#and esp given his father's story it's like. a wonderful ending for them. esp since his OTHER issue is not communicating

[llycaons]

I do think cql lwj is just a better person than novel lwj but also think it’s such a waste to make cql lwj this pure flawless beacon of moral perfection - that really is boring. maybe he is jealous and maybe he is possessive and I’d much rather see him recognize and work to overcome those flaws than the narrative just pretending they don’t exist. that’s makes the final separation and return so rewarding. for me

#it's left kind of vague what exactly he was thinking besides wanting to bring wwx back to CR and if he would have done it #if wwx wasn't willing #which...I don't think he woud have. but there's that voice in his head that wants to and it battles with his equal respect for wwx's choices #and esp given his father's story it's like. a wonderful ending for them. esp since his OTHER issue is not communicating #and the reunion and final scene imply they get past that too #so it balances out quite nicely #meanwhile novel lwj was never held accountable for the forced kiss even tho ig he felt bad? and he aso needed someone to confess for him #so. what character development did we see huh. he got okay with being flirted with ig #on the other hand at least novel lwj HAD flaws. hc is apparently perfect in every way #even when threatening violence and inflicting it xl is just like 'haha he's great' like sometimes its like ???? #like I enjoy hc but he's so bare #and it's wild that xl will completely excuse and overlook all his actions #cql txp

[shima-draws]

Hi hello I’m here with (half of) another ridiculously complex crossover AU here we go

Legally Blonde AU where Izuku is a semi-famous actor working part time in his father (Toshinori’s) studio while also going to college and majoring in Theatrical Production. His childhood friend and longtime boyfriend, Bakugou, has been dropping hints for the past few weeks about proposing to Izuku. Izuku, naturally, is absolutely thrilled, and has all the support of his friends and peers.

On the night of their big date, Bakugou breaks up with Izuku, saying that he's not "serious" enough for him, and that he only follows the path that was laid out for him and isn't ambitious enough to suit Bakugou's tastes in a lifelong partner. Bakugou tells Izuku he's going to UA, a famous law school that pumps out graduates that support professional heroes. Izuku is totally devastated, and shuts himself up in his room for weeks, becoming depressed.

After a pep talk from his friends, who are part of the production crew with him (Ashido, Hagakure, and Nejire), Izuku decides that he'll chase Bakugou to UA, and with Tsuyu's help, promptly starts studying for it. After making the cut, Izuku yells at Ashido for sending in a production video of him on set as his personal essay--because that shouldn't count!! Izuku hurriedly calls the admissions office and as they prepare to reject him, he gives an honest speech about love and how important it is for a lawyer to be compassionate and hardworking. He gets accepted!

On the first day of class Izuku bumps into a couple of already accomplished law students--Shinsou, who is extremely hardworking and ambitious despite his background, and Hatsume, a girl who's won tons of awards for her groundbreaking inventions and their contributions to hero society. With them is Todoroki, a recent graduate working as a teacher aid/intern under the infamous Aizawa, one of the most legendary lawyers in their era despite his tendency to only take certain cases for underground heroes. Izuku makes a stumbling, awkward yet somewhat eccentric introduction, and Todoroki is immediately smitten despite sensing that Izuku probably isn't cut out for UA.

Izuku bumps into Bakugou before their first class, and pretends that he forgot that Bakugou also attends UA. In their first class Aizawa ruthlessly weeds out the weaker students and intimidates the hell out of them by quizzing them with difficult cases. Aizawa tells them that he has a very big internship every year that accepts four students--and they're practically guaranteed a job after graduation. Izuku is called out for not having done the reading before class, and Yaoyorozu, an upper class, somewhat prissy girl, suggests that he be kicked out of the lecture hall.

Todoroki sneaks out during the lecture and comforts Izuku, saying that he'd been kicked out of class before too, and suggesting that Izuku study properly so he can be prepared next time. Yaoyorozu comes out next and Izuku confronts her about what she'd said, and she truthfully states that he has no place at UA if he's not willing to dedicate himself to it fully--that everyone else had gotten there through hard work and WANTED to be there, seeming to know that Izuku had made it in with different intentions. She idly wonders if Izuku's even capable of studying with that fluffy head of his (it's not meant to be an overly rude comment but Izuku takes it that way). Izuku's heart shatters when he realizes that Bakugou and Yaoyorozu are dating, because apparently they’d interned together before over the summer and Bakugou had been impressed by her intelligence and ambition. Izuku is encouraged by an imaginary production crew of his friends. Izuku decides if he's going to be serious he needs to start off by shaving his head LOL because according to Yaomomo it's the scruffy hair that's one of the big obstacles of winning Bakugou back.

Izuku swings by a salon and meets Uraraka--who immediately discourages him from getting a buzzcut, saying "Those fluffy locks of yours are a godsend and you should NOT sacrifice them to look like a military trainee. Trust me." Uraraka gives him a huge pep talk while also sharing her past failed romances, wishing she can find an athletic guy to be happy with, and encourages Izuku to go after love while he still has the chance, as himself. After that, Yaomomo happens to walk in with Jirou, and the two of them discuss a party they're going to at the end of the week. Izuku shyly asks if he can come. Jirou whispers to Yaomomo to tell him it's a costume party, which she does. Uraraka excitedly says she has the perfect thing for Izuku to wear.

At the party, everyone is dressed business casual. Izuku comes in wearing a slutty bunny outfit and is immediately humiliated. (Yaomomo feels kinda bad esp since she didn't really think he'd dress up--and definitely not like THIS.) Izuku steels his nerves and flirts with Bakugou, who is like "Why the hell didn't you wear this kinda shit while we were dating" and Izuku slyly says, "Well, you never asked, did you?" Bakugou reminisces a bit on their childhood and Izuku says they can go back to the way things were. Bakugou calls him out for saying so, especially given how he looks right now, and at this rate he'll be lucky to even make it through the semester, let alone get Aizawa's internship, which Izuku apparently wants to do despite not having any real conviction. Yaomomo steps in and Izuku snaps at her for the false costume party tip. Yaomomo suggests he leaves before he embarrasses himself further and brings shame to their class. Izuku says his costume was inspired by Usagiyama, a famous hero, and asks if she's an embarrassment too? The whole party gangs up on Yaomomo as Izuku leaves in tears.

Todoroki finds him on a bench outside wearing a very suggestive costume, freezing his ass off, miserable, and crying. Todoroki asks him why he came to UA in the first place--and Izuku reveals his full story with Bakugou. Todoroki lends Izuku his sweatshirt and says he can't feel sorry for him because he'd grown up in worse circumstances--his mother left his father when he was young, leading them to a life of near poverty, and that he's been struggling to support them both. His goal is to become a successful lawyer that can support honest heroes, and buy a house that his mother can live in comfortably. And, most importantly--win a case against his father to protect the both of them for good. Izuku thinks that's very sweet--but it kind of seems like Todoroki has a chip on his shoulder...and Todoroki says he does, and that he's going to take advantage of every opportunity he's given and work as hard as hell to become successful, and not just for himself. He's had to work two jobs on top of having class just to make it this far. Izuku asks how he does it--Todoroki tells him that he works nonstop and doesn't take the time to break, have parties, or spend hours distracting himself with films or theatrical productions. (Izuku feels a bit guilty at this LMAO) Izuku asks if Todoroki's willing to help him out--and Todoroki, strangely enough, agrees to do so.

Todoroki escorts Izuku back to his dorm, and notices that Izuku has barely touched his law books. Izuku admits it's been hard for him to really get into it, because coming from a theater/film background means that all of his studies are practical and on hand, and not from a book. Todoroki says he needs to get over that--and starts throwing out all of Izuku's posters and theater memorabilia. Izuku FREAKS LOL and Todoroki's like "You need to remove all distractions if you want to do this right".

I will write the rest tomorrow if enough of ya’ll wanna read the rest...LOL SORRY I’m so wiped out I gotta go to bed but anyway yes. Fun AU idea. I’m a slut for Tododeku crossovers apparently, ESPECIALLY this one because Elle and Emmett’s romance? Soft AND God Tier

#BNHA #Legally Blonde #Crossover #Tododeku #Bakudeku #Bakugou Katsuki #Midoriya Izuku #Todoroki Shouto #Yaoyorozu Momo #MHA #My Hero Academia #Boku no Hero Academia #Aizawa Shouta #Uraraka Ochako #Long post #Shima's AUs #Legally Blonde AU #Shima speaks #I love this AU I WILL write it thanks goodnight

[beyond-far-horizons]

Mortal Kombat (2021) Predictions/Hopes

Since we likely aren’t going to see the film for another 2 weeks (if that) *sulks* I’m doing this now before some numpty can spoil some or all of it for me.

Hopes

A really good intro to characters and lore with heart and set up for the next film.

Hopefully Sonya and Mileena get their due and other female characters are introduced as well.

Cole is relevant but Hanzo stays on as Scorpion (not sure about this :( )

There is lots of juicy angst and rivalry between Scorpion and Sub-Zero. I think this is a given with the trailers and what I have heard of the plot.

I want lots of Angry/Hurt! Hanzo/Scorpion torn between his rivalry with Sub-Zero and having a second chance at family with Cole who he becomes a reluctant mentor to. From what I’ve read Scorpion’s story is the ‘heart’ of the movie. Having a second change via Cole and his family would be a wonderful journey and it would be so good to finally see Hiroyuki Sanada play a character that displays his range in a Hollywood movie. 

Shang Tsung being more than just a card board cutout EVVVVVVVVVIL Overlord. Cary had so much fun with the role, but if they are going for more ‘realism’ I really like the hints of Shang Tsung wanting to ‘save his dying world’ and his bevy of badass ladies. I really crave bad guys that aren’t just typical bad bosses. If he cared a bit about his people that would be great. I doubt it will happen and if it did it will be limited, but I want some nuance...

Not gonna lie...I would really like some, a hint, a tiny molecule of a nod towards 1995 Shang Tsung’s villainous crush on Sonya. I feel he might develop it during the course of the movie which would put the sequel again to be a better version of 1995 movie because Shang’s desire for Sonya in that movie or how he first became aware of her is never explained. 

That being said I do NOT want Sonya objectified or put into a silly dress like 1995 movie and I don’t think it will happen as I think the filmmakers are pretty clued up. 

Predictions under the cut - don’t read if you don’t want to be potentially spoiled

Predictions

Based on trailers/teaser scenes and fan theories I think this film is something of prequel, getting main characters into place before the ‘main event’, which is one of the reasons a) Kano starts as one of good guys b) Johnny isn’t in it etc

Shang Tsung starts some drama and tries to kill the ‘chosen fighters’ before the main tournament against the Elder Gods’ rules to ensure his victory. He lost on the 10th tournament once before, he’s not going to make that mistake again damnit!

Cole is related to Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi (this was basically given away by something I learnt from a spoiler from the prequel scene and that Lewis Tan in several social media posts is very attached to the Scorpion character as well as Cole’s yellow armbands and Scorpion appearing to him and saving him from Sub-Zero in the trailer scenes. Scorpion does not seem like the type of guy at that point to do that for just anyone. This is one of the things I’m most looking forward to and also dreading. I’m looking forward to Vengeful Fire Ghost! Hanzo being torn between his vendetta against Sub-Zero and his filial duty to Cole. I think across the movie gradually mentoring Cole will bring Hanzo back to himself after the tragedy of the first scene. Cole himself is also a father and feels like a failure so I’m looking forward to some family bonding there.

Pretty much a given that Hanzo’s family (most of them) are frozen by Bi-Han and Hanzo is killed and cursed to Neverrealm to become Scorpion.

