#as it should be whenever there’s bad writing and characterization

[let-us-cultivate-our-garden]

So I don’t know if you know of Doug Walker, but recently released his Disneycember review of The Owl House.

While he praised a majority of the show, he criticized the main villain, Belos, of how he was written.

Many of the comments tried to defend the writing of the villain.

Doug Walker..

Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time.

Yes, I am very familiar with Doug Walker; I loved his stuff along with Channel Awesome years ago and then the allegations came out and fortunately, the other contributors on that channel moved onto bigger and better things. Meanwhile, Doug just stayed the same, so I don't watch his stuff anymore.

Any way, I think it's funny people are scrambling to defend Belos' writing because, despite my own personal opinions on Doug as a critic, I actually agree with him.

For a show that is ostensibly about subverting tropes and not judging a book by its cover, by showing how people can choose to change or not, etc. Belos is a throwback to an earlier era where the Big Bad had basic motivations and characterizations. And for a show like toh, that actually ends up hurting the narrative.

I have categorized the comments I found defending the writing and here are my responses to them:

Belos does have a deeper layer, you just have to look for it.

While a show can certainly foreshadow and provide little hints about a major character, eventually all of that setup will have to pay off somehow. There has to be a reveal both to reward the viewers that have been paying attention and to inform more casual viewers who may not have. Fans analyzing every little frame to extrapolate a major character's backstory only for that backstory to really not matter in the end despite it being set up for a season is just bad writing. full stop. [A viewer should also not have to look on social media for crucial information on a major character.]

It's also not clever that the show left so much room for interpretation on Belos; it just means that they didn't make a commitment to what was being set up and reduced his character to glib one-liners whenever we learn something interesting about him (Masha's "little bro was jealous of big bro" line and Papa Titan's whole spiel).

2. Belos would have been written better if the show had more time.

The Toh crew knew about the cancellation during production of Eda's Requiem and wrote all of 2B with it in mind. So they knew they were working on a time crunch but still introduced elements like the Collector when they should have spent the time wrapping up their story. The cancellation is not an excuse for sloppy writing.

3. Belos as a villain works more on a meta level.

So the argument here is that Belos is the antithesis to the BI; it's accepting and diverse while he is hateful and only accepts things that conform to his worldview. The characters in the story change and grow, while Belos does not. The problem here is that a villain can't only work on a meta level, it has to work on a narrative one as well.

If the BI is place that accepts weirdos then how did someone like Belos come to power? Oh, he lied his way to the top and created problems that never existed? That just makes your populace look dumb and easily manipulated. The BI being so accepting also undermines the threat credibility of the Emperor's Coven because why should we worry about them if they have no real influence over how the BI residents think or behave aside from when the plot needs them to?

Also, I strongly disagree with anyone who says that toh has a "people are complicated and choose to do good and bad" theme when all of the good characters can blame their bad actions on being manipulated or on circumstances outside of their control OR the narrative ignores/downplays anything bad they did (cough cough Amity and Lilith). Meanwhile, the villains are just shallow with basic motives and this is supposed to be a deep message about how Some People Are Just Bad.

If you're going to contrast why your good characters are capable of growth then you need to show why your villain does not. What is stopping them? How do they react if given a legitimate reason to change (that isn't a cheap jab at Steven Universe)? What is their justification for their actions?

Whatever the answer is, the narrative has to support it and not undermine it with a stupid joke.

4. Belos is so refreshing when every villain character is redeemed.

Watch more shows. If you think that every cartoon villain post-Steven Universe is being redeemed then you're incorrect. Redemption of a show or movie's Big Bad is still in the minority while the redemption of the main villain's lackey is a dime-a-dozen.

Ultimately, I think the problem with toh is that so many of its fans take its thematic statements at face value without ever really stopping to think about the execution of those themes and if they really work or not.

Belos just happens to embody this little trick that toh does: it claims to have bold and timely statements and important themes, but the structure and execution of the plot, character development, and world-building undermines any attempt at a consistent or coherent message.

#asks #long post #the owl house #toh critical #toh criticism #emperor belos #philip wittebane #doug walker #nostalgia critic #disneycember

[lovingdabeessss]

Your STRQ-Y fanart hurts me so bad , reminds me of a headcanon of mine that probably isn't true that Raven left because she saw how much better for Yang Summer was than she was

Glad you liked(hated) my art

I TOTALLY believe that’s at LEAST part of it 100% it fits in with the narrative pattern of Yang personally suffering because others are self destructive

Like say what you want about rwbys writing but thats always consistent

There’s a whole episode where she goes “hey don’t destroy yourself on purpose it actually fucks up everyone you care about more then it does anything else” and then tells a story that references At LEAST four people who did that and fucked up her life because of it (+Bby Ruby sleeping shes the mvp)

Also it fits with Raven characterization wise and all that and her CLEARLY loving people but just being really really bad at it

So it makes sense as a narrative pattern and also in character

I personally don’t think it was the only reason she probably had lore driven reasons

But yeah ravens definitely very never love an anchor by the crane wives

I think she loves and loved Yang a lot she’s shown checking up on her a lot as a child(not that she followed through with helping her but still it shows love)

Maybe she didn’t help her when everything fell apart because of how she herself was dealing with summers death, maybe she felt responsible and she didn’t want that to touch her family, maybe she saw Yang dealing with every other failure of a caretaker and didn’t want to add another disappointment, maybe she never even popped in because she didn’t want to pop in and out whenever it was convenient and destabilize yangs life even further, maybe she thought Yang was doing perfect as she was, maybe she thinks the suffering she was going through was good and made her stronger that children should go through that and that she was doing great

Who knows

Love to hear everyone’s thoughts on raven

#rwby #yang xiao long #ruby rose #qrow branwen #strq plus yang #strq sisters #raven branwen #bird family #for the four people in the story that destroyed themself and fucked her over #Yang herself Tai(🥲) summer(got herself killed) and Qrow(alcoholic)

[mariademetal]

౨ৎ⋆ ˚｡⋆ inertia fushiguro megumi / gn!reader ©mariademetal 2024

cw ... codependency, description of a stab wound but no actual stabbing/violence, situationship (😭), megs is an asshole, reader is a little pathetic icl, description of anxiety?? idk what else, lmk if i should add anything note ... OOC MEGUMI. this characterization is sooooo bad don't even come for me i made him soooo much crueler than he actually is but i've been in such an angsty mood i can't bring myself to care this is suchhhh a weird little oneshot but i wanted to write for megumi and had so many ideas and they just all kinda merged into this frankenstein freakazoid fic.... kinda despise it but still had fun writing it :p hope u like itttt word count ... 2.4k

The first law of motion: an object in motion stays in motion. For as long as you've known him, Megumi has been running from one thing or another. He likes it, you think— he likes the feeling of his lungs burning, he likes the feeling of waking up sore, he likes the feeling of pressing down onto his bruises and more than anything he likes it when you do it.

Likewise, for as long as you've known him, he's never slowed down to let you catch up. You don't think he's given anyone an inch in his life, and you can't help but think that it's okay, it's fine, because it's him.

You don't like his friends. You're kept away from them at school, tucked away in the corner they keep for the students without innate techniques, out of sight and out of mind. They're rowdy, they yell, they tug, and most importantly, they take up the attention that Megumi once solely focused on you. You're sure as hell they don't like you, either— you're not a part of their world, not really, and you have no doubt that the way you cling to Megumi whenever you all go out together, determined to make yourself as small as possible, hide behind Megumi until he saves you, makes them just as uncomfortable around you as you are around them.

You don't like his friends, they sure as shit don't adore you, but every time Megumi comes around and you're resolute that this time you're going to stay behind, get some alone time with him, you still end up walking out with him, hand in his, tail between your legs.

He just gives you that look. He doesn't even need to say anything— his lips purse, the corner of his lips quirk down, his eyebrows furrow, and the disappointment in his eyes is so palpable you think you can feel it burrowing under your skin. That's all it takes for your resolution to be all but reduced to dust.

When you concede, murmur a "Fine, I'll go," and reach for your coat, the disappointment on his face has disappeared and the faintest hint of a smile has replaced it. He rubs your arm while he leads you to your door and, just comfortable enough behind closed doors to show you the affection he thinks you deserve as a reward for doing what he wants. His hand feels more like a prong collar tugging at your neck, ready to choke you if you dare to turn tail.

It falls to your own hand while the two of you walk, and where you'd prefer to take your time on the way to everyone else, to prepare yourself for another evening of judgmental glances and keeping to yourself, to get just a few more minutes alone with Megumi before you're forced to share him again, but he moves quickly. Your feet hurt before long, and when you stop to take a break, he just lets go of your hand and keeps going.

Naturally, when you eventually meet up with Itadori and Kugisaki and the rest, he acts like he never wanted to see them at all, but you forced your hand— like he's the dog and you're the one pulling his leash, forcing him to socialize with the people you can't stand.

No one seems to believe him, but no one dares accuse him of anything but being a "..softie, deep down."

God, you wish. You wish there was even a single soft spot on his body. He's dipped his entire being in the river Styx, forged a soul from steel far too dense for jujutsu-less you to penetrate, and has never failed to remind you of it (and your own failures by extension). You wish he would give you the opportunity to massage his shoulders until the knots in his muscles could loosen, you wish you could wash his hair for him so it would finally lay flat, you wish he wouldn't train so much so the blisters his knuckle pads could have the opportunity to fade away. You wish more than anything he would just surrender, let you take care of him, and he knows this, so he taxes extra care to keep you just far enough away to make damn sure you don't, and just close enough to keep you from leaving him.

You need him. This is something you both know. It's never been in question. You've needed him since you were both little, to protect you from the world and the creatures you could both see but only he could fight against. And he needed you too, for a good, few years. He was too mean, too quick to snap at the unfamiliar to make any other friends, and you would've sooner died than give him the impression that he is anything other than the most important person in your life.

Then, he stopped needing you. He settled, trained, made friends. Found his purpose. Yet, he keeps you around— drags you over from the other side of campus just to relish in the way you wrap yourself around his arm while he talks with his friends, the same way you did when he'd send his dogs to kill all the cursed spirits that dared to scare you when you were little. He relishes in protecting you from a situation he has inflicted onto you. But he doesn't need you.

So, one day, you ask him why he bothers keeping you around.

"What're you talking about?" He huffs. He's busy sharpening your only knife after trying and failing to peel an apple for the two of you to share— he's always busy, but you've caught him with an injury while all his peers are healthy, so at least you have a moment alone with him.

"You know what I'm talking about," You insist with a pout, and he just looks back at you with a deadpan. "You don't have to see me if you don't go out of your way to. Gojo keeps us apart for that exact reason. Why do you?"

He's silent, for a while. Just long enough that you think he's opted to ignore you. Only then does he speak. "I'm not ignoring you. I just don't really know what you're getting at."

"I don't want to have to explain how I feel to you like you're five."

"Then don't."

You think it would hurt less if he took the knife he's sharpening and stuck it into your heart. Your eyes burn, and you swallow your saliva, purse your lips and clench your fists to keep yourself from crying. You think about what you'd do if he had opted to stab you instead— you picture yourself with the handle sticking out of your shirt, blood spilling out all around it, staining your shirt and your hands red, your heart beating even faster and harder to replace it. You'd take it out, you think, and rinse it off, then hand it back to him so he can keep his hands busy like you know he likes to while you bleed out on your bed behind him.

It's only when you sniffle, still desperate to hold your tears back, that Megumi finally looks back at you and realizes this is his cue to comfort you in the only awkward way he knows how to. He closes his eyes for a second, puts the knife down, and sits down beside you, stiff as a board. You shift your weight the second he does, leaning on his shoulder, but he doesn't lean against yours. It's not an apology, you doubt it's even intended as one, but you're so eager to forgive him that you still interpret it as one, and thus an invitation to elaborate on what he'd shut down just a minute before.

