#I believe there's tv tropes page for this (because I think it's a thing that exists in other medias)

[ink-ghoul]

hOtgUy animated show where the running gag is scar conveniently losing his shirt to conveniently show his abs

#these are the kind of ideas that go through my brain because of the fever and flu #hermitcraft #I believe there's tv tropes page for this (because I think it's a thing that exists in other medias) #this can be also sometimes be intentional (like for a final battle or something)

[geekgirles]

Lady Echo: A Character Analysis

Before we dive in, there's something about me you should know. I'm a TV Tropes truther. That site is my Bible. If a piece of media interests me, then you'd better believe I have visited its TV Tropes page.

And because of that, Echo in particular is a character I've been meaning to talk about for a while now, because I get the feeling people tend to overlook what I feel is the true core of her character at the end of season 3.

As you can see, while other tropes go more into detail about her true motivations behind betraying Oropo, that part of her character ends up being reduced to being a Woman Scorned, and while that certainly applies here, I really don't think that's the trope that best encapsulates her character and her decisions at the end of the season.

A Woman Scorned is essentially any woman who has been wronged by the person she loves and seeks revenge or has at least expressed great anger. And it can go from being cheated on by a partner, or simply being rejected by their love interest and not taking it well. And both heroic and villainous characters can be the ones to break her heart. In fact, Arpagone too would be an example of this trope, as even if her feelings for Ruel are still there, most of her actions are motivated by the pain she feels for his decision to choose money over her.

As you can see, this all fits with Echo's actions and feelings at the end of season 3, but it's very general overall. Which is why, in my humble opinion, Echo is a better example of Love Forgives All but Lust.

This trope is essentially a deconstruction of tropes centred around the appeal bad boys have for women. The thing about women falling for bad boys is that those women tend to know they're bad news, and beyond a desire to be the ones to change them, the real reason that interest is born is because they're attracted to the idea of the bad boy being a jerk to everyone, but them. Love Forgives All but Lust is what happens when the woman is rudely awakened from that delusion.

In other words, when they realise not even they are safe from their partner's worst actions. And what is the best way to have a woman feel betrayed to the point of seeking revenge? Unfaithfulness.

Sure, they will forgive their partner if it turns out he's a serial killer, but if he cheats? Then he's the one who's dead.

And example of Love Forgives All but Lust is when the police is trying to get a mafioso's wife/girlfriend to testify against her lover, but she refuses to cooperate... until she discovers her husband/boyfriend has a lover, then she'll do everything to bring him down.

If you think about it, this is essentially what happened between Echo and Oropo after he revealed he only ever "loved" Amalia. Even if Echo is a much more active player in Oropo's machinations than simply being aware of them, having helped him carry over his plans for centuries as his second-in-command.

After he kissed Amalia and claimed Echo never meant anything to him compared to her, that's when Echo totally lost it. And her subsequent actions are a direct result of his betrayal. It never had anything to do with Echo seeing the error of her ways, as we all know.

Think about it, it wasn't until Oropo chose Amalia over her, after everything they had ever been through, that Echo truly struck. Once it became apparent her lover didn't care for her nearly as much as she cared for him, that's when Echo revealed his true plans: to destroy the gods, he must destroy the World of Twelve and deprive them of followers. In other words, he was willing to commit mass genocide for the sake of his dream.

Moreoever, the fact that she got to reveal the true extent of his plans at all already highlights that only she knew about them. All along, Echo knew what Oropo was planning, the consequences of his dreams, and she never once stopped believing in his cause. Their conversation in episode 6 even going as far as explaining Echo already believed in him and supported his dreams before ever falling for him, meaning she can't even excuse her actions by saying her feelings blinded her. Because she was perfectly aware of Oropo's plans all along.

And yet, that didn't stop her from loving him. If anything, it was only another reason she fell in love with him.

No, it wasn't until Oropo broke her heart that she ever went against him.

If you ask me, this all reads as Echo not minding Oropo's most questionable tendencies because she was convinced she was exempt from ever being at the receiving end of his worst actions. After all, she had been by his side the longest, witnessing how he got rid of demigods that failed to meet his standards or were no longer useful (going with what the show claims, I haven't read Ogrest's manga). It wasn't until he kissed Amalia and shoved her aside that Echo realised not even she was safe from him.

And it was because Oropo had had no qualms to screw her over that Echo decided it was her turn to screw him over. And hence, she revealed his plans to the Brotherhood of the Forgotten, not because she'd seen the error of her ways, but because Oropo had hurt her and she wanted to make him bleed in turn.

In the end, Echo's actions weren't fuelled solely by revenge or even jealousy, they were fuelled by the bitter realisation that she never meant as much to Oropo as he meant to her. It was about realising he had no qualms hurting her, not about how he had no qualms hurting anyone else.

It was about Echo not being enough for Oropo.

And for me, that's why Echo is a better example of Love Forgives All but Lust.

#wakfu #wakfu spoilers #kinda? #wakfu season 3 #lady echo #oropo #the brotherhood of the forgotten #amalia sheran sharm #yugo the eliatrope #demigods #coqueline #count harebourg #toxine #adamaï #black bump #ush galesh #kali #dathura #arpagone #poo #dark vlad #goultard #sipho #love forgive all but lust #woman scorned #wakfu analysis #eliotropes #trope analysis #tv tropes

[c-a-e-l-a]

Preliminary thoughts on Leona’s advice for Jamil, his perception on Kalim, and the Scarabia development implied in Chapter 6′s ending. (AKA "A Pathetic Attempt at a Scarabia Essay”)

I think I am speaking for all of us when I say that Chapter 6 has, by far, been the most interesting and satisfactory Twst arc. Ever. I don’t know where to begin in describing it, honestly, but I think you would understand once you get to read it for yourself. 

I’ll mostly be focusing on the topics I stated above, but this post will still be laden with spoilers for Chapters 4, 5, and 6, so if you aren’t up for Scarabia-centric spoilers, please skip this post!

SCARABIA PRE-CHAPTER 6 (I)

In this section, I’ll be talking about the dynamic between Jamil and Kalim over the course of Chapter 4 & 5, as well as a few of their interactions in relevant personal stories. I’ll start with the latter.

(Source: Jamil’s Dorm Uniform SSR Vignette)

It is a universally known truth that...Jamil has zero trust in leaving things up to Kalim. And we can’t really blame him---with the way they used to be, he couldn’t leave Kalim alone, nor could he rely on him to do something he’d been expected to do. 

(Source: Jamil’s Ceremonial Robes SR Vignette)

(Source: Jamil’s School Uniform R Vignette)

Many occurrences have been more than enough proof of that, and those few moments wherein Kalim actually was reliable paled in comparison to these negative instances. As such, it has so happened that, to the surprise of no one, Jamil has made a habit out of taking responsibility after responsibility and sparing Kalim none of it----adding further onto his contempt towards him and Kalim’s own ignorance to Jamil’s difficulties.

(Source: Book 4, Chapter 37: The Magic Dispelled)

This has something to do with how, generally speaking, Jamil has always viewed Kalim too negatively. His frustration isn’t unfounded, of course, but he’s closed off his mind to the prospect of Kalim ever becoming more than what he already made him out to be---when in fact, Kalim is more than willing to become someone Jamil can rely on.

So, there. Jamil’s perception of Kalim hasn’t been the best...and naturally, it won’t change immediately. These are years and years of grudges we’re talking about, after all. It even reaches to the extent that in Episode 5-34, Jamil tells Epel that, “If he himself is laughing, then it’s probably not that heavy” when the latter mentions that Kalim was laughing despite talking about a traumatizing topic and sharing about the reason why he strives to keep living.

Jamil seems to view Kalim precisely for the first thing he sees of him, and not for what possibly lies behind all of his cheer.

Regardless...

(Source: Book 5, Episode 5-9, Translation by Shel_Bb)

There have been cracks in that perception of his. He’s beginning to see facets that he’d failed to consider...

(Source: Book 5, Episode 5-34, Translations by Shel_Bb)

...facets of Kalim that he struggles to acknowledge...

(Source: Book 5, Episode 5-30, Translations by Shel_Bb)

...and facets of Kalim that he will only continue to realize.

SCARABIA PRE-CHAPTER 6 (II)

This part will discuss Jamil and Kalim’s respective character development after Chapter 4! I’ll start with Kalim’s.

As depicted in the set of photos directly above this section, one of Kalim’s most prominent realizations is that “he has never achieved anything if it weren’t for Jamil.” For all these years, he never believed that anything should be rightfully his...but at the same time, it never crossed his mind that all the acclaim he’d received happened not because he earned it, but because of who he is.

This realization frustrated him, and this spurred into him doing his best to stand by Jamil as equals. Borrowing my own captioning in Kalim’s TV Tropes page: 

He becomes more considerate of others as the main story plods on, and he strives to exert more effort to make up for all the times he “achieved” something despite not deserving it. He is also more likely to take action when he notices something is wrong, thus resulting in his meddling with Vil’s attempt at Neige’s life, unlike before when it’s implied he knew about Jamil’s hardships but didn’t do anything about it until it was too late.

The Kalim that we all see post-Chapter 4 is the Kalim that does his best to be more than what he used to be. This is the version of him that’s trying to become more independent of Jamil, slowly but surely...and while this implies for Jamil’s workload to be lessened, this development turns out to stress out Jamil all the more, as he still can’t trust Kalim to do anything by himself. We’ll get to more on this later.

Jamil’s post-Chapter 4 character development consists of him stepping up for himself more. He no longer lets the social hierarchy stop him from showing his potential---but that fact alone isn’t enough to prove that the mindset he’d always held still doesn’t affect him. Jamil is still in the midst of breaking free from the way he’s been taught to behave...and a part of him still views Kalim as someone he can never overcome.

(Source: Book 5, Episode 5-24, Translations by Shel_Bb)

Jamil is a rather contradictory character, as it is often that his wants and his actions differ from one another. For instance: he wants acknowledgment and acclaim, but shies away the moment someone begins to praise him. He says that he knows Kalim is no match for him if it weren’t for his parents, and yet he subconsciously doubts that the sort of charisma Kalim has over their dormmates is something he can’t easily replicate.

When Vil assigns him as one of their group’s lead singers during the Pomefiore arc, Jamil instinctively declines it at first, in favor of Kalim, before stopping himself and accepting it. The beliefs his parents taught him are ingrained in him that deeply, and just as he perceives Kalim as someone who is always above him, he can’t easily overcome this mindset of his, too... At least, not until Leona’s advice.

LEONA’S PERSPECTIVE AND ADVICE

Although the available translations currently haven’t touched on this, the last part of the main story update certainly introduced good development between these unlikely pairs of characters: Leona & Jamil, and Azul & Riddle. This part won’t be as specific as the other sections because I’m just writing this based on what I know, but I hope I still get my point across. Azul and Riddle will have their separate ramble, they’re giving me so much brainrot rn.

(Source: Jamil’s School Uniform R Vignette)

Even before their interactions in Chapter 6, Jamil has always been wary of Leona, as the Savanaclaw Dorm Leader was one of the few students who could very easily see through the facade he consistently put up. 

This same dynamic applied to their alliance as partners in hunting down the Ice Phantom---with Jamil initially being hesitant over partnering up with him---except that in that current instance, Jamil seemed to be insistent on “protecting” Leona, much to the latter’s chagrin.

Jamil believed that he had to prioritize Leona’s safety amid this situation because he is the secondborn prince of the Sunset Savannah. This “overprotectiveness” was something Leona found unnecessary, and he didn’t take it well whenever Jamil prioritized his life over his own self. He thought Jamil was making too much of a big deal out of this.

This resulted in many arguments and fights between the two, and...yeah, they fought so much I forgot the exact arrangement for what happened...but, at one point, Jamil winds up in an outburst of emotion, and he laments that no one would ever understand where he’s coming from, anyway. Leona begs to disagree.

Leona says that he gets the gist of Jamil’s situation. He also adds that he knows Jamil is better than he initially let on, and explains precisely what Kalim has that Jamil doesn’t.

“...Charisma?”

“No, he’s got money.”

That conversation above is non-verbatim, by the way, lol. 

