#arc. i always got the short end of every stick didn't i

[uncle-dusknoir]

rigging up a skeleton is. maybe more difficult than I anticipated. at least a full sized one idk how hard something small would be but I am NOT having a good time trying to drill into these bitches

[oneatlatime]

The Tales of Ba Sing Se PART 1

Once upon a time in Ba Sing Se, the Gaang got Appa back. The end. Please?

This title sounds rather expositiony, but last episode was already a plot/exposition dump, and a rather dark one at that. So who knows? Not me.

Sokka hun I think you're supposed to shave with a blade slightly less substantial than that.

I am fascinated by the hair loopies. I always thought that they were braided in, but they clip in. Does she have a magnet in her braid that they clip in to? A lego type system?

CAT

Toph's morning routine is uncomfortably close to mine.

I know Toph likes being slobby to stick it to the man, but wouldn't it also help with her spatial awareness if she's always sporting a healthy coating of earth? Maybe she can sense where her limbs are better or something?

"Spa day!" "Do I have to?" UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE GUYS.

That has got to be torture. How would you like a pumice stone to the eyeballs?

Now THAT'S a healthy coating of earth.

You're not usually into that stuff? You got dolled up last episode.

Are there voice acting awards? Because whoever voiced these guys needs one. I have never in my life heard such perfectly distilled middle school clique bitch impression.

That's cathartic.

Katara's smothering/mothering tendencies usually annoy me, but it's a good thing those means girls happened when Katara was around, because this calls for serious hugs. I almost want to say that it's out of character to see Toph not be 100% sure of herself, but I think it adds character instead.

Do you think anyone's ever told Toph before that she's really pretty? Ever?

That's a good hug.

Is this short stories? Like an anthology? TALES of Ba Sing Se. Like day in the life? Ok. I'm going to break this up for ease of reading/writing.

The Tale of Iroh

If Iroh hadn't distinguished himself by making the best tea in the city, he would have come to everyone's attention anyway by single handedly fixing everyone's personal problems.

Bending soccer. Why didn't I think of that?

His voice is funny in this scene. Also isn't honour a fire nation thing?

One of my absolute favourite things about Iroh is that his philosophical side is always balanced out by a practical side. He's always philosophising but he's also always grounded. Sometimes hightailing it is what needs doing. Sometimes your sister is crazy and needs to go down.

You know you're bad at crime when your poor stance actually offends the guy you're mugging.

I also like how Iroh really doesn't moralise. He'll teach this guy what conditions the moonflower likes; he'll teach this guy how to mug better. Knowledge is for sharing, no judgment attached!

Random mugger speedruns Zuko's arc.

So pretty. It's been a while since there's been good pretty.

oh shit

ok

Now I have questions!

The Tale of Aang

Writers take note: You see this sad face? You see what you've done to my boy? You can reverse it with one simple trick! GIVE HIM APPA BACK.

I love this. Can't help Appa, so Aang helps every other animal in Ba Sing Se instead.

I want to know what this is. Monkey panther?

I didn't realise until now how tall platypus bears were.

CABBAGE GUY! HI!

Actual dragonflies. Punny.

I love these. My nomination for cutest atla animal.

I hope that wasn't required agricultural land. Should have put the zoo near the drill instead. That land already looked close to salted.

This was some Toph level bending. Love to see Aang's skills progress.

Turtle seal's got competition for cutest animal.

Just call this portion the petting zoo and it's a win.

The Tale of Sokka

Something I don't talk about enough is Sokka's supernatural skill with that boomerang. The realistic explanation is that he's spent every spare minute since receiving it honing his skills by chucking it at random piles of snow, but I like to think he's a boomerang bender. Actually wouldn't boomerang bending be a manifestation of latent airbending tendencies?

I make this face at lasagne.

I may have to make another Sokka's Stupid Faces post.

There is nothing oaflike about falling out of a window and into a Haiku. He was even polite about it!

Somebody introduce Sokka to flyting.

Forget about being a warrior, Aang needs to end this war yesterday so that Sokka can go be a poet. Warrior poet. He's way too creative to waste on cannon fodder.

Poetry bouncer. The longer I think about that the funnier it gets.

Betrayed by hubris.

A Poetry bouncer. Who comes up with this stuff? How do you come up with that? I keep thinking about a poetry bouncer and I keep giggling.

I'm breaking this post here as I'm reaching the image limit. Part 2 coming immediately!

[lover-of-mine]

Is it weird that when I read The coming out storyline was suppose to be for Eddie, I just got extremely pissed. Like... we finally could have had a good storyline for eddie after seasons of basically nothing and half-assed stuff. Only for it to go to Buck, a character that always has a front-centered storyline. It just bothers me. It wouldnt have killed the show to have just kept Buck on the downlow for a season. But no he gets the storyline, that even tim agrees made more sense for Eddie and Eddie gets whatever the f*ck is happening with Marisol that is just the a non-storyline really. I don't know. It just pissed me off. Maybe Eddie will finally get his due in Season 8, but with the history of this show, I'm questioning and doubting everything when it comes to Eddie. The character deserves better. Ryan deserves better. I'm happy for Buck fans and for Oliver who clear thought Buck was Bi too, but this is just shitty for Eddie fans, cause we're stuck with another bland girlfriend (A homophobic actress at that) and no guarantee that Eddie will every get a storyline like this, if ABC says no. Not to mention a lack of prospect for an actual good season long arc for Eddie if this is already Tim's idea of good writing for him. I just need to vent somewhere, and maybe you understand some of what I am feeling. Bottom line I guess, I'm just tired as Eddie fan of getting the short end of the stick on this show. But maybe I need to have more faith in everything.

Baby really, I think you're super valid for feeling like this, really, I love Buck, I do, but it does get annoying to watch him get yet another huge arc, even more with the amount of focus there was on him last season too. And to hear this storyline was studied to be about Eddie did make me feel some time of way. Especially considering Eddie has yet another girlfriend he didn't want to get he's moving too fast with that adds nothing to the plot because I still don't know anything about Marisol besides the fact that she has a brother, she owns a house, she was a nun (?????) and the actress playing her is a homophobe. I am choosing to believe they decided being grabbed and kissed wasn't the best way to spark the revelation for Eddie and that there is some plan because I don't see how they would greenlight Buck being bi and not buddie going canon and that we are going to see Eddie get his own queer arc. Maybe it will annoy you a bit too because so far I keep seeing this being sparked by Buck and Tommy, so his arc would be attached to Buck in some way, but I think we are getting there with the both of them. The fact that there was conversation about how to make Eddie queer, means they are thinking about how to make Eddie queer, so the idea is there, they could turn into it at any time. I do so so so feel you on the Eddie not getting a season arc, I think I could've enjoyed the catholic guilt angle, because honestly, that's a huge opening to see what else that guilt might be making Eddie do, if it wasn't for the Edy of it all. The focus on saying Eddie is still chasing Shannon, and a mother for Chris, and thinking about who it would be expected for him to date aka a nice latina woman, not someone he actually wants to be with also gives me some hope they realized they have my boy trapped in a closet made of glass. Again, they didn't have to take the "I'm having erectile dysfunction at the thought of having sex with my girlfriend" route, like, that's straight up the gayest thing they could've done to that man and they legit had him have panic attacks about dating a woman, like, who even thought of that? And he could be on his way to learn more about himself considering the "learning his place in the world" comment, he could be about to do some exploring and we could get some satisfying payoff here. I'm hoping for it. Praying and manifesting for it. But Ryan has been too giddy about this season for me to believe nothing is gonna happen for Eddie, yk? So, maybe, we should just keep the faith I guess. But, you're not alone in your feelings, and they're super valid, it is upsetting.

[b1rdbra1ned]

Oh no I hate Fan too. Fan was not a good character in season 2 and he didn't actually face any consequences for his actions. Paintbrush was like the closest we got to Fan being criticised and people considered PB to be the one overreacting. Paintbrush is done so dirty because the fandom put their own belief about the bright lights being family even though Paintbrush never actually got along with them. They talked to tt like once, bickered with lb until the last ep they were in and then there's. Fan..

Also I think I hate fantube a little more after the theyrebasicallycanon polls put enstars against ii. Glad rinniki won they deserve the win against fantube imo.

Sorry I was tired of being critical of ii so I don't like it anymore 😔

But hiiii we haven't talked much in a while ik :(( I'm on holiday rn but feel free to talk to me if you want!

ALLLL OF THIS

Paintbrush was in every way in the right to yell at fan, he constantly bothered and nagged at them and the stuff about marshmallow was definitely the final straw

i only ever liked the whole bright lights family thing because honestly it could’ve worked imo!!! but they just never took that chance they never really developed the brights lights AT ALL most season (beside from marshmallow) the bright light felt more like the comical team (not really but can’t think of a better way to describe them) compared to the grand slams who definitely got way more focus and development

it’s shitty because i think the brights lights could’ve had potential but they were just casted aside until the last few episodes where “oh hey look development!! :] oh wait nvm they’re eliminated now <3” like ????

paintbrush definitely got the short end of the stick here. literally having what was supposed to be their episode mainly centred around tt and lb and having their feelings about marsh being completely casted aside. i wish more was done w/ marshmallow and them vs them and lb

looking back a lot of their scenes w lb just felt kinda off??? i don’t think can articulate this probably rn but paintbrush deserved better

but at the same time i wish the team got more time w/ each other in general, they have so many great opportunities to do it like in the maze episodes but again they’re kinda just cast aside as just comedy

and w/ s3 oh boy i hate what they did with paintbrush and their “arc” in the last few episodes. they quite literally and figuratively took away their edges, i miss sassy, sarcastic confident paintbrush they feel so dulled down in iii and it’s like no one in the writing team understands them at all. it’s like they didn’t even write s2 (but hey back to the point i mentions last post that show writers really ought to stop listening to fans sometimes because this is how fanon seeps in </3)

i hate how the a lot of the fans view paintbrush especially if it’s only ever in the context of lightbrush or shipping (another thing that pisses me off btw is how they’re always treated as irrational and or just plain out abusive FUCK PEOPLE WHO PORTRAY PAINTBRUSH LIKE THIS)

they’re such a great character who gets absolutely fucked over by the writing and fandom (not all of the fandom of course, i love seeing ppls takes and discussions on them but it’s just some fans who just </3)

i don’t like discouraging ships, if ppl are mature and respectful and don’t put other ppl down then that’s all great and stuff but my problem is that i really wish paintbrush was just seen as more than their ships yknow

Fan is.. the more i think about canon him the more im like yeaaa… uh no thanks…. (mainly w/ him and paintbrush and cabby)

idk if im even allowed to say they changed tt this season because.. she didn’t honestly have a lot of screentime last season compared to a whole lot of other characters, but in iii she feels off?? honestly all of them do even the new contestants later on during the season

idk if i have the words to describe why s3’s characterisation is so off and at time frustrating, their arcs too, was going to point out some characters but honestly i could make a case for nearly ALL the contestants the ones who weren’t voted out early at least

that’s the end of my ramble tho, sorry ik i talked a lot about paintbrush, i want to talk about the others too but they’re the one i still even think about. hopefully this isn’t a bit hard to read, ik im not that organised w my rambles sometimes

[itlivesproject]

i feel like harper's writing is not talked about as much as it should be and i just wanna say that ilw has given me a newfound love for them that ilb hadnt quite managed to do!

also i dont mean this to come across as demanding and greedy but a horny bitch gotta ask: had you ever considered doing a harper pov for ch23 for some sexy times👀 or had that never been in the plans? im aware, and thankful, of how much work it was to do all the devon routes (and ig all those sex scenes were much more, as weird as it sounds, anticipated than the ilb routes bc ilb already had sex but the cast were minors in ilitw. though i wonder if theres a 'diamond' option for devon to just hang out w their friends if they have no li or do they just go to bed?) i cant help but feel like ilb kinda got the short end of the stick somehow, compared to the ilitw cast who were more present in ilw even though its not their story anymore, but ig theyre more connected to the ilw storyline than the ilb cast bc they are from westchester while ilb not.

i still love the story a lot, its quickly become one of my fav 'playchoices' (heh) stories, i just kinda want to start a conversation more than criticise, if that makes sense.

thank you <3 i personally really love harper and i LOVED writing them so much. the ilb scenes were some of my favorite to work on.

to answer your question, let me first say that i am one of the few probably who actually prefer ilb to ilitw. so i went into ilw wanting ilb rights 😂 secondly, i will say that the crux of the answer comes down to technicalities behind writing variants.

interestingly, we actually were considering the idea of Elliot being part of the ilw crew when we first started and having a nerve score! the idea was that a) he's a guaranteed survivor so we wouldn't have to write variants around it and b) he had gone to connor when harper vanished and they were working together more actively in looking for harper. we ended up scrapping the idea however, because he didn't feel necessary. him in that role really felt like extra baggage, and there wasn't really room for a character arc for him. so we changed it to how it ended up being. we also were considering having one ilb crew member being part of the ilw crew as well, since at least two of them are guaranteed to not die and not leave, but that idea quickly got tossed because it was simply too many variants.

when it comes to ilitw, every single character has the possibility of being dead, so one of the earliest things we did was come up with a "contribution" for each character. we didn't want it to be like in ilb, when you just have this awkward one-off conversation with each one and they're all in the same room but not talking to each other for some reason?? so we decided to separate them out from each other more and make their contributions independent of each other. we also had to figure out what happens if they are dead and unable to provide their contribution.

Ava - obviously her contribution was coven leader. If she's dead, Sunny is the leader.

Stacy - she attends the dinner party with rowan and connor and allows you to bring your LI along with you.

Lucas - he helps work on the cure, and his survival is necessary to being able to fully cure the horrors at the end of the game.

