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#also he's kind of a misogynist but i can fix him
north-noire · 3 days
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north!! i hope ur doing well!! im really interested and curious abt jennifer emily shes seems very giving in tough love but i hope i request some hcs or sketches im already in love with her i love her i love her id do anything for her
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I've been doing well the best I could, but thanks for asking! It's been an exhausting time for me, but I'm getting by :] Here's a colored sketch of her, as you requested! Still working on her reference so she'll take a bit (same to the others as well), but I hope this suffices!
Thank you for being interested in my grumpy gal, and for the lovely ask! I'll try my best to explain my headcanons and that kind of thing for her! And honestly same, I would just do whatever she wanted so that I don't get on her bad side lmao.
Plus I really like the idea of Henry having an older sister - originally she wasn't really in the story, but I really liked the idea of an outsider from the Freddy's drama finding out what kind of thing Henry got himself into, and I thought Jennifer suited that role nicely.
Jennifer Emily in my AU - she's a very tough love and blunt kind of woman (Henry unintentionally got his bluntness from her partially), preferring to just be straightforward rather than sugarcoating everything. She just prefers having things done first before she deals with the ungodly things called emotions - she can be a bit brash and can get easily irritable, but she means well, she just says what's on her mind sometimes, so she can sound pretty harsh and brutal. And sadly, she's not really the best at consoling someone or helping them get through their emotions, but she tries her best to console in a different way.
She's a car mechanic, but genuinely has an interest in racing cars (even got racer's jackets and photos of race tracks/racing tournaments she had watched - she's a racing fan, damn she would've loved the Cars movie lmao) and custom car stuff (I imagine her car is like modified a bit to look like a race car for the aesthetic - probably would've collected sports car toys and the like) and that kind of thing - she really wanted to be a racer someday, but alas, that's simply just a child's dream, but she's happy enough to be someone who fixes something she loves as a living, but she was definitely frustrated with the whole misogynistic remarks she gets for just being a car mechanic. Also she doesn't Henry to repair his own car and would rather find him and his run-down car in the middle of nowhere than get him to try and repair it on his own. Another thing, it's never explicitly said in the story/treated as a big deal at all, but my Jennifer is a lesbian woman, and Henry doesn't really care and loves her all the same regardless (and honestly he's not even surprised mostly because he sort of knew she dated women before). She never really found luck finding love though, but she tries her best to go by her life regardless.
Back when Henry and William were just new friends back in college years, she highly disliked William - Henry always argued back/stood up for William, but she just never really liked him. Her personality would always clash with William's, and she really doesn't like how wishy-washy William can be and how much he puts on a show for people, and how much he can be a "people-pleaser" in her perspective. The British accent also made her feel like he was being pretentious and posh individual. Of course, years down the line, Jennifer just sort of got used and just kept her dislike for William all to herself/to Henry, but Henry sometimes alludes to it sometimes in a light-hearted manner.
She also lives alone, with her dog (A Doberman, they're very sweet) :] She never really saw herself as someone who can take care of kids, let alone know how to deal with them, so she's honestly living the best life she could! It's honestly why she doesn't mind Henry coming over every once in a while, she doesn't like to admit it but she gets a little lonely there by herself sometimes.
Sorry for another long post, but I really hope I've explained her stuff well! Thanks for the ask as well it was really fun answering this question!
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vampgf · 2 years
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Joseph Quinn as Arthur Havisham
Episode 1 of Dickensian (2015-2016)
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shopcat · 1 year
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"how can you not like jonathan and nancy if steve's your fave" well because i actually like him ☠️
the litmus test for actually liking steve is u have to love robin and the litmus test for actually understanding steve is you can't like st4ncy
#asks#also not sure what brought this on but you people are gonna get me killed#To soothe any troubled souls i will just rehash very quickly i like nancy just fine but i like her potential and i don't want her AROUND#HIM RIGHT NOW they need a restraining order 300 feet#and i like jonathan when he's with his family and when he's with argyle and otherwise he is kind of a flop especially re steve obviously#but really i just like whatever fanon jonathan that's been magicked up i never vibed w him to begin w bc i found him annoying and tiring#SORRY!!!! but i hate the ohhhhhuuhhhhh i just want to listen to the smiths and read poetry i'm so tortured types We would not be friends#but then again i wouldn't be friends with like. eddie. also i didn't like eddie either LOL i had to warm up to him as i watched#AAAND. i don't personally like nancy No but i think ppl fall for the misogyny because the duffer brothers are. misogynists.#i would wager platonic st0nathan do still have potential bc the fact really is they just haven't interacted at ALL#i don't even think they've said an actual word to each other since season 1 really#and i am AWARE his little season 4 STEVE? was meant to be lighthearted and then nancy's response is like to open up however the hell#they're going to attempt to fix the st0ncy triangle BUT GOOD GOD loving a character who the narrative hates is soul crushing OKAY#bc i fear they will not fix it in a way that doesn't completely decimate his character let alone nancy's either. Okay let's go outside#oh and i like when ppl like do the fix it nancy treatment like i said i do like her and her potential i think they can all be besties#but s4 also traumatised me#sts
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Booktok makes me sick, not just because of all the shitty books. It's the prevalence, no, the celebration, of toxic masculinity. Every single booktok book features some variation on the same man. And without fail, against all sensible reason, these characters are portrayed as handsome and charismatic and desirable.
It makes me sick when these authors hold up these toxic, predatory traits and put them on a pedestal as some kind of Ideal Man.
It makes me sick when their aggressiveness and possessiveness is treated as romantic. It makes me sick when these shitty men forcibly grab women, invade their personal spaces, and render them helpless by 'purring' in their ears, every. single. fucking. time.
It makes me sick that these misogynistic, heteronormative, and hypermasculine social conventions keep appearing in so-called feminist literature.
Strip away the idealized elements and you have what is basically the rich, white, cishet, alpha-male archetype. He's tall, usually six feet, physically fit and muscular with obligatory six pack abs, and conventionally handsome, with a chiseled jawline. He's usually clean-shaven, and any hair he may have on his body is minimal. He maintains composure at all times and rarely shows anxiety or uncertainty. He exudes raw charisma and charm and navigates social spaces effortlessly.
His hobbies, if he has any, are stereotypically masculine. When it comes to sex, he's confident, skilled, exclusively dominant, and always knows what to do without communicating with his partner. The sex he enjoys is usually rough, animalistic and overpowering. He may have been with several women in the past, and he may be regarded as a sex god, both in-universe and out.
His toxic traits are rarely portrayed as negative. But when they are, they're usually held up as some edgy, anti-hero persona and the reader is inevitably manipulated into sympathizing with him. He'll be portrayed as a tortured, wounded animal, and his female love interest (and, by proxy, the reader) will decide on some variation of 'I can fix him'.
He is essentially the unrealistic standard the ideal Proper Man; the one that men are expected to emulate, and that women are expected to swoon over.
But what really irks me is the lost potential.
If there are men who don't fit into this mold, they are depicted as pathetic, ineffectual, or any number of negative traits.
The narrative quietly and passive-aggressively mocks them and portray them as boring and un-sexy.
After all, is this the kind of man who will bravely swoop in and sweep a helpless woman off her feet? Of course not. Such men are boys. Wimps. Cowards.
These books are supposed to be fantasy: a genre in which easily anything can be explored. If faeries, magic, and contrived mating bonds can exist, then why can't we also have male characters who exist outside the stereotypical, hypermasculine mold?
Why is it that we can have so many fantastical, impossible, and wondrous magical forces, creatures, and peoples, but we can't have men who aren't possessive, abusive, or controlling?
Why is it that male characters, have to be so innately dominant, abusive, and violent? Why do they have to be so fit and muscular and strong?
Even worse, why is it treated as something that is so natural, so inescapable, even in the realm of fiction?
Where are the men who aren't tall and fit? Where are the men who don't have sculpted abs or chiseled jawlines? Where are the men who aren't lean and muscular?
Why can’t we have men who are skinny or overweight? Why can't we have men who aren't handsome or attractive, but just average looking? Why can't we have men who are shorter or just average height?
Why can't we have men with non-stereotypical hobbies? Why can't we have men who love to read, or paint, or write, or sing, or dance, or build model kits?
Why can’t we have men who are timid and shy? Why can't we have men who feel anxiety, fear, and sadness? Why can't we have men who aren't afraid of crying openly?
Why can't we have men who aren't sex gods? Why can't we have men who aren't confident in bed? Who are anxious, or even scared, at the prospect of sex? Who are passive instead of dominant? Who want to experience intimacy and affection?
Why can’t we have men be kind and gentle and sweet for once?
I'll tell you why we can't. Because booktok says men like these are not 'man' enough. Booktok says men like these are the 'boring' option, and completely devoid of interesting quirks, traits or personality. Booktok says men like these are underserving of attention, and only fit to be background noise.
As far as booktok is concerned, men like these can't exist.
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hobiebrownismygod · 5 months
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Let's talk about Miles G./Prowler Miles and his characterization in fanfics/headcanons
I'm gonna refer to him as 42-Miles throughout this analysis btw
Fairly short post, about 1.1k words with pictures and gifs to help explain <3
Summary: I'm gonna analyze his characterization as being angry/aggressive, I'm gonna talk about his backstory a little bit and compare him to the original Prowler and then I'm gonna rant about his sexualization a little bit as well.
