#idk i just think actually caring about the characters makes for better storytelling

[notashadowbutawave]

i almost posted this on the true detective subreddit episode thread but thought better of it:

I've gotta say… I feel like a lot of complaints people are having about this season of the show don't pass muster objectively when held up against Season 1. Melodrama, "unrealistic" dialogue, complaining about being shown too much about people's personal lives and not caring about the characters…

There is so much unrealistic dialogue in season 1. The way Marty and Rust during their video interviews just come in talking about some big philosophical idea or "life wisdom" nugget in the middle of the episode (nobody talks like that IRL). The scene with Marty's daughter and the princess crown, for example. Marty cheating on his wife multiple times isn't like, objectively "more interesting" than Evangeline's sister having mental health issues or Liz being sexually promiscuous and a mess.

I've seen season 1 probably 10 times and I adore it but a lot of the angry comparisons people are making to S1 kind of just come off as straight up misogyny at a certain point. Like it rubs people the wrong way because it's women. Complaining about Liz and Evangeline going to the dredge without backup but when Rust and Captain America Marty Hart do something like that it's believable?

I don't think anyone's obligated to like the season by any means but you can just say you aren't feeling it as opposed to trying to make these apples-to-apples comparisons to season 1 that really don't hold water; I think people are just a lot more willing to accept this type of storytelling when it's about men and kind of has a fetishization/shame angle with masculinity in general. Like S1 is very masculine but it's also a love story. idk. I'm gay so I should probably stick to Tumblr for talking about this show, ya'll are wild.

----

idk watching people who are probably white dudes complain on Reddit that we are seeing too much "native culture" on the show strikes me as really icky.

i recognize that these are reddit comments and not like, actual media criticism but i think it says a lot about how people are conditioned to understand storytelling in general. like there's still so much fucking misogyny and white supremacy in our mainstream media and i realize a lot of people wouldn't say it out loud but i think they genuinely just find it exhausting that they're being asked to contemplate the interior lives of native alaskans and women by watching this show lmao

(that's not a value judgment about how well it is doing at depicting  Iñupiat culture because i'm not the person who gets to make that judgment but it REALLY rubs me the wrong way that people can't STAND even seeing it depicted)

(i think the fetishization of the American south also has a lot to do with it, like people are very willing to accept the aesthetic style of the American south as a vehicle for crime/mystery/possibly supernatural storytelling because it really doesn't challenge any conceptions they might have about the genre) (it helps that Woody Harrelson and Matthew McCounaughey are native southerners with great acting talent and natural screen chemistry who really took Season 1 to a higher level, in no small part thanks to their uncredited script doctoring. with lesser actors I think the story falls flat as hell because you need them to sell a rich relationship and complex inner lives with their performances because SO MUCH of their relationship is subtextual) (so when people see these great acting performances in the context of a police procedural set in Louisiana i think they're very pre-conditioned to elevate it to an almost mythical status in the genre because it doesn't present TOO many challenges to a conventional worldview about who has power and agency in stories)

like I said i've watched season 1 probably 10 times. it's very good. but it does MANY of the same things that people are complaining about regarding season 4/night country in terms of showing a lot of relationship/sexual drama for the leads and their Tragic Pasts. they just don't like it. which is fine. i just think it's a disingenuous angle to approach criticism of the show.

like if any actor other than McConaughey were doing Rust's monlogues in S1 it would not have been very good because it would have come off like self-serious edgelord shit, which is what it actually was (pizzolatto sucks) before it ended up in the hands of competent producers and performers. instead it really comes off like a man who has suffered and developed this worldview genuinely, within himself, not as a way to wield power over others but to protect himself from harm.

anyway....

for my part, i wanna know what the fuck is up with the spirals and the bad CGI polar bear visions and i'm going to be disappointed if it's not just some massive red herring designed to freak people out a little because that's what we deserve.

but in terms of like, the characters' lives, i generally find them very interesting. the opening scene of episode 3 with annie genuinely moved me to tears. annie seems like a fucking cool person and i would love another flashback about her.

i love that liz is a fucking asshole who is constantly being forced to confront her own behavior as racist, self-centered, impulsive, etc.

i love that evangeline is a very lonely person just barely keeping it together. kali reis is putting on an amazing performance. also, for the record, i'm VERY gay.

i wanna know more and there are only 2 episodes left and i hope it sticks the landing so i can write a big actual essay about what it did well from a storytelling perspective!

gosh i just love serialized fiction on the television

[papercranium]

THE BEAR CHARACTERS’ ZODIAC SIGNS🐻

steaming hot takes with my (limited) knowledge of astrology. but this has been simmering in my brain for many days and i simply must speak my truth...(part 1/?) idk lmk if you want more bc i have a few thoughts!

carmy is an aquarius!!!! i know this to be true deep in my heart!! the passion, the drive, the focus, the intellect, it's all there. he's driven by his desire to be good, and to keep getting better. carmy knows what he wants and although he sometimes struggles with emotional intimacy, he's actually a really good communicator. he doesn't do small talk, but as we've seen, he's open and willing to discuss difficult topics and be vulnerable with the people he's close to. he is a stubborn believer in the people he cares about, and strongly values teamwork and his desire to make the world around him better.

i think sydney is a gemini she is such a summer girl to meeee!! i loved s2e03 bc we really got to glimpse into her creative thought process. it's fast-paced and fluid and innovative and strongly influenced by her surroundings. she has really vivid goals and dives fully into them, as we see her do in building the beef, but underneath it all i think she definitely gets flustered and struggles with self-doubt--what if her passion isn't enough to make things work? sydney's a little impulsive/impatient at times, but recovers quickly because, like carmy, she's a really strong communicator (i could go ON about sydcarmy &their signs' compatibility....but that's maybe for another time lol).

richie is a sagittarius. he just is. he's brash and extroverted and really driven by a desire to find his purpose, whether it be in his relationships or in his work (s2e07 my beloved)!!! richie's an entertainer and a people person and he's not afraid to take up a lot of space. part of this comes from his closeness to mikey, but he's a great storyteller and wants for people to hear him. but when he's upset, esp when arguing with carmy, he's very blunt and isn't afraid to hit him where it hurts. i think some of the other characters find him a bit unpredictable, and likely it's bc he's trying to unpack a lot of difficult emotions while battling against his own pride.

natalie is a libra and i love her for it. i think one of the most prominent things about nat is that she's always seeking for balance, for security, for things to be stable and good and okay (with the bear, with carmy, with her mother) she is a people pleaser!!!!!! which is probably her greatest strength as well as her greatest weakness--she really wants carmy to be okay, but the work she puts in clearly takes a toll on her. natalie can turn up the charm if it helps her get the job done, as we see her do with cicero. she's critical and focused and has a good eye, which makes her a great project manager (where would carmy and syd be without her)

[katatty]

Sims Say the Darnest Things: When you get this, list five of your characters and their best quotes so far. Then pass it on to five other storytelling simblrs.

