#all my best friends in one scene. everyone was badass.

[deconstructthesoup]

Personal Ranking of the Fantasy High Moms, From Worst to Best:

Arianwen Abernant: -19999/10. She's not as bad as Angwyn, since she's convinced herself she's a good mother, but her "I just want the best for you" shtick isn't any better, and the fact that she's ignorant about how horrible she is doesn't make up for years of neglect. And she also attempted to rope her daughters into raising a being of pure nightmares because she lost her status, so.

Donna Applebees: 0/10. Conservative, racist, judgmental, only loves her kids conditionally... you get the gist. Also, she's absolutely a Karen.

Hallariel Seacaster: 3/10. Yes, I know, she's a MILF, she's got such an iconic vibe, she's a badass with a sword, but none of that excuses years of being emotionally absent from your son's life. She's not a bad person, but she unfortunately doesn't know how to be a mom. Sorry, Hallariel. I wish I could rank you higher.

The Last Phoenix: 5/10. Bird. She's a bird. We don't know enough about her except for the fact that she is the last phoenix, she started out as a "haha Arthur Aguefort is a crazy motherfucker" gag, and she gave us the incredible gift that is Ayda. I cannot rank her fairly, but given that she is Ayda's mom, she goes on the list.

Roz Last-Name-Unknown: 6/10. Same deal with Gorbag---we don't know enough about her for me to properly rank her, but we do know that she was a teen mom, and she's made the choice to reconnect with her son and be in his life. Props for that.

Sandralynn Faeth: 7.5/10. I am ranking her realistically, but let it be known that I love her so much. She is such a beautiful example of a flawed person who consistently tries to be better, and even though she does relapse into old behaviors, she's still growing---and outside of the serial cheating (that is a response to trauma, by the way) and occasional lapses in social skills, she's a pretty damn good mom, all things considered.

Cathilda Ceili: 8/10. She's the parent that Fabian needed, even if he didn't always realize it. She's sweet, she's caring, and if anybody hurts her boy, she will fucking rock your shit. (Also, the reveal of Cathilda being an incredibly fearsome and ruthless pirate outside of Solace was one of my favorites.)

Wilma Thistlespring: 9/10. She's a caring and supportive mom who writes songs, is sex-positive, and loves her son! Again, she does need to recognize when she's embarrassing Gorgug, and she needs to recognize that he's gotta learn how to be angry, but still! We all love her!

Lydia Barkrock: 9.6/10. While she doesn't quite get the full score due to the fact that her son was briefly an ass, it clearly was not her fault, and from what we've seen of her, she is a fantastic mom. She's a badass disabled powerhouse who cooks incredible spreads and cares about her son and his friends a lot. I love her a lot. She's amazing.

Sklonda Gukgak: 10/10. She took that spot in her very first scene, where she poured water in her cereal so Riz could have milk in his, and she's been holding it up ever since. Despite the fact that she's constantly swamped with work, Sklonda is literally one of the best moms you could ever ask for. She deserves the world and it's a constant injustice that she's not getting it.

Bonus: Garthy O'Brien, while having transcended gender and therefore not being able to fit into either of the "mom/dad" rankings, is an 11/10 parent---not just to Ayda, but to everyone younger than them who they've essentially adopted. Words cannot express my adoration for this person.

[badkitty3000]

What did you think was ooc for Five?

Great question, and I have already covered it a bit in my post here, but I could probably yammer on all day about it, so I'll add some thoughts.

Season 1 -3 Five was focused, determined, manic, arrogant, sometimes mean, violent, out-spoken, and full of love for his family above all. Yes, he insulted them and had no time or patience for their shit, but considering everything he'd been through and what he was up against, there was a reason for it. Season 4 Five? Ok, yeah, I can buy that maybe he was depressed and didn't really know what to do with himself anymore. Myself and others have certainly written him that way a few times. But, damn, he spent like all of season 3 bitching about wanting to be retired and here he could be! He could have played the stock market a few times, bought a little place somewhere, picked up a nice lady at the local Bingo hall and lived his peaceful live he deserved. Instead, he works (inexplicably) for the government and just wanders around with his sad little trenchcoat and CIA-issued pistol and flashlight, taking orders from The Man and just...existing I guess. I could see if they made it so that he joined the CIA to get inside info on Reginald and he had spent the last 6 years quietly plotting to take him down and get his revenge or set the world straight again. But no...he apparently hadn't even tried to look into anything Reggie was doing? Like he was just "*shrug*, it's probably fine".

Five loves his family above all else. We know this. If not, he wouldn't have spent decades alone fighting to get back to them and save all their stupid asses. Now, all of sudden, he just doesn't seem to care? Yes, he's present and has obviously kept in touch. He goes to the birthday party, etc. But there is zero interaction with Klaus, or his nieces, or even Viktor. When at the end, he finally gets some fight back (although for completely absurd reasons) and snaps at Luther, the whole family gasps in shock like this is some new occurence that Five would be mean to them. And he'd said much worse to them before! So, that leads me to believe he just has spent the last 6 years being a completely different person and everyone forgot he's actually an asshole?

And back to the family thing...fighting his brother over his wife? Falling in love with Lila, the same person who: conspired behind his and Diego's back in Season 2, was raised by his villainous boss, was the daughter of two innocent people he killed, tried to kill him with her fists, a frying pan, her feet, a knife, electrocution; and who he tried to kill multiple times as well. Yes, they have had time to heal some wounds and they have a shared traumatic experience with The Handler but come on...he would never! He would never be attracted to her that way. He would never betray Diego that way. And he certainly wouldn't fight him over her, not when she and Diego are married and have kids together. I don't care how many years they were together alone...just no. Best friends? Sure. Lovers? Fuck no.

Physically, where was his prowess? Five is supposed to be the all-time badass assassin, trained in martial arts and weaponry. His body is young at 19-20 years old, and at the peak of his physical fitness. Even without his powers he should be able to kick some ass, or at least try to. And then when he does have his powers, he just doesn't know how to use them correctly anymore? And again, he looks slow and weak in a fight. His solution to taking down the big Bennifer blob thing was to fire an entire clip at long range at it, and then just go "huh...weird that didn't work". Why wasn't he looking around the mall for a weapon? An axe? Something else to fight against it! That's what he does...that's his THING! We were fucking robbed of a Five-centric badass fight scene, when there were so many opportunities for one. Hell, he could have taken down a room full of Keepers with a fucking ballpoint pen while singing along to Abba's Dancing Queen! Why didn't we get that?

Meeting with Reginald. Remember in Season two when Five met with Reggie at the Tiki bar? He sat and had a drink with him, but it was still tension-filled with a lot of emotion there. Then in Season 3, when he was basically like "you're a sadistic lunatic that is going to kill all of us" and got right in his old man's face and told him he was a giant dick? This time...he's just standing around Reggie's house shooting the shit and not even acting like he's mad. That is just not the same guy. I realize this was supposed to be Viktor's fight with Reggie, but they still could have shown Five to have a little emotion there.

So, there you have it. I could probably keep going, but this is way too long as it is. It's just heartbreaking, really. This character that we have all come to love for all of his complexities and faults and heroics was just diminished to a one-dimensional, uninteresting character with no regard for his family. Basically, just undoing three season's worth of plot and character development. And it's not Aidan's fault. He did the best he could with the shit he was given, and I feel sorry for him. For as much as we love this character, Five was his. He made him come to life and there's not many other actors his age that could have pulled that off. So, I'm sad this was his end. They really did him dirty.

[ffverr]

Any suggestions on getting into Storm centered comics? what should i read if i wanna understand her upcoming solo? thank u so much !

So you're looking to get into Marvel's greatest character? I got you 🤝

Ok so this is a very daunting question because 1-Storm's character very organically develops all throughout the Claremont run which is like...300 issues of "old" comic books. 2- I'm not all that caught up in the 2000s and 2010s comics so I have a huge gaping blind spot.

But if I were to suggest important issues to get her deal as a character and to prime yourself on her inner conflicts for Storm (2024) here are my suggestions (mostly 70s-80s focused because that's when she has her most major character arcs):

(in blue the ESSENTIAL reads, remember these are team comics, so not always 100% Storm)

My quick Storm (ororo Munroe) reading guide:

Giant size X-Men #1 (1975)

Classic era:

Her first comic book appearance

Uncanny X-Men (UXM) #113

It's got a quick Ororo scene that personally, made me fall in love with the character

UXM #102

Ororo's origin story revealed!

UXM #145, #146 and #147

Her first meeting with Doom who will appear in her solo and her "Rogue form" that will also be explored in the solo!

UXM #150

Storm being essential to Magneto's character development and overall a badass! Storm and Magneto have a very interesting relationship which begins here.

UXM #154-#155

Read this if you want insight into Storm and Cyclops' great friendship (they're siblings your honour!) and their relationship to being leaders of the X-Men! Cyclops is set to appear in her solo, so I'd say it's good to know that they're great friends.

UXM #165

Ororo has a VERY cool moment in this issue and it earns her the title "she who swam with Acanti". It's badass, it shows her inner strength in the face of defeat, it's great Storm content. Read the Brood saga (UXM #154 to #167) for more context of this alien space adventure.

Storm's main character arc! :

If there are ever storm comics you gotta read, it's truly these ones.

Before the fall:

UXM #169, #170!!!, #171, #172, #173

In these issues Storm knows change, and she is rattled by her own ruthless actions. This will lead her through a path of transformation and self reflection that is what makes Storm such an incredible character to me.

UXM #179, UXM #180

To see her with the morlocks again and to get an idea of her unstable mental state at this point before her BIG depowered arc. She also has a very touching moment with kitty (they have an older sister/younger sister relationship 🥺)

Depowered Storm (the fall AND the rise):

Unarguably her most iconic arc. Storm losing her powers gives us incredible and touching insight into who she is as a person beyond the picture of a perfect goddess. A MUST read

UXM #184 (for context), #185!

The loss of powers

UXM #186!!!!

AKA. Life death part 1, widely regarded as some of the best X-Men comics ever along with life death part 2 that you will see later on.

UXM #187 and #188

Full no powers badass Storm.

UXM #198!!!

Aka. Life death part 2, a religious experience. Storm excellency. This is like no other X-Men comic you'll ever read!

UXM #201

It isn't the Storm centric issue everyone makes it out to be, but her being asked to duel Scott for X-Men leadership is still very iconic.

UXM #211 and #212

The mutant massacre is a very interesting and tough challenge for Storm who finds herself again at her lowest despite life death part 2. Important reads!

UXM# 215-216

Fun storm centric action!

This is pretty much all I'll recommend of classic stuff for the moment as I am also reading through the insane amount of bronze age issues.

To hop onto Storm (2024):

Planet size X-Men (2021)

Here are the modern age issues I find relevant to get her current state of mind:

Ororo's role during the Krakoa era truly kick-starts here with helping Terraform Mars, which will become the planet Arakko that she rules along a council of mutants. This era is important to understand Ororo as she is in her solo and shows how she navigates many challenges.

The full series X-Men Red (2022) by Al Ewing! *Read Immortal X-Men #11 along with X-Men Red #11 (I can't remember in what order)

This is the most recent Storm-lead book, it's great Ororo stuff!!!!

Resurrection of Magneto by Al Ewing!

Despite the name, this is a BRILLIANT Ororo comic that is extremely recent, extremely good and explores her character in beautiful ways.

I think it's a great primer for her solo if you only wanna read four issues. (Chronologically it comes after X-Men Red)

That's about all I would lay on you! Good reading! And remember that Storm (2024) is written with new readers in mind so, no pressure at all to know everything <3 🌩️

Wanna read some recent leader of X-Men Ororo? X-treme X-Men by Chris Claremont is made for that. (In between the classic era and the modern era chronologically? It's not that good, but it's something.

Avengers (2023) by Jed McKay.

Storm will be in the avengers as well as her solo! She is introduced into the team at issue #17 so you can pick up from that and read in synch with the solo!

[asami700]

I want to talk about Solo Leveling (MY OPINION)

There was another post before this one, but I deleted it, and made a longer version with more explanations.

