#my dude has got some severe trust issues

[theoddest1]

Hazbin Hotel episode 5 is a rushed mess.

May just make this a continual thing where I review the episodes from here on out.

-Right off the bat, the pacing for this episode is probably the worst out of all other episodes so far. Things just begin abruptly (Lucifer's first song with Al for instance), no build up, 5 months have passed in only 5 episodes of barely any progress or focus on Charlie as a character, a random character that didn't need to be introduced but was anyway ruined the flow further, and this stupid ass rivalry all on the basis of who's the "better dad" is legit the most random conflict of any conflict so far. That will get a point all on its own along with some of the other things mentioned. The pacing left no real breathing room aside from 2 moments: Al's rise to power and Husk n Al's convo. I wanna say the second song would be a 3rd but it just resolves an issue that was present for seemingly years and pulled a "Stolas" with having a song or sob story as an excuse for the lack of effort to reach out and be a better dad. Lazy writing and pacing overall.

-5 months....5 months have passed with barely anything revolving around helping sinners or trust built around the main cast SHOWN ON SCREEN. We are told important information opposed to witnessing the progress itself. This is not only lazy but extremely jarring cause it feels as though episodes were skipped and bonds feel unearned. They get easily resolved in what feels like seconds, and we're just supposed to....deal with it. Angel and Husk barely interact throughout this episode, which, after the crazy ride they had, with the knowledge of a SEVERAL MONTHS passing by as well, you'd think Angel would be shown to be more chatty with him....which he doesn't. Nothing crazy, just small bits of them interacting and enjoying each other's company. Nah. We get that next episode, and even THAT'S lacking. I'll tackle that in a separate post. But yeah, 5 months, and we have yet to see the other guests' views and how it has changed for the better or the process of them realizing WHY they would go for redemption. How that has affected them. Nothing of note has come about from any of these. No other sinners have joined. No other demons seem interested in Charlie's Hotel. Nothing. We are told things have been done, yet it feels like we are still at the starting line, or well, a foot away from it and miles away from the finish.

- Lucifer is a joke. I don't mind me a goofy threat, it adds a charm to them but also shows that they take so little seriously due to their immense power....not Lucifer. No, that guy just....is a joke. Dude is in his mansion making fucking toy ducks for some reason and just has depression (show said it outright, not even depression is spared from "tell don't show")

He does literally nothing, doesn't seem to WANT to do anything, and no one respects the guy. Nearly all in the Hotel lack fear, intimidation, or admiration for the guy (Pentious is the only one who seems to exhibit admiration of some kind). The closest we got is being uncomfortable. That's it. Then there's his scuffle with Alastor. Tell me why he feels the need to argue with this sucka again? Cause last I checked, Alastor is a mere overlord, and Lucifer is The Devil. Wtf is this randomass rivalry that just...S T A R T S? Why does Lucifer get intimidated or moved by Al? It makes no sense. Lucifer has been alive far longer than humanity itself, but nah this random fuck who looks like he robbed a blood bank got him weeping insecurities? I'm supposed to take this sad excuse of a character seriously? How many of these carbon copy characters will Viv make until I finally end my suffering???

-Wtf is Alastor's deal? Why is he so pressed and annoyed? One moment he is as cool and collected as a cucumber and showing only SLIGHT annoyance (Vox and His song), then he goes to meetings and speaks with people far older, far more experienced, and/or far stronger than he show no interest and he gets pissy? How insecure is he that people not caring where he's gone or thinking his ideas are wack is what leads to his eye twitching and him throwing a random ass cuss. Seriously, THAT'S what got him to swear? That his idea for the hotel's name is stupid? BFFR! You can not be serious right now, THAT'S what gets him going? You'd think with how witty and chill he was in the pilot, he would find a quick and a effective smart-ass comeback, not essentially bitch at The Devil. This makes Alastor look like a thin-skinned wannabe, too cause these minor ass comebacks are why he has lost his edge along with some randomass song number?? And at the end of the day, Al just couldn't be damned anymore to even care by the end of the episode, he doesn't speak with Lucifer or give any stank looks, doesn't speak with Charlie, does NOTHING pertaining to the issues prior, nah, he just stands there and watches after telling Mimzy to go away. Some say he did this to simply piss Lucifer off, but that doesn't make sense (not saying it ain't true, just saying if it is, it's nonsensical). First off, if that were the case, why was he annoyed even BEFORE seeing the guy?

If he only wanted to get a rise, why is HE getting angry? Trolls usually don't care enough to be this pissed. Second, wtf would he even gain from doing this? What to help push Lucifer to be a better father to Charlie, request by Lilith to Al so that Lucifer can get his act together?? If so, that's the LAZIEST shit I have ever heard. Lucifer is such a joke, he needed a SINNER to get him back on track....

Regardless, this whole father shit by Al comes out of nowhere and ruins the goddamn flow of the episode. Prior to it all, Al has shown NO interest in anyone and has done jack shit. Wtf does he even do? He's done ONE thing so far and that was help for the commercial. Alastor has shown to be completely useless as of now.

-Charlie, why is she treated as tho she isn't a grown ass woman? She's babied to hell and back and despite being the daughter of Lucifer, hasn't shown any of her abilities to help the hotel. So Lucifer can summon shit but not her? Is she that useless? Also, gotta love how she never asks her dad about the Valentino situation to help Angel out. Man...what a great ass friend. She also doesn't find it weird that Al is just suddenly...babying her? She has zero awareness of everything, I guess, which is getting annoying now. You're over 200 years of age (went to high school in the 1800s according to what her comic was about, but guess that's retconned based on what happens in the following episode).

So she doesn't use her abilities to tidy up the place, she doesn't act her damn age, she doesn't do anything to help her sexually assaulted friend. What a damn joke, just like her dad.

-Mimzy shouldn't have been in an episode about Lucifer. Plain and simple. Her character should have been introduced in one of the earlier episodes. Not during fucking this. And we got a repeat of the pilot with Alastor's backstory retold. So they're down to retell his rise to power but not to make at least a proper recap of the events that happened prior? Key word....PROPER.

-Husk caring about Mimzy bringing trouble is actually fucking stupid. Because of the lack of proper build up to him now finding more reason to like the Hotel, it feels forced that he would be worried about what danger Mimzy brought. And on top of that, yeah...ALASTOR IS RIGHT THERE. You know who else is there? LUCIFER. I get it, Lucifer stood by and watched as the Hotel was being swatted, but he also sang a song about providing what Charlie asked for, meaning if she had asked her dad, he woukd be down to help, so WHY TF IS HE WORRIED???? Also , is Charlie just INCAPABLE of fighting for herself?? "She doesn'twanna hurt sinners-" so she had no defensive abilities??? What???? Also, that's a damn lie, she fought Katie Killjoy on live Tv. Are no other damn people capable of protecting the Hotel??? Why did Al need to step in for that? They were just LOAN SHARKS.

Anyway, the scene where Husk is probing Alastor about Mimzy and treating him as a pet is decently paced and the tone was pretty neat, sucks that this feels like their way of showing that Husk is also under a leash like Angel rather than him being treated as a joke, which btw...horrid way to compare the two. Wanna know why? One is subjected to an onslaught of sexual assault whether he was pushing Val's buttons or not, and forced to be assaulted by various men around him, passed around like a thing. The other is Husk, who legit disrespected Alastor and had to push at him to get such humiliation and terror, and guess what....Al still ended up pushing Mimzy away after she did end up bringing trouble, so he did essentially listen to Husk in his own distant way. This is the ONLY TIME we see Al be downright mean to Husk and probably the only time. Angel has been subjected to nothing but horrid assault after assault no matter the situation. So I better not see anyone say, "SEE LOOK, THEY'RE BOTH ABUSED" stfu. Nothing about their situations are even remotely similar. Just cause the chains are the same doesn't mean the users are. EDIT: Ima say this before people act like I excuse this. No, I am not excusing Alastor's actions. I am pointing out what happened on screen. Husk mocked Alastor, Alastor retaliated out of anger(much like how Angel retaliated at Husk in ep 4 after Husk kept arguing and mocking him) by pulling out the chains to shut him up. He didn't even hit Husk. Again, I'm not excusing it, just pointing out how vastly different Husk and Angel's situations are and how one overlord reacts compared to the other....who is a straight-up rapist.

-Both the songs are mid/ok but pulled down by the awful storytelling....shame. I at first was not fond of Lucifer's voice.....it's ok now, I guess. Idk. I'm still not really feeling it, though.

Episode sucked ass

Pacing was all over the place

ALASTOR AND LUCIFER ARE PISS BABIES

#hazbin hotel criticism #hazbin hotel critical #hazbin critical #hazbin critique #Hazbin Hotel episode 5 #vivziepop critical #vivziepop criticism

[amuseoffyre]

Have had a couple of days and a rewatch and some mulling to put together my thoughts:

The good:

the writing - I've talked at length about the use of metaphor, symbolism, allegory and the like to add meat and substance to the narrative

the continuity tied in to S1 and the foreshadowing coming full circle, plus running themes continuing

the music is flawless throughout - both the soundtrack with songs and the original score and the way old motifs are used to add parallels and depth to scenes

the acting across the board has been staggeringly good. Especially for Taika, Rhys and Con. I can see why so many reviews had been raving about it.

the bits of set-up for S3 that have been planted if/when they get it

new characters who are an absolute delight

Family Trauma the TV show - intense to watch but cathartic af

Badass ladies and the soft boys who love them

Auntie.

The bad:

too much story and not enough time to tell it

sacrificing a lot of crew-related stuff - I know this is primarily the Ed and Stede story, but we're told that Olu was always talking about Zheng, but we never even got a single line of it. Buttons' disappearance gets one sus line. We gloss over the probation and why Ed is back in his leathers literally the next day. Again, I know, time constraints, but it does feel weaker for it.

speedrunning so much that it's taken several rewatches to catch everything that's going on - yes, it can work as a narrative device, but not all the time

still not over Zheng falling for Ricky's gift. Do not trust the aristocratic white dude, especially not when you've been blackmailing him. And I know there's some logical sense to her being so used to being able to manipulate desperate people on the fringes with both carrot and stick, but it feels like severe underestimation on her part about how ruthless and cruel and petty Ricky could be. He's not like the pirates - he has the power and privilege and it feels like she ignored that.

whatever that Teal Oranges pivot was so Jim could have a girlfriend, especially since they didn't have time/space to actually develop the Olu/Zheng and Jim/Archie stuff. Archie was barely a scrape of characterisation because of time constraints.

The ... Forbs Boding

Izzy - it falls under the typical archetype of Loss of a Role Model especially given all Ed's dad issues, which I thought we were beyond, but then it also fits with the running motif of the show of change, death and rebirth. We've had confirmation of the existence of a place between life and death plus a character who was beaten to death coming back from it and a seawitch turning up at the grave. I can see why it was done as it has been foreshadowed since "the only retirement we get is death" but after all his growth in S2, having Ricky be the one to get the jump on him is... hm. I feel like they had him and Ricky talking and Ricky causing his death for a reason. Feels like there's set-up for S3 planted and ready. My Forbs, they are A-Boding. ffs, they Obi-Wanned him right after he did a speech about "our spirit will last beyond your whole fucking empire". Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine vibes.

