#The Importance and Issues of Fault Proofs

[intelisync]

Exploring Fault Proofs in Optimism: An Overview

The activation of fault proofs by Optimism marks a significant advancement in Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solutions, completing the first stage of its decentralization plan. This milestone is pivotal for enhancing the network's security and trustlessness, reducing reliance on centralized entities like the Optimism Security Council. Previously, the council monitored transactions and intervened to prevent fraud, but with the new fault proof system, any party can now challenge transactions, moving towards a more decentralized and inclusive network.

Ethereum's high transaction fees have made Layer 2 scaling solutions, such as rollups, essential. Optimism's fault proofs ensure that off-chain transactions are valid by allowing a challenge period where anyone can contest a transaction's validity. If a challenge is raised, a fault proof is provided and verified by the Ethereum mainnet, ensuring that invalid transactions are reverted.

This process significantly enhances the security and integrity of the blockchain. Unlike Arbitrum, which relies on 12 validators, Optimism's fault proof system is designed to be trustless and decentralized, enabling broader participation in transaction verification.

Despite initial challenges with proof generation and verification speeds, Optimism has optimized its fault proof mechanisms to be compatible with Ethereum's Layer 1. This achievement not only improves the security and decentralization of the network but also sets a benchmark for other rollup technologies.

The activation of fault proofs highlights the importance of continuous innovation and rigorous testing in the blockchain space. For more in-depth insights and exclusive research, join our Web3 Sync community on Intelisync and Learn more...

[astonmartinii]

forever and a day | oscar piastri social media au

pairing: oscar piastri x fem long distance reader

nothing can separate them, except maybe 9,000 miles and a couple of oceans.

MASTERLIST | TIP JAR

oscarpiastri

liked by logansargeant, landonorris and 893,209 others

tagged: yourusername

oscarpiastri: finally back in the homeland and reunited with my girl

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user1: oscary/n nation we are so back

user2: australia always does us so well

yourusername: can you convince mclaren that they should keep paying for our dates

oscarpiastri: i think we were technically working

yourusername: were we? it never feels like work being with you

oscarpiastri: you didn't notice all of the people around us and filming us?

yourusername: i only have eyes for you osc, we know this

oscarpiastri: hehehhehehehee

yourusername: also i have to completely commit you to memory before you fuck off for another couple of months

oscarpiastri: you could always just come with me

yourusername: let me get my degree first, one of us has to be educated osc

oscarpiastri: i have my a-levels? lando doesn't even have gcses

landonorris: why am i catching a stray?

yourusername: because my boyf is smart

landonorris: i've got street smarts 😩

oscarpiastri: you've been catfished like five times already and nearly had your bank details stole?

landonorris: well ... i like to see the best in people?

user3: thank you mclaren for giving us the oscar and y/n content

user4: and the proof that love still exists

user5: terminally lonely girls block mclaren, oscar and y/n.- it's for your mental health

user6: or if you have commitment issues this is some good exposure therapy

logansargeant: oh who did you force to be your photographer this time?

yourusername: you never learnt reading comprehension in school?

logansargeant: i can read i just choose not to read the soppy shit you and oscar say to each other

oscarpiastri: leave us alone

yourusername: you have a problem with us no matter what 🤨

logansargeant: do NOT make me the bad guy for complaining about hearing your guys' sexy time

oscarpiastri: we spend A LOT of time away from each other

yourusername: and by the sounds of it, you could learn a lot

logansargeant: you know what WHATEVER

user7: they terrorise logan so much from opposite sides of the world, pray for him when she can travel with oscar

yourusername

liked by oscarpiastri, landonorris and 83,409 others

yourusername: i love any piece of you osc but the separation anxiety is kicking my ass

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user9: oscar gave y/n a plush of himself

user10: no cause he's literally such a black cat

yourusername: he blushes just like that as well

user11: oh really?

user12: want to share with the class

yourusername: that's for my eyes only

oscarpiastri: i'm glad he got to you safely

yourusername: i just about tackled the postman 😔

oscarpiastri: poor graham, we should get him a better christmas gift this year

yourusername: yeah sorry graham but you sprayed the kitty with your cologne and i can't be held responsible for my feral behaviour

user13: they get their postman christmas gifts?

user14: they have the same postman?

user15: yes, y/n lives with his family

user16: really?

yourusername: they can't get rid of me

oscarpiastri: they also love her as much as i do (literally, i have to fight my sisters to spend time with y/n)

landonorris: so this is why we were waiting so long for you at the airport

oscarpiastri: well, yes. it's very important i get y/n a souvenir

landonorris: i could've slept for like an hour longer?

yourusername: just because you don't understand true romance lando 🤨

landonorris: i know romance!

yourusername: maccies in a hotel room is not romance

landonorris: you guys are just freaks about each other that's not my fault

user17: y/n hanging out with oscar's sisters is so precious

user18: if they aren't married soon i will no longer believe in love

user19: they're 23?

user20: tbf i forget that because they've been together since they were like 15

logansargeant

liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri and 351,904 others

tagged: oscarpiastri

logansargeant: oscar forced me to post this so y/n could 'remember how hot he is while he's away at war'

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user21: oh wow... thank you logan!

user22: this is not exactly what i was expecting when i opened instagram but alas i'm not complaining

yourusername: WOOF WOOF WOOF

oscarpiastri: 🤭🤭🤭

logansargeant: someone please remind me why i'm friends with you two

yourusername: because we're your only friends?

yourusername: wait sorry that was mean

yourusername: i just get protective

logansargeant: you're telling me 🤨

oscarpiastri: i'm swooning 🥰🩷

logansargeant: i give up

alexalbon: why am i a part of this oscar thirst trap? why are you posting a thirst trap of oscar?

yourusername: HE'S A GOOD FRIEND

alexalbon: i didn't consent to be part of your weird long distance lust

yourusername: oh girl ain't no one looking at you when oscar is there

alexalbon: you know what you're mean :( i want you to stay in australia

yourusername: i promise i'm a lot nicer when i'm with osc, the distance makes me cranky

alexalbon: i see, remind me to never take oscar out in a race

logansargeant: i think that's wise - i heard her yelling down the phone about carlos

yourusername: i had to block him to stop myself

user23: i am honestly so confused

user24: i think we just let them do it, we'll never understand

landonorris: do NOT ask me to do this @oscarpiastri

yourusername: booooooo you're such a debbie downer

oscarpiastri: he's just s fuckboy he doesn't understand

landonorris: i don't think i'll ever understand you two

yourusername

liked by logansargeant, oscarpiastri and 119,056 others

yourusername: one degree hotter xx

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user26: fucking finally now we can get y/n in the paddock every weekend

liked by oscarpiastri

user27: mclaren social media team seen celebrating just as much

oscarpiastri: and i didn't think it was possible for you to get any hotter

yourusername: maybe a piastri jersey?

oscarpiastri: and a ring?

yourusername: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

yourusername: you know i'll never say no to that

yourusername: do nOT propose through an instagram comment oscar - nicole

oscarpiastri: noted 😔

yourusername: but name the time and the place and i'll be there baby

user28: so we could defo get a y/noscar proposal this season

user29: i would be so insufferable it's unbelievable

user30: the way i just know it was killing oscar not being able to go

user31: did you guys see the kicked dog eyes in the paddock yesterday 😭😭😭

oscarpiastri: they had to force me on the plane

landonorris: no they legit were about to call mick or pato

user32: did y/n convince you to not run away to australia?

oscarpiastri: maybe ....

charles_leclerc: ummmmm who is this oscar? why hasn't your father been introduced?

yourusername: HI

oscarpiastri: y/n is the love of my life and you SHOULD be able to meet her next race weekend

yourusername: so have i also got another father-in-law?

charles_leclerc: you seem to terrorise the other drivers a lot so - yeah!

yourusername: at your service (unless it's you hitting oscar, then there's no MERCY)

charles_leclerc: okay you are kinda scary wtf

oscarpiastri

liked by alexalbon, yourusername and 1,203,677 others

tagged: yourusername

oscarpiastri: unbelievably proud of you and everything you've done darling. i'm so sorry i couldn't be there to celebrate with you, but i'll make it up to you before you know it xx

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user33: oh to be loved like this

user34: they make me feel lonely like the world apart i can only imagine how insane it'll be when they're back together 24/7

yourusername: i love you so so so much osc. you've done more than you could know by supporting me through my education. we have the rest of our lives to be together, so don't beat yourself about it now

oscarpiastri: but i'm so proud of you and just wanted to be there to celebrate you :(

yourusername: osc i can feel you pouting through the screen baby

landonorris: he really is and it's kinda annoyingly cute

yourusername: of course it's cute it's oscar 🙄

landonorris: right so i'll take back my congratulations then

yourusername: FINE BY ME

user35: obsessed with how y/n and lando already have this weird sibling bond

user36: it's the weird relationship that you kind of love between your gf and friend

user37: it's all cute until they actually fight

yourusername: if he makes any wrong step against oscar i'll crush that loser

landonorris: ahhaaha funny joke

yourusername: you're a 5'5 twig, i could snap you in half

user38: i need them to recreate the last photo when oscar wins his first race

user39: i think pinterest would explode

yourusername: no but no joke, i love you so much osc and i can't wait to start the new chapter of our life

oscarpiastri: i love you too xx

oscarpiastri: sorry to my sisters but they're losing their live in stylist because you're never ever leaving me ever again

oscarpiastri: that makes me sound like a possessive asshole but i just have attachment issues

yourusername: no these years since you started in f3 have been actual hell without you and i never want to leave your side again

yourusername: i just love watching you do what you love

oscarpiastri: i'll always love you more

user40: who's chopping onions wtf

user41: i'm invoicing them for my therapy

mclarenf1

liked by fredvesti, arthurleclerc and 1,256,046 others

tagged: yourusername

mclarenf1: don't tell oscar but we've got a surprise guest for him 🤫

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user45: take me out back and shoot me please and thank you

user46: so real of you

landonorris: is this why his phone is currently hidden in my drivers room?

mclarenf1: maybe ...

landonorris: if he fights me for it that's on you guys

mclarenf1: wait admin has just realised you definitely shouldn't be on your phone

landonorris: LOL

user47: mclaren you better not fuck this race for oscar because i need my big rom com ending kiss in parc ferme

user48: omg romance writers do i have a plot for you

user49: the way this would seem so unrealistic if i read it in a book but these fools really have been together for like eight years and are unbelievably in love

yourusername: heheheheh thanks for flying me out on such late notice xx

mclarenf1: no worries queen

yourusername: you guys better be on top form, you can't hide from me in the garage

mclarenf1: hahahaha 😅😅😅

user50: is y/n the reincarnation of nicole scherzinger? like a wag that goes fucking mental

user51: and wears team merch with pride

yourusername: nicole is a queen (thank you for one direction queen) but you guys do not want me on the microphone

user52: you and oscar karaoke? please?

yourusername: we once did breaking free together but you'll have to bother logan for that video

user53: OSCAR PLEASE WIN AND DO DRUNK KARAOKE

oscarpiastri

liked by landonorris, yourusername and 1,556,308 others

tagged: yourusername

oscarpiastri: i told you she was my lucky charm. overjoyed to get my first win, it's a dream come true and to have the love of my life with me makes it even sweeter. y/n, i'll love you forever and a day x

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user54: CONGRATS OSCAR 🧡🧡🧡

user55: i'm having such a proud mum moment

user56: tears in my eyes

user57: not as much as y/n that girl was going THROUGH IT

user58: we need her mascara, cause that shit didn't budge

yourusername: I AM SO FUCKING PROUD OF YOU OSCAR

yourusername: I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

yourusername: AND THANK YOU FOR WAITING FOR ME TO BE AT A RACE TO WIN

oscarpiastri: i guess i just knew in my bones you were here and simply had to win

oscarpiastri: i just wanted to see you so bad that i drove the fastest to the finish line

yourusername: well tell them to hurry up and debrief so we can celebrate 👀

oscarpiastri: ON MY WAY

user59: maybe we will get that karaoke?

logansargeant: congrats bro! @landonorris i hope you brought some ear plugs, if not you might want to start drinking now

landonorris: SOMEONE GET ME A DRINK STAT

yourusername: i'll personally buy you a drink because i'm going to rock his world tonight

oscarpiastri: 😎😎😎

landonorris: and here i thought you were my little innocent teammate

yourusername: there's nothing little about him

landonorris: EWWWW GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY FACE

yourusername: all celebrations aside, i'm so proud and i'll love you forever and always x

oscarpiastri: it's always been you and it will always be you

yourusername: i love you

oscarpiastri: i love you too

fin.

note: WOOOOOOOOOO OSCAR!!! (i'm ignoring everything else to do with the race, oscar is my king)

[jon-sedai]

The thing about Jon that a lot of people forget is that he is actually a rather well known figure all around Westeros. I don’t think it’s incorrect to say that he’s Ned’s most famous kid by a large margin, and perhaps even one of the more famous teens in Westeros; especially now that he has become Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and his reputation has began to stretch to a different continent. Because of his very unusual origin - being honorable Ned Stark’s bastard son by an unknown woman - his name has been passed around in noble houses across the entire continent. He’s not some random kid from the North that no one has heard of. The majority of people may not have seen him, but they have at the very least heard of him.

