#at least the canon is so muddled that it can be whatever I want | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

toniyx · 1 month

Text

okay I said I wouldn't elaborate on the Alastor thing but I totally will because it would be silly of me

okay so, characters' personalities are not at all influenced by their sexual or romantic orientation, right???

WRONG!!!

sexuality does NOT exist in a vacuum. sexuality DOES influence someone's life, even to a small degree!!!

for example, Valentino being pan kind of helps establish that he's into just about everything. (on that note, sorry pan people). But he also is open to marketing everyone, because he's attracted to everyone, hence why he's the head honcho when it comes to porn in Hell.

But into a bigger and better example. Take Adam. Him being the straightest motherfucker possible is literally a hallmark of his personality. He's the kind of guy to go "straight pride matters" and call himself super straight and say "god hates gays" and shit like that. He is that prideful. He could not be queer, it would literally topple massive parts of his character. He wouldn't hit as hard as a villain- and likewise, with Valentino, it wouldn't hit as hard if he was just your stereotypical cishet pimp. Hazbin knocks out two birds with one stone - queer people can be abusers, and they can also be abused (see: Angel Dust).

So why am I going on about all this? Because Alastor's sexuality doesn't exist in a vacuum; it influences his character in many different ways. To keep his character as it is, he HAS to be aroace. He is driven by bloodlust and thirst for power and that's it. There are certain exceptions he will not make—one of them being disrespecting his own boundaries when it comes to intimacy. If Alastor were distracted by things like that, his character would feel so much more muddled down, and he wouldn't have the proper time to chase his goals.

He views sexuality as a sin—in the sense that, to him, it's a vice that he can exploit. He will never jeopardize his own mind or body, but he's more than happy to own your soul and force you to do boring, gruelling, often menial work. And on top of this, his sexuality & orientation feed into his dynamics with other characters—for example, he doesn't get along well with Angel Dust due to his absurdly promiscuous nature. He doesn't get along with Vox because Vox is pining for him more than the common schoolgirl. And this also helps establish a lot of Vox's motivations in the story; he hates Alastor because Alastor rejected him, and he plans to spite him every step of the way.

So by taking away his aroasexuality, you're frankly kind of gutting him. He wouldn't be the same character he is if he wasn't aroace. So hey—while I'm all up for people writing/reading/drawing whatever they want—keep that off this blog. Send that in my inbox and you're getting either publicly humiliated or ignored. I don't want your sexual/romantic (platonic is fine) thoughts on him, nor do I want requests.

Not only am I trying to be at least somewhat accurate to canon, but I also just couldn't write/look at that stuff myself without feeling disgusted. Characters' canon sexualities will be respected on this blog, end of story. I'll be somewhat flexible on certain characters (Pentious, Adam, Cherri, etc.) but others (Alastor, Charlie, Vaggie) I'll be more firm on.

#hazbin hotel #alastor #adam #valentino #rant #mostly sfw

16 notes · View notes

overobsessedfanboy23 · 1 year

Text

Yugioh dubs ranked from most tolerable to most deserving of a punch in the face

(No Sevens cuz the dub isn’t finished)

Best: 5Ds

Yes, it’s incomplete. Yes, the censorship is absurdly bad and confusing. Yes, it’s stupid as shit sometimes. But you know what? The dub is the only way I will willingly watch 90% of 5Ds because the sub is so terribly boring and lifeless. The dub actors and script breathed life into the characters, giving them and the series a personality and making the story instantly more compelling than it was in sub.

2nd most tolerable: Arc V

Not my favourite series and I generally prefer the sub voices but it’s this high up for one simple reason: there are no major story changes. At all. The most major issue I noticed when watching this dub was a poor interpretation of a previously impactful scene. So overall, a solid dub.

3rd most tolerable: Zexal

Honestly? For the first two thirds, this is a very faithful and highly enjoyable dub with some good voice acting and an enjoyable sense of humour that didn’t clash with the tone of the show, since Zexal was goofy even in sub. There were definitely problems, and some stupid edits/censorships but apart from cutting Alito’s implied bi-ness, none of the censorship made me upset... until we got the barian backstories, which are so beyond butchered it muddles the story, weakens most of and even downright ruins one of the Barians’ characters, and are a worse dumber story overall. Apart from that though, I do admittedly enjoy this dub. Maybe it’s just my enjoyment of Zexal, and the fact that unlike my other two favourites, its dub actually gave a shit but I did enjoy watching this dub.

Mid: Duel Monsters

I’m torn. Because on the one hand, this is the show that introduced me to the concept that dubs could be lying censoring americanising pieces of shit that actively tarnish the show they’re adapting. But at the same time... there are things about the dub I genuinely prefer. The plotpoint that got me attached to Yugioh (Yugi not being able to trust Atem after his attempted murder on Kaiba) was dub exclusive. For every shitty terribly adapted scene this show has, it does one other thing right. So... I’m a little undecided. I don’t really want to go back and fully watch this show in sub, and I’m glad I saw it in dub as that allowed me to get sucked into it naturally, but at the same... some of those dub scenes are genuinely hard to watch. So overall, don’t hate this dub, but it’s not good.

Now, for the two dubs I do hate:

2nd most deserving of a punch in the face: VRAINS

*deep breath* Compliments first. 1) Ai and Spectre’s dub voices are legendary, and while I prefer the sub voices, the other voice actors generally do a good job. 2) The running joke about hot dogs is legitimately funny, I kept it going in my post VRAINS fic that otherwise follows sub continuity because I loved it that much. NEARLY EVERY OTHER ATTEMPT AT HUMOUR IN THIS JOKE OF A DUB FUCKING SUCKS. Most of it it shitty cringe inducing Internet references or stupid quips right of a shitty MCU movie, the kind from late phase three and all of phase four that kill whatever semblance of tension or atmosphere there was every five seconds for an attempt at comedy. And don’t even get me started on the final duel. Playmaker insulting a dying man he spent the entire show with isn’t funny, it’s fucking twisted and disgusting. And the gay erasure is actually blatant here. The dub actively created romantic hints between Yusaku and Aoi and actively took those hints that away from Yusaku and Ai, WHO HAD A CANON AT THE VERY LEAST ONE SIDED LOVE CONFESSION AT THE END OF THE SERIES THAT THE DUB ALSO CENSORED. This isn’t me overanalysing or pushing a ship, Ai having romantic feelings for Yusaku was very intentional in the narrative of the sub and the dub censoring that is something I can only see as malicious and disgusting.

Most deserving of a punch in the face: GX

Take everything I said about the VRAINS dub only subtract the good voice acting. The GX dub voice actors honestly sound bored. I don’t blame anyone who couldn’t get into this show through the dub because how can anyone be invested in the characters and their plights if the characters aren’t even invested? Or are constantly and very distractingly breaking the fourth wall, completely ruining the grounded down to earth feel of the original. The name changes? The worst of any series. Manjome is turned into a complete joke despite being well rounded character, Rei’s name change completely ruins her introduction episode by making the twist way too obvious to at least american audiences (which the dub was made with in mind), and the others are the most americanized schlock I’ve seen in my life. The third season, the best season in sub? The dub doesn’t resemble it in the slightest. It can’t take jackshit seriously. It can’t treat its characters, who were compelling in the sub, as anything more than stupid jokes, and the same goes for the narrative as a whole. Yubel went from a complex terrifying antagonist so twisted and traumatised the only way they knew how to show love was through torment to a whiny little baby with the more ear-piercing obnoxious voice in any of these dubs. Yes, that includes Z-Arc. Not to mention “censoring” their body to make them fully female because god forbid children be forced to witness a gender ambiguous person. And god forbid they see a romance involving that gender ambiguous person. How filthy and wrong to exist and not fit into the gender binary. Great fucking job 4Kids. Oh, and great job making an entire generation of kids think the loveable happy go lucky protagonist (who never developed past that baseline personality in your shitty ass dub because character depth, what’s that?!) of your shitty ass dub died in the end because he inexplicably wanted to save the villain who’d been torturing him for an entire season. GREAT FUCKING WORK.

28 notes · View notes

whispers-in-daydreams · 2 years

Text

TEN Q’s

1. When are you usually online?

Mostly weekends. I’m too braindead after work to try to put out anything worthwhile. I’ll lurk here and there during the week. But I’m mainly most active during the weekends.

2. What verses are you involved in?

none. All of my OC’s are in their own verse. I’ve never had good luck with interacting with ready made fandoms. Not for lack of trying. Just....I suppose I wasn’t what they were looking for.

What is your biggest RP pet peeve?

Not giving me anything to go off of. Be it a one liner , ( I really can’t do those), or multiple paragraphs. If I finish reading it and have no idea what even just happened or have no feel for the other muse, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do and be genuine in my response. And it makes it hard to want to continue. Lack of communication. It just causes all kinds of problems and assumptions and hurt feelings.

4. Are you drawn to specific types of muses?

It depends on which of my muses I’m using. Some of them are drawn to light, easy going muses. Others are drawn to those who need to be saved. From whatever; themselves, a situation, life. While others yet...are drawn to all the wrong things. The dark. The mysterious. The dangerous. They crave to know what lies in the shadows, regardless of how terrifying the outcome could be. Curiosity, is their greatest downfall.

5. Are there reoccurring themes in your writing that people might not notice?

Mmmm......I suppose my reoccurring theme would be immersion. I like to create stories and worlds where you forget it’s not real. Where you feel like you’re the one in whatever scenario is happening. You can taste the bitter and sweet in the chai iced latte. You can feel the crunch of dead leaves beneath your boots. Feel the sharp prick of a paper cut and the warmth of the blood as it seeps onto your finger. Writing is all about escape right? I want to create that escape.

6. What are your favourite RP trends?

I don’t keep up with them enough to even know what the current trend is.

7. What is your process for starting a new story with someone? I totallllly suck at plotting. Yeah I can come up with ideas. But for me, if we talk about it, I already know what’s going to happen. There’s no mystery. No intrigue. I already know what’s coming. And that kills any interest for me. I’m a ‘wing it’ style writer. I like to just throw out a starter or ask that could create something. Roll off of whatever reply I get. I tend to reply in the moments right after reading the reply I received. it’s freshest in my mind, so that whatever my muse says or does after is natural and not rehearsed. If I try to reply to something over a span of time, the original idea gets muddled. I have to read and reread the reply , losing important details because the effect of the first read has passed.

