#trying to justify why i think this dynamic would be fascinating when the truth is. i am a freak.

[karta-ri]

for your consideration: s1 jayce, old mage viktor

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

I've asked myself many times over the course of three years about how would I react to information that comes to contradict a specific image I have about people. And the answer would differ, more or less, depending on a myriad of factors, such as my mental wellbeing, my attitude toward the fandom, the group, the members, etc. The truth is, I only knew how I would respond the moment it happens and I was pleasantly surprised in a way. I see it as a sign that I'm doing better or at least I'm on the path of doing better.

These are things that I didn't want to allow to come to surface in the way I used to handle the BTM blog. Perhaps because the point was to create a platform in which I could offer the rational, researched perspective which I considered to be the correct one. I'm not retracting any of that. I still believe that it is possible to offer a more complex perspective if I can back it up with knowledge from various fields, but it was also one of my defense mechanisms.

Without expanding on the personal reasons, it has become very easy for me to separate my rational and emotional side. So much, that even when I should be staying in the moment and let my emotions take space, I can't really do it, I need to come up with a rational explanation so it can make sense. I then applied this to BTS as well. I couldn't just say I like this group when someone would ask, I would have to tell them about all the studies I read and how my fascination is mostly intelectual, when in truth it was both. I used to talk about jikook only in the context of analysis, be it GCF through semiotics or various types of interpretations when it came to their performances or fandom reception in terms of their dynamics. It had to be in the context of rational fascination and curiosity because I was merely trying to justify myself on why I care that much about two strangers that I look at on my phone. Again, my intellectual curiosity is real, but that has always been only one side if the coin, but it was one that I pushed.

It's about shame actually. I can't actually accept that I have such an interest. It doesn't fit with the idea I have of myself. And sometimes I don't like it because it makes me question my intellect, my critical thinking. How can I be so good academically and at the same time I fear that I've fallen into a fandom trap? I'm smart, right? Right?

I'm sure a lot of people have dealt with or ar going through this process of cognitive dissonance. How does one deal with the mere idea that something they believe in based on their understanding of the world, their ability of decoding (not in a conspiracy sense, but in a Saussurean way) can turn out to be wrong? We see something that resembles a specific behavior that we are surrounded with our entire lives, sometimes we ourselves engage with, but we've identified it wrong on others? Of course, it's through the visual medium, one that is edited. It's a puzzle with large chunks missing, but we're getting a general idea of it. But we can be wrong. So how do we deal with that? Well, I don't have a correct answer.

Me in 2020/2021 would have been more affected because my mental health was not good. I was functionally depressed and I clinged so much onto BTS, Jikook and the small community that I found myself in at that time, that I would have felt a lot more torn than I am now.

A couple of years later and having to actually go through a situation in which my understanding of people's relationship might not be accurate, I realized I'm fine. And I think it's because it made me really register just now that I finally learned how to have fun with it. It took me three years. By having fun, I mean genuinely being able to simply enjoy the little things. I'm still on the path of not being ashamed for liking kpop or spending time talking about the dynamic/relationship of two people.

What prompted this post was reading what is currently being written in the jikook tag. Yes, I had this big introductory chunk that perhaps people won't bother reading, but I'm doing it for myself. If I can't be honest while writing stuff into the void for strangers to read, then what is the point?

I get frustrated very easily. I like debates and contradictory points of view, but not always. And that's because I like to be right. Almost all the time. So when I see something that I believe it lacks logic or I find it absurd, then my fingers are itching. I don't comment or DM people, I can control myself. I'd rather get out of the app and do something else.

What I want to say is I was surprised at how much fanfiction is being written. More that usual. Shipping contains a big deal of fanfiction by its nature. Gestures and events taking place at different times are interpreted and having information added that fills the gaps. People do that because they have to make sense of what they see.

They like to make relationship timelines. They speculate on first kisses and first sexual experiences. That's their imagination. None of us has any way of knowing. The element of fiction is heighted when people feel like they are losing control of the narrative. When they are unsure of what they are seeing. Which is what usually happens in the shipping community on a yearly basis. Anons flooding the bloggers' inboxes because they need confirmation or they didn't get any ship content in a month or two which means something is wrong.

There's this understanding that the shipper/supporter is delusional while the one who stops shipping is the rational one. From what I've observed throughout time and mostly now, that is a false distinction. The so-called rational fan makes use of fiction just as the shipper. The difference is in purpose. One talks about why the supposed romantic relationship is real and the other tries to refute that. But both categories seem to need fiction in order to build their arguments. That is because none of them have access to someone's private life and relationship, so the gaps need to be filled with speculation. There is no right or wrong version here, despite how much the idea is being pushed. And me writing about this won't make a difference. It's simply how the fandom works. The one who position themselves on the side of anti-delulu will always be seen as the less crazy one. The similarities will fade for the collective consciousness of the fandom.

I think it's difficult for a lot of people, regardless on which side they find themselves on, to accept that the option of simply not knowing is enough as well. Or knowing, but without getting anal about it. But it's hard and they write posts after posts, anons are sending asks over asks because there has to be a firm answer. Only a few allow themselves to be in between lines.

I'll bring back something that I always used to say. Shipping and involvement in the fandom is a lot more about us and less about the people we're talking about. It's about fullfiling some needs, of needing a community, of focusing on the idea of love. Those things can still be done in a way that still makes the experience enjoyable. But not everyone can and I'm not blaming it.

There's a way to just like how people behave with each other and imagine things without adding so much weight to it. Regardless of the true nature. It's our imagination, there's no need for a moral inquisition to tell anyone how to think or that they should stop thinking a certain way. Touching some grass is a cliche and an expression I ended up hating, but I do believe that being connected to discourse on a daily basis can really alter our sense of reality and what we consider to be real issues. We really should pay more attention to that and take some distance if necessary.

[nagirambles]

Was thinking about Roubaul and how he has several similarities with Zera: they're both dead people tied to Illusion Magic who pretended to be alive for the sake of a young child. It makes me wonder if Zera actually WAS the ghost of Zera who got tangled up in Mavis's powerful Illusion Magic and became a mix of spirit and illusion. It would explain why she seemed like a fully sentient being with a will of her own. Plus, it draws interesting parallels between Wendy and Mavis. Thoughts?

That’s definitely a very fun parallel to look toward. I’d argue Wendy’s one of the more ‘fairy-like’ members, especially with the wind and wings, and the one-piece-dress silhouette they share. Also the child body. I think it’s kind of cute in a parallel of Zeref-Mavis and Natsu-Wendy too, they have the dynamic of a demon and an angel they have a soft spot for, though in different natures as a siblinglike relationship versus a romantic one. I do wonder what could be done with that. 

Back on topic. I honestly always thought Zero was, in truth, the ghost of Zera having a bit more time as a spirit, because it’s just too sad to think otherwise. Imagine if all of Zera’s development from a spoiled child to a true friend,  her redemption, friendship with Mavis was all in Mavis’ imagination... that would be too cruel for me. I want to think Zera truly lived on as a spirit for a while to truly become friends with Mavis. The power of love can justify this much, right?

It’s fascinating to think of a heartbreaking Zera perspective, where she knows she’s a ghost being clung onto, and thus, in the first while, she refused to open her heart simply because she knows it can’t come true, and she didn’t want to disappear either, so she didn’t reveal the truth. But Mavis wormed her way into her heart anyways, and thus began their journey together as she watched over Mavis, knowing one day their happiness will come crumbling down. For Roubaul, it was simply a spur of the moment impulse, the desire to not want to see a child cry, that made him create all of his lies--- but eventually his lies were too far in to be revealed without hurting Wendy too much. I’d say they’re very similar, especially in the regard that they only finally passed on when they realized that Wendy and Mavis now have real friends, and didn’t need the lies anymore. 

Realistically I think these parallels only occurred because Mashima saw how successful the Caitshelter reveal was, and wanted to do something a little similar-- and I love both of them, so I’d say it’s a good decision-- but I do wonder if we could continue these parallels without it getting in the way of Lucy’s parallels with Mavis. 

I’d leave Fairy Glitter and tactician parallels to Lucy and Cana, but I kind of want to see Wendy dealing with Ankhseram. Wendy is, after all, a healing mage, something that treads the taboo of life and death. She could venture into the forbidden territory of wanting to revive someone for real. Give her a moment where her powers are truly useless and she’s devastated by it, and make her go to the lengths of trying to surpass the limits of her healing. This could tie into a Zeref-Mavis and Natsu-Wendy parallels as well, (it could give us more about Natsu being a literal revived being??) and it could give Zeref some meaningful action if we see him trying to stop her from making the same mistake he did.

I suppose it’s fine as it is with Wendy branching out toward other developments instead, because not every parallel needs to be a one-on-one comparison. I wish Tenrou expanded more on Lucy-Cana and Mavis-Zera, though!

[yourpakichic]

Episode 19 thoughts

- I love the boys vs. girls scenes! The similarly layered conversations that occur are an absolute delite to watch!

- Engin making Serkan PANIC over Eda finding another man! Like he really didn’t think so until at this point! But also, Melo trying to make her eniste really panic!

- Selin really trying to play house with Serkan.... *eye roll*

- Their individual monologues caused me pain. They want each other so bad. To only be each other’s. To only look and smile at each other. And yet, those words only remain in their hearts, unable to find escape into this world, held back by the circumstances they are currently entangled in. As true and bright as the day but hidden in the darkness of the night deep within their hearts.

- AIDAN PLAYING CUPID FOR EDSER? I begged for this and I’m actually receiving it? I’m shook.

- Ferit suspecting Efe? I was taken back by it, didn’t see that coming!

- KIDS IN LOVE, they are literal children in love! Their sarcastic responses give me life!

- The tension at that breakfast table would cause me so much anxiety!

- HE CUT THE BREAD FOR HER OUT OF HABIT....I literally can’t deal with them! They cause me too much pain!

- He’s gonna name that horse Eda. I just know it. And I’m gonna fall to pieces.

- My heart broke for Aidan after listening to the story. Her guilt toward the loss of her elder son was so strong and powerful that it caged her in her home. A mother’s pain is incomparable. It’s understandable how Aidan may have blamed herself for being missing in her son’s life and why she tries to be involved in Serkan’s. She wants to be involved and stay connected with her Serkan in a way she wasn’t able to for his brother. But by sending Serkan away at a young age by himself, she distanced herself from him. It’s not his fault he doesn’t trust anyone because the two people who he was supposed to trust in life abandoned him in trying to deal with their own pain while neglecting his needs. I’m not blaming Aidan/Alptekin because it’s his easy to judge from the outside. It’s such a deep and realistic way that these characters represent the dynamics and struggles of a traumatic event and the aftermath. Serkan’s inability to trust and fear of abandonment is real and justified based on his past. Aidan’s fear of leaving the house is justified due to the circumstances in which Alp died. Alptekin’s strictness toward Serkan can be explained by the fact that he lost his elder son (who he clearly named after himself) due to an illness and he fears he might lose Serkan too. Which also makes me think, did Serkan really have an illness in the past? I means he’s a bit of a hypochondriac but I’m thinking maybe just because of his brothers illness, Serkan got conditioned to thinking and living a certain healthy way to protect himself.

- I’m glad Aidan told Eda this because I think it might make Eda open her eyes a bit more. I’m not expecting Eda to forgive and forget but I think it might explain to her why Serkan is the way he is.

- If you ask me, Serkan was pretty fair in asking Efe to claim his mistake in front of the team. Serkan built and has lead this team to such a great standard and Efe ruined that in minutes. They rightfully deserved an apology. And Engin being pissed and backing up Serkan as the BEST FRIEND HE IS.

- Serkan being honest about his feelings and wanting to improve things with Eda was such a good thing to see. It may have taken him some time to get there but I’m glad that he’s come to terms with the fact that he can’t be without her. More so, he doesn’t want her to be with anyone else. Serkan is hopeful about their relationship and I think that’s the first time since their breakup. He isn’t trying to convince himself or anyone that they are over with completely. And I think what Engin said really resonated with him. If they can overcome the truth, it’s true love. If not, it’s over.

- His seriousness went out the window as soon as he realized the flowers were for Eda, HAHAHAH! He said burn the flowers! He’s such an idiot

- HE REALLY DRAGGED HER FROM THE CHAIR, I’M DEAD! freaking children behavior!

- Serkan is really trying to keep the truth from reaching Eda from anyone but him but everything really seems to be going against him! Let me tell you, my heart broke when Serkan mentioned his fathers mistake taking away Eda from him. He cannot catch a break!

- Aidan burning Alptekin’s clothes was so funny!

- Why is Selin trying to dig! Let my man Serkan handle this!

- Efe doesn’t know.... did I read that scene right?

- He’s gonna record their conversation! EFE, YOU SNAKE!

- SO IT IS THE GRANDMOTHER AMD SHE DID SENT EFE FOR REVENGE. But it seems like she wasn’t sure but sent Efe to investigate. She’s gonna use that recording to kill Serkan’s career! IT IS GOING TO BE NON-STOP DRAMA.

- Eda making Serkan jealous like that was hilarious! She really created a whole jealousy scene with that man!

- Eda and Aidan play off each other so well at this dinner, it’s hilarious! The way they are setting these ladies straight!

- The way his eyes lit up when she said she’s in love with him still! It’s like he can’t actually believe that! Idk but I found it weird how Eda didn’t want to even listen to Serkan as he tried to talk to her. I mean up until now, all she’s wanted is for him to talk and open up and now that he’s spent the whole day trying to do so, she just ignored his calls or runs away when the opportunity is there. It’s so not like Eda! I get that she’s given him chances before and he’s missed them and she probably doesn’t want to waste any more time giving him empty chances but I feel like Eda used to understand Serkan’s tone and words but it’s like... she just doesn’t recognize in his tone how much he really wants to talk to her. It seems like a character downplay to me for Eda.

- I’m not that invested in Ferit/Ceren, but that was cute, mostly because I want Ceren to be happy! But I swear, this whole Selin/Ferit crap ruins everything! My girl Ceren deserves better!

- He loves her so much, he’s just playing along with her! He’s so in love with her!he really just said have fun, but don’t dance with anyone! And THAT CONFESSION. He said everything with his whole chest. And she didn’t hear! They will be the death of me!

- He took the bottle! Lol bruh, you gonna need at least 2 bottles to get over this mess!

- Selin really trying to come on to Serkan while he’s drunk and he just straight up says, I need Eda. How does she not get the message!

- YES CEREN! YOU TELL HIM GIRL! I mean for real, what did he expect! But I will say I appreciate that Ferit was honest and didn’t lead Ceren on any further and just came out with it.

- HE IS SO DRUNK, I LOVE IT! Eda is fascinated by his drunk state, he’s so cute, she can’t help but melt! That was such a cute way of involving the title of the show! And that scene is sooo cute!

- Her carrying him up the stairs and complaining that he’s heavy. Him being wasted out of his mind and saying off the wall stuff. I LIVED FOR THIS SCENE. PURE COMDEY. PURE EDSER. I WANT MORE.

- THE SHOWER SCENE. That’s it? That’s all we get? I’M SOOO PISSED! The trailer made it seem like such a scene and then they give us this? The frack? That is unacceptable! That was such a wasted opportunity! THEY WOULD’VE KILLED THAT SCENE! AND HONESTLY IT WOULD’VE SAVED THE EPISODE! Ughhhhhhhhhh

- AHHHH SHIT! She got her hands on Eda’s family, that’s it. It’s over.

