#the absolute plotline of this is so fitting

[a-for-apocalypse]

you'll never catch people talking about cis/straight/white characters like that. realistically speaking, what purpose does being cis serve? if thats the only way you can enjoy a trans character existing, why do you not feel the same way about cisgenderism in media? no one ever claims that a cis identity is an integral part of their favorite characters. there's never been a video essay about the breakdown of a cisgender character arc. how come cis characters don't have to be anything else other than just cis?

same for "forcing" racial diversity in "woke" media. people really love to complain about that these days. like when (god forbid) a black actor gets cast in a lead role for an adaptation/remake. or when a cast is made up of more than 2 people of color instead of the standard 1:10 hollywood ratio. if racial identity needs a plot justification, what narrative purpose does the whiteness of these characters serve? you telling me they all have the same narrative purpose? sound like a pretty dull narrative if so, considering its being reused for 90% of the cast.

and i've never heard someone say that a character's straightness is the whole point of their character (which is how these people expect all minority characters to be portrayed apparently). like sure a romantic relationship could be important for certain main characters. but for every single character? what about the side character with no canonical love interest? you're telling be its absolutely vital that they be straight even though they have no form of romantic plot line? "yeah they don't have a love interest but that doesn't mean they're gay bc it wouldn't fit the story" "why do we have to make them gay? this person doesn't need a romantic plotline" ok make them ace then. oh wait you don't like that either? shocker.

the double standards are astounding and quite frankly its just a thinly veiled excuse to push back against representation and make natural diversity seem forced. like queer people can just exist. that racially ambiguous character can be casted/headcanoned as persian and the plot won't unravel at the seams. sometimes trans people are just trans. grow up and deal with it.

“this character can’t/shouldn’t be trans because it doesn’t have a purpose or serve their narrative” god who the fuck cares. sometimes people are just trans.

[gu6chan]

im a big fan of cults in fiction not in the "supernatural occult deity with human sacrifices and a gross misappropriation of indigenous cultures/hollywood satanism" way but the "guy who singlehandedly warps an entire group of (usually lost/suffering) people into social isolation and violence just short (or already going into) outright debauchery all while revering them as some kind of saint" way

[somewhereincairparavel]

I wish the hoo books didn't erase the 'roman-ness' from jason completely just because he adapted to the greeks. yes I know the inner conflict given to him was that he needed to be a part of the greeks, but that plotline went NOWHERE and gave him zero development bc he died like 5 seconds later realizing that he currently belonged in NEITHER. why not just keep him roman? we needed a proper, cold, calculating roman representation. hazel and frank could just as easily fit into the greeks because they were very new to camp jupiter and reyna was shipped off to the hunters.

jason was always kind of eccentric in the argo ii if you guys hadn't noticed. when jason was talking in praise about diocletian(?) hazel looked at him in horror because he wasn't supposed to be saying good things about him. but the romans were supposed to be like that. they were supposed to take in the beneficial aspects of even bad people, they didn't think about feelings. they were the "we see good in everyone but only because we need them for our benefit".

it would take a million years for jason to trust someone completely, hot take but he would take longer than nico to warm up to someone. nico is just more open about not trusting someone, but jason would hide it better. annabeth said jason had this unnerving vibe about him and neither she or hazel could get a read on him. he would be calculating your every move and would read so much into what you say, because he's a roman by blood, by virtue.

and jason would take betrayals HORRIBLY, arguably he'd take it the hardest, it isn't easy to anger him but a broken promise, considering the history with his mother, a broken trust, drives him absolutely insane.

[minkiverse]

SONG MINGI FIC RECS

You can find other Ateez fic recs HERE!

The behemoth part two 🫡🫡 fun fact at the time of me writing this san and mingi have equal amount of posts on this blog and thats what you call being double-biased 👍👍 once again unfortunately this will have another part as i could not fit all my recs in this post fuck tumblr but i hope you all enjoy reading about my sweet sweet princess 🥹🥹 and give a lot of love to these authors!!!!

DISCLAIMER none of these works are mine and majority are MATURE 18+, please read all warnings before reading!!!

Key:

✨ - My Favs

🔥 - Smut (MINORS DNI)

⛈️ - Angst

💗 - Fluff

🍑 - Humor

SERIES

Princess pt 2 - @choisanboobenthusiast 🔥

it probably won't be shock that a lot of the mingi fics i recommend are sub!mingi and this is just the beginning 🤤🤤 HOW HE IS WRITTEN HERE IS JUST SO FUCKING CUTE I COULD CRY 😭😭 hes just so needy i- 🫠🫠

Under the Radar - @everyonewooeverywhere 🔥 Fuckboy!Mingi ✧ Ongoing

like i said in my reblog i truly can understand mc because i would also be in love immediately with this man that it would be a concern for everyone around me 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ her making him chase her too AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I LOVE THAT

Genesis - @songmingisthighs ⛈️💗🍑 Fashion Mogul!Mingi ✧ SMAU

i will say the main trope of this story isnt for everyone BUT IT SURE AS HELL IS FOR ME!!!!! what can i say about this author's smau's they are so interesting with dynamic characters and plotlines but still so funny and i love mingi in this 😭😭😭😭

Use me pt 2 - @hwaightme 🔥⛈️💗 Friends to Lovers

mingi is deeply in love with mc and offers himself up to them and i will cryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 hes just so precious in this two shot literally the sweetest bub that deserves everything 🥺🥺

show & tell pt 2 - @jensthwa ✨🔥⛈️💗 Friends to Lovers AU

a friends to lovers trope will always get me especially when it starts with them "helping" each other which makes the realization that they love each other sosososososososoooooooo good 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

the princess treatment chronicles pt 2 - @yuyusuyu 💗 Friends to Lovers AU

oh god everyone in this fic is absolutely adorable 🥹🥹🥹 mingi has a list of how to make him fall in love and mc is doing a real good job at completing that list 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 THEY ARE JUST SO CUTE THIS IS JUST FLUFFY FLUFF I LOVE IT!!!!!

Dirty Little Secret pt 2 - @xosannie 🔥 Friends to Lovers ✧ Sex Worker!Mingi

mc stumbles across mingis secret twitter account and cant stop thinking about it but same of course absolutely completely normal reaction to seeing videos of mingi getting himself off like???????? n e ways mc gets to help mingi in his career what a good friend 🥰🥰

ONE SHOTS/DRABBLES

Sweet Juice - @hongism 🔥 Magic AU

the patient in 206 - @frenchkisstheabyss 💗 Hospital AU

[5:04 AM] - @edenesth 💗

Untitled - @sluttywonwoo 🔥

Untitled - @kitten4sannie 🔥 Supernatural AU ✧ Ghost!Mingi

look at the way i ride - @biaswreckme 🔥

edging mingi - @1ovewoo 🔥

Untitled - @sluttywonwoo 🔥

realistic sex with mingi - @byuntrash101 🔥💗

[12:03 am] - @min-gis 🔥

steamroller - @fallinforgyu ✨🔥⛈️💗 Friends to Lovers AU

this fic..... oh my god..... if i wasnt already in love with mingi THIS JUST MADE IT 10000000% WORSE 😭😭😭😭 childhood friends to lovers, pining, unrequited love (not really but u kno asdfsdfgfddf) and just the sweetest exploration of each other as they decide to lose their virginities together AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 😩😩😩😩😩 its just perfect ok i love them

Untitled - @thetypingpup ✨🔥 Dragon!Mingi

fucking sub dragon!mingi.... what else is there to say 🤤🤤 like him just soaking in the praise and possessiveness ohmygooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo😩😩😩😩

Tuesday | Seven - @sluttywoozi ✨🔥💗

we have 3 major hits in a row AND I AM LOSING MY MIND REREADING ALL OF THEM 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 this is some of the hottest domestic smut ive ever read quite possible 🫠🫠 reader is so incredibly horny for mingi AND I LIVE FOR THAT SHIT and damn mingi is down 😩😩

