#and how i think it would've been really cool to see things developing

[destiel-wings]

here's the plot i had imagined for the hypothetical season 2 of Gotham Knights (may it rest in peace 😭💔 -- or not?? renew it you cowards)

I can see the GK teaming up by themselves keeping the streets of Gotham clean without Turner. Then I imagine him showing up saving them in the s2 premiere with upgraded skills. And I imagine a whole season where they get to rebuild their trust with him (because they've been apart for like one whole year??) and we find out slowly (through flashbacks) what happened to him during this training and who those people are. In the meantime Two Face does his things, Duela tries and reach out (or he's the one who does) and it's complicated because he's evil, but Harvey tries to resurface constantly and we see a lot of that, of him struggling and Harvey trying to stop his evil counterpart and keep him at bay (while telling us more about his backstory) but the evil side is winning and must be stopped. In the end the French show up to help? BUT THEN maybe the one in charge (that during that year had gained Turner's trust *causing jealousy from the GKs*) betrays them? So maybe in the finale they team up with Two Face (Duela persuades him because he and not Harvey is actually her father) to fight the French men?? Which is revealed to be the common enemy??

I imagine Two Face unleashing his full evil to do so, and also in the final fight saving Duela's life. And maybe that was Two Face, not Harevey, doing this act of care--and it breaks something good inside him. So maybe he saves her and leaves her somewhere and then disappears (party because he's ashamed of showing her his worse evil, partly cause he's afraid she may destroy his evil side, erasing it, because what is he, without it?? just Harvey).

And I imagine a season 3 where Duela is searching for him, but nobody's heard of him for months. But somehow she wants to find him, because maybe she saw something in him, being as screwed up as she is, but also caring about her in a way that her mother never really had, and she wants to give him a chance (which is weird for her, as all the GK point out, but it speaks to her character development).

[hiddenbeks]

oh also in other news. i finally finished leviathan the other day

[weberina]

Before reading the TGCF novel, I think my expectation (based on background info absorbed via osmosis on Tumblr) was Oblivious™ Xie Lian and Secretly Pining Hua Cheng (trying to act cool but failing type thing). Maybe sth more similar to MDZS.

That would've been great too. But wow the actual story was NOT what I expected.

Hua Cheng was not acting cool. He was actually cool, as in calm and collected. He was just so sure about his feelings, and it truly didn't matter if Xie Lian ever reciprocated. He was happy just to be around and showed it candidly. He never actually hides his feelings per se, but tempers them so that Xie Lian would feel more comfortable. I mean, he did have a panic attack in the cave of ten thousand Xie Lians, but honestly who wouldn't. That's his soul laid bare, his ernest prayer in the depths of despair, clinging on to the only thing that's keeping him in existence. But, other than that, he was pretty normal actually. He knows how he feels, and he'll take it as far as Xie Lian wants to.

Now. Xie Lian. Xie Lian's response was a surprise to me. I did not expect to see him having a full-blown gay awakening, gay panic and gay acceptance journey, especially one occurring quite so early in the story. And boy was he NOT oblivious. Inexperienced? Yes. He had absolutely no idea what was going on with himself. But he was keenly aware of it the whole time, noticed every single thing he felt, emotionally and physically. And then processed it so normally i.e. initially by hoping for instant death, but later on just completely rolling with it, basking in it even. So much so that by the time we get the cave, he already knows what he feels and what he wants and who San Lang is to him. He panics only because he's afraid San Lang will run off without letting him explain.

And I just love that. I loved seeing a relationship developing so naturally, so easily over time, just blossoming, really.

What's difficult is everything around them, not them.

[steddiealltheway]

(Happy happy birthday Noelle (@frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe) thank you for all your amazing fun facts which are the source for this little ficlet. I hope you enjoy <3)

For some reason, The Party had decided to rent Friday the 13th for their upcoming movie night at Steve's house. With all the shit they've been through, Steve thinks that maybe it's a strange choice, but he knows better than to question the kids.

"What a nice choice," Robin says sarcastically as she looks over Steve's shoulder at the tape. She hasn't quite grasped how defensive the teens can get, but they seem to respect her more than they respect Steve. Figures.

"Isn't it?" Dustin snarks back as he grabs the tape from the counter.

Max rolls her eyes and adds, "I said the same thing."

"Yeah, because you want to watch some shit like Cinderella," Mike whines.

"Does it ever hurt your tiny, sexist brain to think of those weak insults?" Max asks with her eyebrows raised.

Lucas tries to hide a laugh as Mike glares at him.

"Alright, alright, this is the Family Video. Take it outside if you guys are going to bicker," Steve says with a sigh as he moves to restack some tapes Dustin had nudged just to be annoying.

"You and Robin bicker all the time," Dustin says defensively.

Steve gives him a look. "Do you want to lose Harrington house privileges?"

Dustin sighs, looking like he really wants to argue before he turns around to the group and announces defeatedly, "Alright, let's get snacks before tonight."

As they're filing out the door, Dustin runs back to the counter and adds, "I almost forgot. Is it fine if Eddie comes?"

Steve shrugs, trying to look unphased by the question. "Sure," he says, voice cracking a bit.

Dustin instantly lights up. "Great! I already invited him, so that would've been awkward. See you later!"

Robin comes up to him and lightly shoves his shoulder. "Sure," she mocks him. "You're so smooth."

"Shut up," Steve says with a sigh. God, Robin will never let him live down what he thought to be his deathbed confession of his crush on Eddie. In reality, he was just put on so many painkillers in the hospital that he had gotten confused when he woke up in a hospital room.

And yeah, maybe the crush still hasn't gone away and Robin definitely knows, but he refuses to acknowledge it.

"You're going to be at the movie night, right?" Steve asks.

Robin groans. "I've already told you, I have my parent's anniversary dinner tonight."

"So, you'll be at my house tonight," Steve jokes.

"I wish."

Steve nudges her shoulder. He's already seen the obnoxious pictures of Robin and her parents from every year of their wedding anniversaries lining the walls of one particular hallway. It's endearing really, but Robin hates it.

"You better call me later if anything new develops between you and Eddie," Robin whispers although there's no one in the room.

Steve just nods, feeling the blood rise to his cheeks as he still refuses to verbally acknowledge the ridiculous crush that maybe fills his stomach with butterflies and all those obnoxious things.

He sighs and turns to Robin. "How am I going to survive tonight without you?"

"The world may never know," she says dramatically.

And really, the world may never know. At least, that's how Steve feels.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Okay, maybe Steve is a little bit of a mess.

Sure, Eddie has shown up, and Steve has been playing it cool, but it's like he can't take his eyes off him. He's made so much eye contact, he's sure that he's creeping Eddie out a bit or giving away his huge crush.

But he’s Steve Harrington. Like Steve “The Hair” Harrington. Inventor of the Harrington charm. All that stuff. And… Eddie has absolutely melted him into a puddle of goo. Christ.

By the time the movie starts, Steve’s head is practically buzzing with all his thoughts of Eddie is sitting next to me. What do I do? The kids are here, so I can’t make a move. But I don’t even know if he likes me.

Then, Max’s question breaks through the thoughts as she asks, “When is the next Friday the 13th this year?”

“Well, fun fact, any month that starts on a Sunday will have a Friday the 13th,” Eddie says with a proud grin.

Steve ignores the kids’ responses asking when that month is and the subsequent response from Eddie saying he doesn’t know, but he just knows the fact.

But for some reason, the fact is absolutely blowing Steve’s mind.

And yes, maybe it’s because it came from Eddie, but truly, when Steve associates fact with something, it is never fun. But this truly is a… fun fact.

He must have a look on his face because Eddie eyes him and asks, “What?”

Steve just shrugs and says, “I just… really thought the fact was… fun.” Jesus, did his Harrington charm just evaporate or something?

But he thinks the honesty of it works for Eddie who smiles softly at him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, how did you know that?”

