#If I didn't know this comic was going to have four seasons I would be seriously worried about Annabel's safety

[akiizayoi4869]

The Southern Raiders

Been meaning to make my own post about this episode for a while now, so hear it is. The main thing I hear about this episode is that Aang didn't understand Katara's pain at all but Zuko did. The notion that a genocide survivor doesn't understand another genocide survivor is certainly one hell of a take, and it's very stupid. Are we really going to forget the air nomad genocide?

Aang lost EVERYTHING because of the war. And to make it worse? He feels guilty because he wasn't there to stop it from happening (even though he wouldn't be able to do much since he hadn't mastered the four elements yet) because he ran away from his duties as the avatar. When Aang finds Monk Gyatso's body in the Southern Air Temple episode, he's overcome with so much grief and anger that he triggers the avatar state:

Katara herself even compares what she's been through to what Aang was feeling in this moment by saying "I know how hard it is to lose the people you love! I went through the same thing when I lost my mom." Certainly sounds like two people who understand each other perfectly if you ask me. Also, in the Lost Adventures comics, we're shown that the Fire Nation used a dirty tactic to smoke out any other airbenders that might have escaped from the genocide.

We see how happy Aang was to learn that some airbenders may have survived, only to find out that it was all a lie to capture any remaining survivors. At the end of the comic he looks disappointed and crushed knowing that the possibility that air nomads fell for this trick and were killed as a result.

A lot of people take Katara saying "I knew you wouldn't understand" to Aang as her saying that he doesn't understand her pain, but if you actually look at the context? That's not what she's saying at all. What she means is that she knew that Aang wouldn't understand her need for VENGEANCE. For her desire to kill her mother's killer. Because Aang was taught that revenge isn't the answer. Even though Aang absolutely understands how she felt, something that he says himself:

In both of those moments he felt extreme anger and hatred, both strong negative feelings that would have caused him to lash out and do something that he would regret later on. Who stops him in both cases? Katara. She calms him down (and can I just say that I think it's really poetic that in this specific episode, Aang's words are what calms Katara down in the end, and is why she decided to spare Yohn Rha?) in his moments of rage, something that he's grateful for.

Another argument that I've seen is that Zuko understands her pain more than Aang because he also lost his mother. While I can see why people make this comparison, those are two entirely different situations. Ursa was banished because she protected Zuko from being killed when he was a child. Which means that she's still alive (as we later find out from those horrible comics). Kya, on the other hand, was KILLED because she protected Katara by saying that she was the waterbender that they were looking for. This happened in a genocidal raid by the Fire Nation. Safe to say that Zuko can never understand what that feels like.

Also, it's pretty crazy to me how people can say that Aang was wrong in this episode, when Zuko HIMSELF says that Aang was actually right, and that what Katara needed in the end was revenge. Aang knows Katara a lot better than Zuko does, and he knows that killing the man who killed her mom would have absolutely destroyed Katara because of the kind of person she is. Just like Aang remembering how he killed all of those Fire Nation soldiers in the North Pole while he was in the avatar state and being controlled by his past lives and the ocean spirit caused him to have nightmares and be terrified of what the avatar state can do. Both of them are alike in that regard. The closest thing I can say that Zuko understands about Katara is her anger. Boy spent 3 seasons being angry so he definitely understands that. But other than that? He doesn't understand her, which is to be expected since he just joined them a few episodes ago, and spent a whole year chasing them and trying to capture Aang. So he's just started getting to really know everyone on a personal level. In conclusion, Aang did indeed understand Katara, and his words were exactly what she needed to hear.

#atla #aang #katara #zuko #atla meta #the southern raiders

[blacknedsoul-blog]

Montresor is the Bad Ending of White Raven II: Electric Bogaloo

(I had posted this as a reblog of the other one, but then I realized it gets completely lost, so I made it a separate post).

So I came back to this thought after the last few chapters where we saw several new interactions between Annabel and Montresor. So why not retrace my steps and add some new information?

I mean, yeah, yeah, Girlboss and all that. We already know that Annabel is a show woman, so turning this back into some sort of show as a demonstration of power is very much in line, but...why?

I think I have a theory, but let's take it one part at a time.

I think what these chapters have told me is that Annabel is much more aware of her similarities to Montresor than I expected.

Without going any further, he comments on it:

And can we stop at Annabel's reaction when he does?

Montresor made the wrong move, and here's the result: about to become an orb, under someone else's thumb, helpless and flailing desperately to hold on to what dignity he has left. This is what awaits her if she takes one wrong step.

And as if all of this wasn't uncomfortable enough for Annabel to contemplate, there is one last thing in this situation that, I can't help but think, terrifies her the most.

There are winners and losers in this game. Those who succeed and those who fail.

Montresor has definitely lost this game, at least for now.

And this was Lenore's face when she saw Montresor for what he really is: a pathetic, frightened charlatan with no tools other than the manipulation of his allies. And again, a loser.

I can see why Annabel would do this whole show as a way to exert power. Because she is all of those things...except the last one.

Presenting herself as a winner is, from Annabel's point of view, the only thing that keeps her from being Montresor's equal in Lenore's eyes.

A desperate pantomime that tries to draw a line.

"I'm not like him. I'm on the winning side, I can get through this, I'm not afraid. Please don't throw me away, let me prove to you that I can be useful, let me do this for you."

#nevermore webtoon #annabel lee nevermore #lenore nevermore #white raven #annabel lee whitlock #lenore vandernacht #annabel lee x lenore #lennabel #nevermore webcomic #my head Annabel wakes up every day at six o'clock in the morning singing like Lucifer from Hazbin Hotel #“My wifey neeeeds meee. Take THAT anxiety depression and possible neurodivergence!” #If I didn't know this comic was going to have four seasons I would be seriously worried about Annabel's safety #I see her jumping over the fence to get eaten by monsters during the divorce #Luckily she can't or this story would be too short #But she's still two French fries away from being a Happy Meal

[tonkatsubowl]

anderson's favorite.

▼ aventurine x fem!reader

▼ nsfw themes. mdni.

anderson wanted you to judge and give some opinions on a few drinks that she created. but you got a little too carried away.

being part of the nameless is all about saving some worlds, traveling through the galaxy, being a total bad ass and fighting crime and...

doing alot of side work.

side work included chores and tasks from your newly made companions and civilians that needed help on the... well, side. and another side work you had to do—well, volunteered for, was being a test subject for anderson.

it all started with a single text, and now you're here, sitting on a luxurious stool belonging to anderson's bar, looking at three—no, four drinks before you. and each of them looked aesthetically pleasing, but you knew how alcohol can be deceiving sometimes. it can look great and taste extremely bitter and strong, look weird and taste amazing... or just anything random you can think of.

"alright, (y/n)! let's start off this drink. i was inspired by your adventures in xianzhou luofu, so i made this drink called the lychee paradise. it's similar to a baijiu—if you never had it before, it's a strong liquor. but i tried to make it as sweet as possible for the customers to taste the lychee flavor more, rather than the actual strong liquor."

your fingers wrap around the glass, admiring the lychee fruit that floated atop of the beverage, along with the added sugar coated rim. you give the drink a quick whiff, adding a, "this smells strong. it smells sweet, too," before taking a sip. your eyes comically sparkle, widening due to its incredible flavor.

this was dangerous. you couldn't taste the alcohol, it was like straight up juice—and you knew if you kept drinking it, you'd probably get drunk immediately... but it tasted so good, you couldn't help it but actually down the whole drink!

"woah!" anderson exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "i'll take that response as a total yes, then. but... well? how does it taste? lychee flavored at least? is it too bitter, or...?"

"i taste the lychee! it tastes very sweet, and it would be an amazing addition to the menu." you beam, downing the rest of the drink.

...you didn't want to admit it, but you were already getting woozy. your surroundings were already getting spinny, but your stubborn self refused to admit you were already tipsy.

"alright, how are you feeling?" she asked. "want to stop here? need some water?"

"no," you shake your head, "i'm fine! let's keep going."

anderson fell for your little lie. she smiled and nodded, presenting the next drink.

"this one here is called the summer season. although it's spring right now—well, in dreams, it doesn't really matter—i made this drink inspired by... well, summer itself. should taste like tropical, ish. this one is a little bitt—"

you took a one sip, then you downed the whole thing. mango flavored with a hint of coconut, and you can taste the bitterness of the drink. with this second drink, you were already out, girlfriend.

"o-oh," anderson said, "damn, didn't expect you to actually go for it like that. how is it, (y/n)? or well, how are you feeling, most importantly? i think you should get some water. here, i'll grab some for you."

"i'm alright!" your voice slurred a bit as you enthusiastically responded, "listen. these drinks are amazing. i think you are the aeon of alcohol."

little did you know, while you were conversing with anderson, a certain individual came up and slid an extra glass of water your way. anderson was already in the middle of serving you water, but this person came in clutch faster.

"drank too much?"

you turn your head to see aventurine sitting next to you with his expensive shades on. he smiles at you, then looks to anderson.

"i'll just have whatever is on draft. any will do."

anderson nodded, before giving you the original glass of water, before grabbing his beer.

you smile woozily as you leaned in towards aventurine, drunkingly nuzzling your head against his shoulder.

"aventuriiiiiine..." you whine, closing your eyes. "where were you? i missed you..."

aventurine blinked, chuckling to himself. pristine eyes observe your drunken state as he reached over to pat your head. "did you drink too much, (y/n)? didn't know nameless' were so lightweight."

he stated before taking a sip of his beer, "drink more water."

you shook your head, "no! i would like to help anderson out. you're kind of interrupting my job here!"

aventurine looks to anderson, to which she shrugged sheepishly with a chuckle. "hey, didn't know she was a lightweight either."

aventurine sighed before taking a large gulp of water before lifting your chin, giving you the water via kiss. your eyes wide and your face flushes a darker color of red than it already is now, but you reeled him in with his collar and returned the kiss. anderson blinked and turned away, acting like she didn't see anything before whistling.

"alright, love birds. get a room. i can confirm she's safe with someone she knows."

aventurine smiled within the kiss before pulling away, proceeding to help you out of the stool.

"sorry about her. i'll have her rest somewhere."

anderson nodded, taking the empty glasses. "of course! appreciate it, pretty boy. keep her safe for me or i'll personally kick your ass myself."

aventurine gave a nod and a smile before tipping the bartender some expensive jewels, before leaving with you.

you were able to walk, but you were leaning against the wealthy male the entire time.

"do you... want me to pick you up? you're dragging your feet, (y/n)."

"i can walk," you murmur, the drowsiness slowly kicking in. "i have a stellaron in my body, so i can do anything."

"everyone has weaknesses, my dear. even i myself... do."

"mm?" your eyes drowsily look up to aventurine, who was gazing at you so dearily, "doesn't make you weak."

aventurine falls silent before sitting you on a bench, and before the both of you lies a grand view of penacony. children running around, humans being... human. the beautiful night sky, stars being grand—it was such a beautiful sight.

his arm had wrapped around your shoulders, where you had immediately snuggled up against him, nearly fallen asleep.

"...aventurine." you whisper. "i want... to make sure you're happy."

he blinked before looking at you with a funny gaze. "where is this coming from?"

"... mm." you began, "your eyes are beautiful but i can just see...your sorrows."

aventurine was silent.

he knew you were drunk, but... drunk people tend to be more honest. especially with your feelings towards him, with how the both of you fought in the past, your chemistry with him—everything.

but you were asleep, so he decided to speak, quietly.

"... (y/n). do you think... when we wake from this dream, we'd able to find our ways to each other?"

