#same goes for any character who has faced or will face consequences

[callmewisteria]

Norm is absolutely one of my favourite characters in the Fallout universe. The fact he loves his family and wants what's best for them being what drives him to look for the truth of what has happened to them and why is fantastic. The ultimate difference between him and Chet, too, is a great show of his character. It began with him choosing to help his sister find their father and ends with him coming to the same realisation as she has – their father was not the man he said he was and much of their life has been a lie. Watching him decide to take the hunt for the truth into his own hands, even when it could be the end of him, is incredibly compelling.

What makes Norm so enjoyable to watch, too, is just how human he is. All of the characters in the show are that way, which is part of what makes it great (yes, even the ghouls as they were at one time human). The distress he feels at seeing what happened to Vault 32 being swept under the rug, and the anger he feels towards Betty and the others for doing it seemingly out of a desire for control and power more than anything else is tangible. The fact it drives him to take the risk of sneaking into Vault 31 shows his bold and couregous side, and also that it's driven by not only his own curiosities but his desire for the truth. It’s a great parallel trait he shares with Lucy and, as she comes to find out, their mother. The anger he feels towards his father and also the desperation he feels to survive are a great contrast of his truth seeking and his baser humanity.

All things considered, Norm's competing feelings of a desire for truth, a desire for safety, curiosity, and a love for his family are what make him a great character. The fact he shares those traits with Lucy but expresses them in different ways creates a strong parallel narrative for their characters, and also does a great job showing the two sides of courage. The fact neither he or Lucy are impervious or shy away from moments of weakness and subsiming emotion latch onto the naivety from their upbringing and also their humanity. With them both now having to reckon with the truth about their father, a reunion between them will I'm sure be great and also remind them that not all of their family members are bad. Reckoning with the truth about their mother and Lucy's love for her being what compelled her to end her suffering before breaking down at the gravity of it is another layer of complexity to their family dynamics that both of them will need time to sit with. The contrasting feelings of how they knew their father versus what they've come to learn about him serve well to separate them from others like Chet; where he, their cousin, chooses to remain wilfully ignorant, they chose to put aside their fears and look for a truth they knew was out there.

Chet is a coward because he chooses to ignore the truth he has seen with his own eyes.

Lucy is brave because she is willing to go to any and all lengths to find her father and is then willing to end the suffering her mother is under because of him; she is openly emotional and driven by that and the love she feels for her family and is horrified and shattered by her father being a different man than the one she had always known.

Norm is brave because he is willing to do anything for his sister and father and, when faced with the choice to stay in blissful ignorance, because he chooses to seek out the truth even when it could hurt him; he, too, doesn't shy away from the pain the truth about his father causes him and, like Lucy, has to learn to live with the competing memories of their father and the reality of who and what he is.

Hank is a coward because, while he goes to the extremes to attempt to preserve himself and his family, he refuses to accept the fact his actions have consequences for the way his children (and, previously, their mother) had seen him and instead tries to force things to go back to the way they were before his children could learn of his ability to be selfish.

And Rose was brave because she loved her children so much that she would and did do everything for them, even when she had to put her love for their father aside and risk herself so that she and her children could have a chance to live in truth rather than lies. Her children share that with her, even though they didn't know it, just as much as they share her love, empathy, and desire for the truth even when living in wilful ignorance could have been easier.

Tl;dr – the entire MacLean family being driven by love for each other but expressing it in different ways that ultimately drive them apart is not only great at showcasing the different sides of courage and cowardice but showing the way Lucy and Norm are so similar and are driven by their love for their family just as much as their desire for the truth and that neither Lucy or Norm shy away from their emotional and impulsive reactions to it presents them as not only fully human but two sides of the same coin; they are both couregous even though they take two different paths to the truth.

#fallout #fallout on prime #fallout prime #fallout tv #fallout tv show #fallout tv series #fallout tv spoilers #fotv spoilers #fotv #lucy mclean #lucy maclean #norm maclean #hank maclean #rose maclean #chet maclean #lucy fallout #norm fallout #fallout analysis #fallout stuff #fallout show #fallout spoilers #fallout series #fallout things #fallout the series #fallout the show #fallout thoughts

[pikahlua]

Sigh.

I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna say it again.

1. I warn you against taking the story beats in MHA at face value. Just because something looks one way doesn’t mean Horikoshi won’t make it go a different direction later. He only puts like one or two major story beats per chapter. Don’t be fooled by them.

2. Just because Hawks lost his quirk doesn’t mean he’s done. If you think this, you’re guilty of the exact thing the moral of MHA warns you against: equating a person’s worth to their quirk. Why’re some of y’all agreeing with AFO on this? We literally got a flashback to chapter 1 where this perspective was explicitly debunked!

3. Heroes are heroes BECAUSE they make sacrifices for others. I guarantee that by the end of this, many characters will suffer permanent consequences not as a result of being heroes but because definitionally making these sacrifices is what makes them heroes in the first place. And yet I predict a significant, noisy portion of this “fandom” is gonna cry about how someone losing their quirk or becoming disabled or dying ruins everything because some of these characters can no longer be “pro heroes”--as if the story hasn’t been telling us all along that “pro heroes” aren’t necessarily real heroes. Anybody can be a hero, regardless of their quirk. That isn’t referring to PRO heroes but TRUE heroes. Some of y’all need to listen to Stain more closely.

#my hero academia manga spoilers #final showdown spoilers #pika rants #the sheer number of people i've seen who say tokoyami should have lost his quirk #ask yourself #what purpose would that serve? #to make the story edgier? to make the consequences more dire? #mha isn't about that #it's not about random consequences being some interpretation of realistic #it's about exploring HEROISM #hawks lost his quirk for a reason #that's not the end of his story #not by a long shot #same goes for any character who has faced or will face consequences #*cough* like katsuki *cough* #*cough* or probably izuku lbr *cough*

[anxiously-sidequesting]

So I don't know if it was ever revealed how Duncan felt when we killed Malistaire all three times but I'm wondering if maybe some part of him could hate us for that too. Like you hear that and you go "but why. Malistaire was terrible and even Duncan knew that(?). Why would he hate you for getting rid of him."

But like I think it's so....... interesting in a very, very, very sad way how Duncan so easily latches onto anyone who directly feeds into his delusions of grandeur. And that's no fault of his own that he was manipulated by the nasty Schism but when you think about how desperately clung to the idea that Malistaire, easily one of the greatest necromancers any of us had ever heard of (at that time), somehow actually recognized Duncan's talents (even when canon supports that Duncan wasn't all that talented, at least no more than the next necromancer) and then praised him for it so often that Duncan believed that he would be the next Death Professor is. I mean ☹️

So like with that mindset I unfortunately feel like it would be quite easy to twist even Malistaire's death as something that's horrible and awful and all our fault. ESPECIALLY if the Schism was feeding into Duncan's already broken mind and shattered ego and was constantly telling him that everything bad that ever happened to him ever in his life was Our Fault. That's like a realistic conclusion that someone like Duncan could come to

And like, at this point in time, are Malistaire's crimes even a factor in how he thinks????? Was Duncan ever able to separate Malistaire's talent and skills and prowess from the terrible and awful things he did? If Duncan wasn't able to consciously tell that distinction in the first place I can't imagine it would be any better during the years he was being manipulated and isolated and lied to

Like in Duncan's mind it probably isn't, "maybe I shouldn't idolize a national criminal, or idolize anyone at all for that matter, and aspire to be like someone so harmful when I can recognize my own talent and build from there" it's probably more like, "you (the wizard) permanently got rid of a brilliant mind, an innocent person who just made a few mistakes, and someone who believed in me no matter what just so that you could be the better than me and loved by everyone else" and that's! very sad actually!

#this is all speculation btw idk if any of this is canon. how duncan feels about all this #i know i keep saying the exact same shit over and over but.... really not a fan of how the game handled duncan! sorry! #i know wizard101 isnt supposed to be about every single character gets a satisfying ending to their arc- #-meaning not everyone in the story will face consequences and/or find a happy ending and like thats fine they dont need to #but idkkkk its just imo really sad how essentially a kid suffers frrom something he cant control by himself (his ego)- #and then instead of getting help he is instead ignored (ambrose) and then manipulated and brought up by a cult #and then when it becomes super apparent how... TERRIBLE his life really is and we defeat him he just... goes back?????? #we.... we LET him go back???? i mean we're not responsible for other people's bad decisions or mental health but bro.... #and then when we tell ambrose he's just like “oh. too bad. well anyways-” AND IM LIKE WELL THATS THE REASON!!!!! NO WONDER HE'S FUCKED UP #NONE OF THIS IS ADDRESSED. NONE OF IT. WE KICK DUNCAN'S ASS AND THEN HE.... GOES BACK TO THE CABAL #i literally just got so desolate when (wallaru spoilers) because. okay. all that for nothing i guess #this isnt me being mad btw LMAO i know the tone probably reads as angry but im not im just disappointed #and tired. what is it with wizard101 in particular and just people suffering with no end. (me as i make my main suffer with no end) #but anyways yeah duncan has been in my head for a while. he's one of the guys that i love a lot BDKSNSKAJ #he's like a son to me and HE NEEDS A HEALTHY PARENT. HE NEEDS IT #not excusing his actions btw. he still committed crimes JRKDJSIEJ #i just have a soft spot for those villains in media who are doomed from the start yknow. (stares tearfully at morganthe and gf spider) #wizard101 #wiz101 #w101 #text posts #duncan grimwater #im not normal about duncan at all he's probably the wozard oc i feel for the most other than malorn and us

[celepom]

It’s Pride 2023! Time to put up some more comic recs!

