. I never even watched the last season of the last run. I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Maybe I'm a sucker, I've been a sucker before, but even though I probably won't watch it, I want to believe that "no more nazi loot" has strong odds. As for a canon OT3...yeah, awful as it is, I want that to be the futile hope, because if it's between "no nazis" or "my OT3 but nazis" I'm going with "no nazis" and if folks feel differently they should quietly walk away from me right now.

Not that you can never write a story with nazi loot in it and make it good and meaningful, but you have to first realize that WWII was not just a setting for an Indiana Jones movie. I'm not confident a lot of people in the White Collar writers room have had this realization.

Man, you either don't get renewed for a third season or you live long enough to become a villain. (Or you are John Rogers. John Rogers, please do not let me down.)

[lunar-years]

Okay. Let's talk Jamie and Roy getting beers and being idiots.

I know we are all still processing that whirlwind of a finale. I'm understanding that a lot of people hate the Roy & Jamie scene because it is 1) backslide-y (true) 2) they treat Keeley like a prize to be won (true) and 3) it's OOC (I actually disagree with this one, but I can understand why it's complicated). I want to start off by saying I completely see where this opinion is coming from and I respect everyone who just hates the scene because it shows normally kind characters being very unkind to each other etc. This is less me arguing against that as it is me trying to articulate (at great length, sorry) why it not only worked for me, but I genuinely liked it.

I like to think I strike a balance between loving everything the show has done and hating overwhelmingly on a show I claim to enjoy, but sure, you could definitely argue that I'm just giving my favorite characters the benefit of the doubt, or making excuses for them, because they're my favorite characters. I'll admit I'm historically very forgiving of all the main characters' many fuck-ups on Ted Lasso, but that's because I think the show works best when it emphasizes how kindness, forgiveness, friendship and love can still operate between imperfect, flawed people. I like seeing them make realistic mistakes much more than I like everyone handling everything perfectly, I'll bite.

So, back to Jamie and Roy. I enjoyed their finale plot because despite them making a world of mistakes, the regression felt very, very human. I don't agree at all with the take that this somehow erased all the progress they've made this season or the friendship the show has lovingly crafted between them. In fact, I think this actively reiterated it! (Note: I am operating with my ot3 goggles on at all times, so I'm going to write this with that at least partially in mind, but I think the gist of it works even if you ignore the bits that get a little shippy.)

For both Jamie and Roy, Keeley and their love for her is a major beacon guiding them. I think that is the crisp, clear thing in both of their heads this episode: Keeley is the love of my life. And they both believe that wholeheartedly, and they both want to be with her. (and it's goofy to pretend this came out of nowhere for Jamie/since when is Jamie still in love with her/etc. because he literally told her and us this last season and nothing that has happened since has indicated otherwise, btw.) But there's also something else now, which is their relationship with each other, battling with their Keeley thoughts. It's like, in Roy's head, for instance, I imagine there are two wolves: on the one hand he loves Keeley, and wants to be with her, and plans to win back her heart. On the other hand, there's his love and care for Jamie Tartt, which is much less defined and inarticulate and maybe still a little repressed, but just as overpowering. His love for Keeley feels so simple and clear in comparison, while his love for Jamie is something complicated and unsure, and in this episode, he's leaning hard into the first to avoid unpacking the second.

So Roy starts off strong. He sees Jamie with Keeley in the hallway and he doesn't flip out!! Instead, he approaches Jamie calmly, and invites him out for beers. Think about how different this is from his reaction to Jamie's love confession to Keeley in season 2. This is Roy's growth in action, and it's a resounding sign of just how important Jamie is to Roy now. Even when he is feeling jealous of the woman he loves potentially leaving him behind for a man he loves (a completely natural reaction, let's be so real, if not a "good" one), he also knows that for as much as he wants to be with Keeley, he doesn't want to lose his friendship with Jamie.

As for Jamie, I know some people took his reaction and subsequent response to Nate's question as like, shock at the realization that he and Roy are actually friends now, which I agree is something that had to have come earlier in the timeline (what was Mom City if not that) and would seem very out of place at this point. What I saw it as instead was Jamie's brain more just. sort of short-circuiting? Because: holy shit isn't this the best day ever? First Keeley agreed to go to Brazil with me and now Roy is asking me on a date for beers? this is so sound. This invite is out of place behavior from Roy even within the parameters of their friendship, because they still have a match to win and Roy has banned Jamie from beers as part of his training and despite them being close now I find it hard to believe that Roy often comes up to him right there in dressing room to ask him to grab a beer with no pretense.

Therefore, they're already walking into that bar in completely different head-spaces. Jamie isn't planning to discuss Keeley, and for Roy that is his major intention behind the evening. Jamie is nervous and downing his beer, and Roy is internally panicking, I'm imagining, over when and how to bring Keeley up. I think Roy is thinking: Well, I don't intend to stop pursuing Keeley, I genuinely don't want Jamie's feelings to be hurt when I get back together with her (and yes, it is a huge presumption for him to assume Keeley's going to eventually take him back. But I think it's also an understandable one), so I've got to tell Jamie I care about him, and that I'm going to keep going after Keeley, and he needs to be okay with that so that this won't get in the way of our friendship, which I also desperately need and am unwilling to give up. In his mind, Jamie is of course going to accept all of this, because Roy and Keeley are soulmates, which Jamie will clearly recognize deep down because it is so obvious and right and anyway, Jamie always does what Roy tells him to do (again, this is all misguided thinking. But we can see how Roy's anxious little brain that's bad at processing feelings and holding space for emotions could get himself here, can't we?).

So again, we start off strong with Roy saying he's proud of Jamie and them both thanking one another. But then Roy's blurting out nonsense about how Jamie just needs to pull himself out of the running and just let Roy be with Keeley. Which is obviously not on. And Jamie responds, simply, with No. I'd argue this is also a huge step for Jamie. Jamie really doesn't tell Roy no anymore, he doesn't tell anyone no. Jamie has spent so much of his time since coming back to Richmond working to be the person everyone around him wants and expects him to be. This is him fighting for something he wants for once, doing what is best for him. It was a fabulous progression to see. In the moment, boy does it work Roy up, because why is Jamie not agreeing with me, Jamie always agrees with me? but obviously at this point, Jamie is in the right. His relationship with Keeley was no less meaningful than Roy's just because Roy says it was, Roy doesn't have any claim on her, and there's no real reason Jamie should not try and shoot his shot with Keeley if Roy is going to do the same.

Here's where things start to spiral. Established flaws we know about Roy: he's competitive. He's bad at voicing his feelings productively. And he is territorial about the people he loves, a category that safely includes both Jamie and Keeley at this point in time, for better and sometimes worse. Yes, his next actions are grossly possessive over Keeley, yes Roy has made a lot of effort over the past year to do and be better than that, to break free of that cycle. But look, it's not a linear process. He's going to still mess up, and he does here. In fact he's downright mean, weaponizing Keeley against Jamie and throwing having sex with Keeley a month ago into Jamie's face, bragging about it, boasting. Same old cycle, same old patterns of ego-driven, prideful mistakes.

Which promptly prompts Jamie to also fuck up by bringing up the leak. It's a concentrated response intended to get a suitable rise out of Roy, because Roy has really, genuinely hurt him here, and Jamie knows bringing up that video is the one thing that will hurt Roy just as much in turn. It's not the right thing to do, obviously, but again, it's such a human thing to do. Hurt the person who's hurt you right back, even if you're hurting someone else (Keeley) by extension. Mind you, Jamie came here expecting a hangout (/date) with Roy over a rare beer, and instead he got Roy being a complete asshole and lecturing nonsense at him out of seemingly nowhere. He reacts to this change-up, well, not greatly. There is something so messy and emotionally complicated happening here and it hinges on how very much Jamie and Roy care about each other, not negates it.

Keeley, queen that she is, rejects them both out of hand and kicks them out not the curb immediately because they're both being complete idiots, acting like they're so gracious in giving her the honor and privilege of choosing between them. Not to mention they've clearly got something going on between them they haven't worked through and that sure as shit isn't her problem, is it? Keeley (presumably, and I wish we had seen this) calls them out their shit and tosses them right back out the door.

Which leaves Jamie and Roy to lament how they've let their egos get away from them, they've been idiots (which they acknowledge immediately) and decide that now they should go for kebabs, presumably to actually hangout this time, not to interrupt themselves with inflated talk about who "deserves" Keeley more. They both screwed up, they acknowledge it, and all they can do is try again tomorrow, and in the meantime, go on that kebab date.

I guess....I can just see where both of them are coming from? it's not mature behavior, obviously, it's maybe not what we would have liked to have seen from them in the finale episode of the show. But it was regression that I didn't feel impeded their overall progress. Roy in particular was being a complete dick about it, but that's why the very next morning he's finally knocking on the Diamond Dogs' door. And honestly, that conversation was heartbreaking. When Roy admitted he'd expected, after a year of putting in the work, to be a whole new person...god. This is a man who still completely hates himself, to the point where he can't quite grasp that he can be better where he's at now, that he doesn't have to transform magically into someone new in order to do right by himself and others. And so he has to consciously determine, once again, to do better, be better.

The message is: change isn't linear, you're going to fuck-up, and fall back into old patterns. What matters is trying every day to do better together, and be better for one another, than you were the day before. That is the meeting point all three sides of the royjamiekeeley triangle were heading towards by the end of the episode.

So yes, it was rushed, because no one gets much screen time in a finale (and the overarching issue with this season anyway is god awful pacing. The last three episodes could've easily been the second half of the season, while the first half of the season was stretched out and largely extraneous). And yes, I would've liked a more thoughtful follow-up conversation between Roy and Keeley or all three of them. My biggest issue was that we didn't get to hear Keeley's voice hardly at all. I would at the very least have liked to have seen her setting them straight at her kitchen table, because turning both of them down signifies very important growth in her, too, and I would've liked exploring that more explicitly. So it wasn't perfect. But I still liked it, I really did.

[pansy-picnics]

First off I need to just mention that your Uknighted dream art is top tier elite and i am in love. Like you have no idea.

Okay, now thats said, do you have any soft ot3 headcanons/scenes that you can imagine happening but can’t figure out how to write etc etc.? 💕

God is all of them an option bc the answer is all of them

I SWEAR I. HAVE SO MANY IDEAS AND THOUGHTS TAKING UP SPACE IN MY BRAIN (Both for ukd and for the entire family tbh) that i just CANNOT bring myself to draw or write or anything. If i had the time to be able to draw everything that popped in my head it would be OVER for yall i stg. And then theres my in progress fic i have up right now which i last updated in like (checks notes) January but i swear i’ve been THINKING about updating it again and that counts right

- Ummm. this is just something i find very funny but i absolutely love the idea that before they “Formally” announce their relationship, the public have just been spreading rumors left and right about the princess’s “affair”. cass and rapunzel somehow NEVER notice this but for a while it seems like eugene cant go ANYWHERE without someone either awkwardly being like “Soooo how are things going with the princess ^_^;;;” or just straight up asking “Hey is your wife cheating on you?” with no hesitation.

and eugene, being the attention whore he is obviously just Went with it and was like “Well yeah duh. Who do you think set them up”

EVERYONE GOES CRAZY.

before long literally EVERYONE has heard about it. rapunzel’s fucking Parents have heard about it. people in other KINGDOMS have heard about it. Meanwhile eugene’s having the time of his Life. He’s got disguises just to go in and listen in on the servants’ gossip. at this point he’s just started Making shit up and every day he’s spreading a proposition thats somehow even more absurd than the last. Most of them don’t even make sense. Like “Oh yeah no the reason rapunzel and cass are always sneaking off together isn’t because they’re having a steamy love affair it’s actually because they’ve been making blood sacrifices to the underworld to make sure zhan tiri never returns. Just girl things yk?”

