#despite never existing in canon I just miss him as a character | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

the-s1lly-corner · 26 days

Text

Various CRPs x Reader who knew then before their incidents

Prize request 3/5 for @coldsushisworld ! I hope you enjoy!

Characters in this post: Jeff, Puppeteer, Eyeless Jack, Masky and Ben Drowned

Notes: Reader is GN! Some of these may be shorter or vaguer than others but that's simply because my brains is a little foggy on the details of things!

CW: Mentions of suicide in Puppeteers part, mentions of death and murder in.. well almost all the characters..!

MASKY

JEFF

Similar to Ben's part, you find out what happened. Your parents didnt tell you all of the details that happened the night Jeff went missing, and you'd later find out why when you got older. From the man himself, actually. I enjoy the idea that between the actual canon event of the source and my take hes mellow out.. just a bit, at least hes not going to take you down the second he gets the chance. It's been.. years, you thought he had died at some point actually. Hes loud and arrogant, but for one reason or another he trusts you. You havent turned him yet, and that's saying something. Sometimes things are just like how they were before; the two of you are joking with each other and sharing stories. You don't see him often due to him just.. dropping off and doing who knows what.. but he always comes back to you eventually

BEN DROWNED

You were both childhood friends. The day Ben died, you were told he had moved away. You didnt find out what happened until years later, when you started asking around. When fate brings you both back together everything feels. Wrong. Hes a ghost, and primarily confined to technology- currently hes worked himself into your computer, proving himself to still be the mischievous guy he was in life by subtly messing with your files.. but you grew up, and he didnt. Despite still being friends, there just wasn't enough for the two of you to relate to anymore. In a way it reminds me of Anohana (need to rewatch it but I recommend it). If Ben notices the rift he doesnt say anything

The terrible thing is that you dont know what happened to him. One day he was here and the next? Gone. On top of that, are you even aware that he doesnt seem to.. remember all that much about you? It's almost as if hes an entirely different person. Out of all the characters, your relationship with Masky needs to be rebuilt from the ground, simply because it didnt exactly exist before. You were friends with Tim, of course. To you, you're trying to jog his memory and do things you two have done before. To him, you look.. desperate. Overtime you do both grow closer but the relationship will never be like how it was before, and you're going to have to readjust to this new situation- though is that not the case with the rest of these characters?

EYELESS JACK

You had heard on the news what happened at his college. It looked like there was a massacre, and your friend was no where in sight. Even before Jack became eyeless, he was still.. closed off and reserved. However reunited with him he seems to have sunk deeper into that, even trying to get you out of his life again because of.. what was happening to him and what was changing. Your insistence almost breaks the both of you, but despite everything you manage to safely reenter his life. His new eating habits.. are something.. and that's assuming he even tells you.. he probably would, out of guilt for keeping it from you and just guilt in general for needing to conform to his new diet. It's very strained and tense for a long time in the beginning, even if you're the most open minded person. Jack's not going to let it be easy

PUPPETEER

You were.. friendly with each other before everything. But you weren't exactly all that close. Of course when you found about how he took his life, you felt horrible. But life goes on. You move on, and go on with your life plans... and you were doing good at that, before a figure appears in your room one night. Its terrifying, actually, and if it didnt start talking to you like you were an old school friend you would have tried to make a run for it. Maybe it was the shock that kept you in place? Of course, the figure was.. him.. he doesn't seem to recognize the name you knew him as, in fact you cant tell how much he actually remembers. He basically just invites himself to live with you, not all that bothered with the idea that you might not want that. Hes.. kind of a dick, actually, but hes charming enough for you to keep him around. Having conversations with him is interesting, as well. Hes usually respectful enough but theres some level of... sass.. that keeps you invested. Hes so much like how he was before, but also not. Hes still there but it's like hes been flipped on his head

#creepypasta x reader #creepypasta x you #creepypasta imagine #jeff the killer x you #jeff the killer x reader #jeff the killer imagine #ben drowned x reader #ben drowned x you #ben drowned imagine #masky x reader #masky x you #masky imagine #eyeless jack imagine #eyeless jack x reader #eyeless jack x you #puppeteer imagine #puppeteer x reader #puppeteer x you

103 notes · View notes

itsclydebitches · 1 year

Text

Does everyone know that one found family post going around that's something like, "What do you MEAN they all go their separate ways after the journey??"

That's how I feel about Ted going back to Kansas.

To be clear, I'm not arguing that it's an unlikely ending to the series. I think it's very likely, especially when I consider a lot of the cool meta people have been writing lately, but that likeliness leaves a sour taste in my mouth because what's waiting for Ted in Kansas? "Henry!" the fandom cries and yes, obviously, but that doesn't feel like enough to me (which I realize sounds like a callous statement regarding a father and son, but hear me out). The only other things Kansas has are an ex-wife, a horrifically unprofessional step-dad in the making, and a long line of comforts that Ted has outgrown. I've noticed that this season in particular Ted has been moving away from his American roots: he misses his BBQ sauce but manages to find a perfect replacement in Amsterdam, he's finding solace in paintings for temporary homesickness, he's using "football" and "maths" naturally in conversation, many of his speeches lately have been about how he once WAS this American so-and-so but has changed significantly since then. From a canonical perspective, Henry is the only thing in Kansas that's good for Ted anymore and even if we put that aside for a moment (which I don't think we should) it seems quite significant to me that Ted has spent three successful years parenting from across the pond.

Is that ideal? No, but Ted Lasso hasn't gone out of its way to paint this separation as a failure, or a crippling blow to Ted or Henry, despite them obviously missing each other a great deal at times. I'll admit that this aspect is absolutely colored by my own bias. As someone who doesn't want kids herself, I dislike the implicit message that a parent must give up everything they want/need in order to be 100% available to their child. I'm of the belief that there's a big difference between loving/raising your child and lacking a life outside of them because Every Aspect of Your Existence Must Serve Their Direct Needs Until the Magical Age of 18, so I've never jived with the "Ted is a horrible father who abandoned Henry!" takes. Not just because I think the show has made it clear that Henry doesn't feel abandoned, but because it tells viewers that parents can't have anything for themselves once they've brought a life into this world... which feels pretty shitty to me. Thus, that whole Henry-based argument rings as unpersuasive both from my biased perspective and a canonical perspective: "In order to be labeled a good father Ted MUST go back to Henry in Kansas, leaving behind every bond he's formed here, despite the fact that he's spent a significant amount of time making this long-distance relationship work really, really well."

Putting Henry aside and going back to my original point above, sending Ted to Kansas requires the audience to imagine up a life for him that has never existed on screen. Sure, we can assume that Ted will form new bonds and rekindle old ones there, but that would exist entirely off screen. Like the story that asks you to ignore the family that's been built right in front of you in favor of the headcanoned one that the characters are separating for, a Kansas ending would ask us to toss aside three seasons worth of family, community, and still developing relationships for... whatever it is we'd personally imagine up post-series. Audiences (by and large) don't WANT their protagonist to end up with [insert OCs here], they want them to stay with the developed cast, whether that's a romance, a friendship, or a family. To me, there's nothing satisfying about imagining Ted in a location the series has never explored with people who don't exist yet except for, as said, an ex, a man who justifiably makes him incredibly uncomfortable, and his child whom he already has a fantastic relationship with in the community where Ted is happy.

There are a lot of other reasons why this ending would be a big disappointment to me, most notably the rejection of untraditional forms of parenting + the message that Ted was always destined to "reset," returning to precisely where he started out, like he's just a hope dispenser who isn't allowed to significantly grow himself. Sure, you can divorce and get better about managing your anxiety... but making a permanent, positive life change? Nah, let's act like this is an episodic show and toss you back to the beginning. I've seen a couple of people compare Ted to Mary Poppins and while a part of my does like that connection, another part cringes at the idea of him playing the role of magical benefactor, his own future happiness deemed insignificant compared to the lives he's already changed. Thanks for the help, Ted! Hope you manage to find some more happiness for yourself back among everything you've spent the series leaving behind. Open your umbrella and let the wind take you; wherever you land and how hard the fall is doesn't matter because the show is over.

So there's a lot going on for me, however, the found family bit is where I'm truly stuck. You're really going to build up this community and Ted's place in it for three seasons, moving him from "wanker" all the way to beloved coach, only to pack him back to Kansas after he's finally carved out a place for himself? Kansas, the place the show has consistently argued has nothing to offer Ted except for the child he hasn't actually lost? Yeah no, sorry, I'm not a fan.

Which doesn't mean I think Ted Lasso is going to become a terrible show if they choose this - again, very likely - ending... but I will personally be pulling a Nick Fury about it.

#Ted Lasso #mymetas

351 notes · View notes

sunflowerdigs · 5 months

Text

The thing to me is, if you don't think that Mobius is a good love interest for Loki, then I'm really stumped as to who would be a better candidate for that role in his life.

Mobius studied Loki's entire life, saw every single bad thing that Loki had ever done, and he didn't see a villain despite the amount of death and destruction that Loki has caused. He saw a very lonely person with incredible potential/power struggling to find his place and his purpose. He liked the Loki that attacked New York, he felt like he had range. Like...what else could any potential love interest for Loki do that would top seeing and understanding him so profoundly?

To me, it's just like...if not Mobius, who? Sylvie is nowhere near as invested in a relationship with Loki as Mobius is. No one else both genuinely cares about Loki in the way that Mobius does or is able to communicate and work with him as well. So, I guess I just wonder...what else does there need to be in a love interest? What part of the role does Mobius not fulfill, what is he missing? And who would fulfill the role better than he would? Who is understanding and caring for Loki better than he is? Who would make Loki happier? I've literally never seen Loki smile as often or as bright as he does with Mobius so...what else is there?

Like, you're not going to get a better love story for Loki specifically. Heck, I question whether a better love story exists for most characters. I love their friendship, obviously, and if it were to remain a friendship it wouldn't hurt the canon in any way. It just seems to me like if Loki is going to have a love interest ever (which he seems to want)...why create someone new when Mobius is right there performing basically every function that you could ask for in a love interest for Loki? At this point in his story, whose relationship with him could be more profound? It wouldn't be right for him to fall in love with someone else while his relationship with Mobius remained his most important, which I think it inevitably would.