"You don't need me anymore," you say, and it's only after the words are already spoken that you realize Megumi would've preferred it if you omitted the word anymore altogether. You know him to prefer not to admit he needs water. "You have friends and you know I hate them. They understand you better than I do. They can keep up with you."

"You don't hate them," He says, and you know he's not delusional— just cruel. You wonder if he's always been this cruel, if he inherited it from his father, or if it's the world who made him cruel. You don't think you're cruel— maybe cruelty is necessary for sorcerers. "It's not about any of that. I'd never toss you aside for them. I can barely stand them."

You laugh at that, and Megumi makes a sour face. "You can barely stand them but you still drag me to see them."

"I don't drag you. I can't make you do anything," He sneers.

You know that if this turns into a fight, he'll win, so you raise your white flag before it has the opportunity to and curl into yourself, away from him. Only then does he reach out to touch you.

"Maybe you should leave," You whisper, and he looks like you've scalded him.

He opens his mouth, then closes it, and opens it again. "I'll come back later."

"Don't bother," you say, and you regret it the second you do. It isn't like you to be this petty, it isn't like you to cry as much as you've been crying lately, and you find that every time you speak, you find your own voice just a little bit more grating than the last. You say don't bother but you really don't mean it. You fight down an urge to correct yourself, beg him to stay, not to leave to begin with. You'll drop it. The two of you can lie together, he can fidget with your hands, and when he wants to sleep you can run your fingers through his hair.

You don't because you want to believe that what you said is hurting him just as much as what he said earlier hurt you, even though you know, deep down, that no matter what you say to him, you can't even scratch that steel shell that protects him.

He says your name sternly, but quietly, and you're ready to cry again. "What are you doing? What is this really about?"

"I don't know."

So, he leaves. You can still smell the faintest trace of him in the air, and once he's far enough away that you can't hear his footsteps anymore, you grab the knife he was sharpening and finish the job.

You love him, you think, and he doesn't love you. Or maybe you don't. You don't know. But you're certainly not friends, and you don't think you ever have been. You don't think you've had a friend your whole life. He's not your friend, but if he told you to jump, you'd ask how high.

He's always moving from one place to another. He wakes up and goes to class, then eats lunch with Gojo, then spars with Itadori, then trains with the second years and Kugisaki, then sees Ieiri to make sure he hasn't overexerted himself, then eats dinner with the first and second years, then finally comes to collect you so you can go out with him and the others.

On the other hand, you wake up, eat your breakfast alone, meet with your teacher, and rot in your room, thinking about if and when Megumi will show up. Megumi, Megumi, Megumi. You doubt he thinks about you once before he asks if he can bring you along to whatever plans his friends have already made.

How does he do it? How does he move so consistently, so perpetually, while the best you can do is nip at his heels? The idea of it exhausts you.

He does come back, eventually. After you've fallen asleep. You hear a knock on the door that wakes you, and you know it's him, so you do your best to wake yourself up and make yourself as presentable as you can before opening the door for him. You smile, wholesome and unassuming, perfect for forgiving for any prior transgressions. Then, as he takes you in, you take him in— tousled hair, messy uniform— and realize he's shown you just how capable he really is of leaving you behind.

So, like a hurt dog, you snarl and you bite. "I thought I told you not to bother."

"Stop being like this."

That's what he's reduced you to. A dog. Pavlov'd you into doing things you'd never do otherwise, feeding you with his rare affection and unconditional protection, hit you with his disappointed glances and harsh words.

"What else should I be like?"

He huffs and reaches over you to open your door wide enough to walk through. You don't stop him— even if you wanted to, how could you? You're confused. He makes a display out of just how much he doesn't need you, but still goes out of his way to burrow his way inside of your room.

You watch him from the back as he sets his bag on the floor and takes off his jacket. You can't stand to look at the way his hair is splayed out, so you look at his back, instead. His shoulder blades poke out from under his shirt and make circles in a way you find mesmerizing. Then, he slips off his shoes and steps forward. You follow, dutiful even at your most hurt.

Then, he faces you.

"Why don't you like them?" he asks.

"What's there to like?" You know what answer he wants, and when he just looks at you, waiting for it, rather than taking your bait, you throw yourself onto your bed. "They're all sorcerers," you say sorcerers like the word puts a bad taste in your mouth.

"So am I."

"Exactly."

Your bed dips just by where your legs hang off. You know exactly what face he's wearing, so you don't bother looking. "You don't have to be jealous, you know."

"What's to be jealous about?" You ask sarcastically, and you can feel his glare boring into the side of your face.

"They're my friends, but you're my..."

He struggles to find a word to describe you, just like you struggle to find one to describe him. You know exactly what you are to him, though.

"You're my favorite."

You look up towards him. He looks away. "Really?"

"Really."

He coughs into his fist. You fluster and dig your face into your sheets.

"I still don't like your friends," you mutter.

He snorts at the sound of your muffled voice. "You don't have to."

"And I think you're the only one who likes me."

"That's your own fault."

"I don't mind.”

#jjk x reader #megumi x reader #fushiguro x reader #megumi fushiguro x reader #jjk angst

[shotorozu]

see you again

(inspired by that one tiktok trend that’s based off see you again by tyler the creator and kali uchis)

note(s): it kinda makes more sense if you hear the audio itself, so do listen to the 10 minute loop i linked or else this ain’t making any sense. also yes this is a trend on tiktok 😭 at first it didn’t make sense to me (this is kinda out of nowhere and lowkey a weird concept now that im done writing it 💀) but it kinda does at the same time— so now im making a last minute post for mr. popularity 😁🤩

»»————-　♡　————-««

bakugou katsuki doesn’t understand tiktok trends.

ever since he saw some of the heinously unaware things being posted on the app, he vowed to stay clear from it unless if absolute necessary. (aka if bugged hard enough)

he used to watch reels from time to time (which was a big shocker to you) at least until you pointed out the similarity it had with tiktoks, and since then ditched the concept of watching short videos entirely.

it all seemed like a trick to him— a distraction. not only did he see some blissfully unaware people on that app, but it just felt like people had no concept of digital footprint. (it’d be infuriating if it wasn’t just so sad when he thought about it, actually.)

and— why should he participate in a video that could only get 10 views?

bakugou katsuki doesn’t understand tiktok trends. he might as well never touch the app within a thousand collumns in his appstore.

yet as you sit in front of him, showing him a tiktok trend with an expression that makes him sickly—

he kind of understands.

“y’know, ok ok ok ok is so you, bakugou.”

his face scrunches up when he moves closer to the screen, listening as the audio plays on while two characters representing each side are shown on the screen.

ok ok ok ok

la la la la—

“what the hell does that even mean??” he knows what it means. “how can you tell how a fucking person is an ok ok ok ok person??”

you shrug, “i just know. like… i don’t even have to explain why you’re tyler’s part.”

there’s a beat of silence.

“so what are you?” he questions, curious as to what you have to say. if you even have anything to say. he could tell that other people normally assign archetypes to you— if two repeating letters are archetypes…

damn. he thinks, feeling a sense of unknown sobriety. you got him bad if he can understand some sort of characterization assigned to this little segment of a song.

“la la la la, of course.” you decide, nodding. “well— i could also be ok ok ok ok— who said there couldn’t be two— well, i guess the song…”

you bite down on your lip in thought, and his line of sight immediately follows. “but i think i should be the la la la la to your ok ok ok ok, because—”

his first thought should’ve been what the fuck, that’s so stupid.

but the moment you start explaining, his eyes are locked onto you, catching every syllable and absorbing the obscurity that hangs off your definitions.

he leans forward, nods whenever you make a point. for something so nonsensical yet plain— you talk as if you talk to love, the same way you love to talk about your topics.

“and i rest my case.” he doesn’t realize you’ve reached the end of your spewl until you say it.

he doesn’t wait for you to finish unlike some others and plus. he doesn’t watch the clock or cut in— he listens. and for once, he agrees to something nonsensical yet plain such as this—

well, actually— he let you convince him.

it all slams into him, “fitting.” he grumbles, turning his head away to clear his mind of the images of you talking, so full of life— with him both listening and agreeing at your side.

and that’s when he realized— you were going to be an unstoppable force in his life.

#HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY FAVORITE BLOND BAKUGOU KATSUKI #im so sleepy im not even sure this makes sense #dont worry tho theres more to come 😭 #and itll make more sense i promise 😁 #and itll actually be more bakugou’s birthday themed or centered #bnha imagines #bnha x reader #mha x reader #mha imagines #bnha fluff #bnha x y/n #bakugou x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #bakugou imagines #mha fluff #bakugou x y/n #bakugou headcanons #bakugou x you #bakugou katsuki fanfic #bnha headcanons #mha headcanons #bakugou katsuki headcanons #bakugou drabble #bakugou scenarios #mha scenarios #🗣—. talks !!

[beatcroc]

turns out i have to make an unnecessarily wordy thoughtspost about doombox too bc there is nothing about this character that isn't fucking ridiculous and also really funny and i'm kind of really obsessed with all of it. ordinarily i would just start firing but in this case I need to just. paste his bio and then go through it step by step because every phrase here is absurd when looking at how he's handled along with the other characters and the world as a whole. here we go

first sidenote: i should also add 'nonsensical' to the list of descriptors up there, because this is a fighting game and no doubt has the typical Bad Fighting Game Writing at play that doesn't really hold up when put under scrutiny as i'm about to, but understand that this is something i've come to love about the genre and its typically batshit lore, and it further enhances the experience for me. it's all utter nonsense and its my favorite shit ever.

the biggest thing to me that makes his entire shtick ridiculous is that he was explicitly made to be a weapon. like his express purpose is destruction and/or killing people, and he certainly has the disposition to be doing that. except that he is not doing that. he's out there playing Ball Game, evidently of his own volition.

i feel it is also important to highlight that he was not originally or intentionally a boombox; he just kinda lives in there. his own bio frames it as happenstance, but sonata's dlc skin lore** implies he isn't permanently stuck in there and can kinda just hop out and take control of whatever he wants whenever he wants. there is an entire goddamn tank just sitting there in the background of one of these stages. he is a weapon. there is heavy artillery readily available to him that he could be commanding if he wanted to, but he's not doing that either. he is still a boombox. i think he likes it in there. *there's an argument to be made that maybe he's not powerful enough to control something that large, or maybe just that switching hosts is really tiring or risky. im just saying though there's like a bajillion host devices better suited for A Fucking Weapon than a boombox, but he seems really committed to this for some reason. while im here btw it's fucking terrifying that he apparently can possess thing that are Not tech as well **as a side note from that the specific mention of her boomhammer is interesting. i don't think it's an intentional implication but i enjoy the idea he has an affinity for sound-based devices; i like to think the boombox left an impression on him with its being the initial thing he possessed and got used to

and then there is the berserking. the 'rampaging', as it is otherwise called. not exactly strange on its own given his temperament and designation, but strange for the way it's characterized as only a tendency. it's only that he's prone to rampaging. he rampages often, but not all the time. just often! what is he doing he is not rampaging? getting a custom trimmed jacket with his own logo emblazoned on it? like a nerd? and on the flipside, what exactly do these rampages even entail? because it's apparently not anything destructive or disruptive enough for anyone to care about stopping him under normal circumstances.

like how are you a giant angry "not exactly stable" weapon of a guy and everyone's like 'yeah that's fine. that's our doombox!' toxic's specific wording regarding his getting unfucked postgame is "back to his old raging self", which implies to me there's almost a certain fondness, or at least amusement, at his being like this. i know one of the core themes of lethal league is letting these oddball misfit dudes do their thing and freely be who they are, but like. is doombox sincerely just not a threat for that? like really? dice's interactions also sort of imply that his actually trying to kill someone is really out of the ordinary for him so truly like. db my man what ARE you doing out there. * re: toxic and dice's talking about him; i do also find it amusing that one of his defining traits is just being pissed off all the time. again, not surprising given his purpose/designation as a weapon, but funny in that it's like. how he's KNOWN; in the sense that it is immediately noticeable and a cause for concern for other characters to see he is Not angry. fuckin social barometer of a guy. local angry guy isn't angry, something's wrong.

