#its like when people who actually have a good relationship w their mothers say that their mom is the most beautiful woman in the world

[cherry-treelane]

this is extremely important to me it means so much....if u get it u get it and if u don't u dont.... (fics are all from the wonderful mother_of_houseplants btw shes amazing and so is her writing which is evident in these screenshots)

[dangopango00]

ABYSS RAZOR CRUSH HCS BC IF I DONT GET SOME CONTENT I WILL DIE

Abyss Razor x gn reader

Prompt: yall r madly in love he has a crush on youuu (boyfail situationship hcs more like tbh)

A/N: sorry if this is rambly i cant live like this i keep rereading the same 4 or 5 posts over and over again ive been waiting for like a year and im getting teased with the tip PLEASEEE WRITE HIM 😭😭🤞 i cant ever escape the ‘nobodys fave but mine’ curse help

Ily losermen

Ily high ponytail men

Ily abyss razor

more utc

- Im gonna jump he is so kewt. Idek what to say im just ill

- You’d probably often compliment his eyes and you have this image that hes so calm and collected— which he is! But! Not with you! So every conversation with you is him just fighting for his life trying to look cool and not implode at the same time

- ^^^ THIS is one thing. But what really gets him falling for you is when you get a bit closer and have a talk with him, telling him in no uncertain terms that he’ll always have someone to return to if others are cruel because you won’t be leaving him

- Gives you things VERY often, usually little things because hed die if he had to directly give you a gift and then have to explain why, so he shows his affection in little ways like letting you have his best pencils and pens if you need it (lets you keep it too)

- oh he absolutely loses it if he sees you continue to use his pen hes so touched that you’re taking good care of what he gives you it shows that it means a lot to you and that he means a lot to you

- The only actual gift he gives you during this stage are things he has an excuse for like origami (idk why but i feel like he makes cool ass origami) he can just say he made too many so hes giving them away yet you and maybe Abel are the only ones who received some…

- He wants so badly to be useful to you he gets so flustered and happy just hearing you say thanks when he answers your question about the assignment or when he lends you his materials

- Immediately stiffens when you make any sort of contact. Dont stop though, he can count the times hes been hugged on one hand

- Speaking of his touch starvation, he’d let you play with his hair and looks forward to it tbh he’d just rather not initiate anything it’s too much for his heart

- If you have him take down his hair and play with it (like braid it or try different hairstyles) he’d feel so content; ofc he’s nervous but at the same time he just feels so at peace as if it’s only you two in the world and all the people who have ever wronged him never existed in the first place

- He’s a little bit delulu, i fear

- He gets so nervous texting and calling you bc what if you tell him ily. No that could never happen. Wait but what if it did— do you see his dilemma?

- He’s a chronic overthinker and in a way its a bit sweet because he used to worry about you randomly saying you didn’t want to be friends with him but now he wouldn’t even consider that possibility; it just no longer enters his mind

- He’d also find himself drifting off, losing himself in thought and end up daydreaming about if you two were in a relationship

- It’s very innocent, it’s just you two being cute and going places together while holding hands and such until it drifts even further to imagining you two kissing

- His face is on fire and he has to stop thinking NOW but hes in too deep hes imagining kissing ice cream off the side of your mouth and other cliches like that it’s so over

- Abel wondering wth is wrong with his right hand; all he said was that he was going to make mother happy by doing his homework today meanwhile Abyss can no longer be normal

- The kissing is just his guilty pleasure but Abyss constantly imagines holding hands with you like if you walk too close to him his hands will get clammy and his fingertips will get cold because he wants to hold your hand but is scared to initiate it

- God forbid you actually hold his hand even for a second while he’s having his entire internal monologue. He will die. You killed him. How could you?

- He won’t let go though like. Ever . Handholding is his favorite thing 5ever and as soon as he gets a taste he’s hooked

- He likes handholding so much that if you held his hand enough times then one time he’d accidentally grab your hand and initiate for once (immediately gets flustered after but it counts)

- Really really REALLY likes when u trace over his magic lines. Ruins his life everytime and he just melts in your touch; subconsciously leans in and his face softens and EVERYTHING

- Ok i wasn’t gonna say it bc itd probably involve sm sneaking but: Sleepovers. IM JUST SAYING 🤞🤞🤞 I feel like this is where most of the softer moments happen tbh like your roommate being out and you two have a sleepover

- I think this is where the playing with his hair and tracing the lines on his face would happen if not this then when you’re bored in class

- Not a fan of PDA even if ur not dating so he does play with your hair but usually during the sleepovers if you’ll allow him (not quite trying new hairstyles like you do but letting it fall through his fingers, running his hands through it or just rubbing the ends with his fingers to feel how soft it is)

- If you are bald he would slightly hold the back of your head and rub your temples with his thumb to help you relax

- Idk ik i just went on about how hes a loser but I feel like when it comes to affection relating to hair or like anything not affectionate in a cliche sense he doesn’t really pay attention and does it without thinking; only realizes its too affectionate if you point it out (please do not, he feels very comfortable right now. He will stop and never do it again if you point it out)

- You have a lot of deep talks and give him encouraging words during sleepovers tbh it just gives you both time to just… enjoy each other uninterrupted

- Sometimes instinctually distances himself from you because you make his heart do somersaults and his head feels like it’ll explode around you though he doesn’t last long, he needs you with him everyday atp 😭

- Although the above is true, sometimes he gets clingy ish (just by your side all the time) and protective over you even knowing you aren’t his

A/N: a ridonkulous amount of these r based on things ive done erm. Ok. Ig next thing i should write is him with an equally loser gf i def fit the bill LOL

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Autistic Anime Boys Prelims - Propaganda Division - Group 5

Propaganda:

Ame -

"Typical autistic childhood – doesn't want to go to school, doesn't talk a lot, his plans for the future are just to go to live as a wolf in the forest… He's basically a werewolf and I think werewolves are often autistic coded. Actually his whole family is autistic coded."

Floyd -

"Has no emotional regulation skills and will make it everyone's problem. Prone to mood swings and can get angry at the drop of a hat, but can also be so goofy, silly, and lovely. Sways side to side for that good good stim, and loves to squeeze others (with violent intent and affectionate intent). Who doesn't love a good pressure stim? His interest in things can be fleeting, and his motivation to do things can change as quickly as his mood. Spontaneous and feral extraordinaire."

Hibiki -

"he is canonically diagnosed with hyperacusis <3 my fav sensory issues guy (he's so relatable). also canonically pulled a bad bitch (uta) by being autistic."

Akira -

"He has a heartbreaking relationship with road racing and the memory of his dead mother, and while he is a major antagonist, he is given a lot of interesting looks into his internal logics that I personally find relatable as an autistic person. I also like how he expresses himself in unpleasant ways, but isn't always treated with disgust, its kind of refreshing."

Sang Woo -

"literally the first results on google is "sangwoo semantic error autistic." he loves routine + is extremely distressed by change in routine (contrasts w his ADHD-coded bf). very blunt/cannot read social clues which leads to some misunderstandings throughout the manhwa. he's very relatable to me as an autistic person but also as a queer man, and it's refreshing to see autistic characters being open with their sexuality/sexual life bc we're often displayed as asexual robots incapable of love (bad for lots of reasons haha). he's super cute generally and really grew on me throughout the series. definitely the best part of semantic error."

Douglas -

"Many other characters try to read into what he does and says, looking for deeper or different meanings but it's always revealed that he means exactly what he says every single time and the butt of the jokes is always the other characters for being dramatic and presumptuous, not Doug for being autistic. Also he's the mean autistic representation we deserve."

Scott -

"look at him. failboy autism. even more so than any previous version!"

Shinra -

"he's just like me forreal."

Soi -

"I mean come on, it’s Purson. He thinks he’s really good at talking to people but most of his conversations (at least at the start) are completely one sided. He just blurts out whatever he’s thinking and completely dominates the conversation (if you can call it that). I love him so much for it, I have a really hard time figuring out when I should just stop talking and let someone else have a turn and only tend to realize after he fact that I didn’t really let anyone else get a word in and feel really bad. But the way Purson communicates is never shown to be a bad thing it’s a bit awkward at times but that just how he is and the rest of the misfit class live him for it. I think I could go on all day about how wonderfully inclusive Iruma-Kun is it’s such a good series, also in my brain Balam, Kalego, Clara and Opera are on the 4 outer points of an x-y graph that represents the autism spectrum. Everyone else fills the blanks in between. His bloodline magic is ‘detection warding’ and for the first several arcs of the manga the rest of the class didn’t even know he was there."

