Hi! Long time follower here, never talked. Love your blog. Please please give us the Wuthering Heights rant. I really want it now!

My dear nonny, I’m truly sorry it’s taken me so long to get to this.

First off, I have to admit two prejudices when it comes to my reading of Wuthering Heights. First, I’m not a fan of Romantic literature. Second, I’m not a fan of what I would call “interpersonal dramas.” For example, TV shows like This is Us or films like August: Osage County are not my cup of tea. They’re about the dramatic and serious relationship between characters and family members and I just don’t care. I get that in my real life, give me dragons.

So that influences my opinion of WH and makes me predisposed to not be a fan. But I just really fucking hate that book, I’m sorry, I do, and it’s not because of any lack of writing skill involved in writing it, it’s because it’s a goddamn misery piece about people being assholes to each other and then dying miserably.

Like, I get it, we’re supposed to feel bad for Heathcliff because of his lower status and how people treat him, but he’s also an asshole? He eavesdrops on a conversation that he only hears part of (and therefore misunderstands) and proceeds to punish the person who was speaking, and she has no idea that’s why he’s doing it or what he overheard. God FORBID he tell her.

But then I suppose I’m an idiot for expecting anybody in this damn novel to talk to anybody about anything. Communication is something none of these people have ever heard of in their entire lives. And yes I get it! Suppressed emotions! Hidden passions! Yearning! Guess who did all of that while still having characters treat each other (generally, at least in regard to the heroes) with respect and communicating and learning the folly of not communicating?

JANE FUCKING AUSTEN AND SHE DID IT WITHOUT STUPID PLOT CONTRIVANCES

My God, Heathcliff, I fucking get it, you’re fucking miserable, you know what I’d say if one of my friends went out and brooded in a fucking torrential rainstorm? GET BACK INSIDE AND BROOD IN FRONT OF THE FIRE YOU FUCKING MORON. The whole Romantic movement had a lot of focus on the power and beauty of wild, untamed nature, but there’s a line between appreciating nature and just going out to prove to everyone how sad you are and wallowing in self pity and I have no tolerance for that bullshit.

Oh! And that’s even if we IGNORE the racist undertones of Heathcliff being dark skinned and compared to people from places like India and called racial slurs as a result and how he turns into a violent petty vengeful man who abuses the woman he claims to love YEAH THAT’S A GREAT REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE OF COLOR RIGHT THERE the only thing almost as infuriating is how in every adaptation he’s played by a white man. *screams into pillow*

And maybe? We’re supposed to read WH and Heathcliff’s journey as a cautionary tale of sorts? Hey look what happens when you let rage, jealousy, and vengeance consume you. Not a great look. Not that I’m saying any of the Bronte sisters were the kind of people to write morality tales. But perchance we weren’t supposed to like Heathcliff so much? That’s up for debate but doesn’t change the fact that far too many people in this world seem to think he’s a goddamn “tortured romantic hero.” Ha. Ha ha. Ha. Honey he’s not tortured he’s a bully. Cool story! Still murder!

And I’m sorry but I fucking hate the treatment of women in this. Nothing against the women themselves, really, but they’re not anything other than plot devices to be used by the men to hurt the other men in the story. Catherine only ever makes one solid choice for herself and that’s marrying Edgar and then Heathcliff proceeds to punish her for it for years.

Yeah, there’s nothing more romantic than, “If I can’t have you, nobody can.” Wow look my panties just fucking fell off, that was so romantic. *gags*

God and poor Isabella, he manipulates her and uses her and abuses her. Also Edgar, can we talk about Edgar? Edgar’s a good dude. He’s a good dude who loves Catherine and loves his daughter and really didn’t deserve this bullshit. But oh no, his soul isn’t made of the same stuff as Catherine’s, their souls aren’t the same, don’t you see? He’s not PASSIONATE and YEARNING and TORTURED!

Look, I get the temptation of that whole shtick when you’re sixteen. But if there’s something that age and experience has taught me, and most other people, it’s that relationships that are full of sweeping passion and tortured emotion are not the sort of relationships with which you can actually build a life together. While it’s said by a cultist trying to manipulate a lonely and traumatized woman, the quote, “Does he feel like home to you?” in Midsommar is a very apt question to ask. Finding someone upon whom you can rely, with whom you feel safe, with whom you feel comfortable, someone who is willing to put in the time and dedication to their relationship with you, is far more important than sex in a nor’easter and frankly I never saw the appeal of that tortured sweeping romance even when I was sixteen.

Everyone’s talking about how this guy is an “enduring icon” and such bullshit when the fact is he’s abusive. He never showed Catherine proper appreciation while she was alive and chose instead to hurt her, he abused everyone else around him whether they deserved it (Hindley) or not (Isabella). Catherine’s not a ton of fun either, faking insanity to hurt her husband because he doesn’t want her to cheat on him and then falling into actual insanity and starving herself to death because she can’t see her One True Goddamn Love.

If was her one true love then WHY DIDN’T SHE MARRY HIM? YOU CAN’T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO. THAT’S NOT HOW THIS WORKS. If you love someone, you love them enough to say, “yeah we won’t be rich but we’ll find our way in the world.” Catherine loved her status and material comforts more than she loved Heathcliff, full stop, I don’t want to hear anything more about her tough choice.