- See what I mean. Somehow, Eda didn’t understand Serkan. Serkan never really had a good way of putting with words but Eda understood and didn’t completely twist it around. I honestly think Eda’s jealousy of Selin really makes her so paranoid that she’s able to twist around to justify her insecurity in regards to Selin. Which I just don’t get. I mean Eda did have that kind of dynamic with Selin but she was never super jealous or anything. She always had a way fighting back against Selin and still being confident. I just can’t seem to understand where all of the sudden, it’s turned into this.

- It’s out. The secret is out. But definitely not how it should have been. It should not have been from Selin. Selin seems remorseful about it but I don’t buy it. And Serkan looks like his whole world just shattered. And bless Eda. She’s about to really go through it. The last scene was sooooo well acted! I loved the tension, the angst, the anger!

- One thing that I really need to see happen is Eda/Serkan working on their communication skills. Because they suck at it. They are both indirect and never really say what they want and mean straight up. Since the beginning both of them expect each other to understand with signs or by indirect words and it was cute at first but now it’s annoying. Like two people in love should be able to tell each other anything and SHOULD tell each other everything as it is, free from judgement. I don’t want an argument and then they make up in one of their houses. I want them to talk out their issues, their perspectives! Because both of them have quite opposite views and beliefs so it’s very important for them to say everything out loud to each other. Otherwise, their chemistry and relationship is just gonna be for a show and not hold real value and show and realistic aspect to it.

Overall: A really good episode even though some parts did feel lagged. So the big explosion (one of them) has happened. Now we wait to see the aftermath. Honestly at first I used to think that I would know how certain characters would react but now I don’t know. It’s not easy to say where they will take the characters or the storyline so we’ll see! Tbh, Hande and Kerem are really carrying this show with their scenes and acting so I would love to see them get justice with their scenes! The show at some parts feels like random and misplaced but it’s still enjoyable! Like there’s no need for all these side character storylines right now, like give Eda/Serkan their full scenes in full cut and let it play out! Once everything is more wrapped up, you can add the side storylines! It’s still an enjoyable and fun show and definitely makes me laugh and keep me on the edge of my seat but there’s just some moments when the magic seems missing!

[loveafterthefact]

Love After the Fact Chapter 71: Reaching Out

TOUCHING MEEEEE.... TOUCHING YOUUUUU

This has nothing at all to do with the episode. But I just can't help myself

SWEET CARLOINE BA BA BAAAAAAAA

ALSO, click this link to choose what y'all want for Thanksgiving 2020!!!

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Adam is used to his first impressions being correct. This is because he is exceptional, and most people are incredibly ordinary. Lance and Keith are exceptions, proving extremely predictable, but endearing all the same. They’re well-meaning, capable, kind. They always welcome him, which is far more than can be said for most.

He’s only the slightest bit biased.

The point of these thoughts is that Captain Takashi of House Shirogane of Daibazaal is not particularly complex, but he is… dynamic? Layered? Interesting?

No. Interest- ed. That’s really the only special thing about him, the only thing sets him apart. Although… Being interested in him is interest- ing. Perhaps the man has some kind of undiagnosed mental illness, or maybe some brain trauma-

“Everything good?”

Adam starts. “Hm?” He’s leaning on the heel of his hand, elbow on the holodesk in Shiro’s quarters. It’s where he’s done his work nearly every day, aside from occasional trips into the villages with Shiro and learning about Daibazaani vegetation from Shiro.

“You’re staring at me. Like you’re trying to set me on fire with your mind. Everything good?”

“Apologies. I was just thinking.”

“Okay…” Shiro clearly doesn’t believe him.

Despite the occasional bout of supreme idiocy, Shiro is not a stupid man. He knows a half-truth when he hears one.

“I was wondering what I see in you.”

“And?”

“No idea. There’s not much.”

“I’ll try not to take that as an insult.”

“I believe you.”

“You are a very abrasive person, Adam.” The Galra meets him, eyes gray like the Night Mother Moon. “On the outside.”

Adam smiles. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“Not a soul. And I like you too. More than like.”

Adam licks his lips, opens his mouth to speak, closes it again. He’s not certain what he can say. What they have is so fragile. Adam doesn’t want to risk anything.

He’s rescued by a knock at the door.

“Enter.” Shiro turns off his desk. He’s working on new training exercises, based on the most recent science. He doesn’t want anyone to see them before they’re ready.

Shiro’s a perfectionist.

A very thin Galra walks in, head and face bare except for a thin stripe of fur where their scalp should be. Adam has since learned that Galra of this type usually inhabit the marshier areas near the planet’s equator. They’re relatively uncommon in this region outside of the military.

“Haxus. Hello. What can I do for you?” Shiro swivels his chair, leaning slightly away from Adam.

“Sorry, Captain. Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all. What is it?”

“I’ve brought the hard copies you asked for.” The Blade hands over a thick stack of papers.

“Ah. Thank you.” Shiro flips through the documents, making sure everything is there.

“If you don’t mind my asking, why paper? Why not files?”

“Electronic files can be traced. I want these for myself. Training scenarios.”

“Oh. I… suppose that makes sense.” Haxus shifts uncomfortably, seeming reluctant to leave.

“Did you need something?” Shiro asks.

Haxus hesitates. “I just wanted to know… If you have any news? I know it’s been a long while, but I have to ask.”

Adam narrows his eyes at the Galra. He’s about Shiro’s age, maybe even a decaphoeb or two older. He feels like sadness. It puts the Altean on edge. This kind of sadness is deep and unpredictable. It can turn a person into an empty, or it can turn them dangerous.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t.” At the Galra’s visible disappointment, Shiro finds scrambles to offer some reassurance. “I won’t stop looking, Haxus. You know I won’t.”

“I know you won’t. Neither will I.” Haxus nods, shoulders slumped. “Even just something to bury…”

Despite his outward demeanor, this is the dangerous kind of sad, Adam realizes with a shiver. He can feel an angry chill rolling off the man, a biting, burning frost. He will not trust Haxus.

“With your permission, I’ll return to my duties,” the soldier says.

He leaves with Shiro’s nod. Once haxus is gone, Shiro throws down the thick stack of papers with a sigh.

“What was that all about?” Adam asks, fascinated, a little scared. What sort of secrets might be necessary on Daibazaal? What is Haxus?

“Haxus’ mate is missing. One of my other men, Sendak. I’ve known them as long as I’ve been in the military. We grew up together.”

“But why is that a secret? He didn’t want to talk about it in front of me.”

“They’re both biologically male. Such pairings are currently illegal on Daibazaal.” At Adam’s raised eyebrow, Shiro elaborates. “An expanding empire needs soldiers. Two males don’t produce soldiers. Zarkon declared it ‘conspiracy against the empire’ and banned new pairings before I was even born. Before Haxus and Sendak were born. But much like someone else we know, bonding can’t always be helped. We were with the blades by then. We all helped them keep it quiet.”

Adam stares at his datapad. “I didn’t know such bigotry could exist among your species.”

“It doesn’t. It’s just a law. Galra can be attracted to anyone. Someone’s sex doesn’t really matter to us. But it matters to Zarkon. He wants more warm bodies. I suppose we should count ourselves lucky that he didn’t decide to forbid established same-sex mates. Considering what he did to his own nephew under the guise of ‘cultural differences’, it’s not too much of a stretch to say he would be that cruel if he could justify it.”

“So… Haxus’ secret mate just vanished?”

“Yes. I sent a company of soldiers to assist with subduing a planet about a decaphoeb and a half ago. Sendak was part of the company, and disappeared in the fight. Soldiers on the ground are still searching, but between you and me? He’s dead.”

“Haxus must be miserable.”

“He is. He’s mellowed out a lot. Before, he was actually quite unpleasant to be around. Now… He’s not the same. Which is convenient, but… He’s hurting.” Shiro sighs. “I hate losing people. I do my best to take good care of my agents, but not everything can be helped, you know?”

“I know.” Adam watches Shiro return to his planning. “There was little I could do for Keith, except try to steer him away from Alfor and the higher-ranking guards. But he doesn’t need that anymore. He’s an adult now, and if what Lance has told me is true, he’s more than capable of handling himself.

“Lance, though…”

“He still has some growing up to do,” Shiro agrees.

“He’ll learn.” Adam leans back in his chair. “Lance has experienced some personal hardship, but never struggle or sacrifice. He’s lived spoiled and comfortable all his life. I know he wants to travel, though. Visit the various Altean territories. He’s already made a good deal of progress. He’s grown up a fair bit since marrying Keith.”

“Yes, I imagine raising your… ‘humbend’? Will do that to you.”

“Husband, and yes. I imagine it did, in many ways. For instance, he’s learned the difference between ‘the many outweigh the few’ philosophy, and ‘it’s morally abhorrent, but also what’s most convenient, so just do it’.”

“See, I always imagined that a parent was supposed to teach you what to do, not what not to do. I mean, that’s how Kolivan raised his sons. That’s how the military raised me. They weren’t my parents, but they treated me like their kit.”

“You’d know better than I. My parents were deployed and killed shortly after my birth. I was raised by various servants. And Lance, his sister, Romelle, and Lanval.”

“You and Lance seem unlikely friends.”

“Hm…” A smile curls Adam’s lips. “I suppose we do, don’t we?”

“Do you wanna… tell me about it?” Shiro presses.

Right. That’s what he’s supposed to do. Engage. Offer something about himself.

“I was born an earl. It’s the highest rank outside the royal family. After my parents were killed, I was raised by servants. Coran heard of my state and suggested me as a playmate when Lance was born. He wanted the royal children to have friends, and normal relationships.

“The others never liked me very much. Even when I was younger, I was… me. But just as I was me, Lance was Lance.”

“Friends with everyone,” Shiro murmurs, smiling.

“He’s my friend,” Adam whispers. “Maybe my only friend. Over time, I grew not only to love him, but respect him, as well. I forsook my title and lowered myself to serve him, leaving my estate behind.”

“What happened to your estate?” Shiro asks. “Is it waiting for you when you retire?”

“No. I gifted it to Lanval. His own fortunes were mismanaged by his family’s accountant after the death of his own parents. Lance needs him among the people, schmoozing and minding everyone’s business. I gave him a way to do that.

“The court considers it all a huge disgrace of course, but I don’t particularly care. I believe in what I’m doing, and that won’t change just because so many Alteans are spoiled and shallow.”

“Of course not, because you’re not spoiled or shallow.”

“Spoiled, yes. Shallow, no.” Adam pulls up a new file on his tablet. “Lance has just informed me that he and Keith plan to expand their house.”

“I guess Keith made his choice then,” Shiro murmurs.

“You don’t approve?” Adam bristles, ready to rise to the princes’ defense.

“Not exactly. I just don’t understand.” The Galra frowns. “Given the choice, I wouldn’t bring a kit into this empire. We’ll see what happens after Lotor ascends, but for now? I can think of more reasons not to have a kit than to have one.”

“It’s different for him,” Adam murmurs. “The princes have a responsibility to provide two heirs. And… I think he wants to do better than he had, you know? He and Lance have the perceived power to do better, and set a new standard for living.”

Adam sighs. “Keith has a lot to give, and he’s desperate to give it. I wonder what that’s like.”

“What what’s like?”

“To know what you want and just make it happen. But I suppose I gave that up when I took my position.” He returns to his work, drafting a missive to Lance to remind him to begin working actively on preparations for the spring festival.

“Adam…”

“Takashi.” Hazel eyes dart to the Galra for a brief moment before returning to his work. There’s nothing to say. They’re at a dead end, at least for the time being. They can grow as close as they like, and talk as often as they like, and still they can never be together, save for brief moments like this.

“That’s all you have to say?” Shiro whispers.

“What could there possibly be to say that we haven’t both already thought?”

“I’ll wait for you.”

A soft, violet hand touches his wrist, leathery pads brushing over the back of his hand. Adam stares at his datapad, unseeing. He’d been expecting silence, perhaps a few words of reluctant agreement.

“Until you’re ready to let go, or until I can find a way out of my duties, fuck, the rest of my life- I’ll wait for you… Will you wait for me?”

His hand shifts, gripping Takashi’s tightly as he dares. It’s a difficult choice for him, to let someone in, to promise them a space in his heart. He’s lost so much, and the less he has, the less he stands to lose.

Adam sighs, shifting in his chair so he can lean against the larger man, cheek pressed against his upper arm. "Every time I think life's run out of things to throw at me, you take me by surprise."

"Yeah, well." Shiro moves to wrap an arm around his shoulders, kiss his head. "The man I'm trying to impress has extremely refined taste."

"Not really." Adam closes his eyes. "Just you. Wanting me."

"I've never wanted anything so much. However long it takes."

"I'll wait for you, too," Adam decides. "And... I more than like you, too."

"How much more than like?"

Adam sighs. "A lot more than like, and that's as much as you're getting today."

"Ugh. Fine."

Love.

[bluepulsebluepulse]

Top 5 Reasons Why BluePulse Should Become Canon:

Below I have compiled a list of reasons why the legendary characters both Bart Allen and Jaime Reyes, have the potential to be more than just best friends (which is what most relationships start with 😉). And I don’t even care if it isn’t in YJ but that would be ideal. And with that, let’s get started!

1. They provide for perfect character development:

Here me out, so... both Bart Allen and Jaime Reyes and their characters seem to explore very similar themes, and the great part is, they do this together as best friends, but it could easily continue through the format of a relationship as well which would make it more rewarding. The hypothetical feelings are powerful enough to justify, I mean and understandably so, when two people, are facing something as grande as changing fate itself together! And by that I mean the Reach apocalypse. I mean they can’t truly know if they have succeeded or not, and what better way to be prepared and feel like you can face anything the future can throw at you then having the love of your life by your side? And they are the perfect candidates for one another???

2. They share a lot of dynamics:

The two have the potential to help support one another through their hardships as they share a lot of the same dynamics. For instance, both Bart and Jaime have to deal with facing their fears (the same fear). But they are also the key to each other’s freedom! Because without Bart having coming back to the past, and without Jaime’s cooperation, neither of them could have obtained their own respective freedoms (that’s ignoring the freedom of everybody else in existence too 😂) and how could they not love one another for giving each other one of the greatest gifts of all? Freedom.

3. Their relationship would provide the perfect opportunity to teach life lessons:

Both of their origin stories are fascinating and when written by talented people, can be a really rewarding story that could be made even better by the two of them becoming a couple. Relationships without drama are boring and unrealistic and these two can offer plenty. Take your pick from the vast range of elements these characters have to offer to provide that; hidden truths from their past’s and or future’s or their superpowers and the conflicts that come with living that life. And that’s not even including the great story telling that could come as they navigated their way from friends to lovers! When family and friends are considered for the two, they would likely face a few unsupportive people who were not accepting of their relationship, for instance maybe Jaime’s father? Dealing with parents who don’t accept you for who you are is something A LOT of people face, even when not considering the LGTBQ+ aspect, and this is definitely something I know I, and many others, would appreciate seeing answered through the narrative of story telling. The life lessons that could be further enforced by them becoming official are endless too. If Bart can hypothetically fall in love with Jaime (and be loved back), that sets the example that you can’t judge a book by its cover and that forgiveness is strong enough to overcome anything! Bart could have easily assumed the worst of Jaime coming back to the past, could have never let down his guard with him, never trusted him, but Bart did. And as for forgiveness, Jaime is literally the same person who tortured Bart, and despite being under Reach control at the time, Bart would have likely and understandably so, assigned a lot of blame to Jaime because living in a dystopian future doesn’t exactly endow one with the energy to care about carefully assorting blame to the correct parties.

