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dontbelasagne · 2 months

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desperately need to do a presentation on why the Twelfth Doctors journey perfectly represents the transfem experience

their previous eleventh incarnation being suave and hypersexual (i know moffat is mostly to blame but!) is reminiscent of attempts to fit into heteronormative ideals of masculinity. whilst it is not completely insincere, there are obvious signs this does not fit you as a person, it is acted out of desperate need to being seen. as Vastra put it, eleven wore that face, and subsequently that form of masculinity, to be accepted. on becoming twelve, realising even an "idealised" masculinity does not inherently serve them, they retreated into themselves as a person for self-reflection and trying to understand why they feel so detached from who they are.

the "am i a good man" arc mirrors being closeted and having to present as something not inherently tied to your sense of self, but still wanting to be the best of your perceived gender as any failure could leave you spiralling into self-doubt about simply being like any other "man". you ignore your gender dysphoria/questioning by trying to claim a moralistic view of gendered expression. made even more clear by Twelve rejecting Clara's heroic view of them, establishing that even though they have made efforts to be a "good man", that is just a placeholder for their loss of identity.

Missy appearing as she does, who as a character serves as a parallel to The Doctor on what they could become, and her eventual arc in trying to become good is symbolic of the fear around transition regret that internalised transphobia can create when you are closeted. Missy never gives importance to their fem existence other than nonchalant jokes, rather showing a more free and expressive personality devoid of any frustration. this immediately dismisses the transphobic assumption that trans people are only focused on their gender. also, Missy representing trans femininity is inherently tied to chaos and upsetting the status quo, she is the embodiment of what society considers accepting your womanhood as someone previously labelled masculine. what many others, and The Doctor themselves, saw as a need for attention and senseless disruption is Missy not needing to serve a false version of who they are, that they can now focus on becoming whoever they want to be now without losing energy to performing a gender that society has imposed on you. Missy could never have made the decision to stand with The Doctor if she had not given importance to her own queerness.

it wasn't coincidence with meeting Bill, she was the perfect foil for The Doctor to finally let go of their anxious attachment to masculinity. i would even argue for the majority of s10, The Doctor is largely ambiguous in their gender identity and does not fit into any construction of masculinity or femininity. whilst they still present as something socially labelled as masculine, they do not internalise that gender expression. they are uncaring about and not needing the validity that comes with heteronormativity, and thus is free to finally accept the decision they have to make. as Bill says, it is so hard to let go of The Doctor, and that rings true for twelve themselves. but they begin to realise The Doctor can be anyone. yes, they are tired, it would be so easy to simply rest and not give value to who you can become. but choosing to let go of everything you once were to survive is better than oblivion. it is better to let go, to choose another lifetime where the only person that dies is your falsity, to finally get it right and choose kindness. for yourself and for those who you love. they regenerate, not just into another person, but into someone who (if only tv scripts...) can now move forward.

#can you tell the only thoughts i have are of twelve?#this is why im kind of disappointed with the thirteenth doctors arc #like sure they're allowed dimensions as a character and to have dark moments #but there was a chance to show the nuances with relearning how to live and accept joy for yourself #as someone who has grieved and suffered loss and is detached #i know these themes arent just about transhood but dont you think they fit so beautifully?#this makes me want to bounce off the walls #doctor who #dw #twelfth doctor #peter capaldi #12th doctor #thirteenth doctor #jodie whittaker #13th doctor #long post

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darkpoisonouslove · 8 months

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NOO! Griffins redemption arc could've had SO MUCH potential, the show runners doesn't even know about!!

They could have do so much out of it! What lead her to Valtor in the first place (in my hc it has something to do with the diffrent teatment of dark and light magic users)? What happened that she left him in the end? What was that "change of heart"? Why did the CoL believed her when she came to them? The history of her and Faragonda that she vouched for her? And what happened AFTER the fight ok Domino that Faragonda and had that complicated relationship at the beginning of season 1?

And what did they? The gave her one, just ONE fu***** flashback scene and one scene with Valtor?! That lover to enemies plot was just got thrown out the window!!

