#this is NOT character bashing btw

[ladystoneshart]

I feel so bad for myrcella like imagine you're a 10 year old chess prodigy who only wants to be cute and hang out with her friends but you end up losing like half of your face because your boyfriend's hot sister convinced your newest father figure that you would be a good president (you would)

AND ALSO you and your siblings are doomed to die in childhood because your dumbass loser mother who you haven't seen in like 2 years received a cursed prophecy from a circus magician when she was a child (???) free myrcella man wtf

[fellow-fandom-fruitifier]

AU where Edwin knows he's gay from the start would be fire me thinks.

Imagine if he thinks he deserved Hell but still wants to escape and feel so wrong and selfish for it. So he never tells Charles what actually happened between 1916-1989, Charles only knows whatever happened was very bad no good. Edwin would be horribly, painfully aware that he was falling for Charles. But that's wrong, isn't it? Boys can't like boys.

So he tries so hard to ignore it, tamp it down. He can't let Charles know. If he knows then he'll know why he's avoiding the afterlife, that he deserves to go to Hell.

Charles knows Edwin is scared of Death and the afterlife, he assumes that something happened from 1916-1989 that convinced Edwin he was damned but there's just no damn way someone as good as Edwin deserves Hell. But, selfishly, he never tries to convince Edwin to go. To leave for his beautiful afterlife.

Then Port Townsend happens.

Crystal is no idiot, she can tell Edwin's jealous from the start. She can tell Charles thinks it's because they're best friends, she can tell it's because Edwin's in love. That doesn't stop her though, she deserves one good thing after everything, doesn't she?

(I think Cat King would go very similar to canon, but it's less of "I'm not gay" and more of "I know what I am but these urges aren't okay".)

Niko loves love, she can tell Edwin loves Charles. She can tell Edwin doesn't know it's okay. Niko helps him through it, becomes his confidant, the first person he confesses everything to. I think they would have a huge conversation that ends in them both crying -- Edwin bemoaning his unrequited love, Niko mourning for him -- and cuddled up watching Scooby-Doo. (The sprites get teary eyed too but still mock them, Niko calls them out and they deny it. "It's dusty as shit in this old ass glass!" "Yeah, we're getting fucking pick eye in here!" "When's the last time you even washed this shit-ass jar?")

It all comes to a head with the Night Nurse. We all know her spiel, "I'm taking Edwin back to Hell and Charles to get processed." But Charles doesn't know Edwin's been processed. Charles doesn't know Edwin's assigned to Hell.

Niko is empathetic, not forcing Edwin to explain but not once thinking he did anything to deserve it. Crystal is up in arms, demanding to know what he did to deserve Hell, demanding to know why he hid it from Charles. Charles is confused, conflicted. Edwin's his best mate! There's no way he deserves Hell! But... but why didn't he tell Charles? Edwin is overwhelmed and panicked and no, no, no! Charles was never supposed to know!

Now, listen. Niko isn't one for confrontation, she doesn't like to fight. But hearing Crystal rip into an unresponsive Edwin while Charles lingers unsure on the back has her heart breaking, has her head hurting. So she steps in, shouts at them to stop, that they'll talk tomorrow when they've cooled off. And drags Edwin off to her room for the night. She doesn't demand answers and he doesn't give them.

The next day, everyone's off. The tension is high and only building. Crystal keeps sending Edwin pointed comments and Edwin is actively ignoring her existence. Charles is conflicted, caught between Crystal and Edwin; taking both their sides without taking either. And Niko doesn't know how to soothe any of it, so she sticks close to Edwin.

Eventually the four are leaving the graveyard, Crystal and Charles arguing when she rounds on Edwin. "And you! Don't think I forgot about you!" Niko tries to step in and stop it like she did last time but Edwin's tired, he's had enough, he breaks. "I was sacrificed! I was sacrificed and spent seventy-three gruelling years fighting to escape! There, happy? Might we please move on now?"

He storms past them all and for the first time since this dispute started, Niko is angry. She tells Crystal that wasn't okay, that it was cruel. And takes off after Edwin, leaving Charles and Crystal standing uselessly.

"I didn't know..." Neither remember who said that.

