#(because is it really a redemption if he was fighting for a better future the whole time? 🤔)

[battlekidx2]

Alastor Episodes 7 and 8 Thoughts

These two episodes really gave us a lot in regards to Alastor and I cannot wait to see where they go with him in season 2. What I find most fascinating about what they established with him in these episodes is how I think this perfectly sets up Alastor to directly challenge the show’s main themes of redemption.

Alastor is the only character in the main cast that I think could effectively challenge Charlie’s idea of redemption by making her face the question of “where the line for who can be redeemed and who is too far gone is?” 

Even Vaggie and her past as an exorcist couldn’t challenge Charlie’s ideals in the same way because Vaggie so clearly wants to be better and is trying to be better. She could only challenge Charlie’s idea of who could be redeemed. She couldn’t truly challenge the line of when someone is too far gone unlike Alastor. 

And to explain this I'll just jump right in.

It’s clear these two episodes were meant to show a shift in Alastor and Charlie’s relationship in some capacity. It’s a bit more of a subtle shift than with the other characters, but I think it’s setting up this future conflict well for the limited time the show has. 

At the start Charlie doesn’t think Alastor cares and calls him out on this. She directly states that she believes he enjoys the suffering. He refutes her idea of him by stating she doesn’t know what he feels. He purposefully hides his feelings behind a smile as a sign of control. (The first shift. It tells her there’s more beneath the surface)

Then Alastor helps Charlie enlist cannibal town and says he wants to mentor her in the song. This is more than the initial indifference and humor he got out of Charlie at the beginning. There’s an interest in seeing Charlie grow and being a part of it that wasn't there before. And, with Alastor helping Charlie here, trust is being built (at least on Charlie's end).

Then Alastor talks to Niffty (who he is clearly fond of) and admits he finds the group enjoyable to be around. He says he could grow accustomed to them after Niffty says she really likes them almost in agreement with her. He's very candid with Niffty and doesn't seem to feel the need to hide his emotions around her. They appear to be on the same wavelength.

And finally, Charlie is upset when she thinks that Alastor died against Adam and hugs him happily when he returns. In Charlie’s eyes Alastor has been helpful and risked himself and his power to protect the hotel. This is a true shift in their relationship on Charlie's end.

This bond is necessary because if (at the very least) Charlie doesn't care about Alastor then he won't be able to truly challenge her idea of redemption and the show implies it doesn't just go one way. It's just obscured.

To explain what I mean I want to look at Alastor's role in the final battle and that moment when he is alone after he escapes.

At the beginning of the battle he felt like the trump card he should have been. He makes the exorcists, before Adam destroys his shield, look like a joke. And he gives Adam a run for his money before he becomes overconfident and lets his guard down. He didn’t expect Adam to bounce back and have that much power left to show. He was caught completely off guard and paid the price. 

And instead of staying to face the end with the rest of the people in the hotel Alastor opts to save himself. He places himself first. When he leaves he seems almost smug, spouting off a one liner and smiling as he sinks into the shadows. It seems calculated and calm, but alone is a completely different story. This moment shakes Alastor and that moment alone puts his fight against Adam and decision to flee in a different light.

In this moment when he's alone he starts to lose it, saying there has to be a way out. This isn’t where things end. He will come out on top. 

He can feel his control over the situation slipping. His power and notoriety has been challenged left and right this season. First Vox, then Lucifer, then the loan sharks, now Adam. It’s one right after the other. And Adam almost killed him.

He’s struggling to grasp onto what little control he has left by forcing himself to keep on his smile and it calls back to the beginning of episode 7 when he says to Charlie that just because she sees a smile doesn't mean she knows how he really feels. His smile is a sign of control. And even in this moment you can see that last bit of control slipping. And it’s left him even more desperate for his freedom than before.

The Radio Demon was introduced almost as if he was an all powerful entity and now he is being brought back down to earth and he’s raging against it, barely keeping it just below the surface. 

But there’s even more to his breakdown than just his pride. The lines “Great Alastor, altruist, died for his friends. Sorry to disappoint that is not where this ends. I’m hungry for freedom like never before. The constraints of my deal surely have a backdoor.” strongly imply that he really does care for the residents of the hotel more than he wants to admit even to himself.

He is freaking out because he got too close to dying trying to protect and help people that he never thought he would care at all about and he’s doubling down on his plans from before. 

His immediate desperation to be free implies he is at the hotel because he is forced to be there, but he’s desperate to get out of the contract because he doesn’t like how it’s changing him. Alastor has always put himself first and here he is almost dying trying to protect this hotel and it's rattled him even more deeply than the blow to his pride.

I feel like they know exactly what Alastor can mean thematically and they want you to know he’s a villain while seeding hints there could be change under the surface (ones that Alastor himself is afraid of and wants to double down against). There’s a balancing act going on with him and it seems they really do want to challenge the idea of redemption with him. Not just Charlie’s, but his own as well.

Alastor is still in my opinion the best written character in the series. There’s just so much to unravel with him and he’s the most fun to try and dissect to me. I can’t wait to see what they have planned for him in season 2.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor #the show must go on #hello rosie #charlie #netflix #Alastor is such a fascinating character #he has the potential to really challenge Charlie's views of redemption #By either showing her when someone is too far gone #because he doubled down on his original plans #or actually accepting that he's changing #and finding “redemption” #thus proving that anyone can change #even a sadistic prideful overlord

[bibibbon]

MHA chapter 417 (rant)

What in the time travel is this?!?! Why is it always time travel I swear this could of been solved without it and you're basically telling me that shigaraki is so evil that yes we need to go back in time and change fate itself so nothing happens and somehow crack the case that tenko is stuck in and completely differentiate tenko and shigaraki

Why are we just stuck in the past?!?! This overlaps with my first point but why are we in the past again it seriously makes no sense. What happend to the fight?!?! What is Izuku's body doing now what is shigarakis body doing now?!?!? What happend to the whole they're memories are becoming one because right now all Iam seeing is shigarakis memories and none of izukus this feels like shigaraki just trauma dumping and showing Izuku all this stuff he went through because Izuku somehow needs to understand shigaraki like it isn't shigaraki who doesn't understand Izuku and izuku has more understanding than shigaraki does. Plus what was the thing about them becoming one person when that didn't happen at all?!?!

Did Izuku seriously lose all of his quirks?!?! So izuku just lost all his quirks except of float shimura's quirk of course cos she just needed to be there doing nothing but apologising for her failures and somehow breaking a barrier of tine space jumbo stuff to basically did this time traveling thing and woah does this suck poor izuku went through absolute living hell to get this Quirk, train with it and fight with it just to lose it and lose all his hope and dreams in the process. The ending where he becomes some bimbo stuck raising Tenko is ever so closer and closer and I absolutely hate it also I seriously hate that we didn't get a farewell or anything that happend so quick and how did it impact shigaraki?!?!? It doesn't look like he was impacted and then shimura is only there because of the annoying power of rejection somehow somehow a power like this exists because willpower or something

Where did stain, redestro and overhaul come from ?!?! Why was this there like seriously what was this for?!? Was this to be like oh izuku are you ready for changing future time travel stuff balh blah blah and we are just spirits here to haunt you before making this important decision?!?!? Also if izuku broke the barrier and almost got run over by a truck then how the actual hell did those three come into that space at the same time isn't this messing with the past future and present typa of thing because to me it seriously makes no sense how they're there?!?!

The shimura family left a bad taste in my mouth. Bruh the shimura family confrontation went down the bin for real tho. Like nothing happens except kotaro hits his child, nana is crying and that's it nothing else. What happend in between did nao come and do what she did last time did shimura and kotaro see eachother or was it just a transfer thing to Tenko and some and how is it that izuku has to witness death or is probably gonna die next chapter because of decay. Remember izuku has no quirks he is freshly quirkless again and the others can see him but haven't said anything?!?! This was seriously horrible like are we gonna get a kotaro redemption or something because he definitely is better built up for one than endeavour ever was but nope he will slap child on face get hated done and over maybe he will realise his wrongs probably not. Also are you telling me that no one did anything about the random kid with the UA uniform in their house like?!?! What did Hana and nao do?!?! Why does the corgi have to die again?!?!?? BLAMING NANA FOR SOMETHING THAT SHE Could CONTROL AND MAKING HER SEEM LIKE THE REASON KOTARO BECAME AN ABUSER WAS BECAUSE SHE WAS A BAD MOTHER WHEN THATS NOT THE TRUTH IS HORRENDOUS ABSLOUTELY AND UTTERLY RIDICULOUS

Dark deku really?!?!?! Was this what momo was talking about like Iam so confused is this just supposed to be a little mental challenge obstacle for izuku because we know hori didn't let him face or develop from his previous mental issues that were caused by his bullies and especially bakugo so is he finally semi acknowledging fans that talk about this and was like look he has to confront himself bs and the confrontation doesn't last long at all. Like Armin from aot has better confrontation with himself then this. Or is this some thing where izuku becomes dark due to him and shigarakis memories becoming one or something

@doodlegirl1998 pointed out that this manga panel ☝️ looks like kurogiri dark deku and I can't stop thinking about it and how bad this is 😭. Izuku didn't even get to acknowledge anything and kurogiri is legit a dark version of oboro 💀💀

#mha #mha critical #bnha #bnha critical #hori is a bad writer #bhna #izuku deserves better #horikoshi critical #bhna critical #what was this #why timetravel #this is giving fanfic material

[scekrex]

Hi, so this would start with Adam being a fallen angel or demon(up to you) and a months had pass and Adam is getting the hang of redemption, he's still a bitch though(a badass bitch tho). Lucifer and Adam had gotten closer like apologizing to each other like( Lucifer for stealing both of Adam's wives and Adam for trying kill Charlie and all that)So, Lucifer being Lucifer he falls, falls hard and fast, while Adam is being his sassy, bitchy, and oblivious self in the face of Lucifer's feelings. Adam also has feelings for Lucifer, but he's cautious not wanting to ruin what he has right now. So Adam and Lucifer hang out and some demon or even better(worse in my opinion) Valentino takes interest in Adam. Lucifer, self proclaimed, Big Boss of Hell, threatens Valentino, while being a possessive bastard in the process(I find that hot for some reason🤷🏽‍♀️). As Lucifer is threatening Valentino, he accidentally reveals his feelings toward Adam, and slipped up with calling Adam, Hell's Queen, most importantly Lucifer's Queen.

