#while also seeking validation from said hero

[homuraakemis]

Honestly, every single one of Jinx's accusations against Vi is so hypocritical:

1) "I thought, maybe you could love me like you used to, even though I'm different".

She accuses Vi of not loving/accepting her as she is. This is already an absurd expectation, because first, Vi has no obligation to "accept her as she is" when she is doing all the horrible things that she does, and second, Vi actually does love her despite all her mistakes, it's Jinx herself who refuses Vi's offer to leave and start anew.

But it's also a completely hypocritical accusation: she wants Vi to accept her as she is, but she doesn't accept Vi as she is. Vi is a person who is not willing to murder innocents and also someone who cares about Caitlyn. But Jinx doesn't accept that about her sister. She wants Vi to change for her, she wants Vi to become a murderer and kill Caitlyn to prove her love for her, and when Vi refuses, she rejects Vi. So Jinx herself doesn't accept Vi as she is.

2) "Poisoning our air"

This is incredibly hypocritical coming from a person who spent years helping to poison the people of Zaun with shimmer, a drug that devastated Zaun. Vi and Caitlyn's use of the Grey at least was targeted against the chem-barons (the very people that were poisoning Zaun with Shimmer and that Jinx spent years helping), and the Grey is also not shown to be lethal. Silco spreading shimmer, on the other hand, was not targeted. He didn't sell shimmer in a controlled manner for its healing properties, he sold it in a widespread manner, getting people addicted, debilitated, and turning them into monsters that attack other people. And Jinx helped Silco do it. What she did is much worse than what Vi did, but apparently it's ok for Jinx to poison her own people.** (And that's not even mentioning all the other bad things against Zaun that Jinx helped happen by working with Silco, like the child slave labor, the killing of the Firelights and all other of Silco's crimes)

3) "Wish I was seeing things when you decided to throw in with the Piltie goons who murdered mom and dad"

Again, so hypocritical. Yes, Vi joined the enforcers. But she joined a team with an enforcer that she trusted (Caitlyn), and she didn't join anyone directly responsible for their parent's deaths. Jinx, on the other hand, actually joined the man directly responsible for the deaths of their adoptive family.** Not to mention that Jinx's actions are the main reason Vi joined the enforcers in the first place.

**By the way, I know that Jinx was a kid when she was taken in by Silco. But as an adult, we never see Jinx express remorse for working with him. On the contrary, we see her grieve him, smell his jacket and only ever think fondly of him, never criticizing him for his role in destroying Zaun. And while she was a kid when she was taken in, she continues helping him as an adult, she continues doing it even after Vi comes back and tries to help her, and it's also implied that Ekko tried to help her in the past and she refused (or if he didn't try, she still could have tried to ask for his help, she had somewhere else to go other than staying with Silco). She could have left Silco as an adult but didn't. As Ekko said, she works for Silco not because she needs to, but because she wants to, and she constantly seeks Silco's validation. So while I can understand that Jinx was a vulnerable kid that was manipulated by Silco, I still think that if she's going to make these accusations against Vi without ever self-reflecting about her own role in helping Silco oppress Zaun, then it's fair to call out her hypocrisy.

4) "Wake up, sis. I'm a hero. I busted half of Zaun out of Stillwater while you were passed out in the bottom of a mug."

First of all, it's incredibly insensitive for her to throw Stillwater in Vi's face, considering that she knows Vi spent 7 years there, and it's really cruel to mock Vi for being "passed out in the bottom of a mug" considering that part of the reason Vi has been spiraling and drinking were Jinx's own actions. Jinx is part of the reason why Vi has been getting wasted like this.

But it's also hypocritical, because she is accusing Vi of doing nothing while Zaun is suffering, even though Jinx herself was also doing nothing. She was hiding with Isha and would not have helped anyone if Isha hadn't been taken. Not to mention that her own terrorist attacks are the very reason Zaun is being occupied, and Vi helped Zaun way more than Jinx ever did.

(Tbh, I find it frustrating that Vi never got to properly answer to Jinx's accusations or point out Jinx's hypocrisy. I get that for most of the show, Vi is never really in a good state of mind to actually answer to these accusations, especially because Vi is usually busy blaming herself for everything. So I'm not saying it's bad writing that Vi never properly defended herself against these accusations. But it's still very frustrating)

[lizzy06]

Kaminari Denki x Reader Fic Recs!! (Tumblr/Ao3/Wattpad)

My Hero Academia Fic Rec Masterlist

watt and bothered/ tumblr✨💖  by  @andypantsx3/ andypantsx3 (oneshot, fluff, humor, smut(u can skip the smut if u prefer sfw)) For years, you’ve been valiantly battling the world’s most annoying frat bro in the apartment above you. Only, it turns out he’s not a frat bro. And also he’s hot. And also he’s—what the fuck. [COMPLETED]

Sleepwalker✨✨💖 by Fogfire/ @dira333 (oneshot, fluff) When you wake up in a stranger's bed, you don't expect it to be Chargebolt, Pro Hero. You even less expect it to happen again. But who knew what a faulty Quirk could do… [COMPLETED]

Head over Heels for you✨✨💖 by Fogfire/ @dira333 (oneshot, fluff) It's a good thing Denki gets loopy from Painkillers. Or how one accidental confession leads to something more… [COMPLETED]

In Your Arms/tumblr✨ by @alaskasmonsters/ alaskasmonsters (oneshot, fluff) Denki had become a lot more touchy lately with you, constantly seeking out touch from you specifically and you are slowly losing your mind about it… [COMPLETED]

Truth or Dare ✨by orphan_account(oneshot, fluff) You really, really wanna win this game. [COMPLETED]

I will keep on loving you✨✨ by FujisMina63 (fluff, angst, idiots in love) A Fan-fic about what if Denki loses himself to his quirk, but you still stay with him. [COMPLETED]

BNHA Soulmate AU Week Day 5: Drawing on Skin✨ by @writing-freak (oneshot, soulmate AU, fluff) anything you write on your skin shows up on the skin of your soulmate. you often draw the attention of others due to the crazy doodles, scribbles, and words written all over you from head to toe. [COMPLETED]

deal✨ by @candychronicles (oneshot, Soulmate Au, fluff) in a world full of heroes and quirks, finding someone you can love is very, very hard. it’s even harder when you have a soulmate and the words that are tattooed on you are a nightmare. but still, even in this strange world, love finds a way. [COMPETED]

Favor/ tumblr✨ by ScatteredScribbles (oneshot, fluff) The smile is back, and you’re surprised at how that observation alone is enough to make your skin tingle. It’s just leftover bits of electricity, you tell yourself. When he drapes his arm across your shoulder though, your stomach leaps, and you begin to doubt the validity of your own argument. [COMPLETED]

You're Sexy, I'm Sexy by midnightweeds (weedswrites) (oneshot, soulmate au, fluff) “What did you say?” Bakugo asks, still holding his full glass. “After she said-”.[COMPLETED]

Deity Of Light- Kaminari Denki X Apollo! Reader✨ by Lady Blast Execution (Florboo) (oneshot, mythology AU, fluff)“Okay… Now I would like to have an explanation sunshine…. Who exactly are you?” [COMPLETED]

Scarred. by UltraGari(oneshot, comfort) “Can I touch them?”. [COMPLETED]

Seasons Changing by itbeajen(oneshot, hanahaki disease au, angst with happy ending) His only hope was that maybe your feelings would change to match his. [COMPLETED]

Lightning in a Bottle || BNHA by sincerely_bubbles (oneshot, fluff) denki kaminari has a crush, and when she’s around he can’t quite control his thoughts… or his quirk. [COMPLETED]

The "girlfriend" by @katimagines (oneshot, fluff) denki has a girlfriend, except she goes to a different school and no one, absolutely no one believes him. [COMPLETED]

Be Mine by @onyxiana-is-obsessed (oneshot, fluff) Denki’s been crushing on you for a while now and you just don’t seem to pick up on it! So, he asks you out on a date! For real this time! [COMPLETED]

insecure by @shinaus (angst, eventual fluff, mentions of insecurities) Denki Kaminari was in love. He knew it, his friends knew it, his other classmates knew it, but you certainly didn’t catch on to it. [COMPLETED]

Yakitori Time/ tumblr✨ by @vanilladyfics/ Vanillady (oneshot, soulmate au, fluff) Denki Kaminari was born with the first words his soulmate will say to him on his chest. They tell him exactly where they'll meet-- a yakitori restaurant-- but not when. [COMPLETED]

Confetti Love by atsukashii(oneshot, fluff) When Kaminari surprises you with tickets to see your favorite band for your birthday, you finally tell him how you feel in the best way how. [COMPLETED]

Safe by silkylious (oneshot, fluff) Three in the morning. Who the hell would text you at ass o’clock in the morning? You knew who. [COMPLETED]

Why are you so pretty? by Shooting_Stars_Library (oneshot, fluff) Denki is too pretty for the reader to handle. [COMPLETED]

he's a keeper by secretpeachtea (oneshot, fluff) 5 times your boyfriend gives you the wrong gift (+ the one time he gets it right). [COMPLETED]

A Shock to See by bakusquadup (fluff) Kaminari has always had an obsession with cute girls, so when he gets a girlfriend outside UA, you are not surprised in the least. However, when you discover something about his new-found girlfriend, it's hard to remain supportive. [COMPLETED]

Discoveries by cxsmicdxst (oneshot, fluff) “Hey, (y/n), are you alright there? You’ve been staring at the ceiling for the past three minutes.” [COMPLETED]

Shellshocked by @sunflowershouto It’s the training camp, and Denki is sheltered in the building along with the other students that failed the practical. When he hears that the villains are after two particular students, he has to do something to protect the one he loves. [COMPLETED]

Love Me Back by @lordsister (oneshot, fluff) "Please, (y/n)!!! I promise it’ll be fun!”. “My answer is the same as the last twenty times you asked me.” [COMPLETED]

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: No Ordinary Duchess by Elizabeth Hoyt

4.75/5. Releases 12/10/24.

The Vibes: stern hero/perky heroine, femdom with an alpha submissive, caretaking, and soothing long-held wounds

Heat Index: 8/10

The Basics:

Elspeth and Julian come from families with a deep history of betrayal and dislike. He's cold, brooding, and strictly regimented; she's free-spirited, quirky, and... oh yeah, aligned with a centuries-old secret society of Wise Women. Julian is on the hunt that his wicked uncle murdered his mother, which brings him directly into Elspeth's path as she seeks out an ancient text of vital importance. As they continue on their separate missions, they keep running into each other—and sharing secrets... and perhaps discovering that their feelings run far beyond on the forbidden....

The Review:

THE QUEEN HAS RETURNED.

I will read anything Elizabeth Hoyt writes. She's written several all-time favorites of mine (Thief of Shadows, Duke of Midnight, The Raven Prince, Sweetest Scoundrel... to name a few) and her Maiden Lane series is, as far as I'm concerned, one of the greatest things committed to the romance genre. She takes big swings, she writes some of the best sex scenes on the block, and she pays equal attention to the characterization of her tortured heroes and her varied heroines who, frankly, rarely have time for said heroes' collective shit.

I have missed her, and I was honestly getting a little worried that she'd decided to take a step back. But I kept the faith! And it paid off, because this return release is everything I could have asked for. It reminds me of what historical romance can be, how it can stretch, and how it can, at the same time, harken back to the bonkers romps I love most.

There is, by the way, a bonkers overarching plot that honestly isn't as wild as Hoyt can get, but. You know. There's a mystical ancient society of goddess-abiding women and also the whole thing where Elspeth's brother killed Julian's sister (Many Thoughts On This) and the hunt for two separate crucial books... It's still wacky. And it should be!

That being said, this plot falls to the wayside in favor of Julian and Elspeth's relationship and character development. I feel like the first Greycourt book, Not the Duke's Darling, which I actually did like, might not have hit as hard for some readers because the Other Plot kind of overtook the Romance Plot. That is not the case here at all. Elspeth and Julian are so front and center that I feel like the Other Plot is borderline tangential, aside from the battle against the Evil Uncle (who you will have seen in When A Rogue Meets His Match, which I really enjoyed a lot but need to reread). You get a satisfying follow-through on all that, but you're absolutely reading for a truly swoony, hot, FEELINGS-Y romance.

I am a longtime lover of books that are basically "stoic man who's constantly wrapped up in his tragic backstory is flabbergasted by That Broad's Audacity". That... could just be how you sum up this book. At every turn, Julian, who it must be said is stupid hot, tries to stay devoted to his brooding. And at every turn, Elspeth pokes him, blinks, and goes "Why is that?"

When she's not reading Georgian porn. Which she does a lot, for someone who's on the hunt for an ancient, super important book. While also dodging assassination attempts. And that's so valid of her.

Julian just can't deal with Elspeth. She baffles him. He's supposed to hate her! She's the sister of the guy who killed his sister! Mortal enemies and all that! Also, she's seriously getting in the way of his own hunt, what with her constantly getting almost murdered and, you know, That Ass. And she's just so disarming, so honest (... in some ways), so blunt about her interests, her desires, what she believes in and what she doesn't. She immediately begins worming her way into his heart, while also making him Hard As A Rock.