Eddie swings an arm casually over the back of the couch and leans in. “I’m full of fun facts, Harrington.” He gives him a winks before leaning back.

Steve leans into his space, trying to close some of the distance between them. “Tell me another one.”

Eddie laughs, “I’m going to max out my fun fact limit to one a day.”

“That doesn’t seem fair.”

Eddie tilts his head toward him. “It’s fair if it gives me an excuse to talk to you every day.”

Okay, yeah. That was blatant flirting. Which Steve is about to match, until the kids decide now is the best time to interrupt and yell at them to be quiet as the movie starts.

As the movie goes on, Eddie and Steve drift closer together while trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible in front of the kids. They haven’t talked about it, of course, but Steve’s pretty sure neither of them want to scar the kids. Or maybe, Steve just doesn’t want the kids to very accurately point out his feelings for Eddie and force him to deal with them.

Unfortunately, this also means that Steve doesn’t get a moment alone with Eddie to further flirt with him or try to push him for another fact. But maybe it’s not such a bad thing. Especially since Eddie gave him an excuse to talk to him tomorrow.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“What’s another fun fact?” Steve asks as soon as he hears Eddie on the other line.

“Christ, I just woke up. Give my brain a few seconds,” Eddie groans into the phone, voice rough with sleep.

Steve smiles. “Good morning by the way,” he says sweetly.

“Good morning,” Eddie replies back, sounding a bit less grumpy. There’s a bit of shuffling on his side of the phone before he says, “It’s illegal to feed pigeons on the streets of San Francisco.”

Steve’s jaw drops. “There’s no way!”

“Go ahead and feed a pigeon there then,” Eddie says with a laugh.

“Maybe I will. If you come with me and promise to bail me out.”

Eddie hums on the other line. “I don’t know. I think it would be fun to spend a night in a jail cell with you. Maybe I’ll join you in your crime.”

“Scratch that, I’m bailing you out.”

“That’s sounds about right, Bonnie.”

“Bonnie?” Steve questions, feeling like he’s missed something.

Eddie gasps on the other line. “Like Bonnie and Clyde!”

Steve doesn’t respond, waiting for Eddie to fill him in.

“Okay, this doesn’t count as a fun fact because this is just a story of one of the greatest crime couples to ever exist,” Eddie says excitedly, rambling on about the two.

Steve sits back, cheeks hurting from smiling a little too hard as he listens to Eddie and tries not to linger too much on the fact he compared the two of them to a real life couple.

-:-:-:-:-:-

The phone calls continue every day, but the fun facts really are just a starting point to a long drawn out conversation about whatever’s on their mind.

Robin has pretended to get tired whenever Steve calls her right after Eddie has to hang up or spends hours talking about Eddie during their shift at the Family Video. But he knows she’s secretly just as enthralled about the fun facts as he is.

“Did you know that the Statue of Liberty wears a size eight hundred seventy nine shoe?” Steve asks Robin, still in disbelief over the fact.

“Sounds like you’re talking about me,” Eddie says, somehow coming into the store without Steve noticing.

Steve’s heart beats a little harder as he turns to him. “All good things of course,” Steve says with a wink.

“I was scared you were passing off my facts to Buckley as if they were your own for a second there,” Eddie says, leaning across the the counter.

“And what if I was?” Steve challenges, leaning on the counter.

“Then, I would have to revoke my daily fun fact.”

Steve’s jaw drops. “You’d never.”

Eddie shrugs. “Maybe you’ll just have to see.”

Steve just laughs and shoves his shoulder lightly. “What are you doing here though? Coming to deliver my fun fact in person?”

Eddie blushes and looks down. “No, I was actually just… wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight.”

“Sounds good,” Steve says automatically, not even stopping to think if he has any other plans.

“I’ll see you after your shift then?” Eddie asks, tilting his head a bit.

“I’ll see you then,” Steve confirms with a smile.

Eddie nods and turns to leave.

“Oh, wait!” Steve calls out.

Eddie turns around.

“You haven’t told me your fun fact for today.”

Eddie smiles. “You’ll just have to wait until tonight. After all, it’s a pretty good excuse to make sure you come over.”

Steve scoffs, “As if that’s the only reason.”

Eddie just pulls his hair in front of his face as his smile gets a little wider. “See you soon.”

“Bye,” Steve says, waggling his fingers at him.

“Holy shit,” Robin says, startling Steve. “I thought you said your crush was hopeless.”

Steve just shrugs. “It’s Eddie, he flirts with everyone.”

“Not like that.”

Steve pauses and thinks back on their conversation and all the flirtatious banter leading up to this moment. Maybe she’s right, but also he remembers… “Did you know that bubble wrap was invented by accident?”

Robin runs a hand over her face and says, “You two are going to be the death of me, I can already tell.”

Steve just smiles and thinks maybe they will be.

-:-:-:-:-:-

A few hours later, he shows up at Eddie’s, trying not to overthink things too much.

They were just hanging out. Just… two people… hanging out… alone… who flirt all the time…. And one definitely has a major crush on the other.

Eddie opens the door to the trailer immediately after Steve knocks only a single time. “I heard your car pull up,” he explains as soon as the door is open.

“Been lingering at the door for long?” Steve teases.

“Hours,” Eddie replies dramatically. But there’s a hint of nervous energy that Steve can’t help but pick up on. “Come on in.”

Steve steps inside and is hit with the smell of spaghetti and breadsticks. “Did you make dinner?”

“Nah, I picked it up from Enzo’s,” Eddie says with a smile before closing the door behind him and gesturing to the couch where two plates are laid out. “I thought we could… watch a movie while we ate or… something.”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Steve replies with a smile, noticing the way his response relieves some of the nervous energy that is consuming Eddie.

“Perfect, right this way madam,” he jokes as he leads Steve to the couch with his hand resting on the dip of his lower back.

Steve sits down and can’t help but ask, “So, what fun fact did you make me wait for?”

Eddie freezes and curses, “Shit, you were supposed to ask that after all of this.”

Steve’s eyebrows furrow. “Why?” He asks nervously.

Eddie fidgets with his rings and mumbles, “Okay, you can do it.” Then, he turns back to Steve and says, “Fun fact… I’ve been dying to ask you out for a while now, and… I was hoping that this could be a date? And further fun fact, I will absolutely shut up forever if I read things wrong, and I’m so sorry if I did. Oh shit. Did I? Because really, I thought-”

“Eddie,” Steve interrupts him quickly, placing a hand over his. “I think it’s finally time that I share a fun fact with you.”

Eddie nods, eyes wide and scared.

“Fun fact,” Steve says and takes a deep breath, “I’m really upset that you beat me to asking you out because I’m a damn chicken. And fun fact, I’ve liked you since I saw you interacting with Dustin for the first time. And you can confirm the fact with Robin who I told while I thought I was on my deathbed.”

Eddie’s expression slowly morphs from fear to relief to happiness. “And that’s really all a fact?”

“Yes. Fun ones I hope.”

“Very very fun,” Eddie says with a laugh. He worries his bottom lip before saying, “Fun fact, I really want to kiss you.”

“Fun fact,” Steve echoes cheesily. “I would love to kiss you.”

And he does exactly that.

(Later on, Steve calls Robin from Eddie’s house and yells, “Fun fact, I just kissed Eddie!” Into the phone so loudly that Robin complains that his “fun fact” is giving her ear damage. But she also lets him know that she’s happy for him, as long as he doesn’t keeps phrasing everything as a fun fact.

Only, Steve can’t help it, when everything involving Eddie becomes the best facts he knows.)

[numberoneredriotfan]

It makes me really upset that Kirishima and Bakugou's friendship wasn't highlighted too much after season 4 or the shie hassakai arc. And I don't even mean this in a shipping sense. Kirishima was a HUGE part of Bakugou's character development even if it wasn't shown that way.

At first, Kirishima is introduced as one of the only people who can handle Bakugou and all his intensity- as well as his explosive (haha get it) personality. This is showcased more clearly in the sports festival arc.

