#Here's the essay no one asked for

[ninjadudettekira]

Albedo isn't an evil Ben Tennyson, in this essay-

Fuck it the essay is being written cause I'm still seeing people claim he's an evil Ben Tennyson and I'm here to debunk that. (Aka Allie saw a tweet when she originally typed this out, they're entitled to their opinion but they're wrong lmao. No hate to said person tho.) So buckle the fuck up because this is long. Essay under the cut (If you’re on laptop, I think on mobile it doesn’t have 'keep reading’ thing.) 

Aight so: -Alien Force: 

What canon states is the fact that Albedo make his own knock off Omnitrix. And it was stated that Albedo didn't want Ben to have it because he was human and 'unworthy', so he made his own and got stuck with Ben's DNA. Azmuth himself even states that all Albedo wanted to do was restore himself to his original form.

Azmuth decided to keep Albedo in the form he was in because of rebellion and the fact he "put others in danger" and "wanted to use it in his own ways."

So here's the thing. In Good Copy, Bad Copy we only know about Albedo going after Forever Knights, which we've seen time and time again get their ass kicked by Ben. As far as we know that was the only thing Albedo was doing, he wasn't hurting anyone besides them. Once he came across the trio, he really only went after Ben.

Sure he foamed Gwen and Kevin to the wall to get them out of the battle, but he really only fought Ben and left the other two alone for the most part. Albedo knew who Ben was, if he was "evil" wouldn't he have gone after actual civilians using Ben's form? No all he was trying to do was fix his fuck up.

And what did Albedo get for it? Going to prison while trapped in human DNA. Yeah no shit he decided to work with Vilgax after that point, during The Final Battle and no shit he became bitter. (Altho Ben really couldn't do anything to help Albedo let's be real here. He was dealing with the Highbreed shit and needed to keep the Omnitrix.)

Albedo also, for whatever reason, was kinda against the idea of going after Ben's friends until Vilgax explained. Probably so the audience knew why that happened I guess idk. But he was more indifferent towards it all, and questioned why they were going after Gwen and Kevin. He probably did it because he thought it was gonna lead to him becoming a Galvan again. (And come on only tying Gwen and Kevin up? Y'all can do better than that.) He'd do whatever it took to get his Galvan body back, and since they were Ben's friends it was fine going after them.

-Ultimate Alien: 

AND AFTER BEN'S IDENTITY WAS REVEALED ALBEDO DIDN'T REALLY DO SHIT. So like Ben's entire villain gallery came to Bellwood to go after Ben's family, but all Albedo did was make Ben 10 Live. He even says so in Double or Nothing that he's been doing it since being stranded after Vilgax's ship blew up. And we can assume money went towards getting the parts for the machine to turn him back to Galvan. Tell me would an evil character be a fucking theater nerd???

EVEN WHEN HE WAS GALVAN DURING THAT EPISODE HE SAID HE WASN'T GOING AFTER BEN ANYMORE. He had what he wanted. He was confused that Ben still thought he was going to go after him after being Galvan again. All he wanted was to not be stuck as a human anymore, and when he had that he was going to leave and never see Ben again....until that was fucked up. Of course Albedo's gonna fight Ben after that point. He wasn't going to take it out on Hugh after that whole explanation on why Hugh lied to the trio. So Ben got the brunt of that. Did Ben deserve that? Probably not.

Hell even BEN HIMSELF was happy for a second there that Albedo was cured, and genuinely felt bad when Albedo revealed the motivations behind the machine. Yeah Ben seemed like he was about to murder Albedo at the end there with Ultimate Echo Echo but he was NOT doing okay during UA let's be real. (That's also another whole essay but that's also based on other people talking about how Ben got darker during UA. There was a justifiable reason that Ben went straight to thinking of murdering Kevin after his 3rd mutation and I kinda get it. But again that's another essay that I gotta find sources for since other people talked about it and I can't remember who did.)

Night of the Living Nightmare all we know was that Albedo wanted to stick the Dream Eater on Ben. Probably as a way to steal the Ultimatrix but all he had to do was knock Ben out for a bit and take it. It's easily removable, he of all people should know that. He also has Ben's voice so it really shouldn't have been that hard, but I guess Albedo wanted Ben to suffer like he did.

-Omniverse:

(Side note before I get into this, I was typing this on my phone and when I app switched to do research on an episode the fucking app reset and I lost all my Omniverse talk so gdi here we go with a retype of that section.)

Alright so we're gonna tackle Omniverse Albedo. I know I usually don't touch OV Al with a 10 foot pole and chalk it up to "Bellicus and Serena fucked up the universe when they reset it" but that's a cop out without explanation so we're explaining.

Aight so the first time in OV we see Albedo is a flashback episode (Trouble Helix) where he's working with Azmuth, and he's indirectly the cause of Malware getting more powerful. In the episode he's more indifferent towards Ben than anything, and very respectful towards Azmuth. He's more concerned if Ben could defeat Malware later on and asks Max if Ben's able to do so. When Malware is supposedly defeated, Albedo kinda sticks it in Ben's face when Ben gloats about defeating him. Nothing really too bad, or anything to indicate that he hated Ben. Hell he wasn't even against Ben wearing the Omnitrix at the point? Something had to have snap, but nothing tells us that.

Next time in OV we see Albedo, it's him changing places with Ben cause of Khyber in The Ultimate Heist (How did Albedo work with Khyber? Who the fuck knows, plot cause there's no explanation for it.) Albedo is able to pull off acting like Ben for a few days because he acts how Rook wants Ben to act so he's none the wiser. (Which that's a whole other essay about how people see Ben but other people tackled that.) Then when he was able to get what he wanted, he reveals that it's him. He gets the crystal he needed to stabilize the knock off watch and he can transform again. He's back to being able to become a Galvan, but Albedo ain't leaving after that.

He comes back a few episodes later in A Fistful of Brains and gets Ben to chase him through Undertown so Khyber can kidnap him. Albedo fights Ben later on with the Ultimate Galvan form and goes after Azmuth to get his brain. Ben remarks about why Albedo doesn't just go away because he can be a Galvan again, and Albedo explains it's cause of the imprisonment he faced (either by Azmuth/the Plumbers, or being trapped with human DNA, or both.) and the chili fries craving.

The episode continues into For a Few Brains More where it’s just them trying to get Azmuth’s brain back. At the end of that episode Azmuth traps Albedo as an 11 year old Ben Tennyson. Which btw was a dick move on Azmuth's part, sure Albedo snapped but there could've been other things he did. Azmuth probably remembers what Ben was like at that age, and wanted Albedo to suffer more than he did. (There's a trivia thing about the crew saying that Azmuth would make Albedo a toddler if he had to, which that's fucked. But that's besides the point. I can’t remember where I read it, but I swear I’m not making it up.)

After that we see him in the No Watch Ben episodes. (And Then There Were None/And Then There Was Ben) Vilgax and Eon got all the "bad" Bens together to go after the "good" ones, and Gwen 10. Albedo shouldn't have even been a part of that, he's not even a BAD Ben, just someone who looks like him with a watch that's not a hero. Everyone else was their own version of Ben, or in Gwen's case she had the Omnitrix. 11 Year Old Albedo 100% wasn't thinking clearly working with Vilgax since Vilgax already betrayed him before. *coughTheFinalBattlecough* 11 year olds can't make good decisions like that. But I'm just speculating on why Albedo worked with Vilgax again.