8. How do you feel about duplicates?

Seeing as all my muses are OC’s, I’ll shank someone who tries to duplicate my kids.

9. How long have you been involved in roleplaying?

Geeeeez. Like I can remember that far back lol. I remember back when there was yahoo chat groups. I’d write on there. An OC of course, because I knew I couldn’t bring a Canon the justice their original creator gave them. I suppose....since I was 15? I think that’s when I realized there were other people I could write with and didn’t laugh at me for some of the wild ideas I came up with.

10. Is there a muse or verse you could write in, but haven’t?

Muse- no . I’m completely a-ok with not writing any canon muses. I wouldn’t be able to stay true to who they were supposed to be. My imagination would change them too much.

Verse: ....I don’t really have a specific verse I just haaaave to interact with. Though the darker the verse the more interest I have in it. I suppose I’ve just had too much fluff 100% of the time. I need nitty gritty. ugly. No holds barred. There’s not a lot like that out there. At least...I haven’t been able to find them.

tagged by- @s-talking , @chronicparagon

tagging: anyone who wants to do this.

#about the mun #writing styles #things I do

2 notes · View notes

brodependent · 3 years

Text

Sam loves Dean as much as Dean loves Sam: a meta

Much as I love reading good meta, I don’t often write meta. Thus please accept my apologies if this is mediocre, and let me start with a simple topic sentence:

Sam loves Dean as much as Dean loves Sam.

A little longer, now: Sam is even better at loving Dean than Dean is at loving Sam because of Dean’s profound and abiding love for Sam.

Confusing, right? But not really.

We all know how Dean lives and breathes SammySammySammywatchoutforSammy. It’s his defining mission, his ultimate purpose, or, as a therapist might say, his “core belief.” But sometimes I think that we allow adult!Dean too little autonomy. We assume that he can’t help himself: he’s locked into this single-minded focus, on loving and protecting the only family he has left.

That sells Dean short. (Hang in there, I promise I’ll get to Sam in a moment.)

Even people who have been forced into a certain way of life have choices. Even people who have been told who they are all their life have choices. Dean tells us, in Season 14, I’m good with who I am--and I, for one, believe him. Whether we follow canon all the way to 15x17, when Dean is finally brought back from the edge of his desire for revenge against Chuck by his love for Sam (the only thing that’s “real”), or whether we keep to season 1 when Dean said--that’s all we have...that’s all I have... and I want us to be a family again and as long as I’m around, nothing bad is gonna happen to you--Dean has always accepted his role as Sam’s big brother. Dean’s life is unabashedly Sam-centric. He’d change a lot of things, but in the end he’d change nothing, because he wouldn’t change that.

Some fans get very het up about the codependent aspect of this. Others (in my opinion, rightly) defend it. There’s scads of meta on why the Winchester dynamic IS necessary for their mythic role in the narrative, and their human role in the narrative (more importantly), so I won’t write that meta now. All I’m saying is what I think you already know: Dean lives for Sam, his baby brother, and despite the grief, the growing pains, the occasional cruelty of desperate love, Dean said it all when he told Sam (and us), Don’t you ever think that there is anything, past or present that I would put in front of you.

So where does that leave Sam, and his love for Dean? Let’s start with that line I just quoted. Building on the above, Dean’s goal in life is to give Sam a life. He wants Sam to be happy. He wants him to be free. He also wants to keep him by his side forever, to control him for safety and comfort’s sake, and sometimes those instincts of a frightened-child-turned-traumatized-man win out. Dean isn’t perfect. Dean’s full of contradictions. But time and again he goes back to stone number one: what he can do for Sam. What he can offer Sam, by being the grunt, by standing in harm’s way.

When we begin the story, Sam has succeeded in the path Dean helped carve for him. I’m not taking all the credit from Sam here, and giving it Dean: merely pointing out that Dean stepped into traditional parental roles and helped send Sam into adulthood, even though that meant Sam leaving him. We know that the night Sam left for Stanford was one of the worst of Dean’s life, but even in mid-season 1, Dean tells Sam he’s proud of him. You always know what you want. You stand up to Dad. Hell, sometimes I wish I--

(this, of course, is beautifully echoed in the series finale itself)

Dean is telling Sam what so many parents tell their children: you have gone places I never could, accomplished goals I never could, grown in grace and understanding like I never could. At least, I like to think that’s what the best parents tell their children.

To Dean, Sam is always the one with more hope. More wholeness. More options. To Sam, Dean is stone number one.

You asked how Sam loves Dean, and my answer is: just look. Look at how Sam goes out into the world young, stands up to their father, makes his own decisions, fights back against Dean’s own nihilistic narrative through their primary losses and setbacks. Dean gave Sam the safety to build a better worldview than Dean himself has, and Sam turns that right back around and tries to give it to Dean.

What do you think my job is? You’re my big brother--there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.

I can’t lose you.

You’re not a grunt, Dean, you’re a genius.

This is my life. I love it. But I can’t do it without my brother. I don’t want to do it without my brother.

I am going to save my brother. And then I’m going to kill you dead.

If you ever need to talk about anything with anybody, you got somebody right here next to you.

I believe in us.

This is just a small collection of Sam quotes showing his love for Dean. A small collection showing the persistent theme of Sam’s persistence. He knows that pushing chick-flick moments and emotional conversations can get jokes for a dime a dozen, and even the occasional punch thrown his way. He keeps at it anyway. When Sam knows Dean’s hurting, he wants to help. He’d do anything to help. He won’t sit around and see his brother turn into an embittered killer (season 2), go to hell for saving his life (season 3), take on the Trials (season 8), be irrevocably corrupted by the Mark of Cain (seasons 9-10), let him despair (seasons 11 and 13), let him sacrifice himself to an archangel’s grave (season 14), or let him lose his goodness to the whims of a vicious god (season 15). Sam fights for Dean with full use of his considerable gifts--intelligence, rationality, resourcefulness, and yes, the occasional blind rage. Sam looks to Dean, first as a leader, then as a judge, and finally as an equal. Sam has been looking up to Dean since he was four, yes, but over the course of the show he comes to look at Dean. With love, peace, understanding, humor, pain...whatever their inimitable connection requires.

The quotes I noted above also reveal Sam’s own conflicts rear up. Sam and Dean (again, in my opinion) are equally developed characters. Both have flaws and inconsistencies. Both have struggles inherent to their personalities and upbringings, distinct from those imposed on them by supernatural forces.

Sam had a glimpse of a different life, once. He had the smarts, he had the drive, he had the sheer stubbornness to live a different life than John or Azazel or hell, even Lucifer had planned for him. But also in Sam--innate in Sam--is his core of goodness and compassion and the principle of doing right, which leads him back into the life and to soul-crushing sacrifice again and again.

Sam breaks and is broken. Sam suffers and ages and spends more time in hell than even Dean, who went to protect him.

But what keeps Sam going? Dean. Dean can’t live without Sam. We know that. The flip side is that Sam doesn’t want to live without Dean. Importantly, I think, he has more choice in the matter. Dean focused his whole childhood identity on giving Sam a life that meant he had choices, even if Dean didn’t know he was doing that. Sam can move through more crowds, more roles, more relationships. He has a better education, he has a more powerful ability to intellectually reason and detach. He would have made a great lawyer. Yet he casts all this aside out of sheer willpower, choosing instead to love Dean and live with Dean through the chaos of their lives, and to go near mad when Dean is gone. Consider Sam in season 4, Sam in season 10...Sam in season 8 trying to atone for the very choice that Dean (the best part of Dean) wanted him to make, even if the real muddle of Dean’s psyche couldn’t forgive him, for a time, for making it.

All of this leads us to the finale.

You said you wish Sam had said I love you back to Dean in the finale. I argue that he did. He made his love perfectly clear to Dean in that moment by holding his hand, by looking in his eyes. He said, you can go now, when all he wanted was for Dean to stay.

The best part of Dean wanted Sam to have happiness and freedom. At the end of his life, Dean was finally able to communicate that without fear or reservation.

But the bittersweet brilliance of that moment is that Sam--the Stanford boy who went to hell and back, who saved the world, brought down one god and raised another--no longer wanted any kind of happiness or freedom that didn’t include the one person who’d been by his side all along. Dean was giving his blessing for a path that didn’t beckon Sam anymore. And yet: Sam said yes to it out of the love for Dean. Sam went out of that barn, out of the bunker, out of that day and that year and that decade and into the next and the next, out of love for Dean. Sam loved Dean by living. He loved Dean by raising another Winchester. He loved Dean by holding all their contradictions, flaws, and heroisms in his heart (in their car), until he’d done what he set out to do many times over.

Then he met Dean on a mended bridge, dressed in old clothes that said: I was happiest at the beginning. I was happiest when we could be brothers again. I took my time getting here anyway, because I know that was what you wanted. I took my time so that we could be happiest now.

If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.

#my meta #meta #spn meta #the epic love story of sam and dean #sam winchester #dean winchester #spn positive #spn #supernatural #carry on #spn finale #sam loves dean as much as dean love sam #winchesters #sam n dean #sam and dean

576 notes · View notes

nerdsideofthemedia · 3 years

Note

I've come to terms with bb but I still want to know when it was decided to be endgame. I don't buy the "planned from the start" thing since everything in show points to the exact opposite. Maybe the volume commentary after the fact will finally put the matter to rest...or muddle things up further lol. given the likely possibility of them lying ) if it was planned from the start there should have been hints from the start they shouldnt have began hinting at bb halfway into the series ( and attempting to use bb being a same sex ship as a shield and claiming anyone who didnt see evidence just didnt see it because it was a w/w ship makes me roll my eyes "I recognize that BB is likely to become a canon ship. But given that it's a stupid-ass canon ship, I've elected to ignore it."

