#they're giving a bit more benefit of the doubt tho

[glassshard]

Blue Eye Samurai ending spoilers>>

I stayed up way too late finishing off the show and I'm glad I did! I've never seen a better written animated series. It's kind of a unicorn. Creator-driven series written for adults that isn't some poor hireling desperately trying to express something meaningful through a corporate IP. No shade on all the earnest animated video game and capeshit out there, but- well yeah. Maybe a little shade. Fanfiction is always easier.

BES also wasn't just an occasionally edgy YA show like ATLA or Korra (or the Spiderverse stuff, sorry) or style over substance like the old MTV series. The creators had an idea, and they sweat blood to make it happen. Kudos to Netflix for letting them do their thing.

That ending though, man. I get wanting to subvert what everyone was expecting. And I trust these writers to know what they're doing. When someone gives you eight hours of badassery, you give them the benefit of the doubt. But it's bad feels not getting the catharsis of the Big Bad's demise at the end. The show does a fantastic job of making you despise Fowler. He's not a grey villain, he's friggin' Satan. And you don't get to see him drown in his own blood after all that struggle! It's rough!

What's even a little more alarming though is the reality of Mizu leaving all the cool characters and hanging relationships she's spent the whole series building up. And why? To go to London?? That's weird! London is gross! I don't like the idea of leaving the rest of the cast behind! I hope the writers have some kind of awesome idea for English shenanigans to make up for losing them. Will the story bounce back to Japan to see what Akemi's doing and how Taigen deals with the rejection? I care at least as much about them as about Mizu. Ringo's probably safe making kitchen knives tho.

Leaving so much unresolved is tough stuff. It'll be years before a second season comes out - and maybe it never will. If that happens, I'm going to be pissed that they structured their story this way. But if it does happen and it's worth the wait, then I admire the bravery.

I just got three criticisms that caught my eye: The Fowler fight was way too similar to the giant fight. What I would have loved to see was Fowler with an arsenal of hidden guns and him and Mizu fighting each other through the burning building as she slowly whittled down his fire power before ultimately savaging him. Any time you pit Mizu hand to hand against anyone with such obviously massive physical strength, you're shattering the illusion. Even if she was a dude, she's a dex build. I'm still not clear on what she bit off Fowler's face to escape that hold. It wasn't his nose or tongue? Clarity there would have been nice and felt good.

Seki's death was flagged so hard it almost ruined the impact for me because then I was just looking for it to happen. RIP Seki, he was such a cool character.

The licensed tracks were always distracting. No anachronistic music in a period piece!

[ticklepinions]

I think there's many problems in the community. But I feel like 2 in particular are merging quite a bit. So before I begin, this is in no means supporting or condoning the negative actions of others, I'm just thinking out loud basically, trying to understand why it's a problem and what not. The "explains but doesn't excuse route" to help me process things. My heart goes out to everyone who has been a victim of gro*ming.

So I've had a discussion about certain words being thrown around a lot. Words that are used as an insult, a word that triggers people immediately and follows with loads of hate comments and the classic kys.

While there is most certainly predators and p*dos in the community. I think there's a secret third option that doesn't really get talked about a lot- if at all. And that's "well intentioned adults". Adults who got the spirit! But execute in very questionable ways compared to people who are more, for lack of a better word, mature in their experiences.

I think I was one of them to an extent, but had some incidents that made me have to make decisions that would have been difficult in the past with my previous thinking (will explain later). Personally, my blog was open to all. And I hear the sfw doesn't mean safe for minors which is so true. But I still let minors follow my blog and that was a choice I own up to. Up until a couple months ago I was somewhat ok with it. Until things started happening that made me ✨uncomfortable✨. I got 13 year olds following me, minors trying to initiate tickle talk in asks/dms, trying to befriend me in ways that were just not great lmfao (trying to comfort me if I made a vent post, or in turn trauma dumping in the DMs). And this led to a LOT of reflection. I didn't want to have this responsibility so to speak, of taking care of children, who I have no previous relationship (/p) with in an online setting. So I changed my blog to a dnf. That's just me tho, I curated my internet experience to suit me after realizing that what I was doing or rather passively allowing before, made me uncomfortable. I didn't engage in the conversations that were initiated, it made me queasy lmfao.

But for *other* people. This feeling doesn't occur. You can have the extreme of being so delusional and enraptured in your own personal gains/pleasure as a p*do. Or... Be the self appointed teacher, parental figure etc. Which is a lot like gr*oming (actually it is a sign of gr*oming). It's such a complex issue in terms of the way some adults could have a genuine desire to help and not harm/manipulate but there's this disconnect where the adult doesn't recognize the harms they're causing unintentionally.

There are adults who don't mind being the educator because that's what they needed when they were a child. And I get it! They want to help. But! We've seen what can happen. And I think the reason some people are hesitant with the whole it "DEPENDS on the context" is that you're taking away their ability to *help*. But they don't realize by shutting down those conversations *is* helping. There are very few circumstances where a 30 year old should be speaking to a 16 year old about sexual topics. And in an online context, even fewer. There are SO many resources online that people can use to educate themselves, you do not have to be the sole educator for those slipping into your DMs.

From experience, minors are very impressionable and still have a lot to learn when it comes to boundaries. There was this time one of my friends sent an ask teasing me and then I got flooded by people sending in their own teases. Minors unintentionally (giving the benefit of the doubt) making me extremely uncomfortable trying to befriend me through "innocent" tickle talk. There are other instances of minors as I mentioned before trying to comfort me when I'm venting. Very thoughtful of them for reaching out and all but also they're endangering themselves. There are adults who would easily respond to them and because the adult themselves are emotionally not stable in that moment, may explain their worries to someone they realllyyyy shouldn't be sharing experiences with, sexual or not. The adult has the responsibility in this situation, as they hold the most power in the dynamic. So yeah I'm gonna put the blame on the minors. Gonna hold the adults accountable. Because it's absolutely not okay.

I always say while intentions are cool and all it doesn't really matter much. The impact, and what your actions will be after the fact, holds much more weight.

It's so frustrating to see the same old arguments pop up in this particular community. And I've said it once before, at our core, seeing the recent discourse and posts from both parties I can see the want to keep minors safe. However, there are some people who don't see how their perceived innocent actions are actually harmful in the long run. Not only for minors but yourself as well. You deserve to have a community your age as a healthy support system. What's not okay is the waters being muddied under the pretense of helping other people. You can't fix people, and it's really not your job to do so as hard a pill that is to swallow.

I'm losing my train of thought so...

TL;DR. While there are p*dos, there are also adults who mean well but go about it in very wrong/harmful ways, and I hope that eventually (sooner rather than later) they realize the harms they caused and work towards bettering themselves.

I also want to recognize the extreme privilege I have talking about sensitive topics I don't have personal experiences of so if I spoke out of place or said something incorrect please feel free to correct me (if you have the capacity to do so). Thanks for reading.

[soleminisanction]

This might seem a bit out of the blue to you, but I just wanted to say your old posts about Stephanie Brown changed my mind on her quite a bit, even if I still don't feel quite as strongly about it as you seem to haha. Overall she's a character with some interesting potential to her backstory, but she's been written awfully over the years. Your points are all really well-argued, even though for me it's hard to look past the Doylist context of the choices made with her character; from plain poor writing to mysoginy to editorial mandates and whatnot, so it's tough for me to outright *hate* her, but when I put the Watsonian glasses on... yeah, she does kinda suck, and Batgirl 2009 is pretty darn shallow. And honestly, TimSteph shippers outright baffled me--well, no they didn't, a lot of their outrage at the breakup was just pure biphobia, but if I were giving people the benefit of the doubt and assuming they genuinely liked the relationship as presented from Rebirth onwards it's like... why tho. They're such a boring couple, leaving aside the toxicity of Post-Crisis because I don't know much about it and just ick. Idk what I'm even saying here. Just expressing appreciation for the effort put into your posts even if I don't agree with absolutely every interpretation, I guess. Keep on keeping on

Thank you. I appreciate you saying all that.