Getting the entire Company of Light backstory was, for me, (one of) the best thing(s) on the show but for the writers was just a shortcut to creating personal conflict between Valtor and Griffin, Faragonda and Saladin so they can keep the action mostly contained to the territory of the schools and their surroundings. Sure, we go to other planets a lot in season 3 but the major battles with Valtor happen in CT, the Magix museum and at lake Roccaluce (and the final battle on Andros hardly counts either because the actual battle with Valtor was led inside his body).

Honestly, however you look at the Company of Light backstory, it just doesn't make sense. Griffin, Saladin and Faragonda were in the Company and then all proceeded to become heads of the most prominent schools in the Dimension? What are the odds of that actually happening? Especially considering Griffin's background. The fact that they apparently knew Bloom's parents but no one thought to tell her for... what reason exactly? Not to mention that Faragonda didn't appear to have a personal connection to the Dragon Fire and the Domino royal family in season 1 even if she started connecting the dots at some point. If she'd known Marion and Daphne, she should have instantly concluded what's going on the second she learned Bloom was having visions of Daphne and she would have suspected from the first moment she saw Bloom - an "Earth" fairy who's practically a copy of Marion with fire powers. Come on! And then you get to the timeline that just doesn't add up and the writers make that much worse every time they insist that the Company were the same age as Winx when they fought the Ancestral Witches, which is absolutely impossible because Marion and Oritel already had a teenage daughter at the time. The whole thing is just... Okay then. You know, a spin-off could fix most if not all of this. Just saying.

As for Griffin, same thing there. Like I said, I believe that making her Valtor's partner was to justify him taking over CT since that's where most of his battles with the Winx take place (and Bloom's talk with the Ancestral Witches that is questionable too - how are they connected to CT? Why can they be contacted through the crypt if they're not dead? If they can access this dimension, why haven't they tried to contact any of the witches in CT, especially back when the Trix were still students, so that they can get freed from Obsidian?). Plus, she's the only older witch character we have on the show, therefore she's the only one who would have served the forces of evil in her youth. Don't we all know that witches are just prone to seeking world domination? If you haven't grasped that yet, you clearly have not been watching the show carefully smh. /s

So they just slapped that backstory there. It's obvious that they didn't want to bother with it when you remember how stylized the entire flashback is. There was literally nothing in it to give you any concrete details about their partnership. It's basically an illustration of the concept that doesn't indicate anything specific about the characters and the relationship. And the offenses don't stop there. Griffin isn't allowed to do anything against Valtor, even though she should be the one person that knows him best and is therefore able to at least somewhat predict his moves aka would have the best chances to counter them. They let Faragonda fight him and blast him through a bunch of trees but Griffin gets nothing, even after he imprisoned her and zombified her students? The sheer indignity of that! And when you look at it, it's so clear why they did it - because they don't want anyone other than the Winx to be able to save the day. Winx save Andros, Winx save Alfea and Faragonda, Winx save CT (in 3x24). Never mind that Griffin has worked with Valtor under the Ancestral Witch that has illusion and darkness powers. Surely, she never would have considered he didn't just decimate CT but simply masked it. Especially since season 2 said CT is alive and both Griffin and the Trix could sense its energy and direct it to make the castle do what they want. Makes perfect sense! All the logistics in this show are a fucking joke.

I also believe that her joining Valtor had something to do with the issue of light vs dark magic. Even if we accept that there isn't outright hostility and bias against the witches everywhere (Magix is cool for example whereas other planets such as Eraklyon are more discriminatory against witches), I still think that light magic users are more propped up in the spotlight and respected. It would have bothered someone like Griffin and I can see her seeking out power to prove dark magic's place in the "ecosystem" is just as important. Tbh 1x08 kind of supports that and could give insight into the issue with Faragonda but I will get to that later. And from there I can see her getting close with Valtor based on the similarities between them. After all, Valtor is just as powerful as the Domino royals with their Dragon Fire but ignored and openly abhorred because of the darkness added to his power. He's not really considered a natural extension of the Dragon Fire (Faragonda calls him "a creature", which, I mean, fair but still). He's smart, cunning, ruthless, powerful. All things that would draw Griffin to him because she's so similar. It's not that hard to see why they'd work together, though the show would never admit to the superiority of light magic that is imposed on the world.

