#we talk about good characters and stuff all the time but we're so early in our spn rewatch that I can't talk about what makes Dean so

[freakwiththeknifecollection]

I'm so mentally ill about Dean Winchester and people out in the real world (except Jensen Ackles) don't UNDERSTAND the complexities and layers to him which only makes me more insane

[oh-no-its-bird]

Similar fic idea to One Step Three Steps, but instead of some random Hatake brat being zapped into modern Konoha from the very early days of the village, it was actually the at the time Hatake Clan Head.

I'm gonna go with the Hatake family tree I tossed into Chasing Shadows for fun, meaning a) the clan head is named Haruka, and b) she's Sakumo's mother (thus Kakashi's grandmother) and Tobirama's aunt

She died very shortly after Tobirama (like a week tops) and the rest of her clan was wiped out pretty soon after her.

(Sakumo was raised by the only other survivor of the clan, an old grandma with poor memory who hadn't been in any state to fight, and who later passed away when Sakumo was still pretty young— so he learned very little about their clan and their traditions, and then passed on even less to Kakashi before he died)

I have literally nothing else for her other than the above, so I guess we'll figure out her character together as we go along

With that said, this is gonna be a long one, so buckle in for

✨️ The Hatake clan head time travels from early to modern Konoha ✨️

Immediately, there's just so much potential pretty much anywhere you drop her into the timeline.

Lets take her from the very first years of Konoha, where they're still lowkey building the village and Madara is still around (bc I love the drama of the time traveler respecting Madara only for the future people to be like "oooo... ok, so bad news actually— Also, you legally aren't allowed to talk good about him for military dictatorship reasons, sorry :(" )

And then we're gonna drop her into kid Kakashi era, with Sakumo still being alive

Right off the bat -> That's Sakumo's fucking mom!!!! Holy shit you guys!!! The last time she saw him he was like a literal infant she JUST recovered from birthing AND NOW HES A WHOLE MAN!!!!

Shes grabbing him by the cheeks squishing him to death, there may be baby talk involved (he's a grown man let him go oh my god??)

If she comes before his mission gone wrong, her presence prevents him from going on it (disaster averted,,, for now) He's currently in the running for most likely to become next Hokage and she's so disgustingly proud holy shit. Her baby!!! Hokage!!!

Maybe have some talk about how that'd make either 3 or 2 Hatake's in office depending on if you count Hashirama as a Hatake (Haruka does not) and how that's kind of bad, right? Only Haruka doesn't give a SHIT about that (politicians hate her and shed hate them too if she didn't enjoy making them suffer so much)

"But Haruka, as clan head aren't you a politician too by default?"

"Haha yeah!! Isn't that awful? (For all of them)"

If she comes AFTER the dreaded mission gone wrong, Haruka is all about backing up his decision (the Hatake are a clan who emphasize loyalty like no other, which is also part of why they took to Konoha's mentality so well)

Shes telling Sakumo he did the right thing and fuck literally everyone who says otherwise. Trust your momma Sakumo, she knows best

Her being there averts Sakumo's death— either bc she manages to keep him going, or bc she interrupts him mid suicide

(I can see Sakumo trying to go through with it specifically bc he thinks at least Kakashi has Haruka now once he's gone)

Also oh my god SAKUMO YOU HAD A BABY??? SHE HAS A GRANDBABY???? AWWW CMERE LITTLE GUY LET GRANDMA GIVE YOU A SMOOCH— OHHH SAKUMO LOOK AT HOW HE STABBED ME OHH WHAT A GOOD BOY, WHAT A CUTE BABY BOY!! CMERE BABY— OHH SAKUMO LOOK HES BITING ME AWWW THATS SO CUTE!! WHOS A GOOD GRANDBABY?? WHOS A GOOD GRANDBABY?? (said like she's talking to a fucking dog)

Kakashi kind of hates her.

There's like a whole big bit about the Hatake clan bloodline limit, which is sort of general wolfy stuff, enhanced senses, some extra strength, etc. And my all-time favorite take, adaptation ✨️

Their white chakra is super flexible, able to adapt and change to fit pretty much any situation —or even other bloodline limits. (Which is why Kakashi not only survived the sharingan implant but came to arguably master it)

Anyways -> other than the white chakra (which neither Sakumo or Kakashi know the details of other than it's their family chakra and its,, white. Exciting, I know), their bloodline limit seems to have borderline dissapeared with Kakashi and Sakumo, due to basically them not knowing how to feed into it / activley supressing it to conform to polite society (unaware that certain impulses aren't actually just intrusive thoughts but actual instinct trying to get them to do things necessary to feed into and reawakened their bloodline limit)

Kakashi actually shows more hints of still having it bc of his age, while Sakumo is very well practiced in accidentally supressing it to conform with general society.

So obviously, Haruka is like "hey guys!! What the actual fuck is this!!" and immediatley (borderline desperatley) trying to get them back to her perceived normal

She's actually REALLY fucked up about all this. Her own son!! Her own grandbaby!! And they don't even eat enough MEAT!!!! This is an actual nightmare, this is like basic baby stuff all the Hatake's should know and she's getting nothing but blank looks and vuagley ashamed guilty stares from Sakumo as she asks if he even takes Kakashi on hunts (he didn't even know that was a thing he should be doing.)

Don't even get her started when she learns Sakumo isn't acting as clan head on the Konoha clan council, holy shit. The Hatake might be a clan of 2 now but they were among the first clans to come to Konoha— she doesn't give a shit how many of them are left, if the number is more than 1 then there better be a fucking representative of theirs on that goddamn council

Funny bit where Kakashi tries to bite someone and Sakumo is telling him to stop bc jesus christ child can you behave for 5 seconds oh god he's so sorry— and Haruka is like, why are you telling him to stop??? This is enrichment for him :)) if there's no blood it's fine, that's the official clan policy for dealing with kids

Haruka... isn't actually a very good choice to leave as your babysitter. If nothing is on fire and no one is dead she considers herself successful.

Sakumo will learn this. In time.

Mmmm bad ending where Sakumo goes through with the suicide. Could be very fun and fucked up n dramatic.

Kakashi doesn't find his father's body first bc Haruka does— or maybe he does but Haruka walks in right behind him and forces him to close his eyes before he can actually see the body.

Fun scene where Haruka is physically wrestling Kakashi away from his father's body, a hand over his eyes as he screams and claws at her, demanding that she let go and let him see his dad.

Can't she smell the blood!? Tou-san is hurt, he needs help! What are you doing!!? Let him go!! Tou-san, Tou-san, where are you? Why aren't you answering?!

He bites her hand in his struggles, so deep that it later scars (just another reminder of the day, oh boy !!)

Haruka getting hit by the fucking brick of reality, straight in the face. She got to meet her son, the only survivor of their clan from her era, just in time for him to die <3

The fic then takes a HARD turn from the silly fluffy fun times of Haruka goofing around telling people to suck her dick if they have a problem with her (which a lot of people definitely do)

-> Right into shinobi politics, political schemes and sabotaged missions and buried clan history galore territory. Haruka isn't ab to take this lying down and everyone's about to get their first look at a grieving Hatake mother in her prime who just lost her baby to the shinobi rumor mill

Before she was kind of keeping to herself just having fun in the clan compound, not reeeally getting involved with any politics or village shit, bc like, she's playing with her family!! This is like her vacation till the time travel is solved and she goes back home!!

But she's not doing that anymore.

Sakumo is gone and Haruka is more than willing to take the seat he chose to leave empty at the clan council. She's about to become EVERYONES problem.

In the bg, Kakashi VIOLENTLY swings between fucking hating Haruka ("You should have stopped him! You should have been there! You should have helped!") to being like, physically unable to be unatached from her (she's waking up in the middle of the night to find him suddenly burrowed into her blankets, holding on to her like he's scared she'll dissapear when he wakes up)

Small soft scene where he's sleeping on top of her and quietly whispers that he's sorry for biting her.

Haruka possibly tries to have Kakashi temporarily drop his training but it's a very hard battle to fight. Both bc Kakashi wants to fight and bc Konoha wants him to fight

Uhh first big scary Haruka politics scene when she puts her foot down and says something along the lines of, "are you telling me here and now that my word as Hatake clan head is not enough to stop Konoha from taking away my child?" And Sarutobi kind of has to back down bc that does NOT fly well with the other clans

Obito and Rin swing by and try to pry at why Kakashi can't fight and she just fucking stares at them and goes, "He's 6."

She goes home and puts her head in her fucking hands. She was promised Konoha was to keep the kids SAFE, that's the entire fucking reason the Hatake agreed to join!!! This is not safe Tobirama, you bitch!!!!! If they send out Kakashi to die, shes going to find your fucking ghost and grind your face into Kakashi's grave!!!!

Anyways, time for my favorite part: politics

Haruka is coming from the early days of Konoha, where the only reason the Hatake even joined the village was, "because my cute little nephew (Tobirama) asked us real nice"

In her mind, she and her clan are still allowed to back the fuck up out of the village whenever she so chooses. She likes it in Konoha, yeah, but they're still free reign nomads and while she'd like to stay and have her clan flourish (which they didn't exactly do and she can literally SEE the way the village destroyed them from the inside out) she and her clan retain the right to leave whenever they want. And if they do leave, other than losing the new friends, it won't exactly be hard on them to get back to the nomad life.

All of that is to say that Sarutobi isn't her Hokage and while she'll be nice and respectful bc she recognizes the position (and her position) when push comes to shove, there's literally nothing they can hold on her to make her bend or break.

Also the last time she saw Sarutobi he was one of her nephews little brat tag-alongs, and she's so fucking bad at treating people their age, doubly so if she knew them as a kid.

It's,,, kind of demeaning actually, she should stop. (She will not.)

Anyways: play into her not just being Tobirama's aunt but also Hashirama's (her sister was their mother) which becomes fun bc Kakashi is her fucking grandkid!! Meaning he's also their fucking cousin!! Politics!! Implications!!!