It's not like I'm unaware of the Doylist reasons behind all the events that happen in-comics, I just don't agree with the idea that the way to fix that is to brush huge swaths of a character's history under a rug. That's just not how you do it if you're trying to reclaim a character who's been sexistly victimized, not if you're doing it well -- they didn't do it with Barbara after Killing Joke, or Carol Danvers after Avengers #200, or Gwen Stacy when creating Spider-Gwen, or with Harley when transitioning her into anti-hero, and those all resulted in great stories.

And male characters have to deal with the aftermath of bad shit they pulled under other writers all the time. Wally West only just put a final capstone on the events of Heroes in Crisis last month. Over in Batman, Bruce is catching the brunt of fall-out from both the Babel Protocol and the Batman of Zur-en-arrh. Hank Pym got labeled an infamous wife beater because one artist misinterpreted a script direction. Roy Harper has only just recently gotten back everything that Cry for Justice took from him.

So yeah, I think it's only fair to do the same with Stephanie, and that it does the character a major disservice not to. More than that, it's lazy. The least amount of effort needed to get people on the internet to stop yelling at them.

Killing her off for Bruce's manpain and having her around, alive, but presented as a flat, perfect little Princess Badass with a bland "quirky" personality and no interests outside the immediate needs of the plot are both examples of sexist writing. If you want to engage with her as a character you need to embrace the fact that she can be kind of an asshole, that she's got negative emotions and bad opinions and shitty ideas and things that she just plain sucks at. Of course she does! She's human!

That's all feminist writing really means. Treating women like they're human instead of just a plot convenience. It should not be that hard.

[jossujb]

I am just relistening early episodes of Jago & Litefoot (you should too if you have Audible or Spotify or have like pennies to spare, the early seasons are really cheap these days) and goddamn the chemistry between the gentlemen is chef's kiss <3

The Necropolis Express is like the best episode to introduce the series to a newcomer, if you really must just pick one random episode. The contrast between Litefoot and Jago is really prominent mostly cos they are still somewhat new in their relationship, so they're bit more formal than later seasons, which brings out the upperclass vs lower class, formally educated vs learned on the job, science vs supernatural contrasts -

BUT

The thing that makes Jago & Litefoot makes so good that never sides with one characters. For example in The Necropolis Express the first half is poking fun at how superstitious and frankly ridiculous Jago is thinking that all the corpses in the coffins are alive and how the movements on the earth are machinations from Hell, and Litefoot is pointing out natural and calms explanations for all of them - ONLY for Jago to be exactly right on the money, and Litefoot is just painted bing annoying not believing first hand witness.

Then again, later in the same episode, they meet a person who has veiled their face is harsh, but somewhat polite, suspicious, yet Jago is giving every benefit of the doubt. He may be poor, down on his luck, not used to visitors, shy and reserved and that's contrasted against how Litefoot is immediately thorny and made his mind o the person - and this case Litefoot is ON POINT, he's the motherfucker of the story.

But do you see how their dynamic would work in different situations? neither really character flaws per se, they just have different sets of assets. In some episodes it's absolutely vital that Litefoot is solid on his scientifics and does't swallow any old nonsense people spew - but in other episodes that makes him a quite a annoying besserwisser. Jago is easily spooked by stories and has talent of making himself more scared with imagination - but he he doesn't doubt on the face of the devil, if he has to kill a werewolf or fight a zombie or whatever he can't be stopped by saying "but but there ain't such things as zombies." Bitch, if it bites, I act upon that, right?

Also, it's generally a positive personality trait that Jago is never bigoted or prejudiced person. On some episodes it does put him in a harm's way tho if he excuses someone too long. Litefoot has that on the spot vibe check that more often than not is useful in their infernal investigations - but it has made him strongly despise some people for flippant reasons, that make him less kind that he probably thinks he is. And on that note, sometimes he also trusts people solely on the fact that vibes didn't go off, and that's also dangerous.

So you know. Every personality trait they have is good on an one episode and bad in the next. That feels really realistic to me.

[honestmouse20]

I am Back from vacation! Thought on new ninjago season under the cut :)

First off, I just wanna say that I watched it at 6am in my hotel room with headphones while my friend slept next to me lol. So I watched it all again yesterday too. Turns out I'd missed a Lot.

I really loved the pacing in this! Each character to me felt like they all had something to do and it all went towards the plot. Wildfyre learned to slow down and let herself heal, Kai and Nya both learned the paitence and tecnique to do Rising Dragon. Lloyd OFC got a Lot to do with his visions and panic attacks! I really liked how they handled his mental health in this one. Cole being back didn't feel forced! he was there bc Bonzal was essential to Ras' plan. Sora got a ton of development and I do wonder if they'll have her learn spinjitzu in part 2. And of course, Arin. Boy is Going Through it. It's a nice parallel to Lloyd also having a rough time. While Lloyd is haunted by possible futures, Arin is terrified of not being Good Enough to contribute to the team Or to make his parents proud.

This post would be hella long if i rambled about everything i loved in this season But I wanna highlight Some of my favs!

Cole and Geo Constantly holding hands and leaning on eachother (and geo's flashback to s1 being changed so they're holidng hands More)

Bonzle's whole arc and how she's a person now! Hella trans implications and also just a really sweet story when they show that she Does have agency and her creator Does recongnize and care for her

Sora and Arin's dymanic continues to be Really Good! I like how the initial excitement for being a ninja has worn off and they're starting to struggle.

Speaking of Arin, I stg that scene of him and Ras fighitng in the last couple episodes makes me think we're gonna get a dark Arin arc. Maybe he won't Stay evil (I don't want him to be a villan but they Could go that way if they want) but seeing Lloyd's reaction to his student turning sides would be very angsty and Very good

Also Lloyd in this was So good! Even tho he's trying very hard to be a Master and the keeper of the monastary, he's struggling and these visions are only making it harder on him. I'm sure we havn't seen the end of these visions and I'm sorta hoping they'll come to some big breaking point for him in part 2. Where he'll have to drag himself back up and Never Quit despite everything falling apart just like the visions said it would

Once again this show made me like kai again lol. HIs relationship with Nya and Wildfyre is So good and you really can see the similarities in how he interacts with them!

lloyd's power confirmed to be life????

why is no one talking abobut that ? did i read it wrong???

Onto some things i didn't Quite like but definatly didn't hate!

Ras' master is like 90 percent gonna be the Overlord. I'm aprehensive on this bc he's not really my favorite villan. Plus like he was Just the villan in crystalized so i feel like it's too soon for him to come back. once again gonna give this show the benefit of the doubt bc they've done a lto of stuff Really Really well. I'm just sorta hoping it's Not the overlord. Plus the powers were golden and that's Not the overlord's colors

what is timeline?????

i thought the shorts were two years after s1 and that s2 was gonna be between the shorts and s1???? but now the shorts are at the Beginning of the season and ryu is a teenage dragon? how long has passed? If it's been a couple years since season 1, it's a little less believable that arin and sora havn't progressed much fruther in their training. also no one Acts like it's been years?? But if it's Not a couple of years and Ryu just Grew up like that it's still a bit iffy. Ik they probably won't tell us exact times but I hope it's implied or Something bc im hella confused

so, tldr: This half of the season was Fantastic! From the animation being Incredible and the relationships between the characters being super interesting and realistic, this season was a ride from start to finish! I'm excited, and a bit scared, to see what part 2 brings!