Makoto -

"In one sentence: Katai considers the titular Komi-san a communication master. Katai looks like a brutal thug, but he's actually extremely shy. Shy enough that after missing a couple weeks of class, it takes him months to build up the confidence to go to school. Katai tries to make friends once he does go to school, but he can't hold a conversation and doesn't realize that his mumbled half-sentences and resting bastard face make it look like he's threatening people. He's also pretty bad at reading the room, which is why he interprets Komi's behavior as a communication master trying to guide him from afar rather than a kindred spirit also struggling to hold a conversation."

[brujahinaskirt]

30 kcd2 trailer reveal little things / reactions:

Loving the increased Istvan / Henry parallelism

Loving the return of the red PTSD nightmares and so pleased WH isn't watering the game down, keeping up the trauma narrative realism, etc. I expected no less but still delighted by it. I love games that allow characters (esp male characters) to feel things, genuinely, and writing that treats the emotional invitation of its own storytelling with respect.

Good lord, the symbolism returns--as it must in a proper medieval game--but I shan't look too deep yet.

SKALITZ FLASHBACKS. HENRY'S PARENTS' WEDDING PREQUEL CONTENT? W H A T. I never thought we would get to go back; I am so thrilled to learn more about that time. I would have gladly gobbled up a Martin prequel. TELL ME HER FUCKING NAME, WARHORSE, YOU BASTARDS.

where is radzig

Mystery possible new love interest option? Or did Lady Stephanie visit the face sculptor?

And Theresa... where?

Mother of god, the forests and animals look incredible. I'm going insane. Let me pet things please.

How many times can Hans eat royal shit and live in one livestream? Let's find out. One, two, three...

The crime and punishment mechanics are definitely more complex at a glance. This is a good thing but I wonder how much was cutscene flavor and how much will really have an affect on the gameplay/reputation/etc.

I'm extremely afraid for Hans's survival. Not because of his constant trailer beefing (and he really took every opportunity to wipe out) but because of that shot with him doing the big dramatic eagle wing spread on horseback. You can't just do that and not expect to be punished by the narrative, bro.

MUTT IS BACK MUTT IS BACK MUTT IS BACK

is that pebbles? MUTT IS BACK please be pebbles

Henry's new hair is awful and I will be changing it two seconds in.

In general, Henry looks way more mature/stressed. Hard to say if there was a timeskip and Henry is now actually more mature or if the increased graphics allow him to look more like his voice actor, who is older than Henry. Either way I will be content. Will not catch me changing my son's precious face!!!

CROSSBOWS, HAND CANNONS

Istvan is pure fire, holy shit, cannot wait for this performance. Erik looks like a soggy newspaper. What happened king?

radzig? hello? anyone hear from this guy? typical for him to ghost

FIVE HOURS OF CUTSCENES???? YOU KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE. IT IS ME. I LOVE TO WATCH THINGS

Theresa's gonna be in it though, right? They wouldn't do us like that right?

Really excited to see them taking a page from RDR2 and incorporating a temperament-based reply system for non-dialogue initiating NPCs. I really look forward to all the added sandbox immersion enhancements from the first game, and I hope women are incorporated in a broader work spectrum for better historical accuracy.

WAS THAT GODWIN?

Is Hans going to teach Henry how to swim for real, as in a gameplay-altering swim mechanic, or is the topless on the riverbank scene just throwing a meaty bone to the hansry shippers (i am gnawing, i am growling when you try to take it away before i choke myself with it)

I love hearing devs and actors talk intelligently about the writing and character development arcs. Obviously they thought about it deeply in KCD1, but it's nice to see devs of an "action" game treating its narrative seriously, as artwork. Regardless of how the fandom idiots interact with it.

Hans singing a facetious little ballad for Henry (presuming it makes it into the game and isn't just trailer fodder) regenerated my cells. He DID promise in KCD1 (if you lose the tourney after agreeing to be his champion) that one day people would sing ballads in Henry's honor. Probably he did not intend for them to include the word "fuck" at the time.

This is going to be the grown up bromance we deserved in kcd1. Honestly it's so validating to see the second game recentering on that relationship and deliberately using it as the primary storytelling vehicle. KCD1 was pretty imbalanced in favor of Hans content, but it would have been better served by the game storyline fully leaning into the importance of that relationship, rather than trying to juggle it as a side-arc with several other arcs (and thereby creating an imbalance). KCD2 looks like it's built around the backbone of Henry and Hans's friendship and how it has profoundly changed them both/propelled their arcs in somewhat different directions.

On that point, Henry seems to have completely adopted Rattay colors now, but it's possible that's due to him operating as Hans's page (squire?) where we left them in KCD1. WHERE IS RADZIG

Calling Henry an orphan is a LITTLE generous given he was a whole ass adult man when his parents were killed, don't you think.

Calling Henry a lover is VERY VERY GENEROUS

I'm hyped.

[mermaidfanficlibrary]

A Free Churro?

T/W: Death, funeral, ooc, bad parent relationships, a bit deep just for a crack fic, reader is depressed. Yuu is his own person and uses he/him pronouns. Fic under the cut

a/n: sorry if this is Y/n centered and not all the characters have a reaction but this is a monologue and to sort of stay true to the actual monologue there really isn't supposed to be any response. Also writing this like super late so sorry if its incoheirent. I could do individual scenarios and go deeper into each of their reaction if this is well recieved

Heres the referance if you wanna listen along both links are the same monologue

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *All sitting in the audience of the funeral. Not knowing why they were invited, beside Yuu and Grimm. They all stare at the casket, unsure who it was.*

Y/n: *Walks out and starts the eulogy but first starts to explain why they were late* So I stopped at a drive thru place on the way here, and the girl behind the counter said, “Hiya! Are you having an awesome day?” Not, “How are you doing today?” No. “Are you having an awesome day?” Which is pretty… shitty, because it puts the onus on me to disagree with her, like if I’m not having an “awesome day,” suddenly I’m the negative one.

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *All gasp from Y/n's sudden explanation of the interaction between them and the lady behind the counter.*

Y/n: *continues to explain the interactions and how it went down* Usually when people ask how I’m doing, the real answer is "I’m doing shitty", but I can’t say I’m doing shitty because I don’t even have a good reason to be doing shitty. So if I say, “I’m doing shitty,” then they say, “Why? What’s wrong?” And I have to be like, “I don’t know, all of it?” So instead, when people ask how I’m doing, I usually say, “I am doing so great.”

Housewardens, vice housewardens, and the Aduece duo: *Are in shock about knowing Y/n's true feelings*

Y/n: *sighed going on trying to finish the story* But when this girl at the drive thru place asked me if I was having an awesome day, I thought, “Well, today I’m actually allowed to feel shitty.” Today I have a good reason, so I said to her, “Well, my mom died,” and she immediately burst into tears. So now I have to comfort her, which is annoying, and meanwhile, there’s a line of people forming behind me who are all giving me these real judgy looks because I made the Drive thru girl cry. And she’s bawling, and she’s saying, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” and I’m like, “It’s fine. It’s fine.” I mean, it’s not fine but, you know, it’s… fine. And I would like to order a Double Burger Meal, and I’ve kinda got somewhere to be, so maybe less with the crying and more with the frying, huh? And the girl apologizes again and she offers me a free churro with my meal. And as I’m leaving, I think, “I just got a free churro because my mom died.” No one ever tells you that when your mom dies, you get a free churro.

Housewardens, vice housewardens, and the Aduece duo: *At a loss for words, not knowing how to react. Feeling unsure if they should coverse with each other or stay silent. They chose to stay silent*

Y/n: Anyway, I’m sorry, that’s not part of the... *clears their throat trying to think of what to say next* All right. Okay, here we go. Let’s do this. Here I am, Y/n L/n, doing a eulogy, let’s go. *Goes on a monologue explaining the strained relationship between their mother and them.*

Ace: *Whispers to Yuu, Deuce, and Grimm* Never knew Y/n could hate someone so much

Riddle: *Speaks in a hushed voice* Ace, be quiet and listen to Y/n!