Have you ever gotten around to reading from start to finish the one giant post dedicated to you that goes into length about your harassment and it is now linked to in all my rwby post in the wordpress blogs, @megashadowdragon (yes, I am almost certain that is your actual real account even if my evidence is circumstancial)? Should I put a link to your tumblr profile too?

You've claimed to be in your late 20s, how the fuck can you be that old and still think it's acceptable to harass someone over a ship? and for months, no less. The only time you left me alone is when I had cut all means to do so. I shouldn’t have to do that. Have you been checking on my account every week for the last month to see when you could strike again? Get the fuck over it. BS sunk for good in early V6 (yes, the Renora/BB parallels are very clearly intentional and no, they didn’t change their minds mid-volume – that would have been likely impossible). V9 is starting in a couple of months.

If the writers told you every single hint they had to reveal BB, you would not believe them, so don’t bother feigning curiosity and pretending you’re open-minded. A person who thinks Adam attacked Yang and associated the word love without any planning on the writers' part is someone who could not care less about what the writers were trying to convey. A person who sees Yang getting associated with the ex and Sun getting associated with the unrequited love doesn’t think it says anything about story is naïve at best. And a person who keeps sending me to a goddamn post (that I’ve even quoted verbatim in one of my posts) that says “Like seriously if I was writing two characters that were only meant to be platonic, I would never write a scene like that. The implication of those words are too strong.” but tries to pretend this only applies to Renora and not BB is a deeply homophobic one. I have yet to understand how the hell you fail to see that that post makes actually a massive amazing argument for BB being planned from very early on.

Nothing can be applied to Renora without applying to BB too.

It wasn’t just the Renora scenes that were written by writers, the BB scenes also were, including the flirting and wink, the ship named Pride, the ex attacking and using the word love, yet classmate for Sun, Yang paralleling Pyrrha when they both helped the object of their affection in the dance arc, the Arkos/BB parallels in V3, etc. The writers decide everything. If they wanted Sun to fight the ex and not be associated with unrequited love, that would have happened. Don’t bother pointing Adam didn’t fight Sun when they were alone, that’s why he used the word classmate because the fight could have happened any way the writers wanted it to happen. If they wanted those 2 to fight (or with Blake) and use the word love, they would have.

The writers decide everything. If they wanted to associate Sun with the ex instead of the unrequited love or if they wanted to associate him with the word love instead of classmate, they would have.

Instead of writing a post responding to all your nonsense for the 124539th time,

let’s decide what to do with you.

I’m guessing reporting you to tumblr is worthless because you harassed me using several accounts that no longer exist (mysteriouslypaleenthusiast, reallydelicateturtle, red2sposts, ravenstarsblog, violetcloudsworld, pleasantbarbarianfire, makofan and now lightningemperorsworld). Let’s not forget the multiple anons and the [email protected] and the [email protected]. Still, reporting to tumblr and see if they have ways to check it’s you and see what they can do about it, not off the table.

Here’s my suggestion: you stop harassing the BB community (the entire community, not just me) and I let bygones be bygones.

Or maybe, I inform your community (yes, I have also saved the usernames of the people you are constantly asking to bring down our posts because you can’t do it yourself – to be fair, neither can they) and let them know what you’ve been up to and how you’ve been using them to harass us. Unless of course, they already know, but they’re garbage so they don’t care. I may be willing to take a shot and find out.

Oh, and you can stop with the nonsense of being offended because I called you out on your homophobia. You don’t want to be called out on it, then stop being homophobic. For starters, stop harassing real LGBTQ+ people because your fictional straight ship didn’t become canon.

If most saw it coming and you didn’t, then the writers didn’t fail, you did. Also, the hints didn’t begin mid-series, they have been there since the red fucking trailer. By the end of V3, a good chunk of the audience had called it. By the end of V6, almost no one thought BB wasn’t going to be endgame.

You are one of the few exceptions. If that doesn’t scream volumes to you about your lack of understanding of storytelling/how much you live in denial, then nothing will. Live in “I’m right and everyone else is wrong” for as long as you want, but don’t ever bother me or anyone else ever again.

For the sake of honesty, I will say that I do not know if @megashadowdragon is the one behind the harassment of several BBers. I know with almost certainty they are behind mine, but I cannot be sure they have other victims since the patterns aren’t the same (at least, not the victims I know of). This been said, add them to the list of suspects.

I suppose I thank you for not being a complete asshole to me for the last 2,5 years, when I actually wrote the post that has you screeching for months. And now I say fuck you for being a complete asshole to me for the last 4 months because of a goddamn ship. Yet you have the fucking gall to pretend we are the toxic ones.

TLDR: act your age (which you claimed is late 20s), and stop harassing people over a ship. No one owes it to you to pretend they did not see BB coming just because you didn’t. No one gives a shit about what you ship. Ship whatever you want as much as you want. Want to have an entire tumblr page just for BS? Go right ahead. What you cannot do is force your garbage ship down someone else’s throat.

#bumbleby #bmblb #harassment #found the culprit #rwby #shipping discourse #yang x blake #blake x yang #lgbtq #stop living up to your initials bsers #lgbt in fiction #lgbt couples

141 notes · View notes

outrunningthedark · 3 years

Note

Hey!!!! I've been thinking this over for a while now, just a fearful doubt, but do you think maybe buck is so helpful with Chris precisely because it's not his responsibility? like, he's not actually expected to take care of him or be as helpful as he is, so any extra effort he makes is seen as something huge when it's not? and maybe if he was his actual parent and was obliged to do the things he already does by choice, he'd have a harder time with it? I don't know if this makes sense sorry

Based on the trajectory of Buck and Eddie's relationship in canon, I can say with confidence that the only ones who still believe Buck is "not actually expected to take care of [Christopher] or be as helpful as he is" are members of our fandom that do not appreciate when we refer to Buck as Christopher's "other dad"- those legal rights only matter if Eddie dies, don't forget! You could argue in that Buck felt a connection to Eddie and Christopher in season two because of his (lack of a) relationship with his own father. Eddie was (and is) the anti-Phillip Buckley. He never complains about Christopher being difficult, he doesn't think of him as a burden, and he has no qualms about showing love and affection. Buck saw this man who openly cherished his child and wanted to make things easier in whatever way he could. Good parenting should be rewarded, right? Having said that, Buck *made* Christopher his responsibility without being asked immediately after finding out he existed: - Researched the safety of LA schools during an earthquake WHILE IN THE FIRETRUCK just to ease Eddie's concerns. - Told Eddie when cell service was activated so Eddie could get in contact with Christopher's school - Was the one behind the wheel when Eddie and Christopher reunited - Accompanied Eddie to the hospital because there was a possibility Christopher was sick or hurt - Engaged in conversation with Pepa about how hard Eddie's worked to provide for Christopher ... and somehow ended up finding out what happened when Christopher was born... - Told Bobby Christopher was going to be at the 118 without Eddie's knowledge - Based on the conversation with Maddie, we know Buck and Eddie had at least one conversation about trying to navigate "giant bureaucracies" - Recruited Carla to assist Eddie in getting Christopher whatever he needed to make the move to LA easier Sure, none of that was expected from him, but there's "being nice" and there's going above and beyond because someone matters to you. Buck has always been the latter when it comes to Eddie and Christopher. I can see how Buck's importance/intentions got a bit muddled later in season two with the arrival of Shannon. But! THAT should tell you Eddie was already viewing Buck as a partner, not just a coworker or close friend. Shannon's back, and suddenly Eddie doesn't *need* Buck around as much. He's got his wife to help him out again. By season three, Shannon has passed away. Eddie wants Christopher to spend time with his Buck (*whispers* Eddie's Buck) while he's working. The Buckley-Diaz family is back where they belong - with each other. Post-tsunami, Eddie tells Buck, "I love [Christopher] enough to never stop trying. And I know you do, too." This is not the type of statement you make if you don't "expect" that person to care for your son like he was their own. Buck had "proven himself" to Eddie, proven just how serious he is about providing for Christopher and doing everything he can to keep him safe. Flash forward to the lawsuit arc, and... this is where the dichotomy between how Buck and Eddie view their partnership comes into play. Eddie is furious because Buck abandoned him to stick it to Bobby. Christopher is not coping well without him. Buck... didn't even consider that he would be missed. Christopher already has his father, what does he need Buck for? It wasn't until they reconciled that Buck FINALLY realized he has a place in the Diaz family. If Buck didn't feel responsible for two of the most important people in his life, he would not have said "You and Chris needed me...I should have been there." Skipping ahead to season four (because I've said enough, lbr) ... we need to remember that Buck confirming he wasn't ever leaving Christopher if he could help it, and taking care of Christopher while Eddie was in the hospital are things he did without knowing about the change in legal guardianship. When Eddie isn't available to give Christopher the time and attention he wants/requires, Buck will make damn sure HE is the one Christopher can count on. (Eddie agrees.)

#anonymous #tv: 911 #tv: 9-1-1 #christopher diaz #eddie diaz #evan buckley #buddie

100 notes · View notes

wishing-well-writing · 3 years

Text

!GEN STRAWBERRY CREPE COOKIE HCs!

