#so I'd like to believe she's being genuine because this is the most concern about Denji's wellbeing we've ever seen from anyone

[fma03envy]

Hm having thoughts about Reze

[erimeows]

TFA Characters' Toxic Traits

Me with another TFA headcanon set? Who would've guessed. Got the inspiration for this one after realizing I'd done it with MysMes but not with Transformers. Enjoy!

Optimus Prime: Shoulders every single burden all by himself. Will not ask for help and open up to others when needed, even though not doing so ends up negatively impacting everyone more in the end than asking for help would've.

Bumblebee: Toxic positivity- enough said. You vent to him and he's like "oh but you have so much to be happy about!".

Bulkhead: Will not take sides in any conflict of his own accord even if he knows that one side is "right" if he fears it will upset any of his friends. Passively steps out of conflicts even when he's needed, unless it's an absolute emergency.

Ratchet: Refuses to open up about trauma that he has even though it affects the way he acts and negatively impacts the people around him, who are very confused as to why he acts the way he does.

Prowl: Has an ungodly superiority complex, tends to think he's better or smarter than others (even when he's not), though he's trying to work on that.

Sentinel Prime: I think we saw in the show, but he's very prideful and will never admit that he's wrong in any situation. Also terrible at offering genuine apologies- more of a sarcastic "I'm sorry you feel that way" than a genuine "I'm sorry I did (x)" kind of guy.

Jazz: Gets uncomfortable when things get too serious to the point that if people try to open up to him about something deep, he will change the subject or deflect them 90% of the time.

Ultra Magnus: Too by the book. Will do things that he doesn't believe in or ignore wrong doings for the sake of legality.

Megatron: Very selfish and very charming, which is a bad combo. Similar to Starscream, he will be nice to your face if needed and then screw you over in the end as long as it benefits him.

Starscream: So many, but the worst one is lying to people's face and then talking shit behind their backs or doing them wrong for his own benefit.

Blitzwing: Depends on which of the three personalities you're dealing with because they all have some pretty over the top toxic traits, but the worst and most prevalent one is that all three of them tend to belittle others to feel better about themselves- especially if their life is going bad or if they're feeling insecure about something in particular.

Lugnut: The Megatron obsession, obviously. It gets to the point that anyone and anything else in his life that should be prioritized get(s) pushed to the side for Megatron's sake when Megatron doesn't value him nearly as much.

Blackarachnia: Very vengeful and obsessive about getting revenge to the point that it's unhealthy. Obviously this is seen in her TFA episodes where she wants revenge on Optimus/Sentinel for what happened when they were in school- but those emotions are over a huge tragedy that happened in her life and are almost understandable. This toxic trait also applies to, say, someone who accidentally shoulder checked her or took her lunch from the staff fridge. If you wrong her in the slightest, she will make sure she has revenge, even if it was a genuine mistake.

Lockdown: Can't handle commitment. He's not scared of it, just not emotionally mature enough. Whether it be a job, a friendship, a romantic relationship, or whatever else, he won't commit. He doesn't care whose feelings it hurts or if he's passing up on something genuinely good for himself either.

Swindle: Also can't handle commitment, but I'd argue that his worst toxic trait is actually his concern for money. He's terrified of being broke to the point that it consumes his every waking minute. Sure, he enjoys the swindling, but if he misses out on money he panics and he will go to ridiculous lengths to get a good deal or to rip someone off.

[geekgirles]

Since all I ask for now is that Amalia gets to call the Osamodas out on their hypocrisy and betrayal, I think it's important to point out Armand never wanted Aurora to rule.

I say this in light of her father claiming she is the rightful heir to the throne when we all know she's actually not.

And I don't just mean her claim on the throne isn't legitimate because a) she's not even a Sadida, or b) she was Armand's Osamodas wife, not even his daughter, which would give her claim some credibility, but because it's clear to see she was never meant to truly be the Sadidas' queen, not even their regent.

I know this all sounds contradictory with the fact that, by virtue of marrying Armand, the Crown Prince, she eventually became his queen, but the thing is, it's plain to see not even Armand wanted her to rule the kingdom on her own, which is what her family is trying to accomplish—although there's also a very high chance they intend to rule through her, rather than let her make her own decisions.

As @vinillain and I have discussed through reblogs, it seems to be implied Aurora was never really meant to rule: not only wasn't she a candidate for becoming her own people's queen, but it is clear to see she was only meant to be given an important position in court but with none of the responsibilities expected from such duty.

This can be seen in her role in seasons 3 and 4; despite being Armand's wife and loving him, she never really acted like a true queen. In season 3 she acted conniving and pretended to have Amalia and the kingdom's best interests in mind when, deep down, all she cared about was strengthening her and her family's power over Sadida politics. And in season 4 she remained passive, aloof, and emotionless throughout. At no point was she shown to feel genuine concern for her husband's people even in the face of an imminent threat.

The most active role she's taken ever since she debuted was playing matchmaker for an unwilling Amalia and trying to find more about the Eliaculus.

From what we've seen so far it's easy to conclude she was always meant to be Armand's consort, but never his actual partner. She was essentially sent to the Sadidas to act as their king's arm candy. Whatever power gap was between them, she never made any efforts to breach it and show her worth.

For all she and her family look down on Amalia, Aurora herself never matured enough to become a suitable ruler, whereas Amalia eventually grew into her mother's mantle; even when his father was still alive, she had already become Queen of the Sadidas.

And I think despite his love for her, Armand knew this. He knew she could never rule the kingdom without him; knew she never should rule his kingdom without him.

Despite his many flaws and not-so-stellar moments, Armand was raised to be king. He was never stupid. He knew the inner workings of politics in and out and how to navigate them.

This is apparent in his interactions with the Osamodas King.

While he maintained a cool head throughout, it was clear to see Armand saw right through his father-in-law's ill-veiled condescension towards his people and his desire to control his kingdom. Which is why I wouldn't be surprised if he had never truly trusted Aurora despite coming to love her.

Because of everything his people had gone through, Armand was perfectly aware his kingdom was practically of no importance to the other races, for they never sent their support when they needed it most. So it wouldn't be far-fetched to assume Armand knew all along the Osamodas' intentions behind marrying him to Aurora went beyond simply providing him with a queen.

Which is why I believe he never intended to let Aurora become regent if he was no longer around.

But my greatest evidence are his last words to Amalia as he was about to sacrifice himself and he put her to safety. I don't have the screenshots for it (so I'd appreciate if anyone could provide them), but he essentially told Amalia she would be their next queen.

That's it. That's all he said. He never said, "Please, help Aurora out", or "You two are co-rulers now", or even "You have my permission to fuck Yugo senseless". He told his sister it was up to her to rule their people, not his wife.

Meaning, between her being the last remaining Sheran Sharm, the second in line when her brother was still alive, and Armand's words, Amalia is the kingdom's rightful ruler, not Aurora. It was never Aurora.  

[the-starlight-project]

So I got a list of theories, I am sorry if this is too long to answer, but I had to share my thoughts with you guys.

