#the highlights will not make justice to this mess

[kifujinqueen]

[waterfall-ambience]

oughhh the fontaine characters :>

[capriciouscapsss]

How Will Your F/S Pursue You♚

Book A Reading With Me 💞

today, as i finish up the last of my readings for the week, i am eager to return just to make another reading talking about how your f/s will pursue you! go ahead and book a reading if you'd like to learn more about your future spouse or don't, whatever's fine 😭 today I'm doing a short reading since again I don't have that much time but I still want to make something cute 💞 with that being said...let's get started 💞💞

we have four piles; intuitively choose the one you're most drawn to. 

Pile I. woman sm*king

[8oS, 9oS, 2oS, KoW, 7oC, the fool, p, s.c]

your person pursues you in a more laidback way. they're very unsure of themselves, most of them not likely to go ahead and pursue you without being sure that you're even in to them in the first place. they're quite shy. i can see them being the type of people that only stare at you when they know you're not watching. looking at you when you look at something else with a small smile on their face. thinking of you constantly. asking themselves if you like them or not. they might even be in a state of unrest, a will they won't they type of thing when it comes to pursuing you.

once they know though...then they change. they start acting different. start carrying themselves with more confidence. they start joking about so much lmao, almost like since they know that you're reciprocating their energy they feel comfortable enough to show you their true selves. also the type that feels that, after knowing you like them, will start to fantasize a lot about what could be. like they see you somewhere and they think about you for hours after.

pursuing you would be them being super shy at first, acting like you're not there. and then once they start getting the vibe that you're feeing them as well, that's when they start vibing more. being spontaneous, saying stuff that'll catch you off guard. being more possessive, grabbing at your waist or simply just letting people know that there's something going on between you both.

now please understand, these people will mess up. they might not say the right thing or do the right thing all the time. in fact, i think the f/s of this pile will be the one that messes up the most. they're not that experienced in the area of love, but one thing i will tell you is that having them pursue you is chaotic and funny but most of all warm.

Pile II. lonely in a movie theater

[the emperor, 4oW, KoS, Justice, 10oC, 10oS]

smooth talker fr. someone who knows how to worm their way into the heart of who they're talking to. i feel like they like to talk about the future. when you both are together they might look at random stuff and tell you to think of both of you doing those things together. they make themselves appear bigger too lmao like a peacock showing off their feathers.

also, things will get a little dark for a second so bare with me but, they're not people who know what happiness exactly is. they don't have a good picture of a happy healthy relationship.

that's why they seem to chase it with such vigor. they want what they've never had. they've likely grown up around people with silver tongues, people that can say exactly what you want to hear. might even be a fan of baby talk or just sweetening their words a lot. i also feel like that your person might highlight your differences to them a great deal. for ex. if they have dark hair and you have light hair you'll hear them say "if we have kids, i want them to have your hair"

being with you will also put them out of their comfort zone, like finding out that their words can also be met with actions. their words speaking of their future with you and their actions making sure no one tries to get with you in order to make it happen. telling you your attractive and making sure they show you off at the same time.

Pile III. riding a motorcycle

[PoW, 9oP, 2oW, AoP, AoC,Strength]

a definite gift giver. like this is giving me taurus/2nd house venus energy. someone that doesn't know how to love in words or actions but they're definitely good gift givers. they're very romantic. whether it be a small gift or a big one they're definitely going to deliver.

they like showing you their idea of what a better life could be at their side. might like taking you on trips fully paid. they have moneyyy. i imagine them taking you to a vacation spot and telling you about this plate on the menu that they love but you haven't tried; they're going to do all they can to make sure you try it as well. even if it means you ordering two plates lmao.

also i believe that they could win you over by just being there for you. supporting you, making sure that you're well cared for. loving you even in the hardest of times. they'd like to also act like they were hurt in order for you to take care of them lmao.

probably likes teasing you and commenting on how much you love him more. how you're the one who's fallen hopelessly in love all whilst knowing that they're the one that's fallen hard. might be a little more on the dramatic side lmao, think wattpad king falling for the calm and collected wallflower.

Pile IV. riding in the passenger seat

[AoW, 9oS, 8oS, 2oC, The Fool, QoP]

a mess in a heart shaped bottle. they don't know how to act. they're the type of people that change tactics easily. one moment they're totally going to go for it and the next they don't know how to approach you correctly.

they're Katy Perry's "Hot and Cold" personified. like they remind me a bit of Stiles from Teen wolf. they can be the type of person that feels like they have a 15 year plan then just like he did, they throw caution to the wind and ditch all that for a chance to talk to you. their way of coming to you is from all angles and from no where all at once. acts like they have no interest and then they forget about all that and they're professing love to you.

they'll behave very weirdly lmao. i mean i can imagine them going to you and telling you about their plans with you. trying to win you over slowly. taking you on dates. treating you with care and respect. being careful to not even touch you LMAO and then i can see them forget about all that and just be spontaneous. taking you on last minute adventures, calling you out of the blue. stuff like that.

will get crazy if they find out someone's trying to steal you from them but they also love the chase. love knowing that you're into them but almost acting coy? I can also see them approaching you as a friend at first. Aquarius vibes? but with a stable purpose. so aqua and taurus mixed.

[akunya]

eiiiiii the idea of getting private meeting with camboy vox HELLO. you make me suffer for good stuffs every single day 😭💦 can you spoil me a little bittttt. - 🐱

“private session.”

pairings: camboy!vox akuma x male!reader

summary: congrats, lucky winner! because of your generous donations, vox reached out wanting to thank you in person. things, however, take a turn.

tw: DRUGGING, yandere, manipulation, voice fetish. camshows, drinking, implied noncon. age gap, etc.

notes: last fic of 2022! im posting this mere minutes from midnight, so please pardon any mistakes. ill go back and edit this a bit later.

and yes, i can write a part 2 if you truly wish. sorry for cucking you guys, again..

happy new year everyone, thank you for such an amazing 2022. i hope to write much more in the future!

“im at the right place, aren’t i..?” you mumbled to yourself, frigid, clammy hands swiping your phone to make sure the location was right. the restaurant looked a bit trendy and sophisticated, somewhere you wouldn't dare step inside on your own. you and vox both agreed on a restaurant to meet at around eight o'clock. to be truly honest with yourself, you never thought you’d have the guts to do something like this — but when vox, the streamer who you’ve been watching for months daily and donating to everyday reached out to you personally, how could you say no?

nonetheless, sitting across from him at the table really made you wish you had refused.

for one, he was much too ethereal to be in your lowly presence. the camera didn’t do him justice at all — his pale skin was a nice contrast to his black hair, adorned by his signature red highlights. he even wore the red eye makeup that you loved to look at, except now, you could see his mouth and bottom half of his face, uncovered by the black mask he would usually wear. his lips looked so soft, and when his tongue darted out to lick them you were nearly going to faint. we’re those.. fangs? his canines were sharp, and you felt like a pervert for staring so intensely.

you quickly paid your respects to the other fans who would never know that vox, a niche but popular adult streamer, was a truly beautiful man in person.

you didn't even notice how silent it had gotten between the two of you. “no need to be so quiet. i don’t bite, i promise.” vox’s sweet voice snapped you out of your thoughts, apologizing profusely for zoning out so much. “you’re right! im sorry, ive just never done anything like this before..” you chuckled awkwardly, shifting in your chair while vox just smiled. he found your skittishness adorable. you reminded him of a scared little bunny — and he was the big bad wolf, ready to eat you up whole.

"what a shame. and here i was thinking you do this quite often, with how you accepted my request and all." the demon smirked at how your face flushed, becoming a stuttering mess. you should've expected it, but he was just as snarky in person as he was on his live shows. as your little meeting continued, vox realized he enjoyed your presence much more than he thought. the night was filled with friendly but interesting conversation, and for once, the demon didn’t feel forced to keep speaking.

at first, he debated on meeting with you in person. what if the person who donated nearly thousands to him each month turned out to be not as pleasant as he hoped? while the demon wouldn't be surprised, he would be a tad disappointed with all of the free shoutouts he's given to you. still, with you being his top donator for a while now, he felt compelled to show some form of graciousness. a little present, just in time for the holidays.

vox enjoyed streaming more than he thought he would. even though he could use his voice and other demonic powers for much grander, sinister things - for some reason, using them to tease and drain the wallets of his viewers was surprisingly just as satisfying. doing this, he never had to worry about getting a silly job like most humans did, letting the demon truly relax when he wasnt tampering with cameras and himself.

but, you, however - vox liked how shy and nervous you were. it awakened a sick monster inside of him, that wanted to see you cry and beg for mercy at his fingertips. he thought his days of toying with mortals was over, but unfortunately (or fortunately?) for you, you seemed to rekindle that fire in his heart. if he didn't know any better, he would've never expected you to be someone that watches adult streams online, let alone spend money on them.

taking advantage of how anxious you were, vox continued to ask questions about yourself, forcing you to blurt out answers in hopes of not screwing up. "so, what do you like about my streams, y/n?" the male swiveled the wine in his glass nonchalantly, golden eyes looking into yours, awaiting an answer. you gulped, shakily drinking yours as well.