Nah but possessive men are fucking hot and I love them (key to my heard, I swear) also I wasn't feeling comfortable calling Adam the queen of hell, so I switched it up to king, hope that's fine!

Fallen

pairing: Adamsapple

warnings: language I guess, n Val makes an appearance so yeah

note: not beta read bc fuck you I don't have beta readers

Adam had fallen deep, deeper than he had ever imagined.

Not only had he been killed by the smallest one, no he had also been locked out of heaven for good. Heaven had closed its gates for him, that was what Lucifer had told him when the now newborn sinner had asked for a meeting with Sera. Lucifer had also said that they would not speak to Adam, nor would they discuss the option of his redemption in the future, according to them Adam had dug his own grave.

The only reason that there weren't sinners chasing the former angel through all seven circles of hell was Lucifer's daughter Charlie.

Once Adam had been reborn, he had found himself in front of the Hotel’s entrance. And to be honest? Living somewhere rent free without the fear of dying at any given time just because some fuck-ups wanted to see him dead sounded pretty good to Adam. He was often found around Lucifer, not because the brunette liked the devil, but because he was the most tolerable out of the group. Lucifer and Adam had been constantly picking fights, sometimes they even threw hands at each other and yet they continued to surround themselves with each other.

It had taken Adam a good while to come to terms with the fact that hell wasn't forever and that redemption might actually be a thing. So he started to change some things. Instead of calling Angel a ‘stupid whore' he actually used his name, he tried to act somewhat decent towards Vaggie, he even enjoyed Charlie's weird bonding exercises sometimes. Alastor was another deal though, the former angel never really let the radio demon live down the fact that Adam himself would've been able to very easily kill him. Niffty was someone Adam strategically dodged whenever he could, that quirky little beast scared him more than death itself did.

“Y’know,” Lucifer started the conversation, a bottle of cheap booze in his hand as he and Adam were hanging out at the bar in the hotel lobby. “I don’t think I ever apologized for stealing your wives - well ex wives,” the devil continued as he carefully watched Adam out of the corner of his eye. He had meant to get that off his chest for a while now. Adam blinked, once, twice, then he shrugged, “I mean, they probably would've fucking cheated on me with someone else sooner or later, I’m actually kinda glad it was so soon.” Lucifer simply hummed at that, knowing Adam was probably right. A sigh came from the brunette and the devil turned his head to face the former angel as he spoke, “I’m glad I didn't kill your little brat,” he nodded towards the girl, she was sitting on the couch with Angel, they were talking about only God knew what, “She’s pretty fucking hard core, takes that redemption shit serious ‘n’ is willing to risk a fucking lot for it, gotta respect that amount of determination.” That was probably the closest thing to an apology Lucifer would ever get from Adam, but that was okay. He took it, “Yeah, she surely knows what she wants,” the blonde agreed.

And so it continued to go, Adam's behavior towards the other residents and the so called staff increased a lot over time and the bond between him and Lucifer only grew. Hell be damned, they even managed to talk a little bit about how things were back in Eden, and shared their thoughts about certain decisions that were made back then. It was actually kinda nice for Adam to have someone he was able to talk about the time in Eden.

The king of hell and the first man also both seemed incredibly touch starved, as Angel had said it once. They were almost constantly touching each other, even if it was just a hand on the other man's shoulder during a conversion. Not that Adam would ever admit it out loud but they even shared a bed more than once, usually when Lucifer’s depression got so bad that insomnia started to haunt the devil. Lucifer had once explained that Adam just grounded him, that he was feeling safe around the reborn sinner and that it helped having him around when sleep wouldn't catch him.

None of them addressed the feelings they were oh so clearly both feeling properly though. The men were always tiptoeing around each other, giving the other hints that there were feelings involved, but neither of them said it how it was.

Adam wanted to talk, he wanted to tell Lucifer, the tiptoeing around each other was getting on his nerves and he wanted nothing more than to just grab Lucifer's hips and pull the smaller one in a bruising kiss, he wanted to hold him during nights, wanted to wake up next to him. Adam wanted Lucifer. But everything they had was fragile and how far was too far? Would Lucifer abandon him if the devil would know about his feelings? He surely would, at least that was what Adam told himself.

It had happened more than once that Lucifer had been flirting with him, not in a joking way friends sometimes did, but in a way that made Adam feel like what they had going on was too real, too much, too obvious. It wasn't though. So whenever Lucifer flirted with him, Adam made sure to have a bitchy reply on the tip of his tongue, ready to hit and possibly hurt Lucifer with it. And while hurting the devil wasn't his intention, it was his only protection from the feelings he was feeling.

So the tiptoeing continued.

Well, it did until Valentino busted through the hotel doors, he seemed furious and was obviously looking for Angel. All that Val found was Adam. Adam, who was sitting on the couch, his feet up and busy scrolling through his phone. “Can I help ya?” he asked, not really paying attention to who was standing in front of him as he gave Valentino a quick glance before his eyes were back on his phone screen.

“What do we have here?~” Val hummed, excited over his newest discovery, “That pretty body of yours could satisfy so many demons.~” Adam sighed and turned his phone off, that was the first proper look he gave Valentino. “Yeah, well, hate to break it to you, whore, I’m not fucking demons. Don't wanna catch a disease, these fuckers out there are nasty,” he mumbled the last part as disgust appeared in his eyes. Val chuckled at that, and walked over to Adam, grabbing his hand tighter than the former angel had expected him to. “The fuck,” the brunette yelped as he was pulled to his feet and pressed flush against Val, who toyed with Adam's hair.

Lucifer was there to interrupt them in an instant, he grabbed Adam's shoulder, firm but careful not to hurt him, and pulled the reborn sinner away from Valentino, only to put himself in-between them. “Don’t you dare to touch him with your dirty fucking hands, Valentino,” Lucifer growled, which resulted in Val taking two steps backwards, he lifted his hands in defense as the grin vanished from his face. “Hey Lucifer, didn't know you're in town,” the moth demon tried to play the situation down, needless to say that he was unsuccessful. “Don’t fucking act like you didn't do shit, he,” Lucifer pointed to Adam, who was a little confused but definitely interested in how this would play out, ”is off limits for your shady shit.”

Val crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow, “Why? Is he your personal bitch? Hey, I totally respect that the king of hell doesn't want to share his toy with the public.” That's when Adam raised his voice against the demon, “Fuck you, I'm not his fucking toy!” That caused Val to chuckle again.

The moth demon took a drag from his cig and exhaled the smoke in Lucifer’s face as he bowed down a little to be on eye level with the devil, “Listen Lucifer, we both know that if I want something, I'll get it eventually and your personal toy is no exception.”

And that made Lucifer snap.

His eyes turned red as he made himself taller, just enough to be slightly taller than Valentino himself. The horns that grew on his head only made him appear even taller and his tail was flickering in annoyance. “No Val, you will listen. He's not my toy, but he's not gonna be one of your sluts either. He’s mine,” the devil growled in a deep voice, “Not my toy, but hell's king, my king. And you better show him some fucking respect.”

Adam could only stare at what was happening, he wasn't able to say something, too overwhelmed by the feelings that were rushing through his body and the words Lucifer had just said.

“Now get the fuck out,” the devil yelled, pointing towards the door. “And if you ever take another step inside this building, then you should better start praying because I won't be as nice a second time.”

Valentino was quick to hurry out of the building, he was a man with pride, yes, but he also knew that fighting with the devil was a stupid idea.

Once the door fell shut behind the moth demon, Lucifer shrinked back to his normal height again, the horns and his tail disappeared and his eyes switched back to their original color. Adam came up beside him, the taller man rested his arm on Lucifer's head, grinning at the devil, “So I’m not only yours but also king of hell? Fuck, shawty, why didn't you tell me ‘bout that?” Lucifer flushed at Adam's comment and couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped him.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel adam #hazbin hotel lucifer #adamsapple

[wisefoxluminary]

I watched the last episode this morning and Sir Pentious's design when he gets redeemed in heaven really stood out to me.

When Pentious first arrives in heaven, he is clad in white and there is a lot of heart symbols on his clothing with kiss marks on his cobra hood as well as a large gold heart on the back.

I think this is very strong symbolism because in the end, Pentious died for love. He made the ultimate sacrifice for his friends. In his last moments, he confessed his love to Cherri Bomb and was able to get that heavy weight off his chest. It seems poetic that a snake, believed to be the representation of sin was able to redeem himself and go to heaven all while being capable of love.