And it’s okay that she wanted financial security and social status! There is nothing wrong with that, especially when Edgar was a pretty good guy all things considered! But for God’s sake woman stop throwing a tantrum like a fucking five year old. You made your choice. You don’t get to whine and cry about it. You can’t refuse to marry the guy and then get mad when you can’t have an affair with him. You should’ve fucking married him! Why is this so hard for people to understand!? She’s spoiled! Cathy’s just fucking spoiled!

Maybe it’s the autism but this is why I fucking hate dramas. Nobody communicates. Nobody is logical. Everyone blows everything out of proportion. God I hate people.

And again, I’m not saying that these characters were written to be characters that you root for, nor am I saying they’re characters you’re supposed to condemn. If anything I would say they’re characters you’re supposed to be drawn into in spite of yourself and get swept up in “THE DRAMA” of it all. Which is fine but honest to God that doesn’t make this book any better than any of the dozens and dozens of other similar stories out there. And whatever the author’s intentions, the way readers throughout the years have sighed and pined over this book and acted like it was such a great example of doomed romance pisses me the fuck off.

It’s not anything special, sorry. It’s about a bunch of horrible people doing horrible things to each other because they’re all petty and selfish, and the only other kind of people who exist are victims and idiotic bystanders. It’s not romantic, Heathcliff and Catherine’s romance is unhealthy obsession that’s more about themselves than about each other, and I fucking hate it.

Character Comparisons - Episode 1: Arack [Feather Knights] vs. Scorpio [Starglass Zodiac]

Well hi! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Fear not, the word train has not stopped, but outside of my art a lot of that progress has been behind the scenes lately. I’ll probably make an update post about that later but for now, I’ve got another discussion topic! :D This is an idea I’ve had kicking around for a while that is similar to my OC Design Talk series, but will focus more on a character’s personality and mannerisms rather than their visual designs and the concepts behind them. Specifically, comparing characters that seem to have similar personality traits, and exploring the differences between them to set them apart. Not that having similar characters (especially across different stories) is a bad thing, but I think this will be an interesting way to explore their nuances and examine what makes them unique, even if they’re given a similar foundation for their traits. Every artist or writer has specific character types and tropes that they gravitate towards, and I’m certainly no exception! From what I’ve seen so far, this is also a good way to delve into details about these characters that I might not have ironed out previously, both inside and outside the context of their original stories. So with that, let’s get started, shall we? :D Strap in, this is a long one!

To start, I’ll point out some of the main similarities between these two that prompted me to do this comparison in the first place. As you can probably tell by the art, both of these characters give off a sort of “edgelord” demeanour, intimidating, distant, and probably not the most agreeable. I would say that Scorpio fits this category a bit more than Arack, but I’ll explain why in a bit. 

Scorpio's more the "silent but deadly" type, either not saying much or having his blades speak for him. When he does speak he does so quietly, but with a sharp directness. There are no “frills” to his language, often giving a response with as few words as possible. Excessive frippery exhausts him, and he’ll likely get more agitated if you are unable to get to the point quick enough. He's a tough person to break the ice with, relying on intimidation to ward off others (and usually succeeds). Those who are committed to getting to know him are aware of the danger, but do not fear it.

Arack has similar trust issues, albeit for different reasons, but he's far more outspoken than Scorpio. His lack of trust manifests more in skepticism and analyzing a person’s motive than anything else. His experience as a travelling merchant makes him privy to any attempts at swindling or deception, and this translates to a skill in bartering as well. He's also not shy about calling out lies or other crap either, he has no time to tolerate that. He has skills in sewing and textile work, so his "designer sensibilities" do come out often. If you're doing something bad (or worse, wearing something bad) he will tell you, and he won't sugar coat it. He will provide suggestions for improvement if he feels you are worthy of it, though it still comes off as very forward usually.

Arack does not, however, pick a fight at any opportunity. In fact he is quite skilled at picking his battles to make up for his lack of physical prowess. He’ll make a quick and unassuming escape where possible if it means avoiding a confrontation or escalating one further than necessary. Unlike Scorpio, who is a highly skilled ninja-like warrior trained in weapon use, Arack relies more on his intelligence to get him out of tough scrapes, and has grown quite weary of physical confrontation in general. I would call both of them quick-witted, but for different reasons. Arack can usually find ways to avoid a conflict altogether, while Scorpio, if anyone actually challenges him, would take the opportunity to show his skill and end the fight quickly. Scorpio will take you down if you cross him, but neither go looking for trouble. Both are quick to analyze those around them, and choose who they associate with with precision and care. Scorpio does this out of necessity, at least in his mind, to avoid repeating past history, while Arack does so more out of preference. I would describe Arack as “prickly”, as his outspoken nature makes him rife with sharp comebacks, and if he doesn’t like you, he is quick to use them. His designer sensibilities give him an additional advantage when assessing someone’s personality, typically based on how they dress and carry themselves. This social profiling is actually how he meets Snowy, who, especially in his costume and armour, doesn’t have much to hide. This in turn makes him a reliable judge of character, and one that becomes very useful when recruiting allies later on. Scorpio does similar profiling, but his skepticism is sometimes unwarranted, or is not always as necessary as he deems it to be. More of a reflex, if anything.

