#they just happen to be the crazy drama ones in terms of her backstory

[themyscirah]

Okay so mixed reviews on the kung fu trio movie. Let's break it down

FIRST.

#1 biggest problem with this movie was their treatment of Ben, especially in flashbacks. I think they blew the "anger issue" thing way out of proportion (ESPECIALLY with the part of the timeline they were working with. On god) and also used that to make him like a "sassy" stereotype or whatever. Like guys thats racist come on. This came out in 2021 we are trying to DEstereotype people why are you applying new ones to characters who already had a stereotyping problem. Oh my god.

Anyways yeah I'll just say in general as a big Ben fan I don't think this movie was really fair to him in that sense, although there are a few moments I do like with him, such as most of the Broze Tiger montage, or when he comforts his student outside his dojo. Also mixed bag on him using 70s slang I think there are times where it was fun and worked and also times where it played into the above which 😡

ALSO on the topic of the 70s!!!!! I LOVED the fact that this movie was set in the 70s and that was acknowledged with style and slang and everything. I thought that was so fun (the sideburns omg) and after seeing it set that way I literally couldn't imagine a movie with them existing that wasn't set then. Like it's literally their era and the era of their genre.

Also all of the KFT had crippling depression, anger, and guilt complexes post 70s so there def would have been issues involved w that

Speaking again about the 70s, I feel like a lot of the other problems I had with the movie could have been solved by taking more plot elements from their precrisis comic.

Like these are more comic accuracy critiques but like why would you have there be a cursed sword (named soul breaker. That's literally two letters off from soultaker like could you be less subtle when ripping off other characters) when you could just be creative and use stuff from the O'Neil series instead. Like the O-Sensei gave Richard Dragon the Dragon's Claw so just have that be your artifact. Or if they really wanted a weapon for Shiva to be the Guardian of just make up a dagger that the Dragon's Claw could combine with and have both get stolen. Like I think there were better ways that plot could have been done.

Also speaking of Shiva I was really bummed that there were 0 Carolyn mentions in this movie, especially when the opportunity was RIGHT THERE. like they literally had a fellow student get killed in flashback to open the demon gate or whatever and instead of having it be Carolyn, for some reason it's Jade Nguyen instead (what is with DC adaptations and randomly inserting Jade with character groups she's not a part of??????). The only good thing from that decision was the absolutely hilarious moment of Jade accusing Shiva of not having what it takes to kill. Like BABE do you know who you are talking to. Most wrong anyone has ever been.

No but like I think killing (or even mentioning) Carolyn would have been a way better choice for the movie, especially in terms of Sandra. Especially because they were trying to do a "Shiva has changed, she's not the girl you knew" thing post-flashback. Like Carolyn's death would have been a PERFECT reason for this. To be fair, it would have made this movie super dark and pretty gory because post Carolyn Shiva is NOT to be fucked with ever but like they were already having people be murdered barehanded (with blood) and mild cursing so like they should have gone for it.

Side note: who was the target audience for these movies??? Like it's animated so you think younger but there's lots of violence and straight up murder by the protagonists (with gore) so like I don't even know.

Anyways yeah they should have killed Carolyn. OR had Shiva's blood relation to the O-Sensei be a thing still. Like listen. If you are going to make a movie based on a 70s comic like don't be afraid to take plot elements from that. Like ik the og comic has been made non-canon like twice by now but who cares. When was the last time the KFT backstory was actually talked about anyways? 2008? Just go for it bro. Make them related for extra drama and also legacy stuff. Shiva his (grand-niece? goddaughter? Idk) being his pride and joy but turning against his legacy into one of violence and blood which Richard, his psuedo-son (at least here. I don't remember the details of their og relationship) instead begins to rise and fill that instead.

Also I think they could have highlighted this shift in terms of Shiva's name. Ben and Richard are really the only people (besides Carolyn, rip Carolyn) she's Sandra to, so I think having her go by that at while training (which they called Nanda Parbat or smth similar btw which ????????? No???????) Would have made her shift into Shiva more meaningful, and their kind of denial of this transofrmation as well, as they continue to call her Sandra occasionally after they reunite. (Bruce would always call her Shiva post-flashback).

Also why did they have Shiva run a gang in Gotham to signify her evil(ish) status. They should have had her doing her normal thing. Like introduce her by having her challenge Batman (not knowing he was Bruce) but then win, stopping and sparing him once she realized their (movie-canon) friendship. That would also give us a cool fight scene out of it too.

Um feel like I covered most of the changes I would make- OH! I actually really liked how they did Richard in this. Which surprised me because he's my least favorite by far and I usually don't like him that much??? I think in canon it's definitely a case of the white guy learns martial arts, beats Asian people at it stereotype. I also just think things get weird and more like racist stereotypes start coming into play in terms of his original canon interactions with Ben, Carolyn, Sandra, etc. So I thought the choice to have him be Asian in this film was a really good one. Also they had him be interesting too. And like kind of cool. Idk this movie and his VA and all that actually made me really enjoy watching Richard Dragon. Which was weird as hell

Idk so mixed feelings on this movie in general. I really liked the premise of making a kung fu trio movie set so deeply in the 70s, I adore that, and I thought the addition of having Batman there and having known them actually worked really well. I'm very glad they did it that way. It obviously helped the movie itself get made and also in my ideal version BATMAN would honestly be the good mental health friend of the group by the end of the movie which is actually wild. Canon KFT trauma you are so insane and compelling to me actually.

My biggest issue with the movie (whose real name is like Batman: Soul of the Sword or something, [edit: it's called Soul of the Dragon] I love how I haven't mentioned it once [it's the kung fu trio movie to ME <3]) was definitely the portrayal of Ben. I'm definitely not suggesting we have him fall into the Black best friend stereotype he suffers from in the 70s comic but like. Just be better with it??? Thought his best moments of the film was where it went into his canon story and struggles and all that so just like. Do more of that idk. Just don't be racist abt it.

Otherwise my main gripes can all generally be summed up to this. When there's a point in a story where it feels like the adaptation has to diverge from canon to tell this story, 9 times out of 10 I believe it can actually be told better by moving closer towards canon, or by consulting a slightly different canon (precrisis vs preboot, etc.) In place of that.

#batman: soul of the dragon #batman soul of the dragon #blah #ben turner #sandra wu san #richard dragon #i should read more shiva comics. or ben comics. but especially shiva comics. bc im crazy abt her but ive really only read her in two series. #they just happen to be the crazy drama ones in terms of her backstory #like literally her origin and then batgirl 2000 #but yeah this is a long post but 👍

[wilcze-kudly]

I mean, Suyin also decided to not come forward about the nature of the rift to her own children. Even when they had grown up and it was relevant to the situation. She also didn't take into consideration Lin's worries about the Red Lotus, not to the magnitude that Lin was urging on.

Moreover, Lin didn't want to be in Zaofu. She explicitly tried to stay away. Was it mature? Definitely not. But it was her choice, and it was one that would have prevented any more fighting or family drama from happening in the middle of a mission to keep the frigging avatar safe.

You say that the show only portrayed Lin's POV (which is true), however the development of the episode only show it to us, not any of the characters present.

Let's say we don't see those flashbacks, then what would have we seen? Suyin's version that (what a surprise) leaves out her whole part in the conflict beyond the "we were both neglected by our mom" part.

No, she didn't try to make good to her during the episode. Not when the very root of the issue circles to the secrecy Toph forced to keep Suyin's record clean. No, she didn't placate Lin's suspicions when at the first chance she goes over Lin to aid a bunch of teenagers follow the sadistic criminal group Lin was trying to protect them from.

And finally, no, you don't get to play woe-is-me when you force someone to a situation they don't want to be in. It's really ugly, on either side of it, but I seriously feel you're leaving out the part where it was Suyin's territory, family and influence the scenario of it. She had a support network, Lin was paranoic- could anyone have expected any different?

Ok. Several misconceptions to clear up. (Because there always are whenever I post anything vaguely critical of Lin).

When I said that Su tried to make good with Lin multiple times, I was speaking predominantly about how it was said (very hard to spot when you're mainly focused on seeing Su as the devil, I know😊) that Suyin has tried to contact Lin on peaceful terms multiple times.

One thing I rarely see brought up by people when discussing Lin's rift is that Lin... might just not want to discuss her scarring with just anyone? Like for some reason people act like the decent thing of Suyin to do is to.... not respect Lin's autonomy and privacy? And if Lin blew Su off as it was impied that she did, I doubt Lin's level of comfort around talking about the scar was discussed.

The red lotus issue, and here's a controversial opinion, wouldn't seem like a big issue to most people at the time.

You must remember that while yes, the Red Lotus were incredibly hyped up by Zuko and Tonraq, but to the public they were just 4 randos who were stupid enough to try and kidnap the most well guarded 4 year old in the world. People didn't even know the organisations name, and none of the 4 ever explained why they were after Korra.

Especially that Suyin was introduced to the concept like this:

Korra: She's just a little worried because there's a bunch of crazy criminals after me.

Not exactly screaming " hey shit is hitting the fan". Which isn't helped by the fact that Lin would rather blow her brains out than have a conversation with Su where she isn't allowed to substitute the important things with backhanded insults.

Suyin did assure Lin plenty of times that Zaofu is an incredibly safe city, which it was. The only reason the Red Lotus got in is because they had a man on the inside and they still left empty hamded and with their tails between their legs. Suyin could never account for Aiwei's betrayal.

Honestly, dear, your inclusion of criticism on my posts about the episodes' storylines is weird. I was purely speaking on how the story was presented to us, the viewers.

Lin is a veey shut off character who would rather commit mass homocide than have a moment of vulnerability. Huh, I wounder why Su didn't go around spilling someone else's tragic backstory to randos. "Hey, Korra, you've proven to be just GREAT as handling sensitive issues like this, how about I give you more ammo to pull out on Lin? I'm sure that will go over amazing."

I will say that Suyin letting the Krew follow Aiwei is a dick move and a stupid thing to do. I don't think Sugin was thinking clearly, due to the immense betrayal she was feeling due to Aiwei's actions.

I will say, I think that Suyin perfering to lie to Lin rather than disagree with her outrigt is very indicative if their relationship. But since most people who talk about this pair seem to perfer the "ooga booga Su bad, Lin good" school of thought, I guess we'll never have a mature conversation about this fascinating pattern of behaviour.

I will also concede that Suyin had the "advantage" of having her support system. Being on her turf would probably be comforting, but let's not forget that Lin actively insulted/drove to tears Suyin's kids, complete innocents in this situation.

Lin: Five kids. What a nightmare. Suyin: No, no. My children are a blessing. Lin: Yeah, mom used to say that too, but she never meant it.

Can I just say how much I hate this exchange? Like giving Lin the absolute benefit of the doubt she's being a jerk and then traumadumping at the worst possible moment. Giving a little less benefit of the doubt she's implying to her niblings' faces that their mother is lting about loving them.

Lin's obsession with painting Su as a villai is a symptom of her mommy issues, but you guys just like. Took it at face value you chumps.

Like yeah Su has the advantage of having her family close but that just kinda opens up the doors for Lin to make even more teenagers feel like absolute garbage. And after all that's her super special talent.

But you know what? I would have expected different from a 50+ woman who is in charge of people's lives. Like, call me insane and a dick and insensitive, but girlie should've gotten her shit together. But Lin doesn't value herself enough to do so and that is her skill issue. She self handicaps, she stagnates, she ignores her own well-being and it bites her in the ass.

It is, once again, a fascinating set of behaviours to discuss have but Lin is this fandoms sopping wet kitten, so we don't get to talk about Lin Beifong's arrested development.

Lin isn't an angsty teen or forlorn young adult. She's a grown ass woman with a career. She can get it together. I believe in her.

#can you tell im slowly becoming saltier and saltier when it comes to lin #me: hey guys suyin isn't the devil #lin stans: and i took that personally #lin beifong #suyin beifong #korra #legend of korra #avatar #tlok #the legend of korra #avatar the legend of korra #atlok #lok #anti lin beifong

[incorrectolivia]

it’s weird to hear antis saying gina is not ricky’s. like first of all, she has agency! and second of all, why should she be stuck with ej just bc they’re currently dating. mind you the show literally told you they have zero chemistry? it’s like they just want everything right for ej and not her. and it’s crazy bc i definitely see a mutual breakup next episode where they both state that there’s no sparks between them.

like first of all, gina is the one character on the show with the most agency, backstory and a continuity in her storyline then we have ricky. i often wonder if these people don’t watch other teen dramas because this show hasn’t even had half the romantic back and forth most shows have. and they continue to miss the fact that ricky and gina have been intertwined in terms of what their storylines were from the very beginning. a boy who hated change and a girl who was so used to things changing. a girl who kept her walls up because she wasn’t used to things being stable and a boy who kept his walls of stability up because the idea of change made him uncomfortable. this have been said a million times and they still don’t get it. i hate that gina’s first relationship had to be like this but hey, it needed to happen

#ricky x gina #gina porter #hsmtmts s3

[villains4hire]

16, 17 (nuravity)

//Soft reminder that I track anons if I get dms over this lol.

16. If you could change anything in the show, what would you change? //I think I would change to at least make Stella and Stolas's situation comedic rather than 'drama-based'. As Loona has physically abused Blitz more than Stella has done to Stolas on screen at this point and it may as well be played for laughs if we're really gonna go that route. Like that and just not have this narrative they're 'good people' or at least presentation when they're all trained killers, ppl like villains for being who they are, not being 'good'. It's okay to have 'upstanding qualities', but it just seems like a moot thing to do when the reality is that it's literal Hell. There are levels of varying evil yes, but they're all bad people which some you can be empathetic towards or those grossly disgusting at the end of the day with rare exceptions being genuinely 'good people' by any standards like: Charlie, Moxxie (even Moxxie kills semi-innocent people but has standards), Millie, probably a few others like maybe Vaggie and Octavia, but I dunno man. It just feels kind of weird at times as you don't have to prop up the protags over who they're opposing. As I get the whole 'good and evil' is a black and white narrative, but some things like literal murder or them playing up murdering some kid or kids for a joke in several episodes I'd say is pretty straight forward evil even if say 'the kid is a dick' or 'the crazy murderer's kids are probably brainwashed to begin with', then bc Stella tries to bitch slap her now Ex, she's the worst apparently? It's all really weird when there are things arguably more 'evil' that the protags do than who they oppose at times on screen.

Like, even from a comedic standpoint, it kinda just picks it apart as it's not to take the piss out of all of it or just be unfun, I'd rather just have them be 'bad people' and presented as such. I mean look at Overlord as anime/series, it's bad people doing terrible shit to other bad people or even worse people and that's a pretty big hit. It just feels unneeded and not as organic for me in the narrative it unintentionally paints. As you could argue it's just a comedy show, but they're attempting actual plot, actual empathy and something to grab your attention to a background story that's playing more and more out, so I think it's not really able to use that excuse anymore.