Housewardens: *All look at Y/n seeing how much they're struggling. Vil recognizes this to be a monologue.*

Malleus: *Confused as to how someone could hate a parental figure this much.*

Riddle: *Seemed to understand the pain of Y/n hating their mother. The other house wardens just watched, worried.*

Vice housewardens: *All sit patiently, trying to understand Y/n's trailing off. Jamil had the most concern out of the vice housewardens*

Grimm: *Grabs Yuu's hands with his small paw* I'm worried for Y/n*

Yuu: *looks to Grimm with a solemn look* I am too, but let's just listen right now. Might be good for them to get it out.

Y/n: *Sighs and looks at the casket once more reminiscing about when both their parents were alive.* My dad died about ten years ago of injuries he sustained during a duel. When your father dies, you ask yourself a lot of questions. Questions like, “Wait, did you say he died in a duel?” and “Who dies in a duel?”

Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *Look at Y/n confused as to where this story is going. Ace and Deuce were trying not to laugh at the duel part.*

Housewardens and vice housewardens: *Stare at Y/n in disbelief, not knowing they could have such a messed up past. Riddle and Leona understanding the feeling of strained relationships with family*

Y/n: *Chuckled to themselves as they explain the story of their father's duel.* The whole thing was so stupid. Dad spent his entire life writing this book, but he couldn’t get any stores to carry it or any newspapers to review it. Finally, I guess this one newspaper thought he was pretty hilarious, because they ran a review and tore him to shreds. So my father, ever the proud Mary, decided he would not stand for this besmirchment of his honor. He claimed the critic didn’t understand what it meant to be a man, so he demanded satisfaction in the form of pistols at dawn. He wrote the paper this letter, saying anyone who didn’t like his book, he would challenge to a duel, anyone in the world. He’d even pay for airfare to San Francisco and a night in a hotel. Well, eventually this found its way to some kook in Montana, who was as batshit as he was and took him up on the offer. They met at Golden Gate Park and agreed: ten paces, then shoot. But in the middle of the ten paces, Dad turned to ask the guy if he’d actually read the book and what he thought, but, not looking where he was going, tripped over an exposed root and bashed his head on a rock.

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *All look at each other, then look back to Y/n. Some of them have a very clear reaction on their face while others had a straight face. They all had a similar thought in their head* 'How can someone leave their kid do fight in a duel'

Y/n: *Sees their friends' reactions, but goes on with their thoughts as it forms the on spot eulogy they are giving. Y/n starts to recall a time where they saw their mom decently okay.* My mom used to hold these glorious parties, they were really something. There were skits and magic acts, and very insensitive vaudeville routines, and the big finale was always a dance my mother did.

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *Were all intrigued at the scene. Vil had the most interist since pereforming was something he was well versed in*

Y/n: *Continues to go on seemingly imersed by the memories they had of the parties* She had this beautiful dress that she only brought out for these parties, and she did this incredible number. It was so beautiful and sad. Dad hated the parties. He’d lock himself in the study, and bang on the walls for us to keep it down, but he always came out to see Mom dance. He’d linger in the doorway, scotch in hand, and watch in awe, as this cynical, despicable woman he married… took flight. 

Yuu: *Was the most worried out of the group that was there, wanting to run up and hug Y/n as he seemingly knew where this was going.*

Grimm: *Looked at Yuu and noticed the discomfort he felt and let Yuu hold his paw* It'll be okay, Y/n will be okay.

Aduece duo: *Place a hand on both of Yuu's shoulders, seemingly comforting him. The two of them watch Y/n with sadness in their eyes.*

Y/n: *Their eyes start to water slightly as they take a shaky breath* And as a child who was completely terrified of both my parents, I was always aware that this moment of grace, it meant something. We understood each other in a way. Me and my mom and my dad, as screwed up as we all were, we did understand each other. My mother, she knew what it’s like to feel your entire life like you’re drowning, with the exception of these moments, these very rare, brief instances, in which you suddenly remember… you can swim.

Octavinelle trio: *Seemingly understood what Y/n meant by the drowning metaphore, all three of them were worried. The one who felt the most worry was Azul*

Y/n: *Looks at the casket with teary eyes, knowing this sad but beautiful memory in their head wasn't truly happy* But then again, mostly not. Mostly you’re drowning. She understood that, too. And she recognized that I understood it. And Dad. All three of us were drowning, and we didn’t know how to save each other, but there was an understanding that we were all drowning together. And I would like to think that that’s what she meant when we were in the hospital and she said, “I see you.”

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm:

Y/n: *goes on to explain their personal relationships. But then stops realizing they've been going on and on missing the point of where they were going. They take a deep breath.* I’m not gonna stand up here and pretend I ever understood how to please that woman, even though so much of my life has been wasted in vain attempts to figure it out.

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *Notice Y/n becoming more sad the further they go on. They all wanted to get up and hug Y/n, but thought it best for them to continue the eulogy*

Y/n: *Chuckles slightly now remembering another moment before their mother died* But I keep going back to that moment in the ICU when she looked at me, and… “I-C-U.”

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *All of them have their eyes widen as they come to a realization. They all stare at Y/n wondering if they caught what they just said*

Y/n: *Speaks slowly as tears well in their eyes. Their voice is soft as they peice everything together* “I… see… you.” Jesus Christ, we were in the intensive care unit. She was just reading a sign. 

Housewardens: *Notice the tears in Y/n's eyes as they all feel bad.*

Y/n: *sighs and looks down, not wanting to face their friends in the room* My mom died and all I got was this free churro.

Grimm and Aduece: *Stare at Y/n, unsure what they should do after the funeral survice with Y/n*

Y/n: *Looks at everyone with eyes glazed with anger and sadness. Their tone was bitter as they point outside the funeral parlor door.* You know the shittiest thing about all of this? Is when that stranger behind the counter gave me that free churro, that small act of kindness showed more compassion than my mother gave me her entire goddamn life. Like, how hard is it to do something nice for a person? This woman at the Drive Thru place didn’t even know me. 

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *Most of them seemingly understood Y/n's frustration. The only two who didn't were Malleus and Floyd, but they listened hoping to understand*

Y/n: *Looks at the casket with tears falling down their eyes. Their town is full of anger as they point at themselves* I’m your son! All I had was you! 

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *Were even more worried as they see Y/n start to cry and hear the desperation in their voice*

Y/n: *Their town shifts to a more happy tone, but its a light happinesss.* I have this friend. And right around when I first met her, her dad died, and I actually went with her to the funeral. And months later, she told me that she didn’t understand why she was still upset, because she never even liked her father.

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, and Grimm: *All look at Yuu wanting to know if he knew of Y/n's friend and who she was*

Yuu: *Ignores the stares of the others and just watches Y/n intentivley, trying to memorize every detail so he could help Y/n decompress afterwards*

Y/n: *Smiles sadly, not knowing where to land their gaze* It made sense to me, because I went through the same thing when my dad died. And I’m going through the same thing now.

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, and Grimm: *Were all curious, wanting to know more on how Y/n handled their father's death*

Yuu: *Only listened on knowing exactly what Y/n went through when their father died because Y/n told him*

Y/n: *Eyes widen once more, finding a connection between something an their mother's death* You know what it’s like? It’s like that show Becker, you know, with Ted Danson? I watched the entire run of that show, hoping that it would get better, and it never did. It had all the right pieces, but it just—it couldn’t put them together.

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, and Grimm: *All have a curious stare at Y/n and Yuu not knowing what Becker was or what Y/n was talking about, but seemingly understanding the sentamet of the connection*

And when it got canceled, I was really bummed out, not because I liked the show, but because I knew it could be so much better, and now it never would be. And that’s what losing a parent is like. It’s like Becker.

Aduece duo *look at Yuu with curious eyes.*

Ace: *Speaks first as his hand is still on Yuu's shoulder* What's Becker?

Yuu: *Doesn't look at the Aduece duo, only focused on Y/n. Speaks in a hushed town* It's a show. I'll explain what it's about to everyone later...

Y/n: *Shudders through the tears trying to finish the connection to the show they just mentioned and the moment going on right now* Suddenly, you realize you’ll never have the good relationship you wanted, and as long as they were alive, even though you’d never admit it, part of you, the stupidest goddamn part of you, was still holding on to that chance. And you didn’t even realize it until that chance went away.

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *They all have a sympathetic gaze on Y/n, some trying to understand what Y/n meant.*

Riddle and Yuu: *Seemingly were the only two who understood Y/n's desires for a better relationship witht heir mother*

Y/n: *Looks at the casket with tears in their eyes and a frustrated tone as all their friends watched* My mother is dead...And everything is worse now because now I know I will never have a mother who looks at me from across a room and says, “Y/n L/n, I see you.”