But what Leona meant to say, as a whole, was that Kalim had money and knew how to use it. Jamil was understandably baffled by this...but on my part, it made me realize how different others’ perspective on Kalim’s actions could be.

As players, we all know Kalim does most of the things he does because he’s a genuinely good person. We have the privilege to get a look-see into their character stories, after all. But to people like Leona, they see it differently. 

The renovation at Scarabia, the banquet they held for Crowley, the banquet Kalim held at the cafeteria, Kalim donating his share on the prize money to Ramshackle Dorm... We know and believe that Kalim did this out of the good of his own heart, but Leona sees it as a strategic expense of money.

It betters Kalim’s reputation, it gives chances for establishing useful connections...and many more. Of course, that doesn’t mean those are actually the motives behind what he did. It’s just interesting how others perceive these actions of kindness as something far more strategic, and it really makes one think about how much thought is actually put into every single one of those  monetary decisions, rather than them just being bouts of spontaneity.

As Leona states further on, people like Kalim usually go for their instincts right from the get-go. It might seem foolish, at first, but the conviction Kalim gives in every decision he makes is what what makes up for that said "foolishness."

If he thinks something is useful, then he'll go for it.

If he thinks that saying this is the right thing to say to a certain person, then he'll say it.

If this plan doesn't work out, then he'll just think up something else and try again.

Be it because of years of exposure to his family's business, or the socializing skills he'd gained from hosting banquets and being a people person in general, or the innate kindness that just shines from within him, Kalim, while still unpolished, had always possessed the qualities one would search in a leader. On the other hand, Jamil had been so desperate for independence that he'd made a habit of dealing with things on his own, making him incredibly capable...but also alienating him from his peers. He'd become so used to dealing with things solo that he failed to discover that there's more to being a leader than just being capable: the ability to inspire, convince, and empathize with others, the ability to know when & how to adjust to different kinds of people you'd end up working with, and how to lead them. Jamil has none of that, and he realizes this once Leona calls him out on it.

I have a lot more to say, but the bottomline is that: In Leona’s eyes, Kalim is already making use of his favorable qualities---his charisma, his wealth, etc.---and he’s imploring Jamil to do the same. To find what he’s best at and invest in it, rather than wallow in his closed mindset that’s been ingrained in him since young.

And that’s good advice, made especially more credible with the fact that it came from Leona, someone who understands the complexity of the hierarchy and Jamil’s situation. Jamil is shown to be thankful for this, and he admits that he has viewed Kalim and everyone else to be better than him subconsciously; this led to him holding everyone in contempt, believing that he could do better than them if he just had a chance to show his potential, despite never taking the stand to showcase said potential, anyway. He aims to fix his mindset from now on. And afterwards, Leona... He whispers to himself that Jamil better do that. 

Because at the end of the day, he and Jamil are different, and with this, Jamil at least won’t end up like him.

SCARABIA DEVELOPMENT (After two years of waiting, we Scarabia stans have won...)

Okay.

Okay so.

The, uh, the glomp.

Kalim.. about to hire the best doctors to check upJamil..

And the.

“Really... I never thought the day would come that I’d feel relieved to see your face.”

AND JAMIL ASKING KALIM TO GET OFF OF HIM AND KALIM SAYING HE CAN’T BECAUSE HIS RELIEF OVER JAMIL BEING OKAY MADE HIS LEGS FEEL WEAK

AND HIM TATTLING ABOUT HOW JADE SAID SMTH ABOUT THEM POSSIBLY BEING DEAD AND HE LOOKED SO ANGY LIKE >:000000

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DECENT ANALYSES POST BUT IM SORRY I AM NOT GOD’S STRONGEST SOLDIER I CANNOT I JUST CANNOT

AHEM.

Anyway.

Later, Kalim offered to help Jamil cut a tart while they’re at Ramshackle. Jamil told him to just sit there because he’ll take care of it...but then he reconsidered it, and said that he can at least get everyone a dish and a fork.

Such a small act is already so indicative of the development we’ve longed for years to see...and I think it’s pretty self-explanatory at this point how important it is that Jamil is now willing to accept Kalim’s help. He's acknowledged that shouldering all the burden by himself won't do him any good, and that by opening himself up to others, he can be able to discover more chances to heighten his potential. It’s a small step. It’s such a small step, and yet it matters oh so much. They’re learning to have a healthier relationship, bit by bit :”)))

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst spoilers #chapter 6 spoilers #chapter 5 spoilers #chapter 4 spoilers #twst analysis #twst ramble #kalim al asim #jamil viper #leona kingscholar #I couldnt stay serious up until the end Im sorry #jamikali #fuck yeah jamikali #I WAITED TWO YEARS FOR THIS #I ALMOST GAVE UP #I WAS ABOUT TO JUMP SHIP TO AZURID #I THOUGHT TWST WOULD ABANDON JAMIKALI DEVELOPMENT #I WAS SO CLOSE TO GIVING UP #I AM THANKFUL TO BE ALIVE #THANK YOU LEONAAAAA I LOVE YOU LEONAAAAAA

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

ARCEE (TRANSFORMERS) (CW: Transphobia)

1.) Transformers has had a troubled history with female transformers as a whole. They didn't really even exist until Season 2. And while they've all gotten the short end of the stick until recently, Arcee, who kinda ended up The Main Girl (sorry Elita) has gotten the brunt of this mistreatment. Mostly talking G1 here.

Toys kept getting cancelled over and over even though she's a main, important character of Season 3. She didn't get a decent widely available toy that actually resembled her G1 version (first one was a Botcon exclusive Blackarachnia redeco which I disqualify because convention-exclusive spider is not what I was looking for, and Binaltech is just kinda a pink and white robot who looks nothing like her, just with her name slapped on) until 2014. I wish I could use bold here, because there's no such thing as uppercase numbers. Before that, you just kinda had to look at the toys from other canons and squint because Hasbro doesn't think the pink girl toy will sell well.

And misogyny present in the fiction? A lot can be summed up in a couple words, namely, "Furman, why?" While most people go with his excuses of not believing in Cybertronian gender, it really comes across as him seeing men as the default, neutral state of being, and women as something that must be explained. Poorly. Explained very poorly. Not to explain things in Tv Tropes terms, but I have to, it reeks of the 'Men Are Generic, Women Are Special' https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MenAreGenericWomenAreSpecial trope.

Let's get us started with Prime's Rib. Oh my goodness, Prime's Rib. So, Furman doesn't believe in Cybertronian gender (and male is seen as default), and this has reflected in his writing. He's going along perfectly fine writing his dudes in the US run of the Marvel comics, Arcee entirely ignored… but what's this? The connected UK comic has her. He can't just ignore her. So, well. He needs an explanation. Explaining a plot hole isn't bad. It's how he did it. Arcee was created in response to a feminist mob who was mad Cybertronians were all guys. I don't think I need to explain this one.

I'm too tired to explain her treatment in IDW now. Something something unnatural attempt to introduce gender into a genderless species, something something, really weird uncomfortable treatment, it's a long story and I'm not an IDW expert, read the TFWiki page for Spotlight: Arcee.

I'm sure there's more in other media, but I've blathered on way too long and I'm starting to get frustrated and tired and AGH FURMAN WHY. He's gotten better, too, definitely not judging his present self over comics that are from many years ago, but asdfghjkl

Ok fine, one more thing. This isn't G1 but Michael Bay stated in interviews that he gleefully killed her movieverse version off specifically because he didn't like her. It's not NECESSARILY misogyny motivated. I wouldn't deem it misogyny coming from a different director with a different film series. Transformers writers have had personal beef with random characters which they wished to unceremoniously kill off before--Animated Beachcomber comes to mind, even if the writers never got the chance. But it's also Michael Bay's Transformers we're talking about here. Can you blame me for thinking that?

Arcee has gotten better treatment in recent years. Furman's clumsy attempts to explain Arcee's gender in tbe IDW run were slowly retconned into some pretty decent trans rep by other authors, she's really just come into her own as a character. But it was a long and rocky road to get there, and I believe we all need to acknowledge that.

2.) Was initially introduced in the 80's transformers movie only after being strong armed by Ron Friedman, being the first female presenting robot to be seen in the show. bright pink, cause, ya know, female. has the most romantic involvement of any transformer ever across all transformations media, cause, ya know, female, and god forbid she be her own person when hasbro can stick to her to Some Guy. she was made trans in the 2005 continuity and was immediately made berserk as a result. marvel made her a freak science experiment to shame feminists. why does the robot have curves when no one else does istg

i love her too much to stand by idly while she's treated this way

3.) hasbro keeps trying to convince people that her and elita-one (another pink fem character) are actually the same. "who cares same lore different names. what do you mean they're different characters?" and constantly flips their lore, designs, and names around with every single FUCKING continuity ie transformers rise of the beasts where they use arcee's design but call her elita-one SMASHES MY HEAD INTO THE WALL bro there's a whole group of autobots called the "female transformers". i don't. there's so little female representation in this series that hasbro decided the best way to fix it would be… segregation, ig. arcee is apart of it obviously. elita-one leads it. reminds me that i should (and maybe sick a couple friends on this poll) make a submission for elita because JESUS CHRIST hasbro fucked her up also apparently in some continuities arcee is trans. upon getting bottom surgery it fucking. idk how turns her berserk?? it's so weird. mind controlled/sleeper agent in like half of the fucking continuities for some reason. in every single one of these continuities she either gets with Springer or Hot Rod and ends up betraying them. every single time why does the robot have boobs

NAOMI MISORA (DEATH NOTE)

1.) I know everyone is gonna submit Misa but honestly she had it worse.

She gets introduced as this competent lady who's gonna help find Kira but then she just, decides to show some teenager her real ID as a show of trust and whoops that's Kira.

Also part of her introduction was her fiance going "You don't need to worry about this tracking down the killer nonsense, you're gonna be my wife, you should just be worried about raising kids in the future :)" or some shit. And it's barely addressed, because she just fucking dies.

2.) She was the only woman in the series to show any level of competence. She figured out more about how the death note works from some small context clues than L did in considerably less time. She was apparently so competent that the author decided to kill her off despite initially planning to make her a main character, fearing she would distract from the L and Light rivalry.

3.) the victim of “writer doesn’t understand women and also hates them” disease. Like, seriously, the author of Death Note could only imagine a female FBI agent as the fiancée of another, more senior FBI agent. The main character Light kills her fiancé Raye Penber (in honestly a really tightly written and cool episode) and so she tries to figure out who killed her husband. Unlike Raye who only figured out that Light was Kira as he was dying because Light basically told him, Naomi figures it out a lot sooner so oops guess she’s gotta die because she’s too good at her job.

#polls #round 1 #week 2 #new #cw transphobia

[the-raging-tempest]

TV Tropes Page for Lariel

(Finally) Which I may update in the future. Just a general content warning because it touches on some potentially triggering topics below.

Fake Tv Tropes for Zrise

Abusive Parents: Lariel spent most of her childhood wearing an anti-magic collar. One that could also compel her obedience and suppress her magic. She did not rebel often but when she was caught she was met with swift orders to obey. Kept even more isolated than her brother. She was not allowed outside the estate, and even when events were held in their home Lariel was not allowed to attend.

Accidental Murder: On Lariel’s birthday she accidentally killed her mentor, Eithon. Releasing the storm within her. Lightning struck down at a large branch of a tree. Snapping it and setting it a flame. By the time she was conscious and aware of what had happened it was too late. Her family had already decided he was collateral damage.

All-Loving Heroine: Lariel will always give someone a second chance. Will always reach out her hand in friendship. She believes love is powerful. Not just romantic love, but love of all things.

Badass Adorable: Despite her appearance and demeanor she can easily level city.

Beautiful Singing Voice: A trained harpist and singer. Though she does not advertise this ability. Haunting and nearly magically enchanting due to her sorcerer bloodlines of Air and Fey.

Beware the Nice Ones: A polite, gentle and kind woman, who you really don’t want to get angry. As she can unleash quite painfully deathly magic. In her greatest moments of despair and destress she can be taken over by the storm within her.

Blank White Eyes/Monochromatic Eyes: When Lariel is using magic her eyes become unsettlingly blank because they glow a very pale purple.

Blow You Away: Can bend the weather and winds to her whims. As she becomes even more powerful can walk on air.