The way trauma is/isn't being dealt with - I feel like there's stuff there that is set up for S3 as well, because we've seen how Stede is still bottling all his stuff and hasn't dealt with any of it, while Ed has done some processing and started to make peace with himself over it. Stede still has his mental lockbox and while he tries to pretend it isn't there, it still informs so many of his decisions.

All the Star Wars vibes - I've always been convinced this was the Empire Strikes Back season and now, they have all the pieces in play for the Return of the Jedi arc: Stede and Ed are together and recovering but will have a role to play, Izzy is in carbonite with a seawitch control panel, their allies are out there getting pieces in place, and the Imperial figurehead villain who showed up in S2 is still out there and convinced he holds all the power. And I just realised that this means that if they use Hornigold, he's the equivalent of Boba Fett - Bounty Hunter for the Empire XD

On the whole, I am content with it and am already having thoughts about the potential for S3, but I find it incredibly frustrating knowing how much more it could have been with the budget/time they wanted and didn't get.

#ofmd #ofmd s2 #ofmd s2 spoilers

[hajihiko]

I am sad and in need of my bed

SO MY QUESTION FOR YOU RUMPS IS

How do you think the dr2 characters cope with the big sad, what kind they are (good and bad), and who comes to help em out :)

(if you say hajime for assistance because he’s technically the ultimate therapist you’re gonna get your shoes stolen /lh/nsrs)

Hajime.

BUT not because hes the Ultimate therapist, rather because he is very adept at making people feel comfortable. Meta-wise, this is because he's the protagonist of a character-heavy game that encourages you to form a bond with at least one NPC, and most of the NPCs are jerks. Of course you want some encouragement or rewardl and your reward is the NPC opening up and trusting you, the player character.

But since we're not viewing the characters as NPCs in a game, in-world it comes out as Hajime getting even the most suspicious, awkward and stand-offish people to like him enough to overcome some of their issues, meaning he's just a comfortable dude.

So, besides Hajime;

Akane: ignores the big sad for as long as she can. Might have a little breakdown but still tries to get over it way before she's ready by distracting herself or pretending like a comfort worked 100% ("now that I've cried for half a minute I'm FINE haha see ya"). She would go to Kazuichi for distractions and someone who will probably do the crying for her. Slowly starts being open to Fuyuhiko's offer of talking things out, but only when she's already done being sad.

Sonia: Even if she is big sad in private, she has a hard time being real with it in front of others because she tends to pop into inspiration mode. She might pep talk herself (and others) several times without any real progress because she isnt letting it out. Eventually she'll yell and cry and then actually feel better afterwards. I think besides Hajime shed split pretty easily between Akane and Fuyuhiko, who are both awkward around big emotions but ultimately also very helpful.

Kazuichi: Feels big emotions all the time and sadness is a big part of it. He is very capable of feeling the things- its hiding them that's the problem- so he's used to it, but a linger melancholy cloud that doesnt go away even when he's done sobbing about it is a bigger problem. I think he would go to Sonia if he needed point-blank merciless advice (he is careful though, between not wanting to seem like he's pressuring her and not being able to take rejection when he's already so depressed) or Akane for comfort.

Fuyuhiko: it's kinda complicated because he was actually fairly good at dealing with grief in-game (once he was past the passive suicidal ideation) but that was in the middle of a murder game and. I think he would be the type to push it aside for as long as something bigger needs doing, but he suffers for it when there's nothing else to focus on. He feels better when he thinks he has some control so besides Hajime he goes to Souda, who a) has no room to judge and b) wont dare to snitch or get too mushy.

The ones most likely to intentionally seek out the sad people are probably Fuyuhiko (as with Akane post Nekomaru death) and Souda (again Akane & Nekomaru's death). Probably Sonia too? Just based on vibes (and she got Fuyuhiko a get-well-soon present).

Hajime definitely feels like the type to isolate when he actually feels the sad, but he's more likely to get frustrated or listless than outright sad (he also does not have a crying sprite in the game). I think who he goes to is really dependant on what he wants out of the interaction. With Akane, it's easy to forget anything is wrong, but she'll also be a big strong pillar to lean on. Souda is great with distractions and emotional validation (easily affected by other people's moods). Sonia cheers people up and doesnt let anyone get away with wallowing, and Fuyuhiko is a good conversationalist and has experience with actually handling grief (fun fact, all of Fuyuhiko's FTEs revolve around just talking, mayhaps because he has no hobbies besides crime but who knows) .

#Talky talky Tuesday #Not an art #This is long I hope it's worth it lol #Talky talky

[yumethefrostypanda]

Given the disclosure of the Ghost's identity within the company, what human qualities does he respect and appreciate? Maybe you noticed something for yourself during the game?

Oee good question! Thank you for asking my thoughts about this :)

I think, above all/most important, he has to trust you on some kind of level. Since his seemingly severe 'trust issues' he probably will never fully trust you. Or that circle is very, very small.

As i mentioned before, in the army you need to trust eachother since lives are at stake. So.. that kind of lvl of trust :) You got his back, he got yours. I'm very bad at explaining things, also in English.

But take a look at another's perspective, who doesn't know Ghost. Soldiers already talking about the 'Big scary dude in the skull mask-or something'. Some (trained men) are literally scared of Ghost (with good reason). I swear i feel like Simon can shut everything down and go as far as using his teeth as a weapon, to save you. Anywayy XD.. Ghost taking off his mask in a room full of (good) soldiers looked like something he doesn't usually do. Him displaying trust and respect to everyone in the room. Also Price saying "Good to see you again, Simon.", who knows howlong John hasn't seen Simon's face. In short.. XD If he can trust you in battle (this can take some time, i guess), you're good. You can get (lack of better wording)'friendly' with him, as he was with Soap and Alejandro for example. But for his personal life.. i find it kind of tricky to answer. I feel like he's a 'loner'/barely home. And have made some kind of peace with it/prefers it? Not sure. I hope we get a sneak peek into their lives or something for the next MW :P. I hope this answered your question Q_Q Here have an extra Ghost.gif :3

#ask yume #ghost #headcanon #simon ghost riley #i put a 'read more' thingy cause #i keep rambling on

[niqosblog]

Why Do People Distrust Reboots of Cartoons?

An Analysis

Root of The Trust Issues

I feel like ever since Teen Titans Go, people have lost faith in reboots of classic shows. Especially since their only basis is "this is a show for little kids", and they expect it to be immature and plotless.

You can't just announce that you're making a TV show reboot of a classic with a more simplistic art style without expecting backlash.

Just saying "I like the [insert media] reboot!" Everyone is gonna be on your back and say that it's a bad lifeless reboot. But I believe that some are actually good. They have kept up similar themes and still progress with the modern world.

The Exception

If we're really getting into this topic, may I say that Voltron: Legendary Defender is a reboot that people loved to pieces. Even with its awful ending, people still loved it. Yet no one asked for it.

No one looked at the old Voltron and said "I wish there was a reboot".

Was the show good? YES!

It performed amazing during its run. It had a strong fan following to it as well.

Was it bar for bar, character for character accurate? NO!

Keith was supposed to end up with Allura, going so far as to marry her. Pidge was actually a clumsy dwarf boy that had a crush on Allura. Hunk was some buff white guy rather than a chubby Samoan dude.

Yet, did people complain? ALSO NO. And the only reason why, was the art style.

Simplistic Art Style

Then we get to things like the My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake Reboot. These are objectively good reboots as a stand alone, without a nostalgia bias.

They have representation, life lessons, friendship themes, basically everything that the original was. But the fact it's a 'reboot' is what throws people into hysteria.

Strawberry Shortcake was always a spunky girl who would always problem solve in a kind and caring way. Always true to her friends, loved making friends.

She is such a stereotypical good girl that the show even pokes fun at it. Making jokes that she's too trustworthy and friendly. And they keep this trend in the reboot. Yet people didn't watch it.

And you want to know why?

"it looks lifeless" "it lost its spark" "the designs are ugly"

Why This Argument Sucks

This isn't a real argument. Exhibit A would be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT).

We can agree that TMNT has kept a consistent art style. Mostly consisting of the big eyes, similar body shapes, wide mouths... The only two thing differentiating them being the eye covers and weapons.

Now in the reboot, there are several differences.

Raphael - Stocky, beefy, wider, taller, snaggle tooth

Leonardo - skinner waist, broad shoulders, long head, slightly muscular arms, eye markings

Donatello - basically the same as Leo but he has skinner arms, and goggles

Michaelangelo - rounder, shorter, bigger eyes, more colors

Unlike the other adaptations, where they look like the same copy and paste character with a slight hue shift, they actually look different. But before it came out, there was a lot of backlash of the characters looking ugly.

That soon changed when clips started circling around that people gave it a shot. And guess what. They liked it! They called the characters charming and unique, and even got a huge fandom from shares on Tiktok and advertisements from the program airing the show.

Sure, people did complain about the simplicity. But they eventually came to enjoy it. So why can't people keep the same energy for other reboots?

Nostalgia

The biggest factor of all is nostalgia. I loved Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Bitty Adventures. And I dabbled in watching the 2003 version because I loved it when I was a kid. Yet, I still love the reboot.

Berry in the Big City isn't a bad reboot, people just don't want to give it a chance because of the nostalgia factor. They grew up with the 2003-2009 version and expect no changes, and when things did change they threw a fit.

I don't know how to tell you this, but this show was made for KIDS. Not teenagers looking for a fun watch, not adults looking for a taste of classic TV, but children.

Sure, there are some teens and adults who love this show because they might be a babysitter or an older sibling. Or maybe just someone who heard it was good and wanted to give it a watch.

But if your only reason for disliking a show is that "it's not my [insert character]" is showing that you're just scared of change. If I'm really being honest, BITBC shows more personality in their characters.

Back in Berry Bitty Adventures, they all felt like the same girl just with a different goal. Here, Strawberry is more hyperactive and passionate, Blueberry is going with the flow and airhead-ish, Orange is a competitive athlete, Lemon is an emotionally closed off inventor, Lime is a nerdy fashionista.

And they all look different.

I have confused Raspberry Torte and Strawberry in 2009 more times than I can count. Even characters like Cherry Jam and Blueberry who have a different color scheme, look similar when desaturated.

And if you feel hurt by the fact that I'm saying cons about a series you loved as a kid, then you're part of the problem.

I don't expect you to say that "oh, yeah, I can see that." but instead, admit that not everything you grew up with was perfect.

And if Strawberry Shortcake isn't enough proof that people glorify the original too much, may I remind you people continuously hate the Monster High reboot.

The original had racial stereotypes, outdated jokes, sexist characters, toxic relationships (that for some reason stayed together), misrepresentation of disorders, and way more.

The reboot actually tries to be sensitive to who might be watching their show. They made Asian coded characters not yellow, they properly represent disabilities, they don't make Abbey's foreign accent a joke, they have body diversity. And g1 is apparently still superior.