Andy - he helps revived devon/noah in the physical therapy scene

Dan - he provides therapy to rowan which comes with some nerve gain

Once we had all these contributions, we had a really hard time thinking about what ILB crews "contributions" would be. And because they weren't from Westchester, it didn't make as much sense for them to be involved. Secondly, because someone's always guaranteed to be alive, the scenes of all of them together are actually a lot easier and possible to write, where ILITW's scenes like that are insanely difficult. so instead of having their "contributions," ilb crew's involvement was mostly considered by us as a group thing, and it was focused around harper's disappearance arc. We had discussed ways to make them more involved, but it didn't really fit and we felt like it distracted from the main story we were trying to tell. It was a tough balance to figure out how to make previous books matter and bring back old characters while giving the new characters the screen time and focus that they needed. I hope this makes sense!

I know a few people were disappointed that Harper didn't do much in chapters 21-23 but you have to understand that Harper could never be instrumental in their success, because they can be dead, and we didn't want to lock mc succeeding behind harper being alive or not. secondly, that ending scene had an insane amount of variants, from rowan secretly being a traitor, to devon/noah who was human and who was the ghost, to LIs dying and/or leaving, and throwing harper into the mix would have been extremely complicated for a character whose involvement wouldn't be able to fundamentally change anything, for the reasons i explained above.

Now, moving onto the horny scenes, we actually were planning on having ilb sex scenes when we first started, but when we realized how many sex scenes we were going to write (it ended up being a grand total of 21 lol) we were like. never mind 😂 the spot it was going to go was actually after harper was saved from the breach and you play as them. originally their leg wasn't broken and they weren't in the hospital, so that's where it was going to go. but as the scenes changed and we got burnt out from writing sex scenes, we decided not to include it, our rationale being a) they're in the hospital and b) they got two sex scenes in ilb whereas ilitw lis haven't ever gotten one. it definitely would not have worked for the epilogue, because I think it would have really thrown off the pacing to just take turns playing as each mc getting it on with their LI lol. but everyone is free to hc what harper and their LI did after that bbq heehee

[amplifyme]

@tygertygerfoggybright I'm going to do some more cherry-picking and answer your latest ask here.

First of all, I love that your sister is a Father stan. And your running commentary with her, that you've transcribed for me, is priceless! 😁

More below the cut.

It's safe to say that her preferring Paracelsus over Gabriel is a majority opinion in the fandom. But I agree with your take a few weeks back that Paracelsus was more Father's nemesis rather than Vincent's, and was simply using V as a tool against him. But she's right about Gabriel being "a little man." And as soon as V was face to face with him, he knew it too.

I'm not insulted at all that she's not a V girlie. For some, he's an acquired taste, for others, they never get the appeal. That just leaves more for the rest of us to enjoy.

Vincent and Diana and baby Jacob were the PERFECT ENDING. She watched it twice herself. Jacob gives, and I quote, “PURPOSE TO [Vincent’s]LIFE”-- she loves those types of characters, or any kind of family or platonic relationship/bond. :DDDD 

Your sister is right. Jacob does give V a purpose to carry on. And the show was certainly laying the ground work for Diana to also become that for him.

I'm pretty sure we all started out as Cathy defenders - I certainly did. I didn't begin to question her choices and their impact on V's peace of mind until maybe a third of the way through S2. And that came as a result of many rewatches of certain episodes, when there was a little tickle in the back of my head telling me that all was not well and I needed to dig deeper.

Brb, we’re fighting over Paraclesus vs. Gabriel. Be right back. 

She conceded (volunteered) that Gabriel was “an interesting arc, though.” “Gave a lot of plot drama.” 

You two are cracking me up!

She made me die laughing suggesting he was Simba and John Pater was Uncle Scar (and though it’s not TECHNICALLY canon….)

🤣🤣🤣 Now I'm wondering if the folks at Disney did a bit of pilfering when working on The Lion King! This is perfect! 🤣🤣🤣

“Kick Joe” refers to every time someone came to him with info and tore it away or how he’s generally treated by everyone else around him, including life and us the audience.

Aw, poor Joe. He does get the short end of the stick a lot.

“I don’t think Vincent really has a raspy voice,” she interjects randomly, “I think he just sounds like what a lion would sound like.” I guess that’s a bad thing. “I LIKE HOW HE FLICKED HIS EYES,” she interjects again. I’ve been listening to her eye-flicking praise comments for days now. (“I’ve only said it three times,” she adds.) 

Gotta agree with her on all of this. Perlman based the raspiness of the voice he used on his belief that Vincent's "normal" voice would always sound like it was on the edge of a growl, and that's why he was so soft-spoken most of the time. Just another way to set the people around at ease. But you could certainly hear it when he was angry. There's a set of videos from a con back in the day that features a Q & A with Perlman, Roy Dotrice, and Jay Acovone that's just delightful. All three of these guys are a blast to listen to and watch. Let me know if you're interested and I'll send you a link. Oh, and yes, V was an expert at the eye flick!

She’s curious if you’ve ever met the actors and what meeting them was like (she enjoyed reading-- on her own, mind-- about your talk with Roy); and if there were any fandom Winterfest stories you could relate?  

I was lucky enough to meet Perlman at the same con as I met Roy, but the encounter only lasted a minute or two. He was meeting up with some of the actors at the con and just happened to spot Roy at the table with Nan and myself and stopped by for a minute. Lovely, lovely man. And big. Both physically and personality-wise. In exchange for mine and Nan's promise to not tell anyone that we'd seen him (his con appearance that night was unannounced and a surprise to everyone but the cast and con organizers) I got a hug in return. Still makes me grin like an idiot thinking about it, and it takes a lot to frazzle me. I also had a chance to meet and speak to Jay, David Greenlee (a precious cinnamon roll), Eddie Albert Jr. (sooo handsome in person, a real delight), David Swartz (a coordinating producer on the show - funny guy) and a few of the recurring, unnamed tunnel dwellers.

Every con that took place over the years always started with a Friday evening banquet, and was considered our Winterfest. Once everyone was seated, the lights were turned off and the Winterfest recitation began. Of course each table was decorated with candles enough for everyone seated, and eventually all the candles were lit and our celebration would begin by candlelight and with the room lights dimmed. I'll never forgot the goosebumps I got when Roy stood at the head of the cast table and began, "The world above us is cold and gray, summer a distant memory. Our world, too, has known its winters, so each year we begin this feast in darkness, as our world began in darkness."

Once the yearly cons ended, Winterfest began to take place online.

Notes: Buster remembered being abandoned as a baby-- would baby Jacob remember being suffocated by Gabriel? And what trauma would that bring (or what trauma did Vincent and the bond prevent?)

No, I don't think Jacob would remember that. I have to believe that V only remembered his abandonment because of what he is. Not only because of whatever species or hybrid of human being he is, but because of his enormous empathic abilities, which I believe Jacob shares, but not to the extent of his father's. And I don't know that their bond would've prevented any trauma, but it would certainly have been dampened the moment Vincent lifted him from the cradle and held him.

Okay, enough for now. I have a fic to work on. Tell your sister I enjoyed "meeting" her! 😊

[co-mixed]

Daredevil by Charles Soule

Let’s start with the wow. The same wow that comes after finishing a great run by a great writing team. Charles Soule and various artists alongside him took the several times reimagined, arguably the darkest hero of Marvel and gave him an entirely new life. Let there be spoilers.

Bottoms up

I want to immediately talk about the end of this run. It's a dream sequence, which is a notoriously difficult trope to pull off. Most people will agree that gotcha! dream sequences cheapen their own effect. But I can't say that the resolution felt cheap here. Despite watching it unfold throughout several issues, it was everything that Matt had ever wanted. From turning imaginary family real to having the final dramatic night with Elektra, to heroes assembling to take down Kingpin. It was so epic it was doomed to be a fantasy. 

But none of that would've happened had it not been for the previous events. The run starts with Daredevil in black, which is never a good sign for a hero. And don't for a second think that no one makes a joke about that. Spider-Man is first in line. But it's not only the costume that's different: the whole public identity cat is back in the bag. To be frank, it gets a bit confusing. So much so that I had to go back and recheck reading guides, to make sure I didn't miss a special where Daredevil makes a deal with Mephisto. He doesn't, in fact, when he gets the opportunity, he walks away. Good for him, I suppose. 

It takes 20 issues of city and overseas adventures to finally find out how and when he pulls off the restoration of the status quo. It's a pretty enjoyable arc for which the narrative style and the colors of Waid’s run make a temporary comeback. 

Status quo

But back to the now, to the beginning: Daredevil has his own Robin, a kid called Blindspot who wants to protect Chinatown like Daredevil does in Hell's Kitchen. The only one who knows Matt is Daredevil is Foggy and he's so salty about that, they're almost on the outs.

Kirsten had joined the extensive group of exes (I have a mental list of them so far) and a shorter list of exes who got away alive. Oh, and Matt was back in New York. It's been way too odd to see him in San Francisco. If the X-Men could thrive there, Matt Murdock definitely belongs in NYC. 

Connections

Let's start with the romantic life. There is none. Charles Soule manages to tackle every other aspect of Matt’s life, even religion. But he has no romantic partner for the duration of this run. Which means no woman has to suffer and die unnecessarily. Yay. 

Well... if you don't think too hard about their conscience.

And you know, Matt's inability to maintain a relationship is probably 30% of the fun in his books. Still, Soule manages to deliver a rich dynamic narrative without dragging Matt’s partners through hell. 

Matt is not left without a connection though, despite everyone forgetting who he is, he gets a partner and an apprentice. Now of course this kid, Blindspot, gets the short end of the stick. He is blinded by Muse, who is a new villain on the block. Gotta say he’s a pretty decent villain too. A very Batman villain, I want to say. Since he goes all out with his creepiness and finds a BS pseudo-philosophical explanation for his sick hobby. That always makes me think of Bats because who else has a rogues gallery so twisted? But like I keep saying, the characters share a lot of common features so it's only fair their villains do as well. 

Muse, in fact, shows up twice and both times cracks sickness up to 11, even throwing in a little social message here and there. 

He serves as both Daredevil villain and Blindspot's re-origin story. Although I can't exactly say I’m happy with where Blindspot ended the run. He had potential and he had a struggle with darkness which surely could be used better anywhere other than with a group of flying nuns fighting priests.

Before that, of course, Matt has to go to China and fight the Beast. Why not? 

The why we fight

When he comes back though, that's when everything hits the fan and brings the arc that to me holds this whole run together. Wilson Fisk becomes the mayor of New York. And that, to me, is it. The why we fight of it all. A raging obsessive and violent maniac becoming a recognized public authority figure. I knew right then and there that no matter what Matt or Daredevil tries, he is screwed. And how beautifully it's delivered: it's not just that Fisk grabbed a position of power, it's that people showed up to vote for him. They bought and believed his message. And no one stepped in. He twisted the system and he used it to grab more influence. He sketched an idea of an enemy and united people against it. And yes, he rigged the election but in the end, we find out he didn't have to. Because fear and hate, they always work, don't they? 

There were two moments when I felt this book bleeding realism. 

The first one is when Daredevil mistakenly says he has faith in the people of New York. He believes they know what Fisk is and they can't support him. That's a lie. Or wishful thinking. Either way, they don't. And they don't come to his rescue as he is declared public enemy number one. Even the cops he’s helped so many times, they are in fact the first to pick up tasers and advanced sound systems to join the hunt. 

The second moment is Matt's paralegal at the D.A. office, Ellen, saying she supports Fisk’s ideas since Spider-Man destroyed her car once. Well maybe not just that but you get where I’m going with this. It's always the seemingly small things. And it's always the unexpected people. Her reluctance to respond when Matt asked her who she voted for, it was louder than a poster at a rally and if you have experience fighting the good fight, you feel it like a bucket of ice water. Of course, Matt gets to shake it off and go swinging through the city. You don't, so you're left with the remaining issues of the run.

Talk to The Hand

The power struggle goes on and on, neither Matt Murdock nor Daredevil gets a win until Fisk is shot full of The Hand’s arrows, and due to a lucky break, Matt becomes the mayor. Everything works out in a questionable arc that I don't want to focus on too much. I'm gonna say, however, that “I can't see the light so I will be the light” is a hell of a powerful phrase. With this phrase, Soule does to the reader what Daredevil is supposed to do. The whole reason for his endless misfortunes, and battles, and losses: inspiration.

This is, actually, the message of this run. Not guilt, not responsibility. Inspiration. At one point, Daredevil mentions that people have to fight for themselves too. And maybe the fact that people hear that is why he believes in New York. 

This optimism under the darkest of circumstances is another thing that continues Waid’s narrative. Because the tone, that returns to a more familiar Miller-inspired brooding nature. If you ask me, that's good. That's where Daredevil functions best. He’s not great at wisecracking, he's not Spider-Man. He has to remain intense and on guard.

Let's talk colors.

Several artists work on the run and each one brings a different look. Keep in mind, that this run was happening at the same time as the Netflix show. So yes, at some point characters began to look a little too much like the actors from the show. Which isn't bad, just curious. Either way, all styles worked in their own way. 

But my personal favorite was the arrival of Phil Noto. It took his mastery to deliver the final blow, the final massive arc that might have been meaningless in a wider sense but did bring a fat bouquet of emotions.

There were many moments throughout Soule’s run when I laughed and praised his writing. Even if the stories didn't always go where I’d like them to, it was never dull. From taking a case to the Supreme Court (and delivering a hell of an argument splash page) to the last words “And I am not afraid,” this series remained surprising and moving. 

[espectres]

🔥 ABT CANON cause i like hearing u talk abt it

THANK U FOR ENJOYING MY SALT FILLED RANTS AHKSGFHKJS LOVEEEE

I enjoy mp100 a whole LOT I really do!! But there is always something to say when it comes to background characters, and especially shou lmao. Something I'm still surprised about is how open-ended and on a bad note his story seemed to be when compared to how everyone else's arcs went, to me, that's my opinion, LIKE ... main dudes aside, Tome for an example got to experience her dream and realize it wouldn't have been remarkable without friends by her side, she reached a fullfilling note in her narrative despite how little screen time she had and how minor her role in the story seemed to be, and most importantly, she is in a better place! Heck, even the dudes from the seventh division ended up starting a new life, with what little detail we were able to tell they are safe, independent, and becoming better people. Cuz that's what mp100 is about! Reaching a point in your life where you're at peace with yourself and appreciation of the good people who care about you, getting to a better place as a person.