Shamdow is probably the least aware of everything going on. He seems genuinely confused and concerned about Sonic/Nicky, even when Sonic/Nicky is "new."

Shillver (thanks to whoever came up with this name) knows the most. After all, why would you randomly be on a rooftop standing in the rain and hiding behind a door you got smacked with? Surprised there was no audible sound of a man swearing upon being smacked by a METAL DOOR.

Both of Tails actors are siblings. It was common for some characters to be played by siblings due to similarities with them at young ages. Though based on the photo and the fact these follow the games, these two most likely acted in the Sonic Generations season of this show.

Knuckle's actor is probably the one who constantly needs to keep people on track, and he is probably the one who has the angry writing on that board. I also feel like he is the one who actually takes care of Cheese since chaos are associated with the Master Emerald. It would make sense for Knuckle's actor to still have a slight connection to it, even if he doesn't in real life.

Cassy is for sure Rouge. Shadow and Rouge were both introduced in the same game, so it would make sense for both to be introduced the same season. I am going to guess she is also Shamdow's roommate, mainly because it seems like the two would live together before they get into acting.

Cream's actor is probably the least seen, but most liked of the cast. She definitely seems like she embodies Cream herself, whether she is acting or not.

Blaze's actor might know part of what is going on, but not fully. Blaze and Silver do have a somewhat close relation in the game they appeared in, and afterwards it was more of Deja Vu due to weird Sonic Game timeline stuff, so Blaze's actor may know something because of Shillver.

Amy's actor has a scar on her cheeks. I have a feeling she accidentally got it on set, since her character does weird a hammer, and I am sure some balance issues may happen time to time, resulting in a few falls.

Eggman's actor is probably the sweetest man alive, or the most evil man you'll ever meet. Either way, he appeared in the first few pages and is for sure going to be seen later.

Sonic/Nicky isn't "new" as the studio suggests, they just use the "new" story to make everyone believe he was replaced. I am going to guess that if Sonic/Nicky has been there the entire time since the shows creation, the studio had some really clever ways to hide stuff. Especially if Sonic/Nicky is still a teenager after 30+ years.

Lastly, if Sonic Generations is a season, then who was the Classic Sonic actor? Does Sonic/Nicky have any siblings and doesn't know/realize it, or is it just some random blue hedgehog actor that the studio randomly found and knew would make for a believeable younger Sonic?

I gotta say, we're both so sad you're anonymous right now - this was an awesome string of theories and we wanted to give you props!

I can't answer all of them in depth, as you probably guessed, but I'll go ahead and confirm what I can right now!

Shamdow is definitely the least aware, and Shillver (as of right now) is the most aware of the characters that have been introduced.

I can't even make a snarky comment on this or anything, you just hit ALL of the Tails portion of this theory on the head. They are indeed siblings, and both did participate in the Generations season!

Knuckles' actor was definitely the one writing on the board, but I can't tell you anything else about him for now... except for the fact that he doesn't take care of Cheese LMAO

Cassy is definitely Rouge. They aren't roommates, but they were technically new friends when they were introduced. They met during the casting for SA2.

Cream is seen the least for a reason.

Blaze's actor doesn't really know what's going on, but I'd say they're suspicious. Also, they're not too close with Shillver, but they're friends enough.

All of the section about Amy's actor is correct! She did get that little scar on set, during the filming of Sonic CD! I'm sure you can guess where.

Eggman's actor(s) is definitely ... a man. He's nice! He's nice.

The studio definitely has some really clever (and morally dubious) ways of hiding things. There have been several occasions where more extreme measures were needed, though.

Classic Sonic definitely has an actor! He's his own entity, has his own life (and is connected to Amy's actor in his own ways). They aren't siblings or anything (though that's not to say that Sonic doesn't have any).

[triglycercule]

in a just kidding kinda mood. canon nightmare is so serious and then i made her. she's a total dweeb she thinks that she's allat just because she ate a black (rotten) apple once and it was so bad she thinks she she's a goopy monster. that's not actually how she got to this (she got bullied in elementary school and wants to express her true self now in high school) but the black apple was involved (she ate a rotten apple and it was so bad she remembered her embarrassing elementary school fantasy and realized she liked it).

she's totally goth but she doesn't realize it (and i CANNOT be bothered to draw a goth esque outfit combined with the jk uniform). the book club is her headquarters and whoever joins the club becomes part of her gang (friends! because she's terrible at socializing and this is a way of being more outgoing) and then they have to do usual stuff goons do like helping nightmare study for tests (so she can further her insatiable quest for knowledge) and going to the mall with her (carrying her bags obviously. a queen cant be seen with shopping bags.) her goons MUST call her lady night or else she'll get upset. god jk!nightmare you're such a goddamn loser how many more dumb ideas can i come with for you

comments from..... oeople??? here's dream. they're on good terms because i hate dreamtale angst and i want them to be happy and healthy siblings. nightmare also uses her gang to moniter dream and make sure she's not getting in trouble. but then she also gets to play villian with dream where dream is the damsel in distress. or the hero. depends!

"well, one day nighty just came downstairs for breakfast dressed like... that. she spoke in a different way and acted different and especially looked different. needless to say, the family and i were confused."

"but, after she explained it, it actually made a surprising amount of sense despite the... change. nighty used to get bullied back in our old elementary school, and she claims that now that we're in high school, she wants to "embrace the true self that's been whispering pleas of freedom". er... whatever that means."

"of course i support it, she's my sister and all! i'd even say this persona of nightmare's is much funnier to interact with, and she's even made some friends thanks to her new self of the sort. honestly, as her sister? i couldn't be more happy to see nightmare thriving compared to before."

"but my only concern... is her makeup safe for long-term use?"

all of the mtt (most of the school actually) did NOT fall for the little act nightmare's putting up. even killer. no matter how brainrotted she is from the internet even she wouldn't fall for that. nightmare invited them to the gang (club) and both killer and dust were on board to join. because killer found her funny and dust likes books. and then horror was dragged along because of course she was. live laugh love jk!mtt

"nightmare?? oh, you mean lady night! yeah, i know her. pretty well, in fact~ she's appointed me as her right hand woman, which means i get to do all sorts of cool things, like coming up with literature recommendations and organizing when the gang meets up! she's pretty cool, y'know? i just gotta make sure to stop laughing whenever she calls me a "goon", hehe..."

"nightmare's nice. she likes reading, i like reading, so obviously i had to join the gang. she likes more fantasy style stuff, but i prefer sci-fi. not that big of a deal though, considering we read a variety of books in the clu- i mean, her "gang". sorry. don't tell her i said that, or else i'll be sent on a "mission" to "battle her homework" or whatever."