Aw man, this is a fun one! I've been writing stupid stuff for my sims to say for so long it's hard to think of a top 5, but definitely have some funny moments I'd like to reminice on :)

“Who cares about work? Money isn’t everything, Raye!” “I’m just not sure I’m responsible enough for this. I feel like a kid myself half the time!” “Well, better grow up fast, because I’m keeping the baby! Bleh!!”

This line from Emmie is iconic to me and kind of sums up both the good and bad in her character! She's enthusiastic, chirpy and always ready to jump into stuff but can be kinda selfish/thoughtless with like, poor boundaries lmao. It also always makes me giggle adding "Bleh!!" to the end of her lines idk

Bella: Cassandra! Oh my, are you all right? Cassandra: I’m fine, Mom. Bella: You’re having a mental breakdown on our back porch!

idk this is just funny to me bc Bella is half concerned for Cassandra and half worried that Cassie is bringing down the vibe at her fabulous dinner party lol

Camellia: I keep thinking I’ve forgotten something!  Lori: Cami, I feel like that almost all the time. Nine out of ten times it’s nothing important!

I'm realising going though these most of them aren't even particualrly "great quotes" they're just things I found funny to write, haha. My way of escaping the "5 characters" thing by making them all require context or somehting. idk! RIP to Orion

Lilith: Since when you do you cook, anyway? Ashley: I’m teaching myself. It’s called having a growth mindset, you should try it. Lilith: Hey, I’m all about personal growth. You know I achieved lifetime happiness this week? Ashley: Our date was that good, huh?

Ashley & Lilith's unhealthy-ass relationship banter is always so fun to write, I really miss them! I really like having sims actually mention, like, game mechanics? Lilith saying "I achieved lifetime happiness this week" just tickles me. tbh i also think "it's called having a growth mindset" is really funny, really fits ashley's self-improvement-reddit-guy vibe

ok and my all time favourite scene/quote is this ripp moment idk this was 5 years ago but i still laugh thinking about it it was so unhinged

“So this makes us and the twins, what? Step-siblings? That’s hot.” “You are such a pig, Ripp!” Lilith kicked him under the table. “I’m gonna kill you.” “Chill out, Tank! It’s not like it’s real incest! You and Angela can keep fucking if you really want to.”

like most inappropriate and gross comments of all time????????? lmao. very sad that Ripp has grown as a person I miss writing him as an immature dickhead lol

ANYWAY thank u for sending this, it was really fun & nostalgic and has me really wanting to actually write posts again, maybe I will queue some up :)

tagging @potential-fate, @moocha-muses, @dunne-ias, @antisocialbunnysims & @rurpleplaysmuttingtonac if any of you fancy doing this :)

[midorikawawas]

So, About Spirit of Justice…

I've been loving that game since I first played it back in 2017-2018, and at times, I wish to do a review for Spirit of Justice, at least the story aspects, because I consider it to be a game that not only isn't as bad or as incoherent as many people try to argue, but that actually made something while carrying the burden of trying to do a lot in a little time, even when we consider that it has one of the longest (if it isn't THE longest) final cases/chapters and pushed a lot of the mechanics and effects for a visual novel.

If anything, the worst sin committed by AA6 is being its own thing (same as Dual Destinies, but that's a different conversation….)

But idk, lots of personal observations under this.

Of course there are things that make me raise my eyebrow and that could've been done better, but if anything, I applaud the fact that the game has that replayability factor to it which is such… an AA thing, to keep the player interested and entertained, even when considering its downfalls. Like, talk about the little details that aren't explicitly said, but that were put in the script and manage to convey so much of what the characters and story have to say. If anything, SoJ is GOOD at the storytelling factor, at switching the setting and making it compelling.

It's visually engaging and the script is just so good (I wish to play the Japanese version one of these days, because I enjoyed the translation and I bet the og is as enjoyable.)

Then there are the characters... Which I don't know how people can't get out of their usual comparisons with other installments and ignore that the characters, their motivations, and even their emotions and inner lives are not as half-assed in this game as some people would like to say. Again, most things get insinuated between the lines, which I don't think it's lazy, rather is interesting instead of seeing a character blurting out everything, but that's a personal choice. I could have a whole field day with the whole royal family and the many things they represent or couldn't say explicitly.

Even though I agree that Apollo's backstory doesn't click as well (we can see it was a last minute thing) I don't believe it takes away from what his past was. From his rather tragic origins, and the charm of the strong familial bond he has with Dhurke, neither the care and wish to reconnect with Nahyuta and protect him, who's either a dear childhood friend or a brother (depending on the version) but still, both are part of the childhood Apollo thought as lost, and who then forced himself to forget. If you ask me, it's of my favorite parts of the game, and I wish that if we get AA7, we get a passing comment about the family Apollo now has in Khura'in.

I simply like Spirit of Justice a lot. It's not the best AA installment objectively, but it is my personal favorite for the ambience, the build up, the characters and script (I feel only the amazing AA4 wins over AA6 in the script department but come on... It's AA4, ofc it wins.) and the over the top story that somehow makes sense within the universe. It is such a joy to play and get invested in everything that's going on, to laugh and to cry, and that makes to me a wonderful game.

It doesn't deserve much of the hate that it gets or to be the butt of the joke (neither does Dual Destinies, but AGAIN, a different conversation) however, every time I see complaints against the game I feel like most people just had a different experience than me.

At least I enjoyed it!

[nakanotamu]

maika for the wrestler asks :^)

OOH good pick feels very topical these days. I feel she picked up a reputation in the IWC real quick for being one of those "underrated workrate wrestlers" who was never going to get noticed or rise higher than holding the tag belts, a Jungle Kyona type, that I think was both wrong as all things the IWC believes are and also made people overlook her legitimately extremely good character work and storytelling.

