#and what that has to shift in the character who changes

[eeriesilkworm]

Season 2 Mike definitely saw Max as a love rival for Will

Another Byler from Mike Wheeler's POV analysis—(Unrequited love trope edition).

Walk with me.

Sometimes I think about how when the party went trick-or-treating Mike specifically told Will that he, "should have checked with him" first before letting Max join them.

It's just a very peculiar moment. Why Will?

Even Will was confused by this, lol.

We know that Mike doesn't like Max in season 2 (for reasons we'll look into more), but why did he make this Will's problem/ responsibility? Especially after only knowing of her existence for 2 days at this point.

He wasn't angry at Lucas or Dustin—or at least, he didn't expect them to come to him for permission—otherwise he would have said something to them, too.

It was Will who he felt betrayed by and upset with.

Heck, go ahead and take a second look at the first screenshot provided above.

Does Mike look angry to you?

No—he looks forlorn.

Let me break it down for you:

I'll start by saying when the party learned of MADMAX the screename, they were all equally interested in knowing who it was.

But when Max is introduced to us as a character (and revealed to be a girl), we get markedly different reactions between the boys.

In the first frame, they have no idea who she is or what her name is. All they see is a new girl. (Played by Sadie Sink mind you, who is very pretty).

Look at Mike's face: he already looks sulky.

The second frame is after they learn her name is Max. Once again, all four boys show some level of interest, but Mike remains sulky.

Then we have the recess scene in which the boys are watching Max, which is very interesting.

Consider the blocking and body language in this frame:

Look at Will here: he's just as interested in Max as Lucas and Dustin are (even if his interest is not based on attraction). In fact, he's the main focus of this frame for some reason.

Mike is the only one who hangs back, and his body language is completely different from the other three (hands in pockets, meaning he is distanced). He has no interest whatsoever and his facial expression appears agitated.

Mike feels like the odd one out here.

Will fits in.

When they "lose the target" Will is the one who spots her and reinitiates the "watching." Once again, Will is the main focus of this shot and even seems to be showing the most interest; his expression is bright and engaged.

He runs with Lucas and Dustin to the wastebin while Mike trails behind begrudgingly, not wanting to be left behind.

It begs the question: why is Will the focal point among the four boys in a scene about looking at a girl, if he was never intended to be a love interest?

I argue it's because we're seeing this interaction from a very specific perspective—the perspective of Mike Wheeler, who is standing back and observing.

It's also worth noting that Will's change in demeanor and energy here is extremely apparent.

He is noticeably withdrawn and low in spirits this season due to his PTSD (both literal and metaphorical if you count the MF as a metaphor for trauma).

And Mike notices. He’s the one who points out that Will had been "quiet today"—a detail the others miss because they don’t watch Will the way he does.

Notice that Will is disengaged during the science lesson (before Max arrives), while the other three are nerding out. Will previously participated in the science fair—it typically interests him—but his mood is very low.

Then compare that with his immediate engagement when Max walks into the classroom, and the level of interest he showed during recess. Mike would certainly observe this shift, paying as much attention to Will as he does.

In fact, once the distraction of Max has passed and the principal comes to collect him, Will's body language retreats again; shoulders hunched, eyes downcast.

What conclusion do you think Mike would come to based off these few short interactions?

(And these are the only interactions Mike sees between Will and Max before trick-or-treating together the next day. Mike hasn't even spoken to her yet).

From Will's perspective, this girl is just a novelty: a light-hearted distraction from everything else going on, offering a spot of normalcy.

But from Mike's perspective, this is a pretty new girl showing up out of nowhere and immediately raising Will's spirits: something he felt like he failed to do.

And so it brings us to the trick-or-treating scene, in which Will (apparently) joins Dustin and Lucas in their enthusiasm for Max joining the party, while Mike hangs back and then begrudgingly follows, not wanting to be left behind.

Are we noticing the pattern?

Then we have Mike's confrontation with Will (this happens after Will is seen filming Max, btw). He tells Will he should have checked with him about Max joining them and that Max is, "ruining the best night of the year."

Uh... what? What did she do?

He then storms off: inentionally leaving Will behind this time.

(He wants him to know how that feels).

Following this interaction, Will has a big scare with the MF—and of course, it’s Mike who finds him first. Despite his mood, Mike is still attentive and protective.

Mike behaves possessively when he finds Will, not wanting the others to get involved. He takes Will “home” (his home) so they can be alone.

What follows is a scene that, put simply, is about reciprocation.

Interestingly, Mike’s attitude toward Max shifts after this scene with Will—he doesn’t have anything to say about Max joining the party in the AV room to look at Dustin’s pollywog.

This is the girl who apparently ruined Halloween.

You’d think he’d still be unhappy to see her.

But after that conversation with Will in his basement, Mike feels more secure and reassured about the state of their relationship.

He's no longer jealous.

So now, it's apparently fine for Max to be in the party.

Well, that changes again.

The next notable interaction is after Mike realises the pollywog is from the UD. Mike immediately goes into protective mode. It’s not Will who storms into the classroom to grab the trap—it’s Mike.

It’s also (presumably) Mike who locks Max outside of the AV room when they discuss this, yelling at her that she can’t come inside.

When she opens the door anyway, the pollywog escapes—and (of course) Mike blames her. No one else points fingers.

Now, the boys were hesitant to reveal any information about the UD for obvious reasons, but here we see the recurring theme in the Mike/Will/Max triangle: Mike’s protectiveness (and slight possessiveness) of Will.

So, a recap of Mike’s perspective so far:

First gripe: You’re hogging Will’s attention (possessive) Second gripe: You’ve compromised Will’s safety (protective)

Then we finally have the confrontation between Mike and Max:

It literally starts with Mike telling Max to leave because she's in the boys' room. (Similar to his "boys only" comment in season 3).

Let's not get it twisted: When Max finally asks Mike why he's been treating her the way he has been, he deflects.

Mike, who always has a ready opinion and is not afraid of confrontation, is not comfortable sharing the real reason why.

It’s commonly believed that Mike simply didn’t like Max because her presence reminded him of El’s absence—and I see it—but after a closer look, I no longer agree.

Firstly, I don’t think it’s fair to assume that Max would remind Mike of El (or rub salt in the wound of her absence) just because they’re both girls. Max and El couldn’t be more different—physically or otherwise—and that distinction feels intentional.

Mike would never compare Max to El, because to him, El is incomparable—a superhero who saved his (and Will’s) life.

Also, in Mike’s mind, El is still in the party—he lists her name off with the other members.

Max wouldn’t be a replacement.

He literally just stated that she would be an addition.

Secondly, Mike never actually makes this connection himself. He simply offhandedly mentions El when he’s trying to convince Max she’s not needed.

So why does he want her to stay away?

And when El is finally introduced (both through conversation and literally) to this dynamic, what happens?

Mike and Max begin to get along.

They share a smile.

If Mike’s issue with Max had anything to do with El, the scene wouldn’t have played out this way.

It’s classic misdirection.

The misdirection is so obvious they lean into it—even having El herself misinterpret Mike and Max’s relationship, becoming jealous.

She mistakenly assumes Mike is interested in Max, just like Mike mistakenly assumed Will was interested in her, too.

They’re giving the audience a warped perspective, urging us to look behind the curtain.

Mike’s behaviour towards Max fits perfectly into Byler’s shared arc in Season 2: Mike is attentive, protective, and possessive over Will, while Will—consumed by the MF—can’t fully reciprocate that attention.

The “crazy together” scene is the only time Mike receives the same energy back from Will the entire season.

I feel like people forget that when they talk about how cute Season 2 was for Byler. Cute from Will’s perspective, maybe (supernatural plot aside)—but for Mike?

We get multiple shots of Mike staring at Will or noticing his absence (Mike staring at Will’s empty desk being the most obvious example).

That’s called pining.

Will does not invite Mike to his house or show up uninvited—Mike does that. Will does not hold Mike’s hand—Mike does that. Will does not watch Mike closely or check in on him constantly—Mike does that. Will does not become possessive of Mike’s attention—Mike does that.

In fact, they play into this unreciprocated affection trope pretty blatantly—when Mike bares his heart to Will, tearfully recounting their first meeting, Will quite literally cannot respond because he’s possessed—even if he wants to.

Not to mention—Mike’s recount of their first meeting is also (thematically) about reciprocation:

“I asked if you wanted to be my friend. And you said yes. You said yes.”

Mike puts emphasis on the fact that Will said yes: the fact that Will reciprocated his feelings.

That is what he wants.

He wants validation that Will feels the same.

That Will won't leave him behind.

And what happens at the end of Season 2?

From a Byler perspective, this season is about Mike’s (seemingly) unrequited love for Will—and it directly influences Mike’s (very different) behaviour in Season 3.

So yeah.

Mike didn’t like Max because he was jealous, and coping with feelings for Will he feared were one-sided—and in his mind that was confirmed as true.

Why wouldn’t he be relieved to see El at the snowball dance?

Why wouldn’t he kiss her?

Why wouldn’t he immediately start dating her and pushing Will away?

[beast3end]

A light the darkness of truth.

Summary: You, the personal disciple of the Sage of Truth, disappears so suddenly that it cannot but cause him anxiety. Fortunately, thanks to your friends, he notices your letter. But that still doesn't solve the main question: where are you? Characters: Truthless Recluse х reader (pure vanilla x reader); platonic! sage of truth x reader (shadow milk x reader). WC: 1,5k CW: fem!reader; there may be mistakes in the text because English is not my native language; the text contains original characters (your friends); A/N: The prologue can be strange and confusing, because I'm writing fanfiction inside my little AU, which I've expanded based on the official timeline of Pure Vanilla and Shadow Milk costumes. I hope, despite this, you will enjoy this work! A/N 2: It was only after I wrote everything down that I realized that there was a Sable cookie in crk. But I didn't change anything.

Something's wrong.

The day went as planned: there were no classes in the morning and Shadow Milk spent most of his time in the library, studying books on the topic of a new dissertation, rechecking information already known; after lunch and until dinner, lectures; followed by a small meeting of professors of the Yogurt Academy…

Everything that was in his plans for today. Calmly. Serene. Sometimes his irritation got the better of him when he noticed students nodding off, but that's okay. There are more than one or two of them, it's even within his expectations. No one broke into his lecture or interfered with the learning process.

It's too quiet.