Warning: Long article (sorry)

I'm writing this in a very upset state, and I was angry moments ago, so please don't blame me (not that I really care, but I don't really want to see arguments in the comments either). This is my own opinion, and so does everyone else, I want to clarify my point of view. If you don't care, then just skip this post.

(At least I won't curse so much)

#English isn't my mother tongue#

First of all, let's talk about, how did I get to know the manhwa Solo Leveling?

A few years ago, when I was in the tenth grade, during quarantine, I was spending a lot of time on the phone, and in one of my friend’s posts, I saw pictures from that manhwa. Of course, I ignored it at first, and therefore I was not a fan of Korean culture, but a lot of posts started talking about it, so I decided to ask my friend.

And so I started reading that manhwa. Of course my first impression of her was good. It was fun, and I was curious about it, especially about the system and the secret behind it. I liked the idea of ​​monsters, dungeons, and hunters. I liked Ju-hee a lot, and Woo Jin-chul as well, but I didn't really care for Jin-woo. I mean, he was okey. After I decided that I liked it, I decided to continue reading it.

Over time, I started to get a little bored, since they always only showed Jin-woo, and more importantly, never cared about the other characters (Yeah, it's SOLO Leveling, and it should be only about Jin-woo, like many other fans say. But, why did you dear author made the side characters so interesting?!), and also, Jin-woo started acting a little condescending and arrogant on several occasions just because he gained power. (Do all Koreans only get serious when they get something special?)

The development of the story over time became somewhat boring, and I slowly began to understand that this manhwa might not be my type, but I decided to be patient a little, and see what happens. And here, BOOM!! Korea hates Japanese hunters, and makes them bad people. Well, not that I'm complaining about this much, I mean, what do you expect from a country that hates another country?

Min Byung-gyu died, and that was so disappointing. He didn't even have enough scenes. And I was so sad about it.

And of course Jin-woo was the best and the badass, the greatest the PerFect and-!!!

Yeah, that's what I've been always reading in comments. What about Baek Yoon-ho? Choi Jong-in? Lim Tea-gyu and Min Byung-gyu??

No, it's Korea, and Jin-woo should be the only person on the screen.. 🤷‍♀️

Regardless of all this, and with the hope that I might see Baek Yoon-ho and Woo Jin-chul again, I decided to read the light novel, after the first season was finished.

Believe it or not, I almost cried because this novel disappointed me so much, in the story and in the characters. I also have been waiting Jin-woo's and Ju-hee's dinner.. but it didn't happen. 😪

And that made me start to hate Cha Hae-in so much.

First, she wasn't as helpful for Jin-woo as Ju-hee was. Second, she just appeared suddenly, and became the best girl in the manhwa all of a sudden, and everybody just speaks about her in comments, along with Jin-woo. She suddenly became the best in everything, despite that we never saw how did she actually win a true battle against monsters. She only got defeated, and always needed someone to save her. But Ju-hee despite that she was kinda weak and scared as hell, she followed Jin-woo in dungeons just to take care of him. And now, only because it's "true love", he loved Cha and not Ju-hee. Really? Is that the only explanation you guys have? If you saw a drunk old man in the street, will you love him because it's "true love"? Oh wait, Jin-woo wasn't drunk, he had a good smell. Yeah, Cha liked him only because of his smell, and when Ju-hee cared about him and liked him (she asked him to take her out for a dinner), it was nothing. It's not true love.

Wow! You guys are so intelligent! I really respect you all!

I had no reason or motivation left to complete the manhwa. Characters and art style. ONLY!!!

Finally, the manhwa ended and I felt relieved that I would never have to read this Korean trash again (Sorry, Solo fans, but you curse worse than me. Bear with me, sensitive people, please~)

I didn't really regret reading this manhwa, because I liked some aspects of it, the most important of which were the characters. What bothered me a little was that they completely forgot about the other characters. At least in the first season there were more shots of the side characters.

Now, let's move on to the main point.

Why do I hate Solo Leveling, or rather, why did I start to hate it this much?

First of all, the way Solo fans compared it with jjk.

I'm sooo sorry, dear Solo fans, but everyone knows that Jjk is better than solo in many aspects (I don't say most people hate solo, I'm just saying most of people prefer jjk)

Firstly, the plot of Jujutsu Kaisen is more interesting than Solo Leveling plot. Yes, many haters may say that Jujutsu Kaisen ideas are borrowed from other anime and plots, and it has nothing new. Excuse me, my dear, don't you see that Solo is full of borrowed ideas more than Jujutsu Kaisen? Titans? Hunters? Ranks and game system? Also, even though the plot of Jujutsu may seem a little copied, it's not to an obvious degree like Solo.

Not to mention that Jjk's characters are tens and hundreds of times better than Solo's. God, I'm really sorry that I wiped your dignity on the ground, Jin-woo's husband or wife, Gojo is really weak in front of the great, handsome, perfect, invincible master that all the girls love. Gojo is a weak trash, who is worth nothing in front of everyone's favorite Korean badass, and no one has the right to protest, I'm so soOorrRRRry!!~

Now let us move on to dear fans who started comparing the LOseR Gojo and our great, ideal King Jin-woo, instead of comparing him to Sukuna, who is considered the strongest in the series. Dear, are you jealous that Gojo is more popular than your Jin-woo? If you want to seem like the person who compares the characters according to the strongest from each series, I advise you to think of a smarter trick next time, because the strongest here is Sukuna, not Gojo. Don't worry, no one will hate you if you express your opinion respectfully and say that you hate Gojo.

SPOILER

I never deny that jujutsu has flaws, especially the events after Gojo's fight against Sukuna, and the way in which Sukuna lost, without us seeing him at his full strength.

End of spoiler :)

But please, do not compare a simple Korean work to this great work. Solo Leveling is not bad, it has its flaws just like jjk does, but jjk is obviously more popular and better than Solo in many ways.

Okay, it's alright to prefer something more than the other, but why the insult? Why this much of hatred? If you don't like something, please, stop reading it or watching it, just leave. I hated Solo, but I never insulted it before in front of other fans who like it so much, because I would never want the same for me, for the work I love, but when you guys insult something I love, I feel the urge to insult what you prefer. You can say you hate something, it's not wrong, but without insulting, please.

Solo Leveling has a simple plot (although I want to say it's fucking trash, but ok), not to mention that it left out a lot of interesting characters. And excluding Ju-hee is the worst skip, just for the sake of a ***** who loves our perfect Jin-woo's smell. (I'm sorry, Cha fans, I couldn't take it anymore. I'm so sorry. No, really, I'm sorry. I'm following someone who loves Cha, and I don't want him to get angry, But I really want to say this more).

SORRY, SORRY, SORRY MY FRIENDS WHO LIKE SOLO, I'M SORRY.. 🙁🙁🙁

In general, everyone has his own opinion, and I respect every person's opinion, but I do not and would never respect insulting and cursing. I really had enough of people who curse Jjk, because I like jjk so much, despite that I was really really really disappointed by the end of Shinjuku arc. But it does NOT make solo better in any way. I don't care what others would say, but I'll never take my words back. I hate solo, I hate Cha Hae-in especially. I don't care about people who say Jin-woo is definitely stronger than Gojo (I know he is, but what would you expect from a korean work? It always makes every hero too special, overrated, and invincible. It's not even exciting, even a bit. There's no a normal logic in korean manhwa, the hero should be always the best, and others are trash.) 🤷‍♀️

But, making Jin-woo stronger than Gojo doesn't mean Gojo is worse. Gojo is the best, and Jjk is the best, no matter how much you adore your Jin-woo.

Fans are one of the main reasons why did I start to hate Solo Leveling, Jin-woo, and Cha Hae-in.

I talked too much..

I warned you, but again..

I'm sorry :)

[juxtaposed-nerd]

aapi heritage month headcanons pt. 3 !!!

just in time for s3 of dndads, let’s get into it! this one will probs be a lot but so much has happened in the past year 😭

- taylor LOVES chinese new year, he looks forward to it every year as the favorite (only) child and he eats all the dumplings he could ever eat and gets tons of red envelopes

- cassandra and morgan become best friends/mother-daughter relationship vibes post-doodler, like they are the most badass and cool women in the world and i do think taylor grows to love morgan so much and even though his relationships with nick/glenn are strained, at least he has the best mom and grandma

- as a voice actor for anime/cartoons i think cassandra really did fall in love w the art of anime and i’d love for her to guest at a con (make her the j michael tatum of her world PLEASE) and taylor gets a free ticket to weeb out as much as he wants <3

- in my heart glenn is trying his best, like he really wants that closeness (haha) and i think now post-doodler it's like literally what started as a father/son duo of him and nick now is genuinely a huge (kinda fucked up) family that is trying to mend itself and i do think it starts with chinese takeout !!!

- sidenote i think the close/foster/swifts etc are a great example of how freddie has subverted asian stereotypes fr and also how a family stuck in an absent/neglectful cycle has the ability to come together again

- the mending includes hermie too, hermie definitely deserves something more in his life and the chance get to be a kid w a home in the form of a big family w his bio dads (his normal parents are invited too) (and i also love the idea of normal being like 'grandpa henry! this is the guy!' and hermie being an honorary oak would be so cute 😭)

- hermie went and saw joy ride (2023) bc it was marketed as a comedy and came out bawling his eyes out from that one scene y’all adoptees know what im talking about

- tbh thinking about taylor's closeness w his mom and francis's w kimon wan literally asian moms are holding this show together

- the farnsworth’s are thai and german and they came to peachyville at a young age to give their newborn son a better life very starting nuclear family vibes, ed definitely learned thai for her, and now their son is a bowling champ!

- francis farnsworth and taylor swift are lowkey the spectrum of asian upbringing where it's like midwest asians vs socal asians 😳🤭 they live in different worlds

- kimon wan is an immigrant mom just trying to raise her family and her damn son wont stop being a loser 🤦‍♀️ literally milf w a shotgun (ed is a lucky man FR) (sorry anthony burch)

- when francis is having a really tough day then kimon wan will leave a plate of cut up fruit at his door so he knows he's still supported

- luo's golden wok is the first and only chinese restaurant in peachyville and they have to have the best pepper steak ever im calling it now

- tony collette would love and hate both jodie and glenn i think for different reasons but instead of calling them formosans he’d call them orientals 💀

- also tony collette is 0.0001% asian (chinese) and tyrus luo either DEFINITELY knows which is why he puts up w all the bullshit tony does or tony is determined to make sure that tyrus NEVER finds out ever

- they have a 'throwback' silent movie night at the drive-in and they show a meryl streep film and literally everyone falls in love w him 🥰

- billion millions was a crazy rich asian and he was an icon

- once again they mean the world to me! might end up posting more at some point who knows lol

-

checkout past headcanons: 2022! 2023!

[simp999]

I feel this is cringe but it itches the back of my mind like no other… since it’s late 60s early 70s in tf2, mercs reaction to there being a new recruit who is a female pilot? I’m sorry if this sounds like? Hyper specific ? But she’s like hot biker/pilot bitch who is like the epitome of Cool Girl (tm) flared ripped jeans and tight tank tops yk?

GOING INSANE OVER THIS ITS SUCH A COOL IDEA

I'm so sorry about how long it took to make this and how short it is, I'm trying to do all my requests in order of what I received em ww

TF2 Mercs x Badass Fem Pilot! Reader Headcannons

Wc: 730

Themes: uhh Fluff? Romantic and platonic depends on character

A/N: Sniper bias whoop

A/N 2: okay so. I try to stray away from fem reader stuff but this THIS is a complete exception because I love the idea sm

Taglist: @emotionally-alive-sniper @moopy-milk @skeleton-stomper-xoxo @emotionallyunwellmedic @physically-robotic-medic

Masterlist

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Scout: 

-God,, he is immediately in love with your style and vibes.

-Yes, in a simpery way

-Will absolutely fumble on words and flirt miserably

-"Hey girl are you a pilot cause uh you’re really cool"

-Absolutely will find clothes that he thinks suits your style and be your #1 hypeman 

Soldier:

-Wants to touch all the buttons

-"SHOW ME YOUR MEDALS!!!!!!"

