#ship what you want but the point of that episode seemed clear to me idk

[shoechoe]

im not particularly into romantic ships !! (but i like contributing 2 ask games) sooo hmm... whats ur favorite canon friendship or dynamic ? or one u'd like to see in jjba?

Don't worry- I like this ask too.

I wouldn't say I have one canon (non-romantic) character dynamic in particular that I would consider my favorite, but I can list a few of them in no particular order:

-Polnareff and Abdul (I also think the ship is pretty cute)

-Diavolo and Doppio (I find this one the most fun to think & talk about for obvious reasons)

-Trish and Bruno

-Yasuho and Josuke (8) (this one was sort of implied-romantic, but I'll count it)

-Josuke (4) and Okuyasu

-Jolyne, Foo Fighters & Hermes

I also really would've liked to see what an interaction between Doppio and Trish would've looked like- both of them were criminally underused and it's a shame.

I get very excited about character dynamics, but I don't really care much for romantic ships myself either. When I say I "like" a ship, most of the time what I mean by that is if a mutual or friend is into it, I'll nod and give a thumbs up from the sidelines or maybe think "oh, that's kind of cute, sure". The only times I get the "shippy" feelings that I assume are the main appeal of shipping is if I care about one or preferably both characters very, very much, which just doesn't happen often. (Also, I get kind of irrationally territorial about characters I care about to that level, so I'd probably only trust ship art from me and a few people lol.)

[starry-eyed-steve]

What do you have against Ronance? It's clear Robin was attracted to Nancy as well as Vickie. Not only that, she jumped off a boat into monster-water for her, for goodness' sake. It's a bad-faith argument to say that people don't ship Vickie with Robin because she's a bisexual sapphic woman. Greatwise/Will and Gareth is not comparable in the slightest as that is a crack ship that never interacted. We DID have scenes with Robin and Vickie, though few.

And I'm gonna be So For Real, more people would ship Rovickie if Ronance was not there. People would devour those crumbs. But why choose crumbs, when you have a potential meal we spent a whole season with?

Okay, so this is really long, I'm sorry this took way too much time. I know I went a bit overboard. If there are any errors, please ignore lmao. Thank you for sending me an ask for a discussion. I also want to preface that I don't hate Nancy as a character, I don't like how she is written in certain situations and that the show overlooks mistakes she makes, and by pointing out those mistakes on her behalf is not me hating on her. Overall, I think she deserves better than what she is given both in the show and fandom.

First things first, Robin didn't jump into the water for Nancy. It was a delayed response after seeing her best friend being dragged under water. She's not as brave as Nancy. If we would apply the same logic, then Eddie would have jumped for Robin because he's in love with her. So no Robin jumped for Steve and should have been the first to do so, but because that scene was used for Stancy later (Eddie giving the speech to Steve in the woods) it had to be Nancy in that instance. It's really bothering me that this scene is so misread because people just don't get Robin's character. Who would you jump for, your best friend you know better than yourself or the girl you met a day ago?

The whole premise of Ronance (platonic or romantic) in s4 was so ooc for Robin, s3 Robin would have never acted the way like s4 Robin did. And I think that has something to do with what I said in the other post. We don't have enough time. There is no conflict when different groups of people come together because the show needs everyone to get along to save the world, and they couldn't elaborate on complex feelings a person might have towards others. So the show made Robin throw herself at Nancy's feet, despite thinking not too highly about her a season prior. Same with Steddie, the OG script was about how Steve and Eddie didn't get along first but it was cut out because there is no time to proper develop new relationships, even tho it would be more interesting. But again, that would mean the show would have to give us more episodes, which is unfortunately not the case.

So you see, I just don't think Robin would have acted the way she did around Nancy based on the character traits she displayed in s3. Furthermore, I will bring up Steve, which is a sensitive topic when it comes to Ronance. I don't want to come off as someone who in general makes a lesbian/sapphic relationship about a man's feelings, however because Steve has history with both girls I can't ignore him because Robin wouldn't either.

A little bit of background of Robin prior to meeting Nancy:

In s3, Robin couldn't stand Steve, and later, we found out why. It had mostly to do with her crush, Tammy Thompson, who had only eyes for him. Yeah, he was obnoxious, and Robin couldn't stand his smugness and arrogance, but the main reason was Tammy and her being kinda jealous of Steve in general because he had no problems fitting in. So she held on to this grudge against Steve for maybe even years. That tells us she doesn't forget when someone has wronged her and maybe, to an extent, her friends. Like she seems to be a person who has your back, no matter what.

Idk if you consider Rebel Robin as canon (I mean Maya narrated the podcast soo I mostly view it that way) but before Barb was Nancy's bff, she was close with Robin and later ditched her for Nancy. That in itself would leave a bad taste in Robin's mouth, and I guess she wouldn't be Nancy's biggest fan. Maybe that's why the priss comment in s3. Again, she had no problem disliking Steve because her crush liked him, but then she does an 180 with Nancy despite Barb being her actual friend leaving her for Nancy. Losing a friend to another person is much worse than a crush you never talked to, not liking you back or liking someone else.

But even if you ignore the Barb stuff and don't think it's canon, Robin still wouldn't be Nancy's biggest fan in the beginning and that has something to do with how Stancy ended and Jancy begun. You have to keep in mind Steve is Robin's bff, one if not the most important person in her life. He's everything to her she trusts him completely. He was maybe even the first person to know she was gay. Then why on earth would Robin A try to befriend Nancy, who broke his heart, and B trying to push her without a thought to get together with him again. It doesn't make any sense to me, based on how Robin was introduced.

Steve may have not any hard feelings for Nancy, maybe he only said positive things about her to Robin because he still views himself as the only person who fucked up in that relationship and not that Nancy was already in love with Jonathan for a while before things ended. Idk where you stand on the whole cheating thing, but it doesn't matter because rumors outside of the relationship would spread. Steve, the most popular guy in school, who is well liked, got left by his girlfriend of 1 year for the school freak, not even 2 days after a public fight. Like people would go crazy and Robin would have heard those rumors as well. You have to admit getting together with a new guy, not even after 48h is, I don't want to say weird, but not very cool, okay? Plus, Tommy would spread extra nasty shit because he hates Nancy and Jonathan and wants to hurt Steve as well. Robin would view her through those rumors, plus Steve having a hard time letting go, being heartbroken about it, there is no doubt in my mind that she wouldn't side eye Nancy.

Those two reasons, Barb and how Stancy ended, are the main ones as to why I think Robin was ooc for desperately wanting to befriend Nancy.

So the way I would have built up Ronance would be Robin being aloof towards her, and Nancy would have been the one who wanted to befriend her in the first place. Nancy never has to work for her relationships with others. People usually make the first move with her, so she never has to give much thought to it. Like Steve still loves her, Jonathan was ready to follow her wherever even if it endangered his family, and Fred followed her around like a lost puppy as well. And with Robin, it could have gone differently. Nancy should have made it her mission to make it up to Robin. Like she desperately wants a friend, she doesn't understand why Robin is being cold to her. By making her the instigator, Nancy would have to reflect on her mistakes and how she treated people, which would finally give her some personal character growth. Plus, it would have made the introduction to Stancy (romantic or platonic) way smoother and more balanced because Nancy never reflected on it. Steve's just available she doesn't have to make it up to him as well. Nancy never really addresses her faults in relationships, and the narrative in Stranger Things lets her off the hook every time. Letting Steve believe he was a terrible boyfriend despite liking Jonathan instead of him? No problem, no consequences. Steve still likes her. In s3 the show was again on her side when she fought with Jonathan by giving her the Karen pep talk, yes she apologized to him but she didn't understand his struggles really because she gave him the don't ever doubt me comment which kinda destroyed her apology imo. Furthermore, as soon as there was a rough patch in s4 with Jonathan, she expected him to come to her instead of going to him and fixing it because she has the financial means to do so, which indicates she still doesn't fully understand Jonathan's financial problems. Also, in general, Jonathan is terrified to tell her the truth, so he gets high to cope. It doesn't seem that he thinks Nancy is understanding.

Again, Robin could have been the person that would have made her realize wait, the way I take people for granted, and sometimes treat is wrong. Instead, we got yet another person instantly liking her and going along with everything she does, so Nancy never had to do anything for it, despite the obvious conflicts that should have arisen when they first met. But like I said before, the show doesn't have much time and focuses more on the plot, so there is no real development for characters, and everyone has to get along. I also think Stranger Things wanted a strong girl duo like Elmax, so they just threw Ronance together without conflict because they wanted to avoid drama, which would take up too much screentime. I can't emphasize the fact that Stranger Things suffers so much because it has too much plot and not enough time. Plus, I believe making Robin angry at Nancy on Steve's behalf would mean acknowledging that Stancy ended in a bad way or that Jancy maybe didn't have this cute start as a romance, but that would also mean recognizing Steve might have not been the only one who was wrong which is simply not possible. When s2 aired and people pointed out hey did Nancy cheat on Steve, did they really break up because a lot of people didn't view the fight in the ally as a break, especially because Nancy mentions she likes Steve at Murray's and Steve went to her house, the Duffers had to confirm it via interviews because I doubt they thought people would sympathize with Steve. Hence, why the narrative only blames him because they wanted the audience root for Jancy.

