#have a retconn

[morgana-ren]

i love angst, and i love your writing, but please, PLEASE, i beg you, could you write some hope of tav ever returning now that the imbecile, has realised the error of his ways 🥺😭 (either way, thank you so much, for all your astarion writtings, it has made me feel things, the angst is real and my masochistic heart loves it🥲)

First part of the story HERE

Common complaint I got on that one! So I fixed it just for y'all. This ending is much less sad and much more sappy, so here is the comfort you need after all that angst!

"Darling, will you smile for me? Just once more. Please--"

He feels her cheeks in his palms, the soft skin against his battle-hardened callouses. Desperation cradles his unbeating heart, and for a moment, the emotion is far too much. A searing flame after centuries of frost. A bonfire in a blizzard. It hurts-- it burns--

"My love, I just need you to--"

"Anything my lord, anything at all for you. Simply command me and I will do anything you ask."

"No, I can't-- I-- I won't do it. I won't. I won't!"

"My lord?"

Her head cocks, turning slowly to look upon him, but her eyes-- they are empty; beetle-black and hollow. Her smile is uncanny as a painted doll, her movements disjointed and inhuman. Her teeth are stained crimson with blood, dripping, dripping, ever dripping down, never swallowed, only pooling.

She is light as a feather as she slips away from him, her skin marbling into a sickly gray before ash spreads across her body as a disease, smearing her form into nothingness. Only her face is left untouched, pretty as porcelain, unflinching and unfalling save a small crack that splinters down from her forehead down to her eyes, revealing inky black abyss beneath.

"My lord-- Oh, my tender, vicious lord. I can feel your anguish-- your hunger. Devour me to be whole once more--"

Her blood smells of rot and she--

She is too far gone to save. Too far gone to ever be saved.

"I won't!"

Whirlwind. Pain. Confusion and dread and seeping anguish. A maelstrom of rage and all-consuming despair swelling from within his soul—

—his soul?

The world around him falls away, a wicked tornado thrashing him about, his mind howling in the eternal winds--

And suddenly he is in a chair.

Not a throne. A chair— and a rather uncomfortable one at that.

"What in the hells—"

His vision spins, nausea curling his gut into a wicked tide of sickness barely restrained by his teeth. He tastes stale blood crawling up his throat, threatening to overturn onto the faded rug beneath him.

"Did you see what you wished for, little spawn?"

The voice takes him by surprise. It is not hers, but another, less familiar voice. The wailing animal in his head retreats to a dull roar as his memory creeps back. A brightly colored tent assaults his vision, piecemeal rugs and odd, foreign trinkets abound on makeshift shelves, and before him sits a strange old woman, hood pulled heavy over her straggling gray hair.

"I-- What was that?"

He sees her cracked, aging lips upturn, gnarled hands placed protectively over a strange orb on the table touching his knees. "I have shown you your future, vampling. Was it to your liking?" Panic rises within his stomach again, and though he does not breathe, he clutches his chest. The smell of incense clogs his nostrils and again, the wave of sick threatens to spill forth. Wretched taste of metallic, aged blood sits heavy on his tongue, all sensation too much-- all of it too much.

"No-- No, that cannot be it!"

"This is your path, Pale Elf. The road you walk. The power you seek is well within your grasp, but as I told you before, it will cost you everything."

He vehemently shakes his head, denying it. Denying it before her and all the Gods.

"You told me upon entry that no price was too great for your reward. Do you still agree with this sentiment?"

"No! Not-- not her. Not her. Not that! I couldn't--"

"You can and you shall, sure as the moon follows the sun. You will have everything you ever wanted, but cost of this ritual is plain before you. You cared not for the many souls left to your mercy that are crushed beneath your tyrannical fist in your ascension, but what of the sole one that resides in your heart?"

Her. The light of his life. The air he breathes. The sun on his frigid flesh, the warmth that melts his icy heart.

"No," He hisses, trying to stand, but ultimately unable to muster the strength. "I won't! There-- There must be another way. Show me!"

"There is no other way," She says, solemnly. "It is inevitable."

He swallows down the information like a boulder lodged in his gullet. Her words echo endlessly in his mind, bouncing off the walls and lodging shards of ice directly in his soul.

"What if I-- What if I don't ascend? Tell me, what if I don't?"