This time I’ve put together some stories about discovering one’s own queer identity, outlining a family history of queerness, and several stories where being queer isn’t the focus - queer characters are simply allowed to be.

Belle of the Ball By Mari Costa

High-school senior and notorious wallflower Hawkins finally works up the courage to remove her mascot mask and ask out her longtime crush: Regina Moreno, head cheerleader, academic overachiever, and all-around popular girl. There’s only one teensy little problem: Regina is already dating Chloe Kitagawa, athletic all-star…and middling English student. Regina sees a perfectly self-serving opportunity here, and asks the smitten Hawkins to tutor Chloe free of charge, knowing Hawkins will do anything to get closer to her. And while Regina’s plan works at first, she doesn’t realize that Hawkins and Chloe knew each other as kids, when Hawkins went by Belle and wore princess dresses to school every single day. Before long, romance does start to blossom…but not between who you might expect. With Belle of the Ball, cartoonist Mariana Costa has reinvigorated satisfying, reliable tropes into your new favorite teen romantic comedy.

---

The Moth Keeper By Kay O’Neill

Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isn't exactly what Anya thought it would be? The nights are cold in the desert and the lunar moths live far from the village. Anya finds herself isolated and lonely. Despite Anya's dedication, she wonders what it would be like to live in the sun. Her thoughts turn into an obsession, and when Anya takes a chance to stay up during the day to feel the sun's warmth, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences.

---

Hollow By Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White & Berenice Nelle

Isabel "Izzy" Crane and her family have just relocated to Sleepy Hollow, the town made famous by—and obsessed with—Washington Irving's legend of the Headless Horseman. But city slicker-skeptic Izzy has no time for superstition as she navigates life at a new address, a new school, and, with any luck, with new friends. Ghost stories aren't real, after all.... Then Izzy is pulled into the orbit of the town's teen royalty, Vicky Van Tassel (yes, that Van Tassel) and loveable varsity-level prankster Croc Byun. Vicky's weariness with her family connection to the legend turns to terror when the trio begins to be haunted by the Horseman himself, uncovering a curse set on destroying the Van Tassel line. Now, they have only until Halloween night to break it—meaning it's a totally inconvenient time for Izzy to develop a massive crush on the enigmatic Vicky. Can Izzy's practical nature help her face the unknown—or only trip her up? As the calendar runs down to the 31st, Izzy will have to use all of her wits and work with her new friends to save Vicky and uncover the mystery of the legendary Horseman of Sleepy Hollow—before it's too late. 

---

Until I Meet my Husband By Ryousuke Nanasaki & Yoshi Tsukizuki

The memoir of gay activist Ryousuke Nanasaki and the first religiously recognized same-sex marriage in Japan. From school crushes to awkward dating sites to finding a community, this collection of stories recounts the author’s “firsts” as a young gay man searching for love. Dating is never ever easy, but that goes doubly so for Ryousuke, whose journey is full of unrequited loves and many speed bumps. But perseverance and time heals all wounds, even those of the heart.

---

Is Love the Answer? By Uta Isaki

When it comes to love, high schooler Chika wonders if she might be an alien. She’s never fallen for or even had a crush on anyone, and she has no desire for physical intimacy. Her friends tell her that she just "hasn't met the one yet," but Chika has doubts... It's only when Chika enters college and meets peers like herself that she realizes there’s a word for what she feels inside--asexual--and she’s not the only one. After years of wondering if love was the answer, Chika realizes that the answer she long sought may not exist at all--and that that's perfectly normal.

---

M Is for Monster By Talia Dutton

When Doctor Frances Ai's younger sister Maura died in a tragic accident six months ago, Frances swore she would bring her back to life. However, the creature that rises from the slab is clearly not Maura. This girl, who chooses the name "M," doesn't remember anything about Maura's life and just wants to be her own person. However, Frances expects M to pursue the same path that Maura had been on—applying to college to become a scientist—and continue the plans she and Maura shared. Hoping to trigger Maura's memories, Frances surrounds M with the trappings of Maura's past, but M wants nothing to do with Frances' attempts to change her into something she's not. In order to face the future, both Frances and M need to learn to listen and let go of Maura once and for all. Talia Dutton's debut graphic novel, M Is for Monster, takes a hard look at what it means to live up to other people's expectations—as well as our own.

---

Golden Sparkle By Minta Suzumaru

Himaru Uehara’s first year of high school is off to a good start, minus one problem—he keeps having wet dreams. With only his mom and sister at home—and having skipped health class in middle school—he thinks it means there’s something wrong with him. Thankfully, a new friend has just the remedy and teaches Himaru exactly how to deal with those pesky dreams! But his solution only leads to more confusion, and the two find themselves navigating feelings they’ve never felt before.

---

Thieves By Lucie Bryon

Ella can’t seem to remember a single thing from the party the night before at a mysterious stranger’s mansion, and she sure as heck doesn’t know why she’s woken up in her bed surrounded by a magpie’s nest of objects that aren’t her own. And she can’t stop thinking about her huge crush on Madeleine, who she definitely can’t tell about her sudden penchant for kleptomania… But does Maddy have secrets of her own? Can they piece together that night between them and fix the mess of their chaotic personal lives in time to form a normal, teenage relationship? That would be nice.

---

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic By Alison Bechdel

Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian home, a third-generation funeral home director, a high school English teacher, an icily distant parent, and a closeted homosexual who, as it turns out, is involved with his male students and a family babysitter. Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and fiercely funny, we are drawn into a daughter's complex yearning for her father. And yet, apart from assigned stints dusting caskets at the family-owned "fun home," as Alison and her brothers call it, the relationship achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. When Alison comes out as homosexual herself in late adolescense, the denouement is swift, graphic -- and redemptive.

---

She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat By Sakaomi Yuzaki

Cooking is how Nomoto de-stresses, but one day, she finds herself making way more than she can eat by herself. And so, she invites her neighbor Kasuga, who also lives alone. What will come out of this impromptu dinner invitation...?

Kasuga and Nomoto promised to spend their Christmas and New Year’s together. Now, they find themselves learning more about each other’s families through the food sent by Nomoto’s mother. Cute character bento, salmon and rice, stollen, fruit sandwiches, roast beef…Nomoto and Kasuga warm up to each other over a cheerful holiday season.  

#Pride 2023 #book rec #comic #graphic novel #autobio #fantasy #science fiction #high school #queer #lesbian #gay #asexual #intersex #bisexual #romance #book recs #pride #LGBTQIA #LGBT comic

[ladymelisande]

Something that has always bugged me about the HOTD is that they make big changes but they are too chicken to let them truly affect the story (a sin that GOT also committed) or they add more drama to scenes, but the characters are not allowed to react properly. The Driftmark scene is the biggest offender in my opinion because this was a scene that could have been good, it was their last chance to make Alicent a character who was going through a character arc instead of a pathetic Aesthetic Madonna. They made her do something that not even Book Alicent dared: trying to harm Rhaenyra's children with her own hands. Not by a servant, not her children, she tried to stab Luke (which would have killed him given the force of her charge) with her own hands:

Like? Why is this not a big step for her character? Why isn't it a point of no return when she decides to go full conspirator, full Green Council, full Alicent fucking Hightower? It is even hinted in her conversation with Otto for pity's sake:

And yet she does nothing in next episodes, nothing. She doesn't become ruthless, she acts as if she is the victim of Larys and not his employer. She wants to befriend Rhaenyra again and not kill her, despite the fact that she tried to stab Rhaenyra's child with her own hands and cut Rhaenyra's arm open.

But then she goes crying this?

Girl, what reluctance? You literally tried to stab a six-year-old.

The same goes for Rhaenyra. Why show us how cold she has become to Alicent's bullying?

Why show us her misery and the fact she knows Alicent tries to turn her father against her?

... If in the end, she won't hate her like a normal person, hell, like a normal character would?

Alicent tried to stab her child, she tried would have fucking killed her child, on purpose. It wasn't a mistake, it wasn't an accident. Alicent took Viserys' dagger and charged at Rhaenyra's child. After that, she cut her arm open so badly she will have a big scar for the rest of her fucking life.

Rhaenyra also tells Alicent to her face that they now see how as she is, implying she knows what Alicent is:

And yet Rhaenyra is holding her hand and crying over a fucking page?

It's not logical. Humans don't act like this. Hell, fictional characters written by competent people don't act like this. Why? Why introduce this change if they weren't going to do anything with it?

The answer is maybe they are obsessed with something. They are obsessed with this stupid change of the friendship, they are obsessed with making them both 'peaceful women against the men' to the point they just failed to implement any coherence to the story whatsoever.

The writers of this show are so obsessed with making Alicent a victim that they forget to make her into a character, into an antagonist, into Alicent Hightower. And they are so obsessed with making Rhaenyra into Alicent's friend that they forget to make her into a human being, they forget to make her Rhaenyra Targaryen at all.

The dagger scene could have been good, it could have had a good turning point, a good kickstart to the progression of the plot. Instead, just like every change made in this show, it's just pointless drama with no consequences or reactions from the characters.