...

you were asleep, but.

you would answer, 'yes. i would find my way back to you.'

#honkai star rail #hsr #hsr x reader #honkai star rail x reader #aventurine #hsr aventurine #honkai star rail aventurine #aventurine x reader

[maxwellatoms]

Would you trust ANY Korean studio for hand-drawn animation today? I ask because, when The Powerpuff Girls came back in 2016, I noticed how slow and stiff the Korean animation was. Since then, most Burbank cartoons animated in Korea, namely Cartoon Network shows, have been like that — mostly on 2s & with less inbetweening. Look at any Digital eMation episode of Victor and Valentino or Samurai Jack Season 5; do they animate as loosely and smoothly as Digital eMation episodes of Billy & Mandy do?

Sure I would. It would all depend on the studio and the circumstances. There are good studios and bad studios, and either of those will treat your show differently based on their perception of how valuable it is to their client. In the early 2000s Rough Draft was a top-notch studio. One of the reasons I switched over to eMation from Rough Draft was that I felt like Rough Draft was putting all of its resources into making Samurai Jack look beautiful, and we were still calling retakes on three year old issues. I knew we weren't a priority to Rough Draft, and I knew that stemmed from Cartoon Network's negotiations with them, so my griping was only going to get us so far. It seemed to me that I needed a studio that was smaller and scrappier like we were. We were putting in a lot of work on our end to make cool stuff and it wasn't ending up on the screen, so we needed people who were just as hungry on the back-end, and eMation stepped up.

There's also the fact, though, that animation itself has changed a lot in the last fifteen years. Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack's animation always seemed to have an air of "motion comics" to it. And frankly, that's part of what I love about it. It was all a throwback to the old UPA cartoons, which were built on strong, clear poses and made for the cost equivalent of a turkey dinner. Likewise, CN storyboard artists usually had around four weeks to write and draw their boards on paper, so there just wasn't time to take the effort to do anything too complex. It was all about snapping between those 300-ish storyboard drawings and momentarily savoring them for their humor and design mastery. Now we have tons of digital tools that make the basics of animation a lot more accessible to everyone, and have changed the entire studio pipeline. Things just won't look like they used to because nobody makes them that way anymore.

When I've had to choose an overseas animation studio, the network's production arm usually gives me one or three choices and tells me that's all there is. Deals have already been made. (Sometimes they make you pick two to save on costs, which (IMO) usually results in two studios that are less functional than any one of them would have been.) The studios usually have reels, so that gives you a basic idea of what they can do. You can (hopefully) find some other show creators who have worked with the studios and get an honest review. It's an important enough decision that it's worth whatever research you can put into it. Even over good bones, an ill-fitting skin can ruin the mood.

The most important thing to remember, I think, is that it's your job and your crew's job to make animating the show as easy as possible. Really, it's everyone's job to make the next person in line's job as simple as they can. Ideally, there shouldn't be a lot of questions because the materials you sent down the chain are clear.

So... yeah. I'd still trust Korean studios as much as I'd trust any overseas or domestic animation studio. You get out of them what you put into them by feeding them money and your own labor. It's quite possible that the shows you mentioned didn't do enough of either.

I imagine the overseas studios are hurting right now, so who knows what that landscape is even going to look like in a few years.

As with every step of the process making a TV show, you just sort of have to weigh your options and find the path.

Hmm. That got long.

#animation industry #animation studios #hot mess

[sweetcarrotsandroses97]

Before You Go | MYG

Pairing: producer! best friend! yoongi x best friend! fem! reader

Summary: Life is taken for granted. People like to kill time not knowing it is time who is killing them. Love is not always a medicine, fate is always cruel. Or in which Yoongi realised his mistakes too late and was sentenced to live with an empty soul. There are times in which you can't always be there. He knew he was too late.

Warnings: ANGST, so much angst guys, medical terms, terminal sickness, argument, fainting, character death, more angst, feelings of guilt and desperation. (Let me know if I missed anything!)

A/N: Soooo, this was originally planned to be a drabble but it escalated so, hehe here it is! Also, I'm still working on the next part of Four Seasons. It'll be a long chapter so please bear with me.

Please let me know what you thought of this in the comments! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one.

Word Count: 5.1k

"Three months at the most."

Said the doctor. You looked at him. No emotion marked your beautiful features. You blinked. A second passed. Then another and another. The world continued on its normal course while your sentence was already dictated. It almost seemed comical.

"There is, of course, a surgery we could perform on your brain. But I'm afraid it will only allow you to live for a year, year and a half if we are lucky. But it'd be dangerous. Even performing a biopsy is risky in your condition, Miss Lee."

You took a deep breath, your hand clutched your purse as it rested in your lap. The tickling of the clock was driving you insane, you wanted to leave your doctor's office, you wanted to run, to scream, to cry but your body was frozen in place.

A soft smile plastered on your face, the only reaction you could fathom at the moment.

"Thank you, Doctor Kim. I'll... I'll think about it."

He stood up, towering over you as he said with a nod. His hand extended to shake yours.

"Please, do so. Come in a few weeks if you start having headaches."

You nodded, shaking his hand as you also stood up.

"I will. Have a good day, Doctor Kim."

Your hand left his and you turned around to leave. Your feet carrying you out of the room that suddenly felt too small. You only wanted to go back to your flat and curl on your bed.

In a monotonous way you paid for the appointment at the reception of the hospital. Your eyes didn't focus on anything in particular while also noticing everything at the same time.

You walked slowly through the busy streets, the evening sun kissing your skin. The steps you took were automatic, you allowed your legs to take you home while in your mind there was only space for the doctor's words.

"Three months at the most."

That phrase repeated itself over and over again in your head. How you wished to just be home right now however, you decided to not take a cab, you wanted to enjoy the walk. Admire nature as you pass by the park and feel the sun in your skin.

Rarely did you ever pay attention to all those little things. Details that gave colour to your life. Details you were never able to forget. Not until it would happen and you'd leave this place. But you still had some time. Three months was too much.

Or that was what you thought.

~ 73 days later.

"You are hiding something from me!"

Yoongi exclaimed. Your heart clenched at the words coming out of your best friend's mouth. It hurt. It hurt to not tell him. For you to leave him in the dark. For him to think you weren't being honest with him.

You both had been friends for so long you couldn't count the days any longer.

"I'm not! Don't you trust me? We've been friends for so long, Yoongi!"

He sighed, wetting his lips as he tried to form words with his muddy thoughts swirling all over his head. He wasn't stupid. You'd been acting weird as of lately. You often gave him excuses of why you didn't want to leave your flat and when you both would go out he'd notice things.

He'd always notice when something was bothering you, when you were in pain, when too many thoughts were going on through your head. He knew you. Probably better than he knew himself.

All those little suspicions, the strange headaches you'd have only for later to vanish into thin air. The way you looked paler than usual, how you were overly tired.

He had noticed.

Yoongi would be a fool to not acknowledge the signs happening in front of his eyes. Yet his mind couldn't get a conclusion. Instead he was blinded by worry over you. Worry expressed as anger. As desperation. As frustration.

"It is you who is not trusting me, (y/n)! I know something's going on. And I will figure it out whether you like it or not."

"I do trust you."

Your voice sounded so hurt and small with those four words whispered out. Tears clouded your vision but you didn't fight back the moisture in your eyes. You kept looking at him in desperation.

Couldn't he just let it pass?

Apparently not. Yoongi was a stubborn man. If he wanted something, he got it. One way or another. But how would you tell him you were dying? How would you tell your best friend you didn't have much time to live? He had planned on taking you on vacation together after he had signed a good contract with a singer.

He promised to treat you to ice cream next Sunday. You promised that you'd be with him forever. You had been with him forever. In everything he had ever accomplished you had been there. You had been there to dry his tears and smile with him. to celebrate his victories and advise him during hard times.

You had always been there. Always by his side. Always in his life.

Did you have the right to take that away from him?

You were a coward. Yes. You knew that yourself. A part of you didn't want to acknowledge the fact that you were dying. And it hurt so much when Yoongi couldn't see further than his own assumptions. He didn't see you as someone he could trust anymore. He thought you were hiding something from him. Which, technically, you were.

Never in your life had you ever hidden something from him. That was why it hurt him so much when he realised there was something going on in your life that was taking a toll on you and he didn't know.

Yoongi ran a hand through his dark hair, his gaze softened slightly at the sound of your delicate voice. So vulnerable. So hurt. It wasn't like you to talk like that.

But despite his heart clenching at the sight of your tears, his next words cut you deeper than any knife could ever harm you. Not even the doctor's words three months ago had hurt as much as Yoongi's words.

"It doesn't seem like it. But if you don't want to tell me, fine. Take your secrets to your grave, I don't care."

Take your secrets to your grave.

If only he knew you were already standing above it. If only he had known those words had made your heart shatter in such a way you couldn't even fathom to say something, if only he knew there was more that met his sight.

If only he knew.

You didn't say anything. Silent tears were running down your cheeks. This was it. The tread you feared would ever break. He had broken it when you were already so sick, when your days were numbered. He had broken a friendship of years with a single sentence.

You were to blame too. If you hadn't been so scared, this argument would have never happened. This gap wouldn't exist. You are to blame too. You are at fault too. You ruined his trust, played with his emotions, wasted his time. All for what? So that you could keep a secret that would eventually come out?

But now it was too late.

Yoongi didn't want to hear anything else. You opened your mouth to say something. Anything at all. But the words died in your throat, shot down by his disappointed declaration instead.

"I'm leaving. I need some space to think."

Your hands trembled as they hung next to you limply. You were losing him. Yoongi, who was your closest friend, your best friend. The closest thing you ever had of a family. The man who owned your heart in more ways than he thought.

You lost him.

He wasn't going to intrude where he wasn't welcome. He wasn't going to push you. If you weren't going to trust him, there was no point in him staying in a place he no longer felt welcomed.

Yoongi turned around and left, not allowing you to say a single word. He wished you had stopped him. He wished you had walked over to him and grabbed his wrist, pleading him to listen. For you to tell him whatever was happening that made you hide it.

He wanted to know.

He needed to know.

Because his heart screamed a name he didn't want to recognise. His soul yearned for the touch of a woman he was yet to take into account. His mind was busy with thoughts of you. Memories of you. Plans with you.

But he didn't know what it meant. He didn't know what he so deeply desired. Needed. So he left.

Yoongi left you to yourself, your front door shut and you were alone. Alone for good. Left behind. Abandoned. Everyone has a limit and Yoongi has gotten to that limit.

He said he needed space to think. Space to be on his own. Time to think if your friendship was worthy of keeping or if he had to let it go. Despite the pain his soul would suffer and the wrecked heart he'd have to endure.

Sometimes it's better to just let go.

But he didn't know what he was letting go. He didn't know anything. Yoongi left without answers and you stayed with a broken heart.

It's been a week since that argument. There had been no calls or texts from Yoongi. And you weren't going to get in contact first either. He wanted space, you'd give him that. He wanted time, you'd give him what you had left.

You sat in front of your desk, soft rain pattered over the glass. It was calming. Soothing in a way. A pen rested in your hand as words were being scribbled down on a sheet of paper addressed to him. To Yoongi.

You were giving him all the time you had for him to come back. But just in case you ran out of it, you wanted to explain everything to him. He deserved to know. You realised that now. He had deserved to know since the very beginning.

But you were scared. You had been selfish. You chose to live in a fantasy when reality clawed its way through you, tearing you apart in your little safe world that you wish would come true. But wishes never come true. There are no happy endings for liars. There is no mercy to change your fate.