Another reminder is that when g1 tried to make progress with their first gay character, they back tracked it and made it subtext. There will always be a problem with g1 Monster High, the only people who ignore it are people who are scared of change.

Conclusion

Are you supposed to watch all reboots from now and forever into eternity. No. This is just a thing I noticed when goons glaze on a cartoon that they (probably) didn't even watch getting a reboot.

There are bad reboots out there, (I'm looking at you Velma..), but I feel like if you just watched a couple episodes you'd find them more enjoyable. The original doesn't disappear when you watch a reboot. In fact, most of the examples I've mentioned are free on YouTube.

#strawberry shortcake 2021 #strawberry shortcake #berry in the big city #berry bitty adventures #voltron #voltron: legendary defender #vld #keith kogane #pidge holt #katie holt #pidge gunderson #lemon meringue #orange blossom #blueberry muffin #lime chiffon #cherry jam #raspberry torte #raspberry tart #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rotmnt #tmnt michelangelo #tmnt raphael #tmnt leonardo #tmnt donatello #monster high #monster high 2022 #reboots #cartoons #long reads

[blade-that-was-broken]

For the soldier au, imagine what Bruce’s reaction to jd having branches letter would be. Like jd is overseas and somehow managed to get one of baby branches drawings to put on the fridge. First thing jd does when he gets to Bruce’s house is place branches letter on the fridge.

or what the bros reactions as a whole would have been if jd managed to send branch a reply so they’re all reconnecting via letters with inconsistent replies while jd is overseas in active combat and they all have the knowledge that their brother could die at any moment.

Alright, so this was kind of fun to think about, although I'm sorry that is it a little different than your thoughts on the matter.

JD spends a fair amount of time in almost some kind of vaguely paranoid survival mode where he isn’t sure who he can trust, how much or what the future brings for him. Don’t get me wrong, he loves his brother and although he’s not big into showing it at the beginning (for several reasons) he is still hesitant because he is very used to a certain type of living and authority relationships. He doesn’t have a lot of items and is only sentimental with very few things. The letter from Branch would be one of them. For a long time, it would be something he could keep close to him and possibly even in secret. Not that he thinks consciously Bruce is going to take it away or accuse him or anything but it’s that he is very, very used to keeping sentimental things close and hidden.

So I don’t think he’d put it on the fridge. It’s kind of a thing that - he doesn’t have a lot when it comes to his family/brothers and so with what he does have, he keeps close to the vest. So to speak.

As for Bruce's reaction; well, he'd have to find it first. It's not something John is going to give up easily or have just lying around. There might be a confrontation. Not that there is a lot of anger but JD would get probably a bit defensive, mostly because he's protective of it - it's one of the very few things he has - but this is mostly first instinct more than anything and he'd calm down about it.

I feel like the exchange afterwards would be something kind of like...

"You've been in contact with Branch since he was a kid?"

"No."

"What do you mean? You have a letter."

"Schools send them."

"And this just happened to get to you? That is one heck of a coincidence."

"It didn't come to me. Someone else in my platoon got it."

"How did you get it then?"

"Dickory got it for me."

"How did you know it was our brother?"

"...how many people do you think are named Branch?"

Vaguely, I think that would be sort of how it went. Not an exact science, I imagine. Also, since it was Dickory that got it - probably stole it - for him, it's also kind of personal in that aspect too. His friend did this thing that he could get in trouble for, for him. He's gonna keep it. But that's kind of a non issue considering who it wrote it in the first place.

John would have a hard time letting it go - he probably won't, at least not until far later, mostly when he has an actual relationship with Branch. (Which is so friggin cute, like they are so adorable I love them)

So yeah, that's my thoughts on it. As cute as it would be for baby Branch's letter to be on the fridge, I don't think John would let it go, especially be public like that, even if it is just in the household. Besides, I think it's pretty safe to say that Bruce's fridge is covered in his own kid's drawings.

Now, when John get's his own place, Rosiepuff is definitely gonna let him raid they kids drawings she's kept over the years and his fridge will be covered in cute stuff from his brothers when they were kids as well as his nephews and eventually, niece's stuff. Possibly a thing or two from Tresillo, idk yet.

As for the second part; dude that sound be so cute. I think at first, Branch might kind of keep it to himself. He’s about about 10, Bruce would be gone, Clay would probably be gone and I don’t know, I think one: Branch would be a bit suspicious at first. And then once he does accept it (cause he doesn’t even really know JD exists) it’s kind of something he might want to keep to himself for a bit. Selfish? A bit sure but he’s just a kid. It’s no surprise.

So I think Branch would kind of go back and forth with JD for a bit, although it would be slow and therefore take a lot of time. Eventually, at the very least, Floyd would probably catch on before he leaves but this is kind of iffy.

There is a significant age gap between Branch and the rest of the brothers. Branch is probably only about 5-6 when Bruce leaves, 7-8 when Clay leaves. Floyd sticks around a little longer, mostly for school but he goes off on his music career and doesn't have a lot of time to come back for Branch.

Although Branch does not have the same level of abandonment as he does in canon and he understands that they just kind of aged out and it's not their fault that there is such a large age gap - and hanging out with him is awkward (he understands this better when he's older obviously) - it is their fault that they don't keep in good good/consistent contact. For this au of an au, John and Branch's letters would probably be one of the most consistent forms of contact.

It kindaaaaa wanna makes me make this canon but I don't think I can at this point lol. It's just a super cute concept and I'd love for Branch to have that at a younger age. Idk, maybe I could manage something, even if Branch doesn't know it's JD in the letters...hmmmm... idk. It's just such a cute concept.

If the rest of the bros did find out... hmmm I'm not sure. Like, none of them are really communicating with one another very well, although the fact that JD is in a kinda active warzone might make them more inclined to remember to do that sort of thing.

#ask #soldier on au #soldier on au au

[throttlegainwell]

I don't normally comment on fandom takes that I don't agree with, but I'm sort of baffled by the "Argyle is a bad influence on Jonathan" take I've seen a few times. Like. What. Like, I get it, kind of. But I don't see it that way at all.

Setting aside that Jonathan's not a helpless, unthinking vessel lacking agency, and Argyle isn't a particularly irresponsible, sinister guy, I just don't even see where they're coming from.

Argyle had to grow on me (like, for several episodes, I really didn't know what to make of him, though some of that was my inattention during S4). But he's probably Jonathan's first uncomplicated friendship. He gives Jonathan space to be himself and to talk about what's bothering him. He listens without judgement and Jonathan feels safe with him--he trusts this guy with the things that matter most to him in the world. Argyle doesn't place demands on him, but he lets Jonathan reciprocate his overtures of friendship and his kindness in his own way. He's ride-or-die for Jonathan's family when that's what he needs. And, yes, Argyle does a lot of this while high.

Jonathan was probably falling apart and spiraling when he met Argyle, for a number of very understandable reasons. Is it healthy for Jonathan to shut down and lose himself to pot? For anyone? I dunno, man--health is a social construct and the way we conceptualize and talk about drugs, drug use, and drug users in the US fucking sucks. Is Jonathan self-medicating with the weed? Yeah, I'd say it's pretty clear that he is. But you can't heal while you're bleeding. Argyle gave him a tool that helped him cope when he needed it. Hopefully he won't need it that way forever--habitually doing a bong rip before school is not ideal--but Argyle hasn't exactly sucked him down into some seedy underworld. He just offered him a hit and a shoulder to cry on and someone to chill with. And that's assuming that Argyle even introduced him to pot, which I'm not sold on.

Like, sure, Jonathan is avoiding dealing with his problems, but he always has. That's not new. And so is almost everyone on this show. I don't imagine that without Argyle, Jonathan, newly arrived in California with zero self-worth and an army surplus store's worth of baggage and trauma (a lot of which he can't talk about for very legitimate reasons), was going to necessarily cope any better. This guy had very inadequate tools to manage these issues.

And I think he was always going to tend toward substance use to manage that, whoever he got it from or whatever he tried. I don't think getting high with Argyle was his first exposure to pot, or that even if it was, it wouldn't have occurred to him before as something he might be interested in. He'd have found something. This dude was getting high one way or another, the moment he could do it without letting his family down or leaving them unacceptably vulnerable. And like... so what? Humans get high sometimes.

#i don't want to say there's a racial element to this but i feel like there probably is #also i'm gonna be honest i don't need a ship to be healthy to be interested in it #sometimes the less wholesome aspects are the interesting parts #but yeah i really like jargyle and i think it works #weed tw

[scintillyyy]

a n y w a y s currently 12 episodes into season 2 of the firefighter show so just some thoughts

you know, i stand corrected. i am liking what they're doing with shannon. so far. she's not demonized at all!! and the christmas thing got me, i'll admit it. i'm a sucker for that stuff.

wish the episode awful people hadn't gone for the whole dispatcher story and instead focused more on the actual awful people that make the job kind of miserable, like the drunk person who calls for help and then spits on you. (ik ik they did the evil racist guy but like they could have done more)

i did enjoy hen's origin although i think it was a ~little on the nose as far as racism and sexism within the job. like. trust me that job is rife with sexism but it's usually not quite so in your face. every single person would be written up several times over and most of these dudes do care about their job enough to not jeopardize it. also, evil caricature old captain was hilariously lowballing the 82k to train a ~woman~. bro salary + benefits + training has easily got to be double that at least. it costs a lot to hire and train someone new. for context, when my husband's department was short staffed it was short for a few years because the city was more than content with paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime every year because it was cheaper than hiring new guys and paying salay + benefits + pension.

speaking of salary, benefits, and pension go to https://transparentcalifornia.com/ go to cities go to los angeles go to the year of your choosing type in and search within those records for firefighter. enjoy.

i do think the show continues its complete misconstruing of how the fire service chain of command works here with evil former captain (although i will admit, an old asshole with a terrible mustache and terrible opinions is realistic, so i'll allow it), once again the show seems to think a captain is the be all end all of decision making who apparently answers to no one. you see, unless the lafd does things extremely weirdly, there's a thing called staffing and numbers. you are assigned to specific trucks/engines/ambulances by the city. hell. by the fire chief in some departments. hell i'm pretty sure the fire chief of my husband's department called him once because they were trying to move around paramedics to ask if he had an opinion about being moved to a certain ambo they needed staffed (his opinion would be noted, but disregarded if necessary). if a captain left someone behind for no reason?? if you're assigned to a truck/engine/ambo you're going out with that truck/engine/ambo no exceptions. it's not like they show up for work and maybe they get taken out. if engine 7 is dispatched the people assigned to engine 7 are dispatched. it's not just 'hey, whoever's free, let's go'. like bro. chimney. talk to hr. i know you're a probie and the union can't help at this point but your captain also has people he reports to. the battalion chief would be very interested in this and everyone would probably think that evil captain getting his comeuppance would be hilarious as hell. there's no way that everyone who works under that captain isn't constantly shitting on what a dumbass he is and how he needs to retire.

speaking of chim's intro, i did like the episode but once again absolutely ridiculous about the whole they don't let him go out. also ridiculous the idea that they don't want to get to know him until they're sure he won't die?? lol wtf. like okay. firefighting is a dangerous job. but they have not done a lot of work improving it's safety over the years especially wrt fire management for these dudes to act like there's an epidemic of dying on the job. the US fire administration is crying. and obviously ik ik it worked with the whole kevin died on the job thing but it's still a little ridiculous.