Like she was out there feuding with Giulia over how her and Himeka were being too gay in public and ruining DDM's look in 2020. You know? Her relationship with her tag team partner changed the identity of an entire faction permanently. She told an entire story that nobody noticed about how she was suddenly in love with Momo when Himeka was injured just to have something to do while she was gone. I think some people thought that got dropped but like - no it was literally just bc Himeka was gone. The second she came back she went 'sorry Momo who?' like. It got resolved. I am begging wrestling fans to think about things ever. She's been telling a fucked up "I left my little sister behind to make her stronger" story with Inaba for like 5 years without even being in the same company. Maika puts a lot of thought into everything she does and just being like "workrate wrestler, love how she gets in the ring and hits real hard" is an injustice to all the other dope shit she does too bc she's one of the furthest things from a wrestler who stops thinking about it as soon as the bell rings.

I think people also discount her very real popularity just bc she's not like an idol type or whatever. Like she was one of the first wrestlers in Stardom doing product tie-ups and cross advertising with other stuff. She's like 80% of the reason I have any followers right now among an admittedly skewed audience but one that actually has some god damn taste.

Anyway glad she has the belt rn even though idk how long it'll be for, she does deserve better booking and I think she'll be really cool to see as a potential faction leader, wish she wasn't so tied up with Megan rn sorry Maika I don't care how much you're into tall girls.

OH ALSO SHE'S A HORSEGIRL NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT BUT SHE DEFINITELY HAS A HORSE FURSONA I'M TELLING YOU

[lumax-mayclair]

Watched the the new Zoey 101 movie (guilty) and I thought it was fine. I really think if they wrote a couple things a little differently it would’ve been better:

Like Quinn being overwhelmed by the wedding preparation because she’s never thought about having a big wedding but ofc Logan has, that all makes sense and I hear what she’s saying but I don’t really see what she’s saying. In terms of storytelling and film making, I feel like they should’ve dramatisized everything more. Like the life sized cakes was the only thing that seemed over the top and I can see how that’s a little much but nowhere else did it seem like Logan was making more of a “spectacle than making it meaningful”.

They should’ve run more with the sight gags like those cakes because as the wedding ends up looking just very plain (not a diss) but very classy and elegant looking. Even Quinn’s dress is so simple but beautiful.

It’s a small venue, the wedding colors are green, black, and white. Very simple. Some flowers here and there.

I guess Lyric was one of those overwhelming gags also to emphasize how “over the top” all this is but that’s her “gift” to them, she’s Quinn’s sister in law and they’ve known each other for nearly 15 yrs so why are we overwhelmed with something that should be normal coming from her ???

(p.s. unpopular opinion: I liked Lyrics’ song, the melody was great, the lyrics eh, but I like the line “she’s in her wedding dress and he’s hoping she’ll say yes”; very Quogan, very “She’s everything, He’s just Ken”.)

Anyway moving away from Quogan: Michael. Literally what is the point of taking one of the main main characters who bothered to return for this reboot, and having them lose their voice so they can’t speak for half the movie. You might say it’s due to controversy but if they cared about controversies, they wouldn’t have done this movie at all 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Stacey & Mark: to preface: personally I loved Stacey in the original and Mark is…Mark 🤷🏻‍♀️. I kinda wish they had mentioned Stacy’s original obsession with Logan in the series, I think that could’ve been fun if they worked that in somehow. They did mention Mark & Quinn dating but (ins how everyone feels about this) I would’ve liked if Mark had regret about dump—breaking up with (😅) Quinn and was holding a torch for her or something because again: she’s everything. The whole dynamic of Quogan and Stark being couple besties…wasn’t the vibe imo. The whole thing of Stacey interrupting the wedding bcs she’s obsessed with murder mysteries like since when?? How did that happen?? WHERE ARE THE COTTEN SWABS AND WHITE GLUE!!!!!? You’re gonna tell me a friend officiating their 2 friends wedding doesn’t think to turn off their notifications when they’re reading the nuptials off their phone during said wedding like—?? Especially when one of her announcements was for everyone to silence their phones????!

Speaking of phones out during the wedding: Zoey.

I mean…it’s Zoey (JLS) who’s surprised that this, the most special of days has to be made about her and her really weird and sad desire to go back to PCA. Also it’s really weird to me how that was the solution to the wedding being ruined when literally she’s the only one feigning to go back, the others are doing great and are cool being done with that. They look back fondly, not longingly, so idk why it was played like getting married at PCA is somehow Quinn’s dream and the solution to their problem. And if we do go back and have the Quogan wedding there, HOW ARE WE NOT GONNA INCLUDE THEIR BENCH!!!!? I mean maybe the group didn’t know about it, maybe, but Logan definitely would and speaking of Logan.

Nothing much wrong with him in the film tbh, he was so husband it was great actually, but what the hell was that line?? They’ve been together, again, almost 15 years. There is 0 chance he doesn’t know to talk to her if they’re having a problem. To be fair tho, I think the implication was that in the hustle and bustle and over the top ness of the wedding he lost sight of them as a couple and how their dynamic works and that’s why Quinn was upset but like, really?? all Zoey has to say is “have you tried just talking to her” and he remembers that that’s what they do…?? Okay.

Anyway, I think we all agree a Quogan movie would’ve been better. 😊😊

Oh! P.s. Chase! This is really sad and pathetic. Get over this, bitch!!

[hazyla]

Woah woah, okay. So I just finished spirit of justic except for the special episode. Current thoughts from a foggy memory:

realizing this post is super long so it’s under the break, also soj spoilers

Implied that Phoenix and gumshoe correspond on their own when Phoenix mentions something to Edgeworth. When he’s questioned about it he just says something like “I have my sources…” and Edgeworth tells him to inform his source of a paycheck cut.

Even though Athena got a case of her own to do I feel like she didn’t have as strong of a presence and idk man balancing three lawyers kind of a crazy move

I found rayfa oddly charming because of her silly insults

Not utter dogshit but I see why people generally dont like dual Destinies and spirit of justice as much

My mom misses gumshoe

I did not call the queen being powerless like at all

if there’s another ace attorney game I want a dedicated scene about Apollo and Trucy getting told the truth

Hard to pick a favorite case but I think I liked case 2 and turnabout storyteller just bc it was pretty fun. Also can not believe Athena’s case was the super short filler one!

would’ve appreciated more Maya

cannot believe they just added on characters that were never previously mentioned. Oh yeah, there’s a secret fourth group gramarye member. Apollo? He actually has a brother and was left behind by his foster father at about fifteen or so.

