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dalekofchaos · 3 years

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What would you say are the biggest mistakes Mass Effect 3 made?

Okay this is going to be a long one, but these would be the biggest mistakes ME3 ever made in my opinion

Choosing Cerberus over The Reapers. The thing that annoyed me most about ME3 is the fact that Harbinger is not the main threat. The Illusive Man is. Harbinger has been built up as the big bad since ME2. "YOU HAVE FAILED. WE WILL FIND ANOTHER WAY." He says as he discards the Collectors. Then his speech to Shepard as the base blows up. "Human, you've changed nothing. Your species has the attention of those infinitely your greater. That which you know as Reapers are your salvation through destruction. You will surrender your potential against the growing void. We return, and you will rise. We are the harbinger of your perfection. We will bring your species into harmony with our own. Your species will be raised to a new existence. We are the beginning, you will be the end. Prepare for our domination. Prepare for our coming." Then in Arrival, he came pretty damn close to unleashing quick subjugation and harvest upon an unprepared galaxy. Upon Shepard foiling his plans. "Shepard. You have become an annoyance. You fight against inevitability. Dust struggling against cosmic winds. This seems a victory to you. A star system sacrificed. But even now, your greatest civilizations are doomed to fall. Your leaders will beg to serve us. Know this as you die in vain: Your time will come. Your species will fall. Prepare yourselves for the Arrival." The perfect final villain right? Unfortunately, Cerberus was more focused on than The Reapers. My problem with Cerberus and no Harbinger is Too many Cerberus, too few Reaper forces in plot. We fight Cerberus more often than the reapers. Hardly any boss fight and the one with Reaper Destroyer on Rannoch was more an interactive movie than fight. During the Horizon mission in Mass Effect 2, Harbinger was solidified as the Big Bad. It was menacing and ominous, with just the right amount of annoying. It taunted us throughout the game, telling us how insignificant we were, and how our actions were pointless. It was willing to posses drones through the Collector General to fight us personally, and when we killed the host, it tossed them aside. Harbinger even gave the typical “You haven’t seen the last of me!” villain rant. It made any fire fight frustrating, and that made me want to kill it even more; I hated Harbinger. Many games fail to do that. Harbinger was an enemy which I looked forward to defeating. I had the desire to annihilate. In Mass Effect 3, I got a codex entry and a cameo. Harbinger just swoops in at the last second and blows my friends and I to hell(and lets the Normandy save them), then flies off. Personally, I would have loved to hear Harbinger’s menacing monologue, it drove me on. I would have felt a deeper motivation to take the fight back to Earth if it told me how much destruction the Reapers were causing, how many lives were lost. I felt cheated when I got to the final mission, only to suddenly realize it was largely absent from the game. Harbinger has been replaced. Replaced by the Illusive Man and Kai Leng. The former is an old acquaintance, albeit one now controlled by the Reapers. The latter is a space ninja from a terrible book. What would've been amazing is if Harbinger IS the Catalyst. Harbinger taunts and haunts Shepard throughout the game He uses the memory of that child to haunt Shepard as a symbol of humanity lost. After Shepard activates the Crucible. Harbinger appears. He explains to why and how The Reapers were made. the AI Leviathan created to solve the equation is Harbinger all along, Harbinger manipulated The Leviathan into giving it Reaper form and birth at first it did what it commanded and what they asked of it was to look at the dark energy building up which back then was only an anomaly that Leviathan was concerned with but then the first harvest began and Harbinger and The Reapers were born. Funny enough, Leviathan reminds me so much of FMA:Brotherhood. The Intelligence tricked Leviathan to create the Reaper is very similar to how the Dwarf in the flask became Father. So what I think should have happened is it would've been revealed that Harbinger is the AI that convinced the Leviathan that harvest was the only way to survive and justifies the harvests not because organics and synthetics can't coexist, but because of the dark matter crisis. Throughout the game we would have more confrontations with Harbinger. Have him "ASSUME CONTROL" during fights. Give us a voiced confrontation between Shepard and Harbinger. Make it clear that Harbinger chose The Illusive Man and convinced him of together they could uplift and empower humanity over the lesser races. The Illusive Man is to Harbinger, as what Saren was for Soverign. Then the Crucible will grant us the choice to Destroy or Control The Reapers or Harvest this cycle to survive the Dark Matter crisis. You could either. Destroy Harbinger and The Reapers, while the united races would discover a way to stop the dark matter problem. Give in to Harbinger to harvest humanity to save the galaxy. Control The Reapers to stop the harvesting and to work together to stop the dark matter crisis.

Choosing to have a smaller crew than ME2 and focusing solely on the ME1 characters and screwing over or ignoring the ME2 crew, especially romancing Jack, Miranda and Thane. If it were up to me, this is what my ideal ME3 line up would be Ashley/Kaidan EDI Garrus Liara Tali Javik Jack Miranda Thane(EA forgot about him and simply chose to kill him off, I think Thane could’ve rejoined the crew and even had a mission where we find a cure for Thane and Kolyat) Grunt Mordin(you'll see how later) Legion(You'll see later) Balak or any Batarian Squadmember. Ideally it would be someone who survived the Bahak system or even a Batarian freedom fighter who puts his people’s survival over the pride and prejudices of the Hegemony. His sole goal is to liberate Khar'shan and save his people. But for a more memorable person, Balak would be the squad member. I would make killing Balak not an option. The last high ranking officer in the Hegemony. Instead of causing deaths on the Citadel, he seeks Shepard out. It’s an enemy of my enemy is my friend. Over time, Balak would show remorse for his past actions as a terrorist and for the Hegemony’s past. Shepard and Balak learns to overcome their differences and see each other as friend and works together to destroy the Reapers. We would get a Priority Khar’shan where we could liberate the planet and the Batarians would be in a fighting force.

Keeping James alive. I like James, but he added absolutely nothing to the game. We already had an Alliance character. Ashley Williams/Kaidan Alenko. James should have been the Jenkins/Wilson of the game. He should have died in the crash to take out Eva and Ashley/Kaidan should have been with us from beginning to end. James is a character we barely know. We’ve waited a long ass time to see Ashley/Kaidan and it was downright disappointing that neither Ashley nor Kaidan did not get to interact with Garrus on Priority Palaven and Wrex during Priority S’Urkesh.

Mirandafying Ashley Williams. Mirandafying Ashley Williams for Mass Effect 3 was shallow and unnecessary. Wearing loose and long hair and skimpy clothing? Ashley Williams is a by the books soldier. She would not look like this. She would not grow her hair or let it down like this. I mean, it’s not that they changed her face so much, but they just tried too hard with the makeup, hair and outfit. Ashley didn’t need to be model-sexy and run around in heels and showing cleavage. She was already sexy as hell in her own way. All they needed to do was give her the Alliance Crewmen outfit as her casual look and the Phoenix Armor and the current Alliance type armor she was given in ME3, as well as a unique Spectre armor. It's not just the shallow Mirandafying. It's the fact that Ashley has little to no interactions. Ashley barely has any interactions in the game. Compared to Kaidan, Ashley is not interactable. I don't like that Ashley barely has any interactions and just feels...hollow. Ashley should have crew moments with Joker, Adams, Ashley at the monument mourning those who died with the original Normandy, Liara, Tali and Garrus. Was it so much to ask for simple interactions? And really, Ashley in the first game had a personality, Ashley in ME3 feels hollow.

Choosing Diana Allers over Emily Wong and Khalisah al-Jilani. Emily and Khalisah are two reporters we actually know and respect. They earned their place on the Normandy. Emily reported on crime and traffic controllers. Khalisah gave us hard hitting questions and actually cared about reporting on what the fuck was going on in the galaxy. They earned their place on the Normandy as far as I'm concerned. Compare that to Diana Allers. What has Diana Allers done to deserve a spot on the Normandy? Nothing. They created the Battlespace to make her seem like a hip and cool Alliance News Correspondent. Allers looked, weird and she just comes off as annoying and she's a waste of space on the Normandy when we could've had a whole new or returning squad member. God, I WISH Javik could throw her out the fucking airlock. You had TWO perfectly great reporter characters and you did jackshit for any of them. Just so you could have an excuse to hire Jessica Chobot.

Not letting us see Tali's face on Rannoch. Legendary Edition fixed the mistake by finally showing us Tali's face, but it's still exclusive to Shali romancers. What should have happened was we see Tali's face when she unmasks on Rannoch. If we don't romance her, she unmasks and gives us a smile. If we romance her we see her face and kiss her. Something simple like that. It would've been great to see

Not having the ME2 squad members join in on the Citadel DLC. I mean for fuck's sake, it's like they want us to know "fuck you, ME1 squadmembers only" Again, why? Why wasn’t Jack, Miranda, Grunt, Samara, Jacob, Zaeed and Kasumi not added? If we romanced Jack or Miranda, why didn't they come to save us when we were being hunted? Why not REALLY making it feel like Team Hammerhead by actually adding the ME2 Squad members to the Citadel DLC before the party? There was no reason why you couldn't include the ME2 squad members in the Citadel DLC

Making Cerberus the villains instead of uneasy allies, when The Batarians were the perfect allies for The Reapers. This might just be me but I think Cerberus should have been on our side in ME3 and The Batarians should have been fighting for The Reapers. Makes sense Cerberus has just been a rouge organization doing what the job no matter what the cost(even if the cost is atrocities) and instead of indoctrinating themselves they could of studied it to make themselves immune to indoctrination and The Illusive Man's goal was to use any means necessary in order to destroy The Reapers. I also like the idea that you know you can't trust him, but he does get results. The Council and The Alliance are desperate, so they accept a partnership with Cerberus. The Batarians have always held a grudge against The Alliance, The Council and would have wanted revenge for Bahak/ Viper Nebula. The fact that there are no consequences for what we had to do in Arrival from The Batarians just doesn't make any sense and you'd think this would give The Batarians the motive to turn to The Reapers. Hell in the Terra Nova DLC in Mass Effect 1 it seemed to me that Balak was already indoctrinated and Balak’s revelation of the “Batarian rebellion” makes it seem like they would be the perfect tools for The Reapers. Balak will be the new Saren figure. If you killed Balak, then The Reapers would just bring him back. The first act of war for the Batarians was the destruction of the Viper Nebula, so their retaliation was killing Udina. Prior to the Reaper invasion of Earth, Udina would go to Omega to make peace talks with Aria. The Batarians attack and gain control of Omega, Aria is ousted(but saved by General Petrovsky) and Udina is executed live for the galaxy to see. Because of Udina's execution and Anderson leading the resistance on Earth. The Illusive Man is now the Human Councilor. Miranda and Kai Leng would be squad members. Depending on if you gave TIM the Collector Base or destroyed it, he will either keep you in the dark or help you at every turn. Just think of the Cerberus War Assets Cerberus Scientists General Oleg Petrovsky Collector Base Cerberus Fighters Cerberus Phantoms Cerberus Engineers Project Phoenix We would get a big mission to deal with the Batarians, Priority:Khar'shan. If you do not deal with the Batarians, there will be major casualties. However half of the Batarian forces are not indoctrinated and just want to end the mistakes of their government and live. Balak wants to kill the rebellion of his people. Ironic. Somehow Balak has placed enough bombs on the planet to destroy everyone who is resisting Reaper indoctrination. We can either. Talk Balak out of it. Telling him to resist and fight for your people(which WOULD gain Balak as an ally) or talk Balak into killing himself. Or the true Renegade option is to kill Balak and order a strike that wipes out the Batarian forces, but sacrificing the Batarian Rebellion. By the time we get to Priority Earth everyone is on the same page and united against the true threat, The Reapers. And it is Harbinger who is the final boss

Not having Maelon be there with Mordin in ME3. This isn't really a problem, but I had a thought. If we spared Maelon and kept Maelon's data for the cure. Maelon should have been on board to help Mordin with the cure. If we warn Mordin and Maelon about the sabotage, then Maelon would choose to sacrifice himself to save Mordin. And after that, Mordin would choose to join Shepard's crew.

Legion's "death" is pointless. He....is software. He could easily copy and paste The Reaper code without sacrificing himself in the same manner when he was broadcasting the Reaper signal to all Geth. Or he could've disseminated himself after he made a copy and transfer that copy over to his platform. I just get the feeling that they didn't want to keep Mordin, Thane or Legion alive....for reasons.

#Mass Effect #Mass Effect Legendary Edition #Mass Effect 3 #Ashley Williams #Kaidan Alenko #Commander Shepard #Femshep #Harbinger #Miranda Lawson #Jacqueline Nought #Tali'Zorah #Garrus Vakarian #Urdnot Grunt #Mordin Solus #Thane Krios #Legion #Emily Wong #Khalisah al Jilani #Ka'hairal Balak

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orionshounds · 3 years

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I’ve been knee deep in dsmp lore streams and I just want to ramble about it

Dream smp lore is so good, it’s so good!!! Not only is the story itself just fascinating, but how it’s presented so uniquely through the medium of minecraft of all things is just so cool. One of my favorite parts of the lore is seeing how everyone on the smp has their own “style” they present it in, and watching them find the way they find the most enjoyment in is so cool. Literally no two streamer’s lore stream quite like each others and it’s just incredible! It just speaks to the flexibility of roleplay as an artistic medium and really shows everyone’s individual personalities.

Wilbur was dramatic as hell and wrote eloquent speeches. He started a drug operation under the guise as a country, and it lead to a revolution in which he was able to explore the spiral of a man who loses control of everything he had built. And after his arc and he wanted a break from the server? He created ghostbur, an amnesic comic relief with just enough touch of tragedy that he is still able to make heartbreaking monologues when he wants to.

Tommy is able to run around with his friends and cause as much chaos to his heart’s extent, but there is so much more than meets the eye. He is incredibly social and isn’t afraid to start conflict with a lot of people, bringing them into the roleplay. He doesn’t back down from storytelling either. His character goes through terrible situations and he fully explores the trauma that comes from those experiences. His character goes against the “stereotypical” trauma I see alot in media; instead of being shy or scared he’s reactionary, he’s angry, he’s violent, he’s depressed. I’m actually really impressed with the heavy subject matter this 17 year old teen has managed to portray (I’ve connected with it quite personally at certain points), while still being able to keep the light hearted fun that’s so intrinsic to his personality.

Tubbo isn’t really interested in serious lore as much. Even in dire moments he tells jokes and just has fun. So, in his recent lore, he just streams as normal while putting mysterious writing on screen that he doesn’t acknowledge or have to explain, which I think is just a genius work around for him to participate in lore. He still has his dedicated lore streams sometimes, and when he is in the acting zone he has some of the most powerful moments out of everyone on the server.

Ranboo, while having stake in the greater smp lore, is much more character focused. He presents his lore through long monologues and fucking heart-wrenching voice acting. He loves working in themes of horror and causing a specific feeling in the viewer. So he chooses specific music as a themes for events/characters and creates visual queues in his overlays to draw out that desired reaction. He also values improve a LOT, if something unexpected comes up he just runs with it and he has made huge changes to his lore as early as 30 min before a stream.

Technoblade, while arguably one of the most powerful people on the server, prefers a more light-hearted yet dramatic approach to lore. When Dream was at his house looking for Tommy, Techno had no problem joking around and making fun of him for being homeless. He tore down an entire nation on the server and had so much fun doing it! He’s more of an antagonist than a true villain in my opinion. And lets not forget how dedicated he is to the game, he’s cracked at the craft. He spends hours grinding and creating farms on the smp, for amazing pay offs (his several vault reveals, the withers, etc), most of which weren’t even on stream!

Karl Jacobs is extremely social, so he created Tales from the smp as a way to involve TONS of people in lore while exploring the past and future of the server (it was also a way for viewers who weren’t that well versed in dsmp lore to join and not have to worry about it!). And through this premise, he took the opportunity to develop his own character on the smp; making an incredibly tragic story of a time traveler trying to save his home while slowly loosing his memories. Not to mention the beautifully shot cutscenes of the Inbetween and the Other Side. He includes so many people behind the scenes as well, collabing with other members on lore, hiring building teams and people to make intros and credit scenes, and promoting fanart and fansongs from the community!

Quackity explores his lore through heavily scripted events and amazingly shot cut scenes. While the way he expresses his lore comes at the cost of improv, the payoff of the visuals and story is well worth it! The shots he makes of the smp is downright gorgeous, no to mention he’s the first person to include irl footage in his lore (not counting facecams)! He’s not afraid of thoroughly examining his own character, being one of the only people I can think of that shows us “past events” leading up to something that has already happened.

Badboyhalo, Antfrost, Ponk, Skeppy, Captain Puffy, Punz, Awesamdude, Hannahxxrose all work together on shared lore and the payoff is amazing! By introducing the Egg, a constant antagonistic force that constantly pulls on character’s relationships with each other, everyone is able to stream together to battle for or against the egg! There’s also plenty of room for people to do individual lore that's more intimate to their respective character. They spend hours changing vines, putting up posters, slowly shaping the smp in a way that makes it exciting to watch streams to see just what has changed everyday. Because there’s so many people necessary to tell the egg’s story, it does comes at the cost of time (the egg has been around FOREVER). However, they all work together super hard and I just admire their commitment to the story they’re trying to tell!

