#HOPE'S PEAK | COSPLAY

[chrisginny]

64 years ago yesterday, ginny danburry played hermia in a midsummer night’s dream.

hermia!ginny closet cosplay :)

[dangan-kagura]

Friendly Reminder: The reason Tsumugi was only cosplaying as characters from the first two games is because of the Flashback Light that contained memories of Hope’s Peak Academy. If she gave them a Flashback Light that had memories from Danganronpa 4 through 52, then she could’ve cosplayed as characters from those games. It’s supposed to hint that Danganronpa 4 through 52 had stories that were in no way related to Hope’s Peak Academy. Tsumugi stated that if she did cosplay as those characters, they wouldn’t recognize them because those characters never went to Hope’s Peak.

And remember that the reason they got the Flashback Light about Hope’s Peak was so they could have the hope to stop Kokichi from ending the killing game. Kokichi’s plan was to show everyone the outside world as a post-apocalyptic Earth, making them lose all hope and have no reason to play the killing game. And Kokichi tried to trick everyone into thinking he was the mastermind, so the real mastermind, Tsumugi, had to get rid of him by rewriting the story Team Danganronpa had planned by bringing back Hope’s Peak Academy. Tsumugi also stated that she was in a rush and overlooked the inconsistencies, so the Flashback Light about Hope’s Peak wasn’t 100% accurate with the plot from the first two games and the plot Team Danganronpa had planned.

[un1k1tty-m0rn1ngstar]

ibuki + many bracelets (and necklaces) i made over the weekend

[roaringheat]

Found out NDE was most likely abandoned how will I ever recover

[eldritchmochi]

good news: the gloves i got to dye for cosplay are indeed long enough for my giant yaoi hands

bad news: you can absolutely see my finger tattoos through them, and fairly clearly too

im hoping itll be less obvious once i dye and blush them but i mmmmmight have to double glove 🫠🫠

[more-than-a-princess]

There was, Sonia often noticed, an air of discontent around Hope's Peak frequently. Whether it was stress, or a competitive edge taken too far, or resentment, the latter often emanating off the students in matching black uniforms who attend the Reserve Course option. It wasn't what she'd hoped a normal school would be, especially a normal Japanese school that was something right out of her favorite dramas, right down to the cafeteria and class trips. She'd hoped for happier students, not just ones with big dreams and the pressure to perform well as teenagers in very rigid disciplines.

Tsumugi Shirogane, then, seemed to defy such standards. She opened the door to her lab with genuine cheer and in turn, it put Sonia's nerves at ease too. It was far less anxiety-inducing to give a speech at a formal banquet discussing royal initiatives than it was becoming acquainted with her fellow, normal students. It was easy for her, in many ways, to be a princess and far more difficult for her to be a person, no matter how much she tried.

"Hello, Shirogane-san!" She beamed, nodding. "Thank you very much for your kind invitation. I am happy to have come to visit you." A bit formal, but it seemed rude to insinuate that with such an invitation, it was the obvious choice to take her up on her offer. The last thing Sonia wished to do was create animosity amongst herself and her peers, especially from misunderstandings of words, tones, and phrases. She encountered such things enough to the point that she either made a fool of herself, or she was considered to be haughty. The former was embarrassing for her family and country, and the latter she tried to combat as much as possible even before she opened her mouth. Even if she wasn't wearing a tiara, she felt its weight no matter where she went.

Though perhaps in an assumption that was far too forward, she did guess that Tsumugi was going to invite her into her lab. To Sonia, they were a mix of a personal bedroom space combined with an office: a place to work but heavily personalized. Her own lab had been designed by her parents' favored architect two months before her arrival on campus and coordinated with the dormitory said architect had also designed: replicas of antique furniture, framed portraits, fresh flowers, silk furnishings, and the same sage green walls that decorated Novoselic Castle. If she ever thought she'd escape the greens, silvers, and golds of her ancestral home while being thousands of kilometers away, she'd been wrong.

So it was why, in part, that the small glimpse of Tsumugi's lab was so intriguing. From the little Sonia could see outside of her door, she spotted fabric in a variety of rainbow hues, a sewing machine with the makings of a garment being run through it, and plenty of other small accessories a proper tailor or sewist required. And that didn't include the other mediums that a cosplayer seemed to need: wigs, sheets of foam, plastic pellets, paints, makeup, and probably dozens of other things Sonia could need Tsumugi to explain to her.