“No see you’ve got it all wrong thats not cassandra at all. That’s shorty. He and rapunzel are having a book club together. It’s not going very well because shorty keeps eating all the books.” Or his personal favorite, “Wait you thought RAPUNZEL was the one having the affair?” gets them EVERY TIME.

Cass and rapunzel finally declare things officially only for everyone to become even MORE confused and they finally realize eugenes been fueling the fire for the past 3 months and he had just Assumed they were already aware of it

eugene: ….Wait you guys didnt know about that?

raps: i

raps: NO????

eugene:

eugene: um. Oops

cass: THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN “OOPS”?????

- this is kind of random but i PROMISE its going somewhere bear with me. In my head eugene is NOT the captain of the guard because a character becoming a cop is literally a fate worse than death. instead i like to imagine he does some kind of social work and is also an author…Eugene has a rlly strong connection to literature and is a great storyteller, hes got a flair for the dramatic and a strong imagination and seeing how much the flynn rider books meant to him in his childhood, i think he’d absolutely want to create something like that for other people 🥹

Anyways one of my favorite ideas w them is a modern au where rapunzel and eugene are both starving artists who are making a webcomic together…Eugene is still trying to publish his first novel and is writing for the comic in the meantime. theyre aspiring towards turning it into a graphic novel. Cass is literally just forcing everyone around her to read it. You’ve already read it? Read it again /J. She’s their number one hypeman but she’s trying to act sooo chill about it to keep up her Cool stone cold butch aesthetic. She’s like going to cons with them and hands out business cards and helps sell merch and she has a side account on twitter where she gets into heated arguments with anyone who hateposts about it.

Bonus points: it’s a fantasy comic about a lost princess, her knight girlfriend and her rogue boyfriend and is loosely a reference to the events of the canon show

- OH OH something that DEFINITELY fits this category has to be the girls taking eugene to the lagoon for the first time…….I think cass and rapunzel still spend a lot of dates there just the two of them, and no matter what it is very much Their Spot ™, but after things become official it just. Doesn’t really feel right to keep it exclusively between them anymore. i have a LOTTTT of thoughts on this…..rapunzel bouncing around and showing everything to him and cass just being dragged along for the ride…picnics together by the water while cass and raps are eagerly telling him all the stories of what he missed out on. it’s their quiet place i think they escape to whenever they don’t want to be bothered at the castle LOL. eugene officiates the cassunzel wedding there….. not to mention if/when they have kids 🥹 Augh. They make sooo many memories there i think🫶🫶🫶

- Not a specific scene so much as just a silly hc but rapunzel LOVES it when they “fight” over her. Usually it’s just a playful thing and rapunzel finds it so cute and endearing. They have the exact same banter every time and the same fake “duel” for her hand and raps will NEVER get tired of it

- oh and SPA DAYS. God cassandra’s self care routines by herself have always been SHIT. I love that girl but i think she absolutely reeks. Her hair looks like something died in it and whenever it gets too long she just grabs the nearest sharp object and cuts it off in one swoop. Eugene and rapunzel are UTTERLY horrified by this and they do not let that shit fly as soon as she’s living with them. They have little self care nights at least once a week, sometimes just with the three of them and sometimes the rest of the family gets into it too, it depends on the day. eugene helps do her hair for her and they pick out all sorts of fancy products for her skin and her curls and just absolutely SPOIL her. at first shes kinda whiny about it but once she realizes how much better she feels on a day to day basis she reluctantly apologizes for ever doubting them

[emeraldhypothesis]

I'm back and I have a triple order!

I wanna hear your thoughts on the doomed yaoi men: Yami Yugi, Bruno, and Ai

(Only if you want to, of course)

oh baby we got some good ones

Yami:

Why I like them/why I don’t

God, Yami/Atem is just... such a good protagonist. He's one of the foundational protagonists of my childhood in terms of what I like about a hero, up there with Optimus Prime in how I've grown to love an idea Peter Cullen once said about how he plays Optimus, "Be strong enough to be gentle."

Atem's early behavior in the manga is legit so crazy to look back on, he's like a chained-up demon who bestows karmic justice without concerns of morality or how it looks to others, but gradually softens as he comes out of his shell and interacts with Yugi and his friends more, becoming a more noble and honorable figure worthy of the title of King of Games. I love his boundless enthusiasm and appreciation for games, the deep care and love he has for the gang and how they accept him once they learn about him. He's so fun to follow across the series, not just for his growth but because he's just a naturally engaging character.

What I like about their appearance

I love the vivid shade of purple his eyes are in DSOD, it's so gorgeous. I love the sleeveless jacket he sometimes had during Duelist Kingdom, and his little jacket-cape that he starts wearing in Battle City.

I'm also stupidly fond of his little gray coat from the Dungeon Dice Monsters episode.

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?

Same in both, so no preference. I will say I like the Japanese having Yami and Yugi refer to each other as "Other me," which gradually shows how deep their bond runs.

I'll repeat a lot of what I said about Yugi for the languages though, Dan Green and Shunsuke Kazama are both perfect in the role and I adore both of their takes on Atem. I think I'd give it overall to Dan Green just for how much gravitas he gives a lot of scenes, which gives his softer-spoken moments or his comedic bits more impact.

OTP

Like I said for Kaiba, it's Prideshipping, no contest. Yami and Kaiba's rivalry is one of the foundations the series is built on, and both characters compliment and complete each other in such a way that one without the other feels like a phantom pain from a lost limb.

I also do like Atem/Mahad, largely because Mahad is just the absolute GOAT during Millennium World that I must respect his dedication to the bit.

NOTP

I'm not super fond of shipping him with the other Yamis, and admittedly that's largely due to a Thiefshipping bias but also a bit too little chemistry.

OT3

I think him, Yugi and Joey would have been cute together, or him, Yugi and Tea.

I'm also fond of Atem/Mahad/Mana.

Favourite card they use

I love how sassy Dark Magician can get with its little finger wags and smirks, but I gotta give it to God's Favorite Little Guy, Kuriboh.

Favourite moment they were in

So many, it's so hard to pick. I could list off like five and I'd still be left going "Oh but I could bring up him decking Strings out, or BESERKER SOUL, or his manga ferocity making him nearly kill Kaiba in Duelist Kingdom, or his return in DSOD where he summons Mahad and you get the awesome symbolism of Mahad being summoned facing his king and kneeling before he attacks Aigami and... you get the idea." He has so many, we'd be here all day.

I think I'll give it to the Ceremonial Duel though. It's a perfect ending all around, with Atem giving a wonderful final performance in his summoning of the God Cards, his his warm praise that creeps in when Yugi outplays him and pushes him into a corner, and him embracing his end with serenity and dignity. I saw a post once that referred to it all as the perfect funeral for Atem.

I still cry watching that scene.

Least favourite moment

I've never thought that DOMA made a great case for Atem playing the Seal of Orichalchos when he did, especially when the duel with Raphael had zero stakes to it. It's a bit of a "He would not fucking say that" moment for me, but I'm willing to accept it to allow for his arc that season of being this darkest hour for him that he did play that card and it had real consequences for people around him.

Would I fuck, marry or kill them

at the risk of getting crass: I've had a crush on Atem since I was a child. I would commit many a grave sin to know him carnally.

Bruno:

Why I like them/why I don’t

God he's just so cool though. A fearsome rival who's intensely mysterious throughout the series, alongside Bruno being one of the better Second Season Best Friend characters alongside Johan and Vector. He's just such a silly guy who's helplessly in love with Yusei the bikes, and who can blame him!

Even his name is cool! I love how much meaning went into the Four Stars and their names. It's sick.

What I like about their appearance

I love Bruno's jacket, it looks very comfy.

Antinomy's jumpsuit is super sleek, his slicked-back haircut is rad, and I love his glasses- very telling that Antinomy has to view the world/Z-One through rose-tinted glasses, eh.

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?

Same in both, but I would say I prefer Dark Glass as an alias over Vizor. I am very fond of how they translate "surpass your limits, Yusei" into asking if he's found "The Synchro Solution," that just tickles my fancy.

Voice wise, it's mutual bangers on both sides. Hiroki Tanaka's performance as Bruno/Antinomy is so layered to make each identity distinct, and he does a wonderful job with it, especially in his last duel and his voice softens on that final "Yusei..." augh my heart. He's also just so bombastic with the summon chants that it's hard not to adore Tanaka's take (especially with the Delta Accel chant he did for Glaive Blaster during AGOV's OCG Times stream, super fun watch).

Justin Badger I preferred for a bit as Bruno over Antinomy, but he really got to shine when Duel Links gave him a full chance to play Antinomy. I heard him in an interview once discussing how he played Bruno, Antinomy and Dark Glass differently and that was engaging to listen to. Badger has such a commanding voice that lends itself well, with him going for a more clipped, professional tone that lets up a little when he's going for the bombastic summon chants.

Both are great, is what I'm trying to say. Perfect performance on both sides.

OTP

Toolshipping is suuuuuch painful doomed yaoi. Easily my favorite Yusei ship, the bond it allows Yusei to forge across Season 2 is such a wonderful, soft time that hurts like a knife to the eye when it comes to a violent, miserable end in the Arc Cradle.

Here's how I can ship Faith and Tool at the same time and still win! By throwing Antinomy into the black hole!

NOTP

Bruno/Sherry is too much mlm/wlw solidarity for me to look at them romantically.

OT3

As with Z-One and Aporia, old man polycule yaoi my beloved.

Favourite card they use

Tie between Hyper Librarian (I LOVE DRAWING CARDS IS THIS THE SYNCHRO SOLUTION YOU WANTED) and Halbred Cannon. I like a lot of the TG's though, they're a pet favorite deck of mine.

Honorable mention to his legacy support having some of the best references in the art of any legacy support deck, like Star Guardian Literally Just Being Antinomy, TG Close depicting Halbred Cannon's choke-slam, and Shooting Star Dragon TG EX reflecting Yusei and Bruno's bond.

Favourite moment they were in

His entire last duel with Yusei is one of the best duels of 5D's, and Ark Cradle is a arc of nothing but the best duels in 5D's. The environment is so unique and cool to look at, Halbred Cannon's summon collapsing a star, Halbred Cannon CHOKE SLAMMING SHOOTING STAR DRAGON, and his sacrifice to save Yusei all just works so well.

Least favourite moment

He didn't have one- a GOAT always stands on business and the Synchro Solution waits for no frauds.

I guess his future self's moustache was kinda cringe?

Ai:

Why I like them/why I don’t

Ai manages the difficult task of being a comic relief character who morphs into a tragic figure. His arc across Season 2 has him slowly stripped of the whimsy and zeal for life that he starts with, cumulating in him learning true rage after Earth's death and his broken sorrow after the other Ignis sacrifice themselves to give him and Yusaku a chance to beat Bohman.