But he can't allow for worming into hearts! Not when he has so many secrets, from Plotty Secrets I can't tell you about, to Sexy Secrets I can tell you about. In many ways, this book is basically a classic melting of the hero book. But instead of Elspeth melting Julian with her good, innocent heart... She's melting him with her dogged inability to be anything other than who she is. And her disinterest in being anything other than who she is, for that matter. Which is such a great contrast to Julian, a man struggling to deny who he is, to be what society wants him to be.

It's Uptight Meets Wild in a lot of ways, but Elspeth's a unique form of a rebellious heroine. She's not super concerned about society, but she's also open about her lack of experience in some ways. She's not mean in any way, shape or form. She doesn't have a chip on her shoulder. She's not really like... fighting society? There's one tirade she has about the hypocrisy of it all, but it's less "Fight the power" than "this is so fucking stupid". Which is a refreshing take on it all. Elspeth doesn't get it because it's all so dumb that like... no one as real as her should be able to get it.

And before anyone goes in on how unrealistic this is, A) it isn't B) this is a romance novel C) it actually makes sense, because Elspeth's backstory literally involves being raised in an anti-society, weird family with their own ingrained beliefs and customs. Literally away from high society.

For all that I think the sex scenes in this book will be a major talking point (more on that later)... dude. This shit is so soft at points. You have multiple scenes where Julian just catches himself wanting to stare at this woman. Even before she understands the extent of his pain, she wants to care for him. This is not an enemies to lovers book, despite the enmity between their families. There's a melancholy to their forbidden, especially on Julian's part. He's baffled by Elspeth, but he doesn't dislike her. He's not even in denial about his feelings for her, after a point. He just truly doesn't think they can be.

On some more technical points—this JUMPS right into the story. They meet on like... the second page. The plot kicks off immediately. I've seen so many slooooow, overlong new releases lately. This is a brisk, story that reads so quickly and isn't in any way overlong. You have an extended chunk that takes place in one setting, and yet... plot happens. Character development happens. Relationship building happens. Julian and Elspeth are together for so much of the pagetime, despite their opposite goals.

None of this should be like... notable. But it is. You feel the expertise in the writing here. She's just one of the best to ever do it, in my opinion.

Also! I respect Elizabeth's process and whatever may affect her writing schedule. But my God, I hope we get more Greycourt books, and I hope we get them fairly soon. I counted at least three possibilities for future love stories. And I have Thoughts.

The Sex:

NOW. On to the elephant in the room. The good elephant. The elephant that is as big as Julian's Appendage.

As I said earlier, Elizabeth Hoyt writes some of the best sex scenes in romance. They're unique, they're earthy, they feel tailored to the character. She uses language that is sometimes anatomical and sometimes campy and sometimes like... feels kinda filthy, even though I've read filthier?

Julian's struggles lie in the fact that, for all that he is cold and domineering and stoic, he's submissive in the bedroom. While Hoyt has definitely dabbled in some light kink in earlier books, I would say that a lot of it tends towards like... The kind of kinkiness you often seem in historicals. Where there are definitely dog whistles, but it may not be intentional (historical romance has long lended itself to an unconscious dip into D/s dynamics, in my opinion) historical romance kink often isn't explictly stated.

Here, it's called out for what it is, the societal judgments about it (some of which remain to this day, mind) are discussed, and Julian has processes. Elspeth is more than down. It's like he's unintentionally found his perfect woman (sexually, at least).

But for all that this is explicitly a femdom romance, I think it skirts around so many stereotypes, and it is not, in my opinion, a BDSM romance. They don't get into anything super OTT or formalized. It's really something Julian just... needs. And it's really not a sadomasochism situation at all. It's truly about this soft domme/sub dynamic. He wants to serve, and he wants to be cared for. His submission and what it gives him is described so beautifully. There's a lot of caretaking in this book.

Which doesn't in any way take away from how hot the book is, mind. There's a really unique de-emphasis on something historicals and honestly romance in general often obsesses over, which was so refreshing. There's a true sensitivity to why Julian is into this, and where it stops for him. I feel like Hoyt was doing a sendup of the tortured alpha here, while also exploring what that can mean in more unique scenarios. It was so good.

And so... sooooo hot. There's a lot of body worship in general and pussy worship specifically. Elspeth is curvy, and has her moments of insecurity, and Julian LOVES her body.

Those of us who missed some fun Hoyt-isms about sex are well-rewarded. "Lazily mouthed her cunny" is like.... everything....................

Basically: I loved this. I am so glad she's back. I hope she's back for good (but no pressure). I want a million more Hoyt books. I will, again, read whatever she writes. When I tell y'all she's showing us how it's done... I mean it.

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[thydungeongal]

Hey! If you don't mind a little game design question for you, do you prefer classed systems or classless? Personally I always find myself drawn to classed systems since they tend to give a stronger character identity of what they can do, but would love to hear your opinion!

I don't have a strong preference for one over the other, because I think they are both valid answers to the question of how to differentiate between different characters! As you mentioned, classes (and similar features like Skins, Playbooks, Professions, Careers) can provide a character with a strong archetype and if designed really well can also really tie them into the setting from the get-go. Having said that, they can often feel constricting, especially if the fiction and the mechanics aren't in harmony! In some cases it can lead to this weird design where new classes are allowed to proliferate because there are so many niches that need to be filled. Pathfinder 1e is a great example of this design: of course its roots are in D&D 3.5, but D&D 3.5 never went quite as hog wild with the proliferation of specific classes and alternate versions of those classes and so on and so forth. Which is to say, a class-based system absent coherent design goals can often end up as effectively being a weirdly designed classless system. (I know there are people out there who like Pathfinder 1e and the number of options it has, and I don't think they're wrong. I just think that type of design dilutes classes and puts the entire need for classes into question since they're no longer arguably fulfilling their role of providing a clear archetype and place in the setting.)

I think one role that classes fulfill very effectively in the context of cooperative action adventure games (the most ubiquitous genre of RPGs) is that they provide a clear method for niche protection as well as allowing for an intraparty metagame where each character seeks to fulfill a different role! However, if party balance is not a concern (or the idea of a party isn't even present) in the game, classes might not be necessary, but they can still act as like. Almost comeddia del arte style archetypes so each character's niche in terms of the narrative is still somewhat unique. This is how I look at Apocalypse World playbooks and Monsterhearts skins.

On the flip side, a classless system often gives players a lot of freedom over character creation, which is really cool, but without some structure or scaffolding it can easily lead into analysis paralysis. This is why I like classless systems that while relatively open when it comes to advancement provide the player with very clear discrete choices at character creation. For example, RuneQuest and Mutants in the Now and Gamma World 7e are all classless systems, but none of them overwhelm the player with too many choices. Like, in RuneQuest you don't just start spending skill points until you run out, your character has a set of skills determined by their culture and career that those points can be spent on! Conversely, Hero (as much as I love it) and GURPS commit the cardinal sin of simply giving the player a bunch of points and. Telling them to go at it. (Some versions of GURPS, like Dungeon Fantasy, effectively have class packages to help with character creation, which is basically what I just praises RuneQuest and Mutants in the Now for!)

Anyway I think there's also something to be said for games that don't have classes as such but also actually kind of do. Vampire: the Masquerade's clans are not as prescriptive as classes, but they effectively serve as a package that grants access to a small set of abilities. Or you could take an even wider view: comparing the different splats of Chronicles of Darkness to each other one could argue that Vampires are a class and Werewolves are a class and so on, because each of them unlocks very specific abilities. Heck, even though Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy explicitly doesn't have classes, it has multiple monster types straight out of the box, and arguably those all represent strong archetypes.

Anyway point being classes and classless design answer very different questions. If you want something that tries to go for a world sim approach I would generally advise against classes. Classes, however, are perfect for your party-based adventure games because it provides players with a quick way to gauge party balance, and even in some non-party based games they can provide an interesting means of making sure each character has a specific role in the narrative that is theirs.

[radashes]

Book Review: God of War by Rina Kent

Guys, if you know, I always tell you how irritating childish, spoiled female leads are to me. And I've got a perfect example to show. Ava Van Doren.

Setup:

Ava wakes up from an accident and has amnesia. Eli — the man she supposedly hated — is now her husband. She has no memory of falling in love or marrying him. Naturally, she wants answers.

Vibe:

Marriage of convenience

Broody hero x sunshine heroine (Spoiled)

Force proximity

Amnesia

Praise kink

Ava Van Doren: This girl gave me a migraine. Like, genuinely. I thought she was going to be this badass, messy, chaotic heroine with an attitude to match — especially after she smashed Eli’s Bugatti and said she hated him. That gave me hope. But no. She turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the book.

Spoiled? Absolutely.

Childish? Yes.

Petty? Constantly.

A doormat? Unfortunately, also yes.

She mixes with bad friends, knows they’re trash, and then acts shocked when people call her a brat. Jeremy and Eli called her out, and she cried victim every time. It’s not that she’s a sunshine girl — she’s a delusional girl.

She made threats like “I’ll destroy Eli,” “He’ll suffer,” “I’ll get my revenge,” and then spent the whole book eating candy, reading romance novels, playing dress-up, and begging for his attention. Where was the revenge? No, really — WHERE?

And the way she folded every time Eli gave her crumbs? Spineless. He could say the nastiest, most degrading things (I don't hate degradation kink, but his words were insulting), and she’d melt because he touched her thigh and said, “Mrs. King.” Girl, what happened to your dignity?

Every time someone tries to help her, she turns it into a power struggle. Even therapy couldn’t fix her at this point.

Also —I’m sorry, but the baby fever was suffocating. Every chapter she was crying about wanting a child. Yes, motherhood is a valid desire — but her entire character was reduced to it. It replaced growth. Replaced healing. Replaced everything.

Eli King: I thought he was going to be this dark, layered, dangerous guy. What we got was a flatline of a character with a God complex and a superiority issue, but no real charisma to back it up.

He was VILE. He said genuinely horrible things. He called women “holes,” treated Ava like trash, and the few “sacrifices” he made for her? We never saw them. Cecy told us about them in passing. No emotional impact. No POV. Just... here, feel sad because we said so.

He doesn’t grovel. He doesn’t redeem. He just takes up space, sulks, and growls “You’re my wife.” That’s it. His idea of love is controlling her outfits and telling her she’s being attention-seeking.

What Didn’t Land:

Ava’s entire character arc. She goes from brat to… slightly less brat. That’s it. And somehow we’re supposed to believe she’s matured.

The amnesia trope — wasted.

Dialogue was cringey at times. “Mrs. King” this, “stripper” that—no thanks.

Emotional healing = sex + vague apologies.

They’re supposed to be “forbidden soulmates” or whatever—but I felt nothing. More tension between me and my Wi-Fi router than between these two.

💬 Final Thoughts:

Rating:⭐ 2/5 stars

The book had the bones of something great, but the execution was straight-up awful. Even while I accepted Eli, I couldn't bring myself to connect with Ava at all. She would act irrationally on each page.

It would have been fantastic if the main characters had been a little more likable.

Would I recommend it?

👉 Only if you’re committed to finishing the series.

Will you yell “GIRL WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” 47 times while reading?

👉 Without question.

Will it entertain you?

👉 Maybe. If you're into really spoiled female leads.

Now excuse me while I reread 'God of Wrath' to heal.

[cloud-navi]

So I finished DuckTales (2017), my thoughts:

⚠️ Spoilers ahead ⚠️

- Bradford Buzzard:

His feelings for hating adventure and chaos is valid but he should have told his grandma to fuck off and got therapy instead of trying to destroy it. Also its not his fault that Della took the Spear of Selene even if he told her about it.

You can’t have one thing without the other, there must be chaos if there is stability and vice versa.

- Webbigail Vanderquack and Bentina Beakly (Agent 22):

It was a good twist, but it makes me question where FOWL got Scrooge’s DNA to make Webby and why her exact clones (sisters) aren’t perceived as Scrooges kid like Webby is.

My theory: “The Papyrus of Binding only appears to a direct heir of Scrooge McDuck” I think it mean’s physically and emotionally. If June and May are Webby’s clones that means they are just as much Scrooge’s physical child as Webby is, except they don’t have a relationship with Scrooge. Scrooge even before knowing Webby was his kid thought of her like his Grandniece, like family, making her an heir like the boys.

For how much Beakly talked about how important and strong a family is together when getting the boys to talk to Scrooge again in Season 1, it doesn’t make much sense to have her go in alone without informing the family of what she knows of FOWL from SHUSH.

Goldie O’Gilt:

I love her so much, except in the ImpossiBin episode, there she was okay. At the end of the ImpossiBin episode Goldie calls Scooge assuming he took the fountain of youth when they agreed to keep it for both of them, (she went back to steal it for herself so she says). They made progress in the Youth Fountain episode and having Goldie call him about it being gone kinda defeats the whole purpose of their bonding in that episode. Except I understand they needed a character to tell him it was gone like the other missing mysteries but I find it defeated the whole point.

Lena and Violet Saberwing:

To me it looked like Violet’s parents adopted Lena and I’m all for that. Also love the hinted gay rep with their dads.