-Does respect the effort and time you’ve put into training definetly. But is always asking you to prove yourself

-Okay you can pilot but can you do 30 pushups. Right here right now.

Pyro:

-Doesn’t think of you any differently if you’re female

-A new cool friend!!

-Just an adorable little goober. Okay maybe they get to sit in the front sometimes

-Loves loves loves making drawings of you and them and planes!!!! And clouds

Heavy: 

-Protective older brother.

-He is SO overprotective of you. You remind him too much of his sisters.

-You’re strong just like them but,, it’s just scary, y’know? He misses them

-Often just kinda chills around- and won’t stand for ANY harassment or anything rude. AHEM spy AHEM

-And the clear bias for you? It’s honestly funny at times

-He definetly makes you sandviches and just. Silently takes care of you

Engie:

-Rocket boosters for the planes. He’s gonna bring it up on multiple occasions

-Makes you little plane trinkets out of wood and stuff!! Pyro paints them :]

-Is so interested in infodumping about mechanical stuff with you- he’s glad he has somebody that just. GETS HIM yknow?

-If you need someplace to go chill away from the chaos that the mercs usually bring, the workshop’s your go-to. Late night convos are the best with this man

Demo:

-Roughhouses!!

-Treats you like one of the guys

-Respectfully ofc but. You’re getting noogies

-Will be offering you beer n stuff, he treats you like a really good friend

-Lives for your vibes

-He thinks you’re so badass!! Hell yeah!!!

Medic:

-Kay so. You probably had to go through lots of training right?? So!;

-Rivalry for first aid.

-Hear me out

-Everyone all of a sudden wants you to help make them feel better when they get small injuries because of the one time you mentionned you had to do a buttload of first-aid courses

-So. Lots of who can make it to the scene and get (injured person) back on their feet the quickest

-Does ask you if you’ve ever expirinenced or witnessed anything wild- such as big crashes, and how people dealt with the situations

-Loves your stories despite pretending to hate you- it’s just a friendly rivalry!

Sniper:

-He’s not one to really apprach you, but he does definetly admire you from a distance.

-He thinks you’re too cool for him :( 

-But eventually one day, you’ll ctach him stargazing- and you’d have the amazing idea of bringing him for a ride just the two of you so that you can see the stars

-.God maybe he just fell in love I MEAN WHAT????? ANYWAys

-He LOVES stargazing with you!!

-You get to tell eachother stories and it’s overall really calming- a nice from the hectic mercenary life

-He also happens to know a fair bit about constellations, so he’ll infodump unconsiously if you let him :) 

Spy:

-Spyyyy… dislikes your ideals, and has traditional values

-Not a fan of the way you hold yourself, but will eventually warm up a bit

-Im sorry,, I just don’t like Spy aheh anyways

-You probably end up showing off your skills- not of purpose though, just- you seen a natural at what you do, and that’s when he sees that maybe there’s a reason you’re such a big deal

(Bonus!) All:

-They all fight over who gets to sit in the passenger seat. Some are more civil about it, for example Engineer or Heavy- but they still want to sit in the front for their own reasons. You may have walked into the room only to find all the mercs fighting iver who’s calling shotgun for the next ride.

“I AM GOING TO PRESS ALL THE BUTTONS!”

“NO WAY CHUCKLEFUCK, I’M SITTIN’ NEXT TA THE HOT CHICK!”

“No. Heavy will sit next to pilot for protection. Is only fair.”

“Ya’ll- I have some things I’d like to see up close in the cockpit, I think I should be next.”

“Mmhhph!!!”

.

.

.

Sep.20.23

[invisibleperiwinkle]

i haven’t seen may people talk about this but it’s one of my main gripes with the percy jackson show so here we go.

annabeths character is so poorly written.

and before we begin, leah is an AMAZING actress and i’m PUMPED for her and black girls everywhere who can see themselves represented in such a badass character.

that being said, the folks in the writers room are FAILING annabeth. her character in the show is incredibly one dimensional, and again it’s not at the fault of the actress, the writers simply aren’t writing the character well. which breaks my heart for two reasons

1) there’s representation for a strong independent black character but if you take away all the things that makes annabeth such a cool and interesting character it feels so tacked on and not cared for. if you want to have representation do the character justice so the moment is important. not just lack luster and anti climactic

2) the writer of the books is writing the show. and rick has forgotten his own characters. which isn’t new information but it never stops pissing me off.

annabeth is a character i see myself in a lot, so having her not be written well for the show is so upsetting. the fact being she isn’t a hard character to write. she’s smart (of course), calculated, but also very reserved. these are the parts of her we see, but even then not much of it.

the moments i feel took so much character development away from her were

a) not having the spiders in the tunnel o’ love

b) not having her play fetch with cerberus

c) the zoo truck scene not being focused on percy and annabeth getting to know each others backstories and more making it “oooo guys did you know they fall in love with each other in four books?!?!?!??”

d) the aunty em scene being changed and not getting to see annabeth just be a kid for five minutes and want to eat burgers and fries

e) annabeth not being giddy over the gateway arch/not playing the architecture game in the lotus hotel

f) ZERO trace of her crush on luke

annabeth is a very closed off character but those moments in particular showcase her being more human and also the trust she has in percy to let him see that side of her.

A) while yes, we do get to see annabeth scared in the tunnel o’ love scene thinking she’s going to lose percy, there’s a difference in the fear of thinking you lost your best friend vs seeing something you’re genuinely scared of.

the mechanical spiders are so huge to annabeths development because she lets percy see her scared and not just this strong wall of calculations she’s been portrayed as this whole time.

it makes her seem more human. we remember she’s still just a 12 year old girl who’s spent most of her development years at camp because she didn’t have anyone

B) this scene in the books is hands down one of my favorites. annabeth plays fetch with this dog and teaches him tricks and then she cries

we get a wonderful exchange of percy saying that everyone needs a little love and attention sometimes which is something annabeth never got

also she cries!! AND AND AND!!! we get more backstory, that she had a doberman before she ran away

i guarantee, and in fact we KNOW annabeth doesn’t like reminiscing on her past at home. but she did here. even for a second. we see her breaking down her walls yet again. slowly but surely.

also i want to showcase the significance of her crying, i’m gonna infer here from how i am as a person, but i hate crying in front of people to the point that i simply can’t. and i’ve only cried in front of like four people? two over a facetime call, and twice in person (my parents). and they are all people i trust with my life, i don’t cry to people often. so if i do cry in front of you it is a HUGE sign of trust for me. and i feel like from all i know about annabeth, she is the exact same way. crying in front of someone is a huge sign of trust. so there lol.

C) again, with reminiscing on her home life, we get the zoo truck

the show is WAYYY overdoing percabeth. and for someone who that’s their favorite ship of all time to say that, you know it’s an issue. i said it. there’s too much percabeth. specifically, coupley percabeth. THEY ARE STILL TWELVE.

and the zoo truck scene in the show was changed from percy and annabeth getting to know the more personal and intricate “this is what i hide from the world that whittles away my soul, but here i trust you, we’re friends. you deserve to hear this” side of each other, to “when did you two become an old married couple”

excuse me while i roll my eyes into next century.

taking away them getting to know each other pissed me off so much. because again. we don’t get to see annabeth be vulnerable and human.

percy existing and breaking down her walls is HUGE to her character development throughout the books and they are just taking it away from her

D) these last three are all gonna be shorter because it’s all more or less the same point, it all showcases how annabeth is still just a kid at heart

this is the first time we see annabeth not care about the next step or if there’s something else going on. when they’re at the garden gnome emporium and auntie em offers them food annabeth jumps at the chance to just hang out and eat food

she is still a kid. the show provides none of this. the show doesn’t make annabeth seem like a kid at all. just a very calculated human trapped in the body of a preteen.

E) annabeths whole schtick for the entire series is her loving architecture and it being that one thing (in the first book) that brings out that sense of childlike wonder and whimsy in her

in the book she gets all giddy about the arch and makes them pause the quest so she can go to the top of it. also talking about how it’s held up by math and having her sparkle and wonder and awe that comes when talking about your passion.

do we see this in the show? no. why would we!

also the architecture game is just cute. of course the one game she’d gravitate towards is about building things. LIKE CMON NOW. ugh

let my girl be a kid and have whimsy. PLEASE.

F) now i HATE luke but this is a character thing for annabeth. seeing her have a crush on luke cause ofc she would. he’s the one guy to show her any love and care and he’s handsome i suppose.

she’s still just a girl. so naturally she would have a crush on him. and it’s something that again just makes her a human.

and there isn’t enough of that.

annabeth is a really special character to me and to see her be failed by the writers is heartbreaking. especially when you have an amazing of an actress as leah playing her. you cannot sit there and write an underdeveloped version of one of the best female protagonists of modern YA literature. be serious with me for a sec

to quickly state my point. annabeth isn’t a difficult character to write, the writers just don’t seem to want to put in the time of reserching and developing already developed characters. literally ALL you have to do is go back and read and comprehend the books. THATS IT.

annabeth is a smart, independent, calculated character. but that’s not THE ONLY SIDE OF HER. as the show would have you believe. she has emotions and she is human, behind her walls she’s just a twelve year old girl figuring out life and wanting to be loved and appreciated and taken seriously like all of us do. and it’s killing me that they aren’t doing justice to her character, especially when because of the show, she gets to be a role model for black girls everywhere. they deserve better than that.

rick, i’m asking you kindly, just give me the pen and let me in that writers room so annabeth can be done right. 🩷

[atarathegreat]

Hanma Shuji-Protecting Each Other

It was enough to make anyone crazy, hearing their "friends" talking badly about their significant other, and you'd put up with it for the last year. Yet you still sat next to them at lunch, pretending to laugh it off because, in your mind, they'd get over it soon and stop, maybe they'd even realize they were hurting you. You continued to hope that as they continued to laugh about Hanma being your phones background, making awful small talk about him and his friend while they were in their Valhalla coats.

"Imagine, thinking you're some badass because you're part of a gang!" Hana slapped the table, earning looks from across the lunchroom, her sister, Hiraya, looked as though she wanted to slip under the table, "He's only a troublemaker that dies his bangs yellow! Yellow! Of all colors."

You'd heard the same complaints a thousand times before, that Hanma is only hoping to one day mean something to the world when he'll end up in jail and his yellow bangs will be grown out and he'll look homeless. Hiraya was staring at her sibling, wanting her to just shut up before she bit off more than she could chew. But Hana was too busy laughing, "I hope he can put those fighting skills to use in prison before someone else gets him."

What the sisters hadn't counted on was you waking up in a bad mood that morning and not having a very good day, "Shut up, Hana. You date guys that cheat on you every week, just the other day I saw your man kissing another girl in the hall." Your words shocked her, making her trip over her words as she tried to defend her boyfriend, but you were pissed, "I said shut up! You have to worry about basic-level problems, but I don't. Shuji is loyal to me, I have nothing to worry about there. And what of you, Hiraya? Anything to add?"

Hiraya was shaking her head, looking somewhere behind you, causing you to turn. Hanma was smiling like an idiot, Kisaki at his side, "(Name), are you fighting on my behalf?" You rolled your eyes at him and stood to hug him, his much taller form enveloping you easily, "You can shut up, too, Shu. Why are you here?" Kisaki put his phone away and faced the scene of Hanma nuzzling the side of your face, "The moron couldn't stand being away from you another day. Humor him, please." Shuji paused, sniffing at your shirt collar before speaking again, "You have a new perfume? Why? I loved the other one." His puppy eyes were enough to make you smile, quickly falling when you noticed teachers walking quickly at your table, "We gotta go, yeah? Is your bike here?"

It was a silly question, Hanma took his bike everywhere. Detention was a sure outcome as you grabbed the boys and took off running, barely listening to Kisaki ordering you to let go of his arm. Hanma's maniacal laughter filled your senses as he jumped on his motorcycle, helping you on, "Who would've thought! My girl yelling at her friends and running from teachers!" He loved how tightly you held to him as he sped out of the school's parking lot, "You'll be in so much trouble, babe!" And when you joined his laughter Hanma could've crashed, he loved the sound. "Head out of the clouds, Hanma!" Kisaki rode his bike next to you and him, "Valhalla has a meeting, remember? Get there!"