Shou meanwhile? Everything about him is so vague! We got to see Sakurai and Koyama working at a convenience store. Why couldn't we know if Shou is going to school or not? If he's maybe with his mom? How is he doing? Why is no one concerned if the 13 y/o with dad in jail is alright or not? It's either vague or downright concerning. "Oh, his fire hair is gone, and that symbolizes letting go of the self-sacrifical tendencies becuz the rabbit jumped into fire." That's not enough!!! " Psychic powers sure are scary." "I'm not going to use them again." Now just tell me, isn't being afraid of powers and denying them what led to nearly every single bad thing that happened to Shigeo? Wasn't the whole gd story abt learning to accept these scary af powers and yourself and no longer supressing them?

In Shou's case it makes sense that he isn't fond of the side effects of being an esper, all the problems it brings, it's fair, you can see all the shit it made him go thru since so long, BUT. Having his story "end" on the same decision that made things start going bad for Shigeo is so disheartening, seeing how apparently everyone else is doing better by the end askjdfhsgka sad peach noises?????

You see, lack of story time isn't an excuse, Shou being a background character isn't reallyyyyyy an excuse. Half of the story wouldn't have been the same without him! Yet characters with less importance plot-wise didn't get the short end of the stick. As for a better conclusion, a simple thing as a single conversation with Ritsu would have done it tbh, they are both there, they already share a really strong bond, Shou sharing his new anti-powers rule to Ritsu and Ritsu, now aware of his brother's struggles, tells him to maybe not do that?? there are better ways to deal with your crippling trauma???? That's an open-ended sorta thing I can accept, cuz we wouldn't know how things would go for Shou, but at least he's not out there doing what the story strictly told us it's bad to do !!!!!! One-sensei, hear me out-

[laurakearney]

hiii would love to hear your thoughts on the counselors? maybe some of your favorite dynamics from the game? anything you'd change about it? lmao i am so interested in what other people thought of the game and especially the characters.

omg yes i was hoping for an ask like this!! i'll go through the characters as they came up and do like general little thoughts after that

laura: probably THE BEST character supermassive has ever made. her arc throughout the game was just so satisfying to watch and her actress killed every part of it. like i didn't mind she kind of has plot armor because i think she was such a well written character.

max: max is max. i didn't really like him pre-release but he's alright i guess. he's not in the game enough for me to truly care about him but he did grow on me a little more. love the max and laura reunite ending.

emma: emma and abi were CRIMINALLY underused. honestly anyone who wasn't ryan and laura (and kaitlyn & dylan to an extent) were underused. anyways i loved emma! i know people already hate her because of the truth or dare stuff/jacob things but i think she's a really fleshed out character. she gets a lot of humanizing moments for why she does the thing she does. she was super compelling! deserved more baddie moments.

jacob: he is such a dumbass but he's my dumbass. love that he stays in his underwear the whole game following in miss jessica riley's footsteps! even though jacob can be a huge dick a lot of the time, he was so charming still. i'd be like "jacob stop pestering emma" but there was also a part of me always rooting for him.

kaitlyn: ate ms. giddings up!!! i knew she was gonna be great. should've been the one to go with laura to kill chris. she was literally the most competent character and the fact she gets sidelined for ryan is so annoying. i wish she had wayyyyyy more playtime.

ryan: well...if you've been reading this you've probably gathered i don't like ryan...which sucks because i like justice smith. i said to a friend that he has mike munroe syndrome where the game clearly wants me to care about him which kind of had the opposite effect. he was kind of just not that interesting compared to everyone else. the moment where my opinion changed from neutral to dislike is when laura comes back and ryan continues to resist her. it went on for WAYYYYY too long and i feel like he never changes his mind until he actually kills chris.

dylan: man i really tried to resist liking him but i ended up loving this man so much. he was such a good time and his dynamic with kaitlyn was such a pleasant surprise. king of getting his hand cutoff!

nick: oh nicky poor thing. nick really gets the short end of the stick. i feel like making him the only character (besides laura and max) who you can't prevent him getting infected. it really hindered the game i think. nick's the only counselor we hardly get to know and basically disappears at the midpoint of the game. i liked what little we got of the real nick though!

abigail: on my first playthrough i found abi kind of boring? she didn't get to do a whole lot. she was sweet and cute but she was just kind of there. the most interesting thing she got to do in my first playthrough was try and hand kait the silver shells. on multiple playthroughs she's gotten more interesting to me. abigail never got to really have her moment y'know? like she isn't an action girl like the other girls but i would've loved for her to do something INSANE (her shooting nick is the closest we ever get.)

i loved the game despite the criticisms i have and i really think it's up there with until dawn!

[thevindicativevordan]

On Kong Kenan/Super-Man

It should've been him. He should've been the Superman of 5G/Future State/right now not Jon, and he should be the one getting an HBO Max series not Val. Hell he should be getting a movie!

God this dude is literally the best legacy character Superman has ever gotten, wholly his own person with his own lore and status quo while still building on the idea of "Superman". I am so pissed at DC for essentially just dropping him after his ongoing ended, what the hell Lee? You keep trying to make the Wildstorm characters happen, I need you to get my man Yang another Kenan book.

Have to admit I was a bit nervous at first about whether or not Kenan would be a worthwhile character. Yang's New 52 Superman run had been a disappointment to me overall, with only the the arc where Superman has underground wrestling matches against forgotten gods really sticking with me. Now he was introducing a brand new Superman? Didn't feel like he had "earned" that yet. But from the first issue I was hooked on this new character.

Kenan was unlike any other member of the Superfamily. He wasn't kind or sweet, he was an asshole! He was a bully! He was fantastic! Right from the start Kenan was set up to undergo a very different kind of character journey than the other members of the Superfamily. Empathy, humility, respect for people weaker than himself, these are all traits most heroes wearing the S-shield already posses by the time they first don the crest, but not Kenan.

Like all bullies he was even a bit of a coward himself at first, trying to bail on the experiment meant to give him Superman's powers right as it begins. After "saving" Lixin (the kid he bullies and steals lunch from every day) from Blue Condor he demands all the money Lixin has on him as payment. He's not courageous or selfless either at the start, Kenan is as much of an opposite of Superman as you can get short of being Bizarro. Learning the appeal of these traits formed the basis for his growth over the course of his series.

Seeing Yang bring in a lot of recognizable "Superman" elements in the series, but with a twist, was also great. Kenan is the one who bullies "Luo Lixin" rather than the traditional Clark/Lex friendship of Pre-Crisis and Birthright. Initially Kenan develops a crush on intrepid reporter for Primetime Shanghai, Laney Lan, but she dismisses him as too young and Kenan eventually ends up pursuing Avery Ho (Flash) instead. Baxi the Bat-Man of China has a similar relationship with Kenan as the traditional Superman/Batman in terms of being vitriolic best buds, however Baxi is the one who has the most respect for authority while Kenan is the rebel. Kenan is a part of the "Justice League of China" which does not meet with the approval of the already established Chinese superheroes, the Great Ten. That contrasts nicely with the good relationship the Justice Society and Justice League have, as well as seeing Yang lampshade the "Chinese copy" trope and incorporate that into his storytelling.

One of the funniest differences is how Kenan chooses to immediately reveal his identity as Super-Man to the world by taking off the compliance visor he was forced to wear, contrasting with Clark's choice to hide his identity. He was so eager to impress people that he never gave any thought to the danger he could put himself or his family in by revealing his identity until it was too late, something Clark is well aware of and has taken great pains to keep his identity secret. Was a missed opportunity for DC to have Kenan comment on Clark copying him for once when he outed himself under Bendis.

But one of the most poignant differences between Clark and Kenan is the gulf in separation between their relationship with their parents. Clark has a loving relationship with Ma and Pa Kent, trying to live up to their lessons as best he can. In contrast Kenan's mom was believed to have died in an airplane crash when he was just a child, and he never really knew her. His father was distant from him after that and the two weren't really close despite Kenan's attempts to impress him. So Kenan lacks that strong connection while still clearly loving both of them.

Pa Kent's death is one of the most tragic examples of Clark's love for his parents, and I've always been a fan of takes where Clark promises his father to fight for the powerless on Pa's deathbed. Kenan gets a similar scene at the start of his career, his dad "dies" (after being exposed as Flying General Dragon, a pro-democracy "supervillain" from the Chinese authorities perspective) and wants Kenan to promise he'll fight for Truth, Justice, and Democracy. But because Kenan's dad never really bonded with him, Kenan doesn't know what those mean, and can only promise that he never wants to see people die, something his father takes comfort in at least. In classic comic book fashion it's revealed that Dr. Omen, Kenan's "boss" and the one who gave him his powers, saved Kenan's father, because she is Kenan's mother! Kenan's relationship with his parents forms a lot of the crux of his character arc, and seeing how Yang utilizes the classic Superman concept of family kept the storytelling exciting.

Yang's brilliant exploration of the concept of "Superman" through the prism of Chinese culture was a great way to differentiate Kenan as well.

I absolutely freaking love how he tied to the concept of Qi to the S-shield in particular. Connecting the shape of the shield with the way Kenan has acquired his powers along the path of the Bagua (eight trigrams used in Taoism that represent the fundamental principles of reality), with his octagon S-shield outline representing all eight principles together, was mindblowing! So was the idea of restricting Kenan's access to his powers unless he was actually acting in a Superman manner, that tied his character growth to his power growth in an entertaining manner. There were so many characters and concepts that meshed Chinese and DC lore together, like how Emperor Super-Man was Kenan's "Doomsday", they even recreated that iconic dual kill shot! The Chinese Wonder Woman Peng Deilan, being based on the Chinese Legend of the White Snake! There was even some Korean mythology referenced with the Aqua-Man member of the JLC "Dragonson".

Yang also managed to do a Superman Blue/Superman Red story with Super-Man Yin/Super-Man Yang!

Shameful that it took me a while to realize what Gene Yang was doing but once I caught on I was touched. You can tell how much Yang loved Superman and his mythology, and how he was excited to incorporate as much from Clark as he could, while still using it in a way that was solidly Kenan's. And not just Superman's mythology, but the history and lore of the entire DC Universe. I-Ching got to be brought in, fleshed out, and used as Kenan's mentor! The "Yellow Peril" villain from Detective Comics #1, the comic DC gets its name from was brought in and revamped as I-Ching's twin brother All-Yang! Hats off to Yang for taking a racist caricature and attempting to make him into something more.

This series was a beautiful attempt by Gene Yang to build a space for Asian heroes and villains where they could be more than stereotypes, Kenan himself being a defiant mold-breaker in every regard as the complete opposite of most Asian characters in Western media (a jock, a bully, loves his dad but not on great terms with him, a powerhouse as a hero, etc). So much thought and hard work was poured into this by Yang and his team of artist collaborators.

Especially the costumes, man Kenan had so many great looks. From his starting outfit (which is my favorite Superman variant not worn by Clark himself), to the one with the Yin/Yang shield he acquired later on, to his Super-Man Yin & Super-Man Yang outfits, Kenan looked damn cool. Part of me is bummed they didn't go with the Chinese character shield they toyed around with, but I loved how Yang used the "s-shield" as a plot point, so I'm not too broken up over it.

All that great work Yang did to build that space up has been more or less forgotten sadly. It was nice to see Kenan in the DC Asian Month Celebration issue. Avery is going to be in Justice Incarnate at least (unsurprising considering she was created by Williamson). So fucking bummed that Superman Family Adventures cartoon didn't happen, they were going to have Kenan and John Henry Irons in it! Would've been a dream come true for me to see Irons in animation again, and Kenan making the jump to outside media! Maybe that would've encouraged DC to let Yang keep writing New Super-Man, or at least encouraged them to use him elsewhere instead of allowing him fall into Limbo.

Unfortunately I'm not sure what the future holds for Kenan. Jon is being pushed as Clark's replacement in the comics, with DC keeping all the other contenders such as Kon benched. Calvin is leading the Justice Incarnate team likely due to the upcoming Coates reboot that will make Clark black. Val will probably get something once Taylor leaves Jon's book or once they officially announce the HBO Max show is happening. So where does that leave Kenan, my new favorite PoC legacy hero? Currently my only hope is that Yang is working on something for DC involving him. Yang left Batman/Superman, where I was hoping to see a Baxi/Kenan team up, to go work on "exciting other opportunities" per his Twitter. So fingers crossed that there's something in the works for Kenan!

One day I hope he gets his day in the sun again.

[mrslittletall]

I am now writing a small review for Bug Fables - The Everlasting Sapling. Characters and Story

The main trio were some of the best characters I have seen in video games. They started out a bit dysfunctional, barely knowing each other, but grew into a really good team and really close friends over the course of the game. I also liked that their relationship stayed purely platonic, not a single time I thought there was a ship worthy moment, they very much felt like friends that are welded by fire. A lot of the other characters also were really adorable, like the other explorations teams and Elizant II had a really cool arc in my opinion. I was really impressed by Zasp, but sadly that also means that I need to talk about...