You put the letter on an envelope with Yoongi's name written on the front. It was a letter only for his eyes to read and his mind to comprehend. It was for his mind to keep and his heart to treasure. Only for him. Always for him.

You stood up, the destination of your bedroom in mind as you were feeling tired. It wasn't unusual these days. The naps you took were getting longer and longer. You knew one day you might as well not wake up again.

But fate wasn't that merciful. You took a step, a single step forward only to have a piercing ache in your head that made you hiss. You shut your eyes, trying to get it to pass but it didn't work. If only it only got stronger with each passing second.

Your hands clasped at your scalp, fingers pulling your hair in a desperate need of relief.

The realisation hit you stronger than a train. You needed help. And you needed it fast. You stumbled towards the coffee table, the only goal in your mind was to get your phone and call for help. Something was wrong. Very wrong. You knew it. You felt it. You couldn't ignore it anymore.

With a shaking hang you reached for your phone, you didn't even bother to unlock it as you pressed the emergency call button. It rang and rang and rang, the pain continued to increase, your vision blurred.

You prayed to the skies that the person on the other line would answer. It was your only chance. The last straw to life you clawed at desperately. But it rang again and again and again and you couldn't help thinking that perhaps this was it.

Yoongi came back from the bathroom in his studio, he had been working on some new beats he wanted to try out in the near future. He had been keeping himself busy with work so as to not think about the fight he had with you a week ago.

A part of him wished you'd call him or text him but he knew you too well. If he had asked for space you were going to give him that. This was probably the worst fight you two had ever had throughout your years of friendship

He sat back down in front of the large computer screen, putting on his headphones. Yoongi continued with his work.

It wasn't until out of the corner of his eyes he saw the phone's screen lighten up. He didn't have to look at it to know someone was calling him. He sighed, taking the headphones off and saving the file with his music before he blindly picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

But there was silence. No-one answered back and for a moment, Yoongi thought it was one of those scam calls he always blocked. But before he could hang up, his name reached his ear in your whispered voice.

"Yoongi..."

He knew something was wrong the moment the first syllable reached him. He frowned, leaning forward in his chair as he tried to listen to your voice.

"(y/n)? What's wrong? Are you alright?"

The fight he had with you vanished from his thoughts as they were clouded with worry for you. He was getting scared, never in your life had you called him in such a state that it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up with nerves.

You whimpered, pressing the phone close to your ear. The pain in your head was getting stronger and stronger that you couldn't speak.

"(y/n)?"

Your best friend's voice came from the other side of the phone, if you hadn't been so blinded by the white pain pressing on your skull you would have noticed the concern in his deep voice.

"(y/n), you are scaring me, what's going on?"

Yoongi stood up from his chair, grabbing his car keys in a hurry.

"H-help me."

When you dialled your emergency contact you didn't remember you had saved Yoongi's number there.

Those two words were enough to have him bolting out of the door. The destination of your place carved in his mind as he left the building.

He kept his phone pressed to his ear as he ran through the studio. His heart was beating so fast in his chest he thought it would leave his body. Adrenaline pumped in his veins. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

The fact itself scared him, because that something had to do with you. He felt as if the building was larger than normal. Like in those nightmares as he tried to reach the exit but it got further and further away. This had to be a nightmare, right?

He heard your gasp through the phone unaware of the fact that you had fallen to your knees in your apartment, your other hand clutching your head in a vice grip.

"(y/n/n) talk to me. I need you to say something. Please."

Yoongi reached the door and pulled on the handle with more force than was needed. He stepped outside, inhaling the humid air as the soft drizzle tapped against his form.

"I'm sorry."

He yanked the car door open and got inside, one hand was on the steering wheel while the other still held his phone against the side of his face.

"It's alright, (y/n). I'm on my way, okay? Just hold on, I'll be there in a second."

But you didn't hear those words from him. There was a ringing in your ears that took hold of your senses, the phone slipped from your grasp as you fell to the ground over the soft carpet with a dry sound. You closed your eyes, allowing the pain to take you in its claws of darkness as you surrendered yourself to it.

You had been fighting for so long. A little nap wouldn't harm you. You slipped into unconsciousness with the last thought in your mind being: Yoongi.

The man who you were previously speaking to fell into a frenzy when he heard the sound of the phone colliding with your carpeted floor. The hand on the wheel tightened to the point where his knuckles turned white.

"Darling, answer me please! Say something."

But he could only hear your laboured breaths from the other line. He ended the call and threw his phone on the passenger's seat. A curse leaving his lips. If the circumstances had been different, he would have blushed when the nickname escaped his lips but he couldn't fight it in a moment like this. He couldn't help the fear, the anxiety, the stress, the guilt from controlling his mind.

From making him act the way he was. He pressed on the gas and accelerated into the street. Not caring if he got a ticket for the speed limit, not caring if he drenched the bypassers with his car, not caring for anything else other than getting to you.

Tears of desperation began forming in his dark eyes but he blinked them back. It was not the time to cry. Not now. Not when you needed him. Not when you were in danger. Not when you had called him to help you. Not when his heart yearned to have you, feel you, touch you.

Not now.

Yoongi arrived at your flat in record time. With his heart thumping in his chest and his hands trembling, he stepped out of the car. He didn't even bother to lock it behind him as he was already running up the stairs that led to your apartment.

He used his spare key, one he was immensely grateful you had given him. Not bothering to knock or to take his shoes off he barged into the place like a desperate man. He was a desperate man.

Desperate to see you fine, to find you healthy, for you to be alright.

But his world came crumbling down like a paper plane when he saw you laying over the grey carpet, your phone by your side. You weren't moving.

For a moment he couldn't move. The patterning of the rain against the window drowned him in an ocean of tears he was keeping inside his soul. The quietness of your flat wasn't normal, you were always humming to yourself, playing some music. Doing something.

But as he saw you laying there, limp and cold, Yoongi's heart shattered into a million pieces.

He was brought out of his trance by some miracle, he found himself at your side the next second. His hands wouldn't stop shaking as he pulled your shoulder to lay you flat against the floor.

"(y/n)?"

But you didn't react. It almost seemed as if you were sleeping. The rise and fall from your chest was the only indication to Yoongi that you had only fainted. The circumstances as to why were still unknown to him.

His hand cradled your cheek, trying to get a reaction out of you. Something. Anything at all. But you were long gone in the world of darkness.

In a mere second, he was able to recall your call with him. You sounded in pain. Hurt. There was something that had led to your current state. Something that needed medical attention.

His hands slipped under your body and he stood up; an arm beneath your shoulders and the other supporting the back of your knees. Yoongi walked towards his car in long and hurried steps. His heart was beating wildly in his chest. His stomach churned with nerves.

If you hadn't called him, how much time would have passed until someone eventually found you? He couldn't think of that possibility. He decided to focus on the now, on the fact that he had you in his arms, that he had found you, that you were going to be okay. You had to be. For his sanity.

The soft rain wasn't enough to drench you or him as he made his way towards his parked car. With as much care as he could muster and with some tricky manoeuvre he managed to sit you in the passenger's seat and strap you to it.

Your head lulled to the side and his hand, once more, found home against the side of your face. In any other situation Yoongi would have thought that you were merely sleeping. To a point you were.

Have you always been this beautiful?

He thought to himself before he shook himself out of those thoughts and walked around the car, getting into the driver's seat and speeding off to the hospital.

One hand was on the steering wheel while the other one clasped yours tightly. It was a way to ground himself. To ground his thoughts and remember that you were there, that you'd be fine. That you were with him.

If someone had asked Yoongi before today when he had been the most patient he'd have answered when he had to download one of his large files.

But now, now as he sat in the waiting room of the hospital waiting for news about you was the time when his patience got tested.

How he wished to just enter into the room where the doctor was checking you. He needed to know what was going on. What had happened to you.

He needed to know that everything was going to be fine.

In his desperation, he called one of his friends, Hoseok and explained the situation with a lump forming at the back of his throat.

"She'll be fine, Yoongi. She's a tough girl. I'm sure it's nothing serious but I'll be there in thirty minutes in case you need anything."

That was what Hoseok had said over the line. He had met you on a few occasions, more than a few to be honest. The sweet man came to know that you were a beautiful woman with a kind heart and he respected too much the friendship Yoongi had with you.

"Is anyone here for Lee (y/n)?"

A doctor said with a clipboard in his hands. Yoongi immediately got up. His legs carrying him to the man dressed in a white coat, his eyes were red with unshed tears.

"I brought her here. Please, is she alright?"

The doctor let out a sigh that made alarm bells ring in his head.

"You better come with me."

Yoongi swallowed yet the lump in his throat only got bigger and bigger with each passing second, with each step he took behind the doctor. He stopped in front of a door, presumably your room before he spoke, his tone professional with a hint of sorrow for the broken man in front of him.

"(y/n)'s condition worsened too much in the last week. I'm surprised how quickly it deteriorated. The tumour in her brain got to the amygdala, that was what caused her immense pain resulting in her to lose consciousness."

The tumour in her brain...

The tumour in her brain...

The tumour in her brain...

...what?

"What... what do you mean with "the tumour in her brain"? She... Is she-"

So many thoughts were racing through his mind too quickly he began to feel nauseous. You were sick? All this time you had been sick? Is this what you had been hiding? The doctor sighed yet again as he spoke once more, his voice sombre this time.

"I believe she never told you."

Yoongi shook his head. Too in shock to utter a word. He felt as if someone had stabbed him in the heart. He'd bet that a stab wound would hurt less than this. The sole thought of losing you was heartbreaking enough but he couldn't help but feel like shit when the argument he had on your flat repeated itself in his mind over and over and over again.

Like a broken record player.

In a mocking manner.

With sadistic intentions.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Mr. Min."

A tear rolled down Yoongi's cheek slowly.

"Will she be alright?"

The world might as well end now because the younger man couldn't fathom the idea of existing. Not after the doctor's next words.

"I'm sorry. She was never a candidate for surgery, we detected the tumour too late. She isn't conscious right now but you might as well go in. I don't think she'd be able to hold on for much longer."

He hadn't expected that. He was supposed to be told you hadn't been taking your meals or you were dehydrated to the point in which you fainted. You weren't supposed to be dying. And what was worse was that he had never known.

For how long have you known of your condition?

Why did you hide it from him?

Why didn't you let him support you?

Yoongi entered your room without another word leaving his lip. He nearly collapsed at the sight of you. Pale and weak lying in a hospital bed. An IV tube was attached to your hand. Your eyes were closed.

He sat on the chair next to your bed. His trembling hands reached out for your smaller one. Why wouldn't his hands stop shaking?

"Why didn't you tell me, (y/n)?"

Those whispered words were meant for your ears only but they never reached you. You couldn't react to his stimuli even if you wanted to. your limp hand in his made tears cloud his vision and this time, he didn't hold them back.

"This was it, wasn't it? This was what you were hiding from me, right?"

He wished you'd just move, he wished you would open your eyes and gaze at him like all those times before. He wished he could hear your voice. At least one last time.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for shouting at you that day. Y-you didn't deserve that."

If he could turn back time he'd make everything different.

"Please, (y/n/n). Please open your eyes."

If only he had been more observant.

"You cannot leave me now. Not now. Not like this."

If only he hadn't been so selfish and distanced himself from you.

"I cannot live without you, (y/n)."

If only he had been there.

"Please."

If only he had been a better friend. The best friend you deserved. The best friend you needed.

"Please don't leave me."

If only he had said the words when you could hear them. If only he hadn't taken your time for granted.