She smiles again, teeth flashing through her thin lips. "That is another path, little elf." "I need to know. I-- I need certainty. I won't do this to her, but I--" He pauses, grappling with everything in his mind, desperately flitting about to absorb it all. "If I am going to forgo this, I need to be certain. I need to know that I can protect her, that she will be safe--"

But the woman simply shakes her head.

"Everyone must choose. For some, the path is dark, but for you, you see more than most will ever have the comfort of knowing. I can offer you nothing more. Should you initiate the Rite, you know this will come to pass. I can tell you nothing more if you choose to not. The future is yet unwritten, and the quill resides in your hands." "Then why can I not have both!" He slams a fist on the table, clawing at the soft wood. For the first time in ages, tears prick at his pale lashes and frustration wells a knot in his throat. "Why--" "Because one path is wholly your own, while the other is a tangled web, such is the nature of deals with the Hells. You will get everything you ever wanted and lose everything that made it worth having."

His head slumps, defeated and miserable. Silvery tears slide down the curves of his cheeks, even as he attempts to bite them back. He thought he would find comfort in knowing the future, but all it has given him is utter horror.

"Despair not," She continues. "Yes, you will wither under the sun, an eternally cursed dweller of the night, but all is not lost, is it? The one you love, will she stray from your side?" "I wanted her to have better than that," He sniffles, needling his lip with a fang. "I cannot brave the sun, but her-- She deserves better than that-- better than me."

"And what of what she feels?"

His brows furrow, and he peers up at the woman from tear-beaded lashes.

"You are a night walker; it is in your nature to be selfish. But love is not selfish, little vampling. You must fight your nature, your inherent self-loathing, or your love will always find the fire. What of what she desires?"

"She loves me," He says with absolute certainty. "And I--" "Do you love her?"

"Yes," He hisses, almost insulted that she would ask. "More than anything. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Then the rest matters naught. If you love her, you will allow her the agency to choose-- something you deny her as an ascendent. You must grow past your own follies. To love is to be vulnerable, and you must allow both yourself and her this freedom."

They are hard words to swallow, and yet, he feels the truth resound in them. She would not leave his side, even as he tried to force her to understand. Even as an instrument of his manipulation and schemes came to light, she stood steadfast with him, hand entwined in his, ready to face the fire together.

"I-- I need to know she will be safe."

Again, the woman shakes her head. "You cannot. You must fight fate if you wish to overturn it. You face dire odds, though throwing the dice in your favor now will doom you later should this outcome be the confirmation of your fears."

He sighs, face crinkling as he sniffs once more, summoning the willpower to swallow down the agony of his choice. He finds the strength in his legs to push himself upward from the chair, weak and shaking as a newborn fawn as he does so. "I will do whatever I need to. Anything."

"Then you may yet see this through."

He can hear the fanfare of the circus outside, the bawdy bards strumming away on their lutes and banging on drums, the elated screams of the children and their parents. Facing the light now seems impossible, but he must find his way home to her-- he has to be with her now now now--

"The coin first, boy."

He snaps out of his delirium only long enough to fish his hands into one of his pockets, bringing out a coin. Aged and neglected, the sinister engraving of a skull peers up at him from his palm, ruby eyes gleaming in the light as he tosses it into the woman's knobbily-jointed hands.

"Best of luck to you, night-child," She tucks it away. "We may yet meet again." "No offense, but I hope not."

"Me too, Little Star."

He pays little mind to the bustling streets and bursting taverns of Baldur's Gate, his feet carrying him back to camp as swiftly as his body will allow. It takes him until sundown even as he damn near jobs, ripping through the tree line and into the ruins with the intensity of a man starved.

"Astarion!" Karlach greets him, trying to wave him over. "I've got a bet with Gale about--" "Where is she?" Astarion immediately cuts her off, looking around frantically.

"Who?" Karlach raises a brow.

"Who else?" Wyll crosses his arms, looking intrigued at Astarion's intensity.

"Oh! In her tent, I think. Why? Gotcha a special something' in town for her, eh?" Karlach tries to rib at him, but he pushes past her without a second glance.

"Bet it's a fancy new dress he needs to tear off of her immediately," Karlach rolls her eyes before returning to her business.

He bursts into her tent to find her hunched over a book, tongue poking from between her teeth, as she scans over the page. This only lasts a few seconds before he scrambles onto the bed, squeezing her as tightly as he can manage, burying his nose into her hair, tears brimming in his eyes once more.

"Woah, hey!" She laughs, carefully setting her book aside, trying to discern what in the hells he is mumbling endlessly into her neck.