Mothiva! What were they thinking?! I am not opposed to the rival character, but Mothiva started out as bitch and stayed a bitch during the whole game and I never understood why Zasp kept simping for her! Then the story! The main motivation were finding out more about the team, especially Vi and Leif. Leif probably had the best arc in the whole game, Vi's arc was also pretty good, but Kabbu got the short end of the stick. We didn't learn that much about him and during his shining moment he acted kinda out of character, only for the narrative to make sense. The story started out as treasure hunt, but had some foreshadowing already, only to take a really dark turn at the last possible moment with the last area, going pretty much eldritch horror. It worked, it very much worked, but I also have some issues with certain parts of it. Chapter 5 and 6 were really strange, especially Chapter 5 had some things that turn out to be problematic when you think about it. And the main villain wasn't properly set up, even his back story was hidden in the spy notes. The only reason why it felt good to beat him up was, because he stole all we worked for, but other than that, there wasn't that much chemistry of him being the main villain. In short, Bug Fables is one of the games where the GREAT characters save the story that starts to struggle a bit on the last stretch. The dynamic of the team is amazing and that you could let them talk in every single room was amazing. Every game should have that. Music Okay, I don't have any complains here. The music is AWESOME! So many catchy tunes, I found myself going to Youtube every time I beat a new boss to listen to the tunes. Every major boss (outside of the bounties) has its own musical theme and I am a sucker for unique boss themes. The area themes also were fantastic and I loved to listen to them. Snakemouth Den reminded me a lot of Link's Awakening, then my husband came and said "Reminds me of Undertale" and it happened throughout the whole game. The composer clearly got influenced a lot by other games and used it to their best abilities to compose a fantastic OST. I will listen to it a long time after I finished playing the game. Gameplay The gameplay is consisting of two parts. Overworld puzzles and battles. Battles function like in Paper Mario. Turn based combat with quick time event attacks. The attacks are quick and easy to perform and you can block enemy attacks. Everything can be done super well when you have tight timing, so there was always suspense in the battles. You also got a bunch of skills to use to cause more damage or weaken the enemy or heal and you can use items to heal or cause damage. The battle system was fun, especially because the enemies all had different attack types and the team often had to combine their attacks to take them down. I loved the "relay turn" mechanic, where a member could give up their turn to another member. However, the member who did two turns in a row would deal less damage, so you had to think how to use it. What I didn't like that much, the main attacks pretty much stayed the same the whole game. It would have been nice for these bugs to get a little upgrade for them outside of skills. Later battles pretty much have to be fought with skills, or you would fight forever, because of the high HP the enemies have. You also have a medal system, where you practically equip advantages in battles. It was a fun system and you could try out a lot of different builds. I went with a build that was Kabbu as tank, Leif as supporter and Vi as damage dealer. Now onto the puzzles. Our bugs all have different abilites to use and they used them to solve all kind of puzzles, but sometimes the puzzles were a bit ....abritrary. Sometimes I genuinely had to look up the solution to a puzzle because I never would have gotten the solution on my own. While I could solve most puzzles on my own, I had to look up solutions three or four times. I got especially mad at the book puzzle in the Rubber Prison, because it is really EASY to run past that shelf

where you have to put the books in and I ran through the whole prison three times before I found out that there is a shelf where you can interact with. The world also had some strange twists and turns, where you could move in hidden alleyways even though it looked like solid wall... That was strange. At least the game had lots of optional stuff to do, with tons of sidequests to fulfil, some of them even having important story value (Leif's Request for example), you could find five bounties to fight, there is an optional card game that is NOT "conquer the area" (I am so bad at these kind of card games) and even a post game where you can finish up all your quests and get a few new very challenging fights. Final Thoughts I very much enjoyed this game. I was very motivated to play through it, especially once I hit chapter 4, I finally wanted to solve the mystery of the sapling and the mystery of Leif and I just wanted to see the artifacts come together. I had fun with the gameplay, I liked the music, the puzzles were a bit infuriating sometimes and my controller was janky and made me go "uuugh" a few times as well. The world building in this game was a bit barebones though, because they put it all in lore books instead of showing me through the world. The lore books could be found anywhere and then brought back to the library where they could be read. They gave all the info about the world of Bugaria and stuff like why the ladybugs are banned from the ant kingdom and why only bees and wasps fly, but I wonder why that couldn't be told in the game? It would have been easy to just add some dialogue that explains that other bugs can't fly anymore for example. But mostly, I was fine with it. I got a lot of the information I wanted and I can live with reading lore books, it's better than nothing and there was a bit of environmental storytelling as well. I really enjoyed this. And also, some foreshadowing in Snakemouth Den is the freaking best I've seen in quite some time. This game isn't perfect, no, but it also is pretty damn enjoyable. I would say, the game could be better, yeah, but in a positive way. This game could get great if it tried more, but it is pretty damn enjoyable like it is. If I had to give it a score, I would probably go for an 7 or 8/10.

[author-morgan]

For the character ask meme: Ivarr (AC) and Halfdan (Vikings) 🧡

Ivarr the Boneless (Assassin's Creed: Valhalla)

First impression: Oh no, because honestly, I just knew he was going to be one of my problems from the start. Having the same hairstyle as Halfdan definitely didn't help either. From the start, I thought Ivarr was cruel (as he should be) and wasn't the right person to mentor Ceolbert, and as it turned out, I was right about that. But boy, let me tell you, I was devastated by the end of the Sciropscire arc, and honestly didn't see that twist coming, or maybe I was just too blinded by my love for Ivarr. Impression now: Not much has changed. I still like him after everything. In short, this gremlin bastard (affectionate) is my husband and I will love him forever. Favorite moment: All of them? Even that moment, too. I love him so much, jfc. His introduction in the cut scene is iconic, very memorable, and sets the tone and humor for his character. "Fashion a new crown and stick it on your melon. There you have it. You're the new king." I also really enjoyed the backstory he tells Eivor while they ride to kill Rhodri about how he got his scar. Idea for a story: I'm a complete slut for opposites attract, so I think it would be interesting to have a story where Ivarr goes soft for a kindly woman and struggles to learn and show affection in a 'normal' way. lbr, Ivarr's current idea of romance would be bringing you the severed head of an enemy. Also, obviously, an AU where Ceolbert doesn't die (or at least doesn't die by Ivarr's hand). I also think it would be interesting to explore what would happen if Ivarr had lived to participate in the final battle and if his presence could have meant Ubba lived. Unpopular opinion: I feel it's a simple opinion, but Ivarr is a good character. I think a lot of people take that with respect to his actions and personality. Is Ivarr a good person? No, his morals are wack and he legit enjoys killing and torturing people. It's like Ramsay from GoT, he's not a good person, but he's a good character. Favorite relationship: The mentorship Ivarr and Ceolbert have. I think Ivarr really cared for the boy, even admitted to Eivor Ceolbert was like a son, and though his methods aren't traditional you can see in-game that Ivarr was doing his best to train Ceolbert to be a good warrior. Favorite headcanon: Ivarr didn't always wear his hair in the sidecut. After being scarred by Rhodri he was ashamed that a Briton left a mark on him —a fierce drengr— so he always made sure his hair covered the scarred half of his face. The moment word reached him the Rhodri became king though? Ivarr's outlook changed, he shaved half his hair and wore the scar proudly, for it was given to him by a king.

Halfdan the Black (Vikings)

First impression: At first, I was unsure about him (and Harald). I knew they were being introduced as 'villains',' or at least as a threat to Ragnar's rule and legacy, but he grew on me, really fast, because it was hard not to love this crazy bastard. And lo and behold, he became my favorite character. It was the scene where he throws an egg at Harald that completely sold me. He was just a true Viking, wanting to raid and explore, but felt obligated by blood to help his brother achieve his dreams until Björn presented the opportunity to go with him to the Mediterranean. Impression now: I get inexplicably happy every time he's on-screen. Really deserved more screen time, and had the best character development in season 5. Must protecc at all costs, from himself and his brother. I love him...a lot. Favorite moment: Too many, but the opening of season 5 episode 10 when he and Harald are singing before the battle, and there's the sense of overwhelming dread between them and everyone listening. That moment just really stands out to me and I shed a tear every time because it's like Halfdan already knows he's going to die by his brother's hand. Idea for a story: So like definitely the obligatory, Harald doesn't kill his brother in battle AU. And ohhh, let see. I've tossed around a few ideas with an OC story with Halfdan, never written anything out for it. But the premise would be Halfdan, who's never really thought of marriage and isn't very good with women, gets completely taken for a loop when he meets a strong shieldmaiden. There'd be like a one-sided love triangle with Harald thinking he has a chance and being slightly jealous of his brother. It could happen one day once my WIPs settle down. Unpopular opinion: Simply because I've seen some disrespect on my man's name in the past ✋🏻but Halfdan is one of the most attractive character on the show. Favorite relationship: Halfdan and Harald —I love their brotherly moments and every time they sing 'my mother told me...' my heart leaps. Would 100% watch a spin-off series set in that span of time after the failed Paris raid and before the first journey to the Mediterranean of these two conquering kingdoms and being absolute murder bros. Halfdan and Björn is another friendship I didn't expect to love as much as I did. Initially, I thought it was a ploy between he and Harald to try to kill Björn, but that wasn't the case at all, no, what we got was a strong friendship that Halfdan ended up dying for. Favorite headcanon: Halfdan was a better brother to Harald than Harald was to Halfdan. And a bonus one that's really just some speculation on my part: the scar on Halfdan's neck is from a rope. It's too long to just be from a cut getting stitched and too clean around the edges for it to be from a cut being burned shut, so it's a friction burn. In short: headcanon that Halfdan was almost lynched by someone and was saved last minute by Harald but bore the scar for the rest of his life. (And how poetic/ironic is it that it's along the same scar that his brother killed him).

[averagetumbledryeruser]

Let's talk about the New Paradigm Dalek problem.

Before we can even begin to imagine a starting point, it'll be a good attempt by firstly understanding the entire point of the New Paradigm Daleks in the lore. So, now that the last of the Time War Daleks are finally down to the last three, they're able to devise a surprisingly different type of strategy to, instead of wanting to destroy Earth for the 50th time, but to only have one main goal - rebuilding the Dalek empire. This is actually a good idea for a Dalek story, even if it follows the basic plot that we've seen for each Dalek story in NewWho series 1-4. This time, they're successful in their efforts and have actually rebuilt the New Paradigm Dalek models, five Dalek mutants, each with their respective casing which is now stronger than ever. How is this established? Because they are seen exterminating their own, outdated, kind. Now, to make things even clearer, they are also able to outsmart The Doctor and escape. This is a big deal in the timeline of the Daleks. It's the rebirth of the deadliest creatures in the universe. They're everywhere, not near to extinction anymore and ready to use their strongest technology yet to destroy anything in their way. So, what do they do? Do they finally kill the Doctor? Exterminate all life on Earth with about a million New Paradigm Daleks to finally finish what they started years ago? No. They just disappear and now only have one purpose - to be used as a reoccurring name in Doctor Who episode titles to bring some viewers in. This is exactly where the Dalek problem is, they have no purpose anymore, no arc and no threat to the Doctor or the universe. We occasionally hear about Dalek death camps and other Dalek-related POIs, but that's about it. They don't seem to be doing anything and yet they're more powerful than ever, unstoppable even. So what happened? Well, that's a big question unfortunately.

It comes down to a few major points which I'll try to summarise as much as possible. So, now that Moffat has established these big new Daleks, a fresh new look, a fresh new concept and hopefully new stories to come, what happens next? Well, nothing. We instantly hit a dead end. Why? The new design of the Daleks. The audience decided they didn't like the look, which is fair enough, but this brought a lot of criticism. Criticism which should hopefully be put to sleep because good ol Moffat will prove that his new idea is worth sticking with right? Ah, I see, they've already been almost completely written out of the show in the next 2 series. The Time War Daleks are also back again, to give the audience what they missed, but this now brings a giant new problem. Don't get wrong, the marketing side of DW absolutely loved these new designs, with branding and figures coming from left, right and everywhere else but that just wasn't enough to carry this along. With the Time War Daleks being back, now mixed with the occasional New Paradigm Daleks, it brings the question - Why do the Daleks need them? What changed the minds of the first New Paradigms that exterminated their own kind to now wanting to rebuild these outdated, weaker models? This makes absolutely no sense in the terms of lore as the Daleks have always wanted the most effective ways of exterminating the inferior species - everything else.

To make this worse, the Doctor doesn't do anything either. He pretends as if they just don't exist, which to be honest, feels near to the truth at this point. But, seriously, he doesn't even bat an eye. How did the post-war Time Lord that wanted to hunt and kill every last Dalek now not even give a damn about the state of the new Dalek Empire. Or, Dalek Empires, should I say. That's right. It's quite obvious that the Daleks in 'Asylum Of The Daleks' are not connected to the Daleks in 'The Magician's Apprentice'. And now, things are even worse. We have CLASSIC DALEKS. Mixed with Time War Daleks. What? The only reason for this is for fan service, but please just do the fans a favour and not ruin the timeline any further, Moffat. Up to series 10, the Daleks had become a joke. The Doctor didn't care, the viewers didn't care because they didn't hold any threat anymore and, hell, even the DALEKS didn't care. They barely even try to kill the Doctor, or do anything else significant for that matter.

You'd think that with this new rebirth we'd have a brand new arc on our hands, a battle of survival between the Doctor and the Daleks but instead, with Moffat scrapping the idea due to criticism, we got nothing. For 5 seasons. We have no idea on the scale of the Daleks, nor the power they hold and I doubt we ever will unless a new showrunner finally gives them justice.

So, talking about show runners, let's talk about Chibnall and the Daleks. Series 11's special brought back a single Dalek, a new type from the Classic Era that built a brand new casing for itself. For the first time in 5 seasons, a Dalek actually felt dangerous. It overpowered a lot, before eventually coming to a defeat by the climax and, of course, dying. In series 12's special, we saw the Daleks in a brand new light. Now, love or hate Chibnall's writing, I'd have to say that this was the first Dalek story in ages that seemed to hold the slightest bit of significance. I'm assuming you've seen it, so I'll skip the explanation, but what I will say is that the Daleks did seem dangerous for a short amount of time. Even the returning Time War Daleks carried a lot of power and had a similar attitude to the RTD Daleks. So, looking into the future, what do we need to see? Chibnall may create a final Dalek special before leaving after the BBC's 100 year special. What could that see? Well, I don't have an answer. I do hope that it concluded the new design Daleks we've been introduced to somehow. Afterwards, with a new showrunner, we need to see something much more ambitious that finally solves this Dalek problem. We have no clear definition of a timeline anymore, are they Time War Daleks? New Paradigm? These new Recon Daleks? Classic Daleks? Different factions? We just don't know anymore. The Daleks need a purpose. They need to cause harm to the Doctor Who universe again to finally be seen as a threat, in some way or another. Anyway, that's enough of whatever that was, so to summarise - Moffat ruined the Daleks. Sorry.

