#this is all also interesting in how he interacts with his family

[thewertsearch]

Anonymous asked: just read through your entire liveblog and wow. what a place to catch up. do you have any predictions about what the postscratch versions of the guardians will be? what about the guardian versions of the kids?

So.

Mom Lalonde, Grandpa Harley, Nanna Egbert, and Bro Strider, reborn as the story's protagonists, and thrust into a Playerdom I never expected them to bear. The consequences of this reveal are likely to kick in on the very next page - and since that's a page I'm clicking on tonight, this is my last chance for some blind speculation.

There are an absolute mountain of angles I could potentially cover here, and it's impossible to address all the implications of this twist, so I'm just going to touch on a few key questions that Act 6 will need to answer sooner rather than later.

Without further ado, let's dive into our first question.

Who, exactly, is raising these kids?

The simplest solution, of course, would be a one-to-one exchange between each Player and their Guardian. That certainly seems to be the case for Jade and Grandpa, who have been directly swapped. This would imply that Rose raised Mom, Dave raised Bro, and John might have raised Nanna. (More on that later.)

Still, that's not the only possibility. There's no reason why Dave couldn't raise the adolescent Mom instead, for example, with Rose adopting the younger Bro in his stead. That particular configuration has a lot of character potential, actually, because Bro Lalonde would undoubtedly be an unholy terror, and Mom Strider might just be one of the coolest characters I've ever conceived of.

This aesthetic, with those shades? Come on.

...all that said, though, I'm fairly sure we are just getting a one-to-one swap. That's how it appears to have worked for the trolls, and the one post-Scratch Player with a confirmed Guardian already matches this pattern.

Plus, swapping the kids with their own parents is just so interesting, on a character level, as it'd add a whole new dimension of analysis to the fucked-up relationships between Bro & Dave, Mom & Rose, and Grandpa & Jade.

Seeing how they all treat each other, now that the roles have been reversed, would be incredibly illuminating, and might shed some light on the thought processes of the pre-Scratched Guardians, as they were raising their own respective charges.

Anyway - now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk about each individual family.

The Egberts

Astute readers will notice that I only mentioned the Guardian-Player parallels for three of our Players above - and that's because when it comes to the fourth, there's a slight complication.

Namely, Dad Egbert no longer exists.

This means that Nanna's home life can't parallel John's, because the man who raised John was never even born. It's possible, then, that John will simply raise Nanna himself, as her grandfather.

Honestly, that's the scenario I'm hoping for, here. Out of our four original Players, I think that John would be the best parent by far - he's sweet, resilient, and has a natural talent for nurturing the positive qualities of the people he loves. If a baby lands in his backyard, he's going to rise to the challenge, octogenarianism be damned.

...now, here's where I'd speculate a little about Nanna's personality, but she's the one post-Scratch Player I can't really get a bead on. We only ever interacted with her Spritesona, whose personality was obviously corrupted by the presence of the jester doll.

As a result, I don't really have a clue what Nanna will be like. The only thing I'm sure about, if John's the one raising her, is that she'll be loved.

The Striders

First of all, I have faith in Dave.

I think he's more or less guaranteed to be a better Guardian than his brother ever was. Granted, I don't think Dave would be particularly paternal, but I also think he'll be able to refrain from beating Bro's ass with a puppet, which is progress.

I think Dave would be a laissez-faire type of guardian, who allows the younger Bro a lot more agency and autonomy than other kids his age, but also struggles to be the adult in the room when his kid needs guidance. He's not going to be as traumatized as his younger self, but I bet it's still borderline impossible to have a serious conversation with him. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Kid Bro turned out to be the more mature of the pair.

In a nutshell, Dave was born to be a cool uncle, but was forced unwittingly into a parental role instead. He's doing his best.

Quite frankly, I'm very worried about Kid Bro.

If we assume that every Paradox Clone keeps the same Veil item as last time - and there's no reason why they wouldn't - then Bro will be coming down with Lil' Cal, the cursed puppet created by Gamzee's Chucklevoodoos.

I'm still convinced that long-term exposure to this abomination was the main reason Bro was so batshit insane, and while the younger Bro won't have been around it for quite as long, he'll still have thirteen years of an evil Juggalo's Rage miasma being beamed into his brain.

I think Kid Bro will be a little batshit, but not completely batshit. We'll see a child with the potential to become the deranged ventriloquist who tormented Dave, but one who can still be saved, if we can just get that hell puppet away from him.

Separated from Cal, I still think Bro will be a memelord, and I'm sure not all his interests came from the puppet. I think this guy was always destined to be a pretty bizarre dude - but with luck, this iteration of him will be a little more pleasant to be around.

The Lalondes

Rose... could go either way, honestly.

Just like Dave, I don't think she's the type who'd willingly choose to be a parent. Rose doesn't want a baby, she wants a library full of cursed tomes, a coven of witches to scheme with, and to live in an enormous gothic castle with her wife, Kanaya Maryam. Her ideal lifestyle couldn't handle a kid, and I think she's self-aware enough to know that, and adopt a hundred mutant kittens instead.

That said... if she had to raise a daughter, I think she'd try her best to do right by the girl. I think some part of her would absolutely resent the fact that she's a background character in someone else's life - especially if, like the Sufferer, she remembers being a Player - but she'd do everything she could to keep that resentment to herself.

Rose would be an alright mother. A little cold, maybe, and more than a little distant, but she'd still love her Roxy.

As for Roxy, I can only assume she's a gigantic fucking badass. Even among the Guardians, her barehanded combat feats were always astounding, and I think she and Kid Bro will be the primary combatants of their session.

I also think she'll be one of the most analytical, scientifically-minded Players we've ever seen. Her adult self was experimenting with Ectobiology even outside of Sburb, which suggests to me an intense curiosity about how all this shit works, which isn't present in most of our other heroes. Like Rose, she'll be a researcher, and maybe even a Seer - but while Rose searched for the truth via magic and mysticism, Roxy's research will be entirely scientific.

Honestly, the most exciting thing about finally meeting Roxy is the milestone it'll represent. I'll finally, finally have encountered every character I knew about prior to starting the comic.

The Harleys

Grandma Jade was still the Witch of Space, and was clearly aware of that fact.

This tells us that:

John, Rose and Dave also retained their Titles, even if they don't know it.

Grandma Jade was probably aware of Sburb and its secrets, especially if she was living near the Frog Temple.

Grandma Jade was the Witch of Space. She's gone.

...and I have a theory about what happened to her.

I think that when Grandpa was a baby, Jade travelled to Anachronism Island, just like her predecessor did - but this time around, it wasn't Bec who greeted her at the Temple.

No, I think Jade had a fatal encounter with the new First Guardian of Earth - a corrupted First Guardian, spliced with the same HONK code that created Scratch. Kid Grandpa clearly survived whatever happened next, and I think it's horribly plausible that the new First Guardian is a pseudo-Guardian to him, the same way Becquerel was to Jade.

In other words, this kid might be completely compromised, manipulated by English's servant since infancy. Let's not forget that he's the one who suggested making the bunny to Jade, which is the reason Jack was able to ascend in the first place...

...but someone suggested it to him, first.

Anyway, those are my high-level thoughts about the new timeline's key players. We'll be starting Act 6 in an hour or so, and I've got a feeling that we're about to see Nanna standing in a very familiar room.

After all, it just so happens that today...

[iamnmbr3]

I do think it's really interesting that Dracula genuinely seems to enjoy talking to Jonathan Harker. Yes, partly he's trying to learn valuable information from him about English society, customs and laws etc. And yes he wants to practice his English with a native speaker - though clearly Jonathan was not his only source of English lessons. But it goes beyond that. Like when he's talking about the history of his family (well, actually events he mostly lived through but obviously he can't admit that) he gets really animated and just seems excited to have someone to monologue to. After all, he doesn't have that many people to talk to. I don't think in general his meals get much of a chance for a chat. Who knows how long it's been since he's really interacted with anyone (aside from the other vampires in the castle).

