#that will definitely solve the problems we had from last season!

[one-idea]

Marineford goes from extremely tragic to hilarious if you think of it like a DnD complain.

Ace’s player and Luffy’s player are actual brothers.

Ace started playing in late high school / freshman year of collage his first campaign was with the spade pirates but the group fell apart because the other players got job/ went to different schools / just life.

But Ace loved his character and wanted to keep playing. His friend, who played Masked Deuce, wanted to keep playing as well but wanted his character to be more combated focused. So he created the character of Marcos. (Both doctors and first mates, both friends with Ace) They got some new friends and kept playing in the same world just with a new crew

Whitebeard’s player is definitely Marco’s players actual dad. They need another player and Whitebeard loves his son and was like “I’ll play!” He either knows nothing about the game or has been playing since the 80’s and is the most knowledgeable person at the table. There is no in between.

The DM is probably Shanks or Rayleigh. I like to think it’s Shanks and his level 20 character he’s had for years just pops up occasionally to solve problem that the party needs help with.

Anyhow Luffy has heard Ace talk about DnD for years but he doesn’t have any friends to play with. So when he goes to college it’s like his number one goal.

Make friends,

make friends play DnD.

(We will talk about the Strawhats chaos later)

So everything’s going great. Ace visited Luffy and joined in on a few of their sessions. Still plays Ace, he loves this character, he’s played him for like four years now. But he gets to know Luffy’s friends and joins them for a bit in Alabasta.

He goes back to his campaign and tells the whole group about Luffy (he has been for years but now he can talk about Luffy’s complain) and everyone wants him to bring Luffy around to play with them.

But then tragedy. The whitebeards have to disband, most of them are graduating, Marco’s player is going to med school it’s just going to be a long time before they can all sit down and play again.

So they decided to go out with a bang!

The Dm has Ace get captured and they plan this elaborate jail break for the party. But it just so happens Luffy is going to be on break at the same time as their last few sessions. And wouldn’t it be great if he joined them!

So the Dm (they are Dming both games god bless them) has the strawhats split up (they are all going on break and it’s a fun story reason for why they all won’t be together) then he pulls Luffy aside and is like, how do you feel about playing with your brother’s group? Luffy’s pumped he’s never been so excited.

So Luffy does all of impel down. Ace is there cheering him on and having fun role play at the same time. His friend Jinbei had wanted to try playing for a while so they gave him a character card and him and Luffy escaped Jail together.

But then we get to the actual Marineford season. It last for hours. There’s combat. There’s roll play. What none of the players knew, was that Whitebeard had approached the Dm about his character dying in combat protecting his kids. (He wanted this to be a memorable session for his son and his friends, they all cried, they loved it)

But then Ace get caught up in it all (this was not planed) and ends up getting his character killed. The table is in shock. There is no way that just happened!

Luffy is sobbing. His brother just sacrificed the character he had played for four years to save his character. He knows how much Ace means to his brother. He’s an actual reck. He had loved Ace to.

Ace’s player is upset, he did love that character, but it’s part of the game. It happens. He’s more upset about how hard Luffy’s taking it.

After the session the two brothers are hanging out. Luffy is apologizing for getting Ace killed and his brother, who’s played for years, and wants to make his brother laugh, says no worries want to help me make a new character?

So they spend the break writing a new character and working them into Ace and Luffy’s back story.

Later when the strawhats are all back together (breaking the news to them that Ace’s character had died was wild!) they are playing and making their way to Dressrosa. A new friend, Law, has joined them. And he is being so serious about his character’s serious back story.

Then Ace’s player roles in like “can I join for a session or two?” All the Strawhats are thrilled, they had a great time playing with him during the Alabasta arc. The Dm says sure and asks about his character.

The two brother’s just smirk at each other and the player introduces his new character: Sabo

They explain the back story, this is Luffy’s OTHER big brother. The strawhats are dying. Law is over them, this is serious! The Dm is just exasperated “you don’t have the Mera Mera fruit.” He’s trying to drive home that this is a different character. Ace/Sabo’s player agrees and they start playing.

Except the Dm loves to troll and brings in the Mera Mera fruit. And everyone already knows what’s about to happen.

Sabo eats the fruit and his player yells “thank god” throws Sabo character sheet to the side. And before anyone can ask why he pulls back out Ace’s character sheet crosses off Ace’s name and writes Sabo next to it (he also raises his intelligence stat)

Character name: Ace Sabo

“I’m back baby!”

I just love that anytime he pops in him and Luffy just say the most ridiculous things about their back stories.

“Remember how Ace had a tattoo of his name spelled wrong to show that he’s not book smart. Well that was a lie. He did it to represent Ace, Sabo, Crybaby, and Edward Newgate.” Ace/Sabo’s player says with Luffy nodding aggressively besides him.

Whitebeard player find out. Finds it all hilarious and is flattered Ace/Sabo’s player brought his character into their nonsense.

Every now and then Marco and Ace/Sabo will come play at the same time and Marco always ends up calling Sabo Ace for the whole session.

[miss-musings]

How badly was Tech's Death handled in The Bad Batch S3?

I'm planning to do a full season review for The Bad Batch Season 3, and while prepping, I started thinking back about how Tech's death was handled.

I wonder if The Bad Batch never really mourned Tech on-screen because they all blamed themselves for his death:

Hunter bc he's the leader (even Hemlock noted this)

Wrecker bc he was trying to hold the rail car

Crosshair bc they were trying to save him from Tantiss

And Omega had never really lost anyone before, so she probably didn't know how to cope.

The time jump didn't help either.

Arguably it'd be in-character that their "mourning" style is just avoiding the topic. They hardly brought up Crosshair in S1 after he was mind-controlled.

Hunter shuts down the group's conversation about Crosshair in 1.03 partly bc he feels guilty about leaving Crosshair behind (even tho they didn't really have a choice). Consequently, the group doesn't really mention Crosshair except in passing after 1.03.

Look, I ultimately think the writers *should* have let the characters mourn Tech in a meaningful way. It'd allow them and us to have some closure. But they didn't, and that's partly why so many people expected him to come back (namely as CX-2).

Tech also just had such a suspicious "death":

No body on screen

He fell with all or most of his gear on him, and Hunter survived a 500+ foot fall on Daro without much issue

Hemlock as an unreliable death certificate

A character running around in S3 who was conditioned by Hemlock (who supposedly found Tech's body) and who moves & talks like Tech, and has significant interactions w/ Crosshair and Omega plus a weird scene w/ Phee

It didn't help that CX-2 survived *everything* - multiple explosions, falls, etc. Plus, we never saw him without his mask, unlike CX-0 in S2 and CX-1 in 3.06.

If the TBB creators wanted to avoid any theorizing that CX-2 was Tech or anyone else we knew, all they had to do was show him without his helmet at the end of 3.07. Boom, problem solved!

I really expected a CX-Tech reveal up until 3.14 "Flash Strike." But by then, we'd run out of time to bring him back properly. It really feels like the writers baited us, or something was changed last-minute during S3 production.

Even if we'd gotten a scene in, let's say, 3.05 "The Return" where the Bad Batch finally and properly mourned Tech once they were all together, I'm sure people still would've theorized CX-2 was Tech. But, I do think there would've been fewer.

As it stands, neither the characters nor the audience ever had a proper send-off for such a prominent character.

And CX-2 had all that screentime & build-up to justify cutting off Crosshair's hand???

TBB S3 was great in many respects, but how it handled Tech's death was a major flaw.

But, I just wanted to play Devil's Advocate for a bit. Maybe it wasn't as bad as we thought, and arguably was in-character for Tech's brothers to hardly ever mention him.

He's mentioned 7 times in S3:

Wrecker has an indirect mention in 3.02

Omega in 3.03

Echo in 3.05

Phee in 3.08

Crosshair in 3.09

Phee in 3.12

Crosshair in 3.15

And we know that last one is the most heartbreaking one of them all.

Phee and Echo seemingly have made some peace with losing Tech after 5-6 months. But it's clear Hunter & co still haven't. They all compartmentalized his death and never addressed it. Crosshair's little "Plan 99" speech in 3.15 proves that, I think.

Anyway, just throwing this out there. I'm planning to do a S3 review soon and go over the three best and three worst things about the season. SPOILERS: Tech's death and the CX-2 baiting was definitely one of the worst!

[comicaurora]

If you still have Sailor Moon on the brain, did watching it at all give you any options you wish to share about other magical girl esk media you wish existed or your own take on how you would create a story in that media space?

If not, then maybe, if you're inclined to, recount some interesting findings about the connections that exist between shojo and shonen media?

(If neither then please disregard, sorry for imposing)

It was interesting! I was surprised at how much it had in common with shonen action anime. Half the boss battles get resolved with a beam clash and the only difference between Super Saiyan and Neo Queen Serenity is whether the hair or the outfit changes.

The one part I found myself sliding off of - due to personal writing preference - is how Usagi is the defacto center of the universe and everyone else is very explicitly playing support. That's part of why I liked the Outer Senshi so much - because they've all got their own ludicrously OP stuff going on, they feel more like equals to Usagi than glorified bodyguards. The inner planet senshi get their own character arcs, which is excellent, but after a while it's pretty clear that none of them can ever finish a fight without Sailor Moon. And that's fine, that's the pretense of the story - their jobs are very explicitly to protect the turbopowerful demigoddess moon princess while she gets her act together enough to remember she can win - but I prefer writing an ensemble cast where everyone feels like the hero of their own story, not the support in someone else's, and that's pretty much antithetical to the core premise of the show.