#lokius #loki spoilers #i guess the writers could force Sylvie to want to be with him but even then...all of the impact she's had on him has been accidental #she's nevrer believed in him like Mobius has she just gives him a certain clarity on his own actions #because she's a variant of him and he sees her from that perspective #Sylvie is important to his journey yea but it's not because she wants to be a part of his life like Mobius does #it's not because she wants to help him #idk i just...what else do you want besides what Mobius brings to the table?

102 notes · View notes

50calmadeuce · 20 days

Text

Ch. 19: A Better Offer

Warning: Mention of miscarriage. Some chapters have sex.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Top Gun: Maverick world, trademarked by Paramount Pictures Corporation. I do not claim ownership of the characters and the world that I am borrowing.

The story and situation I am creating are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This work is for entertainment only and is not a part of the storyline.

I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story, but I do hope it gives you happy thoughts.

These stories are my own, so please do not take them and use them for yourself without my permission. If you see them somewhere else, please let me know. :)

The following morning found yourself in front of the living room window, absorbing the tranquil beauty of the sunrise while Jake showered. You wore lounge wear and with a freshly brewed pot of coffee prepared, you cradled a cup in your hands, savoring the warmth and aroma. The sound of the shower running and the peaceful sunrise offered a moment of calm reflection as you thought about last night and the last 4 years of your "relationship" with Jake.

As the first rays of sunlight painted the sky in shades of orange and pink, your thoughts meandered through the complexity of emotions and events in the last week and a half that had brought you to this moment. Yet, despite the challenges, there was a resilience to your bond with Jake, a tether that, although stretched, had never broken.

You took a sip of your coffee, the rich flavor grounding you in the present. The sound of the water in the shower ceased, signaling Jake's imminent appearance soon.

You realized that the path forward wasn't about erasing the past but rather about learning from it. It was about acknowledging the pain and the mistakes, but also the love that had endured through it all. The challenge would be to integrate your lives in a way that respected both your independence and your unity as a couple.

As you dwelled on the intimacy of last night, its significance began to resonate even more profoundly. You were always aware that Jake loved with intensity, but the depth of his affection and vulnerability revealed in those moments gave you a new understanding of just how profound his love truly was. This realization highlighted a powerful commonality between you two: both of you loved deeply, with a passion and intensity that was a foundational pillar of your relationship.

Jake came out of the bedroom, clad in his flight suit, ready for the day. "That coffee smells wonderful," he commented, making his way towards the coffee pot.

"There's a travel mug I got for you. It's in the cabinet," you replied, pointing him towards the new purchase designed to keep his coffee warm on the go.

He opened the cabinet, his eyes quickly finding the U.S. Navy travel mug. Setting it on the counter, he filled it with the freshly brewed coffee. "Thanks, darlin'," he said, appreciation evident in his voice.

You heard the sound of the cup being sealed and then his footsteps approaching. Soon, he wrapped an arm around you, pulling you gently into his embrace, and planted a kiss on your cheek.

"Morning," he greeted you warmly, his voice close and affectionate.

"Good morning," you responded, leaning into his embrace, feeling the solidity and warmth of him grounding you further. The simplicity of the gesture, the comfort of his proximity—it was these small moments that you realized you had missed the most during the years of separation and sporadic communication.

Turning slightly within the circle of his arm, you faced him, looking up into his eyes. "Did you sleep well?" you asked, genuinely interested in even the smallest details of his existence. These were the daily intricacies you had been absent from, the minutiae that, when woven together, formed the fabric of a shared life.

He grinned, a look of genuine contentment on his face. "I did. Haven't slept that good since we were in Wisconsin or at my parent's house."

His presence, the smell of coffee mingling with the fresh scent of his shower, created a cozy, domestic scene that you wanted to etch into your memory. It was a stark contrast to the turbulent emotions and the vast distances that had characterized much of your marriage. But here, in this moment, with the morning light casting a gentle glow around you, there was a sense of peace, a feeling that, perhaps, everything could indeed be alright.

"And you?" he inquired, turning his attention to how you slept.

You leaned further into his embrace, comforted by his presence. "Wonderfully. Thank you for asking," you replied, appreciating his concern. You sensed him take another sip of his coffee, the warmth of the moment shared between you two.

"What are your plans for today?" he inquired, showing interest in how you'd be spending your day.

"I'm going to check on some emails and then go from there. Do you need me to drive you to work?" you offered, ready to assist him with his commute if necessary.

"No. Coyote is on his way," he replied, indicating that arrangements had already been made for his transportation.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door. Jake gently turned you to face him. "That's Coyote," he said, giving you a kiss. "I love you." He then moved to answer the door.

"I love you too," you called after him, your words carrying the weight of your feelings.

Coyote entered. "Morning, Y/N."

"Morning, Coyote. You two have a good day," you said, offering them both a smile and well wishes for the day ahead.

"We will," they assured you together, their voices blending in harmony as they exited, the door closing softly behind them.

You pivoted back towards the window, immersing yourself once again in the tranquil beauty of the sunrise. The serene colors of dawn painted the sky, providing a peaceful backdrop as you took a moment to enjoy the quiet morning.

After your shower, you settled at the kitchen table, your laptop open in front of you. You took a sip of your coffee, enjoying the quiet of the morning when your phone dinged, breaking the silence. Reaching for it, you saw a text message from Dr. Colson on the screen. He was asking if you could get in touch with him.

You quickly texted him back, agreeing to initiate a video call, then placed your phone down on the table. Switching to your laptop, you initiated the call to Dr. Colson.

"Y/N! How are you?" Dr. Colson greeted enthusiastically as he accepted the call, his face appearing on your screen.

"Hi, Jason. I'm doing fine," you responded, offering a smile through the screen.

Jason glanced around, noticing the difference in your background. "You're not in your office?"

"No. I'm actually in San Diego," you explained, watching his reaction.

"San Diego?" Jason echoed, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yeah, Jake got called back for a mission and he leaves this Friday," you explained.

Dr. Colson leaned back in his chair, the surprise morphing into understanding as he processed your news. "Ah, I see. That must be quite the adjustment for both of you," he commented thoughtfully. "How are you handling it?"

You paused for a moment, considering how much to share. "It's been… challenging," you admitted. "But we're trying to make the most of the time we have before he leaves."

Jason nodded sympathetically, understanding the complexity of your situation. He then shifted his focus, leaning in slightly. "Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about that Wyoming project."

"Oh, yes!" you responded, your interest piqued.

"Are you still interested?" he asked, a hint of hope in his tone.

"I would love to, but I need to check with my work on when I can do it," you admitted, the prospect exciting yet challenging.

"Dr. Stryker will, of course, be in charge of it again," Jason mentioned, observing your reaction closely.

You shrugged. "That's fine," you replied, your tone neutral.

Dr. Colson studied you for a moment. "Y/N. Did something happen during the first book writing? I've known you for a while now, and I consider you a good friend." His concern was genuine, hinting at the depth of your relationship beyond professional boundaries.

You sighed, a weight seemingly pressing on your shoulders as you prepared to share. "While in Wyoming, Dr. Stryker and I became friends. Pretty close friends, actually. He knew about Jake and everything I was going through, but he kind of took it the wrong way. I told him I just wanted to be friends."

The vulnerability in your voice conveyed the complexity of the situation, hinting at the discomfort and misunderstanding that had arisen from the friendship.

"The day we were at your office before the conference, he told me he still had feelings for me and that he still thought about me. I told him I didn't."

"Y/N. Why didn't you say something?" Jason's voice carried a mix of concern and surprise, reflecting his wish that you had confided in him sooner about the discomfort and tension you were experiencing.

"I was already dealing with enough; I didn't want to put that on someone else, and I left to go back home anyways." Your response highlighted a desire to manage your burdens independently, avoiding adding any stress or complications to others' lives, despite the personal challenges you were facing.

"Well, then how about something different?" Jason suggested, his tone changing, hinting at a new possibility.

You looked at him, intrigued by the shift in the conversation.

"A new grant project just came across my desk specifically asking for you."

Puzzled, you looked at him. "For me? But I don't even work for Texas A&M."

"Well, you made a really good impression on someone here at the conference." Jason's words implied that your expertise and demeanor had caught the attention of influential individuals, opening up unexpected opportunities.

"They want you to be in charge of the livestock study in the upper half of Wisconsin, so you can actually manage this project from home." Jason's announcement revealed an exciting opportunity that not only recognized your capabilities but also accommodated your personal circumstances, allowing you to contribute significantly while remaining in your own environment.

Your eyebrows rose in surprise, processing the unexpected turn the conversation had taken. "That's…wow, Jason. I'm honored they'd consider me for such a project, especially given my current commitments and location. But how did this come about?"

Jason leaned back, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "It seems your work on the previous project, your book, and your presentation here have made quite the impression. Plus, your approach to integrating practical experience with academic research caught someone's eye. They're looking for someone with your unique blend of skills to lead this study."

The possibility excited you, offering a new avenue to apply your expertise while potentially opening doors for future collaborations and projects. "And I'd be able to manage this remotely, from Wisconsin?"

"Exactly," Jason confirmed. "They're looking for someone who understands the local environment, livestock management practices, and has a strong research background. You'd be coordinating with a team, but the bulk of the project management can be done from wherever you're most comfortable."

Taking a moment to ponder the offer, you realized the potential impact this project could have on your career and personal goals. It was a chance to delve into a subject you were passionate about while also providing the flexibility you needed to maintain your commitments to Jake and your home life.

"Jason, this sounds like an incredible opportunity. I'm definitely interested. What are the next steps? How do I find out more about the project specifics and expectations?"

"We can set up a meeting with the project sponsors and the main stakeholders at Texas A&M. They're eager to discuss the project with you, go over the goals, and see how you envision leading this study. I'll coordinate with them to find a time that works for everyone."

"Thank you, Jason. Really, I appreciate you bringing this opportunity to me. Let's set up that meeting some time next week. I'm eager to learn more and see how I can contribute to the success of the project."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll touch base with you this weekend?"

"Yeah, that should work. If anything comes up on my end, I'll let you know."

"Sounds good. And tell Jake I said hi."