After the No Watch fiasco, he's working with Vilgax a THIRD time In Malgax Attacks after all the betrayals to release Malware's remains. (Which he should know is a bad idea from years prior but kid Albedo probably isn't thinking straight with all the human emotions he's dealing with at that age.) He thinks he killed Azmuth. (I actually haven't seen that episode when writing this so gonna go do that and come back.)  And like a month later I actually get around to seeing the episode. This episode was like near the end of Omniverse, so I guess they wanted one last Albedo episode but had no clue what to do with him so we got a 3rd partnership with Vilgax and an out of the blue motivation. So basically Albedo's motivation in this episode is to take Azmuth's place and see his 'secrets of the universe'. I- How would Albedo not have known Azmuth's secrets? Granted I think in the Albedo triology, he wanted to be above Azmuth so I don't think the plot came totally out of left field. They worked together on the Omnitrix, Albedo should've known about that stuff??? Also since when did he want to rule Galvan Prime??? What would that accomplish??? I was confused the whole episode about why Albedo was even there. I guess because he knew Galvan Prime’s defenses and could attack it with Vilgax. I never wanted to punt a fictional 11 year old character more. End of the episode he has a concrete guard on his right wrist and shackle on his left leg and was sentenced to clean Galvan Prime from the mess he caused for the next 30 Galvan solar cycles. And that's the end of Albedo in the franchise. He's back on Galvan Prime, but stuck doing community service. (I think people forget that this episode exists since every redemption fic after OV doesn't reference this episode and only references up to the No Watch Ben episodes.)

Okay slightly away from Albedo for a second, but was Malgax REALLY that powerful that Ben was defeated so easily??? Like Ben the Omnitrix can quick change, you can change aliens easily. Despite Skurd being cool, you have more powerful aliens you could've used and you barely tried. Idk I think I just forgot how powerful Malware was since I haven't seen Omniverse in awhile. I don't wanna start a new essay but what the f was that episode? Wasn't bad, and there's good moments but, definitely not on my rewatch list. (Also wasn't worth the amount of effort I had to do to download it since I plan to use it for Albedo edits cause I got ideas.) -Non Canon Things:

In Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks video game, there's this line that I gotta mention: "Is it my fault that I'm stuck looking like you?!... Oh wait it is." In Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction video game all I know is that he was beat with a wrench at the end of the game. In Double Trouble, one of the CN comics from the Action Pack series, he pretends to be Ben and Sandra and Carl 100% believe him till Ben comes home. (Aka Albedo is a little shit.) Albedo gets trapped in a teleporter.

In Double Negative, a chapter book that was put out that took place during AF Season 3, but was non-canon. Guess who Albedo is working with? Fucking Vilgax. I read this book online a few months back, and guess what the plot is? Albedo pretending to be Ben with Julie realizing that something is wrong and getting Gwen and Kevin involved. I just wanna talk about this book for a second, Albedo ends up working with the group to get Ben back. Ben was sent to Incarcecon(? can't remember but he was in prison in Albedo's place I'm guessing? He started a riot and tried to get other prisoners out.) I remember this one joke Albedo made about "Looking like Tennyson" and I think it described him smirking in order to fool Vilgax and genuinely working with Gwen, Kevin, and Julie. They used Kevin's ID mask so Albedo could pretend to be Ben, which was neat ngl. His interactions with the group was actually fun, and omg I wish this was somehow canon. At the end it almost seems like Albedo was turning over a new leaf, but nope it was all a ploy to get Ben's Omnitrix, Azmuth teleports in and puts Albedo back in prison. But for a split second Ben thought Albedo went back to being Galvan, and seemed happy about it.

Summary:

UAF Albedo and Omniverse Albedo aren't the same. UAF Albedo just wanted his Galvan body back, but OV Albedo snapped and everything that happened was the result of that. Maybe he snapped after he got the Dream Eater stuck on him, and that pushed him over the edge but who knows. He just wanted everyone to pay, even after he had what he wanted. I wouldn't call him "evil" and I hate how the franchise kept treating him as if he was just an "Evil Ben" when Albedo has ALWAYS been his own person. He just wanted to fix his fuck up, but when he couldn't do that took it out on everyone because human emotions be a bitch on your psyche But maybe I just hyperfixate too much on a fictional character.

Btw: This is sorta Azmuth's fault that Albedo snapped. Ben could have done more, but he's a teenager who was dealing with a Highbreed war the time they met again. He probably wouldn't have gone against Azmuth at that point. Azmuth could've turned Albedo back to normal because even he knew Albedo only wanted the Omnitrix to go back to being a Galvan, but instead imprisoned him then turned him into an 11 year old.

And no this isn't a "Albedo did nothing wrong uwu" post. Albedo was 100% at fault for turning himself into Ben, I'm not denying that. As well as making the choices he did, when all he had to do was explain without the lies. We're also only hearing Azmuth's side of things, and of course since Azmuth is "good" we're expected to take his side. We never heard Albedo's side fully because the narrative didn't allow it. The narrative wanted Albedo to be "bad" so that's what we saw. The narrative didn't allow Albedo to fix his fuck up. Kinda sad really, especially how the franchise treated him at the end.

TL;DR: Albedo has never been an evil Ben, but snapped as time went on because everytime he tried to become Galvan again it was always screwed up. And when he finally became Galvan again, wanted to make everyone suffer for the things he was put through and I can’t really blame him.

#Ben 10 #albedo ben 10 #ben 10 albedo #long post #ben 10 alien force #ben 10 ultimate alien #Allie once again is over analyzing a kid's cartoon #Here's those comments I was referencing in my 'Night of the Living Nightmare' analysis #ben 10 uaf #Albedo deserved better #Albedo isn't an Evil Ben in this essay- #Albedo wasn't 100% innocent either but Azmuth was 100% a dick #Yes I mentioned non canon stuff despite it not adding anything to keep all my Albedo stuff in one post #I might go more in depth about the chapter book cause I enjoyed it and the character interactions were just 10/10 #This was a lot #Allie hyperfixates on a fictional character #Here's the essay no one asked for

[sea-buns]

Never did I expect myself to be mourning the absence of english essays and writing exams and theatre class critiques. Do you understand how fucking amazing of a grade I could get on an analysis of trauma in Critical Role? On Lou Wilson and Emily Axford's finesse in portraying the heavy expectations and double standards placed on children? On Ylfa Snorgelsson's relationship to death? On the journey of a man's relationship to violence? On an analysis of grief in Dimension 20? On the pitfalls of youth? On the dynamic between humanity and religion? On the journey of self-discovery and acceptance? On love in all its forms? On the nature of choice? On everything Brennan Lee Mulligan has to say about capitalism? On the tragedy of im/mortality? On Gerard and Elody's divorce? On the unfeeling and aimless happenstance of the universe? On the role of fate and destiny? I'm not saying it would be easy. I'm saying can you imagine how fucking cool it would have been to turn in 5 pages about a dnd show, feeling good about it?

