#it's a show that doesn't commit to its themes seriously

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

So I just finished My Stand In. And I gotta say, I know I said some things about Ming. But really, he's not that bad. Sure he did some things and said some things, but I mean, we've all seen worse. And he's so pretty...

No, but seriously, that's my main issue with this show to be honest. Granted I had only watched this show from my dash but I got the impression Ming was the devil himself. He was proper toxic for like 3 episodes. Ok, after that, the whole contract with Joe 2.0 to be his 'paramour' wasn't great but Joe had a choice. And yeah, he was a bit of a stalker when he started to suspect Joe 2.0 of being Original Joe. But again, I say. We've seen worse.

And here's the thing. Joe is not without blame. Sure at first he was used for his back lol. And Ming wasn't exactly honest about why he was with him. He treated Joe like dirt from the start. But he also didn't exactly lie. He didn't claim to love him or anything like that. But Joe put on those rose tinted glasses and was happy to go along and be a door mat, until his ego was shattered much like those mugs.

Also. No one forced Joe to do the stunt that got him killed. That's not on Ming. That's on Joe. Just like no one forced Joe into that contract. Joe also chose to get back into the same industry as his previous body, aware that Ming was now in the business. Joe made a lot of the choices.

So, at times, I felt like the show was telling me I was supposed to think that Ming was this horrible person, but they weren't actually showing me that. Some red flags for sure, but mostly he was just a frustrated and miserable dude that took that out on everyone around him. Then he went a bit crazy with his grief and eventually recovered and tried to get his guy back. His methods are a bit unorthodox for sure, but love makes us do crazy things.

Now for the body swap thing. The show didn't take it seriously so neither did I. I got a bit surprised every time Joe 2.0 appeared in a reflection. Like, oh that's right, he looks different. They didn't commit to that part of the stand-in concept. I'd like to think that if all of a sudden another person was to occupy my body, I think my mother would notice. Certainly before my work buddy noticed. I also think if my soul ended up in a different body, it would take some getting used to. There would be some body dysmorphia at least. But not Joe. He's just ready to go. Incredible.

Now, the final part.. First let me just say, Tong is a proper asshole and I can't believe he got his happy ending. That was the thing that pissed me off the most. The drama with Ming's family was a bit insane and the turn around a bit ridiculous. But I mean, at that point my suspension of disbelief was so stretched so why the hell not?

Despite some of its flaws, it was a very pretty show to watch. Visually, it's great. Beautifully shot and edited. And I mean, the leads are gorgeous and Poom's face should be illegal. But they're not just pretty faces, they can act and have some really strong moments here. I'm looking forward to seeing these two again.

[animeyanderelover]

Hi, could I request Itachi, Dabi and Narancia with a female s/o that is extremely insecure over her big nose? Thank you!

Tw: Yandere themes, possessive behavior, obsession, delusional behavior, clinginess, threats, isolation, female reader

Tags: @shumidehiro @swagenemyartisan @cachamata @simplydlightfuldestiny @flaming-vulpix

S/o is insecure over her big nose

Uchiha Itachi

🍡You're far too harsh on yourself. It just makes Itachi sad when he sees how you constantly attempt to cover up your lower face by wearing masks but he doesn't force you to put them away, especially if you have had bad experiences in the past where bullies ripped covers away from you to make fun of your nose. After all he doesn't want you to be uncomfortable around him. He hates it even more when you talk low about yourself and bring up the argument that he wouldn't understand you because he is so handsome. So what if he is handsome according to you? Have you ever committed atrocities like he has? Is he a good person because he looks beautiful? He's the one supposed to feel terrible for kidnapping a good and beautiful person like you out of his own selfish desires. He keeps his frustration away from you though, remains patient. If he needs to dedicate hours of his day to discuss with you all the reasons why he loves you than he is fully committed to do it for you. If you do not believe him he is very much set on proving you wrong, he has stalked and observed you so intently that he is able to retell every habit and every moment that has made him fall in love with you even more.

Todoroki Touya

🔹Seriously? You think that you are ugly due to your nose? Shit, if you're ugly he must be a hideous abomination. Touya could almost consider it insulting that you have the nerve to talk shit about yourself whilst he is literally a burnt corpse walking. As soon as you start talking lowly about yourself he is absolutely joining you by talking self-deprecating about how awful he looks as well. Funnily enough you don't like when he talks about himself that way and he is always quick to return your complaints by retorting that he doesn't like listening to you either whenever you refer to yourself so negatively. If you can talk shit about yourself he is free to do so as well. Fuck, he has even more reasons to do it about himself considering that half of his body is barely held together flesh at this point. Such arguments usually always make you shut up pretty fast as if realising that he has it even worse than you. By all means, don't feel guilty when such thoughts cross your mind. As long as it serves its effect in stopping you from feeling as insecure about yourself as you normally tend to do Touya is quite content. You know, he and a lot of other people would have given a lot to look as normal as you do.

Narancia Ghirga

🍊​If you're feeling insecure about your big nose Narancia probably only heightens your anxiety but the poor boy is much too dense to notice that the constant attention he gives your nose makes you feel only worse. It's one of the first things that he pointed out when meeting you because it just stood out to him but he actually thinks that it's quite cute. He never realises that it's this constant attention on the part of your body you feel insecure about that makes you often uncomfortable around him, not until either someone from his gang or you yourself tell it to him very directly. Afterwards it does end up being worse though because now he feels like he has to constantly prove to you that you're beautiful. He constantly kisses your nose and when he introduces you to someone he always points out that you have a pretty nose and demands the other person to agree with him. Covering your face will absolutely not happen or else he might end up crying because he feels so upset that he is unable to make you feel beautiful about yourself. If you have any bullies he will turn into an absolut menace and terrorise them until they never show their face around you again.

[quill-beetlewing]

So I've been working on a Thunderbolts fanfic lately, and since writer's block is being a bitch I thought maybe I could try breaking out by writing about some thoughts I've been having since I finished reading the series.

I'm also hoping to maybe find some Tbolts mutuals to talk with, because I just KNOW that's gonna be impossible when the MCU movie drops; and also my boyfriend who doesn't even read comics needs a break from my yapping. So, my actual thesis:

Redemption is impossible, and the Thunderbolts are a fundamentally broken concept. And also they're dead.

As of Semptember 2024, there is not a single member of the original Tbolts that has been redeemed. Or at least, if they have been, they're not alive.

Zemo, Fixer and Moonstone are villains, no nuance to it (Karla having been hit the hardest, yeeesh-).

Abe Jenkins is dead. Granted, they didn't show a body so who knows what I'm supposed to think. Still he's under ice for 7 years now so eh.

Songbird, Atlas and Jolt have just been gone since 2017. No explanation, they just don't appear in anything. And it's even weirder if you consider there's been not one but TWO whole Thunderbolts rosters since then (three if you count the one that appears in the Punisher, but they're so shallow and ooc I really wouldn't. Seriously why and how the fuck is Chen there).

The redemption was a core theme of the 1997 series, it was part of the premise, after all. I actually have a lot of thoughts about how the original series handles moral ambiguity as a narrative hook (very well, at least to me), but that's a rant for another day. But as the series went on, the idea of "redemption" just became more and more vague, so much so that nowadays I'd consider it practically non-existant.

The series never goes out of its way to define redemption. For the entirety of the og run, one has to assume that a character would be "redeemed" when they stop committing criminal acts and firmly abide by the other heroes' morals. And that never happens.

The Thunderbolts being morally ambigous has always been a massive part of the appeal of the series, but over time it just became the only appeal.

Thunderbolts 1997 is a story about redemption, and about a group of villains growing as people and learning to find their place in the world.

(This next bit references how each of the runs treats the premise set up by 1997. It has nothing to do with the quality of the work or my personal enjoyment of it, unless I downright state so, obviously.)

Avengers vs Thunderbolts. The whole point of that mini-series being that the Avengers can't bring themselves to consider the Thunderbolts actual heroes, and they're admittedly proven right when the Tbolts almost cause a cataclysm. Hawkeye tries to give them the benefit of the doubt, but by the end of the story he sides with the Avengers, which only drives the point home further. The Thunderbolts aren't trustworthy heroes.

New Thunderbolts and the Civil War period. None of the team members seems genuienly interested in the concept of redemption (the ones who come closest being Blizzard, who frankly isn't much of a character, Swordsman and maybe Radioactive Man. They all end up turning back into villains though, so I can't bring myself to cite them as good examples). The Civil War period is even worse, because here is where the Suidice-Squad-y idea of forcing villains to do good deeds surfaces, and trust me we'll be seeing a lot of that.

Secret War and Dark Reign are...fine. They are, by all means, awful Thunderbolts stories. They take the premise of the original series and spit it in the eye...but that's by design. Normal friggin Osborne took over the Thunderbolts, no wonder they're gonna be awful. The blatant disregard for the original series is, in my opinion, what makes these chapters of the Thunderbolts series so fun to read; especially because the characters themselves point out the sorry state of the Tbolts "brand".

Fear Itself (and I guess Dark Avengers, for a bit).

So Fear Itself is an interesting one. It starts out on a similar note to the previous two: the Thunderbolts are once again the Suicide Squad, except this time they're kept in check by some of the original Thunderbolts. Originally I was gonna bash this run because, from my recollection of it, I didn't think it made sense for Songbird, Mach and Fixer to be down to form a new Thunderbolts team so conceptually similar to Osborn's. But then I re-read a few parts to make the post, and it's way more complicated than that. (Don't mind the hellish visuals and try to hunt for Mel and Abe's panels. It just so happens that the one conversation I needed to quote is scattered like this, L. Although these panels do rock).

The characters are NOT okay with the way things are, and they criticise the circumstances they find themselves in . This story desperately wants to be a about redemption...but at the end of the day, it still isn't.

None of the convicts actually redeem themselves, Luke Cage drops out of the project, Fixer quite literally kills himself, and Songbird and Mach-V are saddled with a failure. This also happens to be the last time the government funds a Thunderbolts programme.

The previous two chapters were more of less about "Hey, isn't it fucked up that the Thunderbolts are like this now?", Fear Itself says the same thing, but with a somber tone. It is, by all means, a send-off to the original series, and I hate it almost as much as I love it.