Did the archaeologist guy just… steal a bunch of shit from Adrian’s exhibit? He had literally everything. Good god I wonder how he felt about that scroll having gravy on it

on the plane ride back why did Trucy sit (and fall asleep on) Edgeworth instead of idk her father. What did Athena really want to sit there or something. It’s very cute but also why

Actually Maya and Edgeworth should’ve sat next to eachother on the plane so they can debate about plumed punisher. “You gave away your one of a kind steal samurai themed watch FOR A RIPOFF KEYCHAIN” and then he throws her off the plane (personally, of the belief he would throttle ms inmee [not actually])

about that, it’s so funny to me that he ranted about the show to Datz, a guy he just met and is a revolutionary

Need to mention that Edgeworth’s cravat gets attacked by a dog, I don’t even have a comment I just need to iterate that fact

The breakdown scenes were fun and dynamic but idk I didn’t care for them that much

kind of thought they were gonna channel Apollo’s dad Jove fucking justice

It was funnier when I, for a split second, assumed that since nobody knew the name of his father that Apollo chose his last name to be Justice.

just now realizing that Apollo who shares a namesake with the god of music has two musician parents now

I am so happy that the 3d sprites look better than in dual destinies I don’t know if I could take it if they looked like that again

My mom’s favorite character design is Rayfa’s (but her favorite character is Susato who has nothing to do with soj)

Maya should get an “I survived TWO kidnapping” shirt because everyone wants leverage over Phoenix.

From what I saw online before playing the game I thought nahyuta would be super insanely awful, and then they introduce him as a level headed guy. Then I think oh he seems okay, and then he tells Apollo to go to the depths of hell and that he’ll be reincarnated as a piece of shit

When investigating phoenix tells Edgeworth that he think’s he’d like a gaudy house, to which Edgeworth is offended. And then Phoenix makes fun of him for his bright red sports car in his mind.

Would’ve loved a reference to some older characters, like Iris who is just like never brought up again. Anyways, what’s with spirit channeling families and being super fucked up

i am so sorry to say that Apollo looked like really good in that one cg with his hair antenna down (the one where he almost drowned) (not my best moment)

How in the world did Apollo survive as a teenager? If dhurke left him 10 or so years before this he’d be about fifteen? Did he just get dropped off at a boarding school, who the hell took care of him and how did he become a lawyer.

Why didn’t Amara just resume the throne herself? Idk if I totally missed something but isn’t she still a rightful heir

Khura’in spent EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ON A LIE. THEY WERE DONATIONS. AND FIVE YEARS OF LABOR (Amara’s tomb)

So funny to me that nahyuta drags Ema around everywhere like a little ragdoll back and forth country to country

The pun names in this one were wild 🤪 (suggested emoji)

oh god what if Edgeworth and rayfa were to talk about plumed punisher

Yeah we’re back to this, edgey’s sitting in a rebel hideout with lizards hanging from the ceiling and he watches the plumed punisher??? I kinda forgot the timeline but either Maya is currently kidnapped or dhurke’s in jail “oh okay I’ll stay behind” “let’s turn on the tv” “what the fucj is this”

One time phoenix’s phone went off and I jumped out of my seat because I also have the steal samurai theme as my damn ringtone

I get that it’s just fun sprite stuff but where does nahyuta get all his necklaces? How does his floating ribbon work?

In aa4 with my vague recollection, there’s a scene that kind of made me assume Ace attorney definitely took place in some weird fantasy land that coexisted with real world. (It was something that had to do with the founding fathers? And apollo “yes I know what America is” justice, like they currently don’t live there. It was some exchange during the case where klavier’s guitar blows up). Guess how surprised I was when oh golly now they’re full blown Americans!

since I mentioned aa4 and I already got off track everytime my mom hears that song (which Apollo made his ringtone) she complains about it and gets bad flashbacks. She told me everytime she hears a piano arrangement she thinks about the case. Maybe it wore off by now but it was her version of blue badger

Uendo was my favorite witness

Yeah I don’t think I have anything else to say, what a nice note to it on.

Nope I remembered something, queen ga’ran made me want to use the royal we.

[quillsmora]

2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 20, 23

2. a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom

idk how compelling this is but the reason i think it's so hard for me to write gamora as a bottom is that she was never really given power/control growing up, so the fact that she has it in the bedroom is very liberating and makes her a lot more comfortable. i think she could be very switchy but i personally could never write her as strictly a bottom.

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

don't have a screenshot but any variation of "gamora's ending was good actually you're all just mad that she didn't end up back with quill and that's misogynistic" posts. that's not why we're mad and also wanting to see a female character be in a romantic relationship is not misogynistic at all?? need people to unlearn the 2016 buzzfeed "being a strong female character™️ means you cannot have any romantic connections ever" brand of feminism (which is not actually feminism, idk what it actually is but it's something along the lines of girlboss capitalism pushed by male hollywood executives).

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

i don't see rocket as groot's dad. i feel like peter fulfills that role more and while rocket and groot are definitely closer and rocket is shown to be a disciplinary figure towards him i've always believed their best friend dynamic from vol 1 carried over to the new groot as well. i view rocket more as groot's super cool chill uncle who he can go to sneak a beer and talk shit with at family gatherings.

9. worst part of canon

toss-up between gamora's death and the fact that she was sidelined in vol 3. i'm sorry but i cannot believe james thought not showing a single scene of her with the ravagers before the ending was a good idea. showing not telling is like the number one rule in storytelling, you can just tell me 2014!gamora has a better relationship with the ravagers than she ever did with the guardians and expect me to believe it. also aging down phyla.

10. worst part of fanon

the constant sidelining of gamora (don't even try to deny it it's very obvious, esp after vol 3), the dumbing down of quill (he's not an incompetent leader and he doesn't spout pop culture references 24/7, he's a human being with flaws who at his core is a good person and good leader), the weird ass ships (once again no matter how anthropomorphic he is rocket is still a RACCOON), people who don't read comics but pretend like they know the comic characterizations of characters.

20. part of canon you found tedious or boring

kraglin uhhhh as much as i love vol 2 i never cared much for the ravagers b plot, i can take it or leave it. it does lead to a very emotional ending but i never find myself paying too much attention to the yondu/rocket/groot scenes on my rewatches.

23. ship you've unwillingly come around to

majority of the 616 gamora ships thanks to you. i think she should be allowed to make out with everyone. as a treat.

[sohmiya]

Maxine (and kenji) anon simp here, but mila is so real for that bcs me too. I think there should be a maxine simp cult at this point lmaoo. There's something about musician characters that just hits different honestly, idk what it is . (lh/hj) 😂😂😭

I love her vibes and how well you fleshed her out. I know you've already shared facts about her, but I was wondering if there was any more you could share, if they have any favourite types of music or what hobbies do they enjoy doing outside of music. I just need more maxine content too.