Long story short, I would have switched roles for platonic Ronance in the show. When it comes to romantic Ronance, that's mostly on the fandom. Everyone is allowed to ship whatever, I personally just don't think they are a good match. I don't see Nancy being patient enough with Robin's neurodivergent ways. She wouldn't handle her rambling over time very well. Nancy gets quickly irrated and snaps. Like Robin already felt the need to explain herself to her, making sure everything is okay because Nancy made her feel like her personality is too much and has faults, like her mom constantly tells her. Whereas with Vickie, she felt immediately at ease when they talked. More of that later. Robin is also poor, maybe a bit better off than Jonathan, but still, Nancy already doesn't get Jonathan's problems. Another reason is that because Steve is Robin's bff, Robin wouldn't want to date her all together. Like she sees Steve still likes her, she knows how much Nancy hurt him to a point that he is serial dating because he has like trust issues, that would immediately turn her off. Robin values Steve's friendship way too much than try to jeopardize it in any way. It's not like Steve wouldn't allow her to date Nancy, I think he would do everything to make Robin happy even if it costs his own happiness. Robin knows Steve. She would know that he would be hurt, and that's ultimately the factor that turns her off. Maya already confirmed that Robin values platonic relationships so much, so yeah. Just think about it that way. How would Robin feel if Steve suddenly would show interest in Vickie and starts dating her? That would be kinda fucked, same goes for Ronance, Robin knows Steve still likes her. I'm also a believer that you shouldn't necessarily date your bffs ex, it's just too messy especially if that relationship ended rather badly.

@findafight had this amazing post about one-sided Ronance, where they described exactly what I'm trying to convey. Nancy is the one interested, but ultimately, Robin declines because of her relationship to Steve. They also have several other posts about Ronance if you want to check it out. Another blog that discusses Ronance and has similar opinions is @thestobingirlie

What I dislike the most is that in Ronance, mostly Robin is only an ounce of her typical character. Her relationship with Steve is downplayed. She makes fun of him with Nancy, she lies to him about her relationship, even asks for sex advice in some fics which is just very weird and so ooc for her to do. Same goes for Steddie, as soon as either Steve or Robin go into a relationship both characters are so ooc, you almost don't recognize them, plus they only have time for their partners and their friendship gets sidelined, which again doesn't make sense for their characters. Ronance is also mostly beneficial to Nancy as it's viewed more how Robin can save her so she doesn't have to end up with a man. Hence, all the posts about how Robin is the only person who gets her, which is also such a shitty thing to say because both Jonathan and Steve were trying. Like Nancy's character development hinges more on her relationship with Robin than doing some soul-searching. Because for real, all her relationships so far are kinda meh because she doesn't know how to communicate properly with her partners, Robin wouldn't magically make everything better because she's a girl. Nancy needs to be single first and discover who she is without jumping in a new relationship. She needs therapy and has to work on her people skills to be a better partner for future relationships.

Also, so many people want Nancy to have a friend, and when Robin comes along, they immediately make it romantic. Robin can still be there for Nancy and understand her as a friend. I don't think she was romantically interested in Nancy in the show. She was actively pushing for Stancy. She only ever talked about being into Vickie romantically. Robin should be allowed to make a friend who is a girl without making it into a romance just because she is a lesbian. Lesbians can have platonic girl friends, lol. Fact is that so many see Robin interacting with a girl as romantic because she is looking at her and then ignore her real crush she talks about all the time.

Now to Rovickie and Vickie. What I meant with people not giving Vickie a chance because she's a girl and interested in a sapphic relationship is a common occurrence throughout fandoms in general. Guys are usually preferred when talking about characters or shipping. Girls have it so much harder. Like with Gareth, I don't think my comparison of him and Vickie was nonsensical or dumb. The fandom had no problems coming up with interesting headcanons for him, even outside the crackship. Almost all the hellfire boys, but especially Gareth because he's the most objectively attractive one of the group, got more love from the fandom. Vickie, on the other hand, is mostly used as the villain in Ronance fics, who is in the way of the main ship. People in general call her boring or too similar to Robin, which is insane because we have one scene where she rambles because she is talking to her potential crush. Also, being similar doesn't have to mean it's bad. Like I mentioned earlier, Vickie rambling is showing Robin it's okay to do so, which makes her feel immediately relaxed because she doesn't have to explain herself to Vickie. Not to mention the biphobia that runs through fandoms. The fact that Vickie had a boyfriend, who she broke up with, was enough. People usually headcanon Nancy as a lesbian than making her bi. Steve's only a bi icon when he's shipped with guys, like him dating a girl is seen as less valued or popular. Again, everyone can headcanon characters sexuality how they like, you do you it's just apparent that characters who are seen as bi are only celebrated for dating a person of the same sex.

Lastly, think about it if Vickie was a guy who was the love interest for Steve, there would be non-stop content for her. She would be well loved within the fandom. But Vickie is a girl, and if she were used as the love interest for Steve instead of Robin, she would also face the same scrutiny the already faces now. She's the villain in the way of ships because she's only a side character and not the full meal like you described. A male characters even with almost no screentime, will always get better treatment than female characters.

[lightwise]

TBB S3E7 Reactions

Alright, in lieu of an analysis this week, you guys get some extra long reactions from me. Spoilers for Extraction under the cut!

- Of course the operative is still alive after being completely buried by rocks

- You okay there Rexy boy?

- Aww, Crosshair helping him up

- “There’s always another way” feels like foreshadowing

- CX does sound awfully like Tech when he’s grunting. Either that or DBB has only one way of making groaning noises 😂

- The rim lighting in this episode is such a pain for making screenshots but so satisfying for watching

- The modified clone theme when Wolffe lands 😭

- Wolffe was really getting 3PO flashbacks there with that disgusted sigh

- Isn’t Hilo a canon commando?? Or is he from legends?

- I will never get over how realistic light looks in this show

- There’s no way that CX just caught himself with his hands

- “We’re waiting on you” they’re not leaving Crosshair behind this time 🥹

- Lol Batcher. Licking cute clones faces. Always the priority

- How is this CX such a good shot??

- Oh Wolffe definitely has a constant headache. Idk how he’s actually put up with being in the Empire this long.

- This purple atmosphere is so pretty

- “I’m much worse” — SCREAMING. And the little tilt with his helmet to make his point clear? This man can have me however he wants. Anytime, anywhere. Call me, baby (I hope someone laughed at that lol)

- So Hunter does hear the ships. I wonder if his senses are more tuned for mechanical vibrations and animal life than people

- Lol Howzer is this really the time for a heart to heart?

- “Loyalty meant something to me” 🫡

- Lol that TK Trooper sounded like a mid-Atlantic 50s movie star

- How is the operative this nimble? Seems suspicious

- Smoke bombs are CF99s signature

- Interesting that for once the stun bolts are being used ON the Batch instead of by them.

- Wrecker and Batcher are a great team

- Hunter just dropping that TK and then Crosshair taking out their ship. Phew

- Also not suspicious at all that they’ve neutralized all the TKs and left the clone troopers for later.

- How did Crosshair sense the operative coming up behind them?

- RIP Nemec 😓

- “Too bad” 😩😩😩

- Oh Cross, you know you’re not the best at hand to hand combat. This is a very bad idea

- That waterfall is pretty though

- Dear lord why did they have to make these scenes so dark

- Oh fuck. I can’t even tell who threw who off the cliff

- The whole squad going after Crosshair even though he told them to get to the extraction point 😭

- CX obviously knows Crosshair and has beef with him. Again, for the millionth time—WHAT THE HELL DID HEMLOCK DO TO ALL OF THEM

- “You had your chance to be one of us. You chose the wrong side”. Really can’t wait for this to be explained.

- Crosshair’s reflexes are so fast for being all gangly limbs

- Okay I seriously almost had a heart attack here (this is a rewatch so my reactions aren’t immediate but holy cow I almost couldn’t believe what I was seeing watching Crosshair almost drown. Don’t you dare do it Jen!)