"Goodness, your lab is so colorful!" She gasped, "It is like the private room of an atelier!" Except for the fact that Dior and Chanel didn't have wigs or foamboard and instead had glasses of champagne and tiny cakes and macarons to be consumed in-between couture fittings, it seemed like an accurate comparison. That was how Sonia obtained her garments at home: private visits to the top brands and workshops, facilitated by a stylist who knew her shapes, colors, and attire rules best. This, in contrast, was rather akin to a child let loose in a sweets shop with an empty bag and unlimited budget. "You must make so many dreams into reality in such a place. I would love to hear about it!"

Tsumugi's lab was silent other than the dull hum of a sewing machine and the occasional snip of her fabric scissors. Her fingers moved skillfully, quickly transforming plain fabric into the image in her head. She was pretty good at sewing, but it was a means to an end. Her true passion lay in what she could do with the finished product.

The title that Hope's Peak Academy had given her was accurate, but it didn't fully explain her. She was more than just the Ultimate Cosplayer. Through her, fiction could become real. With her skill for craft, she could turn a real person into a canvas. No. A vessel. Fiction could walk the halls of reality by her own hand.

Her hands stopped. For as much as she tried to forget it, reality had a way of encroaching upon her world. Her mind wandered to Sonia Nevermind. It was certainly bold of the cosplayer to ask after her out of nowhere, but she couldn't help herself. She'd noticed the princess looking at her a few times. Tsumugi wasn't accustomed to being noticed by other people. It always stuck out in her head when someone did. In the rare event someone noticed her, it either meant they had some problem with her, or they were interested in cosplay.

It was probably wishful thinking, but... She couldn't help but imagine the possibilities. Sonia was naturally beautiful, and could probably do justice to a lot of characters if she wanted to. If she really was interested... There was no chance an actual princess would disrespect a character in the name of standing out. She already stood out more than most people in her normal life.

Still, she doubted. Surely someone as important as a princess wouldn't be interested, right? Tsumugi leaned back in her chair, her eyes leaving the outfit she had been working on and staring off into a boundless nowhere.

Such things didn't happen in reality, did they? A beautiful foreign princess being interested in cosplay? It sounded like a light novel plot. She had no idea what time it was, but surely Sonia had just laughed at her invitation and threw it away, right?

As if on queue, she heard a knock on her door, and Sonia's voice. Derealization. This couldn't be happening in real life, right?

She took a deep breath, pulling herself together. Real or not, this was happening. She stood from her seat and opened the door. It was really her.

"Sonia-senpai! You came!"

[crsssie]

oops... i got married || TO THE CUTE DUDE IN CLASS?!

word count: 1.2k || Fic 4 of oops... i got married

summary: ... you do not understand how a man made god wants to marry you but frankly you don't care as long as you aren't dying to his hands

You get married as a joke.

Yes, there are limits to how much you can drink. Yes, there are limits to how insane you can get while drunk— but apparently getting married is not within that limit. You get married to some random guy— NOT SOME RANDOM GUY. SOMEONE YOU KNOW. WELL. KIND OF. You wake up to a legally signed marriage document and him in your kitchen, and you blink at the red booklet in your hands and then at your new lover at the door.

"You're going to be late for class."

"Oh. My. God."

"Yes, I am aware that is an expression of shock." Kamukura catches the mug that you've just hurled at his face.

"HOW ARE YOU IN MY HOUSE?"

"We are married."

You blink at Kamukura. "WHY DID YOU EVEN AGREE TO MARRY ME?!"

"Perhaps you will bring a semblance of amusement to my day-to-day life." He pauses. "Also because you would have asked someone else had it not been me, and I would not have trusted you to not ask one of the old men in the bar."

You sigh, throwing your head back into the pillow. He has a point. 

"Shall I let the professor know that you are skipping class?"

"No." You snort. "Tell him my head feels like it's been cracked open from drinking too much yesterday."

"Anything else?"

"Will you divorce me if you get bored?" You turn your head to face him. "I mean, I got drunk, no?"

Kamukura nods, door clicking behind him as you bury your head into the pillow, screaming. You married the class genius. How the hell did he even agree to marrying you? What does it even mean that he married you for some semblance of amusement? What does it even mean that you got him to agree to marrying you? In what world does this happen? You scream back into the pillow, deciding that this would be a problem for you to face after your nap. What a great day to NOT have anything to do.

Except Kamukura comes home and you find that there's an assignment due by the end of the day— which makes you seriously contemplate your existence right then and there. Your new husband refuses to help you, and he watches you struggle in silence, lips pulled into a fraction of a smile, almost as if he were enjoying the way you were fighting for your life. Maybe you will beat him up next time (you would not win). So, you stare at Kamukura from the couch as he stares back, unblinking, unbothered.

"Help me."

"You are simply being lazy."