4. They have truly amazing chemistry (and provide an overwhelming abundance of heartwarming humor):

Do I even need to explain this? Anyone who has watched Seasons 2 and 3 of YJ, will know exactly what I’m talking about. Obviously the pair haven’t featured a lot in what we have currently seen from Season 3 😢, but in Season 2 they were the stars of the show and it was amazing. The chemistry they had alone was enough to warrant an eventual relationship to flourish between the two. The humor between these two is electric (in a good way). The contrast in their personalities makes their friendship an absolute delight to watch and I just think about all the new avenues of humor that could open up if they became an actual item.

5. They can set an important standard in representation and diversity:

Not only is there a severe lack of LGTBQ+ representation in just general media, it is also apparent in the superhero mediums (especially animated). DC is becoming progressively better with live action, as is evident with Legends of Tomorrow, Doom Patrol and now Batwoman. So I am not saying there is none at all, but if we are looking at DC animated properties, well... I don’t think I need to finish that sentence. And Bart and Jaime are perfect candidates. Most people see Jaime as bisexual and Bart as gay and I actually agree with this general consensus. I like it that way too. Anyway, they are both relatively minor characters in the DC Universe so it’s a great place to start. And that isn’t meant as in insult, popularity wise, these two characters are ideal to place in a romantic relationship without upsetting too many people. I could understand people getting upset if DC allowed YJ to make a very popular well established character gay such as Batman or Superman or something. But Bart and Jaime aren’t well established so I ask you... why not them? And not only could these two set a good precedent for representation for the LGTBQ+ community; but also diversity in general due to Jaime’s Latino ethnicity. 

And to summarize, these are basically the top 5 reasons I have but believe me I have more! And yes, this was me trying my best to condense what I had to say. If you got this far, I applaud you. Haven’t Bart and Jaime been through enough in their lives? DC just let them be happy together!

PS: For those of you who are about to jump down my throat over the age gap, please understand that I was hoping for them to be together this season, not last season, they were indeed too young to date back then. And when I say together this season, I mean starting out dating. I am not asking for them to jump into bed right now and then heck, why not elope next season? NO. This season they could literally start out with just hand holding or something. Next season I would expect kissing (amongst other things) though from a hypothetical canon standpoint. They will both be well and truly old enough. The notion that Jaime is taking advantage of Bart (because he is a few years older) is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Firstly, Jaime isn’t that kind of guy and secondly, Bart was mature for his age right from the beginning. They are superheroes for goodness sake, they’re ALL forced to grow up quickly and when you keep that in mind, it makes sense. For anyone who plans on leaving negative or derogatory comments on this post, know I will block you and lose no sleep over it. I rope homophobes and racists into the same category, you’re wrong, so there’s no need for an open and honest discussion on your thoughts and opinions regarding this topic so I just block and move on. Simple. For anyone else who disagrees but for other logical reasons, well then I can respect your viewpoint but know if you dump on this post I am just going to ignore it lol. Also anybody else who has a problem with this ship, just block me so you don't have to see posts from me about it since that's literally all I ever do.

[littlemisssquiggles]

So I recently sent a response to Shannon McCormick, Oz's voice actor: "I know you said the group is gonna trust Oz again and reconcile, but I'm not feeling very hopeful. They're still so bitter towards him and not trying to understand him... and are doing the same things they demonized him for, yet it's being treated like it's okay. I know you can't give spoilers and I don't expect you to, but it's something that's got me really down." He responded with: "Keep the faith."

Hey Miki-chan. Ah yes, good ole Shannon coming in clutch with that boast of optimism. I’m actually curious as to whether or not, we will even get to see Oz return for V7. The opening certainly didn’t give any indication of it; sadly to say. If I’m expecting Oz to return at all, it’s probably by the end of the season.

While I do want Oz to return and reconcile with the group, I’m skeptical about having it go back to the way things were before with Ozpin constantly taking control of Oscar’s body and more or less eclipsing his development. I miss Oz but I don’t miss that. This is why I liked how they showed him as a more of guiding voice for Oscar at the end of V6 with the airship crash.In my opinion, that’s what I initially assumed their dynamic was going to belike until the show revealed the soul swapping technique in V5.

I want Oscar to shine on his own, if possible, for V7. If Oz were to return to the story, I hope his role is relegated to being more of a literal voice of reasonand guidance taking up full residence inside of Oscar’s head; not really takingover as much as he used to but lending instructions to Oscar on how to moveespecially in combat while allowing the young boy to think on his feet and makeuse of that good ole muscle memory he is expected to inherit. If Oscar isbecome Ozpin’s successor and successful one to boot, Oz can’t keep holding his hand. He’s got to let Oscar grow into the role and I think he’s being goinggood so far. But he still does need Oz to be there to help. Hence why I’mhoping that, if Oz is to return, I really wish for Oscar to be the one to go inafter him to bring him back.

Since Oscar was the only seen to show Oz a bit of sympathy last season, I wish for this to continue as it can definitely push the growth of the bond between the Two Souls. If there is one person I’m expecting to vouch on Oz’s behalf at this point, it’s Oscar. Ruby was another character I was hoping would certainly join him in that court. However…things are a little complicated right now with our little red rose and the path she seems to be taking this season.  I’ll discuss this more under thread.

While we’re on the topic of Oz’ reconciliation with the hero group, I’m really sorry to hear that this development has had you disappointed and feeling down, Miki-chan. I get where your frustration is coming from but at the same time, I also agree with Shannon on keeping the faith.

Similar to how Oz’s skeletons coming out of the closet was a narrative slow-burn that’s been churning since as early as V5, I feel as if it’s going to be the same forhis path to redemption with the team and regaining their trust. The only thingI dislike about this plot point is how we still have everyone more or less sharingthe same opinion of Oz with little indication on whether or not anyone isreally starting to consider that the other side of the coin where Oz wasjustified in his actions.

When this plot point first dropped back in V6, what was fascinating about it was how divided it made the fandom. It opened the grounds for discussion and debating with everyone sharing their different outlooks on the scenario and that was quite neat.

I just wished that the Writers had mimicked that in the series; y’know? When I first saw the V6 volume poster, art with Oz and Oscar at the centre while Team RWBY were all divided around the two of them; I figured that that was what the season was going to be like more or less.

With the team being divided on their overall trust Oz and growing trust in Oscar with some folks, such as Ruby and possibly Blake standing in the court that defended both souls whereas Weiss and Yang weren’t as convinced.

It would’ve been great to see everyone sharing different outlooks and reactions to the news about Oz’s past with Salem and her immortality; Team RWBY’s as well as JNR’s.  

It would’ve been great to see that because it could have even leant itself to paving the road towards Ozpin’s eventual reconciliation in this new season or whenever the showrunners decided to have it happen down the line.

However, instead, thus far it’s mostly been everyone sharing the same opinion—Oz was wrong and is not to be trusted anymore.This is now made even worse by the notion that the heroes are currently committing the same action of ‘deceiving and/or withholding vital info from your allies’ as Oz once did with them.

However what’s almost comical is how the narrative—the PLOT—is trying to get us as the audience to think that the heroes are in the right when really…they’re not?

At least to me, they’re not. I’ve seen examples of other FNDM fam members taking a supportive stance for the actions of Ruby and the other heroes’ deceit with Ironwood and their Atlesian allies. This squiggle meister, on the other hand, has not been that easily convinced. Sorry.  

I think what bugs me the most regarding the execution of this subplot is how much the heroes are able to get away with when it comes to their actions. I understand that the Writers are more or less attempting to show a parallel between our gaggle of heroes and Ozpin by having them take greater risks for the sake of fulfilling their mission while additionally making questionable choices. 

That idea is fine and I like that they’re doing this with them especially since I think it could still lend to them eventually making up with Oz by understanding why he did the things he did since now they’ve been in his shoes. That part of it is good. Great even.

However, somehow, I dunno—for me, our heroes’ recent actions don’t have the same kind of impact on me as Ozpin’s did. I guess where I’m really getting at here is that when I learnt the truth about Oz last season, my main reason for staying in his court was because I understood his reasons for doing the things he did.

While I’ll call Oz out for his wrong in lying and keeping his secrets from people he believed were his most trusted allies, I was still sympathetic towards Oz because I genuinely felt that his actions were justified especially following the events of the Lost Fable.

The PLOT wants me to believe that Oz is this morally grey type of man and he is, to some degree. However the PLOT also wishes for me as the audience to believe that Oz has been nothing but this deceitful person throughout history and that the heroes are perfectly in the right for choosing to never trust in him again. But here’s the thing with that—I see Oz as being more…smart than fraudulent.

Yes Oz told lies and half-truths and kept important secrets that could shake the world of Remnant—but what some people seem to be forgetting is that there was good, valid reason behind the way Oz chose to do things. Oz was careful. Meticulous with the kind of people he chose to disclose the truth to as well as the information he chose to tell them and the right time to revealsaid information as well.

I’d like to think that this is how Oz was able to successfully keep things under wraps for so many lives as a means of more or less keeping the peace. Because of how careful he’d chose to move along with the kind of people he decided to place his trust in. Oz was cautious and as he explained in V6, his vigilance was backed up mostly by his experience over the centuries especially his first one with Salem

This is the issue I’m having with our heroes. Although they are committing the same actions as Oz, especially the part of choosing to hide the truth from Ironwood—their actions feel reckless and unwarranted in my opinion and I can’t get behind it as well as I did with Ozpin because I personally don’t feel the heroes are as justified in their actions as Oz was.

Even though the PLOT is trying to paint this picture that James shouldn’t be completely trusted and our heroes are in the right in not trusting him fully with the truth about Salem, for me, I honestly felt like our heroes jumped the gun on that one, just like how they jumped the gun back in Argus in choosing to illegally commandeer an airship to Atlas as opposed to trying any other means that could’ve rendered them the same results with less repercussions involving trouble with the military and the safety of the citizens of Argus.

According to the PLOT, Ruby was correct in making the call to not reveal the whole truth to Ironwood given how he and his forces have been treating the poor people of Mantle; not to mention our heroes upon their arrival in Atlas. This isevidenced by Ruby in V7CH3 in her response to Yang’s questioning.  

“Can we talk about that again?”“What about it?”

“We’re really not going to tellIronwood about what happened to Oz? What we learned about Jinn? About Salem?”

“…We are! We…will. But you saw howthings looked when we flew into Atlas.”

“The General’s heart seems to be inthe right place but…that doesn’t mean we should trust him yet.”

“Why don’t we play along for a whilebefore we make any major decisions?”  

I’d like to highlight Ruby’s indifference to her own actions again. Just something I pegged noteworthy since it reminded me of her attitude towards revealing her true feelings regarding the Aftermath of the Fall of Beacon—how she nonchalantly seemed to shrug away Oscar’s attempt at telling her that it’s alright for her to be open with him about how she’s truly feeling… right before Oscar switches his approach and firmly calls her out on his indifference which in turn finally forced her to come clean and be straight with him.

While I understand that the whole Mantle situation is a complicated matter, to me, that still doesn’t rule out it being a good reason for the heroes to lie to Ironwood.

I’d understand it more if it was a matter of Ruby being strategic in the information that she discloses to Ironwood but that’s not what the case is here. It’s not to saythat Ruby told James some of the truth and was very careful with what she chose to disclose and how she worded said information. It’s that she flat out liedand then repeated the same lie that Oz had fed them about the Relic ofKnowledge back in Mistral.

I know Ruby is trying to say she can’t trust Ironwood 100% because of how things are looking in Mantle and Atlas because of his actions. But on the other hand, I’m surprised it didn’t inspire her to be more upfront rather than the opposite take.

Based on what Pietro said in the first episode, Ironwood has been paranoid and on higher maintenance since the Fall of Beacon. That being said, why chose to withhold information from a man who is already fearful of being betrayed again by those closest to him since it was mentioned earlier in the season that it was one of his Atlas’ own—someone who worked closely with Atlas’ security and the military (Watts)  that contributed to the destruction of Beacon Academy and so much more in chaos in Vale?

“The Fall of Beacon took a toll on all of us. James was no different. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it is he saw there, but it changed him. He’s—”

“…He’s scared.”

“Paranoid would be the more appropriate term. You have to understand, it wasn’t just the Grimm. Someone completely dismantled Atlas’ security code. Made it their plaything and made us look like traitors to some and buffoons to everyone else. Whoever managed to do that is either a genius or one of our own. I fear the answer may be both and so does the General.”

Again, with that thought in mind I ask again, why did Ruby think it was a wise choice to lie to Ironwood given what she learned specifically from Pietro regarding his frame of mind right now?

See why the hero’s actions are having the opposite effect for me?

While I get why it’s a possible motive, I still think what the heroes are doing with James is unwarranted. As a matter of fact, I feel like they’ve only made thingsworse for themselves by withholding info from Ironwood given his current frameof mind.

I’d like to think that Ironwood’s experience in Vale has made him more than just paranoid. He’s become more…I wouldn’t say soft but emotionally vulnerable than he was when we first met him.

This is why I don’t wish for Ruby’s mistrust of Ironwood to come back to appear as if she took advantage of Ironwood in his vulnerable state. Because I feel like that could easily feed into Ironwood’s paranoia—to learn that he couldn’t eventrust the people he placed fate in and showed kindness to. To show that heextended them his hand in reliance only for them to not do the same of him.

I know one of the common FNDM theories is that Ironwood isn’t being completely honest with our heroes, however I’m starting to think otherwise. Up until this point in the plot, Ironwood has been upfront with JNR_RWBY and Qrow about everything. Every question they’ve asked of him, he’s told them in full confidence. So far, I haven’t gotten the impression that James has been lying to the heroes at all.

Since he returned the Relic of Knowledge to Ruby and reassured her of his trust,I genuinely feel like he’s been nothing but upfront with the group abouteverything including all that’s been going down with him and his kingdom—bothsides of it.

If Ironwood was shown to be shady as well then I could’ve easily bought into theheroes doing the same thing with him because then their actions would’ve beenreasonable. If Ironwood was the same man he was shown to be back in V2 and was shown to be withholding important information from our heroes especially when they asked him vital questions in need of clarification, similar to how Oz had done with them, then I could’ve gotten behind our heroes taking that mindful approach.

However, this isn’t what I’ve seen from the show’s execution. Instead I’m seeingIronwood behaving pretty trustworthy while the heroes are the ones beingdeceitful and it all feels so very wrong on the heroes’ part. Especially when you have some of them behaving that they were right in keeping secrets from James. What especially bothered me a little was what Qrow told Ruby in the recent CH4.