17. Instead of XYZ happening, I would have made ABC happen…

//I think I've mentioned Final Space already but uh, I'd probably would have made Lapis Lazuli a stand-alone ally rather than be a Crystal Gem and have her one thousand years of isolation do more to her mentally speaking in terms of being unwell? She would've befriended but not become part of the Crystal Gems and maybe stick around more/be present in the series with the group along with Peridot and Bismuth and not focus so much on the backstory of the creator's favorite: Pearl. Then give more attention to Amethyst who didn't get that much tbh and probably Sapphire and Ruby a lil more. As the other three such as Lapis, Bismuth and Peridot I would've preferred more involved mayhaps? Then while I get the message, I think it would've been stronger for Steven to beat White Diamond to poof her, then show mercy later on in the series when she changes, that not everyone can change, but WD decided to as Rebecca's message I get, I really do, but it felt a little weak when the 3 main Diamonds are literal imperalist entities that have caused massive suffering under their reign, but it is a kid's show so I try not to take it too seriously but just like fedangle a few neat things that might've made her message stronger/better as such a large platform that influences the minds of millions of youth while keeping her somewhat flawed vision but okay that I arguably find pretty flawed in execution.

#long post #nuravity #ooc #answered

[sixteenthshen]

post-finale stuff

Possible spoilers. Beware

Last night, I happened to check the scriptwriter's Weibo and saw that she had liked this fan's post. It's the only non-work related Weibo post that she had liked, so of course, I went to read it. 

The fact that this is the only fan post she's given her approval to must mean that it is on point and she agrees with the characterisation. I thought it's pretty good, so I've gone ahead to translate it here. I own 0 rights to this. I just thought it's a good perspective that may help others like me who struggled with the ending. 

I think I've mostly made my peace with it now, and to sum it up:

Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all that they are. 

A-Xu never once blamed Lao Wen for how things turned out because he understood that. And he’s clearly a better person than I am (lol).

Let me be clear about my stand - the real victim of how the drama unfolded in the last six episodes is WKX. When we feel our hearts ache for ZZS, it's because the show let down WKX (the character). If your heart is only hurting for WKX during episodes 33-34, you should try to ship WKX with someone else, ok? If you think the last six episodes were great and that WKX was very romantic (and only romantic), then I honestly don't know what to say. 

I ship wenzhou. That means I like both Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu. I want them to love each other, be good to each other and live happily ever after. And I want them not to be OOC. 

The rest behind the cut. Spoilers for the whole drama. 

------- 

First, the source. Here is a link to that Weibo post, by 爱吐槽的栗小姐. I will delete this if requested by the OP - because this is really in a grey area imo. But I think the intention of a public post is for it to be shared? (especially something like this, which argues a point) 

Secondly, the poster does try to be fair in her post, but as the problem here is WKX's ruined characterisation, ZZS's character is analysed primarily concerning this issue only. There's quite a bit left to ZZS's character and backstory that isn't relevant. I believe that's why the post doesn't elaborate on it, or so I hope.

-------

Ever since WKX faked his death, I received three to four waves of fellow sister fans' mournful wails: "Lao Wen actually faked his death; does he have a heart?" "They were supposed to be of the same heart and treat each other with honesty. How did they regress?" "What happened to their innate soulmate-ness?" "Why does A-Xu always say to face things together, yet Lao Wen always keeps his plans from him?" "A-Xu loves Lao Wen, yet Lao Wen only loves himself"…….

Wait. What have you guys misunderstood about the meaning of soulmates? 

Soulmates are about values, but a person's behaviour… that's methodology FFS! 

(Do they no longer teach this in political affairs class in high school anymore?) 

Wenzhou, these soulmates, are incomparably compatible and mesh well in terms of values. According to the scriptwriter, the entire jianghu wants and tries to get the pieces of Glazed Armour, save the two of them. Not only do they not care for the peerless martial arts, immense power, nor the massive wealth that the Glazed Armour represents, they don't even care for the power they hold in their hands –Ghost Valley and the Window of Heaven. Both of them willing to give it up without a second thought. 

Before they met each other, they were so tired of (ZZS) and so angry at (WKX) this earthly world that they didn't even want to live on anymore. 

After they met each other, they gradually began to feel the warmth in this world again. How nice it would be if they could live in seclusion, hand in hand and just bask in the sun. 

In this world, where everyone else is fighting for power or wealth, they are true soulmates. To intelligent people like them, whether or not they're honest about their identities or secrets is merely a matter of formality. They had already determined their attraction to the other's soul early on and have never doubted it. 

There may be some here who would criticise loudly at this point, "Then can't you be more considerate for your soulmate (the actual phrased used is "spiritual companion")? A-Xu has said many times, let's face everything together, I'll bet that you will be honest with me. If you really love him, then why can't you care for his feelings?" 

----- You guys, you've never been married. 

If two souls meeting can naturally resolve all behavioural conflicts and disagreements, then the theory of "breaking in" * would not exist. 

Let us take a look at what kind of a person WKX and ZZS each are.

Wen Kexing, he's a lone wolf. 

After his parents' death and his entering the Ghost Valley, his smooth sailing life suddenly fell off a cliff. Ever since then, the only person he could rely on was himself. That deep-seated hatred is carved into his bones, yet he can't speak of it to anyone else. He isn't the same type of person as the rest of the ghosts in the Ghost Valley; he isn't the same type of person as A-Xiang, who he raised. If we talk about the world and everyone who lives in it, he doesn't have any fetters or feels any (positive) emotions. 

His supposed craziness is a form of indifference. He's indifferent to others' lives, nor his own, because he just doesn't care. (T/N: I think he does care for his own life, but only for revenge, after that, he's indifferent. Indifferent isn't suicidal. I don't know why some fans seem to be confusing the two. Although he didn't plan to, if he somehow manages to stay alive after getting his revenge, WKX will continue to live on, even if it's only to keep A-Xiang happy because he is indifferent.)

Growing up like this, being solitary became his style. He's used to doing everything alone, used to making his own decisions, used to digesting all his emotions himself. 

Every time he argues with A-Xu, he digests his emotions himself. The next day, he faces A-Xu with a smile again. 

This is how he loves, to take it upon himself to face danger, difficulty and pain alone. It's how he had supported A-Xiang all these years in the Ghost Valley and what he's used to. 

While Zhou Zishu, he's a lead horse (of a herd). ** 

Since a very young age, he's taught to take responsibility. He's used to bearing everything on his shoulders, be it the responsibility of his family or the responsibility for the Four Seasons Manor, even the responsibility for saving commoners from disasters. 

Unlike the lone wolf, the lead horse is ultimately a social animal. 

Regardless of his identity as the Manor Lord of the Four Seasons Manor or the Leader of the Window of Heaven, he's always the one to lead the herd and rarely fights alone. So, A-Xu not only has leadership ability but more than that, he also knows how to be tolerant and accepting of the differences of his team members. You can see the various ways he managed to influence Lao Wen along the road; he's firm when he needs to be and soft the other times. It's absolutely textbook in managing your lover workplace management. 

Zhou Zishu believes in communication whenever there's a problem, that they should be open and honest. So, teamwork is what he's used to. 

Does it mean that when a horse and lone wolf fall in love, that there won't be a breaking in period? 

Obviously not. 

I guess this is where some may say again, "isn't this part of a character's arc/development? The two of them quarrel time and time again. Did WKX not grow at all from it?" 

Of course, after meeting each other, they both grew and saved each other.

When he first left Window of Heaven, A-Xu was lonely with regret. Unlike the lone wolf who's used to doing everything alone, a lead horse without the last of his herd has no way to bear the bone-deep loneliness and merciless self-recrimination.

ZZS wandered around this world aimlessly until Lao Wen started pestering him, until he picked up Zhang Chengling, right up until he felt he hadn't singlehandedly destroyed the Four Seasons Manor. This lead horse finally regained a goal in life. He gained a partner and a lover. Lao Wen sticks to him, Chengling relies on him, and the abandoned Four Seasons Manor became like-new in his hands. He finally reconciles with himself. 

When he first came out of the valley, Lao Wen carried a rage strong enough to burn the world down. But when he met A-Xu, he also met the beauty of the world. 

When the Four Sages of Anji died, WKX understood how he caused innocent suffering. When Gao Chong walked to his death knowingly, he understood that although some may desire power, they could still be righteous and upstanding people. When he learned of everything Long Que sacrificed to protect his family***, he finally relaxed his guard. 

There were so many types of good people and things that he saw along this journey that he hadn't seen in the Ghost Valley. When A-Xu told him he was a good person as they basked in the sun, he genuinely wanted to return to the human (vs ghost) realm and be a good man. 

Along their journey, A-Xu made up for the morals and values that WKX lost in the Ghost Valley and showed him a new world outlook. He appeased Lao Wen's anger, tempered his extremism. The process wasn't easy, but not that difficult either, because, in the end, Lao Wen is kind at heart. 

But in the end, being a lone wolf is how he survived and succeeded in a place like the Ghost Valley. When A-Xu was so heavily injured and needed a lot of rest (for Wu Xi) to save his life, Lao Wen suddenly recalled his enemies and how such an excellent opportunity to take revenge just fell into his lap. Everything was in place, and all he needed to do was hide it from A-Xu; he could leave for a short while and have it settled quickly. Upon returning, he could then live happily ever after with his wife. To a crazy lone wolf, why would he not take a gamble? 

What he couldn't predict was the news would've been leaked (to A-Xu), and he didn't know that by doing so, he would've forever lost his love. 

Both of them were using their own methods to love the other person. Zhou Zishu is more forgiving and accepting because being forgiving is in his blood. While what WKX learned in his years in the Ghost Valley is -- love needs to be protected, like how he has A-Xiang, who he considers a sister, call himself master (to protect her). 

Only when faced with painful consequences can a person's deep-rooted habits and approach to things change. So I don't think faking his death ruined the characterisation of Wen Kexing, but I regret that the last two episodes did not have a scene to show us Lao Wen's heartbreak when he learns the truth. 

Until I know what it feels like to have lost you, I will only love you in my own way. 

T/N: 

*I can't think of the correct phrase for this as I don't read all that much about relationships >< please let me know if you know of it. Here, I'm referring to the process of wearing something new (like shoes) that will hurt at the start until it becomes soft and comfortable. 

** I did some side-reading, and omg, A-Xu is TOTALLY the lead mare. Although he's not the stallion and weak/dying for most of the show, he's the head of their little family, and he expects "to be obeyed", aka, I'm not going to learn how to cook. Call me for dinner. Kthxbye. 

From Rutgers' website: A herd of wild horses consists of one or two stallions, a group of mares, and their foals. The leader of the herd is usually an older mare (the "alpha mare"), even though one stallion owns the herd. She maintains her dominant role even though she may be physically weaker than the others. The older mare has had more experiences, more close encounters, and survived more threats than any other horse in the herd. The requirement of the lead horse is not strength or size; if this were so, then humans could never dominate a horse. Dominance is established not only through aggression but also through attitudes that let the other horses know she expects to be obeyed.

***I think this is important here because WKX wasn't crying for his loss. I think a big part of him was realising not everyone in the world was callous and turned their backs on his parents, that he could've gone his whole life without ever discovering what sacrifices some people have made. Good people suffer quietly and in silence. It's a big moment to realise he was wrong about many things that he had let hatred blind himself to the world. Because although he was sad about the Four Sages and somewhat shocked by Gao Chong's death, he hadn't truly faced up to his actions until now. 

(screenshot of the scriptwriter liking the above post) 

------

To add: 

I'm not sure how many of you read my "opinion" posts, but I've been struggling to find a way to accept the last six episodes of Word of Honor.  I first tried looking at open forum postings, comments, and Tumblr posts. None of it worked because it was just arguing and emotions and no one made points good enough for me to accept things. 

So I gave up and went back to reading Chinese sites. I found many posts discussing the plot. Some I liked, some I didn't, but none satisfied my need for a reasonable explanation. I felt they had biases (both ways), or else it lacked logic. After a time, I realised that I should be looking for WKX-stans (or pro-WKX fans) because they would be more motivated to explain his side, but also because well-written posts by wenzhou-fans & ZZS-stans made me super sad.

I'm sorry, but those who keep trying to explain why the ending was good completely missed that episodes 32-34 are the real problem to those who don't like it and only focused on 36. I can understand if people don't think those episodes are a problem, but no one could provide an articulate and sensible reason. There are just too few well-reasoned plot-focused posts in English (sorry). I've seen too many examples of WKX-fans arguing with people who are upset about the ending, backed by nothing more than "look how much WKX suffers, woe is him. And how romantic is this????" *dies* 

Lastly, if you spot anything inaccurate, let me know & I will correct it.

#word of honor #word of honor meta #wenzhou #opinion #i think this counts as meta #if you think the drama did WKX justice #and that he can do no wrong #in the last 6 episodes #.... #...... #srsly #you can't claim to ship wenzhou #& think the last 6 eps are perfect

[mayasdeluca]

At the beginning of S19 you could tell they were using the same formula as Greys for example but not only; the voice over style changing according to which character was the protagonist of the episode or at least who had the most challenging “storyline” and psychological impact in the story, the main lead was clearly Andy with her supporting BFF, with their own struggles and friendships, backstory, and they way the story developed, inserting personal “quest” into the daily firefighter “case”, it was simple writing but it was fluid, it worked.

Now if you ask anybody to point to which is the main lead of the show I think many ppl wouldn’t be able to, and if you think in terms of storyline who has the most predominant one, it’s Sullivan, so we could almost say he’s the main lead of a show and that’s crazy!

It’s like if after 4 season of Greys the main lead would have become Alex Karev, lol no thank you!

The other characters have sideline stories that maybe take center in 1 episode and then it’s like everything is forgotten and the writers are like: “wait we forgot about them” and they go an add a random scene that make zero sense especially for Carina & Tremmet, their stories are so disconnected and we kinda have to guess wtf is going on, the on screen scenes they give us do not helps to fill the gaps on what happens not on screen.

We only see glimpses of the old characters and friendships, whatever the problem is the budget or bts drama, writers of this level should be able to create a more compelling and organic story, alas they can’t.

Of course we all would want to see different things, and to just say “the writing sucks,this would be better” it’s a be simplistic and not fair, I get it, but when everyone can see the problems, it’s beyond repair imo.

In this case I would say 50% of the problems are writings choices, 15% acting choices especially Grey and every scene he’s in, I notice in the scene with Jaina he’s not so flamboyant, I think it may be a involuntary change of acting when he’s around actresses of the level of Stefania, Barrett and Danielle, that are very physical in terms of acting emotions. I’m using the wrong wording here but it’s like he’s trying to compensate his lack of acting talent by emulating their emotional and physical acting style, without success, so by all means, let him act around Janina cause somehow it works better for him and I always though they kinda match each other and they had good chemistry!!The rest I would say is 20% budget cut and 15% bts drama.

Certain things you cannot fix in writing, I get it, but this is ridiculous, I’m at a point I almost have to force myself to watch S19 especially when it’s about certain characters.