Break the Cutie: She’s hard to break but in some of her worst outcomes she loses herself to despair.

Cannot Spit It Out: Lariel has a hard time expressing herself to people. Especially if romantic feelings are involved.

Child prodigy: Most times Lariel attributes her talent and skills to that of being commanded to do so. As a child she excelled at all her studies. To the point it frustrated her family who could find no fault to punish her. Unless they gave her an impossible task. Her quiet and unassuming nature hides someone extremely smart and certainly not at foolish as she may appear.

Cloudcuckcoolander: Considered a ‘strange’ girl by most. Her lack of socialization and her propensity for indulging in her imagination means she is often lost in thought. Some see her as disconnected from reality because in spite of her life and family she chooses to see the good in the world. Finds the weird charming. Looks for the beauty in the ugly.

Cursed With Awesome: Her sorcerer's bloodline is something Lariel often battles with. Causing her to think she is a danger to others and herself. If channeled correctly she can be an unstoppable force who helps and saves her friends and loved ones.

Cute Bookworm: Lariel is an avid reader. Shy and (charmingly) awkward despite her charisma.

Dark Secret: Killing her teacher. She never meant to hurt him and in fact begged the Gods to trade her life for his. This event leads her to believe she is a danger to others around her.

Dark and Troubled Past: Lariel was isolated to the estate. Never allowed to leave. Never had friends her own age outside of her brother. Was made to wear an anti-magic collar that forced to obey her family’s commands. Watched her brother drown and was chased to be killed after him.

Desperately Craves Affection: Her noble upbringing and her complete lack of socialization means Lariel is desperate for friends. Lonely and awkward but trying her hardest. Even though once she gets it she’s very embarrassed.

Easily Forgiven: She forgives her brother Zrise for his mistreatment of her. Believing he’s troubled but there is still a sweet kid in there. She does not know of his darker deeds.

Elemental Powers: The powers of air, lightning, rain, snow etc. Can control the weather and storms.

Friendless Background: Due to her isolation she never had friends. The one she did consider her friend, Venan. Used her.

Gibberish of Love: Often loses her ability to speak well when trying to talk to the object of her affection.

Gilded Cage: Lariel had all the luxury and refinement a noble life could provide. Literally trapped to never leave. Forced to obey her family’s every order.

Glowing Eyes Of Doom: When Lariel grows increasingly upset or is using powerful magic her eyes glow.

I Am Not Pretty: Despite her beauty she was always talked down to by her family for her half-elven traits. Believe herself unattractive for her lack of elven features.

I Just Want to Be Free: Lariel wishes to escape and live her life without the judgement or control of her family.

I Just Want to Have Friends: Part of her wish for freedom is the wish for companionship.

In Vino Veritas: Lariel doesn’t drink often but when she does, she speaks her mind and acts with polite decorum like never before. Usually to comedic effect.

Ms.Imagination: Often lost in thoughts. Thinking about what if’s, could have beens, and inventing stories for why someone is dressed the way they are. Easily distracted.

Nice Girl: She believes everyone deserves kindness.

Nay-theist: She knows the gods are real and powerful beings. But she doesn’t trust them. Such divine authority is used and abused. Lariel thinks of them as disconnected and not concerned enough with those smaller than themselves. Losing the forest for the trees. Not to mention her own personal grudge against Sarenrae.

Power Floats: When using her powers she can float off the ground and even move small distances this way.

Purple is Powerful: Her favorite color. Often adorned in lavender and lilac. Despite her fragile seeming appearance she always is in a shade of purple. Hiding her power in plain sight.

Runaway Fiancé: Lariel runs from her engagement to Kraler. Using the travel to his home as a means to escape. Stealing the means to escape her collar during transit.

Shrinking Violet: Especially in the beginning of her journey. Before she really knows how to socialize.

Silk Hiding Steel: Her kindness, politeness, nor lady like demeanor are an act. But she is not helpless. Learning how to wield the facade of obedience. Strong willed. Fights when it is necessary against those who would use and abuse others. She is not as easily manipulated as she seems.

Shock and Awe: Controlling lightning with ease.

Sophisticated as Hell: She has a habit of sounding overly formal or bookish. At times a little too literal, oblivious, and naive.

Strong Family Resemblance: She doesn’t know but she looks a lot like her paternal grandmother. So much so if her father saw her he’d be suspicious.

Tender Tears: She's a notorious crier when things are happy, sincere, and honest.

The Cutie: Sweet, kind, gentle. Seeing the good in others and the world despite her own troubles. Willing to give anyone a second chance. Helps animals and children.

The Ingénue: Her demeanor often drives others to wish to protect her or to become a person who deserves such kindness from her.

The Redeemer: Welcoming even those most cruel. Everyone needs love, she says. As long as we work on that not hurting other people.

Weather Manipulation: Speaks for itself.

White Sheep: From a family of arrogant, hedonistic, manipulative, diplomats. She sticks out like a sore thumb as genuine, kind, and caring. Wanting nothing to do with her family’s tainted legacy.

#oc: lariel #Lariel lore #fake tv tropes #logging into my puter to post #it’s finally here

[ultraericthered]

Was earlier browsing the TV Tropes Ass Pull / Dragon Ball page for the most notable examples of total Ass Pull swerves seen across the Dragon Ball franchise, and I was curious in what was considered examples of such from out of the late Akira Toriyama's writing for the original Dragon Ball manga, back when he was young and in his prime. Among the handful of moments detailed on the page, there are some I agree to be unjustified, clumsily written and poorly implemented Ass Pulls (most notably all examples from the Majin Buu Saga) but a few where I honestly disagree and believe the ideas and the writing for them was sharper, more solid and sufficiently justified within the work than the TV Tropers gave them credit for.

To cover them all and relieve the best and worst of Toriyama:

King Piccolo hits Goku hard enough to stop his heartbeat. but it starts beating again after Piccolo's gone - NO. I think what people really take offense to here is the timing of it, that Piccolo leaves Goku for dead and then his heart just so happens to resume beating after he's departed from the scene. That is silly and contrived as heck. But the event itself is sensible considering that Piccolo assumed this moment of caridac arrest to have killed Goku because no human, no matter how strong and good at martial arts, could live through that. But Goku isn't human. Even this very saga stresses something is very superhuman and otherworldly about Goku, including why he had a tail and could transform into a giant ape. Piccolo had no knowledge of the Saiyans and how they're strong enough to recover from near death experiences and come back stronger than ever, so he had no way of knowing that "killing" Goku like that might not stick for long.

The Ultra Divine Water - YES. That was weird. It is indeed a direct contradiction to the previous arc at Korin's Tower and if such a thing had always existed, it would've been nice for Korin to have hinted at it back when we last saw him even if he didn't want Goku to have it.

Nail merges his life energy with Piccolo - NO. There'd been nothing saying that warrior class Namekians of the same type as Piccolo could do this before, but there'd also been nothing saying that they couldn't. What's important to remember is that this isn't a case like Kami and Piccolo re-merging, where two halves become one whole Namekian again: Nail was beaten to within an inch of his life and could've died out there with all the power still within him going to waste, but since Piccolo came along and needed the extra strength to go toe to toe with Freeza, Nail decided to let Piccolo essentially mercy kill him by absorbing his life energy and ki into himself.

Vegeta can suddenly detect power without a scouter after his fight on Earth - NO. The only thing that makes this seen nonsensical is a line in the Japanese version about him being able to awaken and attain this ability because "he's a Saiyan", even though it's an ability that has been used by non-Saiyans all the way back to Mr. Popo. In context, it still makes sense that Vegeta unlocked the potential to do this when in battle against opponents who could do so, similar to how he learned to conceal his full power level from scouters at the same time. In fact, it actually first kicked in for Vegeta during that battle on Earth, as towards the end he could sense that his enemies were all "barely clinging to life" without even having to go near them.

The Zenaki Boost - NO. I think it's misrepresented in that entry. It claims that Vegeta's minor boost in power after a genuinely near fatal beatdown from Zarbon doesn't mesh with him later not being nearly as beaten down by Recoome yet recieving another boost that puts him on par with First Form Freeza from it...but why, seeing as it only made him stronger than Jeice and Ginyu? Being now able to match Freeza in his first form isn't the same as "surpassing Freeza in his first form", so it's not too extreme a boost. It then says Goku was only "somewhat stronger than Ginyu" after the Vegeta battle, recovery, and constant training on the spaceship, but after being healed from his body getting roughed up thanks to Ginyu, he's able to match Freeza at 50% of his total power, strong enough to not risk his life via Kaio-Ken x10 and even able to pull off a Kaio-Ken x20, and that is somehow makes no sense...but that boost he got that allowed him to be somewhat stronger than Ginyu was talked up in-story as being the breakthrough that put Goku towards becoming a Super Saiyan, so why is any of this in any way a surprising, unforseen and unwarranted development? It also falsely states that "keep in mind, Freeza's second form outmatched Piccolo, who was ten times stronger than Ginyu had been", but it was Freeza's third form that outmatched Piccolo: in his second form, Freeza thought he could outmatch Piccolo but Piccolo was wearing his weighted clothing throughout the fight and showed that without it, he was an exact match in strength, speed, stamina, and full Ki power for Freeza in that form. It goes on to say that the idea almost entirely disappears after the Namek Saga since Vegeta doesn't simply try to fight Android 18 after his beatdown at her hands nor does Goku try to enter the fight rather than do more training after he recovers from his virus, but this plainly neglects details of how that story actually went down - Vegeta didn't commit to training to ascend beyond a Super Saiyan until after he learned both that Cell existed and that Piccolo now surpassed him, and Goku knew there was a greater threat when he recovered so he felt the boost on its own wouldn't be enough for it.

Additionally, I know one could nitpick that the Zenkai Boost existing renders previous training and comebacks by Goku pointless. Like what was the purpose of Goku scaling Korin's Tower and fighting to take the water from Korin when he could've just fought Tao again with the boost he got? What was the purpose of Goku having to attain the Ultra Divine Water if he could've just fought Piccolo again with the boost he got? Why train with Mr. Popo when he could've just looked for a way to nearly kill himself in order to get strong enough to fight Piccolo Jr.? Why did he need to run down Snake Way and get to King Kai's world to train under King Kai? OK, for those first three, Goku nor any of the other characters knew what a Saiyan was, that Goku was one, and that the Zenkai Boost was a thing for Saiyans. And simply getting the Zenkai Boost is in of itself not enough to truly improve a Saiyan's full inner strength and mastery over their new boosted power. Vegeta is the only one who's ever assumed that it is because he's an high class elite warrior to whom strides in the buildup and enhancement of his own power comes naturally to him and he arrogantly assumes that this is enough to ultimately ascend him to the level of Super Saiyan. Goku has never believed that - he's always put in the work to bring out and gain full skillful control over the new power he surpasses previous limits in order to attain. The training doesn't substitute for the boost, it works in concurrence with it and enhances it. Vegeta and even Freeza learn from example.

Freeza says five minutes until Namek explodes, yet the fight goes on for much longer - YES. Freeza was foolish and cannot tell time.

The Hyperbolic Time Chamber - YES. The existence of the Time Chamber isn't an Ass Pull itself, but the idea that young Goku was able to train in it and withstand its gravity yet later had trouble with the gravity on King Kai's world, and the fact that none of the fighters who were training right there at Kami's Lookout were told to or ever thought to use it for the coming fight against Nappa and Vegeta, are definite plot holes that Toriyama had no good excuse for.

The Cell Juniors - KIND OF? I think the idea is that since Cell has Namekian cells in him from Piccolo and Saiyan cells in him including those of Vegeta and Nappa, he had both the egg-making ability of King Piccolo and the memory of how to plant and grow Saibamen, but given his unique bio-organic body structure, he's able to make the seeds/eggs for such creatures inside of him and they grow once he spits them out onto planetary soil. And they come out in his own image since they inherited energy from the cells that make them. However, since he never explicity states this, it is sort of bizarre.