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1. Characterizing him as angry/aggressive
Most of the fanfictions/headcanons that I've read treat 42-Miles like a thug. They act like he would be overly aggressive toward the reader/y/n and often characterize him as slightly misogynistic and a bully. One question. HOW? I genuinely don't understand where people get these headcanons from. You're telling me that this guy, who is literally the exact same person as Miles Morales, would be a cheating, narcissistic asshole who needs to be fixed by some random girl? Are you kidding me? Do y'all think RIO MORALES would've allowed that to happen to her son? HELL NO.
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This hispanic lady?? BFFR
In the scene between Miles and 42-Rio, we see her asking him to get groceries, cracking jokes with him and just having an absolutely lovely mother-son dynamic. Its because of this that I think that he's actually a sweet, kind boy who's just trying his best to take care of his family. This little thing that he and his mom have going on proves that 42-Miles is not a bad kid. He's a genuinely nice guy who was thrown into a crappy situation.
As for his whole "You can call me the Prowler" persona, that's obviously just a setup. Miles did the same thing in the first movie when he met Peter B. Parker. He tied him up to a punching bag and put on a slightly deeper voice to confront him. 42-Miles did the exact same thing. He tied up Miles to a punching bag and did his best to intimidate him with the claw and the voice. He's just trying to look cool in front of his twin, guys. He's not that way normally. If anything, he's just gonna be a slightly more depressed version of Miles, but he's still Miles.
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Its practically the same scene.
This type of characterization happens a lot towards edgy black males in the media. The same thing happens with Hobie Brown. He's portrayed as cool, a rule-breaker and a punk and immediately, people characterize him as dirty and violent which are nasty stereotypes targeted towards African-Americans. 42-Miles is portrayed as intimidating and edgy and immediately people are quick to say that he would be an asshole and that he would be a bad boy which are also horrible stereotypes. This is blatant racism and its not cute or fun to read. If you want him to be aggressive in your fanfictions, give him an actual reason to be aggressive. Don't just assume that he would be, because if you really think about it, he wouldn't.
2. Calling him a murderer (The original prowler didn't kill people)
A lot of the fanfictions/headcanons that I've read that involved 42-Miles treat him like a murderer and romanticize the idea of him being a criminal. Authors write stories about him violently murdering thugs and beating people up for no reason. Any f.f. involving his identity as the Prowler usually has a killing scene written in or an implied murder scene.
It has been confirmed that 42-Miles is gonna be an anti-hero. Now the Aaron Davis version of the Prowler did kill people. However, he wasn't an anti-hero. If we're going to compare 42-Miles to a Prowler, we need to compare him to Hobie Brown, who was the original Prowler.
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Hobie Brown was also an anti-hero who actually helped Spider-man multiple times throughout the comics. He never killed anyone and after trying to lead a life of crime, he actually ended up quitting. This suggests that 42-Miles would be similar if not the same, because its confirmed that he's fighting against the Sinister Six, and isn't a "villain" and therefore would not kill anyone.
He's also 15 years old. Why are people acting like a 15 year old would be a murderer? There is no way this 15 year old kid is going out into the streets and beating up thugs. This guy was supposed to be Spider-man, remember? He fights for justice and he fights against real villains, like Doc Ock, Scorpio, Rhino, all villains who are confirmed to exist in Earth-42.
This headcanon is extremely inaccurate and people really need to chill out on the whole "Prowler" aspect of his character, because he's still Miles. He isn't a whole new character. He's literally Miles Morales in a different font, and he's not gonna be a murderous maniac.
3. Sexualizing him (he's a minor!?!?!)
I'd say about 70-80% of the 42-Miles fanfictions that cross my feed contain smut. People age up Miles, not for the plot, not for the headcanons, but just to write smut.
Personally, when I read a fan fiction or a headcanon about a character, I imagine them in my head when I do. I genuinely read the fan fiction like it would be played out with the character. So to me, people who are writing these smutty fan fictions are imagining a minor in their head while doing these things. This is absolutely insane to me.
Now I know a lot of people are gonna come for me for saying this because "if you don't wanna read it then just scroll" and "he's aged up so its okay" but this is normalizing pedophilia.
Once again, I see the same thing happening with Hobie. Why? Once again, casual racism. People see an edgy black male and they immediately assume he'd be super sexual. The people writing smut about Miles are the same way. They see an attractive black teen and the first thing that pops up in their mind is "I'd let him fuck me." He's 15 years old. No one should be writing smut about this kid. He doesn't do anything sexual in the movie, he doesn't have a confirmed love interest, he was literally on screen for two minutes. Stop treating black characters like sex toys and enjoy their damn storylines.
I explained more on the sexualization of black characters in the media in this post here if you want to read more into it or still feel a little unsure about my analyzation. I included sources as well <3
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This guy is a tired CHILD. LOOK AT HIS EYE BAGS
As for the whole "aging up" thing, aging up a character for a fan fiction and aging them up for smut are two very different things. I've read 42-Miles fanfictions where they age him up, but they actually add to the plot. This one fanfiction I read (I'll link it if I find it) aged him up to create a officer x criminal trope, which I found absolutely adorable. They were able to write an amazing story with zero smut. Compare this to people who are saying "I'm aging him up to 18 <3" and its just 4000 words of straight, gut-wrenching smut.
This genuinely disgusts me. I don't know if its just me who feels this way about his sexualization, but its so icky to think about. You're taking a literal child and imagining yourself doing all these things with him and posting it for the rest of the world to see. A lot of the people who write these fanfictions are 18+ which baffles me as well.
Stop sexualizing minors and stop aging up characters just for smut. It's messed up.
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pullhisteeth · 1 year
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knight in a navy blue boiler suit | eddie munson x reader
part 1 | part 2
summary you take your car in for fixing and the mechanics are a**holes about it. Eddie, though, saves the day. [1.8k]
contains misogynists >:(, generally a bit of a nervy situation in an autoshop, mechanic!eddie, fem!reader, male saviour trope (sorryyy), use of y/n, fluff! big fat set up for a part 2 lol x
-
“Hello?” you call out. You’re hesitant to walk further than where you’re hovering in the doorway because you’re surrounded by suspended cars and tools scattered on the ground, and knowing your own tendency for being reckless underfoot you think it best to stay where you are. Also, though you desperately want to think good of everyone you meet, you’re a woman in an auto shop. Alone.
“You alright, miss?”
To your left, a young guy rolls out from underneath a car and stands. He’s short and covered in what you assume is oil, but he has a kind face that puts you at ease.
“Hi,” you say, trying your best to sound more confident than you are. “I, uh, my car’s busted, I think.”
He walks over to you, wringing his hands with a scruffy rag, and you try your hardest to not shuffle backwards.
“What’s up with it?”
“It, uh, stutters, I guess, when I turn it on. Sometimes it takes a few goes to get it goin’.”
His face moulds into a hard, concerned expression, before cutting into a grin. His whole face scrunches when he does, and you try to ignore the way you sense the kindness slipping away.
“We’ll take a look at it for ya, no worries. You got the keys?”
You dig your hand in the pocket of your jeans and when you drop the key in his hand, he seizes yours and says, “we’ll get it sorted, don’t you worry.”
His words tone drips with a saccharine sweetness that claws under your skin. You pull your hand from his grip with a small, “thanks,” and he says, “come write your number down for me, babe, and we’ll give you a call when we’re done.”
You follow him quietly through the shop into a small office at the back. It’s lit by ugly white lights and made up of dark faux-leather couches and a makeshift wooden counter, where there’s a book open. He hands you a pen and you write your name and your number, as well as the make of your car and the licence plate, and try all the while to ignore his eyes boring holes in the side of your face.
You don’t see any other mechanics as you walk back through the shop, except a floppy mass of dark, curly hair poking out under another car.
-
The phone rings at half four that afternoon. You’re on the couch, house-bound without a car to get you anywhere, wasting the day away with daytime television and a book.
When you answer the phone, the voice on the other end isn’t the one you spoke to earlier. It’s softer, kinder, and you can tell that whoever it is, they’re tired.
“Hey, is this y/n?”
“Hi, yeah. That’s me.”
“Hey, your car’s ready if you wanna come pick it up.”
“Thanks, yeah, I’ll be there by five?”
“See ya then.”
The line goes dead before you can say goodbye back.
-
By the time you reach the garage it’s half five and dark. It’s that weird time of year, at the break of fall, where the days are warm and the dark brings blistering cold. So, naturally, you’re freezing, late and embarrassed.
You tread over the threshold at the garage and, just like earlier, hesitate before moving any further. There are more men here now – five or so of them, dotted around the room. There are two in the corner, both tall and broad and a lot older than the one you met before, and they turn to look at you when you arrive.
You see them utter something to each other – they’re too far away for you to hear, but they make sure to keep themselves quiet anyway and it sets your teeth on edge.
“Hey, darlin’, what’s up?” One of them, the taller of the two, calls over to you. The rest of the men turn to look at you when he does, and if you didn’t feel like a deer in headlights before, you certainly do now. 
You scan the room and you know how wide-eyed and nervous you must look. There are six men in total; in the other corner, you see the one who took your keys earlier on.
You wonder who you spoke to on the phone.
One of them, whose hair you recognise from when you left, is the youngest. He’s maybe a couple years older than you at most, and unlike the rest of them he isn’t sneering at you, or smiling at all, actually. If anything, he’s looking at you with eyes as wide as you think yours are.