It's not a wholesome interaction of course. Part of the enjoyment he gets from their interactions is derived from the way he toys with Jonathan. But it does definitely go beyond simple necessity. He really goes out of his way to spend time with Jonathan, often speaking with him all night - i.e. the whole time that he gets to be awake. And he also goes out of his way to protect him from the vampire women in the castle, even after he's outlived his usefulness. And he becomes increasingly possessive of him - "this man belongs to me" and "tonight is mine" are certainly telling. It seems that initially Jonathan was just going to be fed to the vampire women right away, but then Dracula changed his mind and decided he got first dibs, something that wasn't initially in the cards.

I think this possessive fascination with Jonathan and the way he comes to find their interactions genuinely enjoyable are why Jonathan gets to stay alive so long. Even going poking around in Dracula's crypt the first time isn't enough to get him immediately killed that night. I wonder if in his own way he also was drawn to the "quiet dignity" that Mina mentions is one of her favorite features about Jonathan. Even in the face of fear and despair he stubbornly clings on. Dracula probably finds this makes Jonathan more entertaining and exciting to toy with than most victims, and may also feel a grudging sense of respect for him (although he still views him as an inferior).

[immortalmrwavell]

Teaching Obsession

(Original story posted July 19th 2022) This story has been mildly Updated

Note: James Tenner is not Mr Wavell. I just happened to use the same model who would eventually end up becoming the body of Wavell

This past year had been an… interesting year for Luke to say the least. He’d started a job at his local college as a teaching assistant last September and one of the groups he’d been assigned to help was being taught by Mr James Tenner. From day one Mr Tenner had caught Luke’s eye.

Mr Tenner was 41 years old and still looked absolutely incredible. He seemed to be one of those men that only looked better with age. Even his physique was incredible if the well fitted clothing he wore were any indication. Much better shape than Luke had ever been in, that much was certain. Most of the time the dashing middle aged teacher would be seen wearing an eye-catching suit or at least something that was smart casual. He was very well groomed with immaculate stubble and slicked back, styled hair that flecks of silver dotted throughout. At a glance you could immediately tell that he took a lot of pride in his appearance and it certainly paid off. Most of the time he looked more like a distinguished businessman than a college English professor. One could only wonder how he afforded everything. A wealthy family perhaps.

For each and every lesson Luke would assist alongside Mr Tenner, he would grow more and more obsessed with the man. Constantly stealing glances at the handsome professor, his body perfectly wrapped in the fabric of whatever suit he’d decided to wear that day. And if he was lucky Mr Tenner would take off his jacket, giving Luke an even better view of that hot teacher ass that pressed against those tight pants he wore. And though Luke didn’t interact with it, he would constantly hear the students whispering to one another saying how fit Mr Tenner was.

Now however it was getting near the end of the academic year. Luke only had one more lesson left to sit in Mr Tenner and after that they were done for the year. Who knows if he’d get to work alongside him again next year. Had he taken it for granted? After getting to spend all this precious time around that hot stallion of a man, he just didn’t want things to change. Well thankfully for him, maybe they didn’t have to.

Recently a strange package had arrived on his doorstep. After checking it was definitely for him and not a mistake, Luke opened it to find a letter sat on top of what looked to be a strange device that he certainly hadn’t ordered. Hell he didn’t even know what it was. Pulling it out, the device looked to be made up of two helmets that were wired up to a controller of some kind. Confused, Luke opened the letter to figure out what this was about.

What he read seemed unreal. The letter explained how the sender somehow knew of Luke’s obsession with his senior co-worker and that they simply wanted to help fulfill that desire in the greatest way imaginable. When it explained how the machine worked, one part of Luke’s mind was screaming that it was bullshit. Yet at the same time whether it be out of lust, desire or just dumb hope, he couldn’t help but want to believe it. It also went on to explain how there was a small vial in the box he’d probably need as well. There was no name to indicate who the letter was from. Only a single initial. “W”.

After sifting back through the box, Luke was quick to find the vial that’d been mentioned and placed it down on the table beside the machine. In that moment a grin broke out across his face as he imagined what this could possibly mean for him.

———

The next morning Luke arrived at the college as he normally would only today his backpack was a fair bit heavier today than usual. He was with Mr Tenner for the afternoon so he had to slug through the morning first while hiding his excitement. On the outside he was professional but on the inside he just couldn’t wait to get this first half over and done with so he could test out the gift he’d been given.

After lunch however, it was finally time. Luke was able to hide his lust-fueled desire for Mr Tenner behind a kind smile as he entered the room before sitting down and discussing the afternoon ahead with the older teacher. Since it was the last day and they’d done the final exams for the year already, today was planned to just be a fun lesson for games and socialising. That said, it ended up being a very chilled out afternoon with both Luke and the handsome Mr Tenner being able to relax as the students enjoyed their last lesson in this class for the academic year.

Once the students had been allowed to head home however, instead of leaving with them, Luke stayed behind. Today he had different plans. Instead he sat and chatted with Mr Tenner for a while in the classroom as the handsome professor finished up the last of his paperwork. Luke eyed up the strong cup of coffee Mr Tenner had beside him and immediately he knew that’d be his golden ticket. He waited for just the right moment when the dashing silver fox got up to grab something, leaving his drink unattended, for Luke to make his move. He whipped out the vial before pouring its contents into the coffee. Mr Tenner was none the wiser.

Luke watched with anticipation as Mr Tenner returned to his seat before picking up his mug and taking another hefty gulp of coffee. Then another, and another until he’d drunk every very last drop. Unforyunatly for him however, the caffeinated beverage didn’t seem to keep him awake and alert in the slightest. If anything he felt more and more drowsy the more he had and even now his eyes were beginning to flutter. As his vision began to blur, he knew something was wrong but it was already too late. The last thing he saw before passing out was Luke’s face twisting from fake concern into a look of… excitement?

Luke watched with glee as the forgoes older man’s head tilted back over the chair, dropping his pen to the floor in process. Mr Tenner was out cold meaning step one was complete. Now onto step two. Luke reached into his bag and carefully pulled out the two helmets along with the controller linking them. He wasted no time in getting Mr Tenner to sit a bit more upright before placing one of the helmets on his head. Once he was sure it was secured in place, Luke grabbed the matching helmet and slipped it on himself. Step two complete.

The young man grabbed the controller and looked down at the buttons. Finally onto step three. Thankfully the letter he’d got came with a few simple instructions on how to work the machine. There were quite a few different buttons but it was surprisingly simple once he knew what he was doing. He went ahead with pressing a few of them and adjusting some of the settings until he was certain the device was in the correct mode. With that Luke looked across at the gorgeous man he’d been crushing on for the past year, then down at himself and finally back to the device.

”Here goes nothing.” He thought to himself before activating it.

It was hard for Luke to recall what happened after that. There was a flash as the helmets sparked to life causing him to jolt around a bit. His vision quickly became blurry as he started to lose feeling throughout his body until finally it all faded to black… but not for long. The clock seemed to indicate that only around 15 minutes had passed before he started to come back around. Luke blinked his eyes open groggily, only now he was the one sitting behind the professor's desk, not in front of it. Even more surprising though was seeing his own unconscious body slumped in a chair before him!

Looking down at himself Luke was swift to notice the suit he was now wearing. It was Mr Tenner’s! And his body… it all felt so different. Older yet also stronger and slightly bigger. All the evidence pointed towards the machine doing exactly what it’d promised and yet his mind could hardly believe it. Luke grabbed the helmet on his head before tossing onto the desk and jumping up to inspect himself.

On impulse his hands started to explore the body hidden beneath his dress shirt. He could feel a solid pair of defined pecs far bigger than his former ones before moving down to feel the hard ridges of abs. This quickly tempted him to untuck his shirt and pull it out to reveal them and he wasn’t disappointed. Soon rubbing and smiling the firmness of his new abs along with a dusting of stomach hair he hadn’t had before.

Bringing those hands up to his face, Luke explored his facial features. His jawline felt more prominent, lips slightly fuller, a fine stubble in place of the short beard he used to have and he couldn’t help but notice his hair. The hairline receded a bit but most notably the gel used to slick back his hair and style it. He’d never been one to use any kind of hair gel before so it definitely felt odd but he could get used to it.