I’m really not looking forward to this but I suspect that Hanzo played by my beloved Hiroyuki Sanada will die at the end of the film and by replaced by Cole as the new Scorpion. This is both because of Lewis’s fore-mentioned attachment to the character, Cole’s concept art that is like Scorpion’s and frankly as some rude guy pointed out on the internet Hiro is 60 and they are wanting to make this a Marvel style cinematic universe. He is a legend but I can’t see him wanting to do this for another 10/15 years (extremely happy to be proved wrong though because I will cry if this happens!) This might also be the reason Ed Boon  - one of the original creators and Scorpion fanatic doesn’t seem very hyped with the film. Who knows.

Jax tries to recruit Cole at the start and fails cos come on who would believe in fighting fantasy aliens and a guy that can freeze stuff...until they start to attack you and your family. Jax and Cole (poss family) make a run for it which leads to a confrontation with Sub Zero who freezes Jax’s arms. Cole makes it to Sonya but they don’t hold out much hope for Jax. Jax is given experimental treatment and returns to save Sonya and the gang at a plot relevant moment - cue bonding moment between Sonya and Jax. Sonya fills Cole in with much banter from Kano who is possibly Sonya’s prisoner along for the ride. They make it to Raiden’s place after Shang’s assassins attack and Kano grabs a heart. 

Kano betrays the Good Guys. This is pretty much a given with his character and background. I think he gets tempted by Shang Tsung and is given his laser eye and attacks the compound along with Shang’s fighters at the end.

Kung Lao dies and his soul is stolen by Shang Tsung. Not confirmed at all but a few things from some of the trailer scenes and something Ludi Lin said about Liu Kang ended the film having lost something important and having to search for it(?) made me think of this. Someone has to die and Shang Tsung stealing their soul sets up the Shang vs Liu Kang rivalry. Also Shang will hold a major grudge against the descendant of the dude that beat him in that previous 10th tournament. We will see. 

Raiden will at some point consult the Elder Gods...you know it’s gotta happen ;) Shang might use that moment to attack his fighters. He and Raiden have a massive fight at the end.

Shang is severely punished at the end but he squeaks out of it, either then or at the end of the next film. Some people think he may ‘win’ at the end but Raiden convinces the Elder Gods he cheated so they agree to re-stage the real tournament. I’m not sure.  But I think whoever is killed will be given an option to return if they beat Shang in the real tournament. 

Bi-Han will be killed by Scorpion and become Noob Saiboot and we will get an intro to the new Sub-Zero but he will be introduced in the sequel with a vendetta against Scorpion - either Hanzo or Cole. 

Cole’s family will be held prisoner by Shang Tsung and Sub-Zero will threaten them esp if it will get a rise out of Hanzo. Cole manages to save them.

Sonya will battle Mileena several times. Mileena will develop her trademark jaws for the second fight. Sonya will kill her at the end though. 

Princess Kitana will be introduced but be teased for the sequel. 

Johnny will make a cameo at the end - either the name or maybe an actor.

What are your thoughts? (No actual spoilers though please!)

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat 2021 #cole young #hanzo hasashi #scorpion #sub-zero #sonya blade #shang tsung #liu kang #raiden #jax

[duketectivecomics]

Hey I was wondering if you know the official order of bruce gaining all the kids including harper, Barbara, and stephanie? I know its Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian but where does the other 3 and duke and cass fall in? Tia!!

So I’m gonna assume that you mean the order in which they get adopted, since finding First Appearances is one of the easier things to google for any character. (Getting First Appearance issues afterall is part of the reason some comics retain their value, so it’s usually well documented when a character first shows up. Side note: DCUguide is an excellent resource if you’re looking to comb through appearances for characters, although I’d also recommend asking for reading lists from other fans, since usually those have been curated down to essential storylines only)

I tried to provide actual issue #s where I could, but a lot of the time in comics, it’s usually something that’s dropped or hinted around or casually mentioned rather than outright boldly stated.

Also some of these characters span DECADES and their histories change depending on continuity. So I tried to account for that where I could.

But also canon is fake and everyone in fandom cherry-picks anyways so yknow. Keep THAT in mind too.

Before we dive into this, I wanna have a quick convo on what Legal Guardianship vs Adoption is.

While guardianship includes some of the same responsibilities as adoption, it also comes with a few key differences, such as allowing any living parents (also possibly any living relatives) to contest the guardianship. Adoption would make the child fully and solely the potential parent’s responsibility, and would nullify any legal ‘say’ that the biological parents may have. Also of note, is that  guardianship does not allow the child in question a claim to inheritance unless the guardian specifically wills it to them, as there is again, a bit more of distance that is placed between the child and guardian, as more of a mentorship is expected to take hold. One way to look at it is that adoption is permanent (& usually a longer drawn out process bc of that), while guardianship can be more legally flexible.

With that out of the way, let’s start~

Dick: pre-flashpoint/52, it’s stated often that Dick was actually Bruce’s ward, that Bruce has legal guardianship over Dick. I know this is a nitpick and doesn’t matter bc it’s usually retconned/ignored in favor of Dick being adopted. But I think it’s a fascinating point of potential contention nonetheless. especially given the historical reason, that it was absolutely unheard of at the time for a single man to adopt a child, but no one would bat at eye if he was taking Dick in out of a sense of altruism & duty. Contract this with decades later, when he DOES appear to adopt Jason outright, which puts some friction in place between Dick & Bruce. and well, you’ve got a whole story & conflict to explore right there.

Barbara: Usually dons the Batgirl cowl after Dick becomes Robin (the only exception to that was The Batman (2004) cartoon and it was absolutely galaxy brain of them honestly) She has her own Dad though (idk if y’all know him? Jim Gordon? Yknow? The Commissioner?) so she doesn’t get adopted. She’s considered a core batfam member mostly in the sense that she’s been there so long and esp as she makes herself absolutely essential when she becomes Oracle. She has never, and will likely never be adopted by Bruce (bc again. W h e n is that gonna come up? When Jim dies? L m f a o)

Jason: pre-crisis it’s assumed from the go I guess? I could only find slight confirmation and ended up finding more info that there was a custody battle and that Bruce would won Jason back officially in Detective Comics #548. post-crisis, Jason’s history is redone, though & I remember his adoption being touched on, but could not for the life of me find a particular issue. N52/Rebirth it’s simply assumed from the go as far as I’m aware.

Tim: Batman #654. This was after his father died, though he’d been Robin at this point for at least a decade. For n52/Rebirth as far as I can tell he’s also been outright adopted by Bruce (though I think he’s parents were still alive but in Witness Protection? Idk. I haven’t read at all for Tim’s history there so take that with a heavy grain of salt)

Steph: another one who is not adopted (Crystal Brown is very much alive and taking care of Steph (barring the time Leslie Thompkins squirreled her away after faking Stephs death BUT)) She does show up pretty soon on Tim’s tail when he starts as Robin. Again, she’s considered a staple of the family because of how long she’s been involved with them. I like to think of her like Kimmy in Full House. She’s a Good Friend who’s Constantly Showing Up and is one of the family through mutual agreement on everyone’s part.

Cass: Batgirl (2008) #6, though like Tim, Cass had been Batgirl for nearly a decade at that point in continuity. She’s shown and stated many times that she considers Bruce a father/father figure and likewise that Babs, who had been mentoring her, was the closest she has to a mother. In n52/Rebirth, I have yet to see or hear about official adoption for her, but again. We usually ignore canon on that part anyways. I mean they made her into Orphan so uhhhh. Not super great yknow?

Damian: since he is biologically Bruce’s, it’s never really addressed as far as I’m aware (I have yet to read Damian’s appearances Altho he’s next on my Robin list). I personally think it’d be interesting to explore the fact that he was likely born outside of the country and what that means for Bruce gaining legal custody & whether or not Talia would contest that? I’m sure there’s probably SOME thinkpieces about it out there, but I’ll search for them on my own time eventually

And now we’re getting to *drum roll* Harper and Duke!

Harper: her appearances are mostly kept to the n52 runs, though with Tynion returning to Detective, it’s likely she’s coming back into Rebirth soon. She’s a unique case where, due to her abusive home life, she emancipated herself and took her brother, Cullen, with her. Neither she nor her brother were adopted by Bruce, and as far as I’m aware/understand, they’re fine with it that way. I know Stephanie was living with them at some point (it’s dropped in Batman & Robin: Eternal at least?), so I certainly think it would have been nice if DC also brought them into the fold like Steph. Just a couple of kids who are Really Good Friends with the family and continue to insert themselves in batfam business lmao

Duke: I actually addressed this fairly recently here! Duke’s guardianship (bc like Dick, Duke is not outright adopted by Bruce, likely to afford Duke’s parents the opportunity to regain custody should they recover from Joker’s toxin) its a little more up in the air at this point in Batman & The Outsiders. Since Bruce is very clearly taking both him and Cass away on globetrotting adventures. It would make things EASIER ofc if he is under Bruce’s guardianship. But given that it’s not really addressed, it’s led most of fandom to simply assume it instead. And really? Considering that DC themselves probably doesn’t realize that they’ve written themselves into this corner, it probably won’t be fully addressed or recognized anyways.

So to answer your first question actually: Babs, Steph, and Harper? Not adopted, likely never will be, but they ARE interspersed fairly regularly in the line-up. Everyone else? Varying degrees of being under Bruce’s guardianship if not outright adopted.

We’re all happy that they’re here, though!!! And we love and appreciate them ALL.

#batfamily #fandom stuff #asked and answered #silencespeaks10 #randywrites #today on: randy googles it! #ive read quite a bit of batfam stuff but there were some things i did have to google again to confirm #and as always i highly recommend reading for urself when you can! #but here's the best tl;dr that i can give for the time being! #long post #<- for mobile users OOOOF its long

[markantonys]

(1) Au where Giuliano gives Simonetta the crown of beauty at the joust like he did in real life to throw people off his relationship with Fioretta. Simonetta has a character arc outside being pretty+ tragic she's friends with Giuliano and Sandro so she wants to help them keep Fioretta a secret. they develop the tragedy of Fioretta and Giuliano's love they secretly marry. Giuliano still feels awful when Simonetta dies because he blames himself for dragging her into it + still has his character

Development from the second last ep but it's I'm going to be a better man+ husband+ father + live a full life like Simonetta would want him to + get her justice. He learns Fioretta is expecting he's so happy+ he's like it's time to tell my family. And then whelp that very important unavoidable thing at the end of season 2 I don't like to talk about. Opening of season 3 - giulos birth + the show has an actual timeline that makes sense

oh my god you’ve done it! you’ve singlehandedly solved all the problems with giuliano’s character and simonetta’s lack thereof! i would’ve loved this version so much more than what we got!! the only downside of it is that while giulio being born after giuliano’s death would’ve been historically accurate, it also means that he wouldn’t have been able to have an arc in s3 if he’s only an infant for the first few episodes and then like 7 after the timeskip. although i guess if giulio had been maddalena’s age then that might’ve given more screentime to piero and especially the CRIMINALLY underused giovanni, which i wouldn’t have been mad about! but the lack of giulio would’ve been so sad! i’m conflicted

Also just more of both lucretias Sandro Caterina Ippoltia (I hope I spelt that right) carlo + Bianca

i wholeheartedly agree we NEEDED more bianca, i think she was probably the most wasted character of the series esp in s3. i would never complain about more lucrezia tornabuoni and sandro bc i love them, but personally i’m happy with the screentime they got! and same with carlo - maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but i’m fine with carlo just being a secondary character who crops up only occasionally and doesn’t have much of an individual arc, i love him ofc but i didn’t feel like we needed to see any more of him given that he’s not directly involved in the story of florence. i would’ve liked more scenes with him, giovanni, and giulio in rome in the second half of s3 tho, that was a missed opportunity

i adore caterina and ippolita to bits and i would’ve LOVED to see more of them, especially ippolita who was too wonderful to only be in one episode! but on the other hand i can’t really think of ways to give them more screentime without overcrowding things bc (like carlo) neither of them is directly involved in the story of florence. i would’ve so so so loved to see ippolita and lorenzo’s initial meeting happen in s2 or at least have lorenzo reference her since historically they were penpals, but again we just didn’t have time for that bc s2 as it is has the most crowded cast of all 3 seasons i believe, and even as it is there were characters who didn’t get enough screentime!

lucrezia donati i’m torn on because on paper, there’s absolutely no reason she should’ve even been in s3 at all - her function was to be lorenzo’s first love, and once that was served, she no longer had a purpose in the story (her suddenly becoming super religious in s3, while a good way of showing savonarola’s impact, felt kinda shoehorned in there bc we saw no indication of that aspect of her personality in s2, and i feel like they could’ve just used sandro for showing a beloved character falling under savonarola’s sway since historically he did). i’m 99% sure lucrezia wouldn’t have even been in s3 if she hadn’t been played by such a famous actress, which brings me to, on the other hand, alessandra mastronardi is a fantastic actress and made me love the character, and she felt wasted with the minimal screentime she got in both seasons (particularly absurd when she gets top billing in both seasons bc she’s so famous, even over ppl like synnove karlsen and matteo martari whose characters were way more important to the story).

