#Don’t be a Trog

[xsilversugar]

My tiny son Paintbrush. It’s a proud, sweet, adventurer.

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Don’t be a Trog: Please Reblog!

[thoughtsofananon]

Could we get an avoid? You choose which flavor

help there’s been a shadow guy rotating in my mind constantly for (checks the date) FIVE MONTHS.

I exploded in the tags

[concorp]

trog stamp trog stamp. couldn’t not make it a triangle.

[gameclam4]

goodnight #slangers

[yourfavebooklrsfavebooklr]

so I’m conflicted on how to feel about tsats

[willthespy]

The Nico is extroverted and Will is introverted argument is both right and wrong depending on what your definition of both terms is and I have to talk about it. I agree mostly with the original post that claimed this, so just listen and bear with me.

Most people categorize extroverts as ‘social’ and introverts as less so, but in reality (depending on what theory) that is not really true. Because I do agree Nico was a social kid who still has the social skills, but has dampened it down because of his own insecurities and the insecurities he’s been fed due to his parentage. Then for Will, he’s got some solitude and gloominess in him for sure (another introvert stereotype), but shows himself as the (I don’t know what word I want to use for it, but I’ll go with) happy head counselor, because he ‘had to be.’

As for the definition I prefer to use, it’s in fact a bit different. Note that it isn’t a black or white thing, and that you can’t be 100% introverted or 100% extroverted. That’s the same as saying you’re 100% autistic, because all of these terms are all created and used to categorize, and you can’t perfectly fit a category. There’s no such thing as ‘perfection.’

Now, it’s been a while since I’ve properly read about cognitive functions, but as a Feeler type myself, I know most about the different types of ‘Feelers’ to say that Nico has dominant introverted feeling (Fi) and Will uses dominant extroverted feeling (Fe).

While Nico has shown to have social skills, he definitely looks to be a Fi user. He knows who he is (again, not 100% - it isn’t black or white) and what he wants and he doesn’t really base his values on others. I think why a lot of characters with Fi are ‘emo’ or ‘weird’ is because they’re authentic to themselves and don’t bend themselves to anyone else’s will that easily. Now, we all know Nico can be a stubborn prick, but we also can see that in PJO he corrects Minos on who he is. His whole thing there is him being ‘the Ghost King.’ He knows he is, he doesn’t need to be told he is that, he just does what feels real to him.

Also that one scene in ToA (I believe) where Nico is very blunt towards Lester/Apollo and where Will tells him he needs to work on his social skills or whatever? Yeah, that shows their differences in Fi vs Fe. Nico focuses on his inner needs and values (which actually aren’t selfish at all, but important to the entire universe in this case), while Will knows the bluntness isn’t socially acceptable (as far as he knows) and, albeit jokingly, tries to control his outer world to bring it to ‘harmony.’

Note that Nico also has had selfish inner values, wants, and needs. For example, trying to revive his sister. But Will was also selfish when he tried to keep Nico away from the Trogs for example. Fi and Fe aren’t inherently selfish, but their different types might make them make selfish decisions.

Will and Nico both are self-sacrificial, but in different ways. Nico does it for his own internal values and because he feels he’s not wanted anyway, and Will seems to do it because he seems to feel the need to be strong and have an image of himself up for everyone else, even if that means putting his own needs second to his own.

Will also showed some eagerness to absorb and ‘fix’ Nico’s negative emotions in a way. He’s a healer, it’s what he does, right? But meanwhile he struggles to accept or even acknowledge his own ‘darkness.’ (Yes, I’ll talk about this as long as I’ll live. I won’t stop. Ever.)

Also very important. Nico was way more accepting of the Troglodytes than Will. And you might say, “well, isn’t that an extroverted trait?” And I’d tell you: “that depends on your definition!” But in terms of Fi/Fe, it’s Nico who’s showing introverted feeling here. He doesn’t judge, as long as they (the Trogs) don’t go against his core values.

Will, my dumb, dumb, dumb son (note: I don’t actually think he’s dumb), whom I love very much, shows Fe here. He’s quicker to judge because of his sense and knowledge of social norms, but also because of his care for his loved ones. I don’t know, I think both are true arguments as to why he was against the idea of the Trogs.

Also this is why I think it wasn’t too out of character for Will to get all bitchy and negative about the Underworld. And also not why Nico got upset about it, because Will being against his ‘home’, went against his inner self. Boo! Fe vs Fe argument! Take that liberals! (joke)

In short:

Nico is the Fi user. He’s authentic, stubborn (in defense of his own values), actually attracts misfits - because he’s not as quick to judge people who go against social norms - as he doesn’t conform to social norms himself. He’s passionate and emotional (very emotion-driven). If I remember correctly, he also shows to solve problems by talking about it, rather than just cheering anyone up.

When he was ‘unhealthy’, he also retreated from society and went into solitude + lashed out. He also strictly followed his internal beliefs that he was unwanted and all that, while Will claimed that he was the only one thinking that.

Will is the Fe user. He is a healer and nurturer, but neglects his own inner self. He is externally friendly, but can be a bitch. (Sorry not sorry fellow Will lovers.) He can definitely be a bit controlling and less expressive for the sake of his outside world and is also more aware of what he thinks are social norms and cares about them more. (As is seen in ToA and TSATS).

I checked PDB (not the best source, but a source nonetheless) right after this, and people seem to agree. Nico is categorized as INFP (Fi > Ne > Ti > Se), while Will is voted to be ENFJ (Fe > Ni > Te > Si). Thank you for listening to my TED-talk.

[autisticlalna]

hm.

ruby stream today was fun! but there was... some weird. and by weird i mean lore hints.

the one that came up a few times is that their armor has new names! their elytra is back to being Lightning Rod (Rue misplaced it for a while), but the sillier names its armor had, and Rue's work uniform, is now Past, Never, Present, and Future.

there was also a comment made about how she was using very specific colors to trim them with. Past, the helmet, is blue. Present, the pants, is purple. Future, the boots, are red. and Never is untrimmed on suggestion from chat, but was going to be either black or white.

sighs. opens Clocktower transcript.