I bring this up because people tend to act as if Jon would be automatically scoffed away by just about everyone if his true parentage ever came to light. After all, they say, why would anyone believe that some random kid from the north is a Targaryen prince? But this is not really true. Jon is not a random kid. His father was one of the most powerful men in the entire land. And not only that, but Ned’s reputation as an honorable man with no fault ensured that the scandal of begetting a bastard was known by everyone who is someone. The thing is, readers tend to ignore a very large gaping hole in the story when it comes to public perception of Jon’s parentage. People all over Westeros have been talking about Ned and his bastard, but no one can agree on the mother - this is actually important!

Most people would not have questioned Ned to his face, but they too want to know who Jon’s mother was, even if it’s just for a little bit of gossip among nobles. Jon’s parentage is a mysterious puzzle that a lot of people have tried to solve themselves. Catelyn hears one answer in Winterfell, but Davos hears another on his way to White Harbor. Edric Dayne from Dorne says a different name to Arya, while Cersei and Robert (who both live in KL) hear different things. That there’s so much variation all around Westeros is actually proof that a lot of people are talking about this one issue. And Ned’s refusal to name a woman may actually end up having unexpected consequences when someone finally mentions the name “Lyanna Stark”.

So I would like to push back on the belief that no one in Westeros would care about the R+L=J reveal or that they would immediately write Jon off. GRRM deciding to keep Jon’s mother an in universe mystery that is the topic of constant conversation will have major payoff. While I could see some being incredulous, it’s absolutely not a foregone conclusion that most people will choose not to believe it. And it’s not a foregone conclusion that this reveal will only matter to the Stark kids and no one else. Sure GRRM is playing with fantasy tropes, and Jon squarely falls under the hidden prince/king. But something that makes Jon quite different from a lot of his genre counterparts is that he’s not an unknown figure who shows up at the last minute to claim the crown. Jon is not an unknown entity. He is well known, it’s just that very few people have dared to think too deeply about the very large elephant in the room regarding his origin. But I’d imagine that if R+L=J was to be revealed, it wouldn’t be too shocking for a lot of people. It’s not so far fetched that honorable Ned Stark actually chose to protect his sister’s son.

And in regards to GRRM playing with fantasy tropes, Young Griff always comes up in conversation as Jon’s foil. People say that he will be the one to be believed because he looks the part of a Targaryen, whereas a random kid from the North won’t be believed because of his brown hair and grey eyes. Jon doesn’t look like some random unrecognizable Northman. He very specifically looks like a Stark! And anyway, is Jon’s story - that Ned took him in after his sister died and raised him as his own under the protective banner of House Stark - any less believable than Young Griff’s - that Varys had the foresight to save him and whisk him off to Essos before the Mountain bashed his head in? Until now, people have never heard of Young Griff so they’ve never had the opportunity to ruminate over and gossip about his origin story. But they know Jon. And they know about Rhaegar and Lyanna. And Jon looking so very undeniably like a Stark (like Lyanna Stark!) could perhaps work in his favor.

[soleminisanction]

Saw your post in his tag and I completely agree with your Tim loves being Robin post! The “He needs to grow up” thing pisses me off so much. I kind of blame Damian for its existence, but that might be unfair. Isn’t there a comic where Dick lectures Tim about going back to being Robin or being in Bruce’s shadow again? I think I remember reading something like that, but I may be misremembering.

It's not a lecture exactly, but there was a fairly recent comic (here meaning, like I think it was from 2021, 2022? It maaaay have been an issue of Tim Drake: Robin but I genuinely don't remember) where he brought the subject up in the context of like, "It shouldn't be your job to take care of Bruce."

Blame is kinda the wrong word because it implies that Damian the character is "at fault" for the shift, but I do think it's fair to say that Damian/Damian's presence in the narrative is the source of where this sentiment comes from.

Partially because there's a not-insignificant number of Damian stans who seem incapable of separating his in-character resentment of and conflict with Tim from the larger scope of their stories and thus view Tim using the Robin name as a threat/insult to their fav, so they make up and glom onto any arbitrary reason they can come up with for why he should have to change and Damian should get to stay, like two people arguing over who should have to change after showing up to a dinner party in the same outfit.

But mostly it's because of the greater damage that the last ~15 years of pushing Damian as Robin has done to the Robin legacy and its role in the narrative. Which isn't really about Damian himself -- Damian is a perfectly fine character as he is, he tells interesting stories and he clearly offers narrative avenues that people are interested in exploring. The problem is that none of those avenues have damn thing to do with ROBIN.

The story of Damian being/having been Dick's Robin during the Batman Rebirth era is important to his personal story and the story of how he relates to both Dick and Bruce. But outside of that very specific era, which lasted a grand total of -- on the very generous outside -- two and half years, every single one of Damian's stories would be exactly the same if he'd been using literally any other superhero codename.

Because they're not really Robin stories, or Batman & Robin stories. They're either Son of the Bat stories, where Damian deals with the angst of being Batman's son; Batman & Son stories, where Bruce and Damian work on their familial relationship very specifically in the context of a father and his son; or Son of the Demon stories, where Damian unpacks the trauma/conflict/occasional pride of being Ra's al-Ghul's grandson.

The lone exception to this is Juni Ba's The Boy Wonder from last year, which is imho the best Damian story that's ever been written in no small part because it's a love letter to the Robin legacy as told through Damian's eyes while he learns to understand and appreciate that legacy. (It's also about other things but that's because it's a very very good story.)

On the flipside, probably Damian's most popular role, the one that people keep trying to shove both him and his costar back into, is kind of proof-positive of my entire point, because being one-half of The Supersons is a role that was NEVER meant to be filled by a Robin. It's a role that was created for, originated, and always intended to be filled, by a character literally named Batman Junior.

And yet. Because they've insisted, for the last ~15 years, on telling those stories while Damian is wearing a Robin costume, using the Robin name, and advertising under names like Robin: Son of the Bat, it's led to skewing the meta-narrative around what the role and legacy of Robin is supposed to mean.

Instead of being its own, complex and distinctly queer relationship ("queer" not in the sense that it is romantic or sexual, but in that it does not fit neatly into one of society's designated boxes for defining social relationships), the way it was for over 60 goddamn years, Robin has now been half-forced into a singular, distinctly heteronormative and patriarchal definition of "a father teaching his son." And sons are, by societal mandate, meant to someday either leave or overtake their fathers. And since only The Golden Firstborn Dick or the One True Blood Heir Damian is """allowed""" by these heteronormative definitions to someday inherit the cowl, everyone else has to be forced out. "To grow up" as people keep putting it.

The shift in perspective is a direct result of Damian being Robin. It's not the only factor -- Jason's post-UtRH movie popularity factors in too, since fandom tends to zero in on certain elements of his Robin years like the adoption and "Robin gives me magic" and reduce a lot of his less-flattering traits to ~sexy angst and daddy issues~ -- but the way Damian gets used in the narrative is the primary factor from where I'm sitting.

Like I said at the top: it's not Damian, the character's, "fault" or anything. It's just a really frustrating result of people trying to force a more ambiguous relationship into a heteronormative mold that it was never meant to fit, and then getting retroactively mad at characters who were never designed to fit in that mold for breaking it.

[whoiseduardito]

Heeey so I've come to the sad realization that marvel has yet again made me simp over a character that is NEVER written for so, I was wondering if you would be willing to do a fluffy magneto fic.

Maybe where you are a new teacher a the school and had never me Erik and end up with a crush and he ends up finding out somehow. Idk sorry ik that was a long one.

I need something fluffy after these past episodes and Smut is fine with me but I'm not sure if your comfortable writing smut if not no big.

HEY! GET OUT OF MY WAY!

pairing: erik lehnsherrr (magneto) x reader warn: i love this type of fluff!!!!!!! a/n: my first req!! not proof read!!! horrible writing, rushed, you can tell i loved the sound of music trope.

so maybe you have a type.

older guys who have the humor of a rock.

...maybe just the older xenotype- but that's not important, totally not. the issue is that, you're crushin'. you're crushin' hard.

maybe it is the face, maybe it is the hair, but something about erik lehnsherr pulls you in, like a magnet, ironically.

you were the new teacher at the 'xavier's school for gifted youngsters, it was a pleasant experience, the students were nice (until their mutations were triggered, but that's not their fault), the ambient was too, and the pay? you could pay your rent, and more!

for you, the 'no crushing on coworkers' was bullshit, a harmless crush can't do that bad, as long as it's harmless.

so you continued with your lecture, 'history of mutation', very cool, you had even made a presentation, and then a kahoot, pretty cool right?

"so, the history of mutations can date back to many years, such as the sixth century-"

the door opened, all of the heads turned, and the person stepped in, you turned away from the board you were writing, your eyes searching for the person.

it was your fucking crush, it was fucking magneto.

your face drained of all color, and his electric freezing blue eyes stared back.

"uhh-"

"-..this is a senior class, correct?" he walked around the class, his eyes cutting contact from your's

"...y-yeah totally" he stopped near a decoration with 'mini prom!" painted on it with photos of the students as younger kids.

"then why are decorations everywhere?" he stared at it "this is not kindergarden."

damn. "well?"

"i-i thought it would be good to make this a nice atmosphere for the students."

"the world is not an nice atmosphere for mutants, is it?"

the class was dead silent, no one dared to breathe, even lightly.

"i want this off the wall before the end of the day." he made his way out.

"why?" you whispered

he stopped "because i said so, miss l/n. now rip it off"

oh, your mood had soured

"i'm sorry magneto, sir, but the decorations stay." you said those words with all of the backbone you have

"i'm the headmaster. it goes off."

"i'm the homeroom teacher, it stays."

you were a teeny tiny scared but for your students you'd fight him without your mutation. he glared, his piercing glare stayed on you

"i'm sorry mister magneto but in here, i give the best ambient for my students."

his stare became harder, and then he blinked, sighing and walking away "...i'd like to see you in my office, right now."

you gulped loudly, you're pretty sure he heard.

he began walking away, a beat passed until you realised he wanted you to follow him, you began walking alongside him.

the way there was silent, but your head was running, this is it, this is what you get for standing up for your students, shit.

he opened the door, and let you in, murmured a 'take a seat'

"...i am not fond of people disobeying my commands."

"i am aware, mister magneto."

"just call me sir, mister magneto is ticking me off"

"sorry, sir" you quickly said, most of the backbone you had you used it on standing up to him, and now you were getting fired.

"just answer me this." you nodded, you complied "you are aware that in this school you're just needed to teach them, and just make sure they understand how the world works, not pamper them, not make them decorations."

"but-"

"are you aware?"

"yes, but-"

"then why are you pampering them?"

ouch

"i'm going to move you, transfer you if you will"

"what?"

"roulette, the mutation to be able to randomize whatever power you have seen either physically or by any media."

you're screwed

"your mutation, am i right?"

"sir-"

"you're going to work with me to make them control their mutation."

"...what?"

"you and me, are going to train them."

"uhm.... who?"

he sighed loudly, he surely had a small fuse "your students."

great! teaching with magneto.

"...you sure sir?"

"i am sure."

breaking the news to your students was easy, making them behave so you don't look like a doof, was hard.

many classes had passed with mag- mister lehnsherr (he had told you to stop calling him 'magneto'), each day was hard but sometimes you picked at his stony personality, hoping that he would notice, sometimes you swear you saw him crack a small grin when you made a joke or had integration activities for your class, and your tiny crush had maybe turned into a bigger crush.

"teach'?"

"hm?" the voice of one of your students pulled you out of your meditation spot "what is it?"

"are you okay? you've been in this spot for the whole break."

"oh here? this is a great spot to think." it was a tree behind the mansion, in a secluded corner.