“I’m trying to do what I think is best but…I really can’t tell if what’sbest is what’s right or if I’m no different from Oz”

Then is an excellent question for Ruby to ask of herself. It’s great because it highlights that she’s taken into consideration what her teammates have toldher—particularly Oscar. It shows that Oscar’s questioning of her actions mimicking Ozpin’s has weighed on her mind-set. So I’m pleased with this frame of thinking from Ruby. However, this moment is short-lived for me by what Qrow says next in response to Ruby’s statement.

“…Ruby, Oz only trusted himself with the whole truth. You’re trusting others, making sure they prove themselves first. I think that’s a pretty big difference.”

…Okay….One thing admittedly right about that statement, yes. Yes; Oz did only trust himself with the whole truth. That is indeed correct. But, there’s also some clear wrong in that statement as well.

Qrow…I get that you’re probably still very, very upset that Oz deceived you and hurt you on a personal level. However, what I am in completely disbelief of is—how could Qrow say that Ruby is no different than Oz because she trusts in others, making sure that they prove themselves worthy of her trust before giving the whole truth?

I’m sorry…WHAT! But…but…Qrow; how can YOU of all people say that with a straight face? How can you remotely imply that at all? Especially the line about Oz only trusting himself and putting his faith in those he believes trustworthy. I’m sorry but that line comes off like utter rubbish to my ears.

Qrow Branwen—you are a living, breathing exemplar of earning Ozpin’s trust. Oz trusted you! He trusted James. He trusted Glynda. He trusted LeonardoLionheart. The entire Inner Circle of Oz only exists because Oz decided to place his trust in a handful of people he deemed worthy of knowing the truth.

While he kept the main truth about Salem’s immortality to himself; that doesn’t erase the fact that he trusted his Inner Circle with everything else. The Maidens. The Relics. Even his own immortality curse and reincarnation cycle. Oz told it all to this particular small group of people because he believed he could trust in them. Oz believed in the integrity of ALL members of his Inner Circle because he trusted each and everyone of them….EVEN when they stab him in the back. Right V2 Ironwood? Right Lionheart?

He even believed in Team STRQ! I’m actually curious to know how muchdid this team know about the truth. We know he trusted Raven and Qrow byturning them into birds with his magic. So I’m curious to know if Summer andTai were also fully aware of ¾ of the truth that Oz trusted his main peoplewith. I’m assuming they did and they kept it as part of their secrets as well.

Speaking of—Qrow, are you forgetting that you also helped Oz keep and uphold some of those secrets?  He entrusted you with ¾ of the whole truth and you’ve been sitting on it as well as your own secrets that you were keeping from your family; particularly your young nieces.

In a nutshell, Qrow’s statement to Ruby further highlight’s the hero’s hypocrisywith Oz. For me, this line didn’t serve to debunk the fact that Ruby is turningto Oz. It only embellished it for me. It affirmed it.

Ruby is indeed turning into Oz and what’s sad is that Qrow, her own beloved uncle and mentor figure, is oblivious to this fact because he’s currently too blinded by both his sustained resentment towards Oz and his love for his niece.  

And it’s pretty much the same for everyone else. Weiss and Blake are pretty complacent with following Ruby’s lead and backing her up on her actions with Ironwood. Yang shows uncertainty but is otherwise complacent too. We still don’t know how Jaune, Nora and Ren feel in regards to this. I’d actually like to hear them weigh in their thoughts on Oz and Ruby’s actions towards James. But I’mconcerned we might not get that since, as evidenced by the PLOT, I think it’spretty clear who are the key drivers of this subplot for V7.

I feel like it’s going to be mostly our veteran Rosebuds—Ruby and Oscar—presenting the two differing sides of this subplot with deceiving Ironwood and I feel like Oz’s reconciliation is prevalent on the results of it.

My theory is that Oscar will be the key to jumpstarting the path to Oz’s reconciliation with the team.

Moreover, I feel like Oscar is going to need Ruby’s support in vouchingfor Oz with the rest of the team; especially with Qrow and possibly Yang and Jaune.

Since the running thing is that most of the hero team follow Ruby’s leadership, I think it can be safe to say that so long as Ruby still shows uncertainty with Oz, it’s going to be mirrored by the others. I think if Oscar gets Oz to come back fromhis isolation in his mind and then gains Ruby’s full trust by helping see thewrong in what she’s doing now by doing the exact thing Oz did while alsohelping her to understand where Oz was coming from.

The only person I think this isn’t go to win over is Qrow. At least, I think Qrow might end up needing more time to work out whatever is going on with him before he can “forgive Oz” since his anger towards him is all wrapped up in his issues with himself and his semblance which encompasses his entire life thus far basically. 

Before, Qrow looked to Oz for validation in the good that he was doing which was why the revelation hit him harder than anyone else. So until Qrow works out his inner skeletons, I think he’ll still be resistant to facing Oz again. Thisseason teased Qrow sharing good “comradery” with Clover. I’m curious to seewhere that will go and whether or not it will lead into Qrow dishing out somedetails on what his past was like with Oz back when he met him as a student ofBeacon.

As a matter of fact, I’m intrigued by any info regarding what Oz’s relationship was like with all the members of his Inner Circle since I believe it can lend to Oscar’s turn with the Merge. 

Like I have a Tin Solider headcanon that Ironwood has actually known Oz from since back when he used to be old self—meaning the man I’ll dub Zoroaster Ozpin, nicknamed ‘Zo’ for short BEFORE he became the man we know as Professor Ozpin.

We know who Oz is but…who was Oz before he became Oz? Who was Zo and did Ironwood know him personally?

Ironwood’s remark to Oscar about Oz’s disappearance not being normal definitely gave me that impression. I think it could be pretty cool if one of Oz’s closest known allies actually knew him before and after the Merge. It could help shed some much needed perspective for Oscar on what the Merge entails for him especially if he heard it from the mouth of someone who knew Oz closely for basically two lifetimes? I’d really love to see something like that done for the canon.  

But that’s only my hunch.

I’d honestly wish to discuss more on this subject since there is surprisingly more I can say about this. However this is getting a little too long for a simple response post. Just another day, am I right? XD So I’m going to end it right here.

I know you didn’t really ask me a question Miki-chan but I still wanted to provide my take on the subject matter you presented and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Feel free to answer or inbox me another message if you’d like as always ^u^)b Peace!

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Z Movie 11: Bio-Broly

Sigh...

Okay, Bio-Broly.  

The 11th DBZ movie premiered on July 9, 1994, as part of the Toei Anime Fair.    This would have been right after Episode 232 aired, but before Episode 233.   So a fan in 1994 could watch Majin Buu hatch from his magic ball, then go to the theater to see this movie, and then see Buu begin wrecking everyone’s shit.  

This is widely regarded as one of the worst, if not the worst Dragon Ball movie.   In 2015, Team Four Star made a list of the top 24 movies and specials, and Bio-Broly was at #21, beating out various specials, the live-action movies, and its sister film, “Broly: Second Coming.”   The only real surprise was that they ranked Movie 11 above Movie 10, but I think they made a pretty good argument for that.   Movie 10 is pretty darn bad.   I think 11 is worse, but I’ll admit it’s a close call.   

Does anyone actually like this movie?   I don’t just mean “Does anyone think it’s pretty okay?”   To be honest, I’ve been looking forward to watching this one again, and there’s some cute moments and decent action in this one.    It’s a DBZ movie.  There’s a lot of worse things I could be watching instead.   I’ll take “Bio-Broly” over a Harry Potter film festival any day.   When I say Movie 11 sucks, that’s kind of dishonest of me, because it just sucks compared to the rest of Dragon Ball.

No, what I’d like to know is, is this movie anyone’s favorite, or near-favorite?   My assumption has always been that Movie 11 is in everyone’s bottom three.    But you never know.   Team Four Star’s Kaiser Neko loves Movie 2, and hates Movie 6, and that blew my mind when I found that out.   He’s wrong of course.    Meta-Cooler is rad, and Dr. Wheelo is dumb, but it just goes to show that there’s no accounting for taste.   So I’m just throwing the question out there.    There must be someone out there who really digs Bio-Broly.   They’re fascinated with Lord Jaguar, and the purple slime, or they’re just super-into Android 18.   Maybe this was one of the first DBZ things you saw, or you saw it at an early age, and it left a lasting impression.     If you’re out there, drop me a line.    I’d be interested to hear your perspective.   

But for now, I’m here to rip this movie a new one, so if this is your favorite one, be warned.

So, just to make my case, I’d like to skip ahead to the ending of the movie and start there.    Bear with me for a moment.   

On the Grand Kai Planet, Goku’s eating lunch, when he gets word that Broly is running amok in hell, and King Kai wants him and Pikkon to go down there and beat his ass.    

Somehow, Bubbles is the one relaying the message to Goku, and I have no idea how, since he can’t talk.  

Anyway, Goku’s ready to rock.... just as soon as he finishes eating, wokka wokka.    Goku, you rascal!

And that’s how the movie ends.    We’re not going to get to see Goku fight Broly in hell.     I’m pretty sure this epilogue was only included to work Goku into the film, and to establish that Broly will never bother anyone ever again.   

The thing is, wouldn’t you like to see Goku and Pikkon fight Broly in hell?     Wouldn’t you rather see that than what we ended up getting in Movie 11?     Because Movie 11 doesn’t actually feature Goku or Broly.   They’re both dead.   Vegeta and Piccolo aren’t in this movie either.   Gohan isn’t in this movie.

And this is why Movie 11 ticks me off so much.    Maybe it’s objectively better than Movie 10, but at least Movie 10 was up front with you.   It attempted to act as a sequel to Movie 8.    Broly comes back, and it’s up to Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and Videl to deal with him in Goku’s absence.    It’s not very good, but it at least delivers on the promise of a second Broly fight.    Movie 11, on the other hand, is trying to do a Broly movie without Broly.  Worse, the movie seems determined to rub my nose in it. 

I mean, let’s take a look at all the major characters in Movie 8.

Broly

Paragus

Goku

Vegeta

Future Trunks

Gohan

Piccolo

In Movie 10, that list gets whittled down to this

Broly

Gohan

To be sure, I think that’s part of the point of Movie 10.    A lot has changed over the years, and when Broly wakes up, he’s lost in a world that’s moved on.    It’s up to Gohan to finish up his father’s old business.    The problem is that a lot of what made Movie 8 so good lay in those jettisoned characters.    It was Paragus who laid the insidious trap for Vegeta.   It was Future Trunks who went along just to investigate and save his father from his own ego.   It was Goku’s presence that sent Broly into an epic meltdown.   It was Piccolo who bought them time, and got Vegeta to shake off his fear and join the fight.    It was Vegeta who put aside his pride and gave Goku the power he needed to win the day.   When Movie 10 cut all of those characters, they cut out most of what made the first Broly movie work so well.    By himself, Broly was reduced to a dopey monster. 

In Movie 11, the Movie 8 cast was pared down even further.    Here’s a list of all the Movie 8 main characters who were major players in Movie 11.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Yeah, there is no list, because they’re all gone.    Goku makes a cameo in Movies 10 and 11, but that hardly counts.   Krillin appears in all three movies, but only in a supporting role.    Kid Trunks is in all three movies, but he’s a baby in the first one.   In the second one he doesn’t even know who Broly is.   

I’m not pointing this out to knock the main cast of “Bio-Broly”.   My point is just that they tried to do a second and third Broly movie without the character dynamics that made the first one work.   What’s the point of having Android 18 fight a clone of Broly?   She doesn’t even know who that is.    If you’re going to do an 18 movie, have her fight a clone of Dr. Gero, or Cell.   At least then there’d be some impact.  

Okay, let’s get into this.    This movie is essentially a continuation of Episode 226 of the anime, where 18 offered to take a dive so Mr. Satan could win the 25th Tenakichi Budokai.   All he had to do was pay her 20 million zeni, which is twice as much as the grand prize for the tournament.    But Mr. Satan’s rich, so I guess he could afford it, and he agreed to her terms.    In this movie, 18 has dropped by his mansion to collect.     Krillin and Marron are waiting outside with Goten and Trunks.   Apparenly Krillin had promised to treat them to lunch once 18 got her money.   

Meanwhile, this other dude lands on the property in an air-limo, and as soon as he steps out of the car, his pants fall down and he falls in the pool while trying to catch his hat.  This is Menmen, and I really don’t know what the deal is with this guy.   They seemed determined to give him lots of gags and personality, except he really isn’t important enough to the story to justify that effort. 

So while 18 is breaking stuff and demanding her payment, Menmen just waltzes right into the room and issues Satan a formal challenge.    Satan brushes the guy off, until he mentions that Mr. Satan wet the bed in 6th grade.

That’s when Satan realizes that Menmen’s cousin must be his childhood friend, Lord Jaguar.    Well, that’s what he’s called in the dub.     In the original version, he’s called “Baron Jaga Batta”, which is apparently a wordplay involving potatoes.   The Japanese word for “baron” resembles another word for a type of potato, and “jaga batta” means “Buttered Potato”.   He also lives in “Mei Queen Castle”, and this is a reference to May Queen potatoes.    I always thought “Lord Jaguar” was a little too badass a name for the guy, and now I see the truth.    I’ll keep calling him that, though.  

For some reason, the two of them get down on the floor while they talk about this.    The story is that Satan and Jaguar both studied martial arts as children, but when Satan defeated him, Jaguar gave up fighting, and he’s never heard from him since.    Also, at some point Satan must have pissed his futon and Jaguar found out about it, so now he’s blackmailing Mr. Satan.   If he refuses the challenge, Jaguar plans to go to the press and reveal to the world that Mr. Satan is a bedwetter.   Honestly, would anyone even believe that?    Would anyone care?  Well, Mr. Satan doesn’t want to chance it, so he accepts the challenge.    Only he won’t be fighting Jaguar, but a team of Bio-Warriors he’s assembled.   As long as they don’t have glowing golden hair, Satan likes his odds, so he’s down to clown.

But 18 is not.    Well, specifically, she doesn’t seem to care if Satan fights these guys, just so long as she goes with him, to make sure he doesn’t try to run out on her without paying.   I don’t really understand this.    Why should 18 bother with any of this?   She wants the money, and she seems to think Mr. Satan has the money, so why let him leave the house at all?   For that matter, if Jaguar’s in such a hurry, Menmen could probably cut her a check to get her to stand aside.  

So 18 tells Krillin to head home with the kids while she sticks with Satan.     But Goten and Trunks have stowed away in the trunk of Menmen’s car, because... I dunno, I guess whoever wrote this part watched Speed Racer that day.  

Krillin could fly after them and fetch Goten and Trunks, but Marron has to go potty.    He runs inside Satan’s house to find a toilet, but the dialogue indicates that he doesn’t make it in time.    So here’s another reason this movie is the worst: Piss jokes as a running gag.   It’s not that DBZ doesn’t indulge in this sort of humor from time to time, and honestly, I’m down for a good piss gag once in a while.    Hey, we all gotta go sometime.   But this movie is just relentless with it, like it doesn’t know how to do anything else.  

I don’t get why Goten and Trunks are so fascinated with this trip to Jaguar’s place.   I mean, they get a gorgeous view of the ocean this way, but they could have done this by flying under their own power.   Anyway, cool dolphins.   

"Tee hee!   What if this seawater was pee?”  -- The screenwriter, probably.

And here’s May Queen Castle.   A little ostentatious, don’t you think?