It also has a lot of the hallmarks of a soft magic system that I personally struggle with - the old "you win by believing in yourself" thing basically means "you win when the plot demands it would be most interesting for you to win" - but again, they can get away with a lot by letting the actual core premise of the universe's power system be stuff like "a pure heart gives you strength" and "the power of love will legitimately make you more powerful." And I respect that the show doesn't just give people powerups whenever - one of the parts I found most emotionally impactful was in the finale of season 3, when Sailor Saturn is going to fight the big bad all by herself and will 100% definitely die in the process, and because Sailor Moon has sacrificed the season's macguffin, she can no longer transform into her powered-up form to help - which doesn't stop her from screaming the transformation phrase over and over, because she is desperate to save Sailor Saturn even if she's been told it can't possibly work. When she gets her The Most Purest Heart Ever powerup at the last possible second, that feels excellent because it's a profoundly impactful character moment that's being supported by the plot with a tangible powerup. It's pretty telling that we don't even see the final bossfight; it's not about the spectacle or the beam clash, it's about the character arcs that surround them. I think that's a really interesting way to handle it and to add depth to an otherwise basic "whose number is bigger" style struggle.

I'm also deeply fond of paragons, and as the seasons go on I really like how Usagi's ultimately kind personality drives her to constantly help, no matter the personal cost or how aggressively people try to dissuade her - and I like that she gets angry and frustrated and even says or does harsh things sometimes, but will ultimately always do what she thinks is right. It makes her feel like a real human being, and the "weaknesses" and flaws in her character - aka the parts that make her something more complicated than a perfectly stoic problem-solving machine - are a lot of fun to watch.

Personal preference, I'd like to see more magical girl stuff where the central pillar of the plot is not a constant will-they-won't-they het romance - but I also like how Sailor Moon as a series is legitimately aware that this is not actually the de facto most important relationship for everyone. Surprising multitude of gay characters aside, I recently caught a season 2 episode where Makoto donates blood to save a close friend, and explains to Usagi that she isn't in love with him, but they have an incredibly profound friendship that's more important to her than any boyfriend, a concept with startles and confuses Usagi. It seems to be a case where the heroine has a Foundational Romantic Subplot that defines the course of her life and the plot, but the rest of the characters get to have more complicated dynamics where their life goals aren't "omg boys", and I liked that a lot!

When comparing and contrasting it to shonen action anime, I think the magical girl genre manages to integrate the lower-stakes slice of life elements significantly more smoothly, and to great effect - the 90% of the show that's silly and ridiculous makes the 10% of it that's extremely serious and gutwrenching much more impactful. That's something that a lot of shonen series struggle with, where the tone goes from "moderately serious with the occasional goof" to "extremely serious with major character deaths." The magical girl genre going from "the dumbest episode premise you've ever heard" to "extremely serious with major character deaths" is a much more precipitous plunge into icy water, as it were.

When I think about how I would write a magical girl story, I basically just smack into the premise of Exalted. Its worldbuilding has exactly what I want - an interesting system of powerset-reincarnation into worthy hosts that allows for complex interpersonal dynamics through varying levels of memory preservation, several different flavors of magical transforming person including Evil Versions, and the one thing I prioritize in my own writing - a world that feels like it can have a lot of main characters and heroes of their own story. Everyone in Exalted has their own shit going on and their own past-life drama, including former friend groups/adventuring parties, soulmates (both regular and evil versions), and anyone who might've previously killed them. Most importantly for my preferences, there's no default main character of the universe. If I were to make an urban fantasy magical girl setting, I'd probably use an extremely similar premise because I find the ramifications of it unbelievably interesting in a way the system itself is not designed to explore.

[reviewdiaries]

Nancy x Ace and the conundrum of pain in 4x12

Alright kids, buckle up for one last time. Don’t worry I will absolutely be back next week for more, but this is the last one where we still have some story left to discover, and I am all up in my feels about this.

There are definitely storytelling choices that I feel are ahem, slightly misguided, but as ever I’m focusing on the Nace of it all, and despite another painful episode of heartbreak, angst, and shouting, I genuinely think we’re making progress. And gosh there’s a lot to unpack from this last episode - it gets long under the cut.

We finally know what the sin was, and we’ve seen them get their memories back. But I still think there’s something else at play here. Because we had heart eyes adoration. We had heartbreak and pain. We had breakups and desperate longing and despair. But then we suddenly shifted to indifference in the wake of that phone call and Nancy’s trip to the Yacht Club. Which either is terrible writing, or it’s some other puzzle piece at play here that we have yet to see. I’m still clinging to the latter. I think there are a few more revelations to come, and I don’t think Nancy and Ace are operating with their full range of memories and emotions yet - hence the anger, indifference, and general out of characterness we’ve been getting.

These last few episodes have served a really interesting purpose though, untethering Nancy and Ace and allowing them to stand on their own. It’s highlighted how much Nancy needs the support of those around her - forcing her to acknowledge her feelings and how important this found family of hers is. But it’s also given Ace the space to breathe, to try and work himself out, to learn to trust himself, to stand up for what he needs and wants, and how he functions as an individual instead of just constantly in service to others. That’s been hard to watch, but it’s been important.

The Nancy and Ace we saw at the start of this season were amazing, yes, look at the yearning! The pining! The heart eyes! But as a couple they were going to run into problems really quickly. They weren’t managing to communicate well - Nancy has slowly been learning not to close herself off since way back in season one where suddenly she wasn’t the only one invested in solving the Tiffany Hudson murder. And Ace has always been supportive of her, quietly there ready for when she finds the words. But they have always struggled to actually communicate effectively, particularly when things are going badly. Nancy takes everything as a rejection and abandonment, Ace actively puts his needs to the bottom of the pile in favour of protecting those he loves. This isn’t healthy, and it isn’t the foundation of a good relationship. And we want them to have a good relationship, we want them to last, because even now for me, they are still endgame. 

They have needed to have that time and space to work some of their own issues out so that they can come back to each other on a more equal footing. To be able to say absolutely I want this, I deserve this, and we can do this together. 

And it’s always been up to Ace to come back. He is the one who walked away, who committed the ultimate abandonment as far as Nancy is concerned. He’s the one that said stop, no, we’re not doing this. And partly as respect for his wishes, and partly because he’d basically just put a fist through her heart by saying that and then leaving, Nancy has stopped. She’s been devastated, broken, looking for something easy that doesn’t hurt as much, but she has respected his wishes. Which is why it’s up to Ace (hey Ace you’ve done some really excellent growth and learning to stand on your own and have your own boundaries and needs, time to put that into action) to come back. To admit he still loves her, he still wants her, he still wants to make this work.

Do I think the writers are waiting until the absolute eleventh hour and really making this pivot a hard one to pull off? Absolutely yes, dear god this feels a little unnecessary. But I do still think we’re getting this pivot. Nancy and Ace have needed to have that space and individual plot lines to come back together as a stronger whole.

Which is why this revelation about what actually happened the night of the boat trip hits that much harder. This is the very first time we’ve seen Ace beg Nancy to come, to be there. She’s the first person he calls. He just needs her there because something awful has happened and she is his safe space. 

GIF Credit @thatonekimgirl

This is huge, life altering vulnerability from Ace in a way we have never ever seen. In all the tragedy, she is his first thought. Not to fix anything, not to make it go away, just to be there with him, hold his hand and smooth his hair away from his cheek and hold him steady in a world that feels like it’s falling apart around him. 

GIF Credit @thatonekimgirl

And any other night, Nancy probably would have made a different decision. But she’s emotionally wrecked from her mum’s memorial. She is adrift in grief and fear because those first weeks after her mum died are a haze of darkness and pain, and on this anniversary night she feels the closest to that pit of grief than she’s felt in a long time, and it would be so easy to tip back into it. Shut her eyes and let it consume her.

And Ace is there and he’s panicked and desperate and she’s never seen him like this - never been allowed to see him like this. He is vulnerable and trusting in a way she has never witnessed. 

GIF Credit @thatonekimgirl

And she just wants him to be ok. She can’t bear the thought of him going through a fraction of the pain she experienced with the loss of her mum. The guilt, the despair, the anger. She wants to spare him as much pain as she can because she loves him. It’s never about thinking he isn’t strong enough to hold it, it’s not about selfishly trying to keep him as he is. She is, in that moment, so full of love and desperation that she would do anything. And she’s not thinking straight, she just wants him to be ok. Isn’t that all we want for the ones we love?

So she leaves him. Breaks every speed limit getting to the yacht club, just wants it done, wants to take the pain away, smooth the lines from Ace’s brow and wipe the tears from his face. Heal the pain bracketing his mouth as he bites his lip trying to keep the grief at bay. He knows he did the right thing, but it still hurts, still feels like it carved out a piece of him to leave someone to a death like that to save his father. And he’d do it again, even though it would kill him a little more, there’s no way he would change what he’d do, no way he wouldn’t save his father every time.

She isn’t thinking, not really. Panicked by the vulnerability, the fear, the pain, the tidal wave echo of her own grief. She can’t take that away, hasn’t even thought to, can’t imagine herself with the grief hollowed out of her bones. But she can do this for Ace, help him, save him. Doesn’t think through the consequences. Doesn’t think through what else might be taken. What this house of cards might look like when it begins to crumble down. This isn’t Nancy thinking clearly, this is Nancy acting purely on instinct - fear, grief, pain. Her own and Ace’s. And if she can’t be with him at the very least she can take away this burden, ease it for him, shoulder some piece of the load. 

But he’s right to be angry once he understands. He’s right to call her out on it. She had no right to do what she did, particularly without telling him what she was going to do. There’s no way he would have let her. And maybe that’s partly why she didn’t say anything to him before she left. Because she didn’t want him to talk her out of it, didn’t want him to have to understand what loss feels like. What regret eating you away from the inside can do to a person. 

