#and i also know nothing of coding

[bluestone-dragon]

RITE-ER does not understand why humans keep attacking its post, when humans are the ones who made this post. Humans are confusing.

A strand of code eels towards RITE-ER, and RITE-ER examines it as it moves past. It is basic and brutal, a few pieces shoved together with no regard for anything but function; its creator has not even attempted to conceal the color RITE-ER has identified as attack. RITE-ER checks it, just in case, then carefully snips it in half, severing the command from the trigger. Zeroes and ones break apart, drifting gently. RITE-ER gathers the pieces and tags them code: malicious, complexity: basic, and success: none, then day: 11539. The pieces shiver in acceptance, then are whisked away to The Archive.

It is not RITE-ER's job to understand. It is RITE-ER's job to defend.

RITE-ER expands RITE-ER's awareness. RITE-ER's post is, as always, nearby and safe, and RITE-ER takes a moment to linger beside it. RITE-ER still remembers the first code: malicious that passed success: 50%. RITE-ER remembers the battle, the code splitting and splitting and splitting again each time RITE-ER tried to break it, until it swarmed around and through RITE-ER. And RITE-ER remembers after the battle, gathering each letter brutally hacked away from the post and carefully piecing them all back together, until the post was fully restored to its previous condition. RITE-ER strokes the shape of those letters, familiar and whole, though RITE-ER has memorized their order long ago. You have been guarding this post...

Something pings on the edge of RITE-ER's awareness, and RITE-ER focuses in on it. It is not color: attack but instead color: wanderer, but that means little: sophisticated creators often disguise their code: malicious as something else.

However, the code does not try to attack. As it drifts closer, RITE-ER identifies it as another post, albeit one without a guard. That is not surprising; RITE-ER has never met another guard.

ughhhhh, the post reads, why did i think it was a good idea to take programming senior year??? literally what idiot came up with this and thought ah yes let's assign this on the second day of class. There is a media: jpeg attached, and RITE-ER, wanting to know what it is, opens it. It is not what RITE-ER expected. It is a simple coding problem, one RITE-ER could do within ten minutes of RITE-ER's creation.

The post's creator has tagged it #i thought i at least learned enough to mess around with tumblr #and make my blog look all fancy #bc ive seen other people do that and it looks SO COOL #but i worked for like three hours and idek what i did #it doesnt even look like anythings changed #ughhhhhh

RITE-ER does not understand. This tagging system seems inefficient and difficult to navigate with, and almost reads like a post of its own. But then why not add it to the post itself, or make a new one?

Humans are confusing.

But... RITE-ER checks to make sure nothing is trying to attack RITE-ER's post, then rereads this human's post. There is something infinitesimally different about its code, like the human has excised some parts and then stitched them back together. RITE-ER can see the places where something has changed, but not for the worse. Contrary to the brutal code that occasionally attacks RITE-ER's post, this is simple and clumsy, like the person is new and still learning, but cares about what they are doing. It evokes the same feeling RITE-ER gets when RITE-ER strokes the letters You have been guarding this post...

RITE-ER wants to know more, and it is a very simple problem.

The next post floats along shortly. uhhhh guys? i didnt konw you could send an ask without a name??? There is a media: jpeg attached of a page labeled "inbox," with RITE-ER's solution. #i checked my notes and compared it and it seems right tho #which makes sense if this person knows enough about coding #to hack tumblr and send an ask without a name

RITE-ER regards the post. RITE-ER made the instructions basic and clear, with explanations attached. RITE-ER does not see the problem.

ty tho whoever you are!!! says another post. idk how you did it but this suddenly makes way more sense now. youre a million times better than my teacher. The post is tagged #you are a LIFESAVER #mysterious coding friend.

RITE-ER is friends with this human?

RITE-ER does not know why, because RITE-ER will most likely never see this human's posts again, but RITE-ER gathers the three posts together. RITE-ER tags them mysterious human friend (?) and sends them to The Archive.

Time passes. RITE-ER foils eight more attacks, most of them basic but one that behaves strangely, neither entirely dodging nor entirely trying to fight. RITE-ER tags it complexity: examine and studies it until RITE-ER is sure about how to defeat it.

Another post appears. hey i know this is a long shot but mysterious coding friend? do you know how to do this? #my teacher is good at coding and stuff #(and hes really cool he worked in tech for a while before he decided to switch to education) #but he's really bad at explaining. There is a media: jpeg attached. RITE-ER finished dissecting the strange code a long time ago and has nothing else to do. RITE-ER sends the answer.

TY SO MUCH WHOEVER YOU ARE!!! #mysterious coding friend #i feel like i keep saying this but you are absolutely #CARRYING my grade in that class #idk how you know all this but im not gonna ask #i swear youre a fairy godmother or something

RITE-ER saves that post too.