anyways yea. actually. really the main issue with hen's, chimney's, and tbh even eddie's introductions is that not a single one of them brought donuts with them on their first day. that's how you make enemies of your coworkers from the get-go. they'll remember that.

if you're at all curious about firefighter fatalities, feel free to peruse https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/firefighter-fatalities/

lots of heart attacks.

also speaking of chim's intro episode, i must applaud it because it made me realize that the showrunners have no idea what the vehicle exhaust extraction system is aka what those yellow hoses are there for.

so the past few episodes i had noticed that the yellow hoses were just hanging there and i'm like. huh. why aren't those connected to the engines if the engine's in the bay, they connect those as they're driving the engine in. they should be. maybe it's just a one off.

but then. but then!! they showed a scene in chim's episode that had a firefighter holding the hose as if he just took it off so the engine could drive away and i'm like !!!! that is sooo hilariously wrong. because you see, that's an exhaust hose. and fire stations have those because the engines and trucks and whatnot run on diesel...and diesal exhaust is an occupational carcinogen and the fumes are very not good for you--especially if they're being emitted inside. so to avoid carbon monoxide in the bay what they do is vent the fumes out while the engine is running in the bay. the hose is connected to the exhaust pipe by a magnet and the hose vents outside and runs along an overhead track. when the engine is started in the bay the exhaust is safely vented outside and the hose is able to move with the engine until the engine leaves the station and you attach it back on when you enter the station.

i'm never going to not notice this. i'm going to be watching those things like a hawk now.

#some firefighter bullshit #Youtube

[briarborealisocs]

ASK BOX.

Do any of your ocs want kids??? Are any of them vehemently against it??? I am so curious, especially talking to Nat about Nuri has gotten me thinking about my OCs and what they'd want in their future.

oh a very interesting question!! i dont usually think about this in regards to my characters because i prefer not to think too much about romance in my writing (i am aroace and find other dynamics easier to write) but hmmmm yes i think i will give it a go

you will find many of my characters are on the aroace spectrum as well because the projection game goes too hard

whoopsverse:

kiska doesnt really want biological kids because shes. immortal. and it would be weird. but she's VERY maternal. she adopts vas almost every reincarnation cycle and even beyond vas she's the type to pick up strays. she's a great mom too, she does her absolute best to learn everything she can about parenting

vas is . 15 years old usually! i dont think kids are ever really on her mind when i write her. i know some teenagers are already thinking about having a family, vas is not one of them lol. but she grows up Eventually and i think if she found someone she really trusted and loved she wouldnt be opposed to having kids, adopted or otherwise. back when vas was a grown woman in older drafts, her story was actually a romance! and she did have kids with her partner, aaron, in some aus. so hypothetically she could want kids, but i dont think about it much because shes 15 and a gremlin and i dont think she plans for romance or family life, its something that finds her when shes older sometimes though

project starstruck:

since boreal and austral are kind of my sonas to an extent, uhhh... nah haha i dont think theyd want kids. austral definitely wouldnt, shes the type to be a Cool Aunt with a dog or a cat and several trips to italy HAHA. austral also has pretty bad parental issues that make her even more hesitant to have kids, even if she wasnt aroace.

boreal honestly might want kids someday but i dont think shes very interested in finding a partner to raise them with. i do have it in mind that boreal becomes a kindergarten teacher though! she loves kids and is very good with them, i just dont think she'd have any of her own.

sshs:

there are sooo many characters here! i'll only talk about the ones that do probably want kids, and ignore the ones who are already canonically parents

leon definitely wants kids. he's a real teddy bear of a guy and he wants to be a dad someday, maybe even a stay at home dad if his future wife makes enough money to support the house on her own. he's dated on and off but nothing ever really worked out for him so far. he really really values family and would love to raise one on his own... he's kind of got other priorities right now that make dating hard, though haha. especially because his crush is an aromantic villain

dani i feel like also wants kids. my gut instinct was that she would not want kids but i think... not biological kids, probably, maybe? but she wouldnt be opposed to, when shes a lot older, having a kid or two of her own. i will say that currently its probably one of the LAST things on her mind, she doesnt even know what college she's gonna go to, much less what her romantic prospects are.

brendan (the dad-aged hero i havent formally introduced you to yet) probably WANTED kids but was never able to settle down due to his hero duties coming first. i think he probably still wants to have a family someday but its looking less and less likely the older he gets. dont worry dude, youll find someone someday

maia (dani's best friend who i also havent formally introduced you to yet) also wants kids someday. it actually is something thats been on her mind despite being a teenager, she's very grounded and the "plan ahead" type and shes already thinking about what she'll need to do if she wants to raise a family someday... girl its alright you can relax. you dont even have a girlfriend yet

the weaver's apprentice:

dijah doesnt hate kids? but she definitely does not want one of her own. maybe she gets baby fever every once in a while but then she remembers the reality of having to raise a child for 18+ years and decides she is NOT equipped for that, Thank You!

the owl house:

sol does not want kids. or a partner. or romance. but maybe someday when shes a lot older she'll take on an apprentice who becomes like a kid to her. (vague shrug) i love that trope and i feel like sol could pull it off if she wanted to. she definitely doesnt want kids though. she wants a potion empire and to hang out with her best friends

#asked and answered #thank you!!! this was a fun one #i never think about this stuff because i personally dont want romance or kids #but my characters arent me!! #shocking i know #whoopsverse #oc: kiska #oc: vas #project starstruck #oc: austral #oc: boreal #sshs #oc: leon #oc: dani #oc: brendan #oc: maia #the weaver's apprentice #oc: dijah #toh oc #oc: solstice

[a-vibing-potato]

Jesus Christ, episode 80 of HFTH was a rollercoaster

Percy and Diggory's romance in the first story made me remember why I fell in love with them in the first place and how at the beginning of this podcast they were my favorite characters. They are both so sweet and deserve the best and good god someone better start taking care of Diggory because they do not since they're so focused on taking care of everyone else and not themself.

"I just wanted to spend some time with you." I just want someone to care about me the way Diggory cares about Percy <3

"Yeah, I have anxiety too." (Same Percy, same lol. But I was so happy when he said it was better lately. So happy :D)

But overall the ROMANCEEEEE I could not deal with, it's too cute oh my goshhhhh. Diggory comforting Percy, Diggory's hand in Percy's hair, etc. But I can't wait until Percy finally starts caring more for Diggory back. Diggory deserves it.

OH AND THE "I love you" "I love you too" WE FINALLY GOT IT YES. I don't remember if they've both said I love you yet, but I come from the Magnus Archives fandom where we count our little romance blessings (fabric rustles, my beloved).

Second story:

The first conversation went in thirty different directions but I love it.

“We are being pursued,” said Diggory. (Dude, and they say it so casually I love them)

“Maybe they’re just a friendly motorcycle gang,” Percy whispered.

"I uSeD tO bE iN A LesBiAn BiKEr GanG." (Valerie, you are just like your daughter and I love you for it, but not the time.)

Other Riot asking "Why does something bad happen to you guys every day?" was literally me when I started this podcast. I was like goddamn.

Then a little later: "How equipped are we to fight thirty to forty bikers?"

"Have you seen Diggory?" (Yes, my beloved Mx. Knifehands)

"Have you seen me?" (Olivier, I love you <3 you've really grown on me these several episodes and I really didn't care what happened to you for the longest time but now, gosh what an icon)

"We'Re nOT bUyiNg AnY gIRl ScoUt CoOkiEs" (Valerie, once again, I love you)

But I swear, the dialogue for my RV family, I'm in love with every time. They are so chaotic <3. I could talk about twenty billion more lines but I'll contain myself.

"Professional" thoughts though (as professional as I get anyway), they're having dinner with the Count. The Count that Yaretzi knew? Because if so, Yikes.

ALSO: The TENSION between Riot and Olivier, they won't look each other in the eyes, the half-playful fighting about if vampires are real, BUT THEN OLIVER SITS NEXT TO RIOT AT THE DINNER (and in the episode it's just like, yeah, all the other characters just sat down. They were also there I guess.) Are we shipping right now or what? Actual question for myself, I'm worried I'm jumping the gun but afraid for spoilersss.

AND WE GOT MORT. I was blessed this episode :)

Mort and Barb having an actual serious conversation and we find out about Barb's traumatic past (what is it with the demons and the trust issues? Barb and Polly have both brought it up at different points to Mort how 'everyone will leave eventually, don't get attached, etc.'? Like what's the deal? Everyone in this podcast has trust issues if I'm honest but what in the world???)

And then we found Polly's severed hand and the vibes were ruined :)))))

#hfth #hello from the hallowoods #hfth s2 spoilers #hfthw #but seriously my reaction to this episode was 'wow #what an amazing episode... (cue hand) that is not what i wanted to hear.' #also nikignik and their rants #they talk about sleep and dreams for twenty minutes just to go #IF I COULD SLEEP I WOULD BE OUT COLD EVERY TIME I HEARD LADY ETHEL MALLORY'S VOICE #they hate each other <3

[helpimstuckinafandom]

Next up on a tsats post I read got me thinking: Will Solace again

Because (again) good stuff in tsats got lost in the repetativeness of this book. Someone pointed out that Will's character wasn't changed, people just think he's calm and collected on the outside and in this book we see his pov and see him with someone he's closer/more vulnerable with, and dude is riddled with anxiety that he hides. And like..... yes. Yeah. That's it. That's literally it.

Being calm and collected and bossy in his element and completely petrified outside of it? Real for the medic who's great plan in the Seige on Camp Half-Blood being to run/get chased (and do the demigod art of insultsTM) Feeling like shit to be taken care of and thinking yourself useless because of it? So real for a medic who has previously bemoaned his lesser musical ability and combat abilities, who is now unable to do the one thing he IS good at

Personal bias here but I am called the "chill one" in my family. My dad says it almost constantly (especially in comparison to my siblings) that I'm more relaxed and don't get all anxious and have it under control and just don't sweat it. I'm not as academically smart as my siblings or anything and my relaxed nature is the number one thing that gets noticed about me

But I'm not

I am scared all the time. I feel sick to my literal stomach with anxiety multiple times a month going to bed or waking up because of.... life. Do I let a single person know that? God no. What if they need me? I live a good life all things considered, how could I ever compare the small shit I go through to someone's break up or family trauma or depressive episode?(Got a little bit of the "i'm not diagnosed so I'm invalid" thing going on) How could I ever put my needs on the front burner when I need to help people or spend time with them at their beck and call.

One of the other things I'm called/get compared to is a Therapy Dog. Because people find me comforting to be around - I listen and do my best to help - I am a friendly face.

I have literally told myself some days where life just keeps coming at me that I won't cover it up and I will actually look sad. I repeatedly tell myself to do it, and then the instant - the very second - i'm in front of someone I feel it naturally pack itself into the back of my mind and feel a smile pull at my lips. I literally can't do it. I don't want to worry them, I don't want to disuade them from telling me something because I look sad.

