AAAAH This Series Has Me In A Chokehold-- The Angst, The Drama-- I Just Gotta Talk About Scar's Final

AAAAH this series has me in a chokehold-- the angst, the drama-- I just gotta talk about Scar's final episode! I can't stop chewing on the ideas it's spawned in my head.

I mean, Scar and Bdubs' dynamic has to be addressed. They felt like proper siblings in this. From the way Scar was like an older brother praising his younger sibling's efforts, to Bdubs boasting about his success to get his older brother's approval. . .

And for Scar, I might even go as far as to say that he was protective. How he was constantly in a state of hypervigilance about their safety. How he was constantly offering resources and support.

(gosh, I can feel the possible fanfics boiling beneath my skin)

And the fact that Scar went and killed Cleo for her favoritism, rather than taking out his jealousy on Bdubs.

Not to mention that Scar was absolutely brutal this entire season (this last episode in particular) yet to Bdubs he was almost gentle in this last episode. This is the same Scar who looked at Etho, his "father", and saw nothing more than an animal he needed to put down. The same Scar who pushed Bdubs into a pit of zombies for the giggles.

Yet when it came down to their red lives, Scar was more than willing to set aside his need to bully Bdubs and instead look out for their little group. (Even if Scar never planned to really end up in any group specifically, I feel he was more than happy to side with his brother.)

And Bdubs was also more than happy to have Scar join their group-- even after being pushed into the zombie stream. (I like to think this is because, while Bdubs was angry at Scar at the time, he more easily forgave Scar because of their familial ties.)

And in the end, it just feels like a sibling relationship-- you'll fight over petty things like they're the end of the world, but when the end of the world actually arrives you stick together and are as thick as thieves.

I'm just dying to see art or read fics about this complex dynamic and their messy past. I feel like there's so much potential.

I have so many thoughts about this last episode and this is only skimming the surface.

Delusional secret life predictions:

1. Bdubs

2. Pearl

3. Grian

4. Cleo

5. Joel

6. Scott

7. Tango

8. Etho

9. Scar

10. Skizz

11. Impulse

12. Martyn

13. Gem

14. BigB

this one was done in response to the results of the persona champions polls going on on twitter

Zoro and Growth

Recently, I’ve been thinking about a certain green-haired swordsman and trying to understand things from his perspective. One issue I’ve noticed is how he often falls victim to misconceptions. Being one of the most popular characters in the fandom means there’s a prevalent but narrow view of him that isn’t always favorable. This is true for all One Piece characters, but Zoro’s loyalty and steadfastness are particularly emphasized by fans, sometimes to the detriment of recognizing his growth.

People often say that if Zoro had been present during the Whole Cake Island arc, he wouldn’t have tolerated any of what happened, especially Sanji’s actions. They claim he would’ve acted as he did in Water 7, not letting Sanji return without a proper apology. However, I don’t think that’s accurate.

Before the time skip, the crew didn’t fully understand each other, and they all had room to grow stronger. Even Luffy wasn’t fully up to par. During this time, Zoro was subconsciously doubting the process, and the crew was often taking on more than they could handle. Now, post-time skip, Zoro understands the Straw Hats’ dynamics better. He trusts that Luffy is strong enough to lead and handle situations, even in his unique “un-Captain”-like manner.

I believe that if Zoro had been there during Whole Cake Island, he would have trusted Luffy’s decision to get Sanji back because Sanji is their nakama and none of them are perfect. Zoro’s growth is evident in his trust in Luffy and his understanding of his crewmates. He likely wouldn’t have been as harsh with Usopp’s return either, recognizing Usopp’s way of handling things and knowing an apology would come eventually.

