#i love this idea of them all ganging up for the greater good and making you take care of yourself

[just-jordie-things]

[part three] to build a home - gojo satoru

word count: 3.6k warnings: !!manga spoilers!! swearing, jjk-verse style fighting series summary: when (y/n) (y/l/n) catches wind that the notorious sorcerer killer, toji fushiguro, has children, she makes it her personal mission to find them. the catch being she couldn't tell a soul about them- the risk of the zen'in clan learning about them was too great. keeping the secret isn't the hard part, it's lying to her friends, shoko ieiri, geto suguru, and of course gojo satoru, that she struggles with. especially when satoru has suddenly become so keen on keeping an eye on her lately.

series masterlist

[part three] : "Learning To Lie"

___

“I never thought I’d see the Gojo Satoru get soft,” Shoko’s giggling as she took a drag of her cigarette.  Her shoulders shake and her eyes close as she beams at the thought.  “It’s only a matter of time now until you dye that stupid hair too, huh?” She suggests, blowing out the smoke in her lungs.

Suguru’s head is thrown back in laughter, happily partaking in the tease-fest.

“I think black would be cooler.  Like mine” He says.

Shoko coos and hums in agreement, looking back at Gojo as if to picture a new look in her mind.

“I’m not coloring my hair, idiots,” He mutters, turning away from them and waving a dismissive hand.  “I look perfect” 

Suguru snorts at how humble his best friend was.

“So you admit you’ve grown a little soft spot for our resident (y/n)?” He asks, a muse in his tone as he shares a look with Shoko.

“We’ve always been friends.  I don’t know why you’re having a giggle parade over us hanging out.  I hang out with you guys all the time, you think I’m in love with you?” 

Shoko purses her lips, passing her cigarette to Suguru.

“Yes,” She says, decidedly.  “But I think you like (y/n) better” 

Satoru has to fight the urge to defend himself too much, because he knows if he argues with them too much, their suspicions will only be raised tenfold.

“She’s definitely better company than you two right now” He grumbles, leaning back against the wall.

He wasn’t even a smoker, but when Shoko and Suguru would head off for a cigarette break, more often than not he’d follow.  Sometimes (y/n) would be here.  And when she was, he could focus his attention on messing with her.  Otherwise when it was just these two, they ganged up against him.

Speaking of- 

“Where is (y/n) anyways?” Satoru asks.

Shoko and Suguru share another suggestive look, chuckling to themselves.  Satoru wasn’t sure when they took such entertainment in meddling with his love life, but it was starting to irritate him.  All the looks, and the giggling, it was going to drive him crazy.

“She said something about having to go to a bookstore in town,” Shoko said.  “Sounded boring” 

“Miss your little training buddy already?” Suguru asks.

“She went to town by herself?” Satoru frowned.

“Relax, she literally just needed a book,” Shoko says, taking her cigarette back from Suguru.  “I think she’s capable of a little errand” 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” He sighs.  “It’s just weird that she’d go alone.  We all had the day free” 

“Then go hang out with her if you want” Shoko suggests.

“Yeah, then we can talk about you guys” Suguru pipes up.

They’re laughing amongst themselves again, and Satoru thinks it’s not such a bad idea.  Kicking off the wall, he raises his hand in a peace sign and leaves without a word.

He can still hear their childish giggles as he walks away. ___

Breaking into the elementary school once it had closed and the staff had left for the day had been easy enough.  In fact, it was probably the easiest part of her whole investigation, which was odd since it was the first actual crime (y/n) had committed.

Not that commiting said crime fazed her too much.  She was doing this for the greater good after all.

The tricky part was finding what she was looking for.  The filing cabinets in the administrator’s office took up an entire wall, so finding two student’s information was going to take a minute.

She raised her phone’s flashlight and quickly began to read the labels on each cabinet.

Payroll.  Emergency Contacts.  Lunch Schedules.  Event Budgeting.

And then finally, Student Files.

With a grin, she quickly pulled open the first drawer with this label, and went flipping through the alphabetized files.

Just as she found where F was filed, her phone buzzed.

She nearly dropped it from the surprise, before she quickly silenced her ringtone, cursing whoever needed to call her right now.  Didn’t they know she was trying not to get caught literally breaking and entering? 

Well, no, no one did.  Maybe she should have turned her phone to silent before she broke in.

Seeing that it was Satoru calling, she knew better than to decline, so with a sigh, she answered, pressing her phone between her shoulder and her ear.

“Hey!” He greeted her happily.  “What’re you up to?”

She told Shoko she was shopping today.  So she had to stick to her story and tell him the same thing.

“I’m in town, what’s up?” She replied, keeping it short.

“Nothing.  Want company? Suguru and Shoko are being annoying and I kind of feel like avoiding them,” He tells her.  

Her heart feels warm that he wanted to spend time with her, but she bites her lip and tries to find a reason why he couldn’t come see her.

“We could grab lunch.  Or if you’ve already eaten we can get ice cream.  Either way my treat” 

(y/n) smiles to herself.

“That’s sweet, Satoru, but,” She hesitates, eyes wandering through the files in front of her.  “I already ate, and I’m still looking for that pair of headphones I saw online,” 

It’s quiet for a minute on his end, and she hopes she hasn’t hurt his feelings.

“But thank you for thinking of me.  We can hang out tomorrow, or something, if you have time” 

“Sure,” He replies, but his voice sounds off.  Almost rigid.  “Bye” 

With that, he hangs up on her.  (y/n) frowns as she pulls her phone from her ear, seeing the call end and her lock screen wallpaper light up.  She can only hope that he isn’t too upset.

She drops the thought quickly, and goes back to thumbing through the file folders.

It’s a matter of seconds before she finds what she’s looking for.  Fushiguro.

She snatches the file, her face split in a grin.  Victory!

With great haste she flipped through every page, snapping a photo of each one.  Once finished, she carefully placed everything back where she found it, slid out the window she’d so craftily unlocked when she’d broken in, closed it behind her, and left the scene.

If committing crime really was that easy, she wonders why more people don’t do it.

Maybe she’d keep that thought to herself.

As she casually slipped herself into the crowd of people, eyes glued to her phone as she studied the photos of the files she’d just stolen, she completely missed a familiar figure approaching.

“(y/n)?” 

Her eyes darted up, face paling slightly, surprised that anyone had recognized her.

And there was Haibara Yu, with that infamous cheery smile and a wave as he approached her.  He was in street clothes, and a small bag was held at his side.

“Yu!” Her voice came out a little louder than intended from her surprise.  She cleared her throat, and hoped that he didn’t find her acting strange.  “What’re you up to today?” 

“Just needed to get a gift for my sister,” He said, holding up the shopping bag in his hand.  “Her birthday is next weekend” 

“Sweet of you,” (y/n) smiled at the gesture.  “Tell her I said happy birthday” 

Yu nods, and she knows that despite having never met his sister- who probably didn’t know who she was- that he would relay the message.  He was a good guy like that, always putting people’s happiness first.  (y/n) admired that about the second year.

“So, what are you up to?” He asks.

She knows the question isn’t meant to be interrogative, that he’s genuinely curious about her day.  (y/n) bristles nonetheless.

“Just some shopping” She shrugs, trying to be as casual as she could, so as not to raise any suspicion.  

Although now that she thinks about it, and sees his kind smile as he talks to her, she thinks that she could never make him suspicious of her.  Yu was a grade younger than her, so it wasn’t often that they crossed paths.  Only in the halls of Jujutsu Tech, or if they happened to be working out at the same time.  But Yu had always made a point to talk to her, to befriend her and treat her well.  She’d found it endearing, how his kindness poured out of him, even when he was running late and Kento would be pulling him by the collar of his shirt, dragging him away, he’d always bid her goodbye with the well wish of having a good day.

Thinking about it now, (y/n) wondered if he had a little crush on her, or if he was always that pleasant with everyone.  She smiles warmly at the thought, either way. 

“Well, uh, do you want any company?” The dark haired boy asks, his hand raising to the back of his neck nervously.  “I’m all wrapped up, I don’t mind joining you, if- if you want” 

For a brief moment- so fleeting the thought left as soon as it presented itself- she wondered if Gojo had sent him.  After their strange phone call, she couldn’t help but notice Yu had asked the same question as Satoru after all.

She brushed off the paranoid idea quickly.  Yu was too kind to be sent as a spy.  Besides, she hadn’t been so shady in her excuses to Satoru to result in him sending an informer her way, she was certain.

“You’re too kind,” (y/n) flashed a dazzling smile.  “But I’m just about wrapped up myself, I was just going to get something, uh, a bit private, if you don’t mind,” She feigns bashfulness as she averts her eyes after telling him her errand.

Yu’s face drops and his ears turn a light shade of pink, and (y/n) mentally applauds herself for having succeeded in making him believe her little lie.

“Oh- oh, right, of course,” The boy stammered.  “Will you be long? I could wait for you, so you don’t have to walk back alone” 

“That’s alright, it’s my last stop,” (y/n) says, waving a dismissive hand in front of her.  “No need to worry about me” 

Yu nods, tucking his hands into his pockets as he lowers his gaze, hiding the disappointment in his features.  

“If you insist,” He says.  “I know your friends would be upset with me if I didn’t even offer,” 

You’re probably right, (y/n) thinks as she chuckles quietly.

“And I don’t need Gojo beating me up for leaving you out here alone” 

“He wouldn’t do such a thing,” (y/n) says with certainty.  “I’m not a stranger to Tokyo.  And I can handle myself just fine,” 

She begins to pass by him, patting his shoulder in a friendly manner as she does. 

“Have a safe walk back” She tells him.

“Yeah.  You too” Yu smiles, giving her a small wave as he walks off in the direction he was heading before he’d run into her.

(y/n) checks over her shoulder a few moments later, just to be sure that he was going back to the school, and he wasn’t following her.  Her eyes scan the small crowd of people wandering the sidewalks and peeking into shops.  When she doesn’t see the familiar student, her mind is at ease, and she goes back to her phone.

With the address of Megumi and Tsumiki Fushiguro’s home displayed before her, she follows her map. ___

“I saw (y/n) while I was in town” Yu mentions, picking at the box of food before him.

Kento, sat across from him at the table they shared, looked up from his own meal.  This wasn’t a casual mention.  It never was when he talked about (y/n).  It was almost getting tiring, hearing his friend go into that dreamy voice as he shares the most meaningless interaction he’d had with the third year girl.

“That so?” He replied anyway.  Might as well get it over with.

“Yeah,” Yu hummed in delight, the smile on his face was glued there.  “She was shopping” 

So interesting, Kento thinks bitterly, but he doesn’t dare say it out loud.  Yu’s crush on the older sorcerer might have been a bit far-fetched, but he was a good friend, so if he wanted to gush about her, he’d listen.