"I will. Thanks again, Jason." You ended the call, feeling a mix of anticipation for the new project and gratitude for the unexpected support.

"So, how did you end up with someone as amazing as Y/N?" Phoenix inquired of Jake as they exited the classroom. "She just seems way beyond your usual catch."

Jake quirked an eyebrow in response. "And what expertise do you have on the kind of women I'm interested in?"

Phoenix shrugged, her expression transforming into a teasing smile. "Could be your charm at work."

Jake glanced at her, slightly amused. "That's my piloting skills you're thinking of, not my romantic life."

Phoenix chuckled, shaking her head. "Fair point. But seriously, there must be something. Y/N is impressive. How'd you convince her to stick around with a daredevil like you?"

"It's all about that Hangman charm, Phoenix," he declared with a confident smirk.

Phoenix rolled her eyes again, her tone laced with mock annoyance. "To me, it comes off more as an irritation, but sure, keep seeing it your way."

"There's no need to imagine anything, Phoenix. I'm married to an incredible woman."

"I won't argue with that. I'm just curious how you managed to win over such an amazing woman."

Jake's laughter filled the air, a testament to the comfortable camaraderie between them, even amidst the teasing. "Like I've been telling you, it's all down to the Hangman charm."

Phoenix simply shook her head, amusement dancing in her eyes. "You're an idiot."

You were wrapping up with your final email of the day when the sound of the apartment door swinging open broke the silence. Jake stepped inside, greeting you with a warm, "Hey, darlin'," as he shut the door behind him and made his way over to you.He planted a quick kiss on your lips. "How was your day?" he inquired, his face lighting up with a broad smile.

You knew your husband too well and wondered why he was so happy. "Actually, my day was really good. Should I be concerned that you're so happy?"

"Nope," he responded, with an air of casual nonchalance and then looked you up and down. "You didn't get dressed today?"

You shrugged, slightly puzzled. "Why would I be? I just went through emails all day. Didn't even step out."

"Find anything positive?" he inquired, heading towards the fridge to fetch a beer.

"Actually, yes. Do you recall the Wyoming project Dr. Stryker offered me to collaborate on?"

You noticed Jake's body stiffen at the mention of the name. "Yeah," he replied, as he grabbed a bottle opener and opened his beer. He then slowly started walked towards you.

"I'm not going to take it. I talked with Jason about what happened the last time."

"But, Y/N, wasn't that what you were aiming for?" He asked, settling into the chair opposite you.

"Yes, it was. But I've been offered a grant for a different project closer to home. It allows me to work remotely while still fulfilling my responsibilities."

Jake's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, I'm planning to discuss the details with Jason next week, but from what I've heard so far, everything sounds ideal."

Jake closed his eyes, his face breaking into a contented grin.

Observing him, you ventured, "You didn't really want me to take that job in Wyoming, did you?"

He opened his eyes, meeting your gaze. "We're still committed to being honest with each other, right?"

You shot him a knowing look.

"Okay, I'll take that as a confirmation. But to answer your question, yes, I was secretly hoping you'd turn down that one."

Your expression softened at his admission, understanding the complexity of emotions that must have been swirling within him. "It's because of Dorian, isn't it?"

He paused to take a sip of his beer. "I cannot confirm or deny that statement."

You shut your laptop, signaling the end of that conversation thread. "Don't worry about it. I had my reservations too."

"So, what's the project about?"

"From what I've gathered, it's a study on livestock. I'll probably have a clearer picture after my discussion with Jason next week."

Jake let out a sigh. "You know, my deployment is just a few days away. When we first got married, leaving didn't seem as tough. Why does it feel so different this time?"

"I believe last time, we hadn't fully grasped the impact of loss on one another. Now that we understand, our relationship has evolved. Our love never waned, but we've had to learn how to heal together this past week and a half." Reaching out, you took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"You know, Phoenix was wondering how I managed to end up with someone as incredible as you. Now, she's got me asking myself the same question."

You couldn't help but smile at his words, feeling a mix of warmth and amusement. "Was she now?" you asked, your tone light, teasing. "Well, it's quite simple, really. You charmed me with your undeniable charm."

"See! That's exactly what I told her!"

Jake’s response, laced with a playful pride, made you laugh. "Oh, is that so? Well, it must be true then," you played along, keeping the mood light and affectionate. "But in all honesty, Jake, it wasn't just the charm," you added, capturing his gaze with a look of sincerity. "It was your heart, your strength, and how you make me feel safe and loved. Those are the things that truly won me over."

He listened intently, his playful demeanor softening into one of warmth and affection. "I guess I'm just lucky then, to have found someone who sees me for more than just the pilot or the charm."

"And let's not forget to mention the cockiness and stubbornness," you added playfully.

Jake chuckled, the sound rich and full of affection. "Ah, yes, how could I forget those charming qualities?" he replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "They're part of the complete package, after all."

"You know, it's those very traits that somehow make you even more endearing to me," you confessed, a smile playing on your lips. "They remind me of your determination and passion, even if they do drive me up the wall sometimes."

He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, his touch gentle. "Well, I suppose it's a good thing they work in my favor then. And just for the record, your patience and understanding with my less-than-perfect traits? That's part of what makes you so incredible to me." He cupped your face in his hands, and you closed your eyes, basking in the gentle warmth.

The moment stretched out, a small island of peace in the midst of life's relentless pace. His hands, strong yet so gentle, framed your face, and you could feel the weight of his affection, heavy and tangible in the air between you. When you opened your eyes, it was to find his gaze fixed on you, filled with an emotion so profound that it seemed to momentarily pause the world around you.

"Jake," you whispered, your voice carrying a mixture of love, gratitude, and a hint of the inevitable sadness that the thought of his departure brought. "I just want you to know... no matter where you are, or what happens, you're always with me. Right here." You placed your hand over your heart, the gesture simple but laden with meaning.

"And you're with me," he murmured back. "You make me a better man, Y/N. I carry your love with me, no matter where I go. It's what keeps me grounded, what gives me the strength to come back."

His words, so full of emotion and sincerity, resonated deep within you, wrapping around your heart like a comforting embrace. It was a powerful reminder of the strength of your connection, a bond that distance and time could not weaken.

In that moment, the world seemed to stand still, allowing you both to bask in the quiet strength of your love. It was a love that had grown and deepened through challenges and triumphs, a love that was resilient and enduring.

As you both lingered in the warmth of the moment, you realized that this was the essence of what it meant to truly be with someone. It wasn't just about the physical presence; it was about knowing that you carried a piece of each other within your hearts, no matter where life took you.

With a tender smile, you reached up, tracing the lines of his face with a gentle touch, memorizing every detail. "I'll be here, Jake. Holding down the fort, and counting the days until you return. You have my heart, always."

He leaned into your touch, his eyes reflecting the same depth of feeling. "And you have mine, Y/N. Always."

"It's going to be different this time, Jake."

"It will be," he concurred.

Tags: @buckysteveloki-me @bellyliveslife @tgmreader @callsign-barbell @86laura11 @dizzybee03 @kmc1989 @guacam011y @nerdgirljen @hookslove1592 @dempy @djs8891

29 notes · View notes

1alchemistart · 10 months

Note

I do like the way you draw dimitrius but I kinda disagree on presentation…it’s implied dimitrius is the “favorite” child, making me feel like the entire dynamic is a lot like Zuko and his family in ATLA.

Dimitrius may be the more menacing force here but that’s because he was born lucky, meanwhile Damian was lucky to be born

that's fair! i disagree, personally, with the idea of the sibling dynamic being the same as zuko and azula's — primarily because they have different issues and the age gap appears to be significantly larger (zuko was 16 and azula was 14 in ATLA, damian is 6 while demetrius' age is unknown but he is definitely at least a pre-teen and at most maybe 16-17), plus demetrius and damian are on speaking terms. and the parents being so different (and both present) is a very important factor...

...buuut we simply don't know enough about demetrius to make a solid interpretation on their dynamic, in my opinion! the lad has a singular scene where he speaks on the phone with damian, after all, and it took us like 25 chapters to just learn his name; not enough to make a good solid call on how he is as a person, which would be the first step in determining how he gets along with damian

i also must point out that everything i have drawn about demetrius is not a reflection of how i think canon should or will be, but rather just silly wishful thinking and a (very) mild exploration of how his character might end up being! i like drawing fluff the most, and canon evidence is currently pointing towards a lot of upcoming angst for all desmonds, so ofc most of my art can be described as canon-inspired rather than actually canon

that being said, deme has few enough canon mentions that i feel plenty comfortable just listing them all in case it might be helpful

SO!

✨in terms of strictly canon thus far (at the time of me writing this, we've reached chapter 84), there are 6 chapters in which he gets mentioned:

in chapter 8, twilight super briefly mentions that "he's joining his brother at eden academy this year," so we know that he exists JDFKLSD

in chapter 9, damian thinks: "never in my life has anyone defied me. even my older brother never struck me." this would imply that either demetrius has a temper, or damian just bugs him a lot. i'm betting on the former but both are an option

in chapter 25 (his name-drop chapter), jeeves mentions demetrius is returning home for the holiday, which can mean many things: he may be secure enough in his grades to afford it compared to damian who is staying in school because he is not; he could be missing his parents, meaning he may be on better terms with them than damian is; or he might not like the environment of the school dorms

in chapter 27, twilight thinks: "both of the desmonds seem to be exceptional students. especially the older one. he barely got a single question wrong." which confirms that demetrius is doing very very well in school

chapter 37 seems to be the first time where it's confirmed our lad is an imperial scholar! and is also the first time we hear him speak. he seems a bit tired, curt but not intentionally rude, and the line "don't get your hopes up" implies that he's sympathetic to damian's current situation

lastly, there's the very vague mention aaaaall the way in chapter 66, when one of the ladies says "with both their boys being so exceptional, they hardly need much attention," meaning that despite his accomplishments, demetrius isn't getting much attention from their parents either. in the same chapter, twilight says about melinda: "plus, she seems estranged from her husband and sons," so there's definitely more distance from melinda than from donovan, but it's fair to assume that demetrius likely isn't getting pampered or anything by his father, especially not with donovan's opinions on children DSFJSDK, and twilight does at one point also say "considering the relationships they have with their children," so donovan is still very very distant

all of this is not enough to easily build a dynamic for the brothers i'd say. we have more info on them as individuals than them as a unit, and not enough to build demetrius an actual personality with his whole 6 mentions, out of which only 3 give mild info on what he might be like

the conversation on him gets more difficult if you also count the fact that thus far, each forger has had a desmond counterpart, and yuri is like a big brother to anya in a way (despite being an uncle, since he acts rather childishly), making demetrius the most likely candidate for the yuri counterpart, but that is a whoooole different conversation that would require a lot lot lot more speculation than i feel like doing lol

but anyway yeeeeeee hope this makes sense!! :]

#i was debating on keeping it short but #despite the fact that i am short... i talk at length #so you get a List #asks #sxf #sxf manga #demetrius desmond

122 notes · View notes

lutiaslayton · 11 months

Text

I’m very much buried under a giant pile of scientific papers due to me having to write my thesis, but I still had to share my joy at today’s random Layton epiphany:

I can finally come to terms with Katrielle’s game and anime existing. In fact, I can come to terms and live peacefully with everything Layton-related existing. Heck, even Cheerful Mystery while we’re at it! Because there’s more than just one continuity and everything is canon, just within the confines of more than only one timeline.