It's amazing how complex Ai's villain arc is made given the short time frame Season 3 has to work with. It arguably takes up too much time- you basically need to go into Season 3 already liking Yusaku and Ai for a lot of the Season to land, but as someone who does, it's fantastic.

Ai's journey in Season 3 is perfect. It's a bit abrupt to go from his comic relief angle in Seasons 1 and 2 to such a dark swerve but I think the writing nails it. He's probably my favorite villain in the show, I adore his dynamic with Yusaku and how fucking dooomed it really is, and he manages the impressive feat of going on a massive relay run of older enemies to beat, and made it entertaining. I adore his little deck, and how much symbolism of his grief is tied into the ace monsters and AIland, I love how stupid all of his AI backrow cards are with their silly puns. And I love that all of the jester stuff is hiding a deeply, agonized and lonely character who is basically forcing the one human he's ever loved to be his executioner and God. He's a person who wants to die because both his family are dead and if he stays alive, his last love will die for him. No wonder he's a barely functioning mess.

I am very biased about Ai's Season 3 turn, I have no real notes beyond "Man imagine how much more cool shit we'd have gotten if he had fifty episodes to cook."

What I like about their appearance

His Ignis form is the definition of a scrimblo. A scrunchy. A creechure, you may say. He's very expressive and the design lends itself well to that. I love how you can see him duck and weave inside of the Duel Disk to dodge Yusaku's hands sometimes.

His Soltis form may be a bit "Sterotypical Tumblr Sexy Man" but... look I'm on Tumblr I'm allowed one. I like his earrings. :)

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?

Same in both.

I think I overall prefer the sub, but more because of what Ai is allowed to say in that and how the Vrains dub handles tone in general. It's nothing against Michael Liscio, I'd even say this is his best performance of his major roles (especially because unlike Arc-V he doesn't have to juggle six character voices, seriously who decided that?), but the Vrains dub does have an issue of fearing sincerity sometime so it has to crack jokes. A lot of the time the jokes land are funny, but it does undercut the severity of the moment when Ryoken is fumbling the "Gotta break an egg to make an omelette" analogy while telling Yusaku about Earth's death- or translating Shoichi and Yusaku's Season 2 conversation into the climax of the "Is a hot dog a sandwich" running bit. Liscio does well, but I think I'd have to give my preference to Takahiro Sakurai's Ai largely because of the material. If Liscio was given things like Ai's dying love confession it'd be more even so... get back to me when Duel Links adds Ai, going off Yudias's voice lines love confessions are back on the menu.

OTP

"If losing a friend means your heart breaks, then why are you trying to break my heart?"

Aiball is one of the peak Doomed Yaoi ships in a franchise that already has an overabundance of Doomed Yaoi. Their bond over Seasons 1 and 2 gradually transitions from hostage to ally, making any time Yusaku slips and calls him "Aibou" all the better. They clearly care for each other and like being around them, but the circumstances of the story keep separating them, and eventually Ai is forced to launch his own Ignis Rebellion in order to find a way to die that guarantees no one brings him back.

It's also fun from a toxic yaoi perspective because of how the entire duel works out- Ai basically goads Yusaku into the fight and only then reveals that he dies either way- meaning he's forced Yusaku without his knowledge into a situation where Yusaku helps Ai commit suicide either way, and that's really fucked up and I kinda love it.

Their last scene together is so haunting, not helped by Ai gradually letting slip that his motive was born from love- seeing Yusaku die in every simulation that Ai made broke the poor guy, so he decided that the best way for Yusaku to live was to take himself off the board for good.

(until Duel Links)

That last shot especially of Yusaku standing among a field of Ai's corpses is genuinely so harrowing, holy crap.

I also have a soft spot for Ai/Lightning due to a reading from a friend that clued me in on them having the world's messiest divorce arc and neither of them having gotten over it by Season 2.

NOTP

Anything with Bohman. I hate Bohman soooooo much.

OT3

Like I said with Revolver, the idea of Ai and Ryoken having to co-exist in post-canon works because they both like Yusaku too much is the definition of hilarity to me.

Favourite card they use

The Arrival, no contest. Such an otherworldly design, helped by an immaculate summon chant.

The A.I. spells and traps are all so adorable though, whoever had the idea that Ai's ego would have him base all of his backrow art of himself was cooking, you absolute genius.

I also like Pikari's funny little hat. :) Maybe Lightning wouldn't have tried to enslave humanity if they had a funny little hat!

Favourite moment they were in

Yusaku vs Ai is probably my favorite final boss duel in the franchise, for reasons I went into earlier, but I think I'll say my favourite overall moment of the duel is when Ai manages to get out the @ Ignister monsters that represent his friends and takes a moment to both think "Holy crap I made the perfect board," and lament that none of them are there to see it.

Shout out as well to The Arrival's summon chant where he can rattle off five superlatives in short order, but hesitates at the sixth- his self loathing coming home to roost and meaning he hesitates to think of something good to say about himself.

Least favourite moment

Ai trying to imply he's the real reason Yusaku took up arms against the Hanoi in their duel. I never liked that line, it comes off as trying far too hard to make Ai manipulative (I can accept he set up the Cyberse deck but I refuse to believe Ai organized Yusaku meeting Shoichi) and it never comes up again so I write the line off as non-canon. It also comes too soon after Lightning is retconned as being the root cause of all evil in the known universe, so that didn't help.

Would I fuck, marry or kill them

Yeah he'd be fun for a rumble in the hay or two.

[kuriboo]

Crow! Because fnuy.

fnuy bird man! i do love he greatly. i'm not as feral about him as i am others, but he is a good good boy and i would protect him if he didn't insist on protecting me because i'm a weak little shit.

Why I like them/why I don’t There's so much to love about Crow. He's such a kind, nurturing soul to any kids around him. He's also not afraid to talk shit to people who deserve it, and he has the ability to back himself up. This boy is multifaceted! He's got it all, the whole package. What I like about their appearance I like his hair, and I like his outfit. The forehead marker, however, does not do it for me, sorry. I think I should blame Dragon Ball Z for this one; I see a giant M on someone's forehead and go whoops that's a bad guy. Didn't care for the design choice there, either. Not a bad thing by any means, this is just personal preference. The rest of him is great. He has a cute face OTP It is really hard for me to ship Crow with just one person... He's just so poly to me, sorry. If I had to put him in a monogamous relationship, however, it'd probably be Crow/Akiza. Which isn't my favorite Crow ship, but incidentally may be one of my favorite Akiza ships. Everything from the WGRP leading up to their duel against Sherry in Ark Cradle... Beautiful. I care them. NOTP Only thing that comes to mind is I don't care so much for shipping him with the Arc V cast, outside of Jack. I didn't like Shinji so I didn't ship him and Crow at all. Other than that, I can't really think of anything. Like, I can't remember Crow having any meaningful relationships with adults that I didn't care for. OT3 Yusei/Jack/Crow Honorable mention: Yusei/Jack/Crow/Kalin Favourite card they use I love the imagery of the name "Shura the Blue Flame". I also love the archetype spells and traps. Crow's a scrappy little guy.

Favourite moment they were in If I gotta pick just one... I really want to pick all of roommates arc (pre-WGRP, the beginning of that season, with Yusei and Jack and Crow living together in an apartment and just all the slice of life from that part of the season). I can't really pick a specific moment in there. The time Jack got arrested? Crow and Jack moping because Yusei's attention is all focused on Bruno? All the times Crow yelled at Jack for spending all their money on coffee? I can't. It's all so good.

Honorable mention: The fact that Crow was meant to be like a rival to Yusei, but the popularity of his archetype was so strong that it made him a good good boy instead. It's so funny to me. Least favourite moment That argument at the beginning of Arc V's Synchro arc where Crow and Yuya argue whether food or smiles are more important. Because I definitely agree with Crow on that one, but the whole thing just gives me secondhand embarrassment for some reason. Would I fuck, marry or kill them

Absolutely marry. Anyone who wants to kill Crow has to be heartless, have you looked at him? Have you heard his voice? Have you seen him smile? I'm not mentally unwell about him, but literally anyone would be lucky to have the chance to marry this man.

[anemoiawithatouchofobsession]

Giving 1st gen groups and artists their own signature emojis

So we know that if you are on Twitter and have a little 7 in your username you are a BTS fan, if you have a diamond you are a Carat (SVT fan), if you have a black and pink heart then you're a fan of Blackpink etc.

Now, I have an urge to do this for 1st gen groups and artists because why not?

So :

S.E.S. : 🔮 (purple magic ball)

Reason : fandom colour being pearl purple + their mystical fairy concept suits the magic ball. Also they'd have a "3" in their usernames because I can't see any Friend being anything but OT3, another alternative one is 🌊(wave) 👰(bride) 🐿 (chipmunk) - the wave is for Bada - Sea -, the bride for Eugene because she is everyone's dream bride lol and chipmunk is Shoo because she just looks like one.

Fin.K.L. : 🎈 (red balloon)

Reason : Fandom colour is red and balloons were the lightsticks of the 90s era! Also would come in handy during the great balloon war of 2004. Pre debut fans would use 🏹 (Bow and arrow) because they thought that a girl group from Sechskies' company named "Fin Killing Liberty" would have a strong, warrior concept... Another alternative is ⚪⚫🔴🔵 (white ball, Black ball, red ball, blue ball) which stands for the members individual colours, White : Yuri, Black : Joohyun, Red : Hyori, Blue : Jin.

Baby V.O.X. : 😇 or 👼 (girl angel)

Reason : Fandom name is Baby Angels and their name is Baby VOX Lol.

Diva : 💋 (red lipstick kiss)

Reason : because of their "cool and hot noona" image, their emoji needs to reflect that.

H.O.T. : 🤘👌🏼👇 (finger pose cool, finger pose "ok", finger pose showing down)

Reason : the hands make the letters H O T. Cool, right?

But wait! There's drama. A popular acc with more than 700k followers starts that Baby V.O.X. are plagiarizing H.O.T. because H.O.T.'s fandom name is White Angels, and now Baby V.O.X. is using 😇 (Angel)

There would be a lot of Twitter drama, and because Baby V.O.X. have the junior fandom, their fans would start using 💗 (pink heart) instead as a reference to their balloon colour.

(It was actually my original idea for them to take an angel, but I decided that the finger poses are waaaay cooler for a boy group than an angel. You're a boy group that does hip hop! At least be cool!)

Sechskies : 💛 (yellow heart) or 💛💎 (yellow heart + crystal). I can't decide. PLUS a little 6.

Reason : Fandom/balloon colour yellow. The crystal also refers to the fandom name Yellowkies, it's for the "-kies" that DSP thought meant "crystals" in German - but no one told them it means "pebbles". Ouch.

But they're crystals in Yellowkies' hearts!!1!!

Shinhwa : 🍊 (Orange the fruit)

Reason : their fandom colour is orange. Plus Shinhwa Changjos are the Ahgases of 90s Kpop so expect them to have funny stuff lmaoo

g.o.d.: 🟦 (blue square)

Reason : Fandom colour sky blue

NRG : ⚡(lightning bolt)

Reason : N R G = En-er-gy. Another option could be 🤓👋. Their fandom name is Cheonjae Ilwoo and Cheonjae means "genius". The hand shake is from their "I Can Do It" dance actually I stole it from u/Margo160's flair lmaoo sorry

1TYM : ☝️👇❓Ⓜ️ (finger showing index finger, finger showing down, question mark, blue M)

Aaand another rookie group copying H.O.T.! (Lol I'm just setting them up for drama lol). How dare the fans copy the same finger emojis? The fans then just change it to ☝️... and since then, in this AU, the YG - SM rivalry starts.