the "reasons for playing in the league unknown" bit also strikes me as a little odd even though it REALLY shouldn't. i'm like 97% sure it's just written like that to make him seems mysterious and unpredictable and dangerous, but it's a weird thing to call attention to when you consider that...less than half of the other characters' reasons are known? raptor is there trying to get info on his dad, that one's well out there. dust & ashes i think have some kind of implied reason for being there as well but it of course isn't elaborated on, and grid is like trying to impress "the youth" and establish a profile or something. nitro seems like he might not actually be IN the league as an official competitor? it's just helpful for him to know how to ball for the situations he gets into with his investigations. everybody else's "reason" pretty much seems like they're just out there to have fun. and toxic says as much in the story mode intro! the game was developed for people to escape the monotonies of shine city! so to imply doombox has a separate, non-recreational reason for being here is weird. the easiest read on it for me is just that he was drawn to it cause it's intense and destructive but at the same time.... if all he wants is an excuse to wreck shit....why are you competing in a structured sports game with rules and shit my dude. you are a weapon. just go attack people. except that we've established that he doesnt really do that. so. once again. what IS he doing out here

----

aside from the bio though, there's of course random little tidbits of characterization throughout the game itself and they are all also likewise ridiculous.

he refers to himself in third person, which is always an amusing choice for a character in general. it carries with it a certain sense of ego, an awareness of and and pride in one's presence and gravitas. this was mostly just surprising to me bc before i started looking at everything, i'd assumed he was more or less mindless and, yknow, robotic; without much personality/reason for being there beyond being the Biggest Baddest Best At Ball Game Guy doombox is already very imposing, so this is frankly a well-earned sense of pride for him to have.....but it still doubles back to being funny again because, as i've established above, he could stand to be a hell of a lot scarier! but he doesn't seem to notice or care that there are many readily-available options for becoming more powerful and/or establishing himself as unquestionable top dog. so instead he is a boombox. third-person is also often used for characters who are a little dumb, and i think this applies to doombox as well. he is a weapon, and clearly a brute-force-over-precision type of weapon at that, he doesnt need smarts. i think this is also sort of hinted at with his voice lines; where the other characters have some kind of snarky phrase or one-liner for their kill/score voice line, doombox just goes "bye-bye". Which is still appropriately Disrespectful, but it's also very, uh... simple. again i just think there are... more imposing things a guy like him could be saying there, but i guess he hasn't got anything more than fucking. bye-bye.

anyways the ego thing i think is well-echoed by his stupid fucking jacket. none of the other characters have their logo as part of their design and i'm pretty sure the rest of the symbols are just game abstractions and don't exist in-universe, but like. doombox is just going around wearing a jersey with his own damn face on it. ok. to be clear i love his jacket but it is literally so silly for him to have that. imagine being the guy having to custom-fit a fucking boombox. did db pay for it? how? we're getting into unproductive territory here but you could ask a million questions about that jacket and they all have hysterical implications. while im on the topic of designs i'd also like to say that while i don't count any of the other blaze redesigns as "canon" like actual events the characters went through between games [like raptor in particular would have already had to have the stitches since that's his backstory, it's just they weren't a design point before], doombox is in a weird spot since the first game's design for him was very specifically referencing its HUD in a meta way for his flavor and that was pretty much the entire extent of his flavor; while in blaze he and the HUD are very much separate distinct things with their own flavor. there's more to talk about here later but as it pertains to design what im saying is i think he just went out and found a better and cooler boombox to be in between games. and also got a funny jacket. *actually i have no idea if there's even a Timeline here. the gut vibe i had been running on was that blaze happens a couple years after the original, but looking at it now that doesn't seem right. does blaze Replace the timeline of the first game? are there even Events in the first game to count as a timeline? do they run concurrently?

alright anyway the last point here is the 3rd-person thing is even moreso interesting to me though bc i was under the assumption that 'doombox' was something akin to a codename he was given when other people saw this big fucking Thang rampaging through the streets. but seeing as 1. he's definitely aware of it, and 2. not even the damn scientists who made him knew he was in a boombox [as implied in his dlc skin lore], i'm led to believe he came up with the name himself. the fucking tape in his cassette player does just say 'doom' on it so i am choosing to believe that's either where he got the name, or that he put that on there himself.

MOVING on, another really good thing is that he does this

i just think it's funny he's continuing to use the thing as an actual boombox; i feel like that isn't something he necessarily Has to do. obviously he's susceptible to certain quirks and limitations of being a boombox re: mind control tape, but i don't think that means he has to play out its every function. i think he's doing that on purpose and i am filing it under "he likes it in there". hes listening to his jams.

also on a similar note,

this is also not important and i realize it's mostly just a quirky videogamey way to get around saying the robot kinda character is "asleep", but i do enjoy the implication that shine city's biggest terror is like out there running on 4 D-cells.

also i'm making this guy out to be a city street menace, and the vibe i had assumed for him before was like, a random encounter in the back alleys that you super do not want to run into; but his associated stage/hangout seems to be the desert/scrapyard? which i don't really have anything interesting to say to that, but it's definitely a different vibe for his character if he typically hangs out in more desolate areas.

---

i think maybe the most baffling thing doombox has going on is the apparent "rivalry" with dice. this is also bizzare from dice's side of things. what the fuck does it even mean to be "rivals" with doombox? what are they competing for? what kind of things does dice get up to that doombox would even give a shit about in the first place, let alone to be considered a rival in? i mean, like, the league, probably, but why dice specifically, out of everyone? would doombox's league rival not just be whoever's the [second] strongest there? i believe dice when he says they're evenly-matched, but there isn't really anything that implies dice is of particularly high prestige within the league so it feels like he shouldn't hold much interest as a target. to be fair dice doesn't seem like the type that would care about prestige, but again, if he's not out there flaunting his shit or trying to claim he's the best or whatever, why does db care? this would be a lot easier to understand if it was a one-sided thing on doombox's part like okay maybe dice pissed him off one day and he's still mad about it. whatever. that's the vibe they go for in story mode, but then there's dice's dlc skin description, which seems to run entirely counter to that and has dice as the aggressor:

when deprived of his usual sense and restraint, dice's first thought is I Gotta Go Fuckin Kill Doombox? even if he's over it under normal circumstances, it's clear both of them have some deeper-rooted beef in this exchange. there is yet another layer to this in that doombox is, weirdly enough, not really shown to be the kind of guy that's interested in revenge. again, going back to his own dlc description, he- and i quote- "couldn't care less" about the guys who made him capturing him and chaining him up. his only interest there is breaking out and getting back to doing his thing. if you want to be really generous, you could also read this vibe from the story mode epilogue: doombox was not the one hunting down the safety league, that was nitro. doombox was simply, as stated before "back to his old raging self". both of these to say, he simply does not seem to give a shit about people who have directly wronged him and only wants to Do His Thing. so. once again. what the fuck is going on with dice that they both have lasting beef here. i truly cannot fathom what either of them did to be so mad specifically at eachother. this rivalry is something they reference a LOT too like it's a big deal in-universe, or something otherwise really important to portray. like

lore so strong you gotta put it on an achievement!!!!! really!!!!! and there are no details whatsoever about this????? * while i'm here i'd just like to say have more questions about dice than fucking anything else in this game. sadly there's practically nothing to intuit from the game about any of his situations so i don't have much for coherent thoughts to post on him, but my god. what the fuck, dice. this rivalry is arguably the single strangest thing doombox has going on but it doesn't even break top 5 weird things about dice.

anyways, the final section and MOST interesting thing to me in all this is that, coming out of the first game, i was really under the impression that doombox is just the arbitrary final boss monster you gotta kill; no real purpose or personality his own to speak of, and most importantly just synonymous with the game itself and its aesthetics re: mirroring the HUD design. he certainly still holds the role of big scary final boss monster in blaze too, but blaze 1. has him much more fleshed-out as his own Guy, and more importantly, 2. doesn't really consider him a Problem like your typical big angry final boss monster. or at least not moreso than anything else going on in the game. he's not a threat to be eliminated, he's respected as a character and as a competitor in the league; and more than that he just seems to be... liked? as in, liked by other people in-universe? and he's liked enough that they'll readily help him out so he can keep doing his thing? i do think latch fixed him up postgame mostly bc he felt bad about being the one responsible for getting db brainwashed in the first place but like. the game could have just as easily gone "and then doombox was defeated yay" and left it at that. instead, they seem to have a vested interest in keeping him around. most transparently this is likely just a "we can't get rid of any of the playable characters or else story mode would be noncanon", BUT the point of this post is trying to read cohesive narrative sense into places there probably isn't any, and my read here is that doombox is a sort of inadvertent guardian of the league. for 1, he does still very much embody a lot of what the game [both The Videogame and the league itself] is about, but more importantly i think his presence is just really good at keeping a lot of the more minor threats at bay. if you try to fuck with the league, you will eventually be squaring off with doombox, most likely having freshly pissed him off in the process, and i can't imagine that goes well for who or whatever is in that situation. there's probably not much that wants to stand up to him by himself, and there's even less that can challenge the league as a whole unit; he's really just a good guy to have on your side like in general when you are running an illegal sports operation. i think at Worst toxic might see him as the league's funny little mascot but realistically i think she has more respect for him than that. either way i don't think he's going to care and it doesn't affect him much regardless. for this, doombox simply gets to keep doing his thing, whatever the fuck that may be. there are certainly still forces beyond his control at play here [as demonstrated in story mode by the safety league], and when these come into play, the league in turn looks out for him and keeps him on top of his game. i'm not sure if he has the, uh.... kind of cognitive ability that he could be grateful for this, but if nothing else, we know he seems to enjoy playing in the league, so he probably at least recognizes that he's not going to meet a lot of resistance in it and/or that it's a good environment to keep doing as he pleases. i don't mean for this all to sound so transactional, but it's hard to say whether he has much charisma in-universe for people to want him around for more "legitimate" reasons. likewise, there's also still a lot up in the air on how like... sapient doombox actually is. whether he can have complex motivations about anything or if he has some concept of "having friends" or if he can experience emotions besides rage; i tend to lean to "no" on those because i am really trying my damndest not to woobify this guy, but ultimately i don't think it matters much; in the end, he and the league are still mutually beneficial for eachother, and they still enjoy having the other around. and i think that's pretty cool :)

#lethal league blaze #lethal league #doombox #babygirl i can write misplaced analysis about anythinggggg #also ik im making this post in 2024 but to be clear i've been playing this series since 2016 #i never talk about it much but it has always held a special place 4 me. #i come back to it briefly like semi-anually. it just happened to REALLY grab me this time around for whatever reason #and i got really obsessed w doombox. as it goes i suppose #speaking of which the final word count for this one is.... apparently a little over 3k this time. oh my god. #usually these character/game writeup things are like half that length. look i just think hes neat #as my friend said: ''He seems like he should be so self-explanatory but he just isn't'' #and ''We learn just enough about Doombox to know we don't know fucking anything about Doombox'' #boy id like to know. the things id do for literally any kind of external loredump for this game. auuggghhh

[archie-sunshine]

Okay hi holy shit I'm actually so incredibly happy you liked the Wing/Drift/Ratchet drabble/fic thing I put in your ask box. It's literally only the second spicy thing I've ever written so It means a lot and I loved the comic you made from it.

(I'm still super shy about it, hence doing everything anonymously)

I can't say weather it not I'll ever be able to make a full fic about it, I'm already really bad about finishing my sfw stuff, but I swear if I do you'll be the first to know.