[purplekoop]

yeah as a Sicilian from Milwaukee, I've been really wanting an Italian character NOT MAFIA THO I HATE THAT STEREOTYPE ITD BE FINE IF IT WAS ORIGINAL MAFIA DEFENDING SICILY FROM EVERY INVADER BUT NO EVERYONE JUST DOES MOB BOSS anyways, that Firefighter idea. 575 HP. Passive is like Pharah but water jets and just to Hover like 5 ft up. Primary is water Cannon, 200 ammo,, pushes slightly & damages. Phoschek Fog Ability, Undoes Ally debuffs like burn. Axe Swing Ability, takes 15% hp from enemies or 50% hp from builds/barriers. Fireproof forcefield, I think 700 hp, curves like orisa old Shield but held. Ultimate gives all nearby allies +200 armor.idk I'm not the best at making concepts.

Oh yeah, I definitely see an Italian character as something that'll happen at least eventually. And I think the Overwatch team has a pretty decent track record about not playing too hard into broad harmful or tacky stereotypes. Like, Zarya's strong and Reinhardt likes beer, Widowmaker's a snob, there's some smaller stuff like that, but these tend to be natural parts of their characterization. I doubt they'd do something as basic and vaguely tasteless as making them a mob boss.

I guess it's worth noting that Rome is in Italy, so if we are getting a Roman gladiator character like a lot of people expect, then they would be the game's first Italian character on the roster.

As for the firefighter concept, hell yeah that's actually a pretty decent hero concept!

I like the idea of a more utility-focused Tank, with (what I'd presume at least to be) lower damage output relative to the aggro brawler tanks OW2 has focused on introducing. I like playing those tanks, but I think limiting the tank design space to those kinds of playstyles is ignoring the potential for more variety in playstyles and character-specific roles that a tank can fill. I imagine even a high-powered water cannon wouldn't be dishing out damage on par with laser beams or chainguns, so having it be more of a direct anti-aggression weapon rather than a weapon focused around damage would be interesting. A possible mechanic that comes to mind though to both reward aim and also make the pushback mechanic less irritating to play against would be that the push is more effective the lower the target's health is. A full health enemy barely feels a thing, but as the stream wears down their health then they get pushed back more and more.

A tank with a dedicated cleanse ability would be interesting, and obviously makes sense with the theme. We do already have Zarya's bubbles, capable of cleansing most debuffs that aren't outright stuns or sleeps or whatnot, so it's not totally unprecedented either. Cleanse abilities do tend to have some other benefits so they're not deadweight in matchups against enemies who don't apply debuffs, which is why Kiriko's Suzu has that contentious intangibility benefit and minor heal, and every other cleanse ability has it as a part of invincibility as well (recall, fade, translocator, zarya bubbles). I don't think that giving allies invincibility would be mechanically or thematically for... fire retardant foam, but it'd ideally have some other utility as well. Maybe the foam also slows enemies, or maybe gives allies a brief bit of overhealth (like the foam makes a protective layer around them or something).

The axe ability is also cool, an anti-build/shield ability is something I'm surprised OW hasn't tried more outside of an early concept for Pharah's knockback rocket, or Symmetra gaining ammo and shield health from damaging barriers. I think a normal ability also doing percentage-based damage could be interesting, making it stronger against tanks but less threatening to other players. Maybe a whole 60% of Symmetra's wall or Lifeweaver's tree (fitting as that would be) would be a bit much, so either the percentage it takes off is reduced for those, or the ability does normal set damage to all players and just does bonus damage to non-players. My hypothetical concern would be that it's too similar of a basic concept to Queen's axe swing, but I think with the lower damage to players and different functionality, it could justify being different by simply being a much faster swing. Ramattra and Doomfist both block with a big arm (or two) but the specific execution is distinct to where it's fine.

I think a barrier would be an okay addition to this kit, though I'd argue for something more distinct than just something like Rein's shield but only temporary or something. I admit it's hard coming up with unique defensive abilities for tanks though, to where I don't fault OW2 for retreading old ground with some of the newer tank abilities, or anyone else for that matter.

As for the ult... yeah ults suck for me too, don't worry. But it's worth keeping in mind that with Overwatch, roles tend to have only a few different categories of ults, and only dip into other roles' ult archetypes sparingly. Support ults tend to be major offensive boosts (Nano boost, Amp matrix, Kitsune rush) or big defensive saves (Sound barrier, Transcendance, Tree of Life), though sometimes can fall somewhere in the middle (Valkyrie, Coalescence), and often a defensive ult can be used aggressively, or an offensive ult can be used defensively. Damage ults tend to, predictably, enable more reliable means of scoring a kill with a big flashy single attack or a temporary boost to their lethality. Damage, being the varied role it is, tends to cheat and have ults that feel like they fit more in other roles. Symmetra's wall is more like a defensive support ult, Widowmaker's infra-sight is purely utility-focused and aids her entire team, and Mei's ult is so tank-like that I felt zero need to change it a bit with her Role Requeue kit.

Tank ults then tend to be very specifically focused around either zoning out space or setting up for a big team play. Whole Hog and Primal Rage make space very directly and literally by pushing back enemies out of your space, while Self Destruct and Minefield are potent means of area denial more than they are reliable for getting kills directly. Annihilation's main counterplay is also getting out of Ramattra's space in order to survive, more indirectly making it a zoning ult too. Then there's the more "supportive" tank ults. Earthshatter, Graviton Surge, Gravitic Flux, and now Cage Fight all limit the enemy's ability to move and thus makes them prime for followup from the tank's team. Rampage doesn't affect literal positioning, but puts enemies in a more figurative bad position with its lethal antiheal and bleed combo that makes just a bit more followup damage enough to secure a kill. Orisa's Terra Surge is ironically both a setup ult with its initial pull and slow, and a zoning ult with the following slam making the entire impact range a lethal danger zone. The only outliers are Orisa's old supercharger, which straight up is effectively replicated by a currently existing support ult (Valkyrie with damage boost) and Meteor Strike... which has a halfhearted slow effect that nobody ever notices, so it should be a setup ult but it sucks so it doesn't count.

I break this down not just because I find it neat, but also because I think it'll better inform what kind of ult would fit a tank better than a basic defensive buff more on par a support ultimate. It's a weird paradox of how Overwatch's tanks are designed that I wanted to elaborate on because it'd be helpful to consider when thinking about concepts like this, since I also find ultimates hard to think of unless I think it through first.

All that said, my suggestion is...

Giant pressure washer laser. I think that says it all.

oh yeah right they have a passive too forgot to comment on that

Honestly I think we should let at least one tank get a fun movement passive, damage and supports get so many of those and I think at least one tank deserves some freeform movement too. I think it also works for a concept that isn't as focused on direct aggro, as beefy brawlers with high self sustain and good damage typically have much more limited movement options, if any (sorry to Roadhog, who along with Ana is the only character in the game with literally no movement abilities, boosts, or tech besides basic walking).

So yeah, fun concept! Hope you don't mind me giving a... much longer than even I anticipated critique of it. I like talking hero design, it's why I'm making both an AU focused on it first and foremost and my own hero shooter just so I get to play with concepts from the ground up. y'know a firefighter character wouldn't be a bad fit for War Bots, but ehhh, feels kind of similar to other characters I already have on that roster, plus I'd feel bad more or less stealing the idea even with permission. Plus I think the specific ties to Midtown are what make me like this concept so much, it already fits into Overwatch's world in a really natural way, even if maybe a little more cheesy than most of the other existing characters. But look, if one tank is a hamster in a giant ball with guns, then I think a high-powered firefighter going into a warzone isn't that much more silly.