Need you-- need you-- love you-- can't lose you-- don't ever--

She hushes him, realizing something has gone terribly, terribly wrong, kissing his head and tugging him close. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She tries to cup his cheeks and bring his face up but he adamantly refuses, hard-swallowing the urge to bawl into her shoulder with every ounce of willpower he has. All he can manage is to cling to her, half sobbing, visions of that terrible future swimming in his head. He cannot let it come to pass, he will not--

And she holds him, cradling him in her arms, hushing him gently. Her face creases with worry, running her hands through his silvery hair as he pulls him into her lap.

"Little Star, what's wrong? You seem so upset. What can I do to make you happy, my love?"

"Is it done?" Ulma leans down as she enters the tent, carefully dodging the intricate tassels of the blanket strewn over the entryway.

"It is," The strange old woman replies, still rubbing the coin with her worn thumb.

"And?"

"I showed him nothing but truth," She says quietly. "I did not manipulate his vision. Only channeled it."

"That tells me nothing. I need to know if our children are safe."

"I cannot tell you this, Ulma. You know of the ways of our tribe; our relationship with these magics." Ulma's lips purse, her exasperation evident in her humorless expression. "I need to know--"

"His reaction was genuine. That was not my doing. He knows the price of power. I cannot tell you if he will pay it regardless," The old woman's head lifts, a slight mischievous smile playing on her lips. "But I can tell you what I think."

"And what do you think?"

"I have seen his soul-- the heart of it. I believe you will see our children yet. He will spare our heart to spare his own in kind. It beats in that woman," Her eyes twinkle in the low candlelight, a genuine smile widening across her cheeks. "I believe he can find redemption yet."

[kass-arm-dra]

Playing the mass effect trilogy and something that really rustles my jimmies/sticks salt in my sugar/ etc etc is the absolute lack of hot butches to romance. My (supposdly) butch 4 butch Shepard is SUFFERING. Like. Assassin's Creed odyssey and Vallhalla and BG3 really spoiled me about this. Anyway, she's romanced Liara in the first game but imagine me doing the romance scenes with liara and me making this face >:( the whole time.

[angelsaxis]

"why get mad at authors and writers for not giving you what you want? Just write a fanfiction" why get mad at someone you commissioned not drawing and delivering the art they promised when you can just draw your own art?

[waxcleaning]

> Karkat: Dreamwalk

[lylethewaterguy]

Is it just me or is it super creepy how DC keep having characters be raped and then retroactively talk about it (or straight up retconn it) as if they were in a loving relationship the whole time? It just feels super disrespectful to actual rape victims...

[annyankers]

The cons of this fandom and how old as fuck it is is that sometimes I don’t think it can handle massive shaking up of the characters. Like we have to address all the character changes in the work of the fic but why not just fucking???? Make a new one and yeet them into that spot???

like I could create a platonic ideal xander but if I just started off the story in media res with an Elite Chad Xander and act as if this is just the Xander we always had bc we all have issues with the canon one I feel like I’d get shit about it even from people who hate canon xander.

Tl;dr: Mohawk weed skateboard adhd xander is a superior xander but if I ever used him in my fics I would likely be hunted like an animal and that’s honestly a failing of society and not me

[battery-anon]

aspryn, how do you feel about taclus' assumption about your lack of autonomy? he said that minthy forced you to see her after a "misunderstanding," which apparently was a prank. talcus seemed very quick to gloss over what that was, so if possible, could you clear that up?

also, how would you say minthy acted during your <3< relationship? again, talcus was very quick to call it controlling without naming specifics, so i'm inclined to hear your side before making a decision.

ooc btw she is not beign nicer becuase she likes aspryn moar she is beign nicer as a waey to get answers :skull:

my lack of what ? hold on let me goergle that ?

meyenthy never forced me to see her eye dont theyenk ? eye asked for her help weyeth the battery theyeng ? eye theyenk thats the meyesunderstandeyeng/prank ? yeah eyet keyend of was both those theyengs ? you can read back on my blog ? eye theyenks eyets tagged as the saga or sometheyeng ?

meyenthy ? please do not read theyes part ?

meyenthy eyes a very bad keyemeseyes ? eye dont theyenk eyets controlleyeng ? were just worlds worst peyetch couple ? weve never had much hate and mostly just care about each other ? eye guess to talcus that meyeght seem controlleyeng ? sure shes annoyeyeng but she also eyes so helpful and just ? ? ? eye leyeke her a lot ?

leyesten eyem at fault for most of theyes ? eye dont theyenk meyenthy or talcus should be blamed ? eye steyell leyeke meyenthy and eyet hurts to talk to talcus but eye dont theyenk eyet eyes a bad troll ?

eyef you need a troll to take the blame peyeck me ? please ?