#now i have seen ppl say alessandra should've been clarice since she's a better actress + has better chemistry with daniel #but i disagree with that i feel like that wouldn't be a good fit for the way they wrote clarice #clarice is SUPPOSED to be prim and proper and plain and un-charismatic and alessandra's just too naturally glamorous to pull that off lmao #wait now i sound like i'm insulting synnove but i don't mean to! #like yeah objectively she's not on alessandra's level bc alessandra is a fuckin superstar #but synnove is still a good actress and v pretty just in like a less strikingly glamorous way u know #answered #fairygoddaughterjane

[an-avid-reader]

Prodigy (Legend #2) - Marie Lu

my rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis of book 1 -

In a world where the Patriots, Colonies, and the Republic are at odds and there’s a plague in the poorer parts of the US, Day is an unstoppable street criminal with good intentions. When his family’s house gets marked by Republic soldiers, Day’s only thought is to steal a cure before his family member dies. June is a top student at Drake University—a prodigy. When her brother, Metias, gets caught in a cross-fire during a mission, June is fast-tracked to becoming a soldier. Her first mission: track down Day. As Day and June come from such opposite backgrounds, is it possible that their paths would’ve crossed otherwise? 

Link to Goodreads // Link to review book 1 // Spoilers (book 1+book2) in review below!

I haven’t read a trilogy in what feels like a really long time lmao; I think it’s because I’ve noticed that sometimes, the second book acts like a bridge book aka nothing really happens except for the last 50ish pages, which tbh just sets up book 3 (It’s like that one useless episode in a tv show that literally has nothing to do with the plotline). I’m VERY happy this wasn’t the case for Prodigy - if anything, there was even more action and more character (and world building) than Legend, which I much appreciated. That means that I also have a lot to unpack; buckle up!

I feel like the most natural place to start is from the stuff I didn’t really enjoy from the first book, specifically the world building and all the questions. It was finally explained that the Republic is essentially nonsense propaganda and the civilians are being fed false information--they aren’t winning the war, in fact they are losing! We also learned that the Colonies and the Patriots are two separate uh ‘groups’? And the Colonies fund the Patriots, but the Colonies are straight up left in the dark (and the Patriots were also hired by the Republic, but more on that later). I wanted to also briefly mention that when June and Day crossed into the Colonies territory, it was like a completely different world--maybe not better, just different. We also kind of get a glimpse into the history of the world--how climate change just absolutely obliterated the whole world. Which, tbh, I feel like if an ice cap near Antarctica (or Antarctica itself) were to melt, it would be more than just the edges of the US that would be underwater--it would go up to the Statue of Liberty’s torch :)))))))). Nevertheless, I really appreciated these explanations as it added more depth and also provided context for the setting, which I found was lacking in the first book (which, I get, you don’t want to overwhelm readers, esp in YA, with all the world building right away).

The other thing is that I wanted to know more about the plague, and Lu came through!!! So the plague is being used to try to create people as bioweapons, which makes me wonder if they were trying to clone those who were infected (or maybe just wanted to collect everyone who has a similar profile to Eden). I still have a few questions of the virus--like why did Eden and that other boy on the train go blind? Does the virus affect them on a genomic level?! I also find it hilarious that in LA they were quarantined for rioting--I feel like that pretty much just showed how weak the Republic is and how their power is no longer ominous (idk if that makes sense??).

Next, I want to touch on the characters and the character building (specifically June and Day, but others too!). I wanted to start off by prefacing that I’m not a fan of the love triangle vibes that we got throughout the books (and to be honest, the ending sort of pushed that narrative a bit further, which is not cool :///). So I’m not sure if it was Razor’s plan to cut communication between Day and June (on purpose) to prevent them from messing up the Patriot’s plans/to prevent Anden from becoming suspicious of June, but I found it so FRUSTRATING that they couldn’t communicate at least once before the assination (and I mean talk, not the signal bc that stirred up a lot of confusion with Day). Their separation really tested their relationship, but I also feel like there was a permanent wedge placed due to the lack of trust, and again, the ending just hammered that home. I will say, I really appreciate June and Day being completely transparent with each other when they escaped from the Patriots and got in the cave. It was like a necessary evil, but at least they shared relevant information with each other, which I believe strengthened their partnership, even if it took a toll on their relationship. Part of me hopes that they end up back together in Champion, but I know that it may not be ‘what’s best for them’, especially with that huge piece of information we learned about Day--that’s the one thing I’m mad about. They spill the beans in the cave but he can’t even tell June that he’s dying, instead he breaks up with her and then they end up kissing?? AH!

Now for those…...love triangles…. .-. Let’s start off with Anden and June. I’m not sure how I feel about Anden; Lu paints him to be this kind of heartthrob and well-intentioned guy but he’s also sort of naive? Like I get that his whole plan is to reform the Republic with the help of June and Day so that the civilians are on board, but I hope he realizes that there will always be people who are going to 1) resist him and 2) betray him. I really hope he isn’t as quick to trust people as he was with June (which maybe that was because his judgement was clouded). As for being naive...how did he not see June’s paperclip ring???? And to add onto that - how did the Colonies not realize that ‘Sarah’ is actually June???

I don’t know it just seems very unlikely that he didn’t see it considering that June was fiddling with it during their nice little dinner. And also the fact that he was always itching to see her. I didn’t realize, however, that Anden is only in his early twenties—he also lacks the edge that June and Day have, you can tell that he’s a poised person. While it’s great that he stands his ground on the Republic, I find it hard to believe that he isn’t a pushover (even just a tiny bit). Thus, I don’t really see how Anden and June could be a good match; I also don’t think class should play a role into whether or not you should or shouldn’t be with someone.

That sort of brings me to another point, which is the idea of the Priceps and the Elector itself. I have so many questions about Anden's plans, and they mainly involve him. For example, would there still be an Elector (and Senate) after the Republic is reformed? If so, would his powers be minimized, or would he have the status of President? For Priceps, it wasn’t very clear in the book that she doesn’t have to be married to the Elector, but it almost seemed that it was implied; could Anden have chosen to be married and have a separate Priceps? What if the Elector wasn’t straight? So. Many. Questions!! That whole Priceps thing is one of the reasons I couldn’t give this book a full 5 stars, again, it sort of has to do with the lack of information (or the amount of assumptions I have to make).

The next love triangle I have major issues with is Tess and Day, which Day is mostly uh turned off by the whole thing (which I can get behind) but Tess is just so stubborn and tbh pretty jealous, which isn’t cute. I really hope that in Champion they end up reconnecting, especially since Day is practically on his deathbed, but as friends. Maybe Tess will understand where Day is coming from with his feelings about June. Part of me wants Tess to end up with Baxter but I also really don’t like him?????? Agh this really sucks! I wish their relationship didn’t end on such a sour note. Like yes Tess, you were always there for Day (especially when he needed medical care) and ever since they got into contact with June (or rather, when June was sent on her mission), everything went downhill—but I mean, at some point Anden’s father would’ve passed, and maybe things would turn out to be in a similar circumstance, except instead of June it could be a different girl? The fact that Day still calls Tess ‘cousin’ and she still went ahead and kissed him just made me feel slightly uncomfortable?? No, they’re not biologically related, but given the amount of time they spent together, they almost could’ve been. To some extent, I feel like Tess had a huge crush on Day, but she never wanted to admit it until they were separated bc she maybe didn’t realize how much he means to her/she wanted that cheesy movie-like feeling where the two best friends realize that they are perfect together but beyond friends?? I do believe that Tess deserves someone great though, I just don’t think that Day is the guy for that :///

The last relationship-thing I want to briefly mention is Thomas and Metias’ relationship. I’m glad that we have some LGBT+ representation here, but at the same time, I can’t help but wonder if it was forced or not (like a checkbox Lu wanted to tick). I don’t remember in Legend when Thomas kissed June, if there was a kind of repulsion/it didn’t feel authentic. To be honest, I really thought that Thomas was into June, but when we learn he is gay (or maybe bi), it just didn’t seem to fit the story at all??? Upon this revelation, June racked her brain for memories of Thomas and Metias when they were young and oh it just happens that Metias never ‘brought back’ anyone/any girls home. Listen, I’m all for diversity, whether that be the character’s race, gender identity and/or sexual preference, I just don’t want it to come off as the author just ‘checking off a box’; I’d rather it be genuine (even though it’s a fictional story!) For all I know, Lu may have planned this, but to me it just came off as an afterthought, that’s all :/ (and @ Thomas, just because you love someone and it shouldn’t be allowed bc of your ranks, it doesn’t mean you have to kill them even if CoMmAnDeR JaMeSoN said to).

I wanted to also talk about characters—more specifically Razor, Commander Jameson, Baxter, and Kaede (rip). So um I guess we’ll start with Razor aka the biggest con man there ever was. Well tbh I kind of found him fishy, just like June did from the get-go, I just didn’t think it was going to be that…bad??? This goes back to Lu’s foreshadowing—which I would say it improved as I wasn’t able to fully guess what was going to happen—she drops p obvious hints left, right, and centre, you just don’t see them until the events unfold; what may seem like a small detail (i.e. Commander Jameson in Razor’s room on the ship and Day (as a disguise) bumping into her) will end up being part of a bigger plan, so to speak. Part of me wishes we had a peek into his mind to see what he thinks like, and if he has more motives, besides just being “hired” by the Senate to assassinate Anden, maybe Razor has a personal vendetta?? I also definitely suspect that Razor and Commander Jameson may or may not be a thing *side eyes*. I’m excited to read Champion to see how he will stand up against the Elector / the Republic, and whether the other Patriots will stand by his side or if they will turn against Razor--especially because right now he’s in jail, but I doubt he will stay there for long! (which can someone explain why Razor and Commander Jameson only got charged with treason??? They almost flipped the Republic on its head). 

Speaking of Patriots...there’s Baxter, which I don’t know where he stands. I think he’s definitely jealous of Day / the fact that Tess has feelings for Day even though he doesn’t reciprocate them. Just a dash of jealousy. But he did predict that Day would betray the Patriots, which makes me think that Baxter may have a part in an uprising, but maybe there’s a chance that he’ll see the whole story. Part of me also highly doubts that he’ll be rational; he seems to be someone with a heavy confirmation bias--I wonder if he knew that Razor was hired by the Senate or if it just went over his head. What if he’s the main villain in Champion o.O him + Tess would be interesting, especially Day does a last hurrah. But anyways, Baxter was just so arrogant, and I could feel Day’s own disappointment when he did exactly what Baxter had predicted. Yeap, there’s definitely going to be some tension that needs to be revisited. 

Last and certainly not least, Kaede :( I’m a bit annoyed that she’s dead. It’s yet again another thing that could be used against Day (specifically his relationship with June; anything that comes near them dies). We got to learn so much from Kaede, and before we knew it, she got shot. It sucks because I think she seemed like a reasonable person and she always remained level-headed. She’s not one to judge quickly *cough cough Baxter cough cough*. Even in Legend she had her kick-ass moments, but she really saved them from the Colonies and how June and Day can’t really repay her unless they keep on going with their mission. Not cool to just kill her off like that though. 