Assert your Dominance - @everyonewooeverywhere 🔥 Mechanic!Mingi

Untitled - @k-hotchoisan 🔥

[The Pack Next Door] Mingi: Friends with Benefits - @gamerwoo 🔥⛈️💗 Friends to Lovers ✧ Wererwolf!Mingi

Yeehaw - @desirehorizon 🔥

Kinktober Day 30 - @ateezreactionsandscenarios 🔥

Face Sitting with Mingi - @beenbaanbuun 🔥

Use it. - @a-soft-hornytiny 🔥

NSFW Alphabet - @sxcret-garden 🔥

Sleepless Inquiries - @catkyunie 💗

mingi x chubby!reader - @sluttywoozi 🔥💗

Untitled - @sluttywonwoo 🔥

After Work - @ateezscupid 🔥

It's okay, baby - @ateezscupid 🔥

Make Up - @nateezfics 🔥💗

12:06 - @desirehorizon 🔥

booksmart - @byuntrash101 ✨🔥

i am probably a broken record at this point but god do i love sub!mingi AND NERD LOSER MINGI FUCK ME😩😩😩😩😩 mc is such a good tutor for him wowowow 🤤🤤

Killer Eyes - @pirateprincessblog 🔥⛈️ Prisoner!Mingi ✧ Doctor!Reader

[9:47 PM] - @edenesth 💗

most vulnerable - @taexual ⛈️💗 Mafia AU

Hibiscus - @desirehorizon 🔥

Dear Princess - @ateezscupid 🔥 Medieval AU ✧ Vampire!Mingi

Unspoken Desires - @yourlocaljonghoe 🔥

play hooky - @everyonewooeverywhere 🔥

under the sheets - @k-hotchoisan 🔥

save a horse, ride your best friend - @seonghwaddict 🔥💗 Friends to Lovers AU

pussy drunk w/ mingi - @beenbaanbuun 🔥

22:46 - @seonghwaddict 💗 Roomates AU ✧ Friends to Lovers AU

country boy w/ mingi - @beenbaanbuun 💗 Country Boy!Mingi

Hearts Awakened, Live Alive - @sorryimananti-romantic ✨⛈️💗 Fantasy AU Demon!Mingi

tortured cursed mingi my beloved 🥺🥺🥺 this was a fic i read early on into getting into ateez and it is so fucking good 👏👏 like the concept is so interesting (esp for someone like me who hasnt watched any ghibli movies) but catch me sobbing for erebos on a daily basis😭😭😭😭😭😭

Eyes Roll - @jjunieworld 🔥

Wave - @sorryimananti-romantic 💗 Teacher AU

Tired - @hongism 🔥💗

mind over matter - @mingisaddctn 🔥

worship w/ mingi - @beenbaanbuun 🔥

Untitled - @thetypingpup 🔥 Cowboy!Mingi

Untitled - @k-hotchoisan 🔥

Untitled - @thetypingpup 🔥 Dragon!Mingi

brainless w/ song mingi - @beenbaanbuun 🔥💗

butterflies - @hwaslayer 🔥💗 Parent AU

11:15 pm - @minranghae 🔥

backseat serenade - @k-hotchoisan 🔥

boyfriend texts 2 - @beenbaanbuun 🍑

sacrifices - @lustfuldevils 🔥

Rainy Morning - @nateezfics 🔥

Untitled - @sxcret-garden 🔥

Dry Humping - @gingersxng 🔥

Untitled - @dairyminki 💗

Fantasize - @2cupids 🔥

song mingi as boyfriend - @mybelovedwoo 🔥💗

skinny dipping - @byuntrash101 🔥 Swimmer!Mingi

Sour Candy - @0097linersb 🔥

Track 017 - 2Seater - @desirehorizon 🔥

please baby - @starminzoo 🔥

still your biggest fan - @byuntrash101 🔥

Untitled - @everyonewooeverywhere 🔥

situationship w/ song mingi - @beenbaanbuun ⛈️ SMAU

Untitled - @everyonewooeverywhere 🔥

Baby Fever - @everyonewooeverywhere 🔥

Untitled - @justaaveragereader 🔥

00:00 - @iannmin 💗

Untitled - @hrt4yongie 🔥

Untitled - @everyonewooeverywhere 💗 College AU

friends to lovers with mingi - @lxvemaze 💗🍑 Friends to Lovers

Untitled - @cheollipop 🔥

Untitled - @thetypingpup 🔥

Rings of Temptation - @crimsonbubble 🔥

6:52 pm - @323cutie 💗

Obsession - @everyonewooeverywhere 🔥⛈️

10:02 - @kwanisms 🔥⛈️💗 Hyena!Mingi

[frozenbluecookies]

Kpop Demon Hunters is one of those movies that reminds me that a thing doesn't have to be an utterly original genius masterwork in order to be good.

I saw a couple posts before watching it that lauded it as groundbreaking, or a masterpiece, and that did set my expectations a little too high. It is not, in my opinion, groundbreaking or a masterpiece. But it is still a really enjoyable watch.

(Quick disclaimer: I'm no film critic, I'm just a rando on the internet sharing my thoughts)

(also, spoilers, in case you don't have the spoiler tags blocked but do want to avoid them)

Like. The plot (at least in the broad strokes) has been done before. "Team of people are secretly fighting against an ancient evil, the fight is going well until suddenly it's not, the antagonist/team of antagonists is causing trouble, but the thing that really breaks the protagonists is emotional turmoil within the team itself. There's a romance plotline in there somewhere. What should have been a big triumphant moment goes catastrophically wrong, the protagonists are hurt and separated from each other, but one of them has an epiphany and steps in at the last moment to rally their team and save the day with the Power of Friendship and Self-Love." None of that is new. Every aspect of that has been done a bajillion times, frequently in that exact combination.

Even the big themes (empathy, and coming to accept the parts of yourself that you had been taught to hate) are common enough. Particularly in media with a younger target audience.

Basically the only thing about the story that isn't super common (at least to a Western audience) are the aspects of Korean culture and mythology. I'm not qualified to speak on those, since I'm not Korean, but it is nice to see more diversity on that front in Western media. Those don't provide anything unique as far as the structure of the plot or themes, though.

And yet, despite the fact that the plot has been seen a million times, it doesn't drag the movie down at all. I wouldn't say it enhances anything, exactly, but it doesn't get in the way of the parts that do shine, and that's good enough for me.

Speaking of the parts that do shine, there are two main parts of the writing that stand out, at least to me. First of the two, I'm going to give the handling of the tone its flowers, because imo it deseves them. The blend of comedy and emotion was excellently executed, in my humble opinion. There was never a joke that made me cringe, or an emotional beat that felt over-dramatic. [Edit: upon a rewatch of a few scenes, there is one joke i would tone down, if i could. Specifically, Mira's "No more abs!" popcorn eyes moment. The line itself is fine, it's the popcorn that seems slightly jarring for the scene it's in. That's the only thing i'd change, joke-wise, and honestly, for the only miss in the whole movie, it's not that bad.] Beautiful work.

But I think the character writing, fittingly, is the star of the show: it's easy to love the characters, it's easy to get invested in them, and in their relationships with each other, and they're a delight to watch. There once again isn't too much that's unique there, but who really cares when watching it is this much fun, and this heartstring-tugging? Have I seen characters lament that their parent/mentor doesn't love every part of them before? Yes, dozens of times. Did Rumi's "why couldn't you love me?" moment make me tear up anyway? Absolutely.

The music is also a standout: can't have a good musical if the songs are bad. And every one of these songs is a certified bop. And they fit seamlessly into the rest of the story, imo, so no notes there. I was bopping along (or watching with a smile, in the case of Free) the whole way through, and they made the kpop fan in me very happy.

