#they are canonically deeply flawed

[gch1995]

Why do you care about Vader's feelings so much? He doesn't deserve dignity. I hope Lucasfilm makes a story where he's captured by the Rebellion and brutally tortured until he's crying for Shmi. They'll use force suppressing devices and make him feel like the worthless slave he is

I care because Star Wars is primarily Anakin’s story, whether you like it or not. I care because Luke’s entire character arc in the OT films is pointless if Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda were always meant to be the perfect mentors, who did nothing wrong. I care, not just about Anakin’s feelings, but the feelings of every other Jedi recruit who had serious issues with the way the old Jedi Order and Republic operated.

I care, because if the Jedi are supposed to be the good guys, in spite of their flaws, then we should ultimately be rooting for them to rise again with Luke Skywalker. Because Anakin’s arc and feelings in the prequels are no longer treated as valid in the Disney era of Star Wars, that means Obi-Wan and Yoda are treated as being completely right all along, and the new Jedi Order cannot grow with Luke Skywalker in the current canon. The same bad choices and mistakes keep being made in the current canon because he follows his blatantly misguided predecessors, which was not implied at the end of the OT movies at all. While I would never agree that mass murder/genocide is the answer to deal with stopping them, because the current canon narrative ignores all the serious issues Anakin and his predecessors had, at least in part, because of the blatant corruption within the Order and Republic they grew up amongst, I’m also not too thrilled that Luke rebuilt the Order because he’s repeating all of their misguided choices and practices in current canon as a result.

[lavender-phoenix-flames]

"Jc isn't selfish or toxic cuz look he sacrificed himself couple of times for his family without thinking about himself"

It's like saying madame yu wasn't abusive and a narcissist cuz she hugged jc goodbye and sacrificed herself for her family. Selfish and conditional love exists people stop trying to justify jc's actions, just because he did a few good things doesn't mean he is suddenly blameless smh.

[coraniaid]

As frustrating as I find the way that Jenny Calendar is often written in the show, it is nonetheless kind of bizarre to me how the fandom has collectively -- and fairly consistently -- decided to give her a set of personality traits that she simply doesn't show any sign of having in canon.

Remember that, in canon, it's Giles (and not Jenny) who rebels at the idea of sending Buffy to die fighting the Master in Prophecy Girl (Jenny only comments that she's surprised the Slayer is "so little"). It's Giles, too, who Buffy turns to for reassurance when she thinks she's made any serious mistake (whether that's in how she treated her friends in When She Was Bad or her role in Angel losing his soul in Innocence). It's Joyce (and, for obvious reasons, not Jenny) who looks after Buffy, Willow and Xander when they all get sick at the end of Killed By Death and who lets the group hang out in her kitchen (at the end of Helpless, for example) and who offers to make everyone hot chocolate after letting them spend the night at her house in Restless. It's adult figures who appear in only a single episode, like Teacher's Pet's Dr Gregory and Beauty and the Beasts' Mr Platt, who offer Buffy praise and encouragement at a time she's not getting it from Joyce or Giles.

Jenny Calendar's only relationship to Buffy in canon -- beyond being her metaphorical father's on-again, off-again girlfriend -- is to be variously somebody she blames (for reasons the plot isn't ever quite clear on) for her boyfriend having lost his soul and then somebody she blames herself for not being able to save from said soulless boyfriend. Buffy and Jenny don't even seem to like each other. Jenny does have more of a connection with Willow, but it's not a particularly nuturing or parental one (she gets Willow to help her out in class because Willow is obviously competent, but she doesn't encourage Willow to think about plans for her future or ask about Willow's home life or really offer any kind of support beyond being one of her school teachers). I can believe Willow looks up to Jenny a lot and even has a (repressed) crush on her, and she does seem to shape her life post-Season 2 around Jenny in ways the show never explicitly acknowledges ... but that's all stuff happening on Willow's side; I don't think there's evidence Jenny is equally invested in their relationship. She hardly seems thrilled when Xander and Willow show up to interupt her first date with Giles. Her only involvement in Cordelia and Xander's lives is to make them come in on a Saturday for remedial computer science. She only interacts with neophyte magic practioner Amy Madison in one [terrible] episode, and said interaction is limited to squabbling over the romantic affections of Xander Harris [look, I said it was a terrible episode...]. She never even meets Kendra; they don't appear in any of the same episodes.