What's really annoying is the fact that the motivations for her betrayal are left up in the air. Again, Griffin is smart enough to have seen through the Ancestral Witches' plans. She would have known that they would bring about a lot of destruction. Why work for them only to decide later that she's not okay with it? If you consider the possibility that she's prideful enough to get herself into a mess like that, there would have had to have been a wake-up call for her to decide to switch sides similarly to what happened in season 1 with the Trix. But there she took measures against them before the catastrophe hit and she never suspected that they could try to take over the world - implying that she would not have waited around for the situation to get so dire to get herself out of it. Add to that that neither Griffin's, nor Valtor's words and behavior indicate that he (or the Ancestral Witches) did something out of their ordinary to alienate her. It's all worded as if one day she just realized out of the blue that she's helping a plan that could lead to the ruin of whole planets and she booked it. I am not buying that. Which leads to the only viable alternative - that someone else (Faragonda) changed her mind but that's also counterintuitive considering the situation in season 1. I'm not saying it's impossible, just that it would have needed more backstory to stick properly. That's not my headcanon but it would work really well with what we already saw on the show. It would also bring in maximum angst for Valtor because she left him because of Faragonda, and maximum angst for Griffin and Faragonda because of the way things proceed to develop between them. All that to lead us to them being protective of each other as we saw on the show and to intensify Valtor's anger and bring out his feelings on the betrayal to the surface.

Imo it makes the most sense that the Company (without Faragonda) decided to keep Griffin purely from a strategical PoV - to use her information on the Coven. All of that helped by Faragonda's unwavering belief that Griffin is not just spying on them for Valtor. And with time they would be convinced that she truly wants to help for the sake of the universe and fixing her mistakes.

Honestly, I can see how they could have fallen out after the tragedy on Domino. Now the show implies that no one has heard of the Company of Light, which, again, doesn't make sense if they fought the battle that lead to the destruction of an entire planet but okay. It would make sense that they got their positions as heads of the schools in relation to their heroism, exhibited during their time with the Company. Except that Griffin was helping the Coven first; she was less standing up to a rising threat and more fixing her own mistakes, plus she's a witch. She's mostly an afterthought when it comes to the Company's "victory" if not outright ignored and that bothers her. It's a nagging in the back of her mind for over a decade until it starts to undermine her relationship with Faragonda. And that leads us to her lines in 1x08 about the alliance between Winx and the Specialists possibly changing the balance of power. They could have even saved her more questionable characterization in the beginning of season 1 if they had tried to tie it into her past and then draw from that to add drama to the conflict between her and Valtor.

Again, imagine the tension of him taunting her about having to bow to people that would have cowered before her if she'd just stayed by his side. Imagine her obsession with him leading to comments from, say, leaders of the planets affected by his actions asking how reasonable it is to let Valtor's ex partner in charge of the strategy against him. Even if she's successful in foiling him, that just proves that she's too good at thinking like him. Maybe it's all a big con and they have been working together the whole time. Or if not, they made up after she became obviously disgruntled with the treatment she received after her involvement with the Company of Light. Imagine Valtor, pissed off about the insinuations that he would trust her again but still not passing up a chance to mock her that if everyone thinks she's working with him anyway, she would have been much better off if she'd actually been working with him still, but she's not. Imagine the strain on her relationship with Saladin and Faragonda when they see in her more and more of the woman she was when she was working with Valtor because she's trying to get in his head to win their game of cat and mouse. For them it's like seeing the trauma of the past coming alive right before their eyes while for her it's more of the thing that alienated her in the first place - doing everything to help only to have her efforts questioned and doubted, only to be accused - whether implicitly or explicitly - of being evil.

I understand that the writers wanted to keep the focus on the Winx but in that case, they should not have introduced the backstory that Valtor has with Griffin, Faragonda and Saladin. Valtor is undoubtedly the type of person that would pursue revenge vehemently and not fitting that into the plot works against his character. Add to that the fact that they made him overpowered from the start and had to scramble to write in ways for Winx to defeat him but that only made him look more and more pathetic the closer we got to the point where they had to defeat him. That whole thing would have worked much better if instead of weakening him (I mean, really? He allegedly gets so many spells that he can't even hold all of them in his own form but he's afraid of fighting the Winx himself and he can barely save his own ass - not through magic, but through trickery? Gtfo), they would have written the Winx foiling his plans with help from Griffin. Having her in Alfea once he concealed CT (and doing that earlier, in 3x18 instead of him just leaving and letting Griffin come back) would have been the perfect opportunity and perfect motivation to make her be out for his head if she weren't already. That is already the point in which they start to weaken him so it would have worked perfectly with the plot. Just add a few more scenes with Griffin advising the Winx what to do, or in the very least make Stella (we all know it would be Stella, especially since she's the one who freed Griffin from her cell in CT) jab him about Griffin's information doing wonders for them and helping them ruin his day. I'm definitely thinking here of the "[we will win] because you slept with her and now she's mad" scene from the season 1 finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Anyway, pour one out for all this wasted potential.

