#(not to spoil it for those of you who haven't read it but she's shown as having been a complex character who made some very costly mistakes

[ljf613]

9 and 13, your pick of thing and its fandom

Let's go with ATLA.

9. worst part of canon This week I've been thinking a lot about the episode "The Waterbending Master" (S1:E18) and some of things that have always bothered me about it. My issues are rooted in the scene where Pakku tells Katara that he won't teach her:

First of all, he says it's forbidden for women to learn waterbending, but then he says that women learn healing. The phrasing here is kind of bizarre-- he seems to be saying that healing and waterbending are two completely different things that have nothing to do with each other, which is absurd; healing is one kind of waterbending, and fighting is another. (It bothers me in general whenever characters act like fighting is the only real kind of bending, because we literally see so many different applications of bending in the show beyond fighting, and acting like people who use their bending for building or art or healing or anything other than battle aren't real benders is absurd. Not all benders are soldiers, nor should they be!) Second, I dislike the false dichotomy presented here. Katara claims that she wants to fight, not heal, implying that it's one or the other. Not only does this suggest that she must choose between the two (and that she's chosen fighting over healing), it doesn't match what we see both before and after this arc: throughout the show, Katara uses her waterbending for both healing and fighting, sometimes in the same scene, and aside from this one episode, the narrative never treats this as anomalous. (Jeong Jeong even told her a couple of episodes back that healing was something done by "great waterbenders" and envied her for it, but now that's being retconned and we're told that it's a sex distinction and not even real waterbending?) Finally, I have a general problem with the difference between how modern society tends to treat traditionally feminine roles and skills compared to those that are traditionally masculine: things and behaviors that are generally viewed as masculine (in this case, fighting) are worthy of envy and emulation and everyone should be able and allowed to do regardless of sex, while those that are feminine (in this case, healing) are viewed as inherently degrading and pathetic (not to mention often unnatural and wrong) and only done by sad and unfortunate women who have no other options and are pressured into it. I find this entire mindset to be extremely sexist and, frankly, rather insulting to every woman in history. Imagine if the episode had been about Aang wanting to learn healing and being told only women got to do that, while boys should just stick with fighting. Now that might have been an interesting episode that would actually be perfectly in-character for Aang, as opposed to Katara "saves her friends' lives multiple times using her healing abilities" acting like learning to heal is a waste of time. (Ever notice that while we see several female waterbending fighters throught the franchise, there's not a single instance of a male waterbending healer? Is that because guys are incapable of healing, or are girls the only ones allowed to diversify their skillsets?) And none of this is to say that Katara was wrong for wanting to learn to fight or anything like that-- I just dislike the way the whole situation was framed.

13. worst blorboficiation The easy answer, obviously, is Zuko. I don't think I need to elaborate any more on that-- plenty of people have gone into this in the past, I don't think I have anything new to add there. (Although maybe that's more "woobification" than "blorbofication," if we're getting specific.) The one I find more personally grating is actually Kyoshi. I don't hate her, but I do hate the way people idolize her and act like she was the most amazing and wonderful Avatar ever-- usually while contrasting her with Roku, who gets such undeserved hate for... *checks notes* not wanting to kill his best friend.

Send me an ask that may incite violence.

[detectivemarvelingcomics]

Ik you're working hard on the next nycv chapter buuuuuut if it's okay can i ask for more cute pre-isekai!batsis stuff with the batboys 🥺 if you're okay with it ofc!

Oh I'm always down for writing stuff about NYCV, sure I'll do like some bullet points or something

Not a chapter but y'all get some NYCV stuff too! Also to those who haven't read it this should be readable without having prior knowledge of the series so feel free to sit back and enjoy some Batboys fluff!

Tag list since it's technically NYCV content: @gabytodd @peachydokii @marshmallow12435 @f0leysgurl @luminaaz @lolsnacks @akuri-shinsou @pansinspace @time-shardz @lovely-maryj @urminebutidontwantyou @y3oudsc @rainnyydaysworld  @underworlder @franini @mayo-0-o 

NYCV!Batsis & the Batboys

[Not Your Classic Vigilante Masterlist]

Dick Grayson

As we all know, he's the first batsib, talk about a high bar to reach (ba dum tss), and luckily for you he was an amazing older brother.

Fun where it counts, doting 24/7, protective when the situation calls for it, and stern when he has to be. There's a reason why you looked up to him more than your father in some regards.

Whenever he's off on a mission somewhere far away, he sends you postcards. You keep them in a box under your bed and you haven't thrown a single one away! Each card had a cheesy joke written on them, something to make you smile while he was gone is how he signed them all off with.

There was one time he was on 'Babysitter Duty' (as they later put it) and you ended up staging a bank robbery in the ballroom while he played the Boy Wonder (of course) who saved the day! (Poor Alfred was nominated to be Condiment King).

He's actually insufferable, his coworkers used to hate him because of how often he'd pull his phone/wallet/photobook/whatever could physically hold your picture just to gush and say "Look at my baby sister isn't she perfect?!" "Dude, that's, like, a whole ass teenager" "Shut up."

Although you'd always shown interest in his vigilante work, up until after the whole "I will never be a vigilante thing" much later, Dick was always very very careful in keeping you away from it. Hell, you didn't even know he was a Robin until you wandered into his room one evening when he came back from patrol.

By the time you'd figured him out, he did everything he could to keep you away from harm's way. You just weren't trained to handle yourself, and Dick would be a leader before he was your brother, as much as he'd hate to admit it. So, to keep you safe, he kept you away.

But, when he was there, he made sure to be the best older brother you could ask for. Gifts, advice, jokes, confidants, anything you'd ask. After all, he had competition.

Jason Todd

AKA, the Competition. He's the next batsib you got and so far he apparently holds the title for 'Best Sibling' (according to a ranking system you didn't know about that's being score kept by Alfred, in second place is Cass, for those wondering).

If Dick was the doting older brother then Jason was the annoying one. The kind of brother to open the door to your room, stare at you for five minutes, and walk away like nothing happened. The kind of brother to pull a 'I'm not even bothering you!' kind of move.

But, when it comes down to it, oh this dude's taking a bullet for you. I mentioned it once in the story but he'd always wanted a younger sister and bam he got one, sure he thought you were a spoiled brat at first (and in some ways you were) but hell he's damn sure he'll keep you that way if it meant you'd always be, well, you.

There were some days he'd wonder what it would be like if you'd switched places. If he was the one with the silver spoon and you were the Gotham street rat and nope, shake that thought out of his head. Without you he's sure he'd have gone off the deep end in this vigilante shit.

As much as you'd argue that you both secretly hated each other, you'd remember the time when Jason broke his hand punching Conner Kent in the face. He'd just come back to the family and while you were both getting caught up, you let slip that you broke up because he fell in love with someone else and... whoops. Good thing Tim was there to talk some sense into him.

For the record, Conner did lose his footing, but he argues it's because he was caught off guard, while Jason swears up and down it's because the Lazarus Pit made him stronger, or something like that. You try not to think about it, you're surprised you're still allowed within Titan tower.

He'd never admit it, but of the batsibs he actually knows you best. If the others have questions about what you'd like or how you'd react to something they'd ask Jason. He'd always answer in a way that would wave them off, but he's never been wrong.

Jason, as cold-shouldered as he could be, he has a soft spot for you. If he ever saw you in trouble he's definitely going to step between whatever's going on, don't doubt him on that.

Tim Drake

The first younger brother and, in his argument, therefore the best. Ironically since he was the first younger one you did dote on him a little too much, being the one "good cop" figure in the manor while he was training to be a Robin.

Of course, though you were on the civilian side of things, he actually looked up to you in ways he never could with Dick or Bruce. While they're mainly for the vigilante stuff, you're just there to make sure he doesn't forget who he is: Timothy Drake and not just a Robin.

You were really trying to replicate what your older brothers did for you with Tim, though it was only a little more difficult with his background. Hard to get gifts for someone who probably already has it, and hard to keep secrets and surprises from someone who's good at figuring them out, but you always figured out a way, and those ways always made him happy to see.