#anti hotd #rhaenyra targaryen #alicent hightower #this show is just so badly written #big changes and then they do absolutely nothing with them that is interesting #hotd critical

[smoreobscurelore]

Crowley is a character riddled with fear but motivated by love.

Crowley is a character who comes across as unbothered but in reality, he feels very deeply. His whole character revolves around themes of fear and love and how those play off of one another. There are examples of this in season one. Mostly through him being afraid of losing everything he loves on earth. And his plan to run away to Alpha Centauri. However, Crowley’s fear becomes much more apparent, and arguably greater, in season two. Pretty much every part of the plot causes, or is affected by, Crowley’s fears. 

At the switcheroo, Azirpahle had some fun pretending to be Crowley, He gets Michael to miracle him a towel. Meanwhile, Crowley gets cast into hellfire and is thoroughly traumatised by the thought of watching the love of his life get permanently discorporated. Crowley was probably scared of Gabriel before, now, he is terrified. You see it when Crowley realised Gabriel is in the bookshop. He yells and backs up. He hasn’t had time to think of the consequences of Gabriel being there yet, that’s just his gut reaction to Gabriel in general. 

When Crowley had his conversation with Beelzebub, he learns that Aziraphale is in danger of 'getting written out of the Book of Life’. As an audience, we know that it won’t happen but Crowley doesn’t know that. He thinks Azirphale, the angel he loves more than anything, is in danger of having never existed. That scares him more than anything - So much that he puts himself in the same danger by going back. Then, because they don’t communicate, Crowley keeps that to himself. He holds all that worry and fear on his shoulders on his own.

Crowley is left in the bookshop with the guy that he's terrified of. He's scared the whole time that Azirphale is going to get found out. That HE is going to get found out. That Gabriel is going to smite him. That Gabriel is lying or will remember who he is. All the while, Azirphale has a great time driving up to Edinburgh. He gets to take the Bently out for a spin. He gets to play reporter. I don’t think that Crowley is carrying books around just to be helpful, I think he’s trying to do anything to keep his mind off all this rising anxiety in him.

Even in the 1941 minisode, Crowley is subject to a great deal of anxiety. Sure Aziraphale is the one getting shot at but he has trust in Crowley that sees him through. Crowley doesn't have that trust in himself. He's terrified of hurting Azirpahle. Crowley is physically shaking when he points the gun at Azirpahle. Despite having a gun aimed at his face, Azirpahale is the one comforting Crowley.

At the party, Crowley is the only one concerned about the demons while Aziraphale is getting carried away throwing a ball. Crowley’s left to be scared on his own again because no one else is taking any notice of what’s happening. Crowley's too concerned to even enjoy being with Aziraphale and dancing because he’s so worried. He’s scared they’re going to find Gabriel (and all the anxiety surrounding himself and Azirphale's demise that goes along with that) but now he’s also scared of all these innocent people getting hurt because of it too. 

In the end, he's scared of loosing Aziraphale. He loves Earth and everything it has. But equally, he loves sharing that with Azirpahale. Azirphale makes him less lonely. He spent 6000 years with the only other person in existence who understands what it's like to 'go along with heaven/hell as much as they can' and then suddenly he's left alone again. Even if they've not always been physically together, they were never alone when the other one was around. As much as he loves saving Aziraphale, Aziraphale is also there for Crowley. Now, There's no one watching his back anymore. He's alone, vulnerable and without someone he loves. What could be scarier?

Crowley is a demon who loves. And that is terrifying. It both gives him so much to gain and so much to lose in the same breath. 

#good omens #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #aziraphale x crowley #ineffable divorce #david tennant #michael sheen #neil gaiman

[simplyavatrice]

thinking about ava deciding she'd rather go back to being paralyzed than let those she loves down. how much weight something like that has coming from anyone, but especially somebody like ava who had her life horrifically stolen from her and who was beyond grateful and overwhelmed and filled with joy at being able to live again. a character so in love with life actively choosing this time around to give it up on her own terms.

refusing to even consider michaels plan until she's shown there's no other way. only then does she resolve to do it because the other option, letting her friends, letting beatrice, have to live(or die) with the consequences of her inaction is unfathomable. and not only that, she tries her very best to not even let bea witness it, see it, because she knows the effect that would have on her. bea cannot watch her die. ava didn't have any choices before, now she does, and every one she makes is in service to those she loves

i think of ava sitting at home one night in switzerland, on the couch next to beatrice who has a book in her lap and a tiny little smile on her face and ava gets up and makes her a cup of tea all the while thinking about how fucking beautiful it is that she can just...do that

first, that she has the ability to get up on her own, to make (subpar) tea and do a little dance to the music playing in the background as she sashays around a chair in their kitchen. she's so appreciative of the little things - the way a car sounds when it drives by and how beatrice always hums a little to herself when she turns a page

which brings up the second, that she has someone in her life that is there for her. ava grew up so alone and abandoned and forgotten - frances literally tried to erase her existence and now she has this whole beautiful and glorious person who cares about her and looks out for her - who made her a promise to never leave her side and kept it.

ava is the quintessential 'burned too hot, too fast' kind of character that shines so bright but only lasts for a short time and her story reflects that right up until her final fight with adriel. she's accept it, but there's never heartbreak in her feelings towards it - she's grateful and that is what makes her special. ava had every reason to be bitter and angry.

she didn't need time, certainly she wanted it, but she didn't need it. what she needed was the chance. her heart was so grateful for the love she found, for the people who took her in and accepted her and gave her a chance that the very thought of anything happening to them made her choice easy. it hurt, you can see it when she kisses bea and later when she's walking with michael, clearly detached, but in her mind, it was so so easy.

that goes back to beatrice, beatrice who loved her, who chose her and i think deep deep down, that's all ava ever wanted. she wanted to be someone's person. she wanted someone to look at her and pick her and beatrice did and in ava's eyes that made her invaluable. that made giving up her own life simple.

in the end though, that same reasoning is why ava lived - because beatrice chose her and while ava may be the one with the halo and the powers and the destiny, beatrice is just as special and we saw it multiple times in season 2 - no force of nature and no act of god was going to keep beatrice away from her. she would, literally, fight the world if it meant getting to ava and keeping her promise.

ava's alive and will come home to her, because they chose each other, and you just can't beat that.

#avatrice

[hyperactivewhore]

Answer if you have the balls and you're woman enough to do so, but I know you're not. Anyway, here goes.

So, you and your little cult of pick-mes are at it again, huh? Slandering Caroline for no real reason other than because she existed. Man, you guys are relentless. You just can't help yourselves, can you? And you say it's Caroline fans/Klaroline shippers who are the ones who start and harass you. And I know that's bullshit, because I don't see Caroline fans or Klaroline shippers doing anything except minding their own business, not bothering anyone whatsoever and keeping to themselves, and enjoying what they like just like everyone else does. It's you and every other Bonnie fan that's the problem. You're the ones that always look to start a problem or cause some kind of drama, all because you can't stand Caroline is more loved and liked by the fans than your faves. But oh well, that's just how it is.

And it's funny you say Bonnie was justified in acting the way she did when Caroline turned, when it's basically her fault that Caroline ever became a vampire in the first place. Quite frankly, Bonnie deserved way more heat and should've faced deeper consequences for her role in the S1 finale. And don't even get me started on the lame, half-assed bullshit excuse she gave, that "she couldn't do it, because her Grams wouldn't have." Really??? But then she has the nerve to treat her best friend like shit for something that was her own fault and that Caroline didn't ask for whatsoever, that was completely out of Caroline's hands? Fuck out of here, give me a fucking break!

But anything to hate Caroline for, right? Anything to basically make her out to be the devil incarnate. Yeah, Caroline wasn't perfect, but guess what? Neither were any of your shitty ass faves. Get the fuck over yourselves.

Also, gotta love how you only think Tyler deserved better where it concerns Caroline, but you say nothing whatsoever about what Hayley did to him in S4, which in my opinion was 1000x worse than Caroline sleeping with Klaus. But I guess since it didn't involve Caroline, it doesn't matter as much and only then, does Tyler not deserve better, huh? And what about his pack of hybrids? They didn't deserve better than what Hayley did to them? No, I guess not.

Lastly, I'm by no means a Klaroline shipper, but I give no fucks about Caroline having slept with Klaus, simply because that's the big fuck you that everyone in the Mystic Falls Gang deserved. Especially Elena, who knowingly and shamelessly was sleeping with Caroline's abuser/rapist and gave no fucks about it 🙂 But this is who you deem the most "compassionate" and "selfless" girl? Yeah, more like the most selfish and self-centered. And that's exactly why she was the most hated character. And justifiably and deservedly so. Caroline is 10000x better than Elena ever was, and I know it that bothers you and burns you deep down inside. Because you know it's a fact and the truth. Oh well, die mad about it, hun.

