#they are silly and dumb and selfish and evil

[1schadenfreude1]

Rewriting Cain Boyfriend to Death 2 Love how the BTD fandom just collectively agreed to adopt EP's characters as our own I am absolutely tormented by the fact that Cain had so much potential but just. does not have the best writing ugh he's too similar to Rire and it kills me SO I am rewriting the fallen angel, lots of headcanons below the cut

Cain's number one motivation for why he does what he does is BOREDOM He's been torturing people in hell for centuries and it's become BORING. He wants something new, something interesting. He wants to see live humans and savor their emotions. Cain misses being human He'd never admit it out loud of course, but he does miss having real human emotions and enjoying human pleasures. Of course he can't be on earth too long while angels are hunting him, but maybe, spending time with humans will help him regain some of that human feeling?

Cain is chaotic evil incarnate LISTEN everyone in btd2 is a silly dork and Cain should be one too. He should have the most unpredictable and immature chaotic energy. Do you trust this face??? You shouldn't

I think he just. does shit without thinking. Like he's been away from real humans for so long that he's sort of forgotten how fragile they can be.

"Oh c'mon little toy you can handle a little boiling water, right? Hello? Human? Fuck. Guess I need a new one." Yeah he's incredibly overpowered but that doesn't mean he knows how to USE that power lmao. He doesn't know how to interact with people anymore. he wants to be human again, but all he really knows how to do is…torture people. he's so dumb.

Straight up contradicting canon here but-- Cain feels bad for killing Abel Asking about Abel makes Cain get SUPER uncomfortable and shut down. He doesn't wanna talk about it. He definitely doesn't feel remorse about it. Nope. No remorse here. Abel is DEAD and GONE and good riddance and he DEFINITELY doesn't have lingering issues about it. Fuck you. Rips you apart with chains.

He loves bullying Damien though They have each other's phone numbers for god's sake. Cain sends Damien gore porn of the people he's killed. Those two try to kill each other on a weekly basis. It's normal for them. Yes that is Damien's severed arm on the living room wall. It brings Cain joy. Don't worry about it. Totally normal thing to say to your sibling

Cain and Rire are rivals I think this is basically canon (based on Darqx's gorgeous art and animatics) but I wanna delve into it a bit! They're both incredibly powerful supernatural monsters, but their main difference comes down to this: Rire is lawful evil Cain is chaotic evil Cain kills people for purely selfish reasons: he wants to see human reactions and feel their emotions again. He thinks that causing pain will help him feel human. Rire kills people because its his job to collect souls. He loves his job and has a lot of fun with it, but in the end its still his job.

Cain is much, much older but Rire is way more mature

Cain is more powerful, but can't do much when he's stuck in Tartarus Rire is less powerful but has much more freedom of movement

Cain likes to play the long game, seducing victims with romance before going sadistic on them Rire is a busy demon; he likes to have fun but needs that soul sooner rather than later

Cain plans long elaborate dates because he's bored and reads too many romance novels Rire's plans are short and brutal, he does what he wants and that's it

Cain loves humans and wants to savor their reactions and emotions Rire hates humans and treats them like disposable toys

Cain is more interested in pain than sex, he won't rape a victim unless he really likes them Rire likes sex lmao. its a power rush for him and it feels good I hope my ramblings make sense lol

[ph0enixart]

ranting about fearne/ashton discourse below the cut

fearne did not want the shard because she was afraid it would turn her evil

ashton didnt want fearne to get hurt

ashton already feels like his life holds the least worth in the group. also, they are constantly, always in pain. they dont WANT to die, but dying would be better than fearne getting hurt

they make the absolute dumbfuck decision to go against all warnings and use the shard WITHOUT TELLING THE GROUP (this right here i think is their mistake)

there is a conversation where they tell fearne “hey im about to do something real stupid. im not trying to die. im not trying to be a martyr. IF i die its not your fault.”

NOW THIS i think is where we hit our main fork in the road. i think there are two types of fearne fans

1. those who infantilize her and believe she is a sweet precious dumb lil silly gullible baby and ashton took advantage of that for their own plans

2. those who believe she grew up in mostly isolation with no sense of morality, deeply trusts the people she has collected around her and would burn the world down to protect them. shes reckless, but shes not dumb. shes not gullible. she trusts HARD.

so when ashton takes her aside and says theyre gonna take the shard, she is relieved. she wont turn evil! and she believes they are making the right choice because she tRUSTS them

its not a power dynamic. ashton was being stupid and selfish by not telling the group, but they THOUGHt they were HELPING. they were not trying to pull the wool over fearnes eyes. they werre not manipulating.

idk sometimes i feel like im watching an entirely different show than some people

[twistedtummies2]

Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum!

Hee, Hi, Ho, Hum!

I'm a most amazing guy!

A most amazing guy, am I!

Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum!

Hee, Hi, Ho, Hum!

I'm the stuff, I'm tellin' you!

For here's what I can do!

I can change myself into an elf!

Fly up high, like the birdies!

I can disappear into atmosphere...PEEK-A-BOO!

'Cause I know the Magic Wordies...

"Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum," Billy Gilbert.

-------------------------------------------------------------

My next image in my “OCs & Inspirations” series for Disney’s 100th Anniversary! This time, I present to you Billy Géant and his inspiration, Willie the Giant from the “Mickey and the Beanstalk” segment of a personal favorite Disney film of mine, “Fun & Fancy Free!” The art here was done by @twisted-brainrot.

Billy came about because I wanted to do something with one of my favorite fairy-tales, “Jack and the Beanstalk,” which is a big part of what I think “activated” the more macro/micro side of my many, MANY kinks and fascinations. My thought process was I could do one of two things: one was create an AU for Twisted Wonderland with some characters as giants and others as “Jacks” (which I eventually did for “My Hero Academia,” and may do again for another couple of anime-ish franchises I love). Two was to create my own OC based on a Disney giant - and I went with Willie for a LOT of reasons - and do something with them. Obviously, that is the choice I went with, and I have not seen a reason to regret it: alongside Nakoda, perhaps even MORE than Nakoda, Billy is my most popular OC for Twisted Wonderland. I think there’s more art and writing for him than any of my other major characters for this universe.

He’s also the closest to his source material. Willie the Giant, in his initial appearance (and most other antagonistic roles he’s had since), is essentially a villain by incidence rather than choice. The film actually states this in black and white: “Willie was a nice giant…he just got too big for his britches.” He’s not really EVIL, he’s basically just a big, dumb kid. He’s selfish and has a bad temper: when he causes trouble, it’s not because he’s trying to actively hurt anybody, but simply because he either doesn’t know or doesn’t care about the consequences of his actions (or both). When you push him the wrong way, he then shows his dangerous side, as he can go from cuddly and silly to a terrifying titan of rage. Billy is the exact same way. As well as having a lot of Willie’s superficial elements as a character, the main takeaway between the two is that inherent childishness, and the dichotomy of danger and sweetness it provides. Billy is a lovable dunderhead who only becomes truly cruel and vicious when someone REALLY presses his buttons, and typically is only an antagonist because circumstance has sort of put him in that position. The big difference between the two is what they seek: Willie’s problem-causing is usually a result of greed or ignorance. Billy, however, is someone with a LOT of personal issues: he’s lived a large portion of his life being neglected, rejected, abandoned, and betrayed. He’s effectively a very lonely person who just wants some affection, some respect, and above all some companionship. Show him those things, and you’ll probably be fine.

As to the art…I asked Twisted-Brainrot to do this one because he’s actually made more art for Billy than anybody else, and because he’s also a big fan of Willie the Giant. I’m not sure, but I think this might have been his first (public) outing with the Disney original, and he did an absolutely MARVELOUS job. Seeing the big guy paired up with Billy is truly a treat, and speaking of Billy, I just love how cute he is. TB always draws him with this really cuddly “extra plush” appearance, and it’s truly beautiful to see him that way with his great-great granddaddy. Good big bois, both of ‘em. <3

[vvalengogh]

Fallout OCs Masterpost!

Read about my scrumblos below the cut. 💛 Character ref/art included.

Quinn Higuchi Verger - Courier 6

Quinn Higuchi is the Courier 6 of the Mojave Wasteland. An orphaned child, Quinn eventually grew up to be a small town doctor that located near the border of California in Utah, Quinn took up odd jobs as courier for the Mojave Express a few times to afford more expensive treatments and further medical supplies for the resident of his town.

At one point, Quinn was known to be a passive man with little to say and little to show in expression— preferring to keep to himself and carry on with his job. Eventually, all of that changed when he was to deliver the Platinum Chip and was intercepted by Benny Gecko.

The shot to his head did irreparable damage to his brain, and thus, flipped a switch in him. Not only did he suffer amnesia, forgetting his entire life prior being shot, but the small town doctor Quinn became a menace afterwards. Selfish, sarcastic, and reckless (as well as extremely frivolous); Quinn did things his own way the way he saw them fit. Messing with the NCR, killing Caesar, and joining up forces with Yes Man.

Still, despite this and his rather immature behavior, Quinn is neither good nor evil; he is chaotic, but on the neutral side. He’ll be your best friend and your worst enemy, he’s as mischievous as much as he is a powerhouse and a threat. Regardless, hes smart, cunning, and very well versed in laser weapons and medical and engineering, and he’s not a complete asshole; he does care for certain people a whole lot. One of those very few people being a man known as Andres Gutierrez, who is now his husband, who he will 100% kill for without hesitation and loves him very much. (Side note: Andres Gutierrez is my bf’s oc (@/valentineenjoyer), who is also a courier six!)