Thursdays are Tim and (Y/N) days, everyone in the family knows it. It started out as a mini tradition to get Tim out of the house every now and then and soon it became routine, it was the time you both took to catch up with each other and this especially became true after you went to college. Those times were precious for him, and he always looked forward to it.

Until, that is, other members started crashing it. It started with Dick coincidentally running into you both and suddenly now Jason's already sitting at your booth? And Stephanie? And Cass? Barbara?! What happened to Tim and (Y/N) time?!

But, he had to admit, it was rare to see them all getting along well like this. He couldn't complain, as long as you all got to spend time together that's all that mattered. And, in the end, it was always you two anyway. You are one of his greatest confidants, and he is one of yours likewise. Despite the short age gap, you often found that you shared a lot in common with him. Maybe it was because of your similar backgrounds, or maybe it was because you doted on him so much.

Tim looks up to you. More than you think, and more that you'd expect. Every time you reminded him that you were just a civilian part of it seemed wrong to him. You're as much a part of the family as he is, or as anyone is, and usually it would be him to remind you of that when he caught you distancing yourself again.

You couldn't hide anything from each other, you could read him so easily and he was just good at finding things out. And when it came to being middle siblings, well, that's a pact in and of itself.

Damian Wayne

When you'd heard about getting another younger brother, a blood related one at that, you were ecstatic. Of course, you had Tim, but Tim had his responsibilities to the Drakes too, Damian was a Wayne and so were you, it was a little different.

Sure, his appearance was... sudden. His first impressions not so great either, but you could read him well. He was so young when he came into your father's care and underneath the harsh training and the poisoned words was still that little boy he is and you were determined to help him remember that it was okay to be a boy.

Taking him to the arcade, buying him books, and treating him out for meals were just a few points off of a list of things you've done to make him feel comfortable. You're not a vigilante, you can't help him with training or anything else, but you can help him in other ways and you tried to show that to him.

It took forever. Maybe about a year or so for him to finally open up to you, but once he did it was like a triumph to you, and you knew that you did well when one day you woke up and saw him fast asleep at the foot of your bed, still clad in pajamas and eyes slightly puffy from whatever happened the night before. He's still a boy. You'd remind that to everyone when necessary.

After a while, he would come to you to ask about civilian things, troubles at school, troubles with making friends, and even troubles at galas. And every time you were there to help him out, giving him a few tips and tricks on how to avoid the paprazzi, maybe a clue here and there about what to look out for when looking for friends, and, of course, study tips so he didn't lose his mind in academy.

One day, while waiting to pick him up, there was a knock at your window. It was a woman you'd never seen before. She wore a headscarf that covered her hair and a pair of sunglasses that partially concealed her identity and, hell, if you didn't know any better you'd think that was your own mother. But something told you that she wasn't there to just say hello and, naively, you opened your door and let her in.

She sat at the passenger's seat, everything about her poised and elegant to the point that you were near in awe at her disposition and, quietly, she spoke, "thank you, for everything you've done for Damian." Talia al Ghul, she had to be, why else would she be here? You hadn't heard much about her, you'd barely even seen a few pictures of her from Damian's belongings, but here she was. "Of course," you'd answer, "I know it's not the same, but I know a little bit of how it feels to be alone." And to this she nodded, with a small smile, and with one glance out the car she left, moments later being replaced by Damian.

"So, where are we going today?" He'd ask. You'd give him a list of places, ask him to choose one, and you'd head there with him in tow. One of his favorites had always been the park.

Bonus: Bruce Wayne

I had to include bat-dad. Despite how I write him, he actually really is a good father, just not in the way you'd expect him to be. Y'all hold out for his arc, I promise it will be good!

When you were first dropped off at the manor, you didn't know what to expect from him. He was this huge imposing figure who was clad in black with a scowl on his face, you thought he hated you already. You were so young at the time, how could you have known any better?

Whenever he spoke to you, he'd crouch down and speak in a gentle voice. Whenever you'd ask him of something, even if it seemed like he didn't hear you, you'd see your answer within the next few days. He'd build you a whole other manor if you asked for it.

If only he wasn't so busy, juggling his role as CEO and Batman, he barely had enough time for the both of those, let alone time to raise a daughter, but he tried to show you that he was there in other ways. Fully funding your schooling was a given, but whenever you'd show interest in anything suddenly you'd see more of it in the manor.

When you'd expressed to Dick that you were interested in the piano, you found one in the house the next day. When you'd told Jason that you wanted to read more of a certain author, her entire collection was in the library. You once told Tim that you wanted to go to Metropolis U for college and, out of nowhere, there was an offer for a full ride. You and Damian used to go over to the Kent's to play a certain video game since neither of you had the time to bring it over and, would you look at that, the manor now has a game room.

A series of misunderstandings is what plagued this relationship. One from a father who barely felt the love of a parent and the other from a daughter who vyed for it. You both found your own way of communicating with each other, and it wasn't until the very end where it got strained.

But could you blame him?

You called him a monster.

You didn't even let him explain himself.

But, truthfully, even if you did...

He wasn't sure if you'd understand it.

Hell, he didn't even understand it himself.

All he felt was the heartbreak of realizing he made a mistake that couldn't be undone.

[accirax]

Disventure Camp All Stars Power Ranking (Round 8)

It's yet again time to round up some power rankings. Will I slip at the start or slide my way to a perfect score?

In case you haven't seen my previous power rankings ( 5 | 6 | 7 ), the Power Ranking Format is essentially a way of ranking how well each player is doing in the game. So, in essence, this is a long form way of predicting who I think will be eliminated from the competition in the next episode. There will be spoilers for last week's episode (obviously) and its power ranking, so make sure to read that first if you don't want to be spoiled on how I ranked our last boot. If you want more clarification on the rules, that first post will help you out as well. Furthermore, I'm going to be spoiling the preview for next episode, so if you want to go in TOTALLY blind, save this for later. Let's go!

Recap - Ellie's Elimination

Current Point Total: 28 acquired/42 total

I should've stuck to my guns, dammit! Why couldn't this exact scenario have played out, like, two weeks ago, when I would've been totally right? Just another failing of my self doubts, I suppose. This time, I'll be sure to doubt those doubts.

Anyways, given that I've anticipated it for so long, Ellie's elimination is as unsurprising as it is understandable (which is "highly"). As I mentioned in my initial thoughts, I really like how they explained her elimination as the game being bad for her, because, it's true! It made it extra surprising that Ellie wasn't there for the Patreon readings-- more or less increasing her odds of rejoining the game later-- but, who knows what'll happen there. For now, I think this season will be fine without Ellie there to add her particular brand of spice, even if it helped to flesh out the season's palette while she was there.

Also, I finally put the boot in 10th place instead of 9th place :D I'm improving!

Trailer Analysis

Tom and Aiden will do... whatever the hell this is. My guess is that Tom is (lightheartedly) teasing Aiden about something regarding James. Maybe it's some kind of pivot after Aiden tries to press Tom further about his mysterious boyfriend?

Alec and Grett will join Riya sunning herself on the beach. This may be important if it's showing Yul being on the outs.

Gabby will yell at Tess, presumably confronting her over Ellie's elimination.

The way the shots before this one were cut together, it seems like Ashley and Riya (and, by extension, Magenta and Yellow) will argue with each other.

The challenge will be something involving a slip n slide track where contestants shoot a ball at the end. Notably, it seems that they don't start off holding the balls at the beginning of the track. Also, some contestants are shown sitting, while others are shown standing. Maybe there's a break point in the middle where they acquire the balls, and can switch between sitting and standing?

The thumbnail shot, which shows Tess and Ally arguing with someone. Based on the earlier content, my guess is Riya/the Yellow Team.

Jake, at least, will also attempt to throw a ball before the stop at the end illustrated by Grett. Some theories: 1) this is a desperate hail mary at the end of the challenge that Jake throws early to prevent Magenta from losing, 2) this is a desperate pass to either Ashley or Ally, who are standing ahead of Jake, at the end of the challenge to prevent Magenta from losing, or 3) this is Jake choosing to enable PvP and throw the ball at probably Aiden or Tom. Honestly, leaning towards #3.

"You think saying you're gay is something huge? Look what show we're on."