"Okay and?" You huff. "Is a husband's duty not to help his spouse?"

"Oftentimes, it is used as an excuse to not do something. If I were to do it for you, there will be a second, and then a third, and eventually, I will be the one doing all of it for you. Then, you would—"

"It's an elective." You deadpan.

"Perhaps this is, but who am I to say that you will not abuse your new husband and make him complete your major for you?"

"Izuru fucking Kamukura." You deadpan, voice even. "Will you cosplay as me to take my classes? Will you put on makeup so you can look like your beloved and take my tests for me? Will you take on the task of double life so I don't need to do anything?" 

Kamukura blinks at you, unbothered. "No."

"There you go." You sigh. "Will you at least teach me?"

"That, I will do."

You go through the homework with your husband, brain fried by the end of it, eyes spinning, annoyed as he explains everything with eerie precision catered to you. 

"Next thing you tell me is going to be something like "I attended Hope's Peak High School" or something of equal insane value."

"I shall do you one better." He tilts his head. "I was created by Hope's Peak Academy."

You pause. What.

"They took a talentless kid," Kamukura coughs lightly, "and transformed him into me."

"So they— They basically rewired your past in order to create you? I knew you were suspicious for taking 24 units." You deadpan. "You're an escaped government spy, aren't you."

"Government spy, no. Escaped, yes." His eyes dig past your soul until you are bare before him, but you do not look away. "Hope's Peak can not own a person under the law."

You raise a brow. "So why then did you marry me?"

"That is something for you to find out."

You find that the answer is that people tend to steer clear of you when you are with Kamukura. Perhaps it is some sort of primal urge to mark their territory, or the primal instinct to stay away from predators bigger than you, but Kamukura next to you equates to individualism. You find that even his unofficial fanclub that used to bother you stays away. Kamukura might have just thought of you as some strange trophy... or just someone he would not mind spending the rest of his life with. 

The answer comes at home, perhaps.

You stare at the man at your door, Kamukura not home, and you tilt your head as you start taking your shoes off.

The man speaks up when you start opening the door. "Does a man by the name of Kamukura live here?"

You blink twice. "No? I live alone."

"You have men's shoes at your door."

"They are there for safety."

"What about the two bowls of rice on the table?"

"Rather rude to look inside my place, isn't it?" You start to shut the door. "You can not search my house without a warrant. Besides, you aren't in Japan, you know? Welcome to the land of guns and eagles."

"Duck."

Kamukura holds your head down as the sound of a gun rings out on your floor. You've never been so glad you actually threw your whole life savings into a penthouse. Yet, you try turning around, his hand covering your eyes naturally.

"Is he dead?"

"Leave it to me." He ignores your question.

You listen to him as he has you step into the apartment, door shutting behind you as you start eating, biting the chopstick and blinking at the door absentmindedly.

Kamukura comes home, clean of any sign of what could have been a murder.

You don't know if you want to ask what he was up to. 

He stares at you, almost as if waiting for something to come out of your mouth before he moves to do anything.

You rack your brain for what you could even say to him.

"Good job." You raise a brow, staring at him and then the seat. "Now hurry up and eat. What were they even here for? Was it enough to warrant a gun to their head?"

"Yes." He blinks. "They were here to find me."

"Isn't it more suspicious that they're dead now?"

"I have disguised it as a slip on the stairs."

"With a gun wound?"

"The probability of a bullet bouncing off a wall into your own brain is small but never zero."

Ah.

Well, you suppose at least your husband won't be killing... you.

[ibixii]

Went to the first day of the NorCal Ren Faire season last Saturday!! Was going to bring Annalise for ease of wear but then I saw Chappell Roan’s “Roan of Arc” at the VMA’s and was super inspired. Awesome day with the homies, hope to come back for at least one more day this season but who knows with work 😅

Made this green dress back during peak panini hours and the robe is repurposed from my Coronabeth cosplay, it’s so fabulously versatile ☺️

[randomalistic]