TLDR: This movie isn't super original, except in the finer details, but by god if it isn't a delightful watch anyway. Sure, if I were putting it in competition against the animated greats (the og How To Train Your Dragon, Into the Spiderverse, most of the Disney Renaissance, to name but a few), i don't think it's getting anywhere near the podium. But that doesn't stop it from being a solid, heart-filled, really enjoyable movie. Would watch again, many times over.

[quillsandblades]

do you think levihan is canon for real?

Heyy anon!

Do I think levihan is canon? I'd say yes absolutely, I'm like 99% sure they are - that one percent lacking here because Isayama hasn't really announced that they're official lol. Though even if Isayama does say they're not canon I'll probably live on in denial. Plus, now I'm so deep on the levihan pit I can never be convinced to stop shipping them.

Btw when I say they're canon here it doesn't mean I think they were an established couple (cuz Isayama said Levi was never involved in any romantic relationship throughout aot) but I do believe they had feelings for each other. Whether they acted on them or not is a different debate.

Why do I think they're canon? Plenty of reasons.

Firstly, starting from something of my own; I'd like to add that I never even shipped levihan until well after I'd finished the anime and the manga. In fact I never shipped Levi or Hange with anyone while watching/reading aot and for a long time after that. I was too focused on the plot and there were many other things going on.

Now from the eyes of a (former) non-shipper, I didn't think much of the head grab scene, didn't know the black jacket being shared between them, and never even noticed Levi could recognise Hange just by the sound of her knock on the door.

But then enter season 4 and suddenly Hange's changed and everything's going wrong. And I'm noticing things.

The forest scene happened and I was watching in dub for some reason so the ifkk line was translated as "we should camp out in the woods for the rest of our lives" and that's not very romantic. But despite that I could feel something between them, in the air, in that scene. But then the plot moved on and I didn't pay much attention to it.

I read chapter 132 from the manga cus the anime wasn't released yet, and again there was something there. Hange's walking towards her death and I'm literally falling into despair, waiting for someone to stop her and Levi shows up. And I just felt like he'd stop her and she'd listen. But he did the salute and I didn't read it as romantic at all but I felt some very complicated history, emotion, whatever passing between them ok. I felt there was something in that scene between all those words that only isayama or the characters themselves would know. And the fact that Levi never did that salute for anyone, not even Erwin, made me think Hange was probably more precious to him than I realised.

And then later on when I discovered levihan and it felt so right. The ship just fit the whole plotline and everything, like it had existed within it all along.

Next comes all the proof for levihan being canon we've seen in this community. We all know Isayama wrote Aot with exacting precision, every foreshadowing, every dialogue meant something. Now keeping in mind how carefully he made this manga, we look at all the little details.

Isayama himself approved the head grab scene in the anime and we know how it went against Levi's every single principle. His FINGERS ARE ENTANGLED IN HER HAIR. Hair which she rarely ever washes and Levi is supposed to hate filthy things. She's IN HIS PERSONAL SPACE.

Then there's the black jacket yams said wasn't Levi's and we saw it on Hange too. Again a very subtle detail but I'd never ignore it cuz Isayama is the master of subtle details.

Hange practically proposed to him in the forest scene. "Maybe we should just live here together" like hello?? What kind of thoughts had she been having to say that in a moment where her defenses were down? Clearly nothing about friendship. If Yams didn't wanna hint anything he could've kept it simple like 'maybe we should stay hidden here' or idk something like that, but no. Living together. The stuff couples do.

Then there's the "yet another love for a titan gone unrequited" line Levi says in ch132 and we know, in Japanese, it sounds like Levi's implying her love for someone else is requited (and there was only Levi left alive as a potential love interest for Hange at that time so we know who that mysterious someone is). Isayama could've written anything else but he chose to have Levi say words that had potential other meanings. Why would he do that? That guy knows his language, he could've phrased it any other way but he didn't

Then there's the interpretations of the 'Dedicate your heart' from ch132 and they make so much sense. It was such an intimate gesture on Levi's part I just can't. Here again, Isayama could've had Levi do the standard salute with his fist on his own heart and keep it all professional, a last goodbye from Captain to Commander. But no Levi rests his fist on Hange's heart and adds another layer of meaning, of longing, in that goodbye.

One can argue he did it because Hange probably didn't have the courage to go on, so he did the salute for her to make sure she didn't waver in her duty. Which is, ok, a bit valid--BUT. Remember how Erwin was also hesitating before his death? I can't say he was scared but he was considering the selfish way out to the basement. He needed a push too. And Levi gave him exactly that. No salute, nothing about hearts or dedication, instead a "Give up on your dreams and die" and a vow to kill Zeke. So we know Levi knows what to say to people who are leaving, he knows the words to give a dying man because he's seen so many. He could've done the same with Hange, could've said the right words so she didn't waver and got that push she needed. But he chose a gesture instead. His fist, not even on his own heart but hers. It was more than just a push, hell maybe it was a plea to come back alive. We'll never know

Then there's the little things in the manga. Like how Levi knew something was wrong with Hange after Pastor Nick's death and was visibly concerned about her, and said "Why do you need to keep it in, tell me Hange."

They've got nicknames for each other. I've never seen Levi give anyone a nickname ok, and then he calls her shitty-glasses/four-eyes. And Hange calls him clean-freak. Not the typical nicknames two people would give each other but hey they're both abnormals after all.

There you have it anon. Levihan's backed up by so much canon hints and crumbs that it's impossible to feel they didn't have something between them.

That got so long lol, you probably didn't expect to have an essay handed out to you. Thanks for dropping by and hopefully you found your answer in here!

[theloverlylo]

Eddie Diaz Is Bad With Money And It's Perfect

You know what I love about this show? They seed character flaws. Not every negative quality gets a plotline or becomes a thing. Sometimes they just toss a couple lines in here and there, so if they need something later. Case in point: Eddie and money.

Eddie is an impulsive, if not reckless, spender. In season 2, he treats the cost for Chris's private school as a non-factor, as if it has no value. He lavishes Chris with whatever he wants, something Shannon calls him out for. In Season 3, he buys a truck on a whim. Yes, he had extra money from the fight club, but he still made a major purchase on "fuck it, it's hot". Throughout the seasons, Eddie buys whatever he wants at the drop of a hat. And yes, it's TV, but the other characters still mention money, budgets, et cetera. Eddie never does.

So him spending every penny on a fixer-upper in El Paso when he'd been content to rent for years in LA fits him perfectly. He just doesn't handle money well.

And again, I love this show, because they those throwaway lines of reckless spending tie perfectly into Eddie's backstory. As we've seen more of Ramon and Helena, we've seen what kinds of parents they were. Passive-aggressive, guilting people into things, but also the kind who were very focused on how they looked to other people. The trophy emphasis? That's what that is: being more concerned with other people's views than their children. And that kind of parent is absolutely the kind that treats money and things as proof of love.

Eddie didn't need to join the military to provide for his family. It would have been harder to go to college or trade school and work, and would have required leaning on family for support, but it would have been possible. But Eddie didn't. He enlisted to support his family, because he was raised in an environment where money and material goods were the proof you love someone. It's why his reupping worked as an excuse: he was providing money, the strongest proof of love. We see in Season 6 that Ramon and Helena don't rank the presence of a parent as much as a high income, and in flashbacks, their arguments that they can provide a better home for Chris is rooted strongly in money and things.

Circling back to Eddie's military service: a decent number of enlisted are shit with money. I get this from my dad, who was a JAG for 22 years (8 active duty, 14 national guard). He helped a lot of young servicemen through debt and bankruptcy issues. The pattern he saw was this: men who enlisted young and didn't have family's on-base tended to have poor financial control. Policy at the time (80s, might have changed now) was that for a length of time, at least Basic and possibly beyond), a service member didn't get their full pay. Half was paid then, and the other half deposited into an account they could access after graduation. A decent number of those young, single service personnel would then see that big chunk of change and then blow it, typically on sports cars (Dad did work on a lot of repos).