Written by: 🦷

Fandom: Cookie Run series

Character(s): Strawberry Crepe Cookie, other darkness cookies (mentioned)

Warnings: Angst, mild gore (amputation), implied child abuse/labor/neglect

strawberry crepe having a prosthetic arms is a very good headcanon, but let’s talk about HOW they lost their arms :) (to preface this i also headcanon strawb crep using they/them pronouns)

since they canonically come from some cryo-pod, and i think crepes can get soggy pretty easily, some fucked up form of frostbite could’ve occured

whatever it was, it essentially left their arms useless/less developed

children often want validation, or well at least i’m projecting my consistent need of it, and strawberry crepe essentially being a young genius would expect some praise for their work

the only option was to get rid of the problem and design new arms that could be of use

dark choco was the one to do the deed of amputating crepe’s arms

why dark choco? no particular reason, though he seemed to be the least affected by doing this (which is incorrect, this man already has so much on his conscience)

it was worse when this whole child was literally begging him to hurry on with the job so that they could finally be of some use to dark enchantress, who they probably see as some savior or parental figure (the line between the two is a bit muddled)

it of course took a long time to heal, mentally and physically

licorice the babysitter was tasked to watch over them lol

whenever they did heal up fully, they now had to get on with actually DESIGNING and MAKING the new arms

and y’know, that’s pretty difficult as is without any /lh

unfortunately for the darkness gang, strawberry crepe (like a whole buncha these losers) is fueled by spite and the need to prove their own worth without anyone else’s help

and especially fueled by the need to prove that they can do something for dark enchantress

so that’s how they learned how to write with their mouth and feet LMAO

whenever they were left alone in the castle up in the sky (forgot the name FJSDBHJVAHD) that gave them a lot more time for themselves to actually work on their project

crepe isn’t sure how long it took, no one in the darkness gang really checked up on them (except for maybe licorice and red velvet... licorice because Official Babysitter status and i can totally see red velvet going ‘wonky arm(s) solidarity’)

sometimes dark enchantress showed up, but very rarely

VERY very rarely

whenever she did show up, crepe would try to show her all the progress on the arms (i.e. blueprints, prototypes, etc)

i’d imagine all they ever received was “So what you’re saying is you’re not finished?”

or something to that degree/variation

none praise left “oh, i’ll work harder! they’ll be done when you come back!”

despite being a literal CHILD they worked themselves to the bone (or whatever the cookie equivalent of bones are), definitely has chronic headaches/migraines because same

constantly stressed, destroyed a lot of prototypes that were deemed ‘useless’

lack of sleep alongside general lack of care for self definitely led to making more mistakes and taking a massive toll on their health overall (i.e. possible tinnitus, general joint aches, intense phantom pains, the likes, etc etc)

the arms were eventually finished, it took more time to adjust to them than crepe thought because ‘these arms are supposed to be perfect, why won’t it immediately work with me’

crepe waited a long time to finally show the finished product to dark enchantress, all proud once they finally adjusted and were able to properly move them around all coordinated

we all know how that ended up (spoiler: she never came back)

they remained hopeful, while she rarely visited in the first place she DID come around sometimes, so it was a possibility she was just busy with the other cookies of darkness (which is sorta true)

crepe was a little (re: very) jealous of this possibility, because as far as they know they’re the only one who put in the MOST effort (they think they’re the most competent and smart)

during the time of dark enchantress’ absence (and eventually the arrival of the main cookie gang + pure vanilla and dark raisin), they definitely were tinkering around (hence all the wafflebots)

it all just goes downhill from there LMAO

#cookie run #strawberry crepe cookie #cookie run headcanons #strawberry crepe cookie headcanons #cookie run kingdom #headcanons #Preordained Fate #🦷’s Headcanons #cw child abuse #cw amputation #🦷

37 notes · View notes

ectonurites · 3 years

Note

are timkon fans annoying

i think everyone in comics fandom is annoying in their own special ways and i am 100% including myself in that and do not mean it as an insult or anything. i just don't think having this as an interest and not being at least a little annoying about it is like, possible. the medium itself is so annoying and i think that bleeds into all of us no matter how few or how many comics we actually read.

in terms of timkon fans specifically... tht is complex. this is gonna seem off topic at first but stay with me here for a second.

I think that I personally approach the pairing differently than like... the most popular perceptions of it. Mainly because i am someone that reads a lot of comics and even in fan content I prefer histories/past events to be close to canon, like I respect people who throw continuity to the wind and just run with whatever they want to, but I personally can't do that and it's not my favorite way to see things approached. a lot of popular tim/kon content is made based on things out of context or only within the context of a specific run without the larger history of the characters in mind, which like... alters things about their dynamic and the individual characters. a lot of the popular content is also made with a heavier focus on tim than kon, and muddles details about kon's past in the process because of it. so like... i don't think timkon fans are necessarily annoying, but i do think that the way i like timkon and the way a lot of other people like it aren't exactly the same, which can like be an annoying situation... if that makes sense?

the timkon fans i will straight up call annoying tho are ones who are misogynistic towards steph or cassie for 'getting in the way' of timkon at various points in time. like fuck right off with that

36 notes · View notes

demonologist-in-denim · 3 years

Text

Okay, let’s get into this, because I have put off talking about Crowley’s cut monologue from 12x23 for long enough. If you haven’t already, you can read it here, or in this great gifset.

I absolutely see why this was cut. And I’m only acknowledging it here to talk about why I not only think it doesn’t add anything to Crowley’s story or our understanding of him, but how it actually detracts from it. After that, I intend to ignore it and let it fade away into the ether of the spn fandom. That being said, deleted scenes and cut scripts live in a sort of canonical limbo – you can choose for yourself whether to accept them as canon, consider them glimpses from some alternative universe, or do away with them entirely. I’m choosing the latter in this instance.

(This was meant to be a post, but it turned into an essay.)

Whomever wrote this was either unfamiliar with Crowley as a character, or was intentionally twisting the character in such a way as to fit into the convenient narrative that removed him from the show. Blame it on Chuck in text, blame it on the showrunners outside of text, whatever your preference – this doesn’t read like Crowley.

There are very few parts of this monologue that felt in character, that read like something Crowley would say. Not just in the tone or the choice of words, but the openness of it. And that’s coming from someone who writes reformed and/or human Crowley, with his admittance to remorse and shame and love. In this cut script, he is uncharacteristically vulnerable, sharing self-reflections he would never have shared aloud at this point in his character development. His dialogue lacks the layers of meaning or deflection that Crowley would normally employ, that he employed everywhere else in the show, even when being emotionally vulnerable.

That’s not to say that Crowley didn’t think or feel these things – I will argue to the end of my days (in spn fandom) that after the cure, Crowley hated himself. He hated that he was alone and unloved. Some part of that was due to being a demon and the horrible, evil, messy things he’d done, and some of it he believed was due to his inherent lack of worth. And I think this monologue was written in part to have Crowley make that final confession out loud. Final because, if that’s the case and he’s willing to admit it – to his former enemies and now the only people he really has in his life – his story can only take one of two directions: redemption or death. Embrace the desire for change and move forward as a reformed demon and full Winchester ally, or dramatically (and unnecessarily) sacrifice himself.

And there is a way to write that, but with Crowley properly in character and with the emotional complexity we know him to possess, not this blatant declaration. Maybe the line would have worked depending on how Mark Sheppard played it, and it only falls so flat because it’s just a script – I’m willing to allow for that. But this moment, facing down the boys after letting Lucifer loose, in front of an audience of Mary Winchester that he doesn’t know well and isn’t comfortable with, it doesn’t feel like a moment for Crowley to be this open, this vulnerable, about something so personal and so monumental.

I’ve no doubt that Crowley expected the Winchesters would one day kill him, “for good this time.” He was a demon working alongside a pair of hunters; there was always going to be that risk. Crowley was intelligent, one of the smartest characters on the show. He had to know that was how things would play out – either that, or he would die on their behalf, or because of their actions, even if he had ended up leaving Hell and joining Team Free Will. That was what happened to people around the Winchesters. Crowley warned Kevin of that himself. “They use people up, and leave them to die bloody.” Crowley knew. And as he internalized more and more of his blood-born conscience, Crowley had to believe on some level that he deserved it, especially if he hated himself and what he’d done.

But once again, if Crowley was going to say something like that, that’s not how he’d say it. It would be as a dismissive aside, or a knife in Dean’s gut in a moment of intense emotion between the two of them, or as a rebuke that the Winchesters badly deserved. Or better yet, as something remarked between himself and Cas, who Crowley likely suspected would outlast him but also ultimately die in service of the Winchester cause. Words like those have power. And it’s unlike Crowley to lay them down in supplication like this. It doesn’t even feel like a heart-felt confession, like his monologue in 8x23. It reads like someone wrote what was meant to be under Crowley’s words, the intention behind his dialogue, the much-exalted subtext, but failed to add all the layers on top of it, to put it in actual character.

I’m just going to bundle the whole beginning of the monologue together and toss it out entirely. Firstly because I’ve argued more than once that Crowley is an unreliable narrator when it comes to his human life. What we know of it from Rowena comes with an agenda, and what we know of it from Gavin comes from a man who had a difficult relationship with his father. It’s about as reliable as young Dean telling stories to Sammy about their parents’ time together. And there’s canonical errors in this monologue to back that up – we know Crowley wasn’t buried in a pauper’s grave, because we saw it 6x04. The “dying in a puddle of his own sick” is a great detail in terms of storytelling, but it’s almost directly repeated from Rowena, who said it as a belittling comment to a young Fergus. It’s too forced. And we know at least Gavin came to the funeral, because he tells us so in a deleted scene in 12x13 (remember what I said about getting to pick and choose when it comes to cut scripts and deleted scenes?).

But more importantly – and this is the part that really grates – Crowley’s iteration of his human life reinforces the narrative of absolute morality in the spn universe. It supports the argument that if a character becomes a demon, it must be because they were a terrible person. There is no room for human flaws, for characters to have made mistakes – and that doesn’t just hinder characters in terms of backstory, but in character development and emotional growth moving forward. It’s a stance spn takes more than once, and especially with non-human characters, though never in regards to the Winchesters. The Winchesters can become soulless or demons, but they were “always good” before that, so they are deserving of redemption. If Crowley or other non-humans were “always bad,” that absolves the Winchesters from seeing them as people deserving of help, or of their ability to change, or even to be seen as beings deserving of any level of respect or agency. And it absolves the showrunners from writing a character capable of development, of being able to grow beyond their previous flaws.

That’s not to say that Fergus MacLeod wasn’t some or all of those things. But if he was a complex character – if he was a person, as all stories should aim to present their characters – then he was all of that and more, just as the Winchesters are their virtues and their faults all wrapped up in an individual person. And if Crowley had brought this up some other time, in reference to his human life, none of this discussion would be necessary. It would be easy to say: he’s an unreliable narrator, and this provides us with insight into how Crowley feels about himself, and it would be interesting and valuable. But here, it’s used in justification for Crowley’s status as irredeemable – which is not true – and as part of justification for what happens next.