What I loved from this book, besides the character growth and the depth of their relationships with each other (especially on trust, or the therelackof), I liked how this book is just action-packed. I find with the second book in trilogies, we have a plan with a clear end goal (in this case, assassinate the Elector), and that plan just gets adjusted over time as we uncover information until it gets to the end of the book. Here, that main event ended up being smack bang in the middle, which isn’t something we see very often. It left more room for the story to develop and to allow us to really dig deep into the story, which I much appreciated. At some parts, it almost felt like a rush, especially as the story unfolds and with so many characters to consider--it was a page turner! I’m not really sure if I enjoyed Prodigy more than book 1, as I mentioned, I didn’t really like the love triangles and then Anden is just too naive for me to take him seriously. There were also some cliches (I let go of the breath I didn’t know I was holding), and honestly, I was not a fan of the ending! I think that’s the main reason why I can’t rate this higher than Legend to be honest. At least with the first book, there was enough closure that could give us a starting point for book 2. Here is was...let’s break up lmao jk also I’m not going to let June know that I’m dying, peace out. 

This review is getting a bit too long lol, and I’m sure there’s something I forgot to mention, but overall I really enjoyed this book. The action, the intensity, the revelation of information and Lu’s foreshadowing make Prodigy a book that’s hard to put down. The characters’ dynamics are all over the place, which just adds to the chaos, but in a good way--it makes the story that much more interesting. I’m patiently waiting for book 3 from overdrive, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to read and review it by next week--I’m itching to know what happens next! [Please, let both of our main characters live  p l e a s e]

I’d love to know your thoughts and opinions on Prodigy! Did you enjoy this book, how would you compare it with the rest of the trilogy? Let’s chat =D

Thank you for reading my review, I hope you are having a good day, wherever you are in the world!

~ Cassandra / an-avid-reader

#just one more ~ queue #prodigy #marie lu #book review #books #booklr #reading #bookworm #legend #trilogy

[alchemt]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑  𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐓   .

repost ,     don’t reblog ,     please    ! 

BASICS.

full name.   varian of old corona   ! nickname.   v ,   goggles ,   hairstripe ,   vari  . gender.   cis male   (  he  /  his  ) height.   5′0″ age.   17 in canon verse ,   varies within others   !   zodiac.   aries sun ,    libra moon ,    pisces rising  . spoken languages.   drums my hands on the table ,   you got a dead language and something translatable and this kid learns it within a few weeks ,    easy ,    so we’re sorting demantius’ dialect in here ,   but i’d say both the dialects of the inner  +  outer parts of the kingdom  !    (    i’ll talk a lil more specifically ab this in accent  !    )    maybe a smattering of words n phrases of languages found in the other kingdoms ,   due to his work that has all kinds of people coming to him for alchemic assistance ,  as well as being an outskirt village  !

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

hair color.   black w/ brown highlights and a teal stripe  !   eye color.   blue   ! skin tone.   very light and very very fair ,    burns within a few hours of being outside in the summer sun ,    but before that ,    freckles  ! ! ! accent.   the tts  -  english version of what was most likely a version of an early nineteenth century germanic dialect by the coast   !     i would also reach to say that it’s probably audibly different from what is usually spoken within corona’s main city   /   citadel ,    due to the distance between main and old corona ,    there’s probably a different dialect for those living on the far reaches of the kingdom outskirts  !    voice.   usually very pronounced ,   very loud ,   and very fast ,   depending on whether he’s talking ab his work or not .    either way ,    it’s prone to cracking .   his brain tends to work faster than his mouth ,   so there’s a lot of repetition and backtracking as well  !   dominant hand.   ambidextrous  !    he’s confident enough w/ pouring chemicals with both hands ,   and his staff switches between right and left constantly .   it doesn’t look like he prioritizes towards one over another ,   usually using the one that feels right in the moment .   posture.    absolutely  horrendous  !    literally you will always find him slouching over notes and various versions of work ,    falling asleep in bad positions over his workstations ,    and w/ working his way around machinery   ––   hanging over and around gently dangerous and in - progress kinds of equipment and chemical machinery does  not  always equal the best of results for one’s muscles and posture    ––    but   !     ruddiger  is actually a really wonderful addition to the family here w/ this ,    a welcome weight on his shoulders ,   which also serves to remind him to straighten up   (   in more ways than one  🥺   )   ! scars.   lots of chemical burn scarring   !     alchemy is an incredibly dangerous practice ,    and vari is  not  one to stick to a safety protocol on his own volition ,     like  a  whole  entire  fool  ,   so there’s lots of burnt clothes and burn scars    ––   the gloves were most likely a  gift  from his father ,    as soon as there had been a few accidents leading to some permanent markings on his hands ,    the same w/ the apron .    i do like to think he makes his own goggles ,   though ,    i.e.  why he has  so  many  of them to go around   !   tattoos.   n/a in most verses ,    but i love the idea of him getting one to tie back to all the work he’s done w/ the demanitus legend   /   language when he’s older   !  birthmarks.   hmmm .    i may come back to this at a later point ,    but for now let’s say if there are some ,   they’ve been marked over by other scars .  most noticeable feature(s).   teal hair stripe ,    gigantic goggles ,   some article of clothing is always slightly singed   (   or still on fire ,   please let him know asap   !    )  .  

CHILDHOOD.

place of birth.   old corona  ! birth weight.   most likely underweight . birth height.   small ,   tiny ,   it sticks w/ him ,   the poor kid  !   first words.   blue  !     siblings.   none   !    can’t vouch for canon here ,   but i’m going to go with historical accuracy here and say his mother died due to sickness when vari was still a baby . parents.   quirin  ( father ) ,   a woman who wasn’t given a name bc tts is Like That™  ( mother ) parental involvement.   being son to the leader of the village isn’t always .   super  great   !   there’s a lot of interactions between them that lean into the thinking that there’s a .   stilted kind of relationship between them ?    (    think .    that is enough ,     varian     /     yes ,   sir .       think .     not again  ,    varian  .     think .    you are not ready .    )    running a village is a busy enough position to be in ,    let alone one in the middle of a crisis  ,     and it doesn’t feel like there’s much time left ,   or  prioritized ,   in either of those times  ,    to develop a relationship w/ vari  ?     i can’t imagine that the loss of his mother really .    helps  ?    there’s so much  hurt  there ,    you can see it when quirin looks at the portrait in qfad ,    and so they’re very distanced due to just .    not knowing how to reach one another  ?    there’s always something ,   too big to cross ,    too far to reach .    so much of varian’s story is trying to get his father to  see  him ,   to be proud of him ,   and it reflects so much onto .   quirin’s absence  ?    in vari’s work ,    in his interests ,   in  him   ?    and in wanting that ,   needing that emotional relationship more than anything else  ?    feels like enough to drive him to uh     .  .  .     doing A Lot™ to get it .   

ADULT LIFE.

occupation.   " wizard “  of old corona   →    alchemist   →    co-lady-in-waiting   (  The Best Day ,    you will never be able to pry this title away from him   )    →    the gentle villain stint    →    redeemed alchemist     →    most trusted royal engineer of corona   !   current residence.   old corona   !    depending on verse he also travels ,   and lives within the citadel to be close to the official castle lab  !   close friends.   ruddiger ,   rapunz.el ,   cassandra ,   eugene ,   lance  . financial status.   as son as the leader of a village ,   i’d say middle class ,   esp. since they’re living in an outskirt town ,   it isn’t much ?    a lot of varian’s experiments come from deconstructing old ones to reuse and rebuild from scraps .   he def sews their clothes back into working order as well   !    driver’s license.   not exactly modern ,    but he  can  fly a hot air balloon  !    that’s pretty vehicular   !    no license tho bc he’s .   gotta rebel in the ways that he still can  !   criminal record.   pulls out a scroll that rolls down the whole expanse of the throne room    :     “  attacking  “   princess rapunz.el on the night of the snowstorm ,   drugging an entire castle staff w/ laced cookies ,   assisting   +   instigating in the theft of herz der sonne's journal ,   assisting   +   instigating the plan to break into the castle vaults ,   stealing the sundrop flower   (    +   later destroying it    ) ,    endangering the crown princess on multiple accounts ,    multiple accounts of assault   +   endangerment to the people of both main and outer corona    (   birthday automaton ,   enhanced ruddiger ,   army of automatons .    ) ,     kidnapping the queen ,     attempted regicide ,    breaking out of jail ,     aligning himself with the saporians ,    wiping the memories of the king   +   queen ,    allegedly planning on continuing the memory wipe to the whole of kingdom corona ,    endangering the whole of main corona with his chemicals yet  again  . vices.   arrogance ,    doubt ,    recklessness .    love language.    primarily  actions  ! !     you need something done ?   you need someone to do something for you  ?    he’s your boy  !    he also gives gifts ,   as well ,   mostly  practical  ones ,   usually lil machines or things he’ll think that could be of use or necessity  !   

MISCELLANEOUS.

character’s theme song.    oh   i  will  make  you  proud   is too much of a  bop  to be anything but his theme  !   we also see it played throughout the seasons in instrumental swells within gentle or Big Plot™ moments ,   even all the way back in  what  the  hair  !   so much of his character  +  narrative arcs lean on being seen and known and validated  ?   it’s important to him ,    but especially for it to come from his dad ,    or even from those he admires n looks up to  ?     The whole entire Dream  ! hobbies to pass time.    experiments ,    building w/ spare machinery parts ,   playing around w/ ruddiger ,    cooking  ,    gardening  ,    sewing ,    reading ,    etc .     ! mental illnesses.   anxiety ,   depression ,    ptsd . physical illnesses.    he gets sick a lot .   exposure to dangerous chemicals can lead to a weakened immune system ,   so it ends up showing in lots of semi - sick days after all - nighters that he works through until he eventually collapses or gets worse .   it does mean that he eventually develops a good repertoire of being able to recognize various symptoms of sicknesses ,    and with a bit of studying ,    experience on how to treat people within his village   +   even beyond   ! fears.   losing his father ,    being lied to   /   kept in the dark ,   not being enough despite his best efforts  ,    never being fully trusted in the same way again ,   that he won’t be who he could’ve been ,    once ,    bright in the light ,   unhurt and unhistoried ,    and that the darkness is still in him ,   waiting for the day that he snaps again .    self-confidence level.    can i get a big  oof  in the chat bc it’s not .    really exactly super - great  ?    or even super - sturdy ,   for that matter  ?   ambition is one thing ,    but failed experiment and failed invention over and over again can be .   extremely disheartening ,   especially when it comes w/ a verbal disappointment speech ,   as well as side - eyes and general wariness   +   distrust from everyone in his village .   he’s incredibly confident in his knowledge   +   ability ,    and can don the   “  wizard of old corona  “   facade ,    but he’s .    he wants to do something right ,    so  so  badly ,   to prove himself ,    to prove that he can ,    even if he’s not exactly the right person to do it ,   he’s going to try anyways  ,    even if it’s just in case ,    even if it’s the only recourse left   ?    and that can be .    dangerous ,    to say the least ,    as we’ve seen .     but  but  but    !    with the help of raps and cass and eugene and lance ,   and being given the chance(s) to be included in their lil found family ,    in being able to prove himself among them    (    with some bumps along the way ,    a sad kid with no family left can go a lil feral w/ fury and grief as a treat ,    as you do ,    you know how it be sometimes    ) ,    and come into his own  ?    has been .      the  absolute  best   !     everything he’s done for the name of good ,    for the betterment of the lives of others  !    all of the light that it brings into his life ,    into his work  !      love that for him   !  !  !    vulnerabilities.   overactive ,   maybe leaning a lil too close to what’s really an obsessive need for answers ,    how that there are not many lines he’s not willing to cross to do something he deems Right™ or for those that he loves ,    how he’s easily provoked to accept challenges   +   problems to solve .