OMG HELLO!! In the presence of greatness here woahg-

I really really liked your writing!! I feel like you really nailed the way i characterize these characters, it was absolutely something that i would love to read more of(so you should write it, imagine im holding you at knifepoint).

heres my fav drift for this fic concept btw-

I also am very flattered that you enjoy the comic!! feel free to pop by and leave thoughts or questions about my work whenever you like!! your ask was a pleasure to read (and as weere all the very sweet things you left in the inbox as well, you dont have to be shy at all, i love your energy heheeh)

Thanks for asking n everything!!

#archie answers #my art #mtmte #transformers #drift

[justatalkingface]

The Dabi Benchmark of Insanity: A Helpful Guide

What is it? Why won't I shut up about it whenever I talk about villains?

Yeah; this is largely a reference post, for the people who haven't seen this term before... which makes sense, since I made it the fuck up awhile ago and then never really clarified it again, even though I kept using it. I do that a lot whenever I feel the need, but I think this is the only term I've kept using consistently, and I usually explain what I mean in those posts when I make something up, so the DBI is a bit of an anomaly in that sense. I like to think it's self explanatory, really, so it probably doesn't need explanation, but... eh. I talk a lot. One more post won't hurt.

Fundamentally, the DBI is the idea that there's a... limit to how crazy a character can be and still be sympathetic; after a certain point, it doesn't matter how bad their backstory was, no one is going to like the guy eating babies. Authors can (and often do) try to make a truly fucked up character sympathetic anyways, but once they pass that point the response generally isn't sympathy but, 'JFC, can this guy shut up about how we should all like The Masked Baby-Eater already? That guy's an asshole'.

I say 'crazy' for a reason, BTW. The sheer factual amount of evil deeds a character does only has a limited effect on how readers will consider them; how the character is presented, and how they act as they do these deeds effect that reception as well. An easy example is how in something like Gundam, a character who does something objectively horrible (kill someone, start a war, etc etc), but because of how they're developed, and way they act as they do it, we will still sympathize with them. Meanwhile, if there's a school story, a character who is just rude and cruel can be absolutely loathed, by everyone, even if what they did can't possibly be compared to the Gundam character.

It's not that you can't make a good character if you go beyond this point, it's the opposite really: there's plenty of good, memorable characters who are festering shitholes devoid of positive character traits, but we're not expected to find them sympathetic, just really cool or iconic in some way. Making them sympathetic imposes limits on how out there that character can be.

I call it the 'Dabi' benchmark because I feel like Dabi is the perfect example of an edge case, a person who is horrific and broken, but you can still just feel for him why he's like this. It's core to his fundamental design as a character, from his traumatic backstory, to how he's broken and scarred and barely held together by his sheer will, so that while he's an objectively terrible person, cruel, sadistic, who kills easily and wants only to destroy, the reason he's like that is something intrinsically understandable and thus easy to sympathize with.

(Of course, the problem with Dabi is that, as MHA went on, Hori kept changing Endeavour to try and make him sympathetic, while at times intentionally making Dabi seem more at fault for his situation to mitigate Endeavour's blame, which damaged Dabi's characterization on a fundamental level and makes him less sympathetic... but that's not Dabi's fault, that's inconsistent writing)

At the same time, though, I must repeat that he is a terrible human being who does horrible things, and which puts him at that very edge of sympathy, only being accepted by people by how good his backstory is, how fucked up yet human is motivations ultimately are. If his actions had pushed beyond that point, if, for example, instead of just killing people he cold bloodedly tortured them for no real reason, his reception would have been less positive than it was.

In short? The farther a character goes past the Dabi Benchmark of Insanity, that is to say, the more a character is crazier than Dabi, the more people are going to look at you like you're crazy when you try to make them seem sympathetic to the audience.

#the dabi benchmark of insanity #that feeling when you have to explain your alien homebrew logic to normal people #reference post

[almacambiondaughterofsaleos]

Stolas Has A Blandanthy Problem

If anyone who is a fan of the Canadian comic strip, "For Better Or Worse", you would understand what I am talking about. It was a long running comic strip focusing Patterson family a usual sitcom family consisting of the typical nuclear family stuff. However, unlike many other comics they did age the characters where we see the parents become 30 somethings to 50 something grandparents. The children go from toddlers to preteens to teens to finally adults who get married with children of their own. As a result, the kids eventually get love lives of their own as well. Here comes in Anthony or as the detractors call him "Blandthony".

Anthony was the high school boyfriend of the middle child and oldest daughter, Elizabeth Patterson, during the later strip years he got focus on the one who would definitely get together with Elizabeth. But as you can see from my argument this would be looked on as cringe and in hindsight have many similarities with the forced Stolitz ship.

Just like both, the series establishes Stolas and Anthony as childhood sweethearts/friends of the main characters in order to emphasize how they would truly be together in the end and young love revived again. For Stolas and Blitzo, it's really a forced retcon in contrast with the latter how established it was from the beginning. But it's all the same thing which is your first love should be your only love and you can ignore the rest who were side steps (even if you have better chemistry).

Also both parties would drift apart and end up with spouses they really don't like. In the case of Anthony like Stolas with Stella, he would end up with a French-Canadian woman named Therese who is presented as a thorn in Elizabeth and Anthony's relationship not so different from Stella when it comes to Stolitz.

Just like Stella, Therese was never given any nuance or redeeming characters just so she represented everything the author hated in a woman. She was meant to be again an obstacle that both end game pairs were to come and just a tool for drama, but never her own character.They were even used as an excuse to make the male intended character more "sympathetic". As a result, many fans were disappointed that the creators used such lazy characterization to move an end game ship.

Also both Stolas and Anthony have a daughter who is meant to give them good daddy points. However, due to the bad writing surrounding them they could instead come off as neglectful or self-centered in their desires with their children. With Stolas, despite the narrative often telling us he's a good dad he's often shown to neglect her in favor of trying to get in Blitzo's pants and Octavia having to forgive whenever he falters. With Anthony, it's the fact he wanted a child and pressured his wife into it under the promise he would take care of her. Despite emphasizing how Anthony is being presented as as the one doing all the parenting, it never dawns on it that maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to have a child with someone who as reluctant to have children and again expect to drop everything to raise her when it was your idea in the first place. Both daughters are used to bring them together with their love interests further due to both having either a connection with kids or their own daughter. Again these kids are tools for the narrative and not their own people.

There is also the narrative's focus on the constant wangsting about the titular creator's pet problems over bigger issues that other people have. For instance, in context for Anthony in this scene he's driving Elizabeth after she had been assaulted by her co-worker, but the narrative can focus on is his marriage problems when Elizabeth tells him that she doesn't want to be a homewrecker and he retorts he has no home. Again despite trying to make him into a uwu nice guy he comes off as self-centered and only interested in his problems than his supposed love interest and a lot of issues with him are because of his own damn fault. The same thing with Stolas the narrative tries it's hardest to make him sympathetic but all it ends up is making him look so pathetic and self-pitying when a lot of issues are self-inflicted and despite saying he truly loves Blitzo he actually comes off as trying to flick true responsibility for what he's done like extorting him for sex and the narrative switches blame to Blitzo when he rejects hsi advances. Instead of them coming off as sympathetic it's more like whiny babies who can't understand other people's problems that are not their own.

And again emphasized again how despite the narrative tries to make the hated spouse so hated it ended up with fans emphasizing with them because it made the other sympathetic guy look worse or showing that maybe they weren't the only contributing to the marriage's dysfunction. With Therese, the narrative basically shames her for getting post-partum syndrome and Anthony doesn't do shit to comfort her and just pities himself. The same thing with Stolas and Stella who the latter never gets considered in the fact that she as well is saddled in this loveless and forced situation, but nope she's just a one dimensional obstacle for Stolas to overcome and eventually conqueror just like Anthony with Therese.

And again the narratives does everything it can to treat what they did (cheating) as if it wasn't bad. For Anthony, it treats his emotional affair with Elizabeth as okay because they are the destined pair. While with Stolas they treat him cheating as Stella okay, because they did everything to demonize her into a bitchy witch. Also again it treats Blitzo as the right one for him and that Stella is an obstacle to overcome to get his deserved ending. Again instead of letting the narratives let them own up to their issues it instead just lets them be innocent angels incapable of doing wrong

All in all Stolitz and Elizabeth x Anthony are an example of author favoritism infecting a story's quality that it derails good storylines and potential for characters. Also despite the intended endgame getting talked about it ends up just turning people away when you realize the intended isn't as good as they are played up as. Both pairings really lack good chemistry and it is shown with the way everything about them feel forced instead of natural. As a result, just like Anthony and Elizabeth when they finally get together everyone will be just fed up.

#for better or worse #anthony #elizabeth #helluva boss #helluva boss critical #helluva boss criticism #helluva boss critique #vivziepop critical #vivziepop criticism #vivziepop #anti-vivziepop #anti-stolitz #stolitz #stolas #anti-stolas #therese #anti-anthony #elizabeth patterson #dennis #francois #octavia #octavia goetia #candance

[theweeklydiscourse]

For even more context, ACOTAR, ACOTAR 2, and half of ACOTAR 3 were all written consecutively in 2014. That series was very different than the actual published series as SJM said Rhys was initially a villain and there would’ve been a love triangle between Tamlin, Feyre, and Rhys (which many readers speculate would’ve ended with Feylin endgame regardless of whether Feyre and Rhys were mates in that original). Later before publishing, she went back to tweak ACOTAR. This is where many of us speculate she rewrote the second half (starting with Calanmai, onward) since it’s so vastly different from the first half and also added in the whole painted dresser thing but forgot to change… well everything else. To further this speculation, in SJM’s own words, she said she had to add Rhys in earlier. (She never specified if earlier meant earlier in the first book or earlier as in adding him into the first book where in the original he would’ve appeared in the second, maybe even third book, but many of us assume it’s the latter since you can take him out of his scenes in ACOTAR and they would work just fine with other characters in his place.) She scrapped ACOTAR 2 and that half ACOTAR 3 to write ACOMAF and ACOWAR.

(Disclaimer: SJM does like to always say she had always planned on Feyre and Rhys, probably because it sounds cooler and more soulmatey, but not only does canon (aka book 1) completely contradict that, many of her earlier interviews (that have suspiciously become difficult to find) tell a very different story about her writing. Like the fact that she’s mentioned many times that she doesn’t outline and she “lets her characters taker her where they feel like it” but that she has vague beginnings and endings and musical outlines. Or that she’s mentioned while writing the published version of her first series, while writing what was supposed to be the third and final book in the series she changed her mind about the endgame and having to change the ending of the series, multiple times, in order to make that endgame possible as it didn’t work with what she originally set up, thereby extending the series. She also mentioned that in that very same book two characters just walked into her head while writing it, meaning she didn’t plan on having them, so there was no way to foreshadow them in the previous two books as fans like to claim. So…)

Oh god it makes my head hurt.

It is so disorganized and vague that it makes it impossible to judge the characters without considering Maas’s clumsy handling of her narrative. Whenever I try to approach the issue I’m constantly thinking “How seriously should I take this characterization? How much weight should I give to this information that is contradicted later on?” because Maas is so fickle with her characters and narrative. Like you said, there are many readers that claim that Maas had a plan all along and seem to hold the belief that they alone can comprehend the complexities of her writing when really the writing in question is just…bad.

Her foreshadowing (if you can even call it that) is merely what she wrote when she had her first idea of what the story would be and her follow-through is her retroactively modifying her narrative to make it fit. To put it plainly, any foreshadowing Maas does is weak and feeble because it is consistently overpowered by her poor planning and conflicting ideas. All of her contradictory additions exist for one reason: to disguise the fact that she has plan and makes narrative decision on whims. Most notably, Rhysand and Tamlin are great examples of this because of how obvious Maas is in her defanging and rehabilitation of Rhysand coupled with her questionable writing decisions for Tamlin. She changes her mind by partway through her story and veers off in an entirely different direction, resulting in her readers being subjected to chapters and chapters of inane explanations and retroactive continuity. Hence, why Maas frames certain character decisions as sudden “realizations” and “epiphanies” meant to recontextualize previous events but are really just her scrambling to make her favourite pairing endgame as quickly as possible. It’s lazy, choppy and insulting to the reader.