Then people wonder why most of the fandom eventually comes to hate klaroline and/or Caroline. This are the same people who got a woman fired off her job and who had their favorite white woman be getting all the plots who belonged to Bonnie or shamelessy self-inserted into everything 💀

"My little cult" I'm fucking dying with laughter, your pretty little sunshine vampire wouldn't be alive without Bonnie, actually no one in Mystic Falls would be alive if not for Bonnie. If people are getting harassed again by the same crazy Caroline stan, all my prayers. Just ignore this cunt 💞

#klaus mikaelson #caroline forbes #bonnie bennett #elena gilbert #damon salvatore #stefan salvatore #hayley marshall #tyler lockwood #the originals #the vampire diaries #tvd #to #elijah mikaelson #hope mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson #kol mikaelson

[asexual-angsty-writer]

Beta!Liu Qingge

Like, My brain just keeps replaying this idea:

Airplane added Omegaverse into his stallion novel because of an online friend he had, called 'Asexual-Menace' (Don't ask about the naming convention), who just kept brainrotting A/B/O.

But like, they had an extra focuse oj the socialization, how each dynamic would work, what are their differences and even fleshed out Betas as a subgender. Which, Airplane indulged in and eventually, asked to add their friends ideas into his stallion novel.

'Ace' would often beta read any of his begging drafts, encourage him and even help him with world building — which is why the Omegaverse became a part of PIDW

Though eventually, between Ace... no longer being around and Airplane needing to pay rent, a lot of things were left ambiguous, implied, personal information or small scenarios he wrote to get out of creative ruts at like 1 am.

What came as a consequence, is that all that background information becomes very tangible situations once he transmigrates as Shang Qinghua.

Luckily for him, SQH is a Beta, and thus, he doesn't need to deal with the A/O aspect.

Now he gets to deal with the Beta-aspects his friend had written, which are both good and horrible:

Pros: Great sense of smell, naturally boosted stamina, faint scents that don't stick easily/harder to track, No heats/ruts, rarely goes feral, levelheadedness is easier to maintain, pack-driven which means he can blend into crowds if need be.

Cons: Being the most responsible of subgenders, ferality is a dangerous thing for betas and usually leads to qi-diviations in Beta cultivators, need to run pack-mating cycles, needs to care for Alphas/Omegas/Pups equally, instinctual inclination to battle other betas to release stress

So, he's in a meh state, but overall — prefers to be a Beta.

Though, there was just one plot line he never thought he'd get to see through — but thanks to our resident Cucumber-bro, SY saved Liu Qingge's life and let's the plot line unfold.

You see, Liu Qingge became a peak lord without presenting — he's a late bloomer. His Qi-diviation was actually related to this fact, for obvious reasons; as not presenting makes it so bottlenecks are harder to break.

Though thanks to him being Alive, he eventually does present and as a Beta.

All of his readers assumed LQG is an Alpha and a lot of in-world characters did too — but that was never the case. LQG was meant to be a sort of mentorly-rival/Mid-Boss for LBG to learn/fight with. Him being a Beta was important to that.

Because Betas don't have strong scents, meaning not catching it in time or taking seconds too long to follow it, ends with it disappearing.

In Airplane's drafts, LBG would face off against a semi-recently presented LQG. A LQG who now has the natural boosts of being a Beta, alongside having had several major breakthroughs that were being held back due to him still being a 'pup' in that regard.

LBG would be arrogant, then be knocked down a peg by the War God himself — outlasting expectations and disappearing in tight spaces like corridors because his scent is so faint, LBG can't catch it for more than seconds — while LBG's scent is overwhelming, meaning LQG has the natural advantage. A play of nature/instincts + wisdown/strategy between the Alpha Demon lord and the Beta War God.

There's another layer to this, being a subversion of expectations — LQG had a presence; the way he stood, his tone and cadence, the way he carried himself in and out of battle. It makes sense, when you take stereotypes into consideration that he'd be an Alpha — but thats exactly why 'Ace' argued against it. Why they instead brought the idea of a Beta being the war god and how that would give a better showcase of how A/B/O and the subgenders can manifest the same instincts in different ways.

The readers, just like the characters in the drafts, are meant to be fooled by expectations then be blind sided.

Obviously, that was scrapped for the original novel but now, SQH gets to witness such a thing — though Obviously different to how he imagined it.

Since the Original SQH was the eldest beta amongst them, that means HE has to be the one to help LQG through those first stages of adapting to the changes in your body, to this new hypersensitivity, to the way your qi and meridians slowly change to adapt and the new instincts that come with being a Beta.

LQG has this earthy scent, like fresh soil, mixed in with some scent oil — something remenicent of the oil they use to clean/polish their swords.

Airplane would be so happy to see the plot line him and 'Ace' made come into fruition in some capacity.

Then it would spiral into something he didn't expect, because BingLiuShen + 'Compatible scents'

He was cursing at himself and the 'compatible scent' bs he had made for some of the wife-plots to work.

#omegaverse #abo svsss #SVSSS #scum villian self saving system #shang qinghua #shen yuan #Airplane flying through the sky #cucumber-bro #liu qingge #Beta Liu Qingge #Alpha Luo Binghe #Omega Shen Yuan/Qingqiu #BingLiuShen #Omegaverse BingLiuShen #A/B/O brainrot #Omegaverse svsss #Omegaverse Scum Villain self saving system #AU ideas #This has been haunting by brain for a while #help #luo binghe #Kinda-SVSSS-OC #beta Shang Qinghua

[attorneys-against-court-violence]

(Image IDs featuring character dialogue are described as such:

Background

Character (Pose, additional character/elements):

"Dialogue")

Aura Blackquill fascinates me as a specimen. Much of that is tied to her initial introduction in Case 5-4 - specifically, how Athena reacted to her.

We've had our fair share of blowhards and hagglers that got under Athena's skin. She's complained a lot, got backed into a corner, even brought into an emotional shut-down on two occassions. Her reaction to Aura is unique, however.

She's quiet for a good chunk of the conversation, tucked away in her sad pose until Aura goes on her monologue about how she doesn't trust emotionally-motivated humans to run the courts. That causes Athena to pipe up a little, though she's not quite angry - Widget is still in it's "Sad" mode from earlier and only switches to "Angry" after Aura compares her to an animal (Athena isn't fond of that).

This doesn't hit me as a reaction Athena would have to any old cold-hearted cynic. She's seems genuinely hurt that Aura of all people is saying these things. When Phoenix tells her to get a hold of herself when she gets genuinely angry and wants to punch Aura, it doesn't carry the same comedic vibe that her doing the same with Gaspen or L'belle did; it's not righteous anger at a garden-variety scumbag. This is Athena hearing someone vilify everything she knows, is, and cares about in spite of whatever image she held of that person prior to this engagement. It's not like Simon either, who still held good intentions and Athena especially in high-regard. Aura's loathing is the real deal and it hurts Athena to witness.

So let's go over some connections and theming, shall we? Athena will stick around as our reference point but the focus from here-on will be discussing Aura and how her history and contrast to one or the other Cykes paint a picture of who she is, why that person would be uniquely equipped to push Athena's buttons and eventually force her to confront the even that changed both of them.

In order, we'll be discussing:

Aura Blackquill's relationship with the Cykes

How both of them treat Metis' creations

CLONCO and how it could act as a proxy for Athena

A small detour to discuss Aura's relation to Simon

(I'll be using it/its pronouns for PONCO and CLONCO)

Auf gehts!

Aura Blackquill & the Cykes

So who is Aura? At face-value, she's a robotics expert working for GYAXA. Her contributions are largely in the automated machines she has designed and built for the Space Centre, alongside her partner Metis Cykes (mother of Athena Cykes), an arrangement she was quite content with.

Aura is known to have collaberated with Metis on projects based around Athena's hearing, PONCO and CLONCO in particular. Her proximity to and implied relationship with Metis puts her in a uniquely knowledgeable position regarding the inventions made to improve Athena's life. Granted she handled the hardware side of things while Metis carried the psychological/software end, but they were still both building emotional robots based on and for an emotionally unique child.

We don't know much, or anyhting explicitly, about Aura and Athena's relationship prior to UR-1 and any information we can glean from current-day interactions are heavily coloured by Aura's suspicion and intense hatred. We could assume that Athena's condition (and the consequences of that on her social development) made her a difficult child to work with. Aura's grievences here would be an exaggeration of the problems she had with someone so high-maintanence. Athena's most relevant flaw, in Aura's eyes, is revealed in what she says here:

It's well-established that Athena did not believe Metis loved her when she was a child. Aura was the one working the closest with Metis to create the gifts that would help Athena, and yet? She still hated her mother. We know Aura finds human irrationality loathsome today; the idea that Athena could still despise Metis, even though she works so hard to help her daughter, goes against both Aura's values and the labour of someone she deeply cares about. Although this might also be in lack of consideration for Athena's unique emotional situation - this will be relevant when we come back to CLONCO so I'll cover that when we get there.

For now, we know that Aura was enough of a different person to willingly help Metis with projects that aided someone else; someone she saw as selfish and ignorant of her mother's efforts. Said projects were also research into psychology, as well as to provide emotionally intelligent companions to space-travellers. While I'm sure Aura enjoyed the prospect of building rational machines to stem emotional instability in human astronauts, she was still heavily involved in creations that tie strongly to emotionalism.

Her tirade denouncing that idea in favour of rational thought is a cut against Metis' work and what Athena had been surrounded with and chose to study with vigour. Notably - despite hating her mother - Athena felt as though Metis supported her pursuit of psychology from beyond the grave.

In short, Aura's rational mindset has gone so far as to vilify a strong passion that both Cykes held. Largely due to how her point of contact with the subject was making things for a strange, ungrateful little girl who seemd to have repaid them by killing her own mother.