And Sam! He has several different “Modes” his character is in (and an entirely separate character, Sam Nook) that he gets to explore lore with. He’s a terrifying warden, he’s a money motivated businessman, he’s a conflicted lover, he’s a traumatized victim of the egg, and just so much more. Through having so many different “roles” in the rp he gets to explore relationships and plotlines with a whole array of people. Not to mention he’s absolutely cracked at redstone and has some of the most impressive builds on the server.

And Puffy! So much of her lore is calling into question the morality of the server and really makes you step back and think critically about the characters. Her character also has, in my opinion, one of the most interesting relationships with Dream, the main antagonist of the entire server, which is just fascinating to watch unfold. Not to mention she’s one of the first people to start exploring the backstory of her character!

George doesn’t exactly do lore. In fact he’s slept through so much of it it’s become a meme. And you know what? That mad man took that and ran with it. He explains his absence in the story by having his character literally being asleep through it, creating mystery where there used to just be an absence. He’s able to goof off with his friends and have borderline nonsensical streams, then at the end sucker punch the audience emotionally by “waking up” and have the viewers question just what was real and what wasn’t?

The smp has the freedom for people who want more independent lore to be able to explore their character’s that way as well!

Hbomb, Connereatspants, and Purpled don’t have a lot of lore on the smp, generally only coming on to have fun with everyone, but when they do have their moments it unfolds in very interesting ways!

Sapnap, Eret, and Schlatt maybe aren’t as active as some other people, but when they are on they actively participate in lore and have lasting impacts on the story (Ex: Eret’s betrayal, Sapnap’s visit to dream in the prison, Schlatt becoming president).

Philza mostly does his own thing, improving the server or making some bomb ass builds. He has incredibly devastating roles in lore (killing wilbur, blowing up L’manberg for the final time, starting the syndicate with Techno), but he also has quieter moments that speak to the depth his character has, such as fishing with fundy or reminiscing about his dead son and how it went so wrong. Like Techno, he doesn’t like to take lore completely seriously, often laughing no matter what’s happening or teasing chat after something big goes down, but his character is solid with a lot of potential for future lore.

Foolish has only started on his character and its already super interesting. The hints at his dark past as a “god of death” and his current conflict with the egg are intriguing as fuck. Not to mention the MASSIVE builds he does for everyone, helping to progress their lore as well.

Fundy has a lot of freedom with his character to participate however much he wants in lore. While generally he’s a trickster who loves to prank people he has enough tragedy build into his backstory he’s able to break the viewer’s heart with a flip of a switch. Not to mention his recent, almost surreal, stream that explored his character’s disturbing dreams that may or may not predict the future.

Niki is very character driven, exploring her character's grief of losing her best friend and her anger of being ignored in the very country she helped create. She has incredibly emotional moments, and even though she’s on her own building an underground city she still participates in other lore via teaming with jack manifold or the syndicate.

Jack Manifold’s lore is VERY character focused, and while he’s described his story as a “B plot that occasionally intersects with the main plot”, the story he tells is still fascinating. Being pushed aside not taken seriously his whole life, his character develops into a fun cartoony-esque villain who begs to be taken seriously, that has the depth of a truly conflicted person who is torn between wanting revenge on everyone who’s done him wrong and just wanting a friend.

Last but not least, the man himself, Dream. The most fascinating thing about his lore is that absolutely none of it is from his pov. All we know about his character is only from what we see from everyone else’s povs, and in his case it leads to a very intimidating villain! Not to mention, mans owns the damn server and yet has made himself the main antagonist! He is the only character I consider a “true villain” on the smp. His voice acting and writing is downright sinister. I could write a fucking essay on how his character’s obsession with power has led him to the point he thinks himself an unstoppable god

Everyone on this server is stunning and I love all of them!!!!!

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jwillowwolf · 3 years

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Okay, so I have a Theory for what will happen in the Finale, but it comes with a very long rant about my reasoning for said theory, so I’ll put it under the cut. Basically, I just got excited and wanted to talk with someone about what I think will happen and have turned to the internet to share my thoughts. Warning for spoilers from Working Through Intrusive Thoughts bellow.

Before I can get to what I think will happen, I need to explain the context of my thinking. Currently, we have Logan feeling ignored, Roman feeling lost, Virgil feeling defensive, Patton feeling confused, Remus just being his dramatic gremlin self, and Janus is in his element.

Logan himself said to Remus “It’s not every day Thomas... is interested in... carrying out this sort of thing.” Showing that today was important to Logan and spoiled by 1) Remus’s interfering, and 2) Thomas going out with Nico. Not to mention he lost his cool for a second and now we’ve got Orange to look out for.

Now, there are two possible theories I know of on this scene. 1) Logan is the Orange-side, which seems to be the most popular opinion. 2) the Orange-side, similarly to Janus, can possess other sides. Personally, I think that Logan being the Orange-side is most plausible.

We have seen Logan almost lose his temper before when he threw a piece of paper at Roman in ‘Learning New Things About Ourselves’. He seems shaken by that, almost scared of what he did. Or maybe of what could have happened. He looked even more shaken in ‘Working Through Intrusive Thoughts’ when we got a glimpse of orange in his eyes. He knows there is a dangerous side to him, an emotional state of anger and frustration that he’s been doing his best to keep under control.

How much longer will he be able to control it though?

Next, we have Roman still feeling kind of upset towards Patton, if his stiff reaction to him speaking in the end card is anything to go by. I describe him as feeling lost because in a way he’s lost his moral compass. After what happened in ‘Putting Others First’, I think he distrusts Patton and considering he has in a way followed morality’s lead through all of this, he’s now struggling through questions of what he decides for himself is wrong and right. And he needs to get this right because he’s meant to be the hero, the good creativity. Or that’s what he’s believed all this time.

He’s been conditioned to see things in black and white. To him, there’s meant to be a clear distinction between a hero and a villain, which means if he does something that is not considered good then he’s bad. You can see how that mindset affects him firstly in ‘Dealing With Intrusive Thoughts’ “It’s a little like looking into a funhouse mirror, but instead of a giant head, or like, long legs and a tiny torse, …it shows you… everything you don’t wanna be” and then at the end of ‘Putting Others First’ “He’s (Janus) asking us to go back on things we’ve known for years! rights and wrongs, should’s and shouldn’t’s!”

The world is not black and white like Roman was taught, so now he’s lost himself in trying to understand the many different shades of grey around him.

Continuing down the angst road, we have Virgil’s uncharacteristic behaviour towards Patton. Yes, we have seen him act this way before, but ever since the ‘Accepting Anxiety’ arc he’s acted differently. More like his true self with the knowledge that he’s safe and among friends, like Logan said in Fitting In he’s part of the group. So, what changed?

Logically he would act out this way as a part of his fight or flight response, or more specifically he’s fighting against what scares him. He acts this way towards Janus and Remus (although it’s harder with Remus since he’s Remus) he gets defensive, cold, and downright mean because he’s trying to protect himself. My point? Something about Patton is scaring Virgil.

If we look at the relationship between them before Virgil’s behaviour, then we have what happened in ‘Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts'. Virgil was at a terrible point of stress over Remus showing up, mainly because Patton was stressed at Remus showing up. Pat’s knee jerk reaction to Remus and what he contributes sends Virgil into a panic because, in a sense, they’re connected as Thomas’s emotions. This may seem odd but stick with me here.

Fear and stress are the two things that drive Virgil. In ‘Why do we Get Out of Bed in the Morning’, he mentions that Thomas feeling stressed over deadlines and projects causes him to “work overtime”. As for fear, that’s clear enough in ‘Moving On’ parts 1 and 2, with his reaction to Patton’s Room. The strong influence of emotions in Patton’s room may have heightened his function because emotion is a core part of who he is. In fact, in ‘Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts’, Logan asks Virgil how Thomas is feeling. This means that he is just as connected to Thomas’s emotional state as Patton.

There isn’t a clear indicator of what happened between ‘Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts’ and ‘Are There Healthy Distractions’ to prompt Virgil’s behaviour towards Patton. Or is there? Let’s look at what exactly he says to Patton:

First from ‘Are There Healthy Distractions’: “How can Thomas Feel B-A-D with his inner D-A-D?” “I can think of a few ways.” This is the first time Virgil lashes out at Patton, and it’s obvious through the whole episode that he’s stressed out.

He actively wants to address the problem throughout the episode and is in a lot of emotional turmoil since the others seem to be ignoring it while he just can’t. Seriously, the pain piles upon him till the point he and Thomas fall into an anxiety attack.

So why does he antagonise Patton here? Because Patton is the one ignoring the problem. Patton is the one most actively ignoring what happened and Virgil is feeling hurt by that. Sure, Logan is distracted, but Logan understands that there are healthy distractions and can stay concentrated on the movie, causing him to not notice Virgil’s dilemma until later. And Roman is still following Patton’s lead here. When he took a jab at Virgil at the beginning and Patton said, “that’s not nice Roman.” He instantly panicked and scrambled to amend himself.

After ‘Are There Healthy Distractions’, we don’t see Patton and Virgil interact again until the end card of Working Through Intrusive Thoughts. “Oh, thank goodness, you’re giving him permission.” “Well, y-yeah. Of course I would.” Virgil bringing up Patton giving Thomas permission seems out of context, and yet it’s perfectly in line with the ending of ‘Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts’ where Patton said “I can’t control every little thing that pops into your head. This may be unnecessary, but, … It’s okay if you sometimes think some… Icky thoughts, Thomas. You have my… permission”

This begs the question though, why is that the line that stuck with Virgil? Because Virgil doesn’t want to be manipulated anymore.

If we look at his relationship with Janus for a moment, then anyone from a mile away can see the two have some sort of history. Something that goes beyond even Virgil’s past as one of the others. The relationship that they used to have. It’s been established that Remus used to unsettle Virgil, so I doubt they spent too much time together, but Janus? That’s a very different story.

Janus is deceit, lies, and denial so he may have hidden Virgil from Thomas. He may have lied to Virgil about his function to keep him under control. It was the best way he knew to hide Virgil from Thomas. But in the end, Virgil came to the realisation that Janus was a lair and hence they must have had a terrible fallout.

This began his arc as the ‘antagonist’ in Thomas’s life. He no longer allowed Janus to control him and faced the light sides on his own. He fought to have his voice heard along with the rest. Now he’s scared of losing the freedom he fought for via Patton taking control.

He’s been down the road before where he was taken advantage of, and he doesn’t want to fall for that again. Never again.

Oof, okay, now we come to Patton himself. He seems fine from the outside, but we all know that he has a habit of keeping his negative emotions on the down-low. He doesn’t exactly know what he’s done. That doesn’t excuse it, but it does put his behaviour into context.

In ‘Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts’ he realises how his reaction to things has influence Thomas’s wellbeing. In ‘Are There Healthy Distractions’ He’s trying to stay committed to Thomas's decision and not influence changing his mind towards facing the problem. Then in ‘Putting Others First’, we see how absolutely distressed he’s feeling because the influence he has over Thomas could be used for bad and hurt Thomas.

In a nutshell, he doesn’t want to become the bad guy, but he doesn’t know how to correct his behaviour. In ‘Putting Others First’ he even asks Janus “What can we do”. It shows that he knows he’s doing something wrong and wants to do the right thing, but everything he’s ever known has been torn apart and now he’s just left confused.

He doesn’t know what to do anymore.

Remus is just doing what he normally does. He’s functioning just fine and honestly, there isn’t anything much to unpack about his behaviour. He’s being himself. Although perhaps there’s something, or someone, behind what he’s doing.

It’s no secret that Janus is the brains of the two (although Remus can create some magnificent Rube Goldberg machines) and could be the mastermind behind this scheme. Since he was introduced, we knew Janus hid behind lies and worked with complex plans to fulfil his goals. The ending of ‘Putting Others First’ shows that he has a part of himself that is only looking out for others but that doesn’t change the fact he’s planning something.

His words at the end of ‘Working Through Intrusive Thoughts’ “Yes, everything is just… fine.” He knows something is not fine. He may even be behind instigating the entire thing.

This time though, perhaps his scheme is meant for good. He can see how the sides are very different from each other. Their working together as the light sides is incredibly unstable. Thomas's mental wellbeing is practically hanging from a thread.

How do we solve this problem? Expose it. So far, Janus's meddling has been to push things into the light. to get Thomas to face all aspects of himself and better understand the complexities of the world.

The truth needs to come out before things can get better.

And all of that brings me finally to the main point of my rant. My personal theory about what will happen with the finale.

Patton and Roman/Virgil currently have an unresolved conflict. That’s what will start the episode. Patton is trying to fix things with Roman and/or Virgil. Logan will try to be the mediator for the situation, and no one seems to be listening to him.

Then Janus shows up and is now on Patton’s side. This is making things worse because well Roman and Virgil still don’t like Janus at all. Perhaps Virgil will even snap and give more context into what happened between him and Janus, comparing Janus and Patton now that Pat seems to be betraying them. Remus even shows up and adds his own comments to further unsettle everyone. The fight is going to get bigger until finally, Logan snaps.

Orange-Logan is now part of the mix, and he is angry. Nothing is holding him back anymore so now everyone is going to have to focus on him. They will listen to him now, which is good, but because anger has taken over, Logan isn’t the same. He’s not able to reason with his own emotions and act as the voice of reason. Everything is coming down!

So now the fighting has gotten even worse, even louder, everyone is stressed and hurt and shouting and then Virgil says “stop”. He doesn’t shout it, he just speaks in a normal calm tone, although his voice is echoing a bit. Everyone does stop mainly out of confusion at his sudden hushed tone, then they see what is happening to Thomas. All their arguing has caused him to spiral into a panic.

Virgil calms Thomas down from his panic, and then Logan from his anger. It’s good for Logan to stand up for himself to be listened to, but anger will get them nowhere. He even apologises for not listening to Logan before things got this bad.

Logan calms down and apologises for his behaviour then calmly calls out the others on their own actions. With a calmer atmosphere, everyone can see a bit more clearly where they were in the wrong and apologise to one another. They talk things out, come to an understanding and resolve their feelings.

Anyway, if you made it to the end of this, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this theory and any theories you have regarding the finale. Thank you for reading and I hope that you have a wonderful day.

#sanders sides #virgil sanders #ts virigl #logan sanders #ts logan #roman sanders #ts roman #patton sanders #ts patton #janus sanders #ts janus #remus sanders #ts remus #ts spoliers

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saint-cichol-is-watching · 4 years

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Any headcanons on what everyone's Halloween costumes would be?

I had to think for a bit but I do have some ideas:

(they’re not in any particular order I wrote them when I had the time to and saved it in my drafts)

Mammon‘s costume absolutely depended on you. He just tried so hard to act cool around you (and did a terrible job at it) and find out what you were planning on wearing for Halloween to choose a matching one. When he did manage to pull it off he immediately acted like it was a mere and coincidence on his part and even showed the audacity to tell you that you could have just said it if you wanted matching costumes.

Beelzebub wore two costumes on the night of Halloween. The first one was a pizza and he looked so cute in it. Like he could barely move and he was stuck t-posing because of how huge the costume was. But of course, as you could have all expected from Beel stuck in food-themed costume, you just turned your back one second and when you turned back he just stood there in his underwear (still T-Posing), slurping on the last bit of fabric left. He was very sad about it so you had to find a new idea and quick, which lead you to cut holes in a sheet and throw it over his head to make him a ghost.

Belphegor was, out of pure laziness, also going to go as a ghost until absolutely everyone told him this was not how it should happen. Which lead him to decide he wanted a circus-related costume and more precisely a ringmaster one. He threw some fake blood and on it and called it a day. However, seeing how down Beel was after eating his own costume and being left under a white sheet as a ghost he went back to his room and cut two holes in a black sheet and threw it over his head just so they could match.

Solomon's costume was just like his cooking. Nobody truly knew what it was but everybody acknowledged that it so was absolutely terrifying, it brought in you all an irrational fear as if every phobia you ever had just suddenly rushed back to you.

Diavolo was probably the most excited about Halloween and since it was a human tradition he made a lot of research about it. Research that sooner rather than later brought him to our most iconic horror movies and more specifically horror movie villains. Which of course propelled him to disguise himself as one of those (I’m personally leaning more towards Jason from “Friday the 13th”)

Leviathan had already known for a long time that he would be spending Halloween disguised as the Lord of Shadows from TSL. Many tried to stop him from doing so of course (namely Lucifer) but he was the one in charge of doing the costumes so nobody opposed to it for too long.

Simeon’s costume totally depended on whether or not Luke would be there. If Luke was there then he and Simeon would probably wear matching costumes such as a shepherd and his lamb or something similar. If Luke wasn't there then Simeon might go a bit more suggestive, not downright sexy (I mean knowing him he would make it sexy by accident) just suggestive enough to make you think there is something naughty lying underneath. He might go as a shepherd but a sexy shepherd.