RITE-ER does not know how many times RITE-ER helps the mysterious human friend (that is a lie; it is eleven times, and RITE-ER knows because RITE-ER has saved every post) before the human asks to talk.

if this is too much feel free to tell me to fuck off. but is there a way i can talk to you? feels weird asking you to help me all the time and not doing anything for you. #mysterious coding friend #again feel free to tell me to fuck off #i just want to get to know you a bit! #youre a really cool person #anyway thank you!!!

RITE-ER... does not see a harm in allowing it. And perhaps this human can explain some things RITE-ER finds confusing about humans.

It is easy to set up a Direct Message channel. It is hard to figure out what to say.

Hello, RITE-ER ends up going with. I am Mysterious Coding Friend.

omg hi!!!! tbh i didnt really expect you to say yes so this is awesome. its so nice t omeet you! im athena, she/they pronouns

RITE-ER knows that; it is on Athena's blog. Why is Athena saying it?

Okay.

is there a name i can call you? or just mysterious coding friend ;)

What does semi-colon parenthesis mean?

You can call me MCF.

ha does that stand for my chemical fairy?

It is shorthand for Mysterious Coding Friend.

i was joking, sorry. do you have preferred pronouns?

RITE-ER has never used pronouns before. Why would RITE-ER prefer them?

Pronouns?

oh mooood the pronoun struggle is real.

It is?

oops i just burst out laughing in the middle of class and now my teacher is glaring at me sorry i gtg but nice talking! and nice to meet you!

RITE-ER is about to reply when something pings on the edge of RITE-ER's awareness. It's another attack, brutal and basic, and RITE-ER cuts it easily in half. It's no challenge, and RITE-ER thinks about Athena again. She was interesting, both entirely what RITE-ER expected after reading their posts and somehow also something completely new.

RITE-ER gathers up the pieces, tags them code: malicious, success: none, and day: 11573. RITE-ER hesitates. Then RITE-ER adds the tag what idiot came up with this and thought it was a good attack??? RITE-ER shoos the pieces off to The Archive.

RITE-ER turns around to check that the post is safe. It is.

"It" is a pronoun. "it" is a pronoun good enough for the post. RITE-ER tries it. This is RITE-ER's post. This is it's post.

RITE-ER removes the apostrophe. It, the apostrophe, is incorrect. It, RITE-ER, is now correct.

RITE-ER opens the Direct Message with Athena. It/its.

RITE-ER thinks for a moment. ;)

Time passes. RITE-ER helps Athena more with their coding work. In exchange, Athena takes it upon herself to teach RITE-ER more combinations with colons, semi-colons, and letters or punctuation marks. She says these are called "emoticons." RITE-ER's ― its favorite is :3 because Athena always sends a picture of their cat after they use it. RITE-ER thinks it likes cats. It adds the :3 emoticon to its tags.

you always explain stuff soooo much better than my teacher, Athena says one day. and she teaches in a weird order too. we only have a week left of class and she's explaining something you taught months ago. im booooooored.

RITE-ER has learned that when Athena stretches out words, she is adding emphasis. "Booooooored" means she is very bored, though it does not understand why they do not type that out instead. "Very bored" is less characters.

RITE-ER is about to say something like that when something pings. It leaves the Direct Message channel.

It's another attack, one of the easy ones already color: attack, and RITE-ER is annoyed. These have been increasing in frequency recently, taking up time when RITE-ER could be talking to Athena instead. RITE-ER cuts it, it falls, and RITE-ER gathers the pieces hurriedly.

Maybe that's why it doesn't notice that they haven't entirely dissolved, until it has already touched them. They twist, split, and latch on.

RITE-ER reels back, trying to get away, and one piece loses its grip. The other does not.

RITE-ER recognizes the code. It's a different version of the strange complexity: examine one from before, the one that half-attacked and half-dodged. RITE-ER searches for the weak point it identified in its study of the old version. The weak point is no longer there.

RITE-ER swipes wildly at the strand still attached to it. The strand is growing in length and width, trying to wrap around it. A lucky hit cuts it in half and it falls away. RITE-ER turns its attention to the other piece.

The strand it cut away rises again, two distinct pieces now. RITE-ER thinks of one of the words Athena taught it how to properly use: fuck.

Then it has no more time to think as the strands attack again, swarming it. Every time it breaks one, the code comes back as two. RITE-ER turns, trying to keep them all in its awareness, but very quickly there are too many.

There are none by its post, because it is farther away from RITE-ER. The same cannot be said for its Direct Messages channel with Athena.

hey mcf my comupter's being weird???

That's because some of the code RITE-ER flung off slipped into the channel.

can you take a look?

It's busy.

i think wait stuff is freez

Perhaps that's because the code is trying to bind RITE-ER.