I'm loving all the maxine and E Acevado lore. I can't wait to hear more about it if you and mila ever feel like sharing some more. 👀👀

it’s funny cause maxine’s fans actually named their own fandom “cult” but maxine never uses it. she just calls them babes jdnamdnsms

for music taste, i think maxine just listens to whatever she likes. she’s definitely the type to listen to upsahl though lmfaoooo but yeah i imagine her taste being whatever she feels like listening to which influences her own music. i think it helps her be more versatile and flexible with her lyricism because she doesn’t feel tied to a specific genre (also because i don’t have a hc for who her favorite artists are hehskasbak) as for interests outside music, she knows a lot about cheese 😭 she knows which cheese goes best with what bread or meat so she makes a good charcuterie board. it’s her go-to “meal” + a bottle of wine when she invites people over at her place.

and omg evren and maxine. the pairing that makes me the happiest and the saddest 🚶🏻‍♀️ mila’s the storyteller so she always comes up with better headcanons but in an au where my canon e-mancer miko doesn’t exist and maxine starts dating evren, i can imagine maxine wearing inter city’s jersey and like she usually never cares about what people say about her but when it comes to meeting evren’s dad, she fusses over the little things like “how does my hair look?” “is my outfit okay?” “what does your dad think about me? oh my god he doesn’t hate me, does he?” “don’t let him hear succubus” 😭

[healbellls]

@musedbyalli has sent: ✉ (For Rival Barry)

Send me ✉ for a popular Headcanon about my character I don’t agree with. [Accepting, SPECIFY MUSE]

// This isn't exactly a fanon that is exclusively tied to Barry, because it involves his father, but it is something I see way too often attached to him.

IDK what's up with ppl when they hear the concept of 'an absent parent'. It feels like, people can only associate it with straight up abusive parents, and they clearly refuse to consider anything else for it.

I'm bringing this up, because I have come across some takes which can be summed up as: Palmer is abusive to Barry, bc he is never there for him ughgugh if he truly cared, he'd be there for him always!!

For starters, pokemon has always sucked at storytelling. By which I mean, they have left many things very vague. We don't actually know much or anything from Barry's upbringing. We can't be sure, just how absent Palmer truly was.

Secondly, stop projecting y'all's daddy issues, I BEG. One could make a case, that maybe Palmer may have been a tad neglectful, with him prioritizing his work over being around his kid. If they're feeling creative and want to truly push with their intrepretations, of the source material. But straight up abusive? IMO there are better ways to try add "depth" to a character.

I may no longer write Palmer as a muse. But everything I've done for him are still present on Barry. He was indeed an absent father, by virtue of his work, combined with a locomotion problem. We know by a fact that Sinnoh is one of the largest Regions, it just wouldn't be possible for Palmer to cross the entire region, every day. As a result, he ended up missing out on so many important stages of his son's life. We can see in other medias, how he doesn't take that kindly, to a degree. But he had to do, because he needs to help providing for his family.

It's basic level shit, you'd think there wouldn't be too much discourse around it and yet...

[hxhhasmysoul]

Thoughts on ChainsawMan?

People tend to compare that to Jujutsu Kaisen.

I actually wrote down my thoughts about CSM, after I read it. And they stand because after the hard reset of the story and of Denji with the end of part 1 (is that what's it's called in the fandom? idk) I just went "really?" and stopped reading.

So I won't repeat what I said there I will just write a bit about what I think about people comparing CSM and JJK. And about how I don't really find them very similar at all.

I think the comparing started with Fujimoto himself? Idk if people compared them before he said it. And generally I wish he hadn't said that and that people didn't compare the two. There's a lot of this attitude "I like this thing more so it must be better in every way and the other thing needs to be shit, and I'm intellectually superior for liking it" coming form the CSM fandom. Idk if JJK fans are also such dipshits, but it took me a lot of blocking not to see posts from CSM fans who showed love for their fav by coming into the juju tags and shitting on it while saying nothing about why they think CSM is good. It reeks of high school mentality that many fail to shake until their 30s or even later.

The problem with comparing these two is that any similarities are extremely superficial. Fujimoto and Gege have completely different attitudes towards their characters, storytelling, world building, themes. They are clearly trying to achieve very different things with their stories and that's okay.

As I say in that post I linked above, I don't think CSM is bad but there's just nothing in it that matches my subjective tastes. JJK isn't perfect but the great things about it really hit the sweet spots for me.

(highlighting this so hopefully the CSM fans leave me the fuck alone)

CSM and JJK spoilers ahead, if you're an anime only. Also my opinion of CSM is based on part 1 and like a few chapters of part 2 that I read before I completely lost interest in it. I don't see myself picking it again, though.

_________________

Characters:

Fujimoto's gag character is Denji. Gege's are Toudou and Takaba. It is a valid writing choice to make your main character into a joke but not one I like. So like the moment I realised Denji's budding sexuality is a joke not a theme CSM really lost in my eyes. And since Fujimoto had (has?) just one joke for Denji to be the butt of over and over again it just got boring.

After the first two chapters I was ready to love Denji, to adopt him. Like 25 chapters in I was completely cold on him because it became clear that Fujimoto isn't going to do anything with him. If you compare that to Yuuji who's consistently getting juicy character development - it's easy for me to care about him, and when he gets traumatised, I get traumatised with him and now we have this bond where I mentally adopted him.

Aki is less meh then Megumi but in the end he's there just to die meaninglessly because Denji gets reset. I prefer Nobara to Power but I still think Power is okay, but in the end she's there just to die meaninglessly because Denji gets reset.

Makima barely wins at being more interesting with Sukuna. And that's mostly because Gege is very against developing Sukuna. Compared with Kenjaku or even Mahito? She's so dull, her plot is simplistic, and her manipulation is kinda one note.

Storytelling:

My blog's name references HxH. Part of why I obsess over HxH is the idea of characters having very different and separate goals. Story lines that run concurrently and kinda bump into each other, feed into each other and then separate. I hate the contemporary hot take that everything in writing has to be meat, has to further the plot.

CSM part 1 is very focused around the Control Devil's ploy to control the Chainsaw Devil using the Gun Devil as a ruse and other factions trying to interfere with that. There's really only this one plot line going on, there are some character arcs on the side, there are some factions nuances but they really just all prop up the main one.