"mister magento is looking for you." they sat next to you beneath the tree

"why?" they shrugged

"maybe's cause he likes you" your head snapped to their direction

"...don't be silly" you tried to look away "he doesn't"

"really? 'cause i always hear his heart beating faster, when you do something or appear." their mutation was enhanced hearing, you blushed

"oh, stop lying." you snorted

"he does!" they jabbed you with their fingers to tease you "and you like him back!"

"shut up!" you laughed

"you do! you do!" they chuckled, suddenly they remained quiet and a smirk slowly was painted in their face "i'll leave you both alone" they walked away

"wha?-"

"miss l/n?"

oh shit.

"do you like me?" you turned your head slowly to face him.

"mister lehnsherr!-"

"please, call me erik." he chuckled, maybe the first time you saw his face in a smirk that isn't evil. "and how about a coffee to discuss about your teaching methods?"

[mariacallous]

The email arrived unexpectedly last week :

We will finish what remains of the project contract, but then we are ending doing business with Americans and American business. I know it’s not your fault, but your president just started a war. We still love the American people but good luck.

And that, as they say, is that.

There goes 20% of my cash flow.

It’s my first time being boycotted — my first time canceled.

I’m a voice-over actor. I provide the intelligent, trustworthy and engaging voice you hear narrating a TV commercial, a medical device explainer or a YouTube mini-documentary. I’m the voice on those annoying requisite training webinars you likely arrow-through quickly. I’m the aural comfort and security that helps relay information or nudges you toward trusting a brand or message.

But the trust in “that American sound” has been shattered. My client — an international organization that interacts with countries on every continent �� no longer wants money going to American individuals or industry, and no longer wants an American-sounding voice to be associated with its hope-filled endeavors.

This isn’t a Ukrainian client. This isn’t some retaliatory Chinese, Iranian or North Korean company’s move. The company isn’t based in the European Union. Instead, it’s friendly Canadians, who are justifiably and patriotically uniting against our now-enemy nation led by a mad king.

And this is how our former allies are reacting. I can’t wait to see the actions from nations that have always hated us.

When the email arrived, I wanted to protest the decision — to upload proof of my entire-adult-life voting record or share links to my vast writings on LGBTQ issues and left-leaning initiatives.

Look! See! I’m just as pissed off as you are! We’re on the same side! I agree with you!

But it doesn’t matter. Everyone in the United States is guilty by association. The world has lost patience with us, even if we didn’t vote for Donald Trump. We are lumped together — whether we actually support the bad guys or we’re just lost causes suffering under them — and there will be economic consequences for all of us.

Rejection is part of any creative person’s life. We’re prepared for the “we’re taking a change in direction” speech. New CEOs, creative directors or VPs come in and tinker with existing contractor relationships. Decision-makers are replaced by new blood. It’s part of the gig, and I’ve endured such losses over the years.

But this email — this loss — stung. Any freelancer will tell you that when you succeed in finding that elusive client — the one who respects boundaries, appreciates your work without micromanaging or requesting changes, and then (gasp!) always pays you on time — you want to hold onto them for dear life.

Things were going so well.

Now this precious gift of a dependable income stream vanished, thanks to Trump’s ridiculous tariffs and “let’s make Canada the 51st state” trash talk. It’s a devastating blow while I’m already worrying about more and more companies using AI to write their scripts, edit their videos and even narrate the damn video, too.

Still, when the initial shock and hurt of losing this contract wore off, I had to tip my hat to those Canadians. I get it. I don’t blame them. Enough is enough. Someone has to have the balls to take a stand. And I have great respect for my Canadian friends and colleagues.

At least my former employer had the integrity to tell me the truth. He could’ve said my work wasn’t meeting their standards, claimed they wanted a new sound, or blamed it on budgetary tweaks. He could’ve just ghosted me.

Instead he wanted me to hear — and thought it was important for me to know — that our fearless leader’s words and actions will have consequences.

So, I’m being boycotted… by friendly Canadians.

I guess I’ll go commiserate with the former U.S. government employees who’ve also been tossed aside with violent, willy-nilly abandon. I have an inkling we’re going to be hearing similar accounts from average and not-so-average Americans feeling the pinch in the coming months, as the more forward-looking nations wash their hands of us (and our nonsense) and make harsh retaliatory and defensive moves.

The most daunting questions remain. With so many bridges burned — when all of our former allies have turned away from us and stepped forward as new global powers led by reliable and mature leaders — what will happen to the citizens of this country and this American experiment?

Blue state or red state, we’re all in the same bucket. We’re the bad guys to everyone — and anyone on the right side of history doesn’t come to save the bad guys. It will be up to us to save ourselves. But can democracy win in the face of so many actively rooting for it to fail?

I don’t know.

But I will keep fighting by using my voice and my writing, because what else can I do?

Brush up on my military contractor sound, since that’s where we’re headed? Or just adopt a British accent and acquire a new mailing address?

Right now I’m in mourning — over all of it.

[thranduel]

"the entire show revolves around mike and el's relationship, mike and will’s relationship isn’t as important"

…

how did mike and el meet in the first place?

mike was looking for WILL, his best friend of many years, after el opened the gate that resulted in his disappearance.

why did mike let el stay with them?

despite originally planning to send her away (“we’ll send her back to pennhurst or wherever she comes from” - start of ep 2), after he found out the “bad men” were after her and she told him he can’t tell any adult, he didn’t really have a choice. then he eventually found out she had powers and thought that would be their best way to get WILL back because WILL was the main person on his mind during the entirety of season 1 (and 2).

so no, he didn’t let her stay with them because “he fell in love with her at first sight”.

we already knew the love at first sight trope was bullshit, and finn himself has recently confirmed it too.

“mike never gave up on finding el in season 2”

not sure how this is used as “romantic proof” for mike and el only when he literally did the same thing for will FIRST in season 1. he never gave up on finding will. he spent day and night PHYSICALLY going out of his way searching for him even though he was warned not to and he knew it was dangerous. he used a walkie talkie, a radio, and even el herself to do whatever he could to contact will and get him back. if you’re gonna act like his actions in season 2 were romantic just because el is a girl and they were forced into a “relationship” at the age of 12 after knowing each other for 6 days, don’t ignore what he did for will (his best friend that he’s known for years) in season 1 just because will is a boy. he did the same for both of them, and like i said, whatever he did for el, he did for will first anyways. the only difference is that the writers made him kiss el to make their relationship romantic. and i’m not saying his actions for will HAD to be romantic in the first season, but i’m just pointing out the hypocrisy. whenever it’s a boy and girl, it’s romantic and they’re in love, but when it’s a boy and boy (even if one of those boys canonically is in love with the other), it’s “just friendship” and their meaningful moments are easily dismissed because people don’t wanna acknowledge them.

how did mike end up apologising to el in season 3 after their fight?

that wasn't el, that was actually WILL that he apologised to after a fight. he didn't chase after el. he sat on his couch feeling sorry for himself and mocking girls for being “too emotional”. but when will was upset, he rode his bike across town during a thunderstorm and looked for him everywhere to say he was sorry, because he couldn’t bear the thought of will being sad, especially after seeing the hurt expression on his face after he blurted out “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls.”

how did mike suddenly gain strength to say he loves el?

oh, right, because WILL gave him the painting he worked so hard on for him and confessed his OWN feelings for him in the van, using el's name as a disguise. that's the only reason mike was suddenly able to say “i love you”, because mike and el are incapable of managing their own relationship issues on their own without outside help. el screamed and cried and basically begged mike to say those 3 words, but he didn’t. he could only do it after will gave him strength and made him feel loved. mike has ALWAYS felt insecure and inferior in his relationship with el (he said it himself), but the ONLY thing that gave him happiness, strength and comfort was what will said.

“either way, mike still had a long monologue for el.”

first of all, i’m gonna bring up the “whatever he did for el, he did for will first anyways” statement, because it’s true 🫣 they really love re-using mike and will’s meaningful moments lol.

mike’s first long, meaningful monologue was for will in season 2. he was actually telling the complete truth, and it ended up reaching him and giving him so much strength that he was able to communicate with them and help save the world.

in season 4, he desperately makes up lies and exaggerates things (that contradict what we literally saw in the show in season 1) because he’s trying to save el in the moment, but viewers that actually pay attention immediately knew most of it made no sense (i’m not saying he doesn’t love el as a person - HE DOES. but all the romantic exaggerations and “love at first sight” bullshit just sounded ridiculous in that moment). he had to essentially be guilt tripped and pressured into saying “i love you” in multiple ways. nothing about that scene was romantic. it was stressful and devastating (for multiple people) and it didn’t actually end up saving the world at all. look what happened to max and the entire town.

that monologue will always be associated with their failure, not their success, so how is that romantic? why would el ever want to remember that as the moment her boyfriend first said he loved her?

tell me again, how does the show revolve around mike and el’s relationship and how is mike and will’s relationship “not as important” when WILL is the only reason mike and el met and the only reason they’re still even together? it’s so obvious will and el were always supposed to be written as two sides of the same coin; twins basically, with so many parallels and similarities. people can list all the things they find romantic about mike and el, and i can list even MORE things in return that can be applied to mike and will.

the only reason mike and will’s moments aren’t seen as romantic by most people is because they’re two boys

and it’s absolutely ridiculous that forced heteronormativity blinds people so badly because mike and will’s relationship is genuinely more healthy and realistic, but they only accept mike and el as romantic because that’s “the norm” and what we’re expected to accept. even in the show, that’s all the characters see, because of forced heteronormativity.

i know we’ve all spoken about this so many times but i am just so insanely tired of people’s hypocrisy. we all know for a 100% FACT that all these general viewers around the world would not have blindly accepted mike and el’s relationship if they were both the same gender. and for the record, regardless of el being a boy or girl, i personally still think her romantic relationship with mike is bad and wouldn’t want them together because they just simply don’t work romantically.

but even when we point out all the valid reasons why, no one wants to admit it JUST because she’s a girl. but if she were a boy, not only would they admit it’s bad and see what we’re talking about, they’d be having meltdowns and would’ve tried cancelling the show immediately by screaming about how forced and inappropriate it is to “force a sexuality” (they always say this about anything related to being gay) onto this traumatised child who just escaped a lab and has no idea what romance is, but apparently it’s totally okay for them to force a romantic relationship onto her with a boy she’s only known for 6 days JUST because this relationship is straight and anything straight is acceptable even if it’s weird.

and then switch will’s gender. imagine if he was a girl instead of a boy. we have the very popular and well loved “childhood best friends” romance trope that everyone enjoys. mike and will have had years to develop a friendship and get to know each other, they have so much in common, they feel safe and comfortable around each other, they communicate and resolve their issues without outside help and they don’t lie to each other and can actually be THEMSELVES with each other. all traits of a very beautiful, genuine and healthy relationship. it sounds perfect, right? will seems like the obvious choice for mike. “she” (still pretend will is a girl for a moment) knew him before anyone else and “she’s” been at the centre of everything since the start (remember, mike and el wouldn’t have even MET if mike wasn’t searching for will, and they wouldn’t even still be together after that s4 monologue if will didn’t lie about the painting and confess “her” own feelings using el’s name as a disguise).

absolutely EVERYONE would be rooting for this and accepting this, because it IS the better romantic ship. but they just REFUSE to see it that way because will is a boy and it makes them uncomfortable. but yeah, like i said, it’s just crazy to me. swap el and will’s genders and then everyone will immediately switch sides on who they ship. it all comes down to homophobia. i can tell people lack basic common sense and media literacy and don’t understanding the shows they’re watching at all. it’s just what they deem as “acceptable” on the surface and it’s so painfully obvious.

[levi-ackerman-ds]

Valentine’s Day Disaster

Levi X Reader

Approx: 1.8k words. TW: Road Rage. Not proof read.

You knew you had plans tonight. Well, Levi did all the planning. That morning, you went to work with a smile on your face and on cloud nine, knowing that Levi would sweep you off your feet in his own way after work. Nothing could ruin your mood.

Everything ruined your mood.

The moment you sit at your desk, your co-worker just had to start with the problems they have in their life. In the beginning, you were patient and nice. You tried to listen to them, give them advice, and provide support. It didn’t take long for you to realize it was one-sided. The one time you shared something personal, somehow everyone knew about it the next day.

But for right now, in your small office, you are trapped listening to whatever relatively minor issue is absolutely world-ending. You hide your irritation with “Mmhmms” and “Oh, I’m sorry’s,” wishing they would just return to work and leave you alone. Great. Now you’re annoyed.