Sapphire: It’s the… past. The future. The now… and the never. Four concepts of time! Just like the four directions. North, south, east, and west. You should know, don’t you.

once again: Cherruby's getting put in the time blender. that's been noted for a while now, but now that he's awake again we're getting more confirmation on it.

there was also a couple other things! Anathra showed Ruby and Doovid around Icekea's break room, and Ruby paid a lot of attention to the clock and compass on display for decoration purposes. especially the clock. normal Ruby behavior at this point tbh, but worth taking note of.

what isn't Ruby behavior is... whatever happened between them and Dr. Tube when they briefly showed up to stop Ruby and Doovid from clowning around in Acacia. first we get Ruby staring at them and saying they remind her of someone-- this could be the whole clone thing, but Ruby immediately in-character clocked them as being Tube, not Trog, and being mysterious about them reminding her of Trog would be weird considering they're both very aware of each other by now.

after fae leaves is when we get the part i don't know what to do with yet besides gesture at it.

Bye Tube! Much love! Ah... Never gonna say b- uh, got to say bye to my own Tube. Hm.

look. Cherruby has been weird ever since che got untubed. there's whatever happened with Endbyco on Avid's stream (link includes the convo abt Sapphire but not Endbyco being sus about "normal kingdom behavior"), there's whatever happened with cher and Yellow in Viking's episode, and now there's this entire interaction with Dr. Tube. Cherruby being weird is very "fork found in kitchen" at this point but, man, what is going on.

now im thinking about my original theory way at the start where Cherruby's mimicry is bleedover from other timelines where she was partnered up with other people. there's definitely some kind of timeline bleed with what's going on between her and Viking. this feels more advanced than that, though.

[froggibus]

Would They Wear A Friendship Bracelet? - Scaramouche, Xiao, Kazuha, Childe, Diluc & Itto

Includes: Scaramouche/Wanderer, Xiao, Kazuha, Childe, Diluc and Itto

Genre: fluff, could be considered crack

Summary: how they would react to receiving a friendship bracelet + would they wear it

CW: Scara is a brat, Xiao is a trog, general fluff and cuteness all around, some characters may be a lil OOC, (spoiler) of course they’re gonna wear it forever

i thought this was a cute idea and given ive been on a bit of a bracelet making kick, this happened lol. my first time writing any of these characters so im sorry if the lore is messy or they're ooc <3

————

Scaramouche/Wanderer:

looks at the bundle of navy, gold and red string in disgust

“you expect me to wear this? tsk, another one of your menial childish crafts.”

lowkey hurts your feelings

like you know he’s the most tsundere mf on the entire planet but sometimes he just goes too far 

you avoid him for the rest of the day after that

of course the minute you leave he’s tying it to his wrist 

he will never take it off either. it’s now his most prized possession 

next time you see him, you’re still a little upset about how he reacted

until he’s talking about something completely unrelated and you notice him fidgeting with something on his wrist

he’s running his fingers across it, an action that brings him comfort (and reminds him that no matter what he’s done, you still care about him)

never mention it to him tho or else he’ll pretend like he’s doing it just to appease you

Xiao:

his cheeks are instantly red

“you—you’re gifting this to me? to do what?”

looks at you in utter fascination while you explain what it is 

he adores the idea of carrying a physical object to commemorate your relationship 

his hand is probably shaking when you gently grab him to tie the bracelet around his wrist 

and of course his face erupts into an inferno

he’s never been handled with so much care before, and the sight of you tying a symbol of your affection into him is enough to make his heart race

you pull away with a smile, “there you go. you can always take it off if it bugs you or you don’t like it.”

he shakes his head

he’s never taking it off

he’ll probably find some sort of adepti magic to bind it to him so he’ll never lose or break it 

on long night when he misses you, he finds himself playing with the strings and thinking of you

Kazuha:

his eyes are practically sparkling when you present it to him 

“it’s wonderful, my love. like falling leaves in the autumn sunlight”

a little hesitant to put it on at first 

he’s just worried he’ll lose it during all of the adventuring he does

you’re a little sad when you see he’s not wearing it tho

and of course he loves you so much and all he wants is for you to be happy 

he offers you a gentle smile and asks if you’ll help him put it on since he totally can’t do it himself 

obviously you happily oblige and tie it to his wrist with the biggest smile

he spends a solid five minutes admiring it

kinda weird but also feel like he would kiss it?? 

whenever he’s away on long journeys, he always has you close 

and whenever he misses you, he stares at that symbol of your love and remembers that you’re out there waiting for him

Childe:

definitely not the first one he’s received 

teucer has almost definitely made him some before 

of course, yours is a little different 

“I love it, babe”

wears it EVERYWHERE

like this Fatui harbinger is always wearing this adorable little string bracelet 

you’d think it would take away from his reputation but people are equally as afraid of him 

he can’t just let you give him such a thoughtful gift without giving anything in return 

 so he sets out to make you your own bracelet 

honestly it’s really rough

his hands aren’t made for arts and crafts 

but even if it is slightly misshapen and filled with holes, you accept it happily 

the thought that he sat down and spent time trying to make it for you is enough to make you tear up

he ties it to your wrist and plants a kiss over the bracelet 

“there, now we match”

Diluc:

honestly you’re a little worried giving it to him

it feels stupid and dorky and he’s always dressed to the nines 

but as soon as he sees it, his face lights up

“you made this for me?”

you shift from side to side and awkwardly look at the floor. “yes…”

“thank you, darling. care to help me put it on?”