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

Scars That Heal || Eddie Kaspbrak x Reader Series

• Ch. 4: Bust A Move •

TRIGGER WARNINGS: sexual assault implications. This very first scene with Beverly involves her and her father, and her fear of him doing something to her. If you'd like to skip I have marked the end of the encounter with this: [●●●] When you see this marker, that means it is over and you can read the rest of the chapter in peace. This chapter will begin with this scene so if you are skipping, proceed to scroll until you see the marker.

A/N: you certainly will not hurt my feelings if you skip the scene. This was a very difficult mindset to get into myself and I struggled a lot emotionally with writing it. But I promise, the rest of the chapter is heartwarming and fun and overall is the foundation of friendships and significant to Y/n's arc, her induction into the Losers Club [including her link to Henry and what "makes her a loser" and the budding relationship between her and Eddie.

WORD COUNT: So big I had to add a word count, 7849. Oof, take some breaks peeps.

×××

    With a terrible sinking feeling and a churning stomach, Beverly walked through her front door. She tightened her grip on the plastic bag she held behind her back, praying her father wasn't around to see what she had bought. As she crept through her apartment, scanning for any signs of life, she absentmindedly heard the words of the children's program echoing throughout the residence.

    "Toilet and bath water travel down the drains and into the sewer." The front closed, not as quietly as Bev had hoped. "The sewer is a fun place to play with all of your friends. Just follow the water into the drains and down into the sewers you go."

     The words of the cheerful program hostess echoed off the walls and went unnoticed by Bev. "When you're with your friends in the sewers, you can be as silly as a clown!"

    She poked her head cautiously into the living room, it was empty.

   "That's right, it's the word of the day."

    Bev walked quickly and briskly down the hall, nearing the safety of the bathroom when the large looming figure of her father appeared. Beverly met his eye, fear settling in her chest as she gulped.

    "Hi, Daddy." Her voice came out in a choked whisper, a side only her father could bring out in her.

    "Hey, Bevvie." His eyes flickered down at her grocery bag and back up at her. "Whatcha got there?"

    Her eyes fluttered down to the concealed box of tampons in the bag, knowing, no, dreading this day. This is what she had feared would happen. Why, she cursed herself. Why the fuck hadn't she just done this in the safety of Y/n's apartment?

    "Just some things,"

    "Like what?" He took the bag from her hands and rifled through.

    He grinned suddenly and his eyes zeroed in on Bev. She felt her whole body stiffen in terror. He knew now. And there was no telling what he would do. Her eyes drifted to the wall behind him, and there they stayed, much too frightened to look him in the eye. His rough and calloused hand touched the side of her face and she fought her instincts to recoil, knowing better.

    He brought her in close, and he closed his eyes. He took a long lingering sniff of her hair and she felt the icy cold grip of fear grasp her heart. Tears pooled in her eyes and his hand fell to her long red hair, and he now held it in his palm. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up, fear prickling her skin and he stroked her red locks with his thumb, possessively.

    "Tell me you're still my little girl."

   Two little words, she told herself. Two little words she had to say and it and he would be on his way. Hopefully.

    "Yes, Daddy."

    "Good."

    His palm returned to the side of her face, and he motioned her away. A flooding sense of relief washed over her and she slipped around him and disappeared into the safety of the bathroom.

    Her palms gripped the sink, and the running faucet almost completely covered the noise of her distraught sobs. Her salty tears that fell from her cheeks landed in the sink and were carried down the pipes along with the rest of the running water. A long and slender pair of silver scissors lay next to her palm on counter. With a shaky hand, she brought the scissors up to her loose hair.

    The hair that he strokes, the hair that he smells, and the same fucking hair that draws every unwanted eye in town, including her own father. Grasping a long lock of hair, she hesitated. Only once. But countless memories flooded her at once. How many times he looked at her, how he looked at her. No. No more.

    She snipped a lock of hair and she smelled the whiff of freedom it brought. The feeling disappeared just as quickly as it had come but and was soon replaced by more spite. Spite and fear.

    "This is what you did," she whispered, cutting another chunk of hair. "This is what you..."

    She grabbed another chunk of hair, eagerly. Desperately.

    "This,"

    Another lock gone.

    "And this,"

    She kept her eyes on the sink, watching wisps of orange hair circle the drain before disappearing. She angrily grasped larger chunks of hair, working feverishly. The hair fell from her head so fast, it began to pile up in the sink. Sobs racked her body and her hand returned to her head and she realized there was no more.

    For the first time she let her herself look at her reflection. There stood a sad and frightened young girl. Beverly ran a hand through her shortened hair, lingering on her scalp as she adjusted to the new feeling. Her once long and gorgeous head of hair was no more, choppy and uneven curls was all that was left. It was short and messy, not unlike hair she'd find on most boys at her school.

    Good.

[●●●]

    Y/n didn't know why she bothered looking in her drawers for clothes, she barely had any in the first place. Decent clothes at least, just about everything she owned was second hand and it was not uncommon that they were torn slightly in places.

    She wondered why the hell she was nervous in the first place. Then her fingers found the familiar nylon of the swimsuit fabric, and she sighed. Right.

    Y/n and Bev had agreed to go swimming with a bunch of boys they barely knew. It wasn't that hard to connect the dots when they mentioned where they were going, it was the quarry after all. But it never quite dawned on her until now, that she was going swimming with several boys she barely knew. Even though Bev would be there, that wasn't exactly a comfort. She never quite had her friend's confidence.

    Despite her home life and all the nasty whispers that floated through town, Beverly didn't let it affect how she saw herself, a quality Y/n admired. The same couldn't quite be said for herself. She could barely afford to go to school at Derry High, her family worked paycheck to paycheck just to send her to school. And she didn't like to talk about it, but Beverly had time and time again lent her money for little things that she couldn't afford herself. In fact, she had a few old jackets and shoes that Beverly had given her.

    The two girls were more than thankful for their friendship, both a perfect fit for one another, like two pieces of a puzzle. Each of them were able and willing to give the other what they could provide, whether it was some borrowed money, or a safe haven away from a leering father, and of course a never ending source of love and support. But of course, occasionally, no matter how hard she fought, the little green monster wormed its way into her mind. It always managed to pluck her most treasured memories with Bev, and stain it with jealousy, rotting it with envy and disgust. It picked at her confidence and fed her venomous lies that completely contorted their friendship.

    Like the only reason people knew about her was because she was friends with Beverly. It was the beautiful Beverly Marsh and ol' What's Her Face. She would occasionally catch herself wishing she could draw attention like that, but she quickly dismissed it. No, she shook her head, ridding herself of the thought, no it's not worth it. She reminded herself of all the horror stories she had heard from Bev, and had witnessed for herself, in the many years of their friendship.

    Sure, she was easily noticed by cute guys at her school, and that was fun and exciting at her age, but she was also noticed by older men. Men like Mr. Keene, and he was only one example in dozens of men all over town. Not to mention her own father. Any time the little green monster returned, it diminished itself in the pity Y/n felt for her best friend. But that didn't mean it wasn't hard for Y/n to hear the many names she had been called. "Filthy little tramp!"

    And not to mention the countless side glances followed by surprise from boys - and girls - that she had in fact been there standing next to Bev the whole time, and they only just noticed her. She was always the sidekick. "So ditch the street rat and we'll go to the movies, you and me."

    Anytime anybody thought she couldn't hear them, they spoke ill of her. Hell, not even then, most people didn't care if she overheard. Usually, they were trying to persuade Bev in one way or another to leave her behind.

   "What is she, your little puppy dog? Just tell her you're sick or somethin' and you're home free,"

   "Look, you're friend seems... nice, but she doesn't fit in with us. Either come alone or don't come at all."

    Of course, Beverly never bought into that crap. Y/n was too important to her, she was Beverly's saving grace after all. And there was no way in hell she would let anyone talk about Y/n that way.

   "Then I guess I'm not coming." She'd reply. "If you really need a date so bad just take the stick up your ass,"

    Y/n smiled at the memory. Oh, how she relished in the shock on their faces. That particular comeback had them running away with giddy laughter as they wove through the halls, the angry trio of boys after them. They found sanctuary in a small hiding spot behind the school where they remained until the trio gave up and went home with slightly deflated egos.

    This was another reason Y/n was ashamed to have these thoughts, Beverly clearly cared for her and would be very upset to know she thought these things of herself.

    As Y/n pulled her worn out jean shorts over her bathing suit, she searched her bed for the t-shirt she had set aside. She slipped it on and as she looked in the slightly cracked mirror she felt a small bud of confidence blooming in her chest.

    Beverly had her back, and she had hers. And she knew if Richie ever made some comment about her, Bev would shut it down if she hadn't first. The bud of confidence spread in her chest as she could feel herself being persuaded.

    That was, until she noticed the tag on the outside of her shirt. She sighed exasperated, and quite frankly, rather exhausted. Y/n hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night. If she tried hard enough, she was able to push the memory to the back of her mind and forget, but only for the day. Then of course, if was time for her to go to bed. Then every detail of what she saw, what she felt, was amplified in the silence of her room. She flinched at every creek in the walls, every car that passed by.

    And she didn't dare move her feet out from under her blankets, no matter how hot she felt. Of course, this ended up being one of the reasons it was difficult to fall asleep.

    Y/n counted herself lucky she fell asleep at all. And yet, the thought of being unconscious, completely unguarded and unprepared, where anything could happen - anything could get her - was just as unsettling. She wished Beverly was there with her, but she knew she had to sleep alone eventually.

    Right on cue, she heard the soft rap on wood come from down the hall in the living room. Beverly was here. Casting one last glance at her reflection, and her shirt now fixed, Y/n took a deep breath and made her way to the front door. She made the mistake of glancing at the carpet and the faded red stain and she felt a sudden prick of fear in her heart and the sudden hyper-awareness of her injury. Trying not to give it much thought, she took a deep breath returning her attention to the door, swiftly stepping over the spot on the carpet.

    Her attention focused on undoing the many locks on the door, she failed to notice her friend's new look through the window. It came as quite a surprise to Y/n, having only known Beverly with long hair. She would have brought it up if it wasn't for the look on Beverly's face.

    Her eyes were on the ground and when the door opened, Bev slowly met Y/n's eye. She recognized the look in Bev's eye, a look that screamed 'I really don't want to talk about it right now.' A look she had given to her not too long ago herself. Y/n plastered on a smile and broke the small moment of silence.

    "You ready?"

×××

    Richie Tozier does not hold back when it comes to spitting contests. Himself, Stan, Bill, Ben, and Eddie were standing at the cliffs edge, stripped down to their underwear and Richie was first up to bat. He did not shy away from whatever method he needed to conjure the spitball, no matter the foul noises he made in the process. He reeled back and launched the spitball over the cliff, and the rest of the boys followed suit.

    Eddie flinched when his own mucus landed on the rocks near his feet.

    "Oh, my God, that was terrible. I win." Richie exclaimed.

    Eddie looked at him, dumbfounded. "You won?"

    "Yeah."

    "Did you see my loogie?"

    "That went the farthest!" Richie argued, gesturing where he spit. "It's by distance."

    "Mass. It's always been mass."

    Richie began sputtering in disbelief, but Eddie continued.

    "Who cares how far it goes? It matters how cool it looks, like it's green or it's white or juicy and fat."

    Ben cringed, and he met eyes with Bill who gave him a look that said 'see what I have to put up with?' He shook his head, shutting down the conversation before it continue further.

    "Who's first?"

    There was a brief moment of silence and the boys looked over the cliff into the emerald waters, contemplating the jump.

    "I'll go!"

    They turned their heads to see Beverly Marsh and Y/n L/n. Beverly had been the one to speak and she dropped her bike to the ground before discarding her dress. Their eyes widened and Beverly smiled.

    "Sissies," she laughed.

    She broke into a light jog, the boys parting like the red sea and she launched herself off the cliff.

    "What the fuck!" Richie exclaimed.

    They looked at the water in which Beverly had disappeared, completely dumbfounded. Suddenly and in perfect sync, they looked to Y/n, almost expecting to see her do something equally surprising but she merely gave them an odd look. She set down her bike and shifted on her feet uncomfortably.

    "What?"

    They all broke out of their gaze, rather obviously, and tried to look anywhere but her, knowing they'd been caught.

    She had to remind herself that she wasn't the only one who would be undressed, and everyone else, besides herself, already was. Taking advantage of their distracted nature, she quickly slipped off her shorts and t-shirt, making sure to slip out of her shoes as well.

    "Come on!" Beverly's voice was distant, but it grabbed everyone's attention.

    Bill was the next to make the jump, followed by Ben. Next was a less than eager Stan, leaving Richie, Eddie and Y/n who had cautiously joined them at the edge. Richie looked between Eddie and Y/n, then back to the water.

    He sighed deeply, taking a step forward and removing his glasses, and tossing them on his pile of clothes.

    "Well, fuck" He took a deep breath and jumped off the cliff, leaving Eddie and Y/n alone.

    They shared an equally nervous look with a few uneasy smiles. Y/n peered over the edge, scanning the water for a safe space to land. As she waited for the moving figures of Richie and Stan swimming away from the landing zone, Eddie couldn't help but look at her. Observing the small crinkle of her brow and how unsure she felt, he felt his own fears vanish. Something inside him wanted to make her feel less nervous, and perhaps that was his own way of deflecting his own fears but he didn't care.

    "I'll go if you go," he offered.