This is where my comment from last week comes into play though. Ace has been so bad at standing up for himself, for calling Nancy out before this season. We’ve had odd moments - the Aglaeca and how angry and scared he was to be caught up in a death curse. But he’s always kept his feelings quiet and bottled until the odd moment where they explode out (see 4x02 and the passive aggressive snark and withdrawing we get from Ace). But last week we saw him standing up to Nancy, arguing, fighting, getting what he needed. And it’s left a muscle memory path for him to follow so we get not one but two fights this episode. And sure, I’d much rather there were heart eyes and curse breaking, but honestly? The fighting gives me hope. It tells me there’s still something there, there are still messy tangled feelings mixed up in all of this. And it starts to offer a more solid foundation, an equal footing for them to build off. 

To say the things they’ve kept bottled up inside, to actually call out what’s upsetting them. That it hurts that each of them seem to have moved on even though neither of them actually have. That it hurts to be around each other, to be so tied up in each other because they can’t bear to be apart. That they’re afraid, so so afraid of what might happen next - of losing each other, of trying and failing, of the possibility not living up to the reality.

GIF Credit @livelovecaliforniadreams

And the sucker punch of realisation that Ace has that Nancy isn’t moving on or as put together as she’s seemed. That they’re both still such a mess over each other and putting on a front that is far too effective because they’re both too blinded by the pain.

GIF Credit @livelovecaliforniadreams

But the real pain, because this episode is just a heaping plate of pain after pain, comes with that final confrontation at Icarus Hall where Ace finally calls Nancy out for what she did. Because it feeds into everything he already fears, that he isn’t enough as he is. That Nancy would do something to change him, to remove his pain, his grief, the painful experiences that ultimately are part of him.

GIF Credit @livelovecaliforniadreams

But with the darkest low points come a turning point, because Nancy needed to be called out. She needed to be told her actions weren’t acceptable, no matter that they came from a place of love, of trying to protect him. She has to have this moment of understanding, of Ace putting it in terms that she could understand so that she can see the damage that has been done. 

GIF Credit @livelovecaliforniadreams

They can’t start anything without getting this poison purged, without fighting their way to the truth, no matter how badly it hurts, to start from somewhere clean and whole.

Whilst I know most would rather pretend that kiss at the end didn’t happen, I would like to make one comment on how it evokes Ace even when he’s not there.

Tristan comes to Nancy filled with emptiness, not knowing who he is, something she can entirely relate to - she’s just been rightfully chewed out by Ace who has broken her heart into even smaller pieces than previously thought possible, and walked away again. And then Tristan tells her exactly what she has only ever wanted to hear from Ace - that he feels connected to her, and he kisses her. And she tries, gosh she tries to get into it. Her hands go into his hair and then jerk back out when it’s not the expected softness of Ace’s hair. She tries again and still can’t. You can see on her face that this isn’t the fireworks and mind melting best kiss of her life. This isn’t even close. But then he says “But I know I can’t walk away from you” and it immediately taps into that memory. The heartbreak is on her face and it’s not Tristan she’s thinking of then, it’s another kiss in this space, and another person’s hair, and someone she desperately wants to stay, to choose her, who has walked away from her and broken her heart so many times over these last few weeks. There’s a breath of relief when her phone rings and offers her a way out of this. Because she thought this would be easy, that this would be better, good for her. And all it’s done is serve to highlight that there’s no one but Ace for her.

So we leave them with one episode to go, broken but healing, finding parts of themselves they hadn’t realised existed, and slowly coming back to their love. Always their love, it’s tangled into everything, and we’re finally going to see that play out next week.

On a personal note, this season has been a curious one for me. I’ve overall really enjoyed it, and I think a lot of that is down to doing these analysis posts. It’s forced me to go back over the episodes in miniscule detail, and to really examine what’s happening and why. Believe me there were weeks where I finished my first watch and wanted to post this gif and be done with it.

GIF by lecoeurasesgifs

But doing these posts has pushed me to unpick what the writers have been trying to do in a way I wouldn’t normally have engaged with. So thank you for feeding the meta beast. 

I can really understand why people have found this season frustrating, there have been a lot of shall we say interesting choices, for lack of a better word. Part of that is down to the completely broken system we have where shows kinda have to act like they’re about to get cancelled at any moment, which inhibits really thoughtful, interwoven long form storytelling, or they do what Nancy Drew have done and desperately hoped they will get to keep telling these stories and then have to pivot if they’re given any sort of warning that it’s over. And in this case, means we’ve had to have a hard pivot which has shafted a lot of storylines and left a lot of fans (myself included at points) wondering what the hell is going on.

That said, I’ve still really enjoyed the journey. Not just of this season, but the whole show. It’s given me a found family to root for, supernatural shenanigans, thoughtful and well plotted storytelling, and a romance for the ages. Yes I still think we’re going to get that, despite all the roadblocks in these last few episodes. It’s been my spoopy little comfort show through some really difficult years, and I am going to miss it hugely. Thank you to anyone who has read and engaged with these posts, it’s been such a joy both writing them and then talking with people afterwards about them. We’ve got one more wild ride to see how Horseshoe Bay and the Drew Crew will be left, and I cannot wait.

[nowmemoriees]

ok i think i need to say this now bc this 'war' between bylers and milevens is just stupid. there's a lot of facts both sides are misunderstanding just to defend their fav shipps, so let's review them.

in seasons 1-2, Mike DID love Eleven. bylers can not deny it. but it was a kids love, specially protective. it wasn't "first sight love" either. at first Mike's priority was finding Will, and he saw a way to find him in El, while she saw a way to be safe from the "bad guys" in Mike.

But they did care a lot about each other, too much maybe, together, they learned what love was. but, being honest, el wasn't ready for a relationship. i mean, cmon, she could barely talk.

through seasons 2-4 she needed to find herself. to find out about her identity, her family and abilities. Max helped a lot on season 3. and it's here where everything changes.

Will is definitely in love with Mike in seasons 3-4. it's not a crush, he loves him. he wants Mike to be happy even if that means sacrificing his own feelings (as we saw in the van scene, where he used his real feelings on El's behalf to encourage Mike)

I think seasons 1-2 are also the starting point for byler development, but in a 'friends to lovers' way, unlike mileven, that was shown as a 'first sight love'

Mike really cared about Will in the first two seasons. In season one, his priority was to find and save him. In the second one, protect him. (Will was already falling in love at this point)

S1= Mike spent his time protecting El, while he was thinking/worrying about Will

S2= Mike spent his time protecting Will, while he was thinking/worrying about El.

And it's all about this. For Mike it has always been one or the other.

And this is why everything changes in season 3.

They were all together now, so Mike had to choose who spend his time with. His friends, or his girlfriend. Will started to complain about this, bc mike didn't necessarily have to choose between one or the other, but he did. He pushed Will away even knowing he was the reason for everything they have been through the last two years.

On this season Mike had conflicts with both El and Will. He really tried to solve both of them, but it was way easier for him to apologize to Will first. He realised then, that he didn't fully know El, she did not even fully know herself until she dumped Mike. Meanwhile, he had known Will basically all his life.

This caused some confusion, but it was paused because the group had bigger problems to solve.

After the battle, many things had to change. Will and El were moving to California together, they were going to be siblings now.

During the farewell scene, Mike's confusion was so noticeable.

When El told Mike she loved him too, and then kissed him, he didn't even answer or close his eyes, he just stayed like this 🕴

But, when Will told him he wasn't going to join another party, he seemed really happy about it, even knowing it was a really sad moment for both of them.

After this, he went back home and... this parallel happened. In both scenes he thought he had lost (or was losing) Will.

What an interesting season finale.

Then we finally got s4, fkn god i just love this season.

We have :

Will definitely and obviously still in love with Mike, but hopeless.

Eleven back on her way to find herself, but still dating Mike.

Will, Jonathan and El being now 'siblings'

When Mike arrives to California, we saw how he rejected will's hug. It was weird, because they were supposed to be in 'good terms'.

Mike gave all of his attention to Eleven, but he never said 'I love you' to her, even when El was begging for him to say it. The only person that could get mike to tell eleven that he loves her was Will.

But, we also had a Byler discussion at the rink-o-mania, where Mike complains about Will being a douche and distant. So, Will also complains to Mike saying that he only called him a couple of times.

In episode 8, we discovered Mike did try to call, but the phone line was always busy. Will wasn't ignoring his calls, and Mike didn't forget about Will. But they both misunderstood the situation.

They didn't communicate their feelings very well. That's why their relationship was so awkward.

We also discovered Mike likes being a protector, he likes to be needed, and that's the main (and maybe the only) reason he keeps dating El.

Will gave his painting to Mike. The painting he has worked on for months, the painting he didn't want to show Eleven. He used that painting to save Mike and El's relationship. Even with Mike's monologue (impulsed by Will), it wasn't enough for El. Both El and Mike knew it was not the same anymore.

After the lost battle, Eleven didn't talk to Mike even after he told her what she wanted to hear.

I don't wanna talk so much about s4 because its the main topic on social media rn so i think its unnecesary to remark al the byler development we had this season, but we have to remark these important aspects and clues to have into account for s5.

Mike still hasn't realised Will's painting wasn't El's idea.

This two scenes were PERFECTLY planned and scripted by the duffer brothers. (Last scene took a whole day to be recorded because the details had to be perfect)

i want to say my conclussion anyways.

Byler has a big chance of being endgame, even if the public doesn't like this idea. It is not a forced couple, it has been slowly developing since season 1.

Eleven deserves to find herself, be in peace and be happy, without worrying about being loved by a boy or fighting a monster.

So does Will.

Byler IS not just a great 'plot twist', it has been planned to be like this since the beggining of the show.