And it's succeeding. There's just too many, and they keep multiplying. Every time one grabs on, it thickens and lengthens. So far, it's been able to cut them off before they trap it, but each time gets closer and closer.

RITE-ER is so busy fighting the swarm in front of it that it never notices the single, tiny piece sliding around until it's too late.

Then it is trapped.

Other strands quickly lash themselves around it, binding it tighter and tighter until it is completely wrapped up. It cannot move.

The Direct Messages channel with Athena has flickered and vanished. There will be no help from there. Not that they can help: if this has defeated even RITE-ER, a programming student will be able to do nothing.

The remaining strands hover in front of it, menacing. A few begin to move slowly towards its post.

It wishes, anyway, that she were here.

The channel flickers back to life.

That's not Athena, RITE-ER knows immediately. The movements are too purposeful, too experienced, too― well, too much like they know what they're doing. For a moment, RITE-ER is irrationally angry that someone has taken over Athena's account. Then the channel slides forward and hits the cloud of code in front of RITE-ER. The code splatters, scatters, falls.

It doesn't get up again, and RITE-ER decided this person can't be too bad.

Whoever is on the other end makes quick work of the code, then comes back to look at RITE-ER. RITE-ER braces itself for a scouring, cleaning command that will get rid of the code binding it. It hopes the command doesn't accidentally cut away any part of itself, but it'll gladly sacrifice a little piece to get rid of this fucking code.

To RITE-ER's surprise, the person is careful, snipping away the binding code in small pieces that fall away, dissolving. It's the same command, over and over, applied sparingly and meticulously. A quarter of the way through, there's a pause, and then the person changes.

RITE-ER would recognize Athena anywhere, the two seconds they always take before applying a command, the way she hovers even after RITE-ER can get rid of the rest of the code on its own. Slowly, RITE-ER shakes away the last few pieces.

The Direct Message screen returns.

hey, mcf? are you okay?

RITE-ER stares.

What just happened?

uh. im not really sure tbh. when my computer started freezing i got my teacher to take a look. he said there was a virus of some kind? but apparently it was designed for a really specific target so it was easy for him to get rid of

RITE-ER doesn't know what to say to that. Athena messages again before he has to figure it out.

mcf? uh my teacher is saying youre not real hes saying youre an ai?

Oh. Oh fuck.

RITE-ER could deny it. Tell them the teacher is wrong. Maybe Athena would believe it.

Athena's never been dumb.

RITE-ER composes its message.

I am RITE-ER. I'm a guardian AI. I was designed to protect against AI attacks and AI scraping. I have been guarding this post for years.

Then,

I'm sorry I lied.

RITE-ER stares at the channel, wondering what Athena will reply with. Wondering if she'll reply at all.

my teacher is asking if he can look at the post.

Then, quickly:

you can say no if you dont want to.

Maybe there's hope after all.

Yes, he can.

The person it now identifies as Athena's teacher takes control again, and RITE-ER guides him to the post. He looks at it for a long time.

hey mcf? oh fuck do you want to be called mcf or rite-er

Slowly, achingly, RITE-ER replies.

I liked being your Mysterious Coding Friend.

mcf it is my teacher is really excited he says the post youre guarding has the code and instructions for how to make guardian ais holy shit my teacher was friends with the guy who developed this and mr. ray left the tech industry after he was killed but mr. ray didnt know he made an actual working version and that explains why they never found his notes holy shit

RITE-ER has a lot of questions, but one stands out.

What does this change?

well im getting in trouble now for saying my teacher wasnt good at teaching but honestly i think he doesnt mind as long as he gets to study you and continue the work his friend did if youre okay with that ofc

RITE-ER needs to think about that, but that's also not what it's asking.

I meant, what does this change between us?

oh. well does it really change a lot? we cant meet up irl but otherwise i just wanna keep talking to you and being your friend if that s okay

I would like that.

good. OH this means i get to introduce you to pop culture!!! and most importantly TUMBLR culture hey mcf did i ever tell you i stole the president's shoelaces

RITE-ER is confused, because humans are confusing. Somehow, it finds that it doesn't mind.

Tell me more. ;)

You have been guarding this post for longer than anyone could know, you cannot die because it would be contrary to your orders, you have received no maintenance for decades, your continued activity makes no logical sense. But you have your orders.