JJK isn't HxH in this respect but the way in which characters have their own goals that don't necessarily further the plot is still really well done. And there isn't even one main plot. Kenjaku is the driver of it all and they have their huge scheme but Sukuna has his own plans, Gojou had his own power play with the elders and was trying to put that in motion. Other characters have/had their own schemes or goals too. People love to complain that the Zenin arc has nothing to do with the plot. I guess. It has everything to do with the themes though. I'm so sad that when Gege decided to speed run juju they cut Nobara, because her story had all the hallmarks of being about the themes but also her powers would really lend themselves to the main villain fights.

Shock Value vs Anticlimax:

HxH uses anticlimax very efficiently making the story feel fresher and much more interesting than for instance stories that rely on plot twists and reveals. The way most HxH arcs end is unexpected and kinda anticlimactic but extremely satisfying. There's build up and it gets resolved in a very fun way but not the most obvious one.

I don't remember CSM using anticlimax at all, but I have read it once and only part 1 and didn't watch the anime. So maybe it does but not in a way that was memorable to me. But it uses shock value and twists and reveals a lot, and mostly relies on killing off characters. Which for me resulted in not even trying to remember their names or faces and sometimes skipping through their dialogue if the exchanges got boring.

Gege isn't Togashi but the HxH and YYH influences are visible. Gege can suddenly kill off a character and doesn't stray away from graphic violence and body horror for shock. But the killing off isn't constant. It makes sense to get invested in the characters. Anyone can die but it's not a given, it's a threat not a promise. And the anticlimactic moments are meaningful and satisfying - sometimes in a cruel way. Yuuji's breakdown in the detention centre; then his death soon after; Junpei's death; the end of the exchange event; the whole fucking Shibuya arc which gives the reader no catharsis just drags them deeper into despair with every little moment that doesn't result in a clear win - it's excruciating; the conversation between Yuuji and Higuruma.

There's shock value in JJK too, as is in HxH. It's just used more like spice, it's not all there is to the flavour.

World building:

I just like complex magic systems where the results of the fights are not a given and fights can go interesting ways with how the characters utilise their powers in creative ways. In CSM it's just Chainsaw Devil hack and slash, Chainsaw Devil win, Denji is anemic - and for me that's very whatever.

Themes:

I've read some meta and saw some video essays about CSM and some people actually talked about the themes. I don't really remember much of it... I think it was mostly about the found family thing and life being kinda hopeless so carving these little moments for oneself? There might be more I just never was invested enough and the stuff i read/heard didn't fully convince me. Like I felt, yeah there might be some of it but it all felt like kinda gliding on the surface.

The themes in JJK match my interests far better. Oppressive systems and how hard they are to overcome even if you try. Bodily autonomy. Anti traditionalism and anti patriarchy. Deconstruction of the narrative of the hyper individualism of "the strongest" ideology and the idea of meritocracy. Reconciling guilt and your own values.

[yanderetrash]

I swear ill shut up about it but

It may be that im just white knighting for Kim. I completely understand and acknowledge the possibility because otherwise it would be hypocritical

But. I feel like that one post is simply unfair, purely based on information we get in canon. Now, two things. Game is mostly what *you* make of it and one single playthru may not give you sufficient information which means you will substitute stuff based on your own personal bias

First off, based on my absolutely limited and flawed understanding of the world and with the caveat that at my best i can only half pay attention, revachol is an occupied state. Previously it was a monarchy and briefly a communist state but now its basically no national government or any other state branches but rather controlled by the coalition. In text this occupation is seen as "temporary" but also as, most likely if the status quo is not (heavily) hinted to change absolutely permanent. There are foreign military forces stationed in their airspace ready to strike at any moment should they try their whole independence thing again.

So yes ok this is a state under military occupation.

The RCM answers to the coalition such as it is because unfortunately that's the boss of this country now, they have been defeated and conquered. But like, RCM literally is the "citizen's militia" (in the name), and as Kim explains it its been set in place by the citizens (yknow) to take care (hey, let's say police) their own people. The coalition is not happy with this because the RCM is a house brand, not part of their structures. Shivers tells you that there is no need for the RCM in the rich parts of (the city? Its a city state, right?) so really they are only there to help the poor. Wouldn't the rich have better protection, coalition appointed? Bro i dont know either

The RCM does pretty much anything from cleaning up the streets of garbage to performing field autopsies, and it's underfunded and understaffed, with adherence to their ranks being voluntary. Sorta like the union appointed guys only tolerated by the occupational forces

Would also like to say that maybe as an american these very strong feelings don't translate as well but im east european so brother i feel so so so much. I understand their hope and hopelessness and probably have a more mellow, affectionate view of the whole situation. Of course that's part of my personal bias the window thru which i see the whole thing but i cant help but feel im closer to the shape because of it

Now the disaster of a main character youre playing as. I have to say first and foremost that this avengers good guys vs bad guys black and white mentality is sooooo boring and seriously detrimental to everything from worldview to personal growth. Blame whatever you want to blame for it (twitter, pop media, capitalism, idk). People don't necessarily have to fit into one of these two neat boxes labeled good guy and bad guy because by god people don't. Its not a storyteller's fault that their characters are not one or the other, bro thats good writing actually.

Hes a mentally unstable drunk who carries a heavy sadness and a strong air of failure and defeat. He's an overly sensitive little man who can barely face life one day after the other medicating this sadness with alcohol and drugs in a spiral of self destruction. And he really can't let go. The case, the love of his life. It's eating him away from the inside. Like, sometimes mental illness is not cute and its not pretty.

Bit sad that if you wouldn't wanna fuck a guy or whatever then hes tossed into the bad character pile. Wonder if he was good looking how much of this shit would have been overlooked, something to think abt.

So yea, he beat the shit out of that one guy. And he wasn't fired for it. Consider this however, the issue was ongoing for years, no one could find any solution, this wreck of a man was also drunk out of his mind, the only reason he wasn't reprimanded is because tallying things up his outburst solved the case and people (not the cops i mean the people complaining abt the drunks) were happy with the result.

But two things: i dont think that him being a cop made a difference here, harry would have done the same thing had he not been a cop but in the same mental state

And two, Kim would have never ever done this. I mean, no one else did all these years. It wasn't a strategy, it was a drunk's outburst

And three, harry felt very guilty afterwards (i know this doesnt excuse anything but does say something about him, no?), so much so he drunk himself into a mini mind wiping stupor. "Those two cases weighed heavily on you"

Lets be serious here, we've all met this person. Or could imagine this person. It makes me incredibly sad. Imagine to have to wake up being that person every day, i couldnt do it

Now onto the other guy. Completely agreed that Kim would walk around with any tolerate harrys whims if he wasnt a cop. I mean, why would he? I dont think they would even interact at all. The game wouldn't have happened. Null point.