- It is v suspicious how fixated on Crosshair CX is even after he’s neutralized him

- Thank GOD for Howzer

- Okay, I can breathe a little again

- That’s…an awfully long fall for someone to survive

- The TBB team took the water scenes from The Crossing in season 2 and said, yeah, how about we just make that a million times better 🤯

- “That’s not Echo”. No, no it is not

- Good to know that Rex is still considered dead by the Empire (although that honestly seems strange that CX in season 2 knew who he was). That’s heartbreaking that Wolffe thought he was dead this whole time though

- Wow. The respect these two men have for each other

- “Oh I did. Lost a lot of good men that day” *cries in TCW season 7*

- Idk how Rex keeps going honestly

- His voice may be gentle but his face means BUSINESS

- Rex 🤝 Omega - believing the power of friendship can save anyone and anything they come across

- Fuck your orders Wolffe

- “I’ll make sure you’re given a fair trial” you really have no idea who you work for Wolffe do you

- Hunter being willing to stand down when Rex asks him to

- “I know you. As your brother, I’m asking you to do the right thing” the brotherly reunions this season are just paralleling all over the place

- Gregor the handsome fellow that you are. I swear his pauldrons get bigger every time we see him

- “Let my people go” the Exodus vibes are strong here too

- Guess we’re gonna be finding out what makes this CX so special. Still can’t believe he survived.

- Rex just lost almost all of his men again 😣😭

- The sheer respect and care that Hunter and Rex have for each other. The hand on the shoulder. The losses that tie them together. The worry and earnestness in Hunter’s face and tone when he tells Rex he can’t win. He doesn’t emote this much to people he doesn’t consider family.

- The ways Hunter still is hesitant to do anything but run and hide, and Rex still can’t give up. Not quite yet.

- How Hunter won’t be able to either until they know what is really going on with Omega.

[lunar-years]

roy and jamie and keeley are so hot together and i wonder what you think the public perception of them is like? jamie and keeley were into pda (at the gala, in the locker room, jamie’s pics of keeley lmao) but keeley implied that jamie would hate the tabloids invading their privacy. do we know how long jamiekeeley were even together for?? and then there’s roy who’s super protective about keeley, hates talking to the media, and threatens the paparazzi taking pics of them in s1. idk where i’m going with this but I’m just thinking about that throwaway line in s3, where jack assumes keeley’s talking about jamie when she refers to her “famous footballer ex”. in my head i think keeley likes the grand gestures in the public eye with jamie, but she also loves the private sacred moments no one else gets to see. it’s just really interesting to imagine what they’d be like when they all get together!

Ugh they really ARE so hot together aren’t they!!

Anyway this is such a fun thing to discuss. First off, I don’t think we know for sure how long Jamie and Keeley were together :( But the entire locker room seems pretty familiar with her in episode one, and as a couple, the two of them seem fairly established to me. Not as in like, a serious way necessarily, but in a way where it’s clear they’ve got a lot of trust between them and do know one another. Also, it’s been both long enough for Jamie to have fallen in love with her and for Keeley to have had the deep impact on him that sets into motion all the growth we see in him from that point on. So in my mind, I think they were together for like, a year and a bit. Pretty much as long as Keeley and Roy were together, honestly.

I think the two of them definitely enjoy being public-facing enough to like, have online fan clubs and a big Twitter Stan presence LOL and also they’d be totally pumped to make it onto like, top power couples and best dressed lists. And they both really care about ~their brand~, reputation and image in a way Roy just doesn’t. So I do think they like attending events together and showing out on red carpets and posting pics together on their socials!!

I LOVED that line in season one about Jamie hating the tabloids getting in their business. I think it shows that he respects Keeley, that in his own way, that relationship was special and sacred to him even when it was happening, and that he does have a line between his public and personal life. And then I think we see throughout the series that Jamie is (maybe surprisingly?) actually a fairly private person. Yeah he’s got this whole very loud online presence, but that’s very different than like, him.

So yeah, I think he and Keeley enjoy being public, but only when they can curate what they’re putting out there and have it be under their control. And Jamie would’ve fully supported and endorsed Roy’s smashing that pap’s camera on his first date with Keeley, lol. All three of them I think cherish the moments the world isn’t privy to the most :)

My headcanon is that they don’t go public as a throuple until after Jamie retires, and I think they wouldn’t couple off (as in, publicize that just roykeeley or jamiekeeley are together) when it means leaving someone out, even if that person is Roy who hates the publicity anyway. It would just rub them all the wrong and they all agree they don’t need to kiss one another in public that bad. So I think they keep the romantic/relationship side of things pretty private amongst their families and close friends, BUT I also think they wouldn’t hide being close to one another. The fans definitely know how close they all are, and they don’t try to totally avoid being seen publicly hanging out, in pairs and all three. Also the online rpf shipping community is definitely rampant lmao.

And I think there’s also an element of like, they want to be available to publicly support one another. Being totally private isn’t worth it if they can’t show up for one another when it matters. Obviously, Keeley wants to be there for all their games, and Jamie and Roy want to be at her work functions and events that matter to her just as much, and at a certain point, if people are gonna talk they’re gonna talk! I think Jamie kind of helps Roy come around to this way of thinking as well. Enough to where they can be a little more open with caring about one another, and hug on the pitch maybe a bit longer than they hug anyone else, and even joke about one another in interviews (okay, that one’s mostly Jamie), and not give a shit. So everyone is aware on some level they’ve got a deep bond, but they just don’t know the exact nature of that bond and rjk aren’t forthcoming lol.

[utilitycaster]

I'm so kdhdkdjdkd jazzed about the fjorester proposal !!!! But something that popped up pretty immediately that baffled me was these like... cope posts i guess? Of how "beau and jester should cheat leaving their partners for eachother and how dw guys marriage is just going to spice up the inevitable affair" and it's not even treated as a joke and Im just confused? Like i got into cr2 by the time it was over with so idk what it was like waiting for releases, but why after all this time do people hold on as much as they do? Do they like the story or not?

So I will be totally honest: I am not above checking the blogs of those I know hold terrible opinions, for a number of reasons both reasonable (keeping an eye out for potential harassment; inspiration for meta; my genuine enjoyment of analyzing fandom trends) and less so (schadenfreude and sending DMs that say Can You Believe This Idiot) but I actually have not seen this! To be clear, I would not be surprised it was out there - heaven knows this was a refrain during late Campaign 2 and in the leadup to the two-shot - but I thought that most people finally gave up in late 2022 after the two-shot made it clear the existing relationships are still very much in place. Granted I, as always, rarely go on Twitter.

Anyway. I think some of it is just that people whose enjoyment of works hinges on their ships becoming canon, rather than that being one of many facets to their fandom, also tend to not know when to give up just generally (you can look around this website and still find people hopping mad and/or pining for resolution regarding shows that ended before Campaign 2 even started). I think most of them did finally give up and leave, which is probably healthier for both them and the fandom, but there will probably be a dwindling number of holdouts who will gasp out on their deathbed fifty years hence "Beau and Jester should have been together" to a politely confused hospice nurse.

To actually answer your question, no, they do not like the story. I know I've been very hard on people who seem to only be able to enjoy fiction through a lens of either shipping or intense projection of the self onto existing characters, but in my defense, I'm right. This is a whole separate post, which to be honest I've kind of already made several times, but the usual complaint about the Campaign 2 noncanon ships (echoed in the complaints about Campaign 3 primarily by those who do like the canon ships thereof) was that they would have happened and been flawless and perfect but for that Pesky Plot, ie, the story. Unless the entire point of a story is a romance (eg: the genre that is cleverly titled "Romance") romance is always optional.

I also think, to be honest, Campaign 2 attracted people who were patient. This is a good thing! I think that, for example, people who are not entirely feeling Campaign 2 13 episodes in are valid, because I was similarly enjoying myself but not entirely won over by the plot yet, and it was only a combination of that patience and the burgeoning character dynamics that kept me going (plus the fact that watching week to week is a lower commitment than a binge). Granted I think if you fully give up at that point you are weak and will not survive the winter and should probably go watch Michael Bay movies or Bluey, but that's a separate point. Anyway. Some people are patient beyond a point where it is rewarding or even neutral and pass into a realm of showing up to the Story That Has Fjorester and Beauyasha In It muttering "I hope this doesn't have any fucking Fjorester and Beauyasha". I don't know how to help them, nor do I particularly want to, but I do know that not going on Twitter has been super helpful.

One final note: again, haven't seen the thing you mention in your ask yet in relation to this one-shot and not for lack of poking around Tumblr at least; but I have seen people who were deeply bitter about Campaign 2 but are still around for Campaign 3, though not a ton, and this was also frankly true of people who loved Campaign 1 and have not really cared since but still stick around. There's a weird zombie problem in the fandom; you get people who are very invested in being a fan of Critical Role and can't seem to leave, but haven't actually been happy for literal years, either because they were ultimately only fans of Vox Machina, or the Mighty Nein, or a specific ship within that. It is actually something I try to be cognizant of because I was very cautious about becoming that during the stretch when I was more frustrated by Campaign 3 than I am now. I think, ultimately, it's a conflation of one's fandom with one's external identity and I don't know how that happens or how to fix it but that might also be a factor: people who really don't like the show and haven't for years and are grasping at a thing they think would fix that and make them happy again, and refuse to admit it might be time to move on because that would mean they need to change their conception of themselves.