From the first day we met Pentious, he was a comically evil mustache-twirling villian sent to spy on the hotel, with his own comradery of egg boys following his every order to being a timid and kind soul who makes mistakes and actually wants to do better. He doesn't believe he deserves forgiveness but Charlie showed him that the path to redemption is possible as long as you fight for it and become a better version of yourself while doing it. Pentious wore his heart on his sleeve and wasn't afraid in expressing his emotions. I'm so proud of Pentious as he was able to overcome so much and be the first sinner to be redeemed. His ascension to heaven proved to the angels that Charlie's methods were indeed right and that sinners have the capacity to do better and move on to a better place.

Sir Pentious can now be at peace in heaven and finally heal. I'm just so happy for him but also sad because he may not get to see Charlie and the gang again.

I hope we get to see Pentious be a important figure in heaven in future seasons, maybe even watching over the hotel. I think my boy would qualify as a great seraphim. I think he could get the job done better than Sera in my opinion.

#hazbin hotel #sir pentious #character analysis #i am so proud of my boy #i'm going to miss him so badly #i know this may have been said before but I love this symbolism so much #pentious does for love #sir pentious x cherri bomb #hazbin hotel spoilers

[jesuis-melodrama]

My Favourite Reasons For Why the Great War Started

1. Revolutionary Justice in an Unequal Caste-System Society.

I adore the IDW comics, it's the second Transformers media I consumed after the franchised Michael Bay films, and let me tell you – I was not expecting all these heavy explorations into bot psyche, romance, societal injustice, and redemption. Really, it seriously surprised me, I never expected to see actual canonical romance in the Transformers universe, it always struck me as the type of medium to focus on action first.

So – thank you, James Roberts and Alex Milne.

There's so many characters and arcs I could talk about – Cyclonus and Tailgate and Whirl; Chromedome and Rewind; poor poor Shockwave; whatever's going on with Prowl; Starscream, Bumblebee, and Windblade attempting to scrape Cybertron back together; that one time Rodimus and Megatron's charisma was so awe-inspiring, it made personality parasites explode – but I want to focus on how the Great War began in IDW.

It's the first media to suggest Megatron not as a power-hungry tyrant, but formerly as a member of Cybertron's suppressed working class forced to labour due to the alt-mode he was born with. Sick of and unwilling to accept the subjugation imposed upon him and fellow mechs like him, Megatron rises from miner to gladiator who eventually becomes powerful enough to seize power as a revolutionary and then ascends to the image of the all-mighty Lord Megatron that is synonymous with his name.

Optimus, on the other hand, had somewhat humble beginnings as a strict but fair and righteous police captain named Orion Pax struggling to provide justice in a society deeply embedded with corruption.

Although both Megatron and Optimus sought to revolutionise Cybertron into a world where all bots are equal and uninhibited from potential and free will by their alt-modes, they had very different ideologies and motivations on how and why to reach this goal. Megatron, especially, loses his way and path eventually, and continued his slaughter not for the means to an end, but because he began to crave the "pleasure" from the act.

Optimus didn't escape unscathed from tragic ramifications either: the mantle of leadership as the war dragged on for thousands of millennia weighed heavily upon him, so much that his later psyche in the comics could be described as suicidal.

But whatever that infects these two old bots in the future, young Megatron and Optimus were, in some strange way, allies, out of mutual respect and acknowledgement of the other if nothing else.

The war was initiated and continued by them, because they both believed in a better Cybertron, and millions of years later, thousands of atrocities after, unspeakable acts of war crimes, the Great War ended with both of them remembering what they were fighting for in the first place.

IDW's concept that Megatron was a gladiator turned revolutionary and Orion Pax became Optimus Prime who was inspired by Megatron's words made its way to the Transformers: Prime animated series, allowing this universe's rendition of the two titans to be voiced by Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, the legends themselves.

2. Lord Prime and Lord High Protector

Whatever contentions (of the many) that may be had with Michael Bay's re-imagining of this iconic franchise; you've gotta admit: the designs were cool.

Bay gave us Megatron's ram-head helmet, the astonishing CGI transformations, and the adorable Bumblebee design that has since become a classic of the character.

And according to Chris McFeely's video on the Great War, apparently, Bay's Transformers is the first Transformers media to introduce the idea that Megatron and Optimus had personal pre-war relations, some intimate form of brotherhood and camaraderie, while other adaptations at this point only alluded to their connection as rival leaders who rose to power at roughly the same time.

Bay took it a step further; Megatron isn't simply an opportunistic warlord making a grab for power, he was once a legitimate ruler holding an equal throne besides Optimus.

That's right, Bay crafted the title of Lord High Protector, a Cybertronian ruler of high status with authority over military affairs, ruling in tandem with the Lord Prime, Optimus, who was in charge of more civilian and spiritual duties.

It's interesting, this idea, because it implies far more depth to Optimus and Megatron's history, they must have been ruling together for quite some time before Megatron fastened his greedy claws on the All Spark.

I, for one, am curious in a series that explores how they ruled Cybertron together and how exactly this fracture came to be.

3. Megatron Dunks on a Dock Worker for the Fun of It

The classics of the classics, the first Transformers show to place the universe on the map: the archetypal G1 cartoon series that featured wacky shenanigans such as battling dinosaurs on a remote island or Soundwave and his Cassettes dancing with teenagers at a local gymnasium party.

G1 followed a very traditional hero-vs-villain formula, inspired by the Cold War tension at the time of airing and writing; there was no personal connections or noble aspirations for an equal society – Megatron was simply a campy, formidable scoundrel who yearned for power and Optimus Prime was the honourable, paternal everyday hero who rose to be the leader of the force resisting him and his army (at this point, Prime wasn't even a title, it was just Optimus' last name!).

Optimus Prime still had a previous form of Orion Pax, a dock worker rather than a police officer or an archivist, and Megatron was once an admired figure of Orion's, whose parasocial adoration was disintegrated when Megatron blew up Orion's workplace, critically injuring him and girlfriend, Ariel (soon to be Elita-1), and de-activating best friend, Dion. From the ashes of destruction, reconstructed by Alpha Trion, Orion became the battle-masked, audial-finned, red and blue paragon of justice that shouldered the burden of command in the war against Megatron and his evil Deceptions.

#transformers #idw #bayverse #prime #g1 #optimus prime #orion pax #megatron #analysis

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

the thing i really do like about lena from ducktales is

she's a teen character who's been through a Lot. and still is a Lot

and her friends? they like her like that

she's still someone who'll hide how she's having terrifying nightmares of her evil aunt taking control of her, up to the point she accidentally drags her friends into a dreamverse and almost succumbs to said evil aunt because she's just so TIRED of trying to NOT be like her

she's a big sister now, adopted by violet and the two best dads, and she's super supportive- but her way of helping violet is by teaching her to insult and put down her competition- their Friend- which gets violet into some troubles later on

she's the kind of friend who stops an attack at huey by stopping TIME, pulling them both in his mind- and then opening the door in his mind he told her Not To, unleashing a feral furious side of him- encouraging him to do that in REAL life, cause a mess! Be a bit of a monster! Go wreck someone for once!!!

she's the bestie who sees webby's newly discovered clone sisters cutting a string between her picture and webby's, and blasts said clone twin with a magic attack

Reformed isn't the word for lena, is what im saying.

She's got the same traits as ever- they're just barely starting to be redirected

now she's also someone who dragged webby's granny out of danger (while alone with no witnesses) even though said granny didn't approve of her, basically said she thought lena had no future, and had been getting in the way of lena's plans for freedom and escape from her own evil aunt

lena was never evil. she doesn't need redemption

chances to BE HERSELF is what she needed, and it's what she GETS

she's jumping down a giant shark monster to save webby- her worst nightmare is webby dying- she kinda dies herself trying to save webby

she's the cool teen making color coordinated friendship bracelets for all her new buddies-

she's the big sis waving flags and cheering violet on, dissing on their friends for her, tackle hugging her (getting such a smile out of violet when she does), and always reaching out to her when things get dangerous

she's the friend who's been through it looking at huey's worst side, the part of him he's scared and ashamed of, telling him dude that is COOL- and she's also spending time and magic letting him run through as many redos as he wants, the one who put out a hand in the nick of time to save him the first place

she's coming to get webby after their first real fight, physically straining to keep a spell up long enough to reach her, and she's got friendship bracelets for webby's formally evil clone sisters too, catching them in her magic and safely carrying them along with her own little sister

like, she does learn to trust in friendship. she learns she wants to try being a better friend too

but she doesn't have to turn into someone ELSE to do it!

and her friends wouldn't want her to, anyway

#ducktales #lena sabrewing #violet sabrewing #webby vanderquack #huey duck #it's nice is what i mean #there's a lot of good stories about redemption- a lot annoying storis where someone's flaws are ignored- and then there's lena #and her arc is all about just FINALLY getting to be a teen #a normal-ish #imperfect #teen girl who isn't alone anymore #she's got friends and family to protect and care about now #in her own somewhat morally grey way #love it for her

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.204 thoughts

[Lord Forgive Me But It's Time to Go Back to The Old Me]

(Contents: Parallels - Nico/Feng/Ichico, Character development - Feng, Power system development/speculation - Souls, Character speculation - Sun/Luna)