Cell's return as Super Perfect Cell after self-destructing- KIND OF? Two parts of it were feasible, at least: Cell returning to his Perfect Form even without 18 inside of him was due to him rettaining the memory of that form in tandem with the huge boost in power he got from the power of Super Saiyan 2 Gohan he'd been put on the recieving end of but now awakened within his cells. It's said that "he'd been beaten up several times and never once got a boost from it" until this near-death experience... didn't he, though? None of his previous beatdowns were near severe enough for him to get such a boost, and in the two where he did get outmatched in raw strength and/or Ki control power (against Future Trunks and against Goku), he did quickly rebound with a boost in strength, speed, and technique. And as for him learning the Instant Transmission, while Cell had seen Goku use it multiple times without learning it, it was made a point of that Cell was increasing his speed via watching Goku's, including the Instant Transmission, and as the page states "the only noteworthy difference is that Cell was taken along for the ride that time". Yes, Goku literally had his other hand on Cell the entire time as he blew up while he used Instant Transmission. Cell can emulate the strength of those whose cells he shares, almost as though absorbing some of their Ki power into himself. What else was going to happen there should Cell happen to live through his self destruction?

The one part that's an Ass Pull and plot hole of epic proportions is that Cell was able to regenerate from near-total annihilation into next to nothing to back whole, in his Perfect form, at the peak of his Ki power even after all that he'd expended in the earlier fight because, as he explains, "he can survive anything so long as the nucleus located in his head stays in-tact." Which directly contradicts the earlier part in his fight with Goku where Goku disintegrated his head with a point-blank Kamehameha, and Cell regenerated his upper torso and head like it was nothing. The original English dub for the anime actually gave a better excuse, that so long as so much as a single cell within his core nucleus survives, he's unkillable and can come back from anything. So even if Goku had blown up the nucleus along with Cell's head, if a single cell leaked through Cell's body in-tact, he could come back from it. And even if his entire body blew up, if the remaining nucleus still contained a single cell, he'd respawn. It's only through Gohan's final blast that Cell's nucleus and every single cell derived from it gets completely obliterated, which kills Cell.

Gotenks and Trunks become Child Super Saiyans - YES. I've harped on this one before as being one of the earliest downfalls in the Buu Saga. Nothing against Goten and Trunks or Gotenks for that matter, but how Super Saiyan power-ups got handled in regards to their characters was cheap, diminishing, and inexcusable of Toriyama.

Piccolo regenerates his whole body after it got broken because his head still remained. - YES. Didn't Piccolo get killed by Nappa with his entire body in-tact? Weren't there earlier risks of Piccolo dying by Freeza and Cell shooting him through the heart? Well, the heart is located in the part of Piccolo's body that got accidentally shattered by Goten and Trunks when he was turned to stone, yet he can now just live through that because the head is where regeneration starts for him? Where did this come from? Why was this gag even needed?

Super Saiyan 3 - YES. The concept of the form less so than the way it got implemented in a nebulous and downright contradictory way. Earlier in the saga when Goku is asked to kill Buu, he says point-blank that at his current power level he could only equal Vegeta but there's no way he could take on and kill the likes of Buu...only for him to then reveal he attained Super Saiyan 3 in the afterlife, meaning he was actually far stronger than Vegeta and was holding back on him during the Majin Vegeta fight, and that he absolutely could take on and possibly even kill Buu. And then there's no given reason for why he doesn't kill Buu in this form, much less use it ever again against the stronger, more evil Buus later on in the saga. And to top this off, Gotenks is able to skip Super Saiyan 2 and reach this form even when in the manga he had know way of even knowing about it let alone how to attain it, which is when the saga, and with it the entire original DB series, jumped the shark even before the death knell of Gohan getting outfought by Buu and absorbed by him.

That along with....

Buu's scream breaks open the sealed off Hyperbolic Time Chamber - YES. And what's annoying about this one is that it could've worked easily and raised no eyebrows - there's a full panel of Buu all tensed up and roaring in fury over it, so the idea that Buu released all of his pent up power into the roar and it creates a small crack in the fabric of the chamber dimension that's small enough for only Buu to access by turning into his liquid form and seeping through it, would work perfectly. But instead, after the initial roar, Buu screams about how "IT'S NOT FAIR!" and THAT is what unleashes the power that blows through the chamber and creates a hole for him to escape through, and the anime makes this longer and even more dumbfounding. This was Toriyama writing himself into a corner for the sake of some dumb humor and not knowing how to immediately write himself out of it in a way that could bring Buu back out as a threat but still inhibit the good guys so that there's any semblence of remaining tension.

Vegito defuses back into Goku and Vegeta inside of Buu despite the fusion having been said to be permanent - YES. It's not explained why it happens just because Vegito's been eaten by Buu, it doesn't make sense, but then again nothing about the Potara earrings and the fusion they bring about ever made sense, and its setup only gets more contradicted the more the earrings get used as a device in later franchise entries. I don't care that a movie beat Toriyama to showing Goku and Vegeta fuse via the fusion dance, he didn't let the fourth movie's "False Super Saiyan" stop him from debuting the real Super Saiyan form he'd envisoned, so why let Movie Gogeta stop him from debuting Real Gogeta. Given that he would years later do exactly that in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, I think even he regrets not doing so. When you introduce the concept of fusion into a saga along with an exact method for achieving it, stick to that method and those rules!

#Dragon Ball #Dragon Ball Z #manga #anime #Akira Toriyama #opinion #criticism #ass pulls #bad writing #analysis #TV Tropes #TV Tropes NUTJOBS!

[13eyond13]

So, not an ask for any game in particular, but do you know if there's a credible source on L being a very cleanly? I swear I read The TV Tropes page for him, which is of dubious trustworthiness, lists him as a clean freak and in certain adaptations being concerned about illness. I don't have the manga so I can't corroborate if this is true, and it doesn't have a source listed. I know some people interpret him the other way as being bad with cleanliness and hygiene. I am aware of the human washing machine but I'm pretty sure it's a gag. As the leading L historian, what are your thoughts.

Hahaha, the leading L historian! I'm honoured though unsure about that, but I will do my best to answer your ask... Well, I think of him as a bit of a clean freak rather than a grubby person, and apparently Ohba does as well. This is how Watari describes L in that infamous "human washing machine" panel from the one-shot that describes a day in the life of L: "He is rather fastidious and bathes himself often."

If we look up the word "fastidious" it sometimes means "very concerned about matters of cleanliness:"

Though I don't think L ever mentions anything along these lines about his hygienic habits or preferences in the manga, I feel as though he can suggest this vibe with his habits and mannerisms at times.... such as how delicately and fussily he holds most objects, the generally hermit-like way he normally lives his life, and the impersonal way he handles most social interactions (eg. using a proxy much of the time, or having his suspects restrained and filmed so he can observe them from afar without interacting with them personally himself, etc.)

However, the fact that he's a fairly shabby-looking character who wears the same thing every day and has a lot of self-indulgent, antisocial traits can also mean people read him as the opposite easily as well (just another one of those tightropes of extreme opposite traits L ambiguously walks as a character)... and there are certainly panels in the manga that make him look like a bit of a slob at times too, particularly when it comes to his food (eg. crumbs from his snacks on his chin, or licking out the wrapper of his cupcake in a way that makes somebody else watching go "eww" lol):

Overall I tend to believe he's more along the lines of somebody who is rather fussy and particular about being clean, though I also don't really take that one-shot about him bathing in a washing machine too seriously as canon either, hahaha. I kinda just take the vibes from that one-shot about his personality into consideration and then make the particulars of it a little more realistic in my mind. Like yes, he does insist on bathing frequently and being very clean, but he probably is not particularly vain or elaborate about his routine. The way I interpret it is that he sees a lot of self-grooming and self-presentation chores as boring and tedious "necessary evils," and prefers to outsource them to Watari or find other kinds of time-saving shortcuts to get them over with as quickly as possible (like having several sets of the same clothes that he already knows he likes, using 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner type products, or avoiding getting haircuts until he absolutely has to, that kind of thing). I think it's mostly just because he IS a hygienic person that he can't eliminate that stuff from his life altogether, but if he could he would, because it's just not at all entertaining or interesting to him.

#death note #l lawliet #ask #meta #starlightinthewild #p

[bainofjustice]

Payday's Most Forgotten Main Character - Speical Agent Jordan Griffin

Introduction

Hello, as my description at time of writing says I am Jordan Griffin's number #1 fan but you see I haven't given myself this title because I've made lots of fan content (I'm working on that) but because I am one of only two of her fans (I recruited a friend to her Fandom). (Might be three but IDK who wrote the Payday 2 character tv tropes page)

I want to have to fight for this title, I wanna see others think about & explore her character.

So I am writing this! It will cover all of her canon appearances, where I would have taken her character within Payday 2's plot & some theories and headcanons.

Payday: The Web Series

Jordan is one of the main characters of The Web Series & outside of Bain, Vlad Kozak Gage & brief scenes is one of the only characters to appear in multiple episodes. She is also the only character I would agure has a arc thoughout the episodes & acts as a recurring pov.

The audience first meets Jordan Griffin in episode 3, she is discussing with her partner (Agent Riker) about her thoery that Hector Morales is working for Crime.Net, Agent Riker attempts to brush off this thoery by both pointing to how little evidence she has found about Crime.Net & pointing to her mental health (stating that she must just be tried, implying she is not in her right state of mind). When this scene ends it is revealed Bain already has eyes on her and placed Riker as a mole.

This scene established a lot of interesting stuff

Jordan with the limited info of the events of PD1 & the earliest heists of 2 was able to put enough evidence together to both figure out Crime.Net existed & its name. Remember that during the events of the web series it is just coming out of beta, likely meaning it's number of users was low & trusted allies so for Jordan to find all this meant some serious digging

I forget if it's on the board or if she says it (limited wi-fi so avoiding watching stuff) but she mentions Bain's name as the owner of Crime.net, not the most impressive as it seems like his name is mentioned a lot in the criminal world to the point that even yakuza clans know about him. Still I feel it worth noting.

This scene is also the first we see anyone (on screen, obviously off screen between 1 & 2 the FBI found out) in the FBI suspect Hector of being related to the Payday gang, it's also worth noting that Jordan already has him pinned of other crimes, possibly the same ones that got him got by the fbi. It's also interesting she didn't know he was a rat for the fbi & was working to arrest him.

Speaking of the board I mentioned, she has a whole conspiracy board in her office for the payday gang & crime.net, it has multiple of the contractors on it, including Vlad (whom at least by the time of Hoxton breakout the FBI believe is a law abiding civilian).

It is also established that Jordan deals with some ableism as a part of how Bain tries to deal with her, it's seen in Rikers comment and made more notable by the fact that Jordan is shown later taking unknown meds from a prescription bottle.

It is also established that Bain considers Jordan enough of a threat to have a mole specifically keeping an eye on her.

As a whole I consider this a strong start for building her up as a threat to the gang & a foil to them, much like them she is working semi out of the system to achieve her goals & like them is seeking answers for questions much bigger than herself, only issue is these traits are directed at taking down Bain & Crime.Net.

In Episode 4, Jordan interviews Dallas whom is undercover as the bank manager for First World Bank, thoughout this Jordan is very suspicious of him & he ends up leaving earlier than likely planned, taking his obertunity when Jordan is called away for something.

I find two things about this very interesting, first being that the series went semi out of its way to allow Dallas & Jordan to meet, while the cover was also used for the heist & the scene also allows for a interesting story telling device of showing different versions of scenes the audience already saw the scene could have easily been from Dallas pov woth random cops but no: it's a mixed pov scene & Jordan is used despite it actually making little sense given how she's treated in the FBI (I will get into that later)

I also find it noteworthy how Dallas treats her, it's very much as a real threat & he does his best to tell her the cover story straight but as it becomes clearer that she is suspicious & isn't falling for it he ends up taking a chance to escape before she can ask more questions.

Also funfact is that this scene is what established Nathan Steele as Dallas civilian name. Jordan also established in this scene being particular about being called Special Agent (Jordan) Griffin.

In Episode 5, Jordan manges to leak to a reporter her theories about crime.net, which ends up in the tv news. Jordan & Riker get pulled aside by their boss and get royalty told off because as it turns out, this isn't their job! Jordan has just been doing all of this on top her real cases for the fbi! She hasn't been getting any backing for them & clearly couldn't ask for help with the case given gets in trouble for it! No one told her to do this! She has just been doing it for herself while everyone tells her no!