I think about the way my failures will impact everyone else but me. Like right now I think I'm gonna fail a course and it frightens me, but my priority is my mother who is stressed from family issues and my dad who trusted me - how my grades will worsen their lives. I'm like that for everything.

Basically, if I can't make people feel better, what good am I? What good am I TO THEM?

So Will Solace. I've always really liked him and related myself to him - even from Last Olympian, believe it or not. The brief moments with him back then had him be that random background character I latched onto. And then there was HOO (and later TOA) and I loved him even more. Partly because I could see him sharing opinions I do, but they weren't completely unfounded, but still his chill-ish nature and lack of other godly talents other than healing resonated with me. And then in tsats I remember several times going "bro he's literally me somehow". Somehow, being the key word, because even though I didn't think he was too different, since we didn't have much content of him before, I could still recognize a sort of shift. And this post I saw made me realize what it was:

He is the "chill one" - he is the "therapy dog". He knows how to take care of people and he likes nerd shit, and outside of that he is scared. He hates being taken care of because it makes him feel useless. He's worried he's loving/caring wrong and that it will lose him people - lose Nico. And we see it now because we get his thoughts - we see him completely out of his element with someone he's far closer to and can let his walls fall a bit, but still not completely. He's being unravelled by the Underworld and tries to downplay it. He's just like me fr.

#his character isn't different - it's weirdly more fleshed out #tsats #tsats potential spoilers #will solace

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #280: FAITHFUL SERVANT

June, 1987

"To serve no more...”

No Jarvis!

Say it ain’t so!

Tell these floating judgement heads that its a lie!

You are a delight and a boon to this book called Avengers!

On the other hand, he got beaten pretty seriously by Hyde when the Masters of Evil stormed Avengers Mansion and took him prisoner.

Compared to Hercules, who is in a coma and possibly godnapped by this time, Jarvis is doing okay. But it turns out that when you’re a normal if capable butler man and a super-powered dude that tussles with Thor beats the shit out of you, the shit stays beaten out of you.

Hyde beat Jarvis so severely that he’s 90% blind in his left eye, will need a mobility aid indefinitely for leg injuries, and the doctor can’t rule out brain damage.

Because Jarvis was punched in the head repeatedly by a dude that fights Thor.

Considering that Jarvis spends this issue uncontrollably flashbacking, the doctor may have a point.

(Although he only predicted short-term memory loss from time to time. Dunno if uncontrollable flashbacking is a symptom of anything except LSD usage.)

Anyway, despite how severe his injuries are, the doctor doesn’t see a reason why with physical therapy, Jarvis couldn’t return to a fairly normal life. But he advises Jarvis to find a less dangerous job.

Which brings us back to: Say it ain’t so!

Okay, this read through gave me (and Jarvis) some time to collect ourselves.

Jarvis’ employer (and secretly?) Iron Man, Tony Stark comes to visit. All the way from California!

Because in a very Tony Stark way, Tony Stark is blaming this all on himself.

Tony Stark: “Jarvis... I came to say... I’m so sorry.”

Jarvis: “You have nothing to apologize for, sir.”

Tony Stark: “Jarvis, it was I who got you involved with the Avengers. I never realized how wrong i was. Avengers Mansion is no place for a normal man. The Avengers have too many deadly enemies. It’s only sheer luck you haven’t been hurt before and now... I’ve talked with the Avengers. You know your agreement with the Maria Stark Foundation stipulates that you can retire at any time with full salary and benefits. You needn’t worry for money. Think about it. You could take your mother to Florida. You could go and be safe. Please think about it and call me.”

Jarvis: “I will. Thank you sir.”

YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE MY SIDE, TONY STARK!

Jarvis considers the offer but he also remembers (in red tinted panel vision) Hyde beating the shit out of him and wonders if he’ll ever feel safe again.

Trying not to think about it, Jarvis instead thinks about when the Avengers just started out and trips right into an uncontrollable flashback.

OF WHEN HE FIRST MET THE AVENGERS!

This is the flashback content that I’m here for.

Fun fact: Stark Mansion used to actually have a staff. Like a full staff, as a nebulously big mansion would need.

Except when Tony Stark scheduled a dinner with all his new Avengers buds, the staff all quit in protest aside from Jarvis.

The cook that the mansion used to have: “The Hulk?! Mr. Jarvis, are you crazy or somethin’? We don’t want nuthin’ to do with those super hero types. We got respectable families!”

Jarvis: “But Mr. Stark has offered the hospitality of his home to these ‘super heroes’ as you call them! As his employees, it is our duty.”

The cook that the mansion used to have: “I say pooh pooh to duty. No, sir, Mr. Jarvis, we quit!”

And THAT is why Jarvis runs the entire mansion on his own.

Because when the entire rest of the staff quit, Jarvis just rolled up his sleeves and started cooking the dinner himself.

And I guess... I guess Tony never got around to hiring more staff. Or couldn’t find anyone that wanted the job or could be trusted with it. Considering how the Avengers would soon have a bunch of access to classified government databases.

Either way, that answers the question that I never thought to question but am amused by the answer to.

When the Avengers start showing up for dinner, its also pretty amusing. Because Jarvis isn’t yet the unflappable seen it all butler.

He hasn’t seen it all. He especially hasn’t seen the Hulk.

This is just good stuff.

We’re so far from those early days now but its so nice seeing the original roster all just come together for dinner and to hammer out the charter that they keep referring to in later stuff.

(What’s funny is that Wasp, who will become one of the top chairpersons in Avengers’ history, just wanders off during this part of the dinner and has no say in what everyone agrees to. While Hulk does. Hulk helped write the Avengers’ charter.)

Anyway, Wasp gets bored when the conversation moves away from how hunky Thor is and has Jarvis take her on a tour around Notyetavengers Mansion.

On the tour, she compliments some artwork in glowing terms by comparing it to Ant-Man and Jarvis wonders what the business with Thor was then.

Wasp: “That? I was only teasing! Wanted to make Ant-Man jealous!”

Jarvis: “Forgive me, but is that kind?”

Wasp: “Oh, Jarvis, you just don’t understand lovebirds like Ant-Man and me!”

I get the feeling Jarvis saw the cracks in this relationship long before anyone else.

Or maybe not because he reflects on how in love they were and how he never would have believed it would end so tragically.

Y’know, with Hank (then Yellowjacket) building a robot to kill his friends to prove how good an Avenger he was and Wasp divorcing him?

Which just makes Jarvis reflect on how much Wasp has grown as a person and a leader through her time with the Avengers.

Jarvis: When the Wasp came to visit me here a few days ago, I could not help but notice how little like the giddy young girl I met so long ago she had become. She was a woman... the leader of the Avengers. But she could not forgive herself for their defeat by the Masters of Evil. She told me she was leaving the Avengers... how sad she was. But she had the courage of her convictions... to know when her time was done. Can I do any less?

Stop talking yourself into leaving!

But now he’s thinking about whether it was being Avengers that destroyed the Pyms’ marriage and starts thinking about when the first and a half roster (the one that traded Hulk for Captain America) all quit.

To be replaced by three former supervillains, to Jarvis’ shock. Especially since Hawkeye had recently tied him up.

(And yes, he’s slipping into another series of flashbacks)

But Jarvis stayed on when Hulk came to dinner, so its not like he was going to leave just because Hawkeye was moving in.

Jarvis: “Interesting”? Goodness, what an understatement that turned out to be! The new Avengers were a new world for me... younger than their predecessors, so much more volatile. But that comes with youth, I suppose. The media doubted that these three reformed criminals would survive. They even dubbed them as “Cap’s Kooky Quartet”, a rather embarrassing term, I must say. But Captain America rose to the challenge and forged them into a team... one that fought as nobly as those who just deaprted. But it was not an easy transition. Change often is not. And I felt as if I was needed more than ever...

Because, I don’t know if you remember, but there was a lot of testosterone in Cap’s Kooky Quartet. Hawkeye and Quicksilver shouting at each other or shouting at Cap that they would run the zoo better.

After a shouting match caused by Hawkeye making a mistake in training that he and Steve severely disagreed on the severity of, Cap(tain America) confides in Jarvis, asking if Hawkeye is right about him being a shitty old man not fit to lead. And roping in his continued guilt over Bucky’s death for good measure. Steve did, I mean. Hawkeye didn’t.

Steve wondered if Bucky had been a pain in the ass like Hawkeye and didn’t jump to every order, whether Bucky would still be alive.

Jarvis: “Sir... I know Master Barnes’ death still haunts you. But tragedy comes to all eventually. We all lose loved ones. It is up to us to either accept the loss and go on... or to dwell on the might-have-beens. The latter choice is by far, the most seductive route... and the most destructive.”

Captain America: “And I’ve been following that path, Jarvis? Dwelling on what might have been?”

Jarvis: “I’m sorry if I offended, sir!”

Captain America: “You don’t ever have to apologize to me, Jarvis. I value your opinion and... you’re right. I know grief can turn to self-pity and I think you for reminding me.”

Love this before now unseen on what a cool, emotional support Jarvis has been to the Avengers.

There was a time when him appearing was a rare treat because the writers often forget that he exists.

But doing a focus issue on Jarvis deciding whether or not to retire from being Butler of the Superheroes requires making a case for what Jarvis has meant to the Avengers all along and vice versa.

Anyway, he’s also having maybe brain damage flashbacking so he’s jumping around like a stream of consciousness.

Thinking about the Kooky Quartet has made him think how far the non-Cap people from that team have come.

Hothead Hawkeye who always wanted to lead the team has mellowed out and is leading a team of his own with the West Coast Avengers.

Scarlet Witch found love with Vision and made some magic babies who are entirely real (preemptively shakes fist at Byrne).

And Quicksilver.... oof, well, he’s gone far too in his own way. His own flirting with being a supervillain way. Remember how he framed the Avengers for treason? And then tried to kill them with lasers? He’s apparently still just wandering around wastelands hating the world because his wife cheated on him and his sister married a robot.

But thinking about how Quicksilver is a traitor reminds Jarvis of when Jarvis did a treason.

Woo! Getting into some extra context on some big Jarvis content!

Remember the Masters of Evil story from issues #54 and #55?

It looked like Jarvis was the Crimson Cowl but then it turned out that it was Ultron and Jarvis only sold the Avengers out to help his sick mother get expensive medical treatments? And for reasons he didn’t ask rich employer Tony Stark when Tony’s whole thing is throwing money at people?

Well, that’s getting a retcon.

In this retroactively canon version of events, when Dr. Bernstein tells Jarvis that his mom will need expensive chemotherapy, Jarvis is like pssh money is no object I work for Tony Stark!

Jarvis: “My employer Anthony Stark, is a most generous man. He has already informed me that he will help my mother and me financially during this crisis!”

In fact, because Tony is such a swell guy, he was willing to just give Jarvis the money but pride and whatever so Jarvis insisted it be a loan instead.

In fairness, it fits with Tony’s response to Hank Pym building a murder robot and then disappearing off in a fugue state. He decided ‘I’m going to get him the best therapists and dangit if he won’t take the charity, I’ll have him work it off!’