“Surprised you didn’t stay in town with her,” Kento says instead.  “Seemed like a good opportunity for one-on-one time, hm?” 

“I know.  I offered,” Yu sighs.  “But she was- uh- kinda busy” He chuckles nervously.

Kento raises a brow, silently asking what that was all about. Yu rubs the nape of his neck.

“She said she was shopping for something private” He confesses.

Kento hums, finally turning his attention back to his lunch.

“Whatever that means” 

“I didn’t ask,” Yu shrugs his shoulders.  “I didn’t want to overstep” 

It’s quiet for a minute as the pair nibble on their food.  Yu’s mind was buzzing with thoughts of the girl he’d run into, how pretty she looked in her street clothes, how kindly she spoke and smiled.  His eyes glazed over as he got lost in his thoughts.  He almost didn’t hear the footsteps of a third year approaching the table.

“Hey, you gonna pass out?”

Yu blinked until his vision of reality was restored, looking up to see Gojo Satoru leaning over the table, overly-invading both Yu’s and Kento’s personal space as he grinned at the daydreaming boy.

“He’s fine,” Kento muttered, leaning back from the table a bit to put some distance between him and the overbearing Six Eyes user.  “He’s just daydreaming about (y/n)”

Behind his sunglasses, Satoru blinks, his eyes twitching in the slightest.  But the ridiculous grin he wore didn’t falter as he continued to stare down the younger boy.

(Had Yu seen the jealous look in the eyes of Gojo Satoru himself, he probably would have pissed his pants)

“That so?” Satoru asks.  His voice was steady, almost too steady, and Yu swallows nervously, nodding his head.  “Didn’t know you had a little crush on our little hex” 

Curiously, Nanami eyes the way Gojo keeps his expression and demeanor remain perfectly rigid.  He’d barely moved a muscle, even as he spoke, he did so through that psychotic grin.  It was easy to see through this act.  He wondered if Yu thought the same.

“I- I dunno if I’d call it a- a crush,” Yu stammers.  “I was j-just telling Nanami that I’d run into her earlier” 

That made Gojo drop the false grin on his face, his brows suddenly furrowing.  Suddenly, he leaned back, out of the younger sorcerer’s personal space.

“Just now?” He asked.

Yu nodded his head in an anxious fashion, too nervous to open his mouth.  Nanami had said enough on his behalf to make the white haired sorcerer all too interested in their conversation.

“In town?” Satoru clarified.

Yu nodded again.

“Y-yeah,” He stumbled over his words.  “She was shopping” 

I know that.  Satoru’s teeth grind together to keep him from spitting out an attitude he doesn’t mean.

“Ah, Yu,” He shook his head, chuckling.

His demeanor had returned to it’s usual teasing presentation, but Yu’s anxiety remained on high alert.  This whole interaction was making his stomach churn, like he’d done something wrong and he hoped Gojo wouldn’t find out.  Although, he’s not very sure what mistake he had made.

“Couldn’t have been a gentleman and walked my girl home for me?” 

Finally, Yu’s brain caught up with where Nanami’s was.  This wasn’t anger, he realized.  This was jealousy.

That was much, much worse.

Yu feared for his life.

“I- I didn’t- she was- I wasn’t trying to-” 

“Mhm, of course,” Gojo nods, and reaches out to place a hand on the boy’s shoulder.  Yu shuts his mouth instantly, his eyes wide as saucers as he stares directly at him.  “Don’t worry, I’m just pulling your leg a little” Gojo chuckles.

Yu huffs out a nervous laugh himself, trying to catch his breath and slow down his rapidly beating heart.

Nanami continues to sit in silence, watching the whole display with the eyes of a hawk.

“Okay,” Yu breathes out once he’s calmed down a little inside.  “She just had something private to shop for, I was trying to be, ya’know, considerate” 

The twitch in Satoru’s eye was starting to get annoying.  Private? He latched onto the word.  First she tells Shoko she’s book shopping.  Then gives him some bullshit excuse about headphones.  And now Yu is here telling him a third thing that didn’t match up in his head.  His finger began to tap against Yu’s shoulder, before he pulled his hand off, shoving it into his pocket.

“Of course you were, you little gentleman,” He pulls out his teasing tone.  “But do me a favor, Haibara?” 

“Sure?”

Before he can say anything, Geto Suguru enters the room, calling Gojo’s attention.  The man turns away from Yu for a moment, holding his finger up to his friend, and then turning back to the younger sorcerer.

“Next time,” He says in a chipper tone that seemed like anything but.  “Try to do the right thing, and walk her home, yeah?”

He was sure to lower his shades so that his eyes could pierce right through Yu’s soul.

Yu chokes on air, nodding his head at an aggressive speed.

“Of course.  I will.  I’m sorry” 

Gojo claps his hand on his shoulder one more time.

“Have a good lunch, guys!” He gives the pair a friendly wave before heading back over to Suguru.

Yu’s jaw drops as he finally looks over to Nanami, fear deep in his eyes.

“Why would you tell him that?” He squeaked out.  “I thought he was going to kill me!” 

Nanami shrugged, taking a bite of his food, chewing thoughtfully.

“How was I to know he had a thing for her?” He muttered.

Suguru had only seen a little bit of Satoru’s interaction with the second years, but he’d seen enough to know something was up.

As they walked out of the dining hall, he supposed he could indulge in a little drama.

“So, what was that about?” He mused, an eager smile on his lips.  “Not like you to threaten a kid like Haibara” 

“I wasn’t threatening him” Satoru brushed off the comment, adjusting his sunglasses to sit properly on his nose.

“Could’ve fooled me” 

“You see (y/n) at all today?” Satoru changed the subject.

Suguru raised a brow, although his friend was ignoring his look.

“No” He replied. 

The white haired sorcerer let out a huff.

“That what this is about? (y/n)?”

Satoru doesn’t say anything.

“So it is,” Suguru grins.  “What is it this time? She take a liking to Haibara?” 

“He saw her in town” Gojo finally gives him something to work with, but Suguru raises his brows, surprised that his little display of dominance was over something so mundane.

“Yes, well.  Other people who have eyes will probably look at her,” Suguru remarks.

Satoru looks over at him with a dull glare behind his shades.

“Don’t you think you probably scared poor Haibara over nothing?” 

“He said she told him she was shopping.  For something private” 

This explanation does nothing to give Suguru an understanding on why his friend was acting more unhinged than usual.

“You think maybe it’s time to take a break from all these missions you’ve been accepting?” He asks, half-sarcastically.  “I think your head’s gettin’ a little messed up” 

“She told Shoko that she was shopping for a book,” Satoru ignores the comment.  “And when I called her, she told me she was shopping for headphones.  Something she saw online, I guess,” 

Suguru doesn’t say anything this time.  He still thinks Satoru might be overreacting a bit, but clearly, he was having a full on episode over this.

“And then I find Yu, who says she was shopping for something private, and that was why she didn’t want him joining her” 

His brows are furrowed in a knot as he processes all the information he’d just shared with Suguru.  It was all so strange.  (y/n) wasn’t one to lie, mostly because she wasn’t very good at it.  But her shady behavior today puzzled him greatly.

“Satoru,” Suguru stops in his tracks, turning to look at his friend directly.  “(y/n) isn’t a liar.  She sucks at it” 

“Yeah, I know-” 

“So do you think, maybe, she was out shopping for all of those things?” He suggests, like it’s some genius idea he’d just had.  “And maybe she just wanted a little alone time? Maybe she didn’t want Haibara’s company, and that’s why she sent him away?” 

“I mean, maybe, but-” 

“You’re overworking your head.  It’s not good for you,” Suguru chuckles.  “I’m surprised it hasn’t popped right off yet” 

Satoru rolls his eyes dramatically.

“I didn’t know it was a crime to be worried about a friend-” 

“You’re worried about her because you’re jealous that Yu has a massive crush on her” Suguru barks out a laugh.

“You knew that?” 

“Everyone knows that,” Suguru replies.  “But if you’re so worried, if (y/n) returned his affections, don’t you think she would’ve done something about it by now?” He suggested.  “Exactly,” He spoke again before Satoru could begrudgingly agree.  “They’re just friends.  So don’t go around scaring the under-classmen because you got a little jealous.  It’s not a good look on you” 

“Everything’s a good look on me,” Satoru cheekily clicks his tongue.  “And I’m not jealous of a second year” 

Suguru scoffs in disbelief, shaking his head as he turns to continue their walk.

The bastard was jealous of anyone who looked at (y/n) in any way.  Yu was lucky to have his life. ___

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xoxo - jordie

[let-us-cultivate-our-garden]

I don't know if you were asked this before or already addressed it before, but what do you think of the argument that Belos' death was supposed to be anticlimatic

See, the problem with these arguments is that it assumes that people who were disappointed with Belos' death wanted a grand, epic battle when in reality, everyone that I've spoken to wanted him to suffer more. We wanted him to go out screaming, realizing that all he did for centuries was for nothing, since that was what the previous episodes were building up to. That's not grandiose, that's even more pathetic than what we got in canon.

Belos' death is anti-climactic because for two episodes, the show was expanding on his background, making him see ghosts or hallucinations, lashing out at the idea of being wrong when he sees "Caleb," all of this suggested that this would play into his ultimate undoing. Instead, we get Luz-With-Anime-Powers yank him off the Titan heart and then he melts in the rain. Cool.

What was the point of the previous episodes then?

Anti-climaxes can work if there is a point to them, be it comedic or tragic. But there was no point to how Belos died. Luz didn't need to learn anything about herself in order to earn the Titan powers, she didn't use anything she learned about the Wittebanes against Belos in the final battle, all that happened is that the Titan told her she's a good witch and to stop comparing herself to someone Obviously Evil like Belos. Great character moment there.

Hell, nothing about Belos played in his death. Not his backstory. None of his lies. Nothing. It just happens. Giving a megalomaniac an undignified death or defeat can work though. Just look at Ozai. He built himself as the Supreme Ruler of the World, as the Phoenix King. He sees himself superior to all others and uses everyone--even his own children as pawns. So to have him be defeated by the Avatar, by an Air Nomad child, who doesn't even give him the dignity of killing him in battle but by taking away the ultimate symbol of his power, his bending, works because it's the antithesis of everything Ozai believes in.

But Belos' death has nothing to do with him as a character or his beliefs. The idea that he needs an undignified death to bring down the megalomaniac doesn't work because Belos has suffered nothing but indignities since he got slammed into a wall. He's been dying for several episodes, lost his human form and the world he knew and loved is long gone and none of this is used against him in the final episode.