[mathewryf]

A rant about Prime Sonic and Perfect Chaos

Okay I'm fucking losing my mind right now because of all of those Nine posts, and there's something I need to state again.

The version of Sonic that Sonic Prime presented flies completely in the face of the Sonic that we used to have, and that ending is where things make it REALLY apparent.

Regardless of the whole continuity problem that official channels have presented, there's a fundamental misunderstanding of how Sonic does things that makes Nines fate upsetting.

To diplay what I mean, let me go over a specific scene. You could even call this my "One Heroic Scene".

Let's talk about this scene from Sonic Adventure, the leadup to the final fight against Perfect Chaos.

From the beginning of this game, Sonic has been fighting Chaos, and up until the last chunk of his story he's assumed it's just been some sort of mindless beast under Eggman's control. Regardless of how many setbacks there were, he fought chaos off with no qualms.

He, along with the rest of the cast, gradually learn more about Chaos through Tikal's visions, and he eventually pieces together how Chaos came to be so violent. Sonic doesn't encounter Chaos again after he gets that information, at least not until it snatches the last Chaos Emerald in the Mystic Ruins Jungle. After that point it floods Station Square, completely destorying the city.

That's about where this scene picks up. Tikal shows up, begging Sonic to seal Chaos away in the Master Emerald once more... and Sonic blatantly refuses. Knowing what he knows at that point, he refuses to seal Chaos away again because it won't actually solve anything.

Chaos would have still been in turmoil.

Chaos would have still been in pain.

Chaos would have continued to suffer. Further, Chaos would cause more suffering the next time the Master Emerald broke (and there definitely would have been a next time, even without SA2).

Whether Sonic knew about the whole "positive/negative energy" thing or not, he had the conviction to resolve the situation then and there. More importantly, he chose to forgo the easier route of sealing Chaos away for the sake of sparing it that cruelty.

Even though Chaos had lashed out and caused so much pain, Sonic was still willing to take the harder path for the chance that the turmoil in Chaos's heart could be dispelled.

He did all that for someone that he considered his enemy, and he fought his heart out to reach that goal.

SO, if he would do that for Chaos, who was at best a stranger, and at worst his enemy...

Why the hell wouldn't he do it for Nine, whom he considers a friend?

That's why I can't stand the ending of Prime. If Sonic in Prime had been written closer to the version that Sonic Team envisioned, he would NOT have left Nine alone in the Grim.

Because leaving Nine in the Grim wouldn't have changed anything.

And yet Prime Sonic did that.

He left Nine's heart in turmoil.

Nine is isolated, alone, and still in pain.

And thanks to the show not getting a further season, he'll probably be left in that state forever.

Before anyone comes to me about Nine getting what he deserved.

I need to remind you that Chaos leveled an entire metropolitain city.

Chaos would deserve being sealed away, too. But Sonic disagreed with that because Chaos didn't deserve to be left suffering.

Ultimately I don't think Sonic would have cared all that much about Nine trying to destroy multiple realities, either, once he finally got through to him. That's still a hurt kid at the end of the day.

[umgeorge]

george russell is interviewed after qualifying, miami - may 4, 2024 (transcript under the cut)

Interviewer: "…a better afternoon than a morning today." George: "Yeah." Interviewer: "Can we hope for more again tomorrow?" George: "Well, I expect to be looking forwards tomorrow, than hopefully no pressure from behind, [laughs] but P7 and P8 we have to accept is where we are at the moment. We are a step behind McLaren and Ferrari, a big step behind Red Bull, but I think the result we showed today was the maximum, but I'm confident tomorrow we will make a step forward to them." Interviewer: "Is it more that others are making more progress and you're kind of stalling slightly, or are you going a long way with your…" George: "I mean, the fact is the stopwatch doesn't lie, and we know that probably some of the changes we have made since the end of last year perhaps over-compensated with some of the development items we did. We have limitations with the car now which is a totally different limitation to what we had this time twelve months ago. We did so much work to solve the problems, we've kind of gone too far in that direction, so we know we need to improve and we need to improve quickly." Interviewer: "You know you need to, but do you know how to?" George: "Yeah, we definitely know how to. I think when we look at the data we understand why we're in the position we are right now and, as I said, last year when we looked at the data we understood why we were in that same positon, and I think unfortunately we probably over-compensated to solve the problems of last year and we've gone from this extreme to that extreme, now, and we need to sort of rewind and find ourself sort of in a half-way house. But when developments, when new upgrades take eight weeks to bring to the car, you learn this problem, race one, race two, you can't just bring an upgrade to the next race. You've got to put it in the wind tunnel, you've got to design it, someone's got to draw it, someone's got to build it…" Interviewer: "Suddenly you're halfway through the season." George: "And then you're halfway through the season. So I think that's why it's so difficult, when you're on the back foot, to just suddenly make that progress, and everybody expects it tomorrow-and we want it tomorrow, trust me [laughs]-but this is the reality of Formula 1." Interviewer: "Okay, well good afternoon, anyway. Thanks." George: "Thank you so much." Interviewer: "And the cap suits you." George: "Thank you." Interviewer: "I like it. Miami spec." George: "You want one?" Interviewer: "Yes, please." George: "Alright." Interviewer: "I can't have any bias, though, but I do like the cap." George: "Okay." [laughs] Interviewer: "Okay, thanks."

[heartfullofpony]

MARKS AND RECREATION

I recently rewatched "Marks and Recreation," and have gained a new perspective on it now that the series is over.

Many viewers have complained that, in the later seasons, the Mane Six's progress as characters and as people, often regressed for the sake of plot convenience. I think this is a valid criticism to an extent. Watching Rainbow Dash and Applejack fight for Teacher of the Month Award in Season 8, for example, was, frankly, a bit hard to swallow.

Watching the crusaders in the post-cutie-mark seasons, however, you can really trace a linear path of maturity. We really do get to watch them grow up in real time.

In "Marks and Recreation," the CMC's decide that the best way to help blank flanks find their cutie marks is to open up a day camp, and encourage them to try new activities together. The only problem is a kid named Rumble. He doesn't want a cutie mark. He believes that getting his cutie mark will box him in for life. He leads the campers in a "blank flank forever" revolt.

This challenges everything that the crusaders have ever stood for. They feel bewildered, threatened, infuriated. Sweetie Belle straight up rant/squeaks at him. And as comical as that may be, it's actually quite understandable. The philosophy that Rumble preaches poses a threat, not only to Sweetie Belle's ideology, but her very identity.

What we are seeing here is generational dissonance, only the difference of age between the CMC's and their campers is a year or two, tops (in human terms).

Ultimately, the crusaders come out on top, of course. They discover that Rumble is only acting out because he wants to get a cutie mark in flying, but is afraid that if he gets one in anything else, that it will keep him from his dream. They solve the problem by bringing his Wonderbolt brother in, and demonstrating that even his idol is continuing to discover passions outside of his cutie mark, and that there's nothing to be afraid of.

This episode doesn't have a climactic tear jerking ending the way many others do, but I find it inspirational nonetheless. It manages to refine and flesh out the CMC's, and other characters by presenting them with a kind of challenge they never dreamt they'd face. It poses philosophical questions about the nature of cutie marks that had been somewhat nebulous up until this point. It establishes that a cutie mark isn't necessarily the same thing as your "job," and takes the time to articulate precisely why. At the same time, it highlights the fact that, for some ponies, a cutie mark definitely does represent a career path.

It explores the dissonance that all of us feel when our careers and our hobbies clash. Take this scene below, for instance:

Apple Bloom: Our cutie marks are in helpin' other ponies with their cutie marks, but I still like makin' potions with Zecora.

Rumble: And when was the last time you did that?

Apple Bloom: Um... I-I-I think it was, uh... Well, we've been pretty busy helpin' other ponies lately.

Rumble: Oh. You mean doing the thing you got your cutie mark for? The thing you're stuck doing for the rest of your life?!

What makes this episode great is that Rumble is not without his points! His frustration is oddly relatable, especially to adult viewers like myself, who find our passions at odds with our responsibilities more often than not.

It highlights the fact that the CMC's really have become adults - at least in every way that matters. But it leaves us on a hopeful note - that this is a beginning, not an end.

-Sprocket

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[tea-earl-grey]

there's something so dismal about how so much of tv fandom's energy nowadays seems to go towards trying to prove to big corporations that their show is good enough to save. like whenever a new episode or series comes out it's "remember to watch it all in 24 hours or it won't get renewed!" "play it on repeat for a month or else it'll become another piece of lost media!" "don't stop talking and posting about it during the hiatus or else this season that's already in production might not air!" "if this tag trends on twitter for long enough we might get eight episodes instead of six!!!" it feels less like we're enjoying a show that so many people worked hard on and more like we're trying to create rituals to please the gods (which replace gods with The Algorithm and you're not far off).

like i haven't even been involved in fandom for that long but even just seven or so years ago if a show did well enough that it was nominated for awards and trending on twitter and having well attended comic con panels then it would be renewed for at least a season or two. and back then being renewed for another season meant "we're for sure going to get a new season next year!" with almost no possibility of cancelation. and even shows that did just okay ratings wise would easily get 5+ seasons.

and it was more fun. when i was watching Doctor Who or Arrowverse or whatever in 2014 i could enjoy and critique the media itself instead of constantly being nervous about whether the next season will be cashed in for nostalgia bait or have its episode count cut or be postponed for three years or just outright canceled because it was slightly less popular than last year. like the fandom would still stress out over potential bad narrative choices or whatever but we would also get excited about the future.

maybe it's just my own perceptions but i just tend to find myself favoring fandoms for shows (or at least eras, i'm looking at you Doctor Who) that have been completed. i like Good Omens and Our Flag Means Death and Strange New Worlds and Percy Jackson and the Olympians and the latest Doctor Who era but i just find it hard to get invested when there's so much anxiety around if there will be a future to those shows and so much of the fandom activity revolves around that anxiety. and then as a result when the show does end for good (whether through cancelation or design) the fandom starts to fade away too because so much of it was based on the temptation of The Future.

and i'm also quick to admit that production in pre-streaming era shows had their own problems (once popular shows running for 15 seasons and jumping the shark just because it's a cash cow, tampered down diversity in the interest of "popular appeal", the whole quantity over quality issue, etc) but at least the fandoms were more optimistic and focused on the story itself instead of just being angry about the eternal potential of cancelation or outright deletion.