#not that i knew about cr and d20 back then. or that they even existed at that point. but give kids the chance to work from what they love. #rather than boxing them into one medium and then slicing it in half cuz of book bans and shit. #i can only imagine someone asking if they can write their essay about the tragedy of war using a crown of candy as their source material. #and getting turned down cuz the administrator looked it up and was blasted with the phenomenon that is getting 'slammed down big style' #a million tags here we come. in no particular order. most can be mixed and matched anyway. and im sure ill miss a couple #critical role #cr1 #cr2 #cr3 #exu calamity #dimension 20 #d20 #neverafter #fantasy high #fh #fantasy high sophmore year #fhsy #a crown of candy #acoc #the ravening war #trw #a starstruck odyssey #aso #a court of fey and flowers #acofaf #the unsleeping city #tuc #intrepid heroes #ih #cr cast

[melrosing]

a while back you mentioned bran being a fisher king type of figure if he becomes king. i am so intrigued by that concept. can you tell us more?

so full disclosure, I don't have a great deal of familiarity with Arthurian legend or British/Welsh mythology, which is what the Fisher King really draws upon, so I don't think I can say anything of real substance on this subject! i keep meaning to just sit down and swot up on this stuff but it's. not really something you can do in one sitting lol

HOWEVER i think even to a wiki peruser it's patently clear that GRRM is drawing on the Fisher King concept with Bran (as in, once you know he's doing that, you realise he isn't even trying to hide it). and I do tend to think that GRRM is more likely to stick with the top line of a myth or historical event he means to parallel rather than get lost in the minutiae - e.g. Matilda v Stephen succession crisis inspiring Rhaenyra v Aegon, the Black Dinner of 1440 inspiring the Red Wedding, this is GRRM taking the substance of an event but not the details of how it came to pass.

I'm going to guess that rather than getting into the finer details of the Fisher King mythos, GRRM is going to utilise it much like he's used Shakespeare's Richard III for Tyrion, which is another inspiration that seems painfully obvious from the moment you spot it, but is hardly lifted beat for beat, and I seriously doubt that Tyrion's story ends up anywhere like the end of RIII. but you can see GRRM taking the bits and pieces of RIII he finds interesting and twisting them for Tyrion in ASOIAF.

so with that in mind, I'm just going to quickly list the key points I can personally gather from the Fisher King myth that seem to gesture to Bran, and why I think these are probs interesting to GRRM as a writer (but as I say there are people who know lots about arthurian legend and british/welsh mythology who would probs have a lot more to say here):

the Fisher King is usually depicted as being wounded in the groin/legs/thigh - this is considered synonymous with his inability to have children and so propagate his line. immediately obvious parallel to Bran, and I think through both ASOIAF and F&B, GRRM is trying to show that ruling through dynasties where everything hinges on how the next guy's son turns out, is not a viable way to run a country. Bran will not be succeeded by children of his own blood, but I think much in the way that he himself has succeeded Bloodraven

the Fisher King is one with his land as such: his welfare is the welfare of the land, and when he takes a wound (and becomes infertile), the land too becomes barren. the Fisher King awaits a hero who will heal and restore him and so the land (but I can only imagine GRRM would subvert this - it's clear through GRRM's writing of disability that he doesn't see value in just 'curing' his characters. he wants to actually write them as disabled people). and I think there's a lot in Bran's story about man learning to respect the land he lives upon - the children and the first men's peace pact was agreed upon the grounds that the first men would essentially preserve Westeros and its weirwoods etc, and so I think it's generally agreed ASOIAF could end with a similar kind of pact to end the Long Night (or after the end of TLN)? so again, think this point is about Bran representing a renewed relationship between the lands of Westeros and its peoples - the welfare of all is tied together through him

the Fisher King is guarding the Holy Grail. im way out of my depth on this point, someone with more knowledge re. the Holy Grail needs to weigh in here lol, but I would guessssss that maybe this has something to do with Bran ending the story on the Isle of Faces, protecting the peace from there or SOMETHING idk

then the most obvious point: the Fisher King as he appears in Arthurian legend is thought to draw on the figure of Brân the Blessed, a character of Welsh mythology - which immediately recalls Bran the Broken (something Bran literally calls himself several times). the name 'Bran' also translates to crow or raven in Welsh, so, duh. and Brân the Blessed's story ends with his requesting that his head be buried on the White Hill of London - and as long as it remained there, Britain would be safe from invasion. more about Bran being tied directly to the welfare of the land and its peoples

(again there's doubtless a lot more that could be added here by someone who understands the Fisher King myth better than I do, but these seemed like the most obvious points that anyone could draw on)

anyway I absolutely take it as a given that Bran will be King at this point, and whilst it's really hard to imagine what that looks like, I do think it resonates. GRRM likes writing about dynasties but I don't think he believes in them. I'm sure he feels much the same way about feudalism, but I doubt that will be gone by the end of ASOIAF, too, so this is how I picture it??

KL: destroyed. red keep: fucked. some level of politics may continue here post-series, but I think it will no longer be the heart of westeros. the fact that it is in AGOT is I think GRRM trying to show the corruption at the heart of this country - KL is constantly described as a cesspit where the rich play their games and live and eat luxuriously directly atop the shoulders of the poor and downtrodden, divorced from what's happening in the rest of the 7K.

the new heart of Westeros will be the Isle of Faces. this is where I think Bran will end up. we don't know much about it, bc noone is able to sail there, but this was where the pact between the COF and the First Men was created, and it's one of the last places in the south where weirwoods still grow (here, in abundance). and apparently there was once a Green King of the Gods Eye?? if the Green King, of the Rivermen, is in any way the role Bran will soon be occupying, maybe this is where his Tully heritage is somehow relevant. and also like 'god's eye', Bran's whole thing is about learning to see all, so. likely place for him to be. ultimately, I don't think Bran will remain in Winterfell; the story is supposed to be about unity I think, and not northern exceptionalism, so a remaining Stark sibling will take up that seat and as I said before, I tend to think that will be Sansa.

and I guess the most I can imagine beyond this point is Bran living alongside the COF (perhaps in the company of Meera idk?), functioning less as a political entity and more as a figurehead, perhaps an oracle, who lives for the welfare of his people. there will still be politicians to run the country, but they will be guided by Bran in some way, and like Bloodraven, Bran will choose his own successor. what the intricacies of any of this look like i have no idea, but this really does sound to me like the start of GRRM's answer to all his concerns re. dynasties and corruption etc etc

sorry this was all garbled as hell but this is basically what the Fisher King endgame means to me for now. in short, not a whole lot that I can make sense of but I like the feel of it, I think it's consistent with the themes of the text and suggests the start of real change at the end of the story, rather than the start of yet another dynasty.