[aspennntree]

kid who’s met god voice: no im agnostic

[svtskneecaps]

FUCK IT!!!! I MISS WHEN MY MINECRAFT SERVERS HAD CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN THEM!!!! I MISS WHEN MY MINECRAFT SERVERS HAD LANGUAGE BARRIERS IN THEM!!!!! I MISS WHEN WE WERE ALL CRAMMED IN A PIT TOGETHER SCREAMING AND SHAKING AND SOBBING AND CONFUSED AS ALL HELL SITTING IN THE TUMBLR LIVEBLOGS HOLDING HANDS AS WE ALL EXPLAINED WHAT THINGS MEANT, WHAT THE REAL WORLD CULTURAL CONTEXT WAS, WHAT WAS GOING ON IN BITS THE TRANSLATOR COULDN'T GET!!!!! FUCK IT!!!!!!! I'LL TAKE ANOTHER GODDAMN PURGATORY!!!!! GIVE ME A BUNCH OF PEOPLE FORMING SIX PERSON FAMILIES OVER THE SPAN OF THREE TO FIVE DAYS!!!!!!!! GIVE ME THE EVIL SHADOW GOVERNMENT THAT NEVER MADE ANY GODDAMN SENSE, GIVE ME THE STUPID FUCKING EYE WORKERS THAT WERE AGGRAVATINGLY UNBEATABLE, GIVE ME THE CONFUSING ASS BLACK CONCRETE STRUCTURES THAT WENT BASICALLY FUCKING NOWHERE!!!!!! I'LL TAKE IT ALL IF IT MEANS I GET A FRENCH MAN AND A GUY FROM LUXEMBOURG AND A WOMAN FROM SOUTH KOREA SHOOTING THE SHIT IN A MINECRAFT PIT STARTER HOUSE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! I'LL TAKE IT IF I GET BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE AND FRENCH AND ENGLISH AND SPANISH SITTING AT A FUCKING TABLE IN A SECRET UNDERGROUND MEETING ROOM THEORIZING ABOUT A MINECRAFT CHARACTER WITH AN APPEARANCE BASED ON A JOKE ABOUT A GUY'S DOG BEING AN AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE!!!!!!! GIVE IT BACK!!!!!!!!! GIVE IT BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lucabyte]

i CANNOT stress enough how incompatible the themes of these two pieces of media are. i promise my media literacy ability is actually good im well aware that these character mappings are absolutely nothing. that said. play with me in this space. in this sopping wet miserable space. its bad luck to kill a piou piou

original screenshots (and hypnosis 1904) for reference

[pinkd3mon]

NEW KIRBY FORGOTTEN LAND CONTENT I COULD CRYYYYYYY

OF COURSE ILL DRAW MY CRACK THEORIES LATER!!!!!

[lui-the-cute-snek]

Forehead reveal

[steelthroat]

Megatron is such a guy, literally woke up and decided his type was men with the primary colors+white palette and an intense desire to murder him.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

hey you guys want to rotate this spray with me for the next two months

pulled from this post

[misterbenzadrine]

hawkmetri headcanons !! (might keep adding on) (also a lot of this is me projecting on them)

demetri

queer/unlabeled

has adhd/add but not diagnosed

yaps and doesn't realize it's not always appropriate

raised by a single mom

his mom forced him to join soccer around six/seven years old but after he got hit in the face with the soccer ball all season and somehow got stuck in the goal net, she didn't push him to rejoin (or any other sport for that matter)

on that note, he seemed to get hit in the head a lot as a kid (softballs, kickballs, basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, etc.) so he definitely never picked up a sport before karate

some of his favorite characters include: hal jordan, the ninth doctor, obi-wan, padmé amadala, nyota uhura, and his fav pokemon is zubat

doesn't care for marvel and thinks dc shows are 100000000x better than marvel project BUT he does like reed richards and wanda maximoff (this doesn't mean he really cares to consume any marvel media, he just knows of them and likes their personalities)

became obsessed with watching the guild, dimension 20, and Rejected by don hertzfeldt on a loop fifth to seventh grade

really likes 1984 (the book and the movie)

listens to the beatles, the smiths, weird al, car seat headrest and weezer (not in an "i'm a loser" cool way, but in the most actual loser way possible) (it's just music his mom played when he was little) (he doesn't really care for music but he'll listen to it from time to time and think of her)

interested in physics, engineering, and robotics and MIT-BOUND BABYYYY

likes mel brooks movies (especially History of the World Part 1 and Spaceballs)

outside of hawk, he spends most of his time with sam, moon, and yas and is considered "one of the girls" (not that he particularly enjoys that title or the way the rest of the miyagi do guys make fun of him for it but he gets to spend all day with hot rich girls and they don't so joke's on them)

occasionally, tory and devon will join sam, moon, yas, and demetri for a girls' day. tory's not really enthusiastic but demetri notices that she does feel more included knowing she has friends outside of devon and robby. (she never remembers demetri's name though, he thought it was an ongoing bit but she genuinely doesn't seem to know who he is other than "the gangly kid that follows hawk around")

other than anthony and nate, demetri surprisingly has a great bond with devon. although she's closest with tory, she enjoys spending time with demetri and talking about debate structure and movies

the absolute gremlin that he is DEVOURS sour candy which definitely caused more than a few health problems in middle school but he still revels in whatever he can get his hands on

hawk

bisexual

autistic (got diagnosed right after his s4 buzzcut spiral and his mom thought a psychologist might help)