In fact, Belos' death actually supports his ideology: for centuries, he's believed that witches are evil and inferior to humans. And he justified all the evil he's done in the name of the greater good: of defeating what he saw as evil. So, picture the scene, you have a rapidly dying man who is no longer a threat to anyone, who is trying to reach out to the one person he thinks is moral by virtue of her species, only to be stomped on by beings who proudly proclaim that they are in fact, immoral.

Congrats gang. You just let the evil bigot die with his feelings justified.

Even how he died doesn't make narrative sense because we've seen him rebuild himself from a droplet and King even mentions some being stuck between his toes. How is it this fight is what finishes him off for good? He's both progressively weaker in each episode and yet is able to outrun (or out crawl) both the Hexsquad after entering the portal and Raine in the castle and possess the Titan heart. Plus, despite having possessed the literal Titan's heart, that equated to having just enough power to transform into his younger self and then get melted by the rain. Ok then.

So let's say that Belos' death works for meta reasons; that evil and bigotry should be given anticlimactic deaths. Ok fine, but it's still disappointing and boring af to watch. Giving a bigoted villain a gruesome, over the top, and entertaining death doesn't mean you suddenly validate the villain's ideals, just look at Raiders of the Lost Ark and its melting Nazis.

Also, unpopular opinion, but The Owl House is not about bigotry; it doesn't say anything about where it comes from, what perpetuates it, how people fall into it, how it can be stopped, etc. The writing is too inconsistent and the world building is too flat for any kind of deep or compelling themes. Instead, it has the grotesquely simplistic idea that "Bad Man Cause Bad Things. Get Rid of Bad Man and Bad Things Go Away."

And that's ultimately why Belos' death doesn't work; because The Owl House never had anything deep to say. It's a fun, escapist fantasy that wants to have deeper themes but can't commit to them. Anything "real" a person might interpret is largely projection because the show is too ineffectual in exploring its own world building and characterization beyond surface level meanings.

[lovingly-dedicated]

Hey, gang!

There's just three weeks until Marxolor Week '24! A celebration of our favorite trickster duo in whatever form you love them best!

Have you seen our [Prompt] list? (You can find [Rules] here!)

Have you read it but you're still struggling to come up with something? If so, then read below as I go over the prompts and throw some ideas out to help stoke the fires of your imagination!!

Day 1: "Conflict" or "Meeting." 

We love 'em because they've got so much in common, but these two can't be in perfect sync all the time. For those times when they aren't, there's "Conflict." (Or maybe, it's someone else they're in conflict with? Do these two make a good team in a fight?)

"Meeting" could be anything from how they met the first time to the duo meeting up to plan for their next scheme! Or maybe, they're meeting up for something more private and personal...? /SFW

Day 2: "Curiosity" or "Mirrored"

What was it that initially drew the two of them to each other? What catches their interest? Have they learned something new about themselves? Or their world? ...Maybe the reason why they stick together is the "Curiosity" to everyone around them!

With all those similarities, Marx and Magolor's stories are mirror images in many ways. Even their bodies feel like they're "Mirrored" Or you could use this prompt to jump into the Mirror World and see how they are there, or how they'd react to meeting each other! (Or even draw them making silly faces at a funhouse mirror!)

Day 3: "Cunning" or "Magic"

Marx and Magolor each specialize in their own brand of "Cunning." Outright lies for Magolor; deceptive withholding of the truth for Marx. Will they use these against each other...or team up? Cunning can be about deceptively innocent and cute looks too. Perhaps you'll want to explore these borb-shaped wolves in sheep's clothing?

A wizard and a magician! You could use them to talk about "Magic" theory. Or explore what each one can do that the other can't? (Are they jealous?) Or...is it like magic when they look into each other's eyes? Maybe Magolor helps Marx with a magic show?

Day 4: "Clockwork" or "Majesty"

There's that darn clockwork star again! Has Marx told Magolor the story of Galactic Nova? What if he takes him there on a trip? Has wishing on a Nova affected Marx in a way Magolor can tell? ...Or maybe, something in their daily routine happens like "Clockwork."

"Majesty" brings to mind kings and their crowns and Magolor surely has something to say about that messy business! Does Marx have something to say too? Speaking of Marx, if Magolor was going to be a king, you can't forget the existence of the court's jester!

Day 5: "Control" and "Mischief"

The song is no longer known as "Under My Control" but this word's relevant! Do they have full "Control" over their powers? Can they control their feelings for each other? Can Magolor control his evil laughter? Can Marx control himself in general? (They could be holding a pair of game controllers or fighting for a remote control!)

Let's face it! When do these two NOT get up to "Mischief"? Now, do they have different views on what's fair play in the prank game? Maybe you'll want to explore what their best victory against their chosen target was? ...What was their most humiliating defeat?

Day 6: "Chaos" and "Melancholy"

"Chaos" is a step up from mischief and tends to cause more problems for everyone involved; it has greater lasting effects too... Has their bond ever brought TOO much chaos? ...Or maybe Magolor lets Marx stay on the Lor and it turns into complete chaos?

Both have suffered game-ending defeats and with those come deep scars. What are they like when "Melancholy" strikes? Maybe their relationship has taken a melancholic turn? Could they be going through a rough patch or realizing for the first time there might be more to their relationship and don't want things to change?

Day 7: "Comfort" or "Merry"

When are they most comfortable together? Do the two have a favorite comfort spot to go to? Do they maybe hug (or punch!) a plushie of each other when in a bad mood? Maybe one has a surefire recipe to "Comfort" the other in sad times?

The major key compliment to comfort's minor key is "Merry!" What gets them laughing so hard they can't stop? What's a favorite event or landmark in their life they'll never forget? Or you could throw Marx into Merry Magoland with Magolor and see what happens!

[celaenaeiln]

12 am anon here. okay so uh we havent talked about it cause i rly dunno how to tell them “yeah i think ur rly cute and i love it when you ramble abt the things you like and sometimes i do wanna kiss u” . anyways what songs do u think are dick grayson coded

personally some that come to mind are surface pressure from encanto, bad idea right and brutal by olivia rodrigo, and nerves by dpr ian. spring day by bts specifically when it comes to donna and wally and all his other dead loved ones

*older post I'm getting to now, 12 am anon and girlfriend are happily together, I just needed time to collate a list*

But that aside, you are literally the cutest. You make me so happy every time ;)

Surface Pressure, Bad Idea Right, and Brutal are all spot on!

I'd never heard Nerves before but now I've listened to it on repeat

Spring Day (eng ver) hadn't even entered my mind but now it won't get out.

Honestly all of Taylor Swift's and Olivia Rorigo's songs match Dick so perfectly

Orange are feel goods/exciting/dramatic story creation types

Blacks are sad/meloncholy/reflection songs about the darker side

I guess this is a Dick Grayson playlist.

Songs-

Come Hang Out by AJR - The Titans with Dick

You're Gonna Go Far Kid by The Offspring - self-explanatory.

Warriors of the Mind

You're on your own kid

This kpop song (anon knows, you might too)

My Version of You by Beth Crowley - reminded me of Tim and Dick's relationship when they fought during Dick's Batman era

Stop you're losing me by Taylor Swift - matches Dick fighting with Bruce

Unstoppable by Sia - reminds me of how the entire Superhero community relies on Dick and how he reacts in response

Let the Games Begin by AJR - is Dick constantly acting and ready for attention. Dick dealing with Gotham high society

Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons - embodies him in his entirety. If there's one song that defines him, it's this for me.

Toxic Thoughts by Faith Marie - Him struggling with his insecurities of breaking his own records

Welcome to the Show by Britt Nicole - Robin Dick being a little psycho and taking his team on an adventure

The First One by Astrid S - careful. It's about Nightwing (1996) Issue #134. Not sure if it can be considered canon or not, it's a gray area for me

Leader of the Landslide by The Lumineers - Basically Dick's reaction to Bruce abandoning him with all the kids and him being protective of them. Relates to Gotham War most clearly but always

Fire by Gavin Degraw - Dick's bamfness and journey

Christmas Kids by Roar - Here comes Bruce's messed up attachment issues to Dick

Million to One by Camila Cabello - Dick's perfectionist issues and dreams of being greater

If You Go Down ( I'm Going Down Too) by Kelsea Ballerini - Dick and Donna's ride or die relationship.

Don't Think Just Run by Beth Crowley - Dick, leadership, and the superheroes' reliance on him

Labour - Dick hypothically getting tired of Bruce dumping every single thing on him

Panic Room by Au/Ra - Scarecrow telling Dick in Knight Terrors that his fear may be the scariest fear of them all. I'm just imagining everyone getting trapped in Dick's head and being forced to face his fear. That would be such a fun story to write.

Rise by Katy Perry - Dick will always overcome and thrive.

Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga - Dick with the Titans just as they score a major victory

Human by Christina Perri - Dick asking for a reprieve (in his head)

Human by Krewlla - Same but sadder

Dress by Charlotte Sands - Other people falling in love with Dick

Gold Rush by Taylor Swift - How other people fall in love wiht Dick told through the eyes of Barbara or Kori

Heart of Stone by Six the Musical - Dick's unwavering love for Bruce

Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths - Dick is Achilles.

Geronimo by Sheppard - Silver Age Teen Titans era except it's all of them.

Circus by Britney Spears - C'mon. He's performer born for the spotlight.

Je vole by Louane - Dick's message to Bruce about him leaving

Je vais t'aimer by Louane - The intensity of Dick's love that sometimes leaves his lovers entralled, breathless, and scared.

Location by AJR - Dick reaching out to someone (not necessarily romantic)

Bird Set Free by Sia - Dick lives for himself and his morals. He lives for peace.

She Sets the City on Fire by Gavin Degraw - Other people's point of view of Dick

Dark Paradise by Lana Del Rey - Dick's grief and mourning for Bruce's passing

Wonderland by Taylor Swift - Roy and Dick's relationship

Head Above the Water by Avril Lavigne - Dick being the superhero community's rock and leadership.

Nightmare by Halsey - Dick's a little wild but that's the reason he's still alive. This is just him going after Blockbuster.