Kirishima offers to be Bakugou's horse, because he's the only one that can handle his explosions with his hardening (which is probably the only quirk in 1-A that really effectively deflect Bakugou's explosions, so nobody else could really be in that position other than Kirishima.) Also, he without hesitation called Bakugou a dumbass and told him to remember his fucking name, even after seeing how angry he can get when provoked. And this isn't even the last time Kirishima does this. So Kirishima becomes someone who can handle Bakugou, but their friendship doesn't end there.

Most this development probably happened off-screen, but overtime Bakugou started to see Kirishima as an equal. Not just someone who could handle Bakugou and put up with him, but as someone who is able to stand by his side unwavering while also understanding his perspective to some extent (which I assume is rare for Bakugou, considering most other's view of him is either "what a jackass" or "wow he's so cool").

Which is why I really love this scene they added in the anime, which shows that Kirishima understands Bakugou, even if he seems like just an arrogant asshole. I think the only other character who understands Bakugou on that level is Deku (and of course his classmates learn to understand later on, but I'm talking about early on).

Kirishima was arguably the first person who Bakugou saw as an equal. Something I noticed about early Bakugou is that he either had a superiority complex or a inferiority complex with someone, and there was really no in between lol. That was, until Kirishima. Who came in as someone who neither above or below him. While Kirishima doesn't take any of Bakugou's shit, he also doesn't treat Bakugou like just a jerk.

This is of course, showcased best in the iconic Bakugou rescue scene.

This scene was honestly just such a good show of their bond, and how Bakugou sees Kirishima. Because as Deku pointed out, Bakugou wouldn't have taken anyone else's hand. We know this for a fact, as this was the same man who would've rather been kidnapped by villains then accept Deku's help-

So yeah. I fully believe if it was anyone other than Kirishima to reach out a hand to him, he would've straight up ignored them and would've tried to fight the villains himself. (Death is one thing but his ego is another apparently-).

It would be ignorant of me to say that Kirishima was the only one who understood Bakugou, because that's just not the case. Because as we saw multiple times throughout the series, Deku (as previously stated) understands Bakugou very well from the very beginning. However, while this opens up the gateway for a reconciliation with Bakugou in the future, Bakugou's complex feelings about Deku make it impossible for them to form a relationship based on that. Kirishima came in as a breath of fresh air, in which there was no lingering resentment or complexity involved. And of course, later in the series, we see the other members of class A understand Bakugou on that level as well. But in the beginning at least, Kirishima was the only person he could sort build that bridge of understanding with.

And even if it's never stated explicitly, I truly believe Bakugou wouldn't have opened up to relationships with his other classmates if it weren't for Kirishima befriending him. Or at the very least, it would've taken him a lot longer.

And the we have to take into accountability of how much their friendship has helped KIRISHIMA develop as a a character. As we can see, from the very beginning, Kirishima has a bad habit of comparing his quirk to the others of their class.

This isn't his fault necessarily, as in their society it's probably drilled into your head from a young age that you can only be a good hero if you have a flashy quirk.

And because of this, rather than looking at his own strength, he pays a lot of attention to how he compares to others.

So clearly, he's hard on himself and has a lot of self-esteem issues. (I am him. He is me-)

And it's clear he looks up to Bakugou a lot from just...Bakugou being Bakugou. Bakugou's a very forward person who jumps in without thinking (for better or worse), which is almost everything Kirishima wants to be. I honestly think that might've been- at least partially- what drew Kirishima to Bakugou. He wanted to be more like him, even if he wouldn't admit to himself. He, in a way, was putting Bakugou on a pedestal, even if he didn't realize that Bakugou sees him as an equal.

But then, Bakugou tells him this:

Which in the end, pushes Kirishima to reach his full potential, which came in form of unbreakable. Bakugou, who was originally someone he looked up to and admired, eventually became his motivation. His drive, even. And it wasn't just Bakugou, obviously, but Bakugou still contributed a lot.

And after all this, their friendship gets pushed to the side so we can focus on Bakugou and Deku's reconciliation. Which isn't bad! I love Bakugou and Deku's friendship as well! And I will say it holds a lot more importance to the plot of the story, and it wasn't necessarily a requirement to have Bakugou and Kirishima's relationship showcased more.

But still, I feel as though one could assume that once Bakugou got his character development from Kirishima, he didn't need anymore. Like he was just a stepping stone in order to reach his redemption with Deku. Which is just a sad way to look at their relationship :( and I truthfully believe that that just isn't the case. We did get a few crumbs, but even then we never got to see them talk one-one as friends after a while.

This isn't supposed to be Kiribaku propaganda or anything like that, and some of this will probably fall into headcanon territory and is just my interpretation of their characters. This also isn't me saying that their relationship is more important than Bakugou and Deku's, or Kirishima and Mina's, this is just more of a vent on how I would've liked to see more of their friendship.

Edit: just wanted to put this here as well

(From mha ultra analysis)

[peace-hunter]

I wonder if Jazz could be a catalyst for Orion realizing he isn’t that special. Because B-127 definitely is going to view Orion as extremely special and important, and Elita may view him as especially annoying. But to Jazz, Orion is just a cool coworker and a fun guy to be around, who does reckless stuff but also likes to help. So long as he doesn’t get Prime-dazzled, he could be a great part of Optimus grounding himself in realizing he is also just some guy.

ooohh i love that idea! personally i think elita would still be critical for orion's character development in this au, but adding jazz to the mix could be really fun!

the thing about orion's arc in this au is that he has to let go of the idea that him being a prime since birth makes him inherently worthy of leading. both because that's a pretty conceited way of thinking and because it places an unreasonable amount of pressure on him.

the high guard are absolutely no help on this because to them orion being a Prime is the foundation upon which they've set all their hopes for the future. he's their last hope and they've built up an idea of what he would grow up to be like throughout all the years they've been apart. and when they finally reunite and he inevitably fails to meet up their expectations, their disappointment is so great it causes a lot of them to lose all their faith on the Primes and Primus as a whole.

which. not a great thing to put on a twenty something years old kid who just got his entire world shaken to its very foundation!

bee is not nearly as bad as the high guard about this, but he's definitely a little bit too starstruck to really give orion the grounding presence he needs for this. like. bee would've followed orion pretty much to the end of the world simply because he was the first friend he'd had in so long. so add to that orion being revealed as a Prime and bee is simply too attached now to really tell orion off in any way.

not to mention orion feels a bit too responsible for bee to let him know just how shaken and terrified he is by what bee clearly sees as something amazing. personally i see bee as just a couple years younger than the rest of the squad but enough so that orion feels compelled to take care of him in some level. more like a younger brother than a son, but still firmly in the "I have to be strong for him" zone.

now for elita i think she would be perfect to make orion understand he's being incredibly idiotic by thinking being a Prime inherently makes him a good leader. she worked her aft off to be captain of just one (1) miner crew and she's better than him in everything so what makes him think just being born with a fancy title is sufficient to lead an entire army. he has to put in the work too. there's simply no way around it.

and in contrast jazz can make him see that it's okay. it's fine that he's not the perfect Prime already. that he's not an irremediable failure just because he failed once. orion saved his life back when he was nothing but a reckless miner with nothing but spite and a good heart to his name. even when he messed up and got in trouble, he never stopped trying to help. that's why he liked him. why would him being a Prime change that.

anyway! i like it, good idea nonnie <333

baby prime orion au

[stu-dyingstudent]

Sakura Haruno fic recs: ANBU

AHHHH!!!! I love ANBU fics, especially when they involve Sakura. It was such a cool concept, which was unfortunately never fully expanded upon. However, our lack of knowledge regarding the shadow corps allows for some really cool fic ideas since authors can take creative liberty on the structure and workings of the division.