Just take Katrielle’s entire series. If you thought that it was taking place after the six main games and movie, then none of it makes sense, if only because Flora doesn’t seem to be here, and the entirety of the prequel trilogy (aka three games and a movie) were literally Thanos snapped out of existence.

In the anime, when Marina shows that Luke made charms as reminders of the cases he solved with Layton, there are only charms for the first trilogy. Nothing about the prequels. Characters such as Emmy, Descole/Desmond, the Stansbury gang, Janice & Melina, are never mentioned, and despite Layton and Luke having disappeared for an entire decade, none of these competent people went to look after them? This simply doesn’t make any sense. If Layton and Luke ever met these people like they did in the main games, then the moment these people would have learned about them going missing, at the very least Emmy, perhaps Descole, and probably the Stansbury gang as well, would have gone on a literal rampage looking for them.

But then consider: what if this is an alternate timeline in which the prequel trilogy really didn’t take place? What if Flora, after the events of Curious Village, decided to stay in St Mystere instead of following Layton and Luke to London? Hey, all of that suddenly makes a lot more sense.

In that case though, why didn’t the prequel trilogy happen (assuming Flora’s decision to stay in St Mystere would simply be a butterfly effect consequence of an entire trilogy + movie being erased)? Could there be one single event that could justify such major events… never existing?

I can think of one. One very dark and tragic one, but one that could explain everything.

In the Katrielle timeline, Desmond Sycamore died alongside his wife and daughter.

There was no prequel trilogy, because there was no Descole.

The Tritons likely moved back to London early enough, around the same time as they did at the end of Last Specter, perhaps because Clark and Brenda’s team never found the Golden Garden and they decided to do something else. Anyway, there was nothing stopping Clark from leaving Misthallery, since Jakes had no reason to change Evan Barde’s will in order to make him mayor.

With the Tritons back to London and reuniting with Layton, Luke probably became his apprentice/assistant early enough after they saved a cat down a tree or something.

There could be a number of reasons why Emmy was never sent to spy on Hershel Layton. Perhaps Bronev felt bad for killing one of his sons and decided to leave the remaining one alone, for a change?

Hershel Layton never got to reunite with the Stansbury gang. Randall is probably still missing, leaving peacefully his life in Craggy Dale, unaware.

Hershel Layton never got to learn about his origins. Roland and Lucille probably ended up suspecting that something happened to the Sycamores, but they never had the heart to tell their son that not only did they hide from him that he used to have a brother… But also that said brother is now dead.

There could be many reasons why either Layton and Luke decided not to take Flora in, or Flora decided to stay in St. Mystere. Perhaps Layton simply didn’t learn that many lessons about the importance of family and adoption or something. He’s just a gentleman doing his thing, and Luke is his only companion.

It took much longer for Targent to find the three sites and unlock the Azran Legacy. Perhaps they never did. Perhaps they actually succeeded, eventually, and were wiped out by the golems due to not having been able to gather the five people required as a sacrifice in time.

Perhaps, thankfully, various governments from countries all around the world managed to prevent the world from ending completely by finding a somewhat peaceful agreement (Aurora certainly helped a lot with that, and likely became the human-golem ambassador). Perhaps the golems eventually accepted that an entire planet would indeed suffice as a place to live free, even if that planet isn’t Earth.

Perhaps the golems are still in contact with humanity and now want to get a job in the UK, because why not.

#professor layton #katrielle and the millionaire's conspiracy

83 notes · View notes

miwhotep · 3 months

Text

MILVERTON, THE MORIARTY THE PATRIOT VERSION - THE CONAN DOYLE CANON AND FURTHER INSPIRATIONS

In my other post, I went through on the adaptational differences of the Milverton case from the Conan Doyle Canon -

- here, I will only focus on the Moriarty the Patriot version of the character.

In Moriarty the Patriot, Milverton is a media mogul, the so-called King of Media. He takes frequent requests from nobles and helps them "solve" cases with his media power, but he also sometimes acts as an agent on their behalf - like negotiating with Whiteley - or even handles dirty works for them. He later uses the fact that he helped them for blackmail materials to gain more power or money. He also likes using blackmail as a way to ruin people's life, which is his biggest entertainment.

Most of these things goes totally against the Conan Doyle canon. Him being a media mogul comes from the BBC Sherlock series - but even there, he only blackmailed people for power, not for pure joy. The YuuMori version of him also has a hint of Jokerness in it - the whole White Knight arc was basically just the The Dark Knight movie plot, where Milverton, just like Joker, turns people into villains because it's fun. (Interestingly, in the Killing Joke comic book, it is explained that Joker likes to put people through torture and turning them into villains to show how his life got ruined back then by society what eventually turned him into madness - that in the end, everyone can become like him.)

In the start of the Two Criminals arc, Sherlock describes Milverton that way:

"It isn't money he is after. Milverton does it purely for the jollies. Watching others fail at pivotal point in their lives is entertaining for him. He is, in other words, a piece of human rubbish... He always seemed to have a firm grasp on exactly how much influence and wealth his victims had. But despite that, he always made sure to demand a ransom that they could never pay... His objective therefore can't be money. It's the ruination of his victims."

Milverton in the Conan Doyle canon is no question, a ruthless being, but he does everything for the money. It's also stated that he only blackmails the wealthy or people in position. It is indeed true that he sometimes demanded an amount of money his victims couldn't afford - but he didn't change his demands for purely strategical reasons: "There you make a mistake, Mr. Holmes. An exposure would profit me indirectly to a considerable extent. I have eight or ten similar cases maturing. If it was circulated among them that I had made a severe example of the Lady Eva, I should find all of them much more open to reason. You see my point?"

But YuuMori Milverton is similar to the canon version for always carefully researching his subjects and waiting patiently for the moment of action he can gain the most use out of it - he only attacks when he is fully armed. At least, that's how he described pre-Two Criminals arc. The way he acted in Two Criminals doesn't really fit to the characterization of him in the previous plots - his plan was rushed and stupid, unlike his previous plans (but my problems with the Two Criminals arc Milverton-wise deserve its on post).

When it comes to his appearance, in the Conan Doyle canon, he is chubby, well-dressed, and has white hair, grey eyes and glasses. Manga being manga, he is much more beautifully drawn in YuuMori, but is still recognizable as the canon character. He is also much younger in YuuMori (I headcanon him in his mid or late 30s), - in the canon, he is in his 50s. His eyes are yellow and snake-like, as a reference to Sherlock Holmes saying in the canon story that he reminds him of snakes - in YuuMori, Miss Hudson is the one pointing to that. (The snake reference also appears in Milverton's Bible explaining session). Milverton also smokes tobacco like in the canon.

In YuuMori, Milverton has a really loyal secretary named Ruskin. He is also - kind of - part of the canon, where Milverton has an unnamed secretary who is a big fan of him and most of the times doesn't leave his side. The name Ruskin comes from the historical "Milverton's" life, Charles Augustus Howell, whom Conan Doyle based the character after - he had a friend, an English writer named John Ruskin.

Now, let's move to Two Criminals as an adaptation of the canon story. Here, Sherlock Holmes meets up with Milverton because he blackmailed Mary Morstan. The one who suggests inviting him is John himself. In the canon, Sherlock deals with Milverton for the request of Lady Eva Brackwell, - not Mary Morstan, whom Milverton never blackmailed - this case is mentioned in the manga, too, by both Sherlock and Milverton, but unlike the canon, in YuuMori, Sherlock fails on the Lady Eva case and her marriage gets called off.

The whole Milverton visiting Sherlock and claiming the living room as his office thing is copied from the BBC Sherlock series, not from the canon. In the original story, Milverton is a nicely behaved smooth-talker - in YuuMori, he acts really despicable and makes a disgusting scene. I always wandered how far the writer will go on getting inspirations from BBC Sherlock, but I never expected, not even in my nightmares that I need to witness another public pissing in Milverton-case adaptations - which while made sense in the BBC Sherlock's context, - the YuuMori Milverton is a 19th centurian Englishman, who normally tries to act like he belongs to the upper class - pissing, even if the piss was made by Ruskin, really just doesn't fit in the story.

Similarly to the canon, after the failed negotiations with Milverton, Sherlock decides to break into Milverton's Appledore house to steal the documents and John comes with him. In the original, Sherlock disguises himself as a plumber and seduces one of Milverton's maid to get to know the house beforehand - in YuuMori, they cause a plumber incident and get in the house where John seduces the maid while Sherlock is looking for Milverton's safe - but the document is not there. So they decide to break in to Milverton's country house, too - where the break-in, like in the canon, gets distracted by a mysterious visitor - which in YuuMori, are the Moriarties. Everything what happens after this, is totally off from the canon - and similarly to BBC Sherlock, it's Sherlock who kills Milverton in the end.

The Moriarty the Patriot version of Milverton while took some inspirations from the original, barely has similarities with the canon one. In the end, I like to think of him as his own character who only in name from Conan Doyle - and give him headcanons and stories with this thought in my head.

#moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty #charles augustus milverton #ynm sherlock #sherlock holmes canon

20 notes · View notes

tokiro07 · 3 months

Text

Undead Unluck ep.15 thoughts

[Trauma Dump]

(Contents: immediate reactions - additions, analysis - OP/ED)

Only a chapter and a half this time, huh? If y'all hadn't wasted time with that recap last week, we could've gotten to the juicy bit as the cliffhanger this time...ah well, guess that'll just be how next week's episode opens

Despite the fact that this was pretty much just an exposition episode, I do think it was one of the better executed episodes overall, particularly because of my favorite thing: adaptational additions!

They were all pretty brief, but the little added bits of seeing Under up close rather than just really tiny in the background was greatly appreciated, and I think did a lot to help build up the type of threat they are

Juiz was also standing before the tablet, which, funny enough, has never actually been shown in canon! We've had it alluded to and represented visually, yes, but we've never actually seen a character in the same room as it. It almost felt like a hypothetical up to now, but nope, it's real and absolutely observable, at least in this adaptation

The real highlights of this episode are the new opening and ending themes, though. I'm really digging the new opening with how dynamic it is. I do miss the more abstract imagery, but what it lacks in symbolism it makes up for in intensity! Andy's limbs exploding into Parts Bullets, the meteor flying down to Earth, the title carved into rubble, Andy vs. Victor culminating in a frankly awesome shot of Fuuko staring down an oncoming meteor; it all looks so cool!!! My main problem is just that it ends kind of abruptly and the music and visuals feel kind of mismatched right at the end. I'm not sure how it could have been done better, but it leaves me with an awkward feeling upon finishing it

The ending theme isn't nearly as visually powerful as the first one, but I think it's meant to contrast it: whereas the first ending was about Andy's loss of self and search for death, the second one looks to be Fuuko's search for companionship. The first half of the videos features her alone on a bridge, possibly contemplating her death, until she sees Andy off in the distance and runs to him, with the two proceeding to walk through the autumn leaves with smiles on their faces. Andy woke up in the first ending to realize that he was with Fuuko, as if he had trouble accepting that as reality or was anxious he might lose her, while Fuuko is shown here actively spending time with Andy and the two enjoying each other's company. This is also intercut with Juiz and Victor sitting together in snowy ruins, a vision of days long since past vs. Andy and Fuuko's blissful, if destined to be short-lived present in the dying leaves of autumn

Overall, I enjoyed the new OP and ED, but they're definitely not perfect. I'll probably come to enjoy them more and more as we go, and I definitely look forward to seeing full translations of them (which I wouldn't be surprised if they already exist) so that I can understand the messages they're trying to convey

See you all next week, let's enjoy life!

#undead unluck #fouryearsandananime #uu anime #4y1a reviews

20 notes · View notes

laurancezvahlslefteyebrow · 5 months

Text

This is Eseryt Yrva of Barton, formally Zerimar

my minecraft diaries oc

so because this is an oc instead of a canon character, i’m just gonna tell you as much about her lore as i can :P this might be long i’m sorry but i need to info dump or else i’ll explode

first off she is Cadenza’s bio sister whom she was separated from incase you missed that. She is also originally from the village of Zerimar. It was destroyed by O’Khasis and very few people got away. Each person born in Zerimar is given a magicks associated with the meaning of their name.

•First and formost, her name is pronounced Es-er-it. It means “to perceive”. Being originally from Zerimar, that is her given magicks. The ability to read anyone’s expressions, intentions, whether or not they’re lying, stuff like that. However, it also means that she is difficult to read for other people.

•When she was 5, and Cadenza was 11, their village was attacked by O’khasis. She and Cadenza were chased into a dead end. Desperate, they climbed up the wall and jumped into the river below. The rushing river separated her and Cadenza. Eventually Es washed up and was found by a boy who recognized her as his neighbor. He and a large man she’d never seen before told her they’d keep her safe so she went with them.

•The man told her his name was Björn. He had another boy with him. Eseryt thought he must’ve been very sleepy because Björn had to carry him. They traveled very very far and Calcifer, the boy from her village, carried her a good portion of the trip. This is essentially their route v

•They traveled to the village of Barton. A relatively young village, one that many people aren’t even sure really exists. It’s known as a safe haven, keeping to itself and not involving itself in the affairs of the rest of the world. It’s also very tricky to find, hidden in a valley surrounded by mountains. Without directions it’s practically impossible to find. Björn was traveling there from Nahakra Village with his son Derek. The village found out that Björn and his son were both werewolves and hunted them down. His human wife, Amelia, was killed in the action and his son was badly wounded. Björn tracked down the location of Barton and was on his way there when he was spotted by a panicked boy who flagged him down for help.

•Björn’s son died from his injuries literal DAYS after arriving in Barton. Björn adopted Eseryt, and offered to take Calcifer in, but he refused.

•Because Barton is a popular place with travelers, merchants, refugees, and adventurers, it’s very busy. Despite being small and having few people there at a time. Because of this, Eseryt grew up surrounded by all kinds of people and cultures. She also never really understood why some people were hated simply because they were different.

•As she got older, she realized just how much she loved singing and started performing at festivals and in the tavern were Björn worked.

•She and Björn (who she calls Da) live in the attic of their tavern/inn.

•Eseryt always had an adventurer’s spirit, and when she was 18 she secretly left Barton despite Björn telling her no multiple times. She told her best friend that if she didn’t return by 3-4 months to not come looking for her. It wouldn’t be worth it.

•She left because of strange nightmares she’d been having of a strange woman telling her to “find her” once a month. This woman was Kul’Zak, Eseryt is her incarnation. I’m not gonna get into it more than that cuz it’s kind of a lot..

•She left in the middle of the night with her horse Dagny. She headed straight for the forest, having no clue that is was sentient. However, instead of trapping her, it guided her to Phoenix Drop. Despite traveling completely alone with only a few daggers to protect herself, she only got trouble from bandits once. She was able to get away and the forest helped block them off (though she didn’t know that).

•When she got to Phoenix Drop, it was very late so she decided to camp outside the town. By the morning she woke up to a strange black haired women and dusty brown haired man staring her down, just as confused as she was. They asked if she was alright when suddenly the man looked shocked. He asked her name and when she said it his eyes widened more than they already were. “Do.. Did you have a sister..?” he asked. Confused, she said she did but they were separated a very long time ago. Without explaining to either Es or Aph, he instructed she come with him. She hesitantly did, and he led her to a house with rose bushes outside. He knocked on the door until a women with long orange hair answered. The realization was instant. When Eseryt asked how Laurance even figured out that she was Cadenza’s lost sister, he said that she looked oddly familiar to begin with, but when she saw her tattoos and necklace there was no denying that she was the sister Cadenza missed so dearly and spoke about so much.

•She and Cadenza spent a lot of time together, and Laurance began to see Es as another sister. He began mentoring her and teaching her to fight at her request. Cadenza made Es some new clothes that fit her better. Everything was great… Until O’knasis and Scaleswind showed up at the gates of Phoenix Drop.

•Eseryt wanted to help, to stay and fight. Aphmau allowed it as she’d shown real skill and Aphmau trusted she could handle herself. For a while, she did. Staying on the wall with a bow and arrow. Somehow, Zane had managed to find his way to the wall and confronted Eseryt. She would’ve shot him with no hesitation, but the second he mentioned Cadenza, she froze. Zane knew about them escaping Zerimar. Eseryt was frozen by shock and Zane took his chance. He struck her and pushed her off the wall. Laurance saw this happen and ran to her. He tried to save her but he couldn’t. She was gone..

•SHE WAS BACK. She awoke in the Nether completely disoriented and in pain. Sasha and Gene explained everything. Gene tried telling her that Laurance let her die but she knew there would’ve been no saving her without some kind of magicks.

•Sasha became her “mentor” in the Nether, and was the only person to show her any.. “kindness”. She rarely called her by her name, instead choosing to call her “Lamb” or “Lorelei”. When Es finally asked why she called her Lorelei, Sasha said “Well because you’re- wait… Do you not know? Oooh” Sasha then informed her that she was a siren and teases her for never figuring it out on her own. She also told her it was the only reason Gene kept her around. A siren could be useful.

•Each time she was defiant Sasha would cut a piece of her hair as punishment. Gene however, did much worse.

•Eventually she got tired of fighting back, so she tricked them. She told them she gave up, she’d join them. All while Vylad was helping her find the secret second portal to the overworld. She’d been in the Nether for almost a year in Nether time, but only about a month in the overworld.

•It took her days to find her way back to Phoenix Drop but eventually she did. Cadenza cut some of her own hair to braid into Eseryt’s.

•Everything was great until Zane returned and everyone became trapped in the Irene Dimension. (Everything is the same it just happens a little later than in canon).

Everything happens pretty much the same from here and she’s not really import to the plot. Just kinda there.

•She and Travis eventually kind of have a bit of a thing 😉

•Eventually, about a year after Laurance left, the calling was becoming too much for her. She left to the Nether without telling anyone, where she aided Laurance and Zenix in the rebellion.

there’s a lot more but it’s not as important as that stuff so i’m not gonna get into it for now

sorry that wasn’t my most elegant post but you get the gist

Up Next: An Incredibly Irresponsible Priest!