Anyway I’m not saying that I could write or do any better, especially not knowing all the facts, but JFC they really lowering the bar with each episodes here…

I get what you're saying and it's definitely true! Though I just have to say I love and miss Alex Karev lol I think I'd rather him be the main than Meredith at this point :P

But yeah, I think everyone has noticed that once Season 3 started and Krista took over and things shifted more towards an ensemble instead of Andy being a lead, the whole way of story telling and everything changed. But I think some of it was for the better and had potential to be better but like you said they don't really execute it properly and they seem to focus on one person at a time and then a lot of times people are just in the background and forgotten about.

It does feel like Sullivan is the main of the show right now which is...ew. But that's probably also because Andy is at another station at the moment. But it also felt like in Season 3, Maya took priority with her being captain and then her whole dad abusive storyline and then in Season 4...I don't really know if there was a specific main? I felt like it was balanced for the most part, which was weird because considering it was a covid season, it just seemed way more thought out and done better than this season is. So I guess they seem to be taking turns in a way on who they give the focus too...which I guess is how it would be in an ensemble but they can't just be forgetting about characters & storylines along the way.

They aren't good at the whole balance thing, they've been able to do it like in a few episodes every now and then, but that's it. So then it makes it hard for all the episodes to connect together and it's almost like they're all stand alone episode especially when they each end up focusing on different things instead of continuing along with a storyline so it's just a mess. And yes, some actors do work better with others and it's pretty obvious this season more than in previous seasons. I agree about Jaina & Grey for sure while others can pretty much make it work with anyone (Danielle, Stefania, Boris, Barrett, even Jay)

#asks #anon

[hecrtfelt]

( dylan  o’brien ,  25 ,  cismale  ,  he/him )  *  hey  ,  i’m  looking  for  the  office  of  griffin  olson  .  they’re  the  employee  who’s  known  around  the  office  as  the  party  animal  ,  if  that  helps  ?  not  to  be  a  gossip  ,  but  i’ve  heard  that  they’re  extroverted  but  reckless  ,  is  that  true  ?  i’ve  also  heard  that  they’re  the  one  who  did  a  line  on  a  fax  machine  .  anyways  ,  here’s  the  coffee  they  ordered  .  ( admin  sabrina  ,  21 ,  she/her , est ) 

hiii  i’m  admin  sabrina  and  aaAAAHHHHH  thank  u  for  joining  my  group  :’)  umm  a little  abt  me   is  that  i’m  a  leo  and  black  and  i  play  a  lot  of  instruments  and  i  love  ari  and  harry  and  5sos  and  the  driver  era  and  marvel  and  bnha  and  i’m  going  to  law   school  in  nyc  in  the  fall  so  AHHHHHH  again  but  fr  i  love  making  friends  so  hmu  on 𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚#3541 even  just  to  chat  faljsfkjsfkljj

anyways  this  is  my  boy  griffin  and  basically............  homeboy  needs  to  pick  up  a  mortage  or  smth  FJSLJFSLJFJJ

tws:  alcohol  and  drug   mentions  . 

*  statistics   .

FULL  NAME:  griffin  lee  olson NICKNAMES:  griff  ,  griffy  ,  g FACECLAIM:  dylan  o’brien  but  exclusively  this  era STAR  SIGN:  gemini HEIGHT:  6′1″ HOMETOWN:  brooklyn  ,  ny ORIENTATION:  heterosexual OFFICE OCCUPATION:  lobbyist POSITIVE TRAITS:  amicable  ,  energetic  ,  optimistic NEGATIVE TRAITS:  irresponsible  ,  insouciant  ,  impulsive ALCHOL/DRUG  USAGE:  heavy  for  both  ,  &  has  an  unhealthy  reliance  on  the  latter  when  he’s  extra  stressed  .  only  those  close  to  him  or  happen  to  have  seen  him  getting  a  $20  nosebleed  (  aka  doing  a  LINE  and  being  a  COKIE  MONSTER  )  will  know  about  the  drug  thing  ,  but  the  alcohol  part  is  easier  to  find  out  since  too  often  he  wears  sunglasses  to  work  to  cover  his  bloodshot  eyes  flajfafj THEME SONG:  don’t  threaten  me  with  a  good  time  by  panic!  at  the  disco CHARACTER  INSPO:  peter  quill  ( marvel ) ,  thor  odinson  ( marvel  but  specifically  in  ragnarok  and  endgame )  ,  deadpool  (  marvel  )  ,  sokka  ( atla ) ,  klaus  (  the umbrella  academy  )  ,  beast  boy  ( teen  titans ) ,  nyles  (  palm  springs  )  cody  ko  (  tmg  )  ,  nick  miller  (  new  girl  )  ,  aldous  snow  (  forgetting  sarah  marshall  )  &  any  party  animal  character  you  can  think  of AESTHETICS:  neon signs  lighting  up  the  night  ,  setting  five  alarms  and  sleeping  through  them  all  ,  cold  liquor  on  an  empty  stomach  ,  a  cluttered  desk  and  a  messy  nightstand  ,  winking  at  strangers  ,  and  popping  bubble  gum  . SECRET: hehehehehehehehehehe

*  brief  backstory  .

griffin’s  dad  is  a  used-car  salesman  and   his  mom  is  an  attorney  who  sells  avon on  the  side ,  so  g  grew  up  knowing  how  to  talk  .  it  already  helped  that  he’d  been  sociable  from  the  start  ,  oftentimes  being  scolded  by  his  mom  for  talking  the  ear  off  of  the  person  sitting  next  to  them  on  the  subway  .  but  his  parents  had  to  be  persuasive  for  a  living  and  that  transferred  onto  griffin  .  the  popular  kid  to  some  and  the  class  clown  to  others  ,  griffin  spent  his  middle  and  high  school  years  buttering  people  up  with  his   words  and  friendship  ,  with  his  long  brown eyelashes  and  boyish  grin  .   it  got  him  the last  bag  of  chips  from  the  snack  cart  ,  an  extra  five  points  on  his  calculus  quiz  ,  and  free  handles  of  liquor  from  the  seniors  .   being  so  well-liked  meant  griffin  was  invited  to  a  lot  of  parties  ,  and  that’s  where  the  addiction  began  .  he’s  addicted  to  alcohol  ,  to  any  drug  that  gets  his  veins  feeling  like  electricity  ,  to  meeting  strangers  in  loud  basements  and  that  pounding  feeling  in  the  back  of  his  temple  .  this  carried  onto  college  ,  so  griffin  never  really  got  the  chance  to  grow  up  .  he’d  never  been  smacked  with  the  reality  that  life  isn’t  all  tequila  shots  and  drake  songs  ,  and  it  didn’t  help  that  the  profession  his  parents introduced  him  to  only  required  an  ironed  suit  from  him  at  the  most  .  he  went  from  one  crowded  room   to  another  ,  this  one  just  with  more  briefcases  ,  surrounded  by  strangers  once  more  and  doing  a  line  with  his  colleagues  .  now  ,  working  at  masters  in  the  heart  of  the  world’s  most  vibrating  city  ,  who  knows  how  long  before  griffin  takes  his  lifestyle  too  far  ?

*  what  he  does  in  the  office  .

he’s  a  lobbyist  for  masters  !   he’s  been  there  for  four  years  now  .  basically  he  works  for  masters  as  a  messenger  to  the  government  .  masters  is  huge  and  influential  and  powerful  and  sometimes  they  wanna  introduce  or  ban  or  amend  legislations  all  in  the  name  of  making  them  more  powerful  and  monopolistic  ,  and  that’s  where  griffin  comes  in  .  his  job  is  to   basically  schmooze  for  the  benefit  of  the  company  .  it  sounds  like  a  super  important  job and  it  is  ,  and  griffin  does  it  well  .  he’s   still  immature  though  💔  catch  him  recovering  from  a  hangover  and  sleeping  on  his  desk  most  days  of  the  week  . 

*  his personality, summarized  . 

super  sociable  and  energetic  when  he’s  not  hungover  ,  mostly  nice  but  can  get  snappy  if  he  has  a  reason  to  be  .  tends  to  ramble  .  the biggest  party  animal  ever  ,  almost  to  an  insane  amount  .  is  down  for  any  opportunity  to  get  lit  ,  no  matter  the  time  of  day  or  who  he’s  with  .  don’t  trust  him  for  anything  ,  he’ll  forget  about  it  but  at  least  not  on  purpose  .  he’s  loyal  to  the  people  he  likes  though  so  that’s  nice  ! 

*  wanted  connections  .

long-term  relationship  on  the  verge  of  ending  ( open  to  f  /  nb ) :  i  have  a  lot  of  ideas  for  this  and  i’d  love  someone  to  do  this  with   soooooo  hmu  if  ur  tryna  plot  this  mess  out  👀 best   friend  ( open  to  m  /  f  /  nb  ) :  self-explanatory  but  everyone  loves  a  fun  best  friends  duo  fwb  ( open  to  f  /  nb  )  :  I  MEANNNNNNNN B) THIS??????  drugs   tw   tho  ( open  to  f  /  nb  )  :  mayb  they’re  crazy  when  2gether  🤪 ex-friend  ( open  to  m  /  f  /  nb  ) :  imagine  the  DRAMA ex  ( open  to  f  /  nb  ) : everyone  loves  a  messy  ex  plot  .  it’s  me  ,  i’m  everyone . exes to besties  ( open  to  f  /  nb  ) : can  u  imaGINE enemy  ( open  to  m  /  f  /  nb  ) :  there’s  definitely  someone  in  this  world  who  hates  griffin  .  or  on  the  flip  side  ,  this  might  be  someone  he  hates  !  maybe  it’s  even  mutual   personal   assistant/intern   ( open  to m  /  f  /  nb  ) :  SOMEONE   PLEASE  HELP  THIS  MAN  NOT  GET  FIRED  .  also  this  connection  has  sooooooo  much  potential  to  it  too  ! sibling  ( open  to  m  /  f  /  nb  ) :  can  be  sibling-sibling  ,  half-siblings  ,  step-siblings  ,  any  of  it  !   dealer  ( open  to  m  /  f  /  nb  ) :  yanno.

*  i’m  literally  down  for  anything  so  just  hmu :) i  wanna  plot  w  u  all  !

#masters.intro #like this post if u wanna plot n i'll slide into ur discord/tumblr ims 😎 #also yes...... i picked this gif solely bc it matched the blog aesthetic #drugs tw #alcohol tw

[beneaththetangles]

Reader’s Corner: Those Snow White Notes, Your Lie in April Revisited, and A Couple of Cuckoos

She’s My Knight, Vol. 1

The premise of this lovely little comic is simple: Ichinose has always been the popular kid, attracting attention from all the girls until cool, collected Mogami comes along, stealing not only Ichinose’s popularity, but also his heart. I’m a total sucker for the Mogami type in manga and anime—the tall, athletic, boyish girl—and she makes a perfect pairing with the pitiful Ichinose, who increasingly, as the volumes progresses, falls apart around her. There’s not much else here—just lots of gags and near-miss moments, so in that sense, She’s My Knight may end up being a forgettable series. But just as Ichinose is the damsel to Mogami’s knight, this series might be rescued, too, by hints that the girl is not as clueless as she seems. But even if that’s not true, even if the series means to simply tease us for endless chapters and results in a series that isn’t unique in any way, the manga would still hit the sweet spot of feel good romantic comedy so well that it doesn’t really matter—this is the perfect volume to open as you sit back, kick your feet up, and prepare to fall in love. ~ Twwk

She’s My Knight is published by Kodansha.*

A Couple of Cuckoos, Vol. 1

Nagi Umino learns quite the shocking truth: As an infant, he had accidentally been switched with another baby, and had essentially grown up his whole life as an adopted kid. To make matters worse, upon meeting his birth parents, and the girl, Erika Amano, that he had been switched with, he finds out that their parents had decided that the easiest way to resolve this whole matter is to have the two of them get married so that all the parents can officially consider both of them their children! With an anime adaptation announced recently, I figured I’d check out the first volume of the manga, and true to the name, it’s quite crazy. With a mess of family relations and some side romantic antics involving a smart girl Nagi has a crush on, this manga definitely has all the fun of a good romcom, and there’s not really too much that annoyed me about it, either, other than that the volume ended way too soon. I also liked how it touches on the awkwardness of trying to connect with a birth family you didn’t grow up with, and I hope future volumes do more with that along with the romance stuff.  ~ stardf29

A Couple of Cuckoos is published by Kodansha.

Street Fighter Gaiden: Vol. 1

Videogames have made the transition to manga many times, and some have even done it on multiple occasions, which is the case with Street Fighter. I picked up Street Fighter Gaiden, which has two volumes and focuses on various stories in the SF series, focusing on various characters. Ken and Ryu get their due, and so does Chun-Li, who is some nice panels participates in a drug bust in San Francisco. Other stories feature Fei Long desiring to do something more challenging than be a movie star, leading to travels to Japan and a tragic accident while stopping some criminals; T. Hawk protecting fellow natives from another tribe who are being harassed by Balrog; and the final story, where Guile becomes involved in underground fights while trying to prevent a friend from getting involved with Shadaloo, the secret evil organization of the series. The stories veer from the traditional backgrounds of some of the characters, like Fei Long and Guile, but it’s interesting to read how the author puts them together. Fans of Street Fighter should check this series out! The drawings in the manga looks dated and a little rough here and there, but I certainly enjoyed it and will be picking up volume two. ~ Samuru

Street Fighter Gaiden: Vol. 1 is published by Udon Entertainment.