Arack’s visual appearance does lend itself to intimidation like Scorpio, but he doesn't actively use it to ward off others. It usually happens anyway, so he has a “take me or leave me” attitude about it. Scared reactions to his appearance do not phase him, at least not to the point of self-deprecation, but he does cover all of his eyes in some way when acting as a merchant. If nothing else, Arack wants his work to speak for itself, so fewer distractions the better. He is quite tired of it all, especially when it happens so often that it’s not worth mulling over anymore. The reason I would describe Scorpio as more fitting of the “edgelord” category is that he is far more mysterious and brooding. You’d be more likely to find him sitting on a rooftop doing just that, even if he does spend this time scouting for tactical reasons. His ninja-esque appearance corroborates this feeling. Arack has nothing to hide, really. He is what he is, and usually doesn’t bother much with concealing himself or his past. He could tell you his father was a selfish king who was responsible for his son’s transformation and then banished him from the kingdom after it all went wrong, but who has time for that? The one exception is Arack’s desire to reject his royalty in general, which he does so virulently. He primarily does this to avoid special treatment and association with his former kingdom, and will not take the opportunity to “throw his weight around” as a royal instead of a commoner. He is very averse to the power structure presented with royalty, especially when the politics of said power often leaves common folk crushed underfoot. So when he ends up with not one but three wingbearers (i.e. the people with the most royal status in this universe) at his side, he is more than a little annoyed. His response when Snowy meets Dee is quite literally “what, another one?” This view does lend itself to a more charitable side to Arack, however, as his first introduction has him giving some blankets he made to a homeless family, but under sworn secrecy. When Arack is later attacked and accused of stabbing another man in the village, that family comes to his rescue by enlisting Snowy’s help to clear his name. His kindness outshone his intimidating appearance and his past as an exiled royal. Scorpio, meanwhile, spends a great deal of his time either hiding his past from others or actively seeking to change it. He’s a lot more “on guard” than Arack, as his story involves not only looking out for Cassie, but looking out for Ophiuchus’s return. In his mind he cannot let his guard down, for if he does, bad things will happen. Scorpio is a lot more vengeful than Arack for this reason, as most of his motivation derives from ending the fight with Ophiuchus and keeping Cassie safe from him, making him the main connector between the protagonist and antagonist for this story. Thus, he is caught in the middle, and it becomes clear pretty quickly that he does not know how to properly deal with it all, even if he’s good at hiding that fact. From Scorpio’s point of view, Cassie’s arrival on the Astral Plane is very much an example of that repeated history that he has tried so hard to avoid. Namely, her role as the next Starglass. Her birthday falls under Scorpio’s sign, and therefore it is his responsibility to train her. This parallels Scorpio’s past with Ophiuchus, who took him under his wing to help him control his poison abilities. Not only has this been a role reversal for Scorpio, but one that he has almost entirely negative experiences with. Teaching is not his forte to begin with, much less for the saviour of the Astral Plane. Ophiuchus was once a much kinder soul, one that Scorpio trusted, and seeing a similar kindness in Cassie brings up that past more often than he’d like.

The two approach their affectionate sides a bit differently too. Neither are prone to public displays of affection, but still rely primarily on actions speaking louder than words. Arack will not declare his devotion to you or your cause outright, likely taking a nonchalant or “okay let’s get this over with” kind of attitude, but he will be there reliably and repeatedly. If you have earned his trust in this way, you can count on him, no questions asked. This does happen in Feather Knights, when the crux of Dragon Knight’s plan to overthrow the kingdoms is revealed. Among the four in Snowy’s group, he’s the only one who completely backs out of navigating the kingdoms’ politics going forward, knowing full well it would lead to a battle that he wished to have no part of. He soon discovers, however, that even he cannot run from a fight entirely, and the rising tensions amongst the villages bring him to more conflict than ever. A kind of conflict that, by that point, could only be fought by taking up steel. But, he still becomes one of the key players in the fight against Dragon Knight, not through steel but through his resourcefulness, rallying allies under Snowy’s name and providing crucial backup in the final fight. He does, albeit begrudgingly, partake in the fight, but focuses more on support for his group (i.e. Snowy, Dee and Loralei) rather than the army as a whole.

Arack is not one for physical contact. Not to the point of touch aversion necessarily, but a hug or something similar simply wouldn’t do much for him emotionally. He may not object to it, but he likely won’t react to it much either. He’d much rather have the companionship itself instead of the usual displays of platonic love, even if he does genuinely care for someone. Displays of creativity or intelligence are far more likely to get you on his good side, but he’s not one to admit it.

Scorpio, on the other hand, is actually far more accepting of such things, but under VERY rare and specific circumstances. Perhaps like a real scorpion, he’s got a hard outer shell but an inside that’s a bit softer than you might expect a poisonous blade slinger to have. He is far more emotionally volatile compared to Arack, so even if those emotions are largely suppressed, one must break through that hard shell to get to this level of comfort as far as affection or friendship is concerned. He relies on the few people who truly “get” him, so even if he only hugs you once in his life, it’ll be at a time where it really counts. And sometimes, he might need it more than you. So hug him, if you dare.

Arack, generally speaking, has fewer walls to break. He is incredibly world weary, especially for his age, but his contentment with independence still shows through in how he treats relationships. As mentioned earlier, he has a very “take me or leave me” sort of attitude, so he rarely feels the effects of abandonment or betrayal as far as those relationships are concerned, at least not in the same way as Scorpio. I wouldn’t say he’s emotionally detached, but he’s not the “touchy feely” type either.