hi i finally finished your 3 month old wreck-it-ralph analysis video and was surprised you didn’t mention in the greed symbolism section how sugar rush was made out of sweets. also how dare you say that no one cares about crumbelina . the racers are the best designed characters in the movie. and have you seen their karts?? they all have their own names!!! it’s so cool!! sugar rush was so well designed i have obsessed over sugar rush in wreck it ralph my whole life i know all the racers by heart i even cosplayed as rancis fluggerbutter you dont even know. ohhhh you dont even know i love all of them their names and karts and designs and personalities i love themm oh so muchh i am screaming crying on the floor frothing at the mouth i swear if anyone has footage of the real life sugar rush arcade game i am begging please show it to me and i swear i will spend every dollar and forfeit every possession i have to own the sugar rush arcade game ohh you dont even know ohhh you dont even knoww i am SCREAMINGG I WANT TO LIVE THERE I AM HYPERVENTILATING I AM NOT SANE I AM NOT SANE OHHHHH SUGAR RUSSHHH OHHHH SUGAR RUSH SPEEDWAYYYY ITS SO WELL DESIGNED THE GUMBALL SECTION IS SO COOL OHHHH MYYYY AND THE MENTOS AND THE COTTON CANDY CLOUDS OHHHHH OH MY OH MY OH MY HAVE YOU SEEN THE ROBLOX GAME RECREATION OF SUGAR RUSH YOU NEEEEEDD TO SEE IT IT IS SO ACCURATE YOU CAN PLAY IT AND DRIVE THE KARTS I AM SCREAMING YOU DONT EVEN KNOW I AM SJHSHSHSHSHSHSHSHSSHSHH AHAHAHAHAHAHAH CRYINGGG RIGHT NOW I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS MOVIE AND SUGAR RUSH AHSHAHSHHSHS I AM GENUINELY CRYING AND HYPERVENTILATING I CANT BREATHE THIS MOVIE IS SO ARTISTIC I LOVE THIS MOVIE MY HANDS ARE SHAKING I AM TWITCHING THIS MOVIE IS SOGOOODDD ANAJSHHSSHSHHSH CRYINGGG HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH I SWEAR TO GOD DISNEY BETTER ADD A SUGAR RUSH SECTION TO THEIR PARKS I WANT TO LIVE THERE I WANT TO BE THERE I AM NOT SANE I AM NOT SANE PLEASE DISNEY MAKE A SHOW ABOUT THE SUGAR RUSH RACERS I AM BEGGING YOU I AM BEGGING YOU ON MY HANDS AND KNEES I AM CRYING AND COUGHING I I I I I ANSHAHSHSHSHSHSHSJSJSJSJSH cool analysis btw

Seeing this from a glance and watching it gradually turn to crazed all-caps rambling is So Inspiring. 🍭🍬🍫 🫵 You’re goddamn right I HAVE been sleeping on the Sugar Rush racers. They’re actually peak and their designs are incredible they deserve the world and they would probably still bully me even though I’m an adult. Anyways I think you were born to be the #1 Sugar Rush fan and I hope you become reincarnated as your Sugar Rush OC and live in a 1:1 replica of Sugar Rush until the end of time. Thank you for going absolutely feral in my askbox btw I loved reading this LMAO (Genuine.) ❤️

[perilegs]

i know it wasnt a serious comment but every time i look at a datv character and start thinking about their designs my blood starts boiling from the giving cosplayers a challenge comment

"The previous art director had the mindset we should make things easier for [cosplayers], which I think is a misunderstanding of cosplayers," he says. "We've seen the kind of challenges they're willing to take on, and so we've gone for, in some cases, a level of complexity and detail that I hope a lot of them are excited to rise to the challenge for."  x

unrelated to my point but why are you dragging the previous games down. have you seen any of the designs you speak of mr art director. do you think merrill in da2 wasnt peak. or morrigan in origins? do you know how hard it is to make cosplay armor.

you could have just been like "hey the characters have a lot more detail than before! look at neve's hat and everyone's clothes every single inch being embroidered or otherwise patterned"

which also makes me think. was any thought put into the designs or did they just want to detailmaxx so they can brag. idk if they could have said anything that would turn me personally off more from cosplaying anyone or analyzing their outfits

[oneatlatime]

Zuko Alone

I'm hoping for some Appa this episode. It's been too long since he's gotten any good sight gags.

Zuko is cosplaying Clint Eastwood. He's also back to being stupid pale this episode.

You know it's a good thing that Zuko's not in the Fire Nation anymore because he really would have sucked at being Fire Nation. Robbing pregnant women is probably kindergarden level stuff for them.

How is Zuko in such bad shape? Last time we saw him he had a cave full of spoils robbed from rich people. Did he not bother to pack at least some of that stuff? Actually, not thinking far enough ahead to pack would be pretty in character.

Oof that would rub me the wrong way. Not enough money for a meal, but sure, let's use totally edible eggs as ammo.

Where'd the egg go?

Who is the scarred up hat wearing vampire and what happened to the real Zuko? Imposter Zuko just elected to not be provoked into a fight. Real Zuko would already be setting things on fire.

Just a bunch of thugs. Yep. It's consistently awesome how many of the facets of war this show can cover.

Imposter Zuko and Song's horse bird just got kidnapped. Did not see that coming.