Well! I guess we didn't need to worry about Nico staying a non-Negator after all, now did we? So much for keeping Nico "Unforgettable-free" eh, Ichico? Still, I feel better knowing that my prediction that they'd trigger it on purpose was correct, even if the exact method was a bit off

As usual, Tozuka continues to impress me with his ability to compose iconic panels. Nico's face when he absorbed all of the memories from Acopalypse is simply Unforgettable, particularly since it so immediately reverted him to his classic L100 appearance. What's really fun about that is that it's probably not that his body just suddenly remembered all of the stress and sleepless nights of Unforgettable, but rather it's the logical extreme of Artifact-based memory influx. We've seen characters develop headaches and nosebleeds from it before, most notably from Fuuko digging through an huge box full of Artifacts, so for Nico to absorb presumably ALL of Apocalypse's stored memories (stated to be the most of any Artifact), it makes sense that even the capillaries under his eyes would all burst at once from the pressure

The question now is whether or not this is a permanent change. I imagine not, since his previously haggard appearance was indicative of his suffering, the haunting knowledge that his most sacred memories would soon fade and be permanently replaced with the most wretched. L100 Nico had the opportunity to create new pleasant memories but actively rejected the possibility out of fear of losing the old, while in this world Nico is going to be able to embrace the support of others as he won't have lost Ichico this time. Honestly, no wonder Tozuka waited to introduce Mico to this world; he wanted to make sure Nico would be able to make room for her in his heart rather than keeping her at a distance

I wonder if that's another reason Tozuka chose Feng for this fight; not only is Feng's current focus on making himself unforgettable to future generations, but he's also a good parallel to Nico's role as a father. Both L100 Nico and Feng prevented themselves from properly forming attachments with their children, and L101 has given both of them the chance to make right on that. Shen explicitly acknowledges that he loves Feng as his father, and Feng even calls Shen his son, so while Feng may not be the best or even a good role model for fatherhood, he does make a compelling argument for parental redemption. If Nico really does have complete knowledge of the previous Loops now, the significance of this change won't be lost on him, and he'll be certain to make sure Mico can grow up happy and loved

Speaking of, Ichico's final speech in this chapter remind me a lot of Nico's in L100. She tells Nico that she knows he can save her because he's the first person she's ever loved, while as Nico was dying in L100, Ichico asked if he thought Mico could handle saving Fuuko's life and he replied "she's our daughter. She doesn't make mistakes." Both of them have absolute faith in their loved ones to pull through when the chips are down, and both of them hold each other in extremely high regard. These two really have such strong chemistry, I'm excited to see the sorts of interactions they have now that the cat's out of the bag

Now that I think of it, Nico's refusal to let Mico into his heart was pretty ironic since Ichico explicitly wanted to make sure that Nico wouldn't ever feel alone. Just like Leila asked Rip and Latla to find love in each other, Ichico wanted Nico to fill the void she left with Mico, and just like them, he couldn't let go of the past and move on. Leila and Ichico were also both in poor health and believed that since their lives were short they held less value, and instead sought to leave as much of an impact as possible in the time that they had, even if it was just to make the people closest to them happy

Looking at Ichico in that light, we can see another fun parallel to Feng! Feng's Unfade made him believe that he had all the time in the world and that he didn't need to leave anything behind because he'd always be there, while Ichico's Unsleep made her believe she had no time and had to leave as much behind as she could. Both of them, however, had adverse effects on their families, as Feng believed his children to exist for him to become stronger and Ichico believed her child to be an adequate replacement for herself, when in reality Feng should have focused on raising someone to surpass him and Ichico should have focused on preserving her life to be present for her family. Heck, Unforgettable manifested in Nico both times specifically because he saw Ichico's last moments and thought something to the effect of "I don't want her to die, I want to remember her." Doomed by the narrative, indeed!

Man, I'm so glad Tozuka used Feng here, I had no idea there was so much connective tissue between all these folks! I bet we still would have gotten something cool if it were Tella, but damn this is such juicy stuff!! I hope Tozuka keeps throwing all of his toys together in fun combos that get me to think this deeply in the other Master Rule fights too

Feng's inclusion here also continues to demonstrate how far he's developed, forcing him to put his money where his mouth is and sacrifice himself for someone else for a change. He was a bit incredulous at first that Ichico was suggesting he should die, which is pretty hypocritical coming from the guy who just last chapter said "you should sacrifice your wife to get stronger, it'll be cool." Once he realized that dying would help him understand souls better and that Nico could save him AND bring him back to life, Feng was all for it, and may well come to understand that being with people provides more opportunities for growth than treating them as expendable ever could

I am very interested in seeing how his death will improve his understanding of souls, though. The damage he took from Luna's soul blast as well as the damage he dealt to Sun (who Language stated has a physical body) with his knock-off Kamehameha both prove that souls can directly interact with the physical plane, something that Ghost previously stated couldn't be done. This may be a matter of interpretation, though, as Ghost also stated that Andy only couldn't move his limbs after having those parts of his soul cut off because he believed he could move his body using his soul. Ghost's interpretation was that souls couldn't touch physical matter and vice versa, so only a physical attack coated in soul could harm him by ensuring it didn't matter which form he was in

Luna's attack seems to be pure soul, so by that logic, she shouldn't have been able to deal damage to Feng's body, and yet she did. Is Luna's interpretation that a soul attack damages the soul and reflects its state on the body? Probably not, then one wouldn't be able to detach their soul for attacks in the first place, as that would cause the body to change shape (see Mahito's Idle Transfiguration in JJK). Does Luna interpret souls as having different properties at different concentrations? Is she coating her soul around the air to create physical pressure when launching her attack? Or is it something entirely different? Whatever it turns out to be, I think it will have pretty drastic implications for how battles are fought going forward

Finally, I want to touch on an interesting line from Language. She referred to Luna and Sun as "the Pinnacle of the Spiritual and the Pinnacle the Physical" respectively, and given Luna's hazy silver appearance, it does track that she is literally made of soul, but then does that mean Luna doesn't have a physical body at all? And in fact, if Luna is only a soul, then how did she exist prior to UMA Soul's creation? Is Soul really the Rule that allows souls to exist, or the Rule that allows other souls, existences like Luna, to be?

And if Luna is a soul without a body, then...is Sun a body without a soul? Can soul-based attacks work on Sun, or does the Union need to focus solely on physical attacks? Or, does defeating Sun require that Luna be defeated simultaneously, just like Ghost, because Luna is Sun's soul?

I know I say it all the time, but Tozuka really is following Oda's footsteps incredibly well. They're both so good at sprinkling in hints that make me ask questions rather than just spoonfeeding me answers, so while I desperately want the answers, the time I get to spend chewing them over and looking for them myself makes the questions stick with me and leave that much more of an impact. I sincerely hope that other mangaka are taking notes, cus I want to see so much more of this in Jump's future!

Until next time, let's enjoy life!

#undead unluck #fouryearsandananime #4y1a reviews

[raphaellight]

What are Alastor's plans for Charlie exacly?

How it started

How's it going? Is it genuine? The hole fandom is discussing that question.

Let's be real, fandom really wishes it's genuine <3<3 I do too. But sadly, it just doesn't look that way. ˙◠˙ There are phew good analysis of Alastor manipulative behaviour thruout the show. But does it mean Alastor will betray Charlie and become the full blown villain in the future? Or manipulate her into givining up her soul for something and then the heroes will have to figure out the way to free her for her deal?

I propose another forecast. Depending on the perspective, it may be better or actually worse.

We know Charlie isn't dumb around Alastor. Neither in Pilot, where she openly rejected the idea of having a deal with him, but even in episode 7, when she makes a deal, I feel people are not giving her enough credit. She not only backs off despite being desperate, but she even pushes back and negotiates for herself, making it so her favour is not going to be about hurting anyone. I'm not saying she isn't warming up to Alastor from the first time she met him or that even with "You harm noone" rule on Alastor's favour it can't turn out horribly wrong, but if Alastor aims at getting her soul, he will have a hard nut to crack. And his acions don't seem to aim at it as much.

"She's filled with potential that I can guide, I concurr, stick with her, you'll be in on the winning side"

We know those lines from Alastor and Rosie, right after, with help of those two Charlie managed to inspire the army of cannibals to fight angels. ANGELS. Right until now it wasn't even really known angels can be killed/hurt, Charlie doesn't even know how to do it, yet she manages to make an army on the premise they gonna win with angelic army. She really rolled nat20 on inspiration with Alastor's help.

"She's bound to pass the test as princess of hell"

Alastor constantly inspire Charlie and helps her in her projects. Vaggie might be Charlie girlfriend, but Alastor is her right hand in the practical sense. He is the investor and main manager, supplying hotel with most of resources it needs. Only to get Charlie trust to strike in the best moment? Possibly. But I think there is more likely scenario: Alastor is not Charlie's enemy dressing up as a fake friend. Worse, he is her genuine advisor.

He doesn't want the figurative throne of hell for himself. He wants power and control, starting with breaking his own deal. In my opinion Alastor isn't the type to fight for recognition for it's sake. Reputation is important as a tool, not value in itself. As much, he is perfectly content to let someone else sit on hell's throne, if that someone is the person that considers Him as their right hand. And who's better than idealistic princess of Hell, that cares more about redeeming souls in hell than rulling over it.