On one hand, it's admittedly a finale that works. It's cynical, but it doesn't take pride in that, and it treats the old characters very respectfully.

On the other, I don't think this series should end on a cynical note. We know characters CAN be redeemed, Songbird and Mach are right there, so why should we just accept the Thunderbolts programme ending in a failure? Isn't it the original run's moral to keep fighting to better yourself even against the odds?

With all of that said, Fear Itself isn't an actual finale. Because we have....

2017 (and Pleasant Hill).

This is the Thunderbolts' Megamind 2. This run just feels like MCU pandering, and I frankly don't think it holds anything of value.

The Winter Soldier is now the leader of the Thunderbolts; none of them seem to have any thoughts about it, despite having literally never met him. The characters are brought together off-screen, the only character arc that happens, and that is admittedly tied to morality, ends with the character in question deciding to, LITERALLY, not do anything.

Abe Jenkins not beating the most boring Thunderbolt allegations I'm afraid. And I say this with love because I'm practically a stan of his. They fucked this character over in so many ways, it's so sad that it's kinda hilarious.

Back to 2017, it ends with the team fragmented. Half joins Zemo, Jolt fucks off no idea where, Mach-X literally dies and Songbird is left alone in an actually interesting cliffhanger that is never picked up again. And that's without mentioning that Pleasant Hill could have been the PERFECT setting for a Thunderbolts story, and the fact the morality of its existence wasn't explored in the slightest is just plain tragic.

How were the people under Kobik's control affected? How come Atlas and Blizzard are in there if they had their criminal records cleared? Why is Abe part of the staff? Doesn't he have any thoughts about keeping his own friends trapped like this? What about Songbird? What does she think? Is Pleasant Hill conceptually evil? Should anyone be able to hold that kind of power? How would the Thunderbolts, a team fundamentally created around the idea that villains can be redeemed, handle this situation?

We get no answers, of course. But hey, at least we get the Winter Soldier hanging out with a magical 6 year old. Yippeeeeeeee!!!

Yeah, I'm kinda salty about this run specifically. I don't know how you could tell.

After that, there are two more Thunderbolts runs, which I can't really talk about since I haven't ready any of them in full. The 2022 one I just skipped because I find modern Hawkeye to be a pain to read; might circle back to it one day, but it'll take some convincing. As for the 2023 one, I did read a few issues, I eventually dropped it because it had nothing to do with the Thunderbolts, and I also had trouble getting invested.

So, where does all of this leave us?

At this point in time, I don't think Marvel could pull off a good Thunderbolts story. The MCU inspired mindset wouldn't allow an exploration of the admittedly deep theme that is redemption, nor does it seem interested in doing so. There was this sort of "in-universe aura" that surrounded the Thunderbolts in the early 2000s; most characters were distrustful of the them, sure, but there was also some kind of underlying respect most seemed to feel, because the idea of villains becoming heroes and making up for past mistakes is definitely an incredibly noble one.

That aura is long gone, and I genuienly believe modern Marvel is way too cynical for this kind of approach.

And I'm frankly just sad about it. That a series which so much potential had to be squandered by a complete disinterest to use said potential. I still find 1997 to be, flawed as it is, an incredibly interesting story that handles grey morality in such a charming manner. And what's even sadder is seeing the remaining Thunderbolts walk around in modern comics as shells of their former selves.

With the MCU movie on the horizons, I doubt we'll get to see the original team (or themes) appear on page again. The Thunderbolts tag here on Tumblr has already been swarmed with clips from the trailers, character edits and the such (which is also why I'm planning on tagging my future posts as "Thunderbolts og" hopefully it helps), and the future is not looking bright.

But that's most of my thoughts about this matter. So, three remaining Thunderbolts fans, what do you think? Do you agree? Do you think I'm wrong? What's something you miss from the original series and that you'd love to see in its future? Or is it officially Joeover?

Any thoughts you have, I'd love to hear them. :>

[mahou-furbies]

Closing thoughts on Samurai Flamenco

(spoilers)

(like big ones, this is the kind of show that throws one big revelation after another at you)

Okay this was a ride. The story is about cinnamon roll dumbass Hazama, who dresses up in a superhero jumpsuit to fight for justice as Samurai Flamenco and faces enemies like littering and random thugs, and the policeman Gotou who somewhat reluctantly befriends him and helps him. Before long Samurai Flamenco attracts the attention of tabloids, and his fame increases. Then we have the reason why this anime is on this blog in the first place, that is the leader of an idol trio, Mari, who wants in on the fighting action and starts moonlighting as a magical girl themed "hero", though she doesn't care about justice and is in it only for the attention and getting to blow off steam by using excessive violence on her targets.

We spend quite a while on issues like stolen umbrellas and running away from overly curious press before we get the big twist, that actual superpowered monster of the week type enemies start showing up. Samurai Flamenco eventually manages to beat their group, but then we learn that there is actually an even bigger and eviler bad guy organisation behind them, and also on the human side there is a secret super sentai organisation, and Hazama is recruited to be the leader of the sentai team Flamengers.

Once the Flamengers beat the new bad guy group, it is revealed that everything was orchestrated by the prime minister, who frames the Flamengers for the monster attacks for his own political gain. Once he has been dealt with, Samurai Flamenco has to go to space, because there was even bigger hyperintelligent alien bad guy organisation behind the previous one. When that too is defeated, Hazama meets the universe's will, who explains that due to his love of superheroes Hazama is actually creating the bad guys through some cosmic nonsense, and that new enemies can be created to oppose him if he so chooses. Instead he opts for a world where he doesn't need to be a hero and is sent back to the earth, and all is well. Wait, why are there still four episodes left? Where can we go from here?

If nothing else this show definitely committed to its twists. The pacing for the early season was pretty slow, but once it got the ball rolling there was something new and wacky in every episode and things just kept escalating. But I gotta say getting through everything was quite a slog for me, and especially the fact that I'm really not a tokusatsu/super sentai fan I just couldn't get into it. And it's not even that different from stuff like Precure, but the aesthetic is just all wrong, I want hearts and cute frills! But if you're a toku fan then this is definitely worth checking out because it leans heavily on the "what if this was real?" aspect and analysing the meaning of heroism and such.

However even putting the toku stuff aside I had trouble finding the right angle to approach the show, like at first it seems like it wants to have a more grounded setting, but also expects the audience to take in some major logical leaps that are more acceptable in more "tropey" stories. Like for example the most egregious example of this I can remember is when in one episode Mari got seriously beat up both physically and mentally in a really dramatic scene, and at the same time the boys are dealing with a mass destruction weapon whose countdown timer is about to end. So we get a scene where a broken and tattered Mari has made it to her concert and does her best to sing a sad song through her crying, which was played over the bomb disposal operation. And through the whole thing I was all like, a) she should not have had the time to physically move from the villain base to the concert, we even have a actual countdown telling that not much time passed, and b) how the hell did literally nobody prevent her from going onstage, like not a single adult said "this 18-year-old is clearly injured and having a breakdown, maybe we should stop her"?

Then there were the numerous twists and bad guys behind bad guys, which I assume was done in a self aware way as a parody of the super sentai genre because their pacing was so fast. But I dunno, to me a lot of it felt just bad writing even if you're doing it ironically. The other four Flamengers also felt underdeveloped, especially for a show that has as many as 22 episodes. Not that I particularly cared for any of the characters though, like I guess Hazama was likable enough for his role but these kind of cute-and-innocent anime boys generally don't belong among my favourites.

As for Mari, even though I'm always inclined to be favourable towards anything resembling magical girls, she was quite difficult to deal with. In general I like it when characters have negative qualities, but with her we went way too far because she is just so selfish and aggressive for most of her screen time. And even though she does get her comeuppance it wasn't enough to redeem her in my eyes. Also her "mahou" outfit is extremely meh.

Then about the final four episodes, they introduce an edgelord teenager who starts tormenting Hazama and the people around him in order to force Samurai Flamenco to return, and the stuff with him didn't work for me either but for a different reason. That is, going from the silly and over the top toku antics to Hazama having to deal with his friends being poisoned or isekai'd by truck-kun by an anonymous stalker moved towards the type of thriller genre that I can't handle very well. Also Gotou was revealed to have some serious mental issues, not sure how to feel about that. But I got to say that in the last episode the show manages to throw in something that topped even the stuff with the universe's will as far as I'm concerned, but I shan't spoil that, you'll have to look it up somewhere yourself (or watch the show I guess).

Ultimately while getting through this was pretty arduous for me, I still have to have some appreciation of how dedicated the show was for its vision and I'm glad works like it can exists. And the creators clearly have a lot of love to the Toku shows, which is also endearing to me. Still Tiger & Bunny will remain my early 2010s buddy cop superhero anime of choice.

