did i ever tell y’all about my little cousin who i’m very patiently waiting for her to turn 12 or 13 so i can get her to read city of bones as a long term comedic revenge plot against her father

Colin's build isn't as flashy as some of the others in the party, but he does have one that is interesting to me in terms of mechanical character. Just to take stock what he's working with first:

16 (+3) Constitution, highest in the party. Mathematically, i.e. on paper since we don't know actual hit points at this time, he easily paces with Delissandro on hit points.

16 (+3) Strength and 17 (+3) Dexterity, second highest in the party. His longsword uses Strength, and his dagger uses Dexterity (because it's higher).

15 (+2) Intelligence, second highest in the party as Karna, Raphaniel, and Amangeaux all tie for first with 16 (+3).

AC 17, second highest in the party. Very respectable AC for this level.

Rogue 2. Because rogue is listed first on his card, I presume he is a base rogue; this is notable because it grants him four starting skills (as opposed to two plus one from a rogue multiclass) and proficiency in Dexterity saves. He has Expertise in Insight, as he made a check that was natural 4 but 11 total. Rogue 2 also means Cunning Action.

Fighter 3. Fighting Style (which could be interesting depending on what his choice is), Second Wind, and one use of Action Surge.

Battle Master. He knows three maneuvers.

Feat: Mobile. Brings his speed up to 40 feet, and difficult terrain does not reduce it while he is dashing. Combined with Cunning Action, he can run 120 feet with a double dash: greater than the next fastest Amangeaux (30 base, 90 at double dash) and twice the speed of the rest the party at their greatest full dash (assuming no items modifying speed are in the mix). Mobile also allows him to neutralize attacks of opportunity: someone he makes a melee attack against, hit or miss, they cannot make an attack of opportunity against him for the rest of the turn.

Colin has a very physical stats forward build, in that Colin's best stats are all physical and all are at least +3, moreso than even Delissandro who has a higher Charisma than Constitution and Dexterity. (You can check all the stat cards from the first episode here.) The combination of Cunning Action and Mobile makes him incredibly difficult to pin down or corner and moves very fast with an ability to close on a target. A respectable AC and proficiency in Dexterity saves also makes him pretty dodgy at this level, and a good Constitution makes him hardy; he is a tank.

I find his build very interesting because it tells a story of someone who is very comfortable on the battlefield and is used to combat scenarios. It corroborates what he tells Delissandro ("Any other battle advice or anything you want from me, 'cause that's kinda my gear.") and is in line with him planning combat strategies when anxious or uncomfortable. An individual player can always take or leave the flavor of a subclass, but the narrative of the Battle Master leans heavily on someone who has been trained in military arts or has learned very well through experience in the field.

Base rogue with the Mobile feat very much tells a story. His respectable Intelligence paired with Battle Master does too. Altogether, his mechanics communicate to me that he is well suited to his job as a sellsword, and he is one of skill and experience.

A lot of this can also be augmented by class choices, particularly Maneuver Choices. I won't speculate too much on choices because there's so many good ones, but Evasive Footwork, Ambush, Bait and Switch, Disarming Attack, Riposte, Quick Toss would add to this sense of someone who is difficult to pin down, moves easily through combat, and has a good grasp of the rhythm of battle.

Colin's entire set of mechanics together give me personally a sense of someone who is very much a survivor and of someone who knows how to move through combat, both in the intellectual skill to calculate and the physical skill to execute.

Look, I personally lose nothing if Lokius doesn’t become explicit canon. And if that were to become the case, I’d also have no regrets for saying for years that that would happen in the show by the end ¯_(ツ)_/¯

I’ve said it before, but by now it would be Disney/Marvel’s loss, NOT mine. Whoever wasted or limited the potential would be the idiot, not me.

I’m simply never gonna feel crazy for noticing what’s happening in a story or silly for daring to hope it’ll be brought to fully satisfying narrative completion. That's just a me thing. Maybe this is because at heart I’m stubborn! But I’d like to think I’m not unreasonable. I can’t control whether writing stays consistent or censorship is overcome... But I just do my best to construct solid arguments, and as long as those arguments remain solid, I stand by them :)

I know not everyone would say the same, or they consider this to be "hope" or "optimism," but I see it as logic based in noticing what the text of a show/story is doing. And personally I also consider blatantly evident subtext to be "canon enough," so if we get my personal minimum, my happiness may still outweigh any potential disappointment for me.

However. Here's what I've come here to say today, in reaction to things I've seen floating around in the fandom:

While I do understand on some level why people worry that Lokius won’t be more explicitly canonically romantic because it could be censored by Disney.... At this point, I don’t understand how people can think Loki/Sylvie will still happen.

As of right now, there’s no way to argue for that in my opinion. (I'd like to see someone try.)

The show has set up a fun but very simple situation from basically the start:

They made romantic love a point of relevance in the show’s story. More specifically, they pointed out Loki's desire for a "real" romantic love, and had him learn the lesson that he doesn't deserve to be alone. They didn't HAVE to do all of those things and tie them together. They CHOSE to make romantic love relevant – and they have actively continued to choose to do that, to the point of including a mirrored dark love triangle in s2 ep3. That narrative thread simply has to be fulfilled.

So if they deliberately established that Loki wants and needs a “real” love, and his relationship with Sylvie was referred to as "fiction" so she cannot be a real love for him.... Who does it have to be?

Obviously it has to be Mobius. And of course, the whole show points to Lokius also, for countless more reasons than just this simple breakdown. But pointing this element out is the simplest argument one can make.

So either...

1. They take Lokius to full narrative completion with explicit canon, as they should and as I expect them to,

or

2. Loki's desire for a real love is left unfulfilled, open-ended, and/or made clear through subtext that it's Mobius.

Those are the options, if you ask me!

This is aside from how Lokius’ love story is now even at the core of the show’s themes and plot, which is an insanely strong vote in favor for their future canonicity.

But for the purposes of this post, I’m talking about whether we'll get explicit romance specifically, like a love confession or a kiss – and I do actually genuinely think we'll get both of those things. I'm not trying to force you to agree with me, but just to be clear, that's where I'm at with it and have been since 2021 lol.

So in regards to worrying about Loki/Sylvie...

They were never really a romance (yes, even in season 1) and they sure as hell aren't now. I can’t imagine they'll become one even IF Lokius is left subtextual.

So what actually remains to be seen is if the writers got to go all the way with Lokius, or if that central queer love story was censored on some level in the end.

My hot take is no one should be ~worrying~ about Sylki at this stage of the game. Free yourselves, people.

If the story starts abruptly going in a Sylki direction, even with only 3 episodes left, I will certainly be the first to say so lol. But I simply sincerely, truly doubt that'll happen.

(Hot take in the footer: this is not the post to get into this at length, but in case this comes up… In this house we do not use the word "queerbaiting." It is a useless, nearly-meaningless, insufferable term that devalues the legitimacy of subtext and queercoding more often than not; it's rooted in the idea that media must hit arbitrary and inconsistent checklists often set with cishet approval in mind; and it perpetuates a focus on the false and harmful myth that many creators are "cowards" instead of leaving room for nuance and the fact that industry censorship still exists.)

Honestly still can't get over how you go into such well in-depth and coherent narrative deep dives! They're always such a joy to read ✨❤️ (I swear if I had your grasp of articulation I'd finally get around to polishing my note doc about Tang Sanzang/JTTW and how it relates to Starr Sanzang being the prime Summer Maiden candidate fsdf.).

ANYWAY. I just wanted to say that I didn't put two-and-two together about Alyx and Little being possibly connected until I read it in passing during one of your posts. Like after reading it, I stared at the ceiling for a few minutes as I wrapped my brain around it fsdf

It makes sense omg! Like of course Little could be Alyx in a new form!!! Alyx=Alice Liddell=Little!

I always thought that maybe Alyx was reincarnated into Juniper, because of the rabbit pin she wore + her hair tie, etc., yada yada.

And like yeah, sure Juniper is Jaune's companion, but:

-Little is implied to be a new/or a new version of an Ever Afteran since they have no purpose or even a name.

-They're scared if cats (I mean yes, they're a mouse, but Alyx was also killed by the Curious Cat, so ✨past life trauma ahoy!✨)

-They're also drawn to Ruby, who goes on a similar narrative journey to Alyx in the Ever After, while also acting as a guide for Ruby

-Which in by helping Ruby/guiding her, is in turn able to fulfil Alyx's desire of 'fixing everything she broke' (i.e. by being by Ruby's side until their 'death', they inadvertently lead Jaune to the Ever After Tree=allowing him to meet the Blacksmith, and then go home to Remnant.)

GAH! THAT THEORY MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. So, uh, apologies for the mini tangent, but just wanted to thank you for this unintentioned big brained moment! Now I'm gonna see V9 with a new perspective on my next rewatch! 🥰✨❤️

<3

there’s also this moment:

where the facsimile of penny’s sword manifested from ruby’s grief transforms into alyx’s dagger when little wakes up, and then as she lifts it up and tilts it toward little, the reflection of alyx’s face appears. it’s little’s reflection, just as the reflections of penny and summer are really reflections of ruby—her grief, her insecurities, manifesting as images of her fallen friend and her missing mother because she can’t recognize herself.

and then:

alyx lied -> little is a child playing pretend (“i’ll be your trusty guide!”)

alyx tricked the peddler -> little steals the jade mannequin for ruby

alyx cheated at the red king’s game -> little helps ruby play the prince’s game

the cat, on alyx’s book: “yes. oh, please! i simply must know more. what did she write about? how was i portrayed? and… do i smell a mouse?” <- the cat knows alyx didn’t write that book because they know they killed her and she ascended. the heart, as they say, very rarely forgets. thinking about alyx and lewis brings little to their attention—their heart knows who little used to be!

alyx broke her promise to the cat, and the cat killed her -> the cat betrays ruby in turn, and little bites them and goes you’re not a friend.

alyx wanted to go home no matter what -> little wants to help ruby get home no matter what

alyx acted selfishly but her dying wish was to help put things right -> little is a selfless but very helpless child who dies trying their best to help ruby -> they become somewhat, who is both selfless and able to take action to help others

alyx’s rabbit pin and narrative role as the white rabbit -> somewhat adopts juniper as their steed

also. the narrative makes a point of emphasizing that ruby didn’t see little in the tree, although we do see the blacksmith making their new face. but jaune does see alyx during the same time.