After lunch, you let out an audible groan as the number of one of your most demanding clients flashes across your office phone. You wanted to fire this customer so much, but money talks and your boss wants you to handle her. The phone wasn’t even to your ear yet but you could hear the speaker crackle and strain, trying to give clear audio through the screaming on the other end. Of course, her order being held up by customs is your fault. Of course, you are an idiot who doesn’t know how to do your job. You keep that fake fucking smile as you speak to her, trying to calmly explain that you have already told her the issue with customs many times.

No, you didn’t. You never told her anything!

Feeling the anger bubble up, you never wanted to “as per my last e-mail” someone so badly. But you can’t. You can’t insult this client, so you sit there and take whatever personal attack she decides to degrade you with. Great. Now you are annoyed and angry.

You try to keep your mind on the plans Levi has for you tonight. Grand gestures weren’t his forte, but for you, he would do it even if he’d grumble about it. The night will start with limousine services.

“You must get the best one! Reeeally make her feel important!” It was Hange’s idea. They seem to have an affinity for anything oversized.

Cliche, maybe, but neither of you had ever ridden in one, so why not? You had thought about that little divider that would close off the driver from whatever you were doing back there. Extremely tinted windows that no one could see into...

Levi had managed to put a deposit on a Rolls Royce Phantom 300 stretch. It was stupidly expensive. You remember his under-his-breath curses and grimaces on his face as he filled out the online form, securing it for your night. But you are his world; tonight, he wants you to feel special.

Booking the restaurant took six months in advance. It is already the hottest spot in town, but they are doing a once-in-a-lifetime Valentine’s Day event for the lucky couples who reserve a spot. Even this required a deposit to reserve seating. Dinner and a Show. You will eat the finest cuisine while enjoying an adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet.” It’s not exactly Shakespeare’s version and it should be a little spicy. Okay, very spicy.

Critics at the pre-screening left surprisingly positive reviews. “One would expect an erotic rendition of such an iconic classic that “Romeo and Juliet” is would be disastrous. I fully expected a banal show with overused tropes, actors that lack chemistry, and over-the-top “performances” that would make the most open-minded squirm in embarrassment. I can say with perfect alacrity that this show delivers in all categories. The allure and attraction between characters can best be described as a steamy passion with a deep connection. It definitely gives couples something to think about on the way home.”

Why do critics always sound that way?

“I was pleasantly surprised.” Wrote another. “It gave me tingles.” Short and to the point, at least. The ride in the limo back home might be a new stage for reenactment.

Still, you couldn’t get your client out of your head. No matter how much you tried to focus on the night’s events, that shrilling voice rang in your head. You don’t know how many times she called you an idiot while berating you for ten minutes. She got personal, insulting your intelligence, your appearance, any nit-picky thing to get a reaction out of you. You held your pleasant, apologetic tone the whole time, but as soon as you set the receiver down, you wanted nothing more than to scream your indignation to the world. You are good at your job. You know that. Right?

…Right? Are you?…

Could this day get any worse? Well, you know what happens when you ask that.

You thought you were in the clear when you finally clocked out for the day. Still angry and upset but holding on. Getting into your car, you set the stereo to play your favorite playlist. Maybe this will help your mood. Not even on the road for five minutes, and there is some asshole flying down the street behind you. He thinks you’re going too slow, but you are speeding slightly already. The entire hood of his car disappears in your rearview mirror as he rides the ass of yours. The blaring horn of his car startles you while he speeds up and slams on his brakes, suggesting he’s going to hit you if you don’t get out of his way. But there is nowhere to go. It’s a one-lane street.

When it opens to two lanes, you would think this jackass would just pass you and move on. But no. You really drew his ire. Passing you on the wrong side, he gets in front of you only to slam on his breaks. You slam yours in time, but you almost hit him. The deranged behavior coming from the other driver is nonstop. You can see him shouting in the cabin of his car even though you can’t hear it. Anger turns to terror as you realize this guy is actually trying to hurt you. He wants you to crash for having the audacity of making him arrive at his destination a couple of minutes later.

Moving lanes and pulling alongside you, he swerves his car into your lane, causing you to move into the oncoming road. Your heart races like a wild bird trapped in a small cage, desperately trying to escape. As you glance over, you can see him. Everyone thinks road rage is caused by some bug-eyed, wild-haired lunatic, but he was a perfectly normal-looking guy. Furious, yes, but completely ordinary. What could drive someone to do something like this?

Finally, he lets you back on the right side of the road, giving you the obligatory finger before speeding off. It took a few minutes for you to realize you were sucking in air like someone just rescued you from the bottom of a pool. The world was in sharp focus but felt so far away. You pushed yourself to drive home with your shaking hands and trembling muscles. You never want to be on the road again after this.

God, what are you going to do with your hair? Usually, this wouldn’t even be a problem, but you can’t focus. How dare that client suggest you were terrible at your job. You know how to do it, damn it. Should you paint your nails? One already has a chip in it. What the hell was that guy's problem anyway? You were already speeding. Why won’t that two-faced co-worker leave you alone? You know they talk about everyone behind their backs. You could have died today.

Now you are annoyed, angry, and very scared.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” Levi’s dulcet tone greets you as you walk through the door.

“What’s so fucking happy about it, Levi?” You snap sharply.

You’ll regret speaking to him like that later, but for right now, you're hanging by a thread. Like a cartoon, the last strands of the last thread are snapping one by one. Thread of a thread. After everything that’s happened today, from annoyance to anger to terror. Your mind is just a flurried mess of thoughts. The co-worker, the client, the road rage mixed with the forced thoughts of your hair, your nails… Fuck, how can you even think about going out like this? And who can blame you?

Levi didn’t. Even when you snapped at him, he didn’t say a word. He could see the look in your eyes, how tense you were like a set mousetrap creaking under stress, the flush on your face, and the fact that you still hadn’t caught your breath.

You think of all the money he spent on deposits and reservations, all the time filling out forms and making sure the night would be perfect, all the effort to pull off something Levi doesn’t normally do. But you couldn’t. You just couldn’t do it. Just the thought of being on the road again made your heart twist.

Instead, he held you in his arms on the couch while some cheesy rom-com was playing on the television. Neither of you paid attention to it. You were too upset, and he was too focused on you. Levi did precisely what you needed him to. He spoke gently when you needed to and stayed silent when you didn’t. He never once mentioned the plans he made.

You run through every emotion we have names for. And probably some we don’t. Your hair was so soft between his fingers, and your cheeks were wet under the pads of his thumbs. The rapid beat of your heart was so hard even he could feel it on his chest. The wracking sobs made the top of your head bump under his chin.

You eventually relaxed, the tenseness in your muscles and the tone of your voice melting into the warmth of his arms. A little chuckle as you caught a bad line from the movie you weren’t watching.

He even saw you smile.

The next day, you felt horrible. You treated Levi terribly from the moment you walked in the door. How could you? Levi did so much so that you would feel special and you ruined it. All that money is wasted. He can’t get it back. The once-in-a-lifetime performance you made him skip out on. All because you had a bad day?

“I’m sorry, Levi. I ruined your Valentine’s.”

There was so much more you wanted to apologize for. You didn’t even know where to start. Even the apology sounded arrogant. How can you sit here and apologize after what you did?

He didn't even have to think about his answer. “What the hell are you talking about? I did exactly what I wanted to do for Valentine’s Day.”

[lemotmo]

Obsessed with the fact that we're all so confused 🤔

Q. It is show day and we can't even say for sure who wrote the freaking episode! No screeners went out! No one knows for sure if Eddie is even in the episode at this point. What are you doing Tim?!??

A. I was in a meeting and therefore wasn't able to check on the screener situation. I knew as of last night no one had received one, but now I guess they legitimately didn't send one out for this episode. The last time that happened was for episode 7x4. I refuse to attach that level of importance to this episode being as blind as we all are at this point, but that does tend to indicate there is something in this episode they didn't want spoiled or leaked. The mess on the production side of things is entirely Tim's fault and was entirely avoidable. I had hoped after the debacle that was the back half of season 7, especially the shit show that was the finale, that ABC would have insisted he stick to his production schedule and storylines as planned. That clearly didn't happen and it's now biting them all in the ass. It is a problem that ABC must absolutely address. A show in its 8th season should never have this level of production issues. It's inexcusable.

I do think Eddie will be in the episode, I just don't think he will have that many scenes. One maybe two, but he doesn't need a lot of scenes if the one or two he does have are big/meaningful. I know some people think the scenes he filmed for this episode were moved to Invisible but I don't see that. Karla would have absolutely had to have been given a co-directing credit for Invisible if they had used that much of her work. I don't think that's what happened here. We now have confirmation that the Sick Day episode was originally supposed to be episode 13, but they decided to add the Invisible episode between episode 12 and Sick Day. We just don't know why. But we can make a fairly educated guess. Hen's plot in Invisible was absolutely filler. It was good but it moved no story thread whatsoever. It was there simply to fill episode time. The point of the episode was Eddie and Chris. For whatever reason they decided they needed the Eddie and Chris situation somewhat 'resolved' for the audience prior to Sick Day. There is literally no other explanation for adding that episode. I have said all along that they couldn't fully devote Eddie to the Buddie plot, or even have much movement in the Buddie plot, until they resolved the Christopher situation and that's what Invisible did. It freed Eddie up for movement in his other storyline. It would not have been a good idea/look to have Eddie start exploring the Buck stuff while the Christopher stuff was still unresolved so they added an episode to wrap that thread up before fully moving onto the other storyline (while also making sure to add two more FaceTime calls to the Buddie plot, meaning they made a point of working the Buck stuff into the episode as well). I think Eddie is back in L.A by episode 16 and Christopher will follow by the finale. And I think they wanted Eddie free from the Christopher distraction to allow movement in the Buck and Eddie storyline. They want to give them scenes together that can be about THEM and not the Eddie and Chris situation. The Invisible episode allows them to do that now. Do I have proof this is why they did it? No. But it is literally the only reason that remotely makes sense.

Thank you Nonny!

Yeah, all of this makes so much sense. I agree with Ali. 😎

EDIT: Ali's mention that the journalists didn't get a screener for 7x04 isn't correct. They did get it a few days in advance. Neither of us clocked it! 🤣 For a bit more information on this, go here.

But again, we all know that this show doesn't always do 'sensible' storylines. So let's just sit down and watch the episode to finally find out what's going on. The waiting is almost over. 😋

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[twyisontheline]

What if Alastor did try to fall in love with Vox

Thought to share an old radiostatic fluffyangsty headcanon... features internal-angst-about-his-aromanticism!Alastor

CW internalised arophobia

Alastor has never felt romantic attraction or feelings towards someone, in life or death. Now, with how strong amatonormativity is, he did try. He knew (thought) he was supposed to. It never worked. He reached the conclusion that he is fucked up. When he starts killing people, it almost makes sense - he's a psychopath, a monster, it must be related to not being able to love how other people do, how he should. How his mom would want him to love. He feels shame and guilt, even if he tries to push it all back down and tell himself that others are weak because of their feelings and it is something he would never want.

And it is something he doesn't want. But society tells him it makes one's life complete and makes you happy and fulfilled and he wonders. Is he broken in a way that prevents him from experiencing something so important and special?

Then he dies, and overall, life gets kinda easier. In the whole depravity and fucked-upness of Hell, there isn't an ideal happiness to wonder about. There isn't a society wanting you to marry and have kids and be normal and quaint. He can embrace being 'fucked up'.

Then he meets Vox. And slowly, the TV Demon finds a place in his heart. It's not unusual - Alastor does feel affection and platonic love, he knows he is able to feel that. And it has never been an issue that he doesn't feel romantic love, since none of his friends has ever wanted that kind of relationship with him.

Until it becomes an issue. When he realizes that Vox has feelings for him. Feelings that are romantic. That kind of love that he, Alastor, is not able to feel. And this opens the wound again. His fucked-upness could very well make him lose Vox. He doesn't want to lose their friendship - Vox gets him and spending time with him is pleasurable in an unique and special way, and he is not risking it. (He has found something special, regardless of it not being what society says it should.)

So he thinks: "I can make myself love him." He forced himself to be many things in his life and death, he won't let a weakness, a fault, a lack-of-ability, be an obstacle. He is not the weak powerless boy he once was in life. He is the Radio Demon. He takes what he wants. If learning to feel romantic love is what he needs to do to obtain what he wants, he'll do it.