In the empty corridor, illuminated by the last rays of the sun, there was a nervous knock. Tap-tap-tap. Tap. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap. Tap. Lost in his thoughts, the Sage of Truth began tapping the textbook with his claw.

Why wasn't he pulled today? At least once a day, but his lecture was disrupted, and sometimes his schedule was shifted due to problems. The source of these problems was [Name], a young child who, if she could, would dry up even the sea itself for the sake of her curiosity. [Name] is not a student of the academy — [Name] is only his disciple. And, accordingly, he is responsible for her antics, otherwise it simply cannot be.

But it's so disgustingly peaceful today that Shadow Milk can't really concentrate. On the days when [Name] went to visit someone from the Sources*, she at least gave a few days' notice of her departure. Now, going over the memories of the past week, he could confidently say: that there had never been a word about anything like this.

Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.

...Come to think of it, they didn't even manage to cross paths in the morning. Unlike him, [Name] prefers to sleep until noon, but invariably, day after day, she gets up as early as she can. Shadow Milk has a busier schedule than the rest of the academy's professors — sometimes his have to return home well after midnight. And [Name], knowing this, tried to be with him at least during a quick breakfast — with her face buried in the table, she sat next to him and slowly blinked, listening to her teacher's chatter. She used to fall asleep in this position while the Sage of Truth stroked her head.

Then he didn't bother her—there were days when [Name] ignored all her alarm clocks. It was just that later, after another lecture, she could burst into an empty classroom and start whining that he hadn't woken her up.

Probably in vain. He would need to check her room upon his return…

“Good evening!” a clear voice is heard somewhere from the side, as the Sage of Truth comes out of the academic building. He abruptly turned his head, looking in confusion at the two cookies rapidly approaching him.

What a hectic day it is. Where did they here?

"What a surprise," Shadow Milk nods, curiously surveying the group. The second cookie, standing silently behind her friend, frowned at his attention. The constant reaction, how charming. "I didn't know you were coming today, Biscotti, Sable."

Biscotti smiled awkwardly, scratching head.

“We didn't warn [Name].”

At these words, both cookies looked at him attentively. It was as if they expected their friend to jump out from behind him and pounce on them.

Shadow Milk smiled knowingly. Such a development of events unfolded before his eyes more than once and more than twice. [Name] was well aware of other people's personal boundaries, and then she was happy to break them.

“As you can see, she's not here.”

Sable sighed heavily, whispering something so softly that only Biscotti couldhear. Biscotti hissed at her friend, pushing her harder behind her back, after which she gave him a cursory glance. Shadow Milk pretended that he hadn't noticed either of them, and his friendly smile didn't waver a single gram.

"We've been looking for her all over the territory today, because she usually doesn't go outside the academy," Biscotti explained the situation as politely as possible, then added in a lower voice, muttering more into the void than to anyone in particular. "Did she really go to the city?"

No. [Name] rarely went to the city — she visited bookstores once a month, returning with at least a couple of books. Some of them were donated to the library, but especially valuable ones replenished their shelves.

“In any case, you can stay in your old room,” the Sage of Truth decided to end their conversation, having exhausted all the necessary information from this. "But I need to go to my office first."

"We'll go with you!"  Biscotti perked up, ignoring how hard Sable tugged at her clothes. “It won't be so lonely together.”

“I appreciate it.”

Well, that's just as well. The anxiety that had accumulated all day carefully faded into the background as he listened to Biscotti's chatter. Sable was reluctant to answer or correct her friend, rolling her eyes after another joke.

His office greeted them with silence. No matter how much Shadow Milk listened, he couldn't catch any ragged breathing or restrained giggles. So [Name] wasn't here either. He clicks his tongue in displeasure, putting the textbook in the only available place.

What kind of ridiculous situation is this?

Worry involuntarily swirled in his head — if something happened to her... it's impossible to hide everything forever, right? Someone found out [Name] little secret — neither a resident of Dessert Paradise, nor source subordinates, but someone from ordinary cookies. Biased, living in ignorance, hating and fearing…

It's too dangerous.

“Oh, it's a letter from [Name]!”

Fortunately, he is pulled out of the whirlpool of anxious thoughts, reminding him that he is not alone here.

Biscotti was standing by his desk, examining the contents with interest. It was cluttered with documents and hundreds of hastily writtennotes. Normally, Shadow Milk would not have liked such an intervention.

But Biscotti was only interested in the sealed letter that lay on top of the papers. To be honest, Shadow Milk was also interested in it.

"Hello, Teacher! I do not know when you will find this letter, but I hope sooner rather than later. Don't worry, I'm fine. I haven't been able to get our conversation out of my head for the last few weeks... oh, if you can't remember what kind of conversation it was, then everything is fine! Perhaps it's even for the best, I think, otherwise you would have forbidden me to leave the walls of the Yogurt Academy. I went on a little trip—I don't know for how long. Maybe I'll go back to next week, or maybe in a month! This is not another mission from Silent Salt, so please don't bother them for nothing. I'm an adult now and I can take care of myself on my own. Don't stay at work too long and don't forget to take care of yourself in my absence! And also breathing exercises — remember them too, you don't need to terrorize the unfortunate students of the academy just because they understand the material a little worse than others. See you soon! Love, you No. 1 disciple, [Name]~."

Considering how neatly the letter was written, the Sage of Truth could to conclude: his disciple had been preparing for this escape for a long time and carefully. If his looked closely, his could see faint traces on the paper. This means that this is far from the first version of the letter, although it is still impossible to parse the previous version. Given the new information, it is also possible to conclude that [Name] went either in search of someone or something.… But it doesn't really help to narrow down the range of ideas where she might have gone. He often told her about some faraway places of the Earthbread, various plants, unique holidays in different kingdom, or about new, outstanding minds! But this is something, if he had known about it, he would not have allowed to leave the walls of the house.…

“Did she say where she was going?”

The Sage of Truth blinked, coming to his senses, and looked up from the letter to Sable. Irritation tickled somewhere in his chest, unsatisfied that his stream of thoughts had been interrupted, because he was almost…

Well, no. He needs to calm down.

Breath. Exhale.

“No.”  Shadow Milk smiled, slightly clutching the paper in his hands. After looking around the room once more, he hummed thoughtfully to himself to finally add. “I have a couple of guesses, but to determine exactly, I need your help. I would be extremely grateful if you could do me a favor.”

“Oh, of co-”

"Why should we?"  Sable quickly covered Biscotti's mouth with her hand, while not taking her displeased gaze off one of the Sources.

"You don't have to," nodded Shadow Milk. "But you want to find [Name], right? Then you should accept my request."

"...Okay," Sable agreed with obvious difficulty. "What do we need to do?"

"Oh, it's nothing complicated!" The Sage of Truth assured them with exaggerated enthusiasm, hiding the letter in the inside pocket of his coat. "I need you to compare all the available maps from the academy library with the list and tell me which ones are missing and for how long."

Sable's mouth dropped open in genuine surprise. This request clearly goes beyond "nothing complicated". Shadow Milk giggled contentedly.

Unfortunately, they've already agreed.

There's no turning back.

A small note, because it is impossible to tell this in the text itself: Sources are the local name for Beast. Why are they called Sources? But that's later.

@shinning-stars, you asked me to tag you! <3

[theblueif-iloseya]

Hi guys, this is going to be brief, but lets talk about Lady Shiva and motherhood: 

I'm fairly certain that most comic book fans, if they are aware of Shiva, know her from the Batgirl (2000) comics and her appearances in other works in subsequent years (which is fine!! Batgirl 2000 is great and Pucketts run contains some of my favorite Lady Shiva moments ever). Most have not read her earlier appearances, with the possible exceptions of "A Death in The Family," in which she cameos, and her prominent role in Robin vol 1 (1991) where her character is grossly distorted to bolster the virtue of the new titular Robin. It may come as a surprise to some, that Lady Shiva was originally a character who represented transience, freedom, duality, passion, grit, and skill, rather than just death, violence, and (still) incredible skill. I don't mean to sound too extreme, this may be a dumbing-down of her more contemporary comic book appearances, and it is a given for long-running comic book characters that their personalities and defining traits will shift, but it is truly so frustrating to lose a character you love to a version of them who wears their skin and only sometimes speaks in words that belong. While Dixon's writing choices can be blamed for her turn to villainy, he cannot be blamed for the thing that most frustrates me about modern Shiva portrayals: her commitment to motherhood.

Shiva became a mother during her Batgirl (2000) origin story, which absolutely gutted and threw out her original motivations. In this origin story David Cain selects Lady Shiva for her desirable traits, like an animal, kills Shiva’s sister Carolyn, and then beats her in a fight. Shiva is threatened with death and is essentially used by Cain as breeding stock. She is literally trapped by motherhood. This is a painful and stark contrast to the absolute freedom that the character previously embodied.

More than once in this issue Shiva says that Cain freed her or gave her life purpose. It is unclear why she attributes this to him because her most liberating moment appears to be when she chooses to leave him and abandon her daughter–the daughter she never wanted, the daughter she was forced to carry.

So much is unclear and confusing about this story beat. If she was capable of freeing herself, why did she wait long enough to carry Cain’s child to term? What changed within that time frame? How much was Cain coercing her? Why does she renounce the part Carolyn's death played in her life and instead emphasize Cain’s role?

The original version of her origin (Richard Dragon 1977) has her become Lady Shiva to take revenge on her sister's killer. For Sandra, Lady Shiva's dangerous life offers a thrill, a sense of freedom, and an outlet for grief.

The Batgirl (2000) version of Shiva’s origin appears to present Lady Shiva's becoming as an evil act. She frees herself, yes, but she is a broken woman, she is fueled by hate and the desire to cause destruction. Instead of from grief, she frees herself from her rapist, and importantly, from motherhood. This action almost slots her into an evil queen archetype. Warped by archetypical motherhood, she is immediately less defined as her own character and more associated with the act of abandoning a child. 

Of course, in Pucketts run, Shiva does become an important figure in her daughter’s life, though less as a mother and more as a catalyst. It is other writers who drag Shiva back into the role of mother bit by bit.  