At least one person is making a "of fucking course the boy genius is related to one of them" joke but like in an angry way (it's probably Obito)

Anyways I started this off with basically nothing for Haruka other than her name and I think she accidentally turned into a real character along the way (inevitable tbh)

Shes a DEEPLY flawed person actually, which I kind of love. She has a habit of belittling people and not treating them their age (absoloutley calls everyone even slightly younger than her 'kid')

Her views of childcare are totally skewed and she should not be trusted with any children other than Kakashi (it's ok he's literally built different, she can provide proper enrichment for him)

Edit: I DIDNT FUCKING MEAN TO POST THIS YET IM GONNA KILL MYSELF I WAS STILL QRITING IM GONNA END IT ALL TUMBLR I HATE YOU I HATE YOU

Shes so fucking full of herself and about to make it EVERYONES problem

[lastoneout]

Honestly, I don't say it often bcs I know how this site is but I really do think for a lot of survivors of abuse, especially abuse that went on for years and years, sometimes the message "it's not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong/to deserve this" while ABSOLUTELY TRUE* isn't actually super helpful. For a lot of us there's a LOT of guilt tied into it, and even if things were truly out of our hands we will not be able to accept that we are truly blameless, at least not at first, and maybe for some of us not ever. So being told "no dw you didn't do anything wrong <3 <3 you're innocent" feels...idk like some toxic positivity style lies. It doesn't make me feel better, because I still do feel like there were things that happened that were my fault, that were in my control, even an ethicist or god or whoever could look me dead in the eyes, weigh all the facts, and assure me of my complete innocence, and I still wouldn't believe it. (Tbh, you have to be ready to forgive yourself and trying to force it early does more harm than good.)

And I occasionally see movies and shows and stuff get roasted all to hell for having the audacity to go with a different message, to offer abused characters not a platitude about how they are innocent and should forgive themselves asap, but instead say "so what if it was your fault? so what if you fucked up? you're still alive, you still have time, your mistakes(or perceived mistakes) don't make you irredeemable scum who deserves to suffer, it's okay that you fucked up, what matters is what you do next, and even if the horrible thing was your fault in one way or another or you did actually hurt people, you still did NOT deserve to be hurt in turn" because people think that is like, admitting that the person in question is at fault when they almost always aren't....but as an actual survior, I'm sorry, you can tell me I'm innocent till the cows come home and I won't believe it. What I need to hear is that even if it was my fault I didn't deserve to be treated that way. I still deserve help. I deserve to keep going. I am not forever stained by my mistakes. I deserve a future free from this pain.

I think before we look at things in this like...grand moral way where we try to make sure we're sending the most Correct and Healthy Message Possible, sometimes it's worth asking if that message is actually the one the people it's about need to hear. I'm sure for some people it is very freeing to be told it's not their fault, but that kind of message does not resonate with me. And I, as well as people like me, deserve to expirience stories about us that are cathartic, that resonate, that make us feel seen, and to not have to see everyone and their mom throw a fit because what helps us is "problematic".

Anyway this has been mulling around in my head for a while and I def have a lot more to say about the way guilt manifests in trauma born of abuse, but yeah I just feel like this is something that should be talked about when we bring up abuse narratives and how well written they are and if they send the Correct Message, because the "Correct Message" is never going to be the same for everyone. And that's true of ANY demographic you could choose to represent!

Like some disabled people might enjoy the "magically healed" trope while others find it offensive. Some trans people like stories where transitioning is easy as drinking a potion or getting a fancy futuristic surgery and some find that that trivializes their struggles. Some queer people want stories where there's just no homophobia at all, others find that a world without it feels fake and patronizing. Some women do want to read stories about how keeping hearth and home is noble and empowering and others want read about women who have other jobs and never have kids or get married. For some of us "you're beautiful no matter what" is lovely and some of us just want to be told being fat and hairy and having acne and scars and shit is normal and fine. Or, like the last post I reblogged says, sometimes "you're not a burden" doesn't hit as well as "being a burden isn't a bad thing". No one type of representation is ever going to work for everyone, and that doesn't mean one type of rep is objectively wrong and the other is objectively right.

So yeah, the next time you find yourself angry because you think a story is sending the wrong message about a marginalized or harmed group, maybe stop for a second to ask yourself if it's actually harmful...or if you're not the person who the story is speaking to, and if there's someone it is talking to who desperately needs to hear what it has to say.

(*Getting ahead of this now: Do not put words in my mouth. I am not saying that any abused person in any way deserved their abuse or was at fault for it happening, that is not up for debate. The fault is always in the hands of the person who chose to hurt them. I'm just saying it's nuanced and complicated and guilt is a huge fucking issue that survivors have to deal with all the time and it's not wrong to acknowledge that some of us are always going to feel like we did something wrong and not be eased by being told otherwise even if the person saying it is 100% correct and/or means well. I do not have time for people who are going to willfully misinterpret me. You will be blocked.)

[yamujiburo]

I'm so thankful for you sharing the importance of protecting minors from sexual content. My parents and I didn't have much knowledge back then and I was exposed to this kind of stuff too early. I developed bad habits. I somehow deceived my family into trusting me way too much and, when I saw I had lost control and I asked for help, I saw my family was also hurt and they spent a lot on therapy and my anxiety medication. I have forgiven them for not knowing back them. But I still haven't forgiven myself for getting them through all that stuff. It's important to understand how much we need to protect minors from sexual content. Family members and artists, please pay attention to the content young audience is exposed to.

Of course! I can relate a lot to this. My parents were really good at monitoring what I was doing online for a while but they started trusting me more and I unfortunately started seeing a lot of stuff I shouldn't have but would keep it secret. Gonna talk about my experience a lil bit under the cut just bc I've been reflecting on it a lot recently (tw for grooming)

I gained a following of around 25K on deviantart by the time I was around 15/16. It was in the worst fandom too (mlp). I'd have a lot of much older men talking to me, drawing/writing nsfw of my characters who were underaged (they'd draw nsfw of myself and my sonas as well). It was so normalized for me and I didn't see anything wrong with it at the time.

I'd shipped Spike and Rarity at the time (very much do not anymore) and adult men would use that ship as a basis for trying to talk to me or get in a relationship. "We're just like Sparity! You're young but you're very mature for your age, so it's fine." I remember one guy trying REALLY hard to try and get me to move in with him. I was pretty creeped out then, but like holy shit that's SUPER creepy and I'm fortunate that he didn't keep trying after I gave him a hard "no".

It bled into my real life a bit when I met a 22 y/o man who asked me out when I was just 16 just turning 17. Luckily the relationship was NOT long lasting (I think he realized that I'm a very boring person LMAO) but I think about how I thought that that was a perfectly normal. I'd date go on to date people who were probably too old for me.

Also around when I was 16/17, people started shipping me with another artist in the fandom who was several years older than I was (side note: nothing wrong with an age gap! but it's very not okay when there's "waiting" for someone to be of legal age involved). I did end up dating said artist after I turned 18 and it was fine, I wasn't hurt or anything but I did find weird that we were shipped when I was still a teenager looking back (there was also nsfw drawn of us together before/when we were dating)

I just had such a warped sense of reality for a long because of this shit. I'm glad there's more conversations about this stuff and it's more known that adults should have little to no personal interaction with kids on the internet and vice versa. There's way too many stories of kids getting taken advantage of in fandom spaces. I think I got off fairly lucky all things considered. But bottom line YES kids need to be protected online and their exposure to sexual content/adult spaces should be limited or monitored. It's also really tough though because not all kids have adults in their real life that they can trust or go to to ask questions about sex so they seek solace in adults online and it's just a constant cycle.

I'm honestly unsure of what to do about that and I don't have all the answers but I ultimately just don't want kids online to end up in similar positions I was in when I was younger. I just do my best

[major-comet]

The Best Red vs Blue Watch Order Guide Ever. Of All Time.

So. You want to watch Red vs Blue, huh? Maybe you read my long post about how it's so weirdly incredible yet impossible to recommend and now you want to give it a shot. Or maybe you have seen the show before, but it's been a long time and/or you didn't watch any of the mini-series or anything and want to give it another go. Either way, looking at a show with a 21 year history is kind of daunting, and you have no idea where to start.

Well luckily for you, I've done the work for you.

This watch guide will cover all 19 seasons of the main show, most of the mini-series, and some of the PSA's and other such bonus content. There will be links provided for where you can watch everything I talk about. This Google Drive (from reddit u/Exitity, unsure if they also have a tumblr) has all of the individual episode uploads, and most of the stuff I'm going to be talking about, although I'm trying to use YouTube links wherever I can. Any links will be colored in light blue for additional visibility.

Couple of quick things before we begin.

When possible, watch the individual episode uploads rather than the "complete" editions. The "Completes", while they may provide a more streamlined viewing experience by cutting out all of the bumpers and outros and such, accomplish this by cutting out a lot of jokes. RvB has a lot of jokes that happen during the fade to black at the end of an episode, and a lot of those get lost in the edits. There's also some things that just straight up get cut for seemingly no reason. Side note, the DvD/Blu-Ray versions seem perfectly fine, and honestly are even better to watch than the individual episodes if you have them. They're like a best of both worlds - adding some extra music and such (ESPECIALLY in the first 5 seasons) that really helps make a nice presentation of the show. If that's an option available to you, I recommend it. Otherwise, stick with the individual episodes.

At the end of each entry in the list, I may present a Side Quest section. This will include anything I feel you should watch that isn't necessarily canon, but helps add some extra life to the series. This may include some behind the scenes stuff or a selection of the PSA's and the non-canon mini-series. This stuff can be really great for building out the characters in a way that doesn't necessarily affect the greater story, and can especially be good for interactions between characters that maybe don't interact much in the main show. Anything I put in a Side Quest is strictly optional, but will add to your viewing experience. Obviously, there's a lot more bonus material than what I'm putting here. I'm just putting down some of the highlights. And if you end up liking the PSAs and such then just know: there's so much more for you to explore.

Early RvB is very much a product of it's time, and sometimes you'll get hit with a line that stops you dead in your tracks. Adult-oriented comedies can always be a minefield, and RVB's roots as a show made for Halo fans in 2003 definitely don't help. However, while this is the most common in the first five seasons, it never really stops being an issue. The purpose of this guide is simply for watch order, but if you have any specific trigger-related questions about any season of rvb please feel free to shoot me an ask or even a DM - i'm more than happy to help.

Okay, let's begin, breaking it down by arc.

The Blood Gulch Chronicles

You may hear people telling you to skip the first five seasons of the show and just pick up with Season 6. Those people are lying to you and do not have your best interests at heart. The first five seasons are pretty much strictly comedy, and from Season 6 onward the show starts to explore deeper themes and stories while still falling back on that comedic foundation. Skipping straight to the deeper stuff doesn't work very well IMO, because those five seasons are spent getting to know the characters we're going to be following for the rest of the show. The stuff that happens in Blood Gulch never stops being important - whether it's side characters showing back up again later on, or laying the foundation for a lot of the moments and story lines that make some of the later seasons so special.

Anyways, the watch order.

