#i appreciate aspects of the show but it didn't hit for me like it did for other people

[februarys-wednesday]

oh my fucking god

[pahuka]

I'm so sorry i just honestly think Chaos redesign takes away from the character. Like Chaos 1.0 really showed up that eldritch primordial being, totally out of time and part of the universe while being totally retracted from it. Thousand of deformed faces on their body that wraps around them like a coat of try-out and possibilities.

The eyes that do not look ahead and make it feel like chaos is perceiving something beyond you when you confront them. - while their forehead eyes look right at you. And beyond indifference or boredom, Chaos look like they cannot be surprised because they did already see it coming.

The teeny tiny earth in their line of sight held between two fingers, which serves to highlight how gigantic chaos is, as they seem to extend beyond the screen. Which you can argue about the earring but it's just not hitting the same as it makes it so it is only an accessory.

Or even the other's hand fingers joints and rings that look somehow like a puppet's hand and highlight the working of their body??

The emaciated body whose ribcage reflects pure darkness of the empty? And don't even start me on Chaos' hair passing over their wings that and show us an entire rainbow bottom part, giving really a creation feel to it. Chaos is impressive, a deity in their rawest form and it most likely would have you uncomfortably squirming if you were to to face them.

Next to it I feel like the redesign is only axed on the aspect of life-stage, with the birth, adulthood and death. And yes it's time and creation in itself, but there is not that chilling and awe-inspirint effect of Chaos original design. And their main face (adulthood) look like a normal god in a suit, who looks bored. Barely a hint of all the faces that made chaos on the shoulder and wings, which I honestly think should have been more detailed to show them better, make them more chilling. It's barely giving a hint of it.

I do appreciate the way they made the newest baby version linked to and feeding of chaos old form though. And Chaos remain my favorite character (alongside hypnos).

But yeah I agree they made them look cunty and cool, however I just wished that didn't come with a more 'palatable' aspect to it.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for trying to block evade?

This happened several years ago, so I'll put the ages that we were at the time.

I [17F at the time], had an extremely close friend [17F] of 3+ years, and I still haven't found any kind of friendship that came close to the level of trust / openness that was there. So some of this backstory ranges from 14yrs to 17yrs.

My home was abusive, and she and her mom helped me figure out what was rational vs irrational, normal vs not normal, and pointing out local resources to get help - which was absolutely amazing and I could not thank them enough.

She invited me to her house pretty regularly, a couple times a week. We'd have hours of skype calls. She got me roped into Undertale & the fandom. Well, not that we really interacted with the fandom at large. We only publically posted some of the art and barely got noticed haha. Between the two of us, we had something like 26 AUs and had a lot of rp with multiverse shenanigans - like over 1200+ pages of google docs rp, because that's where we did like 90% of it. After we hit like 100-200 pages, we'd make a new doc so it wouldn't take so long to load. And we had like, at least like 9 docs I think. I was mostly in it for her, because it was really fun to just make up stories together. I could've done it with any fandom she threw at me, undertale is just the one that was popular at the time.

At one point, I think when we were around 16, I asked her if she wanted to start dating. She said something along the lines of maybe in the future, but not right now - she wanted to focus on school. Even though she declined at the time, she did say she appreciated me asking and that it meant a lot to her. And there were 0 hard feelings about the answer, we just kept on going the way we were going.

She got hit with a really bad level of depression, and stopped coming to school. After 2-3 days, I started calling her every day around lunch time just to check in on her and see how she was doing. See if there was anything I could do to help - bring some snacks, catch her up on classwork for the couple classes we shared, stuff like that. This was for couple months. More than just a mental health day, and the only reason she gave was Depression.

After a week or two of the daily calls, there was probably an aspect of toxic positivity on my end. Like "You gotta Do Something to avoid being trapped in your misery, even if it's just baby steps like sitting outside on the porch or going on a walk down the block" Not maliciously, but more out of not knowing how to handle a situation like this & genuinely wanting to help her because of all the help she's offered me in the past & fueled a little bit by fear because Depresssion is the excuse that my abusive parents used to justify their shitty behavior & neglect. Not because I was afraid of what she'd do to me, but more what she'd do to herself. That's one of the only things I could think where I went wrong, which I completely acknowledge and understand now.

She was still inviting me to her house, and we were still doing our normal thing there. Drawing and writing stories together.

After 4-5 weeks [? estimate, time is an illusion] of her not showing up to school, I can't remember if I asked if it was helpful or if she suggested that I stop calling every day. Calling every day was making her feel worse.

I did end up calling the next day or two at lunch - crossing the boundary was not my intent. We had planned to hang out on the weekend again, lunch is just when I remembered & had time to call to ask if she still wanted to hang out or if she wanted some space. I think she said yes to hanging out, didn't mention anything about crossing the boundary. Same with the next day - there was something I needed to ask clarification on, it wasn't a check in, nothing was mentioned of the boundary. I can't remember what it was now. This is another one of the places where I think I went wrong, which I acknowledge & understand.

I did stop the check ins like requested though. After those two off days, I did stop calling her every day at lunch.

She finished out the school year having shown up to class maybe 3ish times, I think.

Again, we were still hanging out regularly. There was no indication that I was doing anything wrong, there was no indication that anything I was doing was wrong. She was still the one inviting me to hang out at least half the time.

There were some problems that I was noticing that I just wanted to have a casual chat about and figure out, but she kept pushing it off as a "I don't have the energy right now, we can talk about it later" and we'd go back to the fun things. I don't really remember what those problems were.

In the summer, I went to a different state to visit my older sister that I hadn't seen in years. I talked to her about it, I was excited for it. We were still chatting regularly during my trip over skype or discord.

And then, during my trip that I was so excited about, she drops this bombshell. She sends me several massive messages detailing out a bullet point list of everything I've done wrong, that she's explicitly breaking off the friendship, and blocks me. 95% of things on that list either flat weren't true, or gross misunderstandings of what happened.

It was genuinely horrible things too.

For example, one of the things on the list was "Suicide baiting" or "Suicide guilt tripping" or something along those lines, which had happened several months if not a year before this. -I've only ever communicated feeling acutely suicidal to her 1 time. -Long before that, she made me promise that if I ever felt suicidal that I was supposed to immediately talk to her about it, for her own peace of mind so she wouldn't worry about me. -I reached a point of feeling acutely suicidal due to abuse at home & general existential dread, that happened to be during a time we had an issue.

I purposefully waited until after the issue was resolved, like 2 weeks, before telling her. I did that specifically so it would not be taken as a guilt trip or a form of coercion while still holding as true as I could to my promise. She made me promise to tell her, it was something very important to her. I made very clear to say "this is something I experienced a couple weeks ago due to unrelated things, it is resolved now, I got help through xyz means and genuinely feel better. You made me promise to tell you so I am telling you, I didn't want to say anything while we were having a problem for xyz reason." I just wanted to talk, and clear up the misunderstandings. I wanted to have a good conversation about figuring out where the communication went wrong, try and figure out how she came to these conclusions, and how that differs from my point of view. Do something to work it out, and just talk about it, and try and salvage this 3+ year friendship.