Kisaki, though he was your boyfriend's best friend, acted harshly with everyone. He was harsh with you once, but Hanma was very fast to shut that down. Hanma didn't care who it was, they would not disrespect you, for anything. You, to an extent, enjoyed the other boys' company, often berating him for being rude to others for no reason. Despite acting coldly to you, Kisaki did have a certain fondness for you as his friend's girlfriend, and some were observant enough to see it. Hanma wasn't, but then again, neither were you. Still, you waved to him that you heard and leaned up to whisper it in Hanma's ear. He shivered as your breath tickled his ear, reminding him to pass you his helmet so you'd be safe. "We'll get there, don't worry!" Hanma smirked, waiting until you confirmed the helmet was on to look sideways, "Aren't you going to be there?"

"I already know what you're going to say, and you'll tell me how it goes later. I have private shit to take care of." Kisake groaned. Hanma laughed again, taunting his friend, "Have t'go jack off, huh? Got a thrill from running?" You smacked the back of Shuji's head, silently scolding him as you motioned for Kisaki to go on his way. Poor guy probably didn't need something so personal aired out.

The whole of Valhalla was waiting outside the abandoned arcade when Hanma turned off his bike. As the acting head of Valhalla it was his job to control the whole gang, you swore it had to be more than fifty people, and their job to follow his orders. Though, to the painful blow to Hanma's ego, they were waiting on you. You'd figured out how to rewire the electric box and get the machines going, you'd practically made yourself a goddess in their eyes. "Miss, how are you doing?" A couple of them approached you, Hanma's arm over your shoulder keeping them from ushering you inside themselves. Of course, they would have to wait until after the meeting to play the games, Hanma wouldn't allow them to be distracted as he spoke. Instead, you sat on his lap while he conversed with his people, looking pretty and playing with his hair or the tag on his jacket. Occasionally he'd catch one of the bastards in the crowd looking at you, and he'd glare back until they stopped, but this guy...he wasn't even noticing Hanma's mean glare.

"You're glaring, Shu." You whispered in his ear, earning a huge sharp-toothed grin. His big tattooed hand came up to rest on your cheek, pulling you to him for a heavy kiss in the uncomfortable silence of the meeting, pulling back and staring at his men, "Now, if you all would focus and stop staring at my girl."

It was incredible just how possessive he could be, even when there was nothing to challenge the relationship in the slightest. It made Hanma giddy when you twirled his baby hairs, sighing when you'd tug in a specifically painful way, and he knew he'd get you back later in private. You apologized every time he'd wince, not noticing the way he wished you'd do it again. You paused when Hanma mentioned a war, some no-name gang that was trying to take over Valhalla's territory. "A war? It's not that big of a thing, is it?" You interrupted the meeting. Other gangs would've done something horrible for you chiming in, but Hanma valued your opinions in his gang issues and thought it was sexy that you had a hand in the trouble.

"If it's just a small gang, then what's keeping you all from rolling in, kicking ass, and leaving. It proves to the others that Valhalla is strong, and shows the gang that they have no hope of taking over." Hanma loved the way you were thinking, wrapping his fingers around your throat to pull you closer as you spoke, "How many people are in this gang anyway?"

"Not many, problem is that they're all stronger than most of my guys. If everyone gets taken out, then that leaves me and maybe two others to fight off this group. And I think that'll be a difficult task, even for me." Hanma stroked his thumb where he could feel your pulse, never breaking eye contact. You would've nodded if his hand wasn't barring the movement, "So...what if you get help from another gang? Is that possible?" Hanma thought for a moment, pressing lightly on your heartbeat, "Maybe, but we'd have to get close enough to another leader to ask and hope that they agreed. And, even as an acting head, I wouldn't be able to do it."

"What if I did?"

Valhalla exploded in protest, not even thinking about letting you put yourself in such a position. Hanma silenced them by raising his hand, returning it harshly to your throat, and leaning you back, "Do you even think you can handle the stress of that?" You whispered back, not wanting everyone to hear, "If I can handle your hands around my throat during sex, I think I can handle the anxiety of speaking to someone." He grinned, voice getting lower as he sat you up, "You realize that whoever you speak to cares a thousand times less about your well-being and I won't be there to save you." His love, and fear, for you grew when you nodded. "She'll do it!" Hanma yelled, the room going silent as he finalized the plan.

You were scared as you got ready that morning, shakily tying your hair back as Hanma relaxed on your bed, giving you the rundown of when and where the meeting would be. You paused, looking at yourself in the full-length mirror and watching as Hanma moved to stand behind you. "You're shaking." He mumbled, trailing his fingers down your back. A small scoff made you shake more, "Why wouldn't I? I'm worried."

"I know. I wish I hadn't agreed to let you go." He sighed and dropped his head against your neck. His attitude made you stand tall, steeling your nerves and straightening out your shirt. "I'll meet you back here in a few hours, okay?" You kissed Hanma and slipped out of your room. Shuji was left to plop back onto your bed, slamming his head into his hands and regretting letting you walk out the door. He'd never been so torn: help Valhalla or protect you. Both needed to be done, but what was more important to him? It was too big a question for him to answer quickly, especially once you'd already left the house and were riding with one of his guys to the other side of town.

The Valhalla member tried to talk you out of doing it, but when he parked across the road from the empty house he gave up. You shuffled across the road quickly, watching as a few faces appeared in the mossy windows. Never in your life had you wished to be surrounded by Valhalla more than you had at that moment. The front door opened and you were left stepping over broken glass and wood.

"What kind of a man sends his wifey to make gang deals?" The leader laughed, looking you up and down, "A pretty wifey, at that. What type of girl puts herself in this position?"

"The type that doesn't want to be ogled like some type of sweets container." You crossed your arms, "Valhalla needs help and you need to look good for the people in your territory. What's better than helping win a fight in another territory? It would be very kind of you."

The leader stood quickly and rushed forward to grab your neck, giving you the sense of fear that Hanma had eased from you. His cologne was heavy as he got closer to your ear, assailing your nostrils as he sniffed at you, "Pretty and smart, what a lucky man you have. Maybe I can steal you from him." But you stood still, keeping to the point, "Will you help Valhalla or not? I have other meetings to attend." His laugh wasn't as smooth as the others you'd heard, you couldn't help but think he was a smoker, but then, Hanma didn't sound like that. "Fine, on one condition."

"How soft are those lips of yours?" He didn't give you time to jump away, gripping your head and slamming his face painfully against yours. As you stomped back across the road, lip bleeding from the impact, you told your ride to stay quiet and take you home. Hanma was pacing your bedroom, scooping you up as soon as the door was opened. "Shu, put me down." Your voice was monotonous, worrying your boyfriend as you sat at your vanity and inspected your busted lip.

Hanma's body went rigid and he grabbed your face, forcefully making you look at him so he could grab your lip, "What the fuck is this? What happened?" If Hanma hadn't looked so angry, you could've kept it together, but you felt that he was pissed at you and it made you look away. "He kissed me..." You mumbled, grabbing hold of Hanma's sleeves. It felt like home when Hanma settled his fingers around your throat, his thumb instinctively finding your pulse to calm himself, "What?" Whatever your answer was, he couldn't be bothered to listen as he sniffed at the strange smell on you. It wasn't that god-awful new perfume (even though it smelled good to him it wasn't his favorite that you always wore), it was a man's smell. He slammed you back onto your bed by your throat, though you weren't scared because Hanma had always taken care of you. "I hate this smell on you." He growled, yanking your shirt off and tossing it aside, switching hands on your throat so he could sniff at you again, "Who? Why is your lip split?"

He was caught off guard when you giggled at him, "You're sniffing me like a damn dog, Shuji." Though it amused him that you found humor in his actions, he was trying to get rid of that smell. "Arms up, tell me where else he touched you." Hanma bit at your neck, moving his hand so he had more room. He loved how you listened to him, resting your arms above your head and telling him that you'd been grabbed behind your head. Shuji grabbed a handful of your hair, pulling your head back and exposing the front of your throat to him, "That pisses me off."

You grabbed his hair, jerking his face to yours as he let out a light groan, "Calm down, Shu. You'll ruin the alliance I've just forged." His hand went back to your throat, finding your pulse and resting against you. "I want this heart rate to soar..." He smiled, kissing up your jaw and biting next to the cut in your lip, "Why would anyone be so rough with you? Not a good way to catch your eye, is it?"

"Not at all." You breathed, leaning into his kisses and smiling when he kissed your head. "That's not fast enough." He murmured, undoing your pants, "These all smell awful, switch back to your other perfume, okay?"

No, you weren't really sure what love was, but you knew what it wasn't. Hana could say whatever she wanted, but the relationships she had were all sad and broken before they began, whereas Shuji never failed to make you happy and prove that other girls meant fuck all to him. Even with how long you and Shuji had been together, your mom would kill you both if she knew there'd been sex involved. Hanma kept his hands secure over your mouth, careful to not push on the cut while his other hand held your knee to your chest, "Shshh, you wanna get caught like this? My pretty girl, no one but me gets to see you like this."

He took his words as law, going as far as to dress you while you slept afterward. Hanma slipped out of the window so as to not alert your parents that he was still there, ducking around the bushes because he didn't count on your dad being out front. The fight was going to happen in a few days, and he didn't want you to be a part of it more than you already were. So he kept himself away from you, even ignoring your texts so you wouldn't know what was happening. But you'd sat through this same routine and the second you caught a Valhalla member, you slammed him with questions until you were given the fight date and time.

Hanma had already gathered Valhalla and the alliance and was facing the other gang when you showed up. Of course, the information you were given was slightly wrong, so you showed up an hour after you were supposed to. How hadn't the police shown up? There were apartments just across the road.

You blocked your face from the rain as you ran, realizing that it was getting heavier. If the people from the apartments could even see out the windows, then the police wouldn't be able to drive in it. But you were already drenched and shaking from the run-over, screaming at everyone to stop even though they couldn't hear you. Members of Valhalla were already laid out, bloody and bruised as you rushed past them, screaming at the top of your lungs as Hanma was fighting the biggest guy in the bunch. He was a monster, covered in blood that definitely wasn't his, and talking about killing everyone as soon as he won. Shuji was right, these guys were huge and strong, and that was obvious by their physical appearance. You weren't fast enough and Hanma went down, he thought he was done for.

Shuji Hanma, The Reaper, was going to die in the pouring rain without seeing the one face he wanted next to him. (Name), the only person that his guys would put their lives on the line for, the only person he would put his life on the line for. He knew you'd scold him if he survived this, and he'd smile while you did if he could just hear your voice again. He thought he had died when you soared over him and tackled the much bigger guy he was up against. And you, you were out for blood, not thinking straight because all your friends were beaten and struggling to breathe. He screamed as your fingers clawed at his eyes, your knee placed painfully in his ribs as you hit him repeatedly.

"Stay down, you bastard!" Your wailing made all of Valhalla pause. Had you really showed up? Were you really fighting with them? For them? They couldn't wrap their heads around it, the girl they'd only ever seen on their de-facto leaders lap during meetings, was slamming her balled hands down on a guys face as he tried to fight her off. No matter how hard he thrashed, you held tight and hit his nose as hard as you could. While you fought the other boy, all you could see was how you'd watched Hanma fight. How he'd never stopped until his opponent was unconscious. And you only stood when the boy stopped moving, still breathing, but he wouldn't be fighting back.

Blood dripped down your fingers, turning the rain red, but you didn't care. "All of you just. Stay! Down!" You screamed, face to the sky. The pelting rain was stinging your cheeks and you let it, feeling each one individually to ground yourself, opening your eyes when you could no longer feel the pain.

"Shu..."

Hanma's honey eyes were staring softly at you, his arms over your head with his coat draped over them like an umbrella. "It appears you've done more for Valhalla than I thought you would."