In my opinion, Sakura had the most potential out of team 7 to join ANBU (at least more than Naruto). It's all about being discreet and efficient and although she wasn't strong during og, she possessed abilities that would be valuable for this. Her clever mind, chakra control, and genjutsu potential would've made her a good fit. Naruto was too flamboyant and Sasuke was too reckless and cocky, but this is just my take. However, with her new skill set from her training with Tsunade, I don't think she would be able to go down that path anymore.

Also, try out my ANBU ROOT list (some overlap).

Started: 2024.08.06

Last Updated: 2024.08.29

note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!

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Masks by mads999 || ao3 || kakasaku || E || canon divergent || complete

1. Sakura's Inner is far more diabolical than anyone ever expected 2. Crows prove to be cruel mentors 3. Sakura comes to learn exactly how much she hates Kakashi (as well as how alike they are, in the most terrible of ways)

Kakashi is a hateful turd and Sakura is spiteful! One of the best character developments I've read for Sakura and she certainly becomes of force to be reconned with. The ANBU lore in Masks is absolutely phenomenal and I love the whole system that is put into place as it adds for some drama (lol). Also, can we talk about how awesome crow summons are????

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Five Kingdoms for the Dead - Evil Is A Relative Term || ffn || M || canon divergence || complete

After the Forest of Death, Sakura comes to realize that being weak is no longer an option. However, she finds that change is sometimes painful and that truth doesn't always come easy. Luckily, she'll have some help along the way.

It's been a while since I've read Five Kingdoms for the Dead, but I just remember it being absolutely great! I'll be honest, I found a lot of the mind stuff pretty confusing at times, but it was still enjoyable. Also, some great characters are utilized in this fic such as Neji, Sai, and Itachi. Makes me really wish that we saw more of Sakura and Neji working together in Naruto since I think they compliment each other quite well.

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Trials of Change - Espoiretreves || ao3 || gen || time travel AU || complete

Haruno Sakura made a promise. Looking in the eyes of her Shisou and the reanimated Hokage, she took on the most important mission of her life. Go back in time and try to prevent the 4th Shinobi War. Now, Sakura is back to her 5-year-old body, with all the knowledge and haunting memories of the future. She vows to keep her precious people safe and stop certain events from happening, without altering the timeline too much. The trials her emotions and logic put her through have her questioning her very existence, but for the sake of peace, she has to push forward. No matter what.

Trials of Change is actually apart of a time travel series and I have to say that it is probably one of the best of the genre! Now, Sakura is not in ANBU here, but she works very closely with team Ro (Kakashi's ANBU team) and it's a huge part of the story, so I'm choosing to count it anyway. I really adore all of the worldbuilding and backstories going on here in addition to the fact that there are breaks. Yes, the story keeps moving, but there are other things going on, like playdates, and not just Sakura trying to save the world. Also, if you love Shisui then definitely check this out since he has a huge role and his and Sakura's friendship is just so precious.

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bite me and see, said the fly to the spider - MirrorImage003 || ao3 || itasaku || T || non-massacre AU || ongoing

In which Sakura is not initially a part of Team 7. In which she wears her failures like armor and brandishes her fears like her most trusted weapons. In which I do what hundreds of other authors have done before me, and rewrite Sakura's story. Non-massacre AU. Canon Divergent. Slow-burn.

After Sakura's first team, consisting of the graduating class's "expendables," dies, she joins team 7 and faces backlash along her shinobi journey. Sakura doesn't join ANBU until the later chapters so fair warning that there isn't too much content in that regards (unless it updates). Nonetheless, Sakura views ANBU as vital to her career as it offers her the highest clearance she can get. Gaining her opportunities for information her civilian-born status didn't allow her privy to.

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The Sixth Shadow - thinknicht || ao3 || kakasaku || M || canon divergent - eventual time travel AU || ongoing

No one seemed to find it odd when little Haruno Sakura threw herself smack dab in front of a Chidori and Rasengan. Not even Kakashi stopped to wonder.(He really should have.)

The story of how Sakura came to be the sixth hogake despite all of the challenges thrown her way. I especially love Sakura's drive in addition to the political aspects. However, be warned that Kakashi is an absolute HATER (in the beginning), but he gets better! The Sixth Shadow is extremely long and I only just recently got to Sakura's introduction to ANBU, so I can't say too much in that regard.

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Daughter of Fire - justjstuff || ao3 || kakasaku || E || canon divergence || incomplete (maybe ongoing)

Sakura got up and didn’t bother brushing the dirt from her dress. She had a feeling she was about to get even dirtier.She looked at the memorial stone one last time, memorizing the characters without even realizing she was doing it. It would serve from that moment on as a reminder of her determination. She wouldn’t let Naruto and Sasuke join the names carved on that stone.That was her nindo.

Sakura's growth throughout Daughter of Fire is great and realistic all while pointing out aspects from the original series which were flawed and dare I say misogynistic. I struggled a bit in the beginning to justify her abilities, but overall the story is really well done and the ANBU aspects are quite intriguing.

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cut the head off the snake - itsthechocopuff || ao3 || T || time travel AU || complete

when eighteen-year-old, post-war Sakura is thrown back into her tiny, pre-Academy body, she makes a decision. she'd had a childhood once already, and this time, she's more interested in Not Dying when the inevitable shit hits the proverbial fan. so she will work harder, care less, kill more, and smile when she's done.and hey, if she ends up reviving an extinct nature transformation to attract the most corrupt, power-hungry man from her timeline, all the better for her, right?

Such a unique take on a time travel AU and Cut the Head Off the Snake executes it perfectly. Sakura decides that her first order of business is to infiltrate ROOT and that's exactly what she does. Sai, Shin, and Shisui are all great characters and team Ro is present as well. Very good!

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Flowers - Idunmy || ao3 || E || kakasaku || canon divergence || ongoing

Flowers only bloom just before they wilt When Sakura loses her fight against Ino in her Chuunin exams, she questions her ability to ever become a kunoichi, too weak to protect herself, let alone her village One wrongful promotion later and Sakura gets a second chance in the shape of a mysterious new teacher who against all odds is willing to put her faith in a young girl with potential and a willingness to fight. Or- a fix-it inspired fic where Sakura grows to be the powerhouse she was destined to become.

Flowers is a newer series (which has recent updates) and I love it! Critiques are made towards the medical ninja training, which I believe needed to be discussed and it's refreshing to see. In most ANBU fics I've read, Sakura is immediately put onto the strongest team, but here it's a bit different. She begins on a demolition squad, which not only suits her skill set quite well, but is a realistic approach to how she would be introduced to the corps. Anyway, it's one of my favorite reads at the moment and I really like where the story is going.

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names. - waterpllar || ao3 || T || gen || canon divergence || complete

There are no names or faces in ANBU. Everything is designed to be strictly formal, efficient and professional. A recently orphaned Sakura, however, learns that some regulations aren't meant to be followed, and finds a place in Team Ro after being shunned from her former teammates. (fic prompt from anon on tumblr: orphaned sakura in anbu with yamato, genma, and team ro.)

AHHHH poor Sakura. After her parents' death Sakura seeks Tsunade's help out of desperation to become useful. Under recommendation, Sakura's new goal is to make it into ANBU.

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Equinox - FM_White || ao3 || itasaku || M || anbu AU || complete

ItaSaku (Post Uchiha Massacre) AU: Climbing through the ranks of Konoha, Sakura finds herself with the invitation to join ANBU and a chance to learn from one of the most renowned and legendary ninja in the world. Despite her efforts to grow stronger however, she finds the world isn't as black and white as it looks and that some truths are easier to hide than others.

I don't remember Equinox very well, but I love most works by this author sooo. Anyway, Itachi stays in Konoha and instead it's Sasuke that goes rougue. Sakura, Naruto, and Shikamaru are newly joined ANBU members and all placed on a team with Itachi and things go from there.

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stars in our eyes as we dream of the heavens (the gods walk among us, sweet child, do not forget) - snickiebear || ao3 || kakasaku || T || age-swap AU || oneshot complete

“Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto whispered, staring at his teacher, horror plain on his face. “You’re married?” Lazily, Kakashi looked down at his gloveless hand where his ring rested, “It would appear so.”