When they arrive, we see all these nude, bug-eyed dudes working out in the courtyard.    These are the Bio-warriors, not to be confused with the Bio-Warriors from Movie 2, which were also very stupid.    Jaguar comes out to greet Satan, and he’s astonished to see Jaguar looking so out of shape.    Also, he probably hasn’t grown since they last saw each other, but whatever.

While they talk, Goten and Trunks are snooping around, and they encounter Jaguar’s dog, Hei.   I think Hei is supposed to be some sort of genetically engineered creature like the Bio-Warriors, but he might just have a very stylized design, kind of like Commander Red’s weird-looking cat.  Anyway, Goten calms the dog down because he’s good with animals.   

There’s a cute gag here where the boys overhear Jaguar talking about the biotechnology used to create the Bio-Warriors, and Trunks tells Goten that biotechnology is genetic engineering, which he knows because his mother and grandfather are scientists.   Goten asks what genetic engineering is, and Trunks is stumped, so he just says it’s biotechnology.    Goten is young enough that he is impressed by this answer.  

I don’t know, maybe I should take the time to explain this properly.    I learned about DNA from G.I. Joe cartoons, and I think Jurassic Park was a popular enough movie that everyone’s familiar with the concept, but just in case: Living things are made up of many, many cells, and each cell contains DNA, molecules whose structure represents the “instructions” for building a particular organism.    In theory, if you had a sample of DNA, you could use it to grow an entirely new specimen of the creature it came from, which is called a clone.     Or you could modify the DNA to produce a different creature.   This is what people talk about when they say “GMO’s” with regards to food.    A lot of modern agriculture relies on crops that have been genetically modified to resist disease or to produce more food.   It creeps people out because they’re used to thinking of genetic engineering as mad scientists making horrible monsters, like in this movie.    But the reality is that humans have been genetically modifying organisms for thousands of years.     Breeding dogs and cattle to favor certain trait is just another kind of genetic engineering.    The apples we eat are grown through asexual grafting rather than by planting seeds.   Most of the fruits we know of look completely unlike the wild versions they originated from.  

Anyway, Jaguar leads Satan to a battle stage, and Trunks and Goten like the look of the place, but then they notice someone familiar next to Jaguar...

It’s Maloja from Movie 10.    As you may recall, he was the guy who wore a purple tie around his head and convinced the people of Natade Village to sacrifice their children to appease the mountain god.   

So here’s the thing.    I watched this movie before I saw Movie 10, mainly because I had no idea that this would be a direct sequel.    “Return of Cooler” was the first movie to follow the plot from the one before it, but “Bio-Broly” is the first one to act as the sequel to a sequel.    So when Goten and Trunks reognized this guy and had a flashback about him, I was amazed.   

Anyway, the Bio-Warriors are way too strong for Mr. Satan, so he asks 18 to take care of them in his place.   For some reason, he told Jaguar that she was his star pupil, and she didn’t see any reason to dispute this.   18 agrees to save his bacon, but it’ll cost him another 20 million zeni.  

Jaguar isn’t so keen on that idea, because this is his show, and he wants to organize brackets for this.    I have no idea how that diagram is supposed to work.   Is this some sort of round robin thing?    We’ll be here all week...

But 18 insists on a battle royal, much like the one she fought in during the 25th Budokai.   Jaguar objects, but then Goten and Trunks offer to participate as well, and I guess that satisfies Jaguar, since there’d be an equal number of fighters on each side?   

He asks the Bio-Warriors to make a “village fest”, and 18 corrects him by saying he wants a “bloodfest”.    That’s the gag with Jaguar.    He says the wrong words sometimes, and someone has to correct him.    I have no idea why.

Anywy, Satan’s group wins without Mr. Satan even having to get involved.   Maloja takes this as his cue to leave, but Jaguar insists that he stick around while he plays his “trump card”.   

Satan tells him to bring it on, since he figures no one could be any match for his squad.   

Then Jaguar has the walls of this arena lift up to reveal a vast scientific complex all around them.   This is impressive to see, but I don’t get why it should change anything.   He just uses this to grow Bio-Warriors, and we already saw how those did.   

Then the movie kind of goes off the rails a bit.   Instead of just unleashing his best fighter, Jaguar just kind of sits there while Goten and Trunks take a tour of the facility.     They look at the Bio-Warriors growing in tanks, and talk to the scientists.

Then they spot one specimen with a tail and...

Yeah, it’s Broly.  

Again, this was a shock to me, because I hadn’t seen Movie 10 when I first watched this, so it was weird that Goten and Trunks knew who Broly was, and that they had fought him before.   He’s supposed to be dead, so what’s the deal?

Ah, good another piss joke.  Just what we needed.

While Jaguar’s scientists very slowly release his next fighter, Goten and Trunks confront Maloja, figuring that he must have something to do with Broly.   Maloja explains that when they showed him up in Movie 10, he lost the confidence of the Natade villagers, and he couldn’t find work anywhere else.  

Apparently, Maloja witness the fight in Movie 10, and knew that Broly had been killed.   But then he found the space pod that brought Broly to Earth, and discovered some of his dried blood inside.    He took a sample and sold it to Jaguar, whose scientists used it to create a clone of Broly.   

I find all of this pretty hard to swallow.    The only part that makes sense is that Maloja might have watched Broly die and that he would have become fascinated enough with Broly to discover his pod.  

The rest, not so much.   How did Maloja know about Jaguar?     Did he just stroll up to the front door of May Queen castle with a beaker of blood crust in his hand?    How do the scientists know that their Broly clone is so much stronger than the other Bio-Warriors?  None of these characters know anything about Saiyans or ki.   

Goten and Trunks ask him why he would do all of this, after seeing the terrible power of the original Broly.    Maloja knows what’ll happen when they release the clone, which is why he’s cutting out now.    Okay...

One reason I wanted to watch the movies and TV episodes in order was to get a handle on what the movies were referencing.   Obviously, 18′s business with Mr. Satan is a direct reference to the 25th Budokai, but in addition to that, there is a similiarity between Jaguar’s relationship with Broly and Babidi’s with Majin Buu.    They’re both little creeps who seek to unleash forces they don’t understand, all to settle a petty grudge.    Like Babidi, Jaguar is convinced that he has full control over the situation.   Like Gohan against Buu, Goten and Trunks decide that their best bet is to destroy Broly with a Kamehameha before he can wake up.

Except the clone is already aware of his surroundings, and when he senses Goten and Trunks powering up their attack, he bursts out of his tank in full-on Legendary Super Saiyan form.    All the green glop that was in the tank with him sort of stays put for a second, and then spills away.  

The scientists, led by Dr. Kori and Nain, have a contingency for this, and they raise a containment wall around the broken tank.   The thing is, they seem more worried about the culture fluid than the Super Saiyan who was soaking in it.   

Naturally, Clone-of-Broly breaks out easily, spilling green glop everywhere.   

Then he turns into a glop monster himself.

Annnnnd here’s Bio-Broly, folks.   Drink it in.

Hei runs up and starts barking at Bio-Broly, but before they can fight, Hei gets too close to the culture fluid that’s spilling all over the platform they’re on.    Hei is immediately dissolved and abosrbed into it.   

So here’s the deal with the culture fluid.    Inside the tanks, it’s not a problem.   But when it’s exposed to the air, it turns into a mindless monster like the Blob, consuming other life forms and replicating uncontrollably.   I guess that answers one of the things that’s bugged me for years.   I never understood why this fluid was so dangerous, yet they soak all of their monsters in it.    Apparently it’s only dangerous in the presence of air.   And I guess this is why it didn’t alter Clone-Broly’s appearance until he stepped out of the tank.   

On the other hand, why didn’t it kill the clone completely, the way it killed Hei? 

Lord Jaguar doesn’t seem to care about Bio-Broly’s appearance or the leaking culture fluid.    He just wants Bio-Broly to beat up Mr. Satan.   In turn, Satan asks 18 to handle this, and she agrees, for another 20 million.    I’ve lost track of his tab, but I think he’s up to 60 million zeni.  

But 18 quickly realizes that Bio-Broly is too much for her to handle, and Jaguar sends him to attack Mr. Satan.   

Goten and Trunks rescue him...

...And they charge into battle.   

Of course, there’s still the culture fluid to worry about.   As the three of them fight, they wreck the whole facility, which causes even more purple glop to spill out.    Fortunately, most the casualties are Bio-Warriors, and the dumbass scientists who should have known better.

So in the last movie, the original Broly pretty much kicked the crap out of Goten and Trunks, and the only reason they lasted as long as they did was because Broly was too dumb to finish them off.    This time, the boys don’t have Gohan to help them, but it doesn’t seem to matter much, because they can read Bio-Broly’s moves a lot more easily.    In other words, Bio-Broly is clearly weaker and slower than the original.    By itself, that isn’t such a bad thing.     The bad guy needs to be weaker because he’s fighting weaker opponents: Goten, Trunks, and 18.   So at least this movie took the time and effort to explain why this battle is more even than the ones in Movies 8 and 10.    Maybe it was the cloning process, or the culture fluid, or some other issue, but this clone of Broly isn’t as strong as the original one.  

But that’s still a let-down, because the general pattern with these DBZ films is to raise the stakes, nor lower them.   There’s some counter-examples to this, notably Hirudegarn in Movie 13.   But at least Hirudegarn was a whole other character.     If Janemba had returned from Movie 12, and Goku beat him without using fusion, then he would clearly be weaker than he was in Movie 12.   And what would the point of that be?   Why bring a villain back if he’s going to be weaker than his last appearance?   

As much as I hate how they keep bringing back Frieza, as least they’ve handled him properly.    Mecha-Frieza was much stronger than the original version, and the only reason he died so quickly was because Trunks was that much stronger   When he came back in Movie 15, he got a new form to allow him to keep up with Goku and Vegeta.   A weaker Frieza would be pointless.   You might as well introduce a new character.    But that’s basically what they did with Broly.  He had a strong start, and then he came back weaker in Movie 10, and even weaker in Movie 11.  I mean, it’s not even really Broly this time, but you get the idea.   Toei went out of their way to clone him just so he could return for a third appearance.  

Meanwhile, Jaguar’s island is getting overrun with purple glop.    I don’t know if this is because new glop got spilled during the fight, or if the stuff we started with has had time to grow.    

Maloja supposedly bugged out, but he’s actually been somewhere in Jaguar’s home, filling a sack with cash.    Was this the money Jaguar paid him, or is he just stone cold robbing Jaguar before he leaves?    Either way, the purple glop drips in from the vent and kills him.   

A bunch of scientists try to escape in an elevator, only for it to get stuck and flooded with purple glop.   

Back at the fight, things go haywire for Goten and Trunks because they can only hold off Bio-Broly by working as a team.   When Goten wanders off to rescue people from the culture fluid, Trunks gets his ass kicked.

18 tries to step in and help, but she gets overwhelmed.   Then Krillin shows up and pulls her out of harm’s way just in the nick of time.

Krillin’s the best, but he still can’t save this movie.  

Bio-Broly nearly shoots them with green hand energy...

  But then Mr. Satan falls on Bio-Broly, distracting him long enough for Goten and Trunks to step in.   

Honestly, that’s the problem I have with this fight.    It’s pretty well-produced, with some good action sequences and nice teamwork between all the players, but so much of it is played off as slapstick.    18′s the only serious one here.    Krillin’s kind of a sidekick, and Satan’s comic relief, and Goten and Trunks are as chilidish as they are strong.    On the other side, you’ve got Bio-Broly, who literally has no motivation here at all.    I assume he’s only fighting on instinct.   He was literally born today.

Apparently Jaguar draws the line at murder, so he commands Bio-Broly to stand down.    Only Bio-Broly just attacks him instead.   Was he ever under Jaguar’s control?   Who cares?

Krillin throws a Kienzan disc to save Goten...

But Bio-Broly’s head just reattaches itself after getting cut off.    D’oh!

Things look pretty bad at this point.    Goten and Trunks can’t fight and save people at the same time.    Then Trunks realizes that he might be able to use one crisis to solve the other.   

First, he moons Bio-Broly, because of course he does.

Then he lures him over to a vessel of culture fluid and blasts it open so it’ll spill on to the jerk when he approaches.

It doesn’t spill right away, but then it finally does, and Bio-Broly is covered in purple glop.

Although, I don’t understand why this should work, since Bio-Broly was already exposed to this stuff from the beginning.    Why should it kill him now?

Well, it doesn’t exactly.   A big purple Bio-Broly emerges from the glop like it’s going to attack Goten and Trunks....

But then it sort of collapses, like this was Bio’s last gasp or something.

When Goten recovers, Trunks explains that he beat Broly with his strongest muscle... his brain.    Up yours, Trunks, this is Dragon Ball Z.    Nobody wants to see you outsmart the villain.    Especially when the villain is mindless to start with.

Anyway, there’s still purple crap all over the place.    I guess it must be self-replicating, because I don’t see why they would have had this much of it on hand.

The gang evacuates the survivors.   Krillin carries Nain to safety, and gets her to hold on tight.

18 is not amused.    Hey, who’s watching their kid right now?    Master Roshi?   That’s a terrible idea.

Trunks saves Jaguar and Menman, and Jaguar is amazed that anyone would bother to rescue him, since he’s responsible for the plot of Movie 11.   “Look,” Trunks tells him, “this movie is bad, but it’s not nearly as terrible as ‘Hocus Pocus’ or ‘Seven Pounds.’“  

Everyone crowds onto boats that put as much distance from the island as possible.   Why is there a child here?    Did the scientists have their families on this island?  

But that still doesn’t solve the problem of the culture fluid.   Dr. Kori theorizes that its power increased when it absorbed Bio-Broly, making it even more aggresssive than it was before.   It’ll eventually expand until it covers the entire world.  

Meanwhile, Mr. Satan is trying to swim away from the stuff, and as he kicks up seawater, he splashes it on the glop, which causes it to solidiy.  

Goten notices this and realizes that seawater will deactivate the fluid.   I always thought that was a little too convenient, but now that I know it only becomes dangerous when exposed to air, that makes a little more sense.   Cover it in enough water, and it can’t get the air it needs to sustain it.   

So the boys and Krillin fire off a Kamehameha at the shore, which kicks up a big enough wave to flood the entire island.    You know, I once saw a T-shirt based on this scene at a Hot Topic, if you can believe it.   

I don’t see why they needed to do this at all, though.    The fluid was already confined to an island, so it would have just died off on its own after absorbing all the available biomatter, right?    But I guess it’s better to resolve this sooner than later.   

Then another giant Purple Glop Bio-Broly rises up out of the water.  

And it immediately solidifies.    This is stupid.    They already pulled this gag earlier, so why would anyone believe it now, after they’ve already killed the monster twice over?   

Goten and Trunks blast it to pieces anyway, just to be safe.

And we’ll never see Broly again!   Until 2018.   Thankfully, Broly IV was a much better movie than this turkey.

Below, Mr. Satan pleads for someone to pull him out of the water.    18 offers to help him....for 40 million zeni.    Damn, girl.   18′s the coldest bitch in the land, and she’s adorable.  

Anyway, Mr. Satan swims away, which I can only assume means he can’t afford to pay.   The thing is, I think 18 kind of has to save him.   I mean, if he drowns, she can’t collect any money from him, right? 