all of your worries melt away though

this man loves you to the point he would practically do anything to you

and seeing how cute and nervous you were giving him something you handmade just for him?

it’s enough to make him melt 

he examines the bracelet in the light, nodding at your handiwork 

he’ll always have it on him one way or another

whether it’s on his wrist, or in his hair, or attached to his keys or hidden somewhere when he’s the Darknight Hero

but it’s with him no matter what, just like you <3

Itto:

he cries 

like actually cries when you give it to him

he’s seen other people exchanging them, especially as a kid, and always wanted one

but of course as an oni, resigned himself to a friendship bracelet-less life

“f-for me?”

he has that cute pouty look on his face and full on sobs when you nod at him with that big smile on your face 

stops crying long enough to attempt to put it on

struggles tho cause his big ass hands aren’t meant for delicate things like that

so he sheepishly asks for your help

he is never going to take the bracelet off

like ever

probably cuddles with his wrist at night just to have it close 

(also probably loses it a million times without even realizing it—but don’t worry, Shinobu is there every time to pick it back up and sneak it into his pocket)

[in-the-multiverse]

I wanna grab Avid like a freddy fazbear plush and shake him around because why

Why does he turn on a dime to his friends? Why does he go along with morally questionable plans so easily? Why is he like this??? And yea, the whole soul deal with Olm answers it: ‘do as I say and you’ll be kinda free’ and that’s like. Part of the motive. But emotionally-

When he knocks out his friends to tube them, there’s no hesitation. He’s deceptive and quick and cackling. He’s singing an uplifting song, luring in his target like the pied piper and finishing the melody on a bang. The ending of Trog’s ep 3 implies there was also no warning before getting submerged. He’ll offhandedly throw jokes about cloning friends, shrug off the moral implications, mutter under his breath about replacing one in the same causal inconvenience of replacing a piece of technology

He’s not only doing what he’s told, it looks like he’s detached about it

The few times he talks about it seriously, it’s like he’s in a trance. He needs to do this. He has to save all of them. He can lock away anomalies, fabricate life to fill in those empty spots, make sure there’s no loose threads, act concerned and lie through his teeth. Drastic solutions to drastic problems. Does he take delight in getting away with all this? Probably. Is he happy it’s come to this? Probably not

There’s no use dwelling or having second thoughts because these things need to happen anyway. He believes he’s doing a greater good, so… he sets aside any guilt or bad feelings (if those existed in the first place). Maybe even goes as far to convince himself there shouldn’t be remorse. Helping them (and most importantly himself) outweighs whatever they’d think of the situation. Which feeds into the detached attitude

He’s not only making sure certain things are done, he’s settling into the proper mindset to do them

In the 100 days in a mc nightmare series, the prequel to Avid’s sbk journey, there’s a part where he spent 20 days travelling across a dangerous land. It was a physically draining march towards a location that probably existed, and mentally draining to watch for things that could kill him at a moment’s notice. There wasn’t a guarantee he’d arrive, no map to guide him, no proof of its existence. And yet, he kept going. Despite the literal hell he was in, Avid held onto the tiniest spark of hope that he’d make it home after this quest. And that kept his feet moving. He adapted to the harsh environment until he felt numb to it. Nothing stood in his way for long. “Something in me told me to keep going and so I did, through the worst of it all and then some.”

Then limbo happened. He got trapped in a pocket dimension that 1) was never meant to be his home, 2) meant to be punishment for killing a deity, and 3) incredibly isolating. I cannot imagine the heartbreak, paranoia, frustration, and the whole storm of emotions that plagued him: on day one. Cannot fathom what a millennia of that would be like. But I can guess after so long, anyone’s grip on reality would loosen. Shatter, even

But Avid didn’t break. Whatever sanity he had left was kept intact by the hope of one day, some day, any way- finding home again. It’s what he says to Olm in response to “Why don’t you just give up?”

When Avid has his mind on a goal, he becomes an unstoppable force. He’s always been one

He’s resolute, and right now: he wants to go home

“And I’ll find my way / no matter what it takes / in the void”

(there’s also a monkey plushie that got catapulted into the walls)

[arsenic-kneecaps]

Howdy do! I’m Raine/Ars/Arsenic Kneecaps and I have an idea!

I’m a librarian with a lot of free time at my desk so I do a lot coloring books. I’m also a big fan of RadioTV Solutions and so I’ve been pondering the idea of combining RTVS and coloring books.

How would this be done?

1) I want to trace screen caps from live action RTVS bits (Fax Hell/mass, Seance of Joshua, Spamton Value Network, Congress, Homer, GameClam,etc.) and slap ‘em all into a printable PDF “book” for fans to color however they see fit. Since some members of RTVS prefer to appear in virtual form-for example in the Congress stream where there are talk sprites (that I think were made by Mike? I don’t quite remember, please correct me if not.) for members such as Gir, Holly, Trog and Mira. Credit to the artists of these sprites would of course be provided.

2) I’ve also been thinking about making the coloring book a Zine of some sort. Where we’d all get together in a big Discord server, create and compile lineart fanart of RTVS and interstitially mix it in with the traced screen caps. Ensuring that no art would go without credit as a coloring piece can have the artists info paired with it.

I’ve never organized a zine before. And I’ve never made a coloring book- so I just wanted to gage interest and see what y’all think! Feel free to hit me with any ideas. I’d love to hear ‘em.

[iheartteamnuke]

Get Up and Walk

AO3 Link

DESCRIBED: A desk. It is perfectly built and perfectly average, made out of birch wood. Simple, clean, effective. On the desk is an open deck of cards, neatly stacked, a lamp with a cubed shade, and a few pages of paper, with a pen laying perpendicular atop. Behind the desk is a chair, currently filled by Office of Sky Safety and Hazard Assessment head, Avid, in his perfectly ironed and fitted work uniform. There is no last name. It doesn’t matter, he’s the only one who can sign the paperwork, so his boss won’t care if there’s a bit of legal information missing there. His boss only cares that the paper makes its way back. At OSSHA Headquarters, Avid does some paperwork.