Trevor and Emily will continue their conversation regarding Trevor's feelings for Derek, and Trevor will (presumably) come to outwardly acknowledge those feelings as romantic, coming out to Emily as gay/bi. (Bi is the canon one as far as we last heard.) Emily is sitting on a picnic blanket, which implies that she decided to eat the picnic herself after Yul chose to abandon it. She's an icon for that and the quote itself.

There's a lot more camp life shown in this trailer than the last one. This definitely seems like it could be a short challenge, with more focus on interpersonal relationships and the fallout of last episode's elimination. That definitely gives me some material to work with, although, as always, it's gonna be at least a partial shot in the dark.

Power Ranking

#1: Ashley

I still think Ashley is totally safe. Why would Ally and Jake work together to eliminate her? It just doesn't make sense. Barring, like... a medical evacuation, Ashley will live to see another day. And, based on the trailer, it even seems like Ally would be the more likely medevac.

#2: Alec

I also still think that Alec is very likely to survive, because, similar to Ashley, it doesn't make any sense for Riya, Yul, and Grett to work together to eliminate him. I think the most likely path to an Alec boot would be if he and Riya try to vote for probably Yul, and Yul and Grett decide to vote for Alec, sending Alec home in whatever the tiebreaker would be this time. However, even in that fringe situation, I think that Yul and Grett would choose to vote for Riya over Alec, and that, narratively, Yul would probably lose the tiebreaker challenge. There's no way he'd win a tiebreaker twice, right? Especially with an injured foot?

I also want to draw attention to the fact that the three boots from S1 thus far have been Miriam, Fiore, and Ellie, in that order. First place, then second place, then third place. I do wonder if Alec, as S1's fourth place finisher, will pick up on that pattern and worry about it at all.

#3: Ally

An Ally boot would definitely be surprising. It's still possible that Ashley could choose to side with Jake over her, but I don't think that's the direction the story will take. Like, the intended message could be, "true friends will stick with you through thick and thin, so there's no reason to worry." However, I think that a better and probably more accurate moral to learn would be "if you always assume the worst in people, you'll drive even those who want the best for you away." AKA, I don't think that the narrative would want to reward Jake for slipping back into those old insecure habits by having Ashley cave under his whining.

The way that the writers have fleshed Ally out this season has been really nice, and I hope that her story doesn't end before the merge. Despite her placing sixth in S2 (the same place as, uh, Tom), I always forget that she made it late into the game. Probably because she wasn't bringing a whole lot to the table. Now she is, so let's hope that table doesn't fold under the weight of Jake bias.

#4: Grett

Y'know, I still don't really know what to do with Grett. The narrative as it stands could function without her-- the main plot line she's involved in at the moment is pretty self-contained, and could naturally disappear with her elimination-- but the Yellow Team really doesn't seem like they'd be gearing up to vote her out. Right now, she's a loyal and somewhat naive/subservient henchman, which is exactly what characters like Alec or Yul are looking for.

Due to that logic, I wound up being fairly confident that she won't be the next elimination. I hope she won't, because I really like Grett, both in S1 and DCAS. Then again, I really like pretty much everyone in DCAS, but the show just has to keep eliminating people! Why do we keep putting ourselves through this...?!

#5: Tom

The state of Cyan up until their next elimination is quite the interesting situation, indeed. Given that Aiden, Tom, and Tess already voted against Gabby last time, and Gabby made it clear to us that she doesn't plan on legitimately working with any of them anymore, Gabby is the obvious next elimination from that tribe. So, when considering the others, my main criteria is, "who would Gabby be the most likely to vote for in the case of her finding a totem?"

Given Gabby's character, I imagine that her vote would be decided by who she feels the most betrayed by/is the most angry at, as opposed to being a huge strategic play. All three of Aiden, Tom, and Tess have their arguments for being Gabby's biggest target, which I'll elaborate on in each of their individual sections.

For Tom, the argument is that Gabby would feel the most betrayed by him because he was actually one of her friends on S1, as opposed to Aiden and Tess, who she didn't know super well. She thought they were genuine friends, yet he was out there cackling over Ellie's elimination with the rest of them.

However, despite that personal element, I think that targeting Tom would be Gabby's least likely decision. I'd attribute Ellie's elimination as Aiden's move, and Tess was the facilitator that made it happen. Tom was just along for the ride. Although that hasn't stopped Gabby from holding a grudge in the past (pour one out for Dan), to me it seems like she'd have bigger fish to fry.

Additionally, I think that (other than possibly Gabby) Tom would be the worst Cyan character to lose at the moment, narratively speaking. If Tom is going to be eliminated, it would be much more satisfying for it to be the result of his own poor decisions (like what just happened to Ellie) than Gabby's random silver bullet. Between Jake, Aiden, and the lie Tom trapped himself in, it feels to me like the writers have more that they want to do with Tom yet.

#6: Tess

Alright, so, why would Gabby want to eliminate Tess? Well, Tess was the deciding vote between whether Ellie or Aiden would go home, and, by Gabby's reaction, she was pretty surprised by Tess' verdict. Therefore, Gabby could see Tess as having committed the greatest betrayal.

There is also a possibility that Gabby could manage to eliminate Tess without needing some sort of idol or advantage. At the very least, I'm sure it would be far easier for Gabby to convince Aiden and Tom to work together to eliminate Tess than to get either of Aiden and Tom to flip on each other. Aiden and Tom might go along with it if they were worried about Tess flipping on Cyan to vote with Magenta at the merge because of Ally, or something.

However, I still don't really think that Tess would be eliminated in this fashion. You could argue that her character arc is now complete upon her making the decision to side with the boys over Ellie, but personally, I don't think that's all they'd want to do with her. Down to this next episode's thumbnail, recent episodes have been rekindling the relationship between Tess and Ally, and making us look forward to seeing more happen between them (romantic or platonic). I want to believe that they'll make the merge together, so I hope Tess isn't eliminated here.

#7: Aiden

The answer as to why Gabby would choose to get Aiden out is obvious: he's the one that spearheaded the movement to eliminate Ellie. Out of everyone who is or even has been on the Cyan Team, Aiden is the one who Gabby has bonded with the least. Plus, Gabby could adopt the mentality of "I'll fulfill Ellie's dying wish (eliminating Aiden) or get eliminated trying." It's my gut feeling that if Gabby were to idol someone out this episode, Aiden would be her target of choice.

And, as I wrote about last episode, if James doesn't become a returning player, the writers have less of a direct reason to keep Aiden around. He's still a fan favorite as always, but, like... the name of the game this season is sending fan favorites home. Unless he makes the final 3 again (which, granted, is possible), he will be eliminated at some point. So, why not now?

Well, the reason is still his relationships with other characters, even the ones that aren't James. The last episode also drew attention back to Aiden's relationship with Riya, and heightened the animosity between him and Jake. While having his relationship with Ellie lead to his downfall would make sense, leaving his rivalries with Jake and especially Riya unfinished would be a waste, in my opinion. Those three are dying to have beef with each other at the merge. Now that Ellie's out, maybe Aiden can be my new merge boot, in a synthesized move between Riya and her allies and Jake and his allies. Boy, would that make Tom mad. Honestly, seems pretty legit...

#8: Gabby

I know I kinda promised @/thefandomenchantress that Gabby wouldn't be at the bottom of my power rankings anymore, and, well, she isn't! ... But she's still at the bottom of Cyan. Sorry! Let me explain myself.

Let's be clear: I don't actually think Gabby is going anywhere this episode. While it is possible, I think it would be pretty lame to get the audience all hyped up over a potential Gabby villain arc only to cut it short prematurely. I find it far more likely that she'll be in this game for the long haul, now.

However, if the Connor... and Fiore... and Ellie... boots have told me anything, it's that, if it seems like the entire tribe would really obviously send their votes towards one person, it's probably that person who would be going home. Given that no totem has yet been announced for this season, and Ellie already scoured the entire Cyan camp looking for one, I find it unlikely that Gabby would be able to suddenly produce an idol with which to save herself. Therefore, if Cyan goes to tribal again, Gabby would probably be eliminated. I just find it more likely that they won't.