Soloists :

Kim Hyunjung : 🔃 (arrow turning around)

Reason : reference to "Bruise" and the point dance of turning your arms around singing "둘려놔~" ("throw/put me back~"), which pretty much went viral before going viral was a thing. Alternatively used are 👠 (high heels) because she was known for her pretty long legs or 💃(dancing girl) because she pretty much IS the emoji.

Uhm Junghwa : 👑 (crown)

Reason : because she's the undisputed solo queen nope nope no arguments~

But I could actually see 🎉 because of "Festival" or 🥀 (Rose) for "Rose of Betrayal".

Lee Junghyun : 🏮(festival paper balloon with Chinese character on it) or 🀄 (card with Chinese character on it).

Reason : she would have a lot of Chinese fans and she would be known for her traditional concept at debut.

Yangpa : I can't find the emoji on my Samsung keyboard, but an onion. Why? Because that's her name, onion. Literally.

BoA : 📡 (satellite bowl)

Reason : because she's an alien. Why? Because this girl is not even out of middle school yet and already such a pro at dancing. She ain't real~ /j 🤣

@babyvoxi can we make this a thing?? hahaha

(source : MY OWN POST ON KPOP REDDIT

)

[t-u-i-t-c]

Top 5 Toku dramas!

this is a tough one, i've seen over 40 toku series and it's pretty hard to compare things and narrow it down. i'm also aware that some things i am very into aren't everyone's cup of tea as we value different parts of toku. for example, i don't care that much about mecha, but i do care about characters and details. i care about it feeling like the people on the show care. that being said, let me give you 5 toku series that changed my brain chemistry in no particular order with some brief notes.

(these are not my top 5 overall bc i'm indecisive, just 5 that had an impact off the top of my head.)

put "top 5 (anything)" in my inbox and i'll give you an answer

ohsama sentai king-ohger

the third sentai i watched while airing, but only the second from beginning to end

it's one of my favorite sentai, if not my favorite

has one of my favorite characters of all time, racules husty, and jeramie brasieri is not far behind

interesting lore that is pretty consistent and fleshed out

interesting conversations about grief, loyalty, guilt, and power

bug-themed

fashion icons hymeno ran and yanma gast are present

satisfying conclusion and fun crossovers

gender neutral representation

kamen rider saber

gorgeous suit designs

kento and touma are present and are a perfect example of loyalty and devotion - so much love that you can feel it in the air

dad swordsman who loves his young son and his son is also doted on by the guild

interesting discussions about trauma, existentialism, guilt, betrayal, and love

mei, girl of all time, is present and is the backbone of the guild even though she's not a swordsman herself

storious is there, which is all he has to do for me - also megid ot3

guy who fused with his sword and who's very interested in comics and mundane things, and is quick to call other swordsmen out

whatever desast and ren had going on

touma is one of the riders ever, he cares so much and wants to save everyone he possibly can and grasps onto hope with every ounce of strength he has

touma's entire wardrobe is iconic

trio of deep sin = cinematic masterpiece

gosei sentai dairanger

i'll never be over it, i'll never forget the ending and i'll never not feel something when i think about it

incredible episode in which red takes in the enemy and nurses him back to health - he even tucks him in

the iconic duo of kazu and shoji who stare at each other longingly and have really sweet moments

guy who is a turtle

the music>>>>

heated drama between women

the team genuinely feels so bonded like no matter where they go they'll always end up back together

the ending? an experience in and of itself

talks about cycles of violence and hope and the balance of good and evil

note: it's quite dated and has moments that may make one uncomfortable - sexual harassment mainly

kishiryu sentai ryusoulger

(i can't not talk about this one as i have a particular fascination with it)

canalo is in it and he's one of my favorite guys of all time - just a very lovely guy

i'm actually very into the mecha in this series and how they are used to show souls being bonded

koh is one of my favorite reds, he never looks down on fellow ryusoulgers and insists that there's no leader amongst them

lots of interesting lore that i've been taking a lot of notes on, some is explained and some is not but it fascinates me

tyramigo - a kishiryu that koh shrinks and who learned to speak from watching tv

the ending dance is so fun and cute, every time i see someone from the cast doing it they look like they're having the time of their lives

wyzul <3

asuna has great physical strength for some reason, it seems to be an oddity, and while she's a bit embarrassed about it in the beginning (it's not explained why but one could think she feels out of place being the only one with this ability) she prides herself in being strong later when protecting children and that always stuck with me

i think that it does some interesting things with the bonds between the ryusoulgers and discussing trust, strength, resolve, and care

dinosaurs

kamen rider build

banjo and sento best match - so much trust and belief in one another

discussions of grief, guilt, compliance, sins of the past, forgiveness, and war

stunning suits

evolt is a character that i very much enjoy watching in any form

lots of twists and turns done well with the help of foreshadowing

banjo wears shirts that say things

sento is one of my favorite main riders, and i would explain why but i don't want to spoil anything here

banjo is my favorite secondary so far too

the movies are very good and i love them

bonus series: kamen rider geats & tensou sentai goseiger

are these all perfect? no, a few have some very obvious flaws and holes and others are just not everyone's cup of tea but they did have a great impact on me. i don't particularly recommend anything as tastes differ but i think value can be found in all of these in one way or another.

[nevertheblood]

i've been so awol that i didn't even realise i was tagged in a thing!! thank uuuu @ohhcinnybuns 💕💕

Fanfic Writer Interview

How many works do you have on AO3?

eleven 🥹 four ongoing, six complete, one sort of.... resting (I hesitate to say abandoned lol)

it's a small number but i never thought i'd get to this point so yay!!

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes:

love in the vein (2,219 words) - M, skk, complete one-shot (albeit part of a larger ongoing universe), 18-year-old prince dazai and his fiancé (trans) chuuya make out in a garden and muse about love and trust 👀written for a valentine's day challenge!

so show me why you're strong (ignore everybody else) (15,490 words) - T, ambiguously platonic skk, ongoing. mafia executive chuuya meets suicidal cat hybrid dazai and tries to give him a better life (against dazai's wishes)

my candy boy, my baby (2,495 words) - T, sskk, completed one-shot. written for the same valentine's day challenge as love in the vein! atsushi and akutagawa go on a valentine's day date and try to manage sweet confessions amidst emotional awkwardness.

we burn our blue love for a while (8,668 words) - E, buraiha trio OT3, completed one-shot, VERY SPICY. ango has a really great recurring threesome going on and he thinks only about the inevitability of love and betrayal. pwp but angsty.

or so I’ve dreamed, since I met you (55,948 words) - M, skk, complete. artists AU set in 1910s paris - realist painter chuuya meets modern artist dazai, who has synaesthesia, and a sort of rivals to lovers story emerges. past buraiha trio ot3, some angst but with a happy ending.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yes! very rarely in a timely manner but I do try to. I spend a lot of emotional energy in my fics and I like to have discussions about it when people make comments c:

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

probably we burn our blue love (mentioned above)... I think it's not necessarily angsty due to the events of the fic itself (which is mostly smut tbh) but due to what happens in canon later on and how it's alluded to at the end of the fic... bloohooohoooo i will never NOT be crying over the dark era!!!!

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

apart from the aforementioned angst, all my fics have happy endings!! probably the cutest softest fluffiest is my candy boy, my baby (also mentioned above) just bc it's a valentine's day fic and it's so tooth-rottingly sweet uwu uwu

Do you write crossovers?

never properly written one but I do have a bsd x borderlands AU living in my head. I also have a bsd kpop AU waiting to be written, and that counts as a crossover bc i've written kpop fic before and also I said so

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

no, I keep to myself mostly... I'd like some of my works to get more love but I worry about reaching the wrong audience LOL it's a two edged sword fr

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

yes but it's gotta have angst and/or pining and/or fluff attached to it lmao i am EMOTIONAL ALL THE TIME at my core

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

no~ not that I am aware of

Have you ever had a fic translated?

no

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

not technically but I've been back and forth with @nettlestingsoup and other irl friends on some delightful AU concepts before. should do that more often it's great for the brain

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

all-time gotta be royed. I am never leaving behind my funky little blorbos that got me PROPERLY into online shipping culture in the early 00s. they come back around every few years like a planet with a weird orbit and my singular remaining fma brain cell just buzzes like crazy and then goes dead again.

but rn I'm insane about skk since the last few years and I don't see that changing hehe

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

oh.... my kryptonite question.....

Kid Gloves is probably dead now. it's just been too many years since its inception and the things that made me want to write it in the first place. plus, I think my writing has improved a lot since then and I sort of cringe looking at it now lol

I have a fuckton of skz WIPs as well but I maintain that one day I *will* finish them ?? (denial) (delusional)

What are your writing strengths?

i like writing fun or snappy dialogue, i think it comes very easily to me (especially with the kind of semi-antagonistic ships that I really enjoy) and I like to show off with lots of in-depth extended metaphors too

What are your writing weaknesses?

movement.... action.... i'm really struggling to make my scenes not static BWUH

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

im literally a polyglot and i'm afraid of it for some reason. don't perceive me. what if I actually can't speak the languages that i speak and people on the internet find out??

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

arcane........... stares with big eyes

also star trek voyager, i dabbled in pariskim during lockdown but i could really go for some j7 and i know @nettlestingsoup agrees with me

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

or so I’ve dreamed, since I met you feels like my magnum opus, my first finished longfic with so much healing for dazai too.... and I had SO much fun writing and completing it;;; i wish everyone saw it through my eyes bc it is my precious baby of a fic..... 🥹

i think most ppl i would tag to do this have already been tagged?? but uh @nettlestingsoup even tho i tagged u twice already.... hands gently the thing (with no pressure)

[lazarus-harp]

hi this is your partner again (at first i was just on the wrong blog but now i want to make this a bit). i'm here to offer more insights regarding your earlier post <3 i do agree with you that manny and safiya are a CRIMINALLY underrated pairing; i know manny is gay irl but in that interview he so CLEARLY stated that the record producer himself is bi, and besides, manny and safiya are both, well, really practical and competent players! they have their differences, obviously, but i've always been really fascinated by how people attribute manny's qualities to safiya — one really great example is that people see safiya as someone who forms objective, unbiased, and well-thought-out decisions, when her decision for voting colleen in, for example, was just because "everyone else was doing it", whereas manny had an actual reason for feeling as though she needed to die in that situation. i generally think saf is widely misinterpreted in fandom, though i'll admit i'm not really IN the etn fandom the same way you are, but i think people generally have a hard time striking the balance between safiya being both incredibly arrogant and incredibly insecure. which, to a degree, but not in the same way, manny has too! i think it was such wasted potential for them not to be closer. because i definitely think safiya could have benefited from having someone like manny at her side. he's fiercely loyal and has these strong bonds that safiya feels like she lacks, but they're both so pragmatic and kind of, honestly, bad with feelings. i just feel like the two of them would communicate very easily and understand each other on a deep level. anyway, all this is to say i would love to see that safiya idea rebranded to reflect one of my big ships :) (selfish)

as for destorm my BELOVED, i desperately want something stream of consciousness related for him; it just feels like it would fit him due to his extremely lonely nature. even when he forms an alliance with gabbie, it never really FEELS like they're part of the same team. destorm very much feels like a lone wolf, so i think stream of consciousness fits him very well. would love to see some intricacies surrounding his feelings about lauren's, jesse's, and tim's deaths... like, at what point did he start realizing that he wouldn't be able to go home, that all of this cutthroat, lone-wolf, survivor's instinct wasn't going to do anything for him?