The Dawn of the Witch, Vol. 1

Witches seem to be making a bit of comeback in manga lately. The Dawn of the Witch, one of the new entries, seems at first blush to add little that’s new to the canon, assembling a weak main character mage, overpowered but very young looking master witch, talented witch / love interest, and a beastman, as they undertake a special type of journey / course assigned by their magic school. However, tropes can be deceiving. Volume one tells a story at breakneck pace, developing relationships, adding backstory, providing action, and dumping a ton of information, which while it could become oppressive, in this manga, is captivating. The world and its history are fascinating, the way magic is used has some uniqueness (including a cursed, talking staff?), and the divisiveness between witches and the church shows depth. The world-building in just this one volume is extensive and engaging, and the story seems to be in good hands, while the art and character design, developed by two additional members of this three-person manga team, are just as extraordinary, bringing vividness to action scenes, boldness to the characters themselves, and lettering and paneling that add further dimension to goings-on. The frequent and obvious fanservice, unfortunately, can be quite distracting; it’s not a coincidence that it takes a back seat once the story ramps up, indicating how unimportant it is. By the last chapter or two, there’s no room for panty shots; we’re swept up into the lives of these characters, the choices they’ve made and are making, and the world they inhabit, which in terms of recent witch manga, is second to none. ~ Twwk

The Dawn of the Witch is published by Kodansha.*

Those Snow White Notes, Vol. 1

Moving to Tokyo after the death of his guardian, grandfather, and teacher, Setsu is a lost soul. Though he carries with him a shamisen, the ancient three-stringed instrument, Setsu is unable to play, haunted by the words of his grandfather which told him he was unworthy of it. But will this move to Tokyo and the people he meets there be just what Setsu needs to find his sound? The first half of this initial volume is one long chapter, and reads like a one-shot, an almost self-contained story of Setsu’s serendipitous meeting with a hopeful actress, Yuna, and the impact the two have on one another. However, this front half of volume one isn’t particularly distinct in any way, and despite a desire to connect emotionally with readers through the young protagonist and and his family, the panels fall flat in this aspect, as do they when depicting the sound of the shamisen, whose tone and rhythm I could feel but not the emotion it gives. The second half of volume, however, establishes the story and characters better. Setsu’s personality is better defined, as is his brother’s, and new supporting characters are introduced as Setsu begins to attend school, setting the stage for a club-centered drama, a la Kono Oto Tomare and Chihayafuru, two other anime centered on historic Japanese pastimes. And like those, there’s potential here, though it will be lost if Those Snow White Notes can’t find consistency and an emotional anchor, which would be a shame, as the first episode of currently-airing anime adaptation showed how a few adjustments could turn this story into something quite special. ~ Twwk

Those Snow White Notes is published by Kodansha.*

Your Lie in April, Vol. 4

I’m continuing my re-read of Your Lie in April and have reached Volume four, a part of this series which can be a tough read. Kousei has finally returned to the piano scene after two years away to find that his childhood rivals have only improved. Both of them were motivated by him to become better. Emi saw him when she was very little and it inspired her to play, believing in her heart to play for joy, while Takeshi is driven to perfection to reach what Kousei had always achieved. Then there’s Kousei himself. In these chapters, readers bear witness to the emotional and physical abuse Kousei underwent as a child and it’s hard to witness. But it does help present a complete picture of the person Kousei has become so far. This is a challenging volume because of what happens, but it’s important to the overall narrative. Beautiful artwork and emotional moments will keep me moving through this re-read.  ~ MDMRN

Your Lie in April is published by Kodansha.

Skip Beat, Vol. 17

The “Suddenly, a Love Story” arc is an oddity, a portion of Skip Beat that is quite long and cumbersome, with not enough Kyoko and perhaps too much of the unappealing side of Ren, full of insecurity and lacking much of his initial appeal. Volume 17 thankfully puts the arc to rest with a quick but exciting (and revealing) finale which pits Ren against no, not Shotaro, but Reino, the abusive and perhaps occultist musician. The next arc also begins in this volume, introducing Kuu, a movie star more famous, it seems, than any previous character in the series. Although we get to know him just a bit, he appears to be a rival who could threaten Ren. He also immediately challenges Kyoko, providing the potential for her to really chew up character interactions, something sorely missed in the previous arc. The final chapters of volume 17 feel like a breath of fresh air, hopefully pointing toward compelling chapters ahead—though I fear the problem of an unappealing Ren may be not be solved anytime soon. ~ Twwk

Skip Beat is published by Viz.*

=====

Reader’s Corner is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works their reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works and older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.

#Manga #She's My Knight #Ikemen Kanojo to Heroine na Ore #A Couple of Cuckoos #Kakkou no Iinazuke #Street Fighter Gaiden #The Dawn of the Witch #Mahoutsukai Reimeiki #Those Snow White Notes #Mashiro no Oto #Your Lie in April #Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso #Skip Beat! #Reader's Corner #Articles #Author: TWWK #Author: stardf29 #Author: Samuru #Author: MDMRN

[jess-rewatches-prodigalson]

Bad Manners (S2, E5)

My time-stamped thoughts for this episode. As always I reference Malcolm’s mental health. A lot. So if that’s going to be a trigger for you, don’t keep reading.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

0:35 - Martin totally thought John Watkins abducted and killed Ainsley. Mark my words. 

0:44 - Holy. Shit. Ainsley is FIVE years old (or younger) here right? A five year old with that much determination?!?! She literally stayed silent in that clock for probably hours......and no one was concerned about this kid when Martin was arrested because...?

1:09 - Anyone else impressed with Malcolm’s aim here? Just me?

1:20 - Gil and Malcolm talking about sleep and murder is so freaking sweet. <3 Honestly, they’re acting like friends instead of co-workers and it warms my cold dead heart. 

1:29 - Does Gil become a grumpy old man when he doesn’t get 8 hours sleep? I really want to know now. 

1:39 - OMG. Gil pointing at Ainsley here is hilarious. He’s totally acting like some weird mix of a stern pissed off high-school teacher, and a step-dad trying to discipline an unruly teen. hahaha AND MALCOLM’S FACE. Look how done Malcolm is. He looks so so tired, sad, and exasperated. 

1:44 - Wow. Girl power. Ainsley has those camera guys bending to her will. I honestly would’ve thought they would just read the situation and turn the camera off themselves. 

1:47 - “It’s not a game.” Yikes. I have thoughts about this:

Malcolm is right - it’s not a game. 

Malcolm is a bit of a hypocrite for saying that to Ainsley. Although, to his credit even when Malcolm is excited/inappropriately happy about murder it’s always pretty clear that he thinks murder is wrong, and that he has sympathy for the victims and their families. 

Ainsley does not have that same sympathy for the victims. That much is clear later in this episode. 

Pretty sure the writers are trying to turn Ainsley into a serial killer this season. 

2:13 - “You know I like to share these things with my friends.” .....does this mean Malcolm thinks Dani and JT are his friends now? Last I checked (Ep 1x05) Malcolm didn’t have friends. This absolutely melts my heart. <3 I’m honestly so happy that Malcolm considers someone other than Gil to be his friend.

2:18 - “We lost Dani to vice.” .....What is vice? AND WHAT IS THE REAL LIFE REASON THAT DANI WASN’T IN THIS EPISODE?!? 

2:19 - Edrisa has a medical degree right? She has to know how dangerous consuming that much caffeine is right? Plus aren’t energy drinks super dangerous if you drink a lot of them (or maybe that’s just what adults in my neighbourhood told kids)?

2:30 - Edrisa SHINES in this episode. She’s so funny and awkward and I just love her. 

2:36 - hahaha Gil has adopted the whole team. Look at him throwing the “Dad warning stare” at Edrisa. 

3:31 - Why does Edrisa start bouncing around looking upset when Malcolm says, “rejection is a powerful motivator”?!?! Has she recently been broken up with or something? Is this a reference to how she has a crush on Malcolm (who doesn’t reciprocate)? I WANT MORE INFORMATION.

3:47 - TWIZZLERS!!! <3 Damn I love how this tiny detail about Malcolm’s character keeps coming up. 

3:55 - Ainsley is on a rampage this episode. She’s so determined ...actually she’s acting a lot like Jessica (think girl in the box bracelet). However, unlike Jessica, Ainsley’s motives aren’t about justice or the safety of her loved ones.  Ainsley is chasing personal gain (career) with a side of (a subconscious?) need to be exposed to murder and her father’s twisted world. 

4:05 - This whole interaction between Ainsley and Malcolm is really interesting. Ainsley is knowingly manipulating Malcolm to get the answers she wants. We’ve seen her do it in 2x4 and 1x19. She knows her big brother would do anything for her. It makes sense, they’re five years apart and after the trauma they experienced as children Malcolm felt responsible to protect Ainsley. He never wants to disappoint Ainsley. Not a burden he should’ve had to deal with but I digress. PLUS Malcolm looks weary of Ainsley here. He knows what she’s doing. He’s scared that she’s turning to the dark side. But he still gives her the answers because if he doesn’t - that means something has changed. He thinks that would make Ainsley suspicious and then she might remember what happened to Endicott. He’s scared of and for Ainsley. 

4:32 - OKAY. I’ll say it. The thing that annoys me the most about this episode is that it suggests that Ainsley was a debutant when in 1x6 AINSLEY TELLS MARTIN SHE WAS NEVER A DEBUTANT. She went to etiquette school - I guess that doesn’t strictly mean she also did debutant balls but it sort of suggests it in the context of this episode? Did she actually graduate from the etiquette school (there was bullying, maybe she was expelled/dropped out similar to Malcolm and Remington?)?

4:59 - “No stabbies” OMG. How is this show not classified as a comedy?!? Istg I laugh harder watching this ‘drama’ then I do watching most of the shows that call themselves ‘comedies’.

5:35 - It’s honestly kind of amazing that Ainsley and Malcolm are as ‘sane’ as they are. They were raised by a stubborn predatory psychopath and a stubborn rich meddling socialite. They had no chance of normalcy. Look at the amount of pleasure Martin is currently getting by throwing his son under the bus with regards to Jessica. 

 5:45 - “No actually, I cleaned it up.”.....does this have a dual meaning? Did Martin do something to make Malcolm dispose of the body? We already know that Martin has tried some sort of conditioning on Malcolm (remember ‘C’mon boy!’ from 1x14? The stabbing?). What if Martin said some sort of trigger word to control Malcolm and coerced Malcolm into getting rid of the body? What if this isn’t the first time?

6:05 - Ainsley is a sociopath. I’m calling it again. I called it when I first watched Q&A (1x7) because the way she treated Malcolm was more than just selfish/careless. It was cruel and she didn’t feel any remorse for literally broadcasting her brother’s private health details on television. That is messed up. I honestly won’t be shocked if the writers make Ainsley a full blown serial killers (although I’m not sure I want that because I don’t know how Malcolm would remain the main character if the story goes in that direction?). 

6:12 - Poor Jessica. I honestly feel really bad for her. Sure, she’s a headstrong alcohol dependant crazy rich woman. She also has a good heart. She’s been dealt a pretty shitty hand when it comes to relationships (minus Gil but she ruined that because she’s a MORON) and now she’s terrified that her own children have become monsters and she blames herself. She definitely hasn’t been a perfect mother but I don’t think she’s to blame for Ainsley and Malcolm’s obsession with murder. If these kids had a different bio dad, they would probably just have a low-key drug problem or some other common rich kid baggage. 

6:15 - “You know that’s not how cancer works right?” LOL. hahahaha

6:33 - Martin kind of has a point. There’s no rehab for murder. That’s why he’s been in jail for 20 years and he still wants to kill people. In my opinion, given what we’ve seen of Ainsley’s personality: as soon as she fully remembers that night - she’s gone. She’ll go full serial killer and Jessica and Malcolm will lose her forever. 

6:40 - Jessica’s little jazz hand finger twinkle as she spins on her heel and leaves Martin kills me. It’s so extra. It’s so funny. And it’s sooo Jessica. 

6:47 - Damn. Martin is pissed. I’m worried. That’s murder-level rage. If he escapes ISTG Martin is going to try and kill Gil. For so many reasons 1) because he hates Gil, 2) it’ll hurt Jessica, and 3) killing Gil will eliminate his ‘Dad’ competition. 

6:54 - Edrisa on caffeine is AMAZING.

7:43 - I love Edrisa but her blatant, unreciprocated crush on Malcolm is honestly getting a little creepy. 

7:52 - Gil spent all last season drinking out of a Yankee’s mug. Doesn’t that mean he’s a baseball fan? Why doesn’t he know this pitcher guy?

7:56 - hahahaa “Where is JT?” Because obviously JT is the team sports fan. 

8:22 - Does Gil get nightmares about cases? He always seems really uncomfortable around the dead bodies. 

8:45 - “And suddenly I’m wide awake” SERIOUSLY - is anyone else laughing every 60 seconds when they watch this show? Is my sense of humour just super dark and messed up?

8:54 - YES. The liquorice is BACK.

9:00 - I love Malcolm talking to JT about his obsession with candy. I love how Malcolm doesn’t even hesitate before giving JT an honest answer. Malcolm is acting like JT’s annoying little brother and I am here for it. One thing I did notice though - Malcolm specifically mentions candy+dopamine but doesn’t mention his depression/anxiety. Processed sugar can be a short-term (unhealthy) way to boost your mood. It’s why some people eat their feelings. I really want more backstory about Malcolm with the lollipops and licorice though. 

9:19 - “But you didn’t do anything wrong.” Awwww Malcolm is so soft here. I love how much he genuinely cares about JT. <3 I love how JT is comfortable enough with Malcolm to give him an honest answer. <3 THEIR RELATIONSHIP HAS GONE THROUGH SUCH A GLOW UP. <3 

9:32 - “Like toy dolls?” hahaha the way Malcolm perked up here. All I could think was “SQUIRREL!” hahaha. 

9:41 - Malcolm is doing better than he has been the past few episodes? I mean he’s still suffering and he’s still in a terrible mental state. BUT he also seems happier? IDK maybe he’s just entered the more manic nervous energy stage of his emotions as opposed to the depressed and scared stage. 

9:49 - “Deep childhood trauma”. So we’re looking for a debutant killer with childhood trauma who is chasing perfection? Debutant = rich lady culture. Like Ainsley. AND Ainsley went to the same etiquette school as the first two victims. The writer’s wanted us to assume the killer was Ainsley for the first 15 mins of this episode right? I’m not the only one seeing it?

10:04 - “My sister went there too.” ....why is there something super attractive about the way that line was delivered?

10:08 - I’m so done with this absolute tom foolery. Why does the team keep splitting up into two teams - where one team is JUST MALCOLM. The one who is unarmed and technically a civilian?!? This makes no logical sense to me (except for plot).

10:25 - Was Martin just about to say, “Just like the old days”?!? Is Martin referring to Endicott? OR is Martin referring to something that Malcolm’s repressed from his childhood?

10:30 - “I always root for the bad guys.” .....finally some truth from Martin.

10:40 - Soooooo I guess Mr. David doesn’t know? I promise you Mr. David has suspicions though. How could he not?!?!

11:24 - “It was brutal for Ains.” Look at how sad Malcolm is! Ugh. This hurts so much. He clearly loves his sister so so much and what she’s done is slowly killing him. I honestly think that part of the reason Malcolm helped Ainsley dispose of the body is that Malcolm doesn’t want to loose his sister. His sister is one of the only good things he’s always been able to count on. If word gets around that she’s a killer - Malcolm’s fragile world gets shattered a little more and I don’t know if Malcolm can recover mentally from that. 

11:36 - “Teasing made her capable of...stuff.” C’MON. There’s no way Mr. David doesn’t know. 

11:45 - Sooo is Martin saying that he recognized that Ainsley was a sociopath when she was a small child? Or did she just respond to his (or John Watkins’) grooming much ‘better’ than Malcolm?

11:56 - “Because she’s her mother’s” Okay. So I see the point. I can see that Ainsley is driven and stubborn like Jessica. BUT it feels like Martin is suggesting that Jessica is capable of murder? Which - I honestly don’t think she is. If anything - Malcolm is more like Jessica than Ainsley is.

11:59 - There was a look in Martin’s eyes when he was comparing Ainsley to Jessica that really freaked me out. I can’t figure out why. It makes me wonder if Martin still somehow views Jessica as ‘his possession’ (he refers to her as his wife all the time but I always assumed that was just to get a rise out of people?). Martin’s dream from 2x4 certainly suggests that he still wants Jessica romantically. I honestly think he’s going to try to escape and rekindle the romance with Jess; and it’s going to go very poorly when Jessica rejects him. 