[lady-of-the-spirit]

annoying as fuck to see people acting like Madam Jin made excuses for Jin Zixuan and tried to pressure Jiang Yanli into marriage with him as if 99% of her scenes aren't her going "I'm sorry about my stupid loser son's behaviour Yanli dearest I'll make him apologize if it's the last fucking thing I do don't worry about a thing"

[meanderingstream]

Thoughts on Leverage OT3 and Canon

I think that if some of the things that the OT3 said to each other were said by a man and a woman in a TV show, the audience would clearly read it as romantic. Like if a hetero ship said:

“For better or worse, we change together,” from the Rundown Job {for better, for worse, in sickness and in health…}

and “til my dying day” from the Long Goodbye Job {to death do us part},

and (you never really need anything.) “Yeah, I did [soft, loving look], but thanks to you I don’t have to search anymore,” from the Long Goodbye Job

and Hardison’s “for tonight, [name] has perfect pitch. You ever wonder how Britney Spears sounds so good on her tracks? Well, this is it, except mine's is in real time, Baby.” From the Studio Job,

and Parker’s [I’ll] “be here for you forever and we’ll always be together” from the Harry Wilson Job,

and Hardison’s “I’m here if you need me. Anytime,” from the Fractured Job

and the Hurricane Job with Parker and Eliot’s “I can’t do this without you.” “Well, that’s never gonna happen, [name].” “The arm around me was a nice touch,”

and “I’m making a four-course meal for them” from the Date Night Job

and “maybe I don’t like watching someone I care about take punches meant for me. You know, maybe I don’t wanna do a job that involves me watching you get hurt all the time.” From the Weekend in Paris Job

and “I mean, I’m in a great relationship, but would I even be in it if it were up to those swiping machines?” “We are in trouble.” “Nah, I mean, [me and you]? That’s fine. That’s working.”

If all those things had been said between one male and one female character, I feel like the audience would pretty clearly read it as romantic. I mean, my mom insists that Joan Watson and Sherlock Holmes got together romantically at the end of Elementary because of the hug and the line, “I’m staying. Of course I’m staying,” even though it did not read it that way to me. General audiences will read a lot of things as confirming a m/f couple because they see that kind of story so often that it’s what they expect.

Now granted, TV shows do like their slow burns because it provides tension without having to create problems in an established relationship, so fans of straight ships often do have a long wait for canonization. However, people didn’t question whether Josh and Donna from The West Wing or Tony and Ziva from NCIS were romantically interested in each other. It was clearly canon that they had those type of feelings or that type of interest for each other, there were just other things getting in the way of them actually starting to date. If a hetero ship said all those quotes listed above to each other, their romantic interest would absolutely be read as canon by the audience, even if they had not yet been shown on a date or kissing in the show. But because this is between 3 people, the OT3 is a somewhat niche ship in the general audience of Leverage outside of tumblr and AO3.

Like many of us here, I also felt let down when the Maria plotline happened in season 1 of L:R, especially after John Roger’s tweet that they’d canonized the OT3 after the Long Goodbye Job and his tweet that “your OT3 is safe” about the reboot. He specifically called it the OT3 in both cases, which pretty clearly refers to polyamory. If he meant that the characters that make up the OT3 (Hardison, Parker, and Eliot) are safe as in alive and healthy, then he should have said that. If he meant their friendship was safe, then he should have said that. If he meant they are in an open relationship or that Eliot is in a queer  emotional relationship with the other two but is not romantically and/or se✖ually involved with them, that should have been made clearer in the show. Instead, by the end of season 1, we got Eliot looking for fulfillment in life by trying to find a girlfriend to settle down with, and Parker qualifying her statement that they'd be together forever with “I know it's not the same [as a romantic relationship].”

Parker and Hardison’s romance is clearly stated and shown in the series (as it should be because they are awesome <3), but Eliot is not included in this unambiguously romantic relationship. While I am loving the partnership between the 3 of them and all of the OT3 nods so far in the 3rd season, I am also a little frustrated that they are just nods.

The burden of proof for a queer and/or poly ship is higher than a m/f pair. There is enough canon evidence to make a compelling argument that Eliot is the life partner of Hardison and Parker. However, the burden of proof for this type of relationship is higher because it is not what audiences are trained to expect. I adore the 3 of them together, and whether the series would show them all kissing or give us open, explicit discussion of their relationship as something like a queer-platonic partnership (probably not using that term, but that kind of relationship), I would love it either way. As it is now though, we get hints and nods that make OT3 shippers freak out, but that can be easily overlooked by general audiences as just good friends. If they are meant to be read as just really good friends, I wish John Rogers would not have used the term OT3, the definition of which includes the word “polyamory.” If they are meant to be polyamorous, I wish the show would make it unambiguous that’s what is going on, meeting that higher burden of proof for queer relationships.