After that Luke had to see it. He snatched up the older teacher’s phone from the desk and switched on the front camera. The face staring back at him was none other than the very same man he’d been lusting over all year. Mr Tenner. An almost sadistic grin emerged on his face that would’ve looked very out of character for Mr Tenner as he started to further admire his handsome, mature new features. Loving how his face looked aged but not wrinkled due to the lengths James went to take care of his skin while also enjoying the silver mixed in with his styled hair. Just gazing upon his new visage was causing the bulge in his suit pants to grow larger and tighter… but he wanted to save the best for last.

Next he went onto grab at his biceps, adoring how they bulged inside the fitted suit jacket, showing them off perfectly. It was incredible how a body almost twice Luke’s age could be this fit… this strong… this magnificent. The professor had clearly put huge amounts of work into his body and now Luke was more than happy to reap the benefits. He gave his arms a flex, loving how the jacket and dress shirt underneath had to stretch over the muscle. By now his cock was begging for attention but he had one more thing he wanted to check out first. After giving his pecs another quick squeeze through his shirt, Luke’s hands wandered down to his powerful new muscle ass, gripping it tightly with both hands. Fuck he’d wanted to grab and squeeze this ass all year long but he never imagined it’d be on his own backside when he finally got the chance.

Just then his old body started to groan. Luke took quick notice of this, fascinated to see if the extra setting he’d input to alter the former Mr Tenner had taken effect.

James Tenner blinked his eyes open, astonished to see none other than his identical twin standing before him! Wearing his clothes!? He cursed out loud, demanding to know what was going on but as he did he noticed the difference in his voice and body. He was much slimmer than before and wearing clothes similar to what his Teaching Aid Luke had been wearing before. Come to think of it, his voice just now sounded somewhat like Luke’s as well… what the fuck was going on!?

Looking back up at his imposter, James couldn’t help but notice the sinister smile plastered across his face. He was about to say something when the other man spoke up first. “Get over here and kneel in front of me.” The suited man spoke with such confidence and conviction. His words rattled through James’ head. Every fibre of his being was telling him to obey this man. This doppelgänger. What was wrong with him? He tried so hard to resist but… “Now.” The man demanded in an even deeper and authoritative tone. After that James’ body moved on its own, scrambling over and dropping to his knees as he was told.

The once Mr Tenner was getting even more freaked by the second as the more he looked up at his former… handsome… mature… sexy body, the more turned on he began to feel. Like he just wanted to endlessly service it. But he’d never been into men before? He was straight! So why couldn’t he pull his eyes away from the other man’s bulging crotch?!

Then without warning James felt a hand grab the back of his head, pressing it against the bulge, or rather what should've been his bulge, before telling him to worship it. One part of his mind was screaming at him to get up and run but it was vastly overpowered by the suffocating desire to obey and worship his own former body. And so James soon found himself kissing, licking and sniffing at the outline of his imposter's cock.

Luke almost couldn’t believe it. Not only had the machine been able to put him in the hunky body of Mr Tenner but it’d made the original James’ mind completely subservient to his will. Now the former professor, now in Luke’s old body, was doing everything he could to please his new master. After watching James press his face against the significant bulge in his suit pants however, Luke finally decided it was about time to whip out his brand new cock. By the look on James’ face, he was just as excited as Luke was about it.

“Fuckin woah… now that’s an upgrade for sur-oooohhaah” Luke barley had a chance to finish his sentence after unleashing his new monster cock before James had his lips wrapped around it. So eager to suck away at the dick he used to own. Luke just went with the flow, pressing James’ head down while loving how incredible and sensitive this new dick felt.

As his cock was being worshiped, Luke felt the overwhelming desire to strip out of this suit and give his new body some proper appreciation. Buuuuut it was probably best to wait until later. After all, if he was caught naked on college grounds he’d more than likely be fired from his new job before even having a chance to start. Just this blowjob was enough of a risk as it was. With that in mind he pulled James off his dick momentarily to jerk himself off furiously. James could only watch in awe as his former body jacked his dick like his life depended on it. Luke was biting his lip with lust as he drank in just how fat his new cock was while pumping it. He couldn’t have asked for anything better.

It wasn’t long before Luke finally started to feel his new seed welling up. With that he plunged his cock right back into James’ open mouth with a grunt. Feeling that hungry mouth suction down on his dick yet again was heavenly with how close he was. And with just a few eager bobs of James’ head, Luke grunted as he exploded his professor nut down the younger man’s throat in a thick salty blast.

The body snatcher watched with glee as his former self licked the cum from his lips. He shoved his softening cock back into his suit pants before pulling his new boy toy up onto his feet. “From now on, your are Luke. You’re just a teaching aid here and you will only refer to me as either Mr Tenner or Sir. You got that?” The new Mr Tenner stated.

“Yes sir!” The new Luke replied swiftly and subserviently. “Will I be able to worship you again soon?” He asked even though his inner self was still screaming against it.

“My place tonight at 8:00. You’ll be doing a whole lot more than worshipping…” The new professor stated before giving his former self a kiss on the cheek. As he did, the device caught his eye. With a smirk he grabbed it, ripping out the wires connecting it to the helmets before dropping it on the floor and smashing it beneath one of his new dress shoes. “Just so you don’t get any ideas.“ He smirked. “I’m James Tenner now and there’s nothing you can do to change that.” He sneered towards the new Luke.

———

Just over an hour later James now found himself sauntering around the new incredible looking home he’d inherited. He didn’t waste much time stripping off his suit piece by piece, slowly revealing the adonis body beneath. It wasn’t long before he found himself standing before a mirror, admiring the full beauty of his new form. A light dusting of hair spread across two incredible pecs and a set of well defined abs. Arms that stretched most dress shirts he wore, threatening to rip through them. And of course the incredibly well sculpted ass he just couldn’t get enough of.

Now that he was alone, he was free to go full perve mode with his new body and life. Walking around the house fully nude with a constant boner. Going through all dirty clothes in the hamper and smelling the gym clothes this body had recently worn and loving how that scent was now his own. Sifting through his entire new closet and trying on style after style of clothes. He mainly went through the collection of suits Mr Tenner had amassed over the years but didn’t hesitate to try anything he thought would look great on him. Which, judging by how well it all fit him, was effectively everything. He enjoyed it far more than he should’ve. So much so that quite a few pairs of his new suit pants now had his ball batter splattered all over the inside, staining them with his seed. It almost felt like he was marking his territory as weird and primitive as that sounded.

The time just flew by in all his excitement and before long he heard his doorbell ring. The new and improved James Tenner answered the door wearing some casual but still incredible looking clothes to see none other than “Luke”, his new obedient slave. He invited the younger man in without hesitation and led him towards the living room.

“Alright boy, you should remember what this body likes to eat. If you make me some good food tonight I might consider taking off this shirt and letting you worship my pecs for a while. Then we’ll see how it goes from there.” James began smuggly, grasping at his cock a little before watching Luke scurry off to the kitchen. Happy with his new personal butler, he turned and sat down to watch some TV.

He already knew in the moment that this new life of his was going to be absolutely incredible. Bit by bit he’d been tapping into some new memories so by the time summer break was over he should be able to completely and utterly assume the full identity of Mr Tenner without anyone batting an eye! The only thing they’re going to notice is how much closer he is now to his teaching assistant from the previous year.

He still had no idea who sent him that machine in the first place but whoever it was, James was incredibly grateful for it.