The Robots: Athena's Affection & Aura's Abuse

I feel that both characters attitude towards the GYAXA robots visually represent the way they see and respect human emotion - a subject that both the Cykes intimately studied and that Aura appears to loathe in the present - when it's applied to something that has zero moral or social consequences for treating in any way (ie PONCO and CLONCO are effectively "Who You Are in the Dark" tests for these two).

Athena clearly loves the robots. PONCO especially with how she greeted it like we would a family pet while she was investigating with Phoenix:

As a child, Athena humanised the robots to a degree even she thought was excessive; most obviously by wrapping them in bandages and writing "get well soon!" messages on them:

Aura has no such respect for CLONCO. She hits it, leans on it like a prop, tinkers with its insides while it's still running, even strangling it at one point. She goes from altering its mind to full-on overriding CLONCO's control of its body for herself. She does have reasons for why this is fine; CLONCO is an unfeeling machine and its body is just a proxy for its actual "brain" that's running remotely somewhere in the Space Centre. That said it's not hard to see that her abuse is related to her anger - both the underlying grief for Metis and more explicit rage when kicking Phoenix and Trucy out of the lab.

Both of these robots are walking remnants of Metis' research, which has already been discussed. Even if Athena hated her mother, she was fascinated by Metis' work and inhereted a passion for psychology from her and the environment she created in the Space Centre. Understanding people's emotions with enough accuracy to mirror them yourself is a core trait of both her and the robots. Aura, on the other hand, has love for Metis but not the subject of human emotion that both Athena and the robots are intrinsicly tied to. Beyond that, she's acting irreverantly to an object that gave Athena fond memories of the days before UR-1. To Athena, these were the only positive connections she had besides Juniper and Simon. To Aura, they were just another inanimate creation and later something to take her grief-driven anger out on despite their connection to Metis.

CLONCO as a Young Athena Proxy

CLONCO already acts as an effective tool to show how Aura antagonises the things that make Athena, Athena; her dismissiveness of emotion, the mistreatment of Metis' research, the vitriol for what brings Athena joy in the past and present. An argument can be made that CLONCO also represents another angle to Aura's hatred; that of the young Athena Cykes she once knew in the past.

Let's take a quick look at CLONCO a moment:

It's almost identical to PONCO in that it's a robot built to understand and "feel" human emotions (to a dubious extent). Immediately though, we see that CLONCO unstable and uncanny compared to PONCO. It doesn't display the same emotional range as its counterpart - in fact, it largely remains in its "Neutral" state except for when Aura attacks and tinkers with it. There, it displays "Sad" and "Shocked" emotions that imply to be simulating discomfort and pain from what she does to it ("Sad" can also mean "Fearful" based on what we know of Widget's representation of emotions).

CLONCO's instability visibly affects its ability to emote and communicate with others. Both it and PONCO have childish personalities. This could act as a stand-in for Athena Cykes - at least, how Aura seems to see Athena Cykes.

Aura Blackquill sees Athena as an emotionally unstable child. It's not without precident; Athena was poorly socialised and likely couldn't process her hyper-empathy quite as deftly as today. People's emotions were the cause of most of her pain as a child due to her enhanced hearing. Her mother's inability to communicate effectively to her when giving her headphones that seemed to just hurt her definitely didn't help. Young Athena Cykes had plenty of issues that point to an emotionally unstable upbringing and she might have been in a bad state for longer than UR-1 (Widget having an 'emotionless' setting despite being made prior to that event speaks volumes).

Remember when I mentioned that Aura's annoyances with young Athena were not fully considerate of her situation? With CLONCO being an "emotionally" unstable, child-like entity that Aura seems to be fully responsible for, I believe that her abusive attitude towards it reflects how much she's come to loathe the image of Athena Cykes she has built in her head after years of dealing with intense grief and suspicion. CLONCO never acts maliciously of course but given that it's a creation of Metis Cykes that bears at least some resemblance to the person Aura believes is responsible for her murder, her violence towards it could have a deeper layer than CLONCO just being a convenient target for her wrath.

In short, Athena has witnessed someone she knew who cared about her mother very much do the following:

Mistreat the very inventions she (Aura) and Metis made together

Attack an object that brought Athena great joy as a child

Talk mad shit about Athena and Metis' main field(s) of study

Call Athena stupid for valuing emotions above rational thought

Smack what may be a stand-in for an emotionally stunted child

And all of the above with a tone of voice likely seeped in wrath towards her and grief for Metis.

Aura's antagonism towards Athena is what ultimately pushes the latter further in her character arc; that Aura hates the fact Athena managed to avoid the consequences of UR-1 is what drives her to push the issue, force Athena and her circle into a situation where they must confront this awful event head-on. For this, Aura needs to be someone who can and wants to push Athena's buttons in a way few (if any) others can, and that is achieved by establishing an intense loathing for everything that represents Athena as a person in just one scene. Later scenes with Aura further expand on this and it is a ride to watch unfold.

Brief Detour: Blackquill & Blackquill

Real quick, I wanted to highlight how Aura relates to her brother Simon. Both have traits and views on UR-1 that stand in stark contrast of one another and take actions that clashes with the other.

Let's start with their modes of thinking. Simon, as a psychologist, views the UR-1 incident within that framework. To him it isn't concievable that Athena Cykes would murder her own mother despite lacking concrete evidence against it. This and his reasonable assumption that the phantom could have swung by for the psyche profile (an event he planned in advance against by hiding it with Taka) were enough to motivate his taking of the blame. Even when no evidence had surfaced of the true series of events, Simon stuck with this until push comes to shove and he has no choice but to confirm that Athena is a very likely suspect (note that he never explicitly says that she did it even then!). Aura by contrast is a mechanical engineer. She uses deductive reasoning and verifiable evidence to piece things together. At face-value, looking at the events of UR-1 with that lens points to Athena being the one responsible. While her biases against Athena - emboldened by this percieved crime - had caused her to irrationally tunnel onto this conclusion, the fact that she's a rationally-minded scientist had caused her to assume that she was still being completely reasonable.

There's also Simon's self-sacrificing nature versus Aura's vengful tendancies. Protection versus persecution. One Blackquill literally gives up his own life to ensure that injustice doesn't pass to someone he cares about, while the other dedicates their life to enact justice on the one she believes is responsible. Part of that is making sure UR-1's ruling does not harm her brother of course, though as she says in the conversation that has taken up much of this essay:

Revenge is unavoidably a part of her motivation, contrasted with Simon who would rather sacrifice himself over anyone else.

It explains their conflict quite well; Aura is frustrated that Simon is taking what she sees as a very illogical, self-desctructive path to protect someone who doesn't deserve saving. Simon meanwhile disuades her from helping him escape, knowing that she would make damn sure Athena would get what she thinks she deserves. Interestingly this is where Aura and Athena's motivations line up the most. Both want Simon to be free and the latter comes to accept that freeing him means coming to terms with a terrible truth.

Both Aura and Athena take steps towards a conclusion that will ultimately harm Athena, the former already accepting the ugly truth and the latter so repressed the realisation can't take root until the matter is forced out. If anything, Simon is keeping both characters from dealing with this idea and would have completely removed himself from their lives, causing even greater loss for them.

Post-Essay Ramblings

Aura is a character I could chew on all day. Part of that is because she knocked it out of the park for me right off the bat with her initial introduction and Athena's reaction to it.

We have a character who's lesson is to embrace your emotions, to find those you can trust and give space to process the mental storm. As part of her arc, she has a connected character who beats the crap out of a product of emotion to push her to confront that storm by force. It genuinely makes me sad that this is the only time Athena and Aura interact in the entire game.

No, I'm serious, this scene is the only time these two ever talk to one another. These two, who have a fraught history and a setup for a tense dynamic while having the same motivation of saving Simon Blackquill, only interact once. I can begrudgingly see why in the sense that Aura wouldn't go out of her way to make chit-chat with the girl who killed Metis Cykes, though there are still things you could do with that idea in mind. Personally I'd have killed to see Athena's reaction to Aura finally accepting that she didn't kill her mother, especially when their first interaction had set up a great deal of conflict.

Athena was in the room when Simon apologised to Aura, maybe the two could have had a word there? Perhaps it would have cluttered between Apollo's resolution and Simon's apology. I don't know. I'm just sad we didn't get a follow-up on their first interaction.

Yeah, that's all I got. It's been a long post so to quote Aura herself:

Just don't spill it on the Kerfus.

#ace attorney #dual destinies #aa5 #ace attorney spoilers #dual destinies spoilers #aa5 spoilers #athena cykes #aura blackquill #long post

[yuikomorii]

DL characters from most to least intelligent?

// Oh, this is going to be interesting!

Disclaimer: This top incorporates intelligence as in brain power, perceptiveness and so on. It also has nothing to do with morals or the DL Tokutens, since those are just for fun and not the most accurate version of the characters, therefore it’s based on routes, serious CD dramas and official short stories.

1. Laito

It's no longer a secret that Laito is extremely intelligent to the point of being terrifying. I've already discussed his big brain in this post, but I'll try to summarize it here. This man can read everyone like a book; he can easily absorb and apply any type of information. He's also the only character who can manipulate everyone, including the AB boys, and even Carla was surprised by his intelligence in Dark Fate. I've said it before and I'll say it again: he could twist every DL main cast character around his finger if he wanted to, too bad he’s not good at reading himself.