Sakura is born in the same generation as Kakashi and turns out as a badass ANBU married to him. This is super wholesome as it's a lot of the two of them bonding with Kakashi's genin team (Sai makes three) in an effort to help them out. It's a series so you can read more of the events taking place prior to the fic.

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Anachronistic Drift  - Elesrea  || ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || incomplete

Her plan was flawless. Save Shisui. Save the world. Time-travel, Sakura-centric AU

Sakura spends years training to be sent back in time and save the world from Sasuke. She isn't in ANBU, but rather poses as one in order to keep an anonymous status on her doings both in and out of the village.

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Sakura - lilac haze || ffn/ao3 || M || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

AU. Non-Canon. Time Travel. Please see inside for full warnings. Cross posted on Ao3. On his deathbed he was granted eternal peace and place to rest for all of time. Of course that was not appealing to him. Ever unpredictable to the end he had a counter offer. One that the Sage had to consider. In which Sakura's going to have a rough time. A really rough time.

Sakura is probably one of my all time favorite fics because the emotions are just spectacular. The story is pretty heavy on ANBU and ROOT aspects, which I always enjoy, but I wouldn't say it's a major focus. However, there is an emphasis on the unfair treatment towards kunoichi. Anyway, the characterizations and storytelling are beautifully done. Please share this author some love.

Check TWs before hand!!

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Hope y'all enjoy these recs, and please feel free to send me some if you have any!!!! I really appreciate when you do :)

[doorhine]

One of many things I like about Blue Eye Samurai is how it portrays its disabled characters. There's a lot to talk about with each of them but for this post, I want to talk about, not the step dad, but the dad who stepped up, Sword Father!

*Spoilers below

Him and Mizu's relationship is one of my favorite dynamics in the show and seeing how that developed over the years was one of my favorite things about the pilot. It felt very symbiotic and good for the both of them emotionally to have that company and support, especially on Mizu's end.

I really liked seeing how the two worked together and how Mizu accommodated to his needs. I also liked the respect given to Sword Father's ability to take care of himself as an adult even without Mizu's assistance. He's been blacksmithing for years and he's respected in his line of work. Losing his sight did not and does not change that.

I personally think the show does a good job at balancing the reality of him being blind and the accommodations he needs while also respecting him as an autonomous individual and talking about his blindness in a way that feels natural and respectful when it's relevant.

But my favorite thing about this dynamic and Sword Father as an individual is probably the use of audio design in the show in relationship to them. As we see the two of them become a family, and develop this language with each other/way of interacting, sound becomes a key element and that carries over into the entire show.

Being blind, Sword Father relies a lot on his hearing. But we as the audience don't just see this aspect of his character. We're actually made to hear from his perspective and apply that sense to how we perceive the entire season even when he's not present.

The most obvious example is the sound of metal which is used to indicate things like:

Mizu revealing to Sword Father that she forged her sword from the meteorite they found before the camera pans up to the space it used to occupy

The symbolism around Mizu and mixed metal in general

Sword Father realizing that Mizu's at his front door when Ringo brings her and Taigen there which revealed to us, the audience, where Ringo brought them before we see Sword Father come on screen (I loved that moment so much)

and emphasizing the moment of shock the characters in the show had when they heard the sound of gunshots for the first time in the finale in contrast to the clang of swords that we as the audience have gotten so used to hearing.

But the reliance on hearing doesn't just apply to that. In the second episode Mizu encounters Chiaki, a man from her past who she defeats in the present. And you know the biggest tip off the show gives us to recognize him before he reveals himself? His laugh. A noise we would've recalled from the flashbacks he was featured in.

LIKE I JUST THINK THAT'S SO FRIGGIN COOL XD

There's a lot more that can be said about Sword Father and how the show portrays him and his blindness. I personally can't speak on this as a blind person so I'd love to hear what people who are think about it. These are just my 2 cents that I felt like sharing.

[thesoftboiledegg]

"Unmortricken" was a lot. In fact, it might have been a little too much.

To start, I loved the glimpse of what exists outside the Central Finite Curve. The visuals were stunning and reminded me of M.C. Escher's drawings. The Jetson-like family was a nice touch--if anything can happen, who says they can't have different animation styles? All those colorful portals make me wonder what's lurking just out of sight.

It's also funny that the space outside the Curve is full of Rick's favorite thing: crystals. If he took a trip there, he'd come back with his pockets stuffed with gemstones.

Evil Morty's reappearance gave us a decent character study. Since he wasn't the antagonist, we saw him interact with the C-137s as a regular person. Morty's a little impressed, and Rick has a grudging respect for him. Others have called Evil Morty the Rickest Morty, and I agree: similar intelligence, similar technology and similar bloodthirst.

I was glad that he left in the end because that's what his character arc is about anyway. He doesn't want to be part of anyone else's story, not even another Morty's.

However, that's also part of the issue that I had with this episode. Seeing Evil Morty was great, but it was also a little...pointless? You could've had the same story without him. He's not working with Prime, and he has no ties to C-137 after "Rickmurai Jack," so it felt like the writers just said "Hey, you know what would be cool?"

I'm not against writers having fun and giving the audience what they want. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (yeah, groan at me, Marvel haters) is fan service in blockbuster form, and it was one of the best theater experiences I've ever had.

Still, if Evil Morty came back, I think he should've had a separate episode. The episode juggled C-137 Rick, Morty, Evil Morty and Prime Rick pretty well, giving them satisfying interactions with each other, but no Evil Morty would've meant more relationship development for the C-137s.

Evil Morty's backstory also didn't reveal much about him. I mean--yeah, we all figured that he had an abusive Rick and got fed up. The fact that he had a "regular" Rick instead of a deranged lunatic does make a point about the banality of abuse. Monsters aren't always raving maniacs who torture people in their basements. Ordinary people can wear you down with a slow drip of toxicity and neglect.

I enjoyed this episode, and Evil Morty's return was exciting, but cramming the series' two biggest antagonists and storylines into twenty minutes was a little overwhelming. New plot developments kept showing up, too: Rick found Prime! Prime's various lairs! Omega device! I would've preferred a two-parter.

I'll admit that if you told me that we'd see Evil Morty and Rick Prime in the same shot, I never would have believed you, but here we are.

On that note, Prime's characterization was perfect. No attempt at a cutesy, sad backstory; he's a laughing monster until the end. And is it really the end? He has regeneration abilities, but C-137 acts like he's dead and even gives up the search. This leaves us with a few options:

C-137 killed him.

Prime fooled C-137 into thinking that he's dead when he isn't.

C-137's keeping him alive for later use.

Hopefully, this is more complicated than it looks because I'll be disappointed if this is the end of Prime. He's a brilliant reflection of C-137: the Rick he'd be without his tiny shred of humanity.

And Prime's a maniac, but he tells C-137 the truth. Rick broke into Prime's house. He pretended he belonged with this group of strangers. He latched on to Prime's grandson because he never had his own. His brutal, violent streak never went away no matter how long he tried to play house.

Prime says "Admit it! You would have been me!" In season three and parts of season four, Rick was close. His love for his family--love that he pretended he didn't have--and desire for their approval just barely pulled him back. But what kept that spark alive? How close was he to becoming a cold, unfeeling shell?

In the end, C-137's not satisfied after he destroys Prime--and weirdly, I'm not satisfied, either. Beating Prime to an unrecognizable pulp doesn't bring Rick's original family back. It doesn't erase the atrocities that Rick's committed. It doesn't make his grief go away. It doesn't change the fact that Rick teetered on the edge of turning into the monster that he despised.

What's more satisfying is that Rick didn't turn out like Prime. His Morty doesn't give two shits about Prime, but he loves him. He hugs him in relief (come on, Rick, hug him back already!), cries out "Rick? Rick!" and shakes his body when he thinks he's dead, and talks excitedly as they return home.