[pinkmoondoll9shihtzu]

Tbh ur snake story reminds me of the time I was driving home with my mom in the evening, I suddenly imagined us hitting a deer and warned her to slow down because it was prime deer hours....like 10 minutes later a deer jumped in front of our car and the poor thing died + our car was totaled. In my experience a Genuine Premonition always happens like an image/scenario whatever appears in your mind so vividly that for a split second you believe it is real,and then you process that it isnt and are a bit confused, and then a short while later it happens, not exactly as how you imagined it but with unmistakeably the same outcome. Maybe you needed to be wary of snakes so you didn't step on that guy or pochita didn't get bit etc!

im so glad you and your mom are ok :'''0 thanku for sharing this..i believe your story cus even beyond my own experiences ive also heard/read so many stories that are essentially the same. preconceiving danger seems to be one of the most logical benefits i cld imagine for the development of psychic ability from an evolutionary standpoint. the way u talk about how it appears so vividly in your mind that it takes u out of reality for a second..this was my experience yesterday w the snake! like it took up my whole vision. it must be kinda similar to what ive read many times of people who've been stalked by wild animals, u can feel them watching you & your fight or flight kicks in before u even physically see them. the human body is so much more sensitive than ppl give it credit for. pochita was off leash since there was no one around, so if she had ran ahead of me & saw the snake before i did it couldve been a bad situation since snake was so big..i doubt it was poisonous but a bite could surely injure her. i beleive in the power of maternal instincts !! theres been other times i foretold some very dark stuff before it happened but ive never shared those stories online since they're heavy subject matter. someday i wld like to share them tho just for the sake of paranormal research but so far i havent felt like the time is right..

[clownfucker9000]

Collision, Sleeping, sun, rose, pencil, ferris wheel, pistol, tornado, cloud, growing heart, love letter

For Ishtar

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with? not a fan of dealing with his more negative emotions....those are things he'd rather not think about

💤 SLEEPING - do they fall asleep easily? what helps them sleep? technically he can fall sleep almost immediately, but he'd rather have someone besides him, maybe even to cuddle with

☀️ SUN - are they a morning person? what is the first thing they do in the morning? he is! usually he is the first person up Jazz doesn't count bc they probably didn't even sleep

🌹 ROSE - do they like valentines day? have they been confessed to before? have they confessed to anyone before? he does, he thinks its a nice holiday.....he doesn't have the guts to ever confess to anyone tho

✏️ PENCIL - is there a particular quote / lyric that you associate with them? You're the one I got So I'll keep turning down the hands That beckon me to come -Geyser by Mitski 🎡 FERRIS WHEEL - are they someone who wants to kiss at the top of the ferris wheel? yes absolutely....what a nice thing that would be.....

🔫 PISTOL - do they trust people easily? how easily will they turn their back to someone? have they been backstabbed before? will they betray someone if given an ultimatum? he knows he shouldn't, but if someone seems nice enough, he will give them the benefit of the doubt, and once he decides he likes you he is ride or die, you would have to do something serious to make him think about cutting ties, and he wouldn't even dare to betray anyone if he can help it....of course there are certain people that can force him to make an exception.... 🌪️ TORNADO - what is the biggest change you've ever made to them? how have they changed from their original version? i have no idea how or why or when i made him so intense xdxdxd he used to be more stoic and the voice of reason i don't remember when i did a 180 with his personality xdxdxd ☁️ CLOUD - a soft headcanon he likes being taken care of...to feel small and vulnerable and loved....

💗 GROWING HEART - if they have a crush, is it noticable? what changes when they're in love? he tries so so hard to not show it, he knows he can be....a bit much and he wouldn't want for his crush to feel awkward, but he would do things on his own like writing their names together with hearts n shit, daydreaming about their life together, sappy stuff like that, and also he would always be at the disposition of his crush, of course that last thing often gets lost and is just seen as overall helpfulness more than an act of love, maybe you would notice he's more restrained around them....

💌 LOVE LETTER - do they like love letters? what kind of messages do they leave for their partner? utterly enchanted by the concept, not a whole lot of opportunities to actually do it..... he would be the type to constantly check on you, asking how ur day is going, if u need something, through the day reminding you how much he loves you,,,,stuff like that

[minalblood]

Ep 7, finally! Sorry fellas took a while.

I will try to skip past the Despair destiel parallels since they've been mentioned often enough and focus on other stuff i find interesting.

Ok 1stly Carlos jokingly saying they should try jumper cables for the Ostium only to then look back at Lata judgingly was A++ friendship moments.

Love the Tony mention from Ada so much!

I will say all the shell company and warehouse talk reminds me of spn season 7 and the Leviathan plans which to be fair, the Akrida's plans are basically the same. Both hungry, some type of shapshifting beings. Kinda wanna know which came first for Chuck, cuz we know the Leviathan are meant to have been genuine creature vs the Akrida who were deliberately made as fail safe plague.

Mary big mad this ep beginning and it's all because of her worry.

God I still love the Akrida design and I also adore their growls!!! Tho I add that the fact that they can feel pain but cannot be killed save for something out of this world is hella intriguing, feels like something a, to quote Chuck, "cruel, capricious God" would do.

I adore Carlos brain! They're soooo smart and it's constantly shown in all the subtle ways but it's so consistent throughout that I love it. And not just generally, but also emotionally speaking, especially highlighted in the scene with Mary. Putting the right blame on the shifters, being honest about dealing or not with their parents death and still succeeding in bringing Mary's spirit up.

Why would John be so shocked that Henry would've written something for the MoL? Henry was a MoL so it really shouldn't be that surprising that he wrote stuff down. I personally think it's because he chose not to ask more questions because it would've fucked with him too much and he couldn't handle it.

Millie in the Clubhouse! Finally! She's still too harsh, but this time I tend to give her tiny bit more benefit of the doubt since it's obvious being in the Clubhouse is bringing up all the very complicated feelings she has deliberately not dealt with about Henry. It's why she can go from mentioning love letters with a soft gentle loving tone one moment and then insulting Henry's chicken scratch and its supposed use in saving the world. She has dealt a lot more with her feelings about Henry these past... weeks months? since all the stuff began, especially having received a clear answer about where Henry disappear to (he died), but that in many ways likely made it so much more complicated because the anger hasnt gone away but now it feels almost unfair to aim it so much at someone that seems to have not had a choice in abandoning them as she initially thought. She's still mad tho, not just because of that but also because she was never allowing in by Henry, not really, and we learn later that he deliberately distanced himself from her as well so being invited to the Clubhouse is a huge step in slotting into place what she feels. It's also why I think she demands so staunchly to know exactly what's happening because last time she didn't, Henry died.

The implication that Samuel Campbell is messy from Mary gave me such a John's room in Pilot vibes. Love that parallel (read: hate)

The mention from the Akrida possessing Roxy bout Roxy's beauty is made sooo much worse by the later episode about her possession, but with it in my mind, it give such icky vibes now. Besides the sheer disregard about Roxy's life. It makes it even more clear how much humans are just things for the Akrida to use and discard whenever. And that will only be made more apparent in later episodes.

Carlos' miiind!! The hex bag!! God I love them.

Interesting just for me I guess, but the fact that u just need to know the ingredients of a hex bag to find it, is sooo fun. I have so many questions.

I also love seeing Millie adjusting to the whole supernatural thing, her mind just going and her saying shit only to find out she might actually be onto something to them using her plan. Love that, especially love that it happens in connection to Ada. Millie and Ada have been pretty linked throughout the show so far, and I love that it's while Millie is talking to Ada, one of the few people who actually knew Henry and Henry allowed in, that she gets the idea she does. I also think it's very important that Ada does tell her the stuff Millie didnt know.

