#(they are the creators and they know the characters best)

[power-handmaiden]

Chuck Tingle interview

OK, here is the FINAL 2024 Tingles My Butt post, which I've been pretty hyped for. I still kind of can't believe this. While I was figuring out how I'd move on from 2024, @drchucktingle generously offered to answer some questions of mine to commemorate the end of my tingler project! Here they are!

-Considering that your process for tinglers is just to write it out and not stress about proofreading and editing, was it weird for you to see someone decide to go back, examine, and contemplate every single tingler published in the past decade?

the whole dang project was really wonderful for me, for exactly the reason you have just said. tinglers are very STREAM OF CONSCIOUS and only edited with one quick pass so while i think this adds to their honesty and rawness it also means that my time with them is limited. really watching someone go back through them at this depth was like reading a diary that i have not opened for many years, and it jumps around through time in a very beautiful way. it was very moving

-I love tingler character names. I personally admire how many great ones you come up with. (I never know what to name my ttrpg characters.) You just come up with all these great names that seemingly spring from nowhere, how do you do it?

DANG great question cant believe i have not been asked this before but yes there is a type of name that shows up in the tingleverse that is unusual and has a certain feeling and cadence that is very specific. if i am trotting along with sweet barbara and there is a name of a product or a place or something that has this tone we will say ‘oh thats a tingleverse name.’ the reason i wanted to do this in the books was as a very subtle way of saying these stories exist on a timeline that is RIGHT next to ours, so in some ways it is exactly the same as our world but there are these little cultural differences with things like chocolate milk and spaghetti and then with the names. you will have buckaroos like justin and sarah trotting along next to buckaroos named corb torbins-quill or borto lart.

-So, as a reader, reading from 2014 to now, old tinglers and new tinglers feel different to me. I believe you when you say tinglers have always been sincere, but they feel MORE sincere than they used to be. Like, I feel like there was some self-consciousness and irony in some of the early tinglers that you've since let go of and embraced the Chuck Tingle voice more. I don't know, am I imagining this, or does this square with your tingler writing journey? If it does, what has that process been like for you?

i think you are absolutely correct. the intention with tinglers was always to be a place for me to express myself with complete sincerity, but the practical way of HOW to trot like this took a bit of an evolution to arrive at. in other words i knew the basics, but actually refining the best way to express yourself and perform your art takes time. maybe in the same way goin back and watching season one of a tv show can feel very different from season three, even though they are part of the same expression. 

similar thing happened with in my chuck PRESENTATION as well, where my main focus was to stay anonymous so the metaphors i used to talk about my life were still true but laid on much thicker. even my attire was a large gi so that you would not even be able to see my shape, which has obviously changed now because i wear suits these days. all of this was a process of starting in a place i knew was important to me and then peeling off the parts that were not helping the message or expression over time

-Is there anything you could tell us about the significance of Borson Reems? I feel like he's more than just another Buck Trungle/Chuck Tangle/etc but I'm not sure what exactly...

yes borson reems is god. not that i believe in GOD in the way that most buckaroos talk about god (i am agnostic) but within the tingleverse, borson reems is an avatar for the creator of that world. technically i am borson reems, because i am writing the books. the question is: are we all the gods of our own little worlds that we create? i do not know, but when i look around at my buds and the joy and love they bring to various timelines they sure seem like gods to me

-A lot of no-sex tinglers (especially ones that aren't romance-focused) vary in terms of plot and structure a lot more than erotic tinglers. Is your writing process for these stories any different?

same process actually, but the sex scenes in tinglers are about 1500 to 2000 words long, and total tingler length is 4000 words which means if you are not including that portion you are going to have to come up with some creative way to fill that space in the story and a new axis for story to turn on. so the variety comes from me getting creative and trying out different axis points

-In "Not Pounded By My Book "Pounded In The Butt By My Non-Fungible Tingler That Is Literally This NFT" Because Of The Current Catastrophic Environmental And Ethical Impact" there are references to an earlier draft of the story that was never released because you ended up disagreeing with the message. Are there any other tinglers that never got finished and/or published, if you'd be willing to talk about any of them?

oh this is a VERY good question. the story of the NFT tingler is that when buckaroos were first talkin on nfts online and nobody really knew what they were, my first thoughts were just ‘oh this is interesting what the heck is this?’ this is my way with most CURRENT EVENTS. and i thought ‘this would be an interesting tingler, i suppose maybe i should make the tingler an ACTUAL nft’. this was in VERY early days so i did not really even understand what an nft was (neither did 99 percent of buckaroos yet honestly). so i looked into it just enough to actually MAKE a nft tingler that was a real nft and put it out. lasted for about thirty seconds before buckaroos were messaging saying ‘oh this is bad chuck you should look into what this is’ and i DID look into it and thought’ oh yeah this is terrible nevermind’. i took down the original and thought ‘well THIS is what art is all about. this is where i thrive in a world of moving living art that is in communication with itself’. so i dove into the research and actually started to understand NFTS and then i repurposed the story into a strongly anti-nft tingler and put that on out instead.

as far as OTHER tinglers that kind of move and breathe and live like this, in communication with the audience, GAY T-REX LAW FIRM is another very good example. that one i wrote early on and i think it was kind of in the model of something like fifty shade of grey, where issues of kink and consent and communication are not really handled well. i think at the time it came out the story was okay, but as time went on it always kind of bothered me and finally i thought ‘i love art that exists in the REAL WORLD and changes and evolves, so lets rewrite that story and fix some of these mistakes.’ honestly it is something i wish more artists would be open to. its okay to let something hold strong against a changing timeline, but it is also okay to explore what its like to take the notes that time gives us

-This one is about Chuck Tingle that exists in deeper layers of the Tingleverse that operate on tingler logic: what does the location inside his/your butt look like?

probably a nice mid-century modern home up in laurel canyon neighborhood of los angeles. kind of quiet and small like a cabin but also very cozy, like the kind of place where you would put on a crosby stills nash and young record on vinyl and gaze out into the woods for a while then walk down the hill for dinner at a little cafe where you spot some actor from a 60s tv show also having dinner in the corner booth. this basically sounds like the start of a tingler and in that tingler i will say the actor would be a bigfoot.