"oh, "lady night", "queen of negativity"... she's hilarious. it's so funny seeing her act like she has magical powers and all the yada yada about "the black apple" and "multiversal conquering". i mean, not many people in the school really believe her little schtick she's got going on, but most humor her. 'sides, she's a genuinely good person under all that makeup and acting anyways, so i like her. all i wanna know is, why does she keep her shoelaces untied?"

this idea is SO DUMB IM DYING. feared multiversal terror turned into a high school girl with the worlds most EMBARRASSING delusion. what universe are we in (the jk!universe dummy!). anyways dream design in the works (i already have the design done just need to color it!) and then quite possibly more aus will be jk-fied. ink may possibly be the first sans to NOT wear a skirt. who know,,,,s,,,,,,

[ageingfangirl2]

A Reason To Come Back! Shanks (OPLA) Part 1

Reader is a mermaid who washed up close to death in Luffy's village and made a home for themselves. Shanks comes back and tries to convince y/n to join his crew. Shanks x Female Reader.

Part 2

Y/N

It had been six months since you found yourself washed up on the shores of Foosha Village, bloody and close to death after watching your family die at the hands of pirates and making a dangerous escape. At first the village was stunned that a girl washed up beaten and bloody, then it turned into shock when they saw your shimmering tail and realised mermaids were real and not myth. Luckily when on shore you grew legs so you managed to blend in.

After being nursed back to health you decided to stay in the village because everyone was so nice to you. Being a mermaid meant you had a knack for fishing so were able to provide a lot of fish to eat and sell, and if Makino needed help you helped in the tavern. This is where you meet a young boy called Luffy who dreams of being a pirate.

Luffy took an immediate shine to you, following you around and asking lots of questions about the sea. You weren't a fan of pirate questions and after a talking to from Makino he didn't mention pirates around you often. Luffy was like a little brother, he had an adorable if not energetic personality which meant you had to keep an eye on him. He loved to watch you swim in the cove near your house, gushing over your tail and how cool it was he knew a mermaid.

He told you tales of a pirate called Shanks and his crew and how they were amazing pirates. It was hard to believe a pirate crew could exist that didn't always use violence to get what they wanted. Luffy missed Shanks and promised to introduce you to him when he eventually came back.

SHANKS

'Hey captain, where's Luffy? Usually, he'd be the first to greet us,' Yasopp calls out.

I walked across the deck and to my surprise Luffy was nowhere in sight. had something happened to him? I'd have to ask Makino because this was very odd.

After ordering the crew to unload I head towards the tavern, genuinely concerned for Luffy, yes he could be a little annoying but his enthusiasm more than made up for that.

Makino smiles as I enter the empty tavern, 'ah you're back Shanks. What's wrong?'

'Have you seen Luffy? He wasn't at the dock.'

Makino stops sweeping and chuckles, 'Now that's a first. He's probably at the cove with y/n. How she puts up with him I'll never know.'

y/n, that name wasn't familiar, maybe they were new in town, 'who is she?'

Makino hums, 'washed up on the beach six months ago beaten nearly to death, but that's not all, turns out mermaids are real. Luffy is obsessed with her.'

I'd been sailing the sea for years and had heard stories and rumours about mermaids but never thought they were real. I guess I'd go find Luffy and this mermaid y/n.

'She has a past with pirates so be careful, though I'm pretty sure Luffy has her convinced your crew are good pirates.'

I nod and head back out of the tavern, curious why y/n had a past with pirates if mermaids hardly showed themselves.

The cove wasn't a long walk, and I could already hear Luffy talking away at a mile a minute, while a girl laughed, I had to stop for a second because the laugh was a little hypnotizing. The stories said it was sirens with voices to lure ships to their demise, but maybe that also applied to mermaids.

I lean against the rock wall and take in the sight in front of me. In the water was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, and I wasn't being biased because we had the same hair colour. Her facial expression was soft and there was a twinkle behind her eyes as she laughed along with Luffy. I was also a man and despite her long wet hair covering her shell-covered breasts, she had a body. Her tail was also the same shade of red as her hair but shimmered when the sun hit it in the water

'HEY SHANKS!' Luffy shouts, snapping me out of my thoughts.

'Didn't see you at the dock so I came to find you,' I direct at Luffy before turning my full attention to the girl who was watching me with curious eyes, 'and you must be y/n, it's a pleasure to meet you.'

y/n smiles, 'You're the infamous Shanks, I've heard a lot about you from this one.'

I rub my head, 'why am I afraid to ask?'

y/n laughs, and again I find myself enthralled, she had to have some kind of power, 'he has a big imagination.'

Luffy puffs out his chest, 'When I get my own ship and crew y/n is going to join my crew, aren't you y/n?'

y/n's smile falters for a split second but she quickly composed herself, 'Maybe I'm not ready to head out to sea yet Luffy. Now shouldn't you be going to help Makino?'

Luffy jumps up from where he was perched, 'See you later y/n, you coming to Shanks?'

I put my hand up, 'I'll follow after you. Go ahead Luffy.'

The boy nods and runs past me. y/n swims up to the rocks and rests her hands on the rocks before resting her chin on them and staring at me, 'first time seeing a mermaid?' she asks.

I nod and crouch down, 'yeah, bit odd and I've seen some things while travelling. Makino told me you washed up on the beach, is that why you hate pirates?'

y/n bites her lip and nods, 'a pirate crew found the cove my family were resting in. Mermaids can live on the land, and we grow legs, but we prefer the water. They skinned the scales off my parents and siblings' tails like you do to a fish, I remember hearing them screaming because to mermaids our scales are like skin so imagine you're skin being peeled off while you're still alive Shanks.'

That was a lot to digest, 'I'm sorry, that must have been hard for you.'

y/n nods and uses her hands to push herself out of the water, and like magic her tail turns into human legs, but she isn't naked like the stories said, instead she was wearing a wet dress that clung to her body in all the right places.

'I told myself I wouldn't go back into the sea until those pirates were gone, so I guess I'm stuck here. But I have Luffy and the other villagers to keep me company.'

An idea forms in my head, 'what if my crew made those pirates go away. Would you return to the sea?'

y/n tilts her head to the side as she approaches me, 'Maybe. I don't have anywhere to go though. I'd be all alone.'

'Then join my crew,' I say without a second thought.

[turnwashingtonsbaddies]

Okay, but as a fandom old, aka someone who's been here since 2014, it's truly disheartening to see what poor sportsmanship most everyone has. I haven't seen this much fandom wank since the airing of 3x4 (believe me, you don't want to have been there for that). I think we're all forgetting that this is SUBJECTIVE, so literally no one is or CAN be wrong! You think so-and-so is hot? Not wrong! You think so-and-so is NOT hot? NOT wrong!