Overall, he’s more on the unhinged and immature side, a jokester and a silly little menace of a man. He never gets back his memories, aside from Ulysses reminding him of his crimes. He lives for a *very* long time thanks to the cybernetic augmentation the Think Tanks so gracefully gave him.

——

Rattle - Quinn Higuchi's pet / companion Nighstalker

Rattle was the runt of her mother’s litter. Unable to produce venom and being smaller than her siblings, she was left behind to fend for herself and eventually perish. She was found next the side of a road by Quinn, and though eventually standoffish, she failed to scare Quinn and was taken in. Quinn *absolutely* adores her, so he tamed and raised her to give her another chance at life. Lo and behold, she becomes Quinn’s pet and companion Nightstalker.

She’s scarily smart, but also has her dumb dog moments, and like her owner; she’s very compulsive as well as easily distracted outside of combat. She’s fond of scavenging, often bringing Quinn little gifts or showing off her latest find. Rattle is also a lap dog and a very cuddly one!

——

Agnes Higuchi Verger (alias Agnes Doyle) - Mercenary / Seamstress

Agnes Higuchi is the twin sister to the Courier 6 Quinn Higuchi. While she avoided the Benny Gecko Special Treatment, she was unfortunately experimented on by the Think Tanks which resulted in the loss of an arm, being replaced with a fully functional prototype cybernetic arm.

While she managed to escape the horrors of Big MT and made a speedy recovery, she would be caught dead if she even considered setting foot up there again.

But before all that, Agnes was, and still is, a seamstress for the Strip and a mercenary for hire around Freeside. Her parents— hers and Quinn’s— actually had to give up one of their children to make ends meet so both could be provided with the best lives, which is why Agnes is also known by the last name Doyle. Eventually, she figured out who her parents were later on in life only to discover they went missing along with caravaners. This is how she first heard the rumors of another kid, her brother, but by that time Quinn was already a tall tale to most. It’s not until two years after the events of the Mojave that she meets Quinn, but it takes her (and Quinn) a whole month to realize that they’re twins despite looking exactly the same.

During that time, Agnes became a very accomplished clothes maker and a strong bodyguard, hired by the Followers. She’s far less off the walls than Quinn, but she still has some of that touch of unhinged in her; she’s sweet and gentle, but cold blooded if needed. She’s the girlfriend of my boyfriend’s oc, Del Rey.

——

Sycamore Higuchi - Vault 76 Dweller

Sycamore is the ancestor to the twins Quinn Higuchi and Agnes Higuchi. Hailing from West Virginia from Vault 76, Sycamore follows the same trend of unhinged that the rest of the Higuchis share.

Sycamore joined up with the Enclave for their own gain at first, later betraying the organization in order to dismantle and take them down from the inside. At which point, their plan was found out and they were ran out. Between all of this, Sycamore married the former raider Beckett and had a set of twins of their own.

Sycamore was, then, killed at the age of 39. Leaving Beckett and two kids behind. Lo and behold though, the aliens known as Zetan took particular interest in their immunities to radiation and revived them; constructing their whole missing half of their head and keeping them suspended in cryogenic pods for a little over 200 years. They wake up, eventually, crash landing an escape pod somewhere in the Commonwealth. With their whole life turned upside down again, in the same year that Sycamore crashed in the Commonwealth (2292), they pick up an odd job as a mortician where they also help with proper burials.

——

Rowan - Sycamore Higuchi’s pet / companion Deathclaw.

Rowan was Sycamore’s trained Deathclaw. Raised from a hatchling, Rowan was a formidable force to be reckoned with. Listening to Sycamore and only Sycamore. Though rough and very snappy, Rowan was protective of the human that took him in and their family, and even if he wasn’t able to use human speech, Rowan showed intelligent thought, recognition and communication patterns; mostly portrayed through the clicks of claws and hisses and huffs. He was first shot down by Sycamore’s killer just a moment before they were, too.

Rowan is deceased.

——

Lecter D. Longfellow - Far Harbor Hunter and Tour Guide

Lecter Devlin Longfellow is the adopted son of Old Longfellow. Orphaned when his parents and baby brother were attacked by a Fog Crawler, he was shortly taken in and adopted by Old Longfellow and raised as his own, while also making him his apprentice.

Lecter is a terribly anxious, shy man, and he remained that way when Original Lecter was replaced by the Lecter we know today; Synth Lecter. Lecter had no idea he was a synth until one fateful day, when helping in Acadia, he injured himself only to discover that he was made up of not only flesh, but metal and wires.

He’s a skilled hunter, knowledgeable in tracking, marine life (and general animal life) and rifles. Despite his timid personality, Lecter is very charismatic man who seeks to help and provide comfort. He calls Old Longfellow dad and he would be devastated if something happened to him.

Lecter’s synth model is that of a mix match between Gen 2 and 3, and has been dubbed a prototype. Pertaining all the flesh and blood of a Gen 3, most of Lecter’s internal structure is made up of wires and metal. Synth name L1-33, Original Lecter was kidnapped off the island by the the tail end of the Institute’s reign of terror, when they started to suspect Far Harbor of holding Synths and intended to make Lecter their spy.

That did not work out at all, and Lecter’s personality overrode his shoddy framework and whatever coding they attempted.

One of his best friends is Deacon and his romantic partner is Hancock.

——

M. Graham Hoolahan - Railroad Agent / Former Brotherhood of Steel Soldier

Full name Miranda Graham Hoolahan, Graham is a Diamond City born resident hailing from the Upper Stands. He never got along with his parents who pressured him to join the Brotherhood of Steel, in which he did in order to get away from them when he turned 20. Previously he worked for Bobrov brothers in their bar as a cleaner, much to his parents’ chagrin.

He went on to join up a branch of the Brotherhood up in Alaska and was shortly transferred to the Capital Wasteland branch, where he met Danse and became a Lancer-Sergeant. Piloting an old Vertibird model named Ebonswift, Graham was amongst the best pilots in the Brotherhood of Steel and even became a certified trainer for cadets.

For almost 6 years, he was a Brotherhood soldier; but for two of those years he had also become a Railroad Agent, working as a spy in the Prydwen under the name code name Smoke.

Graham never enjoyed the views the Brotherhood of Steel later adopted. Later on becoming far more closeted in his bisexuality, Graham dealt with his environment by cannibalism. A habit he later kicks for the sake of Danse, who he falls in love with.

Graham is Paladin Danse’s romantic partner.

——

Abigail Chambers - Institute Scientist

Abigail Chambers is what the Institute refers to her as an “Incubated Baby.” Taken from her mother’s womb, a woman who hailed from California and was traveling through the Commonwealth, Abigail was raised within the Institute, later on becoming an accomplished scientist under the Biological Science wing.

Despite the views of the Institute, Abigail doesn’t agree with them; but having no family and nowhere else to go, she does as told. She also helps Synths escape.

She’s a workaholic but bubbly gal who packs a mean punch but doesn’t know when or how to rest proper.

——

Egan - Semi Aquatic Deathclaw

A hybrid between a Fog Crawler and a Deathclaw, it’s not hard to tell whose parent’s gene was more dominant. Egan is a Far Harbor Deathclaw that can be found roaming bodies of water, minding his own business.

Despite his fearsome appearance, Egan is not hostile unless provoked or shot at. Egan is actually an intelligent Deathclaw capable of speech; though he only speaks to a select few people. One of those being Lecter, who found him washed ashore and injured some time ago.

——

Rory Lavender - Former Vault-Tec Scientist

Rory Lavender is a pre-war ghoul that formerly worked for Vault Tec. In an unidentified vault somewhere in Utah, Rory and his coworkers were to experiment the effects of radiation on the Vault Dwellers. But when the bombs dropped, Rory started having second thoughts and that, in turn, made his coworkers turn on him and use him as a guinea pig.

Later on, he’s kicked out from the vault and left to fend for himself. He managed to make a living out of weapon modifications and set up shop in the same town Quinn used to live.

——

Mads Black - Former Movie Star

Mads Black is a pre-war ghoul who’s all talk and bite. Shit at bartering, he’s still very charismatic. He used to be a movie star along with Dean Domino, who was his boyfriend for a time until becoming bitter scorned lovers who end up being on each other’s throat every time they interact.

I don’t have much for Mads yet as he’s my newest oc, but these are all the guys I have right now!

____

Gomez Sinclair - Lone Wanderer

Gomez Sinclair is the Lone Wanderer of The Capital Wasteland along with his twin sister, Asriel Sinclair ( said lone wanderer is owned by my bf).

A reference for Gomez Sinclair Post-Vault 101/During FO3 Events and Post-FO3 Main Events. Gomez is a rather timid and somewhat closed off individual, even as he was being raised in Vault 101– only really talking to most at length with Asriel, Amata, Jonas and James. After James left the Vault 101, and Gomez and his sister were more or less exiled, Gomez only grew to be more of a nervous wreck and somewhat of a recluse.

With the sudden change in environment and every other wasteland aspect he was barely prepared to face, let alone deal with it himself. Surprisingly, Gomez is charismatic person despite his shyness and often stumbling over his words; a natural silver tongue that makes his awkwardness charming.