His apprehension to interact with children is completely explained in game, and its not because hes an asshole but i think it would be better to just play the game and find out.

Besides, its not just harry hes patient and understanding with, its everyone. He plays second fiddle to your whims because you would play as Kim if that wasnt the case, but he never appears as anything but compassionate and understanding. He offers a prayer to the dead man. He treats the murderer with compassion. He agrees that letting Ruby go was the right choice and is heavily impacted by the loss of life after the tribunal. Maybe the choices made in game may affect the way he reacts (and honestly ive only done two playthrus so i dont know if hes secretly a bitch if you become fascist or something)

Sure hes a tiny little guy sometimes too rational for his own good, a cynic and a skeptic. Bit of a killjoy. But he's not an irredeemable asshole, and he's not a flawless saint either. He's a funny little weirdo and of course you want to please him since he's likeable and has an opinion on what you do (then again when games give me a little guy with opinions i always want to please them so maybe im not the best person to answer this one)

I think its very easy for strong feelings to swing from one side to the other (from love to hate) but i still don't believe this game is in any shape or form an allegory for modern day america or a commentary on the police institution in the US. Maybe its a bit of cultural dissonance at play. I dont know the remedy sad as it is because im not affected by it

[jazzywazzy89]

aw bless, i understand. fandom can be intimidating, especially ones that are active and considering you didn’t watch tvd when kai first appeared, i can see why it would be daunting to write a fic. with that being said i love all human AUs for bonkai and a You inspired fic would be *chefs kiss*. and honestly i’m always here for any bonnie ship but the reason i ask about that particular one is because i truly felt like the writing was heading in that direction but a certain showrunner got wind and changed gears. the potential for any bonnie fic is there but idk something about bonkai always felt like it was supposed to work and we’d get a fleshed out, dark bonnie plus the chemistry and dynamic between the two would have worked very well. but as usual the writers couldn’t let my girl have shit. plus, they would have really fit the enemies to lovers trope tbh

Right! Most of the time the fandom is really gracious so it might not even be necessary to worry. But I still have some hang ups and even though the Bamon fic I posted went over well I will never forget the pressure I felt to make Bamon endgame for my fic The Gods of Viriginia because of how vocal people were. I think it might be easier if I'm writing for just that pairing as insatiable got mostly postive feedback but then I also got feedback saying it wasn't dark enough. Lol So you can't please everyone tbh.

Though I wasn't actively watching when Bonkai was onscreen I did watch the scenes as I said and do think they would've fit the enemies to lovers trope. The problem with TVD in terms of Bonnie was that any time she got any attention or any pairing gained traction with the fandom it was shot down by JP and even if they had write themselves into a corner, sacrifice plot and continuity, or ruin someone's characterization to not go with a story or pairing for Bonnie or to give it to one of the other female leads instead they did it. That's why Klaus's character was sacrificed for KC, that's why DE was drawn out for so long even though Bamon had better chemistry and the story would've naturally developed there, and that's why Kai was killed off in the manner that he was. And JP had no problem with doing the bare minimum to capitalize on the Bonnie fandom's viewership so we got things the Bamon friendship and breadcrumb scenes for pairings like Klonnie, Kennett, and Bonkai. But when it came to actually pairing Bonnie off on the show they only ever did that when they wanted to keep a character on screen and relevant but didn't have anyone else to tie them to so they stuck them with Bonnie, which was why we got B*remy and B*nenzo. But anyway JP and TPTB on TVD didn't care about organic storytelling and definitely didn't care about story at all when it came to Bonnie outside of her suffering or providing a magic fix it when everyone else was in need.

Moving on, you should definitely watch the film Beast if you get a chance. It's so good! As for the You AU, I think it fits well, the problem with Joe though is his insane inner monologue and I wouldn't be able to sit in that head for an entire fic. I think if I tackled it, it'd be sort of how I did Notes on a Scandal, with the inner monologue being in snippets that break up the actual story narrative that's told in third person. I've thought about it a lot actually and I see Bonnie as a sort of composite character as a combination of all of Joe's love interests. Because I can see a bit of her in Beck, that need to be loved and that desire to be seen and wanted. But there's also and edge that Candace has and I could see in a AU Bonnie being an aspiring musician because of Kat's talent. Also I could see Bonnie sort of cultivating this outside image that hides and inner darkness the way that Love does and I always like to play around with Dark!Bonnie, and their sort of frantic love/hate cat and mouse thing would fit Bonkai as well. I could also see Bonkai having a sort of affinity for one another and points of connection the way that Joe does with Marienne. It'd be a hard one to tackle but I do feel like it'd fit. I've brainstormed about it more than once. Not sure if I'll ever actually write it but it'd be a fun one to try.

[cinnamon-stuff]

I just finished “the prophecies begin” series…

I wanted to share my thoughts on the books, even though it’s been a while since I’ve read some of them.

Into the wild: it’s a really good start to the series. It reminds me of the Hobbit because both books just immerse you into the world and there’s so much I love about the clans and aughh. It’s a bit chill compared to some of the other books (no one dies except spottedleaf) (and I don’t really care about her)

Fire and ice: I did not like this book. Fireheart and gray stripe get apprentices kinda early, and it’s sad when cinderpelt gets run over. I don’t enjoy watching fireheart and gray stripe fight, which is the main point of the story. It’s kinda slow, and the ending is just that… gray stripe and fire heart make up. Are. You. KIDDING. me. That’s it?!! That’s the whole story?! Idk just not a very good book.

Forest of secrets: ok this book is better. This book has the first death that I actually care about, silverstream. Tigerclaw finally gets banished, but this is the start of the “blue star goes kinda cray cray” plotline. It’s just a nice standard warriors book tbh.