[lenoue]

“he wants to know now that he is the patriarch of their family, Sam will submit to him. he doesn't want that submission to be shared with John.”

yes! and there’s actually such interesting subtext to it. i’ve been thinking about that one scene from playthings where sam says “he (john) was right to say it” and dean angrily reacts “yeah, well, dad’s an ass”. it’s giving “dad isn’t here anymore. but i am. i am the one you should listen/submit to. because i know what’s best for you. i am the one in control of you now”. definitely reminds me of their interaction in 5.16, sam’s “i finally got away from dad” and dean’s “he wasn’t the only one you got away from”. the way he immediately makes it about himself. yeah it’s definitely about competition with john

also another interesting example is from 4.13:

dean: i’m gonna rip his lungs out!

sam: it’s not a big deal

dean: not a big deal? sammy, look at yourself. if dad was here —

sam: he’s not

dean: well, i am!

he wants to replace john in sam’s eyes so bad it’s not even subtext it’s blatant text. which makes the wincest dynamic so much more twisted & delicious ♡

the 04.13 exchange is making me unwell bcs this! this is it! he make the decisions when dad's not around. he decides the next course of action. it was set up so early on, so glad you brought it up

yeah it's blatant text, that's what gets me riled up when people say dean doesn't become a john variant later on. it's essential to his development that he shares traits with his dad. there are 2 mechanisms that the narrative utilizes to bind sam at dean's side. one is dean's excessive need for authoritative control over the lives of everyone he is close to (sam, bobby, lisa, cas) and sam's own guilt by hurting his closed ones by actions he did that (coincidentally) questioned their authority.

and I dont want to make it sound like sam doesnt doesn't love dean, he absolutely does. but its established that sam has the capacity to exist separately despite so. in fact, he wants to. but he doesn't leave. sometimes its covert, most times its overt that dean needs to "watch over sam" (like after seeing the endverse)

and playthings ofc is a gift that keeps giving. how quickly dean jumps to speak against john is fascinating. this is a man, who would ignore, refute or deny any claims from sam that painted john in negative lights, is now stewing in mourning and resentment. (yes, I do believe he was resentful. john left their family and dean, who views leaving your family as the crime of crimes, could not accept this.) to negate the absolute hurricane of emotions in his life, he puts focus on taking control of the thing closest to him, his sammy. (god i could talk forever about how he clutches to this control for stability throughout the show)

he has already set the reality that he will save sam. it is highly inconvenient to him that sam, now of all times, is putting 2 cents to john's words when dean is right there. keep your eyes here sam, trust me, put your faith in me. I am saying I will save you, that is the only reality you need to trust now.

the vibe of "i am the bedrock of your reality" reminds you of something else?

i also mentioned in another post that dean is insecure about his position in sam's life. he doesn't like losing sammy to even his father. in dean's perspective of their childhood in flashbacks, we only see what dean does for sam. these are at the forefront of his mind. these are his validity documents for his claim on sammy. how no one can know him better. not john, not ruby, not amelia. none of them know what's good for sammy, especially not sam.

(if I had more time I'd go back to "houses of the holy" and examine why dean didn't take well to sam's faith in the divine from a wincest lens)

[42ap]

I think one of the most fascinating aspects of how they crafted Ford as a character is that all of his other traits and experiences feel like extra layers to an interesting story. But the one core task Ford, as a character, must answer is the question of where Stan’s brokenness and insecurity come from. Ford is a tragedy custom-built for Stanley.

However, if you look closely, you’ll see that Ford himself is completely broken as well. The difference is that Stan spends his life learning, growing, and interacting with others. Those connections leave scars on him, but they also mean he continues to be hurt—and therefore continues to be capable of healing. I believe that, even though Ford deeply hurt Stan when he first returned, that wound could be 99% healed by Dipper, Mabel, Soos, and Wendy just being there for him.

Ford, on the other hand, is a different story. He only allowed himself to be vulnerable during one specific phase of his life, and if any resolution is to be found, it must go back to that time. After everything is over—Bill defeated, the world saved—Stan has his friends, his family, his goals, and a loosely planned future. But Ford has nothing left. Except for Stanley.

He has to cling to Stanley, because all his happiness and all his misery, after everything has ended, hinge on the fact that Stanley is the only thing he has left.

[detectivestucks]

Kakashi as Your Brother's Best Friend

18+ content, Minors do NOT interact

Pairing: Modern AU Kakashi x F!Reader

Summary: Kakashi is your brother's best friend. He's spent his entire life focused on his goals, always ignoring you, but thanks to tragedy, you became his focus.

Warnings: NSFW, car accident, fingering, rough sex, overstimulation

Word Count: 3.2 k

A/N: this started as a headcanon then I turned it into a oneshot. But it's fine...it'sfine, it'sfine.

Your brother’s best friend, Kakashi, didn’t notice you much growing up. He was focused on himself and his studies, always aiming to reach the same greatness as his father, Sakumo.

He was so cool compared to your goofy older brother. His nonchalant attitude, a cloud of mystery only piquing your interest all the more. 

You’re little heart yearned for him, quickly developing feelings and becoming your first crush. He was so amazing and your eyes turned to saucers each time you looked at him. It wasn't long after that your heart fell once you realized you were one of a long list of girls who also had the same feelings as you.

What was worse is that the other girls were at least in his grade while you are a year younger, sitting at only 14 months behind your brother, Obito.

Kakashi, with his well-earned arrogance, called you silly for rooting for your brother when he was obviously going to lose in all their games. He just couldn’t understand why you wouldn’t root for the winning competitor? He was kind of a jerk most of his childhood but that didn’t put a stop to the admiration blossoming in your chest.

Then one day, after years of disregard, he started talking to you. He came to your house after school and you answered the door. By this time you were teenagers. Kakashi and Obito had become seniors in high school and puberty had done right by him, making your feelings even more intense. His signature hair lifted and swooped to one side, his frame tall and slender, but still the bulk of his muscles showed through his clothing. In the quiet between you, he softly asked how you were, accepting your one-word answer before he went to find your brother.

You were stunned into silence with the simple question. It wasn’t like him to focus on others unless it was to help improve his life goals. A trait that made your brother the bane of Kakashi’s existence since Obito was always running behind and holding him back. What had changed for him to suddenly acknowledge your presence? 

The moment shouldn’t have had the impact it did but those lifelong feelings for him magnified everything.

Then the night of Obito’s car accident, Kakashi came rushing to the hospital. Obito laid there, his body crushed on one side and his mind in a coma. The sight of his best friend in this mangled state humbled him. It reminded him of how fragile life is. It caused him to face feelings he had shoved aside after Sakumo’s death. Feelings he wasn’t ready to face again.

He found you already at your brother’s bedside. Obito and you had lost your parents years ago; it was just the two of you. He can’t just leave you behind, not when you’re both so young. 

Your heart twists in your chest and your throat squeezes shut. You couldn’t greet Kakashi even if you wanted to. Your entire focus was on your brother; your body trembling with stress as your mind reels with uncertainty.

When Kakashi went to comfort you, it was the first time you tore your eyes off of your brother, only for the silver haired man to discover that the red had awoken in your irises. Your family’s unique trait was brought to life from the strain of possibly losing the last member of your family.

Kakashi pulled you into a life-giving hug. His strong arms encircling you in a way that said he will stay by your side as long as you need him. He wasn’t going to abandon you, not for a second. Though you had longed for some kind of physical touch from Kakashi most of your life, this wasn’t the way you had imagined it. Not like this. Why did it have to be like this?

He came to your house every day to help you cook and clean. He walked with you to the hospital and then home again, always making sure you were well fed and wanted for nothing.

The two of you became close during Obito’s hospitalization. Your feelings for him only intensified. You kept finding yourself looking at him, dying to tell him the truth. The confession on the tip of your tongue, but the strength to admit it could never be found.

Then when Obito awoke, it all came to an end. He stopped visiting as much, he stopped walking with you, and he nearly vanished from your life. It hurt so bad and you wondered what you did wrong. Amidst the relief you felt, there was also a gaping hole left in your life. Was Kakashi only there for you cause he missed your brother? Was he only by your side cause he needed comfort? What did you do for him to discard you? It ate away at you and once more you were left behind and shoved to the side.

What you didn’t know was that he had realized his feelings for you and became fearful of them. He had grown to love you in an overwhelming way and he knew you’d never view him as more than a brother so to protect himself he cast you aside. Despite how much he wanted to reach out and hold you, he wouldn’t allow it. The best thing for you both was to pretend it all never happened. You were just his best friend’s sister.

It wasn’t so easy for you though; you felt a soul crushing desire for him. He came over on weekends to see your brother but no longer acknowledged you. It was as if you were a mere apparition to him. Your lips would part as if to say something but only silence existed between you.

The silence continued through most of college, his mind focused on his studies. He was not going to allow you to distract him, no matter how adorable you were or sad and dejected you appeared when he trained his eyes forward on your brother instead of acknowledging your existence.