Though Batgirl comics often handle Shiva’s character with the most love and nuance, they are also the comics in which her role as a mother is most emphasized. One of the most recent Batgirl releases, (SPOILERS FOR BATGIRL [2024] ISSUE 6) has Lady Shiva complete her lukewarm redemption arc by doing the most motherly thing a woman can do–sacrificing herself for her child (this arc is even called the Mother arc). Cass's inner narration reads: "A mother always sacrifices in the name of her child. So her child may live--even as she dies." To me, this is a hollow and unworthy death for Lady Shiva, because I would prefer for her to be known as something other than a mother. By placing the label of mother onto Shiva her most interesting traits are reduced or villainized. Motherhood is not freedom, for this character. Motherhood was not the plan for this character. And now it is the thing she is most known for. Now, she has even died for it. (Supposedly! This is comic books, she’ll probably be back in a few months so whatever idk.)  

Okay bye ily

[fernwehreader]

The Lasting Impression of "A Thing of Secret, Lovely Beauty"

I was thinking more on the “thing of secret, lovely beauty” phrasing and the final words in Azriel’s ACOSF bonus chapter.  For SJM to end the chapter with these words, as a callback to their prior use early on, I believe she is hitting us over the head so we pay close attention to them.  They are literally the last words we get from Azriel’s one-and-only POV so far.  That alone should add an air of gravitas to them.  So, I want to explore why the end of the bonus chapter matters and why it indicates that we’ll see the continued development of Azriel’s relationship with Gwyn in their book (which I believe will be ACOTAR5).  

But, bear with me a bit as I first touch on considerations that lead up to Azriel’s POV and help support the significance of those final words . . . 

I know there is criticism from some readers who claim there is “nothing to Gwynriel”--that there are no developing feelings between Azriel and Gwyn during ACOSF, he never thinks of wanting her like he wants Elain, he wouldn’t even go as far as to call Gwyn a friend, etc.

While I disagree that there is no proof of something shifting between the two of them (and I’ll explain why in more detail below), I would agree that there is nothing overtly romantic established between Azriel and Gwyn by the end of the novel.  However, for me, that’s a moot point.  And it’s also a strong indicator that there is “something to Gwynriel.”  

Although ACOTAR is published in the fantasy genre, it also has a foot planted firmly in the romance genre--and there is an unspoken agreement between author and reader that, for romance arcs, the romantic development happens on the page and is experienced through the POV of at least one, but ideally both, members of the pairing.  This is necessary for readers to understand authentic connection, to allow the relationship space to breathe, and to provide intimacy for emotional investment.  Otherwise, the romance can feel unearned or like a plot device.  

SJM has already been on record that each ACOTAR book moving forward will focus on a different romantic pairing.  So, assuming Azriel’s book is next based on ACOSF and HOFAS in particular, why on earth would SJM lean into an end game romance for Azriel during Nesta and Cassian’s book?  There would then be little room for growth or challenge in Azriel’s own book--no tension.  How incredibly boring.  Plus, I’ve been reading SJM since 2012, and if there is one thing I’ve learned when it comes to analyzing her writing, it’s that she loves giving characters the space to change along with a healthy dose of tension.  Characterization (and to a certain extent plot) is all about tension.  For example: 

what a character WANTS vs. what a character NEEDS 

where a character STARTS vs. where a character ENDS

what a character BELIEVES vs. a character confronting a TRUTH

We can clearly see how Azriel’s tension is being established within each of these examples--to foreshadow both his personal growth and his romantic arc with a potential mate in Gwyn.  When it comes to the developing shift in how Azriel begins to see Gwyn, SJM says everything we need to know in the bonus chapter.  We know he's noticing not just her physical features (ex: her eyes, her “hair shining like molten metal”), but who she is as a person (ex: how much she has changed, her “charming irreverence”).

By the time we reach the bonus chapter/ Solstice in the ACOSF timeline, Azriel is also no longer observing Gwyn from a distance.  There HAS been a change and plenty of indicators that something is beginning to shift between them.  It isn’t romantic, yet; but, it honestly shouldn’t be if we’re playing by the romance genre rules.  What it should be, however, is a clear signal that something natural and genuine is happening between two characters who are slowly beginning to understand each other.

As a reminder, when we first see Azriel and Gwyn interact, it’s during training when Azriel has been brought on board to help Cassian with the increase in new priestess recruits:

“Gwyn had been distracted today--one eye on the other side of the ring.  Cassian could only assume she was watching his brother, who had given Gwyn a small smile of greeting upon arrival.  Gwyn hadn’t returned it. . . . She’d said nothing about it during the lesson.  Only glanced every now and then toward Az, who remained dutifully focused on his charges.”

We have no reason to believe that Azriel and Gwyn have had any interactions since Sangravah (although I guess their book could contradict that).  So, if we’re to assume this is the first time they have seen each other since then, it’s a notable moment.  It establishes a baseline for Azriel and Gwyn so that the reader can begin to measure their developing growth and comfort with one another.  

That first growth measurement takes place during Azriel’s bonus chapter.  We eventually end with the final words of Azriel’s POV, where the image of Gwyn’s joy is “a thing of secret, lovely beauty” to Azriel that he buries “down deep, where it glowed quietly.”  That seems like quite a jump on the measuring stick from the first interaction at training.

So, how does this jump happen?  Well, friends, it happens very gradually and naturally--almost as if there is intentionality behind it.  

Azriel goes from:

→ "dutifully focused on his charges" during their first interaction at training;

→ to turning his attention away from his charges ("Gwyn let out a high-pitched noise that was nothing but pure excitement. Azriel, on the other side of the ring with the rest of the priestesses, half-turned at the sound, brows high.");

→ to moving closer into Gwyn's physical space by training her and Emerie together while Nessian were on their hike:

“Az told me you also started preliminary work with the steel blades while we were gone.”  He nodded to Gwyn and Emerie, the former glancing toward Azriel, who watched in silence.  “So show me what you learned.  Cut the ribbon in two.” “We slice the ribbon in two,” Emerie asked Gwyn warily, “and our training is complete?” Gwyn again glanced to Azriel, who drifted closer.

→ to what we can infer was one-on-one training with Gwyn alone when Azriel "hadn't lingered" when winnowing Nesta and Cassian to the human lands because "Gwyn wanted him to go over dagger handling";

→ to, finally, the bonus chapter in Azriel’s POV where Gwyn catches him by surprise (in more ways than one), and they share a moment of soft laughs and contentment before he envisions her eyes lighting up upon receiving his gift--where the image of Gwyn glows quietly inside his chest as “a thing of secret, lovely beauty.”

So not only are those final words an interesting literary juxtaposition in a bonus chapter filled with incredible juxtapositions, but they hold significant meaning.  They show the reader that this is not coming from left field; nor is it a casual gesture for Azriel in the name of just being kind.  A progression has taken place since that first meeting where Gwyn did not return his smile.  Canon tells us that Azriel is one of our most stoic characters.  So this is intentional, even if he tries to brush off the action to Clotho, our weaver of Fate--who “was smart enough to see through his deflection.”

Now, I mentioned earlier that a romantic arc in the romance genre needs to develop on the page within the characters’ POVs. So we are in luck, then, that we’ve been gifted a tiny sliver of Azriel's own POV.  Therefore, we truly should be paying it close attention since it can act as a sort of prologue to what we can anticipate for his actual book.  

So what does that POV ultimately tell us?  I wrote a bonus chapter analysis to help answer this, so I won’t rehash all of it here.  But the last words of Azriel’s POV are, in my opinion, important enough to warrant an analysis of their own.  If I were SJM, and I knew that it was going to be a long while before we got Azriel’s POV again (with two Crescent City novels and a 5-year gap in between), I’d make those last words count.  That’s our “lasting impression.”

And when we think about the lasting impression that Azriel is leaving us with, it has nothing to do with Elain.  It has nothing to do with his anger at Rhys.  It even has nothing to do with his own self-loathing.  

That lasting impression is entirely, and intentionally, focused on Gwyn.  

And, I don’t think we can truly understand the weight of that without considering everything that leads up to those final words--how the refusal to return a smile turns into gradual awareness of each other, which then leads into personal training sessions and a Solstice encounter that shows Azriel contentedly (and selflessly) thinking about Gwyn.

If Azriel’s POV left us there (thinking about Gwyn as “a thing of secret, lovely beauty”) with no other interactions or acknowledgements of what is shifting between him and Gwyn, I believe that alone would be enough to tether the reader to what’s to come in Azriel’s book.  But that’s not what happens in ACOSF.  As I mentioned before, the bonus chapter is just the first measurement we take in how much growth has happened since that first interaction at training.

We must not forget that after Azriel’s POV and the acknowledgement of what has now settled inside his chest, it doesn’t just end there.  Instead, we get the following:

Cassian glanced over at Az, but his attention was fixed on the young priestess, admiration and quiet encouragement shining from his face.

Azriel went wholly still, as if he, too, had felt the shift.  As if he, too, were aware that far larger forces peered into that training ring as Gwyn moved.

Gwyn asked Az, her teal eyes bright, “What do we get if we finish the course?”  Az’s shadows danced around him.  “Since there’s no chance in hell any of you will finish the course, we didn’t bother to get a prize.”  Boos sounded.  Gwyn lifted her chin in challenge.  “We look forward to proving you wrong.”

Gwyn threw Azriel a withering stare as she strode past him.  “See you tomorrow, Shadowsinger,” she tossed over a shoulder.  Az stared after her, brows high with amusement. . . . "Remember how Gwyn was with the ribbon?"  Nesta winked and clapped the shadowsinger on the shoulder.  "You’re the new ribbon, Az.”

She [Gwyn] wanted to be the first.  Wanted Nesta and Emerie and her to be the ones who wiped the smirks from Azriel’s and Cassian’s faces.  Especially Azriel’s.  

And when Gwyn reached the finish line, bloody and panting and grinning so wildly her teal eyes glowed like a sunlit sea, she only extended her battered hand to Azriel.  “Well?”

“There are plenty of other unspeakable things that could be happening to her,” Cassian said, voice thickening.  “To Emerie and Gwyn.”  The shadows deepened around Azriel, his Siphons gleaming like cobalt fire.

Succeeding in the Blood Rite didn’t mean the training stopped.  No, after she [Nesta] and her friends told Cassian and Azriel most of the details of their ordeal, the two commanders had compiled a long list of mistakes that the three of them had made that needed to be corrected . . . So they would keep training, until they were all well and truly Valkyries.

This is a litany of proof for how much Azriel and Gwyn continue to circle around each other after Azriel’s POV as they observe, interact, and think of one another.  It’s not stagnant.  They are not just sharing the same “charged glances” time after time.  It’s also why I view any “the bonus chapter doesn’t matter” arguments as unserious--to believe so is to discount everything that comes before it, the lasting impression of the bonus chapter itself, and all the moments listed above which come after it.  