“I’m here to get my car,” you declare, not sure exactly to whom you should be speaking. You direct it vaguely at the guy who acknowledged you, who's walking over to you with a smug smile that turns your stomach.
“What kinda car was it?” He’s stood right in front of you now, too close for comfort, and you have to crane your neck up to look him in the eye.
When you answer his question he chuckles, shaking his head slightly. You’re not sure what’s funny.
“Yeah, yeah, follow me,” he says through bared teeth. It makes the hairs on your arms stand on end.
He takes you to the office where he roots in a box for your keys. As he hands them to you he places his hand on your lower back and guides you out of the office and back through the garage. His head is hanging low, mouth by your ear, and he’s telling you in a low, somewhat theatrical voice that there’s nothing wrong with your car, and that it’s okay, girls like you make these mistakes sometimes.
“Don’t worry, darlin’, we won’t charge ya.”
He stops walking when you reach the middle of the room. He rounds on you, towering over you in a way that kicks you into a stressed stupor. You’re not sure how to deal with this situation, with a mean man twice your size domineering you like this in a room full of other men who’d likely do the same if given the chance.
Underneath it all, though, there’s an anger simmering lowly. You’ve been driving for a few years now, and you’ve learned a thing or two about cars in that time. It’s unfair that they can be so condescending just because you’re a woman.
You want to fight him on it, argue your case and say that can’t be true, you haven’t looked properly, I know what I’m talking about. But you don’t – or can’t. You’re left speechless, mouth opening and closing like a stupid fish out of water.
And then he laughs at you. It’s not like the snide chuckle from earlier; this is a full laugh, laced with cruelty and condescension. And as he does, he looks up and around the room, and the other men laugh with him. You’re trapped in a room filled with misogynists who are all laughing at you.
“Cut it out, guys.”
His voice cuts across the room like a gunshot. It’s irritated and cold but you recognise it as the one you heard down the phone. You turn to look at where it came from and find the younger man stalking miserably toward you.
His hair is wild, you notice. Even when he’s upright and not laid flat under a car, it seems to have a life of its own. He’s tall, though he has nothing on the guy stood beside you, and the arms of his boiler suit are tied around his waist to reveal a filthy white t-shirt. When his eyes meet yours they soften irresistibly and suddenly you feel the desire to run begin to dissipate.
As he reaches you, the laughter starts up again. He stops a few feet away from you, a silent invitation for you to meet him halfway so he doesn’t get as close as the other guy. You do, stepping over to him, and he leans down and says warmly, “Sorry about them.” As he turns toward the door, he adds, “I’ll show you where your car is.”
You follow silently, trying your hardest to tune out the now boisterous and unyielding laughter behind you. He takes you out onto the street, where you see your car parked a couple spaces down, but he stops when you reach the wide doorway and turns to give them a glare.
He looks back at you, where you’re stood with your arms crossed around your middle to guard from the cold, and says, “seriously, I’m sorry ‘bout them. They’re a bunch of assholes.”
You struggle to find words, focus instead taken by the way the orange streetlamp makes his hair glow like the sun.
“Are you okay?” As he asks this, he brings a tentative hand to brush your shoulder, as if to lightly shake you awake.
“Yeah,” you say, voice almost a whisper. “Thanks.”
“Here,” he says, gesturing to where your beaten-up old car is parked lazily by the curb. “I didn’t get a chance to look at it, but if you want…” He hesitates, stumbling a little over his words, a complete contradiction to the white-hot confidence he’d just displayed in the garage.
You look up at him, hoping your face is enough to encourage him to continue. It seems to be, because he meets your gaze again and smiles.
“I can have a look at it for you, if ya want. Not here,” he adds quickly. “You can bring it to my place. Only if you want, of course.”
His politeness and the extension of completely unnecessary kindness feeds a warmth that spreads from your scalp down your spine. You beam up at him, and attempt to soothe what you think are his nerves by saying, “that’s really kind of you, thank you.”
“Okay, just, uh… I’ll get your number from the book if that’s cool.” You nod your head at him a little too enthusiastically.
“Oh,” you gasp, realising you have no idea who this man really is. “I’m y/n.”
“Nice to meet you, y/n,” he says with a grin that’s got none of the artificial flavour of the man you saw this morning, and you realise he knew your name already because he's the one who called you. You feel a familiar heat travel up your neck and spread across your cheeks, but he just chuckles at you. “’M Eddie.”
“Eddie,” you repeat in a breath.
He walks you to your car, which is approximately fifteen steps, but the gesture spreads that warmth even further. He’s handsome and kind and he’s going to fix your car for you; what’s not to like? 
“Thanks again,” you say quietly as you open the driver side door. You stand inside it for a moment and look at him. He’s looking back with a lopsided smile and you can’t help but admire his big brown eyes and the dimples in his cheeks.
“Sure thing, sugar,” he slurs in response, taking the top of the door and opening it wider for you to slide in. Your eyes flicker to the chain around his neck and then the thick silver rings on three of his slender fingers. They make a metallic clink when his hand grips the frame of the door.
You get in, and he leans down to say, “see ya soon,” before shutting the door for you.
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ladysophiebeckett · 2 months
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Some of you are being really weird about Aura Maria in regards to her treatment of Freddy and her overall character\personality traits. Overall, if you dislike a character its fine. It means nothing to me. But these posts about Aura Maria are getting a little misogynistic.
The facts are, that yes--she is immature, she does string Freddy along, she is very extroverted and charismatic and a lot of men like her.
You know who else is immature, strings someone around, is very extroverted and charismatic and a lot of women like them?
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This guy right here.He's gonna string around his assistant for at least half a novela.
But there's already some excellent meta on Aura Maria and Freddy vs Betty and Armando and u can read them here and here. so I'm not gonna get into that.
Again, if you don't like Aura Maria thats fine. She's a flawed character in a show with other flawed characters. I don't like Patricia, for example. I think she's annoying, she's mean, her goal is to find a man to fix all her problems and she fails at it. She's immature. She's classist. She gets paid 3x more than the other secretaries bc she's a nepo hire and yet still can't make any payments bc she's terrible with money. I could go and on.
But a lot of you like her and sympathize with her and her problems and how nobody wants to help her.
Aura Maria is also sympathetic character. She became a teen mom. The guy that got her pregnant is not in the kid's life nor in hers. She's a receptionist at a company who's alternate slogan is 'women don't advance here'. Her parents kick her and her son out, yes it was a consequence of Aura Maria's party girl antics. But that's not a good enough reason to kick out your daughter and grandson. Knowing that she's a receptionist and doesn't make much money to begin with.
And then the Mario of it all. No, she shouldn't have gotten involved with him but he's the one in the position of power. He shouldn't have gotten involved with her, he shouldn't have encouraged it, nor should he have been seeing her and Patricia at the same time. Both women who work where HE works. And who does he want to fire when he gets caught? Aura Maria. She's the one who gets the low end of the stick.
Aura Maria and Patricia are looking for men with money to support them and don't do well in this endeavor bc the only man that looks like a prospect is using them in some way. That or the men they encounter don't take them seriously.
Freddy likes Aura Maria and yeah she does like him but she doesn't take him seriously as a prospect bc he's not rich and when you're a poor young single mom--bc REMINDER Aura Maria is in her early 20s forced to grow up quickly (she was a child having a child)--living in your friend's\co workers house--he doesn't completely fulfill her list of requirements of what she needs financially. She's not looking at the full picture. Much like Patricia, who doesn't look at the full picture when it comes to her transactional relationship with Nicolas.
So because Aura Maria mismanges her relationship with Freddy, I'm supposed to what? Have her burned at the stake? That because Freddy is kind to her, and does things out of his own free will over and over again, that Aura Maria needs to be devoted to him? Automatically? Because people think she owes him?
If you don't like Aura Maria, that's fine. But a lot of the posts I've seen in the general tag are past not liking a character bc the vibes are off--it's becoming about hating her bc she's not reciprocating to one guy bc you think he's earned it. Or it's about her not being a good mother bc she's not acting 'like a mother'. And want to see her punished for it as a result, as if getting sexually harassed by Gutierrez (ON TWO OCCASIONS) isn't punishment on it's own.
Because reminder (again)---that Mario AND Gutierrez have taken advantage of Aura Maria in some way bc of their position of power. Bc Aura Maria is young, beautiful, and poor. She can be easily be taken advantage of and tossed away. (Much like another character who gets utilized as a consequence of financial fraud)
But Freddy is the true victim in all of this bc Aura Maria sometimes take advantage of his kindness. Do you realize how dumb that sounds?
There is a double standard in how Aura Maria is being viewed bc she's not acting grateful or humble or self sacrificing enough to gain sympathy. She's being judged solely on how she's treating (1) man and not about all the other factors she's living in--some of them out of her control.
If one can feel bad for Patricia even tho it's primarily her fault that she's in the predicaments she's in, then I don't see why one can't extend that same grace to Aura Maria.
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softmoonlightmelody · 9 months
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re-doing heroes of olympus
HOO sucks, in a lot of aspects. And so I'm going to talk about how I'd fix it because I'm bored and also for fun. To be fair, I would rewrite HOO so quickly if I had the time and motivation.
(featuring: frank/leo, drew tanaka, and katie gardner)
(warning: long post under cut. and i mean long.)