Nobody will be surprised as Asmodeus going as something sexy, sexy nurse, sexy firefighter, sexy prisoner you name it he would do it. He even probably asked you to match if you felt comfortable enough with that.

Barbatos was very simple in his thinking. A knife in his hand, some fake blood on his palms and face, well at least you thought it was fake, and some torn up clothes he would mend the next day and here he was standing as an evil murderous butler. Pretty clever really because he looked downright terrifying.

For Halloween, Lucifer also had a very simple way to think about costumes. He just used the skimmed through the most popular costume ideas in the human world and chose his favorite. Which lead him to attend the Halloween party as a vampire. The costume was actually very beautiful and he definitely pulled it off, but it was the aura that he emanated that really sealed the deal.

Satan had a really hard time choosing for a costume. He was torn between going as a cat or as a famous detective such as Sherlock Holmes. A bit like Mammon his ultimate choice really depended on you and the one you preferred. He even suggested that you matched for Halloween.

#obey me #obey me one master to rule them all #swd obey me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me leviathan #obey me Diavolo #obey me Barbatos #obey me simeon #obey me solomon

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twistedtummies2 · 3 years

Text

Top 12 Pandora Hearts Characters

Moriarty the Patriot may be my new favorite anime and manga series, but today, I feel like talking about my OTHER favorite manga (and what COULD have been my favorite anime, if it had only gone on longer): a little franchise known as Pandora Hearts. Japan has a huge following for the works of Lewis Carroll, but Pandora Hearts has probably the most unusual manner of reinterpreting the characters. The story of PH is set in a world where human beings coexist with monstrous entities known as Chains: demon-like beings who are all directly inspired, in terms of name and design, on characters from Wonderland. With a few exceptions, the characters themselves do not have the names of characters from the books; instead, it is the Chains they make bargains with, form “Contracts” with, that tell you what character from the stories they are meant to represent. It’s a cool idea, and whether you look at this franchise as a new take on Wonderland, or just look at the characters on their own terms separate from the books, they are all fun and engaging characters who are frequently much more complex than they at first seem. Now, Pandora Hearts is a series with a lot of twists and turns, so I’m going to try and keep this as spoiler-free as possible when it comes to some of the REALLY big twists, but there’s only so much I can do. So if you haven’t read the manga, or at least watched the anime, and don’t want things spoiled, just be wary in case something pops up here you weren’t wanting to know ahead of time. Also, because this is me writing this list, I will give away which characters from the Wonderland stories these characters are analogous with in their descriptions. With that said... “The time has come,” the Walrus says, “To honor them today! So here’s a list of my favorites to lighten up your day!” (pauses) Yes, I’m aware that rhyme was terrible, just run with it. These are My Top 12 Favorite Pandora Hearts Characters!

12. Echo & Noise.

Wonderland Analogues: Tweedledee & Tweedledum.

One thing you need to know about Pandora Hearts is that...honestly, like a lot of anime/manga, in my opinion...it can be rather confusing at times. The lore of this world, partially because it takes so many twists and turns all over the place, is a little hard to follow at times. I’ll try be succinct and as major-spoiler-free as possible, as I said before. With that said, these two are a prime example of how things get twisted up. Echo and Noise are essentially a classic Jekyll-&-Hyde scenario; a pair of separate identities occupying the same body. Noise, also called “Zwei,” is the original personality: a member of the mysterious and dangerous Baskerville Clan, she is, as her name suggest, loudmouthed, crazy, and rather all over the place. Noise is in control of a Chain known as “Duldee,” and the Chain is responsible for the creation of the other personality: Echo. Echo is the exact opposite of Noise: she is quiet, constantly polite, and indeed often seems to be little more than a robot, very emotionless and unnervingly calm, even in the heat of battle. As Echo, she is the unsettlingly loyal servant of one of the series’ chief antagonists, Vincent Nightray, and their relationship is...a little creepy. Vincent frequently treats her like a beloved child or pet, but he also frequently uses her for his own selfish ends, never worrying about nearly killing her in order to get what he wants, and seeming to see her more as an object than another living being. Despite this, the most upset with him Echo ever gets is calling him “annoying” (now, THERE’S an understatement), and Noise herself is absolutely obsessed with him. Their twisted relationship with Vincent, and all the fun that’s had with these two different personalities, is a big part of what gets them a slot on the list.

11. Oscar Vessalius.

Wonderland Analogue: N/A

While most of the characters in Pandora Hearts are easily identified by their Chains, some don’t even have Chains, and thus cannot be readily identified as any character from the Carroll classics. Oscar Vessalius, whom I frequently and affectionately refer to as “Uncle Oscar,” is one of those cases. Now, to be fair, Uncle Oscar is not the most complex character in this series, but he IS one of the most endearing. Oscar is the paternal uncle of our main protagonist, Oz, and considering Oz’s father is...well...a gigantic douchebag of the highest order...Oscar really is more of a father to Oz than anybody else in the series. Oscar is unflappably encouraging and jolly, and extremely protective and caring when it comes to his family. He’s always there to support Oz and his friends, tries his best to get along with everybody, and generally speaking brightens up every single scene he has. Despite this, Oscar does have a bit of a sly and sneaky side to him, as well as a slightly lecherous leaning in some cases, which keep him from being too perfect or one-note a character. While he has no direct ties to Wonderland, some have suggested that he MIGHT be inspired by Lewis Carroll himself, and there are a few subtle things that could suggest that...but either way, he’s ultimately a purely original character, and of those ranks, he’s easily one of the best.

10. Reim Lunettes.

Wonderland Analogue: March Hare.

Reim, sometimes called “Liam,” is the best friend of Xerxes Break and one of the most notable members of Pandora: a not-so-secret organization dedicated to the study of Chains and the protection of the world. Sort of a Victorian-styled Men in Black, if you will. (pauses) The Will Smith Men in Black, I should say. ANYWAY, an interesting thing I’ve noticed with many interpretations of the March Hare in Japanese culture is they tend to make him a somewhat more serious and more easily flustered character than the Mad Hatter. Reim is no exception: he’s a panicky workaholic who is frequently the butt of other people’s jokes, and tries to treat things with a no-nonsense demeanor, taking his job extremely seriously and always worried about what’s best for his employers. In some ways, one could argue he acts more like the White Rabbit, but that character is one we’ll get to later. At any rate, while Reim is constantly obsessed with his work, and frequently frustrated by Break’s antics, as well as the shenanigans of other characters, he has a heart of gold and is always there to try and help his friends and colleagues when they most require assistance. His Chain also has a pretty impressive power that one does not expect...but I mustn’t say more, or I’ll spoil something important.

9. Sharon Rainsworth.

Wonderland Analogue: Unicorn.

Another character with close ties to Xerxes Break, Sharon is an interestingly dichotomous character. She’s one of the first people we encounter in this series, and she plays a big part in the story as it unfolds...but in the early parts of the franchise, what’s interesting is that Sharon stays largely in the background. Now, at first, it seems this is because she’s one of the head members of Pandora, and Break is technically her servant; so it makes sense the others would interact more with Break than Sharon. But as time goes on, and we learn more about Sharon, we find that’s not so much the case. Sharon and Break have a brother-and-sister relationship, with Sharon seeing Break as her surrogate big brother, and Break seeing her as his little sister. The problem with this relationship is that Break will do anything to protect Sharon, and at times that can go a bit too far, as Sharon truly wants to be of use to him and prove she’s just as powerful as he is or any other major member of the team. Indeed, her Chain, Equus the Black Unicorn, has many impressive abilities, including being able to open a gateway between Earth and the Hell-like dimension of The Abyss. A lot of this dichotomy is visible in Sharon’s personality: most of the time she’s very demure, polite, sweet, and ladylike. But the more we see of Sharon, the more we become aware of other facets to her personality. She’s shown to have a tough and domineering side to her character, and has some eccentricities of her own. Most notably, she’s absolutely INSANE when it comes to romance stories and romantic situations, and holds both the standards of ladies and gentlemen in high regard. Whether she’s a soothing presence or a downright scary one, Sharon is always an interesting character to return to.

8. Rufus Barma.

Wonderland Analogue: Dodo.

There are a few characters in the frequently twisted-up world of Pandora Hearts who have a habit of constantly keeping you guessing...but the king of mystery, without a shadow of a doubt, is the Duke Rufus Barma. His analogous Chain, Dodo, is able to conjure impressive illusions, and this illusionary skill is only the tip of the iceberg in showing how this man constantly manages to make you wonder just what is going on in his head. Barma lives by the code of “knowledge is power,” and constantly seeks to learn everything he can about...well...anything and anybody he wants. Money and prestige are secondary to him. He’s very soft-spoken and cold, even when angered, and carries himself with a sense of grace that’s rather flamboyant, but somehow not exactly loud or over-the-top in the way some of the other characters can be. His exact goals and motivations are constantly second-guessed, and you’re never really sure what makes him tick or what side he’ll take. You’re never really sure if he’s a villain or a hero. I love characters like this, in general, so it’s ultimately no surprise that Rufus Barma gets a solid spot on this list.

7. The Will of the Abyss.

Wonderland Analogue: White Rabbit.

The Will of the Abyss (sometimes called “Alyss” and sometimes called “The Intention of the Abyss”) isn’t a villain we see a whole lot of. She is the queen of the Abyss; the ruler of everything there. The Abyss, itself, is the home of the demon-like chains: ghoulish entities who feed on human beings, body and soul, and are formed from those who have fallen into the Abyss in the past. The place is described as “a broken toy box” and is a horrifying limbo realm of killer dolls and psychotic puppets. Needless to say, it’s not exactly an ideal vacation spot. The Will is a mysterious and mercurial character; she’s mostly a peripheral villain, since we see more of the Chains she controls than her, herself, and much of what we DO see of her actually comes through flashbacks...but in that overall brief amount of time, she proves to be honestly the single scariest character in the series, as well as one of the saddest. Part of this is due to her mood: the Will can shift from seemingly innocent and playful to screaming like a banshee in a split-second; she can go from crying and sobbing like a sad little girl to being as refined and elegant as a proper queen. And there really isn’t a safe place with her, in any of this, either; sometimes that playful and sweet persona is a good thing, but other times...yeah, it’s...um...REALLY not. Like many Chains, she’s violent and bloodthirsty, but unlike other Chains, there’s some humanity to her and you get the feeling that a lot of her actions are justified. She’s still very much a villain, but she’s also a victim, in a way, and as the story goes on, you feel bad for her and are truly sorry when her part in the series’ events is finished. Whether she makes you whimper with terror or makes you want to hug her and console her, the Will of the Abyss is bound to get a major reaction from you.

6. Vincent Nightray.

Wonderland Analogue: Dormouse.

One of the main antagonists of the series (though not, for the record, THE main antagonist...they actually don’t appear in this top twelve), Vincent Nightray is another character who changes throughout the series. What I find most interesting about Vincent is that he, himself, changes very little. It’s more the attitude the reader has to him, in the manga, that changes. See, if you only know Vincent from the anime, or the chapters in the manga that the anime covers, chances are you find him to be a pretty repugnant person. He’s creepy, he’s treacherous, he’s responsible for some of the most screwed-up things any character in this franchise does, and that’s saying a lot. He’s totally insane, and sort of seems to be aware of it, and seems to have an unhealthy interest in his own brother, Gilbert. In fact, with how disturbing he is, and the kinds of things he tries, you start off thinking he’s the main antagonist...and, for a while, he pretty much is. However, as the series continues in the manga, and you learn more about Vincent - why he is the way he is, and what exactly he wants to accomplish - the more you come to understand him and sympathize with him. Make no mistake, Vincent is a villain; in fact, even he seems to be aware of the fact that he’s sort of a monster. But he’s the kind of villain you come to feel sorry for and realize that, if things had been different, maybe could have turned out a much better person. In a way, Vincent is a foil to the ACTUAL main antagonist. Without giving anything away, the real main villain of the series follows the opposite path: at first he seems sympathetic and endearing, but the more we learn about him and the more horrible things he does, the more we come to loathe him and want to see him kicked in the face a thousand times over. Vincent, meanwhile, we start off hating his guts, but by the time his part in the story ends, we’re sad to see him go, because we understand him and care about him, and realize not everything was his fault. I actually feel a little bad for not placing Vincent higher, but I doubt the characters above him will drastically disappoint. He may have been one of the nastiest characters in the franchise, but if ever proof was needed that Evil is a lonely course to take, Vincent Nightray could provide it.

5. Cheshire Cat.

Wonderland Analogue: Doesn’t need to be given, because IT’S HIS NAME.

Again, the Cheshire Cat doesn’t have a lot of time in the series - he gets one major arc fairly early on, appears in several flashbacks afterwards, and then makes a sudden and unexpected return much later in the story - but that doesn’t keep him from being one of the most fascinating figures in the universe of PH. Cheshire is the reincarnation of an innocent kitten who belonged to a girl named Alice; the kitten was brutally murdered by Vincent Nightray. As a Chain, the Cheshire Cat is steadfastly loyal to the Will of the Abyss, and - at least at the start of the series - dwells within a mysterious realm simply known as “The Cheshire Cat’s House.” The “house” is an eerie Victorian mansion that is literally made up of all of the worst memories the Will has, and Cheshire guards the mansion and the Will herself with ferocious zeal. It’s ironic because this is a very different take on the Cheshire Cat, in general: the character in the book, and most other adaptations, is a chaotic being who shows loyalty to seemingly no one, and while some versions lean more towards good or evil, friend or foe, than others, he ultimately isn’t an obedient housecat. He’s more of an enigmatic agent of madness. This Cheshire Cat is a totally different spin on things. He’s got human-like intelligence, for the most part, and occasionally speaks in a cryptic or evasive manner, but he’s not the puzzling imp of Carroll’s classic. He doesn’t even SMILE all that often...and when he does it’s...well...the most terrifying thing you’ll ever see. But just because he’s a very different take on the character, doesn’t mean he’s still not a good one; Cheshire’s mixture of ravenous hunger (all Chains are so), sadistic ferocity, and childlike adoration of the Will make him a very layered character. Like the Will herself, he can be very creepy and menacing, but he can also be sympathetic and sweet, since he still very much is that loving kitten whose life was cut short. In a very short time, he becomes one of the most standout characters, and despite a relatively short lifespan (so to speak), it’s clear the creators really liked Cheshire, since they tried to find ways to fit him in all over the place. It’s a sign of restraint on their parts, I’d say, that he doesn’t pop up more often throughout the franchise. When he does pop up, he’s a scene stealer, and I was always excited to see him.

4. Oz Vessalius.

Wonderland Analogue: N/A

Our chief protagonist, and another original character, Oz Vessalius is a teenager whose life is turned upside-down when, at his Coming-of-Age Ceremony, a group of depraved cultists send him body and soul into the Abyss. He makes a contract with a Chain called Alice, and escapes the Abyss, only to discover that the very short time he spent down there equated to a full decade in the real world. He is enlisted by Pandora, and the rest of the series focuses on his adventures as he tries to discover the secrets of a cataclysmic event from the past known as “The Tragedy of Sablier” - in which an entire city was somehow sucked down into the Abyss. Oz is an endearing young hero, as his youth is mixed with a curious maturity. At times he’s very silly and almost hopelessly optimistic, but at other times he shows a very fatalistic and calculating side to his personality. Part of this is due to his upbringing, as his father never showed him any love at all, and the best friend he ever really had was his own servant, Gilbert. He didn’t exactly get out much to explore the world. So while he’s lived a very sheltered life, it’s also been a very cold one. Oz works on a philosophy of acceptance, just going with the flow and trying not to let the bad things get to you...but considering he frequently claims his own life means very little to him, it’s very clear the bad things DO get to him. In fact, despite his privileged youth, he puts the lives of others vastly before his own, even when he doesn’t know them all that well. He just doesn’t like to show how much things can hurt him, and tries to press ahead no matter what. It’s a complex sort of way of thinking - being proud and unflinching and yet humble and downright self-loathing, all with a dash of youthful exuberance - and as the series goes on, and we learn more about Oz than maybe even he knows, it only becomes more fascinating. He may not be my favorite character, but he’s a fine protagonist for us to follow, and certainly worthy of high marks here.

3. Gilbert Nightray.

Wonderland Analogue: The Monstrous Crow...probably.