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *All gasped, minus Yuu, at Y/n's statement about their mother's death. They all felt more saddened at what Y/n had admitted to wanting to be seen*

Y/n: *Takes a deep breath as tears still roll down their cheeks* But I guess it’s good to know. It’s good to know that there is nobody looking out for me, that there never was, and there never will be.

Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *They start to feel guilty because they want to be there for Y/n, the way Y/n wants them to be there.*

Y/n: *sighs and wipes their tears away, finally accepting the realization they had* No, it’s good to know that I am the only one that I can depend on. And I know that now, and it’s good. It’s good that I know that. So… it’s good my mother is dead.

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *All shocked but try not to make any noise. They watch and see Y/n trail off trying to end the eulogy. They also feel upset that Y/n feels so alone and that they need to feel independent. Malleus feels the worst because he doesn't understand how Y/n feels.*

Y/n: *ends the eulogy and sighs, walking out of the room not wanting to face anyone*

Housewardens, vice housewardens, Aduece duo, Yuu, and Grimm: *Watches Y/n leave, unsure if they should follow or not.*

A/n: This is part my Bojack Horseman brainrot so I'm happy this is the first post! Hope it made you sad? idk it made me tear up a bit. This is part of the Free Churro monologue in the Bojack Horseman Episode Free Churro which is Episode 6 Season 5.

Taglist: @nightshade-clown

Do not repost or translate without my explicit permission! Reblogs are welcome!

[johannestevans]

rewatching M3gan with a friend and considering like... the theme of parenting and caregiving and people's desire to not take responsibility for caregiving and social responsibility and delegate those tasks to technology

like I don't feel that M3gan is actually hugely anti-tech compared to a lot of other films and tv series in this space, but its criticism is so much keener and like.

is all about distance between people, lack of community and responsibility

like just the fact that cady in the car with her parents, the mother and father are arguing right in front of her, but the mother is going about limiting screentime and the father's basically going "Oh but if she didn't have that, she wouldn't shut up"

the purpose of the toy and the ipad is not to bring their daughter joy or to entertain her or anything else in the dad's mind - the purpose of the toy is to keep her occupied so that they, her parents, can think about her and her care as little as possible

esp bc the aunt is such an irresponsible person who like... makes toys for kids, but doesn't see kids as full human beings and doesn't care about the ethics or study of them? like, eavesdropping on kids w a machine learning model is unethical

but she obviously doesn't give a fuck about that, and it's obvious the way she talks to cady and about her, the way she snaps about toys, doesn't purchase anything for her or plan ahead bc she's focused on work etc, like. there's no consideration

she's rude af to her neighbour but also like. the conversation where she goes "control your dog" and the neighbour goes "i just spend 80 dollars on a shock collar"

aka, i spent money on a device that doesn't train or care for my dog for me

shock collars, like pretty much any negative reinforcement, doesn't work on dogs or cats outside of specific situations, and electro shocking your dog just randomly when it is "bad" ISN'T training it. it's just teaching your dog sometimes it will be tortured, randomly

but it's a stopgap used by irresponsible, unethical owners who want to make their dogs "good" as fast as possible without learning about dog behaviour or training, and ideally not paying attention to them

and cady is. an incredibly mild-mannered and self-effacing child. she sits placidly and obediently when she has NO TOYS in the house, watching TV, bc she doesn't know or feel confident playing or exploring otherwise

like when she says "It's okay" to her aunt about not having anything is ridiculous bc it's NOT okay

i think the child protection agent has a horrible attitude, esp when she makes a judgy comment about someone being in their PJs in their own house

but also when she goes "i just unpacked them this morning, i don't think she plays with them anymore" about cady having toys is SUCH a lie but like... it's once again about not taking responsibility for her actions as a caregiver

also the fact that nicole was homeschooling this poor fucking girl like. no wonder she's frighteningly self-effacing and not at all wilful as a child, and why she's so utterly LONELY

like it's interesting seeing her play with the toys and robotics stuff and how engaged Cady is because it is her like, actively teaching her about the subject and engaging, and the thing is like

I don't think gemma is inherently bad or cold for having collectables or not having books in her house, her home is quite soulless but she's obviously into this kind of stuff and that's not nbd

what sucks is that like. she's terrible at socialising with anybody, not just her niece, but EVERYONE - she's a stereotypical autistic in tech, and i think it's easy to criticise her more bc people assume that bc she's a woman she has to be More Maternal or whatever but like

it's not just her relationship with Cady that's distant, it's her relationships with everyone EXCEPT technology - because technology she can control, she can shut down whenever she feels like it, she doesn't have to consider respect or autonomy, let alone giving them grace to make mistakes or learn and develop, or learn about her as she's learning about them

it's one-sided and she gets to control the entire thing, which is the opposite of a caregiving relationship

[br1ghtestlight]

Hi friend :) rewatching Father Of the bob and it made me wonder about the kids' and Big Bob's relationship. Do you got any headcanons and the like about that? (Sorry if you've already talked about it)

I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT BIG BOB AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE KIDS i have peppered them throughout my posts and fanfics but i will expand on them a bit here >:)

i don't think bob ever went fully no contact with big bob but there was definitely a decade or two where they didn't live together and almost Never spoke except for big bob occasionally calling him to say happy birthday or whatever. when tina was born I think bob realized that he did want his dad to be in his kids lives in some way (yes they had linda's parents as their other set of grandparents but even back then i think bob KNEW they were shitty people and would be bad gransparents) he wanted them to have a good grandpa so he kinda introduced him into the kids lives

big bob was definitely nervous about being around these small and easily influenced humans even if he didn't outwardly express that. tina was the sweetest little baby so getting along w/ her was easy but gene and louise were definitely more stressful. and bcuz big bob was still busy with work he barely ever saw them anyway. but he did TRY to be a good grandpa by sending them birthday & christmas presents and giving them money every time they visited. trying to be a grandpa in the only way he knew how :(

could explore in another post how al and gloria are the WORST grandparents and how it's strongly implied that tina gene and louise don't actually like them (if you compare how they interact with linda's parents vs big bob its clear that they are tolerating al and gloria at most while they genuinely look forward to spending time with big bob and WANT to see him. can't even say it's because of bob influencing them to dislike linda's parents bcuz he openly hates his dad too lmao) but in comparison to them big bob really does correct so many of the mistakes he made w/ bob when it comes to his grandkids (to quote alice talking about gertie "she's a better grandmother than a mother you gotta trust me")

he's physically affectionate with them and he spoils them!!! he actually pays attention to their individual interests (watching gene's music performance and looking at louise's display of burobu cards, and seemingly getting her gifts specifically related to her interest in them for her birthday and christmas) and talks to them. compare that with al and gloria who literally got the kids a regifted book about staying active in retirement for christmas one year (with a whole chapter about sex with Actual pictures and examples which is fucked up) they're literally the worst ugh

and big bob's efforts with the kids seem to pay off bcuz they look forward to spending time with him :) they're always excited and I genuinely think it isn't only because he gives them money when they see him. they just like spending time with him!! "He's a good grandpa" and he bakes them cookies and worries about them and their futures <3 THEY'RE THE REASON HE BELIEVES THAT THE WORLD WILL BE OKAY. HE THINKS THEY'LL BE ABLE TO FIX THINGS?????

anyway some specific headcanons about his dynamics with each of the kids:

he definitely gets along the most easily with tina. they're similar people in the way that bob and tina are similar (except that tina is more positive than either of them lol) and they enjoy doing more lowkey activities together compared to louise or gene. they might enjoy baking cookies or doing puzzles together :) definitely a good thing that she was his first grandchild bcuz she was always kind and quiet and easy to get along with and it made him more confident in his abilities. Whenever he sees a horse themed item at a thrift store or whatever he buys it and gives it to tina the next time she visits!! that's how she got quite a few of her porcelain horses when she was younger (even if maybe decorative porcelain horses were not the best idea ever for a seven year old tina took very good care of them u_u gene and louise not so much. rip)

gene is probably the grandchild that he finds it the hardest to relate to just because they're such DIFFERENT people. gene is so effeminate and unashamed of himself and his emotions which is pretty much the opposite of how big bob was taught to be as a kid and how he raised bob. he never had daughters so its easier for him to relate to tina and louise bcuz they're almost like a blank slate?? he sees so much of what he did wrong with parenting bob when it comes to gene :( But they eventually find some common ground with gene's love of music and performing. big bob will tell gene about his favorite songs and records from when he was younger & he'll listen to all of gene's performances when he visits

louise is the most.... complicated for big bob? she reminds him SO MUCH of lily in everything from her personality to her pink hat. it definitely took him a few years to get over that and begin to see louise as her own person and stop projecting that trauma onto her (not intentionally but its just hard when you lose someone and then suddenly they're There again and they're your grandaughter) luckily louise is easy to love and her bold personality makes herself VERY known. he could not ignore her. he loves how spunky she is and how unashamed she is of herself (all his grandkids really) and he definitely thinks she's gonna grow up to do something great in the world. they don't have that much to bond over tbh he just let's louise take the lead and he does whatever she wants him to do. he just likes spending time with his granddaughter <3

definitely think that the kids have started seeing big bob more since his relationship with bob has been repaired a bit so i can imagine that connection will only grow stronger!!!!