She follows this up in the next scene by revealing to Riker that she suspects that there is a mole within their department of the FBI, it's later confirmed that she suspects him & told him as much, though also still keeps him close at hand, including when she goes otherwise alone to confront a member of Crime.Net.

THIS IS FOLLOWED BY REVEALING THAT RIKER'S HANDLER IS FUCKING VLAD "THIRD SHADIEST CONTACTOR & KATRU KING" KOZAK

So uh, yeah a lot happens at the end of an episode about the worst assassin Crime.Net ever hired aka Greta.

But wait! There's even fucking more! In episode 6 aka the finale of the web series most of the focus is on her & Vlad (well it's more about Vlad dealing with her) (& Gage but this ain't about him, I'll talk about him when I talk disability in Payday)

this wild episode starts off with Vlad getting called by Bain warning him that Jordan has taken an interest in him & has placed a tracker on his truck, this results in him blowing off Sofia (Aka the woman he has with him when visting the safe house) & as she insists on him staying with her that night (intercut as Vlad thinks with Jordan doing research about Vlad) he ends up pulling a gun on her asking if she isn't useful why does he keep her around. (This is interrupted before goes farther) (I'm noting that last bit for a reason.)

Next we see of Vlad he's getting driven to the spot that's been set up as a trap for Jordan as she follows, he is singing in a slavic language during this (also in previous scenes he has mostly talked in a slavic language besides from his threats to Sofia)

Then the big scene is next for the Jordan & Vlad storyline, Jordan arrives at the parking garage, this is when she confirms in banter with Riker that she is sure that he is the mole, she searches for a lil bit being very on gruad & then reaches the stairs.

This is when Vlad appears & holy hell this convo is interesting to me, especially looking back knowing a lot more about Vlad. So I am going to break this down a lot.

First Vlad says hello to Speical Agent Jordan Griffin, he very clearly already knows some of her quirks well. Meanwhile Jordan jumps right to questions, speaking in the same Slavic language Vlad has throughout the episode used when speaking with his men, she starts off asking how he knows her name which he answers a little birdie told him. Which does line up with what Bain did, including referencing her full status while warning Vlad.

Vlad follows up with

"I know many things, especially how in over head you [Jordan] are."

I'll come back to this later.

Vlad was interrupted by having to tell one of his men to stand down & that he has everything under control.

Vlad then tells Jordan that he doesn't have time to explain things but:

"-You must understand: You got too close to the truth and they will not let you live if you get any closer." -Vlad

Jordan then questions who "they" is, suspecting Crime.Net & Overkill (this was made back when the company included itself as refs & didn't decide yet the name belonged to a biker gang).

Vlad follows up by not answering but saying

"I like you special agent, we are like each other, more than you know."

He then shares that this all has been a "friendly" warning & warns that the next one won't be the same.

He then says that he hopes the pair will meet again under better circumstances, to which once again in a slavic language Jordan repiled with "Perhaps"

Vlad then leaves with his enforcer. Riker whom was waiting in the wings, gun ready arives as Jordan steps back to the floor they parked and when asked she says that she lost them.

Now lemme break down what I can

It is very interesting to me that throughout episode 6 using slavic language is almost showing your in with Vlad, when Vlad is pissed at Sofia he speaks in English, also speaking with Bain & Riker in English but with his enforcer in Slavic & then Jordan starts off speaking in his language and when he says he hopes they meet again under better circumstances it's also in slavic. This to me really shows there was at least some idea that Jordan would continue to be a force in Vlad related stories, perhaps working with him?

This is the first we see of Jordan actively lying & no less lying to cover her & Vlad's assess, til this point she is not shown actively lying

This is also we see of Jordan choosing to not chase a trail and call it quits before getting herself in shit, I do honestly believe in a convo with someone else Jordan would have not lied at the end saying they got away but instead tried to press forward.

Vlad in the very same episode made it clear that even minor things done by people he doesn't need may result in death, which to me brings up: what does Vlad want from Jordan? What does she have that neither Bain or another FBI agent could supply?

Thoughout the convo he treats her with more respect than really anyone else we see him in canon talk to, not once swearing or acting out but instead acting very calm & put together.

From some of the stuff he says it seems like he honestly wants to tell Jordan more but can't (he blames a time issue, but tbh I feel like it's more because the location was set up by Bain likely meaning he was watching.)

I also find the lines he says about her search for the truth really interesting as it really reminds me of what later happens to Bain, when he starts getting closer to the truth about the Katru he is nearly killed (in the bad ending is fr killed)

I also find the line that they are alike curious, at this time in the story Vlad wasn't too known for a inquisitive nature nor had he shown much interest in uncovering hidden truths. In the context knowing the story wasn't planned from the start I'm not sure what they were planning with this line BUT looking back with what lore we have for Vlad by the end of 2... I'll get to what I think in its own section.

Since this was the final episode this is the last we see of her in live action & even if she shows up again I think will be with a revast or non-live action as her actress is now a right-wing news caster in france 🙃

Appearances In Game

Jordan has two in game appearances!

First is on the second day of Hoxton breakout where she is one of the models spawned in FBI agents can have (model based off her episode 1 outfit).

She does not have any special A.I or anything else meaning any of the following can happen

Her model does not spawn, implying she was not at the office during the attack.

Her model does spawn but one way or another the gang does not interact with her, implying she hid during this.

Her model spawns & the gang zip ties her, leaving her somewhere she isn't killed, this is personally my hc for the canon of the game)

Her model spawns & she guns down a member of the gang, good for her! (This probably the least likely since she is not a special unit & would be in combat with the gang before any assault waves meaning fullish health)

Her model spawns & she is killed (Outside of not spawning this is one of the most likely for a player to do)

Her model spawns & the Joker skill is used on her, making her help the very gang she is trying to catch, possibly dying along the way.

At the end of the day this heist does very little to actually tell us anything about her or her fate as it is totally random what state she's in by the end, especially because as the tv tropes page for her points out most players don't even know who they'd be killing.

But... There is another heist she can spawn in, which neither the tv tropes page nor her wiki (which I need to update) mentions.

Her model can spawn in the Payday 2 version of Taxman, which if I'm not wrong is one of the few remasters that is a flashback/not happening a second time.

Which means that Jordan, likely unknown to Bain or the gang has been long on their trail, this also lines up with what her actual job in the fbi is (which in short is wire fuad, which is mentioned in a episode but I forget which one).

On the flipside if this isn't a flashback we can assume that Jordan is still alive post Hoxton breakout & that it sets a president that unless it's outright a part of the story of the heist named characters like Jordan don't die in heists where there's other options (Makes sense since Bobble Head Bob like Jordan can spawn in heists & die like she can)

I also suspect that Jordan can spawn whenever the game calls for a unarmored FBI agent to spawn but I am yet to test this. But if true basically means Jordan survives well into the endgame & only could for sure have died post Breakin' Feds.

Why I Wish She Was Used More/How I Would Fit Her Into The Plot

Why I Want More:

1. She is my blorbo & I love her 💖💖💖

2. The gang's enemies look like this rn (not counting post game dlc or 3):

A guy relying on the fbi to protect him who was merely a pawn of the fbi (Hector)

A bunch of mindless male police officers

A male police caption who only provides a physical threat

A male fbi head who is only a puppet to people

A male technical guy + military guy, provides a very real intelligental thread with implied help from a female hacker, later redeemed and helps the gang (Locke & Joy)

A mostly male (we never see a woman in Murkeater but I'm gonna assume there's at least one) paramilitary that doubles as a conspiracy group, provides both a physical & social threat

A male puppeteer master, is the only non-physical threat.

You might already see my point, thr gang lacks any non-male enemies which isn't great when combined with theor already low female cast. The developers have mentioned that they wanted to do better on that front & I think a female antagonistic force to the gang would have helped.

Also the gang is really lacking in intellectual threats, only briefly having Locke/Joy hack them which is resolved quick & they aren't a real threat after this & The Dentist whom pulls strings & is a threat to everyone's identities, their serach for The Secret & the world.

But really I think having another intellectual threat, especially one uninvolved with Murkwater would both help feel like the gang has a real risk of something like getting arrested or having their identities leak, I think it would also balance the cast a lot more.

Now while I wanna fix the above making Jordan a main angtag from the get go would change a lot & deserves its own post so here is some closer to canon ideas.

Here's a few ideas of how she could have been used, keep in mind these ideas are based off the limits that 1. The story wasn't planned from the start, 2. The story is mostly shown in heists & fbi files & 3. Jordan is not a main character & 4. My core Jordan thoery is not canon, otherwise this section would be more complicated & require inorging the lack of a plan plotwise.

Without the above limits I would just be giving a pitch for a fanfic I am planning.

Route 1: Mole For Vlad

This in my opinion is one of the more boring options but it is one of the more likely options they would have went with in canon.

For this Jordan would likely off screen started working for Vlad as a dirty fbi agent & in game either be mentioned as a informent or as someone setting things in the fbi hq for the gang in heists they go there.

This route would work well for fics or art that wants a easy route for Jordan to interact with the gang on friendly terms but I feel like outside of fanwork options this isn't the best route.

Ultimately it would make Jordan a bit of a non-character & betray the very justice focused Jordan we see in the web series plus it doesn't address the problems above.

But it is a option that other than what we did get is close to likely.

Route 2: FBI Pov

In this Jordan would remain looking into the Payday gnag though not being as forward, until the FBI files were added.

At that point I would have Jordan serve as the owner of the fbi computer that was hacked, perhaps having her leave notes on all the fbi files about her theories & what she's found.

Perhaps this results in a heist where the gang has to retrieve her evidence & kill her like the Hector heist.

It could also lead to her being the fbi member Kento contacts & sends codes to, perhaps desperate to catch the gang she helps him arrest The Elephant & possibly other contractors.

Or perhaps she remains uninvolved with the emails & instead serves as a pov for the fans not secret hunting by leaving confused files about the Katru related heists & files on clues she doesn't understand.

Route 3: Katru Investigator

Okay so this slimmer to the above, having her leave notes on fbi files & the hacked computer being hers but... The emails aren't, she hacked into the commissioners email & leaves notes on the emails, perhaps acting like a hint for them.

She would also take up what Spetkicguy did in the arg, hacking into things & finding more clues about Mrukywater.

This route likely ends with a callback to what Vlad said, Jordan would get too close to the truth of Murkwater and they would kill her.

My Core Thoery For Jordan Griffin/Route 4: King's Watcher

Okay before I start with this theory let me establish a few things that I will write metas about later:

Vlad is a Katru king, a member of a group of three humans that were selected by powerful beings to guard their secrets, this granted conditional immortality.

The other kings are The Elephant & The Dentist

Each king has a watcher, it is unknown how they are picked but I suspect it is decided by a higher power at their birth. They are meant to prevent the kings from abusing their power, they are also the condition for their King's immortality when they are alive their king cannot die & when they are dead their king can die. (after Dentist loses his he is able to be gunned down)

The known watchers were Bain & Kento, Bain leaves notes about this & Duke comments on & notes that Kento is a watcher as well which lines up with his role in Murkwater

Now that we have that established onto the thoery, which simply put is that Jordan is Vlad's watcher.

Let me first address the main counterpoints

Vlad's watcher is the Commissar!: that is a theory which well would make Dentist wanting the guy dead make sense. It would not make sense that Vlad never mentions him, we know Vlad loves revenge, he won't let his watcher being killed slide no matter how much he likes the gang

Vlad's Watcher Is His Brother In-Law!: Okay this is more likely than the last one & is one of the more likely canon options, so I won't aurge against this theory. Simply it isn't my taste, I find more interesting stories can be told with other options for watchers.

Vlad can die in dlc heists!: Yeah, that does point to his watcher being dead but there is nothing pointing to Jordan having to still be alive at this point. We also don't actually see his death, just that the timer says that but that could be either obsecing Vlad's involvement with the secret or simply not thinking out a different wording. So while him dying is what is said to happen I feel like for a thoery like this. Which is already... Shaky since it rests on a forgotten character I don't think it kills the thoery

Now onto my supporting evidence!

Vlad goes out of his way to make sure Jordan survives & was personally dealing with her. We see him both push aside others in his life like Sofia to focus on Jordan & go against the spirit of Bain's orders who said to deal with her by simply warning her.