Eddie enlisted young. Young is key, because these are the people who went from their parents' home to basic training. They never had to manage their own money, set budgets, pay bills, and the military (at least back then) didn't teach financial literacy. All the money of an adult, with far fewer responsibilities.

The other part of that pattern, though, doesn't seem to fit. Eddie was married with a kid, not single. But the reason it was single service members was that they lived in the barracks, and when you live in barracks, you don't have to pay rent or utilities. We're never told that Shannon and Chris lived on base with Eddie when he was stateside. We only ever see them staying with Ramon and Helena. (No wonder Shannon broke.) This means that Eddie likely lived with his parents and/or on base, in barracks, eliminating his biggest expenses while likely remaining eligible for housing and food supplements for his family.

Thus, for the duration of their marriage, Shannon and Eddie's finances probably went thus: Eddie deposited most of his paychecks into an account Shannon could access. There was likely an amount set aside for fun money for Eddie, but he would have very few bills while on base or in-country. Instead, Shannon, the accountant, handled their money. She did the budgets, paid the bills, clipped the coupons, et cetera. Eddie only had to buy things he wanted.

And that mindset never changed, even when Shannon left and Eddie had to take over the money. At no point had Eddie ever had to sit down and learn to handle money long-term. And he still hasn't. He gives Chris whatever he wants, or even what he thinks he wants because he thinks that's love. Chris has to tell Eddie to save his money in Season 8, because Chris, at this point, has more financial sense than his father.

Proof of that: All Eddie's savings went to the down payment on a fixer-upper. I took a quick hop over to Zillow. El Paso is not a super expensive city to buy in. Lots of fully renovated homes for $175-300000. The down payment on a $300000 house can vary, from as low as $9000 (3%) to as high as $60000. The average rate is 8%, which is $24000. But Eddie didn't buy a $300000 house. He bought a fixer-upper. So lets cut that by a third to a half. That's $12000- 18000 dollars. Eddie, after two decades of working (2 6-year tours + 8 years LAFD), got wiped out by less than $20000 dollars. And yes, medical bills, separation costs, cost of living. But having that little savings, after that much time, after Shannon's estate and her life insurance (he was still her husband at the time; he'd get everything), and never giving an indication of living paycheck to paycheck (again, he bought a car ON A WHIM)? That's not just bad with money, that's pathologically bad with money. I hope Shannon's estate got placed in a trust for Chris or he is beyond fucked when it comes to college.

TL;DR Eddie is brain-meltingly bad with money, and Buck should handle all their finances.

[keepsmagnetoaway]

Uncanny X-Men 147 (July 1981)

Chris Claremont/Dave Cockrum & Joe Rubinstein

From one great splash...

...to another. Geddit?

This is the concluding issue of the Doom/Arcade arc, and although it's still weighed down by a lot of Arcade bullshit, it also opens up an enjoyable vein of Gothic swashbuckling: Kurt is, as you can see, the one who manages to get out of his trap first, and is able to do a bunch of wonderful pulp-y fun, BAMFing around the castle with wet hair, fitting the modd perfectly.

There's also, once the others start to get free, this absolutely sublime panel of Wolverine. What Cockrum does with the shadow and the smoke here is *chef's kiss*.

And then it keeps getting better as Ororo flees herself from Doom's mental grip.

There's an interesting flirtation here with the possibility of Ororo going down Jean's path, which wouldn't be interesting as an actual plotline, since it would just be a retread, but is an intriguing thing to think about in terms of how Jean's fate haunts her teammates, and particularly Ororo, who was so close to her and who has such depthless powers. This is great stuff.

But she snaps out of it, of course, and instead we get a hilariously minor key ending where Arcade is just...made to apologise, and Doom gets to be like "call me sometime, Ororo".

God, I hope she calls him.

[aurenflare]

sophiana fanworks to check out !!!

hi i <3 sophiana so i thought i'd make a little rec list of some of my favs !!! yay

(not tagging inactive blogs for fear of annoying them lol <3 also if u would rather be taken off please just let me know and i'd be happy to!!)

this piece by @purplesoup-lad-le is one of my favourite sophiana fanarts EVER it's soooo awesome... it's like if a vintage playing card was like way sexier and cooler gosh all the details r INSANE !!!

this fic by @bookwyrminspiration has gotta be one of my absolute fav fics ever because it's just sooo perfect <3 elevator pitch biana n sophie are in the elite levels tgt and dating + biana throws sophie a bday party to help her destress!! totally nails sophiana it's soo good

this piece by @purplebunnydraws is gorgeousssss <3 it's so soft and gentle and THEM !!! the lighting has me weak at the knees this is just such a lovely piece

this fic by @/cadence-talle is also an all time FAVEEE it's so so good <3 the camp vibes are just so fun and impeccable and getting to watch sophie and biana finally admit their feelings is so wonderful <3 i always keep going back to it

this fic by @/cadence-talle... while the sophiana is a side plotline i just HAD to include because it was the fic that drove me to join tumblr like oh my gosh im being so serious. i LOVEEE this fic and this author is one of my favs ever <3

this piece by @xanadaus is SOO lovely!!!! this was actually drawn for sophiana week 2022 which the two of us co-hosted <3 and god DAMN was it stunning !!!!! showstopping incredible i went on a whole rabbit hole to find it sorry tobi

this piece by @swan-scribbles is SOOO good every time i see the sophiana roadtrip drawing i throw up and die /pos <33 the vibes r so so peak im forever obsessed with the colours n the poses <333

this fic by @synonymroll648 <3 gosh this one is just SOOO good!!! it's so sweet and tender and sad and warm and it's such a perfect balance <33 huge mega massive bonus points for they/them sophie and ae/aer biana my favs ever

this piece by @floofeeeeee... sophiana knight x princess au my beloved !!! this was just such a lovely piece they're so precious to me and i especially love the artist's biana design <3

this piece by @daydream-draws is fantastic !!! sophiana fit this meme soooo well and while i've seen mutiple takes this one is my fav ever <33 it's just so perfect i loveeeee

this oneshot by @when-wax-wings-melt is just so lovely... im actually obsessed w the au and how sophie and biana meet in this it's just so perfect !!!! everything to me actually

this piece by @/reverie-makes-an-art is practically what made me ship sophiana it's so lovely... i just had to find it it was like emblazoned into my memory <3 the artist is so so talented i loveee their kotlc work so much

this fic by @xanadaus is like incredibly incredibly peak just like. sophiana flower shop au. throws up and DIES this is still one of my all-time favs tobi ily

this piece by @/magicalwalrus!!! this is just suchhh a lovely piece gosh it's just!!! impeccable vibes!!! so soft and perfect <3

this piece by some random bitch loser who i felt sorry for 🙄

right so this got incredibly long but please check them all out they're so cool !!! go n look at them <3

[oceandiagonale]

Hey so it’s been confirmed the new Pokemon Legends Z is being released on 10/16.

You gonna torture Gene by putting him in the game?

ABSOLUTELY and it fits perfectly with how the ultra flare plotline ends!!!

I just have to. get to that ending 😭😭😭

(said after gene should already be in Paldea guest teaching at the academy with his bfs but my updates are slow as heck 😭😭😭)

[kikyoupdates]

Changing Plotlines ⭑˚💞⭑ 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠

yandere!ocs x f!reader

yandere, reverse harem, yandere reverse harem, original characters x fem!reader, slowburn, isekai

A desperate cry on your deathbed leads to you being given a fresh start at life. You're overjoyed at having finally obtained a healthy body and a real chance at living normally, only to discover that you've been transported into a yandere game, where danger lurks at every corner. Determined to protect your new life at any cost, you vow to stay as far away from the major characters of the game as possible. But things don't always go as planned.

previous | story masterlist | next

After receiving Cedric’s letter, you made sure to visit the smithy the very first chance you got. Keeping Flora away from the yanderes was all well and good, but you still fully intended to have a weapon to fall back upon, especially if you were going to have to spend some time with Lawrence awfully soon.