    She looked at him in slight surprise, and a small smile tugged at her lips. Y/n looked between Eddie and the water, shifting weight off of her bad leg. This smile was less forced, and genuine, it was thankful. And Eddie felt a wave of nerves bubbling in his stomach, not at the jump, but the kindness in her eyes, and the way she mentally built herself up.

    She nodded and they both gazed at the lake below, everyone was looking at them now. They had cleared a space and Eddie and Y/n could hear the remarks being made by their friends.

    "On three?" She asked, quirking a brow.

    "On three." He nodded, backing up slightly. "One,"

    Y/n suddenly shook her head, stepping back and spoke at a rapid rate, cutting Eddie off.

    "Fuck, if I wait that long I'll change my mind. Let's go," Without warning, she grabbed his hand and jumped off the cliff, giving him no choice but to jump with her.

    It never even occurred to Eddie that he could have let go of her hand.

    Eddie felt his heart leap into his throat and he was certain time stopped still as he was suspended in air. Perhaps it was the sudden change in view and the fact he was practically pulled off the cliff and how high he was above the water, or maybe it was her hand around his - no, nope. It was the height, definitely the height.

    On their way down he gasped in fear at the rapidly approaching water and he felt her hand leave his as she braced for impact. Eddie tried not to think of the millions of germs in the water, and he could feel the thousands of bubbles grazing his body as he sunk deeper into the water. When he emerged he gasped for air, reminding himself to steady his breathing, less he have an asthma attack. He realized his throat was sore and that he must have screamed the whole way down.

    He looked round at the cheering figures of his friends, whooping and cheering them on. Though he tried not to panic when he counted only five figures above the surface. Just before he could ask where she was, Y/n burst out of the water next to Ben, gasping for air.

    "Holy shit!" She wiped her face with her hand, clearing the drops of water obstructing her vision.

    "Took you long enough," Bev smirked.

    Richie nodded. "Yeah, too bad you guys missed out. We were just about to pack it up and call it a day."

    Eddie rolled his eyes and Y/n sunk further into water, all the way up to her nose.

Y/n concentrated on kicking her legs and her arms moved back and forth under the water keeping herself afloat. The others, specifically Richie and Eddie, had already launched into another debate.

    "Do you have any idea, how filthy this water is. We'll be lucky if we don't contract something, I am serious right now. So forgive me if I am a little hesitant to jump into this cesspool of germs and bacteria. Not to mention the several loogies that are floating around here somewhere, or did you forget already?"

    "Oh sure, now you're worried about loogies, Mr. 'juicy and fat'"

    Bev, who had begun looking around her in confusion and slight concern, spoke up. "Loogies?"

    "Juicy and fat?" Y/n asked disgusted, her face scrunched up, looking questioningly between Richie and Eddie.

    Eddie blinked once, and shook his head. Desperate to change the subject, he diverted his attention back to Richie, pretending Y/n hadn't heard that.

    "Besides, if we weren't careful enough, we could have seriously hurt ourselves jumping from that height. Even if we knew there were no rocks in the water, a fall from from anything higher and we could have died, I'm not doing that shit again. If you want to go swimming, fine by me, but I'm not jumping anymore, I'll just meet you guys down here."

    "Don't be such a drama queen Eds, you jump a million times if it meant you had a pretty hand to hold on the way down and you know it, "

    Y/n looked to Richie, her brows furrowing and she was thankful the water was already concealing her pink cheeks. Eddie, unfortunately did not have the same luxury.

    "Fuck you, Richie,"

    Richie smirked. "Eddie, please, now's not the time for romance."

    Eddie's face scrunched up and he splashed Richie in the face, who had began chuckling at his friends response. Immediately, he retaliated with a splash of his own. Unfortunately, it hit Stan who frowned, and splashed back. It wasn't long before the entire group was involved, save for Y/n who was giggling off to the side where she was free of any water hitting her face.

    "Alright, alright," Stan waved his arms around, signaling for a truce. "Alright!"

    Everyone settled down and the water began to calm.

    "We should-" Stan was briefly interrupted by splash to the face, and he stopped to glare at Richie and sighed, wiping his face. "Chicken, we have enough people, who wants to play?"

    "Me against wheezy first," Richie jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at Eddie, who had in fact been wheezing. "I need to defend my title and he made it awfully clear last time he thought he could take me,"

    "I can asshole, I already told you. I had an asthma attack, if I hadn't I would have won and you know it."

    "Wanna prove it?"

    "Oh, it is so on, dickhead. Same circumstances, same partners, Stan come on!"

    Already regretting his decision to bring it up, Stan fell in line with the others as they entered shallow waters. Bill lifted Richie on his shoulders, and Stan lifted Eddie. Beverly had swam over to join Y/n and the two girls watched the chicken fight with great amusement.

    Y/n almost didn't notice the quiet figure of Ben, who had joined them off to the side. He had been neglecting to speak, but she recognized the longing look of wanting to fit in. She smiled, and swam over to join him. He seemed surprised she had joined him, but he returned the smile, albeit a bit nervously.

    "How's your stomach, Ben?"

    "Huh?" Ben gave Y/n a funny look, but before she count point out his stomach injury, it seemed to click "Oh! Oh, yeah, uh, it's feeling better, thank you. What about you? H-How's your leg?"

    "Better, thank you."

    A genuine smile tugged at her lips, feeling herself relax at the company of the boy. Y/n had barely known him, but she was intuitive enough to know that he was timid and kind. And though she was enjoying the new company of the other boys, it was nice to have a more relaxed presence. Though there was Stan, but Y/n had yet to get to know him.

    Their attention was pulled back to the chicken fight when they heard a sharp yelp and felt the water shift around them. And there sitting atop Stan's shoulders, waving his arms triumphantly was Eddie, whooping and hollering.

    A smirk grew on Y/n's face at this. It only grew wider when Richie emerged.

    "Foul!" Richie exclaimed, pointing at Eddie and shifting effortlessly into another persona. "Aaaaand Kaspbrak is outta the game!"

    "What? What the hell are you talking about?" Eddie asked, waving his arms slightly.

    "You pushed me, that's a foul."

    "That's the whole premise of the game! Of course I pushed you!"

    "You know what I mean, dillhole, you shoved my shoulders! That's a foul!"

    "No, that's allowed. The attackers get to use any means necessary to knock the opposer down, that's stated very clearly in the rules!"

    "Show me this rule book Eds, cause it's sounds an awful lot like you're making this shit up just because you can't win without playing dirty!"

    "Or maybe you just can't stand the fact that I beat you! I'm the one with the title now, aren't I?"

    "Oh, is that so-?"

    Ben, who had been growing uncomfortable from the heated argument, spoke up nervously. At least he tried to, but Y/n was the only one who heard him so she cleared her throat, grabbing everyone's attention. Ben seemed relieved.

    "Why don't we just do new teams?"

    "G-good idea," Bill spoke up, and he looked around the small group. "W-who wants t-to go next?"

    "Oh, I want to play!" Bev smiled walking against the water into the shallower parts of the water, but she stopped briefly, looking over her shoulder. "Ben, do you want to be my partner?"

    Ben tried to hide his blush, and he shyly nodded his head. "Uh, sure, yeah."

    Ben joined her, but she began looking around. "Alright, who's opposing?"

    Beverly caught Y/n's eye, and gestured hopefully over. Y/n smiled nervously and shook her head, her lips pressed into a firm line, and Bev shrugged.

    "Alright then, Richie, why don't you play us, if you're clearly an expert."

    "Gee, I would but my shoulders are killing me, I think I'm out for the season,"

    "Grow up, asshole, just go." Said Eddie, who had dismounted Stan's shoulders.

    "Well, since you asked so nicely," Richie said. "Bill, you're up."

    "W-why don't we let someone else g-go?"

    "Why? S'the matter with you?"

    Bill shrugged. "N-nothing. Just thought I'd l-let someone else go."

    Richie gave him an odd look but shrugged it off. "Fine,"

    Richie then spotted a Y/n, at least who he assumed was Y/n - he didn't have his glasses after all - who was hiding in the water, despite how shallow it was. It finally clicked that she had barely said a word since, well, since she and Bev showed up, he realized. She seemed different, she held herself differently than how she was in class. In class, she usually was able to keep up with his quick wit. He never told her this, but he enjoyed her company. He pegged her as someone who was quick witted and didn't take shit from anyone, and he admired that.

    But now she was quiet and reserved. Hell, she must be sitting on her ass right right now just to stay under the water. Richie didn't understand this. Now facing her, he dug his hand in the water and splashed her face, ripping her out of her thoughts, and she looked at him startled.

    She had to wipe away the fresh water droplets running down her face, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

    "What the hell?"

    "Come on, I need a partner and Denbrough bailed. You're up."

    She scoffed, slinking deeper into the water.

    "Come on, whatya', chicken?" He quipped, quirking an eyebrow.

    If he knew anything about this girl, she wasn't one to shy away went it came to making a comeback. Sure enough, she rolled her eyes and raised her head ever so slightly so her lips were above the water.

    "No, I'm not, that's why I'm not playing." She said snidely.

    He smiled triumphantly to himself, considering it a win he was able to get her to speak more than three words.

    "Come on, toots, it'll be fine. We'd make a great team!" He exaggerated a dopey grin and gestured for her to join him.

    Richie may have been blind as a bat, but he could tell she was considering it. She looked around at everyone, who was watching the exchange expectantly. Y/n didn't know if it was everyone's stares or the fact the fact she was genuinely tempted but she gave in and made her way over to him.

    Richie, who still wasn't completely sure is she was moving or not, gave her a cheeky wink, and pushed his luck even further. "I'll let you be on top,"

    Richie expected a comeback or a even a scoff from her, not a pair of hands roughly shoving him into the water by his shoulders. Naturally he figured, one of his friends had done this, tired of his antics and found a unique way to shut him up, but then he felt a pair of legs take a seat on his shoulders and he knew it was Y/n.

    Once he was sure she was secure he rose up out of the water, gasping for air when he reached the surface. The others, cheered her on, welcoming her to the fun.

     She nearly tipped over as he readjusted in the sand, but she grabbed onto his hair by his scalp and he winced.

    "Ah, watch it! I am quite fond of my scalp, you know,"

    "As long as you watch that trashmouth of yours Tozier, one more comment like that and I'll drown you," she peered over his head, giving him a light but slightly teasing glare.

    Nevertheless, she loosened her grip and he blinked a few times, his scalp tingling. "Duly noted,"

    Nobody seemed to hear the small chuckle that escaped Eddie who had been watching, quite impressed with her ability to shut the boy up. He'd have to ask her how she does it.

    "Alright, come on, we gonna play or what?" Bev asked, despite the grin that worked its way onto her face.

    She too was happy to see her friend coming out of her shell, she could tell she had been nervous and Richie proved to be a big help, much to her surprise.

    "It's on, we have got this in the bag!" Richie bragged, getting into position across from Ben.

    Richie cast a glance up to his partner and smiled cheekily, batting his eyelashes. "Right babe?"

    Immediately she whacked his head with her hand and he winced once more. "What did I just tell you?"

    "Alright, alright! Jeez," He tightened his arms around her legs, securing her in place and he took a step forward towards their opponents. "But do keep in mind, we are on the same team, you want to hit the other players"

    He missed the eye roll she gave, but nevertheless she smirked, shaking out her arms, getting ready for the match.

    Bill, who usually announced the beginning of a round, did just that. With one simple word, the girls locked in on one another, theirs hands interlaced and they each pushed with all their might.

    There were several close calls, on both teams, but they always persevered. Unexpectedly, Richie took a few steps back, and Ben, confused by his tactic, stepped forward after them. Though both of them moved slowly, their speed affected against the water, and Y/n nearly tipped over, but her balance was regained when Richie leaned forward and ran forward against the water, tipping Y/n forward and giving her more momentum.

    Catching Bev off guard she was able to prove successful in her efforts to push her over. Beverly came tumbling off of Ben's shoulders, and almost kicked the poor boy in the face on the way down. Richie and Y/n cheered victoriously, and even Ben cracked a smile at their unexpected move.

    Eddie, who had found himself rooting for them, despite his previous grudge against his old opponent, whooped and hollered at their win. Bill and Stan cheered as well, and Beverly broke the surface, a big smile on her face.

    Y/n had already forgotten her nerves and felt a swelling sense of comradery and a growing respect for her partner.

    "Alright, ready to put this to the ultimate test?" Richie asked, addressing his partner and the rest of the group. "New champs, versus old champs,"

    Y/n smiled, looking to Eddie and Stan hopefully, now completely invested in the fun. Eddie felt a swell of confidence and gave in, Stan joining him.

    "Fine, but no playing dirty," Eddie mocked, looking at Richie.

    Richie smirked. "No promises,"

    Eddie, who now struggled to climb onto Stan's shoulders, scoffed.

    Eventually, everyone was situated and Eddie suddenly felt a small flurry of butterflies in his stomach that he briefly mistook for nausea. But he realized that it was in fact butterflies when he saw Y/n opposite him. They were brought closer by their respective partners who stepped forward, preparing for the match. She glared playfully at him, a small smirk on her lips and she outstretched her arms ready to fight. He hadn't realized the match had begun until he was forced to scramble for balance on Stan's shoulders when she went for his arms.

    Their hands interlaced for the second time that day and now he was certain his racing heart was caused by this. Nevertheless, he pushed those feelings aside, reminding himself he wanted to beat Richie again, but the motivation to do so was weaker this time. Though he didn't let this shake his competitiveness so he matched her strength and the two laughed and grunted as they both tried desperately to push one another down.

     Each of them found the other to be a surprising match for themselves. They would often find themselves going for the same opportunities only for the other to be prepared for it. Everyone was now completely invested in the match, everyone cheering them on though they didn't quite know which team they were rooting for.

    Eventually, Stan and Richie had had the same idea and moved in closer in an attempt to push the limits. Both Richie and Stan were beginning to lose interest in who would win, eager to give their arms and legs a break. When they both moved in closer, hoping one of their partners would take advantage of the distance and strike, but once again the pair had the same idea. They leaned into the momentum, each giving one last push and much to everyone's surprise, they both fell on their backs, crashing against the water and earning a small sting from the contact.