"I beg you, darling. Please don't go. Please."

Hoseok ran through the halls, the number of the room you were at was engraved in his mind for he knew Yoongi was by your side. His hand grabbed the door handle and he twisted it.

What Hoseok saw after opening that door was never going to leave his memories. A sight for his eyes to never forget.

Yoongi was grasping your hand so tightly his knuckles were white. His eyes were red and puffy as tears leaked from his dark orbs, like endless rivers of absolute and utter pain. The sound of his sobs reached Hoseok's ears. A flat line in the background.

"S-she's... she's gone. She's g-gone, Hobi."

Hoseok could only watch in horror. Never in his life had he seen Min Yoongi look so broken. So empty. Never had he cried in such a way. The sight was painful enough that tears made their way to his own eyes.

Yoongi's sobs were like poisonous arrows dripping with the blood of his wounded heart. An irreparable wound. Shattered pieces of his very own soul.

Hoseok took slow steps toward his friend until he was able to rest a hand over his shoulder.

"She didn't suffer, Yoongi. You were by her side, you allowed her to go in peace."

But those words did little to console him. He couldn't stop thinking about the "what if's". He couldn't stop the blame to gnaw at his already broken heart.

"I-I never told her, Hobi. I was a coward and I... I never fucking told her."

Hoseok's heart clenched at the pain laced in his friend's words. His pale hand grabbed yours with more strength, if that was even possible. As if he could prevent you from leaving him when you were already gone.

"I never told her that I loved her!"

Hi Yoongs, I hope you are alright.

How's life going on for you?

If you are reading this letter it probably means I am no longer with you and I'm so sorry that I had to leave you behind but as you may already know, I had no choice.

This was what I had been hiding from you. I am sick. Terminal apparently. There's nothing to be done and I don't want any kind of painful treatment. I decided to let go and enjoy what I had of time.

Please don't blame yourself. I chose not to tell you so that I could experience my life as it was. Normally and by your side.

I may not be there physically but know that I live through your memories. Please don't give up on your dreams because of me and go and do all the things you talked to me about. Fulfil our wishes. Be happy.

I wish you the best.

Thank you for being my best friend. And it is probably the worst way of saying this but I want you to know that I love you. I love you in that way. As in more than a friend. You were the best person that ever crossed paths with me, I didn't want to ruin that friendship.

I now realise that was probably a mistake. I loved you deeply. With all my heart and being. That was why telling you about my condition was more painful than it should have been. Because just as your happiness is my happiness; your pain is also my pain.

I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want you to say things out of pity. I didn't want that. I wanted to leave in the most normal way I possibly could.

Please know that I love you and I wish you the best in life. I won't be your friend all your life, let alone your lover. I won't live that long. But I will treasure your friendship and love you all my life.

I am part of your life but you are my whole life.

~(y/n).

July/30/2023

~Masterlist

Likes, Comments and Reblogs are really appreciated!!!

**☕Caffeinate me so I can keep on writing! ☕

#yoongi x reader #min yoongi #sweetcarrotsandroses97 #min yoongi x y/n #min yoongi x reader #bts fanfic #yoongi #yoongi x reader angst #best friend yoongi #min yoongi x reader angst #love #bts fic #yoongi oneshot #bts #bts angst #bts suga #suga bts #min yoongi x you

[starflungwaddledee]

Okay you gave me permission so now it's time to go fully autistic

*inhale*

So something I'm really interested in (mostly for my Bandee x Marx bias) is that comic with Marx and Bandee interacting, like, what's their relationship in this au, how'd they get to that point and heck, what was even happening? also it kinda seems like Bandee may be the main guy in this au or is just really important which makes me happy as Bandee isn't treated the best by Nintendo at all (hell, Sakrai said he didn't add Bandee into smash because he didn't like him) so seeing Bandee get the spotlight always brings me joy

And about the Meta and Galacta comic, it seems like Bandee plays a factor here too, with the mention of him being what gets the most reaction out of Meta and that makes sense because canonically Bandee is the weakest of the four and most likely to die quite easily, so it would make sense for the others to be protective of him

ALSO META BEING SEALED AWAY AND GALACTA SAYING HE'LL TAKE GOOD CARE OF, I'M ASSUMING BANDEE, DOES THAT MEAN GALACTA TAKES META'S PLACE??? HELLO???

anyway hi im really invested and also your art is fucking astounding

hell yea, fully autistic! the best kind of message! thank you also for the sweet words about my artwork ahhh! but hoo boy isn't this The Ask Ever. okay, let's get into it!

Bandee is, i think maybe obviously, my most specialist little guy ever and everything i make is likely about him in one way or another. so you're correct that he is indeed the main guy in both these AUs; he is the central protagonist which i think he deserves!!

(but he does also go through the angst blender a bit, just like... a warning. i adore happy endings but before that i do tend to meat-grind my faves pretty well in the drama machine.)

clockwork heart is actually a spin-off of awtdy (we do a little AU-ception in my household) which is our* primary au. (*a lot of my au work and headcanons are fleshed out very collaboratively with my girlfriend! the initial concept for awtdy was her idea, which i then very meanly shoved my bandee-important agenda into lmao)

awtdy sets this basic alternate world-state: during the Haltmann invasion, Galacta Knight defeats Meta Knight in battle and makes a wish on Star Dream to trade places.

this causes all sorts of terrible fun problems for everybody and basically gives rise to a bad timeline that a lot of folks do not come out of intact (rip floralia)

the Meta Knight vs Galacta Knight comic covers an important turning point in the story, where Meta Knight lets slip that he cares about Bandee the way he cares for Kirby. Meta Knight has an especially strong reaction to this for two reasons:

one is because, as you said, of the three remaining heroes Bandee is the most vulnerable-- seasoned and experienced fighter he may be, but against someone like Galacta Knight? 💦 he's still ultimately just a mortal dude. this obviously puts him at terrible risk, because Galacta Knight also considers him far more expendable than Kirby.

"i'll take good care of him" is transparently a threat and not actually... you know, kind.

secondly is because (unbeknownst to Galacta Knight) Bandee uniquely remembers Meta Knight. he knows that the timeline is screwed up and Galacta Knight is not meant to be there, and is actively working to rescue his real dad mentor. Meta Knight knows that if he's found out, Galacta Knight won't hesitate to kill him.

suffice to say the guilt of this would drive him capital i Insane!

as for the Marx "hurt like hell" comic, I am actually sorry to have to tell you that that scene is their first ever interaction in this au! 😂 in this alternate version of the story Marx is also aware of the timeline fuckery (due to his existence as an eldritch, temporal little creature) and he tracks Bandee down late in the game with a risky trade offer; which Bandee refuses. that's what's pictured in the comic!

it goes on for quite a long ways after that; though I don't know if it'll tickle your ship dynamic quite right because Marx is mildly antagonistic towards Bandee (and everyone) the whole time. so while they are cursed to be Stuck Together By The Narrative they are not really close or even particularly friendly.

they do indeed interact in it quite a lot, and I personally think Marx would gladly shoot his shot if he was offered it; but Bandee is neck-deep in a different ship for the entirety of awtdy and is especially miserable/pining as hell throughout clockwork heart.

but that's okay because Bandee is, uh-- totally fine!! he's normal. he's fine. he's very very fine and things will be very very okay.

#hopefully this last lil doodle is not too dark? #wanted to give u something for your marxdee needs bc i feel like i'm letting a fellow bandee rarepair shipper down 😭 #watch me skirt actually dropping my rarepair tho. even rarer than marxdee apparently! #anyway thank you so so much for this ask and your interest?! blew my mind that anyone cared even a little bit about the stuff i'm making <3 #my art #bandana waddle dee #awtdy au #clockwork heart au #asks #cw angst #cw blood

[genericpuff]

so, i'd been stalking your blog in silence for the past few days/weeks because i used to be a huge fan of LO (i paid patron, was on the discord, own merch and a volume, spent money on fast past for over FOUR years). but as it happened to most fans, i got frustrated and gave up fastpass, and for a while i was trying to stay away from LO critiques because it just made me mad to realize something that was a comfort thing for me was bad all along (and i didn't wanna go full blown anti-LO) but i just finished reading your analysis on the mid-season finale and oh my god dude.

the retcon on how persephone feels about apollo after over 4 years of seeing her hate him because of what he did nearly pushed me over the edge. i feel sick to my stomach, this has to be among the worst things rachel has done and i just wanna say thank you for bringing it up and talking about it so eloquently. i'm a victim of SA and its comforting to see people in the fandom take it as seriously as it should be.

also LO rekindled is a breath of fresh air, thank you for creating it and putting so much work into it <3

Aw man, it's wild when I see people go through the pipeline of realizing LO has issues, mostly because it's a common attack on the critical community that everyone in it are just a bunch of "trolls and haters", but really, a lot of us started in the same boat as you, myself included. I unfortunately just missed the Patreon era, but I remember when I was a diehard fan of LO, it was one of the biggest facets of my friendship with the person who introduced me to it, I would literally be swiping my app refreshing it over and over again in the last seconds leading up to new updates trying to get the episode to just load, I drew fanart, I even did a tattoo of it once for that same friend who got me into it, and yes, I was really pissed that there was an anti community surrounding it.

It's crazy to think back on those times. I do miss how the comic used to make me feel, but at the same time, I know there's no going back to that time so I try to make the best of what I have now within the critic community, and what I've gained since then in terms of dissecting and discussing literature.

I feel so much for your feelings regarding the SA plot, I'm also a victim of SA so it was one of the biggest plot points that drew me into the comic in the first place, so it was really hard to truly realize what the series had become as the SA plotline took a backseat and the characterizations fell apart. It felt like something that I had gone through - and many others who also related to Persephone's struggles - was being used for cheap drama and that feels especially apparent now with how the series seems to be backpedaling it, or at least, replacing it with different motivations to make Apollo the villain, almost like it's an attempt to distract us from the SA and make us want to see his downfall for reasons that Rachel can quantify in a more black and white "good vs evil" kind of way.

I'm so glad you like Rekindled, I made it for people like you and I who loved LO once upon a time but mourn for what it once was before it turned into what it is now. It's been such a cathartic project for me and I'm so happy that others enjoy it too <3

#lore olympus critical #lo critical #ask me anything #ama #anon ama #anon ask me anything

[laufire]

And you know I always want to hear more about the YJ WIP, so Young Justice: Fenix

I'm going to switch things up a bit here. For those who might not know, that's how I call a Jason-centric, longfic WIP of mine set in the Young Justice (cartoon) universe. It takes all four seasons as canon (it cherry picks re: the tie-in comics), and mixes some of my headcanons regarding Jason's character in it with some mainline comics canon that I don't think would apply to the show, but that serve my purposes. AND it throws in some dcau canon (but making it my own) for good measure.

Though the story is largely about Jason, the collision with his old life and the reunion with his family, it's told in multiple POVs. Mainly to advance the plot and not just write a navel-gazing Jason angst fest xDD. I thought I'd list the characters that get to have POVs, and tell you a bit of what they'll be bringing to the story. In order of appearance:

Talia al Ghul. The story opens with her! She's the main plot-mover, because she's in the thick of the actual conflict (vs. the new league of shadows + the light), preparing and moving pieces so things go the way they're supposed to. The dynamic between her and Jason is shaping up to be interesting too: it's different from how I see their comics relationship, AND different from the fanon mother-and-son dynamic. There's some of that, maybe, but due to circumstances and the large gap between him and Damian in this canon (nearly 20 years), he funcitons more as a parental figure than a brotherly one... cue spousification añsdklfjasdf. It's been fun to write.