12:06 - Preach JT. Preach. This is creepy af. 

13:00 - Ugh. Of course this creep has a history of indecent exposure. Now I understand why Gil and JT were hostile with the dude right from the start. 

13:12 - Man. People will use the Bible to justify anything. No wonder people hate Christians ( I say this as a practicing Christian).

13:18 - JT is such a good dude. I’m so glad he’s a dad now. <3 He’s going to be such a good one. <3

13:26 - “One phone call and this place will be shut down.” OH SHIT. GIL THAT IS VICIOUS AND I RESPECT THE SHIT OUT OF IT.

13:35 - I soooo thought that dude was going to sprint out of that room. 

14:30 - THIS. YES. This is why I have a problem with Ainsley’s enthusiasm for murder vs. Malcolm’s. Ainsley’s enthusiasm is centred on her nee to ‘get the story’. She’s obsessed with forwarding her career and as a result she’s treating crime like a competitive sport. Malcolm’s obsession (while it can border on creepy and reckless) is always centred on his need to find the killer and stop the murders. Malcolm is seeking justice and his heart is in the right place. I can’t say the same for Ainsley.

14:31 - “We’re brother and sister, everything is a competitive sport”.....whoever wrote this doesn’t have a sibling they experienced trauma with as a kid (and as a result was raised by a single parent). Seriously, my dad was abusive he lived with us until I was 10 and my brother was 7. Then my parents got divorced and my mom was a single parent (he didn’t pay child support or see his kids after the divorce). Are my brother and I competitive? Sure sometimes. But the way we grew up forced us to become partners. Annoyed with Mom? Let’s rant about it together. Is he struggling in math? I’ll tutor him in exchange for a Reese cup. Am I struggling at daycare because I have massive social anxiety? He’ll include me in whatever he’s doing so I’m not sitting alone in a corner. My point: siblings who experience trauma together don’t have the typical sibling relationships that are widely televised in North America. There’s a lot less fighting and competition and a lot more teaming up and commiserating. 

14:39 - “It. It’s terrible.” - Notice how Ainsley didn’t actually say how it made her feel? She gave the standard “TV response” to a murder “a terrible/horrific/tragedy has occurred”. She doesn’t feel bad that these women are dead. She’s too consumed with getting a story to even stop and let herself feel anything. I’ve been saying it since last season - the way Ainsley shows no regard for other people and their feelings when she’s obsessed with her job is concerning. 

14:50 - “Remind me of the people who cut us off after Dad’s arrest.” ...Are you kidding me?!? The whole fandom has been speculating about this since early season one and they’re not going to elaborate on that line?!? I’m going to need some more information about this and it better be in the upcoming episode where Jessica’s younger sister appears. 

15:40 - She thinks of her students as family? Sooo what does she think of Ainsley? Wasn’t Ainsley bullied at this school? Did she do anything about it? 

16:00 - this is like a ‘weekend/evening school’ right? Kids aren’t living in this house like a boarding school/summer camp?

16:01 - “Mr. Whitly” UGH. This bitch preaches etiquette and she doesn’t even have the common courtesy to call Malcolm by the name with which he introduced himself? Nah. I don’t like her. 

16:13 - Ugh. Ainsley, seriously? Why don’t you help your brother solve the case. AND PREVENT MORE MURDERS. Why are you indirectly but purposely obstructing justice?

16:37 - “Of course.” Huh. Do you think Martin might try and manipulate Ainsley into killing Malcolm? Ainsley definitely capable of it. She doesn’t actually seem to care about Malcolm nearly as much as he cares about her. 

17:17 - WTF?!? That’s creepy af. How did no one in this show think this assistant was a suspect? She has a super creepy doll that she ‘forgot’ on the floor the middle of a hallway. AND THE DOLL WAS STANDING UP. Not sitting, not dropped carelessly, STANDING UP.

17:30 - Look at Malcolm’s face. He’s definitely going to be having nightmares about that doll. 

18:25 - OMG. This was amazing. JT just totally bulldozed his way into catching that dude. Very badass. Also kind of funny (maybe that’s just my messed up sense of humour again?).

18:44 - Ugh. This dude has a thing for dolls. I don’t want to kink shame but - no. no. There’s something really gross about that.  

18:48 - I’ve seen some people say that this doll looks like Ainsley and how that’s supposed to be some sort of foreshadowing/symbolism. I kind of see it? I mean the hair colour is similar and if you pause the screen at 18:48 the angle kind of looks like Ainsley? It would be an interesting metaphor though - Ainsley played with dolls as a little girl. John Watkins gave her angel statues. She is Watkins’ and Martin’s doll’ in the sense that she was the object that murders manipulated/groomed. 

18:53 - Then again, pause the screen here and there’s something about the facial structure that looks like Dani to me. 

19:00 - Jessica lets Ainsley work in the murder office?!? No. No she doesn’t. This is garbage. Jessica would’ve forbade it. Jessica would’ve bordered up this room immediately after Watkins.

19:57 - Poor Jessica. She’s clearly terrified that she’s losing Ainsley and terrified of Ainsley. BUT Jess, sweetie, running to Europe won’t fix this. 

20:16 - “She wanted the dolls to look like her students.” AND PEOPLE SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO HER?!? WTF?!? NO. NO. NO. NOT OKAY. 

20:31 - HAHA look at Gil’s face when Trevor tells him he can make the ‘perfect woman’. Gil’s like WTF - can I arrest you for thinking you can fabricate a ‘perfect woman’?!!?

21:06 - Malcolm is having so much fun playing with Trevor’s doll head. Look at how excited he is. It’s kind of adorable but his manic energy is showing which is concerning. 

21:10 - Why is Trevor giving his doll fancy 1940s(ish) names? 

21:31 - Props to LDP. I honestly believed Gil was annoyed with Malcolm for barging in on the interrogation the first time I watched this. 

21:42 - “They got a word for everything.” hahaha OMG. This is so reminiscent of a teenager explaining some new tech to their tech-illiterate parents. 

22:00 - I can’t tell if Gil feels sorry for this creep or if he just thinks the dude is really gross. Probably a mixture. 

23:00 - Oh we’re bringing up the chloroform again. At least Malcolm knows not listen to Martin about this nonsense. 

23:25 - “It doesn’t feel fun.” - THIS. This is why I honestly don’t think Malcolm will ever become a serial killer. His guilt complex is just too big.

23:56 - Are. You. Kidding. Me? This is next level. Ainsley is so out of line here. AND SHE SHOWS NO REMORSE. SHE DOESN’T THINK SHE’S DONE ANYTHING WRONG. THIS GIRL HAS GONE DARK SIDE (she was already halfway there).

24:17 - I’m getting papa!Gil vibes when Gil is talking to Ainsley and I want more scenes of them interacting. Seriously, did Gil have a relationship with Ainsley when she was a kid? I MUST KNOW.

24:45 - Ainsley has no conscience. I honestly don’t think Ainsley has a conscience. 

25:00 - “Who is that!?” Malcolm is totally acting like he’s Ainsley’s father-figure right now. I’m here for it. 

25:22 - SORE LOSERS?!? I’m sorry. What? If you weren’t concerned about Ainsley you damn well should be now. That is seriously messed up. People are dead. This is not a game. Do you know who else thought murder was a game? Martin Whitly.

25:31 - Okay. Ainsley has a point. Malcolm lecturing anyone about being reckless is pretty hypocritical. But at least Malcolm cares about her. 

25:54 - Heart. Shattered. Look at how terrified Jessica is. Look at how gentle and reassuring Gil is. UGh. WHY DID SHE BREAK UP WITH HIM??! I mean, I know why I just think she’s a moron for doing it. 

26:00 - Poor Gil. He’s so confused and so concerned. The whole Whitly family is acting crazier then usual and he doesn’t know why. 

26:11 - “Both you and Malcolm are at an 11 and I’ve never seen Ainsley like that.” FIND YOURSELF A MAN WHO CARES LIKE GIL AND NEVER LET HIM GO. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 Seriously. The love and concern he shows for this family warms my cold dead heart. 

26:16 - “Her father?!” Oh shit. Now Gil knows there’s something BIG happening. Jessica would never run to Martin unless she absolutely had to. 

26:19 - annnnd Gil’s also being a prideful man who’s feeling are hurt. “You went to him?” He’s right to be though - the woman he loves went to a serial killer for advice before going to the guy who practically co-parented with her. 

26:33 - “I’m here. Whatever you need. I’m here.” <3 <3 Gil is the definition of a good man. <3 I’m in love with it. 

26:48 - “You were right on time for me.” ....*snort* subtle Gil (and in front of JT!!)

27:08 - Edrisa is hysterical on caffeine. hahaha. This whole scene is perfect. 

27:20 - You know someone is acting manic when Malcolm Bright is concerned about their eccentric behaviour. 

27:34 - Annnnnd Tom Payne was a split second from breaking character here. I don’t blame him. hahaha

28:05 - EDRISA flipping and dropping that pencil. HAHAHAHAHAHA

29:10 - “Absolutely not.” hahaha this is funny but also really sweet. Malcolm knows that Edrisa hopped up on caffeine isn’t safe to have near an active killer. Who knows what’ll happen. I wish he’d care that much about his own well being. Looks like calling for backup last episode was a one time thing. 

30:37 - I’ll give the writers one thing - Miss Windsor makes a convincing murder suspect.

31:22 - GIL. STANDING. UP. FOR. JT. IS. EVERYTHING. Where is O’Malley’s back up? Oh yeah, they’re not brave enough to defend him.

32:00 - Huh. Bright texted for backup. This is growth. I’m proud of him. 

32:15 - YES. This JT arc was handled right. Sure JT could’ve complained. It would’ve been episodes upon episodes of bureaucratic nightmares and injustice. This show isn’t about racism. They showed enough to portray that the system is broken and they had JT act like a responsible adult. It’s not fair that JT had to go through this or that he’ll likely experience something similar to it again. But the fact that JT is acting like a bigger person is perfect. JT will protect his family. Always. That includes Malcolm. So JT avoids putting through a formal complaint because he knows that will take time away from doing his job, from protecting others, from hanging out with his wife and kid. JT’s taking the higher road, it might not be gratifying or fair but I respect the hell out of him for taking it. 

32:28 - Gil is so so proud of JT. Look at him. <3 <3 

33:40 - Look, Miss Windsor is a bit of a stuck up bitch but she has a good heart. Look at the way she immediately tells Malcolm where Ainsley is when she realizes what’s happening. 

34:14 - This confused me during the first watch - Ainsley obviously didn’t drink any tea - so why is she drugged? (obviously I know now). 

34:17 - Big brother Malcolm frantically looking for Ainsley is so so sweet. <3 

35:42 - The music, the dolls, and Miss Windsor’s speech here. There’s something about this part of the episode that is strangely reminiscent of 5x16 of Criminal Minds.

36:20 - ......does Miss Windsor have some sort of mental illness? She’s talking to herself and ranting erratically. Is this just emotional stress or something deeper?

37:00 - This is why Malcolm’s not a serial killer. Even now- looking at a killer - he’s trying to sympathize with her. He’s trying to understand why. He’s trying to calm her down, diffuse the threat, and get her mental help. 

39:00 - Oh yeah. Ainsley was definitely going to kill without remorse. Again. I’ve seen some theories that Ainsley only ever tries to kill to protect Malcolm. I disagree. I think Ainsley’s trying to protect herself. Ainsley is pissed off that this girl tried to drug her and kill her because she thinks Ainsley is wicked. Ainsley was pissed at Endicott for whatever he did to Ainsley before Malcolm got there. I think Ainsley felt threatened and scared so she reacted. I don’t think this has anything to do with protecting Malcolm.

39:41 - Malcolm isn’t a killer. Look. He smells gas but he takes the time to carry an unconscious murderer (who literally just tried to kill his sister) out of the building. 

40:00 - The drama. Holy hell. What a weird ending to this case.

40:48 - Who gave Ainsley a police jacket and let her keep it?

41:14 - She almost died and she’s still obsessing over ‘winning’. This is seriously unstable behaviour. Way more concerning than anything Malcolm’s done since 2x1. 

41:45 - “My father was a serial killer also.” Anyone else super irritated by that phrasing?!?  Just me?!? Something about the ‘also’ feels super wrong to me.

41:53 - Oh sweetie. I’d argue that you are more messed up than Malcolm. 

42:06 - Jessica went to see Martin twice in one episode. THIS IS BAD.

42:15 - “Maybe even more so than Malcolm if that’s possible.” Jessica knows her kids. I’m on her side here. 

42:20 - Martin is way too happy about Ainsley showing signs of serial killing. 

42:30 - Jessica? You married an act. That man never existed. He’s always been a serial killer. You just didn’t know it. He’s manipulative and you were a victim to it. 

42:50 - “A partner.” OH THIS IS NOT GOING TO END WELL. ESPECIALLY FOR THE GIL/JESSICA ARC.

Okay....so definitely the weakest episode of the season so far. AND the fact that we got no mention of Tally and/or the baby this episode is a crime. 

BUT I’M SO SO SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT EPISODE. It’s going to be a televised fanfic and I can’t wait. 

#jess-rewatches-prodigal #malcolm bright #prodigal son #gil arroyo #dani powell #JT Tarmel #ainsley whitly #martin whitly #edrisa tanaka #jessica whitly #I LOVE this show #whump #rewatch #spoliers #malcolm needs a hug #ps #so good #2x05 #2x5 #Bad Manners #s2

[arethereanyoriginalusernames]

Entire arc of one of my dumbass characters

Hey, so I finished planning out the complete story arc for one of my characters, Vlad. I wanted to share it here so people can tell me what they think. Keep in mind, I’m going to be summarizing stuff as briefly as possible. So while it’ll be long, I’ll still be skirting over some things so that we’re not here for a million years (so in other words, with certain things, you’ll just have to nod and go along with it). If anyone has any questions afterwards, I can make a second post clearing stuff up.

So enough with the drabble

Vlad Dracula the 628th aka Lucian Dracula

Before we begin, there’s 2 things we need for context. One is the Old Customs. These are old rules set by the first Vlad Dracula. The whole “descents of Dracula” thing, where a new Vlad is named every other generation and is destined to do something big for vampire kind, is included in said Customs. The rest is basically a set of toxic rules that only traditional vampire families (like the Draculas) follow. Two, the previous Vlad, Grandpa Drac , ended an ongoing war between vampires and humans a few centuries ago. Vampires are still not high in public opinion, but at least they’re no longer hunted for sport

Before we begin, there’s 2 things we need for context. One is the Old Customs. These are old rules set by the first Vlad Dracula. The whole “descents of Dracula” thing, where a new Vlad is named every other generation and is destined to do something big for vampire kind, is included in said Customs. The rest is basically a set of toxic rules that only traditional vampire families (like the Draculas) follow. Two, the previous Vlad, Grandpa Drac , ended an ongoing war between vampires and humans a few centuries ago. Vampires are still not high in public opinion, but at least they’re no longer hunted for sport

Anyways, let’s briefly cover the backstory for emo boi, who wasn’t always called Vlad. At age 5, he was picked out of all his cousins to be the next Vlad. Problem was that Vlad and his parents were the few Draculas who didn’t believe in the customs, so of course controversy. Vlad’s aunts and uncles would act abusive to him and his parents, and his cousins would be rewarded for beating him up. Most notably he became a favourite target of Wolfgang, the largest and strongest of the cousins.