23 notes · View notes

alexxncl · 11 months

Text

more random obey me hcs

masterlist more drabbles/hcs | pt 1

my mc is black

platonic or romantic, however you view them

mainly the brothers

nb and og based, some theories towards the end

luci loves receiving forehead kisses more than he likes giving them but will never admit it (esp if mc is shorter than him and has to pull him down to kiss his forehead)

if mc has a pet, mams will go out of his way to buy toys and treats and matching outfits for the baby

beel is the first you should go to if you're feeling homesick, he'll pull up a list of your favorite foods and go on a grocery run to cook them for you, especially if it means going to the human world for a few hours

despite having the bigger and more comfortable bed, asmo loves sleeping in mc's room whenever they're at the HOL bc it's an excuse to be close to them

dia never had anyone except barbatos wash his hair until mc came around, now wash day is one of his favorite times of the month

belphie buys the most comfortable and high quality bonnets he can find, and he keeps some of them in his room in case mc forgets to bring it when they sleep over

levi can do hair with his tail ??? (don't ask how) and can do it while reading or gaming, it freaks mc out

satan reads colleen hoover books just to laugh at how bad they are, and the first time mc saw one they almost beat him over the head with it until he explained

solomon's fabsnap name is an obvious star wars ripoff, but nobody knows that bc star wars doesn't exist in nb yet

i've probably said this before but mephisto has the fattest crush on lucifer and hates himself for it

the main reason the brothers annoy lucifer or cause trouble around the HOL is so that he'll put his work down and spend time with them. mc picked up on it really quickly and joins in sometimes, but tells them to knock it off if they're doing too much

thirteen kept a close eye on mc as soon as solomon took them on as his apprentice thinking she'd hate them, but she was interested in how different they were from him

mams is secretly a musical fanatic and is beyind excited when he finds out mc is a theater kid

the brothers were raphael's favorites, and that's why he reprimanded them so hard and got on luci's ass about everything [mc still hates him (mc is me)]

thirteen loves doing nails just as much as asmo and they argue all the time over who gets to do mc's nails

(they each get a hand and a foot and mc does their nails in return)

asmo taught all the brothers how to paint nails, and beel is the best at it, but they let asmo do it for nostalgia

satan will never admit it, but when asmo asked to paint his nails the first time, he felt like he truly belonged in the family

when she first came to RAD, thirteen subconsciously clung to solomon despite hating his guts bc he was the only sense of familiarity she had

he teased her endlessly, but being close to him meant she got close to mc and she gravitated towards them more as time went on

don't know how much this aligns with canon, but luke was born right after the celestial war and simeon took him under his wing moreso than michael bc he knew how badly michael was fucked up after losing luci and his brothers after the fall

THEORY TIME

barb didn't send mc back in time, michael did bc he's a bitch and is too scared to disobey god to check on the brothers on his own

(barb was the first one to notice their absence despite not living with them bc he felt a shift in the timeline, but he can't pinpoint their location or bring them back)

also probably said this before but simeon is from the future, idk how far in the future bc he's still an angel, but his pfp is literally one of the "miss 'em" things and that's from season 2 of the anime which was in between seasons 2 and 3 of the og game

I'M NOT CRAZY I SWEAR

*ahem* my bad y'all

we've barely heard any characters talk about god at all except for mainly the brothers' discussion of their lives in the celestial realm, is he asleep like dia's dad??? like where is he

#obey me nightbringer #obey me #obey me hcs #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beel #obey me belphegor #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me simeon #obey me luke #obey me thirteen #obey me mephistopheles #obey me raphael #obey me theory

67 notes · View notes

convenientalias · 1 month

Text

Please Watch Circle: Two Worlds Connected (Another Manifesto)

After convincing some ppl to watch White Christmas, I am filled with hubris and thus have returned to try to convince y'all to watch another kdrama thriller. This times it's Circle: Two Worlds Connected (2017). It's sci-fi, it's whumpy, it's got a dual timeline going on, and it's got a great cast. It's also one of the first kdramas I ever watched--I started it back in 2017, lost access to the site I was streaming it from, and 3 years later, when I became actually competent at finding kdramas, I remembered to go find it again! I've now watched it... four times? five times? anyway it's a good show so let's dive in.

The Premise

Every episode of Circle has two parts to it.

The first part: In 2017, a college student named Kim Woo-jin is having family problems. His paranoid twin brother is convinced aliens exist and are killing ppl. Woo-jin met an alien once when he was a kid, but he's been repressing this and ignoring the implications ever since bc of related trauma. Then Woo-jin's twin goes missing, and Woo-jin goes haywire trying to track him down.

The second part: In 2037, society has become a little dystopian, particularly in a closed-off island city called "Smart Earth". "Smart Earth" is supposed to be a place without crime, but when a murder takes place, Detective Kim Joon-hyuk, an outsider, worms his way in to investigate. Secretly he's more interested in investigating Smart Earth itself... and trying to find his long lost brother.

HM I WONDER IF THERE'S A REASON THESE CHARACTERS BOTH HAVE KIM AS A SURNAME. PROBABLY JUST A COINCIDENCE I WOULDNT KNOW. IM SURE THESE TWO MYSTERIES HAVE NO RELATION TO EACH OTHER AT ALL.

The Characters

Kim Woo-jin:

Yes that is Yeo Jin-goo (I feel like most of my followers have watched Beyond Evil, but if you haven't, maybe you know him from Hotel del Luna or The Crowned Clown, idk, he's great). And yes, he is incredibly stressed and will be for pretty much the entire show.

I feel like the main selling point of the first half of this show, apart from the mystery itself, really is just "do you want to see Yeo Jin-goo be so, so tired and act in progressively more insane and risky ways over the course of twelve episodes".

He is a very good brother. He also is in a dynamic duo with a girl who may or may not be an alien. More on that below.

Kim Bum-gyun

He's paranoid and he's not always the best brother. But he's trying to be better and also. He may be (at least partly) right.

Han Jung-yeon

"Hey look at me I'm a normal college student and definitely not an alien. Despite the fact that I do kind of look identical to that alien you met like fifteen years ago."

"Regardless that was not me bc I am normal. Let's become a detective duo!"

Kim Joon-hyuk

Played by Kim Kang-woo! I feel like he's a bit less known than Yeo Jin-goo but I still love him. Very versatile actor. In this he's being your typical unruly cop but with Many Secrets. Going into much more detail than that would unfortunately give spoilers but I like seeing him piss Lee Ho-soo off.

Lee Ho-soo

Nicknamed "Pierrot" by Kim Joon-hyuk for the way he's ~always smiling~, Lee Ho-soo is Smart Earth's ideal peacekeeping employee. He thoroughly believes in their dystopian mood regulating technology and closed off society and no, he does not want to learn any deep dark secrets, thank you very much!!! Leave him alone!!!! (Yeah, he's going to go through all kinds of emotional breakdowns lols.) My favorite character on my first watch-through; later I began to stan Woo-jin more but it's a close thing.

So, so, so...

Is It Shippy?

Honestly, kind of depends on what you're looking for. The most obvious ships would be Kim Woo-jin/Han Jung-yeon, a ship that is very teased but never becomes canon, and Lee Ho-soo/Kim Joon-hyuk, a classic bickering-but-gradually-coming-to-understand-each-other type of duo. There are other shippy routes you could take... my friend for example ships two of Woo-jin's professors. I personally think certain reveals could lend themself to a [REDACTED] [REDACTED] shipping dynamic, which is all too rare, but since I redacted that part you will never know what I mean by that.

Is there shippy fanfic out there? NO BECAUSE THERE ARE A TOTAL OF FOUR FANFICS FOR THIS SHOW ON AO3 AND I CANT FIND ANY ELSEWHERE EITHER. yes three of those are shippy. YES I WANT MORE PLEASE.

More General Thoughts

Circle is a little melodramatic and messy, but it is also very clever. Even after the basic worldbuilding becomes clear, you probably won't be able to guess all the answers to the mysteries until mm. Episode eleven of twelve? I mean I'm sure there are people out there much better at guessing than me but. I didn't.

I also think it's more fun to watch this show (at least the first time) with a bunch of different theories in your mind as to what happened during the time skip. I had at least three running concurrently. No, none of them were correct. I never said I was good at guessing I only said I had fun.

Not EVERY loose thread gets tied up by the end. But things do get mostly resolved. And there's a lot of angst and suspense along the way!

Here are a few more pictures to convey the vibe:

I can also offer you a minimal number (two) of goofy gifsets.

Closing thoughts:

If you've watched Circle, pls come talk to me sometime. If you haven't watched Circle, I recommend giving it a try! I can tell you that anecdotally ppl who I've forced to watch White Christmas and Circle both like Circle better (except me, I like White Christmas better but also I am to be fair obsessed with both).

And for now, I have successfully exorcised my Circle feels for the day. Probably. I hope. (I may be back.)

#circle two worlds connected #kdramas

11 notes · View notes

butmakeitgayblog · 1 year

Note

So I'm relatively new to the fandom, and during my stay in this rabbit hole, that is, Clexa, I've got a few questions that I'm hoping you could answer :)

Why is everyone here pro-Lexa? Like don't get me wrong I absolutely love Lexa as a character and Alycia is a queen, but why all the hate towards some of the other characters, like Bellamy? I've never watched The 100 the whole way through (literally exited outta the show the second Lexa died), even then, it's been years since I watched it. Did I miss something while I was binge-watching, or was my teenage brain at the time just too immature to realize he was a total jackass..? Also, it's not just Bellamy, I've also seen hate for Bob, the actor who plays him. Which brings me to another question: does this fandom not like Eliza? I always see so much support when Alycia has an upcoming project or is posting Instagram updates but nothing for Eliza? Again, no judgment for the Alycia love because I completely understand why everyone here is head over heels in love with that girl but I just wanted to know, has Eliza ever done anything wrong? Or have I just conveniently only stumbled upon Alycia stans on this app?

Anyway, a totally unrelated note but since I'm here… may I just say ma'am, your writing is the bomb diggity. Like the perfect blend of humor, sexiness, angst, and fluff, THE GODDAMN FLUFF. Genius, you're a genius, like a mad scientist of Clexa fanfic. Hope you keep doing what you're doing, my friend. Take your time though, and don't listen to those ignorant anons that are crawling around yelling "wHy ArE yOu TaKiNg So LoNg To UpDaTe?" Thank you for writing for the Clexa fandom! ❤️

First I wanna say thank you for the sweet words and reading, that means so much to me 🥹💕 not to be a nerd but I screenshot that for one of my worse imposter syndrome days lol

Long post so you can read under the cut. Long time clexas you can just skip if you want because honestly I got annoyed all over again just typing it and you know it all already 🥴

Now right off the top, you don't have to hate Bellamy if you don't want to. It's not like that's a prereq for being a clexa, so if you like him, like him and don't worry about what anyone says. He's a fictional character so anyone who gets intense over someone liking him I think needs to take a walk.