The (revised) Seven:
Drew Tanaka - Drew replaces Piper here because, although I think Piper is interesting, Drew is a far better and more nuanced character if you let her be. Featuring: Drew's trauma, her thoughts on Silena, and her femininity!
Percy Jackson - objectively (not objectively), Percy is the most powerful character in the series. However, he could be a lot better, especially his character arc. Featuring: Percy's compassion, his hatred of Luke, and his straining relationship with Annabeth!
Katie Gardner - Katie, as the daughter of Demeter, is an incredibly powerful character and therefore deserves a spot. Plus, I think she's cool. Featuring: Katie's cool plant powers, her insecurity about herself, and her struggle to be recognized!
Leo Valdez - I happen to think fire is cool, and that Leo is an incredibly compelling character. He's not going to be a baby misogynist in my version, nor is he going to be particularly flirty. Featuring: Leo's cool fire!!!! but also his apprehension in using it, his (rightful) anger at Hephaestus, and his idea of himself in a world that's scared of him!
Frank Zhang - he's cool, he's interesting, and I am not going to make him an Asian stereotype! Featuring: Frank's hatred of seeming 'meek', his idea of being Asian in xenophobic New Rome, and his struggle of falling for someone who could kill him!
Hazel Levesque - she's interesting, especially as someone so young. But I'm going to make her act more her age, and also not have a weird age gap thing with Frank. They're not dating here. Featuring: her hate of all the responsibility that's being placed on her shoulders, her hesitant relationship with magic, with all its vices and virtues, and her dislike of her father, Hades!
Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano - she deserves it. Plus, she and Percy are parallels in my mind, more than Percy and Jason. Reyna's cool, and I loved her chapters in BOO, so more Reyna it is. Featuring: her seemingly insurmountable past, her stress to be perfect, and her relationship with a xenophobic New Rome!
and Grover Underwood - instead of Coach Hedge, I'm putting Grover in. Because I love him.
Relationships:
Drew/Katie - I love this ship. Plus, I think it's intriguing - two people from cabins vastly underestimated coming together to be amazing. Developing romance, and it's not established until the last book.
Percy/Annabeth - but not how you think! Percy and Annabeth both reconciling with how they don't like each other as much as they've been pushed together, and breaking up amicably but remaining friends.
Leo/Frank - tragedy here we come! Instead of having something like Jason/Piper where Jason leaves New Rome for CHB, Frank doesn't do that. He and Leo fall in love, get together, and then split, all on the Argo II. Frank can't leave New Rome, Leo can't go to New Rome. The perfect tragic romance, but with a glimmer of hope - maybe sometime, in the future, Frank and Leo can live together, outside of New Rome and outside of CHB. Plus, in chemistry - they're both afraid of fire, they both are insecure of themselves and their places in the world. They compliment each other.
Hazel & Frank - besties. They may be three years apart, but they are staunch best friends. Hazel teases Frank about Leo all the time.
Reyna & Percy - understand each other the way only people who know each other's situation in different fonts can.
Drew & Frank - East Asian mutual understanding! They bond over, although they're different places in East Asia, they're both living the experience of an Asian American/Canadian. They're living the immigrant dichotomy, and add on Leo to that kind of idea.
Katie & Hazel - they care so much about the people around them! I like the idea of Katie being Hazel's older sister figure in a way. Also, they bond over art. I don't make the rules.
Drew & Reyna - they're both incredibly logic-driven people, but whereas Drew is completely aware of her emotions and others', Reyna isn't, not as much. Also, they judge people together.
Katie & Leo - Katie and Leo are just the right kind of combination of sweet/overly excited ever. Katie helps remind Leo he needs a break, and Katie is always happy to just listen to Leo ramble on and on about something, as long as she can draw while he's doing so.
Reyna & Leo - they get along pretty well, which is kind of a surprise at first. But they have a minorly antagonistic friendship, but they still work together.
Drew & Percy - they're judgemental besties. What else can I say?
Percy & Leo - they're incredibly similar people for obvious reasons. It's even acknowledged in canon!
Katie & Grover - they bond over their mutual love of plants.
Reyna & Grover - they both understand duty and passion to be similar, and they both understand the amount of pressure to be a leader from a young age.
etc. I'm not going to outline every one of their relationships, because I'm lazy.
Book One: The Lost Heroes
Here, I'm combining TLH with SON, because we need all the space for the other parts of the series. It oscillates between Reyna, Leo, Drew, and Katie's quest, and Percy, Hazel, and Frank's quest. I never really liked how Annabeth didn't really do anything for the first two books, considering she's a main character for the last three, so everyone gets a quest. This makes the quests more condensed, and more in the length of the original PJO series, in terms of book size. Percy, Hazel, and Frank's quest stays mostly the same, albeit with a bit of condensing, whereas Reyna, Leo, Drew and Katie's quest changes a lot. It follows the same blueprint, but they don't meet with the Hunters at any point, and Khione and Medea and Drew are set up as intentional parallels to explore what Drew could be in the future.
Book Two: The Promise of Aphrodite
Yes, I'm deliberately changing it from the Mark of Athena to the Promise of Aphrodite. This time, they visit Troy first. I know, weird, but the Argo II in this book is slightly quicker at getting places. It stays mostly the same, with the storyline, though, although I'm removing the part where the Argo II needs repairs. However, Troy is, of course, where Aphrodite's biggest folly was, with Paris and Helen. Drew follows it, and at the end, Percy and Drew fall into Tartarus because of Drew needing to metaphorically bring down Aphrodite's legacy, the legacy of hatred (woo symbolism!), because they've become friends over the course of the book, and also angst potential. It also shows Percy and Drew's newfound friendship, and I want them to be something that isn't just romance in Tartarus. Also, Nico is here.
Book Three: The House of Hades
This time, the entrance to the doors is in Rome. So they go to Rome, fully intent on this. Nico comes out to Hazel in a sweet, private moment, because I want Nico's coming out to not be homophobic, and this is prompted by Nico seeing Hazel tease Frank about Leo, and him realizing that Hazel, and most of the demigods, might not have the same strong homophobia. Katie stresses over Drew in the Underworld, and Grover stresses over Percy, especially, but they're all stressing. Annabeth's moment of realizing about the pen part of Riptide is given to Drew, whereas Percy realizes about the M&Ms. This time, Jason makes the trek out to the Argo II instead of Reyna, and Jason, Grover, and Nico bring Reyna's purple cloak - a symbol of power and peace - back to CHB with CJ waiting to fight.
Book Four: The Blood of the Gods
Yes, it's The Blood of the Gods now, because reasons. This time, there isn't any huge 'one girl and one boy demigod' thing. Instead, it's 'one Greek and one Roman demigod'. Everything is more or less the same, but with different characters, so different things happen. In Athens, Reyna and Percy are the ones who bleed instead of Annabeth and Percy, because they're foils and stuff. However, this book balances nine POVs, as each book has at least seven POVs. Because... stuff. At the end of this book, the Greeks and Romans decide to reconcile temporarily to win together against Gaea.
Book Five: The Goddess of the Earth
All-out war! Finales only mean so much if they're actually finales. TLO was such a fun read because it's an actual war. Therefore, The Goddess of the Earth is a full-on war. Unlike normal, Gaea is slow to wake, and her power is more emphasized. It's also the Romans being lead together with Reyna and Jason, Percy and Annabeth, and it also leads to a lot more ability to develop these relationships. The lovely Piper-and-Jason scene at the end of BOO, where they're on top of the cabin in the stars, is given to Katie and Drew instead, because Aphrodite kids are like that. Annabeth and Percy, already having broken up, talk together. Nico can have a moment where he realizes his self-worth, and exclude romance in his future for now. And Frank and Leo have that heartbreaking conversation where they talk about how they can't be together. Anyway, peace.
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ninjamelissajulien · 4 months
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a barbie essay that no one asked for or will even care about but I'm gonna write it anyway :)
I hate the Barbie Movie (2023) Ken. It completely missed the point of Ken and his connection to Barbie. I get that it is a societal commentary on men/toxic masculinity/the patriarchy but the fact that the movie makes a huge deal over "women don't need to solve men's problems for them" then has Barbie (Robbie) solve Ken's problem kind of ruined the message. A lot of what the movie was going for went way too heavy-handed in social commentary while also trying to be silly creating a mix of oil and water. There was no reason for the businessmen to go to Barbieland, or even have them leave the building as they offered nothing after Barbie escaped. The poppy radio music, for the most part, distracts from the story. Having a woman as beautiful as Margot Robbie said that she wasn't beautiful anymore while having her look normal, and the narrator poking at that fact was a bit too tongue-in-cheek. Barbie is beautiful, no matter what doll she is because she sees herself as beautiful. It's self-confidence, not narcissism.
Ken, in the movie, is a selfish prick who can only see himself in Barbie's shadow. He only sees himself in terms of Barbie's boyfriend/love. Barbie never reciprocates that idea. Barbie doesn't owe him anything. She never leads him on or teases him, she doesn't even truly flirt with him. She's just friends with all of the Ken's and Allen. Ken is the one who tries to kiss her, then gets miffed when she doesn't respond. He's the one constantly pushing the idea of being with her. He becomes a misogynistic jerk who spreads the patriarchal idea to the other Kens, forcing toxic masculinity into an area that was a safe haven for women and Allen. Again, I understand that it's a social commentary, but I think it went way too far into it to the point that it lost its own messages.