[veryferaldistributions]

“My Two Dads” was Simply Ahead of its Time: A Short Essay by an Offspring of Same-Sex Parents

In 1987, the show “My Two Dads” premiered on NBC, staring Paul Reiser, Greg Evigan, Staci Keanan, and Florence Stanley. Nicole Bradford (Keanan) is a 12-year-old girl whose mother Marcy Bradford dies suddenly, and she is “willed” more or less to two men her mother was once in love with, Michael Taylor (Reiser) and Joey Harris (Evigan), who were lifelong friends before they fought over Nicole’s mother. Despite attempts at blood tests, the paternity of the child was never confirmed, and after a rocky start, Michael and Joey agree to live together and raise Nicole as a family.

What we have here is a simple, relatively family friendly, prime-time sitcom that shows a very positive interpretation of a kid with same-sex parents. And it is delightful.

I am speaking openly as a queer person raised by two mothers (now four w/step-moms). When I decided to try this, I was bracing myself for the absolute worst most offensive thing I’d ever seen.

And I swear to God, what I got instead is one of my new favorite shows of all time. The characters are lovable and well-rounded, the acting is great, the humor is actually funny, and, whether this was intentional or not, is one of the most progressive shows of its time.

I keep seeing people throwing around the word “homophobic” with this show, and I’m here to politely and firmly disagree with that. Instead, I will opt for the word “dated.” “My Two Dads” was still a product of its time, so I firmly believe many of the choices regarding Joey and Michael’s dating life were made to appease the censors. I never felt like any decision was made in malice to target the queer community. (Not to mention, I could/will make a whole LIST of reasons why Michael and Joey are 100% in love, if not an active couple, despite many attempts to convince the audience they are straight.)

I spent a good chunk of the show laughing to myself and saying “it’s like homosexuality doesn’t even exist in this universe” for how much NOBODY cares about Nicole having two dads or questioning why the dads live together. (Them being potentially gay is only questioned ONCE in the series.)

In the 90s and early 2000s, people never shut up with the questions once I told them I had two moms. I somewhat think this exclusion was also a writing tactic, not wanting Nicole to have to constantly repeat what the audience already knows.

There are jokes that haven’t aged amazingly well, but I feel like it was much more that the writers were ignorant as opposed to being active bigots.

I also really appreciated this show’s depiction of a kid who has a great and loving relationship with a parent she may not be or isn’t biologically related to. Nicole doesn’t care who her biological father is, and loves Joey and Michael equally. Again, as someone with two moms, I get really defensive over the notion that someone isn’t your real parent unless their DNA matches yours. (Side note, always say “biologically related to” as opposed to “REAL parent” whenever asking someone about their parentage. Please. It hurts every time.)

If I admittedly had one qualm about the show, I’d say it hasn’t aged amazing in terms of sexism. Throughout the whole show, it always felt like the women Michael and Joey dated were either complete jerks or bimbos. With the women they finally end up with being boring and rushed. And they also at one point have a female boss, and…it’s pretty bad. Nicole and Judge Margaret were great (Judge being my 2nd favorite character, behind Michael.), but other female characters not so much.

But overall, I really do love this show. It’s one of those really nice warm & fuzzy shows, too (Think “Full House” with slightly funnier writing. Yeah, I said it!). I really wish more queer viewers would try it.

[herofics]

Heyy, I'M OBSESSED with your Dabi x teen reader fics. So I was wondering if u could do Dabi x teen reader that has heavy trauma from her mother? (Like she was emotionally abusive towards her) So now she has really low self esteem and even though she doesn't mention it to Dabi he kind of notices... Like what would he do in his own hands off way?

Tyy (P.S: If ur uncomfortrable w this request please don't be forced to write it!!)

Thank you, I’m glad you like my writing! So I’m assuming you mean this post and this post? I wrote more in the same theme, focusing more on the abusive/neglectful mom angle and how relatable that would be for Dabi. One of the previous ones is already about Dabi as a big brother of sorts, so this is not as much about that. This would be set before the roommate post that’s linked above, if there has to be a timeline

•You never really had a good relationship with your mother

•No matter what you did, you were never good enough, nothing you ever did was enough for her, no matter how hard you tried

•This of course didn’t do any favors for your mental health and the trauma just kept accumulating

•You’ve spent most of your time with the League for a while now and you avoided going home at all cost

•You’re not the most open type, but what little you did say about your mother, painted a very negative picture

•Dabi isn’t really the type to open up either, but he does like to complain, a lot

•He hasn’t exactly opened up about his past, but you do know he didn’t have a good relationship with either of his parents, especially his father

•As your self-esteem deteriorated, you started acting more carelessly and by the time you met the League you were in a pretty bad way

•Dabi ended up taking note of this, and while he didn’t really give you more confidence or anything, he complained at you and scolded you when you did stupid shit like got too careless around cops or something

•It’s his way of showing he cares

•Dabi does care quite a lot about the League and its members, some more so than others and he does consider you a friend and someone he wants to protect

•He knows what it’s like to have a shitty parent and while he doesn’t like playing therapist or anything, he will lend an ear if you’re having a particularly hard time, but that’s a pretty rare occasion

•He’ll listen, but the only advice you’ll really get from him is “Why don’t you just kill her, or ruin her financially or somethin? Your mom’s a piece of shit”

•He doesn’t really care if you think he’s too harsh, because he feels like you need to hear that your mother is actually a piece of shit and that she’s not allowed to treat you like that, just because she’s your mother

•Opposed to what a lot of other people are telling you which is “She’s your family, you need to get along” or some other crap like that

•Dabi doesn’t really believe blood means much when it comes to family, you don’t need to be related to be family

•Besides, his experience with family and parents is that they eventually let you down and that he too was better off finding his own people

•He doesn’t think everyone’s family is total shit, but he’s convinced a lot of them are, because that seems to be the experience of everyone around him

•You appreciate his honesty and hearing that you don’t deserve to be treated like shit just because it’s coming from someone who supposedly loves you, is kind of freeing

•Even if it comes with offers to burn your mother, her house or both

[raayllum]

yeah my bad, honestly forgot that he was half asian (I have not interacted w the show or fandom in a while, so thats on me tbh), but I definitely agree with your input. I know that Callum is the main character, so he’s going to get more love and attention, same as Rayla, especially since Rayllum is the main couple (not dissing on them or the ship ofc) but it really upsets me when I look for art/fics of Ezran he’s either A) with Callum or B) in the background of something Rayllum related and in fics i rarely ever see solo fics of just him, he’s either in the background of rayllum or being their therapist or something like that

TDP has done a good job when it comes to portraying their characters of color, and its nice to see POC in positions of power for once (Harrow, Ez, Janai, Anaya, Kasef, etc), I just wish that the fandom as a whole would do the same thing yknow?

I’ll get out of your askbox for now, but this was definitely something that was weighing on me for a while lol

Omg you're all good! That's actually why I've run two Ezran Appreciation Weeks (although I still need to finish my fics for the second one, but life got unexpectedly super busy) and why I use the tag Ezran centric for fics that well, focus primarily on him and his relationships, rather than him being in a supportive or background role. I still wanna write a fic about him and Janai (maybe I can work it into a speculative S5 piece, since it seems like maybe we'll get to see them on screen together, and they had a Lot of parallels in S4).

But yeah there are definitely people in the fandom who aren't open to critique in how they treat Ezran. I once pointed out that hey, most of the time when his character is incorrectly tagged in a post, it's almost always in relation to his brother. Did not go over well, but I don't really care. It was still worth saying (and hopefully people will think a bit more thoughtfully about it too).