Though he’s good with small guns and exclusively hunting rifles, his proficiencies lie within science just like James, Gomez favors energy weapons. Medicine, too, is one of his strong suits, though wouldn’t consider himself to be on a doctor’s level.

The travel through the wasteland to find his dad wears him down significantly, and when James dies right in front of him right after finding him, he doesn’t get any time to mourn his death given the Enclave invading the Jefferson Memorial and the lethal levels of radiation; both him and Asriel having to escort the rest of the scientists through the tunnels + survive the Enclave attack sobers right up but for the worst, since he ends up bottling up James’s death for the sake of taking Project Purity back from the Enclave and take them down.

When it all comes to a head, Gomez, along with his sister, convinces President Eden to destroy the base, and soon enough, the final showdown presents itself and Gomez kills Colonel Autumn. The revenge brings him no relief, only hurt.

After activating Project Purity, Gomez suffers a head injury that requires the Brotherhood of Steel to perform surgery and install brain transplants to save his life.

Gomez bears Colonel Autumn’s uniform as a power move over the Enclave, bearing the uniform to spite and as some sort of reminder.

After some time, Gomez and his sister eventually go on about to do their own things. Gomez becoming an accomplished a scientist, and a lead scientist to keep the clean water production running throughout the Capital Wasteland, in memory of his parents. Some more pass and tensions grow with the Brotherhood of Steel’s presence becoming more present and oppressive, and constantly butting heads with them, disagreeing over a number of things including spreading the clean water throughout the rest of the wasteland like Gomez wanted, he left the project in search of the new Elder of the Brotherhood, Maxson, so he travels the wasteland in search for him— which ends him up in various places. The Mojave, California, even The Commonwealth.

And there is a sense in freedom in this. Not being known as the Lone Wanderer is relieving, having the spotlight on him never felt right nor warranted, despite his accomplishments and following in his dad’s footsteps. 29 year old Gomez is more confident and mature than 19 year old Gomez, still he keeps to himself and retains some of that timidness.

[iamnmbr3]

Gotta be honest with you even with you even if this was a wholly original work, boy, would I feel sorry for Larry the clown. Poor Larry only ever uses violence in self defense, holds no lasting ill will towards anyone, shows basic concern of the well being for those around him is repeatedly called a narcissist villain by people who commit mass murder on a daily basis and is called inferior to a woman who guiltlessly murders whoever she wants. Larry escapes only to recaptured tortured and charged with execution and the person responsible for all of Larry's pain is the only thing he has resembling a friend. Poor dumb Larry, no one deserves what he's been through

omg yes. that’s one of the great ironies of the show. Larry isn’t Loki. And what the show says about Loki isn’t true. But even if we just look at how Larry is characterized in the show, what we’re told about him doesn’t match at all what we are shown. The show tells us that Larry is supposedly this super evil terrible threat who’s so dangerous and narcissistic and sadistic and terrible and selfish and yeah....we just don’t see any of that. Larry is harmless; he can’t fight a regular human much less pose a serious threat to someone like the Avengers. Also at most he’s a little silly and pompous at times. That’s it. Larry isn’t very smart but he’s perfectly nice and harmless; sweet even. Almost to a fault.

He’s completely forgiving of everyone who mistreats him and doesn’t hold it against them and spends the entire movie trying to do everything he can to please others and be what they want him to be. He doesn’t hold any ill will towards people who torture or insult him. He tries to help others. He never does anything intentionally cruel. He doesn’t kill or hurt people. It’s really sad how we see him get treated. At no point do we see him act like the villain we’re told he is. 

We do however see the supposed “good guys” like Sylvie and Mobius act in an extremely narcissistic manner, delight in torture and murder, and prioritize their own goals over the good of others. And yet that’s presented as ok. The pro fascist messaging in this show is deeply disturbing (as is the queerphobia, sexism and racism). 

[sketching-shark]

Can I be disappointed in the LMK and its fandom. I feel kind of a let down considering the source material but not for the reasons you think. I expected more from this fandom to be you know more fun. I don't know if its like the lack of knowledge of the Chinese or Indian cultures, the original book or something else right. The streaming method also doesn't help either. Its not just me right?

complaining about a lego show below so read on if you want

well i guess while noting again that other cultures have definitely made "purely evil demon" presentations of sun wukong & always leaving it as a possibility that maybe i'm just seeing the worst in things and that stuff might change, i'd say at this point i'm with you anon in feeling disappointed and disheartened with the lego show. Said this before but i originally really liked it and was excited about future seasons because it seemed to make for a silly lighthearted time with a strong focus on a healthy shifu-tudi relationship and jttw-based shenanigans. But now 4 seasons in of still being silly in some areas but relentlessly piling on the angst and trauma all while one person after another yells at swk for ruining everything, him lying constantly, getting shoved out of the plot, & pretty significantly making things worse on screen, and now even Qi Xiaotian being strongly hinted to have gone from wanting to be just like swk to being terrified he'll be just like swk...well it does not make for a very fun time. It's been kind of wild too seeing big sections of the fandom go from relentlessly pushing this image of the monkey king as a dumb idiot & selfish ass who ruins everything to somewhat backpedaling to emphasize the six-eared macaque & azure lion maybe having skewed images of him now that the show itself has kind of confirmed the dumb idiot & selfish ass readings, except with extra trauma...idk, to me it just feels like this show's now been routinely twisting itself into knots to kind of double down on the worst fandom-pushed readings of the monkey king, and no "he's doing better!" on twitter is going to change that.

[drawthething]

2 and 4 for the BB ask game!

2. Favorite non-belcher character (and why)?

THANK YOU for giving me another excuse to talk about my favourite boy JIMMY JR!

They could have written him as some typical popular boy to be Tina's crush but nooooo. He has a lisp. He has the stupidest running pose. He writes musoems about either his life issues (in some weird subtle way) or the randomest things ever like animal planet or god's name or his shoes and be super proud of it like he just invented a new artform (he did!). He has a pet turtle and has seen 27 dresses three times (i'm pretty sure j-ju has a thing for animals and old-school movies pfft) I especially love his absolute passion for dancing, and how he genuinely wants to be better at it (so you stink you can dance). He's just so endearingly weird and simple-minded and silly I dig this kid so much. And all the selfishness and messiness he's known for? I agree with it and appreciate it about him. No i don't think he'd be as good of a character had he been written to be all wholesome and stuff. He's a teenage kid, he's allowed to be a jerk and a bit self-centered and clueless and dumb. Feels more real that way. The only problem i have with it is how inconsistently developed he is though :/ Lots of unexplored potentials i think (which i can also say about many other side characters Mort)

4. Which character do you think has changed the most since the beginning of the show?

Hmm lots of characters to pick over here. Imma go with Tina. I think she's grown to be a lot more confident and self-assured throughout the show. Look back at how she talks to Tammy in the earlier seasons (2-4) and how now that she can stand up for herself and occasionally roasted her (I love their sass battle, can we pls have more of that :D) She used to be kind of a lowkey sass master and now it feels like she's a lot more open about voicing her opinions and doesn't hold back on her backtalk and I dig it 🤘 I appreciate that she remains to be a bit socially awkward and weirdly fierce about her passions though :]] Don't want that part of her to ever go away. Though I wished there were less moral compass things between her and Louise ya know, cuz they're sorta getting old and less fun (let Louise have her chaotic evil mastermind glory moments like back in the day!)

[felikatze]

s11 half season write up cuz i WILL NOT remember all my thoughts for another 15 eps and this season is divided in two anyway right? fire chapter, was it? anyway

don't tell me a break in tension after the last three seasons wasn't needed. it really was.

I reaaally like how this season started! If you've seen my previous write-ups, you know I like when a season immediatly starts on the action, but this time, i think a slow, low stakes start was perfect.

i enjoyed the silly shenanigans! fighting a chicken, doing odd jobs, all while the ninja are idiots. even once they start heading toward the tomb or fight giant beetles, there's no world-ending threat. they're doing this for shits n giggles. i like that

it reminds me of early s2, and i really love early s2. it's just silly! i like when this show is just silly.

on the low stakes note. I LOVE THE FILLER EPS. the one ep about the paperboys and the one about the news. how'd ninjago know i adore outsider pov stories? and in-universe media? i just really really love getting that outside look from non-main characters, and the effects of the entire series on the common citizen is wonderful. ofc paperboys are cutthroat extreme cyclists. have you seen the mailman? if you deliver ANYTHING in this environment you'll end up like that.

and the news episode is really funny. i want five more seasons of gayle gossip trying not to punch her coworkers actually. it's neat how you, as the viewer, can understand this random side character's frustration at getting shafted because she's a recurring character, and her rival is not. just because you've seen her so often in the thick of things over the seasons, you get it.

on the note of recurring characters. "hey, here's that one kid who broke his legs in s6," is not what i expected but. hey. it works. like at first i didnt get it but then he did the purple ninja thing and i went NINJA OF THE DAY NELSON FROM SKYBOUND?? HI!!! cool. yeah.

those two eps also had amazing gags. i keep thinking about people filming ads during an invasion of flaming snakes.

speaking of snakes. aspheera. she's so cool. i love her design. i love snakes in general. (riu and i have realized we may both adore snakes specifically because of ninjago, but i've always adored reptiles).

also skales shows up for an epsiode again. hi man. ily.

aspheera is FUN i personally didnt take her seriously much but she's got panache or whatever. she's fun to watch on-screen. she tends to the simple motivations side of things like the average ninjago villain, but i like her motivation. from both her behaviour and various stories told about her, we learn she's just kind of selfish and refuses to acknowledge her own wrongdoings, so everyone else must be wrong instead. Simple, but it works!