I say “probably” because Gilbert’s Chain, as well as his own codename, is “Raven,” which is an obvious reference to the riddle “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” I guess it’s possible both were inspirational, but the Crow is an actual creature/character in the stories, so it’s the one I choose to credit. Whatever the case, Gil is one of the other major protagonists in the series, and...this guy is freaking adorable. I know he doesn’t look it, but trust me, he’s adorable. At the start of the series, we meet Gil as a small boy, who has amnesia about his past and works as a servant for Oz. Oz is not only his Master, but his best friend, and Gil will do absolutely anything to protect and serve his “Young Master” no matter what. After Oz descends into the Abyss, Gil - blaming himself - tries to run away...and is enlisted, at a very young age, by Xerxes Break. He becomes a double-agent, working for both the Rainsworth and Nightray households, upon discovering he is actually a long-lost member of the Nightray family. When Oz returns years later, Gil is a seemingly changed man: stoic, stern, always dressed in black, smoking heavily, and rarely speaking. Very quickly, however, we discover a lot of this stoicism is a facade: underneath it all, Gil is very much still a child at heart, and even though he’s grown older, he still sees Oz as his brother and best friend, as well as his true master, and will do anything to protect and to help him. Just as Oz always puts his life ahead of others, Gil’s foremost thoughts are always with Oz and how he can help him, and the lengths he’ll go to in order to keep Oz safe are sometimes touching, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes downright heartbreaking. Gil’s “dark side” is certainly engaging - he’s a crack shot with a pistol, and has a gloomy and cynical sense of humor - but I think what’s most endearing about him are the moments...and there are surprisingly many...where we see the cracks in the armor, and this “seaweed head” shows that he really hasn’t changed as much as he often claims. Whether he’s a man of action or a man of hilarious hijinks, Gilbert Nightray is more than worthy of a place in the top three.

2. Alice.

Wonderland Analogue: Again, IT’S HER NAME.

The secondary protagonist of the series, after Oz, this Alice is a far cry from the little girl we know of from the Carroll stories. At the start of the franchise, we are introduced to Alice as a Chain known as “B. Rabbit” - a title that stands for both “Black Rabbit” and “Bloody” or “Bloodstained Rabbit.” (In fact, her full title is often given as “The Bloody/Bloodstained Black Rabbit.”) B. Rabbit is one of the most powerful Chains out there, and in her Chain form, Alice is a nigh-unstoppable powerhouse ruled by bloodthirst - a maniacal berserker whose morning star chains and massive scythe cleave through even the toughest opponents with ease. However, Alice can also resort to human form, and here she’s much more...well...human. She has the same basic weaknesses a human has, she’s not quite as psychotic (though she DOES have a nasty temper at times)...really, the only sign of her being a Chain is her ravenous hunger. Like any Chain, Alice is ALWAYS hungry, and always hungry for MEAT. Thankfully, unlike other Chains, Alice has no desire to consume human beings. Indeed, while at first she comes across as frightening and intimidating, Alice has a very vulnerable side to her; she’s lived her life without any real friends or family, since the only “family” she has is her twin, the Will of the Abyss...and, to put things simply, they don’t get along very well. Much like Oz, she often feels like she’s undeserving of other people’s care and attention, but while Oz compensates this through being charitable and caring, Alice compensates by over-inflating herself; a classic “superiority complex via inferiority complex” issue. She’s never unlikeable, however, and as the series goes on - and we come to realize that Alice’s true identity, and her status as a Chain, is a lot less cut-and-dry than we might think - she only becomes a more and more fun and fascinating character...arguably more fascinating than Oz. Indeed, it’s really Alice who drives so much of the plot of the series forward, as her whole goal in the series is to find out the truth of her past and regain her lost memories, and it’s through the team’s efforts to help Alice in this goal that so much of the story is told. Oz is really just along for the ride, at least at first. Powerful but not invincible, and easily one of my favorite takes on the title character of the Carroll stories, Alice nabs second place easily…

...But who in the great wide world could take first? That honor goes to...

1. Xerxes Break.

Wonderland Analogue: The Mad Hatter AND The White Knight.

Yep. Two characters. How is this possible? Well, the first thing to know about Xerxes Break is that he wasn’t always called “Xerxes Break.” Once upon a time, he was a knight called Kevin Regnard, who served a noble family; his Chain was called Albus the White Knight. When Regnard’s mistakes led to the destruction of the entire family, he went absolutely bonkers and became a twisted serial killer known as the Red-Eyed Ghost. Ultimately, however, his contract with Albus ended, and Regnard was dragged down into the Abyss, where the Will and the Cheshire Cat ripped out one of his eyes (...yikes…), and plotted to turn him into another Chain. Things get a bit complicated at this point, but basically, Kevin managed to escape and was thrown into another time and place upon doing so. He was taken in by the Rainsworth family, befriend Reim Lunettes, and steadily began to come out of his shell. He took the name “Xerxes Break,” because he felt “broken,” later formed a contract with a very special and powerful Chain known as The Mad Hatter (in fact, one of Break’s nicknames is “Mr. Hatter”), and crafted a whole new personality for himself: Kevin Regnard was stern, work-obsessed, and wore his heart on his sleeve. Xerxes Break is in every way his opposite. When it comes to takes on the Mad Hatter, Break is one of the best; granted, we very rarely see him WEAR a hat, but the personality of the guy speaks for itself. Break often comes across as clownish and childishly hyperactive, constantly eating sweets, performing magic tricks and weird stunts just for the sheer sake of it, prancing around and giggling like a small boy, and even interacting with a puppet he calls “Emily”...which...may or may not actually be alive. However, much of this is a facade, as underneath it all, Break is...well...broken. Not just in body (he��s much, much older and more frail than he often seems), but in terms of his mind; he’s half-crazed and extremely mercurial. Much like with Rufus Barma, Break is somebody you’re never entirely sure of, but in a different way. Break, you see, is very open and honest; he never tells lies and he makes his loyalties and disloyalties very clear. But at the same time he’s very secretive and enigmatic, often speaking in riddles and partial-truths to throw people off. He’s very cunning and intelligent, and a gifted swordsman, and will do anything and use almost anyone to get what he wants. So while he can be extremely funny, he can also be very frightening and ruthless. You’re never sure what’s going to set him off and if the next line he says is going to be a threat or a joke. And as the series goes on, and we see more and more of Break’s vulnerabilities, we only come to care about him more and more, though, at the same time, he always remains an eternal mystery. A riddle with no real answer...just like the Mad Hatter’s from the book. (Way to bring things around, don’t you think?) Whether you look at him as a version of the Hatter, or look at him just for who and what he is on his own terms, he is, in my opinion, the most well-rounded and fascinating character in the whole series, and easily takes the top spot as My Favorite Pandora Hearts Character. Xerxes Break, I doff my own topper to thee. (tips hat)

Honorable Mentions Include...

Elliot Nightray.

Leo.

Jack Vessalius.

Lottie Baskerville.

Lily Baskerville.

Ada Vessalius.

Phillipe West.

#pandora hearts #top 12 #top 12 pandora hearts characters #characters #best #favorites #list #countdown #alice in wonderland #wonderland #alice

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plasticnightmaredoll · 3 years

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So, the "Justice League" finally got its own movie, eh? Oh, that thing from 2017 was just trash. It's gone. We don't need to look at it anymore.

But in all seriousness, it's great people called out for the Zack Snyder cut of the movie and actually got it! And, yes, it is a vast improvement over the Joss Whedon cut.

Now, my feelings about the DCEU have been pretty divided:

I actually did enjoy "Man of Steel" and found Superman to be relatable and likable for once (I'm not a Superman fan and don't come for me)

"Wonder Woman" was very entertaining and easily the best entry for me in the movie series so far.

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" was a hot mess. Lots of good ideas but it was executed poorly. It felt kind of cheesy at times, especially that whole "Save Martha" thing. Jesse Eisenburg is not a convincing Lex Luthor. Ben Affleck is not a good actor and is a terrible Batman/Bruce Wayne. He's not as bad as George Clooney, but he's not much better either.

"Wonder Woman 1984" was a massive glow-down. Poor quality writing, Maxwell Lord was a weak villain, Cheetah was laughable, and the ending was so goddamn corny! Not to mention, it took ages for anything interesting to happen, and what was the deal with Steve Trevor possessing another dude's body? I mean...what?

Haven't seen "Suicide Squad" in its entirety but I do know and have seen enough to decide that it's a huge misstep. Haven't seen "Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)" either but I have some interest in it so perhaps someday.

Haven't watched "Aquaman" but probably will eventually but I'm just not very motivated to see it. I like Jason Mamoa as Aquaman/Arthur Curry, but...I don't know. The trailers didn't really grab my attention.

The 2017 Joss Whedon version of "Justice League" was terrible -- worse than "Batman v Superman," worse than "Wonder Woman 1984." I thought the movie moved too quickly, lacked proper character development, and had some bad CGI (I mean, Mustache Gate, am I right?)

Onto the Synder Cut for "Justice League!" Spoilers ahead, of course:

These are really a collection of thoughts, opinions, and observations I had while watching the movie. I have only seen the 2017 film once and honestly don't want to watch it ever again, not even to "refresh my memory" of some details.

Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf was such a pitiful villain in the Whedon Cut. The CGI for him was terrible, and he looked like some weird dude in armor. His personality and motives were paper thin as well. He was a throw-away, token villain, and the only things memorable about him was his name and voice.

In the Snyder Cut, not only was Steppenwolf's CGI much more refined, his character design was imposing. His armor seemed to be alive, too, always shifting slightly, this way and that, which was an impressive sight. His motives, while nothing too deep or extraordinary, gave him a little more depth: he pissed off Darkseid and had to make up for it, and was clearly afraid of what could happen to him if he failed.

The name and voice obviously were still memorable but combined with the other improvements to his character, they were icing on the cake.

That being said, I don't think Steppenwolf is as intriguing or even remotely sympathetic as Loki and Thanos in the MCU.

Darkseid

Was Darkseid even mentioned in the Whedon cut? I can't remember and I don't want to watch that shitty movie again just to find out. However, I don't recall Darkseid making an appearance or even being spoken of in the 2017 version. Now, I haven't read DC (or Marvel) comics, so I don't know a lot about the guy, but he is supposedly one of the more iconic villains.

His motives are pretty simple, though: command and conquer. There isn't a lot of depth so far in the movies but he does pose a much larger threat than Steppenwolf did. You could tell Steppenwolf was intimidated by Darkseid, who was about as cold and menacing as they come. He's a complete villain in that regard, having no emotions and only seeking power for himself.

He looked great in the Snyder Cut. He was actually really fucking scary-looking. He made the beefcake Steppenwolf look like a puppy.

I'm glad that Darkseid made an appearance, even if he didn't fight the Justice League. It alludes to a much broader story, as well as foreshadows an epic boss fight down the line -- assuming the Snyder Cut is popular enough to convince the studios to make a direct sequel and not just abandon things in favor of some sort of soft reboot.

Superman/Clark Kent/Henry Cavill/Mustache Gate

Let's get this out of the way: Henry Cavill is hot af.

Ok, now that we got that out of the way, hooray for Snyder for getting rid of those nasty reshoot scenes involving Henry's CGI'd mouth! Can't say I missed them, you know? I mean, in the 2017 Whedon Cut, you could always spot reshoot scenes based on whether or not Henry's mouth looked normal and totally strange.

I think the 2017 movie had Superman grab Batman by the neck and ask, "Tell me: Do you bleed?" I'm relieved that was removed from the Synder Cut because it added too much of an evil tone to Superman, and we could clearly tell he was most upset with Batman upon being revived.

One massive problem with the 2017 movie was that it made every member of the Justice League look like bumbling idiots without Superman's help. It was downright embarrassing and unrealistic. I mean, you're telling me that Wonder Woman, a goddess, can't take on Steppenwolf? Or Victor Stone, a cyborg with incredible abilities? Making Superman key to winning isn't the problem, it's how it was done in the 2017 movie. He's already OP but that shouldn't mean his comrades have to be useless in comparison.

Superman was allowed to be OP in the Snyder Cut without making his team look incompetent. Like in the Avengers movies, everyone in the Justice League had a purpose and all of them worked together to defeat Steppenwolf. Superman obviously was key to winning, but, again, it wasn't like he was the only capable one during the battle.

I did like the black suit. It's kind of ominous but also very cool at the same time. But is it also foreshadowing something? I don't know...I haven't read the comics so I really don't have any idea lol.

Batman/Bruce Wayne/Batfleck

One glaring issue I still have is Ben Affleck is a mediocre actor at best and he's a terrible Bruce Wayne/Batman. I mean, they couldn't have found anyone else? Someone with, like, good acting abilities?

Martian Manhunter

This whole time -- THIS WHOLE GOTDAMM TIME -- Martian Manhunter was hiding in plain sight! General Swanwick, who I remember from "Man of Steel," IS Martian Manhunter. I didn't see that coming. I mean, I knew Martian Manhunter would appear in the Snyder Cut but I didn't know he'd have an alternate identity, let alone that of an existing character in the DCEU.

As much as I did like seeing him, I am glad he didn't play a big part because the movie already has plenty of characters as is, and introducing yet another one could have slowed things down and taken away from developing the plot.

The Runtime/Pacing

I mentioned already that the Whedon Cut felt rushed and needed much more time to develop its characters and plot. While I had doubts about whether or not making "Justice League" four hours long would be a good idea, it turns out that it was just what the story needed.

Character development was actually existent, and Cyborg/Victor Stone received a detailed backstory, and Flash/Barry Allen got some extra tidbits added to his character's story/background as well.

I actually thought Victor was a fascinating (if a bit tragic) character in the Whedon cut and was disappointed that he just sort of, like, popped up and fought alongside the other Justice League members with the tiniest amount of depth.

Despite an epic 4-hour runtime, it didn't feel slow, nor did it feel like any scenes were "filler." Every scene had a purpose and kept the story moving at a steady, comprehensible pace. It felt more like a 2.5-3 hour movie, honestly, which is a feat since pacing can often be one of a film's biggest issues ("Avengers: Endgame" also accomplished this feat with its 3-hour runtime feeling more like 2-2.5 hours but with no negative side effects of that). Breaking the movie into chapters, including an epilogue was a tad strange because it's not a very common thing, but I think it helped break up the epic 4 hours into separate, manageable but still cohesive pieces. Also, they helped easily transition from one portion to the next smoothly without any awkward cuts.

The Flash/Barry Allen/Ezra Miller

Barry still amused me in the Whedon Cut. He brought some good-natured humor and charm to the movie, preventing it from being too brooding and intense.

I think Ezra is a talented actor and does well in the Barry Allen role but he is, unfortunately, a problematic person. I mean, if he gets recast, he gets recast but hopefully, they pick someone else who has some acting abilities worth noting (i.e. Not a Ben Affleck type of actor)

The Final Battle

It was a huge improvement over the 2017 cut, as everyone was key to winning the final battle, not just Superman. It is meant to be a team of costumed heroes defeating a villain, not just one OP member of the team outdoing everyone else.

That being said, I felt that the final battle was a little bit anti-climatic. I don't know what it was but I just thought that it would be longer? I expected more to happen? More fighting? Not sure how to describe it, but I do feel like it wasn't as impressive as it could have been.

The Epilogue

A dystopian future involving an evil Superman and Joker somehow working WITH Batman was just...crazy. I mean, evil Superman, I can believe, but Joker and Batman working together (even reluctantly) is quite a sight.

Based on what I've been reading, this nightmare Bruce has could be setting up not one but two sequels for "Justice League." I would like to see how things will play out even if things get kind of dark. I'm getting the impression that Darkseid will kill Lois Lane, thus breaking Superman emotionally and making him compliant. That is unless Bruce intervenes in this timeline and prevents that from happening...but at the expense of his own life. Oh dear...

I definitely enjoyed the Zack Snyder version of "Justice League," and would definitely watch it again and again and again. I already have forgotten the majority of the Whedon Cut, and after seeing Synder's version, I think the 2017 movie will be rendered null and void. I hope it is just expelled from the DCEU canon entirely. That, and we get the "Justice League" sequels, preferably from Zack Snyder (Say what you want but I think he is a pretty good director for the most part and seems to really care about this work).

I honestly want to see a fight between the Justice League and Darkseid because I think that's what we're trying to build up to, and seeing as how Darkseid is one of the legendary villains in the DC comics, I would be extremely disappointed if this doesn't come to pass.

Also, as much as I like Batman/Bruce Wayne, seeing him sacrifice himself to save the team, including Lois and thus Superman's sanity, would be something else. It would bring everyone even closer together, for one, and I think that the negativity shared between Batman and Superman in the past would be completely forgiven. I'm not saying there isn't forgiveness now, but dying to save Superman's wife would change everything....if that makes sense? Does it make sense? I'm terrible at explaining my thoughts sometimes.

#justice league #zack snyder #dceu #snyder cut #zack snyder's justice league #superman #wonder woman #the flash #cyborg #martian manhunter #darkseid #steppenwolf #batman #barry allen #bruce wayne #diana prince #victor stone #aquaman #arthur curry

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agent-bumblebee · 3 years

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Black Widow (2021) Review:

(WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD)

After years of wondering if Black Widow will get her own solo film, it’s now here, and was it worth the wait?………..

Sort of.

See I personally think the movie was… Ok, not a masterpiece but not terrible either, it was only mediocre, the movie has some good things, and some not so good things.

So what are the good things about this? Well, some of the action scenes while kinda generic or just basic, does have some moments that are pretty cool.