The lines: "I know many things, especially how in over head you [Jordan] are." & "You got too close to the truth and they will not let you live if you get any closer." Which Vlad says to Jordan can both read as simply a detective being warned to avoid criminal conspiracy but... It's also close to some of the stuff Bain & the gang says as they investigate the Katru.

There is also that Vlad wanted to tell her more but couldn't, again he said it was a time issue but I really believe it was because he knew Bain was listening in.

Vlad drawing a comparison towards himself & her would make more sense if there was a literal bound between them, as the scribe/a king I'm sure Vlad has done a lot of the sort of stuff Jordan is doing & probably has had watchers like her before.

Thematically it'd line up for Jordan to be unknowingly in his inner circle given that language = Vlad's good graces thing I got talking about.

There are a lot of parallels between Jordan & Bain, especially if you put together some of the stories from clothes that imply Bain was a cop or in the fbi at some point. Both start off locking into things beyond them, both have blue as their main color (Jordan's outfits are mainly black & white say for her periwinkle shirt which her model wears), they both start getting so deep that people are sent after them & with outfit lore in mind it seems like Bain had a encounter with Elephant slimmer to the one Jordan had with Vlad.

Thematically wise it'd be nice if there was 1 criminal watcher, 1 corrupt lawful watcher & 1 justice minded watcher. Bain is morally grey, Kento's morals got fucked up & Jordan has pretty clean morals compared.

It'd also mean that Bain's mind games with Jordan later get reflected at him as Kento played mind games with him & unlike Bain dealt with the person getting close to the truth. In short watcher on watcher violence.

Also sanity is a theme with Vlad, he is the "mad king" the one that found things thay broke his mind & even in the modern day is considered insane. This is intrestingly mirrored by how Jordan is both dismissed based off mental state & likely has a mental illness she takes meds for.

I will probably think of more & make a post just about this thoery eventually but for now the last reason is that I simply think it makes for a interesting story, it means all the watchers are pitted against each other, it means Vlad has another thing to hide from the gang, it means Vlad's watcher is an established character whose a bit complex, it means at least a single woman is relevant to The Secret.

As for what this world look like in story? Well it depends on how you veiw the watchers but for my own hc's & theories I am planning a fic about this.

I will also note that if something makes it clear someone else is Vlad's watcher I will keep this as a au instead of theory/hc.

Ideas For Fan Content

So after reading everything here I hope you dear reader wanna give me a lil more challenge in calling myself her biggest fan by including her in your own content!

To help get this started I'm gonna list a few ideas of how to include & use her in fan content. Obviously I would also be trilled to see ideas not listed written about & if you do make something based off tbe list below or theories & ideas I talk about on this meta you don't have to credit me, I just want to show off a character I like!

Jordan easily can fill the role of a fbi agent that would otherwise go unamed or be a one-off oc, so say for a fic you want to add pressure by having a agent on one of the heisters trail, Jordan would make a good fit!

Jordan would also work well as a mentor or partner to a fbi oc, being able to quickly inform them of details about the payday gang & either aid them if they are a enemy of the Payday gang or provide tension if they are/start helping the gang.

Jordan would also work well for writing enemy to lovers fics since she is a enemy of the gang but it's based off impersonal things, so becoming close with specific members isn't out of the question & could lead to interesting drama for all parties.

Jordan also works well for if you need a pov outside the gang but is aware, let's say you're writing a mystery fic & you need someone to first find something or encounter the killer before it's revealed to the gang. Jordan would work! She would likely investigate that sort of thing but lacks ways of telling other members of the cast.

Jordan does at the end of her story show some more willingness to do shady things, so having a story explore her becoming more & more involved in crime would work really well, this would also be great to use for fics about Vlad's criminal stuff (Just please, I beg, do not have Jordan start working at his postuion house, that I am asking you to not do on this post. I can't stop you but I am gonna read or share stuff about that)

Jordan would also work in camo appearances, need something for Vlad or Bain to be doing before being interrupted? Perhaps they were keeping an eye on a special agent.

Jordan could also work as someone to info dump info about things that happened off screen in your fic, maybe you're writing a future fic & want to quickly establish what everyone is doing, having a scene or a few where Jordan is sharing her theories with someone would be a good way to do it in universe & add some unreliable narratorness to it if you want to hide info.

Also Jordan would work well as some canon fodder to be blunt, as much as I love her it doesn't seem like she's amazing at tech, so if you want establish a character killing enemies of the gang or some mass death event like a zombie au Jordan could work 😶‍🌫️

Lastly there isn't a lot about Jordan outside of what's here, we don't know her past, or much about her future past the web series & there are a lot of parts about her personality we won't have got to see so she's a character that could really be expanded on.

ETC

Agent Riker: Funniest Non-Clown

Yeah I couldn't fit this anywhere else but thoughout the series Riker is really funny due to how it seems like he is almost always moments from a mental breakdown. He will often swear to himself shouting loudly FUCK almost everytime Jordan is getting deeper in the mess.

It's also funny how degented he looks while his boss scolds him & Jordan, they both look like kids getting told off.

It is also extremely funny to me that Jordan straight up tells him to his putposly sweating face she knows he is the mole & then still takes him as backup to confront Vlad which like...

While Riker pulled out a gun & was waiting in the wings it also took him forever to call out for her & it was pretty unclear what his game plan was. He is like less than useless to both Jordan & Vlad.

He also has a family which he mentions when talking to Vlad also it was hard for me to make out his name due to my hearing sorta sucking so I had to find his name on the imb page for the series

Jordan's Job:

I wasn't sure where to mention this but in one of the episodes, I believe when being told off by her boss it is mentioned she works in wire fuad. I believe due to her having her own office space in the department that she is likely either very high ranking or it's local head.

How I Incountered Jordan:

So I was vaguely a Payday fan at the time, I knew things like Jacket x Sokol & things like the Halloween nightmares for the crew but I had yet to see the wider picture.

This is when I decided to read the tv tropes page for Payday 2, specifically the characters page & then I read the Minor Characters page & read Jordan's section.

Which made me interested enough to go & watch the web series & then I watched more & more videos until I ended up watching The Knowley's lore series & since then I have been searching for more lore & info.

And that won't have happened if some tv tropes writer I will never likely meet hadn't decided to put Jordan on the page & describe her well in tropes & in the little bio.

The Wiki:

So a funfact is that I am the one who made Jordan's wiki page & added her to the web series page. Admittedly the page needs some work to better explain things but I thought something was better than nothing & I will work on it more.

#meta #lore #payday 2 #payday the heist #pd2 #payday Jordan Griffin #special agent Jordan Griffin #Jordan Griffin #Payday: The Web Series #vlad kozak #bain #Agent Riker #Hector Morales #katru #headcanons

[bthump]

Hii! I'm new to Berserk, having just watched the '97 Anime last week and then read your awesome analysis on Griffith's character. I was wondering what you thought about his status as a "Complete Monster" (according to Tvtropes anyhow). And I'd like your two cents on if he's really Light Yagami levels of evil acts (also a CM?). Thanks a lot for your analysis, it helped me actually understand Griffith.

Thanks for reading and enjoying!

lol yeah I think the way the majority of fandom conceives of Griffith is ridiculous. I can't even read the tv tropes page because it's so full of bad takes imo.

My take is that he's one of the most "moral" characters in the story as a human, in that he has a fairly strong moral compass and wants to do good, and I think it's ironically why he becomes a demon. The Golden Age has a very "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" vibe to me. He does plenty of bad things, in service to a higher goal that he believes is worth it, and that's pretty morally grey of him, but he's not evil, he's not a complete monster, he's not Light Yagami lol and the only strong comparison between them I can think of offhand is that they both have an "ends justifies the means" mentality.

He also very clearly feels a lot of guilt about everything he does, both the genuinely bad shit (like, imo despite the narrative letting him off the hook by making them cartoonishly evil lol, hiring kidnappers and then killing them) and the reasonable shit (like killing noblemen who have tried to kill him first), notably much more guilt than Guts ever feels for similar things. I don't think that's in line with a conception of Griffith as a complete monster either.

As Femto maybe you could make a case lol, since he's a literal demon. And NeoGriffith is currently a wildcard, so who knows what his internal life is like. But human Griffith is just a sympathetic human.

Thanks for the ask!

#ask #anonymous #a #b #character: griffith #theme: morality

[skaruresonic]

It’s not "schizoposting" if you’re replying to other people talking about Ian Flynn.

The term itself is ableist.

I'm not schizophrenic; I have garden-variety depression and anxiety. But even if I were schizophrenic, that wouldn't make it okay to act like I'm frothing at the mouth for stating opinions on my own blog.

I've noticed this habit amongst stans: they'll paint you as mentally unwell in order to discredit you. We've been called "conspiratorially insane" and "retarded" before. I've been told to seek therapy for being angry at the harassment I received. Hell, Kyle once told Greeny "I hope you get better soon" in response to her pointing out that Metal stated he rebuilt his body with his own two hands in the Metal Overlord fight, something that contradicted a claim Flynn made. It's just our old buddy ad hominem again, but ableism flavored.

And it's like, yeah, I am mentally unwell, no shit Sherlock, you've cracked the code. But regardless, I can still be mentally unwell and make a valid point. It's not like the mental illness completely short-circuits my ability to think.

Apropos of nothing, while I'm at it: people get really touchy if you say anything that can be skewed as "Flynn lies" or "Flynn is a liar," to the point of making sweeping grandiose claims that they'll automatically lose respect for you if you insinuate as much. (Which ofc begs questions of why.)

Lying isn't some binary yes/no type of thing. People can lie partially, lie out of ignorance, lie by omission, lie by implication, lie by obfuscation, or lie in spirit but not in letter. Not all falsehoods are capital L Lies, but by the same token, that doesn't mean they're no longer falsehoods. People can bend the truth without breaking it. Flynn projects a certain image by being noncommittal to the point of obfuscation. It's called talking out both sides of your mouth: where you say a lot of things that seem to address the question without actually having answered the question.

He doesn't lie outright. That's why I said it's annoying, because in a way it'd be easier to put his claims on blast if he were.

Instead, he drowns out the truth with verbiage. He hems and haws and doesn't offer a clear answer but instead usually winds up giving a sort of verbal equivalent of a Rorschach test so that he has plausible deniability in case his employers ever press him on his claims. Notice, however, that despite how tied his hands are, and despite knowing how people take his word dead fucking seriously, he seldom passes up the opportunity to run his mouth.

For example, "Eggman never, ever has a solid plan." The quote whose infamy earned it a spot on a TV Tropes page. He said it with his full chest, too, one of the rare answers that left no room for misinterpretation. Yet when someone relayed his own words back to him roughly a month later, he couldn't remember having said them, implying he either didn't really believe what he had said or else he has a poor memory.

More interesting than that, though, is when he proceeded to add, "But if I did [put it like that], then I was wrong."

IF I did. As if the existence of the words he recorded for the entire world to hear and posted for online posterity is debatable.

That's the kind of thing that skeeves me out at the end of the day. When you get caught in 4K and somehow it's others' ontological reality that must change to fit your presupposed narrative, not the other way around. And by that, I mean it would be somewhat easier to overlook if the matter began and ended at simple ignorance---but it's this constant evasion of blame and the underlying revisionism that creeps me out.

Flynn looks like he's admitting he's wrong while also casting subtle doubt on the notion that he said what he did. It's not just an "oops, guess I misspoke" or an "oops, guess I forgot" kind of thing, either. He pulls this sort of rhetorical trick all the goddamn time.

I'm personally on the fence about whether he does this deliberately or if it's the unfortunate byproduct of being a poor communicator: I feel like subconsciously, some part of it may be, given how BK built its name on speaking on behalf of Sega while simultaneously allowing him a platform to not-so-subtly shittalk them behind their backs. At this point I find it hard to imagine he's not doing this without some sort of agenda in mind.

And this isn't even getting into all the times he's been caught in blatant contradictions, which wouldn't be nearly so bad if everyone didn't take the man's word as gospel.

#asks

[magicstar16]

Okay so I was on the tv tropes page for this fucker right?

And when scrolling the nightmare fuel page covering him, I had a thought.