Magica De spell:

While it was Scrooge that blocked her spell, it was still her spell that she shot that turned her brother into a raven. Theres no reason or obligation for Scrooge to have caught him and give him to her when they were both terrible people. If anything her brother got a new chance at life as a raven instead.

I wish there was kinda a redemption arc when she was training Lena, if not for Lena a little redemption for Gladstone because I like those two.

Fenton Crackshell (GizmoDuck) and DarkWing Duck:

I like Drake with Fenton regardless if he’s Drake or playing DarkWing but I feel like he needs to accept that GizmoDuck is also a hero. Bro needs to know the difference between hero and vigilante.

Fenton is pretty bbg too <3

Launchpad McQuack:

Giant himbo and I love him so much.

Daisy Duck:

Love her, not much else to say. She had standards, that was clear when we heard what she said while driving away from their second date except she still fell in love and was willing to put up with Donald enough to go rescue him and keep going out. Overall a girl boss <3

Huey, Dewey and Louie:

While Dewey should have come forward earlier about looking for Della I understand his intentions more then Huey did when he found out. Louie was right, its not okay, but in the beginning Dewey was just trying to find if she was alive or not, not where she was. He was sorry because he ‘got caught’, he was genuinely sorry. It’s difficult to want to tell someone you’re finding all this stuff about someone you all seek when none of you know if they’re even alive or not. Dewey didn’t want them to lose hope that Della may be alive even if he found out she might not have. Yes he should have told them but I understand he didn’t want to them to be more hurt that she’s unalive instead of just missing. Also they aren’t even teenagers and communication skills are ass with teenagers what makes you think they’ll be any better as 10 year olds?

Again, their anger is misplaced when they’re mad at Scrooge for building a Spear of Selene.

Scrooge McDuck (sugar daddy?):

I like his character and I feel theres a bit of development through out the show with him and the kids, to be a teacher you need to be able to learn from your students.

While yes, he shouldn’t have built the rocket right there he also didn’t tell Della about it. Not his fault she left. Also the audacity to find out it wasn’t really his fault or the fact he nearly went bankrupt looking for her and they didn’t apologize at all.

Donald Duck (DILF):

Literally the best man in the whole show. He put his family first the whole time even when he should have taken breaks except he stepped up. We know that he had some form of falling out with Scrooge because of Della but even so he stepped up to take the kids and stayed in DuckBurg instead of moving anytime in the 10+ years they lived there. I have a feeling they stayed because he knew deep down that he could somewhat still count on Scrooge if not Beakly. Why else would he have stayed and gone to Beakly to watch the kids, granted he didn’t want to talk to Scrooge, Scrooge still took them in and watched them while Donald was off getting a job.

Donald may not be their bio-dad, but he is no way a fucking Uncle. He raised those boys by himself for 10+ years, through their formative years and until they were old enough to know he wasn’t their bio-dad. He stepped in to be a parent because Della chickened out and chose to go to space even when he told her she shouldn’t so she can be with her kids.

Donald Duck, not an uncle, a father.

Della Duck (cool-ish weird Aunt):

My opinion has not changed, she still isn’t a mother to me. Della is an estranged aunt that comes by and is the ‘cool aunt’. She willingly, without obligation, without threat, consciously CHOSE to leave her kids. Regardless of if she knew she would get killed or stuck in space, “there were too many variables” -Huey. She had a fight with Donald that specifically told her that it was a giant, dumb fucking idea with kids on the way. The idea that anyone would accept her back as a parent so blindly is so dumb. Yes she’s their egg-layer, but there is no way in hell she is their mother. A MOTHER would never choose to leave their children unless they positively fucking had too (obligation for safety). Whether or not she regrets it holds no power because she still chose to leave for a stupid reason.

Season 1 finale: “Get away from my kids” by Donald Duck will forever hold more power and significance then anytime she ever says it because she gave up parent rights before they were born. No parent would willingly, without valid cause like their safety (not fucking exploring space for funzys) would leave their child.

Over all:

Scrooge and Donald are DILFS and Della can get bent.

[heliosrisingheroesimagines]

Can i pls req ren with daisy, marigold and sunflower? Tq in advance!

Ren Kisaragi:

🌻daisy: what is their love language, both giving and receiving?

Acts of Service/Quality Time. Ren didn’t know how to be in a relationship, so physical intimacy didn’t come easy to him; you’d have to be patient and start slow before he’s comfortable with showing that kind of affection. But he also worried that he’d bore you when you hung out as most of his time was taken up by being a hero or training, which wasn’t very interesting to talk about after a while. He tried to keep himself busy by doing little things for you, always insisting on running errands for you or at least with you so you won’t be out alone.

Gifts. They couldn't just be any gifts as Ren wasn't easily won over, but cat-themed gifts were always the surefire way to his heart. You might hesitate thinking, no he couldn’t possibly like this, but you’ll find he always responded positively when you find him something both useful to him and cute. There’s a collection of cat mugs, all from the same company that seemed to release a new one yearly, that you had started collecting for him and you knew he looked forward to seeing the new design every time the year rolled over.

🌻marigold: how jealous do they get? how do they react when they get jealous?

Ren doesn’t tend to get jealous at the drop of a hat. He trusts in you and you spend time together so he doesn’t think there’s a reason to be worried, but when someone comes at him in a gossipy manner about you it can affect him. If Akira happened to babble on about how you’re spending time with some other super cool hero it would give him the slightest tinge of jealousy, making him want to see you in the moment and reassure that you were still his. It’s silly to feel that way and he’s aware of that but he does seek some validation from you, just to give him a little peace of mind.

If you don’t soothe his jealousy he gets rather pouty, even giving you the cold shoulder when you try to figure out what was wrong. You’re used to Ren icing you out though and patiently chip away until he confided his troubles into you, proving again that he should’ve just trusted you from the start. You never minded soothing him because it was so rare for him to act like this, and someone who constantly kept his walls up deserved to relax his shoulders whenever the opportunity presented itself.

🌻sunflower: how would they confess their feelings to their crush?

Ren would rather die with his feelings, biting his tongue whenever a moment became too sentimental as he knew he was likely to throw his heart on the table if he got caught up. You’d be completely blindsided by a confession from him purely because his hot and cold treatment of you would never have you guessing he had a thing for you; even if you had an inkling, looking at his body language and the things he said to you wouldn’t indicate he had any interest in you. Unfortunately, Ren didn’t have many people to confide his feelings in but Will, who remained vigilant of his childhood friend, offered a listening ear with the hope of encouraging Ren into inviting a little bit more light into his life.

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #303: RECKONING!

May, 1989

Featuring... Quasar! Firelord! The Fantastic Four! And the West Coast Avengers!

When is so many guest stars too many guest stars? If not here then near here.

So, last times in Avengers: due to editorial meddling, the writer of Avengers went from Roger Stern to Walter Simonson. Simonson wanted to shake the book up with a hot new roster, including Mr Fantastic and Invisible Woman. He got editorial permission to use these Fantastic Four characters in Avengers but then the permission got withdrawn right after he'd already committed to it in the book. So he quit.

Now Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio are writing the book until the new permanent writer comes on, trying to smoothly write out the Richardses. So we get this three-parter about Super-Nova, coming to Earth to look for Nebula who blew up his home planet Xandar off-panel in an earlier story.

The Avengers flew up to Super-Nova's ship, at which point he blew it up and just flew to Earth on his own. The Avengers survived the explosion, thanks to Invisible Woman, and have made their way back to Earth. In the meantime, the West Coast Avengers and Quasar have tried - very high emphasis on tried - to stop Super-Nova.

Hawkeye tried to buy time by talking to the guy. But one page of talking to Hawkeye is enough for Super-Nova to want to squish the archer.

Which is a valid reaction to Clint Barton.

Super-Nova recaps why he's here and gives Hawkeye one more chance to tell him what he wants to know.

Super-Nova: "My homeworld, Xandar, was destroyed by a she-pirate named Nebula! She fled to Earth and has taken refuge as a member of the Avengers. I am the sole survivor of Xandar -- Super-Nova... And I have come here seeking her in the name of vengeance. You are the self-proclaimed leader of this group. You will reveal her whereabouts now -- or I will crush you and this puny world as well.

Meanwhile, at ground level, Tigra casually chats how she wants to slit Super-Nova's throat to get at his blood.

ARE YOU A VAMPIRE NOW?

Hank Pym tells her not to try anything foolish while Hawkeye is in Super-Nova's grasp.

Some police nearby decide now is a good time to start shooting at the giant man. Hank tells them to not start shit.

Hawkeye has apparently just hemmed and hawed and not said anything and Super-Nova runs out of patience.

He bemoans that a planet full of dumbos like Earth survives while Xandar had to die.

Hawkeye accuses that of being Super-Nova's real motive. He doesn't really care about Nebula, he just wants to take out his grief and frustration by destroying an innocent world.

In response, Super-Nova disintegrates Hawkeye.

Can't tell if that means Hawkeye's motive read was right or whether Super-Nova is just sick of his shit.

Super-Nova is also sick of Nebula not being brought to him and he blows up a building about it.

As it happens, Hawkeye did not die. It may surprise you to learn that he did not die while guest starring in another book and while his own book is in the middle of a story. But its true.

When he stops flinching from being about to die, he realizes he's being carried away by pink energy.

Yup, Quasar reappeared in the story.

After he failed to restrain Super-Nova, he shrugged and decided to focus on evacuating people instead of fighting the big, angry dude. In fairness, Super-Nova has been remarkably chill so far so Quasar probably saw no reason to rile him up further.

Despite being a rookie hero, Quasar is very not impressed with professional hero Hawkeye.

Quasar: "Exactly what strategy were you employing back there?" Hawkeye "Oh, that. Ahh -- special Avengers emergency tactic #1108 for dealing with giant aliens. Say, how about a lift back to the street?" Quasar: "Fine. I've more folks to rescue anyway."

You can just about feel the disillusionment wafting off Quasar.

And its not like he's full of himself. Half of what I've read of his solo so far is him kicking himself over what an incompetent goober he feels he is.

So for him to look at Hawkeye and go 'wow, you make me feel competent.'

Oof.

At ground level, Hank is having a breakdown that they just stood by while Hawkeye was killed and Tigra is trying to comfort him.

Hawkeye: "Save those tears, people! Your unflappable leader-man's back on the job!"

Tigra runs over to hug Hawkeye out of relief. And Hank shows his relief by berating his leader.

Dr Pym: "Well, I suppose you expect us to be grateful you're in one piece! What exactly was that little stunt you pulled that gave me fifty new gray hairs? And who was that guy who brought you down?" Hawkeye: "Gimme a break, Hank. Y'know, it seemed like such a good idea at the time -- teleporting, that is. I've been learning the technique in my yoga class. Heh, heh."

Okay. That's pretty funny. And halfway plausible in a comic universe.

(Is Hawkeye a Street Fighter fan? And a Dhalsim main?)

Tigra interrupts the Hank and Hawk Laff Zone to point out that the Fantastic Four have arrived. Yup, all three of them.

They never actually replaced Crystal when she left during Evolutionary War. It's almost been a year, guys. You can't have a gap on the roster for that long when the team name has a specific number in it.

Anyway, Thing and She-Thing jump out of the Fantasti-Car to pummel Super-Nova!

Annnnnnnnnnnnd.

Immediately get grabbed in his big, strong hands and bonked together like cymbals.

Super-Nova: "Thus are two more inconveniences dispensed with."

Good contribution, Fantastic Three.

Johnny Storm flames on and flies out of the Fantasti-Car (does that have auto-pilot?) and threatens to do Super-Nova a fire.

Super-Nova points out that he can survive the extreme temperatures of space pretty easily so some little flame blasts aren't going to do a lot.

And they don't. Human Torch splashes some flame off Super-Nova's shoulder and the guy doesn't even turn to look.

Johnny wants to hit him with nova flame, see how he holds up to that heat, but that would burn down Chicago and Chicago doesn't need that again. So he'll have to think of something else.

Quasar finds Thing and She-Thing in the crater they made of the street and goes to say hi.

He knows Ben from his Project Pegasus days! From Quasar's Project Pegasus days.

But he was only saying hi and making sure Ben and friend were okay. Because he then flies off to go help the Human Torch.

Human Torch also recognizes Quasar. From an issue that hasn't been printed yet. But I've read it so teal deer, Quasar is renting an office in the Baxter Building and he saw someone break into the Fantastic Four's floors. He went to stop the guy, had a little altercation with the Human Torch, and then teamed up with him.

Your standard Marvel meet-cute.

Anyway, Torch and Quasar pool their powers to blast at Super-Nova, who ineffectually swats at them like annoying flies.

The Avengers shortly arrive, in the extra Quinjet they borrowed from the West Coast Avengers Compound. But Cap decides not to jump right into things.

He knows that the West Coast Avengers are on the scene and wants to touch base with them, find out why they're not doing anything. So he calls him on the radio.