[sylvies-kablooie]

tbh, i think the whole thought process behind how sylvie is written is that she is not attached to loki and her happiness doesn't at all depend on him in any way.

was their connection deep? did he impact her? "shatter" her world even? yes. this is why she is so angry at him. bc in her mind, he had betrayed her.

but he doesn't take up much more space in her mind. she goes on to live her life just fine without him at the end of both seasons.

loki is a different story, he is obsessed with her to the point of doing something completely "out of character" and being ready to sacrifice everything for her.

i personally love how "unequal" their relationship is in this way, but i understand that it's not the majority of shippers' cup of tea kind of dynamic.

this is an interesting interpretation! i enjoy getting to hear people's differing takes on their dynamic, so this was a fun read. and hey if unrequited is your trope then all the more power to you. you're braver than me, that's for sure.

i haven't rewatched s2 (and tbh idk if i ever will- it just didn't do it for me the way i wanted it to) but the consensus that "loki fell first and harder" def seems supported by s1 and enhanced by s2. which i think made it all the more shocking when she kisses him first. i love that little detail.

i have a different take, which is informed by episode 5- particularly the bar scene contrasted with the record shop scene. she tells him to go and live his life and move on, then immediately goes to a record shop, tells the man at the counter she had a bad day, and then cries to the velvet underground (it looked like crying, also possible she was just laying there and basking it all in, which is just as compelling in my opinion).

to me that read as someone who is trying so hard to place their feelings in a convenient little box and ignore them and then running away when it doesn't work.

sylvie doesn't strike me as someone who can sit still, especially not after living through a million apocalypses and trying to ensure her survival. and while getting a job in oklahoma might not be the same frantic pace she's used to, i do think she threw herself into it (employee of the month placard i'm looking at you!) so she has a new life, a new job, time to do things like go to the bar and get a haircut and listen to music and do everything possible to just. not. process. the annoying feelings that the citadel situation brings up. just keep moving! just don't think about it! and so when loki rolls up at her work, she tries to push him away, tell him he's the last thing she wants to deal with, get him to leave. the tone in the bar scene felt like that to me as well. like she's saying just leave me so i can stop thinking about this.

of course, loki does not want to leave her- it's just that for some reason he is physically incapable of talking about anything but the TVA, who ruined her life and she justifiably wants nothing to do with hearing about how great they actually are. he is pretty skilled at killing the mood. (i take great pleasure in rewrite fics that make a show of addressing this)

am i blinded by shipping goggles and my own projection onto her? it's possible! but to me it read as someone in denial. when we hear sylvie talk about her love life on the train in s1 (a scene i LOVE because it seems so out of left field for her) we get a very clear sense she has no idea what she is doing when it comes to romance (and then flat out says so during the blanket scene). her experience with romance hasn't been anything real, to the point where i hesitate to even use the term "romance"- just centuries of numbing herself by staying busy with a fling. she is like a shark that will just collapse if she stops moving. which we get to see her do in the record store!

that's just how i read it though! your read on it is just as valid and i like hearing all of the different takes. i am by no means trying to persuade you to join my pining sylvie agenda, just using this blog as a means of idea exchange. which i love doing. seriously it's so fun.

[redcracklestan]

Carulia ship analysis pt.1

Ok i decided that I’m gonna do an analysis of every ship (maybe more parts for each one) that are in the show, idk if anyone is actually gonna read it but anyway.

I decided to start with carulia because i have a LOT to say about this ship.

First of all I don’t like it.

I think that carulia is the kind of ship that, yes, is cute but is not gonna work at all. They have no chemistry, literally 0, they are very different, they would not complement each other well, and they have no “ship moments”

I’m gonna talk about each one of these points in order, maybe each one in different parts.

They have no chemistry

I think that it’s kind of oblivious that Julia may have a little crush on Carmen, but that’s all. Carmen sees Julia just as a good friend , or at least it is what i got from their scenes together.

They literally have nothing in common except that they both like history very much, but this is not enough to build a relationship off of that.

But to better understand what I’m talking about I’m gonna mention every episode that they are in togheter.

Becoming carmen sandiego pt.1-2

The first episode where both Carmen and Julia make the first appearance is in the very first episode, Becoming Carmen Sanediego pt.1 but they don’t interact, the only thing we can say about this episode is the fact that Julia is starting to think since the start that Carmen is actually a good thief that just steals from other thief, taking her parts since the start, but i don’t really see any romantic thing in that, just an opinion coming from a smart girl. In becoming carmen sandiego pt.2 it’s the same.

The chasing paper caper

Fast forward to this episode because here is when their relationship start to get interesting.

In this episode, we see carmen going after paper star that stole the Magna Carta. In order to do that, she has to follow paper star on a train and to follow her, but from a distance, because otherwise she would probably die. While she was following paper star on the train, she bumped into Julia, who was sitted on a dining table, probably waiting for devineaux. Carmen sits down on devineaux seat, and she talks to Julia ONLY TO KEEP AN EYE ON PAPER STAR. And then this scene happens.

SHE WAS WATCHING ON THE SIDE TO SEE WHO HER PARTNER WAS BUT NOT BC SHE WAS JEALOUS, BACAUSE THEY JUST MET. How can someone you just met be jealous of you??? Literally all forced, 0 chemistry.

The fashionista caper

In this episode carmen is in Milan (which i loved since i live here) and is trying to stop VILE from stealing the Medici’s dresses, and ACME is trying to stop carmen from stealing them too.

Here we have that scene where Julia tries to stop her before she can go on the catwalk in a very weak way if you ask me (Julia has a soft spot/crush on carmen it’s so clear)

And people are so brave to say that Carmen was checking her out romantically in the middle of a damn caper. See? All forced literally no chemistry. And in the same episode

Here, people say that she was protecting her because she loved her, WHAT. Maybe it is just that carmen is very empathetic, and she doesn’t want anyone to be killed? Maybe? Mhhh, idk this seems like a fair point to me. She would have done this for anybody. Everything here is so forced. Carmen clearly doesn’t reciprocate her crush.

The day of the dead caper

In this episode the only “carulia” scene is when Julia quits her ACME job to follow her other dream: teaching history. And she says that thing to chief

This could be interpreted in 2 ways: 1. Her heart is out of the game because she is going against her ideologies and morals for ACME 2. Her heart is out of the game because of carmen and honestly, like I said before i think that it is both because she has a little crush on carmen, even thought carmen doesn’t reciprocated at all.

The haunted bayou caper

Even here, the only “carulia” scene i can think about is the one where the following conversation happens: (i could not find any gif)

Carmen: devineaux, where is jules today?

Devineaux: that’s classified, but ms.argent is doing other things

Carmen: shame, she’s probably a better driver. And those are such nice cars.

Ok, how can this show any kind of romantic interest? How? She just likes to tease people, and Julia and Carmen are friends. They help each other, but nothing more. Again, forced and no chemistry.

The Egyptian decryption caper

In this episode carmen ask Julia for help to decrypt some old artefacts because she is the only one that can possibly help her, she goes to one of her lessons and she wait, just like devineaux did except she acted in two different ways

Ok, I'm gonna say that again one more time, she may have a small crush on her, but she was mostly surprised, and you can’t deny that. And even if it wasn’t, a small crush not reciprocated is not enough to base a relationship off of that. Another scene

Carmen is just curious about her meeting up with devineaux after everything that has happened, and I’d be curious too tbh. While Julia is just answering a question. Again, all forced, there is nothing romantic in that interaction. Going further on that episode, she is curious why devineaux is answering her private phone, NOT JEALOUS. But anyway, after she convinces Chase to go and save Julia with her, she ends up here

she would say goodbye to her plan to save her, like she did and would do for literally anybody, nobody esclused (like she did for zack and Ivy even though she had just met them) Again I see no romantic interest in that.

The dark red caper

Here there is also only one “carulia” scene and it is that

how can a fight scene be considered a romantic thing? how? again, all forced.

The interactive game, to steal or not to steal

Where carmen dances and Julia looks at her like that

again, this confirms my theory that Julia may have a small crush on Carmen, but she doesn't reciprocate. You can see that by the look in her eyes.

[edit] My stupid ass forgot to mention (thank you @emily-prentits for correcting me) that this was actually all in Carmen's mind, but I think this only proves my point more. because look at how Carmen looks at Julia and how Julia looks at carmen. You can see that even in her imagination, Julia has a crush on her, and i interpreted it as if Carmen noticed that (so it shows in her imagination), but Carmen again doesn't reciprocate, so she looks at her in a "normal" way

I want to specify that you can ship whatever you want this is just an analysis that I made, this is all for today, sorry if i made any grammatical errors but English is not my first language.