Zuko kind of has arm bandages like Sokka has this episode. Also love the character detail that the boy has scraped knees.

Is the kid's dad the same guy as the man at the store? Or maybe this is a one haircut town?

So the guy who was near to fainting off his horse bird this morning is now turning down freely offered food? Could Zuko please shelve his pride for five minutes? Kudos to the mom for accurately reading his distaste for charity and turning it into a request for aid though. Although covering for the boy's egg trick is worth at least a meal.

Tangent!

I don't get Zuko. How can he still have so much pride when he's wearing rags and starving himself to feed Song's horse bird? I'm quite shameless when it comes to accepting help and I've never, ever been able to understand the whole 'too proud to accept charity' mindset. I'm always up for some charity. I have enough manners to offer to do the dishes after, but if you're offering free food I'm eating it. And I've never been in a situation as desperate as Zuko's. So I don't get this.

ok tangent over.

Peak rich kid behaviour. I hope those nails aren't expensive otherwise Zuko doing work for food might end up with this family out of pocket.

Is the wood grain on this ladder an actual photograph of wood grain?

Zuko has more patience this episode than he had for all of season 1 combined. He's also never gone this long without yelling. Either proximity to young children activates Zuko's otherwise mostly slumbering decency, or to fit him into a Fistful of Dollars homage the writers had to make him out of character.

If I had been in this situation when I was a kid, if I had been a) this visibly bored, and b) this nosy around guests, I would have been given a hammer and a bag of nails in three seconds flat. Also, nice to see a Sokka face from Zuko.

I get that 'a man without a past' is a staple of the cowboy genre, but the boy's father bringing up the privacy of the past twice in like two minutes makes me think he's done stuff he doesn't want to talk about. Seems both the parents have read Zuko right though.

Finally! Some pretty! I have been suffering! This may be the first really good pretty all season!

Bad news for the Appa decor on my blog. He may have been supplanted in my affections.

Two things: first, Zuko is a carbon copy of his mom. Second, That is way too much forehead.

Having Zuko's mom introduce herself by talking about the lengths mothers will go to for their children is not giving me foreshadowing anxiety at all.

Azula's been a bitch since birth. Noted.

Sir, your eyebrows. Also, yeah, I wouldn't want to play with her either.

Yikes this is making my teeth itch and my skin crawl. Calling it now, she's rotten to the core.

Zuko and Azula's dad has some weak ass genes. BOTH of his children are carbon copies of their mom.

Also, I was not expecting Zuko's very stupid ponytail to be a pre-scar thing. It is much better with a full head of hair.

If I had spent my childhood hanging out with an untouchable princess who set things on my head on fire for fun whenever I involuntarily displayed emotion, I'd be gloomy and apathetic in self defense too.

Sokka in this episode in spirit, if not in person.

Seriously that's the same face three times over!

Um, no? If Iroh doesn't make it back from the front, doesn't his son become next in line to be Firelord?

Can you hear all the unspoken "father thinks that" and "father says that" in front of every one of Azula's opinions in this whole scene? I stand by my assertion that she's awful anyways, but she's also obviously drunk much too much of her dad's koolaid, if you know what I mean.

This kid is going to get into so much trouble one of these days. Provoking the soldiers, nagging the mysterious stranger with the mysterious past, and now taking his weapons? Kid's sweet but he really needs to learn when to stop pushing his luck.

Stabbing dead, dried wood sounds like a great way to utterly annihilate the edge on those. Hope Zuko packed a whetstone.

Where is this patience coming from? I don't understand and it's BUGGING me.

Hold on. Technical problems.

My very basic DVD player sometimes has difficulty with these disks. Whatever happened between the above two screenshots, I've missed it. So picking back up from the one on the right...

Either these soldiers are impressively cowardly (which, yeah) or Zuko's really been working on his death glare, because they've got him outnumbered and out-armoured and they still back off.

OH it's parallels! Zuko's cousin and the boy's older brother. Got it. Kind of a false parallel though. Grandson of the Firelord does not equal earth kingdom conscript.

Give the demonstrably impulsive and nosy child a knife. That'll work out just fine I'm sure. Pretty sad the kid glommed on to Zuko so quickly, but it's also yet another realistic representation of the consequences of war. This show's good.

*shudders* theatre kids.

She's tiny! Do you know how darkly humourous it is to watch a two foot tall baby spout her father's murderous nonsense? Once again, in this whole scene, not a word out of Azula's mouth is actually Azula's.

"What is wrong with that child?" Apart from budding homicidal and psychopathic tendencies? Her dad. Her dad is what's wrong with that child.