He focused on himself, which took more and more practice as your presence continued to haunt him. In desperation to distract him from you, he picked up a smut book one day and couldn’t put it down. The moving story line compelled him to turn page after page. Yet with each passing word the female protagonist morphed into your face. Soon he was unable to get you out of his head. Your image, tormenting him, occupying his mind, especially in the most intimate of moments. 

He began to lose his sanity, picturing you doing the depraved things described in his book. He wanted to reenact them so badly but he knew he never could. His feelings for you grew out of control and it crushed him. You’d never accept him, not after ghosting you for all these years. 

Then he came to your house to visit your brother one weekend. You answered the door, cheeks immediately blooming with a red tint and eyes suddenly downcast. For a moment he had hope. Hope that you were possibly blushing for him. But surely he was imagining things. There was no way you were displaying signs of interest when it came to him. He can’t allow himself to think like that and ignored you again, stepping inside and searching for Obito.

Part way through the visit he felt the need for a glass of water. He left his friend’s room to come to the kitchen only to bump into you. Your body went flying off of his muscular frame, ricocheting into the wall and bumping the back of your head. Before he knew what he was doing he was holding you, his hand cradling the back of your head. Your eyes flicked up to his and he could see your irises swirled with scarlet as you held eye contact with him. It has to be for him, right? It couldn’t be for anyone else, just him. Please let it be for him.

Feeling reckless, he lunged for the kiss. As your lips collided his body pulled you in close and stumbled against the very wall that just left you with a bruise on your disoriented head. Your mind played fireworks behind your closed eyes, the embers of which radiated down your limbs. The spark that had been lit so long ago, fanned into an all-out fire that consumed you both. Your soft lips moved against his as you kissed him back, returning the affection that swirled within you all those years.

He couldn’t stop his hands from wandering all over. A dam had broke and the flood waters crashed over him, moving his body on autopilot. There was no controlling himself. The way he pushed up against you, the way he grabbed your hips, the way his chest heaved. Your sweet taste and little sounds, it was ecstasy. He’d never get enough of this. 

In your spinning mind, clarity suddenly came to you and you pushed him off of you, afraid that he was only using you. Was he exploiting your childhood crush for a good time? The look in your eyes, was a blend of need and hurt. “I can’t do this” you whispered, crushing your own dreams to protect your heart.

“Please,” he begged, “I need you. I’m not whole without you.” Now that he’d gotten a taste of you he couldn’t let this go. His heart felt ready to explode and he couldn’t go back to how it was before. 

He had you dumbfounded. He needs you? Since when? You were utterly confused and as a result, were at a loss for words. “I-I don’t know what to say, Kakashi. How do I know this is real?” Just as he’s about to answer, your brother came looking for him, calling his name down the hallway. Kakahsi kissed the back of your hand before holding your palm against his cheek. “I’ll prove it to you. And when you’re ready, let me know.”

The man walked away, heart set on winning you over. He wasn’t afraid anymore, he would win your affection. You belonged together and he’d prove it to you.

Kakashi was persistent. He sent you ‘good morning’ texts every day, and wished you ‘goodnight’ every evening. He never missed a day over the next two months, even bringing you flowers to your job each Friday. He wasn’t going to be the guy he was in the past. He wanted to do this right but feared that he had done too much damage. However, those fears wouldn’t stop him. He’d prove his affection because the two of you were meant to be. Every fiber of his being told him so.

He came to your job to walk you home one evening when he found your coworker tracing your arm, the action making you nervous by the way your eyes kept darting down to his finger. The slime had a wide smile on his face while yours was serious. Anger and a sliver of jealousy propelled him forward as he invited himself into the office of your part-time employment. His hand heroically slid over the top of your hip, pulling you into his side where you fit like a glove. “Hey baby!” he gloated while staring daggers into the man who was just touching you.

He made your heart stutter as he touched you. Electricity buzzing from the pressure on your skin as his fingers dug into you, claiming you as his when you hadn’t even decided if you’re ready yet. He scared away your creepy coworker and turned toward you, full of questions. How long had he been bothering you? Had he touched you before? What did he say to you? The worry didn’t mask the jealousy one bit.

You went home with so much on your mind and later the next morning Kakashi received a text, a beacon of light, telling him that you believed him and wanted to give things a try. His heart pounded out of his chest, his body felt full of warmth and excitement. First thing’s first, he needed to ask for your brother’s permission. He finished all of his assignments, submitting them before making the trek to your home, to face his best friend. 

When he entered your home he made a beeline for your room, barging in and pulling you into a searing kiss. If your brother knew about this makeout session he’d flip. Kakashi’s arms wrapped around you and squeezed as he moved his mouth perfectly with yours. You felt yourself melting until you heard Obito in the hall. Kashi reluctantly let you go, ready to face the music.

Voice booming and fists flying, Kakashi was almost murdered when he informed Obito of his intentions. Obito was completely taken by surprise, having no idea that Kakashi even cared for you as a friend, let alone more. He swung on the Hatake, swearing the man is only looking for pussy cause of that damn book.

During the brawl Kakashi admitted he’s been in love with you for the past four years and has never touched another woman. It’s always been you. You were the only one he has ever wanted. He begged Obito to allow him the chance to let him show you how much he loved you and if you rejected him, he'd never bother you again. 

Obito finally released Kakashi from his chokehold, leaving him coughing and fixing his shirt as he composed himself. Anger still lingered in Obito’s red eyes, but he rigidly nodded his head and stepped away. With his hands shoved in his pockets, Obito let Kakashi walk back to your room where you were anxiously waiting by the door, heart pounding out of your chest, needing to know if they were both okay. 

Scratching the back of his head, Kakashi asked if you heard everything he said during their fight. You nodded yes in confirmation. His hand then dragged over his face, nervous about what you were thinking. Finally daring to look up, he saw your eyes water. The tears were an admission that you too have loved him for years. A flame of hope had lit in his chest as he asked “So then, will you do me the honor of joining me for a date this evening?” To which you respond with a resounding yes. 

He went out and created a magical and intimate date night for you. He had set up a tent in his backyard with a projector screen and twinkle lights, sherpa blankets and shag pillows scattered the mattress on the ground, and in the center laid a charcuterie board he’d spent an hour assembling. The two of you snuggled together, watching a movie and drinking mocktails, letting your bodies synchronize in the serenity of the moment. 

Just as the movie was ending you surprised him when you initiated a kiss. Not just any kiss either, one that knocked him off his center. You’re not normally so forward but you couldn’t stop this overwhelming desire that was eating away at your insides. You needed him more than you’ve ever needed anything in your entire existence. You rolled on top of him, swinging your leg over so that you were straddling him as he laid on his back. He could feel how you clenched through the fabric of your pants and you could feel how hard he was for you, the ridge of his manhood sat perfectly below your center. 

Kakashi wanted you with every cell but was afraid to mess it up. His body yearned for you in an unimaginable way. Breath trickled past his lips as he decided what to do. Should he cave and succumb to his carnal desires or should he take things slow? He thinks back to the hallway. How your eyes changed color because of your deep seeded feelings.

He decided he couldn’t restrain himself anymore. His hands explored your back, gliding down to your rear where his fingers sank into the fat. There was something possessive about the action. Something that made your heart stop. He rocked you back and forth, your heat grinding on him as you pulled away from the kiss to catch your breath, eyes locking on his, you memorized the depth that welled there. 

His grip made you feel desperate. Desperate to have him inside of you, so you began to tug up his shirt and trace the outline of his muscles, mapping out every inch of ivory skin. His own need overflowed and he grabbed you by your hair at the base of your skull, and flipped you on your back. The power-move knocked the wind out of you, not due to its roughness but due to the realization that he was as anxious for you as you were for him. His eyes screamed out how broken he’d been while pushing you away. How hard it’d been for him to deny you when you were all he dreamed about. You realized he’d been wanting you as badly as you’d been wanting him.

With nimble hands, he slid your pants off of your body, discarding them to a far corner of the tent before slipping his fingers into your folds. He buried his knuckles deep inside and made a scissoring motion to stretch you. He needed you to be prepped and ready to take him; he wanted this moment to be magical and pleasurable for you, just as it would be for him. He’s waited so long for this but you’ve waited longer. He lined himself up and thanks to the fluids dripping out of you, he had no issues slipping in. 