Captain America: "This is Captain America, Hawkeye! What in blazes is going on down there, mister?" Hawkeye: "Blazes is the word for it, Winghead! Welcome to the weenie roast! I hear you gents already ran into tall and gruesome in space. Glad to see you're still among the living. This dude's already downed Wonder Man and the Thing -- and the Torch and this Quasar guy don't seem to be having much luck!"

So Cap calls General Akord and tells him to absolutely evacuate the city. Super-Nova can explode with nuclear level force if he gets agitated and he's probably getting agitated, what with all the people trying to set him on fire.

General Akord tells Captain America that evacuating an entire city on short notice is basically impossible. So if the superheroes can't stop Super-Nova, the military is going to do what the military do and shoot guns at him.

So that puts a time-crunch on things. Save the city from the military being dumb.

Cap asks Thor, Firelord, and Gilgamesh to go into the fray and talk the Human Torch and Quasar into disengaging. He needs Invisible Woman to take up a good vantage point and be ready to put an invisible force field around Super-Nova should he go supernova again.

Invisible Sue says she doesn't know if she's up to it. After all the strain of surviving the explosion in space and having to keep a bubble up until they could get back to Earth... she might be tapped.

Mr Fantastic offers to go with her... to provide moral support I guess? Tell her when to use her powers, like he tends to do? I don't know but he wants to be by her side which is probably sweet.

But Cap tells Reed he needs his help talking with the authorities.

Mr Fantastic: "Couldn't you handle that yourself, Cap?" Captain America: "No! Reed, you're an Avenger now -- and I give the orders! Clear?" Mr Fantastic: "Yes. Clear."

I don't want to accuse Cap of being petty but I sorta wonder if he really does need Reed to talk to the authorities. Or if he's just trying to reign in Reed and chose this moment.

I don't want to tell Cap how to run a team but if you have a Mr Fantastic on call, his role in a fight should be 'hey smart guy, think of a smart guy solution!'

Invisible Woman jumps out of the Quinjet and makes an invisible slide to slide safely down to a rooftop.

God, Sue's cool.

But just in case Thor pops in and is like hey do you need a hand or? She tells him she's good so he goes righto, drops Gilgamesh to the ground, and goes to talk to Team Beat-Up Super-Nova.

Firelord asks Human Torch to stop attacking the big guy that could explode and Johnny says hey fuck you, you're just a copy of me.

Stay classy, Johnny.

Cap and Reed land by General Akord. While Cap explains the situation vis a vis Super-Nova looking for Nebula on Earth but actually she fell into a time hole, Reed gets that far-away genius plot resolving epiphany face and fucks off.

Just jump stretches away.

Right when Cap is asking him to explain the situation fully to the general.

Captain America: "Reed, where the --" Hawkeye: "Sure you're still in charge, ol' buddy?" Captain America: "Of the number one Avengers team? You bet! Reed -- blast it! Will you come down?" Hawkeye: "Heh, heh. How's that class on leadership lessons comin', Cap?" Captain America: "What's he doing? I didn't authorize him getting involved in this battle!"

Stay classy, Clint.

Mr Fantastic stretches over to the battle where Firelord is still trying to stop Human Torch from attacking Super-Nova. And where Thor seemingly forgot his mission briefing because he's taunting the big guy by saying he's fought bigger.

Reed forms himself into the shape of a Q or kind of a Q practically almost a Q to get Quasar's attention.

Mr Fantastic asks Quasar to fly him to the Baxter Building in New York as fast as possible.

This clearly needed to be done by Quasar and Reed couldn't just use the Quinjet he flew here in, clearly.

Captain America watches Reed and Quasar take off and is like '???'

Meanwhile, Thor forgot his mission assignment so hard that he's aggroed Super-Nova into blowing up.

One job, Thor.

You had one job.

But when Super-Nova builds his firey power up to explode, Firelord and Human Torch just absorb it all away before it does explode.

Human Torch talks a big game when Firelord asks him if he can handle half the energy burst but is secretly worried that he's never had to absorb this much before.

And just when Johnny feels like he's going to explode, the two firey heroes succeed in taking all of the energy from Super-Nova.

It's a LOT of energy though so they immediately have to fly off into the upper atmosphere to vent it where it won't do any harm.

The strain of containing so much energy makes Human Torch go all woozy so Firelord grabs him to carry him back to Earth.

Johnny apologizes for being such an argumentative dick to him and Firelord says hey its cool, we're fire bros.

Sometimes I'm being tongue in cheek when I paraphrase but not this time.

Firelord: "No apologies necessary, for we are one with the flame that transcends worlds."

They're fire bros.

With all of his built-up energy dissipating in space now, Super-Nova is just a really big dude.

Now even Gilgamesh is getting in on the 'I've fought bigger' boasting.

Thing and She-Thing have recovered from being bonked together and they start trying to trip up Super-Nova by lifting his foot.

She-Thing (Sharon Ventura, btw) tries to make this story arc seem big and epic by talking about all these different heroes coming together to face a threat none could challenge alone.

But Ben Thing Grimm tells her hey, c'mon, time and place and when we're trying to knock this guy over before he notices is not the time.

Wonder Man wanders up, finally recovered from the smack down he received. Sure took his time.

(Apparently his belt jets broke and that's why he took so long.)

He asks what Ben is up to and Ben jokes he's sizing Super-Nova up for a new pair of shoes. Then Ben asks where Wonder Man has been.

Wonder Man: "Oh, I was part of the underground effort here for a while."

HAH.

Cause he was knocked underground.

You're funny, Simon.

Thing: "I don't know whut yer talkin' about -- but grab a handful here, willya?"

Simon is funny but its really 'you had to be there' humor.

So Thing 1 and Thing 2 grab one foot, Wonder Man pushes the other, and Thor shoves the back of his knee and timberrrrrrr.

Super-Nova falls flat on his face.

Thor: "At last you see that e'en one such as thee may be toppled -- may fall before the righteous wrath of those you belittled!"

Super-Nova really does just stand around and let things happen to him, huh?

I guess it's hard to choreograph a fight involving a giant guy but he does just kind of stand around.

The Thing advises everyone should pile on him while before he can get back up and nearly everybody does rush in to kick the guy while he's down.

TEAMWORK!

Over at Manhattan, Quasar and Mr Fantastic have arrived at the Baxter Building. Which is technically called Four Freedoms Plaza at this point.

Reed runs into one of the small labs he used when he was with the Fantastic Four. He hasn't been back in months, since he and Sue quit the team, but what luck! The very specific non-descript thing he's looking for is in a crate, right where he left it! And also, an oversized adapter unit that he needs, right nearby!

Thank goodness for convenience, the comic is nearly out of pages!

On the topic, you may be wondering why Reed even needs to hurry back and save the day with his leftover scientific marvels when the other heroes have Super-Nova on his ass and kicking his face?

Well, he gets back up.

A big punch scatters the heroes and Super-Nova's power starts building up again. His body starts heating up too hot for even the rock-skinnned Thing and She-Thing to hold on.

Uh oh, he might be building up to an explosion again!

Well, can Firelord and Human Torch absorb the blast like last time?

No, Johnny is still woozy from last time.

Okay but Cap prepared for this by putting Invisible Woman in a good vantage point, ready to encase Super-Nova in a bubble, right?

Lol. Sue abandoned her post to go fret over Johnny.

One job.

You had one job, Sue.

He's not even hurt! Head in the game!

Firelord finally tries appealing to Super-Nova as a fellow Xandarian. I mean, doesn't it make him feel better that he's not the last of his kind?

But Super-Nova isn't in a listening mood.

Super-Nova: "No more talk -- DEATH!"

Captain America, strategic genius of the Avengers, comes up with an 11th hour strategy!

Hit him again! Just keep hitting him until the problem stops being a problem!

Good plan, Cap!

Thankfully, Reed arrives with a b- well, with a plan.

Hee has Quasar drop him right in front of Super-Nova.

Mr Fantastic: "Super-Nova -- this is Reed Richards! I have been known to your homeworld! I have met those in the Nova Corps and knew them to be honorable men! You are of them -- listen to me! Listen! Nebula is outside this timestream... She is not on Earth! But she can be sought with this time machine I have brought from New York!"

Super-Nova asks why he should trust Reed isn't just trying to get rid of him, Reed says Super-Nova has his word.

Super-Nova: "Reed Richards -- you were known on Xandar. I have heard you are a man of your word. Proceed."

Well, okay.

Its funny that this whole story could have been prevented if Super-Nova had trusted Reed to tell him what happened back on the spaceship.

I mean, this whole story has happened because people kept telling Super-Nova what happened to Nebula and every time he went 'nuh uh!'

Also, I guess it disproves Hawkeye's read that Super-Nova was just lashing out at Earth.

Anyway.

Mr Fantastic sets the (really big) time platform up and Super-Nova gets on it. The platform sends Super-Nova into the timestream, to be the timestream's problem if he gets mad again.

Thanks, Reed!

Super-Nova: "Your planet owes you a vast debt, Richards. For in my anger, I surely would have destroyed it. But in the end... reason has prevailed." Mr Fantastic: "May your search bear fruit. Farewell.

Yup, Reed Richards sure is cool. Too cool for the Avengers, probably.

Definitely too cool for the Fantastic Three, who seem to have shown up just to get shown up.

Zing.

But while everyone congratulates Reed on how cool he is, Captain America is grim in the corner of the panel.

Captain America: And you did it without clearing the plan with me. That's not how we play ball on the Avengers, mister. Not at all.

'Hmph hmph hmph most unorthodox!'

Anyway, this is the end of Mr Fantastic and Invisible Woman with the Avengers.

It's not made explicit in this issue. Next issue, Reed and Sue are gone and the team is just Captain America, Thor, and Gilgamesh.

In order to know why Reed and Sue quit, you'd have to read Fantastic Four #326.

At the beginning of that issue, the two are still with the Avengers. And start the issue hanging out on Avengers Island.

Reed suddenly announces that he's bored of being with the Avengers. Sue says she can tell he wants to go back to the Fantastic Four again and makes him promise not to take the team back when he goes to visit just to see how Manhattan is recovering from Inferno.

When Reed visits the Baxter building, he finds that his entry card doesn't open the rooftop door. And when he opens the door by turning his finger into a key, he finds the automatic defenses have activated and targeted him.

Because Ben hasn't been maintaining the security systems with the procedures that Reed left behind.

Reed swears up and down that he's definitely not here to take over.

Then the Wizard attacks with a new Frightful Four.

In the confusion, Ben gets tossed into a new cosmic ray gadget Reed whipped up to cure Johnny of being too hot. And the device turned Ben back into a squishy human.

Reed decides, well, Ben can't lead the Fantastic Four like this! It's not like he has some kind of robotic Thing suit he can wear. That'd be silly. So Reed needs to come back and take over.

It's not like Johnny or Sharon could do it!

Sue says she just wants to live as normal parents with Franklin but Reed asks her if she's really going to leave the FF in their hour of need? And she says no.

HA HA EVERYTHING BACK TO NORMAL. This will make the book start to sell, surely.

Fun fact, Steve Englehart was so disgruntled about editorial forcing Mr Fantastic and Invisible Woman back into the book that he used a pseudonym for his writing credit.

He Alan Smithee'd it.

Its funny that to shuffle Reed and Sue off the Avengers and back over to the Fantastic Four, everybody needs to look like incompetent idiots.

The West Coast and East Coast Avengers and Fantastic Three all try to stop Super-Nova and just wind up looking like chumps.

It's only Reed's enormous brain and reputation that saves the day.

And then when he goes to check on the Fantastic Four, Reed finds everything is falling apart because Ben doesn't have what it takes.

Englehart had enough respect for the characters that instead of undermining Ben further than that, he had him turn into a human again again again. Making the matter moot and having Ben give his blessing for Reed to be the leader again again again.

Having gotten through this little three issue filler, I again see why it's called the Worst Roster.

The first issue had great interactions between everyone. I could see how this team would work and different directions it could go, character wise.

And then issues 2 and 3, the team is pretty sidelined. Everything basically becomes an issue of Fantastic Four with tons of guest stars.

Reed brains up a solution from the scientific void while everyone else keeps the baddie busy.

The so-called Worst Roster can work. But in parts 2 and 3 of the story, there's not a focus on making it work. There's focus on demonstrating that Reed could warp the Avengers in his own image as an excuse for him to leave.

It's not entirely convincing. And I'm not convinced that Reed going off against orders to fix everything in his own Reedy way is final proof that he couldn't work on the Avengers.

It's still a good character dynamic between him and Cap.

Anyway.

Convincing or not, Gruenwald and Macchio did the mission brief. Transition Reed and Sue back to the Fantastic Four.

I can't say I give it a high score just in that regard because they don't even leave the team by the end. I'd have to read another book for that.

Next issue is another fill-in by a different creative team. And then Byrne takes over.

Both Avengers books under his pen! Wow. I know how that goes for the West Coast Avengers but I haven't heard a lot about his East Coast Avengers run.

Cautious optimism?

Follow @essential-avengers for all these same posts but without anything else in-between. Like, comment, and reblog maybe. I can't make you.

[izumiphoenix]

I apologize if this is an old post and not relevant anymore, but I happened to stumble upon it and wanted to respectfully share my opinion.