It makes ACOMAF an extremely tiresome book because of how insistent Maas is with her newly decided characterizations. Suddenly Rhysand’s is a righteous and noble prince who only ever wanted to protect people and loses any edge he had in ACOTAR. Suddenly Tamlin is obsessed with respecting tradition and customs despite his stated aversion to it previously. While I can see what Maas was trying to do with the two of them, her lack of foreshadowing ruins my suspension of disbelief and creates a jarring shift in the story that never truly feels earned. To claim that Maas thoroughly planned these books would be generous.

#sjm critical #rhysand #tamlin #acomaf #acotar #acosf #anti sjm #acotar meta #fandom meta #fandom

[imanightmarethatlookslikeadream]

THE REMAINERS ( Ghost x Fem! Reader) Part 2

Hello everyone again, I'm here with the new chapter of the story that I wrote the beginning of yesterday. It's a pretty quiet chapter, I hope you enjoy it.

First of all, I want to say that I have never played COD before, everything here is fictitious, and English is not my native language; I write them by translating. So if I make mistakes, please forgive me. I hope you like the story.

Warning: Guns, harassment, kidnapping, military, psychological violence, lots of drama and tears

Warning 2: I named my main character "Serafina" and characterized her as a writer. But it doesn't have to suit you; you can put yourself in its place and adapt it to yourself. I just did it to keep the flow and integrity of the story.

Summary: You were married to Lieutenant Simon Riley for almost a year. You gave birth and had a baby girl. After the birth, there was a knock on the door of your house, you thought it was Simon, but there were four Russians in front of you. You were kidnapped and the Russian mafia asked for a trade. They wanted codes for the launch missiles in exchange for the life of you and your child. The trade was denied and you and your child fell into the hands of the Russian mafia. Simon didn't come to save you. What was going to happen to you and your little girl?

Part 2: Behind the Scenes

-----------Let's go back a bit, about a year ago.---------------

It's been about 6 months since you married Simon and you were a fresh 3 months pregnant! God, this was life's best gift to you. You lived in a small town on the English border. For your safety, it was essential to stay out of sight. Simon couldn't bear for anything to happen to you. And, of course, so are you. Ever since you met him, it's as if your soul goes with him whenever he goes on a mission, and when he returns home, your soul returns with him. These four walls had no taste without him. But now it was quite different; you smiled as you prepared to leave the house. You were on your way to find out the gender of your baby, and your heart almost burst out of excitement. You wished Simon was here, you thought. Now who knows what part of the world he was on? He'll be fine, you said to yourself. He's fine, I'm fine, and our baby is fine. You took off slowly. Inside your town was a small hospital a 15-minute walk away. You started walking slowly. Life seemed more vivid to you today. The colours were vibrant. The voices sounded like melodies to your ears.

Smiling, you entered the hospital and went up to the floor where your doctor was. Your doctor smiled when she saw you.

-Welcome Serafina! +Hey, Hello Doctor - I don't believe you forgot my name and I hope it's just excitement! let's lie down You lay down smiling, you really forgot your doctor's name. You opened your belly and stared at your doctor's ultrasound machine. Your excitement was growing. It didn't matter the gender of the baby, it was your baby, but inside it was born that there would always be a girl, her father's daughter… -How do you feel, Serafina! Do you think it's a boy or a girl? +Ahhh!, I don't know why but it sounds like she's going to be a girl. A princess -You're feeling right, mommy, a 3-month-old baby girl. It's pretty healthy. You didn't know what to say. Tears of happiness started flowing, and you threw your head back and started laughing. A princess father's daughter All of this must have been a miracle. It was as if you had come home from the doctor with your feet in the air. You were flying with happiness. You wanted to tell this news to Simon right away, but it wouldn't. You could only call him once he called you. You sighed deeply, pulled out your daughter's first ultrasound from your pocket and started looking. What should her name be? Simon was an Englishman, and you were a Spanish. You start to think of a common name.

Marry? Anna? Rose? No, those names were definitely too cliché. Daphne? Yes, it looked beautiful. Daphne Riley? It wasn't bad at all. Lilibeth? That sure sounded great, Antonella? Firstborn and flower? Why not

Lilibeth Antonella Riley ?My God, it was perfect. It was like a queen's name.

You wanted to say that to Simon right away. You were very curious about his reaction. But there was nothing you could do. You couldn't call him unless he called you.

Two days later, the phone rang in the evening. The only number calling you. You missed him so much. You opened it on the first ring +Hey! -Love +God, Simon. I missed hearing your voice so much. -I missed you too, darling. How's it going? You missed him so much, breathing in his scent, sleeping on your chest. Tears began to flow slowly from your eyes -Are you crying, my love? I can't stand it +It's okay. I'm crying with happiness this time. I have very good news for you. -What? +I found out the gender of our baby. I have the ultrasound photo, and I'm looking at it right now. How small it is. A few minutes of silence fell on the phone. +simon?darling? -Serafina, his voice was hoarse. He was trying to suppress herself. +Do you wonder about the gender of the baby? Do you want to find out or get a surprise?

-tell me darling +Simon -Serafina +Baby, our baby… will be a girl, Simon, she will be her father's little princess. Simon felt his heart stop, a little girl, his father's daughter, his father's little princess. All this couldn't be true. Simon began to think that he had died and gone to heaven. Was this all real? You slowly broke the deep silence that had formed +My love -serafina +are you there? -I do not know. +I thought of a name for him, do you want to hear it? -more than anything you smiled +Lilibeth Antonella Riley -Like a queen +definitely! I thought that too. You gave a small laugh. -Serafina, darling. I don't know what to say.

+But I know what to tell you, Lieutenant. Lieutenant, dangerous word. Every time you said that word, Simon knew he'd hear a reprimand or reproach next. +Is isn't it time to go back home now? -You know it's out of my hands +I know, but I need you here at home with me. There was a short silence, and you continued.

+ I can't do this alone, Simon. I can't hold her in my arms in that hospital alone. You need to be here. Her father has to be here. Her father has to be here. Here is the striking sentence. It was already starting to echo in Simon's head. -I'll be, darling. I'll be home as soon as possible. But now I have to turn it off, okay?

+promise me. Promise you'll come home. -promise. I promise I will come

+we love you, Simon Riley -I love you too. And the call hang up sound. You sat back and took a deep breath. He promised, he would come.

The days were passing rather slowly. You were happy with it, enjoying your pregnancy. You've got your computer in hand, it's time to get back to your readers. You were a full-time writer for a blog site. You were writing about places to visit and places to eat. It was fun, you loved your job. You've been on the road since 18, from the most populated cities in the world to the farthest corners, from Europe to Asia, you've been to almost everywhere. Isn't that how you met Simon already? You were in Mexico, you were going to go back to Spain, the land of your birth. You had been accepted to a PhD in Spanish at a Spanish university, and you should have celebrated it. How much did you drink that night? What was on your mind when you wrote Simon that napkin?

you smiled

There was nothing. You just wanted to write. You wanted him to take off that mask and kiss you, hold you in his muscular arms. You laughed when you thought of that night.

Yes, you wanted these, but what did you do when you saw him in front of you? You stumbled and fell to the ground. How embarrassing it was. You were stuck in your eyes as Simon slowly knelt down next to you. "I want to drown in these eyes." You thought you said it from your heart, but no, you said it out loud, too loud. Simon was grinning slightly from under his mask. And he extended his hand to you -"Ghost" You didn't understand what he said at first, it wasn't Halloween time, was it? +Casper? you had a big laugh and continued +that cute one, cute ghost Casper Simon was taken aback; no one dared to say such a thing to him. Simon felt anger and anger take over his body. How dare you? but you continued +But, sir, I must inform you that I don't remember that little goddamn ghost dressed like that, it's that masculine, it's sexy. my god You should have shut up, you really should have just shut up. Simon felt the anger go through his body. You were just pretty much drunk and you probably wouldn't even remember it. Oh but you would remember. Simon tried to pick you up, but you didn't want to and you pulled him to you, so at least you thought he was, because he hadn't moved an inch. When you saw that it didn't move, you got angry and tried to pull more. Finally he gave up and leaned closer to her face. Simon had some things to accept. He knew you had been cutting him all night because he was cutting you too. A white complexion, auburn-brown hair with shining blonde strands between them, green eyes, the white dress you wear. Yes, he'd seen it all under those bar lights, and you didn't even realize he was looking at you. I guess it was pretty obvious why his nickname was the ghost. Your eyes were even more beautiful up close, they sparkled like emeralds, and your hair smelled like coffee. Simon was a tea person but not anymore. You were very close to his face.

-Ghost -Ghostetttt mmmhhhh -Do you want to be my ghost and you paused and told him your number -49 849…. Call me, ghost. Where and whenever you want. I am waiting you. Then you stumbled slowly towards your friends. When you woke up at your friend's house in the morning, memories of last night were slowly starting to fill your mind. In the conversation you had with that man, you gave him your number. After thinking about the events, you decided that it was quite illogical, and the guy couldn't memorize your number instantly. He probably forgot your number that minute. That's what you thought and shrugged and continued with your day, but you were wrong. He was a ghost, and he wouldn't forget. Simon looked at the small card and napkin in his hand. He quickly wrote your number on the back of a business card after you left.

49 849 - Serafina v. Mexico, August 21.

Puffing, he put the card and napkin in his pocket. He was sure he wouldn't. You were just drunk and not serious, you wanted to have fun, right? Simon reasoned about this for a long time. This reckoning within him continued for 2 months just like this. He had just returned to base after a long and bloody mission. It had been cleaned and now lay in its rather uncomfortable bed. He took the card with the number from the nightstand, yes he always carried it with him, but he wasn't going to say it. In a moment of heedlessness, he dialed the number. The call rang for quite some time, but no one picked up the phone. -Fuck Simon angrily put the phone down on the nightstand and closed his eyes. The voices in his head were roaring. "We told you this was going to happen, Simon, what were you thinking? Did you think she wouldn't forget you? Stupid!" Simon covered his face with his hands and took a deep breath. This was going to be a pretty long night for him. Simon's sleep had always been light, he had to be cautious, and he had almost jumped out of bed when a text message sounded on his phone. Nobody knew about this phone, unless the terrorists he was fighting were texting for revenge. Which he didn't think would text them at six in the morning. He picked up the phone and looked at the message: "Hi, I saw you called me last night. I tried to call you but I think your phone is not working properly and I hope this message reaches you. Anyway, please call or text me again later in the day."

I tried to call you,

she was back. Simon got up from the bed and slightly backed up. His fingers were running over the phone.

-Good Morning +Good morning, hello, may I know who I'm talking to? Simon grinned slightly. -Ghost At first, you didn't understand the incoming message. Ghost? Whoever was on the phone was making fun of you. You stopped when you were going to give him a big curse and thought of that night.

Masked man, those dark eyes, call me, ghost, I'll be waiting for you. Oh my god,

fuck it, fuck it, fuck it.

YOU THOUGHT IT TO BE A DREAM, YOU SAID HE CANNOT MEMORY YOUR NUMBER, BUT IT HAS REACHED YOU NOW. You felt your heart was going to explode, you lost your ability to think logically from excitement. You thought this only happens in fairy tales. You stared blankly at the screen and tried to write something. As the minutes passed, Simon began to tense up and the voices in his head came back to life. "She didn't know you idiot, you should have known this was going to happen. Disgrace" He closed his eyes and tried to silence the voices in his head, and a text message cut off all that noise. +Casper? and smile. Simon backed slightly -not very cute. You had your back a little too +I prefer this ghost.