The silver haired mug left you gasping at the intrusion, your hands sprung to his shoulders and you gripped him with all your strength, as you found your back arching to meet his chest with your own. “That’s it baby, just like that.” he praised as he slowly began to stroke. “You’re doing so good for me.” You started to softly mewl with each glide, your body tightened around him, and milked him as he finally linked your fantasies to reality.

In a mounting pace, he steadily grew in intensity but you could tell he was still restraining himself. He didn’t want to break you even though everything in him was dying to ravage you. And while it’s all so perfect, you wanted know what he was capable of. 

Against your better judgement you whispered in his ear, “Don’t hold back. I can take it.” 

You weren’t sure if that was true but it wasn’t gonna stop you from finding out. What is it that they say about curiosity?

Unsure weather to believe you or not, Kakashi lifted a brow, but all it took was the widening of your orbs and the seductive bite of your lip to send him into overdrive. He started to lose himself inside your walls. Everything he’d felt for you over the past few years drove him forward, his arms encircled you as his hips snapped into your center. The punctuated thrusts shook your entire body and hit a pleasure point that had you grappling at him for support. 

He cooed in your ear, praising you for being such a good girl for him. You took him so well that he was ready to kick things up a notch. His hand found itself back in your hair, his other one grasped at your hip, leveraging you as he spun you onto your knees so fast your hands were already on the blanket before your mind registered your new position. You exclaimed in confusion when he shushed you and leaned his hand on the small of your back, pushing down while the hand in your tresses guided your head into the shag of the pillows.

He had your face buried in the plush surface, your drool soaked the fabric as you were absolutely rocked by how hard he took you. 

Skin slapping smacks resonated as his jewels tantalizingly pummeled against your clit, stimulating you and making you want to close your legs but it was impossible with how his weight pushed you deeper into the position.

Violently, he pulled back on your hair, lifting your face, while forcing a deep arch of your back. You felt your neck strain under the pressure, your moans coming out broken but your cavern’s grip around him tightened as the blood drained from your brain. 

He fucked you dumb on his dick, bending your legs into various positions to see how flexible you could be. He’d been dreaming of this moment and his good girl was going to get orgasm after orgasm for how long she’s waited for him. This beastly behavior was him marking his territory, because after this, just as before with that kiss, there was no turning back. He was absolutely enthralled with you and pleasuring you was his number one priority. 

Looking down, he admired your pretty little body, covered in bruises and drool, hair a wild mess, shaking legs sprawled and eyes glazed over. He wrecked you and though he came already he couldn’t stop. His fingers kept working your nub while his tongue sunk inside your gaping hole. The warmth soothed the abused area making you spasm as his fingers played with your swollen bud. You weren’t sure how much more you could handle, you felt drained from his toying. The mind-numbing pleasure from the man of your dreams was too much to process. “Kashi, please…” you whispered, “can’t take any m-m-more, a-ah-AH!” He pulled a final snap from your core before he let you rest.

Gazing at you as if you were made of gold, he was unsure how he’s going to keep his hands off of you in front of Obito cause now all he wanted to do was fuck you 24/7. Yes, fuck you, turn you into his personal sex doll and see those pouty lips quiver in euphoria at his hands. You were his obsession and he won’t be able to stop himself. “Baby, can we go another round? Please?”

Masterlist

[turtleblogatlast]

Leo as a character is deeply tied to the very concept of identity that it is deeply ingrained into every aspect of his character and in this essay I will-

[amelikos]

Spinel's involvement in Amethio's family being Like That (him making things worse, observing the drama, and nudging things in his preferred direction) in contrast to Friede's relationship with Crave (one full of trust and mutual respect) is really funny to me.

[bearenjoyers]

sorry im just thinking about bcs but like. why not add a few smaller scenes of gus interacting with his own men? why does it seem like, in comparison, mike is almost immediately elevated to a higher status than those two in bcs purely because we actually get to see him having normal conversations with gus? like i understand they might not keep the plot moving as well because of the fact obviously if victor is currently doing something it’s because gus told him to etc. but for the most part all of the smaller interactions gus does have with those two ends up being in a somewhat high stress situation where it feels very tense between everyone. and it’s just like damn! is it always like that?? why do those two even care that much about their jobs if their boss is a bit of a dick? etc. i think even an additional scene or two with those guys (either alone or the both of them) talking with gus in a more normal situation could’ve both added a bit more depth into how gus treats his employees (we got a lot with how he treats lyle and co., but not a whole lot with the illegal side of things), how comfortable vic and tyrus feel around him in a calmer setting, and exactly why they both feel the need to be as loyal as they are to the guy.

and also on the other side of this i don't think it'd hurt to maybe elaborate on their pay just a bit..? i'm not saying to randomly put a number out into the atmosphere but i just mean some smaller things like. do they buy nicer things for themselves? what's their housing situation? what's their car situation? are the escalade / yukon their own vehicles or does gus just use those two for business situations? do they use them when they're doing their own stuff off the clock or do they have their own cars? etc. that can also help with understanding their motivations a bit. don't get me wrong i don't think they should be visibly rich or something because that's not what gus would want but just smaller things! cause it's easy to write their loyalty off as Well they probably get paid super well, which i'm sure is true, but if they don't show a single hint of that then what's the point. even something as simple as giving tyrus a nice watch, or maybe victor having a nicer looking gun, etc. something small like that. because as it stands right now the average 41 year old viewer who watched the show once only knows and will only ever know victor and tyrus as those two guys in the background who do random stuff for gus with no clear motivation. just the personification of "On it boss (salute emoji)". and to be honest this is true for a whole lot of fans who do watch the show multiple times and enjoy thinking about it more in depth, because on screen we barely have anything about the two.

and to be clear i'm not trying to say we should have an episode just for them or something like no i understand they're side characters. i understand we don't need all that. and i understand this is also primarily Jimmy's show. but it's not like these two are on the same level as like, arlo or paige and kevin etc. these guys have been around since brba. victor was literally introduced in the same episode gus was. and they are a huge part of gus's story, especially in brba. s4 wouldn't have been what it was without victor and tyrus. and in bcs, ignacio's situation wouldn't have been the same if it weren't for victor and tyrus as well. and i just personally believe that if their goal with gus in bcs was to go back and elaborate on how everything came to be and show what he was like a few years younger, they could've dragged victor and tyrus into that. and i think his character would've benefited from taking that extra step with those two.

[luniviravosshipper]

And also the fact that this entire plan and the scenes surrounding it felt incredibly uncharacteristic for Terry to not only be a participant in but to also be the main instigator of ??

Like, the role he played and his overall attitude in the situation felt really off. I’ve tried rationalizing it as him trying to hold onto his sense of innocence by playing purposefully dumb and oblivious to the potential consequences his actions would have on Claudia on a deeper emotional level after Aaravos tried to break his pure heart, but I don’t know. ‘Cause then what does that say about Terry leaving Claudia in the first place? Wasn’t it meant to be representative of him wanting to hold onto his pure heart? I know that innocence for the most part as the show defines it is the incomprehension of moral complexity, but I didn’t think that outright meant… being ignorant. Lol. I thought for Terry specifically it meant more like not allowing the darker complexities of morality to taint his understanding and mostly positive worldview. The idea of it being about outright ignorance doesn’t even align with what we know about him from before it was revealed he had a pure heart. Why would it possibly make sense for him to suggest them to use an illusion of Lissa of all people to manipulate Claudia? Oh wait, and I forgot. Apparently he knew that wasn’t even going to work on Claudia in the first place. Then what was the point? None of that sounds like anything we’d think Terry would do before then. And then his general shyness in the scene confronting Claudia and being incapable of making an effort to confront her himself too alongside everyone? Until the very end when, again, it is only to reveal (at least imply) he knew his plan wouldn’t actually be effective?

I mean, honestly I felt like the whole interaction felt really unnatural from every character’s perspective except maybe Claudia’s.