#ask #bran stark #i would link a better essay here but i've lost track of the one i remember reading.... it was on some old asoiaf forum #and was written before the show too so well done to that person lol #anyway yeah my lit studies were very definitely modern and early modern lit i do not know much about this stuff at all #so where ive got shit wrong or missed something glaring. CALL ME OUT #im p sure jon factors in somewhere here but like i know how #asoiaf

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Imagine if Jin Zixuan DID yeet his brother from another mother (🥲) down the stairs.

Meng Yao: I'm your brother. Happy birthday! 🥰

Jin Zixuan: There can only be one. YEET

I am truly sad he didn't; think of the 'No Doubles' memes that we could have had...

#ask #Convoluted edit...my apologies...but do you see my vision? #Original text is: 'jesus was kin with god and was executed because the roman emperor said no doubles.' #I sort of recall CQL/The Untamed having JZX kicking Meng Yao but I could be imagining it #My memory is bad. As I keep reminding everyone. Do not ask me to recall things. I have brain damage. And an attention disorder. #I'm a big fan of the theory of Jin Zixuan and Meng Yao being born same day AND year. Adds to the drama. Tragic not-really-twins #Also sitting here right now and realizing that their arcs go in the reverse direction of each other. #Parallels in the way your mirror image is the opposite reflection of you. #Every empty space one leaves is filled by the other. Every gain one makes the other diverts in the opposite direction. #Oh no I think its time to write another essay.

[prince-liest]

Hi! About your staticradio series (which is PHENOMENAL omg😍) - I know you said Vox is kinda falling in love while Al will remain aro. Which is awesome, we love to see rep! But I'm wondering if they will end up as QPPs (who fuck, lol)? Or it'll strictly be FWBs? Gah it's diffifult to describe it bc labels are so subjective and often too limiting, but I guess what I'm asking is whether they'll have an emotional relationship too, however it might look with their orientations? Will Al in particular have any soft feels for Vox & be fond of their unique bond? Even if Vox is in love with him when Al himself isn't? (I worry that would scare Al away😭) An intimate emotional closeness regardless of the specifics?

Thank you so much!! I've been enjoying writing it enormously so it always brings me a lot of joy that other folks are, too. >:D Just a heads up, this post has turned a little long because it got me talking about Alastor and the way he handles his feelings vs his ego in general.

First: I think the answer to this depends fully on how you personally define a queerplatonic partnership! I don't think Alastor would ever go for, like, a committed relationship with Vox in any form, but I also don't think that this would necessarily be a sad state of affairs for Vox, who I obviously write as poly as fuck with his toxic yaoi husband. Maybe it's because I'm aro af, but I feel like from Vox's end, "Yeah, I get to fuck around with the guy I'm obsessed with and he's not, like, nice, but I think I Stockholmed him into giving a shit about me!" is not actually a state of affairs he'd dislike! Especially since it's got that shiny "I'm special!" vibe in the sense that Nobody Else Gets To Get This Far With Alastor.

As for Alastor's side of things...

I think that so much of their dynamic dynamic isn't just set by Alastor being aroace, it's also set by him being a fucking sadist and a narcissist, HAHA. Like, he is very much in the middle of developing feelings about Vox, which (if my favorite interpretation of his little breakdown in the finale is correct) is also where his character arc is heading with regards to the hotel crew in canon, too, but his friendship-and-trust arc is slowburn as all hell and not entirely linear.

Part of the fun in writing Alastor is the process of qualifying all of his feelings with his sense of superiority in a way that is protective of his ego. He is freely and openly fond of people when that fondness doesn't expose any kind of emotional vulnerability in him. For example: He feels a condescending but genuine fondness for Niffty and Mimzy, whom he protects, and that's safe! He's quirky friends with Rosy, who is a benevolent semi-equal who uplifts his ego, and that's safe! He... may or may not have started caring enough about the hotel crew to have put himself at risk for them, and that is not only dangerous to his physical well-being but also massively humiliating, which is arguably worse to someone like Alastor.

He has SO many ego-prioritizing defense mechanisms and it's fun for me to pay attention to because I, too, am someone whose cardinal sin is probably pride. Anything is permissible only as long as it can be framed in a way that doesn't insult his ego.

Anyway, the point is: I don't think "soft feels and fondness for their unique bond" is on the list of ways that Alastor is able to find himself feeling about someone like Vox. The whole reason their whole situation in 666: Live on Air! started is thanks to Alastor's awareness and amusement at how obsessed Vox is with him. He sees himself as above Vox, and knowing that Vox is more emotionally invested than he is is part of the appeal. It's just gone from (derogatory) to (fond). (Which is, guess what? Safe!)

(It also means realizing that Vox is falling madly in love or whatever just nets a reaction somewhere in the region of, "Wait, is that significantly different from what you were already doing?", lol, because the only thing that's changed is the flavor of feeling, not the level of exposed emotional underbelly that he thinks Vox is showing him.)

TL;DR: He likes Vox like a cat likes a favorite mouse.

#ask #personal #Anonymous #my writing #radiostatic #staticradio #long post #meta #alastor #hazbin hotel #this is one of those things that I have trouble putting to words in meta-essay format rather than #“look just. here's a fic. it's like this. you get it??” format #so I'm not sure I did my thoughts justice but hopefully I got close #at any rate. THERE ARE INDEED FICS. IT'S LIKE THAT. >:))) #666 live on air

[octaviasdread]

Mrs Perry, the 50s Housewife & Neil

This entire post is inspired by a discord discussion so I can't take all the credit, but Mrs Perry gives off alllll the signals of a 50s housewife reliant on emotional suppression and prescription pills to cope with the demands of post-war society.

'They used barbiturates to aid in sleep, minor tranquilizers to ease anxiety, and amphetamines to help lose weight and boost energy. [...] Women’s pill consumption signals their difficulties, at times, before feminism of the era explicitly touched upon them' - Erin Brown, You Go to My Head: Women's Prescription Pill Use in Postwar America

Her smoking while she waits for Neil to return with Mr Perry from the play suggests a habit to cope with stress. It’s also notable that she hurries to put it out. Is this a further sign she’s smoking to relieve anticipation, or is it something she doesn’t want Neil to see?

And Mr Perry? His treatment of her can partly be explained by patriarchal family structure. What Mr Perry wants, Mr Perry gets. He is head of the family, and takes the lead in family communications with Neil, so much that beneath Mr Perry's repeated use of 'we,' it's difficult to discern how Neil's mother feels.

In the scenes set in the Perry house, we mainly see the family in Mr Perry's study. This direct parallel to Nolan's office INSIDE Neil's home emphasises the rule of authority over his life, and the extent of how trapped he is.

The parallel is important because Nolan's office is shown as a place of punishment for the students, and a reinforcement of their lack of agency.

More specifically, the deleted scenes show school clubs being dictated to the boys as they stand in front of Nolan’s desk. This confirms that school annual - and the editorial position that Neil earned - is taken from him on Mr Perry's whim, just as his whole life is ripped away the next time he stands beside a desk in Mr Perry’s office.

The hurt and betrayal Neil feels in these early scenes is hidden from Nolan, and he submits to the authority of his father. But Neil can no longer hide his hurt by the end. He has gained and then lost too much to accept the stricter controls Mr Perry is imposing.