and jatny!! it is so wild for you to say that ot3s are hard for you to pull off because i actually write them on instinct, but i think there are a lot of different ways to pull it off, especially during the actual night they're in everlock. one potential plot that itches at me is the idea of the three of them being the s3 survivors, and how that might impact their dynamic. or, it could be something like manny and joey seeking comfort in each other and mat worming his way into the dynamic. or even joey and mat being the ones to indulge and manny just kind of walks in on them and is like, can i join? i think with joey and manny both being such emotionally closed off people, mat's influence is so humanizing on them and they'd quickly fall into a codependent mess. but that's just a theory...

god, safiya's characterization in fics is something i've spent such a long time struggling with. obviously ( and this should be a given for all of my vague disagreement w/ the characters, since interpretation varies and that's a good thing! ) safiya is easy to stereotype ; she's the weird girl who is a certified genius despite her lack of socializing. it becomes easy then to assume she's unbiased and 'always correct' in her decisions because of how smart she is, which is something people stick on to our detective as well ... which is a shame, because as you said, ep6 is such an eye opening episode for our remaining characters and how they form their opinions. this isn't something they can excuse with uselessness or usefulness, or even petty drama, because there will be no fight, and this person will die in an awful, tragic way. stressed out of their minds, and rightfully scared, we see their thought processes clearly ; and safiya, very quickly, shows something fascinating. in the face of colleen's incoming demise, safiya chooses her -- something that's fair, something that she knows three other people did, and yet her reasoning is simple and rather cowardly? she did it because everyone else did, because she'd rather it be colleen than her. there's no logic there besides self preservation and, almost, peer pressure! rosanna, nikita, and joey all gave much more sound reasons. clearly not willing to vote colleen unless they thought they had to, or that this was just. and then there's manny, who people love to portray as dumb and petty in most fics, who gives probably the best reason i've ever heard for a vote : she hated joey, wanted him dead, but suddenly changed her tune. can she do that to me? how can i trust someone like that? in a show that's based on having strong alliances, this is completely reasonable for manny to think. but the drastic difference between a concrete, logical reason vs following everyone else because it's easier is a stark one. manny doesn't get enough credit for his level headedness in that moment, just like safiya's lackluster agreement isn't acknowledged much either. a shame, really, since i love seeing characters be flawed! i probably would've come around to characters like safiya and rosanna a lot quicker, if i had seen more fans discuss or write them as flawed and complex as they are. though that's a personal problem. sorry for that tangent i just adore the iron maiden voting and death, anyway!

safiya toeing the line between arrogance and crippling insecurity, while manny toes the line between false arrogance and insecurity, really breeds for a point of connection. they're pragmatic, smart, and both have something that could benefit the other! manny's undying loyalty would appeal to someone like safiya who always struggles to keep alliances ( mainly due to how little effort she puts in ) and safiya's lack of dramatics would be good for manny in turn, who i think would appreciate someone who's not so easily dragged into childish battles. of course, there's not a world where manny's relationship with safiya would survive past ep7 -- being endangered is annoying, but the fact she put nikita in isn't something easily forgiven, if his anger towards rosanna in ep3 is any indication. but who doesn't love a good doomed dynamic? tmw you understand someone deeply but are forced to kill/betray them or they kill/betray you and how can you forgive that but how can you not? that's what etn is all about to me. my safiya fic is actually a ship fic in and of itself, and it just so happens to pair her with someone manny loves dearly, so i could certainly shove her close to him throughout. it'd be fun for them to reach an understanding and then realize how much further that understanding goes, but that it probably won't matter in the long run. manny and safiya know it's unlikely they'll be the two to make it, and they both don't want that anyway, despite how much they're fond of each other. so it'd be swept under the rug, this undercurrent sadness and ache of what could've been and what could never be. a friendship ( or relationship ) that could've gone far, if only.

a stream of consciousness fanfic for destorm rings true to me. that's a solid idea! and i see you quoting one of the best fics of all time at me, like i haven't already cried about it enough to you on call. he's an excellent character and i think it'd suit him well, given his 'lone-wolf' vibes as you pointedly worded ... so much of his development is internal, secretive and private, because he's destorm power and if there's one thing he does it's feel quietly. guilt, sorrow, shame ; all of this is cradled close and he takes most of this to his second grave, his sacrifice as private of an affair as everything about him has been. he's hard to understand in a show like etn where everything needs to be shown or confessed! so any writing does him good, i think. nobody ever would've suspected how heavily he carried lauren's death if he hadn't worded it, and there's something about characters who suffer through everything silently that kills me. i'll have to figure things out, maybe do a stream of consciousness from s4 ep1-ep4 ... or wherever they subconsciously were before the collector got them.

ironically enough i had a jatny survivor thing on my ao3, with thousands of words written, before i took it down out of embarrassment. my old writing is outdated and, to me, not very good ; hence why whenever people compliment crimewave i almost can't believe it. not that i'm impressed by my new writing at all! but it's at least marginally better, or so i'll say. revisiting a survivors concept could be fun or boring, though i'd have to mess around with it again to see which is true! that'd probably be one of the more likely scenarios where i could see the three of them coming together, as messily as possible of course ... the typical 70s everlock au may also prove fun. hm. guess we'll have to see what i can cook up. i'm sure more ideas, better ones, will come to me when i finally commit to a rewatch <3 but hey, that's just a theory!

[hornkerling]

Just some Hester screen grabs, including the save I made around a particular character conversation because I was not expecting to be quite so directly attacked at 3am.

Hester is probably going to romance Harding and their scenes have the romantic lighting and gorgeous interludes in the conservatory to back that up, but, gotta say: both Rook and Harding looking up (and up) at Taash makes me consider other options and long for poly routes in the game.

A few slightly more spoilery rambles:

The purple/jokey options are, frankly, a bit of a disapointment. (Exception to this: Rook's drawl of "no..." when Emmerich described himself as a "terribly maudlin child." I cackled.)

I felt similarly with the sarcastic options for Ryder in Andromeda, but am having an easier time of it here because Rook seems to have fallen into a very familial relationship with Varric, and my headcanon is that this kid Varric picked up on the road has somehow become his kid (who he tries not to swear in front of, which is the only way I can reconcile "Solas's timing stinks" and "oh crap" in those opening cutcenes). Hester adores everying he represents and is always trying for cool wordplay and charisma and...it's only sometimes landing. And for situations where they feel more confident, like their place (despite everything) in the grey wardens, they default more to strong options. But seriously - let me be caustic, I beg you...

Speaking of grey wardens: I'm glad I picked this for the first origin because the small details they are managing to fit in are quite enjoyable and are also leading to a rather fun adverserial (complimentary) relationship with Davrin, where they have experienced many of the same frustrations and even have similar coping skills, but admitting that would be TERRIBLE for some reason (mostly because Hester is not sure what to make of Davrin's griffon parenting choices).

The Grey Warden origin and Hester's general acceptance of their own eventual blighted death/the ritual elements of Warden life mean they are very at ease in the Necropolis and with Emmerich generally. They're developing a fun friendship and I will absolutely find someone to romance him. (Also, fuck you, Emmerich. You get 10 students in your classes and you're complaining about teaching loads? ...I appreciate whoever wrote that bit.)

ISABELA MY BELOVED.

I have to write so many Merribela and Liadan/Isabela/Fenris Ot3 fics involving Isabela and the Lords of Fortune Now. (Also Isabela/Josephine. I have thoughts). Also, damn right you send cultural artefacts back where they came from, Isabela. You'd better.

Morrigan is also a much more fun cameo here than in Inquisition ("I understand now why he never appreciated it when I explained..." I am dead). Very curious about her skincare routine, though. Isabela's, too.

Lucanis is a delight and, so far, less messy than I imagined. I enjoy the cooking, and am curious about demons in non-mages. His distress at necromancy as undoing good work is fantastic, and I love delivery overall.

Neve hates me forever, at least a little bit. The Treviso/Minrathous choice was a gut-punch and I do wish it had come just a little later - it felt really evil to have to make this choice before I'd even met everyone. Possibly the point. But I'm still not sure how I feel there. Also, I wish Viper was Fenris. Well, maybe not in this playthrough since he'd be in for an even more terrible time than usual, but...c'mon, game.

I want to know all about Bellara and Emmerich's correspondence.

All of Harding's letters are wonderful aaaah

Harding's relationship with Varric makes me happy, and the conversation that she and Hester had about Leliana just gifting nugs everywhere was very well done. I really hope we get to explore more about the Titans/dwarven history, and that Harding's abilities aren't just convenient traversal hacks. I have hope! The letter from Dagna was also great, and Harding in general appears to trigger some truly useless sapphic lines from Rook and I am here for it.

Also! The link between Solas's dagger and Varric's red lyrium idol is intriguing - hope the game sticks the landing, wherever it goes there.

Taash is great and their plotline with their mother has me rather frightened. I knew from about the time their mother misgendered Hester the general direction, but I was not expecting the Neve, Taash, Rook conversation as early as it came up. I had some great options there, though.

...I have had to completely turn off any wider internet commentary on the game because it is getting fucking toxic around gender stuff in a way that I am not surprised by but that is hitting me in all sorts of dark places right now.

I'm only just about to go to Weisshaupt, main plot wise, so nothing has been concluded and the writers may completely drop the ball, but...that conversation meant a lot. ("No one likes being a woman, right?" Taash, dearest...) I probably will have more coherent words on it later.

[diondecarnate]

just finished leverage redemption and its v v v good

[princesssarisa]

7 question ask: Belle

Three facts about them from my personal headcanons.

She inherited her love for stories of magic, adventure and romance from her mother, as well as her ladylike bearing and manners. I imagine that the 1991 Belle's mother died when she was between seven and ten years old. If she had never known her and Maurice had raised her alone, as in the 2017 remake, I think she would be more of a tomboy, as the 2017 Belle duly is.

Her curiosity and impulsiveness got her into all kinds of trouble when she was a little girl – since they still sometimes get her into trouble in her adulthood – which only reinforced the villagers' idea of her "oddness."

She can't cook. Maurice did all the cooking when she was growing up – he approached it as a science, just like inventing, and even though he favored eccentric ingredients, he did well. As a result, Belle would be comically hopeless in the kitchen.

A reason they suck:

She makes the mistake of revealing the Beast's existence to Gaston and the other villagers.

A reason they are great:

Her personality is such a wonderful blend of sweetness, strong will, emotion, intellect, dignity, and warmth.

A reason I relate to them:

I also spend more time reading than I do socializing.

(what I consider to be) the top tier otp/ot3 for that character:

She belongs with the Beast/Prince Adam, no question.