    Y/n sunk into the water, slower and slower and she felt her back lightly hit the sand. She felt something graze her ankle, her bad ankle, and before she could stop herself her eyelids ripped open. She flinched in the water, pulling her leg away and she had to blink several times just to adjust to seeing underwater, her heart pounding in fear. But much to her relief, right where her ankle had been, she saw a piece of plastic poking out of the sand, swaying back and forth.

    She would have breathed a sigh of relief but she saved her breath and returned to the surface. She had already lost a small puff of air when she had inadvertently yelped at the contact the plastic had made with her foot.

    Her small panic seemed to have gone unnoticed by the group and everyone had begun milling about, getting lost in their own conversations.

    Y/n looked around at her new friends, and she felt a warmth grow in her chest. By now, she had joined them in deeper waters, once again slinking back into the water but this time it wasn't from fear of judgement but staying cool in the warm June sun. Everyone was lost in their own conversations but she knew she was just apart of this group as everyone else was. As she looked around at all the smiling faces, she relaxed.

    An unexpected laugh escaped her as she saw Eddie holding Richie under the surface and she swam over in their direction. Richie popped up for air and slapped the boy away, though he still wore a goofy grin. Eddie, unlike Richie, was unaware of her approach, a fact Richie declined to give away.

    Y/n was now just behind him, a sly grin on her face and Stan, who had noticed her intentions, called out Eddie making him turn around.

    Sure enough, he whirled around, his face half a foot away from Y/n and she splashed the unsuspecting Kaspbrak boy in the face. On instinct, he whirled back around, only for Richie to do the same and he desperately wiped his face.

    "What the hell is happening!" It came out in shriek that amused everyone in the group.

    Richie and Y/n both let out a chortle of laughter, and soon even Stan had joined in. Though he didn't know whether or not it was from the excitement he felt or the fact the trick he had fallen for that twice in a row, Eddie began to feel the effects of his friends contagious laughter ripple through himself. He shook his head, hoping the smirk he was fighting would be shaken off as well but no matter his efforts, is was glued on his face.

    Though something in Stan compelled him to get back at Richie - who was enjoying all too much the fact he now had help in teasing Eddie - that he decided to splash Richie without warning. Perhaps it was because he wanted to catch Richie off guard, like Richie had done to him earlier. No matter the reason, Stan enjoyed doing it anyway. Richie retaliated and and yet another water war had begun.

    Y/n wore a smile as bright and warm as the sun above her as she looked around at her new friends, more than grateful she had fallen down the steps and met these boys. Y/n chuckled at their antics, grabbing Eddie's attention. He hadn't realized he had been staring until she turned to meet his eye. His first instinct was to pretend he hadn't been looking but instead he broke eye contact briefly and chuckled weakly and he smiled at her.

    Y/n didn't seem to mind, and she smiled back and her shoulders moved slightly as she chuckled.

    "It's okay," His pulse quickened, scared she was speaking of his staring. "I won't splash you anymore,"

    He chuckled and nodded slightly, words failing him. He directed his attention to Richie and Stan and her gaze followed. They were both struggling to submerge the other under the water, past them, Bill and Beverly watched equally amused.

    Y/n yelped when she felt a small nip on her foot and she quickly retracted her leg. Oh, come on! She swam backwards, eyes scanning the water though it proved to be useless. The others joined her side, worried expressions on their faces.

    "W-what happened?"

    "What's wrong?"

    Eddie, who looked particularly worried and rather startled, knowing he would regret going swimming one way or another, began scanning the water backing up.

    "What! What is it?"

    "I think something bit me!"

    Everyone began shifting around the water and Ben, with a burst of bravery, disappeared under the water and began searching.

    Y/n was curious as to why these kids heard about something lurking in the water and biting and somehow thinking it was worth exploring, but a part of her was curious too. Bill soon joined the boy underwater and Y/n had almost begun to grow worried when Bill popped back up, pointing where Y/n had been.

    "It's a turtle!"

×××

    Not long after they kids found the turtle lurking at the bottom of the quarry, their skin began to prune and their limbs grew tired from swimming.

    The boys, who had come prepared with Bill's boombox and Eddie's towels, the kids had dried off. The boys had all found a spot on the rocks and after much persuasion, Beverly had convinced Y/n to sunbathe with her.

    Her confidence from earlier had waned, but at the time, the boys were far too distracted fighting over the radio channels and what they wanted it on.

    Tuning out the guys, Y/n allowed herself the distraction Beverly provided with small talk. The two had been laughing about the day's events and Y/n had even begun to drift off. She hadn't realized how tired she was until she had lied down. After all, she had only gotten roughly three hours sleep the prior night and her limbs had grown exhausted from swimming all day, her leg especially.

    Unaware of how much time had passed, Y/n stirred awake when she realized the lyrics of Young MC's Bust A Move had slipped into her subconscious.

   "These here's a jam for all the fellas, Tryin' to do what those ladies tell us,"

    Stan, Richie, Ben and Bill look on in disbelief at the two beautiful girls sunbathing before them. How did this happen, they wondered.

   "Get shot down cause ya overzealous, Play hard to get females get jealous,"

    Eddie, who had yet to find a seat, stood frozen next to the guys. He blinked several times, trying desperately to look anywhere but their direction, Y/n especially, though he couldn't help but steal a few glances. An act he felt ashamed of.

   "Okay smarty, go to a party, Girls are scantily clad and showin' body"

    Y/n felt a yawn escape her and she covered her mouth with the back of her hand out of habit, her eyelids fluttering open. She had to squint, her eyes readjusting to the light and her stomach did a small flip when she felt several pairs of eyes in her direction.

    Timidly, she turned her head slightly to see the boys all staring at them. She felt her skin flush and she was sure she had turned pink, but the boys seemed even more mortified and they looked away, pretending not to have been staring at them.

    Beverly's attention was drawn by the noise of several throats clearing, and she was aware of how silent it had been. She tilted her head and made eye contact with Y/n, giving her a knowing look from behind her sunglasses accompanied by a small smirk.

    Y/n sat up, her bad leg stretched out and she pulled her other leg close to her chest, while Beverly had rolled on to her stomach. Richie began digging though Ben's stuff, holding a fake microphone to his face.

    "News flash, Ben," he was now speaking in his posh reporter persona. "School's out for summa!"

    "Oh, that?" Ben asked, looking at the evidence he had collected from the library. "That's not school stuff."

    Richie pulled out a postcard of Derry, a picture of the standpipe on the back. "Who sent you this?"

    Before he could read what was written on the other side, Ben had snatched it back. "No one. Give it..."

    Richie didn't think much of it, his attention fell to the blue folder sticking out of Ben's backpack and he eagerly pulled the folder out.

    He opened it up, Stan and Eddie peeking over his shoulder to take a look.

    "What's with the history project?" Eddie asked, curiously.

    "Oh," Ben shrugged looking around at the group who was now listening intently. "When I first moved her, I didn't have anyone to hang out with,"

    As Ben spoke, Richie handed the folder to Bill who had shown interest.

    "so I just started spending time in the library."

    "You went to the library?" Asked Richie, his face scrunched up in confusion. "On purpose."

    Y/n scoffed. "Don't listen to him Ben, he's just insecure that he can't read above a fourth grade level."

    She sent Richie and smirk and a wink, knowing full well of his intellectual capabilities. Something she had picked up in the year spent in class with him. He was in fact a very bright kid, despite his poor manners and his inability to not speak out of turn. Richie just rolled his eyes.

    "Well, I wanna see." Beverly got up from her spot on her towel and took a seat next to Bill.

    Stan had caught a glimpse of the scratchy handwriting on the old photograph Bill and Bev were looking at.

    "What's the Black Spot?" He asked.

     "The Black Spot was a nightclub that burned down years ago by that racist cult."

    "The what?"

    "Don't you watch Geraldo?"

    Y/n chuckled at the utter disbelief and surprise on Eddie's face and Richie met her eye, joining in. He was just about to give him more grief when the pair heard Bill begin speak.

    "Y-y-your hair..." He had been talking to Beverly, but Y/n couldn't help but listen in, curious herself to why her friend had cut it.

    Before he could finish, Ben jumped in and Beverly peered over to meet his eye. He smiled warmly at her.

    "Your... Your hair is beautiful, Beverly."

    Her face had been neutral throughout the entire exchange but she smiled politely at the boy, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

    "Oh, right. Thanks."

    No one but Y/n seemed to notice the awkward looks exchanged between Ben and Bill, and her lips pressed into a firm line, feeling awkward having witnessed this herself.

    Richie, whose attention was still on the folder that was now going unread by Bill, gestured for it.

    "Here, pass it."

    Bill complied, folding it up and passed it back to Richie. Y/n used her hands to shift herself up onto her feet, walked over and took a seat across from Eddie, facing everyone in the group. Richie was now shifting through the folder, Stan leaning over his shoulder for a look.

    "Why is it all murders and missing kids?" Richie asked, passing the folder to Stan.

    Y/n, who had shifted off her bad leg, readjusting so she was leaning on her arms and her legs outstretched in front of her, was now listening intently to Ben.

    "Derry's not like any town I've ever been in before. They did a study once, and it turns out, people die or disappear six times the national average."

    Everyone had been listening, and the group all fell silent for a brief moment, a quiet shock falling over them. Bev was first to break the silence.

    "You read that?"

    Ben shifted on the rocks, ever so slightly, and nodded. "And that's just grown-ups. Kids are worse. Way, way worse."

    Y/n's eyes had fallen from Ben to the ground, where they trailed over to he bandaged ankle and she gulped.

    "I've got more stuff if you wanna see it." Ben offered.

    Eddie's gaze, which had been worriedly fixed on Y/n and the frowned etched on her face, was torn away to the others, shaking his head 'no' and hoping they didn't say yes.

    They did.

+++

@seasidecrowbar​​ @bevxmarsh​​ @supernovavisionary​​ @readyforitbitch​​ ​ @edsloveshisrichie​​​ @sivords​​​  @ravenclawsprincess​​​ @pigwidgexn​​​ @kricketwritesstories​​​  @sweetpeasserpentprincess23​​​ @plum-duels​​​ @edmunds-torch​​​ @eddiegaykaspbrak​​​ @rosi3e​​​ @welcome-to-derry​​​ @beepbeep-pennywise​​​ @candycorntroll​​​ @bibliophilesquared​​​ @ongaku-ato-kakikomi​​​ @cocastyle​​​ @peachysinnermon​​​ @mochibarnes​​​ @captainshazamerica​​​ @kaitlynjones12​​​ @songbird-writes​​​ @traceylader​​​ @eggytozier​​​  @annimalq​​​ @lexylovesfandoms​​​ @russian-romanova​​​ @paigey-mcfreedomly​​​ @whitetrash12345

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

[claymorecut]

Journey of a shipper: Kontae and how I fell for this ship?

OKAY! SO I'M FINALLY DOING THIS. Writing a long ass meta about this ship because hell, I love them and this ship is beautiful and I just need more content for this ship, so I'm making some myself! Before I start, it's just my opinion and I don't mean to offend anybody and second, I'm not a great analyst. I'm just going to ramble about stuff here and it's pretty long. So, enjoy!

I remember making this post about gintama ships back when I first started watching Gintama and I remember mentioning Kontae there. The sweet and kind guy falls for the hard-core and strong willed woman. A ship dynamic I really love. And their interactions, so damn funny I can't even say! And the 10 years gap didn't look like a big issue to me; they are both adults so I was okay with it. This ship looked funny to me, Kondou blushing, asking her to marry him, butt hair and all xD but also made me feel like "it may not get too far". But Idk why, I decided to stick with it. Because i was just so much in love with Kondou and Otae's characters. But in between all that, I really didn't see any kind of romance happening between these two and I was like maybe in an AU, they'd make a really good couple. It's not happening in Gintama 'cause I really don't see any kind of romance happening in this universe (and yet, I continued shipping xD)

But, I was wrong.

When the Yagyuu arc came and I watched episode 81. And my faith in this ship was restored. I know there were some ship-tease moments for gintae in the benizakura arc and the yagyuu arc but then this scene came:

I know, I know, it wasn't literal but what if it was? Well, that's not the question here. I was pretty surprised to hear this myself. Gintoki saying "She'll make it up to him" and Hijikata saying "She loves him. She's just playing hard to get" and all then Otae comes and saves Kondou from his Gorilla marriage. I got the verdict here tho. Maybe it was just for comedic purpose, maybe not. But still, it was enough for me to continue shipping them coz they looked hella cute and I just thought I'd just stick to it. Maybe, I'm gonna find something big soon. I found other ships like Hijimitsu and Gintsu! But that's a topic for another day.

AND, YES. I DID!

The pool arc came, which is like ep 217 and yes, nothing huge happened but remember how Gintoki was a making fun of Otae's breasts and how he wasn't interested in looking at her flat chest but Kondou, who was, like always, stalking her, then says he's ready to explore every part of her to find the nipple xD and Otae just punches him. Yeah that was funny. And then Tae later again comments that she can see right through Gintoki's actions and Gintoki retorts again by saying that he's not interested in her camel toe. Then this scene happens:

Kondou says he has no interest in camel toe and Tae again punches him while yelling "YOU DON'T?!"

Weird, right?

I know, it was weird for me too! But what can I say, these short details were what made me feel like maybe, JUST MAYBE, Tae has a thing for Kondou. Just look how offended she is. I know Kondou didn't mean to disrespect her neither was he rejecting her but I think Tae feels like he is. And so she goes like "what do u mean u don't?! Don't you love me!?" Even if it was just a sexual reference, it made me think that maybe, Hijikata was right. She does try to play hard and that there is something.

Then came the love choriss arc and I got a major hint.