TAGGED BY.   @irnmaidn​ ! 💕 TAGGING.    so  i  did .   gently  cut  a  lot  out  of  this , so  if  you  are  interested  in  filling  this  out ,   let  me  know  and  i will  happily direct  u  back  to  the  whole  of  it   !

#it's past one am so i'm allowed 2 post the ' i spent way too much time n had way too much fun detailing this hc meme ' post ! #▎「 i want to remember everything ﹐ which is why i’m lying awake ﹐ not sleepy enough to give it up . / 𝐡𝐜 . #long post tw

[loxxxlay]

This isn't critical, just genuinely wondering as you are someone on here that speaks respectfully about other peoples views too, but sometimes I think people put ragnarok praise under the category of "funny" and just leave it there, whereas Thor was well received in infinity war too, which was much more tragic and arguably not funny at all, then in endgame it was like they forgot that it wasn't just humour that made people like the character, but story arc and progression. Thoughts? Thanks!

Note: Not everyone is going to agree with what I’m about to say. (Obvious hahhaha right? But no.) I’m going to say some stuff, and I want everyone to be aware that these are MY PERSONAL OPINIONS and are in no way representative of how all pro-Ragnarok people feel about thor or about Ragnarok. (Or even about dark world, infinity war, or end game.) If y'all disagree and want to argue with me, then fuck you. If y'all disagree but leave me in peace, I love you. there is no in-between lmfaoo.

Hmm, yeah I definitely agree to a good extent! Ragnarok praise often does reference the humor, but I don’t see people praising it for that reason only. In fact, that’s the main rhetoric that anti-ragnarok ppl use to mock us who liked Ragnarok - that we just like it because it’s funny and that we have no appreciation for actual character depth/progression. Which, as someone who has been invested in these characters since 2012, can upset me. D:

I think what makes Ragnarok appealing to many people (or at least myself) is that it made characters more relatable. In the past, they were depicted as gods and largely lacking in depth (with the exception of Loki). this is actually my major critique of thor: the dark world. they reduced their characters into caricatures. Jane, previously awesome multi-dimensional scientist, is now too lovesick to work/do what she loves. Odin is the typical misguided, stuck-in-his-own ways, distant father. thor: gloomy trying-to-be-a-good son but sees the error of his father’s ways. Malekith: villain who wants to turn the universe into “darkness.” Suchhh cliches. :/ And cliches are hard to connect with, esp in fantasy.

In Ragnarok, the cliches were not necessarily broken, but the characters were given some depth. they were given COPING mechanisms. thor, gloomy son, starts coping with grief (his father, his hammer, etc) with either anger or exaggerated lightheartedness (which yes, led to humorous moments). Whereas before, he’d really just wandered around all sad-looking. Valkyrie, a living legend, is literally an alcoholic who rounds ppl up and sells them to buy alcohol. Bruce (who was never cliche fyi, but definitely given more depth in this movie) was given panic attacks - even Hulk processed bad feelings via anger/selfishness. And Odin, even though ppl may disagree, was given depth because he was shown to have not only a pattern of lying and casting out his children but also having a solid foot in the door of imperialism - this shows how he has made huge mistakes as a father/leader, and it puts everything in previous movies (including Asgard itself) in a new light.

those are all examples of the way Ragnarok took Powerful Gods and Superheroes and Magical Realms and brought them to regular ordinary human level: through mental illness, through poor coping mechanisms, through them making Big Mistakes. Something which, previously in the thor movies, was only really done with Loki (which is why, i’d guess, there used to be so many more loki stans than thor stans). thor and its cast were suddenly more relatable characters.

As for other part of your ask: I think both Infinity War and End Game were both terrible movies. But both of them did do a lot of things of value in terms of thor’s character. 

Infinity War, in terms of thor’s character arc only, was written well and acted by Chris Hemsworth well. thor retained what he had in Ragnarok: the dealing with grief through either anger or exaggerated light-heartedness. (which ties into the tragic circumstances). for example, think of how he cried while he talked to Rocket on the ship with a big smile on his face. think of how he slammed his axe into thanos’s chest and held his neck while he killed him. those match up perfectly with thor’s coping mechanisms in Ragnarok: blaming Loki and gearing up for battle when Odin dies. making jokes about his hammer/etc in the arena after being pseudo-tortured. lashing out in anger at Hulk when things aren’t going his way. Joking when Loki reappears at the end of the movie: “if you were here, i might actually give you a hug.” As well as the line, when Loki voices concerns: “I feel like everything will turn out fine.” (exaggerated lightheartedness)

In other words, the depth Ragnarok gave thor was adhered to in Infinity War.

In Endgame, the writing was... not so good, but Hemsworth’s acting saved a lot of it. He was shown in deep grief - covered by anger and exaggerated lightheartedness. When they find thanos and realize their plan to bring everyone back won’t work, thor cuts off thanos’s head impulsively (anger). When thor is walking around his house naked, laughing and seemingly having a good time, bruce says thanos’s name, and you can see exactly what thor’s false smiles are hiding. but that is hemsworth’s acting. It is not written into the script. (In fact, the script was allegedly going to be much worse.)

the difference between Ragnarok/Infinity War and Endgame is not humor. It’s the lack of continuity and the message the humor sends. In the previous two movies, thor’s lightheartedness, despite his suffering, was the source of the humor. In Endgame, thor’s suffering itself was the source of the humor. Endgame implied that someone’s suffering, someone’s mental illness, and someone’s poor coping mechanisms were something to laugh at, something to mock.

At least, these are my feelings on it and why I like Ragnarok, like Infinity War (in terms of thor’s arc only), and don’t like Endgame. So yeah. People who claim it’s all about humor for pro-Ragnarok fans are full of it. Wildly, it actually is okay to feel differently about whether a movie had continuity or not? And whether a movie is good or not? And one can have a lot of deep, thoughtful analysis either way? Who knew??? Haha, anyway sorry for rambling, and thank you for being interested!

Edit: I want to add that I think that Ragnarok treated some of its characters terribly (particularly in terms of fridging) and Ragnarok is definitely not perfect to me, but I see ppl saying this enough and feel no need to contribute. I”m sick of thinking about it/being mad about it basically

#hoo boy let's tag this thing #ragnarok discourse #ragnarok positivity #iw wank #a4 wank #fandom discourse #anon #lox replies

[firebirdsdaughter]

Ryusoulger Subs Post #1…

… There never was a #2! What a shock. Not really.

God, now I have to get through the week again.

In no order:

Yes, I remember what happened last time.

Remembered to check the chibi Ryusoulger this time. It’s Red. So I guess this is a Kou ep? Or they’re just going in order, and the chibis are in no way related to the focus.

I’m now wondering if Banba folding his arms is his anxious tell? Like, it’s a defensive body posture. I’m too tired to make much sense of my own explanation rn, but it fits his issues, I think.

Also his hand is so tense, oh, honey… DX

I’m also trying to figure out exactly what he was doing w/ his hand… Like, maybe it was just a nervous fidget, but also kinda like he was picking at his nails somehow? For lack of a better description?

Why is Melto the only one who knows how to check a pulse?

I want to hug Banba so badly right now… This boys’ facial expressions are amazing. Like, you can tell he’s in agony over the fact that, as far as he knows, he, personally, destroyed the only way to save his brother.

Poor Kou having to chase Banba again. XD

Crayon trying to start his own YouTube channel… I like this guy. He’s both creepy and entertaining.

Also I would die for any of the mook suit actors in an instant.

Big Brother Mode is still ACTIVATED. ^^

Crayon uses Microphone! It’s not super effective!

I still love how Kou was like ‘It’s probably best if I transform even before I find him just in case.’ Esp since, in the end, that actually wasn’t necessary.

I would kind of love to have had more to this scene. Like, how long do you think Banba spent trying to go after Crayon/walk on his own before Kou was able to get him back? I’d write it, but I just can’t seem to find the inspiration rn… DX

How often are they changing these cloths? Kou and Banba don’t seem to have been gone, like, ten minutes.

So… What, does it reproduce through spores?

Accidentally paused on very distressed Kou right before he called for the others. Poor baby.

I know it’s in character for him to refuse to sit, but I still think they could’ve offered Banba a chair.

I still want to pinch surprised Kou’s cheeks. DX

No, really. Why are there two? Did it divide or something? Or was she just really mad about people abandoning animals?

HOW IS HE ABLE TO STILL LOOK SO AMAZING IN THAT AWFUL MAKEUP???

Melto gets upgraded to being directly addressed. ^^

Banba really didn’t need to come off the wall for this, really. I love him, but the way he kinda lurches toward Melto there seems a little bit out of a horror film…

Honestly, I’m gonna miss Crayon and Tankjoh’s relationship. ‘You don’t get to laugh.’ (and just the deadpan way he says it) ‘Why be strict about that?’ XD I’m rather fond of their dynamic.

Crayon being unable to completely control the Minusaurs is so bloody hilarious to me. ^^

I guess Kou and Melto just have stronger immune systems?

Banba and Kou and their ‘don’t underestimate Kata Soul.’

…

… Okay, it’s probably not connected at all, and/or it’s just a recurring joke w/ this Minusaur, but… We know that the most recent (at least) traumatic event that happened to Kou involved Kata Soul… What if that Soul was also involved in some traumatic event that happened to Banba? Hell, maybe that’d be why he favours it. I dunno, I’m probably just spinning. But it came into my head when Kou essentially did the same thing Banba did against the other Cerberus Minusaur.

Well, DON’T TURN YOUR BACK ON IT, EITHER!

Oh, sweetie, no. I know you’re a mess right now, but no.

I feel so bad for him, though. Like, he blames himself for letting this happen in the first place (for failing to protect his brother/destroy Crayon before, etc.), and he’s probably blaming himself for delaying their chance at getting an antidote by destroying the first Minusaur. Now he’s dying, other people are dying, and most importantly to him, Touwa is dying. This has gotta be some of the most scared and desperate he’s ever been.

Like, the way he hobbles over to look at Touwa before he does it… TT_TT

WHERE WAS HE KEEPING THE SWORD??? HIS SLEEVE??

Does he have Zuuban in there, too?

Sorry. DX I have an incurable condition called thinking I’m hilarious.

But looks aren’t everything.

… Okay, who let my grandfather in here.

No, honey. No. This is not your fault. I promise you, no one here blames you but you. I don’t know if someone once told you you were at fault for something(s), or if you’ve just been internalising blame your whole life or something. But. I promise. No one blames you. </3

I mean, it both is and isn’t selfish. He’s got a point that if they die there will be no one to fight the Druidon. But I think the main driving force behind his desperation right now is to save his brother, and the former reason is more secondary.

He really has no right to look so good in this awful makeup, and yet… I saw a man so beautiful I started crying.

I am rather disappointed that Banba and Asuna didn’t go out there, but I guess their conditions had deteriorated more than the other two’s had, bc they got infected first.

Okay. This looks like a renaissance painting.

Oh, gods… Banba’s reaction to the whole ‘trust’ thing… TT^TT Who did this to you? Please tell me so I can find and assassinate them? DX

Hm… Maybe Touwa does know something, bc he got really soft over the ‘let’s trust them’ line.

Also just the word ‘trust’ seems to be borderline trigger for Banba… I really wish we had some flashbacks for the brothers, too… Though there is still plenty of time.

I still want child¡Banba holding baby¡Touwa.

But, to do some random spitball theorising… Could there have been a situation where Banba felt like he screwed up, and then when he trusted someone to help they betrayed him in some way? No grounding for this, just musing.

But god, his reaction there makes me want to know more so badly…

I always wonder how much they tell the actors? Like, is it like Game of Thrones where they only tell them things that the characters would know? By that logic, Tatsuya may know what Banba’s side of the story is… Though I seem to remember that Keisuke said something that implied he didn’t know all of Kuro Woz’s backstory… Though maybe he was deflecting a question. I dunno.