With that said, I propose that those of us who're indifferent, or just here to have a funky good time, should vote for a woman. Why? Because all the people exhibiting poor sportsmanship are rooting for male characters. I'd like to humbly suggest that Peggy deserves to win (just look at who she married), but in the end, I don't really care WHO wins, so long as it's not a guy since I don't want y'all gloating and making things 10x more unbearable than this experience already has been. Go outside and touch grass! Read a book! Smell some pretty flowers!

ok so i genuinely don't even know how to approach this ask but, in the words of robert rogers, "here we go!!"

from where i'm standing, i see all this back and forth arguing (via the propaganda and such) as funny and good-natured, even if it can be melodramatic and catty at times. for me personally, the best part of this bracket is seeing everyone get so passionate about something objectively pretty unserious and, like you said, subjective. like, the political-esque jargon i use in my posts is meant to point out this irony--it's funny to be comparing something as stupid as a hot bracket to something as serious as irl elections

i might be getting it wrong here, but from this ask, it seems you're perceiving pieces of hot bracket propaganda as genuine attacks on anyone who doesn't agree with that propaganda. i personally think that's a bit of an uncharitable outlook to have, but that said, i could just be being overly charitable to people here. i will admit, it is my default position to assume that we're all just having fun here, and it's all not that deep, and that people are being tongue-in-cheek with their posts. i may be wrong about that. if i am, i would genuinely like to hear feedback about that

this ask does genuinely concern me and how my bracket is affecting people's fandom experience. i am one of the bigger blogs in the fandom and this bracket has definitely been a pretty well-circulated event. i did make a joke about wanting to cause chaos at some point, but THAT WAS IN FACT A JOKE. if enough ppl believe this bracket is making the fandom experience "unbearable", i will stop the bracket and delete everything i have up related to it

[eleanorfenyx]

I have finished Mysterious Lotus Casebook, and here are some of my thoughts! (Obviously not spoiler free)

The cases are absolutely batshit insane and I loved it every single time they were like 'we totally collected this evidence that incriminates a secret suspect, just believe us and also don't question when the fuck we had the time to do this or when we figured out that we needed to look for it'. 10/10 no notes, that's a hilarious way to have a genius detective. Show us nothing, tell us everything, YES king.

That being said, I could have done with a lot less standing around having the supporting cast repeat whatever Li Lianhua and Fang Duobing announce, maybe in an attempt to make sure their genius is clear for the audience? I get it, but at the same time it felt a little too hand-holdy for me, especially in scenes where LLH and FDB had already discussed their findings between themselves before presenting them to the concerned bystanders. I can read between the lines (or else understand what has just been explicitly stated) without having every conclusion filtered through a slightly different sentence structure to make sure I got it.

Di Feisheng amnesia arc my fuckin beloved

Di Feisheng destroying his 'father' and freeing everyone in Di manor in a vicious act of catharsis that tied nicely into the main Nanyin bug-mind-control-thing narrative my beloved

Di Feisheng my beloved

The amount of times I was like...genuinely surprised he and Li Lianhua didn't kiss is both embarrassing (because I do in fact understand censorship and what I sign up for with these dramas and yet and yet) and numerous enough that I could...possibly...theoretically..write a 5+1 fic of every time I want them to kiss about it. No one hold me to that but it's something I think I'd like to do.

Re: the above point: because what the FUCK was that ending?!!! EXCUSE ME?! I gotta FIX THAT SHIT.

There will come a day when the strength of my hope for an unambiguously happy ending in a queer(-coded? is the source originally bl or is this its own thing?) wuxia drama is rewarded....but it is not this day. I must fix this myself.

Jiao Liqiao's laugh is one of the most annoying things I've ever heard. I was reaaaaally hoping someone would just up and stab her during one of her little evil laughing fits. At one point I was shouting "KILL HER, KILL HER" at my screen because I could NOT take anymore of her (unfortunately, I did in fact have to take more of her).

I still think her insistence on being obsessed with DFS is hysterical when he is so VISIBLY only interested in LLH. Explicitly STATES that his only life purpose is to fuck fight LLH again. Babygirl (derogatory) he is so fucking gay let's get you a nice knife to the gut instead, okay?

I thought the whole Shan Gudao plot was interesting, going from looking desperately for his body -> putting him to rest -> hunting for his murderer -> finding out he's alive/the mastermind behind everything going wrong (which I was proud of myself for realizing before the reveal, I'm normally bad at that) -> thwarting him with sass and superior martial arts at every possible turn -> killing him stone fuckin dead with beginner level skills because he's so up his own hole he can't see that's what's happening - was really fun!

He also has a SUPER annoying laugh he can fuck off

OH OH OH MARTIAL ARTS SKILL OF TRANS YOUR GENDER?! I MARRIED HER SO HER AFFAIRS ARE MY BUSINESS NOT YOURS??? ASKING YOUR WIFE FOR HER FORGIVENESS AND UNDERSTANDING AS YOU LAY DYING AND SHE GIVES IT TO YOU?????? OKAYYYYYYY

The twist at the end that LLH is the one with royal blood was so funny to me. Like it's a good twist and I love that Shan Gudao was just quite literally always a fuckin try-hard loser in ways he didn't even know, but also it was SO funny. Granny coming in clutch at the last fuckin minute with secret knowledge she just literally never shared.

LLH is such a smooth motherfucker. Shame about his insistence on dying when quite literally everyone (bar the people who suck) is begging this man to just live. Just LIVE DAMN IT!!!!! I really liked it when FDB begs him to just consider his own life as important for ONCE and remember that people care about him because YES his self-sacrificing and committment to Chilling Out Farmer Style was not the mercy he thought it was!

LIVE AND GROW OLD WITH DI FEISHENG YOU DAMN IDIOT (the likelihood of me resisting the urge to write at least the one fic for them is zero to none)

Unironically love spitting up blood as a plot device and this show is no different. The Drama. The Panache. The desperation of everyone around you because you have BLOOD coming out of your MOUTH and you are FAINTING. Poison acting up? Spit blood. Someone bitch slap you with their magical palm ability? Spit blood. Get stressed? Spit blood. Get stabbed? Spit blood. It's always good!

Okay I think that might be all I've got for now, if I think of anything else I'll add them in a reblog. I thoroughly enjoyed it, would definitely recommend!

[blacclotusss]

What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned?

Just a bit of meta on my favorite scenes from episode one of season two!

Louis and Lestat in the Field

At this point and time, using context clues, we know Lestat is conjured up from Louis' mind. Personally, I think Louis conjured him up due to the fact that he's surrounded by dead bodies and the most recent "dead" body he's cared about is Lestat. So now, he's thinking of his past love and the murder of him, the only time he's felt like he murdered someone. "Oh love, I'm merely waiting until you're happy." This seems to be the opposite of what Lestat has done to Louis in season one. He would always try and catch Louis when he was down and make the situation worse e.g. Paul's death, the church turning, the closing of the Azalea, the riots, etc. It's interesting, especially, considering Lestat isn't actually saying any of this. Crazy how Louis' brain is working in this moment. A friend of mine also brought up that Louis is in a period of desperation and despair and I think it may have brought up thoughts of home, the home they left Lestat to die in.

Claudia and Louis' Argument in the Boiler Room

The first time we actually hear, from her own mouth, how much Claudia resents Louis for the fact that Lestat is still looming over them. "I forgave you for messing up my plan, I did not forgive you for bringing him with you." Louis, in that moment, seems to want to make nice with people on their journey and dismisses Claudia's concerns and ideas, which may build even more resentment. "I'm looking for one, just one, that ain't a goddamn bastard!" Her search for vampires seems to be her both wanting answers as well as her own companion to escape the bastards she's encountered as a vampire.