"um, well, you're the first streamer i've ever really watched for.. that sort of stuff. i initially liked how your voice sounded, and wanted to hear more, but i ended up staying for your little stories and when you'd talk about yourself. you just seemed really nice." it was a bit embarrassing when you had said it aloud, but it was the truth. you enjoyed the moments where the demon would just ramble the most. of course, given the content of his streams, most of the things he'd speak about were so dirty it made your ears feel hot - however, there were moments where he'd just talk about his day, and you seemed to enjoy those the most.

it was vox's turn to blush, his grip tightening on the wine glass ever so slightly. how could a mere mortal make him feel so... flustered? hes had his fair share of affairs over many decades, however, never has he felt so vulnerable. the demon was expecting you to talk about his cock or something, but of course your innocent little head wouldnt do that. you should be thankful vox isn't a cannibalistic demon, or he seriously would've eaten your heart out by now.

therefore, the man didnt feel any remorse when you went to the bathroom and he slipped a drug into your drink while you were away.

it wasnt his fault - how was he supposed to let you go after today? someone as sinless and pure as yourself needed to be his. vox wouldnt be content with letting you go back to being another viewer behind the screen, not after your little meeting. the demon knew truly that you probably wouldn't refuse going home with him, but that also didnt guarantee you'd accept his offer. he considered the drug just a bit of a push in the right direction, if you will.

"sorry for taking so long. there was a line outside, so.." your voice trailed off, going back to your seat as the older man simply chuckled. why did you feel the need to explain yourself? it didn't matter how long you took, even if you tried to run now, vox would surely find you. pouring some more wine for himself, he filled his glass a bit more to match yours. you tried to tell him you weren't too keen or interested in alcohol at the beginning of your little date, but the demon wouldn't take no for an answer. "y/n, lets have a toast, shall we?" his held up his glass expectantly towards you, waiting for you to clink the rim with your own.

you hesitated for a moment. the smell of wine never enticed you, but seeing vox wait earnestly made your heart flutter. one glass shouldn't hurt, right?

you simply nodded, the familiar clank of glass against glass being shared between you two before drinking. you drank a majority of the wine, only leaving a small amount left. "good boy. its good, isnt it?" you nearly sputtered the drink back up from the praise, nodding again and drinking the rest in one gulp. it was much different hearing his words of affirmation in person. it felt addicting, unreal.

"thats it. a toast for the new year, my boy. im excited for the memories we shall make together. aren't you?" oh, did vox mean his streams? of course you looked forward to those, how could you not! he was the highlight of your day, making you smile and laugh. "mhm! im excited. im looking forward to your streams, vox." the demon felt a shiver roll down his spine, suppressing a groan. he could get used to you saying his name. he wanted to hear you say it in other ways, too.

"i hope we can get more.. personal, as well, y/n. it was truly delightful being here with you." the man had such a way with words, making you swoon. was he this nice with everyone? no wonder he had so many followers! while you didnt know the true extent to what he had implied, you agreed, telling him that you were happy you came out today.

of course you were. you were his little rabbit, frail and gullible, unknowing of the big bad wolf sitting across from your very table. he truly wondered just how oblivious you could be, but much to his delight, he'd find out soon enough. your eyes started to feel heavy, zoning out while he talked about random things to keep you occupied.

"goodness, y/n, are you alright? you look a bit pale. here, let me take you back to my place. i don't live far at all." his voice was sickeningly sweet, how could you deny his offer? you nodded drowsily, letting the man hold you to steady your balance.

the cold air of the outdoors didnt phase you, and neither did it bother vox. peering at your sleeping face, he smiled, leaning in to kiss the top of your forehead.

"happy new years, y/n. lets have fun together." vox whispered in your ear, turning the corner towards his apartment.

[crossovermadness06]

Imagine you work for the Justice League, but not as a hero, as their "Servant".

♡ ○ ♡ ○ ♡ ○ ♡ ○ ♡

Gn!Reader. Pretty much the whole Justice Leauge x Y/N but 99% of it is platonic.

I could write a thing tho, where Y/N pretty much has their own harem but with time.

Also, completely SFW, I know the title sounds suggestive lmao.

♡ ○ ♡ ○ ♡ ○ ♡ ○ ♡

☆ Servant is such a harsh way of calling your position, but you'd prefer it over "Maid" or "Jaintor" any day.

☆ How'd you be hired? You'd probably get the opportunity from a friend of yours, who you know is a hero.

☆ For pure simplicity, let's say you know Clark is the S-Man. He notices you're looking for a job outside of the daily planet, and confidentiality, the Leauge is looking to hire some clean-up crew.

☆ You get the job pretty much instantly. You had no family, few friends, so the qualifications for the job were simple. To keep you protected, you'd have to live within any place the JL works at, minus the Hall of Justice. Way too public.

☆ You'd essentially go missing for days on end, and no one would notice. Those days would be used cleaning, organizing top to bottom. This was a lot of work, especially for places like the Watchtower, Titans Tower, basically all the "Towers".

☆ You'd also be made to fetch coffee, donuts, or, maybe, print out documents if needed. Sometimes, you'd get "special missions," like hiding a flashdrive at under your pillow until the Leauge needs it back.

☆ The job was tiring and endless work. But for the paycheck Batman gave you weekly? You were surprised they weren't making you do triple the amount of work.

☆ The hardest part was keeping your composure at the start of the job.

☆ Before your life was filled with coffee stains and printed reports. But now you were seeing world-famous heros on the daily, visiting places never before seen, hell you went to space!

☆ Now you realize though.

☆ It's still a life of coffee stains and printed reports.

☆ Only now, the coffee is for any overworked Bat, and the reports are full of people the FBI is too scared to add on their wanted list.

☆ You're so used to the heroes around you, you've started treating them like any other co-worker you did back at the DP.

☆ They enjoyed the change, though. They seem to prefer it over your fan-behavior your first weeks there.

☆ The highlights of your work week mostly consist of cleaning over at the Watch Tower, walking any pets some Superheros may have, helping younger heros with their homework, and getting your two hour long break.

☆ You've also gotten close with the Superheros around you. Clark was always a friend of yours, but you also seem to get along well with the Flash, who asks you to just call him Barry.

☆ You also got along extremely well with Wonder Woman and Aquaman, expressing great intrests in their origin and cultures. Hawkgirl added herself to the conversation most of the time, which you never did mind.

☆ This isn't even beginning to mention how much sidekicks and younger League members absolutely enjoy your presence. Who knew Batman and Supeman had young sons? And who knew they would've liked you so much? You're like, their favorite person now!

☆ At first, you thought that despite all the friendships, you were still just an employee, replaceable and exchangeable.

☆ Sometimes you'd get their orders wrong. Sometimes you'd accidentally print too many copies, or forget to clean a spot, or fold a certain way, or wash with a specific detergent.

☆ Each time you messed up, you knew it was only a matter of time before they fired you. Replaced you.

☆ But one day, when you were taken by Scarecrow by pure coincidence while you were walking through Gotham, they soothed your fears.

☆ Scarecrow had no idea who you were and placed you in a cage with other victims. He had some evil plan that you were honestly too horrified to even listen to, but you were positive it had to do with some fear-inducing chemicals. It always is.

☆ He never got the chance to, though. As it only took mere minutes for the Bat to barge in with an unnecessary amount of backup.

☆ The way Black Canary instantly was checking each part of your body for injuries had you feeling special. And the way other heroes crowded around you, each offering something to you.

☆ Wonder Woman had a blanket for you. The lanterns gave you water, and snacks. Both Kid and Regular Flash offered up heating pads and their super speed for some sort of massage.

☆ The way none of the other victims in the room got spoiled like this made you flustered. They all had their own places to protect. Why all cometo Gotham for you?

☆ They all like you way more than they'll ever let on. You're family now. You're a part of their schedules, a part they can't afford to change. Not now. Not ever.

[snarksalon]

In Defence of Tsuyu....

The Hospital scene is, I think, one of the most misinterpreted scenes in the series and it fuelled a lot of Tsuyu hate. The scene is written clumsily, but the underlying point that Tsuyu is making isn't naive. Tsuyu is commenting on the separation between law and morality and demonstrating that the two in many circumstances may not overlap.

In Hero Society, both heroes and Villains exert force over the general population. The distinction is that Heroes are authorised to do so by law and submit themselves to a regime of laws that designate when they are permitted to exercise their powers. Heroes effectively operate in a similar vein to cops, soldiers, et cetera. In Hero Society, Heroes form a branch of the criminal justice system, which is important to note. Restrictions on Cops, Lawyers and Judges exist to ensure that the rule of law is respected and maintained. Often, nebulous moral questions arise. Take for example a police officer who decides to obtain evidence illegally due to their own belief in the guilt of a defendant. Even if the defendant was guilty, the police officer has exercised substantial impropriety and interfered with the defendant's opportunity to receive a fair trial.

There are also instances where a breach of a legal rule is indicative of criminal conduct. Many might claim that it is morally correct for a parent to lie on the stand to prevent their child from being convicted as parents generally have a duty to protect their children. This does not negate that the conduct is criminal and misleads the court. Obviously, there is substantial nuance here, but the point is that Tsuyu is highlighting the fact that a disparity exists between moral and legal obligations.

In Hero Society, Villains disregard the law. Of course, laws exist on spectrums and Jaywalking cannot be equated to Robbery (I do agree that Tsuyu is making a massive false equivalence in the panel). I think Tsuyu saying this post Stain Arc, is a realistic reflection of how she would feel following Stain's ideology becoming widespread. The Stain arc, demonstrates that some heroes are corrupt and directly calls into question the commitments of Heroes to moral good. Tsuyu makes this statement at a time when public scrutiny against Heroes is ESPECIALLY high, and where the boundary between Heroes and Villains is being contested. Later in the story Tsuyu's position on the matter changes, but this perspective was not an unreasonable or ill-conceived conceptualisation of the distinction between Heroes and Villains.