Okay, it’s not actually that similar, but that cut from the dramatic scene of the others declaring they trust Melto and Kou/resigning to giving them a chance while also having some sort of secret trauma flashback or something over the concept of ‘trust’ (in Banba’s case) to Kou being yeeted into a pile of barrels made me think of that scene in Kyuranger where Lucky gives a speech about how much faith they have in Shou and what a great leader he is––and then it cuts to Shou screaming hysterically about how they’re all going to crash into the sun and die.

Kou is a very reckless oaf, and I love him to bits.

How did he even… I guess sheer force of will.

Honestly, Hayate is kind of rocking the awful ‘poisoned’ makeup, too.

Actually, to be honest, they all are.

Or maybe someone made the smart decision to tone down the makeup.

I’d call Master Red ‘Master Dad,’ but then what would I call Master Blue? Master Other Dad? Master Melto’s Dad? *insert shrug emoji here*

When you pass out from poison, and have a dream about that time your parental substitute father figure gave you a piggyback ride––only it was actually your sentient dinosaur mecha carrying you and your friend on its back.

So. Who summoned Tyramigo? XD

…

… You know what. That’s it. I have nothing to say about the kebabs anymore.

Wait. So apparently the village was destroyed? So… What happened to all the other people we saw? Did they die? Evacuate to somewhere? But the Elder says he has nowhere else to go… O_o

In case you were wondering, the sixth is going to be Gold. Here presented as… Saffron yellow? Bc gold was probably too over the top for a kebab menu.

I love how Melto went from so frightened of the Elder that he hid a banana behind his back to interrupting the guy when he’s talking. XD

Wait, so… Like. Was he the one they were originally meant to bring it to? Are he and Naohisa in cahoots? Did I accidentally skip a line? That’s actually very possible.

… Why. Why was I expecting science. Why did I actually think… Oh, forget it.

Okay, but did they have to make it yellow? There are plenty of juices. You could have made it any other colour.

Kinda wish we got to see them bring it back to the house. But I can understand the ‘dramatic reveal’ of them showing up to fight Tankjoh.

But you know Banba made sure Touwa was cured even before he was. XD

*UGLY SOBBING COMMENCES*

I’M SO PROUD.

I still love MirNeedle and his honking sound.

The RyuSouls still want hugs.

The fact that Tankjoh has legit hands is hilarious to me.

Banba saying the dramatic lines, for some reason. XD

God, even w/ that wording… Banba’s still blaming himself. A) In apologising, and B) w/ the ‘I made you etc.’ It’s basically ‘I failed so you had to do it.’

Touwa calling him on makes me wonder if he does that a lot… Oh my gosh, is Banba also a compulsive apologiser? MY BABY! DX

Aaaaaaw. He gets so awkward and embarrassed. He’s so cute. XD <3

I’m still trying to parse out the look he gives Kou. It’s, like… Bemused? I guess? Like ‘you’re still saying that?’ Maybe? Though given the quick deep breath and how fast he rejects, maybe he was starting to have a ‘maybe we can trust him/them’ thought and felt like he needed to quickly shut it down.

All I could think of was the ‘I’m sorry, you must be a level 4 friend to unlock my tragic backstory’ tweet…

I love Kou’s expression and body language, bc it’s somewhere between becoming fondly amused and Banba’s grumpy tsundere nature, being like ‘Oooo! New friend project!’, and ‘Oh? That is that a challenge?’

To quite the King of Friendship himself: ‘I’m gonna become friends with you just to spite you.’ XD

Kou and Melto are less teasing Asuna, and more that they don’t want to look at the Elder in that outfit again. XD

I guess he wasn’t prophesying, and he has seen the trio more recently… But I’m still petty and will be sour if the brothers get excluded from whatever prophecies etc. there do end up being…

Like, they can do an ‘it’s all up to the original three’ in the end like Go-Onger, but only if they have the brothers pull a Hanto and Gunpei/Go-O Wings.

Preview: Don’t trust the sisters, and I suspect they have vocal powers, perhaps to control others. I do wonder if this is going t reveal more about the brother’s past at all as a parallel? Or we could be taking a break from that for now, which is also fine. I just request that they reveal it steadily as the team grows closer, and don’t just dump it all at the end or something.

That’s all, folks! Virtual jellybeans for anyone who read all that. XD

I am excited for the brother’s backstory, and what happened to Banba, but I’d also be fine w/ taking a break from that as we move on to introduce the next General, who will likely hang around a bit longer than Tankjoh to show off the upped ante. Music is apparently going to be important, since we’ve got several former idol group members here. Also it said so on the official website, so I’m not blowing steam. I’m sure if we’ve got a cast member who can sing, there will be an ep where they sing (Asuna’s most likely, since she’s apparently a former idol?). Anyway, excited for this to continue, and anxious for the week to be over.

#Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger #Ryusoulger Spoilers #my precious Dino Children #I love two (2) edgy angst brothers #actually I should make one for the whole team bc I love 'em all so much #DX #I love five (5) beautiful colourful Dino Knights #not much else to say #my head is swimming w/ possibilities #the angst possibilities are so many #(I love my boys and I want to kill whoever hurt them/did this to Banba but the angst monster is also like: #yes please GOD let them have beeb abandoned/had their parent(s) be the traitor) #(I would REALLY love a 'Banba lied to Touwa to protect him' plot DX) #^^ #but I am tired #so I must begin the long and slow bed process #Birthday Sentai #Dino Dragon Knights And Their Cat

[codynaomiswire]

“Beyond the Corona Walls“: Initial Thoughts

Some initial thoughts I have after watching “Beyond the Corona Walls” (may do a more in-depth episode analysis a bit later):

- I LOVE ADIRA!!!!  Omigosh!  She’s SO different than how I first thought she would be - i.e. cold, deadly serious, speaks like a wood elf from Middle Earth, etc.  But the writers and animators made her so fun, quirky and sassy, I LOVE IT!!!  (I still kinda wish she gave more info about the lore of the sun drop and moon drop, but maybe she really did tell all that she knew about it/all that needed to be heard by Rapunzel and Co. at that time.  We’ll see!  In any event, I think she’s a wonderful addition to the cast, and I’m so happy that she’s here!)

- I REALLY hope Adira doesn’t turn out to be evil/turns evil.  Not trying to rain on the current Adira parade here, but after all that happened with our cinnamon roll son Varian, I don’t think anyone is safe from going off the deep end in this series.  Though even if Adira does turn out to be evil and/or not be quite what she seems to be right now, I think she’ll still be one of my top favs in any event.  She’s just such a well-done character already!  Can’t wait to see more of her!

- I REALLY hope Adira and Varian meet at some point in season 02!  While I’m still holding out hope for a possible mentor-protégé relationship between Xavier and Varian, I do think meeting Adira (if she is/remains good) could potentially be a good thing for Varian, too.  Especially when she also knew his dad and had been close friends with him, I think there’s a lot of room for a potential bond between these two.

- I really don’t think at this stage that Adira is Varian’s mother (given what we’ve seen in the flashback and everything), but I could be wrong.  We’ll see.  *shrugs*

- Vex was pretty cool.  I hope we get to see more of her in the future, and that the water returns to her town.  (As it seems heavily implied that a large river used to run right through the town, but now it’s either dammed off or has dried up for some reason.  Though considering how lush the Baron’s property was compared to the rest of the town, it seems likely that he had something to do with that.  Is his house built on the dam/build to be a dam??  Idk.)

- The way they draw and animate food in this series is fantastic!  xD  I can see why Lance goes crazy for it all.

- Some elements of the plotline with Stalyan and Eugene felt a bit forced to me if I’m honest, but it did explain a lot in terms of why Eugene and Lance are so hated by the Baron.  And it does show a bit more of just how much Eugene has changed since his days as Flynn Rider.

- LAAAAAAAAAAANCE!!!!  D’x  Dang, he gets the short end of the stick way too many times!  Though this was only episode 01 of season 02, and I’m SO glad that we’re going to see so much more of him in future episodes!  I’m sure we’ll get to really see him shine as things move along, and I’m so excited!  8D

- I love how they threw in the bit with Eugene just outright telling Lance that he loves him when it looked like Lance isn’t going to make it.  Yeah, they immediately threw in some comic relief afterwards with Lance’s hallucination comments, but dang, I still got the feels from that!  D’x  I also love how the writers have explored how people can have deep and intimate relationships with one another that are purely platonic, and don’t limit the “I love you” phrase and feeling only to romantic relationships!!!   I love how they really brought this out in that moment with Eugene and Lance, and I hope we get to see more interesting and deep relationships between characters that aren’t centered just on the romantic.  (I’m not trying to knock romantic relationships, but I think it’s really good for people to see that a relationship doesn’t have to be romantic in order to be intimate and meaningful, and I feel this series is really trying to emphasize that!  Fantastic job on the writers for that!!!  Thank you!)

- I do feel bad for Stalyan in a lot of ways.  Yeah she wasn’t much better than her dad in this episode, but dang, being left at the altar by the man whom you thought loved you back and whom you had gone on so many adventures and heists with must’ve been soul crushing!  Yes, as unfair as it was, it is still up to Stalyan to do some soul searching of her own now and figure out how to move on from that, but I also can’t blame her for feeling bitter about, at least for a time.

- I kind of wish that Eugene had at least begun to patch things up with Stalyan in this episode...but yeah, having Lance’s life on the line pretty much threw any chances of that happening out the window.  While Stalyan herself didn’t do it, she really didn’t seem all that against it either, which really bothered me.  I may have felt bad for her in a lot of ways, but that was inexcusable.

- Rapunzel’s jealously and nastiness in the whole Stalyan plotline really surprised me (esp. when she snapped at Cass, like...dang!).  I mean, I do rather like how the writers of TTS/RTA aren’t afraid to make Rapunzel a bit of a flawed character, and I know the situation was rather emotionally charged in a lot of ways for her, but some of Rapunzel’s responses seemed a little...excessive or petty to me?  Idk.  Will have to think about it more I guess.  (I also need to think more about how they responded to Stalyan as she was dragging her dying father away towards the end of the episode!  Kind of like with the situation with Varian, I didn’t expect any of the heroes to be oozing with compassion for their foe at the moment (esp. with attempted murder being done once again), but I also found it a bit crass on their part to just respond to her situation with Eugene and Raps holding hands and making a snide comment in her direction.  It just felt a bit cold for them I think.)

- The whole thing with the black rocks not responding to Rapunzel’s sun drop powers like they did in “Secret of the Sun Drop” was an intriguing twist!  I think it also functions well for the story as now Raps won’t be super OP during the course of their adventure.  It helps to raise the stakes and make things more risky (like when it was revealed at the beginning of season 01 that she couldn’t just heal people magically like she used to).  Good call on the part of the writers!

- I loved the flashback at the beginning of the episode!!!  I’m so excited to learn more about the lore of the mysterious magic opal, the sun drop and moon drop, who this King Edmund character is, what the Dark Kingdom is, and what Adira, Quirin, and (likely by extension) Varian have to do with it.

Aaaaand I think that’s about it for now!  Overall, I feel this was a good start to season 02, and I can’t wait to see more in the coming weeks (esp. more of my precious boi!  Varian where are you!!!????)!  Take care peeps!

#tts #tangled the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #rta #cody says stuff #random thoughts #beyond the corona walls

[adventk-blog]

                                             — ARE YOU WHO YOU WANT TO BE,

       introducing KIM JISOO, a MUTANT, — and currently a believer of CO-EXISTENCE. age ( eighteen ) and gifted with the ability of TELEKINESIS, they are currently working as a STUDENT.