2. Carla

Literally the Diaboy who would make the best king. Despite the fact that I can't bring myself to ship him with Yui because the couple is far too disturbing, he is a wise and great ruler. We were able to see that best in LE, he's good at plans, logical, and knowledgeable on a variety of topics that can help him get out of uncomfortable situations.

3. Shu

Shu may have many flaws, but he is undeniably intelligent. He appears apathetic, as if he doesn't care about anything, but he knows far more than you'd think. I believe he is the best candidate for king among the Sakamakis because he is open-minded and can reflect on his thought process.

4. Kino

Probably a very unpopular opinion since people don’t really seem to like Kino and yeah, he seems kind of dumb at times, but I'll give him credit for being a really good antagonist. He beat the Tsukinamis on this one; this guy is really good at devising different evil plans in order to sabotage the Diaboys, which I find really interesting.

5. Reiji, Ruki

The boys who like belittling others, despite being more on the booksmart side. They're very knowledgeable for sure, they both have a lot of information in their heads, and they're also more strategic than their brothers. In a nutshell, their intelligence is beneficial. However, because of their overconfidence, they are prone to reacting incorrectly when things do not go their way, which can lead to serious breakdowns.

6. Azusa

Azusa is most likely the character who speaks the least; he is timid and silent, but isn't it true that quiet people have the loudest minds? He pays close attention to everything that goes on around him, and I firmly believe that he is one of the best characters at seeing through people.

7. Kou

Another unpopular opinion since people like to portray Kou as a dumb guy, but that’s not the case. Sure, he doesn’t care about many things and doesn’t always pay attention to what others are saying but that’s because he simply doesn’t want to. I know Kou acts occasionally childish but he has a very mature point of view. Even if his magical eye allows him to read people’s hearts, he must be very cunning to know how to manipulate everyone based on this without coming across as obvious. Additionally, he has an unpredictable nature.

8. Ayato, Yui

Mr. “I’m impulsive and don’t care about others’ opinions” and Little Miss “I act without thinking and have to face consequences afterwards”. Not counting the fact that Yui has more morals and knows more about human stuff (since she’s human after all), they both have the same number of brain cells. Both canonically have little knowledge, they require help most of the time when doing something, and their plans are literally dead ends, BUT I can't deny they're very perceptive at times. I wrote more about Ayato here; he appears ignorant but notices important details and analyzes the behavior of those around him. The same can be said for Yui, who can also be a good observer.

9. Shin

He has more knowledge than Ayato and Yui and was quite clever in Ruki's DF route, but SORRY his LE route made him appear so stupid in my eyes. All of his problems could have been solved if he had tried to use his brain, but he didn't, which is why his route was so frustrating. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that every character has dumb moments, some more, others less, but come on... he didn’t try to logically solve his problems and only suddenly had the big realization to do so, which was IN HIS VAMPIRE ENDING. I excuse characters who make mistakes or act on a whim, but Shin crossed the line in LE. I can't imagine a Diaboy in his own route as dense as Shin was there; he kept getting himself into more and more trash, which is a shame because he would have been much higher on this list if they didn’t do him so dirty there.

10. Subaru, Yuma, Kanato

I feel bad for rating them so low because I really like Subaru and Yuma; Kanato is intriguing too, but the problem is that they almost never get the chance to prove themselves. I understand Subaru's situation because he doesn't have any deep bonds with anyone, after all, he's the only Sakamaki without a brother from the same mother, and he's also quite asocial, so it's not like he'd pay attention to anything that's not his business, but I really don't get why the others didn’t get a big chance to use their brains. Yuma is very useful though, but Kanato's case is a whole other story. I can’t deny that he’s actually sly sometimes but he was Laito's closest brother during childhood; why is Ayato the one to best analyze Laito and not him?? Ayato was literally locked away in his room all day, unlike him, who played with Laito on a daily basis… so much lost potential.

#yui komori #ayato sakamaki #kanato sakamaki #laito sakamaki #shu sakamaki #reiji sakamaki #subaru sakamaki #ruki mukami #kou mukami #yuma mukami #azusa mukami #carla tsukinami #shin tsukinami #kino #diabolik lovers #dialovers #admin #(I hope you meant from the main cast) #(if not then Karlheinz is the most intelligent one)

[chaifootsteps]

It really annoys me that Viv doesn't allow her abuser characters to be at least a little less obvious. This would not only make the story more realistic, but also make it more logical.

Take the example of the fourth episode with Valentino. Okay, let's assume that we believe that Charlie, who has been in Hell for centuries, has no idea what high-status overlords are and does not know what kind of person Valentino is, let's discuss another thing: why Valentino is so openly flirting with the daughter of the lord of Hell, who is two heads above him in status and flirt with her to the point that he licks her hand (and she almost doesn't react to it in any way)? If they wanted to demonstrate how lustful Val is, they could have done it more elegantly, for example, Val takes Charlie's hand in his, kisses it, and then licks his lips, saying in a WHISPER that this is a lovely specimen, what Charlie cannot hear and wants to ask again, but Val interrupts her and still holding her hand points to the main stage asking if she wants to perform.

Next, the scene of Angel's beating. Why would Val try to be polite and take spider into another room if he then roughly grabs his arm and throws him on the bed in front of Charlie? What was the point of hiding if you then show all the cards? And why does Charlie just leave after Angel's words? Doesn't she see how he treats Angel and sees that he has a huge black eye that didn't exist before he went to the dressing room with his boss? Let's leave the question of why Angel can't enlist Charlie's support, which should clearly be more powerful than his boss, and put it all down to the fact that he's just afraid, but why does Charlie do nothing if he sees the consequences? Again, how could this scene be made better: Val, after talking and beating Angel, orders him to hide the black eye with makeup, Angel obeys while Val leaves the dressing room and goes to talk to Charlie, again trying to play the gentleman he says that despite the fact that he himself is very flattered by her presence in his studio, this accident during filming led him to the conclusion that Charlie would distract Angel from work and, according to him, Angel holds the same opinion. Charlie initially refuses to leave, but Angel comes out of the dressing room, already with makeup on her face, which hides the bruise and in the same aggressive manner that is shown in the series tells Charlie to leave, and she runs away in tears. It would show that Valentino could use Angelch not only as a commodity, but also as a human shield against the royal family, in this case against Charlie, and it would make him a more realistic and creepy abuser.

When you've got a fanbase consisting of this many kids and young adults either in college or headed off there, there's a lot of things you don't want to be telling them about life and relationships and sex and consent that Viv tells them.

"If they're an abuser, it will be glaringly obvious" is one of them.

#Anonymous #vivziepop #vivziepop critical #viv stuff #actual blog post

[astrababyy]

it sucks how this book series refuses to allow feyre any sort of agency or consequences anymore. it really ruins the nuance to her.

feyre as a character in book 1 was something kind of special. in book 1, feyre overcame an intense prejudice against the fae — however justified her fears might’ve been considering the rumors that were spreading of faeries killing humans by crossing the wall.

and she didn’t just overcome it — feyre risked her life to save one of prythian’s high lords. she went through pain and torture and turmoil all for a faerie, because of love and loyalty and hope that they could have a future together. that’s actually really beautiful, and i genuinely despise how that’s destroyed in the later books.

feyre doesn’t get to have any agency from book 2 and on. she doesn’t get to have an emotional maturity higher than that of a teenager (which, in fairness, is kinda fair since she’s like 22 in the latest book), blaming other people for her own choices and decisions. feyre doesn’t get responsibility for her actions or a complex look at her suffering and pain.

feyre gave everything to save tamlin — and his court. she gave everything up for the male she loved, and that’s completely destroyed in acomaf by that book having the audacity to treat it as though feyre’s suffering utm was even a little bit due to tamlin.

the suffering has to be pinned on someone — and that someone can’t be feyre, despite her being the one to go down there. someone has to take the blame so feyre can keep playing the victim in a situation where only the victims survived and making jokes out of other people who faced hell all the same. there can’t be any complexity in her wondering if all her actions were even worth it. she can just blame the victims of the situation and move on with her life.

feyre’s the savior of Prythian, and she became that of her own accord. tamlin returned her to her old life, and she went back. she went back despite everything. she suffered torment, fucking death, and anything and everything in between. in the beginning, she hates Fae so much that she feels no remorse for killing a faerie, even if she wasn’t fully in the know of his status as a species. in the end, she’s willing to give up everything for one. that’s beautiful. it’s actually pretty profound and a very noble thing on feyre’s part that’s a real testament to her original character.

however annoying or irritating she was in the books, feyre was a much more balanced character in the first book, in my personal opinion. she had flaws, yes, but she also had skills and intelligence (on occasion) and a noble character to her that made her more likable.

it’s completely ruined by how the books just won’t let her be a person in favor of making her out to be saintly, even though that just makes her annoying asf. feyre destroyed the spring court to get back at tamlin? oh, let’s just pretend that all the lives she ruined aren’t important just ‘cause her feelings were hurt. feyre locked her fucking sister in the house of wind because she didn’t like how she coped? it doesn’t matter, because nesta got “better” anyway! feyre went willingly utm to be the characters’ savior, and makes herself out to be the victim a book later because “tamlin didn’t do anything”?? even though he’s the one that brought her back home where she’d hopefully be safer anyway?? really??

it’s just like… the fact that feyre’s character needed to be bent and twisted into something unrecognizable so it could seem remotely realistic that she’d ever get with rhysand is something so depressing ‘cause her character is ruined and reduced to a love interest to mr iM sO pOweRfuL aNd dEpResSeD LoOk aT mE. like, i’m sitting here wondering how sjm can call herself a feminist when this is how she ruins her mcs.

feyre’s just like- “hero gets saved from suffering by victims then goes back to save them anyway; blames them for not helping her AGAIN when their hands were all but physically tied behind their backs”. like, this is not okay. it’s such a lazy way to portray a character, and it’s really such an injustice to the actually decent personality and arc feyre had in the first book.

in other words: thanks, i hate it. 😃

#anti sjm #anti acomaf #anti feyre #ig #not really #actually not at all tbh #I spent this entire post singing her praises #which is rare since I don’t even like her #sjm critical #this one’s long sorry #anti rhysand #anti feysand #what a distasteful pairing like actually #pro tamlin #he’s not really a focus #but I’m defending him here so #tamlin #astrababyy #astrababyy ramblings

[gayuu-the-necromancer]

My thoughts on El's father...(Rant!)