Her motivation actually contributes to the more low stakes feel of these episodes because she doesnt want world domination or whatever, that's all collateral. She just wants to get back at Wu specifically. mayyybe she wanted world domination in the past though. sure sounds like it.

speaking of wu! actually really liked him and his conflicts here. ever since s7, the show has been incredibly willing to acknowledge the flaws of wu's character and the consequences thereof. Here, it shows that Wu was young and foolish once, too. His deal with aspheera for his own curiosity reminds me of lloyd freeing the serpentine in s1. Like!! They were both just dumb kids!!

It's Inch Resting to have kid garmadon refusing to keep a promise be portrayed as the better option. nice reminder he wasnt always evil ykno.

i reaaaaally like the emphasized element of guilt to wu's character here. it gives the sense that he does this whole "wise mentor" shtick to prevent the ninja from making the same mistakes he did. his mistakes still haunt him! that's why he's so secretive about them!! he feels guilty and doesn't wanna talk about it!! (hits wu over the head) didnt s7 tell you keeping secrets about old enemies who will come back to kill or banish you is bad. teamwork motherfucker.

additionally in episode 15 it really feels like. wu you have some self destructive behaviour going on. he seems to value his own life much less than the ninja, because again, he feels guilt over his mistakes. as such he has no qualms risking it, which recontextualizes his behavior in s7 and makes it way more depressing.

wu is not the character i expected to write analysis on tbh.

for other characters, i already said i appreciate the ninja being idiots but

1) why is this season so mean to jay what the fuck did he do he's trying (i've acknowledged that jay is my favorite now and am no longer in denial

2) having pixal be the one to send wu to the never realm as she has a flashback to aspheera and the shot fades out to pixal dropping the staff and looking at her own hands in disgust. OOF. and then wu tells her the ninja cant come back with the tea and she basically banished them forever just as aspheera did zane. DOUBLE OFF.

pixal my girl. pats her on the head and gives her a hot choco for her nightmares.

iconique of her to have her own voice for text to speech on her tech though. that's kinda funny.

also how she swooped in with the mech and just punted aspheera. very cool. good pixal moments this season overall 1000/10 i always love more pixal

3) kai really got whammied. like MAN. one episode's running joke is kai's unconscious body getting ragdolled around. he has an self worth crisis only mitigated when a little kid almost dies. geez. that scene of kai trying to weld the mech together only to realize his mistake and get a blowtorch. fucking ouch. lloyd had an arc about how to exist without his powers and be more than just the green ninja in s9 but i dont think kai really like. got the same effect. he just stays grumpy about it until presumably getting his powers back after zane ices aspheera.

on that note the final battle against aspheera was do fucking cool. the whole tag-team shtick with everyone getting a turn on the scroll was awesome, what can i say. it looked sick. i would've loved it at 13 and i sure do love it now. my tastes haven't changed at all since then actually. also rip kai again. he had to sit out. man. kai already has mental problems. everyone on this show has so many problems.

like zane. geez zane my man. zane 🤝 wu, believing their lives to be more expendable than others. again him just whooping aspheera was sick but GEEEEZ s3 much. zane my man zane. cmon.

this is gonna be. fun

overall, enjoyed a more low-stakes adventure to calm down from the previous high stakes seasons, this season made me appreciate wu more, lots of silly moments i enjoyed. tis good

[karusenka]

!Matchup info!

Female, she/her, ExFJ 2w3, Leo Full typology: ExFJ 2w3 269 sp/so SLUAI FELV

I prefer villians and overall evil characters however I have a soft spot for kind, sweet big men :3 I prefer men in fiction

Personality:

I am pretty social however I prefer to spend time alone! I care about others a lot… To an unhealthy amount honestly but Im working on it! I love to help others and make them smile, but I do wish I would get something for being so nice in return, yeah it might sounds greedy but I want to be appreciated! And get something nice haha, like just a compliement or something, when my helping and kindess gets unnoticed I might get upset because of how much tired I am and I just want to be a appreciated like I said before 😭 I wanted to be noticed and not ignored! I care too much what others feel and think and its tiring, I just want to be selfish sometimes and care about myself even if its sounds mean.

People call me funny! Well it all depends because everyone has different sense of humor! But I am most of the time unserious and I love to joke around, serious situations are stressful so I prefer to be joyfull, but I do like talking about serious topics (sometimes) Like I said before I love to make people smile and laugh with my jokes and overall with make them happy with presence. Its my job to make others happy <3

My humor is definitely not for everyone, its mostly humor of a 12 y/o kid which can be annoying to some people lmao (sometimes its funny how people are annoyed by it) and some other things depends on how I feel. When it comes to annoyence I also like to annoy people <3 its so fun! But I never want to make them really feel bad! Often I act like an asshole but this is just for jokes! (but sometimes I wanna be a real asshole lmao) Like I said I dont want them to actually feel bad, if I do, I will feel very guilty! When it comes to it I apologize A LOT, I apologize so much that it might too annoying but I always feel a sense of guilt inside of me. I'm also VERY sensitve and worry about everything. Ah and I'm pretty dumb and I am not trying to insult myself I am just silly hehe and I'm okay with that. Oh and Im clumsy 😭😭

I also people know me as being 24/7, like I said earlier I have a humor of a 12 y/o so there are a lot of sex jokes. I am very interested in nsfw things, kinks etc, I am the "horny" friend

Likes/Dislikes:

I LOVE LOVE horror and scary things, I can't imagine my life without it, its just a such interesting genre that makes me happy and intrigued! I adore horror games and I'm mostly interested in them, however most of the time I am scared of playing them so I just watch gameplays and stuff like that haha. You can say I am obssesed with horror! (its funny because its easy to scare me haha)

I love to eat food <3 especially sweet things

I also love cute things! Plushies, pink, clothes and other cute things! I just love it so much <3

I like games very much (I suck at them), art, anime, drawing and psychology! When it comes to music I love energetic ones!

I dislike slow music but there can be some exceptions.

I dislike cooking (I love when someone knows to cook however I suck at it

Appearance:

Around 156 cm height

Chubby

brown eyes

chin length hair with bangs

round glasses

My fav dynamics, tropes etc. (!cw dead dove!)

power imbalance, yandere x victim, abuse, noncon, opposites attract

[notarobooot]

Silly vent again (because I do that now apparently)

I don't know why I keep posting these but.... hehehe it makes me feel a bit better for a bit because i can screem into voud withougt targeting leople to rain on. And make sad qnd worried woth my DUMB problems-?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

So im a horrible person for a variety of reasons (please don't hate me. If you want to never talk to me again thats fine... Well I'd be sad but you can I probably deserve it)

1. I made radi sad by being pedantic (and I always do that to people) [NO APOLOGISING ITS MY FAULT IF YOURE READING THIS AISJDJ]

2. I'm a horrible child: context; (idk how to phrase this non-dramatically so im just gonna become ✨️drama✨️) so you know my gender isn't gendering verry well. I think it qould gender quite a bit better if I had silly binder so i have been asking silly mother like 10000s of times over the past years but she always says the silly no (bad silly). Recently I have been feeling a LOT worse as I get older and more yucky so I thought I have to do a silly heist so I made a plan to tell my mum I was getting a mother's day present off amazon but its actually just a silly binder. Foolproof plan except after the money went through she burst into happy tears and said how happy she was I was thinking of her. I was not thinking of her. I was being SELFISH because im a HORRIBKE person.

3. In year 8 (I was an evil dumb year 8 and do NOT condone ANY of my actions from then please don't hate me) a complete stranger from my year randomly came up to me and came out to me as [my gender, yet again redacted]. They had not told anyone else and I thought they'd tell their actual FRIENDS (who still called them their deadname and silly pronouns) before a random stranger (me) so I just assumed, like a dumb SELF ABSORBED IDIOT that they had somehow got into my head, and were now mocking me, so I just ALWAYS misgendered them, even when they corrected me. (I know that was shitty of me I feel sick at my actions) 2 years later... They are publicly out to everyone. ItS obvious they were NOT just mocking me, so I was basically just being a SHITTY transphobe. Yay. I hate me so much. [YES I have apologised profusely but they ignored me]

So yeah that's why I want to kill something [mostly myself] lately, sorry to ruin your day, please don't hate me im so sorry I'm a shit, and I swear I'm not doing this for attention it just genuinely helped to vent that last time and I feel shitty so im doing it again. Heeheh I hate me. Bye.

[iman2]

??

Hey what’s wrong with Wish?

You’re incredibly selfish.

That’s negative. You have to say positive things about me.

No, I don’t. What’s this blackmail thing?

I’m undercover in the theaters, watching to see how people react. They love it so far.

Really?

Yeah. I can’t believe people think that about me. I’m amazing. I’m like god. I’m literally god. I used to be Jesus.

Why am I the little girls?

You’re my teletubby?