Their dad has no subtlety at all. And also no brain? You think a day after the firelord finds out one of his family died is the right time to very boorishly make a play for the crown with you daughter as a prop? Could you possibly come up with a better demonstration of why this guy shouldn't be in charge?

How did this asshole land such a nice wife?

Yep. Siding with the old firelord on this one.

Does flashback Zuko sleep in his day clothes? Because that's not ok.

I like that their mom sees straight through Azula's lying here. She knows her daughter.

In a move that should surprise no one, everything Zuko touches turns to shit, as usual.

It's the Mexico filter!

Absolute truth from Zuko in that monologue. He's got them pegged. Too bad it fell on deaf ears. It's Zuko's curse, that whenever he approaches being remotely reasonable, he happens to be surrounded by people who will react in such a way that Zuko learns to equate being reasonable with failure.

An earthbender. The bare feet should have clued me in.

Last season Zuko and Iroh laid waste to like ten of these guys. And Iroh didn't even have pants. So what gives? Is he that starved?

Ursa pulling a Mufasa.

Don't answer don't answer don't answer

And he does.

Zuko is so very good at completely misinterpreting the point.

So we can add thief to the list of things that make Azula awful. Also that delivery of "who's going to make me? Mom?" is chilling. Zuko's lost his only defender inside this atrocious family and she knows it, he knows it, hell the turtleducks probably know it.

His dying wish? You guys buying that?

Ozai. That's his name. I'd forgotten that.

So... something something dead firelord something something missing mom something something maybe Azula wasn't actually lying this time?

Final Thoughts

The title wasn't kidding. Let's rename the show 'Avatar: the Guy who's Really Bad at Capturing Him' while we're at it.

There is now no way whatsoever that Zuko is not going to be redeemed. No writing team would invest that much energy and a whole episode into a character we're not ultimately supposed to root for. So somehow he's going to end up joining the Gaang. Don't know how he'll pull that one off. He's done some pretty not great stuff. And it's not like the Gaang watched this episode and unlocked his tragic backstory.

Speaking of, what prompted these reflections? I could understand if Zuko started to contemplate his cousin and the events surrounding his loss in the war after he learned about the family's older brother, but he was having flashbacks before he even got to town. Usually when there are backstory bits, there's a good reason to show them at that time, like how the Storm prompts Aang to think about the last storm he was in, or seeing a boat from his father's fleet prompts Sokka to remember what his dad told him. So what caused Zuko's memories to give him situationally appropriate flashbacks?

Pretty funny that he found the Nice Earth Kingdom Family that Azula predicted for him. And they are really nice! Either Zuko is an open book or the parents' social intelligence is off the charts because they're giving him exactly what he needs to feel at ease after barely a single conversation.

Speaking of Azula, I'm not surprised to find that she's always had deeply awful tendencies, even as a child of (I'm guessing) less than ten. But it cannot be ignored that, from the moment her father took a liking to her (as a tool to boost his own greatness, if not as a person), she didn't stand a chance. You can tell by the number of times that the stuff coming out of her mouth is a thinly veiled repetition of her father's unfiltered opinions, that she's been spending lots of time listening to him, probably while he puts down her mom and brother and talks about how she's the special one. You know what I'm getting at. Azula never stood a chance once her father got involved, and her mom lost the ability to influence her once her father started giving Azula praise for objectively wrong behaviour. That being said, Azula is awful even when she doesn't need to be awful for her father's approval, like when she's with her friends, so it's not all her father's doing. She's not a good person but she also had plenty of help to become that.

I guess Zuko and his mom are Fire Nation anomalies? And maybe Iroh has become that since his son died and he lost the war?

How on earth did Zuko survive as long as he did in the palace without his mom to protect him? What a no-win situation to be in. The only person in a whole nation with empathy.

This episode does makes Season 1 Zuko make more sense. He's been larping his dad as a defense mechanism for surviving the Fire Nation/probably a very futile effort to earn his approval. Although Zuko doesn't seem to care much for his dad if the tone he takes with him by the turtleduck pond is any indication.

Being banished was the best thing that ever happened to Zuko. The more distance between him and his remaining non-uncle family, the better. Between prioritizing his crew over capturing the avatar in the Storm, releasing the Avatar in the Blue Spirit, and now defending a random earth kingdom child this episode, it's hilarious how much Zuko HASN'T learned the lesson that Ozai banished him for not knowing. Don't get me wrong; that's a good thing. This episode plainly shows that behaviour that pleases Ozai is behaviour that should be unlearned as quickly as possible.

Zuko completely missing the point of his mom's last instruction is delightfully on the nose. But it also makes sense, which I may talk more about later.