So what does Mrs Perry do when faced with her son's obvious distress? Almost nothing.

Her worry for her son is real, but she shows no true support that Neil can rely on. He looks to her for help and comfort twice. The first time, she looks down, then back at Neil, and says nothing. The second time is after she begins to speak, but her one attempt fails, and she falls back into passivity.

She stands aside. It's as if Mrs Perry isn't really there, stuck behind an invisible boundary observing the damage as the scene unfolds.

It's only when Mr Perry leaves that she provides some fleeting comfort - but this comfort doesn't feel present to Neil. She doesn't articulate her support, doesn't touch him, or make signs that Neil can grasp without doubting her belief in him.

Instead of prioritising her son, she follows Mr Perry without complaint, leaving Neil to grieve alone for the loss of everything he holds dear.

This tiny scene says so much about the dysfunctional family dynamic Neil has been raised in. It's impossible to say when it started, or when his mother stopped advocating for Neil's emotional wellbeing, but there's definitely a bond - however strained - between mother and son that isn't shared with Mr Perry.

As @desire-mona has said, Mr Perry uses his wife and possibly her health to guilt and manipulate Neil into following his demands. There's definitely an argument to made for Mrs Perry having fragile health. If this is physical, or a 'nervous' ailment historically diagnosed in housewives, or a combination of the two isn't clear. Whatever it is, she must not be upset.

This puts a lot of pressure on a child, and Neil (understandably) complies under the threat. As the above scene implies, Neil is blamed, and likely blames himself, if Mrs Perry's symptoms get worse around the time he disobeys, or just fails to please his parents.

The Perrys different reactions to stress are clearest at the discovery of Neil's death. The shock causes Mr Perry to bypass anger (although anger returns in his search for someone - i.e. Keating - to blame) and his care for Neil surfaces. This is the first time his care is shown through sympathetic emotion rather than demands for Neil to succeed.

Mrs Perry hurtles into denial. Her body is reacting to distress, but she can't comprehend reality. 'He's alright,' she repeats, retreating into a fragile imagined safety to cope.

@pencileraser1 has also linked the parallels between Mrs Perry and Neil smoking to the possibility of an inherited mental illness.

Being raised in an emotionally abusive household, and internalising the shame of not conforming to Mr Perry's ideal would be enough to contribute to depression in Neil. But I think both mother and son could share dissatisfaction and a desire for escapism.

When faced with the constraints of the larger system they live under, their mental illness plays out in different ways.

Neil finds a healthier outlet behind the backs of authority through the club, acting, and finding an adult mentor to support him, while Mrs Perry has little to no opportunities to escape the confines of the home or the scrutiny of her community.

Once these opportunities (and coping mechanisms) are taken from him, Neil doesn't turn to smoking, escapist poetry, or other forms of temporary numbing. He's seen his parents suburban lives, seen the life they want for him, and perhaps he can't and won't live in quiet compliance the way Mrs Perry does.

I wonder how Mrs Perry copes afterwards? Does she see a decent therapist? Separate (but not divorce) from Mr Perry? Does she take pills and numb herself further? I don't think I want to know.

#you know its exam season when I start posting essays no one asked for #but i was listening to fortnight and thinking 50s housewife thoughts and ended up here #mr perry only breaks his favourite toys indeed #CO Posts #dead poets society #dps #neil perry #dead poets fandom #mrs perry #dps fandom #mr perry

[desceros]

I feel like Donnie would be mush for his teeny, itty bitty little baby girl.

someone has been peeking in my google drive again i see....

yeah i think he (rise donnie specifically since that's the papatello i'm working on) would be one of those dads who has a big talk about how he's so strict, about the intense regiment he has his kid on to maximize their development, and he's always the most annoying piece of shit at the PTA meeting. flex brag flex brag

but then his little toddler comes up to him on wobbly legs and puts her hands on his calf, tapping at him for his attention and looks up at him with paint all over her face from where she got into the art supplies at the back of the classroom and made a huge ass mess, and he just melts at her crooked little grin (bc dad is the favorite) and is completely incapable of chastising her in any shape or form

that changes when she grows up and starts to act so much like him that he HAS to be firmer with her. the first time he has to put her in time out they both ugly cry a lot

#ask tag #oh god. don't get me started on papatello anon-chan i am on a fuckin RAZOR THIN MARGIN HERE #'don. hon. listen. i love you so much.' #'...and yet i sense a *but* coming' #'...but you have GOT to stop hitting reply all and telling the entire school our daughter is the light of your life and the best child. #i got THREE phone calls from the principal at work this morning. also why isn't YOUR number the one on the file???' #'scoff. i shall stop doing it when it stops being true. also im doing important work that can't be interrupted.' #'but you can interrupt it long enough to draft a fucking five thousand word essay on why our child is the best of all time??!?' #'hm. you're right. it should probably be at least ten thousand. i need the space to discuss her academic achievements as well. good point.' #'SHE IS FOUR.' #papatello

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

hi! i was thinking about the difference in kaveh’s reaction in a parade of providence’s ending when it is alhaitham vs the traveler telling him about his father with relation to sachin. with traveler, kaveh readily and openly admits that he still feels guilty anyway. with alhaitham, he curiously doesn’t, and I wonder if that’s conscious or unconscious. Does he know, however subconsciously, that alhaitham disagrees with him feeling guilty over his father’s death, or that alhaitham was trying to help him overcome that guilt? but he is not ready to let go of it so he specifically doesn’t mention it to not provoke a discussion and give alhaitham the chance to further show him reasons why he shouldn’t feel guilty? both to avoid being swayed and more arguing about a painful topic… (or maybe he just got distracted by alhaitham’s teasing about ‘thank you’s. or maybe the teasing was alhaitham’s olive branch and a way to go back to their usual banter because he knew the new info was still not enough and kaveh wasn’t ready yet…)

anyway, just wondering about how kaveh, while having no problem discussing delicate and private matters with alhaitham (this conversation, and then when he was homeless at the tavern) presumably because he trusts him and still feels close to him in a familiar way, is very, very careful to not mention his guilt still… could also be trauma after their final thesis argument, maybe?

hiya!! thank you so much for this ask!! HAPPY ONE YEAR TO A PARADE OF PROVIDENCE!! <333

you raise extremely valid and scrummy points, thank you for giving me an opportunity to talk about this event hehehe

i think it's deliberately ambiguous as to kaveh's thinking here, as you've said, with the traveler, kaveh openly admits that although his father's depressive slump after the interdarshan championship and him joining a research project in the desert wasn't directly connected to him, rather it was sachin's influence, kaveh still believes he was the catalyst for this chain of events, and therefore he believes he is still to blame

with alhaitham, however, this mention of guilt is omitted, and kaveh thanks alhaitham for letting him know about 'all this', which reads not only as alhaitham letting kaveh know about sachin's influence over his father, but also as a reference to their discussion about their respective philosophies - with alhaitham concluding that their issue is not who is right or wrong in their approach to life, because as is concluded within this event - 'correctness' is a subjective way of thinking; alhaitham being 'right' about egoism, or kaveh being 'right' about altruism, ultimately doesn't matter, but, to alhaitham, what does matter is sacrificing oneself for the sake of a subjective ideal - this is a fate he does not want for kaveh

the difference in context between the traveller telling kaveh about sachin versus alhaitham, is that kaveh knows that alhaitham is looking into sachin but he doesn't know why alhaitham is specifically interested as he (rightfully) knows that alhaitham isn't interested in nihilism. this contradiction in alhaitham's behaviour is such an issue for kaveh that he repeatedly questions it within the remainder of the event after discovering alhaitham's note, seemingly about sachin, but addressed to kaveh in a language only they know. when the traveller reveals the news to kaveh, this context is removed, and the connection between the discovery and alhaitham is severed. the element of personal has been omitted.