What if people made false confessions because of him? Like, not because he manipulated the trial to make the defendant believe he did it, but they confessed because they knew they were screwed anyway.

Manfred von karma is perfect, edgeworth said so himself. This man has gone above and beyond just to get a guilty verdict, no matter if the defendant is actually guilty or not.

Knowing that, if he’s the prosecution, the trial is pretty much over before it begins.

So what if a defendant just confesses as soon as the officially trial begins, because Manfred is going to get them guilty anyway, they might as well skip that whole song and dance get the trial over with, and save their lawyer and themselves the trouble.

Or, confess before Manfred can drive the “truth” out of them, because it’s pretty much the only thing they can do to defy him. If they at least know about the rumors of Manfred setting up trials so that they go perfectly in his favor, the only way the defendant can defy him is make sure all that perfect planning goes to waste. As a sort of “better to die than be killed.” Sort of thing

If you’re going out, you might as well go out with a bang, or at least a middle finger.

It’s bittersweet to think, of a no name defendant, who’s brave enough to rather confess to a crime they didn’t commit and probably even be executed, than give Von karma the satisfaction of adding another well planned victory to his precious perfect prosecution record.

#manfred von karma #bittersweet #it’s sad but badass #Ace attorney #reblog if you had a thought like this #this asshole hurt so many people and I love to despise him for it #fuck manfred von karma #all my homies hate manfred von karma

[davekat-sucks]

I found this entry in the dethroning moment of suck page on tv tropes

how accurate is this?

The person may have forgotten that the reason that Terezi had not spoken with Karkat Post Retcon was because of this that she ordered John to do.

It has been vague on what it meant. Was it to Karkat? Gamzee? Whatever it is, that little mistake John made by writing this to "fix" it, made Dave and Karkat happen. Worse is that even in the Post Retcon, Vriska STILL KILLED TAVROS. So why isn't Terezi punishing her for that? Isn't the point of Terezi's arc is acknowledging she did horrible things and since Vriska won't own up to it, she has to make the punishment herself. Does he not matter then? Or did she believe it was Gamzee again who killed her? Doesn't that make Vriska bad if she hid the truth? Or is Terezi back falling into the same cycle where she knows Vriska did something bad recently, but takes it as a romance in order to drown the incident out of her mind like when she knew Gamzee was bad news because her friends were all dead and gone? Vriskagram is the worst way to do show, don't tell kind of scene. And the implications get worse the deeper it gets when you think about Jasperosesprite just taking Nepeta's head later on to revive her as a kernelsprite, but nobody goes to STOP him from doing it. Not Terezi, not Karkat, not Kanaya, or anyone else. They just let someone take a dead body part from the meteor like it was nothing.

#Homestuck #HOM3STUCK #Post Retcon #Davekat #Dave x Karkat #DavexKarkat #DaveKarkat #KarkatDave #KatDave #KarDave #Terezi Pyrope #John Egbert #Dave Strider #Karkat Vantas #Vriska Serket #Vriskagram #Jasperosesprite

[eyesanddragons]

Okay I want to elaborate on something I’ve been thinking about, since I talk a lot a lot about character meta (specifically Winter Meta and Arc 2 as a whole really) and I want to dive into something that bothers me a lot about this book series.

There’s a phenomenon really prevalent in the books, and somewhat in fandom that I call the Good Victim/Bad Victim Dichotomy (A name I think I got from a Tv Tropes Page but ignoring that for a moment-) where characters who have certain traits are treated as “bad victims” or good victims, and usually “bad victims” are argumentative, angry, mean, and downright horrible at times, while “good vicitims” are nice, shy, and are so sad they can’t do anything bad.

It’s a phenomenon that’s incredibly present in these books, Darkstalker and Whiteout are actually really “good” examples of this, Darkstalker, who is ambitious and often times gets argues with his abusive father is controlling and spiteful, is painted as a inherently evil dragon who becomes a genocidal controlling power-hungry animus who wants to take over the world, who eventually gets mind-wiped and gets turned into an “innocent pure child” while Whiteout, his quiet, nice, and slightly quirky sister is portrayed as a innocent dragon who is pure and good and acts as a dragon Darkstalker can use to “pet the dog” if you will, and Whiteout is given a “happy ending” where she runs away with Thoughtful while Darkstalker is sealed in a mountain for a 1000 years when he’s like 15.

Now while Darkstalker and Whiteout is the most notable example of this, this is a recurring idea in the books.

For another example, Winter is a character who’s a bit of racist at the start, and is mean, angry, and argumentative who grew up as a prince in a terribly abusive family while Qibli is a nice, friendly, very mischievous, dragon who grew up in a crime den with a terribly assume family. Both are victims who grew up in terrible abusive households, but Qibli gets the girl and a happy life with his friends standing beside his queen, but Winter gets exiled and is more or less isolated from all the people he knew, and then one of his friend’s proceed to tell him to his face that they trust him to be loyal but not with important information that pertains to Darkstalker, the dragon that tried to kill his entire kingdom and killed his aunt, which is treated as a “you gotta earn out trust back” moment even though this is incredibly unfair from Winter’s perspective.

There’s also Turtle and Anemone, Anemone, the mean, believed she was better than everyone, entitled, and also very willing to do murder in Talons Of Power, animus dragon was potrayed as bad for, well wanting to do murder, which yeah, fair enough, but also for feeling angry about her abusive mother who used her as a weapon her entire life, and that said her murder-willingness comes from the (false) belief that she’s believed since she was a child that she will become evil no matter what, while Turtle, a shy, sad, lonely kid is treated as good for accepting his abusive and neglectful mother and less likely to become evil compared to Anemone, and the books end with, first of all the gang being “relieved” that Anemone actually isn’t evil using the soul reader, a reader she checks every day to make sure she doesn’t become more evil, and getting an animus enchanted object that can “remove” her thoughts of “superiority”, while Turtle, who get’s the same object, is still rewarded with the knowledge that he’s not evil at all and becomes more confident with himself while his sister is worried about her morality every day

I can list even more, like the entire false Dragonets of Prophecy, for example, where Fatespeaker is considered better than any of them because she’s nice!

And look, I’m not saying these dragons didn’t do bad things, sometimes they did incredibly horrid things Anemone tried to murder her family, Darkstalker did try (and somewhat succeeded) committing genocide, Winter was racist at the start and was continuously mean, pushy, and rude with people, Most of the False DoD were mean and angry and constantly hurting each other.

But Wings Of Fire, at large, tends to play into the idea that there is a “good victim” and a “bad victim” which is a problem, speaking from someone who could of been classified as a “bad victim” years ago mistakes have been made and have to be fixed, I won’t argue with that, but Wings of Fire often times makes these conflicts more morally simple than they should be, which, isn’t good, Winter and Anemone are great examples of characters who have been pushed to there limit and want an out, there ugly, but there incredibly relatable and, I’ve said this a lot on other accounts, important, media tends to portray trauma in a sanitized, aesthetically pleasing way, and while I would like to say that shy, sad, characters who want to be good, are still valuable portrayals of trauma, and not inherently bad, it’s more likable to see a character who mopes and cries for three hours thinking about the pain they endured, than a character who is rude and hateful and expressing all that trauma in such a way that it hurts the people around them. But both portrayals are incredibly valuable. And the fandom is not safe from this! Actually usually you find this stuff in fandom, fandom will take a character’s worst traits and make them even worse, make it their main personality even though we have hundreds of words that show there way more complex then that, or treat them like an innocent party who can do no wrong, and I feel like both weakens there overall character.

So yeah, I really dislike how characters with trauma are portrayed in WoF, I think it’s done poorly which is upsetting for multiple reasons, and that’s why I write Meta posts like these (like my Winter Martydom post I want you to check out cause I think I wrote it well.)

Yeah, that’s it.

#wof #wings of fire #wof winter #wof darkstalker #wof anemone #wof meta #wof critical

[sofyachy]

Watching the end of Good Omens Season 2 felt like watching the moon landing, and I think I've finally figured out why. It's not the first time there have been outed queer characters on TV shows. It's not the first time there's been a queer love scene / kiss on TV. That alone isn't ground-breaking.

But for my entire life, I've consumed media that put the hetero couple into the main spotlight with token queer background characters, a lot of them killed off in a "bury your gays" trope. Or I've watched an ongoing series and developed queer ships that always left me a little disappointed when the romantic tension I perceived on screen was quashed with the introduction of a chemistry-lacking hetero love interest, or even simply brushing off the characters as "they're just good friends, because No Homo."

I've gotten used to this. I've come to expect it -- to always look deeply into the subtext, analyzing what's going on underneath the dialog and actions. Are these characters gay? Here is my 20-page literary analysis paper in which I go over every line, every detail, to argue that there's justifiable reason to believe something there that's not blatantly spelled out in words. (I literally did this with Hotspur in my graduate-level Shakespeare class because I absolutely needed someone to agree with me that this married character was so very, very gay, despite a surface-level "no homo" reading.) And it's still never "proof" -- just my opinion, which I can shout into the void until I'm hoarse.

And isn't that just what we do in slash fandom? We write our own endings. We refashion the stories we love to override that little disappointment that the original work gives us, as much as we still love it.

With Good Omens, there was already a strong fandom pairing Aziraphale and Crowley. I read the book after watching both seasons, so I can't say how strong that fandom was before those came out. But one of the things that struck me about the book was that there wasn't nearly the same vibe between the characters as there was in the first season. Hell, they weren't even the central characters of the book. And while the book says that people assume Aziraphale is gay, it's quick to say "but he's not; angels aren't sexual." No homo.

He and Crowley are...maybe friends? Associates? But there's certainly no scene with Crowley crying into a bottle of whiskey after Aziraphale disappears in the way he does in S1. It's like Book Crowley isn't allowed to have queer feelings because No Homo, especially not when he's maybe-friends with a maybe-homo. And it's not really surprising, considering the book was written in the '80s -- when gay rights was pushed back 20 years due to the AIDS epidemic.

And even with S1, it wasn't blatantly spelled out that either of them were queer. The aforementioned line about a gay Aziraphale didn't make it into the script (though he does refer to himself as "the Southern pansy"). We got some excellent scenes to rile up the fandom with somewhat-romantic dialog and actions. Still, on the surface, the reaction could still easily be "Hey, that looks maybe-possibly kind of gay? If you look at it just right. Here's my 20-page essay explaining why they're gay." And at the end of the season, Aziraphale and Crowley simply dine at the Ritz. Nothing explicitly gay there, unless you dig for it.

And then Season 2 said, "Hold my beer." And we got a full season of slow-burn romance at the forefront. The business with Gabriel was a ruse; the whole thing was about Aziracrow and their relationship from start to finish. We started out with the expected subtext, suggestive dialog, surreptitious glances. I remember thinking, "this is nice; I'm glad we're getting more time to just enjoy these two on the screen together." And then it kept building, and building, and building.

And finally, Episode 6 gave us "YES, HOMO." And after a lifetime of never seeing one of my ships amount to anything on screen, there it was, in all its devastating glory. They went there. That's what felt like the moon landing to me. It's something that seemed so far off to be impossible until it wasn't.

#good omens #slash #no homo #yes homo #yes really Hotspur is gay and I will die on this Shakespearean field of battle with him.

[the-raging-tempest]

TV Tropes Page for Zrise

I may update this in the future. Just a general content warning because it touches on some potentially triggering topics below.

Fake Tv Tropes for Lariel

Abusive Parents: As a child he was corporally punished by his step-father until he got big enough to fight back. Treated not as a child but as a weapon.

All for Nothing: As he looks back and sees the ashes in his wake he realizes too late that what he burned along the way was what he really needed. 

All of the Other Reindeer: His family treats him like an outsider. Then when Zrise gets exposed to the outside world most people treat him as strange and scary. He resents this. Never welcome where he is. As a noble he’s a bastard. As an inquisitor he’s a noble. Even when people treat him with kindness it’s because they want to use him.

Always Second Best/Can't Catch Up: No matter how hard he tries his sister is better at almost everything. 

Ambition is Evil: One of the driving forces behind his actions. He wants to become so powerful that no one can hurt him. 

Anguished Declarations of Love: The only way he ever admits any romantic feelings. 

Bastard Understudy: Each mentor who attempts to take him under their wing. He eventually turns on them. 