So he tries, and lies to himself a bunch of times in the process, but eventually, he realizes that he is failing. And he sees it as that: a failure. So the mix of shame and guilt is back, like an emotional flashback from his human days that mixes with the shame of not being able to do something. Of being powerless in front of his own faults.

Fluff ensuring after all the angst could be that he finally confesses all this to Vox in a mental breakdown scenario - cause we know Alastor loves to freak out dramatically when he feels powerless - and Vox is like: "Man, calm down, it's not that big of a deal. I am not exactly thrilled at the idea you don't reciprocate my feelings but the idea you have to fake stuff with me and you tried so hard to be something you are not is even more upsetting. ...Plus kinda flattering, honestly, but let's not digress. What i am saying is, you don't have to do it. I am not going to end our friendship over it." And actually, realising that Alastor did all that just not to lose him, it’s more than flattering – it is proof of how deeply Alastor cares for him and loves him, even if his love is platonic. Vox doesn't need more.

And also, while Alastor has no idea that being aromantic is something that exists as a queer identity, Vox, unlike Alastor who doesn't pay attention to most of Sinners cause he lists them as not-entertaining-enough and avoids any place that has a even remotely sexual-relatedness, actually goes out and talks to people and did talk to people while figuring out he was queer. So we can insert here a speech by Vox about sexual/romantic orientation not being an illness etc etc with a bit of backstory about Vox being queer in the fifties and then dealing with his internalised homophobia after his death.

[aghostwithnoname]

Okay it's been about two weeks to cook on my initial reaction to finishing DATV, and I feel like, for the most part, it still stands?

Like smooches to all the companions - you're not really the problem in this. I also love my Rook. Adore you, Taash and Davrin extra special. Assan, my son, my beloved, you are perfect.

But aside from diehard DA fans either defending or detracting Veilguard within an inch of their lives, imo the defining problem of the game is sets up these interesting, compelling, and tasty conflicts we've come to expect with the franchise but instead of like, you know, delivering on that, playing out that tension, eking it out for angst, lols, rage, and tears, asking serious moral quandaries of the player... they just… resolve them? create false equivalencies? say "here is your choice - it will have consequences!" but really the outcome is mostly the same?

So yeah, it's really just a lack of stakes on anything and everything important. And I think that's a missed opportunity as a writer myself - bc while some people may see the removal of real world social ills in a fantasy setting as being more "inclusive" (a take I as a person with multiple marginalized identities don't really understand and frankly sounds to me like some corporate BS), what BioWare really is doing is attempting to rebrand its signature series into something it isn't : a world without complication or friction or messy realities.

The Bad Guys are literally straight up Evil - the Good Guys are So Good. Whether you choose to doom Treviso or Minrathous, the idea that the Crows are no longer being child-enslaving assassin mafia houses (Rip Zevran and your revenge), the fact BioWare completely avoided any depictions or barely mentioned the horrible mistreatment and enslavement of the elves in Tevinter, even going so far as to paint the elves as partially at fault for that bc of their shitty gods??? (good lord, there's too much to unpack there), nothing truly matters.

DA was never just simplistic, good vs evil fantasy, so why start now?

Like any good storyteller knows that stories are fundamentally about change whether that's changing a society or your own personal mindset. And more often than not, conflict is a result of that! Change is hard! Some people don't like change! That's not to say conflict must be physical or violent - sometimes the most interesting stories are ones where the hero is a different person that the one they started out as.

DATV literally changed so much about the lore and mechanics of the world (which okay fine), but everybody just rolled with the punches like it was nothing. Like, for ex, "The Maker doesn't exist and Andraste is Mythal"??? Damn son, you just got proof that literally thousands of years of abusive religious dogma that has been used to terrifying discriminatory ends in both the North and South of Thedas is a lie. And everyone just accepts that????

And for some of us who experience and live with discrimination every day, who come from abusive families, and are religious trauma survivors, part of the appeal of previous Dragon Age games, for me, is that it didn't run away from those issues. It made characters like me human and fallible where at the end of the day, yeah you can end the Fifth Blight but there is no right answer to who should rule Ferelden bc monarchy is a fucked up system that ruins everyone's lives - here is the quintessential "Chosen One" archetype who doesn't fucking want to be chosen (DAO); no you can't always save the world (re: Kirkwall) and those you love, and violent change of an abusive system can also blow up in your face (DA2), and no you're not in control of how other people perceive you, especially in how celebrity and status can dehumanize you to a point where you don't even recognize yourself (DAI). Like you could still be a hero in these games without being perfect. Whereas with DATV, I just felt... nothing. Like, it was a fun way (sometimes, not Weisshaupt jfc) to spend 80 hours. I learned that Solas and Mythal are even more horrible that I could possibly imagine.

but I didn't feel like Veilguard left me with anything like catharsis so I could go back and face the Merediths and Venatori and Loghains of the real world. it was just that - you defeated the Bad Guys! Game Over. Here's Varric Mufasa'ed in the sky (so very sad). Talk about a totally ridiculous misuse of the One Guy whose whole shtick is how you can use narrative as a weapon.

These are just my thoughts, and ofc everyone's allowed to like or dislike the game as they please, but I don't feel like it's appropriate to give Bioware (and their shitty treatment of their creative team) a free pass on a frankly subpar narrative ten years in the making that did not deliver the emotional beats it was meant to.

[getvalentined]

The Big Patreon Breakdown

Okay, Patreon's Discord Q&A ended on the 16th, and I've been waiting to see if anything else happened—like maybe a a public announcement from Patreon instead of emails sent exclusively to creators and a video hidden on the CEO's personal YT page—but nothing has happened, so I'm gonna do a breakdown of what we're looking at.

This is an EXTREMELY long post. I am not putting it behind a cut. I'm not sorry.

Short attention span version here.

—

I. The iOS processing fees are a smokescreen covering up the actual devastating changes that Patreon is forcing creators into.

The iOS fees are trash, 30 percent is extortion and we all know it—but that's not the biggest issue at hand here. Patreon is using this event as an excuse to change the entire structure of the creator side of their platform, and blaming Apple to avoid getting backlash.

They tripled their platform and processing fees in 2017, passing it on to patrons without notice, and the subsequent hemorrhage of paying users forced them to walk it back. They tried to force everyone onto their rolling billing model in 2021, and the entire community pushed back so hard they were forced again to walk it back.

This time, they're doing both and insisting it's Apple's fault, and everyone is taking that at face value because Apple sucks. And Apple does suck, but Patreon is getting what they've wanted for years by catering to Apple.

Oh, also, they're forcing creators to notify their patrons of the billing model changes (with a suggested template that explicitly refers to it as a decision made by the creator, even though nobody is making any decisions here except Jack Conte) rather than doing it themselves.

II. Patreon is not going to change course for any reason. This is set in stone.

There are multiple proofs for this, including but not limited to:

One-on-one calls between the platform's top earners and the CEO, Jack Conte, wherein the vibe was apparently not "What can we do to support your business in order to retain your place on our platform?" but rather "We know that the only way this works is if we don't do it, but how can we keep you from complaining about it any more than you already have?" One creator explained in granular detail how they run their business through this platform and why changing their billing model would ruin literally everything, and Conte responded with "Is this an essential part of your offering?"

The Patreon Team on Discord has continued to shut down all discussion of alternative options with assertions that Apple won't allow it, even if those alternatives were suggested based on legal precedent set by lawsuits against Apple, and the declaration that they will not be allowing the app to be removed from the App Store no matter what because it's the single most important and integral avenue of creator growth on the platform. (Put a pin in that.)

The platform's top earner is on the pay-per-creation billing model, the one that is going to be hit the hardest; creators on this model stand to lose literally 90 percent of their income overnight. This creator and his team were as blindsided as the rest of us, and they've been offered no assistance except for a complex math equation to try to calculate how much they should be charging people on fixed-price tiers, and no assurance except "the iOS app is the platform's highest source of engagement and is necessary to help you continue to grow."

Pay-upfront (PUF) and pay-per-creation (PPC) billing is going away for new accounts and anyone who doesn't opt out via Patreon's convoluted backend before November 1 of this year, and anyone who doesn't manually switch over to their rolling billing cycle will be automatically pushed into it on November 1, 2025. This means that PUF creators no longer have the promise of a steady paycheck when they need it, early enough in the month to pay rent and bills, while PPC creators are losing their entire business model all at once, which has resulted in a loss of 75 to 90 percent of income for multiple PPC creators who have tried to switch to the rolling billing structure in the past. They are killing these people's livelihoods and they know it, they have seen the data to prove it, but they will not be swayed.

III. Patreon claims the iOS app is the highest source of engagement on the platform at 40 percent—but will not define what "engagement" means, and staff refuse to share detailed analytics or data on the revenue share coming from the app.

Several creators, some with a couple dozen patrons and some with thousands, polled their audience to get a feel for how many of them used the app. Consistently across every creative industry, genre, and form of media, the answer was 2 percent or less. The average across a dozen-plus polls of actual active patrons, numbering into the thousands, is that around 85 percent of patrons access the platform exclusively via the web, whether on desktop or mobile. The majority didn't even know there was an app.

Further, Patreon would not explain what "engagement" means, but did not deny the possibility that dismissing an app notification on your phone counts as an "engagement."

When Patreon was asked for data on how often people pledged to support a creator via the iOS app, the only response was the claim that information is "sensitive to [Patreon's] business" and can't be shared. In a creator-exclusive server. With the people who bring that revenue onto the platform in the first place. And have our own analytics that we can look at individually, which show an average of 0 to 0.5 percent revenue from the iOS app.

IV. Patreon does not have a refund policy in place to work with Apple, and has given no implications of intention to work with Apple to shorten the time it takes for funds from iOS purchases to be paid out to creators, which is currently 75 days.

Yes, you read that correctly: at the moment, it takes 75 days before creators can cash out funds processed via iOS. On top of that, Apple's refund policy is 60 days, and the creator is not involved in the process whatsoever—if a malicious actor pledges to your page, downloads all your work over the course of a month, and then pings Apple for a refund? Apple gets to decide whether or not they get that refund.

Patreon's general refund policy is that it's up to the creator 99.9 percent of the time, with very rare cases of fraud requiring Patreon's intervention. In the case of pledges and Commerce sales via iOS, the creator has no say, and Patreon currently has no policy to protect them. They've stated that they're working on a refund policy that will work with Apple's guidelines to keep everyone happy, but at this point we all know what that means—they're just going to use Apple's refund policy.

They also wouldn't say whether or not creators would be on the hook for Apple's added processing fees, as is usually the case with other big payment processors, but it sounds like we are! So if someone pays $14.50 on the iOS app, the creator gets $10, can't pay it out, and then the malicious actor can call for a refund weeks later and the creator will owe $14.50—in spite of only ever having seen $10 and never being able to pay it out because the 75 hold hadn't passed. Sounds great!

V. Patreon's own graphics meant to explain why this is necessary and how the new fees work are not correct.

I'm gonna let these mostly speak for themselves:

The sale price listed on this graphic is $10, but adding together the three fees listed gives a total of $11.35. This is likely a copying error, as 4.35 is clearly not 30% of 10, but the lack of attention to detail on one of the only two pieces of official material that we have which refer directly to the numbers on which Patreon is signing away our livelihoods is slightly concerning.

This one totals up to 103 percent! (Actually closer to 104, since I rounded Android and Mobile down by about a quarter percent each.) The 40 percent figure on the iOS bar is based on the figure given to us by Patreon staff, and was used to place the markers to denote individual percentages on the other three.

Patreon made these and gave them to us with the assertion that they were proof that the iOS app is indispensable—why should we trust anything they say about numbers if the charts they gave us are literally impossible?

VI. Patreon refuses to offer any promises to 18+ creators that they will not be removed from the app in order to adhere to Apple's content guidelines.

Instead, Patreon staff's response to this request for reassurance is "We have no plans to remove 18+ creators from the Patreon app." You may note that's phrased very specifically, and leaves a hole big enough to drive a freight train full of iPhones straight through. They have no plans to remove 18+ creators from the app. When asked for clarification on this, confirmation that they would not be removing us from the platform if Apple pushed them to do so regardless of whether or not they have plans, this sentiment was simply repeated in more words and with more apologies, along with a reminder that Patreon has had to change their terms for 18+ creators several times already in order to keep up with laws and competition.

VII. All the features Patreon is insisting are integral for creator growth are inaccessible to 18+ creators, and questions about this were either dismissed, redirected, or ignored.