From there, we get that scene I already talked about with Goku and Bubbles, and that’s the end of the movie.

The end credits here are notable, because they feature original animation of Goten and Trunks’s early childhoods.    I’ve seen people on the internet ask where these are from, and the answer is here, in th closings credits of this movie.

And yeah, there’s another piss joke.    Great job, Movie 11.

On a personal note, the ending theme “Dragon Power Mugendai“ is what inspired the name of this blog, “Duhragonball”, because the refrain is “DORAGON!   DORAGON POWAA” which sounds a lot like “Duh-ragon”, and I thought that would be cute.  

And that’s it for Movie 11.    Not a complete trainwreck by any means, but still a very poor showing by DBZ standards.   These movies really took a bad turn starting with Bojack, but it’s over now.    In March 1995, Toei would premier a new movie.    One that would be better than ten Super Bowls.  But we’ll get to that...

[yurireview]

Ambition and Affection the drama of Croix and Chariot

it's been 2 years since the LWA premiere and I still like the dynamics of Croix and Chariox even though the dynamics of Diana and Akko is very good, I think the engine of the series were the two teachers who took separate paths ... that said I will begin the review in honor of my favorite dynamic and for the anniversary of the series

Litte Witch Academia is probably one of my favorite anime has all the elements for a good story, the focus is fun, true friendship and a path of the “hero” well simplistic but with great development, it can be said that it is one of the few Current projects that do have a soul unlike the current anime, but in the middle of this show there are 2 characters that really give a maturity to the show

Croix and Chariot were the reason why half of the season was the best part, it had an incredible development and it really made me wish that the anime had focused on that issue from the beginning to show us a lot more, but let’s continue with the review

Croix and Chariot

I hate that in the Fandom they tend to simplify their connection with saying “They’re like Diana and Akko if there was no jealousy” which is ridiculous if they can really figure out how deep Chariot and Croix’s relationship is not that they do not have parallels but that It is very different because of the context of their situations.

The anime leaves a lot of them in the mystery but what little it shows is quite revealing, to start with Croix was an excellent student and did not get together with other people because she did not care and did not need it. This image summarizes what Croix was then and his contrast with Chariot even before she met her.

Croix’s life was just becoming good enough to excel and achieve his goal that was all, only had his knowledge … but look at the change of Croix to meet Chariot, this shows us how special this girl meant to her.

Many in the fandom have wondered that it took an introverted girl to join Chariot who was the opposite of her and that probably Chariot’s dream would have seemed naive and stupid.

The answer to this is given in chapter 23 in the conversation of Diana and Akko, which point to one of the main points of the series as a whole and this is that many were fascinated by the magic of Chariot, but few realized that the first to fall in love with that cheerful and silly half-wit was Croix, even in the midst of all her seriousness and cynicism she was attracted to Chariot’s cheerful and problematic magic and encouraged not to give up and what makes this better is that it was Croix who in the end was the one who tells him the famous words “Believing is your magic”

Many have referred to this anime as the “Harry Potter in anime” which is inaccurate … but I must focus that Chariot and Croix’s part is like a less dark version of Dumbledore and Grindelwald, if they realize in spite of the “Friendship” of the two young magicians that really united them was the attraction of the Deathly Hallows were ambitious young but clear with different goals…with Croix and Chariot is basically the same, even in spite of that instant connection Croix ambitioned the “Magic to change the world” and influenced Chariot to help her look for it but each with different goals

it must be a tremendous irony that Chariot took Croix words as a personal motto while Geller took the words of Albus as his personal motto

“Believing is your magic” “For the greater good”

After becoming close they went to look for the wand … each one with their respective dream to neither of them the dream of the other seemed stupid, until Chariot was chosen, that was the beginning of the problems since for the first time Croix looked at Chariot with frustration and anger as he had ruined all his goals and I must say that this reaction is normal in someone like Croix

But if we continue the scene when Chariot cries exclaiming that he did not want that and thinking that Croix hated her, after seeing her cry Croix hugs her and swallowing her pride, her anger, her ambitions just for not seeing her cry … she trusted in her and encouraged Chariot to move forward at that time his affection for her was greater than his ambition which unleashed one of the Words and as we saw in the case of Akko this word has to be with a special person and clear a feeling of immense gratitude both parties.

Although I must say something curious Croix is ​​the only witch who is not even allowed to touch the Shiny Rote and this is because Croix is ​​the kind of witch that is supposed to be protected by the Grand Triskelion … What would happen if she used the magic of world reconstruction with its ambition to become the most powerful witch? Taking your dream to the extreme and transforming into something else

People like Croix are very explosive and their dreams are quickly transformed into very unpleasant things, in the whole series we see that their only emotional link is to Chariot and otherwise had no remorse, just imagine:

What would happen if she unleashed the words or found a way to dominate all the power?

Here again I can make an accurate comparison with Harry Poter … just imagine how many deaths would have been saved if Gellert Grindelwald could not have obtained the power of the Deathly Hallows for magical protection, as Dumbledore himself said. “He lost the control when receiving power ”

In the incident of the Shiny Rote and the “chosen” was something that created a big wound that would affect both long-term, but as we see in chapter 12 of Akko vision, there Chariot is with the Shiny Rote next to Croix who looked at her and applauded him, sharing a nice moment what basically eliminates those who say that right there they stopped spending time together.

I must say that this memory is very romantic

Although Croix was half resentful, he had not turned away but his relationship with his special person, to see the way Chariot executed his mission and truly the distancing worsened when Chariot became an “Idol” and the famous “Shiny Chariot” was born “

If you remember chapter 23 Croix tells you that thanks to the Full Dream Spirit his plan is now possible, but if analyze Chariot little Flashback this is a lie, after several months of using the Full Dream Spirit it was confirmed that it was a Total success and Croix told him the effects, but really Croix if he wanted to help his way with that spell because Croix thought that was the way to get the Seventh Word that’s why he let go of his frustration when Chariot said “I do not want that power” , is angry that the “Chosen” is a stupid who does not see the “reality” of the magical world, it is more Chariot stopped looking for the last word in concentrating on his show.

One of the reasons why Chariot believes she is responsible as Croix for the theft of magic is because he knew in his heart that Croix had become selfish and ambitious for power through her, but decided to ignore him and trust in his methods…because of her affection for her, she pretended that everything was fine, but in the end that caused much more damage to both of them and to the people who lost their magic

After their fight even when they separated Croix was watching her as her career was broken and even with everything that happened between the two Croix worried and was very surprised to see how Chariot destroyed herself because of all her problems and pressure that it was carrying … although the reality is that Chariot became selfish and that made Rote reject it.

Returning to the current events in the series, you will notice that the day that Chariot retired was when Croix truly went on his way and a plan to carry out his mission and if we see the bigger picture, Croix had already surpassed Chariot in terms of “Achievements” when they spent 10 years each separated by their way, Croix was admired and they said that the future of magic was on their shoulders, since she was a revolutionary in “modern magic”

In the incident with Akko in Chapter 15 where Chariot confronts her, she says this very revealing phrase:

“You have not changed in anything, you are always trying to get things for yourself”

Chariot sentence proves what I mentioned before and makes a lot of sense with the guilt he has for the Theft of Magic because she let herself be deceived and ignored the truth until Croix herself confessed it, although ironically Croix revealed this information because she thought that Chariot was not going to be an “Immature” because from Croix’s perspective “Good justifies the means” for her. What good is it for a few to preserve their magical talent if the magic in the world were to disappear?

In all their interactions there is a kind of tension that only people who liked in the past possess, are practically enemies and have different goals and ideologies … but in their confrontations, none of them actually seeks to hurt the other because they can not .

If Croix had wanted to kill Chariot, he would have done so long ago and the same with Chariot, she could stop Croix before he started his plan, only that he did not really want to confront her and not give her away even without knowing his plan.

Why do you think I did not give it away? Why do you think he did not tell Akko about Croix? again I can use something from Harry Poter … when Dumbledore was asked to face Grindelwald he did not make his decision in 5 years where there was a lot of confusion and chaos in Europe, where he said “I had an emotional bond for man”. … basically Chariot had the same dilemma with Croix, she really wanted to stop her without having to face her directly and her internal conflict is very well done.

Although Croix is ​​not better, he had the same weakness for Chariot and this is clear in chapter 21 where he was holding Chariot to arrive with Akko

When one of her attacks left her unconscious and Chariot was going to die in the fall, Croix did not hesitate 1 second to go and save her in a state of panic, forgetting all her goals.

A simple and powerful scene that gives us a good background of both

The moment Chariot reacts and stares at Croix for the body language you can determine that he was feeling our “villain” and asks him to stop trying to save Akko to which Chariot refuses knowing that Croix was not going to stop her anymore.

Chariot just decides to stop Croix when he hurts Akko revealing the truth in the worst way crushing the dreams of his special student and fuck if it was such a well done scene

In the only real showdown in the whole anime was between Croix and Chariot in chapter 24 when both abandoned all their emotions to fulfill each his dream, even though it lasted little I would say that Croix won by managing to stop Chariot and defeat her

When Croix breaks the seal and thinks that he already won by getting the magic that changed the world, upon receiving it he realizes that not only can not use it but it is not what she expected … something curious about Croix is ​​that it is the Witch who has an ambition of real power not “smiles” and see that the “Great magic” was about that left her shocked

In this part he shows us how his own egoistic dream is in constant conflict with and I dare to say, the love that Croix has for her. That is why in the series this is what leads to their contradictory actions. She can never really settle on either, no matter how much she tries on herself. She may think that she knows what she really wants, but in fact, she has no damn idea and the moment Woodward appears she reproaches him that nobody is guiding her and that she felt set apart.

Being stripped of her dream and consequently of her ambition, the other great thing she had left was the feelings towards Chariot and that is why after her magic gets out of control she asks Chariot to leave her and to save her several times, showing true repentance for what he did and recognizing that it was all his fault.

When Akko uses great magic the result is something that Croix never came to expect since honestly it is such a joyful magic that I really do not think Croix would have imagined something like that.

Understanding this should not be surprised that Croix helped Chariot and the little witches or the speed with which Chariot forgives her and re-establishes what they previously had … it can be said that Akko not only revived the magic in the world and he gave the redemption to Chariot but he made Croix understand what really mattered about magic and about his own feelings.

In the final scene of both that I must say is my favorite because it symbolizes a new beginning for Croix and Chariot that has a lot of romantic charge in his farewell especially by Chariot his facial language to the departure of Croix is ​​amazing and his final words are even better “! Croix will be waiting! … I’ll be waiting for you”

No doubt a great conclusion and definitely the only couple (lesbian) of the series

[nanashi1869]

🌼Flowers for my wounds🌸

(@kondo-hijikata @liuet in case you feel like reading it? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

~Yes, woo what a surprise, a long rant about the Shinsengumi again, how original Nashi. ~

Why thank you, dear reader ;) In all seriousness though, all the previous rants I made were spoiler free and it made me ridiculously furious that I held back all the salt and awe I have in me just for the sake of not spoiling any potential newcomers. I’ve covered some of this in vague posts hundreds of times, but today I will break that habit, I will spoil this to hell and back and enjoy it just as much.  

You've been warned.

PS: I’m doing this entirely based on my memory and some snippets I’ve seen one time too many for my own good. Inaccuracies are bound to happen. 

As always, what better way to begin than with the infamous episode 33...

I'm kidding, today I'm starting by digging into the post office. As with the usual routine the theme to talk about with this wreck is - guilt. Guilt over losing money in a gamble like a complete fool, guilt over buying a book and being too big of a shit (with rather solid arguments) to admit it, guilt over making rules you can't break even though going through the consequences once was enough to make you regret it for the next few miserable years... (Yes I lied, inadvertently everything comes back to the foolish daffodils). But let's talk about our pure accountant who is one 'i' short of being nothing but cute. Let's talk about the edge they put us on a bit before the main event took place, when the (drama version) of the idiot trio tore that scroll. Never forget that could have been the reason for all our tears, yet in the end it still had to be some more complex scheme. An act with the convict being an innocent man and the true criminal roaming free, while Toshi had all the time in the world to steep in deep, raging self-denial over the legitimacy of his past actions and life choices, all the while ending up the scapegoat to whom all the anger can be directed towards. The subtlety with which we were deceived to think the "actual events" of episode 38 were to play out earlier is truly commendable. But with this drama nothing is ever easy. You get to know a new character, someone moves a chess piece and then instead of moving forward everything takes a step back and lets you seethe with nervousness because, without realizing, you've been tricked and have to wait for all the heartbreak a while longer. Takeda's resolve to keep to his decision, regardless of consequences, was in his eyes, completely justified. It did make sense to try and prevent Kano from buying the book for Ito in order to protect the group from his growing power, the action simply failed due to Toshi's own greed after it. Kawai innocently, perhaps naively, thought lending money more than once would not be punished in hopes his friends would be saved from harm. It is his kindnesses that is ultimately his doom and it is the unexpected, usually harmless twists in life that turn it into a spiral with no point of return. Takeda's following quest for redemption ends up being just as pointless as Kawai’s death - he is killed in an instant of hate directed at him, where the assailants are unaware of his reasoning for the justification of his friend's demise. The book too, loses value as Ito gets his own copy later on.

Most, if not all, tragedies in this drama happen because someone is trying to protect or shield - and idea, a person. Toshi's friends die because he must protect the order of the group for Kat-chan, Yamanami and Akesato have a rift in their final moments because they cannot be honest (likewise Souji and Hide), Kat-chan's relationship with Tsune suffers because he lies about Miyuki, Nagakura and the others write the petition to shield the group from Toshi and Kat-chan's (propensity) ego. The pattern is pretty clear.

I'm going to loop back to the script for just a second - watching this drama knowing what will happens adds a thrill, it makes you question when an event will take place even though you know the chronological sequence, because the “mini-arc” leading up to it has to be completed first and the tension must be just right. How long that is depends on the episode and event of course. But each arc is a stepping stone to a new point of no return.

I think, since I've mentioned him, I'll take a bit to talk about Ito as well. I love, love, love the confrontation Kondo and Ito have right before his death. It's absolutely stunning despite being simplistic in nature, because what Kondo states is in fact the very obvious truth and in no way some overly wise notion of the situation. However, it's that simplicity (to me) that adds to the charm of the scene. If you expected some courageous battle of wits, you might have been sourly disappointment, but otherwise - see the pattern? - what brings people to their knees is once again the basic things in life. Kondo’s sincerity, the fact that life is and always will be (mostly) separated into black and white for them. Farmers and samurai, poor and rich - they fit in a narrow grey zone, yet even there they are bullied, pushed away to leave. It's everything complex they're trying to achieve being haunted by little things. It's the desire and determination to be something big and more buried into the ground by the small things they were raised with, holding them back.

Ah, it’s about time this goo got to the good part.

No, it’s still not episode 33. Firstly because I’m sure everyone is tired of my whining about it and secondly because I like to leave best (in my opinion) for last.