But even beyond that, you can tell how much I feel like the writers wouldn't want to send Gabby home right now by how I stacked all of the Cyan team members on top of each other. If Cyan does go to tribal, somehow, maybe the writers would be planning some sort of trick to keep Gabby in the game and eliminate... one of the others. I'm pretty confident that everyone Gabby and upward will be safe in the upcoming episode, and that there are only three people at real risk of elimination. So, let's talk about them.

#9: Jake

If Magenta goes to tribal, I think Jake would be eliminated. He made a lot of enemies last episode, which is worrisome. Even beyond the direct implications of potentially making Ashley like him less, by making enemies on other teams, Jake has made it more likely that other contestants would be less likely to work with him come the merge. If Ashley could realize that, she would see that picking Jake over Ally would be bad gameplay.

Leaving Jake's relationships with Aiden and Tom somewhat unresolved would be unfortunate, but viable. I'm working a lot with that shot of Jake shooting the ball while seated, here. Let's say that, in a fit of jealousy, Jake does wind up shooting that ball at Aiden's head, but not in a way that makes Magenta win. That childish display causes Ashley to reevaluate Jake's character, and choose to vote with Ally. In that way, Aiden and Jake's hostility could still contribute to Jake's elimination without Aiden actually casting a vote for Jake. It would be really similar to how they used Jake and Ellie's relationship this season, honestly. Jake didn't get to directly vote Ellie out, but the way that Ellie obsessed over tearing the man down became part of Tess' logic.

Still, Jake is in ninth instead of lower down because he is so entrenched in plot lines and relationships. As I alluded to back in Ally's section, I do definitely get the sense that the writers have a lot of bias towards Jake as a character, given how much focus he's gotten in both S1 and DCAS. He's their special little blorbo. They can't just get rid of him now!

Much like Gabby, though, I'm not going to let my personal sense of narrative override what actually seems to be going down at the camps anymore. I wanted to put one representative from each tribe pretty close to the bottom in case of emergencies, and I think Jake is by far the easiest boot from that team if they do lose. There's a definite gulf between how likely I think it is that Gabby will be eliminated versus that Jake will be eliminated. However, there's a pretty big gulf between Jake and our last two for me, as well...

#10: Riya

and

#11: Yul

I feel like I kind of have to talk about these two together this time because of how I believe the episode is going to play out. So, what do I think will happen?

Well, basically, I think that this episode will result in a big decision point for Alec. At the beginning of the episode, we'll see that scene of him, Riya, and Grett all sunning themselves together, while Yul is off doing whatever Yul does. Then, we'll go to the challenge, where Riya will rile up the other teams and get them mad at her. The challenge will play out as it does, and, in some combination of Riya's tactics and Yul's injury, Yellow will lose. Thus, it'll be up for Alec to decide: is it time to get rid of Riya, or Yul?

Riya is a potential liability to Alec because of how her plans often result in the team losing. She's also very clearly in it for herself, and wouldn't hesitate to screw him over (just like Fiore did in S1). She represents the unfortunate blend of being dumb enough to play the game recklessly while also being smart enough that she might not blindly follow the leader with the same level of obedience that Yul or this iteration of Grett would. Working with her is dangerous. And yet, Alec seems to genuinely enjoy her company. With Fiore, Connor, and even Ellie now eliminated, friends are a commodity Alec is running low on. Would he really want to axe Riya, too? But, would he really let the notion of friendship stop him from doing what's best for his game?

Yul is the exact opposite. Alec has made it clear again and again that he thinks that Yul is a cruel and self-absorbed idiot. I'm sure he doesn't want to work with Yul more than he has to. But, does he have to? Yul and Grett currently have the advantage of coming as a pair, so if Alec wants any prayer of keeping his villains' alliance alive, he should probably keep around two allies instead of one. Yul himself nominated Alec as the leader last episode, unprompted. That level of power is hard to deny.

Despite Grett's connection to Yul, I think that Yul would be the more likely boot from this episode. 'Cause, guess what? Yul's rule of threes with Emily is over now! He fired her from that position, essentially ending that plot thread, which may be a hint that we might let him go soon. Without his earpiece, I could even see Yul saying something cruel to Grett in this episode that makes her decide to flip on him and potentially break up with him. Meanwhile, Riya still has her relationship with Aiden to provide intrigue if they ever meet up again.

It's also possible that Yul and Grett could vote for Riya, while Riya and Alec vote for Yul, resulting in a tie. However, as I said, I think that Yul would be set up to lose the tiebreaker this time around, thus making him this episode's boot anyways.

I've really enjoyed Yul's jokes this season, so I would definitely be sad to see him eliminated. I had been thinking about him as a potential (LOSING) finalist, so, if he doesn't go home this episode, maybe that could still happen. However, it feels to me that the writing is on the wall. If not for him, then, most likely for Riya.

Somehow, these power rankings keep getting shorter to write every time. It's almost like there are fewer variables to consider with each episode. I feel fairly confident that it's going to be Yul or Riya this time, so, hopefully that's another 10 or 11 points in the bag. See you next time!

[pyrriax]

hmmm pandora or melody for the ask game? :) i am SO interested in them !!!

OOOOO okay you get a two-for-one because I can!!

I'm putting this below a read-more because christ almighty it's long, lol

PANDORA:

One aspect about them I love

I love the fact he sticks to his beliefs & is genuinely consistent with how he treats others. It causes so many issues (especially later on when that really gets challenged) but also is part of why I think he's as compelling as he is.

One aspect I wish more people understood about them

Oh my god. My main one: he is not a good person. Not At All. Yes that hinges off his past, no it's not part of what I've shown so far. He remembers tasting blood for a reason, man! And he did not lose a fight to end up in that situation!

One (or more) headcanon(s) I have about this character

Okay I'm gonna talk strictly headcanon with this! I definitely see him as being either nonbinary or genderqueer post-maze. Probably an any pronouns user, especially with demon culture not really focusing on strict gender stereotypes (though that's still a thing, just not as common in his experience). Oh dude Pandora would SO wear one of those long flowy skirts, that's absolutely his jam.

One character I love seeing them interact with

Accius!! I love him and Accius interacting, it brings me so much joy. Even if Pandora doesn't realize it, Accius looks up to him as an older brother type of figure. (Even if Pandora is only a couple of years older than them)

One character I wish they would interact with/interact with more

Oliver, 100%! Those two could've had such great chemistry and would've bounced off each other really well, but sadly that just doesn't get to happen :( I hold it dear regardless, and I'm totally gonna write something based around those two getting along because I think that'd be so sweet.

One (or more) headcanon(s) I have that involve them and one other character

Ooooh man this is tough! I'm gonna leave this one alone because my only idea right now is actually a plot point in the next two chapters and I don't wanna spoil anything (I see Dane reading this, silly creature :3)

MELODY:

One aspect about them I love

I love the way she talks!! I don't know how to really describe it, but the way she talks is just super fun to imagine + write. Also just I love how much her character and behavior comes from a place of love and grief, rather than hatred :)

One aspect I wish more people understood about them

I'm not intending for her to be a villain in this story, she's just somebody who's hurting and taking it out on others. I mean the whole scene in Chapter 15 (cicadas) was supposed to be showcasing that fact, even if it did mean she almost killed someone. She's quite literally just grieving in a horrible manor, and maybe he looks a little bit too similar to somebody, but that's not his fault.

[ Context since I know you haven't been reading! Melody approached Pandora when he was in the prison cell and almost ended up shooting him with her bow, but intentionally missed and walked away after. ]

One (or more) headcanon(s) I have about this character

OKAY I literally refuse to actualize this because I really dislike one-sided romance / pining and we already have one instance of that (Ivy being hopelessly in love with Accius) but I feel like Melody would absolutely have a crush on Lyra. Would I condone that crush? Hell no! Not for the fact it's lesbian, but for the fact that it would be so unhealthy it's painful. Lord.

One character I love seeing them interact with

Oh yes!! Nyx! I love how she interacts with Nyx, it's so natural and it makes total sense that she gets along with him, being a volunteer.