After I realized I was blocked, I was going through so so many emotions all at once. The whiplash of going from 5 to 100, Upset that I wasn't given any sort of chance to explain, the 5 stages of grief, being thrown away like the gum off your shoe, worrying about her and if this was the stage of isolation for depression, holding out the hope that we could still just talk and work things out, angry that she kept pushing off and refusing to have any sort of serious talk before this, doubting if anything she had said on 'normal vs not normal' - particularly communication styles, thoughts that maybe she was abusive and manipulative all along, maybe I was continuing the cycle of abuse, trauma flashbacks, anxieties that I had since squashed as 'irrational', fear that this was a sign that she was about to fucking kill herself and maybe the whole list was a lie so I wouldn't try and reach out and stop her, doubting my own reality and maybe the entire list she sent me was true and she was justified in her actions.

Simultaneously trying to process intense feelings and realities if it was true and I'm really secretly a horrible monster, if it wasn't true and she was about to die, and old traumas getting dug out of the grave.

God I was such an emotional wreck and did not know how to process or understand anything that was happening.

This is where the AITA comes in -

I was pushing through back to back panic attacks trying to contact her and figure out what was going on. I didn't want her to die, if that's what was happening. I didn't want to be discarded and thrown away like a piece of trash, if that's what was happening. I didn't want to have 0 chance of learning & growing as a person even if this friendship wasn't salvageable due to my monstrous nature, if that's what was happening.

So I block evaded like fckn crazy. Gmail, pet game sites, discord, skype, deviantart, whatever online platform that we shared that had messaging enabled. I called her phone several times. On the 3-4th call, her mom picked up and told me that none of the above was true. That she wasn't about to die, that I wasn't being thrown away like trash, and that I wasn't a monster. She didn't agree with her daughters actions and thought it unfair to me, but ultimately it was my friend's choice. All simultaneously which just did not compute.

If the list she sent me was true, I was a shitty horrible person. If it wasn't, and she isn't about to die, then not be able to just have a calm sit-down conversation at some point about it and clear it up - if I wasn't worth even attempting to make that effort then I was being thrown away like trash. I kept trying for days afterwards to talk to her - just, anything at all. Nothing got through, she never responded to anything.

And... that was that.

I didn't have a chance to talk to her again. I didn't have a chance to clear up misunderstandings, or understand what I did actually wrong and where, or any sort of closure.

Sometimes if I'm remembering it and feeling paranoid, I'll check and see if she's alive by looking at her online profiles for any activity. Like, maybe once a year tops now. According to the petgame sites, she's still alive at least. I'm assuming she got new social media. Literally it's just a "is she alive, do I have to worry about causing her suicide" check, I don't stalk or look into anything further than that.

Anyway, AITA for how extensively & desperately I was block evading?

What are these acronyms?

[will80sbyers]

Ranking some byler moments bc I felt like yapping about them rn:

5) The Rink-o-Mania fight

They both showed that they were paying close attention to the other one, and both knew that there was a problem in their friendship. Mike was dying inside all day long to ask Will why things had changed between them and why Will suddenly stopped reaching out as much as he did even after Will was the one that promised him that it was not possible that he would have left Mike behind...

Mike was so terrified that Will didn't care about him anymore while he spent all the months apart from him feeling sad and like he lost him and feeling crazy because of how much he missed Will...

and Will was feeling so jealous all day long watching him with El and he just wanted to be given attention and appreciation... even just as a best friend, and instead he was feeling like Mike didn't care about him....

but as soon as Mike makes him understand that he was paying attention Will takes the opportunity to ask him why he didn't write to him if he cared, because Will needs reassurance that he's loved too even when he's the first to pull away because he doesn't want to impose his romantic feelings on Mike when he's with his sister still... great Angst™ and I just love their romantic af fights lol

4) when Will makes Mike smile

This very small moment is really sweet to me and we need more moments like this between them, it just shows that they enjoy the company of the other in all aspects from the serious conversations to the rants about random stuff and also when playing around and just having fun and laughing... it's just showing how they are best friends before everything else, they just want to stay side by side because they enjoy the other person completely on all aspects of their personality

3) The crazy together scene

Iconic moment of their relationship, I love when they support each other and in this moment both of them are opening up about their feelings and making a promise to go crazy together... saying that they want to face the future together no matter what others think they are, even if they seem crazy to everyone else they will ALWAYS have the other one that truly understands...

2) Mike's monologue in the shed

SO sweet and honest, the memory of their first meeting is just such an heartwarming memory and it shows the pure love they have and just how deeply Mike feels towards Will, he thinks the best choice he ever made in his life was to ask Will to be in his life because Mike loves him that much, he can't imagine his own existence without Will by his side... Mike's life got better because he met Will.

and Will is just already in love with him and you can see it in his eyes, this is true love that breaks the evil spell on him casted by the dark wizard

1) Will's van speech

I love this moment because I think Will has this deep yearning inside of him about confessing just how deep his own feelings for Mike are and he wants to tell Mike so badly and this is the closest moment to that that I can get for now lmao

plus I love how Mike FINALLY gets told by someone just how amazing of a person he is and sees that he is valuable for all of them as a person, as he is already.

I truly think Mike couldn't avoid falling in love in this moment and he's wishing deep down that Will was the one meaning all of that romantically... even if he doesn't get it and he's confused that's what his heart is making him feel

look at this... he's just falling for Will all at once without even knowing it completely, he has been hit by a truck emotionally

[markantonys]

I came across a Twitter thread that said the set up for the docks when it comes to the Warder bond between Lan and Moiraine was handled much better in the books cause in the show they feel like the mechanics of the Warder bond was too vague/not explained well in the show that they weren't able to connect with Moiraine and Lan's emotional conflict in s2 because of it. And I am a bit confused cause honestly I don't think the books explain how the Warder bond works at all from what I remember. Just making a lot of wild claims about how everything about the books are better and how the show is fumbling when they haven't even read half the series yet (show first to book reader). Just this trend to shit talk every choice the show makes when you don't even know the full complete story is wild to me

haters: the show hasn't done enough to explain how the bond works

all the screentime across 2 seasons the show has dedicated to showing how the bond works which the haters kept complaining was a waste of time better spent on rand having swordfights:

like literally what do they want lmao some people will never be satisfied!

but the mention of the "mechanics" of the bond is interesting to me because i think we may be hitting upon 2 different types of viewers here: the minority of lore enthusiasts who need to understand every single detail about how things work or else they will be upset and lose immersion, and the majority of audiences who are content with a general understanding of how things work and don't get hung up on details, or will at most go "hmmm i'm not sure if this makes sense, but it's a cool story beat so i'm happy to shrug and move on".