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Out of Mind - Mini-series

Season 5

Blood Gulch Side Quests

Tattoo Point/Counterpoint - Season 1 PSA

A Message to the Science Community - Season 2 PSA

Real Life VS. The Internet - Season 2 PSA

All of the deleted scenes, honestly, but This One in particular because asphodel and I quote it all the time.

The Outtakes/Bloopers - I'm not gonna put the link for these and the deleted scenes for every arc, but just know that you should watch them after every season/arc. There's some great stuff in there.

The Season 5 Alternate Endings

Either watch it Now, or after you watch the finale, but I highly recommend the 2003 Season 1 DVD Commentary. It's just Burnie (Church/Lopez/Vic) and Geoff (Grif), and it's really nice.

If you've ever watched any behind the scenes stuff for RvB or even rooster teeth as a whole, you have almost certainly seen This Clip, which is a behind the scenes of the voice recording for Grif and Simmons' lines in episode 1.

The Recollection

Recovery One - Mini-series

Season 6 - Reconstruction

Relocated - Mini-series

Season 7 - Recreation

Season 8 - Revelation

Recollection Side Quests

First! - Season 6 PSA

Small Rewards - Season 6 PSA

Rock the Vote and Rock the Veto - PSAs made to encourage RvB viewers to register to vote. Which at the time you could do on your xbox 360. These are here mostly as a "wtf" historical piece.

Halo-Ween - Season 7 PSA

Valentine's Day - Season 7 PSA

Fire Safety: Where There's Smoke... - Season 7 PSA. genuinely one of the best.

Holiday Plans - Mini-series

The Reach PSA series - Three parts total, only part one is linked.

Project Freelancer Saga

Season 9

Technically there's two mini-series that take place during Season 9 - being M.I.A. and Where There's a Will, There's a Wall. I really love them, and would recommend watching them after S9, but if you really want to roll into S10 you won't miss much. Weirdly there's a place later on that would be a great spot to circle back to these, but I'll save that for later.

Season 10

Project Freelancer Side Quests

This is a great spot to circle back to older side quests you may have skipped, btw.

The Season 10 Table Read BTS - Season 10 was the first time they ever did a full cast table read for the show, and it's cool to see a few snippets from it and hear the crew talk about it.

Matt Hullum Talks to Himself - watch this after M.I.A. it's a live table read of part of the script, with a focus on a conversation between Sarge and Doc (who have the same voice actor)

This 10 Year Retrospective that was put out around Season 10. Watching it now, knowing that they were about halfway through the lifespan of the show / company gives it a whole new perspective.

RT Oz - PSA

Remember Not to Forget and Voting Fever - PSAs made to promote the launch of Halo 4. Voting Fever is one of the Best Ever (and listen to the full version of That's How Voting Works afterwards!)

This Interview between Burnie and Trocadero talking about the music the band has done for the show. This playlist also has a bunch of other behind the scenes and other such bonus stuff from the DVDs and Blu-Rays, it's great to keep around.

The Chorus Trilogy

Season 11

The Chorus Journal Entries - Only three have fully machinimated versions, the last one is just the log entry. Bridges the gap between 11 and 12

Season 12

Season 13

Chorus Trilogy Side Quests

#1 Movie in the Galaxy - PSA

Getting Away From it All - PSA

#1 Movie in the Galaxy: 2 - PSA

Uh. I think the RvB Holiday Special goes here

Matt Hullum (Sarge) reading an excerpt from 50 Shades of Gray at a book signing.

Season 14 - Anthology

I get it: not everyone loves the Anthology format. I truly do recommend watching all of it at least once - or if you haven't in a long time. My only Side Quests are to say that this is the perfect time to go back to M.I.A. and WTAWTAW if you skipped them after season 9, and that if you skipped the #1 Movie In the Galaxy PSAs during Chorus, watch them now before the third one, which is in this season.

The Shisno Trilogy (seasons 15, 16, and 17)

Season 15

Season 16 - The Shisno Paradox

Season 17 - Singularity

Shisno Side Quests (this is taken from our survey data because it's been so long since I've watched much of any shisno-related stuff)

Hard Truths - PSA

Diversity - PSA

Cultural Appreciation - PSA

Lopez's Technical Guide to Empathy - PSA

Unreal Estate - PSA

Caboose's Guide to Finding Your Home - sequel to the Guide to Making Friends from season 14

RvB: Zero + Family Shatters

okay so here's the deal. If by this point, you're really just interested in the characters you've been watching for the past 17 seasons and not so much the story or anything - you may not get much from watching Zero. I do think it's interesting to watch, if only because I think it's got a lot of missed potential. Zero is not served well by being a season of RvB, I think I would have liked it a lot more if it were stand-alone, though that doesn't fix all of my issues with it. If you wanna jump straight to the series finale, you absolutely can. It's a pretty short watch, though, and I've heard that Family Shatters was better. I'll watch that one at some point.

Zero

Family Shatters - spinoff

Restoration

This is it! The series finale.

I'm not doing this with an other season (though I do recommend going back and watching all the teasers and trailers at some point), but before you watch the finale you should watch The First Trailer For It. I think it sets up the season really well, and helps make some of the rushed set-up exposition in Restoration make a little bit more sense. honestly this should just be considered the first scene of the finale. Then watch the finale, and then you are done with all of the main show of Red VS Blue. Go forth, and be free.

Final Side Quest

I'm putting anything that came out in the nebulous time between Zero and the finale in here. I'll come back and edit this once we find out what on earth is going to be on the Blu-Ray.

Offensive Driving

First Person Tutor

Moving Out

The Video RT Made to Announce Master Chief and Blood Gulch Were Coming To Fortnite. This played at the game awards and my soul almost left my body

This is also where I'll put QvsA, which is the Grimmons mini-series, though I haven't actually watched it myself yet. They're all on youtube.

My all-time favorite RvB fan edit - doesn't actually have any clips post-anthology, but I think the end is a great time to watch it.

If none of this makes sense, or you just have any questions at all - I am More than happy to help answer your queries. I hope this helps :) Also if any of the links are broken please let me know.

[bones4thecats]

Can we please get Loona x Male Reader who has similar issues like Blitzo, but less extreme? Specifically believing that others are better off without them, and guilt for past incidents, although they never go as far as to hurt Loona. Loona probably has experience with this bc of Blitzo, I could also see Blitzo starting to like reader more, since he sees himself in them. Thanks for your time!

-🐺 anon

Loona's S/O With Similar Issues To Blitzo

Characters: Loona Buckzo Requester: 🐺Anon A/N: This obviously full of angst and fluff, so expect mentions of blood and fire. By the way, there are mature themes here so be aware of this! Have fun! ��️ Spoilers/Trigger Warnings for: Blitzo's Backstory and S2 Ep8 ⚠️

••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●••●•

»»———————————-　Loona Buckzo　———————————-««

🐺 Loona and you had first met years ago during a small debacle between your boss, Verosika Mayday, and her father. And when your brother, Vortex, and her began to speak and talk with him, you bonded just as well

🐺 During a follow-up job of yours while working with one of Verosika's recording directors, an electrical fire erupted and as you helped others get out, a rogue explosion bashed into one-half of your face, causing a massive burn to make you half-blind

🐺 Verosika had to let you go, much to Vortex and her chargains. You just told them it was understood why, and Vortex and Loona asked if you needed somewhere to stay, offering up their homes

🐺 You passed it off until you came by to hang out with Loona at your place, finding a paper saying you had a couple weeks to get your stuff out of the place due to a loss of your rent

🐺 Loona patted your shoulder and rubbed your arm, asking if you still didn't want to move in with her and her father, saying how he'd love having you around more. You two did get along well

🐺 You smiled and kissed her forehead, nodding before she called her dad and delivered the changed news to him. The only sound you could hear on the other end was the imp laughing and cheering, saying he would love having another guy in the apartment

🐺 When all of your things were moved into Loona's room, now you and her's, Blitzo had you fill out a paper on what you did and didn't like, in which you smiled nervously and wrote down everything

🐺 As the many weeks passed of you living with them, you noticed just how different their lives were now that you lived there. And you couldn't help but think, were you a burden to them? Would they be better without you there? Was this change in their lives your fault?

🐺 Later that day, Blitzo came home early from his 'time' with Stolas and knew that Loona would be out that night. She was going to hang out with Vortex while you stayed home, saying you didn't want to go out because you felt ill

🐺 Blitzo laid a sack on the counter-top and stretched his back before hanging his coat up and moving around the couch, only to find you laying there, wrapped up and crying...

"Kid, you good down there?"

"Am I a... am I a burden, Blitzo?"

"What? Who the fuck said you were a burden?!"

🐺 Holding your head up, Blitzo saw just how distressed you were. And it was far from pretty. It reminded him of himself when he was younger and just blaming himself for the loss of his mother and his family

🐺 You saw that Blitzo was kinda agitated when he came inside the apartment at that time, something must have gone wrong at Stolas'. And when you took the tissue that he offered you and whiped your nose and eyes, before asking what went wrong with Stolas

🐺 He sighed and began to rant to you on how stupid that bird was, how he was most definitely crossing a line with showering him with this rush of feelings. All they ever did was a contract-fucking, nothing like this!

"Y'know, I think we both have out own issues. Like we're fucked up in unique yet similar ways."

"Do you think we should tell Loona about it?"

"When the time is right, kiddo. Not yet. Anyways," Blitzo stands up and pops his back again before yawning and wrapping his tail around his leg in pleasure from the pop, "I need to get some sleep after this. Loona said she was on her way home a few minutes before I got here, so expect her soon, 'kay?"

"Yeah. And, hey Blitzo!"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks, for being the father that I've needed for a while."

"... It's no problem, sweet dreams, okay?"

"Right back at 'ya..."

»–•–«

🐺 The sound of a door opening a closing made you look up from your phone tiredly, seeing your girlfriend hanging up her jacket and smile at you with a slight yawn

🐺 You stood up and noticed that when you hugged the hellhound, she slouched and began to snore, making you chuckle and carry her to your room

🐺 Maybe your thoughts were wrong... the way that Blitzo comforted you from your crying and the way that Loona balled herself in your arms to gain some more warmth and comfort just made you think more clearly

🐺 Maybe you weren't such a waste of space...

[nightwriter357]

Just Friends - You make it feel like Christmas

Sorry to be posting this so late but MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! This year I'm giving you part 8 of my Damien Haas " reader series called Just Friends.

I hope you all enjoy and have a great Christmas 🎁🎄

The cozy scent of cinnamon fills the air, mingling with the warm glow of Christmas lights strung lazily across the room. The tree in the corner looks more suitable for Halloween than Christmas, but it's charming in its own way. Damien sits cross-legged on the floor, glaring at a roll of wrapping paper like it's a puzzle. Shayne is sprawled on the couch, tossing a stress ball in the air. It's time for you all to go home to your families for the holidays soon so an early celebration was a must.

You lean against the counter, cider in hand, and break the silence with a bright, "So... Merry Christmas!"

Damien looks up with a smirk, raising an eyebrow. "It's not Christmas."

"I know," you reply with a grin. "But it's like... pretend Christmas."

Damien chuckles, shaking his head. "First a practice date, now pretend Christmas. What's next?"

"Premarital funeral?" you suggest, barely containing your laughter.

"What—no. Why premarital?" Damien asks, his expression equal parts confused and amused.

"I just wanted to give you the P," you say innocently, trying to keep a straight face.

Damien stares at you, his voice full of mock accusation. "You wanted to give me the what now?"

"The... you know what, shut up," you laugh, waving him off. "Merry Christmas."

Shayne tosses the stress ball once more, catching it with an exaggerated sigh. "So, we're really doing this, huh? Hosting a holiday gathering for this crew?"

"It's not that bad," Damien says, finally managing to cut a piece of tape. "Courtney's bringing candy, Angela's bringing cookies—"

"And Angela's crazy roommate is bringing the crazy," Shayne interrupts, grinning.

"She's not that bad," you say, though your tone betrays your doubt. "She's... spirited."

"Spirited like a feral cat in a Santa hat," Shayne quips.

Damien laughs, shaking his head. "That's not true, She definitely will not be wearing a santa hat."

"Okay, but who's got bets on Angela trying to juggle the ornaments again?" You asks, glancing between Damien and Shayne.

Shayne snorts. "Not worth betting. That's a guarantee."

The sound of the front door opening cuts the conversation short, and Courtney bursts in, her energy instantly brightening the room.

Courtney dumps her stuff  onto the coffee table with a huff. "Okay, spill. What's Angela's roommate like? I need to mentally prepare before I meet her. Angela keeps dodging my questions, which only makes me more nervous."

Damien pauses mid-wrap, glancing at you. "Where do we even start?"

You smirk, settling onto the arm of the couch. "She is... a character. She dedicated her life to solving this case. At least, that's what she says."

Courtney raises an eyebrow. "That sounds... intense."

Shayne snorts, sitting up straighter. "Oh, it is. She's been chasing the killer like it's her life's mission. But she's never actually solved a case."

"Not one?" Courtney asks, incredulous.

"Not even close," Damien says, grinning. "But she's got these real good insane stories about her time on the force."

"She says stuff like, 'Eat my ass,' as casually as you'd say, 'Good morning,'" Shayne adds, laughing.

Courtney stares at all three of you, wide-eyed. "You're messing with me."

"Oh, we wish," you say, unable to hide your amusement. "She's a walking, talking hurricane with a nicotine addiction and a flair for the dramatic."

"She's... Dedicated," Damien offers, though his expression suggests he's grasping for something positive to say.

Courtney lets out a slow breath, dragging a hand through her hair. "I can't tell if I'm terrified or intrigued."

Shayne chuckles. "She'll be fine. Just don't ask too many follow-up questions about the Creekside Killer unless you're ready for a full PowerPoint presentation."

"Noted." Courtney glances toward the door, as if expecting her to burst in unannounced. "This is going to be... interesting."

As if on cue, the door swings open, and in walk Angela and her roommate, the latter's wet bangs dripping in the Christmas season's slush. Angela gives a cheerful wave, while her roommate pulls out a cigarette and prepares to light it, muttering something about the cold weather.

"Whoa, whoa!" Damien says, standing quickly. "You can't smoke in here."

Sarah Christ glances up, raising an eyebrow as she tucks the unlit cigarette behind her ear. "Relax, you little worm. It's just for the aesthetic."

"Sure it is," you mutter under your breath, exchanging an amused glance with Damien.

Courtney watches the exchange, her mouth twitching as if she's suppressing a laugh. 

You glance around the room, catching everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone. Let's get started with Secret Santa."

Shayne perks up from his spot on the couch. "Finally! I've been dying to see what everyone got."

Damien settles onto the floor near the tree, looking relaxed. "So, are we doing this one by one, or is it a free-for-all?"

"One by one," Sarah chimes in, the unlit cigarette now dangling from her lip. "Let's make it last." 

Shayne's the first to hand out a gift, his signature grin plastered on his face. He hands Courtney a beautifully wrapped box, and when she opens it, she gasps, pulling out a gorgeous yellow patterned silk robe.

"Shayne, this is beautiful!" Courtney exclaims, her eyes lighting up. "I'm going to look so fancy lounging around in this!"

Shayne bows dramatically. "Well, what can I say? You deserve nothing less."

Courtney beams, giving him a quick hug. "Thank you so much!"

You shoot Damien a pointed look, and he smirks in return, clearly thinking the same thing as you. The two of you have teased Shayne about his not-so-secret feelings for Courtney more times than you can count, and this little gesture just added more fuel to the fire.

Next, Courtney hands Sarah Christ a small, neatly wrapped box. "This one's for you," Courtney says with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

Sarah Christ takes the box, turning it over in her hands with a smirk. "What's this? Another crime for me to solve?"

"Ehm..no?" Courtney replies, waving a hand.

Sarah tears off the paper, revealing a sleek lighter engraved with the words "Let there be light—Christ." She bursts out laughing, holding it up for everyone to see. "Oh fuck yeah, this is brilliant. A Christ lighter for Christ. You're a genius."

Courtney shrugs, clearly pleased with herself. "Seemed fitting."

Sarah Christ clicks the lighter open and closed a few times, inspecting it. "Are you sure I can't smoke in here?"

"No!" Shayne cuts in before anyone else can answer.

Sarah Christ rolls her eyes, leaning back in her seat and nudging Angela. "I could get a warrant!"

Angela snorts, crossing her arms. "No, you couldn't!"

Laughter fills the room, and Sarah pockets the lighter with a nod. "Thanks, Courtney, you really know me well."

Courtney raises an eyebrow but Sarah Christ doesn't seem to notice as she hands Angela her gift. "Here. Don't say I never gave you anything," she says with a crooked grin.

Angela takes the bag, and pulls out a sleek pair of noise-canceling headphones. Her eyes widen as she looks them over. "Finally, I can get some peace and quiet," she says with a grin, holding them up. "No more listening to people rant about the Creakside Killer."

Sarah lets out a dry laugh, leaning back in her chair. "Peace and quiet? Must be nice. My brain’s more like… I don’t know, walking down a dark alley, then—bam!—some thug shows up, takes everything, and leaves my brain standing there like an orphaned billionaire."

Shayne pauses mid-sip of his drink, raising an eyebrow. "So... Batman?"

Sarah blinks, her expression blank. "Who’s that?"

Shayne sets his glass down, staring at her like she just grew a second head. "You’re literally describing Batman."

Sarah shrugs, completely unbothered. "Never heard of him." She waves a hand dismissively. "Anyway—"

Everyone bursts out laughing. You chuckle along with them before turning your attention to Damien, who's sitting there, an amused look on his face. He meets your eyes and raises an eyebrow, as if signaling it's time for the next gift exchange.

Damien grins and hands you your gift. "Alright, your turn."

He hands you a gift with a playful smile. You open it carefully, peeling back the paper to reveal not one, but two cinnamon-scented candles. 

Shayne, immediately noticing the gift, smirks. "Hold on, Damien, are you giving her the same candle I gave her last year? What happened to being original?"

Damien grins back. "Nah, this is an upgrade, Shayne. Last year, she got all misty-eyed over one. This year, I thought two would really make her day."

You raise an eyebrow at Damien, teasing, "So, you're trying to top Shayne Topp, huh?"

Shayne lets out a dramatic sigh. "I mean, it's cute that you're trying to improve on perfection, but let's be real: nothing's beating the original."

You laugh, rolling your eyes. "You two are ridiculous."

Damien chuckles, leaning in a bit. "Maybe a little, but I know you love these."

You smile and wipe a fake tear from your eye. "Thanks, Damien. They're perfect."

Finally, you hand Shayne your gift—a twisted straw. His eyes light up as he holds it up like it's the greatest thing he's ever seen.

"A twisted straw?" Shayne says, a grin spreading across his face. "This is... this is incredible." He wipes a real tear from his eye.

You laugh. "It's just a straw, Shayne. Don't get too carried away."

Shayne twirls it around in his fingers like it's a prized possession. "No, you don't get it. This is the best thing ever!" He gives a dramatic sigh, as if overwhelmed. "I don't even know how to explain it. This twisted straw... it's perfect. It just speaks to me, you know?"

The room fills with laughter as everyone passes around their gifts, each one a little more unexpected than the last.

As the evening winds down, the warmth of the holiday spirit starts to fade. Soon, Sarah Christ, Angela, and Courtney start gathering their things, preparing to head home for Christmas.

Sarah Christ looks around the room, nodding at everyone. "Glad I took my one day off to spend with you guys," she says, her tone suggesting she's genuinely enjoyed herself, even if she has a funny way of showing it.

Damien glances at her, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, you only get one day off?"

Sarah shrugs nonchalantly. "Yep, but clearly, I made the right call. This was... unexpectedly tolerable."

Courtney chuckles, clearly surprised. "Well, you're not the only one. I didn't expect to have this much fun."

With the goodbyes exchanged, they head out together, leaving you, Damien, and Shayne alone in your apartment. The sounds of the evening fade into a gentle silence as Shayne goes to get his bags, leaving you and Damien standing in the quiet aftermath of everything that's just happened.

You and Damien glance at each other, both seemingly at a loss for words. "So," you start, fidgeting with the edge of your sleeve, "I guess we'll see each other in a week."

Damien nods, his hands resting on the back of his neck. "Yeah. Weird, huh?"

You chuckle lightly. "It's just... it's just that we're, you know, roommates, right? I mean, we've been living together for a while now."

Damien raises an eyebrow, but you can't quite tell if he's joking or being serious. "Yeah, We're not really used to being apart."

"Right?" You nod, relieved to have your thoughts validated. "It's like, we've been sharing a space, and now I have to go home and it just feels... off." 

Damien laughs, though there's a slight hesitation in it. "Yeah, when you're around someone this much, saying goodbye.. even only for a while, is hard."

Just then, Shayne calls out from the hallway, his voice loud and casual. "Alright, I’m outta here, you two! Catch ya later!"

You and Damien exchange a brief glance before you call out, "Bye, Shayne!"

"See ya, man," Damien chimes in, his voice equally casual.

Shayne, already halfway out the door, doesn't even stop to respond, but his voice rings out from the hallway. "Later!"

You and Damien both stare at the door for a second, then glance back at each other. You break the silence with a dramatic sigh. "Where were we? Oh, right... It’s hard saying goodbye to someone you live with."

There’s a brief, awkward pause as both of you try to act like it’s not obvious.

Damien looks at you for a moment, a knowing smile creeping onto his face. "Totally," he agrees with a teasing tone. "It's just because we're roommates."

"Wow, 'just'" you say, clutching your chest dramatically. "It's like you don't care about me at all."

There’s a flicker of something in his expression—too quick to fully catch—but his smirk softens, just a little. "More than you think," he says, his voice quieter now.

The playful edge in your voice falters slightly. "Oh really? How much do you care about me, Damien?"

His eyes lock onto yours, and the air between you shifts, the weight of everything unsaid settling in the space between. His voice is low, almost hesitant, when he says, "I care enough to hold back." The words slip out like a confession, unguarded and raw.

Your breath catches, the meaning behind them hitting you harder than you'd expected — all that comes out is a whisper. "Don’t."

His gaze flickers to your lips, then back to your eyes, and the space between you suddenly feels impossibly small. The tension thickens, electric and charged, like the moment before a storm unleashes.

You don’t know who moves first. Maybe it’s him. Maybe it’s you. But when his hand brushes against yours, it’s like the floodgates open.

In one fluid motion, you step closer, your hand clutching the front of his shirt as if to anchor yourself. His lips crash into yours—not rushed, but purposeful, like every ounce of restraint you’ve both held onto is dissolving in the heat of the moment.

The world outside fades, shrinking to nothing more than the feel of him against you. His lips are warm, insistent, and every movement feels like a silent declaration, but impossibly intense, as if the kiss holds everything you’ve both been too afraid to say, every feeling you’ve tried to suppress.

When you finally break apart, reality rushes back in, dizzying and disorienting. Your chest heaves with each breath, your heart pounding against your ribs. The silence that follows isn’t empty—it’s charged, alive with the gravity of what just happened.

You meet his eyes again, searching, but neither of you says a word. It’s as if speaking might break the fragile, perfect moment hanging between you.

Then your phone buzzes, sharp and jarring. Josh has arrived at your destination.

The shift is immediate, like a breath that's been held too long, suddenly released. Damien's smile falters just slightly, his eyes flickering to your phone, his expression unreadable for a beat. His gaze softens again, but there's something more in it now.

You turn your phone around to show him the Uber notification. "Seems like it's time for me to go."

"So... Merry Christmas," Damien says quietly, as though the weight of everything still hangs in the air, just beyond reach.

You blink up at him, heart still racing, breath uneven as the reality of what just happened settles in. "I thought it 'wasn’t Christmas yet'?"

He smiles, soft and earnest. "You make it feel like Christmas."

You laugh, shaky and overwhelmed. His words settle in your chest, warm and heavy, and you realize you’ve never felt more at home then in this moment, when you had to leave.

[kiragecko]

So, it's the early 2000s. I'm hanging out with the first friend I've managed to make in half a decade, my now-husband. We're both trying to make good impressions, because friendship is hard! Now-Husband does this through the evergreen autistic method of 'let's share my special interest'.

(I would later do the exact same thing, slightly more successfully, with the Discworld books. This can be a good method!)

He does have enough social awareness to realize that sticking me in front of the Final Fantasy VII video game will not work. But, Advent Children is a MOVIE! He can share THAT with me!

-

Now, a more social aware person might ask themselves (and maybe even me) some questions first. Questions like:

Has Gecko ever played a video game?

(Answer: Yes, I have played parts of Super Mario World and two Donkey Kong Countries! Also, a snakey Tetris clone?)

Has Gecko ever watched an anime?

(Answer: No.)

Has Gecko ever had ANY interaction with Japanese bullshit, and it's differences from English bullshit?

(Answer: I have read one manga at this point, W Juliet.)

Does Gecko even know what an RPG IS?

(Answer: No. If the acronym was expanded I would think you were talking about D&D.)

Can Gecko watch things with subtitles?

(Answer: Unknown, but I'm about to find out!)

Does Gecko actually enjoy movies?

(Answer: At the time, I would have said yes. I had been taught to ignore a lot of pain back then, and didn't realize they were sensory nightmares.)

Is this movie a good fic for newcomers to the franchise?

(Answer: Unhinged laughter.)

-

We watched Advent Children.

-

The saving grace of this experience was that Now-Husband LIKES explaining stuff! He got to explain a LOT of stuff. And it was VERY interesting to watch someone try to figure out how to explain,

"Your guess might technically be correct for this movie, but it wasn't that way in the game! ... I don't think. And it's not what I think they're trying to imply! ... It might actually be a plot hole. Or maybe we just missed something with the bad lighting? But also, I'm realizing, in real time, how many of my interpretations are actually fanon and I'm questioning everything!"

And there was a pseudo-vampire. I will never get over Vincent. Every moment of Vincent was overdramatic, trying-to-hard-to-be-cool BULLSHIT. I loved it! Vincent was very easy to understand!

-

The plot of Advent Children, according to Gecko:

The main(?) characters are in a flower church and Aerith glows and rises into the air in a clear death metaphor. Or maybe actually dies? (I was mostly scared all the stained glass would break.)

Cloud and his Large Sword fights the One Winged Angel Music Guy multiple times. Reasons unclear.

FAKE VAMPIRE SHOWS UP AND THINKS HE'S SO COOL! HA HA! I LOVE THE DUMB FAKE VAMPIRE. LOOK AT HIM POSE!

I definitely saw Tifa and Barrett at some point, but I don't even have memories of thinking, "Oh, he is a DADDY! THERE IS A CUTE KID!" So they failed big time, there.

The End.

[alexxncl]

‼️NIGHTBRINGER LESSON 56 SPOILERS‼️

masterlist | all lessons | season 3 | lesson 55.1 | lesson 55.2 | lesson 56.2 | lesson 57.1 | lesson 57.2

giving us a tiny bit of romance at the very last second huh (yes i'm bitter leave me alone)

but WHY did raphael up and poof us to babel (if he's the one that did it at all)

and how is any of this, along with the rest of the loose plot ends, gonna get resolved in the next 4 lessons 🤠 cutting the in-game series off at this point feels like a slap in the fact and is part of the reason i haven't posted/read anything until now

that and finals season...sigh

oh i'm so sad

isn't babel's whole thing that you get one wish granted ??

did raphael wish to see the brothers and simeon in their angel forms one last time bc he knows he'll never see them like that again ??? bc simeon was the last connection to his past and now he's losing him like he lost the brothers ???? i'm gonna be sick

his will and longing for the past was so strong that it caused them to come to babel in his sleep...I'M SICK

ok or maybe i'm being overly sentimental. but i feel like the only person with enough power to do smth like this to raphael would be god himself or michael

maybe michael wanted to help raphael and sent him to babel to fulfill a wish bc he knows what's been bothering him ?? or maybe i'm giving him too much grace. idk. i'm still iffy about that man

now...he knows as well as we do that there's NO CHANCE in simeon being forgiven by their father

i truly truly truly hope the devs don't retcon simeon's fall from grace bc i loved that part of his development and what we've seen from him as a result. learning how to be a human only to have it be flipped on the head as he slowly turns to a demon is such an interesting concept and shouldn't be thrown away this late in the story. especially considering the fact that we have 4 lessons left after this and then we're done for good

solmare if you love me do NOT pull that shit

reading this kinda made the realization sink in. like we're not getting any in-game content after this

we don't get to see luke grow up anymore despite them building up his character so much this season

we won't get to see how any of the characters' dynamics with each other play into whatever chaos they're thrown into

we might not even get in-person stuff given the fact that a good amount of the fanbase isn't in japan

i'm so sad y'all. like truly. i've been playing this game since the week before covid lockdown and now it feels like it's going away for good. and i really don't want the fandom to die off like other fandoms i've been in

...the disappointment that coursed through my veins when i saw solomon

like sol baby i love you but not rn

the voiceline didn't even fucking SOUND LIKE HIM why would they fake me out like this

can't they at LEAST give us a michael design before the game stops updating. like nbs they've been talking about him since the first game and have yet to give us more than a 2 second long TEXT CHAIN

the dialogue after was funny asl i can't lie

what is going awn. like is his wish too strong to be fulfilled, or is his mental stability linked to babel or smth ?? ik he was supposed to be the one at the gate controlling who could and couldn't enter earlier in the season but what does that have to do with what's happening rn ????

oh they love pissing me off. why was this part of the lesson literally 2 seconds long. i'm tired of cliffhangers like actually

can they pull an early april fools and extend the game's run. i'm begging atp. like genuinely

[satureja13]

After a few additional hours working on the devices, Rubyn called it a day and dragged the Boys over to the Cantina. Sai only followed reluctantly, he wanted to get it done already. But the others are tired and Rubyn was adamant. Jack squealed when he saw what the Cantina offered! He shoved Sai on one of the gaming mats and hopped onto the other. Jack and Sai love games of all kind and it's been far too long since they had the chance to play some video games together.

Ji Ho and Vlad stayed outside - to recharge. They are still too worn up after teleporting and the noise and commotion inside the cantina would only make it worse for them.

Jack and Kiyoshi were planning their late night Grim Reaper quests. And while Jack was still busy reading the tome, Kiyoshi asked Rubyn about some plants they could graft. Mos Verdantis is self-sufficient, so of course Rubyn owns a greenhouse. Rubyn: "Use whatever plants you want, I'm always looking for some new breeds. The greenhouse is right behind the yard we had dinner." Kiyoshi: "Awesome, thanks!"

Jeb had dragged Sai over to a little nook where they could talk for a while in peace. But Sai only had their mission to find Tiny Can (and desintegrate him) on his mind. Jeb: "Can we maybe just not talk about our problems for a while? It's the first time for ages we're on something that could count as a date." Sai stopped in his motion. A date? With Jeb? NOW? Omg!

Saiwa straightened, aghast: "Eh, sure. What do you want to talk about instead?" Jeb smiled: "We barely haven't seen each other for months. I'm sure we figure something out. I saw you started reading. What books do you like?" Saiwa blushed. It's embarrassing to tell Jeb he's reading steamy gay romance books. But it's also a good chance to get them talking about their love life, right? Sai: "Eh. I found these romance books and I really like them."

Jeb blushed. So Sai is reading books about hot guys...other hot guys. He was a bit jealous. And worried Sai could look somewhere else for the things he couldn't give him. And sad, because he couldn't give Sai what he was longing for - apparently. But this could be a good starter to talk about their love life - and to tell Sai about his worries. And maybe find some solutions? And so Jeb listened closely to what these hot guys were up to in Sai's favourite books. Surprisingly these novels were not only about making out and wild woohoos. They offered interesting plots for all tastes and endearing characters. This wasn't as humiliating as Jeb had expected it to be. They forgot time and talked for hours. They didn't even notice the others already all left.

Ji Ho and Vlad went to their tent early. Ji Ho feels how happy Vlad is to be here and on the way to their tent, he coaxed Vlad into a conversation about this place, spaceships and Star Wars. Almost just like a normal couple ^^' Ji Ho can even comprehend why Vlad is so amazed. This place is stunning.

Jack and Kiyoshi are already busy in the greenhouse - with Grim's requests.

Jack: "Huh? It's stuck somehow." Kiyoshi: "Wait, I'll help you open it up a little wider..." Jack: "Ah! That's better! ... Look at that plump stem jutting out! I can barely get my hand around it's girth!" Sai: "Hey! Do your filthy mates, just mates stuff in silence!" Jack laughed: "Are you jealous? Don't worry - we're at the greenhouse and the door got stuck. And I was referring to a plant and not to Kiyoshi's 'stem' hahaha." Sai muttered to himself: "I'm going to kill him..." Jeb: "I'm heading to the bathroom." Nooo! Sai wanted to tempt Jeb for a good night kiss before they went to sleep in their tents. Dammit. No kiss - and another night with Jack...

Sai trudged in one of the empty tents. It had been such a nice evening with Jeb, and now he'd ruined it - because of Jack! Who knows when they were able to be alone together again. He just took off his clothes and rummaged furiously in his suitcase when the tarpaulin rustled. Are Jack and Kioyshi already done? Jeb gasped: "I... I'm sorry! Forgot - forgot..." Omg, it's Jeb!

Sai dropped what he had in his hands: "What are you doing here? Aren't you sharing a tent with Kiyoshi?" This kicked Jeb out of his stupor and he laughed: "As if anyone could separate Jack from his fated mate ^^' " Sai: "Oh." Jeb was so enchanted by the look of Sai, he wasn't able to stop himself from saying: "You're utterly beautiful." Sai held his breath for a second, but he was unable to hold his words back either: "I want you so bad, Jeb."

Jeb hauled Sai in his arms and kissed him hungrily. He had no idea where this sudden boldness came from ö.Ö' But it felt so right.

What they didn't knew was, that Jack, that little rascal, stashed his Romantium ore under Sai's bed! The same ore that had been responsible for Jack and Kiyoshi's woohoo in the Sanctum! Let's hope Sai is never going to find it. Or he will really kill Jack ö.Ö'

'I wanna glide down over Mulholland I wanna write her name in the sky I'm gonna free fall out into nothin' Gonna leave this world for a while Now I'm free (Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a) Free fallin' (Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a) Yeah, I'm free (Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a) Free fallin' (Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin', I'm-a) Tom Petty - Free Fallin'

From the Beginning 🔱 Underwater Love 🔱 Latest

Current Chapter: starts ▶️ here Last Chapter: 'Here comes the Sun' from the beginning ▶️ here

📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 23-28

[veetowervaporwave]

Man I am so vanilla when it comes to ships in Hazbin...

Staticmoth: The epitome of toxic old men yaoi. They're just the worst. They push each other's buttons. They both have obsessions on the side but both want to be each other's center of attention. Other people's suffering gets them horny. They got married three times and divorced five times. They know exactly how horrible the other one is but it only makes them more attracted to each other. They're so toxic it's a health hazard for everyone around them. I wish nothing more than for them to die horribly while holding hands.

Chaggie: I've been shipping them since the pilot and I'll be real they were everything I wanted and even more. I always knew that their relationship would be mostly background stuff since they're an established couple, and I was excited to have something where the main character is in a stable and affectionate relationship. I didn't expect them to get a whole little storyarc with the whole angel drama... I'm just. So happy. Seeing them, knowing how much they supported each other over the years when they had no one else on their side, openly working out their issues... They're just everything that's good in the world.

Huskerdust: I feel about it a bit more differently compared to the previous two. I'm happy to see them just do whatever, but Huskerdust stands out because its development is kind of... part of the plot of the show, rather than just being an extra layer to their characters. I'm not even interested in fanfiction for them because I'm too excited to see how it progresses in the actual show.

Radiorose: QPR goals. Alastor having someone he's so comfortable with honestly elevated his character for me. I don't have a lot to say but I enjoy seeing them together immensely.

Appledust: guilty pleasure comfort ship, refer to this post for more context.

Ships I like less under the cut, I try not to be too mean but still, be careful.

Radiostatic (Or, I guess, Onewaybroadcast, rather): I like it a lot but only when it caters to my superspecific tastes. First of all it needs to be one-sided. The second Alastor reciprocates I'm like *Lucifer voice* "Who is this? Who is this man?" Second of all the "hate" part of the "hateboner" is essential (unless we're talking before their falling out). Vox both wants Alastor and wants him dead. It's been swirling inside him for years and had poisoned whatever relationship they had beforehand. There's no turning back from this.

RoyalHalo: I don't know how to explain it, but when I personally ship something "platonically", it's different from just regular shipping and different from having a brotp. Nothing much to say on the ship itself, they're cute.

Cherrisnake: I wish I could like it more but "Meh" is right. I think it has potential, unfortunately 8 episodes a season didn't allow it to develop. I wish we could have had Cherri before ep6 to establish her relationships with Angel and Pentious and I wish they had at least one genuine conversation before the end of the season.

Alastor x Charlie & Alastor x Angel: actually it's not about the ships themselves, just some bad experiences in the early fandom. Ik not all the shippers are like that, especially now when those ships are less popular and a lot of people are vocal about not liking them, but unfortunately I don't think I'll ever be able to enjoy them.

Lute x Vaggie: Nothing to say I just don't like it.

Val x Angel: I put a black line because my knee jerk reflex was to think of people like. Ignoring the abuse, but thinking about it, I do enjoy the exploration of their relationship if it's in-character. It's just not something I personally would consider "shipping". (But then what makes it different from onewaybroadcast? Guess I'm just a hypocrite or something)

"Found family" is a term that's used very differently by different people in the fandom, which is a little confusing to me, so I changed this category to "maybe".

Alastor x Husk: Much like the previous one, except I trust people with it even less after all the victimblaming Husk got after ep5.

Velvette x Vox and/or Velvette x Valentino: I don't ship those personally just for the reason that Vel genuinely seems uninterested, but I support the people who do. Especially the polyvees shipping. There's also additional element to this for me personally is that if Val and Vox were an item, there's a fear that Vel would come off as a third wheel or be pushed to the side, and if they were all together this wouldn't happen. So I have no choice but to support, even if I myself can't get into it.

Guitarspear: Lute ripping off her arm to go help Adam... The last thing Adam does before death is smile at her... God. They were also very fun hypemen for each other during songs, and just the general dynamic was really funny. I would say I like this ship when I see it, but I won't go out of my way to look for it?

Carmilla x Zestial: They're friends... The fanart is nice to look at. It's fine.

Radioapple: I'm conflicted. I guess I am kinda interested in what their relationship would be like in the show, but in fanworks I mostly enjoy the "they aren't actually attracted to each other but everyone thinks they are" dynamic. It's funny.

Pentious x Emily: Ok, one (1) crackship. My friend ships them and I kinda see the vision? Could be cute.

[quirkwizard]

I'm not sure why I made this. I just thought it would be fun to do and now all you have to see the fruits of my labor. So, without further ado, the Pro Hero Parent Tier List. Hope you all enjoy it and try not to take it too seriously.

F Tier: Gran Torino, Recovery Girl, and Yoroi Musha: The simple fact is that these three characters are way too old to be parents. Maybe if this were a grandparent tier list, they'd be higher, but it isn't, so they're all going in the F Tier.

D Tier: Endeavor: Look, do I even need to explain this one? You all know what he did. One of the biggest problems in the story is the result of all the messed up stuff Enji did as a dad. His attempt at redemption was to remove himself from his family. Easy bottom tier.

Nana: While I'm someone who tries to understand Nana's position and decisions in regards to her kid and her role as a "One For All" user, she still didn't seem like a very good parent even when she was around. She herself even admits that, so that is what puts her so low.

Gang Orca: What few interactions we see him having with kids is screaming about their failures and throwing them when he is dissatisfied with their answers. That is bound to cause some trauma later. Like some Pavlovain response when they think of Free Willy.

Hound Dog: He may be a guidance consular that works with kids, implying some understanding of child psychology, but if his first reaction is to yell and growl at any emotional problems in front of him, he probably isn't going to communicate with his own kids.

Thirteen: I get that Thirteen is someone who takes a lot of care and consideration with her power and is quite safe to be around. That being said, I don't think that someone who is at risk of destroying their own child at the atomic level should really be handling children.

C Tier: Edgeshot: There really isn't a lot to say about Edgeshot as we don't get a lot of personality outside of being stoic, which could certainly be an issue for a parent. That being said, being willing to sacrifice yourself for a kid does push him above the bottom of the tier list.

Mount Lady: If we're considering her early in the series, she'd definitely be at the lower tier given how irresponsible and self-centered she is. Though considering her development and how mature she's gotten in general, she barely scrapes by as an average parent.

Kaumi Woods: Kamui Woods is just kind of average. There just isn't a lot going on with him that could give or detract merit from the little hero work he's done. He's here by default. His inability to hug his kids without giving them splinters would certainly be an issue.

Manual: Again, he's average. The most we have is that he seemed to do pretty well with handling Iida's whole situation but didn't seem to notice it in the first place. Otherwise, he's pretty plain. I could see him being the lame dad his kids don't want to talk to or be around.

Miruko: Definite Tiger Mom. She'd be making her kids do all kinds of sports stuff and getting them to exercise all the time. She cares, but she shows it by trying to make her kids excel at what they're doing. Great if they're into that, but I can see it fostering a lot of resentment.

Sir Nighteye: Like Miruko, but at the other end of the spectrum. He would be the kind of dad to make his kid study a lot because that's what he would think would be best for them. Cares and can loosen up when needed, but is emotionally distant most times.

B Tier: Ms. Joke: She is a teacher, meaning she must have some understanding of kids. She'd definitely be the "Fun Mom". She'd always try to keep a smile on her kid's face, even if that meant making terrible mom jokes. Be ready, she has been working on them for years.

Ectoplasm: He seems to be pretty good with kids, but the real clencher is his power. No matter what, he could always be around to be present in his kid's life. And hey, family dynamics are always changing. Who is to say a family can't be just a kid and their thirty-six identical dads?

Ryukyu: She can be hard on herself, but she seems to have a soft spot for children and do well with her wards, given how well they have turned out, being commanding without being harsh. And let's be real: who wouldn't want to have a dragon for a parent? That alone would put her pretty high up here.

Eraserhead: This may be a controversial pick putting him so low, but hear me out. I think Aizawa would try to be a good dad, but he's married to his job, being too tired and absent to really make it work. And did you see what he bought for Eri to wear? What self-respecting father would ever do this his child?

Fourth Kind: A good role model to any kid who tries to foster strong moral foundations and understanding of community in his wards. All around, a pretty stand-up guy to have as a dad. He loses points because punching kids is not a good way to punish them, even if it hurts him more than it hurts them.

Midnight: This could be because I read Vigilantes, but Midnight actually shows quite a few parental traits, like being highly empathic and understanding of those younger than her. Then again, I can only imagine the kind of teasing and general awkwardness that would come from having the R-Rated Heroine as a mom.

A Tier: All Might: If we're counting him without "One For All", otherwise he'd be working too much to be a dad, I think that he'd be a parent. If his students are anything to go by, he'd be a pretty effective parent. We can also tell that he plays favorites with his kids, and that knocks off a few points.

Present Mic: This may be a surprise pick, but I can see him doing pretty well as a parent. He can be the fun, comic dad that plays with his kids and can get on their level, but he can instantly go into serious mode if he needs to. The fact that he can do both so well, which you kind of need as a parent, puts him pretty high on the list.

Best Jeanist: Another stand-up guy, just trying to be a good role model and look amazing while doing it. I mean, the guy had an actual positive impact on early series Bakugou. That has got to count for something. Probably has all kinds of weirdly good life advice if you can understand fashion metaphors.

Rock Lock: One of the few real parents on this list, Rock Lock just seems like a responsible parent. He did try to call out the kids for being on missions, but he was kind of right in that regard and just looking out for them. Probably try to keep his kid from doing stupid stuff. He'd be a good, but restrictive father.

Hawks: Like Present Mic, I could see Hawks being a chill dad who doesn't seem to know what's going on but actually knows everything that happens and always has one eye open when it comes to his kids. He'll give his kids their freedom, but he's going to be there to catch and guide them when they really need him.

S Tier: Mandalay: Another one of the few real parents here, and one with a pretty bad hand. Mandalay not only had to take over as a guardian out of nowhere but had to do it with a heavily traumatized child while trying to lead a team as a pro-hero. The fact that she seems to be doing as well as she is puts her this high without question.

Fat Gum: No one should be surprised that Fat Gum is this high. He's super protective without being overbearing, tries to instill valuable lessons to make them develop, and does his best to encourage his wards to be the best they could be. And could you imagine him giving hugs? That would make any problem vanish.

Tensei: Tensei is just such a good guy. He's a good role model and leader for his team without it being detrimental. He knew Koichi for about a day and he was able to understand Koichi and tried to set him up for success. Imagine how well he'd do with his own kid. Plus, he's an older brother. That's like a being a parent with training wheels.

[buddiebeginz]

WHY DID THEY SHOW EDDIE WATCHING BUCK REPEL DOWN THE CLIFF?! Choices and so early on too 😩

I'm assuming you're talking about this gifset I reblogged. Honestly I think that Eddie was supposed to be queer from the beginning. I know people think Buck was but I'm not sure if that was necessarily the writers intention. It might have been Oliver's intention to play him that way, I can't remember what he said word for word but I think it was something about how he's always seen Buck as bi. But I think in scenes like the season 1 tapeworm episode where Buck seems to bond with the gay couple it's supposed to come off more like Buck is just being his himbo self more than anything else. I mean I do think when we're looking back on the show there are definitely signs of his bisexuality (the tapeworm scene being one) but I don't know that the writers wrote him at the time with that intention.

But I think there's a good possibility that they brought Eddie in always wanting to have him be a character that comes out eventually. I mean look at how we're introduced to Eddie. Then look at how everything with Shannon was handled. They easily could have kept her around longer and turned their relationship into a will they/won't they. They could have made it so we saw how in love with her Eddie has always been but that's not what happened. They let us know right away that the main draw to that relationship for Eddie was familiarity and the fact that Shannon is Chris' mother. These factors have continued to come into play in Eddie's other relationships too. Like with Ana there was a familiarity in that she was Chris' teacher and Eddie was mostly looking for someone to fill the mother figure role for Chris.

While I think that Eddie was always intended to be queer I don't think they wanted him to come out immediately like they did with a character like Michael. I think the plan was to tell his story slowly and have him come out later. The Ana storyline I think was supposed to be the lead in to having Eddie come out. The main reason I believe this (apart from just look at how that storyline was handled) is the person on twitter with inside info to the show said as much.

I also think that around s3 they started to really notice the chemistry between Buck and Eddie and how much people were shipping them because that's when we got scenes like "there's no one in this world I trust with my son more" and "you want to go for the title" and the grocery story fight which totally read like a lovers quarrel. Or how they had Eddie seeing images of Buck flash in his mind when he almost died in the well. Or having Buck scream for Eddie when he almost died in the well.

I think by the time they got to season 4 there were serious discussions about putting Buck and Eddie together. We know from Oliver that the plan was originally to have Buck come out in s4 and presumably Eddie in s5 along with Buddie going canon. But Fox put a stop to that. If you go by what the insider said and by how season 4 was handled especially the shooting (which is incredibly romance coded) there's no way that Buddie wasn't in the plans by this point.

Plus you had Tim leaving around this time likely at least in part because he was frustrated with how Fox was stifling his show. You can also see remnants of where the story was supposed to go in s5. All that stuff with Eddie and Ana and the panic attacks and Buck being worried about him that was definitely supposed to be a part of Eddie's coming out arc I'm positive on that. I also think that Taylor (when she came back in s4) was originally just supposed to be a friend who helped Buck figure things out but instead Fox pushed for her to be a love interest. This would explain Oliver's dislike of the relationship and complete lack of supporting it. Similar to how he's been with B/T.

Anyway sorry I went off on a ramble. I could talk about these guys all day. 😅

Oh and I leave you with this anon Eddie in s3 checking out a hot guy's ass. (and Chimney clocking him doing it😝)

[markantonys]

Was talking with a moot and they were saying how they don't feel like the show is doing a good job of explaining the lore. How right now we don't know what being the Dragon actually means, what ta'veren are, what the Dark One even is, what does he want, why does the Dragon fight him, how all of these mythologies are built into the worldbuilding in the books but aren't as clear in the show/feels disconnected. Idk I feel like the show is just introducing these things at a slower pace than the books did and that's not necessarily a bad thing

i just don't get these arguments because most of these lore points literally have been explained in the show???? do these book fans just miss it when lore is incorporated via natural dialogue or via Showing Not Telling instead of via somebody sitting us down to do an infodumping monologue for 5 minutes? i swear to god so many readers just don't pay attention to the show and then whine that it's missing stuff it did in fact include.

dragon stuff: this has been abundantly explained in both seasons, meanwhile in the books the concept of TDR wasn't even introduced until book 2. we will get more specifics at the same time rand does in upcoming seasons, just like in the books. at this early stage we don't need to know any more than "the dragon is a chosen one figure whose purpose is to fight the dark one and lead the last battle."

what the dark one is: a bad guy (duh) but otherwise left intentionally vague to build up mystery, just like the books did. we don't have the slightest conception of what TDO actually is until his first onscreen "appearance" in book SIX.

what does he want: to break the wheel and end existence. ishy's literal entire season 2 storyline was about this, and it went into way more detail than books 1-3 did. i'm not sure we got much of this stuff in the books until moridin came on the scene.

ta'veren is the only one i'd agree the show hasn't gone into much (though it DID explain the concept in 1x08), but, again, do we need to know that much about it right now? we know that our EF5 are Special, and that's enough if you ask me.

(i also wonder if the show might go a bit lighter on ta'veren than the books. idk, some of the stronger Main Character Energy stuff like plot armor and convenient coincidences and people blurting out secrets around them might come off a bit silly, and as for the stuff relating to the pattern controlling ta'veren's paths, it's interesting but it's pretty deep lore and the story doesn't really change whether or not we're explicitly aware that the events that happen to our gang are predestined. like, we'll obviously get plenty of predestination stuff with rand's dragon prophecies and min's viewings and likely the finn, so how necessary is it to also go into great detail on ta'veren predestination?)

having watched both seasons with my show-only non-fantasy-literate mom, i can attest that there is SO MUCH information for newcomers to wrap their heads around and i think her brain would have exploded if these seasons had tried to squeeze in any more than they did. she made me take down notes she could review between episodes! you should've seen her poor eyes glazing over at all the lore & worldbuilding stuff getting thrown at her in 2x05! this also goes for stuff like the whining about the show not yet using the words saidar & saidin - if they'd been throwing those around constantly since day 1, my mom would've had no fucking clue what they were talking about because she really struggles with remembering fantasy jargon, whereas consistently referring to it as "the male/female half of the source" in these early seasons is way more intuitive and way more effective at teaching her how this magic system works.

at the end of the day, the show simply is not ever going to flesh out the lore and mythology as deeply as the books do due to limitations of this different medium, and people need to accept that. it will explain as much lore as is necessary to understand the story and not much more than that, and that's absolutely fine. show-onlys are understanding the story just fine with the information the show is choosing to include, and lore nerds can knock themselves out rereading the books anytime they want.

[decepti-thots]

☕ MTOs & specifically what do you think they were going for with that?

MTOs are an interesting narrative thing to me in the sense that they really are so localised to only one part of the canon; they're very clearly Roberts' idea and only really matter, inasmuch as they do matter, in MTMTE. It's pretty clear to me that's the case for one specific reason: they'd actually fit SUPER well into the narrative arc of exRiD, especially early-to-mid RiD, but they basically never come up! You'd think 'neutrals and soldiers stuggling to cohabit socially and politically' would be prime fodder (lmao) for taking advantage of a narrative about mechs born of and into war coming back to a civilian life on a planet they really don't know. And yet.

What they're doing in that comic, in MTMTE, is a little headscratching to me at times. It feels, to be honest, somewhat like worldbuilding put in to make the texture of the backstory of the war feel grander than IDW had really managed up to that point in actual on-panel stuff, without a lot of thought when doing so in the moment as to the knock on implications going forward. MTMTE does this a few times, tries to use vague gestures at important sounding stuff to bring a greater sense of history and depth to the war in the face of the actual stuff we saw in phase one being. Mmmm. Basically just twenty dudes we already know shooting at each other across parking lots. LMAO.

(Sidenote: I know for a fact Roberts watched original flavour nuWho, and this is PEAK Russell T Davies doing worldbuilding when he was on Doctor Who, and I fully believe he was cribbing from that playbook. Every damn episode RTD would make them just sort of say stuff about the Time War that made it sound incredibly vast and textured and complex but which, crucially, never made any actual fucking sense. Good examples of stuff like this would be the Crucible, the Simanzi massacre, etc. This is, to be clear, a neutral observation, not praise or criticism per se.)

I say this because MTOs should probably be a bigger deal in terms of the impact on our cast, and their outlook on life and reasons for joining the quest, than they wind up being. An MTO is a character with no experience of living in peacetime at all, likely no experience of Cybertron, no sense of kinship or home necessarily to the planet they came "back" to. All of this provides a really clear motivation, given the implication most surviving non-neutral Cybertronians are now MTOs due to huge numbers of deaths, to join a quest like the Lost Light's! But it tends not to come up much, and I think it's because it wasn't really part of the plan. Later on, there's room to slot in some details here and there- Riptide talking about his experiences with being infodumped at by the 'training' comes to mind- but it takes a while for the comic to come back round to that.

The two big exceptions, of course, are Getaway and Brainstorm. The idea is definitely interacting with their characters more, though again, it... tends to come up later. Especially for Getaway, who I'm not convinced was originally conceived as an MTO, but had it slotted in a bit later as 'well that works' stuff tbh. (And it does, so that's fine!) Which leaves Brainstorm, who lies about being forged to throw off suspicion, who it's implied never got the time of day from Quark in a way I wouldn't be surprised we're supposed to assume is some kind of remaining bias, perhaps. Who didn't see a future for himself 'back on Cybertron' and so concocted a very weird plan to avoid having to. Who never got a choice about his 'side' in the war, and wound up with no real loyalty for anyone.

I think if there's any avenue I'd have liked to see more about MTOs via, it's Brainstorm. I wish there'd been more room to focus on that instead of (I'm so sorry shippers) his thing with Perceptor as the way to talk about his sense of inadequacy, tbh. What did it feel like, lying to Chromedome about remembering a pre-war life he never got a chance to experience? Being made to shoot people and be shot and escaping the fate of having that be the only thing he ever knew by the skin of his teeth? Not being able to imagine an end to the war, so all he wants to do is save one guy and run off with him as a pipe dream? That seems like the character where a lot of this stuff should naturally lie, to me. And I think it's a shame I've seen very little talk in fandom about it!

[ultraviolet-cello]

Gooooood morning Trigun fandom, I'm up bright and early, ready to sink my teeth into today's analysis/detailed watchthrough episode - 11. To A New World.

I can't believe we're almost done with @tristampparty. These 12 days have been a blast and I'm very glad that I got to chat abt them!! I've been in a bout of artblock recently too, so I'm glad that I can just ramble instead!

Spoilers for Trigun Stampede and Trigun Maximum, and CWs for. okay this one is a Lot, but discussion of violation of bodily autonomy, sexual assault and trauma, pregnancy, transphobia, harm coming to children, Millions Knives in general, Vash's passive suicidal tendencies. If I think of any more I'll pop them up here but this episode is a heavy one!

If you wanna skip those first few CWs (Totally understandable <3), you can skip the paragraphs labelled with a [CW] at the front.

[CW] Okay so we're gonna tail off the end of Episode 10 for a second, but uh. Knives in this scene is using extremely Loaded Language to outright tell Vash that there is something wrong with him that needs to be fixed.

Just to be clear I do think Vash is very trans-coded (intentionally or not), and that very strongly influences how I interpret this scene - I myself am a trans man as well.

Cool, moving on! That's all really for the end of ep 10, I just needed to point out that Knives is using language that is commonly used to justify corrective sexual assault; which is pretty much what my reading of this scene is analogous to.

what in the fresh hell i got jumpscared by dub again. returning to subs hold on a moment. Like i've been checking dub occasionally to match up some dialogue and make sure I'm not being misled by Subtitle Jank but I'm one of those guys who can't listen to anything without subtitles lmao

But i also think i do get the funniest possible translation of this line - actually wait no i hate the double meaning (with Vash's body being used to kickstart the pregnancy imagery). was that intentional. who did this.

Anyway Meryl kicking Wolfwood is really funny but also like. Yeah. justified. She's having a no good awful time but like. She's so willing to believe in Vash, to chase after him even into Extremely Dangerous conditions (There's those hints of Trimax Meryl again....) and Wolfwood is being an ass here. (An understandable ass. But an ass nonetheless). Which is to say YEAHHH MERYL GET HIS ASS!!!

Knives' gay little like. bodysuit here. He and Vash have the same build but their respective clothes make them stand out very differently. Also that Knives' stuff seems to have more muscle definition (HYDRATE. You shouldn't have that Knives you need water :pensive:) which could be building towards his more intimidating appearance.

Also I'd be a fool to not show everyone my initial reaction to this

I've talked a little bit about how Vash uses his gun as a tonfa (thwacky baton) most of the time in melee combat, and I think that's a great way to show him utilizing something Knives gave him to Kill as a nonlethal weapon - in this, however, he doesn't have it and his normally very fluid very good form martial arts is flailing and panicked. Vash is pretty good at keeping his cool in most combat situations, and is a very skilled fighter. Seeing him lose that cool and just start struggling when Knives tries to grab him is :(

Once again the metal/organic dichotomy is coming into play - the creation of inorganic but the destruction that comes from the organic. Typically plant (as in flora) powers in media lend themselves to being creation powers, life, and healing. But Vash here has that plant (flora) theme but those are very much a force for destruction.

Also Knives with the angelic white, and Vash with the black.

I hate Conrad So Much (he's such a good character). Like we Know to some extent that dependent plants are self-aware enough to feel pain, to hold onto memories, to hatred, to love. They don't have consciousness the same way humans or Independents do, but they feel, they live, they understand what Vash tells them. Maybe it is a shallow form of themselves. But I think something a lot of people fail to realize is that (some, not all, because they are individuals even throughout a hivemind) plants appear to enjoy their purpose.

Once again the memory that is shared with Knives in Trimax of a woman and her child thanking the plant for her service and she smiles? After being fused, that plant held onto that memory. I've been given no reason to believe that plants in Tristamp are different, so Conrad is just,,, ignoring the subtleties of plants and taking away their agency to choose for themselves. Doubly so for Knives, who can communicate efficiently with them.

A very quick blink and you'll miss it detail is that Vash says "It was our fault humans crashed here!". The shifting blame and guilt between the two is something that is fighting the narrative allll the time, but Vash attributing to both of them as an appeal to Knives is interesting to relay how he feels.

I also don't think Vash is right, though, when he says the only reason humans abuse plants is because they crashed. Tesla was before, Chronica in Trimax has apparently seen independent fusions before (For what reason?). Like yeah to this extent it's a result of the big fall, but there'd still be problems without it. Nobody is right in this argument lmao

(except me. I'm always correct about everything ever)

[CW] Once again - violating Vash's consent and autonomy because he does not agree with or differs from Knives. Corrective violation, in this case. It's also important that it's Meryl who calls this out - she has to really really struggle for her autonomy to be important. She's small, carry-able, inexperienced, doesn't have any special powers or genetic modification. She's carrying a tiny gun from a man who can never back her up anymore. In fact, nobody is backing her up! She's out here alone! But she's sticking up for Vash. She cares about him,,,, so much

SURPRISE ROBERTO ATTACK [sobs]

Meryl pulled the nail out of him and placed his hands gently over the wound, as one might do in a casket. A memorial of cigarettes and his flask. All this will be destroyed soon, but Meryl did give him a funeral to the best of her ability.

Knives using Roberto's image is cruel as hell. Not to Vash but to ME. He's already dead you can't do this to meeee. "How do you think they'll react when they learn you caused the big fall" He will never learn it!! he never got the chance!!!

So fun fact you can actually eat geraniums. It's just that if Rem had said yes Vash probably would have eaten it right there and then. I've made that mistake before (told one of my class that nasturtiums were edible and he just ate one. right from the plant)

So; the Tesla scene. Something I do want to point out is that Rem finds them almost immediately, and Knives doesn't immediately pass out - Is he still catatonic enough to miss Rem's speech, or did he hear it? Because the reason that Vash turned out like he did is because he was awake to go through that with Rem - Knives was unconscious the entire time and didn't get to start that trauma recovery.

It's also important to recognize that these memories could be unreliable, especially as Knives tampers with them later.

I do want to know which version of the Bible Knives was reading. Because depending on translation/version, you can get Very different ideas out of that.

Anyway Knives is kind of beginning his spiral in that memory - "Humanity never learns" kinda shit, which seems to take place after Tesla. Who knows how long. But baby Vash calls that out and goes "yeah lets have faith"! Baby Knives looks a tad shocked and then Present Knives just. Cuts off the memory. What was the ensuing conversation!!! Hello???

Like he's clearly Having Thoughts (The Horror), we just don't get to know what those were.

So remember when I said it was interesting that Vash said it was "our" fault that the ships crashed, sharing the blame?

Yeah that gave Knives some ammo that just. Broke him. Shifts it allllll to Vash. Update Vash's description to running on 18 guilt complexes, CPTSD, and bisexuality.

[CW] There's so many different forms of assault, metaphorical and. Not. That is happening in this scene from mind violation to Knives literally using Vash's (specifically Vash's) body as a vessel to impregnate other plants which. Hey did you know that pregnancy is a massive fear of a lot of trans men. So many transphobes reduce trans men to their capability to have children, as if that's all they're good for (even if it would kill them.), and that often leads to corrective rape in order to "remind them of biological reality". In this case, Vash is a plant, he's meant to create, and yet he doesn't. But he's still being used to create anyway.

Again, Meryl also directly calls out Vash's lack of consent and gets shot down by Conrad. The whole scene is just. Hgnrhgnhrhnrnrn. It's So,,, everything to me, because it's a really good scene and shows you how far gone Knives is in Tristamp.

There are panels in Trimax that are,,, the imagery is there, but it's very overt in Tristamp.

Also hey yeah. Why is Conrad still alive?? Did he have access to cold sleep? or it's probably the robotics but did he not think of enhancing humans that way? It might just be a temporary solution, I guess, given that he is. Actively coughing up blood.

Alright! I have finished this part of the analysis that I always Feel Strongly about lmao - I have fun doing it but that's such an emotionally heavy episode.