[crockersbian]

honestly homestuck HAD so many kinda dogshit relationships in it that i don't really blame people for seeing the mutually-assured destruction going on with Vriska and Terezi and jumping to conclusions but like. dude they were only relationshipping before the cycle of violence began or after it was finished canonicity-wise.

[papiliomame]

Finally I read the new graphic novel too and it was very enjoyable. I went in with zero expectation so I was pleasantly surprised with the big thing everyone is screaming about. Amazing art, amazing story amazing everything! Gabriela Epstein is a genius. She managed to solve many problems with the show and expands the lore in a cohesive way while also be in line with the humor and tone of the original show accompanied with wonderful illustrated panels!

Under the cut are some of my thought about it:

SPOILER WARNING!

First things first: Phantom Planet retconnned! Now the series can continue with the loose threads of the original show and the new one from this novel without making some brain gymnastic to make the events from the episode fit in these stories.

Techonological progress: Everyone upgraded to a smartphone and they even have internet and social media( which makes it funny that Vlad used an old fat destop PC for his research as a (former?) billionaire)

RIP Tucker's PDA.

Danny mentioned that Vlad terrorized him for the past few years, that means Danny is at least 16 or 17 years old in this?

Ghosts don't need to breath. Vlad didn't have a helmet on while in space in his flashback .

Clockwork doesn't shapeshift in his other forms for some reason.

And he was quite reckless to put the thermos with Phantom just there in the open, you would think you would seal an apocalyptic threat somewere safe away or something like that.

Clockwork's staff is part of the timeline itself. interesting...

Also Clockwork is really the emodiment of time not just a random ghost with the title passed down by the oberservants( read some fanon about that)

Ghost Speak is canon! Well atleast the language of the ancients is. It consist of basically of old dead languages.

The translation of Vlad's rubbings is incomplete I wonder if there is more to it.

Hmm not sure how I feel about this but the Fenton parent are still bad parents in this, like how they not care about Phantom although Jazz said that this is Danny from another timeline. Now I wonder if they would even adopt Dani with this attitude.

Badass Valerie and badass Jazz!

The Source is a beautiful place.

The truth about ghosts which is revealed in there is so deep and give so much material for worldbuilding

But one thing is sure: Ghost are souls/emotions/ energies of people or beeings who ones lived and not monsters.

Implication that ghosts are immortal. Does this count for halfas too?

Danny got a new power: fireworks

Obsessions are canon!

The fight scenes are wonderful illustrated!

Danny is really much more powerful after his newfound purpose. He didn's retransformed after the ghostly wail, he can create ice glaciers with his ice powers and his shield withstand Phantom atomic explosion attack.( also RIP A-Listers and Lance Thunder from this timeline and everyone else who was there and wasn't protected by Danny's shield.)

Phantom insisted that he is not Danny but much more than that, however while he was falling apart he glitched out and we saw Danny Phantom's face and Phantoms face but not Plasmius face in there, I wonder why.

Danny becomes the avatar!

The Valerie cliffhanger: Phantom was falling apart without an anchor, does that mean Valerie will also fall apart if she doesn't wear Clockworks medallion anymore?

The last scene: Clockwork encourage Vlad to do more with the clones and the scene is also a parallel to the ending to " The Ultimate Enemey" how the observants shift the responsibility over Phantom to Clockwork.

[radioactive-earthshine]

i hope this isn't too big of an ask but i have an idea for a fic with jenni and bart and i really want to get jenni right. is it possible that you could create a jenni specific reading list? i basically want to read only the comics she shows up in. im not saying that legion of supers is bad i just dont have the time to read everything for one person.

Post-Zero Hour Legion of Super-Heroes but it's only Jenni Ognats Reading List (you're still reading a lot of comics anon).

** NOTE ** Jenni is a reoccurring character in two comic series that run simultaneously for a long time; Legionnaires and Legion of Super-Heroes (1989) - you will be flipping back and forth between series. For my sanity, I am grouping the series separately and listing just the issues she appears in.

Suggested LOSH reading.