I absolutely despise the fact that the teen daughter called Barbie a "fascist". Are you serious? I get that the term "Bimbo" has been connotated to Barbie (the dumb blonde stereotype, the 'perfect body' with no brain, only focusing on fashion/beauty rather than empowering women stereotypes) but that in no way deserves a term meant for white supremacy/Nazis. Society changed its view on Barbie, connotating it with negative terms rather than the empowerment of girls/women/even young boys. Yes, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism and it is still under the brand of Mattel. Still, the ideals of what Barbie is should be finding yourself, seeing yourself in new ways, and believing in what you can become without restraints. Barbie dolls, in recent years, have become exceptionally diverse in appearance and ethnicities, even having a Down syndrome girl, amputee Barbies, Vitiligo, and so many more.
In terms of spreading a positive message to young girls, the original Barbie Movies (2001-Present) have better visuals on showing strength while having male Kens that support the Barbie protagonist without forcing relationships. In later years, the movies even drop the idea of Barbie ending up in a relationship by the end of the movie (i.e. Starlight Adventures, Three Musketeers, Diamond Castle [this one, arguably is Queer implied], Mermaid Tales 1/2, and Princess Charm School just to name a few).
In my personal opinion, the early Barbie Movies (Barbie in the Nutcracker [2001], Barbie as Rapunzel [2002], Barbie Swan Lake [2003], and Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper [2004]) have the best feminist messages as well as Nutcracker/Princess and the Pauper having the best versions of Ken.
Barbie in the Nutcracker: Clara is a responsible teenager (approx. 16-18) who still shows outbursts of being angry, upset, cautious, and caring. She is caring and protective of the Nutcracker from the moment she is gifted him by Aunt Elizabeth, even to the point of talking gently to him and fixing his arm after Tommy accidentally breaks it. Eric sees this and, in turn, becomes protective over her but not obsessively. He cares for her, is gentle around her, even the way he talks softens.
Clara is willing to do what it takes to save him, even facing her fear and allowing the fairies to take her to the Palace of Sweets to save Eric. She has a moment of doubt, she could always just leave Parthenia using the locket, but "I'm their only hope." She chooses bravery. She chooses to stand between Eric and the Mouse King, protecting him and standing up against the tyrant. She even holds her ground as the Mouse King is about to hit her with a spell. Clara is brave, but also kind.
Eric is loyal but also fearful. He knows of the sorrows of his people, but because of his curse, he doesn't want to reveal himself as the missing Prince. The people of Parthenia blamed Eric for the pain and suffering, thinking that he abandoned them in their time of need when Eric was always searching for the one thing that could not only break the curse upon him but save the people of Parthenia- the Sugar Plum Princess. So much of Eric's dialogue, especially with Clara, is gentle but also somber. He cares for his people, he spends his whole time trying to repair the damage that the Mouse King caused.
"I... I didn’t want to be the prince when I had the chance… now I don’t deserve to be…" [...] "But my subjects think less of me than they do the Mouse King!... My only hope is to find the Sugar Plum Princess so she can help me restore my people’s happiness… I owe them that."
"Heh, least I could do for an old friend." [Here, he still shows respect for someone he grew up beside, not only in saving his life but seeing him as an equal].
"I’m only half the reason." [Eric is being humble, sharing respect and honor with Clara in terms of the group finding the island across the Sea of Storms.]
"There’s more to being a king than having a crown! ... You’ll never gain their loyalty until you’ve earned their respect!" [...] "Well... that’s for the people to decide." [Throughout his journey, Eric learned how to earn respect rather than take it by being royal. He proved himself in front of his people, who, in turn, accepted him as their King].
~you might notice I'm a bit biased toward BitN~
Alternatively, Julian/Dominick in PatP are just as respectful toward Anneliese and Erika. Julian knows that in his place as a tutor, he would never be able to marry Anneliese since she is a princess. Anneliese knows, just as well, that it is her birthright and duty to tend to the kingdom in any way she can- even if that means sacrificing her own happiness for her people. Anneliese would rather be studying science with Julian, but instead, she was to be wed off to the mysterious king Dominick. Julian knew Anneliese better than anyone [minus Seraphina], to the point that he knew something was wrong just by the scent of the stationary. Lilac, not rose. He risks his life to save her.
Dominick doesn't force himself onto "Anneliese" [Erika] but rather takes the time to get to know her and earn her trust. The song "If You Love Me For Me" is meant to show that their hearts yearn for the true sense of the self, rather than the facade and royal titles. Dominick knows that Erika wouldn't mean harm, and in turn, trusts her and helps her break out of prison. Dominick even promises to wait for Erika as she travels the world as a singer, allowing Erika the chance to find herself and enjoy her dream before she chooses to return to him. Even if she hadn't come back, he knew that his love would be for her and her alone.
Eric, Dominick, and Julian are fantastic representations of a loving Ken. All three are smart, memorable, independent male characters who can stand on their own, but also are caring towards Clara, Anneliese, and Erika. Even Barbie in the Three Musketeers goes after the idea of the patriarchy, and even hypocritical ideology. That the Prince would rather believe that a man could fly before a woman could be a musketeer.
TLDR; if you want positive Barbie role models, watch the OG Films.
*Quotes copied from Barbie Movies Wiki- Barbie in the Nutcracker transcript*
@lovely-english-rose , my Barbie bestie, feel free to add your thoughts as well
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alinahams · 1 year
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How would you fix the portrayal of Rhaenyra's character in Hotd?
Hey, honestly I could say just make her act like a normal girl and it would be sufficient.
Canon Rhaenyra has some set characteristics, namely that she's proud (of her position, her capabilities and her family name), stubborn (refuses to give up what is rightfully hers, refuses to bow down and take injustice as it happens to her) and very feminine.
These characteristics are a result of her upbringing. She's a Targaryen princess who was heir to the Throne (the book literally says King Viserys ALWAYS saw Rhaenyra as his heir, even before Daemon) and she's damn good at being heir (she's described as bright and precocious who King Viserys prepared for ruling and managing a Kingdom, was praised and admired by many nobles and commoners alike and she shows her capabilities once she takes possession of Dragonstone and rules it pretty well for 17 years.) Why wouldn't she be proud? She's EARNED her worth.
She was never an outcast, just lonely because despite all of her skills and hard work, there were still people she couldn't please, who never had a kind word to say, her father and King didn't want to defend her because it caused discord within his marriage, her stepmother the Queen hated her for wanting what was promised to her and she didn't ask for, she had to smart up and was expected to plot and plan factions/wars and all this while she was a 9 year old child!
But instead of wilting, she fights. Refuses to give up. She's stubborn, not just by her nature but because she has to be. She has to be strong. She won't let Alicent and her family take away her birthright or her father (she is as much his priority and more so as his heir than Alicent). She won't let Alicent's (and this is very much Alicent's doing, not Otto's) rumour mongering spoil her dreams of a happy marriage and family (she is said to express her desire to marry Daemon whom she chose and loved), she won't let King Viserys' foolishness/hypocrisy rob her of the chance to love (Daemon and Harwin), she won't take abuse against her and her children lying down (Daemon is hers, ofc she can command him to fight on her behalf), she won't forgive the wrongs done to her (she hadn't done anything to deserve not getting the chance to mourn her father, to lose her only daughter so tragically, to lose her son so violently, to be usurped on account of something she just CAN'T control) and in all these moments, we see her pride and stubbornness. They aren't necessarily the best character traits but they help her stay strong and keep fighting.
It's both a flaw in some instances and a greatly admirable trait in other. That's how character writing works. They have a set of characteristics that is unique to them, that becomes their undoing but is also their inner strength. For Rhaenyra, it's her heart and her desire to love freely and be loved.
She is a described and shown to be a very sweet, soft and feminine person. She's very much like Sansa in that regard. She wants to be loved, courted and praised. She wants to be persued and wants to be with someone who understands her. She wants to be protected and defended, isn't interested in fighting/goofing or other traditionally masculine activities. She has her chosen Prince Consort for that.
And that person was always Daemon. He wasn't perfect but he wanted to be perfect for her (for his gain as well as to please her, it can be both) and Rhaenyra bloomed in his presence. He provided her with confidence and protection and she soaked it all up. It was very much a courtly love. He's her strength and she seeks him out. She wants to marry him, have children, watch them grow and play with them, recieve presents from her hubby, be courted with poems and songs by him.
It's all very soft and traditional. It's everything modern media will tell you is misogynistic/sexist. Except it's not. It's amazing that she wants to have it all. Even more amazing that she achieves it. The last 10 years before the Dance was heaven on earth for Rhaenyra. She flourished in Dragonstone, ruling it and proving her skills and worth, this time surrounded by people who appreciated and cheered her. She married the love of her life Daemon and was pampered and loved by him for the rest of her life. She had children that were sweet and happy, knew they were loved and wanted.
Nothing like how she felt growing up. It's very much a Cinderella story. She doesn't lose her self worth and self respect under her abusive step family, forced marriage, slut shaming, fat shaming, betrayal etc. She meets and loves and marries her Prince (read the book, my girl can't stop calling Daemon 'my prince' like girl, we get it, he's yours. You can keep him), she moves away from isolation, bullying and plotting into her new life, filled with happiness and everything she wanted growing up. Except that Rhaenyra's story ends in tragedy.
But instead of showing that, all we're given is a bland Arya Stark wannabe who grows up to be a Cersei Lannister wannabe.