I’m approaching this purely from the game’s point of view, since, after all, that’s how Astarion’s story is told. I haven’t really seen interviews or developer commentary yet, and while I think they’re a great addition, I believe it’s also valid to form an opinion based only on what the game itself shows.

In BG3, we don’t know for certain what kind of person Astarion was before. Even he doesn’t fully remember that himself.

From what I understand, there are two main interpretations: one - that he was a corrupt magistrate who abused power and paid the price; the other one - that he was someone who genuinely cared about justice and crossed the path of a powerful figure.

Personally, I think it could be both or something in between. Astarion is one of the most complex and well-written characters I’ve seen, and trying to fit him into a black-and-white scale feels too narrow for his story.

I imagine he was young, still figuring out who he was, watching the world around him and trying to find his place. He wasn't perfect, he made mistakes. Maybe he was careless, maybe selfish at times, but I don’t think he was cruel, not intentionally. He probably didn’t consider the consequences of his choices and decisions well. And he probably believed he had a whole life ahead. Not a saint, not evil - just human.

When we meet Astarion, he has a lot of learned cruelty within him and a desperate determination to survive by any means. But he also has this softness, warmth and hope inside, too. He is intelligent, perceptive, and understanding. And he genuinely looks for connection. If Astarion chooses not to ascend, that part of him starts to really shine. And I don’t believe that came from nowhere. I believe it survived, all that time, just like him.

That’s why I don’t believe Cazador’s abuse taught Astarion morality - quite the opposite, actually. It taught him fear, cynicism, and the idea that power is all that matters. He said it himself: that he prayed to all gods he could remember, begging them to save him. And no hero ever came to his rescue. In one of the early dialogues, he plainly stated that it’s foolish to believe in good and bad - there is only what is good or bad for him. And power gives you the right to do whatever you want. This is what he was made to believe under centuries of Cazador’s “teaching”.

And the PC isn’t some moral savior either. They don’t fix him. What they offer him a safe space. A space to be seen, to breathe, to choose who he wants to be. And Astarion chooses to be better. Not for anyone else, but for himself. He chooses kindness, redemption and love over power and fear.

The idea from the follow-up post, that Tav should someday dig up old court records to confront him and “humble” him into reflection... honestly, that isn't helpful. Bringing up Astarion’s possible misdeeds - things he can't even fully remember from a life long gone - feels more like punishment, coming from a Tav who sees themselves as his moral superior. He has already been dehumanized and tortured for centuries, and after all that, he still chooses to break the cycle, to seek connection, to love and be kind. Digging up a past he can’t change, after he’s already made that choice, just sends the message that he will never be good enough. That he will always need to be “put in his place.” That’s not healing, that’s control. And I believe Astarion deserves more than that. He deserves a partner who doesn’t try to keep him on the right path, but simply walks with him. Because he isn't something broken to be fixed - he deserves respect, trust and space to continue becoming who he chooses to be, without someone constantly holding his past over his head as a reminder of who they think he really is.

To be honest, I think it's good that the creators didn't tell us in the game what kind of person Astarion was before Cazador, because his story is not about who he was, but who he wants to be. But I don't think we should dismiss him either. We may not fully know the man buried in that grave, but he is still part of who Astarion is now. Just like Ascended Astarion is still him, too - twisted, afraid, desperately clinging to control. This is painful to see, but it’s another possible path, and it deserves to be acknowledged.

Astarion is layered, messy and beautiful in his contradictions. He shines through his scars. He isn’t good or bad, he’s human. And I believe we love him because of who he is, not in spite of it.

There is a level of deep, bitterly poetic and cruel irony in Astarion's death and his eventual fate as a vampire spawn. Laughable, even. Lamentable.

Where do I even begin. I once posted here my thoughts on who Astarion was before Cazador took him; and all my thoughts were based on what we can assume to be canon from scraps on information in - game and interviews with Neil. That Astarion Ancunin who was laid into the ground at Baldur's Gate cementary was a corrupt magistrate, a shining example of power abuse, indulgence, hedony, existence in privilege without any service to the world around.

We also know for a fact that Astarion is not a good person in a moral sense. Again, Neil Newbon himself talked about it. He has capability to grow, mature, open himself up, soak in the positive influence and feel for others, but he never will be the default upstanding type. That is simply not at his core.

This is why (I am aware we're talking a fictional character, headcanon is free to all in whichever way they think it suits and pleases them) I cannot for the world believe in all the fanfiction based on the notion of the tragic, tortured soul unjustly attacked and turned into a vampire, because to me - it misses the entire depth and essence of Astarion's personality and arc. He was not a "worthy" persona before Cazador; in fact, the beating he got from the Gur was well - deserved and the near - death experience... Probably so as well. Maybe if anything, this would open his eyes and force him to reflect at least a bit on his choices in the position he was occupying. (But given that he mentions begging Cazador to turn him to be able to take revenge, I highly doubt that.) So yeah... The man got what was coming to him. He deserved it.

But what he got in the end once Cazador allowed him to drink his blood and had him in his hold? Two hundred years of misery and abuse beyond description, being completely stripped of any identity and personhood? No one deserves that. Such fate should not be thrust upon anyone. Ever.

It is the cruellest, most wicked twist of fate that it took that kind of ordeal to change a corrupt little elf's view of the world and force him to even acknowledge the existence of evil deeds and abuse of power - something I am quite sure he never gave any thought to before. It took being transformed into an utterly helpless victim to make him truly see that there is good and bad and perpetuating the bad leads to pain and misery for the innocents (and you can never be sure if not for you as well), and only then, at his most pathetic, most vulnerable, after centuries of torment, it took meeting, trusting, admiring, being grateful to, befriending / loving and being influenced by a genuinely good and kind person (probably the exact opposite of who he was before) to shake and cause some shift in his inner moral compass, or rather the way he was choosing to use it. The full circle, a poignant, unwilling journey from the one abusing power, to the enslaved puppet of someone with considerably more power abusing it in the most inhuman ways possible, and this time to his own woe, to the one person able to break the abusive cycle given the right influence.

Isn't that simply poetic in the most sickly sense? A tragicomedy, if you will.

Forget about Astarion Ancunin. The grave was good for lovemaking and sharing an important moment, but whoever was laid there was not anyone worthy of your time (just like "Ascended Astarion" )The one who stands by your side now is. Your Astarion. The new Astarion, the same "lovable rogue" with a taste for theatrics, drama, debauchery, beauty, murder mayhem and loose morality, but - a better person all the same.

[follow up post here

https://www.tumblr.com/glitteryinknotes/733162725841289216/a-little-follow-up-to-my-previous-post?source=share]

[purevitamins]

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[strqyr]

With v9 really shining a light on the Ruby and Summer parallels and how Ruby being compared to Summer has shaped who she is. It makes me think about how this parallels Yang and Raven.

How Ruby feels like she has to have all the answers and how Yang in v5, trusted Ruby's opinion above her own.

Ruby gets compared to Summer being a good huntress and how she would be proud of her. While Yang gets Ravens stubbornness and she then apologizes for it. Tai does clarify after that it's not a bad thing. But those responses are telling.

I think about how sad it is that these two who were raised by the same mother. Seem to now have totally seperate moms. How quickly yang discovered summer wasn't her mom, after she disappeared. And how that must have shaped both of their lives.

I was wondering what your thoughts were on this train of thought?

well, what this immediately made me realize is that much of how ruby and yang view summer and raven is based around how qrow talks about them; with ruby and summer there are obviously others making comparisons as well, but the point is, tai wouldn't talk about them (the most he told yang about raven was that they were on the same team so like. that's your baseline on how much he would actually talk about), so that left qrow as someone who knew both of them well.

and this is where the scenes qrow has with yang in V3 and with ruby in V7 come in. to yang, qrow reveals that he knows more about raven and her whereabouts that he has let on previously (they even talk! sometimes about yang, even!!) but also that raven's got "an interesting way of looking at the world" that he doesn't particularly agree with. oh, and also she's dangerous.

it's no wonder then that yang's first response is to apologize, to see any comparisons made to raven as a bad thing, when tai does so. of course, tai sets the record straight, and spends more time talking about the positive traits of raven that he sees in yang, too; her strength, her ambition, and her dedication to whatever cause she thought worth fighting for

"I'm proud of how much of her I see in you. But, I'm glad I don't see all of her in you."

this conversation gives yang a more balanced view of raven, and more importantly that despite any similarities and comparisons made, they're not the same person. but also that it's not just all bad... just like summer isn't going to be all good, either.

but that's pretty much how qrow talks about summer to ruby. to parallel his scene with yang, this time around qrow reinforces the previous assumption that no one actually knows anything about summer's final mission. it was a summer secret, through and through. but still, she was "the best of us", if a bit of a brat, but hey. he likes brats, so it's not really a bad thing.

all her life, ruby has seen any and all comparisons to summer as a good thing. it's a compliment, because summer was just that great. the best, even. so when someone does it and doesn't actually mean it as a compliment, it doesn't register. and as such, ruby also seeks validation for her choices from it; the moment she feels uncertainty with her choices, she goes and asks "what would have summer done, had she found the truth?"

but unlike yang, ruby hasn't gotten that balancing talk yet. every single thing said about summer has been said in a positive light. seemingly summer has no flaws, she would have done everything right, she was the best... and she failed. the hero went to fight the monster, and there was no fairytale ending. the world wasn't made better. and it's that pressure, the feeling of needing to measure up to summer and still being faced with failure, that is crushing ruby at the moment.

sidenote, but this is also why i'm concerned over the possibility that alyx didn't actually make it home. ruby has been following in summer's footsteps, and the end looks like a failure. now she's following in alyx's footsteps to try and get back home, but if it turns out that alyx never succeeded, then that's just. oof.

and also why i think that's exactly what's going to happen because ruby needs to realize she doesn't need to be summer (she isn't) or alyx (as weiss said, they aren't), she just needs to be herself:

"You do not go to the tree, the tree goes to you. Unless, of course, you're me, you see?"

taking into account the role qrow has played in this—being the person telling ruby stories, be it about summer or how ~special~ silver-eyed warriors are—it gives me a stronger reason to believe raven is going to play a part in ruby's journey—possibly by being the way out of the ever after, they still want to go home but if alyx's way doesn't work out (or wasn't real in the first place) then you need another way, and raven has a portal that can take them directly home to tai, who can then have a similar balancing talk with ruby as he had with yang—because raven directly calls out the fact that qrow has been filling ruby's head with stories, and that "you sound just like your mother" was not meant as a compliment:

"The truth is that "truth" is hard to come by. A story of victory for one person is a story of defeat for someone else. By now, your uncle has surely told Ruby and her friends plenty of stories."

either way, one way or another, ruby is going to get it drilled into her head that she doesn't need to be summer, that being like summer isn't necessarily a good thing, that summer had flaws too, and that she can, in fact, be just herself and still be successful.

[shotorozu]

encountering a ‘pick me’ girl

character(s) : kirishima eijirou, todoroki shouto, bakugou katsuki (bnha)

warning : PICK ME GIRL, misogyny (?) pick me girl makes an off handed comment about your body but it’s not detailed at all

PART TWO — PART THREE

legend : [Y/N = your name] afab! reader, but they/them pronouns used, quirk not mentioned

headcanon type : fluff, angst if you squint

note(s) : i made 2 versions of this post so,, if you’re reading this— then i probably decided that i liked this one more than the other one i made,, anyways, i used real life examples 💀

»»————-　♡　————-««

kirishima eijirou

i’d imagine that eijirou would have an idea of what a pick me girl is— i mean, there were probably 2 of those girls in middle school

but has he experienced it first hand? nahh.

though, eijirou didn’t think he’d encounter one when he was already in a healthy and committed relationship!

eijirou is practically friends with everyone— and yeah, even the most unexpected. so, he’s bound to accidentally befriend a pick me girl

him, being the nicest one out of all of the characters in this list, will still be nice to said pick me girl, despite wanting to snob them to the core

because really— you can’t really fight fire with fire in some cases

but, he can be everything but lenient when the pick me girl starts insulting you for doing certain things, and for absurd reasons too

like,, how you laugh, and how you take care of yourself (for example— if you wear makeup, or how you style your hair)

which is odd! everything about you is everything but the things the pick me girl has stated so.. he cannot stand by.

SCENARIO

the girl giggles to herself after that snide comment leaves her lip gloss coated lips. eijirou shifts uncomfortably— honestly taken aback by the anything but subtle insult that was thrown at you

“like.. seriously! it’s honestly quite superficial if you look at it like that. who the hell would put that much effort infront of your boyfriend? i’d assume they’d see everything AND everything but.. i guess not.”

you blink. superficial? now that’s a new one. the girl infront of you has been babbling insults sugarcoated in boasts the entire time, and you’re just wondering if it’s about time you guys leave but—

“well that’s unfair,” your boyfriend laughs, “i put the same amount of effort as this cutie right here,” eijirou pokes at your cheek, earning a quick laugh from you— which he can only thank the heavens for that

“but that’s different. it actually looks put together when you’re doing it, eiji.” the certain glint in her smile makes you want to wipe it right off with a dirty mop, “it’s impossible to look put together with expensive clothes, but being built like a—”

the sound of the sliding of a chair is quicker than your actions, and it easily cuts her off.