the former category were going "but what weaves is moiraine doing now? did they actually unbond and now she's remaking it from scratch? i thought the bond was only masked? this is such a plothole, it doesn't make sense, i can't concentrate on anything else about the scene" during the 2x08 moiraine & lan beach scene, and the latter category were thinking "what a beautiful and emotionally satisfying moment of seeing them come back together!" and that's it. and probably similar for the rest of the season. if somebody felt unable to connect with the emotional aspects of that storyline, i would bet it's because they felt too unclear about the mechanics of the state of the bond and couldn't let go of that confusion enough to sink into the emotional aspects. (which is really more of a personal thing; my show-only mom was definitely keyed into the emotional aspects of this storyline and didn't get bothered about some mechanics being left vague. in fact, i think she would've just gotten confused if they'd tried to explain the mechanics in more detail djkfjg bless her.)

undeniably, the show does not explain magic mechanics in as much depth as the books do. but that is because it's banking on the very fair assumption that the majority of audiences don't need to have this level of detail in order to enjoy and understand the story (and may get more confused than they need to be if they ARE given this level of detail). i'll admit that s2 was a bit muddled on What Exactly Is Going On with moiraine and lan's bond, and i found myself a bit confused by the mechanics at times, but that never impeded my appreciation or understanding of the emotional aspects of the storyline because i'm someone who is happy to shrug and move on if the mechanics of how something is functioning in a fantasy story aren't making total sense to me.

also, moiraine & lan at the docks won't happen until the end of s3 and it's very very possible we might learn even more about bond mechanics earlier in s3 via elayne and birgitte (who will be good candidates for explaining some New Bond Basics that it wouldn't make sense for moiraine and lan to talk about since they've had theirs for 20 years), so like..........maybe they should just Watch And Find Out.

it's also very interesting that this is coming from someone in the show-to-book pipeline because i honestly would not be surprised if a lot of their base knowledge for how warder bonds works was absorbed..........from the show. and they just don't realize it. granted, if they started with new spring it might be different because i'm assuming new spring goes into a lot of depth about how warder bonds work (though i don't know for sure, i haven't read it). but if they only read EOTW-TFOH, they sure as shit are not gonna have gotten much info about bonds *from the books* because we barely spend any time with characters who are part of a bond during those books. we get, what, maybe a couple chapters total of moiraine or lan pov and then start diving into it a tiny bit more in TFOH with elayne and birgitte, but it's really not that much from what i can remember - and i can't remember very well, because i went into the books already having a very solid understanding of the concept of the bond thanks to all the work s1 put into showing it. i do not remember learning anything significant about the bond in the first 5 books that i didn't already know from s1.

it's also so strange to me in general to see people start with the show, then go to the books, and then start hating on the show because as a show-to-book pipeline person myself, all going to the books did was make me go "wow thank fuck for the show, it will fix X, it will fix Y, it's already fixed Z" basically constantly. it made me 10000x more grateful for and appreciative of the show and the way it's choosing to tell the story!

[jesncin]

Honestly, you are like the most based person ever. A Martian Manhunter fan and a MAWS critic? F YEAH!

I'm so disappointed with MAWS' Lois :( Her romance with Clark could've been so good. SO GOOD. But they decided to go for fan service instead. She just gives off Lena (from cwsg) vibes and that's never a good thing.

Speaking of Supergirl, what's your opinion on the show? And on the show's portrait of J'onn. It baffles me how much hate the show got for the same things fans are willing to overlook now on MAWS. Aren't those some double standards, geez...

Aw shucks thank you! 2 incredibly niche but based things to be...

Sob! Call it the ace in me but whenever people think MAWS!Clois have chemistry because they're easily amused by seeing hot characters undress I lose life force. I didn't witness a couple that grew mutual respect and affection, I saw an insta-crush that led to Lois becoming so entitled to a guy she'd known for less than a week to the point of demanding full transparency of his private life before they even started dating. And then the narrative says it's Clark's fault for having reasonable boundaries, and then they're a couple. What is this.

I've briefly talked about CW Supergirl before, but my takeaway is: if people think MAWS is genuinely good writing then they should absolutely watch CW Supergirl because it must look like high art in comparison to MAWS. Maybe people are less judgy when something's animated and that's not fair. If we want to take animation as a serious medium we should hold it to the same standard and not coddle it. As someone who watched a few eps when CW Supergirl aired and then revisited and watched the whole thing years after the show concluded, I feel that the misogyny surrounding people's discourse around the show has led to people judging the show based on a fanon idea of it rather than its own merits.

more under the cut!

CW Supergirl is a show with great highs and lows. This results in things being hit or miss. But when something hits- CW Supergirl is not given nearly enough credit as it deserves. As a Martian Manhunter fan, I believe that their take on J'onn is the most competent and well adapted in not just adapted media, but all of comics canon. That doesn't mean I like everything they did with his lore and character, but I can acknowledge that they actually bothered developing him outside of the comics/cartoon's fixation with making him mope about his Origin Story all the time. He gets to find love, have adopted daughters through Kara and Alex, reckon with what it's like to preserve aspects of a culture he doesn't fully identify with, deal with his dad going through Martian Alzheimer's disease, and most importantly MAKE PEACE WITH HIS BROTHER. CW Supergirl has hands down, the best take on Ma'alefa'ak in all of canon.

I think Lena is a great character on the show. She's dealing with the trauma of being constantly manipulated by her own family, the legacy her name carries and who she is in all that. But because the supercorp ship permeates the way people perceive the show, she's reduced to that by discourse. When Lena has drama over Kara's secret Superhero identity, it's something that's built up to and informed by trauma, trust-issues, and TIME. We are shown that she has these problems. It gets melodramatic at times, but it's still something that was built up to. Meanwhile in MAWS Lois just tells us she has daddy issues and that it's why she really needs the cute guy at work to spill all his personal info to her even though she gets to lie to him for her own personal gain multiple times. I appreciate what CW Supergirl did to bring more attention to what was an obscure character. Whenever I bump into Lena in the comics, it hasn't stacked up to the character I met on the show.

I've called this out before but while CW Supergirl isn't perfect by any means especially with their treatment of Jimmy Olsen as a love interest to Kara and a generally sidelined Black supporting character, they still discussed and acknowledged Jimmy's identity as a Black American man! Sure it was heavy handed many times, but that's way better than MAWS straight up ignoring Jimmy's Blackness and even making an unintentional jab at it!! Like cw Supergirl Jimmy knows bigotry and has experienced it. MAWS Jimmy thinks bigotry is being ghosted for a camping trip. I have seen the exact same critics call out cw Supergirl for Jimmy's treatment while gleefully thinking Jimmy's treatment in MAWS is so uwu perfect. It makes me sick! Am I going insane?? It's the double standards for me.

[livelovesimallways]

"Such A Thing"....Pt. 2

(Previous)

*after talking for a while* "As you can see, even though every experience is different, the willingness to meet and share aspects of their lives is what truly helps both parties. And again, you are the parents so you ultimately decide the route you want to take. We just strongly encourage openness as it helps adoptees cope. So if you have anymore questions, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I do have one...How was your experience reconnecting with your son?"