You brought a servant along into town with you, just to be absolutely safe, but you didn’t anticipate anything happening in broad daylight like this. Still, there was nothing you stood to lose from being cautious.

“Lady [Name], are you absolutely certain you want to take this weapon home with you?” the servant fretted. “I’ve never heard of a noblewoman who carries a sword around...”

“That’s nice,” you brushed off. “I guess I’ll be the first.”

“Aren’t you worried about your reputation taking a hit?”

“Not particularly. Should I be?”

“Er, yes. I would think so. Most people certainly would be.”

“It’s a good thing I’m not most people, then.” You finally arrived in front of the smithy and promptly squared your hands upon your hips, smiling brightly. “Now. Let’s go and see what kind of badass sword Cedric cooked up for me!”

The servant let out a sigh. “Yes, I suppose we must.”

Much like last time, he didn’t smother you too much once you were inside. You could tell he really didn’t want to be here, so it kind of sucked to be him, but hey—jobs were shitty sometimes. Such was the way of life.

“Cedric!” you called out towards the back. “It’s [Name]! I got your letter and I’ve come to pick up my sword.”

A few moments later, you spotted Cedric’s toned frame pushing through the clutter. As always, he had on his usual good-natured smile, and his skin was once again flushed and lightly glazed in sweat. Although his character had never been mentioned in the game, you decided he fit the “gentle giant” trope quite well. Even with the sole interaction you’d had with him thus far, you could tell he was a sweet guy with nothing but good intentions.

“Hiya, [Name]!” Cedric beamed. “I’m glad you swung by so soon. I gotta tell ya, I was real excited to show this thing off, especially since you’ve never had a sword before. This will be your first one! I’m pretty proud of how it turned out, hehe.”

You brushed away an imaginary tear.

Aw. He’s so damn cute. Like a big teddy bear.

“I’m excited too,” you grinned. “Will you do the honors?”

“Of course! I’ve got it tucked away real snug near the back, just come right this way.” He hummed as he led you over, and he even seemed to have a bit of a bounce in his step. You supposed he must really have been looking forward to showing you how the sword had turned out. Admittedly, your expectations were pretty damn high, but you had a feeling he wouldn’t let you down. Eventually, he stopped and carefully withdrew a sword within its sheath from inside one of the drawers.

He handed it to you, smiling expectantly. “Here. Go ahead and take a look for yourself.”

You didn’t need to be told twice. The second the sheathed blade brushed against your fingertips, you could feel your heart beating a little quicker. Already, it was a massive improvement compared to Sergei’s sword. You weren’t yet wielding it in a proper stance or anything, but it was a good deal lighter and overall a much more comfortable fit for your height and build.

You slowly pulled the sword all the way out of its sheath, pausing to marvel at how damn glossy the blade was. There was even a small engraving, upon closer inspection. It read: Property of [Name], Zodite’s strongest and prettiest noblewoman.

“Oh my god!” you squeaked in adoration. “This is so cool! I love, love, love it!”

Cedric blushed a bit, folding in on himself. “I’m really happy you like it. I ain’t never crafted a sword for a lady before, but I was thinkin’ something a bit lighter like this would be better, especially since you were saying Sergei’s sword felt a bit uncomfortable to use. The reach on your sword won’t be quite as long, but it’ll make a lot of movements simpler as a result.”

“Yep,” you beamed, repeatedly rotating the sword just to see it from all different angles. “It’s perfect. And the engraving you added is super cute. I wasn’t expecting it. You really think I’m the prettiest noblewoman in the kingdom? Surely that’s just you stroking my ego, haha.”

“No, honest!” Cedric insisted. “You’re super pretty and nice! Granted, I haven’t met very many noblewomen, but I doubt they’d be as pleasant as you. Your friendliness makes you prettier in my eyes. I bet you have a lot of suitors lined up already.”

“Pfft, nothing like that,” you mused. “But I’m flattered you think so. But seriously, you did a great job with the sword. I’m so happy I finally have one to call my own. I realize my request was a bit unconventional, but you still took it seriously, so thank you for that.”

“No need to thank me! I was just doin’ my job, and—o-oh!”

Cedric stiffened up a bit. You were so darn happy right now that you just couldn’t help but wrap him in a big hug. His already flushed cheeks seemed to deepen several shades, but he got over his embarrassment rather quickly and proceeded to hug you back while chuckling.

“I gotta say, this is somehow better than the generous sum you already paid me,” he grinned happily, patting you on the shoulder a few times.

You felt your own cheeks heat up in response. It felt nice to hug someone like this. Honestly, your new life was so freaking awesome. You already had a sweetheart like Flora as your friend, and Cedric seemed like the type of guy you could really hit it off with—whether simply as friends or perhaps something even more than that one day.

But before you could sing his praises any more, you heard the front door opening and shutting with a distinct thud, and scarcely a few seconds later, a familiar face had joined you inside the smithy.

It was Sergei. And when he walked in on you and Cedric hugging with content expressions, he made a sour face.

“Lady [Name]? And Cedric? I... didn’t realize the two of you were already so close,” he remarked.

You pulled away from Cedric and smiled. “I was just thanking him for making me such an awesome sword. Here, take a look!”

You proceeded to show off the sword you’d just recently laid eyes upon yourself, with Cedric watching proudly and occasionally nodding his head in silent approval. But for some reason, Sergei didn’t look anywhere as thrilled as you’d been expecting. You finally had a weapon that felt natural to use, which would make your training go a lot more smoothly. Why wasn’t he happy for you?

Maybe I’m just being overly sensitive. Sergei isn’t exactly the most expressive guy to begin with.

You decided not to read into things too much. Meanwhile, Sergei withdrew his own sword—the unnecessarily long one that was too heavy for your brittle wrists—and handed it off to Cedric.

“I’d like it to be sharpened and greased a bit,” Sergei said. “There are some small chips here and there, so let me know if those need to be mended right away. If so, I’ll come by and pick it up another time.”

“Sure thing!” Cedric agreed, as chipper as always. “Just from a quick look, I don’t think they’ll be much of an issue, so there's no need for a mending quite yet. The maintenance shouldn’t take much longer than usual. Ya mind waitin’ a few minutes?"

“No, of course not.”

“Great! Then, I’ll be right back.”

You’d already finished your business at the smithy, but truthfully, you were still oohing and awing over your new sword. It really was cool getting to live in a completely different time period than you were used to. There was surely nobody else but you who could say they’d ever had such an incredible experience.

While you kept grinning stupidly, all too pleased with your newest exploit, Sergei looked over at you with pinched lips and a furrowed brow.

“You should be careful, Lady [Name],” he advised. “It wouldn’t do your reputation any favors to be seen embracing a person of lower status.”

“Hm? Oh, trust me, I don’t care about any of that,” you shrugged. “Come to think of it, my servant was saying something similar earlier. But yeah, I don’t focus on trivial matters like those. Let people talk. Cedric’s a nice guy. I really like him!”

Sergei’s expression still looked awfully sullen. He was normally quite stony-faced in the game, so this wasn’t too unexpected, but you really thought he’d started behaving quite comfortably around you. Perhaps he was just having a bad day?

“Maybe I’m just imagining it, but you look like you could use a hug,” you offered, then proceeded to extend your arms out. “C’mon. Don’t be shy.”

Sergei reacted by blushing profusely, then shaking his head. One thing was for certain, he was still remarkably easy to fluster.  