It is also reasonable that Tsuyu advises against taking action. One failure of the Kamino arc is the lack of consequences. Yes, All Might loses his powers but I think letting all of those who go to rescue Bakugo get away unscathed seriously lowered the stakes of the story. Class 1-A are first-year students and are relatively untrained. Even if they are being evasive, they should struggle against the leadership of the League of Villains. Out of all of Hori's writing failures, Kamino has always stuck with me. The rescue group put on objectively terrible disguises and Bakugo manages to hold his own quite successfully.

It is easier to critique Tsuyu's words because of a lack of consequence. If a member of the team had died or been seriously injured, no one would have taken issue with her objections. I think Kamino was a missed opportunity to raise the stakes in the Manga and to build upon the ideas raised in Stain's Arc. This is why Tsuyu's words fall flat, and why her subsequent rant makes little sense.

This scene feels futile and pointless because there are NO consequences for their breach of the law. There isn't even a close call. Hori could have directly linked All Mights Demise to the rescue team messing up or being in the wrong place at the wrong time or generally being inexperienced. OBVIOUSLY, Tsuyu makes an incorrect equivalence but it is something which contains an interesting point and is completely mismanaged by Hori.

Tsuyu isn't wrong to criticise a decision made by her classmates, it is a decision that is reckless and could have endangered others. The rescue team knew nothing of the pro-heroes strategy to recover Bakugo and could have jeopardised that mission entirely. She also isn't wrong for reminding them that as Professional Heroes they are obliged to follow the law and may only use their powers when authorised. Though her delivery is blunt, and the equivalence is clunky (I blame Hori's writing here), she is making apt commentary on the limits of power.

[theblogwithoutfear]

my question is do people even like or are interested in karen page outside of a shipping context? cause going through her tags on here it's nothing but karen being discussed in terms of shipping her with frank and almost 90% of it is karen x frank content...doesn't that speak to the level of how interesting and compelling she actually is if people are only interested in talking about her when it's time to ship her with frank 😬 and barely anything about the merits of her own character? 😬 just pondering i guess

I mean, it's Tumblr. Shipping is basically this site's bread and butter. Especially given that Karen is a secondary character, it makes sense that most of the posts about her are shipping-related. That's just an issue with the data pool, lol.

You do you, but for me, I prefer to engage with media on its own terms, and decide its merit based on the text itself. While it can sometimes be useful to take into consideration the thoughts of the masses, in general I don't think that's a reliable indicator of the quality of a text (or a specific character, in this case). People are extremely influenced by the opinions of others, and that's only exacerbated in a social media context. Opinions change and shift over time, which is normal. Things that were once beloved have since been panned. Things that were once lambasted are now lauded. Look at the works of Stephen Sondheim, for example; the general opinion of audiences at the time were rarely indicative of the quality of his work (I'm reading his biography so it's on the brain rn, lol). So for me, no. I don't necessarily take into account the internet's opinions when I am engaging with a text.

Personally, I find Karen Page incredibly compelling, both within the context of her various relationships, and on her own merits. Her arc as she goes from a foolhardy, reckless mess to a confident, intelligent, even dangerous journalist is one of the highlights of the show to me. As is her struggle to come to terms with her feelings for Matt and what he does, and the concept of extralegal justice at large. I love watching her work through a traumatic past, continually fall into old toxic patterns, and claw her way out again. To me, that is compelling, regardless of what people on the internet think.

Again, you do you—people are free to like or dislike a character, to ship or not to ship, what have you. But I don't think that the easily-swayed opinions of Tumblr or the internet at large is an objective indicator of the quality of any piece of media—especially when people are predisposed to dislike her because of ingrained misogyny.

[mdhwrites]

if you've seen Steven universe how would you compare it to TOH? I've seen many takes that TOH is Steven Universe 'done correctly' which drives me up a wall, especially since TOH has a lot of the same flaws as SU (pretty much everyone has to be tied to steven in some way- the same way everyone's gotta tie into Luz, White Diamond pisses me off for the same reason the collector does and dear god both finales are messes and the worldbuilding is also kind of messy) but pretty much everyone can agree that Steven Universe's themes of restorative justice are good, its themes surrounding interpersonal relationships and intergenerational trauma is good- I've seen people justify how TOH handles its villains 2 ways "its doing steven universe's restorative justice but like correctly" or "its about killing your oppressors, which steven should have done" which is dumb. Idk this fandom has a huge hate-boner for SU and Amphibia in general though. I also saw someone have the take the collector and belos where foils which... Is weird I can see where they come from but they never are put together in a way that highlights their similarities and differences. So what are some actual comparisons that can made between the shows outside of LGBT characters and surface level stuff?

Sadly I have not seen Steven Universe so I can't really comment on much of it. I've seen the first episode (both halves), decided the gems were insufferable to me and Steven was okay and went on with my life because at the time, I was a full time college student and a part time Walmart employee. I do like some of the songs that have reached me but I never got an in with the show, especially since my early experience with it was much like Gravity Falls where I heard a lot of high concept stuff about it but not much about why I would actually enjoy a given episode, what was enjoyable about the characters, etc. like that. Honestly, the only criticism I know of for it is that people hate the ending.

BUT.

I have seen one other thing. I have seen about twenty minutes of the Steven Universe movie. With that I can say one thing definitively even if it's not clearing a high bar: The Diamond's turn to good is better than the Collector's because they have literally ANY reason to listen to the person preaching at them. The Collector doesn't. In fact, he has no reason to reform and it is drastically out of character for him to care about... Anyone?

Let me start on the Diamond's side because I don't have a lot to say about this but it is something I'm surprised I haven't heard anyone talk about: They were clearly traumatized by the loss of Pink Diamond. Whether or not you think this is a good part of the plot isn't what matters, the point is that this is a literal fact to the story. This grief has gone unresolved for literal decades (just going by Steven's lifespan, someone in my Discord provided the context that they blamed themselves for her DEATH, not just disappearance, for CENTURIES which only bolsters the point I'm making) and has festered in them a desperation for their old comrade? Friend? I don't 100% know but you get the point. So when her son arrives and can't be kept by force, they're going to be pretty amenable to listen to whatever demands means keeping him around. Is that great? No, I wouldn't say it is as the question of what happens when Steven dies is there but it works for forcing them to consider the consequences of their actions and how they may need to change to have the life they desire. It is a compelling force for the first step of change. It's not amazing but it is at least functional from a narrative standpoint, an emotional standpoint and from a character standpoint. Not that it's great but that it is functional. You can string together how this works without having to just invent bullshit.

The Collector has none of these three because he's the literal fucking worst.

I've talked about this before but the Collector isn't the child the fandom treats him as. Even if we try to disconnect the second season version of the Collector, who very much so knows what death is and the consequences of his actions, S3 Collector does have a foil to Belos: He's an actual colonizing piece of shit. Not in that he is literally colonizing places but in mindset. Everything to him is something to be used for his entertainment or enrichment or it is to be stripped of all rights and brutally oppressed until it fits the role he desires. This is what happens when you become a LITERAL. FUCKING. DOLL. And he even has enforcers like the armies colonies would use that have wildly more powerful magic, i.e. technology, in order to make that oppression more seamless. Remember: Hexside is actively hiding from roaming stars that he just has going around the Isles that hoover up people, making at least those who resist into dolls immediately without question, and then bringing them to him to be new play toys in his game. That is explicitly what he has been doing to the entire Isles for MONTHS once S3 episode 2 happens.

People do not matter to him and this even extends to King. When King steps out of line, The Collector cracks the whip. He's even willing to KILL KING for having the gall of caring about anyone other than him. Those death games would be just as lethal to King as it would be to Eda and Luz after all. And if you actually do divorce S2's "PLAY AMONGST THE BONES!" line (which is fucking awful because you have to remove literally all of the first appearances of a character which is usually considered, you know... Bad) and believe that he doesn't know what death is... He knows what pain is. He knows what torture is. He knows the despair of being trapped in a space where you can't move or act or do anything except watch as an observer on a world that could destroy you at any moment because your prison is all of your being.

And then he makes people into dolls, with consciousness, without a second thought. He is willing to BREAK people in order to make them play along. His literal plan was to shatter the bodies of the Owl House trio over and over and over again until they were subservient to his desires. That is WORSE than just wanting to kill them. And he only stops to throw a tantrum because he fails to succeed and starts whining about it like any selfish asshole not getting his way. Not like a child: Like a selfish asshole.

So with ALL of this, what does the show do to try to make him consider the consequences of his actions? Well... Nothing. It claims it's trying to do something but the tour with the trio is much more a circle jerk about how amazing the show was and how much could have happened if not for the shortening ("That sounds like something that could have been its own spin off!" Or whatever King says to Eda talking about her and Raine's time at Hexside) than it is about talking to the Collector. There's a couple lines here and there, talking to him about what works for making friends but does it stick?

No, the Collector learns nothing and in mocking Steven Universe, they make that clear. The Collector is told that people are complex and you must show compassion. Rather than actually believing this, he uses it like a blunt hammer, just like all of his other solutions, to make a problem of his go away. That's why he hugs Belos and assumes it will work. He is not considering the complexity of humanity or the person he is applying this to. It is just to solve a problem so he'll get praised and go back to playing his games. Nothing. More.