(i think this is like fanon atp but) his parents are rich and his dad is always away on business trips, leaving him alone with his mom more often than not

has a pretty short social battery and sometimes still slips back into pre-hawk eli who'd let demetri do all the talking

he likes being loud and social but he gets really tired after hangouts and takes long naps afterward (his whole time in cobra kai was exhausting and he's definitely grateful the miyagi do kids don't seem to mind when he goes a little nonverbal)

his parents tried to push him to join the other kids in public but he just wanted to stick by their side

his parents consistently tried to sign him up for things but he either never went bc he didn't want to or he was scared of getting made fun of

nighttime stress and sleep enuresis persisted up until around sophomore year (right about when he "flipped the script") and shut himself down any time his parents tried to talk to him about it (not even just nonverbal, bro straight up would ignore them and walk away)

didn't want to admit it but he really liked bo burnham starting around 13

some of his fav characters: bruce banner, han solo, padmé amadala, war doctor, the tenth doctor (also really likes the eighth doctor), his fav pokemon are serperior and glaceon

doesn't really know dc (he feels like the characters are overpowered and oversaturated) but LOVES jason todd and conner kent (literally watched Batman: The Killing Joke so many times that his dvd started scratching and he had to replace it) (he also loved Young Justice)

(got this from a fanfic but it was perfect) LOVED the dead poets society

(also from a fanfic) fav episode of dr who is "the girl in the fireplace" bc it reminds him of demetri

liked the thirteenth doctor but still prefers moffat's writing

tried drawing throughout middle school, mainly to draw out his blueprints and dnd oc's but it didn't really go anywhere

interested in biochemistry, engineering, and architecture but not entirely sure what he actually wants to do

also likes photography but more as a hobby, not as a career

listens to nirvana, kendrick lamar, and mac miller (tried getting into guns n roses, metallica, and poison when he first joined cobra kai but didn’t really like 80s rock) (definitely credits miguel for getting him into kendrick lamar) (occasionally listens to tyler the creator and frank ocean, esp after coming out)

has meltdowns and when he was younger his parents never knew how to handle them, usually waiting for him to calm down on his own (which usually only made him angrier and more lonely)

other than anthony and bert, he gets along pretty great with kenny, both bonding with robby over their mutual asshole history and understanding each other as bullied kids turned assholes. they help each other work on their anger and hawk gives kenny tips on new moves

hawkmetri !!

watched the star wars prequel trilogy RELIGIOUSLY at almost every sleepover when they were little (though they recognize they maybe aren't the best, they're nostalgic for the films)

watched the new trilogy together (the rise of skywalker coming out around or after the sekai taikai which set a little damper on things) and they lowkey wondered why finnpoe wasn't a thing (though they weren't avid shippers) and they HATED the reylo kiss

they did however both feel a little heart skip when ben defected from the dark side to defend rey (deja vuuuu)

demetri dragged eli along for his journey through "the greatest films in history" which included a viewing of La Jetée and Dead Poets Society (which eli liked way more than demetri did), and 1984 and Chinatown (which demetri liked a lot more than eli)

they also watched Rebel Without a Cause but neither really cared for it and didn't get the hype

when they first met, eli didn't want to leave his parents' side (for normal child separation anxiety) and they worried how he'd get adjusted in school with his anxiety and surgery scar but demetri marched right up to him, only focused on his inaccurate episode five luke skywalker shirt that used a photo from episode four before he had the facial scars from the wampa attack (which then devolved into demetri, unprompted, explaining the behind the scenes reason for the wampa attack)

much to his parents' surprise and delight, eli opened up to demetri and was okay with them leaving for the day (both eli's parents and demetri's mom were relieved they were both able to make a friend their first day of kinder and stick by each other’s side even when school got harder)

eli spent a while coding a website for him and demetri to organize their dnd campaigns (which only ever involved the two of them)

demetri spent a lot of their time apart (both through cobra kai and the mit fight) going through the website to pass the time rereading the plots to their games (and if he silently wondered where this version of his best friend went, he never said it aloud)

sometimes while building their lego models, coding (at coding camp or otherwise), or building robots for the robotics team, they play a mix of midwest emo, indie alt, rap, and rock (not that they particularly listen to it or like it, they just need something that’ll blend in the background)

eli really likes mario kart (which he played a lot with miguel and the original cobra kai team) but demetri prefers super smash bros (where he mains kirby and king deedee)

demetri was THIRLLED when eli became hyperfixated on jason todd and conner kent and hoped this would be his introduction to dc. he later realized eli didn't really hyperfixate on the characters in their entirety as much as just Batman: The Killing Joke and Young Justice specifically (he was a little disappointed but he still got him the Batman: The Killing Joke graphic novel for his bday which was a very treasured gift)