#winx club #winx griffin #winx valtor #griffin x valtor #company of light #winx faragonda #winx headcanons #meta #ask #anon

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cosmicfelines · 2 years

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I swear y'all my brain makes the most out of the blue crossovers out of nothing, with the Bel'veth reveal and Miraculous ladybug season 4 ending my brain just said "hmmm 🤔 Hawkmoth and the void both use purple" and BAM! New crossover and plot

Disclaimer: Just so you know! I don't approve of Canon!Gabriel actions nor does his grief makes him justified in anything he does. I get what the writers where trying to do with his character (some kind sympathetic villain like Mr. Freeze but less successful) but as always the writing of this show leaves much to be desired, as always with most things I like the concept but not the execution and Gabriel is not the exception. I actually like Gabriel's character, I want him to have a redemption arc, but as always with this show and with Clownstruc in charge all good ideas and potential is thrown out the window. I'm always looking for fans rewrits and redesign of Miraculous ladybug specially Hawkmoth/Gabriel. So as with most fandoms I have decided to divorce canon and go with my headcanons

Of you don't know what is the League of Legends Void I recommend watching Necrit's video on Runeterra or the wiki, but to keep it short The Void is a parallel dimension that is the anti-thesis of reality. It's full of nothingness except for this eldritch god-like beings called The Watchers they were in eternal blissful sleep until a rip in reality allowed a window to the Universe where the planet of Runeterra resided woke them up, they suddenly where conscious of their own existence and all the noise and light of the universe, they didn't like it. So their whole plan is to destroy the Runeterran Universe so they can go back to sleep, send Voidborn and Voidspawn to the Universe as their scouts to collect information on this new reality, and open bigger Void rifts so they can pass through and destroy everything.

So the basic premise was (before the S5 episodes leaks, monarch design preview and the first episode evolution) that a void rift opened up in Paris, maybe it was just a random occurrence, an incursion of The Watchers, or maybe when Hawkmoth used all the Miraculous together during a battle he opened a Void rift, just like the Icathians did.

The Voidborn begin to come through and lay waste to everything and everyone. LB mad CN think this is Hawkmoth's Akumas but they're wrong and the three can feel the kwamis fear through the connection. The magic of the Miraculous can barely damage the Voidlings, people are dying and the Miraculous ladybug doesn't have a clear answer and it wouldn't be able to fix anything or bring anyone back since this is not an Akuma or a threat of this world, it's an otherness and the only thing protecting their minds and bodies form the world is the magic on the suits. They're getting desperate and I'm moment of clarity Hawkmoth understands what must be done...

Someone has to get close to the rift, lure as many Voidspawn as they can and make it implode on itself to close it, taking as much Voidlings as they can with it. Problems is that it's a one way trip, if the Voidborn or implosions don't take you then whatever is on the other side of the portal surely will.

Gabriel steels himself and tells Ladybug and Chat Noir his plan, but only the luring the Voidspawn to the portal and closing it part, they're getting desperate and it's the only plan they have so they agree, Hawkmoth lies to reassures them saying that the three of them will take out whatever Void creature remains after the implosions takes must of them, Hawkmoth flies to the portal (the Miraculous gives him wings in my headcanon) luring the hundreds of tiny Voidlings with light and the magic of the Miraculous, does a few circles to make sure all are following him.. and dives straight through the portal.

It works all the Voidlings follow him through the portal, there's light shining from it where previously there was only overwhelming darkness with tints of ominous purple light. Gabriel on the other side keeps flying in circles on the other side seeing millions of void creatures, every single one following him like moths to a flame trying to catch him instead of going through the portal. He prepares the necessary magic to close the rift from his side and in a fast dive with the Voidlings following closely behind he gets close to the rift and a explosion occurs.