On the other hand, I don’t want to complain about queer-baiting, because I feel like it’s not allowed to confirm your main characters are in a polyamorous relationship in a procedural like this that doesn’t center relationship drama. That seems like it’s just not possible yet. They are allowed to have a canon lesbian main character now- unlike in the original series- but I feel like maybe polyamory is still not an option. So the only other option than what the writers are currently doing is to totally disavow the OT3, which I obviously don’t want to happen. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong by the end of L:R season 3. I would absolutely love that to happen (dear God, please make that happen). But I’m not holding my breath.

I do still really appreciate John Rogers for the way he runs the show (both in the original and for season 3 of L:R) and for openly acknowledging and even supporting polyamorous ships, which is rare to find. I am aware that they fought for more queer representation in the original series but were only allowed that one cop lady from the Experiment Job in a single episode. Maybe this is the most they can get away with now, or maybe they are choosing to walk the line between hinting for the shippers while maintaining plausible deniability for everyone else. An intentional position of strategic ambiguity.

My point is that even if you don't account for the OT3 tweets, the canon status of the relationship between Hardison, Eliot, and Parker is complicated. It has enough textual evidence that if it were about a m/f pairing, then at minimum their interest/intent would be considered obviously canon. However, it does not meet the higher burden of proof that general audiences need in order to clearly realize when a queer relationship is happening. So it's left in this limbo between fully canon supported and totally unnoticed.

[chestersbraincell]

Grumbo this Scarian that Mumscar this that GUYS. Just make them poly it’s NOT that hard

[kiwibirbkat]

I rly hate the lack of Tori content

Like, I understand why most of the content is about Charlie and heartstopper because! There's more content there, and they have a TV show, and an ongoing plot, and like, Charlie is the main character, and he goes through a lot, so naturally he's going to be the main focus! But like...

Tori has a whole book about her. Not just her own book, but the first book. She's the first character in the Osmanverse. Every other character technically stemmed from her.

In that book, it is almost entirely about her depression, and her struggle, and her downward spiral, and-

Like. Charlie obviously has a lot of struggle. Obviously. But so does Tori, and I wish some people would get that? Like, I get some people haven't read Solitaire. But, like, even in the TV show you can see her struggling in the background and I wish some people would just acknowledge that.

[camellcat]

I love how selfish spike is. his love isn't "unselfish" it's SO selfish

when he tries to be good it is always for an ulterior purpose. even if that purpose may not be evil, it's certainly not unselfish. you think he'd give a shit about dawn if she wasn't buffy's entire world? do you lot remember how quickly he dropped her when buffy started fucking him? even if we want to talk about the beginning of s6 that was out of guilt and obligation. and I'm not saying he didn't care about anyone else there because he definitely did, but he wouldn't have been there if not FOR buffy

he enjoys buffy happy because he does love her, yes, and her joy is a beautiful to him. but he likes her upset just as well too. he revels in buffy's suffering. he likes her hurt and he likes that she hurts him and he likes to hurt her. it's a language he understands, that he enjoys. he just likes her in whatever way will make her pay attention to him longer

I'll freely admit that he's emotionally supportive for her, which is something she needs desperately. but a lot of the times that's just when he himself isn't being someone who's actively deciding to tear her down. either way, as long as he's affecting her on some tangible level that makes him feel like he matters to her, he doesn't particularly care if it's for the better or the worse

I've just seen a lot of people call him unselfish and I don't agree. at all. probably ever. I don't know if this is a common fandom idea or if I've done that thing again where I've stumbled across a minority that I can't escape, but. just putting my opinion on it out there I suppose

[one-real-wrimonkey]

I will elaborate later but Taiyang Xiao Long is a bad dad even if the reason why is understandable. There’s a difference between being a bad person, and being a bad parent. He loves his kids, that doesn’t change the damage done.

[sonik-kun]

Let's remind eachother why Jiang Cheng resorted to leading the seige, shall we?

If you recall, WWX inadvertently killed JZX after he lost control of WN. JZX being JC's brother in law .. The heir to the powerful Jin sect but most importantly, his sister's husband whom she loved dearly.

EVEN THEN JC DIDN'T OUTRIGHT DECLARE A SIEGE!

