Mhmm I sure love thinking of the reality where we did get more time to really know Karai and her dynamics with the bros. Losing her hit hard in the finale, but it would’ve hit much, much harder had we known Karai longer and really saw her relationships develop with everyone.
I especially would have been interested in her dynamic with Leo, as past iterations often have the two of them clash in ideals and the like while still sharing many characteristics. Two sides of the same coin, and all that. Her specifically being the bros’ Gram-Gram also adds a whole new dynamic as well.
Imagine how interesting it would be, to have Karai start off on Leo’s side for once, showing wholly just how alike the two are at their cores and bonding as family without the worry of betrayal or animosity that other iterations suffer through, only to have Karai die anyway. Their parting hug and the desperate look of horror Leo wears later on would have hit that much harder, I feel.
A mildly frustrating thing about Act 6 hate that perpetuates in certain corners in the fandom is when you try to talk about, you know, the text, and people start acting like because they don't like Act 6/think it's poorly written these are suddenly things that like, didn't happen.
Idk I like a lot of Act 6 so obviously I'm biased but I think it's very counterintuitive and tedious to talk to people who treat characters like they didn't evolve past Act 5. People who act like things like Rose's alcoholism is OOC and like a bunch of characters were just assassinated by Act 6 really need to reckon with the fact that these are still developments that happened and need to be acknowledged if you want to do any genuine analysis of a character (or the work itself). You don't need to LIKE these developments, but yes, Dave DID say that and your lack of enjoyment of a character's development doesn't suddenly remove from its significance. Characters exist in text in more than just the places you like lol
i love putting characters through hurt and im thinking right now about the "one that got away" trope, particularly in the context of the katy perry song....
katsuki sitting alone in his kitchen. it's well lit, beautiful really. everything a successful pro-hero could ever hope to have, but he can't help but think about the person he'd originally intended to share it with.
all those years ago on his shitty couch in his shitty apartment, you tucked under his arm with a glass of shitty chardonnay that sloshes every time you laugh with your belly. fantasizing about having the type of open living room that would let you see into the kitchen. about an archway with crown-molding, peering into a warmly lit kitchen. no more renting. talking with you about the type of furniture you'd fill the space with. warm dark wood, an antique dining table, bookshelves and not needing to worry about just how much space they take up.
he can't help but think about how he'd decorated it the way you'd talked about. it was unconsciously done, of course and he only really notices it on late nights like these. when he's alone with a cup of steaming tea and takes a moment to remember where he is. katsuki can't help but feel that you'd like the way he decorated his house. like somehow, on some level, he'd done it for you.
of course, that was years ago. 10 maybe? yeah, 10 sounds right. it may be longer, but if it is, katsuki doesn't really want to think about it. just more wasted time.
he tries to be positive about it, about his good standing in life. fame, wealth, power even. he tries to be grateful for the blessings, for the job he loves, the home he finds beautiful, the friends who pulled him out when you left. katsuki tries to move on, to continue forward. but nights like these make the wound fresh. they cut him open a little bit.
it could have been really good, he thinks. if he'd been a little smarter or a little wiser. if he'd ponied up his courage to... be more. pride's a bitch though and it really only leaves you when what matters most already has. but it could have been good. this house could have been good. you could have sat with him, worried about him. he could have taken care of you.
there have been other people. katsuki has tried, he really has. but he's still a bit too stubborn. it only gets worse with age. everyone has a little bit of you in them. something that reminds him of the way things could have been. snippets of someone too far away to reach. yeah, they all have a little bit of you, but they're not you. that's where katuski thinks he's gone wrong.
he has people that never really leave him. that's just who he is. you're one of them, he supposes. in another life, you wouldn't be the one that got away. he'd look in the mirror at his premature gray hairs and instead of being alone, you'd come up next to him and tell him that you've always liked a silver fox. yeah, that sounds about right, like something you would say.
you're probably married now. katsuki can't really bring himself to check, doesn't really want to. no point in mulling it over, he thinks. his tea's getting cold.
Menelaus rambles a lot about not only Helen, but also Hermione. About how she used to say Olive like "Olifs". How she lost her first tooth running too fast and running into a low branch while out with Helen. How he'd sometimes wake up to Hermione leaning over him and poking his face to say, "Dad, can we go see the horses?" even though it was barely daylight. How she was much nicer waking Helen and how he thinks Hermione did that on purpose because she found "dad's face funny". How her favorite color was every color.
And Odysseus listens.
And he thinks about how his son only had a few teeth coming in when he left, teething on everything. How he could only say one syllable with his babbles. How his son needed balance to stand but Odysseus was so proud that Telemachus was very good at rolling over. How his son loved pulling at his and Penelope's hair.
How his son would be talking, walking, maybe even lost his first tooth by now. And he doesn't even know if he'll ever know his son's favorite color.