Five things that never happened to the character that I believe should have happened:

I don't necessarily think these things should have happened, because they might have needlessly complicated the movie. But on a purely emotional level, they appeal to me.

She should have conversed with another villager besides the bookseller near the beginning of the movie – preferably with a woman for enhanced Bechdel Test-passing. She could have seen that villager doing some heavy work and helped her (showing that she isn't a lazy snob who shuns her hardworking neighbors), and then they could have talked about Belle's dreams of adventure, with her neighbor sympathizing but reminding her "We're poor people, we can't afford to dream." Belle would agree, saying that between laundry, errands, gardening, tending the animals, and taking the chickens' eggs to market, she only has an hour or two each day to read. (Again, this would make it clear that she doesn't just read all day while her neighbors work.) Then she could say something like "But maybe if we hope and wish hard enough for a better, then maybe someday..." And her resigned, practical neighbor would shut her down with some remark like "You're a kind girl, but you are odd" and walk away.

She should have conversed further with the Beast about his temper, and offered him a kind suggestion for how to control it by describing what she does to calm herself down. Visualizing something pretty and peaceful, for example, or privately venting to an imaginary friend, or going for a walk outdoors (much like she talks to the chickens and goats and then runs out onto the hill when she's angry about Gaston's proposal). I would have liked to see that, because real-world anger management requires more than being shamed.

She should have had a chance to talk about her mother. Not in the way of the 2017 remake, per se, but in some way. Maybe in the above conversation with the Beast, when she tells him her method of calming herself, she could explain that her mother taught it to her when she was a little girl.

She should have had a conversation with Mrs. Potts in her dressing room before the dance scene, paralleling the Beast's with Lumiere. Or better still, a conversation with Mrs. Potts and Fifi/Babette, giving the latter more characterization than just "flirty French maid." More female/female interaction, please!

In the final scene, she and the Prince should have been shown taking a break from ballroom dancing, and stopping to look at a mural on a wall that depicts a map of the world. (Similar to Linda Woolverton's original idea of showing her sticking pins into a map near the beginning.) The Prince could ask her where she wants to travel to now that they can leave the castle, and she would exuberantly point to all the places from her favorite books (Verona for Romeo and Juliet, England for King Arthur, etc.) while the Prince laughs at the sheer number. Then one of the servants would point out that the music is starting again and they would go back to the dance. This would let the audience know that Belle hasn't given up her dreams of adventure.

Five people that character never fell in love with and why.

Gaston. No explanation needed.

Lefou. Ditto.

Lumiere. He's a good friend, but he's slightly too old for her and a little too flamboyant and vain.

Cogsworth. He's also a good friend, but a little too old for her, and too stuffy.

Chip. He's nowhere near old enough.

[wutheringmights]

Can I be greedy and ask for all of the boys ? And any characters you have strong opinions on? Pretty please? With lots of cherries and chocolate on top? ( for the ask meme ofc)

Anon, I'll finish up all of the boys in the Chain just for you. And trust me, I have an Infinite Amount of Strong Opinions. You have no idea how Opinionated I Am.

If anyone is coming in late to this, here are the boys I have done already and a short summary of my thoughts (click the hyperlinks to get the full Opinion):

Warriors: he's best when he's the trashy anti-Link, and I like him so much

Twilight: kind of boring, but I have a soft spot for him anyway because you never forget your first

Wind: should have been aged up a little so that he can have that identity crisis I'm craving

This... gets long. Really long. 3-hours-of-work-long. Before you read, please note that even when I speak negatively about something, it’s not to diss anyone who does like the thing. I’m not vague posting or being passive aggressive. This is all written in good humor and good faith. 

That being said, let’s a-go!

-Sky-

What I love about them: He has one of the best character arcs of all the Links. I love that he starts off being lazy and kind of a jerk, but grows as a person because he wants to save his friend. And I love that he's truly the most courageous Link. He has no other successful hero of past or legacy to lean back upon to reassure him. He walked into that fight with Demise with no assurance from anyone that he would succeed. Yet, he does it anyway. Because he's a true hero and someone had to be one. And he's rewarded with a curse that he does not initially take seriously. He thinks he's saved everyone, yet he's cursed his spirit, possibly his bloodline, and his entire legacy of the kingdom of Hyrule into a doomed cycle of destruction. All because he dared to face evil incarnate. I love him.

What I hate about them: You know how I called Twilight boring? I should have saved that critique for Sky. LU Sky is actually the most boring interpretation of his character. All of his negative traits? Gone. All of his positives? Also gone. He's the blandest version of himself, and like Twilight, I now feel like I gotta add some spice to him to make him more interesting while still keeping him recognizable. Even so, he's still one of my favorite Links.

Favorite Moment/Quote: When he kicks Twilight's ass at sword fighting. That's stuff is *chef's kiss*

What I would like to see more focus on: You would think that there would be more angst out there about him realizing that he's actually been cursed, but it's still kind of hard to find. He's the Cursed Knight! The beginning of a terrible legacy! Imagine meeting a bunch of heroes for the first time, and instead of being relieved at having someone who understands your experiences, you're filled with horror at realizing that your victory was a false one. You didn't win. Your spirit will never be at rest. Imagine dealing with that realization for the rest of your life. You could never be at peace.

What I would like to see less focus on: I love that he loves his wife, but he's more just the fact that he's married, y'know? I would like to see a little less blind devotion to Hylia and Zelda, and more complicated feelings about being manipulated into being the hero.

Favorite pairing with: Sun/Link/Groose OT3! I have no reasoning behind this other than I like Groose and Groose definitely had a crush on SkSw Link.

Favorite friendship: I won't answer Groose again even if I want to, so I'll say Warriors. I cannot begin to describe how elite this friendship would be if you gave it a chance. They're just two boys dealing with unique positions of leadership and responsibility. They would probably even bond over being shitheads at different ends of the shithead spectrum. It's so good, okay?

NOTP: Ghirahim. I'm not too adverse to this one, but the ship hinges on whether you can redeem Ghirahim or not. In my opinion, Ghirahim is awesome because he's such a fun villain. Redeeming him ruins the fun.

Favorite headcanon: I have a whole life story planned out for Sky. Basically, he lives to be close to 500 years old by the power of the Triforce. He is the Link throughout the Era of Chaos who banishes the Dark Interlopers to the Twilight Realm and seals the Triforce in the Sacred Realm. He actually seals himself in the Sacred Realm as well to keep the Triforce safe, and he fought Ganondorf in when he broke in. Sky, like Time and Wind, does not get a happy ending.

-Four-

What I love about them: Four is origin of the heroes of Hyrule being known for being children. What a legacy to leave behind. He's such an interesting case of an incarnation of the Hero's Spirit, too. He fought Vaati, and he did his job so well that Demise's next incarnation had to be Ganondorf. Four did his job the best out of everyone, and it came at the cost of creating a magic sword that changed him permanently. I like to think that the Four Sword was not meant to split him, that it was a mistake he made with the design. And it's sad, isn't it? You made a defective sword, and like any good sword, it has a symbolic double edge. It gifted you with so much, and yet he can never be the same again. And his story is never well-remembered because it is overshadowed by the Links who fought the King of Evil. He's does so much, yet his legacy is underappreciated.

What I hate about them: I want to prepare you for this Opinion, because I know it's unpopular. Are you ready? Okay. I don't like the Colors. I'm sorry. I want to like them, but they don't interest me at all. Because they are parts of Four’s personality, they have to be one-note archetypes which does not make for exciting storytelling. I also haven't found a fic yet that has been from Four's POV that did the internal monologue of the Colors in a way that wasn't a pain in the ass to read. Maybe if someone can figure out how to do the Colors in a way that doesn't feel like a drag, I would like them more. But in the end, I think Four himself is more interesting than the Colors.

Favorite Moment/Quote: The fact that he didn't want to touch the Master Sword because he doesn't trust magic swords. That is every I need to know about his opinion on his own adventures.

What I would like to see more focus on: I want more of Four as Four. It's getting harder to find content of Four being his own person first and the Colors second.

What I would like to see less focus on: Four being the Colors first and his own person second. There is something about viewing Four as this cover identity for the Colors that doesn't feel right. There's a balance that needs to be strike between his ability to split, how that affects his every day life, and his own identity of being Four. I think I may have read one fic that hit that sweet spot for me, but still.

Favorite pairing with: Shadow. I'm such a sucker for befriending and falling for the enemy. That is all.

Favorite friendship: Dot! Their friendship is super cute. I like the idea of them being super close when they were younger and struggling to keep the friendship going as they age due to how much their paths in life diverge.

NOTP: This isn't necessarily a Four or an LU problem, but people who ship the Colors together? Bro. C'mon.

Favorite headcanon: I'm torn between two different Four and the Master Sword headcanons. On one hand, Four thinking that the Master Sword is just legend until he meets Sky and everyone else is just a fun idea. He sees the legendary sword for the first time and his mind is blown. On the other hand, I also like my Four with a side of hubris. What if he had the option on his quest to draw the Master Sword himself? What if he could tell that if he did that, the consequences would be terrible. He's not sure what would happen, but he knows it would be terrible. So he decided to make his own sword instead to disastrous results. Wouldn't that be tragic or what?

-Time-

What I love about them: Last winter, I did a two hour powerpoint for my friends about the Legend of Zelda timeline. During that powerpoint, I was rating every iteration of Link. What I said about the Hero of Time then holds true to my thoughts of LU Time now. Time is the original Link, more so than Sky in the lore and Legend/Hyrule in real life. Every other hero is a reflection of him. So the fact that his story is about the loss of childhood and the tragedy of that is incredible, and you can see those themes reflected in every other game. Moreso, he’s the only Link with a confirmed tragic ending. Not only does he end his life unsatisfied, but his adventure is failure on every timeline. In the adult timeline, Hyrule is swallowed by the sea. In the child one, Ganondorf returns again. In the fallen timeline, Hyrule fell. I like the idea since that the games themselves are the legends that are past down about each hero, Hylians have also remembered Time as a tragic figure. Yet, they also remember that the happy moments for his life come from small acts of kindness. Even someone as sad as him finds joy in helping others, even if it’s just to small deeds that will not be heralded as grand heroic quests. It’s beautiful.

What I hate about them: This is more about Mask than Time, but Mask is not an adult in a child’s body. He did not rewind time in Termina enough to be considered mentally an adult. He’s a young teenager at best, and that’s me being generous. He is a child who was forced to be an adult and despite the gods being done with him, he cannot conceive of ever having a childhood again. So he can say all he wants that he’s an adult, but he is not. That’s just what he thinks he is.

Favorite Moment/Quote: Anytime we get a flashback to him being a younger adult is great. I want to see more of his in this his early adulthood.

What I would like to see more focus on: I think I just want more of Time being... not a bad leader, but being an imperfect one. I honestly think he’s only the leader because he’s the oldest and enough of the heroes recognize the title of Hero of Time. But he is not the leader type, and he is struggling to keep it together and has to defer to Twilight and Warriors for help a lot. 

What I would like to see less focus on: I’m not the biggest fan of Dad!Time for any of the Links. He’s not emotionally ready for it. And I think he defaults to treating the boys like adults because that’s how he wanted to be treated when he was their age. 

Favorite pairing with: Malon. He has this great partnership of equal respect with her and it’s just. So good.