How did Zuko hold on to his temper (and his volume) for a whole episode?

How did a show named after the main character get away with an episode that doesn't feature him at all? As a concept, this is such a strange episode. The writers were like "how can we kick start the woobification of Zuko? I know! A Spaghetti Western!" and it worked. Who comes up with that?

I now want at least as much, if not more, of Sokka and Katara's childhood via flashbacks. And more Gyatso please. If they can devote a whole episode to the childhood of a guy who isn't even a team member yet, they can show me some Sokka childhood shenanigans as a palette cleanser.

I really don't know what conclusion to draw about this episode. The writers have given me a massive backstory/trauma dump and I'm honestly like:

[ketaks]

“why Atlantis?”

I shared some very quick and informal thoughts a while back on why I hoped enough children grew up with the movie (or are discovering it now) to be influenced by Kida despite her exclusion from the “Disney Princess” brand; or by Milo as an unconventional hero who might remind them of themselves. that post received a couple of standout personal additions from mutuals, so I thought I would share my own “Atlantis story” whether anyone asked for it or not, because it is a bit different. it’s a so-so sample of my writing to lead with, and it came out schmaltzier than intended. but it’s how my pen happened to hit the paper in the moment and shows pretty clearly my typical romanticism, for better or worse.

I was eight years old on opening day in 2001 and as ecstatic as a little girl could be. my mom and I had taken a day trip to see my dad, who out of the goodness of his heart had agreed to sit through a local children’s entertainer in the afternoon and then a Disney movie in the evening. but in between singing puppets and my difficulty keeping still and responding as expected to questions and social cues, his patience started wearing and my mom slipping into a helpless bystander role. when we got to the theater, I had a gut feeling nobody was in for a fun time.

“two adults, one child for Atlantis,” my dad groaned at the ticket window.

I felt I was sitting between one person having teeth pulled and another smiling for the most awkward photos of her life. my mom was always my animated movie buddy, so her silence especially was deafening. her chuckle at Milo in the boiler room was a pin dropping, and her breath in on Helga’s “ho, ho, ho” was a disquieting hiss.

…alright, my dad finally motioned as the Leviathan tore across the screen.

“they talk so fast, it’s hard for me to understand them. and there aren’t even any songs,” was the most explanation my mom would give. the ride home was long, silent, and pitch-black as I lay across the backseat. I wanted to know what happened to Milo, but the wooziness of shame swirling through me let me know that wanting wasn’t even worth it.

pin trading was at its peak the next year at Disney World, and I was on a mission to fill my new pink lanyard with all my favorite characters before the trip was done. in very little time I found myself gazing up at a cast member wearing a Milo pin, and I shocked myself how quickly I asked her for it. I hoped holding onto it would reassure me that that wonderful story and character would wait for me as long as I needed.

watching the movie in high school felt a bit like the very rare party I was lucky enough to inexplicably find myself. I loved what I saw, but I felt my simply being there was a fluke. I wondered at first why I struggled to enjoy beyond arm’s length, but the damage was still in effect. it only reminded me again what I wished every single day: that my brain had kept developing normally, and all the things my autism either distorted or outright forbid would have happened exactly as they were meant. and since attitudes toward special interests had far to go, what would have fed me soup and covered me in kisses at age six could only visit through the glass at sixteen.

the days of LiveJournal and early Tumblr and Instagram came and went, and “Disney adult” culture went from a trickle to a wave. I attended community college as an English major and met my sister-bestie there on Halloween 2013, she dressed as Violet Parr and I as Minnie Mouse. our Anna and Elsa cosplay just a month later on opening night of Frozen couldn’t have been more fitting. a decade later, she made my dream come true of finally seeing Disney World as an adult, and no planning could have prepared me for the personal growth that trip would inspire. I loved throwing my arms around Mirabel in the Magic Kingdom because of, not despite, the emotional control that had finally taken hold at thirty. I wouldn’t have traded that interaction for the one awaiting the costumed little girl right behind me. that realization shook me to the bone.