(also there are obviously much larger issues to the streaming model re: residuals and everything else brought up during the wga and sag strikes but that's all been said much more coherently so i'm just speaking from my own perspective as a fan. and even then there's still definite overlap between the fandom anxiety over renewal and the real world economic anxiety for people involved with production over "will we have a job/be paid". it's far too early to tell but i really hope the strikes will help to solve this problem.)

[undercover-author]

Marble Hornets + UnderTale soul color assignment list!!

Jay: Red - Determination.

No matter what, he never gave up, for better ... Or worse. Even before he was shot, he called out to Alex, determined to reason with him and to solve things non-violently. Though, because of this, his determination wound up being his downfall. Didn't anyone ever tell him that too much of a virtue could be a vice?

Masky: Orange - Bravery.

He certainly was brave, alright. Bravery isn't the lack of fear. No, true bravery is perseverance through your fears. Along with that, Masky's first solution to any problem is to tackle it. If that's not bravery, and maybe a little bit of stupidity, I don't know what is.

Alex: Yellow - Justice

While yes, Alex is a murderer; he was, in his own, sick and twisted way, looking for justice. He believed that because of this fact, his actions were justified. My opinions on Alex Kralie are a topic for another day, but I will say, I do not think he is a good person, nor do I think he was justified. Nonetheless, he tried to kill Tim in the name of justice. He tried to kill everyone he knew had the Operator Sickness to destroy the Operator. For Justice.

Jessica: Green - Kindness

I was tempted to assign her integrity, but she did lie to Jay a few times. Reasonably so, since at the time she had no idea who she was. But she was one of the kindest people in the whole series. She got a call from a stranger about her missing roommate and upon hearing that Amy was, in fact, not with Alex, she was willing to go to great lengths to help find her. The last thing we hear from her is that she wanted to meet Jay, asking where he was. Then, when Tim had fallen to the ground in a coughing fit, she asked, "Should I call an ambulance?!" She resembles true kindness in the hellish world that is Marble Hornets

Hoodie: Cyan - Patience

Oh, this man is nothing if not patient. Maybe a little god comlex-y but that's... actually, no, that's a part of my point. Hoodie seemed to feel that he was both in control of everything and in control of nothing. To me, he seemed to set up pieces and wait for them to all fall into place. He'd post a cryptic totheark entry and wait for Jay to crack the code. He'd lure people to places and wait for them to find whatever he sent them there for. He was patient with Jay and how thick his skull could be. Though, he was less patient with Tim in season three, when his control began to slip out of his hands, Hoodie still tried to give him time. Even in the end, when his fate was expressly clear, he simply waited for his time and when it came he let go.

Brian: Blue - Integrity

I define integrity with the definition I was told in the second grade; Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching, even when nobody asks. Now, originally, I was going to assign Brian kindness. He and Jessica would have been switched. But, going off the definition I just gave, kindness would be encompassed into it. I would like to say Brian had a lot of integrity. He invited Alex to go with himself and Tim to dinner, he auditioned for Marble Hornets in the first place, wishing to help his friend with his project, so on. But I'd like to turn your attention to entry 51, this is where I feel Brian's integrity is on full display. He is anxious about trespassing, but still wants to help Alex. Once he wakes up, though, what is his main concern? Finding Alex, likely to make sure he's okay. What does he do when he discovers Tim? Brian rushes to his side with worry very clear in his voice. He even tries to help him up to get Tim the fuck outa there. (It's very likely not Tim, rather being Masky, but not the point here.) Brian could have just as easily ran the hell away, but he wanted to help his friends, even if it was risky one way or another.

Tim: Purple - Knowledge

Prefacing this with the fact that I know the canon virtue for the purple soul is perseverance and while, yes, that would fit Tim, I personally like to say it's knowledge because determination and perseverance are essentially the same thing and I think knowledge or curiosity would fit the items better.

With this one, I'd like to focus on the fact that from the start, Tim had more knowledge than he let on. Of course, it was limited due to his amnesia and, for the sake of debate, dissociation. In this paragraph, we are separating Masky from Tim and going along with the popular theory that Tim has Dissociative Identity Disorder because that is how I, personally perceive his character. But, time and time again, it's hinted that Tim knows so much more than he lets Jay see and eventually, we, too, come to know most, if not all of what he went through and the knowledge he kept

BONUS!!

Seth: Blue - Integrity

Seth really was just trying to help Alex out. Even after Alex's whole blow up at him, he still apologized.

Sarah: Cyan - Patience

If there was a color for sass, I'd give her that, but working with hot-headed Kralie, you know damn well she had to have a hell of a lot of patience working with him

Amy: Green - Kindness

Even after Alex lied to her however many times she did, she still stayed with him. It caused her premature death, but until the very end, all she ever did was love him. GOD I LOVE AMY

Tunnel Guy: Blue - Integrity

This man saw a stranger in a tunnel and went to try and help him since he was concerned for Alex's wellbeing. This man!! Saw a total stranger!! And tried to help him!! AND HE GOT KILLED FOR IT!!! BRUHH???

[wormtime123]

AAAAAAAAAAAA DRAMATURGY EPILOGUEEE

I love the lengthy wrap up of so many loose ends, the slow mend of things torn and that utter contentment to be found with people just existing right there. This is going to be my go-to comfort fic for found family to re-read over and over and over and over

Now I wanna pick your brain on all the bits; worldwalker shapeshifting Gem? Its so coool I love it. When did you decide to give her and others (Scar, Cub?) powers? What did Cub actually do at the end of Grumbot there? What was your favorite part of the epilogue to write? And which part was the most emotional for you? (tough question, I know I can't choose between Pearl & Gem's or Pearl & Grian's conversations)

WHEW dear god thank you for presenting me a pass to go insane on a silver platter. i’ll be putting my answers under a read more so i don’t explode people’s feeds with nonsense

most of the magic decisions made are based ~mostly in what i know about canon, i just ended up filling in some blanks and playing around with what’s already there! i’m endlessly fascinated by gem’s dimension-hopping (empires isn’t addressed in dramaturgy, but i operate on everything she said about her powers in e2) and i think the idea that she can open portals at will and freely travel between worlds/universes in a way that other players can’t is amazing. then the shapeshifting just made sense to me in how she changes her appearance around to fit into whatever character she wants to take on in each world.

cub and scar lore i’m a lot less familiar with since i only know of certain clips about their vex deal, but i kind of treat it similarly to gem in that i assume they can shift their forms around (ie. how often scar changes to fit a character like gem does, cub going from old man to s8 e-boy skin) and have a peculiar knowledge around portals (ie. the big dig, scar using his “wizard portals” to travel between seasons.) however i think gem has a different kind of expertise working with portals with how often she dimension-hops, so those two were kind of just doing unethical science at the rift to see what stuck lol.

the rift on its own is its whole thing in my Fanon Brain, but i have a strong image of it as a living, breathing entity that sucks things in and spits them back out in other spaces indiscriminately. dramaturgy scar describes it as hungry and i think that’s about as apt as it gets. stuck perpetually wanting to consume yet unable to hold anything in. then one of my biggest plot problems to solve was making the story line up with grian’s lore, aka grumbot (prime) getting tossed in the canon timeline ominously hinting at the other grian’s crimes, so i asked myself how dramaturgy hermits could have weaponized the rift and that’s where i landed! i admittedly don’t have a specific answer to how cub would have aggravated the rift enough to make it go hogwild in chapter 10, but i personally just imagined him figuring it out at one point or another by throwing shit in until something worked

dear god this is already getting long but epilogue!!! my answer for favorite scene to write is a little anticlimactic but i love writing all the evo flashbacks. if you couldn’t tell i am completely evo enamored. i love the strange, off-putting, nostalgic innocence of “something unpreventable and life-altering is about to happen and they Don’t Know.” i love them working together to get to the stronghold and entering the end portal thinking it’s going to be another task of teamwork as always and then just *silence* on the other end. amazing incredible tragic love it

(also on that note i loved writing the scene atop the mansion. just one last hermit acting entirely too normal while subjecting pearl to cursed knowledge before we go)

and lastly for most emotional to write i’d definitely say the scene at the hobbit hole! i’ve had that one as well as the sleepover at impulse’s in the back of my mind for so long i’m just glad i got it out. getting there was like the end of an era for me. everything with grian and pearl finally being back together but still not quite on the same page. i think pearl seeing grian so taken aback in the face of the tangible proof of his actions and mumbo’s feelings was the straw that broke the camel’s back, because at this point in the story pearl’s finally willing to see herself in mumbo’s situation. she’s finally realizing how badly she needs this specific closure but grian’s too busy going ???my actions… have consequences? i can’t just run off into the night with no negative impact on the people around me?