"Umm..." *lets out a deep sigh* "It was tough for both of us. If I could go back, I would have never chosen for it to be closed. I believe that's what hurt him the most. It fueled that feeling of abandonment and caused the question of why?"

"Wow, that hits close to home.” *shakes his head* “I get it now.”

*attempts to look sympathetic* “So your family never told you why she had to leave?"

"Nope. I don't know anything about her. Not even her name. It's interesting that you said she had to, I always assumed she just left. I guess this line of work changes the way you think."

"It does. Plus, these decisions don't come lightly. It didn't for me." *gets interrupted by a knock on the door*

"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt. I'm just checking in. Moses your wife had a list of questions. I'm sure I was being interviewed." *laughing* "So did Moriah help or?..."

"She definitely did."

"Oh good. I hope she told you all about her son as well. Their story is just so touching. She even has pictures from when he was a newborn until about three months old. Why don't you show him?"

“I’d rather not. Today was pretty heavy.”

“I happen to think it would help.” *stares at her* “You show everyone that comes through these doors. It’s always appreciated.”

“Okay.” *looks nervous as shit*

*Moses' silence speaks volumes*

"I can explain. Please let me explain. Janice can you give us a second?” *pleading*

*puts the picture down* "You should vet your employees more thoroughly. That baby she's holding…. is me. I have a similar one with just my father...Same outfit, same blanket, same balloons, same room."

"What???" *in shock* "Is he saying you're his birth mother?"

"Yes...but I can explain."

"Explain???" *turns to Moses* "I am so sorry for this, Mr. Muse. If I had any inclination, I would've..."

"Oh that's bullshit!" *cuts her off* "I told you there was a conflict of interest and you still pushed!"

"You're his damn birth mother! Nobody would ever assume that's what you meant! Then after that, you lied! You've been lying...for years!"

"I only lied to help other families. People tend to be more open when they can relate. I didn't hurt or hinder, it only made things better. No one would've ever expected him to come through these doors." *looks at Moses* "I am so sorry. I know you probably have questions. I really thought your family would have at least let you know something. I didn't want to leave, but my life at the time was very unstable. It was no place for a fifteen year old let alone a baby. I knew you would be safe with your dad, so when I was forced to move hours away, I left you with him. The next few years I thought of trying to reach out, but before I knew it, I was pregnant again. Miles died and I didn't want to complicate your life anymore so, I stopped. And look how you turned out? You have the life of your dreams."

"What about your family, Do they...?"

"My husband does but my children?...Absolutely not. Just like with you, it would've complicated things. Even with them being adults now."

"I guess you carved out a nice life for yourself as well." *smirking to hold back rage* "Well, look, I'm sure my wife is wondering what's taking so long." *gets up* "I'm gonna head out. We won't be coming back so you two take care."

To Be Continued........

[hinamie]

I didn't truly write that thinking "the fandom will be happy with more content!", though that is also true, or about how people will look swiftly at your art and not give it as much thought as you did. They may! It was more that... it would be lovely even so? haha I love to look and look again and use as loxkscreen the art I love, and sometimes it makes me start noticing that maybe some things are weird. Maybe that hand is a bit strange, that nape is too plain, that shadow makes the arm a bit weird,... but that is often a consequence of the unique aspect of a piece and many times linked to the specific artstyle of an artist, and thus part of what makes the art charming. And it's something logical for nothing to ever be perfect (though I totally totally get the drive to at the very least try). Not even the big classic artists do everything perfect. You know Raphael's sixth finger? Honestly I 100% think it's people overreading a perspective that turned out to be a bit weird and a hand that was drawn a bit too wide perhaps (the supposed sixth finger is so clearly the hand to me). Caravaggio is wonderful but at times I've thought there's a forearm that looks a bit strange if I look at it a lot. Leonardo has some very weird stuff at times too. Just to name a few haha. I don't know. Humanity is intrinsically fallible, perfection is but an utopia we can try to achieve but never get to, and a piece of art is a neverending process but by decision. And that's part of its charm too. Like Duchamp's broken glass, or how rain makes petals fall and damages the flowers, even though it looks so beautiful. I don't know haha. I didn't want to try and push you into posting more stuff, I hope it didn't came off that way. Just that. Know that some people do stare intently and do like to deeply analyse fandom pieces, and it's great, even with the small imperfections. They're bound to happen. Of course they haunt us haha it's always haunting. But what would life be without ghosts I suppose haha

Sorry to bother you again but I truly wanted to make sure I didn't come off as pushing for you to post more stuff or made you feel your effort to make things perfect and deep would be unappreciated, or turn out to be unimportant because no one would give too much time or thought to art, just look at it. It's definitely not what I wanted xD Hope you have an excellent day!

you're no bother, I didn't read your previous ask that way at all! I ws moreso like. adding onto what you were saying as more examples of reasons why my anxieties r probably unfounded. and i was generalizing a bit yes ghjsdf i know there are people who look at art for longer than the time it takes to hit like or reblog, and I appreciate the love they show my pieces dearly!!

as for the mistakes/quirks in art that show an artist's unique touch or serve as a reminder that there is a person behind every piece I do agree !! i love when you can see evidence of the person who made a piece of art n recognize those little markers of humanity. it's like that meme tho, the "you don't have to be perfect to be loved. me on the other hand," n the fact that I Am My Own Worst Critic i wld throw hands with the bitch i see in the mirror in a Heartbeat. most of my issues boil down to the fact that i have trouble giving anything less than 100% in what i do or being proud of products I don't see as reflecting the absolute best of my abilities. i've definitely gotten better over the course of this year but i still have a long way to go so baby steps for now ig :')

[resowrites]

Hitch - oneshot.

Summary: Henry and his girlfriend hit a bump in the road…

Pairings: AU!Henry Cavill x Girlfriend!OC

Warnings: angst, fluff, relationship difficulties/argument, language, pet names, nondescript OC body type/appearance, brief allusion to smut, hastily written/lightly proofread.

WC: 1630

A/N: Hi folks, still not back in the writing groove but gave it a go and this was the result lol Sorry for deleting the last request, still having a crisis of confidence but I appreciate all interactions (especially as it helps me figure out blog direction). Not sure how often I’ll continue posting atm but feel free to send requests etc. - R x

My work must not be copied, reposted, or translated elsewhere. Likes, follows, reblogs and comments are thoroughly welcome and appreciated! Gifs/pics not my own. I hope you all enjoy and thanks for visiting!

Hitch - oneshot.

"I just want you to tell me why."

"Henry, do you not think if there was another reason, I’d just say so? Especially if it meant not having this conversation again?"

"So you honestly expect me to believe that you won’t get married simply because don't want to?"

"Yes! I said as much not long after we got together, why did you think I’d change my mind?"

"I dunno, I thought maybe you were trying to protect yourself. I know being with someone like me will never be straightforward, but why is marriage an impossibility given how long we've now been together? I've never done anything to make you doubt me or my love for you." She sighed and placed her hands on her hips, struggling to comprehend how watching some dreadful reality show about matchmaking had led to their current discussion. 