when alhaitham tells kaveh the news, however, kaveh questions why alhaitham is interested in sachin's research, only for alhaitham to tell him that it isn't because of philosophies at all - it's due to sachin's connection to kaveh's father. this is personal. alhaitham is the only one who knows about the source of kaveh's guilt, in comparison to the traveller and paimon, who kaveh evaded confiding in. it's revealed to kaveh here that alhaitham has personally looked into this matter for kaveh's sake - but the question left unanswered is why?

in terms of kaveh's understanding of alhaitham, this is a pretty big deal, since kaveh interprets alhaitham as constantly criticising his ideals and his philosophies (whereas, alhaitham is actually highlighting the detriment of kaveh's pursuit of his ideals). alhaitham openly stating that they have moved on from asserting 'correctness' over each other, and that this isn't the issue, actively prompts the question of what the actual issue is - coupled with this is the impact of alhaitham's actions in this event. alhaitham leaves kaveh a cryptic note about the idealist never being able to accomplish happiness for themselves if they detriment themselves for the sake of achieving happiness for others, which kaveh (rightfully) doesn't understand in relation to sachin. and then alhaitham reveals to kaveh that he looked into his father's disappearance, and kaveh is not the sole instigator as he believes himself to be.

your point about kaveh's guilt never openly being discussed is crucial here i think in terms of subtext. the source of his guilt, being his belief he lead to his father's passing, is questioned by paimon and the traveler, to which kaveh evades telling them. alhaitham is the only person who does know the reason kaveh detriments himself in his altruism, as shown in their argument in their akademiya days. alhaitham looking into sachin must tell kaveh something, but again, it isn't revealed exactly what kaveh thinks, and alhaitham never reveals the reasons why he looked into it, and what he hopes to achieve.

although i think this is more due to narrative reasons, the wounds left from their argument are definitely a factor in this evasion of mentioning kaveh's guilt - a parade of providence deliberately highlights the miscommunication between alhaitham and kaveh, and this is solely due to their past argument. kaveh not mentioning his guilt could be because he doesn't fully understand why alhaitham has looked into this incident for his sake, and alhaitham says nothing more about it because he knows it's still too early for kaveh to process - narratively, i think this is what's at play here

alhaitham teasing him is definitely a way to revert back to their normalcy, however, i also think it serves as a distraction - and it works!! kaveh is relatively cheery in comparison to how upset (as described by paimon) he is when the traveler tells him the news. narratively wise, i think it's a good place to leave it as nothing is inherently confirmed - the potentiality for kaveh and alhaitham separating is eradicated; kaveh and alhaitham continue living with each other, and kaveh is seemingly no longer intent on moving out of alhaitham's house, having thanked alhaitham for his words, rather than finding them 'infuriating'. this is an open ending and gives their narrative arcs freedom to potentially (hopefully) be developed in the future

(from the leaks, i'm going to say that the 'good' ending, or the ending that coincides with the arc that these characters are undertaking, is the ending in which it is alhaitham who tells kaveh of sachin's involvement with his father - i'll have more to say about this at another time!!)

Thank you again for your ask?? Your points were really insightful into their messy little psyches!! Everything you said rings true <333

#haikaveh #kavetham #alhaitham #kaveh #alhaitham x kaveh #a parade of providence #haikaveh meta #genshin meta #your ask is tickling my brain stem #i was going to post about a parade of providence at some people since its one of my fav parts of The Essay #but your ask has new introspectives that are so interesting!?? <3333 #can they please just talk. #also alhaitham saying 'sadly' is reference to kaveh chasing happiness for all but not including himself in the 'all' what if i screamed #also what do you mean that having the traveller tell kaveh about his father is a bad ending and that alhaitham #being the only one to truly know kaveh inside and out telling kaveh is the good ending #we've been stuck here for a year!!

[gaybearwedding]

hi hi hello i have been gone forever due to various reasons such as “work” and “mental illness” and “having developed a kpop hyperfixation that has been occupying most of my attention recently” but i need everyone to know that i saw off book live twice last week (in philly with a friend and then in nyc with my girlfriend) and it was truly so everything. i didn’t get many pictures but i did get a few and none of them are very good but one of them is of jess’ amazing stool balancing act and that’s all i need really

#flow of the rings a volcano story i love you forever and ever #tryin’ the musical i love you also #also i asked a question during the talkback at the philly show :] #if it gets released as an episode and you hear someone named will asking about the hedgefrog logo that’s me <3 #i want to be active on here more i miss it #i’m thoroughly enjoying being a little unhinged about kpop with my friend bee (the one i saw the philly show with actually) #but it does make a little sad that i haven’t been as fixated on zach and jess lately #they are still everything to me though don’t get it twisted #it’s very much a Special Interest TM so i will probably have other z&j phases #but regardless i do enjoy this silly little corner of tumblr #and i love that pibe has like Actual Fan Content now it’s beautiful #and i AM going to finish and post my malpal fic i PROMISE i just. don’t know when 😭 #accidentally wrote an essay in the tags whoops #anyway i can’t promise i won’t disappear again but i’m gonna try to be more active #mine #off book #play it by ear #pibe #zach reino #jess mckenna

[averlym]

" just...come here. just sit here with me" (...that one scene from princess momonoke, click for better resolution)