Even with all the interesting parallels drawn between Claudia and Soren… I’m not sure they were entirely necessary given how much we lost in return for something so small. Like, I know I focused a lot more on Terry, but yeah, I agree with there being issues with the portrayal of Claudia and Soren’s relationship. They definitely had an opportunity in this scene to finally explore them as siblings in this point of time and they not only didn’t let Soren be the one to attempt to emotionally persuade her in order to do that but they also never even have him directly confront her as a sibling in that scene regardless.

Actually, I take back what I said earlier. It’s not even that it’s small, ‘cause it isn’t. But the parallels only give us a greater view on Claudia specifically, but hardly any other character. (I’d make an argument that the way the parallels relate to Soren only tells us what we already know about him as a character.)

The way this scene plays out feels more like what Claudia thinks other people think of her and will react upon seeing her rather than what would be more realistically the reaction the other characters would offer when confronting her.

It felt a little too her fixated, which I’m only saying doesn’t make much sense considering how it’s supposed to be a scene of them persuading Claudia using her value in emotional connections, particularly familial ones, with others. I’m not saying that it doesn’t make sense at all for the characters to try to manipulate her based on a superficially created image of that, only that it feels weird ‘cause it feels so unfocused on any of them and their individual perspectives to the point some of them, like Terry, felt just simply uncharacteristic.

Anyways, I’m not going to lie, I think the only real reason they had Lissa be the one to emotionally persuade Claudia is for the same reason they confirmed Harrow was in the bird. The creators have said several times before that Lissa was never going to make an appearance in the show, but of course a lot of fans wanted for her to (not that that is a bad thing in itself), so the creators tried to find an excuse to finally appease the fan’s wishes and decided that this would be the only fitting opportunity to do so especially with the chance of there not being a third arc. But that’s just my speculation, it could be completely wrong.

okay so the "fake out lujanne-lissa" scene/plot is egregious for a lot of reasons, but actually, my BIGGEST complaint with this one isn't even the hypocrisy, but rather what a MISSED OPPORTUNITY it was for a deeper, more complex exploration of the SIBLING dynamic between claudia and soren.

when terry says "i think there's one person who can put those pieces back together," and soren asks, "what are you getting at?" i was absolutely flabbergasted when he followed it up with "your mom," because i was completely, 100% expecting him to say soren.

terry's whole argument here is that everything claudia does, she does out of love for her family. why would he think of lissa OVER soren - lissa, who, as terry seems to know by now, hurt claudia so badly when she left, and who claudia hasn't seen in fifteen years? who claudia has barely even spoken of outside of talking to ezran about how hard it was for her being asked to choose between her parents? she talks to viren multiple times about doing things for "our family," but lissa ostensibly hasn't been a part of that family since claudia was very young.

the show even makes a point of drawing a parallel between soren and lissa in season three, when soren chooses to leave viren's side after his takeover of lux aurea, and claudia pleads with him "don't ask me to choose, soren - not again." and then refuses to say goodbye to him, because she can't bear accepting that her brother is leaving her. if the writers really wanted to go with the angle of "her love for her family is the only thing that can stop her" why not use soren instead - whom claudia clearly hasn't resolved her issues with, who's a much fresher example in her mind of being abandoned or left behind?? (AND with all the focus put on terry making them PROMISE not to hurt her, it feels like it was the perfect setup for soren to actually TALK to her, and for the story to explore their relationship in more complexity.)

i just feel like it would have made so much more sense for soren to be the one to try and stop claudia by genuinely connecting with her - a real attempt at reconciling with her and offering her a true path back, instead of the weird manipulative choice to try and trick her with an illusion of her mother (who, again, broke claudia's heart last time she saw her and has caused her emotional trauma that's stuck with her for years of her life. like????? UGH.) vs soren, who claudia clearly still loves - in the final scene with her, she still labels herself as his sister that he should love and be unwilling to kill, and refuses to kill him because she's "still herself" - inherently saying that he's still her brother, to her, and she doesn't want him dead, even when she already considers herself as being abandoned by him.

soren is, by now, the only living & present family that claudia has left. it just feels so much more intuitive and believable that he would be the only one who can connect with claudia where she is now and offer her a way back home.

[hexados-on-a-string]

the only reason hydron didnt live is bc if he was part of the brawler's interdimensional found family, that'd involve him getting a character arc on account of actually having a support system and also the fact that zenoheld is dead and they didn't wanna write that so they just killed off hydron. this lives in my brain though.

[dirty-bear-rick-sanchez]

I know this is probably a rhetorical question but I wanted to break down every interaction they've had in the show so I'm going to take this as an excuse to do it xD

Although I've rewatched and analysed these scenes for this, I haven't done a complete rewatch with this in mind so I can't guarantee that I won't have missed stuff. If anyone notices anything I've missed please feel free to add it!

Their first direct interaction is Morty saying he’ll forgive her for abandoning them if she lets him fly her ship (to which she agrees saying that she was just going to give him space cigarettes) in Star Mort Rickturn of the Jerri. This reminds me of the way Morty sometimes manipulates Rick to get things (e.g. to take Jerry on an adventure, to let him pick the adventure, to make him the video game style place saving device, to get Rick to buy him the sex robot), which makes sense since Space Beth 'cosplay[s] as [her] shitty father in his 30s'. Morty tends to be more honest/direct with Home Beth, even when he's upset with her (e.g. in A Rickconvenient Mort). It's also interesting that he went straight for the abandonment thing since he knows that had such a big impact on Beth. I wonder if he does have some negative feelings towards her for leaving? After all, he did witness Home Beth telling Rick that she relates to her family and not to Space Beth since Space Beth abandoned them all. He might be angry on Home Beth's behalf the same way he was in The Wedding Squanchers.

This one is more about Rick and Space Beth but Morty does join in on the argument about her trying to talk to them/use a good line in Solaricks. I can't think of an equivalent time he's done this with Home Beth, but he has similar reactions to Xenon Bloom, Jerry, and Rick when they make jokes in times of crisis. Also, I never noticed his thumbs down before but it's killing me lmao. It's one of those subtle moments of Morty's intelligence - he knows that Space Beth can't hear them so gives her an obvious visual signal, whereas Rick continues to try and speak. Of course, they both attempt to speak to her afterwards, but they are both dumbasses after all (affectionate). Can't win 'em all.

Interestingly, both Beths say Morty’s name and hug him when he and Rick return from the Prime dimension - there’s no real difference between their reactions. Home Beth seems more... surprised? Sheepish? Maybe because of her jealousy surrounding Summer's admiration of Space Beth she wasn't expecting Morty to hug her as well? I'm not sure exactly what emotion Space Beth's face means here. Maybe she's proud of him? Either way, she obviously does still love him and was worried about him.

In Bethic Twinstinct, Space Beth tells Morty ‘back off, little man’ when he says that she and Home Beth need to tell Jerry about their relationship. He's the only one who tells them directly what to do (Rick tells them to go ahead but that everyone knows and Summer just says that Jerry is oblivious), so that could be why, but I still find it interesting that she targets him specifically. Space Beth hasn't had a lot of the development Home Beth has with Morty but the most prominent example that comes to mind is A Rickconvenient Mort. That episode was not only a big moment for Home Beth trying to protect Morty and actually being there for him at the end, but it also showed her that Morty does know more than she gives him credit for about how people perceive him specifically. Morty's other outburst to Beth in The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy is about how Beth's actions affect Summer and we do see a marked difference in how Space Beth treats Summer and Morty. Space Beth realised that Summer's feelings matter and that she's not just a hormonal/irrational teenager, but she never had that moment with Morty, which makes sense with her patronising tone with him here. Since Beth blamed Diane for driving Rick away and got pregnant as a teenager, I can see why she would view teenagers as irrational/their feelings not really mattering. After all, she comes to understand both Diane and Rick's actions/choices a lot more in the series, and becoming a parent so young has been very hard on her. However, Home Beth has not only chosen the kids and Jerry, but is going to therapy, so she has a different view on this to Space Beth, who can just blame her teenage mistakes on her past self rather than her current self.