Crowley’s death was written by the showrunners as an excuse to remove him from the show – attribute that to budget costs for the show, or running out of story ideas for Crowley, or creative laziness, whatever you want. And within spn, it can be attributed to Chuck not wanting another character like Cas muddling up his Winchester Brothersᵀᴹ grand narrative. I’ve written before both in posts and in fic about how Crowley’s character-central instinct for self-preservation crumbles into depression after losing Hell and the seemingly-irreversible depletion of his and Dean’s friendship in 12x23. And that this ushers in a desire to End in such a way that achieves revenge against Lucifer (not a significant motivation, in my opinion, you’ve got to outlive your enemies to win against them), earns him the appreciation of the Winchesters, saves the world (proving his capacity for good), and brings about an end to his waiting. Glory through death, redemption in death – tropes that are hard to associate with Crowley unless you buy into his character’s devolvement in the latter half of season 12, but which the writers do their best to smooth into place and the fandom was forced to choke down.

And I won’t argue that Crowley didn’t wanted an end to his waiting – I’d argue the opposite in fact. This blatant preference for suicide, however, is antithesis to everything Crowley. What Crowley wanted in that End wasn’t an end of himself, but an end to existing in a state of perpetual limbo. Be accepted by the good guys, embrace his more human aspects, or return to the full dark depravity of demonkind. An end to the emotional rollercoaster, to continuous and destructive self-doubt, to striving to be both the king Hell needed and the ally the Winchesters refused to admit they benefited from having. That’s entirely different than wanting to end himself. As much as Crowley hated himself, he would never have considered death to be a preferable option – not unless some outside force, be it Chuck or the spn showrunners, decided otherwise for him.

Even if that had been the case, and I am wrong about Crowley’s characterization and his motivations, I still do not think he would have been as open about that motivation as is written in this cut script. It is just not like him. It is too vulnerable, too self-pitying. Crowley was always concerned about the others around him, and especially the Winchesters, thinking less of him. He never would have said something like this to them, not as this is written. Nor would Crowley have gone to the Winchesters with the intention of them killing him. He might have known it was a possibility, once he confessed his actions, (and from his perspective, there was the chance the Winchesters didn’t know of his involvement in Lucifer’s escape anyway), but it would never have been his intention. It’s not unknown for Crowley to encourage abuse from those he’s wronged, and to revel in the attention and emotions of it (here I’m thinking specifically of Kevin beating him in 9x02), maybe considering the punishment just and due. And Crowley at this point likely suspected he would eventually meet his end in some way involving the Winchesters. But death by their hands in this moment would have involved none of the justifying benefits of death by his own hand only a few scenes later – glory, revenge, redemption, a sense of closure.

Compare this cut monologue and its potential death – at the hands of the Winchesters after confessing his role in Lucifer’s escape – to this cut line of dialogue from later in 12x23. “Tell Dean he was right – you bloody fools have rubbed off on me.” This is Crowley. This is emotional complexity, admittance to a change of heart, self-awareness, and a brave act of equal defiance and sacrifice, with his usual smug, snarky dismissal. This isn’t suicide brought on by depression, by an uncharacteristic vulnerability. It is resolved, determined, if reluctant. This is Crowley choosing the greater good and the boys, even if it means sacrificing himself.

For me, this small addition smooths over much of the unevenness in the showrunner’s attempts to justify Crowley’s death. He has lost Hell, he believes he’s had an irreversible falling out with Dean – all of which could be overcome, grown beyond. But then a rift opens, and Lucifer is an immediate danger, and it requires a life to save the day. Crowley knows it can’t be either of the boys – that tends to have world-ending effects – and it can’t be Mary Winchesters or Castiel, because of “Winchester man-pain.” So that leaves Crowley. And having exhausted all immediate alternatives, Crowley does what internalized Winchester logic and conscience tells him is right. It would still require a moment of hesitation, a moment we see him combatting his deeply imbedded trait of self-preservation. But at least that would have been in character and show definitive character growth on Crowley’s part.

So yes, I completely agree with the decision to cut this monologue in 12x23. It doesn’t tell us anything about Crowley that we don’t already know, and is uncharacteristic of him, and provides out-of-character justification for his actions that wasn’t needed. You don’t have to agree with me, obviously. And I’ll end this rather long rant of an essay by saying what I always say: that Crowley deserved better. He deserved better than the mangling of his character’s motivations in the latter half of season 12, and he deserved better than this monologue. I’m glad it was cut from the final script.

#crowley #character analysis #spn season 12 #spn script #crowley deserved better #happy sulphur saturday #this has been your pre-scheduled lunch time rant #not back to your regularly scheduled postings

22 notes · View notes

sigurdjarlson · 3 years

Text

So according to movie canon Khadgar was given to the Kirin Tor at 6

I usually treat his movie backstory, at least that part, as somewhat canon because we know nothing about it in the books/game. It does get a little muddled though because they obviously change the plot and other things in the movie. (In TLG he doesn’t run away he’s sent away, as far as we know they never intended for him to be guardian they just wanted him gone, etc) but I do take the “given to the Kirin Tor” as canon.

Khadgar has never mentioned a family in game or in the book. And it just seems like a backstory that fits him. They obviously had to look at the character they already have and create a backstory for him for the movie so I’ll assume it also applies to game Khadgar (like how Taria is canon now as well. Although I’m not if Varian’s sister Adriall in the films is ever confirmed canon)

I always wonder why his parents gave him up? His family. Because we know he HAD one. He mentions his parents, having brothers and sisters, etc. He’s not an orphan at six at the very least.

But he never saw any of them again after they gave him up.

Maybe he couldn’t control his magic and the Kirin Tor was like “we’ll take him he’s dangerous” or his family couldn’t handle it so they gave him up?

But then they could still..visit? Presumably? Write letters? Somehow stay in contact with him? They didn’t have to abandon him completely. He says he never saw them again.

Which leaves us with a couple options

(1) the Kirin Tor doesn’t want them having contact so it was a part of their agreement with his parents. (It would distract him after all and I do think they probably discourage attachments in. Jedi like fashion lmao)

(2) I’ve seen in fics where they’re a very poor family and the Kirin Tor literally pays them because they get wind of this very powerful magical child. Which is a horrifying thought but..not entirely without merit. I could see it. Maybe his parents thought it was the best thing for him? He’d have a better life this way?

3) they simply were shitty parents and didn’t care

But as for the Kirin Tor I can see why they wanted him, what better to make the perfect mage (or guardian in movie verse) then to get a child that has the makings of a powerful mage and raise him themselves? (It doesn’t exactly work out but I doubt they expected him to rebel)

They surely thought they could mold him whatever they want.

Also we know Khadgar has a habit of snooping for information. It’s why they sent him off to Karazhan in TLG. I have a hard time believing at some point he wouldn’t have tried to figure out why they gave him up either? Or at least find out what happened to them? Something.

Which implies..The Kirin Tor doesn’t tell him why? So why are they keeping that a secret from him? To prevent him from having obligations outside the Kirin Tor? I doubt it’s for his own emotional well-being lmao. They magically brand 11 year old kids and put the weight of the world on their shoulders in the movie.

Going back to the movie scene where he confides in Lothar and Garona, he doesn’t say why exactly they gave him up (or at least cut contact with him) so either he’s keeping that to himself or he just doesn’t know.

He says something about it being seen as a great honor to be given to the Kirin Tor which okay sure maybe but it still doesn’t explain why he never sees them again? Most good parents wouldn’t accept never seeing their kid again just like that even if it was “a great honor.”

(I got the sense he doesn’t know from the way he acts in that scene. He acts like well..an abandoned kid wondering why he was abandoned)

(Lothar muttering “well..that was cheerful” or whatever after Garona and Khadgar tell their tragic backstories still makes me laugh)

Idk it’s just interesting and so damn sad either way.

My poor boy 😭

#wow blogging #there’s a lot of wiggle room for fanfic ideas though #disclaimer: my memory might be a little fuzzy on movie stuff I haven’t seen it in a while #and I might be forgetting stuff from in game

12 notes · View notes

nzvalley · 3 years

Text

Rewatching some Star Trek: Enterprise

It’s been a long time since I have done one of these posts. What I kind of expected to happen did happen: once I hit season 3 and saw the network meddling, Trip/T’Pol, and the radical shift in tone of the series, it was hard to keep going. But I’m hoping to power through this season, and get to the much improved fourth season.

Just to remind anyone who is here for the first time. I’m doing a rewatch/analysis around the Archer/T’Pol friendship/partnership/relationship, based on my favorite episodes. I will be focusing on them, because that’s the aspect of the show in which I’m more interested.

Catch up on my previous rewatch posts here!

There will also be spoilers, not just for this episode but for the whole show.

Twilight (3x08)

Even though this is easily the shippiest episode for Archer/T’Pol, this isn’t one I automatically turn on when I’m doing a rewatch.

In part, it’s just too sad to rewatch frequently. Partly because it gets total forgotten with no impact on canon. It’s also just an annoying reminder of when the show and these characters were in a much better place.

However, it’s a really great episode overall and for Archer/T’Pol. It reminds the audience of how devoted T’Pol is to Archer specifically, calling back to T’Pol’s speech to Archer before following him into the Expanse. It feels out of place to the rest of the season, like it could have been written before the network mandates.

Just next episode (“Similitude”) we get a T/T’P plot that is equally a standout episode, but which is fully in everybody’s memories and has lasting impacts on the season. This contrast illustrates the suddenly differing priorities of this season.

Up until now, it’s worth reminding, the backbone of the show was how the relationship between Archer and T’Pol (and Shran!) shaped the formation of the Federation. But even in the worst of times, there seems to be a contingent in the writers room who still felt as strongly about Archer/T’Pol as they did in the first two seasons.

The start hooks you in immediately, with Archer’s confusion mirroring our own. Archer stumbles (shirtless!) into Captain T’Pol’s bridge. Seeing T’Pol commanding in her own right is so cool.

After the frantic and engaging teaser, we get a massive time jump. A gray-haired Archer wakes and makes his way through a home he doesn’t remember. He finds a devoted… caretaker… whose effort he can’t fully appreciate yet.