And that's how it all started. You found out eight months later what he was doing, but it was okay. He was a soldier, not an outlaw. The only thing that worried you was his health problem. You were constantly thinking of bad scenarios, the ghost knew them and was trying to send text messages to tell you that he was okay. He wasn't supposed to do that, it was dangerous, but he could handle the danger. That's how everything went. It took him two months to call you, almost a year to tell you he loves you, and five years to propose to you. You were moving slowly, but it was okay. You were at peace. You looked at your computer screen, you started a blog, you started writing about the places you went and saw. You had followers and you were making some money too. Your husband would be home soon, and the birth of your baby was getting closer and closer. There was no apparent problem. Life was beautiful.

But life was not always beautiful, it was full of problems. You started writing, unaware of what was going to happen to you. If only you could look up for a second and see the men watching you, maybe if you'd let Simon know, he'd come to your rescue? Or maybe he would send someone?

Black Cadillac, this car was supposed to attract a lot of attention in a neighbourhood like this, but gradually night had fallen, and everyone was already home. Four men were sitting inside. four Russians

-Он внутри (She is inside) -Когда мы получим его? (When will we get it?) -Ничего страшного, если она беременна? Нам нужно найти другую жертву. (Is it okay if she's pregnant? We have to find another prey.) And the eldest spoke: -Дети, дети… Он беззащитная газель, без стада, некуда бежать. Зачем нам пропускать такую ​​охоту? мы просто подождем (Children, children … She is a defenceless gazelle, with no herd, nowhere to run. Why should we skip a hunt like this? We'll just wait)

-А если лейтенант придет, то пропустить его будет невозможно (What if the lieutenant comes, then it will be impossible to miss her) The old bastard smiled confidently:

-Он не придет, Нико. (He won't come, Niko.)

The men did not say anything else and continued to watch the house.

Why didn't you come, Simon? What the hell were you in?

--------------------------More coming soon----------------------

#ghost headcanons #ghost cod #ghost mw2 #cod ghost #ghost posts #ghost x reader #ghost fanfiction #simon ghost riley #ghost stories #ghost fanart #ghost fandom #ghost family #ghost fan #ghost x female reader #ghost x y/n #ghost x you #ghost x gn reader #cod x reader #cod mw22 #cod #modern warfare 2 #cod mw2 #mw2 #call of duty modern warfare 2 #call of duty modern warfare #simon riley #simon riley x reader #simon riley smut #simon riley x you #simon riley x f!reader

[comradeboyhalo]

I would be interested in seeing the tierlist if you made it

i was going to make this a separate post but ill just answer this here. also im obviously going to be biased bc i see some eggs more than others and ofc i miss out on a good chunk of lore bc i only know english. so if im wrong, theres a reason for that!

my hot take is that roleplaying as a child > any other lore crafted. so that shapes the bulk of this list. AND NO SLANDER THEY ALL DO REALLY WELL, THIS LIST IS NITPICKY BC I OVERALL LOVE THEM ALL.

dapper: I SWEAR IM NOT (COMPLETELY) BIASED. a few months ago, dapper's admin would be quite lower, however he's really gone crazy with rp recently. his body language is really cute and feels very childlike, and i really enjoy how he saves emotional sucker-punches when you least expect it. his deathday signs hit that much harder because he rarely shares his feelings. the soul vulture lore was really well drawn-out with a great pay-off. and it all felt very in character and gave so much character development. if dapper openly shared his feelings all the time with bad, i dont think any of this would feel as powerful.

leo: leo feels so much like a character, and i mean that entirely positively. whenever i see her, i feel like i dont even think of QNPC05, i just think LEO. shes spoiled and bratty but in an adorable way, her body language just screams CHILD, and her use of different heads is so fun. also she was the first egg to use colored signs! she has a lot of worries and social anxiety, but i feel like whenever she communicates these to foolish, it never feels info-dumpy. its actually very impressive how much emotion she can put across just through body language.

richarlyson: i actually was wondering if richas should be lower and everyone raises their pitchforks. i know. hear me out. i really like how detailed richas' admin does his lore HOWEVER i sometimes feel like he doesn't act baby enough. idk. theres something about how leo and dapper emote, and even their worries and insecurities, that makes me see them as much younger. that being said, richas' dedication to family conflict is really well-done and something that more eggs should do. (and for everyone disagreeing with me, i know. i know why im wrong. but i just cant help the vibes i get im sorry?). i get a lot of cuteness agression when he shifts to check if people are following him tho 10/10

tallulah: tallulah and pomme are interchangeable bc they both do what i DONT prefer in rp, which is writing out your feelings. dont get me wrong, its great to know the eggs' thoughts, but those sort of angst dumps just dont hit as hard every stream. tallulah just edges out pomme bc she is a bit more irrational, and makes a lot of mistakes, which i think is a brave move in rp.

pomme: pomme has a really well-crafted character, but, again, i really prefer eggs who are harder to figure out vs eggs who lay all their feelings out. pomme is a bit too influential in bbh's lore decisions imo, sometimes i think she should let things play out a bit further before she tries to reign him back. i know shes just rping, but metawise, i think the admin should let him cook a little longer. i do really think she has a great "child soldier" vibe going on, which feels v much uniquely hers. i just think she could take more risks in rp, pomme is a very logical egg but she's still just a child. i dont want her to always choose the logical answer, i want to see how her young perceptions can force her to make a wrong decision.

ramon: ramon is sort of a weird case in that hes ABOVE tallulah/pomme cause he doesnt do what i dislike. however hes below them in general characterization. that being said, hes really underrated in his relationship with fit, and has some very gut-punching one liners. but hes also kind of like richas where i know LOGICALLY he does roleplay like a kid but i just. the vibes are not the same as dapper and leo. what can i do about that. hes just too competent i guess.

chayanne: chayanne is another egg thats hard for me to catch on stream, but i havent really felt any standout moments from 01 or 06 (however i think 01 plays best cucurucho). idk. i know chayanne's personality pretty well, i just need something...more. maybe i just tune in at the wrong times? i DO love his opinions on philever tho lmaoo. i think his best moment was when he kept trying to fight while quackity repeatedly told him he wasnt strong (reinforcing his greatest fear). and i think the fact that chayanne isnt placed in more dangerous situations really hinders his development (since hes understanding of why phil keeps him protected).

#long post #ask #also this is NOT a ranking on which eggs i like the best

[rollercoasterwords]

🍈 Who’s your blorbo and what are some of your favorite headcanons/ideas about them that repeatedly show up in your fics?

hello! requesting a rant pls and thank you xx

request granted xoxo

honestly i feel like there are a few characters i could rant about rn i have been seeing some things lately that activate my haterism but!! let's see...

sirius is for sure my favorite character so. 2 respond 2 the ask. one of my fave hcs/the way i basically always write him is as a gay man. like. that never really changes for me + is kind of an essential part of the way i interpret his character. i don't really care if people hc otherwise but i just am not really interested in fics where he isn't gay!

something that does bother me tho is people who like....strip away or water down all his canon flaws. obviously people should write him however they want in their own stories, but it just bugs me when people take stuff like the prank or the general cuntiness that sirius exhibits in canon and either act like it makes him irredeemable OR act like it needs 2 be erased to make him likeable. i really view sirius as someone who sort of naturally tends towards meanness in certain ways and who finds it easier to be unkind than kind, and to me it's really important that he is specifically someone who struggles towards kindness + thoughtfulness + just an awareness of other people's feelings, bc it doesn't come naturally to him. and i don't really care if other people interpret his character differently, but i do care when i see people acting like the "sirius is kinda mean" interpretation is like.....morally corrupt or somehow inferior, because characters doing bad things means they're Bad. like whenever i see someone climbing onto a moral high horse just bc they've essentially erased a large portion of a character's canon characterization to make them more palatable it makes me want to bash my head into a wall <3

bonus mini-rants:

i loooooove making marlene a "mean lesbian stereotype" and hate when people complain abt it

i think it's fucking weird when people look at the popular hc of dorcas going after voldemort for revenge and call that "female rage"

i dislike it when people insist that lily being a "good mother" is the most important part of her character. same goes for narcissa. jkr's weirdness abt motherhood is one of the main ways that sexism is baked into the source material of this fandom which is why i think people need 2 stop acting like u can just close ur eyes + pretend jkr doesn't exist when writing hp fanfic, bc then u get shit like people regurgitating her weird moralizing abt mothers lmao

this ask game

#ask #always love an excuse 2 be a hater lol

[kimbleefucker]

I've decided to make a masterpost of Kimblee's Jewish coding complete with FAQ so I can refer to it whenever necessary and also hopefully so people will stop goywashing him.

Goyim, I'm asking you Nicely, please read and consider before dismissing, because y'all like to reject Jewish opinions instinctively before consideration. Many sources and links abound, so a worthwhile read even just to educate yourself on Jew-Coding.

It's long but I promise, it's worth it.

I'm gonna start head to toe and begin with intent, because this is where people immediately become dismissive.

"Did Arakawa intend for Kimblee to be Jewish?"

The answer is yes and no. You first need to understand what coding is. This article on Jew-Coding is important to read to understand first. Jew-Coding is often used negatively, but surprisingly often unintentionally. This is because Jew-Coding has been present for... well, forever. Because of this, it's deeply ingrained into society. What started off initially as an intentional way to convey to audiences a villain should be read as a Jew, is now associated with villainy often without the immediate connection; however, that does not mean it is not Jew-Coding. This is also still extremely prevalent in queer coding WRT villains as well. It's important to recognize that almost all media has antisemitism baked into it, because unfortunately almost all performance and literature used antisemitic Jew-Coding in the past, and it is part of the inherent culture.

Arakawa is an artist, and like most artists she uses visual cues to convey a message or characterization for her audience to understand a character before they truly meet them. If you think of a stereotypical villain, many features may come to mind and... they often come from Jews.

Keep in mind Arakawa is a Japanese person writing about a time and place she did not inhabit. I don't think its beyond a stretch of the imagination that when researching early 1910s Germany and UK, to find what you believe a villain to look like to the people of that time and place. What propaganda do you think she came upon that was relevant in that time period that could have helped shape her perception of what a Bad Guy looks like in that environment?

Kimblee is specifically similar to Ashkenazi Jews, "are usually depicted as having large hook-noses and dark beady eyes with drooping eyelids". Arakawa does not shy away from these features. She does not make him grotesque or ugly, but it is undeniable she uses these traits to illicit an immediate assumption about his character; she even states herself she wanted to make his face look "sleazy and untrustworthy", another stereotype of Jews. In addition to that, Jews are often portrayed as having hooded/half lidded "drooping" eyelids and eyebags (which are often real Ashkenazi traits) and were called "sleepy eyed Jews" derogatorily. In fact these traits were even used by nazis to identify Ashkenazim.

I don't say this with the intent of demanding that Arakawa is a nazi or even antisemitic, merely that she utilized visual story-telling to create an untrustworthy or shady character immediately- but the visuals she used, yes, come from a history of associating Jews with crime.

When Kimblee is drawn with the stone, it's not hard to see the similarities to Jewish stereotypes of greed. The idea that Jews will kill others for gold coins or money is almost always accompanied by imagery of coin pondering and admiration. It is not a stretch by any means to notice the similarities here.

It's worth noting also that, unfortunately, this method works. Often you will see people denounce Kimblee as "ugly", but when you press for what about him is ugly, it's hard to find reason that doesn't play into the above. For this reason, I actually find it rather offensive when people try to erase these traits. Just because they were used for a bad reason, doesn't mean he doesn't have them. Just because they are often weaponized against Jews, doesn't mean we don't actually have these features. To remove them is to attempt to cleanse us of our ethnic identity as you've felt it's been dirtied, but that isn't true. I think by now we should know that removing ethnic traits, for any reason, is unacceptable.

"Is that all his Jewish coding is?"

No! Actually, Kimblee has more Jewish coding than even that. Outside of his features, his given name (Solf) is Hebrew in origin.