I will continue this analysis in the other parts idk when but i hope soon, bye!

[ember-not-amber]

Ok, here’s all of my thoughts on S2 episode 6

• It was very interesting to see that flashback of when Aunt Julia and Susannah were closer and I’d like to see more of those so we can better understand why Julia always felt so left out in her own family. I mean yeah basically everything was explained in that scene but I just want more you know? It seems to be implied that Julia wasn’t biologically related to one of or both of their parents since the mom didn’t like her. Was this at all talked about in episode 5 and I forgot? Was this talked about in the books, too or no?

• Hear me out, what if…………………hypothetically just like, as a concept…………………..Steven x Conrad 🫣🏃‍♀️💨

• OMG DELICATE (TAYLOR’S VERSION)?!!?! AND IN A JELLY SCENE WHERE THEY’RE IN A POOL AGAIN AAAAAHIDKFJFJEJSBS

- Swiftie side rant: OMFG ARE WE GONNA GET REPUTATION TV!? I’m convinced Taylor’s gonna announce it at some point bc SHE ALLOWED DELICATE TV TO BE PUT IN THIS SHOW and that’s gotta mean way more than the 1989 Easter eggs!!! -

Anyway, I WANTED THEM TO KISS SO BAD IN THIS SCENE WHY ARE THE WRITERS TEASING ME SO MUCH OMFGGGG

• I was super suspicious about Conrad and Belly going on a supply run alone together so I’m glad Jeremiah went, too

• That scene where Belly got Jeremiah a soda was so cuuuttee🥺

Conrad saying “And I thought cocoa was your specialty” right after Jeremiah said that half cherry half Coke was her specialty was weird, idk what that was supposed to mean🤨

• JEREMIAH PUT HIS ARM AROUND BELLY AT THE STORRREEEE

• OMG BELLY SAID KISSING JEREMIAH WAS REALLY REALLY HOT AND SHE SMILED SO BIG WHILE REMEMBERING IT SLKAKSBDJFJNF

• I find it weird that Belly told Skye “Your first kiss is supposed to feel like a dream” bc I remember reading somewhere that someone said that first kisses are like, overhyped and in reality your first kiss most likely isn’t going to feel like a dream or like “fireworks” it’ll just feel like just a kiss and I think we should normalize the reality of what your first kiss actually feels like most of the time and it’s more possible that any other kiss that comes after your first will feel better especially since you’ll have more experience with kissing.

• “You’ve been looking at him all day like he’s this ice cream cone that you’re dying to lick” what the actual fuck💀 WHY did they make Taylor say that??

• OMG BELLY TRIPPING AND THEN FALLING INTO JEREMIAH’S ARMS AND HIM WHISPERING “You don’t need to hurt yourself to get my attention” WAS SOOOO HOOOTTT❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

• I think it was so gross of Conrad to not call Steven out more on trying to get Taylor to be with him WHILE SHE HAS A BOYFRIEND and even if Milo is “all wrong for her” it is not Steven’s place to decide for Taylor who she should date or not, it is Taylor’s decision only. Steven is really giving Nice Guy energy in this episode.

• I find it so weird that Cam left his DJ-ing thingy (I’m sorry idk what it’s called😭) to also find Taylor bc shouldn’t he stay there so no one takes control of the playlist and plays sth else?? But I guess it’s ok since in the fight scene that guy Jumper is the one DJ-ing, oh well.

• I don’t remember if I already said this so excuse me if I sound like a broken record but I don’t get why so many people do not like the idea of Cam and Skye together. People are saying “Skye isn’t good enough for Cam” but I don’t see any reason that Skye is a bad person or unlikable besides maybe them being Julia’s kid but that’s a stupid reason bc they are not exactly like Julia and I think that’s been pretty obvious since their character was introduced. I like Skye, I think they’re great and while I did see a besties vibes with them and Cam I don’t mind that they kissed and I’m not against it and I don’t mind if they become a couple. I’m confused about who these people want Cam to end up with if not Skye bc there haven’t been a lot of scenes with just him and Belly and it’s very clear that that ship has sailed so who tf did these Skye haters want him to be with?? Are they just transphobic? Bc I just saw the official ig account for TSITP post about their kiss scene and a few people are saying that so many people in the comments are being transphobic and homophobic which I guess could definitely be a reason why ppl hate Skye even if they deny that’s the reason.

Also I was just informed that a lot of people think that Skye is cringe and I think I understand that a little bit but I mostly just interpreted them as having their own different personality compared to the more outgoing main characters and I just thought that they were more comfortable doing other things besides what the main characters like to do (I’m referring to S2 episode 5) and I don’t really see how they’re cringe but ig I’ll have to look at some compilations to see why so many people think that they are.

• I find it very hard to believe that Steven liked Taylor even way back when she had a big crush on him or as he puts it “even when you were just my little sister’s annoying best friend” bc he literally dated Shayla in the last season and he loved her so this isn’t making any sense to me and I don’t believe it.

• Oh how I wish that Steven didn’t get into a stupid fight with Milo so that Belly and Jeremiah didn’t have their KISS INTERRUPTED AKSJSBIDORHEJNFNG MY GOD WE ALMOST HAD THEM!!!!

• Steven rubs me the wrong way this season bc he’s been going after Taylor while she was still with Milo and I really, really hate that and I hated when he tried to speak for her during his fight with Milo like she can speak for herself on whether or not she wanted Milo to be there STFU and physically fighting another dude over a girl is not attractive at all like can we stop putting that in shows and books? It’s stupid and embarrassing.

• Conrad encouraging Steven to “kick Milo’s ass” was just…ew

• “It’s Madison. Her middle name is Madison.” Ooh I’m such a nice guy, I know absolutely everything about Taylor and you don’t and that’s why she shouldn’t be with you and she should be with me instead🤡

• That condition that Aunt Julia put into the sale for the cousins house seems like a pretty good deal. They get to rent the house for one week every summer, it’s not their house anymore but at least they’re still allowed to go back to it and keep having their fun summers, Conrad should be grateful.

• I honestly don’t think it was necessary for Jeremiah to use Belly and Conrad’s breakup to get to Conrad, I think he could have brought up anything else along with him refusing to accept the condition Julia put into the sale of the house and him not seeing their mom every day after they found out she had cancer, and it would have been nice to learn the specifics of what their relationship was like when they were younger and Jeremiah dealing with people telling him Conrad was better than him and more specific examples of Conrad “throwing things away instead of fixing them when they’re not perfect”. I get that he was mad at Conrad and it was all in the moment and everything was happening so fast but I just feel like the writers could have made him focus less on Conrad and Belly’s breakup and more on their relationship as brothers maybe?? Even though it does track with him in episode 5 thinking “I could have done everything right, I could have given Belly the perfect prom night and Conrad ruined it for her” I just don’t think that he should have blown up about it in front of Belly at the very least.

• Girly, so what if he remembered your middle name?💀 that is the bare minimum, Taylor could have at least said more about why she caught feelings for Steven again besides that

• I’ve been on edge this whole time about Belly and Steven staying at the summer house for too long that their mom will find out that they’re gone and I was rooting for them to go back home before their mom got back home but I guess she’s gonna find out now that Belly left her that voicemail giving it away and I’m so ready to see what happens next!!

• Okay clearly there was a lot of miscommunication caused by assumptions in Belly and Conrad’s relationship. Belly says that if she knew that Conrad cared about her and their relationship then she would have fought for their relationship and Conrad says that he thought she knew he cared about her from the moment that they kissed on the beach and I think that based on that, when things were getting tough he should have reassured her that he cared about her and loved her bc that just sounds like during that tough time he didn’t tell her that he loved her and so she thought he didn’t care. In relationships you need to always be communicating so both parties are on the same page and clearly Conrad isn’t good at communicating when he goes through a rough time and that hurt Belly. And I looked at the script for this episode and he never answered her question “Why did you throw it all away?” Why did he break up with her if he thought she knew he cared about her? That is a really good question that I’m only 50% interested in hearing the answer to, sooo Team Jeremiah for the win, I hope🤞

[sokkastyles]

Do you think ATLA would have followed the same plot/ships had it been conceptualized today rather than the mid-2000s?

I already talked a bit about how I think the ships would be different if the show were made today, or been handled with a bit more care and more attention given to its female audience (rather than mocking them).