-OK this one is very self-indulgent but if you could help settle this frequent point of discussion I have with my wife- where do the following fit in the Tingleverse bigfoot/dinosaur/unicorn/living object(/human/does not apply?) taxonomy?

-a ghost of a regular human

-a regular human vampire

-a human/fish mermaid

-a sentient winged horse

-a sentient centipede large enough to wrap around a mountain several times (she is handsome)

alright lets trot through these. a GHOST is not one of the four tingle types so you can have a ghost racecar or a ghost unicorn or a ghost bigfoot. ghosts are outside of the four types and do not have a classification

a VAMPIRE is also outside of the four types. so you can have a vampire bigfoot or, of course, a vampire night bus. does not strictly fall into any of the four main categories

MERMAIDS are technically a long lost species of unicorn I DONT MAKE THE RULES I JUST EXPLAIN THEM. this makes the MERMOPED tingler a little confusing but i had to pick a category and that one went into living object. now that i mention it possibly the only tingler that is technically a double category of unicorn/living object.

WINGED HORSE is easy, thats a pegasus which is a species of unicorn just like a mermaid

a SENTIENT CENTIPEDE LARGE ENOUGH TO WRAP AROUND A MOUNTAIN is an ancient creature, therefore dinosaur tingler

-My other self-indulgent question: do you have a favorite bug? (Or second-favorite if you count Mothman as a bug)

i love finding spiders in the house and giving them a pet because they are doing a good job livin their lives doin their thing. close second would be a pretty ladybug

-Any thoughts on what tinglers will be like in 2025? Do you expect to be writing a lot of political tinglers again, like post-2016?

honestly i really do not like writing specifically political tinglers anymore, and the amount that i write has gradually dropped over time (i think ALL tinglers are political but in a different way). so honestly i think i will write a few political tinglers but not many. my hypothesis on this is that my HORROR NOVELS are very very political and so maybe i get a lot of these ideas out of my system that way now. when it comes to tinglers i just wanna explore my OWN mind and heart and butt more

THANK YOU for these wonderful questions and thank you for your tingler-a-day project it was so moving and powerful. what a treat it was an honor to be a part of something so beautiful. THIS PROVES LOVE IS REAL

[456-is-the-way]

haiii so i was wondering if i could request a fic abt reader x frontman cs ive had this idea for s while now i just cant write it😓😓

so the idea is reader is a daughter of one of the vips and one day reader's father decideds to fund the game by marrying her to frontman if that make sense?? or reader's father made some sort of deal with ilnam (up to you) , and reader is just totally against it at first bcs she thinks the games are cruel but once she spends more time around inho she warms up more and grows to really him and he also warms up to her😣😣🙏🙏 (so its like an arranged marriage, enemies to lovers type shi🤞🤞)

A/n: I LOVE ALL BLOWING UP MY ASK BOX!!! FIRST OFF I LOVE THIS IDEA. So imma write it lmao as stated before I am taking requests in my ask box first! So here is another one. Please let me know if you want to ask for a character from season 1 or 2! NGL needs more Gi-hun requests yall lol!

Trigger warning: N/A

Squid Game Masterlist

In-ho x Reader

The Arrangement

It was no secret to (Y/n) (L/n) of her father's wicked deeds. Since birth, she knew they were in one of the most elite families who not only watched what they called the ‘Squid Game’ but actively held their version of the games. It was a horrid curse (Y/n) from which she could not escape. For many years her father hosted, sponsored, and even made active bets in several games held worldwide. But none of those topped the Korean games is what her father stated for several years. She even had the chance to meet the original creator of the games, an older man named Il-nam. After all the gambling, (Y/n)’s father made one of the most unbelievable bets with the old man. He decided to place the ultimate wager on player 456: his daughter could marry anyone of Il-mans choice.

(Y/n) sat in the room with the other VIPs and her father as the final battle commenced between players 456 and 218. She closed her eyes not able to watch this. (Y/n) understood the tense feelings between the players as she was forced to watch the entire game season unfold. She could not imagine what they both felt, best friends turned against each other. She took a deep breath as her father made her watch. Despite her fate, she honestly hoped 456 won. It almost disgusted (Y/n) how her inner thoughts had rooted for the players. She had favorites just like the VIPS. At the end of the battle the underdog, Gi-hun prevailed.

It was the same day Il-man and her father introduced her to the special man she would be wedded to. “Meet the most important man here. Someone I entrust everything to. You may remove your mask.” Il-man said. (Y/n) had met The Front Man several times before. He had been very attentive to the VIPs but it was obvious (Y/n) had his personal attention. She never thought anything of it because most people gave her special treatment. Once the mask is removed her eyes widen, who knew the man was at least somewhat attractive man.

“I am In-ho. It a pleasure to be marrying you, Ms (Y/n).” He bows.

_1 year later_

The wedding took place only a year after the deal. It was held privately and only the most important officials and elite families were invited. Everything was from the top chefs Korean had to offer, she was respectful of In-ho’s culture and insisted on having a traditional Korean wedding. After the ceremony, they were sent to the luxury oceanfront hotel. She leaned against, In-ho as they were sitting on the balcony. “In-ho, why do you run these horrible games?” Her question was answered with silence unsure of how to answer (Y/n)’s question In-ho turned away. He still was not very open to (Y/n) but he did find her gorgeous and knew it wasnt her choice to partake in the wagers her father deals.

“It was complicated but I know you are stuck with an old man like me so I guess I will tell you. I had been a player in the games before. Back when my wife had been in the hospital. I had been the last one standing. It didn’t matter I was too late. She and my unborn child died… So I took the old man's offer to take this over. He needed someone to inherit the games. Including for me to have… children. He planned I would pass this down. I plan to do that. He was like a father to me and I only wish to make him happy.”

(Y/n) put a hand on In-ho’s chest. She gently cupped his face. “I am sorry In-ho. I promise to be a good wife to you… I couldn’t imagine what you are going through. Come on let's go inside.” (Y/n) kissed him deeply. In-ho eagerly accepted the kiss picking her up. It was no lie he liked the woman and Il-man knew In-ho would need someone like (Y/n) to make him stable.