Ok, maybe controversial opinion here but I actually agree with Ada here, John is not closed off like Henry. He just isnt here. He is extremly reactive which means you will know what you get with him cuz he will make it clear, in a very bone headed way, sure , but it will be clear what he feels. There are of course things he doesn't disclose, but it aint about him being open, its just that he isnt closed off like Henry. Henry who his wife thought didnt even think of her or if he did it wasn't good terms at least toward the end, Henry who planted a protective plant for his family but never said anything about it. John, in spn, certainly does become closed off like that, id say he gets even more closed off but not this John, not yet and hopefully never. This john is just angry. Really angry, but it's still not the same insurmountable situation.

I adore Lata's excitement about all things monster.

Ahhhhhh I miss you all too Carlos 😭😭😭 #SavetheWinchesters

Nixon being Akrida is a nod to Lucifer possessing the president vibes to me.

I kinda love that Millie sold her wedding ring, it makes sense on so many levels. 1. Shes a single mom with a business to run. 2. She s trying to distance herself from the pain Hwnry left her with. 3. She is very much a dont think about it and it'll not affect you denial stage of grief person.

The music box!

It says shit about Millie that she didnt know john still had the music box all these years. It makes it clear which parts of John's life she paid attention to (or could allow herself to pay attention to) and which not.

I hate that they cant actually deal with any of the stuff because of the short window they have, but that's how things are right? both generally and def in the spn verse, you never have the space or time to actually confront the person thats traumatised you, not really, you just have small pockets of chances to process what happened in the middle of world ending events.

Fun fact, I rewatched Inside Man recently and the spell they use here to summon Henry is the exact same one Sam and Cas use to talk to Bobby in Heaven. And the fucking meaning always hurts me, cuz it calls onto dead loved ones to answers their calls/questions abd it feels like a prayer to me tbh. I also headcannon that the reason the spell works differently here is because Henry was still in the veil rather than in heaven, but ive nothing to substantiate that.

Once more Mary and John have such a genuine relationship tho, they really are honest with each other as often as they can because of the connection and similarities they felt when they first met and everything experienced since. Unlike their spn counterparts who were very much not honest about themselves.

I really love that John gets to hear Henry unequivocally say "it was my fault, not yours". It's so so important, both that Henry immediately owned up to it, and that he made sure to let John know first that it wasnt anything he did and that he wanted to explain everything.

I also wanna point out the immediate dif in Henry's demeanor once John mentions the Akrida aka work. Henry instantly compartmentalizes alll the feels he had about seeing John and getting to see Millie because he very much knows the importance. Better to have ur family alive even though you can't get closure than risk their lives just to explain yourself.

The paaaiiinnn, the emotionssss ahhhhh!! They can't get through everything they want to say but they make sure to say the things they need and my heart hurts now thx! Im very glad Millie got to see him though. It helped close another leaking wound in her. Damn this whole ep is Millie being put through the emotional wringer as much as John and Mary are. It prolly felt really good to hit the cop in the face with a bat after all that.

Love Mary's fighting advice. It shows she gets the urgency and the need to not linger on too long since the end goal isnt to kick ass, but to actually defeat the Akrida. Her hubting experience shows and her reason for doing this shows too.

I just know Lara wouldve had a field day if she couldve gotten that monster essence. So sad for her actually.

Also you know if Ada had been left to her own devices she wouldve followed Tragic Haircut and found the Akrida queens location. We've seen she can be very cutthroat when needed and her input wasn't really needed in the van, but it was needed to follow the Akrida. Thats what i think anyways. Millie for all her harshness, would never leave the kids behind. Shes suprising soft underneath it all, Ada is surpsingly cutthroat. Yay more parallel and contrasts between them.

Oh Mary, you were wrong there and it almost cost you dearly (just like how Dean going after Billie assuming shes thanosing people went wrong). Love the call back to their first meeting. Hate the despair vibes cuz ouch. Samuel to the rescue, congrats, you did the bare minimum. ( i am not a fan of Samuel and all the call backs to Spn!john only make it worse everytime, especially the heroic last second save when he's been mia and shitty throughout otherwise).

God can't wait talking about the queen when she finally appears properly.

See y'all later for a double special of Dean alive (ish) and Trickster/Loki discussion.

[safedistancefrombeingsmart]

Hey there, this is re for anon who wrote about AA and RB's terfines. I'm glad somebody finally brought this up here. I'm honestly convinced you're giving Rachel too much benefit of the doubt and many of Martin's fans have been doing so for a while, so many of them very vocally supporters of trans people and some are trans themselves and seem to ignore Rachel's 'leanings' towards that.

Rachel seems to be, or at least was until the most recent deletion of her IG account, arguably very non bothered by presenting as 'gender critical'. In addition to the 'rumors' about her likes on Twitter (they weren't rumors - I was around before she cleared her tracks on Twitter and they were *blatant*. I'm trying to remember who had screenshots) , up until a few weeks ago she was following, for at least a year and even longer, accounts by terf "thought leaders" and reporters like Debra W. Soh (she no longer does, but she did a few weeks ago), Katie Herzog (still on her follow list) and AT LEAST another two French female 'gender critical' journalists whose names I don't remember but were very clearly and loudly TERF to the point of putting it in their bios. I would look every once in a while to see if she unfollowed them or not over the last year or so, because I imagined she might want to at least pretend she doesn't condone these accounts in any way. As I said, she removed all follows but the Katie Herzog one just in the most recent deletion. Which suddenly makes sense to me with all those recent different postings since she reopened the account. They're different from the older posts and it feels like she's gearing up or aiming for a different kind of attention, maybe she's hoping for modeling or acting roles. It's definitely a 'scrubbed' account this time. A feature film she wrote finished production so maybe she had actual PR remove her follow list and remove Debra Soh and the French journalists. I don't see a point saying 'she's still young'. She's in her 30s (was in her late 20s back then) and doesn't come off as stupid or not socially unaware, I'm sure she's aware that terf discourse is problematic. Maybe she honestly doesn't care. Doesn't bode well for Martin's opinions in that sense, which is why I've been distant from MF's fandom for a while, especially the 'forgiving' Rachel discourse. She comes of as far more problematic than we even realize. She's his partner and he's welcome to it, I'm convinced he's aware and doesn't care - but I do.

You see, this here ↑ is the reason why I was a bit reluctant to answer yesterday's post, why I didn't tag it. Because I knew it would attract more of ... this. I've thought long and hard about what I would write and if I even should answer at all. But you certainly made an effort and deserve an answer.

Clearly, transphobia is a huge problem and should never be ignored. That much I know. You clearly know much more about the topic. I honestly don't know any of the names you stated above. But then again, it's also not my agenda to unmask every terf on this planet. If that is yours- great. Everybody needs a purpose in life. 😉 But I don't have the time or the energy or the wish to check who follows who on twitter /Instagram and who likes what. That's not what I do and that's not something you will find on this blog.

And yes, I do give Rachel the benefit of the doubt. Does that make me naive and possibly even ignorant? Maybe. But I am also not a fan of Rachel- I am fan of Martin (which should be quite obvious xD). And Rachel happens to be a part of Martin's life. But like I wrote yesterday: people are not defined by their partner's opinion.

That's all I will say about this topic on this blog.

Just one more thing (even tho it should be obvious): I don't support any form of transphobia.

PS: I answered both your asks in one post. There really is no point to make another post about it. The answer would have been the same.

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

I think they went with kotone and makoto bc that's what Puzzle and Dragons did iirc; and speaking of how've the p3 and 4 ports been for ya if you got to them? I've heard they're both not that good lol

Yeah I know it's cause of that, and I HATED it when they did that too. But at the time I could give Atlus the benefit of the doubt that "oh it's just a placeholder for a collab!"