Instead of a 8 year old child who was made heir (a dangerous and precarious position) due to a quarrel between two brothers, we have an obnoxious 'love me please' tomboy wannabe who wants to be heir but has literally zero skills for it. Instead of a motherless child dealing with political threats, we have poor sad little victim lesbians tortured by evil men. Instead of a 7-14 year old child getting creeped on by a dude who watched her grow up, we have a sociopathic lolita who fucks around with poor innocent man and mocks his poor morals and feelings. Instead of a forced marriage we have girlboss, smart Rhaenyra who thinks it's cool to marry a gay dude and fuck around some more and have bastards because (?). Instead of love driving her actions, it's just her making bad decisions because she's liberated (?). Instead of love and happy marriage, it's abusive evil man child and poor victim sad lesbian Rhaenyra missing her lady love poor baby Alicent. And so much more. I legit can't list em all.
We have either most of her sufferings given over to Alicent or other wrongs not happening to her at all. In trying to make her seem 'strong female character' with 'agency' they robbed her of her defining moments and pains which then explains her reactions and choices moving forward. Because she's a woman, these things are supposed to be feminist (Girlboss) and not you know, incredibly selfish and stupid.
But they butcher even that character base by then making her evil men's victim who is 'powerless' to do anything.
Like what is she supposed to be? I'm confused and annoyed. It's heartbreaking to watch a character I love and admire so much being butchered down to this mess.
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slut4thebroken · 11 months
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Jesus fucking Christ oh my fucking god. I started a jason x innocent!reader fic and it quickly turned into dark!jason lowkey. And I finished part one and have an idea for part two but I skipped that and started part 3 which I wanted to kind of be Jason’s pov and wow. TW uhhh misogynistic Jason??? Honestly he would never fucking talk, act, or think like this but like… goddamn. Why do I want men who don’t respect women😭 instead of “I can fix him”…… maybe IM the one who can be fixed- dear god. I need to be locked away for this one. Like I need actual jail time.
Tags so far: corruption, loss of virginity, Jason does not give two shits about foreplay- he wants her as tight as possible, he also doesn’t give a fuck about female orgasms- she’s so innocent that she doesn’t even know that that or foreplay exists, bleeding during first time, crying, emotional manipulation & coercion- “you’re the one who gave me blue balls, you’re the reason I’m in pain. You’re seriously not going to let me fuck you?”, spoiler alert: she does let him fuck her, dark thoughts about taking anal virginity that will more than likely be put into words because I’m so fucked up in the head, chapter 2 is gonna be face fucking but it’s not as dark as the rest of my ideas that’s why I skipped it (I need jail time so fucking bad. I need to be put in a fucking asylum), breeding, he literally wants to knock her up, and he probably will cause it’s not like she can go to daddy Bruce and ask for birth control cause then she’d have to explain why she wants it, which he made sure to point out to her, but she won’t actually ever be pregnant cause i /gen have a fear of pregnancy and will never fucking write about that shit, objectification?, he literally wants a sex toy, and he got one tbh, this is so fucking bad but it’s making me so fucking feral for misogynistic, disrespectful Jason
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wildissylupus · 8 months
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No one has asked for this and no one probably will. I'm also not sure if I've talked about this topic before but I still want to address it.
Why do I talk about Martina but hardly, if ever, talk about Sam or Vincent?
Before I start I do want to mention that I will talk about Sam at some point cause I find what we know about his character interesting.
Now the reason I don't talk about Vincent is mainly because I don't think he's all that important to the story as Sam and Martina, for me Vincent is here as a reminder to Jack on what he gave up in order to keep the world safe, at least that's how Jack views it. To me what we know about Vincent, that he's Jack's ex, that he's married now and living a normal life, is all we need to know. It's implied that he and Jack broke up long before Zurich, possibly even either when Jack got the Strike Commander position.
Again with Sam I do find his character interesting, and I am going to talk about him at some point but I don't talk about him in the way I talk about Martina because we are given hints about his character. The relationship between him and Pharah is stated as being complicated, he's a Public Servant but as far as we know wasn't a part of Overwatch, hell we even know he and Pharah enjoy butter tarts around the Christmas holidays. We know so much more about him as a character outside of his relationship with Ana compared to Martina.
Which brings me to why I talk about Martina, all we really know about her was that she was kind, forgiving, was married to Gabe, has a son, and has since gotten a new partner. Now usually I wouldn't have a problem with the if it wasn't for the fact that in CoV, she used as Reaper's motivation and that's it, she's just used in a very misogynistic trope and that's it. Part of who I am, both as a person and a writer, is that when I see a character with so much potential being written terribly either in canon and in fandom, I want to fix it.
And with the Reaper and Widow interaction;
Widowmaker: Are you ever tempted to contact your wife?
Reaper: No.
Widowmaker: Afraid she would try to kill you?
Reaper: I'd be surprised if she didn't.
It gives me some hope that she is actually more of a character then what we were given in CoV and we might eventually see more of her. Until then I'm going to continue to headcanon Martina as a badass ex-Overwatch agent and no one can stop me!
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fangirleaconmigo · 2 years
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I would love to hear your bitter rant abt TWN Eskel
Ok Nonny, duck and cover. Here it comes.
I tend to delay making posts like this because when I watch something (in this case, the botched Episode 2 of Season 2) and get pissed off, I like to calm down and think before I speak.
But then time passes, and it’s like….it’s too late. It’d be weird now. (this is actually the story of my entire life and communication style) But if you’re interested in my Eskel rant, I am happy to oblige.
Before I do, please know I am not just reflexively negative. I reviewed S2 Ep 1 and gave it an A. I posted a long ass blog post saying how much I loved it. The vast, vast majority of the space I take up on social media is focused on positivity and restraint. But I’m a human being too, and like anyone else on this planet, I cannot possibly be expected to love literally everything.
So DO NOT CLICK OR READ IF TWN CRITIQUE IS GOING TO BUM YOU OUT OR RUIN YOUR ENJOYMENT OF IT. Protect your peace. Curate your fandom experience. I want you to be happy and comfortable here first and foremost, I do not need anyone to read this who doesn't want to.
So, for me (book fan, fan of witchers and Eskel), Season 2 Ep 2 failed at everything it attempted regarding the parts set at Kaer Morhen. It failed at showing basic respect for the fans. It failed at telling the original story. It also failed at telling its own story. It also introduced brand spanking new misogyny to the story and to the wolves that was so goddamn disappointing to watch.
It failed at having basic respect for the fans. You can change almost everything about a story. But I firmly believe that the major things like deaths should stay the same. Killing off a character that does not die in the books is a dick move. You can only get away with it if your new story is so powerful and brilliant that it makes people appreciate it for what it is. But it didn’t do that either.
It failed at telling the original story: In book canon (on which the show is ostensibly based) Eskel is the gentlest, most gentlemanly witcher we ever meet! He is kind. He is mannerly. He is loyal. He is protective. I did a whole character breakdown here.
TWN made him a predatory, misogynistic creep. He is aggressive and shitty and creepy to Ciri. He even implies to Geralt that if he would have found Ciri, he wouldn’t have adopted her. He would have fucked her. Seriously I could barely watch, it was painful. I was ill.
But he was infected by the leshy! And we just wanted his death to have impact.
No! That story failed too! They threw the original story in the trash, then replaced it with a weak story that didn't work on it's own merits.
It failed because it did not establish Eskel as a character first. It did not establish his friendship with Geralt first. And no one in the story seemed to be surprised by his behavior. So there was NOTHING in that story that made me FEEL or SEE that it was unusual behavior for Eskel.
If a character is acting the literal opposite of their personality, people would have reacted! When he walked in acting like a giant weirdo Geralt would have hog tied him and performed an exorcism lol. He never once said what the fuck is going on with you. Neither did anyone else.
You can tell me that he was infected by the leshy and that this was unusual behavior for him, but if you show me the opposite thing, (no one taking much note of it) it is muddled, weak storytelling. The ‘after’ scene in the hall could not retroactively change the order in which people experienced his arc. Also, it couldn’t fix this glaring error.
So you’ve disappointed and screwed over people who love Eskel. And you’ve had zero effect on people who didn’t know Eskel. No one who was watching him for the first time gave a shit that he died, because from scene one he was a complete piece of shit. So his death didn’t even have an impact.
Its only job in the narrative was to be vague danger hits unexpectedly close to home making Geralt pivot from ‘hide Ciri away’ to ‘teach Ciri to fend for herself’. There were a million other ways they could have done that. It wasn’t powerful. It wasn’t necessary.
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So why does that matter? I’ve seen people go “But he’s a minor character who cares?” I mean, if you don’t love that character then no, you don’t care. And you don’t have to! People connect to different characters. It is allowed. I am fully aware that this is largely a book reader complaint, and it doesn’t need to impact your enjoyment of the show. It shouldn’t! It is also an Eskel fan complaint (which includes lots of gamers), and not everyone is that either. You have my blessing and my envy to not care.
But I would like to differentiate between minor and insignificant. In the books, Geralt and Ciri are the main characters. (Geralt starts out as the main character and it kind of segues into focusing more and more on Ciri.)
And Kaer Morhen is essential to grounding, to defining, to understanding, and to humanizing both Geralt and Ciri. Kaer Morhen may only appear “live” in one book, but this place explains entirely how Geralt became Geralt. And it is (along with Yen) what gives Ciri the strength and resources to survive and vanquish her foes. She dreams about Kaer Morhen. She has visions of it. She recalls their lessons at the most pivotal moments throughout the entirety of her journey. Kaer Morhen may not be ‘on the page’ much, but it is at the heart of literally everything.