Remember how the iOS app is the single most important and integral avenue for character growth on the platform? Well, 18+ creators are not discoverable on the platform, regardless of the avenue of access. We are not visible on the app unless you have it installed, are logged in, are already following us on the platform, and click an external link to be directed to our pages from somewhere else via a mobile web browser. There is no way to find us on the platform itself.

Other features that staff insist are necessary for growth to which 18+ creators do not have access:

Patreon creator search (on web, Android and iOS apps)

Mass post editing (now called the "Library," which reads as "Something Went Wrong" for me and other 18+ creators who tried to get to it)

On-platform video hosting

Built-in cross-creator recommendations

All on-platform "commerce" features (both digital and physical goods)

The ability to market ourselves by linking to Patreon from our social media and vice-versa (we're basically not allowed to do this or risk being banned)

Yeah, about that first and that last point. We're hidden from searches on the platform, and we can't link to our pages from social media or risk permanent suspension. We cannot grow in this fashion at all, and in fact 18+ creators are getting all the downsides of this switch (except maybe for the app fee, since you can't fucking find us to pledge on the app) with none of the benefits. Nothing they are doing here will help us grow, because they've kneecapped us already. Now they're going after our capacity to obtain a steady paycheck at the beginning of the month, too.

VIII. Patreon's iOS app is currently (as of August 18, 2024) in violation of Apple's guidelines for app ratings; staff did not state any intention to become compliant by raising the app's rating as needed to maintain their 18+ creator community.

The App Store guidelines on creator apps state that they must be rated equal to the highest rated creator content on their platform. In spite of hosting 18+ content, which requires a 17+ rating per Apple, Patreon is rated 12+ in the App Store. Increasing the rating to 17+ would cut out the entire market of wealthy teenagers with iPhones, and since everything else being done here is intended to please Apple, it's unlikely this will be the point that Patreon finally gives an inch for its creators. The exact response from staff on this was "We hear and acknowledge your inputs on the app rating and are exploring our options there." Their "options" on this are to increase the rating, or to remove all 18+ content from the platform. That's it. Those are their options. Why do those need exploring, if they really give a shit about the 18+ community?

I know a lot of people out there are going to say that it would be nice if Patreon would "get rid of the porn," but you need to understand something: 18+ content is not all sexual.

18+ content can and does also include:

Horror (particularly body horror, which is explicitly or implicitly banned on all current adult-specific creator platforms, leaving me nowhere to go when Patreon kicks me)

True crime (murder, violence, theft, etc., is all 18+)

Health (blood/discussion of blood is 18+ regardless of context)

Education (what if you learn about war? that's 18+)

Trauma recovery (the word "r#pe" makes everything around it 18+)

Profanity (ko-fi marks creators 18+ for saying "fuck")

Languages (because you might learn profanity)

Weaponsmithing (because weapons are dangerous)

Leatherworking (because leather can be a fetish)

Shoemaking (feet can also be a fetish)

...even more I'm not bothering to list here.

Implying that they somehow didn't know about this extremely important part of the guidelines—which are being used as an excuse to force the top earner on the platform to ruin his entire business model—is absolute nonsense. Patreon knows about this requirement, they haven't taken any steps to comply based on their current creator population, and I will be shocked if they do. Much easier to just kick us all off, since we can barely use the damn platform as it is.

—

The entire thing makes no sense. Patreon is losing out on so much money by doing this—they're crippling all their highest-earning creators to keep the iOS app running, and it's going to hurt everyone except for Apple. The only reason I can think that they would refuse to budge on this is that there's something else going on behind the scenes between Patreon and Apple. That, or the company is intentionally throwing itself into an extremely drawn out death spiral. But we all know which of those is the more likely scenario here.

[fall0utmind]

I absolutely love abo sic fic, in general i think that abo is underused as trope in motogp.

Are the other riders just accepting that marc distances himself? Or are they trying to keep him, and he has to suffer even more in sending them away? I think it would be a very interesting dynamic after reconciliation, either way

Also, how does Marc's sickness get healed? With the amount of broken trust he has, a simple talk surely wouldn't be enough? Like is it fuck or die or is the pack intervening? We all know Vale probably won't do the first step cause he can't fathom him being at fault on his own

Completely agree. There are some really really good abo fics but I want more 😭😭

Yes, i think back in 2015, they just accept that marc is isolating himself. Remember what happened IRL, people just abandoned marc a little bit because realistically, you aren't going to go against Valentino for some 22 year old hot-shot (omega) with only a couple of championships. Like it would be insane.

Although! I do think some of them (namely dovi and dani) are trying to keep Marc, deseprately reaching out and marc just sends them away 💔💔

Its very important to me in the lore of this fic that they don't know what it's hurting Marc. Hence some people get angry that Marc sends them away and take it out on him/ begin to dislike him (this hurts Marc so much) and others refuse to go, unbeknownst to them that they're causing him pain. Especially in 2025, when he gets sick, pecco trying to befriend Marc, no idea that it's agony for him, Marc wincing, rrying not to cry as pecco sits next to him!!! The guilt when everyone finds out....the irony that it's vale's fault ...

Ohhhhhhh I love the way your brain works, anon!

Okay, so marc and healing. I think a couple things here.

1- It's bad, Marc is in hospital, unconscious but alive. Key things to remember here. Alex knows he's sick/in pain and has linked it to Vale, but is not privy to all the information from doctors Marc has consulted. Marc has a diagnosis of pack/bond bond issues/ withdrawal (idk what to call it) but isn't doing anything about it (if he ignores it, it'll go away, right?). Other people on the grid are suspicious but have no proof of what's happened, e..g pecco, luca, dani (!!!), dovi.

Anyways, the doctors work it out, and Alex is like well we need Vale. Needs the alpha to welcome him back into the pack and spend time with him... forced proximity anyone?

Marc needs to spend a lot of time with the pack and vale to get better. Obviously, this includes coming off suppressants and beginning to nest again - I have a whollleeeeee load of ideas about this if people wanna hear.

Vale is an idiot "but what did i do??"

They eventually knock some sense into him- it helps that his alpha goes feral when he sees Marc, pale and motionless in a hospital bed...

So, in conclusion, defo not as easy as a chat. I also have mixed feelings about fuck or die, maybes it more of a re-bond or die? Idk idk, many thoughts. What do you think??

[essycogany]

Hot Take! Nine’s Redemption Arc Was Rushed

I’m usually positive on this blog, but I believe it’s important to have a balance. This’ll be my longest post yet, so buckle your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Quick Positive Points

I like the idea of an antagonistic Tails. Nine’s amazingly voiced by a VA I recognize. His design is awesome. His attitude and sarcasm can be entertaining. Nine saving Sonic’s skin when dealing with the Chaos Council was nice. The scene with Nine and Mr.Doctor Eggman talking about Sonic is one of my favorite moments. The thought of creating robots who look like the other characters as if Nine still wanted friends was neat. (even if he tried to kill with them) And despite my grievances, I thought Nine’s hug with Sonic at the end was adorable. The animation is what helped with that.

Introduction

While I do like Nine, I’m going to talk about my glaring issues with his character development. I can see both sides of the argument, but let me tell you why there’s more proof of Nine not being well written. I will implore you to think for yourselves regardless of what I have to say. We all have our opinions and I’m only here to share mine.

Nine’s Characterization

This is how the fox carry himself throughout the show and why most of it isn’t written well. I’ll state my issues with Sonic in certain moments too.

Season One

Nine’s reasonably defensive at first when Sonic came to his home out of nowhere. He became annoyed by Sonic’s immaturity yet concerned for him once they’re captured. After they meet the Rebels, his sassiness begins to show. Replying “You’re welcome,” after saving Sonic by taking control of Rusty. Having a direct and harsh tone when advising others to take the Chaos Council’s shard. And not seeming to care about the rest of the group who gets trapped with Mr. Doctor Eggman.

Nine: “Sonic we have to get to the core!” “You heard her come on!” This I understand because Nine doesn’t know them, so they don’t really matter to him. But then Nine dismisses Sonic’s feelings even after he asked “are you okay?” Because he noticed the hedgehog was a little off.

-Because Sonic started remembering the events that happened to him before he broke the Paradox Prism.

After Sonic realized the prism shattering was his fault Nine says, “Snap back to reality! Grab that shard and we’ll sort the rest out later!” Then when Sonic stated the original Tails told him not to touch it Nine states, “Well, I’m telling you the opposite! Now grab it and let’s go!” Not realizing if Sonic is the reason for the prism being small, his original variant might’ve known touching it was a bad idea. I also can’t forget about these lines.

Sonic: “If there’s anyone who’s got the brains to put it all back together, it’s you.” Nine: “That’s the first thing you’ve said that I agree with.” Nice ego for a person who ends up getting Sonic sucked up by the prism after being warned. Back to what I was saying before, Nine seems to only care about stealing the shard away from the Eggmen here. Which is proven later on in season one. His care for Sonic has progressed, but Sonic learns from the Rebels that Nine abandoned them. And it’s never addressed by Sonic.

-Sonic also insist Nine’s “not a traitor” without any proof. Sonic hasn’t known Nine that long. The last time Sonic saw the fox, he ended up getting the hedgehog sucked into another shatterspace. Unless Sonic’s talking about Nine working with the group. But I’d argue it was more for Sonic and his own sake. Especially since Nine left the Rebels and Rusty at the drop of a hat.

When Nine comes to help Sonic, he shows off the Grim and discuss how it’s “Their bright new future.” Wanting to live in the Grim with Sonic. Even after the last time he saw Sonic, Nine knew how distraught Sonic felt about losing his home. Again, Sonic stated he believed Nine could put the prism back together. Meaning his original friends and world would come back. But Nine immediately assumes Sonic would be happy living with him for the rest of his life. Which is sweet on paper but very messed up in execution. I’ll get into why later. To be fair, Nine’s never had a friend before and was bullied for most of his life. His social skills aren’t the best and he isn’t use to caring about others. But even if Nine didn’t understand empathy, he has no reason to believe Sonic would forget about his home just because Nine didn’t care about his.

Nine: “That city hasn’t brought me anything but misery. I owe it nothing.” He hasn’t been around Sonic for long either, but Sonic’s demonstrated his loyalty before. By worrying about the Rebels instead of the shard while Nine did vise versa. Anyways, Sonic explains he needs to save the Rebels. Nine being Nine didn’t care about them, but came to help anyways because he “cared about Sonic.” I’d say Nine only helped because he thought Sonic would join him after getting the other shards, but that’s my opinion.

Nine: “With enough fortifications and enough shard energy, this could be home.” Because of this line, I believe he already knew about the other shards before Sonic. Which is also why he knew what Sonic was doing in season two. He also says, “When this is over, I’m going home and never looking back. Whether I go it alone is entirely up to you.” Still assuming things.

-Sonic doesn’t give Nine an answer for some reason. Only responding with “I knew you’d come back, buddy.” Projecting how he’d expect Tails to act. Which becomes a serious problem later.

Season Two

Throughout this season, Nine helped Sonic collect the shards. Which was a bonus to keep developing the Grim.

-Sonic and the Rebels have another debate on trusting Nine. At least this time when Sonic says “He saved you,” it’s true. Nine took down the Doctors before Sonic and co got killed. I’d still argue it was for Sonic, but Nine still saved their lives despite his intentions.

I’ll also admit when Mr.Doc used Nine, it was reasonable for him to feel as if he had no choice. He even apologizes to Sonic. We even learn how Nine first fount the Grim and see him make a hammock for Sonic. But the positives goes down hill once we get into the shard chase between Nine, Sonic, and the villains. Once away from the Docs Sonic stated, “Oh, things are finally coming together. We’ve got the shards! We can finally fix everything!” He’s still obviously talking about Green Hill and his friends. But Nine doesn’t notice this. Instead he says, “It’s going to be perfect.” Very specific you two. Nine seems to suddenly believe Sonic changed his mind and Sonic still thinks Nine and Tails are one and the same.

Dude even calls the fox “Tails Nine,” while introducing him to another character. What are the odds? Later on Nine says, “If you like surprises, wait until you see what I’ve got going on in the Grim.” Sonic responds with, “Grim? Cool. Can’t wait to here more. But right now, we’ve gotta get to Ghost Hill.” Talking as if if the Grim was an afterthought. Then the two talk about bringing the prism back together without knowing what the other’s thoughts were behind it.