This is for our Gargoyle and Tofu. Just imagine, for a second imagine that final hug again and bathe in it, then come back to me, okay? The wedding rings champagne caps and Toshi’s little grimace when he tries to convince himself ‘it’s not over yet’. (At this point I would just like to praise Mitani again for giving us closure with that hug, unlike some other shows I watch *side eyes knife pile*). I’m really glad the two of them got to hug it out before the whole deal blew up. Everytime a ‘Kat-channn’ or ‘Tossshii’ came around my heart melted a bit. THE DYNAMIC IS SO GOOD. (I get so, so jealous each time I see well written relationships between two guys. Doesn’t matter if it’s boyfriends/best friends/would-die-for-you combined or only one of these included. (*cough* NIF & Bleach for one *cough*) I don’t even know what to say! We all know Toshi would sacrifice the world for Kat-chan. We all know Kat-chan trusts him above all else. The guilt one feels and the content of the other having come so far together and being such a power combo…*noises*

I don’t even know how to put this.... (@kondo-hijikata help this is your expertise)

I’m going to move on to some more feathery stuff because I’m really at a loss about these two (analysing NIF’s LC/MCS has engraved so deep into me it’s ruined my perception for everyone else, I apologize).

Right, feathers…

I wrote about Serizawa and his issue of not being able to get over his “I’m a bad guy, therefore I must act like it” complex...somewhere before. I can’t find it, but I’m very sure that was once a thing. I know most people hate the man with a burning passion and part of me probably does too, yet the way he is presented also makes him fascinating, like he is very self-aware but cannot change anything about that (this is similar to Toshi’s “indifference” (we all know he actually cares) of his path to become the villain - he knows that what he is doing is morally wrong and has no intention of stopping). I feel like in the end both of them continued with “bad guy” roles simply because they were too far down that road to stop.

I would analyse Serizawa’s character more, but I honestly don’t remember much anymore. I did want to mention this though.  Toshi on the other hand…feels like someone who desperately wishes to rage quit everything, but keeps on going out of pure spite.

And since I’m speaking of our beloved vice-commander - one thing that opisses me off is that Kotetsu got mentioned, but the whole wow deal with Kanesada got dropped out, even in the movie. *cue bawling over that Katsugeki finale* I was hoping for that when Tetsu showed up dammit!

Am I tiring you yet? Come, sit down, have some tea Gen-san made because he is totally ok and alive an happy and you cannot convince me otherwise because the hugging thing did not happen. Period.

…

Lastly, because my mind is going blank this is quite long - the bane of my existence and the one thing (to me) more cursed than Ryoma himself. (I’m lying PMK upped this x100000 and I am not over that either. I’ll confess immediately I did not read the whole thing yet but this, this haunts me).

This stupid episode with it’s stupid ending and it’s stupid decisions. *insert me yelling about rice balls on the Mibugishiden review post* I mean what is it with this drama and ending brutally sad episodes with (unintentionally?) funny moments? *cue Toshi’s squeaky crying* I have covered my thoughts about Akesato here and here though and since that essentially recaps everything I want to say, I won’t repeat myself. (Thought you’d have to read through 5 more pages of me screaming? I did too before I forgot what I wanted to say.)

I might make a part 2 someday, if I think of more to say, but for now, I’m done, leaving you with this stressful mess. Feel free to add your own opinions, I’m really curious about what the rest of you think.

~Nashi out~

[iabsolutelyresentthiswebsite]

The Main Case For Rey Skywalker

Now, I have posted theories upon theories upon evidence upon justifications of why Rey is Rey Skywalker and I explained why I think she is Rey Skywalker. 

The allusions, the hints, the logical nature of the small leap of faith, the level of dynamism that can and likely will be present in all the relationships in this universe once she is revealed to be a Skywalker, the amount of plot elements that would be put into play because of the parentage, the possible unfolding of various different story-arcs solely because she is a Skywalker, every single thing that happened in The Force Awakens that illustrated to anyone really watching the movie that she is what I say she is...the fact of the matter is: Rey Skywalker is in the best interest of the franchise. 

I say this because it is the truth, not because I want it to be. Rey Skywalker would precipitate a myriad of different beneficial outcomes in the form of diverse relationships, intensification of internal and external conflicts, fascinating and likely painful exposition, a reliving of hurtful events and a sore past, and- if done properly- the eventual logical and satisfying end to Star Wars. 

However, I make the main case for Rey Skywalker not for that reason, but for another. 

Someone close to the franchise said something to this effect: “It doesn’t matter who her parents are”. Some people, especially Reylos (A/N: I understand why you don’t want her to be Rey Skywalker, so your argument against this is justified because you don’t want to ship incest. I get it. Nothing against you guys.), like to say that because of that, “there is no way she is Rey Skywalker because it would contradict that.”

No. It wouldn’t. It completely validates Rey Skywalker. 

Her being Rey Skywalker is literally the only thing that does not require substantial exposition in order to justify The Force Awakens. 

* Anyone with eyes can see all the parallels between her and Luke, and even Anakin. Her emergence into Star Wars perfectly resembles the emergence of a Skywalker in the saga. It’s why so many people are fiercely pro-ReySky. It makes sense. It’s literally in front of you. We see it, too. We see what they are trying to make us recognize. That we recognized it as a parallel is no mistake. It’s not simply to “bite off” of A New Hope. Everything in cinema is done for a reason and a prevalent reason why people are so against TFA is because they felt exactly that- “it’s a rehashing of A New Hope”, but not if she’s Rey Skywalker. Then it makes sense. 

Saying she is Rey Skywalker justifies and validates the parallels and reuse of visual representations. And this requires no explanation on the part of the writers or directors, it will happen once she’s revealed to be what many believe her to be.

If she happens to be a Kenobi, various questions are raised. 

How did Han know who she was when Maz asked, which is clearly alluded to? Han knew Obi Wan for like a few days. 

How does Kylo have a “Force-bond” with her? He never met Obi Wan and he clearly does not understand the true nature of Anakin Skywalker, who was affiliated with him. (And do not give me “It’s love!” I’ll bite you with that bullshit.)

If a lightsaber is basically the life-force of its wielder, why would Luke/Anakin’s saber choose Rey over Kylo? Kylo is blood-related, Rey Kenobi would not be.

Why is Rey’s emergence in the saga almost identical to Luke’s? It would boil this down to simple laziness and “biting” off of A New Hope, which severely delegitimizes The Force Awakens. 

And those are just 4 questions I thought of in like 2 minutes at 4am. If she’s neither a Skywalker nor a Kenobi, there is so much exposition necessary it would actually take a whole movie to help us understand it!

Many people say this other thing...that if she is a Skywalker, she has to “live up to the Skywalker name”. 

Wh-what the hell does that mean? 

Her grandfather would have been one of the most powerful Sith lords in their history and her father would be one of the most powerful Jedi. 

Living up to the Skywalker name is embracing the Force, which she’s already done and will continue to do in the next movie. That alone legitimizes her being a Skywalker and from that, I can move on. 

The biggest element of my post here is this:

There are so many legitimate ways she could be a Skywalker, of which I- and others- have posted many, that giving any kind of explanation why she was on Jakku that includes the desire to hide or protect her is literally explanation enough. 

I truly do not believe the person or people who left her on Jakku were her biological family, save Kylo Ren, who may have spared his little cousin’s life because he loved her. And if it was, it was likely not Luke or his wife themselves. It was extended family or friends who were trying to protect her. People knew Luke had a daughter, thus putting a target on this 4-year-old’s back, and wanted her on one of the most inconspicuous planets they could possibly find at the time, “that junkyard”, Jakku. It was far, far away from the Resistance, the First Order, and The Force, freeing her from all of her perceived obligations. Saying that people were trying to protect her or hide her makes her presence on Jakku make sense, but really only if she’s a Skywalker.

Her being a Skywalker requires little to no exposition because The Force Awakens told us she was. 

Moreover, it is literally the only parentage that means nothing- and everything at the same time- in the grand scheme of everything. 

Her being a Skywalker legitimizes a lot, opens up a lot of possibilities, precipitates events and character development, but does not change anything about who she is. 

No, it does not shift the focus to Luke. 

No, it does not shift the focus to the Skywalker family...(dude, it’s already there! it’s always been there!)

And NO, it does not change anything about her.

She simply gets a family she’s always wanted, but with a caveat that the family is messed up. 

I sit back and imagine Luke saying, “Rey, I am your father” and smile...for no other reason than the fact she now has a dad, an aunt, and a lunatic cousin...(okay, also because I’m validated!) 

She still can develop her abilities and she has nothing to live up to. Her grandfather was a Jedi-turned-Sith, her father is a ‘Jedi’, her cousin is obsessed with the Sith grandfather, and her aunt is very Force-sensitive, but did not train. It’s literally at a 50%-50% with the family so far. 

She can make her own choices. Make her own decisions. Prove herself, which she desires to. Find her calling, find her own truth. Choose her own destiny. 

She has so much going for her and she is trying to find her “place in all of this”, truly, what better way than to have your dad showing you one side and your cousin trying to get you to the other? 

She can become so powerful in both sides of the Force and we don’t really need to know which one because the Skywalkers do not have the best track-record in that department. 

It would be her and Kylo’s stories, both battling the Light and the Darkness. Both of them have so much of both sides inside of themselves.

Her being Rey Skywalker affects nothing except her last name, should she choose to accept it. She can still be Rey. I only call her Rey Skywalker to show others how steadfastly I believe in Luke being her father, but it does not change who she is at all. 

It, truly, means nothing for her to be Rey Skywalker in the grand scheme of things, except it emphasizes the urgency and escalates conflicts, both of which is good for storytelling, without sacrificing or changing her character at all. 

That Skywalker would be her last name would only and solely act as a catalyst to improve the story and add tension. 

So no, it does not matter who her parents are, even if she’s a Skywalker because her being one does not jeopardize her characterization, only serves to improve, and validates everything. 

[walkingshcdow-a]

8, 12, 23?

Pretend Munday | Accepting!

8. what is each of your muses otps? notps?

I feel called out af. OK. I’ll be honest because you catch more flies with the truth than with- ANYWAY.

Erik 

We’ll get Erik out of the way FIRST because he is probably my most controversial and high-interest muse for people where shipping is concerned. I don’t ship Erik much, or rather, I don’t ship him with other RPers much because his OTPs are:

Pharoga (Erik/Nadir)

Erik/Luciana

That’s it. My Erik is Kay-based and I saw these two relationships in the Kay novel as having the possibility to bloom into love. I write Nadir, so very often, I will write Erik and Nadir in a relationship with one another. I loved the idea of Pharoga when I read Leroux in 2005; when I read Kay shortly after, it was cemented in my brain that Nadir and Erik were in love. I can cite plenty of canonical evidence from the book, but  even if I’m not citing evidence, this is THAT SHIP for me. The one that I will ship no matter what. Susan Kay could show up at my door RIGHT NOW and tell me “No, Erik and Nadir were two straight men who did not have romantic feelings for each other” and I would just link her to my AO3 page and tell her this was the new canon. Gaston Leroux could show up from the grave and tell me that Pharoga was never a thing and should never be a thing and I’d cross his ass back over to the spirit realm and go about my day, shipping Pharoga. Erik/Luciana is my dark horse, guilty-pleasure ship. I’ve written it (with great success!) with @thefavoritedaughter. It requires a lot of character growth, but it is worth it. I think people tend to forget that Erik and Luciana were children when they knew each other and hold Luciana to the standards they would hold an adult woman. They were kids. Teenagers. I work with teenagers. Let me tell you something: they are irrational critters. Emotional, developing... I just wish these two had gotten a fairer shot and that the Phandom didn’t out-and-out hate Luciana for responding in the realistic and immature fashion she did when seeing Erik’s face for the first time.

I don’t have any other romantic ships for Erik that I’m particularly interested in. I’ve done Erik/Meg in the past, but I don’t think I will again because the more I’ve thought on it, the version of Meg that Erik would be compatible with could not be Christine’s best friend and that undermines a female friendship to make a problematic ship work and that’s.... gross. I don’t want to get into it again. Likewise, I don’t have any OCs I ship Erik with. I’m not looking to ship him with OCs or other canon characters (within PotO or outside of it) because I’ve had people literally make muses to try to ship with my Erik and I’m just so done. I’ve been playing him since 2005-ish. I am Tired.

Of course, those aren’t even my NOTPs. My NOTPs  are:

Erik/Christine

Erik/Raoul

I’ll start with Erik/Christine. For starts, you read that right. I did say “NOTP”. As in I don’t ship them, have never shipped them, and will never ship them. I think they have a fascinating dynamic, but it is not a relationship between equals. It is not a respectful, healthy, loving relationship. It does not have the potential to be, due to Erik’s abusive, manipulative, and violent actions against Christine. People who believe she was the only one who “saw” or “understood” Erik are ignoring the very meaningful relationships he had - in Kay, anyways - with Giovanni, Nadir Khan, and Charles Garnier. (Look at that! Erik has healthy parent/child, best friendship/possible romance, and definite best buddy work partnerships in Kay canon!) He was seen - at least in Kay - and loved for what and who he was. But even in looking at non-Kay versions, even if Christine is the first soul to show him compassion, much less understanding, it doesn’t erase his behavior; it doesn’t justify his behavior. And compassion and romantic love are not the same things. So, while Erik and Christine have an intense and fascinating dynamic, I do not find it romantic, I do not wish to write it. I don’t even want to read it. I generally pretend the counterpoint in Kay didn’t happen. “Hey, remember when Susan Kay stayed in her lane and left off right before Leroux’s novel began?”  (Ok, actually, I acknowledge the counterpoint when I’m talking OOC; my IC representation of Erik does not stick to his canon emotions or all of his canon actions. I tend to defer to Leroux or Webber, depending on what’s at hand.)

I also don’t ship Erik/Raoul and I didn’t think I had to tell people it was a NOTP until like... a week ago when one of my friends reminded me people genuinely ship it. 

Okay. That’s Erik done. Next up, we’ll talk Nadir Khan. OTPs include:

Erik/Nadir

Nadir/Rookheeya

I explained Pharoga. Rookheeya is Nadir’s deceased wife in canon. I love her. I also would be so willing to OT3 Erik/Nadir/Rookheeya, except where Nadir is with both of them and Erik and Rookheeya have a respectful friendship that does not include romance or sex. Idk. That’s just an idea. 

NOTPs include

Nadir/Darius

This is my only (current) hard “no”. And that’s because my NPC Darius is Nadir’s illegitimate half-brother. I also refuse to ship Nadir with @exitiumparit‘s Christine BECAUSE THAT IS HIS DAUGHTER. IDK how I feel about other Christines on this matter - I’ve never really thought about it. I just wanted to tag Haley in a post where I complain about E/C (see previous). Now I’m trying to imagine what I’d do if a Christine approached me and I feel lost. Why did I do this? 

Meg Giry

OTPs

None, but I think Meg/Christine is super cute and I NEED IT. 

NOTPs

None, but I’m not about to do Erik/Meg any time soon

Sorelli

OTPs

Sorelli/Philippe (even though I know they can’t be endgame)

I also want to shout-out at @fantomexnoir for that one time we planned Erik/Sorelli and it was bad ass. 

NOTPs

None

More general NOTP thoughts on all my muses - I don’t ship with minors (I don’t write with minors, but I also don’t ship adult muses with underage muses), I don’t ship incest. 

Mor general OTP thoughts on all of my muses - all of my muses are queer, most of them could be persuaded to be in a polyship. I love shipping, but I don’t live for it. 