TW - major spoilers

I hate him!

He's the fucking worst! Not only as a father but he's monster. I don't care if he's grieving the loss of his wife, he's also responsible for what happen to El.

El's mom, Cecelia (beautiful name btw) was r*ped by a monster and that's how El was born. No one knew this fact. I understand Cecelia having conflicted feelings for El. On one hand, she does seems to care about El but there was also a small amount of hatred because of how he was born. From El's point of view, his mom looked at him like he was like a caterpillar, which she hates.

Cecelia could no longer suffer the pain and killed herself after writing a suicide note that revealed everything. Hugh, El's dad and Cecelia's husband, was affected mentally and blamed it all on El after knowing all the truth. First of all, you're telling me, you loved and cared for El all this time, and the moment you realised that he was not your flesh and blood, you don't love him anymore? Are you telling me all the love you gave him before was only because you thought he was your actual son? If El can love you, who is not his biological father, even after knowing everything then why can't you love him back? Like you lost your wife, he too lost his mother. Now the only one he can rely on is you!

Also how is this all El's fault? He's 8 or 9 years old. What the hell did he do? How is this all his fault? It's not like he told that monster from heaven to go and SA Cecelia, so that he can come to earth, right? Use your brain you dumb bitch!

And not yet! I haven't even got to the worse part yet. After this, Hugh goes into complete depression, and his mental state was not good. He even wanted El out of his sight or otherwise, he would have panic attacks because El's face reminded him was his wife's death. Whatever! Fuck you anyways!

While this was happening, that mf Jeffery...yeah, Jeffery, everyone's fav character...Yayy! He manipulates the now defenseless 9 year old El so that he and the maids could SA him as much as they liked....

Just how much of a monster you have to be to do this to a child? That too a child who YOU watched growing up. I just really want to know what was going in their minds when they were doing such things.

This nightmare was happening everyday and one day, the doctor was visiting the mansion for Hugh's treatment, got a whiff of this and he was like "Oh, you can SA a beautiful looking child and you won't face any consequences? Plss let me in!"

Yeah! The doctor! A doctor, who's job is to save people, now wants to gang with these monsters to destroy what is left of El. I literally wanna skin these people alive, chop them and feed them to the dogs.

Of course El kills the doctor by stabbing him with the scissors, because he's mentally broken at this point. Jeffery and the maid, just entirely brainwashed and manipulated him into thinking that what they're doing to him is an act of love and they love him unlike his father and mother. El thought that if he killed the doctor, maybe then Hugh will be happy and smile at him. He goes to see his father and his father killed himself. Good! Otherwise I would have killed him myself! His father told him that he knew what Jeffery and the maids were doing to him but he decided to let it happen because he wanted El to feel the same pain as he does. This statement, made my blood BOIL! This fucking selfish ASSHOLE!! Just how can you watch a child's innocence being stolen and take the side of these monsters? Even if he's not your biological child, he's still a child! A human being that has feelings!! Just how can you? A parent should be protecting their children. Even if you're not a parent, as a human being, don't you think you should protect that child? I'm sorry, I'm being so emotional! It just hurts me more when I see a parent doing this.

You know, when I was child, my grandma used to tell me that in hell, people are thrown into a large boiling cooking pots filled with oil and are roasted by Yamaraj (god of death in Hinduism) for their sins. I'm not a religious person, but I feel like that's one of the best punishment suited for monsters who attack children.

I...just...hate him more than Liam's dad.

#ikemen series #otome #cybird ikemen #cybird otome #ikemen villain #cybird #ikemen villains #ikemen villains elbert

[class1akids]

What is a story beat ? You said that Hawks sill has a storybeat left probably about Toga / Twice's death?

Sorry if I ask too many questions!… but you wrote this (I really doubt there would be any point in him dying for the narrativ) do you talk about Hawks or Twice ?

I'll take this two together. Story beat is a shift in the narrative. It can be emotional turns, incidents or events, actions, and reactions, or realizations. They can even be small shifts in narrative tone or a character’s emotional arc. 

Hawks' character arc has several different threads, but one important one is his relationship with Twice as a reflection of the tension between a true hero ideal (heroes save / don't kill) and the kind of pragmatic compromises hero society / HPSC taught him as well as Keigo's own perception of Jin being a "good person" and his evaluation of him as the biggest threat.

Basically Keigo's arc goes something like this: idealistic young boy -> groomed by HPSC for efficiency and following of orders -> infiltrates villain organization as a spy -> gets to know a sympathetic villain (Twice) on a personal level -> tries to save Twice in isolation and within the limits of hero society -> fails because he doesn't understand the human bonds Twice values -> he makes the choice to kill Twice as per his training -> aftermath as he's revealed to the public as a child of a villain / a hero who killed someone and his own struggle with the revelations about Endeavor and his own conscience about Twice -> decides to pour his energy into "fixing Endeavor" and avoids facing his own actions re: Twice -> he meets his reckoning on the battlefield when the threat posed by Twice messes up the entire plan via Toga's grief -> Hawks once again wants to deal with it by killing -> he loses his quirk and fails to stop AFO -> with nothing left to protect, he's ready to accept the consequences and stops fighting back against Toga's revenge.

This story-beat parallels Endeavor's decision to finally face Toya (and die with him)

They are both saved by the new gen - Endeavor by Shoto, Hawks by Uraraka. The old generation was ready to succumb to the hopelessness, even Hawks who is a self-proclaimed optimist and someone very much on the borderline between the old gen and the new gen.

So I think the storybeat missing here is some kind of resolution. MHA is an optimistic story and has set up the need for all of society to change so future Twices, Togas and Dabis don't fall through its cracks and so that it can offer villains a credible prospect of re-inclusion into society. Reformative justice if you will.

I don't really think there is a good narrative reason to kill Hawks (or anyone else from the old gen) now in the endgame. Many of them tried to sacrifice themselves - Endeavor, All Might, Edgeshot, Aizawa - but they have all been saved so far. I think that their role in the final part of the story is to get on board with the hopeful direction of the kids.

Since Hawks is the closest in age to the kids and spirit (he is the first one who really tries to save a villain) and since he's also a link between the world of villains and hero society (as the child of a villain and as a spy who infiltrated them), I think it would be natural for him to be spearheading this change. We saw in Ch 323-324 that the public won't necessarily listen to school kids, but Hawks is in a position of authority and if he gets on board with saving the villains, that can be a big push for change (basically it's the same reason the PLF wanted him for - a celebrity for their cause). So this is where the Hawks will save Toga theory comes in. He has the same blood type. There are news helicopters around. The stage is set for him to make some kind of stand that will help change the heart of the public (which was probably already moved by Ochako trying to reach out to Toga and by Toga's self-sacrifice).

I may be wrong of course, but from all the set-up, I'd find it weird if Gunga finished the way things have been left and we'd just skip to the epilogue.

#c1a asks #bnha manga spoilers #hawks #takami keigo #twice #bnha meta

[miraculouscriticismshub]

My thoughts on Felix - anti hero gone wrong

Introduction - SEASON 5 SPOILERS AHEAD

Felix Fathom - the show's anti hero. Easily one of the smartest characters of the show and has gained quite a large fanbase. However , his Character took a drastic turn in Season 5 , with the transition from anti-hero to a hero. He joins the team in the season 5 finale - which has raised a few eyebrows. This post will explain my thoughts on Felix and why I dislike how his character has been written this season . Don’t get me wrong , I don’t hate Felix but it annoys me how he does awful things and doesn’t face any consequences. This is not a hate post on Felix but simply me sharing my opinion on him.

His Character explained up until Emotion

Felix seemingly had a rough childhood. Due to Amelie being infertile , Colt created Felix from the peacock miraculous , which caused him to be a senti.

Due to Colt using the broken miraculous , he got sick and seemingly blamed , abused and controlled Felix.

When Felix was 13 , due to frustration , Colt punched the wall , breaking the ring which is where Felix’s amok is. This nearly killed Felix and made him realize his life was tied to his father’s ring. Soon his father died and he took his ring , securing his freedom. However he was forever paranoid of the idea of disappearing and when he found out about the peacock miraculous, he made it his goal to steal it from his uncle to ensure his survival. We see him first in the episode Felix , where he steals Gabriel's ring. We see him come back in Gabriel Agreste , finding out his uncle is a Shadow Moth , confirming his suspicions that he had the peacock miraculous.