And then he fucks off instead of fixing the damage he'd done because why would he stay? Why would he help? He hasn't learned anything and he doesn't want to help these people. He has NO motivation for why he helps save the Archive except otherwise he loses his sweet crash pad. So afterwards? He's gonna go somewhere where he can be himself and not be scolded for it because this toy is no longer fun.

Edit: He does stay to change everyone back from dolls. That much more falls into the "It's the ending, we have to have the problem only he can fix be fixed by him" despite the fact that he is responsible for so much more destruction that would theoretically be pretty easy for him to fix as well. He only does what is demanded of him for the sake of a happy ending, not because of character motivation, not from how I see it at least.

The most condemning part of this is that it's all around Luz. All around someone he doesn't like. He sees Luz as trying to take away his only friend after all and, you know, he is correct about that. They don't even try to hide that fact during the tour. They're still clearly upset with him and not even trying to be his friend, they're just lecturing him. It doesn't work from a character perspective, a narrative perspective or an emotional one. King MIGHT have with better writing, there's a reason I always wanted the Collector redeemed by one of his games forcing him to have to kill King by the rules he made before breaking it and having to face how that's unfair and cruel to others since they wouldn't get that leniency, but that's not how the show plays it. King is an unwilling servant for one episode and then VERY against the Collector in the next until after the death games. When he first shows up, King isn't trying to mediate, he is ready to fight just like the other two. He's not the Collector's friend and he never was so why would the Collector bother listening to him?

That is why me saying the Diamonds, even with my limited knowledge, works better than the Collector is almost literally the worst you can do when it comes to something like this. All the setup is wrong, the catalyst requires explicit retcons and don't work with the character and the payoff is... Nothing. Literally nothing. The only way to have done it worse is to have had everyone praise the Collector before he then stabbed Amity and no one acted like that was a problem. It can only function because we are TOLD he's redeemed even if he never shows it.

Andrias standing alone as a farmer, accepting the punishment for his actions and trying to make better on them, is such better payoff to a redemption arc than anything the Collector gets and his redemption was in character and setup by his past. So then let's get to one of your last points: Why is it that the TOH fandom rags on SU and Amphibia so much, especially for their endings, when theirs is such shit?

Well... Because that's the reputation of TOH. That it is the 'good' one. That it is better than almost all other media. The show itself, with moments like the Collector mocking the SU ending by hugging Belos, reinforces this. As such, for you to criticize TOH as failing in a department that other shows are not rapturously praised for is to fall out of sync with the show itself. As such, all other works must be placed beneath it, especially if those are widely believed to have a flaw in an element to then raise TOH up with. This is part of why so many people want to say the Amphibia ending is wrong because the Amphibia ending is brave and controversial and saying something while the TOH ending?

I mean... Do you really think the Collector's the only part of it objectively flawed like this? Because if a major redemption for your big bad is botched this badly, you can bet other problems exist. I've talked about them at length. But there are probably people out there who would call me the Lily Orchard of TOH if I was better known.

See you next tale.

======+++++======

That last line isn't an endorsement of Lily Orchard btw, just that I have to imagine it's the label I would be given. What little exposure I've had to her works is... YIKES. Just fucking yikes. My Discord has really enjoyed every time I've live reacted to a video of hers they've posted there. sigh

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[zoloftkat]

I feel like I’m the only one who hates disbarred Phoenix. I can’t stand hobo him. I hate it so much it colored AA4 to the point I couldn’t truly appreciate Apollo till AA5. It’s an interesting idea but I feel like it’s so terribly incorporated until the last trial of AA4. Like it felt like I was thrown into boiling water and was expected to roll with it. Genuinely made me almost drop the series.

The way Phoenix was characterized always felt a little off and incomplete—I found myself liking it more when he wasn’t featured. The attempt at creating emotional character growth for Phoenix as he deals with his own blunder of (unwittingly) submitting false evidence and his plans to enact justice in his own way, but also introducing Apollo, leads to both characters feeling heavily watered down. In turn making Phoenix feel mostly out of character.

If Phoenix’s own failings and Apollo’s frustration with the legal system took more precedence, that strain would have created a deeper emotional complexity. Phoenix fully taking on a mentor role, trying to grapple with the corruption of the legal system and his contribution to it, whilst seeing Apollo’s rightful disillusionment would have built more tension in the story and given Apollo and Phoenix better growth—highlighting this struggle, rather than it being oddly mentioned but not fully investigated, and quickly swept under the rug in cases 2 and 3, It would have made the final collision of these two ideologies in case 4 so much sweeter, as the friction would come to its climax, as even though Apollo ultimately gets to the truth, Apollo’s distrust in the system would hit its peak.

Additionally, aside from the mishandling of Phoenix’s disbarment and Apollo’s introduction, when he does comeback in game 5 it feels almost anticlimactic. His real first case while funny, wasn’t the comeback I was quite hoping for, and his actual reintroduction in turnabout countdown feels odd as Athena was capable at that point to defend on her own, but I think it would have been so much sweeter if he kept that mentor role throughout 1-4 of DD keeping that established anxiety from AA4 growing as we see the shambles the legal system has fallen into, and then defended for the first time (not necessarily when he got his badge back) in turnabout for tomorrow finally bringing the “dark age of the law” to a close facing his demons and blunders head on like he always has.

I guess that’s the issue. Phoenix is always charging forward, sticking to his morals and unwavering. And to see him truly rattled and vengeful in AA4 as he realizes how messed up things are, and to still continue charging forward, still pursuing for the love it, for his own moral righteousness, and the attempt to show this dynamic fails in AA4. But it didn’t have to. And instead of making this what could have been my favorite game, it becomes wasted potential—a memory of frustration and anguish.

I’m just irked. I was in angry tears for most of my AA4 play through. The connection between AA4 and AA5 felt weak and so much was left feeling unresolved in AA4. The second trilogy’s games suffer from the formula of the AA games and I find myself increasingly frustrated by it.

Side note: WHY DID THE JURIST SYSTEM just DISAPPEAR!? Like Phoenix has fought hard to do this to finally get Kristoph convicted, and it’s just not a part of Dual Destines. (not sure if it comes back in SOJ as I’m only on case 2) Also, the fact that Klaiver and Apollo seem almost unbothered by Kristoph’s misdeeds weakens not just Kristoph, but also makes those relationships feel superficial when they weren’t supposed to be.

Okay, I have said my piece, sorry I think about AA4 Phoenix and Apollo A LOT.

[machinesonix]

Okay with Dune 2 being mostly about messianic philosophy and the next one probably even moreso, I wanna talk about what I see as the BIG MESSIANIC PICTURE behind the setting, or at least what I believe it to be. There's going to be spoilers in here, but they're not going to be anything you're going to see on screen in this trilogy.

I'm gonna start off by highlighting something that might not be totally obvious at first glance. There are two completely different prophecies Paul finds his terrible purpose in. The Kwizatz Haderach is the ‘ultimate human’ envisioned by the Bene Gesserit who will have an enhanced power of prescience because he can project the Other Memory through both the X and Y chromosome and free humanity from its animal nature. The Lisan al-Gaib is a myth planted in the Fremen culture by the Bene Gesserit in case the Sisterhood ever needed to control them. The big tldr is that Bene Gesserit training involves a lot of learning through observation, so their kids tend to learn things so fast it looks like they already knew them and they pass that off as a miracle. 

I think it’s pretty obvious we’re supposed to find this Kwizatz Haderach thing pretty sus. The disciples of this prophecy are themselves purveyors of false prophecy. Paul certainly doesn’t believe he’s the Kwizatz Haderach, and that’s because he knows he’s not the Lisan al-Gaib. But he does wind up ticking the boxes. He does in fact survive the Water of Life ritual despite his sex. He is indeed uniquely prescient because he can see both sides of the Other Memory. Thing is as we move forward into the books that are not getting movies, we’re asked to reinspect this because of all the other Kwizatz Haderachs.

Brian Herbert gets kind of a raw deal because he didn’t have his father’s writing chops, but we’re comparing him directly to a person many consider to be the greatest science fiction author of all time. What he did have is a deeper insight into his dad’s setting and philosophies than anyone else, so miss me with any mess about which books you don’t consider canon unless you’re ready to go all Council of Nicea with me. Anyway, a really prominently weird thing that loses a lot of people is that Paul’s kid is a worm. He’s not born that way, he basically does the Water of Life ritual in the middle of a bunch of pupating sand worm larvae and comes out of it as a big worm with a human head that can produce spice in his own body. Leto II claims that he’s the Kwizatz Haderach, and to be fair, he is way more of an ‘ultimate being’ than his dad. People worship him not as a prophet, but as a god. Paul brought revolution to the universe, Leto II brought peace. It’s the peace of a godlike tyrant who can read minds and punish dissidence before it happens, but as long as we’re comparing people to their dads it's not like he started a race war that killed 26 billion people in the name of ‘justice.’ 