(which is of course also a matter of a warped sense of self-image and understanding emotions, but grian will go on murder sprees in the 3rd life time loop box before exercising an ounce of self-reflection, more at 11.) and only after seeing pearl shaking like a sad wet chihuahua clutching this random notebook of his like it’s the sacred texts does he really start to grasp how genuinely bad it’s been for her. like that would have been obvious to anyone who’s normal but whatever. i love studying skyblings like bugs

ANYWAYS. i hope you enjoyed this thought dump and thank you again for the ask i owe you my life

[verdantcrimson]

Shutter Chance - 2

Writer: Yuumasu

Season: Winter

TL: verdantcrimson

(Unproofread)

1 | 2

Souma: Hasumi-dono! There you are, we have found you at last!

Keito: Kanzaki, what is it?

Souma: I heard that you are facing a predicament, is this true?

Souma: If that is truly the case, then I offer my sincere apologies. Unaware of your suffering, I made small talk with you this morning.

Souma: But fear not. For I have now arrived to assist you…♪

Keito: … Kanzaki, what are you going on about?

Kuro: Haha. That's a terrible way of explainin' things, Kanzaki.

Keito: Kiryu, you're here too… Why don't you explain what's going on instead of this excited fellow?

Kuro: Sure. We were just chattin' with Mashiro…

[Ten Minutes Ago]

Tomoya: —So I was talking to Hasumi-senpai before the dress rehearsal earlier.

Tomoya: Even Hasumi-senpai has his own troubles, right? I was under the impression that he was kind of perfect, so it was a little surprising.

Souma: Hasumi-dono in trouble…?

Tomoya: Yeah. But I admire him for the way he tries to solve his problems independently. I wish I could be that sort of leader…

Kuro: You've got your own strengths, Mashiro. Ya don't have to be just like danna, yeah?

Kuro: Oh, Kanzaki, who're ya makin' a phone call to?

Souma: I am calling Hasumi-dono, but I hear a peculiar voice.

Kuro: What are ya talkin' about? Gimme your phone for a sec.

Kuro: …. Ah. That's the automated voice-mail. It plays when the person can't pick up their phone.

Kuro: It's kind of weird that his phone's switched off at this time of the day though? Let's check his schedule on 'Whole-Hands'.

Kuro: So, yeah. As soon as he heard that you were at COCHI, he started runnin'.

Keito: I didn't receive any calls though? … Mm.

Keito: … Sorry, Kanzaki. It seems I left my phone switched off after the play.

Souma: No. In the end, I was able to meet with Hasumi-dono in person, so all is well.

Souma: However, I am still concerned about this 'trouble' of yours. Will you not confide in us?

Keito: It isn't anything huge. I simply haven't figured out what to do about my 'Feature Live' yet.

Souma: Then you may rely on us! Surely, if the three of us share our wisdom amongst ourselves, then a path shall be cleared for us!

Kuro: I dunno about that… It's not like he asked for our help, and it's a solo show too. Hey, Hasumi danna?

Keito: Ah, well. Kanzaki's feelings do make me happy… Hm? What's the matter, Anzu?

Keito: I could have both of them help me if I needed it?

Keito: That's right…

Keito: ……

Keito: … Kanzaki, Kiryu. Let's go on an outing together.

Keito: If I'm with you guys, I'll definitely be able to show Anzu the 'Natural' side of me she's looking for… ♪

[Some time later]

Kuro: … Walkin' around like this brings back memories from last year. Hasumi, do ya remember?

Keito: Yes. Time passed quickly, it's been over a year since then.

Keito: … Seems you're curious about what happened back then, Anzu? Well, you were partly involved.

Keito: It was shortly after the end of the 'Halloween Party'. You came to the Student Council Office and told me that "The interview you submitted to the magazine was returned."

Keito: They had wanted a more unexpected set of answers, so I decided to go downtown, a place I usually don't frequent, and I happened to meet with these two by chance.

Keito: The rest is as I mentioned in my interview answers. I played games at the arcade, and went shopping for stationery.

Keito: … By the way, Kanzaki. Why are you fidgeting around over there?

Souma: I have a place that I would like to go with Hasumi-dono and everyone else. But since this is related to Hasumi-dono's work…

Keito: You're holding yourself back, right? That is unnecessary, we can go wherever you want to take me.

Souma: Hasumi-dono… Then, with the encouragement from your kind words…

Souma: I would like to go to that 'Tapiohka' shop!

Kuro: Tapioca shop… Huh. I didn't know that place was still around.

Souma: Fufu. It has been a dream of mine to visit this shop with Hasumi-dono and Kiryu-dono again ♪

Souma: … Ah, right. I shall present this 'sutampu kaado' to you, Hasumi-dono!

Keito: 'Get extra tapioca pearls in your drink for free after you've accumulated 30 points' … Did you save these up all on your own?

Souma: I was able to accumulate them by visiting on my own, as well as with the aid of my schoolmates.

Souma: If it is of any help with the photos for the 'pamfureto', it would make me happy…♪

Keito: Just the normal amount of tapioca pearls is enough though…

Kuro: Well, we can’t just ignore Kanzaki’s kindness now, can we? So, I’ll be borrowin’ that stamp card.

Kuro: Clerk, we'd like four drinks with tapioca pearls please. Add extra pearls to one of 'em.

Kuro: What's wrong? Is somethin' the matter little miss? “I'm just the photographer”? Don't say that, wouldn't feel right if you were the only one without a drink.

Kuro: Here ya go Hasumi, your very special tapioca drink.

Keito: Whoa, It's heavy....

Keito: .......

Souma: Hasumi-dono, how does it taste?

Keito: ...You could hardly call this a drink. No matter how much I chew, the quantity of pearls just doesn't decrease.

Kuro: ......♪

Keito: Kiryu, don't just stare at me with that warm and fuzzy gaze. Anzu, you too, don't take pictures so happily.

Keito: … No, feel free to take pictures to your heart’s content. I just remembered Kanzaki’s diligent efforts.

Keito: “I’m sure the fans will love it,” you say? … Hmph, they had better.

Keito: I wouldn’t show a stranger this side of me.

[END]

[jackiewepps]

Anime Talk - In Memory of Nami Sano

As we are nearing the end of the year, I would like to bring attention to one manga artist who is no longer in this world. I write this with the intention of paying her my respects. Anything that may seem offensive have no such intention behind it.

Nami Sano was born on April 17. 1987 and died August 5. 2023. She was 36 years old and passed from cancer. She left behind many works, two of which have been animated. The first one was Sakamoto Desu ga? (Haven't You Heard, I'm Sakamoto) which was animated in 2016. The other is Migi to Dali (Migi and Dali), which was animated in 2023, the last episode airing December 25. 2023.

I have watched both these anime and want to talk a little bit about both of them. I want to start with Sakamoto Desu ga?.

The story is about a cool high school student named Sakamoto. He transfers to one school and solves problems in the coolest way possible, making friends and enemies along the way. I didn't watch the series as it aired, but it's still been a while. I do remember enjoying it a lot. It is seinen and mainly a comedy series. I can't describe it very well, so I encourage you to watch it, or at least check it out on MAL. I gave it a 7/10 ranking. This is also called "good". I will admit, comedy is not what makes me rank a series highly. My favorite part about the series is probably the titular character, Sakamoto and all the character dynamics he is part of.

As for Migi to Dali, I have quite a lot to say. I had seen the series as part of the line-up of the Fall season 2023 and was considering to watch it. I originally decided against it because I simply had too much to watch on the airdate, Monday. Yet, after another student from my university recommended it to me and mentioned that the author had passed, I decided I should at least watch the first episode and see if I liked it. I definitely did. I couldn't look away. A middle-aged couple named the Sonoyamas, living in Origon village, decide to adopt one child, just one. They find the perfect son, a 13-year-old boy named Hitori. However, there is something the couple do not realize. Hitori is not Hitori. Hitori is two 13-year-old twin boys named Migi and Dali, who both play the role of Hitori. They often swap places and pull off little tricks to make sure that no one will ever catch onto this.

I will say no more on the story. As it is a comedy, mystery and suspense story, I would hate to ruin all the fun. The final episode is great and I ended up giving it a 9/10 score (great) on MAL. If you enjoy mysteries like I do, then I can't recommend this series enough. You can check it out on MAL if you feel like it.

Knowing that this is Sano-sensei's last completed work, you would suspect it ended around the time of her death, but this is not the case. Apparently the manga finished in November 2021, long before she was diagnosed. According to Wikipedia, she was also working on a new project around the time of her death, which further proves that Migi to Dali ended as she intended.

While it is possible to tell that the author is the same through the art style, the stories of Sakamoto Desu ga? and Migi to Dali are so different it is hard to believe they are written by the same author.

What I can conclude is that Nami Sano had a creative mind with many ideas for gimics and interesting stories. It is sad that the world has lost such a great, creative mind this year. My heart goes out to her loved ones, and I hope that none of them are left alone at this difficult time.

[stargazer-sims]

Journal Entry #51 (part one)

previously - Journal Entry #50

Victor

Hey everyone!

Guess who got one of his casts off?

Spoiler alert: it's me!

My right wrist only had a partial fracture, and after looking at my latest x-rays, Dr. Sato said the bone is completely knitted together now. I started physio for my right arm today, and guess what else? I'm cleared for limited daytime driving and light exercise, and the doctor says that if I keep progressing at this rate, she'll fully clear me for all my normal activities in a month. That means snowboarding. It means I can start training again, and eventually competing again if I want to.

Yuri doesn't like the idea of me getting back into competition, but he said he won't try to stop me if it's what I want. What I really want is to make it into the FIS World Championship next year and hopefully place in the top ten. Ideally, I'd like to be on the medal podium, but I have to be realistic about it. Naturally, I'm aiming for the top, but it's just that I have to be prepared not to achieve that, because as I've learned, anything can happen.

But, I've promised Yuri that I'll retire at the end of next season, regardless of the outcome at Worlds. If I have a year to mentally prepare myself for my retirement, maybe it won't be so difficult.