In that sense, Alastor will not be another Adam to beat up. He will become to Charlie what Palpatine was to Anakin: parental figure advisor that potentially will make Charlie into another villain. Thats what I mean it might be worse than simple betrayal. If I'm right, we might see Charlie becoming the villain to defeat.

You might counter with "But Charlie doesn't want power, she wants to run the hotel and redeem sinners." And it's fair, she isn't greedy or powerhungry. But that's where Alastor manipulation might come in handy. Because there are good reasons for person wanting to change the world might need power and Radio Demon can convince Charlie she should "take her place as a heir to the throne". Even tho people need to choose to stay in Hotel, so Charlie can't force anyone there, that doesn't mean she can't take control over parts of hell that really doesn't help sinners in redemption. She might want to put down certain overlords for making deals, thus making it nearly impossible for some souls to get free. She might want to abolish drugs in hell, so people in hotel aren't tempted anymore, same with porn industry. Coming back to Star Wars reference, she might want to "bring peace, freedom and happy days to her hell". And all of that with support of very loyal Radio Demon, that will be running all errands in hell, when princess sitting on the throne is busy doing trust exercises with group of sinners in Hazbin Hotel.

That's what I think Alastor imagines, when thinking about "pulling the strings" after "guiding Charlies potential". Share what you think about the topic and follow for more.

#alastor the radio demon #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel #charlie morningstar #hazbin charlie #manipulation #political game #possible spoilers #we are theorizing here

[shanksxbuggy]

These two fights were really about the same thing. Buggy and Usopp paralleling each other in their emotional attachment and inability to let go of the old, safe and comfortable thing they believed in.

For Usopp, it was Merry who’d sailed with them since the beginning of the journey. For Buggy, it was Captain Roger’s dreams and the title of Pirate King. When it comes to these fights, these two represent the same thing.

Obviously it was the right thing for Luffy to give up on Merry. He was prioritizing his crew, and he was doing this because of how he cared for his friends and for Usopp. He couldn’t protect their dreams if he couldn’t do this. But Usopp wanted Luffy to hold onto this shared heartfelt wish. Shanks probably had his own reasons too for giving up on Roger’s dream.

Shanks and Luffy were both trying to prioritize the future of their crew, rather than hang onto their personal attachments. But Buggy and Usopp couldn’t just toss aside their selfish desires.

Being able to set aside their own hurt for someone else’s sake is one of Shanks’ and Luffy’s shared behaviors. Shanks did this with Uta, leaving her behind to give her a better future when it hurt him to do so. Luffy did this with Tama, letting her act out and not telling her he knew Ace even though he mourned Ace more than anyone.

It’s about growing up, taking on the adult responsibility and letting go of your own personal satisfaction. It’s like when a person gives up their favorite childhood toy to somewhere better.

If you think about it, Buggy’s like a version of Usopp if he left the StrawHats at Water 7. Only Buggy didn’t get a redemption arc and a chance to reconcile with his friend.

In my personal opinion, I think Buggy was an experienced pirate at this point and understood that a crew where the crew members don’t respect the Captain can’t work. So the best thing to do when a clashing of ideals occurs is to go separate ways. They’ve already discussed this too, about their differences and how they should sail separately because of it.

#buggy #shanks #luffy #usopp #one piece #buggy the clown #akagami no shanks #redhaired shanks #red haired shanks #one piece analysis #monkey d luffy #i just had a need to talk about Usopp’s character journey and its resemblance to Buggy’s because i love these two dudes #sometimes i see takes about buggy leaving shanks saying he idealized shanks too much…that’s not it at all #buggy simply had different beliefs and he was upset to find out shanks’ beliefs were not the same as his #he felt he could not sail with someone who did not care about the things that really mattered to him and that hurt him

[fiber-optic-alligator]

I don’t even know that much about atla but

Give me your giant zuko thoughts 👀

(Only if you’re comfortable with sharing ofc!)

OH I’VE BEEN WAITING TO YAP ABOUT THIS

Don’t worry, I’m completely comfortable with sharing! I love sharing G/T thoughts about characters, I don’t mind at all! Thank you for asking though!

Okay okay, so I’m going to be assuming you know the basics of Zuko’s story, but long story short, he goes from being a typical antagonist for the heroes to having one of the best written redemption arcs in entertainment history (in my opinion). So I feel things would go differently based on which version of Zuko you’re dealing with.

Something to keep in mind though is that a prime quality of Zuko’s character that sticks with him through the entire series is that he isn’t cruel. Yes he has a temper, and yes he can be violent, but it has always been shown that he is an extremely empathetic person with a good heart.

Book One Zuko might be a handful to deal with. He's angry, he has a one-track mind, and his temper is at the highest it will ever be. If you're a tiny under his care, I'd say steer clear of him when possible and don't ever try to get him mad. That being said, I fully believe he'd never hurt you. Book One Zuko cares A LOT about honor, and he'd probably see harming someone that's so much smaller than him as an act of cowardice. That doesn't mean he'll be very gentle with you. He'll rough you up a bit and you definitely will at times be fearing for your life, but he knows limits and he'd never put you in serious danger (Possible vore scenarios are spiraling in my brain). So basically, LOTS of fearplay and dealing with an angsty teenager with daddy issues.

Book Two Zuko would be...better. He's a banished prince traveling the Earth Kingdom with severe identity issues, but in doing so, he's learning more about himself and who he is meant to be. His gentler side comes out more during these travels, so you'd be exposed to less anger and more awkwardness. I don't think he'd know what to do with a tiny during this time in his life because this softer side of him really starts to show itself and he'd probably be terrified of scaring you. He doesn't want to scare people anymore; he doesn't even know what he wants for himself. I'd say that if you're dealing with Book Two Zuko, you'll get a better experience than Book One, but he'll be more disinterested because of what he is going through. He'll probably hand you off to Uncle Iroh or someone he trusts.

Book Three Zuko would arguably be the best to encounter. He's really mellowed out and is more in tune with where he wants his future to go, and his time with Team Avatar really allows him to fall back into a more gentle, empathetic temperament. If he were to find a tiny, he'd probably be very awkward and flustered at first, but then he'd immediately get onto your level and try to talk to you. If your scared of him, he expects it, and he'll try his best to calm you down. I can definitely see him being as soft as possible with his tone and words. If it takes quite a while to reassure you though, his short temper will show through, and he might grow frustrated and snap at you. Of course, he'd feel awful about it afterward. If this is the case, he'd spend as much time as possible trying to gain your trust. There's no way you're leaving his mind, and he'd keep making small gradual advancements until he can convince you he won't hurt you and your safe with him. After that, I think he'd be VERY protective. I could see him wanting to shelter you a lot, whether by holding you, letting you ride on his shoulder, or even allowing you to sit atop his head. He'd fight fiercely to keep you safe, but if you are fully capable of defending yourself, he won't smother you. Zuko is protective, but not clingy. He'd recognize that you are a person worthy of your own autonomy and independence, and he's not going to infringe on that (Again, so many possible vore scenarios here).

I could say so so much more, but then this would be an insufferably long post lol. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to write my brainrot about this silly guy down. Zuko is one of my all-time favorite characters, and I really want to write a g/t story with him. I know I'm primarily a Transformers blog, but there are so many other characters from different franchises I'd love to write about too! Maybe I'll make a generic g/t side blog for that kind of stuff :)

#gator bites #not transformers #g/t fluff #giant/tiny #giant tiny #sfw g/t #g/t community #atla g/t #atla #avatar the last airbender #zuko #giant zuko #vore mention #sfw only

[yellowspiralbound]

Since season 3 of The Witcher Netflix comes out tomorrow...here are some of my concerns on adaptation from this season onward. Potential spoilers for the future seasons and definite spoilers for the books. Long post ahead.

The Hansa's Dynamic

I am so worried about how the Hansa is going to be handled in the show. Like shaking in my boots terrified. The showrunners already really messed up Dandelion & Geralt's dynamic...and that's one of the easier dynamics present in the Hansa imo. The dynamic is already going to be screwy because Cahir is a middle aged man and not a petulant teenager if he's present in the Hansa at all (though I think he will be since Emhyr called him and Fringilla out at the end of s2).

Emhyr as a Character

Speaking of Emhyr...I think they might attempt to give him a redemption arc, and I cannot emphasize how bad of an idea that is. They're going to retcon the whole "wanting to impregnate Ciri" bit, which I have mixed feelings on. Like yes, on one hand that's fucking gross but on the other hand, that bit is in there to show how fucked up Emhyr is and why Geralt needs to get to Ciri so quickly; it adds a sense of urgency to the Hansa's travels. If I see Emhyr sympathizers on my dash after this season I will lose my fucking mind.

Milva's Pregnancy & Related Scenes

I suspect that Milva's pregnancy is going to be cut entirely or play up the rest of the Hansa's concern for her as a weird "men think they can control women's bodies" thing which Milva will have to fight with them about so the show can be appropriately pro-choice without exploring any of the pro-choice nuance the books bring up. I can just see Regis talking to the guys about it being turned into a "the father deserves a say in a woman's choice to abort" scenario instead of the "I will give this woman her abortion regardless of what you all think about that (and I've made that VERY clear) but I think she's making this choice because she believes you all will abandon her/not support her if she wants to keep this baby and someone needs to make sure that she knows that won't happen" scenario that it actually is. This is also plays into my concerns about the Hansa's dynamic as changing that scene changes it irreparably.