We could definitely all do more; I do my best to put dents in it when I can, but with varying degrees of success I'm sure

List of Ezran focused fics for anyone who wants em! (to the dashboard, i know i've missed some, so please feel free to add 'em)

Ezran appreciation week day 1: animals

3 shot collection on AO3

Ezran dealing with possessed Callum (post s4)

Opeli & Ezran drabble 1

Ezran & Rayla oneshot

Opeli & Ezran oneshot + future oneshots

Chessmaster Ezran oneshot

i hope i wake up young again: Soren is the “best crownguard,” ten years in the making. Ezran&Soren, 3.7k

if i am the king: then you have to let me go.“ Ezran and Corvus make their way back to Katolis, times three. 3.2k

ezran contemplates viren’s death

ezran and ethari’s first meeting (pre s4)

will not be denied: Per the monarchs of old, King Ezran is visited by Lady Justice in a dream. 1.5k, Ezran centric

can my eyes rest: otherwise known as how many autistic Ezran headcanons can I fit into one ficlet

Other relevant tags perhaps: autistic!Ezran, let Ezran be messy, chessmaster ezran, ezran's council, ezris (for ezran/ellis) and ezran x aanya, ezranedit

Upcoming Ezran projects:

Canon divergent Ezran & Kasef focused oneshot

why is it a monster: Ezran finds Aaravos' mirror first.

Ezran oneshots/drabbles about missing Rayla during the timeskip; feelings about his mother's death; bonding with Ibis in 3x09; etc.

Aforementioned Janai&Ezran parallels piece

great responsibility: Modern AU. Ezran gets bit by a radioactive spider. feat. Rayla as his boxing trainer and Callum as an overprotective big brother while he becomes the superhero he's destined to be

[skrs-cats]

Lays down

Imagine if lionblaze. Was like a tip jar

Aka if he had SOME cents /j

Soemthing that would be interesting is putting him more in the end of Squirrelflights hope, I do not like the book but I come back to it a lot of events, put him either through the whole book or around the end, when the cave collapses.

Because 1. LEAFPOOL could live theoretically and 2. I want to see lionblaze not only meet a few different people in starclan as well as I need him to tell at ALLLL the ghosts

But that's me because I think lionblaze is more interesting if he is protective of his mothers

(IM ASSUMING THE ANON IS U SORRY IF ITS NOT)

i hate this joke. i was genuinely wondering what you meant. and then you hit with a pun that made me LAUGH. the audacity.

i have to be honest ive forgotten like 98% of what happened in that book outside of bramblesquirrel DIVORCE, BIG CAT WOMEN IN UR AREA, leafpool dying, and the bit about lion saying she deserved to be loved :(

i feel like out of the three, lion could have possibly had the best relationship w their adopted parents, which is ironic for what im gonna talk about next. not to go on a little tangent, but someone once said that squirrels favorite is holly, leafpools is jayfeather, and brambleclaws is also holly LMFAO (this is the funniest shit ever. to op if ur somehow reading this. thank you for ur massive fucking brain). something about the least favored child (allegedly) being the one whos the most willing to connect with you despite all the family drama and shit. not to say that canon ever did a good job in showing that, if it ever did, but its something to think about. and its funny to me.

also i agree 100%. i want more protective lion in my life :(

as for new apprentices... im kinda surprised they havent done that yet actually! ok tbh not much. bc the amount of characters skyrocketed for some reason, i think they wanted to pit the newer generations together, but also rosepetal(rip) had like 5 apprentices. so who knows.

[see-arcane]

I think the reason some people think they never met is because Mina says that when she found him in the hospital, she saw the quiet dignity in his eyes "that I've been telling you about" gone. As if she'd tell her lucy "wait until you meet him, you'll see what I mean, but then he got caught by the horrors.

Either way, it's also funny how Lucy tells Mina "if you weren't engaged, this well-off man of good birth would have been perfect for you, about Jack. Like you don't have to rub it in that Jonny is a clerk of no birth :p (I'm sure it wasn't intentional)

The trouble with all these correspondences being letters is the same problem some folks run into with texting--if you're not already aware of the other person's demeanor/likely context, you'll lose a lot of what goes unspoken and the actual intended meaning

With the 'quiet dignity' thing, I can kind of see both sides.

A) Jonathan and Lucy haven't met yet (unlikely at this stage in their mutual relationships with Mina, but still possible) or

B) This is the exact kind of gushing stuff you Do Not bring up in front of said fiancé who would probably turn red as a tomato if he was there to witness it. Despite him gladly listening to everyone swoon over how awesome Mina is. I see you, Mr. Hypocrite. It's the kind of thing that's usually reserved for talking about while the person-talked-about isn't in the room to get flustered. Jonathan would probably ruin the dignified description on purpose by trying to hide in his hat.

As to Lucy faux-matchmaking Mina and Jack, I can read that pretty easily as her own running bit picked up from what she's no doubt witnessed her friends go through, to say nothing of herself, when it comes to 'bUt ThInK oF tHe PrOsPeCtS!!1!' coming from every adult, friend, and stranger who's apparently flabbergasted at these three young people--GASP--wanting to marry for love? Like titles and money AREN'T the things you're supposed to worry about first?? W h a t???

So I imagine that bit in Lucy's letter was meant to be read in the tone of some pearl-clutching advice peddler (perhaps unconsciously in the tone of her own mother, but that's its own mess to address) trying to rid Mina of silly notions like romance and an established happy relationship that she and her beloved have been planning for since childhood which surely cannot compare to suddenly throwing herself at [INSERT WELL-OFF BACHELOR SHE'S NEVER MET BEFORE HERE] for the prospects~.

...And maybe, just maybe, it's an offshoot of Miss Lucy 'Polyamory sounds rad as hell actually' Westenra trying to subtly push her, "Wouldn't it be so funny if we were all in love and together en masse? Ha ha! Just kidding! (Unless 👀)" agenda into things.

Regardless, I can't picture a version of this story where Mina never bothered to introduce both her loves to each other. The rest we just have to extrapolate and imagine for ourselves

[brookheimer]

honestly as someone who's had a kid pregnancy and motherhood def changed me and forced me to reconcile w upbringing and heal childhood trauma/stop generational trauma. I feel for shiv tho bc what mother role models has she got or even friends who have kids ??? the roys dont even have a Cool Aunt figure. i really hope its not like "shiv doesnt wanna be in the running anymore shes a mother now"

but i can see her priorities changing and her focusing on herself/retreating inwards idk just rambling !!

oh man if they pull the “shiv doesn’t wanna be ceo she’s a mother now” card i will brain them with fucking hammers fr. like i am nooottttt arguing for that in the mf SLIGHTEST i just want shiv to keep being shiv, keep being angry and machiavellian and ambitious and manipulative and aggressive and all of that, but also to be allowed to let herself love or want a family or whatever if she so desires!! like that’s the whole point, i don’t want it to be another Motherhood Vs Career thingy aka symbolically Woman Vs Man bc that’s so reductive and frustrating and people r much more complex than that and it’s not like oh you get an abortion you have officially chosen career/masculinity oh you have a kid you have officially chosen family/femininity like that’s not how real people, real lives, work! so yeah no if they do that, jesse armstrong will be receiving a VERY strongly worded letter . to say the least

but no like i completely agree!!! and this is such a helpful perspective too like… people are acting like pregnancy is just a tool to devalue women or rob them of autonomy which is so bizarre because there are so many incredibly wonderful strong powerful autonomous women who are pregnant or have kids or want kids, just there are so many incredibly wonderful strong powerful autonomous women who don’t!!! there’s just so much pressure on both ends of the spectrum especially considering where you’re coming from, you really just have to do what’s right for you! because, like, you don’t stop being a person when you become a mother. allllll your old shit is still present but as you said it also doesn’t, like, freeze in time — you can grow and heal and live your own life! motherhood isn’t innately an end to freedom or personhood or autonomy. like, i’m saying this as someone who can’t really imagine having kids so i’m not some pronatalist weirdo like some ppl clearly think i am, but pregnancy is just another development in life sometimes, and life keeps going and so do you! it’s not like you have to stop and hand Living down to your kid once you have one. and as you said there’s a lot of healing possible in it too!