You may have heard Duncan Idaho winds up being the real Kwizatz Haderach. If you remember that gimp suit beetle thing in the first movie, the Harkonnens and their Tlelaxu buddies take dead people and turn them into sort of clone-zombie servitors called gholas. I’m not making any promises, but there is a real possibility the third movie will have Jason Momoa in a gimp suit, because Duncan is the best ghola. The second Duncan Idaho, bearing the edgy mid-century sci-fi moniker Hayt, is a gift from the Tlelaxu to Paul after his rise to power as an ostensible ‘we’re sorry we helped the Harkonnens kill your entire family.’ If you’ve seen the 1984 Dune movie you’ll know that the Duke of House Atreides keeps a pug. What you might not know is that it’s been the same pug for 10,000 years by virtue of genetic xeroxing. Once Leto II takes over, Duncan becomes the new house pug. Duncans serve as mentats, swordmasters, philosophers, and more over millenia of incarnations. Eventually one of the Duncans gets slammed with all the memories of the previous Duncans and he’s got this totally bizarre version of the Other Memory where he can remember all of his ancestors' memories, but his ancestors are also himself. Thereafter he can run like the Flash and fistfight robots and people call him the Kwizatz Haderach. Like I said, Brian’s books are petty controversial among fans.

Also the reverse-Bene Gesserit wind up making a Bizarro Kwizatz Haderach at one point but he’s just prescient enough to see that there isn’t a future where he isn’t just a washed up fraud. 

Now let’s put it all together. I think the core philosophical study at the center of Dune is the question ‘What is a messiah?’ And like any great work of art it really is more about the question than the answer. Our three Kwizatz Haderachs (I’m not gonna count Thallo, he’s more like an allegory for Joel Olstein) propose some possibilities. Paul is the guy who ticks all the boxes. His messianic status is descriptive, not prescriptive. He isn’t actually the guy the Bene Gesserit thought it was going to be, so that notion of predestination is gone, but if the Kwizatz Haderach is ‘the man who can use the Other Memory,’ then he’s it. He and the people around him knew the prophecy and chose to lean in that direction, he got 

Leto II is the closest thing to a divine manifestation that fits in this universe. He is literally in the body of one of the unstoppable forces of nature the Fremen venerate as their protector. He calls himself ‘God-Emperor’ in a setting where every man, woman, child, face dancer, and thing in between is raised on the principle that there is a monotheistic creator deity and that deity wants humanity to flourish. Everyone who didn’t believe in God got killed by robots ten thousand years ago. By insisting on literal religious worship of his political station, Leto II is seriously making some waves. Imo this is sort of like an extreme example where the question is more like ‘Is this what it takes before you’ll call someone the messiah?’ Even then, the fact that this dude is definitely NOT God in the way this setting understands it casts aspersions on the idea of a visibly supernatural force being inherently divine.

Finally, Duncan is a total freak accident. He is the ‘perfect human’ because he has been iterated on and improved over and over again, but he has nothing at all to do with the Bene Gesserit breeding program. Thousands of years after the Fremen uprising, when everyone thinks the Kwizatz Haderach is ancient history, there’s this guy with super powers. Unlike Paul, there’s no prophecy to suggest he might be the Chosen One and no decision to lean into the mythos surrounding it. The idea of iteration is really important with Duncan. Pardon the unflattering comparison, but there’s something kind of Heglian in how perfection is an inevitability as long as someone keeps stirring the pot. 

I would argue that aspects of all of this are present in the first book. Leto II and Duncan are just deeper explorations of some of the questions posed by Paul. And if I’m to wrap this all up with a neat little bow, I think the point of it is that they’re all totally valid Kwizatz Haderachs. ‘Kwizatz Haderach’ are just words. For ten thousand years, there was a description of a thing and nothing existed that fit that description. There was a plan to create something that fit the bill, but we got a guy who could do the miracle even when we went off script. At that point it just seems like a semantic argument. Likewise, Leto II is pretty much God. He’s immortal, he sees all things past and future, his body produces and feeds him the chemical that puts him in that trippy oneness-with-everything. He sure as fuck isn’t what anyone was expecting God to look like, but it’s pretty much theologicially bankrupt to be like ‘Excuse me, something isn’t the universal superbeing unless it’s exactly what I already had in mind’ even if people do exactly that all the time. If the 400 meter single worm-boot fits, as they say. I’m not exactly how to make this sound as serious as I mean it, but Duncan as Kwizatz Haderach is basically like Brian Herbert shoving the pile of Korans off his desk and going ‘Fuck it, look.’ This guy’s got nothing to do with the Bene Gesserit. He has the genetic memory of his masculine ancestors, but you probably couldn’t get away with calling it the same thing Paul does in court. Half the reason he gets called the ‘perfect human’ is the sentiment expressed by ‘Oh dawg, Duncan, bro, he’s the realest, most human out of any of us.’ He is just called the Kwizatz Haderach because that is the language that exists in the culture that is closest to what he is. But you know what? Same with Paul, or Leto II, or even the Joel Olstein guy I mentioned. 

Prophecies don’t predict saviors, they make them. Chani has a line in the new movie that’s something like ‘Promise them a messiah and they will wait forever,’ and I think that’s Dune boiled down to its most essential notion.  

[clovexei]

I made my friend @killallyourfrendz watch Samurai Flamenco with me, and here's the highlights reel of their predictions and commentary:

Early Predictions

TV news guy is going to bankroll an evil organization of villains to get more viewers

Masayoshi goes full villain

Masayoshi is in a coma (from episode 7 onward--later changed to "from the end of episode 1 onward")

"Yeah, I'd beat this guy up, too."

Episodes 8-10 (King Torture Arc)

The rest of the show will just be 10 episodes of “horrific clean-up” after the King Torture fight

King Torture will be Red Axe

Episodes 11-14 (Flamengers Arc)

It's a Truman Project situation: "they’re all in on the bit except for Samurai Flamenco and the cop”

"Mari should just become a villain"

"This is all shenanigans."

"We are just speed-running seasons' worth of content right now."

“All of these villains exist BECAUSE of them."

"I hope Mari gets her stride back and kills again. Or becomes a villain."

Masayoshi is in purgatory

Masayoshi has been sucked into a TV

Masayoshi is in a Jumanji situation

"How many decisive battles can there be?"

Masayoshi's grandpa put a curse on him and forced him to live out all the stories he'd ever written

"Is there even a girlfriend at this point? Is the girlfriend dead? Is he talking to himself?"

Red Axe is hiring people to fight SamFlam so that he can keep coming and saving the day

It's the Truman Show (again)

“This is a Pleasantville scenario, but instead of making the world better, they’re making it worse.”

Episodes 15-17 (Prime Minister Arc)

Mister Justice is just Red Axe in a new costume

The other Flamengers don't exist anymore: "They've left the Matrix"

I’d be like, “Isn’t it weird that this all started to happen after Samurai Flamenco showed up?”

They've reached a new circle of Hell

"Maybe… this is the police officer’s hallucination??"

“If you had just stopped being superheroes, we could have gotten out of this, but NO, you had to KEEP wearing the costumes and that’s why we’re IN THIS MESS.”

Episode 18 (Space Arc)

“This isn’t like a Matrix situation, is it?”

“He is in a hospital bed, unconscious.”

"OH OHHHH??? Oh no this is just, like, another fake out"

Episode 19-22 (Final Arc)

“Are we going to find out the girlfriend was King Torture this whole time?”

"This whole time Goto’s been living his own fucked-up Black Mirror horror story.”

"Masayoshi actually blew up his own apartment; he’s having a Goto moment right now."

“I thought we had just one delusional man to deal with, but really we have two.”

"Wanting to be a superhero: the original sin"

Masayoshi is the final villain (held onto this one right until the last episode lol)

“A middle school boy is trying to kill me, and the advice I got is that I need to fall in love.”

[theelderhazelnut]

Rise of the Villains: Darker than Black

Warning(s): none. Ombra is a jerk at the end. I’m sorry.

Pairing(s): Ombra x Alex ( @chadillacboseman )

Characters: Ombra, Alex and Alora ( @bihanspookies ). Billie ( @cyberneticsanguinaire ), Argen (my oc), Kano and Erron are mentioned.

Word Count: 1.7k

Summary: Alex is making Ombra curious. She wants to learn more about him. And she realizes that he has the power to make her feel funny. Also Alex learns that Ombra knows Turkish just like him.

Author’s Note: This is all about these two developing feelings for each other. I’ll write more stories about their cute little love story. I hope I did Alex and Alora justice!

Writing Taglist (to be added/removed): @vivilovespink @scentedcandleibex @darialovesstuff @confidentandgood @spacestephh @takiisieju-moved @cyberneticsanguinaire @inafieldofdaisies @carlosoliveiraa @shegetsburned @bloody-arty-myths @zoetheneko @hi-thisiszira @admin-pipes @mitsuko-saito @malewifefirestar @krysta-cross @elderglocks @cassietrn @breakfwest @nightbloodbix @middlechildwhoescapedthebasement @ninibear3000 @cyb3r-v4l @aceghosts @voidika @orbitinytheworld @strangefable @cloudofbutterflies92 @sinclxirx @gavincruikshanksexhusband

It was worth it to encounter Kano so uncomfortably often just to see him for a few minutes. Alex Demir was making me more and more curious each day. He was handsome for sure, and also charming in his own way, but those kind eyes looking at me so cheerfully and that toothy smile did not belong to this mess of a fight club.

I put my hands in my pants’ pockets, and watched General Argen dodging Billie’s poweful punches and kicks. Argen happily followed me and insisted on fighting all day in the cage; just like a toddler going to the amusement park with his mother. The savage crowd around the fighting cage were ripping their throats apart by their mad screamings.