And yet for some reason we have all -- and I include myself in this -- apparently decided that, okay, maybe Joyce and Giles would let Faith live out of a motel for months, but if she'd been around in Season 3 there's no way Jenny would've let that slide. Jenny is The Good Parent, you see. But ... why? Because she referred to Buffy and her friends as "the kids" a grand total of one time? What shred of evidence is there in canon to support this reading?

[milfcamilanoceda]

I feel like a lot of "Camila shouldnt have been a nerd, it should have been Manny and Camila should have been the neurotypical one." Criticism fail to take into account the inter generational trauma that exists in POC families especially POC neurodivergent families. Like the criticism boils down to this- "Luz comes across more of a jerk as she wasnt That lonely. Camila would have been more understanding of Luz if she was actually neurodivergent and would not have try and send her to the camp" and i am like no, no she wouldnt have. Neurodivergency in people of colour often goes undiagnosed especially if they are women of colour and especially if they are from older generation. And often times these older folks grow up to believe that the neurodivergent issues that they dealt with was a failure on their part rather than you know, them being neurodivergent. Which is how we get adult parents who say shit like, "Oh everybody has [a very specific symptom of a neurodivergent brain]. You just got to go through it [aka i did not get any support growing up and had to deal with this on my own]."

And this to me fits Camila and Luz. The way i interpret the problem was that it was never that Camila didnt understand Luz, but rather that she did understand her while not understanding herself. She saw her own self in Luz, her own isolation and years dealing with bullying and treated as an outcast but never stopped to examine WHY it happened to her. She didnt want Luz to go through what she went through so she turned to what worked for her, trying to change yourself to fit even if it meant hiding parts of herself. And this is ultimately what caused their relationship to falter. Add Manny's death and them being new in town further resulted in both of them, especially Luz being isolated and outcast, from the town and from each other. And ultimately them coming to an understanding, with Camila admitting her nerdy side to Luz and to herself was what helped their relationship and truly let Luz to discover what she truly want and thus hatching her palisman.

Should toh have had explored Luz's loneliness and isolation better? Absolutely! Did Camila try her best especially as a single mother? Yes! Has Camila contributed to said loneliness and isolation? Also yes! Camila to me is the opposite of Eda. Where Eda was the neurodivergent kid who grew up fighting the system to be herself, Camila was the neurodivergent kid who grew up to accept the system thus rejecting herself. Which was why Luz flourished much more and felt more accepted under Eda's tutelege than she did with Camila, and i wish this is the angle toh explored more.

And look i dont want to begrudge anyone who feels the other way and doesnt agree with me. They have the right to their own interpretation which are based on their own valid experiences. But i prefer this interpretation a lot more to theirs.

[vvienne]

The thing about wen ning is that his character would only truly be satisfying for me if he got truly pissed at wei wuxian JUST ONCE. Like he does in fact have the right to be I think!!!! This is just my own preferences but WHERE IS THE CATHARSIS. Wen ning clearly has soooo much rage ( see his reaction to jc lol ) but it’s so carefully not pointed towards wei wuxian it’s almost telling to me. I want to pull that thread. I like to imagine that in post canon shenanigans they will hash all that unspoken history out bc ningxian is so profoundly Not Wholesome to me in so many ways….

[artbybai]

You ever think about how King Vegeta may have been trying to keep Frieza from destroying the planet by exiling Broly (going by Dragon Ball Super: Broly’s retelling)?

For all he knew the Legendary Super Saiyan was just a “freak of nature”; they didn’t have much evidence aside from the weird readings they got when Broly was a baby

As much as I hate King Vegeta (and he doesn’t really give much of a reason not to), he has, unfortunately, shown that he has some sense of self-preservation (whether it’s borne of cowardice or not, it’s a bit hard to say, though it’s usually portrayed as such.)