12. what is something everyone should know about your muses before interacting?

I’m Kay-based is a good starting point. 

Read each of my muses’ notes pages - at the bottom of their bios, there’ll be a link that says “notes” - for more specific things. 

This blog is smut-free, but there are still a lot of really adult themes, so let me know if you need something tagged or avoided in RP. 

23. which muses’ fandom do you like the best?

All my muses over here are PotO... sooooo probably my Frankenstein fandom. XD

Seriously though, I just love the classic lit fandom (or, rather, the loose archipelago of classic lit and classic lit inspired bloggers) that I’ve befriended. Whether it’s my Salt Squad, Frankenfriends, the Percy to my Marguerite, or the numerous amazing OC friends I’ve made.... Thank you for welcoming me and my small army into your hearts.

[darklygophilia]

Isn't it indicative of Sara's character that the reason she went with Ollie on the gambit had more to do with one upping LL and getting back at her than it had anything to do with genuine love for Olliver? I'm not saying that she didn't care but it was LL's comment in the flashbacks in season 2 calling Sara a bitch when she questioned Oliver's commitment that gave Sara the push to accept Oliver's invitation to go with him. I just find it fascinating, that kind of sibling dynamic.

That particular flashback scene with Laurel & Sara was very telling of both characters, IMO…

Let’s go back in time. I share @eilowyn1 & her theory that even though Laurel knew Ollie & Tommy, & were possibly friends with them, it was Sara - the cute, cool, rebellious little sister - that was better friends with Tommy & Ollie b/c she was more fun. Sara was the female version of Tommy & Ollie & she fit right in to their little circle of trouble makers. Lol.

(Although, I’ve always wondered how someone of Laurel’s social class grew up & went to school with someone of Oliver’s social class. B/c Oliver & Tommy would’ve likely gone to the most expensive prep school in Starling. So, how could a cop & college professor - Laurel’s parents - afford to send Laurel to a school like that? That’s a big plot hole the show never answered! However, my own logical theory is that Laurel, in her bid to outdo Sara (who was the favorite) turned to her studies & ambition. Laurel likely got a scholarship to go to that kind of prep school which is how she met & befriended Tommy & Ollie. However, this theory also goes with the assumption that Sara didn’t go to the same school as these three (b/c she wasn’t as studious as Laurel) which means that Laurel had to be the one to introduce Tommy & Ollie to Sara. The fact that Sara would’ve still been more approachable to Tommy & Ollie, even though they’d met Laurel first, again says something about the two sisters’ personality.)

Laurel was their friend, but she was the studious one, the one who set rules, the one who held back. But, she still had an image of her & Ollie in her head. Ollie was clearly more interested in Sara, if only b/c they Sara was more like him than Laurel was. There’s no expectations to live up to with Sara (even yrs. later when she returned as the Black Canary, Sara never put expectations on Ollie’s shoulders) she let him be himself & vice versa. Laurel recognized Ollie’s interest in Sara & decided to put a halt to it, b/c as much as Laurel loves her sister, Laurel knew that she & Oliver were simply destined to be together (this is where Laurel’s Narcissistic delusions of her relationship with Ollie really come through)!

So, Laurel calls her father about the party, where Sara’s caught drinking. Sara’s grounded for a few months & in that time Laurel finally catches Ollie’s interest. The fact that Laurel had to go through all of this manipulation just to get Ollie’s interest in the first place is very telling! She essentially had to get Sara out of the picture just to have a shot at being with Ollie! It explains why Laurel was forever chasing Ollie, & Oliver was forever running away from her. B/c Ollie was never hers to begin with! And Laurel was never his choice! Lauriver fell into a relationship together simply b/c Sara wasn’t there to catch Oliver’s eye. Sara was Ollie’s first choice! I think this made the rivalry between the Lance sisters worse, b/c essentially Sara was once again the favorite - she was the one that Ollie wanted first, not Laurel. Sara was the one Ollie & Tommy wanted to hang out with & have fun, not Laurel.

In Sara’s mind, Laurel stole Ollie. Laurel made the first move against Sara when she got her sister grounded. But, Sara loves Laurel & in that flashback scene you referred to (in 2x13 or 2x14 ?) Sara’s essentially feeling out the Lauriver relationship. She’s seeing if Lauriver are actually happy, if going with Ollie would really be a mistake; she was giving Laurel an out to be the nicer sister. Sara also pointed out how blind Laurel was to her relationship with Ollie (pointing out that Ollie sleeps around; Sara’s the one that sees that Ollie doesn’t want to settle down, something that Laurel ignores). But, Laurel doesn’t want to hear the truth from Sara & in return lashes out - a very Laurel-like thing to do - & it leads to Sara essentially saying, “Screw it!” So, Sara gets back at Laurel’s act of betrayal by accepting Ollie’s invitation to go with him on the Gambit.

Now, it is my firm belief that, BOTH Sara & Laurel are in the wrong. They’re the ones with the unhealthy rivalry, their the ones that let a boy come between them, their the ones that essentially both used Ollie in their rivalry against each other. However, we learn…

1) Laurel’s betrayal (getting Sara grounded & manipulating things to her advantage) was done first! This is also why I always found it hard to root for Laurel, why I didn’t really feel sorry for her that Ollie cheated on her. B/c Laurel was just as culpable, just as enabling, just as manipulative. Comparing that to Ollie’s cheating, essentially Lauriver both look equally at fault for their failed relationship. Which makes Laurel’s blame towards Oliver that much more frustrating. You know?

I see it as Laurel never getting to end up with Ollie as Karma for all that manipulating she did at the start of their relationship. Ollie cheated & is held responsible for it. But, Laurel didn’t enter the relationship honestly, she manipulated the relationship into happening. The problem is, for me as a viewer, it’s frustrating to see Ollie get all the flack, but Laurel was never held responsible for her part in all of it.

2) B/c of all of this, while I don’t approve of what Sara did, it’s still understandable why Sara would feel justified in her “getting even” attitude by going off with Ollie. Which, yes, makes the Laurel/Ollie/Sara love-triangle more about the Lance Sisters’ Rivalry than it does Ollie as a person.

3) Either way you look at it, Sara & Laurel didn’t treat Ollie like a person, they treated him as a pawn in their actions against each other. This also explains why both relationships - Lauriver & Sara/Ollie - don’t work out. B/c neither were healthy, honest relationships.

4) But, in the end Laurel’s the one that never changes. She’s never held responsible. Sara suffers for years, goes through hell for years, & like Oliver, it helps her learn & grow from her mistakes. Sara & Oliver are NOT perfect, but they TRY to be better. They TRY to change, to be good. And that’s why they’re the ones that are more relatable, more likable. B/c they’re flawed, but they’re still good at heart.

[archivesdiveronarpg]

Congratulations, ALLIE! You’ve been accepted for the role of GERTRUDE. This application was truly a joy to read, Allie! We’ve been waiting for someone to come along and bring our complex mother (and captain, and lover, and adulteress) to life, so it’s safe to say that simply seeing an application for her in the inbox was a treat in itself, but your understanding of her and your attention to detail absolutely blew me away! I adored the way you depicted her as deliberate, if not a bit two-faced, in the wake of her husband’s death, and your mention of her avoidance of alcohol as a result of his excessive drinking was something even I hadn’t considered but loved so, so much. Thank you so much for applying! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within twenty-four hours.

                                                                           WELCOME TO THE MOB.

Alias | Allie

Age | 21

Preferred Pronouns | she/her

Activity Level | Very active! All my friends leave me when they go back to school, so I’m usually on daily.

Timezone | EST

In Character

Character |  Giya Godrej (Gertrude)

What drew you to this character? Every time I’d read or watch a version of Hamlet in class I would just yearn to get into Gertrude’s head! This would be the perfect chance to do so, don’t you think? Since I’m so fascinated with her I do think that I have a good grasp on her, but she’s one of those characters that can never fully be put in a box. You can’t completely condemn her or justify her as a character, and there’s so much fun gray area to play in. I can’t say enough good things about her bio and how you made her such a strong flushed out character.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? I think that Giya has such a crazy juxtaposition of denial and self awareness in her life that she’s just bound to combust eventually, or if she can overcome her guilt she’ll be able to rise to the top. (Obviously all of this will be discussed and plotted out with the other characters)

1) Giya has obviously found it hard to be around her son lately because of the guilt and how much he reminds her of his father and what she did to their family. The three musketeers. She really fucked that one up. Still, the guilt she feels is leading her to want her to be a better mother to him and make sure he turns out to be the amazing man she knows he is. There’s the possibility of her growing more and more worried and concerned by his antics, and she’ll go to any length to help the one thing in her she loves more than herself. There’s no part of her that wants to come clean about Clark right now, and she justifies keeping the secret because the truth would only hurt him. But, there’s also the possibility of him finding out about her relationship with Clark.

3) I could definitely see Giya becoming a leader/mother figure to all the younger female Montagues because she’s all about empowering women. In all honesty, I see her growing closer to all of the younger Montagues during this war and there might even be more maternal instincts that she never even knew she had kicking in. She’s already has that kind of dynamic with Odessa which I can’t wait to see developed. Giya comes off as humble, but she’s pretty freaking impressed by herself and all that she’d managed to achieve in life and there’s no way she’s not excited to bestow those lessons and tactics on someone as deserving as Odessa. She was very surprised at the interest that Odessa took in her job at first, but the younger woman is slowly proving herself to Giya.

4) I can see Giya going to Roman and/or Hector and looking for help or advice on her relationship with Hiran. Or maybe she’ll try to convince herself they’re the bad influences on him? Either way, there’s a lot of potential for her having some plot lines with these two.

5) I know that currently Gia is recovering from what happened at the Masquerade (I read the event summary and I’m assuming that’s still applicable) the attack is something that is going to set a fire under her ass and it’s not something she’s going to take sitting down. Orion better watch out.

6) Giya’s relationship with Clark could either be strengthened at this time, or turn very tumultuous. Although she’s a strong woman who doesn’t need protecting, she’d going to expect that he provides a sense of security for her and Hiran. I think a lot of their relationship is going to depend on how he handles the war. Also, there could always be a sneaking suspicion that Clark knows more about his brother’s death that he’s letting on. That would definitely lead to an existential crisis for Giya.

In Depth

What is your favorite place in Verona?

Full lips turning up in a small smile, with only the most tasteful hint of sadness, Giya let out a small, contemplative, hum. “Well I always loved being home with my two boys. It’s been hard, after everything. But I can’t stay cooped up forever. Haref would have never wanted that for me, and I have to be strong for my son.” What was she supposed to say, Clark’s apartment? A place where they could both momentarily escape the paranoia of what they were doing? In all honesty, if it wasn’t for the memory of her husband, the great man he was, and her son Giya would have no qualms about that answer. She never felt the need to explain herself to those who didn’t know her, as if they had any moral high ground to judge her from. Unfortunately, that would never be the case, of which Hiran was a constant reminder.

What does your typical day look like?

Giya was aware that she was still constantly evoking sympathy among her peers, but some quality closest to pride stopped the widow from playing into that more than she needed to. The brunette could have effortlessly turned her answer into a tearjerker, waxing poetic about her deceased husband and how much her life had changed since his passing. But why lie more than she needed to? Instead, she narrowed her piercing eyes for a few seconds to create the illusion she was thinking thoroughly before she spoke. “I’ve been spending a significant amount of time with Odessa Vernon.” Beat. The poor thing. The words Giya would never verbalize silently trailed behind her sentence. If anyone knew what it felt like being treated like a human porcelain doll with feelings more delicate than her frame, it was Odessa. “She’s turning out to be quite the impressive little spitfire, and at the risk of sounding like an old lady- she reminds me of myself at her age.”

What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues?

Giya made a conscious effort not to light up at the question, for this was one she could answer with complete honesty. Not as grieving widow. A worried mother. A guilty adulterer. But a Montague. “You’d think they’d know better than to throw rocks and hide their hands. Then again, intelligence has never been a Capulet’s strong suit.” The triumphant smirk that didn’t grace Giya’s full lips was heavy in her voice however, she just couldn’t help herself. “It shouldn’t last long, I have great confidence in the Montagues.”

In-Character Para Sample:

Cabernet Sauvignon. Her old wine of choice. The mixture of dark fruit and even darker pepper wafted through the air and sent Giya to a time she’d never thought she’d be trying so hard to forget.

The night she drank more red wine than she thought humanly possible. Back when her precious Hiran was just a young boy, before she realized that at least one parent should set a good example and she and swore off alcohol. She was also still very much in love with Haresh. He was charismatic, magnetic, and everyone knew it. They’d taken the day to shop for sport supplies, and the two boys spent a full hour testing basketballs.  Leaning against a nearby shelf, feet sore and back cramping, Giya had made the mistake of suggesting they just pick one already. Hiran was hurt by her tone, and stormed off; inconsolable. Harsesh looked at her as if she had just told their son Santa Claus killed his favorite puppy.

When they got home that night, Giya was at the end of her rope, and that scared her. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this whole parenting thing. It came so natural to Haresh. Everything always did. He was father of the year and she was … what? Mommie Dearest. Joan Crawford. Norma Bates.

“Mom. I was annoyed by him.” She sobbed over the phone, mascara sliding down to her wine stained lips. “I was annoyed by my baby.” What that she heard on the other line? Static? A fucking laugh? The woman who she hardly spoke so candidly to actually had the nerve to. A quick reminder why she hardly ever called home. Giya thought she was broken as a mother, and this was funny to her? “That’s going to happen sweetie, it doesn’t mean you love him any less.” She was right about her daughter’s love for her grandson, and Giya would never stop striving to put his happiness before hers. Maybe it wasn’t something that came naturally, but she never stopped hoping it would be. Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for Haresh.

Something inside Giya clenched at the thought, rendering her speechless for a moment. “It smells lovely, dear. But I’ll just have a water with lemon.” Her smile might have been tighter than it needed to be. Still, the novice bartender took the sample glass out from underneath her nose and granted her the peace and quiet she desired. No longer feeling obligated to sniff the new house wine, Giya turned her attention back to her phone. She resented not being able to work with Damiano in person, but she was still considered to be too fragile for anything but the occasional catch up email. She itched to be back at her head boss’s side, and was growing weary of chasing away all the questions she had regarding appropriate mourning procedures. Then again, she had nothing to prove to herself. She mourned the loss of her husband, but knew that he’d want her to carry on as the strong asset she was to the Montagues.

Extras: www.giyasinspo.tumblr.com

1) Giya was able to shed most everything from her life pre-riches, except for the fact that she popped out of her mother’s womb cursing like a sailor. Poise wasn’t exactly the first lesson taught in her household, it was something she realized she had to teach herself. Usually skilled at catching herself in front of other people, she acts properly mortified and apologetic when a curse slips once a blue moon. It’s the one thing about her that hints at her not so pristine upbringing, and she hates it but can’t shake the habit.

2) She’s a Virgo, and has always been very competitive when it came to the odd board game here and there. Still, she doesn’t even like to show that side of her, she keeps her emotions close to her chest.

3) Deciding that her husband was doing enough drinking for the both of them, she only has the odd glass of white wine here and there. Mostly when she’s with Clark, but lately his drinking has been irking her more than usual.