Characterizing Nilfgaard as a Nation

Right now I feel like the show could go one of two ways 1) Nilfgaard is wrong in everything it does or 2) Nilfgaard is right in everything it does (if Emhyr gets a redemption arc). The show has already made a show of the Northern Realms' racism, which is book accurate mind you, but I fear this will translate to a sort of "Nilfgaard is the better nation as its less racist" scenario. While Nilfgaard is better in that aspect and a few others, it is still a militant slave nation. Nilfgaard and the Northern Realms both have their evils and their virtues; that's a big point in the books and the games. Neither nation is 100% good or 100% bad - they're just nations. I don't think the show will be able to handle that kind of nuance.

Jaskier & Radovid...

Apparently, Radovid is supposed to be one of Jask's love interests this season. Radovid is a massive racist, a war criminal, and a teenager. I'm sure all of that's going to be retconned but for fuck's sake just make a new character if you're going to age up and completely change the personality and insanity of an existing one. Important note: I am 1000% in support of queer Jask. I have never shipped that man with a woman in my life (even in the books and games) but for the love of God why did his LI have to be fucking RADOVID??

Mistle & the Rats

If they make Ciri and Mistle a love story, I am going to be disappointed but not surprised. Let me be clear: Mistle is a rapist and an abuser. I suspect they will change that to shoehorn in a queer relationship (even though Triss and Philippa are RIGHT THERE if they want a semi-canon wlw couple). The Rats as a whole are definitely going to be made into more robinhood-like characters because God forbid a main character like Ciri is morally grey or does questionable/bad things.

Geralt's Disability

If this season ends with the Vilgefortz and Geralt fight, as I suspect it might, Geralt will be disabled permanently by the end of this season. The dryads do not fix it. Magic does not fix it. Geralt becomes disabled and stays disabled. His disability becomes a hindrance during the books and the reader actively sees him grapple with the fallout of this. I do not trust this show to handle that - especially with how much more closed off Geralt is in the show compared to the books. If I had to guess, Geralt's disability will be handwaved away or mentioned in passing and never actually shown to impact him which is not cool.

#the witcher #the witcher books #the witcher netflix #twn critical #books vs show #the hansa #milva barring #maria barring #regis #cahir #cahir mawr dyffryn aep ceallach #emiel regis #jaskier vs dandelion #jaskier #dandelion #geralt of rivia #cirilla fiona elen riannon #the witcher s3 #spiral's thoughts

[revengeismygender]

*dips toe into the discourse*

I think one thing Izzy apologists miss (or ignore) is that Izzy waits until Ed is getting better to threaten him and tear him all the way back down. I’ve read some metas that say Izzy was trying to protect Ed the only way he knows how, which is putting a hard exterior back on. And I can see that, but I just find it interesting that it happens not while Ed is sobbing in the blanket fort, not while he’s drowning in rum and marmalade, but when he’s starting to pull himself up a bit.

Blanket fort Ed needed an intervention, that is true. No shame to blanket fort Ed, we’ve all been there, but contemplating curling up and dying isn’t really a healthy vibe. And that intervention comes in the very capable and gentle hands of Lucius “I’m fantastic at breakups” Spriggs. Lucius is the one who does the hard work of getting him to the next stage of his grief where he’s sharing it with others, making plans for the future, etc. We don’t see Izzy try to help Ed when he’s at the stage which I would argue he was the most vulnerable and needed the most help. If he was trying to protect Ed from seeming weak or hurting himself, blanket fort stage would have been when he should have stepped in.

But no, Izzy waits until he’s out of the fort, he’s sung his song, and he’s literally cleaning up the cabin. He’s saying “I can’t believe I was living this way.” He’s making plans for the talent show. And notably, he has just said to the crew, “Why are we even being pirates?” And I want to argue that this is what sets Izzy off. Not the crying, not the pining, not the robe, not the song.

“Why are we even being pirates?”

There’s also this idea floating around that Izzy manages everything for Ed. That a huge part of Blackbeard’s legend and power and charisma is actually Izzy. And Izzy does claim that, but we never see evidence of this in canon. In fact, we explicitly see the opposite. Ed is shown as a brilliant tactician and as a capable and clever, if somewhat bored, captain. On the other hand, the crew mutinies on Izzy and tries to kill him approximately 30 seconds after he seizes power. He has no power of his own. All of it comes from Ed. And he knows this. And the audience knows it. And it we’ve forgotten it, they conveniently remind us right before the events of episode 10 by having Ed save Izzy’s life solely by reappearing and saying “I’ll have tea in my room.” No argument required, no sword fight, no threats or gun waving. That’s how much power Ed has.

So Izzy is reminded of this. Alone, he has no power. Ed has all the power. Any power he has had or hoped to have comes from being Blackbeard’s first mate. So THAT is what he is trying to protect. What little bit of power he has left. That’s why he does what he does when he does it. He’s terrified by “Why are we even being pirates” because if they aren’t pirates, he’s nothing.

Now I want to clarify that I do believe that Izzy is in love with Ed. And I don’t want to discount that as a motivating factor. But I think Izzy is also in love with proximity to power and I think it’s not doing either character any favors to ignore that. I’m not necessarily an Izzy hater or anti-Izzy redemption arc, but I think if Izzy is going to have a satisfying redemption from the horrible things we have seen him do, those horrible things have to be acknowledged and atoned for, not written off as something he did with a pure heart and good intentions.

#ofmd #our flag means death #edward teach #izzy hands #ofmd meta

[angelofverdum]

Station 19 6x18

Can Theo go? How more toxic can he be? Writers really said, "Oh you hate Sullivan? Let me show you someone worse". What an asshole. Making out with Kate just because Vic was proud of Andy. Who, mind you, is one of her closest friends and has been fighting for that position for a long time.

Captain Herrera, fucking finally. I hope that storyline ends there. We don't care about that anymore. She is going to be a great captain. Let her be captain until season 11, at least.

I wish we had seen a conversation between Maya and Andy about the captaincy.

Jack lost consciousness, so he couldn't tell Vic what he saw. If they kill Jack, I'm suing. He is just a dumb guy, and he doesn't deserve that. I hated him when he was part of Maya and Carina, but he is getting his life together.

Travis has been a shitty friend to Vic, btw. Vic told him what happened with Theo and Travis just saying "Sometimes that happens".

I love we got to see more of Vic and Andy together.

As much as I loved those scenes with Maya and Carina in their apartment. I wished they were on the opening scene. That looked like fun. Maya and Carina are always out of the group.

Are Maya and Carina going to adopt that baby? I know Carina wants to give birth, but they just brought that pregnant lady for Carina to do something? Or is Jack adopting the baby?

What the hell is this? I want a written essay about why Carina flinches like that. Couldn't this scene be like 5 seconds longer?

I'm so annoyed that Carina had to wear her wedding outfit to the ball. You are telling me she didn't have any other dress??? ANY OTHER DRESS??? Why? What was the point? Why do the writers hate Carina so much? She could have gone and bought anything. I'm sure she has gone to some events that required formal dress.

I can't even enjoy her scenes at the ball because of that damn outfit.

I'd never forget Danielle for giving Maya bangs. I know it's just hair, but Maya is not a bangs woman. She wears her hair slicked in a tall ponytail, controlled and put together. Bangs are carefree.

Danielle looks beautiful, but that's not Maya. She could have waited a week to get bangs. I'm in mourning.

It wasn't even mentioned. When she cut her hair short, it made sense. It was a beautiful moment, and she looked very hot. But those bangs just, I don't know. I'd never question Danielle's acting choice, but I feel that this episode was more Danielle than Maya.

This was a good episode. I hope they keep this energy for future epsidoes

I'd love to see them getting ready for the ball. Maya and Carina with the group. They teasing Maya and Carina for being late. CARINA WITH A NEW DRESS (This bothers me so fucking much)

This was my favorite kiss, btw. I guess I'm a sucker for fluff. I loved this scene so much. Even tho We should have seen Maya topping Carina.

Anyways we survived Krista, and I hope next season is better. Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige, here are my recommendations:

Someone tell Danielle to put this pic on Maya's locker.

Bisexual Vic

Theo gone. Bring another female firefighter. (Latina, please?)

Redemption for Sullivan (I like Boris; I don't want him gone, ok?) Can they do something to make him likable? Please. He can be funny. We can save him.

Baby Deluca-Bishop (Bishop-Deluca still sounds better. If Maya weren't so whipped by her wife), It's time. I didn't want a baby, but I'm tired of this storyline. Just give them a baby, please.

More Carina Deluca in action

More Vic, Maya, and Andy together

More fires

More silly episodes

Whoever is reading fanfics realizes that Marina's baby should be named Andrea.

Maya and Carina change the sheets. Please, I'm begging. I'll change them myself if I have to.

P.S: Whoever edited this deserves an award. So unserious.

#station 19 #maya bishop #carina deluca #andy herrera #vic hughes #rambles #marina #maya x carina #danielle savre #stefania spampinato #jaina lee ortiz #barrett doss

[cosmicjoke]

Eren Yeager: A tragic Villain:

I really do feel bad for Eren. Being faced with what you are, and discovering it to be what Eren did, a person capable of and, worse still, willing to murder untold numbers of people for nothing more than a selfish desire, would break anyone's mind.