Graveyard by Halsey - Dick literally keeping Bruce from destroying himself

The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy - Just Dick raising super powered team after team and yanking everyone onto their feet

Pompeii by Bastille - Dick's perspective after the bombing of Bludhaven

The entire sour album by Olivia Rodigro - To describe Dick and Bruce after Bruce fired him

Troublemaker by Olly Murs - How literally none of his exes can let him go

Issues by Julia Michaels - Dick and Kori's relationship

See You Again by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth - Dick and the Titans

Monster by Eminem and Rihanna - The amount of times people have told Dick he was crazy and he laughed and did it anyway

Superhero by Simon Curtis - Teen Titans Dick

Thunder by Imagine Dragons - Dick always takes charge of himself and his own destiny

A Million Dreams, the Greatest Showman - It literally sounds like Dick's inner thoughts to make Gotham a better place

Brave by Sara Bareilles - It's reminiscent of Dick's speech to Conner

Secrets and Lies by Death Note the Musical - This is Outsiders Dick Grayson to a T

Playing His Game by Death Note the Musical - This is how Dick solves all his crimes and mysteries

Drinking alone by Carrie Underwood - Ric Grayson

[zenni-gotcha]

Hey so how do you think the Lupin gang would deal with a s/o appears like a peaceful and graceful sleeper, but if you sleep next to them and you’re on the side that isn’t against the wall, s/o tends to roll over in their sleep and pushes whoever is there out of the bed roughly and still sleeps through the bang that happens and looks so comfortable while they probably just ruined their boyfriend or girlfriends whole night and if the partner does not get revenge instantly, s/o has no idea what happened and is like “I slept great! :)”. Flip side, if the gang Are sleeping at the wall, s/o rolls over and now they’re a cuddle bug and both get their comfortable sleep. “I haven’t slept that good in ages :)”. if there is no wall and both sides are empty space, good luck 😂. S/o is just very cuddly in sleep, but is a bit rough in trying to cuddle unlike when they’re awake so they end up throwing the person out of bed instead of getting the cuddles. How would the group deal with this? Do they feel dread at the thought of a no wall leaning bed when they see it?

[Hi there! First wanted to start this off by saying thank you for waiting on this! I had a few larger things to finish on some of my other blogs, so it took me a bit to get back to this one. Also thanks for the ask, it was a fun idea to work with :) ]

Lupin- Listen, he might complain about it a little bit, but not too much. He’s almost as bad as you are. This man is almost always bouncing off the wall, and that includes when he’s asleep. So, between the two of you it’s like a kickboxing match every night. However, if there is a night where you both finally couldn’t knock each other off the bed, then he sleeps like a rock and loves waking so close to you.

Jigen- He’s not going to take this lying down. Well, he is because it happens while he’s asleep. But, he will do something back. We all know how grouchy he is most of the time, so imagine how he is when he’s just been woken up by falling off the bed. If the bed is against the wall, he’s going to shove you over so he can lay there and avoid getting knocked off again. If it’s open on both sides he’ll push you off the other side as payback. Either way, if he ends up on the floor then so will you. But, the nights where you do get sleep feel all the more delightful.

Goemon- Here’s the thing, his reflexes are too good, even while he’s asleep, that he just blocks all of the movements that would have knock him off of the bed. Though he never falls off or wakes up completely, he still wakes up exhausted from having to parry the whole night. However, he’s found a way for you both to sleep well even if there isn’t a wall for him to fortify himself against. If he gets you in a bearhug then you can’t move as much and therefore cannot kick him off of the bed. That has the added bonus of already being snuggled up next to you as well.

Fujiko- She might not do anything the night that she falls off the bed, but you better believe that you’ll get it in the morning. Her favorite payback is setting an alarm for about an hour before you’re supposed to be up for the day and then put it right next to your head. You can bet there would be a greater effort on your part to work out a way to not do that again. She’s not totally mean though, and realizes that you can’t really always help moving around so much, and gives you some slack. She does love to sleep close to you, so she makes sure to have the bed against the wall so it can be a pleasant sleep for both of you.

Zenigata- He won’t even realize what happened until the next morning. He sleeps so hard that he won’t even notice hitting the floor. Of course though, his poor back is going to be screaming at him for sleeping in such an odd position on the floor, and he’s going to be miserable. He won’t say anything to you about it though as he wouldn’t want you to think he was upset with you (even if he sort of was). The problem comes with the fact that he feels too boxed in if he sleeps by a wall, so that’s not an option. The best choice is to get a futon so if you do bumb into him it just rolls him over instead of knocking him to land in a weird position. This also means that he can roll back over to hold you a bit easier as well.

[orbital-inclination]

Can I know more about Killer, Horror, Dust, Cross, and Blue relationship like how they became part of the gang and any personality changes?

answering this will either take two posts or a read more bc i do NOT do things by halves.

*Edit; I’ve chosen the read more option. Y’all get the backstories in a later post.

I “recently” went over a bit about Killer here. So for now, I'll go over Dust, Horror, Cross and Blue.

Horror: gentle giant. He just wants to feel included. Due to his head injury, he struggles with frequent memory loss and speaking verbally. He uses a notebook to keep himself on track, but his most successful plans are usually thought of and executed on the fly. He's really reliable in a pinch. Has good instincts. Out of the group, he's the most likely to be underestimated by outsiders. His love language is cooking for others but he's not picky about what he eats himself. Hates loud high-pitched noises. (screaming specifically.)

Dust: quiet brooding guy. Outwardly he seems to be the most laidback and apathetic of the group. In reality, he’s restless and moody. The most likely of the group to wander off spontaneously with no purpose in mind. Doesn’t talk much but he knows his way around chemistry. A competent engineer. Makes his own fireworks. Hard to say whether he's introverted or not but if he wants to be left alone you won't' find him, and if he wants company he will tail you like a shadow. more talkative in a group setting, strangely enough.

Blue: enthusiastic, boisterous, and incredibly earnest. He wears his whole heart on his sleeve. He doesn't believe in committing theft, crime in general, or even trespassing. He's actually a little scared of trespassing. secretly, he thinks criminals are brave (but stupid) for trespassing. Can’t lie to save his life. Not that the skill matters much when he lives with two empaths. Cross: introverted, defensive, reluctant to let down his guard, and enough of a workaholic to challenge Rem for his title. Cross needs a structured routine to function. He takes his duties very seriously and generally goes about things as if he has something to prove. (He doesn’t but he hasn’t realized that yet.) -On the Group Dynamic- Dust and Killer get along well. Most of the time. They have a lot of things in common. How they met the Apple twins. The tragic circumstances of their respective AUs. The fact Blue reminds them of Papyrus… do not bring up Papyrus or the Human, on this note. They’ve gotten into bitter violent confrontations over what happened with their brother. Don’t push it. Horror is good friends with Blue, actually. Blue is conscientious of Horror’s intolerance for loud noises and makes an effort to use his indoor voice in his company. Horror tolerates Blue’s erm… creative meal ideas in turn. And they mutually bond over their shared interest in food prep, wordplay, TV Drama, and baking competitions. (Molt, Horror and Blue set aside a date/time to watch the latest episodes when they air. (Cross sometimes joins them as long as they don’t make a big deal over it.) Molt can’t see the screen ofc, but he’s able to experience the show through how Horror and Blue react to it, the occasional narration from both of them, and ofc, the verbal drama of it all.)

Blue’s relationship with the rest of the group is complicated. He knows he’s the odd one out because he is ideologically opposed to Rem’s methods. At the same time, he begrudgingly accepts that sometimes for the greater good, you have to make sacrifices. (He doesn’t like it and is always looking for a better option anyway.) He sticks around out of loyalty to his friend and because he firmly believes the group needs a firm but kind hand. He knows they’ve all been hurt in some way. And if no one else will look out for this group of renegade thieves and scoundrels, he will!

Cross tries his hardest to get along with exactly no one because he wants to keep everyone at arm’s length but ironically this has the opposite effect. Killer treats him like a surrogate little brother. Dust simply doesn’t give a shit as long as Cross is a team player. Horror fusses over him. He has an open invitation to join Blue's workout routine whenever. Rem trusts him. And worst of all, he wants to spill his guts out to Molt whenever something even remotely happens, and that can only mean he feels safe here. And that is terrifying to Cross. He has a home now and that is the worst thing that’s ever happened to him.

[il0vep0rtal]

Avatar AU ideas (mainly just a list of random ideas I have)

If Katara was the Avatar:

The most interesting outcome, I think, is where she doesn’t discover she’s the avatar until, like, early teens. I think she would struggle between her ideas of responsibility. She would feel a sense of duty to her tribe. Not only in the roles women traditionally serve there but also as the avatar. She would want to stay, to be able to protect it if another raid occurs. But she would also feel a responsibility for the world as a whole; to the water tribe soldiers fighting and the colonized Earth People. Eventually, this would propel her out of the Water tribe to be an active participant. Of course, Sokka won’t let her go alone so he tags along. I can definitely see them going to Kyoshi island to try to connect with past avatars. Also, due to the lack of waterbenders in the South Pole, she wouldn’t start learning the elements with water but probably with Earth. They have to pass through the Earth kingdom to get to the Northern Water tribe anyways, so she may as well try to learn.

If Sokka was the Avatar:

I imagine he wouldn’t learn he was the avatar until he was in his teens, about 15. He would have the same trouble as Katara as there are no water benders to teach them. He I imagine his success comes not from skill but from creativity, as in Sokka’s Master. He leaves the Southern Water tribe in a similar sense of duty as that of the men of the tribe. Katara insists on going because like hell is her entire family going to leave her. Sokka tries to refuse but Katara is a force of nature unto herself so she goes along.

If Suki was the avatar:

I feel she would be an incredible warrior. She would have a similar character arc as she did in the show (and Katara hypothetically): where at first she just stays as a protector of Kyoshi island until she eventually leaves to be a greater part of the war. I think she would be way more connected to Kyoshi than Roku.

If Zuko was the avatar:

He would probably wouldn’t discover he is the avatar until after he is banished which leads to an oh fuck moment when he finds out. He’s torn between fear and love. He hopes that if he were to bring himself to his father, he would be accepted. This might make up, in his mind, for the fact he’s a weak bender compared to Azula. There’s also the propaganda angle of having the avatar a member of the fire nation royal family. But he’s also very afraid of what his father might do. He knows that the avatar should restore balance so he knows he should do something, especially after all he’s seen after being banished, but is too afraid of his father to turn again him. Iroh (and the gang, eventually, when they find out) pressures him into learning the elements. (The gang hopes to also teach him the power of friendship and doing good and all that). Zuko doesn’t want to. He thinks that if he sticks with fire bending, he can hide the fact he’s the avatar.

[trashcanalienist]

Alright fellas I watched the 3pac movie again and now that I've refined my thoughts I am going to share them (tornado warning)

Let's start with Miguel. Or really, with Nueva York. Beautiful, futuristic utopia, endless green grass and distant white skyscrapers against the blue sky, and for all of that there is not a single note of life within it. It's empty, just a hollow monument to "good", like Miguel himself. And like Miguel, its underbelly is dark and chaotic and unknowable - sunless tunnels cluttered with motorways and nothing else, the grinding gears of some unbearably massive machine that doubtless keeps the whole city running in its blind pretense of life, the gears of which visually threaten to crush Miles. Because Miguel O'Hara is a fucked up guy who is not only willing to be so violent against a 15-year-old child, but NEEDS to be. In true vampiric fashion (disclaimer: he's not a vampire) Miguel has an obsession beyond obsession, a predatory drive which must be fulfilled - but not for blood. For vengeance. Because he's already killed an entire universe of human beings. He's stolen a family he was never supposed to have, and then killed them all through his selfishness. And he has to make that someone else's fault. He has to be the Good Guy to live with himself, but inside he is the most detestable of monsters.