Rising storm: once again it was an ok book. The forest burns down which is interesting. Yellow fang dies which is sad. Blue star goes more crazy and distrusts her WHOLE clan except fire heart, which is sad and odd, blue star in the previous books would never. Fireheart is a pretty good deputy. Another standard warriors book

A dangerous path: HOLY HECK BLUESTAR JUST- DIES?? NO I WASNT CRYING OVER A STUPID CAT BOOK AT 1 AM, THATS DUMB. ok but seriously I relate to Fireheart a lot in this book and in rising storm. I have friends who don’t have the greatest mental health and at the time when I was reading these books, I felt like I was trying to hold everything together. My biggest fear is that they’re gonna kill themselves. Here I am, relating to a character in a book going through the same struggles, and he tries his best and bluestar still dies, he couldn’t stop it. Nice message for me to think about./s anyways I like sad books so this one’s pretty okay.

The darkest hour: I finally finished reading it and it’s probably one of my favorite books in the series. Just- that ending is chefs kiss *mwah*. From a storytelling standpoint, killing off tiger star so suddenly is a bad decision bc now we have bloodclan who was just introduced in this book, we know nothing about them, and we were all expecting a fight between fire star and tiger star. But honestly, idc that much. Also bloodclan is like- terrifying. I mean- they wear TEETH. TEETH. GROSS. There’s a lot of gore in this book tbh. I think it’s fine that the book has a slower start, bc the ending is kinda heavy. Oh and I almost forgot, it’s weird that the book is like “Oh SpOtTeDlEaF yOu WeRe FiReStArS fIrSt LoVe AnD yOu DiEd HoW tRaGiC oOOOoooOOoOoauUOo” like- no. Firestar had a little crush on her and he didn’t even really realize it I don’t think. Spottedleaf never reciprocated his feelings, I think he was just a little apprentice to her. It’s like spottedleaf is a different character tbh.Anyways omw to read the second series now!

[langdhon]

I feel like the real question is why WOULDN'T I follow you? Because honestly there's so much about you and your character interpretation that draws people in, myself included. I know we originally interacted with my fallen star and your Thranduil. I was in awe of your story telling and honestly, watching that grow with Michael compared to your previous blog is incredible. I really like your ability to humanize while not erasing his flaws. You don't go "well thats my little meow meow and he does no wrong ever". You constantly call him out on his shit and make it known that his behavior isn't excusable. That's so important when it comes to villains and why following your michael in the very beginning was such an easy choice to make. you add complexity and your own take and style to him. NOT TO MENTION everything about YOU as a person. You're a wonderful mun to talk to and scream about our characters, plotting and winging it. I know I can send you an idea and you'll be upfront about whether it'll work or not AND THEN give your own variation or idea. We build off each other which is SO HARD to find these days. You are a unicorn in the roleplay community and i am so blessed to have found you. That's why i follow

Why you wouldn’t follow me,,, well, maybe because we literally NEVER write!?! Get that hate outta my ask!! Nooo honestly I'm floored because you know I adore the heCK out of you and Alice and ugh... 99% of my blog content is with you. Find that. This is a jackpot and I love this for us! Also what you say about keeping his flaws, calling him out on his bs: yES, I think this is so important! I always advocate for villains being layered, able to love and be stupid and be dangerous but also sometimes crybabies because EVERYONE HAS THOSE, whether you're good or bad or in between. And I've seen so many villains get excused like "they are actually just pOoR bAbiEs who deserved better!", as if this takes away from the fact that they decide to be assholes in the end? How many of us have experienced bullying or other forms of abuse or felt misunderstood; do we all go around and kill people? Nah. SO IDK MAN. Michael, while he does have very human sides and needs and can care about someone else, still is a manipulative and violent little wanker. I'm glad it's received so well tbh and I'M EVEN HAPPIER about how we keep developing our kiddos with each other and it's so much fun with you!!! I thank you again. One unicorn to another 🦄 And you saying with Michael my storytelling even grew makes me cry! He is such a blast to write because there can be so much done with him! Thank you, love 💛

[onewomancitadel]

Right, i think my only problem with her whole backstory is honestly Rhodes.

He sees her being abused and decides the best course of action is to teach someone who’s being abused and clearly has emotional issues how to freakin fight. He also then pulls his weapons on HER in the end after everything.

Idk man. Just seems wack to me

Per a follow-up ask you mentioned it's just because you really don't get Rhodes' character, so I'm going to expand on my answer here in a post.

Rhodes is the most realistic part of Cinder's Cinderella/Rhodopis backstory. It is entirely believable to me that a bad fairy godfather decides the path he took is entirely acceptable for her to take as the way out when she was of age, because it comes with boarding and meals, just like her place at Madame's (and this is a world of Huntsmen and Huntresses). He had no responsibility to her, he wasn't her guardian, if anything she should've been grateful he gave her anything at all.

I mean, he came in and checked on her and trained her, that's really going above and beyond. He could've just walked past her like everybody else, right?

If she wastes her gift on killing Madame and the sisters then of course he has to put her down.

You know, if Cinder had just behaved better Madame probably wouldn't have tortured her as much. I mean, even if she didn't do her job perfectly she got hurt, but she could've just tried harder. Actually, it wasn't like it was all day everyday, right? If it were so bad, Cinder should've just figured out a way to leave sooner anyway, rather than turn on her masters.

Rhodes really embodies the attitude of characters like Ironwood which care about the 'bigger picture' and forcing other people to make sacrifices for him. The treatment of Mantle - I mean, we're trying to help them - is about the same as Cinder and it's not a coincidence all that stuff is explored at the same time.

Rhodes can't realistically threaten his job to help Cinder beyond what he's doing, right? He's already doing more than enough for her. Everybody has to suffer a little. He couldn't very well take her with him. Besides, he could not care for her.

That's all really contrasted against the main cast who are willing to risk everything to do the right thing and to extend understanding and compassion. Cinder didn't deserve one little bit of what she went through and she deserved somebody who would've risked everything to help her. No matter who she was, she deserved it.

Rhodes is really realistic, and probably my favourite dash of realism to the fairytales in the show. Ultimately, I think the magical good fairytale endings will come into play - and it makes so much sense for Cinder - but I really enjoy that characterisation and that cynicism. It's so clever to make one of your main villainesses a product of deadened fairytale storytelling, and you have to reinspire vigour and belief into it.

That's why you need a good, compassionate Huntsman Prince Charming straight out of a fairytale, who might be a little silly but is ultimately more powerful and better than a Huntsman like Rhodes.

I've known many people like Rhodes and I've heard all of this stuff before, and the deftness with which that's woven into her backstory is probably one of my favourite things. Even back in V5 she was using a weapon like Rhodes gave her when she was fighting Jaune, which means they were thinking about this and seeding it.

Her backstory was everything I wanted and more, and I love that the answer is actually realising true fairytale magic and belief in good things.