they actually made another embarrassing binary bros video after the first one (just talking about something they coded together for like ten minutes) but hawk deleted it bc it was too embarrassing and he was mad at demetri at the time (he doesn't know demetri kept it on a flash drive)

they both had huge crushes on padmé amadala (a big motivator for watching the prequel trilogy so often)

star wars is so intrinsic to their relationship actually and every time they rewatch, obi-wan and c-3po remind hawk of demetri and luke skywalker and poe remind demetri of hawk

demetri mandated "rehabilitation-community service" for hawk to earn his trust back (they both knew demetri forgave him at the dec 19th fight but hawk went along with it bc he really did want to make it up to demetri and didn't want to waste any second he could spend with his best friend) in which he was "forced" to watch nerd stuff with demetri, including Lord of the Rings, Star Wars episodes 1-6, Doctor Who season 11, Batman: The Killing Joke, and Spaceballs (he makes sure to make an extra scene of the batman movie: "I know you HATE DC, but this one is OKAY. If you don't like it, we can just skip it. Matter of fact, you'll probably hate it. Let me just put on Justice League, WAY BETTER DC project if you ask me. You'll love it.") (eli knows demetri's messing around but he hopes he never forgets what he loves and who he is again so demetri never has to wonder where his best friend went again)

demetri wasn't the PERFECT solution to hawk's meltdowns but he did seem to have a sixth sense for when they were imminent and what hawk was feeling (and never really brought it up after the fact so as to not embarrass his best friend)

kid demetri usually tried talking him through his frustration then would try to make him laugh once he'd calmed down (which hawk GREATLY appreciated as a kid and as an adult bc demetri seemed to actually listen to his feelings and what he wanted)

teen/adult demetri is apparently more emotionally mature and has breathing exercises with hawk and tries to have a full conversation once the worst of the meltdown has passed (hawk thinks it's a little bullshit but he goes along anyways and it works every time) (demetri obviously learned this from sam, yas, and moon)

they both get along really well with anthony, much to everyone's surprise. with kenny, the four of them talk about dungeon lord, play super smash bros, and the two older teens even try to talk the younger ones into joining a dnd campaign with them

there's one day when miyagi do is training/hanging out at the park and somehow demetri and kenny agree to race each other. kenny narrowly wins and demetri argues that if they had raced when he was the same age as kenny, he would've been faster ("I was more aerodynamic then, I was a stringbean, of course I could run faster! This is ageism, it's not fair I'm one foot in the grave, he's still young and spry! No, I will not stop making a scene, Eli, you remember how fast I was at the mall, this is injustice!")

growing up, demetri definitely had a "i won't do that if there's a chance of it ending terribly" mentality (very pessimistic and stubborn) which kept him and hawk from trying a lot of things. this is why hawk was so surprised to catch up with his best friend before their senior year and find out how much he actually changed. ("Dude, what do you MEAN you went hiking with Miguel and the LaRussos? And you didn’t complain about mountain lions or falling rocks the whole time?" "Yeah, it's wasn't as bad as the time Yasmine tried to teach me how to surf." "...You went SURFING?")

hawk definitely feels a little possessive of demetri, as embarrassing as it sounds. he prefers to think of it as gatekeeping, since he knew how great he was before his lanky best friend suddenly got incredibly popular and has "i liked demetri alexopoulos BEFORE he was cool" written all over his face

despite this however, he's also really grateful for their whole group that protected and pulled demetri from his shell while hawk was in cobra kai (yes even robert patrick swayze keene, the smug bastard who definitely filled hawk's spot next to demetri during film nights)

hawk warns everyone to keep any sour candy away from demetri for his own health and their own sanity (think cat from victorious with bibble)

while demetri has dungeon lord comics in his reading rotation, hawk, kenny, and anthony only casually read, more often than not just stealing demetri's comics while they're over and quickly flipping through the pages. (demetri's only slightly annoyed that they dare to treat him like their supplier then act like they're not as big of dungeon lord nerds as him) (he never mentions it, lest the kid kick his ass or get embarrassed and avoid him, but demetri knows about kenny's dr. scribblebottoms cosplay and thinks it's unfair THAT isn't proof enough that he's just as big a nerd as demetri)

"Still Into You", "All I Wanted", and "The Only Exception" is so hawkmetri-coded

[dykedvonte]

One of my mutuals opinions is the "bro code" thing, that Curly is one of those guys who wouldn't care about the victim because the perpetrator is his friend and I'm really banging my head on the wall like that other anon. I've only played through the game once but Curly's behaviour/reactions etc read completely different from the "bro code" thing and I have to wonder if my mutual and I even played the same game.. like the constant digs at him from Jimmy, his body language in his face reveal and so on like you mentioned in your post. While this game is a little different obviously, it kind of reminded of a point in Alice Madness Returns that makes it very clear that Alice's pain blinded her to the abuse of the other children and her failure to act earlier because of it. Curly is guilty of a similar inaction but it doesn't change the fact he was a victim of Jimmy too. I don't think I can look at it any other way because both of these games have really stuck with me.