(Miguel and Uncle Aaron have a lot in common (inverted) especially with their emotional impact on Miles. He thought he could look up to both of them - but Uncle Aaron failed in regret, and Miguel seeks to amend his failures through more damage. Important that Miguel's theme is distorted synth, the same distortion which they used to create the Prowler theme)

Meanwhile Uncle Aaron acted the monster, but as Miles puts it he was a genuinely good guy underneath. He had no interest in being the kind of black man that Jeff is - slotting into white society, that is - and inevitably that got him pulled into being the Prowler. Everything's contained in what he said to Miles in his last moments. Every single Uncle Ben says the classic line, "With great power comes great responsibility", etc etc, telling Peter Parker to knock off the ego and be the kind of hero the city needs. But Miles is already that person. Uncle Aaron says "You're the best of us. You're on your way up. Just keep going."

Before he became Spiderman, Miles actively did not want to go to Visions Academy because he WANTS his ghetto friends, he WANTS his low-income Black Spanish life. He was perfectly happy to waste his intelligence and talent because he never figured he'd get anywhere to begin with. But now he's got a greater purpose in helping people, in being the best he can because no one else has the power to be Spiderman. When Uncle Aaron says "You're the best of us", he doesn't just mean their family. Miles managed to escape the pull of gang violence and the twisted honor-and-glory appeal of thug life and the oily black tendrils of poverty entwined around his legs. He shook off everything that we now know was supposed to be his destiny, and he has never looked back.

But in doing so he doomed Miles G to that very fate. The first movie didn't touch much on that aspect of urban blackness, likely because white audiences would not care. But now you love Miles! You ain't got a choice now! They tricked you, man!

42 Miles, or Miles G. Morales as he's credited, has experienced a greater loss with nothing to hold on to besides the structure of gang violence within a falling, burning city. His father is dead, both stripping him of that moral figure and discounting all the ideas that Jeff tried to instill into his son - because those are the beliefs that got him killed. If you don't wanna get killed, you better get some power and some respect, and never let go of either. Uncle Aaron, still the original Prowler, steps in as Miles G's father figure, making sure Rio's financially okay and not too stressed, reassuring her that "We're family". Family is everything, it's the only bond they have, and Miles G would do anything for his mother. Anything at all. The voice actor leans more into the Puerto Rican accent, rolling the R's and accentuating S's, whereas our Miles talks more black even when he's speaking Spanish - his father's absence, and his love for his mother above all else.

He's the man of the house now. He's gotta provide, and he's gotta take care of his mother. 15 years old, Miles G has design schematics for the current Prowler gloves posted on the wall of his room - it's a far more active part of his normal life than with our Miles, who keeps his Spidermanning entirely separate (for now). It's bleeding into his everyday, infecting his soul with every heist, collection, and murder that he carries out. It's not Uncle Aaron's fault. He loves his nephew, and without his father around, he wants the kid to have respect, to not have to work his way up from nothing, so he passes him the mantle. Uncle Aaron was undoubtedly drawn into that life by something similar. That's how the cycle self-perpetuates. The result is a 15-year-old kid with the eyes of a combat veteran.

Here is a kid who does not hesitate, who does not forget or make mistakes, who jumped into this life headfirst because he knows there is no other choice. For him there is no way out, and he is far from the only one.

Ain't no love in the heart of the city. Red light pouring in from the fires outside and the soul-death inside, the bloody inevitability, the need to protect themselves and their own because no one else will. This violence is the only pathway. Violent death will come whether or not you follow it. And staring into his own face and yet much older eyes, our Miles is just beginning to realize exactly what he's escaped and what Liv's collider portal doomed this kid and this world to, all because of a tiny little spider. And he has switched fates, as in the first film his Spidey-Sense started out as green and purple, then turned red and blue as he vibed with Peter. Over the course of a few seconds, we witnessed his destiny change. The colors of this interplay between worlds are green and purple, green and purple, the Prowler's colors.

And red, as Miguel tried to ensure that fate (execution) is carried out. Miguel blames Miles as the "original anomaly", yet he conveniently ignores the spider, or Doc Ock who brought it over and started this whole mess, or Kingpin who funded her. Miguel is willing to physically attack a black child for his own misplaced regret and self-loathing. Beyond that, I genuinely believe that if he had reached Miles in the Go-Home machine, he would have killed him. The madness in those ripping claws is not something stopped by the sudden softness of flesh. It's only Spider-Byte who stops him - she (black female tech-heavy Spiderman, vibed with Miles instantly on those principles and others) could have shut down the machine and trapped Miles. But he looked at her, and she saw that he was a terrified child, and she knew that Miguel is incapable of mercy or critical thought, and maybe she wanted to believe in him. So she hesitated, most important savior Time.

Before we move on too far, back to Miguel and Miles. Miguel's fangs secrete a paralyzing venom - probably he was trying to incapacitate Best Vulture using that, although with the bestial transformation of his silhouette perhaps he didn't care if he ripped Vulture's throat out by accident. Regardless, he only seems to use this as the definitive way to End Fights. Miles has a similar ability in his venom blast or whatever he calls it. I swear the word "static" was in there somewhere. The difference is, Miles uses it as a defensive mechanism, not offensive (Armadillo guy aside). He uses it to get out of bad situations and continue the fight, to break down barriers and temporarily stun his opponents so he can break free and recover. We see him preparing to do this at the end of this movie, too.

Again, Miguel needs to view himself as the superior protector of all universes in order to pretend like his mistake is in any way acceptable. Beyond that, he blames Miles for it, so that he does not have to forgive himself/Miles, he can just eliminate the problem and pretend it's all over. Miguel the controller uses his ability as the be-all end-all, whereas Miles uses it as just one method among many in his arsenal.

Now. The only named black Spider who doesn't vibe with Miles is Jess Drew, but that's explicable by the following reasons. First of all, she's pregnant - Miguel destroyed his stolen kids by breaking canon, and neither Peter B nor Jess want to risk their own new families by going against Miguel's canon laws. Secondly, she's a black woman who is basically Miguel's right hand (within the fact that he cannot and will not ever trust anyone else with this "responsibility" he claims for himself), and there's not much to be gained from abandoning that, especially in context of the first point.

You know who does vibe with Miles?

HOBIE

MOTHERFUCKING 

BROWN

Hobie fucking loves Miles right from the start. He's only in the Spider-Society because he knows Miguel's insane and his actions and orders are inhumane and all kinds of fucked up. But Hobie's basically alone in that knowledge, as even Gwen still wants to believe that it could be a good thing, and so he's just infiltrating, learning more and stealing shit to recreate Miguel's technology without Miguel's restrictions. And when Miles comes along and starts speaking out against that shit, he loves it. He encourages it. And he uses Miles' distraction to slip off and put his own plan into action.

From the second he meets Miles he's looking out for the kid. Part of that's because he's true punk (incredible to see, especially with him being black and this movie being so commercialized by its marketing/sales teams) but part of it is that he recognizes Miles. Hobie probably also has a static venom ability, since he's the one who tells Miles that it works better using the whole hand (and reminds him, later, while everyone else is telling him to calm down or hang in there and only Hobie is still on his side telling him silently to fight back). It's possible even that since he used his guitar to break the forcefield barrier, and since it is not plugged in to anything but still makes electric guitar noises, that the guitar acts as a sort of amplifier for that power.

He never tells Miles what to think, he just encourages him TO think. And he's always there with his own laconic opinion to point out how fascist Miguel's little Spider Utopia is to anyone not a Spider - and anyone who disagrees with Miguel the Controller. More personally he indirectly asks if Miles has a safe home to go back to, and he STAYS THERE when Miguel's being a dick to a 15-year-old kid.

There's more to recognition than that, though. See, Hobie Brown also escaped the fate of becoming the Prowler. The original Prowler, since inception and for most of the comics' runs, has been a black man named Hobart Brown. Hobie as Spider-Punk is and always has been a subversion of the black male stereotypes that led to the creation of the Prowler (very normal and not racist name there by the way), and without losing any of his Blackness or masculinity or Black masculinity. Hobie and Miles have more in common than any other Spiders, because they've both beaten that expected fate of black men to fall eagerly into violence and gang warfare and criminal careers. And Miguel wants Miles to feel unworthy of that escape - he wants Miles to believe that he does not belong in a chosen betterment; that all he was ever meant for is poverty and wasted talent and endless violence.

But Miles won't let that happen! "I'ma do my own thing," and he's got that confidence in himself now. And Hobie's got his back cause things are finally moving, he's not alone in trying to dismantle Miguel's fucked up utopia with the gears of that great machine beneath grinding up anomalies and black children to keep it all running so flawlessly on the surface. Miguel lives in "Nueva York", he's never had to subvert much, the darkness within him is not that which he keeps at bay via that injection, it is the monstrosity which he lets fester and flourish under the name of "dedication". Miles comes in and disrupts that perfect lie in about ten minutes, he's already boiling and he won't accept a fate he does not want when he's already escaped it once before.

Hobie's been hanging around for some time, making himself appear lazy and carelessly destructive to hide his far greater intentions. As long as Miguel "just can't" with him, he's being underestimated, and as long as that is the case he is free to undermine and plot and replicate as much as possible. That's black intelligence. "Man like Miles!"

Good movie basically

[sonic7ischaos]

Man, thinking about Dragonball's capsule tech, makes me wish Toriyama hadn't gone all powerscale-y on everything like he did. Like, even more than I already did.

I can imagine a version of the series where Bulma stays relevant, carrying around entire labs and workshops in her pocket, building weapons and augmentations for the group. Portable gravity rooms and exo-suits. Scouters for characters who can't sense ki. A version of the story where, like One Piece, Toriyama planned out the ending from the very start, and built consistently towards that with Buu, foreshadowing the whole time.

Like, I love Dragonball don't get me wrong, but it introduces some cool ideas and characters and then lets them stagnate. The original fighters from OG Dragonball should've been keeping up with the Saiyans to varying degrees. Bulma is Goku's first friend and now she's relegated to background support for the Saiyans, specifically Goku and Vegeta, most of the time. Gohan's missed potential as end of series protagonist stepping into Goku's shoes is well worn territory for a reason. Not that it's not good for Gohan as an individual that he got to retire from fighting and become a scholar, just that it's bad for the structure of the story as a whole that it gets set up that way, and then despite all the talk of passing the torch to future generations with Gohan, Goten, and Trunks, Goku and Vegeta swoop in at the last minute to steal the show, relatively speaking anyway, it's a long series, "last minute" is literal 10s of episodes.