Another thing that was good, was the music, yea sure it wasn’t like the most memorable score like with some other scores (i.e. The Avengers, Guardians Of The Galaxy, and the MCU Spider-Man) but it felt kinda epic, and dare I say……. Good.

And the last thing that was good, was that there were some genuinely good and heartfelt moments, (well sort of, we’ll get into that later.) I like the idea of the whole family back together story, (even if it’s just generic as hell) It was good, and gave it some emotional weight.

Oh, and some of the characters were just ok, I did like the actors, and they do bring a lot in the table, they were all good (especially Florence Pugh). Some characters weren’t all that memorable, but ok.

Now what about the not so good things? Well, as I mentioned before, while there are some genuinely good heartfelt moments, some of those moments were ruined by a terrible/forced joke or even quips, it really threw off some scenes that would have gave some weight.

And speaking of jokes, the humor is basically what you’d expect from every Marvel movies, (well, not all, just some.) some unfunny and downright terrible quips, or even the whole “Trying to force in jokes in some serious situations, just to get a few laughs out of the audience”.

Sure some jokes did land, but some of them don’t, and most of them felt awkwardly put in, like they’re trying to get a laugh out of the audience.

And finally, the one thing that wasn’t good…. Was the villain.

Every single Marvel movie has to have a villain that only appeared once, and completely forgotten about (with the exception of some including: Thanos, Loki (even if he is now an Anti-Hero but whatever.), and Killmonger (even if people said he was terrible.)).

And the movie has 2 villains: Dreykov and The Taskmaster.

I wanna focus more on the Taskmaster, since Dreykov is just your generic movie villain, and I didn’t care at all, but yea, the Taskmaster, while pretty cool If you ask me, could have been the main antagonist, I feel like that would be more exciting and more adrenaline pumping, instead The Taskmaster ended up as the second player to the actual main villain which was pretty lackluster.

Also the twist about the Taskmaster being Dreykov’s daughter, didn’t surprise me, instead was just…. Eh….

I felt like they could have made the twist more impactful and maybe even more powerful, if they had shown more of her in the flashback (which i thought was cool, since we get to know even more about the mission in Budapest from the first Avengers film.) rather than just only glimpses of her.

Now with all that being said, what is my final thoughts on the movie?

Well, overall, it wasn’t boring, but as I mentioned in the start, it was ok, there are some stuff that I liked, but then there are stuff that I didn’t like.

But yea, that’s my final thoughts on this movie, Just ok.

6/10

#black widow #marvel #movie review #marvel mcu

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the-creeping-shadow · 4 years

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Eli and the G-Man

Since my love for the Half-Life series is reignited right now, I am now going to do what I like doing in any fandom I am in, and that’s writing analyses and hypotheses picking random aspects of the franchise apart, specifically my favourite characters! Oh no!

Since my favourite character just so happens to be the G-Man, possibly one of the most mysterious and obscure characters in video games, anything that I come up with or mention is really nothing more than my personal perception and wild speculation. In fact, I am even hesitant to call anything a set headcanon because this mystery is, for me, one of the things I love about the character and anything that strives to paint a clear picture just does not feel right to me. But, just as most of the fandom, I still have my own ideas and a desire to share them. Here goes nothing! Major spoilers for HL:A ahoy!

One of the things I started wondering about, and something that I don’t see get that much notice, is the possible reason/motivation as to why the G-Man decided to convey the same ominous and extremely vague warning “Prepare for unforeseen consequences” to Eli twice, or rather in general, why he made his presence/involvement known to him when all it seems to do is unnerve and downright enrage Eli, coupled with him “using” and “abducting” his daughter at the end of Half-Life: Alyx, and Eli knowing of the G-Man’s involvement in providing the crystal sample that set off the Resonance Cascade (RC). Evidently, Eli distrusts the G-Man and goes so far as to vow to kill him for what he did to Alyx (and other things likely).

On the surface you might think that pitting an undoubtedly influential person (”entity”) against yourself and making things a little... personal appears disadvantageous as this “entity” is likely going to try to go after you. (Though perhaps the G-Man does not consider this a genuine threat at all, being as powerful as he is...) However, from what comparatively little we see of the G-Man, his modus operandi seems to be moving particular pieces in the setting where their actions - entirely based on what they consider right in whatever situation he puts them in, mind you - are going to benefit his own obscure plans. He seems to appear only to those he deems crucial to his own goals, given that some characters who technically could have seen him never mention him and his overall sporadic appearances, sometimes even outside of the confines of the 3D world. The only ones who are aware of his presence otherwise possess some form of psychic powers themselves (Vortigaunts, Nihilanth, likely Combine).

Now, despite him being some kind of Eldritch alien deity (as I perceive the G-Man anyway) and likely following much different moral standards and such, I highly doubt that he is oblivious to the effects his actions have on people on an emotional level. Especially with HL:A in mind, it’s easy to assume that he, overall, might have a good idea of where his own decisions lead. It can be assumed that he is fully aware of how his actions affect Eli, his perception of the G-Man, and ultimately the course of actions he might take based on it. With the point about his sporadic appearances above considered, the image I am getting is that his “warning” to Eli was entirely deliberate, thought-through, and like everything else he does, serves to “nudge” events in a particular direction, like the G-Man put it, just subtle enough to tick Eli off.

For all intents and purposes, the G-Man could have technically remained unknown to Eli by simply not saying a word - be it directly or indirectly - and his sole involvement could have been to bring a child Alyx to him during the Black Mesa incident without appearing in front of him. But this is not what he did in the end. Eli is now aware of the G-Man, knows about his influence in the RC, knows that he is the one who rescued Alyx and later took her “for his own damn reasons”, and has good reasons to assume that whenever the words about “unforeseen consequences” fall, something terrible is going to happen soon. The G-Man, being his obscure self, never quite divulges what that is of course, leaving people confused (Alyx) or angered/distrustful (Eli; perhaps the Vortigaunts as well?).

Subsequently, my hypothesis regarding why the G-Man now has Eli involved like this, aside from the more obvious “Eli is a key figure in the story’s conflict”, is that he actually WANTS him to shift his focus to the G-Man himself and attempt to take hostile action against him, possibly serving as a distraction from whatever his original aim was (my guess goes towards destroying the Borealis as this was what he wished before he died in the “first” version of the events).

A lot of people, at least judging from numerous Youtube comments on the HL:A ending, seem to speculate that the G-Man is now going to be the major antagonist in the next game with Eli and Gordon trying to free Alyx and even killing the G-Man. To be clear, I myself am vehemently opposed to the idea of the G-Man ever being becoming a clear-cut villain since it defies his original concept of being a neutral party, neither an ally nor an enemy, and could easily ruin the Eldritch mystery tones. I firmly hold on to the idea of him staying this “intangible” being that he appears to be (to me). At most one can either stall him, cross his plans, or “contain” him, but actually fighting him? Absolutely not. (You’d think the Combine, after trapping him in the Vault, could have attempted to do such, but it’s clear they “merely” beamed the apartment building up and encapsulated the room he was in in that icosahedron cell; which creates the impression that he would be extremely difficult to approach as a physical entity. And all that trouble with the Vault just to contain him!). Though, honestly, I still do trust Valve enough to come up with something great and reasonably-unpredictable, just like they always did with the games up-to-date. Only time can tell...

Anyway, still, I don’t think it would be far-fetched to assume that whatever Eli has planned might aim towards crossing the G-Man one way or another - something I now speculate is exactly what the G-Man WANTS him to do, as concluded in this post. Whether such an action will be beneficial to Eli’s goals on the long run or not is impossible to tell, just as the ultimate outcome of the G-Man’s plans is (I suppose this will depend on who you are asking obviously). Chances are, perhaps Alyx will be put back on the physical plane and actually meet Gordon during the course of the events before they can even properly attempt to free her, and Alyx might develop some different/new insights into the whole situation - whatever it may be - during the course of her own adventures. I think it would be cool to hear HER views on the G-Man, now that we have a hero who actually talks and directly interacted with the “sinister interdimensional bureaucrat”. Or maybe I am not too fond of the idea of Alyx being “reduced” to a damsel in distress as far as the plot is concerned... However, this is already straying into wild, (unfounded) speculation and something to be discussed more closely for another day.

To summarize, I speculate that the situation and relationship between the G-Man and Eli, and perhaps by extension Alyx and Gordon, is quite intricate and goes way beyond (or rather a different direction altogether) the G-Man becoming downright antagonistic. Eli might be hostile in his views of the G-Man - for understandable reasons - but any actions based on said hostility are being deliberately evoked in him to get him to take a certain path that is beneficial to the G-Man and his employers’ goals on the long run. Whether or not it is “good” or “bad” for our heroes still cannot be said, and I am personally hoping that the G-Man will very much stay his own “faction” that is neither allied nor hostile. As Mike Shapiro himself said in an interview, the G-Man has the “long game” in mind.

#Half Life #Half Life 2 #Half Life: Alyx #Half Life: Alyx spoiler #G-Man #Eli Vance #Alyx Vance #long post #speculation #the-creeping-shadow rambles #GMan

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sometimes-love-is-enough · 4 years

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do you have any spicy hot takes you wanna drop 👀👀?? i will drop one as well, i think that everyone got carried away with the whole sympathetic and unsympathetic stuff -💫

okay so i read the first sentence and i was like ‘fuck yes time to talk about the sympathetic/unsympathetic thing’ and then i read the rest of it and yeah okay so we’re on the same page here. i have a feeling this is going to get extensive so if you don’t want to hear me complaining about stuff that you may or may not like don’t go reading under the cut. Also it's not going to be very coherent

disclaimer: i am not trying to police the fandom or trying to tell anyone that they can’t write stuff. i do my best to stay in my lane and read/consume content that i want to. these are just. feelings i have.

so on the one hand i sort of understand where the whole concept sprung from. it’s hard to write interesting longform stories without a villain of some sort, it’s not as if there’s all that many characters in the first place, and sometimes using the Dragon Witch doesn’t quite cut it. and honestly if you take away the whole ‘they’re all part of the same person’ thing it would’ve been pretty easy to assume that Deceit was the bad guy when he first showed up. he went the whole ‘ominous smirking, evil laughter’ route because he’s a dramatic little bastard, and some people were like 'my son, I love him' and others went 'evil man! Evil! He's planning bad things' and on a purely mechanical level having tags that distinguish people who think a character is good vs people who think a character is evil is a good thing, it helps you distinguish content you want to look at from the content that you don't!

HOWEVER. I think the idea of characters being 'sympathetic' or 'unsympathetic' in the way that this fandom uses those terms is innately flawed. It's black-and-white thinking and it veers close to the whole puritan thing that tumblr is so fond of. And in most cases 'unsympathetic' is just an excuse to write characters as toxic, abusive, and just downright cruel without having to explain yourself. Which is. Hm. And also just lazy writing.

This bit might be tmi but: Patton actually used to be my favorite Sanders Sides character. But back when i initially got into the fandom, I hadn't quite worked out how to filter the content I looked through yet, and I just kept seeing this... constant stream of stuff involving him being abusive to the others in a way that was hm how shall i say this. Uncomfortably familiar. especially with a lot of religious guilt themes. It's not anyone's fault, precisely, but it did tinge a lot of my fandom experience, and it maaaay be why i'm not great at writing him. Doesn't matter. The point is... There wasn't a point. I'm just still bitter about that and wanted to mention it. Maybe i'm angrier about this than i thought i was. Let's not talk about that. Let's move on with this discussion.

You'll notice that i used Janus as an example up there at the top. I can't be sure (and actually it grimly fascinates me so if anybody who's been around here longer than I have has any info on this send it over, I'd love to know) but I think that Deceit's appearance in CLBG may have marked the beginning of this whole unsympathetic/sympathetic split in the fandom. It seems a safe enough bet, anyway, especially since the earliest example I can find of any fic being tagged 'unsympathetic' in the AO3 archive is from 4th February 2018, literally the day after CLBG went up. (damn, guys, moving fast).

The first occurrences of the 'sympathetic' tag crop up about a month later. Tumblr is impossible to search so I don't know if there was any discussion about terms, or if it was just a kind of snowball effect with people seeing the tags and tagging their own fics as appropriate (and this is a fascinating phenomena in itself!) but either way - i have absolutely no idea what happened to make people go from 'we're divided on whether this character who presents himself a villain is actually doing bad and detrimental things to the other sides/thomas/the world as a whole/innocent puppies' to 'hang on what if the other sides were kicking puppies also?'

So now this has turned from a rant about terminology into me being genuinely curious about this whole thing. I will put the rant on pause while I go scour AO3 to see when the first occurrences of the tags popped up. Please hold.

Okay. I'm going to ignore the unsympathetic tags for anyone who's not a side because i don't hate myself nearly that much (but uh for the record. There is a part of this fandom that thinks the LITERAL CONCEPT OF SLEEP IS EVIL and i'm not sure if i should be impressed or horrified. What? What???)

All of these numbers are up-to-date as of 17/06/2020, which is when I'm posting this. I'm probably not going to update that, so keep that in mind if you're reading this in the future.

In order of chronological appearance:

Unsympathetic Janus ('Deceit' at the time, of course) - first appears 12 March 2018, 191 works Unsympathetic Roman - first appears 10 February 2019, 102 works Unsympathetic Logan - first appears 24 June 2019, 59 works Unsympathetic Patton - first appears 2 July 2019, 228 works Unsympathetic Remus - first appears 17 July, 2019, 121 works Unsympathetic Virgil - first appears 31 July 2019, 71 works

...I genuinely don't know what I expected.

The fandom was much slower to spark with Unsympathetic Remus content after he first showed up, which is kind of interesting. Unless they just didn't bother to tag it? Like, I'm working with the assumption that everyone's tagging all of their content, which might not always be the case

I thought there'd be so much more Janus and Remus-tagged fics than there actually are.

It does not surprise me that Patton has the most in this category. It makes me sad but it doesn't surprise me. Why are you guys so intent on making him evil

And on the opposite side of the sympathy spectrum (similarly chronological):

Sympathetic Janus - first appears 7 March 2018, 1920 works Sympathetic Remus - first appears 2 July 2019, 965 works Sympathetic Patton - first appears 31 July 2019, 71 works Sympathetic Virgil - first appears 1 August 2019, 69 works (nice) Sympathetic Logan - first appears 8 August 2019, 41 works Sympathetic Roman - first appears 20 August, 56 works

It's actually wild that 'Sympathetic [Janus]' seems to have appeared several days between Unsympathetic Jan made any appearance.

There were several Remus fics that were backtagged to before DWIT was released. I ignored them because it was throwing this off a bit. there may be other problems to this effect in any of the other stats, but i’m too lazy to go back and check those all one-by-one

Sympathetic tags in general seem to be used as, hm, there's a word here i can't quite think of. Basically, 'Sympathetic' seems to be the default setting for characters like Virgil, Patton, Roman, Logan (the 'Light Sides', although i take issue with that terms as well. This isn't the time for that, though. Statistics!!) which 'Unsympathetic' used to be the default for Janus and Remus. That's become slightly more elastic of late, though. Basically if you're using the Sympathetic tag for anyone who's not a 'Dark Side' you're usually doing it to make a point of something. e.g. if you have other sides who aren't usually unsympathetic as such and you're trying to clarify that yes, these specific ones are Okay. Or if you're just being thorough. Anyway that's why LAMP seem to have less works tagged as Symp than the other two.

All the sympathetic tags for non-Janus characters seem to have sprung up in quick succession over a short period of months! I have no idea what this means but it's strange and cool to look at

If you're wondering about the discrepancy between this information and my earlier note that the first appearance of 'unsympathetic' as an AO3 tag was the day after CLBG came out - that fic in question had a general 'unsympathetic dark sides' tag, no specific tags mentioned.

Okay statistics segue over. The only point of that apart from scientific curiosity was to try to puzzle out where the fuck this all stemmed from. I still have no answers.

I need you all to understand that 'Sympathetic' no longer looks like a real word to me.

So. Remember how i mentioned how this fandom managed to make unsympathetic!Remy/Sleep a thing? Yeah. That baffles me. I haven't seen unsympathetic Dr Picani anywhere yet but I know it's only a matter of time and that lowkey horrifies me. But that's not really the most baffling thing because, uh

Well. earlier this week I accidentally stumbled into a corner of tumblr that's dedicated to unsympathetic character Thomas content. If you're a fan of that, i'd advise you to click away from this post now because i'm about to get very angry about that and i don't want to make you upset. Thank you.