His personality too, can be considered quite Jewish. Jewish people are stereotyped as often playing devil's advocate, answering questions with questions, and often complaining (Kimblee is seen complaining often about having to work, getting his clothes dirty, having places to be, etc.). He is also seen as someone who sits on the sidelines, doesn't choose a side, is for his own benefit. This stereotype is heavily associated with Jews in the west, as we are seen as having "dual loyalty", and will always forsake any birth country for Israel.

Additionally, his alchemy and the way his technique can also be interpreted as Semitic.

Firstly, his alchemy is tattooed on his hands. Hands are important symbolism for Jewish characters. You'll often see stereotypes of Jewish characters clapping or clasping their hands together, or wringing their hands. This plays both into the importance of hands and hand signs in Judaism, but also stereotypes of Jews, relating to the hands coming together as a sign of greed or bringing misfortune on others (Kimblee claps his hands together to cause immediate destruction). The hamsa also adds another layer to this.

Kimblee's alchemy symbology uses a hexagram (the star of David) as well as a sun and moon, which are intrinsic to the Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism. The Kabbalah is used in FMA for various reasons, the tree of life is hugely symbolic. Kimblee's alchemy utilizes the sun and moon, which I've already explored for it's other meaning into his character, but notably the Hebrew calendar used both the solar and lunar calendars. It isn't significant, but it's still fun to note.

"The elephant in the room though is that Kimblee committed genocide, shouldn't that revoke his Jew Card?"

Honestly? No. Kimblee's Jewishness should not be erased because of the above.

Yes, he did. But keep in mind that he exists in a world unlike ours, where the Shoah did not occur, and in theory he has not been subjected to antisemitism (though, it would be an interesting character exploration if he had been, and still chose to do this). We have to be able to recognize important character coding in media that is used for the audience response, and accept that within it's respective universe, it may not have the same application. We, the audience, recognize Kimblee's Jewishness, but that doesn't mean within the world he lives he experiences the same things Jews do in our universe.

I'd like to remind everyone that the Ishvallan's are notably Muslim, and at the expense of touching very lightly on a political issue, that you can draw your own conclusions from that re: Palestine. What I'm saying is, even within our own universe, Jewish people are not immune from war crimes or bigotry. Just look at Ben Shapiro.

I don't want to use bad actions to revoke Jewishness, because that isn't how it works in the real world, and it shouldn't be that way in the fictional one. We cannot exist demanding only the purest and cleanest representation, because to do so is to dehumanize. Whether Kimblee is a good person or a bad person, he is still Jewish.

Reclamation is a powerful thing. It allows marginalized groups to take back things that have been used to hurt us, and love them for being part of us. We have that right.

The queer community is often allowed to do this without criticism; Poison from Street Fighter is seen as a trans icon now, despite her origin being explicitly transmisogynistic. Trans and cis allies alike celebrate her transness.

Then I ask, why is it not the same for Jews? Why is it when we speak about characters that are importantly Jewish, we are denied this? We are told that we're just projecting, that it's just a headcanon, that we see Jewishness in too much of the world, when Jewishness was stolen and co-opted into the very things we mention? The truth is, people either see Jewish as only a religion they equate to another form of Christianity, or feel uncomfortable with the concept of a character being Jewish.

I have experienced gentiles who know little about being Jewish tell me what being Jewish means, what is and isn't antisemitic, what is and isn't Jewish- we are denied even the right to take what is ours. The purpose of this tangent is to make you think before you have a reactionary response and say "well Kimblee can't be Jewish!" Well, why can't he? Why are you so opposed to him having an ethnic identity like that? If you are that resistant to accepting a character's Jewishness, that is something you must address within yourself.

(I may come back to add more/more sources later but yeah. you know.)

#solf j kimblee #solf j. kimblee #kimblee #fullmetal alchemist #fma #fmab

[birdantlers]

10 for the ask game

10. The Dragon Ball series isn’t exactly known for being consistent with its story, its characters, and various other things. Which inconsistency irritates you the most?

Omg . This question.

Okay, there are a hundred million things I would change abt dragon ball if I could, but the thing that pisses me off the most is definitely inconsistency with Gohan's characterization. Namely,

[deep breath]

Gohan should have stayed/become the main character after Cell Saga what the hell.

I'm really tired rn so I can't elaborate as much as I want to but holy shit Buu saga really dropped the ball on this and it's one of the reasons I don't like that arc much. For a while before I knew what the arc was actually about, I got duped into thinking it would be largely Gohan-centric. Focusing on his relationship with humanity and his peers when he attends school / his old trauma/fears/idk.. anything negative or introspective?? Resurfacing when his dad comes back and shit inevitably hits the fan again.

(mandatory "thank for for existing, the Red Boy fic" statement. Look it up it's great I got derailed while reading the last chapter and I feel bad abt not getting back to it yet h)

But instead..... No? Gohan frustratingly gets yanked off center stage halfway through Buu saga, thanks to Toriyama's unfortunate authorship situation at the time. And after that he just....... Stays there. In the wings of Goku and Vegeta's story instead of taking the mantle of MC. It's really disappointing to me, and it's one of the reasons I still haven't watched Super lmao.

Ik I talk about piccolo for 172783736 hours at a time but Gohan's character arc is really the one that carries Z for me up to Buu saga. I consider Cell saga to be an infinitely superior end to his character arc, and I think the way it sticks the landing there is another reason why Buu saga gets on my nerves so much.

I've talked abt this with friends, but current Gohan also feels largely void of the gamut of emotions he was shown to have while younger, and that bugs the hell out of me. Obviously he's matured, but the fear and insecurity and loss he struggled with pre-buu arc feels strangely muted. Like he isn't allowed to cry now that he's an adult or something (though Goku got hit with this same problem, sigh). This doesn't help his already bad sidelining.

In Buu saga and Super, his repeated cycle of "BAMF fight where he comes out on top as strongest Z fighter→ peacetime→ complacency and domestic life→ uh oh he's weak now→ gets admonished for it and wins the day again" could be SUCH a good foundation for a compelling character arc, but they just. Don't do it! So it comes off as redundant and uncharacteristically negligent on Gohan's part. For as much as I love it, Super Hero drops the ball with this too.

I'm just gonna port my messages from discord and let y'all glean the gist

Basically Gohan feels kinda McGuffin-ized at this point and it makes me sad. He literally had a CELL clone in front of him and had no visible reaction or even an acknowledgement. He's verbally passionate about things like the saiyaman gig or entomology or his family, but the plot and writing don't allow him to actually struggle with the obligation his power gives him.

Like. He might on the surface, sure, but ultimately he just rolls over whenever someone goads him into fighting again (I have seen that part(s) of super don't @ me). I just can't help but see wasted potential and a character with somewhat weak writing. It really is like they just don't know what to do with him now. And that's a real shame because he still is my 1st/2nd favorite character and I am still interested in his arc. Way more so than Goku or Vegeta's. I just wish they would DO something with it 😭

Anyway. Can you believe this isn't even all my thoughts on the matter hdhdhdkdjdj

#oops i still wrote a lot #dbz #dragonball #gohan #skit yells #ask

[randomfansstuff]

damn, okay, so the dsmp officially ended today and i suppose since it was a giant part of my life and this account for a long time I would like to add my two cents.

the lore finale was absolutely horrible and everything I feared they'd get wrong, they got wrong. I hated the way most characters were characterized and the ending felt like a giant, disrespectful punch to all fans. especially after the long wait, the delays and the straight up lies many ccs just told us.

the irl stuff that happened just made everything worse. I cannot watch someone who used to be my comfort streamer anymore because of the way the entire situation played out. I'm mad at the way most ccs acted towards the situation.

technically, I should be jumping with joy that it's finally over, but after all that happened, I still found myself getting emotional over that stupid server. I made jokes about it with friends, how it felt like talking to a toxic ex, but the sudden joy i felt when Shroud was found alive or when Tubbo killed the dragon cannot be denied and can probably be lead back to the fact that I used a whole year of my life passionetly discussing and following this storyline and its characters. Something I put so much time and thought into is over, and part of me will never forget that.

So, in total, I am glad the Dream SMP is over. It was standing on it's last legs and should've been let go ages ago. The way everything fell apart was a horrible experience. But discussing lore and theories, eagerly liveblogging, waiting whenever someone would change into lore skins, writing and reading all sorts of content, and all the love and care I had for the characters; that is something I am never going to forget, and am grateful to have had experienced alongside all of you.

the Dream SMP was something special, and it sure was an experience. wether in the end you take more good, more bad or a mix out of it is your own decision.

#o7 i suppose #dsmp #dream smp #dsmp neg

[chrxllv]

love is a mistery || poe x ranpo (bsd)

- very much fluff, that’s all:D enjoy!! -

(also, come find me on ao3, leave a comment or a like if you like my work^^ user: chrxllv_ii

word count: 3k

summary: Poe finally decided to confess to Ranpo. And what better way is there than expressing your feelings through a mistery novel?

***

“Hello, Ranpo dear” Poe’s head stuck through the Agency’s door only to find the room packed with people. He usually didn’t like that much company and he especially despised it today. “Do you have a minute?” he asked and withdrew from the entrance.

“Poe!” Ranpo jumped out of his seat, pushing the

papers on his table down.

***

Kunikida sighed upon seeing Ranpo treat their recent and most important case with such indifference. He’d thought he would get used to the detective’s particular personality over the years but it was always disappointing to see important documents being casted into the air.

After all, the job has been given to them by a big government official who specifically asked for Ranpo’s help. Poor dude had no idea that Ranpo’s interest was only piqued by orders given directly by their boss.

Well, that has been true until a few months ago, when a certain someone showed up at the Agency’s door for the first time. He was the only other person who seemed to capture Ranpo’s interest whenever.

Kunikida and the others got to know who he was from Yosano.

When the doctor and Ranpo were sent together on a mission and got trapped in that mystery novel, they met an old Guild member, an individual going by the name of Edgar Allan Poe.

Kunikida remembered the case in great detail since he had to write the report instead of Ranpo. The detective simply refused to do it since he said he had more important things to take care of and quite blatantly because writing reports was boring him to death.

Not only was Kunikida forced to write it without even being there, he had to do it twice. The first time, Dazai accidentally set it on fire.

Ever since that mission, Ranpo and Poe kept in touch. The latter was obsessed with creating the perfect mistery and the first would always solve it easily.

The dynamic in their frienship was quite… peculiar. But no one in the Agency could be characterized as “normal” at the end of the day so why bother understand those two?

***

When Poe heard Ranpo calling his name, his heart skipped. It always did. It made him happy to see how energetic the detective was whenever

he would visit the Agency.

***

At first, Poe would only show up once or twice a month. He was usually carrying a draft of his latest work. Everytime he showed up he was sure he found a way to beat Ranpo’s Ultra Deduction but that never happened. “Yet” Poe thought.

Then he realized the visits became weekly. And the items he carried with him seemed to change too. At first, Poe brought a pink box of cherry mochi. He saw an empty one on Ranpo’s desk during his last visit and wanted to surprise the detective.

That earned him an excited hug from Ranpo. He remembered how still he went and how his ears were bright red. Thank the Gods for his haircut that covered that up, otherwise he would’ve just died of embarrassment right on the spot.

“Cherry mochi’s my favourite” Ranpo told him while munching on one piece. “Have you ever tried it? You should. It’s amazing” he said and stuck another piece towards Poe.

He reached for his hand to take it but Karl was faster. The little bastard swallowed it in an instant and jumped into Ranpo’s lap right after. Double betrayal.

Poe’s mouth was left slightly agape. He didn’t know how to respond but luckily enough Ranpo always had something to say.

“Well, that’s too bad, you won’t know how good it is now” the detective told him as he scratched the raccoon’s head. “I won’t give ya another, you know?”