Favorite friendship: Linebeck. I know. This exists only in my head. But if these two ever meet, you cannot convince me that they would not get along swimmingly. It would be so good (once Linebeck gets over his crush on Time and stops hitting on him, of course).

NOTP: Child Timeline Zelda. Let me explain: I fully believe in Bi Time supremacy, and when in OoT, he definitely had a crush on Sheik. However, one of the worst parts of rewinding time and being in the child timeline is that Zelda is a completely different person now. They may have been friends in the other timeline, but her life experiences are completely different now. She is not the same person as he once knew. And it’s tragic to know someone as who they could have been, not as they are.

Favorite headcanon: After Termina, Time spent a lot of time with the Nabooru because out of everyone he knew, she’s the only who took him seriously even as a child. She has big older sister energy, and he considers her a part of his family. However, being treated as such made it easier for him to ignore his issues and put off his healing process by a few years.

-Legend-

What I love about them: Veteran of Heroes! What a freaking title. I love that he keeps on finding adventures, and that he keeps hustling. Even if he complains about never getting a break, you can tell that he loves helping others. He loves being on the road, never settling down, and finding adventure after adventure. Honestly, if any of the Links had a calling to be a hero, it’s him. Is he tired? Sure. Is he a little jaded after having saved Hyrule and a bunch of other kingdoms multiple times? Yes. But at the end of the day, he likes being a hero. This is who he is. His complaining is not genuine; he just plays the martyr because, at this point, he’s earned the right to.

What I hate about them: If you can’t tell by now, I have a, uh, different interpretation of Legend from popular canon. Fandom Legend is not right to me. He is unrecognizable. It is hard to write him because I feel like I have to balance what other people think Legend should be versus how I think he is. The people who are big Legend enjoyers probably feel the same way about my version of Warriors, and that’s fine. I’m not going to gel with every character and I don’t expect everyone to gel with how I see characters either. It’s goes both ways, y’know.

Favorite Moment/Quote: I like how subtly he tried to approach the Wolfie problem at first, trying to ask questions and get more proof before confronting Twilight. It’s a good touch.

What I would like to see more focus on: If I had to choose one thing, it’s this one throw away line about him never wanting to settle down. I’m telling you, folks! He likes his lifestyle! And did you see him when he does presenting the origins of the hero? He’s not bitter about being a hero! Legend is moody, but he is not angsty about the whole hero thing. Have fun with him please!

What I would like to see less focus on: If you can’t tell by now, Legend is my least favorite Link. There is a lot I want to see less of, but just to name one thing, it’s the headcanon that Fable is his sister. I live and die by common born Link, and whether he’s a legitimate heir or the royal bastard, I am more than bored with the persistent Prince!Legend content.

Favorite pairing with: Marin. It’s a good tragic story and I like it well enough. She’s cute, and he’s cute with her.

Favorite friendship: Warriors. I’m with everyone else on these two have peak sibling energy. They tease and pick on each other, but only they are allowed to mess with each other. They’re each other’s bully, and it’s always good to see.

NOTP: I do not have enough energy to have a lot of strong opinions about Legend’s romantic relationships, but I will mentioned that I have lost a lot of love for Ravio recently and am liking seeing him with Legend less and less. I have no better reason for this than the fact that I finally played ALBW and hate how many of my hard earned rupees he’s taken from me by withholding important, lifesaving items. Rat bastard.

Favorite headcanon: Remember my headcanon about him being the coolest bad boy folk hero on the block because everyone thinks he kidnapped Zelda? Yeah, I still stand by that one. I did good there.

-Hyrule-

What I love about them: If there is any Link that I would call a gutter rat, it is this one. I struggle a bit to talk about Hyrule since his games gives us so little, but in the end, I always fall back on him being a hero of the people. He is the one who has nothing and relates the best to people who are at their lowest. Yet, he is still a hero. He earns the right to be a hero because he helped Impa in her time of need. He’s selfless and competent. Even if he never got a traditional education, I bet he’s wicked smart too. He is the Link that symbolizes all of the parts of the Triforce the most. And, god. I cannot talk about him without mentioning the blood sacrifice part of LA. It’s such a cool concept, and I cannot imagine what it must be like to go from being the rough and tumble, win-at-all-costs fighting to protecting yourself first because if you don’t, the consequences are disastrous. It’s paradoxical, and it must be such a different mindset to fall into. But it must also be a blessing in disguise since now he has a reason to finally care about himself.

What I hate about them: Who started the Hyrule is innocent headcanon? Come over here because we need to exchange some words. If there is anyone who would be a realist and know how the world works, it’s this guy. And while we’re here, who came up with the Hryule is always lost headcanon? I also have some words for you. And you know what? WHILE WE’RE HERE, who let him be named Hyrule? I’m have more than choice words for you. His name scheme is the bane of my existence and the express reason why I don’t write him more. God.

Favorite Moment/Quote: That one panel where he takes utter delight in Warriors hiding from his scorned lovers? That is a central pillar in my understanding of Hyrule.

What I would like to see more focus on: Again, his relationship with other people. Even if his games are lacking in NPCs, we know from lore that he’s a good guy who will jump in to help others. He must know plenty of people, and I want to see who exists in his world with him. 

What I would like to see less focus on: I have an on-going joke with my brother that certain characters are Catholic, even if Catholicism does not exist in the world of the thing we’re watching or playing. Of course, we’re not being serious. we’re just joshing around. So imagine the gut punch I feel whenever I see people say Hyrule is Christian and realize that they’re being serious. I just can’t take it seriously.

Favorite pairing with: Aurora. It’s cute and I’m a sucker for that hero and royalty dynamic, especially when the hero is a peasant. It’s so cheesy, but I love it.

Favorite friendship: Legend. But not the way everyone else pairs them up as the grumpy one and the sunshine one. I think of it more as them being the pinnacle of boys being boys. They’re shitheads. They do stupid shit together. They both have a dark sense of humor. They joke that they’re practically the same person sometimes.

NOTP: uhhhhhhhhh.... Is he paired with anyone else?

Favorite headcanon: I love the idea that he just likes his way of life and refuses to accept anyone saying otherwise. Legend wants to teach him to read? Sorry, but he’s never had to read before in his life so he’s pretty sure he’ll never need it anyway. Want to participate in the treasured Hylian tradition of piercing your ears when you come of age? Why would he ever do that when a monster could rip those earrings off? He’s stuck in his ways and it frustrates everyone else to no end, but he has no interest in ever changing.

-Wild-

What I love about them: When I was 9, I spent my time online on Legend of Zelda forums. I remember one of my forum friends saying that they wanted a Legend of Zelda game where Link lost. And I think of that friend whenever I think about Wild. BOTW Link is the best Link that has ever been. He is the epitome of every trait we associate with any Link. He’s smart and sassy. He’s hard working and kind. But underlining all of that is the fact that he’s still the one who failed. If Demise’s Curse in SkSw is the set-up, the Great Calamity is the payoff. And I haven’t even talked about how confirming him as being non-verbal before the Calamity does so much for his characterization. I don’t even know where to start or how to articulate it. By game storyline alone, Wild is one of my favorites.

What I hate about them: You guys knew this one was coming, but I’m going to have to say it anyway. Fandom Wild.... not good. I’ve said it for half of these boys so far, but god is it true. I have a way I see Wild that is rarely done in the fandom. Fandom Wild has a lot of the traits I also see in Wild, but to all of the extremes. I will mention one thing in particular as being a pet peeve, and it’s how some people headcanon him as always being nonverbal. I know what they’re trying to do, and I think they’re on to something, but they’re also missing the point of what BOTW Link’s character arc is. I just wish more people would forget fandom and work more off of the games for how to characterize him.

Favorite Moment/Quote: Weirdly enough, my favorite moment is when he got mad at everyone for making fun of his Gerudo outfit, so he dumped Goron Spice in his cooking. It’s encapsulates a part of his character I think a lot of people forget about.

What I would like to see more focus on: I think he has a really complicated relationship with his past. He said himself that his old self felt like a different person, and I think that should be explored a lot more. That idea actually fascinates me so much that instead of CTB, I almost wrote a character study fic about Wild. His emotions are not as simple as feeling guilty about letting his friends die and not preventing the Calamity. His emotions would be so complicated and because I don’t have the time to explore it, someone else needs to do it for me.

What I would like to see less focus on: There is a weird fascination with Wild having memory loss and essentially being like a kid again. And this feels infantilizing to me. It honestly bugs me a lot every time I see it.

Favorite pairing with: I can’t decide between Zelda, Mipha, and Revali. They’re all different dynamics and they’re all good.

Favorite friendship: Paya. I firmly believe that Paya is Wild’s best friend. I am the only one in the world who believes this. But I am also the only one in the world who is correct. 

NOTP: Wild is good with everyone. Good for him!

Favorite headcanon: An essential scene of my Wild character study I will never write is one where his horse dies. He goes into shock and walks back to Kakariko to talk to Impa. But once he goes to her, he breaks down in tears and has an absolute melt down over the horse. And Impa sagely says, “It’s not about the horse, is it?” She’s implying that he’s actually mourning the loss of his friends, Hyrule, his life, everything-- but through his tears, he keeps tell her that she’s wrong. He barely remembers them. He doesn’t know them. He doesn’t have any feelings about them. He just really loved that horse. But Impa refuses to listen to him, just repeating over and over again: “it’s not really about the horse.”

And that’s it! That’s all of my opinions! I know a lot of my opinions are polarizing, but everything I said is in good faith, and I am not trying to diss anyone for how they approach these characters.

I welcome you to send me your Opinions on the Links, even if it’s just to disagree with me. I’m cool with it, and I like knowing what everyone else thinks!