Bulma and the earthlings, besides Mr. Satan, basically have no effect on the plot whatsoever after a certain point, but they should be getting transformations and new techniques too, always striving to keep up with Goku...until he's gone and then it becomes a way for them to carry on part of his legacy. Tien vs. Semi-Perfect Cell at least should serve as a wake up call and push the gang to catch up with all the Saiyans.

It even seems like he was setting something like that up in the Namek Saga by sending them all to King Kai's, where they too should be learning his techniques and catching up to Goku. Watching things unfold on Namek, maybe they adopt King Kai's techniques, and develop their own complimentary moves. Tien could improve the split-form technique and make it not divide his strength by modifying the Kaio-ken, as a literal off the top of my head idea.

Having them more or less be on Goku's level and STILL getting their shit kicked in by the androids, and having them play a greater role in the ensuing conflict would've made things that much more tense and dramatic. You could still have Tien's badass moment against Cell, a way to really hammer home how much danger they're all in if it's taking someone on par with Goku this much effort just to hold him in place and he's only in his SECOND form. It makes the Vegeta and Trunks leaving the hyperbolic time chamber all that much more a big deal because we're seeing just how much stronger than Super Saiyan the ascended form really is, by having the comparison to the fighters more or less on Goku's level.

Just...I dunno. I've looked for fanfics and fan comics that work to make Dragonball a little more cohesive and consistent, but I haven't really found anything.

Anyway, I digressed a lot here, my initial intent was to just talk about how fucking cool Capsule tech is, both conceptually, and in the ways that it could serve the worldbuilding and aesthetics if we were informed by the narrative of Bulma's loadout and limitations, make it more relevant to planning and fight strategy. Watching a reaction to Super, she pulls out a warehouse with a lab in it in Trunks' future and it got me thinking of how cool it'd be if she'd been able to do that sort of on the fly preparation on Namek y'know? Have someone who relies on tech rather than Ki to fight and get around factor into dealing with Frieza and his forces, outfitting Gohan and Krillin, and eventually Vegeta with armor and tools to help them overcome the power difference between them and Frieza's army, as an idea.

[gritsandbrits]

Fixing that one small mistake in SAATFF

Having watched the show when it came out, I loved it! It had flaws but I enjoyed it. It was nice to see a modern show in the style of the 2000s action cartoons I grew up onm So imagine my shock when the season 2 finale pulled a Disney Twist on one of my favorite characters in the show.

See, back in season 1 Malcom Kane was a reformed gangbanger who got his life together and started working for Jonathan Rook (the series Big Bad) as an honest man. In s2 there was some mystery about a militant techno cult/gang called the Tech Men - everybody's so creative - and the heroes trying to figure out who the leader is. In the penultimate episodes They find out that the leader is... Malcom Kane!

Huh? What?

Given what we're told and shown about Kane this twist doesn't make sense. The Tech Men don't even have a connection to the bigger story. Why would Kane, whose motivation hinged on being good, suddenly decide to remove free will and go back to committing crime? The sudden reveal that he never changed at all undermined his arc as if implying that criminals will never truly repent, will always be evil, there's no room for morally grey backstories. You get the idea.

Basically it was stupid and unnecessary.

I legit HATED that twist! It was such a cop out. So, I decided to change it to something that actually made sense.

Instead, Kane actually a government agent working against Rook. It goes along with his past as a reformed criminal, this time it actually stuck and connects him to the overall mystery.

Like in canon, he knew Rook's true identity for quite some time. However, he needed to gather enough information to put the vile CEO away for good.

What you thought the government wouldn't notice the disappearance of one of their planes carrying their top scientists?

Anyways, Kane got a job working for Rook. It was surprisingly easy, as Rook was impressed by Kane's work ethic and take charge attitude. He was also compliant which meant little risk of being questioned. Kane did everything he could to keep Rook's favor, it was the only way he would be able to crack the case.

Over time, Kane managed to decipher his true involvement in the crash. Unfortunately Rook had a lot of connections that made it nearly impossible to properly charge him. One of those connections included the militant group The Tech Men, whose previous leader Kane helped put away years ago.

Kane visited the leader in prison and offered to reduce his parole if he gave him information about the group. Kane had to play his cards right. He joined the N Men posing as their leader, which in turn led him to more information about Rook's ultimate goal. Kane didn't want teenagers to get involved with the investigation. So he acted the part of the cold no-nonsense lackey to try to push them away.

Kane didn't expect their determination to stay. He didn't think a couple of children had the drive to fight for another day. Deep down he had to admit he was proud of those boys - and girls one he realized who Riya was.

Making Malcolm an agent ahows that he is willing to make morally dubious choices for the greater good. In a way it makes him more of a parallel to rook: both suffered losses and didn't have it all good growing up, but one decided to put good out into the world and the other wants to rule it. And it's better to show that people CAN change for the better than that black&white way of thinking.

[noahtally-famous]

Alright looks like we’re doing this. Let’s talk abt Chase! I’m ready to dissect this guy like a frog.

Pretty sure it's already thought up, idk, but this thought randomly popped into my head while in the shower so I’m making it everyone’s problem :D

So Chase. Oh, you dumbass child. Keep in mind I’ve only watched the first four episodes so these are based off of them and the posts of Chase I’ve seen on here.

Let’s start with why ppl don’t like him: he cut the brakes of his (current at that time) girlfriend’s car while doing a stunt and didn’t know why she’s still mad at him. (this is as far as I know—if there's any other reason, lmk!)

I decided to start with that in my quest to delve into aspects of Chase’s personality and analyze certain actions he’s done.

(disclaimer: I'm not saying I'm picturing him in a good light for what he did and with this analysis. I'm just trying to figure out just why he would do this. Bc no one just cuts the frigging brakes of their girlfriend's car and not tell her abt it. So everything here is as objective as I can get unless otherwise specified.)

Chase is a stunt person. He has his own yt stunts channel and stunts gang who do crazy stuff along with him. So if you look at it that way, it’s no brainer that this guy is a huge adrenaline junkie. A thrill-seeker; a danger-lover. Even his name fits--Chase--because of his hobbies, he always seems to chase that thrill.

Characteristics of ppl like Chase can be: impulsive, irrational at times (not all the time), and almost always trying to 'get that high' no matter the costs.

(In real life, most ppl (there are always exceptions) who share these traits would also be more easily interested in drugs/drinks, sex, relationships in general, etc, along with doing physically dangerous stuff, and bounce around a lot in regards to them, just to get that feeling of thrill--but we're not talking abt that rn as it’s not part of this post)

As far as I've watched of the season, you can see these characteristics, the thrill-seeking part of him who loves the idea of danger, in certain things Chase does. When he's one of the ppl blindfolded instead of safely above calling direction in ep1; when, instead of staying back and holding the fort, he's at the front lines trying to get the other team's skull in ep4. You can see that side of him rear its head almost constantly. He's not as impulsive in the season so far as many thrill-seekers may be, but that could be bc he's tamped that side of him down so well due to past mistakes. Either way, he's an adrenaline junkie. That's obvious.

Moving on to my reasoning of why he cut the brakes.

Being a thrill-seeker isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some ppl just like to hover at the edge of the cliff rather than stay safely back, and while that can be concerning if done consistently, it's a valid characteristic of a human being. It only gets worrying when it's taken too far, which I feel like is the case with Chase (oh that rhymed!). I'd even say it can be considered a major flaw—a fatal flaw, if you will—of his.

He loves danger, to such a point that he forgets to prioritize other people and their lives over it. He's on the extreme side of thrill-seeker.

He cut the brakes of Emma's car likely bc he was at the crest of that wave of high--that thrill of danger, the adrenaline, it was one of those moments that made him think irrationally and strive to stay on that ride of adrenaline despite the consequences. He forgot abt the fact that it wasn't him at the wheel, but Emma, his girlfriend. Or maybe he may have considered that fact, but not deemed it as important bc 'hey Emma's in this gang too, so she must feel the same way as I do abt danger and adrenaline!'

(Sorry dude, not everyone thinks the same way as you).

Which I feel is another aspect of Chase's personality that creates a greater flaw; his first priority is himself, it's a habitual thing, so when he sees other ppl in the same situation as him (fellow competitors in total drama, the gang in Three Guys And A Girl In A Beach House) his instant conclusion is that they're also thrill-seekers like him, so he shouldn't give them much 'special treatment' or consideration. In his mind, other people will always be secondary bc that's just how his mindset has been honed. He can be a bit of a narcissist and/or selfish.

This portrays him as a Major Asshole, but, to him, he genuinely doesn't understand what he did wrong. Bc like aren't these people like me? why are they so upset when I just helped them feel more of that adrenaline?

Nope. It just makes you look rlly shitty, mate.

Hence why he doesn't even think abt apologizing to Emma. In fact, his words were "You're still mad about that?!" as if he actually cannot understand why she was so mad that he'd cut the brakes. He thought she would laugh it off and revel in the 'high feeling' like he would. And in the confessional when we first meet Chase, when he's talking abt Emma breaking up with him, he sounds annoyed—the kind of emotion someone who doesn't know/understand they're in the wrong act/sound like.

To him, he feels like they can handle themselves. Maybe he'd help if worst comes to worst (I'm giving him the benefit of doubt bc I haven't finished the season), but not right away bc he thinks there's no reason to. It could be seen as a "positive" bc he deems them 'capable' of facing extreme danger, but it's a very twisted positive--it's such a warped positive that it's considered a negative lmao

Some examples: cutting the brakes of Emma's car, and not warning Priya and Millie of a potential Emma Attack in ep4 when they were going to take the other team's skull.

Again, I'm not at all saying that's a good thing in fact, I did say these two aspects are his fatal flaws, but I think this is a reasonable dive-in abt his character. These two flaws of his make up a huge part of his character, and ties into the reason why ppl don't like him a whole lot. I tried to analyze these actions more bc despite how much of a dingus he's being, I can't help but be interested in his character. He’s not just Some Nice Guy, he’s smth more and that’s the interesting part.

idk if this analysis will hold up once I finish the season and actually know what happens lmao

BONUS!!

Based on this character analysis, I feel like the type of relationship best suited for Chase is not someone like Emma.