Evidence (to my knowledge):

1. (DBS: Broly) King Vegeta considered Prince Vegeta IV his pride and joy, cared for him immensely, and wanted to raise him to become strong enough to revolt against Frieza (Note that he never specified that he wanted Prince Vegeta to become the Legendary Super Saiyan.)

2. (DBS: i forget which episode/movie specifically don’t kill me lol) King Vegeta regularly met with Beerus. He had a connection to a GOD OF DESTRUCTION. AND he did his best to try and comply with whatever ridiculous demand Beerus made, like finding the softest pillow in the universe (despite Champa cheating.) I think it’s even been hinted that King Vegeta has made REPEATED ATTEMPTS on Beerus’s life/Beerus joking that he would try to intentionally poison his food. So it’s clear Beerus knows King Vegeta holds some serious contempt towards him.

Long story short, King Vegeta’s a complex character with a ton of flaws but it’s interesting to really dissect his story and motives etc.

Feel free to add to this with your own thoughts/evidence/observations/theories etc. lol I wanna hear what y’all have to say :D

[lord-squiggletits]

The thing about the fandom headcanon that calls Pharma Ratchet's crazy ex and treats him like some sort of stalker or intrusion on Ratchet's love life (usually with Drift) is that

On one level, it's already annoying when a perfectly fine/interesting character is reduced to nothing but "bitter ex getting in the way of The Actual OTP" because it simplifies the character to only exist as a satellite to someone's ship (the bitter loser who can't let go/doesn't deserve person A/etc) instead of having their own life going on.

But when it comes to Pharma it's particularly annoying because it reduces Pharma to "the crazy stalker/bitter ex", framing Pharma as if he's the villain ruining Ratchet's life with his inability to just let go,

When in actual canon it was Ratchet who was best friends with Pharma their whole life (they're even shown together in the Functionist Universe). Ratchet who ditched Pharma with barely a word of goodbye (before Delphi, and ironically the same conversation where Pharma asked Ratchet if he should accept the station at Delphi). And it was Ratchet who asked Drift if he was scared of going into DJD territory as an ex-Decepticon, but treated Pharma like scum for killing patients under threat of being murdered by the DJD. And Ratchet who stole Pharma's hands. And Ratchet who tried to manipulate Pharma by using his deepest insecurities against him on Luna-1.

It's not like Pharma is some rando who Ratchet barely knew. They were BEST FRIENDS whose friendship was severed on a really messy note. Pharma has every right to be invested in a relationship/friendship that almost literally lasted he and Ratchet's entire life. It sucks when people implicitly treat Pharma as if he's obsessed and should just move on when the reality is that it was Ratchet who first terminated their relationship with no explanation or even a goodbye (pre Delphi) and then with leaving Pharma to die and then stealing his hands (post-Delphi). So is Pharma really "obsessed" or is he just understandably upset about being betrayed by the person who should've known and cared about him the most?

So like, it's really annoying when Ratchet has so many flaws in canon and questionable ways he treated Pharma, but the fandom just calls Pharma a crazy stalker ex as if Pharma is the freak who's overreacting and mentally insane while Ratchet is just some guy who was only minding his own business. To me it's not even a matter of shipping, it's just the fact that Ratchet DID handle his relationship with Pharma super fucking poorly. And I really wish more people in the fandom acknowledged that instead of framing Pharma as the evil/crazy/overly attached one for being upset about being ditched. Pharma has reasons to be pissed off and driven to get revenge on Ratchet, and even if his romantic feelings towards Ratchet might play somewhat of a role, Pharma is way more than just some stalker ex who's evil because he's crazy and wants Ratchet to be his boyfriend.

I mean Pharma literally says on the page that the reasons he's angry at Ratchet are for ruining his plans at Delphi and for stealing his hands. Even though Pharma-as-Adaptus orders Drift shot later in LL, it's not explicitly framed as some romantic jealousy and could also just as easily be construed as Pharma getting revenge for Drift cutting his hands off. I don't think Pharma ever even talks about or mentions Drift in the entire story. It's very clear that Pharma's beef/obsession with Ratchet is entirely between him and Ratchet and Drift is only a footnote in all of the reasons Pharma is pissed off.