The trauma from his interaction with Gabriel , thinking he was about to be snapped out of existence, triggers him to complete his mission. In the Season 4 finale , he steals most of the miraculous and trades all of them and Gabriel's ring for the peacock miraculous.

The rings from my understanding were a safety net in case anything went wrong. He knew Gabriel would never trade the peacock miraculous for his wife's ring because of how powerful the miraculous was so he stole most of the miraculouses because he knew about Gabriels plan. He laid low for a few months then in the episode Emotion , he committed mass genocide by snapping every human to the red moon and leaving only the senti-trio and Marinette on Earth. 

His motive - freeing his cousin and Kagami ( who he recently found out was a senti) from their parents. He however realized he lost control and brought everyone back. Felix is an anti-hero in the sense that he had good intentions but goes about it in the wrong way. He had a good reason to trade the jewelry for the peacock in order to be free , to never be under the mercy of the peacock miraculous holder , who can snap him out of existence anytime. However he achieved his goal in an unethical way , by betraying ladybug and stealing the miraculous. This also applies in Emotion , he felt empathy for Kagami and felt bad about Adrien because he was in the same situation as them which is not being able to be in control of themselves. He wanted to help them experience the same freedom he has so he snapped Gabriel and Tomoe to the red moon.  However he went way too far by snapping away literally everyone committing genocide. He had a sympathetic motive - helping Adrien and Kagami but how he conducted his methods in a questionable way portrays him as a morally gray character.

This is what makes his Character compelling . You sympathize with his character and understand why he does the things he does but at the same time disagree with his methods and resent him for helping the main villain. 

Why Feligami doesn’t work

Pretension is the episode where Felix’s character went wrong for me. This is mainly because of Feligami (sorry Feligami stans😔😔). He seemingly falls in love with Kagami after one episode and from my understanding - stalks and kidnaps her from her mom . Now Tomoe is awful but there really was no need to kidnap her - she was only shouting at her - not beating her up. He kidnapped Kagami not because she was in any danger but wanted to confess his love towards her and make her fall in love with him . Kagami was not having any of it however when he seemingly saves her and tells her about his tragic backstory , she instantly gains feelings.

The problem with this is that Kagami barely knows Felix . From her POV , he could easily be lying in order to gain sympathy from her. They got together during one episode which caused the ship to feel rushed. Another reason why this ship doesn't work is how they fell in love. Sure Kagami saw Felix differently after Felix saved her from Tomoe and gave her the ring but you don’t fall in love after three interactions.

Kagami chooses to be with Felix because he looks exactly like Adrien which causes the ship to be unhealthy because she still has unresolved feelings for her ex. She doesn’t love Felix for who he is , she loves him because he looks like Adrien. If she started dating Felix after knowing him for a few weeks/months then it would’ve made more sense that she fell in love with Felix because of his personality , not his appearance.

Felix only like Kagami because she was a senti , he barely cared for up until Emotion. He only spent a couple of hours with her before snapping everyone away and then decided he loved her.  If Kagami wasn’t a senti , he wouldn’t have taken interest in her and snapped her away without caring. The last reason why I dislike Feligami is that it feels forced . The sole reason why the writers gave Felix a love interest is to make him look more redeemable. Kagami is one of the show's more loved characters ( from season 4 at least) and making her and Felix get together was for the purpose of making Felix more likable. To conclude , Feligami is a cute idea but the execution of their storyline was done badly. They fall in love despite barely knowing each other and Kagami forgives Felix way too easily after knowing his story. If you like Feligami though , that's perfectly fine. 

Representation mess

This episode made me lose most of my respect for Felix as a character (I can hear the Felix stans typing 😂😂). The first reason why this episode wasn’t well written is how Felix approached Ladybug. When performing his cringy play (which turned out to be pointless) he asked for Ladybug help without uttering a single apology for everything you’ve done to her. He SA’ed Ladybug and gave her trauma by stealing the miraculous but still had the audacity to request assistance without saying sorry. Isn’t he ashamed of himself or feel any guilt ?

He also sought Ladybug's aid not because he wanted to free Adrien from Gabriel , not because he felt bad about what he did in Strike Back and wanted to seek forgiveness by teaming up with Ladybug to help her defeat Monarch but because he wanted to love his girlfriend freely. He only helped Marinette , gave her the information she needed because it benefited him . This isn’t a bad storyline for an anti-hero. An anti-hero only works for himself but the reason why this storyline failed is because the narrative pushed Felix to be some sort of hero. His moments with Kagami make him look like a good guy and the backstory made Felix sympathetic.

The moment  where Felix explains why he stole the miraculous felt more of a justification portraying Felix as someone who is innocent and hasn’t done anything wrong. He is sympathetic and tragic but isn't exactly a good person either so the part where he justifies what he did and the narrative portraying him as a hero felt like bad writing.

Another thing that bothers me is the inconsistency of Felix creating a sentimonster which is a projector. He said in Pretension he refused to create another senti just for him to abuse them , control them and snap them out of existence when he’s done with them.

However , after Mari wakes up , she sees a feather which we could assume means Felix has snapped it out of existence when he was done with it. The annoying thing is that this could’ve been avoided if Felix wasn’t a coward and went up to Ladybug , APOLOGIZE for what he did , says he wants to help her defeat Monarch and tell him everything he knows. Man up Felix ! The least he could’ve done was give the senti its freedom instead of killing it. However in defense of Felix , he did tell Ladybug about Adrien being a senti which redeemed him somewhat , but the info on Monarch's identity was pointless and the information Felix revealed was barely used in the finale until the Adrienette kiss scene.  Overall this Episode made me lose most of my respect for Felix's character because the writers try so hard to portray Felix as a hero or a good guy when clearly he still is the same as before. He still has villain like tendencies that are never addressed and this episode really swept all of his bad deeds under the rug. 

Why his redemption doesn’t make sense

During the epilogue of the finale - he seemingly is chilling at the Agreste mansion and spends time with Kagami - eyeing her cutely. However the most insulting thing about the finale is when Felix seemingly joins the team confirming a redemption arc (pls don't kill me Felix stans🙏🙏). He is pretty much forgiven for his crimes and faces no real consequences. Well to be fair , he did face a small consequence for mass genocide , he lost control of his power and realized he is no better than Monarch. This is shown when  he cries after snapping the red moon out of existence.

However that was the only consequence he faced out of many crimes he committed and he never redeemed himself to Ladybug for killing everyone. Instead he got rewarded with a girlfriend and ownership of his Miraculous despite his identity being known. The reason why his redemption makes no sense is that he never apologized to Ladybug or proved himself that he is a good person. Sure he had good motives and felt remorse a few times but he never said sorry to Ladybug or felt any guilt about helping Gabriel. His abuse under Colt explains his actions but does not excuse them so him seemingly being forgiven by everyone  without proving himself just felt wrong. The season 5 finale was a missed opportunity to redeem Felix the right way with him saving Adrien and Kagami from their prisons or him fighting alongside Ladybug against Monarch. Instead he was absent and only showed up in the epilogue. Another problem is that his redemption was rushed , only a few weeks ago he committed mass genocide but now he’s besties with Ladybug and already part of the team , the same team he ruined by stealing all the miraculouses. Did she also forget he forced himself on her ? Felix can do whatever he wants without ever being held accountable or face any punishment. I’m not against a Felix redemption arc if it’s written correctly. His character would’ve been better if he continued to be an anti-hero and is redeemed in later seasons.   Therefore , his redemption felt ruined because he basically got away with most of his crimes and was forgiven easily without ever apologizing or feeling much regret. He basically faced no consequences for SA, assisted terrorism , mass genocide , stalking , kidnapping and instead got rewarded .

Final thoughts

To conclude ,  Felix started off as a great character with layers and complexity but unfortunately got ruined as the story progressed. I don’t hate Felix , his character is fascinating because of his character status as morally gray but like most characters in this show , was a victim of bad writing. His redemption felt disappointing and his relationship with Kagami felt unnatural. I understand his motives (he was doing it for his own survival) but they way he conducted his methods was immoral. He got away with most of his crimes and faced no punishment. Hot take but Felix is one of those characters who’s better off as an anti-hero. He still has so much villain potential which shouldn't go to waste. However I will end this post on a positive note and say not all hope is lost and Felix’s character can be saved in season 6. Going forward , I hope Ladybug and Cat Noir (especially Cat Noir)  still are a bit suspicious of Argos and don’t fully trust him despite letting him into the team.  Another Unpopular Opinion is that I want Felix to turn on the hero team in future seasons and work with the villains. It’s logical because he never was held accountable or faced real consequences so what is stopping him from betraying the team again ? His character has so much potential and he is unique solely because he is an anti-hero. I hope in Season 6 , his character improves. However these are just my opinions , if you love Felix and agree with how the writers are handling his character , that is perfectly fine .  Please stay respectful 😊😊😊 .

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous spoilers #mlb #mlb salt #mlb writers salt #felix fathom #kagami tsurugi #feligami #mlb season five #felix is a victim of bad writing #mlb season 5 spoilers #miraculous season 5 #miraculous season 5 finale #felix deserves better #felix deserves better writing #marinette deserves better #adrien deserves better #kagami deserves better