Claudia's Dreams/Nightmares

This one is a bit tricky for me to understand because the only thing I can think of what Louis is trying to say is that she is lying, but I don't think he'd call her a liar. I believe Claudia only said she couldn't dream because Louis was getting on her nerves. I hope to God that is not the angle we're going with because I will personally raise hell for her.

Morgan Asking Louis for Help

Very short point but it's so interesting that Morgan thought Louis would help and I was somewhat surprised that Louis left it alone. I think that those four years have hardened him just a bit and he's over the humans for now. Another point, a bit of racism slipping through that Morgan thought the Black man was going to help.

Daciana and the Fire

Two interpretations of this scene and I'd like to believe that the both of them have some truth to it. One (brought to me by my friend @nakiaslilhoodoo), Daciana and her killing her children relating to Claudia. Even in season one, we see just how much he cares for Claudia, even going so far as to postponing his suicide so that she wouldn't have the memory of her brother dying on the same day as the beginning of her journey of traveling. I think Daciana jumping into the fire after losing her children could show how Louis will lick the fire (internally) once Claudia is gone. 

Two (another point made by a friend of mine, Daciana and Magnus being one in the same in this scene. The both of them walked into the fire after feeling defeated with having no companion. I didn't realize this until a friend brought it up to me and I think it makes the situation even more tragic.

Louis' Speech to Claudia

A very bittersweet moment for me, and the way the trailers and clips are set up makes me believe this may fall apart. I thought I'd feel stronger about Louis telling Claudia about having a shitty life, I still don't think it was quite necessary because I'm sure she knows that and her life was shitty before she even met Louis, but it didn't leave a poor taste in my mouth like I thought it would. The soft words he gave her was what genuinely broke me. I think it hit me because I know Louis genuinely believes what he said to her and how it's her and him against the world, but I know it's going to go left. Even when they held hands together after getting off of the van, they really could be everything if they keep each other close. You could tell by Claudia's face that she's been waiting to hear that from, (Delainey said this as well) but she also seems a bit skeptical and questioning whether he'll stick to his words, which I don't blame her for. And then Louis conjuring up Lestat as he's telling her this...I know there will be problems on the rise.

Louis and Armand in the Bedroom

First of all, the bedroom seems to be gorgeous and I would pick it apart more if it weren't for the bars and the painting in the back. The bars are a bit jarring because I don't know who they would represent. Would it be Louis feeling confined to this relationship and life he's made with Armand or would it represent Armand holding back his emotions and how he feels? And the painting of Jesus and Judas, who betrayed Jesus, hanging in the back is a wild concept. But, I did enjoy the softness each of them displayed with one another. The talk of Claudia's diary pages could have easily blew up into an argument, but they each know each other well enough for it to remain calm. Even Louis' face before he kissed Armand was quite reassuring. Love what I see from these two so far.

[pianopadawan]

Attendant Heert Headcanons (featuring Dedra Meero and Penn Pershing)

Because I've been making and will be making more Heert content I figured I'd compile these into one place. I'll be using these for various fics/art in the future. This post ended up way longer than it needed to be but what can I say? I love my obscure imperials.

TW: Mention of homophobia, mention of Dr. Gorst being creepy (as if we did not already know that about him), discussion of medical conditions

Heert's first name is Lionel which really shouldn't cause an issue, but somehow despite even in a world as technologically advanced as the Empire, he still gets mail intended for Lio Partagaz. It's usually harmless spam mail but occasionally there's a confidentiality issue. Also, Heert hates having his name abbreviated.

He has been renting an apartment with Dr. Penn Pershing since the two were academy students. Both received ISB-sponsored scholarships and hated their original roommates. After requesting a switch, they wound up rooming together and decided they got along well. They have a mutually introverted friendship going on that's surprisingly wholesome considering both of them are entangled with the ISB.

Heert is gay. He grew up in a pretty homophobic part of Chandrila which is one of the many reasons he resents the planet. He and Dedra came out to each other during a late-night shift. He has been generally unlucky with relationships but has begun a promising one with an army man named Lastok shortly before the events of Andor. The two met at an Empire Day event on Coruscant and since then have been in a long-distance relationship. They send each other packages which mainly consist of snacks, though Heert did receive flowers once. They made him (and everyone in the ISB) sneeze but it's the thought that counts.

Heert was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes Mellitus when he was 7 but controls it well. This is part of the reason he ended up applying for the ISB because unlike the other branches of the Imperial military, the ISB did not list T1DM as a disqualifying condition for non-field agents at the time he applied. Still, he's not very open about the fact and every now and then he worries about whether his insurance through the ISB is going to deny his insulin.

Ironically, despite eating sweets extremely sparingly due to the above, Heert is a decent baker. He enjoys the precision of baking. On the flip side, he's a mediocre cook at best when it comes to savory dishes. It scarcely matters because he subsists mostly on instant meals and soup.

Heert genuinely likes and respects Dedra Meero. He prefers working for her over the other supervisors because he believes she's the most competent and she doesn't have a tendency to berate her attendants when under pressure like so many others. She's not the warm and fuzzy sort, and Heert feels it's overstepping to call them friends, but he considers them "close acquaintances". They are both cat people and bond over various Tooka Cat photos during short breaks waiting for reports to come in.

Heert is not sure what to make of Syril Karn. His main concern is that the guy is after his job, but on a more superficial side, he doesn't like the idea of someone intruding on his workplace acquaintanceship with Dedra. He's kind of embarrassed about it because it sounds very much like middle-school drama, as Pershing has pointed out to him. But honestly, the ISB feels like middle-school often enough, so he feels he's justified in being petty... sort of at least.

In contrast, Heert deeply dislikes Dr. Gorst whom he finds unnerving though he has never mentioned it to any of his colleagues for the sake of professionality. The trouble is that Gorst seems to like Heert at least in the sense that he keeps trying to make small talk. (Spoiler alert: Gorst's small talk is even more unnerving than Gorst himself.) Heert feels like Gorst has tried to pick him up a couple times but it's hard to tell amidst all the weird philosophical ranting. All things considered, Heert keeps up a very good pretense of everything being fine and normal between them. He knows that Dedra respects Gorst's methods. Heert in turn respects Dedra enough to go along with it, hence the scene where he proactively contacted Gorst because he knew he'd have to do so eventually.

On a much lighter note, Heert has a Tooka Cat named Mister Phantom. Heert claims that Mister Phantom is a "geriatric cat" but in reality no one has any idea how old the cat is. When Heert got him at the adoption fair, the shelter said Mister Phantom was ~10 years old and the cat had already gone blind in one eye from cataracts. However, considering Heert has had him for 7 years and the cat is showing no signs of slowing down, the original estimate was probably very wrong. Mister Phantom is extremely temperamental and will claw/bite most visitors. He is exclusively affectionate with Heert but still claws the man in his sleep at times. Mister Phantom is also a cold-blooded killer and despite being an indoor cat, he has a habit of sneaking out windows and bringing back headless small prey.

[scarfacemarston]

Abigail Roberts A-Z Alphabet Fluff Prompt

Rest of letters here. T: Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, and gifts?)