that being said i literally cannot picture shiv as a mother but i also think that’s because she can’t picture herself as a mother — even if she and tom had kids, she’d hand tom a baby bjorn and go curse at someone on the phone (which is actually incredibly fucking relatable for yours truly, ngl). she hasn’t had any good female role models (or male, but the male role models have taught her to hate the female ones who already sucked to begin with) like her relationship with caroline is devastating and fascinating and i so so so want to see more of it. and like i’m not saying shiv has to or should become a mother or anything, just that i think pregnancy kind of forces her to step back and remember that holy shit she’s her own person outside of a waystar puppet so who the fuck is that person gonna be? like. i just want to see her having to come to terms w that and think ab herself outside of the context of waystar, even (almost especially) if it leads her to make no changes in her life whatsoever! it’s not the actual outcome of the pregnancy plotline i’m excited for but the potential it holds for exploration of shiv’s interiority which is something she’s so far been pretty allergic to exploring

anyways i’m rambling too lolol but yes super cool to get a take on this from someone who’s actually, ya know. been pregnant? and had a kid? and yeah if they like change her character as a result and turn her into Mom Mode <3 i’m shooting someone. but it’s a little silly to think that they will — people have said time and time again that jesse’s guiding thesis is that people don’t really change. so if shiv ends up having a come to jesus motherhood anti-ambition moment i will literally eat my hat like that’s just unimaginable to me for this show so i think it’ll just be a vehicle for character exploration rather than a catalyst for Immense Sudden Change

[corruptimles]

I'd love that actually, hearing other people's takes is fun !! (most of the time anyway)

Yeee okay so again I haven't watched the last 2 3 eps yet so who knows if any of these points would change but I'll expand on my last answer below

For some more context, here's which KR shows I've watched to compare to: Kuuga, Blade, Hibiki*, W, OOO, Fourze, Gaim, Ghost*, Ex-aid, Build,. Zero-One, Revice, Geats*, Amazons*, Black Sun*

* means I'm still in the middle of them. Everything else I've at least watched the first two episodes for. I've not seen any of Showa yet.

Spoiler warnings ahead for: Geats up to ep 46, some of Kuuga, Fourze, Ex-Aid, and Gaim

Warning this is a LONG answer

It's done some things that I wasn't expecting from KR, at least from a Reiwa/Heisei 2 style. Heisei 1 had its serious/scary moments since those leaned more into the J-Drama side but those were yearsss ago so seeing it in Geats was an interesting whiplash (SPOILER: referring to some scenes/revelations that surrounded child death and existentialism)

Neon Neon Neon Neon the girl ever

She was unknowingly wished into the world to replace a murdered daughter. Her dream to have real genuine love because of her unkind parents suddenly feels further out of her reach. She was created at the suffering of others, clearly it's almost selfish to want something for herself, right?

We are originally introduced with version of her backstory where she was in a hostage situation. A saved 8yr old Neon is returned to her family.

And then the scene gets re-contextualized with Beroba revealing that it was all fabricated, and the flashback replays anew, where Akari in a body bag is brought out instead. This is the most explicit visual an focus of a child death they've had in a main series lately. The scene of her running to her mom's arms is replaced with the dead silence of a mother in grief. Everything up to this point with Neon and her parent's actions are in a new horrifically understandable light. This leads into so so so much for Neon as she struggles w the meaning of her own existence, desires, and relation to the child she replaced.

(again I say lately because some v-cinemas can get violent, Amazons and Black Sun are violent, and Kuuga is a main series that had a horrific serial killer type situation and suicides but that was 20+ years ago. Closest thing for Heisei 2/Reiwa of a human death was Gentarou dying in Fourze because you watch as his heart stops beating. Other human deaths have like. a character fading into sparkles, going off screen, or turning into the monster and then exploding)

Her relationship with her parents? Complicated. Fascinating. Riveting. Really compelling. A suffocating mother that wants her daughter to stay at home, follow the rules, never stray from her, later revealed to be fuelled from nearly losing her daughter in that hostage situation. When she gets her memory back, realizing her memory of Akari was rewritten with this stranger, that's not her daughter because her daughter died 11 years ago. She yells at her, pushes her away, only to struggle again because isn't she just losing a daughter again? but that's not her daughter except she is but.,, and it's hard! She's not a good person, she's controlling, her grief doesn't justify that, but she's so complex. Her father? losing the ability to love the day he lost his daughter. He fabricates a new one, one for him and his wife to raise but for him, as a successor to the business, not as a daughter. To secure his position. But he was still mourning, really. He focuses on Neon as a means to an end because he's still mourning Akari.

And it's not simply that the Kurama family reunites after realizing their wrongs! It took time! It took discussion and breathing room. When Neon left, it's not that she fully cuts ties, because that's not that easy. Eleven years is still eleven years. She sees her mother one last time, her father in prison, laments how he is unable to love.They're all deeply traumatized and going through revelation after revelation. Neon doesn't hate them, she understands the situation. It's alien. It's not fair. The parents don't hate her. They sit and talk to each other about this! She's still a kid they brought into this world. A child that grew up with them for eleven years. That's eleven years they couldn't truly love her because of the loss of Akari, whether intentional or subconsciously. They explicitly discuss with each other that they owe love to Neon. They acknowledge Neon's desire for true love is because they've been depriving her of that. They could do better and they want to do better.

The Kurama family had a premise that was grave and emotional and the resolution was handled with a maturity that could've easily been done hand-waved in a lighter, shallower beat. It's not new for characters that'd done awful things to be forgiven rather easily in these kinda shows which like, I get it, but,, But no, the Kurama parents still remain complicated people that did wrong and know they did wrong and it's not an easy fix, especially for the mother's controlling behaviour because that's trauma, but they're given the chance to start that I like a whole lot

[deletes my even further paragraphs about why Neon is my favourite rider girl]

I do have nitpicks but not enough to really ruin the experience for me. To be vague, it's about an arc's relevance/writing,

The Among Us Dezastar arc feels the weakest by far. It just felt so strange to me. I know it was important to introduce new cast (Daichi) and I think challenge how much characters are willing to do to win (Neon) but it could've been less awkward?

There's whiplash from the reveal that everything was in fact, a show, that their actions are broadcast as entertainment, not to really save anyone to whatever this arc was They were just kinda, hanging around? Compared to how other revelations were treated in the future, this just felt so jarring to follow up with. I thought they were gonna lean into the reality show aspect more to get into even more characterization but...

After everything Ace, Keiwa, and Neon went through, especially the last episode's scene defeating Girori, into the introduction to the new DPG where they not just ignore Keiwa as a funnee, have the weird Girls vs Boys thing, or Girls vs Boys vs Keiwa because we bully Keiwa now, that was all just kinda weird

I know Neon kinda had to throw someone under the bus because she was the culprit but there were so many scenes that just shoved Keiwa around just cuz. The revelation he had about the Jyamato acting like dead participants was serious but they're like noooo sorry you're sus loser :/ At least Ace was neutral on the matter cuz he been-knew, but man...

a specific character's writing,

Keiwa again :( I love Keiwa! But out of our main 3 (Ace, Neon, Keiwa) he has the strangest writing by the last half

He has such a strong start but then gets pushed down when the other characters are the story focus. You can have the other characters in the spotlight without needing to belittle and make fun of another. From Dezastar Arc onwards, he got fairly side-lined until the my next few points

Him getting mad at Ace for his mother being the Goddess was just, so unprecedented? Again he's been with Ace for a long while now but the 180 to 'HOW COULD YOU?' when even Ace just learned this. Ace just learned his mother was suffering as the Goddess and Keiwa, notably empathetic and world peace Keiwa, immediately went to blame rather than any sort of consolation or attempt to understand the situation.