We see he's reluctant, torn, but still holds some hope for WWX. This can be seen in the line thereafter where WWX loses control once again and JC cries "I thought you could control it!"

Both JC and JYL in that moment couldn't truly bring themselves to go after WWX and hold him accountable. But we can also see that they are torn. That they are unsure how to feel about WWX and the dangerous person he has now become. We see this when JYL is dying and she can't bring herself to express what she may or may not be feeling in that moment.

But love and loyalty aside, let's look at what would happen if JC didn't take part in the siege.

If JC didn't take part he would either look complicit in JZX's death or he would look like a weak coward who rolls over for his former second in command. Not only that, he would be expected to pursue justice on behalf of his sister. How would it look if he didn't raise a finger to kill or apprehend his sister and her husband's "killer?"

We don't even know if he wanted to kill WWX in that siege or apprehend him. Giving his literal job and the politics of that world, he wouldn't be wrong to do either. JC's job is to keep his people safe. And if WWX has become a threat, a threat that killed two of his family members, then I'm afraid to say it is his duty to stop him.

I would also argue in defence of his mental state at the time of his siege. JC literally lost his only remaining family left, his sister leaving behind an orphaned nephew. He's also not being fed the information we as the reader receive.

From his pov WWX had not only betrayed him to side with the sect that had nearly decimated his own, but it also looked like he had walked down the dark path and had become corrupted by his DC. His corruption had led to the death of people who he loved. In JC's eyes, WWX had betrayed him first.

Now before anyone starts, I am in no way condoning the massacre of the Wen remnants. But I would like to argue that we don't even know JC's full role in the siege other than that he lead it.

His goal was to get to WWX. If he wanted the Wen dead, he would have sided with the rest of the cultivation world in the beginning instead of defending WWX's actions and being mocked and demeaned for it. He was willing to embarrass himself and receive criticism from the other sect leader's for WWX! That to me suggests his love and loyalty for his brother.

For all we know, JC's party could have went after WWX and his fierce corpse army. Whilst the Jin took advantage and took care of the Wen. WWX never blames JC for the death of the Wen nor does he seek justice or revenge. Instead he puts the blame on the Jin when the truth of their conniving comes out. So.. if you think JC should be held accountable for the Wen, WWX himself doesn't even entertain that idea. 🤷

So no, actually. The siege does not nullify Jiang Cheng's sacrifice. JC made that sacrifice out of love for his brother without a second thought. JC only turned against WWX at the very last minute when he inadvertently got his beloved sister killed. He could have picked the easy way out and sided with the three powerful sects to take down WWX and the Wen a long time ago but he didn't. Because he loved WWX. He respected him. And he was only pushed to commit the atrocities he commited because of WWX. JC is not inherently evil.

[trashfangirlsworld]

I’m thinking about the fundamental difference between tallulah’s “adoption” attempts. QBad, qforever and the others wanted to adopt Tallulah because they thought since she was sad about her father’s absence that she needed a new parent to replace him so she could be happy, which is not what Tallulah wants and why she said no. On the other hand there’s qPhil who’s always considered her close family without saying anything, through small actions because qwilbur, who is his son, entrusted her to him to give her a family while he’s gone, and he doesn’t joke about qwilbur not being real and always makes mention of how much tallulah is like her dad and the stuff they can do together when he’s back because he knows qwilbur will return because he knows how much he loves her. That’s why she asks qphil to consider her his daughter, because he loves her like that while including and not dismissing the family that she already has

[fandomsnrambles]

You know, i didnt really realise this until i was reading into it properly but

It says that Garmadon took more risks after the Aspheera incident, not after the venom. Which implies the venom didn’t make him reckless and impulsive which i’d assumed at first tbh, ive seen a lot of posts say it too.

Which kinda implies the venom more likely affects emotions which are already there and probably amplifies them by corrupting said feelings?

I mean, it says here Garmadon became impulsive after the Aspheera incident, where the FSM started talking to them less out of paranoia and probably realising his kids weren’t mature enough to know about certain things.

What if the reason why is that the Aspheera incident and his father’s reaction caused resentment to build up in Garmadon? Then Garmadon started questioning his father and started seeing much less reason to obey his father as well so took risks and broke rules.