[cherry-treelane]

everytime i feel bad and stressed about my life i remember that i might be in a troubling situation and having a bad time but im not season 4 fiona gallagher in the clink after leaving crack on the counter which my 3 year old baby brother happened to ingest resulting in a fatal near-death experience thats wracked me with never-ending guilt and forever altered my life

[youngpettyqueen]

🔥 for a mash character of your choosing

blaming all of Margaret's flaws in the early seasons on her relationship with Frank completely strips her of agency and responsibility for her own faults, and is a disservice to her character arc. it is crucial to her character that she was just as bad- and sometimes worse- than Frank was, and makes her character arc all the more interesting and compelling

[essenceofarda]

I'm attempting to satisfy 10-year-old-me's deepest desire in life:

Lord of the rings, but like, star wars au

no! wait! Don't go! I know, i KNOW, I'm a grown woman I should be well past the years of silly crossovers but I am in mighty NEED of drawing my fave tolkien characters swinging lightsabers about 😔

i need feedback on something tho: Thinking of maybe modifying a VERy important aspect of one of the star wars' universal laws,,, mainly bc this au takes place in what would be pre-order 66 days, aka with an intact Republic, and with so many of the lotr characters being related to each other i'm like 'either NO one is a jedi or I get rid of the requirement for complete emotional detachment'

also bc i really REALLY want Faramir to be a jedi but like, still kinda part of his family?? the way i'm kinda thinking of compromising is he's not officially (like, legally or whatever) part of his family as a Jedi but damn try to tell Boromir that he can't be besties with his little bro anymore lol

Anyway i'm doodling some art for the au lmk if y'all would like to see any art for this au ?

[storywestistrash]

lowkey hate seeing people say "oh michael fans never talk about the fact that he did bad things" because 1. its literally not true and 2. for the kind of fan that i am its like. when you tell your friends or family or partner or whoever that you love them, do you say it like "i love and care about you deeply but i also recognize that youre a flawed individual whos made mistakes in their life and that youre not actually a good person. i am telling you this so you know that i realize how complex of a person you are and that i respect it" DO YOU HAVE STUPID??

[umalvie]

tbh i think my interpretation of ursa and portrayal of her in fics is soooo kind when you look at the initial canon info we were given in the show and supplemental material during its airing (the bios and shit nick had on their official site) and even the comics’ attempts to retcon ursa openly telling azula something is wrong with her which causes her to feel like a monster, neglecting to say goodbye to her, outright favoring zuko over azula, and neglecting azula's emotional needs so much that azula's psychotic break centers around how she cannot accept the notion that her mother loved her too and that fear is not the only tool at her disposal (which says a LOT about how she was parented first and foremost). like i am doing so much ursa pr actually in my fics

[perelka-l]

Hi, I’m the person who asked about Ghetsis and the paradox of his attitude towards N’s ability half a year ago. I’m very very sorry for taking so inappropriately long to answer, had a lot going on.

I gravitate towards the theory that N and Ghetsis might be distant relatives with a common ancestor, which would explain a lot of things, from physical similarities to the denial of fatherhood. They could have any other type of blood connection besides that of a parent a child - after all, royal family trees tend to be huge and messy. I think N comes from the direct lineage (which grants him special powers), while Ghetsis might be from an offshoot of the original family. In other words, the former is the legitimate successor of the king and has more rights to the throne. He’s also closer to their progenitor personality-wise.

(There are a couple of more reasons why I don’t think Ghet is N’s bio father. Taking into account the stigma surrounding adoption in Japan makes me wonder if there was an out-of-universe cause for portraying Lusamine more positively that Ghetsis. That is not to say the green satan should’ve been redeemed; imao both characters deserve to rot in hell. I just suspect that the writers only let Lusamine (and not the other villain) off the hook due to her being a biological parent. And speaking of parents... this one’s purely subjective, but I find it hard to envision Ghetsis in a stable, serious long-term relationship leading to pregnancy. Taking an orphan under your wing for evil purposes is one thing, but living with a s/o and having them bear your child is another. I don’t believe a “one-night stand gone wrong” scenario is plausible and fitting for his personality either).

As for the paradox, I’ve come up with three possible explanations.