I just hate the crisscrossing of canons, it makes it very messy. Because now it's like "well why don't we just use Souji Seta then? I mean at least he has more in common with Game!Yu than Anime!Yu!" Doesn't help that Kotone (and when I say Kotone I mean the stage play only) and PQ2!FeMC don't feel like the same person. I dunno maybe I just need to watch more of the stage play, but Kotone feels a bit more sassy/dry humored at times. Like both can be lil shits but they have a different approach to it.

ANYWAY! As for the ports, haven't bought them yet. Waiting for a sale. 1) No physical means I'm in no rush to buy, 2) Which means I can wait for a sale, 3) I don't have time atm anyway (doing other stuff).

I heard it's mostly P3P that's having issues. I agree with some of the criticisms, it claiming it's a remaster is stupid, cause it's barely a touched up port. I think they should've added the skill inheritance thing (SMT3 did it, was it really that hard/bad to do?). Like I had no expectations of them adding really anything, but you'd think they could do just that. Well....no problem, reloading a fusion in P3P isn't as bad as FES so.... 8U

I stand by P3P is fine, but it should've been called a port not a remaster. Shame Atlus still couldn't do that and pissed on it's grave tho. u_u (if I was playing, I probs still enjoy it)

I also have a nice save file going on my fan remastered emulator anyway so I'd probs just play that just for it's new/fresh experience. If anyone got me, I know P3P modders got me!

[kolechiart]

YES YES YES YES. That's what makes him a good character and it's so annoying when people strip that away because he made the CHOICE to be that way despite the chances everyone offers him. he's treated with the option to stop all of this but he never will - not even DEATH has changed him and he's doomed himself to haunt his brother and the city by conscious choice via @weky-woof

* YES you get it! that's exactly what frustrates me because it's so clear that betrayus is making the conscious choice to keep being the bad guy and that seems to get lost in translation in fandom spaces. he has been handed so many opportunities to redeem himself yet refuses to take it because his ego just won’t allow him to.

betrayus only values himself and that renders him completely unable to make any meaningful connections with anyone. he only sees others as being pawns, props in his schemes and your value to him viewed exclusively through that lens. the second you're no longer of use it's shown he'll gleefully dispose you without a single second thought.

we've seen how he reacts to others being nice to him such as in the case with both pac and ellie: the pair have both attempted to give him the benefit of the doubt, extending him a hand of friendship and how did he respond? betrayus exploited their kindness. he used it as a means of manipulation and then swiftly abandoned them when he no longer reaped any benefits from having them around.

love is conditional to him. it's something he will give and take on a whim. it's something he will exploit the moment he is able to as it's never been about needing love, that's a front he puts on in order to get people to pity him. it's about having control over others. it's about having power. it's always been about that to him and always will be.

it's shown to us time and time again that being kind to him does not work. it will not fix him because that's not the problem, his egoistical selfishness is. he is doomed to be alone because he's unable to stop self sabotaging as he always wants more. he will never get a happy ending and he only has himself to blame. he's a victim of his own vile, awful behaviour and that's what makes him SO fascinating to me.

* i’ve never liked the narrative that betrayus was abused or otherwise had some tragic upbringing for a lot of reasons but man it annoys me more because the show itself contradicts this theory multiple times.

i blame this on people not grasping he’s an unreliable narrator who isn’t being truthful in his retellings but betrayus was never neglected nor does he have trauma. putting aside how nothing he talks about falls under those umbrellas to begin with: you're falling for his con. betrayus was, and still is despite everything he's done, deeply loved.

stratos loves his brother. despite all the pain, all the torment he still treats him like a little brother. he teases him, he playfully gets under his skin and talks about him fondly. at worst he treats betrayus with a frustrated impatience, the kind you’d reserve for a child, because he doesn't hate his brother and is instead trying to fix their relationship. we see him extending a hand of peace, such as inviting him to family gatherings so he feels included, yet betrayus only hisses in defiance.

rotunda loves her son, talking to him with such motherly warmth and fondness. he's a monster, she is fully aware of that yet she can't help but coo at him and assign him such a cutesy, affectionate nickname. any distance she has with him is entirely understandable when you put things in context: he was trying to use her as a pawn which she knew and shut him down. that doesn't mean she loves stratos more.

hell when you pay attention to how others talk about him you'll grow to notice nobody actually genuinely hates him: they're frustrated and disappointed with him. they speak about him with an air of sadness because they want him to be better but he never will. they know he will exploit any shred of kindness yet people like pacster still offer it.

betrayus is a tragedy not because he wasn't loved but because he was and it didn’t change him. it never will change him. his ego driven delusions have convinced him that he always deserves more to the point he made the conscious choice to kill and misplace thousands because the love he had wasn't enough. it never will enough for him and that's what makes him tragic. he's just a self fulfilling prophecy.

[unchained-lightner]

@emptyxhere continued from [ x ]

     To most, Reaper would have looked like just an uncaring, slightly shady teenager with messy bangs and a careless demeanor... But a more careful eye might have picked up on a lazy smile that was just a little bit too wide, eyes that glinted red as blood, teeth that looked unnervingly sharp. Both hands were currently stuffed into the pockets of their jacket, hiding the pointed, talon-like nails. They almost could have passed for human.

     But not quite.

     “Hey, depends on who you ask~” the demon hummed, straightening from their slouched position. They weren’t especially intimidating to look at, yet there was something about them-- the sleek, smooth movements, the playful attitude, the strangely focused gaze, mostly hidden from view-- that felt exceptionally dangerous. Almost... Predatory, as though they were sizing this kid up. Mostly because they were. “Most wouldn’t think much of a kid like you either,” the entity added with an amused flourish of one clawed hand, “But it looks to u̙̥̥̎̊̒ṡ̨̪͇̑͐ like you’ve been awful busy~” One crimson eye winked, the light flickering briefly.

      ‘Us?’ But, this teen was clearly alone... Not to mention the strange way their voice seemed to garble and distort in that single word, like an auditory glitch. That didn’t seem natural...

     “Y’know,” they continued, taking another smooth stride closer, “I’d suggest a heart to heart, but we haven’t had a s̻̪͖̏̌̚ỏ̺͕̺͒͂u̫̜͕͌̆̚ĺ͙̦̒͘�� in a long, long time~” The demon stopped there, eerie cheshire grin seeming only to broaden even more. Their flourish shifted seamlessly into a point, one index finger directed to the other human. The entity’s head tilted slightly to the side, like a curious puppy... On someone else it might’ve been endearing. “Instead, how about you share your story, and we’ll share ours~? Seems like a fair trade to me, and it looks like you have some very interesting tales to tell.”