[regulusrules]

Ranking the best 10 Merlin episodes + a fic rec based on each one:

(absolutely not based on how gay they were) ((no order for the eps; they're all chef's kiss)) (((last two fics have a hold on me that levels the show itself; worth scrolling for)))

1. The Poisoned Chalice

Look. There is something just absolutely entrancing about introducing this episode in the first five of the entire show. Like, this hands-on was the sole reason everyone fell for those two idiots. It beautifully captured how the saving each other thing is reciprocal, because the first three episodes you just have to watch Merlin run around saving Arthur, never the reverse. Producing it early on in the show was the decision that, in my opinion, held everyone in their chokehold for eternity.

Fic rec: you are my favorite mistake (it can only be fate) by @multifandom-jess.

2. The Death Song of Uther Pendragon

I could go on and on for how this episode singlehandedly carried s5 on its shoulder. Like, okay I unfortunately love s5 with all my fucking heart, but this episode was perfect. Ghosts? Check. Banter? Check. POETRY?? Check check. A slap to Uther's face? Oh how beautifully checked.

It's so easy to recall how Arthur truly loved his father, but in this episode, the turmoil you see in his eyes from the actions of his father and how he resorts to saving the ones he loves (Merlin) over his father, is just too beautiful to be overlooked. Ever since Arthur became king, we see him struggle from his father's legacy. But in this episode, he begins to detach both consciously and subconsciously from him. Whether it's in his decision to save the old sorceress in the beginning, or to shun Uther's ghost, both the literal and the figurative, from his life any longer. This was one of the episodes that captured the true essence of King Arthur.

+1: the innuendos of this episode were 🤌. They knew what they were doing, you can't convince me otherwise. (are you threatening me with a spoon? / I'm teaching him some poetry.. he can't get enough of it! / what was that? h-horseplay. why don't I show you?)

Fic rec: My heart is readily yours by @regulusrules. (absolutely love how after all this introspection, i decided to throw it all away and made uther stab merlin in the fucking heart instead. but still it was my honourable attempt to shit on the finale and give them the happy ending everyone deserved).

3. The Sword in the Stone pt. 2

OKAY. This episode! Aside from how badass Merlin was in both pt.1&2, but here, especially in the part where us audience were impatiently waiting for the revival of the sword in the stone, there could've been nothing more perfect. Just like their adaptation of the round table scene, this was perfect in its own way for how different it was. They didn't make it so that people will finally find a king; they made it so that the people believe in their king. And more than that, for Arthur to believe in himself. With the estrangement and losing his crown, the writers gave him the best way to re-establish his inner glory. And Merlin being this guide; what more perfect culmination to their relationship?

You have to believe, Arthur.

Iconic.

Fic rec: Couldn't choose between Only Friend by @captain-ozone, and Fathom Me Out by @supercalvin. Brilliance ahead in both of them, I tell you.

4. The Eye of the Phoenix

Magic. Gwaine. Quests. Need I say more to explain that this was the show's holy trinity?

Fic rec: From Past to Present by flowersheep. (Prince Merlin. Archer Merlin. Perfection my friends).

5. A Servant of Two Masters

Look look; if there's an honourary wall of opinions for all the people who've watched Merlin, I DARE you to find just one who disliked this episode. Like, the series was so full of BS sometimes, but this episode was above all. The level of brilliance in this episode; showing Dark!Merlin, who's at the same time hilariously funny, and seeing him BAMF his way with Morgana, even when he's chained and tortured.. oh dear holy Lord. His "do me a favour, could you? let Arthur know." was able to steal all breath from my lungs the first time I saw it (and until now).

And don't get me started on the Protective!Arthur we got. Caring for Merlin, screaming for him when the rocks fell between them, silencing Agravaine immediately when he told him he's sorry for losing such a loyal servant because bullshit if he doesn't reign down hell before he loses Merlin. And ofc, Courage and Strength on their way to find Magic, which just filled my heart with an 'aaahhh!' moment, because we didn't get enough Gwaine-Arthur-Merlin shenanigans. And at last, the Hug™. Fucking screamed let me tell you.

It is an episode that truly showed everything; from comic elements to fluff and angst and everything. The only thing it lacked was, as always, giving Arthur the space to know. Because ffs what would they have lost if they made Arthur understand that Merlin's under Morgana's control? It wouldn't have exposed shit. It would've just been a plus to us to see Arthur caring for Merlin even more. They tried so hard that it completely backfired sometimes.

Fic rec: Still I Surface in Morning Light by @queerofthedagger. (I swear to you, anything written by this author, I readily throw whatever in hand to read it).

6. The Dragon's Call

Let thy gif caption speak.

No but really, that first episode was the stuff of legends. I could list down tens of tropes they did in just that episode alone. Honestly, no "family" show I've ever seen had started this powerfully. Just the music alone, the beauty of beginnings, not the CGI, was truly so gripping. Also bonus points for just Colin Morgan's sass abilities. None can compare.

Fic rec: This Time Around... series (incomplete) by Oneiric (lkdaswani). (this is a time travel AU, but the way the writer rewrote this episode was one of the best deviations I've read for an episode I already find near faultless).

7. The Sins of the Father

I might be subjecting myself to true wrath with my upcoming statement, but here we go:

S2 sucked.

From the beginning of the season, Arthur's shift in characterization from the honourable lovable prat of s1 to a letting Merlin act as a horse stool got me going wtf? It was like they deliberately ruined everything in their relationship and started out fresh just to force the Arthurian narrative of Arwen. And it's fine by me, truly, even if I'll never ship them, but they could've developed Arthur's character SO MUCH in that season beyond comic relief and romantic rendezvous.

Anyway so that I don't stray so much from the topic; this episode was, by fair comparison, the best in the entire season. By now it's pretty obvious that I gravitate towards all the episodes that give Arthur a semblance of agency. Him going against Uther and his maniac murderous agenda was the start of actually seeing King Arthur in front of us. Also, him listening to Merlin when he was on the verge of committing patricide was one of the things that gave me hope in how there's still hope in them. Even if they ruined it with making Merlin lie to Arthur, but the writers practically ruined every good episode with this.

+1: Morgause's intro was badass.

Fic rec: The Sins of the Father (and how to right them) by @cupcakezys. (what we deserved. to see arthur with agency, with an ability to decide for his future without being lied and deceived to).

8. Diamond of the Fucking Day

No matter how much I hate this episode, I can't, in good conscience, deny its hold on my heart. As I wrote before, there could've been no better magic reveal than this. And for all of my bitterness over their decision to kill Arthur, I sanely admit how it was a decision that insured the immortality of this fandom. It's been ten years since that episode aired, and I bet my ass off that it will still feel the same even after countless more decades.

Fic rec: literally the entirety of the fandom's fix-it fics. We all started from there, didn't we? Choosing only one would be so undervaluing to all the brilliance I've seen. However, my tags filter for it usually include: fix-it, angst with a happy ending, court sorcerer merlin, shitting on bbc writers 101, canon era, not canon compliant, everybody lives especially king arthur you mfs.

Update: I subconsciously took all these tags and wrote them in a fic

9. The Wicked Day

Throw me from the highest tower there is because every time I remember this scene, I just want to fade into the light. The sheer level of love and understanding shimmering between those two. Sometimes I marvel at the choice of bringing Colin and Bradley together, because no two could have achieved such chemistry, platonic or not, as those two did. This whole episode of showing Arthur's grief, and Merlin's desperation to heal it, was truly unforgettable. I try not to linger on its ending, Arthur denouncing magic for the millionth of time, but other than that it was a gem served to us on a silver platter.

Also seeing Uther finally die was a plus.

Fic rec: As much as I'd love to recommend my own fic for this, but honestly, whenever I get the chance, I will always take it to scream and wail about one of my absolute favourite fics of all time, which really isn't given ANY of the goddamn credit or attention or kudos it deserves. Beauty in the Ashes of Our Lives by Fulgance. I swear to you, you will never read something as beautifully heartbreaking as this. This fic resides in my mind rent-free. Basically any work by Fulgance is amazing, but this fic— oh God, my heart cannot take it sometimes.

10. Arthur's Bane pt. 1

Fuck, that episode was a masterpiece. You know, if it was all in my hands, I would've magic revealed at this particular episode. It was just.. the perfect opportunity. King Arthur in his glory, beginning of the season, enough time for Arthur to fully understand the depth of what Merlin did for him. Also, the range Arthur was given starting from here; God it's what we deserved. I always blame the writers for being inconsistent with his characterization (s2 and all), but they beautifully crafted it in the end, and it was their perfect chance to even explore the whole extent if only they made the magic reveal earlier.

Fic rec: Our broken pieces by @aramblingjay. Okay so this fic rec isn't necessarily linked at all to the episode, but I can't, in good conscience, recommend fics and not include it. Technically context wise it fits s5, for in it you see Arthur in his grandeur as king. This shall be my only exception because it's the only fic that was able to make me cry. Truly, I never shed tears, but in this, my heart stuttered. The fact that it is so unnoticed makes my blood boil because of how much praise it deserves. I can never recommend it enough.

To conclude, BBC Merlin has a powerful hold on everyone because of the fact that they knew how to eternalise it. It is significantly unique in its interpretation of legendary figures. I think I watched nearly all adaptations of King Arthur throughout the years, but even with how great some really are, to me none compare with this sword-swishing, banter-driven, CGI-messing, emotionally-killing 2008 show.

Honorary mentions:

| The Labyrinth of Gedref | Gwaine | Le Morte D'Arthur | Lancelot | The Coming of Arthur | The Moment of Truth | The Hunter's Heart | His Father's Son | The Darkest Hour |

[More fic recs]

[andreal831]

What are your top 5 episodes on both TO and TVD?

This took me some time to put together but if you push me on any of these, I'll probably cave. I haven't rewatched in a while and I feel like I would have to sit down and actually rank them to get a list I feel confident in. A lot of my favorite scenes aren't even in this list because the rest of the episode just doesn't rank high for me. But without further ado, here is my tentative top episode list.

Top 5 Episodes for TVD

5. 1x22 - Founder's Day

Despite how problematic the 'Founder's Day' was (like how they completely disregarded the actual founders. Justice for the Bennetts), Katherine's entrance was done so well. The revelation was a great twist and I love watching people watch this episode for the first time.

It's not higher because everything else was kind of just a normal episode. I love at this point we are getting glimpses of how powerful Bonnie is and Stefan's devotion to Damon. It also begins to build on the mystery of Tyler which was fun. But other than that, it was just a lot of high school drama. Katherine's entrance really made this episode.

This is one that I would probably replace if I rewatched.

4. 6x21 - I'll Wed You In the Summertime /6x22 - I'm Thinking of You All the While

I'm already cheating and combing these episodes, but they are basically just a continuation.

I want to preface this with saying, I hate Matthew Davis more than I can express. I also don't think I like Alaric much in the later seasons. But I did really like him and Jo. This episode was so cute and light and fun. Up until it wasn't in true TVDU fashion.

I loved seeing season 1 Elena again. I will always defend Elena when people get misogynistic with her, but vampire Elena was not my favorite. When she took the cure, I felt like we got the old Elena back. If they hadn't of done that, I probably wouldn't have been sad to see her leave.

We got some really touching moments between Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline, with them getting ready and their goodbye. Bonnie and the feathers had me in tears the first time I watched this episode. We get Stefan torturing Damon with the fact that Damon loves being a vampire, sorry but I loved it. Caroline and Tyler actually talking as friends. Tyler and Liv making me sob. Stefan and Caroline moment. Kai's reappearance was terrible but pretty epic. Bonnie just being an amazing badass. Just all of the chaos was great and Damon faking us out thinking he wouldn't save Bonnie but then ultimately doing so.

My biggest complaint was that Bonnie was so separate from everyone, dealing with Lily with just Matt for back up. Though I do love a good Bonnie/Matt team up.

3. 3x05 - The Reckoning

Surprisingly, this was the first episode I ever saw of the TVDU. I was at a family member's home for a holiday and they had it on and I was hooked. Not only did I love the friendship dynamics in this episode, but the villains were so good. Klaus and Rebekah were unhinged in this episode. It was a great introduction to the best aspects of TVDU.

Stefan fighting the compulsion for Elena is one of the reasons I'll always have a soft spot for Stelena. I loved Matt and Bonnie's friendship in this episode. They were both such selfless people and I loved moments we got of them together. I don't typically like Damon and Katherine, but even their interactions were so funny in this episode.