But now that its been established that Tony Stark, swell guy, wouldn’t let loyal butler Jarvis be crushed in the uncaring American health care system, Jarvis goes for a walk and gets attacked by Ultron.

And Ultron, fiend that he is, hypnotizes Jarvis with the encephalo-beam to think that Tony Stark, unfeeling employer, would never help with Ma Jarvis’ treatment!

Ultron: “You are hopeless and desperate! No one can help you. The Avengers care nothing for you! You are merely their houseboy. They detest you for the weakling you are, only I can help you!”

Jarvis: “My mother...”

Ultron: “Yes... your poor mother who will die without me. Let that thought sink into your mind. Let it become reality. You will not remember any of this until I call again. And when I do, underling, you shall help me bring down the Avengers.”

Ultron: What a dick.

Given he can mind control people apparently, I wonder why he went the more subtle route of convincing Jarvis to think he had to sell the Avengers out, rather than just controlling him.

I mean, end of day the Doylistic answer is because we already saw a version of events where Jarvis did betray the Avengers.

Anyway, Ultron’s post-hypnotic suggestion took effect and Jarvis stole the Mansion defense plans and gave them to Ultron.

Ultron took great joy in rubbing it in the Avengers’ faces that someone they trusted betrayed them, because he’s a dick.

Despite the mental control, Jarvis is a good enough dude that he regretted his actions and got the Black Knight to help save the Avengers.

In this version of things, I wonder if Tony was confused why Jarvis betrayed the Avengers for money when he had already agreed to give money but Iron Man wasn’t on the team at this point so who knows how information eventually filtered to Tony anyway.

Anyway, the Avengers took Jarvis back but were confused why he didn’t go to Tony for the money which would have been the obvious thing to do. Jarvis didn’t really understand it himself.

Even though the Avengers forgave, they didn’t forget. And they kept Jarvis at a distance because they couldn’t wholly trust. Wasp especially has a panel where she’s shunning Jarvis with her cold indifference.

That’s premium cold shoulder.

The added flashbacks of Jarvis being a confidant to the team really does add to the betrayal they would have felt. And the difficult in getting over it even when learning the whys.

Anyway, the effects of the encephalo-beam clear months later and Jarvis remembers being attacked by Ultron and a little mind controlled. Which cleared up the tension now that the Avengers knew that Jarvis didn’t betray them in sound mind.

But since he’s free associating these flashbacks, this period of being isolated from the team maybe helped him understand a little when another pawn of Ultron joined the Avengers.

THAT’S RIGHT, VISION TIME!

Like previous Jarvis flashback sequences, we get a never-seen-before interaction building his connections to the team.

In this case, Vision does Jarvis a startle and then they bond over poetry.

Vision: “I find poetry... most relaxing, Jarvis. Often as I fly over the sleeping city, sonnets come unbidded to my mind. I do not recall reading these works... as I recall little of my existence... but they soothe me in the night.”

Jarvis: “Yes, I know exactly what you mean. Often, I read poetry well into the wee hours, it gives one perspective.”

Just the first of many conversations Vision and Jarvis would have about literature. Vision would come to Jarvis to share a book he enjoyed, “a kind and gentle human gesture that may have surprised some of his teammates...”

So there we go. Jarvis knew a side of Vision that the other Avengers may not have.

IN MORE WAYS THAN THAT

When Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver rejoined the Avengers after an absence, Jarvis was the first to notice the chemistry between Wanda and Vision. Maybe even before the two of them.

Jarvis ships it.

Jarvis also didn’t say anything to anyone because it wasn’t his place.

How very butler of you.

But given the book club connection between the two, Vision eventually approached Jarvis with his doubts on his own humanity.

Upon which Jarvis, in a great fit of self-restraint, didn’t shake Vision by the shoulders and sing LA LA LA LA KISS THE GIRL. But instead told him the feelings he felt were real and should not be denied.

Good guy, Jarvis.

Because possible brain damage stream of consciousness, Jarvis then starts thinking about how after Vision and Scarlet Witch did manage to be open about their feelings, of course something happened to shake things up.

Aka the arrival of Swordsman but more importantly Mantis.

Hi, Mantis!

Missed you!

Jarvis was less of a fan.

Maybe because she almost immediately ambushed him with a lot of pushy questions about Vision who she was entirely thirsty for.

Mantis’ thirst, in Jarvis’ eyes, really messed up the team harmony. Caused fighting between Vision and Scarlet Witch, because Wanda blamed Vision for being so sexy that women threw themselves at him. And caused Swordsman’s self-esteem to drop off a cliff, because the woman that dragged him out of the abyss had found a new bad boy to moon over.

Annnd then, Swordsman died. First and a half Avengers casualty, depending on how you count Wonder Man.

Since Jarvis was the man who does everything at the Mansion, he had to clear out Swordsman’s room when he died.

He found a picture of who he assumed were Swordsman’ parents. Jarvis thought he should write a letter of condolence letting them know their son was dead. But he couldn’t find an address and had no way of locating people based off a photo.

Jarvis: “That always bothered me... that we could never contact his family. Such a sad end.”

Jarvis is a good dude.

Anyway, there’s only so many pages and some Avengers didn’t stick around as long or as happily as others.

So Jarvis muses on how there have been so many Avengers over the years that its difficult to remember them all.

Jarvis: “Hercules, the Beast, the Falcon, Hellcat, poor Ms. Marvel... I tried to serve them all well, to make their stays as pleasant as possible. After all, the life of an Avenger is not easy. That’s why I’m here... to take care of little things, such as supervising the clean-up crews that were called in whenever a battle in the mansion had gotten out of hand. More often than not I dealt with Henry Peter Gyrich, the Avengers’ acerbic liaison with the National Security Council. I decided the Avengers should be spared his bellicose rantings. And of course, it was I who attended the Quinjets. I felt useful when the mansion ran like a well-oiled machine.”

Good god, Jarvis really does it all!

I don’t know what they’re paying him but he deserves a raise. He is way outside job expectations!

He is literally refueling the super science jet!

I mean, hell, if ALL he did was deal with Henry Peter Gyrich so the Avengers didn’t have to, he’d deserve all the money.

But Jarvis wonders about how often he hasn’t been useful.

As the One Civilian in the Mansion, he’s had his share of being taken hostage. He’s been captured by Hawkeye, by the Circus of Crime, by Yellowjacket, and even by fuckin’ Henry Peter Gyrich.

Geez, ignominious.

Despite this, Jarvis had always avoided serious injury... until Mr Hyde beat up his everything.

Jarvis: “Mr. Stark may be right... Avengers Mansion is no place for a gentleman’s gentleman.”

Even so... he can’t commit to resigning.

He’s resigned before, from Tony Stark’s employ when Tony was having his demon in a bottle problems.

But Tony fixed his shit, pulled his life back together even though his alcoholism cost him everything he owned. Even though so many people had given up hope.

Jarvis: “But isn’t that what the Avengers truly symbolize? That despite all the odds to the contrary... there is hope for all of us. Hope that the very best of humanity will surmount all obstacles. Didn’t Captain America beat the odds in building a new life for himself? Haven’t the Wasp and Master Pym at long last put aside their differences to become friends? They rebuilt their lives... Can I?”

“I know what I’ve been doing. Trying to concentrate on the negative side of the Avengers... to make my decision easier. But I cannot do that for long, can I? I can’t... because the Avengers have been my life. I’ve been with them since the first day and I have stayed with them since then. No single Avenger can claim that.”

“Yes, I’ve been hurt... but I knew the risks when I took the job. The fear will always be with me... but I expect that fear is always with the Avengers as well. It’s part of being an Avenger...”

So Edwin Jarvis makes up his mind and calls Tony Stark.

Jarvis: “Mr. Stark. Good evening. It’s Jarvis. Yes, I’ve made up my mind. As soon as my rehabilitation is finished, I should like to report back to work. You should know better than most, sir. Things really can’t go on without me, now can they?”

Heck no they can’t, Jarvis!

I’m feeling this emotional journey!

With the Mansion trashed, Jarvis is, as mentioned, the most stable fixture for the Avengers.

And sorry, Alfred, I think Jarvis is my favorite superhero-adjacent butler. Sure, you’re Bruce’s real dad but Jarvis is Everyone’s Friend.

As I said, its nice to get this single issue laser focused on Jarvis and his retroactively explored bonds to the Avengers.

It almost feels like a modern comic in that sense (although so much more dense, modern comics are so breezy...), spending an issue to focus on one character and what makes them tick. You see it a lot with event tie-ins because there’s often not enough plot for an event to have twenty different tie-ins so they zoom in on character instead.

I’m glad Jarvis isn’t leaving.

I suspected he wouldn’t or that if he did, it wouldn’t stick. I’ve seen him in the future.

But after something like Avengers Under Siege, its nice to take some time to decompress and let Jarvis make the decision that the Avengers couldn’t function without him.

Do they even know how to refuel the Quinjets??

Because Jarvis does!

Follow @essential-avengers​ for more good posts as soon as I start updating it again. Like and reblog because maybe it’ll make the Avengers hire some more staff to help Jarvis out.

#essential avengers #avengers #essential marvel liveblogging #Edwin Jarvis #history's greatest man #iron man #the wasp #the vision #captain america #mantis #Masters of Evil #there's a lot of people in recap land #but its mostly just Jarvis sitting in bed thinking about stuff

[steamberrystudio]

Listennn.. I too went into GS a little wary of Caleb. When contrasted against everyone else you can meet in the opening (stoic but gentle Ari, funny and flirty Jack, closed off but caring Caissa, clumsy and cryptic Magnus...) Caleb absolutely brushed me up the wrong way. Dude can be an asshole.

But then I did Ari's route first.

Let me tell you.. it took me only up until Ari and Caleb sparring and Caleb loosening up a little to realise I was in big trouble. Dude is hot as hell. And funny. And a bit of a rebel against the status quo, while still toeing the line, which I wasn't expecting. And I thoroughly enjoyed his route when I got round to it. You did an incredible job creating his personality - and I actually now love the fact he has such a wide ranging personality and isn't always gently gently with the MC.

Not that the others are like that but you get the idea - I appreciate being able to see an "ugly" side to them all instead of Mr perfect gentleman all the time. I think you did a great job of that with all the characters in different ways.

I'm still replaying all the routes. You created something special :)

Well ultimately, the prologue portion of the game was designed to set up character conflict and foundation for character growth in the routes. You're supposed to develop a first impression of the character specifically so the route can subvert the expectation and/or explain the behaviour.

So it's totally fine to like that character or be wary of another. There's nothing wrong with that. OWO

I feel like people assume I'm judging you for judging Caleb and that's not it *at all*. 😂 The whole point is to make people go 😡 at him so that when you get into his route, I can turn the tables and show you that he's actually a good guy who is struggling with some things but has a good heart.

I have people in my life who have the whole anxiety-as-anger thing going on, and I love them even though it's a super frustrating quality that they have to actively work on - and don't always succeed at not giving into it. It was a trait I really wanted to explore in a character because I deal with it a lot.