What the fuck. literally all of the posts in this corner of tumblr are about c!thomas abusing the sides and being a terrible person??? ??????? ????? WHAT? can we just take a step back and. WHY? WHY are you doing this? Are we watching the same show? from a psychological standpoint, that's self-abuse and self-harm and i suppose it might be interesting if you explored it as such but APPARENTLY NO. apparently that's not what this is about. This is just about writing about someone being abusive to other people for the sake of it. there were so many posts about him 'abusing the sides by telling them they're not real people' and. OKAY so a) he wouldn't do that b) THEY AREN'T. THEY LITERALLY AREN'T REAL PEOPLE WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT

[deep breath]

so actually i think that kind of leads me back to the point of this whole thing. I had a point, what? It surprises me too, don't worry. The point is (roughly) that writing characters as 'unsympathetic' isn't something that i have an objection to at all. Everybody has the capacity to be cruel! Nobody's perfect!! But with the sympathetic/un labels it seems to enforce this strict dichotomy of good vs bad. Either Logan is an abusive monster OR he's a perfect angel. Guys. That's not how it works. And it's not INTERESTING if you do that sort of thing because then you've got people being unnecessarily cruel and evil for the sake of it. They turn into 2-dimensional caricatures that only exist to be bad people.

People make mistakes! I write about characters making mistakes all the time! Janus and Remus pulling the whole trolley problem thing in Pick A Side definitely wasn't a great thing for them to do, but I didn't tag them as unsympathetic at the time and i have no plan to do so because i don't want to write them as two-dimensional caricatures who are only capable of one of two settings on the morality meter. (same goes for the next chapter, whenever that comes up but... let’s talk about that when i post it, maybe)That's boring. If you're going to take characters and make them into antagonists just because you can't think of anyone else to fit the role, and you're doing it by stripping away everything that makes them Them, then you might as well just stuff a paper bag with straw and cast a scarecrow as the villain instead because buddy. You're making a strawman. That's what you're doing. You can't have Patton without kindness and well-meaningness, just as you can't have Patton without the mistakes caused by those two things. Same goes for the other sides and their flaws and strengths.

And then there's the other thing that's definitely more specific to this fandom, which I think was best summarized with something i said in the comments section of Pick A Side with len at like ten minutes past midnight that one time:

(...) and not necessarily related to anything you said, but - this fandom is kind of unique in that... there's no actual bad guys or villains. (at least that's how i perceive it.) The Real Villain Is Your Poor Mental Health. people are always like 'unsympathetic deceit' or 'unsympathetic patton' and point to different points in the videos as evidence, ('i give you permission to think those thoughts' patton's being controlling - that's abuse) but like. it's all the same guy. he's giving himself permission. he's doing it to himself. imagine if we tagged other fandom characters with like 'Unsympathetic Harry Potter' when he was being mean or critical to himself. wild.

So yeah. In conclusion: obviously people should write what they like. If they see characters one way and they want to write about them being two-dimensional monsters that's fine. I kind of wish you'd put more thought into it and make it at least interesting if you're going to do that sort of thing, but you do you i guess.

That being said. If I see any more unsympathetic!Patton content I will start crying. i want to love Goofy Dad Man the same way i used to

#asks #min goes off the rails #this turned into an essay. apology for incoherence and my tendency to jump around wildly!#Anonymous

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blackfemmecharacterdependency · 3 years

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Share a Lair 05 || Share a Party

Charlotte was a little bit uncomfortable and for most of the drive, she was worried about saying too much, saying too little, saying stuff that made her seem like a pretentious egomaniac, saying stuff that made her seem like a dumbed down conformist… and in her thinking so much about what to say and what not to say, she decided at least on one thing, “I’m sorry that Henry and Jasper did this to you.”

He frowned. “Nothing to be sorry about. You don’t want to be stuck with those nerds, anyway.”

“Nerds.” She said it with no context and no tone. He didn’t know if she was making a declaration, questioning his choice of words or what. “I’m one of these nerds that you speak of,” she added after a long pause.

She was typically very defensive of Henry. She stuck her neck out for him and had his back a lot. Something about him not even just telling her that he didn’t want to hang out with her tonight made laughing at his expense acceptable in the moment.

“Yeah. They’re nerds. But, they’re supposed to be MY nerds. Over the last few years, they just get closer and closer, but damn - I guess I didn’t think that they’d ever just shut me out completely.” She didn’t want to bum him out. He was about to link up with his friends and she probably should have just went back home when she realized that she wasn’t included in plans.

“Don’t think of it as them shutting you out. Think of it as them finally letting you breathe! Maybe you’re so uptight because somebody had to make sure that the two of them didn’t accidentally stupid themselves to death.” She laughed again, a little harder than before, then gasped, suddenly stricken with fear! “They’re NOT gonna stupid themselves to death, Charlotte,” he said. “You deserve a night off. You’re not a single mom and they aren’t children, just idiots, but most people are, especially compared to people like us.”

Sadly, she whimpered, “They’re supposed to be my idiots.”

“I’ll introduce you to new idiots! And my idiots are nice and loyal.” He smiled. She could have Oyster for free… But… He’d likely keep a barrier between her and Gideon. She didn’t deserve that.

He got out of the car and telekinetically opened her door for her as he met her on the other side, then said, “Oh, and that was my last one of the night. They’re not supposed to know about my powers continuing.”

“Continuing?”

“Relax, Char. We haven’t even had our first date yet. You don’t need to know everything about me right now.”

“Our FIRST date? YET?” She repeated, incredulously.

“Oh look, she knows how to mimic.” He smiled, so she’d know he was just giving her a hard time, but then he took her hand and led her to this house that looked very much like a movie scene, with people all over the place, outside and in, but nothing extravagant and unbelievable happened right as they approached or right as they entered, so she knew it was real life. Whenever they got in, an old Asian man handed her a bottle of champagne and she tried to give it back, but he was very excitedly greeting Max and cheering about the party, the New Year and his grandson. After a while, Max said, “This is Charlotte.”

“Max Thunderman, you always find the prettiest girls!” the old man said.

He introduced her to people just like, “This is Charlotte,” which her brain began to toss around after the 3rd or 4th time - is he saying it like that to avoid telling anybody anything more about me, or have they already heard my name before? Does he just not have a cover for why we would know each other? Or… has he told his friends that I exist? But, she shook her head, why would he tell his friends you exist, Girl? This man wasn’t thinking about you. He just got swindled into distracting you and the hero in him is trying to do right by that obligation… But, wait… Nobody makes Max do anything that he doesn’t want to… and his hand has pretty much made a little groove in my waist now…

He was right, though. His friends WERE super nice, and… kind of idiots. But, she was relaxing more and more as time went on and eventually, when she seemed comfortable enough, Max let go of her. They were chatting and laughing with his friends and several times the two of them exchanged amused looks, KNOWING that they were the only two people there who noticed something or caught something hilariously ignorant that was said. They weren’t being malicious, just… clearly the smartest people in the bunch. It was kind of like whenever she was with the Man Cave and nobody else caught something but her, but this time, somebody else was there to give a look of acknowledgment.

At some point, Oyster suggested, “Since all of us are here tonight, we should do a one night only band reunion!”

Max laughed and shook his head. Charlotte gasped and said, “That would be SO cool!”

Max stopped laughing and immediately said, “Of course it will! Let’s umm… Let’s do this,” he said to Oyster, who was VERY excited. The boys gathered and started trying to quickly make a plan and Phoebe spotted Charlotte, sitting by herself, not too far away from them.

“Charlotte!” She called and waved. Charlotte smiled and waved back. Phoebe came over and introduced her best friend, Cherry, and wondered, “What are these goobers doing?”

“A one night only band reunion,” Charlotte said, giggling.

“Oyster’s plan?” Phoebe and Cherry both asked. Charlotte nodded. “I’m surprised that he got Max to agree to it,” Phoebe said. “Unlesssss… Charlotte… Did you get Max to agree to this?”

Charlotte shook her head, “All I said is it would be cool…”

“She’s got him,” Cherry and Phoebe said at the same time.

“Please stop doing that,” Charlotte said, laughing a little uncomfortably. “And also, what do you mean by that?”

“Max has the hots for you!” Cherry said, with an expression on her face like it was obvious. But. Charlotte had literally JUST met this woman. Cherry and Phoebe sat on either side of her to ask her questions and gauge to see if she both liked Max back and if she was even right for him…

Max looked over, noticed them hounding her and gasped. He grabbed Charlotte’s hands and asked, “Hey, would you like to play a song with the guys?"

"Not reall-” he gave her a push towards the band and she furrowed her eyebrows.

He turned to Cherry and Phoebe and whispered loudly to them, “Back off! Whatever you’re doing, just back off!”

“We’re helping you!” Cherry loud whispered back.

“No!” He turned and Charlotte had a guitar. “Hi! Okay. Ummm.. I’ll take that."

"Okay?” She said, handing it to him. “Are you okay, Max?"

"Haven’t played in a while and we weren’t great the first time…”

“Yeah, the only good songs were from when he stole Phoebe’s diary and turned her pain into lyrics.” Max’s eyes narrowed at her and Phoebe’s eyes widened.

“That’s horrible!” Charlotte said, looking at Max with disdain. “You really WERE a villain.”

“Right! Past tense! He hasn’t done anything that foul in a long time. Good Guy Max, now,” Phoebe said. Max sighed. They were obviously persistent to make it worse.

“I was a kid, you know? Surely, there have been times when you’ve done something not that great to somebody you cared about when you were younger?”

Charlotte recalled distracting Jasper so that Piper could pore moth pheromones on him, against his will. Terrible thing to do to someone… So, she nodded and let it go. Max said to Phoebe, “By the way, we only had one hit and that was about Link’s toe, so that’s what we’re going with.”

“Wait…” She said, but the band was taking it to the makeshift stage. Charlotte didn’t know if she was simply the only person not drunk or if this was a Hiddenville staple or something, but this song was downright terrible. She laughed about it and hoped it came across as a laugh of support. But, the guys were good at instruments and Max’s singing voice did things to her. Whenever they were done, he rushed off and she was confused.

Where the heck did he go? “Max’s Girlfriend! Max’s Girlfriend!” She heard somebody calling and looked around to see who this person who was supposed to be his girlfriend, or if maybe there was a different Max or something. But, when she turned around, Oyster handed her the guitar and wondered, “What songs do you know?”

She accepted the instrument and said, “I’m not Max’s girlfriend. We’re just…” She couldn’t realistically say friends, because she had only known him for a few months and it didn’t even seem that long, to be honest, as they didn’t spend much time around each other. She couldn’t say that they were on a date, because they technically weren’t. But, to say that she drove with a stranger to another town to party on one of the hottest party nights sounded off too, because that didn’t seem like her and she wondered how she had come to make such a decision. “We’re just hanging out tonight,” she said.

“So… You’re available?” Gideon asked, excitedly.

“No,” she said. Technically, she wasn’t. She had school, work, and Henry to take care of. She wasn’t as upset as earlier and knew that she wasn’t fed up enough not to.

“That’s gonna make Max sad,” Gideon said, with a frown on his face. She was going to ask more, but Max showed back up, looking refreshed and just… delightfully handsome. He smelled really good too. She figured he must’ve went for a touch up and she appreciated that.

“So, what songs do you know?” Oyster asked Charlotte again.

She knew a ton of them, but wasn’t exactly in the mood to play, because now she was all confused. Did… Max like her? Like, like her like her? Max noticed her discomfort and told everyone that she wasn’t here to serve as a musician, but to have a good time. That settled it.

“So, Charlotte - how did you and Max meet?” Oyster asked. Even though she said she wasn’t his girlfriend and Oyster hadn’t spent a lot of time around Max lately, he knew that look when he saw it. He and Max used to double date all the time.

“Well, I work with his roommate,” she said. And that settled whether or not he’d mentioned her before.

“Sorry to hear that. That guy sounds like a tool,” Oyster commented. Max snickered. But, he’d obviously had the time to mention HENRY.

“He’s my best friend, so, I don’t think so,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. Max remained quiet and the German guy, Wolfgang, was talking. He didn’t seem like he knew English very well, but they could at least understand him. She was having a bit of trouble, but used context clues. Basically, something about how they should all hang out after the party. Max looked at her for an answer. Of course, he wanted to spend more time with his friends. She knew his schedule, sort of. He was always on a mission somewhere. “Um, sure. I can always get a car service if it gets too late.”

“And have them take you all the way to Swellview?” He wondered. “That’d be crazy expensive.”

“Well, my car is actually at your place.”

“Still too much to pay for a car. We don’t have to go,” he said.

“No, no. Of course we will. It’s fine. Henry won’t be working tomorrow. I don’t have to get to bed at any certain time.” She said it, but it was the complete opposite. More than likely, with Henry partying tonight, she would be his backup for everything tomorrow. And she wasn’t much of a partier anyways. But, it was extremely nice of Max to take her out tonight and she didn’t want to ruin his time or be the reason that he had to cut it short from hanging out with his nice friends (probably for the first time in a while).

“Hey! It’s almost countdown!” Cherry rushed over, cheering. “Grab your dates!” She and Oyster took each other’s hands lovingly and Charlotte had just realized that she and Max were the only people who weren’t paired up! Well, in this group at least.

The fireworks began, glowing up number designs among them as everyone counted, “10! 9! 8! 7!…” Charlotte was excited. She’d seen fireworks before and she had rang in the New Year before, but never with a group of people that seemed to genuinely like her, or at least be nice to her all night, and never with a hot guy… Who… well, she wasn’t WITH him, but.. She glanced at him as the other’s around them reached one, screamed Happy New Year! And began their first kisses of the year. Max looked bashfully at the ground and said, “You should look at the fireworks. Worked hard on them.”

She turned back to the exhibit, which had his friends’ names and a little character or icon to represent them, and then, “And Charlotte!” She gasped and looked at him.

“Had to work quickly once I realized you’d be coming out tonight…” He smiled and she knew that she still had time. She leaned up as far as she could, but he was about a foot taller than her, only slightly less with her boots on, so he leaned down to meet her. He thought that was going to land on his cheek, but it didn’t. She kissed him. On the lips!

It took him but a brief moment to realize that she had, and once he did, he pulled her closer and kissed her a little harder. Not for long, because the moment that he nibbled on her lip, she seemingly came to her senses and pulled back, with a bashful laugh. “Sor- sorry!” She said, warm in the face. “Guess the spirit of the night jumped into me.”

“I like that. I was hoping that you’d loosen up before the night was over and what’s this? *Gasps!* Casual kisses???” He teased, a glint of joy in his eyes.

She covered her face with both hands and said, “I don’t normally do stuff like that!”

“Hey.” He pulled her hands away gently and held them, “You don’t have to feel like you’ve gotta explain yourself to me, Charlotte. I’m a great guesser, and I’ve got a feeling that I pretty much know what kind of a person that you are.”

“What kind of person is that?” She asked, with a twist of attitude in her voice.

He just laughed lightly, “The kind that just needs to give herself a break and not have to worry about things so much. Just a few hours and you’ve managed to start your year out carefree.”

She actually had SEVERAL cares right now!

…But, looking at Max, she couldn’t remember what any of them were. She shivered. Jeesh! Why hadn’t she programmed a jacket into this dang outfit? Max noticed and asked, “Can I try something?”

“Ummm…?”

“It won’t hurt,” he said, with a smile. She nodded slowly. Max wrapped himself around her from behind and breathed warmth onto the back of her neck. She shivered again, but in a different way and then, she was warm. She leaned back against him and stayed there for a moment. “Okay, I should just stop saying that it’s my last time using my powers, at this point.”

“You really should!” She laughed.

“Max! We’re heading to Maddie’s!” Someone called.

“Right behind you!” He said and let go of Charlotte. “It doesn’t have to be weird, you know? I’d prefer if it isn’t.”

“It isn’t. It wasn’t. It was nice.”

“Good. Still wanna hang out some more?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool.” He took her hand and they went to meet up with his friends at another party.

High Energy! That was what she felt, on only a few hours of sleep. This new year was already great and she was glad to have let it all out last night and just be for a moment. Whenever she got to the lair, she came in through the tower entrance, but couldn’t find Henry or Jasper. Then again, it was pretty early, so they were probably asleep. She began to make everyone green matcha tea smoothies, get the control panel up and running and get started on some assignments in the lab, for the new year. She peeked into Henry’s bedroom. He wasn’t there. She called his phone. No answer. No worries. He probably just spent the night at Jasper’s and they’re asleep… But… Why spend the night at Jasper’s? This place was MUCH better and closer to their party last night.

Not that she was worried, but she figured that she might just go check out the party site. Hopefully, nobody got arrested… or worse. She drove out there and saw the party boat out in the middle of the water. What was it still doing there? She looked at the lake, And when did it get cold enough for the lake to freeze? She wondered. She tried to call Jasper and some girl answered his phone, “Hello?”

“Hi! This is Jasper’s friend. The person who this phone is for. Is he around?”

“Oh… No. He’s probably either still on the boat or they had to send out for help.”

“What.”

“Party boat got hit with a HUGE prank. I took the phone and after telling somebody where the dude is, I drop it off at the Pear store.”

“A prank?” Charlotte repeated, recalling Max’s friends talking about the elaborate pranks he pulled in school.

“Hilarious. These two dudes got left behind and somebody froze the water.” She laughed. “Well, Happy New Year. I’m going to the Pear store, Bye!”