[darlingbudsofrae]

idk... my issue is that these tweets are about 10 years old. i know i thought and said and posted things over 6 years ago that i wouldn't stand by today, and i too would delete them and ignore them. now, if he still stands by those tweets today, that's a whole separate issue. but 10 years is a long time, and i think if he said anything publicly at this very moment, he might end up fucking over shadow and bone. also, he doesn't seem very active on social media, so he may not feel like he's under any obligation to explain himself to the general public, even though it is in his best interest to do so.

hmmm i didn't consider that tbh,, cuz the criticism against him i'm kind of considering valid is that "he had the time to delete the tweets within seconds but never addressed them" altho i do think it's harsh to say never because for all we know, and thanks for reminding me,, he could be taking the time to collect the words to appropriately address the situation because it is a grave matter. either that, or his management told him to stay put or something. or we have the third option where he does still uphold these views which hopefully isn't the case. one thing i'd disagree on tho is the obligation part, i feel like as a professional slash public figure and feel free to correct me on this but i think he knows he has the obligation to explain himself regardless of how inactive he is in social media. i do wish he could address this really soon because yeah,, it's looking really bad for him the more he puts it out but until then, i hope the fandom can be less toxic and at least reserve their judgments until he addressed the tweets.

i didn't really want to spoke about this but the thing i hate about the internet is how most of the times, the culture and time isn't considered at these cases. i think we've come so far as a society towards this social issues that we easily forget that this wasn't the case at times back. also, a decade and a year is a pretty long time, there's a chance for growth there- lots, i just hope he took it.

i saw a lot of people on twt saying "he was famous for a while now (since he was on a big show or something) and if he really regretted it, he should've apologized long ago". the thing is tho, these tweets only resurfaced because majority of the fans were so unhappy with the casting that they managed to miraculously dig up tweets that he made a decade ago when he was in his early/mid teens. for all we know, he'd probably forgotten about it as he grew up. i honestly felt bad for him on that regard, although it really would be on his best interest to respond asap cuz while there are some of us that can give him the benefit of the doubt like that, most people on the internet aren't really forgiving. of course, again- regardless of the words whatever he has to say there will always be people that'll hate him, but a bit of acknowledgement would be nice.

i am all for holding people accountable but most of the grishaverse fandom, at least on the side i've seen about this issue, confuses accountability with life sentence. everyone is so set on subjecting him to the tweets and not giving him the space to at least clarify himself, and i saw a lot of people sending him death threats and people making fun of his looks and people joking about organizing a murder and it's just so sick?? like,, that's just as low as the tweets he made those years ago, altho i'd push that the condemnation against him now is worse than what they're condemning him for because we're at a time and height of the internet were majority of us know this is wrong, this is vile and sick and it just reeks of performativity. at least give him a chance to explain himself before condemning him completely to his past.

i'd clarify that i think it's valid to be offended and hurt by those tweets, but to stoop down below to the level of decade-old tweets that were likely influenced by his surroundings, this isn't a defense this is to give understanding to what probably made him tweet those things but here's a serious question— what's the excuse of everyone in the fandom jokingly plotting on killing him/sending him death threats/and other insults?

the sad thing is, i honestly don't think those tweets would've resurfaced if most of the fandom didn't hate him so much (or at least they would've resurfaced at a much later time or sum). they just tried to find an opportunity to hate on him and sadly for patrick gibson's part, they found one. i would clarify again that these tweets did offend me, still feels a bit off for me, but as someone who had similar thoughts way back because of my surroundings,, i can't help but feel bad for some of the hate he's receiving rn (we can do both people) and hope that he changed.

this is pretty long and lowkey kinda preachy (also i derailed a lot lol it's the adhd lmao) so sorry for subjecting u to that anon, but thank u for this ask ♥

[tmabutlesbian]

expanding on my pirate tma au

martin is definitely going to be the main character, or at least annabelle's crew is going to be the main one. a lot of shit happen to them, n also elias isn't really that great of a captain n jonah doesnt care enough abt raids to do them, which is ironic, since that's what a pirate does

now, there's going to be two points of intense tension between martin n two very important people in his life: gerry and annabelle. he will feel betrayed while these two hopelessly try to tell him that they didnt have any other choice, which he thinks is bullshit

the reason for the tension is new pirate on the rise, one that came from the english navy, which is why he's so talked about. "he's just a rich kid playing pirate" "no wonder he's on the rise, doesn't need any raiding with all that english money" etc etc. some wanna give him the benefit of the doubt, but most pirate crews do not care for him and will not negotiate or even speak to him

that is, until a lot of them start to make deals with him, even people that stay inland make deals with him, for various reasons. money, cargo, information, contacts, travel, people, etc. It disgusts martin, he knows he's as corrupt and as horrid as you can get and he doesnt understand those who deal with him, looking for an easy way out of their problems. "arent pirates supposed to be separate from the english, fight them? why side with them? he's obviously not a real pirate, he's planning something"

he says this to anyone who will listen, and at 14, he gets kidnapped by a group of men looking to make easy money, and besides they get another smart mouthed kid out of the streets. this is where he gets his top canines pullet out, but annabelle comes to the rescue and promptly kills any man who is not martin on site

only at 16 did he finally realize that those men were child traffickers, and that they needed to have had a big boss or some connection to the trading. he focuses on finding out who the fuck was in the market for trafficking children, and killing them. which leads to this new english pirate

martin has a hunch that he is that trafficker, even tho he lacks evidence. he would have the money and the secrecy of rank on his side, he has great ship and many connections, and has been seen with a great amount of questionable characters, some of them known traffickers of any kind. he fits the bill, and he was around during the time martin was kidnapped. he just needs confirmation

he confides in gerry with all of this, and he makes a pretty solid case, so gerry is on his side, always. he still warns martin to not do anything rash until total confirmation, since he as a pretty strong crew, a lot of pirate allies, and may still be in contact with the navy. killing him off is going to cause problems, so at least cause them knowing you were in the right to do so. martin agrees, and continues his investigation

that is until he finds out gerry took a deal with this same pirate. martin's 18 now, and was already a bit tense with gerry, but over something stupid: he has a new friend, oliver or 'ollie' as gerry likes to call him. he's a lil bit jealous but he also knows that its stupid, they're friends and gerry is allowed to have another or a thousand more. still, martin does get a bit more awkward if he knows oliver is around, which he tries n fails to hide

on one of the few visits that martin is able to have, gerry is the one who is tense now. martin pushes the issue, hoping to still have a chill time with gerry. gerry asks martin first why he was tense beforehand. martin is uncomfortable with that and says so but gerry pushes the issue, diverting the attention from him. martin thinks if he confesses his jealousy over oliver maybe gerry will tell him whats wrong, so he does

gerry is not mad, a little confused and reassures martin that he is still his best friend, ollie is just a newcomer from england. and this shocks martin. he didnt know that. apparently oliver used to be in the navy but didnt agree with their methods or what they were fighting for, and so left to become a farmer or something more mundane, which led him to gerry and his bookshop, as well as his magic investigation. oliver also found out his abilities and knew he would be executed for them, so he ran (magic is outlawed).

gerry never told this to martin, which hurts him a bit, but he gets it. its personal and incriminating information, and while he can understand his fear of being found as a magic user, he cannot relate to his rich background, making him suspicious in martin's eyes. assuming that was the secret gerry was keeping martin relaxes. until gerry confesses to making a deal with the famed navy pirate, and that was too much.

martin points the blade of his rapier to gerry's throat, putting distance between them with an obvious threat. "that was your last straw" he has never felt this betrayed in his life. gerry tries to explain but martin just repeats what he said before, voice breaking. he turns and goes back to the ship, not looking back.

the crew is surprised to see him back so early, normally he spends all the days they have to rest in gerry's company. the big three, annabelle, salesa and even peter are worried. annabelle is the first to approach him and just says "you and gerry had a fight." martin leaves her presence and doesnt talk abt it, working on his bombs and oiling his weapons and keeping to himself. much later, they find out why.

annabelle, two years later, does the same. jon, tim, n sasha were visiting annabelle's ship, with martin annoying them all the time. sasha, offhandedly, not really knowing how sensitive martin is about it, tells him about annabelle's deal with the navy pirate. martin freezes and turns serious, almost angry. they have only seen martin being a lil menace, smirking and laughing. in fact, tim had even teased annabelle earlier that day about martin never taking anything serious, which she scolded him for, because martin had problems like everybody else.

annabelle, who literally was going to talk to martin about this deal and come clean, comes at just the right time. needless to say, there's a big fight behind closed doors, which jontimsasha end up being privy to. annabelle leaves knowing her mistake without knowing how to explain the truth without possibly causing trouble. she leaves, and with martin's door closed, so do the trio leave.

so. for another two years, it's very awkward aboard The Hidden (that's annabelle's, former peter's ship, if i wasnt clear enough btw). its tense, martin is depressing, not even peter likes this (peter very much kinda redeems himself in this au, baby martin got to him). so what happens two years later? well martin turns 22, and annabelle gets ill.

salesa is also pretty injured and peter is well, just not there all that much, especially with how boring the ship has become. so, when a meeting with said navy pirate is brought up, martin says to let him take care of it. annabelle stays in gerry's home (akwardddd) and martin is brought on the ship on a dingy from the navy captain's own boat.

boarding the ship is fine, martin's just bitchy, but focuses on getting to the captain's quarters. he gets there, and the captain does most of the talking, while martin wishes for time to pass quicker. that is, until the captain asks "do you really take orders from a person like her?" martin just raises an eyebrow, questioning.