Being Evil Sucks: After the temporary highs of revenge, power, and hedonism fade. All he is left with is the truth that he doesn’t even know how to be happy anymore. There's always someone looking for justice and vengeance. He will always be fighting to stay alive.

Beneath the Mask: Having to be many things to many people on many occasions. And often failing to live up to the expectations the Mask set. Zrise is afraid to look Beneath the Mask because he believes he will hate whoever is underneath. That whoever is underneath is truly worthless. He can slip into Becoming the Mask. Where he loses himself and it’s too late to turn back.

Birthday Hater: Each birthday he sees as a day closer to death. Despite his sister’s request to spend the day together, he always flakes. Caught up in thinking about how he’s wasted his life. He avoids it, gets drunk, and picks a fight.

Blessed with Suck: He worships his Goddess so that he wouldn’t have to die and slow agonizing death. To get his medicine. His gift is an almost normal life, the only problem is the price he's always paying is doing their dirty work.

Blood Knight: He loves to fight. At times he says it’s his life's purpose. It’s the only time he feels competent. Battle is where he feels he has purpose.

Cruel to Be Kind: Zrise often pushes people away because he believes himself to be dangerous. He knows what he’d do to his enemies and those they love. He knows what he himself has done to the ones he loves. He doesn’t want it to happen again. Though he never goes about explaining it this way. He often pushes people away in moments when he does not trust himself. 

Dark and Troubled Past: Zrise was killed as a child. Drown intentionally by his mother. Only for her to realize she’d have to suffer consequences after his sister ran off. He was then resurrected through a necromantic ritual. Though the ritual was not complete as it required his mother’s heart as sacrifice. A price she wasn’t willing to pay. Through his childhood he was constantly sick and weak due to the ritual being incomplete. Leaving his body wanting to decay and corrupt. He required blood transfusions to retain his personhood and not become a shambling corpse. Though the curse still makes its way through his body and soul. He was fully aware when his soul was ripped away before his untainted self could be judged. Warned that the punishment for trying to cheat death was far worse than death itself. Zrise tells himself that this experience was a bad dream. Though the memories of that day still recur in his sleep. Not allowing him to rest. He blames the Gods who wish to punish him, rather than his mother for his murder.

Defiant to the End: He’ll always die kicking and screaming. Spitting in his enemies face. He never begs for his life.

Despair Event Horizon: Depending on his life path different events can trigger this. Usually though it is he loses his connection to both his sister and mother. 

Divine Punishment: Zrise can turn from his Goddess should he choose. But then he must face the consequences of becoming like the very heretics he hunted.

Doom Magnet: The ones who he actually cares about suffer the longer they are around him due to the consequences of his actions and his inability to face them. 

Even Evil Has Loved One’s / Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Zrise has a deep soft spot for both his sister and his mother. Both are tied in deeply with the trauma of his death. His mother for his murder, and his sister for leaving him behind. His craving for love from his mother drives him to act out, longing for her attention. The comfort of his sister's love often causes him to selfishly drive others away from her. His loyalty to one or the other can greatly influence his fate.

Face-Heel Turn: Can be in relation to his sister, mother, and the Knight Commander. Applies to Oria and Relik.

Fate Worse Than Death: His soul is tainted from the necromancy performed on him as a child. Taken before his soul could be judged untainted. He deeply fears what awaits him in the afterlife. 

Handsome Lech: Faithful worshipper of the Goddess of Lust. Known as a rake and a scoundrel in high society. He is known to pursue sex with anyone who can tolerate him with something to offer. When people can look past his undead nature he is attractive enough to get people’s attention, but they don't stick around for long. His personality and behavior drives others away from him. This is often intentional and self destructive on his end. 

Heel-Face Turn: To the Knight Commander on certain paths. Going from wishing to betray his sister to choosing a slow death to protect the ones he loves. Trying to be worthy of love.

How The Mighty Have Fallen: At his highs he is protected by some of the most wealthy and powerful. It all comes crashing down and he’s left with nothing, not even his grandfather’s name. And all his former allies are out to kill him. 

Identity Breakdown: Can either make or break Zrise. At his lowest he realizes how long he’s been a shell of himself. 

Kick the Dog: He has many moments that could be considered kicking the dog. Cruel to both animals and children when they bother him. Don’t ask him for charity. His version of mercy is a swift death. He is also often cruel to his sister. 

Love Makes You Crazy: How this manifests greatly depends on the object of his affection. Though he will do increasingly bizarre and desperate things for their attention, affection, and loyalty. Can include; Attempting to scare, fight, or kill any rival. Murder on their behalf. Changing the way he dresses and speaks. ‘Accidently’ bumping into them. Full blown denial that they aren’t interested in him. Being violent at perceived rejection. ‘Tests’ of their loyalty. Pursuing someone else in hopes they become jealous. Looking through their personal belongings. Etc. 

Love Makes You Evil: In the past Zrise killed his former rival and lover. Happens in certain paths if enabled by the Knight Commander.

Love Redeems: If the Knight Commander and Lariel can get through to him.

My God, What Have I Done?: Often Zrise realizes much too late that his plans will require a sacrifice he was never ready to make. Only now if he fails to follow through he might just end up losing it all anyway because it’s already been set in motion. 

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Even when Zrise does try to finally atone and ‘make up’ for what he’s done, it’s too little too late. The enemies he’s made along the way are not satisfied until all the suffering he has brought is paid back in full. Leaving those he loves in the crossfire.

Pater Familicide: One of the worst outcomes for him. When he doesn’t see a way out and he can’t bear to let his family see who he's become. 

Professional Killer: Torturing and killing enemies of the faith is his job. He gets very defensive when people criticize this. 

Sadist: Zrise has found a way to enjoy his work. That is to enjoy suffering. Both of others and his own. 

Sanity Slippage: Guilt, fear, and forces greater than himself, make him start to slide further and further away from sanity. 

The Berserker: Charges into battle like he has nothing to lose. Sometimes it's arrogance that the divine will protect him. Sometimes it’s full blown rage. Sometimes it’s a deep desire to hurt himself. Either way he doesn’t back down.

The Caligula: In some timelines; After murdering all the family above him he rules over all of what the Ellvesem family held. With one surviving family member he believes he can control. Abusing and using his family’s former allies.

The Hedonist: He often looks for a quick fix for his mood. Sex, drugs, etc. Sex is often his go to. Though in certain circumstances he can also indulge in his bloodlust. He's bad at thinking of the long term and looks for what is quick, easy, and pleasurable. (Even if that’s self flagellation)

The Starscream: In trying to befriend those more evil and powerful than himself he ends up envying and resenting them so much he plans to kill them and take their place.

Tragic Villain: It’s hard to say what path his life would have taken if his mother had not done what she did. If he didn't feel he needed to do whatever it took to survive.

Troubled Abuser: As much a victim and a perpetrator in the cycle of violence. Often accepting abusive and awful behavior because of how he was treated. Believing he must dish it out so he doesn’t have to be at its mercy. 

Unwitting Pawn: Often he falls right into the traps his mentors set for him, even when he tries to defy them. 

Undead Always Ends: Usually Zrise does not survive succumbing to the curse or worse.

Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Lariel often tells stories of a younger less jaded Zrise. One who carefully tended to plants in the family’s greenhouse. Who wanted to be a knight in shining armor. Who played tricks and pranks. A boy who tried to befriend everyone he ran into. Her brother who would look at the stars with her and talk about the adventures they would go on when they grew up. 

What Have I Become?: After he was brought back to life Zrise found his own body, a stranger. Fangs, cold gray skin, dark hair and nails. He has believed himself a monster since that day. 

What You Are In The Dark: Usually these moments show a character's true nature when no one is looking. Villain or hero. In the few moments he believes not even his God is watching, Zrise’s rage masks a deep fear and self hatred. A fear of death and the afterlife. A desperate fight against despair at his fate. Sometimes he doesn't even know deep down why he does what he does anymore. (Identity Breakdown) Often motivated by love and a want of approval from his mother. Who will never love him.

Your Approval Fills Me With Shame: Certain mentors' approval fills him with a deep sense of shame once he starts to try to pull himself together. Often paired with trying to do the right thing and failing miserably.

#oc: zrise #zrise lore #fake tv tropes #yes I'm still feeling bad #but hey I am doing some writing #I’m so brain dead #but I have started the anime #fena: pirate princess because of course I have #saving lairel for last #hers is taking the longest #about Zrise

[fitzrove]

Passing this on :p

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love! 💞

Ahhhhh thank you so much!!!!!! This is so nice of you to send >:] tysm <3

I'm going to recommend both Elisabeth and Endeavour fics because I've spent a lot of time writing for both!! So let's get to it, in no order of preference:

Feel The Night - Endeavour (TV) - rated T, Morse x Jakes, vampire AU, Victorian setting, mystery/romance, ballroom dancing, neck biting, strangers to lovers, 5 chapters / 23.5k

This is secretly a TdV / Endeavour fusion (from before my full-blown euromusical era hehehehehe). I think it's some of the best work on setting and mood that I've done - like I did a bunch of research and actually put that to the page ajdjjjg. Really proud of it even 3 years down the line!!

Flights of Angels - Elisabeth - rated M (references sex), Rudolf x Tod, post-canon, angst with a happy ending, character growth, historical references and commentary, 12 chapters / 20k

My todolf divorce fanfic xD Exploring the deep implications of the common trope of human-to-Todesengel; Tod backstory and worldbuilding, esp referencing the human-metaphor dichotomy inherent in Máté's portrayal; character growth and character development for Rudolf. Yeah I wax poetic but this is actually mostly an exploration of how Máté!Tod and Lukas!Rudolf (because they are very specific portrayals!!!!) could make a long-term relationship work. There are Implications to it. Also, Mizzi Kaspar appears!!!

Vögelein - Elisabeth - rated M (but one chapter might as well be E), Rudolf x Tod, lesbian todolf, 5+1, historical commentary and references, 6 chapters / 7.2k

Lesbian todolf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's literally just "what if Rudolf was born a girl" (and Stéphanie a boy) and goes from there - ie. we end up in the Belgian court which comes with extremely unfortunate implications in the late 19th century. Also Tod is a woman (hehe lyrics reference) because I don't stand for heterosexuality sorry AHSHFHGH. Rudolf also keeps all his (= her) unsavoury historical womanizing because it's so integral to the character, in my opinion. I'm really proud of this >:]

Soft Like Summer Rain - Endeavour - rated M (but one chapter might as well be E), Morse x Jakes / Jakes x Hope / Morse x Jakes x Hope, mutual pining, 21 chapters / 51.6k

My longest fic to date!! I wrote it when I was 18 fun fact: largely in class too xD so some parts I can't bear to reread because I'm afraid I'll find lots of melodrama ahdjg, but it's one of a kind and I'm so proud of what it represents!! Plot: what if Morse visited Jakes over the summer after S3 and things kinda went from there. I can't believe Jakes asking him to come to the US with him actually became canon in S9, 4 years after this fic was published,, half-convinced Russ Lewis reads my fanfic...

Midnight Man - Elisabeth - rated E, Rudolf x Tod, modern AU, yeah um it's a one-shot that's rated E and only 2k words long you can do the math about what happens in it...

My first todolf fanfic xD Lawyer Rudolf. There's an entire unpublished modern AU universe based on this but it's more fun to think about than it necessarily is to write out, especially since the fun parts are just Tod forcibly inserting himself into Rudolf's life as common-law boyfriend/roommate (depression metaphor!!1) and getting up to shenanigans. I don't really have interesting things to say re: it being a modern AU, which makes it harder to write. I've worked on a ballet AU behind the scenes for like 2 years adjhfjjg which is a modern AU that takes the metaphors a lot further... but I haven't managed to write it because I'm not entirely sure how I'll approach it, especially the Tod characterisation in that. But I've done so much research that hopefully I will write something in that universe eventually...

Thank you again for sending this, it was so much fun to look back on what I've written!! >:]

#writing #fanfiction #my writing #musicals #theatre #not putting this in the main tags ajdjf #oh i recently changed my ao3 username to avoid Too Much Congruence between suspicious stuff and serious stuff (ie. smutfic and video essay) #but it's still the same person xD