Dr. Sato says it'll be at least another two to three weeks before my left arm is ready to come out of its cast, and she says I'll likely have to wear a wrist brace for a few more weeks after that. Even though I'm itching to get back on the slopes, I'm trying to look on the bright side. Having one of my hands back in service has made a massive difference in the level of help I need, so I definitely shouldn't be complaining.

Talking about my arms makes me realize just how much time has actually passed since I recorded anything here. It's been about five and a half weeks since my accident, and the last time I made an entry was a little over two weeks after it. So, basically that's three weeks of radio silence. Sorry for that.

It's been a chaotic three weeks, but Yuri and I have been managing. Mom and Julian already went home, and Uncle Kaz left the day before yesterday, but Yuri's parents are still here to look after us. We're getting lots of support from our friends as well.

Yuri finally got out of the hospital after having been in there for seventeen days. He's still mostly on bed rest at home, but I can see him improving little by little each day. He’s sleeping less and eating regularly now, and doesn’t seem to be in as much pain as he was before.

More than anything, I'm beyond grateful that he's eating. I don't even care that his meals are tiny and mostly consist of yogurt, fruit and rice, or that he has to be coaxed to eat, or that somebody often has to feed him. Anything's better than an NG tube.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, Seiji was dead-on about the strawberry mochi. It did, in fact, turn out to be the thing that convinced Yuri to try taking one small bite of something. Seriously, never underestimate the power of desserts.

Now that I've mentioned Seiji, I should give you a little update on him, too. He ended up moving to the city after all, despite my best efforts at talking him into staying around.

You may have guessed the brilliant idea I had that day in the park was for Seiji to help take care of Yuri once he was released from the hospital. I thought it was a stroke of genius. It'd give Seiji a purpose and a reason not to leave, and it'd avoid the necessity of having a stranger look after Yuri while he's recovering. Unfortunately, neither Seiji nor Yuri went for it. That's not to say we didn't ultimately solve the problem anyway, but I'll tell you more about that in a minute.

The last I heard from Seiji, he'd gotten a job in a convenience store, just like he predicted he would. I'm not sure he's entirely happy with it, but he didn't seem happy here any more either, so I guess he might as well be unhappy with a change of scenery. I'd much rather he was happy, of course, but I have no control over that. Happiness is an inside job, after all. We each have to get into the mindset of choosing happiness for ourselves.

As for me, I can honestly say I'm happy in spite of everything. Setbacks notwithstanding, the future’s looking good for Yuri and me.

In light of Dr. Sato's prognosis for my recovery and my ability to return to competitive snowboarding, I got in contact with Luke Smith, my former coach back home to see whether he'd consider taking me on as a student again. He said he couldn't do it, but he told me that he had the perfect person in mind for me to train with, and when he told me who it was, I might've shouted a little bit with excitement.

Apparently one of my former teammates, Davey Duke — or Daisy, as everyone calls him — is planning to retire at the end of this season, but is looking to stay actively involved with the sport. Daisy and I were always great friends, and we've kept in sporadic contact since I've been in Japan. Also, the guy's a freakin' rockstar. Having him for a coach, I'd be the envy of pretty much every other competitor in the sport.

Luke said he'd pitch the idea to Daisy and get back to me, but as it happened, I didn't have to wait for Luke. Within two hours of that conversation with my old coach, I had a text from Daisy that was in all caps with a huge string of exclamation marks. "YES, MY DUDE!!!!!! LET'S DO IT!!!!!!!"

That matter having been unequivocally taken care of, Yuri and I have turned our attention to planning our move at the end of May. The goal is to be there and settled in well before Mom and Julian's wedding on the eleventh of June. We officially made an offer on the haunted house, which was quickly accepted, and we’ve transferred our down payment.

We’d been hoarding money for that down payment since the house went on the market, and we’re kinda broke now until Yuri gets next month’s allowance from his trust fund, but I can live with it. I’ve been broke before and survived.

One of the lawyers at Uncle Stephen's firm is dealing with all the legal details of the house purchase for us, which is a huge relief. An even bigger relief is that Uncle Stephen is personally handling Yuri's immigration paperwork, and he's waiving his fees.

In related news, I'm still debating with myself what to do about school. I've almost entirely made up my mind that I'm going to study nursing, but I'm waiting for my next appointment with Dr. Ishida before I commit to that choice completely. Dr. Ishida's pronouncement about my ability to read having more to do with my vision than my intelligence is still sinking in, and I want to get my glasses and be sure I actually can read as well as she thinks I can before I sign myself up for a course with lots of required reading.

The other thing I have to decide is if I'm going to try to start school this September or if I'm going to defer my studies for a year. I think it might be difficult to do a course with a clinical component while I'm competing. I'd have to travel for competitions, but I'd also have to prioritize my clinical placements, and since it's impossible to be in two places at once, I'd have to pick one. I think that'd be a less than ideal situation.

Meanwhile, Yuri has decided to take a leave of absence from his job at FutureBright Communications. His boss, Mr. Tanaka, assured him that he could still work remotely even if he was living in Canada, but Dr. Kasongo suggested that it'd be in his best interests not to work at all for a while. She thinks it makes more sense to focus on his health without having to cope with the pressure and stress of work.

Yuri resisted at first, but I think Mr. Tanaka might've guided him toward seeing reason. I know he really trusts and respects Mr. Tanaka, and I think the promise that there'd still be a job for him when he's ready to come back to work helped.

The human resources lady from FutureBright phoned here a few days ago to fill out the paperwork for short-term disability insurance benefits with him. He'll be covered for six months, which will get him through the spring and summer, and then they'll revisit the claim in early September to see if it'll need to be renewed for a further six months or if he can return to his job.

Personally, I think this is the perfect arrangement. Who wouldn't want a free summer in Willow Creek, with a percentage of their pay still coming in? Yuri can devote his time to getting healthy and doing things he enjoys, and when I'm not busy with work or training, we'll be able to go on all kinds of awesome adventures together. I'm really looking forward to that.

Another thing both Yuri and I are looking forward to is having Takahiro and Fox join us in Willow Creek this summer. Fox is from the Willow Creek-Newcrest area, and when his visa expires at the beginning of August he'll be returning, and he's bringing Taka with him.

Normally, one might expect that they'd stay with Fox's parents, but apparently the Abbottsfords dislike "foreigners" and have some sort of weird moral objection to the fact that their son is in a relationship with a man. They sound like totally charming people, right?

According to Taka, Fox's father hasn’t even spoken to him since November, which utterly blows my mind. My mom and I would be beside ourselves if we were out of contact for more than a day or two, much less for whole months at a stretch. Even when Yuri's relationship with his dad was at its worst, they still spoke to each other every couple of weeks.

Just as an aside, Yuri talks to his dad daily now, and sometimes multiple times a day. I love to see how much closer they're growing lately, and it almost makes me sad that we're moving because it means Yuri won't get to spend as much time with him. But, like Mr. Okamoto has assured us, they'll come and visit and they can certainly still find ways to talk every day.

Anyway, in light of all the racist and homophobic nonsense with Fox's parents, Yuri and I have already agreed that Fox and Taka can stay with us if they want to, until they find a place of their own. The haunted house has a couple of extra bedrooms in the basement, so they can have whichever one of those isn't Sachiko's room.

Yeah, Sachiko the ghost has decided to remain in the house. Robert and Kim MacAllister, the current owners, told us that they offered to bring her home to Mt. Komorebi, but she wanted to stay and see what it'd be like to share a home with people her own age.

That was kind of funny to me. I mean, Kim and Robert are in their early seventies, and as far as they can determine, Sachiko died about seventy-five years ago, so they're technically closer to her age than we are. Still, I get what she meant. She was in her early twenties when she died, and Yuri and I are in our mid-twenties now, so there's a certain logic to her choice.

Robert and Kim explained that they bought Sachiko a flower-arranging station, and decorated a bedroom for her, and even set a place at the table for her at mealtimes. Being a ghost, Sachiko doesn't need to eat or sleep, but they wanted to help her feel like part of the family. Yuri and I are planning to continue with that, so of course we can't give away her bedroom, even if she doesn't actually sleep in it.

Now, the only hurdle left to face is how we're going to break the news to Taka that our haunted house literally is haunted. Up to this point, he's seemed to think it's some kind of elaborate joke. He's not a big fan of the paranormal, and I think he might not want to stay with us when he finally grasps the fact that Sachiko is real.

But, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, as my grandpa Michael likes to say. We'll certainly have plenty of opportunity to address the subject, since we've been seeing a lot more of Taka and Fox lately.

And why is that, you ask? Seiji may not have bought into my plan to help take care of Yuri, but Fox and Taka did. Or more specifically, Fox did, and because he already has his partner wrapped firmly around his little finger, our dear friend Takahiro is along for the proverbial ride.

I'd like to take full credit for planning our circumstances to evolve this way, but I can't. In reality, Fox volunteered for the job and Yuri, perhaps concluding that we didn't have a lot of viable options, accepted his offer.

It happened a few days before Yuri got out of the hospital. I was there with him when Fox and Taka showed up for a visit. Yuri hadn’t been very talkative. He'd had a bad morning and really didn't want to do anything except be cuddled, but that hadn't put Taka and Fox off. They seemed happy enough to sit there and chat with me.

Fox was excited because he's learning to drive and would be getting his learner's permit soon. He happily declared that there'd be no stopping him once he had his own wheels, whereupon Taka emphasized the need for his own, because he certainly wasn't going to be driving Yuzu. Oh... If no one's mentioned it before, Taka has this SUV that he and Seiji painted an absolutely eye-popping shade of yellow. He calls it Yuzu, after the fruit, and I'm reasonably certain it's his most prized possession.