Eren hates himself. I think he's always hated himself, to some extent. We see bouts of his self-loathing throughout the story, moments of guilt and shame in him when, again and again, he manages to get people killed who are trying to keep him alive, guilt when he realizes those people died trying to rescue him because he ran ahead and acted out and did what he wanted without thought to the consequences for others. It was a point of amusement for a long time, how Eren constantly ended up getting kidnapped. But he gets kidnapped again and again because he isn't thinking about how his choices impact others, he's only thinking about what he wants to do. Like when he turns back during the female titan arc and needs to be rescued by Levi and Mikasa, instead of giving meaning to the deaths of Levi's squad by using their sacrifice to flee, or when he's fighting Reiner and gets kidnapped, resulting in numerous deaths. He becomes so overtaken by his desire to destroy, whether it's his perceived enemies or the titans or whatever, that he becomes blind to everything and everyone else around him. We see from the earliest moments of Eren's introduction that he's being faced with the truth about himself, but in small enough doses that he's able to pretend he's something else. He's able to pretend he's a hero for a time, even, fighting as a member of the Survey Corps against the evil of the titans, for the cause of humanity. But there's these periodic episodes when he comes up against the truth, and those episodes leave him feeling what will later become full blown self-loathing. He has moments of self-doubt, thinking himself unworthy of the role he' s been given as humanities savior, a feeling which is worsened when he realizes, after finding out the truth about what his father did in stealing the Founder, that he isn't special, or specially chosen. These bouts of self-hatred only last a short time though before he's able, again, to dismiss them and convince himself he's still fighting for what's right and good. He decides, even if he isn't special, he and his friends can still work together and achieve victory over the titans. All of that is shot to shit when he touches Historia's hand and sees the future, though. He can no longer pretend he's anything but what, deep down, he's suspected about himself all along. A person selfish enough to destroy everything to get what he wants.

And though he tries lying half-heartedly to Armin about the reason he enacted the Rumbling before confessing the truth, he's always known the real reason, and knowing that is what drove him farther and father away from the people who cared about him. He must have been crushed by an unimaginable sense of shame. And that's part of why I sympathize with Eren while feeling no real sympathy for Zeke. Both of them were monsters, but Eren was a monster who knew he was a monster, and who actually felt genuine remorse for it.

He confesses the truth to Ramzi in Marley. It wasn't an epiphany he had while talking to Armin. He knew from the moment he saw the future that what he was going to do wasn't for altruistic reasons. He knew he wasn't going to do it to save Paradis, or to give his friends long, happy lives, or to save the Eldian's. He knew it was wrong, what he was doing. He knew it was beyond redemption. He knew it was evil. It's why he calls himself a half-hearted piece of shit when he rescues Ramzi from those men beating him up. Because he knows he's going to murder this kid, and him rescuing him in that moment is nothing but pure hypocrisy, a facade to hide behind to make him feel better about himself in the moment. It's why he says what he does to Reiner, about them being the same, why he accuses Reiner of also being a half-hearted piece of shit. Because Reiner went ahead and launched a second attack on Paradis, after getting to know and becoming friends with the Eldian's on the island, after realizing they weren't devils, but human, the same as anyone else, but going through with another attack anyway because he, like Eren, prioritized his own, selfish dream to be a "hero" over the lives of people he cared about. It's not a coincidence that both Eren and Reiner begin to spiral mentally, and become so much more subdued and withdrawn later on. They're both suffering deep depression, rooted in horrific guilt over the realization of what they are. It's why Eren starts to laugh hysterically when Sasha is killed, because once again, he's faced with the brutal truth about himself, that he's going through with his plan for nothing more than his own, selfish need to see a world wiped free of people, the consequences be damned, including getting his friends killed. His laughter is driven by self-disgust.

Eren genuinely cared for and loved his friends. But when he saw the future, he realized he was willing to sacrifice them and everyone else for his own, personal freedom, an idea of freedom he couldn't separate from what he'd seen in Armin's book, a world "unspoiled" by humanity. Eren realized he was a truly bad person, and he wasn't made that way by anything or anyone, he wasn't shaped into a bad person by his experiences or his circumstances. He was born that way, and that realization destroyed him. He still had enough goodness in him to feel genuine, devastating guilt over what he was, over what he'd been born as, over what he wanted to do, but it wasn't enough to overcome his horrific nature. He couldn't change the future because that future only existed in the first place because it was what he wanted to happen. He tells Armin he tested it again and again, and the outcome was the same each time. That's Eren realizing that it isn't changing because he never wanted it to change. He wanted it to happen, and the guilt he felt, and the love he had for his friends, wasn't enough to stop him from wanting it, wasn't enough to stop him from doing all he could to make it happen, and that was the truth Eren had to face and accept about himself. He really is a tragic character, in that sense. Because he's a bad person. A very bad person. But he's got just enough goodness inside him to hate himself for it.

#Eren Yeager #attack on titan #shingkei no kyojin #analysis #meta #commentary

[otp-shipping-industry]

Galadriel - Sauron’s lifeline to light

Yeah this is probably completely obvious to all Saurondriel shippers out there but.. I was re-watching the season and them feels caught up with me again on how in the beginning Sauron!Halbrand feels that there is no one who can help him, not even this tiny elf he gets thrown together with.

In episode 2 we have this moment:

“Look, elf. You didn’t cause my suffering and you can’t fix it.”  “No matter how strong your will. Or your pride.”

And if we skip to the episode 6, when Galadriel bids Sauron!Halbrand to be free of whatever Adar did to him, and whatever evil he himself has done, he has changed his tune already:

“I never thought I could be. Until today.” “Fighting at your side I..  I felt... If I could just hold onto that feeling, keep it with me always, bind it to my very being, then I..”

Of course the moment gets interrupted after Galadriel confesses that she feels it too.

But buddy, pal, Galadriel may not have caused your suffering but you sure sound like you’re changed your mind on Galadriel not being able to fix your suffering.

And then the last episode, of course he even readily says so:

“And I knew if ever I was to be forgiven... That I had to heal everything that I helped ruin.”

And when Galadriel claims that as her king he would be the Dark Lord? His response is:

“Not dark. Not with you at my side.” “You bind me to the light. And I bind you to power”

“Together we can save this Middle-earth.”

Now I’m a simple gal.  I just love how Sauron!Halbrand gets to see Galadriel for who she is, see how his first impression of her was wrong. Just love seeing him be affected by their relationship and how he grows to realize that having her in his life makes him strive to be better than he has been.

That’s what his confession in episode six is all about. I never thought I could be free of this burden (of my suffering). Until I met you, who believes in me, believes that I can do good. And he thinks that if he can just keep feel that, believe in that, then he really can achieve what he set out to do. 

He can be what Galadriel sees him as. He can be worthy of forgiveness and be capable of good things, manage to set things right, bring order and heal what he helped destroy. With Galadriel at his side, he can be tied to light and goodness. She can connect him to it. She is his tether to it. She helps him understand what is the right path, the good option. His own mind is too corrupted to not see it without aid.

Of course Galadriel herself is not one dimensional, is not simply good. She’s more complex than that. And that part of her, he feels, is the part that can understand him. Can forgive him, because he thinks she understands him. It’s not just her being good. It’s her being a better person than him but yet not so pure that she cannot understand his darkness.

So I just.. Have a lot of emotions about this. It just gets me. But who know what’ll happen after this? Maybe the next season will tell us that this was all fake, he was lying, that Sauron was just trying to persuade and corrupt Galadriel. No clue, it’s Sauron after all.

But to me, these moments felt sincere, these confessions felt like the truth.

And they will stick as my headcanon no matter what direction the show goes in (which will not be a happy ending for any saurondriel shippers given we know where they end up)

Regardless of what lies in the future, at least we’ll always have this, the first season where there were possibilities, where redemption and the good ending still seemed achievable.

  and ofc we’ll also have our headcanons and our AU fix-it fics. You can try to pry those from my cold dead hands, not before.

#the rings of power #rings of power meta #saurondriel #galadriel x sauron #sauron x galadriel #sauron!halbrand #galadriel

[grasshopperdoingdogpaddle]

Hello! I like your blog a lot and I am being anon because I am a coward and I don't want to sound rude or judgmental in any way. I wanted to ask why do you like Omi so much? Like, yes, he's the protagonist, but I myself don't like him that much. I would like to understand your point of view!

There are so many elements I love about his character, I really can't fit it all in one post, a lot of it is spread out through my musings throughout the blog.

But I'll just list off 10 random reasons why Omi is my favorite character. Essay under the cut.

1. His relationship with Chase

Everything about Chase and Omi is so fascinating. It's singlehandedly what pulled me back to this series.

Most aspects of this series are things I've since seen done better in other series that followed in years to come. Some much better.

But Chase and Omi's relationship is something that still feels unique. I haven't seen anything else quite like it in anything else I've read or watched.

They spend time together, they fight together, bring out new things in each other, make old things resurface in each other, like each other even when they know it's dangerous to. They see each other as a mirror, they want to be together, they'll tear apart space and time for each other. They grow close in secret, that have things they can only share with each other. They trust each other despite both of them having deep-seeded trust issues. They respect and acknowledge each other. They show each other affection, they have fun fighting each other. They're worthy allies and best friends.

The fact that they navigate all these complicate mind games against each other is a testament to how well they know each other.