I scanned them from where I was standing - away in the shadows -, hoping to catch a glimpse of Alex. I would not miss that messy bun and headband, and of course, that height. But apparently, he wasn’t there cheering for Kano’s daughter.

I turned on my heels to go for a walk around the club; all around it. That was the main reason I came here in the first place, and that very motovation blooming in me made me nervous. From the first second Argen and I entered the portal to Earthrealm I kept reminding myself that this would pass swiftly. I would analyze him, his behavior and who he actually was, and then I would erase him from my mind completely. The only reason that dragged me all the way from Metalrealm to Black Dragon was his Turkish accent, not his cute jokes and the way his pretty eyes gleamed when he looked at me… .

No! No, no, no, no, no!

I stood still. I was obeying my emotions.

“There you are, Ms. Ironhead.” A feminine voice called, a little bit lost in the distant yellings and deafening music. Her auburn hair was neatly braided, and the sleeveless turtleneck highlighted her well trained muscles.

“Alex and I heard that you have paid us another visit. He’s looking for you, I guess. He was thinking that he could use your help with that new bomb he’s crafting. And I have found you now. Guess I just did him a big favor.” The woman explained.

Despite her implied humor, her intense blue eyes were daggers to my own.

I nodded. “Thank you.” And I started walking again.

“Nice jaw, by the way.” She threw a compliment in a totally monotone voice.

I rose my hand in appreciation, then immediately made a turn, and the increasing volume of the noises was reduced dramatically. I dashed in the corridor untill I reached the stairs. I flew upstairs, passed a corridor, and made another turn. My heart was booming in my chest. I took steady yet silent steps towards his room. I stopped breathing in order to listen closely, figuring out the situation. Not a single sound was emitting except the clatters of some objects.

I bit my lips, and knocked the door two times.

“Yes?” Alex called.

“It’s me. Ombra.” I responded, trying to maintain my usual nonchalant tone.

The door was opened, and a familiar, tall figure appeared before me. His white tank top was barely covering his muscular chest and abdomen. As usuaul, his dark hair was tied up in a bun, and a few thin strands were lightly kissing his forehead. His smile grew wider the second my eyes met his.

“Hi!” The word jumped out of his mouth as though it had been waiting for it for days.

I allowed a tiny smile to colorize my pale face. “A lady told me that you were seeking my help.”

“Yeah I thought it’d be cool if you let me use your powers for this little bomb I’m making.” He stepped aside so I could take a look at the mess he proudly created on the floor.

“May I come in?” I asked for permission.

Alex politely gestured for me to enter. His room was dimly lit by a study light which was focused on the piles of wires and screws on the floor. On the wall, I spotted several polaroids of some of the mercenaries and him. At the far end of the room stood a training dummy with a picture of Kano’s face taped to the head of it. The paper was nearly ripped in pieces. Every single one of these mercenaries seemed to be thirsting for Kano’s blood, and they were only tolerating him because they were forced to work for him for some reason. This lack of freedom, and living your life the way someone else desires it was a redundant line written all over the pages of my past. I knew his anger to bits.

We sat down on the floor. I watched the way his brown eyes shone in enthusiasm as his muscular arms began working once again. This made me even more certain that he was pretty invested in this job. But crafting explosives in Kano’s territory would not remain a mere hobby for long.

“What are you making this for?” I asked in a low voice.

“Kano needs it to blow up the basement of this drug dealer.” He explained briefly, his eyebrows lowering slightly in discomfort.

However, this was not a surprising sight. The research I had done about Kano and his mysterious fight club clearly unravels this fact that almost evetyone who work for him were compelled one way or another. And Alex was one of those who was here crafting weapons for Kano because something terribly went wrong in the past.

And I wondered what was that. But I was far away from his walls to dare and ask this too private of a question.

“Are we together in this?” Alex asked, his eyes scanning mine. They were searching for a glint of hope, yet they were concerned.

“No.” I nodded. “This is all Kano’s business.” I watched as that glow in his eyes faded into the gray ocean of realization.

I bit the inside of my cheek. The chances were high that Alex was desperately hoping to do another mission with me.

Suddenly, he stopped working, held his arms close to his torso, and dropped his head slightly to avoid eye contact as far as possible. A few more strands of dark hair hung down from his headband. His large hands stroked the wrench slowly.

“I am happy to see you here again.” He almost whispered. Cautiously, he made the eye contact he was afraid of.

Inevitably, my lips curled down into a small smile. Was it too early to say the same thing to him? I couldn’t just say nothing.

I nodded slightly. “Seninle muhabbetimiz güzeldi.” (Translation: Your company is a delight.) It was finally the right moment to reveal some portions of me.

My smile grew a bit wider as I saw his eyes widen and his lips part in disbelief.

“You…” Alex left his sentence unfinished, his mind still too busy to handle the words.

“Yes, I know Turkish. But I am not Turkish, at least not totally.” I helped him to speak.

“What do you mean not totally? I thought you were a Metalrealmer.”

I took a deep breath. “Well, the truth is that I am only a half-Metalrealmer. I was born in Iran, and I have Turkish ancestry.”

Alex was listening with such enthusiasm and curiosity floating in his brown eyes as though I was revealing arcane truths from the depths of the universe. Then maybe going a little further wouldn’t be harmful.

“It’s complicated though. My parents sometimes used to speak Turkish at home, but that differed from this language. Both have many words in common, but they’re still not the same. I have to give a history lecture to explain what exactly is the reason for that.”

“This is…interesting. To be honest, I did use to wonder why you look so different from your buddies.” He was referring to the other four chiefs in charge of the MRDO.

He opened his mouth to continue - there was a ninety nine percent chance that he was going to introduce himself -, but I closed it with my next words.

“I know you were born in Istanbul.”

“Yeah. Did Erron tell you that?” Alex pronounced his name with such caution as if Erron would have told me something inappropriate.

“No. I did an overall research before I stepped in this fight club.”

Subtly, Alex let out a breath of relief. “Niiiice.” He paused for a moment. “How much do you know?”

“Just that you are a Turkish mercenary. Kano is doing a good job. There are barely any information about him and his organization accessible.” And that was why I had my guards up high in the sky the first day I set foot in here.

Alex hummed uncomfortably. These tiny signs of annoyance appeared whenever I mentioned Kano. Something tragic must have happened between these two.

He began working on the bomb once again. His brows were frowned in concentration, and the muscles in this forearm twisted from time to time. I looked away at my thighs. He was…quiet attractive. That was what almost everyone thought, right? RIGHT?

“So can I use your powers?” He said. “Would you please make two bolts?”

“If I remember its shape correctly.” I twirled my hand in the air, silver dust gathered around my fingers, and just as I visualized, two bolts appeared between my fingers. I handed them to Alex who had been watching me in awe.

“So cool!” He exclaimed.

I fought the urge to not tear down the whole building just to see this sparkle of amazement across his face for a bit longer.

I had to go. Things were getting out of my control, so I stood up without a second thought. Alex got up immediately as well, looking at me with his long brows wrinkling his forehead in worry. “Is everything ok?”

“Yes, I just have to go.”

“When will I see you again?”

“Soon.” I stopped at the doorway, and saw Alora walking this way before I turned to Alex. “By the way, my name is Atoosa. “Ombra” is just a very famous alias. I thought I’d let you know.” And I walked out of his room. Maybe in another timeline, Atoosa’s heart was not surrounded by enormous iron walls, so she would stay just a little bit longer and smile just a little bit wider.

[zahri-melitor]

I feel like I want to contain my Absolute Power feelings separately at the second as I'm reading the tie-ins in bursts, particularly the ones that aren't on my usual reading schedule, so here's what I want to say since my last update on them, after the first month of the event (I've only talked about the lead ins so far):

Absolute Power #1: The Wall turns off everyone's powers, which is bad, and manufactures a bunch of deepfake footage of various heroes doing killing, leading to riots that attack heroes in the streets. Clark gets shot. This leads to everyone going undercover or getting kidnapped and imprisoned by Amazo robots.

Lois being extremely mad that the Daily Planet got hijacked to also stream and publish this 'heroes are terrible' content is my highlight of the issue.

Ollie makes the world's most unconvincing play that he's a double agent who has betrayed the heroes and is now on Waller's side because she's 'on the right side of history' about the dangers of superheroes (he's not even trying to sound like this heel face turn is related to his values in the speech).

Absolute Power: Origins #1: people have had more coherent thoughts on this than me (Ink. Androxys,), but in terms of pivoting Amanda's story from the 1987 version of these events to what Waller's been doing for the last 20 years or so? This is handled with as much tact as possible in the reframe, while unfortunately heavily seeding the road to hell with major manipulations rather than good intentions. It's a necessary change, but I still don't think it's providing enough depth and justification for the in-your-face comically evil figure they're using Waller as right now.

Green Lantern #13: what this title should obviously be: Hal getting mad that Ollie switched sides on them. What this title is: Hal getting punched by Shark a lot while Waller questions him. There's some sort of Green Lantern resistance running here based presumably on the current arc in the title but I honestly haven't been reading Green Lantern and I can't work out how all this ties in. Kyle IS glowing like a rainbow though while looking messed up, which is very pretty. The JSA also get their asses kicked pretty hard and half of them get captured and the other half run off into hiding.