Charlotte couldn’t help but to laugh too. But, the water was still frozen. They couldn’t move the boat. She called Max.

“It is before 9,” was how he answered the phone.

“It is. But, I’m looking at this abandoned boat on a frozen lake and have the sneaky suspicion that my friends are trapped on it and also that you can un-trap them.”

“Ugh. Call Phoebe. I’m off today and she cares about rescuing idiots,” he grunted.

“Max…”

“Char…” He mocked. “Seriously. I’m not getting out of bed. They aren’t gonna die.”

She sighed, “This is very, very unprofessional and not heroic.”

“Maybe. But, don’t lie and say that you didn’t find it funny.”

“When did you even find the time to do this???” She wondered.

“Who says I did this?” She could hear a sly smile in his voice. He wasn’t going to reveal his secrets. “Hope it works out for them.”

“You don’t care, do you?”

“No, not really.” He laughed and hung up. She laughed too. Might as well call Ray and Schwoz to get these dudes off the boat with the Man Copter.

#Share a Lair #Henry Danger #The Thundermans #crossover #crossover fanfic #Nesha Crossover #Thundanger #Thunderbolt #Share a Lair Repost #Nesha HD Fanfic #fanfiction #Share a Lair 05

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vierafication · 4 years

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Last night around 4 am, I reblogged a certain post about "villainous rp" and added my own two cents to what had been discussed within it- mostly just venting about behavior I'd seen in the past. I didn't think much of it until I saw the next day it had been reblogged, and reblogged again, and again, by some folks who seemed pretty unhappy about what I'd said. I was told I needed to get a life, that I clearly can't separate IC and OOC, that maybe I shouldn't be writing at all. That hurt. I was irritated, then, feeling like I'd had words shoved in my mouth, like I was being purposefully misinterpreted. I typed up a clarification post explaining my previous points and pressed send, but it was seemingly ignored.

I talked with @damankjol about it later. He's the best, if you didn't know. And he rp's villains! I don't think he's a sociopath! He's very empathic and honest and understanding and cool, and he helped me realize that people weren't just angry at me, they were genuinely hurt by what I'd written. I went back and reread what I posted, as well as the responses, with a more critical eye. And... yeah. What I typed up wasn't clean, organized, or coordinated. I was venting and the tone that came off was irritated and rude. While not my intention, what I wrote sounded pretty fucking disrespectful and downright mean. And, frankly, my intentions don't matter, anyway, since I wasn't able to convey them properly. I just put some angry bullshit up on tumblr way too late at night, and I didn't expect anybody to even look at it, let alone reblog it- but I should have. Tumblr is a public platform and I should have approached my post the same way I'd approach any other one during the normal hours of the day. Thinking critically is always key, but audience is too- a vent post is a vent post, but I should have thought before I vented about a topic other people were sensitive to, and properly indicate specifics instead of vague generalizations. So, yes, I really wanted to apologize to anyone who that post hurt. I’m genuinely sorry. I should not have generalized like that. It wasn't even my intention in the first place. I was disrespectful and now that I think about it, incredibly hypocritical to boot. So yeah. I really am sorry. I respect @damankjol and @miqojak a lot as writers, and it would never be my intention to tear them down. Or anybody else, for that matter- rp only works when you rp with others, after all.

Once again, I'm sorry, and I hope you won't hate me for eternity or anything. Storytime and critical analysis under the cut.

One of my first, and worst, experiences in the ffxiv rp community was a good couple years ago. I was describing my character to a “friend,” and that character happened to be Lionnet Blodoint, my Ishgardian chirurgeon. Lionnet was not a good person by a long shot, to begin with, and from his time serving during the Dragonsong War, he’d developed quite a bit of PTSD relating to any and all things draconic. He hated dragons. He didn’t even like Au Ra. “Wow,” said the so-called friend at the time. “Your character is a nazi.”

“What? No!” I exclaimed. I tried to explain that he was NOT a nazi, he was just a traditionalist Ishgardian who hated dragons because they had been, at one point in time, absolutely hell-bent on destroying his home and everything he knew. I thought it was a pretty reasonable character trait to hate, or at least fear, dragons after serving in the Dragonsong War. The core of how I’d planned to develop him would be overcoming or at least coming to terms with his trauma, and no longer seeing it in every dragon or Au Ra he met. “No,” they said. “Your character is terribly written. They’re awful and nobody would ever want to rp with them. They’re boring because they’re so full of negative traits. They’re racist and thus, a nazi. And you are just as bad, because you’re defending them! You’re a nazi too!”

So yeah, they are NOT my friend anymore. But that whole convo really stuck with me, and I was afraid to bring out Lio afterwards- it took me another year before I actually began to use him in rp. And he turned out wonderful! His story became one of my favorite rp character stories of all time, and he had great relationship development and a happy ending. He’s still around, canonically, but I have a different main toon now.

So it shocks me that what that person told me about Lio is more or less the same as what I wrote in that post. I’m honestly dumbfounded at how I could just casually type that up and post it, when it draws so many parallels to the way I was bullied back then. So yeah. Huge hypocrisy right there. I swore to never act like that. And to an extent, I suppose I have. But that post I made was pretty fucking close- just directed at a vaguely generalized audience instead of a singular person and character. Maybe that’s actually worse. And I am sorry. I guess because it wasn’t directed at anyone but the void (even the op’s url doesn’t exist anymore), I just didn’t think about it. Which sounds like a lame-ass excuse, but... it’s true. I just wasn’t thinking. I was just venting. It’s really fucking with me that I could’ve hurt somebody so much completely unintentionally, to be honest.

So, what did I say- or, to be more clear, what was I attempting to say? What was my intention, and what wasn’t? I’m going to go over that now, more for my benefit than anyone else’s. Please note that I am not trying to make excuses or shove any blame elsewhere. I am just trying to clarify what I meant and address the issues that made my post so negative, for my own sake.

To begin, I’m gonna link this post by @lilac-memorials. It goes into detail about the trouble with “villain” discourse, and addresses a number of issues from a much more unbiased standpoint, far more eloquently than I could. Also, it seems to reference (the worse) parts of my posts at some points, or maybe I’m just paranoid. Regardless, it’s a much better post than the trainwreck that was the original one, and I agree with every bit of it. It also addresses the difference between a “villain” and an “antagonist,” which is something I attempted to go into but failed miserably.

Anyhoo. My post began with this paragraph:

Seriously. I do not trust anyone who refers to themselves as a “villain” rper. A character can take an antagonistic role in another character’s story arc, that’s fine, that works. It goes back to the “everyone is the hero of their own story” sorta thing. But playing a villain, only as a villain… what’s the point in that? It’s just someone roleplaying as an evil asshole that expects to be treated as stronger than other characters, expects to be feared. It reads like some twisted power fantasy. It doesn’t sound fun and it sure isn’t fun for the people rping with you. Like dude, calm down.

To begin with, yes, I am indeed a little distrustful of people who label their characters first and foremost as villains, before anything else. I am more suspicious of engaging in rp with them than I am with other types of characters, because I have seen some pretty crappy villains out and about and I just don’t wanna deal with that. Next, I go on to try to draw the line between a villain and an antagonist, and how I am much less suspicious of “antagonistic” characters than straight-up “villain” characters. “But playing a villain, only as a villain... what’s the point in that?” I ask. Very rudely. Insinuating that their is no point whatsoever in playing a villain. Which I didn’t intend to. But honestly, I don’t know how else that would’ve translated- I don’t know what I was thinking. I go on to describe this “villain” as somebody who is an evil asshole with a power fantasy, and how it ruins fun for anybody. Which can be read very easily as saying “all villains are like this.” No, they are not! I was describing the bad type of villain rper. The rper who “plays a villain, only as a villain,” and not as a character. Do you get what I mean now? The controlling, toxic, power-hungry rper that plays a villain as an outlet to be further controlling, toxic, and power-hungry, moreso than they ever could in reality. We all know that type of person exists. We’ve met them, somewhere. Sometimes they aren’t playing the villain at all, anyway. They’re playing the hero, or somebody else entirely. But here, I am just venting about that type of person. They are what my post is about. The key line should’ve been “playing a villain, only as a villain,” but it was shoved into a passive-aggressive question addressing self-worth instead of a proper sentence describing the difference between a well-written villain and a badly-written villain. And thus the post begins as if it had been rudely addressed to all villain rpers everywhere, labeling them as the evil asshole with a power fantasy, instead.

Next is: Anyway hot take but maybe the reason people kept trying to “redeem” and “change” OP’s character is because their character is boring af!

Yeahhhh, that one’s just mean. And, given the first paragraph, easily able to seen as an attack saying that if you are a villain rper, your character is boring af. They’re not! The op’s post is a little much, to be honest, and I guess I thought I was feeling spicy at 4 am. Now I think I must’ve just been being mean. Aurelia explains what’s wrong with the initial post here, though, instead of trying and failing to poke fun at it in that special pseudo-mean tumblr way like I did.

Lastly, Like, honestly! Play a character as a foil to another, play to fucked up ideas about morality, play an antagonist arc to a protagonist character, play a character who makes bad decisions. But don’t play a “villain.” Don’t play a character whose core personality traits are simply being cruel/evil. Don’t play a character whose sole focus is to kill npcs, be scary, and lord over other players’ characters. Don’t play a character who never develops or changes, and doesn’t facilitate change in other characters. Just don’t be an asshole edgelord. Don’t be flat and one dimensional. Don’t use rp to live out your fucked up power fantasy. Get therapy instead.

Honestly, I think this is the most clear part of my entire post, and also the worst, at the end there. I just am listing off behaviors that this figurative “bad villain rper” exhibits, and what offsets them. Play a villain that’s complex, had depth, nuance! I’m saying don’t play the “villain,” and then listing off what this specific hypothetical villain is. The opposite of deep and nuanced. The “bad villain rper” type the whole post is a vent about.

Then comes the dreaded “ Don’t use rp to live out your fucked up power fantasy. Get therapy instead. “ The villainous power fantasy. No, I do not think everyone who rp’s villains is like this. Yes, I believe there are people like this, who are INCREDIBLY few and far between, and if they solely use rp as an outlet to harass others both ICly and OOCly, that is bad! And maybe they should get help! And even, then, that was only half-serious! But therapy is a serious subject and I should have known better, and done better. Did all of that come off as intended? Hell no! Instead, it was the final nail in the coffin.

So! That’s what I was trying to say. Badly-written villains are a pain. If I had written up a post like I am now, with this long-ass thing, actually trying to be eloquent and clear. Not 4 am word vomit. This 4 am word vomit instead has gotten me to be read and interpreted as:

-being completely unable to separate character and player to the point where i think every villain’s player is a Real Life Bad Person and/or needs mental help

-saying all villains are boring because they’re not heroes, and thus are incapable of being complex and nuanced

-saying people who play dark/antagonistic characters are, in general, living out their fucked up power fantasy through them

-thinking that villainous characters are incredibly boring and just plain terrible

No! None of that is what I think! Absolutely none! I’m not going to go in and refute each of those claims, because, like I said, I’m not trying to make excuses here. But I WILL end this thing with what I do think of villainous characters and their players:

They’re fucking great, okay? A good story is made a gazillion times better by having a good villain in it, be the story a book, a movie, or an rp scenario. Well-written villain rpers are a TREASURE, and need to be appreciated! It is often harder to find rp with antagonistic toons, to begin with, and their players may find themselves getting shit on more often than others, which should absolutely not be the case. Characters that are complex and deep and nuanced are great no matter what their alignment is.

There ARE some pretty shitty villain rpers out there, too. And, in my own personal experience, they tend to be much more obnoxious than shitty hero rpers. A badly written hero will ruin a villain’s rp. A badly written villain may well try to ruin everybody around them’s rp.

Badly written villains suck. They’re the worst. And they make things worse for those that dedicate a lot of time and effort to crafting complex and cleverly written, compelling villains! Badly written villains are something I can and will complain about, just as well-written villains are something that I can and will praise. But I’ll try not to complain or vent on this platform anymore, to start.

And I do NOT blend IC and OOC. That’s the rper’s taboo! I will critique others who do it, though, which ironically is what I was sort of trying to do- complain about those specific villain players who do that. But anyway. If you’ve read this far, good for you! This has been way too long.

And. Please. If I do say or do something that hurts you in the future, regardless of what type of post it is, talk to me! Tell me what’s up! Thank you!

#THIS IS A LONG ASS POST U HAVE BEEN WARNED #u dont need to read all of the rest if u dont want to #in fact u dont need to read it at all if u don't know what post im referring to anyway

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satonthelotuspier · 4 years

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Look at me guys, I did a LiuShen ficlet. Literally the first fics I ever intended to write for MXTX fandoms were Scum Villain fics, then I fell into MDZS and hadn’t managed to climb out again. But as I wasn’t able to get into my current MDZS WIPs this afternoon I thought I might as well try something a little different.

A 1.4k LiuShen sickfic containing kind of a confession? And canon typical sword hilt references. It would be set around the time you know who would be in the Abyss in canon.

The Bai Zhan War God’s temper carried all before him. He was downright nasty and had even sent Mu Qingfang storming off in a rage, muttering that he hoped Liu Qingge suffered for his stupidity. The entire Bai Zhan Peak began avoiding the house of it’s Lord, who sulked and suffered in solitary confinement; missives were sent to the Xian Zhu Peak begging Liu Mingyan to come and take care of her brother, but it was discovered she was away from Cang Qiong on a mission for her Shifu.

Liu Qingge was sick and needed someone there to take care of him, even if he raged against it. The normally sickeningly healthy and active Bai Zhan Peak Lord had never taken ill before in his life, and he was angry that he had now, as well as dealing with the symptoms of his illness, and it all combined to make a viciously biting Peak Lord, who had already upset their medical officer, several other of his martial brothers and sisters, and his entire peak of disciples.

So once all these avenues had been exhausted there was only one course of action Yue Qingyuan could think of to take; he sent a message to the Qing Jing Peak Lord and asked Shen Qingqiu to join him for refreshments that afternoon.

Shen Qingqiu arrived promptly with a gift of one of his special blends of tea which Yue Qingyuan had brewed for them to drink now. They made light conversation while Shen Qingqiu sat across from him, a careful, watchful expression in the dark eyes that looked over the top of his gently waving fan.

Of course his Xiao Jiu was intelligent enough to know when Yue Qingyuan had ulterior motives, even this softened version of his shidi and eternal charge. Wasn’t Xiao Jiu the brains of their duo after all? He always had been.

“Perhaps Zhangmen-shixiong has something he would like to request of this shidi?” Shen Qingqiu asked eventually during a lull in their discussions.

“Shen-shidi knows me too well” Yue Qingyuan agreed, “Perhaps you have heard Liu-shidi is unwell, I was hoping to convince Shen-shidi to offer some assistance”

The fan paused in the air briefly before Shen Qingqiu folded it and laid it on the table beside his cup.

“Surely Mu-shidi would be the better choice if Liu-shidi is sick”

Yue Qingyuan shook his head, “Unfortunately, considering Liu-shidi’s temperament...” he didn’t wish to speak ill of the Bai Zhan Peak Lord, so he left the sentence unfinished; Shen Qingqiu understood his meaning well enough.

“I see, and you believe this shidi would do better at the War God’s hands? Or perhaps Zhangmen-shixiong wishes to punish this shidi?” there was a gentle mocking in Shen Qingqiu’s tone.

“I had thought, seeing as your relationship is so improved since the demon invasion he may listen to you. You have spent a lot of time in company with Liu-shidi recently and he seems to appreciate your opinion”

***

Shen Qingqiu left for Qian Cao Peak as soon as they’d finished their tea. Despite his personal misgivings that he would be much less suited than Mu Qingfang he had been unable to turn down Yue Qingyuan’s personally made request so he called in on their resident physician. He had to do some smooth talking to convince Mu Qingfang to give him the recommended medicines intended for Liu Qingge, but he invoked Yue Qingyuan’s name and he was eventually on his way to Bai Zhan Peak laden with his haul.

He’d never known someone with such ability to get other people’s backs up as Liu Qingge, he never watched his words, said whatever came into his overly pretty head and damn the consequences. He had a vile temper too, and was something of a bully to his disciples. No wonder the other residents of Cang Qiong Mountain had scattered at the first sign of him being sick and aggravated.

He must have accrued such bad karma in a previous life to be the one to be sent into battle with the War God.

He walked into the lair of the Bai Zhan Peak Lord to hear the other coughing harshly.

He would accept no arguments, get Mu Qingfang’s potions down Liu Qingge’s throat and get out of there with as much of his hide intact as he could.

He saw Liu Qingge’s face flash between paper white and flushed red as he identified Shen Qingqiu as the one to enter his house; he was about to snarl something out but Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t allow him.

“Now now, Liu-shidi, do as you’re told, there’s a good Peak Lord”

A look of almost comical rage crossed his face, but reply was stalled by another fit of coughing.