Scorpio has suffered far more emotional pain, and thus the suppression of his emotions is viewed as a necessity. He may not be “touchy feely” either, but a lot of his reliance on intimidation is to protect himself from others out of a lack of trust, especially with his own anger and aforementioned volatility. Anyone familiar with his history could get under his skin far more easily (see: Ophiuchus), regardless of how stone-faced he is otherwise.

If you reach a high level of trust and affection with Scorpio, he would kill for you should the opportunity arise. He may be able to take a life, but if you get on his good side he’ll protect you with his own. He can be quite the guard dog should you be in any danger, and this is no more evident than with his relationship with Cassie. She and Scutum are the two that are closest to him, but the dynamics they share are quite different. With Scutum being a literal shield, he isn’t phased by much, and the odds of him getting hurt in any permanent way are far less likely compared to Cassie.

Not that Scorpio views her as weaker necessarily, especially after dedicating most of his time to training her, but he still feels she is in more need of protection in general. She’s a lot “softer” than an impenetrable shield after all, emotionally and physically. He worries for her more, even if he does so in secret, and develops an older-brother-to-younger-sister relationship with her. Seeing Cassie in emotional pain would hurt as much as seeing her in physical pain, so despite being far less emotionally expressive, he does try to be more than a guard dog for her, in whatever way he can. He may not talk much, but he can listen. This does cause a bit of friction later on in the story when Cassie’s role as the Starglass begins to intersect even further with Scorpio’s past with Ophiuchus, and in some ways, mimicking it. Despite the level of trust he and Cassie have built up at this point, he is still very opposed to the idea of revealing everything that happened with his former mentor, especially from his side of things. He (and the rest of the signs, for that matter) fears that should she learn of the true power of the Starglass and its past dangers, she will inevitably follow the same path as Ophiuchus, willingly or otherwise. Cassie’s cries for transparency are not unwarranted, given that she has to fulfill her role as the Starglass by the end, but that doesn’t make it easier for Scorpio. In fact, his protection over her causes him to actively procrastinate on reaching “the end” of her role, recognizing the Herculean task placed on a 14-year old’s shoulders. Eventually he runs out of options, and goes into the final fight with a lot of inner conflict, and that all comes to a head when the end inevitably arrives. Overall, I would describe both Arack and Scorpio as characters that began with a similar foundation and past history, but ended up on two ends of the same spectrum as far as “world experience” goes. Their universes have different rules of course, and both have a history that they’d rather forget, but how they deal with it is a stark contrast. Arack has already had most of his learning experiences prior to the events of Feather Knights, so things like his identity, purpose and world view are already present to a point where he is comfortable. He still sharpens his social tactics, gains new allies, and learns to navigate a tense political situation during the events of the story, but he does not possess nearly as much inner conflict. Scorpio, on the other hand, is caught in the middle of learning for the majority of Starglass Zodiac, and his inner conflict has direct consequences throughout. This adds a sense of duality into the dynamic between him and Cassie, as he may be the teacher, but he ends up learning as much from her as she does from him by the end. --------- And there you have it, folks! As I said this kind of post will be one of many in the future, and this stuff will develop over time as these stories progress. I’ll probably make a list of these too so you can navigate the excerpts by character or series. For now, I hope you enjoyed this character exploration, and I’ll see you next time! :D

It’s aggravating to see aunt Lydia get some sort of redemption arc both in the new book (Why, Margaret?!), and possibly in season 4. She should be the last person to get it, as far as I am concerned. She is a real believer, the only one who’s totally devoted to Gilead, 100%. Not even Fred, or other commanders, and certainly not Serena. Yet, people scream bloody murder if there is even a hint of Serena turning to the good side. But they want it for aunt Lydia, fuck’em!

RIGHT?!

Without going into how bad a book The Testaments is (cos, lbr, it isn’t a good novel), I was just SO disappointed that even Atwood went that route. I mean, it was a bit obvious that Miller wanted to soften Lydia and that absolutely atrocious, nonsensical, bullshit S3 episode was proof of that (and what an insult to Ann Dowd tbh. She deserved so much better).

I literally cannot buy any of the “Aunt Lydia isn’t THAT bad! She’s not like Serena! She just a true believer!”

And...???

I don’t see how she’s not worse than Serena? The only thing people seem to think about is 2x10. 

“Well, Aunt Lydia didn’t help Fred pregnancy-rape June!” 

No, she didn’t. That’s right.

She just chained her up in a basement, force fed her, and threatened her with death over and over and over until she completely broke her psychologically and made her into a walking zombie-womb to serve her One True Purpose -- to such a degree that even Serena (Serena! The one who wanted a perfect obedient Handmaid!) is like, “WTF?! This is too much, yo. Where my snarky baby factory at?” 

She beat and maimed other women in front of June as payback because she knew she couldn’t touch her. (Hmm, familiar? Except Serena slapped Rita. Aunt Lydia literally burned Alma’s arm over open flame.)

She took Janine’s EYE for merely talking back(!), and Lilly’s TONGUE, and attempted to get the Handmaid’s to murder Janine themselves. She’s had June’s feet lashed so hard she can’t walk--MULTIPLE TIMES. And those are only the abuses we know about. But, no, she didn’t help any husband rape June, that’s true. 

“UWU LYDIA! She’d never suggest such a thing like Serena did!” 