[drsantosgf]

i have complicated feelings about where the word queerbait leads us in current time. we're a long way from where we started with tumblr's big queerbaits. there are a lot more shows with real queer rep now, queer characters are becoming more and more normalized. which means now, when we have a show full of queer characters, they're going to be subjected to some of the same bad writing or baiting that any straight character could. i don't keep up with the press or the marketing, so i can't say for sure what exactly nandermo was being presented as, but as the fandom's Big Ship i'm sure it was being pushed quite a bit. i don't think it's fair to call it queerbaiting when, historically, that's been used to say they're promising queerness and not delivering. the queerness of the show was present the whole time. i understand why people are upset, even if i've never approached the show with a nandermo lens, but i think it's hard to have a conversation when everyone seems to be operating with completely different ideas of what queerbaiting is.

i absolutely get this perspective, queerbaiting has a very long and complicated history. i think where I lie with nandermo is that the show recognizes the potential of the ship and understands it gets traction and marketing potential from it, a really egregious example of this is promoting the season with guillermo and nandor edited into The Bodyguard poster. personally i don't think it's that big of a deal, i figured they were playing it up for promotion and weren't planning on following through with it because the show isn't a romantic comedy, it's just comedy that has a theme of things never really changing but even if you didn't expect it to happen i understand why it's frustrating that ship was never taken seriously but was used as promotional material. i think paul simms comments about it being problematic and not wanting to pervert the relationship also contributed to people being pissed off because obviously the entire show is problematic if you want to get into semantics, najda literally hypnotized laszlo into sleeping with her and they have literally fucked on screen as bats, so people took those comments as very homophobic because obviously you let the man and the women get freak nasty and be in love (and allow for gay sex scenes of minor characters for laughs (not judgement)) but when it comes to the relationship between two male main characters, suddenly a romance plotline is perverted and problematic because of power dynamics. it feels a little like he just didn't want to commit to a permanent on screen relationship between them.

i think when it comes to nandermo, we need to purge the word queerbait from the discourse because you're right, no one can seem to settle on one solid definition. i think the arguments of "they were acknowledged by canon" + "the show has queer characters" are equally as reasonable as "relationships between two men don't seem to be taken as seriously as the ones between a man and a woman" + "the one relationship between two men is hinted at and joked about but is never pushed further" and to be honest, i think all of these opinions need to coexist because this show DOES have good queer rep, its fun and silly and light hearted, i enjoy the fact that we get nasty gay sex scenes occasionally and it's treated as a normal or even encouraged act, it's very unapologetic and real HOWEVER that doesn't mean it's immune to treating the queerness of these characters and the relationships they have as less than or using them as surface level marketing. we should always be pushing for more and better, even if we have what we asked for.

[magicalgirlagency]

@mew-cake is totally correct when she said that Magical Destroyers could've been so much better if the story was told through the perspective of a girl otaku; like how girls often have to deal with shit like gatekeeping and uncomfortable sexualization in otaku/fandom circles, being constantly scrutinized for committing the unforgivable sin of having a hobby and enjoying things.

So, I just had a quick idea for a rewrite/reboot (it may not be perfect, but here's what my brain could muster):

Otaku Hero is the Magical Girls' Aniki (Big Bro), a mentor of sorts. He pulls a Project Mew by constructing the pocket-sized assistant Kyunsuke to search for the three heroines to help him in leading his otaku revolution and freeing his colleagues from systemic oppression.

The assistant gives the girls three tote bags as their main henshin item, each of them with a different costume inside (referencing cosplay). The costumes are fueled by the girls' willpower, making their innermost desires come to life.

Each of the Magical Girls has a theme that pertrains to otaku culture, or rather, a protest against its rotten treatment of female characters (as well as a desire to see more female characters that aren't moe-moe-kyun):

Anarchy-chan (who I'll refer to as "Akane" because seriously, these girls were so objectified to the point that they didn't even had names!) should've represented the female character who is loud and boisterous. She's not cute nor sweet, she doesn't exist to appease to your desires. Her weapon is a war hammer;

Blue (who I'll refer to as "Nanami") should've represented the female character who is sexually confident. She's not perpetually horny, but she has an issue with how female characters are often percieved as and pure, sinless and ignorant virgins. Her weapon is a whip;

Pink (who I'll refer to as "Momoko") should've represented the female character with unusual hobbies. She doesn't enjoy girly hobbies like shopping and make-up, strongly preferring to study about drugs and firearms instead. Her weapon is an infinite assortment of grenades and smoking bombs.

Each of these girls represent a desire of seeing more nuanced and fleshed-out female characters in media. A want for more female characters with traits and personalities so fucked up that they'd be much more well-recieved if they were male characters.

Alongside their mentor, they fight for theirs and other people's rights to express themselves without fear nor scrutiny.

Not to discredit Jun Inagawa (he seems to be genuinely passionate about what he does), but if he really wanted to show Magical Girls being foul and rude, then he should've fully committed to the bit instead of falling into the tired and outdated animanga tropes and stereotypes.

If it's not done with proper care, research and hours of thought, then maybe your "passion project" wasn't passionate at all.

[sxrrandomfanfics]

Persona AU for Psychonauts

This is focusing on the Psychonauts campers. Their personas are based on constellations.

Major theming for this story would be what makes you, you? And the personas are summoned from breaking any type of reflective glass, shattering the expectations others have for you.

Razputin "Raz" Aquato Arcana - The Fool Persona - Capricorn -> Perseus Bio - The main character. Has always been able to see personas and people's potential for them, but never had a word for them. Ends up getting sucked in after following Lilianna and her Persona.

Lilianna "Lili" Zanotto Arcana - The Magician -> The Lovers Persona - Cancer -> Fornax Bio - The leader of the group and one who knows the most about Personas. Her persona has already been able to change and evolve, but she hasn't unlocked its full potential. She's quite cold and unwilling to come out to a lot of people. Even those in the group have clashing thoughts about her.

Dogen Boole Arcana - The Chariot Persona - Sagittarius -> Boote Bio - Another who is willing to teach Raz, though still very green. One of the latest to gain his unlock of his persona.

Elton Fir Arcana - The Emperor Persona - Pieces -> Dorado Bio - Sees Raz as a rival, as he thinks/knows Lili begins to crush on Raz. Has a strict sense of how the story should go and inserts himself into areas Raz is interacting with the group to try to change the subject. Especially with Lili.

Elka Doom Arcana - The High Priestess Persona - Leo -> Cygnus Bio - One of Lili's best friends. Also was given the ability to see Personas. She can relate to Raz with that, but also sees this more as a forced situation than Raz's excitement.

James "J.T." Theodore Hoofburger Arcana - Wheel of Fortune Persona - Gemini -> Canes Vinatici Bio - J.T. is a very kind individual, and a great leader. If Lili ends up out of commission, J.T. is her go to for second in command. He's one who first sees potential in Raz and is willing to bring him in. Lately he's been taking more risks and going against bigger foes because he feels he's not strong enough.

Melvin "Chops" Sweetwind Arcana - Strength Persona - Aries -> Lupus Bio - Similar to in the game, he worries about his friend, J.T. around other girls. While you could unlock a story where J.T. and Chops went on a double date with Lili and Elka, the main thing Chops is worried about is how J.T. is coping with his questioning of his own feelings about people. J.T. refuses to talk about it with Chops.

Chloe Barge Arcana - Justice Persona - Libra -> Circinus Bio - One of the more passive characters, Chloe is doing her best with rehabilitating a bully, much to Lili's chagrin. Because of this Chloe doesn't come as often as Lili needs her to early on in the story. Lili is constantly worried about her, but Chloe is perfectly fine. Chloe is also the one who will do the most research on the Personas, trying to dig up anything she can on them.

Crystal Flowers Snagrash Arcana - The Star Persona - Virgo -> Monoceros Bio - Crystal is her usual depression + toxic positivity self. And the Persona AU is going to take that very seriously. Raz is going to do his best to make sure that Crystal feels welcome, even if he isn't. Also you know how SMT games usually have a character who dies? She doesn't commit suicide btw, she dies due to either another persona user or a monster.

Clem Foote Arcana - The Hermit Persona - Scorpio -> Phoenix Bio - Crystal's other half. He wants to have "enough courage" to do it, but never musters it up because the group does their best to try to help both him and Crystal. It's only after Crystal's death does Clem's Persona evolve into Phoenix, showing how he's going to do his best to live on despite Crystal not being able to.

Phoebe Love Arcana - The Empress Persona - Aquarius -> Scutum Bio - Also one that was VERY shaken up by Crystal's death. She had basically been there with Raz to help both Crystal and Clem. Phoebe is all about trying to keep the group harmony and wanting everyone to be okay. While Lili is the Persona group's leader, Phoebe is a class president above Lili's grade.

Quentin Hedgemouse Arcana - The Sun Persona - Taurus -> Lyra Bio - Honestly came here because Phoebe was here. He is by far the most chill and willing to work with other people. He's also terrified that he doesn't know who he really is and he's afraid to be alone because of this.

Bobby Zilch Arcana - Judgement Bio - Bobby is the typical bully stereotype and if he was given a persona he'd most likely be an antagonist. But he is not one.

Nils Lutefisk Arcana - The Devil Bio - Nils is also seen as a bully but specifically one that girls will go out of their way to avoid. The few times he does meet up with the girls in the group, Elka or Lili will stand up for them. If hanging alone with Raz, Nils gets into the idea that he feels he needs to make up his mind on who he dates because his parents were school sweethearts and married early and are pressuring him to carry the family legacy. Doesn't excuse his actions though.

Vernon Tripe Arcana - Death Bio - Vernon is on the school's newspaper and tries to keep up with all the goings on. More of a hassle character than anything that inhibits progress, but if interacted with then posters of events and different stories would pop up in the school.

Maloof Canola Arcana - The Heirophant Bio - Maloof is obviously bad news to Raz. He's doing things that he doesn't want others to know about and is more than willing to work with the villains to make sure Raz stays out of his way. Bad news to any "players" is that The Heirophant arcana can be a big boost.

Mikhail Bulgakov Arcana - The Moon Bio - Mikhail is always around Maloof, so it's very hard to get to know him one-on-one. Most of the time he is wanting to fight and wrestle, so not only would Raz get a boost with the arcana, but also with training his strength.

Benny Fideleo Arcana - The Tower Bio - Benny is going through it. Nothing too major with his trauma compared to others, but he's constantly losing his friendships and doesn't know what to do. Raz could be a friend to him, and get boost for the tower, but also learn a lot more about how Benny, as a bully's lackey, came to be that. Benny sees Bobby like a brother but never felt comfortable to share his own interests. He has to rediscover himself and his love for singing and dancing and theater.

Franke Athens Arcana - The Hanged Man Bio - Franke is one who is easily pushed around by Kitty. She doesn't really feel her own identity, always identifying as "Kitty's best friend."

Milka Phage Arcana - Temperance Bio - Milka always tries to hide herself and her feelings. Raz going out of his way to bond with her helps her muster up the courage to ask Elton out.

Kitty Bubai Arcana - The World Bio - Kitty is very manipulative and wants the world to be her oyster. If she likes something, she wants it and will do anything to get it. She feels like she already knows who she is.