As you said, I don't want the characters to have to be perfect - Caleb can be an angry, anxious brat, Magnus has severe trust issues that he struggles with, Caissa is chained down by a lot of personal issues, etc, etc.

I'm not opposed to people having first impressions of the characters and withholding judgement until they see more.

Some of the struggles with Caleb in particular came about because of the combination of putting out a demo which allows people to see a very small slice of the game (about 20% of the total story if you count the 4 chapters of common route and 14 of each route) and a public development process which makes me very accessible for feedback.

It can be tempting to draw conclusions and give critique based on 20% of the content. But unfortunately it can sometimes not be helpful. Imagine trying to critique a drawing when you can only see 20% of it. How can you give a proper critique when you're missing 80% of the picture? That aspect of development can be a little difficult because you have feedback flying in from all directions on a thing you're still actively creating.

And that kind of led to some friction with Caleb a while back, which is why it's still kind of this big topic of discussion.

But it's not that it's not okay to have a first impression that is less than positive. That's absolutely okay! It's the point! It's what I wanted.

Like I said, the Caleb issues stemmed from a much earlier place in the development process when there were maybe some conclusions being drawn before everyone had the complete picture. Which, as I said, is very tempting and I get it. Sometimes there ARE characters that rub you the wrong way at the start and you don't want to give them a chance and that's also totally fine! I've had one character like that in all my game-playing endeavours, and I still haven't played his route. 🤣🤣

So to anyone who is/was wary of Caleb. It's fine. It's totally fine. The game is done now so you have the option of getting the full picture if you want it (or ignoring his route if you don't).

That was just something not available to people this time last year.

So all of that to say, I get it. And I appreciate that you gave Caleb a chance and have come to understand him better. And appreciate his flaws and attempts to overcome them (even if he doesn't always succeed). 💞💓💖

#gilded shadows #caleb #the brat

[tin-wufborf]

Am I the only one who thinks the Argents are a fucking joke of a hunting family?

I have never understood the boogeyman-esque fear that exists around any single member of the Argent family, except for maybe Gerard, but even then, only a little bit (I don’t understand fearing the elderly, like, at all). Like, our first introduction to this dumbass fucking family is Chris Argent and his Unnamed Goons running around the forest at night and shooting random shapes in the night. Dude had no actual proof that he was shooting at a werewolf when he shot Scott in the arm because (and believe me, I checked) he did not have any sort of night vision or even a fucking scope before he was just out there, letting crossbow bolts fly.

Also, what fucking dweeb uses a goddamned crossbow to hunt something like a fucking werewolf? Are you looking to die, Chris? Do you want that werewolf to become extra pissed off and just rush your dumb ass before mauling you to death? You have wolfsbane laced bullets, Christopher, and it’s been established that there are different strains with varying levels of lethality. If you feel confident enough to shoot at a random person in the dark with a crossbow to presumably steal them away for “questioning”, you should feel confident enough to shoot them with a bullet because that would at least prevent them from getting the jump on your mundane ass when you do send your lackeys to go “take him” if that person really does turn out to be a werewolf. Because it’s pretty obvious that, once you pull that fucking bolt out, these fuckers are healing and well enough to at least flee, but I don’t think that’s an entirely realistic outcome. Trust, if I were a werewolf and some dumb fucking bitch shot me in the arm with an arrow while I was busy minding my own business, getting into a useless fight with the only other werewolf I knew, I’d be foaming at the mouth trying to tear that fucker to shreds. I would become the monster that hunters are so sure every werewolf is in, like, 0.05 seconds flat. Like, how dare you? I am a creature of the fucking night, and you hit me with an ouchie stick. Now I’m fucking annoyed. I’m about to ruin your night, at the least, and fucking murder you, at the most.

And don’t get me started on Kate Argent. First of all, that fucking cunt didn’t even have to open her mouth for me to know that something was seriously off in her head. Our first introduction to her, she’s rolling into town in what is probably the least helpful vehicle to a hunter, a Kia Soul, and is applying an ungodly amount of lip gloss. Ma’am, it is 2 AM, who the fuck are you applying this whore gloss for? Your brother? Because I wouldn’t put incest past you. No one but you is lookin’ at them thin ass lips. I’m all for looking pretty for yourself, but not at 2 AM after what was probably several fucking hours of a road trip. No one has ever cared that much, but this psycho is out here in her lime-green toaster with an unsecured shotgun shoved between the seats and slicking them nasty lie-flaps down with KY. She is obviously a fucking problem.

Side note, I am the previous owner of a Kia Soul, and I loved that little black square of aerodynamics-defying scrap metal, but let me tell you, it would not have been my chosen vehicle of choice if my number one enemy was a fucking werewolf. The wind was enough of an issue for me. If something like Peter’s Alpha form hopped onto my Kia Soul, it would have caved the roof and sent me into a ditch because those things operate at such a specific stasis of balance and motion that if you upset it in the slightest, you’d for sure crash and die. And also, the engine ran on a hope and dream. I lived my life in the slow lane with that car. There’s no chasing down Camaros with a Kia Soul. That was the singlemost unbelievable thing I ever saw happening in Teen Wolf. But I digress.

But back to Kate Argent’s general life as a fucking dumbass monster: I fully believe that that dumb bitch just got lucky with the fire. Let’s be honest, Kate’s plan was not that of a mastermind. Sure, she put in an inordinate amount of background work to get it done, but she really, really, really did not need to. Ya’ll think I’m joking about this but remember: Kate went to a chemistry teacher to find out how to make an untraceable fire, but the dumb bitch turned around and hired historied arsonists to pull off the fire and then paid off the insurance inspector anyways (I also assume she paid off the arson investigator as well, because that’s who actually makes those sorts of calls, not insurance companies). Why even bother racking up that number of co-conspirators and loose ends when she could have just done everything herself without repercussion because no one would have suspected her otherwise? She could have spoken to no one beforehand, surrounded the house in mountain ash, threw down some gas, lit the bitch up, and then still paid off the investigator? Also, how dumb can you be not to go back and kill the comatose survivor of your murder plot? Even if the idea was to use other people just in case one the Hales managed to get out and take action, she could have avoided that entirely by doing what she could to remove her own sent, buy and wear a layer of brand new clothes from any clothing store, and then put on a layer of Derek’s clothes so they’d just think it was him instead of a mass-murdering bigot. Kate Argent may be a raging narcissist and rapist, but she’s no genius, and she’s hardly anything to be afraid of. She spends too much time patting herself on the back for the one thing she ever succeeded at to be a real threat to anyone. Personally, even as a werewolf, I’d have stolen a gun from someone and used it to shoot that overconfident bitch right in her fucking face and then left her in the woods to be torn apart by wildlife. She didn’t deserve a funeral or to even be known for her crimes. That wasn’t justice. She should have died alone, never been found, and never be given credit for what she feels is her One Great Deed in life. It’s like how so many school shooters and serial killers just want to go down in infamy. Take away their recognition, and they’ve then achieved nothing. They’re just as fucking useless as they were before because no one should give them the satisfaction of being known for their crimes.

And Gerard Argent. Oh, this fucking man, I hate him so goddamned much. I feel like everyone spent all of season 2 just conveniently forgetting the fact that he was about a million years old and that he was super duper fucking sick. Like, you could probably have poked him in the side too hard and he would have died. In fact, how about instead of Scott betraying everyone’s fucking trust to pull off what ultimately was a failed plan, he could have just took dude’s meds period and let the pain medication he must have been taking wear off, and then we could have disappeared that fool. He was a sick old man! What is scary about that?! I felt like I was taking crazy pills the whole time I watched season 2 because why the fuck are we out here being afraid of an old as fuck crazy person who is presumably chock-full of tumors and only existing because he's pilled up all the time? And why are we acting like murdering this guy specifically would have made us into bad guys ourselves? Gerard Argent had all of the potential to become the werewolf hunting version of Hitler, which is what he basically did in the end, I assume (idak given that I quit the show after the first half of season 5 and only know what happened afterwards because I have the internet and can read a synopsis). This is like that dumbass moral question of “if you could go back and time and kill baby Hitler, would you” because the answer to that question should be yes. Yes, I would murder baby Adolf if it meant potentially avoiding the absolute insane number of senseless deaths that occurred during Hitler’s reign, and honestly? I’m judging you if your answer would be anything else. Gerard Argent at the start of season 2 is baby Hitler, and if someone had just had the fucking balls to slit that fucker’s throat when they had the chance, he wouldn’t have been able to come back and amass a fucking army of hunters to attempt that level of murder. I’m not even going to get into just how stupid and fucking dangerous Scott’s plan was because it had the potential to backfire exponentially if Gerard had so much as looked at his pills beforehand, but fuck man. Why are we acting like it would have been the worst act committed to just kill that fucking guy and be done with it?

And like, on the Argents as a whole, give me one example of a time when these fools are any more or less dangerous than the average human being. There’s a reason they’re just called hunters and not supreme-being freedom fighters or some shit. They’re not any more extraordinary that a man who chooses to hunt deer except that what these fuckers hunt are people, plain and simple. Everything they do is well within the realms of human capability and most of their tactics are based on pre-existing hunting and/or military tactics that have been used by humans since time immemorial; the only difference is, when humans do this sort of shit to each other, we call them murderers and/or evil. Or, you know, the government.

The point is, people need to stop buying into the idea that the Argent family is (or, I guess was) some great hunting family as opposed to the borderline bumbling idiots they actually are. They’re too fueled by their own emotions and personal vendettas to be precise enough to hunt down a bunch of children in the woods, and they’re not nearly well-trained enough to boot. I mean, it’s like I said. They are out here constantly getting thwarted by a bunch of teenagers whose primary skills are Google and “hope for the best”. I mean, think about that. The whole Teen Wolf gang is out here flying by the seat of their pants and just Googling the shit out of things whenever something unknown comes up, and they have managed to thwart the schemes of the OG hunting family. And if the Argents are supposed to be the best, then my god, what does the worst hunter look like? Because Sam and Dean managed to fucking decimate the supernatural community with a handful of allies and about a thousand active warrants for their arrest, but they weren’t out there acting like god himself couldn’t fucking touch them (the irony of this statement, lol) or like they were guaranteed to survive or even be correct about every situation. While it’s a pretty well-known fact that Sam and Dean Winchester are just two overgrown serial killers, they at least have moments throughout that show’s run where this 1) becomes apparent to them, 2) gives them at least a brief moment of pause and 3) opens them up to actually helping the creatures the hunt from time to time instead of standing behind some bland fucking moral code like that somehow magically undoes all the active murder they were doing. Not the Argents. These fuckers hide behind that code and just outright ignore their very obvious instances of wrongdoing as if they have the fucking right. Fuck the Argents, fuck hunters, and fuck this blandly moral shit that stopped everyone from just handling the problem when they could and should have.

#my thoughts #a rant if you will #teen wolf #argents #argent family #kate argent #gerard argent #hale fire #idiots #just your run of the mill criminals #nothing to be afraid of imo #seriously these a-holes could have been dealt with forever by the end of season 2 if not earlier

[nekropsii]

Sov characters you wouldn't mind being your roommate vs sov characters you could not be paid to share a room with

Oh, this is a fun question!! I’ll divide these up by their respective casts, just to make things a little easier, both for me, and you, the reader! I’ll even include reasons why!