She honestly felt bad for the man who was forced to particapte in these games only to still lose everything he had. “I know you I think you are very attractive for an ‘old man’. None of this is your fault … I won’t leave you,” She promised combing back his dark brown hair. Perhaps this would be so bad after all.

[tickly-trashcan]

Hear Me Out Cake Event!!

This is the wildest idea for an event I've had but... HEAR ME OUT!!!

In this event, we'll be putting our own tickly twist on the hear me out cake trend!! For our hear me out cake, we'll put the characters we'd like to see get tickled on the cake!! >:) I'll explain more below the cut, but I'd also like to extend an invitation for other creators to jump on this event if they'd like!! :D The event will be starting next week on January 12, so keep an eye out for that!

Here's a quick summary of the event, but I will also explain more hehehe~ There are three stages to this event! The first stage is the Hear Me Out!! stage, where you'll pick out a character you'd like to put onto the cake! The second stage is where all of the characters on the cake are announced, which I'm calling the Big Slice or Little Slice stage! The final stage is called Serving the Cake, and it is where the cake is sliced and all the characters on the cake are given a slice of cake (in the form of tickles! >:D)

Hear Me Out!! Stage:

The first stage of the event! This will run from Jan. 12 through Jan. 18 and will be everyone's opportunity to submit a character for the cake! To submit a character, just send me an ask with the character you'd like to submit for the cake! Please specify the fandom as well :) If you'd like to go above and beyond, then feel free to explain why you want to put this character on the cake!! I'll be posting the asks as they come in before posting the final list of characters, so this is where we can all get silly and talk about the characters we love!

One note for this event: I'm really hoping the community gets together for this event, so if there's a character from a fandom that's not on my personal fandom list, still send them in!! I'll be writing for characters that I know about, but if there's a character that you love, you should send them in! If I don't know them, maybe someone else will end up picking them!

Big Slice or Little Slice Stage:

The second stage of the event! This stage will start on Jan. 20 when the full list of characters is posted! During this stage, any creator can pick out however many characters they'd like to write for and start creating whatever they'd like for them!! Art, fics, whatever you'd like to make! There's no limit on who you can write for or draw in this event but also don't feel pressure to create something for every character on the list!

Another note: The dates after the Hear Me Out!! stage are all pretty iffy just so y'all know! Ideally I'll have the list up on Jan. 20 but it could be later, and also the time frame for the Slicing the Cake stage is super flexible for creators! Don't feel pressure to stick within that time (I will for sure be posting outside of the time given haha)

Serving the Cake Stage:

The final (and most fun!) stage of the event! This stage will start on Feb. 3, two weeks after the full list of characters is shared! This is when anyone can start posting their slices of character cake onto Tumblr to share! You are also more than welcome to post before this time, it's just a rough time frame hehe~ If you're participating in this event, please use the tag #cakes and tickles so that everyone can follow along with the event! It's a terrible tag but it'll work haha! There's no technical time limit on the event, but I was thinking the posting period could be from Feb. 3 through Mar. 3 just for a fun little "month" of cake! But like I said before there is absolutely no pressure to do it within that time frame, just make sure to have fun if you decide to participate!! I'll try and reblog as many tickly creations as I can, so make sure to use the tag above hehehe :D

And that's pretty much it!! This is a crazy event and I'm really hoping that other people participate (if not that is all good there is NO pressure I just thought this would be a fun little community thing haha)! I'm looking forward to the best hear me out cake EVER!!!

If you have any questions about this event prior to it beginning, please don't hesitate to send me a message or an ask! I think I explained everything but there could easily be something that I missed! Thank you guys and look forward to this! :D

[stardrop-sims]

so, why did I delete my old blog? The short answer is I banned yin-shimo/tianshi88 from my now defunct occult simblr server and his friends proceeded to spin a narrative on tumblr that was false. In the moment it was not worth it to me fight back, but I am back and I am fighting for what I think is right–sharing what happened and why we chose to ban him in the first place. 

If you want the full details, I am going to lay it out under the cut but bare with me, I have never had to defend myself like this, and never thought I would. You can view this as drama or whatever, idc. I just want to say my peace and not have to think nor talk about this ever again.

Also, do not harass the mods if you know who they were. Do not harass anyone shown in the screenshots, they are only shown here for transparency sake. 

cw: homophobic rhetoric, harassment, sexualization of a minor mention

A few months ago I made the occult simblr, baby! discord server. It was public so anyone could join and there was no way for me to guess how many people would end up joining! (Almost 80!) I am thankful for the learning experience but it ended on a sour note. 

One of the users who joined goes by tianshi88/yin-shimo, a known cc creator in occult simmer circles, but to be frank, I was completely unaware of this person until yin-shimo joined my server and occasionally talked.

Some time goes by, and one of the mods suggests we create a server blog to reblog our users’ content! I say yes. It was a good idea, but an anonymous ask came in (screenshot below). This is where things go south. I made the call to reply publicly, which I regret, but only because a few people made it way more trouble than what it was worth.

So let's talk about the claims and what we (the mod team at the time and myself) found out—the initial post by yooniesim (link to his post about it, which he gave me permission to link here!) The allegation is about sexualization of a fictionalized minor in the anime/manga Blue Lock. Yin-shimo himself claims this pose is done by the character in the media itself. The character in question is a teenager. I hate that I am explaining this here but ahegao is essentially a sexual pose from hentai (anime porn). It is my opinion that media portrayal of this kind of thing is weird at best, dangerous at worst. The fact that it is a reference to it is a problem in of itself, but ultimately we decided this behavior was weird (as well as his actions following the initial callout about it) and it was best to remove him from the server and we made a brief statement in the server given the circumstances surrounding it. I do not have the screenshot for this server announcement nor our reply, but nowhere did in the original ask nor in the replies we made as mods, did anyone call him a pedophile. We stated “sexualized a fictional character” because that’s what it was. 

However, worth noting there are other things he has done, which imo are worse than what I am detailing here, as referenced in Yoonie’s linked post, that added to the decision to ban him, which can be triggering to read about, so fair warning! 

The next day I considered deleting the ask of the blog to not create drama out of something serious, but I didn't before I received a reply from puppycheesecake.

I do not have the screenshot but they essentially accused us of framing him as a pedophile–this is where I became aware of yin-shimo’s sexuality/pronouns for the first time and said we were participating in a witch hunt of a gay man started by “one person” ( the anon).