Legionnaires

#0 - Her first appearance #19-#27 #29 & #30 #35-#43 #45 #50 #53 #55 & #56 #58 & #59 #61 & #62 #64 & #65 #76 - #81 Annual #2 Annual #3 - Jenni centric, this is her journey back to the 30th century after she leaves Bart in Impulse #12

Legion of Super-Heroes (1989)

#62-#69 #72 #75 #80-#84 #88 #91 #100 #104-#106 #108 #120 #122 & #123 #125 Annual #6 - Her origin story Annual #7

Once these series end you will no longer be flipping back and forth.

Teen Titans/Legion of Super-Heroes: Universe Ablaze

#1 & #2 #4

Legion Lost (2000)

#1 - She doesn't really say anything or do anything so this may be skipped honestly.

Legion Worlds

#1 #4 #6

The Legion

#4 #6 #10-#18 #20 #22 & #23 #25 #27-#29 #32 & #33

Teen Titans/Legion Special

Single issue. The 'end' of her primary run where she and her team are flung into the Void to become the new Wanderers.

Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds

#1-#5 - Where Geoff Johns retconns her origin (it's his primary thing) and gets multiple things wrong but she does play an important role.

That is it for her primary 'team' appearances, there are many other comics however that she appears in!

Suggested Flash reading

Impulse (1995)

#9-#12

The Flash (1987)

#108-#111 #145 - #150

The Flash 80 Page Giant (1999) #2

Single issue. Jenni uncovers some history concerning Wally that leaves her hopeful...

Other suggested comics

Young Justice: Our Worlds at War Special

Single issue, not much happens but she does meet with Bart.

Green Lantern (1990)

#98 - Jenni meets Kyle Rayner and talks about how Green Lanterns and Speedsters go together, Kyle nopes out.

[still-a-morosexual-help]

So. What are your thoughts on how Luke was introduced in nb? Cause I always pictured him being... created? I guess is the word? A decent while after the fall to give him even more emotional distance from the brothers and the war. More time to think of them as Just Demons rather than as angels who fell recently you know? Plus I seem to remember him having never met the brothers when they were angels (could be wrong)

But him being around in nb makes me think that right after the brothers fell their father went about making some new angels to replace them, like Right Away. This time making them as younger children starting out since making them as adults didn't give nearly as much control over their actions as he would like (if we assume asmo's 7 days after I was created line means created as an adult, which it might not I'm now realizing. Maybe all angels are made at like 10 y/o or whatever?) Like he wanted them to be able to grow up enmeshed in the celestial relms teachings to avoid another rebellion you know? Instead of just being adults told rules to follow if that makes sense

This!!!

So s3 confirms that Luke wasn't around when the brothers were angels

And S1 confirms that s1 itself was the first time Luke was meeting the brothers (Simeon too I think? Like it was the first time after the Fall)

So yeah. I was fine with all the other retconns but that's the one that actually annoyed me

But ig since Luke is a main side character/a beloved part of the original characters and MC is going to stay in the past for possibly more seasons they can't cut Luke fully out

Obey Me! also canonically has alternate universes so this could be an AU instead of the direct past? Though so far it's playing out like it's the direct past, definitely gonna have to see how it plays out and how the present is affected (specially given the Lesson 10 cliffhanger)

Okay so I do think the brothers were somewhat younger when they were created? Because the way Lucifer sometimes treats them and the way they sometimes treat him - it feels like he's on instinct caring for children rather than adults? But I also like the idea that God realised his first batch came out fucked up and immediately baked a new one. Really fucked up. Amazingly angsty for all of Lucifer's daddy issues (remember how both Lucifer & Simeon's greatest fear is their father/creator)

[taylorswiftstylequestions]

You're so right about Taylor retconnning evermore, how could I ever forget about this?! That Eras tour performance was all I could think about for DAYS. I'm totally fine, I just have a branch in my eye.

That performance was just sooooo good.

Taylor release the surprise song live album!!!!!!!!

[sadcharactersrmykryptonite]

Completed tsats, in the middle of exam week, guess I have my priorities straight. Okay, let's get into the pro and con opinions of mine in this book.

Pros

1.Nico got over his trauma. Not completely of course, but he is on the right path. And the cocoa puffs are really cute ( send me fanart).

2.I am glad nico is more emotive in this. We saw him smile more, make jokes and generally be more optimistic then the other books. I felt like titan's curse nico is coming back and i love it. I love that nerdy side to him.