Content Warning: Long.

(NOTE: I’m not going to include everyone, because there’s some people I’m a little on the fence about, or have more neutral opinions on.)

PLAYERS

WOULDN’T MIND BEING MY ROOMMATE:

CYNTIN: He would make me gayer somehow.

TEJURI: Though she’d probably be expensive as hell to live with due to her Voidrot, and the menagerie of ways in which it manifests, she’s genuinely peak Nerdy Southern Best Friend. I can’t help but think I’d get along just so well with her. She’s not even Friend-Shaped. She’s Best Friend-Shaped.

RETRIS: Despite his everything, he’s pretty chill! We’d probably get along! Also he makes, like, so much fucking money, so it’d definitely be a comfortable arrangement. He’s a very, very good friend, too, and very caring.

AJAX: Cool dude, seems genuinely fun to be around. Movie nights will be a blast. I will have to force him to pay for the holes he punches in the walls at random, though.

PLEOME: He can be a little overbearing, even if he means well, but is otherwise just some regular guy. I’d go positively bonkers watching him do tech restoration.

COULDN’T PAY ME TO SHARE A SPACE WITH THEM:

DYNAMA: I couldn’t do it. I’m sorry. I love them so much, but… They’d proselytize at me and I’d just start swinging. They mean well, but they’re severely Christian, and very much so grew up in a tiny town. I could be friends with them, but I could never commit to living with them.

PRESAE: She would call my oven a “weird mechanical kangaroo” and then disassemble it for parts.

EMERIC: She has turned the kitchen into a meth lab. I’m becoming asthmatic from the fumes just thinking about it.

ANNOMI: I would not be able to stand a single iota of his personality. I love writing him, I personally find him fascinating because of the fucked up focus on the psychological, but I would not be able to deal with him in a physical space OR online. If he got some kind of obsession with me, I’d just kill him or something. I don’t know, dude.

PATRONS:

WOULDN’T MIND BEING MY ROOMMATE:

DAMARA: Surprised at this entry? Perhaps you’re forgetting Damara is actually very nice! The only reason she’s as mean and disconcerting as she is is because during most of what we see of her in canon, she’s talking to the Alpha Trolls, of whom most of which she has a massive grudge against. I’d be functionally immune to her penchant for Psychological Warfare. Also, she’s cool, and I’m supporting her journey into therapy.

RUFIOH: He would watch TikToks out loud and maybe have a few annoying opinions but otherwise would be a pretty ok roommate. Hard to keep settled down though, which isn’t an issue for me. He would barely ever be home.

PORRIM: Genuinely a very accepting person, but knows when and how to put her foot down, and get shit in order. Very good person. She’s incredibly offline to the point where it’s both hilarious and soul-healing. Ultimate grass-toucher. We love her. She knows Queer History + Theory that you couldn’t even imagine. She’d teach me Knitting. But most importantly, she’d have a Driver’s License.

ARANEA: We would be so fucking annoying if we shared a living space. We’d just fuel each other’s Stage 4 Autism. The essays would be severe in length, niche as hell, and possibly unhinged. She’s very well read, too, and knows what she’s talking about, so I trust her thoughts and opinions on things. It’d be exactly what she needs, and exactly what I need.

MEENAH: She is such a recluse that I would probably barely notice her being there. Pays her rent by leaving an envelope on the counter with a wine glass on top so I can’t miss it. It’s got “RENT, BITCH.” written on it in cursive with a hot pink glitter gel pen. Sometimes she barges into my room and starts bitching loudly about some random bullshit I’ve never heard of. She is so fun and charismatic that I would not mind. And also I love being nosy and hearing drama so I’m entertained regardless. 10/10.

COULDN’T PAY ME TO SHARE A SPACE WITH THEM:

KANKRI: No. (I love him, and he’s a very complex person who I’d love to discuss religion with, but I can’t tolerate his level and flavor of being terminally online. I’ve encountered people like him before. It is… Not pleasant. Granted, you can work him out of his behaviors, but it takes a very specific kind of person to have the patience and tolerance to do so, and I’m not one of them.)

CRONUS: Fuck no. (I would become even more mentally ill. His toxic behaviors are very much so fueled by specific things that are somewhat understandable and interesting, but that doesn’t mean anyone is obligated to tolerate him. I’m even more susceptible to his specific methods of abuse just because of things like Paranoia and Memory Loss, I don’t need to deal with that.)

KURLOZ:

KURLOZ: Kurloz.

NPCS:

WOULDN’T MIND BEING MY ROOMMATE:

OCHOSI: Very much so a case of an Extrovert adopting an Introvert. He might take me zip-lining or something like that, which isn’t at all my taste, but it’s fun and healthy to fill your life with new experiences, even if they’re not totally your thing. It’s enrichment. Also, I am a weak man sometimes, and Ochosi is kind of attractive. Sorry.

ATRISA: She is an extrovert and knows where all the gay bars are and this would make me normal.

COULDN’T PAY ME TO SHARE A SPACE WITH THEM:

MESERI: I would die.

KHANDA: I would die and he would think it’s funny that I died.

ARSINE: I would die.

DULVYX: He would die.

#sovereignstuck #homestuck #homestuck ocs #fantrolls #cynical itinerant #tejuri kromab #dynama zarrow #presae convul #retris morage #ajax barrett #emeric sargas #annomi errata #pleome alrium #sov!damara megido #sov!rufioh nitram #sov!mituna captor #sov!kankri vantas #sov!porrim maryam #sov!aranea serket #sov!kurloz makara #sov!cronus ampora #sov!meenah peixes #meseri covnul #khanda morage #arsine sargas #ochosi stolar #dulvyx errata #atrisa alrium #nekro.pdf #nekro.sms

[m34gs]

There was a 'put in the tags' post requesting people put in the tags a villain with a "good reason" to be evil...and I just thought that seems very subjective and also how can I just choose one...so I am gonna just ramble a little about some of my favourite villains/antagonists and why I like them so much :D (link to the 'in the tags' post here)

Not every villain needs a tragic backstory or a 'sympathetic' motivation, and I think you'll find that very few of my favourites actually do. It's 2023. Let the villains be actually evil. Potential for spoilers ahead.

These are not listed in any particular order; just listing them as I think of them:

Ursula (from The Little Mermaid)

I love Ursula. She's just so unapologetically herself. The only time she changes herself to fit 'societal norms' is to trick the prince. And even then, she isn't doing it out of lust for him or to fill some sort of need to fit in; she's doing it as a means to an end, that 'end' being having Ariel to use as a hostage against Triton. This lady is cunning, she is confident, and she takes what she wants. I loved her as much in the cartoon as I do in the recent live action movie; both versions were good. (whether you like the makeup or not, I don't care, the live-action Ursula was hilarious). She gets the trident, the power over the seas, and what is the First Thing she does? Tries to smite Ariel because she hates her, and also Ariel is the reason her beloved eels perished. Ursula wants immediate revenge. Love that for her. She has her priorities.

The Sheriff of Nottingham (from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves)

He's played by Alan Rickman. That's it. That's the reason. LOL. I mean, I love the way that Mr. Rickman brought the character to life, I loved the comedy, the dry and dark humour he brings to the role. I just really love it. And he looked very handsome as the Sheriff, I must say. Also, the Sheriff's death scene always kinda makes me giggle just because it is So Drawn Out. Like, my dude. Die already!!!! But nope, gotta stumble around the Entire Tower Room first.

Eddie Gluskin (from Outlast: Whistleblower)

Eddie is, by the time Waylon Park stumbles across him, completely deranged, completely twisted, completely unhinged. He is running around chasing other prisoners to take them as 'brides', and cutting off the parts of them he doesn't desire. He makes a wedding dress. He has a tailored suit that he *wears*. He sings songs that he likely learned in his childhood, about marriage and love. Now, if there's one thing I love, it's a villain with a THEME. Also, this man did all this within the span of hours. HOURS. That is some crazy productivity...like holy shit. I know people who do less over the course of an entire week; AND get paid for it. Eddie was like 'hold up I got this' and prepared a wedding while doing some..."art"... on the side.

Usagi (from Juuni Taisen: Zodiac War)

Similar to Eddie, Usagi is just. Wild. A beast. I mean, it makes sense. He's in a 12-man battle royale where the winner gains whatever wish they desire. We don't get much on backstory for Usagi but I honestly think that's just fine. You can tell from his appearance and several of his voice lines that he hasn't had many friends...but when he kills the corpses reanimate and are completely under his control. "Friends" that can never run away. It's kind of fascinating to me, that he has so many trust issues he can't fathom having any friends that he can't 100% control. Also, he is in the skimpiest bunny outfit, complete with a giant tail to store his swords in, and stiletto heels. Iconic shit.

Sukuna (from JJK)

What I like about Sukuna is he is so evil and ready to kill and destroy...aaaaand he's stuck in the body of a teen who can somewhat limit his abilities and keep him locked away for the most part. Gotta love that frustration. Also, even though Yuuji has Sukuna inside him, they undoubtedly talk a lot, and pretty much have to be civil to each other...Sukuna still does not give Any Fucks about Yuuji's happiness. The cruel reminder comes when Sukuna refuses to save Junpei (My Baby!!!!😭😭😭), and honestly despite the fact it made me cry, I absolutely respect the writing that has a villain stand by his convictions. Don't get me wrong, I am a SUCKER, for character development and the villain becoming part of the Found Family whether they like it or not (which is how I write Sukuna in The Bar AU), but I also love and adore when a writer will Go There and be like "Yeah, no, you're not changing this guy so easily. He's evil." (I am nowhere near caught up with the manga but so far in my current observations this remains to be very true).

Azula (from Avatar: The Last Airbender)

This girl is so iconic. I love her methods. I love the outward confidence and the crazy consequences she doles out that are really just hiding a scared young girl with a perfection complex. I love that we get a such a rounded character; that we as the audience see her fail at flirting, see her lose her temper over trivial things, see her enjoy a day AT THE BEACH?! UNIRONICALLY???? Azula is just such a great character. When she loses her battle at the end and goes batshit spitting fire while bound...My heart. It aches for her. Even though I think she needs a whole lotta counselling. Truly.

The witches (from Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters)

I like the witches because they are just. Evil. (yes I know there's a 'good witch' in the story, but I'm not talking about her right now). I like that they fully commit to the evil. They feast on children. They kill without remorse. They cast disgusting and foul curses that cause some really gross gory scenes. I just like that return to a character who is just Evil and will never be good or be persuaded under any circumstances to act good. I thought, in an era of "pretty" witches who all seem to be "morally grey" at worst, it was fun and refreshing to have a witch just go "Nah, I want to eat a child" again.

Those are some of the ones I can think of right now. I just wanted to ramble a little about them. :D

#villains #favourite villains #antagonists #personal rambles #disney's the little mermaid #robin hood: prince of thieves #outlast whistleblower #jjk #avatar: the last airbender #hansel and gretel: witch hunters