Even if they didn’t have time to discuss things, I think they should’ve explained something to each other during the chase or before Sonic left to help the Rebels in S1. That way the unfortunate occurrence could’ve been avoided later on, but we’ll cross that bridge soon enough. Anyways, after the goose chase, they meet up with Shadow, who reasonably doesn’t trust Nine.

-The Blue blur defended the fox again with his projecting his friends onto strangers self. It’s also weird how often this dude doesn’t listen to anyone while also wondering why no one won’t listen to him.

After Nine put one of the shards back together and it brought everything back for a split second. Sonic: “Reality was flipping out over here.” “Green Hill was back and so were my friends.” Which must’ve went in and out of Nine’s ears because this show has no time for the characters to communicate properly. Instead of listening, Nine interrupts the hedgehog and shenanigans ensues.

After said shenanigans, another argument scene happens. Except somehow, it’s worsts then the last. I’ll criticize both characters. I want to address the “Sonic projecting” discussion first. I know people think Sonic’s wrong for doing it (he is) but I believe he’s doing it as a coping mechanism. Since his friends are replaced by ghost who repeat themselves and a bunch strangers who look like them, he might not be able to help it. I give him a bit of slack because we all know what he’s been through. Prime!Sonic is also a very sincere version of Sonic who instantly feels guilt. Even if he doesn’t completely understand what he did wrong.

For example, in the first episode, Tails didn’t tell Sonic why he was upset with him. He just said, “It’s cool really.” Tails brushes things off instead of discussing them. I can see where Sonic is coming from. What I won’t excuse is Sonic having a terrible amount of trust in Nine. I’ll discuss this in S3’s issues. And the rest I’ll summon up to Sonic never addressing problems which might’ve needed to be addressed. Like Green Hill almost coming back and other stuff I’ve already mentioned. Onto the fox. This argument might be a great time for Nine to explain what his plans are instead of saying, “We’re not making your old world. We’re building a better one.” Implying Sonic’s original world is inferior and he should deal with it being gone.

When Sonic says, “I think we can get it back.” Nine responds with, “You’re wrong about that.” Despite Sonic in the same episode said minutes before, “Green Hill was back and so were my friends.” Did the fox forget? Is he lying? Or does he not care? I’ll go with the writers forgetting about this line since it never gets mentioned again. Which seems to be a trope in this show. I understand Sonic’s done plenty of wrong when it comes to Nine as well, but I don’t see how Sonic wanting to fix the problem he made in the first place as selfish. Especially since Sonic’s not the only one who wants Green Hill back. Shadow’s dealing with the consequences too.

The “what’ll happen to me when you bring your friends back,” issue is never explored. There’s no confirmation on what happens, so this comment basically means nothing. Also, Sonic living with Nine forever is messed up. It implies Sonic and Shadow never going home. And their friends would stay ghost forever. Dead to be specific. Not to mention Nine’s home would be a copy of what Sonic use to have. You’re telling me Sonic The Hedgehog would allow his freedom to end because of a self centered fox who wouldn’t care if he wanted to go home? I could continue, but I’ll stop here. In the end, Sonic and Nine were both wrong. You could argue Sonic never said “no” to staying with Nine, but Sonic saying in S1 “It’s not going anywhere” was all Nine needed to hear. Sonic thinking Nine would love Tails and discussing Green Hill was prominent when talking to Nine before getting to Ghost Hill too. Dude was completely set on getting home and he wasn’t subtle about it.

To be fair again, Nine hasn’t been in enough good relationships to know who to trust. Then finds someone he thinks he can trust. Then gets treated like a reflection of someone else instead of a different person entirely. This goes to show I actually don’t hate the idea of the miscommunication. I only feel the show doesn’t give them enough time to breathe and only focuses on rushing the plot. Therefore having contradictions and forced conflicts.

Season 3

Nine’s first statement in this season is, “This could’ve been everything he ever wanted.” I wish Sonic had a moment to explain why creating a new world is a nice but bad idea. That way Nine could get a better understanding of how close Sonic is to his home and friends. Giving it a sense of importance. He could choose to stay selfish or to be reasonable. Nine tries to capture Sonic in order to get his shard energy throughout S3. In the next scene Shadow says, “So, it was all about power?” (Shadow is the MVP of this entire show) Then Sonic defends Nine for the millionth time.

Sonic: “No, that’s not…” Nine: “Exactly!” Wonderful.

Moving on. Sonic tries to reason with Nine again. Nine: “You were only using me to get what you wanted.” Sonic: “That’s not true.” The hedgehog doesn’t elaborate before or after this conversation. I love how the two barely have a coherent conversation. It’s honestly my favorite thing in the world.

-Sonic tells Shadow if reasoning with Nine doesn’t work, he’ll be “theirs .” Probably implying they’ll have to hurt or kill Nine if necessary. Then Sonic never follows through with it and doesn’t actually fight Nine. Sonic only uses his shield powers or tries to convince others not to hurt the fox.

After that Nine tries to attack both hedgehogs with a robot copy of Sonic and states, “This time, you’re on your own.” Shadow: “He’s not on his own” Nine: “We’re all on our own.” Describing his perception on loyalty is a detail I actually like.

Later in the season Nine tries to disrupt the bystanders worlds to get Sonic, so they disrupt their agreement. Nine attempts to kill them again and wonders why they wanted to protect Sonic. Almost as if Sonic has been helping them since the fox met him or something.

After constant fighting and begging on Sonic’s part, he tells Nine to, “LOOK OUTSIDE!” And that’s when Nine at last sees the shatterverse breaking and realizes what he’s done. All of this mess lasted 7 episodes by the way. The big fight took up 6 of them. Nine knew beforehand the shatterverse was ending and it didn’t phase him as long as his world was safe. Now he suddenly he feels guilty?

Sonic apologizes because he didn’t listen to what Nine wanted. Or appreciate what he was trying to do. This is Sonic’s words not mine. Nine doesn’t apologize for trying to kill everyone, but to Sonic instead. Sonic asked everyone to leave Nine alone. And asked Nine to not cause anymore trouble. Knucks: “How can we trust him?” Nine: “You can trust me.” Outstanding dialogue. Plot needs to occur, so we’ll skip the part where Nine and everyone else gains trust in a none forced way. Great.

Nine finally helps Sonic even if those problems could’ve been avoided a few episodes earlier and say their goodbyes. The End.

I hate how Sonic had to apologize to Nine about wanting to go home. It’s absolutely unfair. Then Nine doesn’t apologize to everyone else for the havoc he’s caused. What I believe Sonic should’ve apologized for was treating Nine like Tails, but it never gets brought up. But my biggest issue is the only way Sonic called out Nine on his actions was by saying, “This isn’t you!” “Don’t do this!” “I care about all of this. You, the shatterverse, and everyone inside of it. I know you do too.” The last bit being a huge lie.

I don’t make these kind of comparisons often, but Game!Sonic would have everything nipped in the bud. I’d assume by telling Nine, “What you’re doing is wrong. This is why it’s wrong. If you don’t quit, I’ll do everything in my power to make you quit.” He’d understand Nine needed to be stoped and act accordingly. I’d assume everyone would have to make him surrender and he’d be forced to fix everything. No, it doesn’t reform him, but I wouldn’t have minded if he didn’t get reformed because sometimes you can’t change people. This might not have been the perfect solution, but I tried. Yes, Nine is a child who was treated terribly, but it shouldn’t excuse his actions.

What’s hilarious is during his last talk with Sonic, he unreasonably guilts the hedgehog and called him selfish. Saying Sonic didn’t save everyone because he actually cared about them. But because Sonic feels guilty about breaking everything from the start. Except Sonic actually admits to messing up which was shown in the third episode of Prime. And took the time to right his wrongs. It’s the most hypocritical and short sided statement in the entire show. And if that wasn’t enough, Nine gets upset when everyone came to attack him. It admittedly was a dumb idea, but Nine made himself the enemy. He didn’t give the gang a reason to trust him before or after his deal with Sonic. Yes, including the end of the show. It made no sense.

Why Nine’s Reformation Was Rushed

First of all, I’m not saying I don’t like Nine because of his negative traits. That’s the main reason he exists. He’s a antagonistic or I’d even say evil version of Tails. Nine is suppose to be distant, selfish, and such. I simply don’t believe after all he’s done and how his character was established that he suddenly changed into a good guy.

Nine’s focus was on his own pain while he ignored everyone else’s. Including the one person who saved his life on multiple occasions and who (even if it’s wrong) still tried to stick up for him. Giving off the, “I suffered so everyone else should suffer,” mentality. Then blames Sonic by saying he, “Put him into this position.” As if Nine didn’t already make terrible choices before going evil. Sure, the shards could’ve been corrupting him, but it’s never explored and can only be assumed. Which are too different things.

-Also other characters like Thorn and Dread made bad decisions before they had the shards. So, there’s zero proof regarding that theory.

These are obvious toxic/red flag behavior and it never gets properly called out. Things are only fixed because the plot demanded it. Not because there was a natural progression. The only thing that progressed was Nine’s uncaring attitude until it magically fixed itself…at the last minute. And I hate that for him because he deserved better. Sonic deserved better. All of the Sonic Prime characters deserved better. But they all fell into the pit of unsatisfying conclusions.

Side Note: What also bothers me is how Sonic is almost the only character Nine interacts with. No wonder he doesn’t care about anyone else. Nine barely talks to anyone. Like Shadow, the blue blur is the main center of Nine’s attention. At least most of the other characters don’t have the same problem, but it’s still ridiculous.

How The Show Is Flawed In General

I have more glaring issues with this show. Sonic Prime’s plot almost never stops to breathe. The repetition is unreal. None of the characters (especially the OGs) get enough attention. Some things are both over and under explained simultaneously. There’s reused animations.

Reused conversations and dialogue are especially prevalent. “This isn’t you, Nine!” “It’s over, Nine.” “Gotta go fast!” “Game over.” “We’re gonna end/fix this together.” “We’re friends.” “Me Beauty.” “We have to take the fight to them.” “You’re even dumber then you look.”

This isn’t half of the repeated lines unfortunately. Some of them aren’t only said by Sonic either. It’s almost as if they ran out of dialogue. I am only scratching the surface of problems, but I won’t go any further. At this point “the show’s writing” is the main issue of Nine’s arc. It’s also why other parts of Prime feels rushed.

Conclusion

Yeah, I have a love hate relationship with this show. It’s seriously hard to watch sometimes. I know this has been a bummer, but here’s what Sonic Prime does right. I adore Sonic Prime in terms of how it looks and sounds. With the outstanding animation, voice acting, music, editing, and sound design. I’ll even say it’s one of the best looking 3D animated kids TV shows I’ve seen. There’s so much attention to detail and quality of the character facial expressions and movements. Furthermore, when the lighting is really good, it looks near movie levels of quality. Not to mention great writing still exists. All in all, Sonic Prime may not be the best written Sonic show, but it does have the most polished animation. Even with its plethora of flaws and lost potential, I’m glad Prime exists to prove 3D TV shows can look fantastic when given enough care.

Stay Creative! 💜

[x-birdsong-x]

could you please tell me more about Adams and her parents? is that headcanons or is there stuff in the show i missed? since she and the show are adamant (ha) that her parents were Good and Normal i never rly thought about it, but your reading is much more compelling

The show is adamant that Adams' parents are terrible. Runaways' existence tells us her parents are terrible. Parents' ending tells us her parents are terrible. In a more overanalyzing way, Risky Business' ending tells us her parents are terrible. Adams is convinced her parents were not the problem and the show is adamant that's not right.

Starting with the ending of Parents:

I don't care what way this is twisted, "the only evidence you have is proof of something else" / "it took my parents years to get over it" / this entire situation is so massively fucked up. She was sixteen. She was the child. I don't care if she HAD just been acting out (which Runaways confirms was not the case). Sixteen-year-old Adams running away and getting into a worse situation that is confusing and traumatic all on its own only to be driven to choosing the lesser of two evils and going back home is fucked up. Her parents spending the rest of her life telling her she did a bad thing and needs to make up for/earn forgiveness for this when they are the ones that made her finally snap is fucked up.

House's tone at "you envied their dysfunction?" is closer to "you're really going with that?" than it is "lol that's weird." That whole half of that explanation comes across as parents who didn't give a shit making more sense to a kid hearing about that from the outside than parents who switch from hot to cold/don't listen to a word she says and consistently claim to care and listen while constantly making her feel and doing the opposite.

When House starts off poking her with a stick about this before he eventually backs off, there's this at the start:

When House asks her to stay behind in his office before he brings up what he's found out, Adams braces herself to snap back at whatever he's going to say after a moment of "oh shit what did I do wrong" . I wish I could gif.