When he was 14, Vlad’s parents decided fuck this noise, and they and Vlad moved away and cut ties with the family. Vlad however had developed terrible anxiety problems, and never developed proper social skills. He started a relationship with Mina around this time, but this only helped a bit. While Mina cares about Vlad and goes out of her way to help, she’s simply not knowledgeable about how to help him properly, and often (unintentionally) ends up being an enabler

Vlad’s antisocial behaviour only worsened as he got older, and eventually he took to confining himself in his room as what happened throughout his childhood made it impossible for him to enjoy much. He developed a strained relationship with his parents, and one day he ended up storming out of the house after an argument. Unfortunately, Vlad ended up being kidnapped by vampire hunters and shipped off to be killed in an old vampire hunting ground. He’d find out later that his parents were killed not long after his departure during a struggle with hunters

He was shipped up to a town in Belgium, where he escaped confinement and hid out in some woods. This is where he met Phoenix and Chronos after they were assigned to get him to leave. With nowhere to go, and hunters still hinted at being in the area, Vlad ends up tagging along and eventually joining the group.

At first, Vlad acts like a massive asshole to everyone, especially Phoenix, who’s outgoing and confident nature reminds him a bit of Wolfgang. The fact that Vlad clearly isn’t good at fighting doesn’t help as he constantly lets his insecurities get the better of him. He tries to hide the fact that he has anxiety issues, only to have one in the middle of a job, nearly getting himself killed.

Eventually, he decides to try running away, only to be intercepted by Phoenix. Phoenix calls Vlad out for being an asshole, for hiding things from people, and for taking his issues out on everyone else. The two have an emotional argument where they both open up about each other’s backstories and whatnot. After they’ve settled down, Phoenix finally gets through to Vlad that his life’s not going to get better the way he’s going on now. Determined to help, she offers to be his friend. And thus begins the saga of these two being chaotic dumbasses together

Of course, while Vlad agrees to return and try to better himself, it’s a slow process. He’s hesitant to seek help from anyone but Phoenix, and being around characters like Chronos and Athan who criticize him causes his insecurities to resurface. Nonetheless, he sticks to it and learns how to fight from both Phoenix and Athan. Athan also teaches him how to play to his strengths during a job.

In terms of confidence, Phoenix definitely starts to rub off on Vlad,, and more of his personality starts to come out. They still bicker but they also joke around and have angsting sessions where they just scream about shit.

Vlad’s development into being more confident, however, starts regressing when the family gets involved. During a period where the mercenary group is split up, Vlad visits Mina and is invited back to the Dracula household. It seems that he needs to sort things out regarding his parents’ wills.

Taking Mina and Trix with him, Vlad gets to relieve a bunch of uncomfortable childhood memories, and of course his family aren’t happy to see him (Wolfgang being quick to go back to antagonizing him). Some members of the family want to ignore the wills and claim things like Vlad’s house as their own. In order to have his parents’ wishes respected, Vlad ends up having to physically fight Wolfgang.

And Vlad wins... after he melts Wolfgang’s face off in the sun, and he himself looses a goddamn arm in the process

After Vlad wins, his aunts, uncles, and cousins all seem to hide away, not wanting to confront him. Grandpa Drac invites Vlad to join him for a drink, and there he explains why he chose Vlad to be, well, Vlad. Turns out Grandpa is evil as shit and actually tortured a bunch of people in order to end the war. And he also wants Vlad to overturn the old customs, so that vampires can start making progress to overcome other species (the rules kinda prevent you from slaughtering millions basically).

So, Vlad’s not exactly about that, so he tries to nope out of this, except uh oh, grandpa spiked his drink with magical vampire essence blood or whatever. Now Vlad has blood magic, which he later finds out was used throughout history to do some... pretty fucked up shit. Vlad of course isn’t immediately aware of this, and he’s still not over the fact he melted Wolfgang’s face off or that grandpa is crazy.

After weird meeting with gramps, Vlad gets approached by one of his cousins, Ludwig, who’s also Wolfgang’s younger brother. Ludwig invites Vlad for a night out a cafe, and there Vlad finds out that hey, abusive shit didn’t stop after he left. Basically, a lot of the cousins would aid in antagonizing Vlad bc that meant they were safe. Ludwig had always been picked on to some extent by his older bro, but after Vlad left, he became a favourite target. Plus the majority of the family have alcohol issues and shit, and tldr this entire family is fucked and somebody should trash all this and go back to the drawing board

Hey, here’s one bonus. It’s during his convo with Ludwig that Vlad actually reveals his real name to the audience, Lucian. And it’s only the first instance of him referring to himself as such.

On the way back, Ludwig and Vlad get caught up in chaos caused by Trix. During the struggle, Vlad accidentally unleashes blood magic, and passes tf out. After waking up, demanding answers from gramps, and getting the disturbing context behind the blood magic, Vlad immediately leaves and reunited with Phoenix and everyone else. However, the whole blood magic thing is causing some issues. Vlad has to drink more blood now, and he really doesn’t like using it knowing what it was previously used for. He also starts resenting sharing a name with someone who was idolized for all the wrong reasons.

He starts transitioning back into an asshole, and eventually he reaches out to fellow vampires Mina and Athan for help. Vlad’s doing pretty bad emotionally during all this, and is generally going through a lot. He starts making plans with Mina and Athan to somehow end this entire messed up situation, meanwhile he’s rapidly regressing in character development. He gets a couple kicks up the ass and starts to get better tho. The biggest wake up call is when his BFF Phoenix gets fucking possessed by an alien god for a couple hours, then runs away.

So, you know, a typical Friday night

At this point, Vlad, sorry , Lucian, kinda snaps. He rejects the name Vlad once and for all, and strictly goes by Lucian. He sets out to find Phoenix by himself, but is eventually joined by Athan and Mina, and later other characters. During the road trip to get to wherever tf Phoenix is, it’s the return of family drama. However, Lucian doesn’t seem to be quite bothered by it. He’s more set on getting his friend back, and he’s kinda over having this bullshit haunt him his entire life, and refuses to give it any power over him. Still, he, Athan, and Mina agree that it’s best to deal with this now so they don’t have to deal with it again later.

Gramps is still trying to go through with his plans, and Wolfgang wants some revenge on Lucian. But Lucian ain’t having none of this, calls the entire family out on the dumbassery , and, for extra effect, throws the book of old customs into the goddamn fire. He promptly curb stomps Wolfgang and just walks out to the amazement of everyone else. This apparently starts a little revolution where, one by one, the rest of his cousins (and some of his aunts and uncles) start leaving and starting their own lives.

Lucian’s character growth is more or less complete from here on. He still has his issues with insecurities and anxiety, but has started to give them less power over him and can now focus on the present. Which he kinda needs to do now bc oh no, BFF doing weird shit and everyone’s going crazy. He does start to use blood magic, but only in emergencies. He also has gets a chance to repay Phoenix for helping him by helping her. So... there’s that.

Oh yeah, he also decides that anyone who judges him can go fuck themselves and goes full goth. Thank you, good night!

[silenthillmutual]

I beg your pardon! It’s me who is going mad.

So, I know I did a Twitter thread about the ways Daniil is manipulated in Classic, and I thought I’d put it on here too.

I’m going to stop short of calling it gaslighting here though, because too many people are using that term who don’t really understand what it means. Gaslighting is specifically a form of abuse where the intention is to make the victim feel they are going insane. Not all manipulation or abuse is gaslighting - which doesn’t make it less bad, just...not gaslighting.

That being said: in Classic, there are quite a few times where Daniil can say that he thinks he’s losing his mind, and there are times when the game seems constructed to make you feel this way. Particularly I had in mind the ending of the game, and not just the part where you find out you’re a toy and always have been (that falls more under cosmic horror). What bugs me about the end and how that fits into things, is the fact that the Sand Pest and its outcomes have been chasing you - the clouds, the angels, the muggers, the firestarters, the rats, literally chasing you through houses and through town, only for all of it to completely vanish without a trace on the exact day you’re meant to give a solution to it all. I made a point on Twitter about how people attempting to gaslight you will submit you to a large amount of damage - physical, verbal, emotional, take your pick - and then remove the abuse and any signs of it just before they’re caught. it’s how they show to others that it’s you who’s the problem, not them. 

Regardless of whether you think the intention is to make Daniil feel he’s losing is sanity or not, the question would be who is manipulating Daniil, and why? There are a couple answers.

The first answer is the Town. The first playthrough as the Bachelor of the game is probably the closest fitting to psychological horror as the game gets. Like Silent Hill, the Town is full of horrors that seem tailor-made to torture Daniil specifically: most of these people are uneducated (the Town doesn’t even have a school), their cultural beliefs (mostly appropriated from the steppe culture) actively prevent him from doing his job as a doctor, his word and name are constantly weaponized by people with ulterior motives, and men run around on the first two days beating women to death or burning them alive and intervening actively costs you reputation - which you need to do anything. He arrives with the hope of finding evidence to keep his lab opening and, as we later learn, keep himself from execution, only to find that both the man who would serve as this evidence and the colleague who informed you of his existence have been murdered just before your arrival. You have a lot of things riding on your success, and everything about where you are is actively working against you. The government wants you to find a cure single-handedly, but the Town has other plans for you. 

And those plans are: errand boy, and scapegoat. People throughout the Town will inform you that they are scared of you when you’ve barely interacted with them, let alone in ways that should inspire fear. It doesn’t matter how good your reputation as Daniil is (and through the course of the game, there’s very little you’re made to do that lowers your reputation, and it never gets bad enough for you to be attacked on the street or refused sale from shops), what matters is the fact that everyone in Town, from the nameless NPCs to the rulers, are putting every bad thing they’ve done down as being your fault. 

But the Town has another way it’s manipulating Daniil, by almost making him a member of it. I don’t think I got a screenshot, but I’m sure that somewhere along the line Daniil comments that he’s starting to talk like one of the townsfolk. You can see this happens to Andrey, too, later in the game; he talks in what Daniil calls “Griefisms”. 

You have been sent here to fight an adversary that inherently cannot be beaten - in foolish hopes that a miracle would happen and your outstanding mind would stumble upon a once-in-a-million chance. And just so that you wouldn’t give up, they kept insisting that the adversary must be destroyed. Do you see how insidious the Powers That Be are?     > But why? Their motives are becoming less and less comprehensible to me by the day.

The second answer is the Powers That Be.

Three people enter the Town that the Powers That Be want to get rid of: the Bachelor, the Inquisitor, and the Commander. It wants them all to fix or solve or demolish something in the town, and doesn’t really care what happens to any of them. Pathologic 2 spells it out clearer for you that Aglaya, Block, and Daniil will all be executed upon return to the Capital if their answers are not what the Powers That Be want to hear. And for the time that you are in the Town as Daniil Dankovsky, the Powers That Be - like the town itself - actively work against you. The trains that are meant to bring food and medication never, to my knowledge, arrive, and most days bring about a new letter from the Powers spelling out for you how disappointed in you and your progress they are. Some of the ways they attempt to manipulate Daniil through these letters are subtle, but most of them are unsubtle suggestions that what he’s been able to accomplish is not good enough, that he was meant to work alone.

Even one of your first letters from them is suspicious; early on in the game, they write to let you know that they are in no way responsible for the outbreak, which is an incredibly suspicious thing to say. What is the point of sending such a letter? Would the player have really thought that they were if they hadn’t suggested as much through denial? After all, what called you to Town was a letter from Isidor Burakh. But yet, the Powers That Be are the ones who leave you stranded in the Town with limited resources, no help, and constantly shifting goalposts. Aglaya makes this clear to you when she arrives: you were never supposed to be successful. 

The letters from the Powers That Be do not serve any purpose other than to upset Daniil, and most if not all of them contain lies: that a train will be arriving, that they don’t mind if you have help in carrying out your plans, that Thanatica still exists, referencing conversations you’ve never had, signing drafts of letters you didn’t consult on with your name. One of the reasons i had put this down as gaslighting is because people who gaslight like to keep you off balance and emotionally fragile so that you’re easier to manipulate. You’ll do whatever they want to make the feeling stop, because you just can’t handle the stress anymore, and in the process you come across to others as unreasonable, unhinged, crazy, dangerous, so that no one will trust you. And that’s exactly how Daniil starts to come across to the townspeople: deranged, strung out, dangerous, untrustworthy.

You can contrast all that to a different letter they send you where they claim to be proud to call you one of your own. Combine the two, and you get honeymooning. They want to remind you of the good (or at least, not-as-bad) times you’ve had with them. This behavior serves two, sometimes three purposes: to keep you off balance from the violent back-and-forth, dizzying nature of what they’re doing to you, and so that you’ll defend them to people who can see what’s going on and want to get you out of it. You’ll even convince yourself that you’re not really being mistreated. If you were being abused, would they be so nice to you? 

You are the last friend our family has. I hope our attachment to you doesn’t look obtrusive.      > It requires too much from me. I’m not comfortable with it.     > No, not at all. 

The third answer is the Kains. Specifically, Georgiy and Maria repeatedly manipulate Daniil, though I’ve no doubt in the text above Victor stating their attachment to Daniil is also a manipulation, and one possibly planned by either or perhaps both of them. The text above probably looks normal, but think about the purpose it serves: to reinforce that Daniil is friendly with the Kains. Your only two options are to say that it doesn’t bother you, or to express that you feel your boundaries are being violated by their attention. But I even thinking about picking that option... Well, it feels mean. 

Throughout the game, people will comment on Maria’s attachment to you and what they feel is your predestination to be romantically paired with her. All this, despite the fact that you don’t really interact with her that much. I’ve seen this be explained as forced heterosexuality, but I think it also is a way of the Kains manipulating Daniil into doing what they want. Daniil gets upset whenever people cry; when children cry, he tries to calm them and fix whatever’s upset them - there’s an entire sidequest after the army arrives in which Daniil kills a group of soldiers, spurred into action by upset children. Whenever he encounters Maria crying, he reacts with discomfort, and she uses these tears and upset to manipulate Daniil into thinking Aglaya has lied to him, effectively distancing him from one of the only people in the game with a rational mind to show him support and tell him the truth. I don’t think the two are in any way unconnected. Something abusers, manipulators, gaslighters love to do is isolate you so that you only have one source of information to go to. If they cut you off from other people, they can continue to feed off of you. You’ll never have a chance to question if what you’re being told about yourself or others is correct, you’ll just be a constant supply of drama for them. 