Superman #16: Clark is in surgery with Mr Terrific and Dr Midnight as you do if you need healthcare in the hero community. There's a resistance base running out of the Fortress of Solitude which has largely what looks like most of the Titans and the current Birds of Prey present, plus a few extras.

Wonder Woman #11: Justice League Dark gets hauled out of retirement as a concept for this book. Their magic gets disrupted, which various characters react to in different ways, when an Amazo turns up. Tom King's handle on half these characters seems tenuous to me; Nimue in particular seems a cypher. Bobo loses the power of speech.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #1: so these titles are genuinely fun as they've been spread between writers and are checking in with various sections of the universe over how characters are reacting. This one is largely Shazam based: Billy, Mary and Black Adam get captured when the Amazos try to invade the Rock of Eternity, disrupting Mister Dinosaur's filing! Tonally, it's pretty on point for the characters, which I enjoyed. Steve Trevor finds out that he's supposed to be reporting to Sarge Steel, something that could never ever go wrong, given how much those two despise each other.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #2: Doom Patrol and Aquaman team up! This was fun. What a shame neither of them have titles at present. Waller hilariously thinks the Amazo she sent to Atlantis made a treaty, rather than just beat people up. (He beat them up. It's Atlantis. What did you think was going to happen?). Basically everyone here got away and headed for the Fortress. Sarge Steel tries to frame Steve Trevor as a mole, in the most obvious move of all time (especially given Steve was obviously going to be acting like a mole).

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #3: The JSA issue! An Amazo gets infected with free will because something something absorbing Alan Scott's powers something something Starheart. Alan convinces the Amazo to let the rest of the JSA go free by going along with it to discuss what free will involves. The Oblivion Bar appears for like two pages. Also in the Steve Trevor plot, he escapes and starts sneaking around Waller's base undercover as you do to work out what's going on.

More generally; I have to say the event is doing pretty well at dipping into different parts of DC and checking in with the wider cast. That's actually something that DC's been decent about for recent events to my eye; fewer 'just a speck in a crowd' moments and more 'people without current titles actually get some focus' time. It's making the various teams of DC seem more extensive than the published titles they're appearing in right now.

[invaderhogtwopointohno]

The Flash (2023) Spoilers:

I have a lot of thoughts about this movie (not interested in getting into Erza Miller, you can decide on your own about them.) but I really gotta say I loved this movie for many reasons: the biggest being that the entire theme of the movie is that the experiences that we endure, good or bad, shape our world view in dramatic ways and make us the heroes or villains that we eventually become.

Justice League!Barry experiences the traumatic death of his mother in a different way than it’s usually- in most versions of the Flash his mother is still murdered but he is either with his father or not there, but the absolute devastation that Barry was literally just lying on the floor up in his room working on his homework when his mother was murdered and he didn’t even hear anything? That really changes his sense of powerlessness in her death.

JL!Barry is shaped by this event- his father being blamed for his mother’s death, going to prison, Barry’s constant fight for the truth through his work at Central City’s crime lab, even if he is not appreciated there. This sets Barry down his path to being a hero because he endures that experience for several years and is very verbal in his pursuit of justice. He even says that he doesn’t have grand dreams about catching his mother’s killer, he just wants to get his father out of prison for it- he doesn’t care why or who did it- he just wants his family back.

Alt!Barry does not have that trauma. That is the whole reason why he is not worthy of his powers. We laugh at the Flash because he’s silly and fun and the heart of the Justice League (he even comments that he feels like he’s a glorified janitor) but his powers are so god-like that we have seen what happens when someone way more evil has access to them. JL!Barry has had the experience of learning his powers, understanding the limits and the conditions and the dangers of them- his experiences have shaped him into the hero that he is.

When they are in Russia and they realize that they haven’t found Superman, Barry doesn’t hesitate to save Kara anyway, even without his powers, because he is a hero- he has always been a hero. Alt!Barry doesn’t know what to do- he doesn’t make the heroic choice without thinking. He gets upset when he gets shot (even though he has super healing so he’ll be fine in like a few seconds) and gets angry at JL!Barry for not explaining that they can be hurt.

JL!Barry’s reply is actually really important in highlighting the huge difference between them “How come you didn’t tell me we could be shot!?” -”Why would you assume we couldn’t?” This is the big tell that their life experiences are so vastly different because Alt!Barry thought with his super powers he was invincible, he was a walking god- but that is not the reality. After learning that JL!Barry had messed with the timeline to save his mother’s life- thus creating the universe they were in that will inevitably be destroyed because of his interference, Alt!Barry just assumes that he can fix everything to.

“Sometimes there is no solution. You have to left go.” Echoing his mother’s words to Alt!Barry when he eventually realizes that by changing everything he is just dooming a universe by his own actions and he needs to make it right. Evil!Barry is just an older version of Alt!Barry that is obsessed with trying to be a hero and “fix everything” because of what JL!Barry told him- everything that takes place is all a direct result of JL!Barry’s own actions because he was trying to give his own life experience and knowledge to someone who had never experienced what he had gone through. 

Alt!Barry hadn’t known what it was like to be helpless, powerless- JL!Barry had watched his mother die, he had felt that huge sense of responsibility towards the greater good- JL!Barry understands his limits, he regrets his choices as hero- he even laments that he felt powerless in helping against Zod even though he was able to save one child in the chaos, he knows that he wasn’t ready to be a hero yet and felt like a failure. Alt!Barry finally coming to terms with this realization when he finally sees what he will become if he doesn’t stop and then saving JL!Barry by sacrificing himself was a really difficult moment- he had finally realized that he could be a hero if he just stopped trying to fix everything and let everything happen the way it should.

I also like the other themes of the movie: the existence of fate, the metaphor of time being spaghetti was funny, that small moments with the people we love are vastly more important than anything and we should cherish them, and I also liked how they made fun of and broke down the Justice League when JL!Barry was tryin to find the members (Aquaman being a magic mermaid!!) Also my favorite joke that I feel was really underappreciated was when Alt!Barry called Kara “solar powered” and that he was trying to get into solar energy (best joke and no one in my movie theatre laughed but me lolol).

[aguamarinee]

➪ 𝐀/𝐍.: Finally I got around posting this... I got this request ages ago tbh and as I wanted to edit the final post I messed it up and now I lost the original request which I feel really bad about... It was such a cute message from this anon, and every time I reread it, it made me feel so happy! I don't know if they remember sending this ask, but now I've gotten to complete it after so much time, and I hope I did it justice in the end!! (Pls forgive me anon) Angst can really challenge my brain sometimes but I hope it turned out acceptable! > <

➪ 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Jo × reader

➪ 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: angst, no comfort, lot of reminiscing, post-breakup frustration, conflicted feelings

➪ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭: there are multiple parts in the song I got inspired from, so I'll just highlight the chosen lyrics!

➪ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 1,6k

From outside it all seemed perfect; the venue, the lighting, the scenery from the top, and the two of you sitting opposite each other.

Both of you were dressed nicely, holding light alcoholic drinks as if you truly belonged together, when in reality you knew that this wasn't the case for quite some time now.

You actually hated how picture-perfect it all seemed — you might have loved it once, or you might have wished for something similar in the past thinking about the far future, but certainly not anymore.

...Really, it was pure coincidence and the universe's own momentarily punishment towards you that right now you're bound to be here and witness, even indulge in such a scenario.

"Should I pour some more?" Jo's distant voice hit your ears making you tear your eyes away from your drink, but you didn't let your irises wander onto his comfortable sitting frame.

"No need." Your response was curt and frustration was building inside you like a fresh fire setting ablaze, flame particles rubbing off on your exposed skin burning the surface for a second — or it seemed, as your body was undefyingly growing warmer and warmer.

Why are you even here, having this 'talk' with Jo?

Why are you even breathing the same close air as him? Even if you're under the seemingly endless night sky stretching far beyond your eyes' reach, providing enough room for a thousand new breath strokes... Why with him?

You were surprised by your fast rush of frustration turning into anger, but at the same time, it clouded your mind so thinking clearly was a challenge currently.

The Rosé in your tall glass seemed to swim and flow so efficiently, just like it could rush down your throat, but even consuming alcohol to ease your mind seemed to be just a distant wish for the rational side of your brain.

Damn it.

For digging up the grave another time, weren't you two?

The grave, in which your past relationship lay undisturbed until now.

Even though both of you had the chance to ignore each other when you made eye contact at the far ends of the jazz bar, for some reason you chose to start a conversation anyway.

It seemed especially nostalgic and romantic since you two decided to go out onto the rooftop, for privacy...

Privacy?

What kind of privacy do the two of you need, who now act like total strangers who forgot what their past relationship looked like?

Who erased all past connections, mentions of love, and adoration towards the other, putting all of those now cursed memories in a small box, locking it, then throwing its key away, and then throwing the whole box away. Far away.

...The past few minutes seemed to pass by in a blur, you almost had no recollection of how you got here.

The sweet wine was just a distraction, just like the way Jo made conversation about pouring more of the reddish liquid into your glass, to which you sternly said no.

It was all a getaway from the harsh reality; Rosé flowing with your chosen family which you both knew well... that you weren't each other's home or trusted family-like, significant other anymore.

When the wounds of the breakup were still fresh in your heart you always thought of countless ways to rewrite your broken fate.

'And it would've been sweet... If it could've been me.'

These were the thoughts that still clouded your sunny mind from time to time, bringing a sudden wave of dark winds and rain into your feelings and mental state.