"Henry, I really can’t have this conversation again. I've told you my reason why and won't keep repeating myself. Goodnight." Henry dashed between her and the living room door.

"Darling please, we need to talk about this. Surely you can appreciate why I’m confused? You won't attend premieres with me, you don’t often travel with me. I respect that you're your own person and want to be out of the spotlight at much as possible, but now I'm worried you don't feel the same way about me anymore."

"Henry, you already know that isn't true. For fuck's sake I take care of everything each and every day don't I? Your house, your personal affairs, even your dog! I live in the middle of nowhere for you, I get abused every day worldwide for you, and I can't even walk down the fucking street without the risk of being photographed - all for you! Why would I do any of that if I didn't love you? I've never wanted your money, connections, or anything else, and yet here you are questioning me!" But her anger only served to rile him up further. 

"Well, I wonder why! You sound pretty resentful even though this is our house, our dog, our fucking life! For God’s sake I thought we were past this, what else can I do to prove that you're my priority?"

"I'm not resentful, that's my point! And we didn't choose this house or other aspects of our life together but I'm still here, still dedicated to you. What else do I have to do, to prove that?"

"So that would help? If we moved, chose a house together?" She clasped her forehead, exasperated.

"Ugh, no! I love this house because you chose it, just like I love you. Now let me go to bed." Henry blocked her path once again.

"No, please… I'm just trying to understand. You forget that I know you were engaged before, so is it that? You love me but you were in love with him?"

"Or the experience just confirmed marriage isn't for me. If I'd lost the person I loved most, why would I settle? I'm hardly the type, am I?" He searched her eyes.

"But if it's inconsequential to you why can't we do it? I just want you to be my wife, you know fine well I'll never hurt or leave you!"

"Except I don't! No one can. I don't want marriage because I don’t believe it's a vow anyone can honestly make. You might wake up tomorrow and decide you don't love me anymore, or next week you could meet someone who makes you realise you never did. I'm sorry but having to get divorced just adds insult to injury and I won't do it to myself. I refuse to."

"Oh, darling." Henry tried to move in for a hug but she swiftly raised her hand.

"Stop it. Whether you accept it or not, I continue to be here because I love you, and I'm sorry you think I haven't done enough to make that clear."

"And I'm sorry you think I don't love you as much as you love me." A look flashed briefly across her face.

"When did I say that?!"

"Throughout this entire conversation! So I was right all along, you think I'm just a selfish prick who wants to have his cake and eat it. First it was your father, then your ex, and now me. I'm just the latest in a long line of disappointments, aren't I? What do you want me to do? Give up acting? Will that be a big enough improvement for you?" There was no mistaking the look on her face anymore.

"How dare you. I've always respected what you do--"

“She said sarcastically.”

"Oh whatever, all this really comes down to is you not being able to control me any further than you already do." He stepped back a moment, turning around only halfway when he was ready to speak again.

"You don't really believe that?"

"Either way, I'm never getting married or having children. If that's too much for you then, I suppose... our relationship is already over." Her eyes were distraught and Henry rushed forwards, gripping the sides of her arms.

"No, no. Please, don't say that. I'm not losing you over something like this. Having children is different and besides, I don’t want to share you with anyone else," she felt her heart pinch. "I'm sorry, Okay? I'm just hurt, but I'll get over it. Yes, I'm old-fashioned, I find it hard that you don't let me spoil you, or that we have to take turns paying for holidays. You even have to pay for the upkeep of this place!”

"Yes, because you bought it despite us both living here, why can't I at least contribute?" He finally let her go, sighing as his head dropped down.

"I just want to care of you."

"And you do! Which I'm grateful for and is the reason I do whatever I can to take care of you as well. Marriage gives me the ick, alright? I'm just not lovey-dovey, sue me."

"Bollocks. You spend ages cuddling Kal, cooking for me… do you know you even cuddle up to me at night after you've fallen asleep? I try and stay awake just so--" his voice caught in his throat, "I don't miss it. We don't have to have a wedding, though you seemed to enjoy Mark's and Claire's...”

"I'd enjoy myself at funerals if they had open bars." 

"Well, what if something happens to me? I need to make sure everything's taken care of."

"We can go to a solicitor for that." Henry rubbed his jaw.

"What if we make it just us? We don't have to invite anyone other than the witnesses." She pondered the suggestion for a moment. 

"How about we have a civil union?" He scowled.

"What, where you don't have to change your title, surname, or even be called my wife?"

"Henry that's my last offer, take it or leave it. For fuck's sake why can't I just be your partner? That's all I've ever wanted to be..." She swallowed back her tears but practically fled the room. Henry just stood with his head in his hands. Neither of them slept well that night.

***

The next couple of days passed uneasily, not that she didn't try her best to make things better. She still didn't want to give in to Henry though, no matter how bad it felt not to. She thought she’d sacrificed enough for them to be together. If she said yes to this, then what would be next? It was as she was curled up on the sofa, letting such thoughts churn over and over in her mind, that he came and sat down beside her. After a couple of minutes, he gently took her hand. "Listen, I've thought about what you said and I think I finally understand. With that in mind, I'd like you to accept these as a promise that we'll belong to each other for as long as possible and as best we can.” He looked at her knowingly while pulling two velvet boxes from his pocket. “I got you the same promise ring as mine as I know you don't like anything sparkly, mine's just wider cos I've got big hands and need it to last. You don't have to be a Mrs or take my surname either, though I know you don’t like yours so I thought maybe you could anyway?" His hopeful eyes were met with the mischief in hers.

"But your surname’s awful as well!" He snorted.

"Fair enough, I know it's a nightmare changing everything by deed poll anyway. We can wear the rings on our right hands if you want, so... what do you think?"

"I'll accept it on one condition," she teased, though the tears in her eyes were plain to see.

"Which is?"

"You get down on one knee." Henry stared at her for a moment in disbelief but soon hurled himself to the floor, grinning as she presented her right hand. He took his time, making sure to slide the band on carefully. Once that was done she grabbed his and as gently as her patience would allow, twisted it over his finger. They beamed at each other before he leaped to his feet, pulling her with him so they could kiss and embrace. His heart felt like it was about to burst. "You know, if I'm not your wife then what will you call me?"

"How about 'wagon?'" She giggled and swatted him on the arm. "What about me?"

"Hmm, let's see... what else begins with 'w?'" He roared with laughter, planted another kiss on her mouth, and swept her up into his arms. She knew they were headed for the stairs before he even turned round.

To be updated on when I post please follow @resowrites and turn on post notifications.

@marytudorbrandon @luclittlepond

[erikahenningsen]

Thoughts on the movie? Spoilers welcome lol

MEAN GIRLS (2024) SPOILERS BELOW

Overall I really liked it! I had very low expectations, especially considering the track list showing that a lot of songs had been cut. That actually turned out not to be true, as there were some songs in the movie that weren't on the track list (Cautionary Tale, Someone Gets Hurt (Reprise), I See Stars). I expected a lot to be changed, but it actually followed the show fairly closely with some changes (they don't go to the mall, for example). A lot of the lines from the original movie and the Broadway show were kept but there's a lot of new stuff too that really made me laugh. Damian has some good one-liners.