In my opinion, there is no denying the gentle arranging of chess pieces within ACOSF in particular, aided in large part by Azriel’s own POV.  There is a direct sense of narrative continuity which can now be picked up immediately after ACOSF in regards to Azriel and Gwyn.  The seeds have been planted and when they begin to bloom in the next book, the reader feels like they were there when everything started.  So, as Azriel goes on his healing journey (in which there is A LOT of healing that needs to happen), the hope is that we also see how he and Gwyn grow together and challenge each other--and it will feel earned as a reader because we will have seen the journey evolve.  

But, none of this can happen without the final moments of that bonus chapter.  Just as important as Azriel noting Gwyn’s “secret, lovely beauty,” we must also note that Azriel “buried the image down deep, where it glowed quietly.”  It suggests to us that he isn’t ready to consciously acknowledge the depth of what Gwyn might mean to him.  He lives in shadows (both literally and metaphorically), and we have seen that emotional vulnerability does not come naturally to Azriel.  Burying that image of Gwyn is perhaps a defense mechanism–protecting that fragile, new feeling from scrutiny, rejection, or even his own self-doubt.  And as readers who have spent a great deal of time with Azriel, we know how much he struggles with these things (and will hopefully be working through them in his novel).  

However!  The fact that Azriel treasures the image at all, means that it matters deeply to him.  He hides it away, instead of discarding it altogether.  He is just not ready to look at it head-on yet.  And, honestly, I find that exciting and THAT makes me want to keep reading about Azriel and Gwyn.  It makes me want to scrutinize their shared moments after Solstice, as well as the tiny clues which may be present in HOSAB AND HOFAS (I’m doing a Crescent City re-read now, and trust that I have lots of new thoughts, lol).  

In closing, for the reader, this act of internal burial is a quiet promise: there is something blooming beneath the surface, even if Azriel can’t say it out loud yet.  It keeps us emotionally tethered to his journey, because we know he feels more than he lets on. Once again, it is our lasting impression.  When he eventually does confront what he buried, it will be that much more powerful--not just for his romantic arc with Gwyn, but for his personal growth and healing.  The fact that SJM ends Azriel’s POV with Gwyn’s image and light, even if kept in secret, invites us to hope--and to wait--for the moment he finally lets it rise to the surface.

[vylosinbound]

Dia x mc who worries alot abt dia leaving them?? Could be smut or fluff or both! I don’t mind!!<33

Hey! Just wanted to let you know I’ve written a short fic that includes everything you mentioned, it blends emotional vulnerability, comfort, and that soft-spicy touch too! I really tried to capture the mood you were looking for. Hope you enjoy it!

Beyond mortality

Diavolo x MC who is afraid that he'll leave them

Characters: Diavolo x Gn!MC

Genre: Angst / Comfort / Slow Intimacy / Soft-Spice

TW: Smut, vulnerability, fear of abandonment

MC has a lingering fear that Diavolo, with all his duties and the weight of his title, will eventually leave them behind. One late night, that fear surfaces… and Diavolo refuses to let it stand.

DIAVOLO

The Devildom was quiet.

For once, the castle, so often a monument of power, felt less like a symbol and more like a sanctuary. It breathed with stillness, cloaked in moonlight and silence, as if the world outside had paused just for the two of you.

Diavolo’s bed was vast, but the warmth between you made it feel small, your bodies loosely tangled beneath soft, heavy blankets. His breath brushed against your skin in slow, rhythmic waves, a quiet melody that might have lulled anyone else to sleep.

But not you.

Sleep hovered just out of reach, like a bird reluctant to land. Your eyes remained open in the dark, searching the ceiling, tracing the shadows on the wall. The quiet had become a mirror, reflecting every fear you’d kept tucked away, whispers of doubt, like vines creeping through the cracks of your mind.

You shifted slightly, just enough to feel the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath your palm. Real. Present. And yet… so impossibly far from your world. You, human and fleeting. He, eternal and divine.

A single thought clung to you, small but sharp: What if one day this all fades? What if I can’t hold onto something so infinite?

You closed your eyes, trying to breathe through it. But the silence made everything louder.

Then, without a word, Diavolo stirred.

As if he had felt the change in your heartbeat. As if even in sleep, some part of him knew when you needed to be reminded you weren’t alone.

His sleepy eyes slowly opened looking at you with concern. “Love?” His voice was thick from sleep, but alert. Gentle. “You’re trembling.”

You closed your eyes. Tried to will it away. The ache. The fear. The sharp little voice whispering that you were just a fleeting chapter in a book that had existed long before you were born.

But your fingers clutched the fabric of his sleep shirt like it was the last thing keeping you anchored to the world. As if loosening your grip meant losing him entirely.

“I…” Your throat felt tight. Dry. You swallowed, forcing the words through the storm rising in your chest. “What happens when this doesn’t last?”

His arms tightened around you, protective, alert. “What do you mean?”

You paused. You weren’t sure you could say it without breaking. But the silence between you was too full, and your heart had grown too heavy.

“I’m human, Diavolo,” you breathed, voice trembling with the truth you’d been burying. “And you’re not just a demon… you’re the demon. Crowned. Chosen. Eternal. And I—” you shook your head, shame prickling under your skin. “I have a ticking clock. I get older. Slower. I’ll wrinkle. I’ll fade.”

You felt the sting of tears welling, hot and unrelenting. “What happens when someone better comes along? Someone who won’t age. Someone who fits your world better than I ever could? Someone who can stand beside you without dragging you down?”

Your voice cracked. “What if one day you wake up, and you realize I was just a phase? A sweet little fantasy while it lasted, before reality calls you back to where you’re meant to be. Without me.”

You couldn’t stop the sob that escaped you then. It wasn’t loud. Just a quiet, raw sound, like something inside you had finally torn open. You pressed your face into his chest, ashamed and aching, your tears soaking into his skin.

“I know I shouldn’t think like this,” you whispered. “But it’s so hard not to. When I look at you, all I can think is, you deserve forever. And I don’t know how to believe I’m enough for that.”

His thumb brushed your cheek with reverence, as though you were made of stardust instead of skin, something rare and celestial he dared not lose. “You don’t understand how deeply you’ve etched yourself into me. There is no 'better.' No replacement. Only you.”

He leaned his forehead against yours, his voice dropping to a whisper, as if saying it too loud would shatter the moment. “You saw me. Not as a prince. Not as a ruler. Just… me. And no one else has ever done that.”

The weight of his words settled over you like a second heartbeat. You could feel his magic coiled beneath the surface, not aggressive, not overwhelming, just there, like warmth from a hearth you didn’t realize you’d been cold without.

“I’ve walked through centuries of shadow, MC,” he murmured, lips ghosting the space beneath your eye. “But your love is the first light that made me want to stop walking.”

Your eyes stung. You hadn’t meant to cry, but the tears slipped free anyway, quiet and warm as they slid down your cheeks. He caught one with his thumb, kissed another as it fell. “Don’t you see?” he breathed. “You’re not a fleeting moment. You’re the axis my world turns on.”

You didn’t speak. You didn’t need to. Your hand found his, fingers weaving together, anchoring you both in the stillness.

And for the first time that night, the fear didn’t scream so loud. It hushed. It softened.

Because even in the silence, he was still there. Steady. Unmoving. Yours.

He leaned up and pressed his forehead to yours.

“I’m not going anywhere. Not tomorrow. Not in a hundred years. If I could chain time itself just to keep you here with me, I would.”

You felt his magic pulse gently beneath your skin, curling like heat in your stomach.

His lips found your neck next, soft kisses tracing down with reverence. Your breath hitched as his hands slid beneath your shirt, slow, testing, but filled with need. His touch wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t carnal or hungry. It was possessive in the way a soul clings to its match. Every kiss was a vow. Every movement said, you are mine. I’m yours. Don’t doubt it.

You gasped when his fingers brushed lower, circling with deliberate care. Your hands tangled in his hair, tugging him closer, and he groaned softly against your skin.

“Look at me,” he whispered against your collarbone, voice rough. “If you’re going to worry about anything... worry about how you’ve ruined me for anyone else.”

You laughed, shaky, breathless, broken in the most beautiful way, and something between you shattered and reformed, raw and unspoken. It wasn’t just desire. It was devotion laced with longing, and Diavolo… he was holding on to his control by a thread.

“You’ll be sitting beside me on the throne,” he murmured, voice low and rough with emotion, like a promise etched in stone.

He pulled your shirt over your head with slow reverence, like unwrapping something sacred, and his hands didn’t leave your skin for a second. His breath ghosted down your body, warm and deliberate, igniting every nerve he passed. You could feel his restraint unraveling with each kiss, each flick of his tongue against your skin, as though worshipping every inch of you was his royal duty.

When you arched your hips into his touch, seeking him, craving the friction, he groaned against your inner thigh, a sound that vibrated straight into your core.

“Let me show you,” he whispered, lips brushing so close it stole the air from your lungs. “Let me remind you just how deeply you are wanted… how utterly you belong to me.”

And then, he did.

The rest of the night passed in murmurs and sighs, not rushed, not wild, but slow, heady, and reverent. As though time itself had bent around you both, allowing space for every ache, every desperate breath, every whispered reassurance that you were not just wanted… but irreplaceable.

Diavolo touched you like he was learning worship. His hands mapped every inch of your skin with gentle hunger, memorizing, savoring, anchoring himself in the way your body arched under his. His mouth followed in kind, lips brushing over your neck, your shoulders, your chest, not hurried, but with intention, with fire tempered by devotion.

"You are not temporary," he whispered against the dip of your collarbone, voice low and rough. "You are not replaceable. You are mine."

Your fingers tangled in his thick hair, pulling him closer as your thighs parted for him instinctively. The heat between you bloomed , slow and consuming, your breaths catching with every graze of his palm, every press of his hips, every groan that rumbled from his chest when you moaned his name like it was sacred.

He made love to you with a passion that bordered on desperate, not for pleasure alone, but to prove it, to pour every ounce of love, fear, longing, and possessiveness into you, into every thrust and whispered vow.

“Look at me,” he murmured against your lips as his pace deepened. “Feel how you’ve ruined me. There’s no future, no kingdom, no eternity I want without you in it.”