[secretagentspydetectiveninja]

i've watched everything except the last two episodes now. i'm almost... afraid to? i know that the end of this season is essentially the end of this era of miraculous -- that even if the show continues beyond this point, it'll be different from how it was before. this, here, is the END. i've been watching for 8 years at this point. in a way i don't feel ready, even if i haven't thought about this show much recently. i've been here so long it'll always have a place in my heart. i can't believe it's "over".

i'll watch the final two episodes after dinner and scream about those later. until then i've put all my liveblogging (aka incoherent reactions) under the cut

intuition: YOOOOOOO NEW ROBOT IN MAX’S FAMILY?? YESSSS!!! there were a lot of parallels to the episode where markov got akumatised, which was awesome! and it was great to see claudie again! (on a slightly more depressing note, a relative of mine passed away from cancer just last night and although it wasn’t a super close relative or anything, seeing the effect of the cataclysm on gabriel and how he and nathalie know they don’t have long to live as it gets progressively worse, it sort of... hit a bit close to home at times... i’m alright though, don’t worry, like i said it wasn’t a close relative) in other news, marinette and adrien’s relationship continues to be adorable

protection: i was going to say “kagami needs a freaking hug” but she did get a double hug at the end, which was sweet! it hurts to see someone like her, unused to showing strong emotions and having relationships, suffering so much from being in a tough situation on top of being manipulated by lila, god this poor girl. (marinette and adrien’s relationship is still adorable but rather cheesy at times, especially with marc and nath trying to make it like a shoujo manga kjhksfjhsjkfhgk and i find myself going “I CAN’T WATCH THIS” with more frequency, but that just might be me and my romance repulsion lmao) (also strong ot3 vibes with kagami)

adoration: ZOE IS IN LOVE WITH MARINETTE THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!!!! i freaking knew it!! all the way through the episode i kept thinking “marinette girl omg it’s YOU she’s in love with smh” and i was right!!! that was pretty cute! and i’m proud of marinette for managing to tell adrien “je t’aime”, but that ending oh my god... gabriel doing the senti-control thing to his son... (well i’m presuming adrien is a senti, it’s not fully confirmed yet)... that was haunting. i also feel bad for both chloe and sabrina from a writing perspective because i do still miss chloe’s redemption arc from season 2, it really feels like they just dropped that in order to make zoe look better by comparison, and sabrina just can’t get a break no matter what. ah well, whatever... other things: in the rain playing at the end of the episode yeeted me back into origins for a sec, i can’t believe they’re still letting nino be part of kitty section even though he can’t play the guitar, kitty section merch in general, i didn’t realise marc and zoe were in the year below marinette

emotion: gobsmacked... sobbing. that was a work of art. from the colours and lighting, to the symbolism, the callbacks, the felix reveal... everything. my god. what the hell. felix crying almost made me cry. the way he called the blood moon his little sister and showed so much pain when destroying it -- after all, he too is a senti, he knows how it feels to be one. all he ever wanted was to be free!! he wanted to help adrien!! he’s horrified by the lengths he himself went to, he breaks down into tears skjamn nkbgksbergnse jrgluiesrgkjaebrltgekrjtbajerbgj aauuguuuuuuuuguughhghhghhHJHKJDFHJS

pretention: and it just keeps going?? first the epic roast battle between gabriel and marinette where marinette basically slam dunked him and it was epic, and then.. f-feligami? you know what, i think i’m here for it actually, it’s chaotic and felix has no idea how to do anything in a normal way and it’s very crunchy and interesting. and the stuff he said!! so kagami is a senti too? or did he just mean metaphorically, since she’s under her mother’s control? (yeah i’m not calling them “sentimonsters” anymore, it feels cruel... just “senti” now) anyway my god this show is fantastic. also i love how “we’re sending you to LONDON” is considered such a threat lmao like yeah as a londoner it just be like that

revelation: SKDJGHKJDFHA;HDFK??

confrontation: yes sabrina!!! you go girl!!! i hope her newfound courage sticks, at least. and then there’s lila... what on earth are we going to do with you? she really just disguises herself and keeps on lying...

collusion: that was extremely french, i can feel the revolution coming... *checks episode list* oh yeah, the next episode is literally called revolution, that makes sense. also omg ms bustier has a wife?? and she’s awesome! i love how far things have come in terms of censorship when you consider how it was several years ago

revolution: HELLO EXCUSE ME???? here i was thinking “ah yes this is Very French, of course there’s a revolution, and ooh nice they grew up a bit and can use their powers continuously now, and--” only for the end of the episode to absolutely slam me with the feeLS WHAT THE HECK, THEY KISSED AND THERE WAS THAT DRAMATIC MUSIC AND ADRIEN HAS HALF OF THE BRACELET AND CHLOE IS SOBBING BECAUSE SHE’S LOST EVERYTHING AND MIGHT FINALLY REPENT AND OOHHSDHGSK KMY GO DS KRJHSKRJNS

representation: two seconds in and i’m already laughing SO HARD at the “BBD” news presenter taking a sip of tea and then saying “god save the king” before starting the news what the fuck i’m laughindfjks aso hard no you don’t understand, i’m english so this is extra funny rksjfgksemOKAY anyway now to watch the rest of the episode...

(two seconds later) NO WAIT I’M NOT DONE YET OMG PLAGG WITH THE BRITISH CHEES.E PLAGG WENT TO TESCO OH Y GDODS HE REALLY WENT TO TESCO I’M DYINGGGGG PLAGG WENT TO TESCO IS CANON NOW HE WENT TO TESCOOOOOO YOOOOOOOOOO

(another two seconds) wait so kagami also knew that marinette is ladybug? did i forget about that or had they not shown it? i knew that luka knew, but.. oH and marc and nath were gonna kiss and marinette interrupted them omg hahahahsbdjfsfjgsk ah well i need to stop stopping every two seconds now don’t i

(finished watching the episode) another work of art. chat noir’s nightmare is just chat blanc. his fight with his father. felix’s backstory. marinette’s pain. too many thoughts, no words... *lying on the floor gasping for air*

i'll the last two once i've eaten dinner bc i'm dying scoob

i really have to catch up on miraculous, don’t i? every second post i see is tagged “ml spoilers” so i can’t look at it but from the sounds of it things have been wild

[kuriboo]

I just realized someone probably already sent u Yuga so can i get uhhhhh Roa in his place?

Marbles I will answer both your asks because answering the Yuga one was funny but. Roa. What a guy. I really appreciate you trying to send me a unique guy that no one else sent.

Why I like them/why I don’t There is SO much going on with this guy. He acts like he's superior than everyone but he's really got an inferiority complex. He compares his bandmates to his ace monsters and then uses those ace monsters as tributes like they're nothing. There is so much going on in that brain of his. I wanna put him under a microscope. What I like about their appearance

I actually like everything. His hair? Peak. Eyes? Peak. Wearing merch of his own band, even on the stage? Peak. Do I prefer their dub names or original names? I actually prefer the last name Kirishima over Kassidy. OTP

Yuga will always be my number one pair for Roa. NOTP

I know the picture shows the whole band. I'm just referring to Roa and Tyler here, though. Tyler's great. Love Tyler. Tyler and Roa, even platonically, just hurt in a way that hits a little too close to home I think. Which I didn't realize until I was writing this paragraph. Huh. OT3

Definitely YNR. Power trio. Favourite card they use Okay, I'm definitely a basic bitch for this, but I play a lot of Royal Rebels in Duel Links, and the original power duo have a strong place in my heart

Royal Rebel's Heavy Metal, and Royal Rebel's Growl. My boys would never abandon me.

I do have a soft spot for Royal Rebel's Fanatic, though. She's cute. Favourite moment they were in It's hard to pick between Yuga and Roa's first duel, all of YNR, and Yuga and Roa's second duel. I think Yuga and Roa's first duel, though, is iconic.

The sheer iconic-ness of Roa trying to disqualify Yuga for a reason he know is bullshit. Trying to track down Otes so he can demand why he chose Yuga to be the inspiration of the next generation over him. This duel makes my heart break for Roa.

Yuga VS Roa 2 gets an honorable mention, though. Roa pretending to have lost his memories so he can get a new fresh start in his life because he thought he hit rock bottom, only to realize he was rocking it and everyone loves and supports him through it all, was PEAK. Least favourite moment

I already said the whole thing revolving Tyler and Roa hits a little close to home. Would I fuck, marry or kill them

Marry, of course! The king of both the stage and the duel field. Isn't it obvious?

[meili-sheep]

Zhongli, Childe, and Diluc and the Chocolate, Vanilla, and Strawberry dynamic and you can't change my fucking mind

Hello and welcome to my Ted Talk

Let me start by saying this came to my mind at like 11 o'clock last night which sent me into a mad rage and I might have written an ot3 smut thing and didn't go to sleep until at least 2. But I can neither confirm nor deny this. But if I have to suffer through this so now you do too. Is this just a long Shit post? Fucking maybe idk any more.

Zhongli

Daddy Zhongli is 100% dark chocolate. A thing for people who have been called an old soul at least once in their life (Diluc) or has or could have responded to a compliment with "Thanks it's the trauma." (Childe) A mature dignified treat that pairs well with a lot of stuff. Well, not the healthiest component of this gay ass neapolitan is arguably healthier because ya know antioxidants or ya know. Zhongli, he's got most of his shit together. He's just lonely. Definitely good at helping other calm down. Strong, reliable. Good boy, best boy. Would be himbo if mihoyo gave us the beef. Give me the goddamn beef bois. Will take care of you, but can defiantly spice up the bedroom.

Childe

Childe is both the most like vanilla person well also being the least vanilla person. He is like that really good vanilla that is a solid 8/10 but then you start pulling shit on it like caramel sauce (family dynamics) or sprinkles (trauma) then it's just a yum 10/10. Very flexible with what he can do and is willing to do. But also he is kinda that white boy jock you kinda make fun of cause your part of the goth cliche (Diluc) or the nerdy cliche (Zhongli) until you realize "Oh fuck he's actually really sweet and smooth" and that's how you start your early 2000s Disney Channel original movie, where you learn not to judge a book by its cover through the power of love. Again just a lot you can do with him. Very dynamic, very fun.

Diluc

I'll be honest I thought of this originally cause of Diluc hair. But the more I thought about it the more really strawberry he feels to me. Like yeah I get normally strawberry people are very cutesy, but strawberries aren't that sweet by themselves. They are kinda tangy with their acidic taste. But can be very sweet. And that's Diluc. Got a bite to him but it's easy to see how sweet he really is under all that and given a little more time he only gets sweeter. And without a doubt a lot of flavors, he packs a real punch. Probably helps I feel he gets pretty easily embraced once he warms up so he gets a face like a strawberry.

Now for the mixes

Strawberries and Chocolate. (Zhongluc) MMM! Classic! Love it! A staple of romance! Is it healthy? Yes of course it is! It's got fruit in it silly! Could u make it better with angst? 100% but baseline great

Strawberry and Vanilla (Chiluc) I will avoid saying a certain phrase that's ruined my life on that fucking clock app. But we know what it is. And it's good. Not everyone's taste but it's delicious. Sweet, tangy you can mix almost anything into it too spicy it up. And ya know it's kinda a comfort. Something you can relax with well at the same time being something you can spicy up and make really indulgent.

Chocolate Vanilla Swirl (Zhongchi) Well not my personal favorite. It's good and you can't go wrong. It's very basic to me personally. A sign of indecisiveness. And as in this case, it feels like "They have canon interactions so it must be!" But again it's very solid and you defiantly can't go wrong, but u can defiantly add something to it. Like a waffle cone over a sugar or maybe some sprinkles

Neapolitan (Zhongchiluc) The reason we are all here. And ya know it's such a good trio mix. Just an absolute classic. And it's good in a variety of ways. From the form, it's into how where you put the flavors together. I prefer cake where the strawberry filling is sandwiched between the chocolate and vanilla, cause it adds fresh fruitiness in-between. Or ya know I like the idea of Childe being a little ya know frustrated with Zhongli because they tricked him. And then they have a sort of friendly rivalry. But then this handsome mother fucker some in from Mondstadt to help out Liyue. And they both start going after Diluc seeing who can win him over before long they just fall in love and become willing to share to make Diluc happy. And Diluc is just lost that 2 drop-dead gorgeous men are competing for his attention. And he's having trouble computing it all. Doesn't help that One is a fucking Fatui and the other a literal god. And Well the reason I feel Diluc is more of theglue of the relationship is cause He's the balance between the two. He's calm like Zhongli a rational thinker, but much more aware of how to deal in mora. He's also can be hungry for a fight and has a lot of energy like Childe. He can also understand both of them. He knows what it's like to feel alone, and feel lose like Zhongli. But he also knows what it's like to feel want to protect your family, and like your pretending to be something you not like Childe. He's that fresh flavor that the others both need to really stand out.

TLDR I don't give a single shit about canon interactions and I feel their personalities have good mixes.