(And no, it's not bc of my hc that Chase and Emma end up like fanon stranger things stancy, and remain friends (after much-deserved apologizing on Chase's end) and become mlm wlw solidarity; I'm remaining unbiased here, shhh)

Idk much abt Emma but I do know she’s fricking terrifying abt Chase. She literally said she wants to get a huge screen so she can watch Chase get hurt over and over, like any relationship they have would not be healthy nor long-term, realistically. It’ll be like Duncan and Courtney getting together in All-Stars after all that shit that occurred. It doesn’t make sense. And I’m pretty sure Chase didn’t even apologize either?? If he did, my bad. But overall, it’s not even just their pasts, it’s their individual traits that aren’t compatible.

Emma was a part of that stunt group too. So I’m assuming she’s into stunts, doing crazy stuff, shit like that as well just to a lesser degree than Chase. To me, Chase does not need another danger-lover, no matter if they’re not as extreme as him. The guy’s already a one-man powerhouse of adrenaline-adoration, he doesn’t need someone else to encourage him to dismiss his well-being and other ppl’s.

What Chase needs is someone who can ground him. Someone laidback enough to not want to make him change the parts of him that make him Chase (bc that wouldn’t be healthy either), but steady enough to hold him back when he starts to go off the deep end. Someone who will help him realize that prioritizing danger over lives is not cool, and who is patient enough (without being patronizing) to help him or let him work things out. Having someone like that by his side will not only help Chase try to be the best he could be and become a better version of himself, but also it’s healthy and two-way if Chase decides to help them with any of their emotions too.

Not only that, it’ll be two-way in the sense that they’ll ground Chase and make him realize that his extreme thrill-seeking isn’t super healthy, but Chase can also get them to ‘feel the wind in their hair’ and face danger head-on and be brave. Now that’s a solid relationship and I want it to happen so fucking badly.

Oh, Kit. But what abt Emma? What sort of person would work for her? Someone who isn’t Chase!

I hope td portrays abusive relationships correctly bc that’s what this is. And I’m hoping in the next season, they break up bc nothing abt that is healthy at all.

No but bisexual Emma lives rent-free in my head and so does bisexual Chase

[lowkeyed1]

Twenty questions for fic writers

thanks for the tag, @jaimebluesq

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 11 total! i've only been writing again since may. i'm afraid my fanfics from the dawn of (my) time are pretty much lost at this point but i can live with that, lol

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 108,407

3. What fandoms do you write for? just Willow (2022) so far, the show that has consumed me body and soul.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Velvet Fist, Iron Glove - my kit/graydon romp that supposes they had to go ahead and get married at the beginning of the series, and also graydon is harboring a secret (no, not that one. He's a trans man). It's gradually expanding into a greater tir asleen polycule fic with some bits of plot still to come, but kit/graydon is definitely the central relationship. 27 kudos

Thrown Like a Star - my graydon/boorman fic, the first one i started with in may, when i looked on ao3 for some fics about them and didn't find a damn thing. they start hooking up on the shattered sea, and that changes how things play out in canon, and post-series as well. 24 kudos

Zombie Crack: Night of the Living Dental Dam - a silly halloween ficlet about kit/jade and some halloween roleplay. 16 kudos

Funhouse Crack: Mirror Maze - another silly halloween ficlet about kit/jade, having their first date at a carnival. 13 kudos

Shattered Sea Crack: It Came From Beneath the Mud - yet another halloween ficlet, about the gang telling campfire stories on the shattered sea. 13 kudos

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? every single comment, pretty much. i love to talk with people about what they see in my stories, to hear about what stands out, what it makes them wonder. i get so many good ideas from that, too! and it means so much to me when people comment, of course i'm going to say something, even if they just say they liked it. the value of the encouragement cannot be measured!

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? hmmm i don't really do angsty endings but to be fair i don't really do a lot of endings so far, i'm just eternally WIP. some of my halloween ficlets end with everyone dying but they're not really very serious to begin with so i don't know if that qualifies as angst, hehe.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? probably (Take You) Higher? my big WIPs are going to have happy endings but that's one that's actually finished. ends with two idiots falling in love and hopefully setting out for a brighter future than they were originally envisioning for themselves :)

8. Do you get hate on fics? not so far, but i'm writing pretty niche at this point.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? *looks at my list of works* *looks back at the camera* oh. maybe a bit? m/m, f/m, f/f, f/m/f, some fluffy vanilla, some light kink and bdsm, some omegaverse. LOVE first times. i really like going into detail in general.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? not so far, although i feel like willow would be a good crossover with xena. very similar feel to both shows, and i'm not just talking about the lesbians.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? i don't think so?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? did some great round robins back in the day, but nothing recent.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? it's gotta be graydon/boorman. nothing has eaten up as much of my brainspace as this. i just love them too much.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? god. i do not know how i'm going to finish these things but i'm going to keep writing either way. they're getting finished or i'm going to be updating from the nursing home, bet.

16. What are your writing strengths? interior monologue & smut. i really love wallowing in feelings and sensations.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? planning. outlining. estimating the length of time or word count of any part of a story. petty jealousy of more popular writers, lol. wanting comments T_T

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? i would outsource that for sure.

19. First fandom you wrote for? xena! writing m/m slash in another one of the most notorious lesbian fandoms. my niche i guess, haha... ha.... hehe?

20. Favorite fic you've written? i'm going to sound so annoying when i say this maybe but i love them all. i write exactly what i want to see and i love to reread them. but thrown like a star is my favorite, because it's the one that got me writing again after a long hiatus, and it's the love story i was dying to see.

Tagging: @bisexualshakespeare @bifuriouswaterbender @rotaryshakes @woobifiedvillain @queen-of-meows @aurorawest @mareebird @cenobitic-anchorite @peterbenjaminparkour @storyspinner91 @blackdalek and anyone else who'd like to join in :D

[jigenshat]

Ohohoho give me more give me more! I love these :D

fjdskf okay ! glad other ppl enjoy this i could genuinely think abt little details all day. this is probably a good way to keep track of all the ideas i have floating around too :) again lots of backstory ones in here bc we know close to nothing so its fun to theorise !

even though jigen doesn't have the long tracable lineage of the rest of the gang, his early life wasn't very typical

he grew up in a super financially unstable environment. the neighbourhood was likely very poor and had a lot of shady characters taking advantage of the people trying to make ends meet.

trying to keep his family afloat, jigen accidentally gets pulled into gang and later mafia activity. i will die on the hill of the hc of him being a line cook in a mafia money laudering operation with a restaurant front. a few incidents of seeing things he shouldn't have later, and he's running errands for them.

we've seen a little backstory showing he was taught to shoot as well as he does. its was never an arena he thought he'd end up in. he wasn't raised a gunslinger, he was made one. there's of course a natural talent there for sure, but the assassination jobs got big paycheques in so he worked hard to be the best and always get picked for these jobs.

his family, or what remained of it i haven't quite decided how they dwindled away so suddenly were not supportive of his endeavours. they didn't want this kind of dirty money and ened up refusing to take it and threatening to cut ties with him.

but he was in too deep and as much as he refused to admit to himself, he liked this way of living - the danger and uncertainty. its not typical but it was the most consistency he ever had (before lupin et al ofc)

and so he's been estranged from what little family he has since then.

he doesn't speak much about his past. deep down he knows he probably made a lot of bad choices but again he likes this way of life. he thinks if the gang knew to what extent he abandoned his family and friends back home, they wouldn't see him in the same light and look down upon him. whether they would or not, who knows, he just won't open up.

he didn't simply stumble across lupin. they were known to each other before and weren't particularly on the same page. lupin knew him as an A+ assassin and ex mobster but saw him as sleazy and without morals. of course this all changed after they met.

so essentially lupin only initiates new gang members who he had a bit of conflict with at first. at least he's consistent.

while he doesn't have a lot of self confidence, he's quite narcissistic sometimes thinking he'd be better suited to certain parts of jobs or thinking his skills could be put to better use elsewhere.

but he really doesn't want to end up a lone ranger again.

it wasn't good for him, sent him spiralling down a path of greater and greater violence with less regard for his own or others lives with each day.

so he stays and puts his all even in the most confusing plans the gang creates.

he has a seriously guilty conscience. jigen constantly overthinks that he has said or done something wrong. that bad things happen to the gang because of his actions. makes it hard for him to sleep and he's got into the habit of what others would consider quite heavy drinking to knock him out for bed.

he has a knack for engineering and mechanics. of course he will spend all day taking a part, cleaning, and fixing a gun but other things too. the car has broken down? jigen will fix it. electrical supplies need to be set up in a new hideout? jigen. load bearing structures need to be manoevered for a break in? jigen again.

he's very fussy again about the brand of cigarettes he smokes. this can be annoying because variety varies from place to place and the gang can be anywhere in the world. he always keeps an insane amount spare and as many on his person as possible.

[lampmanliveblogs]

Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Hooty’s Door Addendum

So here’s all that stuff I said I was gonna talk about that I didn’t talk about.

First of, as per usual, I did a rewatch and here are some things I either missed or neglected to mention the first time through:

•Lilith’s letter has adorable little ravens decorating it. I’m choosing to believe she drew those herself. •There’s a bunch of cameos from various demons we’ve seen before in the show during Hooty’s health class. Notably, the abominable giraffe once again makes an appearance in a drawing. •I’ll talk a bit more about it in a bit, but the shockwave circles generated by King’s new powers look pretty snazzy. They’re multicolored and not a single color like most magic circles we see witches draw. Again, more on that in a bit. •I mentioned briefly that Dell was planning on leaving and by the sounds of it, he was gonna be away for a while. Based on Present!Eda’s reaction to seeing him, I get the feeling that she has not seen him in a long time, possibly not since that night when she turned into the Owlbeast and attacked him. •You know, I said in the last episode that I hoped we’d get to see Raine soon again, and wouldn’t you know it, we got to see Raine again. Granted, I was thinking maybe Eda & The Gang would do some awesome rescue operation to free them from Belos' clutches, but I guess a flashback is fine too.•During the flashback scene with Crescent Moon, they throw some magic sparks at the Owlbeast. Those sparks look nearly identical to the sparks Dell’s fireworks made. I bring this up because it ties into a theory I’m gonna be discussing in a bit. •Speaking of the scene with Crescent Moon. there is a remain of an ancient monster in the Boiling Sea. I can’t recall if we’ve seen it before, but it’s certainly not the Titan. It might be one of the partial skeletal remains King mentioned had been spotted (back in Young Blood, Old Souls). If so, then it implies that the scene took place far away from the Boiling Isles. •You gotta love how Luz is completely submerged in water during the Tunnel of Love ride but comes out of it perfectly dry.

Now comes the theory portion of this post. Let’s start with…

The Power of a King King has voice powers now, eh? That is sure to only result in good things.