The altered dynamic immediately apparent between Archer and T’Pol, and the obvious changes in her look and demeanor, set the tone for the rest of the episode. Jolene Blalock is amazing as usual. She can play any version of T’Pol. There are great performances throughout, especially by Jolene and Scott.

Pretty much everything in this episode, barring the initial crisis itself and T’Pol’s accident, aren’t canon. As far as I can tell, not even the main two remember the alternate timeline, except maybe on an unconscious level. It’s one of those stories that gets completely stricken from the record, which is why it’s hard to fully appreciate.

Archer saving T’Pol at his own expense reminds the audience of how much he cares. Although it gets erased T’Pol repays that sacrifice in turn, devoting her life to his care.

Phlox’s dedication to finding a cure for Archer, and his overall concern, is another aspect of this episode that’s awesome. For me, the trio of Arhcer/T’Pol/Phlox was always the most interesting.

This episode shows one nearly concrete future where the Xindi win, showing how fragile the mission remains. The slow reveal of how complete the Xindi victory was, and the fragility of their settlement, is nice. This storyline was ahead of its time. Just a few years later BSG told a similar story, though much better and in a much-expanded manner.

Jolene does a good job, but has to explain so much story in so little time. This story seems like it should have been given more time to breathe, like it should’ve played out over 3 or 4 episodes. At least one more!’

T’Pol and Soval always have great scenes.

T’Pol: I won’t leave them. Soval: Them? Or Him?

T’Pol reiterates her choice of Archer and the humans over her own species, much as she did when initially choosing to join the mission to the Expanse.

T’Pol reveals she knows Archer’s deepest secrets now, even the proposal that was rejected because Margaret Mullen didn’t want to become a Starfleet widow. Has T’Pol made herself into a kind of Starfleet widow?

“Our relationship has… evolved over the years.”

Future Phlox is looking sharp. T’Pol’s hope about the treatment shines through.

Captain Tucker! Malcolm’s goatee!

Given the seeming romantic bias of the writer, it’s not all that surprising Trip/T’Pol sours pretty quickly in this timeline. Not only did T’pol and Trip’s dalliance fall apart, but they have seemingly stayed apart for years. T’Pol and her concern continues to follow Archer.

I may have missed similar instances before, but T’Pol’s casual, intimate, comforting touch in private is so cute. And a great visual indicator of how much T’Pol has grown. Archer seems on the verge of broaching the topic of the intimacy when he starts, “If this works…”

T’Pol once again turns down a chance to leave Archer’s side, even after he has seemingly healed.

Phlox: I understand I may have a passenger on my voyage home T’Pol: I’m remaining at the settlement for the time being. He may need my help during his recovery. Phlox: Have you told the Captain how you feel about him? It’s obvious you’ve become quite attached.

The blitz of exposition from Phlox and T’Pol to Trip about changing the past… there’s just so much going on in this episode. This story needed at least one more episode… Or maybe this could have been the plot to an Enterprise movie. Which still could work, given that the narrative necessitates the actors be older for most of it.

General Shran!

The bridge is gone. There are so many intense and devastating moments here… and then it all gets totally erased! Ugh.

Archer remains self-sacrificing to the end, deciding to just blow himself up if that’ll destroy the parasites. Ultimately saving the timeline through the same impulse that set it astray in the first place. He tries to get Phlox and T’Pol to save themselves, but they remain as steadfastly loyal as they have ever been. I love these three so much!

All three die carrying through the mission to the end. Phlox, then T’Pol, then Archer. Archer and T’Pol fall together and are laying together when this timeline comes to and end. The closest the ship ever came to being canon… and poof it’s gone.

There’s a tag at the end that’s real, with T’Pol admonishing Archer that he should have left her in the hallway accident that initially debilitated him. This calls back to her similar claim after her experiences on the Selaya. Archer, who has been isolating himself and becoming more ruthless, reverts back to his old self when it comes to T’Pol.

T’Pol: You could have been seriously injured. I told you to leave me behind. Archer: Fortunately, I don’t take orders from you. T’Pol: I believe you wanted to see this? Archer: Rosemary’s Baby? T’Pol: You were obviously looking forward to it. And since you’re not going to be able to attend tonight… Archer: Thanks.

T’Pol is always there for her Captain, whatever the situation! But the second half of the scene kind of ruins the sentiment. For as good as the rest of the episode is, this end scene is muddled in terms of what tone the writer was going for. I don’t think the actors quite got it either. It seems like Archer repays T’Pol’s kindness by being a brat. And when he drops a ‘nurse’ line… do they remember on some level? Or was that just for the audience? Either way, it’s a weirdly comedic end to a heart-wrenching and emotional episode.

#Star Trek Enterprise #Enterprise #Twilight #Captain Archer #T'Pol #Jolene Blalock #scott bakula

38 notes · View notes

lastoneout · 2 years

Note

Ooh fun ask game. How about the pla protag died Pre canon fic?

So this is the big spanning the entire plot of the game one I've posted about before that's just regardless of who the protag was before the game they actually died, full on got isekai-ed for real with truck-kun and everything, and Arceus basically confirms that yeah, it actually can't send her back to her time and undo the death that's just Too Much, so she's stuck and needs to seek out all pokemon(and also kick Volo's ass) and then after come see it again.

Which ofc she takes as "okay I'ma come back to see you again and then I'll die for real" and thus spends the whole fic/game/plot with the whole "when this is over I'm going to die" knowledge hanging over her. (Can you tell I loved Pokemon Mystery Dungeon?) And at first she's like "yeah no this does suck I'm dead-but-not and stuck in the past and ahhhh" but eventually she starts to like her new life and friends and such and it just gets more and more AGONIZING that it's going to end because if she can't go home can't she at least stay here?

Plus like, everyone else thinks when they're done she's going to go home, cuz she didn't want to tell them she's dead at first and look more insane, and then she kept not telling them because she didn't want to upset everyone or make Laventon give up on the pokedex or anything. So yeah she's just shoving all this pain down and dealing with everyone being happy and stuff.

But then ofc once they are done with the dex the secret comes out and everyone is Super Upset and Angry that she didn't freakin' tell them, but at that point it's too late she does have to go and see Arceus again she can't just put it off, at which point ofc she gets to stay because(??? I dunno why I'll figure it out) and happy ending despite all the angst.

Anyway here have a bit from the beginning:

“Why me?” Akari mumbles to herself as she watches Professor Laventon dash away, shouting at his escaped pokemon.

There’s sand stuck in her hair and clothes and shoes, gritty and just as irritating as the too-bright sun shining above her. Her mind is still frustratingly muddled from whatever the hell happened to her before she--apparently--fell out of the sky, and more than anything she wants to lay back down on the ground and pretend she’s still dead, but that’s not going to do her any good.

Besides, Laventon was friendly. He helped her up and asked her name and if she knew anyone or had a place to stay. Their conversation was a bit confusing and more than a little one-sided, but as far as she could tell he’s a perfectly normal person--though he does have a thick Galarian accent and bafflingly asserted that between the two of them she’s the one who's dressed weird.

So as much as she’d like to ignore all of her problems and melt into the sand she figures she should help him, or at least make sure he’s okay, and hey, the voice did tell her to seek out all pokemon. Chasing after Laventon and his three is as good a place to start as any, so she steels herself and takes off after him.

#loo writes #ask meme

6 notes · View notes

scummy-writes · 3 years

Text

Offset Beginnings

Throughout his life, Arthur had believed that there had to be at least some strain of truth when it came to the occult, whether through a vague promise of ‘magic’ or trying to find whatever possible science it boiled down into. That being said, he’d never thought he would get such an up close and personal taste of its existence.

Slowly, he touched the pads of his fingers to his face, tracing the curve of his cheek. Seeing was believing, yet his mind still couldn’t process the youthful body he had just recently been blessed with. Despite standing in front of the immaculately polished mirror left in his room, Arthur found himself gripping the vanity in disbelief, breath shallowing.

Of course. Being born anew had to have some sort of catch, didn’t it? Unless this was a new form of lucid nightmare, his deathbed granting a new experience to torture him even through his last breath. But…

That coppery taste on his tongue still lingered. Despite past dreams, Arthur was never one to have a sense of taste within them. And the pain when Le Comte had bitten him…

He dropped his head, poorly attempting to switch his focus onto his lungs as his nails found purchase in the wood.

Moments ago he had finished meeting the other residents of the mansion, faces completely new to him yet the names he had heard brought more fear into the possibility of this all being another trick of the mind.

A deep inhale, and he made up his mind, shoving himself away from the mirror to numbly grasp his coat and head back out the door. If his mind was set on plaguing him with bastardized ‘blessings’, then he was determined to fight back by drowning in his sorrows.

---------

The grooves in the counter were surely etching themselves into his skin, but Arthur couldn’t be bothered to care, mind elsewhere as his eyes barely focused on the glass in front of him. If he squints, he can make out a face under the mess of hair in the warped reflection, and he groans, turning to thump his head against his forearm. He’s sure he hears a muffled question, the tap of a glass by his head. He can’t bring himself to attempt deciphering whatever was said.

He inhales, his chest feeling a steady burn as he shakily sighs, squeezing his eyes shut. Staying firm in the present is harder with alcohol muddling his reason, though that’s his own fault, isn’t it? Every drink he slugged back in hopes of forgetting his earlier woes pit against him, memories playing back as he remembers his reflection, the same face that haunted him late at night.

There’s another voice, deeper this time, that accompanies a weight on Arthur’s shoulder. Curious, given the lack of sensation in his arms or fingers at the moment. He attempts to shrug it off, a flash of annoyance going through him.

“Tch. Trying to help you, you...”

The voice muffles as Arthur finally turns to face it, some curse slipping out before he recognizes the flash of brown fabric, his own hand reaching out to grasp without much thought following.

There’s a pisspoor attempt to say Theo’s name, the sound coming out slurred even to Arthur’s ears. A groan slips out next, his arm dropping as his grip slacks.

Despite the clear inability to verbally communicate, Theo still seems to recognize what he was getting at; sitting down on the stool beside him with a grumble.

“Just how much did you drink?”

He wants to laugh at the worried question, how it doesn’t match the man’s expression, how it's the first time in years anyone has asked him that. He supposes some sort of dopey smile crosses his face at the scoff Theo gives him.