“i’m sorry, but we gotta go, it’s totally not cool of you to say those things about Y/N!”

“what? but i mean.. it’s true, right? i’m looking out for them! they’re literally out here l—”

“bye!” eijirou waves her goodbye with your hand, dismissing the sour expression on her face— as he dashes off with you

you’d question how he’s just so nice to people like that, but when he turns around, you could see the distaste in his eyes

“so that’s what a pick me girl’s like,” shaking his head, his expression lights up with such a quick manner “i’ll never make friends that are like that again!”

safe to say, eijirou’s friend list has been a a person shorter ever since that incident

bakugou katsuki

oh, so that girl’s bold bold.

if she thinks she could get away with being a not so subtle pick me girl infront of bakugou katsuki, then she couldn’t be more wrong.

it’s absolutely revolting— i mean, he hasn’t displayed any romantic feelings towards ANYONE that isn’t you.

also, they’re quite gutsy if you ask me. so congrats for having guts??

i don’t think he’d be friends with a pick me girl. he’s very selective of who he’s befriending, so it’s probably your friend that’s the pick me girl in this case

he wouldn’t know what a pick me girl would be, but he’d probably know the description of one.

over some time, he’d grow some resistance to insults directed at him, but when someone insults his s/o

oh boy. that’s not good. remember when i said that katsuki was almost like your scary and intimidating dog

this is what i mean

knows he can’t make a scene, so his first option is to be dismissive asf— but if said pick me girl literally can’t get it, he won’t be afraid of shoving some explosions into her face

because his hands are rated e for everyone

SCENARIO

“so you wanna be picked or something, is that it?” he hates how you literally have the resistance of a rock— which is something he always liked, but in this case hated. if it weren’t for you— he would’ve blasted explosions into her sorry excuse of a face until it’s beyond recognition (that wouldn’t be hero like, is what you’ve said in the past, but he disagrees.)

but seriously? ugh. he just wants to leave this horrid place, and make some dinner with you in the comfort of his home. why are you even friends with her anyway? she’s not even trying to be slick at this point.

“p-picked? i’m not understanding, katsu.”

“it’s bakugou.”

“right,” her laughter is like nails on chalkboard, “i’m just watching out for Y/N, y’know? there’s no point in wearing all of that.. on their face.” and she’s obviously referring to your obviously very well done makeup

“it’ll make your skin terrible in the long run! and really— i couldn’t really understand on why someone would wear that much, when you could survive with i dunno.. lip gloss at most?”

you would’ve actually said something as a rebuttal, but your boyfriend is quicker, and a lot more direct than anyone else in the area.

“just say you can’t do makeup and fucking scram,” katsuki’s ice cold glare finally breaks out of the act he’s been trying to hold together for you

“their makeup is fucking bomb as hell, compared to your ridiculous spider lashes, lady. come back when you’ve watched james charles’ entire fucking channel.” he harshly states in similar bakugou fashion, despite the lack of screaming.

and if you squinted hard enough, you could see tears welling up in her eyes. but katsuki tugs your hand before anything else could be said

“let’s fucking go, you need better friends.”

he makes you cut ties with all of them, and he practically scolds your terrible choice of friends— but he goes quiet when you tell him that you’ve been friends with her since middle school

“good fucking riddance. next time, i’ll punch them as soon as they say something outta line, got that?” and next time (hopefully, there won’t be a next time) you’ll actually lash out— or maybe,, you’ll let him loose for once.

todoroki shouto

now shouto might be,, socially unaware sometimes. but he can tell whenever someone’s trying to insult his s/o

like,, right away.

now— you both run into this person after a pleasant date, and she eagerly presented herself as your friend

so, her attitude catches him off guard because who’d have anything rude to say about you and towards shouto’s face? especially when it’s about something normal.

like,, wasn’t she your friend?? why is she even like this?

his hostility is very well known, so they should be scared.

he gets detached from the conversation, and he’ll immediately go cold— and shouto would probably go as far as walking away with your hand in his

doesn’t matter if he properly says goodbye or not— if a girl’s being rude to his s/o, they obviously don’t deserve his usually polite attitude. nope, that’s a luxury.

oh— and what more when they’re seeking for his validation. newsflash! said pick me girl won’t be get any from him.

SCENARIO

shouto couldn’t stop the bitterness bleeding into his mouth, when the girl in front of him continued to babble and take up the valuable time he had left with his s/o

initially, she presented herself as your friend from middle school— but as of now? she seems to be more interested in him more than you, despite knowing you first.

she’d ask him a string of obvious questions with very obvious answers, like ‘is she treating you well?’ ‘is she acting correctly?’ and questions of the sort

“oh, sorry! i’d hate to cut this conversation short, but—” you finally decide that it was about time to leave, while shouto looks pretty,, deadpanned right now, you could tell that he was gradually starting to get irritated by your friend’s words.

“wait. thats.. kind of controlling, don’t you think? do you ever let shou make decisions?”

“uh.. controlling? since when??” you question at the accusation. this girl knows nothing about your relationship dynamic, and she’s already jumping the gun and making conclusions.

your gaze snaps back to shouto, who looks just as surprised as he could possibly be.

“yeah! it clearly looks like he still wants to talk” which is an obvious lie, shouto just wants it out of here “i wonder how you managed to snag such a guy like him,” she comments with a smile that looked anything above suspicion (yet, it makes your stomach churn)

you could see the way her hand gets gradually closer to him— and frankly, you’re not sure about what she was planning to do next, “you wouldn’t need to dress all expensive and fancy, if you’re with a girl with an already classy appear—”

“i think this conversation is over,” shouto grip is firm on the wrist that was attempting to grab his shoulder, shouto makes no attempt to even look at the girl infront of him “i don’t know what you’re trying to do, but it’s not humorous. at all.”

“what?” she stammers, drawing her hand back “i-it’s obvious they don’t know how to take a joke! this is why there are barely any good w—”

shouto’s next actions knocks her speechless, his hand rests at the small of your back, before gently guiding you forward— “love, what movie are we watching later?” he says, making an effort to press a quick, yet intense kiss on your lips

“oh,” you breathe out, surprised by this action. “don’t be so tense, love.” shouto comments on how tense your shoulders have looked, ever since she started running her mouth, “now.. what movie do you want to watch tonight? comedy? thriller?”

“you pick,” you laugh at the quick shift of topic. and when you look behind you, you could see shame and defeat welling up on her face. shouto finally feels like he could smile again, the bitterness dissipating from his mouth

after shouto questions you if that was what a pick me girl was, he makes sure that you guys won’t ever encounter such thing again

“you.. don’t have more friends like that, right? if you do— we could always do another friend list cleansing.” this statement makes you laugh but shouto is anything but joking

but being reminded of his reaction to that ‘pick me’ girl does puts a smile on your face.

»»————-　♡　————-««

likes and reblogs are appreciated, thanks for reading!

i do not own bnha/mha and it’s characters. boku no hero academia/my hero academia belongs to horikoshi kohei, i only own the writing and i do not profit off of my hobby

do not plagiarize, reupload, translate, or use my works for audio readings without permission

[faroreswinds]

I have a lot to say about the Totk story, and how it fails, but there was one particular thing I felt the need to note that only occurred to me while I sat in my warm tub, contemplating my sad existence in this world.

It occurred to me that Zelda, a person from the future with knowledge of said future, does not try to attempt to find the hero or the master sword of Rauru’s era.

And while that might seem like a minor thing, I don’t think it is.

In Zelda lore, we have a few other instances where a hero does not show up, but it is not for a lack of trying. In the case of LttP, for instance, the people sought the Master Sword, a powerful weapon said to be the bane of evil, in order to defeat Ganon and his spreading evil. But they could not find the Master Sword, no matter how hard they looked. And eventually, they ran out of time, and had to turn to the Knights of Hyrule and the Sages to complete the job. This ended up with the near total genocide of the Knights, and Ganon only being sealed away into the Dark World as a temporary measure. 

As for the Wind Waker, the people did basically nothing, because they had anticipated the Hero of Time to travel through time to their rescue. They relied on a hero who had rescued them before and therefore, through their negligence, failed to seek a hero of their era until it was far too late. By then, their only recourse was to pray to the gods to be saved from Ganondorf’s evil. Even after all of that, the King of Hyrule still sought the Hero of Time. It was only until he met WW Link that he realized that he could not rely on an ancient hero who was never going to show up. 

But what about the Imprisoning War in Totk? 

Zelda joins the ancient sages (who have no names or faces btw, I have no idea why they even bothered) and King Rauru in order to attempt to stop Ganondorf. But his power was too great, so Rauru sacrificed himself in a last ditch effort to seal Ganondorf for thousands of years, so that Link could defeat him in the far future.

At first, I didn’t really have any issue with this general set up. But as I thought about the other two No-Hero eras, I realized that Zelda really failed Rauru and his era. 

Zelda’s time is not one of complete ignorance. They have history and legends, recorded for thousands of years. It was common knowledge that the Princess sealed the darkness, and the Hero took up the Master Sword in an epic battle against evil. It was so known, in fact, that that was their entire plan against the Calamity. Find the Hero, awaken Zelda’s powers, and then defeat evil. 

And yet, when Zelda is forced into the past, it apparently does not occur to her to find the Hero of that era? If she remembered that the Master Sword could hurt Ganondorf, then surely she might think of seeking it in Rauru’s era? 

Rauru’s era seems to be one of ignorance. They do not seem to know about the Master Sword, or the concept of the Hero. So I don’t blame them for not looking for a Hero or the Master Sword. But Zelda DOES know. And yet, she never brings up the possibility of a hero of that time? Like, imagine if they looked for the MS and the Hero but failed to find both, and THEN resorted to their war? 

I am sure you could make all sorts of arguments as to why Zelda never bothers to mention the hero. Perhaps she didn’t know the Master Sword already existed in Rauru’s era. Perhaps she made all the connections too late. These are all technically valid, but do not excuse the writing of her character, which makes her seem kinda slow and pretty stupid.

She never makes the connection that Ganondorf is Calamity Ganon. She never considers that her actions in the past MIGHT change her future, perhaps even in drastic ways (she just decided she wanted to help the past, unsure if this would even affect her future). She and Sonia made a pretty foolish plan to confront Phantom Zelda, and then Zelda made no attempt to use her powers to rewind time to save Sonia. Zelda also never makes an attempt to use her sealing powers either, and while you can argue she lost her sealing powers at the end of BotW, this is also never brought up in Totk so it feels like a conversation is missing. 

It feels like at every turn, Zelda makes the worst decisions left and right, with her only decent decision in being to restore the Master Sword in a sacrificial mental suicide. But even that is full of oddities. 

How did she know that turning into a dragon would allow her Light powers to pour into the Master Sword? She is explicitly told that her Secret Stone amplifies her Time powers. As far as she knows, turning into a dragon will not enhance her Light powers in any way. 

Furthermore, how did she know that clutching the Master Sword during the transformation would allow it to be embedded in her body in such a way that Link could access it later? 

She took a HUGE gamble based on two facts: That the MS gains power as it absorbed sacred power, of which she possesses, and that eating a stone will make one a dragon forever. 

That’s it, that is all she knows. She knows nothing else, and yet jumped into this huge risk. As far as she knows, she could have dropped the MS during the transformation, and then her sacrifice would have been for naught. 

And it’s not like this is a knowledge Zelda. TP Zelda, for instance, is not a character who is fully explored, so any knowledge she possesses is fully believable. I don’t know what TP Zelda knows, so if she knows about the MS, then yeah, I believe that.

But BotW Zelda is explored more, and we know what she knows. And she does NOT know all the details about the dragonification process. She only knows eating a secret stone makes you a dragon. She got so unbelievably lucky in her guess that it borderlines insanity. 

This world and this Zelda was not designed for this story, and it shows in a big way. 

[ahb-writes]

15 Unconventional Senses and Sensory Attributes

How many heroes or villains have you encountered in books, comics, or films who couldn't feel pain? Ever read a story with a character who is cursed with an odd hunger they must satisfy to retain their sanity? Unique or unconventional senses, attributes, or neurobiological mechanisms can punch-up an already, curiously assembled character. Readers and writers of sci-fi and fantasy know this well. But when starting from scratch, or seeking to craft something distinctive, one might view the expanse of published literature and feel like it's all been done before. Well, maybe so.

Or, maybe the big, wide world is hugely bored. All the more reason to take up character building, conduct a few deep dives into all the ways animal biology is fantastic (and fantastically weird), and push and pull each never-ending query toward its nearest (or farthest) logical (or illogical) conclusion.

➔ "If you start from the wrong construction of the phenomena, then you might produce a very clever piece of philosophy, but it will be worthless because it's not actually getting to grips with how things really are." (Barry C. Smith, Director, Centre for the Study of the Senses, Univ. of London, as quoted in The Irish Times)

This research article explores 15 unique methods of sensory awareness, some of their related pathologies, and other curious traits or manifestations.