3.We see him cry it out. After so long of seeing him being described as emotionless, cold and scary, it was nice to see him letting out his emotions.

4. I love that he is so affectionate with will. We already know that nico is physically affectionate with the people he cares about, like hugging Jason, reyna, and kissing hazel on the cheek. It makes sense that he will be affectionate with his bf.

5. I love that the entire story revolves around how kind nico is. Like we knew that nico was the only one who saw and talked to hestia. His selflessness is the most important trait of his but also the most overlooked. But it's also the trait that got him in the most trouble. I am glad that he told nyx to f**k off, it means he is learning to prioritise himself and i am so glad for that. Also it felt so good to see people and deities acknowledge that, too the point that a primordial goddess was threatened by it. Listen up kids, KINDNESS IS YOUR BIGGEST STRENGTH NOT A WEAKNESS.

6. I liked will's characterisation. He's exactly what I taught he will be, kind, daring, supportive and brave. And he learns, accepts his mistakes and meets nico in the middle, what more can i ask. ( I feel like a parent giving their blessings to their child's so)

7. Nyx felt threatening, way better then gaia. And I really liked the way the final battle was more psychological then physical. And the new development in wills powers, that's a head cannon that felt validated. He can use plague powers, powerfull sunshine boy, nico, powerful sunshine boy.

8.Bob and small bob, they are the best. And them being happy and enjoying their freedom, ah, I was crying. I love them.

9.The deities crying over solangelo. I get it, they are so cute. Kind of shows a human side to them. And that talk about lost souls with gorgyra, yeah, another scene that brought me too tears. The fact that they still have hope. Warmed my heart.

10.Loved the talk about change , and being true to yourself and having the option to choose. It read nicely and it's a great message for the kids out there, not just LGBTQ kids, to everyone. And even bitter adults can learn this lesson. So be open minded people.

As a literature student, I am done with all the nihilist, Existentionalist, tragic stories that I had to read. This was the cheesy, funny, pure, and sweet book that I wanted to get rid of all this stress. And that's what I want from a percy Jackson series book.

Cons

1.It was rushed. But I think I understand. I mean they had to put nico's solo tartarus plot, the actual plot of the story and also address their trauma, add fanservice, create a believable story for why nico had to go to tartarus again ( sideyes hades) , yeah way too much for a spinnoff.

2.I would have love to know more about will. Don't get me wrong, as I gushed about it, I really like their interactions. But it felt like he was made for those interactions, like will solace is still not an individual character but nico di angelo's boyfriend. To me it felt like Rick was telling," look at this sunshine boy, I would tell you why he is perfect for nico", hence the earlier blessing comment. ( you have my blessing will, you have my blessing). But I don't care about it much, for me I was looking forward to Nico's story and I got it so I am happy.

3.There were inconsistencies, like bianca and his mother. It felt like a retconn, but it's also a story about gods, so it makes sense that hades will do it.

4.The tartarus parts didn't hit as much as I thought it would, nicos past solo trip, that is. Maybe it's because the story was written by two authors. I cried but it didn't tear my heart out. Maybe because I know nico gets out. Hmmm, something to think about.

5.Please dont take this the wrong way, but I didn't like how they constantly kept saying boyfriend. Like I get it, I know you are a couple, I want you to be couple, but it felt like the authors didn't think they would come across as a couple and kept on reminding us. This is one nitpick I have in this book.

Oh another nitpick. I wanted to see the other characters, like hazel and reyna and how did I forgot apollo. I need more apollo. I really wanted to see nico's reaction to reyna joining the hunters. Not much just a tiny reference, like when they were talking to gorgyra, like she also abandoned me, something like that.

And that's it. I can't think about any more cons.

TLDR: This book left me feeling like a proud mama who's watching her son grow up to be a hero. And that's exactly what I wanted. So, this book is a 10/10 for me. Cherished forever.

[teleforce]

I'VE FINISHED LESSON 20

Spoilers under the cut! Read at your own peril. I’m not really doing any deep analysis and this is just my first take right after finishing the lesson and my general reaction.

So first off

Devs...please...please let us romance Mephisto, Thirteen, and Raphael

And

I just found this very funny and cannon for Mammon now.

Secondly

Aside from this very last bit from the post credits...kinda underwhelming finally.

The brothers stay, Raphael leaves without a word after they give their decision, everyone knowing full well the Celestial Realm threatened war, you're still stuck in the past and will be an exchange student at RAD with Solomon (I see you retconnning Devs! You can't fool me!!), and it ends with a 6-8 lesson ball.