But the reason why a lot of Clexas, myself included, hate him is somewhat of a two part answer. The main reason being is that his character is trash 😅. I mean I'm not gonna dissect every little bit of canon but the main points for me at least, since I can't speak for anyone else, are that he was constantly fucking up literally everything. He gets to earth, proclaims "tHeRe aRe nO RuLeS" and then,,, immediately declares himself the leader and starts forcing people to follow what he says. He literally almost let Clarke fall into a pit of spikes, tried to handcuff her and keep her hostage "for her own good", he spearheaded the whole thing with taking off their wristbands, HE BACKED PIKE, participated in the massacre of a peaceful army sent to protect skaikru, he constantly shamed and blamed Clarke for everything that ever went wrong even when a lot of that stuff was either the best solution in a bad situation OR was an indirect fallout from something fucked up that skaikru had done. The sweaty little fucker was always trying to control/manipulate Clarke and skaikru and his own damn sister despite the fact that everything he ever planned himself turning out to be: A Terrible Idea. Basically the dude sucked but was held up on spindles of glorification as being this heroic uwu soft boy that wasn't actually supported by any one damn thing in canon when you actually look at it objectively. And I'm sure I'm even forgetting stuff. The dude just sucked.

Agian, that's my own two cents.

The other reason being, it's rollover from having to deal with blarks. Their constant harassment and shoving their fanon, non-existent ship down everyone's throat, while being entitled little brats throwing tantrums about them not happening at every turn has led from what probably would've been just a mild distaste for a character for most into loathing even the name. Understand I'm not saying the word harassment lightly. They were awful for years. Death threats and homophobia, spamming inboxes with hateful messages and sending awful pictures/memes etc. One even sent EJT a dick pic with Blark written on their penis. They sent memes non-stop about Lexa dying when people were still reeling from it. I'm not saying all Blarks are bad because they're not, but there was enough harassment and viciousness from a large enough and loud enough faction that at a certain point it becomes a blanket feeling of animosity toward the entire ship and everything that follows it.

As for disliking EJT. In reality, she used to be the fandom favorite. I mean she was our girl because she used to champion us and was hilarious about it. Go look up old cons and interviews with her. She was funny and great. Once upon a time E was our biggest cheerleader and dealt with A Lot of abuse and harassment from The Other fandom for it. I'm talking body shaming, slut shaming, comments about her intelligence, sexual harassment and trolling her about her boyfriends and very descriptive messages about how they wanted her to harm herself. The list goes on. And no one, especially not Bob who was the golden boy for The Other fandom, ever said a word in her defense. Never told his fans to stop or that he condemned it. Ever. Not once. That never sat well with clexas, but you can't control what other people do.

We had her back anyway. So, it was whatever. Gross, but whatever.

And then she married Bob. Which, and Blarks cannot seem to wrap their heads around this fact, literally no cared about. She could've just married him and kept being the same person and no one would've cared. In fact, the way this fandom loved her, at first everyone was like hmmm weird and sudden but good for her I guess! Be happy!

But then Bob's ex came forward with very serious allegations about her past relationship with him. She released a statement that you can easily find online and from that it painted a very dark picture of things that involved both him and EJT. As I'm someone who believes victims, I have no reason not to believe her, and since the very bizarre (non) rebuttal that EJT posted in reply made zero sense, that was that. It changed the lens of how a lot of people started looking at her.

Which leads me to the charities.

Hear a collective Clexa sigh.

They're a saga in themselves, but to sum it up as short as possible, EJT had been a part of a children's organization for YEARS that she herself helped set up. Clexas raised a lot of money for this charity through fundraising and selling fanart and we really cared about it. And literally within months of them being married, he became involved in it, and then shortly thereafter, magically they both had to "step away from it" for dubiously explained reasons. (Which, if you read his ex's statement, logical deduction of what probably actually happened will make more sense than what they claimed, and not in a good way.) Sensibly, they started recieving backlash from supporters because, again a lot of people had been helping this charity for years and all of a sudden she was just gone from it and all the projects were halted. I'm not blaming solely her for anything but to just cut and run like she did was sus to say the least.

So to steer away from that shitshow, they started another charity. With a bunch of right-wing MAGA nuts. Yeah. They weren't open or transparent about anything, no records of where any of the money was going, iirc no real legitimate charity registration/tax documentation that anyone could find (and in the US that's all public info sooooooo). It was a total clusterfuck that people started calling them out on from the start. At first they tried to ignore it and just keep collecting money by doing these ridiculous cameos as cash grabs, but just like the first charity, after a while (and a lot of initially unaccounted for money being raised) the poor little darlings just had to "step away for mental health reasons."

Which I would accept and support wholeheartedly because mental health is extremely serious... except funnily, they didn't stop doing the cameos. They kept doing those and charging their fans money to listen to them blather on about made up ~behind the scenes info~ about Blark stuff and it being super secretly canon but for a million reasons that they don't know and can't name, stopped it from happening. Claims of love scenes and kisses that have never been backed up by evidence (like a script) or corroborated by a single person involved in the show. But it's totally true guys, just trust them bro. So yeah, they've kept doing all that. Just... not giving the money they're charging for the cameos to their "charity."

So that's the meat of it, I might be forgetting things and smudging some finer details because it's been a long while ago, but I think you can get the gist. People don't like Bob because he was an ass to fans and EJT herself before them even getting married. He's said ableist things and quoted racists trying to sound smart and never once apologized for anything. He's been accused of abuse in his personal life and has never addressed it, only made his wife write a terrible fanfiction-esque response to appease his ardent followers. And frankly, she pissed off her fans. Once she married him, she completely flipped her personality from a funny charity doing, body positivity leading, cheerleading about "Clexa are soulmates" and "Lexa is the love of Clarke's life" girl, to doing personal cash grabs constantly while spewing all this made up Blark garbage that directly contradicts things they've both said in the past to please her faithful paying cameo fans (read his fans).

It's all left a lot of people with a bad taste in their mouth, to say the least.

And ya best believe if Alycia does some crazy shit, I'll turn on her too 🤷‍♀️ but honestly I'm not too worried about that cuz the girl is a cryptid who you literally can't pay to go to cons or do cameos

#anon #long post #again #not interested in starting discourse I'm just answering an ask as I see it

58 notes · View notes

travalerray · 3 months

Note

chengqingxian for the ask meme?

Thanks for the ask!

Do you ship it?

No, sorry.

Why don’t you ship it?

Uhhhh. I don't have much against the ship itself rather than how the live action portrayed Chengqing (and consequently Wen Qing) along with the fact that Wen Qing is one of the two female characters who Wei Wuxian has an actual relationship with.

What would have made you like it?

Oh good point! I do have a fondness for mad scientists who experiment with the poor guy (Jiang Cheng)'s body. Especially novel canon Wen Qing because like—girlie just got pestered enough to experiment on him and Just Did It. Sure why not. Wei Wuxian and Wen Qing's relationship is one of the most fascinating to me because it's about recognising yourself in the other in the worst of times. I do think this ship has ample potential....I would love to see the tragedy of loving two people who decided that they knew what the best for you was, one decided that Clearly She Needs To Cut The Other Up For Science And Shove It Into You and now you have to live with it. Just....Idk, CQL sure was trying to Do Something. That something wasn't for me, good for those who like it though. It sure is feeding everyone's character interaction needs from the little I did watch.

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

Mhmm. Anything involving a character that's canonically dead dead and another that has been dead once and another that's famous for never moving on from the denial phase of grief is always a tasty one. Especially if the former two are also real famous for teaming up to consult each other to decide what's best for their younger sibling/shidi. Like....when do they fall for each other? Is it before the war? Is it Miss Grumpy, Mr. Grumpy and Mr. Haha Hehe (all three insane), somehow developing something? Like,,,I do love the horror and intimacy of Qingxian first meetcute because of the instant understanding that the other would leave no stones unturned if something happened to their precious one. But if it did happen before the war....then there's something distinctly horrifying about Wen Qing performing a surgery she had always theorized about, never got subjects for and then got them handed to her and they are the ones she loved. Fucked up. Deeply obsessed with her response when she sees a prone Jiang Cheng in the novel is to go "oh you bring a tortured man and you couldn't bother to knock him unconscious so that he doesn't make people suspicious? Shame on you Wen Ning" and then shoves needles into his head herself. It's just none happiness with left grief for Jiang Cheng because of course the man he loves decides to walk off from him along with the woman he loves as well. Do they not—and they are dead. Great. Great. Wei Wuxian? Wei Wuxian is trying so hard to convince himself that this time he will do the self sacrifice and intimidating other clans with his red eyeliner thing correct. It's not working? OTHER people can do the self sacrifice thing too? Oh no. Honestly this is just canon but sadder, I think.

.....well I have definitely seen manyAUs where Jiang Cheng is engaged to Wen Qing Yanli style and Wei Wuxian feels very normal emotions about it. Surely one also exists where random political marriage between the Yiling Patriarch, Sandu Sengshou and Wen-daifu.

#kk's ask tag #mdzs #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #mo dao zu shi #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #wen qing #chengqingxian #(the red eyeliner part is meant in jest but it's mostly about the argument he has with JZX (bad one) where he goes ''I want to SHOW the #cultivation world that I can be powerful even without using the righteous path''#a few days later he complains to JC about JZX (normal) being a peacock.)

12 notes · View notes

randomnameless · 16 days

Text

Rewatching the 2003 FMA anime -

It sure brings back nostalgia, 2003!FMA was the thing that made me hook up on anime/mangas since middle school, looking for OSTs, opening/ending songs, I even went to my first anime convention thanks to FMA (and brought a trinket for 20 euros but i couldn't care at that time, it was merch!) - hell, FMA was the phenomenon that made me discover the world of fanfics and, by extension, "learn" english to browse more fanfics (i know).

20ish years later though...

(i still read fanfics)

Sure, Arakawa told Sony (Dybex?) to make their own stuff and that they did, so judging on the "faithfulness" of the adaptation itself is a moot point - but the story and the characters in themselves?

Sorry -20ish years me, but damn if that anime is full of inconsistencies, i-hope-it-was-non-intentional meanings, retcons and, tbh, the protagonists are, quite frankly? Not likeable at all ?

One of the major plot lines that completely was created from scratch regarding the canon manga, and is the trademark of the 2003!anime, is how human transmutation, aka trying to resurrect the dead, well, doesn't resurrect dead people, but creates a new living being - those beings later are revealed to be homonculi.