“don’t cry because it’s over. smile because it happened,” my dad would tell me countless times since childhood with only the best intentions. “I haven’t been able to stop smiling,” I told him week after week following my trip. falling asleep for months scrolling back through those four special days was the most satisfying thing ever.

then one night, deep within a Magic Kingdom dream like any other, there they were. Milo Thatch and Princess Kida, just as they appeared in the “rare character guide” videos I had watched before the trip many months ago. they were hugging a child who had just run up to meet them: a young girl who looked very familiar. that settles it, I thought. the circle had at last closed.

now about once a week, my darling pup hears, “ready for Atlantis?” or “ready for Milo?” and leaps to my side in bed as I start the movie on my laptop. indeed, it feels exactly like a big warm hug every time. the artistry, the story, the characters, the humor, the heart. Milo is every bit the hero I needed as an uncertain child who loved words and language but hated being different…but he’s the one I got as an adult finding peace with her brain and eager to keep chasing her dreams. I’m writing more original words every day, journaling again, and speaking and thinking more fluidly all because of jotting down random thoughts about this movie and liking how they sounded. I’ve also put aside the idea that the influencer path might bring me joy, and I feel comfortable online again and have met some great folks so far through fan works and discussions from silly to profound.

and so I thank that little voice that whispered for 23 years: “…Atlantis is waiting.”

[casualaruanienjoyer]

Hello 💕💕

3, 16, 23 for the ask game

Hi Vee!! Thank you so much for this and I hope you're having a nice day!

3. A character that fandom has helped you appreciate

Definitely Reiner, and it's funny you ask me this!! Because it's mostly you that really made him grow on me. I always liked Reiner, but after reading more in depth analyses from your fics and other amazing people's posts on here, I finally got to understand him more! So thank you!

16. A tiny detail in canon that you want more people to appreciate

This manga page we WERE ROBBED OFF IN THE ANIME!! Annie thinking to herself that she was always surrounded by people, and if the situation had been different, maybe they would have all been friends. Also Sasha and Connie with BUGS and FROGS and she HATES THEM AA

23. The fandom you're curious about because of a mutual

Hmm, not very sure about this one! I find it quite difficult to break into new fandoms, especially if they are super big and popular. There's just too much information around all the time, and it's hard to keep up. With Aot, it was absolutely random as hell! Because one day in June I suddenly realized that the manga and show were finished and I said, ah what the hell, let's watch/read it. And the rest is history. So I'm very much a spontaneous fandom joiner I think.

I also stay the fuck away from any new fandoms!! This might sound very silly, but my job forces me to always see and hear people talk about new stuff. At cons, online, cosplays, products etc. And it's tiring!! IT'S ANNOYING! There's only so many Hazbin enthusiasts or Dungeon Meshi cosplayers you can talk to before you get sick of it!! (just examples). So you can also see why I joined a fandom that's well, past its peak and also quieter.

But if I was to pick a fandom that I would like to join, maybe Ace Attorney? Since I've always been a fan of the games but never got into the actual fandom.

Thank you Vee!!

[ariisacooldude]

I forgot his hat 😔 i didn't have any yellow either!!! It sucked >:C I need to buy more yellow clothing to have peak cosplay wardrobe. Anyways I hope you guys like it! I'm starting a little cosplay Friday for myself because I make a lot of costumes/props but have never been to a comicon to show them off. IDC IF I LOOK LIKE A LOONY AT SCHOOL, I AM CRINGE BUT I AM FREE 🗣️‼️

[magicalmxge]

oops forgot to post it here but mcm comic con was so fun!!!

i absolutely adored @10sokii fem naruto and it was my main inspiration for the cosplay!

hope yall like it as much as i do!!

(also icb i streamsnipped my fav streamer zoil i peaked brah)

[cosplaytutorial]

Any advice for unusual-shaped ahoges? I want to cosplay Suletta Mercury from Mobile Suit Gundam: the Witch from Mercury, and she has a larger than average ahoge that’s also at an awkward angle since it’s supposed to start below and peak out from underneath a headband. Like, I don’t think any amount of hairspray would allow an ahoge at that angle and size to win against gravity and still maintain its shape. I’m guessing it would need some type of support to keep it up?

Hello there!

For Suletta, you will likely need to add some kind of structure in there, but you miiiiight be able to get away with just heat styling.

I would first try heating with a hair dryer or flatiron and teasing, and using that heat and teasing to get a nice base for the shape. Smooth some fiber over it with a flatiron to get it into shape, and spray it.

I have a feeling that won't be enough to hold the shape, so I'd recommend putting in some structure. Depending on what you are comfortable with and the effect you want, you can try putting a piece of wire in a heat-and-tease ahoge to hold the shape, you can use a longer piece of wire and bend it into the shape of the ahoge, anchor the wire in the wig, and do the heat-and-tease around that to get a more structured look, or if you want full structure, you can glue wefts down to a piece of wired stiff felt or craft foam to create the most structure possible. Doing the latter with the drill curl packing tape and wire method would also work -- just shape it differently.

Here's a few tutorials that may help. You basically just need to scale up a narrower ahoge tutorial, or adapt a drill curl tutorial to be an ahoge shape instead.

Hope that helps! Good luck :]

—Fabrickind / Q&A Staff / Twitter