Agency

Auditory Hallucinations

Chemoreceptors

Effort

Electroreception

Equilibrioception

Exoskeletons

Homeostasis

Itch

Magnetoreception

Pain

Polarized Vision

Proprioception

Spinal Reflexes

Thermoception

Some of these "senses" are largely cerebral (sense of agency), others are more instinctive (reflexive senses) or intuitive (sense of effort), while yet others are evolutionary survival mechanisms (sensing another animal's heartbeat). Others are extraordinarily combinative (sense of balance). Many of these senses and sensory response faculties overlap (e.g., magnetoreception and polarized light).

❯❯ Agency

The sense of knowing/understanding one's ability to act on one's own accord. Pop psychology on mindfulness will frame this as "self-advocacy" or of "taking control of one's life," but such views don't provide a fully nuanced perspective. Instead, consider how studied social psychologists may frame a sense of agency as a sense of ownership-accountability over the mind and the body, but monitored and influenced by the variables, constraints, and controversies that manifest in one's environment, real or perceived. In this context, agency represents voluntary control over one's thoughts and actions to reach a desired, experiential state. An important caveat, however, rests behind the descriptors "perceived" and "desired"; agency can also be dangerously misleading, as "priming thoughts" about forthcoming events often "foster [an] illusory sense of agency" over said actions or events, notes an article in Frontiers in Psychology. A sense of agency is affirmational, yes, but it can also make one delusional.

In storytelling, agency regards characters and the level of control they exert over their engagement with the narrative reality. On the micro level, agency can also refer to a character's control, attempted control, or accountability concerning specific experiences. What environmental pressures would force a character to act in her self-interest? What dangers may be present, and how intense might they be, to force a character to work against her self-interest? Human history is rife with political machinations that have resulted in individuals who feared greater punishment for doing what was right than for their acquiescing to that which was wicked.

The differing theories of agency and cognitive causation are intensely layered. But for writers determined to validate this on the page, it may help to recall German philosopher Thomas Metzinger's self-model theory of subjectivity. Metzinger's theory holds that for one's self-representation to be fully experienced, it must be transparent, and a conscious self-representation can only be fully transparent if its internal properties are accessible.

❯❯ Auditory Hallucinations

Gothic literature is bursting with auditory hallucinations, whether from the sound or voice of an "other" that has gained a sense of autonomy, from a valorized voice meant to warn against danger, from a word of the defiant who ardently resists entrapment, or from a disturbed and narcissistic, disembodied entity.

An auditory hallucination can manifest as either incoherent sounds, echoic memories of traumatic experiences, or distinct voices. In humans, such hallucinations might arise or occur in various disorders (paracusis), as a result of post-traumatic stress, or in a patient with psychosis. Auditory hallucinations occur in the general population ranging from 5% to 28%, according research appearing in the journal World Psychiatry. Altered or damaged brain connectivity (cognitive processing) is the subject of much research. But in some cases, scientists suggest the origin stems from spontaneous activation of an individual's auditory network; that is, the spontaneous firing of sensory neurons in the absence of appropriately functioning inhibitory mechanisms (i.e., the limbic system). From the perspective of the individual, the source of the hallucination varies, as does the quality and intensity of said hallucination.

❯❯ Chemoreceptors

Sensory cells or organs that interact with chemicals in the blood; or more specifically, chemical controls for stimulating or inhibiting respiration. The amount of respiration depends on this neuronal network's response effectiveness. Peripheral chemoreceptors detect large changes in arterial blood oxygen, notably as it relates to the respiratory rate (allowing oxygen into the blood), blood flow (sensitivity to hypoxia), and cardiac output (supplying oxygen to the body). Central chemoreceptors detect changes in arterial carbon dioxide, notably concerning brain blood flow and metabolism, lung ventilation, and pH control (for optimal protein structure and function). A simple example would be to imagine a fantasy novel in which a character or adventurer is impervious (or not) to a gaseous poison that would inhibit proper breathing.

From a more practical standpoint, abnormally enhanced peripheral chemosensory inputs result in an overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system. According to the journal Biological Research, onsetting pathologies can include "hypertension, heart failure, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (e.g., systemic inflammation, muscle dysfunction, and/or cachexia, which is when the body literally wastes away), and metabolic syndrome (e.g., sympathetic hyperactivity, impaired blood-pressure sensitivity)."

❯❯ Effort

Prior to undertaking an activity, physical or mental, most humans make an assessment of the energy required to successfully complete said effort. The "sense of effort" deemed necessary to effectively conduct a task can occur consciously or subconsciously, depending on one's familiarity with the event at hand. Cognitive fatigue, muscular fatigue, cost-benefit analyses, and more, all affect the perception of effort.

In physical/behavioral terms, some scientists call the sense of effort a "judgment of force," because of how an individual must accurately estimate the ratio of vigor to fatigue, assign various motor commands (intuitively or peripherally), and dynamically assess how sustained the effort must be (duration of force application). However, for individuals with disabilities, a sense of effort is tangibly skewed; practice doesn't always make perfect; local, social, and environmental factors influence one's quality of concentration, feelings of strain, and stimulus sensitivity (or insensitivity).

On a related note, in psychological terms, self-control is viewed as an aversive mechanism. That is to say, to consciously recognize the costs of exerting effort or to establish a credible perspective on what is or is not a rational level exertion given the scenario at hand. Too much effort? Not enough effort? The right amount of effort, but for the wrong reasons? Self-control will surely have something to say about that. Psychologists frequently debate the extent to which humans are evolutionarily hostile toward effort-contingent rewards (or, conversely, actively assign positive values to effort).

❯❯ Electroreception

At its broadest, electroreception concerns sensitivity to electrical fields. Applied narrowly, electroreception explains a predator's capacity to locate and monitor its prey based on the electrical signals produced by said prey's heartbeat or nerves. For a predator, this means locating one's prey no matter where it hides, as well as at extended distances, depending on the medium through which the electrical field passes (e.g., water, air). Sensors are often delicate (e.g., beneath the skin of a shark's head rest hundreds of highly conductive, ampullary electroreceptors). Fascinatingly, some weakly electric fish have evolved their signal frequencies away from the sensory range of their predators in an effort to increase environmental fitness. Other animals use electroreception for intraspecies communication, identifying mates, or sensing and evading unwanted visitors.

❯❯ Equilibrioception

The sense of balance. A generally unobtrusive physiological sense in humans and animals to prevent them from falling over as they move or stand. It entails a visual system, a vestibular system (spatial awareness via the inner ear apparatus), and proprioception ("kinesthesia," the sense that lets one perceive the location, movement, and action of various parts of the body), all working together to orient the individual to the surrounding environment (and gravity) to achieve balance.

Balance is a quintessentially multi-modal sense. To summarize an array of medical literature on the matter, balance occurs when (1) sensory input (vestibular, visual, proprioceptive) is processed by (2) the cerebellum (coordination and regulation), the cerebral cortex (higher-level thinking), and the brainstem (sorting of sensory information), and is then paired with (3) motor output reflexes, motor impulses, and postural adjustments.

Cognitive or physiological damage, spatial disorientation, illness, or malfunctioning sensory inputs all affect one's sense of balance and one's dependence on it. As cheekily noted in an editorial published in Behavioral Sciences, "It is said that (perfect) balance is the action of not moving."

❯❯ Exoskeletons

Not traditionally thought of as a unique sense, the exoskeleton, while protecting the body, also enhances one's capacity to interpret the surrounding environment. Some animal exoskeletons specialize in providing certain types of sensory enhancements (e.g., stress or pressure sensitivity), some exoskeletons possess environment-particular chemical compositions (e.g., to maintain osmotic balance or inhibit infection).

For writers who are interested in this clever brand of defense and offense curiously bundled into the same package, one recommends researching the differences between exoskeletons, ossified scale exteriors, and for extra credit: whatever the hell turtles are made of (hint: a combination of bony plates, fused scapula, and fused rib bones, blended over countless years of evolution).

❯❯ Homeostasis

To wit, it's "any process that living things use to actively maintain fairly stable conditions necessary for survival," per Scientific American. Achieving homeostasis relies on a convergence of multiple senses.

More critically, achieving homeostasis also means maintaining stability despite an array of conflicting stressors or environmental characteristics (which themselves influence hormone secretion and sensitivity). Hunger? Thirst? Sweat? Blood pressure? In terms of what the body requires, homeostasis concerns regulatory mechanisms or processes that enable one to dynamically maintain steady-state conditions. Anticipatory feedforward mechanisms initiate advantageous and predictive responses to keep the body healthy (or, healthy enough).

Never underestimate the value of negative feedback mechanisms (i.e., change or error signaling; disturbances of the "normal range" of critical feedback), and never overlook the danger of having a time lag in repairing otherwise natural or effective systems once they're damaged (i.e., disturbance or departure from equilibrium).

❯❯ Itch

As the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy explains, "itch, or pruritus, can be defined as an unpleasant sensation that evokes the desire to scratch. [C]hronic itch originates from [..] [a] serious, unmet clinical need. Broadly, subtypes of chronic itch have been delineated and termed pruriceptive, neuropathic, neurogenic, and psychogenic itch."

Pruriceptive itch follows activation of primary nerve terminals, is inflammatory in nature, and notably follows, not precedes, skin damage. A neuropathic-type itch stems from nerve injury or nerve trauma. The neurogenic type is an itch resulting from central nervous system activation without necessarily activating the sensory nerve fibers (e.g., internal injury results in external, physiological reaction). A psychogenic-type itch comes from underlying mental illness (as with delirium). So, an itch can be caused by something seemingly minor (skin irritation), injurious (nerve trauma), deceptive (overactive nerves), or systemic (internal injury or disease).

❯❯ Magnetoreception

Most commonly, navigation by way of sensitivity to magnetic field intensity. In birds, for example, the optic nerves receive and process the magnetic intensity of their environment and transmit said information to the brain. Sensitivity to magnetic fields is frequently cited when discussing what the greater animal kingdom has but humanity does not (at least, at scale). Salmon, hatchling turtles, honeybees, whales, and bats are all said to use magnetoreception, for navigation or migration, to some extent.

Magnetic fields, unlike other sensory stimuli, pass completely unimpeded through biological tissue. By extension, magnetic-field sensitivity is more ambiguous and under-researched than other senses, as the process of transducing the magnetic stimulus into a cellular response lacks specificity. Three hypotheses dominate: (1) mechanically sensitive magnetoreceptors; (2) light-sensitive, chemical-based mechanisms; (3) an anatomical structure that would enable electromagnetic induction. These concepts are not mutually exclusive, according to research published in PLOS Biology, "animals may have evolved multiple mechanisms to detect different components of the (magnetic) field." Wild.

❯❯ Pain

Neural feedback permitting the central nervous system to detect (or avoid) potentially damaging stimuli, either passively or actively. This is nociception. A StatPearls article on PubMed notes: "Inactive nociceptors provide less-than-conscious nudges that strongly encourage the avoidance of potentially injurious and hazardous exposures." Now, if you want to get technical, then general pain and nociception are not identical; nociceptive pain is more acutely defined according to the locus of sensory activation (e.g., skin, tendons, joints, bones, muscles, internal organs). But to keep the conversation accessible, only a few additional notes remain.

Consider, for example, congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, a rare nervous system disorder that begets a lack of sensitivity to noxious stimuli (resulting in recurring infections, cuts, bruises, and unintentional self-harm). Following such a diagnosis, "pain-sensing nerves in these patients are not properly connected in parts of brain that receive the pain messages," per the Iranian Journal of Pediatrics. With no cure for this hereditary disease, treatment regimens aim to control body temperature and prevent self-injury.

Consider also, allodynia, a different type of pain. In short, allodynia is chronic pain brought on by extreme sensitivity to touch. Actions or behaviors that are not typically considered painful can be excruciating. Pain and pain sensitivity are essential to survival, but what if one's body is unable to differentiate variations in pressure or temperature? The result is debilitating. In a medical environment, reducing such pain is extraordinarily complex (e.g., nerve-block injections, surgery, opioids, lots of therapy).

❯❯ Polarized Vision

Interestingly, animals with polarized vision can control the amount of light entering their eyes (or, attenuate the orientation at which light waves oscillate). Many animal species have developed superior navigational skills by basing their efforts on the sun's various positions. In other words, navigating the sky using time-dependent light patterns. Some animals use polarized vision (or polarized-light sensitivity) for "contrast enhancement, camouflage breaking, object recognition, and signal detection and discrimination," according to a research article published in Integrative and Comparative Biology.

When perceiving scattered or refracted light, environmental factors, atmospheric factors, perturbations in the medium (e.g., waves in water), medium quality, and pollution all affect an already highly sensitive manner of pattern discernment.

Human-world applications abound, from fancy sunglasses that enable one to increase visual clarity in high-glare environments to increasing the precision of advanced military technology. In one fantastic example, engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studied the mantis shrimp in extraordinary detail and developed a camera (i.e., a one-inch cube) that mimics the shrimp's use of polarized light as well as the shrimp's capacity to manipulate its detection of light intensity. According to Scientific American, the camera's dynamic emulation of these natural abilities could help cars detect hazards in ambiguous conditions, enable military drones to identify camouflaged or shadowed targets, and help surgeons perform more accurately. It's difficult to state how powerful this new technology is: The engineers' cube camera's light-detection ability was 10,000-times higher than today's commercial cameras (and yes, the tech is already available for cheap, mass production...).