Your bodies moved together like waves, the rhythm sensual, molten, maddening. Every moment stretched, and yet passed too quickly, pleasure crashing down between gasped confessions and tangled limbs.

And when the release came, slow, drawn out, overwhelming, it shattered something in both of you. Your name fell from his lips like a prayer, and he held you through the tremors, your body shaking with more than just pleasure.

You clung to him afterward, skin damp and hearts racing. And still, he didn’t let you go.

He held you, strong arms wrapped around your bare form, his lips brushing soft promises against your temple as your breathing slowed, your eyelids fluttered.

And just before you drifted into sleep, his voice reached you one last time, warm and certain against your hair:

“Mine. For as long as time dares to move forward, so will I, with you.”

He held you through the hush of the early morning light. And long after.

[ganondoodle]

okay now, im a little pissed off- i wont be reblogging the post bc its and old shitpost and i dont want to attract more notes on it but

i am so fucking, and i mean FUCKING, tired of all the shit ass excuses some people try to make to defend ganondorf being a nothing burger character

this dumb ass comment really goes all in too, and here i painfully see how much damage skyward sword has done to him bc people cant fuking think i guess "as of skysw he doesnt have an true motivation of his own- hes evil just bc he is there nothing else to it" shut the fuck up man oh my god, you dont think thats a problem? you just accept that? no no OOT also already showed hes nothing but evil tm uwu he doesnt have a reason - AND THATS A PROBLEM YOU ABSOLUTE BUFFOON

if you think that giving ganondorf a miniscule amount of ANY sort of sensical reason to do what he does, a backstory, fucking anything 'changes him into a different character'- HOW in the FUCK do you not see the problem here

and my favorite (refernceing a different character) "If hes evil, like ganondorf, which means an absolute evil, then his backstory wouldn't matter a lick" HELLO??? HELL FUCKING O???? "absolute evil" do you know how you sound like??? also EVERYTHING MATTERS oh my god, but no no of course it wouldnt matter and make no difference if you knew more about a character, no, actually, knowing less of a character is better even! why even write anything tbh? you just give them a label of good or evil and then you dont need anythign else heehoo i cannot believe this shit is now hanging on one of my posts, im struggeling to even dismantle it bc its just so goddamn stupid what do you mean it woudnt matter???????? if i knew ganondorf had a personality (especially totk bc its the worst case), if i knew he had loved ones once upon a time, he laughed and was allowed to feel like a person, whatever made him go down a bad path to end up making you defeat him would mAKE IT ALL HAVE MORE OF AN IMPACT (this is assuming that whatever path it is leads him to oppose you but also .. it doesnt have to mean hes evil or done all bad deeds, guess what, you the player could also be playing the real "villain", wouldnt that be a change of pace .. or it wouldnt, depending on how you look at it (oh NO shift of perspective???) it already is, even if i personally prefer it ALL being a spectrum and not just a label of good and bad and just rolling with this badly definable bunch of words)

do you know why i didnt give a flying fuck about the final battle in totk?? bc its all fucking NOTHING, ganondorf is a goal post with a face that got "BAD GUY" written on it in big red letters stapled on it and nothign more, you cant care about nothing and the point of any story at all is to fucking CARE

honestly a reason why i hate both "redeemable" and the good and evil descriptor is that its so ... limiting, redeemable, what does that even mean really?? it just sounds like you are applying some weirdo christian sins to make up for with good deeds shit onto characters that are, or should be, meant to make you feel something and be a pinnacle of jesus instead, like a checkbox, a scoreboard, and now its being mainly used as a negative word to dismiss legitimate criticism of boring or shitty writing bc giving any character any depth at all now automatically means you want to redeem them and thus absolve them of their sins or some shit, make them uwu perfect little good guys which is not the point (even if there are people like that, sicne guess what, theres lots of different ideas of things all around, inlcuding this hellhole- and yes there are shitty ways to give a character depth! the problem then isnt the motivation to give them depth, its the WRITING of it)

the whole good and evil thing also is just so darn limiting, what does evil even mean, who defines it matters alot, what does good mean, the definition is also really really bendable- link kills more living things than ganondorf ever has yet he isnt evil (bc hes on the side of hyrule, the designated good gouys uwu which means anythign they do is okay), the royal family having a torture dungeon and persecuting the shiekah into submission doesnt make them evil uwu but the gerudo have to suffer for the "crime" of having birthed ganondorf at some point for all eternity i guess

(as well as the very very obviously stupid turns and things ganondorf does and doesnt do literally just bc they needed him to do soemthign you could call bad even if it makes no sense at all, why would he attack his own fucking people out of nowhere, why destroy everything, literally what for, why give himself up if he wants to rule its jsut as stupidly nonsensical as the dumb magic pebbles that just gives random powers out just to force the outcome they wanted to happen)

redeemable, saveable, whatever, giving a character depth doesnt have to mean you want them to join the good tm guys either and im so fucking tired of this way of thinking, EVEN considering that hey ... it would be cool actually to have a ganondorf as the main guy, but we all should know that would only happen if he is a servant of hyrule, which i would consider to be more out of character than ... GIVIING HIM ANY SORT OF DEPTH??? to sympthaize, be conflicted or see the guy you need to defeat has a point is like, not a bad thing?? you can make someone be the most sympathetic guy of all time and still make you fight him ??? and i will repeat again, ganondorf being a nothing burger (espeically in totk) hurts EVERYTHING, everything suffers from shitty writing and lack of writing, the thing that link and zelda are almost just as flat istn .. isnt good either?? its also bad but hes got it way worse (and the racism oh bOI)!!! (there is a reason why ww ganondorf is widely seen as the best one and itse literally bc he says ONE or two lines that may make you think omg .. he is person.... he might FEEL OoO- man the bar really is below the ground isnt it)

and they dont even care to try to make him actually be dislikable, he doesnt tease zelda with killing her father or soemthing, he doesnt have any sort of connection to any of them, every line he says (in totk) is like a prepackaged microwave villain line, you could apply it to anyone, even rauru and it wouldnt seem out of place tbh (which is BAD), more depth would have connected him to the story, the world the literal everything which means people care which means a better story i dont know how to explain to you that you should be able to care about characters??????? he gets the stamp of "evil guy" on his head and they expect you to be happy with that, accept any stupid thing they make him do and others say about him without question? do you NOT feel at least a little insulted???

and like, this is still written, this is a piece of fiction, they had to sit down and write all that, or .. well, NOT write it, they decided to do it like this, despite the ocean of potential in front of them, you could do so many itneresting thigns with this world and they jsut dont and then theres people like this that are so entrechned into this boring ass writing they think that its the point, liek the point is its bad hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

"but hes not meant to be a person he jsut ev-" SHUT the hell up, nevermind the whole curse thing is an englsih trnaslation thing and also perhaps not meant to be taken literally, you think that makes it ok? that well there was a demon once (who also doesnt get any sort of depth btw!!! problem shoved one place over but still the same problem!) so that means hes not actually a person but idk a demon puppet or soemthing- doesnt change anything imo, are you not bored? are you not tired? are you happy with not thinking? not being engaged with at all? to see chaarcters to utterly flavorless you fall asleep and choke on them? i am not, i love thinking, im addicted to it even, i think every day even, right now too, they got a convenient excuse to put not even the barest fucking minimum of writing care into a character and you are jsut going with it!! where are your tastebuds buddy??

[pluckyredhead]

didn’t that ship already sail before Jason died tho? With the diplomats son and really the entire Starlin 🏃‍♂️

So I'm going to answer this, but before I do, I want to note that this is kind of derailing from my original point. I don't meant this to be a gotcha or anything because I know I do it myself all the time, but my argument was that "Jason was a bad kid" stories are boring and narratively stagnant, and in that vein it...kind of doesn't matter what canon does or doesn't say? I think we take refuge in "canon says this" or "canon says that" because we want to be objectively right, whereas "bad kid Jason stories are boring" is an aesthetic assessment and therefore subjective. Maybe someone out there loves "bad kid becomes bad adult" and finds it riveting.

Ultimately, despite being a huge nerd who loves continuity, I think a good story is more important than canon accuracy. Of course, ideally you have both, but also...takes on characters shift over the decades, and I have been trying to catch myself in those moments when I push my little metaphorical glasses up my nose and say "Well actually if you look at this comic from 1987, you'll find that..." So this is me, catching myself!

That said, I am absolutely going to talk about comics from 1987 now. Anyway the short answer is: yes and no.

(God that was an annoying response. I'm so sorry I'm like this. In my defense, I've been thinking about this ask all day.)

Anyway. The thing is, the way DC writes Robin!Jason now, they really only take a very small number of stories into account. Some writers are just looking at A Death in the Family; others might also acknowledge Jason's post-Crisis origin and/or the Felipe Garzonas story. A lot of them seem to be relying solely on distant memories of those stories, or osmosis; they certainly aren't doing a close reading of the text.

There's also a game of telephone that happens: from the instant Tim first showed up, DC started writing Jason as Fundamentally Unfit To Be Robin. See, if Bruce gets a child killed and then immediately enlists another one, he's irredeemable. But if Jason's death was due to some fundamental flaw in his own nature, a flaw that Tim does not possess, then Jason's death isn't Bruce's fault, and we can keep having Robin. It's really fascinating reading early Tim comics and watching this retcon play out in real time. (And particularly interesting because Tim is so specifically designed to be Just Like You, Tween Boy Reading This!) And that idea has really metastasized over the years when it's not super present in Jason's actual appearances.

So in a way, yes, the ship has sailed, because it doesn't actually matter what Jason was really like - it matters what the people writing and editing today's comics think he was like. And this is what they're basing that characterization on.

On the other hand...this is an ongoing universe, so no ship has truly sailed. When I got into comics, the saying was that "no one stays dead in comics except Jason Todd and Bucky Barnes." You see how well that worked out. Things change.

All it takes is one really good writer looking thoughtfully at Jason's time as Robin and realizing that even Starlin didn't write Jason the way people remember him. Like, in Death in the Family? Jason is not benched because he's too violent. Bruce is mad that he's reckless, but in the opening scene he literally thinks that he'll "let Jason work his aggression out" on the guys they're fighting (who, for the record, are child pornographers, so it's not like Jason is beating up relatively harmless muggers). That is not the reaction of someone who thinks Jason is out of control. In Jason's origin, Jason is angry because Two-Face killed his father - again, a very reasonable thing to be angry about! - but even though he's extremely upset and also only 12 years old, he makes the decision not to kill Two-Face. Again, not the actions of someone who is out of control. (And for the record, how many times has Dick nearly killed Tony Zucco?) And the Felipe Garzonas story is supposed to be ambiguous. We don't know that Jason killed him! (I mean, I think he did, but technically we don't know.)