Poe closed his mouth and the corner of his lips raised. He looked at Ranpo who was greedily hovering over the box of mochi in an attempt to guard them from Karl and he could hardly suppress his laughter.

“So, what have you got for me this time?” Ranpo asked after he was done snacking.

That’s when Poe realised he didn’t have a manuscript ready. Why was he there then? He didn’t even start working on a new piece.

“Right, I think I…” he faked looking in the pockets of his coat before speaking again. “I must’ve lost it on the way” Poe laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.

“Well that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll use my Ultra Deduction and find it in no time! Just you wait” Ranpo said and reached for his glasses but Poe stopped him just in time.

“No, no, no need!” he reassured the detective. “I left it at home, on my desk. I remember vividly now, I’m leaving” Poe announced, grabbed Karl and ran out the Agency’s door.

***

Ranpo found Poe waiting in the hall for him. He was holding a box of cherry mochi and clutching some already wrinkled papers in his hand.

“Cherry mochi!” Ranpo beamed. “You haven’t brought me those in a while”

“Yeah, you told me they were your favourites and I wanted to save them for a more special…” Poe stopped and just shoved the box and the papers towards the detective. “Doesn’t matter, forget it. Here”

“Nice, I was getting bored of all these easy cases. My favourite writer came up with something new to chase away the boredom” Ranpo said as he opened the Agency’s door and marched inside.

Poe could feel his face get warm at the detective’s words.

“Aren’t you coming? I’m sure Kyouka bought some special snacks just for Karl” Ranpo continued.

The writer always had a hard time refusing Ranpo but he just couldn’t take it. The wait for the detective to solve that would’ve been excruciating, even if it would probably take a few minutes.

He’d rather perish than squirm in a chair next to Ranpo for those godforsaken minutes.

“I can’t. I have to give Karl a haircut. Call me when you’re done?” Poe’s lie was so bad it was physically painful. Some writer he was, not able to come up with a more clever reason for leaving.

“Actually, don’t call. I’ll come by later. Okay? Bye”

After a second thought, he realised he wanted to be present when Ranpo would solve the so called mystery. These kind of deals were meant to be face to face and Poe already made peace with the fact that rejection may come his way. Then so be it. But he has to be there.

Poe vanished so fast, Ranpo didn’t have time to say his goodbye. He looked over to the papers he was given but felt someone stare at him judgingly.

“I can’t focus if someone is watching my every move, Kunikida”

“Sorry, but that job that you got is important. Please finish it in time”

“Nope, not interested right now. Poe’s given me this” Ranpo showed off the papers proudly. “I want to read”

“Finish the case you have and I’ll give you my credit card. You can buy as many snacks as you want and I won’t complain” Kunikida sighed.

“Now we’re talking!” Ranpo smiled and gathered the documents from the floor where he previously thrown them.

***

Poe was walking frantically around the Agency’s building. Was Ranpo done? Did he finish reading? Did he solve it? Did he feel the same way?

He kept checking his phone every minute. He knew he told the detective not to call but still, he was scared of missing a hypothetical call.

When would be a good time to go back up to the Agency? Ranpo would sure be done soon but if he went now he’d find the Agency full of people. Poe’s only option was to wait around until twilight when the work program would be over and everyone would go home.

He entered the cafe under the Agency to pass some time. Poe ordered a black coffee for him and a cookie for Karl and sat down at a corner table. As he sipped his coffee, he remembered a conversation he had with Ranpo a while ago.

***

“What do you mean you prefer black coffee? That’s not sweet at all. It’s totally undrinkable!” Ranpo was utterly shocked when he went down to the cafe with Poe and the latter ordered a plain simple black coffee.

“It’s just how I drink it. I don’t really like overly sweet things. But Karl does” Poe murmured and pointed to the raccoon.

“What? How can you live like this?! I’d lose my mind without sugary snacks. You’re weird. I never met someone who doesn’t like sweets” Ranpo paused and chewed his lip for a second. “Now that I think about it, it’s not a bad thing at all! I won’t have to share my snack stack with you” the detective smiled and Poe did so, too.

“I guess you don’t”

***

Three hours have passed since Poe delivered the papers to Ranpo. The sun was setting and Poe definitely saw a few of the Agency’s secretaries leave the building. It was now or never.

He rose up from the table, paid his bill and confidently walked up the stairs to meet up with Ranpo.

Or at least that’s how he wanted it to go like. In reality, after he left some money on the table and sneaked out, he had a full panic attack in front of the building.

Passers by must’ve thought he was insane but that wasn’t Poe’s problem. No, the matter at hand was much, much more important to him.

After five minutes of utter despair, he climbed the first flight of stairs. He didn’t remember ever feeling so stressed out.

Luckily for him, the Agency was now quiet. Poe was sure him and Ranpo would be alone and that put his mind at ease, for a little bit.

But then panic raised in his chest again. What if Ranpo went home too? No, impossible, he kept an eye of the entrance of the building. But what if he missed him?

Finally, he arrived in front of the door. With a deep breath, he pushed it open and stuck his head inside once again.

“Poe? You’re back!” Ranpo called out to him as he was the only one left in the room. A shiver of relief went down Poe’s spine, which was quickly followed by an insane increase of his heart rate. They were alone. “Come in! I just started reading your work”

Just started reading? No, Poe gave Ranpo more than enough time. He felt as if he fell right into Hell itself.

“What?” was all Poe could ask.

His question made Ranpo raise his eyes from the papers. “I couldn’t get to it right away. Kunikida made me solve a case first. But…” Ranpo stretched his legs on top of the table. “It’s alright. I made him buy me a store full of snacks because of that”

Poe nodded understandingly and made his way towards the vacant chair next to Ranpo’s desk. Ever since he started his weekly visits, Ranpo placed a chair there for him.

“Right, give me a few minutes. I’ll crack this” Ranpo said and chewed on his fingernail as he kept reading.

Sometimes things don’t go as planned, right? Poe would’ve banged his head against the wall multiple times if he knew this was how it was going to happen. It was what the Gods decided for poor Poe, there was no doubt: he had to watch Ranpo read his confession.

“I’m confused” Ranpo finally said and ended Poe’s suffering. Or part of it, at least. “I know who the killer is. I know how he did it. But I’ll be honest, I can’t figure out why”

“Why? But that was the whole point! Don’t tell me, out of all these times, this is the only one I get to beat you?” the writer wanted to be happy about it, but something wouldn’t let him. This was supposed to be his confession, not his victory.

“Oh, hold your horses now, Poe! I haven’t given up yet. There is only one reason I can find but is it truly this one?” Ranpo wondered.

“What did you get? Tell me” Poe was eager to get this done with. By that moment he started to believe that a simple and old fashioned love letter would’ve been ten times better than a mystery.

“What I am thinking is that the culprit did this because of love. It’s a crime of passion, is it not? He’s fallen for his best friend” the detective explained and tucked his glasses away. “Which drove him to kill any danger that may threaten his life”

“Yes! You’re amazing as always, dear Ranpo” Poe’s heart was beating so hard it felt like it was about to escape his chest and run away. “Anything else?” his voice sounded so strained he had to cough to mask it.

“Hm? I thought that’s it. I solved it. If you want my opinion on the writing, you added more description than usual. Not relevant to the case, that is. So I didn’t bother reading all of it”

Poe felt his heart sink. Of course he knew the description was useless to the case, that wasn’t the point of it.

The only reason for which he went into great detail while describing the character’s appearances was for Ranpo to realize that the two best friends were completely based on him and Poe. And that Poe liked him, goddamit.

“Judging from your expression, I think you wanted to me read that description. Is it really important to you? I’ll do it if you want me to” Ranpo inquired. He quickly got concerned when he saw Poe’s face go whiter than the papers he used.

“There’s no need” Poe exhaled and reached his arm to get the manuscript from Ranpo. “You already solved the mystery. And you’re right, the rest is just useless exposition. I’ll get it from here”

“No” Ranpo held the papers to his chest and turned around. “I feel like I upset you. I want to read it fully now. I am sorry, Poe”

Poe was startled by Ranpo’s apology. There was no need for him to do so, but it did make Poe happy. It showed that he cared.

With a more than pleased smile, the writer sat back into his chair and watched Ranpo finish reading for a second time.

“I see now. You wanted me to appreciate how you based one of the characters on me! And well, how you wrote yourself as the murderer, I guess? Very well, I’m really happy you added me in your writing”

Poe’s eye twitched. Was he toying with him? If he didn’t feel the same way, Ranpo could just be blunt with it. It wasn’t necessary to torture him like this.

“Oh, God, this has for sure been the most excruciating conversation I ever had to witness” Yosano said as she pushed open the door to the storage room with her foot. She was carrying a big box of weapons out of there.

Poe screamed and jumped out of his seat at the sound of her voice. All this time, he thought they were alone. He could take the private humiliation, but this was just too much.

“Oh, Yosano! I thought you went home” Ranpo said and cocked his head to the side.

“I wanted to. But I remembered that I must sort my.. medical instruments first. And I’m glad that I stayed behind” the doctor shifted her gaze from Ranpo to Poe. “I’m sorry. Our Ranpo is a genius when it comes to solving cases but that’s all”

“Hey! Rude!” Ranpo huffed and crossed his arms across his chest.

“Whatever. My point is, this boy likes you, Ranpo! It was so clear I can’t believe you missed it. The characters, the plot? I heard everything from there” she pointed to the storage room.

“Of course that was clear. I don’t like it when someone’s insulting my intelligence” Ranpo responded. “But it didn’t make sense. Why didn’t you just tell me, Poe? It can’t be because you were scared of rejection, it was obvious I liked you back. So why?”

“You like me back?” Poe gasped, chocking on his own words. His face was redder than a tomato, not even his haircut could hide that blush now.

“C’mon now, no need to act dumb. It’s clear as day” the detective was staring right at him and Poe felt like he couldn’t breathe freely anymore.

“I don’t mean to intervene more than I already have, but Ranpo… and I mean this with no offense, you’re shit with feelings. It was far from obvious” Yosano said before leaving the Agency and the two of them alone. For real, this time.

“I’m shit with feelings? That’s not true!” Ranpo protested in vain since Yosano was gone now. “You knew I liked you, right Poe? I’m not shit with feelings, correct? Hello?”

“You like me back” Poe repeated himself like a broken record. “You said… you like me back” His relief was so overwhelming that it clouded half of his mind. The other half was washed by an intense wave of joy.

“So you didn’t know?” Ranpo looked confused for a second but then he started laughing. “I’ve beat you yet again. I thought you’d figure me out, but you didn’t. I am the greatest detective there is” he yelled and the sound of his voice echoed in the room.

“Well, I always knew you were” Poe smiled down at Ranpo, behind whose chair he hid when doctor Yosano startled him.

Ranpo pushed his chair away and got up. His expression got serious all of a sudden, he wasn’t laughing anymore and his eyes were opened.

“Is there anything wrong?” Poe asked, concern lacing his voice.

“No. I just want to see you when I kiss you” Ranpo was quick to reply and even quicker to act. His hand slid around Poe’s waist and dragged him closer. “Bend down, Poe dear” he whispered and Poe didn’t have to be told twice.

The moment their lips met, an electrifying sensation went through the writer’s entire body. He didn’t have much time to process what was about to happen since Ranpo didn’t give him any time to think after he made his announcement.

Poe’s knees went weak and he thought it was a wonder that he was still standing. Ranpo’s lips were so soft against his own that it made it hard to concentrate on keeping his posture. He held onto the detective, his hand caressing his back.

Ranpo whined lightly and Poe could feel the muscles on his back tense under his touch. He couldn’t help it but grin against his lips and broke off the kiss. But he didn’t let go of Ranpo.

“So” Poe started but had to pause a bit to get his thoughts in order. “Are we you know, official?” he was convinced his cheeks would melt down at this point, that’s how hot his face felt.

“Hell yeah. And as my boyfriend, you’ll have to buy me more cherry mochi”

“You got it”

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