House backs off with Adams in a way he usually doesn't. He realizes his usual approach isn't working and stops and waits for her to come to him - after the one time she near-successfully lies to him or Chase is when she's lying about her family.

And she does go to him, at the end. Only when she has the chance to tell him He's Wrong, it was All Her Fault.

This always comes back around to the fact she was a child. She was sixteen. It doesn't matter HOW irrational it might've been, her parents treating her the way they did/do after is disgusting. Whether Adams would've said anything about where she went or not, you'd think if your daughter went missing for two months and suddenly returned, you'd just be happy that she's alive. Being the reason she throws herself into work as soon as she's back at school to keep you semi-happier when she left because of something you did and just spent two fucking months in a situation even worse and equally suddenly ran away from that to escape it is fucked up.

Words of @greghatecrimes -

And now rambling about the entirety of Runaways... my beloved mess. I'm gonna skip every bit of rabid whining I can do about the irrelevant subplots in Someone Else's Episode and the fucked day/night cycle and the seemingly cut/skipped over scenes being genuinely important and the OOC issues for everyone else and just talk about my girls.

Callie's one of the two most developed patients in the season. Adams and Callie are one of the most thoroughly fitting patient-protag matchups in the entire show. Each of our protags can to varying levels be held up to Callie like paint swatches.

Callie at sixteen reached a breaking point with her family and ran away, got into (for her personally) a better situation, and then runs away again to get out of the hospital when the chance of being sent back home comes with it. // Adams at sixteen reached a breaking point with her family and ran away, got into an even worse situation, and then ran away from that to get out of it when going back home became the clear better(safer) option.

Runaways opens with Callie in the clinic. House reads her like a book within minutes and he gathered this exact theory about her before he said it out loud (including immediately knowing that the older man she's here with is not her parent and getting rid of him, not a thing can convince me Callie didn't make House think of Adams):

VS his first interactions with Adams in ep 1, especially this one - He's had this info for months now, he knows he's right:

Callie is stubborn, avoidant, short-tempered. She hates feeling like she's not being listened to. Callie latches onto Adams as her safe person very quickly after that first scene. She tells Adams more than she's ever told anyone else, looks for Adams' opinion specifically regardless of who else is in the room, trusts Adams more than she trusts anyone else despite some of the things she says. //// Adams is stubborn, avoidant, as reactive as a cornered feral cat. She can't stand feeling like she's not being listened to. She gets attached to House in ep 1 within a couple barely three-minute interactions. She's 100x more confident around him than she is with anyone else, listens to him better than she listens to her actual boss. She gets a note smuggled in after she was fired to tell him he was right. She comes to PPTH in ep3 believing he just wanted to talk and get a coffee and she stays. Will ramble about ep 4 later.

Callie puts on a bit of a show in her second scene to get Adams (& Taub) to back off, but more importantly:

A) Adams goes to talk here before Callie cuts her off, using her own experience as a "this is why it's not a good idea," but she's sugarcoating it completely compared to what she says at the end of Parents despite that. Adams knows the situation she was in when she ran away was a bad one, she's just convinced she put herself in it.

B) They assume the same thing about each other:

When Callie leaves at the end, knowing Adams never stayed away when she left home and instead went back to her family, they both see the other as a doomed version of themself.

There's some guilt sinking into Callie as the ep goes on once Ellen shows up. The scene she snaps at her and Ellen says she needs to think and Callie is struggling not to start crying is the vibe of both feeling like your parent isn't listening to you, being angry/hurt over that, and the guilt that comes with upsetting your mom. Adams in Parents hears the things House says about her family and doesn't agree with him. Callie hears the things Adams says about her family and doesn't agree with her (rightfully so).

It's a running thing with Adams that dialogue is meant to be turned back onto her - mostly in Runaways, but it starts in ep 1:

// "That's when you started to excel. You were making it up to them." This is the one time she reads House even mostly correctly.

// Your mom knows she did something bad/your mom knows she hurt you and made you leave. She swears she's not going to do it again. (Mom will do that thing again when you "make it too hard for her")

// You could at least let her in your room because she's worried about you. For the first time she is actually acting like she cares about you. (It's too late, she doesn't deserve the chance)

// Your daughter SHOULD hate you. You always seem to be the worst thing for her.

// She sees everything through guilt-colored glasses. Everything that happened is her fault. This one's less direct, in-context Ellen absolutely should be the one feeling guilty, but this is the sharpest House ever gets when confronting Adams about anything personal. He stops after that line, she stops as well, and after a beat he walks away to tell Ellen that she should leave, Callie is right to hate her.

// Adams only listens and turns back to hear her out when Ellen directly says she was a bad mother. This is also similar (the scene is even shot a similar way) to Rowan's scene with Chase in Cursed. Ellen calls herself a bad parent, but this is still a very "loving her keeps being about you" moment. And when we find out about that trip they took, Callie asks if she'd been using when they were there, so they took that trip after Callie's dad had died. Callie being dragged on a trip with a parent she doesn't really get along with when she's missing her dad is not very nice for the kid being forced on that trip.

Runaways says that Adams' parents did something to make her snap and run away. She was not just acting out. She shouldn't feel guilty the way she does, she doesn't owe them forgiveness for what they did, she should hate them.

// This is more Chase's scene for obvious reasons, but Adams wonders aloud if this patient who is in a place/behaves in a way it is fully expected he doesn't, ("I went through a rebellious phase"), understands he is troubling his family and intentionally tried running away because he has "become a burden to the people who love him."

The end of Risky Business does more for her relationship with her family than it does surface-level.

Adams has not spoken to anyone about this for a year. She freezes completely when House asks her if she's still angry and stays frozen until she takes the bat from him and even then it's not until he sits down that we see her moving in the reflection. It's Odette's expressions that drive me crazy here, but Adams spends this whole scene waiting for House to turn around and drop that he's not serious. She doesn't trust that he's really telling her to show any unfiltered emotion ("I went through a rebellious phase"), and pairing that with the fact she's so reactive and gets destructive when she's angry enough and hasn't talked about this for a year, she doesn't speak to her family. She avoids her family because she's always been Too Much or Not Enough.

Oh, and Adams' guilt is rooted in her mother. It's semi-reaching to say she hates her dad's guts, but Runaways is centered on her mother and given Callie's dad is dead (though she's said to have been closer to him) it removes that from Runaways' picture, but in ep 4 there's the moment the patient tells Adams she sounds like his daughter, and Adams hates this man.

I do have an insane amount of hyperdetailed/hyper-projecting headcanons for Adams. She's my little fidget toy to project on. But her parents are canonically awful. She carries so much guilt and desperation for absolution and is so convinced she was the problem and a burden to her family that she spends the entirety of a case where she sees a version of herself and goes this is how it has to be, this is what you need to do next. The only thing Adams owes her family is a fucking saw trap.

[leonawriter]

There's reasons why Netzach is one of my favourite Sephirah.

One of them is that I look at him and I'm like, "you remind me a bit of Dazai, from Bungo Stray Dogs," because both of these characters are - on the surface - blatantly suicidal people who have addictive personalities (as in, to alcohol and drugs), and who both shunt their work onto other people whenever and wherever they can.

These similarities are kinda... I'd say, taken for granted and assumed to be the case by fandom? Generally speaking, I mean. There are differences, though. BIG differences.

(Spoilers for both Lobcorp and Ruina!)

First off is the fact that the setting is different. The City is somewhere that - as multiple people will state, including those who are also affected - people will go around with the same expression on their faces day in and day out. The 8 O'Clock Circus and the Church of Gears capitalised on this, even.

Giovanni was someone who likely had that same expression on his face, and he was drawn to Carmen, who promised to make people live better lives.

That said, although he shows early signs of how he'll end up later on while in the Outskirts lab... I think the biggest proofs of Why Netzach Is The Way He Is come from Lobotomy Corporation (the time period, more than the game) itself, plus one majorly important yet possibly easily overlooked scene in Ruina.

See, in order to figure out why Netzach wants to stay dead and stop feeling at all, all we've really got to do is look at what he says.

A LOT of his dialogue is about the hopelessness of the situation they're in. The idea that, to him, it doesn't matter if an abnormality is repressed, because it'll just escape again anyway. It doesn't matter if someone's life is saved, because they'll just end up dead later anyway.

Netzach's attitude is, in essence, "It's all hopeless, so what's the point in trying?"

And see... that's where I think all of his issues originate from.

Not that he actually wants to die, but the fact that he feels that his situation is both not one that he wants to continue to exist within, and one that he feels is inescapable through any other means (and even then).

Giovanni gave up his life for the faint chance that his sacrifice would bring Carmen back. That was selfless of him... to a fault. He had no sense of self-preservation there.

And what's his Seed of Light called? The Fearlessness to Keep On Living.

That no matter how hopeless it may seem, one should carry on and live, no matter what.

So, yeah, personally? I feel that Netzach didn't specifically want to die in the Facility because he's generally suicidal, but because he's the kind of person who hates seeing people die, and being helpless to save them.

Here:

Netzach: Am I being punished for my sins? Did I do something horrible enough in the past to deserve this never-ending torment?

The torment here is feeling helpless to save anyone. Which feels fitting, considering how as Giovanni he wanted to save someone who was already beyond saving.

And then again here, in the Hokma Realisation during Ruina:

Early Loop Netzach: Working with you... makes me wanna try just a bit harder, I gotta say. Later Loop Netzach: What's the point, I bet you just want everyone to die.

Also, from Ruina:

Hod: We've got nothing to talk about to the likes of you. Netzach: ...Wait, I do. I have a problem with the process of retrieving the light. Angela: You don't want to kill the guests with your own hands, do you? And you don't want to suffer yourselves, do you? Malkuth: He's right! Even though the guests chose to come in here- we shouldn't drive people to death as part of our work again. It's not right! Angela: You were alright with killing hundreds upon hundreds of employees, but now you're upset about killing a few strangers? Hypocrites- Don't lump me with you lot, will you? I at least seek "agreement" from them. Got anything left to say, Netzach? Netzach: We thought that would be the last of it... not any more of this... Yesod: We don't have a choice, Netzach. Nothing we say will get through [to] her anyway.

Relevant parts of the scene (Heart of Aspiration post-fight) bolded by me.

In short: Netzach, as said above, doesn't enjoy killing. He doesn't enjoy the business of death, and of resigning oneself to death being something that has to happen - to other people.

One of his post-Core Suppression lines is to say that "I think [agent] deserved to stay in this world more than I do." Which suggests a lot of self-worth issues, sure, but also that Netzach values life.

The last part of all this, is about his problems with substance abuse, which... honestly? A number of people in Lobotomy Corporation's main facility, and the side branches that we're aware of, are known to have messed with Enkephalin. For likely the same reasons.

Netzach couldn't face the horrors of even an average workday. Hod, before him, had overdosed on a drug that caused hallucinations... but this drug is also said to have been used by (or on, rather) regular employees as well:

Due to its soothing nature, Enkephalin is regularly administered towards L Corp. employees to subdue their mental stress, ranging from standard liquid doses, to even Enkephalin gas—which fills the departments throughout the facilities.

So. Netzach takes a drug that is said to relieve mental stress, and that had just been used as part of Hod's counselling sessions, to try and relieve some of his own mental stress... to the point of practically drowning in the stuff.

But like, again, this is hugely situational.

Come Ruina, and although he starts out drinking on his own, by the endgame he'll be seen bringing the alcohol to others as a social thing. He'll drink with Roland, and with Gebura. Hell, he'll even offer to drink with Hokma, who he admits he never got along with much before this.

His substance abuse in the Facility has turned into a more or less harmless social interaction, just like Chesed bribing people with coffee to make them come visit him and have an excuse to talk.

In summary: Netzach's issues stem from the state of the City as he grew up, up to and including offering himself up as a living test subject for Ayin's research. They were then made far worse by the work environment of Lobotomy Corporation, given how his natural personality is that of someone who does not enjoy seeing death, or directly causing death.

Both with Angela in the first few loops, and then later with a (mostly) amnesiac Ayin, he regains his desire to put more effort into his work of saving people.

Come Ruina, he has progressed so that while he still shirks his work (which, mind, is still killing people) he is no longer self-destructive, and in fact outright reaches out to others.

Netzach's character arc is about breaking out of toxic environments and changing your maladaptive coping mechanisms into healthier ones, and I think that's one of the things that makes him so amazing to me.