When was the last time someone showed him an ounce of pity? Le Comte didn’t count, given he was nearly convinced the man was reviving them out of a sense of misplaced guilt, nor was Arthur ever deserving of it, not since…

There’s a grumble that comes out as his world begins to spin. He catches how Theo’s eyes widen before Arthur closes his eyes, feeling his body tip into something softer than the counter. Was it Theo? There’s a gruff mumble coming after him as someone attempts to right him, but Arthur’s well past the point to move without stumbling over immediately.

The thought to apologize comes along as he says something, the words mingling with memories of Trevor and the others catching up to him. For Theo’s sake he does try to stay lucid a moment longer, just to ease the weight he’s pushing onto the man, but the next breath he gives seems to drain him, sending him tumbling into unconsciousness.

---------

Ugh.

As soon as he registers warmth creeping along his face, the sharp stab of a headache follows immediately, forcing a groan out as he pats around him blindly. He fumbles with the blanket he’s wound up in, finding a way to tug it over his head to block out the sunlight filtering in through his window.

It takes him a moment to open his eyes, feeling the spinning from last night trying to return along with his coherency.

Who in the hell pushed open the curtains? He was positive that they were shut when he left…

Arthur’s brows furrow as last night starts to come back to him, piecing together the flashes of brown fabric he had seen along with the gruff voice of-

“Theo,” The name comes out as a curse, “You bloody devil.”

-------

It takes him longer than he likes to withstand the small act of just getting up, head pounding all the while. He manages to stumble over to his window and tug the curtains closed, allowing himself to prop up against the vanity, eyes avoiding the mirror attached as he plots the day ahead with a firm plan to steer clear of Theo; else who knew what embarrassing conversation that would spark.

But God’s always been a right bastard, hasn’t he? Once he peels off yesterday’s clothes and steps into a cleaner set, he’s out the door, only to nearly smack right into the man.

“Ah…”

Damn and blast.

Their eyes meet for just a moment, before Arthur’s running a hand through his hair and dodging Theo’s gaze.

“Listen, about last night…”

His unspoken beg to spare him the details of his foolishness seems to come true, as Theo interrupts him with a scoff.

“There’s nothing about last night.”

“Huh?”

“What? You think I remember any of the nonsense you spouted? I was too busy deciding to bring you back here or to toss you into the Seine.” Arthur bites back a quipp, and all Theo does is check his watch with a tsk, echoing the one out of many from the night before. “I have to go to the gallery, I don’t have the time to spare for this.”

When he walks past in a determined tread, Arthur half expects the man to bump into him in annoyance. He’d certainly deserve it and more, knowing fully well what a mess he had to have been to drag back here.

He huffs out a self-deprecating laugh at the fact that someone so brusque was willing to spare a sorry sap like him. And for what reason? Perhaps the new lad to the mansion always went through this, and Arthur was just being given the easy treatment for now, until his feet- or fangs -settled.

With another scoff towards himself, he turns off towards the direction of the kitchen, planning for a cup of coffee and, admittedly, a way to offer buying a round for Theo- without getting the drink thrown back in his face.

-------

This. Has been a draft since July, so if anything sounds off I'm sorry haha

The second half of this pulls from that Drunk from your Love(?) Collection event, where theres a brief story about Theo finding the thot conked out at the bar, thought it seemed fitting to change that to the first night Arthur was brought back and Suffering at the age he was made to look like. (Even thought canon says otherwise haha)

Masterlist | Writing Server | Isaac Week | Ikevamp Server

#ikemen vampire #ikevamp #ikemen vampire arthur #ikevamp arthur

77 notes · View notes

janekfan · 3 years

Note

What about Jon, crying frustrated tears back either pre Canon or in S1 and Tim comforting him and helping out until the breakdown has passed, contrasted with Jon, crying frustrated tears either from being so overwhelmed or from something Tim did in seasons 2/3????

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27581069

Finally! Sorry it took so long!! <3

It was cold. Of course it was, it had to be to protect the documents packed in boxes floor to ceiling all around and everywhere he looked there were more and there was no way he could do this!

Inhale, exhale. Calm down.

He’d have to remember to bring a spare jumper so he could work because as it was now his fingers were too numb to work properly and when he tucked them under his arms it only made him feel worse. Made him feel small and alone. Reminded him of a lonely childhood.

Stop it.

But Jon didn’t know where to begin. He could pretend. He could keep his assistants busy with real work, that wasn’t a problem but what was he to do? What did an Archivist do, really? Archive? Organize? How? When everything was a giant, muddled mess filed, a generous term, in no real order or catalogue he’d been able to understand. It was all just.

Overwhelming.

A splash of wet warmth collided with his wrist and embarrassed, Jon scrubbed hastily at the tears streaming down his cheeks. This was, he was stupid. Stupid. He should be able to handle this. At the end of the day, wasn’t it just shuffling papers around? Putting them in some semblance of order that only had to make sense to him? It had certainly worked for Gertrude. The sorrow and frustration came anyway, falling from his eyes and heating his skin and he was so caught up in his own discomfort that by the time he processed someone entering his office, it was too late to hide.

He tried anyway.

“Oh, Tim. Yes. Wh’what can I do for you?” It was a useless misdirection; Tim was sharp eyed and protective and honestly, it was a relief to see him because if Jon was going to continue crying (and it didn’t seem like he would be stopping anytime soon) there was no one better.

“Jon? What’s wrong? What’s happened?” And the tears which he’d managed to slow, came back full force and Jon tucked his chin to his chest and shook. “Ah, hey now, can’t be as bad as all that.” Gentle, Tim tugged him close, holding him around his shoulders and allowing him to bury his hot face in his stomach. “You’re alright. Whatever it is, we’ll help, okay, Boss?” A palm swept up and down the seam of his spine. “We’re a team! We can do anything if we’re together.” Jon pulled in a hitched and shuddery breath, nodding resolutely. Tim allowed him a few more quiet moments before ushering him out of his office where Martin and Sasha were certainly not waiting for them. Martin approached first, compassion shining clear in his expression, and took up his hands.

“You're freezing! Here, come with me. I’ll make you some tea and get you warmed up straight away.” Martin would hear nothing of his protests, pulling him gently away to the breakroom, warm fingers curled around his own. Just this once, Jon would let it happen, the reassuring glow of being surrounded by friends soothing the remnants of panic that had overwhelmed him so thoroughly before Tim found him. They were speaking easily around him about nothing important and Jon let himself drift in the current of their familiar voices.

It was cold down here. And dark, though Jon could See just fine, like he couldn’t hear them but Knew they were searching and feared the worst, that he’d gone hunting in the streets for first-hand accounts of terror. He welcomed the chill seeping its way beneath his skin, numbing his fingers and toes. It meant some part of him was at least close to human.

He reveled in the weird, sharp hunger that gnawed on tender nerves, appreciated the gravity of it and let himself sink into the deep, syrupy ache. He's on the brink. Can feel it in the heavy throbbing in his chest, behind his heart, taking up every empty space and making it difficult to breathe. The weight of his mistakes he supposed, a breadcrumb path he could follow all the way back, beginning with accepting the Head Archivist position instead of walking away. Then again, he’d never known when to stop and that didn’t seem like it was going to change anytime soon; that need for answers, to understand, to connect every dot, to soothe the sting of losing all his friends in favor of embracing a monster.

But Lord he missed them and they were right there. They just weren’t there for him anymore and he had only himself to blame.

Jon doesn’t ask for comfort, he’d be the first to admit he didn’t deserve any and is...content he thinks is the word, to wait until Tim and Martin and Melanie and Daisy and Basira decide he’s suffered enough to prove his worth and let him back in. It was cold down here. It was colder alone and the temptation to give in was so strong if only because he’d be warm again and he’s so, so tired of being lonely.

But he could get something nearly as good. Recognition that something happened to him, that he was still here, still Jon even if he was unwanted, there was enough of him left to hate. He knew how to be that. He'd always been that. Static, now always a low, persistent hum in the back of his mind, shoved forward suddenly with the Knowledge that Tim had decided to look in the tunnels.

Tim wanted to hurt him and he wanted to be hurt. To let it assuage the guilt even for a moment.

Jon already Knows he's spoiling for a fight.

Of course he was the one who would find Jon. Arse is mere meters down the tunnel and leaning with his back against the wall, arms hanging loose over knobby knees and looking for all the world like someone had kicked his puppy.

And what right did he have when he was the cause of all this fear and paranoia and death.

“Tim.” Bland recognition and it sent a shiver racing up his spine because it wasn’t like he had to turn and check, not with his spooky powers. No. He just knew everything now, didn’t he? How convenient. Tim could barely reconcile the figure in front of him with the friend who used to work with him in Research. This Jon was a slip of a man. An intruder he didn’t know and didn’t want to know. This Jon was lies and secrets and silvery scars mapping out the tragedy he’d led them all into willingly in his search for more and more and more. Damn the consequences, never content to let things be. No. This Jon was disorder and disarray, wild curls and no tie and the buttons leading up to his rust stained collar undone. There was dirt caked under the nails of his unbandaged hand and cobweb mingling with the premature grey in his hair and the nervous, twitching energy, the inability to stay still, conspicuously absent.

This Jon was a stranger who didn’t care who he harmed.

This Jon threw them all away like they were less than rubbish and the only way Tim could stomach interacting with him was behind a mask of contempt and hostility.

“Thought you’d be out looking for victims.” Involuntarily his lips curled up in a sneer.

“Sorry to disappoint.” Meticulously enunciated and condescending, strange eyes fixed to the wall in front of him. It angered him that Jon wouldn’t look at him. He could at least have the decency to look him in the face when he lied to him.

“Why are you down here anyway? Hiding? Plotting?” Jon snarled in response, low and dark, brows knitted in scorn.

“And what business is that of yours?” Bare more than a keen hiss and all Tim heard was an invitation to the party because it was so much easier on his conscience to paint Jon as deserving rather than admit he might be as much a victim here as the rest of them. Such a convenient target to aim at, to focus the knife edged anger and rage and agony at and Jon is so good at pushing every button. It was like he wanted this. Wanted to fight.