My response was to delete the ask and block them. I would have responded and told them to stop lying, because that’s what they were doing. But as a queer person, being accused of that triggered me on top of everything else so I deleted the ask and the mods and I made the decision to make a second statement to tie up loose ends in the server.  We turned off anon asks on that blog, and the day after i decide to take a break, what happens?

This reblog of a shitpost on my personal blog, on a post in which I  am talking about how much I love simblr shows up in my notifications—

That was the moment I was done. You’re not going to come onto my blog with lies and try to spin a narrative when it’s very clear you are more interested in protecting your friend than what is true.

most of the mods, including me, are trans/queer, so fuck off with that “gay man is a pedophile” narrative that you’re weaponizing. 

I didn't know yin-shimo’s pronouns nor sexuality, nor did it come up when the mods and I made the decision to ban him from the server.

This behavior is childish��something like this should have never happened in an 18+ server, nor should this have turned into drama, and yet here we are. 

As for “only one person” (as referenced by puppycheesecake)—once we made the call to ban him, several people came forward to tell us his presence made them uncomfortable in the server, so I think we made the right decision in the end. 

Ultimately, yin-shimo is upset he has to face consequences for his own actions and used his friends—neither of which were in the server—to do his dirty work. 

I regret answering the question publicly but I am not sorry for banning him, nor will I apologize for what we did not do–which is what is alleged in what context I have provided. I am going to reiterate that not once did the mods call him a pedophile. 

To everyone else, it is up to you how you want to curate your online space and who you want to interact with. I am not making that decision for you, but hopefully this clears things up.

[phantomwithbreakfast]

⟡ ｡˚ 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦 ˚｡⟡

@squeaky-boots-blog made me do this. She came up with this idea, to make a kinsona.

At times—eyes a piercing blue, at others, a gleaming green, changing like the tides under every fleeting light. His hair, now a canvas of contrast, split into black and white like night meeting day. The crystal ice diamond he offers gleams with a different truth—carrying a meaning as fragile and profound as frost on a winter morning.

Uh, hi there. I’m Danny. Most people call me Danny Fenton, but some know me as… well, Phantom. You can just call me Danny—it’s easier. So, if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re like me—a halfa. Y’know, part human, part ghost. Best of both worlds, right? Half alive, half… not. Sounds crazy, but trust me, it’s a thing.

Listen, being a hybrid isn’t exactly a walk in the park. It can get pretty dangerous out there. But, here’s the thing—it’s also kinda amazing. Flying, phasing through walls, ghost powers—tell me that doesn’t sound awesome.

Anyway, good luck with… everything. You’ve got this. Welcome to the club—it’s a weird, wild ride, but I promise, it’s totally worth it.

⟢ Danny Fenton.

⟢ What’s a kinsona, you may ask? Well, I’ll tell you—for those who might not know.

A kinsona is a personal character design or persona that represents someone’s connection to a character they kin with. To kin a character means to strongly identify with them on an emotional or personal level, often as part of fandom culture. In this case, Phandom. A kinsona could be a reimagined version of that character with personalized traits, outfits, or styles that reflect the creator’s identity or aesthetic preferences.

That was that.

[kalinara]

So recent posts have got me thinking about the Throuple, and how I personally feel about it. And I'll be honest. I dislike it and I love it.

I dislike it because, ultimately, there really isn't much there. A couple of suggestive panels, a house schematic, one scene of expressed attraction between the guys, one scene that seems really heavily implied that they'd intended to go to bed together (I'll post that later, it's from early X-Force and it's pretty suggestive, IMO), and a few cameos in pride issues.

If Marvel was advertising this relationship, I'd call it queer-baiting at best.

But I always kind of wonder about the background of things. And I tend to assume that the Throuple was never intended to be a thing by the suits and higher ups. I think maybe a few creative types kept slipping things under the radar.

It does mean, unfortunately, that, in terms of actual story or emotional development, it's lacking. I mean, look, biased Scott fan that I am, I would have REALLY liked to see Logan apologize for basically everything AvX onward before those two characters hopped into bed together. I'd like to see Jean get to have opinions about everything that happened while she was gone (many things that she'd now remember from her younger self's point of view), before that happened too. These are characters with a lot of history.

So in terms of execution, the Throuple is a fizzle. (Hell, even the Jean/Logan side barely got off the ground. Some bits where she kept him alive when he was trying to save Xavier through time - which she'd have done even if he were just a friend. And one sex scene in the hot springs. That really feels like a satisfying culmination of decades of yearning. If I were a Jean/Logan fan, honestly, I'd probably feel cheated.)

But you know, I do love it for other reasons. Because however shitty the execution, the IDEA is firmly planted and that idea isn't going away.

All you have to do is go on reddit or tiktok and see anytime one of those toxic masculinity fanboys starts bitching about how Logan is 100% straight "blah blah woke agenda", and you get at least three people jabbing back "yeah, except on the moon".

And that's the genius of it. Because NO one likes those particular fans. And so even people who are utterly indifferent to the idea of the Throuple. Even folks who dislike the execution are very pleased to troll that hypothetical dude at every chance.

Marvel can say what they want. Brevoort (whether he believes it or is just Marvel's spokesperson) can say what he wants. The fact that the annoying fanboys go "I'm so glad he didn't walk back his denial and cater to the wake agenda" are just admitting that there's something TO deny.

I'll be honest, I suspect the issue is Logan's fanbase. It's the largest by far and Marvel doesn't want to alienate the straight men in the crowd. But the thing is, they're aging out. And younger generations of fans are more openly queer than we are, and definitely more than our parents were. This is going to be a non-issue. Especially when the new generations start running the asylum.

It'll take a long time, of course, and there'll be a lot of bullshit before then. But you can't put the genie back in the bottle. The idea is out there. And like Kitty, Rachel, Betsy, Bobby, Mystique and Destiny, Rictor and Shatterstar, EVENTUALLY we'll get to the point where Marvel admits what we all know. (And we knew for a while. The Throuple didn't come out of nowhere.)

Marvel's most famous and popular X-Men character is queer.