No. I’m not dying for you. It’s a voodoo doll isn’t it. These kids are calling you bubble girl. It’s so weird how these things work. I didn’t notice they were in a bubble bath.

Who cares, one of them will die and I’ll keep going.

You’re in the MJ sacrifice babies cult. Idc leave me alone.

That’s silly.

Okay.

What’s wrong with wish?

I don’t do evil things. Shut the fuck up. Nobody likes your ass. You need to stop fucking talking to me like that. Stop fucking talking about me.

Is it YOU and the blind bitch? Why I am naya…okay yeah. Your sacrifice. Got it.

I am Selena fucking g0mez. The most followed celebrity ever. The queen of pop music.

Tonterias. Take your demon off of me. Did y’all kill this woman for that? Who wore off?

Chris br0wn loves me.

That makes no fucking sense magnifico. What’s the solution? This thing is a demon.

I’m not gonna die.

Yes you are. Why do people think you made the subliminal? You’re not my psychic part.

…

Uh huh. More magic right? And the belief of your dumb ass fans. I heard you’re telepathic. I don’t see how. Everyone knows that I am.

Hmmm..

Hey guys, what’s wrong with Wish?

Asha! Hi! What’s your favorite color?

Purple.

What’s yours?

Blue! You look like Isabella from encant0!

Do you like her?

Yes!

People don’t like my movie. What can I do?

Make a wish! You’re a star!

Okay. I want to be myself!

You have to sing the song now. It’s like birthday party.

That’s smart! That’s the wish ceremony? Birthday parties? Nice. I don’t like them too much anymore. Don’t let your mom confide in you like a friend but, I have birthday party trauma.

What’s that?

Nothing. I wish that all my friends who worked on that movie feel vindicated instead of embarrassed.✨✨

What’s vindicated?

See you around, superstar ✨✨

What is vindicated?

You should ask your mom. It’ll be fun!! Learning is fun!!

[toxicgreenslushi]

This is the only online place I can post freely because no one reads any of this. No one knows who I am.

In the grand scheme of things no one knows me. I do not know myself at times. I am disassociating. I keep losing interest in life. I could lay in the grass and stare at the sky forever. What I want seems irrelevant and what I am seems irrelevant. For what am I but another mound of flesh that seeks deeper meaning but fears I will have nothing to offer. I cannot get myself to find the way. All the ways seems frightful and filled with regret.

I do not want to be negative. I fear I have been this way for so long that it has become second nature. Perhaps I was always this way. Longing for justice and fairness that would never come. Longing for things I could never feel or taste. Was I so selfish and corrupt so young that I can remember the bitterness of not getting the answers I wanted? To continue asking the same questions to try to pry out a manipulated version of a false truth I could accept...

I know I am not evil. But perhaps I am not good either. I fear I am nothing. Fear itself seems irrelevant. I do not enjoy this world or much in it. When I do feel it hurts. I cry at the slightest jab or injustice done not just to me but to the imagined me. The me that is everyone else.

I do not like me. I love me, but I do not like me as of late. I am everything I never wanted to be. Fat, no degree, envious, skeptical, broke, lonely. I know these are just arbitrary things, but when you do not play by the arbitrary rules in this country you become a leper.

Fear of governmental punishment or social repercussions keep us abiding by meaningless rules. Rules put in place by someone with more power and more money and more knowledge of the rules of this arbitrary and silly game.

I did not want to play the game, so for years I abstained. Out of fear and shame. Out of the unwillingness to embarrass or shame myself further. So I watched the world pass by me while I stood frozen in time. Never leaving. Never growing. Simply aging and deteriorating mentally. When I finally was able to leave with help and become independent...I felt new. But still stuck in the maze.

Now I am in a different part of the maze. One I thought I'd left but was curious about so came back to. A trap. Maybe not an intentional trap, but a mind trap. And now I feel my mind deteriorate again...I am thinking about thinking about thinking about feeling about imagined injury and injustice. about real injury and injustice. about my inability to change it...how do i change me into someone I like? Into someone who can help...because right now I don't know how to help myself. I could blame my partner or my parents or the government or my friends and my past friends. on my fragile sense of self and my sensitivity. but there is no blame to be held except in the palm of my own hand. The choice was made and now I have come full circle to an indecisiveness based on fear that no choice is the "correct" choice.

In the grey areas....where morality is not and the outcome mostly affects you more than anyone else....I still cannot see the forest for the trees. I see white. Nothingness. Endless sleep. My chest hurts. I want to cry all the time. This is pointless. I feel but it's dull. and relaxation is not a term I have ever felt. Not in a long time. Not one I can recall.

I am not suffering the way so many suffer. I suffer at the weakness and impairment of my own mind and judgement. I take the blame for all my injuries, real or imagined. But I do not know how to heal them.

Perhaps, this is simply because I am impatient.

What virtues do I hold...patience not being one of them?

Even writing this I dislike the tone of my own voice in my head. I sound like a sniveling brat who cannot cope. I am a cruel critic and a sore loser. I am smart enough to understand that I am not special but too dumb to see how I can make any real lasting change.

I am too sensitive for this world. The slightest brush against my skin hurts and words spoken in vain may as well be daggers to my fragile identity. I think this is where I have gone awry, I have lost my sense of self. And along with it went my reality and any semblance of stability I thought I could uphold.

I do not know how to pray. But I try, I pray to God in the only way I know; by asking, please God...help me. I do not want to be forsaken. I want to be better. I want to be good. I want to be happy and live a contented life.

[madfishmonger]

Well said.

"We need to realize it’s impossible to please people who hate us.

It’s really become clear to me over the last several years and seeing what’s happening in the world (particularly in the US because that’s where I am) that a disturbingly large portion of humanity simply hates women and will not be convinced otherwise. And it’s not just men, there are plenty of women who hate other women.

We are constantly judged. No matter what we do, it’s wrong. There is an absolutely impossible standard set for us that no person can ever meet, and yet our perceived failure is seen as a reason to keep hating us.

If we choose to express ourselves sexually, we’re called slts and whres.

If we choose to not be sexually active, we’re called prudes and “frigid.”

If we enjoy sex with men, that’s bad. If we enjoy sex with anyone other than men, that’s bad.

If we choose to pursue an education and career, we’re selfish cold-hearted and will die alone. Especially if we choose not to reproduce.

If we choose to get married and have a family, we’re lazy and contributing to overpopulation.

If we are stay at home mothers, we’re mooching off our husbands and sitting on our asses all day and being bad feminists.

If we are working mothers, we’re neglecting our children and homes.

If we are happily single, we’re going to be eaten by our cats.

If we are happily in a relationship, we’re somehow manipulating someone.

If we take birth control, we are selfish and promiscuous.

If we get pregnant, we’re irresponsible and stupid.

If we have an abortion, we’re evil baby killers and trying to duck out of responsibility.

If we give birth, we’re babytrappers.

If we dress too seductively, we’re asking for the wrong kind of attention and have no self respect.

If we don’t dress seductively enough, we’re frumpy and have no self respect.

If we are cautious around men and try to protect ourselves, we’re paranoid and silly and exaggerating.

If we aren’t cautious and end up assaulted, we should have been more careful, what were we thinking?

If we’re in an abusive relationship, we should have been more picky and had higher standards.

If we refuse someone’s advances, we’re too picky and should “give them a chance.”

If we’re polite and demure, we are too passive.

If we stand up for ourselves, we’re too aggressive.

If we express ourselves, we’re hysterical and too emotional.

If we hold back, we’re bad communicators.

We are considered too weak, too fragile, too dumb, too emotional, too vain, too EVERYTHING to be equal to men, but we’re also somehow responsible for every bad thing a man does. Either his mother didn’t raise him right, or girls he pursued wouldn’t date him, or his wife was a nag or stopped putting out, or that woman or little girl was tempting him, or women’s suffrage has somehow disenfranchised him and women’s rights have robbed him of opportunities that used to be reserved for men only.

And I’m so tired of this.

We’re never going to win. Not by playing by their rules. I know many of us have realized this long ago, but for anyone who needs to hear this: you don’t have to keep trying. People will hate you just for existing, and the best revenge is to just keep going, live YOUR best life, fight their attempts to quell us, and stop trying to meet the impossible standards they placed on us.

We have to keep fighting. We have to push back on these toxic beliefs, not because we’re going to convince them to stop hating us, but because they will never stop hating us. We don’t owe them anything. We owe each other, our allies, and ourselves everything.

Misogyny has always existed and probably always will. Getting rid of it isn’t what we should be trying to do. Instead, we need to take away their power and make it so they can’t keep trying to keep us “in our place.”

Vote. Protest. Donate. Talk to people. If you have kids, raise them to be feminists. If you don’t, consider volunteering at shelters or community centers. Be intersectional. This fight affects cis women, trans women, black women, white women, all our LGBTQ+ and POC siblings. And even men.

Because misogyny and hate hurts everyone. They’re going to hate us no matter what, so we might as well fight for ourselves, our safety, our freedom, our happiness, our future. And let everyone who hates us rot away in their hate. We don’t have to play their game.

I quit. I quit caring what hateful men and women think of me and my life and my choices. I’m don’t playing nice and trying to get along and compromise with people who believe I’m not worthy of freedom and dignity.

They can call me any name they want, it’s not going to make me keep trying to play their losing game."