We see in the epilogue that Abigail definitely tries to make things special for John sometimes. She'll buy him a new shirt, she'll make his favorite food, she seems to decorate the place extra nice and genuinely just wants to spend time with him. For Jack, she wants each birthday to be as special as possible since she feels she can't give him much. She'll make cinnamon rolls or French toast in the morning. She always saves money to buy him a new book or takes him to the bookstore, bakes a cake, and gives him the few gifts she and John could buy or make him. She'll try to buy something affordable from the catalog, with John giving suggestions on what he THINKS Jack might like……..it doesn't always work, but he tries. In the modern au, she'll take him to an arcade with his friends. (YES, THEY EXIST STILL.) That, or the movies and some restaurant.

Needless to say, she puts a lot of time and effort into dates, anniversaries, and gifts. 

U: Ugly (What would be a bad habit of theirs?)She worries and paces so much I bet she could make a mark on a wooden floor. I'd also say maybe checking in on people too much. Some people like Jack and John think it's bossy and nosy, but she's trying to help for the most part. If it's Jack or John………or Uncle, she's trying to make sure they're behaving.. On a lesser scale, she either seems to have great posture or really bad posture, no in between, it seems. Finally, her squinting at the sun really damages her eyes, causing her pain.

V: Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

She knows she's beautiful, but she doesn't bother putting much effort into her looks. In Canon, she wears the same outfit for years. She also wears a simple bun and a braid at night. She could be curling her hair or wearing it up like the other ladies, but she doesn't. I thought she wore the lightest makeup, but I don't believe it at the end of the day, and she wouldn't waste the little money she had on it. Modern Au is just as beautiful but doesn't spend a lot of time on her looks, either. She wears her hair naturally. Mostly in a bun or braid, but she is more likely to wear it down here. She wears light makeup. Eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipstick and foundation. She goes for a more natural look, but red lipstick looks stunning. She doesn't bother with beauty trends, just what she feels comfortable with. She is also less fashionable than Molly. She cares about being comfortable and "age-appropriate." Meaning she doesn't dress like a "mom," but she's not wild either.

W: Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Abigail learned this lesson after all the hell she was put through with John. Her heart felt incomplete, but she never would admit it, even when L.H. Arthur would point it out. She resigned herself to being alone. She felt no one would ever love a single mother, especially one with her past. She had given up on love. Could she be pulled out of that mindset? Yes, but it would take someone very special. IMHO, a woman would have better luck with this. (Granted, women can be super judgmental.)   Xtra (A random headcanon for them)  This was posted in a seperate link because the HC I picked needed some explaining. Y - There was not a Y for the list.

Z: Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

Abigail hates sleeping on her back anymore. Sleeping outside on the ground for so many years has really messed with her back. She's a side sleeper now, but she sometimes rolls onto her back anyway.

[pdrrook]

Hi! It's me again. Just wanted to remind you that your work is✨amazing✨. But also a request (if your not uncomfortable with eating disorders). I'd like to ask how the LI's (if it's not too much: + Dia) Would react if they figured out they're partner had an ED.

Ayo tysm ❤️ I think I am comfy with everything unless it's SA or pregnancy, but I'll keep the answers under the cut for those who aren't:

Dia had her own share of struggles throughout her life, so she understands how deeply personal each battle is, and also that ultimately MC has to want to help themselves first. She'd offer to finance professional help should MC wish to receive it, because she's a full believer in the benefits of therapy, otherwise she'll make sure MC knows she's here any time MC wants to talk. 

Reed would be both concerned and terribly guilty for not noticing faster, but given the way he, himself, deals with stress + his own positive relationship with food, in his eyes trying to feed MC their favorite meals and encouraging them to eat would be the correct choice. The same way he can't fathom the possibility of MC ever being insecure, the same way he wouldn't understand them hating themselves in any way, because for him, they are genuinely perfect just for existing. Eventually, he'd go to either Alan or Flavio to help, understanding that the problem runs deeper than just eating in itself, and think of an actual solution from here. 

Laurent would notice pretty fast, both because he usually makes sure MC eats well (he's big on nutrition bc of his training) and because the agents he works with are no strangers to psychological conditions other than PTSD and general stress. In a sense, the possibility of MC's mental health being affected is something sadly expected, if only because of their circumstances. Like most SPD agents, he has personal experience with seeing a shrink, so his go-to would be to convince MC to give it a try. He's also one of the most patient people in regard to letting MC set their own recovery peace and just letting them talk about it without feeling judged, but his helicopter parent urges would be hard to control. 

Alan and Jewel would kind of subconsciously internalize it as, if not entirely their fault, then something they should have prevented. MC would never learn of it, and they'd pour all their focus into learning more about the issue and how to help, but it'd be killing them slowly even after MC got better at managing their disorder. 

Flavio, like Laurent, would notice the signs early on, but out of all RO's he'd feel the most helpless about it. After dealing with Reed as a merc and when they were estranged, he knows how little power he ultimately has over other people's lives. He got burned badly trying to live his life for someone else, to make their day-to-day as smooth as possible, only for them to slip and hurt themselves. He'd be split between feeling for MC, and a numbing sort of 'I failed again,' that he’d try to kill off, feeling guilty for ‘making it all about himself.’

Nino's reaction to things she can't prevent or fix is anger, not toward MC but her own powerlessness. Despite psychological conditions being a well-known issue with the SPD, she's never had to deal with it on a personal basis, she also refused to ever see a shrink unless absolutely necessary. In MC's case, she'd firmly believe that it's 'someone else's fault' as in that the issue could be solved neatly if only she could beat someone up for it. It'd take her a long while to come to terms with the truth.

[pbaintthetb]

Lol watched Book of Mormon (and hoo boy possibly actually one of my faves I've watched on stage. Plot is average at best but the goddamn choreo and the lights- the act 1 finale? I digress) thoughts

You can never go home again, or more accurately, You can never go to Orlando again. Anyway Price probably needs a few years to resort his head and life before he can go to Orlando and appreciate it because currently I don't think he can seperate what he wants (needs) Orlando to be from what Orlando actually is...

Orlando and Salt Lake City are the same in the sense that neither of them actually exist and they're metaphors (ignoring the fact that they do, both exist). Both Nabalungi and Price songs about their favourite fictional (real) real (fictional) place are kinda tragic because it reveals the things they view about the world as fact. Hence why this place is so special. Yes comparing Price's pretty first world problems with Nabalung's concerns is a bit of a stretch but also it kind is the same thematically.

I do hope Nabalungi can get what she wants from Salt Lake City though, although not necessarily in Salt Lake city idc.