Then he got bitten by a snake whose venom caused him to become more impulsive and affected his thoughts and feelings? I say this because of the “It’s all Wu’s fault!” thing he said in the show. In other books, Garmadon goes on to blame himself not Wu, which really shows how he really feels and how he first blamed Wu due to the venom, not because of how he felt.

(Tbh i also feel if Wu was the one who got bit, Garmadon would blame himself the same way Wu did for centuries after. Like “I’m his big brother! Why didn’t I go? Why was I such a coward?”

On another note, sad Wu hours 😔, my boy had to grow up fast because of trauma. To be honest, it’s not uncommon for 7-year olds to test the limits of whats allowed and whats not. Breaking rules is normal kid behaviour to me, it’s just more extreme because Wu and Garmadon are the FSM’s kids (whose basically god in Ninjago.)

I imagine 7-year old Wu didn’t properly understand the consequence or the concept of going onto Serpentine land. Which isn’t illogical, he’s 7 years old. I imagine Garmadon was at least 10 (or maybe Wu was 10 and Garmadon was 13 idk) which means Garmadon being more responsible is more understandable, he knew more than Wu and understood more.

I also still find it so so sad how their roles flipped. Wu was always more curious and explorative which is why he went everywhere. I bet you he was the kid running and throwing himself in mud with his brother screaming at him not too lmao, or even the kid eating random plants as Garmadon tried to stop him. Wu’s curiosity and recklessness is still in him in adulthood, he’s very unhinged if you actually look deeper into him.

[holograms-in-the-night]

Not to get into discourse, but now that Shadaria is a controversial subject, I must say that it's "something" to see people on the Sonic fandom saying things like "Elise fans are being hypocrites for not liking Shadaria" "Sonelise fans are bashing Shadaria" "Amy and Elise shouldn't be put against each other for Sonic", conveniently ignoring the fact that this two fanbases harrased Elise fans since 06 was launched, making a very horrible fan space to the point that most of us ended up leaving the fandom or separating from it.

And now due to Maria being referred as "Shadow's Sister" in some official descriptions, people started to bash and harrass Shadaria fans (which I do not approve of), and the same people who harrassed Elise and Sonelise are now saying "but Sonelise fans hate on Shadaria :'(" "sonelise fans are picking fights with Shadaria fans 😢"...while...stilll hating on Elise and being total jerks to... her fans...???

???

Of course that not every Sonamy or Shadaria that exist has harrassed an Elise fan, but for the love of Mephiles (?) stop. pls stop.

[jonathan-cranes-mistress-of-fear]

I think I would have liked Nolanverse Jonathan better if he had some sort of backstory, or if he was bullied by the other characters. The problem is he's so damn charismatic and likable that the scene where he shows his mask is just laughable instead of scary. Wooo, you bought burlap from JoAnn fabrics, so did every Karen this fall.

The mask itself doesn't help, which doesn't feel like a Scarecrow (the maggots were overkill) mask should, it feels kind of like it'd be gross to touch, but not scary? Like a booger under kindergarten desk

and pair that with the suit? It just feels...lazy

They could have given him some sort of backstory, even if explained in a tie-in comic or other media but he's just A Guy. And there's no real reason that we should feel sorry for him when he loses. And that's not what the rogues (outside of joker) are suppose to be. They're meant to my sympathetic, humans with flaws, the reason you don't do "that", which in Jonathan case is getting revenge on his bullies.

I don't even think his teaching career was mentioned, correct me if I'm wrong?

[parttimetomfooler]

And what if I wrote ATYD but for the Skittles? Huh? What if I write half a million words about Barty Crouch Jr. pinning over his bsf (and maybe Regulus' brother - hear me out!)?? Huh?? What if I write Regulus dying and Barty having to watch and it finally pushing him over the edge because Reggie was all he had left and he thought he was being careful??? What then??

[hvackisser]

Not me making a s/i for a game that I'm probably not even gonna play myself 😭🙏 here it is folks some simple ref of my bg3 tav!