"well, shes just a woman, a black one at that, not to mention that she dabbles in witchcraft. as if the piracy sentence isn't enough, yknow..." martin ignores the first part since hes used to ppl undermining annabelle everytime they breathe, especially old white men. but the last part catches his attention. "not to rain on your parade, but we're all heading to the noose. we're all pirates after all, even you. the treason is strong with you, navy captain."

"oh... so she didnt tell you. maybe it was shame, maybe she didnt trust you." martin is confused until the captain explains: he very much did not leave the navy. well, technically he did, but he made a deal. if he gets as much intel as he can, and as many good deals in goods with the pirates, he can comeback, and make everyone just a but more rich, as well as condemning the pirates to death.

"ofc, i made sure that no one would tell on me. after all, the walls have ears. or maybe eyes is more accurate. a little trick i knew from jonah, an old classmate of mine. theyre the only pirates that i havent messed with, since it wouldnt work on jonah anyways." martin is horrified. the whole time, so many pirates just had the threat of death hanging upon them? "also a lot of you pirate lot want out of this life. anyone willing to tell on their mates doesnt get hanged, but those who choose to keep their secrets get an early death. i asked for your intel: annabelle didnt give it to me. so death awaits her."

"some tried to talk ofc, warn others. i got them silenced quickly enough. you were one of them, a few years ago, when u were just a lil boy, feisty little thing u are." martin is gonna kill this man and his everyone on this ship. hes so stupid. he jsut told this all to martin and what? expects to come out of this alive? he eyes the men around him while they look over the details of the meeting, of annabelle's meeting with this fucking idiot of a murderer. one of them is a man martin recognises as being a horrid little predator.

he chucks one knife into his throat. a warning if u will. everyone gets on edge, anyone who was sitting is now standing, including the captain. martin has his gun drawn right to his face.

"u wont shoot me. u kill me, any of these men here can inform the navy. and even if u leave with ur life, we'll just sail straight to the english, with all the info i need right in this ship. u wanna kill annabele that badly boy?" martin stays silent, focusing on a spot behind the captains head, just an inch to the side. he couldnt have planned this better truly.

he shoots. he misses the captains head. he laughs, amazed at having witnessed martin, the little weaver, miss a shot. in all his years away from home, hiding from his family and playing at pirates, he has never known martin to miss. and now, hes gonna die.

until martin says "i never miss." and his eyes flash gold. and then the wall behind them explodes into splinters. i'll save all the details of this fight for another post this one is enormous but, spoilers, martin kills the captain, kills everyone in the ship except for some prisoners he helps escape and the doctor who very much wanted to get out of there. he also lits the boat on fire and swims back to land, bloodied, bruised, slashed a bit, and only on bullet graze. he wouldve left sooner but he came back to rip the knife out of the guys neck from earlier. he always comes back with all of them.

needless to say, everyone is shocked at the boat sinking and on fire. peter is the one who finds martin almost drowning and helps him on land, and then gets salesa to help carry him to annabelle.

martin gets there, annabelle recovering from poisoning apparently, cuz she was gonna rat the navy captain out but it didnt work, and gerry is there treating her. martin looks like shit, and everyone jsut kinda. looks at each other. salesa delivers the news that it was martin who took him down. everyone is so relieved, n gerry comes closer. martin tries to back away, guilty and anxious, not sure what gerry wants, tries to argue that theyre still kinda mad at each other when gerry kisses him (their first kiss!!!! AHHHHHHHHH)

anyways yh thats it... this got so big im so sorry. also the english knew that the navy captain was gonna die mist likely cuz they didnt like him much, so if he came back they would still kill him!! fun fact for yall. also yes the captain had eye powers like jonah, as i explained. he also made ppl paranoid to not speak to others since u dont know who is willing to rat others out or who decided to not do that, n it was a huge life risk that no one was willing to take. at least half the pirate community was involved in this while the rest was just chilling btw

[bi-rising]

i'm the attraction anon! as ever your answers are a fountain of knowledge to my ignorant ass lol. i do see your point about how attraction may be different for every person, so thanks for that!

i'm not a native english speaker tho so when i try to make my asks as short as possible not to bore people, the meaning of what i wanted to say in the first place changes. i did not mean to imply that lesbians (it was an example, they could be replaced with gays or straights tbh) don't ever have relationships with trans women!! i forgot the word "passing" exists so when i said female bodies, i meant to say a pre-op trans woman who doesn't pass and therefore has a masculine body, which i assumed lesbians wouldn't normally be attracted to (there are trans ppl who manage to look androgynous or like the sex they're aiming to transition to before they do, i mean those who don't—i said it sounded harsh at the end bc it's not something that i say lightly, without knowing how fucked up of a reality it is for trans ppl).

i know there are ppl who can't transition and that there's nothing wrong with that! i'm bi so to me it doesn't really matter, but i was trying to put myself in the shoes of a monosexual person. for example, imagine ariana grande happens to be a trans man. he can't transition bc he's not out, or for whatever reason that is ofc valid, so he has a female body/sex (i mean there's no other word for it, right? femenine? breasts, curves, long hair, etc). would a gay man or a straight woman be attracted to him when he fully looks like a woman? that's the kind of situation i meant. bc of what you told me, now i understand that there are people who don't mind the sex as long as the gender is the one they're attracted to (and that yes, it's wrong to bar pre-transition ppl from relationships), but i meant attraction at first sight, like being attracted to someone you see walking on the street. also, when you say genitals are the core of my point, yes, but i meant to say (again, my bad) that biological sex has a lot to do with attraction because consequences of one sex or the other (secondary sex characteristics) are related to masculinity and femeninity, but i guess that falls more on the preferences side? rather than actual sexuality... idk.

also, sorry that there are people shitting on you for your answer, to put you in such a position was not my intention at all!!

hello!! thank you so much for clarifying, like i said in the post, i wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt, and i'm very glad that i was right in that!! and it's totally okay that you're not a native speaker, i think we just had a little bit of a misunderstanding between that and my adhd adskjfalsdkf oops

but yes!! going off of passing, then yes, i agree with you! if a person is not passing as their gender, then it's totally understandable for a monosexual person to not be attracted to them. i had misunderstood, and thought you were mainly talking about genitals and not passing/social transitioning! it's completely understandable for a monosexual person to not be attracted to someone who doesn't pass. which is tough for trans people, absolutely, and is one of the reasons why things like depression rates in trans people is so high.

anyway, yes, with your clarification, i agree with you! and as for the asshole in my notes, that was totally not your fault. idk why she even came for me; i've never seen her blog in my life, and it seemed like she was just going around looking to cause problems, based on the highly transphobic and biphobic things on her blog. it absolutely had nothing to do with you, so don't feel guilty about it, she was just looking to start a fight with someone and decided i'd unfortunately be her target adkaldskfasdf