The vibe I had in the interval was that it was possible out of district 9 Price is the only one to have actually read the Book of Mormon, cover to cover. Cunningham explictly hasn't, the conversation about "latter days" made me wonder if the other mormons only kinda read it which-

leads onto my thinking that like Price's relationship with Mormonism is, in many ways, more academic/clinical. Like he's got that kind of obsession with religion that I personally associate with people who don't actually believe but either A. really want to or B. really want to disprove it. Price is firmly in A, but yeah like I feel like Price needs Mormonism to be real where he is in the plot (Orlando. If mormonism is real he can go back to Orlando. And it's worth it.) But he doesn't necessarily actually have that spark of genuine belief the other District 9 elders have ya get me? Like he knows it back to front he knows the logic, adn in the coffee scene talks about how a lot of it has always seemed nonsensical and incoherent to him. It's a set of rules and guidelines but idk if Price actually has like core real belief/faith.

When those extra rows of lights came down for Man Up near the end of act 1? Oh yeah you bet we were all in for a fantastic time then, you know good stuff is gonna happen

The lighting in Sal Tlay Ka Siti was beautiful, like I mean the actress's performance and voice were great too, but the lighting really sold the like kinda hopeful tragic nature of the song. She's so happy most of the time but that song, ugh, the tree branch gobos, the visible beams, the colour KSJDFJS:LKDF

Lol disco ball.

The set? It's so detailed? And they get it up so fast? LIke I know they drop blacks in "You and me (but Mostly me)" so it's more than the black out, but STILL?

Again, how do they get the waistcoats on so bloody fast in "Turn it off"??? (I do actually have theories about this but that's not the point, it's stilll so cool)

Maybe this is just the run i watched, but like the Mormons, other than being dressed the same are all roughly the same height (except Cunningham) so their numbers are so extra cool because they really do kinda blend and move as one unit and it's so cool to watch. Especially Hello and Two by Two where they all have black ties.

Did they just start a new cult at the end? Curious what most of the mormons are gonna do when they leave Uganda. Also curious if their parents got an angry phone call from the mission president and are just like.... why aren't they home yet???

BFN is an elder now? Okay... not gonna touch that and how that happened

Nabalungi's dad is fucking hilarious omg his delivery this guy

The only song I'd heard was "You and me (But mostly me)" but I had been told of the spooky mormon hell song. The latter slapped. Did not have Atilla the Hun playing flute on my bingo card that day.

^I loved the blacks coming in from all sides to trap Cunningham out of "You and Me (But mostly Me)" and leave Price as the star also like I knew the song but teh first "but mostly me" cracked me up

One of the incorrect names Cunningham called Nabalungi was "Nigel Farage" lol. Couldn't hear much of the dialogue after that.

About the incorrect name, Nabalungi has the patience of a saint for sure.

Oh during teh play i couldn't watch half of it because I was too busy watching the district 9 elders, but mostly Price reacting to it. It was hilarious. Price looked so fucking happy but like he was trying to hide it and was clapping Cunningham on the shoulder at one point.

As a musical, it's incredible, and it properly contextualises a few things people have said about it and how long it's been running. By "as a musical" I mean the general production of it n shit. The plot is pretty average, the songs have funny lyrics but a lot of the numbers probably won't hold up so well on sound track for me personally- but when you're watching it??? oh yeah. Oh yeahhh.

Oh, the pipes on the guy playing Cunningham, man. MAN.

You can never go to Orlando again.

[randomnameless]

I believe Ionius lied to Supreme Leader a lot. The goddess tower story just doesn't make any sense with the 100-year distancing between the empire and church, and the npc clerics saying SL is the first adrestian heir to attend garreg mach in decades. It is also very weird she doesn't seem to care about her mother's fate whatsoever and kinda idolizes her womanizing dad (and people say she's a feminist lol). iirc there's a few scenes where she's talking to herself about "not failing" her father??

Ionius being a liar is iirc one of the earliest fanons (with the fanon theory that Ionius is the one who offered his kids to Thales to get a super strong Emperor, after the experiments failed on him and left him, well, look like what he looks like + having an anime cough of doom)

He's also the guy who, in the jp version, leaves "Adrestia- no Fodlan" to his daughter, showing that yep, Ionius really believes Fodlan = Adrestia or at least Adrestian Emperors have a greater duty to Fodlan, even if since the end of the WoH and Willy's time, Fodlan became 3 states and not, just, Adrestia.

Still, given how Supreme Leader dgaf both in Nopes and FE16 working with people who defanged her dad, I don't know what are her feelings about him. Like, good plan, but bad execution? He was a loser since he didn't manage to conquer the world and was stopped by a bunch of randos?

And yet, as you said, there are the weird scenes where she doesn't want to fail him, apologises on his behalf or even in that scene displays genuine care for him! So... it's kind of a mixed bag, maybe she likes him as an individual, but strives to do "better" than him (something he also wants!), and yet come the post TS and she forget him?

TBH, I'd have wanted to see more of Ionius, and see if Supreme Leader really bought his lies, or wants to buy them - it could have been another nod to previous games, where children born to womanising dads suffer from it, maybe explaining somehow that Supreme Leader's messiah complex is also born of feeling inadequate, because she knew she was but a spare (not to say anything else) to her dad, never to inherit the throne and was never meant to be someone important.

As for Anselma...

It's funnier how Dimitri is the one who is most concerned with her - but maybe Supreme Leader just embraced Adrestian views about women - especially mothers...

[transmisogyny-explained]

I really appreciate your blog because I've been getting so much insight from it as a TME trans man who is mostly around other TME people (kinda just by happenstance, although I'm always open to trans female/transfem friends).

Anyway. You reblogged a post talking about why some trans women can seem a little prickly towards TME people, which reminded me of when I met a group of trans women IRL once at an event for trans people (most of them happened to be trans women, but all trans people were invited), and one of the women I approached and talked to most that night did seem a bit uneasy/cautious/maybe even a bit standoffish around me at first. I sort of understood at the time that "oh yeah it's probably bc I'm TME" and I've never let it get to me, ofc. I just didn't quite understand how deep that feeling towards me likely went. How much pain was attached to it.

She warmed up a good bit to me eventually, though, and we even hugged before I left. And I just thought when reading that post and a couple others you reblogged, "That woman I met that night, in her 30s, going out with her other trans female/transfem friends to have fun...she had been through a lot. She's going through a lot as I type this. She will go through much more...of course she was nervous around me. So many trans men just Don't Get It, and some don't WANT to get it...and she's suffering because of it. She and all of her friends...why would anyone want that? Especially another trans person?"

And it made me sad. It made me upset that trans women have to be on guard so much because they never know, even in space they belong in, just which TME person is going to decide they don't belong. And, just as importantly, who is going to side with that TME person to make sure she and women like her are kicked out for good...

I don't mean for this to be an "oh I'm such a good person, I would NEVER do that" type spiel. Because I'm not a good person JUST because I care about and accept trans women. It's something everyone should do by default.

I just wanted to relay this story and attach my face to it because 1). Going on anon would make this feel so much less genuine to me. Like I'm more concerned about receiving backlash from transphobes than I am about showing people I care. And I'm not.

2). I know a lot of trans women are frustrated with and scared about the lack of support from trans men. And when I remembered that story and that woman I met that night, I thought maybe if I told it and explained how I felt, that maybe I could give some kind of hope and reassurance that there are trans men who do care and do want to support their trans woman/transfem sisters/siblings.