I also think the show is a bit of a product of its time related to some of its other more controversial aspects. This was an American show made in a post-9/11 world - and I am old enough to have been in high school when the towers fell, I watched the second tower collapse on live television during religion class - and you can see that in some of its themes, particularly the anti-extremism narratives with Jet and Hama as well as the whole Dai Li thing. When Zuko talks about how his government lied to him, which a lot of people seem to interpret as a plausible deniability cop out, this is how a lot of young people felt during the Bush administration. Nowadays the show's political stance comes off a bit centrist. Other people more equipped than me have also addressed some of the issues with the way the show uses the cultures it took inspiration from, and even saying that America is the Fire Nation doesn't really solve that issue because it's still seeing nonwhite people as symbolic for whiteness and centering whiteness in the narrative, even to serve as a warning to the American audience. Other people have also pointed out how the characters in the show talk like kids from California in the early 2000s. TV tropes used to call this "Buffy Speak" and there was actually debate about changing the name to "Avatar Speak." Particularly Sokka as a character embodies that. You know Seth Cohen from the OC? That's Sokka. I'm not saying his character is entirely westernized because of course it isn't, but there are things about the show that make it unique to the time and place in which it was made, even keeping in mind the amount of effort that was put into research and cultural sensitivity. I think if the show was made today, the Water Tribes would be South Asian, not Inuit, although I know a lot of people value the Inuit rep in the show and I don't begrudge them that.

Idk, it's hard to say, but every piece of art is reflective of when and where it was made, in ways both intended and unintended. The show also gets criticism for upholding the monarchy but that's a product of the fantasy genre in general, and if the finale of Game of Thrones taught us anything, it's that trying to be "progressive" within that framework can backfire horribly, especially when you've already got an all-powerful authoritarian character as your main hero.

AtLA also suffers the fate of all episodic shows in some ways, and that's a product of its format. This wasn't a "whole season released at one time on netflix" kind of show. A lot of the plot was made up by the writers as they were writing, because that's how shows were written in the cable TV era. That's why you got all that infamous stuff about arguments in the writers room, or wildly differently characterization from episode to episode because the episodes were written by multiple writers. Or the writers flubbing the end of Aang's arc because they had an idea of where they wanted to get but not as much of a clear idea of how to get there. These aren't necessarily condemnations, but they are what they are.

[idkhowtopickausername]

🔥 sasuke

Sorry it took me so long to get to this! I think I’ve probably said most stuff already but I always have thoughts about Sasuke so. I think people often mischaracterize him by either erasing his personality to make him into whatever they want a love interest and/or sympathetic victim to look like, or else they reduce his entire personality into saying snarky things or (if they dislike him) being randomly mean to everyone for no reason and don’t pay attention to how complex and genuine he is. He can be kind and respectful and he can also be bitter and disrespectful, but these qualities aren’t random, how he acts is clearly connected to the context of the situation and I think people often overlook that and act like he’s just unpredictable and irrational or something, which I think is clearly untrue if you look at what’s going on in each scene where he acts a certain way. He’s also very clear about what his reasons for doing things are!

In terms of fandom discourse ummm…I guess when it comes to SNS (the most divisive topic among followers of this blog by far) I do personally like some aspects of it and I think it can be really compelling either in the context of an altered version of the story or as something that’s moving and tragic and flawed in canon, but when people act like Sasuke stans who dislike it are wrong/just being irrational it annoys me because Naruto canonically does support the village and cover up the massacre and refuse to see Sasuke’s opposition to Konoha as legitimate, and that’s not something that suddenly happened in one chapter at the end even though people like to act like it did. I like picturing alternate versions of the story too, but it just seems weird to me to expect everyone to be able to just ignore his characterization in like 100+ canon episodes of the show or to act like it’s unreasonable to be bothered by Naruto’s actions to the point of not enjoying the ship. I get that people on both sides of the debate can be a little overdramatic at times but. Idk it just annoys me when people roll their eyes at the fact that people feel that way, because realistically Naruto does suck during the later part of the show. Also, while I don’t always agree with all other Sasuke stans on everything, I respect their opinions much much more than anyone whose anti Sasuke.

[spicyicymeloncat]

Crystalised part 2 ep 23, 24, 25, 26 spoilers

Yeah I put them all in one post lol

Ep 23

Again, using minecraft logic

Antonia’s “I fished out the last one it’s your turn” lol wow, she makes it seem like this happens often

Antonia did the “if I had a nickel” meme

Oh frick Nya survived?? Also no legs for Nya??

Ofc casual sexism from the mechanic. She has a name!

Okay Jay didn’t crash!! Hell yeah Jay saving Nya for once!

The mechanic is anti jaya also that was such a sick line jay

Okay her fuckin legs are fine now ig

Also Nya’s gonna become water again :(

I think it’s weird that the Crystal warriors can pass out tho

Again city that never sleeps. Paperboys still gonna do their thing amidst a freaking war

Wu: I can’t do child soldiers

Nelson, pointing at the ninja: wtf are these then???

BENTHO IS COMING BACK :D

HELL YEAH LET NINJAGO CITY FIGHT BACK FOR ONCE

Oh gosh that was sick

ep 24

OH MAN THE THUMBNAIL

Lloyd rlly said frick you man

EXCUSE ME POLICE BUT WTF ARE UR PRIORITIES?? THE MAYOR IS GONE NOW WHAT LAW ARE U EVEN USING

NOOO NOT THE SERPENTINE :[ that’s so sadddd

Lloyd really blew his mind there

MISAKO FINALLY CAME BACK FOR A SEASON

I feel like the prophecy guy was brought up before but idk how to spell his name lol

PIXAL MY BELOVED I LOVE HER SO MUCH

Man zane is on the fritz

Oh god he has no limbs man that’s kinda fcuked up man jeez.

However the the ice emperor schtick is kinda funny

Oh my god he’s in a rucksack

OH MY FUCKING GOD ICE EMPEROR IS ONLY BACK FOR COMEDY not what I was expecting but I’ll take it

Hell yeah Ronin! Pixal and Ronin team up will be interesting

Omg the other sog who basically got completely rejected by Harumi this time round. Rip Pixal everyone is evil even her boyfriend

Hell yeah Ronin!! Trying to actually break out of the cycle

Also freaking Zane kicking ronin with his foot

Zane: vex? Vex! Wtf is vex when you need him

Ofc Cyrus didn’t even know

Ep 25

it’s the lava episode :)

Aww man Cole really hit his head

Okay even if I’m not a Kailor shopper I support skylor calling Kai hot shot

Ig this episode really will say which ship is canon

Freaking pythor. I love him

I guess Harumi is looking for lloyd

I would just like to remind people I coined Embershipping for the Kai/skylor/cole ship

ITS JAKE

I’m literally gonna start crying about Garmadon. Mans has half of his emotions but in the ways he’s expressing them, he’s sad about how Lloyd doesn’t accept the Oni heritage that he himself has and how christofern is a weird confused metaphor for Lloyd :((((

Gayle and vinny xxxx

God clutch literally has Nadakhan still oh my god

Okay this door must be a Chekhov’s gun bc they’re so gonna answer a knock that isn’t the paper boys

26

OH NO I DO NOT LIKE THIS EPISODE TITLE

Okay so I assume the romance is gonna get cleared up in this ep. We see the harbour so we know jaya is a thing. We’re looking at Kailor at the start. And like. Pixane… I’m gonna cry

Okay thank god we’re addressing the problems with them right here and now. I’ll hate the ship significantly less if they do this right.

Okay that’s fair

(I’m still a lava shipper tho)

No I refuse any couple shit from wusako no thanks

FreKing Garmadon. He’s like my baby brother whenever someone is on the phone

RACER SEVEN OH I LOVE HER SLSO

OR LIKE BLAZEY is it blazey? H SPEED. I love her

Oh my gosh. I hope Rarlkove integrates Pixal into the long con snake jaguar au

UV just 👉👈 at pixal

:(((( Zane. Has borg tried turning him off and ok again? Putting him in a bag of rice? Giving him a few thumps on the back? What if we just say “protect those who can’t protect themselves” that worked in s11

THEY LET BLAZEY KEEP A PRIME EMPIRE GUN??

ZANE YOU CANT KEEP DOING THIS HOW MANY FUNERALS DO YOU WANT MAN

WHAT THE FUCK THE PIXANE KISS

ZANE IM GOING TO DISMANTLE YOU MYSELF YOU SLEEPING BEAUTY FUCK

PIXAL SQUEALING

FUGIDOVE IS EVERYONE

THE SAM X SUIT LOOKS COOL

Okay barely any jaya and I look forward to draw Zane’s fucked up face but like JEEZ MAN HE DONE DID IT AGAIN ITS LIKE HE SAID NINJA NEVER QUIT… DYING

At least that’s a good place to stop

[myshipshipsitself]

Initial thoughts on Between Us Ep 9 (Spoilers ahead)

Look, I’m trying to enjoy Bee and Prince. I really am. Bee is precious. And I’m always a sucker for the side ships. But I literally do not give a single fuck, and I’m sorry. I feel like I’ve failed my fellow side-ship-lovers. But I just cannot care. I thought their first kiss was awkward and weird, (LOOK, kissing someone is one of the few instances that does NOT fall under the “Ask forgiveness, not permission” category. If you feel the need to immediately apologize after kissing someone, you shouldn’t have kissed them! Take a page outta Win’s book, Bee.)