I won't say Keiwa is not allowed to be angry or complex but they had set him up for like 70% of the series as the good hearted one, to the point that his devil in the crossover movie was still him wanting peace for others

on a related note, he did it again with Michinaga! Michinaga blaming himself for killing Keiwa's sister despite not knowing is interesting, but Keiwa once again goes over the fact the other guy is feeling just as terrible. I'm not saying Keiwa would be okay with his sister dying but he immediately treats Michinaga as if he actively, knowingly, killed his sister If this wasn't after having the exact same level of reaction to Ace's mother, it probably wouldn't feel as bad, but it did, so it felt like a 'here we go again'

Which leads to his Bad Guy arc which is not inherently bad as a concept. It's might as well after the stress they've already added to him. A character that's full of fairly naive hope losing the last family he has, learning that the system he's in has taken away his loved ones again, getting devastated and desperate when he has to listen to them die again just when he thought he had his life back I love the idea that "i want everyone to be happy but that means me too, what's the point if it's not mine and my family's too'. It's a neat take on that type of desire! But the execution was not a descent or even escalation, it was just another flip like the last two - Clothing change. Not the worst. It happened to Mitsuzane, who went from good kid to delusional fratricide. It happened to Jin, it happened to Hiiro w/ Masamune, it's just cheesy wardrobe change. (I'm going to personally believe Kekera had a part in this because he was shaping Keiwa into the rider he wanted him to be) I do wish Keiwa kept the new hair actually, it was cute lol - New edgy af henshin. Stop cracking ya knuckles. Goofy. Not the worst again, but in combination w the clothes kinda takes me out of it -overall edgy af mannerisms and movements -treatment of Tsumuri Everything escalated, he became desperate, was being manipulated, so capturing Tsumuri and making her use her new creation powers is understandable. The idea of him actively taking advantage of her empathy to his pleas and tears (which were probably real tbh) to get a new item? That's sick of him but in both a cool and awful way. What I cannot handle as an active choice from Keiwa? The god. The freakign. The classic creepy face caress when Tsumuri was imprisoned. Why did he do that!? Literally no reason!! It was just weird!! He's depressed and angry, not automatically a creep???!?! It can't really be justified as him like, mentally breaking, because it doesn't add up w literally anything else he's done. Especially when he looks normal again. We're just gonna ignore that happened? He went so close to her face so much. It felt unnecessary. Who told him to do that. Whaddahell.

I firmly believe are other ways to portray a character being threatening and aside from the overdone touchy creep(tm) style.

So just all of that in combination and in such a short amount of time was over the top. If we had to do the bad guy arc, I think we could've had more of the crocodile tears thing he had. Sad, pathetic but manipulating/guilt-tripping. We don't have much bad guys like that.

and a more inconsequential thing like lack of some specific character designs.

where are Kamen Rider Lancer and Kamen Rider Garun's designs!!! where are they!!

It has a consistent belt/power-up gimmick and is surprisingly versatile despite people only using the same one or two belt type

Realized how often I use the word 'consistent' lol. It's just one of my pet peeves if rider/power systems are just, thrown away, and people start getting belts and forms up the wazoo w no decent explanation. [deletes a bunch of typing here] That's another few paragraphs worth of explanation so I'll shorten it to this: it makes it less tv show and more toy commercial, if that makes sense.

After discussing this further w a friend I realized these points ^ only exist because I was watching this fresh outta Revice and unfortunately Revice had frustrated me quite a lot so that's something I'll spare you of for now

So those are the ups and criticisms I can recall for now. I still would probably have Geats up there on my personal favourites though. Despite how much I love Fuwa and Aruto, I like the overall story for Geats over Zero-One out of the Takahashi stuffs. Ex-aid is still higher overall. I'll need to finish those last few episodes and movie before deciding where I'll place Geats in my overall KR list.

[shy-forceghost]

omg, re: aroace jillian, yesss, i am like: (see below meme) w you over the hc, it’s galaxytier, always one of my favs

do you have any other aspec hcs for other wn characters? personally i like to hc camila & mother superion, and a good chunk of the ocs as ace and/or aro without realizing it, they just think god’s being super helpful and helping them avoid ‘temptation’ lmao

i also love aspec lilith hcs and alternate between aro sapphic jillian and aroace jillian, and alternate between aro bi lilith, ace bi lilith, aroace, or aroace bi lilith depending on the mood

and then i love ace, gray or demi ace beatrice & aro, demi aro or gray aro ava hcs

also love hcing em as qprs

Hahaha loved the meme. WN really uniting people out there right?

Also thank you for this question and sorry in advance because you just opened my bottomless trunk of rants :D

god’s being super helpful and helping them avoid ‘temptation’ it's the ultimate catholic aroace girl experience (been there haha)

I also hc Camila as aspec, the scene when she says "how hot" Todd is just serves me to reassure the fact that nuns aren't blind haha, they can experience attraction (independently of gender, see my other hcs) but at the end they've taken the decision of remain celibate -or not- and that comes from their personal values/principles, regardless of attraction of any kind. * I think Camila doesn't overthink in terms of attraction because it isn't something that common for her, therefore not "that hard" for her to ignore it.

Mother Superion is one of those characters I don't feel we have enough info in order to hc her orientation, and I don't feel comfortable doing so when that happens. Honestly I see her as straight haha, one of the clearest examples of women who actually experience attraction but their love, faith, and desire for service were stronger. That happens and it's ok. Same case with Yasmine.

I'm more inclined by aroace Jillian (she never mentions romance or sexual attraction in any way), but I can see why some hc her as sapphic. In KTY's words "whatever goats your boat :D"

Yes for aspec sapphic Lilith as in "she might or might not be attracted to girls but doesn't mind, because she's just focused in other things".

And yeees! demi Bea for the win <3 There's actually an amazing fic that explores asexual Beatrice and how that happens alongside her being a lesbian (i.e. how both identities can go by hand and how religious trauma doesn't "cause" asexuality). I can't remember the name but it must be somewhere in my blog under the ace beatrice tag

I'm not entirely sure if I'll hc Ava as acespec or arospec. She actually seems -to me- like that one character of the complete opposite of the spectrum haha, either pan or bi.

*the conversation of attraction and religious women its is actually something I find deeply interesting. Having grown in a religious environment (read: being close with nuns haha) I can assure you that there's as much variety of orientations as in any other community. More than once a nun had told me that "they can find someone attractive, they just don't act about it ;)". Many had relationships before joining the church, one thing doesn't change the other.

I think that the idea that, historically, many many nuns have been queer (mostly sapphic and aspec) comes from the fact that from a very long time, religious life was the only "acceptable" role a woman couldn't take that didn't require her to marry a man. It was also a way to guarantee themselves certain grade of freedom and education, but that's a conversation for another time because this has already gotten too long and I'm digressing from your original question.

[draftingtides]

just reread the giver quartet so i figured id watch the movie since i remembered liking it when i watched it as a teen but it was NOT as good as i remembered heres a list of my thoughts

dislike that hes an adult

dislike how big the community is. it was supposed to be way smaller, they only had 50 people in each year

dislike how much they pushed the scifi angle, one of the standout features of the novels was that they were a fantasy dystopia. and those houses r supposed to be suburbia HOAcore not modern cube

i liked that they paid more attention to including music in the things jonas learned about, but calling it "hearing beyond" didnt make much sense

i kind of liked that fiona was willing to do stuff like the "sled" ride? in any community like there, there's never only going to be one person who gets curious/butts up against the rules

i like the mark identifying the people who can be receivers more than the blue eyes, making a character special because they have blue eyes feels kinda icky

like that gabe starts crying as soon as jonas asks if his parents love him

i actually loooved how they did the ptsd/flashback scene in the movie, though i wished they'd kept the kids playing war in

the rosemary hologram was weird and sucked

i think the rosemary flashbacks could have worked as a memory jonas received, but it just by itself didnt work

REALLY like that jonas outright said "so it's our fault" because they understand how things actually are

i don't understand the thing about the waterfall rock sculpture. why is it there whats it for whys it important

i don't like how much emphasis is added to the romantic relationship between jonas and fiona

the narration doesn't work, it's just interspersed too randomly and it's not really necessary

i was going to say i didn't like that asher tried to stop him, but i do actually really like that jonas punched him

ehhhh i don't like that the head chief can see into the giver's house/knows jonas left/tries to stop him/etc. it was important that they were so overconfident that they didn't think anyone would try to buck the system

i. dont think i like the chase scene -_- like i like that they understand any society like this would have to have a military but i just dont think it fit

i also think its stupid that they have prison cells but w/e

i like how the movie goes back to black and white when its no longer from jonas's perspective, then back to colour when he crosses the barrier

i like that lily knows the thing about the hippo being an elephant and speaks up about it

i think it's stupid that the chief lady tells asher to "lose" jonas, with the rules as the way they are he just literally wouldn't understand what she meant

this movie goes on for like half an hour longer than it should tbh

what the hell do they think the mother's JOB is she just keeps randomly showing up, shes just a lawyer why is she in all these random places

why is the dad the one killing fiona, hes supposed to work with babies wtf is he doing here

why does the chief elder know about starving and war and stuff? i thought the point was no one actually knows except jonas and the giver

i like how the memories remembered are both happy AND sad

but like why was there no reaction from anyone when they got the memories back? they all just sat there completely still?

what the hell is that credits music