We know practically nothing about King’s powers at this stage, which means I can throw out any number of theories. In fact, we can’t even be sure that it’s really magic, it might just be some kind of biological quirk of his particular species of demon. But for now I’m assume it’s magic.

I brought up that the magic blast his scream generates is unlike the magic circles witches draw in that it’s multicolored and not a single color. His magic also doesn’t appear to be elemental in the same way glyphs are. So my theory is that it’s some kind of wild magic that King is able to harness. So he might not be able to cast as complicated spells as a witch, but maybe he can harness greater power as a result?

If it is wild magic andKing’s species can naturally draw upon it, then that could be another piece of evidence for my theory about Belos being opposed to King’s tribe.

I have some more ideas about King’s magic and it being based on his voice, but those ideas feel too half-formed and scattered, so I’ll keep them to myself for now. I will say this though: Magic words and speaking things into being is a common trope when it comes to magic in mythology, folklore and fantasy stories.

Eda and the Owlbeast I threw out the idea about the Inner Owlbeast being a form of parasite, which is why it appeared as it did within Eda’s dreams, not her when she is transformed into the beast, but as a similar, but different-looking beast. I also said that the scene on the beach was weird and that I was gonna tlak about it later. So let’s do that.

Eda was able to communicate and bargain with the Owlbeast, implying that it an entity of its own. We also see Eda and the beast are tied together with red string. I talked a bit about it, but that string likely represent how they two are forever connected and intertwined.

Let’s back up a bit, back to the scene with Crescent Moon. We see Crescent moon attack and attempt to capture the Owlbeast. She manages to escape and flies out over the BoilingSea. Her wings burn up and she falls into the seas. The Owlbeast then turn into the curse scroll, which washes up ashore and is found by someone. The scroll then later ended up at the night market where Lilith found it.

When I first watched that scene, I thought it was another one of Eda’s memories, but now I think it might actually be the memory of the Owlbeast from before it became part of Eda through the curse.

I think the Owlbeast either existed as its own creature or had a previous host, one that had likely been consumed entirely by the curse at that point. Crescent moon tried to capture the beast for some reason, but it managed to escape. Then it fell into the oiling Sea. At that point the Owlbeast reverted back into the curse scroll from whence it came (because the host died) or if it wasn’t a curse, it was turned into a curse scroll through some unknown process.

I brought up that the sparks Crescent Moon threw at the Owlbeast looked similar to the sparks from Dell’s fireworks. I think that might’ve been what triggered the Owlbeast in that situation, because it was reminded of Crescent Moon. It might even be that Eda transforming when she’s under great stress is some kind of defensive mechanism where the Owlbeast can sense the danger and forces itself to the surface to protect Eda and by extension, itself.

The one big thing that messes with this theory is the fact that Lilith has the curse too now. Does she have her own Owlbeast (or Ravenbeast) in her mind now? We don’t know. Cause if she does, then… that might mess with my theory.

Whatever the truth may be, I think we’ll see further exploration of the curse and its origin. I also have a feeling we’ll be seeing Crescent Moon again. You don’t make a character design that cool and then just never use it again.

In Conclusion This was a pretty great episode. The first part with King was good, the second part with Eda was fantastic and the third part with Luz & Amity was legendary, such an iconic moment.

Going into the episode, I was expecting mostly comedic relief about Hooty trying to help out and screwing it up, but maybe helping out in the end. Which was kinda what happened, but with considerably less comedic relief than I was expecting and a heck of a lot more character development than I was expecting.

You know, you’d expect each of the revelations in this episode would garner and episode each, so in that sense, it was a pretty effective episode. That thing I said about this season feeling like the writers are constantly poking me to make sure I don’t fall asleep or lose interest still stands. It’s been a lot. A lot of great stuff.

The obvious stand out moment of the episode was of course, Luz asking Amity out. Well, Amity did ask her first, but you know what I mean. No more meandering, no waiting until the season finale, we’re at episode eight in season two and Lumity is canon. Woo!

The thing I loved especially about that scene was just how fumbling and awkward it was. It felt very real and genuine in that way. These are two kids, in love for the first time in their lives, of course they’re gonna stumble and not know what to do. Of course it’s gonna be scary. And of course it’s not gonna be some perfect fairy tale moment like Luz might’ve wanted, but it’s like Eda said: ”Does it really have to be?”

I also feel the need to praise the Eda portion of the episode some more. The visuals and animation during that whole dream sequence was great and I love how it kept me on my toes because I never knew what to expect in the next moment.

So, the thing we can all take way from this is to never doubt Lord Hooty! Until next time, take care of the planet Earth and remember that anything can happen in space!

<--Previous Episode: Eda's Requiem

Masterlist

Next Episode: TBD-->

[mlemedt]

Six of Crows- Leigh Bardugo

💛💛💛💛💛(5/5)

Well I'm quite happy to announce that I've finished my summer reading goal and in good time too. I think I've developed a lot since the beginning of this challenge. I've read so many genres and periods and lengths- but most of all, I've proved to myself that I do have time to just sit back and enjoy a good book. Lots of people say they enjoy reading but just don't have time for it, but I think it's the actual process of sitting down and engaging with something so physically monotonous that people struggle with the most. It's difficult to indulge in something that feels so time consuming whilst there's other things to be done. We struggle to allow ourselves to sit down for more than five minutes.

This was definitely me too, and even in reading this last book it took me a couple of days to actually pick it up before I got back into the familiar pace. Anyways, I think this was quite an appropriate book to end upon. For me, at least, this book represented the beginning of new opportunities, and not just in the story- this was the beginning of a new series and a new world for me (and even a new Netflix series.)

🦅

---------------------------------Discussion---------------------------------

I'm faced with a similar issue as I did with the 'Powerless' series. I was too busy enjoying the book than finding topics for review. My main love of this story was simply the diversity of the characters. Each were incredibly unique with their own stories interwoven cleverly and realistically. This realism was maintained incredibly well also. Unlike other books I've read this summer where I've puzzled over a lack of moral questioning this novel had plenty of it. I thought it was so interesting that this criminal gang who are accustomed to killing and violence still thought about those they had killed, and wanted to respect them with burials, and even avoided killing when they could. It was an utterly realistic depiction of morality, and furthermore, Kaz's attempts to brush off morals in favour of pragmatism made him such an interesting character.

I think sometimes authors try to ignore realism like this, as if everyday emotions of guilt and respect are uninteresting. As if simply action can hold attention alone. Like I said in 'Powerless', this realisation of human emotion makes books so convincing and impactful- if you cant understand the characters, you can't connect with them. Once you put the book down, they're nothing more to be thought about. But characters that feel real hold presence in everyday life, for they enrich it with a greater breadth of emotion and compassion and understanding.

🦅

I'll admit, I watched some of the Netflix show to give me a greater idea of the characters. I knew I wanted to watch it afterwards, and getting the wrong impressions of the characters would've ruined the experience. However, in doing so I discovered the plots were almost entirely different, but I didn't mind this much when I finished the book because I was just happy to see the characters again. It didn't matter the entire plot was lost because the plot didn't mean anything. It was the characters- their fears, their passions, Kaz's genius- that's what made the novel good. It didn't matter there was no Ice Court or heist.

🦅

---------------------------------Commentary------------------------------

Another thing I loved was how different this was from typical books. The Crows are not heroes and they don't have magic powers (at least not all), their job is not for any greater purpose than money (at least initially), and it was refreshing. They were just like normal people.

I think also, the prejudice against 'Grisha' is definitely allegorical. For some nations its considered a blessing, but most reject what they cannot understand. The way this was portrayed with the Fjerdans and the Ice Court, again defied typical interpretations of this particular trope.

-------------------------------Conclusions---------------------------------

I honestly can't find anything wrong with this book. It's definitions of characters were incredibly in depth and the world thoroughly considered and thought out. However, I didn't get quite the same craving for this book as I have others. I'm not finding myself in any particular rush to get 'Crooked Kingdom,' and, to be completely honest, I don't know why.

♥♥♥

-Gaia

⚠Content Warnings⚠

-Strong Language

-Violence

[hersweetrevenge]

I've been awake since 5am and it's now 1037pm and I JUST crawled into bed. After a 7h shift, a 2h uni lecture, chores etc., I think even Lester would be chomping on his inner cheek wanting to tell me off about how this is e v e r y day. 😑 like:

"Y'better start takin' care o' yer'self, or I'm gonna be havin' words" is the threat, his dark eyes flashing. The twins watch on, arms folded and stood side by side in front of the door.

It's an intervention.

"Aren't you already doing that, honey?"

Lester is so worried that he's ANGRY and he doesn't soften at the pet name like he usually does. No, he HARDENS and he literally puts his foot down as he shifts his weight, defensive over you AGAINST yourself.

"Okay," Lester tries again, making visible efforts to calm down, "say th'shoe was on the other foot. What would ya' say, sweetpea?"

"I'd tell you to be more careful, that I'm proud but you should make more time for y - oh."

Lester looks towards Bo, eyebrows raised in disbelief, his tongue flicking across his inner cheek as he tries to hold his tongue. "The fuckin' NERVE - "

Bo nods in agreement, sighs, and you see Vincent's eye rolling from behind his mask.

They'll try again tomorrow but the result is always the same. You work too hard, they worry, they intervene, you promise to do better, you somehow fail in that, they worry, they intervene...

(Just wanted to share a half baked fic idea! I genuinely think if you manage to piss Lester off to the point where he stands up against you FOR you, that they collectively decide to stage an intervention. I'd get at least one every two days but it's all to make them proud😩😭🥺)

erika you are probably the busiest and most dedicated person i know !!

an intervention would be staged immediately. (i'm about to stage an intervention you too, at this rate! 💖)

the sinclairs love to be busy, they have their jobs and hobbies to be getting on with which are both very important to not Spiral when living in ambrose, but they also value down time a lot. like sure, they live in a ghost town surrounded by bodies, but a guys gotta relax once in a while.

Normal Family Time (the only good nft) is very important to the, especially bo and lester, so the minute you try to skip out on it to keep working? oh no you're not you will sit on the couch and watch them play pool if its the last thing you do.

because the twins are Like That™, it would definitely be lester who first notices you're excessive working first. he's worried about you and, in turn, mad at bo and vincent for not manhandling you away from your desk yet.

they have a pre-intervention meeting in the kitchen to plan the rest of the evening:

1. stern talking to (lester)

2. nice talking to (vincent)

3. indifferent-but-secretly-the-most-worried talking to (bo)

4. dinner (your favourite, courtesy of chef lester)

5. tv (this is for you, but good luck getting any say whatsoever about what to watch, bo and vincent have a system that is not to be disrupted, lest the whole house fall into chaos)

6. cuddles until you fall asleep (which you will be doing, they'll make sure of it)