One character I wish they would interact with/interact with more

This is hard to choose, man! I wish she interacted more with Altair before [redacted] especially because of the fact they were always listening to what she said. But also, I wish she interacted more with Kato! Those two had such a good dynamic and I am SO upset it didn't get more screen time

[ You have: Person who was notorious for basically learning everything about a person & Person who refuses to say anything about themself unless it's life or death ]

One (or more) headcanon(s) I have that involve them and one other character

We're going canon again with this one!! I think her and Pandora absolutely used to practice fighting with each other, she did it out of some curiosity and ended up getting some of her memories back because of it :) They're actually really evenly matched in a battle, though she often held back when it came to anything ranged. Even if she hates him, she's not going to use the fact he has poor depth perception and a mostly-blind left eye against him.

On that topic!! She trained people in the clearing archery and was the one who showed Urki how to use a halberd, along with showing Accius about War Scythes. She's got a fair bit of weapons knowledge, since that used to be something she studied a lot! Mel is the combat teacher of the group, though a lot of people already had their preferences and specialties and just needed reminding.

[ Also I feel like she's DEFINITELY both gotten accidentally stabbed during training, and also definitely accidentally stabbed somebody. Both of which were probably from and to Pandora. Those two fought a lot. Ironically I don't think they ever actually physically fight after the first couple of months. They were closer than I showed in the condensed version of the story! Hatred leads people to knowing each other better than they wanted to :) ]

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

For the ask game:

8. What I like most about your writing

I like how deep you get into creating characters. There is so much detail put into creating them, with how their living circumstances realistically are (Peter is canonically poor and Midtown tech looks way to fancy to be anything but a rich private school, which would really impact Peter but the marvel movies kinda ignore a lot of the details there, and you didn’t) to how they would interact with the world/other characters (it’s great how you show how Peter’s life impacts his relationship with Frank). I love it so much!!!!!

9. A fic I’m excited for you updating

The first step of kintsugi!

14. A fic I didn’t expect to like so much

Kintsugi and Therianthropy. I know very little about Frank Castle (his show is a little dark for me and I haven’t gotten to him in Daredevil yet) but I ran out of Matt mentors Peter fics so I thought I’d give kitsugi a try. Now I am attached to Frank and Lisa, characters I know little about outside of your writing

15. A question about your fic

We’ve gone over MJ and Peters living situation, but what about Ned? Does he have parents or live with just his grandma? Is he rich or one of the scholarship kids like Peter and MJ? When did Peter meet him?

poverty was such a fundamental thing to peter's character that i really wasn't willing to like, write a version of peter that didn't have that be a part of his person. like, it's such cornerstone of who he is and why he makes the decisions that he does that i couldn't really conceptualize him turning out into the same peter parker that became spiderman without it. the writers of the mcu sort of made light of it, talking about how may could sustain them and how nobody wants spiderman to have to remember the eggs for his struggling aunt or whatever, which i feel just. misunderstands why peter parker became spiderman or what spiderman represents. it was surprisingly easy to lean into what the mcu had and weave in peter parker's canonical origins. so much of it was just connecting the dots with natural consequences, like how that might affect him in a visibly rich school and his relationship with frank, who's shown to have been living in a pretty nice middle class set up before his family died.

i LOVE fics where matt mentors peter and i'm thrilled you gave me a shot. (if you haven't read the staying close to the ground or dumpster fires verses, i highly recommend them). frank there's a lot of outside of my writing, lisa i made up almost wholesale. there's nothing. she's the perfect daughter who died too young, and so i wanted to pull her off the ice and make her half feral. i love her so much. she is so unwell. like, i like to use isolated POVs to sort of "narrow" the story and influence its framing, because i think the voice of a story almost always makes it an entirely different story, and therianthropy necessarily had to come through matt and only matt, so she was sort of absent from the last installment, but she is So Unwell. like i know a lot of people are waiting for frank to show up but we need to Unpack some of the shit she's got going on mentally first.

And Ned! ned ned ned! i love ned! he's so fun and almost entirely absent from kintsugi so far, so, devastatingly, he has very little known about him. he's going to be way more present, we just have to get a few more things out of the way before he can come and join the rest of the main cast.

i'm going to keep the answers kind of vague because some of it is going to be discussed in depth later in the story, and i don't want to spoil it. but, generally speaking:

Just his grandma.

he's in between. Wealth at midtown tech is sort of on a sliding scale. you have students who are poor, and i think that midtown is prestigious enough that that sliding scale goes allllll the way up to families that are in the range of "CEO to tech conglomerate" levels of wealth. like, for the most part, those families go to super ritzy private schools, but midtown has churned out enough successfully scientists that it's not unheard of for majorly rich people to send their kids there too. that's rare enough that you really don't have a student that wealthy enrolled right now, but you do have people whose families have net worths that are easily in the several million dollar range. MJ and Peter are really the only ones in the school that can really be called poor. like, if you took a poll of their classmates, MJ and peter would really be the only ones who can remember having times where they aren't really certain if the heat can stay on or if there's enough to eat. and there's a lot of reasons why that is, but i think the biggest one is that this midtown science has a scholarship system entirely dependent on merit instead of need. like, not to get too deep in the weeds on the scholarship program for this fanfiction, but i think the only way to get a scholarship for midtown is to do so through an official testing program. there is no analysis of need for scholarships. there is a need-based grant program meant to support students with financial difficulties, but it's structured in a way that makes it incredibly difficult to use and requires a new application every single billing cycle, meaning that most of the students are students from families that can afford tuition. because scholarship is merit-based, it's become a huge status symbol at midtown science. it's also why this system gets perpetuated--parents pay out their nose for private tutors to make sure their kids place extremely high on the placement exams, not because they need a scholarship, but because having a kid that got most of their tuition waived means they're the cream of the crop. it's basically the school acknowledging that their kid is the best of the best from the get out. so it makes the actual ability to get into midtown science highly competition and skewed toward wealthier families, because they're the ones that can afford these tutors. if you get 100% of your tuition waived? It's basically the school saying you were the absolute best and brightest of everyone we interviewed for your year. in every other year except for peter and mj's, those are almost exclusively kids who had been privately tutored for the exam. peter and mj had a target on their back from the start, not just because they were poor, but because they were poor and still better than all these kids who had to go home to parents who paid for a year and a half of private tutoring only for top billing to go to a couple of kids who just sort of showed up to the test. may and ben visibly had no idea what it meant that peter got full scholarship past "oh we're so proud" and "that means we can afford to send him here." it's like the family of Miss America showing up to the award ceremony thinking their kid won a little contest, good on them. MJ's parents didn't even come to the parent mixer. a lot of the really aggressive parents took this attitude as an insult and a way to feed their inferiority complex, which they projected onto their kids, who then turned around and took it out on peter and mj, who they perceive as having taken from them something they deserved more. that being said, ned's definitely on scholarship--probably 75% or so of his tuition is waived, which is good, because tuition would have been a big burden on his family otherwise. ned's family is definitely a lot better off than mj or peter's, but tuition gets expensive. i'd say pretty solidly upper middle class. he's never had to worry about rent money, because his grandma owns their house. he's always had enough where he can have pretty expensive lego sets. but his family isn't exorbitantly rich, just comfortable.

a few years back. they're like, 14 now? I say around 11 or so. beginning of middle school, when they both joined the midtown science district/feeder school. at first, they were just generally in the same class and knew each other in a distant sort of way, but they became close friends later. we'll go into that and how exactly they became friends in wayyy more detail later.

[shadowuponstorm]

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Munson!Reader

Age Range: 18+ since it involves a character of legal age, so minors, please scroll on. (It's not my fault if you decided to read, don't say I didn't warn you and I'm not responsible for your actions!)

Series: Stranger Things (S4, Pre-Vol. 2)

WC: Over 1.5K

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

A/N: Welcome to Chapter 3, which means you will have to read the previous parts in order to understand the storyline (I have listed them above). Slight spoilers are included, and again, I ask that no one spoils or posts spoilers in the comments in case there are those who haven't seen the show or watched Vol. 2 yet! Also please don't translate, repost, or copy under any circumstances, I prefer my original work to be on just my page. Hope you enjoy this chapter and have a great day/night!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Eddie!" Dustin shouts as all of us rush over to try to stop Eddie before he jams the broken shard into Steve's neck, "Eddie! Stop!"