All it takes is one really good writer recognizing that this handful of stories is a very small percentage of Jason's appearances, most of which were not necessarily retconned out by Crisis except for the ones that were directly contradicted by later stories. Yes, Jason's parents being circus acrobats who were eaten by crocodiles is no longer canon, but that doesn't mean Jason wanting to be in the school play or doing extra credit for fun isn't canon.

All it takes is one really good writer recognizing that at the same time that Starlin was writing his reckless, surly Jason in Batman, Mike Barr and Alan Davis had the sweetest little bean of a boy making Batman '66-style puns and ordering milk in bars in Detective Comics.

All it takes is one really good writer recognizing that most 15-year-olds are surly and reckless, and that's not a reason to condemn them.

I don't know if we'll ever get a writer who does any of that, but there's plenty of material for them to draw from if we do. And at least it wouldn't be the same story we keep getting over and over again, which was my original complaint.

So...here's hoping!

[cassi0pei4]

A few thoughts on The Gilded Age trailer

Putting it below a cut for images and also vague spoiler-y thoughts on the Season 3 trailer. Let's all speculate wildly to stay sane.

We know that George is in Arizona for (most? all of?) episode 1 and that Bertha has Gladys' portrait painted to prepare for the Duke's re-arrival in New York. It seems very likely that Ep 1 is winter of 1883, as evidenced by the snow ball fight promo images and the one of Marian in a fur-lined jacket.

Here's my guess at an episode 2 sequence with the "set your mind to it" and "children's marriage" lines from George. I'm guessing George comes back from Arizona in time for the Duke's arrival and this is the welcome back dinner, with George at the end of it interrogating Bertha once the dinner is over. It seems as though she gets him on her side of things (at least temporarily), and that later (same ep? ep 3?) we get this sequence.

These frames are from promo images, the teaser and the trailer, here listed in my approximated order. It appears that Bertha prepares Gladys for the idea of the Duke proposing, Gladys pushes back against George, but George then holds his ground (maybe something like, "your mother thinks it's best/I urge you to hear out the duke and consider him") and then Gladys changes dress for the portrait reveal, only for Hector to propose to her just before it. (That scene has to be before the reveal given that the necklace is in tact.) In the wide shot you can see Gladys standing next to the Duke in the center of the group and we get a shot of George studying her expression before the necklace breaks.

Alright, now we've got two images that I'm saying are definitely Gladys' wedding. In the front two rows of the wide shot you can see Bertha and then her sister behind her, with Bertha in the same outfit as the promo image. If you zoom all the way in on that wide shot you can see a man with a George-like beard at the front of the procession, presumably walking Gladys down the aisle with the bridesmaids behind her. Judging by the flowers and overall costumes, I think it's safe to say this is spring or summer. (I'm guessing 1884, but I guess we could have a very long engagement if the Duke has other plot and has to go back to England or something and which would make this 1885.)

Two other sets of scenes worth noting.

Here we have Marian in her "twirling in the gardens with Larry" dress with both of then talking to Agnes with her rebellion line and what appears to be the Russells toasting Larry or Larry and Marian. This could be spring/summer of 1884 or 1885, depending on which comes first, Gladys' marriage or more of them courting (or all at once). Notably that looks like the new character, Alfred Merrick with the Russells, who they invite over in hopes of charming for some business deal (for Larry and Jack? or for George's transcontinental railroad?).

Finally, we've got all the faves in the Van Rhijn household looking cross, almost certainly at Ward McAllister. You can see his tell-all book in blue on the coffee table in front of Mrs. Astor (the label matches the image we get of the cover from other scenes.) Given Mrs. Fish's fur, I'm guessing this is winter, at least of 1884 but more likely 1885 or later. The actual book wasn't published until 1890 so unless we have a BIG time jump they're cheating here, but presumably Nathan Lane wants to peace out, so they're shifting things up a bit. This suggests the book timeline is later in the season.

[thisliminalspacedaydreams]

Ok so I see a lot of people who don't understand the point of ellabs (EllieXAbby) and I want to attempt to explain why because why not.

The thing is, they don’t know each other. 

By the time they interact in any part II post canon fic, it’s their first real interaction after deciding to change. Granted, Abby had already begun changing earlier (she’s the one who refused to initiate a fight after the Rattlers and let Ellie and Dina live at the theatre), but by the time they stop fighting in the Pacific ocean, Ellie has now also chosen to change (give up revenge, which has given her nothing in return so far and doesn't make her feel better. Abby already knows that, because she killed Joel a while ago and has already realized revenge doesn't help).

So now, they’re effectively new people, trying on new skins and personalities while standing beside someone who has seen them at their absolute lowest (Abby torturing and killing Joel is Ellie and Abby's first interaction. And then in Seattle, Ellie picks off all of Abby's friends but that's the first time Abby really sees who Ellie is as a person.)

The level of vulnerability here is insane : fear of judgment, fear of being seen as fake, fear that the new versions of themselves might still be awful and that the other might call them out on their bullshit or worse, expose them. They’re both projecting who they want to be now onto Lev because he’s the only unbiased person left. He’s a child, but he also doesn’t know their complicated past. He's also someone Abby already connected with (she's been with him for over a year now and they likely have developed a strong friendship, meanwhile Ellie raised JJ who I'm pretty sure is a huge reason why Ellie didn't fully spiral upon returning: he gave her something to do and look out for).

And so Ellie and Abby perceive each other through two conflicting lenses simultaneously: the monster the other knows me to be vs. the person I’m trying to become now.

And that’s why Ellabs is such an interesting ship to explore.

It’s about the reinvention of self and the deconstruction of old beliefs in the presence of someone deeply traumatized by those very beliefs.

We know Abby and Ellie’s character archetypes. We’ve seen gruff Joel slowly break through Ellie’s walls (and vice versa), so we’re subconsciously aware that, under different circumstances, Ellie and Abby would likely get along, since Abby is also a version of Joel (as we have seen through basically 95% of Abby's actions, Joel's murder notwithstanding).

We know this shift is possible because we've literally just seen it happen: Abby abandoned her loyalty to the WLF to help the Seraphite kids, despite owing Isaac everything (Isaac gave her a team and resources to go achieve her unique goal of murdering a guy, which was all Abby cared about). We also know Ellie is now utterly alone (Dina broke up with her, there's not returning to the farm to find a happy family. Dina tells her she's not doing this again, which is actually funny because it's also what Abby says at the beach. Ellie's quest for revenge lasts longer than everyone else's in the game. She is the LAST one to change), desperate for either death or something new to care about. She’d never bend for Abby, but Lev--an innocent kid who showed her mercy (stopping Abby from killing her and Dina in the theater)--could make her stick around. He’s untainted. She also feels gratitude; without Lev, she and Dina would be dead.

This also means Ellie realizes Abby has changed. The woman who brutalized Joel with a golf club (yet spared her and Tommy) is now restrained by Lev’s influence (re: theatre scene, where he stops her from killing Dina by calling out her name). Ellie knows Abby is not as ruthless as the act of killing Joel made her seem: Lev’s stayed with her for over a year, and Abby clearly cares for him deeply. If Ellie didn’t see Abby as worthy of doubt--seeded by Lev--she’d have killed her (as she's done many times before with other people).

Also, Abby knows Ellie isn’t a heartless monster. Yes, Ellie murdered all of her friends, but she also confessed and basically sacrificed herself to save Tommy, which is proof she operates by a code. Militia logic dictates that codes matter. Yet Ellie’s violence also shows she’ll slaughter those outside her tribe without hesitation (Abby and surrounding people are not her tribe by that point).

Abby also witnesses what she thinks is Ellie’s mercy when Ellie cuts her down to save Lev. That's why she says "there are boats". She’s offering an olive branch after (mis)realizing Ellie extended one first.

Then again, I don’t think Ellie waited for Abby to set Lev on the boat to act. She followed because she had no idea what to do next. She traveled for months to avenge Joel, only to confront the reality that Abby isn’t the immortal monster she imagined--just a human who suffers like everyone else. Seeing her so emaciated is catapulting Abby out of monster realm and into human one in Ellie’s mind.

And Ellie, as we know, is not a psychopath; her violence isn’t for fun. She’s shaken by Abby’s state and only realizes last-minute (she turns her back on Abby, she looks pensive, she could let Abby go) that sparing her means all of this was for nothing--the one thing Ellie can’t accept. She desperately wants all of this to have been for something. Joel butchered dozens of people to save her. Then Abby tracked and killed him. Then Ellie killed Abby's friends and had to confront her own violence, then her own selfishness by going after Abby instead of staying with her family. If she lets Abby go, then this will have been for nothing.

And now they are stuck together, having gone through all these changes and completely unmoored by the other's action, and then saved by them.

That’s why forced post-canon proximity is so compelling: you take two people bound by hatred and explore how long it takes for their biases to crumble. It's about showing a person who knows you a certain way you aren't that way anymore. They could do this with anyone else, but it would be less interesting, because one of the major appeal of the ship is the forgiveness aspect. Both of each other and of themselves. They cannot do that part without the other.

That’s the interesting part. Finding meaning after losing everything.

[taragreenfield]

Aleksander Morozova aka the worst manipulator that (n)ever manipulated

I have no idea why this fandom insists on Aleksander being a great manipulator, because he absolutely sucks at manipulations. Bardugo wrote a character who doesn't even try to manipulate and then was like, "Hey, by the way, he is sooo manipulative!!"

First of all, he doesn't manipulate the public perception of him. He has a dark reputation; people literally believe that he was born without a soul and sews prisoners' mouths shut. Nobody is charmed by him, and nobody trusts him (apart from his Grisha, who have known him personally for quite a while).

Secondly, with Alina, during her stay in the little palace, he didn't employ any manipulative techniques.

He doesn't love-bomb her, he's actually quite detached and aloof most of the time. When they kiss, he looks confused and quickly retreats. Some seducer-manipulator.