Jason Todd. He's the main guy. He's going through it xD (also, this version of him didn't go into a pit, so he's healed the slow way and that's had an effect on him.

Dick Grayson. He's running point on The Superhero Side of things, as a leader, as a link between various sets of the plot, etc. His relationship with Jason is still forming. They are closer in age and (in my head) they actually shared time and space in the manor, as brothers, which makes some things easier and something more complicated. He also offers a counterpoint to Bruce (next one). In every instance we see into Bruce's head, we see that (although he rarely exteriorises it), he thinks about Jason. Dick doesn't, he has a mental block the size of a country. Until things come crashing down... very close to his birthday...

Bruce Wayne. He's there to suffer! I say this with affection because yj!Bruce is better than most Bruces but. I enjoy putting him through the ringer. I'm giving him angst about Jason, I'm giving him angst about Damian, I'm giving him angst about this-mysterious-red-hooded-guy... even about Alfred, and about other things I still haven't ironed out completely lmao.

Damian al Ghul. He's at the center of the conflict, what our mains are protecting above all. He's six years old. My goal is to strike a balance with his character, because otoh, yj offers a different version of the al Ghuls, which would change things, but I do love comics!Damian and the edges he comes with. His relationship with Jason tugs at my heartstrings.

Dinah Lance. She has a much smaller part than the ones above, but she has a couple of POV sections of her own. One of the first scenes I wrote for this fic was a therapy session with Bruce shortly after Jason's death, and I didn't want her to be in the fic *just* for that lol. She offers a little insight into the Senior League, into how (what in this world is) a very public child hero's death affected things, etc.

Cassandra Wu San. I simply find this (very, very different) version of Cass fascinating and wanted in her head. I wanted to show her perspective on the other bats, Barbara (who hasn't gotten a POV herself because this version of the character is simply more interesting through Cass's eyes) and Bruce in particular. And I also thought that, timeline-wise, it'd fit that she might've met Jason as the Red Hooded Ninja if they were in the League of Shadows around the same time. So that's fun.

Artemis Crock. I wanted someone on the original team to have a POV as well, and she was the immediate best choice. She can help move the plot on that side (here she's the new team leader), she has insight on the Shadows as well (Jade is also around btw!), I imagine as the teammate who Jason would've connected with the quickest, and we get to see some of her conflicting feelins re: an old teammate being resurrected... and not being the one she misses the most.

Tim Drake. He caused me a lot of headaches because a.) the show version of Tim is really... just there and b.) I started properly planning the fic at a time where I wasn't feeling particularly kind towards comics!Tim. Luckily for my peace of mind I got over that lol, but even then, that period made it so I put extra effort with this character and the result is that he has his own parcel of the plot LOL. Featuring undercover mission, archeology digs, among other treats for him. His dynamic with Jason is complicated (Jason has a lot of feelings that are really more about himself than about Tim, but Tim is sort of in the way of dealing with those lol), added with the fact that when they meet, Jason is still keeping his identity under wraps and he can't air all of that out... yet xD

So basically: the Waynes (though Tim wasn't ever adopted in this version of canon, in my head; his step-mother is still around) or inner batfam circle + Talia + one member of the team + one member of the JL.

ask me about my wips!

#replies #talking to the void #my thoughts #dc #dc thoughts #young justice #young justice wip #writing woes #jason todd #talia al ghul #dick grayson #bruce wayne #damian al ghul #damian wayne #dinah lance #cassandra wu san #cassandra cain #artemis crock #tim drake #artemis tag #ty!

[sssm1l3]

Let's talk about SA in the walking dead.

tw// talk of sexual violence/sexual assault against a minor

Spoilers for the walking dead ahead

In this I'm going to focus on Carl Grimes and the incident with The Claimers in 4x16 "A"

While I understand that this was mainly used as a way for Rick to go a little wacko and show how far he's willing to go to protect Carl and also probably loose like that last little bit of faith in humnaity.

However, it needed to be addressed. Carl is, what, fourteen? In season four, and so they put in sexual violence against a child and then just...left it be.

In issue #58 of the comics, after the whole claimers thing, Rick and Carl have a discussion about it, even if it's short. I don't know if it's mentioned again after that or not, but I know in #58 Carl speaks about how he liked watching Rick kill that man.

Which you know fair enough, we all enjoyed it too.

However, in the show, it's never brought up again. Because in the next episode they almost get barbecued. Which, can distract them from addressing that at the moment, but once they get to Alexandria and that little bit of peace before it gets over run, and everything else, they had ample time to have Carl sit down with literally anybody and talk about it.

We get a single parallel, that being Dan (I think that was his name?) Push Carl on the ground, and then Negan push Carl on the ground during the lineup.

Carl could have freaked out. He could have. He could have freaked out, or at least done something to indicate that he was not a big fan of that at all, in a different way to an aversion to having his arm cut off.

And, if we wanna go cynical with it, when Carl decided to star in a shoot em up western and murder two of Negan's dudes, and Negan was like "Oh, sing me a song" and made Carl talk about shit, he could have asked about it.

Could have made Carl talk about his sexual assault as a way of mentally breaking him down.

And even though Negan is a rapist via coercion, he doesn't think he is, and has a strong hate of like, violent rape, basically anything besides coercion.

And while I would have much rather Carl talk about it with Rick, Michonne, hell Daryl, or even Glenn before he kicked the bucket, maybe Maggie since she was also SA'd and they actually talked about it, Carl being forced to talk about it with Negan would have been interesting.

When one of the Savior's runs his finger down Enid's cheek while she's begging for her balloons back, you can see Carl seething. That he's uncomfortable with it.

Because of fucking course he is. Not only is that Enid that he cares about deeply, but you can not tell me that that didn't bring back memories of that Claimer sniffing his hair.

There's another opportunity. To have Carl and Enid talk about their shared experiences, even if the details of the situations are different, they're sill under the same category, and that thing with Enid isn't ever talked about again either.

If AMC had them speak about it, it would have been 2 birds with one fucking giant stone with the word "COMMUNICATION" written on it.

And no matter who Carl ended up talking about it with, it didn't have to be a big sit down conversation in front of a window while it rained with dramatic background music.

After the balloon thing with Enid, he could have gone with her, sat with her and been like "Hey. I get it." and her look at Carl while he looks at her and they both sort of have the same expression of understanding.

Hell, that's realistic.

It just...any way it could have been talked about, it should have. But it wasn't.

And I will forever be bitter about it.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk

#Thee Walking Dead #carl twd #twd #rick grimes #carl grimes #rick twd #the walking dead negan #carl the walking dead #enid twd #Enid the walking ded #tw #amc #amc the walking dead #the walking dead comics #glenn twd #glenn the walking dead

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

2023 Writing Cross Stitch Round Up

Thank you for tagging me @ladytessa74 and @alrightbuckaroo

I'm pretty proud of my cross stitch journey this year! 20 finished pieces since April!

April

911 Lone Star- my first Lone Star cross stitch project, created with an image of the Lone Star logo and a free pattern generator I found online. It had been a couple years since I had done any cross stitching. Working on this one was a bit of a painful week because it involved the reestablishment of my stitching calluses on my fingers.

I'm a fireman, our codes are like...fire!- The first in a series where I took a quote from the show and went on Etsy to find a pattern for some kind of image that I thought worked well with the quote. At this point, I didn't have the confidence (or the software) to come up with my own more complex patterns.

Sure, ma'am, but just so you know, I am a homosexual-Still one of my favorites. However, it was early in my cross stitching journey, so when I look at it, a few major mistakes jump out at me. This is such an excellent quote that I think I want to do an improved version at some point.

Is the lizard back?-I did this one in honor of Lou II after I found a perfect bearded dragon pattern available on Etsy.

Firefighters, you really are a smug bunch-I really like this one. I found a firetruck pattern on Etsy and modified it a bit, including changing the number on it to 126.

May

I was peckish and I wanted pudding- This is a simple one, but I created the pattern myself. From the second I heard this line, I knew it had to be a cross stitch.

It absolutely wrecks people- Cow eyes. I like this one except for the fact that I took a horrible picture of it. I think I finished it at night and was so excited to post that I couldn't wait for daylight to get a brighter picture. It's always a struggle to get a picture that's bright enough but also doesn't have the shadow of my phone across it. Luckily, since then I've discovered the perfect place in my house to take cross stitch pictures, even at night!

Did you know that honeybees pollinate a third of our food supply?- I was originally going to have four little honeybees on this one, but the finale had just aired and I was dying to get going on my planned Tarlos vows project, so it ended up just getting one bee.

June

Working on stitching the vows.

July

Tarlos wedding vows- It took 7 weeks and a comically large hoop, but I got it done. I mapped out this pattern before I had pattern making software meaning I did it by hand with pencil and paper. Plotting out the words, making sure everything was centered, making sure it would all fit, etc was quite an ordeal!

Tarlos proposal- This was the first pattern I created with my new pattern making software and it's still one of my favorites. It's love ❤️

126 Firehouse- I was incredibly proud of myself for this one. It was the most elaborate pattern I had created on my own up until that point.

August

Typical TK- I really like this one but I didn't include the full quote for simplicity's sake (leaving out the "of course") and I kind of regret that now.

We make a pretty good team-This one did not turn out the way I saw it in my head, so there were moments that I kind of hated it. Ultimately, I'm ok with it.

September

Working on my elaborate tarloft dining area project.

October

You Have All of Me, Carlos-This is without a doubt my favorite thing I've ever made. It took about 6 weeks and is the most elaborate pattern I've created to date.

November

This is real- A quote from @ladytessa74's incredible fic for her birthday.

Tyler Kennedy Strand-My best attempt at capturing the essence of TK.

Lone Star Christmas Tree Ornaments-4 stitched ornaments for my Lone Star-themed Christmas tree.

Well, he's a wise ass- A piece in honor of my favorite wise ass.

Season 1 Tarlos- The first in my cute little Tarlos series. I love tiny TK and Carlos very much.

December

Season 2 Tarlos-Cute little Tarlos part 2.

I will have at least one more (and maybe two) still this month. Season 3 Tarlos will definitely be finished before the month is over, and depending on how much stitching time I have, I may even get Season 4 done.

No pressure tagging @bonheur-cafe @heartstringsduet @birdclowns @paperstorm @carlos-in-glasses @lemonlyman-dotcom @strandnreyes @fitzherbertssmolder @reasonandfaithinharmony (gif round up?)

#lone star cross stitch

[thewertsearch]

Asks Comp - 16/4

I literally did not know The Baby Is You was a thing. To be welcomed back into the comic like this after four months is very on brand for Homestuck.

... and wow, its outro really does match the end of this song, doesn't it? That's even funnier than if he'd snuck some of Megalovania in there.

Ooh, that's another liveblog I'll want to check out when I'm done! I've never actually seen a Worm liveblog before. Adding it to the list myself!

Nothing's really changed since I've been gone! I make a conscious effort not to do much Homestuck analysis off-blog, since I want my journey to be fully documented here.

It's good to be back! I'm looking forward to a full reread when I'm done.

Would you believe I didn't even know there was a book?

I also didn't know the movie had two (allegedly) terrible sequels, which is very funny. Neverending story indeed.

Thank you! I can't take too much credit, though - most of my tagging system has been crowdsourced from askers!

At some point, before we reach the end of the comic, I'm going to have to formalize my approach to liveblogging Homestuck's side content.

What I'll probably do is give each of them the 'lite' treatment initially, but if they turn out to be more canonical than I thought, or particularly interesting to liveblog, I'll 'zoom in', and analyze them properly. We'll see how we go!