The Straw Hats are built on friendship, and post-time skip, Zoro supports this more than ever. He works in the best interest of the entire crew, not just Luffy’s. Misconceptions about Zoro stem from how the fandom often portrays him, missing the nuances of his character growth. So, yes, post-time skip Zoro is a version I prefer because he clearly prioritizes the well-being of the whole crew.

joel probably felt the same emotions after accidently shooting bdubs as you do when you accidently kick your dog

except here his dog immediantly drops dead moments later

its probably best he died right after him thats alot of emotional baggage

Drifting Stars Masterlist Ⅱ

I never thought there would be a part two of this solely because of the limited number of fanfictions there actually are for this au. Yet here we are, four months later and somehow able to make this post. Same rules apply; general order of favourites, you are all entitled to your own opinion, add any I may have missed, and that's kinda it.

Onward!

Disconnected by DarrowWyrlde - 4th part of a series, 2 028 words, 2/13

Ok so this one probably should not be in this post at all since it's not drifting stars and more of a lost legends fic. I only put this one here because it's still about Mabel in the multiverse and who knows, maybe that's why you read drifting stars. I don't have much else to say, just thought I'd put it here.

Drift Away by GravityUniverse115 - oneshot, 1 174 words, 1/1

This one was written well despite it being fairly short, the only catch being that it - again - is not entirely drifting stars. It is about Mabel going through the portal, but it is written more as a concept in comparison to a typical oneshot. If someone did write a fic based off of this tho I would definitely read it.

The Drifting Star by Booblybaba - standalone, 35 337 words, 15/?

This was your typical drifting stars fic, I don't have too much else to say except that it was good and that it ends just as I was getting into it. It was a bit fast paced but again, not bad.

Into the Unknown by MintGreenMare - standalone, 31 681 words, 22/22

Finished and Drifting Stars does not go in the same sentence, and yet this fic exists. Fully complete, 100% resolved. It only took like 9 years for someone to actually finish writing one of these. It did take me a bit to get into it compared to other stuff I've read, mostly because it feels more like a collection of oneshots as opposed to a whole fic, but I did still enjoy it.

Ad Astra by Queen_Mab - standalone, 103 406 words, 18/?

So many people go crazy for this fic and I kinda get why, the worldbuilding is done really well and the stuff going on back in Gravity Falls is a lot more interesting than just Dipper and Stan rebuilding the portal. The only setback for me is that it feels unrealistic and was almost pushed too far in some aspects. But again, I get the appeal and do wanna see what would happen next.

Save That Light by Mezzorellasticks - standalone, 11 293 words, 5/?

I'm surprised there aren't more fic's with some of the concepts in this one. I won't spoil it but I could see this happening to Mabel more than once and yet no one has written about it. Some parts felt a little off in terms of character but overall it was pretty cool.

A Familiar Face by Missintroverted - 1st part of a series, 2 350 words, 1/1

This is another fic that's not entirely drifting stars but at the same time kinda is. Instead of Mabel being fully related to Ford, it's another version of her but older (possibly a relativity + reverse portal version). I thought it interesting and I enjoyed the interaction between the two.

Among The Stars by Maviiigirl - standalone, 4 603 words, 2/?

This fic follows the typical outline so far; Mabel falling through the portal, Ford being an awkward dumbass, the two figuring out what's going on before any proper multiverse madness occurs. But the way it was written was really good, that and the fact that this author also wrote a very good oneshot which gives me hope for the future of this fic.

A Little Help by Maviiigirl - oneshot, 3 130 words, 1/1

I thought this oneshot was so cool. Mabel being all responsible while internally panicking and Ford being delusional was actually so funny to me. Some parts were a little quick but overall I thought it was really well done. I kinda wanna see it be continued just to see what Ford would say when he woke up tho.

That's mostly it, if I were to compare the two list's I'd say the quality of the fics from the other one are far better, but these one's are a lot more recent meaning there is hope that some of them will be continued.

I didn't mean to insult any of these, I find my main problem with fanfiction is the way the characters are written and the way characters bond, especially since many are rushed and often there isn't enough time allowed for certain emotions to properly form before diving straight into hurt/comfort. I understand tho, I struggle with that a lot in my writing too.

Anyway, here's the first masterlist if you wanna look at those too :))