No, she wouldn’t but not because she cares about JUNE lolololol; she cares about the BABY and it is a terrible idea medically for a healthy birth (which is incidentally why I don’t buy that whole 2x10 episode. Serena’s disgusting and furious but she’s not fucking stupid.) That is all Lydia is concerned about. That is her validation and her raison d’etre; if she doesn’t produce obedient Handmaids that give men healthy babies, she’s failed. And I don’t believe that it’s entirely fear that motivates her. She seems to get a very clear sort of power trip and glee from exercising such brutality on young women. Hence, her attitude and acceptance towards how the system treated Natalie. Babies above all! Fuck women, they’re literally just machines. They are BROOD MARES.

“Aunt Lydia didn’t hold June down to be raped every month!”

No, she didn’t. That’s right.

She just trained 100s or 1000s of girls with brutal torture to lie down and take it. She fully supports the Ceremony. Fully. 100%. Even horrible Serena hates it and VISIBLY is uncomfortable with it (but she’s a selfish, delusional coward with anger & jealousy issues so she abides it).

Absolutely everything else Serena has done, short of writing an anti-feminist book and making speeches pre-Gilead, Aunt Lydia has also done. Randomly beat June? Check. Lock June in a room? Check. Scream at June? Check. Uphold the ideals of Gilead? Check. Aunt Lydia ACTIVELY abused, tortured, maimed, bullied, and straight up murdered numerous women. Not just one or two. How many Handmaids has she “trained”? COUNTLESS. Without a hint of remorse. Sometimes she has a soft spot for Janine, or very occasionally, June, but mostly she seems to just treat them as her troublesome pets. Like cattle--to the point of literally using a cattle prod on disobedient ones. A farmer can care about his cattle but it doesn’t make him not a farmer.

Hell, there’s that episode in S1 where Lydia is beating/electrocuting the shit out of June for talking back and Serena swoops in to stop the assault. (Her motives are shitty, and she snaps back to own horrid self not long after, but still...)

Yeah, considering they’re reworking S4 to be more in line with The Testaments is just... sad. Not that we didn’t see them attempting to woobiefy Lydia in S3 already, but I will guess S4 will see her suddenly and randomly taking Handmaids’ concerns seriously. HOW OOC IS THAT? Like, there’s been NO emotional journey for Lydia. It’s why her behaviour in 3x06 didn’t make sense to me. She goes from savagely assaulting Janine in 3x04 to “Oooh, June! This muzzle is so sad! Alexa, play Despacito!” I didn’t buy ANY of Lydia’s randomly swerving and flaky narrative in S3. I have no problem with her expressing her humanity and the audience seeing reasons to sympathize with her (like 2x08) but it was SO ALL OVER THE PLACE in S3 that I can only shudder and how they’re going to do S4. Especially using The Testaments as a roadmap... like suddenly Lydia is a resistance fighter?

Give me a fucking break.

And I think the problem I have with giving Lydia the so-called “redemption arc” on THT is that...

I don’t care.

Who really does?

Lydia is at best a secondary character who has had zero to little development. She’s literally had one (terrible) background episode that was shitty and full of sexist tropes, that only went to show what a snivelling, vengeful, crazy religious bigot she is--and that’s supposed to set her up for THT Redemption™? Suddenly she’s going to switch sides, just like that? Because White Saviour June has spoken to her? (Again, don’t get me started on the sheer idiocy of June (the woman (directly/indirectly) responsible for multiple women DYING in S3 alone) being touted as some precious saviour of women on Jesus-like levels.) Aunt Lydia is magically going to see the light of her wrongdoing?

PLEASE.

And meanwhile, they had a female character who is also a monster on about the same level--just in a different way, who is arguably a lead character and has had PLENTY of background and development, and even started--a few times--down a path that could slowly and ORGANICALLY lead her to remorse and change, and ultimately something vaguely like a redemption arc... but nope! LMAO. PSYCHE!!! Too easy, I guess? Too predictable? 

Yes, because I watch THT to be shocked by the unpredictable... /sarcasm. C’mon.

Why bother giving Serena ANY sort of development just to do her so dirty like S3 did, and switch it up so she stays repulsive but AUNT LYDIA MAGICALLY and OUT OF NOWHERE suddenly changes all her long-held and incredibly cemented beliefs? Meanwhile we’ve seen Serena wavering in hers THE ENTIRE SERIES. We’ve seen her try to break the system, to fight against it. Weakly, and she’s a sissy, but hey, it’s SOMETHING. More than we ever saw with Lydia.

No, giving Janine a nicer eyepatch after YOU RIPPED HER EYEBALL OUT FOR TALKING BACK is NOT the same as Serena standing up in front of a council of men and reading in order to give all females the chance to read. Giving Janine a piece of cake for not making a scene at a gala is NOT the same as Serena giving “her” baby away to make sure she has a better life outside the hellscape that she knows is Gilead. What Aunt Lydia has done for “her girls” pales completely with what very little Serena has done for both June, Nichole, and women (/herself lol).

It’s like saying Fred deserves redemption because he let the Handmaids have devilled eggs in 3x04. Or gave June a photo of Hannah. (Which incidentally, Atwood wrote Serena giving that to June. So, let’s just keep taking things away from Serena, Miller. Good job.)

I just......

I...

No.

Aunt Lydia deserves a redemption arc as much as Fred Waterford does. But even Fred--yes, even Fred--has more substantial character development to sustain such a story, and a shift in his arc. Well, I should say nobody “deserves” a redemption arc. But rather, it makes SENSE for a particular character to experience one.