Generally I liked the musical numbers, although I found Angourie kind of lacking when it came to performing during songs, although that's not entirely her fault. They changed Stupid With Love to be slowed way down and just like generally low-key and lines like "I am filled with calculust" just don't hit the same when you're singing it softly with no expression on your face lol. I've never been a big fan of Stop but I do wish Jaquel had had some song of his own. He just has Cady's part in Apex Predator now. The new opening song for Cady (What Ifs) was... fine, but I've never been super in love with Wildlife or It Roars so whatever. It seems like the writers never really could settle on what they wanted for that song since it had a lot of changes for the tour as well. They did totally remove Cady's dad's existence with no explanation which was kind of funny. (My new headcanon is that he was eaten by a lion.)

Definitely cannot go without mentioning that Janis is canonically gay and takes a girl to spring fling, and even Damian has a date he dances with! Regina does also tell Cady she likes her although I think they were going for platonic (could go either way). Cady had the exact same reaction to seeing Regina for the first time as Aaron, which was very funny to me. Obviously I didn't expect them to make everyone explicitly gay so I appreciate the little things they did add. (We know the truth.) I was worried they would completely remove the storyline about Janis's sexuality since the trailer showed the burn book saying "pyro freak," but it's still there. They also made Norbury and Duvall a canon couple which was cute.

I think they did go a little too hard on the gen Z culture aspect; I found some of the language was little cringy at times and felt like a cariacture, but I'm also not a teenager, so maybe it is authentic ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (any teens reading this please report back to me).

In summary I had a really good time and I have some minor gripes but the bar was really on the ground for me and I'm excited to go back! I'm bringing a coworker this week who didn't know me during MG on Broadway and has never seen or listened to this musical so that should be wild.

[triviareads]

How did you like Lady Chatterleys Lover?

It was lovely! And that went beyond the (lovely, excellent, stupendous) sex.

I didn't expect to like Connie and Oliver individually as much as I did. Connie had a refreshing realism and was very much about taking each day as it comes, and trying to see the upside in things. This is in direct contrast to Sir Clifford who veered between wild optimism to the point of self-delusion and nihilism. Oliver truly was a gentleman in the ways that counted (Connie was right to note his "tenderness", even the little things like he walked her back to the gate after every tryst count imo).

Regarding the sex itself- it was hot, there's no denying it. I actually think the fact that they took their time with showing it (no one-pump chump scenes here, and there was oral!), and showing full nudity actually added to the emotional element and made it less tawdry. There were no dumb sex montages or gratuitous music (you could actually hear their moans and whatnot which, again, Hot). They also managed a MUCH better job of showing the female gaze than, say, Bridgerton. Hell, they even managed to show doggy-style from the female gaze in my opinion.

Basically, the viewer could see Connie and Oliver's relationship developing through sex and the intimacy that comes with it. This also made it special for me because I observed in a prior post that it's very rare for movies to do this. That's because often times in movies, there is like, one, sex scene and that's usually after some kind of build-up, rather than the sex itself being the build-up to love. Also, I deeply appreciated that there was never any scene that showed anyone (Connie especially) feeling guilty after sex, like... there was no "out damned spot" kinda guilt going on here. I've talked to a few people and every one of them named a different aspect of Connie and Oliver's sexual relationship that they were personally shook by so that was interesting.

There was this moment where Oliver is walking Connie back to the gate and he talks about how upper-class men, so called "gentlemen" have to be dead to a degree because of the soulless decisions they make in choosing to send men to mines or factories or to war and that HIT me so hard I almost teared up, probably because of the combination of his words and the romantic intimacy of the moment. Ultimately I did end up crying at the end because of the hope they'd carried with them (and Oliver's letter), despite everything they'd gone through.

I think we need more adaptations along this vein, and to be honest, this is the style in which I think historical romances can be adapted because they can stay true to the material of the text when it comes to the sex essentially being a building block in their romantic relationship.

[mageofseven]

When Heat Cools: A MephistoMC Love Story

Chapter 8

Taglist: @astroseuss @fcxyviixen @jar-of-moondust @marvelous-maniac @ghost-mint @darkflowerav @missloserqueen

"I know you are going through a lot, my friend."

Mephisto shook his head.

"It's MC who is going through a lot; in comparison, I am simply along for the ride."

"Still, you are undoubtedly stressed."

The nobleman gave a small nod.

"However," Dia continued. "I would still appreciate it if you would answer a certain question of mine."

Just when Mephisto thought he feeling his worst, the prince's words made his body tense.

Somehow, he could just sense he wasn't going to like this question of his.

"What is it, my lord?"

Dia pursed his lips.

"Is...your leg getting worse or has MC simply helped you put less focus on your act?"

Mephisto freezed. He knows?? Has he truly made it that obvious? The nobleman knows he was stumbling earlier but surely that was not enough for his old friend to know his secret?

"This is not some new discovery for me, I assure you." The prince explained, knowing well what his friend must be thinking. "I...In truth, I've known since we were barely adolescents, back when you first received your cane. You always put so much effort into concealing your leg issue so I did my best to respect your feelings and hoped you would confide in me about it some day."

Mephisto was physically about thirteen when he had to start using his cane. Diavolo has literally known about his disability for hundreds of years and never spoke about a word about it simply because he could see how hard his friend was trying to hide it and wanted the other boy to confide in him about it instead of prying into what was obviously a sensitive issue.

That never happened though and here the two men are, hundreds of years later, finally addressing it.

The nobleman turned away from the prince.

"My lord, I'd rather not talk about this."

"You have always been so protective when it comes to others knowing about your leg's weakness." Dia frowned, worried. "What is it about your injury that that makes you so determined to hide it?"

Some would probably think it was a pride issue, but that couldn't be further from the truth. With the way Mephisto acts now of days, such a theory would be believable, but this has truly gone on since they were young, since before Mephisto adopted such an attitude.

Diavolo knew his old friend, knew that their must be an important reason why he did not want others knowing about his disability.

The nobleman's heart was pounding in his chest.

"Forgive me, but I have already said that I will not speak of it." He repeated.

This was a topic that no one could know, that Mephisto himself must take to his grave. Even in their closer days, he could not tell his friend about the incident and nothing has changed since then.

The prince released a sigh.

"I suppose some aspects of you still have not changed." He gave a sad smile. "Will you at least let me know if I or Barbatos can do anything to help?"

The nobleman shook his head.

"Nothing can help it, but I do appreciate the thought, my lord."

Dia stared at his old friend in worry. There really wasn't much in his life that the prince could help with, was there?

Eventually, MC was done with her medicinal bath and was ready to go home. The phantom cold was now gone, but the poor woman was now left mentally exhausted.

The tired human even fell asleep with her head in her boyfriend's lap on the way back to House of Lamentation. She slept hard and poor Mephisto couldn't wake her up.