“Someone has to keep track of you and your secrets! Your lies!” Tim closed his eyes and tugged on his hair. “They’re killing us and you don’t even care!”

“You don’t know that.” Well now he had his attention and the flash of unnatural viridian had to be a trick, a reflection.

“I don’t need supernatural powers to know you!” He saw the hit land in the way Jon’s expression slipped and Tim felt good, the rush of adrenaline flooding his veins was heady and strong. “You’re running. From everything. And it all started when you began running from us.”

“I’m not.” At this point, Tim wasn’t sure Jon was capable of standing because surely he wouldn’t take this sitting in the dust and he didn’t care. This was the most he’d felt since this all began. He didn’t want to give it up. Not yet. Not before he’d made Jon understand.

“You're not even trying!” He spat, watching his shaking hands curl into fists, watching shadows soak into the bandages. “You just let things happen to you--”

“Oh yes, Tim!” Hurling his name like a curse, Jon stared up at him, narrow chest heaving fast. “I just let the Circus have me. I just let Daisy beat me unconscious and threaten to put me down.” For a moment, Tim thought he saw tears glittering on his face. “What do you know about how hard I'm trying?” The whole of him was shaking now, trembling as he sucked down noisy breaths. “Always sulking about this place! Maybe if you’d been paying better attention you’d have noticed Sasha was gone!” He collapsed against the wall, lazy grin carving up his face. Like he’d won the game. Landed the finished blow. “You may claim to know me. But clearly, you never knew her.” Lunging with a hoarse cry, Tim snatched him up by his collar, so close to the healing slash crusted with old blood bisecting his throat.

He only smiled wider. Manic. Frantic. Fingers grasping automatically at his wrists and Tim could feel sticky warmth marking his arm.

"Go on then! I know you want to.” Jon was whispering, words tripping over themselves in his haste to spit them out. “You can't stand me. Just like Daisy can't stand me. You want this. I Know yo--"

An echoing crack followed after the back of Tim’s hand collided with Jon’s mouth.

Replaced soon after by blessed quiet broken only by Jon’s harsh and strangled panting.

Tim dropped him back to the floor. Shaken. Disgusted. He didn’t know with whom. Maybe both of them.

"You never shut up."

Jon tongued the cut on his lip while Tim watched a bead of ruby so dark it was almost black roll down his chin and drip down onto the white fabric of his rumpled dress shirt where it would dry and age and match the rest that was there before whatever this was. He didn’t bother wiping it away.

“Feel better?”

“You know I don’t.”

Shaking out his hand, Tim collapsed beside him in silence, staring resolutely ahead, lips pressed thin until Jon’s head tipped slowly forward, chin coming to rest on his collarbone and smudging more red. Even in his peripheral vision Tim recognized it for what it was and knew if he looked properly he’d see tears steadily falling from his damned eyes despite how hushed he remained. He peeked anyway, witnessed him cave in and bring arms up to hug himself in a desperate bid to hold his pieces together. But he doesn't look at Tim. Doesn't reach for him like he used to.

"I am trying." He whispered, voice immeasurably limned with exhaustion.

Like a switch had been flipped, he was Jon again. Tired and drawn. Overwhelmed and lost and isolated. Tipped so far over the edge he goaded Tim into striking him because it was the best he could expect. Because at least he had Tim's full attention for a moment. And Tim walked right into it, led easily like a moth to a flame.

What a pair they made here at what might be the end of all things.

Troubled, Tim pulled him roughly into his side, hardening his heart against the whimper of pain and the stiffening of his entire body. Jon was skin and bone. Had dropped at least two stone he couldn't afford to lose. Tim had watched it happen and done nothing.

There were no apologies exchanged and when Tim dragged him stumbling into the light of the Archives, no one commented on the split lip or the new bruise or the blood dried and flaking that traced his jaw.

Jon was just a stranger.

No one cared if he'd been harmed.

#TMA #the magnus archives #jon sims #tim stoker #depression #anxiety #bad mental health #self harm #in the way of asking for it #tim slaps him #angst #Emotional Hurt/Comfort #jon is in a bad way #he doesn't know what to do about it

54 notes · View notes

anartistwhowrites · 3 years

Text

Why the Fazbear Frights Books Don’t Work (To Me, At Least)

Well, this may come as a surprise to no one - I don’t like the Fazbear Frights books. This isn’t to say that I’ve never read them. I did and I really did try my best to like them like everyone else was. But after Fetch came out, I started to realize what these books actually were: discarded Goosebumps scripts that have been re-skinned to fit the FNaF universe in order to sell for more than they’re actually worth.

And boy howdy, I sure do enjoy having to spend big money on a tie-in book featuring characters I’ve never heard of before in order to find out basic plot points that the series itself never bothered to explain.

I understand Scott’s urge to make FNAF-related Goosebumps ripoffs, I really do. If I had an overnight successful horror franchise that was popular with kids/preteens, I, too, would make a bunch of Goosebumps ripoffs. I just wish that he could’ve, used the books to talk about actually established characters from the franchise. He could’ve also just, like, published Goosebumps-esc books that had nothing to do with FNaF but that’s a discussion for another day.

Like, instead of these random kids being the leads, why not have the stories be about the missing kids from FNaF 1, or the crying child and his brother, or other characters from the games? Why not have short horror stories that give more depth to an established Freddy’s location from the games instead of trying to get us interested in a FNaF location that we barely care about? I want a story from the point of view of Michael as his body slowly rots and he can't do anything about us because Ennard is controlling his body. I want a story from the perspective of one of the animatronics showing us what its like for them! I want interesting stories like that, not the ones that we got.

Scott didn’t even bother to tell us which stories were canon and which weren’t so it’s hard to even use them to solve the lore of the old games. If the books were more about the minor lore plot points, like the minigames for example, then I’d be ok with them. But Scott’s Reddit post makes it seem like it’s for major plot points like the Bite of ‘83 or The Missing Children’s Incident. But they are not.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I want canon Fazbear’s Frights stories but I want good canon Fazbear Frights stories. And having to pay for the books in order to learn more about basic plot points is pretty crappy. And, regardless of how you feel about the plots, the Fazbear’s Frights stories are just not well written or narrated at all. They’re the last place that I want to read important lore stuff or about things that I actually care about.

The Fazbear Frights really should have been about already existing characters and plot points. For example, Room for One More could have been about Michael getting scooped in Sister Location, and Step Closer could have been about the older brother being haunted by Fredbear from FNaF 4. Count the Ways could have been a great opportunity about Elizabeth getting killed by Circus Baby, since it does seem to line up pretty well. And that’s what frustrates me about these books the most. It’s just missed opportunities for Scott to flesh out the world of FNaF.

Honestly the books don’t even feel like their part of the FNaF universe at all. They feel like short horror stories plots from a story idea generator site with FNaF names thrown into them. Like, sometimes you get a genuinely moving tale about two sisters and a robot chicken and other times you get a fanfic story about a guy getting pregnant and giving birth to a Springtrap baby? Scott, horror has sub-genres. You can’t just throw whatever random stuff into your story that you want and expect it to actually fit the narrative and themes. It has to make sense.

Because the Fazbear Frights lean more into cosmic horror than the games, it doesn't feel like Scott's brand of horror that we’ve come to know and recognize. And that’s really the point of all of this. My main problem with the Fazbear Frights stories is that they have some concepts that would work well as a normal horror story but once you add FNaF into the mix, the story then becomes either stupidly funny or stupidly horrible.

While I don’t mind some new FNaF stories, the ones we’ve gotten just aren’t that interesting. A lot of them aren’t canon and the ones that might be don’t really affect anything at all. Considering one of FNaF’s biggest flaws, aside from competent storytelling and consistency, is its lack of character development, this would’ve been a great way to flesh out some of the game characters and maybe some events in the lore. Now if we can stop introducing 50+ new characters every time new content comes out and instead focusing on preexisting characters and emotion-driven plots with interesting narratives, then we’ll be golden. But honestly does anyone even know what qualifies as canon characterization in FNAF at this point?

It’s funny, because character driven stories are kinda what FNaF desperately needs and I'm glad the Fazbear Frights are, hopefully, starting to realize that. It wasn't the gore in Springtrap that made him iconic, it was the man behind the gore. It wasn't the Scooper people liked, it was the man who got scooped. It wasn't the fire that made the scene, it was Henry. What makes FNaF’s story so interesting and intriguing is the people behind the animatronic monsters and the victims of them but the books instead glance over this in favor of demographic appeal.

Like, what if Fazbear Frights were instead about animatronics that don’t get enough exploration about their lore or maybe just about different animatronics instead of focusing on just the human characters. The books could've offered so many interesting characters and possible world building ideas, and they do absolutely nothing like that! I just want something about how Mike dealt with being a living corpse, or how Foxy feels when he took out Phone Guy, or what it's like for Mangle to be repeatedly pulled apart, or something. But nope, Scott decided to go for time-travel ballpits, Minireena vore, and whatever is going on with Candy Angel's cover.

To be fair and completely honest, I actually kinda like some of the stories in Fazbear Frights, (and by some I mean one or two) and the some of the stories I actually do like are what I like to call “decent”. and I also like the stuff with the Stitchwraith because that plot line has an interesting story line and characters that I semi care about or am at least mildly interested with. But its so upsetting how close some of it is to FNaF game lore, even though we don’t have much in terms of official lore for it to be close to. I wish Scott would have chosen between making the books either separate au’s or just being about the canon and only the canon. Like, the TSE series had stuff related to the ‘canon’, sure, but it was at least fairly direct with it instead of just using confusing and muddled "symbolism".

Let me make it clear that I don’t hate you for liking these books. If you like them, ok. If you don’t like them, ok. I’m not telling you that you can’t or that you need to hate them because I said so. This is just me finally getting my mixed feelings about the books onto paper. The series overall is a 5/10. Not completely awful but not very good either. I really don’t recommend them at all but I also don’t overtly discourage you from checking them out if you are that curious.

#five nights at freddy's #fnaf books #fazbear frights books #rank and review

40 notes · View notes