Interestingly, when Diavolo bestows your new title (Devilsitter) and you're given a forehead kiss there is a white flash.

We always get fade to black whenever we're kissed. Or just the background.

White flashes are our soap opera stereotype signaling something important is about to happen or did.

And Diavolo brought up future of Devildom a few times

Overall, my rating of the story 7.5/10. We got a shit ton of lore which I love about how things came to be in the first game and even new info like Solomon and Diavolo's personal issues and their struggle with them. Like how Diavolo feels he's not ready to be the leader of the Devildom and there is a lot a pressure placed on his shoulders to be the best from his family's legacy.

But...there are times where the stakes where high and kinda dropped. Like the mid-season climax where Lucifer and the brothers confront Diavolo, Diavolo's king's gambit whatever, you in a coma, war with the Celestial realm looming, you possibly being banished.

Now the first part was handled well, I think.

Diavolo'a trial was important, I just wish it was more challenging for him and not just him addressing his Daddy issues and insecurity. But we did get to make out with him, so...horny points, but also it was nice seeing Diavolo being open with MC. Opena and honest. Which is something he’s tried to do in OB (I’m only up to lesson 49 I don’t know how everything or what else happens from then on).

Coma, boring. The threat of banishment is a constant in the background of the first half. And the whole threat of war...completely dropped.

I mean we had a possible interaction also with Michael and for sure Nightbringer. Solomon knows who Nightbringer is (I believe this is reviled in one of the hard lessons and I’m only up to 11 on) and is being very guarded over his own history, yet desperately wants you to ally with him. Well sorry my dude, the brothers are offering me free love and cock while you

Sorry, the whole professor teacher/student role playing shtick ain't my kink

So

Off with you, creepy old man (no offense to those who like him, you do you, more power to you).

I want Lucifer, Satan, and Diavolo to tell me everything will be safe and alright while railing me. And they offer their love unconditionally (I’m not here to debate Diavolo’s questionable actions let me love this himbo prince in peace!).

So that’s my initial reaction to it all. I loved all the lore we got, the story could have been handled better, I think. However, it is the first season and the curse of the first season is that it has to establish foundations for the next seasons to do well so it may not exactly be the most exciting. I’m happy with what we got and it was fun to play. I just hope we don’t have to wait long for season 2.

[toxic-mothers-tourney]

Toxic propaganda: Lusamine (Pokemon)

She treated her two children like dolls and controlled every aspect of their lives. She was unloving, and the second her kids don’t like what she’s doing she’s ready to kill them. She disowns them, and calls them selfish and ungrateful.

Lusamine tries to control her children and mold them to be what she wants them to be. She has an obsession with rare creatures called Ultra Beasts, researching them endlessly and wanting to even merge with them. She tries to make herself and her children Gladion and Lillie to embody the traits of the Ultra Beasts, including their appearances.

Lillie ends up running away and taking her friend Nebby, a Pokemon being experimented on by Lusamine and her organization the Aether Foundation. Lillie gets put under the protection of Professor Kukui and his wife Professor Burnet, taken into their home. She helps with Pokemon research and slowly learns how to overcome her trauma about facing Pokemon and being controlled by her mother with the help of her friends. When Lillie changes her outfit, she feels relieved because her mother never allowed her to dress differently.

Gladion also runs away from Lusamine and the Aether Foundation. He joins Team Skull, a gang of misfits that do petty crimes around Alola. He's very protective of his younger sister Lillie. He uses his own Ultra Beast against his mother as she slowly turns more crazed in her quest.

Actual Quote: "Calling me mother? I don't have any children! Certainly not any wretched children who would run off and reject my love!" Ma'am you have TWO of them

Was an asshole to both her kids. Obsessed with hunting otherdimensional pokemon instead of caring for them. Forced her daughter to dress like the fucked up space jellyfish she was obsessed with.

Both her kids ran away at 10 years old because she liked aliens too much

Loses her husband in a wormhole, then goes COMPLETELY insane trying to keep everything else exactly as she wants it to be. She gets so obsessed with extradimentional beings that she explicitly styles herself and her (teenage) children after them. Her idea of "Pokémon Conservation" is VERY different than what most sane people would think of.

She becomes so obsessed with Ultra Beasts that she (presumably) drives Gladion away and becomes incredibly controlling of Lillie, even to the point of dressing her like a Nihilego.