DANIIL: Was there any particularly notable backstory? I’m deadly tired of all these people. They’re inhuman. They tell the future, believe in walking zombies, and die in all manners of painfully abnormal ways. 

AGLAYA: Your line of thinking is obviously fallacious - and I was implying something rather mundane. I promise you no one can really tell the future around here and neither are deaths inspired by third parties uncommon. Mysterious phenomenons do occur here sometimes... but hardly more often than anywhere else.

You can see, first, the effect all this has had on Daniil, how dispiriting the past several days have been to him. But you can also see here exactly why a family that prides itself on multi-generational reincarnation and manipulation through “fortune-telling” wants to keep its blunt instrument in the dark. 

That is, ultimately, why they are manipulating Daniil. Georgiy knows full well when he tells Daniil at the beginning that everyone, even himself, will lie to Daniil, that being that honest upfront is more likely to lead Daniil to trusting him. They want to sway him to their cause; this is why you are told that your success here depends on the wellbeing of the people Maria considers useful: herself, her father and uncle - who she gets out of the way later on to come into her power, the architects of the Polyhedron - which she will use to ascend to power, and the theatre director who has pledged himself to be her loyal servant. Eva’s on the list, too, but her inclusion was deliberately set up to make you depend on the Kains later in the game, considering that it’s Maria who convinced her to commit suicide:

DANIIL: Why did Eva die then? AGLAYA: I have a distinct suspicion she was made to die. DANIIL: By whom?  AGLAYA: One of the Kains. I’d even go so far as to claim that they may have performed human sacrifice.

It’s a two-for-one deal: try in vain to make a Focus of the Cathedral, and remove from Daniil the last piece of influence who was not totally in love with Maria. Maria “cries” and is “upset” at you for thinking Eva’s death is her fault, but no one directly tells you Maria is responsible - all Aglaya does is tell you the Kains are at fault. The rest is just you remembering how nasty Maria was about Eva at the beginning of the game. I wouldn’t even say that Maria was removing a rival for Daniil’s affection. She really does only view Daniil as an object: if you speak to her on day 12, she assumes that you’re leaving, and doesn’t even ask you to stay (for kicks, contrast this with either ending of Pathologic 2 when you speak to Daniil as Artemy, where he’s supposed to be your rival. what was all that about Maria being in love with you...?); he’s not even present in his own ending cutscene. Even Mark Immortell says you’re leaving -

And actually, that’s a really fascinating conversation you can have with him on day 12. It’s where the game outright admits exactly what Aglaya told you: it’s all fake. Maria cannot really see the future, you’ve just been manipulated the entire game to achieve someone else’s goals, and unless you’ve gone around and saved Artemy’s or Clara’s bound, it’s too late for you to turn back and make a different decision. If you’ve picked Daniil’s ending, you just destroyed an entire town on the basis of outright lies. 

#icarus.txt #pathologic meta #ok to rb #plato plays pathologic #nori writes #pathologic spoilers #stu don't look #long post #icarus.docx #mine

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Re:Creators, Episodes 8-10

In which we find out where Sota’s past went wrong, I wish the story was better at living up to its meta, and crazy girls are all the rage.

When Fanfic Goes Wrong

So at last, we have a (mostly) full picture of how Altair and Sota fit into this picture. As it turns out, Altair started out as the most heinous creation imaginable: a fanfic re-skin. She was a re-imagined version of a character from a game that already existed, one that was changed so much from its origins and grew so popular on its own terms that she became a wholly separate entity. That’s a really fun idea, playing into the concept that fanfiction isn’t just mindless copy-pasting someone else’s work; it’s an act of creation all its own, and if it’s done well enough, it can break free into its own unique identity (or even if it’s done poorly: see, Fifty Shades of Grey). And this character was a creation of Sota and his former friend Shimazaki, the girl we saw in the opening scene. They worked to create her together, writing and drawing her legacy as a team. But as time went on, Sota became more and more jealous of how good Shimazaki was at drawing. He was so insecure about his own art that he projected that insecurity outwards, making Shimazaki a scapegoat for his own self-loathing. We still don’t know exactly how things went down, but it’s clear Sota ended up seriously hurting Shimazaki with this anger. Their friendship fell apart, Sota left her feeling nothing but resentment and antagonism, and then... she killed herself. At least, that’s what seems to have happened based on the show’s opening scene. I’m not ruling out the possibility she’s still alive and kicking somewhere. But whatever really happened, the fact is that Shimazaki’s gone, and Sota blames herself for driving her to it.

None of this is too surprising considering how the mystery’s been built up, but being predictable doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. I completely understand why Altair would be driven to such violent extremes based on that backstory. Her creator was betrayed, unfairly treated, and left to suffer alone by these supposed “gods.” If they don’t even treat each other with respect, how could they ever treat their creations with respect? Better burn the whole system down and start fresh. And while I’m still frustrated by how little action Sota’s taking, it makes sense why he’d be so withdrawn and passive. He blames himself for Shimazaki’s death; it was his own desire to be valued that drove him to such jealousy when he felt he wasn’t measuring up. Forget writer’s block, it’s a miracle he’s able to take a stand on anything he cares about anymore. Thank god that Meteora’s read enough books to know you should never drag the tragic backstory out, and she refuses to let him shrink away from talking about it. And I’m not gonna lie, when he finally breaks down crying and admits the full extent of how heavy this has been weighing on him, I genuinely felt sorry for the kid. It’s the first moment where it feels like he’s making progress beyond being a wandering shell, and the bravery he shows in the battle right afterwards is a promising step forward for him re-taking control over his life. If he’s gonna start repairing the damage he’s done, he can’t keep hiding from it. He needs to nut up, accept his grief and culpability, and work to be better so he doesn’t make the same mistake again. And if he can pull that off and become an actual character, I think this show’s prospects are looking up.

Talk the Walk

But speaking of which, I think I need to take a closer look at why Re:Creators isn’t grabbing me as much as it could. I mean, I’m having a fun enough time with it, but for all the crazy plot turns and emotional drama, I’m not really swept away. And thinking about it over the course of these episodes, I think what it comes down to is this: Re:Creators isn’t as clever as it wants to be. Or at least, not as clever as I want it to be. The thing with stories as explicitly meta elements at this one is that they can’t help but draw attention to their own status as stories. By commenting on storytelling, tropes, fiction in general, you set the expectation that you’re gonna be smarter than the usual fare. After all, if you want to dig so deeply into the mechanics of your own medium, it only makes sense that you’d be very good at using that medium in the first place, doesn’t it? You don’t write a play about playwriting unless you’re a damn good playwright, you don’t make a movie about making movies unless you know how to make movies, and you don’t create an anime about the creative spirit of anime unless you’re capable of making creative anime yourself. Otherwise, it’s like trying to present a masterclass on cooking when your regular dinner subsists of frozen pizza rolls. And while Re:Creators isn’t outright pizza roll territory, it’s nowhere near good enough to work the kitchens in Le Bernidan, if this metaphor makes any sense. Point is, if you’re gonna be meta about storytelling, you better make sure you know how to tell a damn good story.

And Re:Creators definitely wants you to think it’s got it in the bag. It’s got plenty of clever asides that comment on the layers of stories within stories going on here. Alice remarks the human world is kind of a mess even in comparison to her world, because with no structure to give it purpose, it takes more than a single hero to set things right. Things tend to be easier in stories when there’s a set goal and a set hero capable of accomplishing it. And when Selesia tells everyone to save themselves and leave her to die, her creator has a great moment where he tells her she’s too good a character- and he’s too good a creator- to spout such trite lines. Plus, using the power of Twitter to shift audience perception of her was a kickass payoff to the idea that the fans are the ones that ultimately own the story. But underneath that surface-level polish, the story keeps running into cliched beats that undercut its own creativity. Like how Mamika and Alice get their romantic confession (SHUT UP IT’S CANON) only because it makes it more tragic when Mamika dies right afterward. Or how when Alice is tricked into thinking Meteora killed her, Sota doesn’t just tell her right away that he knows Magane was lying. Like, I know we had to have a big fight scene, and Alice wasn’t likely to believe him anyway due to how hollow she’s become from still losing everyone she cares about, but did he really have to wait a whole ten minutes to even try? It can’t but feel contrived, like these situations are being squeezed into place by the hand of the author rather than evolving organically. It’s not like I’m expecting Gintama levels of trope subversion from every anime with meta aspects, but when you’re trying to make a point about artists’ responsibility to their creations, it feels like you should be making a bigger effort to be responsible about your own creation in turn. And as much as Re:Creators likes talking the talk, it doesn’t always do the best job walking the walk.

With All Due Respect to Gigguk

Still, these complaints are only explanations for why I don’t like Re:Creators more than I do. On its own terms, there’s still plenty I’m enjoying here, from the hype action to the fun character dynamics. And let me tell you, few members of the central cast are as fun as Magane, who takes the spotlight in a big way over the course of these episodes. Good lord, this girl is a hoot. I’ve always had a soft spot for absolute bastards who toss all the rules aside, do whatever the hell they want, and love every second of it. Yes, Magane is dangerous and despicable, but she’s having so much damn fun dancing to no one’s tune but her own that I can’t help but love her regardless. She’s a fountain of great lines (”You’re just a laughing piece of skin hanging over a bunch of lies.” “Oh, what a cool compliment.”), she snatches the spotlight of whatever scene she’s in, she’s constantly making ridiculous choices just for the hell of it (Dressing up as an Akahabira maid was inspired), and she even makes a fucking Jojo’s reference at the end of episode 10. A Jojo’s reference, god dammit, how am I supposed to hate her now? But her winding labyrinth of words also makes her the show’s most cutting character; she’s such a talented liar that she’s able to rip apart everyone else’s lies with ease, and she revels in taking them to task for hiding their true selves. It’s unnerving how easily she sees through Sota’s half-hearted attempts to talk about Shimazaki, and the way she guides their conversation so it rebounds back upon his internalized guilt of inadvertently causing other people to die is so deliciously evil. She is one fucked-up lady, but the one bright side of being a wild card is that not even Altair is safe from potentially feeling her sting. So there’s still a chance we can weaponize her inner chaos for good. And I hope that ends up happening, because she’s just too damn entertaining not to team up with our protagonists at some point.

Odds and Ends

-”Why is a cosplayer from my manga here? Though he’s doing a good job.” Lol, respect.

-”Don’t do anything to his right hand and his head!” askdahsd sure the rest of him is disposable I guess

-One unusual side effect of Magane having so much presence in these episodes; she’s such a talkative character she ends up highlighting just how silent Sota really is. Whenever they’re talking, Magane will go on massive, incredibly verbose tangents with a million words a minute, and Sota will maybe have two lines of dialogue in the space of an entire minute. It’s wild.

-”I choose this path.” And you just so happen to choose the path you were already following. Are you sure you’re not following anyone’s script, Altair?

-What. the fuck. ALTAIR HOW DO YOU TRANSFORM A SWORD INTO ROSES

And on the battle rages. See you next time!

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #re:creators #re creators

[sidsinning]

Salty ask list 😎 1-5 & 20-25 😎

I’m pretty sure this is for Miraculous mostly so here I go

1. What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?*

-Chloe x Luka. When I saw just how popular this ship really was, I was shocked. They haven’t even met in canon. Their opposite personalities just don’t clash for me in a good way. Luka is such a selfless and nice guy while Chloe is selfish and narcissistic. It feels like a ‘Luka fixing Chloe’ type of situation to me, which I’m not into.

2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?*

- (Hope this doesn’t get me killed.) Luka and Adrien. I really think of them as just friends. I am just not interested in shipping them.

3. Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

-I don’t think so.

4. Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they a popular OTP?*

-Adrien x Kagami. I do not find their relationship well developed in the show, romantically or platonically- it just sort of happens out of the blue with no explanation or chemistry. It doesn’t feel good to watch them because most of the time, it’s just to make Marinette anxious. Whenever they have a scene together, it isn’t to develop their connection as people, it’s to make Marinette jealous and upset. Their romance, heck their whole relationship, isn’t theirs.

-Okita x Nobume. They are too similar in personality for me. Not popular but I still see stuff occasionally.

5. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?

-Dramione. I read some fics for it that took 3 years off my life.

20. What is the purest ship in the fandom?

- Luka x Marinette. Wow are they just wholesome and sweet. Being around each other makes them feel happy and at ease. They have each others’ backs. Marinette isn’t surrounded by stupid girl drama around him, which is a big reason I dislike the show these days. She also acts like a normal girl who likes a boy instead of a crazy stalker. Episodes with him don’t make her out to be a klutz, or in the wrong for everything. Luka’s presence helps her relax and “go with the flow” as he says.

21. What are your thoughts on crack ships?

-Have a good time and keep doing what you’re doing mad lads.

22. Popular character you hate?

-Chloe Bourgeois. Redemption arc was a flop. She’s still mean and hasn’t apologized to any of the people she’s hurt. Feels like everyone just forgave her for the plot. Having a sad backstory does not excuse what she’s done. I do not like how her Miraculous was given to validate her instead of earning it through self improvement. She shouldn’t be a hero just so she can feel good about herself.

23. Unpopular character you love?

-This would have to be between Luka and Kagami because I see hate for the both of them. Luka has some hiccups in terms of character development but I still like what he brings to the show. I like Kagami’s base characteristics, but hate her role/portrayal in the show (until Ikari Gozen).

24. Would you recommend XXX to a friend? Why or why not?

-Here’s where I’ll branch off Miraculous a bit and say EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH GINTAMA. One of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had watching a show. It is truly unlike anything you’ve ever seen. You feel like the characters are your friends, and are deeply connected to them as if they were real. WATCH IT PLEASE IT’S HILARIOUS AND TEAR JERKING AT THE SAME TIME.

-As for MLB, I’d give people a disclaimer first and let them decide for themselves. 

25. How would you end XXX/Would you change the ending of XXX?

-Bleach. Have Ichigo remain a Soul Reaper, because he himself said it was something that gave him meaning in life, and gave him the power to protect those around him. Just becoming a dad that runs his family’s clinic in the end is so random and anticlimactic. Also have no one end up with each other. Even though I shipped Ichiruki, it simply wasn’t the type of show to develop that sort of thing. Having everyone remain close friends would’ve been the best choice, especially with how rushed the ending was.

(And Chad shouldn’t have ended up as a professional boxer bc WTF that goes against your whole character???? Don’t use your fists unless it’s to protect your loved ones right???)

#ml #mlb #miraculous ladybug #gintama #ml salt #anti adrigami #kagami tsurugi #luka couffaine #lukanette #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #sakata gintoki #ichigo kurosaki #anti lukloe #anti chloluka #anti bleach ending #ask #rike-with-love #sidrabbles

[daemon-knight]

Brainstorming an Event

Still thinking up an event for mid-April, also still gonna’ be a little dead in terms of activity for the next week or so while doing things on my personal blog and other places.  But that aside, I wanted to do some brainstorming for that event and post my current plans here to get some feedback. 