Thinking of all the possible scenarios that could have occurred in the future was always a dangerous mind game for anyone who's trying to forget rather than build new, unlikely, and even delusional memories.

"Some snacks, you'd like?" Jo continued in a quiet, very respectful but still neutral tone — he must have felt your nerves getting the better of you — as he seemed to be averting his eyes for split seconds.

It looked like he finally realized how this situation is wrong on so many levels and he seemed to be getting nervous too.

There were too many feelings swirling inside you; Feeling bad because you snapped at him a minute ago, but frustration also kept building on the side which tore you apart. It made you see two sides of the same coin in a bad way.

The whole situation felt like it was forbidden, for the two of you to even breathe the same air with such conflicting feelings developing inside... you could almost physically see the dark gloomy clouds on top of your heads, as if indicating your personal moods minute by minute.

It was not okay how you were going round and round inside a spinning reel of strong impulses.

You needed to put an end to it somehow, anyhow...

"No, I'm good." You finally answered his previous hesitant question.

Well... you feeling good was the biggest lie currently, but what else could you say?

This was not the place nor the right person to share your emotions with. And clearly, he'll never be one of them again.

A heavy silence fell for the first time and it stayed for several minutes.

As you had time to ponder the spinning reel came back, inviting you in once again; you could cut this meeting short and leave, or in fact, you should leave for both of your emotional safety, or you could change the topic to a light-hearted one, or keep the silence, and so on...

The burning frustration turned into hot nervousness within you as you grew more self-conscious around Jo.

It was even weirder, considering how you felt as if it was the first time you saw him, like your first ever date when it all started.

Or your first kiss.

Right time, and right place, but the wrong person.

...How much time has it been since you parted ways?

6 months.

Over half a year, but not a full-length year yet, so there's still a chance for forgiveness.

Or at least this is what you read in many novels, or saw in consolatory movies, series, dramas.

Is it weird to have a little faith in that?

Is it foolish or even selfish to think about your happiness like that?

—You have to say something or your thoughts will start to spiral again.

"...We went from strangers to friends, then to lovers, then to strangers again but with a shared past. We were something, don't you think so? " You spoke out of turn, surprising your rational self and poor Jo, who currently looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

Quite the change of topic, but there was no turning back now.

"I, well... That's in the past now. We're not in a relationship anymore." He said, still unsure but his voice had a cold tone to it. "We were something, we had something, but that something — seeing that we can barely name it, passed a while ago." He kept his voice quiet as if he, too, was afraid of saying such harsh things, or worried about hurting you.

But he said what he said anyway, no eye contact whatsoever, nevertheless, just as brutally honest.

Silence fell again, your surroundings seemed to falter and blur around you, and you barely registered the fine wine in your hands.

Tears weren't coming to your eyes, it wasn't that, your focus just simply shifted, altered itself.

Right, it passed.

You hummed, almost inaudible even to yourself as you ran his words over your head once more, to confirm them.

You unintentionally ignored Jo for a couple of moments too, while being lost in your thoughts, but then he spoke again, louder, to direct your attention back to him.

"In my defense—"

"I have none." You cut him off sharply, trying to imply the end of the conversation somehow, anyhow.

You were desperate to stop, but he was desperate to continue... When there was nothing to continue, but a lot to stop.

He said enough already and you too, way more than you should have and wanted to have.

It has all been said and done between you two, six months before and now, this turn of events confirmed everything for you.

There was nothing to talk about anymore, it was starting to get awkward how Jo seemed to try communicating with you again.

As if he foolishly wanted to make everything right after such a long amount of time, just because he might have realized his mistakes...?

...No, that time has passed.

Memories were bulging up inside you once again, those sweet, promising times, as if after a long drought on dry land suddenly salty ocean water washed over the desert-like place, just like that your recollection started flashing vividly.

As if everything suddenly got reborn, every single little thing, feeling, thought, and future plan.

Rainwater was something most lands and owners were happy to receive but you weren't this time.

It was like a blessing for them... but the worst curse for you currently.

But if it gets out of hand... Flood is not an option, it would destroy every house and shelter that you've built up until now.

It would be a shame to see your hard work go, so you had to do something to prevent such bad things.

"I should go." You said, interrupting whatever Jo was explaining before in an uncertain tone. "No, we should go. On separate ways." You added, a rush of confidence taking you over and you stood up abruptly putting down the fancy wine at the same time, indicating your words further.

"...We need to say goodbye at some point, for both of our sakes. It didn't work out, and by now I'm certain that it never will. This has to be it." You sighed audibly, peeking into the nicely decorated inside of the jazz bar for the first time since you've got here, and you hastily stepped closer to the balcony glass door. "Goodbye Jo, take care." You looked back for a split second and then left, finally, forever.

➪ 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 【𝐌 𝐀 𝐒 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑 𝐋 𝐈 𝐒 𝐓】 !

Tagging: @nichoswag

[dangermousie]

Farscape rewatch 1x22

One of my favorite eps.

No, John, it’s not going to get better.

Where do I start? First of all let me mention the ‘not-good-bye’ good-bye John and Aeryn do. I love it. One of so many in the show, less fraught than later ones but still mmm.

But that comes later, let’s get back to the beginning.

Where Rygel sells them out and it surprises no one. But he doesn’t find a good market, and returns with Crais, Crais who is now seeking asylum. The scene in the hangar bay, as Crais steps out is…

What I notice the most is the way John fixates on him. He associates Crais with being hunted, tortured, though it’s nothing to the reaction he will have to Scorpy on board in S4. That whole scene, with Crais asking for protective custody, and D’Argo knocking him down, and yet through the whole scene, there is John, gun pointed, not wavering in his regard of Crais, an almost uncontrollable fixation and it looks like he is fixating on the thought of shooting Crais. It’s this intensity of concentration that is frightening.

And the fugitives come up with a desperate plan, based on the fact that Scorpius wants John. And you can see the look on John’s face as he realizes the certainty of his being on a suicidal mission as opposed to a probability.

I love the scene with John trying to leave a message to Jack and not being able to, and finally giving up with ‘why don’t I just start screaming, and leave him with a really happy memory.’ Yeah.

And Aeryn coming in, partially because she sees he needs comfort. And she does comfort, instinctively, by sharing about her Mother. And his delight, even under those dire circumstances, at the fact that she is letting him in, telling him something so personal. The way his voice and eyes envelop her, the way she seems to relax and forget the mess outside.

This is getting vvvv long...so

And her asking him if his father is like the man she’s met on fake!Earth and his reply that a bit idealized but yes. I love how important John-Jack relationship is to FS, and how you can feel it, though we barely ever see Jack. He is crucial to John and so we see him through the mirror of John. And oh, how do I love that final message he does leave, ending with ‘This is John Crichton, somewhere in the Universe.’ The wonder is still there, isn’t it? But so is determination to not be taken alive and I find that rather heart-breaking. But there is awesome gallows humor with D’Argo and John and oh, this show is turning me into an emotional yo-yo, as it always does.

The highlight of the ep for me, is John sitting with the gun, on the floor, by Crais’ cell and talking to him. And he is quiet, and beyond despair, and in pain. And he is crying. And that whole scene, which I cannot describe well at all, or even analyze, just kills me. Trying to make Crais understand, still trying, but now it’s not about that, not really hoping for that or wishing it, but just verbalizing it all, head on.

Oooof (and the way he’s almost cuddling the gun as a comfort blanket...)

And when Crais says that there is much injustice and they are all proof of it, John’s bleak rejoinder that if there was justice, Crais would be dead…kills me.

And there are good byes. Chiana refusing to be saved and D’Argo insisting. Zhaan and John, acknowledging they are family. D’Argo and Aeryn, and D saying he thought he’d live much longer and Aeryn (in a sentence that explains so much) replying that she never thought she’d live this long (unknowingly echoing Zhaan who said that every microt is an undeserved gift from the Goddess for her, since she committed murder).

The scene with Rygel and John, which is just…always sideswipes me, so much because they are hilarious and moving and Rygel is a fucking puppet but I never remember he is 100% real to me.

The never-ending references...

And the insane nicknames. The show was gloriously unhinged.

I love this exchange:

This is the bit that gets me tbh...

There is the scene with Chiana and John, which just makes me die. Because Chiana offers him her body, because that is the only way she knows how to repay John for what he did for her and what he is about to do, and it says volumes about the life she’s led that this is the one way she can think to show gratitude. And John turns her down.

But it’s not the fact that he does, it’s the way he does it, that gets me. Because he manages to be so gentle and sweet and not insulting at all, because he recognizes it as a gift and treats it as such. I think that is the reason her relationship with John is more important to Chiana than the one with D’Argo or anyone else. John is someone who wants nothing from her (not that D is mercenary, but because the relationship is romantic, there is a different dynamic, one she is more familiar with). John is family: he really is her brother replacement after Nerri. (Side note - any other show he’d bang the hot alien since he’s not dating Aeryn or even close but not here/)

And yeah, that doozie of a cliffhanger. And John seeing the base go in smoke and his sheer glee at the destruction, at striking back, at saving his crew.

He is millions of miles away from the John who came through that wormhole. But he asks to be patched in to Moya, to make her escape, even though this means certain death to him. That duality, with humanity and self-sacrifice always there, just different, will always remain.

Also, yeah, Crais 100% developed a thing for Aeryn after she tortured him...everyone in this show is a bit insane...