Hi guys I'm normal about OSSHA Avid. So normal. As seen by this fic. Title is from the song Sleepwalk by Forrest Day and cw for uh. Unreality? I guess? Idfk

Fic below the cut!

DESCRIBED: A desk. It is perfectly built and perfectly average, made out of birch wood. Simple, clean, effective. On the desk is an open deck of cards, neatly stacked, a lamp with a cubed shade, and a few pages of paperwork, with a pen laying perpendicular atop.

NOTE: the pen is a quill, just to make it a bit more official.

Behind the desk is a chair, currently filled by Office of Sky Safety and Hazard Assessment head, Avid, in his perfectly ironed and fitted work uniform. There is no last name. It doesn’t matter, he’s the only one who can sign the paperwork, so his boss won’t care if there’s a bit of legal information missing there. His boss only cares that the paper makes its way back.

ACTION: Avid takes the pen off the papers and begins assessing the words written.

The top of the page is just heading nonsense. This is OSSHA business, stamped on the top, location in the middle of nowhere, the works. Avid skips over it, and skips over the legal jargon he never learned to read. That’s Vintage’s job, and Vintage isn’t permitted to read any of these documents. Or be in this office. Or know that this office exists. All she needs to know is that he’s her boss and handles all the paperwork, not what it’s about.

Speaking of, next section of the document:

[DESCRIBE SUBJECT]

Hm, that’s a tricky one. There are three, currently, because he’s been running behind. It’s been a mess, trying to wrangle everyone down here and make sure the released clones have been working well while also looking like the normal Avid everyone knows. Which he is! He just…has other objectives to accomplish. And also paperwork he hasn’t been able to get to until now. Actually, what time is it?

TIME: 2:52am, Thursday night. All the cameras are off, Avid. No one can see this.

Right, right. Doesn’t matter. Just gotta get this done. Best if in chronological order. Trog first, then!

First name Trog, probably short for Trogathy, no last name, title of doctor. Of what, Avid doesn’t know. Probably something super nerdy. Age unknown. Height unknown. Subject obtained…hm. What’s the time again?

STOP ASKING ME, I DON'T KNOW: 2:53am, Thursday night.

Let’s call it last week. Vitals—Avid looks away from the paper and towards the monitor display that sits outside Trog’s tube—stable. No physical blemishes that he can see. That’s good. If there were, well, that would mean he didn’t keep his friends safe, and then there would be problems! Anyways.

[OBTAINMENT PROCESS]

Knocked unconscious via flat end of an axe. Blunt force trauma. Honestly, it’s a miracle that they don’t have any physical blemishes, because Avid had been a little too forceful with the swing. He had just wanted to make sure it didn’t take multiple hits to take them out, because that would’ve been awkward, just going at it, and he was already nervous about doing it in the first place- this was his first time kidnapping someone! Can you blame him? 

But in practice, it had been easy taking Trog down; he’d distracted them with the satellite and all the boring nerd junk and bam! Down for the count. Tubed. Tubed! That’s a funny word, tubed. Doesn’t feel like a word anymore. Nothing really feels anymore. What’s there to feel when you kidnapped one of your friends? 

What’s there to feel when you’re just a custom marionette made to dance? Dancing above the void you so fear? What’s there to do when everyone thinks you’re crazy! What if they’re right!

ACTION: Avid slams his writing hand down on the desk, dropping the pen.

SOUND: manic, mirthless laughter.

TIME: 3:04am. Too late at night to be doing paperwork, but well. You do what you have to. So do it.

Right, right! Where was he?

[CLONE STATUS]

Based on the reports, fine. They’d been aptly named Dr. Tube and immediately gone to work, stepping into Trog’s life without issue. The job is being done well. Avid had noticed an increase of railings throughout the kingdoms since Tube’s release, and the reports held the data to prove it. Sure, there was that whole thing where they had memories of Trog’s from another universe, but that sorted itself out. And didn’t require death this time, which is good. Better than good- man, the amount of times it took him to get them right is hard to count. His axe was getting really low on durability there.

Doesn’t matter! All that matters is this attempt worked out. They’re up and attem and seem to be perfectly okay. So clone status. Stable. Okay.

[DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’VE STARTED?]

Yes?

Yes. No. Yes. Absolutely yes. There’s a guilt that creeps through him every second he isn’t in this uniform. He can’t look anyone in the eyes anymore because he knows they know and he knows they don’t. One day they’re gonna find this place and there’s gonna be a witch hunt. Soon. Soon. Soon.

But the uniform is on. So no! Absolutely not! Silly-

NOTE: the name about to be said has been redacted for safety of the public.

-the silly guy, leaving this funny bit in here! What’s there to start that hasn’t been in place for years? Avid hasn’t started anything, he’s just continuing something out of his control! This is his job, and he’s getting paid for it he’s pretty sure, so don’t blame him for this! He’s just a little guy!

Okay, yes, he understands. But he disagrees with the wording on principle. So there. 

ACTION: Avid pushes his chair back and turns to face the tube where Trog is being held.

They look so peaceful, floating in the solution like that. Ethereal, even, with their long, wild hair suspended around them like a halo, their tie hovering a few inches away from their chest. They look at ease, for what Avid thinks is the first time since the kingdoms have been established- gosh, everything has been so hectic lately, with the court case and all the pranks between kingdoms and that stinkin’ void. And sure, some of that could be put on him and OSSHA, but he wasn’t trying to cause problems! All he wanted to do was keep his friends safe. And he’s pretty sure this is the best way to do that, so he’s doing it, and he’s doing a good job.

And, well, everyone would be understanding if he told them this whole situation was a bunch of orders, right? Trog would be; Avid can always count on Troggers. So he can count on Tube. Yeah. Gosh, it’s getting late, and now he’s getting sappy. This is not- what time is it again?

TIME: 3:07am, Friday morning. Rest, Avid. Clearly the exhaustion is getting to you.

This is not the correct behavior for 3am. Really. He needs to get back to work. Trog is going to stay put and watch as he finishes this paperwork up, and he can send it off and not think about it until someone else gets within the range of tubing. Probably Marm; that woman is a walking Level 8, not to mention the whole “I went to Limbo and heard sobbing” story she’s decided to double down on. Gosh, things are a mess right now. It’s a good thing he’s been contractually obligated to clean it up!

But now is not the time to think about the future, or any sort of crimes he needs to commit. He has to finish this paperwork before the end of the week before his boss gets mad about it, and now that he’s done one of the three forms, the next two should go smoothly. It’s getting late, after all, and he wants to sleep at some point. So back to it.

ACTION: Avid sits down again, quietly pushing the seat towards the desk, and flips the paperwork to the next form.

NOTE: Nothing was written down on that first page.

[theoriginofpete]

untitled strongstar wedding fic ft. pete

chapter 3

Chapter 3

[prev: link] [next: TBA]

Getting word out to their friends is, naturally, the next step. As the various residents of Free Country, USA loiter around The Stick, Strong Bad regales them with a retelling of the proposal—embellished, of course, in true Strong Bad fashion.

“Yeah, he pretty much begged me,” Strong Bad says breezily. “Sang me a whole song and everything.”

“Uh, Stwong Bad, you sang the—”

“Shut up.”

“Conglarjulations, you two!” Coach Z says. “Ooh, I just love weddings! Say, Marzipan—”

“Absolutely not.”

“Aww.”

“Well, congrats, boys,” says Marzipan, gingerly sidestepping the scorned coach, “if you need floral arrangements, I’d be happy to—”

Strong Bad cuts her off with a grimace. “We’re not doin’ flowers! This ain’t a wedding for girls!”

“You’re not doing flowers?”

The forlorn voice behind him makes Strong Bad freeze, and he hesitantly looks over his shoulder at his daughter.

“It’s just… I really, really wanted to be a flower girl,” Pete sighs, sadly kicking a pebble at her feet. “But if there’s not gonna be any flowers…”

Strong Bad blinks. Then he turns back to Marzipan.

“…How much for flowers?”

Marzipan smiles. “We can work out the details later.”

Behind Strong Bad’s back, Pete instantly perks up and winks at her.

“Bubs, you can officiate, wight?” Homestar asks.

“Legally, not since ‘86,” Bubs replies. He pulls a fake moustache and glasses out from behind his back and places them on his face. “But Stando Mudtrungler the Third, Esquire still can!”

“Gweat! Weally glad we’re keepin’ this whole wedding thing above-board,” says Homestar cheerfully. “Pom Pom, you have got to be my best man, man.”

Pom Pom bubbles. Homestar gasps.

“Woah, you’re a wedding planner, too? Dang, P-Dawg, you do it all!”

“A wedding planner?! Why didn’t you say so sooner, man!” Strong Bad pushes his way past the others, producing a thick folder from Trog-knows-where and shoving it into Pom Pom’s hands. (Flippers?) “That there’s my list of demands, so get to woik.”

Pom Pom stares at Strong Bad coolly for a moment, then opens the folder and flips through the papers. He frowns, then bubbles. Strong Bad’s jaw drops.

“‘Unreasonable?!’ What part of pyrotechnics, a fog machine, a t-shirt cannon, and a pegasus-drawn chariot made entirely out of Hot Pockets is unreasonable to you?!”

Pom Pom bubbles again, annoyed, and Strong Bad wilts.

“You can’t find a pegasus on such short notice? Ugh, alright, fine. I guess Strong Sad in a horse costume is the next best thing.”

“You know, Strong Bad, this isn’t just your wedding,” Marzipan says pointedly. “Have you asked Homestar how he feels about any of these ‘ideas’ of yours?”

“Aww, it’s all wight, Mawzipan. I told Stwong Bad he could be in chawge of that stuff.” Homestar puffs out his chest. “I had one wequest and one wequest only.”

All eyes are on Homestar now, eager to hear whatever oh-so-important request he could have made for his coming nuptials.

“Balsa wood cubes,” says Homestar.

The group exchanges glances.

“…Balsa wood cubes?” Marzipan echoes carefully.

Homestar nods. “Yep, balsa wood cubes. I said, ‘Stwong Bad, I’m puttin’ my foot down! I won’t have this wedding without balsa wood cubes!’”

“And we’re gonna get you all the balsa wood cubes your little heart desires, baby,” Strong Bad coos, pinching Homestar’s cheeks. “But enough about allat. Let’s talk cake!”

“Did someone say cake?” says a familiar jovial voice, as an equally-familiar monarch and his loyal Poopsmith approach the assembled characters.

“Wow, what a completely unexpected appeawance fwom the King of Town,” says Homestar.

“No, wait, this is perfect!” Strong Bad exclaims. “If anybody knows anything about borderline-unethical quantities of food, it’s this guy!”

“Oh, well, I don’t like to brag,” says the King. Strong Bad pulls out another folder, this one labeled “CAKE PLANS.” It’s nearly twice the size of the one Pom Pom is holding.

“I’m thinking twenty-six tiers minimum,” says Strong Bad. “This thing needs to be a threat to public safety.”

The King chortles. “Only twenty-six? That’s child’s play!”

Strong Bad grins. “That’s what I like to hear! Thanks, Kay-Oh-Tee! Maybe you’re not the most pointless character after all!” He turns triumphantly to address the others. “All right, losers, we’ve got one week to pull this off because I’m not gonna wait any longer than that to get my pwaughty on! This better be the kick-buttingest wedding that Free Country, USA has ever seen!”

“I think it’ll be the only wedding Free Country, USA has ever seen,” Marzipan points out.

“What about the Goblin and the Jibblies Painting?” Pete asks.

“They eloped, that doesn’t count.”

“Say, Bubsy, wasn’t you married once?” Coach Z asks, nudging him.

“Nope,” says Bubs, “only divorced.”

“Oh, right.”

[chernobylbunker]

Heyhey Cherb!! I don’t know if I asked this already, but since I’m back from holiday, is it possible to request an analysis for bbyd?

I agree it’s underrated and it’s one of the hyperfixations atm, which the main character I SERIOUSLY can’t get over, aswell as the trogs!

P.s: Also for a friend teehee!!

hii!! hope your holiday was ok, it’s nice 2 have you back. iiii did do a plot analysis as requested (it was fun writing thanks for asking)  

bang bang you’re dead (2002) analysis 

brief introduction:

bang bang you’re dead (2002) the american thriller drama, written by guy ferland and directed by william mastrosimone, was initially inspired by the 1999 play ‘bang bang you’re dead’ (also written by mastrosimone) which itself was influenced by the 1998 thurston high school shooting. the play follows a school shooter in his jail cell who is harassed by the ghosts of the five students he had previously killed. the film differs: it follows a troubled teenager, trevor adams, who seeks to star in the existing play ‘bang bang you’re dead’ but struggles as the public aims to cease its production due to historical controversy and trevor’s poor reputation with the subject matter.  

the film ‘bang bang you’re dead’ primarily focuses on trevor’s feelings of being misunderstood by others:

after being bullied by a social crowd referred to as the ‘jocks’, trevor bomb threats the entirety of the school's football team of which include students related to the ‘jock’ subcategory. trevor’s threat was initially motivated by anger: he's frustrated with the embarrassment he’d been forced through and frustrated with those who had humiliated him, as implied in his tape once discussing the cruelty of bullying in school environments. trevor’s alarming act results in public disapproval towards him, he is both directly and indirectly shamed and avoided by parents, school staff, certain schoolmates, and townspeople. very few are willing to look past him for what he did rather they refer to him animalistically, as shown in court once other parents discuss expelling him for 'menacing conduction'. for this reason, trevor feels misunderstood. trevor doesn’t believe others are capable of understanding him after the disproval shown towards his situation therefore refuses to accept attempted help from others as it only falsely directs his hope. trevor avoids returning to his previously helpless state therefore he shelters himself from possible external damage to protect his ego by behaving intimidatingly. this can be seen when in the principal's office for the class assignment val had turned in, once trevor’s mother quotes ‘trevor, please. they’re only trying to understand.’ (55:07). he doesn’t make an effort to listen or discontinue his unserious comments nor will provide the staff/police what is needed for them to better understand himself because he doesn’t believe they’re able to regardless of whether they try. he'd rather not be depicted as further of a fool. jenny's quote from the same scene ‘i think that trevor puts on a dangerous act so that kids will leave him alone.’ (1:04:40) supports this theory. 

in simple terms:  

intense feelings of embarrassment → anger towards the bullies and his situation → cries of help are misunderstood, and so is he 

because trevor feels misunderstood, he: 

displays a tough demeanor 

as said by jenny, trevor wishes to be left alone by others. he displays a 'tough demeanor' not only to fend off threats but also to avoid the help provided to him from school and/or friends. as stated earlier, trevor doesn't believe they're capable of understanding him therefore avoids submitting to false hope. he despises vulnerability, as shown in the cafeteria scene where he behaves abnormally explosive once publicly humiliated.

embraces various impulses of his 

trevor no longer worries about disappointing others since they already think of him negatively. fundamentally people believe he’s irreversable, which is why little attempts are made to sympathize with him, other than from few such as val and jenny (and the mandatory help provided by the school). trevor openly exhibits off-putting behavior since there’s no longer a positive position for him to uphold.  

struggles to find his identity 

he struggles between the social groups of the trogs and theater students. trevor issues to find a set stance between either of the two groups as he’s uncertain of where exactly he belongs. he’s uncertain of how well others will respond to or understand him for who he is. trevor warms up to the trogs because they embrace his troubles, and the theater students because they look past it. in the end of the film he understands the danger with the idea of welcoming his problems therefore opposes the trogs as he wishes not to become like josh, the school shooter character he acts as in the play. 

speaks to his camera 

trevor records his daily circumstances and thoughts through the camera because it’s the only device capable of understanding him through his own perspective, as his perspective is averagely misunderstood. the camera captures a better understanding of trevor's mindset unlike others can.

the theme’s relation to the play’s position in the film:

the play ‘bang bang you’re dead’, disapproved by school staff and student’s parental figures, is shown to be often mispronounced by the public as val frequently must correct them. this is also related to the theme of being misunderstood. the play is disregarded/hated to the point where others eschew from looking any further into its context/title and rather make assumptions based on whatever they initially hear, misunderstanding the play like they do trevor. the townspeople are shown to be ignorant for that reason. in the final scene, they appear to be more pleased once watching through the play's final production, implying that they had misjudged it. this ending also implies their understanding of misjudging trevor too. 

why is all of this significant? why does mastrosimone find importance in accurately portraying the feeling of being misunderstood?:

bang bang you’re dead focuses on others misunderstanding trevor because it portrays the reality faced by actual school shooters in their own environments. being misheard or disregarded largely contributes to the motives of various perpetrators throughout the globe, specifically school shooters.

too lazy 2 write a conclusion i felt as if all of this was clear enough anyways. hope this made sense despite it being a lil sloppy sorry

[firecrackerhh]

Look dude I get that people like Viv’s old style but like…you know how many of you would WHINE about how animation-unfriendly it would be?