And Eskel is the witcher who (other than Vesemir) has known Geralt the longest. They are the same age. They were childhood best friends who played together. He is literally the only living person who was a child alongside Geralt. He knows him and anchors him in a way no one else could. He is singular and unique in that regard. There is something powerful about a story with beings who have been almost wiped out in genocides and are the last of their kinds. It defines Geralt in so many ways. And Eskel is an inextricable part of that.
And Eskel’s protectiveness of Ciri and his kindness to her, makes a huge difference in her life. Also, ETA: Eskel is the first witcher Ciri sees who isn’t Geralt and she is terrified because of how he looks. She is scared when she arrives at Kaer Morhen. But then she learns they are not scary. They are safe and they take care of her. So she learns not to be afraid or judge based on outward appearances. And that is because of Eskel.
So you can say that Eskel is a minor character, but you cannot say that he is insignificant to the story, because he is massively significant to the main characters.
And not only did this episode fuck up him, it fucked up that entire dynamic.
Kaer Morhen is a place of safety and family for Ciri and she calls upon it for strength for the rest of her life. And instead of Geralt walking in and saying “She is our destiny” and them pitching together to train and love and raise her, you have them ignoring her, being like ‘who the fuck is this’ and also sexually harrassing her? Like sobs What was the reason??? Then Geralt kills Eskel??? Kills him??? And Lambert is like…this is all Ciri’s fault?? What the fuck? We didn’t even know Ciri was involved yet. It was so confusing. I was like what the fuck are you saying, Lambert??? It was like a nightmare! Who are these people?? Lmaosob.
And Kaer Morhen itself, this mystical, melancholy place that is speaks of brothers lost that must be hidden at all costs, they bring like an entire group of sex workers there? Geralt can say the place is hidden. But if you show me that everyone and their mother parties there, I don’t feel it.
And the explanation of ‘they all somehow got black out drunk literally simultaneously and they get all the sex workers black out drunk and that is why not a single one of them objected to it, and then Vesemir was totally cool with it because that is both possible, and somehow makes it better?’
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But even worse was the misogyny that was introduced. I’m gonna switch to feminist killjoy mode, and I know some of these things I absolutely hated, quite a few of you loved. And that is fine. I respect you and I love you and I would never tell people how to feel about it. But here is what I absolutely loathed.
As a feminist, one of the most important ways to tell if someone’s feminism is real is how they treat sex workers. Feminism is for EVERY WOMAN. ALL. NO FUCKING EXCEPTIONS. The minute someone is degrading of sex workers, I see their true colors. Their true colors are respectability politics, girlbossery, and dignity for some. It cuts through a lot of bullshit.
A lot of people see TWN as feminist. And there are FOR SURE some strong feminist themes that I appreciate. But in this episode it was just a big old rotten turd in that respect. (that’s the technical term).
They introduced sex workers so that they could show a naked dead female body. How regressive is that? What the fuck? They also introduced sex workers to act as a ‘scare tactic’ and ‘cautionary tale’ for Ciri. What the fuckkkkkkkkk man help me out here I’m crying.
And I will say that I adore 90% of what they did with Geralt and Ciri this season. I could write a positive post about that if anyone wanted to wash the taste of my disappointment out of their mouths. But again, I am focusing on this ep, and it was just a turd all the way around.
When Geralt stepped THREATENINGLY into Danica’s face because she implied Ciri could become a sex worker, what the fuckkkkk. I KNOW people think that is cute. I respect your point of view. I appreciate you. But I have to disagree. I hated it with my whole heart.
You add that to Vesemir’s little remark about Ciri dancing on tables that was supposed to upset Geralt, and we have more of the same.
Geralt HAS NEVER AND WOULD NEVER be the “I’m bringing a gun to my daughter’s first date” kind of dad. He’s never been the “I'm safeguarding my daughter’s vagina so she keeps her virtue” kind of dad.
Y’all. I’m sorry. I am so sorry. I hate it. It creeps me the fuckout. The ENTIRE POINT of Geralt’s relationship with Ciri is that he protects her AUTONOMY. Not her VIRTUE. Do we not see how those two things are literal opposites? Geralt cares about protecting Ciri. From having to kill people. From being traumatized. From being killed or forced to have babies against her will. Not from having fun (dancing on tables??!!). And his worst nightmare is not a sex worker.
HE GOES TO THEM!! He isn’t disgusted by them. To have him again, STEP THREATENINGLY towards Danica to show ‘oh he’s a real dad’ I’m sorry I despise it. I hate that model of fatherhood. The one that is focused on guarding virtue. And Geralt of Rivia baby I’m so sorry that ugly bitch (episode 2) did that to you.
I can have a sense of humor about myself ok I know I’m not in the majority. I know that’s the model of fatherhood that people like. They think it’s cute. But we are all individuals and have our own reactions to things, and that is mine.
I even hated how they had him not remember Danica. Every time she was on screen it was ‘haha see how crappy all these witchers treat them?’ And they also got them all black out drunk??
Holy shit you guys. This is what the creators of this show think the ‘rugged, rough around the edges’ masculinity of witchers is all about. Gahhhhhhhhhh.
And the one bright spot, Geralt and Vesemir, they ended up taking away from me when Vesemir betrays Geralt and TRIES TO DOSE CIRI????
So look. Again. There are so many things I do love about the show. I could wax complimentary about the parts I love if you guys want me to. I love SO MUCH about what they've done with Yen. The sorceresses. I love that they've given them genuine friendships. I could also talk about that. I am obsessed with Myanna Buring as Tissaia. We know how I feel about Joey's Jaskier. I mean it's not the cast's fault! I am fully, fully in love with Yasen Atour as Coën, he was absolutely perfect. I wouldn't be so into the fandom if there weren't many things that I love.
But the fact is, TWN just does not ‘get’ witchers. They do not understand their oppressions (class, mostly) or how power structures exploit them. They made this plainly obvious in the lore they created for the sacking of Kaer Morhen and the ‘Vesemir doses Ciri’ storyline. (that is a whole other post) They do not understand this model of masculinity. They made this plainly obvious with this episode.
Which, these are big things to not ‘get’ for a show that is called The Witcher.
But this is probably just fine for most people! If they have no strong attachments to the themes and spirit of the books, I'm sure it is fine. I understand that this is a niche nerd rant and that I feel passionately about something most people do not! That’s ok. That’s the nerd life baby.
This has been my rant.
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humaforever · 4 months
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I was inspired by that ask from @descendantofthesparrow so I wanted to ask you this:
Brutal honest thoughts on the Descendants movie characters?
I feel like I've made my opinions clear on certain characters so I'll go thru them quickly.
Mal: she's a manipulative, self-centered liar.
Ben: I love him, he's sweet, but he's too naive and helpless. And he needs to go apologize to Audrey.
Uma: My love, my light. Her determination to fulfill her goals and help her people is unmatched. She always stays loyal to her friends and treats them with love, she will always fight for them and for what's right.
Harry: He is so respectful, loyal, and smart. He's an amazing friend, he stuck by Uma even after the whole isle turned on her. He is always there to help her and boost her confidence. It's clear that he really would do anything for Uma and Gil.
Gil: I think Gil is really sweet and bright eyed, he's definitely a golden retriever. But I honestly didn't like him much until D3 came out. That is because Kenny Ortega has a way of making characters that are very chipper and sweet and lovable, which is great but then they always have to be the dumb ones. Which was Gil in D2, he was the brainless friend, which I don't really like, they can be cheerful and not be dumb. But I think that changed in d3 and he wasn't so much that stereotype.
Evie: Evie seemed to have the most character growth out of anyone honestly. She changed her mindset about being a helpless princess, even though she was raised to believe that, she changed. She became independent and made a name for herself, and she used her position to help others. She's not afraid to do the right thing even if it's hard.
Carlos: Carlos really thrived in Auradon and it really helped him. He's so kindhearted and just an overall great character. You can see how kind and patient he is in how he treats dude and Jane. I think it's amazing that he's willing to talk about his feelings and emotions and he's always there to listen and help his friends.
Jay: Jay is not taking anyone's bullshit. He will speak his mind, he doesn't care what your authority is if you're wrong he's going to tell you. I think it's very powerful and I really like that about his character.
Audrey: Audrey is honestly depressing. She has too much pressure on her and her insecurities are eating her away. Queen of mean needed to happen because she needed that change to get her out of the box she was put in. Audrey was done dirty and she deserved more than what she got.
Chad: Chad is amusing, but he was also terrible to Evie and Lonnie. His humor made him redeemable, to me he was also a character that I think got fixed in d3, that misogynistic, stuckup attitude was changed and it shows how he actually interacts with his friends and that he really does care about Audrey. But they needed a rude character in the first two movies and that was Chad.
Jane: I don't have much of an opinion on her, she's kinda just there to me. Didn't really make a huge impact.
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jayktoralldaylong · 1 year
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Shi Qingxuan is throwing a slumber party. All the gods are invited. There's just one catch. It's a girl's-only slumber party. To get in, they have to come in their female form. So who's attending? Let's go! 😆 (Note, these are just my opinions, feel free to add yours):
Ming Yi - Ming Yi no longer has anything to lose. She's been doing thing for way too long now. She shows up before everyone else so she can devour twice as much food.