[jakowskis]

Day 28 - Do you like how tragic Torchwood is, or do you wish it was more light-hearted? Do you think the ‘dark and adult themes’ were explored sufficiently?

torchwood's weird bc it exists in this place where, like, the creators + writers were all coming at it from different angles, and i think there was a lot of... internal confusion amongst individuals, too. like, a lot of the concepts in chibnall's scripts are actually profound and intriguing when it come to the characters themselves - but he's also the guy who put a cyberman in a bikini, and the guy who came up with the sex alien, so. rtd, idek his vision tbh - in the director's commentary of i believe the first episode, he says something like "everyone's talking about what a dark, edgy show it is, but we've got a pterodactyl. can we talk about that. like that's ridiculous - it's brilliant." so i think he was partially intending for it to be kinda silly from the get-go. but he also did push the dark edgy adult spin off angle, so idk. the show tried to do both and it's... kind of iconically bad, but also unique and, imho, endearing. you certainly don't see it elsewhere. i love my bad 2000s show.

as iconic as that edgy campiness is, obviously torchwood would've benefited significantly from simply picking a tone and being consistent with it. s1 was criticized for unevenness, but i think it was earnest in its ridiculousness, which i appreciate. it committed. s2 takes itself a bit less seriously and leans into the silliness, which some ppl like, but i find it less compelling. idk, s1 is just special to me; it's so experimental and tonally bizarre, but i love it. i always say torchwood's weird bc it's like they had gold but they somehow managed to bury it in manure. like there's a spark of something magic but you have to wade thru the shit to get to it and even then it's not there for the taking, you're like eternally digging for it and you're constantly finding little tiny pieces of it HFKDSF or at least thts my experience (<- guy who's a year into being insane about this fucking show. it is Not that deep im just ill.)

and a lot of that magic exists in the underlying darkness. torchwood isn't dark when it tries to be; torchwood is dark in the implications. it's haunted by it's own darkness but it refuses to look directly at it. watching it is, like, you're staring at smth simple and underwhelming, but there's something terrifying in your peripheral - but if you look right at it it won't be there. so you're fascinated by what you can't fully grasp at. again, maybe i'm just deranged, but that's how i feel about it. there's so many insane connotations in each episode that feel peripheral and unconscious. it's bizarre. it's probably just the result of bad writing, but i do not control what my bastard brain latches onto and decides is worth painstakingly deconstructing.

so what i'm saying? is where torchwood 'thinks' it's dark, it's not, and what's actually dark isn't even a consistently conscious thing and therefore isn't remotely touched on. so, no, they're not explored well at all. that's what fanfiction's for 👍 im very stimulated with this fixation still, after all this time, bc there's soooo many cool threads that i can pull from and actually put the work and time into playing with in a way the show wasn't willing to, and i love that. i love dark themes in general, i'm very naturally oriented towards miserable things, and torchwood's so tragic and dark but it doesn't live up to its potential whatsoever. so many good seeds that didn't get planted. that being said, i do like the silly shit. but if i could make it stick to a tone, i'd have it commit to the dark stuff, because i mourn what could've been. it's a ghost that follows me 🫵

[themagikmirror]

🎭 🤨 Are Geminis Really Two Faced?

Greetings. If you haven't already been welcomed before, I'd like to welcome you to Jupiter in Gemini, formally being introduced to us by "Gemini Season" or planets running their regular route through the zodiac sign. I will do my best to attempt to cleanse my brain of all information that I could possibly channel and recollect to help readers interested in this major astrological shift and how it could affect life now well into Summer 2026. There is some basic information that you probably already know about Gemini, but that I need to outline before moving further. (USING SIDEREAL ASTRO.)

Gemini is an Air Sign

air signs all deal with media, communication, language, portal opening, crossing/opening roads, spell work, some form of travel. Air signs can all struggle with visibility or seeing one's self clearly and being able to depict that to others. They also struggle to be fully present in the moment.

Gemini is a Mutable Sign

all mutable signs are collectors, scientists if you will, of different degrees. Gemini is a collector and scientists of words and information. All Mutable signs are also truth seekers. Gemini seeks truth through others via word of mouth, research and storytelling.

Gemini is ruled by Mercury

Mercury, yes is about travel & communication, but it's also the fastest moving planet which means that things will happen quickly, maybe even too quickly when dealing with Gemini. Think of how fast a day goes by.... In my experience, mercury shows us the kind of work we do such as our job/career path and our daily life/routines. Mercury collects, then delivers or drops off its findings.

Gemini is opposite of Sagittarius in Astrology

Sagittarius may be deemed as the "know it all", the sage or teacher. They are the expert whether people like it or not and have a rightful place in whatever their respective field of genius exists. Sagittarius is one of the signs ruled by Jupiter which is important because Gemini is in charge of that planet right now. Gemini allows Sagittarius to learn new things and not get stuck in limiting beliefs or take themselves too seriously. Sagittarius allows Gemini to understand that some things are in fact that serious and also encourages Gemini to not only trust other people's stories and experiences, but their own!

I just gave you a quick summary, but this basic information translates to a few things : speed, travel, communication, vocalization, language, research, collecting information, learning, teaching, asking questions, changing the mind, daily routines and life and job/career related topics.

How do these topics grab you? Did any of these words mentioned stand out to you as you read them?

If so, I would take note of that some where. It may be an important theme for you over the next year. Maybe it's an area you need to pay attention to, work on, balance or enhance. I asked a question as the title of this essay that I want to answer. Many people label Geminis as two faced demons. I get exactly why from personal experiences dating and being close friends with more than one Sidereal Gemini. People think Geminis are two faced because they're indecisive and likely wrapped up in confusion of their own making that doesn't make sense to someone not in their head. Someone with Gemini placements, such as but not limited to Sun in Gemini, may change their mind faster than you can say Jack Robinson. Their inability to focus or commit to things long term, quickly changing interests and views according to new information or whatever opinion swivels their minds in that direction (that day may I add 🤦🏻‍♀️) , makes them appear two faced when really-- and unfortunately-- they're just susceptible to new information. Even if it's messy, irrelevant or fictitious they'll allow it to penetrate their mind. In other words they can be very stupid. Now for those that will jump up in arms about me using the word stupid to describe their beloved zodiac sign, sidereal or not, let's define stupid:

Stupid - having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense ; dazed and unable to think clearly ; boredom

When I say that Geminis are stupid I mean that at times they lack common sense or the ability to connect information properly. They also struggle with thinking for themselves. They always need a second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth opinion on things and people in their lives. They love playing devil's advocate, even to their own demise, and are often entertained by constant banter and discussion which--without time to properly process their OWN THOUGHTS-- creates obscurity in the mind and in communication. And yes, as you see "stupid" includes the definition of boredom, which validates the point I already made sentences ago : Sidereal Gemini gets bored quick! Their lack of presence isn't necessarily because they're so two faced, it's because they just lost interest that fast or are already focused on something else for the moment. Gemini is represented by the symbol of twins, which is funny because in my observation twins appear in the physical realm when Aquarius is involved. However, the representation that is meant to be interpreted by that symbolism is the double minded nature of someone with Gemini placements in the birth chart. Gemini may show up in the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Saturn or Mars. This information will apply uniquely depending on the planet that's in Gemini.

Gemini has this gift of being able to divide themselves. They can be in more than one place at one time, but without proper intention and management that same gift can curse them into being everywhere and nowhere, into erasing themselves.

Point being, to answer the titled question, many times in my experience people who are very much two faced are sidereal Tauruses. I think I've covered Taurus enough, but I will quickly break down that being "two faced" is based in masking & manipulation. It's mostly based in appearance and how that translates to others. Sometimes this is a safety mechanism used to protect oneself from rejection and ridicule, but it can also be a way to deceive and disguise an audience from one's own hypocritical and otherwise unacceptable behaviors. It's important to understand that most people who claim the zodiac of Gemini or speak on Geminis shortcomings are not actually speaking about a true Gemini placement, but a sidereal Taurean. So no, Geminis are not necessarily "two faced", they’re confused, messy, struggle with commitment & thinking straight. Can these very things make a person seem "two faced"? Of course! And sometimes I question if the Gemini purposely operates in confusion 🤔 (they do sometimes), but 9/10x they are not trying to trick you, they are literally caught in a whirlwind of thoughts, opinions and ideas.

Now that I've went IN on Sidereal Geminis--LOL, sorry not sorry--I will now tell you how this information applies to Jupiter in Gemini and your experiences over the next year whether you are a natal Gemini placement OR NOT!!!!

OG followers know I say this all the time : we ALL have a house with that zodiac sign, meaning we all can inherit those traits time to time.

Okay, let's get juicy! Let's talk about challenges that may arise w/ Jupiter is in Gemini over the next year :

Gossip & Misinformation Spreading

Evil Eye

Confusion

Indecisiveness

Miscommunications / Things Being Lost in Translation

Over/Under Communicating

Bad Car Accidents or Travel Mishaps, Getting Lost Somewhere or With Someone both literally & figuratively

Social Media Drama

Commitment Issues / Not Being Able to Follow Through

Lying / Cheating being Exposed

Spreading Ourselves & Resources TOO Thin

Basically, We'll be having a Giant Mercury Retrograde for the next year. I kid, I kid LOL, but I mean.... Notice I used the word CHALLENGES because these are all things that we can overcome and are ultimately meant to learn and grow from if they are our experiences over the next year. Personally, I am constantly working on speaking up for myself and asking more questions. I don't do this enough thanks to me having a Virgo placement in my birth chart, which represents complete silence/non-verbal communication along with much more.

You can find info on Virgo in my older content, but it's the other side of Mercury and a contrast to Gemini.

Sometimes, people just don't get the message that way though. So I often find myself ignored and mistreated because I'm not verbalizing enough! If you are like me, now is the time to get better at continuing to heal and find your voice! Due to childhood trauma, I feared communication and learned to stay quiet for safety, but that narrative must end. Understand though, there's a difference between speaking up for yourself and others as a means of protection or confusion clearing versus adding to the noise by continuing to go back and forth, over explaining yourself and entertaining drama! There’s also a difference between telling your story and owning your truths versus beating a dead horse and sounding like a broken record! Eventually, it's just messy and the point gets lost. Why keep repeating yourself?

Another important aspect that we can learn during this time is delivery.