WE ARE SO MUCH MORE THAN STORIES,

At the age of thirteen, Jisoo knew she was different—in a dangerous way—when she started lifting things without her physically touching it, but only with the works of her mind, and could flung it across the room. And at the age of thirteen, Jisoo fled from her family. Not because she was scared, but because she had done something that could scare someone enough. That happened to be her mother, who watched in wide eyes as Jisoo pushed her abusive alcoholic father with so much force, sending him flying and slammed on to the wall and laid unconscious.

Jisoo stayed rooted on her spot as she stared at the sprawled body of her father, realizing what she had done. The noise of the impact his father had made could wake the whole neighborhood, but it seemed that everyone around them was oblivious of what had just happened under their roof and continued on with their lives, unaware of a little girl with a dangerous ability. That only made Jisoo realized one more thing, this ability of hers was a secret she kept from her family. Those sleepless nights where she had to cover her ears to keep her from hearing her mother’s cries had built something inside her waiting to be unleashed. With every breath, she willed herself to be calm, waiting for the anger to calm down as well that resided within her until she could no longer hold it anymore. She could feel it knocking on her ribs, begging to go out, and she had finally revealed it in the act of protecting her mother from her father’s beatings.

Her mother’s frightened face said it all. She became afraid of her own daughter after seeing the anger that Jisoo had set free from its restraint. And the deed was done. Jisoo saw the same expression on her brother’s face that night too as he went out of his room to see what just happened. She tried to come up with an explanation only to end up stammering. She didn’t know where to start: should she apologize first? Or say that her father deserved it? Or admit that she was hiding her power all along and didn’t tell them. Jisoo waited for something to happen. Jisoo was expecting her mother to shout at her, but when her father started gaining consciousness, Jisoo was pulled to their door and got pushed outside, and she embraced herself against the cold breeze of the night as she listened to her mother telling her that she should leave and never come back. Jisoo just stood by the doorway, her fists pounding on the door, crying and pleading to let her in. She was only answered by the sound of locks clicking. Only when she heard her father’s voice that she started to run, away from her home, with no any idea of where to go.

Few days later after the incident, Jisoo started living the life of a homeless. From sleeping on the streets to asking people for money. She had walked and walked until she wasn’t so sure anymore of where she was. The places grew unfamiliar to her day by day as she kept walking on her path with no destination at the end. She didn’t know that she was also capable of being a theft. And she was caught once, when she tried taking the wallet of a man from his back pocket and found herself being seized. Jisoo knew she was still young to be in jail and had expected of getting reported by the man, but much to her surprise, the man had treated her with warmth. She didn’t ask why and didn’t bother to do so. A friendly face was what she needed at that time.

The man introduced himself as Mr. Jung, who was currently residing in Incheon, and had just visited his parents in Gwangju for a short break from his work. He had asked Jisoo of her home and she told honestly that she no longer had one. She was grateful when Mr. Jung didn’t press any further and asked if she was willing to come with him back to Incheon. And Jisoo thought, for a moment, what if her mother and brother was looking for her? But that sounded impossible to her. They were scared of her, of course, but would Mr. Jung be scared of her too? She decided that she would keep it from him. Jisoo agreed in the end. She thought that it was time to leave. There was no place for her there in Gwangju anymore.

When she started living in Mr. Jung’s, she found out that she had a daughter. His wife died right after she gave birth. Jisoo asked where his daughter was, and he said that she now lived in an organization called The Daybreak Foundation, a place for gifted people. People who were blessed to do extraordinary things, and he told her that she should not tell anyone about the foundation, for the world was not ready yet to face such revelations. But Jisoo knew, that Mr. Jung’s daughter was also different, like her. She wondered what her daughter could do, if she shared the same ability as Jisoo, or if she could do other things that Jisoo couldn’t. Was she also dangerous as me? How wonderful would it be to live among your kind, she thought. And with a summoned courage, she told Mr. Choi, that she was also like his daughter. Born gifted. Born to be one of the potentials. He was not surprised when she said it, for he had known somehow, sensed it, and waited for her to reveal it herself. For the first time in her life, Jisoo felt she belonged. Mr. Jung had accepted of what she was. And for that, she was thankful. Without him, she would still be living in the streets, lonely and helpless. He had asked her if she ever wanted to join the foundation, and she had deeply thought about it. It was a wish and an opportunity at the same time. She would finally have the chance to be associated with people like her. But she also thought of Mr. Jung, living in his home, alone. He had once told Jisoo that she reminded him of his daughter, that’s why he had asked her to come and live with him in the first place, because he missed having her daughter in his home. He sees her daughter in me. And with that, she had come down with a decision that she would stay. Jisoo would never forget the expression of relief on his face when she said that she didn’t want to go to the foundation, that she preferred to be in his house, and that she would like to meet his daughter someday. He had given her a new home, and she was somehow indebted to him. It was the least thing she could do, she realized, to stay with him.

And up until now, Jisoo wondered, if her mother kicked her out just to save her from his father’s wrath, or simply because her mother didn’t want her anymore in the family. She couldn’t help but think that the latter was more reasonable. After all, she was a menace to them. Either way, she was grateful for the life she had now. It was time to leave the past behind, time to let it rot within the darkness. She was finally free from it.

THERE IS FLESH AND BLOOD BEHIND THESE TALES,

Jisoo likes to gallivant. Ever since she started living with Mr. Jung, she was free to wander the streets without feeling anxiety, knowing that she has a new home waiting for her by the end of the day. Aside from that, she appears to be friendly and welcoming, though other people find her intimidating. Sometimes, she prefers to be alone, finding comfort in her solitude. She usually spends her spare time reading and listening to music.

AND EVEN MONSTERS CAN LEARN TO WEEP.

ABILITY : telekinesis — the power to manipulate objects/matter with their mind. APPLICATIONS :

—   binding: to keep object/being from moving.

—   telekinetic choking: to strangle a person using telekinesis.

—   telekinetic pressure: produce a massive amount of telekinetic energy/force that causes damaging effects.

—   orbital field: to make objects and energy orbit oneself.

LIMITATIONS :

—   may only be able to manipulate targets of certain number, size, or weight at once.

—   energy consuming; sometimes telekinetic powers drain energy esp. when lifting heavy objects and moving distant objects. focusing on certain objects can cause mental and mind stress, therefore the user’s body is also affected.

—   can only manipulate things within the user’s sight.

—   unreliability; when it comes to telekinesis, the user can’t avoid being involved with her mind. if something happens to the user’s life that affects her mind, it’s also related to her emotion. experiencing emotional shocks and problem can temporarily decrease the power’s reliability.

—   the user cannot rebuild what he/she destroyed.

—   may only be capable of moving objects the user could physically move. i.e the user can only move things that is equivalent of what she could do if she were actually touching the object with her hands.

—   ability may be weakened or nullified by stress, fear, or distractions.

—   could be ineffective against those who control themselves at fundamental levels.

—   range; the farther away something is, the harder it is to move it.

Binding

—   may have to stay close to the victim or the binding may break.

—   depending on the way used to bind the victim, they may be able to overpower/break their bindings.

Orbital Field

—   could only maintain orbital field for an hour.

—   can be capable of being penetrated.

—   may require concentration.

—   could only orbit things few feet away from the user.

THREAT LEVEL TWO.                           06+ BRWN, 05+ RSLNC, 04+ INTLCT, 03+ WLLPWR, 03+ FGHTNG, 03+ SPD

#avt: follow #kim jisoo #blackpink #krp #kpop rp #tw: abuse #tw: violence #tw: isolation #tw: neglect #tw: poverty.

[ledamemangociana]

wait...are people REALLY ACTUALLY HAVING ISSUES with kaylie’s reaction to scanlan in the last episode??? W H A T ?????

before i take you to the stuff under the cut, there’s an original thread here from this past weekend of my thoughts on people blaming kaylie for scanlan’s death (there is AN ACTUAL POST of someone ACTUALLY STRAIGHT UP SAYING THAT) and ppl looking at the situation and saying it’s another reason why they don’t want kids. like. gAIZE. whyyyyy. are we blaming fuck-up parents on their children. that’S. THAT’S FUCKED UP, GUYS. 

look. i understand the want, the desire for happy endings and good parent-sibling relationships, especially in a story told in a game in which one of the enduring jokes is that the most dangerous occupation in the universe is “parent.” BUT think of what you’re actually doing by forcing either a happier or more dramatic reaction from kaylie in this situation. you are forcing her to care about someone who she grew up thinking could give two shits about her. you are forcing a debt on her which scanlan never asked for, and which she doesn’t actually owe. she doesn’t owe him ANYTHING, even with all his efforts to be present NOW. remember when matt said not ALL narrative is bright and positive? that goes for this situation too. sometimes someone dying doesn’t change how someone will feel about them. kaylie is what now, 18? maybe 19? and scanlan has only known of her for, what, 5 or 6 months? there’s SO SO SO much time there in which scanlan was pretty much dead to kaylie. and when she was looking for him, it wasn’t because she wanted a father in her life. so why should his actual death change that now, esp when there’s been so little actual father-ing from him since he found out? it would’ve been nice to see her care that much, sure, but it also would not make a lot of sense for her character narrative.

honestly, we need to stop telling people that family is the end-all and be-all of relationships. it’s brainwashing, and that kind of thinking has led to some grave results in real life, we all know this. this is a thing that i am personally trying to wean myself off - i love my family, i would die for them, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t hurt me, and that doesn’t mean i can’t be angry with them and want some space from them, and that doesn’t mean i can’t change my mind about them and wonder if maybe they don’t love me the same way anymore either. some people have bad and/or broken families. scanlan and kaylie sure are one. love heals a LOT of things, sure, but most of the time that shit takes time. forcing it to be instant or dramatic just pigeonholes character narratives into tropes. let things be complicated. even in the media we choose to consume. some stories don’t have happy journeys or happy endings, and some take forever to get to a happy ending. that’s what makes the stories mean something; if all characters and narratives were just happy or dramatic all the time, we’d tire of them quicker. 

(that being said, i love that kaylie was told, and i love that they thought to try and get kaylie, but not for kaylie’s sake, because like i said, as much as kaylie is probably glad that scanlan actually cares about her and isn’t the selfish horndog prick she had [somewhat correctly] thought him to be before actually interacting with him. i like that they went to get kaylie for scanlan. in as much as kaylie is on the fence about scanlan, and rightly so, she became such a turning point for him that it makes complete sense for scanlan’s found family to try and at least notify his actual family, because - despite having said little about her to everyone else except pike - they knew she meant much to him, and in their attempt to bring him back, they went looking for his treasure. it’s a testament of the character development that he went thru, and an acknowledgement of the fact that he had gone from chasing romantic love which he knew he would never get from pike to relishing a different kind of love which was obviously enough to make him go from surviving day-to-day to thinking past tomorrow. and for the few things that matt has misstepped on, one of the things that i have strong faith in him is character narrative, so i have faith that should kaylie decide to try and help bring scanlan back, it won’t be a flower-y speech of “i never realized what i had until i lost it” because that’s not what kaylie is about with scanlan, it’ll just be about kaylie’s truth, and that’s what scanlan would want to hear, probably something more along the lines of “thank you for being a bit more than i thought you were” at most, maybe, although i would LOVE one tearful “you promised me you’d live but you didn’t and i guess that’s just ONE more disappointment you’ve given me” stinger.)

let kaylie not be able to take it all in. let kaylie not know how to feel about things. let kaylie not (yet?) know how much she’d be able to help in bringing scanlan back. let kaylie see only her side of the fence, the side she has lived on for most of her life anyway. let kaylie be kaylie. let kaylie be.