2. 4x20 - The Originals

Is this cheating?

I always get so excited when I get to this episode because it's time to switch over to The Originals. But come on, we get to meet Cami and Marcel. We get haylijah and klamille's meeting.

It is weird that I almost like it more than the pilot of TO? Just purely for the nostalgia. Also because the pilot removed some of my favorite scenes that I always forget aren't there until I rewatch TO and then i have to go find wherever TVD is streaming.

And then stuff is still happening back in Mystic Falls, I guess.

I could probably also replace this one on a rewatch with a more TVD focused episode but I can't think of any right now.

2x08 - Rose

No one is surprised this one tops the list. Not only is it the introduction of the Originals, but more importantly it's Elijah's introduction. I know I am biased, but this is my favorite episode in TVD and usually the one I start with on rewatches.

I also love Rose and Trevor (RIP). But the tension in this episode is so good and the show struggled to recreate it. They built up Klaus' entrance so much that it was kind of disappointing. Nothing could live up to the hype. But Elijah came out of nowhere. We didn't even know he existed before this episode. He just shows up, all creepy and mysterious, and then just casually comes back to life after being staked in the heart.

I wouldn't change a thing about this episode.

Top 5 Episodes for TO

5. 3x09 - Savior

I'm a sucker for a Christmas episode.

But let's be honest, this is one of the best TO episodes.

We get the trio's reunion, if only briefly. We get Rebekah going mad and trying to kill everyone while dropping some hard to hear truths (sorry Hayley). We get Jackson starting to accept his in-laws. Cute scenes between the Mikaelsons, actually including Hope. Finn helping Freya save their siblings. Freya's first Christmas with her family. Klamille's first kiss. Plus a bunch of drama in the background.

One of my biggest complaints with TO is that it doesn't give us moments of just peace and let them be a family. It is so action packed that we never get to just have a comfort episode. It only took them 3 seasons, but we finally got one (mostly). I mean it ended terribly but I just stop watching before that.

4. 2x01 - Rebirth

This is just Elijah's best episode hands down. And yes I am making this list about Elijah. It's kind of what I do here.

But seriously, he looked so good in this episode and was just so perfect.

I had no idea what to expect out of this episode since season 1 ended with so much up in the air and this episode delivered. So much happened. Elijah being the mastermind while Klaus and Hayley grieved losing Hope. Then them all working together as a team for the first time. And I'd be remis if I don't talk about Elijah's infamous scene of walking into the Guerreras house like he owned it. Also love them trusting Cami to help. Marcel is also in on it. I just love them all working together.

Getting to see Rebekah raising Hope. Marcel and Cami just being hot. But also Cami going to check on Klaus, that scene, the tension. So good. Cami and Elijah talking and then Elijah and Klaus talking about Cami. Perfection. Davina putting Oliver in his place. And then Hayley later doing the same. The introduction of Gia. Even the tension between Elijah and Hayley is so good. I could truly feel all of their grief and desperation. I also love Klaus and Hayley actually talking and Klaus realizing that his scheming is what cost them everything (although he will quickly forget this lesson).

It's another perfect episode. No notes.

3. 4x03 - Haunter of Ruins

I'm honestly surprised an episode from season 4 or 5 is even on this list, but I do love this episode before everything goes to hell.

This episode was another comfort episode.

I clearly loved the amount of haylijah we get. We get our first "I love you" from both of them. Although I headcanon they said it before this. We get them just being super cute and flirty and then super hot. Hayley wearing Elijah's shirt when she runs to check on Hope is so perfect to me. I love the scene of them on the porch. They love each other so much and this episode does a great job expressing it.

We finally get the Mikaelsons all together, even Kol (sorry Finn). I love seeing them behave as siblings in the beginning, bickering. I love how they handled introducing Hope to them and how hesitant they all are, which is so out of character for them, but they have no idea how to interact with a child. Klaus and Hope was so sweet. And Rebekah finally standing up for what she wants and encouraging her brothers to do the same.

My only complaint is Freya and Keelin. I love them because this show is deprived of sapphic representation. But why did they have to make the only sapphic couple's origins be essentially stockholm syndrome. I loved Hayley standing up for Keelin but then Freya just immediately goes after her again. Only thing I would change is how Freya behaved in this episode.

2. 3x22 - The Bloody Crown

May be unpopular, but I loved seeing the Mikaelsons get put in their place. And then I loved Vincent standing on his morals and turning around and put Marcel in his place. Everyone needs accountability.

Marcel awakening as an upgraded Original was so good. We got the return of Rebekah in this episode and she was fantastic. I loved Klaus' trial and I loved Rebekah getting to stand with the enemies (even if it was just the curse/part of the plan). People love to say Klaus didn't deserve it because Marcel was really mad at Elijah, but all of these people were here specifically because of Klaus. They all needed some humbling. Except Rebekah.

I can't talk about this episode without talking about haylijah. The show opens on one of their cutest scenes (we aren't going to talk about the problematic stuff that happened in the episode before). Elijah watching Hayley sleep was adorable. And then we get the scene of Elijah telling Hayley to not grieve him. They break my heart.

2x09 - Map of the Moments

Not surprising, but another Christmas episode.

And no, it's not just because of hayllijah.

I mean, it's not not because of haylijah.

In case you can't tell, my favorite episodes tend to be the comfort episodes. I love the drama, but the reasons I adore these shows are because of bonds. We get to see the Mikaelsons reunite with Hope and actually have some moments of peace together.

There are so many scenes that made me actually laugh out loud. I just adore this episode so much. And yes, I love it because we finally get haylijah getting together, if only briefly.

This was such a fun ask, thank you! What episodes did I miss?

[queerly-done]

So my opinions on all the Dead Boy Detective/DBDA Characters

All of these are opinions as someone who has watched the show a few times now and also the Doom Patrol episode and I’ll give my opinions on the Doom Patrol versions at the end.

Spoilers for Dead Boy Detectives Show. And Doom Patrol season 3 ep. 3 and that episode alone

Charles Rowland

- Charles is such a sweetheart I love him. He’s always looking out for his friends and literally went to hell for Edwin, and kicked the Night Nurse for him. I just love him so much.

- I felt so bad for him in episode one when he says his dad, “wasn’t the nicest guy,” and in episode three when we see him break being forced to see a father k!ll his family over. I was actually crying with him saying he doesn’t “want to be a bad guy”! It broke me so badly, the abuse he went through and the fear he’ll become like his abusers is a very real thing and to see a character go through that makes the story feel more real, and makes me more sad. He could use some therapy.

- Him being the “brawn” of the team is pretty funny to me but thats most because if you watch the cast interactions you’ll see what I mean.

- All in all, I love him. He is loving, protective, loyal and has golden retriever with attachment issues energy mixed with scary dog privilege but the dog isn’t scary unless provoked.

Edwin Paine/Payne

- Adorable, get him some therapy please! He needs it! Man was so repressed for the first part of this show I thought I’d die before he confessed. But I don’t blame him honestly, his death was traumatic and being called a “Mary Ann” whilst being sacrificed likely would put a bad taste in your mouth about the idea of you being queer in any way shape or form. I am so proud of him good job!

- Honestly he just makes me so happy, and I love how he interacts with everyone and grows!

Crystal Palace

- I love her she is so bad ass and I hope wish the best for her

- She needs better taste in men, my suggestion date women

- I want to see a little more of her Nepo baby side of her past cause clearly that was a thing

Niko Sasaki

- Sweetie! I miss her! She was the only other person other than Charles to get Edwin out of his shell and it hurts me so much to see her be gone. Her death will forever haunt me.

Cat King

- I love him so much, he is my favourite kind of not evil but not good guy the kind that plays a game with people by flirting! Ahhh I love him! I don’t love that he falls for Edwin(I’ll make a separate post on this issue)

- Anywho I still love him he gives off chaotic gender neutral vibes and the song Sex With a Ghost was made for him, I just love him!

Monty the Crow

- Monty I love you but don’t kiss people without consent!

- Honestly he was very important, and sweet he didn’t deserve all the pain he’s been through, may better things come his way.

Jenny the Butcher

- Badass. I love everything about her. Her style, the way she gives advice, yes I just love her so much. I want to see more of her.

- Her episode made me so sad for her ;-;

Esther Finch

- Honestly I love her as a villain she was so evil, and a genuine threat. She is also so hot and scary I just love her.

David the Demon

- A creep I didn’t like him, I don’t know what else you want?

Doom Patrol versions!

Charles Rowland

- He was so funny in this, I loved him. I love how the show conveyed a mutual interest from him to Edwin they are both just too dense to say anything about it. I also love that it seems the only thing he knows about America is that they like baseball.

- They did have to go off and hurt me with the fear of water scene, but he was so sweet protecting Edwin from the Night Nurse(who in this is just 10 times scarier)

Edwin Paine

- Him not getting anything about modern times and brushing off his feelings for Edwin was so well done! I love how he tells Larry he “isn’t like him” saying he isn’t queer and that if he were that would be bad, he says this all in a very rude and brash tone and then proceeds to comfort Charles in the nicest to he is capable of.

- Beautiful 10/10

Crystal Palace

- Boss ass Bitch, girl boss. 8/10 I love her but no real opinions yet that is I may go back one day and edit this for her

I hope you liked this dumb post :3

[pancake-breakfast]

For as much as I love the series now, Attack on Titan was a bit of a hard sell for me. Through much of the first season, I kept asking myself why I should bother to invest in a series with such a high death count and such a bleak outlook for the characters. And, when you're near the beginning, it does seem like this anime might just be following a lot of typical shonen tropes. You have the brave-and-determined dumbass, the stoic badass, the nerdy friend, the love interest, the rival, etc. etc.

But while AoT uses this as a starting place, it doesn't stay there. If your main character is a dumbass, he doesn't get to be the lovable dumbass who has everything magically work out around him. His dumbassery has consequences. People might still love him. Things might still work out. But if they do, it's in spite of him and not because of him, and they don't work out nearly as well as they would have if he hadn't been a dumbass.

One of the scenes that better illustrates this is in second season, when Eren and Ymir are captured by Reiner and Berthold and they're all talking in the tree. Eren takes stock of the situation and thinks to himself, "Ok, in order to get through this with the best outcome, I need to plan my actions, bide my time, and not let my emotions get the better of me."

A minute later, he's raging and trying to headbutt Reiner out of the tree while Ymir facepalms and decides her own goals will be better met if she sides with Reiner and Berthold.

Eren's not acting out of character here. He might have decided in the moment that he's gonna try to approach this situation more calmly and thoughtfully than he generally does, but because "raging dumbass" is his default at this point in the story, that part of his character doesn't just spontaneously evaporate so he can become Amazing Hero Guy(TM). Since he's NEVER actually acted in such a calm and calculated way before, making that sort of change is going to take time and practice. (Or straight-up trauma, but that's another post entirely.)

And because he isn't able to make the best decision in the moment, Ymir hesitates to side with him, thus making the whole rescue attempt by the Scouts and their allies MUCH more bloody.

Similarly, the unfolding of Levi's character helps us see how much more than a trope he is. At first, he seems like he'll be that cold, cool, distant commander guy who doesn't play by the rules, but then, no. He's got more nuance than that by a long shot. Because if he *was* that cold, cool, distant leader guy, he wouldn't be a very good leader, and if he couldn't follow orders, he would never be given his own command.

You can't gain the loyalty from your subordinates just by being good at what you do. You have to pay attention to them. Levi isn't loved by the fandom just because he's a badass, but because he's intuitive and insightful about both people and situations. One could argue that no one else cares more for their subordinates than Levi. And that sort of behavior from real-world leaders wins over hearts far more than being a badass rebel.

I could go on, because practically every character in this series has the nuance necessary to give them depth and believability that isn't demanded of shonen series. These characters could have all just been tropes, but they aren't. They have to go through the same learning processes that real-world people do. They have to find ways to relate to others just the same as everyone else. And when they fail to do that, or don't do it on the right timeline, there are consequences.

Recognizing that the series was more about consequences than about any given character being right or wrong by default was what really allowed me to buy into it. And I'm glad I did, because it's been a wild ride.