And 3). I wanted to assure trans women making posts about their experiences with transmisogyny that their posts are reaching more than just people who also experience transmisogyny, as well as unfortunately bigots who don't believe them/don't care/perpetuate transmisogyny on purpose. I'm listening. My friends are listening. I promise we care.

I honestly don't know if this will help anyone or if this is tone deaf at all. And I'm telling you in particular because your blog is where I saw the posts, and your blog has taught me so much, and I really appreciate it. I hope it was okay to send this to you.

But yeah. Thank you for reading all this and I'm so sorry if this sounds like some random needy guy trying to win favors or praise. And no one has to believe me or say anything positive about me or what I said. I promise I don't feel like I need to be rewarded for being an ally to trans women or anything. Again, I was just wanting to tell this story to maybe prove that there are TME people who are listening. I know how stubborn and downright awful some of us can be when we're told we're being transmisogynistic. I'd imagine it's beyond frustrating.

On that note; I'm happy to see you on my dash again! Just please take care of yourself when you need to. It's okay to take breaks, or even a hiatus. Your mental health is so much more important than managing a blog. The work you do is good and important, but you deserve to have time to recover from the negativity you receive. Even if you one day have to abandon this blog for your health, you made a positive impact while you were here! I support and care about you! Thank you for being here and being you💜

I don’t think it’s tone deaf. Personally, I like hearing that my efforts haven’t been for nothing, so thanks for sharing.

[woodchipp]

I guess this post's going to be a "sequel" to my post about Sunny and Mari because I have Thoughts about the game's potential again, this time concerning Sunny's other friends because god damn they're so underdeveloped and irrelevant 😭

Aubrey holds the "privilege" of being the game's only main character to have something vaguely resembling a character arc, and yet the execution of said character arc still leaves much to be desired. She has some makings of being a nice foil to Sunny (Sunny dealt with his issues by folding into himself in denial while Aubrey dealt with them by taking out her rage on Basil, Sunny's appearance is as bland and average as it can get while Aubrey's appearance is rather garish and visually striking) and I believe that kind of angle would've been really fascinating to work with. I'd have also preferred Aubrey being upfront about being a jerk - her incessant "noooo i'm not a meanie YOU are meanies >:(" deflections don't make her a Deeper character, they just become annoying after a while.

Maybe the game could've featured a flashback (an actual flashback, because Headspace isn't the most reliable source of information) where Aubrey defends Sunny or Basil from jerks harassing them at school and openly expresses her distaste for assholes who think it's okay to pick on someone who can't fight back... only to become that exact sort of asshole down the road. If Basil is the one she stands up for, this could even be their first meeting for additional irony!

Aubrey's rough home life is another aspect of her character the game should've elaborated on, especially given that its only purpose in the story is to be shorthand for "she's just a poor bbygirl please feel bad for her". What if Aubrey was closer to her father than she was to her mother? What if her dad left her mom precisely because the latter developed alcoholism and eventually became difficult to live with? What if Aubrey herself started using booze (albeit not to the extent her mother does) to cope with Mari's death, hating herself because she knows she's becoming exactly like her mother and turning into a person her beloved father would probably look down on? Honestly, the kids' parental issues would've been way more interesting to learn about than listening to them go "waaaa I miss my wife Tails Mari :'c" for the 1403rd time in a row as if we didn't get the memo already

Last but not least, before I move onto Hero and Kel, I'd like to echo @beevean's opinion about the whole "Aubrey shoves Basil into the lake" plot point - Aubrey absolutely should've been the one to save Basil after realizing what she's done. That'd have been a brilliant way to show that she still genuinely cares about her friends despite her violent exterior. This could've also tied into the reason she isolates herself on the final day - even though she makes no bones about being an asshole, the lake incident rattles her and finally makes her recognize that she crossed a line she never thought she'd be able to cross. She and her friends lost Mari already, and they would've lost Basil too, this time by her hands. The guilt overwhelms her, and she decides to shut herself off from the outside world since she thinks that she's a danger to her friends... sounds rather familiar, doesn't it? :)

IMO, Hero arguing that Aubrey still cares about her friends because she quickly dove into the lake to rescue Basil to break her out of her funk before the group hug would've made for a more solid point than "you care because you restored the photo album!", which completely ignores the fact that she stole it from Basil and bullied him for four years over it.

Speaking of Hero, the first thing I'd like to change is the reason for his nickname because the "he likes hero sandwiches lol" explanation is fucking stupid. It'd have definitely made more sense for it to be an in-joke for Sunny's friend group, since Hero's Just Naturally Good™ at everything he does. Maybe Kel or Aubrey could've created some sort of running gag by jokingly calling him "Hank", the decidedly less cool-sounding diminutive form of his real name, Henry.

I think that Hero apparently yelling "a lot of hurtful stuff" at Kel when the latter tried to help him stop being a recluse could've lent itself to some interesting characterization had the game bothered to explore it. What if Hero used Kel's biggest insecurities against him in his rant? He'd be the one to know his younger brother best, after all :)

Maybe the incident could have been used to establish a contrast of sorts between the brothers, with Kel having blocked out everything Hero said about him for the sake of his own mental health and Hero having the memory burned into his mind because he still feels very guilty about the outburst even four years after the fact. What if Hero spent said four years believing that Kel secretly hates him for what happened and being afraid of talking to him about it? Perhaps that would've explained Kel's remark about Hero being "a little more closed off now than he used to be."

Hero himself could've been an interesting character, mainly because his relationship with Mari isn't really touched on by the game, which is baffling since he was her boyfriend. Maybe the story could've tried to indicate that he still has trouble moving on from her suicide by him trying to abruptly change the subject whenever Mari comes up in a conversation. The story could've also tried to show the ways Mari as a person shaped Hero into the person he is (e.g. Mari is mentioned to have had a mischievous side to her, so Hero could've probably had an affinity for mischief too?) I think that sort of thing would've been nice to see in all of the game's characters, actually - the point is that even though Mari is dead, she "lives" on in a way through her friends and her brother, through the habits they picked up from her. Of course, that would necessitate Mari to have a personality beyond "picnic blanket" lmao

Maybe the game could've had Hero (unconsciously) start doting on Sunny as if he was the latter's older brother because, as part of him blaming himself for his friend group's dissolution, he feels especially guilty for "forgetting" about Sunny in his grief. I like to think that this, coupled with Hero picking up Mari's behaviors, would actually hurt Sunny even more, probably since a) it'd fuel his fears about everyone caring about him only because he's the last reminder of Mari they have left and b) every time Sunny sees Hero trying to be affectionate, he's just reminded of his sister, and it hurts.

You know, maybe the game could've even implied that Sunny harbors a bit of resentment towards Kel for having an older sibling in the first place. Sunny himself is aware that it's completely irrational and beats himself up over it ("oh my god, how could I even think something like that? he's my friend!"), but it's still there.

Kel loves his older brother. Kel has an older sibling to love.

Sunny doesn't. Not anymore, at least.

He had a sister.

She's gone now.