Space Beth is present in the Time and Tide montage in Fear No Mort but she’s more enthusiastic about Summer’s wedding and more restrained with him going to college (whereas Home Beth hugs him). I find it interesting that Space Beth and Jerry are grouped together in the graduation scene - they're both standing to the side while Home Beth and Summer hug Morty and join him in the photo. This does make sense when you consider that Jerry and pre-S4 Beth were most responsible for letting Rick hurt Morty, whereas Home Beth is putting in more effort now. Morty is also very protective of Summer and Beth in S1-S3 in particular so I wonder if they appreciate this and feel closer to him than Jerry and Space Beth do? I can't think of a time where Morty has been protective of Jerry specifically, and Space Beth is not only a lot more assertive but probably hasn't considered/realised how much Morty cares for his family and therefore doesn't appreciate it in the way that Summer and Home Beth do. This one is interesting since it's inside Morty's mind so it gives us a good idea of how Morty expects his parents to act. He knows that Jerry and Space Beth would be there physically, but lack an emotional connection.

I know we didn't see them interact onscreen but Space Beth did get Morty the Pooplickian Gamepod. It could've been a gift for both him and Summer, but it’s only Morty who’s present as he’s setting it up in the intro. Also, while Summer does join Rick and Morty while they're playing it before she starts using it as an escape, she's much more critical and disinterested. Even if it was intended as a joint present, it's definitely more up Morty's street and Space Beth would've known that.

Space Beth is also the one who says ‘bored of your toy already?’ when Morty and Rickbot return to the living room after they left with the light sabre. She is being patronising again, but it does show her understanding of Morty's interests - she's surprised that he would spend so little time with his new light sabre.

This isn't an interaction, but I find it interesting that Morty specifies that he and Summer have 'two badass moms now'. Even after everything, he still loves his mom - no matter which version of her. This reminds me of him telling Ethan that Beth is a good mom in The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy. He really does look up to Beth.

There's not a great deal to analyse about this line but it is a direct interaction between the two of them so I thought I should include it. Again, we have the framing of Jerry and Space Beth together and Summer, Morty and Home Beth together. In this scene, it matches their attitudes - while Space Beth and Jerry take an interest in the events, they're much more detached emotionally from the situation. Everyone else is standing while they remain sitting, showing a lack if care or urgency.

In conclusion, Morty loves Space Beth and thinks she's cool, but she still views him as a child and is emotionally distant, and he's aware of this. She also has a much more obvious favourite child, as we saw in Morty's Mindblowers, whereas Home Beth doesn't show as much favouritism. In many ways, Space Beth is S1-S3 Beth, whereas Home Beth is S4-present. However, that's not true, they're both S1-S3 Beth, and I wonder if Morty would find that fact hard to reconcile? With Rick, it's much more obvious that he is both the good and the bad moments/parts of himself since it's just him. With the two Beths, you can almost convince yourself that they couldn't have become the other. I wonder if it would hurt Morty to spend more time with Space Beth and be reminded of how his mom used to be, how she still is sometimes. Would he appreciate Home Beth's efforts more? Would he begin to resent Space Beth for not doing the same?

I would love a Space Beth and Morty episode. I think Home Beth is generally still very oblivious to what Morty goes through (look how shocked she is in The Jerrick Trap that Morty is selling drugs). However, Space Beth has spent enough time out in the galaxy that she must have a better grasp on the sorts of adventures Rick is taking Morty on. I also feel like she has a lot more resentment towards Rick, or at least is a lot more guarded towards him than Home Beth is, so it would be an interesting way to explore Morty’s feelings towards Rick to have them both angry at him - especially if Morty does run away. We’d also get to see more of Space Beth’s development and feelings towards Morty, which I think would be something cool to explore.

We could even have a conflict between the Beths where Home Beth is angry at Space Beth for taking Morty somewhere dangerous or letting him do something inappropriate but Space Beth points out that he does it (and much worse) all the time with Rick.

Honestly though, I mainly just want to see Morty and Space Beth having a cool adventure.

[froggomcdoo]

you ever read a work of fiction so good that you immediately need to find more and consume it but it doesn't have any more and there will likely be no more so you just suffer and think what if.

[frozenambiguity]

Very long Initial thoughts and first impressions on the Caribert Archon Quest in the tags. Spoiler alert!!

[blueikeproductions]

Yeah, the interactions with the other residents and the far superior writing is what helped Rescue Bots immensely.

It’s why it’s disappointing that despite having the same staff, EarthSpark seems to have greatly misunderstood Heatwave and co’s own isolation with the Burns’ on Griffin Rock…

I think a lot of the isolation frankly has to do with the show greatly advertising it having a mixed race cast, going above and beyond to make them the focus, to the point Robbie and Mo are front and center on the old toy packaging, obscuring the Terrans and Autobots. The show also doesn’t help by giving them Power Ranger-Tron suits and making them more important than the Transformers. Masterforce this ain’t.

I feel like Autobot City would be a thing here, with humans and Autobots living peacefully. Energon based technology is common place, with clean energy based systems based on Cybertronian tech helping generate Energon similar to what’s implied in G1 and in Skybound. GHOST operates within Autobot city and is a NEST/Earth Defense Command stand in, though it does have some limitations similar to what’s implied in Prime. There’s a prison system similar to the RiD15 crypo pods, with the worst Decepticons captured and locked up in there, with still at large Decepticons occasionally trying to break them out while trying to steal Energon.

Some of the Terrans release the other Decepticons, being smoothed talked by Starscream or another character, being lied to in how the Decepticons are merely an oppressed group trying to survive under Autobot doctrine, to better illustrate what I feel ES should’ve been exploring: the Terrans as a neutral party starting out that become interested in the Autobot and Decepticon ideologies and how that shapes them. Like Thrash actually aligns more with the Decepticons, but he loves his Autobot and human family and makes a point to say he’s a punk, but he’s not an extremist. Hashtag is interested in the freedoms Decepticonism promises, but realizes too late she’s fallen for “fake news” and has to make up for her mistakes. Twitch is like El Tigre and is somewhere in the middle of being an Autobot or Decepticon, Jawbreaker is firmly an Autobot, working with Bulkhead, Grapple and the Dinobots, Nightshade is also 100% Autobot, falling in with Wheeljack and Perceptor, and finding the Decepticons’ science intriguing but heartless and barbaric. Spitfire and Aftermath are all for the Decepticons and while they have some lingering attachment to the Maltos, they’re ultimately the bad bully kids you see in movies who love being a bully. That said the two Chaos Terrans are trouble makers but aren’t fully willing to kill anyone, showing even they have standards. Like say Aftermath beats the crap out Jawbreaker, thinks he’s made his point and lets him live, but Starscream insists the Dinobot needs to be shot in the head, which Aftermath is against, thinking that’s overkill.

A lot of Mandroid’s annoyances are the same, but he detests seeing the Autobots and some reformed Decepticons like Devastator and Knock Out running around doing public service jobs alongside humans. I feel like Knock Out would fancy himself the hot cop you see in pin up stuff, and likes to be the bad cop to Schloder’s Inspector Gadget like good cop. Mandroid especially hates the Terrans, noticing they have unique powers that if handled improperly could kill all humans, and he especially is concerned how some of them want to be Junior Decepticons.

Do you think ES would have been improved by going the Rescue Bots route? Like, the war is there, and people are fighting it, but there’s also other stuff going on where our protagonists are so the show focuses on that

For as many complaints as I have about ES, the setting being postwar is a great concept. What should've happened was actually showing the audience how Earth and humanity as a whole have been affected by the War. We see that there's TF focused media and collectibles, but that strikes me as more fan pandering than actual worldbuilding. Has Cybertronian tech been introduced to human society? How has the presence of TFs influenced things like economies, relations between world powers, etc? Does the average human worry that they might encounter a TF one day? Who knows since ES is too busy focusing on the Malto bubble.

Part of what made RB work is that it didn't solely focus on the Rescue Bots and Burns family. Griffin Rock was an actual town with a recurring cast of citizens like the Greene family, Mrs. Neederlander and Mister Pettypaws, Huxley Prescott, and Mayor Luskey. Most importantly, the writing quality was fantastic.

[thetangibleghost]

I gotta confess it is so much more fun talking to Sal as if he is a separate person like he wants and not a member of the system. He's super creative like. Its just fun.