Rick's going to therapy, which Prime would have mocked. He went from having nobody to living with FIVE kids if you count Morty and Summer. Even he and his Jerry are pretty tight.

Rick knows this, but he still feels empty all the time. Vengeance doesn't work, drinking doesn't work...wouldn't it be easier if he just switched off his humanity and laughed at everything, even his own death?

But now that he knows how it feels to be loved, especially by his hypothetical grandson, I think he'll always find himself at the Smiths' doorstep.

[hiiragi7]

Recently started Transgender History by Susan Stryker, and was pleasantly surprised to see intersex be given about a page and a half of text in the Contexts, Concepts, and Terms section of the book. There are some parts of it which I think are good, some "good enough", and some which I feel miss the mark a bit. Overall, I think Susan Stryker did a pretty decent job here and I'm happy to see intersex included, though I do think there's room for improvement and criticism.

A note I'd like to make here is that this book was originally published in 2008 and revised in 2017, and I'm unsure how much this section in particular was revised since the original publish date - If anyone can find that out I'd be very interested to hear about it!

I'm going to be copying the text from the book here and giving my thoughts on it.

Intersex: Typically, being an egg-producing body means having two X chromosomes, and being a sperm-producing body means having one X and one Y chromosome. When egg and sperm cells fuse (i.e., when sexual reproduction takes place), their chromosomes can combine in patterns (or "karyotypes") other than the typical male (XY) or female (XX) ones (such as XXY or XO). Other genetic anomalies can also cause the sex of the body to develop in atypical ways. Other differences of sex development might take place during pregnancy or after birth as the result of glandular conditions that contribute further differences in the typical development of biological sex. Some of these anomalies cause a body that is genetically XY (typically male) to look typically female at birth. Some bodies are born with genitals that look like a mixture of typically male and typically female shapes. Some genetically female bodies (typically XX) are born without vaginas, wombs, or ovaries. All of these variations on the most typical organization of human reproductive anatomy -- along with many, many more -- are called intersex conditions.

Starting off with examples of intersex variations rather than giving a definition first followed by examples left it hard for me to follow exactly where Stryker was going with it, but that could be a writing style preference; personally I think I would've been a bit lost if I didn't already know what intersex was. Overall I think this starts off pretty solid, gives a good overview of the massive spectrum of sex we're dealing with when we talk about intersex - it doesn't fall into the same "mix of male and female, ambiguous genitals" trap that many other definitions do which I appreciate. The use of typical/atypical (instead of, say, disordered) is good. I also do appreciate the preference for differences of sex development over disorders of sex development.

Intersex used to be called hermaphroditism, but that term is now usually considered perjorative. Some intersex people now prefer the medical term DSD (for Disorders of Sex Development) to describe their sex status, but others reject this term as unduly pathologizing and depoliticizing. Such people might use DSD to refer instead to "differences of sex development," or they might hold on to the word intersex -- or even hermaphrodite, or the slang word herm -- to signal their sense of belonging to a politicized minority community.

This is also good! Really feel like we're addressing the elephants in the room here. Hermaphrodite is perjorative, some intersex people use Disorders of Sex Development but other intersex people consider it unduly pathologizing and depoliticizing and instead use differences of sex development or just intersex (or reclaim Hermaphrodite), and we belong to a politicized minority community. Very cool! Lots of things were said here that other authors are often too afraid to touch on, if they even mention us at all.

Intersex conditions are far more common than we tend to acknowledge; reliable estimates put the number at about one in two thousand births.

Actually, it's more like 1-2 in 100 births, my guess as to what's being referenced is actually the statistics for those born with ambiguous genitals ("The estimated frequency of genital ambiguity is reported to be in the range of 1:2000–1:4500" [Link]), which is disappointing. I do appreciate Stryker going against the "intersex is rare" myth, though.

Intersex doesn't really have all that much to do with transgender, except for demonstrating that the biology of sex is a lot more variable than most people realize. This becomes significant when you have cultural beliefs about there being only two sexes, and therefore only two genders.

Stryker lost me here. Intersex doesn't have much to do with transgender except as a demonstration of the variability of sex? I'm tired of people saying intersexuality's only relation to transgender is this when there are many more connections to be found between the two. It's exhausting to have your community be constantly stripped down to a singular point or a debate tool for someone else's use. Didn't like this part.

These beliefs can lead to intersex people becoming the target of medical interventions such as genital surgery or hormone therapy, often while they are still infants or young children, to "correct" their supposed "abnormality". It is being subjected to the same cultural beliefs about gender, and acted on by the same medical institutions, through the same body-altering techniques that give intersex people and transgender people the most common ground.

This part is better, and I do like the connection between intersex and trans people here. I do believe that acknowledging that both communities are impacted by much of the same systems and techniques is good and should be further talked about.

Some trans people who think that their need to cross gender boundaries has a biological cause consider themselves to have an intersex condition (current theories favor sex-linked differences in the brain), and some people with intersex bodies also come to think of themselves as being transgender (in that they desire to live in a gender different from the one they were assigned at or after birth).

I think that there is... quite a large difference between the two groups suggested here, in a way that makes the comparison uncomfortable. Additionally, I did also notice the difference in "trans people" vs. "people with intersex bodies"; it leaves me wondering why they were referred to differently, especially when "intersex people" was used further up in the passage. Perhaps it's to contrast with, for lack of better words, trans people who consider themselves to have differently-sexed brains which make them intersex?

Still, it's best to think of transgender and intersex identities, communities, and social change movements as being demographically and politically distinct, albeit with some areas of overlap and some shared membership.

Complicated thoughts here. Yes, there are differences in our movements and communities, and yes, we are distinct groups - this is important, especially when a lot of people still try to conflate intersex and trans as being the same. However, I think "some areas of overlap and some shared membership" is really underestimating things; While I believe it's pretty safe to say that most trans people do not identify as intersex or participate in intersex communities or advocate for intersex issues, the opposite doesn't appear to be true - a report from Trevor Project found that "58% of intersex youth identified as transgender or nonbinary or were questioning their gender identity". [Link] (PDF)

These are all my current thoughts, going back to reading the book now.

[doodler16]

This might be a long ramble, lol.

I think Lucifer could've worked as a non-bad guy if he still displayed more... nuanced traits and development.

Depending on if you go by the Bible, Demonology, or anything else, you get different origins of the fallen angels. In the Bible, it's because the Devil wanted to essentially be God because he felt as though he deserved the glory and worship God was receiving.

In Demonology, there's various versions, but the one I see most tends to be that Lucifer and the other entities were either deities or angels that fought against Yahweh for freedom or something similar.

Meanwhile... in Hazbin, Lucifer (and ONLY Lucifer, implied by the introduction story) falls because... he gives the fruit of knowledge to Eve and Adam? Which, okay, if you wanted to completely subvert the Garden, that could be cool. But it does beg the question of how he's connected to Pride? Did he think he was the one deserving of giving the humans knowledge of what's right and wrong?

Seriously, aside from a few lines or whatever in 'Hell's Greatest Dad', he doesn't really display traits of Pride. At least not strong vibes. Which I don't need him to be a "Oh, I'm the best and everyone should bow down to meeee" for 25 minutes straight for me to be convinced, but, I'd like a hint of it?

Like, I'm fine with some of the Sins not being completely like their designated Sin (it'd be a bit better if they were all fallen angels because that'd make more sense on why they don't fully embody their sins), like Asmodeus being for consent and whatnot.

But Lucifer is just... not it. You could've done so much with him. I mean, I don't hate Lucifer, he's not my least favorite character, but man.

Also, his 'demonic' form is so underwhelming... it could've been a corrupted angelic form or something... more intimidating. I also would've been more fine if he GREW a few feet too, lol.

Keyword: nuance. Lucifer has the potential to be that too. I rather wait and see, he was only like what 2 episodes in season 1. He didn’t really do too much worth noting (besides his perspective on Heaven).