How Sayaka-chan was Kondou's virtual girlfriend and how he introduced her to everyone in the Shimura residence. Yup then this happens.

This was stupid and weird and funny and my Kontae heart screamed "YER JEALOUS TAE!"

Just look at her going all dramatic while getting worried about Shinpachi. Well, of course she'll be worried about Shinpachi's well being and how her brother is just drowing into his own virtual world but Why. Throw. Kondou's. Game? If she really doesn't feel anything for him then there's no reason for her to throw Kondou's game. Why not let him stay in his own virtual world with his own virtual girlfriend? What were you planning, Sorachi-sama?

It was the very first time when it looked very evident to me that Tae has something for Kondou deep inside. That whole dramatic scream "THIS CAN'T BE!" just after Kondou introduced Sayaka-chan. I listened to that dialogue very closely and it first started with Kondo introducing her then Gintoki saying something like you're in this shit too? And soon was followed by Tae's dramatic "this can't be! Is Shin-chan going to be like this too!?" while throwing Kondou's game out and Kondou screaming "Sayaka-chan!!"

Tae's jealousy is still a mystery here but I still feel like, somewhere she was.

Moving on!

They went out on a date, which was a disaster and then alongside Kyubei in the Beam Saber arc, how Kondou fought for Otae I started to feel a lot more from Kondou's side. Yes. The stalking is a running gag but Kondou's feelings were given more comedic effect rather than highlighting it in a very serious tone. But that's how Sensei does his work. Gintama is supposed to be funny and this ship is supposed to be funny and I really wasn't expecting any intense and serious Kontae moment in the series.

Well, Sorachi-sama proved me wrong. AND I THANK HIM SO, SO VERY MUCH!

The Genderbender arc came, Kyubei is now this handsome hunk and Tae is blushing furiously and Kondou is this blond bombshell which is his too good! It's been shown over and over again that even if Kondou is a stalker, he just wants to see Otae happy. That's what he always wanted even if he isn't the reason for her happiness. When Jyubei and Tae starts meeting frequently, Kondou comes and encourages Jyubei to stop worrying about other and enjoy himself with Tae. He even says that he's happy with just being her friend and I think this proves how much he cares for her. He gives them those movie tickets telling he actually wanted to ask her out but now that he's like this, can't be with her like the way he always wanted to and now Jyubei is the only one who can take care of her. He was genuinely hurting but what matters most to him is Otae and so he leaves them while saying "if you make her cry, I'll arrest you". Even Kyubei later mentions it that it was him who was hurting and crying and he just happily sacrificed Otae so that she can be happy.

Then came the roach motel arc and OTAE WEARS THE KIMONO THAT KONDOU GAVE! Yes, not in the episode but in opening 15 she does and even in the manga cover! Ah..the feels. Well, coming back to the point, this episode was basically everybody bullying Kondou but the good part here was the ending of this episode. Kondou knowing that he was getting bullied and that Tae was a part of all this but he still says "that's how Otae-san is. This is what makes her, her." That was beautiful; he accepts her for who she is. He knows that she's brash and manipulative and even abusive but she's also kind and strong and beautiful; even after all her flaws he still continues to accept and love her. That's true love. And then comes Otae's part. She slowly starts to learn more and more about him, I think she knew he wasn't stalking her. And then she finally admits that she actually had fun with Kondou and that she got to see a new side of him while hugging that roach mask. She was happy to discover a new side of him, no stalking attached. I was so amazed to see this happening coz like I said, I wasn't expecting all these serious Kontae moments but these were actually happening. It was a breath of fresh air and I was really happy to see a developed relationship between these two characters which just made me ship them even more.

Then comes the love incense arc which was just....bizarre. What was Sensei thinking while writing this arc? Why would you do that to my poor kokoro!? But whatever, nothing is properly explained here, everybody is falling in love with everybody, Kondou turns gay, Gintoki just loses his senses and is sleeping with practically everybody, Tsukuyo's feelings for Gintoki starts to go havoc. But then, Tae and Kyubei comes in the picture. And they're in love with Gintoki too. But then, things change. Take turns out to be in love with Kondou! Hell, she was actually JEALOUS! Yes, it was the love incense and yes, this arc is just too crazy to explain anything properly but hear me out. What if, the love incense actually triggered some of Tae's hidden feelings for Kondou? Just like Tsukuyo's. Coz she actually saw Gintoki's dick first when she inhaled that smoke. Not him. But she ended up discovering her own feelings towards him. So what if this was the same case with Tae? We all saw that she was under the effect of that drug and was in love with Gintoki so Sensei, why this change of plans?

No answers, right? I don't have them either. It's just the little theory I came up with. What was Tae's real feelings? But soon the Shogun Assassination and the Farwell Shinsengumi arcs are followed after this.

And GOOD LORD! Sensei actually proved me wrong! By giving one of the most beautifully written scenes between these two characters.

It isn't always when Sorachi-sama actually decides to go for the romantic plot but in Kontae's case, I felt like he actually hinted a LOT. The very first ship in Gintama where I felt like no, this isn't just one-sided but actually, feelings were shown from both the sides, especially Tae. Like everyone, she misses him. But Tae remembering him like this and crying when she's about to get her neck slashed:

"A real man, a real samurai would never do something like this. That man, would never do something like this."

She knows him, she knows what kind of a man Kondou really is. And even at a time like this, Kondou is the man who comes in her mind. A true man, true police, a true samurai who not for once tried to force himself upon her. Not for once showed any kind of disgrace towards any other people or her. All this time, she comes to learn more and more about him and you know, it was worth the time.

Even Shinpachi sees it.

"I'll bring that man, and everyone, back to you for sure. So wait for us with the same old smile on your face, Sis."

Why exclude him from everybody? There has a meaning behind this and a deep one and tbh, I see a romantic meaning behind this. Shinpachi addressing Kondou like this, it was new. It's not always when Sensei uses such points to evoke a romantic gesture but when he does, it sure leaves an impact.

And this is not the last time he used such implications for KonTae. Fast forward to ep 316, Tae is at Kozenigata's place and she's now leaving. Haji and Konzenigata both tries to stop her because it was dangerous outside and the police organisation isn't working properly and she replies,

"That's exactly why police need to go back to their jobs, and cabaret girls have to go back to their job."

It's like foreshadowing their relationship- the police and the cabaret girl. And then Kozenigata just simply puts a cherry on top.

"They must have come back. Her police."

And Kondou pops out of that dustbin!

FREAKIN' POETIC CINEMA!

And then come the dialogues.

"Don't you think it's high time you stop doing this....You'll catch a cold."

"Why did you have to say that out of all days? I wish you had acted like always, called me a perverted stalker and hit me like you always do. You're....making it hard to say goodbye."

The voice acting, the dialogues, the animation, honestly everything screams romantic here. And yeah, the close-up happy-sad faces, if you've seen/read romantic anime/manga, you should know it's a shoujo trope used to display romantic feelings between two characters. And if I'm just making speculations, they're sharing the same umbrella...

Two people, especially a man and a woman, sharing an umbrella in rain is considered as a symbol of romance in Japan.

This kinda proves that romance is present in this scene.

And then finally this.

ANOTHER SHOUJO TROPE. THE CLOSE-UP EYES!

These eyes literally says it all. It's like Tae saying I'll wait for you and when you come back, I'll happily welcome you and then we can go back to those old days. Just like how Shinpachi said.

And I think, this is the very first and the only time, Sensei used this gesture. And this is just too much for me to not ignore it!

The way Kondou looks at Tae while talking to her, it almost feels like he's telling her to not look so sad. Like I've mentioned before, Kondou wants to see her smile. And i think, in this scene it's crushing for him to see her with such a sad smile on her face. That is the last thing he wants to see. That's why he said he wanted to see her react the way she always did. And Tae not acting like that and instead showing such emotions towards him, it's too overwhelming. Just think how Kondou would be feeling there. Tae seeing him off, her eyes glistening while she sees him walk away but also waits for his arrival in the near future, its simply poetic.

The reunion between these two is as funny as ever, Kontae was back in its own color. When Okita said Kondou was always okay with their usual type of setting, he meant to say that Kondou was happy in those old days. That's what he said in the FS arc, he wanted to see her in her usual self, no sad face, no crying, just a happy Otae who loves to beat the crap outta him but also respects him. Things really were pretty intense in the SA and FS arcs but I don't think Sensei wanted to continue this for long. It was like Sensei saying, we're back to the old days, happy days. The Silver Soul arc and the ongoing arc isn't as intense as these two arcs and that's what Sensei wants to say "we're back to those good ol' day". But that doesn't mean he threw away all those meaningful moments between these two; it was so heavily implied. Just because of a troll scene, one cannot disregard the whole development and say "it was never there" because of course there was something which was very much visible to the viewers/readers, even if it isn't present now doesn't mean it was all a joke or just some i-just-wrote-it-but-now-it-doesnt-mean-anything bullshit. Yeah, the ship isn't canon but that also doesn't mean it sank. I mean, Kondou is not gonna marry that gorilla anymore so....

Imo, KonTae is the only ship in Gintama where romantic feelings are implied from both the sides. It really didnt look unrequited. It's not only Kondou or Tae, it's both of them and both of them have actually shown interest in each other in a way which I won't say is completely ambiguous. The FS arc was the part where it is shown how far their relationship has come and how they have come to learn and respect each other, maybe even love each other. I'm not forcing these ideas on anybody, these are facts and I'm sure even non-shippers must have noticed these moments as well. Honestly, the romantic implications were heavy here, the scenes, the dialogues, the "Take care" which is just too beautiful to not to be ignored. Even if I don't see canon pairings happening here, I still somehow hope for this ship.

My love for Gintsu is eternal but Kontae, this is the only ship where I feel like has come a lot far. And even other characters have mentioned their relationship and in a serious note. Check all those subtle hints, pick up the whole FS arc, it's there. A relationship that started with a gag but now is fully developed where I can see loads of potential. It's a ship that's been here from the very beginning of the series and it didn't look rushed at all. Another universe of how I met your mother lol.

People can ship whatever they like and I'm really not trying to push my thoughts onto anybody here.

But KonTae, this ship is no gag or joke and it deserves more love.

It's stupid, it's hilarious, it's beautiful and it's properly developed and that's why I fell for this ship so hard.

[aquaquadrant]

omg, I didn't know you watched Star Wars Rebels!! That's awesome! I loved the Clone Wars series, so I was instantly hooked on Rebels when it came out! It was so cool seeing old and new characters (Nera, Rex and Ahsoka made me cry), and more exploration of the whole SW mythos. What did you like most about Rebels? Have you seen the Clone Wars series?

OHHHHHH MAN, my friend, you have opened up quite the can of worms. heads up yall, this is gonna be a LONG POST bc i havent yelled abt rebels in ages.

i think i started watching when the first season was about half-over? and if im remembering correctly i caught up on rebels, and then binged the clone wars (and cried at every clone death) while keeping up with new rebels eps, so i got to catch all the little references i’d missed before. so yeah, rebels was really the first star wars media i got into. i mean, im pretty sure i sat through at least one of the original movies when i was a kid at my parent’s insistence (prob my aunt, tbh) but it didnt rlly click. im big into cartoons tho, and when i kept seeing it on my dash i was like, oh what the hell.

CAN I JUST SAY…. rebels far exceeded my expectations. is it a perfect series? no. could they have done things better? absolutely. but the bottom line is, it was a TV Y-7 cartoon, and they absolutely did not have to go that hard. but they did, and im so thankful.

i’d have to say, one of the things i love about rebels was their beautiful portrayal of the found family trope (which is my favorite). especially from ezra’s pov as the newcomer; we got to see this jaded street rat open up to the idea of being a part of a family again, one that was already established. and then we got to see everyone grow even closer, those bonds getting deeper and stronger.

another thing i adore is the portrayal of an unconventional jedi in kanan, and eventually in ezra. kanan is nothing like the clone war era jedi, and it was so cool to see the show explore that, and depict it as not a bad thing. i honestly believe he embodies the original jedi values better than most jedi we’ve seen in canon, and gasp, he has attachments!!!! and doesnt fall to the darkside!!!!!!

i felt rebels was a great successor to the clone wars. do i wish they’d done a bit more with ahsoka? sure, bc i will stan ahsoka till the day i die. but what they did was fantastic and every ep she was in was a treat. rex too, even tho i was constantly stressed he was gonna die lmao.

genuinely, i think rebels is one of the best things to happen to star wars lore. they explained how lightsabers work and how non-force users can wield them, they went into mandelorian history and clan politics and the dark saber, and maul’s involvement with it, (maul’s involvement in general), the relationship between clones and jedi following order 66, and even the construction of the death star and the genocide on geonosis… 

and even the new elements, like the lasat people were just really well done. even if they were completely out there!! like giant wolves that fast-travel across planets!! and space whales that can jump to hyperspeed!!! a magical time traveling portal!!!!! dave filoni is a wild son of a gun but damn if he isnt a fantastic showrunner, no matter how crazy an idea might seem it just fits perfectly into the show.

and the villains. oh my god, the villains. the grand inquisitor (who decapitates two imperials just off screen). the seventh sister and the fifth brother. maul (giving him a fulfilling character arc after filoni resurrected him for tcw). and thrawn. holy shit i could make a whole other post abt thrawn, but i’ll refrain.

and darth-fucking-vader, who they did complete justice to and was iconic every rare moment he was on screen.

all in all, i thought rebels was a really satisfying show, and even if they could’ve ended it better (a few characters got the short end of the character development stick in my opinion, but that’ll happen with a large cast…) i would absolutely recommend it to anyone who hasnt seen it yet. sabine’s arc in season three is particularly compelling, and it was rlly nice to see a young woc get such complexity and development in star wars.

so yeah! i was big into rebels, i actually wrote some fic for it thats still on my A03 account. and i think the show will always have a special place in my heart (ezra is like, my original boy. my sweet son.) thanks for the ask, srry for writing an essay, @ all my followers feel free to yell at me abt rebels anytime!!!