1. Ghetsis got overwhelmed by plain old envy. Taking his royal origins very seriously, he brought together the sages, worked on searching the ruins, and adhered to a certain image. And then there was N, who simply happened to be born with the king’s abilities and in the right lineage, which automatically made him the true heir. Of course, this wouldn’t really matter to normal people, since Unova is no longer a monarchy and there’s no need for heirs, but it’s Ghetsis we’re talking about. All of his insults towards N could stem from jealousy and a sense of rivalry. I suppose observing how his adopted son just managed to resemble King Harmonia naturally (no pun intended) must’ve unnerved Ghetsis a lot. Oh, and their physical similarities could’ve added insult to injury, constantly reminding him that they share some dna, but N is still a more worthy descendant.

2. Ghetsis indulged in cherry-picking. Despite cherishing his legacy, he had his own weird ideas about ruling and disregarded some of the king’s tenets anyway (“Do not be barbaric”, “Think, act with love”, “Wars create tears”). Perhaps Ghet did consider the monarch freaky for the special ability but acknowledged his achievements nonetheless.

3. Double standards were at fault. He could excuse a great king talking to Pokemon but drew the line at some odd forest kid who fails to understand even humans doing the same thing.

TL;DR: 1) Ghetsis didn’t consider the ability inherently despicable, it’s just that he gave vent to envy and blind rage whenever his ward was concerned.

2) He viewed the trait as freakish indeed but avoided internal dissonance by focusing on historical facts he deemed favourable and downplaying/ignoring everything else.

3) It’s selective morality and mental gymnastics all the way down. He didn’t mind cutting the king some slack yet refused to extend the same courtesy to N.

Since I’m drawing on the assumption that the characters come from different branches of difference significance, I’m inclined to think Ghetsis cannot talk to Pokémon after all. Besides, if he could, he would’ve had a much easier time achieving his goals in BW.

By the way, I can’t stop thinking about just how much Ghetsis lost by pushing N away. He rejected not only his son but also an invaluable potential ally - an ally who could’ve aided greatly in his research. Teaming up with a genius who’s personally invested in exploring the ruins (who would’ve been invested had he known about his lineage, I mean) and possesses unique powers is a perfect scenario one could only dream of. Nevertheless, Ghetsis decidedly gave up that opportunity and let pride (perhaps along with envy) outweigh all other feelings, thoughts, and aspirations. In the end, pride managed to win over his interest in the heritage and over his reverence. That, in my opinion, is one of the greatest undoings of King Harmonia’s descendant. He chose to ruin his own life, to brutally sever ties with the only person in the world who genuinely loved him and who shared blood and legacy with him. You once wrote that Ghetsis holds answers to 90% of BW’s mysteries; well, the number could be brought to 100% if only he wasn’t an utter bastard.

Gosh, it has been months since this one arrived at my askbox and I just thought I would cook the answer over time and it never happened. Apologies for that. The time has come. Finally, guh!! So fret not anon, the pain of taking shitton of time to reply is mutual. So I think it's OK.

I also think about the common ancestor between those two, but more in an annoyed, grumbly manner of "fine, if it's not direct relation I will take anything". And indeed that could be a more canon-supported way of connecting those two, precisely for arguments you are mentioning.

(As a side note, though, in Pokemas Ghetsis says that they are not bound by blood. In same sentence calling him his son. Ngl I love the way Ghetsis riffs off on family ties to try and manipulate and/or hurt N. Amazing.)

But I would wonder about legitimacy - we kinda do know Ghetsis feels entitled to the crown and I don't think there is more to that than just hunger for power and N being the King of Plasma is entirely Ghetsis' idea...

(In a way, it's something that could not even hinge on N because, uh, USUM: in which Ghetsis planned to do exactly the same shit he pulled off in his universe (in which he already took over and succeeded in his plans) but with Giovanni of all people. But then, in that case Ghetsis doesn't have to add the element of being chosen by Zekrom/Reshiram, so maybe it's just a repeat run with no reasoning but pieces aligning.)