#critical role #scanlan shorthalt #kaylie shorthalt #critrole fandom critical #i juST??????? #I USED TO LOVE YOU ALMOST UNCONDITIONALLY CR FANDOM WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU

[speakingupforyourself]

Trigger warning

In 2010, I got into a relation with someone who I knew since our teenage years , it all started off well, we were like the best of friends, going out together, doing things together, holidaying together whenever possible, I was warmly welcomed by his family, and it all seemed in place, until I got my first Alarm, after 2 years of being in the relationship, I found out I was being cheated on. There were unpleasant flirting messages to a girl who he had known as a kid apparently, who is now presently working as an alcohol analyst in Bangalore, through those messages I figured I was lied to on so many occasions saying he was at work while he met this girl behind my back. He even told this girl he missed her so much that he came back from shows cos of her. After confrontation the sorry happened but there was no reason or explanation given as to y he did something like that to me. It was then we had our very first argument in 2 years of us dating. I asked for a reason and the only answer I got was “I DO NOT KNOW WHY I DID IT, BUT I AM SORRY”. The naive person in me thought forgiveness is the key in any relation so he was forgiven and we continued. Few years later my second alarm rang, after having caught the exchange of unpleasant messages between him and many other girls, and realising they were busy meeting each other while I was told” I AM BUSY AT WORK I CANT TALK NOW”. He started getting possessive about his phone, if it rang when I was near it, he would run towards it, if it beeped when I was at the side of him, the screen would be faced towards him as if to hide it, I kept wondering what did he need to hide if he said he was being faithful to me?! His reply would be “I don’t touch ur phone so don’t bother about mine.” Once after returning home from a late night show, I had learnt that he was at a club again on the pretext of work ( or may be even genuinely working as he is a sound engineer by profession with one of Mumbai’s leading sound company) I just asked him how is it that he was so busy, that he din have time to revert to my messages or calls and his reply was, “I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO CALL ANYONE, SO CHILL”. Somehow that answer did not convince me, so I took his phone drew a pattern and to my luck when it unlocked, i see multiple calls to diff women, his work as well , and as soon as he saw me with his phone in my hand, pinned me down and kept punching my face while saying “TERI MAA KI C***T”, he kept choking my neck, I fought back and walked out of his house wanting to drag him to the cops at that very moment, and again I fell for his crocodile tears and the false begging asking for forgiveness, thinking that I was responsible for his actions as he kept blaming me for making him a violent person and that he was never like this before dating me. He always said he is a loving and warm person and I brought out the worse in him. Unfortunately I became susceptible to depression and anxiety where I wanted to give up on everything and everyone around me including myself, and the only person I turned for help was HIM. He kept blaming me for all his actions , he kept blaming me for anything that he did wrong and when the time came for a confrontation, he would always tell me, I need peace , just leave me alone, or would call our friends and tell them to handle me. His work is his everything .. his path of escape mainly. he even promised to stand by me, saying he would come along to the councillor and I landed up visiting them alone, again his excuse was work. My third Alarm rang , when we were about to be engaged. YES!! After all these alarms I was still considering living my whole life with him . For almost 2 years his father would flash himself when I was around, he would stare at my legs , my chest and I kept thinking to myself , is he zoning out ? as he sufferers with seizures, so much so to the extent one fine day, when I was at his place his father took the liberty to come and sleep near me on the same bed, so close to my face and looking straight at me . I stormed off again from that house promising never to enter again , and again I was made to believe that I would be supported and stood for. After multiple efforts of even having confronted his father, considering he his suffering from his own depression, as his wife left him for another man, he belted out saying it’s his house he could do anything he wanted. My ex knew exactly what I had been through in my childhood of being molested on many occasions by a relative. And he was the only one who knew it . It ached me to keep quite all these years and here again I had to keep quite for this man a stranger who I treated as my father. when I told my ex , I could take him and his father to the cops for physical and sexual assault, his words were “Jaa re , what would u have done to me or my father ?“ and in that moment of him questioning my dignity I slapped him. i would always try and console myself that his father, May be he din mean to do it to me , and that his wife leaving him was the cause of his behaviour ,but he did it when I was around and that itself should have been enough for me to stand up for myself and take immediate actions, and I did not . When I wanted to make things right myself, He would tell me to back off and tell me it’s his father and that he would handle it the way he wants to. So again I foolishly trusted him, but the only solution he left me with , was to deal with it without any real solution. Cause he was busy at WORK doing sound at one of India’s billionaires daughters wedding. This made me more agitated and I was turning into a mess, while he said he was busy at work like all the times in so many years of us dating, this was the final straw for me. I finally took the decision of ending a 8 and 1/2 year relation and saving myself from the traumatic phase of another depression. And to me it seemed he was absolutely ok with it. Our close friends, my family still tried to speak to him to try and make things work but he was so adamant, his ego got into the way and he kept telling me, you wanna leave leave I will never stop you, and I thought to myself, if someone can let go off me for their own mistakes they’ve made, for someone who couldn’t support me when I needed the support, for someone who cheated on me , then why do I need this person in my life ?? he couldn’t digest that this time it was me who stepped back after multiple efforts all these years, he did not know what excuse to give, so he kept telling everyone HE DID NOT WANT THIS RELATION COS I WAS SUICIDAL AND I DID NOT RESPECT HIS PARENTS for calling his mother a slut and his father a wanker Yes my anger got the worse out if me, but now I had tolerated enough. He chose to not tell anyone what he had ever said or done to me, but told everyone just a one side story. His parents especially his mother has normalised his behaviour on so many occasions, she’s made him lie to his own father about her extra marital affairs, and he was ok doing it and facing his father with a lie everyday, the bruise marks he left Me, was shown to her on a text msg and till today she hasn’t even replied to me. No confrontation whatsoever! All of this just made me realise what a mess I was in and what a mess I was making myself by staying and fighting for a relation that was never valued. Staying with people who did not value each other in their own homes. The same values were being passed on from his mother to him and the same effect of being tortured, was happening to me what his father was going through because of them. My biggest lesson learnt is , people will come into ur lives , welcome them but when u see signs so clearly , give them one chance only, not multiple chances with the hope that things will change or become better , the way people are bought up , the way their parents live their lives, if u see it reflecting it in theirs walk away sooner. Yes people do have messed up lives, but everyone has the choice of making it better, and if they do not want to , be brave and strong to keep them at bay. When people do wrong things to u and try to cover Upon their acts and pin point at ur mistakes alone trying to blame u for it ,walk away from them. When u feel mentally drained cut off from people who drain u and take care of urself. Don’t depend on anyone to help you esp not those who put You through it. Such people themselves have a mental problem, but they are not taught to accept it, hence he refused to go to a councillor with me for himself as well. Always remember prayers and family will save you all the way. God is mightier and He has his plans for you. Trust his ways, and forgive the ones who hurt you COs they definitely don’t know what they do. They do not have a conscience.

[firebirdsdaughter]

In more welcome news...

... While I was cruising for Tokusatsu Spoilers, I found some interesting ones about Ryusoulger.

I’m gonna put them below just in case someone doesn’t want to know. Ye have been warned.

Also this is bloody long and I’m sorry, but I needed comfort from my Dino Kids.

So, according to this tweet from TheRealMattHunt, Touwa and Banba are ‘deserters’ of the Ryusoul Tribe. Which fits in w/ the clues given in the trailer--they’re not in the ceremony scene, etc.

Now, there’s likely more to this story than they just up and decided to desert one day. I’m kind of getting Gouraijer vibes? Like, maybe their parents deserted or something, and they just ended up holding the bag and were like ‘fine, you put us in this box, we’re gonna own it’? Alternatively, it could be kind of like Zyuohger, where the tribe/it’s traditions weren’t necessarily all noble and heroic and they got effected by to somehow? Maybe they’ve got a very personal bone w/ Minosaurs, and left bc they felt like the tribe was too soft on them in some way? Or maybe it was Banba who left and Touwa just followed him.

My first guess for how this will lay out is that, for whatever reason, the brothers had a different life/experience w/ the tribe/Minoaurs? Like, my guess is that Asuna, Melt, and Kou are going to have mostly positive memories and associations, while for the brothers, something presumably happened (as noted above) to make them desert. Maybe their lives were significantly worse/their experiences more negative than the others for some reason, or maybe it was just one incident. Alternatively, it could be an ‘inherited;’ like, their parent(s) did something, and now, by extension, they’re excommunicated as well. That could bring up the whole ‘sins of the parent sins of the child’ concept, and it might be an interesting way for the other three’s faith in their world’s authority to be shaken a bit? I do/did have a working theory that their father/mother/both parents was/were a traitor(s) or something (or potentially Gaizorg, but it looks like that’s out), and the boys just got kind of ‘guilty by association’ed and kicked out as well. If any part of the rest of the tribe survives the first two episodes, and if it is something along those lines, I wonder if we’ll have a scene where Asuna, Melt, and Kou stand up to the others/the rules for the brothers’ sakes? Would also be a ‘wait, they care about us enough to do that?’ moment for the boys. I think there’s almost definitely going to be a vein of these two groups learning to trust each other--and, in true Sentai fashion, being a real family by the end.

In regards to the ‘Masters’ thing... Well, one, it does raise a question as to whether or not there were/was/ a Black and/or a Green one(s), and whether or not that has something to do w/ the brothers deserting. They could have stolen the equipment, of course, but this implies that the powers are passed down--the fact that there is a current RyusoulBlack and RyusoulGreen would presumably indicate they have predecessors of some sort (unless those two somehow made those items on their own/someone else made them???). We’ve seen hide nor hair of a Black or Green predecessor in the trailer (we see the other three passing on the swords), so right now, there’s no way to know. Two? I’m pretty much ninety nine percent certain all of ‘em are either gonna be dead at the start of the first ep, or die in the beginning, probably to show off the fact that the Druidon tribe has gotten stronger since they last appeared. And, bc, you know, Mentor Occupational Hazard. My guess would be that they die protecting their students? Bc during the trailer, we get a shot of Asuna looking beaten up w/ this face:

That looks like the face of someone who just saw someone they care about take a hit for them, or something. And that line is said significantly more sombrely than her other one, like she’s making a solemn promise to someone gone. It’s also immediately followed by a happy moment w/ her and Master Pink.

Not long before this, Kou has a shot like this:

That looks like it’s in the same location, from the colours in the bg. Now, you can’t really see it bc of the lettering, but he’s holding the RyusoulRed Soul, and staring sadly at it. Ya know, like it’s the only thing he’s got left of his mentor or something. Melt doesn’t get a shot like this, but I can presume he’s there, as well.

This will also probably cause friction in the team, bc if the trio are mourning the loss of their mentors, it would probably hurt even more to be trying to deal w/ people who might not have a favourable view of the traditions/tribe those mentors represented (assuming that is how the brothers view the tribe).

One last thing to overanalyse. during the trailer, we’ve also got this shot of Melt levelling his sword at Kou:

Now, since this is actually the line he’s saying in this scene, it’s most likely they’re sparring/training, or something, and Kou’s attention was wandering, so Melt is frustrated. But this passing moment (and my other theory about why the brothers are considered deserters) also got me wondering if there’s going to be a traitor plot? (for literally no other reason than pointing swords at each other) Like... Maybe the Druidon get into the Ryusoul sanctuary somehow and everyone assumes someone let them in? Could cause a dramatic and eventually heartwarming story where the trio initially suspects either one or both of the brothers, only to eventually defend them if they actually end up getting accused at some point? That is assuming they pull something like Gingaman where the team gets cut off from the tribe in some way--and an easy reason for Banba and Touwa not getting caught up in that being that they’re not there, being deserters. But I’m just throwing theories around.

But anyway, I remain quite excited for this series, esp since it’ll be coming at the same time is seems like Zi-O is gonna be making some narrative choices I don’t agree w/.

But the point is. I am. Very. Excited.

#Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger #i love my new Dino Kids okay #they're good they deserve happiness #though... maybe some nice angst first #then happiness #XD #i am so predictable #anyway #this is just me brainstorming #and overanalysing the trailer #^^ #which I am now going to go watch twenty million more times to make myself feel better #DX #long day and not a great day #not bad exactly #but also not great #BUT #I am still impatient for: #Birthday Sentai #Dino Dragon Knights And Their Cat