The Voidlings recoil and burn in agony all being obliterated, the rift is closing, and Gabriel is badly hurt despite the protection of the suit, with one last thought he takes off the Miraculous and throws it through the rift just before it closes, leaving him in darkness and with nothing but the carcasses of the dead Voidspawn, and he passes out from his injuries.

That's the first part of everything but eventually after many years of wandering and surviving Gabriel, who is now a Void touched full with purple exoskeleton and butterfly wings (oh the irony), finds his way out of the dimension he is in (is not the void, no human would be able to survive there, it's a dimension between dimensions that touches closely with the void), he appears in Runeterra, underground closely to the giant void rift where Icathian once was, and from there he explores this new world he is in. maybe he encounters Viego he sees this reflection of himself and what he was becoming.

From this point I don't have a lot figured out, what I know is he will encounter Kassadin and helps him find his daughter (he misses Adrien terribly and there are not of other void touched around who are sane), they bond and fall in love, yes I'm shipping Gabriel with Kassadin in this possible fic. They find Kai'Sa after here encounter with Bel'veth and travel Runeterra looking for help against the void.

Much much later he will return to his world to warn and help them against the void, along with his new boyfriend and stepdaughter, but those are mostly vague ideas.

Tell me what you think and hey if you wanna write it tell me and I'll help you :D.

#league of legends #crossover #hawkmoth #kassadin #gabriel agreste #void hawkmoth au #void moth au #hawkmoth redemption #Gabriel agreste redemption #miraculous ladybug

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jojoturnip · 2 years

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Getting Feedback as a Writer is the best thing (examples provided)

Here's to my creative writing class! Professor = Kind of a mess, but the students were great, and I'm gonna miss having class with them. Super thankful for getting to know them (and I can't wait for us to continue sharing our stories). It means so much to me to hear from them about my writing, something I've really struggled to share for years.

In memory, mostly for myself, here is a compilation of some of my favorite pieces of (written) feedback I've received with 0 context for any of you:

"I’d definitely want my own clothes too."

"Feels real." (newsflash, it was)

"But damn, I sure as hell enjoyed it!!"

"The first many paragraphs I devoured, because your use of diction was so well-done-- not over done, but poetic in the implications that all your descriptions had."

"Holy shit."

"The root of you. All I can say is a 100% relate. My favorite part was the story you added into it. Instead of giving us just straight what you thought, you gave us a story to explain why you thought this was your root." (not me using stories to process my life...)

"The style of writing here feels more slow-paced and reflective, and full of emotions. You do a great job of conveying what the characters are feeling. Your descriptions seem to be very in-depth and elaborate."

"I can feel your conflicting emotions with your kindness. This whole segment had a very clear voice that was yours."

"I read your work a few days ago and the writing has still stuck with me."

"I really found myself immersed into the world you had created. ... I also like how vividly everything was described in the story. I feel like it could really be made into a movie."

"I love reading your writing and I really hope you publish your work someday."

"The biggest thing I noticed about your writing style is that it's so intentional. Every moment, movement, and detail plays a part in the bigger picture."

"I really wanted it to continue or read the whole book."

"You take your time and make sure that nothing is rushed"

"You also did a great job describing emotions, especially difficult ones like anxiety."

"I really enjoyed the concept of this story and I hope you keep writing it and then maybe share the finished novel somewhere!"

"This is GREAT. It reads super easy and I really was interested in reading the rest (even though I'm not a fantasy fan)"

"the TEABAG"

"Also, if I may be honest, it sounds a bit forced-poetic-Tumblr-2014 and doesn't do your writing justice at all, which is really effortlessly poetic most of the time."

"There's this mysterious aura to this piece, like there's a lot more to be said."

"I really liked that part of your novel, and I'd be interested in knowing when/if it will be published"

"We come to terms with ourselves and others, but never forget what people are capable of so we don't let them step on us over and over again."

"I never thought about this dimension, and it definitely made me think. I do think its very true that people that are always kind are infantilized, especially because we consider sadness, darkness, a certain "edge" to be part of being mature and growing up."