But my point is - Ghetsis' idea of him being the one deserving the power he craves doesn't come purely from his own hunger, I think. But then, he couldn't become the chosen hero. If he could, it would make things much more simple for him and wouldn't bother with finding/arranging N. Which is... something I can't help but wonder about, what would N be if Ghetsis wasn't here.

I don't know about stigma of adoption in JP, could you elaborate? 

And yeah, admittedly I am also a bit disappointed about Lusa being protrayed with significant backpedal to her evil - even despite SM compounding that ultimately she wasn't entirely in control of her own actions. I also think that what you say now is also what happened in B2W2 - the blood relation between N and Ghetsis wasn't elaborated upon, being more left vaguely in the air in BW while it was B2W2 that compounded the lack of relation. Which is... sad, really. And not the only thing I am :/ about in terms of things spoken out loud and simplified in B2W2 that in BW were implied or left unsaid (shadow triad theory my beloved ;;;A;;; )

I entirely agree about points with Ghetsis not being able to sustain any relationship (c'mon, it's Ghetsis.) (on that note I always remember that one fantastic kinkmeme fic about Ghetsis being actually woman dressed as a man and getting her child from Alder by manipulation, 10/fucking 10, but I am carried away over here) and I think one night stands would be entirely beneath him. But I think there is no need to consider, shall we say, normal ways of prgnancy and if anything, I wouldn't be surprised if Ghetsis tried to go for less moral means, starting with manipulation and ending with force.

I did now write a bit about 1. (look, I am replying as I read and think OK, I am not good with structured writing stuff) but in a way I think it's important that symbolism carries weight in Pokemon World while history is in a way pushed aside or bestowed upon small group of individuals as lore or hidden knowledge that does ultimately carry great power. I always wonder what happened first - did Ghetsis reach out to the lore and hidden knowledge because of his own background and that inspired him to try and reach for power? Or did he reach for it in his search for power?? Just another mystery.

(which, hilariously, N wondered about in Pokemas either: Sometimes I wonder what his... What Ghetsis's past was like. I don't know anything about his parents or his childhood... I wonder if I ever will." Man, those lines made me froth at mouth a bit ngl)

You mentioning physical similarities is one thing I adore to ponder about with those two, but when you throw the theory that Ghetsis due to his Harmonia lineage can understand Pokemon speaking... and considering how he treats that ability in N, there could be some repressed rage at himself, and that would only add fuel to injury to seeing the way N reaches what he cannot. (Which kinda breaks the point number 3 for me wwwww Ghetsis is a bit of a hateful individual)... My point is: yeah, he hates that and surpresses that. He could have used that to his own goals, but I don't think he would even admit that he can do such a monstrous thing.

Re: 2, I wonder if he misinterpreted / chose to misinterpret the tenets less as what to do and more as what to portray. To be fair, Ghetsis can be perfectly charming and polite (kind, if you ask him, but ahah, yeah, right) and maybe he used those rules as tips and tricks how to manipulate the masses.

Ghetsis indeed fucked up royally (lol) by revealing his cards too soon (in Pokemas as well, really, he could have carried on that act of disgraced and regretful father for so much longer). But then, I am a little not surprised he did, in BW. He did spend a good few years playing someone he is not and the moment he could throw away the mask was surely a relief, and he believed so deeply he'd succeeded that he didn't think of keeping it on his face for just a tiny bit more, as a failsafe. Indeed, he could do so much more, but he detested N too deeply and believed in how own capabilities too much. Pride and hatred and indeed, envy, no matter which angle we use to look at it.

Ultimately, that's why he is a villain and why he lost, not even once but twice.

[4belphie]

ob malleus, my pathetic little meow meow

[ct-hardcase]

.

[ruedesfillesducalvaire]

real

Javert is NOT a rich white cop, he's a poor Romani man born inside a jail. When I first joined the Les Mis fandom about a decade ago I remember there were a lot of people who made Javert a rich white policeman. Which, hey, I do kinda get it, especially when you're contrasting Javert to characters like Valjean or Les Amis. I totally get why people would want that story to exist within Les Mis fanworks. But also, that is not Javert whatsoever. He's canonically half Romani, born in a prison.

Javert being a class traitor actually means so much more to the story than Javert being some random privileged asshole pig.