Waan and Tul are sweet and I love them, but Tul is a dumbass. Sir, you are a very bad liar. Like, it’s actually giving me secondhand embarrassment to watch. That said, I am curious to see how Waan finally finds out, and if those two work out. I do like them together a lot. I like how they built a friendship online before ever meeting, and I love Tul’s reaction the first time he met Waan in person, and I fucking ADORE how Win seems to be shipping it? Like I don’t think he even realizes what’s going on, but he’s just constantly like, putting them together and then just fucking off somewhere else. I love how that happens, and I want at least one more scene of that happening before the end of the series, please. Boy just saw how his friend, Tul acted the first time he met Waan, like a lovesick puppy who was trying and failing desperately to figure out how Flirting works, and Win was just like, ‘Uh. Ok, you’re hopeless, let me wingman for you.’ 

OK Now into the meat of the episode. My loves, my boys, my precious. 

Team being nervous before the competition was so--I just wanted to hug him. I love that Dean was the one that noticed and told Win to go take care of his boy. I love that when they came out to the pool and gathered around Team after the competition, Dean was the one that reached out to Team first. He is President of the club, and also dating Team’s best friend. I want them to be friends. I want them to find that whatever weird sort-of-friendship level that comes with dating each other’s best friend, and caring about each other. And this felt like that, and it was nice. 

Win seeing Team off before he left to go see his parents was so sweet! He was just so concerned, and caring, and wanted to spend every possible second he could with Team before he left, and that was sweet. 

Team’s parents are nice, I think they’d be ok with Team coming out to them. Idk, I hope they would be. The questions about a girlfriend were very pointed, and definitely made it clear that Team is not out to them, which is sad. But also barely even questioning, and letting Team sleep with them was sweet. (I was lowkey expecting one of them to tease him about how he slept alone at school, and for Team to just get super uncomfortable and like, insert flashbacks of him cuddling up to Win. I think that would’ve been a great addition). 

Wiew teasing Win is such a little brother move, but also he loves his future brother-in-law already and wants Team to be around, ok. Win, how could you deprive him of that?! But then how he immediately changes when he hears Team crying over the phone. Protect Mode.

Until we got the teaser clip with Team crying and telling Win that Ton died cause of him, I had been very worried the episode would end with Win driving his bike in the rain, and Team sobbing at the grave. I’m glad it didn’t end there. SO GLAD. 

Can I even say enough how wonderful and supportive Win is? But Oh God the look in his eyes when Team said it would’ve been better if he’d been the one that died?! And how he just looks towards the grave like, ‘Who are you?’ It’s clear that Win has no idea what’s going on at that point, but that he is NOT OK with wherever this logic train is headed. He just must protect his love, and that is his only priority, and this is why we love him. 

I am curious about the phone call with Team and his mom. The way he said, “He happens to be in town, so we met up.” Who did he tell his mom that he’s with? A senior from his club? A friend? Why would he not bring him home in that case? Why is it then important for Team to bring him home for breakfast to meet them the next morning? Did Team come out to his mom over the phone? But he’s still not certain what to call Win, or what their relationship is (I mean, come on, seriously? You can’t honestly think he’s not head over heels in love with you after all this, right?) so who did he tell his mom that he’s with?! 

At first I wondered why Win didn’t take Team home to his parents’ house, but it makes sense, I think. Win probably would’ve asked him where his parents’ house is so he could take him home, but Team didn’t want to go home. That’s pretty clear when they’re at the grave and Win says he’s going to take him home. But at some point, Team decided he didn’t want to go home. He needed comfort. He needed to be held and loved by the guy he’s in love with, and not have to worry about his parents finding out. He doesn’t want to worry about being too obvious, or his parents making Win sleep in the guest room when Team really just needs to fall asleep in his arms, or worried about his parents trying to make conversation and asking too many questions that Team isn’t ready to answer. 

In summary: If we don’t get that breakfast scene next week with Win, Team and Team’s parents, I’m gonna cry. I want it SO BAD. Please!! 

[minijenn]

So! Thanks to Them is out. Thoughts?

Alright since everyone is asking I guess its finally Time to talk about Thanks to Them. So....

Let me begin by saying the ep is... ok. Just pales in comparison to For the Future, but on its own its fine. It has a lot of great things going for it (String Bean, my beloved, also Camilla in the Boiling Isles in general is just... fucking Peak). But as a whole and keeping in mind that this is the second to last episode of the series we're talking about here... oof. This one was... kinda rough.

I get it. I know Disney screwed TOW crew over. I know the story behind the scenes. But with the little time the crew had left to tell this story I feel like some... questionable decisions were made in this one. Mainly in focusing on Hexside and Boscha and Kiki. Like... they're subpar elements of the show on a good day, but was anyone really asking to see how their plotlines resolve? Did we really need an ep so close to the end where fucking Kikimora was the main threat the squad was facing, hot off the heels, mind you, of probably the most tense encounter with Belos this show has featured yet? Yes, I know it would probably be overkill to have Belos be in the limeline two eps in a row, and I am intruiged by what he's going by manipulating the Collector in Raine's body (Eda gonna kill a bitch). But still. Kikimora? Really? That was the best we could do?

Then there's the elephant in the room. I've made it clear in the past that I'm not a fan of Huntlow. And honestly, my feelings have very little to do with the ship itself. I don't really see any romantic chemistry between them personally, i think they're fine being just friends. But god, the Huntlow fans??? Some of the most annoying shippers on the internet if you ask me. As soon as I realized where this episode was going with Willow and Hunter, I knew those fans were going to become even more unbearable after this, which also, in the back of my mind, worked to dull my enjoyment of things. Overall though, even beyond the shipping, the stuff with Willow seemed... well sort of out of nowhere? At least in terms of recent events. Again, this is probably because they're working witth very limitied time to tell the story they want to, but still, I wasn't as engaged as I feel like I should have been.

When it comes to the Collector, tbh I'm... sort of underwhelmed too? I was expecting... more? with them?? I mean, don't get me wrong, what they're doing is fucked up, but idk I thought reality in the Boiling Islese itself was gonna be more fucked up than it currently is (sorta like Weirdmaggedon? I guess??) I am interested to learn more about them and I'm very intruiged by King's dynamic with them too. So again, there are things I do very much like as we head toward the finale, but this definately was the middle lull of things between a banger opening and an... at this point at least, uncertain, but interesting-looking ending...

So overall, I'd give it like a 5/10. Very mid (again in my opininon, if you liked it, that's fine!)

[emeraldvsociety]

Intro Post!(?)

I caved and made a tumblr 😏 Hey y’all 😏 Welcome to my braindump.

Quick intro:

Pronouns: she/her

Name: Em(?)

90% of what I post on here is probably going to resemble shit-posting because I’m going to be honest—I take myself way too seriously on social media and it’s nice to just let my inner thoughts go crazy. I’m going to post on here like it’s my finsta (minus the thirst traps) (Maybe). I will also probably rarely post on here because idk I don’t know how Tumblr works quite yet, and I don’t want to make a fool out of myself.

Okay if you’re going to read any of these dumb notes read THIS ONE: I am VERY passionate about Domestic Violence Awareness because (spoiler alert) I nearly lost my life to domestic violence (the spoiler is that I lived). As such, I am heavily involved in the DVA community. I meet a lot of people with similar and slightly different stories to my own, and I’ve been exposed to and know plenty about abusive dynamics. My point is, I am not comfortable writing/reading certain relationship dynamics because it makes me uncomfy. I’m more sensitive than most to this type of stuff so please respect that I will not write and actively avoid anything involving ANYTHING that might be seen as a slippery slope toward abuse.

Now, I know fiction is fiction and all that jazz so that being said: I don’t hate it if anyone ships something in the grey area. That’s totally fine! Literally, I do not care. Just please do not ask me to WRITE anything involving boss/employee, teacher/student, officer/subordinate, abuser/victim, huge age gaps, etc. I will actively avoid content like this, and I CAN NOT write it (unless there’s clear commentary that it’s BAD). This doesn’t mean that I can’t interact with people do create it either. If you want to know the specifics of my boundaries feel free to ask. If I could do anything in this world, it would be to purge it of the violence I faced. I can’t do that, but I can put out a creative form that emphasizes that love should never hurt. Minors please DNI. A minor does not need to be interacting with a junior in college working on grad school apps fr.

Requests are welcome! Especially for Dad Harwin and Strong Babies ficlets! However, I will say that I only write one longfic per year and that honor goes to Man on the Moon (and its brewing sequel) so just keep that in mind.

I actively avoided getting into fandoms because… listen y’all… I have been a Star Wars super fan since I was three. I wrote my first SW fanfic when I was like seven (I still have it—I honestly might post it because it’s adorable). My point is though, I KNOW how toxic the SW fandom is, so please do not bring that around me. It just sucks the joy out of me. So if I seem hesitant to engage in the community that is why.