More than half of the Original X-Men, that earliest dream that creators never seem to be able to stop revisiting, are queer*.

The flag ship pairing of the X-Men involves a woman and a man who are queer*.

That's pretty awesome.

(*I know technically we're talking about an MMF throuple and it doesn't rule out Jean being straight, but let's be honest here. Jean's got more than enough suggestive interaction with Storm, Emma, Lorna and Wanda to make a strong enough case for bisexuality in her own right.)

[moonshinesonic-moonstarslight]

Paper Planes story notes:

Okay, so who else wants to see Shen Yuan trying his best to not get trapped in og!Shang Qinghua's web? While said character is casually sipping vinegar like it's fine wine because he's aware of the System, the fact that he has lived through many different versions of this story, that he is the vessel of the creator god, and that out of all the souls in this game "Peerless Cucumber" is the only one who has Airplane's favor so much.

Not even Mobei Jun has the same benefits for being the "favorite character" as Peerless Cucumber gets for being the favorite follower. Seeing that he gets happy endings, purposely left blind to the inevitable tragedy to come, the story warped to benefit his wims, and he's the only one who gets Airplane playing along personally with his story beyond the usual song and dance.

Yeah, for the possessive vessel who is in a love-hate relationship with his god... Peerless Cucumber is the one person he is willing to put up with the System in order to be able to pull him off his pedestal.

Lucky for him! The System has been getting bored with the usual storylines and decided that it wanted to see how User 002 would be able to handle a meta-knowing character and see if it can finally be free of giving said user Easy Mode. (It has to offer it and Shen Yuan keeps taking it...)

So it allowed Shang Qinghua to recall the past storylines and the things surrounding Airplane (Which is something that has been permitted before so no big deal), made sure that the traitor didn't go into his tried and true tactics of focusing on getting Mobei Jun to become king while doing everything to make the North the only true stable part of the demon world one Tianlang Jun gets sealed away. (Og Shang Qinghua has two people who are worth the heartbreak and suffering that ultimately is his fate: Mobei Jun and Airplane. Not that he would tell either of them, especially Airplane, but that doesn't mean he doesn't see them as the only people worth his effort.)

In order to get what it wants for this story, the System pushed for Shang Qinghua (still a lowly disciple and fighting against his need for human connection because he knows how it's going to end up) to make connections in the sect. Basically either make a friend with one of the other characters or find a lover with one of them.

And while Shang Qinghua isn't keen on facing the pain of connecting with another person only for it to crumble into tragedy... He has befriended Shen Jiu before. Mind you it never ends well. But he has.

While he always tries to keep a pessimistic view, Shang Qinghua actually has a lot of optimism regarding making changes in comparison to Airplane. So here he goes again attempting to have a relationship with Shen Jiu.

So Scumrat was a thing that had happened before Shen Yuan got transmigrated in. It ended pretty nastily but given that Shang Qinghua has a habit of leaving the past in the past while Shen Qingqiu has a habit of avoiding his actual feelings... Neither had brought their past up and have been moving on with a distant professional relationship.

However... Shen Jiu was in love. Still in love actually. There is one person he would lay with and that is his sneaky shidi who is too pretty for his own good. Shen Qingqiu had to fight to control his impulse to look at no other person when Shang Qinghua is in the same room. He was able to control it after a few years, but it is still a fight. (Shang Qinghua has a way of digging his way into people's hearts and just staying. Does he realize this? Nope! If he did it would be a thousand times worse.) He also has a weakness for Shang Qinghua's attention and touch. Thankfully, Shang Qinghua (who knows about this weakness) has never found a reason to use that weakness against him... Yet.

And while Shen Jiu is gone... his body is still present and the echoes of those memories are deeply engrained to where not even a soul transfer can change that fact.

Shen Yuan doesn't know this. And he doesn't have the training to ignore his body's need to watch and melt under the touch of Shang Qinghua.

Who is more than willing to use Shen Jiu's weaknesses against Peerless Cucumber. Especially once he notices that the transmigrator can't pull his eyes away when they first meet. Not even Luo Binghe can drag those eyes away and Peerless Cucumber has blatant favoritism to the little godling. (They meet before the IAC because Shang Qinghua is not dealing with shoddy paperwork thank you! Basically, he came back from a melon seed trade deal to an amnestic Shen Qingqiu and, while being completely aware of what happened, decided to be a 'good shidi' and assist his shixiong with relearning how to do the administrative side of Peak Lord work.)

The System is sitting back on Shang Qinghua's side and pushing on Shen Yuan's. If it could eat it would be popping back popcorn as it watched the showdown between the Author's Vessel and the Favorite Anti-Fan.

Still trying to figure out what happens after the sudden realization that the scum traitor is fully aware that you are not his shixiong and he has no reason not to use said shixiong's weaknesses against you.

Shen Yuan is desperately trying to remain standing and keep the protagonist from landing into the traitor's web. Because Luo Binghe likes his shishu for some reason.

[watermelonrindsstuff]

Sometimes I forget that TV series are a form of art created by countless artists coming together to materialize their vision. Binge-watching a Netflix show with coffee and chips in the evening, only to forget about it entirely after a few days, has been my usual experience. But some shows stick around; they make me think, speculate, and reflect. They make it harder to move on, forcing me to question something dormant within me. They slap you in the face, give a middle finger to the status quo, and take you on a ride that’s unpredictable, uncomfortable, fun, and gut-wrenchingly painful.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of those rare shows. It demands you fall out of everything else and be present wholeheartedly. You have to let the beauty and terror of the show consume you. And maybe, if you’re lucky and introspective enough, you might come out of it a whole new person.

Even though it’s a show about mystical creatures like demons, vampires, and witches, it’s fascinating how it remains so grounded, unearthing real-life issues and addressing them with remarkable humanity. The characters aren’t flawless heroes or unrelatable paragons of virtue; they’re messy, flawed, and, at times, unapologetically jerks. Not the passive, harmless kind, but the kind of jerks we encounter in real life; the ones whose actions mirror the complexity of human relationships.

Out of the sprawling cast, you can barely count two or three who haven’t made a complete 180 at some point. And isn’t that true of life itself?

People you once trusted might turn their backs on you when you need them most.

Siblings, feeling unseen or isolated, act out in ways you don’t expect.