After Dustin calls out his name a few times, he finally turned his head toward us, with fear still evident in his eyes and face. I couldn't help but feel my heart break seeing my twin like this, especially since he's never in the entire time we've been in existence shown me he was scared.

"It's me, it's Dustin," Dustin said softly, trying to keep Eddie calm, "That's Steve, you know him, Y/N's boyfriend. He's not going to hurt you."

I slowly walked up so that I was closer by a few inches and reached out to put my hand on Eddie's arm before whispering, "Eddie, it's okay." I pull his arm back so the glass isn't so close to Steve's neck anymore.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie asked, allowing the opportunity for Dustin to answer, "We're looking for you."

"We were worried about you," I said as Robin insert herself into the conversation by assuring Eddie we were here to help.

As Dustin introduces Eddie to the others and helped him fully calm down, I lessen the grip and backed away to allow space for Eddie to walk away from Steve before I rush to wrap my arms around his neck as he fell back to a sitting position on something behind him.

"Are you okay?" I whispered into his ear as Steve let out a sigh of relief and murmured in my ear, "Yea, I'm good. God, he can be intense."

"He's just scared, he's usually not like that," I respond as I pulled out of the embrace and focused my attention back on Eddie, who is currently staring into space sitting with his back to the wall while Dustin's now the one creeping up to him. I glance back at Steve to see him move his head towards Eddie to telepathically say, "Go to him.", prompting me to walk over to be beside him.

"We just want to talk," Dustin whispered as he reaches out, causing Eddie to flinch, which was so out of character for him.

As the others started to inch in slowly, I watch Robin kneel down to assure Eddie that we just wanted to know what had happened.

"You won't believe me," Eddie mutters as he sniffs, evident he's been crying before we had gotten to where we are, which broke my heart.

"Try us," Max said as Eddie looks over at me with a look that asks, "Really?" I shrug my shoulders to whisper, "I really think you should. I think it might help in this case."

Eddie sighed and shook his head before he started to tell us what had gone on last night between him and Chrissy.

"I gave Chrissy a ride back to the trailer since she wanted to score some deal and she asked me to get the stronger stuff, so I did, searched the nooks and crannies they could've been in. After I found it, I walked into the room to see her just standing there, her eyes were rolled in the back of her head. I tried to wake her up in case she had been sleeping, but then the lights started to go on the fritz. Her body just, like, lifted into the air and, uh...and she just, like, hung there. And her bones...she," Eddie responded before letting out a whimper, "Her bones started to snap. Her eyes. It...It was like there was something, like inside her head, pulling. I- I didn't know what to do, so I- I ran away. I left her there."

All of us were stunned into shock and silence at the horrific scene Eddie has described to us, far worse than what the police could try to connect the pieces to or a story a starving filmmaker could conjure up.

Eddie scoffs in disbelief and mutters, "You all think I'm crazy, right?" I squeezed his arm before I voice my disagreement, "No we don't, we believe you, Eddie. Every word of it."

"Don't bullshit me, sis! I know how this sounds," Eddie shouts, making me flinch back from the sudden volume of his tone, causing Steve to look angry at the site of the love of his life and the expecting mother of his child being scared by someone dear and close to her.

"Hey, don't shout at her. She's-" Steve started to rebut as he stops himself short before accidentally spilling the secret.

"She's what?" Eddie asked, confused about why Steve didn't finish the sentence before Max distracts him by saying, "We're not bullshitting you."

"We believe you," Robin inputs, also in on the plan of distraction while Steve thinks of an excuse to be believable in Eddie's eyes.

"I was going to say, she's your twin sister. She's someone who would believe and be with you every step of the way whenever you need her, you shouldn't yell or else you'll end up hurting her. I know you never want to do that to her," Steve responds as Eddie shook his head slightly before whispering to me, "He's right, I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"It's okay Eds," I whispered back before I give him a hug, "I still love you."

"Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little...difficult to take," Dustin says as Eddie nods before affirming with an "Okay."

"You know how people say Hawkins is...cursed? They're not way off. There's another world, a world hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours," Dustin educates, making Eddie question ghosts and shit. Max inserts into the lesson, "There are some things worse than ghosts."

"These monsters from this other world...we thought they were gone," Dustin says before I mention, "But they've come back before. That's why we needed to find you."

"If they're back again, we need to know," Max mutters before Robin asks, "That night, did you see anything?"

Eddie shook his head at each suggestion as to what possibly could've been able to do those things to Chrissy before he stops them with, "No, man, there was nothing you could see or, uh...or touch."

"It was like she...she was in a trance or something. She couldn't move," Eddie mentions before Dustin adds in, "Or under a spell."

After they both looked at each other in realization, Dustin said something about "Vecna's Curse."

"Who's Vecna?" Steve asked from behind the kids before Dustin answered in a worried tone, "An undead creature of great power."

Robin looks down at her watch to say, "Hey, it's getting really late for some of us, we should go before our parents worry about where we are."

"I agree," I respond before I turned back to Eddie and told him that we'll all be back in the afternoon, as well as telling him to stay put.

After we all left the boat shed and arrived at each house to drop off someone, Steve and I pull up to his house before I started to cry.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Steve asked worriedly as he reaches over to pull me into him to hold me in his arms while shushing me.

"I have never seen him like before, Steve, and it worries me," I muttered before I reach a hand up to wipe my tears, "I'm worried about what the town would do to him if they knew where he was, I'm worried for his mental health after what he had witnessed, I'm especially worried about what's to come for our unborn child when we bring them into this world, and...I'm worried for what or who this Vecna could unleash."

I then feel Steve's hand go under my chin, guiding me to be looking up at him before he lets out a sigh he's been holding in.

"I'm worried too, hell, I'm terrified, and I shouldn't be. I fought off a Demogorgon, the Mind Flayer, Billy, and so many of those other monsters that have ever existed in the Down Under. This is something entirely different than them, this is something we cannot hear, see, or touch. Yes, while I'm scared, I know that we're better than our fears and can overcome them just enough to take this creature down, just like we did with the others," Steve says as he kisses me on the forehead, "We can get through what gets thrown our way, and we can certainly try our best to help clear your brother's name. Because he doesn't deserve to still be in hiding when we decide to solidify our future by marriage and when this little one makes their appearance, hopefully, we'll be out of Hawkins by then."

"How did I get lucky to be with a guy like you? You always know what to say," I respond as Steve laughs and whispered, "Hey, I wasn't smart enough to get into college, but I definitely am smart enough to know you're the only one for me and how to survive in this world."

After we both calmed down from laughing, we exited the car and went into the house to start getting ready for sleep to fall upon us. It came easy for Steve, with his soft snores filling the room, but for me...it didn't, though, after an hour of listening to Steve's heartbeat, I felt myself being lulled into a deep slumber.

[madara-fate]

Who do you think would win in a fight between Mikasa (AOT) and Yor (Spy x Family)?

It has to be Yor, she is literally Wonder Woman posing as an assassin.

Yor's superhuman feats far outclass anything Mikasa has shown. With the latter, while her skills were always impressive, they could at least still be classified as human (perhaps with the only exception being when she broke the knife handle and floorboards with her brute strength alone).

However, with Yor, she has demonstrated plenty of times that her strength, speed and durability are all monstrously superhuman. Seriously, I won't spoil for those who haven't read the manga because the anime hasn't yet shown even half of what she's capable of, but that woman is an absolute force of nature.

[runawaycarouselhorse]

[Saint Rosalind - Review]

[CW the manga contains opics such as murder (of children, elders, animals, etc.), gore, drinking, suicide, character death.

This review contains minor spoilers (I described one chapter's murder and motivation in detail as an example.)]

I haven't been so engrossed in reading something in a while. I have trouble starting things, even when I love them, or picking up after I left of, but I simply couldn't stop reading Saint Rosalind until I finished it within two days!