[dreamspeaker-buttercutter]

I think teenage/collage age superhero media should be more stupid. I don't mean like the characters are dumb or act like idiots, it just feel that teenage/young adult super-powered people would act rash and silly due to the fact that they are just expirencing freedom and a power trip.

Now, I don't want them to be evil, just assholes. Just like... people. Like holding big super-powered party's! Getting into flashy but basically a super-powered slap fight over something small!

Not to toot my own horn, but let me use my own mutants and masterminds setting. So far, there is not real "villains" only mildly selfish or rash fools. They don't want to hurt people, only mess around with there powers and have fun! So what if they crush a Dave and Busters under ice?

[sepublic]

The Ignition Trilogy’s Morality

(What follows is a tangent that transitions into an analysis on my main issue with the Ignition Trilogy; Specifically in that it fails to provide a proper rebuttal to the cynicism and cruelty introduced with characters like the Piraka or Order of Mata Nui, who basically exist to mock the Toa’s idealism and tell them to ‘grow up’. Which in turn, causes the story’s attempts to be more nuanced to backfire, and instead become even more edgily black-and-white, with one-dimensional villains whom we are supposed to accept as having always been pure evil, unlike our noble heroes who are good and thus could never become bad.)

      Is anyone else miffed that the Piraka defeated the Toa Nuva? I think with characters like the Rahkshi or even the Bohrok-Kal, it didn’t really bother me because… Yeah, the Toa Nuva usually have their initial loss, their harsh learning curve- But the idea is that eventually, they learn to overcome this and win anyway, because that’s what heroes do, against all odds.

      But they never defeat the Piraka- Instead, the Toa Nuva are helplessly shackled with no agency, and provide no bearing on the plot whatsoever, needing to be rescued by others. Sure, I can live with the idea that it was more Brutaka powered up by Makuta that defeated the Toa Nuva, but our heroes never did get their proper rematch with the Piraka.

      In fact, none of our heroes did- Every time there was a full fight between the Toa and Piraka, it was always the Piraka who won, or kind of weaseled their way to victory because of dumb luck. And it really bothers me, because while I have professed to find the Piraka pretty hilarious… They’re my least favorite villains for a reason, and it’s because those obnoxious jerks never got properly put into their place by an actual team of Toa heroes.

      The thing with the Piraka is that they basically kept bragging about how they were better than these goody two-shoes heroes, who were naïve to believe in heroism and whatnot. They were edgy and mean-spirited, constantly talking up how they always beat Toa, because Evil is actually smarter and better… And then the narrative doesn’t really disprove them much, because the Piraka keep winning against the Toa anyway, making our protagonists look like fools of themselves because good guys are apparently dumber, reactive, and naïve.

      It felt like a mockery of our beloved tropes by twisting them around on their heads to be dark- The six-element island is evil, the ‘Toa’ are evil… And the worst part is that 2006 just generally had this vibe of ‘cynicism is more realistic’ that it never quite refuted, just sort of left behind in favor of the more tame and frankly less overbearing 2007. With 2006, there was this idea that heroes were a bunch of dumb and silly idiots, just pitiful fairytales- Our classic Toa Nuva are defeated to make way for more aesthetically-edgy heroes like the Toa Inika, because 2006 really was the angst teenage phase, hence its chain-link aesthetic and THAT rap.

      All of it culminates when the Toa Inika fight the Piraka for one last time… And then the battle is anti-climatically ended because Kongu messes up, because heroes are silly idealistic, pompous, self-righteous fools who are caught up in bold maneuvers and aren’t really smart or practical. The Piraka are never shown their place by proper heroes, in the end they have to be defeated by themselves, and Vezon- Also a villain, derived from one of their number no less! And it was really dissatisfying- Because I guess I was just waiting for some proper heroes to show up and actually defeat them, once and for all.

      I wanted to see heroes show the Piraka that Good and Kindness ISN’T weak, it isn’t dumb- It’s actually far stronger than any of their selfish backstabbing and cynicism. That should’ve been how 2006 ended, to balance out the darkness by reminding us that it IS worth it in the end- I mean, Axonn says as much! And while I do appreciate Axonn’s quote, the way the Piraka are just sort of forgotten and written out of the story, without a proper conclusion… Their mutation felt anticlimactic, after so much talk from Zaktan about how these Piraka were fugitives from the Dark Hunters, only for the Dark Hunters to never show up in their lives, ever again.

      I honestly think the Piraka should’ve been captured by the Dark Hunters, and dragged back to Odina for some horrible, unseen punishment- Something vague yet final enough that it COULD be an ending, but if Greg wanted, he could still bring the Piraka back. I think it’d bring more closure to the constant fear Zaktan felt, the apprehension and paranoia, of their past catching up to them.

      It’d show that for all of their cruelty and boasting, they really were just puny pawns, trying to play at things far bigger than them- Unlike the Toa, who they sneered and ridiculed in a manner almost jealous. And it’d just make The Shadowed One all the more terrifying and imposing as a villain… I think being dragged back to the Dark Hunters would’ve been a poetic end to the Piraka- After being thrashed by the Toa.

      …Instead, we get the Piraka defeating the Toa Mahri yet again, and their defeat by Axonn is largely off-screen. The thing with delightfully nasty villains like the Piraka is that for all of their horridness, it’s supposed to make it all the more cathartic when karma DOES catch up to them… But it never really feels like it does. I mean, technically it does- But the execution leaves something to be desired, in that it’s done by more nebulous, unrelated outside agents, like the pit mutagen, or the Piraka themselves, rather than a hero showing them that for all their boasting, their evil and cynicism isn’t ‘realistic’, it’s transient and will never last in the face of good virtue. I think cheesy heroics like that at the end of 2006 would serve as a proper palate cleanser.

      In the end, the Piraka are whisked off by Axonn, who… While generally heroic as I’ve mentioned earlier, is also kind of emblematic of the Order of Mata Nui- Who themselves represent a rather cynical take on heroism. I guess Greg was trying to go for something more ‘nuanced’ by having anti-heroes, but in practice, it actually felt more black and white, where it was okay for the protagonists to kill or lock up their enemies without a second thought, because their enemies were one-dimensional, evil for the sake of it, villains. Hence Dekar-Hydraxon, who is a cop who commits police brutality against Matoro no less- And it never feels like he, or the rest of the order, is properly called out for it.

      Maybe the OoMN eventually would’ve been, had the serials not been cancelled- But so far, it really does feel like Greg trying to shift Bionicle away from its ‘embarrassing’ and ‘childish’ idealism, insisting the heroes and audience have to grow up and be ‘realistic’ and just kill their enemies- Hence that scene where the Visorak are completely wiped out, with the Toa Mahri duped into commiting genocide, and all Jaller can do is essentially shrug helplessly and decide “Okay I guess that’s how the world really works.” Maybe it’s just me, but I felt these darker tones were never properly countered with the necessary kindness, and the Order of Mata Nui bugged me a lot because they felt like the Matoran Universe’s CIA. There was a lot of horrible things they did that was never called out, like their murder of people who knew the location of Artakha- I’d have liked to see someone confront Tobduk over that.

      And, I guess one could say that the OoMN had that similar problem that the Piraka did- As stand-ins for the author to cynically dismiss the fairy tale idealism of the heroes, who were too kind and thus weak and spineless to do the right thing and just kill their enemies; They had to toughen up and be ‘real’ heroes. And again, that ends up feeling less nuanced as a result, more black-and-white… Which, maybe was intentional since it’s canon that Botar has a black-and-white view of things.

      That isn’t to say our protagonists couldn’t have benefitted from dispelling some naivete- That they didn’t need to learn that they weren’t automatically good and right. But in the end, this didn’t feel like a real and meaningful deconstruction of these Good VS Evil narratives, or else we would’ve had tropes like the Evil Race, in species like the Vortixx and Skakdi, challenged. No, it felt more like what adult TV shows mistake as ‘deconstruction’, when really it’s just making things more cynical and violent and hopeless. Mistaking darkness for maturity and cleverness.

      In the end, we didn’t get our protagonists being forced to stop and question, and critically analyze their own actions- We didn’t see our heroes ask what puts them in the right, and focusing on that to do the right thing. We didn’t see our heroes realize they were acting presumptuously, and instead shift gears to be kinder and more open-minded, which would’ve been the perfect answer to cynicism. Instead, our protagonists are told that they should just kill the villains anyway, because the villains are conveniently more scummy and one-dimensional than past antagonists.

      Our heroes weren’t forced to examine their enemies as more than just baddies, to critically ask why their antagonists became evil, what compelled them to do so- They didn’t deconstruct any power structures or narrative assumptions, like the Matoran are the Good and Default of the universe, and all other species are less important (How other species felt about this could’ve been explored through Ehlek’s vendetta against the Matoran). They didn’t stop to examine how every villain thinks they’re the hero too, that just thinking of yourself as a hero can be a slippery slope to extremism, because being a Hero isn’t how you label yourself- It’s what you do.

      That would then justify the Toa acting more sneaky and using less heroic abilities, not acting in the open because Toa are expected to not hide themselves. It’d be a proper balance between less ‘honorable’ methods, but still with obvious well-meaning intent- And again, masks like the Tryna would be the perfect example of protagonists deconstructing what makes certain powers ‘evil’, to get to the root of what Good really is, beyond a palatable aesthetic. How ‘dark’ things can be redeemed, if they were ever really bad to begin with, that feels like real deconstruction imo.