Parents misunderstand your calling, your passion.

Friends, the ones you’d have done anything for, out of jealousy and incompetence isolated you.

Then there’s loss; the death of someone you love, followed by the suffocating silence and disconnection it leaves in its wake.

People try their best to support you in all the wrong ways.

Unexpected moments of compassion and support from the unlikeliest sources.

The numbness of depression.

The yearning to do better for the ones you love.

The inappropriate silliness in the face of mortal danger,

The punning as if a joke could stop the world from ending.

I’ve felt all of this. I’ve lived it. And I know everyone, in their own way, has too. What makes this show the greatest of all time isn’t just the supernatural battles or the apocalyptic stakes. It’s the way it takes the raw, messy beauty of life and weaves it into something profound. It’s the creativity, the honesty, and the soul poured into presenting these truths that make it unforgettable.

Despite all its brilliance, the show isn’t without its flaws, many of which stem from its creator: a bona fide egotist. There’s the whitewashing of problematic actions, some of which were disturbingly endorsed. The underlying tone of misogyny often contradicts the show’s branding as a pro-feminist narrative. Add to that the mishandling of perfectly developed characters out of personal grudges and the abrupt departures of main leads, and it’s clear that the creator’s ego left its mark in ways that tarnish what could have been a near-perfect legacy.

However, given the immense contributions of the other writers, directors, cast, and crew who poured their hearts and souls into bringing this show to life. The producers and writers and their audacity to try out extremely crazy ideas and visions and sewing it as flawlessly as possible. The stellar performance of the casts. I can’t help but proclaim it as one of the best show ever! Their dedication and talent shine through every moment, elevating it beyond the flaws of its creator.

[angelinthefire]

Vi's journey in "Blisters and Bedrock"

Let's talk about Vi in episode 5 "Blisters and Bedrock". This is some of my favourite character development stuff for her, I really love it.

One question that the creators posed in s1 was "can you love a monster?" That was explored with Jinx and Silco. Silco embraced the monstrous. And the question of whether Vi would keep loving Jinx.

But then there's a role reversal in s2. With Vander being the monstrous one. And there's a role reversal between Jinx and Vi too.

We start with Vi at her absolute lowest. Literally in the bottom of a pit. She has no one left that she's close to. She's got Loris, but she pushes him away too.

She's directionless, and doing the one thing she knows how to do best: punch.

She's tormented by how things ended with Caitlyn, and constantly reminded of her.

She's having a crisis of identity. Dying her hair, breaking her mirror, blacking out her face tattoo, with this wide black streaks that cut across her face.

And she looks absolutely brutal.The anger in her eyes when she's fighting. The screaming. The two-headed wolf on her jacket, that recalls the creature Warwick was made out of.

This is the worst shape we've ever seen Vi in.

And then when Jinx shows up, Vi immediately jumps to the worst conclusion. And immediately starts choking Jinx. The look on her face is murderous. It’s very reminicent of Vander choking Silco.

Of course the difference with Silco is that Jinx doesn’t fight back. Even though she's absolutely capable of it. Her eyes don't get that shimmer-pink haze, she doesn't lift a finger against Vi.

Vi does relant and agree to go after Vander, but the the last shot of her emphasizes what a mess she is, covered in black, in the mirror, fractured.

Although Vi starts at a low point, her journey with Jinx continues to take her downward. They end up going to the literal rock-bottom together. And there's something almost cleansing about that - like once they get to the bottom, then they can start rebuilding.

But they have to get there first.

The next sign to Vi that she needs to reevaluated who Jinx is, is when she sees the mural of Jinx depicted heroically, with the profile of Vander overhead.

I've seen a lot of different interpretations of what Vi's reaction to the mural means, and I think she's affronted, and even hurt. She's been telling herself her sister is dead. Jinx has killed people, she killed the mother of Vi's girlfriend! And now she's being depicted as a hero? Alongside Vander no less?

And Vi responds by immediately trying to tear down this more flattering image of Jinx. She tells Jinx that their quest for Vander is just a fantasy, she takes shot at Jinx's relationship with Isha.

And Jinx doesn't take the bait! At one point, being insulted by her sister would have absolutely destroyed her. But now she turns the tables back on Vi, when Vi says, "at least they didn't have to see the psycho their daughter turned into," asking "which one?"

Not only is Vi needing to reevaluate how she sees Jinx, Jinx sees Vi in a more level-headed way as well, Vi isn't the be-all-end-all that she used to be for Jinx. Jinx knows now that she can build relationships and find acceptance elsewhere.

But Vi keeps escalating - again, she's falling back on her default, she's fighting. She drops her gauntlets, which is a challenge, but she's also dropping her armour momentarily.

And, unlike the sister's last fight, this one is scrappy and messy. It looks a lot more like siblings fighting together - even though fighting like this isn't something Vi and Powder did as kids, because Vi was always in a position of looking after Powder. But now, they can fight as equals.

And then, of course, Isha jumps in. And Vi hits her, recalling the time she struck Powder.

And we get to see Jinx being sweet with Isha, and sisterly. We also see that Isha is fine and shrugs it off, she's not like Powder, Jinx isn't protective of her in the same way that Vi was. Jinx is the big sister now, and not only that, she's doing it her own way, and it seems to be working.

What happens next is a very interesting character moment for Vi, I think. She asks Jinx why she came for her, saying "you don't actually need my help. You haven't for a long time."

Vi isn't playing the role of protector, she isn't needed. Jinx is a fully formed person, who doesn't even look up to Vi anymore. So what could Jinx possibly want with her? She feels useless.

The sisters are re-evaluating each other, but Vi has yet to be able to conceptualize how she can relate to Jinx, on this new basis.

Jinx explains that she sees this as a do-over. Which I think you could spend a lot of time unpacking, which I'm not going to do in this post. Except to say that Vi and Jinx had to go through all kinds of character growth and changes to even be able to work together as equals.

Their next scene is finding the hangout space in the mine that Vander and Silco used. We get the image of Silco's jacket hung up within Vander's jacket, evoking the kind of protective relationship that Vi and Jinx used to have, and presumably Vander and Silco.