Honestly, I just don’t understand the flagrant Serena hate when people like Fred and Lydia exist. I don’t see why it makes more sense and is less offensive for either of those monsters to get this mythical redemption arc over Serena, the second most developed character in the entire series.

“We need a foil for June! We need her to have a villain to fight against!” 

Yes, I agree, dipshit, it’s called Gilead. It’s called female oppression. It’s called the inherent rampant violent misogyny there, and even in “normal” society. It’s the stealing of children. It’s every man in any position of power. It’s religious and ideological extremism. It’s the commodification of women’s bodies as machines for baby-making and male sexual gratification. It’s the Sons of Jacob. It’s international governmental complacency. It’s war.

THERE ARE SO MANY EVIL, VILLAINOUS THINGS IN THT. Serena does personify some of these things, sure. So do ALL the other characters everyone is less upset about getting redemption arcs. But Serena doesn’t need to be the be-all of all these things. She doesn’t have to be the visceral manifestation of all those things forever.

Okay, I just have to stop here cos I can go on forever. 

To me, it’s only makes narrative sense for Serena--and ONLY Serena--to get this highly-prized yet still completely imaginary THT Redemption Arc™. And that’s my controversial opinion lol.

Ghost Towns

Wreck-it Ralph/Ralph Breaks the Internet AU 2010 words Characters: Make-it Mavis (the narrator, who describes Vanellope, Ralph, Turbo, Felix, and implies Maribo, @nijimarii‘s OC) Content warnings: Major character death, cruel words, non-graphic descriptions of violence and mild blood

Premise: Make-it Mavis was sentenced to cabinet arrest in Fix-it Felix Jr. for life after living under disguise in Sugar Rush with Turbo for fifteen years. Too tired and heartbroken for any more villainy, she resigned herself to living out the rest of her days with her cousin in a relatively dormant state. That is, until acts of carelessness in 2018 lead to Sugar Rush being unplugged, and her vengeful outrage reawakens something terrible. She recounts her actions in one final letter to the man she loved and lost.

>Fanfic title is a reference to this song<

22/11/2018

4:53 AM

Hey.

So… it’s been a while since I did one of these, huh. Hope you haven’t found some way to be pissed about that. I like singing to you better, but I don’t know if you could hear me from down here. Not that you could read this letter, either, but… just let me forget I’m talking to myself for a few minutes. I just miss you so damn much. I wish you were here with me -- I’ve never felt so lost and alone in my life.

I’m not sure where to begin explaining where I am and how I got here. It’s so unreal. It’s fantastic and horrifying all at once. It’s like an arcade that goes on forever in all directions, but with thousands upon thousands of games inside it, bunched up in clusters and stacked into massive towers. There are sprites out here, but they’re not sprites. Gamers, but not gamers. We always wondered what the world outside Litwak’s Fun Center must be like, and… I think this is it. I think the very Devs themselves live out here.

I guess that means I made it out. I’ve been dreaming of this since I was plugged in. My lifelong dream… doesn’t feel like a dream right now. Unless it’s some buff-induced trip.

As I write this, I’m nowhere good. They call it the “Dark Web.” It’s dark, it smells, and its cramped. The only colors around are from the “colorful” characters that stalk around down here, and I mean that in the most metaphorical sense. It’s like the arcade’s reject horror game enemies came down here to nest in their own filth. I hate it down here, but I can’t seem to leave. There’s a whole lot of world up there that I don’t feel ready to face.

The thing is… I can never go back to the arcade now.

I did something. I had to do it, but no one back at the arcade would understand that. I’m sure you would have, if you heard why. So I’ll tell you why.

Sugar Rush was unplugged.

Yeah. The remaining cabinet’s wheel broke in half. Litwak pulled the plug right away. Not all the candy citizens made it out. I can barely stand to think about the ones we lost. So many of my performers, all the animals, even that special kid of mine… gone.

All the big racers made it out, at least. I wanted so badly to be with my kids and find a way to make them smile, even just to see them again, but you can imagine why I wasn’t allowed to. Instead, Felix and his wife elected to adopt them. My kids. Our kids. Cramped up in a tiny apartment, no cars, in a game without a track. No way to race. No way to follow their code. Thinking of them going through the same code withdrawal that you did just breaks my heart. They don’t deserve that. They didn’t deserve any of this.

And guess whose fault it was.

Guess who didn’t even CARE.

Six freakin’ years was all it took for the rotten little glitch to decide she was bored of Sugar Rush. After fifteen years of wanting nothing more than to race on its track. She had no freakin’ concept of the gift that kingdom was. No idea what an honor it is to rule over it. You and I worked so hard, risked our freakin’ lives for Sugar Rush, and even after the invasion of 2012 that unmasked me and literally killed you, what does she do? She bitches and moans and whines until that insecure, selfish, nine-foot dumbass of hers game-jumps to literally punch a detour into the ground so Princess President wouldn’t be bummed out.

She had a choice to make, there. She could have realized that as the game’s leader, she had a responsibility to keep it safe, even more than any other racer. She could have finished the race and waited until the arcade closed to go try out Wreck-it’s new track. She could have done the absolute bare minimum to protect the game that she was so lucky to have.

No.

She defied the gamer and drove off course. In-game.