Pei Ming - Much to Shi Qingxuan's absolute horror, Pei Ming is the next guest to show up. The famous is general is in fact shameless enough to switch genders so she can check out what the other gods look like as girls. 😎 Besides, much to her pleasure, her female form is sexy and she wants to see how many lesbians she can pull.
Ling Wen - Pei Ming dragged her along. She doesn't have time for this and has too much work to do. However, it is a nice change to have a goddess gathering, especially with all of the issues with her gender and the misogynistic times. She gets to hang out with the chill goddesses in heaven without too much effort on her part since she gets to come as herself. She needs the rest and self love.
Shi Wudu - She was surprisingly very hard to drag into this party. "If I go along with this it will only encourage Shi Qingxuan's nonsense" she said. She showed up anyway cause all her best friends were going and her sibling was hosting. It would be rude not to go. Of course she's shown up as the best dressed gal, with a slit in her dress and everything. Pei Ming fails at pretending not to oogle her. The three tumours definitely spend the rest of the night gossiping and giggling like mean girls.
Xie Lian - Let's face it, Xie Lian is coming as a cross dressing dude. MXTX was very explicit about how Xie Lian feels about being a woman. I think all the emphasis was to make sure no one got it twisted. Xie Lian does not turn into a girl to have sex, he is 100% a gay man. He is a man who's in love with a man and it's something he does not want to erase. Shi Qingxuan will make an allowance for him, but he's definitely crossdressing in a pretty white dress.
Hua Cheng - We're not gonna explain how he got there but he's attending anyway. He will be joining his cross dressing husband. Hua Cheng is probably more thrilled about crossdressing than Xie Lian is. He's got earrings, heels, a sexy red dress that Xie Lian can't stop staring at (and feeling a little jealous when others' stare. Probably gonna end up leaving that party early so they can do something about all the worked up feelings Xie Lian is gonna have).
Mu Qing - Mu Qing heard about the party and had no intention of intending. Then he heard Xie Lian would be there. He helped Xie Lian into his dress because Xie Lian is terrible at makeup. Xie Lian insisted he come too. Mu Qing came too. She's a little shy at the party. She gets even shyer when everyone tells her how pretty she is. They're amazed by it. All those compliments send her hiding somewhere so she can social recharge.
Feng Xin - He also had no plans on going till he heard Mu Qing was going so of course he showed up. She was also stunned by how pretty Mu Qing looked. Mu Qing helped her fix her hair cause it was a mess. Pause at the awkward moment where they're closer than they expected to each other. Split to opposite ends of the party. Keep bumping into each other. End the party kind of curled up together cause it's just warmer that way and they're still getting used to their new bodies.
Quan Yizhen - Got invited and came as a dude. There was nothing anyone could do about it. Quan Yizhen didn't know how to change into his female form and he didn't see why he should. Someone got Yin Yu. Quan Yizhen finally switched to female. She was absolutely adorable. Especially how she followed Yin Yu around for the rest of the night. Qué curly haired girl in the most adorable robes marching after Yin Yu everywhere.
Yin Yu - Somehow found himself bundled to a party with Crimson Rain and given spiritual powers so he could switch genders. All because his former junior was causing trouble (yet again, surprise surprise. Yin Yu doesn't get paid enough for this). Qi Ying is even cuter as a girl though so Yin Yu can't really complain. She pets her hair and they spend the rest of the slumber party together.
Qi Rong - (So somehow the calamities are attending too). She just wanted to show off being the hottest girl in the room. Failed miserably. Tried to beat Ming Yi at eating all the food in anger. Failed miserably yet again. Cried to Guzi 💀 (Who was allowed in since he's just a kid). Got chased around by Lang Qianqiu. Ended the party curled up fast asleep with her arms protectively around Guzi in a hidden unnoticed spot at the slumber party.
Lang Qianqiu - Didn't really want to go (Busy dealing with teenage angst), all that changed when he heard Qi Rong was at the party. She stormed in just like her male counterpart always does (like a wrecking ball!). Chased Qi Rong everywhere. Got distracted blushing over Xie Lian. Hua Cheng noticed. Hua Cheng proceeds to give a display of how close he and Xie Lian are. Lang Qianqiu backs off after that. Gets with Shi Qingxuan with heavy drunk singing about angst, love and innocence shattered.
Pei Su - Got pardoned for the night so she could be Pei Ming's little helper. She ended up spending most of the night with Banyue, blushing at her compliments and feeding each other snacks.
Banyue - Was excited that she could attend. Followed Xie Lian everywhere and happily did whatever she was doing. Got distracted when she saw Pei Su. Fawned over how pretty she looked.
Yushi Huang (Rain Master) - She was the last to show as she was surprised anyone was inviting her for something. She also doesn't get out much and had to be kicked from her farm so she could have a bit of fun for once in her beautiful life. She settled beside Ling Wen and actually enjoyed the event.
Jian Lan - Was told no babies allowed and ditched.
Xuan Ji - Was actually given an invitation (cause Shi Qingxuan hadn't realised Pei Ming would show up). Ends up bonding with female Pei Ming who she's ranting to about her horrible ex 💀. Pei Ming has no idea she's Xuan Ji cause they don't exchange names.
Jun Wu - He heard about the party. He thought it was cute. He did not attend. (You'd think wearing a new face wouldn't matter as much. He likes keeping an eye on his favourite son but he's not that desperate. 💀 - I get the feeling Jun Wu wouldn't even know what to do with a female body. He's barely gotten through studying his own).
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constellaj · 2 years
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How would u rewrite Sidney Pointdexter? What ep would u come up with for him?
thanks partner in crime @crystalfloe for helping me develop my ideas. as always.
anyway sidney is a redditor and you should hate his guts. here is my samlina episode
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danny + sam + tucker are at the mall and theyre making fun of the overly feminine advertisements. tucker sees a line of black lipstick and is like "hey sam this is kind of your color" but before sam says anything danny jsut goes "PSH shes not a GIRLY GIRL, tuck, she doesnt want any lipstick" and sam goes "hahahaha. yeaahhhh". paulina + co are at the same store and the group turns to making fun of paulina for buying out all the makeup in the entire mall. paulina makes fun of sam for being unable to dress herself and being unpopular
tucker + danny head out of town to an academathlete conference -- tucker to compete, danny because jazz is going to the same one and he wants to keep an eye on her (seperate episode premise) -- leaving sam as the "sole protector" of amity park. insert "do you think you can handle it?" [looks over at paulina twirling in a pink dress] "please. i'm more focused than SOME girls."
sam spends most of the week performing mean spirited pranks against paulina. eventually lancer receives an anonymous tip (read: from paulina) about what sams done to her own locker (black spray paint, spiders, etc) and she gets relocated to a new locker while the school fixes the damages.
sidney is haunting the locker, and sam ends up releasing him - but instead of trying to take over her body or anything, the two end up bonding over how much they hate popular kids. sidney apparently used to want to woo this popular girl in his class (her name is barbara), but she essentially spat in his face and mocked him for being such an unpopular loser.
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so sam + sid team up to absolutely ruin the popular kids lives and this turns into a violent and destructive prank war. it ends up that the severe property damages land both paulina and sam in saturday detention, where they will be forced to clean the school top to bottom, all on their own.
well, school's haunted. the power goes out and sam + paulina have to work together to figure out how to turn it back on, while the school continues to fall apart around them.
turns out paulina can do backflips and took an electrical engineering summer camp and is actually pretty competent, which blows sam for a loop bc she thought that pink dress girly girls were all pathetic, but THIS pink dress girly girl can also do hypermasculine things, so her respect for paulina grows (but in the wrong direction)
sam recognizes some of the "hauntings" as sidneys pranks and they go to confront him, where hes like. hahahahhahaha you all fell for my elaborate scheme or something. and then hes like sam look i can trap all the popular kids in the mirror dimension and we can be free of those assholes forever but sams had a character grwoth by now and is like "dude thats murder." so they both get trapped. and sidney smashes the mirror.
they think theyre stuck there forever so while theyre trapped there they have a heartfelt talk where sam is like. paulina... i thought u were stupid and girly.... but actually youre very smart and kick ass. youre Not Like Other Girls. and paulina is just like yo what the fuck? is that your criteria for me being a good person is how much i act like you?
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anyway barb is also in there. paulina is the only one who can get her to talk bc barb is like. this sam character is rly mean and misogynistic i will only respect a fellow queen. we learn that sidney was never actually a pathetic bullied nerd but in fact he was an asshole who thought he was better than everyone else because he was smart and read books and everyone else was an idiot who liked fashion.
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ah, parallels
also from barb we learn that you should be able to escape from any other mirror and sam + paulina remember that paulina has a compact makeup mirror in her locker so it ends up literally being paulinas girliness that saves the day. then they kick sidneys incel ass and throw him in the garbage forever
when danny + tucker get back sam has had a bit of a makeover and yes shes wearing black lipstick bc she went on a shopping trip w paulina. the end
if you want lore; the reason sidney + a bunch of kids are trapped in a mirror dimension is bc amity park (and casper high) were being threatened by a ghost invasion, and sidney invented multidimensional travel in order to save everyone. hes very pissy that people dont regard him as a hero for trapping them in grayscale land. this also foreshadows a later episode where casper high does in fact get destroyed
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