She's a half-elf Paladin and a follower of Oghma, the God of Knowledge, with a sage background ♡ she's got an insatiable and somewhat macabre curiosity that leads her to explore things that are sometimes considered a bit disturbing but she finds fascinating! She has a bit of a manic edge that can make her seem a bit inconsiderate at times because she talks faster than she can think, but she means well and is very sweet! And of course she's catching feelings for a certain someone 😊

♡taglist♡: @me-myself-and-my-fos @tiny-cloud-of-flowers @sunstar-of-the-north @dearly-beeloved @changeling-selfship @crushes-georg @squips-ship @drjohndisco @adoredbyalatus

[camellcat]

y'all I used to be normal about xander harris. I used to go yeah y'know I like him he's just a totally normal guy. I think he's really sweet actually, but hey I completely understand why some people may not like him

but the way the fandom treats him has pushed me SO far into defense it's like rewired my brain or something. actually he's done nothing wrong ever. I don't even care anymore. I take back every critique I've ever made of him. you don't Get Him like I do. he's written as terribly inconceivably ooc sometimes and you're all treating it like it's NORMAL!!!! when other characters are NOT subject to the same bullshit even when they're sometimes written even worse. we can wave away SO much shit for others, but xander? no, no, no. and when he IS in character, does ANYONE care to perhaps I dunno EXAMINE WHY HE'S ACTING LIKE THAT? oh? no? we're just gonna take it at face value, when we would not do that for any other character??? when he's written off and sometimes even intentionally off, then that's perfectly in line and just Who He Is Actually

I need to talk about the pack specifically because I have GRIEVANCES with the fandom here. what in the actual hell is going on. why are we acting like the possession was who he really is deep down??? it's clear that the hyena spirit is simply taking him at his base sort of thoughts I suppose (e.g., him having a hard crush on buffy, being jealous of angel, secretly knowing about willow but not requiting) and amplifying them to be HORRIBLE. at the end, he's visibly guilty over what he's done despite it being out of his control. he doesn't say anything because how COULD he? what would he even say? these are the most important people in his life, and he was forced to hurt them. and they obviously forgive him and don't blame him for what happened, because he's not exactly subtle about remembering, and I sincerely doubt they'd just let what he did slide if they thought he truly was responsible. these guys are all with the silent communication, and it's not always good, but it's how they roll. also, GUYS. THINK OF SPIKE'S MOTHER!!!! THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY SIMILAR SITUATION!!!!! he has never in the entire time we've known him actively go out of his way to hurt people the way he does in this episode. because that's not who he is or who he ever wants to be

I also want to talk about how brave he is. I keep seeing people calling him a coward and it genuinely baffles me. are we watching the same show? what are you ON about?? even the show points it out: he's completely and utterly human, and standing up to fight evil on the front lines with everyone else anyways. there two absolute standout moments I especially adore and want to point out. and there ARE more moments, but these are my favourite. the first is when xander decides that if no one else will, he'll go help buffy fight the master, and alone if he has to. and he saves buffy, because he TRIED. I honestly don't think anyone else would've tried to save her once they saw she'd died like they were all told she would, but he did. because that's who he is. and the second is one my friend pointed out to me that is just so good, where xander stands up to angelus in the hospital. angelus could snap him in half within a blink of an eye, and xander tells him to leave. he's terrified, because he KNOWS if angelus wanted to then he'd be dead without being able to fight back, but he guards buffy like a little dog facing up against a lion. he wouldn't win, but maybe he could buy her just a little more time, maybe someone would notice and help her, maybe angelus will decide it's too much effort and leave like he desperately hopes, maybe maybe maybe. he's gambling with his life here, just like before by walking into the master's nest, and he'd do it again without a second thought to protect his loved ones. he DOES do it, again and again and again over the course of the show

this isn't to say xander doesn't have his flaws. he's not the best boyfriend for sure, and while those are mostly out of his own insecurities and trauma, it's still not a great. I don't give any of the other characters that excuse to let bad relationship behaviour slide and I won't give him it either, but it is at the least an explanation. that is just a real flaw that he struggles with throughout the whole show outside of anything else. he can also be very snippy and mean when he's feeling defensive, and he's got a bit of a possessive, jealous streak that isn't fantastic, but he's the heart for a reason. in fact I honestly think those traits work really well as cons for the heart

the xander we see in the show is someone who wants to be good and do good. he cares so, so immensely for everyone. EVERYONE who sticks around in this show, does xander latch onto to as one of his own people to look out for. he tries and tries and tries to do the right thing, to protect and take care of the ones he loves in any way he can, and he kind of sucks at it sometimes. he makes the wrong choices even when he means well, and sometimes when he doesn't. but god is he trying harder than almost anyone else on that show to just be A Good Friend. I'm going to go so far as to say I think he is actually a better person than almost every other character on this show (other than buffy and tara of course)

why isn't he enough when there are other characters who are SO much worse than him in this show?