"Queen, this paragraph is so good."

"I don't think piece of shit and trash should be right next to each other. Seems a little redundant?"

"Stop this is so sad"

"I like this whole interaction. It feels realistic and educational without sounding forced, it's really good"

"I really feel her anger here. You did a really good job with making her very relatable and bringing her emotions to life."

"*poetry snaps*"

"Heart is breaking currently"

"I like this. It feels bittersweet because we clearly realize that she's a caring person, but she doesn't allow herself to support someone because she feels remorseful"

"Ugh love"

"I feel like I'm really inside your head at this moment."

"THESE ARE SO REAL. Because I know they actually are but they're such good specific details and I love it."

"The realization of this is *chef's kiss*"

The combination of these two, one right after the other: "You are too pure. Never think of that as a negative quality trait. It's who you are, and it's beautiful." & "UGH this line is so good. Literally makes the reader think exactly what I did ^^ and then immediately want to take it back. The emotions you are bringing out of me is so good."

"thats so awesome :D let us know when you publish it?!?!!" (no haha)

"First, thanks for sharing something so personal. I like how you write. You reflect how the buildup to a stressful conversation takes a toll on us - even if it's such a mundane task like serving food."

"I think you wrote about the internal struggle the character is going through really well! It feels nuanced."

"I really enjoyed all the psychology in your piece! I actually have a recommendation for you; Read The Yellow Wallpaper, it has a really similar feel to your piece!" (mmmm not my piece about butterfly stickers and CPS being related to the infamous The Yellow Wallpaper)

Just reading these all again has made me smile, laugh, and tear up. So glad I got to share some pieces of myself with these great people.

*A note to non-writers: if you have a writer in your life, and they share a piece of writing with you, that is literally them baring their raw soul to you. Take it, know that your interest, your questions, your feedback means more to them than anything.

#writing #writers #writing feedback #saving this so i can come back and read it again and again #this means so much to me #wish i could bring it all back to younger me #and be like look #people are reading your writing again! It wasn't you!#They're interested! They want to read more!#I'm going to get better at sharing my writing again. It's a scary promise #but one that I need to make.#so #future me who's reading through this again #remember that.#remember how it felt to laugh about it all over coffee and tea and freshly warmed muffins #I'm gonna take baby steps #but I'm gonna get there

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strangerthings4theories · 2 years

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Something I’ve been thinking is why did the mind flayer choose Billy to be the only one that didn’t mush into it when all the other flayed became the mf? I mean you could say since he was the first one to become flayed, and the strongest, it was reasonable to keep him around for help with making sure it got El. Also he was the mind flayers eyes and ears. But like something about that doesn’t sit right with me. It’s a monster from a dark dimension does it really need the help of a really strong teen boy? It could have easily gotten El without Billy, especially after El was bit even though she got it out. Will had the mindflayer taken out of him yet is still somehow connected to it. So I’m sure the mf would find her with some strange connection it seems to keep with people. Maybe I’m just trying to convince myself that Billy is some higher power. Idk it just felt like he was ‘chosen’ per day. What are your thoughts on this, and if he were to have been chosen why do you think that would be?

This is a question where it's useful to switch between Watsonian vs Doylist modes of interpretation.

Quoting from a post I reblogged recently (but currently can't locate because Tumblr hates me):

watsonian: the enchantress cursed the eleven-year-old prince from beauty and the beast and all of his servants because fairies don't understand why humans would think that's insane and unfair. I am using in-universe evidence to explain why the character might think or act a certain way, as if belle and the prince and the enchantress are real people.

doylist: the writers didn't realize that the prince would have been eleven when he was cursed until it was too late to change it, and the servants are also cursed because talking furniture is funny and allows for unique character design. I am explaining this plot point based on an outside knowledge of how writing works and how writers think.

From a Doylist perspective, the Duffers didn't want Billy to melt into the Mind Flayer because that's not the story they're telling. Personally, I think that's the strongest explanation for why they made this choice. They wanted him to make it to Starcourt, have a redemption moment, stand up to the Mind Flayer, and keep it from killing El. In my opinion, they also wanted to mark him as a demigod - a "chosen one," as you point out. In-universe explanations were secondary here, not primary.