And of course the apology letter. Jinx reads it, speaking in Vander's voice, curled up small in the chair, facing the candle light; while Vi sulks in the shadows behind her, in her two-headed hound jacket.

Jinx says that "everything might've been different" if Silco had found the letter, and while I'm not sure that's true, I think the bigger point is that Vander was willing to take the first step to patch things up with Silco, and shoulder some responsibility for what went wrong. And I think that's the thing that resonates with Vi as well, as we see her almost reach out to Jinx. But Vi isn't quite able to do that yet, she instead puts her gauntlet, her armour, back on.

But then Warwick shows up. Jinx tells her it's Vander, and Vi doesn't believe her. But she does step into the protector role again. Vi is back on familiar ground, fighting to defend the people she cares about. And it's the first sign that Vi does really still care about Jinx, that she jumps into action to defend her.

And the fight follows. These two characters that were heros in the first season, who have now been brought to their lowest point, their most violent and monstrous. As I said in my other post about this episode, Vi even looks a bit like a two-headed monster from Warwick's POV, with her gauntlets as the heads of some kind of beast, and the hexgems as their eyes.

So they fight, and then Warwick starts freaking out, torn between the scent of blood, and the recognition of his family. And Jinx begs Vi to believe her that it's Vander. And with the weight of the rest of the episode behind them, with Vi already on the threshold of being able to forgive Jinx, Vi takes that leap of faith, and listens to Jinx.

Vi stops fighting. In a way, it's the first time in the episode that she stops fighting.

And then that's when she gets her family back.

I just think that it's lovely journey for Vi. And something that was really necessary for her character, that I hadn't even thought about before - getting to a place where she could relate to Jinx as a sister, rather than as a protector (or an enemy), and being able to see herself as something other than just a fighter.

[phoebepheebsphibs]

UPDATED AND REDESIGNED CHARACTER SHEETS FOR THE FUTURE AND A ROBOT CHARACTERS!!

The Future and a Robot is my original series that I plan to animate soon/eventually.

The series follows two kids — er, one kid and one robot — who by accident activate a strange device which portals them into a distant land of archaic culture, odd lore, and major historical events — the 90’s! The two meet a young boy and his family, and lodge with them until they can figure out how to return home… but that’s a story for another time. And now, to (re)introduce the main cast!

First up, Lloyd the Android!

Lloyd is… well, a robot. An android, to be specific (he gets very particular about that distinction)! Lloyd is sweet, goofy, incredibly innocent and unfortunately as naive as a newborn baby. Lloyd’s name is actually an acronym: Life-Like- Optimized Youth Droid. Designated as Julia’s companion and protector, Lloyd finds himself suddenly in a new (or rather, old) century with people that he comes to love just as much as his creator. However, what with being a highly advanced piece of technology, Lloyd is now made to keep his mechanical origins a secret. Only Julia, Harris and the Smith family know that he’s not actually a human. But can he keep up the charade?

Coming in hot — Julia Gonzales!

Meet Julia Gonzales, a preteen genius with some minor anger issues and misguided goals. But don’t let her salty demeanor fool you, she’s just a kid burdened with a heavy backstory… plus a silly android that she has to wrangle out of danger far more often than she’d like to. Julia prefers to maintain the edgy punk motif, but in reality she’s a chaotic and nerdy gamer with way too much time on her hands. She loves all things technology — programming, engineering, coding, building, inventing, etc. However, the 90’s prove to challenge her patience as she struggles to rediscover herself while also finding a way back home… After all, she still has a mission to finish.

Put your hands together for Harris Smith!

Harris Smith is a young lad who lives in the quiet and unassuming town of Westfield. However, his quiet life is upturned in the most fantastic of ways when he finds Julia and Lloyd! Instantly enamored and amazed, Harris convinces everyone to let the two quirky kids stay at the Smith home until they can find a way to send Julia and Lloyd back to the year 2485. Harris, a hickish boy with a mullet, very few friends, and an interest in computers, immediately befriends the time travelers and begins the start of his new life of adventure and amazement! Harris loves having Julia show him her cool futuristic tech, and he will often take the time to help teach Lloyd what being a human is like.

Last but never least, we present Imogen Love Davies!

Imogen Love is a sweet young girl who befriends Lloyd and the rest, though she and Lloyd are the closest of the group. She has no idea that Lloyd is an android, nor that he is absolutely 100% head-over-heels in love with her. Imogen is very artistic, she loves to draw and tries to inspire Lloyd just as much as he inspires her. She carries around a small fanny-pack-purse-thing that somehow always has whatever she needs inside. Drawing supplies? Check. Water? Check. A bungee cord? Why not. It’s Batman’s utility belt, Milo Murphy’s backpack, Wander’s hat, you get the idea. Imogen Love truly lives up to her name, showing kindness to everyone. And maybe a lil’ extra for a certain someone she’s quite fond of…

There are plenty more characters within the story — Mr. and Mrs. Smith, several kids from school, an antagonistic businesswoman and her faithful engineering partner, etc. Maybe I’ll share the rest some other day (like when I finish their turnarounds, lol), but for now I think a small taste is best and I cannot wait for the day when I get to introduce the rest of the story!!

[windblume-wishes]

UPDATE ON THE RECENT SITUATION!!

Please Check Reblogs for Updates!!

Updates below the cut!

Ok, there is currently a whole petition up right now and I strongly urge everyone to sign it IMMEDIATELY! I will link the post here.

(See ENG Translated post here: https://x.com/bluepokkie/status/1875886629518557315?s=46&t=NeslrSMPJwN2KlU4F3An5A )

There is also an ongoing boycott as you are likely already aware of, this means:

No playing the game.

No spending money on the game.

No liking their videos and/or posts.

No buying merchandise from their shops.

Players will need to start unfollowing @/enstars_music and @/ensemble_stars as a whole as well as review bombing them via the AppStore, YouTube, and on Twitter!!

IF THEY BLOCK YOU GET SCREENSHOTS!

Are there any tags fans should be using to help spread the word?

Yes! Here’s the tags below:

#Only_three_in_Akatsuki

#freeibuki

#freeibukifromracism

#Akatsuki3

#Akatsuki

What can players do to spread awareness and get the message out to a wider audience?