Also, the art is absolutely adorable and a delight! Very delicate and pretty, the 70's art is beautiful. You can see how the artist in her additional prequel chapter published in 2017 (explaining the first murder which was never shown in detail in the story, which the author regretted) has much more details in hair and clothes, but lacks those thick tapering to thin lines her style had in 1973, often characteristic of mangaka in the start of their career that many mangaka grow unable to draw as they get older and it becomes more painful to do those little flicks of the wrist... the anatomy was always a little loose in the 70's chapters, but the 2017 one tries to pair larger, but more detailed faces, with still highly stylized and very small hands, and it looks jarring on the adult characters. Proportions are off. Rosalind is still adorable. The lines feel rougher, but I'll chalk it up to the artist's age!

It's a very interesting horrror manga, rather gory for the shoujo demographic... about an eight year old child.

She's not the victim, she's the perpetrator of these violent crimes. She's also bizarrely innocent about these, either acting innocent and heartless (like J.M. Barrie's description of children in Peter Pan) where she kills people simply because she wants to add more treasures to her collection, believing them rightly hers when they're promised to her... she has very simple black and white morality and thinks she's good because she never lies (many a time, she justifies killing ot hers for lying to her or once, for bullying her, lying to her, and forcing her to lie!)...

Sometimes, she even seems to operate under typical shoujo heroine logic, in her own mind, where she's doing good deeds as she touches the lives of those she meets... like when she meets a sad little girl whose mother's out every night and only drinks and sleeps when she's at home (very much an addict, running away from her own life), she feels so sorry for the little girl who keeps a pillow bound to a chair, with a book propped up in its "lap" pretending it's a mother who stays with her and reads to her and lets her hug her... so, Rosalind, saddened and touched by the girl's plight, tries to make it reality, by elaborately murdering the girl's mother, then dragging her corpse, tying it to the chair, in the same way the pillow had been, and placing the book in her lap, leaving while thinking to herself, how happy the girl will be to have a mother who will always be with her!

(I'm hardly spoiling, by the way, she kills like three people in the first two chapters alone. She has a very high kill count. )

She's very clever and resourceful and brutal in how she kills, but her logic is simple, childlike, and while she absolutely can be harsh, vindictive, and angry when hurt, bullied, or witnessing some kind of injustice she feels she needs to correct, so kills intentionally, she just as often seems to kill people accidentally, not realizing what she's doing isn't helping... she's a very strange, interesting character!

(Also, both old women Rosalind crosses paths with are a hoot! The wolf-crier granny who begs to rejoin her husband in death and Madame Royale who hates her greedy children and keeps altering her will just to mess with them. Great personalities.)

Even with everything she's done, I couldn't help but cry at the end and the author did too... you'll cry for her family and perhaps for Rosalind herself. The author noted many interpreted her very differently. Innocent in her ignorance, evil in her cunning, or a bit of both...

[captnjacksparrow]

One of my biggest per peeves is that SP can't just be objective. I know you said you haven't watched fillers (I think that was you) but they seriously churned out nonstop fillers of Hinata to the point that you could almost mistake her as a main character in the anime. (I will totally admit I'm wrong if I'm wrong and my hatred of her just made her seem like she appeared 50x more). And the fillers always aim for shit that's OOC for her because the creep doesn't do anything in canon but largely ignore everyone that isn't Naruto.

I honestly forgot that in the war she ditched her Hyuuga guard or whatever he was to go run after Naruto (I assume that's when her useless ass tripped on a rock?). The Hyuuga guy was injured, called out to her, went like "I'd chased her but my leg's fucked up." And I was appalled. I already know Hinata doesn't give a fuck about anyone but Naruto but ohmygoodness she is a legitimate asshole.

And then SP with their favoritism couldn't just recreate that and show her for what she is. They animate her delicately bandaging up the Hyuuga guy and going "I'd get scolded by the family if I left you wounded like this" which isn't that much better. She sounds like a twat. But it's better than her ditching the guy and that's what annoys me. They derail her character 99.5% of the time in anime to push her as this perfect, kind/caring/generous uwu princess. That's so asinine. And her fans eat it up and don't/can't read and comprehend the manga or just don't care and go further than SP and celebrate Hinata like she isn't a plain looking (as canon/Kishi confirms), selfish, privileged creepy bitch.

Oh My!!!!! LOLLLL.... Your hate for Hinata is so deep rooted, Anon!!! LOLLLLLL.....

They seriously churned out nonstop fillers of Hinata to the point that you could almost mistake her as a main character in the anime.

I think you probably watched those shitty episodes after 488, Don't you, anon????

I really think after these Episodes, Hinata was shown as this Angelic Goddess who is so pure as snow and has come up to light Naruto's life.

Thankfully, I never watched them.

They animate her delicately bandaging up the Hyuuga guy and going "I'd get scolded by the family if I left you wounded like this" which isn't that much better. She sounds like a twat. But it's better than her ditching the guy and that's what annoys me.

Ummm.... I felt she was in-character in this scene, Anon.

"I'd get scolded by the family if I left you wounded like this" .... If someone says this line while Bandaging me, I would say, "GTFO, you creepy fuck!!!"

That line sounds so insincere, selfish and insensitive. I take it as, "It's not that your wound bothers me or anything... It's just that my stupid ass Father will yell at me for being Useless... I am doing this to save some pointless yelling that will be directed at me eventually...."

So, People who get the meaning will definitely hate this girl.

And her fans eat it up and don't/can't read and comprehend the manga or just don't care and go further than SP

Discussing or arguing with them is just equivalent to self-smearing mud on our own faces.

Like there was this post in Quora, in which the OP talked about the flaws of Hinata. I seconded the comment and added my point too. All of a sudden a rabid Hinata stan came into the comment section and created a big ruckus by pulling some unrelated panels. It just spoiled our mood and the OP ended up disabling the comment section.

They are just desperate to justify their Byakugan Princess in any way possible. And we really can't expect such comprehensive skills from them.

[wild-aloof-rebel]

I know you're not really intending to post about Happiest Season but I'd appreciate your insight if you wouldn't mind talking about it? I was really excited about it but now I'm not so sure. I've read a couple of comments that said it's super negative and full of homophobia and not the joyful movie we need right now. Buzzfeed did a whole article, which I haven't read to avoid spoilers, but the headline implies the same thing. Do I want to watch it? Is Dan alone worth it?

yeah, i certainly don’t mind talking about it. mostly i said that i wasn’t gonna post a lot about it because i don’t want to spoil anything for people still waiting to watch it, nor do i want to turn my blog into a happiest season free-for-all, but i’m def happy to give you some thoughts about it. i’m gonna put it under a cut anyway just in case...

i’ll start by saying that i largely agreed with the buzzfeed review, just to let you know up front that i am not gonna say you should unreservedly give it a go.

i think my issues with the movie (of which there are many) can be largely boiled down to three Big Things, that i’m gonna try to make as unspoilery as possible here.

1.) the family in this movie is mean. (most of them at least.) they outright and intentionally choose over and over to be cruel to each other, sometimes viciously and violently so. that was a way bigger problem for me than their sort of casual homophobia. i mean you at least know going in that there’s probably going to be some homophobia, right? there’s obviously a reason she hasn’t come out to her parents, so you can expect that that’s probably going to pop up on occasion throughout the movie. 

the outright cruelty of the family was a whole different story. i don’t feel like you really get that from the trailer at all (i actually just rewatched the trailer, and basically the only times they’re remotely nice to each other in the movie are what’s shown there), so it was a bit of an unwelcome surprise. i don’t personally enjoy spending 102 minutes watching people just be relentlessly and actively unkind. like david and alexis are obviously mean to one another sometimes, as siblings occasionally are, but even in s1 when that was at its most prevalent, they would still have moments of levity between them or moments where they’d come together to roll their eyes at their parents—times where it’s clear that they do actually love each other and are on the same side underneath it all. but there pretty much aren’t any moments like that with this family, where you really feel like they actually care about each other, and that, for me at least, makes for a pretty joyless watching experience.