If Viv was really abusing her workers as so many of you trogs claim why would you WANT her characters to be so fucking complicated?

I don’t get why it fucking matters. “Waaah I like the OLD art!” So do I fucker, but you don’t see me WHINING about it, Viv herself has said she doesn’t draw that way anymore, get over it!

I do have to wonder what the official show would look like in the pilot’s style tho.

Oh yeah, it’s a real shame that Viv’s art doesn’t look like this anymore, what a WASTE of potential, go fuck yourself. You’re wasting your potential whining about this shit instead of being a productive member of society.

[sunflowergraves]

Will Character Analysis: Panic Attacks

I did a breakdown of Will's character a few weeks ago after my first read-through of TSATS. I went back and reread the book (mostly because I'm obsessed), and I noticed something that I don't think a lot of people picked up on. Will was having panic/anxiety attacks throughout the course of the book.

I think this is extremely important to recognize because it gives us a better understanding of why Will was reacting the way he was during the entire quest. It also answers some questions that I previously had.

As someone who has severe anxiety and suffers from panic/anxiety attacks, it makes complete sense that Will would also. He is forced into uncomfortable and challenging situations that he can't control. He feels useless and incompetent, especially when it comes to helping his boyfriend. And he already felt lonely, scared, and unsure before they even started. Combine all that with overstimulation and stress and you've got yourself a great recipe for mental disaster.

If you don't want TSATS spoilers, I suggest stop reading here. I'm going to provide some examples from the book to help me out. This will also be pretty long tbh lol.



The Subway Ride:

As they were leaving the station, Nico asked Will to stop shaking his leg (an anxious habit). Soon after this, Nico noted that Will had closed his eyes and started using a breathing technique. He also said that Will did this often to calm down and decided to leave his boyfriend alone.

Breathing techniques are a very common way to help prevent an attack or calm them down. I've had it drilled into my head that breathing techniques are one of the first things to do when I feel overly anxious/upset.  

As a healer, Will most likely knows about these and uses them to help keep calm. He had just experienced a very stressful taxi ride (which he is described as clinging to the seatbelt for dear life) and is now on a train to start his journey to Tartarus. I'd be freaking out too.



The Trog Tunnels:

The second time Will exhibited an attack was when they were crawling through the tunnels with the Trogs to get to Menoetius farm. Will was complaining about feeling closed in and felt like the tunnel would collapse. He also started feeling nauseous, woozy, and forgetful. The second they left the tunnel, Will immediately needed to rest. He kept his eyes closed and felt better once he had a minute to breath.

These are all symptoms of a panic/anxiety attack. While symptoms definitely range based on the severity of an attack, the most common ones are dizziness, nausea, and brain fog. This is because your brain is tricked into thinking what is happening is a life-or-death situation. It's pumping adrenaline into your body, but there's nothing happening physically to you. This leaves you with a body filled with energy and a mind screaming with chaos.

The only way to really stop these attacks is to sit down somewhere you feel comfortable (literally anywhere but a tunnel in Will's case) and calm yourself down.



The Tartarus Argument:

The fourth example is the argument Will and Nico had after the whole pigeon fiasco. The power of anxiety leads you into overthinking and what was Will doing? He believed that Nico was going to abandon him and that he deserved it. He was 100% convinced of this despite Nico's very stubborn loyalty trait. Will literally broke down in gasping sobs, unable to think of anything but being left behind.

Will had been facing attack after attack since this moment that he finally just broke. When faced with doubt and fear and panic towards the one he loves, towards the person he trusts, coming back from that brink is almost impossible.



Tartarus:

Will was basically in a constant state of panic during the entire Tartarus trip. He was pale, shaky, loopy, and irritated. The rational brain train had left the station and it was not coming back.





As a fellow struggler of anxiety and attacks, I'm glad they added this side of anxiety, even if it was never explicitly stated. I believe that it was purposeful that both authors didn't state that Will was having attacks because it is a sensitive and heavy topic that is hard to discuss, especially when they were covering a bunch of other bases.

The main reason I wanted to make this though was again to drive him the point that Will was not a whiny, weak-spined character. He was struggling with his own anxiety and fears which drove him to act the way he did. I always see people preaching the importance of supporting others, yet my dash is filled with angry, hateful comments towards a character that is meant to represent people like me.

[tsarisfanfiction]

Discordant

Fandom: Trials of Apollo Rating: Gen Genre: Family Characters: Austin, Apollo The string quartet didn't match the vibe of the battle at all. Pop Goes The Weasel fit so much better. TOApril day 10 - This Isn't Goodbye. This was not my original plan for this prompt - my initial thoughts rolled somewhere around the end of TON when Apollo leaves camp after dropping by as a god again - but I like this a lot better. Austin needs more content, anyway.

His dad certainly looked like he’d seen better days, although from what little Will had been persuaded to tell them of their time with the trogs, Austin wasn’t surprised that Apollo looked rough.  That wasn’t to say he was happy about it, but this wasn’t his first time in battle.

There would be time for cleaning up later, once it was over, if they all made it through.

Normally, Austin didn’t have much time for ifs and buts, especially not ones of those nature.  He’d made it through two wars, and this was practically a skirmish in comparison, and his dad had been through far, far more during his godly lifespan.  From the stories they’d received from Camp Jupiter, Apollo had been through plenty of skirmishes even as a mortal, so there was no reason for him not to get through this one, either.

But something felt wrong.  It was probably the music, a string quartet emitting from hidden speakers in the elevator and so painfully at odds with the vibe of the tower.  Discordance was unsettling at the best of times, designed to raise hairs on the backs of necks and send shivers down spines, and while there were times when that was good, the unpleasantness a pleasantness of its own, there were other times when it was very, very bad.