Could you imagine the relationship dynamics in your average troll soap opera? The shipping web for a single season would make our heads explode.

It's a fun question. What sort of object symbolizes everything?

The first thing I'd try would be a star chart, Dave's magnifier and a literal planetful of Grist.

Added to the list! Not until later later on, though - I'd worry that the opinions and theories of another liveblogger could interfere with my own, especially if they're talking about it with someone who's already read it!

I would find it hard to disagree.

Do people think Act 1 is pointless?

I mean, it is the slowest Act in terms of pacing, but slow pacing isn't always a bad thing. You sort of have to take it slow when your readers have this much to get to grips with.

...okay, maybe we didn't need quite as many Sylladex mishaps as we got. But we still needed some. Homestuck has a lot to introduce you to.

I always pictured an English accent for Hass - although, interestingly, I didn't picture one for Jade. As a headcanon, I like the NZ one better.

Where did Grandpa grow up again, actually? He was raised by Fake Mark Twain, who was from Missouri - but I don't have a clue what a Missouri accent sounds like, let alone one from a century ago. I have a funny feeling that it's not the accent I'm imagining coming from Jade.

Now that's a ship I'd never have seen coming. Props to Hussie for coming up with something more controversial than my Feferi<>Equius.

All four kids, with four endgame weapons, might be able to challenge Jack's current incarnation - but they're not going to get the chance. You've hit the nail on the head - he's semi-perfect Jack for a reason.

I have several theories for Jade's prototyping, and every single one of them would make Jack even more dangerous than before. It's just barely possible to challenge him now, but things will only get worse.

Read the room, Serket!

Would Vriska have tried to negotiate? She feels like the type of person who'd rather take a beating than admit they're outclassed. Plus, I'm not sure how much she'd have to offer Aradia, who seemed entirely motivated by revenge (and, possibly, secretly motivated by timeline stuff).

All that said, I would have loved to hear Vriska trying to worm her way out of this.

I love it! Please send in the completed house, if you get the chance. That's going to look so cool with a moving meteor.

And they're both easily distractible! This feels like two people who might actually get on surprisingly well, if they were in, say, the same high school class.

It's hard to say what's a rarepair, since I don't know what ships are rare in the fandom - although I'd have a few guesses about the most common ones.

If we're going for a ship with very tenuous connections, I will submit Rose x Feferi for your appraisal. They're both fans of the Noble Circle, and their signature colors are pretty close.

You know what, I'll just review all of your ships. Tavros/Gamzee - PB&J - is pretty cute. [] I'd recommend Miracle Child for a number of reasons, but it does include a well-written Gamtav. Jack/Droog is more <> to me than it is <3. Like One Sundered Star might be influencing that? I'm not really sure. Somewhere I think I saw a Jack<>Droog. Your pre-shipping chart post isn't in the chrono; also, I'm pretty sure the A6A6I5 ask is one of mine. Gamzee/Eridan is a rarepair; I've seen it, but not often, and it's a <> in the fic I'm referencing. Kanaya<>Terezi and Feferi<>Vriska are strange enough that I've never seen them anywhere, really. [] And finally, Vriska and Tavros. These two are the textbook example of why the ashen quadrant needs to exist, and they're a perfect pair for it. [] ~LOSS (8/1/23)

I don't even know if Carapacians have moirallegiance - but those two would definitely work if they did.

Out of all my ships you flagged as rare, I think my favorite is Feferi<>Vriska. I just think they'd gel weirdly well together!

#asks #full liveblog #act 5.2

[hjemne]

Ilsa, I’ve seen you posting a lot of Trigun and well I’m intrigued by it, to say the least. But just for giggles, would you try to convince me why should I watch it? 😆🤚🏻

AHHHHH!

I didn't think Trigun was going to worm its way into my brain so much but here we are. There is so much to love about it and I adore so many of the characters for a billion different ways. The character type of someone who is made into a killing machine and then is slowly convinced to accept love and forgiveness is my favourite and is all over trigun. So many characters see themselves as monstrous but choose to do what they see as right for the sake of / with the help of their friends. There are moments of silliness and of tragedy, all with an incredibly interesting setting which slowly gets revealed.

Because of the recent release of Trigun Stampede, the community is really active rn (esp on Tumblr!) and it's really cool to see so many incredible fanarts, comics, fanfics and discussions being made. It's very fun to be part of a very active fandom, but also one that is 25 years old and has fanworks that are older than I am.

I really love it, and I would recommend it, but unfortunately I also have some caveats which I gotta mention.

What you gotta know before getting into Trigun is that there are 4 different canon versions and each one has its problems. I wish I could recommend X version as the definitive and best, but that just doesn't exist which is very annoying.

1) Trigun Maximum: the manga

Good: incredible nuances to characters like Wolfwood, Knives, Livio/Razlo. Vashwood subtext is off the charts and their dynamic is incredibly fascinating and central. This is the most detailed and complex story of Trigun and has lots of themes, characters and plot points that don't exist in other versions. Has elements of sexism and sexual violence, but (imo) to show how shitty the world is, rather than to revel in the misogyny. The tone is tragic, with equal mix of hope and pain.

Bad: the female characters of Meryl and Milly get massively sidelined in comparison to their depictions elsewhere. It's a very long manga and has (imo) pacing issues that limit the impact of emotional moments. The art style is beautiful, but notoriously difficult to follow, especially in the many long fight scenes (particularly bad in volume 5). There's lots of disagreement about 'correct' translations and it can be hard to tell which character is doing/saying/thinking what at points which can make it confusing and frustrating to read at times.

Overall: 7/10, I would recommend but maybe not as your first bit of exposure to Trugun

2) 1998 anime Trigun

Good: the silliest of Triguns with some great voice acting. The friendships between Vash, Milly, Meryl and Wolfwood are very sweet and engaging (although it would have been nice to see more of the four of them together). It's a fun overview of the Trigun story and has a very entertaining mix of comedy and serious emotional moments. Lots of hijinks and lots of fights. Milly and Meryl are core characters and get time to shine (it is impossible not to love Milly). This is personal preference but the animation style is kinda goofy in the way it changes styles to exaggerate characters' feelings which I love. The first 12 ISH episodes are very Saturday morning cartoon vibes without being too inane and childish.

Bad: because it only had the first couple of volumes of the manga to adapt from, the mid-season tone shift and later fights feel rushed, a little confusing and ultimately lead to a less satisfying conclusion than in trimax. The misogyny is noticeable, especially in the first couple of episodes, though is limited to a couple of comments in some episodes and doesn't (I think) make it unwatchable. The antagonists are rushed through and it's hard to work out who the 'main' villain is. Tone change is quite abrupt. Wolfwood is a less developed character with a less intense (back)story, Livio/Razlo doesn't exist at all etc

Overall: 7/10, this is what I'd recommend you start with. It has pacing issues and uncomfortable sexist comments, but I think they're outweighed by the strengths of the main casts relationships and the pure entertainment value of it. Not the most satisfying ending, but they were constrained so :/

3) Badlands Rumble (film)

Good: animation is SO crisp. Wolfwood is at maximum chest exposure and actually his character is pretty interesting here. Milly and Meryl are back, but in limited roles. Some interesting world building and Vash and Wolfwood go thru their divorce arc TM which is dumb and funny and angsty.

Bad: Wolfwood is far too pale. The first half an hour is made almost unwatchable by the decision to make sexism and sexual harrassement a way to pad out the runtime. Vash is such a creep it just makes for uncomfortable watching.

4/10 don't watch if you're not already invested, and honestly do yourself a favour by watching the opening scene, then skipping to the 30 min ish mark and watch knowing that Vash has some very tough dried meat in his front coat pocket.

4) Trigun Stampede anime

Good: really cool 3D animation and music. Has Wolfwood's manga backstory and some manga characters like Livio and Crimsonnail, but with very different characterisations. I really liked the episode looking at the childhood of two orphans and how their love for each other was manipulated against them both. Much bigger focus on Knives than the original and more elaboration of his motivations and plans. Zazie is SO much better here than in the original anime. No uncomfortable sexism yay!

Bad: I... don't like tristamp very much. The characters are watered down from their manga versions and Knives is just kinda evil because he was en evil child, rather than the much more nuanced version in trimax. Milly doesn't exist (yet) and they added in a new character Roberto whose role in the story is (or at least was to me) obvious if you know the basics of the hero's journey structure. Everyone has been twinkified and Wolfwood doesn't even have his tits out smh. Vash just comes across as having less agency and his motivations feel weak. I really just dont like a lot of the character decision here BUT to be fair, that's because I'm comparing them to the manga. But also, a main plot point is someone taking over his brother's body so that his sisters can get pregnant and it definitely still feels weird in context. The focus on the two brothers makes other dynamics a little weaker, and has led to a lot of incest-y fandom things which is ehh.

5.5/10 there are some things it does very well and it's very popular for a reason but I personally think the characterisations are disappointing. It's trying to strike a weird balance between being its own, new thing and also nostalgia for original elements, leading to some questionable pacing and plot choices. It doesn't even have Midvalley the Hornfreak.

I would love to be able to talk about Trigun with you and be passionate about the elements of it I love, but also I don't want to recommend it without giving you a fair picture of the parts I'm more critical about. I genuinely love the world building and characters, which are expressed best in the less accessible form of the manga but are also found in the animes. What I'd recommend is watching the original anime first, but also you might need to give it the benefit of the doubt for the first couple episodes which is where the dodgy 90s sexism is most obvious. I'd be super interested in hearing your thoughts and reactions to it if you did watch it, and also please bear in mind that my complaints about tristamp are personal and there are many who love that version so don't take my negativity as fact.

#asks #sorry that got LONG #YOU SHOULD WATCH IT #I REALLY LOVE IT #its just not perfect #trigun #trigun maximum #trigun stampede

[dannysilas]

Ok so I lumped this on the discord earlier but there was barely any grammar and most of it was just repetitive rambling. I decided to rewrite it for myself but also because I didn't wanna let that paragraph of autismsplaining go unheard. So yeah. Enjoy.

•••

In the comics it's Homelander that rapes Starlight, not The Deep. (It was also A-Train and Black Noir, but for the sake of this post we'll forget that.)

As we all know, The Deep alone assaulted Starlight in the show, and there are a few reasons I'm guessing they changed it. The main one is that if it were Homelander, it'd reveal that he's a bad guy too early on. In the first episode he's made out to be this perfect hero, maybe even the "one good supe", and then he lasers the Mayor of Baltimore's plane in half at the end and it all goes downhill from there. Although it would make Starlight's side of the story worse/more interesting with her inability to speak out and the realization of how far Vought is willing to go to keep profits, I can understand why this just wouldn't work.

So they changed it to The Deep. I could be reading too far into this, but I'm guessing it was him specifically because in the comics he seems (or seemed, since I'm still just past Herogasm) to not really have a storyline or even personality of his own. I can only remember him even talking once or twice. Other than Black Noir until that god awful plot twist, I'm pretty sure he's the only member of The Seven who you never get to learn anything about. They could've turned him into the real "one good supe" bar Starlight. They could've given him the Jack from Jupiter treatment and replace him with an original character. I guess they didn't wanna do the latter twice, which is fair. So to make him both a more significant character and more believable villain, this is what we were given.

Yet even with Homelander and The Deep's switched dynamics (probably not the right word), they still wanted to include the whole Ryan plot. For this reason, and I'm guessing this reason only, Homelander too was written as a rapist.