2.) while i empathize with harper’s situation (i mean, looking at her family, i wouldn’t want to have to come out to them either), i do not empathize with her as half of this relationship i’m supposed to be rooting for. 

there are definitely quite a few people who have said they feel seen by what harper is going through in not being able to come out to her conservative family and who have liked seeing themselves and their struggle represented in a very real way. and i think that’s obviously totally valid, and i appreciate that the movie gives voice to those kinds of stories in a way that makes people feel like they’re seeing themselves on screen.

but this isn’t just supposed to be a movie entirely about harper and her struggles with her family. this is billed as a romantic comedy. her relationship with abby should be the central focus of the movie. sure, obviously they’re hiding a secret so they’re not just going to be openly making out in front of everyone or whatever, but in the private moments, the quiet moments, the tiny little moments where it should be like, yes, you, i love you and i’m so glad you’re here with me even though this situation is hard, the movie often runs almost the entire opposite direction. even if she feels like she can’t choose to come out right now, harper can choose to at least treat abby with the sort of kindness and love that is clearly missing from her family situation. but she doesn’t even spend most of the movie treating abby with the level of care that the friend/roommate she’s supposed to be pretending to be deserves, and so instead, i spent the majority of the movie actively rooting for abby to leave.

now, is there a place for that kind of story? sure. if you want to write a movie about how having to hide who you are is making you push away even the one person you’re supposed to love most, there can certainly be value in that. but that’s not a romantic comedy; that’s a different movie entirely.

which brings me to my last point... 

3.) the fact that it’s marketed as a holiday romcom is terribly misleading. this movie is not a holiday romcom. there is hardly any comedy in the movie (it’s mostly in dan’s scenes tbh), even less romance, and certainly very little that i’d consider holiday cheer. yes, as you can tell from the marketing, it has the happy ending you would expect from the genre, but getting there is largely painful and doesn’t, in my opinion, feel at all earned. 

ultimately, i think if you go into it expecting a family drama with a few funny scenes and a sprinkle of a romantic side plot, that will help some. i mean, i basically knew that from seeing what people were saying beforehand and still didn’t enjoy the majority of the movie, but i definitely think it helps to temper your expectations if you’re going to watch it.

now, is it worth all that for dan’s parts of the story?

his scenes were certainly the most entertaining and likable parts of the movie for me. john is the one thing that i think is exactly what you’d expect from the trailers, and dan is great in the role, of course. and he does give one very lovely, i think very dan speech toward the end of the movie. but is it worth sitting through all the rest to watch his parts? 🤷‍♀️ only you can really decide that. if what i’ve told you above hasn’t made you not want to watch, go for it. and if it has, i’m sure that soon enough someone will put together a dan supercut or will just have gif’d all of his scenes, and you’ll be able to see just those parts and forget the rest. or if all else fails, put it on and fast forward any time he isn’t on screen...

[razberryyum]

Tian Ya ke live action (Word of Honor) Episode 1 Thoughts

SPOILERS for episode

Welp, I tried to resist, especially since I was not too impressed by the trailer and stills I initially saw of the show, AND I haven't read the book yet, but then HE won me over and now I'm committed.

Ok dear book readers, can you just spoil this for me, when do Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing papapa in the novel? Cuz according to the way WKX is looking at ZZS, it should've been at HELLO.

I know Priest doesn't usually do R18 ppp scenes, but I refuse to believe they held off on the act until the end of the book. I mean, seriously how could WKX wait that long? Or is the sexual tension just cranked higher for the live action? Also, not knowing anything about the story yet, I honestly can't even figure out who's the top or bottom or if they switch. 🤣

Look I know there's probably more serious elements to the plot than the way WKX is flirting and eye fucking ZZS, but I'm waiting for the subs to enjoy all of that (my Chinese comprehension just takes a sharp dip when it comes to wuxia cdramas). Until then, I'm not sorry to say, it's all just gonna be about the chemistry and censorship-defying interactions between the two of them.

Also:

I love how ready ZZS was to disrobe in front of the emperor...I know he was trying to make a point but all I could think about is how those nail wounds just looks like he has multiple nipples.

He went from normal to sweaty in a split second. 😂

Was his shidi like an ex? I know the dead princess came in between them somehow without ZZS knowing it, but his relationship with shidi felt.... interesting.

FMV creators are gonna have FUN with these scenes I bet.

Is it supposed to be a secret that that's WKX??? Cuz he's shown wearing that on the poster and in the credits...and it's also pretty obvious overall...so why did they keep on hiding his face? Or is he like WKX's twin or smg?

I like her! The actress is a touch overacting, and usually I would be annoyed when the cutesy level is turned up to high, but so far, I find her kinda adorable. I like her energy level. And the fact that she's a female lead who wasn't created or altered to just interfere between the main CP, makes her doubly likeable.

~

Word of Honor is on Youku app or YT (raw). Subbed eps will start Feb 26th.

[kdramacrybaby]

Legend of Fei (2020)

Genre: Wuxia, Historical, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis: Zhou Fei is a young heroine who lives in a secluded society in the mountains. Everything changes, however, when an outsider sneaks into their village to deliver a message. Zhou Fei’s father is forced to leave, leaving her behind, despite her every attempt to follow. Later, when Zhou Fei is finally allowed to leave to go on a mission, she meets the thief again. His name is Xie Yun, and he is a traveler with a hidden past. The two are thrown into the middle of the political unrest that is spreading through the country, and they have to work together to save themselves and the people they meet.

Episode info: 51 episodes / Runtime around 40 minutes

Lead cast: Zhao Liying (Zhou Fei), Wang Yibo (Xie Yun), Chen Ruoxuan (Li Sheng), Zhou Jieqiong (Li Yan), Zhang Huiwen (Wu Chuchu), Zhang Xinyu (Yang Jin)

Link to watch: I watched on Viki

Drama rec masterlist | Drama rant thread (beware of spoilers)

Look, I know the synopsis isn’t that good, but you try writing one after watching this drama! There is so much happening all the time, it’s almost impossible to condense it without spoiling or missing the point entirely. I had the same problems with The Untamed, so I’m seeing a pattern with this style of drama 😂

I'm gonna talk about the things that I liked first because I really did like this drama! And the main reason why I like this drama so much is the characters. I love seeing them interact together, learn and grow together as they travel around and face their fears. It really is a drama about finding your true self and learning about your identity as a person, but also how to find the strength in having people around you who support and love you.

Also, seeing a strong female lead who don't need no man to show her how to fight? Sign me UP! The way they made it so that the male lead is the more "fragile" one, while the female lead is the one who kicks ass and puts names on gravestones is fantastic, and they do it so naturally as well.

And as it was with The Untamed, the world-building is insane. Now, I haven't read the novel this is supposed to be based on, but I can imagine they did an amazing job of bringing it to life.

Now, for the things I... I don't want to say that I didn't like them, but it's more that it's not really my style. (And I just want to say first that, with my limited knowledge of this type of drama, I think the things I'm going to mention are actually pretty common aspects of this style of drama, so I'm not saying it's bad or anything like that - again, it's just not really my style.)

The blatant disregard of physics and logic really just brings me out of the story. The way they fly around, sliding and spinning like gravity is not a thing, makes me giggle even if the scene was not supposed to be funny. That being said though, I really want to applaud the actors for actually pulling those stunts off while still looking graceful. I appreciate the hard work they had to go through being strapped into harnesses and still having to look natural.

There is a lot of standing around and just talking, explaining plot that could otherwise have been shown. There is so much happening all the time, and I had a hard time keeping up. It is cool that, despite being a martial arts drama, they battle with wits and words as much as they fight with swords. I just happened to not really understand a lot of what was happening sometimes, which made it hard to keep my attention.

I just think it is too long. Shorten it down to half the time, keep the central plot points and focus more on the important parts, and I think this could have been an easy five stars.

I really couldn't decide about giving this three or four stars, because there were a lot of times that I just stopped paying attention without meaning to because I couldn't follow or just... got a little bored?, but also, this really has every ingredient that should make it a drama I love, and I really do like it but... yeah, idk, I might go back and change the rating someday.

Also, I just found out that there is a movie, so I’m probably gonna give that a shot sometime and see if it is indeed better in shorter form like I think it is. (Okay yeah no, I barely got 30 minutes into it before I had to give up. Way darker than the drama, and I had no idea what was going on even though I actually just watched it. So yeah... a middle ground maybe 😂)