He doesn't try to make himself vulnerable or play on Alina's feelings (when Alina tells him that she thought he was going to torture her, he could pretend that he is deeply hurt by this assumption to make her feel guilty, but he stays unemotional and changes the topic), he doesn't share personal stories to make her feel sorry for him.

He doesn't play on her insecurities (like Baghra did - by pointing out her orphanage upbringing and telling her how much she sucks at sun summoning).

He doesn't isolate her - she has a full palace of peers, mentors, and servants to talk to. If he did truly want to isolate her from Mal, he could have forged a letter from him saying that Mal doesn't want to see her anymore since she is Grisha, so she knew she had nobody to rely on outside the palace.

He doesn't really try to get close to her - Alina herself mentions he is rarely in the palace, and even when he is, he mostly minds his own business. A good manipulator would use any opportunity to be alone with their victim to influence their thoughts, to steer their mindset, to develop trust and to create the illusion of intimacy. How do you manipulate someone if you talk to them once a month for five minutes?

He doesn't try to indoctrinate Alina - he could easily show her how hard it is to be a Grisha. A shift in a war hospital, to see people who suffered from anti Grisha brutality, a meeting with survivors, a history lecture at least? To cause a strong emotional response, to radicalize her. Nope, he lets her swan around the palace, gossip with Genya, and have pissing matches with Zoya.

After Alina runs away and he captures her, he could easily continue manipulating her. Baghra didn't provide any evidence; it was just her word against his. A good manipulator would easily spin a story about Baghra being an old, demented hag whose brain was destroyed by wasting sickness, and now she's paranoid and embittered to the whole world. He could have also added some sad stories about Baghra being abusive to him as a kid to make Alina feel sorry for him and guilty for believing his abusive, senile mother over him.

Moreover, Alina's behavior itself suggests there was no manipulation. Baghra tells her Aleksander is evil (with no proof, mind you), and Alina immediately believes her and runs away. There is no hesitation, no suspicion towards Baghra, no attempts to uncover the truth herself or confront Aleksander, no attempts to find a justification for him or convince herself it's just a big misunderstanding (like a victim of manipulation would do).

Judging by what we see, Aleksander seems like a person who is out of touch with his feelings (and the feelings of others) as he deems them distracting. He's not attuned to the emotional factor and misses every single opportunity to influence Alina's feelings. The worst he does is lie about the Black Heretic Descendant and not tell Alina about his actual plan for the Fold. But he is a war general, and she is a rookie soldier with pre-existing bias toward Grisha and himself. Telling her that and risking her running away or, worse, snitching to the King, would be criminal negligence and practically a death sentence not only for himself but for all Grisha under his care. He doesn't tell her not because he's set on gaslighting her personally; he doesn't tell her because it's strategic suicide. He's not her farmer boyfriend lying to her about where he spent last night; he's a general responsible for the fate of the entire country and a persecuted minority under his care.

If you want me to believe that Aleksander is a manipulative character, you've got to give me anything to work with.

Having Baghra hoot "he manipulated so many young girls!" after he was shown not possessing a single manipulative bone in his body is not nearly enough. It's just the laziest telling not showing, blatant narrative gaslighting, and overall incompetent writing.

[synergysilhouette]

Rewriting Sakura (Concept)

Been on a Naruto streak lately, and I wanted to list some changes I'd have made to Sakura Haruno's character, mostly based on personal preferences, but partially from "what ifs" I've seen online with people speculating aspects of her growth. Namely:

Tone down her aggressiveness towards Naruto--I don't mind if she occasionally blew up at him for not taking things seriously or being disrespectful, but keep the physical abuse to a minimum. (I remember someone saying most of the slapstick she did was Naruto was filler content, but my point still stands.)

2. Flesh out her relationship with Sasuke--While I was happy for her, the ship felt forced on Sasuke's part, as they have random intimate moments in the series that feel like they come from almost nowhere. I could imagine her crush starts out shallow at first, and then she becomes a good friend who just listens if he ever has to verbally state his feelings--serving as a counterpart to Naruto, who he uses to physically express his feelings. Eventually the crush turns to friendship which turns to love. During the interim, you can see her feelings shift and change, possibly considering returning Lee and Naruto's affections at different points before she realizes Sasuke is more than a crush (this would be especially apparent after she cuts her hair, symbolically untethering herself from her obsession since she heard a rumor that Sasuke likes girls with long hair). Make Sasuke see her as someone just as important as Naruto because of her love and empathy for him. And honestly, I'd be fine if she offered to join him at the end of the rescue mission, playing the lovesick girl, and Orochimaru lets her stay to distract Sasuke, and even learning from Kabuto. Eventually Orochimaru sends Kabuto to kill her, but she incapacitates him as Sasuke absorbs Orochimaru, and they form Hebe together, with Sasuke planning to use Sakura as an aid if he needs help with dispelling Itachi's genjutsu. She's the only one he trusts to prevent him from being re-traumatized.

3. Make her a stronger fighter and give her more opportunities to do more--Her fight with Ino, the sound ninja, Gaara, and approaching Sasuke were some of the times when we really could've seen her let loose. It'd be cool to see her train with Kurenai to make use of her genjutsu potential, which would also make her go well with Sasuke, both as a team member and a rival/enemy. She could've tried to stop him before he went to join Orochimaru (either at the gate or joining Naruto in battle). I'd also be fine with a draw between her and Ino at the Chunin Exams, but if she won, maybe we could've seen her face Dosu (who would fight her before he died), or possibly Shino or Shikamaru (seeing as Kankuro forfeited anyway, he could've been the one slated to fight Dosu; Temari could've gone a similar route). Also I feel like Yamato and Kakashi were heavily biased towards Naruto; actually, Yamato was, while Kakshi was biased against Sakura. Given Sakura had Earth and Water release, I think it would've been interesting to see if Yamato could teach her wood release in order to reign in Naruto (plus the inventor of wood-style jutsu was Tsunade's grandfather, so Sakura would see it as an honor). Not sure if the rules of the series would've allowed her to do this, but it would've been cool to see if she could, and helps put her on a higher pedestal against Sasuke and Naruto who are the chosen ones.

4. Give us more details into her family/background--Her parents (only seen in an anime movie) thinking she can't make it as a ninja is PERFECT. They'd show up during the Chunin Exam arc and essentially try to make Sakura reconsider because they think she's not strong enough, making her push herself to be stronger. Plus it'd be cool if she had a family jutsu similar to Ino-Shika-Cho and the Uchiha clan. Maybe her power could involve an Inner Sakura genjutsu, making her and Ino's fight even better. Her family having no expectations of her makes her a good foil to other prodigy characters who come from renowned families. In fact, she'd be a great contrast to her team, being the only one to grow up with both of her parents up to this age. This could be used to make her represent the family that Team 7 makes while the other members represent what she stands to lose if she became a kunoichi.

[lostsyren]

GTA!RAFIA AU

[ Loosely based on the characters:

Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval ]

SUMMARY

Outer Banks. Paradise on Earth. But on the drug riddled streets of the Cut, that’s not what it feels like to Sofia Flores. She just wants to escape the muggy marshlands and get off the sticky tarmac that clings to the soles of her reeboks. But that’s a tough dream to dream with a family that needs her. So when she meets the smooth talking Rafe Cameron, maybe she’s finally found her ticket out of ‘paradise’…

On the sunny planes and stretching golf courses of Figure 8, Rafe Cameron is driven out by his overbearing father. He gets roped into the underworld of the Cut, trafficking in drugs, guns and cash— a whole lotta cash. But still it’s not enough. He wants to make it big. To be the man. And he’s got an idea to make that dream happen. So when Sofia Flores walks into his life, Rafe knows he needs her— in more ways than one.

CHARACTER INTRODUCTIONS

RAFE CAMERON

Rafe Cameron has a bad habit and an insatiable appetite for money. His dad thinks he’s useless, his friends think he’s a joke, but he proves them wrong. He meets Barry and gets involved in the seedy world of dope and dealings. He buffs up. He buzzes his hair. He’s finally making his own cold hard cash and proving Ward wrong.

But when he sees the pretty bartender from the country club over at Barry’s place, she becomes his new stimulant. Too bad she won’t give him the time of day.

But when she gets bagged by the cops, Rafe decides to help her out while Barry’s too busy patching up the drug bust.

If he wants to get her attention then he needs to trade in the currency of the Cut— favours.

They can both help each other out. Rafe’s got some ideas already…

SOFIA FLORES

Sofia Flores has always been a grifter— or as she likes to call it a hard worker. Whether it be working shifts at the country club, slipping her fingers into the patrons deep, deep wallets, or weaselling her way into the shady business that goes down on the outskirts of the Cut, Sofia has one incentive— provide for her family and finally escape this god forsaken island.

But when she meets Rafe Cameron one fateful night at Barry’s trailer, all that changes.

A deal goes wrong. The door bursts open. She’s too slow. And that’s how Sofia ends up in the back of a Kildare County cop car.

But less than 24 hours later, after she’d sat slumped against the grimy walls of her cell, trying to figure out how exactly the cops had busted them, she hears a patter of footsteps and the rattle of keys— Shoupe lets her go.

Turns out someone made bail.

And when she walks out of the Sheriff’s office, who does she see? No other than Rafe Cameron slouched against the hood of his car…

[zo1nkss]

So I just had a thought. I was a little surprised Tony welcomed Winner back so warmly after he just sort of failed spectacularly at every single order he was given, up to and including getting thrown in jail.

And I know Tony views himself as like a father to the people he takes under his wing, and Winner displayed a lot of blind loyalty in exchange for a little slice of power. So Tony would obviously want to milk that. Of course that angle makes sense.

But it's the attitude that gets me. Because he was never that forgiving of any of his "children". He threw Charlie out when he couldn't live up to his expectations, and he almost did the same to Kenta. But strangely, when he broke them out of prison his tone and demeanor toward Kenta had drastically changed. And I have a lot of thoughts about this, but I want to jump ahead a little and start with a certain detail I've kind of been squinting at the most through all of this.

Hair Down was A Choice. That wasn't just an aesthetic shift. Every single aspect of a production is accounted for. Every prop in every shot, every detail of the wardrobe, every sound in the back AND foregrounds, every lighting shift. Everything is curated to coincide with the story at play.

Tony with the ponytail was up-tight, unforgiving, quick to violence, and had expectations higher than the Eiffel Tower.