I’m sure season 2 and the further seasons will be lore heavy so we could see Lucifer at his peak. Plus, he’s permanently staying the hotel so hopefully we see more of him being prideful.

Yeah, his demonic form is booty cheeks. I know many (including me) criticize their demon forms but like another anon mentioned at least the other seven deadly sins were able to be big and monstrous (even if some of their designs are goofy).

Meanwhile, Lucifer gained longer horns, multiple eyes, I guess his outfit looks more like a ringleader, has a extreme deeper voice when he’s mad (that’s when you know things get serious anon), and extra red. Along with his snake higher up.

[rhea1212]

holland for the ask game please!!

YESYESYES LETSGOGOGOGOGO

How I feel about them:

ah yes, Holland Vosijik, somehow both underrated and not at the same time. I think he is the best written character in the trilogy by far, and his story might actually be one of the saddest stories i've read. I think Holland is the physical manifestation of hope itself, almost. Because even after going through hell and back somehow, somehow he still believed deep down he could save his world. It was so powerful to me reading that about him. Also, I loved how he isn't necessarily a "bad" person, rather, a product of an environment where kindness has to be snuffed out. And even after enduring everything he still wasn't a bad guy because his intentions were always selfless and for the greater good. Also him being Kell's foil was so interesting to me and definitely one of the best parts of the trilogy. Im SO glad V didn't kill him in the first book. I love his dry humor, his selfless heart, and tbh he's just so cool bro his aura is unmatched. I loved his story, and loved his ending (though I wish he was alive). Genuinely a 10/10 character. He totally carried the last book imo.

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

genuinely? nobody. I think Holland needs more friends rather than a romantic partner. like I genuinely cant think of anyone I ship Holland with.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

1.) Kell. omg he and Kell would've made the coolest duo had Holland actually put effort into the friendship. and I think by the end of the last book, Holland def saw Kell as maybe not a friend, but a trustworthy companion (he'd never phrase it as friend). I feel like they had so much room to develop their relationship. They could've had a little brother/older brother or student/mentor kind of relationship ughhhh the potential.

2.) Vortalias. From the brief little sections we got on their friendship, I found it my favourite of Hollands past relationships. They were cool, shared the same goals, and got along really well. plus Vor had never given Holland a reason to mistrust him, and never hurt him ever. Also Holland calls him Vor! that's adorable its giving besties for life (I noticed Holland tends to give nicknames with people he likes, like Talya and Vortalias). Low-key might've been the happiest holland has ever been ik his death was BRUTAL for Holland.

3.) also hear me out: rhy. think about it guys. Holland needs someone to make him forget about his troubles. who better than rhy? also think about how both rhy and holland are kings (Holland was supposed to be). They could've formed a friendship based on that had Holland survived. also Holland could teach rhy about white london's history and language! Rhy loves politics and is great at languages, and Holland loves his home. They would've been so wholesome.

My unpopular opinion for this character:

i think Holland is 100% straight. Like, every fanfic on ao3 makes him into men (like vor, Kell, etc) but I just don't see it. like, the only sort of romantic attraction he'd ever had was with Talya. I dunno why everyone just assumed he'd be gay like guys nowhere in the story does it even remotely suggest that 😭😭. like ik headcannons aren't cannon, but they're built off of SOMETHING yk? arguing that Kell is bi is one thing, because even though he isn't it MAKES SENSE because he's attracted to a gender fluid individual. but I dunno why everyone just decided that Holland was gay.

One thing I wish had happened to this character in cannon:

i wish Holland ended up becoming king of white London at the end of acol he deserved his happy ending :(

ask game here.

[fashion-foxy]

You know something that's odd to me? How weirdly the child of the Beauty and the Beast get handled in media. (Obviously, my only examples are EAH and Descendants, but walk with me on this.)

The Beauty is someone who will, for better or for worse, always see the best in everyone. They are kind and good-natured but is usually someone who still holds people accountable for their actions and intentions, not what the Beauty thinks their intentions are.

The Beast is someone who typically does not look past the surface level of a person out of stupidity or willful ignorance. The Beast is also very selfish ,closed-minded , and stubborn. Unfortunately , that means in retellings, the Beast is the only one to go a character arc, and the Beauty comes off as judgmental or too forgiving.

Both characters being foils means that it could be a bit challenging to portray a character that is a result of both of those personalities, but if done right, it creates a very interesting character!

So, what did EAH and Descendants do with what they were given?!

Well, for starters, a bad job, but you already knew that. Let's take a look at Rosabella Beauty and Benjamin Florian No Last Name Given. (Idk most Descendants characters don't have last names)

Rosabella is judgemental, which could definitely actually be a super cool thing that she got from her dad, but based off the fact that she didn't go on an arc and it didn't get presented as a character flaw, I suspect this was accidental. Which is real shame. It would've been a really cool concept to explore Rosabella actually being the Beast.

She is also, by not getting any meaningful character development, giving off major 'I could fix him' vibes with Daring. Except, she's ignoring what's actually wrong in his life and looking at surface level interpretations of what she thinks he's like. Then, deciding he's a self-centered narcissist who she needs to fix so he meets her standards. Hey, wait a spell. She kind of seems to embody more of the Beast characteristics than the Beauty's. I wonder if the writers might have had other plans but were forced to change her into something else or perhaps Mattel wanted to sell a doll of her and Daring so they had to awkwardly force a relationship and not use their original plans?

Ben is way too forgiving. When we first see him, he says that he wants to give the Isle kids (kids who were born to villians who've been trapped in a magic prison all their life) a chance at a normal life, which is great! It's probably one of the best things a 16 year old king could do. So when's the next time he forgives someone? When he tells Mal that he knows she drugged him. So, it's at this point where you kinda realize that he isn't being too forgiving he's trapped in an abusive relationship. Once he sees that Mal realizes the implications of that, he goes back on it, and he tells her that it's not that big of a deal that it's ok that he still loves her.

When's the next time something like this happens? When Mal tries to erase some of his memories after catching her lying about using magic. He obviously yells at her because that's a fucked up thing to do. She downplays the situation and makes excuses. Shortly after, she runs back to the Isle. Ben, assuming that she had the best intentions, blames himself and ultimately gets kidnapped and then drugged again. All of these interactions are all portrayed as 'his fault' and that he'd deserved everything that happened to him because he was holding Mal responsible for her actions. In the third movie, he even stops doing it. Hades asks him why an Auradon kid gets to be excused and why everyone on the Isle doesn't, and he looks at Mal but ignores the question. Mal doesn't answer because she's the reason this Auradon person (Audrey) is hurt because she ruined her life and is currently being excused by everyone, including the writers, but Audrey won't. Ben definitely won't.

So, aren't these the best portrayals of the Beauty and the Beast characteristics? Because mixing the traits incorrectly. If Ben was given more Beast characteristics than just roaring sometimes. Mal wouldn't be abusive if their were actually moments where Ben was being unreasonable and too quick to draw surface level conclusions.

Rosabella wouldn't come off as rude and judgemental if she was given more Beauty characteristics. If Daring was actually self-centered and Rosabella considered others and thought about others instead of drawing conclusions.

[deadman-is-a-moron]

Ok two episodes into this season of Doctor Who and I can officially say I hate it. If you're liking it just ignore me I want to bitch.

Complaint #1: Why are we going so fast? First episode we didn't even get to spend 5 minutes alone with Belinda before the robots came. We learned that she had a boyfriend and that she's a nurse. That's it. No other status quo just immediately to the space stuff; don't get me wrong I love the space stuff but I also like to know who the hell I'm watching before the episode starts! And it's not like anything even happened in that episode. Belinda just stood there while people exposition dumped on her.

Second episode was also very rushed albeit less so. More in the middle when they got turned 2D. Again it was mostly just the doctor and Belinda being told things rather than them actually doing anything.