[findafight]

I think the most insufferable part of the “Steve is the worst” refrain is that even when the change is acknowledged, they constantly make out like he’s on thin ice.

But the funniest part has to be that they write this whilst also having pretty much every new main cast member they add to show take a shine to him;

Billy just wants Steve to pay attention to him (and was bitterly disappointed that Steve was just some dude and not the raging asshole that everyone’s told him about)

Max hates teenage boys, but concludes she has found the one good one

Robin enjoys his company despite herself and becomes soul bonded to him

Eddie ends up being straight (I’m sorry) up *enchanted* by Steve, and we have a whole scene of him trying desperately to communicate this to him - of course Nancy wants you, dude! Who wouldn’t?

I know we’ve joked about Joe’s charisma, but canonically Steve’s must be *otherworldly*. Clearly the only reason Nancy didn’t let him fuck that old man was because the writers needed to make things difficult for them.

The show simultaneously trying to remind us Steve used to be a dick but is actually the most charming lad in all the land and is everybody's favourite most specialest boy. Like they try to make us remember Steve being mean but then it's also telling us he's a silly billy driving his bestie to school without questioning it and not knowing she doesn't even know how to drive. How are we supposed to think he's gonna backslide.

Lmaooo billy being disappointed Steve's not an asshole. It's no fun winning for him if it wasn't actually a competition :(

Max: no teenage boys allowed

Steve and Lucas: *exist*

Max: okay I will make an exception because they seem very nice

Dustin just consistently telling everyone he meets Steve is the coolest most badass person alive. Can you imagine the hero worship Suzie has heard?? (Suzie is also a Steve Stan and she hasn't even MET him)

Robin spends one month in close proximity to Steve and she's like well. Guess he's my best friend now!! And she was probably actively trying to not like him! And yet here we are! She liked him before they got tortured and she was probably so ticked off about how she, too, has fallen platonically for the Harrington charm. Not fair. Embarrassing.

Eddie spends less than a week around Steve and immediately joins his little cheer squad with Robin and Dustin. Like, if they wanted us to know that Steve was a dick to people for no reason in highschool Eddie would've been the person to use to demonstrate that, or the tension between who he was and who he is, but they don't! Eddie just admits he made assumptions about Steve without knowing much about him other than his rich parents and big house and popularity with girls, (saying more about himself than Steve) and then immediately jumps on the Steve bandwagon because now he can't understand why anyone who spent any amount of time with Steve wouldn't like him!

Even Nancy wasn't immune to Steve's charms in S4, and she had previously broken up with him messily! But all it took was a little bit of the town in danger and Steve trying to make sure everyone's on the same page while Looking Good for her to be Gazing Lustfully at him. That's why S2 and S3 had them separate for so long. Too long around him and she'd remember that she does find him cute and funny and brave and also hot.

Reasons Nancy stopped Steve from Fucking That Old Man: 1) writers needed them finding out info to be more of a struggle 2) they also probably didn't want a middle aged supposedly professional man sleeping with one of their teenage characters I guess 3) Nancy would have been wild with jealousy about the whole thing and stancy revival would have been much more obvious earlier, much more Nancy driven, and much funnier.

[masterdetectivexx]

Hi Detective, what did you think of Movie 26?

Movie 26 (Black Iron Submarine) Review

Raw feelings:

I'm completely speechless by this movie. It was way beyond any of my minimal expectations. It was extremely good!

I was baffled out of pure disbelief at how much main plot stuff they were revealing in this movie to the point that my brain fried. You could immediately feel that it was a movie you needed to rewatch multiple times in order to fully digest and appreciate its greatness. It was pure fanservice in the best way possible, not the botched M20 way, where fanservice scenes didn't feel earned, mystery being completely gone and main plot/cast characters getting sidelined. Everyone had their moment to shine.

After 15 years, I get a DC movie that finally topped M13 as my new all-time favorite DC movie. I was so thoroughly satisfied that I couldn't help but clap at the end.

Haibara (Sherry)

Haibara truly shined in this movie. Not only did she have proactive role in rescuing herself, Naomi and later Conan, but her personal romantic feelings, childhood past and current relationships with her dear friends were further fleshed out. I was floored by the degree that she got exposed, to the point of the OG antagonist Vodka standing right in front of her next to Pinga, ready to kidnap her, and then later interrogating her about her identity.

I truly adore how the movie also revealed what started the bullying she went through in America (protecting her fellow half-japanese) and how Naomi's story complimented Haibara's childhood. It was a beautiful touch having Haibara's childhood classmate Naomi realizing Haibara's true identity by the end of the movie.

I also love how the movie depicted how highly Haibara viewed Conan/Shinichi and his protective reassuring face. It was cute seeing her face light up with happiness when he showed up. I was shocked, but also very appreciative of how respectful she was trying to be of Shinichi's relationship with Ran (more than the fandom clearly) that she went to the degree of passing on her CPR kiss with Conan to Ran.

Mizunashi (Kir)

Kir was one of the big standouts in this movie. You could truly feel the shift in spotlight focus between her and Bourbon, seeing as Bourbon was truly put in the backburner for Kir to get more shine, and it was perfectly handled and a true overdue for her (since she has been neglected in the franchise overall). I couldn't stop grinning and appreciate her nonchalant stunts to aid in Haibara's escape by pretending to not know how to open the exit tube in the submarine so Vodka could thoroughly explain it as Haibara overhears everything through the transmitter.

I especially loved her less indirect and confrontational move towards Gin, when she directly interferred with his murder attempt of Haibara & Naomi, and how she calmly talked back at Gin when he aimed the gun at her. She was a true badass worthy of her NOC title, that I've longed to see in the series, only to get it in this wonderful movie.

Pinga

I really enjoyed Pinga's role in the movie as well, and especially appreciated how he wasn't written to be similar to Irish and Curacao (who had a more sympathetic antagonist development) but rather to be a more selfish greedy psychopath with more ambition than Gin, but less talented. It was interesting to learn how he was deep undercover as an engineer for interpol since 5 years back while disguised as a woman.

I especially enjoyed seeing his fights with Ran, and how she became a troublesome enemy for him (giving Ran good spotlight like in M13), as well as how Conan straight up shit-talked to him while giving Gin praise in comparison, to the point of riling Pinga up.

Vermouth

Vermouth was the true MVP in this movie. She had such a central role in saving Haibara from the organization's suspicion. It was extremely exciting to see Vermouth immediately sensing the potential of Naomi's All-age Recognition System (ARS) and how it could expose the boss identity and whereabouts, but more importantly to her, expose Shinichi's shrinking, that she'd rather keep hidden like a pandora's box. I was shocked and loved how she manipulated the Boss into giving her the order to destroy the ARS for his own sake, when she in reality wanted to not only conceal the current APTX shrinking effects from him, but also protect Shinichi. The way she used her disguising skills to invalidate the ARS' accuracy was just a genius move by her.

The biggest surprise to me was how she was revealed to be the old woman from the start in disguise, who was given the sale ticket for a Fusae brand brooch by Haibara out of selfless kindness, and how Vermouth was basically revealed to also be repaying that kindness back to Haibara by protecting her from the BO, further deepening her motivations and multi-faceted nature in such a beautiful way as she gazes at the confused Silver Bullet (Conan) who is questioning them after getting Bourbon's intel.

Rum & Karasuma Renya

The Biggest shocker in this whole movie was without a doubt the big reveal that Rum, the no.2 of the Black Organization, is unaware of the Boss' whereabouts in recent times and that, apart from having Pinga request Naomi to sell the ARS to them so they can modify it and also use it to erase the BO's activities in security cameras (according the boss' orders), had intended to use the ARS to locate Karasuma Renya (the Boss).

This was a huge bombshell reveal, yet to be revealed in the manga, that further clarified the current ongoings within the organization. It basically as good as confirmed that the Boss is hiding a de-aged form from his subordinates (including his very close associate, Rum) and that no one other than Vermouth is aware of his hidden whereabouts. This revelation is further supporting my "Child of seven (Nanatsu no ko)" theory (the Boss being a shrunken 7-year-old who is only contacting his subordinates through phone to hide his child appearance and maintain authority). This also further established a distrustful relationship between Karasuma Renya and Rum, seeing as the Boss has kept Rum out of the loop, and how Rum has persisted to locate the Boss against his wishes, creating a very small divide within the organization's power structure. This is extremely exciting for the future of the series and has gotten me very hyped for what's left of Rum's development in the Rum climax.

Conclusion

This movie was overall a 10/10 product, that gave all the fans outstanding fanservice. Conan's devotion to save Haibara, Ran's supportive contribution to the point of almost getting shot, Agasa's deeply moving heartfelt tears after Haibara's kidnapping, Kuroda's helpful backing of Conan, Bourbon's informational support and Akai's loyal aid in taking down the submarine were all just the tip of the iceberg. All the beautiful callbacks to canon events were also among the best of the fanservice. I especially loved Haibara's callback to how a child (Ayumi) had once changed her life through their actions (File 437), Pisco kidnapping her despite wearing glasses (File 240), Ran reminding Haibara of Akemi (like in File 434), Kir's callback to her father sacrificing himself for her in response to Naomi's cry (File 604) and all the moments Haibara recalled when Conan comforted and moved her (Bus hijack, Haibara intro, Reunion, etc).

Gosho's involvement in the story was clearly noticeable, just by the sheer quality of the movie, and all of his many drawn keyframes were beautiful.

Screenshots

[enigmatist17]

So I did go see the Borderlands movie this morning, and holy cannoli, it was a flaming dumpster fire of a movie. Spoilers about below just FYI

However!

Kevin Hart ended up being one of the saving graces when I thought he would be the worst of the lot! Sure, he doesn't physically embody Roland from the games, but performance and combat-wise, he was very solid! Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis was alright as well. She nailed a lot of Tannis' mannerisms to a T, and overall, unlike Lilith and Moxxi, I didn't mind her being aged up. Kreig was great despite being pretty much silent most of the game, and looked like he'd been quite literally pulled right out of the game and dropped into the movie.

Tina was very meh, it's like they wanted her to me more unhinged but restrained themselves at the last moment, and it doesn't work in the Borderlands world. They also had this thing where she's really a clone of a supposed "Daughter of Eridium", whatever the hell that means??? I think if it had been rated R or unrated like it should have been, Tina would have made more of an impact, but she just ended up being very meh.

Lilith was...well, I'm not sure. Most of the movie kinda centers around her backstory/her mom, which tbh is not what I wanted to see from a Borderlands movie? Like seeing some twists about Pandora/her being older was fine, but to have almost everyone fawning over her/her mother got old super quick, and they waited until the end for her to be the badass siren we all know and love??? I'm not the biggest Lilith fan, but Cate did her best with a script that couldn't decide if they wanted Lilith to be an asshole or sympathetic, which for an actor who's played/loves the games, has to suck :/

Jack Black was not great, and to find out he VA'd the Claptrap lines before they started filming makes his odd detachment make so much freaking sense. It always felt like Claptrap was just slightly removed from everything, and I couldn't nail down why until I googled that midway through the movie (which btw my sister, a friend, and I were the only ones in it lol). They should have just gotten the VA for him, Jack was not it :/

The CGI was either really good or really bad, and Lilith's wig did not blend in with any of it at all lmao. The sets/Pandora/costumes, aside from Tina's, were pretty damn good, but where it really shined was the guns. I could literally point out specific guns and their manufacturers despite all the motion of combat, and to be able to do that for even a casual gamer? Loved it.

Sadly though, despite them having been credited for months leading up tot he film, Hammerlock, Wainwright, Ellie and Scooter all got cut from the movie and it's a fucking travesty. I was kind of hoping Hammerlock would kick ass, but to get to the end and find out the asshat who ruined this movie said "oh they were gone for pacing" made me SO mad.

THEY FILMED A WEDDING SCENE YOU ASSHAT, I WANT THAT FOOTAGE AND I WANT IT NOW

Overall, my score is a 1.5/10

[artzychic27]

🏳️‍⚧️Happy Pride From the Recess Class!🏳️‍🌈

Akuma Class

Science Kids

Austin A: Legally Blonde, but Gayer

Gender nonconforming, who has time to narrow down pronouns?