Hair Down Tomy is warm, friendly, inviting, forgiving. Its okay that Kenta stabbed him with full intent to kill, effectively taking away his ability to walk (though temporary as he is ambulatory right now). It's okay that Winner never accomplished a single thing he was sent off to do. It's okay that Kenta refuses to come back to his "family" and chooses to walk away. Everything is fine.

Something that sticks out to me about this correlation is that hair down, covering the face, hiding his features. This is one of the many visual storytelling tools that is sometimes used to represent a disconnect between what a character is saying, and what they're thinking. He's hiding something behind that curtain of hair.

In season one, he had the power of his image and reputation to protect him from the consequences of his actions. He was confident that no one could stop his operation because the public opinion of him was very high. Hair up.

In season two, he's been exposed. The world knows now that his elaborate orphanage scheme was a lie, and that these auctions were serving as a gateway for child trafficking. Hair down.

So in one way, he is hiding from his new reputation. He lets the world think he's dead. He wears his hair down. He rebuilds his empire under the radar, with a new goal in mind. He's trying to rebuild quietly enough to take his enemies by surprise.

But then, why extend any forgiveness to the person who put him in the position to have to do all that? What purpose could inviting a traitor like Kenta back into the ranks hold?

Obviously his attitude is meant to lure them into a false sense of security. Make them believe he values them so he can use them again. His reputation has been shattered, his life has been forever changed, his minions can no longer be trusted to be loyal to him. He'll do anything to get a few more people on his side.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't still have influence. People who will work for him no matter what. He managed to build an entire underground opperation and have it fully functional and pumping out dead bodies by the dozens every day in under a year. Tony is never lacking in allies, because he will always have his money. And money can buy you anything. So he doesn't actually need Kenta or Winner that badly. They could easily be replaced by someone else, who might be a lot more capable than either of them (Willy comes to mind). He could let them rot in prison, rebuild everything, and never spend another moment relying on either of them. That fact, in my opinion, is made abundantly clear by the fact that they intended to shoot Dean down for trying to escape. They are still utterly expendable. They will never mean more to him than his delicately maintained secrets.

So that begs the question. What else could he be hiding under all that hair? What's he not saying, what doesn't he want them to see? What motives are buried beneath that false kindness?

Could it be that, with these new experiments on his watch, he intends to give them special senses using that serum? Perhaps they're meant to be later-stage guinea pigs once they have more successful cases.

[zizbombs]

founder dnd night... assuming contessa is dming:

Eidolon: Would choose human fighter, lawful good. Hesitant to really roleplay or engage with it, but would probably warm up to it if the rest got into character. Would lock in so fast as soon as the first 'goblins are attacking the village' happens, tries to save the villagers etc. Starts off fighter because it's recommended from what he saw and pretty simple, but i imagine the more he plays he'd go for paladin. oath of glory is perfect for him. Probably wouldn't switch around his character too much, though.

Alexandra: Minmaxed caster build of despair. changes depending on the party she's with, but chronomancy wizard is a safe bet. Takes five minutes to create a character in her mind to fit in with the rest of the party then proceeds to method act it perfectly for the entire session. technically a perfect player, but would cause an average dm to rip their hair out. thankfully contessa is the dm so she can balance it accordingly. She approaches it like a job at first and takes it incredibly seriously but warms up and has some fun.

Hero: artificer, obviously. most likely artillerist. For his first time he'd pick artificer cause tinker class lol but the more he plays I imagine he'd start to shift over to martial classes like barbarian or rogue. no think just hit stuff. Probably chaotic neutral, would enjoy sowing chaos and being a little impish. gives eidolon a stress ulcer when he starts riling people up at the tavern. Probably the one who suggested dnd in the first place. Greatly enthusiastic and enjoyed the game.

Legend: bard or sorcerer. the most aggravating piece of shit at the table. metagames, no semblance of character, whines and complains about bad rolls. in the future will respectfully decline. might bring arthur along for a game and he dies of embarrassment as legend gets all pissy and entitled. no i'm not biased

BONUS:

Arthur: Cleric, domain of life. Went full support build to help out legend, ended up getting really invested. probably began to develop more violent tendencies (in the dnd). unfortunately had to stop going as legend would sigh and give him the silent treatment after he asked to go again.

Harbinger: Assuming he's still like 12 or 13. Just like Alex, minmaxed caster build of doom and despair. Will only roll 20s if given dice, alexandria had to start rolling for him. enjoys reducing the monster's hp to 0 and feeling invincible. Didn't have the decency to get into character like alex did.

Custodian: Either a full support bard build or swashbuckler. Enjoys little musketeer sword fights like princess bride. She has a fucking blast. Contessa can perfectly understand her, even narrates for her. Custodian moves her own mini figure and rolls dice and such. Roleplays hard. She misses the game nights after hero died, nobody was ever in the mood for it and they all got much too busy. The campaign remained unfinished, the party locked in time before they could slay the BBEG and usher in an era of peace.

[bleue-flora]

I hear you, and I’m sorry if it came across as aggressive or rude to those who have put time and effort into it, I can see I have rubbed some the wrong way and I can totally understand why. My sincere apologies. That was not my intention. You are absolutely right - “if it’s wrong don’t complain go fix it” that’s fair to say and I have thought about it.

Part of my hesitancy is not everyone really likes my lore interpretation or the details I point out so there’s a likely chance I’d upset a lot of people if I were to go and set the record straight. Additionally, while there is an obvious lot of bias already in the wiki, I don’t want to accidentally add my own. While I do try my best to be unbiased and think about things from different perspectives, I can also recognize that I do see lore a certain way and that would show. Even if the way I often see lore is that there are multiple options besides the common fanon. Additionally, like I said I’m honestly not sure where I’d even start and that in itself is an overwhelming thing, which is made worse by the fact that I can be a little bit, lack of a better word, obsessive about small things and so can spend a lot of time doing something I really shouldn’t be (like before we got across the the map watching vods to figure out what the enchantments and names of Quackity’s and Sam’s tools for just one example - more tedious than it sounds lol) I’ll also admit I don’t know everything about everyone so there’s that. And that there is plenty of lore that directly contradicts itself like my recent post for example, plus there are things that I’ll learn later that changes things. And while I have done analysis on plenty of plot holes, motivations and mindsets using lore and reasoning to fill them, it wouldn’t be quite right for me to just link my blog posts as references lol. So you put that all together and you end up with the likelihood that I would - become way too absorbed into it and spend time I don’t have, step on people’s toes, and likely shift the bias lol… but having said all that, I do have a shit ton of clips and have been cataloging streams, so I might do so anyways… or perhaps I could at least just fix some of the things I have discovered. I don’t know, I have been considering it for a while now to be honest…

If there was any underlying frustration in my original post I think it’s because of some of the bias but mostly the fact that people (not just specifically the wiki) so often get lore things wrong in general, which ya know it happens not everyone is well… obsessive like me lol, that’s very fair, and it’s not even their fault if they are just looking at the wiki and it is wrong. But it does admittedly trigger me (even when I know it’s unreasonable for it to) even if that just is an unfortunate reality, not really anyone to blame just is what it is. Like everyone other fandom just has to watch one thing but we have to watch hundreds of hours of multiple characters with vods hard to find or deleted, of course things will be missing and things will be wrong, but wow it’s clear how much work has been put into it. Y’all have done a great job and I appreciate all the work everyone has done and the details and clear passion in it. I’m sorry if I diminished that in anyway, y’all have done an excellent job and I am so impressed y’all have put this together. <3 I can’t even tell you how often I use it to double check dates and participants and lore I haven’t watched or things about characters I don’t know a whole lot about. It’s not perfect, but nothing is and it is awesome and it’s cool to be apart of such a dedicated fandom.

outside of c!dream's page how is the dsmp fandom wiki looking recently?

uhhh... anon, that's quite a can of worms honestly, but yeah it's not in good shape. It's missing things like especially items, and then credits for builds, some of the relationships are wrong, some of the motivations are wrong and timeline of events. Some events are just straight up wrong or missing details like the disc saga which blows my mind because how can we call them the disc duo and not even know the events of the disc saga. There's also just missing events like Eryn and Michaelmicchill breaking into the prison, Tommy burning down Tubbo's house, Tubbo visiting Tommy in Exile (twice), Punz and Dream rushing in and killing Quackity and Fundy before the Pogtopia vs Manberg war even started presumably on Schlatt's orders since they betrayed Schlatt, Sam's and Dream's duel to protect George, Technoblade murdering George which leads to Dream talking to (just George) about dethroning him for his protection, Niki being held hostage as part of the Battle of the Lake as well as the whole reason it happened... I could go on and on from the details of the Revival Book to Tommy's original banishment, like there are so many things wrong I don't even know where to begin and I don't even know that much about every single character so I imagine there is even more wrong for them too that I'm not even aware of...

[akkivee]

aight so mine are:

manga: i usually lump dts and manga together but if i had to separate them, me as of rn lol would put manga higher than dts bc i like the additional relevant content that doesn’t get voiced in the tracks. the manga does leave some stuff from the tracks out, but it is the best for the collective story

dts: but with the tracks you get the voices, you get insert raps that shift in composition to reflect the plot/bonds, you hear the seiyuu grow with their characters, you get 30-40 minutes of plot to pick apart and piece together for months afterwards whereas the manga takes years getting to, it’s the medium hypmic was founded on alongside its music like don’t sleep on the tracks y’all lol

games: i’m including games bc my middle name is nerd lmao but arb gave us character content before we ever got it in canon (eg jyushi calling hitoya ‘my god’ when he’s in vkei mode; dice’s hidden side was teased frame one) and hypdream making their characters face a different version of themselves, yet still reflect who they are (eg kuukou wants to guide others to be able to face the difficulties life will not stop throwing at you whereas ghost kuukou guides others to hide away from the world bc life will not stop throwing difficulties at you and it’s two different stances but still rooted in buddhist principles while also showing the core conflict kuukou faces and—) is a great way to reward ppl who’re obsessed with hypmic’s characters LOL

stage: a lot of facets that make up canon are simplified in the stage making it easier to get the gist and stage has the benefit of treating the characters and the situations they’re in with a fuckton of gravitas lol. character writing is a hit or miss for a handful of canon characters but everyone knows the stage is a side character dispense mechanism that worldbuilds and serves as foils for the characters better than most of the side characters in canon LOL

anime: the music bangs!!!! yeah!!!! like they’ve got some damn good bangers!!!! bullets hell yeah!!!!