HOWEVER, if you are Team Green, you are more than welcome to spew fictional politics on my posts. It’s part of the reason I love the HOTD fandom. It’s so immersive lmfao. But! I am allowed to attack your fictional politics back. I am literally here to spread Team Black Propaganda!

Something I will not tolerate is ANY FORM OF MISOGYNY. As a lover of women, it is my sworn duty, m’kay? Please respect women. This means ANY type of misogyny. This also applies to biphobia or anything I deem as anti-lesbian.

I am bipolar (2) and my hypomanic episodes really drive my writing up. So if you’re ever like “wow how tf did EmeraldTeller86 manage to write 10k worth of nsfw material” it’s likely because of my hypomania. Anyway! I am medicated and managed so please do not worry. The only side effect of my (hypo)mania is overly wordy pieces. It’s my outlet ig.

I haven’t been writing NSFW pieces for that long so if you’re like “wow this is cringe” y’know I probably somewhat agree. But I’m allowed to be cringe as long as it’s not on the main. Just let me have fun, dammit! I have to be the standard of beauty on the main and live up to impossible expectations so let me be cringe here!

I am a trust fund baby. And while I say that in a “haha you can make fun of me for being a spoiled brat” way, I also want to acknowledge my privilege and just let y’all know that if I do ever say something insensitive let me know! I am a person (despite layers of internet screens and manic tendencies) with empathy. I never want my existence or anything I put into existence to cause harm.

The Slayyter Remix of “Gimme More” describes my life pretty well tbh.

I am mostly in CST, but I'm occasionally in CEST / GMT + 1, and rarely in HKT / UTC + 8.

I’m in my prescribed flop era rn. In active recovery tho. Kind of.

I AM STILL NOT OVER MY CRISTON COLE CRACK FIC BLOWING UP ON TIKTOK LMFAO. Top Ten Funniest Moments of my life.

I love to read! So if you want to send me anything please feel free!

If you know my real name please don’t reveal it 🥴 I don’t want Society to win!

I’m thinking about posting weekly updates (just of life ig? Song of the week, book I’m currently reading, how my writing is going, etc).

Once again, I do not know how Tumblr works so please be patient as I learn the etiquette around these parts.

I'll pin this later if need be. Ig

[luckyqueenreign]

Hello dear!

Here comes the rant😆

What a heck I just read? FB for sure made some strange choices.

First of all - why we should twist with new boys? Mc should be sent home - like there literally was a text "if you single - you'd be dumped". Our theory about Finn and Kat twisting if MC single had much more sense!

Secondly. Suresh, dude, are you for real? Still playing games instead of showing everyone were you stand. And Lulu seems really sweet, how dare he to use her like that? I mean it was obvious she's his safe choice to stay but FB making him such an asshole? Why he didn't tell her "I can bring you but that'll be friendship couple cuz I only want MC"? For someone who's talking"i care about you, MC" he's definitely makes her life much more complicated!

Gabi. I tried to be civil, all right? Why she suddenly thinks she has to show how important she was for Suresh? He's literally told you "it wasn't anything serious for me" and your answer "I think it's a lie"?? Piss off, woman! You've been a rebound, a replacement of a real girlfriend. And your wants won't change the reality.

Alfie. Dude, why are you still trying talk to MC when she made it clear that you are friends, nothing more?? My MC even told you to couple up with Meera and was ready to go home. And now you bringing Meera back and all she's doing - making a show "we're such a power couple" and glaring at MC even though my MC has been telling "you are great together!" Arlo #2 much?? And now I read that she wants to dump MC?? Not cool. MC isn't to blame if you not confident enough in your couple, stop being a bitch!

My poor MC doesn't have any girlfriends on this circus! Please Lulu, you are the last hope for a true friendship!

Finn. Weeell. You giving me Noah vibes with your uncertainty. I have a feeling he fancies MC more then Kat but Kat is an easy option, you know? it's like under all his flirting and bravado he's not confident enough in himself to be with someone so gorgeous and cool like MC. I mean - dude literally said "you are out of my league" to MC...🤔 But maybe it's wishful thinking 😃

And Nicolas... OMG, he's just male version of Kat! I knew there was something about him and playing the game but damn! My girl had enough drama in her life and doesn't need more. I don't fancy men who loves stirring the pot... Now I have even more doubts about him. I don't see him in solid couple with a girl if she's serious and not in all this drama/playing games. But he's definitely a good option make Suresh jealous 😆

Welp... At this point I don't even mind taking money and never seeing those people again 😆 but we'll see new islanders. Maybe FB will give us a dependable guy (maybe an old friend of MC who's always been in love with her and hated Suresh for hurting his favourite girl??)

First - YES!! This made NO SENSE the text said single islanders would be DUMPED and then wait NOT U MC! ur special! No we're not! U literally drag us through the mug every fucking episode

Second- babe thats not suresh...idk who that is but its not him. because the man that said all that stuff to us before he left for casa wouldnt be choosing grandma Lulu who he literally has no spark with over us.

Third - Gabi doesnt seem to understand that one sided relationships exist. One person can like another person more than the other. Sorry babe but this happens more often than not...just because he was around doesnt mean he was around.

Fourth - I personally didnt get the vibe that he was trying it on MC I got more friend vibes from him, but maybe that's how I played it. Meera was being such a bitch that I can't wait for me to not go home next week, but to rub it in her face that her bestie is tho

Fifth - I low-key loved Noah 2.0 and If I find out something shady happened between Gabi/Suresh on that terrace rooftop im jumping ship to Finn so fucking fast.

sixth - idk im getting the ick from Nicolas 🫣 hes too much with the gossip and drama he seems more into that than MC. and saying he needed to fake their connection 🙄 thats a no for me dog.

im staying on the suresh route until it becomes even more obvious that there is none left and then will be jumping ship to Finn.

[ressariot]

Current state of my Trigun adventure (featuring some spoilers):

So far the '98 anime is closer to the manga, though it has some filler even early on and kinda holds back on some revelations. It's definitely funny how in the '98 anime Meryl is in denial about Vash being, you know, Vash the Stampede which leads to the anime pushing back the point where we see Vash draw out his own gun and shoot with it. I don't necessarily mind that, since the show also uses that filler to establish some things about Vash that the manga brings up in text boxes (adapting things in a way more fitting for the medium and all that). Bringing up the July City incident through a character who survived it and seeks revenge for it works, though I'm currently unsure if there were casualties in the manga.

The '98 anime held back on showing anything about Vash being on the SEED ship until the dedicated flashback episode whereas the manga brings up glimpses of it earlier. Stampede putting that at the very beginning of the show is something I'm not sure how to feel about. Yeah, the story has been around for over two decades, but that doesn't mean everyone already knows the gist of it. I certainly didn't know much before I started watching the '98 anime and I can imagine that there are people out there that experience the story for the first time through Stampede. (Only yesterday I had someone tell me they'd never heard of Trigun, so it's possible not everyone knows what's going on when going into Stampede.)

I have to hold off on a lot of what Stampede does differently because I don't know how much of it is in line with what the manga does (later on) that '98 anime perhaps left out or obscured. That's a big reason of why I decided to pick up the manga, so I could compare Stampede to that instead of the '98 anime. So far it hasn't helped much because of how differently Stampede approaches things. Idk, it's something about the vibes.

The '98 anime certainly robbed me of the wings moment Vash has with the train plant. Stampede has at least referenced it though the context was different and Vash got only patterns on his skin instead of the wings coming out of his back.

I will have to see what the manga offers on Wolfwood's backstory because the '98 anime and Stampede gave me something different for it and I'm not sure which one is closer to the manga. I definitely have some bias here because I kinda liked how long the '98 anime holds off on his connection to the people working for Knives until shortly before he goes directly against his mentor. The manga makes his association clear sooner by having him be present for Knives's resurrection.

Speaking of which, Knives gets brought back from near death in the manga. Just fucking saying.

Reading the manga is increasing my love for Milly, so it hurts even more that she's not in Stampede. Instead we get some middle-aged dude, what the fuck. Give me my girl, you cowards. She has some good moments with Vash and Milly and Meryl are great together. I have yet to see what the manga does with her and Wolfwood, but I don't know if I really care whether romance is involved or not. I just want Vash, Meryl, Milly, and Wolfwood together. That's the polygon gang. Give it to me, Stampede. I may forgive you for journalist guy if you bring in Milly later on.

I really don't know about Stampede's plotlines, though. Since it seems to take stuff from the manga and then puts its own spin on them. Some of them I recognised, others were completely new to me. I have to finish the manga before I can sort out my feelings on all of those. Though I felt that Wolfwood and Vash having a disagreement about Wolfwood shooting a child happened too soon in their relationship. Idk, we'll see.