“I just told you why you shouldn’t do those things!” he exclaimed. “Don’t—I’m serious, Lady [Name], you can’t—”

Except you’d already hugged him, delighting in how awkwardly adorable he was. The fool, thinking he could dissuade someone as stubborn as yourself. What an amateur move.

He was pretty much stiff as a board and seemed at a loss as to where to put his hands, which sort of made for a crappy hug, but you didn’t mind it much. Even though he was standing around, as if waiting for it to be over, you didn’t miss the small smile twitching upon his lips. He was enjoying it somewhat, even if he refused to admit to it.

Eventually, you stopped. “There,” you smiled. “Now, was that so bad? You big grump.”

“I’m not a grump,” Sergei huffed grumpily.

“Yes, yes, whatever you say.” You had half a mind to tease him a bit more, but if he really was having a bad day, it was probably best to just leave it at that. Cedric didn’t take much longer to return from refining Sergei’s sword, anyways.

“Here ya go,” Cedric smiled while handing the sword off. “Good as new, I’d say.”

Sergei sheathed his sword and nodded, but didn’t bother to thank him. “I have to go now,” he blurted suddenly, and walked right out of the smithy without so much as a goodbye to either of you.

You frowned. “Seriously, what’s up with him? Is it just me, or does he seem kind of off today?”

“Nah, there ain’t nothin’ to it,” Cedric reassured. He didn’t seem bothered at all, so perhaps you really were being too sensitive about things. “Sergei looks all serious and stuff, but he’s a real good guy. He’s patient and helpful. I’ve never even seen him get mad.”

Well, even you knew that based on having witnessed his character in action inside the game, but interacting with him in real life was a significantly difference experience. Here, Sergei was much more three-dimensional and multi-faceted, and without his relationship with Flora in the picture, it was difficult to tell what exactly was going on through his head.

I wonder if he’ll still meet Flora and fall in love with her. If the yanderes don’t get involved, they could finally be happy together. I sure hope that happens.

Hopefully, regardless of what Sergei was dealing with, it would all be alright. He was a good person. Whatever he wanted, he deserved to have.

“Flora, at the risk of sounding too full of myself, I think might be a genius,” you said. You then proceeded to lift up three quizzes you’d gotten back during your various classes today, all of which you’d obtained a perfect mark for.

She pressed a palm to her mouth and reacted with just as much enthusiasm as you’d been hoping for. “Oh, my! [Name], I always knew you were more remarkable than most people, but I had no idea you were such a diligent student as well! This truly is impressive. You’re incredible at whatever you do!”

You lifted your chin up to the sky and chuckled. “Hehe, yes. Praise me more.” It was possible that your academic success was getting to your head a bit, but you wanted to savor the moment while it lasted. You’d never gotten to attend university in your previous life. It was nice that you finally had the chance to excel at learning, something you’d always been passionate about.

“I really could learn a thing or two from you,” Flora sighed. “I do my best to study, but I’m afraid academics have never come easily to me. I don’t have much of an educational background, after all. I’m sorry. You must be embarrassed to have a country bumpkin like me by your side.”

“Stop that,” you frowned, poking her on the forehead. “You’re kind and lovely. There’s no reason to get so down on yourself. Everyone’s good at different things, and the majority of people here have an advantage because they’ve been receiving an education for far longer than you. You’ll catch up soon, I promise.”

Flora blushed. “It’s strange. I’ve never been all that confident in myself, but hearing you say those things really makes me think I can pull them off.”

“Of course you can! Soon enough, we’ll both be scoring perfect on our tests.”

She flashed another cheerful smile your way. The two of you were currently resting on one of the benches in the middle of campus, with a bit of a break before your last class of the day. The weather was sunny and pleasantly warm, perfect for basking outside. You’d had a rather plentiful meal for lunch earlier, so you and Flora were sharing jam-covered scones as a midday snack.

Everything was going perfectly. You couldn’t recall having ever felt such happiness before.

“Hey! You there! That’s right, I’m talking to you!”

Sigh. Why does the universe hate me?

It was Theresa Simmons, that insufferable brat. She really couldn’t give you a break and mind her own business, could she? Like yes, you had thrown a shoe at her face, but only because she’d been acting like a bitch to start with! Your reaction had been totally warranted.

“It’s unsurprising that someone as crude as you would choose to spend your time around a commoner,” Theresa scoffed. “Seriously, have you no shame at all?”

You rolled your eyes at her, unbothered. “Are you trying to get hit in the face again, or what?”

“W-What is it with you and always threatening violence?” Theresa gasped. “You’re behaving even more like a commoner than the one sitting next to you!”

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, taking a bite out of your scone. “Violence works sometimes. All I’m saying is, don’t harass people without expecting them to retaliate. Now, shoo, please. I’m trying to enjoy my break.”

By now, Theresa was practically blowing steam out of her ears, bright red from humiliation. It didn’t help that her usual posse was with her, and she was currently being made an absolute fool of.

“You—you!” she cried out. “The night of the gathering at my estate, you told me that you were sorry for hurting me! Was that just a lie?!”

“No, I meant it,” you affirmed. “But I was kind of hoping that you would've learned your lesson after that and maybe toned down the bullying a bit. If you leave me and Flora alone, I have no reason to throw any more shoes. Sound good?”

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Theresa gritted out. Tears were rising to her eyes. God, she was such a big baby. You’d hardly even said anything mean. People who dished out what they couldn’t handle were the absolute worst.

“I’m good,” you smiled. “I’m quite proud of myself, actually.”

“Ugh!”

“Miss Theresa,” one of the other noblewomen prodded. She looked troubled by the fact that their ringleader was progressively embarrassing herself more. “Let’s just leave it there for today. There’s no point in arguing with people beneath us, right?”

The other women nodded in agreement, looking very eager to remove themselves from this uncomfortable situation.

Too bad Theresa lacked the same social awareness.

“You—[Name]!” she exclaimed, jutting her index finger towards you accusingly. “You are very fortunate that my time is so valuable. Otherwise, I would’ve rendered you into a pitiful, weeping mess. But make sure not to get too comfortable. Sooner or later, I will make you regret what you’ve done.”

“I wonder why I don’t believe you,” you sighed.

“Grr!” she fumed. “J-Just shut your mouth, already! I’ve had enough of your foolish-looking face for today. I hope you have nightmares every day for the next, um... three weeks or so! Actually—even longer than that! You stupid idiot!”

She stomped away from you, with her underlings in tow, although they looked quite sheepish as they fled the scene. Which was fair enough, considering her last words had been "stupid idiot”.

“Man, that was lame,” you eye-rolled, then promptly polished off the rest of your scone. “Yummy. It’s sweet, but without being too sweet, you know?”

Although you, for one, were completely unruffled, Flora was staring at you with wide, trembling eyes. “[N-Name],” she said, voice quivering slightly. “I’m very sorry to put you through that. This is all because... you saved me that day. Now she’s decided to start picking on you as well. You must regret having ever interfered...”

You licked the leftover jam off your fingers, then gave her a confused look. “Who, Theresa? Nah, I really don’t care. She’s a bit of a bully, but she doesn’t scare me. Trust me when I say that there are far worse people you could get involved with. Compared to them, this is child’s play.”

“Which people are you referring to?”

“Huh? O-Oh, I was just making a general statement,” you recovered hurriedly. “As in, there are really scummy people that can be found all around, so when you think about it in the grander scheme of things, a bit of harassment from time to time isn’t so scary.”

“Ah. I think I understand what you mean.” Flora cast her head down and fiddled with her thumbs. “But still... having to deal with Theresa can’t be pleasant. I really hope you’re not too upset with me.”

“Flora,” you said sternly, grabbing her hands in yours. “I’m not upset with you. It would take a lot to make me upset with you, and I know you’re a good person, so there will never be any reason for something like that to happen. Theresa will get bored of pestering us before long, that much I’m quite certain of. All I need to do is keep standing my ground, and soon enough she’ll lose her nerve. I think she could stand to learn a good lesson anyways.”