Does everyone’s makeup before Pride with Kendra and Victoria

Dyes his hair pink

Gives free haircuts, paints peoples’ nails, and dyes hair using spray-on dye

They just want everyone to look fabulous, is that so wrong?!

Dresses in only flag colors

Uses his mom’s credit card to buy binders for people

This is the only time of year he makes people simp. Not the other way around

And they are going to use it to their advantage

Dresses her chinchillas in drag

They. Look. Gorgeous.

He somehow escapes the Glitter Wars unscathed

Todrick Hall is her anthem

Austin B: Gaymer Gurl

AroAce and He/Him

Wears Croc Heelys to pride

He wanders off a lot, and it terrifies his boyfriends best friends

Brings Elizabeth III to every pride and dresses her in only the finest fashions

He buys her all sorts of pride-themed cat toys because she’s worth it

When people ask him on a date, Elizabeth III hisses at them

Casually getting adopted by drag queens after he casually tells them about his home situation

He’s granted entry to any drag house when he wants to get away from his “parents”. He’s got six moms now, and he will steal jewelry for them

He met a little girl with yellow eyes like him and she hugged him

All of Marceline’s songs are his anthems

Austin Q: Secret Mom Friend with Mommy Issues

Questioning & He/?

Tempted to put a leash on everyone

Especially Austin B because he won’t stop wandering off!

Austin Q: WHERE ARE MY BABIES?! Have you seen a little bitch in yellow glitter pants?! He’s a little ho, but I love him!

He supplies the snacks Austin T doesn’t make. He’s the main apple slice supplier

He also makes sure to bring apple juice. He just likes apples. “They’re good for you, Armsy!”

Cosplays as every redhead character- Penn Zero, Vicky, Melissa Chase, Mary Test, Black Widow, and more

He joins the muscle-flexing contests and wins a couple

Can carry Austin A, B, and T on his shoulders

Once again, everyone thinks the four of them are a poly couple

Austin Quinlan, Protector of Lesbians, Wielder of the Sapphic Sword, Kicker of Protesters’ Balls

Knows how to do a badass rainbow kick

Austin T: OUT OF THE WAY! I AM VERY GAY!

Gay & He/Him

Bakes all sorts of pastries for everyone and it’s pretty much the one thing everyone looks forward to

Seriously, this boy brings like twenty containers full of cupcakes, cookies, and pancakes (For the pansexuals, of course)

Not even protesters are immune to his cupcakes. But because he’s petty, they only get plain vanilla with no toppings

That’s how disappointed he is in them. Now they feel as though they’ve disrespected every deity

The drag queens, dykes on bikes, and just lesbians in general will kill for this baby

Casually name drops his parents any time a protester screams in his face

He and Jean reenact scenes from Phantom of the Opera

DJ threw a glitter bomb at him, and no one was safe

Wears Huggycake like a boa because she loves all the people, and she scares off homophobes

He met other reptile queers and now they’re having brunch

Lotta Jameson: Kick Buttowski, Queer Daredevil

Aromantic and She/Her

Gerard tinkered with her Vespa, and now rainbow glitter shoots out the pipes

Do NOT give her sugar. Seriously

She somehow sneaks onto floats

Austin Q: Lotta! Get down from there!/ Lotta: Be gay, do crimes!

Brings a baseball bat in case of transphobes

She has a shirt that says so

She did a bike jump over the protesters and dropped bags of glitter on them

Now she’s getting called Amelia Earhart by literally everyone

She got the aviator goggles and they’re pretty sure Amelia is a queer icon… Also, she sometimes goes missing in the crowd. She’s so short!

Austin Q: WHERE’S MY OTHER BABY?! SHE’S THE LITTLE GINGER BITCH IN GOGGLES!/ Lotta: Do you call all your babies bitches?

Kendra Anne Gunderson: Casually Spider-Man Kisses People… With Consent

Polyromantic and She/Her

Kendra is a bit of an icon

Known by all as “Hand-Stand Girl” because she walked only on her hands for the entire event

She has two drag queen uncles and her cousin is a beauty influencer in the queer community

Every time Kendra breathes, a lesbian meets her perfect match

Her eyeliner is on point

DJ lowers her down from buildings so that she can kiss pretty people… With consent, of course

Those two are always getting into some sort of trouble

They spray painted some transphobe’s car and put an egg in the slightly open trunk. It stunk up the car for days

When she’s not pranking protesters, she’s on the mom friend squad with Austin Q and keeping Austin B from wandering off

DJ Detweiler: The Drag Jester

Genderfluid, Bisexual, and He/She

Owns an assortment of pun shirts for every sexuality. No one knows how they come up with them

DJ: I came out to my dad./ Mason: DJ, NO!/ DJ: He told animal control he had a bison in his house!

Always accused of starting the Glitter Wars. She ain’t denying anything

As the name implies, he’s gonna prank the protesters and TERFs

So far, he got a TERF to sit on a whoopie cushion, tricked some dick trying to force himself on an Ace girl into kissing a frog, and made some homophobe think his foot went missing

Heads to drag clubs to do standup, and is probably gonna get a Netflix show when she gets older

DJ: Do you know the difference between a government bond and a homophobe? The bond matures.

Now he’s booked for seven shows throughout the month

He’s got a laugh like Sardonyx that makes people (Especially Mason) simp

Any time DJ laughs, a trans boy gets his soup

Austin Spinelli: Sneaking Out in Ballet Flats

Achillean and He/Him

Casually flirts with any guy he comes across

And he lays the Italian accent on THICK

Dresses in pinstripe suits and says he’s the boss of the Velvet Mafia

When he’s not in suits, he’s dressed in his ballet gear and doing ribbon dances

His splits are flawless

Any time Spinelli does a pirouette, a trans girl gets her wings

Any time Spinelli does a pirouette, a transphobe gets punched

When he’s got the time, and he always does, he does chalk art with the kids, and creates a literal mural

He’s always got time

The organizers loved his work so much, they commissioned a mural for a youth center

Knits beanies for everyone

Gia Griswald: You Ask, I’ll Tell

MtF Trans and She/Her

Her dad went with her to her first pride, and none of the protesters wanted to mess with the six foot tall military general war hero

Gets into flexing contests

Wears rainbow camouflage to every event

If she sees a scuff on your combat boots, she’s gonna clean them

Helped Gerard write his queer history book

In a club with other queer history buffs and they reenact iconic poses from history, but make them gay

She attended a military funeral with her dad during June, and the soldier being burried was a lesbian

Immediately, a bunch of freaks who probably stalked them went to protest. Gia flipped some bastard over her shoulder

Roger Raincomprix, the arriving officer, didn’t see a thing

She eats a crap ton of marshmallows

Victoria LaSalle: Queers on Wheels

Asexual, Bigender, and He/They/She

Decorates her wheelchair with all sorts of pride stickers

Rocks it every year in a crop top

Starts every glitter bomb fight. No one ever sees them coming

She’s just… She’s a goddex

Everyone wants to get a selfie with him. That’s how gorgeous he is

Out of everyone’s leagues

Teaches kids in wheelchairs how to pop a wheelie

Likes to answers kids’ questions

Kid: Are you a robot?/ Victoria: … Yes. Yes, I am.

Only Gerard has the privilege of sitting in his lap as he cruises through the crowd

Gerard Grundler: The Gay Genius

FtM Trans, Pan, Polyamorous, He/Him

He’s written a mini-pride history book with Gia. They got publishers lining up and everything!

Everyone is just so pretty

He bails during the Glitter Wars and takes cover in a coffee shop

Victoria’s gotta keep him from wandering off and possibly joining a cult because the members are pretty

Probably hacked into the medical system so people can have better access to hormones

Faints any time he sees Victoria in a crop top

Dresses in a lot of pride flag sweater vests no matter how hot it is

Victoria: Gerard, it’s ninety-/ Gerard: SWEATER VESTS RULE!

He builds robots to wave pride flags in sync

He and Rochelle protect the bugs

Mindy Blumberg: Opera is Gay as Fuck

Demigirl, Panromantic, They/She

Sings “Rainbow Connection” in an operatic fashion, and leaves everyone in tears

Carries Gia on her shoulders

She carries everyone on her shoulders, but mostly Gia

Will act as a human shield during the Glitter Wars because that’s how much she cares.

But the second Austin T gets his hands on a glitter bomb, she’s out

Hayley Kiyoko is her anthem

If you ask, they’ll hug you

Mindy gives amazing hugs

Everyone will die for this girl

Also, she’s weirdly poetic. It makes everyone wanna listen to her for hours

Is a pacifist, but she’ll give it to you straight if you mess with her friends

Rochelle Weems: That one person at pride who takes pictures of the protesters screaming at queer kids and posts them online for everyone to see

Demigirl, Polysexual, Ze/Zir

Brings zir Polaroid to make a scrapbook and blackmail protesters

Ze’s a rat, but a good kind of rat. The kind who makes sure homophobes and transphobes don’t get away with yelling at queer kids

Was self conscious about zir back brace until ze saw a drag king wearing a bedazzled one

Was roped into letting Austin A, Victoria and Kendra do zir makeup

Ze looked gorgeous!

Ze and Austin B share the good gossip with drag queens

In exchange, they get tickets to shows

Will kill for Austin T’s cookies

Just don’t let zir have too much sugar, otherwise ze will go crazy and start a cult based on cookies where everyone wears Cookie Monster bathrobes

It’s happened once before, and now ze’s under surveillance

Protects the bugs from getting stepped on and then places them in protesters’ hair

Ze saw this one guy about to take a swing at a lesbian, and promptly kicked him in the balls

Now ze’s got twelve new numbers in zir phone

Mason Ewing: The Most Organized Person At Pride

Bigender, Asexual, He/She

Brings a binder filled with horrific facts about conversion therapy to throw in the faces of protesters

Will talk the ear off of any protester about why they’re wrong about everything until they just walk away

Gets carried by DJ on her shoulders

Somehow knows where everyone is at all times

He teaches Rochelle how to walk in pumps and ze teaches him how to steal thirty candy bars

Brings sarcastic coffee thermoses

Paid Gerard to make her coffee maker battery operated, and now she brings it everywhere

She just pins an asexual flag pin on her tie and calls it a day. Though, if DJ asks, she will wear a pun shirt

DJ is the only one who knows how to make her laugh, and Spinelli’s taking bets on who will ask who out first

Beck King: Cosplays As Frida Kahlo

Nonbinary, Achillean, They/Them

The responsible chaperone when M. Grotke’s out of commission

Dyes their unibrow rainbow

Silently flirts with guys using eyebrow language

Cosplays as Clone High Frida Kahlo and the original Frida Kahlo. They just like Frida

Just casually flexing their muscles in front of hot guys, nothing going on there

Then the hot guys write their phone numbers on their hockey stick

Spinelli’s mentor in ‘The Way of the Achillean’

He makes crowns for kids

Any time a protester tries to attack them, they just suddenly disappear

People swear they’ve see men in black drag protesters away from Beck

Seriously, it’s like this guy’s got a whole security detail!

Alonzo Grotke: I Went to the First Pride, and All I Got Was This Brick

FtM Trans, Gay, He/Him

A well seasoned gay

Has a shirt that says “Papa Gay”

He’s total DILF getting hit on by every silver fox. He ain’t complaining, and they sure ain’t complaining when they get a look at his abs with that crop top

Seriously, this guy is ripped

The parade paused when one of the floats got a flat, and he just… He just made a whole bunch of guys simp by changing a tire, that’s all they’ll say

He’s the one keeping people at gay bars from getting roofied by creeps

Teaches meditation at the youth center

He gets hit on by the single dads, A LOT

Back in the day, he stole a police motorcycle and painted it rainbow. He passes out autographed copies of his mugshot because it’s such a good photo

His kids went to spy on his date with M. Monlataing and he pretended he didn’t notice

He passes mini water bottles to protesters since it’s ninety degrees out and he doesn’t want them dying of thirst despite everything

But, he does it with this smirk like, “Looks like I’m the bigger person here, losers. Namaste.”