FMA, even the 2003 anime, had that part with the living armors battle, where the protagonists wondered what it meant to be called a human, or even what is a human. Alphonse is only a soul tied to an armor, a "living" armor if you want, but Edwards refuses to consider other "livign armors" as less than humans and kill them, because if he does so, he will have to see his own brother as "not human anymore".

And we saw Tucker - a scientists so hellbent on passing his exam that he lit sacrifices his 4 years old daughter and doggo - who has a human body, human soul and human mind : what makes Tucker more "human" than a living armor, or even Alphonse?

Comes the homonculi reveal and one of the main issues of this anime : 2003!Wrath.

When we are introduced to him, he's just a weird kid with mismatched members, who lost his memories, doesn't understand empathy but bar that, he eats, hugs people, bathes just fine.

And yet, the second he is revealed to be a homonculi, a being born from alchemy, he is considered as a monster and something that should be killed, because he should never have existed in the first place.

And who says that?

Not the antagonists of this arc, no, our protagonists, Edward and Alfonse themselves! To sum up, Wrath has been behaving perfectly fine despite his background being a mystery, but when he is revealed to be a non-human being, our protags want to kill him - because he is a homonculi.

Yeah. GG protags.

Earlier we had the confirmation 2003!Wrath's weird mismatched limbs are actually Edward's missing ones, they accuse him of having "stolen" them - which is true ! - but Armstrong (who is more of a joke character in this continuity than in the manga!) asks them the ultimate question, even if his limbs are Edward's, what are they going to do? Sever them to re-attach them to Ed? Of course not, Ed says...

But in the following episode, we have Al fight against 2003!Wrath, asking him to "give back" his arm and leg to Edward...

What is the viewer even supposed to understand here?

Then we have the entire Greed arc - which also ends on a dud, I mean, Edward screams to whoever wants to hear it that's he's going to kill Greed, and then he truly kills him but screams in horror because he killed someone? Dude? - which, thanks to his chimeras and the bond they created, was enough to tell the viewer that those beings, homonculus, aren't monstruous by nature, sure Envy and Lust are asses, but Greed was shown to care about his newfound friends, and could even live with humans?

No, they're still monsters created through Alchemy, they're not human, thus need to die.

WTF?

2003!Wrath's character background basically oozes of pathos/tragedy : sure, he was not the "baby" Izumi lost when she "created" him, and yet, he was still in a baby-like state who was abandoned - and we later learn his wish was to have a mother - and he is furious at the circumstances of his creation, and abandonment.

And then, enters 2003!Sloth, who is a result of the Elrics' human transmutation. For sure they couldn't "look after" her immediately post transmutation - but they, uh, never wondered where the "thing" they created went? What it did? If it died?

(in the manga Pinako says she buried it as she found it dead when she came to their house)

Sure sure, the main villain Dante (Hell hath no Fury like a Woman Scorned : the Villain) conveniently passed by and snagged the "thing" that would later become Sloth, and yet, we're left to wonder, is the sin the alchemists refering to when they're talking about homonculi is the sin of creating them, or the sin of abandoning them?

It's basically the entire thing with Frankestein's creature, what was the biggest sin, to have created him, or treated him like trash?

To Izumi, who tried - but too late - to reach for baby Wrath, his righteous anger and Izumi's mothering tendencies when she immediatly knew "what/who" he was seems to indicate the second option - she feels like dirt for abandoning Wrath.

But when Edward fights 2003!Sloth - there is no introspection, especially as we see her own flashbacks as a thing that was recovered by Dante - and groomed by her - he will merely kill her because she is his "sin" and because she is a homonculus.

Not because of what she did, but because of what she is.

Our hero, everyone.

...

Yeah... and it's not helped at all by the fact that Mustang, maybe one or two episodes later, tells 2003!Pride that he cannot give a fuck about Pride being a human or a homonculus, but he will kill him to avenge Hugues' death and because of his war-mongering actions as the Furher.

Mustang, Armstrong and Pinako (who tells Ed to shut the fuck up when he goes in his spoiled brat mode wanting to beat Mustang for not telling him about Hughes' death and rushing to his own) were really the heroes of this story lol.

Or... not, concerning Mustang himself, and that's where we enter in the disturbing implications stuff from this anime.

2003!Mustang has PTSD from the Ishval war, in the Marco flashback we see him execute orders and basically nearly have a manga!armstrong level of breakdown - but when we see him roasting Ishvalan children, randoms and all, what really pushes him to the edge, and what the showrunners put emphasis on, is the killing of Winry's parents, aka two amestrians.

Who, in this show, accuses him of having killed her parents and bring the tense moments and accusations of war criminal and murderers? Winry, not the two Ishvalan kids whose mom was toasted during the war.

Make no mistake, the death of a civilian, regardless of their nationality, is always a tragedy.

And yet, between the thousands "brown" Ishvalan people and the couple of "white" Amestrians doctors, which death seems to have affected Mustang more? Which one is often brought to the forefront whenever Mustang, Ishval and civilian casualties are mentionned?

Oh I can't tell if it was 2003, but the, uh, depiction of the Ishvals is just...

Like, people really religious, dark skinned, living in a desert, shunning Alchemy (depicted as science and scientific approach here more than in the manga) and being hellbent on doing "God's" work?

Hm.

They stone someone who's a "great sinner", if it wasn't clear, and the one who initiates the massacre of 7k randoms is, well, an Ishvalan claiming to do this in the name of justice.

2003, right.

Oh, and about this incident, Scar justifies it as "the military" having occupied Liore and, well, Rose's ordeal. And yet, the 7k people he sacrifices weren't the ones who were in Liore (they're part of the randoms who were brought by Archer and Mustang!) and assaulted Rose, no, they were just randoms.

And when you compare this anime to Brotherhood, it gives more spoltight to Mustang's cast of randoms, or even has random loldiers in the background (either being annoyed at Armstrong's antics or, when he was alive, at Hughes') so we have some "randoms in the background" depicted with sympathy. And yet they're all killed to make Alphonse in a philosopher's stone, and Al's first reactions is to run around and swim??

7k lives sacrificed for... Al learning how to swim???

In general 2003!Ed'n'Al are my least favourite protagonists, both because they're too impulsive (Ed effing injures Havoc and Fuery!!), rude and, well, act like brats (I mentionned it earlier, but damn if Al asking Wrath to give back his members is just... wtf).

Alfonse himself becomes a prop and doesn't see much fight - doesn't fight at all - when Ed apparently knows how to create automails (what's Winry good for then?) from scraps of metal and their relationship ultimately ends up as Ed always going "I have to save my brother!" which seriously sucked, especially since earlier in the series (during the lab 5 attack!) Ed had faith in Alphonse knowing how to defend himself.

On that topic, the relationship between the brothers seems... really strained. Where was the Ed who finally managed to apologise to Alfonse and Alfonse vowing to tell him everything we had after the Lab 5 incident?

Now Ed physically restrains Al to talk to their father, doesn't tell him (and straight out lies) about excavating Trisha's remains (who is also Al's mom!) when Al keeps secret about Tucker's phone call. Are they even close anymore? IDK.

The brothers don't trust (never did tbh) Pinako and Winry, Mustang and Armstrong, and eventually, don't trust each other anymore - which can even give that ending some sense : they are now separated but why does this even matter anymore?

Remember when they promised not to die for the other, because they refused the pain of living all alone after the first meeting with Scar where Ed was ready to offer his life to have Al be spared?

Well, the ending of this anime basically pisses on this - Ed is "nearly" dead? Alfonse doesn't want that, so he sacrifices his life to make Ed return, even if it means he will die in the process and leave Ed alone. Ed doesnt' want that? So he will sacrifice himself to make Al return, effectively leaving him alone (but he works on irl missiles to return home?).

I remember FMA!2003 being lauded for its mature themes, but what themes are we talking about?

The long monologues some characters deliver to explain their vision of the world, and are never challenged about it? (or it's Ed calling BS to Dante's argument that equivalent exchange sucks)

What it means to be a human? Sure, at the end before dying, Ed seems to realise 2003!Wrath has to be taken care of (like not killing him but providing him real care) because he earlier noticed that he cried real tears with 2003!Sloth died so it's a progression from his "he's a homonculi he needs to die"... and yet, he already had this realisation when he talked to Wrath after another round of "give me back my arm'n'leg" on the top of a roof in Dublith!

It's kind of hard to say whether FMA!2003 is a good anime or not with all the things I've read/watched in the last 20ish years - because Arakawa ended her manga which is imo the best out of the three "tellings" of her story - and while I still love the "Brother" songs to death, part of me is just, very disappointed after revisiting this anime that I used to love.

Like, man, I didn't remember Ed to the POS he is in this anime, aka a character without any growth (he legits insults Armstrong over Ishval in iirc episode 7, only to apologise at the end of the episode because he acted like an ass, to give a "they must have had fun using those weapons in Ishval" at him again in the last episodes...) and Alfonse targetting Wrath to "recover" Ed's limbs - before his "awakening" as a homonculi - will always leave me with a weird feeling.

The OST is good and the animation not that shabby for something over 20 years old, and maybe the younger!me already perceived something was wrong/unlikable with Ed'n'Al, that's why I was looking at fics centered on Mustang's group -

But is it an anime I'd recommand now? Or even call a good anime?

No, not anymore. I'm hopefully not in middle school anymore fwiw and to its credit, in 2003 there wasn't a lot of new stuff or even fantasy anime that was released, and FMA!2003 was something really important and interesting at that time.

If it were to be released today? I'd say it'd maybe warrant a netflix exclusive release.

#FMA 2003 #making a comparison with the manga wasn't the goal of that post #I tried to tackle the things i didn't like from the 2003 anime alone without taking into account the manga #but if i did the saltometer would be way higher #Poor Ed'n'Al #Mustang goes to duel Bradley mano a mano because he wants to avenge Hughes? And he gives up on his plan to because head of state????#arakawa wrote the inverse! Ditto for the goodbye scene Ed asks him to return alive bcs they'll see each other #this time it's just 'we won't see each other again but good luck?'#oh well

7 notes · View notes