Flora’s cheeks flushed that lovely shade of pink you’d gotten so used to seeing these past few days. You knew from playing Zodin’s Benevolence that she was rather timid and insecure, so you really hoped you could help her build up her confidence somewhat.

“Thank you, [Name].” She eagerly squeezed your hands and smiled once more. “I’m so lucky to have met you. I will always be grateful towards my adoptive father for taking me in and providing me with so much, but I knew the transition into a new lifestyle would be difficult. But thanks to you, I feel hopeful and optimistic for the future. I think... you might be my first real friend.”

You giggled. “Yeah. You’re my first real friend, too.”  

More chapters are available on Quotev!

⊱.⋅follow + post notifications on for story update announcements or join the author's discord!⋅.⊰

💞 main masterlist ♡ character appearances

[graysedai]

say more about your thoughts on siuan hero of the horn???

Certainly! I'll put full book spoilers under the cut! The show-only tl;dr is that since Sophie Okonedo is having shooting conflicts, then shooting less regularly when the Heroes are activated could be a great a way to get around some of that. The parts of her plot that require being physically present in the real world can easily be taken up by Leane.

Major Book Spoilers from here on out. Don't say I didn't warn ya! Like I mean major fucking spoilers, dear show-only fam.

Ever since they made Siuan a Dreamer in the show, and Moiraine demonstrated basic competence in what I am assuming is a construct/Dreamshard I have been reminded of how Birgitte is comfortable/competent in TAR despite having never been a Dreamer, from sheer familiarity. I think that was the first thing that made me start forming this theory.

Since the Heroes hang out in tel'aran'rhiod between their lifetimes, I think it would fit perfectly for Siuan to wake up in tel'aran'rhiod, the place that Egwene is the only younger character to have as a Talent. She could still mentor Egwene.

I think it would be terrible to see Siuan written into her book!arc from here. A black woman, made into a servant by the women she used to rule, who devalue her experience and force her to play along with being degraded and sidelined in order to help Egwene manage the politics? Terrible fucking optics. I honestly don't want to see that. It's an easy plotline to cut. We can still get so many of her triumphs without that weighing down her plotline. She could even be the impetus for Elayne and Nynaeve to discover Birgitte. They see someone they thought was dead talking to someone else in TAR and go investigate? Absolute Wondergirls behavior.

Siuan and Leane had almost the exact same plotline: deposed together, stilled together, escaped together, treated like crap together by their former colleagues, and Healed together. It's fine by me if Leane takes that on by herself. It happens THREE times in stereo if we count Logain, too. With cutting down plotlines being absolutely necessary to fit this series into a few seasons, it makes sense to curtail that to a degree.

The show has been doing a lot of shifting plotlines, then using those as foreshadowing for the OG plotlines revamped a little. Siuan and Moiraine can be the echo of Birgitte and Gaidal Cain, I don't think this idea takes away from their plot.

If they really actually kill Moiraine instead of having her live on, weakened permanently and without a place in the world, then we can have a romantic tragedy and a wholesome wrap-up of their plotline at the same time. I would love to see how their love stretches across the ages. That they weren't just saying meaningless words when they promised to find each other again in every lifetime. I would prefer that to Moiraine's being rescued by three men who have almost no connection to her, then living out a shortened lifespan with the merest fragment of the power she once wielded.

I want to see them together, at the Last Battle, fucking decimating the dreadlords and trolloc armies, flush with the power remembered from countless lives and even more deeply in love than they were when their minds only contained Siuan and Moiraine.

[alltheboysandgirlsiloved]

I'm gonna say what we're all thinking.

If dinostar doesn't end up getting together there was absolutely no reason to create the Darius-has-a-crush-on-Brooklynn plotline.

Like genuinely. It's not coming from the shippers' point of view either! I've been thinking about it for a while. When I was watching jwct S1 for the first time Darius' confession actually caught me completely off guard. I did not see that coming (like, canon-wise). It's just... I keep tossing the idea of "dinostar not ending up together" around in my head, and every time I come to the conclusion that this plotline would be completely pointless if we didn't get a proper pay-off.

Someone could argue that Darius having a crush on Brooklynn is what ultimately leads him to show up late That Night but... the truth is that it could be any other reason. Like, for real.

Back then Darius still worked for DPW, right? He could get caught up with work (perhaps doing something that would actually eventually trace them back to Soyona), or Kenji could call him, asking if he could come to him (remember that Kenji was dealing with a breakup too, and back then they were still on speaking terms with Darius; so imagine that Kenji calls Darius, and Darius decides to go to Kenji instead of seeing Brooklynn, and boom! both Kenji and Darius end up feeling guilty. Kenji can still be mad at Darius, voila) - they could have come up with countless excuses. And later too – Darius' crush doesn't really have a massive impact on the plot either. Like they could be completely platonic and the plot wouldn't change nearly at all.

Coming from someone who doubles in writing: this is a useless plotline, that doesn't add up much, unless:

dinostar end up together (giving the audience a classic happy ending)

Brooklynn ends up deciding that she's better on her own for now (bittersweet and realistic but seeing this is still a show for children... I'd say it doesn't really fit the vibe?)

idk, I know that this sounds kind of harsh but I thought someone should finally say that.

[jaegerisim]

Vent post y'all are gonna hate me for.

I viscerally hate how the Duffers treat most of their non white or queer characters and I hate even more viscerally, how y'all big byler blogs in your circle jerk of other 5 big byler blogs casually like to ignore many red flags the show has.

Y'all like to say: "tHe DufFeRs ArE gReAt WrIteRs" and it's like girl, who are you lying to??? They aren't top shit writers at all. The Duffers are pretty mid imo. Yeah, they run a good show that's fun to watch and theorize abt , but that doesn't mean they're good writers cuz they're not.

1. they completely side lined Will during s3 for the sake of their straight romances: lumax, jancy, mlvn, duzie and partly stobin (even if stobin wasn't endgame, thankfully, Steve's intentions were clearly wanting to date Robin and they gave it a lot of screen time). Will was sidelined bc he didn't fit the straight romance plotline bc they planned to make him gay or whatever. Now in s4 Will and his feelings have been used as mlvn toilet paper. Yes, we like to say this is build up for byler but canonically, Will's feelings have been used to clean the shit mlvn leaves behind.

2. Billy was sympathized a lot during the last 2 seasons. They gave him the sad backstoryTM in order for ppl to feel sorry for him. Billy's backstory is literally Jonathan's but whatever.

3. El's anger issues are constantly girlboss-ified. They down play her bullying situation and literally just use it for El to be a ''girlboss" without realizing how triggering that is. As someone who has lived bullying, seeing it be ignored by canon and fanon is super sad. The whole Rink-O' Mania experience must have been so traumatizing for her yet, everyone absolutely forgets abt it 🤷🏻‍♀️

4. Robin, Erica and Argyle are stereotypical characters. Robin is the quirky lesbian with social anxiety, Erica is the badass black woman and Argyle is the Latino stoner that sells weed to white kids and works as a pizza delivery guy.

5. Altho Argyle and Eddie both do drugs, (Eddie actually sells K-12 to a minor and nobody batted an eye. He has a huge fan base). Eddie is held in a pedestal bc "poor thing 🥺 he lives in a trailer with his uncle 🥺". Tell me a single fact you know abt Argyle that isn't "he smokes weed", "he is Jonathan's only friend", "drives a van" and "he works at a pizzeria". Exactly, Eddie is given a useless backstory and Argyle isn't.

6. Dustin stopped being important to the plot sometime around s2 and s3. He is only there to curse and be mildly funny. My guy needs to hangout with ppl his age cuz he only hangs out with seniors.

7. El needs to stop having so much "I'M THAT BITCH" screentime like I need in s5 for El's arc to not just be her becoming more powerful and falling in love with Mike. I need the Duffers to explore her trauma and problems.