This felt like the latter, and he couldn’t stop his fingers from fidgeting on the keys of his combat saxophone – not enough to make them clack with the movement, but enough to put pressure on the pads of his fingers as he tried to imagine a counter-melody that would harmonise the gentle, self-assured strings with the chaotic fighting below and behind them.

Next to him, Apollo clearly hated the music, too, or at least its timing and lack of appropriateness for the setting.  Austin somehow doubted there was any music that his father hated, given the whole god of music thing.  He thrived on terribly composed poetry, so there was no reason he wouldn’t do the same for music.

Situational appropriateness, though, was a different thing altogether.

Just fingering out a solution silently on his saxophone wasn’t enough, not even close, and with some effort he stilled his fingers.

“Wish it was Miles Davis,” he commented, mostly to interrupt the strings, although it also wasn’t a lie.  He would much rather be listening to some jazz trumpeting over the classical strings right then.  For one thing, it would be a much more battle-oriented vibe, rather than the unsettling nothing is wrong vibe the elevator music was trying to brainwash them with.

“That would be nice,” Apollo replied immediately, and Austin wondered if he’d been thinking the same thing already, or if his agreement was instinct.  It was difficult to tell, sometimes, although after spending some time with his father recently – even if it was because said father was temporarily mortal – Austin thought he could hazard an accurate guess towards the former.  Of course Apollo would have been thinking about more appropriate music.

Unfortunately, the soft strings were getting to Austin, prickling under his skin with subtle silkiness, and he didn’t mean to start talking about the future, but the words came out before he could think them through.  “Hey, if we don’t get through this-”

Apollo cut him off instantly, all sharp and jagged edges, discordant with the elevator music the same way the elevator music was discordant with the battle vibes.  “None of that talk.”

Austin appreciated it, but if he was opening that can of worms then he was going to open it all the way, no hesitation in sight.  Hesitation was not one of Austin’s preferred traits and he wasn’t going to fall into it now.

Besides, he had things that he did want to say to his dad.  It was difficult getting alone time with a mortal god, because everyone wanted to talk to him, and Austin did have several siblings to share with, to say nothing of Meg and Mr D back at camp.

He couldn’t completely blame his unease that this would be the end of his time with his dad on the strings, as much as he would love to.

“Yeah,” he shrugged, catching Apollo’s attention and holding it, thriving on being in the spotlight of his father’s attention, the same way any other spotlight had him thriving.  Austin was a performer, after all.  “But I wanted to tell you, I’m glad we had some time together.  Like… time time.”

Duets by campfires, jokes and laughter at the dinner table, hugs in all sort of situations.  Time with his dad the same way he spent time with his mom, with his siblings.  Time that felt real, not fleeting and fading like a note that could only last as long as the player’s lungs.

Apollo didn’t say anything back, but Austin felt him squeeze his shoulder, and that was more than enough.  A physical reaction, contact that they’d lose again, when Apollo got his godhood back and visits went back to nighttime, during dreams he always prayed he’d remember when he woke up.  The body of Lester ran warm, warm enough for the heat to radiate through Austin’s shoulder with ease, but not so hot it felt dangerous.

He didn’t let go until the elevator came to a stop, the doors rolling open silently and more smoothly than the smoothest sax in existence, and Austin wished he could keep holding on forever.  The string music hadn’t felt so wrong, had been almost right as a background to fatherly affection, but stepping out onto the mosaiced floor, the discordance came back to him.

Battles were not fun.

They needed some atmospheric music as they padded down the hall, something to echo the tension building in their bodies and disperse it.  Or perhaps something energetic and upbeat, defying and reducing the tension until it disappeared entirely.  Unfortunately, being the source of any sort of music would bring Nero’s army down on their heads, and Apollo was in rough enough shape that Austin couldn’t risk that, so a silent advance it was.

Of course, spending time with his dad was always too good to be true, and despite his intentions when he’d taken over from Kayla in escorting Apollo further up the tower, the moment his mirror caught sight of a crowd of Nero’s minions directly between his father and his father’s destination, he knew exactly what was going to happen.

He also knew his dad wasn’t going to like it, because Apollo had never been subtle about trying to keep them safe, even when he was a god, and as a mortal he was so blatant about it, Austin wondered how anyone could ever forget that one of his domains was the protection of youth.

But Apollo couldn’t stop him, not as a mortal, and not with Meg’s safety on the line, and this was something that Austin, double-war veteran, knew he could do.

Fifty or sixty of Nero’s goons?  Not a problem.

He gave his dad a reassuring grin, trust me, I’ve got this, as Apollo protested his plan, and didn’t give him a chance to try and stop him.  “You hang back until I draw them out. Then go find our girl. I’ll see you on the other side.”

Apollo was still going to try and stop him, so Austin didn’t waste any time.  The violins still had him on edge and he needed something far more battle-appropriate to settle his bones, so really this was killing two birds with one stone with all the accuracy of an Apollo kid.

Clear a path for Apollo to get to Meg, and reset the musical vibes of the tower.

“Hey, idiots!” he yelled, darting out from the cover of the corner and settling into his performance, nice and simple.  He loved performing live.  “You’re all gonna die!”

Pop Goes the Weasel was a classic, and it did exactly what it was supposed to as it reset the vibes from discordant to chaotic in an instant.

Some people would probably call it working a little too well as it instantly gained him a following of fifty plus angry guys with weapons they knew how to use, but Austin wasn’t settling for anything less than being the centre of attention, so he was calling it perfect, instead, as he put his musician’s lungs to the test and ran, saxophone still in his mouth.

He didn’t get the chance to look back at where Apollo was hiding, to make sure Apollo was hiding, that no-one had caught sight of him, but that was okay.  He’d meant what he said.

He was going to see Apollo on the other side.  Not just of this manoeuvre, with Meg retrieved and back where she belonged, but of the whole battle, with Nero and Python taken down and his dad a god once more.

No matter what some strings tried to make them believe.