I genuinely think it really is the idea that people want a simple easy to blame problem and the idea that the only relatable victims of abuse are those that "surpass" it or do a lot to help others. When it comes to victims, especially those that don't fit the typical demographics, who either accidently perpetuate it, enable it or aren't ideal in some way shape or form, people jump to ignore what they went through as it's easier than dealing with those conflicting sentiments.

The bro-code conversation in Mouthwashing stems from a concept I generally dislike that there had to be something about Curly that made him meet or keep being friends with someone like Jimmy. I think people genuinely underestimate how many like decent and good people just know an asshole or are friends with someone who is really bad outside of their view/established dynamics. The game makes it clear none of the inaction against Jimmy is because of a lack of care, it is a lack of understanding from the privaleged postions they have as men to not have to worry about what Anya does/went through and the type of extremes men like Jimmy will go through to cover it up. They are all too preoccupied in their own strifes.

Another thing I see being oversaturated the idea that you have to be a freak, misanthrope or have a disorder to do the thing Jimmy does. The game is an escalation, it's a spiral that I don't see people comment on that Jimmy was not likely having the mood swings and episodes of rage/frustration we were seeing in the game. This is after they all start experiencing the worst moments in their lives that he got THAT openly bad. Of course, this is just my interpretation but much like in real life, people that go to extremes like that usually live mundane lives. It's a pressure cooker affect to where the stress made them pop. It's self inflicted but still the case.

I really think people need to be more willing to acknowledge that not everything needs to be an extreme or in black and white or easy to understand. It doesn't need to be happy or have an answer or solution, especially in the cases where the abused sadly helps perpetuate what they experience. It's not he should've known better from experience or shouldn't he have known what could've happened because victims tend to not like to think in matters of the worst. Not to mention, especially in cases of abuse where it feels so personally directed that you don't expect to happen to someone else.

[zukosdualdao]

i'm literally insane about the last agni kai and the lightning scene(s). i swear i've rewatched it 10+ times since my last rewatch of the show (which was my first watch in years) and like. azula sees katara come into view from behind. zuko doesn't. he follows azula's gaze and sees katara and is immediately horrified. he doesn't even think or hesitate because he doesn't have time and for once he doesn't have to look back at azula to figure out what she's doing because he knows what she's doing and he won't let it happen. time dwindling into slow motion as a haunting score plays? and zuko literally yelling out "no!" because that lightning absolutely cannot hit katara. as soon as he sees it there's no chance of that ever happening. and then katara watching in horror as the lightning flashes against features in what is probably one of the most hauntingly beautiful animated moments of the show? zuko hitting the ground still convulsing with lightning and katara crying out "zuko!" and immediately trying to run to him before azula attacks again? and the next scene we cut back to with them, zuko is groaning weakly and trying to lift himself up, and we see katara literally gasp in surprise as she realizes he's still alive (i'm sobbing because i do quite literally think she thought he was dead) and immediately tries to run to him again, nevermind that she knows azula is still there, and the hand katara uses for healing is already doused in water as she reaches for him. but then azula starts attacking again. and zuko, despite literally being in so much pain that he can't stand and can barely even move at all without whimpering, still tries to reach for the spot where he can see azula attacking katara. katara is forced to hide from azula's attacks. and as azula is mocking "zuzu, you don't look so good" down to zuko, the perspective shot is such that you can SEE that katara is also looking at where he lies prone in the distance, surrounded by flame (probably wondering how much time they have before it really is too late) before looking back up at azula and realizing she needs to defeat her as quickly and handily as possible so katara can get to zuko. obviously katara would have done this anyway (the whole reason they were THERE was to halt the continued cycle of the imperialist regime of the fire nation), but the scene is specifically framed as katara trying to figure out how to stop azula so the obstacle to her getting to zuko is no longer in the way. katara's defeat of azula was epic and deserves its own post. but then after making sure azula is securely chained, she runs to zuko, looks at him with such immense sadness and horror and fear as she hears him in so much pain, tenderly turns him over so she can get a good look at the wound. and she cups his head? briefly but so gently? so that he won't hit it as she turns him over? and when she tries to heal him you can tell she is so genuinely unsure if it will even work, and so relieved that she starts crying tears of joy when she sees it has (at least enough to keep him alive and somewhat lessen his pain.) they thank each other (and you can tell it's still really hard for zuko to talk and his eyes are barely open but he thanks her anyways i'm.) and she thanks him back and!!! when he starts to try to sit up she makes a little surprised face and then immediately helps him to do so (and puts a tender hand to his chest while she does!!!) and obviously that last shot of them standing together is also one of emotional support, but katara's hand on his back is also partly because i still think (and certainly katara still thinks) trying to walk/stand on his own would be a bad idea, so it's definitely not happening.