What I always found strange about this is that Homelander showed no signs of that sort of behaviour before or since Becca. I know they kind of needed him to be "that guy" so they could include Ryan in a comic-accurate way. Like, what's more realistic, Homelander settling down with a nice happy family or him gaining the female validation he craves by force? But still, that part of him is always jarring to remember.

I feel like this could've been done a lot more effectively if they delved deeper into his relationship with Stillwell. The reason people so often forget that she groomed him - or don't realise it at all - is because it's just never discussed. It's implied, mentioned in passing out of the show's context, but never actually spoken about. So often I see their relationship reduced to "haha mommy kink breast milk needy good boy." And to be fair, that's basically how it's portrayed in the show. I just wish that it wasn't. Anyway, I'll probably do a whole post about that in the future. I'm getting off topic.

What I'm actually trying to say here is that they probably almost gave The Deep a child instead. It would've made sense, including that aspect of the comics but changing things up again like usual, giving the child to "the" rapist character instead of creating a second one just for the sake of it. Again, I understand why they didn't go with this.

I mean, he wasn't a main antagonist in season one. And not once has he been considered a supervillain. It's more obvious as the show progresses that he's basically just comic relief (another thing I'm a little pissed about but I digress). And since his powers make him more of a glorified human than an actual supe, it would be harder to make his offspring a significant plot device. Ryan is a threat. A ticking time bomb. I'm very excited to see what they do with him in season four. But Kevin Junior? I mean, what would there even be to worry about besides toxic masculinity and an inherited case of body dysmorphia? The only thing this hypothetical kid would be good for is a redemption arc, and it's becoming increasingly clear that the show either doesn't want that for The Deep, or is saving it for the milisecond before his gruesome death.

If this was the original idea, I understand why it was kicked. If it wasn't, it's still kind of a missed opportunity. I really think it was an unusual choice to have Homelander rape Becca. Then again, there's the whole controversy over whether he actually did, but I'm not gonna get involved.

#the deep #kevin moskowitz #homelander #starlight #annie january #ryan butcher #becca butcher #the boys

[purplerakath]

What I expect, and don't, from a Scott Pilgrim Season 2

Spoilers for all of the Scott Pilgrim works as I go through various plot points in the comics, and the ending of the first season, into hypothetical expectations if Bryan and BenDavid decide to do another.

What NOT to expect:

Memory Holes

Scott's gaps in memory are a good rug pull to the narration, it allows things we've previously seen to be recontextualized as Scott becomes aware he's not actually the hero. Thing is, Scott already knows this possibility from the end of Season 1 so we don't need it. This isn't a statement of 'no Nega-Scott' but we'll come back to that later.

Kim/Knives

Kim and Knives making out was a tool to set-up a Book 5 plot detail about Kim's relationship with Scott and Ramona. The part of that matters is we need to see Kim isn't straight, and there weren't a ton of female characters who would realistically make out with Kim and weren't busy in another plot. We've done this by having Kim try it out with Roxie, so Kim being bi is established already if they want to do the complicated 'I think I'm in love with either my best friend/ex or his current girlfriend' thing that was a bit of Kim's character. We also don't need to fish for 'reasons Knives is still around' she's in the band now, she's good.

The Glow

This is more of a 'that needed foreshadowing that isn't there' thing and we didn't foreshadow it so it probably isn't there. Ramona got her plot forward and her baggage detonation so it's not super useful anymore.

The Powers of Love, Self-Respect, and/or Understanding

So they could do these plot beats, but I don't think the swords work here. See, the swords work as a perfectly solid 'Scott leveled up' visual by making him cooler. And it plays even better in the movie because of how sword fights film vs. fistfights. Thing is, it's still saying that all 'understanding who you are' or 'respecting yourself and your needs' or 'being in love' is good for is stabbing people? It really feels hollow. Especially compared to Ramona's self-acceptance being 'turn into a God temporarily.' So if Scott gains any of those titles, it won't just be a sword.

Okay now that I've gone through a bunch of stuff I don't see coming up. I'm listing them as 'options' less because any two are mutually exclusive but all four cannot be done together.

Option One: Scott Gets a Life

So Scott didn't get to do most of his character growy things on account of him being dead for Tax Purposes. So he's still a useless mooch without a job, or anything to do other than play music. This isn't necessarily bad, but it is something they have to do something with. First is to do battle of the bands, lean all in on Sex Bob-Omb and the music going forward as the endgame to solve that Kim is also jobless. It isn't terribly grounded (but it could be very pretty visually), so I'm not super sold on it but it isn't off the table. They can also lean into 'Scott can cook' and do his cooking chef route from the books. This is more grounded and also can be visually pretty if done right. They can also do all manner of other job routes for Scott especially if the joke about job class systems because video games!

Option Two: Gideon is Still Evil™

So when Matthew was running from Gideon in G-Man Media's Headquarters he ran into a vault he couldn't blast through. That probably has even cryopods with six occupants. Because Gideon is still the worst. And 'but he's Gordon now' or 'but he has Julie now' are both not answers to the fact that Gideon is meant to be an incarnation of everything Scott could become. Notably Gideon didn't do any of his cool things™ from either book or movie in Season 1. Gideon still punishes women who betray him and Julie hates Scott. Gideon frames his revenge as making Scott suffer it is the perfect in-road to go after Ramona. Putting Julie in the Envy spot from Book 6. Which is even better because the betrayal will feel stronger since Gideon seems to like Julie sincerely.

Option Three: Scott's Ex Quest

So Scott has three significant ex girlfriends to dive in on. (I'm not counting Knives as- well, S1 actually resolved Knives pretty well?) And working through how Scott hurt them, and how they hurt him, and how it changed him would be a good avenue to do his character growth. It's honestly some of the stronger elements of the book looking right at Scott's past sincerely. This is the closest we get to retelling the books, but the twist is probably in execution, or in who else is involved. As all of Ramona's Exes being around and not-evil means we have new in-roads to character development.

Option Four: Nega-Scott/Future Scott

Scott is aware that he could be the problem, that awareness and vigilance makes the book version of Nega-Scott hard to work. The Shadow-Link attacking from nowhere just won't cut it. But we can do a similar thing with his awareness of the potential, a manifestation of his fears. Because this is a Rule of Cool series Scott's Fears becoming a monster makes as much sense as anything. So Scott just occasionally seeing/fighting an EvilRyu!Scott who shows up whenever Scott is especially anxious is entirely acceptable. This especially works if the central theme of the series is Scott trying to become more mature and responsible, having this evil manbaby hunting him represents that nicely.

#Scott Pilgrim Takes Off #Scott Pilgrim Spoilers #Scott Pilgrim #In all scenarios Ramona is P2 for Scott's plot #maybe not the Battle of the Bands #but she can't just be written out of things now that she's the show's main character #I was very good and didn't suggest Scott/Ramona/Kim endgame #but I wanted to #because that's the kind of trash I am #I wanted an avenue to add Mr. Chau but couldn't find one #he's just really cool and I am sad he can't menace Scott with this version #Knives is adorable and should have more screentime

[jinxthejubilee]

Slash - We Need to Talk

YEEESSS! I finally get to talk about my boy, Slash! (I apologize that it took so long.)

Now, as you can already tell, my favorite iteration of Slash was TMNT 2012, but what if he was in Rise?

I've played with this idea of bringing fresh takes on older characters before, specifically with Venus, here, here, and here, but I never got around to talking about Slash.

To recap: After Season 3 of Rise of TMNT was canceled and the movie came out, the creators talked about introducing two new turtle characters who, just like the main four, were experiments of Draxum, but were lost in the explosion and never found by Splinter. I'm in the camp that says Venus and Slash were those two lost babies.

Now, how exactly would that play out....

Slash's Origin

This was a bit hard to figure out on my part, especially since my and everyone else's ideas for Venus' story have at least some similarities and are actually hinted at in the show.

We can take him working for Big Mama off the table. Throughout his numerous incarnations, the most consistent trait he has is his height and bulkiness. He towers over everyone, and the assissin isn't nearly that tall.

We can also cross off him being an alien like the comics or Rachael's pet turned sentient mutant like the 2012 show.

So if Big Mama, Draxum, Splinter, or Raphael didn't raise him, who did?

Well, maybe gang members.

Think about it: There's plenty of yokai street thugs or thieves guilds in the show. It wouldn't be too out there to think that he could've been sold off or taken in by criminals. You could bring back the Mighty Mutanimals as well. A fierce, notorious gang whose goal is underground domination.

And it would make perfect sense for his character. Unlike the boys, Slash would've grown up molded by violence and the "You vs. Me" mentality: his staple characteristics.

It defines his character perfectly, but it would also help bring more depth to his personality.

Slash's Personality

Borrowing from the 2012 show a bit, Slash is a more complex person than he appears.

He enjoys fighting, especially when blood is spilled, but he isn't entirely a violent murder machine.

The senseless violence is drawn from a sense of inferiority. As someone who started from the very bottom in his thug "family" as the weakling, he's risen to the top and can't let himself fall down again.

For reference, think Bass from Mega Man. A guy who actively gets in the way of others, even those on his side, to prove he's the best. Although, you could say that Slash is more calculating. He adores being the center of attention, but he can work on the sidelines if he has to, especially if it means that he can hijack the mission and take the glory for himself.

He's a lot like Leo in that regard, with his ego blinding him. But unlike Leo, Slash has no one to bring him back down to earth. He chases his highs, throwing caution into the wind.

However, while he revels in the attention, deep down, he knows that it might not last forever. He knows how fickle his leaders and everyone around him are. He can't let them discard him. Abandon him. Not again. So he works tirelessly to impress them, to prove he is the best. This is all he has in the world. If he loses that, what will become of him?

He's used to the world being frightened of him. He shouldn't expect compassion or kindness from anyone. The world is a dark, unforgiving place that eats up the weak so the strong can thrive. That's his outlook, and there's no changing it.

Buuuuuutttt, after shenanigans, character development, and several reality checks happen, Slash eventually breaks away from the gang and becomes much more humble and appreciative of life.

He still enjoys fighting, but he's mellowed out.

I doubt that he'd live with his brothers full time since he's more of a loner type, but there's always a place for him at home. And he'd be glad to work alongside them, should they need more muscle.

But if you want to go for a more tragic ending or a parallel to Venus, Leo, or even Raph in a way, Slash doesn't change, and his thirst for power becomes his downfall. They mourn him, of course, as the sibling who couldn't be saved, but they use his tale as a lesson of what paranoia, self-centeredness, and anger can do to someone once it consumes you.

It is a very depressing storyline, but an interesting one to explore, nonetheless. Plus, this fandom is used to tragedy, right?

Relationships

My favorite section!

Now, Slash would most likely be older than Raphael, maybe even April. I see him as one of Draxum's earliest test subjects, which I'll get to in a minute. For now, let's start with immediate family members.

Raphael:

It would not be a pleasant meeting for sure. In my interpretation, they are two sides of the same coin.

They both have anger issues.

They're both intimidating to look at at first glance.

They both enjoy the thrill of battle.

They're both insecure.

However, they are opposites.

Raph's temper stems from the desire to protect his family at all costs. He uses his size and strength to help people, and he knows how to reel himself back from doing significant damage when it's unnecessary. He's a pillar of justice.

Slash, however, only uses his advantages to hurt anyone who crosses his path and to keep up his reputation as a dangerous criminal. Everyone, except maybe a select few of his fellow gang members, is disposable to him. They're collateral damage. And it isn't until he loses everything that he even considers looking from a different perspective.