      But instead, we are introduced to the idea of immoral mask powers in the first place, without meaningfully examining why they’re immoral, and even going by arbitrary reasons- Like a Kanohi deemed evil simply because Makuta used it. And to add to what I said about questioning narratives about the enemy as just pure evil, having our own Makuta species humanized into a race of individuals, with motives behind their fall from grace.

      That could’ve been a neat way of exploring how good people can turn dark, taking further what Krika provides. It could’ve been an educational moment for teens growing up and yearning to see the world in a more nuanced manner, after realizing life is so much more complex than they thought- And wanting reconciliation with stuff that seemingly disproves their assumptions of Good, hence the darkness ultimately being outdone by the persisting triumph of the heroic spirit.

      It could help audiences realize that dehumanizing and reducing your enemy to just plain evil is such a horrible ideology that justifies all manner of terrible genocides, as well as imprisonment without a trial or due process. In the end, it feels like Greg wanted the conflict to feel more gray by having the heroes do darker things… But in the end, it just felt MORE black-and-white, which leads to the Order of Mata Nui’s actions not truly being critically examined, and thus having the narrative lowkey border on copaganda at times, especially with that whole mess that was the Pit and Hydraxon.

      With Hydraxon especially, it feels like the story had a lot of fun with the aesthetic of a Bad Cop, without bothering to examine or analyze what a Bad Cop stands for, misunderstanding what a Bad Cop is about, and the social critique that trope started off as. Yes Hydraxon is a bit of an extremist, but only because he’s going after our heroes, who are obviously good because they’re not actual criminals… Which of course then assumes that if someone was convicted and imprisoned, then this must confirm they are of course evil and deserve it.

      That just leads to questionable stuff like Nocturn, who is portrayed with far less sympathy than I think he deserved- All because he was an actual convicted prisoner, so obviously that means he’s absolutely guilty. Which, compared to the pre-Ignition year of 2004, which had our heroes fighting the evil law enforcement, being wrongly accused, branded criminals… It doesn’t sit right with me. It definitely hits even closer to home in more recent times…

      And stuff like the Toa Empire, it feels more like a paltry attempt that is never applied to the main universe, and also problematic in that it reduces Toa we know and love to just faceless evil. Same with the Shadow Takanuva’s, because they’re antagonists and not OUR heroes and thus less important. It doesn’t really stop to examine how our Toa became evil, they just are now, and Tuyet as an example of extremism is never examined properly- Instead, it’s more about the subversive shock value of evil Toa.

      We don’t compare the Toa becoming villains to the process that the Makuta went through- And thus we don’t humanize these villains by realizing they were just like our heroes, because according to Greg the Makuta were always arrogant and ambitious and only did good to avoid punishment. Not unlike our naturally noble heroes who never have any darkness to overcome, whose alternate actions in a timeline are never considered. Greg will sometimes hint at this type of actual deconstruction, dip his toes in briefly, but then never follow through with it with the full exploration and depth it deserves.

      And this lack of self-examination is a shame, because someone like Brutaka could’ve been a compelling avenue, as a heroic scholar who critically analyzed the situation, and thus went down a dark path- A disillusioned warrior who shows our protagonists the flaws of the system, of the narrative’s assumptions of Good and Evil, and how that broke him… How the Order of Mata Nui’s zealotry broke him. How it convinced him that Good is just a sham and excuse to justify horrid atrocities, so Brutaka just gives up… But then Axonn and the Toa show that no, Good and Heroism IS real- It is meaningful. He can still be kind. Axonn doesn’t care that much about the OoMN himself, either.

      The OoMN doesn’t reflect what a hero is- And Brutaka was right to think of them as wrong. This wasn’t proof that he needed to give up, but proof that he needed to keep fighting even harder for what’s right- Because it’s only the lost causes that are worth fighting for, right? Brutaka can define for himself what is Good and work with that, instead of blindly following Helryx’s black-and-white thinking; I think that would provide more grounds for a compelling redemption, and better transition Brutaka back to the side of good, while also providing more sympathetic context as to his disillusionment.

      So in combination with my issues with the Pit, we could’ve had the heroes begrudgingly go along with the OoMN as necessary, to awaken Mata Nui… While also deliberately working to undermine their other actions. Critically examining the prisoners of the Pit, if they really deserve this just because they did something wrong. Realizing they’re being tasked with the genocide of the Visorak, and foiling that- And in Axonn and Brutaka’s case, willingly choosing not to kill off the Makuta species, by destroying their only means of creation.

      Instead, they work with the Antidermis, and Miserix, in the belief of redemption for the Makuta- Because why wouldn’t Brutaka believe in redemption himself? Maybe the Federation of Fear is partly done because he believes, or hopes, that he can offer redemption to these other villains. In the end it doesn’t work out and they all remain evil, but Brutaka nevertheless affirms that it WAS worth a shot regardless- And it’s always worth it to try and hope anyway. So we have his renewed hope tested after it’s regained, and thus strengthened with further resolve.

      And we could have a neat moment of Lariska, who does feel like an actual gray character, remarking this to Brutaka- And maybe observing how they at least gave a new chance to Miserix, who had been condemned to die. That has to mean something, and it eventually does, because a Makuta is given the chance to prove his species isn’t evil, as someone who never betrayed Mata Nui. The heroes giving Miserix this chance pays off for them and shows that kindness does help- And this outcome perhaps motivates Brutaka to spare the Antidermis instead of destroying it.

      But yeah, those are my thoughts. I definitely got carried away from my intial point about wishing the Piraka got a proper defeat by the heroes- And then started talking about the Order of Mata Nui as well. And I guess the uniting thesis is that the Ignition Trilogy, for all of its strengths, often veered too much into the ‘cynicism is realism’ territory, itself a defeatist assumption that isn’t anymore mature than blind optimism. Our beloved heroes are just fools and puppets playing into the hands of our villain, who is smarter than everyone else, because Good is Dumb and Reactive, while Evil is Smart and Proactive- Because being evil and cruel is cooler, I guess.

      It’s an undertone that felt sneering, and while Mata Nui does help to rectify that, especially with the Glatorian setting feeling a lot closer to that nuanced deconstruction I was talking about –how most aren’t good or bad, just trying to survive in life- it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth… Because our idealistic heroes who are duped never get to triumph themselves, and personally prove that cynicism wrong.

      Tahu and Takanuva help in the final battle, but they’re just kinda there, and we don’t have our protagonists in the Matoran Universe, the ones outmaneuvered by Makuta, showing how Good can still be just as clever, while still kind. We needed to be shown the triumph of the heroic spirit in spite of all these dark odds that insisted otherwise, through the actual characters who embodied that spirit they were mocked with.

[impalementation]

spike, angel, buffy & romanticism: part 3

part 1: “When you kiss me I want to die”: Angel and the high school seasons

part 2: “Love isn’t brains, children”: Enter Spike as the id

* 

“Something effulgent”: Season five and the construction of Spike the romantic

Prior to becoming a romantic interest, Spike is everything I discussed in the last section. He is an id and a mirror for Buffy, he’s prone to both romantic exaggeration and cutting realism, and his liminality suggests ambiguity. But outside of “Lovers Walk”, the writing doesn’t actually delve too deeply into Spike’s nature as a romantic. If you stopped the canon at “Restless”, you’d probably think that Spike’s love for Drusilla was intriguing, but that the show hadn’t really gone anywhere with the implications of it, and for all you knew, that might not be an important part of his character anymore. So one of the most interesting things about season five to me, is that in this season in which the writers first consciously, deliberately decide to explore the sexual and romantic tension between Spike and Buffy, they also emphasize Spike’s romanticism more than ever. The choice to define Spike by his romanticism is a choice that follows naturally from everything established about his character, but it was also not an inevitable choice. Therefore, it’s a choice worth looking at in some detail.

Consider everything that “Fool For Love” establishes about Spike, especially the things that contradict what was supposedly canon at the time. It makes Drusilla his sire instead of Angel, meaning that he is sired by a romantic connection, and as a direct result of heartbreak. It makes him a poet living in the middle of the Victorian era, an age at odds with his previous ages of “barely 200” and “126”. Meaning that the writing specifically decides to ignore its canon in order to associate him with an era in which passions would have been repressed (rather than the Romantic era of the early 1800’s or the modern energy of the early 1900’s). Moreover, the episode reveals his entire aesthetic and personality to essentially be a construct. But most tellingly of all, it reveals him to be an idealist. Spike is not just a performance artist; he yearns for the “effulgent”, for something “glowing and glistening” that the “vulgarians” of the world don’t understand. In other words, he yearns for something bigger and more beautiful than life: something romantic. Later, he chases after “death, glory, and sod all else.” Spike may be a “fool for love”, who has a romantic view of romantic love specifically, but the episode is very clear about the fact that he is also a romantic more generally. When Drusilla turns him, she doesn’t tempt him by telling him she’ll love him forever. She tempts him by offering him “something…effulgent”. (Which, in typical Spike form, the episode immediately undercuts by having him say “ow” instead of swooning romantically). The fact that “Fool For Love”, Spike’s major backstory episode, is so determined to paint him as a romantic--and in particular, a disappointed, frustrated romantic--that it is willing to contradict canon to do so, tells you that this choice was important for framing Spike and his new, ongoing thematic role.