It's Omi who comes to save Chase when no one on the Heylin side ever would. It's Chase who's able to make Omi learn things he needed to learn but just wasn't understanding. It's Chase who comes for Omi to get him to return to the temple in Omi town. It's Omi who tears apart time and space to try to be with Chase.

80 years in the future, Chase still brightens up instantly when he sees Omi. 1500 years in the past, Chase feels deep in his soul that Omi is already someone he knows and loves.

All the secrets between the two of them, all the private conversations, all the underlying things they know they can't say, all the things they'll say to each other that they wouldn't dare speak to anyone else.

They provide each other with something they can't get anywhere else. There are so many reasons why they're fixated on each other.

It's something I can and have gone on about for ages, so I'll cut it there before it takes up my entire list.

2. His defiant, subversive self-love

I've come to really admire self-aggrandizing humor. I admire characters who can love themselves, even with everything else they have going on.

Self-hatred isn't a virtue, and I'm tired of relating to its self-perpetuating, myopic poison.

I want to love myself so strong that it can be my foundation, too. It's a good thing to know your own worth and never let others shake that, while still being a loving, caring, curious person who wants to connect with others, and that's what Omi is.

I love it even more in Omi because you can clearly intuit where it comes from.

No one at the temple really praised him growing up, they didn't really acknowledge him on a personal level, and despite what were probably their best efforts, they were distant and cold.

Omi didn't feel outwardly loved from the outside-- in fact, he grew accustomed to the idea that unconditional love isn't something he'll ever get, that all he can ever hope for is to earn acknowledgement, because he's not a person the same way the others are.

And in response to that, instead of growing bitter or jaded, he decided he'd love himself unconditionally. He'd acknowledge himself and praise his own efforts and choose himself where he grew up expecting that no one would.

3. His very nuanced, personal belief in redemption and willingness to reach out to others

Omi has an unshakeable belief that Chase still has good in him, despite everything. But Omi's also very aware of where Chase stands, and he takes that into consideration in their interactions.

Omi is not only willing to believe in Jack and invite him to their side several times with open arms and praise for his skills, he's also willing to give Jack second chances and a type of trust that he doesn't really exercise with anyone else. Omi goes against the other monks always telling him not to, he'll give up his bedroom and share his clothes, he happily compliments Jack for stopping Katnappe.

Omi knows that Katnappe stands more firmly where she is, but he still argues that they should take her in and help her heal up her injury that she got from trying to rob their temple.

Omi is the only one who was against the idea of letting Wuya and Jack die in cold blood.

Omi is the first to argue that Master Fung should Raimundo another chance, but Omi is also firm in drawing boundaries because of how traumatized he was that Raimundo deliberately manipulated the trust they used to have in him in order to hurt them all.

Omi repeatedly argues that Clay and Jessie should try to reconnect, and that Jessie could come to the side of goodness. He deeply believes in her and in the bond she and her brother have.

Omi doesn't extend the expectation of redemption to everyone, and he's very measured where he does, even if he's willing to show them all sympathy. He's very deliberate in who he reaches out to and thinks has it in them to change, and that's a fascinating take on this type of character.

It's not quite a simple naivety. Omi can read certain situations better than he's given credit for. It's something more nuanced and complicated and case-by-case, and I love that.

4. His adoration for his friends, to the point where he's willing to go so far to protect them

Omi is so scared of squirrels that he'll freeze up at the sight of them. The only time he's ever overcome that was when he had to jump into the fray and fight one to save Kimiko.

That's the moment that stands out most to me as an example of how much Omi loves his friends. There are so many times he shows it, but this is my favorite.

When Omi loves, he loves with his whole chest.

And Omi's loyalty is directly tied to his love. Omi's willingness to sacrifice himself and push himself is tied to his love.

In Judging Omi, they've just had an argument that makes Omi feel that they don't respect his culture and beliefs and the honor that he stakes his everything on, but when he comes back and sees them in danger, he neither does the petty thing of turning against them, nor the reckless thing of thinking he can just run in alone guns blazing and handle it himself.

He takes a risky deal, because the thing he's risking is himself. And he'd happily risk himself to save his friends and his Master Fung. He always does, and he always will.

5. The mentors he adopts throughout the series

Omi learns from Dashi, Chase, Klofange, ect. The lessons themselves are very cool, and Omi is able to being out a mentoring side of characters who otherwise don't show it.

It's adorable, and it leads to some deeply heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments.

Dashi playing the first Xiaolin Showdown with Omi, until Omi finally learned to go at it from a different angle.

Klofange smiling for the first time since we've seen them, and bending over to pet Omi and thank him.

Everything about the side of Chase that Omi brings out.

6. His complex exploration of the concept of trust as a personal boundary

Omi initially trusted Raimundo more than anyone else did. Omi trusted Raimundo unconditionally in a way no one else at the temple did.

He watched Raimundo clearly turn against them, and he still believed that it must be a misunderstanding, because trust and love were so intrinsically tied in Omi's mind, and he couldn't imagine someone he thought cared about them being genuinely willing to hurt them all like that on purpose.

And then he did. And Raimundo took it very far before he eventually changed his mind.

Omi still argued that Raimundo still had a right to be there and keep being a Xiaolin dragon. Omi stood up against Master Fung to tell him to let Raimundo come back to the temple and have another chance.

But Omi also maintains his right to redraw his boundaries, because he was deeply traumatized by that whole affair.

Omi gets screamed at for even thinking in the back of his mind that he's scared to trust Raimundo as much as he did before, but Omi doubles down and stands his ground.

He's the embodiment of "Apology accepted, trust denied." The embodiment of "Forgiveness doesn't require that same reconnection." The embodiment of "a stab in the back isn't rectified until it's been pulled out completely and healed by the one who put it there, and sometimes, the person who stabbed you refuses to even acknowledge the knife is there."

And I truly respect Omi for having enough self-respect for that. It's so easy to just buckle when people try to force past the boundaries you try to set. But you have to forfeit your self-respect to let someone walk over you like that, and Omi would never.

It's especially admirable since Xiaolin Showdown's narrative clearly takes the odd stance that "if you firmly reset the boundaries of trust you're willing to have with someone who deliberately chose to hurt you and your loved ones, that makes you a bad person".

Omi is so strong-willed that he won't just go against time and space, he'll go against the narrative itself.

7. He's adorable and he's a water type

That's my exact strike zone.

He's tiny with a youthful exuberance. He's sheltered and naive with bright eyes. He's stubbornly innocent with precocious hope. He's clumsy with words and has a built-in water gun. He's adorable, and he knows he is.

I love cute things, the little kid characters tend to garner my sympathy, and I always chose the water starters in pokemon.

8. He's suicidally self-sacrificial, not out of any self-deprecation (again, he loves himself), but out of seeing himself as a tool

Omi jumps to sacrifice himself surprisingly easily.

And glory has nothing to do with it.

When he thought he might grow up into someone who would become evil and hurt his friends, Omi walked off to freeze to death alone.

When the temple was taken over by Jack's evil army, Omi didn't run into a situation he clearly couldn't handle alone. He went to Chase Young for help, fully prepared to sacrifice whatever Chase was going to ask for in exchange for his help.

When Dojo was about to eat Master Fung, Omi jumped in the way as bait and begged Master Fung to run away.

The whole reason Omi jumped into the Yin-Yang world despite the danger was because nothing it could do to him was bad enough for him not to risk it for Master Fung's sake.

But he's very against his friends sacrificing themselves for him, and he tries to leave them out of it when he offers up himself as a sacrifice. He values himself, but he's willing to die, because he thinks his purpose is, ultimately, to be a useful weapon for others.

He argued against the soccer game for his freedom, because he didn't think it was worth it to wager their lives for his. Omi's willing to gamble his own life like a poker chip, but never theirs.

It's this fascinating contradiction. Omi highly values himself, but he doesn't seem to value his own life.

It's this self-dehumanization that doesn't come from self-hatred, but instead from this very peculiar way of thinking.

9. His lonely upbringing and the way it shapes his wants and desires

Master Fung doesn't really reach out to him. The most he did was back in episode one, calling Omi in from the rain.

Omi has watched his mentor and the person he loves more than life itself grow more and more distant towards him, while Master Fung is fine showing affection to the other dragons-in-training.

Literally all he wants is Master Fung's love, and since Omi doesn't think he can ever get it unconditionally, he tries so hard to prove himself and earn Master Fung's respect and acknowledge instead.

It's heartbreaking but also fascinating, and it informs Omi's character arc, especially the way he clearly feels less and less at home there at the temple.

He already never felt like it was an unconditional home he could stay in.

Omi loves Master Fung more than anything. Omi would die for him, and more impressively, Omi would kill for him. There's this one-sided adoration and affection and devotion that's so painfully, delightfully tragic.

10. His watching his former hero Guan fall from a pedestal

Guan was one of Omi's biggest heroes. The journey that watching the pedestal break was very interesting.

I loved that Omi personally browbeat Guan into being embarrassed enough to come help them get back Dojo and fight Chase after Guan was going to be perfectly content to just leave now that he had what he wanted.

And it was heartbreaking how Guan later came back with a plan to gaslight and set Omi up to be beaten black and blue, but seeing Guan fall so far from grace in Omi's eyes with those questionable things he kept doing to them is a nice contrast to how Omi gradually comes to love and admire Chase more and more all the while.

#xiaolin showdown #omi #chase young #chase and omi #kimiko tohomiko #clay bailey #jessie bailey #master fung #jack spicer