Sometimes it's not what's said, it's how, the word choice and knowing your audience. It can also be the fact that anything was said at all! At times silence or no explanation is ultimately the best response!

Although its a great time to level up communication, we still have to strike balance. Are you able to gage who something needs to be said to and what needs to be said?

Or are you just a blabber mouth that says whatever comes out to anyone willing to listen? Are you “outspoken” or over-speaking?

While typing this, Spirit said "Thinking before Speaking" while Jupiter's in Gemini. Wether posting on social media, responding to text messages and emails, having phone or in person conversations our words will hit different, LOUDER and leave marks that apologies might not erase. I believe most of the challenges I outlined are self explanatory, but I do want to elaborate on the last bullet : spreading ourselves thin. Gemini is a jack of all trades, master of none. The next year is a time where yes, some of us could pick up new hobbies or side hustles, but we must discover if it's really SERVING or DISTRACTING us. Make a clear distinction between what's recreational and what's purpose driven & goal oriented as not to waste resources & efforts. Or get lost in a whirlwind of your own making!

As mentioned earlier, Gemini makes one divide themselves like Naruto. Which ultimately creates an unfocused busy body with a weakened asé . . .

Eventually, all your shadow clones will get popped and you'll only be left with you. I remember watching Naruto as a kid and teen. He could only do & uphold the jutsu so many times, for so long until he himself was worn the fuck out 🤣. His asé or , as they called it in the anime, his "chakra" was weakened. The same can happen to us. Lastly, Understand that transportation issues, especially car accidents can 100% be Spirit communicating that you are doing too much or in the midst of drama you should immediately see your way out of ! ! !

I have a TikTok about car accidents that you can find here & across platforms.

Someone could be lying to/about you or cheating you in some way. Car troubles or accidents will reveal this. But, in my experience this mostly happens to people that are gossips, liars and cheaters that can't control their mouths! If you get in a bad fender bender over the next year, the call may be coming from inside the house! Don't be that person who gets popped because you keep interjecting yourself where you don't belong! Mind your business!!!

Now that I've addressed challenges, Let's talk about the flip side! Blessings will arrive w/ Jupiter in Gemini too :

New Ideas, Creativity, Open Mindedness

Laughter

Learning Opportunities

Teaching Opportunities

Networking

Travel

Finding and/or Enhancing Your Voice ; Leveling Up Your Throat Chakra

Road Opening

More Honesty and Truths Exposed

Better Communication

Better Multitasking

Okay, so you know how when the Mercury Retrogrades are over, in the weirdest way you feel better (mostly because you surrendered to the chaos & let it sort itself out instead of fighting against it)?????

Yeah, I have a feeling that's kind of gonna be what this experience is like! The most important thing is to TRUST YOURSELF above all else!!! Luckily, we have Saturn in Pisces constantly reinforcing that lesson over the next 2.5-3 years. Yes, this is a time to embrace new information, be open minded, have fun, explore and don't forget to LAUGH--everything & everyone is not meant to be taken seriously! Yet, the worst thing we can do is completely turn off our discernment. This brings me to a video on my Facebook page called "Awareness Is the Bare Minimum" where I talk about it not being enough to posses information you don't know what to do with. Use what you gain to help you navigate life better. We do not have to repeat lessons when we put our experiences into practice! We don't have to look or be stupid when we've already been there and done that! A word that rings very loudly as I type out the gifts of this transit is OPPORTUNITY!

Spirit says a lot of Opportunities will be coming over the next year for many of us. . .

Opportunity is a more grounded way to talk about one of our favorite spiritual topics : Open Roads. The top ways we can block our blessings, opportunities and open roads over the next year is through poor communication and a lack of discernment. I went over examples of poor communication above, but as far as discernment : not every opportunity will be a necessary step or the best step! In tangent with communication, discernment allows us to know the time, place and correct audience for what we wish to express. We must also protect ourselves by guarding our gateways. Just like when dealing with Aquarius a lot, another air sign (see older post), we have to control our perspective and vision by not being permeable to everyone's opinion. Furthermore, we must examine WHO is giving us criticisms and opinions in the first place! We may be engaging the wrong people. Do they have the credibility, experience, track record or even the attitude and approach to be saying whatever they're saying or to have influence on your beliefs? They could be insecure clowns and messy hypocrites running their mouths to blow off steam, with nothing to back it up except a false sense of ego!

It's important that those we allow into our headspace are WALKING & LIVING their talk, EMBODYING a lifestyle, habits & behaviors that we seek to learn from or surround ourselves with.

That doesn't mean they or their life will be perfect, it means they're not projecting, lying or misinforming. BE QUICK TO SHUT THE SILLY SHIT DOWN for the remainder of 2025 & beyond. Be wary of commentary that detracts from your mind being able to receive divine instruction towards your dream life, plus the confidence and clarity needed to get there.

let's close out this read with the throat chakra frequency to help prepare for what's to come!

[sacredstoriesoldnorsetradition]

In today's post I wanted to share some final thoughts on the short saga of Hrafnkell. I created some book review slides that expressed my self-study of this saga as I continue my journey into Norse Paganism.

**If you want to read this it's free on the Internet, here let me do your homework for you (The Story of Hrafnkell, Frey’s Priest) LINK: https://sagadb.org/files/pdf/hrafnkels_saga_freysgoda.en.pdf

*The Story of Hrafnkell, Frey's Priest | 1882 translation into English by John Coles from the original Icelandic 'Hrafnkels saga freysgoða'.*

~synopsis~

The Saga of Hrafnkell tells the story of Hrafnkell Freysgoði, a powerful and devout chieftain dedicated to the god Frey. His life is turned upside down when his servant, Einar, takes his prized horse, Freyfaxi, without permission. In a fit of rage, Hrafnkell kills Einar, which leads to a series of tragic consequences, including Hrafnkell’s downfall. The saga explores themes of honor, revenge, and the clash between personal pride and moral responsibility. Hrafnkell ultimately faces the consequences of his actions and is forced to confront his own beliefs and the price of vengeance.

~FYI~

The Saga of Hrafnkell is an anonymous Old Norse saga, so its author remains unknown. It is generally believed to have been written in the 13th century, though the events described in the saga are set earlier, during the Viking Age. Like many other sagas, it was likely passed down orally before being committed to writing.

~MY FINAL THOUGHTS~ Spoiler Alert ⚠️

The heart of this story for me lies in the horse Freyfaxi and Hrafnkell's devotion to the god Frey. This sense of devotion is what resonates deeply with me. However, this saga isn't really focused on that kind of spiritual connection. It's more a reflection on the laws and ethical codes of medieval Iceland, showing how people resolved conflicts and lived their lives. I was hoping for a deeper spiritual aspect, but it doesn't seem to come through in the narrative.

For me, the central point of the story is the sacred oath Hrafnkell takes to the god Frey, which he ultimately betrays. Yet, in the end, Hrafnkell becomes an atheist—it's baffling. How can you swear an oath to a god and kill in his name, only to abandon him later? I can't reconcile that with the seriousness of devotion to the gods in Norse belief.

To me, this saga feels like the work of a Christian writer who undermines the devotion to the old Norse gods, placing more emphasis on human-made laws and communal structures over spiritual devotion and its consequences. The question of why there are no consequences for Hrafnkell abandoning Frey is never addressed in the story. It almost seems like the writer is pushing the reader toward abandoning the gods in favor of Christianity or atheism. That was my takeaway.

I can understand why some people might not connect with this saga, but there's one spiritual lesson I took from it: oaths to the gods are final and more significant than those made by men, even if the writer tries to convince you otherwise.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Below are the slides I made for anyone interested, enjoy!

𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢 🍪 𝒮𝓉𝑒𝓅𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒾𝑒

[phoenixcatch7]

Thinking about a 'sqq transmigrates (reincarnates) into dc' (specifically the jl because I don't know much about the rest), and who do you think would be funniest? I have narrowed it down to One but if anyone has anything better I'd love to hear it - Constantine, cap marvel and Manhunter were my top choices until:

Batman. Of course. Mainly because of the adoption problem and dozen kids with attachment issues, but also sqq spending his entire time internally shrieking I AM NOT CUT OUT FOR THIS I AM NOT PREPARED SYSTEM WHY DID YOU CHOOSE BATMAN. Trying so hard to fit the theme. Over preparing and stressing over every detail. A bit autism coded. 'I don't fall in love with anyone unless I choose to' wrong. 'You want me??? To?? Share my emotions?? My troubles??? I want to be a good parental figure but I would RATHER DIE'.

*internal sarcasm at local iq* *encyclopedic knowledge* *forgets he's not supposed to know everyone's identity*. "HOW DID YOH EVEN KNOW THAT??!!" 'oh I uh figured it out lol *bluffs sherlock style deduction*'. *repressed* 'Trauma? What trauma? I'm doing Great.'

Alfred is best man but sqq has been fundamentally a rich kid for THREE lifetimes now. He is unsavagable. Acts all high and mighty for the show but self esteem is garbage. UTTER COMMITMENT TO THE BIT at this point (way post svsss canon) I think sqq would genuinely implode if he didn't have a mask to show the public.

System has followed him of course and has him by the scruff of his neck every time he thinks about a more peaceful life. It has very high ooc standards as always until he first puts on the mask.

I can see superman taking over lqgs role a little. Casual friend and bestie. Always ready to help (and occasionally sky uber). Brawn to his brain but smarter than people give him credit for. Ultimate power team. Romantic tension through the roof but never wants anything more (and Bruce is completely oblivious anyway). Everyone sees it though.

Everyone assuming Bruce spent a huge amount of time training in some ultra secret Chinese mountain range (technically they're not wrong!) but no system sent him to the league of assassins he's just using the excuse to work on his cultivation. (talia tried SO HARD to seduce him but it failed utterly so she gave up and stole his dna while he was asleep (he woke up the next morning to a mission success notification and freaked)).

Unlike what his kids except, is fully caught up with memes. They hate it but that just makes him use them more. On the plus side he is susceptible to rickroll. Peak 'my darling child would NEVER how dare' at events. The only ones who know he had (has???) a husband pre reveal.