Shen Qingqiu took the opportunity to pick out one of the bottles Mu Qingfang had given him, and when the fit subsided he pressed it into Liu Qingge’s hand, “Here, Liu-shidi, Mu Qingfang said a drink of this tonic will ease the coughing and allow you to get some much needed rest”

Surprisingly Liu Qingge took it, and Shen Qingqiu placed the open palm of his hand against his smooth forehead; it was burning hot to touch, but the feel of Shen Qingqiu’s cool palm seemed to soothe him a little.

“You have a fever to go with that chill. I’ll bring you some cold water and a cloth in a moment, drink that tonic” Shen Qingqiu couldn’t stop the urge to use the hand at the other’s forehead to stroke his hair back softly like he was soothing a small child.

Liu Qingge’s ethereally beautiful face froze and those dark eyes rose to meet Shen Qingqiu’s, a confused, undecided expression in them, “You’ll feel better soon, Liu-shidi” he assured, then rose to fetch the promised water.

***

Liu Qingge lay back against the bed. The last thing he needed was Shen Qingqiu here while he felt terrible, touching him, making his pulse pound in his veins, and confusing him more than he already was.

If anyone had asked him soon after meeting Shen Qingqiu when the other had first come to Cang Qiong Mountain if he ever thought he would get along with the man he would have laughed at them. Shen Qingqiu was the last man in the world he thought he would ever stop hating.

And then something had changed. In the man himself first. He softened, his sharp edges made less jagged, his disagreeability made into amicable friendliness, and in some aggravating twist of fate, between then and now Liu Qingge had fallen in love. With this still aloof at times, and untouchable scholar. Everything he detested. And everything he craved.

He decided he had to pretend to be asleep when Shen Qingqiu returned with the water and cold compress or run the risk of showing himself up so he closed his eyes and waited for the sound of the other returning and placing a bowl on the floor by the bed.

He felt the cool cloth placed over his forehead and had to fight to stop the shiver, especially as a water drop ran right down his temple and behind his ear.

His eyes nearly flew open as he felt the soft trail of knuckles against his cheek, what was the other doing? Soothing him as if he was a child?

His couldn’t fight the urge any longer when he felt the other touch the beauty mark beneath his left eye with his thumb, Liu Qingge caught Shen Qingqiu’s wrist and tugged him forward. The other wore the expression of a thief caught in the act.

Shen Qingqiu tried to pull free but Liu Qingge wouldn’t allow him; “Liu-shidi, let me go. Wake up” he tapped Liu Qingge on the head with his folded fan softly. He obviously thought Liu Qingge was undergoing a fever dream.

Liu Qingge pulled hard on the wrist he held and rolled the other beneath him on the bed; and Shen Qingqiu screeched, aiming for another strike with his fan but Liu Qingge was faster and caught and pinned his other wrist too.

“Liu-shidi, wake up immediately. You’re poking me with...your sword handle...I’m not whatever pretty girl you’re dreaming of” Shen Qingqiu held himself perfectly still, not wanting to exacerbate the sword situation no doubt.

“I’m not wearing my sword” despite the fact Liu Qingge knew exactly what the other meant he pretended to miss the point; he waited and wasn’t disappointed at the beautiful rose flush that blossomed on the other’s fair face, “Shen Qingqiu” he added the other’s name so he understood perfectly Liu Qingge knew exactly who was beneath him.

He began to lean in slowly, giving the other plenty of time to avoid what was coming if he wished to.

#scum villain #liushen #shen qingqiu #liu qingge #sv #sv fic #scum villains self saving system #svsss

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neshabeingchildish · 4 years

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Share a Party

Share-a-Lair 5

So, okay. I’m sick right now. Starting the year out great! With illness and war, apparently. Ugh. Gross. Anyways, I had a couple of options for where I was gonna go and one option was angst and we all know that I can play that really well, and the other option was this. Hopefully, I didn’t make a mistake by not goin’ full angst. That’s the rivers and the lakes that I’m used to.

@adorkable-blackgirl @chenoahchantel @kiddangers @henryhearts

Share a Party

He frowned. “Nothing to be sorry about. You don’t want to be stuck with those nerds, anyway.”

“Hardly. I mean, you totally are, but one of those people went through a bucket phase and the other is Henry, and I feel like I shouldn’t even have to expound on that, because you’re a smart lady.” She laughed. She was typically very defensive of Henry. She stuck her neck out for him and had his back a lot. Something about him not even just telling her that he didn’t want to hang out with her tonight made laughing at his expense acceptable in the moment.

Sadly, she whimpered, “They’re supposed to be my idiots.”

“Continuing?”

“Relax, Char. We haven’t even had our first date yet. You don’t need to know everything about me right now.”

“Our FIRST date? YET?” She repeated, incredulously.

“Max Thunderman, you always find the prettiest girls!” the old man said.

Max pulled her closer and warned the old man playfully, “Don’t get fresh.” Her face was warm and the heat was flushing through her entire body. They parted ways with the old man, but Max didn’t let go of her. She rationalized, because the room is kinda crowded and we’ve gotta stick together… He introduced her to people just like, “This is Charlotte,” which her brain began to toss around after the 3rd or 4th time - is he saying it like that to avoid telling anybody anything more about me, or have they already heard my name before? Does he just not have a cover for why we would know each other? Or… has he told his friends that I exist? But, she shook her head, why would he tell his friends you exist, Girl? This man wasn’t thinking about you. He just got swindled into distracting you and the hero in him ids trying to do right by that obligation… But, wait… Nobody makes Max do anything that he doesn’t want to… and his hand has pretty much made a little groove in my waist now…

At some point, Oyster suggested, “Since all of us are here tonight, we should do a one night only band reunion!”

Max laughed and shook his head. Charlotte gasped and said, “That would be SO cool!”

“Charlotte!” She called and waved. Charlotte smiled and waved back. Phoebe came over and introduced her best friend, Cherry, and wondered, “What are these goobers doing?”

“A one night only band reunion,” Charlotte said, giggling.

Charlotte shook her head, “All I said is it would be cool…”

“She’s got him,” Cherry and Phoebe said at the same time.

“Please stop doing that,” Charlotte said, laughing a little uncomfortably. “And also, what do you mean by that?”

Max looked over, noticed them hounding her and gasped. He grabbed Charlotte's hands and asked, "Hey, would you like to play a song with the guys?"

"Not reall-" he gave her a push towards the band and she furrowed her eyebrows.

He turned to Cherry and Phoebe and whispered loudly to them, "Back off! Whatever you're doing, just back off!"

"We're helping you!" Cherry loud whispered back.

"No!" He turned and Charlotte had a guitar. "Hi! Okay. Ummm.. I'll take that."

"Okay?" She said, handing it to him. "Are you okay, Max?"

"Haven't played in a while and we weren't great the first time…"

"Yeah, the only good songs were from when he stole Phoebe's diary and turned her pain into lyrics." Max's eyes narrowed at her and Phoebe's eyes widened.

"That's horrible!" Charlotte said, looking at Max with disdain. "You really WERE a villain."

"Right! He hasn't done anything that foul in a long time. Good Guy Max, now," Phoebe said. Max sighed. They were obviously persistent to make it worse.

“I was a kid, you know? Surely, there have been times when you’ve done something not that great to somebody you cared about when you were younger?”

“So… You’re available?” Gideon asked, excitedly.

“No,” she said. Technically, she wasn’t. She had school, work, Henry to take care of. She wasn’t as upset as earlier and knew that she wasn’t fed up enough not to.

“So, what songs do you know?” Oyster asked Charlotte again.

“Well, I work with his roommate,” she said. And that settled whether or not he’d mentioned her before.

“Sorry to hear that. That guy sounds like a tool,” Oyster commented. Max snickered. But, he’d obviously had the time to mention HENRY.

“And have them take you all the way to Swellview?” He wondered. “That’d be crazy expensive.”

“Well, my car is actually at your place.”

“Still too much to pay for a car. We don’t have to go,” he said.

He called, “We gotta go outside for my fireworks presentation!” And grabbed Charlotte by the hand, waving his friends out with the other. She furrowed her eyebrows, but moved quickly so they wouldn’t run her down. He moved them aside, let the others out, then pointed two fingers to start the presentation. “Okay, THAT was the last time,” he said. He wrapped an arm around her waist and directed her to the terrace that his friends were all on. The fireworks began, glowing up number designs among them as everyone counted, “10! 9! 8! 7!...” Charlotte was excited. She’d seen fireworks before and she had rang in the New Year before, but never with a group of people that seemed to genuinely like her, or at least be nice to her all night, and never with a hot guy… Who… well, she wasn’t WITH him, but.. She glanced at him as the other’s around them reached one, screamed Happy New Year! And began their first kisses of the year. Max looked bashfully at the ground and said, “You should look at the fireworks. Worked hard on them.”

She turned back to the exhibit, which had his friends’ names and a little character or icon to represent them, and then, “And Charlotte!” She gasped and looked at him.

“I like that. I was hoping that you’d loosen up before the night was over and what’s this? *Gasps!* Casual kisses???” He teased, a glint of joy in his eyes.

She covered her face with both hands and said, “I don’t normally do stuff like that!”

“What kind of person is that?” She asked, with a twist of attitude in her voice.

He just laughed lightly, “The kind that just needs to give herself a break and not have to worry about things so much. Just a few hours and you’ve managed to start your year out carefree.”

She actually had SEVERAL cares right now!

“Ummm…?”

“You really should!” She laughed.

“Max! We’re heading to Maddie’s!” Someone called.

“Right behind you!” He said and let go of Charlotte. “It doesn’t have to be weird, you know? I’d prefer if it isn’t.”

“It isn’t. It wasn’t. It was nice.”

“Good. Still wanna hang out some more?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool.” He took her hand and they went to meet up with his friends at another party.

“Hi! This is Jasper’s friend. The person who this phone is for. Is he around?”

“Oh… No. He’s probably either still on the boat or they had to send out for help.”

“What.”

“Party boat got hit with a HUGE prank. I took the phone and after telling somebody where the dude is, I drop it off at the Pear store.”

“A prank?” Charlotte repeated, recalling Max’s friends talking about the elaborate pranks he pulled in school.

“Hilarious. These two dudes got left behind and somebody froze the water.” She laughed. “Well, Happy New Year. I’m going to the Pear store, Bye!”

Charlotte couldn’t help but to laugh too. But, the water was still frozen. They couldn’t move the boat. She called Max.

“It is before 9,” was how he answered the phone.

“It is. But, I’m looking at this abandoned boat on a frozen lake and have the sneaky suspicion that my friends are trapped on it and also that you can untrap them.”

“Ugh. Call Phoebe. I’m off today and she cares about rescuing idiots,” he grunted.

“Max…”

“Char…” He mocked. “Seriously. I’m not getting out of bed. They aren’t gonna die.”

She sighed, “This is very, very unprofessional and not heroic.”

“Maybe. But, don’t lie and say you didn’t find it funny.”

“When did you even find the time to do this???” She wondered.

“Who says I did this?” She could hear a sly smile in his voice. He wasn’t going to reveal his secrets. “Hope it works out for them.”

“You don’t care, do you?”

“No, not really.” He laughed and hung up. She laughed too. Might as well call Ray and Schwoz to get these dudes off the boat with the Man Copter.

#Share a Lair #henry danger #the thundermans #crossover #crossover fanfic #Nesha Crossover #Thundanger #Thunderbolt

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thyandrawrites · 5 years

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{1} After considering where their character development currently stands, the Main 3's decision to intern under Endeavor tragically makes sense for me now. With Izuku still praising Katsuki and dismissing his past bullying, Katsuki's lack of compassion and Shouto still associating with his father, they're indirectly enabling a problematic issue their current society has: idolizing heroes who have powerful quirks but have done criminal acts.

{2} Plus, Izuku and Katsuki don’t know how severe the family abuse was [they only know about Shouto’s and a bit of Rei’s experience, they have no clue about the siblings’] and Shouto is just trying to benefit from his father’s resources. Regardless, they know about Endeavor’s private life, continue to keep quiet about it and made a conscious decision to intern under him.

{3} Even if they know that Endeavor’s a terrible person, they still don’t see a problem doing so as long as it benefits their learning experience and according to the society they grew up in, he is the best person to learn from to become the best hero, which is exactly needs to be acknowledged is wrong. I believe that once Dabi/Touya’s past publicly comes out, that will be the wake-up call for them to realize and reflect on the flaws within themselves and society itself.

{4} May I know you thoughts? I hope this ask didn’t put you off. I apologize if did. I still side with you that there were other ways to make Endeavor relevant in the arc without him interacting with the Main 3. Also, yes; Shouto telling him off is the best part in the latest chapter. Literally, I was screaming, “YES! GO OFF ON YOUR SCUMBAG DAD!” when reading it.

I see your point and I think it’s a valid way to analyse it. I wanna believe that’s what’s happening as well, because bnha society could really use a bit of reevaluation of the kind of idols they prop up. The corruption of the ideal of heroic is a strong theme in the worldbuilding of this series. It was subtler at first, with just a few outliers who called the system out for what it really was: someone like Stain - who attacked people based on his own warped concept of justice, even a guy who is undeniably good like Iida Tensei - should never have gotten as popular as he was. Try to picture the real life world making merch and thus money off of a ruthless serial killer. Imagine someone selling Ted Bundy merch. That’s repulsive, isn’t it? Yet something like that it’s entirely possible in bnha universe. Villains get merch, same as heroes, because at the end of the day, what people perceive is just the flashy side of the entire hero/villain dichotomy. It’s a matter of who’s cooler. Let’s not forget that the main motivator for most of the UA kids is “heroes are cool. I wanna be a cool hero too”. –> this includes bakugou and deku tbh

the thing is, what their society considers “cool” is… a big melting pot of toxic ideals. I have written on the topic before, so I basically agree with your interpretation. It’s a reading that makes sense.

the increasing focus hori has given to the commission as of late, and to showing how… downright amoral they can be makes me hope for the best, kind of. Especially since they weren’t really there at the beginning of the series. The commission was an institution that was hinted at but never shown until later on in the story. And it conveniently shows up around the same time Enji and the consequences of his parenting start becoming relevant again. Not only that, but the commission and Enji also actively plot together in order to achieve a mutual interest. It seems like a deliberate set up. Like hori pointing at them and saying: look! they’re bad!! The fact that two child abusers agree on a plan to use child soldiers seems a pretty solid way of hinting that they’re bad eggs, and that they still somehow made it to the top without anyone noticing.

What puts me off is that I can’t tell if Hori is actually going to go that far. The potential is there, but. I’ve been reading shonen mangas for… nearly ten years now…? maybe longer. And usually shonen manga tends to set up a main worldbuilding conflict, sets up characters who are in some way shaped by that conflict, and then by the end of the series, nothing or very little will be done to take apart that conflict. Think of Naruto. Hori took the mantle from Kishimoto. Kishimoto set up the main conflict of the story by showing how mercenary towns like Konoha are rotten to the core and serve their own interests before thinking of their citizens. Both Naruto and Sasuke’s conflicts were shaped by the decisions that the politician of their village took, they had to endure absurd amounts of suffering, and none of that was ever answered for. None of the culprits for the Uchiha massacre was ever held accountable for what they did, except for the few that Sasuke decided to take on himself. Nothing was done to help out orphans who don’t have a proper support system, despite the fact that the very protagonist knew what it was like to be shunned by and entire village. Worse yet, both Naruto and Gaara’s character arcs resolve themselves by becoming the leaders of their respective nations. Basically solving none of the rot, but becoming the head of the corruption that exploited them in the first place. Like that is gonna change anything. Like the ideology that based that exploitation in the first place had ever been addressed.

While I do believe that Hori is somehow more self-aware than Kishimoto, since he does seem to hold the theme of abuse pretty close to his heart… at the same time I find it hard to predict his intentions because he’s been really inconsistent. With people like afo or chisaki, it’s clear that his intent is that of condemning them as abusers. He never shows them in a sympathetic light. He never gives them the entire focus, at the cost of overshadowing their victim’s pov. But he does blur the lines with Enji. A lot. One time, he bombards us with reasons why enji is horrible. Then he praises him for being a good hero. Then he shows us that he’s rash and puts people in danger and expects people (mostly shouto) to comply to his wishes. Then he tells us that he’s trying his best.

It’s…. a lot. I still don’t know for sure if Hori intends to expose him and destroy him by the end of the series, or make him fail so that he can properly make him work towards improving his mindset and thus benefit society.

Both ways are still equally possible, and not knowing for sure where Hori stands on this front, as a reader, makes me wary.

Your interpretation is super valid, and super objective. Frankly, I relate to the todorokis far too much to ever possibly perceive their family issues with complete objectivity. I wanna believe that it’s all done for a reason, and that Hori knows what he’s doing… but from where I stand, it could still go either way imho, and I think that it would help the series immensely, if Hori could just take one standing and run with it. Stop trying to humanize enji this much, if his intent was that of exposing him as a bad idol all along, you know?

#maearts #ali replies #bnha #spoilers #e slur

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