Luckily, Beel had just come home from somewhere (Mep got so lucky it was a kind brother who showed up lol) and had the big guy take his sweet corazón inside to her room.

Of course, Beely did it without a fuss and was very gentle with the sleeping human.

...Okay, so one of the brothers is alright, he has decided. The Avatar of Gluttony has unknowingly passed a test even Mephisto didn't realize he made.

It only took two days after that for Diavolo's message hit Mephisto's parents and hit them hard. Whatever form it took, the son was unsure, but his parents knew it was his doing.

His mother slapped him across the face with enough force to make him stumble back.

"I raised you better than this!" His mother shrieked. "Do you even know what you've done? Do you have a single brain cell that thick head of yours?"

Mephisto steadied himself and avoided his mother's gaze. Yes, by doing this he betrayed his family, something that was he was taught to be incredibly taboo.

He did it to protect MC therefore he did not regret it--however, that didn't mean it didn't hurt to do so. His loyalty towards his family has always been a defining pillar of who this man was as a person; one he was willing to feel the pain of cracking it for the sake of his corazón and children though.

His father step between the two of them--not out of protection, but to take hold of the situation.

"Listen, we need to remedy this situation and quickly." The older man spoke coolly. "I need you to bring your human pet in to--"

"MC is coming no where near here." Mephisto raised his head and met his father's matching green eyes.

"You--"

The husband simply raised his hand towards his wife.

"Lamia, you wanted me to handle this so I'm handling it." He scolded her before looking back to his son. "Your prince has already made it very clear the lives of that human and her child are off limits; you have turned our threat idle."

"Then what to do you want with her?"

"For the time being? A conversation, one that you shall be present for too." The older man explained. "The rest will be explained then."

Mephisto went silent.

"I expect you both in this house tomorrow afternoon. I will have the butler give you the details in the morning."

And with that, his parents left him standing there, fists at his sides.

What the hell are they planning? And worse, what do they have planned if he doesn't comply?

[faeriekit]

Faer i would love to know more about the event about fan ostracization from mainstream comic culture??? Do you have any like, panelist names or details or anything?

OkAY I found the program online because the paper thing they gave me for the programming sucked severely!!

It was a thursday panel, which meant pros/educator oriented (Thu, Oct 12, 2023 • 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM). The title was "Geekspaces Assemble! Safe Spaces for our Marginalized Communities". Clicking the link will give you all the details, but the panelists were (Left to right) an owner of a queer/female friendly comics store in Portland, a letterer who's been in prominent aspects of the comics industry for fifty years, a...business entrepreneur (maybe also she was an illustrator?) and Jubilee fan, and an Author/Illustrator who spent a good chunk of his childhood in Puerto Rico. The panel consisted of three women (which, for comics, seems rare as hell), one queer women, two women of color, and a gentleman of color who grew up outside of America.

The only reason I am not putting their names down is that I am Suspicious one name might be wrong and I cannot verify it because they did not link their professional contact information to their NYCC guest pages haha. Their identifying info give on the page is still present.

To summarize the bits I remember, everyone involved gave a rundown on how hostile comics culture and the outside point of view on comics culture was to their efforts to actually enjoy their hobby. The woman in the industry spoke on how hard it was to actually get her voice and interests heard, and how the need to make a safe space for women and people of color helps keep the peace. The business woman spoke on representation and how it affected her growing up, and how when there isn't anything to look up to, we sort of have to make our own role models and characters to lean into, and having a space space to create helps us do that. The man had an interesting perspective on how comics were a huge hobby of his growing up, but when the Simpsons made it to Puerto Rico, the Comic Book Guy made it so that other people looked down on him for engaging in something that seemed so snooty and unpleasant on the show. The bookshop owner talked about how it was not only super vital for her main audience, queer people and women, to have a space safe enough where they could explore comics how they wanted to, but that she heard testimonials after she opened that the main cishet white male audience of comics loved and appreciated her shop as a safe space too, because it was a place where they didn't feel the need to perform in order to engage with their hobby as they had to in the quintessential shops that were so popular at the time.

Everyone was well spoken and brought up great points about how the experience for enjoying comics is so different when you're queer, not a man, or white— something I have absolutely noticed from spending time even peripherally watching the dc fandom here on tumblr and on ao3. Having a place where you can express your interpretations and experiences with your hobby without fear of reprisal or attack makes all the difference. Comics are very often not written for us. Based on their age, comics written about us may be lacking, at the very least, or outright harmful at the very worst. Reading certain DC lore gives me psychic damage. If we want to make comics a fun, welcoming space (and I know that's not every comic fan's goal), we have to make and protect our own spaces from outside prejudice.

Overall, it was a great panel, I loved it, and I really wish it hadn't been at 10:30 in the morning because half the intended audience (and a panelist!) was still trying to get into the building by the time it hit 10:30! It also reinforced my need to make the graphic experience in the library better integrated with the younger kids, because I don't want them to think that comics aren't for them if the first experience they have is people being weird and rude when they get into it as teens. I know that the panelists are from at least one if not more generations above me, and that the landscape has expanded and changed since then, but I find the fundamental base of the talk very true, and find it even more prudent that they speak, because their work built the foundations we're trying to build up on right now— with graphic memoirs, with indie comics, with irl geekspace occupancy, with ao3 and tumblr gossip and interaction.

Anyway, occupy your local comics shop. If they suck, get on facebook, network, and see where all the weirdos like you collect.

[walker-extended-universe]

Why I Love Stella Walker

Stella Walker is what you could consider a "controversial" or "problematic" character within the Walker universe. People have a variety of opinions on her, from hatred to love and everything in between. While my own opinions on Stella have fluctuated between these extremes over the course of the show, season 3 had me fully settling on a positive outlook on her. In honor of her day, I'd like to dedicate this post to talking about why.

Walker has a way of writing female characters as full people, flaws and all, and while that can lead to questionable writing decisions (and even more questionable audience reactions to those decisions), I have to appreciate the realism behind it all. I think no character encapsulates this better than Stella and I have to give Violet Brinson props for how well she does in this role. Stella has a difficult balance of grieving, traumatized girl and difficult teenager still coming into her own and I think Violet hits it beautifully. Though the audience reactions to her character can make it hard to be a fan at times, I can never stay too mad about it.

I think one of the things I appreciate most about Stella is how much she reminds me of me as a teenager. Granted, that wasn't all that long ago, but I do remember what I was like at that age and I definitely wasn't the most likeable person. I, of course, didn't have the background of a dead mother and an emotionally absent father to fall back on as an excuse. Because of that, I admire Stella's strength in sticking up for herself when she felt no one else, even her family, was listening and slowly learning to let people into her heart again. She certainly handled her high school years better than I did.