BUT, I do think an in-universe (aka Watsonian) explanation is in the works. The first one you suggest, that the Mind Flayer needed a spy and enforcer on the ground, strikes me as pretty solid. Will still has a connection to the Mind Flayer, yes, but the Mind Flayer can't use it anymore. And we don't know of anyone who has a strong enough connection to it otherwise. So, imo, the Mind Flayer made a logical choice by leaving Billy intact. Billy is more useful running around on his own. (If only for the fact that he's smaller and can move around in tight spaces 😆)

I don't think that's the full explanation though. Moving forward, I believe we'll find out Billy really is a "chosen one" of some kind. The Mind Flayer didn't possess him by accident, and it had reasons for leaving him alive as long as it did. If you're interested in exploring this further, you can check out my posts about Billy's mother. (Just look through my index post)

#billy hargrove #the mind flayer #stranger things #stranger things theory #stranger things analysis #answering your mail

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mobius-prime · 4 years

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271. Sonic Universe #4

The Shadow Saga (Part 4 of 4): The Ultimate Lifeform

Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley! Colors: Jason Jensen

Before we get started, it's important to note that this issue likely takes place a short time after the upcoming two issues, but for the sake of continuity as well as plot pacing, I've decided to cover this one first, especially since it doesn't overlap with the events of the next two issues at all. Shadow and Rouge are suited up and ready to go into the Special Zone in search of another Chaos Emerald, and Shadow is unconcerned, as he thinks the mission should be fairly routine. They're teleported into the zone by Hope's device, and sure enough, the giant freaky panda god Feist is there, ready to test some mortals for funsies in return for a Chaos Emerald.

Feist cackles and says that since he creates the rules of this zone, Shadow's own powers won't work, as even if he's the "ultimate lifeform" Feist is a god and therefore holds power over him. Shadow and Rouge quickly start trying to navigate Feist's little maze, using their respective strengths to dodge obstacles, but Feist has deliberately set them up for failure, and laughs at them as they run out of time just a moment before Rouge can grab the green Chaos Emer- wait, what? The green emerald? That one was already retrieved from the Sol Dimension! For whatever reason, Jason apparently completely forgot that not all the emeralds are green anymore, and miscolored this one, which was intended to be the red one. Ian handwaved it away later by saying Feist made it look that way to confuse them or whatever, but the color was also quietly corrected to red in future reprints, so it clearly wasn't intended. Anyway, Shadow and Rouge are booted out of the zone without their prize, much to Hope and Commander Tower's shock.

Okay, first of all, Tower, there's literally no need to be an asshole about this. There were already problems just getting into the Special Zone in the first place, it's downright idiotic to think it would just be a total piece of cake to retrieve one of the emeralds within after all that. And second of all, for goodness' sake, Shadow, stop blaming yourself for goddamn everything! Oh no, you didn't immediately succeed at everything you've tried! Ultimate lifeform or not, you're still an ordinary sentient being with ordinary sentient thought processes. Shadow, moping and upset, heads to the facility's gym and begins beating the crap out of Omega, who is surprised and makes a weird comment about how it's he who "usually" comes to Shadow for sparring practice. I'm… a little baffled at this comment, honestly, because it makes it sound like Omega's been around for a while now and he and Shadow regularly beat each other up, even though the very last issue implied that this issue's story is taking place like, the day after recruiting him. But anyway, Shadow dodges all of Omega's questions and attacks, while Omega rather tactlessly points out that now that he's received his clearance for duty, he can come with them on their next mission and blast Feist for them. This pisses Shadow off, and he stalks away to find a quiet spot near the top of the base.

Oh, speaking of which, has anyone been wondering where GUN is actually based? We know they're part of Station Square's security force, but multiple past issues have made vague allusions to the United Federation having more than one territory around the world, and generally being a lot bigger than it was previously portrayed as being (remember when the Mobians and entire outside world didn't even know Station Square existed? Ah, the weird old days). Well, here we get a clue as to where this GUN base is located. Shadow is moping at the top of the mountain that houses the base, and Hope appears there too, surprised to see Shadow as she'd thought this was her own personal hidden thinking spot. She tries to make conversation, enthusing about the view and how "On a clear day, you can see all the way to Soleanna!" I've already noted that Sonic '06 technically took place, if you can call it that, in the comics universe, so obviously Soleanna would have to exist as well. My point here is more about the location of Soleanna. The aesthetic of the kingdom's capital city is vaguely Venetian, indicating it's probably located somewhere analogous to modern-day Italy, so for it to be visible from the top of this mountain, this GUN base would have to be somewhere in Europe. Because I'm extra, I took a look at the position of these two relative to the sun in the background, and if we assume this scene takes place in the afternoon, then the base would be somewhere north of Soleanna - so if Soleanna is indeed located on the coast where Italy currently, then that all checks out nicely. Just a fun fact for y'all!