I’ve talked in the past about how season five is all about the tension between the mythical and the mortal--between big, grand, sweeping narratives, and the reality of being human. Buffy is the Slayer, but she’s also just a girl who loses her mother. Dawn is the key, but she’s also just a confused and hormonal fourteen-year-old. Willow is a powerful witch, but she also just wants her girlfriend to be okay. Glory is a god, but she’s also a human man named Ben, and finds herself increasingly weakened by his emotions. And Spike embodies this tension perfectly. He’s a soulless vampire with a lifetime of bloodshed behind him, but he’s also this silly, human man who wants to love and be loved. He wants big, grand things, but every time they are frustrated by a Victorian society, a rejection, a chip, a pratfall, or dying with an “ow”. Furthermore, his season five storyline is all about the tension between loving in an exalted, yet often selfish way, versus loving in a “real” or selfless way. 

There was a fascinating piece a ways back that discussed how Spike’s attempts to woo Buffy in season five almost perfectly match the romantic narratives of Courtly Love. In the words of the author:

The term "Courtly Love" is used to describe a certain kind of relationship common in romantic medieval literature. The Knight/Lover finds himself desperately and piteously enamored of a divinely beautiful but unobtainable woman. After a period of distressed introspection, he offers himself as her faithful servant and goes forth to perform brave deeds in her honor. His desire to impress her and to be found worthy of her gradually transforms and ennobles him; his sufferings -- inner turmoil, doubts as to the lady's care of him, as well as physical travails -- ultimately lends him wisdom, patience, and virtue and his acts themselves worldly renown.

You can see for yourself how well that description fits Spike’s arc. He fixates on the torturous, abject nature of his love, and has it in his head that he can perform deeds and demonstrate virtue, and this will prove to Buffy that he is worthy of her. But despite Spike’s gradual ennobling over the course of the season, I think it would be a mistake to see the season as using the Courtly Love narrative uncritically, or even just ironically. The same way it would be a mistake to see season two as using the Gothic uncritically. Spike is as much Don Quixote as he is Lancelot. He is a character that deliberately tries to act out romantic tropes, giving the writing an opportunity to satirize those tropes, including the tropes of chivalric romance. In particular, the writing criticizes Spike’s (very chivalric) fixation on love as a personal agony, something that is more about pain--and specifically, his pain--than building a real relationship. Over and over in season five, he is forced to abandon these sorts of flattering romantic mindsets in favor of a more complicated reality. 

So at first, Spike’s “deeds” tend to be shallow and vaguely transactional. He tries to help Buffy in “Checkpoint” even though she doesn’t want it (and insults her when she doesn’t appreciate it), he asks “what the hell does it take?” when Buffy is unimpressed by him not feeding on “bleeding disaster victims” in “Triangle”, he rants bitterly at a mannequin when Buffy fails to be grateful to him for taking her to Riley in “Into the Woods”, and he is angry and confused when Buffy is unmoved by his offer to stake Drusilla in “Crush”. While these attempts to symbolically reject his evilness are startling for a soulless vampire, and although Spike certainly feels like he is fundamentally altering himself for Buffy’s sake, none of it is based on understanding or supporting Buffy in a way that she would actually find substantial. Moreover, he lashes out when his gestures fail to win her attention or affection. He has an idea in his head of how their romantic scenes should play out, and reacts petulantly when reality fails to live up to it. 

But these incidents of self-interested narrativizing are also continuously contrasted with scenes in which Spike reacts with real generosity, or is surprised when he realizes he’s touched something emotionally genuine. When Buffy seeks him out in “Checkpoint”, his mannerisms instantly change when he realizes she actually needs real help (“You’re the only one strong enough to protect them”), rather than the performed help he offered at the beginning of the episode. At the end of “Fool For Love” he’s struck dumb by Buffy’s grief, and his antagonistic posturing all evening melts away. He abandons his romantic vision of their erotic, life-and-death rivalry in favor of real, awkward emotional intimacy. In “Forever” he tries to anonymously leave flowers for Joyce, and reacts angrily when he’s denied—but this time not because he wanted something from Buffy. Simply because he wanted to do something meaningful. 

This contradictory behavior comes to a head in “Intervention”, the episode in which Spike finally begins to understand the difference between real and transactional generosity. Up until that point, Spike has been reacting both selfishly and unselfishly, but he hasn’t been able to truly distinguish between them, which is why he keeps repeating the same mistakes. Although he touches something real at the end of “Fool For Love”, for instance, he goes on to rifle through Buffy’s intimates in the very next episode. And so “Intervention” has Spike go to extremes of fakeness and reality. He gives up on having the real Buffy, and seeks out an artificial substitute that lets him live out his cheesiest romance novel scripts. It’s important that the Buffybot isn’t just a sexbot, even if he does have sex with her. She’s a bot he plays out romantic scenarios with the way he played them with Harmony in “Crush”, allowing him to almost literally live within a fiction. But then he “gives up” on having Buffy in a way that’s actually real, by offering up his life. He lets himself be tortured, and potentially killed, for no other reason than that to do otherwise would cause Buffy pain. The focus is on her pain, not his. For the first time, he acts like the Knight he’s been trying to be all along. He performs a grand, heroic deed that causes the object of his affection to see him in a different light, and even grant him a kiss. Yet ironically, as part of learning the difference between real and fake, he ceases to press for Buffy’s reciprocation. Through the end of season five, Spike continues to act the selfless Knight, assisting Buffy in her heroism without asking for anything in return. Which culminates in his declaration that he knows Buffy “will never love him”, even after he’s promised her the deed of protecting Dawn, and even though she allows a kind of intimacy by letting him back in her house. He proves that he sees those gestures for what they are, rather than in a transactional light. The irony of the way Spike fulfills the narrative of chivalric romance, is that his ennobling involves letting aspects of that narrative go. 

In a Courtly Love narrative, the object of the Knight’s affection is fundamentally pedestalized. The Knight himself might be flawed, but the woman he pines after is not. She is “divinely beautiful” and “unobtainable”, something above him and almost more than human. This is why it’s so comic that in Don Quixote, which was a direct satire of chivalric romance, Alonso Quixano’s “lady love” is a vulgar peasant farmgirl who has no idea who he is. (Think of the way Spike asks if Buffy is tough in “School Hard” or threatens to “take her apart” despite “how brilliant she is” in “The Initiative”, followed by scenes where Buffy is acting like the teenage girl she is. Or how Giles in “Checkpoint” says that Buffy has “acquired a remarkable focus” before cutting to Buffy yawning.). Although it’s true that Buffy is beautiful, and supernatural, and profoundly moral, she is also very human, and the writing is very concerned with that humanity. Season five in particular, as I’ve mentioned, is preoccupied with the duality of Buffy’s mythic and mortal nature. Thus it becomes significant that Buffy is assigned such a heightened role in Spike’s chivalric narrative. Just Spike is at once Lancelot and Don Quixote, Buffy is at once Achilles, Dulcinea, and a coming-of-age protagonist. 

And part of the “lesson” of Spike’s arc is for him to see both sides of the roles they embody. One of my favorite things about the scene in Buffy’s house in “The Gift” is how adroitly it conveys the dualities of both Buffy and Spike with simple, but poetic imagery and language. Buffy stands above Spike on her steps, conveying her elevated role, and Spike honors the way her heroic status has inspired him by physically looking up to her as he explains that he expects nothing from her. But by expecting nothing from her, and promising to protect her sister, he also honors the fact that she is a real person with no obligation to him, and a younger sister she cares about more than anything. He also honors his own duality by at once making Knightly promises, and acknowledging that he sees through his former delusions: “I know that I’m a monster, but you treat me like a man.” In “Fool For Love” he tried to acknowledge the same duality of realism and romance, by declaring to Cecily that “I know I’m a bad poet, but I’m a good man.” But at the time, he was an innocent, whose desire to be seen, and whose romantic avoidance of “dark, ugly things”, left him unprepared to understand how Cecily really saw him (similar to Spike’s insistence in “Crush” that what he and Buffy have “isn’t pretty, but it’s real” just before Buffy locks him out). Spike is a character defined simultaneously by continuous disillusionment and dogged aspiration, which is why he makes perfect sense as a character to embody a season torn between the pain of being human, and the wonder of the gift of love.

Fittingly, the season ends with Spike’s most devastating loss of innocence of all. He fails to be the hero for Buffy or Dawn (note that Knightly language he uses on the tower: “I made a promise to a lady”), and he loses the woman he loves. He may have become more virtuous, but unlike in a chivalric romance, that virtue wins him neither Buffy, nor something flattering like “world reknown.” The climax of the “The Gift” is full of romance—a god, a troll hammer, a damsel on a tower, a heroic self-sacrifice, a vampire transformed into a Knight—but the end result is that Buffy is dead, in part because he wasn’t good enough, and all that he and the Scoobies can do is grieve. Stories got Spike nothing, even when reality finally lived up to them. It is a swan song to the myths of childhood, and on the other side of Glory’s portal, Spike and the other characters will have to confront a world where those myths have been left behind.

part 4: “But I can’t fool myself. Or Spike, for some reason.”: Buffy and Spike as a blended self