"Trust me—children would all be much happier if they'd only listen to the adults around them." is what first hints at her controlling nature.

As the game reaches its climax, we also see Lusamine being emotionally and verbally abusive towards Lillie, from "Calling me mother? I don't have any children! Certainly not any wretched children who would run off and reject my love!" and "Back when you were small, you would listen to everything I said, without question. For a time, even you were adorable to me! … But you changed. You've become ugly." The later also expands on her being controlling for quite a while. We can assume similar things were said to Gladion before he ran away.

She clearly blames Lillie and Gladion for being "bad children" rather than take any responsibility for her actions. "The daughter who stole my Cosmog from me and the son who took my Type: Null! All I ever did was give you two all the love I had, and all you did was betray me! You have no right to ask for my attention now!" She seems to think she's been nothing but good to them, but this is disproven by Lillie telling her "You always do that… It's just like it was back at Aether Paradise… Only thinking of yourself and what you want…I am the one who is sick of you, Mother! Children… Children are not just THINGS that belong to their parents! Pokémon are not just THINGS that a Trainer can do whatever they want to! I am alive! Cosmog is alive! We are not things for you to collect! We're not made for you to just discard when you get bored with us! … That is terrible, Mother! You are terrible!"

Only when the story is retconned in USUM does she ever apologize for what she had done and try to change.

Lusamine's husband went missing and she proceeded to try and make her children "perfect" by making them as washed and willing to take orders as possible. This eventually led both of them to steal some of the pokemon she was trying to use to become alien satan and led her son to joining an actual street gang.

She also dressed up her daughter to look like the alien she eventually summoned and let metroid all over her.

Neglects her children in favour of unleashing Ultra Beasts that are basically bound to wreak havoc in the world; forces her daughter to look as much like a Nihilego as possible and berates her for becoming ugly when she decides to take control of her own appearance; guilt-trips her kids for "leaving her" when she controlled and berated and abused them until they ran away, telling them that all she did was love them. Just not a very good parent, really. She's careless towards Nebby, a Cosmog, too, risking its death to forward her plans despite her daughter's pleading not to.

lady is actually Fucking Crazy. she runs a corporation. she neglects her kids. she's got animal abuse going on. she potentially STOLE her own son's pokemon. I could go on

emotionally abusive. horribly controlling. may or may not be forgiven depending on which game you play. gave her kids ptsd. proclaims herself mother of pokemon under her care then abuses them also, all while being objectively very attractive. 10/10 no notes

[jellyfishvibes]

It might be because I've fallen down a research hole on the master sword but half the Zelda theory videos I've been watching as background noise just make me annoyed?

Like most of them are fine, fun even, even if they don't fit into my personal insane version of what I accept as canon I do like watching them, but now I might just be accidentally picking only theory's about the sword but they are starting from a standpoint that's wrong

Like I understand alot of Zelda canon, yes some of it is complicated and contradictory and shakily built on retconns but it's a 20 year old series that's expected

What's been lost over those 20 years is what used to be canon

Like for example a theory that the master sword in the wind waker is a different master sword then the one in oot, fine theory, fun depending where you go with it but the foundations?

You have to consider what was canon at the time of wind wakers release, you can't approach evidence like Ganon saying "go back to its maker and tell them it's garbage" or a change in art style as canon and they are now

Wind waker, and all the games before skyward sword, were running with lttp canon, in which the seven sages made the master sword and it's one big ability that made it so special as a sword was that it was resistant to magic, even to the magic of the Triforce, that was it's only claim to fame and why it was the blade of evils bane, this is during a point in canon before the golden goddesses had names, before they had finalized the colours corresponding to each goddess (the pendant of power is blue and the pendant of wisdom is red) the sword isn't even that special, it's level 2 of a 4 level upgrade system

And for the art style, Wind wakers version (while toonified) is remarkably faithful to the oot version, the original version of the model which has since been retconned into matching ss and beyond designs

The actual design change happened in twilight princess to bring it in line with the gritter more realistic artstyle

I do find it fun to find in canon reasons for these design changes over time, I'm literally in the middle of a redesign series of the master sword doing just that, but you can't make theory's about things that are currently canon without any mention of or even reference to what was canon, idk it is just ticking me off to watch multiple videos about the master sword and see no reference at all to lttp or the real world timeline of the swords design while trying to use symptoms of those designs to build theory's about current canon