We will need to start tagging and sharing posts of proof, petitions, and other information to sources like @/IGN @/GameRant @/AnimeNewsNet and more to get the point across that the fans are not playing, we are DONE.

I will ask that you start tagging content creators who specifically post about the latest anime drama or content!! I don’t care if you tag HeroHei, I know he’s not the best at times but if it works it works. Plus we could use all the coverage we can get.

If YOU have a platform, PLEASE try and make a video or something about this, make it known to a wider audience and get this out there! I don’t care if you put bloody fliers up at your school or university but let’s try everything we can!

Where can we go to find others who support our cause so we can talk and not feel alone?

If you want to join a place where others feel your frustration then please feel free to join my server. We are welcoming all who need a place to stay during this time!

Link is here: https://discord.gg/44WHZfUXH8

Do you have any helpful links for us?

Certainly! I have a few here of accounts to follow and retweet information from!

https://x.com/anemo_blume/status/1876012104387641502?s=46&t=NeslrSMPJwN2KlU4F3An5A

https://x.com/bubblyk0k0mi/status/1875553856576483617?s=46&t=NeslrSMPJwN2KlU4F3An5A

https://x.com/gitsunegal/status/1844379715718562226?s=46&t=NeslrSMPJwN2KlU4F3An5A

https://x.com/leoinmy_heart/status/1875961981561389248?s=46&t=NeslrSMPJwN2KlU4F3An5A

Will Enstars shut down if we keep this up?

No, I HIGHLY doubt they will close the doors on their biggest cash cow because of this uproar. If anything they will push more banners, events, and collabs to try and gain more attention and money. HoYo never closed their doors with what happened with Sumeru and Natlan, if anything they just kept going and kept bringing in the bank. I feel like the situation will be the same with this. No need to start panicking and saying “oh my gosh the game is legit closing its doors right now!” and making players panic.

I ask that people PLEASE do NOT harass the VAs or people who genuinely adore the characters. Bullying people will get us and our cause NO WHERE if you start hurting people. I understand your frustration, truly, I am just as frustrated. But let us try and unite as a fandom to help this situation come to an end.

AKATSUKI Drama - Not So Happy Elements

For those currently in the dark of what has been happening then I will try my best to explain what is happening….

The unit AKATSUKI, which consists of the members Kanzaki Souma, Hasumi Keito, and Kiryu Kuro…. Now it seems they gained a fourth member, Ibuki Taki… the introduction of the unit, that praises itself on its traditional Japanese image, has taken in an indigenous boy who was originally from Okinawa.

Why is this problematic?

Historically speaking the Japanese were brutal to the people of Okinawa, specifically the Ryukyuan people. According to history, the Okinawans, formerly known as the Ryukyuans, existed as the Ryukyu Kingdom since the 13th century until Meiji Japan forcefully annexed the island nation. Under the Japanese colonial rule and assimilation policy, the Ryukyuans lost their own culture, language, land, and political institutions. Emphasis on the word “forcefully”….

Ok, now explain why else this is problematic?

Certainly! This is an act of “japanizing” the character of Ibuki Taki by making this whole event and story an act of cultural insensitiveness and an utterly offensive move by Happy Elements as not only a company but the moves made by the game’s developers and creators.

How can we bring light to this situation? Is there anything players can do?

Other than sharing this message here on Discord with others along with the links provided we can do a boycott of the game itself.

THIS MEANS NO SPENDING AND/OR PLAYING THE GAME WHATSOEVER FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME!!

No money and/or lack of players can damage them, now while I understand that many of us are Enstars fans and adore our idols let’s try and think of the bigger picture… tackling a situation that is highly offensive and needs to be stopped.

What else can be done?

If you want to go the extra mile, while I don’t expect anyone to do so, petitions can be made… this situation needs to be made known widespread. If you have the guts to do so, send this to gaming news outlets and let it be known. Spread the word, gain attention. Do something. While I don’t expect this, I hope somehow this topic reaches more people…

How has this already affected Happy Elements?

Fans from Japan and globally have expressed hatred for this recent event and have review bombed the tweets on Twitter (X). Any and all posts made by Ensemble Stars JP have been given hate posts, same is happening to some posts on the EN page. Ensemble Stars is receiving a massive amount of backlash for their actions and it is quite entertaining to see.

What are some helpful links?

https://x.com/gitsunegal/status/1844379715718562226?s=46&t=NeslrSMPJwN2KlU4F3An5A

https://www.risingpowersinitiative.org/publication/the-okinawa-problem-the-forgotten-history-of-japanese-colonialism-and-ryukyuan-indigeneity/

The Voice Actors

The voice actors have ZERO say in what happens to their characters, it’s is far beyond their power to say they want their character to have an entirely different story than what was given originally. With the upcoming stream featuring the AKATSUKI cast I ask that NO ONE harasses the voice actors as they are innocent in this mess.

Ibuki… my boi, we will save you, sweetie!

Ibuki, blink twice if you are in danger! Oh! HE DID! FOLKS, HE IS IN DANGER!!

I ask that people PLEASE share this post and reblog it!!

[do-you-know-this-queer-character]

Do you know this queer character?

Saber is Transgender, Nonbinary, Bisexual and Polyamorous, and uses she/her pronouns!

[rosyborealis]

There’s this phenomenon that isn’t quite queerbaiting, and therefore shouldn’t be called that in my opinion, but there isn’t a specific word for it as far as I know. Basically the phenomenon where a couple isn’t explicitly shown to be a couple on screen (usually due to corporate homophobia), but is definitely intended by the creators to be a couple.

Edit: The two phrases that have been brought up in the comments are queer-coding and Herero-baiting. I’m partial to the latter.

[uncanny-tranny]

I love being queer because it gives me the most useless ability with my gaydar like

Fictional video game character, not queer on first glance: You don't get it; I'm a freak!

Me: I know what you are

[carlyraejepsans]

can't say "getting a charaoffensesquad pissbaby to run crying back to homebase to raid my post after they left a rude comment under my art and i dunked on them" was on my to-do list for this week but oh well. i needed a reminder not to engage directly and make fun of losers like this using screenshots.

anyway🤙

[britneyshakespeare]

you: nicholas alexander chavez, the actor from ryan murphy's recent work

me, a mama's girl and daytime tv viewer: