#you ever just see a character announce genocide

[henryyarden]

This is just an announcement for all future Rorveth photos.

As you may have noticed if you follow me here, me and my fiancé made a Rorveth photoshoot recently. Now, I know that this ship can be problematic for a few people. I've read the books multiple times and played the games as well and I know that the world of the Witcher is complicated and nothing is ever black and white.

Iorveth and Roche are both deep and interesting characters with many layers, but their behaviour and actions are problematic, and if we analyse it, the topic can get pretty sensitive.

Our photos are by no means meant to romanticize genocide, terrorism or racism. With this exact photoshoot, we were just having fun and the whole photoshoot was held in a "what if they were just chill and cute together for a while" mood.

We plan to make more serious photoshoots in the future and more shipping photoshoots as well. I'll make sure to let you know which photos are which and what to expect every time, but please, take into consideration that the cosplays are made for fun, and if you do not want to see these characters together for any reason, please, leave out any mean comments or messages and just ignore these photos.

I'm 100 % open to talking about the Witcher and its characters (as well as about the probability of things happening and the possible relationships) but in a polite and mature way with all respect.

Thank you in advance.

Credit to my awesome photographer.

[hornedadvance]

Horned Advance

Chapter Aurelia

This side chapter is set in ACT 2 of the main story. Therefore, it may contain spoilers up to that point.

The girl was reaching her wits end. She’d joined Vena’s cause a time ago, back when the two had shared ideals, a cause, some sense of camaraderie. Since then it seemed like Vena was on a downward spiral. Each time they’d talk, she’d bring up some new psychotic plan, announcing it as if it were a stroke of genius. The sparkle in her eyes as she spoke of the ways her misdeeds were exactly what the people needed, it sent a chill down the girl’s spine. The girl had always been open to the idea of cracking a few skulls for the cause, not so weak as to be restricted by the commoner’s morals, but this was starting to push even that sentiment. Since the two had joined forces, they’d been around the country, picking up strays and dealing with potential threats, and in all fairness she’d enjoyed it thus far. Vena was a good leader despite her questionable intentions, providing for her companions with money and food in troves. To Aurelia though, this just meant a bar fund and the subsequent hungover scran she’d have. The girl would swoop through an open bar with a shawl over her head, drink until she was too pissed to hide her horns any longer and end up in brawls regularly, with the number of bars she could never return to increasing each time. 

Her standards were never exactly high, with the village (and bar) raiding making for memories that she’d cherish, but even for someone of such low maintenance Vena was becoming too much. She had become more and more fanatical as time went on, seeming to get wrapped up in her plans to the point that they’d spawn their own delusions. Aurelia often wrote this off as Vena being consumed by her ambition, turning cheek to the growing problem, but now things had come to a head. Vena’s plans were growing more and more drastic, more genocidal even. This just wasn’t what Aurelia had signed up for, not what she had resonated with back when Vena explained her grand plans for the world with such character all that time ago. And so, Aurelia had decided it was time to take her leave.

“Right, Vena. “ The girl spoke, with her typical scottish brogue. “I know we’v had a whale of a time on this ol’ romp an’ all, but I think I oughta split.” Said Aurelia, approaching the queen of violet atop her throne in the heart of Sophrosyne. “As much as I sympathise with ye’ cause, I cannae go along wi’ this any longer. Yer goin’ off the deep end, an’ I don’t wanna be here to see how it plays out for ye.” She spoke without hesitation nor fear, but with conviction she had mustered through watching Vena change. Her voice did not tremble, and her stance did not waver.

 Vena on the other hand, was simply sitting there on her stone throne listening along with an absent minded grin and her chin resting softly in her palm, leaning on the armrest. “So be it, Aurelia.” The queen responded. “Though you’ve been a great aide thus far, I will not keep you. Do as you see fit, and I hope that you will wait to see the day that our plans come to fruition.” She said, her expression not changing a single time in doing so. “You may leave.”

“Don’ have ta tell this one twice!” Aurelia quips back, before turning to take her leave. “Safe travels, an’ good luck to ye.” The girl said, walking down the hall with a wave as she left Vena behind. Silence fell on the halls for a few moments, before someone stepped out from behind a wall just across from the throne. “Dusk?” The queen called out. “Yes, your grace?” An enthused voice responded without hesitation. “See that she makes a safe exit.” Said Vena, calm as ever.

“At once, milady.” Said Dusk, a grin creeping across her face.

Stepping out onto the night’s cold sand outside of Sophrosyne, Aurelia felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She was a free woman, no longer fighting for a cause nor a leader but simply a woman setting out to live. She thought of how many bars she could flatten now that she was unchained, before remembering if she destroyed the bar she wouldn't be able to drink there, and promptly reconsidering. She stretched and yawned before setting off into the night, liberated from the madness soon to come from camp Vena. All seemed good for her for the moment, even if life had an uncertainty now that it didn’t under Vena’s banner. That was until she heard something hurtling her way, soaring through the air.

The girl motioned to turn, but it was an instant too late. THWACK! Something hard struck her square in the chest, and a searing pain scorched its way through her nerves. She turned to bear witness to her assailant, falling to the ground while clutching her newly broken ribs. “Gahk!” She choked. “You…!” Her attacker walked forward from beneath the shadows of the Sophrosyne ruins Aurelia had just left behind as she coughed up blood, getting her bearings and using the boulder that had just struck her to lift herself back up. “She never should’ve taken you on, you ungrateful wretch…” Murmured a grinning Dusk, eyes full of scorn.  “My fair lady offered you a chance to walk the hero's path… To be a part of something greater than yourself… And you threw it back in her face. Such acts of treason cannot be forgiven.” The girl said, cracking her knuckles. Aurelia’s vision had grown hazy, her head spinning in a cacophony of agony and adrenaline, every atom of her body telling her to run. The girl knew that running was not an option however. The pursuant would never allow a simple escape.

The two roar into close quarters combat, Dusk lunging forward in an instant with force in her step enough to launch a cloud of sand in her path. Her ferocity was clear, and this was no simple sparring match like before, Dusk was shooting to kill. The girl’s hand rocketed straight for Aurelia’s head, the instincts in her blood pushing her to dodge but the many fights she’d instigated telling her otherwise. All of her muscles engaged instantaneously, as she widened her stance, shifting slightly to the left and throwing a brutal uppercut into the stomach of an unsuspecting Dusk. Aurelia’s debilitating injury could wait, as now it was do or die and she had to act if she wanted to see tomorrow’s dawn. As Dusk fell to the ground winded, the girl took a fighting stance, ready to brawl it out with one of the few she could call equal.

Dusk didn’t stay down for long, bouncing back to her feet with a renewed sense of fury in her glare, throwing punches backed by the force of her whole body toward Aurelia, ones which she narrowly avoided, hearing the air be cleaved apart millimetres from her ears. She’d seen dusk in action before, watched her tear experienced warriors to pieces in a matter of moments. She knew that any one of these blows could do the same to her; so she fought like hell, eyeing openings between Dusk’s swings, desperate to find the right time to strike. As the moment she was looking for inched closer though, her stamina wore thin, the continuous dance they were having and her already injured frame taking its toll on her, and she began to slow down, taking more brutal hits from the ever relentless Dusk. Her skin tore away, revealing deep crimson gashes in her flesh, her once prideful armour being reduced to rags. The girl was barely able to keep up with Dusk’s movements, let alone throw in her own counter attacks, and she knew she had to use Dusk’s blind rage, and make it count. 

Just as she met her wits end, she saw it. A misplaced punch just enough that she could sidestep, and respond in kind but she knew Dusk wouldn’t just let that happen. The girl bit down hard on Dusk’s arm, her teeth grinding and chipping against her skin, before using her moment of shock to slam her boot straight into Dusk’s already bruised stomach. She was catapulted through the air, flying straight into a stone brick wall of the ruins, crushing the ancient stone on impact. A loose chunk of rock from higher up in the wall fell straight towards the reeling Dusk, crushing her as Aurelia steadied herself. 

“Not… Yet…” The girl said, as the stone lifted from the spot she’d occupied. “This isn’t over… NOT UNTIL I’VE DECORATED HER HALLS WITH YOUR ENTRAILS!” She tossed the rock with a shocking amount of force for someone down for the count mere moments ago, throwing it hard enough to topple a tree in its path. “GRRRRRRRRRAH!” The girl roared, throwing herself toward Aurelia once more with bloodlust akin to a demon. She swiped at her again and again, the two slowing in pace as Aurelia’s wounds seeped with blood and Dusk’s last reserves of energy burned through. Aurelia struck her again and again, a series of light blows coupling up to make a vicious counter assault. Dusk coughed and wheezed as she fought, coughing up blood from her wounded organs, spitting it in the eyes of Aurelia to go for a decisive blow in a moment of genius. She leapt forward for a final time, ready to rip her throat from her neck, only to be met with the full force of Aurelia’s skull, a last ditch all out headbutt compounded by the force of her own advance. Dusk, after all of her fury washed away with her brain being rattled in her skull, fell to the ground, out cold.

Aurelia had won. She revelled in it, finally coming out on top of her rival in a battle to the death. Then the adrenaline began to wear off. She felt every inch of her body cry out, her lungs struggling to take in air and her heart doing its best to keep up with the outpouring of blood. Her vision blurred. Her throat was dry, yet her mouth was full of saliva. She felt her grip on the world loosening, as she stood upon death’s door. She tossed the ragged cloak she wore over her shoulder as a badge of honour and valour over Dusk’s body, to stop her from freezing to death in the cold night air, and she walked on. On into the night, to the unknown. It was all she could do. She walked and walked; off into the darkness, until no one could ever hope to find her again.

Link to All Chapters

[skinchambers]

Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy (Episodes One - Three)

Rewatched 3•9•24 , 3•10•24 , 3•16•24

The Star Wars franchise is a franchise made famous by its influence in pop culture. Nothing knows that more than the prequel trilogy, which had sparked the divorce of the community. You either hate or love these movies, there is no in-between. I myself fall on both sides… like a child in spilt custody.

The Phantom Menace - Letterboxd

The Phantom Menace was the first of the prequels, an excellent title to a mediocre film. The title announcing itself, putting an emphasis on the new story of politics. Some may say it’s boring with its constant talk of politics & the beginnings of the Star War. I however quite enjoy it, I in fact love it. Seeing everything play out, leading to the beginnings of the original trilogy. However… this is also where it falls short. Characters introduced of which we already know the outcome of. Obi-Wan becomes an old man & lives to die by Darth Vader. Anakin ends up being Darth Vader. So on & so on. We all know where these characters are leading to. Which brings the issue of stakes. There are none. We know in the end that war will break out, we know who these characters become & if they live. Personally, I think they should’ve introduced new characters. Leaving our known characters as supporting cast. For instance, Qui-Gon Jinn has no future version we know of. We don’t know his fate. We don’t know what happens to him, only knowing by the end of the film. This leads us into Attack of the Clones, only doing slightly better.

Attack of the Clones - Letterboxd

The stakes eventually come as we see the Clone Wars begin. We know what happens ultimately but, it’s the story of the Clone Wars that end up being the most interesting part. We watch as our characters become their well known versions, Anakin especially becoming his pure anger filled Darth Vader. Especially with his little genocide on the Sand People.

Another issue sparks from all of this though, the… the writing. The actors are clearly trying their best with the script. But the script itself is god awful, everything coming with such a “what.” This is most prevalent with the line “I hate sand” from Anakin, holy shit… this has to be one of the worst lines I’ve ever heard. It’s not the actors fault, it’s Lucas’s. It tells us too much, the line directly tells us about Anakin’s hate of sand. A much better way would be for Lucas to show us his hate of sand. Show us how much Anakin hates it, instead of directly telling us in a line that has since become infamous.

Revenge of the Sith - Letterboxd

Revenge of the Sith is a most amazing conclusion to the story of Anakin, before his original trilogy variant. The dialogue may be so so at times & even the cgi is far from best but, it’s most importantly the loss of a brother. Someone you loved being loss to the dark side. That is why Revenge of the Sith is great, because of the raw emotions. Even the fight scenes between Obi-Wan & Anakin is some of the most beautiful choreography you’ll ever seen in an action film.

Conclusion -

This doesn’t mean I hate the prequels, in-fact I love the prequels. I love them heavily, just… the glaring flaws are so obvious I’d have to be blind to not see them. Hell, I even own the entire trilogy on disc!

[bronzewool]

Dune is ruining my life.

I have not been able to stop thinking about the series ever since I stumbled across the sequel in the library. And since it's like 1/3 of the length of the original, I picked it up for some light reading just to see if there was something I was missing.

I am frustrated by how much I desperately want to learn more about this world, but I don't wanna read it in this format. The Worldbuilding is fine. The characters are fine. The relationships are fine. The history is fine. The conflict is fine.

I just hate the writing.

Dune Messiah does the same bloody thing in the first book, where it announces the motivations of each character and spoils many plot twists that would have been shocking to learn for yourself. The first chapter even starts with our four central antagonists in the same room talking about how they're going to overthrow House Atreides. So we know who to look out for before Paul even meets them, not that it matters since they're all so bloody incompetent, their plan to overthrow Paul is both way too complicated and laughably straight forward.

It's been 12 years since the first book, Paul got his revenge on the man who killed his father, overthrew the Emperor, and made himself the new Emperor with a devout Fremen army and a monopoly on the Spice extraction.

Except things aren't so perfect. Paul, who is cursed with clairvoyance and has seen the future for all humanity, is trying to avoid the extinction of the human race but, in doing so, has made himself the villain.

"At a conservative estimate, I've killed sixty-one billion, sterilized ninety planets, completely demoralized five hundred others. I've wiped out the followers of forty religions-"

His followers see him as a god and have become a cult who will cut down all non-believers in his name. He has brought water and wealth to Arrakis but is playing the long game, destroying the lives of billions of innocent people for the sake of trillions not even born yet. He's a hard character to root for when you've spent an entire book watching him struggle to earn his happy ending, only to then watch him commit mass genocide in the name of the greater good.

And the book doesn't tell you straight out the gate that Paul is now evil, but let's you digest the consequences of all his decisions. For example, Paul has full control over the Spice trade, a life-extending drug that most citizens have been exposed to at some point. The spice rightfully belongs to the people of Arrakis (even though Paul himself is not a native), but one of the drawbacks to ingesting spice is that withdrawal eventually leads to death. Everyone who takes one step on Arrakis can never leave or must depend on frequent shipments of the stuff in order to keep on living. We are never privy to the innerworkings of the shipment itself or how much it costs, but I couldn't help but compare the dependency on Spice to insulin, especially when Paul learns that someone has attempted to take one of the sandworms to manufacture their own supply of spice on another desert planet.

The book has great moments like that, but it's spliced with chapters of people sitting in a room talking about power, diplomancy, conspiracy, religion, fate, legacy, guilt. And going over those conversations with a Sherlock Holmes level of deduction to uncover hidden meanings, and talking in different rooms with different people.

There is a lot of talking in this book when the plot can be cut down to: Paul's Consort Princess (that he forced into a political marriage right after dethroning her father) has teamed up with the old reverend Mother from the first book to remove Paul from power with the help of a shapeshifter "face dancer" and a space guild navigator who is invisible to the powers of foresight. The Princess secretly drugs Chani, Paul's lover from the first book, with a contraceptive in order to stop her bearing any future heirs. The Guild Navigator presents an artificial human created from the remains Duncan Idaho, who died in the previous book, as a gift to the Emperor. And the shapeshifter has taken on the form of a Fremen.

The innerworkings of their plan are kept hidden from the reader, but the execution is lacklustre when the entire point of the book is that Paul can't lose. Chani is moved back to Arrakis to see a doctor, so the princess can't keep drugging her. The reverand Mother is apprehended early on in the book. Paul knows the resurrected Duncan is a trap meant to be his undoing, and any tension with the shapeshifter is pointless as Paul sees right through his deception, but plays along anyway.

Much like my frustration with the first book, there isn't a lot of narrative tension when it comes to the plot. The only real suprises in the book are, how the conspiracy plans to use Duncan to take down Paul, and near the end when Chani finally gives birth and Paul did not predict her bearing twins as he only ever saw the future of their daughter, and not a twin son who is hidden from Paul's powers and might change the future Paul fought so hard to achieve.

I both enjoy learning about Dune and hate reading it. To the point I'd rather just read the wiki articles. But I can't seem to get it out of my head and hate myself for not enjoying it more when it is so beloved by so many people I respect, and I dont know of its just because I'm not nearly smart enough to fully understand it

[princesssarcastia]

I posted 21,227 times in 2022

That's 5,091 more posts than 2021!

174 posts created (1%)

21,053 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@wabblebees

@absentlyabbie

@mandaloriandy

@theunofficiallibrarian

@aniseandspearmint

I tagged 1,803 of my posts in 2022

#pretty - 188 posts

#art - 159 posts

#star wars - 82 posts

#dc - 36 posts

#meta - 30 posts

#that's my wife - 28 posts

#star trek - 28 posts

#tags tags tags - 24 posts

#fashion - 22 posts

#anyway - 20 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#play stupid games (allow the corporate surveillance state into your home) win stupid prizes (unsuable tech you made essential to your life a

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

alright all the irl people who know anything about this actually LIKE the man so this is the only place i can say it, but

harry styles gets on my nerves.  the REASON he gets on my nerves is that he gives off the vibe of like—he’s like the human embodiment of being gay but not queer.  i don’t think he’s even gay (he may be, he may not, i don’t even really care) but that’s what it feels like to me.  it’s like the essence of the thing people are upset about, with pride being commercialized and becoming hollow and meaningless.

oh!  i know.  seeing harry styles speak (or sing.  or apparently do some fashion icon thing) and people get excited about it, is like watching other queer gay people go up to the amazon booth at the pride festival excited for free swag and thinking its cool that amazon is here.  that’s what its like.

60 notes - Posted September 7, 2022

#4

“Because the unavoidable truth here is that the system is already rigged.  And its rigged in a way that has allowed a party without popular support to drastically reshape an entire branch of government for the foreseeable future by appealing almost exclusively to white voters in some of the least populous regions in the country.  That is not a mandate, and its not democracy.  It’s a fucking travesty! 

“We are at the end of a generational battle, and the heartbreaking thing is, we lost.

“And that hurts.  It’s going to hurt for a long time, for a lot of people, in ways that could take a while to fully comprehend.  But the next battle has to start right now; and it will be long—we didn’t get here overnight, and we won’t get out of here overnight.  But we must be willing to fight tirelessly and with every tool and tactic at our disposal.”

As always, John Oliver says it better than I ever could.  This is his episode from just after Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court, which was the point of no return on the path to overturning Roe v. Wade.  We were always going to end up here, but got does the knife still hurt slipping into your gut, even if you saw it coming.

77 notes - Posted June 24, 2022

#3

to be honest i feel like both AOS canon and aos fandom don’t treat the vulcan genocide in the first movie with enough gravity.  like.  80-90% of the time people don’t even call it what it is, let alone focus on what the effects would be on the remaining vulcans.  we actually spend way more time talking about tarsus iv as a fandom than nero’s destruction of vulcan.  and the more I write for AOS the more that wigs me out a bit.

the WHOLE PLANET is GONE.  SIX BILLION PEOPLE were MURDERED in a matter of HOURS.  it’s mass death on the largest scale in what I assume is recorded federation history.  we could uh.  dwell on that.  a bit more.  there’s probably something there worth talking about.

78 notes - Posted January 23, 2022

#2

next steps re: lizzy biting the big one

starting with india, kenya, pakistan, grenada, or cyprus, countries begin to leave the commonwealth

liz truss tries to do some diplomacy about it and it doesn’t work

charles the third of his name or what the fuck ever tries to do some diplomacy about it, says something BREATHTAKINGLY RACIST and actively makes it worse.  countries start leaving even faster.

australia peaces out

scotland announces a new independence vote before the end of the year

wales, not to be outdone, announces an independence vote before the end of the MONTH

canada peaces out

someone starts a conspiracy theory on tiktok that liz truss had the queen poisoned just after their official meeting

Ireland announces the affirmative results of the reunification vote it held while you motherfuckers were distracted via the Sinn Féin twitter.   britain pulls a spain circa 2017 and tries to prevent it

king charles III dies of a heart attack from stress, smh guys he just wanted to live out the remainder of his life in peace while directly profiting from the imperial and colonial violence of his mother ancestors, he wasn’t expecting to actually have to WORK for it

king arthur returns, sword in hand, to reclaim his rightful place as king.  the tories, desperate at this point for some kind of miracle, let him do it. 

his first act as king is to demand the abolition of the british monarchy, because “strange women lying in ponds and distributing swords is no basis for a system of government”

someone calls a vote of no confidence in liz truss.  she fails it (in large part due to the conspiracy theory), they hold an election

Christopher eccleston becomes the prime minister

242 notes - Posted September 8, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

ao3 crashing just as i try to click through to the last chapter of the fic i stayed up all night to finish is just fucking typical

2,347 notes - Posted June 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[bowiewashington]

Drabble: Shavuot

Title: Shavuot Word Count: 700ish Characters: Bennett "Bowie" Washington, Darlene Cohen, Olivia Erwin Washington, Benjamin "Benny" Monroe (mentioned), Ezra Cohen (mentioned), Avery Erwin (mentioned), Reese Cromwell (mentioned) Relationships: Bennett "Bowie" Washington & Darlene Cohen, Bennett "Bowie" Washington & Olivia Erwin Washington, Bennett "Bowie" Washington/Benjamin "Benny" Monroe (implied) Triggers: Infant loss, child loss, postpartum depression (vaguely and unfairly stigma'd), religion (Judaism), religious struggles, vague references to antisemitism and genocide, depression, unhealthy coping mechanisms, unhealthy mourning practices, vague references to domestic violence, and just general Benny warnings. Notes: Shalom Sesame is a real show that lives rent free in my head.

“Okay, that’s enough!” The curtains to his room swung open, blinding Bowie in sunlight. As he tried to roll over and go back to sleeping his life away, the blankets were suddenly ripped off him. “I’ve been patient with you, boy. You’ve been through a lot these past couple of weeks, and I haven’t said anything. And you have tested my patience, but I understand that you’re mourning. I’m mourning, too, but pumpkin. Enough is enough. There's a line between mourning and wallowing.”

She pulled the pillow he was holding over his head away from him. “When you took custody of Olivia, even though there’s going to be paperwork up the wazoo to keep her if Avery ever decides she wants her back, I didn’t say anything. I love that little girl, too. I'm not judging you for that, but I didn't say anything about it. When you let a total stranger move into our home, I didn’t say anything because in this economy people have to rent rooms. When you announced to the world that you were back with the spawn of the devil, I didn’t argue with you. Even though it’s taking everything in me to not scream at you about it. E V E R Y T H I N G. But this, Bennett? This is where I draw the line.”

Bowie flopped onto his stomach, once again attempting to ignore Darlene. “It’s just a stupid cheesecake holiday.” He mumbled out against his mattress.

“A cheesecake holiday?!” Darlene squawked back at him. “Boy, I didn’t raise you to be disrespectful. Shavuot is a celebration! Our people received the Torah. It’s not a cheesecake holiday. It’s a celebration of joy!”

Her words were what finally got Bowie to sit up. “What the fuck do I have to be joyful for?” He snapped out. “Why should I praise Him right now? Why should I celebrate the rules He stuck me with?” If he wasn’t in the throes of mourning, he wouldn’t dare talk to Darlene like this, but well, he was just so tired. “He took my babies from me, and drove my partner insane. How the fuck am I supposed to be joyful about that?”

Darlene took a step backwards like he slapped her. “Pumpkin.” She dragged an hand over her face and stood motionless in front of his bed. “We’re Jewish. Suffering is in our DNA.” She started, but Bowie wasn’t having it.

“No!” He didn’t get off the bed, but he scrambled into an even more upright position. “I’m sick of the suffering. I turn on the news – suffering. I post on social media and the comments are full of names that make me want to throw up. I finally had a bit of sunshine in my life, and it’s taken away from me. When do I get something good?!”

Before either of them could say anything, Livvie raced into his room. “BoBo!” She screamed, launching her little body at him. “Uncle Ez says we’re watching the Prince of Egypt again so we remember why we’re stayin’ up all night!” She squealed out, wrapping all her limbs around him. “And! Did you know there’s a Jewish Sesame Street?!” 

Suddenly she pulled back. “BoBo,” She made a face at him. “You stink.”

Bowie sighed and collapsed back against his mattress. “I’m being teamed up against by my mother and my daughter. This is a mutiny.” He whined out.

Livvie giggled. “BoBo.” She sighed, but he could see how pleased she was that he referred to her as his daughter. It wasn’t totally official yet, but he was legally her guardian. “Do you want Mr. Benny to see you when you’re smelly?” She teased, pulling a face, which was weird because she still didn’t like him. “He brought us cheesecake from New York City!” And there it was…

“Fine, fine, fine.” He rolled off the bed and onto his feet. “It’s your first Shavuot. Guess I better give you the full experience. Go play hostess and see if our tenant wants to join us.” When Olivia blinked at him, he laughed. “Sorry. Big word. The lady renting the room. Go see if Reese wants to join us for cheesecake and blintzes.” 

As Livvie ran out, Darlene gave his shoulder a squeeze. “There was the good you were looking for, pumpkin.” And as she walked out of the room she tossed over her shoulder: "Don't take too long in the shower. We're not gonna save you any cheesecake if you take too long."

He rolled his eyes. "Fucking cheesecake holiday."

[bananasareupsidedown]

[sweetsugarstarz]

Another Vil Fic...

---- WARNING THIS FIC CONTAINS GENOCIDE, AND IMPLIED SUICIDE. ------

This is a Vil x reader thing. So... Have fun...

------------------

Vil Schoenheit. He was the epitome of an idol. Looks, talent, riches. He had it all. Everyone wanted to either be with him, or be him. Sometimes both. Bottom line: everyone loved him. Or, that's what he had thought. Until you showed up, and showed no signs of interest in him. He was sure you'd come around eventually.

Days went by, then weeks, then months, and still no signs of you even showing a hint of interest. "No matter..." He told himself. "I have more important things to attend to." He was trying to convince himself, but he knew better. You had caught his eye, simply because he HADN'T caught yours.

He finally caught your attention when Epel had started practicing for the VDC. Too bad he had made a bad first impression. He hated that he had started off on the wrong foot with you. His solution: Spend a month getting to know you. Under the guise of practicing for the VDC with the sparse talent this school had to offer.

He had observed every move you made for that month, and to his surprise, he managed to grow closer with you. You had even helped him bounce back when he had been at his ugliest, and that only made him realize just how hard he had already fallen for you. But nothing beautiful lasts forever.

He was taken aback when you came bounding towards him happily, smiling brighter than the sun. He felt the blood in his veins practically freeze, a sudden chill taking over his entire body. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he smiled politely at you. He already knew what this was about. But just to confirm his fears he asked "What's got you so excited, potato?"

And just like he knew you would, you flung your arms around him as you announced that Crowley had found a way for you to get back to your world. His world had shattered and come crashing down around him. Not that he would let you see it. Instead he hugged you back, telling you how happy he was for you.

When the day finally came for you to go, he waited for everyone to gather, as he filled the air with a colorless, odorless toxin. Something that could even kill Malleus. And one by one, slowly, the students started dropping. Nobody noticed, though, they were too busy bidding you farewell. When his turn came, he hugged you just a little too tightly.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave." He had whispered in your ear, just as he smashed the mirror, and as the broken glass fell, so did the few remaining students and faculty members, save for you and him. He let out a maniacal laugh. "As if I'd ever let you get away." He wiped a tear from your cheek, continuing to smile. "Come now, don't cry, sweet potato. I have a solution. You can let the poison in the air kill you painfully." He bit into a poisoned apple, then chewed and swallowed the piece. That should be enough. "Or you can die painlessly with me." He held the apple out to you, expecting you to take a bite.

------------

Why do I keep writing for characters I don't like? Send help.

Anywho... This was based on my sketch from yesterday.

[hopeymchope]

Judging the Danganronpa x Sanrio character pairings

You may have already heard that a DANGANRONPA X SANRIO line of crossover merch was announced a few days ago! Which is obviously AMAZING, because they’re combining cutesy characters that have often been marketed to wee children with everybody’s favorite murderdeathkill game! I LOVE IT.

I have a niece who went through a Sanrio/Hello Kitty phase, so I actually know a few of these characters. In turn, this means that I have THOUGHTS on how the DR1 and Sanrio cast were paired up.

Granted, I still had to look up a lot of these guys and read about them. But now I feel adequately educated to the point where I can judge just how well the Danganronpa and Sanrio pairings actually match up. 

Makoto Naegi/Cinnamoroll - Obviously this totally works because Makoto IS something of a cinnamon roll, eh? EH? But Cinnamoroll is said to be shy albeit still very friendly. He also likes to seek out fun new adventures. So, aside from “very friendly,” I’m not sure that this sounds like Makoto. I also doubt that calling a character a “cinnamon roll” is common slang in Japan. So this is whatever.

Sayaka Maizono/Wish Me Mell - Mell has the power to connect people’s hearts by simply stating the feelings they keep inside. She was initially withdrawn and believed she didn’t have any friends, but the people who cared for her finally broke through her shell and convinced her that she DOES have friends. So uh, Maizono... I guess music can also bring out people’s feelings? And perhaps you could plausibly HC that Sayaka has often felt like her surrounding friends were “fake” and only there because of her celebrity status. There’s not really much to go on here. 

Leon Kuwata/Tiran - Tiran is an orange T-rex that is said to be scatterbrained but still a strong and reliable leader. Meanwhile, Leon has orange hair, and he’s certainly strong and kind of scatterbrained sometimes. It sorta works.

Kyoko Kirigiri/Marroncream - Marroncream is bright, positive, and fashionable. She is talented at making crafts and sweets. She lives in Paris. She has nearly nothing in common with Kyoko, although Kyoko did live abroad a lot in her younger years. So I could try to latch onto the Paris thing.

Hifumi Yamada/Pokopon - Pokopon is a raccoon that loves to read but dislikes ghosts and “the thunder god.” (uh... what?) He also finishes his sentences with the unusual suffix “-das.” Of course, Hifumi loves to write (which certainly is connected to reading), and he likes to end all names with a weird suffix (”-dono”), so I can see how they might make a cute pair.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru/Pekkle - Pekkle is a duck who is good-natured and kind. He loves to sing and dance. It kind of sounds like he should’ve been matched with Sayaka, but instead he’s here with Taka. While Ishimaru is definitely a good person, I don’t think most people would immediately describe him as “kind.” And he certainly isn’t known for his love of music.

Yasuhiro Hagakure/Monkichi - Monkichi is a laid-back, easygoing guy who is upbeat and loves puns. His dream is to become a poet. It’s said that once he sets his mind on something, there is no stopping him! And in comparison, Hagakure is... well, he’s kind of laid-back in the sense that he’s kind of lazy? But he’s actually pretty high-stress a lot of the time, too. Honestly, there’s not much linking the two.

Chihiro Fujisaki/Kurousa and Shirousa - Shirousa is the white one and is the older sibling to Kurousa, the brown one. Shirousa is described as an energetic leader and Kurousa is described as being nice but lazy. They like to make cakes. What does any of this have to do with Chihiro? Beats me. This particular pairing is nonsense.

Byakuya Togami/Badtz-Maru - Badtz-Maru is said to have a bad attitude and dreams of being “the boss of everything” when he grows up. He tends to act a bit selfish, and he mocks things he dislikes/disagrees with. He enjoys expensive food and collecting photos of movie villains. With the exception of that last point, I’d have to say that this sounds like a near-perfect match for Togami.

Mondo Owada/Goropikadon - The Goropikadon are a group of cave boys whose actual names are Goro (blue hair), Pika (pink hair), and Don (teal hair). Goro is always hungry and joking around. PIka is a thoughtful, shy mama’s boy. Don is serious and places a high value on honesty. Overall, I suppose that how quick Mondo is to get angry and resort to violence kind of makes him seem like a stereotypical caveman? But in terms of their distinct personalities, only Don’s focus on honesty rings true for Mondo. 

Toko Fukawa/Lloromannic - Another multi-character one. The Llormannic are a pair of creatures named Berry (the black one, who is male) and Cherry (the pink one, who is female). They are mischievous and love to play pranks on humans. Cherry was originally alone and created Berry for companionship; however, she mixed up her magic spell ingredients and used salt when she meant to use sugar, which resulted in Berry turning out to be a more hostile being than Cherry. I suppose the fact that Berry is a darker creation of Cherry’s sort of reflects the relationship between Toko and her other self, Genocide(r) Syo/Jack. However, Berry and Cherry are still best friends. Toko and Syo/Jack are definitely not that.

Celestia Ludenberg/Kuromi - Kuromi is the rival of a bunny named “My Melody” who doesn’t appear in this promotion. Kuromi is said to look “tough and punk” in her jester’s hat with the pink skull on it, but in reality she is very girly. She enjoys writing in her diary, reading romance books, cooking, and checking out good-looking guys. I suppose Celestia did have that dream of living in a mansion where she was served by handsome guys dressed as vampires? So... they both like hot guys? But that’s all I’ve got here. Pretty sure this pairing only exists for aesthetic reasons. And admittedly, their aesthetics mesh very well.

Aoi Asahina/Keroppi - Keroppi lives with his family on the edge of Donut Pond. He is bubbly, a fantastic swimmer and, because of the name of his home pond, is often associated with donuts and/or things that are donut-shaped. Ok, so this was an obvious pairing, then. They nailed it. Probably the single best pairing they came up with.

Sakura Ogami/My Sweet Piano - Yes, the character’s name is literally “My Sweet Piano.” She’s described as soft, kind, and girly. Given Sakura’s secret love of girly things, I can see how this soft, pink, girly sheep would be something she’d love to be around. 

Junko Enoshima (...?)/Hello Kitty - Hello Kitty (a.k.a. Kitty White) is described by Sanrio as “cute, bright, sweet, kind-hearted and tomboyish.” They also say that Kitty is very close with her sister, Mimmy. As for Junko... look, the only reason I think maybe this is supposed to be Junko is because Mukuro already has her own Sanrio matchup (see the next entry), but in terms of her appearance, this “Junko” sure looks like it’s “Junkuro.” The telltale sign is that giant bow on the left side of the head, which only Mukuro-as-Junko has ever worn. I doubt we’re supposed to be thinking that they did two Mukuros in two different outfits, though? 

It’s like this: If it’s Junko, well, I guess both Junko and Kitty are icons within their respective brands. And Junko tries to put on a “cute and bright” exterior persona, I guess? But that’s pretty thin. On the other hand, if this is Mukuro in disguise, this is actually a semi-decent matchup! Mukuro is arguably tomboyish and certainly very close to her sister (at least from her own perspective), so these two are not without their parallels. 

In either case, both Kitty and the Unknown Despair Sister have a big bow on the left side of their head. Which I think is the real reason they’ve been paired, honestly.

Mukuro Ikusaba/Little Twin Stars - Kiki and Lala are a pair of twins that were born on December 24th. Mukuro is one half of a pair of twins ALSO born on December 24th. Instant connection! Kiki (the blue-haired boy) loves fishing and inventing things. He is curious and cheeky. Lala (the pink-haired girl) loves drawing, writing poems, and cooking. She is rather timid. In short, the “twins with the same birthdate” thing is the only thing connecting Mukuro to these two. Still, it’s not bad.

Also, the most amazing thing to come out of this team-up so far HAS TO BE MonoKitty. Hello Kitty cosplaying as our favorite psychotic MurderBear? How great is that? SELL ME MERCH OF MONOKITTY.

[sweatertheman]

Ok ok. Sorry to continue on my Glitchtalw ramblings, but I have an idea as to how to fix Bête Noire.

She should be more of a foil to Frisk.

Of course, they're enemies, but they don't seem to have an ideaological clash or distinctly counter personalities. Both of them can be as cruel as needed, and play the sweet innocent kid when it benefits them. Of course, Frisk's characterization is another issue, but point is their clash doesn't mean much. Betty wants to kill their friends for some reason, and they don't like that.

Imagine for a second that Betty is the Shadow to Frisk's Sonic. If Frisk's Determination powers weren't thrown out of the story, Betty's mind reading power gives her a tangible advantage over Frisk. She will never attack the same way twice. Frisk is able to survive fights by doing them over until they know the pattern by heart. But since Betty can see they already know what she was planning to do, she can do something else, thus making it more difficult than ever for Frisk to fight her. Imagine if Betty's personality and motives were consistent. Say she genuinely believes that humans and monsters shouldn't live together because it prevents the casualities of potential war. Let me start with the changes to her backstory.

In Glitchtale as it stands, Agate Lightvale, Betty's ""mother"", was one of the wizards who made the barrier. Her brother, Copper Lightvale, wanted to break the barrier, a fee years after they sealed it. Agate does not because the war sucked. Agate decides to go "fight me bro" and gets beat up. She pulls an Infinite from Sonic Forces and comes back after "inverting her SOUL trait" to kill her brother out of spite. The process of becoming Fear instead of Bravery slowly kills her, so she creates Betty to "ensure that humans and monsters will never live in peace." Full stop. Now, here's the changes. Say that Agate was not just upset about the war, but actively traumatized by the cost of life. While she doesn't like monsters, she's of the opinion it's better for both sides to stay seperate. When Copper suggests breaking the barrier, some years down the line, those feelings surface, and she makes the fight offer in a panic.

"I'm doing this to keep our people safe! If you want to endager all that we worked for, you'll have to kill me first!"

Copper would accept and fight his sister, but not kill her. He announces the barrier will be broken, but Agate snaps, the fear takes over, and she kills Copper then and there, in front of everyone. This is the process that changes bravery to fear. She flees the city and ends up creating Bête Noire to protect the barrier. She can't go back because she would be too weak to fight them all off. Since they're the basically the same person, Betty carries with her Agates fears. Imagine how this affects her actions down the road.

She would likely take fights more seriously. Instead of going all "oooo I'm edgy villain 😈😈😈" she would genuinely believe that preventing humans and monsters from living together is in the best interests of both groups. Perhaps she wouldn't take pleasure in suffering, which funnily enough is counter to Frisk, who did a genocide run because they wanted to see what would happen, knowing full well they would be brutally killing everything. Imagine if she actually embodied fear. Agate's fears. Imagine if no one knew who or what she was because all she ever did was watch the barrier. She could genuinely be a foil to Frisk's Determination and encourage their character development. It would encourage them to decide what they believe in, what the fight for. This hypothetical Betty can't be talked down on "you don't have to kill" or "friendship is nice" grounds because she already knows. She isn't killing for power or fun, she does it because she believe that there can't be peace between humans and monsters. Her actions would be in line with that. No excessive killing of either race.

Personality wise she could also be more of a foil. Frisk is a goofy traumatized child. They like to crack jokes, have fun, and do what makes them feel good, with no regard for the consequences. They aren't a great person, but they could be worse. Of course, if they committed genocide then went back and didnt do it because killing isn't really that fun, that makes them a worse person, but still. They can be very goofy, but they'll stop at nothing to achieve their goals. They like their friends, but with their power, it's hard for them to really be attached. Imagine if Betty's personality clashed with theirs. Frisk's funloving and rather careless front with an underlying sense of pure determination, clashed with an unrelenting stoicism and more respectful persona, with rage and terror bubbling beneath. Frisk doesn't know what they want, Betty knows exactly what she wants.

I'm running out of steam, gonna stop here

[alirhi]

Loki ranting

Okay. I had this thought in my head of like just compiling links of all the Loki shit I've posted/reblogged so far so that when I get into a conversation about the show and how it fucking disgusted me, I can just be like "here. here's this masterlist post, go read all this shit. This is my entire argument, and not only mine, but a lot of stuff posted by people far more intelligent and level-headed and eloquent than I am, whom I happen to agree with." Because the alternative is constantly getting fired up all over again, and that is exhausting.

BUT! I'm stupid and don't know how tumblr works. Apparently I can't just be like "give me all the Loki-tagged shit I've got" I can only search all the Loki-tagged shit on all of tumblr. And I'm not scrolling back through all of my posts. I talk too fucking much for that shit 😂

So, I'll try to remember all of my grievances with how the MCU has treated Loki, and all of the excellent posts made by other, equally upset fans, and put it all together here under this nice, neat little cut for everyone else's sanity and scrolling convenience...

For people who actually read my shit fairly regularly - bless you, you crazy, patient people. I love you! - this is going to be a lot of repetition of shit you've already read. Probably at least twice. I'm passionate and I have a terrible memory lol. Sorry.

Anyway, first, for those who don't know me and haven't been following my explosions of rage for the past couple of months, some quick background: I do not read comic books, so Loki's Marvel comic canon means nothing to me. I know almost nothing about it. The reason I'm so in love with the character in the MCU is because I am an eclectic witch and the deity I've actively loved and worshiped the longest in my life (literally for as long as I can remember) is Loki. So when he was mentioned in The Mask, I squeed. When they named Matt Damon's character after him in Dogma, I cheered.

When Thor came out in 2011, I just about died from happiness. I was hungry for any representation of this underappreciated god, no matter what it was. I didn't even bitch about how underpowered he was, because at least he was there. But I'm getting slightly ahead of myself.

I can hear anyone reading this going "Why Loki? Isn't he, like, evil? Like basically the Norse version of The Devil?" Because I heard all this shit irl all the fucking time. And no. So let me give you a quick rundown of who Loki actually is.

Loki is a Trickster God. He's often referred to as the God of Mischief. He is not and never was evil, simply chaotic and hedonistic. Loki Laufeyjarson was the son of Laufey (that's mama; they changed her to a man for some reason in the movie) and Fárbauti. Right from the start, from his name, we get a sign of how Loki goes against traditional norms of the time, because in Norse culture, families were patrilineal, and surnames were "son/daughter of father" (which would have made him Loki Fárbautitason), not the mother. But Loki's surname is matrilineal. Feminist icon woo! lol

Though he's a Jotunn, Loki is counted among the Gods (Aesir) in Norse tradition. Depending on his mood, he is alternately helpful or disruptive to the other Gods. I'm not gonna sit and teach a whole text class on him lol but I'll use my favorite example of Misunderstood Loki - the conception of Sleipnir!

So, get this shit. This is also part of why I DO NOT follow Odin and never fucking will (a very small part, but still part of the reason). So, the other Norse Gods are petty motherfuckers, and they wanted some shit built but didn't want to pay the dude doing the building. So they were like "okay, if you can get it done in X amount of time, we'll pay you, but if you can't manage it NO MATTER WHAT, this whole thing is free." And they made sure he had NO help, nothing but him, his materials, and his Very Good Horsey. And this guy and his horse were fucking BAMFs. So it was looking like he was definitely gonna get it done in time, and Odin was like "nah, fuck that shit. I'm cheap." and so he sent Loki to distract the work horse. Loki transformed into a mare and lured the horse away, got fucked, got pregnant, gave birth to the 8-legged (for some reason) horse Sleipnir. Odin rides Loki's son into battle. Um. Kay.

So Loki helped Odin be a petty mf, and Odin got himself a new pet out of the deal.

Oh, also, because he's smart af and a shapeshifter and a master magician and genderfluid, Loki "fails" to fit the super fucking toxic and narrow Norse/Aesir view of "a real man". He prefers intelligence and manipulation to solve problems rather than violence, he's not afraid to behave like a clown if it gets shit done, and that grosses the Aesir out, so they constantly ridicule him for being "less than a man".

Loki is the God of the outcast and the misunderstood. The marginalized people from all walks of life. He is the God of the LGBT community. In modern terms, he's pansexual, polyamorous (married to Sigyn and they are deeply in love, but boy gets around and I've never seen any indication that Sigyn gives a shit) and genderfluid.

Okay. Focus, Ali. This is part of why I usually post multiple rants instead of one big long one XD The longer I ramble, the more I get sidetracked and forget the original point.

So. Loki's awesome, and being a Trickster, is powerful as all fucking hell. There's not much he can't do.

And now we come to Thor (the movie, not the deity). Loki's there! 24-year-old Ali is spazzing! All is right with the world!

Oh lord, they've actually done him justice?! Amazing! He's complex and nuanced and emotional, just like the real Loki! I loved this movie. Loved. It. The climactic thing with trying to blow up Jotunheim never really made much sense to me until someone made an excellent point the other day about Loki being raised in a racist society that was racist against his own race, he just didn't know it yet, poor child. Baby Thor was never corrected when he pledged to commit mass genocide, so Baby Loki probably absorbed the lesson then that Jotunns=evil and killing them all will win his father's love. Anyway, 2011 Loki was a beautiful, heartbreaking portrayal of the God I've loved all my life and spent 24 years longing to see depicted on the big screen.

Then The Avengers happened. And I saw another Loki very close to Norse mythology - mainly, how he's treated. In the beginning of the movie, he's sick, exhausted, and in pain. He can hardly stand, he stumbles and needs help when he walks. He was very obviously tortured, and the sickly blue light of the scepter's control is in his eyes. That gets less and less pronounced as the movie goes on, showing Loki working his way free of it, but in the beginning, he's a mess. Because he was tortured and used by Thanos. Marvel directly confirmed this, and that he was under the scepter's/Mind Stone's control. Loki's actions are not his own in The Avengers. He's under both threat and Thanos' direct control. The movie actually shows The Other directly threatening him to keep him on task, because this is not Loki's plan. It is not what he wants. He's being used and villainized... Just like in real life. It hurt to see this done to him, but the accuracy was too beautiful to ignore.

Thor: The Dark World comes out. I've heard people complain that this movie is the weak link in the Thor trilogy. I disagree. I think that's Ragnarok, for a bunch of reasons, but we'll get there. (And for the record, I loved Ragnarok, too. It was a funny movie. Infinity War and the Disney+ series are the only portrayals of Loki in the MCU that I truly fucking hated.) Anyway, good, fun movie. Had its faults, as all movies do, but it still followed Loki's real-life arc in a way. How? By having Loki dragged back to Asgard in chains and imprisoned underground. Again, not super happy that this happened to my love, and having to see it on screen was painful, but at least in the MCU he's not chained to a rock with venom dripping on his face for eternity, so there's that. (poor Sigyn. how tired do her arms get, holding up that bowl? best wife ever, amirite?)

In TDW, we're shown Loki's love for Frigga, who favored him and taught him magic as a child. We see his bravado; his attempts to mask his true feelings, especially grief. We see him slowly coming back to himself after the events of The Avengers, and slowly mending his relationship with his brother. He accepts that Odin will likely never love him, but Thor just might, because they were close when they were young. "I didn't do it for him." No, no my sweet, you did it for your brother, and a little out of guilt for what happened to your mother.

At the end, Loki fakes his death and escapes, taking the throne, and I have mixed feelings about this. Not the writer's choices here; I love that completely! A natural progression in Loki's story. But my joy is tainted by how closely they're following the Eddas now. Because Loki's escape from his prison heralds the beginning of Ragnarok. And Loki will die in Ragnarok. I don't want to see that play out in front of my face. I won't be able to handle the grief (spoiler alert! IW broke me. I almost walked out of the theater. Loki's death was legitimately fucking traumatic for me. I don't even care how pathetic that is. That grief was real, it was intense, and I still shake and cry when I think about it.)

Marvel announces that Thor 3 will be called Ragnarok. The internet treats this as a shocking revelation. I roll my eyes and mumble "duh" to myself and move on XD

Then they say Ragnarok will be a buddy comedy. I throw up a little in my mouth and no longer want to live on this planet. If they're going to make something called Ragnarok, could they at least treat it with even a fraction of the respect they've shown these characters thusfar? Jfc. I mean, I'll see it anyway, because I'm a whore for Tom Hiddleston lol. But come on, people!

I hated that they made Hel the long-lost older sister and Fenrir her fucking pet/attack dog. Those are my favorites of Loki's children! Hel is such an incredible badass that the early Christians named their dimension of eternal torture after her! They were terrified of her, to the point of naming the place that terrified them most after her. That's awesome! And Fenrir's just the best. I love wolves. Those two details, and Odin's retcon of "we're not Gods! ...lol, except your sister. she's totally a Goddess. and def gonna kill literally everything, so... good luck! byyyeeeee" pissed me off royally.

The rest was great. I genuinely liked this movie. Still do. And they finally used The Immigrant Song! That was pretty cool. If they'd thrown in Bring the Hammer Down and Thunderstruck, I might've called this movie perfect. XD

I wasn't totally in love with their portrayal of Loki in Ragnarok. Yes, the falling for 30 minutes line was funny, as was "I have to get off this planet" and "YES! That's how it feels!" And "Get Help" was funny as hell. But also, like... There is no way Loki would have been the dumb one in that first encounter with Hela. Also, he can teleport and project copies of himself and shit, so... He would not have been that desperate to go straight back to Asgard and bring her right along with them. Loki's not stupid. But whatever. Movie's gotta movie.

What I did love was seeing the slow mending of his relationship with Thor continuing, and the badass fighting on the bridge. I also loved that, like Real Loki, Movie Loki helped when help was needed, was quick and clever, and while he was carrying out the main plan, he was also planning ahead and grabbing the Tesseract. Yes, that drew Thanos right to them, but that's a whole other thing. Loki never would have left that thing on Asgard to be destroyed or lost.

And now Infinity War. Hooooly fucking shit. You know what? No. I'm not going into this. He was killed, years of character growth were erased forever, my heart fucking shattered. The end.

Endgame. IW hurt me so bad I didn't see Endgame until this year. I actually watched Civil War first (for context: I had actively avoided all Cap movies until this year because I fucking hate Steve Rogers. I find him insufferable. Did not realize what I was denying myself until I watched CW and finally saw the charms of Bucky. When he appeared in IW, I was so lost. XD I was like "...who dis? Murder Jesus?" also I just... didn't care. I was numb by then from crying through most of the movie over Loki)

So, anyway. Endgame. Loki picks up the Tesseract in alternate 2012, escapes, fans go "yay! he didn't actually die!" I go "yes he fucking did. Five years of his life, gone. Five years of growth and change, erased. Loki is dead. This will not be the same."

I was more right than I could have predicted. Now we come to the point of this rant. Sorry it took so long, but you were warned lol.

The Loki series makes me so angry I actually get sick to my stomach. It was fucking TRASH. When I praised Marvel for following Norse mythology so faithfully earlier? Yeah. I DID NOT MEAN TREAT HIM THE WAY THE OTHER GODS DID. I did not mean paint him as a pitiful clown, a joke, a caricature of who he truly was, with his pain and suffering played for LAUGHS.

This is supposed to be 2012 Loki, newly freed from Thanos' control. The Loki we saw in the beginning of TDW - snarky, exhausted, nihilistic. The Loki who rolled his eyes and said "get on with it" expecting to be killed.

The bumbling clown flipping on a dime from posturing to calling himself weak is not 2012 Loki. That is not ANY Loki. That is Tom Hiddleston in a black wig doing what he's told by a shitty writer who had no fucking idea what he was doing and was salty about his (bad) original script (for something totally fucking unrelated) getting killed.

In Episode 1, Loki is mocked, imprisoned, stripped against his will, tormented, belittled, and given a flippant summary of all the trauma Actual MCU Loki suffered that this one skipped out on, with no context, no acknowledgement of the trauma he's already lived quite fucking recently, and with the narrative twisted to not only erase all the abuse he's suffered, but to make it all his fault. And this is supposed to make him want to help these people?

And worse, IT FUCKING WORKS. WHAT?! I CAN'T- FUCKING WHAT?! Remember when I said LOKI IS NOT FUCKING STUPID?! So why is he STUPID?

Episode 2, he's a child. Mentally, this Loki is a fucking child. Now we've erased all the growth and development of his entire adult life. He's dopey, impatient, impulsive, desperate for a pat on the back and actually shows it. Yes, abused and neglected children crave the positive attention we never received, and we often grow up to be a bit emotionally stunted. But not all of us, and not Loki. Not as we've seen him EVER in the rest of the MCU. Playful and a bit callous at times? Absolutely! But not a big dumb fucking puppy.

Episode 3, a ray of hope, despite Sylvie! (I hate Sylvie) Loki casually admits he's pan/bi; labels never come up, but he admits to being with both men and women! He sings! Not really relevant to whether I approve of his portrayal or not lol but Tom has a beautiful voice, Norwegian ("Asgardian" lol) is a gorgeous, entrancing language, and I could watch that one bit on loop for eternity and never get bored. And then, finally, we see a glimpse - a glimpse - of Loki's power! He stops a falling building and pushes it right back up! Are we finally getting to see what he can really do? Will the next episode bring us Loki in all his glory?

Nope. 4 and 5 we see him mocked and pushed around and utterly irrelevant. Again. We see tiny reflections of what he could maybe theoretically do in other random Loki variants, but the "main" (lawl. main. it was the Sylvie and Mobius show. Loki was never the main anything.) Loki? Nothing. He wears his heart on his sleeve for no reason, bonds with the man who imprisoned, taunted, and gaslit him, is killed, and continues to be a moron and a joke. Always the clown. Always the dumb one. The one with the bad ideas. The inferior Loki.

Don't even get me started on that finale. I can't. This already took so much out of me. Fuck Marvel. Fuck this fucking show. I just... I'm done.

[zenonaa]

'The smart thing would have been for Touko to retire to her room. Anyone could wear the mask of a handsome man, even a monster. Instead, she found herself following him, spurred on by her own curiosity, not only about what he offered to tell her but why he wanted to tell her something potentially so important. As she walked, she felt extra conscious of the holster of scissors hugging her thigh. Throughout her life, she had met many monsters that wore fake faces, but with Byakuya, she felt sure he didn’t wield a mask hiding his true self.

It was a gut instinct. No. Not gut. Her heart told her this.'

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Fukawa Touko/Togami Byakuya Characters: Fukawa Touko, Togami Byakuya Additional Tags: Togafuka Week, talent swap Summary: Talent Swap AU! Togami and Fukawa bump into each other and discuss what motive Monobear would need to provide to push them to murder. Also there may or may not be smooching.

Comments: A (late) Day 5 for TogaFuka Week - Swap! Takes place in the universe from this fic I wrote in 2016. When I was a more optimistic Livi, I wanted to write a multichapter fic for this talent swap.

💗 Please like, share and comment if you enjoyed it! 💗

***

Ten students remained.

As Touko Fukawa sat at her desk, twirling a pen between her fingers, she passed over their corpses. She stepped over Yasuhiro and Kiyotaka. Skipped around Hifumi and Chihiro. Hopped across Sakura and Celes. Of course, she wasn’t really maneuvering around them. Her dorm obtained no bodies. In reality, they were tucked away wherever Monobear dragged them to once it had finished with them. What had been described was figurative, as could be found in a passage from a literary novel.

Not that Touko was a published author. The title of Super High School Level Writer belonged to her classmate, Byakuya Togami. Touko Fukawa was the Super High School Level Heir, not that her title was anything to scoff at. Already she had earned billions of yen, and she had survived more attempts on her life than anyone else here. Except perhaps Sakura, the Super High School Level Soldier. But she was dead so she didn’t count.

Other than Sakura, Kyouko was also likely to have fought off death, and Touko wondered whether the Fighter had participated in any deadly battles. Whether she had inflicted such pain onto others. Whether she had ever murdered an opponent before arriving at this school.

Touko had. Killed people.

Not in the way her alter had, puncturing the veins and lungs of corrupt businessmen, of perverts, of half-siblings, always with scissors, always with a signature written in the victim’s blood nearby. No, Touko didn’t need to do that. With victims working for other corporations, she struck them bankrupt. In her conglomerate, she confiscated jobs, leaving victims to drown in their desperation as they tried to stay afloat. She exposed fraud, blackmail attempts, human trafficking, and with nowhere for her victims’ darkness to hide, they withered in the light.

Memories dug into her skin like termites. Tasting bile, she looked up from her desk. The walls of her room lurched toward Touko before reeling back into place. If she stayed here any longer, the room would close its jaws and crush her to pieces. She stood up, her chair shunting backward with a grunt, and marched to the door.

Ahead of her lay a silent corridor. Most of the others were probably sleeping by this time. Touko stayed on guard as she wrapped her arms around herself and started plodding along with no particular destination in mind. The cafeteria would be shut, so she couldn’t acquire a cup of tea to try to soothe her jittering nerves from there. While she had glimpsed a box of teabags in the storage room a few days ago while searching for some towels, she still had no way to heat them up.

Then she remembered she had also spotted some chocolate in there, and chocolate was supposed to be able to help calm a person down. That was better than nothing.

Touko quickened her pace, moving with more purpose now. Maybe she was being reckless. Six of them had been slain and another motive dangled over their heads. Someone would surely attempt murder for what Monobear had on offer. Not her, but someone else would. All Touko had to do was ensure she wasn’t the victim.

By the time she entered the storage room, she hadn’t seen Monobear nor any other students. The idea of returning to her room, where the only sounds would be her own thoughts, made her stomach roll, so she decided to eat her chocolate in the library. Reading about another’s life ought to distract her from her own. Grabbing two bars, she left, and she soon arrived at the library. She managed a few paces forward before she heard rustling, turning her blood to ice, freezing her, rendering her immobile.

Moments later, Byakuya Togami emerged from behind a bookcase. His presence in the library wasn’t shocking in and of itself. He was the Super High School Level Writer and an avid reader. Touko just hadn’t expected him to be here so late. Though she had seen him here during the evenings, she usually stayed in her room after the nighttime announcement so never saw him in here after that. She would have thought he would have kept to his room at this hour, especially when one took into account the latest motive to murder.

“Which one are you?” he asked her. When she entered, she hadn’t made much noise - at least, she thought she hadn’t, but Byakuya seemed to have homed in on her as soon as she came in. “The abhorrent admirer, or the creepy loner girl?”

“I’m Touko Fukawa,” she replied.

“The latter then.”

She stayed where she was, and he stayed where he was.

“Have you come to murder me?” he asked. “Or is this just a regular stalker with a crush behaviour?”

Touko squeaked and shook her head. Her cheeks burned. “I... I came here to read, that’s all.”

“You’re rather jittery. Does my presence unsettle you? Do you believe that I intend to murder you?”

A gasp cracked in her throat. He sighed and pushed up his glasses.

“Compose yourself. I will not harm you right now. I intend to be the last man standing. The survivor who confronts and defeats the monster at the end.” Byakuya’s brow furrowed, his face darkening. “I refuse to yield to the pressure that Monobear tries to inflict on us.”

“... is that it?” Touko asked, her voice a pinprick. “You don’t plan on murdering anyone because two students will be allowed to leave? It ruins your envisioned ending?”

That was the motive. For the next murder, if the perpentrator was not voted out in their victim’s trial, they were allowed to choose another student to graduate with them.

“Not quite. I couldn’t care less if another escaped with me.” The bitter twist of his lips morphed into a smirk. “It’s simply too early for this to end. The plot has barely reached the halfway point.”

Even with such a wicked expression, he was still handsome. Touko’s heart raced watching him. By now, the chocolate bars in her hands had crumbled from the pressure of her fists. Not that it mattered, because her insides were writhing too much for her to keep any food down. She shifted her weight between feet.

“You don’t have to believe me,” he told her. He cocked his head to one side, his gaze as sharp as a knife. “I do wonder about you, though.”

“Even if I wanted to kill anyone, I couldn’t,” she said. “Everyone knows about my alter, so I would be the first person to be heavily scrutinised and suspected.”

His stare embedded deeper.

“Still. I must be on my guard. Your alter may wish to seek revenge on me for revealing her identity,” said Byakuya.

Touko hunched her shoulders. She should have hated Byakuya for announcing her secret in the last trial, even if the alternative was being framed by Hifumi and dying. After all, when a person shoved another out of a window on the top floor of a blazing building, the fall still left bruises.

And yet the sight of him still filled her chest with butterflies.

“My alter wants to survive as much as any of us,” said Touko.

“None of the motives so far seem to have impelled either of us to murder,” remarked Byakuya. “Not money... not the paranoia of another owning one of our secrets... not being forced to sleep in the same room, in the same clothes, and abide by the same rigid routine everyday.”

He trailed off. She didn’t offer a word to the silence, waiting to see what he was getting at, if anything.

“Tell me, what would drive you to murder?” he asked her.

“I told you - ”

“ - that you’re always going to be a suspect because of Genocider Syo,” he interrupted with a flap of his hand. “You already said. But is there nothing that Monobear can do to force your hand?”

Touko edged back a step, eyeing him. She found it hard to tell if the fluttering inside of her was still attraction, or fear. “What are you? The m-mastermind?”

He smirked. “That would be a twist, but no. Curiosity.”

“There is nothing that Monobear could offer me,” she said firmly, even if her legs were trembling. To counteract that, she clenched her legs together and further mutilated the chocolate bars in her tightening fists. “What about you? What would push you to murder?”

The glimmer in his eyes disappeared as he glanced away. “This isn’t the best location to discuss this. Monobear may be listening in.” He returned his gaze to her. “How about we continue this conversation elsewhere? The locker room by the baths will provide sufficient privacy.”

She was still processing his offer when he strode toward her. She stiffened. Didn’t breathe. He paused next to her.

“You may stay here, or hurry back to your room if you desire,” he said. “Should you wish to indulge me in more conversation, however, you know where I will be. I shall be there for the next hour, with an answer to your question.”

Touko stood motionlessly as she listened to Byakuya’s receding footsteps. The smart thing would have been for Touko to retire to her room. Anyone could wear the mask of a handsome man, even a monster. Instead, she found herself following him, spurred on by her own curiosity, not only about what he offered to tell her but why he wanted to tell her something potentially so important. As she walked, she felt extra conscious of the holster of scissors hugging her thigh. Throughout her life, she had met many monsters that wore fake faces, but with Byakuya, she felt sure he didn’t wield a mask hiding his true self.

It was a gut instinct. No. Not gut. Her heart told her this.

They arrived at the locker room together, slipping past the noren curtain.

“So what about you?” asked Touko once both were well inside. She had thrown away the chocolates on the way there and could now fidget her hands together. “What could convince you to deviate from your plot outline?”

He was already standing near Touko, but he took a step toward her, approaching like the swell of an oncoming wave.

“Perhaps,” he said, dragging up his glasses, then hers, “a love interest.”

Her breath caught in her throat. Byakuya dipped his head, drawing closer and closer. Touko could have pushed him away. Kicked him between the legs. But she didn’t. She didn’t want to. As their lips pressed together, and his hands rested against her upper arms, her heels creaked away from the ground and her hands latched onto his waist.

Byakuya withdrew first. Touko wobbled for a moment, feeling light-headed. Even though he had initiated the kiss, she still expected him to grimace and swipe the back of his hand across his mouth. He scraped his teeth lightly against his lips, wetting them. Tasting. Then he made eye contact again.

“Hm? Are you suffering from post-kiss catatonia?” he asked. She stirred, the fog in her head not yet fully cleared.

“I’m s-surprised.”

“That is what is known as a test kiss.”

Touko squinted. “Test kiss?”

“It’s a trope that means... I am testing to see if you would partner with me in murdering one of our classmates.”

Her head jerked back. “W-What?”

He held out his hand toward her.

“Would you commit murder with me, Touko Fukawa?” he asked like a marriage proposal. Touko’s eyes flickered.

“I...”

She didn’t finish her sentence. His fingers curled into his hand before retreating, coming to rest on his hip.

“It doesn’t matter. As I told you, I have no intention of murdering yet. This was really a test to see if you could be recruited for murder. Though as you have said, due to your alter, you are by default a prime suspect.”

A test. There was always some kind of catch. Touko nodded, gazing down at her feet. She should have hated him.

“That’s all,” he said. “You are dismissed.”

The room hummed.

“Goodbye, Fukawa,” he said. “Go to your room now.”

Touko turned away and trudged out. With her back to him, she didn’t see him bring his hand to his lips, not to wipe his mouth, but as if he could still feel the kiss lingering.

She should have hated him.

And yet... she was smiling as bright as a butterfly.

[bullshittierlists]

Spoilers for DR1, obviously. I decided to remake this list because my opinions on all of the characters have changed significantly since the last time. I’m honestly not even super happy about this one.

I see no god up here other than me:

Kiyotaka Ishimaru - Oh my lord, he’s perfect in every way (except for the thing, which I’ll get to). He’s funny, he doesn’t feel entirely insignificant, and he’s got a cool, sad backstory to dive into if you like him enough, but it isn’t required to do so throughout the main game. Everything about his genius/hard-working motif is brilliant. I think it’s incredible how he’s actually the opposing force to Komaeda rather than Junko, even though no one talks about it and the game doesn’t really use it that much. His whole backstory with his grandfather and father is so sad and I’m so proud of him for getting to be where he is today, even if it didn’t quite happen how he wanted it to. The one exception to this practically perfect prefect is, of course, the elephant in the room, Kiyondo Ishida. Here’s the thing: I think Kiyondo could’ve worked really well. However, as far as I know, Taka was swapped out last minute with Hiro and had to die in chapter 3. I honestly think this was the worst decision the franchise made after making Mikan... the way that she was. The only reason people hate Hiro is that he survived the first game. I’ll get to this more later, but I honestly really enjoyed his character for the first three chapters. After that, though, he got a little stale and even a bit annoying, especially the Kyoko being a ghost bit. I feel like Hiro really overstayed his welcome and his presence could’ve been more than made up for by the comedic duo of Hina and Taka. I understand that choosing the survivors of each game is difficult and a very meticulous process, but let’s just consider the interactions with other characters for now. To start with, Hiro hardly had any positive interactions with any of the other characters in the back half of the game outside of Hina calling him out for being an idiot. If we put Taka in his place, he could’ve had serious moments with Kyoko and Makoto, helping them to solve some of the mysteries. He also could’ve played off of Byakuya and Toko’s relationship in telling them that PDA is “not welcome in a school environment.” And the crowning jewel of missed opportunities, his interactions with Hina. They’ve both lost their best friends in the whole world and have no one to rely on. In canon, Hina had to do a character 180 just to keep up with Hiro’s idiocy and not break down about losing Sakura. However, if we had Taka, he could’ve helped her to get through it because he would’ve already gotten over Mondo with the help of Ishida. See? I brought it back around. If Taka had been able to resolve his issues with Ishida in chapter 3, he would’ve been able to help Hina to develop her character through the loss of Sakura in chapter 4. I think this would’ve been so much better for both of their characters and I weep for what could’ve been. But for some reason, Hiro just had to stick around.

Mondo Owada - I’m honestly surprised I talked about Taka for that long without mentioning Mondo. I don’t actually have a lot to say about Mondo that I won’t get to with Chihiro, but this is basically your warning to be ready for another rant and it also serves as a break from the last one. Mondo and Taka are perfect for each other, Mondo is the most sympathetic killer, bar none, and even though I’m not a huge fan of dogs, Chuck is so precious.

You’re the best:

Celestia Ludenberg - Pretty goth lady. That’s about it. She could’ve been better in chapter 3, but I honestly still really liked her plan and her breakdown was phenomenal. My favorite thing about her though is her execution. Her execution fits into the thin category of executions that include the element of specific despair, basically meaning that Monokuma made it specifically to make her sad apart from the fact that she was dying. She was ready and honestly excited to be burned at the stake because it would guarantee her an interesting death and therefore an interesting life. But then, she ends up just dying in another boring old car accident, many of which happen every day. It’s fun to watch her expression and demeanor change throughout her execution, it’s one of my favorites.

Chihiro Fujisaki - Oh boy, it’s the one I expect to get hate for. Buckle up, lovely people, it’s time to get personal. I personally headcanon Chihiro to be a cisgender male; however, I also believe that you can headcanon anyone to be anything you want. There is an exception and it’s when that headcanon specifically derails something the character was trying to present. In this case, it’s toxic masculinity and the importance of appearances in society. I’ll preface this whole section with a statement: I’m not trying to be transphobic. I could see Chihiro being a trans male, but cis or trans female just feels counterproductive to me. Let me explain. Chihiro’s entire existence is used to parallel Mondo’s. Chihiro has a strong will with a weak body, while Mondo has a strong body with a weak will. Mondo is seen, in canon, as a super manly character who is strong in both heart and body, but he doesn’t believe himself to be this way. The only strength he’s ever seen is through aggressive violence, and that’s how he shows his strength. This is proven in the fact that when he felt weak against Chihiro’s strong will, he killed him out of fear, which he had grown to believe was strength. However, since Chihiro had a weak body, people treated him as unmanly, even though he was strong-willed, so he believed that everything about him was weak and learned to be submissive to everyone else’s desires. This is proven in the fact that he dressed and acted the way he did specifically to please others, not himself. It’s shown in multiple free time events that he hates the way that he looks and that he hates dressing to appease other people. It’s not even necessary to turn to the FTEs to gain this information, it’s obvious from the fact that he goes to Mondo specifically to get stronger in what he thinks is both mind and body, as he’s been known to think that the two are connected. It can also be understood from his dialogue that he wasn’t trying to get physically stronger for himself, he was perfectly comfortable with his body, he wanted to get physically stronger so that other people would leave him alone. These are the effects that bullying had on him. Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but whenever I see Chihiro as female, trans or otherwise, it feels as though those people want Chihiro to subject to the bullying because it more closely fits their ideal. It just feels like evidence of toxic masculinity because since Chihiro is feminine, he must be female, even if he says otherwise. The difference to me between this and say, trans Gundham headcanons is that with Gundham, there’s nothing in his character that goes either way, so it’s fine to headcanon him however you want. But when Chihiro explicitly states that he wants to be seen as male, he’s ignored and pushed aside as “another missed opportunity for trans representation.” But he’s not a missed opportunity for representation, he’s just representing something else, toxic masculinity. It’s obvious that it goes over people’s heads because they don’t seem to understand this at all. I’m not trying to be rude, I just want people to understand that just because the representation isn’t specifically for the group you want, doesn’t mean that it isn’t good representation. I can talk about this more if anyone wants me to, but it’s almost 1 AM and I’m not sure how much longer and I can form cohesive sentences and I’m not sure this is the best argument to test that on.

Genocide Jack - Idk, she’s funny. I’ve already gotten past most of the characters I have strong opinions on. Whereas in the second game, I have strong feelings about my favorites *and* my least favorites, I really only have favorites in this game and everyone else is pretty neutral.

Byakuya Togami - He was actually originally my second favorite character, but I realized a good way into the series that I didn’t actually like him that much. He’s not as smart as he claims to be and he isn’t as well written as Komaeda or Kokichi. However, he does have one truly fantastic moment in the first game and that is during chapter 4. When it’s revealed that Sakura killed herself, he shuts down. It’s impossible for something to have happened that he didn’t predict and he truly believes that. It’s incredible to see his complete shift in character (at least for this trial) and I absolutely adore that moment. Everything else with him is still kinda meh.

Hey, I think you’re really cool, I like you a lot:

Sakura Ogami - There’s literally nothing about her that I can say that hasn’t been said already. She’s perfect and I love her for it.

Aoi Asahina - Like I said during my Taka rant, I think she would’ve been much better if she didn’t have to accommodate Hiro. The first game had a much darker tone than the second and Toko/Genocide Jack already had the comedic relief role covered. She and Taka could’ve still had their fair share of funny moments together, but I feel like she could’ve gone through Akane’s arc during the second game, but better because she would’ve been able to build off of Taka, who already went through the same thing. Either way, she’s cute and I adore her and Sakura’s friendship.

Sayaka Maizono - So I actually made this list back in January (it’s currently the middle of April) and just never got around to making it and since then, I’ve fallen in love with Sayaka. It may or may not have to do with me being cast as her in a secret project that I’ll announce later, but she has my heart regardless. Now, I’d probably put her behind Chihiro and ahead of Genocide Jack. She’s just such an interesting character and while it’s a shame that she died so early, I still think she wouldn’t have been as good if she didn’t die so soon. For the record, I think both Sayaka and Leon were morally in the wrong. However, Sayaka was doing it for her friends, while Leon could’ve stopped at any time and really only went back for himself. Sayaka is not a snake. Thank you, goodnight.

Mukuro Ikusaba - She’s definitely my neutral point. I have one of these in every DR game, even if I don’t realize it. I just don’t really have any opinions on her and it’s not even because she wasn’t in the game for very long. I just don’t know how to feel about her. I just finished Danganronpa: Zero and that boosted Junko way up in my book, but it didn’t really change my opinion on Mukuro at all.

Kyoko Kirigiri - I get the hype, I really do, but I just can’t get into her. For starters, I don’t like Naegi all that much, so of course I’m not going to like the people that hang around him all the time. The most I’ve ever liked her is while watching videos of her along with “Not So Bad A Dad” from Phineas and Ferb. Other than that, she’s extremely neutral for me.

Toko Fukawa - I’m including her appearance in Ultra Despair Girls, but it didn’t really help her much. I liked her in the first game, but it was only because I was going through a weird phase of obsessing over people and now I just think it’s weird because it is. I went into Ultra Despair Girls knowing that she got character development and then completely forgot to pay attention to it because I was so enraptured by the Warriors of Hope. So, I don’t know, she’s just kinda creepy and I didn’t really notice her (or Komaru, for that matter) in UDG.

I remember you:

Junko Enoshima - Like I mentioned during Mukuro’s segment, I just finished Danganronpa: Zero and it was a wild ride. I made this list before I had even started the book and I was mostly just confused by Junko. I didn’t understand her motivations or any of her plans, much less how she was able to achieve anything she was. But once I finished DR0, it all made sense. I won’t spoil it here, but she was incredible in that book and I wish I had caught on to everything earlier.

Makoto Naegi - I feel bad, but I have to compare him to the other protagonists. He’s just so boring, and I know that that’s the point of a protagonist, but Hajime proves that it doesn’t have to be that way. Makoto’s just kinda there all of the time. For example, in DR0, he shows up for one scene, but he literally doesn’t even do anything. He stands there, talks to Ryoko, is scared during a fight scene, and is never seen again. It’s really frustrating to know that he’s only there because he was the protagonist of the first game and it’s like “Wow, you know this character!”

Yasuhiro Hagakure - My only opinion on him is that he should’ve died in chapter 3. My only explanation for why he was so high on the original list is because I watched this one hysterical panel for DR1 and Hiro was by far the best character there. In the game itself, I liked him until he overstayed his welcome and cost Taka his shot to be memorable.

Leon Kuwata - I honestly can’t explain why I dislike him so much, I just really, genuinely do. He’s just kind of annoying, but that’s about it. Like I said before, I don’t really hate many of the characters from this game, they’re mostly all loved or neutral and he’s just the most negative neutral.

You are literally the worst. Actual scum. Leave this planet and never return:

Monokuma - You know the drill by now if you’ve seen my other DR tier lists, it’s kind of an obligation at this point.

Hifumi Yamada - Why. Why is he like this? Why is he this way? Honestly, he’s not nearly as bad as Teruteru or Kazuichi in the perv department, but I just hate him so much. I don’t understand why he is the way that he is, but I do understand that I’m happy he died in chapter 3. Honestly, I could’ve done with him dying earlier, but it is what it is.

It’s 1:15 AM and I am done writing. I’ve been putting this off for months and I figured it was finally time to get it over with and it definitely didn’t have anything to do with the fact that I can’t sleep. I hope you enjoy all of this and if you would like me to elaborate on anything, just drop me an ask and let me know. I’m always happy to explain any of my opinions and want to make sure I’m as clear as possible. Please do not spread hate about me until you’ve made sure you understand my point. Then go to town.

[hunterguyveriv]

My Hopes and Wants for the new Masters of the Universe series

So in approximately less then 12 hours(if Netflix still follows its "release a new series at 3am" mandate) Masters of the Universe: Revelations is set to premiere on Netflix. While I am still a bit upset about the recent reveal I can't help but feel that I'll be going into another shitshow-reboot that started off with great potential but ended up going to trash. And this is based off going to youtube for Godzilla videos and music and seeing reviewers and vloggers practically all say the same thing.

Lets get one thing straight before all of you jump down my throat. I've been a MotU fan since I was a 2 in the 1984. I had bedspreads,pillow covers, books, toys, pajamas/underwear, even a homemade muscle suit that my mother found the pattern to make at a fabric shop for Halloween one year. So know that when I say I had high hopes for this series from the moment it was announced it's the truth.

Even when it was revealed that when Netflix released it's synapses, and the drama behind the scenes with some youtube vloggers and Kevin Smith over the past group of months I still had hope it would be one of the very few reboots that surpasses the original like 2002s He-Man series, the 2011 ThunderCats, 2012 TMNT series (which could have had a better ending IMO).

I wasn't even upset when it was revealed that King Greyskull and Andra were what people call today "race-bent." Andra was never really that important in the MotU universe only appearing once or twice in the comic strips and again in Injustice vs Masters of the Universe. As for King Greyskull, I grew to accept because of, well my own family. Looking at my family (Aunt who identifies as black gave birth to a daughter who is biracial who then had 3 blond hair blue-eyed kids) so I am taking this as a win for biracial/mixed blood rep.

I even like most of the cast and crew that I recognize with the exception of one, but I never really liked the actress from the 90s. I am talking about Sarah Michelle Gellar. I never liked her as Buffy or any other role she was in. Some may say that makes me bias towards Teela, but you are wrong.

I've always loved the character Teela. Because she is the Sorceress' daughter she has always been Prince Adam/He-Man's equal both in the previous series and comics. Even though she seemed like she was a tsundere towards Adam because she has to even after learning who he is (in the comics), she was always been He-Man's version of what Lois Lane is to Superman, or Abby Arcane is to Swamp Thing, she was his rock - his light in the darkness.

I am still a bit pissed about the Orko thing, but I explain my reasons in one of my previous posts - so I won't go into that.

The purpose of this post on the eve of the series being released is to voice my hopes and wants for it.

1.) Lets get the big one out of the way - Representation. I want representation, (because God forbid there be a series without it these days) to be natural and not the focus or feel forced. Believe me being a mixed-race person who is part Native/White/Black I get it more than anyone gives me credit.

Growing up Star Trek from 1966-2016 was the king of natural representation. Where unless the episode's story called for it NO ONE CARED about race/gender/ or one's orientation.

2.) Developed Story Well developed story that makes you feel like the show-runners have a plan from start to finish. That means a well thought out story, developed characters, what are their contingency plans if no one likes the series, what are their plans if the series is received? It needs to leave you wanting more!

3.) Let the villains be villains! Enough with the frigging "redemption" arcs! A redemption arc worked for Zuko in the Avatar series because of his character development. But ever since A:TLA, it seems every villain needs to have a redemption arc. Characters like Zarkon, Haggar, Lotor, HORDAK who is practically the Darkseid/Thanos of the MotU universe doesn't need a redemption arc or a "happy ending." In the MotU universe genocidal threats like Skeletor and Hordak raise the stakes for the heroes and drive them to win. Evil-Lyn does not need a redemption arc she has ALWAYS been Skeletor's equivalent to the Sorceress.

4.) Fans need to respect each other unlike when Voltron and She-Ra were playing. People are entitled to their own opinions whether they are new fans or old-timers like myself. If we don't like the way a series is going we are allowed to voice our opinions whether it congeals to someone else's opinions or not. Keep in mind that many of us have kept series like Voltron, She-Ra, TMNT, ThunderCats, and many other 1980s cartoon series going for the better part of 40 years for you to watch and enjoy these newer series. Our opinions mater just as much as yours.

5.) If you truly want to support this new series, and MotU as a whole buy official merch to the series. Like it was when we were young, getting the official merch helps the series more than you would expect. Now I am not saying don't support fellow fans who make trinkets and cosplay outfits and so-forth. Just keep in mind if there is a demand for officially licenced merch it can and will help the series.

These are my hopes and wants for the new series. I am still holding out on hope that the critics and vloggers are wrong on Masters of the Universe: Revelations lives up to the original series while being original itself as it has been advertised as when others (see below) with the exception of 3 did not, it has a a Godzilla sized mountain to climb to impress me. But know this when I see this series I will give my honest opinion of it, whether people like it or not. 

[salarta]

What don't you like about Lorna's characterization in X-Factor?

Thanks for asking!

I believe in transparency, so before I get into that, I want to provide a little background on the point of view I’m coming from that influences my opinions.

I was opposed to Lorna being on X-Factor when it was announced. There was already a lot of bad blood and history for me with Marvel as a result of these past few years especially. I won’t exhaustively detail all of it, but the bottom line is, I was already in a place of having a low opinion of current X-Men comics in general.

Then when it was announced she would be on X-Factor, not even as the leader but just as a team member, that immediately grated on me. She’s been buried and sidelined for so long, and now she’s not only right back on the same title yet again after 30 years - that’s a second wave fringe title - she’s not even leading it, or doing other, more meaningful things outside it simultaneously.

Then I saw the interviews by X-Factor’s writer at announcement, which immediately gave me a couple red flags. One, the writer couldn’t seem to say a single thing about Lorna besides essentially “Magneto is her dad and Havok is her ex.” Not even about trauma, of which Lorna has tons of it. Yet she had no problem acknowledging trauma as an important story point for other characters. Two, in trying to form her opinion of Lorna, she said she talked to a couple friends, one of which she said put the Lorna x Havok relationship in a “new light” for her. Meaning she was limiting her fan input just to a couple people she knows and whatever biases those two have, at the exclusion of all others.

That’s my background. Before a single issue dropped. Now let’s get to the things I have problems with since it’s started getting published.

And I do welcome people correcting me if I’m incorrect about details of the book. Being wrong happens. The only true path toward a better future for Lorna is honest assessment.

My biggest problem with X-Factor’s characterization, as a whole, is that it completely disregards important parts of her history in the way she should think and act, and instead treats her like a blank slate.

This is clearest in X-Factor #4, the issue during X of Swords where Rockslide dies. Lorna is a survivor of the Genoshan genocide. We saw how deeply that wounded her. We outright saw her experience of being hailed as a sovereign princess by the people of Genosha, followed by those same people begging Lorna, specifically, to save them. Only for Lorna to be unable to do so, and unable to handle all the death and carnage and pain around her (note these pages are in order of her experiences, not publication order).

After the Genoshan genocide, we saw how not only did she survive this, she had those moments replaying constantly in her head and all around her until the other X-Men dug her out of Genosha’s ruins.

She suffered immensely from what happened to her. So much. But by the end, after dealing with the strain and trauma for so much time, she started to settle into a role from that experience somewhere in between Xavier and Magneto - which is extremely appropriate, considering her very first appearance in comics was all about her struggling between the “good of the X-Men” and the “evil of her father’s blood flowing through her veins” (as it was incredibly simplistic at the time).

This is the Lorna that came out of her hardships with Genosha. The one who felt the weight of those deaths and took them on to a point of being ready to fight for mutant rights.

In spite of this, Marvel has been ignoring the Genoshan genocide concerning Lorna’s history for 15 years now. Refusing to acknowledge it at all, as they let Jean fight Cassandra Nova on its ruins, and let Storm act outraged about its dead, and let Axis exploit it for Red Skull while Lorna’s written as off doing something completely unrelated.

The problem noted in the paragraph above is not X-Factor’s problem alone. It’s a running problem across all of Marvel.

But where X-Factor differs and is far, far worse is that X-Factor #4 not only completely ignored this event in her history. It had her behave as if she had no concept whatsoever of death and loss, had never received the development she did from the Genoshan genocide.

For over 15 years, Lorna’s been wiped from the Genosha story even though she went through the genocide and had served at Magneto’s side (before learning she was his daughter after all) during his rule. Not once in any of that time did Marvel allow the deaths of millions crying for her specifically to save them to impact their treatment of her. It’s been as if she suddenly no longer gives a damn about them.

But one mutant she doesn’t know at all dies nearby and she has a complete breakdown, running around unable to figure out what to do with herself, getting yelled at by her father to make the prophecies come out and later on wishing she could just disappear and stop being a part of anything at all?

That is not Lorna. Or rather, maybe it could count as Lorna from the 90s before Genosha ever happened. But it is absolutely not post-Genosha Lorna, the woman who endured the pain of millions dying all around her and came out of it a woman ready to fight through that pain.

Perhaps if this story acknowledged and incorporated the Genoshan genocide, did an incredibly good job justifying her behavior through that and making it all make sense, I would feel differently. But as it stands? This is an insult to everything she’s endured.

Which gets me to my other big complaints about this book. It doesn’t ACTUALLY acknowledge anything about her history at all.

This is where fans of the book will say “Oh X-Factor acknowledged Giant-Size X-Men when she built the base” and things like that. No. The book has only vaguely hinted at that history, which is very different from truly acknowledging and using it. The few times the book does this, such “acknowledgments” last for exactly one panel, and you have to be a real hardcore Lorna fan or long-time reader to have any chance whatsoever of seeing those statements as callbacks to her past. If you’re a casual reader, Lorna’s comment to Krakoa before creating the base could just as easily be read as that Lorna and Krakoa used to date and had a really bad breakup.

I’ve been asked before what would count as acknowledging her past. So here’s an example. Instead of the vague hinting with Krakoa, Lorna could’ve explicitly said something along the lines of “Hey, remember when Storm and the others helped me launch you out into space?” That would have been enough for a casual reader to know the amazing feat she did, its importance relative to current Marvel events, AND that she has a history with major known names in the franchise. 

But as written? It’s just a silly little joke of a character who’s apparently never done anything notable or interesting “before now.”

Aside from these problems, I’m not keen on what has over time appeared to be a running theme of “Lorna is stupid” on this book. It started with this simple “joke.”

An important note: this panel is out of context. It looks worse by itself, but I have since been corrected by a reader that what happened before this was Northstar trying to charge in, Lorna trying to stop him, both getting caught in this trap, followed by Rachel’s quip. And they do have a history from before X-Factor. They were on the same team, Starjammers, in the late 00s to early 10s.

If this was the only case I had, I wouldn’t be bringing it up. It’s fine taken in isolation. There’s a question of why Lorna’s the sole target of the quip when it was Northstar’s fault, and a problem that people could easily misremember this in the future as Lorna taking the blame. But a single moment is no big deal.

But then we have the scene from X-Factor #4 above where Magneto’s written as yelling at her, putting her down for not being able to get the prophecies out. Lorna even explicitly calls it a “fitting humiliation” during that story.

And then we have the most recent issue. Where Siryn outright calls Lorna dumb as the story has her act in a way that makes her being called that appropriate.

In other words, three times now, Lorna’s been presented as the object of ridicule. As a failure who isn’t able to make plans, think ahead, or handle these stresses that come her way. In essence, it’s wiping out the development she received not just from her experiences on Genosha, but also from her time as leader of All-New X-Factor. Would YOU expect this character, as presented, to be at all capable of leading her own team some day? Or of leading people in a movement, harkening back to when she was called the Queen of Mutants both post-Genosha and when she was initially revealed and Magneto was believed to be dead?

My expectations of X-Factor before it started releasing issues were low, as stated above. But as it’s been releasing issues, it’s just been confirming my worst thoughts about Marvel and how little they think of this amazing character who’s been through so much and never receives her due.

All it’s doing is exploiting her to sell the book and promote everyone else on it. That is my straightforward assessment and opinion of the book. None of the stories or moments truly address anything Lorna’s experienced. The initial story was about Aurora, setting up Northstar as the leader, and forming the team. The Mojoworld story was about Shatterstar. X-Factor #4 was about Rockslide and his death. The latest story is about Siryn.

And it’s great for all these other characters that they’re getting all this care and attention that they often don’t get. But it doesn’t have to come at Lorna’s expense. If she’s going to be on the book, it has to actually give a damn about what she’s been through and how it’s shaped her, and openly acknowledge her too often forgotten past spanning 52 years.  

I am not saying X-Factor taken as its own thing is bad. I’m not saying it treats any of the other characters bad. I’m saying it’s bad for Lorna, and she’s better off not on it even if she doesn’t get to join the new X-Men team. 

I will end off on a bit more of a positive note for people who happen to like this book. There are a couple things I do like about it.

I like the creative usage of Lorna’s powers in building the team’s base, and in having the prophecies encoded in electromagnetic signatures. Those are an excellent way to show she can be and do other things besides “bend spoons,” and she’s not just “Magneto with boobs” as far as power usage.

I also like that the book does not have a sexism problem in its treatment Lorna. Past treatment of Lorna had this problem in a big way, as demonstrated by this awful as fuck cover from X-Men Blue.

And I partly like the very last few panels of X-Factor #4, in that Lorna gets to do some public speaking among mutant colleagues. I loathe the treatment leading up to it, and I think it could’ve been much better if it followed the vein of one of the variant covers of Lorna holding up a sword in front of an army as if urging them onward to battle as a warrior queen would. But it was still better than okay.

But those few good bits do not in any way make up for the bad as I’ve seen it in this book.

[doerot]

This is going to be a mess, and long, and I'm on mobile, so please bare with me. Also this is a season 5, anti-cat/ra/dora and entapdak centric post because that's kinda what is swirling around in my head at the moment.

So for a bit of backstory, I got into She-ra in 2017 when the name got announced and cute cat and warrior woman lesbians screen shots got leaked. I can safely say I got into spop shipping cat/ra/dora without knowing anything about the characters other than their designs and when season 1 dropped and their dynamic seemed to be having that friends to enemies to lovers thing going on I was all for seeing how it would go.

But then season 2 happens, then 3, then 4, and their relationship keeps getting worse, cat/ra keeps getting worse. At this point I really don't care about their relationship anymore and frankly find it plain unhealthy.

Plus, I'm sitting in my corner in entrapdak heaven, very comfortable (I'll get back to that in a minute). And there are just other aspects of the show that I care about more than shipping because the end all be all of the show isn't whether or not two characters get together even if it is nice.

(TW:Depression just for this small section but better safe than sorry)

So the world is crashing down around me and I have been dissociating for the past month and you know what spop is a light hearted show that makes me happy. So I binged season 5 in a day and it brought a smile to my face for 3 weeks. It wasn't a perfect ending but it was satisfying. Even if it didn't really ship it I got my main character lesbian happily ever after.

Then I rewatched it.

I'm going to start of by saying, and I got to be honest (and I'm not speaking for everyone obviously) but if cat/ra/dora was het it would not get nearly as much love as it does. It was ground breaking as a mc lesbian relationship, but it was really toxic. Like rey/lo levels of toxic.

I personally was rooting for it until about season 3 when everything went into no return territory and in season 4 she. Just. Kept. Making. It. Worse. I feel that there just wasn't enough time in season 5 to come back from that. Both hordak and catra did terrible things but the difference is that hordak never hurt entrapta and his ending over all was left way more open ended, where as cat/ra actively harmed ad/ora multiple times throughout the show and she received a happy ending.

I really wish cat/ra's catalist for changing was just losing scorpia and not almost genocide and killing angella so more time (as in all of season 4 and 5) could have been put into her working towards forgiveness for her smaller actions (also scorpia got totally blown off and that is a real shame). Season five barely touched on cat/ra's larger war crimes and all of that could have been solved if she just didn't commit them. The portal could still have been activated in some way. I truly feel that mara, razz and light hope's whole subplot was really underdeveloped and if they were expanded upon that could have been a way for the portal to be activated. I don't have the systematics planned out but something else, anything, could have worked better.

Also I know this isn't the point of the show (as in: it's more about interpersonal relationships than overarching worlds but I do wish they went a bit more in depth with it because in the end everything felt just a bit too much like set dressing and less like a cohesive story) and hordak isn't a main character, but I just felt like he was really robbed this last season. What could have been a really cool horde history and cult plot line for hordak kinda went to cat/ra, and while that mind control scene was really well done and heart wrenching idk if it really would have been necessary if cat/ra wasn't the absolute worst. Idk it just felt like the cult plot line was like 80% cat/ra's and 20% hordak's when it should have been entirely his. Idk it could have been so good and than it just wasn't quite it.

Now it's coming out that noelle just didn't care for hordak all that much, which is fine! He was originally set up to be the main villain and she wasn't the lead writer for him. It's fine. But because she favors cat/ra so much you can really tell that some decisions were a little rash.

Ok final thoughts, and this is going to get gushy, but just in general the way hordak and entrapta are handled (on screen) are so good, like they are so in love and you can tell it's so beautiful. It's not perfect just like how nothing in this show is perfect (I wish we got that missing scene but don't we all) but I think it is a step in the right direction and it's just so good. I'm at the end of this and I don't have the words anymore for how soft those two make me.

This rant doesn't really have like a solid ending I just want people to talk to me.

Tldr: I'm satisfied and disappointed at the same time. Cat/ra/dora kinda sucks. Entrapdak is beautiful. Hordak deserved better. But also the future is looking really bright for queer and neurodivergent narratives in animation so you know what I think it's ok.