She had our entire world in her hands. My one real home. Everything left in the world that I loved.

And she killed it.

Out of boredom. With no remorse for the lives she ruined, for all the lives that didn’t make it out. All she wanted to do was cry about not being able to race anymore. That alone was motivation for her and her lumbering dumbass friend to run off into the internet on some impossible quest to give her back what she never deserved in the first place.

But… I followed them.

I convinced Surge to let me into the internet if I promised to never come back. Have it be my exile that gave me freedom and gave the arcade safety. It was an easy promise to make. There’s nothing left for me in the arcade. I was locked up in a game I never loved, with sprites who never loved me. I never had any visitors. I had no purpose. I had no… you. My memories and a good view of Sugar Rush were all I had. Even through my rage over what Wreck-it and the glitch had done to you, to me, to our world… the one thing I could hold onto was the fact that Sugar Rush was still standing, and someone was looking after it. That was the only thing keeping me from wringing the little glitch’s neck. Sugar Rush needed her.

With that gone… nothing was stopping me anymore.

So I did what I had to do. I left what remained of my world behind. I came to this insane internet world. I tracked those two down.

I made them pay for what they did.

The fight wasn’t easy. It wasn’t quick and quiet like it was with King Candy. It was an ugly mess. There was screaming, there was crying, there were short chases, there were chunks of metal and building parts hurled at me. But in the end, I won. I had them both trapped under my thumb, so much that I could have slit both their throats and went on my way. But they didn't deserve that. They deserved so much worse, and in their last moments, I made sure they knew why. While she was still alive to hear it, someone had to hold Von Schweetz accountable for what she'd done. Just once.

And Wreck-it… back in 2012, he tore my whole life away from me. He killed the man I'd loved for thirty years. He gave my home to a child who could not care for it, then came back to help her destroy it.

In my head, I'd already sentenced him to death six years ago. But for him, I could think of no punishment more fitting than to kill her first.

Like we should have done twenty years ago.

So, here I am now… finally free of their poison. I'm sitting alone in a dark alley, splattered with blood, processing it all. It’s barely been a few hours since I did it. I can only tell because most of the little “sites” down here have clocks… otherwise, it feels like time’s stood still. Like reality’s just taking too long to load. It’s not that I’m freaked out by what I’ve done. Not at all. I expected to feel something, but… I kinda don't. I’d known Wreck-it my whole life. We were coworkers. We used to go for drinks at Tapper's and rag on Gene together. But as I carved into him, felt the spray of his blood, watched the life leave his eyes… he was a stranger to me. I felt nothing. I felt like I was finally taking care of a chore that had been on my to-do list for too long. I’m not sure what that says about me, but I don’t really care. Good or bad isn't real anymore. They deserved to die, and I killed them. I'm not sorry for that.

I’m not sure why I’m hiding down here. There’s no way anyone could find me in the internet, even if I was implicated, which I won’t be. I killed them in a pretty badass-looking racing game, and their bodies glitched away. There was only one witness -- some weird little sprite that I convinced to help me find them. I kinda liked her, so I didn't kill her. But she won’t be telling anyone anytime soon. I made sure of that.

Maybe the sprites back at Litwak’s will make assumptions when Wreck-it and Von Schweetz don’t come back, since it’s no secret that I’ve hated them for years. Maybe. Fix-it Felix Jr. will be unplugged for sure, and I think that's my one regret. Felix doesn't deserve to lose his game. He's the last living sprite who still loves me… but the whole world loves him. He'll be okay. He’s got his wife, the Nicelanders, and the entire arcade to support him. I just hope he looks after the kids. I miss those sweet little monsters.

Sugar Rush will be wheeled away out the door and out of existence. And as far as the arcade’s concerned, I’ll be going with it. I feel like that's only fitting. That was the world I truly belonged in. If my world is leaving the arcade forever, then… I am too. Just like I always dreamed.

It's just that I always pictured you coming with me. The fact that you're not here right now feels so wrong, it hurts.

I don’t know where I’m gonna go or what I’m gonna do after this. Right now, all I can think about is you. Because I found the weirdest thing down here. The site just across the way… is called “Turbo Torrent.” And I don’t know why or how, but… their sign has a picture of your face. I guess some people outside the arcade really do still remember you. I hope you know that, wherever you are. You gotta know that you're remembered. I wonder if they remember what you did. Some of them must have told their friends what happened to Roadblasters, right? I'll probably never know why, but that’s definitely your face… and that’s what inspired me to write to you again. Even in this grimey, dank place, I feel weirdly close to you in the light of that sign. Like I was supposed to come here.

Maybe that’s why I’m having trouble leaving.

Wherever I end up going, I’ll be thinking of you. It’s gonna be an adventure for me, but those were always better with you. I think we could have done well in the internet. Never a dull moment, hardly any walls to hold us back. I’m sure you would have found a way to be the center of attention, even in a place that goes on forever. I miss the way you’d bring a room to life when you entered it. I miss everything about you, even the annoying parts.

I guess what I’m saying is, I’m leaving everything I knew about the world behind, but in whatever way I can, I’m taking you with me. I promised I’d never forget you, and I meant it. So if any part of you really is still with me, get ready for a whole new life we never expected. I'm going to wander this world until I finally burn out. I don't know what's out there, but I know deep in my heart that nothing will ever be the same again. No more Easter Egg. No more yanks from a joystick. No more shouting, “We Can Make It!” And that’s all well and good, because we didn’t, in the end.