Episode One: No Man's Land

He's so fluffy. <3

Man, the fact that Vash ran out to greet all those people by name and he's not even a minute into it when the ships begin to explode is really everything about him you need to know. The first time we see his face and it's after he's been thrown off his feet as cascading destruction is unleashed around him. The face that crashed a thousand ships? Vash of Troy? My poor sweet boy.

Young children can sometimes have trouble with cause and effect, assuming events relate more to their own actions than they really do and blaming themselves. So Vash asking Rem if the sleepers will be okay... There's simply no time to explain he isn't responsible. All the dominos are being set up in Vash's little head. Nai is the one to knock them down.

And then Rem and Nai wearing identical expressions. It's not surprising that even after her death she's his most enduring ideological opponent. Every time I watch it's just more obvious how enormous the effect she had on Nai was, and how he hates it. (By the way, I keep hearing that Rem told Nai to protect Vash - but as far as I can tell that's a conclusion Nai came to on his own without Rem's intervention? Rem said she'd protect the twins herself and didn't anticipate the crash. Did I miss something?)

I've talked extensively about this part, but to recap: feelings. And look, Rem's got purple eyes! Apart from the colour motif (purple = red + blue, so it represents the unity of humanity and the Plants that was her dream) she would have had to get gene-modded for them, which is a fun detail. Rem, of all people, was a little bit vain. I dunno, I find that endearing.

"Real people don't look like that./Real people aren't such caricatures." More of Orange's composition choices making me foam at the mouth.

We don't know how long Vash has been dangling there, but I doubt it was less time than it would take for a human to die of deprivation or exposure. I really don't think Vash actually needs to eat or drink, nor does he hate being a Plant - it's himself that he hates, as a person. If anything Knives is the one in denial that he's just as human? I don't know.

Anyway personally I like to think that the reporters really are caught up in all this nonsense by sheer happenstance. No one's pulling their strings; they're out to write a meaningless gossip piece and Meryl is taking it too seriously. It's worth noting that focused pursuit of the "dangerous fugitive" (read: Vash) is apparently pretty recent, not to mention unusual.

...I'm guessing my girl doesn't play a lot of poker. Meryl's faces. <3

I've said it before, but the show doesn't cheat. Roberto doesn't pull his conclusions out of his ass; he tallies up incongruities and puts them together into insights. He's obviously experienced, but I think of Sam Vimes, a recovering alcoholic, complaining there aren't meetings you can attend for being a suspicious bastard. Roberto drinks because, too often, his suspicions have been proven right. (I suspect Roberto also suffers from a state of being naturally knurd i.e. he's short of sobriety in the opposite direction to being drunk, and has to down a few before he's on par with the rest of us. But I also think his tolerance is good and he plays up drunken mannerisms when it suits him.)

Huh, the man looks good in a tie. I wonder how recent that photo is.

Anyway, Roberto sees Vash's big honkin' gun, but Vash insists he's "not a fighter". He notes aloud that Vash doesn't look like a Plant engineer and Vash dodges explaining. Then he sees this face Vash is making, and it's scared. He's sweating. This is before the MPs barge in, so it's something about the Plant he's afraid of.

Right, thinks Roberto, we'll tuck that nugget of info away, along with how that piece in his holster sure ain't no damn novelty backscratcher. And when an opportunity arises to test the insight, Roberto takes it.

Uh, never mind what I said about cheating. (Although this is an animation cheat, not a narrative one.) I love that they didn't even pretend like he was maybe hiding it somewhere. Also hilarious, though more darkly so, is the complaint that this turn is "bad writing" because the captain was professional, as if he didn't beat the shit out of a suspect in the process of surrendering, stick his gun in random faces, and agree to a duel with deadly weapons against a bounty head he's meant to bring in alive because some random drunk asshole made slightly mean comments.

("Are you are a man, or a yellow-bellied baby who needs his mommy?" Background info implies the captain has reason to be sensitive about the accusation he's hiding behind his parents. I wonder if the dub writers knew?)

Meanwhile Vash is unwilling to fight until his opponent does something absolutely batshit that imperils everyone around him. He's also bizarrely calm about a cluster of missiles being launched and heading right for him. Roberto's right that he isn't afraid of the MPs.

"A fight should be a show!/We've got an audience, we might as well give them a show!" <- Orange says you're goddamn right about that, crazy captain dude. And it's exactly what they did.

Dweeb. <3 He probably left his ammo behind in his bag on purpose, but didn't expect the captain to do something so recklessly violent and suddenly realised he hasn't had time to restock any of his aces in the hole. Nevertheless, I suspect he's still playing up how hard he's freaking out here. The helpless and pathetic act is very much an act; it's only when he's faced with Knives that it isn't.

It's so sweet that Rosa knows him well enough to have faith he'd pull it off with a single bullet. She put a lot of trust in him. I like to think she kept a stock on hand. She also meant it when she said "a friend of Vash's is a friend of mine," so Meryl makes the throw. And she makes it good. Which all helps what's coming to be more devastating, naturally.

LOL at how clearly this is an animation/particle flex, but it's celebratory too, like fireworks on opening night. Over a decade since Vash did his thing on our screens. Here he is returning with a bang!

Wow, I somehow completely and utterly failed to realise Meryl and Roberto's conversation with Vash about Knives takes place the next day until this time around. Of course they would have had to wait until the captain was conscious enough to ride out of town. All the details I pick up and "the sun is setting" or maybe "unconscious people can't ride birds" missed me entirely. What I'm saying is that I'm very smart.

Hi Zazie!

I don't expect an answer to this question, but I have to wonder. Did Zazie wait to report to Knives until now to be absolutely certain it was Vash after seeing him draw that exact gun and do something impossible? Or does Zazie have some awareness of the fourth wall, knew when they'd cut away to show Knives, and acted so as to achieve a "speak of the devil" effect when Vash finally mentioned his full name?

Regardless, I really like the dub, but it's a shame they couldn't keep the ambiguity of whether Knives is talking about Vash or the red Plant when he says he'll rescue [someone] from the "parasites".

I do like the impression he's talking to the Plant husks (even if it's probably really Zazie he's talking to). My man's always open to constructive criticism when his interlocuter isn't capable of making any.

@tristampparty

early in the morning, especially when it rains, and a little before noon. (3)

erwin x fem!reader

chapters: (1) | (2) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) | (12) | (13) | (14) | (15) | (16) | (17) | (18) | (19) | (20) | (21) | (22) | (23) | (24) | (25) | (26)

summary: I basically took Isayama’s work, forced it into a romance story, and made Erwin the love interest. Commander meets cadet and they fall in love (not instantly though)

notes: very berry canonverse (but some events were modified to fit my narrative), wasn’t intended to be this long, but it all is in the details right?

content warnings: smut where it fits (or where I make it fit. Also, reader is NOT underage, so likewise, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, please.) slow burn (I really mean it. I’m not olympic diving into any form of smut for the first chapters). no angst. I dislike angst. I would never. I could never. (Although angst can be somewhat subjective so take it with a grain of salt?)

wc: 2k

“Your academic performance was impeccable, indeed” your superior concluded after reviewing your profile for the second time “Your previous instructors all have good things to say about your abilities to manage tasks. Let’s see… aha… it says… displayed talent for organization, scheduling, prioritizing…” the man repeated as he skimmed over the piece of paper he held on the morning the new recruits were being assigned to their respective tasks. “Soldier, it’s been decided that you will work directly with the commander. He always has his hands full, so he could use the extra help. Think of yourself as an assistant. You start tomorrow.”

-

“Please take a seat” Erwin Smith stood up and offered you a warm smile that contrasted with the glacial hues present in his irises.

Hair, well-groomed. Clothes, well-ironed. Beard, clean-shaven. Oh, and a bolo tie to bring it all together. Yes, he just so happened to look exactly like the last person you would want to disappoint. It looked as if his presence alone would be enough to make incompetence and ineptitude offer to show themselves out. And as sudden as it had come, your previous optimism had started to dissolve. Your brain, however, had started to ask questions. What if I can’t d-

“Now, I would like to apologize in advance for how boring and repetitive your days are about to get. I assume you had slightly more exciting prospects in mind when you decided to join us.”

No, sir. Boring and repetitive are a far better prospect than what I had in mind. You replied in your head, trying your best to pay no mind to the sensation of inadequacy that you could already feel taking over you. What if the expectations he-

“I would also like to apologize for the fact that you happened to arrive in one of my busiest days. This, although unfortunate, was completely coincidental. I promise.” He tried to reassure you, a gentle smile never leaving his lips. And you found it rather comforting, so you smiled back.

“Today, some of the squad leaders will be joining us to discuss next month’s expedition beyond the walls. We’ll be meeting them soon in the room next door.”

As he filled you in on details about both the meeting and your new job, you found yourself growing a little more comfortable in your chair. You noticed that, despite his towering height, in the daylight your new boss looked far less intimidating than you remembered he did a couple nights ago.

“Oh, and I almost forgot to mention” he said while heading towards the door “unless I’m in a meeting, you don’t need to announce yourself before coming in. You first.” He added, making way for you.

“Yes, sir.” you replied, feeling a little lighter than before.

-

“The support teams will only accompany us to the old city area”

While the commander spoke, you scanned the people in the room. The short man to his right could be none other than the legendary Captain Levi himself. And he was certainly special, not necessarily because they called him ‘humanity’s strongest’, but because he was the only person you had never heard people in the capital bitching about. To his left was a short woman with strawberry blonde hair who had come with him and Captain Zoë, whom you already knew from that one lecture about titan physiology she had given your class a few years prior. And beside you was a man who hadn’t stopped sniffing you since you came in, and you wondered if you had done a poor job of showering that morning.

“Once we’re past that, it’s completely titan territory. And once we’re past here” the commander said pointing at a mark done in red ink “we’ll go into long-range scouting formation”

The Long-Range Scouting Formation, from the little information you had gathered so far, was a strategy devised by the commander himself.

“The vanguard is to spread out in a semi-circle, but staying within visual range from one another” he explained as he pointed to the intricate and rather messy schema of dotted lines and geometrical shapes that had been laid in the table before them. Each geometrical shape had numbers and letters scribbled on them: the peripheral relay, the center command, the center on standby, center communication. This jargon was all too familiar to you from military science class. But one thing was to design questionable battle plans that you knew would end up crumpled up in the dustbin anyways, and another entirely different thing was to actually come face to face with a strategy devised by an expert like Erwin Smith. One, who had so many lives depending on the efficacy of his plan. And it was definitely so much more interesting here than it ever was back in the classroom.

“Hange, how are things with Eren Yeager coming along?” once he was done reviewing the formation, he turned to Captain Zoë.

“Eren is still unable to transform at will, so we’re mainly focusing our efforts on identifying possible triggers” there was a glow in her eyes as she spoke, one that evidenced that she had been waiting all morning for the commander to ask that question. “I have reasons to suspect that in order to transform he needs a clear purpose, but more testing is required” her boss looked pensive, but gave her a nod of approval “In the meantime” she cleared her throat before continuing, and it looked as if she was getting ready to make a big reveal of some sort “the experiments have been providing lots of new information about titan anatomy. You see, the hypothesis I was working under before was that quadrupedal ti-”

“Yesterday he transformed during lunch while trying to pick up a spoon. But luckily no one was hurt” Captain Levi interrupted in a flat voice that contrasted Captain Zoë’s excited tone.

The commander quickly turned his head to the short man, concern gradually taking over his features. He seemed to study the situation for a moment and then said calmly:

“I see. Report to me any new developments. Everyone is doing a great job. Today, we’re one step closer to the truth than yesterday”

When you turned your attention to the others in the room, you only saw trust and reliance in their eyes. They clearly found something reassuring in their leader. And you believed you knew why. He struck you as the type of person to whom no mistake would ever be grave enough. And you didn’t know why, but in that moment, your imagination started to provide you with mental images of yourself getting swallowed whole by a titan, and the commander calmly suggesting to ‘just be careful next time.’ And although terrifying, something about that made you chuckle to yourself.

-

On your second day as the commander’s assistant, you opened the door to his office to find a giant map spread out on his desk, and next to it, the candle you had personally replaced at the end of your shift the night before, now almost totally spent.

You eyed the map. It was your first time seeing such a comprehensive representation of the territory beyond the walls. It looked rather overwhelming and, truth be told, chaotic. There were several words scribbled all over, intricate lines either tangled with each other or connecting areas marked by symbols that you couldn’t understand at first, but that made sense once your eyes found the small black notebook that was lying beside the paper. It was opened in a page that contained the map legend, written in hasty cursive. And suddenly it occurred to you that the notebook looked like the kind one would use to record one’s personal business, so you quickly turned your attention elsewhere.

Taking advantage of the commander’s absence, you scanned his office. He was an avid reader, there was no doubt, as told by the countless books that decorated the walls. Also, there was an antique looking chessboard situated by the fireplace, and not too far, on a crystal table, a phonograph. You had only seen a few of those before. They were quite rare, even for the wealthy folk in Mitras.

Then, when your curiosity seemed satisfied enough, you decided it was time to get to work. So you refilled the inkwell, disposed of the candle, and after placing a bookmark on the texts he had been consulting, you piled them away neatly in a nearby table, unsure if you could yet return them to their respective homes.

Finally, you rolled the large map carefully, only to uncover another giant piece of paper. This one you knew: the formation plans you had seen in the previous day’s meeting. It was full of scribbles and annotations that you were sure weren’t there the day before. And the sight was enough to take you back to the military science classroom. You, sitting at your desk, trying to come up with some lousy strategy that would please your instructor even just a little, just enough so that she would let you go home for the day. How many nights did it take him to complete such a strategy? Moving all the pieces like playing chess, contemplating all the possible scenarios over and over in order to come up with the optimal structure. All this while carrying the weight of humanity’s survival on his shoulders. And suddenly you understood.

You understood that what rumors called insanity was actually called creativity. What they labeled as absurdity was actually intelligence. And recklessness was, most likely, leadership. And in the presence of such skill, you started to feel small. You realized it: this was not just any man you were working for. It wouldn’t take long for someone like him to figure out someone like you. You looked at the plans once again, he was a seasoned military strategist, years of experience under his belt; you eyed the bookshelves that covered the walls, an individual of high intellect; you remembered yesterday’s meeting and the looks on everyone’s eyes, one who everyone trusted. And you, you weren’t even sure you trusted yourse-

“You’re early” a husky voice pulled you out of your rumination. It sounded raspy, as the first words one says in the morning usually do.

“Commander” you immediately assumed an upright position “I thought I’d come early in case you needed me to clear your desk before y-” you tried to explain “if you find it inconvenient, I-”

“Quite the opposite actually. Thank you.” He gave you another one of those gentle smiles of his “Today we’re taking advantage of the weather to test the visibility of the signal flares under heavy rain like this one. So I’ll be on the field. You’re not required to come.”

“Yes, sir.”

You observed him as he stared out the window. And your insecurities almost brought themselves up, but that was before he started to talk about how pleasant the rain was, and you found that you wanted to hear more about that instead.

-

The sun had already begun to set when he returned. As he dismounted his white horse and headed towards the entrance where you stood, you couldn’t help but appreciate how fitting the elegant creature was for his owner. And you wondered if that had been intentional.

“Commander, a letter came from the capital while you were gone. Premier Zachary is requesting updates on Eren Yeager” you trailed behind him as he made his way into the castle.

“Send word to Hange and tell her to provide them with the reports.”

“Already did, sir”

He looked back at you briefly before continuing.

“Good. Also tell her not to be too specific about the silverware incident.”

“Already included a footnote suggesting so, sir”

The commander stopped in his tracks and turned his head to the side, just enough so that he could glance back at you. You had remembered the troubled look on his face when Captain Levi had mentioned the accident during the meeting, so you figured it was something the higher-ups didn’t need to know all the details about. Had that been a mistake?

But then he smiled, seemingly satisfied “Good. Very good.” and your chest swelled with something that felt a lot like pride, as you followed him down the halls that led to his office.

-

next chapter

I never liked the Traitor twist. If I were given a chance to rewrite it, here's how I would've done it.

Instead of a traitor, it would instead be a person with a quirk to travel as a shadow, that would explain how they would be able to get the information for the USJ and the Training Camp. and Izuku could even have a bit of a meetup with them who blackmails him into keeping quiet about who they are or else they'll reveal he's the reason All Might retired.

They're a spy for hire, charging a hefty price to spill/keep secrets to villains. As being in the shadows can help with learning various things about people, no matter how big or small.

And to top it all off... they were previously a student of Aizawa's class that was expelled for "not having enough potential" Thus they couldn't face their family and ran away from home, becoming a villain.

This would show the effects of Aizawa's expulsion and how it's not as clear cut as he thinks it is, that it actually has negative consequences and where his students might end up. This would make Aizawa think twice and realize that his expulsions did more harm than good and now it's come back to hit him with the cold reality.

Hi @theloganator101 👋,

That is an excellent rewrite of the Traitor twist because how Hori wrote it in canon it just doesn't make sense.

1) Yuuga should have been caught way before now. He doesn't have invisibility to conceivably sneak around the way that Toru does. And UA should have security cameras.

2) He is one of the bottom students of the class. An argument could be made that he was hiding some of his skill set but Hori doesn't set that up (unlike that moment in the sports festival when he did for Kaminari) beyond occaisional fourth wall breaks.

3) What even is Aoyama doing as traitor? I've seen @justatalkingface talk about how they would have utilised the traitor plot and it is so scary and narrative breaking how AFO could have used this effectively yet he just didn't... For some reason. (A DFO argument could be made here, yet even if this theory turns out being true, AFO has no reason not to go after All Might, the rest of the staff and students properly.)

4) How is he getting Info to AFO directly without the staff / students with hearing quirks finding out? This just is a plot hole. Perhaps Yuuga didn't call, perhaps he passed on coded messages to his parents, perhaps... Nothing. This is giving Hori too much credit. You can't tell me Nedzu didn't monitor communications of everyone when they were in the dorms via the schools wifi / network. Nedzu should think something is suss especially if a student is talking with their parents in code.

5) The parallels with Izu are perhaps the only positive thing about this. But even that is utilised poorly. Izuku isn't allowed to reflect on his own past once when this Aoyama situation should have opened a lot of old wounds for him. Izuku wasn't allowed to think of the grey area of this situation once he brushed off Mic's concerns that they were all victims here along with Toru and Ojiro's hurt to tell Aoyama "you can still be a hero." While this is nice for Yuuga (since he was a traitor by force) it brushes off everyone elses feelings on the matter. Izuku has become more and more black and white as a character (and in his views) and this starkly highlights it.

Furthermore, your version where a villainous ex-student of Aizawa's with a shadow quirk is the cause of the traitor suspicions is much more interesting and plausible.

It would make more sense for them to be able to sneak around undetected.

It confronts Aizawa with the devastating impact of his teaching without any narrative cushioning.

It encourage Aizawa to grow as a teacher or quit after getting 1A through their first year.

This would tie the class closer together rather than tearing them apart and pitting members against each other (which is why I dislike the Izuku vs 1A fight along with how this Traitor arc was handled.)

It makes Nedzu look like less of a moron in general for the disbelief of Mic suggesting there is a traitor because he wouldn't be able to see any evidence of one in the cameras or student communications.

ik what nomura says but in my mind i break down the kh series/timeline into arcs like this:

arc 1: khχ, χ back cover, khuχ. the age of fairytales and its end

arc 1.5: khml. once the game is actually out i will might be able to sort it into either one or two but for now it’s going in between

arc 2: khdr and bbs. the stories of xehanort and eraqus and the dying legacy of scala ad caelum

arc 2.5: kh1. yeah this one is kind of a stand-alone to me as the first ever game. i know 0.2 is kind of happening at the same time but i’m sorting more by metanarrative focus here and sorry but those three kids and ansem are their own deal

arc 3: com, days, kh2. the story of organization 13 and the existential tragedy of the nobodies and replicas

arc 3.5: coded. i actually do not know a lot about this one (sorry fake fan moment) but i can only assume it’s chronologically between kh2 and ddd? from what i understand instead of furthering a particular narrative it’s sort of a character study stopping point between them. let’s just breathe and analyze the state of things

arc 4: ddd, 0.2, kh3. revival of the organization and master xehanort, tying up plot lines. so you thought you were done with all these villains? you fool. it’s all coming together now. now we will finally wrap it up. maybe

arc 4.5: kh3 re:mind (counting it as its own thing bc i said so), melody of memory. ok NOW we will finally tie things up while also continuing to transition into the next saga!

arc 5: kh4. we do not yet know exactly what’s gonna happen of course but it’s clearly and officially a marked beginning of something new. and also going back to the chronological beginning featuring many characters from arc 1

klee warrior starter kit by meeee :3

ok to understand klee, you have to understand that her relationships are intrinsically linked to the way her character's written. i think a lot of the viewing of her as just a comedic relief character comes from the mistake of viewing her separately from where her character is intended to shine (in tandem w others!) yes, she is very obviously a comedic relief character, but that’s not all there is to her!

there's so so so much intention behind her:

her simplicity klee being simple both reinforces her youth and makes her an even better foil to the complex characters she interacts with because it makes her contrast with them! it also serves as a benchmark for what they were like/what they could have been before whatever situation shaped them. additionally, the way klee's story is right now feels like a set up for a grown up version of her that's more similar to the characters she foils!!! cant you see the version of klee where she does become her own main character where her brother's sacrifice and her mothers love and her guilt over constantly accidentally messing up/hurting others is used as something the expands her motivations for bringing others happiness?

her youth klee’s simple childhood naivety is the whole point of her character that’s why she’s a good foil. the point is that she’s at a point where all of her issues haven’t set in yet because she’s surrounded by so much love. i think it’s kinda obvious how alice not being constantly there is going to influence her. shes not introduced as someone important or someone w a potentially sad story. BUT SHE IS!!!!!!!!!!!! THATS THE PONIT!!!!!! her youth also completes the familial narratives she fulfills as someone representative of second chances (re: her being a foil, mhy's general tendency to treat the youth as a second chance)

her connections w fairy tales her being an elf, her weapon being a spell book, her events often having things to do with fictional stories or plays or books, etc etc. all of these tie back to the hexenzirkel and their literary allusions!! we could also argue her bunny theming fits in w alice as a potential reference to alice in wonderland! also note how the hexenzirkel have a history with venti who's a bard and also heavily associated w fairytales.

narrative:

ARAGGRRAG.. klee's character circles familial themes and love...

family the person she looks up to most is her mother, alice! all of her summer events have had something to do with alice!! she even references her mom w her skin! and in return, alice loves her back so so so fiercly!!!! but for the majority of the time, alice is not home!! this is so so important bc it sows the seeds for her as a foil for characters with familial issues (primarily albedo, kaeya, razor, jean). her youth comes into play here bc it's lets her fulfill this role as someone representative of each of these character's second chances, making it so so so impactful when these characters treat her w so much patience and kindness and love and even moreso when she returns all of those back! there's this one line from the secret summer paradise event where the group is watching as these three quarreling brothers were trying to make klee happy together and kaeya says, "Klee hasn't realized it yet, but her innocent, childlike nature is very powerful. It can inspire and even help heal others." (also note how the first GAA event brought together siblings in mond and how klee makes the KoF her family. re: her character stories) i could also add a whole section on her and albedo alone because oughhh... dear god. she is his little sister! in their first introduction alice, who literally asks albedo to call her mom, tells albedo "We'll be a family from now on, treat her like a real younger sister!" and klee acts as his primary link to mondstadt and humanity, literally drawing him away from his isolated lab and back into the main city because of her habit for making trouble (literally in his charactre stories btw). she thus becomes representative of humanity to him, something important because albedo has already decided that if he ever succumbs to durin's corruption, he would rather die than hurt mondstadt (also note how albedo's character is intertwined with an exploration of life and humanity and family). klee and alice's relationship also acts as a parallel of albedo and rhine's relationship. both alice and rhine being gone and yet so so so important to their children's lives to the point where both their outlooks and personal motivations are spurred by them! even alice's words mirroring albedo's musings on rhine!! ("My wish is simple: I want Klee to grow up with a curious yet kind heart. As long as she so desires, she can do anything and go anywhere." || ""I hope this isn't just wishful thinking, but… when parents speak to their children about 'the meaning of this world'… surely they just mean the pursuit of a happy life?" and In such a long life, parents are but a child's first connection. Even though we don't want to be separated, there will come the day when you must walk your own path." || "Reach the far side of philosophy, and create a new destiny for myself and your brothers…"). klee's relationship with albedo also works as a foil for albedo's relationship with durin! (both being sources of heat from the sheer cold, both being naive and reckless, klee being lucky and durin's remains being cursed, klee connecting albedo to alice while durin connects him to rhine, klee being the reason albedo comes back to mond and albedo's lab literally overlooking durin's remains..) extra section for her and razor :'') riirc this is when traveler first learns of klee. this is important because, again, razor's story heavily deals with family, whether it be his biological parents, his lupical, or his found family in mond. klee fits here because klee is the first person (not wolf!!) that razor calls his lupical (from his character stories).

mondstadti would honestly argue that klee's intangible from mondstadt and plays such a necessary role both bc of her being apart of the hexenzirkel's story through alice, and for the family narratives and how that ties in w venti and/or the traveler! (venti playing a parental role over mond and traveler going through a typical hero's journey where the story will end the same place it all started.) the familial themes in mondstadt are important since its the first nation, and w the hero's journey, the last nation the traveler visits. obv the traveler's story is also about family, making mondstadt's familial themes tying nicely w the traveler's as well.

symbolism! clovers and rabbits being associated w luck, her clovers being made out of four hearts as a reference to the fact that she's brought up on love <- note how theres also a heart on the back of her bag on her skin, her having a long life span fitting in w her birthday falling in summer where the days are longer, summer also being a season heavily associated with youth and playfulness, her celestial imagery (comparisons to the sun and stars) being indicative of her liveliness and capabilities of healing/growth (again, see the kaeya line from above and the sheer cold effect).

her compassion:

dear god she's literally the sweetest little girl in the world. i feel sick i forgot to say how caring klee is do you remember when she offered to give mona snacks in her backpack because she thought she was hungry? do you remember when she apologized to diona bc she thought she was mad at her and diona instantly deflated and told comforted her? do you remember when she busted out kaeya bc she thought he was grounded? do you remember when she got so excited at the thought of lisa making more board games but then reeled herself in because she was worried lisa would get tired? do you remember when she said goodbye to her mom and turned so that dodoco could say goodbye too? do you remember how she literally went home at night during the event because she promised she would :’)))) do you know how genuinely careful she tries to be with her bombs???? do you remember how in her story quest she literally goes straight to jean and tell on herself, even though she hates solitary confinement, because she felt so so guilty over hurting someone? (she literally goes ,"Mr. Fluffball was only a thief. He didn't deserve to blow up.") she left cat food outside under a sun umbrella when it started getting hotter because she was worried about the heat. when asked what she planned to do with her magic she says. actualluy lemme just copy and paste this whole quote:

"Klee... wants to make everyone really happy!" But with these words, the mage suddenly realized the problem with this desire— Those who are unhappy surely have their reasons for being sad. Would a smile forced upon their lips through magic be even more painful and ugly than tears? Fortunately, her little mind worked quickly, and she soon found her answer: Then I'll use my magic to get rid of everyone's troubles! "For example, magic could make everyone never get sick again, and never have to worry about Mora! Everyone could eat fish for every meal, and be healthy, and just happily play all day!" But that didn't seem like enough. Klee rested her cheek in her hand, and looked out over the azure sky and white clouds in the distance: "I want... I want to hear everyone's wishes, and save them, and then use the most amazing and powerful magic, to give everyone the happiness they want the very very most!"

she is so so so kind :''')

her sillyisms:

again she blows a raspberry at us in one of her voicelines, said she'd headbutt fungi, literally goes "what do you mean that's child labor???", thinks she exploded something any time she hears thunder, braids razor's hair, made the traveler a huge dodoco, keeps accidentally calling lisa auntie, she literally found primogems and gave them to us, her bombs are said to be impossibly above teyvat's standards they are literally other worldly, she's canonically solo'd the primo geovishap and gave us its drops, etc!!!!!

[3]

So, the time loop will immediately leave the narrative once we get inside the building.

I have to say Evil Wolverine REALLY is inefficient with his time magic. If one area is frozen in time but another area is in a constantly repeating timeloop for arbitrary reasons with no other obstacles to keep people from accessing it?

Like why BOTHER Evil Wolverine? 

What was the timeloop even for if you could also just freeze time if you wanted? 

The excess of this man!

Though if anything it is another signifier of the suffering he is happy and willing to put people through for literally NO REASON as long as he gets what he wants eventually. These people lived out the same fraction of a day WHO KNOWS how many times, living a cursed existence that wasn't really living, for... no apparent reason! And yet he was thrilled when he saw Lava Lamp do something he percieved as being the same level of ruthlessness that he applies to every other living organism in existence, as if anyone else has any level of choice at all in the matter.

But I DO love Lava Lamp with his hood up! I don’t think we ever saw this in Syaoran's original outfit! And Hoods + Desert is a nice visual callback to Acid Tokyo, which is exactly when the Lava Lamp/Syaoran plotpoint kicked off in the first place, so it’s a nice little note to tie it all together again here at the end. 

Also that last side panel on the left there? Where we see Lava Lamp’s hand, but the shadow it casts is being distorted by the angle of the building? GREAT imagery. They didn’t NEED to do that, but it’s a fantastic way to bring back all the distorted shadow imagery that haunted Syaoran from the very beginning of the manga - an imagery that in itself was hinting at Lava Lamp, his presence in the plot, and how Syaoran was created as an imperfect and twisted version of who Lava Lamp originally was. And NOW it’s a reminder that Syaoran (who WAS imperfect and out of balance, haunting the plot like Lava Lamp did) is still lurking ahead somewhere in the plotline, and we don’t know how that will resolve just yet. 

Bringing it all back together as subtly as possible!

Hi..... if you don't mind, can I ask, your top 10 (or top 7) favorite GL media (can be books/ manga/manhwa/baihe/ anime/movies/tv series)? And why you love them? Thanks if you want to answer....

I don't mind at all! In fact, putting together a top ten has been on my to do list for a while but I haven't done it yet because it seems real daunting. But, I'll try my best here. Spoiler alert, my #1 spot is a tie. I love both titles and I can't pick between them:

1a. Pulse (manhwa):

Premise: Mel is an expert surgeon at an esteemed hospital, and she is happy with where she is in her life. Her work is fulfilling, she has tons of sex, and everything seems to be generally going her way. But, she has no real emotional connections. Mel believes that love is a foolish game, so instead of dating with any real seriousness, she chooses to bounce from hook up to hook up. But, that all changes when Mel meets Lynn. Lynn has a fatal heart condition and desperately needs a transplant. But, she wants Mel to be the one to perform the surgery. As Lynn entangles herself in Mel's life, the stone of Mel's heart begins to crack....

Why I love it: the story in Pulse is incredible. Mel's character arc is perfectly developed, and her backstory is very interesting when you finally get there (she's also very hot lol). Lynn is equally well developed, fighting for her life while also contemplating it's value. The ups and downs of their relationship is gripping, and the ending left me in tears. I do think there is a pretty major flaw in the story near the end, but I won't get into it here as I plan on doing a review after I reread it in February. CW: sexual assault. It is a bit of an age gap but not a huge one. Also this is very spicy

1b. Love Thy Neighbor (manhwa):

Premise: Doyeon seems to be perfect. She has a large group of friends, a perfect GPA, and is sailing through med school with ease. But, she has one problem: her neighbor keeps her up at night. Whether it is debt collectors pounding on the door at all hours of the day, or the neighbor crying into the night while the TV plays, Doyeon can't get any sleep. Eventually, the debt collectors get physically aggressive, and Doyeon has no choice but to pull her neighbor into her apartment to save her. The neighbor, a woman named Jin Joo, ends up staying at Doyeon's apartment for her own safety. This is all fine and well, but why is Doyeon starting to have sex dreams about her?

Why I love it: so, three things here right up front: 1. there is also an age gap in this story (which I think is a coincidence), 2. It is very spicy and 3. it is incredibly toxic (to the point that consent between the two characters becomes murky) and not for the faint of heart. With all that out of the way: I love this story. Doyeon is so incredibly interesting as a character (and might be a genuine sociopath); all she wants to do is be loved unconditionally and she never gets it and that internal tension is incredible. The plot is also very dramatic, and it makes it HARD to put it down (also I've read through season 1 like 3 times in 4 months). I literally count the days between chapter releases. I didn't think I would enjoy a psychological drama so much but this one really knocks it out of the park. This drama has the effect of, murky consent aside, making the sex scenes electric. They are so well written, carrying significant narrative weight while also being genuinely very hot. There is this constant battle for control between our romantic leads that leaks into their sex, and it's just chef's kiss. I cannot stress enough how much I love this story. Season 2 just started releasing a couple weeks ago so now is an excellent time to jump on board. (PSA: if anyone my mutuals or followers starts reading this PLEASE send your live reactions to my DMs I will love you forever I wanna talk to someone about this story so bad)

3. Qualia the Purple (manga)

Premise: [Redacted]

Why I love it: so this is by far the weirdest love story I have ever read, and it is terribly sad. How far would you go to save the person you love most? The lengths Yukari wuld go to save her love are endless, and her desperation is what makes this tale worth reading. I really don't want to say too much here because this story is best experienced knowing as little about is as possible before you start reading it (also why I didn't include a premise). As a heads up: this story is deeply philosophical and may make you cry. Be sure to read the afterword

4. Nevermore (webtoon)

Premise: Lenore and Annabel Lee both wake up on a distant shore with no memories of who they are. Chased by bizarre spirits, they flea until they stumble upon Nevermore Academy. Here, they are told that they are dead, and that they are here to compete for a second chance at life. Also, they can turn into ghosts with superpowers. As they being to move through the trials, it becomes increasingly clear that their previous lives were deeply tied together. But the question remains: what are they to each other?

Why I love it: the real allure to this story is the mystery. Who is Lenore? Who is Annabel Lee? What is the truth behind Nevermore Academy? The list of questions is never-ending. Also, Lenore is an incredibly charming protagonist, whose quick wit and determination makes it impossible to not cheer for her. The is also inspired heavily by Edgar Allen Poe's work and the gothic literary tradition (and aesthetic). In fact, Lenore's name, as well as Nevemore Academy's name, comes from the poem "The Raven," and Annabel Lee is named after the famous poem of the same name. Coincidentally, both this story and the poem "Annabel Lee" take place "in a kingdom by the sea." As a literature nerd, this is a HUGE plus for me. Especially recommend this story for those who like to try and figure out what's going on before the characters do (so, if you were in the red string brigade while The Magnus Archives was airing this is a must read)

5. Her Tales of Shim Chong (manhwa)

Premise: This manhwa is a historical, girls' love retelling of classic Korean novel The Tale of Shim Chong. It tells the story of Shim Chong, a beggar who is desperately trying to make ends meet to feed her and her blind father, and the soon-to-be second Madame Jang, who has been sold into marrying the Chancellor to give her family a better position. After a chance encounter, they build a friendship -- and eventually more -- that transcends class boundaries. But not everyone is happy with the Chancellor's new wife, and Chong's presence is far from welcome in the royal palace. When the Chancellor falls into a mysterious coma after the wedding night, his children make plans to oust Madam Jang, and it may be up to Shim Chong to save not only their relationship, but their lives.

Why I love it: I think the premise of this story is so so romantic; it drives me crazy. Madame Jang is essentially trapped by the narrative, and Shim Chong is the only one who is able and willing to break her out. The premise creates the perfect setting to critique not only the historical politics of Korea, but also the treatment of women within Korean culture (disclaimer: I am far from an expert here but I think the theme is very prevalent). It is also probably the only yuri I've read so far that would qualify as magical realism, which ties in to the folktale setting with ease. There is not a lot of physical affection in this story, but when it's there, it's so sweet I can't help but swoon. If you like historical fiction, I would recommend starting here out of everything on this list (or start with the next entry).

6. Goodbye, My Rose Garden (manga)

Premise: Hanako is a Japanese woman who has come to England in search of her favorite author. In the meantime, she looks for work as a maid and is eventually hired by a noblewoman named Alice. But, Alice has an unbelievable request for Hanako: she wants Hanako to kill her. Hanako immediately begins trying to find out why Alice wants to throw away her life, and as she does she finds a hidden side of the noblewoman kept deep under wraps...

Why I love it: this story is so romantic, and tense, and dramatic that it has become critically acclaimed - and for good reason. The depiction of historical views on homosexuality are really well done and is juxtaposed well next to Hanako's sapphic awakening. I really think that this yuri is a must read, not just because of the romance, but because of the historical perspectives portrayed within. I wish I could say more but it's been a while since I've read it, and I plan on rereading it and posting a review sometime within the first half of this year

7. Mage & Demon Queen (webtoon)

Premise: In a world where demons and humans are at constant war, Malori has survived childhood and become a powerful mage..... because she is totally in love with the Demon Queen, Velverosa. In fact, Malori would do anything to spend time with her, and she means anything. Day after day Malori climbs the Demon Queen's tower to try and win her heart, and day after day she is defeated. Will the Demon Queen ever love her? Or, will Velverosa be slain before their relationship has time to blossom?

Why I love it: ONE OF THE ROMANTIC LEADS IN THIS STORY IS A TRANS WOMAN (it's Vel lol). But also: this is by far the funniest yuri I have ever read. Whether is is on the cheesy side or the genuinely hilarious side, the humor in this story is baked all the way through, giving it an adorable charm. Additionally, Vel's slow decent into love is so fucking adorable that I often find myself going back to reread her confession; it's just so sweet. If you like a wholesome, light hearted story, or are a big fan of RPGs or isekais (it's not one but it's close enough), then you MUST give this a read. I'm afraid Webtoons.com is putting it behind a paywall soon (against it's creator's wishes), but you may be able to find it else where possibly.

8. Sunstone (American comic)

Premise: in this erotic romcom, Lisa is a writer and, more importantly, a submissive. Ally is a well-experienced programmer and considers herself a dominatrix. They have one thing in common: they have never done BDSM in real life. One day, they meet in a virtual chat room and become fast friends. This friendship evolves as they begin exchanging DMs, and eventually they decide to meet up. They hit it off just as well in person as they do online, and their one time sexual encounter becomes much more, changing their lives forever.

Why I love it: this comic features probably the most realistic depiction of a BDSM relationship - and BDSM sex - that I have ever seen. The characters are complicated, and messy, and so human that you can't helped but be sucked into their lives. It also features one of the most romantic confessions I have ever experience in yuri. Just top notch writing from top to bottom, while also treating the subject matter with dignity and care. The writer has a lot of experience with BDSM in real life, and it really shows with the way the series treats consent, safe words, and after care. If you've never read this story, you need to change that asap. You're really missing out.

9. Whisper me a love song (manga)

Premise: On her first day of high school, Himari watches a band play at the opening ceremony, where she immediately "falls in love" with the lead singer. The next day, she runs into that singer, Yori, and tells her so. Yori's response is unexpected: she says, "I love you, too." Quickly, and awkwardly, Himari realizes that her platonic feelings are being met with Yori's romantic feelings. As their friendship develops, she begins to wonder: what does it mean to love someone?

Why I love it: I really love music, especially rock and punk music, so a romance story based around a musician is automatically going to appeal to me and this one is no exception. Himari's struggle with her sexuality feels so real, and Yori's determination to win Himari's heart naturally compels her internal conflict forward until she has to decide. This manga is so so so cute, especially considering Himari's puppy dog like energy, and this story is almost guaranteed to make you swoon. It is ongoing and getting an anime this year, so please read it and support the official release!

10. Bloom into You (manga)

Premise: Bloom into You tells the story of high school freshman Yuu, as she discovers herself and tries to gain an understanding of "love," which all of her friends seem enamored with. She has never had someone who felt special to her in that way, though she desperately wants to. This all changes when she meets sophomore Nanami, who has also never fallen in love. As they get to know each other, Nanami begins to fall in love with Yuu, though Yuu does not understand why. At the same time, Yuu thinks her chest may be starting to flutter, a feeling that she has longed for but still does not understand...

Why I love it: so there was no way that this wasn't making the list, right? It is the standard for high school yuri, and for good reason. Yuu and Nanami are perfect for each other, and Yuu's slow decent into love is incredible to watch. If you have never read yuri and you want to know where to start, the answer is right here. It is, in fact, required reading. If I were to teach a semester long university class on yuri (a fantasy situation I think about alot), this would be the first story I would assign. The romantic tension is mesmerizing, the supporting cast is top tier, and the ending is immensely satisfying. There is also ace/aro representation, arguably in the main character and canonically in the supporting cast. I am currently doing a live blog/analysis of Bloom into You if you want to follow along with me, though I am very behind on it (I swear I'm gonna continue it, and I'm sorry to my followers :( the new year has not been kind to me lol).

I have done reviews and analysis of some of these series, and have borrowed summaries from those posts. I am linking those down below in case you haven't read them. However, if you read the Qualia the Purple review before reading the manga I will find you:

Her Tales of Shim Chong Review

Qualia the Purple Review

Bloom into You Ch. 1 Analysis

Bloom into You Ch. 2 Analysis

Edit: I just realized that you asked for girls lov books too, so I guess that is going to have to be a separate post....

Three Houses (& Warriors: Three Hopes) Trivia: That One Time 3 Stories Ended Without Solving its Loose Ends.

Of all the things people have spoken about Three Houses’ writing, if there’s something I honestly don’t see discussed often as a whole (aka not just in an individual basis), is that KT’s writers were chronically unable to tie up all loose ends with the stories they worked on: Crimson Flower, Azure Moon, and Verdant Wind’s (quick reminder Silver Snow was written by IS instead). This sentiment is even shared by one of the scenario writers involved with both Three Houses, and in the Warriors: Three Hopes spinoff:

Regarding [Warriors: Three Hopes’] Scarlet Blaze, Azure Gleam, and Golden Wildfire chapters, what was the tale you wanted to tell? Iwata: In order to make it a different experience from Three Houses, one of the scenario writers explained about wanting to depict the things that had been left unfinished in the main game. In Scarlet Blaze, it’s the battle against ‘Those Who Slither in the Dark’, in Azure Gleam it’s reaching the truth about ‘The Tragedy of Duscur’, and for Golden Wildfire it’s the appearance of a huge obstacle to Claude realizing his dreams.

In turn, the purpose of this post will be recapping briefly what each unfinished plot thread was about, if we catch glimpses of them in other stories, and how Warriors: Three Hopes decided to give them a proper conclusion.

Crimson Flower: the battle against “Those Who Slither In The Dark”

Forever immortalized as very sneaky plague doctor-looking fellas.

Byleth’s informed starting Part 2 of Crimson Flower that the Empire/Edelgard has teamed up with “those who slither in the dark” for practical reasons in the fight against the Church (mainly, for their manpower and assets), and that the group’s expected to be next on the chopping block once they’re no longer needed.

As the main campaign goes on, the Agathans are treated as an “Elephant in the Room” sort of deal - being brought up only by a few select individuals when the situation calls for it - all while Edelgard and co. are monitoring their movements. Thales/Arundel tries subverting this in at least 2 different instances (Hubert’s paralogue and, most notably, in Chapter 16), but for one reason or another, the situation never escalates further.

The group’s seen one last time just before the final battle, as Edelgard and Thales have a small chat where both agree to keep their team-up going for a little longer once the war’s over. And after the main story’s done, the Empire’s fight vs TWSITD is mentioned in passing during the Epilogue cutscene, multiple paired and solo endings, and even one S-Support, all while confirming the group’s demise sometime later after a certain “Battle of Shambhala”.

Do we get glimpses of it in other routes?

Kinda? Even though the exact circumstances described in CF never take place anywhere else, we see Shambhala being invaded by Byleth and co. in two other routes: Silver Snow (the other other story branch of Black Eagles), and Verdant Wind (Claude’s story).

The main reason this happens in these storylines is thanks to a post-mortem request from Hubert, who was previously aware a certain Imperial fortress would get bombarded by them ahead of time, and determined (somehow) that the missiles’ origins can be traced back to a location believed to be the slitherers’ HQs.

In these 2 stories, the battle against TWSITD is solved in only one chapter, and the main narrative purpose it fulfills is to set up the real, actual final boss of the story (oh and also kill Rhea in Verdant Wind).

How did Warriors: Three Hopes tackle this loose end?

By axing Edelgard’s team up with the Agathans outright as early as possible, which shakes the entire foundation of the story given how much agency Edelgard’s actions hold over the plot. This is very important because the fact neither the Empire nor TWISTD are bound to work together for a common goal allows both sides to properly fight each other openly while the story unravels.

The way the story’s foundation is shaken is also quite important too, as its done by forcing Edelgard and Hubert to assume a very active role in the story against the slitherers which is never seen in 3H’s story besides CF’s Ch. 16, possible only through a one-in-a-million-chance that cannot happen in Three Houses: having Kostas die vs the House Leaders near Remire Village, everyone never meeting Byleth, and having Jeritza become Garreg Mach’s 3rd professor like Edelgard intended.

As you might have noticed by now however, the one big caveat Scarlet Blaze’s exploration of this story thread has is that the conflict shown in it, due to the involved circumstances, will never be the same as the one described in Crimson Flower’s. In hindsight however, given Edelgard’s battle vs the Agarthans in CF is heavily hinted to be anticlimactic and nowhere near as challenging compared to Three Hopes’ timeline (mainly thanks to her having already neutralized all other threats to the Empire by then), I dare say this change might’ve been for the best.

Azure Moon: Reaching the truth about the “Tragedy of Duscur”

This is a pretty cool CG tbh.

Blue Lions gives you many glimpses of the Tragedy of Duscur pre-timeskip. Most notably, Chapter 8 reveals Dimitri is in Garreg Mach mainly to find and get revenge on its culprits, and Chapter 10 shows how he finds out the slitherers’ were involved in the tragedy… right before Dimitri becomes convinced Edelgard was the mastermind of the event and the plot point is derailed completely for a while.

Some time later, it returns in full force during Ch. 17, where an exchange Rodrigue has with Gilbert reveals the body of Dimitri’s stepmother - Patricia/Anselma - was never found in spite of being one of the alleged victims. Then in Ch 18, Cornelia/Cleobulus as a last act of spite reveals to Dimitri that Patricia conspired to make the tragedy happen just to “see Edelgard again”. In Ch. 19, Dimitri tries to get answers from a dying Lord Arundel/Thales - whom he long since suspected to have been part of it - but fails to make him speak. In late Ch. 20/early Ch 21, it’s shown Margrave Gautier found out Viscount Kleiman’s involvement on the Tragedy, and the interrogation of one of his servants reveals not only the dude thinks he did what was best for the kingdom, but also that Patricia was allowed to escape unharmed.

And then the story ends, leaving the mystery hanging. If you bought the DLC, Dimitri & Hapi’s support chain reveals Cleobulus tricked Anselma into believing she couldn’t see Edelgard again due to Dimitri’s father, and essentially emotionally tortured the woman for +5 years until Anselma *cracked* and became a willing participant. Their paired ending also mentions they later worked on to expose TWSITD and the other culprits of the tragedy. Whatever was found in that investigation, it’s ultimately left unrevealed.

Do we get glimpses of it in other routes?

Mostly no. The tragedy is briefly discussed in Ch. 3 of Black Eagles and Golden Deer, but it never goes on beyond what happened and who died. And the circumstances in which Dimitri becomes so hell-bent on killing Edelgard are never ever shown to the player.

Crimson Flower meanwhile, not only confirms Arundel/Thales was 100% involved in it during Ch.17, if that chapter’s main story mission plays in a certain way, Dimitri in his dying speech of hate towards Edelgard will say the following:

Edelgard! You... I will kill you! You will know the regret of my father, who was killed for you! Of my stepmother, who was slain by her own daughter! You will bow your head before all of the lives you trampled for your ideals before you die in misery!

How did Warriors: Three Hopes tackle this loose end?

First, by focusing on the Kingdom politics during the first half of the story. It starts with Rufus (Dimitri’s uncle) launching a surprise coup in the Kingdom - for reasons irrelevant to the story - under the pretext of undermining House Fraldarius’s attempts to use Dimitri as a puppet, all while the revealing he was the mastermind behind the Kingdom side of instigators. And it all snowballs from there while the mystery develops, because unlike Three Houses, Rufus’ involvement isn’t kept under wraps due to a good chunk of evidence going to the grave with him (non-CF), or because he’s sidelined to put more focus to Edelgard's war (CF).

Second, by gradually making Edelgard irrelevant in the story until her character has been effectively written out, the narrative allows the tragedy’s culprits to be the main antagonistic force of the story.

And third, through making the story one of revenge and bringing justice to the Tragedy’s victims, Dimitri in turn is kept in a middle state between his normal and his revenge-obsessed self to justify it, and this permits the plot to have Thales as a fitting final boss, given his status as the brains behind the Agarthan side of the instigators.

Verdant Wind: The obstacle to Claude’s dreams

Look at that dashing smile man.

Starting Part 2 of Verdant Wind, it’s revealed Claude’s dream is one of a world without discrimination and prejudice. And for that, he sees the idea of an unified land, of tearing down the world’s barriers, as a way to allow everyone to start anew, understand one another and realize we’re more different than we would like to admit. And while by the end of the story Claude’s goal for Fodlan is achieved, he never directly has to overcome some obstacle to accomplish it.

Even though Edelgard, the Empire and the Agarthans are clear-and-cut antagonists during VW’s story*, they’re overall quite divorced from Claude’s dream to directly oppose it*. Edelgard is only an enemy mainly due to the threat she poses to the Alliance, as her ideals are not really that different to Claude’s and even admits such. TWSITD meanwhile, are not that involved in the story besides the lategame of Part 1 & 2, and at their core they’re just a xenophobic hate group, meaning they threaten everyone equally.

So in the end, only one candidate remains which fits the ideological angle of obstacle, which Claude does bring up during the plot but never serves this role in spite of the build-up it gets during Part 1: the Church & Rhea. The main reason for it is simply due to Byleth becoming both the new Archbishop and Claude’s biggest supporter during Part 2 during Rhea’s absence, all while the plot forces Rhea to be not only be rescued so Claude can have someone who can answer all the questions he seeks about Fodlan’s mysteries (which is another plot point of the story), but also conveniently kills her offscreen in a sacrificial manner once all’s said and done.

Do we get glimpses of it in other routes?

Sort of, but nowhere near as openly as you would expect. In Crimson Flower, Claude says the following about what he would’ve done had he defeated Edelgard at Derdriu:

In all honesty, I was hoping to become a supreme ruler and lead Fódlan to peace myself. But... that won't be happening now.

Also, compared to how he acts with Edelgard in her route, Claude in Azure Moon is ominously adversarial towards Dimitri after being saved (even insisting he does not owe him any debt whatsoever), and even says the following:

I'm leaving Fódlan. There are things I have to do. Dreams I need to see to fruition. That's why I became the Alliance leader to begin with, actually. But it left me no time for what I was really after.

How did Warriors: Three Hopes tackle this loose end?

Simple; by having him actually clash with the Church (and also the Kingdom by proxy). The plot ensures such by introducing Shahid - Claude’s half-brother - for the purpose of: 1. preventing Claude from ever becoming invested in Fodlan’s past and mysteries, and; 2. from finishing his fight with the Empire.

Time to process what had just happened after Solon revealed himself in front of everyone? - WHOOPS Shahid is invading, so back to the Alliance Claude goes!

Time to invade the Empire proper after fighting them in Gronder Field? You bet- WHOOPS Shahid is at it again!

With both of these plot points aborted and, due to Claude & Edelgard shifting gears after some uneven success in their campaigns, both deciding to team-up finally allows Claude in the second half of this story to finally pick up a fight against someone whom can ideologically serve as an obstacle to the dream he yearns to see a reality. Because without any bonds nor close connections to someone with power in the Church - more so if they lack Rhea’s approval, her own biases be damned -, the reality is that the church is not gonna allow it.

Now that I’ve gone over all three plot points, I do think only one answer remains to be answered:

Why couldn’t all these 3 story threads be finished in Three Houses?

Anyone who’s been aware or has heard of Three Houses’ development cycle would probably answer this question with something like “Well, because the game was rushed, duh!”, but I believe there’s another possibility which explains the “why” from a narrative perspective.

Because these 3 plot threads are side plots.

I’m fully aware this is probably a very spicy take, but please bear with me for a second.

The ideas explored in them can be very intriguing, don’t get me wrong, but as Three Houses shows, it’s not easy to dwell on plot points which are not the driving force behind the main story:

In Crimson Flower, Edelgard needs to wage war on Fodlan to force the continent to change in the way she sees fit. Due to this, fighting TWSITD in the process when it’s made abundantly clear their assistance is needed, risks massively derailing the campaign in the process and also handicap her war efforts. In hindsight, Ch. 16 is more of a godsend than anything.

In Azure Moon, Dimitri must rise from the brink, reclaim Faerghus and oppose Edelgard to bring peace. However, solving the mystery of the Tragedy of Duscur, and thus force conflict with all of its instigators (which BL heavily hints many lie within Dimitri’s own Kingdom) isn’t a wise idea during times of war, more so given the main antagonist of the story played no actual role on the event.

In Verdant Wind, Claude must secure the Alliance’s future by opposing the Empire, and retrieve Rhea to have her spill all the lore-juice missing from his knowledge fountain. For this campaign he’s also openly allied with the Church in spite of his misgivings with its teachings and its old Archbishop, so the whole idea of opposing them during the story (when said church also wants to rescue that Archbishop) is just plain awkward.

Fascinatingly - and I noticed this just as I was writing all this text -, this situation is pretty much inverted in Warriors: Three Hopes. Unlike Three Houses, the 3 stories of the spinoff, in execution, use the war as a pretext to explore the plot threads left hanging in the routes KT worked on back in Three Houses. And because of this, the stories actually end once those plot points finally reach their resolution, in spite of the war being technically not over once that happens.

So…what do you all think? Do you think it was a wise choice to finally “finish” each plot point left hanging in a spinoff? Or should the devs have been given more time to figure things out back in 3H? I personally would like to see the 3H writers come back to some future entry, all but with the condition they’re given far more freedom with the stories as with Three Houses they were pretty clearly limited to a very specific set of structure and plot beats they had to follow (I even did a post about it like 2 weeks ago, for those interested).

As an outsider looking in, it seems to me that up to adventure 2 there was actually atleast a vague direction of the story and plot of Sonic, with the first one introducing the franchise, then sloy adding tails, then by third there is the whole mural that gets brought up in adventure with more echidna lore, ending with Sonic realising he was the ultimate lifeform and stopping and redeeming Eggmans bad past and with the working together maybe being an oportunity for Eggman to start reforming himself instead of trying to destroy the world again like his grandfather tried.

But after, all the game storys (or what I heard and saw in youtube clips) seem to just be one of things and gimmicks that just dont really stick, especially since Unleashed wich if I am correct just threw another world ending thing into the lore that came out of nowhere and was forgoten after only for the next games to do the same.

ldk maybe Im totally wrong, thats why Im asking a Sonic expert

From my perspective, there was no definitive "lore" in Sonic until Sonic 3. I'm sure Sonic 1 and 2 had ideas and a direction they were aiming for, a concept they were forming, but Sonic 3 established a lot of key ideas that reverberated for a long time: the existence of a master emerald, the purpose of the master emerald, and the keepers of the master emerald.

Sonic 1 was just, like, "Here's what we settled on for who Sonic is and some of the rules of his world." A first draft.

Sonic 2 says "Here's all the ideas we had in Sonic 1, but they're bigger, better, and more cohesive now."

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is when it starts to feel like A Story. The Japanese manual opens with Sonic recalling the legend of a lost civilization and their downfall. We start getting cutscenes that tie in to that intro. It references events (really, the only one) from the previous game.

Sonic Adventure doubles down on all of that. It is deeply entwined in its narrative. Over an hour of fully voiced cutscenes. Explores the dangling plot threads established by Sonic 3. References multiple past games.

Sonic Adventure 2 is a little more oblique and you have to read between the lines a lot more, but it still connects to Sonic Adventure and the overall lore that had been established in 1994.

From there, Sonic games started trying to move on, and things became a lot more disjointed. Heroes and Shadow tried to connect to Sonic Adventure 2, but those waters became muddied very quickly thanks to poor characterization and rushed storytelling. Sonic 06 wanted to balance being a soft reboot with picking up with the story of Shadow the Hedgehog.

And from Sonic Unleashed onwards, Sonic games basically became self-contained until basically Sonic Frontiers.

Though I'm sure some nitpicky pedant will tell me about how Sonic Forces and Sonic Generations were full of ton of references to this and that and whatever as if I don't already know that, completely not understanding the concept of summary and generalization.

personal deltarune/undertale gaster thoughts

triggered by this post: https://www.tumblr.com/gasterofficial/742325606551863296/my-theory

and this video: https://youtu.be/RsSUyfmvJKI?si=wSwiE3JFVlS2aaZz

(saw the post first and just watched the video)

so getting it out of the way i am a person who believes the (when you think about it strangely obvious idea) that there are multiple gasters. considering we’re already exploring an alternate universe with different versions of existing characters and gaster has been “shattered across time and space” (quite literally if that one gaster follower holding a piece of him is to be believed). which does make it kinda weird it hasn’t had a more present idea in theory crafting (at least until recently i think)

the egg man

anyway, going with the multiple gasters thing i think the egg man is gaster, specifically a fragment of undertale gaster. as spookydood says in his video, gaster in deltarune doesn’t really have an association with sudden disappearance unlike undertale gaster so maybe that ties the egg man more strongly to ut gaster. if the card is also from the egg man it could also explain his confusion, being shattered across time and space potentially missing memories and definitely missing pieces of himself would probably do that.

also a funny idea about the weird eggs and egg man, what if the eggs are pieces of gaster like the one held by the gaster follower, it is kinda egg shaped and gaster (mystery man sprite which based on the 66 fun value to find him i think is probably gaster) does kind of look like an egg.

the mystery man

now when it comes to the main gaster we talk to there are two thoughts in my mind. one: it is deltarunes gaster, two: it is another fragment of undertale gaster. deltarune gaster could’ve been experimenting with darkness like undertale gaster was, but maybe he didn’t fall into his creation so he is whole and wouldn’t face the complications of being shattered across time and space like ut gaster would.

however him being another fragment of ut gaster is interesting story wise, it continues the clear ties undertale and deltarune have ti each other to form a complete narrative (while both games of course still have their own separate narratives) the differing personalities could also be explained by the whole being shattered thing, maybe some pieces are more whole, or twitter/intro/death gaster is a gaster after having been able to find more of his pieces and become as close to whole as possible, potentially the gaster seen in the mystery man room. maybe eggaster is so vaguely described as simply “a man” is because is made of less pieces and is thus less whole and more non-descript.

some random ideas

also a self indulgent belief, if we are talking to two different undertale gasters then deltarune gaster is unaccounted for and can then slide into the head cannon i’ve seen which i like and that is that gaster is a professor at asriel and chara’s college and the three of them get up to silly shenanigans together. also i like the tie it would give to undertale.

also with eggaster being a ut gaster fragment, i like the implication this has for the eggs. while the other gaster is more important to deltarune’s story eggaster could focus more on some loose ends from undertale eg. where sans and pap come from (probably deltarune) and this could occur via the eggs somehow, undertales remaining questions could be answered in deltarune and could remain as they should be in deltarune “not too important, not too unimportant”. while a leap there is a small thing (that depending on 3&4 could be cemented in my mind) the final resting place for the eggs thus far is with an undertale character, so if this continues that’s interesting. of course the fact that most of the characters are undertale ones weakens this as it’s more of a majority thing, so going a bit more specific it could specifically be with the lost souls that the eggs final destiny lay. assuming that chapters don’t go beyond 7 (as it’s possible they do) this works well, there is a spare egg which can be solved with two ideas, one: there will be no chapter 7 egg, two: one egg goes to asriel the non-literal lost soul.

finally a small idea i had about another meta thing with gaster is the potential that two gasters with vastly different personalities and the idea that gaster has been shattered across time and space could provide a meta commentary on the idea of fan interpretation of characters. even before deltarune when the only content of gaster was fully serious there where many goofier interpretations of gaster. as a very mysterious character he also has a lot of potential for speculation and interpretation, is he related to sans and papyrus; is he their father, grandfather, brother, uncle; what kind of scientist was he, was he a mad scientist; was he a good person? the two different gasters could represent the two different gasters in the fandom. in a way, when characters are written into fan works they are shattered, pieces of them taken, emphasized, explored more than others and in a literal way this has happened to gaster. it’s not unlikely he was a man of multitudes that have now fractured and simplified.

so yeah that’s it rambling over. it’s probably poorly formatted with some contradictions or weird wordings but this is just a word splurge direct from my brian.

is it true theres kamitsubaki lore and if so where can i read it? i know there's like, 2 games and an ARG?

simple answer: yes

true answer: it's complicated

kamitsubaki lore mainly centers around VWP (virtual witch phenomenon, the group of singers) and it's kind of a side thing? like you don't have to know the lore to enjoy kamitsubaki stuff. personally it's not even a super strong focus for me. so like yeah there's lore but you don't have to know it

that being said, if you WANT to know it... well right now that's pretty hard. there was an ARG all the way back in october 2021 that is essentially lost media unless you feel like perusing the unofficial english discord's archives of it, which are a nightmare to sift through. i'm planning on eventually organizing all of that stuff into a browsable format on a fansite but i just haven't gotten around to it

there are two games coming out (in english, too, thank the lord) but neither of them have come out yet. kamitsubaki city ensemble is going to be a rhythm game focused around VIP/the VWP cevios, and seems like it has some story stuff in it, though i'm unsure at the moment whether or not it'll actually tie into the wider Kamitsubaki City lore despite the title, though i imagine it very well Could. there's also a VN in development called kamitsubaki city regenerate, which seems like it's going to be the main way to get into the lore once it comes out, so definitely keep an eye on that.

if you want to try and consume the lore BEFORE these two games come out, there is a tabletop RPG akin to D&D online called NARRATIVE and you can find that here, but it's fully in japanese and is kind of hard to engage with if you don't know japanese because. well. it's a roleplaying game lol. but there's a lot of lore in like, the rulebook and stuff.

and of course VWP's music videos hint at stuff... and there's various scattered small things throughout paid concerts that i can't share... kamitsubaki city is kind of a fucking mess i'd honestly just wait for regenerate to come out and go from there LOL

though a quick tldr of the lore is there's a city called. well. you know. kamitsubaki city. and it's in ruin. and the VWP girls are called to the city by a mysterious force called the restoration department to fix it thru the magic of singing or whatever.

good luck soldier i unfortunately cannot relay all the lore in one ask because it's like trying to piece together a narrative from the past 3 years of me being a kaf fan that i've obtained through disjointed fan interaction and literally being there for a time sensitive ARG

I went back and rewatched Jacob Geller's "Dark Souls 3 is Thinking of Ending Things" essay because I'm trying to do something similar with Spire: The City Must Fall and Babel: An Arcane History. I want to take these two wildly different media and try to draw comparisons between them even though on the surface, the only thing they have in common is big towers. So who better to look to than Geller's video in which he compares a Fromsoft game to a pyschological horror film about metatexuality. In no particular order I think the strongest parts of this essay are:

Leading with emotion: Geller's strength imo is finding emotional resonance and then using those feelings to tie back to more nebulous thematic points. The tone of the music and clips is mournful, and there's a sorrow to the way he describes DS3's callbacks, which he easily segues into the self-referential aspects of ITOET. Whenever I'm interacting with something, my first response is always emotional, and if you can get someone onboard by getting them to feel strongly about something, you've done the job of getting your audience invested.

Finding specific scenes: It's much easier to compare parts of a text to each other than trying to make the whole thing fit together. In the essay, Geller compares the basement scene of ITOET to a secret passage in DS3, showing how both are portraits into each story's metatextual narratives, pulling back the curtain on the characters within the story, revealing to the audience something that the in-fiction actors could not possibly understand. I've played like 3 hours of DS3 and only know of this film through Geller's essay, but by chunking out bits of each text, doing the exposition necessary to get the audience to accept his argument, he can work from a strong position without having to elaborate on huge portions of the text.

Admitting where the comparison stops: At the end of the essay, Geller just says "anyway, here's where these two stories converge. DS3 is about destroying the world to create something new, whereas ITOET is....not." And I think that's a really smart choice. It's totally fine to pull back the curtain and be explicit about you having said your piece. Sometimes (perhaps most of the time) essays that are shorter are better!