He teaches them all cultivation like a little qj peak but without the proper environment, which doesn't exist here, they're never going to reach immortality like him. He's fine about that, really :). He's accepted it. Either way that means pit influence doesn't stick, whoo!

Would like nothing more than to kill the joker :). System won't let him. He can't explain that to anyone :).

Meanwhile an lbh centuries old is Missing His Husband and Its Been MONTHS Where are his kisses from shizun??? But seriously WHERE IS HIS HUSBAND BLOOD WILL BE SPILT THE ONE WHO TOOK HIM WILL BE WIPED FROM THE FACE OF THE REALMS THEIR LIGAMENTS STREWN ACROSS THE NORTHERN DESERT AND THEIR ENTRAILS FED TO HYDRA VULTURES WHERE IS HE

Cue an enraged ancient demon emperor breaking through the walls of reality on a universe shattering rampage only for him to be batmans husband :). Who wants kisses.

[myyoungroyalsblog]

Young Royals fic recs 2

Young Royals fic recs one

*Note: I have a lot of unfinished fics in my subscriptions but since there are over 200 fics there from other fandoms too I won’t be able to add those (for now), when they are finished I’ll edit this one or do another post in the future!

*Another note: I have read every single Young Royals fic (except the explicit ones haha) and even if they aren’t listed here it doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy them! 💜

SERIES

Autistic!Wille alternate universe

Not completed, 6 works, 76.273 words

By @spacewille Just like the title says, Wilhelm still goes to Hillerska but lives with Erik cause he basically raised him, just an amazing series, could not recommend it enough!!!! Seriously!!!!!

simon eriksson's devious breakfast fantasies ft wille

Completed, 2 works, 3.856 words

By @stygianirondiangelo An au fic based on this, just super funny and cute, guaranteed to make you smile!!!

MULTI-CHAPTER

Bloom where you are planted

Completed, 2 chapters, 12.915 words

By @cl0dy-mi1k An au where Wille takes care of plants and Simon still sings, they are both students and connect via their Instagram when Simon asks for advice on his plant, just an amazing story and super cute au (and Erik is alive yay :D) very fluffy

Did you see the love in my eyes, oh were you gazing through this disguise?

Completed, 12 chapters, 67.296 words

By @tooindecisivetopickaurl Roommates at Hillerska and fake-dating au, but of course these two idiots are pining for each other hehe angsty and fluffy!!!

I didn't know where else to go

Completed, 2 chapters, 2.683 words

By @wilmonskiss Wille goes to Simons house after having a panic attack, he finds Linda there and she helps him and just shows motherly love to him, very angsty and fluffy at the same time

No matter the sins

Completed, 2 chapters, 11.193 words

By @eyeofthedrgn Canon divergence where Simon sees movement outside the window at the end of episode 4, everything doesn't go smoothly as expected but very nice read, angst and fluff galore!!

Screwed

Completed, 26 chapters, 173.813 words

By @zee-has-commitment-issues Au where Erik lives but shit still goes down, just a very well written story and you see Wille and Simon fall in love all over again (can't be more specific cause a lot of stuff happens haha)

ONE-SHOTS

Forget me not

6.668 words

By @the-edge-of-great Takes places 3 years later and they are together, but Simon has a little accident and has temporary amnesia, super cute fic!! (Yes I'm a sucker for amnesia aus lol)

Less than two hours (to fall in love with you)

10.058 words

By @alittlebitofloveliness Au where Simon is a cancer patient and Erik and Wilhelm go to the hospital to visit the sick kids, and of course Wille meets Simon ;) a bit angsty (because of the theme of course) but also very sweet and adorable

Opening hours? never heard of them

11.191 words

By @ishotforthestars An au where Simon works at a grocery store and Wille goes to the store to buy stuff right before he closes, we see how they fall in love that way and its just sweet and fluffy (and a bit of sadness too) but overall very very cute!!!

The greatest story never writen

5.738 words

By @alittlebitofloveliness Simon!writer and Wille!reader au where they are also neighbours, very unique story and fluffy!!

Crown prince Wilhelm's facts sheet

1.232 words

By @piebingo If you've read Red, White and Royal Blue then you know what this means lol, basically a fact sheet of Crown Prince Wilhelm, but Simon prefers Wille's actual facts obviously, just pure adorable wilmon fluff!! What more could you ask for?

You can feel it on the way home

9.311 words

By @wilmonsfolklore Au where they meet as college roommates after Wille abdicates, he/they Wille hehe, hurt/comfort and pining!! Just.... A lot of fanfic tropes that hit the spot, couldn't recommend it enough!!

Just a normal summer romance (sort of)

4.685 words

By @rjwstories Meeting on vacation au but Wille is still the crown prince, very very cute story!!!

Valentine's day special

4.659 words

By @piebingo Roommates and best friends au with lots of pining, need I say more? Pure fluff and some teasing hehe

👑

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

[escarlatafox]

@amazingdudesblog sure. so the film that's widely agreed among the general fanbase to be the best installment is the second one. My own personal favourite of all of them is the first, but that's my personal preference. I recognise that the second one is really good and can see why it would be peoples' favourite. Even if that was already obvious/you already knew that I just wanted to quickly clarify that upfront just in case. So now-

Basically, what many fans have pointed out before me, and I think I only really Notice it thanks to them - is that the movies that have followed after the second film seem very intent on ignoring movie 2/its tone, what it brings to the table, etc. Kung Fu Panda 2 got quite dark/serious with e.g. the revelation of the panda genocide. So, movie 2 seemed to be taking the first movie, and veering the franchise more into very emotionally hard-hitting stuff and serious themes (while still remaining family friendly, of course).

This is not to say that the first film did not have dark/serious themes, etc, because it did! There's plenty of really powerful and emotionally hard-hitting stuff in the first movie. But the second movie had a lot it brought to the table and had going on, with its flashbacks and showdown etc. Contrasting to the first movie, the Tai Lung vs Shifu fight is very intense, serious, powerful, emotional etc. When Po shows up to face off against Tai Lung, it then tilts into being a bit more zany/wacky in terms of how their fight goes down (and there's nothing wrong with that btw. It's incredibly fun and I adore it to bits. As I already said, the first movie is my favourite - it's what I'm biased towards!). But with the second movie, the dark/emotionally hard-hitting backstory is centered around Po himself. Po had his struggles in the first film about not fitting in, struggles with self-acceptance etc which he overcame, but in movie 2 he's grappling with traumatic flashbacks, learning about the other pandas having had a genocide committed against them, and ultimately facing off against the character who perpetrated that genocide (!!). The final showdown scene remains very sombre and serious, not really having the same levels of a more lighthearted/zany touch that Po vs Tai Lung did.

Something being darker and more serious does not inherently make it "better" than stuff being more lighthearted and zany by any means. It's a neutral observation to point out that movie 2 had quite a serious tone/themes attached to it. And then, of course, it had the cliffhanger reveal of the surviving panda village at the end, which then leads us into kfp3.

kfp3 a) has numerous callbacks to the first movie. b) seems to kiiind of ignore the more serious tone/themes set by the second movie for the most part. kfp3 is more reflective of the first movie in its tone. the panda village and characters are kinda just comedy and cuteness fodder for the most part. There's nothing necessarily wrong with this in isolation, but in a Grand Scheme of things it means you kind of have the first movie -> second movie leaning even deeper into dark themes/serious tone -> third movie immediately swinging back out of that tone-wise and, in some respects, arguably tilting even more away from hard-hitting emotional stuff/seriousness than the first movie.

The main thing connecting movies 2 & 3 is the existence & then resolution of the second movie's cliffhanger. There's the brief repeated flashback scene in 3 acknowledging the genocide that took place but it doesn't really go there outside of that.

And now we can talk about kfp4 (kfp4 spoilers)

kfp4 was described by ppl who made it as a "love letter to the first movie", gets even more zany/lighthearted/etc whatever than movies 1 & 3, contains callbacks to movies 1 & 3/relies on and "builds upon" both those films (choosing a dragon warrior, relevance/prominence of the spirit realm that was only introduced in 3, the staff Oogway gave Po at the end of 3, the fact that Po was chosen as the "true successor" to Oogway in 3), meanwhile seems to have little to no connection/relation to the second movie - and certainly not in tone/focus. They slapped Shen in there as a last minute addition as a cameo who basically did nothing. Li Shan's presence/characterisation leaves no hints at what he's lived through/his past and backstory, and I'm not saying 4 needed to touch on that, I'm just pointing out neutrally that on a surface level you'd never guess at the stuff actually revealed/touched on in 2, so what movie 2 brings to the table gets ignored. They had Shen be present there but were completely uninterested in grappling with the realities of his character or the reality of what the second movie was like, what happened in it, the tone of the movie, etc.

The "prioritisation" of Tai Lung (in terms of how at the very least, he gets more focus/screentime than the other movies' villains who got brought back) also speaks to this pseudo-elevation of the first movie over e.g. the importance of the second one. And like, the first movie is what started it all, so it IS important, so I kinda get that instinct to prioritise it, but hopefully you can see here how the second movie seems to be consistently passed over/overlooked. Other people have pointed out how Shen is THE Po villain, he's Po's personal villain. Tai Lung's connection was to Shifu, Kai's connection was to Oogway - and Shen's connection was to Po. (And Chameleon's connection is to Zhen). But this movie features NO interaction between Shen and Po, NO interaction between Tai Lung and Shifu, BUT - there is interaction between Tai Lung and Po. And it's not mandatory to have those interactions, but it also wasn't mandatory to bring those villains back in the first place? So like, sure, Tai Lung and Po interact, because Po DID face off against Tai Lung and defeat him in the first movie, and the first movie is getting pedestalled here. But this movie wants the boon of having Shen here without dealing with what that means, and it insults/undercuts movie 2 to do it.

So when you take a zoomed-out view of all the movies as a whole put together, kung fu panda 2 almost starts seeming "out of place" compared to the rest tonewise and content-wise. But the funny/ironic thing is, as explained above, people seem to generally agree that the second movie is the best one??? So, if a franchise wants to celebrate itself and be a love letter to itself, you'd think it would at least try to honour/pay attention to what people really clamoured around. You'd think a franchise would want to make the most of the parts its audience really appreciated/celebrated.

The way this franchise seems to be completely allergic to what is widely agreed to be its best installment... Very unfortunate

[juliansswimmingpool]

Merthur Fic Masterlist (Updating)

These are some of my favourite Merlin fics so far. A lot of these will contain spoilers for the show. They are listed in no particular order. I have also cropped some of the summaries to save people the scrolling time.

Formatting is as follows: [Title] by [Author] | Completion Status | Word Count (to the nearest thousand), Chapters or Parts (if series) | Rating | Warnings (if applicable) | Key Info/Themes | Summary (I did not write most of them)

Updates since first posted: 1

Under 10k:

The Tulip Thief by Polomonkey | Complete | 3.2k, 1 chapter | General Audiences | Modern setting, fluff, pre-slash, misunderstandings, hand-holding | 'Sometimes I steal flowers from your garden on my way to the cemetery, but today you’ve caught me and have demanded to come with me to make sure the “girl is pretty enough to warrant flower theft” and I’m trying to figure out how to break it to you that we’re on our way to a graveyard'

10-20k:

to go with grace by andiwriteordie | Complete | 17k, 1 chapter | Teen & Up | Post-canon, character redemption, Morgana POV, angst, introspective, forgiveness | Morgana Pendragon is dead, at Emrys’s hand. Just as the prophecies had foretold. But before she can enter Avalon and find peace, she must first pay penance for all the sins she committed in her life. Her penance is quite simple: look after and heal Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King, until the time comes for his return to the land of the living.

The Sorcerer and the Lionheart by just_a_wavefunction | Complete | 16k, 1 chapter | Teen & Up | Post-canon, historical references, friendship, Immortal Leon | Merlin spends fifteen hundred years waiting for Arthur's return. Luckily, he doesn't have to wait alone.

Hear Your Heart Sing (Love, Love, Love) by schweet_heart | Complete | 15k, 8 chapters | Mature | Soulmates AU, fluff, humor, angst, office romance | Merlin used to like the idea of finding The One – until he fell in love with Arthur Pendragon. Now he has a boss he can't date (but can't stop thinking about), a soulmate he can't find (who has terrible taste in music), and a best friend who can't believe he still hasn't got his act together (even though it's seriously not his fault).

From This Day On by lady_ragnell | Complete | 19k, 1 chapter | Teen & Up | modern setting, canon era (it'll make sense), mystery-solving? (idk how to describe it) | While on a hike, Merlin and Gwaine stumble upon the Lost City of Camelot, cursed to wake up every morning a century in the future, and Merlin decides it's his duty to break the spell--with help from a prince, an imprisoned seer, and quite a few others. A Brigadoon AU.

A Metaphor of Human Bloody Existence by lady_ragnell | Complete | 19k, 1 chapter | Teen & Up | Modern with magic, humour, crack treated seriously, destiny | In which Merlin and Arthur (and others) band together to fight evil on the advice of a can of peas.

21-50k:

and with my opened mouth i join the singing light by intothefirewego | Complete | 33k, 6 chapters | Mature | Graphic descriptions of blood | Heavy angst, major character injury, emotional hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, magic reveal | Merlin frowned, and tried to inhale, but choked on a cough. He opened his mouth, trying to speak but his mouth was sticky and full and he felt warm, warm, warm, warm spilling down down down down… The world tilted on its axis a little bit, and Merlin leant into Arthur’s body. Why was the world tilting? Arthur’s face shifted from annoyance to horror.

Destiny That Darkly Hides Us by Nympha_Alba | Complete | 40k, 7 chapters | Explicit | Angst, WWI, Edwardian era, college AU | It's 1913, the practice of homosexuality is unlawful, so is the practice of magic. When Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Emrys meet as Cambridge undergrads, they're both hungry for a real and true connection without secrets. For a short time they believe they may have found it. But war breaks out and separates them, and it seems unlikely that they will meet again. After all, what are the odds?

A.S.S. (Agents of Secret Stuff) series by supercalvin | 39k, 8 parts | Mostly Teen & Up | Mostly none, one fic is marked with Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Spy AU, modern setting, humor, crack treated seriously, BAMF characters | Merlin & Arthur are an unstoppable spy duo. Basically merthur + the knights and other characters do whacky spy shit

51-100k:

Singing Trees by aescrof | Complete | 65k, 11 chapters | Teen & Up | Canon era, different first meeting, magic reveal, fluff, angst | Arthur knew about the magic from the start.

Tributes by TheAvalonian | Complete | 88k, 10 Chapters | Mature | Graphic Depictions of Violence | Hunger Games AU, angst, enemies to friends to lovers, emotional hurt/comfort | It is the 57th annual Hunger Games, and Merlin Emrys stands at the Reaping ceremony with his best friend Guinevere Smith at his side. In a twisted game where death seems the only certainty, Merlin will find himself tested in ways no one could have ever predicted - and may even find himself fighting for more than just his own life as he enters into an unlikely alliance with Arthur Pendragon, the Career tribute poised to win it all.

Over 100k:

To Bare Our Teeth and Our Hearts by queerofthedagger | Complete | 124k, 14 chapters | Mature | Graphic Depictions Of Violence | An execution was not exactly on Merlin's bucket list, wasn't even what destiny had intended for him. Arthur, for his part, really wants to catch a break, and to stop thinking about his late manservant. Or sometimes, things have to go downhill first before they get better, and if Uther had known about the eventual outcome, he might've changed his mind for once in his life.

What I'd Have Done by Flight_of_Fantasy | Complete | 119k, 14 chapters | General Audiences | Canon era, magic reveal, heavy angst, gen or pre-slash, Arthur-centric, character study | For better or for worse, Arthur knows Merlin's secret. The problem? Merlin doesn't know Arthur knows. This leaves Arthur with a predicament… and an opportunity. A test. Three trials and three opportunities for Merlin to prove he doesn't deserve death. Arthur hopes he will pass them. Maybe then the image of Merlin's golden eyes will stop haunting him.

The Heart's Search by rotrude | Complete | 115k, 2 chapters | Explicit | Some violence | Romance, AU - dystopia, modern setting | For thirty-five girls/boys, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Arthur. But for Merlin Emrys, being Selected is a nightmare. Leaving his home to enter a fierce competition for a crown he doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

The Great Merlin Bake Off by Elizabeth | Complete | 102k, 10 chapters | Mature | Modern setting, fluff, pining, schmoop | Because someone said, "What if it's Merlin, but they're on Bake Off?" AKA: The GBBO AU. It was bound to happen at some point.

Some bonus non-merthur Merlin fics:

Everyday Destiny (ffn, ao3) by Searchingforangels (ffn) or DancingInTheStorm (ao3) | Complete (only on ffn) | 53k, 200 chapters | General Audiences | Drabble collection, golden age AU, exploration of themes, non-linear narrative | Great destinies swing of small hinges; a collection of small moments that shape Albion. A pre- and post-reveal drabble collection.

[mdhwrites]

Sorry if you've already explained this, but what do you mean when you say that toh dislikes being a fantasy?

So there's the obvious route I could go with this in that "It subverts fantasy tropes which means it dislikes fantasy media" but that's not it. Honestly, I think part of WHY it's a bad subversion is that it doesn't seem to like fantasy media because a REALLY good and proper subversion probably needs to like and know the genre better than a celebration of the genre. Otherwise, its subversions are going to be shallow, mean spirited, pointless and often VERY played out which does fit a lot of TOH's subversive elements. No, instead my reason, besides the bad subversive elements, for saying it is kind of that it's a vibe thing. Now yes, fantasy elements are always there to serve other things like themes, characters, plots etc. but they usually don't feel like they're ONLY there for those things. If they're not just getting in the way at all. A perfect example of this to me is Reaching Out. Any other story would make an excuse to do a tournament episode and COMMIT. It would be happy to finally get a reason to really show off its world's magic, to test its protagonists, do a bit more creative and fun choreography than a life or death stakes situation would allow. It'd be the focus of the episode. This is also partially because the tournament structure in someway would allow an exploration of the character or larger narrative ideas going on. But... Instead we get two meh fights with not much going on and then the Warden Wrath monster is barely a fight if you want to even call it that. The entire episode effectively, CONSTANTLY, wants to just ignore that the tournament exists. The fantasy element there seems to be getting in the way of what the writers actually want to be doing. It's kind of the only explanation to me how someone like Luz entirely ignores the danger, or pain for that matter, her girlfriend is in in that entire episode because the writers aren't taking any of it seriously.

And that's just the general vibe I get from the show. Why is it that there are a billion covens? So they can make job fair jokes. Why is abomination magic better than plant magic? The job opportunities. Why is every villain just a blue collar conman? Because we get to make commentary on things like capitalism and crunch then. This is what I mean by just a vibe coming off of TOH. Belos is not a part of the show for the most part. Replace covens with college and wild witch with freelancer (including one having health care and one not, which is pertinent to S1) and you don't really lose a lot, do you? A lot of the jokes could the same, a lot of the characters could be the same, etc. like that. Replace "Emperor's Coven" with "Harvard" and literally nothing changes about Amity. That sort of shift shouldn't be so easy with a fantasy show. Bare minimum, it should feel like you would mourn something. But Luz's love of magic is barely a thing. Her journey with magic doesn't impact her character much. Her power with magic isn't an arc but instead just whatever the episode demands. It's just... Not something the show cares about. And if you focus on what the show does care about, what it spends its free time on... Wing it Like Witches and Them's the Breaks Kid are the two most fanficy episodes of the series and the latter is 99% pointless and the former is still probably 80% pointless. And both those episodes focus mostly on ships. Grudgby is a very boring fantasy sport that is just admitted by the show to be Quidditch and REALLY wouldn't change if it was just Rugby. Frankly, it'd probably be more violent then.

Them's the Breaks has MORE magic and actually one of the few times where it's used in a more casual- Oh, no, never mind. It's either serving Eda's 'troublemaker' claim or it's plot related so I can't really praise the simple but nice touch of a bard making their juice taste better with magic. Not only that... But the episode mostly portrays the world as not liking magic. Like nothing Eda does is that shocking or bizarre as far as a fantasy context goes but everyone is just CONSTANTLY annoyed by her or entirely unimpressed. Why? Because it makes Raine's interest more special. So the main point of the episode doesn't need magic... It just needs Eda to clown around. The magic just intensifies that a LITTLE. But not really by much (minus the genuinely great "IT HAPPENED AGAIN!" joke).