8. Angela should have been run over by the van.

9. Patrick should have been given a backstory that isn't the basic "strict black parents that hit their kids cuz they are a disgrace". Patrick's backstory is actually racist af, fight w the wall.

10. As Lex already said, they didn't trigger tag the ep where Jason and his friends assault Lucas and Erica. Like wtf? Why was that necessary? Why did I have to see a black boy being held at gunpoint by some white guy?? Was it relevant to the plot?? I don't think so. And then I've got to see ppl online be like "Jason wasn't that bad. He was just mourning" like bitch you can stfu. This is what happens when you make the racist assholes conventionally attractive.

Also the fact that Lucas's arc is fulfilled by him fist-fighting Jason and "embracing his weirdness" aka accepting he is black. His arc was not fulfilled at all cuz that ending spoke so loud to me. It showed how little empathy ppl have towards the struggles poc ppl living in the Midwest have. Y'all circle jerks can only see racism when it's super obvious.

Furthermore, parents complained when ST showed "an excessive amount of smoking" yet nobody batted an eye when Billy tried to run over Lucas, when Erica (an 11 y.o ffs) was chased by white kids or when Lucas was held at gunpoint by Jason.

All of this happened while they focused on Max's guilt and mourning that, yeah, are important but certainly not less important than racism!!!

11. In s3, they gave us that whole Nancy vs The Bigots arc that was honestly just triggering and useless. It didn't help Nancy's character at all, quite the opposite it put unnecessary angst.

12. Lonnie being presented as an abuser just for him to never be spoken of again. Can we please get to explore the trauma he left the Byers's with?

13. The fact that both queer relationships are considered "sloppy seconds" is extremely sad. Both Vickie and Mike are rebounding from their failed relationship with Robin and Will. These 2 ships have caused more commotion than Jancy and Jopper together! (These last ships are technically sloppy seconds too but everybody forgets that. Shocker!!)

14. Last but not least, ppl blame Argyle for being the one to get Jonathan into smoking weed as if Jonathan probably wasn't the one looking for it. Let me tell you, that you only find weed if you look for it.

[passing-traveler]

Twi and Dark night out [ For context, in me & a couple friends' plotline that loosely originated in LU, Wars' Dark Link appeared, and in a complicated series of events, he ended up back in Wars' head. But instead of like, recombining, like everyone thought they would, there's just two guys up there now. This causes no problems. Anyway, they gotta awkwardly body share atm, and Dark doesn't want anyone dead, so we get moments like this, where Dark & his accompaniment from the Chain (Twilight. It's almost always Twilight) dress up in fun fits and go out on the town as a ✨bonding exercise✨ Also for funsies, we've got the classic red eyes differentiating when Dark's in control of Wars' body, and they shift back to dark blue when Wars is in control. There are absolutely no problems with Dark getting up to shenanigans while looking like "The Hero" :) And there couldn't have been an inciting event that made an accompaniment from the Chain absolutely necessary when Dark's around. He is so good and well behaved, trust <3 ]

[lowrezbonuslevel]

you... are my nakama.......!

Day 2 Revenge Kirby Fighters 3 and Knuckles: Old Man Yaoi Edition

⚠️ LONG (but good-faith) RANT (that gives a little extra context for today's drawing) UNDER THE CUT (don't worry it's not shipping discourse lmao) ⚠️

Okay so I know neither of these modes are canon and therefore it's SORT OF a moot point, but NARRATIVELY SPEAKING, Meta Knightmare Returns and Dededetour are completely and utterly backwards, right???

What beef does King Dedede have with Dark Meta Knight? What beef does Meta Knight have with Sectonia and Dark Matter Swordsman (besides the fact that they both breathe and hold pointy weapons)? I understand that there's this ongoing plotline with having MK face swordfighters to test his skill, but I still think King Dedede should have been the one to rematch both DMS and Sectonia in Robobot (I do know Sectonia DX in TDX exists, but she isn't the final boss of the Dededetour mode which kinda sucks).

Shadow Dedede himself is a decent idea, but he's new to the series and has absolutely no story introduction (and his design isn't all that interesting, at least to me). Sectonia? Love her, but she deserves a Dedede hammer to the face for all three phases and more. DMS (and Dark Matter in general)? The ORIGINAL Dedede opp (besides Kirby lol). I know these are just clones in-story, but the coolness factor is still there.

You can make the argument that MK got to fight Mecha Knight because of MKR--which is cool, definitely, but if it were King Dedede the same could be said for the Dedede Clone fight, so in my eyes it evens out (actually... Dedede beating Stock Mecha would probably have been even more hype. imho).

Also, a Galacta Knight battle with solo King Dedede would be rad. The power scalers would have a FIELD DAY!!!

Likewise, Meta Knight never actually got to beat DMK in a proper battle at any point, did he? So based on both canon and alt timelines, DMK could still whoop MK's ass. That's just wrong... :(

It's my understanding that TDX was made with absolutely no anticipation of Robobot, so it could be the case that they simply didn't want to give Dedede the spotlight twice. But I sort of wish they had held back on MKR regardless.

Really, I don't think you NEED the anticipation of Robobot's specific plot/mechanics to see that MKR would have fit perfectly in TDX, because it answers the question of "where the hell is MK and why did he sit back when Dedede got kidnapped"? Having him fight DMK would be a way cooler explanation than an implicit "he was doing something somewhere else."

Maybe he's been fighting on the sidelines and is now clearing out the castle--which is full of Sectonia's remaining minions, the strongest and most loyal--and getting to the bottom of some source of magic still coming from the castle. Meanwhile Dedede and Kirby are helping out the people of mainland Popstar that were displaced by Sectonia and the Dreamstalk. And DMK (or, even better--a form of Dark Mind!) serves as the final boss.

Likewise, while the main events of Robobot are going on, the King could be helping Floralia defend themselves from the invasion. (The existence of Sectonia Clone combined with the pause screen that claims "Floralia is too remote to be mechanized yet" is literally just a plot hole anyway. The invaders couldn't overtake Floralia by the time we're fighting Sectonia Clone... despite the fact that they obviously DID find the huge plant that leads DIRECTLY to their kingdom AND the invaders have a mother(computer)ship the size of Planet Popstar AND practically infinite robot soldiers...? Be so fr...)

Extra work/game industry deadlines are a consideration too, but I don't think that applies too heavily here because both modes could have heavily reused and repurposed assets and level designs.

MK could have just had the typical EX mode recolors and stuff, but maybe with the story explanation/design concept that the bosses are being controlled by the Dark Mirror this time, instead of being aggravated by Taranza.

Dededetour in Robobot could have subsequently reused TDX assets. I feel like this is even a case where reskins are the objectively cooler option, as opposed to entirely new assets: seeing the flowery, green areas of Floralia converted to gross, grey landscapes would have been AWESOME, as well as seeing the insects and flower-based enemies turned to robots. Maybe the People of the Sky have been mind controlled: the six main flower fairies work together as a miniboss, and defeating them/breaking their mind control apparatuses is how they are "rescued" here, in parallel to their game of origin. Maybe Taranza is also being mind-controlled in an act of universal karma and Dedede has to bail him out. That would be sick!

This stuff isn't a series-ruiner by any means, but it genuinely feels like a glitch in the Kirby matrix that the plotlines here are so mismatched. If I were whimsically rewriting the Kirby series, the MKR and Dededetour swap would probably be the first change I'd make. (And, again, I'd like to acknowledge that there are/were probably practical considerations of which I'm ignorant.)

You know how the series could still fix everything, though...? Kirby Fighters 3, BUT this time King Dedede and Meta Knight are the main protags. They get to fight magically-summoned/echo versions of DMK, DMS, Sectonia, King D-Mind, Yin-Yarn... you name it. TOGETHER. As husbands should!!!