Raph would only see him as someone who he needs to protect his brothers from, even after he learns that Slash is related to them. The same could be said for Slash. He didn't have family before, and he doesn't need them now.

If the redemption arc follows through, then Raph would still be wary of his older brother at first. He's not used to having an older sibling figure (aside from April, of course) to rely on. Slash would need time to adjust to being an older brother.

It's a very awkward time overall, but they find their rhythm eventually.

Leonardo

Similar to Raph, Leo might find a rival in Slash, too.

Again, they are alike in many aspects.

Leo is egotistical and flamboyant, striving to be the best of the best. But Slash turns that notch up to 100.

They both take slights against them very personally. I mean, come on! Leo still complains about Draxum throwing him off a roof.

Especially now that Leo is the leader and has learned more humility, seeing how Slash acts and views the people around him, it's a more extreme reflection of who Leo used to be.

He would want to keep the group as far away from Slash as possible unless he has something of use. Unlike Raph, he'd be willing to work with him if he has information or something of value, as reluctant as he would be.

After character development, Leo would still not want to hang around Slash that much. He doesn't hate him, and he may be able to crack a few jokes here and there with him, but he can't bring himself to trust him yet.

That being said, once they become more comfortable around each other and learn that they have a surprising amount in common, they'll start to bond and get along just fine.

Donatello

This would be one of the few times he actually agrees with both Raph AND Leo on. This dude is bad news.

As much as he hates to admit it, he feels uneasy around Slash. Especially after the countless fights they had with him, which almost all of them could have ended with him or his brothers getting killed more times than he'd want to analyze.

Slash's whole MO is striking down the physically weak, and while Donnie is by no means fragile, I guarantee that Slash would remark about Donnie "hiding behind his gadgets," so to speak. Perhaps commenting about his soft shell.

It takes Donnie an impressively long time to get used to Slash if he chooses to change. A part of him just can't bring himself to welcome him to the family.

Biologically related or not, Slash nearly killed/severely injured them all, called out Donnie's insecurities, and unlike Draxum, who at the very least appreciates Donnie's technology, Slash doesn't care for it and sees his inventions as "handicaps." They have little in common. What else is there to say?

Slash will have to prove himself and adopt a more gentle demeanor if he wants to get on Donnie's good side. If he ever gets there, they might bond over silly things. Maybe they share a passion for dance or video games?

It'll be a long road before they get there, though. That's for sure.

Michaelangelo

Take this as a more developed version of Draxum's character arc in the show.

Mikey is always willing to give people second chances. But his trust and sympathy for Slash would form slowly over a period of time.

After Slash has lost everything, whether that be from the brothers finally defeating the Mutanimals or the gang themselves kicking Slash out for whatever reason, he wanders the world alone, thinking about what to do and where to go next.

Mikey, after finally convincing Raph to let him scout out the city by himself or something along those lines, he finds Slash repeatedly over the course of a few episodes: the equivalent of a few weeks or months in their universe.

During their accidental meetings, they end up being forced to help each other in some way. Maybe another villain traps them, or something larger is at play.

In any case, these episodes would help them form a connection of sorts. They work out their differences and establish a brotherly bond as a result.

As much as Mikey tries to encourage Slash to come home with him, Slash can't bring himself to trust himself or the others yet. That, and he doesn't want Mikey to get in trouble, should anyone find out about them becoming friends.

I'm not sure if Mikey could finally convince Slash to come with him, or if one way or another someone finds out and alerts the others, but it's not a pleasant surprise regardless.

The family would be, understandably, very worried for Mikey's safety and well-being, and would definitely argue with him about his choice to keep his kindling brotherly relationship under wraps.

After the whole debacle is over, however, and Slash has earned a modicum of trust within the group, perhaps saving Mikey or someone else, Mikey serves as the mediator between the family and Slash.

He tries to help others understand that Slash was used and looked at as a weapon his entire life. He doesn't know or understand the true meaning of family.

Mikey is actively trying to help Slash connect with others. It won't be easy, but the word "impossible" isn't in Mikey's dictionary.

Splinter

Another one he failed to save.

A parent should never hate their child, and Splinter doesn't. Not really. If anything, he hates himself for not saving Slash and giving him the home he deserves.

But at the same time, he can't love Slash. Not yet, at least.

He hurt so many people and wasn't sorry about it. But that's how he was raised. He didn't grow up with compassion or care, only violence and torture.

Once Mikey asserts to Splinter that Slash means no harm, he'd be willing to warm up to Slash. Though, unlike Venus, Slash is a lot more frustrating to work with.

There will be vulnerable moments. Angst will be seen, I can tell you that right now.

Slash never had a definitive father figure in his life, often bouncing along from person to person. So, having someone stable and constant in his life is new and scary, and he doesn't know what to do with it.

He'll get used to it eventually, and over time, he'll learn to appreciate Splinter's attempts to bond with him.

Venus

These two are at the complete opposite ends of the spectrum. Night and day. Push and pull.

While both of them are the lost children of their father, Venus' home life was much different than Slash's.

Venus grew up with an actual parental guardian. A cold, snarky, and standoffish guardian, but she had one nonetheless. This quiet and strict environment caused her to become quiet herself, almost mute, and a bit socially awkward. Moreover, while she is very mindful of the thoughts and feelings of the people around her, she is somewhat naive about the world due to her sheltered upbringing.

Slash, on the other hand, is loud, abrasive, and couldn't care less about anyone's feelings. He's seen the horrors of the world, but he's ignorant to its calm and serene side. He had no real figure in his life to guide him down the straighter, narrow path and wound up the way he is as a result.

Venus sees him as vulgar, conceded, and a threat to her family's well-being. She just found her place amongst a loving, warm family. She refuses to lose that to the likes of him.

Slash sees her as an uptight, mousy little witch who he constantly underestimates. He later learns that her lack of arms won't stop her from kicking his sorry a-!

-ANYWAY! The bottom line is that they absolutely despised each other. And even after Slash becomes more present in their lives, they still don't get along.

Don't get Venus wrong. She doesn't hold grudges nearly as much as her brothers, but after everything Slash did to them and his overall bad attitude, she can't find it in her heart to fully trust him yet.

She mostly just avoids him and speaks to him with a cold formalness if they ever cross paths. Much to Slash's annoyance.

It doesn't last forever, though. Slash finds her easier to talk to aside from Mikey.

Venus learns to enjoy Slash's candor and battle-hearty spirit. While Slash learns to like Venus' peaceful and gentle nature.

They are opposites, but sometimes you need that to grow and expand your horizons.

Mask Color and Weapons?

I talked about this in my first Venus post, but the more I thought about it, there's no need to change his mask. Black suits him well.

If anything, I could add that making Venus' mask white would be a neat idea to highlight their contrasting personalities. And maybe to use that as a callback to that stupid Yin and Yang symbol she had. Even though it's a CHINESE SYMBOL. Yet another reason why The Next Mutation was awful.

As for weapons, as a guild member, he'd probably have a bunch of weapons. Knives, brass or claw knuckles, bombs, you know, the works.

However, his main weapon would be his mace. This thing:

It looks cool, it's imposing, it's spiky, what's not to love about it?

What Type of Turtle Would He Be?

Considering that Raph is an alligator snapping turtle, one of the largest turtles in the world, I had to get creative.

He had to be big, and he had to be spiky. So, I looked to see if there were any different types of snapping turtles. And lo and behold! I found it!

The Suwanee Snapping Turtle.

A large freshwater turtle, found in one of the scariest places in the world: Florida.

Honestly, with Slash being of the same genus as Raph, the parallels I thought about would work almost too well.

In conclusion:

Slash could be just as interesting a character as the others if given the respect and appreciation that he deserves.

I feel bad for him, honestly. Most people theorize that the two turtles that were planned to be in Season 3 were Venus and Jennika. And I haven't seen anyone comment about Slash being a possibility. He's been completely left in the dust.

And yeah, I contributed to that by taking so long to talk about this, but I hope my discussion here will bring Slash back in the spotlight.

Goodnight everybody!

#we need to talk #thoughts #discussion #tmnt slash #the teenage mutant ninja turtles #teenage mutant ninja turtles slash #rise of tmnt slash #rise of the tmnt #rise of teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of tmnt #rottmnt leonardo #rottmnt leo #rottmnt raph #rottmnt raphael #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt donatello #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt michelangelo #rottmnt master splinter #rottmnt splinter #rottmnt venus de milo #rottmnt venus #rottmnt #rottmnt rant #rant #fandom rant #fandom #teenage mutant ninja turtles #teenage mutant ninja turtles 2012

[freakystrashdump]

Do you have any snippets of info or behind curtains lore that you're willing to share? Any Belos and/or Selena crumbs? 🥺🙏

HmmmMMM so it's very iffy on how much I can say and how much I want to remain a surprise for others, but I will try my best to blabber on here for ya :v

So it's no mystery that Belos and Selena are basically the somewhat more functional (and very much less violent) version of my own Priest and Salem, who have been a massive hyper-fixation since late 2019/early 2020. I talked before about how I instantly imprinted on Belos because he is so much of what I envisioned when I created Priest, they have a lot of characteristics they share and a lot of backstory elements that are super similar.

I have spoiled some stuff inadvertently on this blog, because at the time I was developing everything, I wasn't sure I was going to be writing a fic yet, so some things are less of a surprise than others

Now, as for more in detail, fun lore stuff for this, lets go under a read-more, because maybe some peeps don't want me spoiling stuff hehe.

Something that a lot of people have caught on, and I am very happy they did, was that Elsewhere and Elsewhen is gonna be real big for Selena and Belos. I did one fun comic on the topic, and I put the "time shenanigans" tag on the fic, but where people started catching on was around chapter four, after introducing grandma Isabella, and where two things were mentioned: That Belos had a very short infatuation with Isabella upon meeting her, and that, as Isabella puts it, "Selena looks more and more like her every day"

And it's one of the main plot points in the story which I planed very early, it's the reason for Belos' obsession in the first place, and I can't wait to write it all out. I have some bits and pieces already written out. I also plan to do a side-fic of his POV as well, around the time this part of the story finally comes around. And let me tell you, Philip is one fun, deluded guy to write for! A little spoilery snippet for ya:

Some other stuff I am so excited about:

The Oracle aspect of Selena coming more in to play. It has been mostly pushed to the side except for little snippets here and there, however oracle magic is gonna be much more significant. Especially the spirit sensitivity that comes with it, and even the way I plan to change the canon near the end of season 2.

I actually started planing out a very different way the story would progress when season 2 just ended, which I already scraped because it just wouldn't fit anymore. It was supposed to be a very heartwrenching betrayal, especially on Belos' part, because in this version, in an attempt to purge Selena of the "inherent evil of magic", he forced a specialized sigil on her that locked away all her magic. Then the finale happened, Selena was dragged to the human realm (she was there along with him because he had every intention of taking her with him now that she was "cured"), and she was forced to adapt to a life without magic, and without Belos.

I can share snippets of this, since this storyline is now completely scrapped (also Philip regained his human form here, we didn't know yet that he was stuck in goop form haha)

The only saving grace I did give him in this version is that he was afraid the sigil would fail and hurt her, and his failsafe was the guhya skin. So his redemption did come in the form of him letting her know this later on and removing it, letting her magic come back.

Ah...I don't know what much more I could share. If some specific little things interest you, I could focus on that if I can, but like my mind is too scattered haha.

I'll leave you with this little doodle I did a looong while back ;)

#the oracle bakery #magical ask of freaky #spoilers #aGH every time I edit this the [readmore] moves a paragraph lower fuck you tumblr