And that's the only real thing I can give TOH as a fantasy show: It does allow more spectacle than would be possible if it were just trying to be Lucky Star 2. But also barely because it so rarely allows the real payoffs that that spectacle allows or it doesn't want to commit to the spectacle because this dude's actually a stoner or the like instead of something to be taken seriously. Just... ask yourself how many episodes the magic is fairly basic in its introduction, escalation and resolution versus how many are like Lost in Language where the show genuinely has fun with the concept of the magic, the escalation plays on the magical concept, not the social concept, and then the payoff is magically satisfying instead of "Smash it."

It never commits and for a genre that I would probably say is the most celebratory of the fun of creativity and the impossible... That lack of commitment, that lack of celebration EVER is just... It's a vibe I don't like and one I just don't think fits the genre.

[hotcoffeetransformation]

Jason swore loudly and had to resist the urge to throw his controller down, pissed that he kept dying cause of the game's stupid glitches (Also known as own mistakes). Still, he regained his composure, and smiled before saying

"Alright chat, we're gonna finish up this one and then we're gonna move on to another game. There should be a poll on top for what we do next"

Jason was a moderately successfully game streamer, averaging about 200 to 300 viewers a night, entirely based on his wit and skill. He knew for sure that they weren't coming for his looks, given his weedy, thin frame, overly pimpled face and large, nerdy glasses. Still, it was enough for him, and he was happy with the progress that he'd made.

As Jason got himself set up for the next game, he heard a shocking sound from above him. The victory theme from one of his favorite JRPGs was blaring through the speakers, and he came up, staring at the screen in shock. He knew what that sound meant. That meant someone had tipped him one thousand dollars, completely out of nowhere.

He looked in shock at the notification on the stream, seeing that it was from someone named JockBro69, with the simple message "Can't wait to get to know you better, cutie~"

Jason was completely stunned. Not only had someone actually redeemed the donation goal that he set as a joke (That being that whoever was stupid enough to tip 1000 dollars got to have a 15 minute private chat with him), it was also someone that he'd never seen in his chat before.

Thoroughly weirded out, but knowing that he had to honor his commitment, he sent the guy a quick private message.

"Dude, I don't know how to thank you enough! Guess I'll see ya pretty soon!"

With that, he sent the man his private zoom link, and said goodbye to the chat, who were still going wild over this turn of events, before pausing,the stream and hopping over to discord for the call.

Not two seconds after his stream stopped, he got a requested video call on discord from the guy, and he opened it up, giving a second for the video to load, but when it did, he was completely dumbfounded again. He was expecting the mysterious donator to be some fat, sweaty silicon valley nerd with too much and money on his hands, but instead what met him was possibly the hottest man he's ever seen, standing up and looking down at his webcam with a friendly expression.

"Fuck, bro! Its so good to finally fucking meet you, I've been such a big fan for a long time, and this is a really big deal for me~

The man had a deep, rumbling, pleasant voice, that shot straight down Jacob's spine and left him feeling strangely... inadequate. Like the fact that his voice wasn't as smooth or melodic as this guy's was his fault, and he should be ashamed of that fact. Still, this guy was pretty pleasant to look at, Jason had to admit. He wasn't gay, definitely not, but he could acknowledge when another guy simply looked good.

Jason scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, not entirely sure of what he should do or say. Still, this guy spent 1000 dollars on this meeting, so he had to try anyway.

"So, umm.... I see your username is jockbro69... What's your actual name thought? I don't think I've ever seen you in chat before..."

The other man actually laughed at this, before looking confused and saying

"What are you talking about bro? Its me, Ethan! I'm in your chat all the time! Man, I guess what they say about playing games so much is true, huh?"

At this statement, Jason actually went pale with shock. THIS was Ethan? This was the guy who's username used to be runningLink? Who was an active fan of the zelda series, constantly begged Jason to play them, and bemoaned the fact that no would date him? It just didn't seem right...

Still, Jason, ever the semi professional, continued on, pretending that he wasn't shocked at the news.

"Well, thanks for supporting me so much! Seriously, this means a lot to me... Ummm... so I guess tell me some of your favorite things about the channel then!"

The man laughed again, the sound coming out in a slow, dumb chuckle, before saying

"What's my favorite thing? Do I even have to say, bro? Its the amazing piece of eye candy I'm looking at right now. You're super hot, bro~"

At this, Jason was shocked, but he chuckled awkwardly while blushing, and said

"Really? I don't think I've ever heard a single person say that before. I guess I consider myself slightly below average..."

The guy looked confused at that, before pressing on

"Really, bro? You look super hot to me, you got those bright, blinding blue eyes that you can just get lost in~"

At this point, Jason knew the man was just messing with him. His eyes have always, and will always be a dark, muddy brown, hidden behind his massive frames. Jason was about to respond, when Ethan continued

"Yeah, and you got that super stylish haircut too, really makes you look super masculine~"

Now Jason was REALLY confused. The guy was right, he did always get complements on his eyes, the bright, shocking blue visible and striking even through his huge glasses. But his hair was always a long, unkempt greasy mess.

"Ethan, are you sure you're okay, you're not just seeing things? Cause I don't know what you're talking about"

Ethan ignored the comment, just continuing to press on

"And you've got that hot, manly face, with your strong jaw and amazing profile"

Jason was confused again. Sure, his stylish haircut did help him look much better, but his face had always been pretty androgynous, with hints of baby fat still present in his cheeks. Again, before he could interrupt, Ethan continued,

"And you've got that smooth smooth skin, that hot stubble, that sexy smirk of yours. You're the full package bro~"

Jason laughed at this. Ethan was clearly being way too complementary. Sure his face had a great shape to it, with strong cheekbones and a square jaw, but his skin was still acne marked as hell, his smile was crooked and awkward, and he'd never been able to grow any facial hair, no matter how much he tried.

"I really have no idea what you're talking about Ethan. Sure I've got some good features, but the overall package isn't much to write home about~"

Ethan smirked again, his eyes lighting up with humor, as if he knew something I didn't.

"Nah, bro, you're underselling yourself. Plus, you've got that body~"

"What about my body? I think its pretty average, though I guess I'm a bit on the skinny side..."

Jason looked down at himself, trying to contemplate what Ethan meant. Sure, he'd been blessed with an attractive, manly face, but it didn't change the fact that his body was still below average at best.

"Again, bro! Putting yourself down. You really think those massive logs you have for arms are below average?"

Jason looked down at his skinny arms, and said

"More like logs than twigs man, seriously."

"And what about your legs? You've spent so long working on em, you've got thighs and glutes to kill for~"

Jason laughed again

"I dunno man! Most people say the exact opposite. They say I spend too much time on arms and not enough on my torso and legs. What can I say though? I love having big, beefy arms."

"Of course you do, bro? Who wouldn't? Especially when right in between em, you got your big, pillowy chest, your sexy abs, and your super toned back~"

Jason was seriously starting to wonder if Ethan was on something. Anyone could clearly see from first glance that Jason's body was badly proportioned, his arms and legs being massive from months to years of work, while he neglected his back, pecs and ab muscles. Still, he thought he looked pretty alright honestly.

"And I especially love how you're not only super sexy, you know it and flaunt it~ I don't think I've ever seen you once wear a shirt. The most you'll wear is a necklace, and even then, not like that covers anything, bro~ Only makes you look sexier"

Now here Jason had to disagree. He knew that he had cultivated and developed an amazing body over his years of going to the gym, but that was all for his own personal satisfaction. He never flaunted it unnecessarily, especially not during a stream.

"And I love the fact that you're such a fucking bro, bro. Every other word out of your mouth is bro and dude, you can't go even five minutes without flexing and thinking of fucking, or going to the gym, or hanging out with your other hot bros. We all know that your brain is basically only good for working out and looking hot. No smart's up there. And you've got your deep, sexy voice, too. Makes it even hotter that you're a gay bro, just like me"

Jason HAD to laugh at that. What the guy was saying was just so ridiculous.

"What the hell are you talking about? Look, I know that I like to show off my sexy body a lot, but that doesn't mean I'm some kind of dumb jock. And I'm definitely straight, dude. Don't know why you'd think I'm gay"

Ethan pressed on, completely unabashed by Jason's last comments.

"But you know the best fucking part, bro? Its that power of yours. The fact that any weak ass nerd who looks at you and your huge fucking muscles grows into a hot, dumb bro like us within seconds~"

Jason was busy flexing, staring at his own bicep in awe, as if he was shocked by him impressive he was. He looked up at Ethan blearily, saying

"Sorry, bro, what'd you say? I guess I got a bit fucking distracted. Huhuhu. But who could blame me~"

"Nah, it was nothing bro. You don't need to worry about it. Now should head back to the stream?"

Jason gasped in excitement, having forgotten entirely about the fact that there was a whole stream audience full of lame ass nerds, just ready for him to make as sexy as he and Ethan were.

"You got it bro~ This is gonna be so fucking hot~"

Jason left the call, going back to the stream and restarting, glad to see that a full 300 people were still watching, even through the extended break. The second he turned his camera on, he could see that people were confused for some reason, saying a stranger broke into his house. How stupid could these people be? How did they not recognize him? Still, not like it would matter for long...

"Hey bros! How're we all fucking doing? Welcomes to today's stream..."

He trailed off, looking blankly at the camera, before saying

"You know what? Fuck video games! Who needs them when you can do this~"

And as his pecs bounced and bounced hypnotically, the chat slowly transitioned from messages like "What the fuck is happening?" or "Who is this dumb jock?" to "Fuck, bro! Your pecs look so fucking hot today!" and "Huhuhu, I love making my pecs bounce like Jace's~"

And so the stream continued, Jace showing everyone all the amazing things his body could do, while anyone that was watching, whether they wanted to or not, began to copy him exactly. And as the stream went on, the viewer count rose, and rose, and rose...