Anyway, I'm getting way too into the small details here. Hope, noticing that Shadow refuses to make conversation despite her efforts, tries to comfort him, but Shadow just insists that since he's the ultimate lifeform he's not supposed to fail. This is, of course, ridiculous, and Hope points this out, adding that in her opinion he hasn't failed as badly as she has. She tells him the story of how Snively encouraged her to leave Knothole and how she feels too guilty to go back after its destruction, which rouses Shadow somewhat, becoming concerned when she starts to cry. He tells her that leaving was hardly a failure, that she had no way of knowing what would happen and that it wasn't a bad thing to want to push her own boundaries by exploring her role in the world. She smiles and fires back that he can't blame himself for his own failures then, and points out that in the end his "failed" mission was actually excellent reconnaissance and that now that he understands better what he'll be facing, he's just set himself up for future success. This makes Shadow pause, as he's obviously not thought of it like this before.

Now that is how you write a Shadow. It's weird when people try to characterize him as this edgy, brooding, angry violent character who would never allow himself to be soft or emotional. Sure, he has an ego that he has to protect, and he likes to show off how tough he is on occasion, but Hope's analysis here is accurate - he's literally an eternal teenager who's just trying to figure out where he belongs in the grand scheme of things. Furthermore, Shadow the Hedgehog is great with children and no one will ever ever change my mind on this. So there.

Soon after their talk, Shadow, Rouge, and Omega have gathered at the teleporter for their next foray into the Special Zone. They've christened themselves "Team Dark," something which Rouge and Hope both seem a bit baffled at but which Tower seems to think is apt. They make it back into the Special Zone, and when Feist gloats at them for coming back for another round, both Omega and Shadow become riled, wanting to go on the offensive, though Rouge holds them back. Feist conjures up another challenge for them, this time in the form of a weird 3D-cube-maze-thing, and mocks them as they do their best to find the center. They eventually end up in a chamber with spikes at the bottom and the Chaos Emerald at the center, but Feist covers the emerald with a bunch of multicolored, useless gems, giving Omega the chance to use his beloved guns to blast a hole in them, giving Shadow an opening.

Feist, you're a real asshole, you know that? He brings them back to his sphere… platform… thing to mock them some more, and Omega begins begging for the chance to pursue "Plan B" like an excited child on Christmas. He's delighted when Rouge gives her permission, and immediately launches half his weight in ammunition into Feist's face, having to be literally dragged away from the screaming panda by Rouge to prevent him from standing there and firing at him for the rest of the day.

Woo! Go Team Dark! Hope hugs Shadow and congratulates him, and Tower is similarly pleased, accepting the emerald from his agents and eager to make GUN a "force to be reckoned with" with the power of their two emeralds. Normally, that statement might set off a few red flags, especially concerning these guys' history of, y'know, murdering innocent terminally ill children who get in the way of their bullets, but luckily fifty years has been enough for them to change for the better (I sincerely doubt Shadow would ever agree to work for them otherwise). This issue ends with a single page teasing the next arc of SU, featuring an adult Knuckles and Julie-Su getting ready to leave on some kind of trip and trusting their daughter Lara-Su to take over things while… they're… oh for the love of Chaos, this again?! We're really going back to the future? Only this time, it's thirty years into the future instead of twenty-five. Ugh, I wanted to be done with this AU, but I guess we're careening right back into it… But first, of course, the two-part finale to the sixth era of the preboot, the shortest era so far!

#nala reads archie sonic preboot #archie sonic #archie sonic preboot #sonic the hedgehog #su 4 #writer: ian flynn #pencils: tracy yardley #colors: jason jensen

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