I also have a strong appreciation for the more positive aspects of Stella's behavior, though they don't get nearly as much use in the script as they should. Stella is a passionate, caring, sympathetic, headstrong young woman who is slowly but surely coming into her own. Her journey, while bumpy, is one that I've enjoyed watching. She cares about her family, as much as they may frustrate her. She's also pretty good in a crisis considering her age and experience, something exhibited very well in both 1x13 and 2x18 (I'll never forgive the writers for abandoning the concept of Stella being a first responder). All of these traits come together to make a great character with a lot of potential, one that I continue to look forward to watching.

To round this post off here's a short list of things I love about Stella:

Beautiful

Stands up for herself, especially to her family

So much potential

Excellent athlete

Charming smile

Perfect hair

Just needs a Break

Strong young woman

TL;DR:

I love Stella Walker

[charmspoint]

idk if i'm poking a hornet's nest, if i am, feel free to ignore this ask. i just wanted to know: what are your thoughts on jjk? i'm genuinely really interested because i've started reading it and i'm really enjoying it so far. and i love how it's inspired so much fanwork and analysis, but also, a bit of criticism. idk ... what's your response to it? sorry for sending such a vague ask!

Oh don't worry at all, if there is one thing I can be counted on is to share my opinion on p much anything I can have an opinion on, loudly and in length.

So here are few things to consider before giving my opinions any weight

I don't read shonen because I think it will be good hjbhbh this sounds mean but like, as frustrating as it is, shonen not being As Good As I Would Like It To Be, is kind of the point. I almost NEVER write fanfics about manga i really truly love. If i asked my followers now I don't know if they would be able to name my fav manga n anime. I read shonen to have something to write about, to have something to fill out and develop.

Shonen focuses a lot on fights. I don't care about fights. My primary interests when I'm reading are A. Characters B. World building. Shonen has these but they are never the focus, the focus is setting up a cool way to have a cool fight, whatever that means in the world of the particular story. This of course doesn't apply to every shonen manga, don't come for me, but it applies to a lot of the popular ones and it applies to JJK

All that to say: I'm not the target audience and I know it, if you are looking for an opinion of someone who really really really likes shonen manga and is into the major aspects of it that's not me and I won't give you any useful insight on that.

Onwards with my thoughts:

JJK is really really fun at the beginning! If you just started reading it you are in for a fun time for a good bit. The characters are interesting and show a lot of promise, the central themes are cool, the designs are badass and it has one of the better adult supporting cast which I, as an adult who can no longer really identify with teen protags, really appreciate. It has amazing villains, some of the better treated women in shonen (tho keep in mind that is a very low bar) and enough emotional content to keep you digging for more. It had me teared up at least once! It's world is very interesting and the psychology and the make up of it are just MADE for someone like me who specializes in studying pain and grief and death to splash around in.

It's just that after a bit...it stumbles. I think it's p much unanimously agreed at this point that the shibuya arc was the high note after which the manga very very slowly started getting dull. The nature of where it was headed meant that a lot of new characters had to be introduced only to be immediately discarded. It was a death game where it didn't really feel like the main characters were in danger which, after Shibuya which had a high death toll on known and bellowed characters, just had me kind of disinterested. Death game with no stakes is BAD. It's hard to explain all the ways i just kind of stopped caring. Combination of the inflation of the cast with characters I didn't care about while leaving the old ones by the wayside. Feeling like the most interesting of new characters got sidelined (suspiciously mostly women...remember what i said about the low bar), while the boring ones stuck around. It started feeling rare that the manga hits an emotional point (it did happen, it was this era of the manga in which it almost brought me to tears) but even the hits would get undermined with something later that made them stumble and fall flat. A lot of promising, cool things, conversations, backstory details, interactions that were expected and predicted from the first half just kind of fizzled out, didn't happen, or were done so quickly and offhandedly that it got me saying 'is that really how he's gonna do this'. It was just a pile of small disappointments that grew and grew until I found myself not as excited for the new update like i once was, till i found myself completely forgetting to check if the new chapter was there or not.

All in all, I would place JJK very close to BNHA in terms of my feelings for it: Very promising but can't live up to its own ideas. Or to be fair, can't live up to my ideas. Every time I check in Gege seems to be having a blast and in the end that's what's most important. I'm just someone writing in the blanks he left behind according to my own interests lol.

[coolpanda41]

SIDE ORDER THOUGHTS

I beat Side Order last night after 3-5 runs and after sleeping on it here are my thoughts (spoilers ahead)

The first ten floors (inital tower) is insane. Not only does it serve as a good tutorial but the dialog and tension is such a good hook

When I got to the first boss, I didn't look to closely and just thought "oh we're fighting Octavio again as the first boss? He's here? OK cool" it was infact NOT Octavio lol. I even took a screen shot before the boss fight and looking at it, yeah definitely not Octavio lol

Honestly so glad the Marina wasn't the main villain, and I'm glad she tags along in the elevator

Speaking of Marina, her and Pearl are so in love here. Like I shipped them before but now with their dialog, the dev diary, even Marina's computer screen being Pearl, they're so canon

Shipping aside, honestly think that the dialog is one of the strongest aspects of this mode as we learn more about the memverse and the character dynamics

I also love Acht, no need to further explain, they're just so cool

Person who's only rouge like experience is hades: man, this is just like hades! (This is a joke, I only said that on vending machine levels)

The levels themselves are fun, all be a bit repetitive at times. It is a rouge like but there 4 different level types (minus bosses) and limited floor design, then again, I've only played 3-5 runs and half of that was with Agent 4's pallet

A little disappointed that agent 4 didn't show up in the flesh but I'm a firm believer that Parallel Canon is supposed to be clones of them because of the matching hair styles with your own and with the completed pallet of 4, Order mentioned that Marina wanted 4 to be security for the memverse so I'm taking those crumbs

Also kinda disappointed that we didn't get more Off the Hook and Dedf1sh songs but the ones we got were good. I like how ebb and flow is kinda like Off the Hook's equivalent of Calimari Inkantation lol

Continuing with music, I like the music but felt like I didn't get to appreciate as much because I was so focused on the level (this is a me thing but still)

Order is a cool villian, bit generic but still cool, I like how his boss fight was foreshadowed as a locker item (it's an in universe Switch game, I forget what's it's called)

In the last phase of Order's boss fight, I got splatted a few times and luckily there wasn't life count so it just gave the option to continue or give up and every time I hit continue I thought "omori did not succumb, agent 8 did not succumb" lol

The credits were beautiful

This is probably the first splatoon story that I'll aim for 100% because there is still a lot to know and learn

Inkopolis Square as a reward was predicted but welcomed, it's really cool to see what has been built up since Splat2

ISO PADRE IS HERE, HE'S FREE, MY MAN IS FREEEEE!!!!!!!!!

A little disappointed that the grate the originally lead to Splat2's story mode is just covered a manhole cover unlike in the plaza but that's just a nickpick on my end

Shout out to that one octoling beside the claw machine saying they miss squid beats, we all do

Honestly still shocked at how fast I beat Side Order lol

Overall, I enjoyed Side Order. Personally, it was a bit underwhelming but I'm satisfied. Like I said, I'll probably be trying for 100% cause the dev diarys, pallets and collectables but for what's it's worth, it's good