❯❯ Proprioception

The sense that allows an individual to perceive or otherwise intuit the location, movement, and action of various parts of the body (i.e., a limb-position sense). Proprioception is also defined as the unconscious awareness of joint position, for how one absently-mindedly deliberates, identifies, and predicts willed movement. That is to say, knowing what one's body is doing, in the moment (not reactive or reflexive), without really thinking about it. This is all about movement detection and movement-detection thresholds.

Likening proprioception to kinesthesia, either broadly or narrowly, is common, but may not be entirely appropriate when one considers how dependent (and specific) proprioception is regarding sensory nerve endings and their correlation to the particular location, position, and orientation of specific joints, muscles, and limbs (e.g., athletic trainers often focus on soft tissues, such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments). Some researchers have gone so far as to detail the number and type of skin receptors pertinent to signaling limb position. To simplify, proprioception is imperative for precise and fluid movements.

Impairment doesn't simply mean reduced movement-sense and spatial-bodily awareness (kinesthesia), damaged receptors mean the body's physical pathway to communicate with the brain is broken or askew. For example, imprecise sensory interpretation as a result of muscle vibration (e.g., antagonistic conditioning, muscle fatigue) may encourage receptors to inform the brain of the illusion of limb movement or of limb displacement.

❯❯ Spinal Reflexes

Also not considered among the traditional senses, reflexes are important and effective components of sensory stimulus-reaction complexes. Reflexes are involuntary or unintentional (uncontrolled). Each type of reflex response is initiated by sensory stimuli relayed from any of the other major senses. Most importantly, the stimulus itself excites specialized sensory receptors that respond unambiguously to a certain type, quality, or intensity of stimulation.

Interestingly, reflexive actions receive their signals from the spinal cord. This makes them considerably faster than one's normal reactions because they bypass the traditional neural pathway (the brain). Not to say the brain is uninvolved. The brain continuously builds, adapts, and influences spinal circuitry, in both short- and long-term development, and many spinal reflexes operate simultaneously as a result. An overview of the main types of spinal reflexes will include: stretch reflex (muscle contraction), crossed-extensor reflex (opposite limb compensating for loss of support), withdrawal reflex (nociceptive reflex, protecting the body from pain), and autogenic inhibition reflex (negative feedback mechanism to control muscle tension).

"The spinal cord is the simplest and most technically accessible part of the mammalian [central nervous system]. Thus, spinal cord reflexes, the brain's influence over them, and the spinal cord plasticity this influence produces provide the basis of a powerful experimental protocol for studying the mechanisms and substrates of learning." (Encyclopedia of Neuroscience)

❯❯ Thermoception

The brain's recognition and the body's ability to register changes in temperature. Or, put more simply, sensitivity to heat flux and temperature intensity. Animals possess a diversity of temperature sensitivity mechanisms. All thermosensors have activation thresholds and are moderated by various inflammatory mediators (e.g., some proteins are intrinsically heat-sensitive, others are cold-sensitive).

What does this mean? It means thermoception is fundamental to animal survival, as temperature homeostasis is essential to comfort and reproduction. It also means the human body cannot actually determine the absolute temperature of its environment; it must instead regulate its own temperature relative to that of its immediate surroundings.

Mutated or damaged proteins (as with inflamed or damaged tissue), associated with temperature detection, can result in heat hyperalgesia (pathological sensitivity to heat), in which one's heat-activation thresholds are so markedly low that otherwise pleasant and warm temperatures can be very painful.

[gch1995]

“Life seems so much simpler when you’re fixing things. I’m good at fixing things. I always was. But I..”

-Anakin Skywalker to Padme Amidala in chapter 21 of the novelization of Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones (Salvatore, 1749).

While Anakin is technically talking about a broken shifter on the surface, this quote he says to Padme pretty much explains his motivations for why he ends up making the personal life choices he does, for better or worse. He feels like he needs to be powerful enough to fix the galaxy for the better and protect everyone he loves from bad things happening by being their hero and savior because he never had the ability to do so before. Then, when he can’t do that, he hates himself, and lashes out violently at those who caused himself and/or loved ones grief, guilt, and/or pain in the heat of the moment because Sidious taught him that was valid catharsis, and he constantly was being emotionally/individually denied and shamed for seeking healthy opportunities for catharsis, expression, personal freedoms, and support from Obi-Wan, Yoda, and the Jedi Council who all had power over him over the past ten years altogether. Afterwards, he hates himself even more for lashing out violently, but he doesn’t feel safe enough to go back because he knows there aren’t many opportunities for him to be safe doing so in these constantly toxic and oppressive environments under abusive, corrupt, and manipulative authority, so eventually he stops trying after going dark out of exhaustion until Luke comes along in ESB and ROTJ.

I’m not saying that Anakin is innocent, or that Obi-Wan, Yoda, the Jedi Council, or even Palpatine forced him to turn on the Jedi in Revenge of the Sith. Padme, the Jedi Order, and the Republic didn’t deserve Order 66, being hurt in ways that contributed to their ultimate demise by Anakin, and/or being killed outright. As deeply compromised as Anakin’s agency and emotional/mental health was with his limited options, grooming for subservience to corrupt, manipulative, and oppressive authority, and slave mentality, he did still have a conscience. While Palpatine did also tell him he could end the war by joining him, Anakin genuinely didn’t feel he had much of a choice after years of conditioning, and his support system was really limited, too he also was motivated to do terrible things that he knew were wrong to achieve personal worthy ends of saving Padme. He did stop trying after going dark. He deserved punishment for his crimes.

However, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, but I don’t know how so many people in this fandom can blame it all on Anakin for growing up to eventually become Vader when his entire life was spent under the thumb of abusive, corrupt, emotionally negligent, morally hypocritical, and oppressive authority figures in slavery and two space soldier cults from whom there was limited to nonexistent healthy support and safe escape opportunities. I don’t know how so many fans can pretend like Obi-Wan, Yoda, and the rest of the Jedi Council in the prequels didn’t heavily contribute to turning Anakin into a monster almost as much as Palpatine, even if unintentionally, by emotionally/individually/socially denying, invalidating, shaming, and oppressing him every time he did try to reach out to them for healthy and reasonable support, teaching him that emotional expression and individuality was “dangerous” altogether, instructing him to use the clones as slaves and enable slavery on the outer rims, including on his home planets, whenever they deemed it “necessary” for their “greater good.”

Like, I know Obi-Wan and the Jedi Council got their karma for treating Anakin like garbage, though it was far worse than they deserved. I know Luke found a healthy balance in the OT movies with that whole “no attachment” Jedi rule, if you ignore the bullshit Disney sequels that retcon everything. However, it always did bother me that Obi-Wan and especially Yoda never could admit just how much their old system was a toxic mess in which they fucked up. I’m not just talking about in regards to Anakin Skywalker, though he stands out as their greatest failure because he was an opportunity for them to self reflect on their flaws and improve their system, but pretty much every kid in general. Children never should have been getting trained to be soldiers under the age of 18, and, enforcing that whole “no attachment” rule created more harm than good.

[thousandyearphantombunker]

i think the main thing I'd wanna show with belos is that he was unwilling to change- he's a freaking monster running away from guilt via every justification he can make up every bad experience he's had on the BI is proof witches are evil, he cherry picks his experiences and ignores the possibility his brother left him by choice because facing those truths is horrifying. If he acknowledges his brother left him of his own volition that means his brother didn't love him and abandoned him for a girl (at least in his eyes- I imagine after being raised a puritan for such a long time and then escaping that abuse would be an ordeal and you might not be able to save your brother) and that hes been killing innocent people and that everything he knew was wrong- that hes straight up a monster that enjoys others pain- I know people say the point is that belos doesn't have depth that some people are just bad and the whole point is supposed to be his depth means nothing or something but I think the lesson that you can't just point at everyone doing something bad and say 'they're obviously just greedy and can't be emotionally hurt there narcissistic baddies' a lot of the time we dont see our intentions as anything but pure and we even when given evidence to the contrary we stick to our beliefs, we twist evidence to justify our decisions. just because we have good intentions or see ourselves as good people doesn't mean we can't be bad. What makes Luz different from belos should have been that she didn't dehumanize others- she didn't see them as having no lives of their own and saw them as people rather than monsters, that she was willing to immerse herself in this world whereas belos ignored any alternatives as to why he had bad experiences on the BI, he twisted what evidence actually said to fit his perspective that he actively had to ignore good experiences he had or again interpret them in the most insane way possible. The titan in this version didn't hide glyphs from him no, Philip just assumed anytime something bad happened to him it was some weird personal attacks and has a victim complex and when you see yourself as the victim constantly you'll never see if your the villain or the problem. Like I stated above when people who are victims of brainwashing or similar things get sent out into the world it's hard for them, but in a lot of cases being away long enough can start to undo the harm done, Caleb broke away and didn't ignore his positive experiences but belos did. I also wouldn't have them stamp him out as he's already dying- no one mourns him as he did just try to commit genocide and deserves to die but he has to die knowing he's not going to heaven, he's not a good person and most of all he was wrong. There's a lot more id change about the show (the collector and the villains in general need massive revamping even if I do redact some of my opinions). I think the lesson some people are just bad and that bad people just have bad intentions and are only hurt because bad bad is shallow and an important lesson for kids to learn is that while you can unlearn a lot of unhealthy, abusive or racist etc stuff it's hard because people don't like admitting that they're wrong or because even when we face evidence that says everything to the contrary we stick to what's familiar and what feels unshakable etc. it's not just religion that does this, politics, fandoms, to Toxic friendships. Adding to your idea I think after a certain point belos became more obsessed with being 'right' that being the 'hero' became more important than doing what was right. He doesn't seek glory all the validation he needs is his own brain breaking everything to fit his delusion like I stated he ignored everything that didn't fit or twisted it until it did. He could've been frollo or demona or ozai but he's just kind of a boring villain.

The Owl House Critical Post, scroll away now I don't know if I am being too harsh in this post but I wrote it anyway so if you don't wanna read something potentially upsetting this is a warning (to those who decide to read please tell me if I'm being too harsh)

I remember initially hating how the show handled its villains, they all felt like jokes, they never felt like threats or like they provided a meaningful challenges for the main cast, they never had any real depth or complexity. but i bit my tongue, I was told that I was basically a dumbass for complaining that Bump openly breaks a law that's supposed to be punishable by death so that Luz could fulfill her witchy fantasy and that he wasn't arrested. the show could've had him make the multiclass student thing be something underground- boom it lets luz live out her fantasy but doesn't ignore what was established about the setting and creates potential stakes if these underground classes ever got discovered! That already made me angry but the cult thing is what I wanted to complain about- i only had basic ass knowledge about cults and TOH fails at portraying that crap, most people in the EC can just quit and do so in a way that makes it feel like they're just quitting a job, it doesn't feel like they fear losing their friends or sense belonging and community, they don't feel like they're anything but jokes. Leaving a cult is scary, often times cults will send their followers into the real world and set them up to have bad experiences so they'll come running back, they'll hire thugs to scare them into staying or position them in away so that they suffer (sending them out without money or the skills to survive), they humiliate those who begin to ask questions so that they stay in line. guilt tripping, putting members against each other, cutting off contact with the rest of the world! The show only adds the whole 'forced to fight on a mountain' thing for flavor! Everytime it brings up actual stuff cults do it feels like it's more for flavor than actually writing this topic with sensitivity- look at how they treat Lilith! Imo It feels like the show insulting people for ever trusting belos, treating them like they're braindead and could've just realized fairly easily that he was evil. It's the most egregious with hunter who was basically fucking born into the EC. the show is also pretty black and white, which is curious for a show that gets praise for its portrayal of religious trauma. You think the show would be more grey. I did deeper research into cults and just got SO tired of people talking about how good the show was at conveying such a heavy topic. The titan reveal also doesn't help- Luz is told by an all powerful deity that she is the chosen one basically and is told that old man is evil and needs to go down- isn't that the same justification that belos uses for his actions- not saying belos should've gotten redemption or forgiveness but this feels wrong. He deserved to die don't get me wrong but using this justification feels gross. What's even worse is that the titan made Philip's life harder on purpose- ah yeah that brainwashed cult victim would totally change his mind especially if you make his life harder- yeah I would've preferred if belos was depicted in a flashback just having a bad time on the boiling isles and cherry picked those bad experiences to justify his actions. Also I hate that the show just writes belos off as greedy and glory seeking when it could've conveyed a message about how people can get absolutely get warped by religious dogma. I do wonder though if I'm being too harsh because TOH is for kids and I was told it would be hard to portray this stuff in a way kids could understand. I can come up with ways to make the breaking the law openly thing less egregious but I am struggling to think of ways the show could have handled the cult thing, I am aware that maybe I'm accidentally saying stuff that is kind of bad faith but this is my truth. I feel like TOH wasn't good at villains and it sure as hell didn't write cults well