I've been stressed lately so here have some angsty sidon sketches. I can't believe there isn't more Sidon's dead mom angst out there it's like nintendo just waved a magic wand and said "sidon and mipha do not have a mom she is never seen or mentioned she is not relevant she never existed dorephan simply willed them both into existence with the power of his mind and no one will ever wonder where their mom is or what happened to her you will never wonder" and then it just... worked LMFAO
Thinking about the reactions Ace and Sabo would have to finding out Luffy’s in love with Sanji;; Honestly Ace being the overprotective one is probably more in character but it would be so fucking funny if Ace just catches Luffy staring at Sanji for a little too long and decides he’s going to be his little brother’s ultimate wingman. He’s COMMITTED and he’s going to sneakily create SO many romantic moments for Luffy to take advantage of. But Sabo,, Sabo turns out to be the overprotective one LMAO he sees Sanji smile softly at Luffy one (1) time and he’s like oh HELL no, not MY little brother. Ace tries to set them up, Sabo tries to…SABOtage them ;)))))
Even more hilarious is if this is happening at the same time. Luffy is oblivious but Sanji’s inwardly questioning what the hell is going on bc every time he THINKS there’s a romantic situation blossoming between them, absolute disaster strikes right after. Meanwhile in the background Ace and Sabo are arguing (“Stop fucking everything up you’re ruining all my plans!!” “Luffy’s far too young to have a boyfriend, are you kidding me right now?” “He’s NINETEEN Sabo get over it!!” “Not until that cook wins my approval and right now it’s not looking good for him” “ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS. Sabs do you HEAR yourself rn”)
The first time Booster sees The Kid was in the middle of evacuating civilians. Booster knows that face. He knows that kid. That’s the Ruler of the Infinite Realms.
Booster freaks the fuck out because “holy shit that was the ghost king.”
The Justice league are very confused that Booster is panicking over this random child but decide to leave him be because he’s Booster Gold.
Booster decides to not say anything to the League or anyone at all because of his fear of accidentally making this kid turn evil. He knew that this kid fought an evil version of himself that wiped out worlds so he really doesn’t wanna fuck this up. He knows this kid needs a support system or else he’ll burn out in a few years but doesn’t know what to do.
So Booster goes back to the watchtower and talks to Blue Beetle about it. And he’s panicking because “Kord what should I do?! This kid can just wipe out Superman and I can’t just not tell the rest of the league. This kid has a really tragic life and I can’t not just help him. I don’t want to accidentally do something wrong and mess everything up.”
Blue beetle goes “You don’t have to tell the League. You can talk with the kid. Keep him on the right path. Become the support system for the kid.”
Booster, not realizing that he could be the one to help just goes “oh shit. That’s a good idea actually.”
And so Booster tracks down Danny in his civies and chats with Danny and offers to always be there to help.
Danny is really apprehensive but everyone knows that Booster is from the future and if the man from the future thinks that this is a good idea, yeah he should probably just go along with it. He’s had good experiences with individuals who know a great deal about future events and time and hopefully that track record won’t end here.
Booster just helps Danny with really basic shit like homework and also helping give him blueprints (with the assistance of his AI robot pal Skeets :)) to make better ghost equipment that won’t harm him and is years beyond its time compared to the rest of their current ghost technology.
So yeah. Blue beetle visits the ghost kid Booster keeps talking about and realizes that this teenager is super skilled and gifted in the engineering field. Kord tests him with an issue that has stumped the current engineers at his company and this kid solves it in under thirty minutes. The second Danny figures out the issue, Ted offers Danny an internship at Kord Industries. Danny accepts and he now basically has two Dads that support and accept him with his powers.
Once there’s a big ghost attack that the JLA has to fight and Booster arrives and pulls out this futuristic and extravagant yet cobbled together lookin machine that just captures and contains the ghost. The rest of the League are just like “what the fuck” because they were getting destroyed by this thing and Booster just had the tech that was specifically needed to capture this thing. Kord explains that his kid made it and the league is confused because “what? Kord has a kid?” And then they introduce Danny to the league. Batman instantly demands to meet this kid so he can collaborate and make more tech so situations like this won’t happen again.
They agree and later in the week Danny goes to the watchtower and does a whole “holy fuck you’re Batman” and is enamored by the vigilante. Batman on the other hand is Alert and Concerned, thinkin “why is this kid very much so not human. Too long limbs. Teeth funky. What the fuck.” And just accepts that he’s prolly a meta.
Danny never tries to show his ghost form to anyone. He uses his powers very casually and everyone simply assume that he’s a meta. Danny is super sociable and makes everyone in the league adore him almost instantly. Hired by both Batman and Kord Industries, Danny makes machines and gadgets to help the Justice League and eventually gets promoted to the Leagues head engineer.