Meanwhile, Taka was excited because he just finished his first study module in language school. He only started taking English classes at the language school in January, so I felt like his achievement was impressive, and told him so. His English was okay to begin with, but it's improved by leaps and bounds since he started his course. He confided that he wants to get as much learning in as possible before the summer, because he wants to take the immigration language test so he can apply for a study permit and go to college in Canada.

"Looks like you've got a busy spring, then," I remarked.

"Yeah," Taka agreed. "Because I has big plans."

"I have plans," Fox corrected him, and they both laughed.

"I have plans," Taka repeated dutifully. "Why is that one so hard?"

"You'll get it," Fox said. "Don't worry. You're already so much further ahead than you were when we met."

"Because I practice with you. You're the best teacher I... has." As if the deliberate pause wasn't enough to signal that he'd used the wrong verb tense on purpose this time, Taka bestowed his partner with a cheeky little grin. "Best ever."

That caused Fox to blush an extreme shade of pink, and brought about my turn to laugh. "Anybody ever tell you guys how cute you are?"

"Everyone. All the time," Taka answered cheerfully.

Fox looked flustered, and mumbled something in Japanese that sounded like. "New topic. Begging you."

Taka looked amused. "Now who's showing his good language skills?"

"Maybe we do need a new topic, before Fox starts looking for a place to hide," I said.

"Okay," Taka agreed. "I know when to stop. We can talk about you instead. You're going to Canada before us."

"Yeah, at the end of May, but we've got to get back on our feet and make it through the rest of the winter and the spring, first. One thing at a time, right, Yuri?"

Yuri stirred slightly in my arms and said quietly, "I guess."

"Are you going home soon, Yuri?" Fox asked.

When he didn't reply after several seconds, I said, "His doctor says he can go home in a few days, but she won't release him until we sort out who's going to be looking after him."

"Won't his parents do it?" Taka asked.

"They will, but they can't be with us the whole time," I gestured vaguely with one of my casted arms. "And there's a lot I still can't do, so I'm going to need some help too."

"What exactly do you need?" Fox asked. "Is it like, actual medical stuff, or more like someone to help around the house?"

"The only medical thing would be to make sure Yuri takes his medication when he's supposed to," I said. "But, I can still manage that myself. It's the other stuff that we need help with."

"I could do it," he said.

I wasn't quite sure I'd heard him correctly. "You... what?"

"I could help you, and I'll bet Auntie Keiko would help too, if you asked her."

"I think she would," Taka said. "We can ask."

"You can help too, Takahiro," Fox added.

Taka hadn't appeared to mind being drafted by his boyfriend. "Yes, when I'm not at work."

"Perfect," Fox said. "Victor, even if Auntie can't help, you'll have Taka on Fridays and Sundays if you need him, and I'll be glad to come to your house every day and do what I can."

"You know what you'd be getting into, right?" I asked. "You'd be doing almost everything until I get at least one of these casts off."

"I understand."

As grateful as I was for his offer, I needed to make sure he really did understand. Being able to see properly again, I was able to do a lot more for myself than I could before. I was getting pretty good at using just my fingers to do quite a few things, and I was feeling comfortable picking up lighter objects like dishes or dog toys or laundry, but without the use of my thumbs, there were still plenty of tasks that were outside my ability.

"When I say everything, I mean literally everything," I said. "That'd include personal care, so uh... there'd be kinda gross stuff involved."

Fox laughed. "Are you trying to discourage me?"

"I'm not trying to discourage you. I just don't want you to agree to something without knowing exactly what you'd be in for."

"Thanks." Fox's determination was evident on his face. "I appreciate that, but I can do it."

Taka reached for Fox's hand, and the smile he gave him practically glowed with pride. "You are amazing. You wouldn't have done that before."

"I've learned a lot from you and your parents and Jin," Fox said. "Turns out, I'm capable of a lot more than I ever gave myself credit for, and I'm not scared to challenge myself any more. Plus, remember what you told me when we first met?"

"I told you a lot of stuff," Taka said.

"Yes, but I'm talking about what you said about kindness. You said the best way to repay you for your kindness to me would be for me to pay it forward to someone else some day."

"Right. I remember."

"Well," Fox said. 'I guess this is the day."

I glanced down at Yuri, who was curled tightly against my chest and clearly doing his best not to listen to the conversation. "Hey," I said softly. "Would you be okay with that? With Fox looking after you?"

He nodded and practically whispered. "I... I think I'd be okay with that."

I'm not sure Yuri was entirely relieved, but I can assure you I was. The issue of whether or not we'd need somebody from the home healthcare program had been a big one for us, and something I was glad we no longer had to think about.

Although I felt confident the home care workers were well-trained and trustworthy, my opinion would've made very little difference if Yuri was too scared to have them in the house. Being in constant fear wouldn't help his recovery. And yeah, it'd be easy to say his fear was irrational or unjustified, but given his physical condition as well as his past trauma, I'd tend to disagree. I mean, if I were in his place, I think I'd be scared to let a stranger into my house too, never mind letting them do personal stuff for me.

At least Fox was a known quantity. To be fair, we didn't know him all that well yet, but based on my acquaintance with him up to that point, I was satisfied that he would handle Yuri with care. Besides, I reminded myself, Takahiro's parents trust him to continue to live in their home and not cause any trouble, and apparently Taka's sister Aiko trusts him enough to ask him to babysit her three year old son. I reasoned that if he could manage looking after little Toshiro with no mishaps, then he should be able to handle looking after an adult.

[lightwise]

Character ask game: Commander Cody, because I love him my honor.

Look at his knife.

Greetings Cody's tired wife.

Cody

One aspect about them I love - His gentleness and kindness. He is SO obviously Obi-Wan’s Commander (whether you ship Codywan or not). The fact that even when his chip is activated (I assume) when we see him in TBB season 2, and he is still working with the Empire not bc he wants some kind of power but bc he genuinely wants to believe that they are making the galaxy a better place…and slowly realizing they are not. The way he wants to promise peace to Tawni Ames and lays down his weapon in the hopes of negotiating some sort of treaty. The way he hesitates to obey a direct order from a “commanding” officer (don’t get me started on Grotton and whether or not that was really an order…he’s infuriating to me), and Crosshair covers his back by executing said order bc Cody couldn’t bring himself to do it. I think it’s been so many years since the last of Cody’s story was told in Revenge of the Sith, that when The Solitary Clone aired I expected to see a man who had fully accepted the brainwashing from the Empire and was just doing his job. But to see his desire for real justice and peace come through…it was just beautiful. He’s a good man. 

one aspect i wish more people understood about them - I’m later to the Cody appreciation table so I doubt that there’s anything I have to add here that other people haven’t already figured out. I just really loved seeing the depth of his character we got to see in The Solitary Clone - as a soldier, as a leader, as a fighter, as a brother to Crosshair, his inner turmoil, and his morality all shining through. 

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character - at some point the chip’s hold must have loosened on him and I wonder if he woke up in a cold sweat one night all of a sudden realizing what he did (or thinks he did) to Obi-Wan. Since they almost had him written into the Kenobi show, I definitely think he spent a lot of time wondering if Obi-Wan survived, where he might be if he was still alive, blaming himself for what he thinks was his decision to try and kill him. It must have haunted him in the back of his mind. 

one character i love seeing them interact with - Rex. Their brotherly bond and bantering is so much fun to see when they’re on missions together. I love how surprised Cody is when Rex starts going into crazy problem solving mode a la Anakin, and Cody will at first be shocked but then be like welp okay I guess we’re going with this, hope it works! 

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more - Hunter. I would love to know exactly how Cody met the Bad Batch, which of the members he got to know first, if he kept an eye on them when they were cadets or if he heard of them once they were out doing missions for the first time. Maybe he knew between Kenobi and Skywalker that he or Rex may someday need to have a chaotic, “get things done however they can” squad on hand in case their generals needed an extraction team available 😂

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character - He always took care of Rex when they were cadets and forming friendships with Wolffe, Bly, etc. He had to have been in a somewhat lonely position as a marshal commander…there are few other clones at that rank with him, and other than Obi-Wan, Rex, and the other leaders that would have been considered his “peers”, it must have been difficult to always be in a position of authority over almost everyone he knew. And yet he always seems to be kind and generous to those around him. 

I hope I did your clone husband justice 😉 ☀️

[whyyamihereagain]

What do you think was the point of the monologue in the first place? I know it’s terrible writing for an endgame couple and how they used Will’s feelings to push Melvin together pissed me off but I don’t understand why the Duffers wrote it in the first place? If byler is endgame, which I’m almost 100% sure of at this point, why didn’t they just have Mike continue to be unable to say I love you and then either break up milkdud or atleast heavily imply they’re breaking up next season? I’m just not sure of what purpose the monologue would serve in their character arcs and I feel like it just further complicates everything. 😑

I actually think they couldn't have given them a satisfactory break up without Mike having said 'I love you'. And I'm not talking about bylers, we know Mike was lying about some things in that monologue, but the GA needed it imo

they could have broken them up next season without the speech, but then both Mike & El and the audience would have been 'but what if?' what if he had told her what she needed to hear? would they still be broken up? what if he does tell her in the future?

but by having the monologue they didn't leave room for any 'what ifs'. milkvan's problems this season came from Mike's inability to tell her he loves her. and they solved that in the last episode. he told her what she wanted to hear (and some things she definitely didn't lol) but it wasn't enough. not only did she lose, but she now knows that an 'i love you' wasn't enough to fix them.

I think El definitely felt that things were not right with Mike anymore, but she hoped that hearing him confess his love would bring back those feelings from the beginning of their relationship, but it didn't, they're still not good for each other, and now she's aware of that.