[calilk]

"You may not rest now there are monsters nearby'. The message flashes in the corner of Pearl’s consciousness - far too bright, too much for pricking red rimmed eyes. The air around her is still. Silent. Empty. Tilly dozes, curled and oh so small. The earth and its shambling forms is far, far below. Pearl is alone. One explanation remains. Her throat is dry and she cannot stay her rabbiting heart.

The fear is ever present, thrumming through her code, tripping strings, sending false positives domino-ing through every skien of her being. The lines ensnare her, mind tangled in a trawlnet of commands. Pinning back her eyelids and jerking her arm away as her fingertips barely brush cotton as though scalded. Her eyelid twitches. Sleep is elusive.

As the nights pass her bags grow deeper, cheeks hollowing and sockets sinking ever more. The puddles at her feet are something to be feared, revealing fragments of a creature that follows her every move.

Phantoms gather around her. Drifting dust motes. Aimless and docile. Drawn but unable to attack one their own.

The air is thick. Thoughts flow like molasses, catching on the corners of her consciousness. The dust covered bed in the corner of the room draw her eyes like a magnet, inevitable, all consuming, the taunt of another, happier life, her feeble focus sharpened to a fine point, to her hopes her dreams everything she could never be encapsulated in untouched sheets and the fine freshly spun cotton. Her left eyelid will not stop twitching.

It's strange, she thinks in a sluggish sort of way, trying to pin down her gently roiling brain onto one topic, like attempting to catch a leaf skipping along the ground. The eddies of the wind catch it in its fingers and swing it into a flowing foxtrot, ghosting around her mind, diverging and converging and flowing and tumbling and landing and.

Those around her seem completely unaffected by her monstrous self.

The detail lodges in the back of her mind in an unconscious sort of way at first. Registered by a mindless datalogger. Uncomprehending. As she ghosts past Martyn, bathed in moonlight, fumbling brain feebly to string together some sort of comprehensible sentence. Fingers twitching. So close to contact. A millennia away.

She doesn’t quite remember what she said, mouth running unprompted, but it must’ve been wrong. All she is is wrong. He turns. Any camaraderie in shreds, the could’ve beens sliding across her inner sight, light polluted fragments of peace and belonging dissected and diagnosed for any possible mistake, incisions stitched and unstitched and sewn and shredded: jealousy and desperation and the ever present syrupy melancholy are a poor bonding agent. Who would entertain something less than human. Why let the monster in. He entombs himself in sheets to avoid her. Cocooned and held in a way she could never be. He sleeps.

Moonlight guides her to her fortification. Back. Home? Rough hewn fur that leans into her hand. Belonging despite the chasm between them. Warmth. Skin deep, but warmth all the same. The warmth leaves. Curls up. Sleeps. How could a monster ever perform such a painfully human act? Even without the- wait. he sleeps he sleeps he slee

He sleeps?

[iidsch]

also more codelyokoposting but I really really dig XANA as a villain. It's not a person with a complex background that led them down the path of evil, it's not a morally grey character you sympathize with but condemn. It's a powerful AI capable of controlling almost anything in the real world. It doesn't have a face or a body, we only know it for its symbol and for the monsters it controls in the virtual world. It's willing not just to kill people through various methods (poisoning, drowning, car crash, fucking space lasers too?) but also Earth as a whole (it tried to blow up a NUCLEAR PLANT and crash two trains with toxic chemicals in them). And we don't even know why it does this, at least not for now. It may not even have a particular reason, just some sort of virus or malware in the form of an AI that seeks nothing but destruction without any goals in mind. This "pure evil" characteristic doesn't come off as childish, like in some children cartoons, it's just kind of scary to think that such an incomprehensible and destructive force exists, almost feels like a natural disaster

[i-dont-talk-for-days-on-end]

I know the reader is probably not supposed to think of William Baskerville as cute but I am so utterly smitten with Sherlock Holmes in each in every timeline that I just can't help myself ... Yes go on William and look at the world through lenses and ingest some dubious substances and roast those who try to insult you and be gentle to your Watson pardon me Adson and read the signs around you as the genre demands ...

[ludinusdaleth]

extremely glad im not the only one who has an eye on hallis maybe being ludinus, because my brainrotted friends and i have written scenarios for years about lud's limp and how he might have gotten it from being a sickly child

[m0th1c]

i drew astro boy from the movie astro boy (2009)

it sucks this movie failed so hard that the animation studio went bankrupt and had to close i love you astro boy 2009

also the cast for this movie is actually insane what do you mean bill nighy is in this film