But I will.

I miss you, sugar. I’ll love you ‘til my last conscious thought.

Pinky promise.

-- Cherry Bomb

                                  ABOUT THE CHARACTER.

★ ━  ( candice patton,   cis-female,   she/her )  ━ ★   just to be clear, ya didn’t get this information from me.   The person you’re lookin’ for is     EVELYN LUCIA MASTERS.   also known as     EEVEE.    Last I heard she was born on   APRIL 7TH, 1988    in    SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS,   but she’s been livin’ in   RICHMOND,    for about    EIGHT MONTHS.    Word around the districts is, this doll,    EEVEE   can be    VENGEFUL,   SELF-RIGHTEOUS,   &    A KNOW-IT-ALL,   but i gotta tell, ya, alls I seen is good things, like the fact that she’s   RESILIENT,   CHARISMATIC,    &     ENERGETIC.   I guess that depends on how well ya know ‘em, though.   the last thing ya need to know is that she works as an   A-LIST ACTRESS & is a CO-OWNER OF EXCALIBUR COMICS.  I don’t know much about what that’s all about but I do know that’s all I can tell ya the rest you gotta find out on ya, own.    ━     ( ooc:  maddie,   pst,   28,   she/her )

                            BIOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING…

growing up she was exposed to;

By nature, Evelyn’s parents were selfish, career-obsessed people. If ever two people should not have had kids it was them, but unfortunately, they did. Their children were raised mostly by nannies that came and went and occasionally her grandfather would step in and help when he could. He, a lot of the time, besides her siblings, felt like the only one who truly loved her unconditionally and put her feelings first.

Truthfully, Evelyn has no memory of her mother ever holding her, hugging her, kissing her, making sure she was okay or even just telling her that she loves her, unless there was either a camera in her face, her grandfather was around, or she needed something from her. Miranda’s love was conditional. If Eevee wasn’t succeeding or being successful she didn’t receive it or any of the attention she deserved as a child. No, from the moment she was born she had to earn it. Like it was some sort of reward for being beneficial and her entire childhood Eevee tried. She tried so hard to earn that love. She went to every singing lesson, every dance lesson. Competed in pageant after pageant. Went to every audition without complaint. She succeeded and thrived and did everything she was asked to do for crumbs and morsels of affection from the woman who was supposed to love her and was never good enough.

Joseph on the other hand was a different story. He loved all of his kids. Took care of them financially made sure they would want for nothing. Made sure they knew he loved them, but he was never around. There was always some movie, or some project or anything that had to do with career came first. A memory that sticks with Eevee to this day is a distinct memory of her 7th birthday her dad promised to take her and her sister to Disneyland. He promised he would be there. The day came and they were so excited today was the day. Miranda thinking her at this point in time ex-husband was going to have their kids left for a spa trip. Their grandfather took their brothers for the day cause Joseph had promised. But, they waited and waited and the girls spent the entire day alone in the house by themselves, forgotten and lonely and only with each other to celebrate and you’d think that would be the messed up part but no. Their dad hadn’t forgotten he just got the date wrong. The next morning he showed up with cupcakes and presents and wished them a happy birthday and asked them if they were ready for Disneyland and instead of telling him, he was wrong that it was yesterday and not today Eevee and Guinevere didn’t correct him and pretended it was their birthday and went to Disneyland. It would have been a great day if halfway through the day their father wouldn’t have gotten a call and he wouldn’t have left them to spend the rest of the day at Disneyland with their driver.

That was the first time Eevee ever experienced true heartbreak because it made her realize her dad would try and make promises and then always without fail, disappoint her. So outside of days with her Grandfather, her older brothers, her twin sister, and eventually her little brother, growing up for Eevee was work-filled and lonely.

where her passions reside;

For a woman who spent most of her childhood with this idea that you have to earn someone’s love, she’s passionate about freely giving love away to people and being openly loving toward her siblings and her friends. She'd do anything to protect anyone that she cares about. She’d do anything to protect anyone who was being hurt or harmed in any way. She’s passionate about her platform as a Black woman and standing up and advocating for Black people and the little Black girls who look up to her, who watch her shows and see her in roles and in spaces usually reserved for white people. She advocated for Black makeup artists, black hairstylist, Black producers, Black writers. Just  Black people to fill spaces because it’s not enough to have Black actors and Actresses you need people behind the scenes who look like them and can relate to the struggle. She’s passionate about doing the right thing when it matters for people who matter to her. She’s also passionate about her place in the LGBTQ+ community and she uses her platform to constantly speak up for them. It is a human right to be who you are. It is a human right to be proud of who you are. It is a human right to be treated with decency regardless of your sexual preference or lack of sexual preference or how you identify and know who you are regardless of the bullshit that is the gender construct. She’s passionate about therapy and seeking help for mental health issues. As someone who has been through boundless trauma, she’s so thankful for therapy, for treatment, and advocates hard that mental health treatment is a human right that everyone needs. When she was 19 she, started her own charity, outreach program, and opened youth hostels that finance and help struggling youth in the LGBTQ+ community by providing them with shelter, food, and treatment for health issues both mental and physical. She’s passionate about Comic Book characters and cartoons and sy-fy. She’s passionate about musical theater. She’s passionate about her career. She’s passionate about so many things. Passion runs through her veins like a fireball.