#tw death mentioned for the tag rambles!! (sorry) #meme redraw gone wrong (high effort). don't ask me how i did this- i don't know either. consider this perhaps an AU of the pyre scene? #or more accurately just my internal wonderings visualised. sometimes the vibes from the implications don't pan out the same way #i also lost the original sketch somewhere in my papers. alas. i vaguely recall thinking this would be haha funny and then somewhere down #the line it turned to angst. other quotes that inspired this from the show were 'ily. i'm sorry' and 'i will always be so proud of you'. #smth smth they met on the roof!! vincent stops quincy from jumping off and then. vincent tries to die + eventually quincy kills him on the #very same roof. anyway the quincent death scene was spinning around for a bit in my head and out of the miscellaneous sketches this won out #wanted to play w the strong blue lighting + bg + silhouette things that you get w stage lighting // replaced the knife w vincent's scalpel #quincy is kneeling bc poses + idk why it's fun staging for him ;-; // also the proximity + intimacy.. // the pyre is also in the bg #but it's silhouetted behind quincy. i think the last quincy post made me associate symbolism (help??) bc as i was painting i was thinking o #angel wings ksdjfh // not to mention the halos. halos are always fun to paint.. shiny stuff... #and from the last vincent art. i guess the star and eye imagery carried over. hm. tried to get the quincy halo to match so its like a #rounder less spiky star? which hehe aligns w the sun vibes (that i??can't explain??) but more importantly here i was thinking about #binary stars for the glowy parts. two in orbit in pull to one another.. tension.. ue. also the glow for vincent goes to stabby eye so like #behind the face shown to viewer. meanwhile for quincy it goes in front of the face #and of course u have the downward linking implied line from quincy's tears +scalpel + glowy eye. #this is supposed to be rotatable.. in landscape form u can have either quincy or vincent upright (pov) + it should work both ways #//bonus stuff is vincent holding the skask w bloody hands + shadow looks like blood spatters. like it would if quincy did the stabby. #hhhh this is the most. confused i have been making a piece lately.. just toss in a lot of fun visual stuff and mix.. #if the rambling analysis here seems pointless and confused i think that's why. this is why u should plan out your essays o.O.. #oh. stuff i just remembered: the whole impetus for vincent planning his own death was so quincy would be happy / it's already #mentioned before quincy kills vincent that he's severely injured- vincent says it's fine- ig u could intepret it as a finishing blow? #hastened over the phaethon announcement- when they make the second announcement quincy looks up smiling until the admin gives it to #beatrix-he didn't know.. // <- so for this it's possible to infer that vincent wasn't very attached to living anymore.. hence why they look #more accepting above. while quincy is looking very angsty and conflicted. yeah.. // tldr! don't look into it too deeply it's a meme redraw #adamandi #quincy cynthius martin #vincent aurelius lin #tw knife

[crabussy]

oh did you get like. a shit ton of followers recently? has it been. okay

for SOME bizarre reason I have around 4600 followers. I used to have like 50 a few years ago and always wanted to make a hit post it was something I tried to do pretty much every day right. and um ^_^ I finally made one. and then another. and then another. and now I have like 20-30 massive posts circling WHICH IS AWESOME. IM HAPPY PEOPLE LOVE MY STUFF but oh man its amazing what strangers will say to you on posts past 10k. I have had some Very interesting interactions.....

multiple people have informed me through the tags that they want to fuck a sea creature. not like. a sea MONSTER. I mean a real animal

I have confidently been called a homestuck about 40 times on my post about indigo vs blue vs purple. I tried to read it but never could

one guy getting ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS about my inclusion of brown sugar in my absurdly famous pasta sauce post. it was reposted on tiktok and he was absolutely ballistic he would NOT even try it. even when I told him that LITERAL HUNDREDS of people have tried it and said they loved it. this guy was so stubborn its hilarious

my posts keep randomly reaching people I follow?? I'll look in my notes and an artist I look up to like a god has just. liked one of my hit posts before disappearing again. this keeps happening to me

were-ralph has reblogged my posts before. surreal experience very cool

Theres A Reason Anonymous Asks Are Off. my god dude the things people have sent me. abhorrent. I have considered remaking my account multiple times to avoid this but turning them off seems to have worked [: havent gotten any non-anonymous hate literally ever

(IM SO NERVOUS THIS WILL COME OFF AS BOASTING OR SOMETHING. SO. THERES A REASON I ALMOST NEVER MENTION MY FOLLOW COUNT IT SCARES ME... IM HAPPY PEOPLE LIKE MY STUFF BUT OH MY GOD ITS A LOT OF PRESSURE !!!! I FEEL A LITTLE NERVOUS EVERY TIME I POST)

#ask tag #SORRY FOR THE ESSAY BUT YEAH #everyojne is always surprised to learn my follower count which. yeah me too. save me when did this happen. get me outta here #I've had 4000+ followers on here for a good few years actually ^_^ I just post like no ones watching HGKHATJKGSHJ

[ur-local-remy-kinnie]

wowzers akane the goober!! (submission for @mari-lair’s dtiys)

#tbhk #jshk #toilet bound hanako kun #jibaku shounen hanako kun #aoi akane #my stuff #my art #posting this from tummyache city (im probably not gonna survive this tummyache tbh) #i like how the eyes on this one turned out tbh #literally used the same brush for the entire thing & didnt even think to use anything else #aughhhhhh im kinda proud of this ngl (i aay that abt all my art) #rhi if ur reading this HE ISNT POPROCKS #SOBS. MEAN TO ME!!! #also since he has bunny ears & human ears in this au does he just hear twice as well or what #me asking the real questions here #im just gonna write an entire essay in the tags arent i #i am sorry for everyone who opened the tags to see whatever the hell this is. #anyways i was listening to bug art on repeat while doing the sketch/lineart for this #it made me feel shrimp emotions #i actually listened to a lotta good songs while making this one #ive been getting more into punk-rock lately!! #i was listening to the clash while colouring this it was so fun #specifically their album ‘london calling’… such a major bop #oh & dazey & the scouts!!! #maggot is such a banger song istg #i was literally fighting in the trenches tryna find good reference pics for him in this outfit #i mean i coulda drawn him in sth else ig but i had already started it & i wasnt gonna give up anytime soon #strangely enough i actually kinda knew what i was doing when colouring this… i usually just wing it #anyways i’m out of tags so ig that’s all #ty to everyone who read all this lmao

[suspendingtime]

#anyway i'm back and i learnt that if you block an anon the asks disappears #but since i mentioned it in the previous one here's the other unhinged anon's ask... should i even say what's bonkers about this #cba to go on about the beast thing (lw is problematic for several reasons but you don't want the long af essay) #and still lmao at “stay the fuck away from kate” - are you ok? #but anyway i will continue to watch and blog about one of my favourite shows and *any* of the characters in it #cause i'm a sucker for period drama romances and will be invested in all the pairings including the ones outside my otp #unhinged #asks #more sarcastic gif answers to weird asks #bridgerton #polin #kanthony

[mcybree]

Scott in Scars video was high-key trying to guilt trip him the whole time

Like "we were allies at the start, how could you turn on me scar. Why are you doing this😢😢😢😢"

As if he hadn't been barely more than an acquaintance Scar. As if he'd actually been there for him when Scar has been alone the whole season. As if this isn't a death game and in the end it's every player for themselves

I hate him so much (affectionate)

NO LITERALLY the entitlement goes crazyyyy…

The specific quotes I noted were “Scar remember I gave you a sword and was your best ally the entire time?” and “I did so much for you” among other things (you shouldn’t have betrayed me etc etc) which. yes, scott gave him a sword one time. that’s it. It was very nice of him to do that, but I wouldnt call it “best ally the entire time” material.

It’s very reminiscent of earlier in the season when Scott was trying to bargain for diamonds from Scar as part of a task, and then Scar burnt the only diamond he had in front of him. It wasn’t that deep but Scott was so offended that he went and told three different people that Scar was mean to him, and later confronted Scar personally about it (to which Scar stunned him silent by bringing up the whole stealing Lizzie’s spine thing). Scott has personal difficulty believing anybody would want to be mean to him, so anytime people aren’t nice to him in a way he can’t rationalize away he stews on it and makes it out to be way deeper than it actually is. Like. Okay for example if a stranger came by and kicked him on the street he would *need* to know why. It can’t just be because “I felt like it man” there would have to be some deeper underlying reason and he would have to know what it is.