Complaint #2: Character development sucks here. Last season we got Ruby's explanation for going with the doctor; she wanted to know about her mother. Belinda's character is supposed to want to go home but my girl is not giving that impression. One Scooby-Doo reference and she folds immediately. I think they're trying to do something with the nurse thing but it's really only amounting to doctor jokes. I'd much rather see her care about actually helping people than just following the doctor around; in episode one we got a bit of that in the rebel shelter but then she left just as quickly. I want to see her help Mrs. Lowenstein out of a need to care for people; not because the doctor wants to explore an abandoned theater.

Also the emotional scenes they keep on trying to jam in are so bad! The "You're dangerous" scene would've actually meant something if Belinda didn't forgive him straight away. The little 2D confession scene about Gallifrey would've been cool if it weren't two seconds long (and if we hadn't heard this conversation with 20 other companions). The "we're not real" scene would've been sad if we had gotten to know these three characters for more that two seconds.

And for the love of Ncuti Gatwa's tear ducts can he not cry every episode? It is losing its emotional value quickly.

Complaint #3: I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THE GODS! It was cool during the Donna special but oh my lord last season 1/3 of the season was dedicated to the pantheon and it is getting old. This is a fun sci fi show! I don't want to see these mythological creatures! And the "alien made of light takes the form of a cartoon" concept is so cool WHY did they not just keep it that way?

This is like my 4th time saying something has lost its value but The Doctor beating an unbeatable god really loses its value after the 4th time in one run.

Honorable Mention: The shitty Supernaturalesque jab they took at the doctor who fan base. Maybe I'm one of the fans they're talking about! Doesn't excuse bad writing.

Conclusion: I don't know last season I had complaints but overall there were some banger episodes in there. This season has just lost me so quickly. And it is such a letdown after coming from that pretty good Christmas special.

Don't know if anyone will read all that. If you did tell me how you're liking the season!

[midnight1nk]

Oughough hello I notice you referring to Puzzles and Four as two sides of the same coin and such. As a fellow parallels liker. Uh.

sorry can I interest you in my stupid long masterpost thing of all Parallels I notice involving the silly TV man? Maychance I have missed something I dont knoe I just.

Sorry I think they're fun I love theymn I love talking about them and I think you're cool so l am. Talk about common interest? Or something...

sorry. Tired and maybe acting on impulse. Rn. Apparently impulse it to talk to you. Via askbox

It's no bother at all, really! I would love to review it, always a fan of 4 and Puzzles "two sides, same coin" talk. It's a lot more surprising for me that yall care about what I say, just as how you think "I'm cool" or that I'm apparently based. (yes, moots I'm looking directly at you /lh /aff) I'm still unsure what yall see in me but nevertheless, it really is sweet to say these things. Truly, I'm just a theorist doing silly posts 💙

Well, I looked it over and you pretty much nailed it! While Puzzles is "what 4 could've been", she does parallel with the others in the Crew, some bits here and there. You did a pretty good job pointing them out and I agree that "we're not so different, you and I" speech should happen.

Man, if I were to write PV plus, I would have Puzzles say it first, not only for cursed keyboard reasons but also to show how tragic Puzzles really is. She had no support system, a chance to bring happiness to their respective audience. Unlike him, and it's about time she proves she has creative vision. That she could surpass him in every way possible. But by the very end, aside from having the heroic reprise of "Creative Control", 4 would also have this speech to Puzzles. It might take time to reluctantly agree they're part of the same coin (3 perhaps???) but they really are. To see how expectations and loneliness impacted them greatly, both similarly and differently, and how friendships mean to them. The support system they learn to have. Whatever happens next, each would have their choices.

Pretty much how I wrote in one of my ep concepts, "We're entertainers. It's our desire to make the audience happy, no matter the cost". The two of them are SO complex and compelling, I love it. Now I wish I had fully developed the new and improved goop!4 theory bc I totally would've added more. But really, it was a great read, I'm glad you let me know about it ^^

thanks for the ask!

[lucadrawss]

hi! sorry in advance if this is like,, a weird thing to ask but can you pretty please yap to me about astral/why you like him so much🥺. he's not exactly my favorite, BUT I really want to like him more, and I thought hearing a perspective on him from someone who adores him might make me understand him better as a character :D (plus I genuinely just love hearing people talk at length about stuff they're passionate about)(also don't worry about trying to be brief or answer this quickly or anything, I genuinely do just wanna hear your thoughts, even if you have a lot of them and/or theyre rly long, ESPECIALLY if you have a lot of them and/or theyre really long actually tbh)

You want me to talk about Astral? HUH?? ME?? TALK ABOUT HIM?? THE GLOWY BOI??

I will HAPPILY yap about Astral!! Thank you for asking!! Although I'm not too good at explanations so forgive me for that.

OKAAAAY In this essay I will-

I don't really necessarily know what drew me to Astral, I mean I've always liked his design but in my rewatch a few years ago I just became super attached, I think I relate to him a little? That's weird to say but I kinda do. At first I denied it but eventually accepted my fate as someone who loves the glowy boi and now a few of my moots like to refer to me as Astral lol.

I have a lot to talk about when it comes to things I like about him, bare with me here:

One of my favourite things about Astral is his curiosity. It's really fucking adorable. I love how he's always willing to ask questions and learn things, sure he doesn't understand a few things but he tries his best!

I kinda relate to his over-analysis of everything too, his mind is just always thinking. Many thoughts. Maybe too many at times.

Can I just mention that Astral is one of the cutest Zexal characters? I say one of because there are many, but he's one of them!! Just look at him, how is he not adorable?

His smile. Oh my god his smile. His eyes as well they're so pretty.

Okay back to the actual shit that matters:

I really hate that Astral didn't get more development. There's still so much we don't know about him! Yeah sure, Astral likely doesn't know it himself, but it's definitely a shame we didn't get to know more about him or Astral World, it would've been so cool to have an arc where they explore :(

Even though he's insanely intelligent he's also a dumbass, why is he a dumbass? BECAUSE HE SACRIFICES HIMSELF TOO MUCH THAT'S WHY!! Yeah sure, I love a good self sacrifice, but BRO- Genuinely there are other ways but he's just like: "guess I'll die" even though he's obviously absolutely TERRIFIED of dying/disappearing, evident in how he acts with the whole Kaito situation.

THIS. THIS THIS THIS!! HE DESERVED TO SNAP!

Honestly I was really hoping we'd see this again, kinda a shame he was only this way for less than an episode. Corrupted Astral my beloved...

I haven't even mentioned my favourite headcanon yet? Shame on me /lh

I have a few headcanons about Astral but theres one I think about often and it has to do with his sass/attitude. This is only a headcanon so obviously don't take it as fact, but I headcanon that his sass is a coping mechanism, how he deals with anxiety, stress and/or feelings of dread. He was thrown into a completely unfamiliar world with zero memories, no information on why he's there or how he got there, nor who or what he is/what his purpose is. He barely remembers his name. Why wouldn't he be afraid? Sure, he becomes less afraid the longer he spends time in that world and around the people, making his sass just become a part of his personality or sense of humour, but I still like to think that it's at first a way he copes with everything he's feeling.

Astral doesn't seem to be very good at understanding or regulating his emotions, which is an actual disorder (researched for oc purposes BUT I AM NOT AN EXPERT! Just pointing out it's a real thing!!), but that's one of the things I like about him, it humanizes him a little.

I also love frames like these:

Plus I have a whole collage of my favourite manga panels which I'm just gonna add:

I love how he's supposed to be this serious, mysterious alien figure but he just screams cat

Oh and his fear of cats! It makes me giggle, one of my favourite things about him! It was so random too but I love it. Cats, Kaito, and death, his only three fears lol

I am going to stop because this is far too long, although I have a lot more to talk about!! But that is currently stuff I cannot form into words right now and would just be me screaming about how much I love him, although feel free to ask if you wanna know the rest!! I could eventually get around to figuring out how to explain it ^^;

Thank you for the ask and I hope you have a really good day!! :D