Like I said in the announcement I’m going to try and keep the event as simple as possible. I don’t want people to have to worry about long backstories or integrating their character into a world that might not mesh with the world-building they already have set up, but... events do tend to get a little crazy, especially midway in, so no promises. 

That said, here’s a few ideas I had.

Fighting Tournament Event

Since Claudia herself would be the main instigator of this event, or at least the focus in some way, shape or form, a fighting tournament seems to be the most obvious choice. Specifically, I’m thinking a battle royale styled tournament where everyone is let lose in a section of a city and has to take everyone else out. It seems simple enough. A massive brawl sounds like fun for the more action-inclined muses, and there could be some fun banter if there was a pre-event of some kind like a ceremony or general gathering/signup. 

There’d be a few rules to keep the more powerful contenders from steamrolling everyone. Something to the effect or either no powers or wearing special bracelets that limit them. The threads within the event could be plotted among the opponents so that the one-on-one aspect could still be maintained to some degree (or I can make rules around it), and to give everyone a decent motive the tournament prize could be something like a lot money or a special treasure. Ideally nothing that’d changed someone’s character design or arc too much (because Christ I don’t want to redraw Claudia’s character sheet for a fifth time until the end of the year), but something nice regardless.

Invasion Event

Another simple one. Claudia isn’t the instigator in this one, but I’m thinking something like a town she’s resting in is suddenly invaded by... eh, bandits, demons, Jehovah witnesses, the Puppets of Chaos, Reunion, take your pick. Basically her and everyone else that happened to be visiting the town will have to team up and fight to save the town... or hide in a corner while the fighters do the work... or join the bad guys for drama, whatever works really. Might still have some rules to prevent steamrolling, but this seems like another simple event that wouldn’t be too hard to manage.

Tiddy Wars

So loooong ago, three years ago in fact, back when Claudia’s theme color was purple and her faceclaim was Cecily Campbell, I teased something called Titty Wars because... well, to quote myself back then:

If I can’t have my Serious, War Drama Event happen, then I’ll have my Ridiculous, Crack Event happen.

In a nutshell it was a silly idea I had for a crack event involved girls having an actual war over breast sizes. It got a little bit of traction, but I ultimately canned it for being a little too difficult to organize properly. But even now, almost three years later, I still kind of want to do it, if only to say I did. 

Really, it’s just a silly event where silly things will happen for silly reasons. Nothing to take as canon, but... it wouldn’t be the first time I had crack events play into canon.

“But Allen, is Claudia really that petty to start a full-blown war over breast sizes?”

YES. YES SHE IS. Claudia Maria Ivora has canonically tried to throw hands with at least three children, a baker, several innocent bystanders, and has bitten at least five people unprovoked. Don’t underestimate the pettiness of Demon Knight Ivora.

Anyway, those are the main three ideas I had. Anything else would require too much coordination for my taste. Like I said, I want a simple event. Might do a vote in a week or so once I finish some stuff both here and on my personal blog. Anyway, see you all later.

#.ooc #.rambling #but is this really a rambling??/ #eh... whatever

[bravadoseries]

I'm a little confused about what the movies/tv shows timeline would look like for the series, could you clarify?

So, pre-Avengers I think Audrey makes a variety of cameo roles.  She’s in the Iron Man films briefly, she’s featured in an epilogue of Captain America: The First Avenger, I know this technically isn’t first but she plays a minor role in Captain Marvel.  Generally, she’s just kind of present in a lot of the movies before she becomes a lead.  

The way I structured this list is so that each movie that’s canon is just listed with its corresponding fic, but all the ones I’m making up have a little summary too lol.  Spoilers below so beware of that.  I hope this helps!

2012

The Avengers (May 2012) – covered by Monachopsis

Cross-Country (July 2012) – this one would look like the oneshots/shorts that Marvel used to make about its side characters, but it covers Steve’s birthday and the road trip that Steve and Audrey take cross-country

Lady Liberty: Legacy (September 2012) – this covers the arc of Nodus Tollens that I just finished, which is about Audrey’s mission in Europe, DIVUS, Delphine, etc.

The Tower – Season 1 (October-December 2012) – This show focuses on the found family aspect of the Avengers and is like a dramedy.  In my head, I picture it as being filmed as a mockumentary with little talking heads because I like those and I think it suits the format well.  Content wise, I feel like it airs on ABC.  Takes place from October 2012-December 2012, runs for 8 episodes.  

2013

Black Widow: Opus (January 2013) – Covers the Siege of Chicago, another arc I write about in Nodus Tollens.  Explores Natasha’s backstory with ballet and kind of has Black Swan meets Atomic Blonde vibes.  Set in January 2013

The Tower – Season 2 (June-August 2013) – Picks up where its predecessor left off and runs for another 8 episodes.  It also corresponds to Nodus Tollens and builds/develops Audrey’s relationship with Bruce as well as Steve’s relationship with Darcy

Thor: The Dark World (2013) – Set November 2013, also corresponds to Nodus Tollens lol (this book is long)

2014

Agent 13 (February 2014) – Marvel oneshot about Sharon Carter, Audrey, and the transfer to DC, as well as Peggy’s legacy with SHIELD

Captain America: The Winter Soldier(April 2014) – corresponds to 

Hawkeye(s) – (May-August 2014) – Kate Bishop and Clint Barton work cases in Los Angeles, where they meet America Chavez and other members of the Young Avengers.  I’m not totally sure if I’m gonna write this or not, but basically it corresponds to Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye comics. This one is an action-comedy, like if Community met Veronica Mars

The Falcon – Season 1 (October-December 2014) – Okay I’m just a little Sam Wilson stannie but I feel like they should have done more with him, so this series focuses on him primarily, but features Steve, Audrey, and Natasha as side characters. They’re looking for Bucky, but it’s also about him living in the tower and falling in love with Olivia Perales. This corresponds to a spinoff oneshot (probably 10-15k words long) called Fear of Flying.  It airs on Netflix and receives rave reviews for its bingeability.  The tone is comparable to Scandal or other Shonda Rhimes dramas.  

2015

Agent Carter – Season 1 (January-March 2015)– this is what it is and it corresponds to Midsummer, which is just a series of oneshots about Audrey growing upu

Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 2015) – Corresponds to Aurora

Quicksilver & the Scarlet Witch (released June 2015) – set throughout 2015; about Pietro and Wanda’s adjustments to their new lives as Avengers.  They’re both like 19? 20? This is written like a sitcom, kind of like what they’re doing with WandaVisionbut without Paul Bettany bc I hate that little man….anyway this technically takes place at the same time as Elysian but tonally they’re very different because Elysian is about Audrey going crazy and grieving Bruce’s “death” but the show is about the twins and their relationships with each other and an assortment of other employees from the base, who aren’t superheroes but are like medics, etc.  I think the tone is like Scrubs 

2016

Agent Carter – Season 2 (January-March 2016) – same as the above; about Peggy’s life in LA kicking ass and her romance with Sousa

Captain America: Civil War (April 2016) – this corresponds to Allegiance, while also unpacking unfinished business from Lady Liberty: Legacy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The Falcon – Season 2 (September 2016) – this is about Sam, Bucky, Steve, Nat, Pietro, and Wanda’s life on the run, but it especially focuses on Sam and his own missions/the villains targeting him.  Tonally, still Shonda Rhimes.  

2017

Lady Liberty and the Angels of Mercy (February 2016) – Marvel’s second R-rated film, but the MCU’s first.   Think about it like Birds of Prey in terms of general vibes.  Set immediately after Civil War and features an epilogue that connects Audrey to Thor: Ragnarok.  The story is set in Los Vegas.  Corresponds to Eternity, which is even longer than Nodus Tollens 

Defenders – Season 1 – features overlap with some of the characters from Angels of Mercy as well as Annie Esposito, a mob princess of New York.  Corresponds to Pernox

Thor: Ragnarok (November 2017) – Happens as it does, except for the part where Audrey has a short-lived romance with Loki and the part where Audrey and Thor realize that they are connected in their powers.  Considering including Lindsey Dubois in this just so I can have a romance play out between her and Valkyrie (Janelle and Tessa 4ever…) but also, I might not. Corresponds to Eternity

2018

Avengers: Infinity War (April 2018) – So yeah they fight Thanos, etc.  I’m changing the way Thanos is portrayed though bc I could not get over how he looks like a thumb long enough to actually feel afraid of him so this time he’s played by John Hamm and he’s a lot more well-connected than we all thought he was.  Also, the children of Thanos are actually all children because um I think that ups the creep factor some more.  Corresponds to Eternity as well

The Real Hawkeye (October 2018) – Kate Bishop and America Chavez fighting crime.  After the snap, there’s a spike in crime against vulnerable people who have lost their caretakers.  Might be set in a cult that actually worships Thanos?  And promises that it’s all a very good thing, what’s happened?  Very much a noir, might even be in black and white a la The Lighthouse.  

2019

Lady Liberty: Resurrection (January 2019) – Audrey wakes up on the other side of the universe after being kidnapped and decides to make her way home.  Featuring Carol Danvers, Loki, Nebula, and Valkyrie. Corresponds to Eternity and kind of feels like Star Wars/GotG 

Avengers: Endgame (April 2019) – Does not happen as it was written, because it was written like trash, but the same stuff needs to happen.  They fight, they win, etc.  Corresponds to Eternity.  

2020

Black Widow: The Long Thread (whenever covid ends 2020) - just the existing Black Widow movie lol

2021

Avengers Academy – Set 20 years in the future, Avengers Academy is a TV show that follows the next generation of heroes.  Kind of soapy, kind of witty.  Like if Riverdale was good.  Driven by an ensemble cast: Margo Banner (Bruce & Audrey’s daughter), Anastasia Barton-Romanoff (Natasha and Clint’s daughter), Morgan and Leo (Tony and Pepper’s kids), and some others I have not invented yet.  

[youllallriseintheink]

Allison Pendle’s Backstory

You asked for it. I made it. Hopefully it’s not too crazy, but yeah, my Allison is... kind of OP. Allison was born on an idyllic little farm to two reasonable parents who tried their best with their kids. She had a 2-years younger brother who she got along pretty well with. There’s no real tragic backstory to how twisted and reckless Allison is. She was actually a bit spoiled growing up, since her family had a fair amount of money. She’s just always been like that. Allison was a bit of a tomboy growing up- nothing extreme, but she was taught to do farm things and wasn’t afraid of getting dirty or bruised up. She was a demon to her elementary school teachers, the manipulative, smart-alack little kid that the teachers barely knew how to deal with. A pivotal moment in Allison’s life was when she was ten years old and overheard her parents talk about how they weren’t sure what to do with her and how she’d done a bunch of bad stuff to her peers. This happened right after Allison’s father was trying to teach her to slaughter a rabbit and she hit his hand instead. Until then, Allison had had no idea that anything was wrong with her. After that though, she started choosing kindness more often, and made it a practiced skill. Her parents were really happy with her for that. High School was good for Allison, mostly. She was very popular, did volleyball and track, and was essentially the benevolent queen bee of her grade. The dull routine of increased homework, practice, chores, and charity work, though, and the general fact that stuff she could do around the farm was less novel, was leaving her bored with life. Thankfully, there were plenty of older boys who were only too happy to show her a good time in exchange for sex, so she more and more often found herself dropping her routine to go off on “adventures.” Her grades were dropping, she was coming home late all the time, and her relationship with her parents was suffering, and all that did make her feel guilty, but she couldn’t say no to her impulses. When Allison was 15, one of those boys introduce her to a vice she struggled to escape from: heroin. All other excitements, Allison could contain herself with, eventually become bored with. She waited for that to happen for this as well, being that she wasn’t well-educated on drugs, but she just seemed to spiral harder into it instead, and she was scared. It got too bad for her to handle, and she went to her parents about it. They sent her to rehab and gave her their full support. Allison took that as a cue to really try and get her life together. She got it together academically and took summer classes so that she could graduate on time despite the time she spent in rehab. After that, she started looking into colleges and chose one as close to home as possible. Her parents were a bit nervous- Allison seemed to be doing really well here, in a structured environment, but in college she’d have to resist temptation without anyone to hold her accountable. Well, they’d never find out, because halfway through her first term, she was picked up by a modelling scout and taken across the state to begin what would be a five-year career. Allison went through all the typical model things- plastic surgery, cattiness with the other models, sexual harassment, and so on. She actually became pretty successful, and thrived on the chaos. She got into cocaine, but hey, she was only taking it at parties, it wasn’t like she could get it whenever. She’s not addicted. At 23, she needed a back-ally abortion. It was a painful experience for her, and it also gave her connections to the black market. Before she knew it, she was ordering her cocaine from them to cope with the pain. That scared her: she didn’t want to become addicted. But she had all this money and all this time and all this pressure, and... A few months later Allison left modelling to keep from relapsing. She spent the next year and a half throwing darts at a map, traveling to different areas of the country, living in her van or with whoever would have her, working any job she could find. She always fell into the pattern of hanging with men who were bad news, and at first at least, she’d throw a new dart and leave whenever she found out how to get drugs in the new town. Of course, she knew she had to settle down eventually- right now she was spending more than she was making- but she didn’t exactly have plans for when or how. During this period of her life, she met up with a variety of different people. One of them was a witch, whom she stayed with while she was working as a waitress in some backwater town. The witch had a special feeling about Allison, and decided to show her a little recipe. The witch told her it was magic, expecting Allison not to believe her. Allison did. The witch wasn’t as smart as she thought about hiding her identity. Allison started putting the resulting soup into the food of the customers, and it made them come back repeatedly (and, Allison believed, increased her tips). She started putting it into her makeup just to see what would happen, and it made her look even better than she had before, and pretty soon every man in the village was after her. This soup, and finding out all it could do, was better than the cocaine she hadn’t touched in over a year now. Adding to the thrill was that she had to steal from the witch to make more of it. Unfortunately, the witch eventually found out, threw Allison out and threatened her that she would take revenge if Allison didn’t skip town. Allison threw another dart. New York. She got a job as a waitress, and continued using the soup. She looked hard for another source of the ingredients she needed to make more, especially one that went by the code name, “xerox.” It was when she was asking around that she found a man who could lead her to xerox. It was Joey Drew. They talked for a while, and Allison found out what he did for a living. Right after that, she auditioned as a voice actress and got the part. After finding out about the ink machine, she gave Joey some of the soup, recommending that he mix it with the ink in the ink machine. She just wanted to know what would happen. And that is how the ink machine would go from engineering to magic. It took Joey a long time to figure out how to make the soup himself, so for a while, Allison had a massive upper hand on him. Allison liked the drama and feelings of imminent disaster she got from Joey Drew Studios, and she liked the hustle and bustle of New York. So she bought a house, thus ending her vagabond lifestyle. Thanks be to Dreamfisher for the theory that Allison has something to do with the ink going supernatural. You’re awesome.

#Bendy and the ink machine #allison pendle #headcanon