Scott has a system, which is as follows: be nice to everybody, make friends and do people favors, so that in the endgame nobody will want to go after him. The average scott confrontation will end in scott going “remember that one time I did this thing for you? I’ve been nothing but nice to you” and this is what he was trying to do here. When that system fails him he assumes the other person must “have a vendetta” and not like him personally and reads into it wayyy more than he should…

Because people and relationships are give and take for him. He gives things to people, they give things back, he remains in good standing and nobody wants to attack him. This is his shield. He finds comfort in it. He cannot fathom people not returning that favor, it pricks at him it bothers him because the world can’t work like that. The world works for *him*; if he doesn’t do anything wrong, then nothing bad can actually happen to him. Cleo may be his best friend but the just-world fallacy is his BEST friend. That and hindsight bias he passionately kisses hindsight bias under the stars every night but that’s a different post

TL;DR: Scott thinks people not being nice to him or paying back his favors is a rude personal slight because he can’t handle the idea that people would *want* to be mean to him or “betray” him. (Everything has to go his way because he’s been nice and he deserves it)

#that.blue.mf #to anybody else with asks in my inbox rn. this is why theyre still unanswered. every ask is like an essay prompt to me #I will get to them but yeah. locked into three paragraph minimum responses via The Interest #tbf this one is a bit repetitive. the middle paragraph feels like a mix of both the points I could probably dissolve it into the other two #but I couldnt figure it out LMAO #hopefully yall get what im saying here though #asks

[themyscirah]

Feel like as a fandom so many people have forgotten how to write meta other than like 'because of XYZ, man sad :(' or just like talking about Bruce or Jason

Like where are the discussions of morality, of politics, of religion, of race, of culture, of language, of grief and family in the greater dc fandom (beyond just a select few of the bats)

It's like I want to see more meta about the characters I love and care about, and just a wider variety of the ways that can be shown!

Trying not to frame this as complainy (although I know us comics fans love complaining haha!) because it's a change that I also want to see more in myself and the stuff I put out on this platform

So just like imagine it with me guys.... essay length examinations on blorbo.... the political ramifications of her actions, his relationship with his mother and ethnicity, her moral stances and how she will deviate from them when under immense stress, or their relation with gender and how it interacts with their powers

Think about it guys... this could all be yours for the low, low price of taking my hand and moving into this beautiful world together

#i just looooooovvveeeeee analysis and reading analysis #we need more essays #not saying that ppl dont make essays about this stuff bc i know ppl do and i love them for it #but like im so greedy i want more and more and more <<<larfleeze impression here #idk idk #just like imagine the stuff you want to see because character names WILL start coming to mind and youll judt be like bro.... bro.... #blah #shit wait im getting ideas now post over i gotta think abt this one #uhhhh id love it if people put ideas for meta posts theyd want to see in the tags or commets or my asks or dms or whatever #and then like make it haha #bc even thinking abt the stuff you want starts putting names in your mind and you just !!!!!!!!

[buckybarnesss]

I get not liking Allison. She did some shitty things, truly. But the way people hate her but then champion around Theo is truly wild.

Allison did bad things. She is susceptible to manipulation (something she shares with Derek, which is incredibly common in abuse survivors!!). But she never really gets gleeful about killing and torture the way Kate, Theo, Peter, and Deucalion get.

Theo, Duecalion and Peter are all outright villains. They are also victims. They have their origin stories.

Kate is also a victim of Gerard's abuse and manipulations but she is very much a villain. She revels in her violence, manipulative games and her abuse of others. It makes her feel powerful and in control which she likely never did with Gerard.

Jennifer is also a victim and one can definitely understand why she becomes consumed with revenge against the alpha pack but she is still a villain.

One can be sympathetic and empathize with these characters while still recognizing their villainy.

Even Jackson receives a lot of sympathy in the narrative and nothing Jackson does is on par with the main villains. He's a petty, insecure high school jock and bullies Stiles and Scott repeatedly. It's also heavily implied his family ignored the abuse Isaac was suffering just across the street. Point is, he was used against his will to murder people and the narrative makes it clear he is horrified at that. Despite being an asshole he willingly allows Derek (and Peter) to kill him than continue to be a puppet.

Fandom has written essays upon essays about why a particular character is justified actually but the amount of times I've seen very little grace and empathy given to Allison could fill a sock full of quarters for which I could beat sense into them with.

Allison suffered abuse from her family. Her interests were devalued and she felt the need to hide them (her artwork and photography). These things were clearly devalued over her archery and gymnastics by Chris and Victoria because unbeknownst to Allison she was being trained to eventually become a hunter.

She has been lied to her entire life about her family's true nature and all through season 1 her parents gaslight her.

Her father terrorizes and tries to kill her boyfriend solely because he's a werewolf. Scott did nothing wrong besides fall in love with her. Her father threatened Jackson and Stiles. Has threatened Derek. Threatened Lydia because she didn't turn when bit.

Chris had her fucking kidnapped as part of her "training". Allison was legitimately terrified.

Her mother commits suicide because the Code says so. Her mother rather die and leave Allison motherless at 17 than be a werewolf. By and large we see very little evidence werewolves cannot have normal and fulfilling lives. In fact the biggest threats to them are people like the Argents.

Kate wants to groom Allison into being like her. Her introduction to the supernatural is Kate torturing Derek. Allison had met Derek. He'd been nice to her. Kate tries to coerce Allison in joining into her depravity.

Allison learns that Kate killed an entire family. Not just the adults but children too. They burned alive. Kate was like a sister to her and her closest family member that she was excited to see and trusted. The betrayal of that. And than Kate is killed in front of her.

Despite good intentions Scott keeps the truth about her mother from her until after she's already falling victim to Gerard's manipulations and lies.

Allison's entire season 3 arc is knowing she fucked up. Her actions dominoes into Erica's death. It's no accident she discovers Erica's body and is there to see Derek's grief. She feels enormously guilty about it and spends all of s3 trying to atone. She's haunted repeatedly by her mother and Kate.

Allison was 17 years old and in the end she died trying to save her friends. She wasn't a bad person. She made bad choices based on lies, manipulations and not being told the full truth.

But there's a large segment of fandom that just writes her off and in the same breath defends Peter, Theo and Duecalion. Allison is a lot like Derek and Derek is one of the most popular characters but in the same turn Allison and Derek receive a lot of the same kind of criticism.

They aren't perfect abuse victims and make questionable decisions sometimes which makes people upsetti-spaghetti.

I think that dismissing Allison as some stupid little girl -- which is what so many of these arguments boil down to -- just devalues her character arc, what she meant to the other characters and the place she has in the story.

She's so much more than Scott's Lost Lenore or Chris's dead daughter. Allison Argent fought so hard to have agency in her own life.

#my blog #thoughts on teen wolf #teen wolf #allison argent #my forever girl #it's one thing to not like a character #which is fine #i'm not going to be the person to ask for justification #but this is fandom and we write essays here damn it