#I love it so much.

[iliterallyjustlivehere]

my favorite thing in the world is when a character who's been pretending not to be sick all day ends their inner monologue with "I was fine."

and the next paragraph starts with "I was not fine."

kills me.

[fridaycore]

hello it's me your fellow tumblr blogger on your computer. you should read skip and loafer

[archiepelago]

[shooting little beams at your brain{ OOOH YOU WILL PLAY LAIKA AGED THROUGH BLOOD OUUUUHHHHHHH

[coward2coward]

there's not a slur in the dictionary for whatever they've got going on

[shinyboomboom]

Dean Redding

"If Dean doesn't let people touch him, if he doesn't touch back-he can't hurt them. He can't become his father"

[sincerely-sofie]

Just wrote nearly 3,000 words in one sitting for TPiaG's wrap-up post, and it's not even a quarter of the way complete. I'm gonna have to break this thing up into segments, man.

On the one hand, that's majorly disappointing to me, because I wanted to release it as one big post. On the other hand, that means I could make a big and lasting event out of the wrap-up by releasing the posts one by one, and could even include an illustration or two per arc. On the OTHER other hand, that's a lot more cumbersome to manage.

I love this project, and it's kicking up a fuss as I try to conclude it. This thing is so determined to stay active. That's part of why I like it so much.

[natjennie]

watching dndhat with my family and DAMN does this movie slay.

[always-just-down-the-street]

Chat who is up trusting their ceremony?

[reginalusus]

Fuck yeah, musical narrative storytelling.

Spamton's battle themes detail his rise from being small, washed-up and glitchy to big, god-like and powerful.

I really, really enjoy the narrative cohesion in Spamton's battle themes: Spamton, Now's Your Chance To Be A and Big Shot.

In all three of them, we hear Spamton's voice and iconic catchphrase.

In Spamton, his lines are in two pitches that are very high, and don't really resemble what he probably sounds like. This is the track we hear as we're talking to Spamton after he appears from the dumpster. It's such a sleazy, eerie, suspicious-sounding track, that still somehow sounds 'urban', like late-night office vibes. The fact that Spamton's voice is in several notes higher almost details the fact at how nervous he is that he finally has a chance at becoming great again, upon meeting a Lightner. 'Shot' is also several notes deeper. Glitchy, all over the place, unsure, nervous.

Which then leads to...

Now's Your Chance To Be A. This plays when we battle Spamton for the first time. Though, I view this as less of a battle and more of an interaction. An experience. His lines are also in two pitches here, deeper than before. We hear something higher than his usual voice, and what his actual voice may sound like. Still glitchy, but he's a bit more confident this time around, because he has a 'customer'. With a soul too! And they're... talking to him!? Wow! Of course he'd be a bit more sure here.

Also, I love how 'now's your chance' is repeated. He can't exactly finish his sentences - he's still fighting his corruption. The fact that the song name is also a broken sentence details that he's not all quite there.

But then. We give him his new body. And he's 'complete'.

He's a motherfucking Big Shot. Both literally and metaphorically. We all know it's a banger. I love how we only hear how his voice would probably actually sound in this track. Yeah, he still stutters and bugs out, but he's sure of himself now. He's going to kill these damn kids, get Kris's soul, and finally realize himself as a God. Big Shot obviously takes bits and pieces from other songs. Like The World Revolving and Power of NEO. I think the fact Big Shot sounds more like a suffocating, powerful, musical amalgamation (unlike Spamton and Now's Your Chance To Be A, which is generally one-note), details wonderfully what this man's desires are. That, combined with the backdrop of a seedier, darker, corrupted Cyber City fashioned in his image, details his ascent (or descent?) into a power-hungry maniac.

Also, the fact that 'big shot' is obviously the finishing words to 'now's your chance to be a' may show that Spamton thinks he's finally made it. He can finish his catchphrase, because he think he's finished this deal. He thinks he's hit the jackpot. He think he's a big shot now, again.

[crayolacolor]

simon infinitytrain?

send me a character and i'll list the below things about them | accepting!

HELLO ANON. i do not know if you'll ever see this because it took me ten years, but here i am, answering you.

FAVORITE THING ABOUT THEM:

fun fact: simon infinity train is the reason i have a disclaimer about me getting attached to tragic antagonists in my pinned post. so you can probably make an educated guess what i like about him.

he's just. such a well written character. i love how his negative character development was contrasted against grace's positive character development. i love how the writers did a really good job of making him infuriating and sympathetic at the same time.

i'll go more into my thoughts on him in a later section, but yeah, the tl:dr is he really just is my character type hahaha.

he's just a really complex character and imo the writers nailed that.

LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT THEM:

okay well, this answer changes depending on if you mean from a writing perspective or a 'him as a person' perspective. from a writing perspective, 100/10, no notes. i can't think of anything i disliked.

from a PERSON perspective. episode 6 makes me want to murder this man <3 i want to put tape over his mouth every time he speaks in that episode. it's somehow WAY worse than when he's just straightup being an over-dramatic anime villain at the end of the season.

FAVORITE LINE:

oh there are many. i need to rewatch again. but the ones that live in my brain rent free are ALL after his downward spiral begins:

"teamwork begins with two people trusting eachother. but you? you're no person." dramatic effect. extremely traumatizing for everybody who's ever watched this show. 10/10

"i liked what we had, but you made me do it! you betrayed the apex. and you betrayed me." again, dramatic effect. really gives you a feel for what's going on in his head, i think. 10/10

"why would i ever want to change if i'm always right!?" iconic. i think this is the one people remember the most from him, along with the one from ep 5.

BROTP & OTP (combining because my answer is the same for both):

grace. lol. full stop. hopefully i don't have to explain that i am VERY AWARE that their relationship was unhealthy in many, MANY ways. that is what i like about it. i'm a huge fan of messy relationships in fiction. i am a self proclaimed angst fiend.

the tragedy of it all is 100% the appeal of it for me, from either a platonic OR romantic standpoint. i love that. and yes, i do ship them to an extent- but NOT in the "i think they should have gotten together in canon" way. again, the angst is the appeal!!

i admit i do also enjoy aus where they fix their relationship, but not INSTEAD of the canon, more so in ADDITION to the canon. i think it's a fun alternate route to explore, but i deeply adore what the infinity train writers did with them in the show and that will not be changing.

NOTP:

literally any of the protags from the previous seasons. y'all, simon and grace are 18. you can't be shipping them with the 13-14 year olds. please stop. (nobody here! i mostly see this on ao3, honestly.)

RANDOM HEADCANON:

i think simon has been back to the cat multiple times in secret.

i really like the theory that he got some of the apex's tech from her. the main thing i have to support this is this line from the episode where he returns to her cabin in book 3:

"i knew you'd have something. you always do."

particularly i think there's a good chance he got the unmodified gravity boots from her (and likely modified them himself) and possibly also the number tracker.

UNPOPULAR OPINION:

oh i'm sure a lot of what i've already said has been an unpopular opinion, haha. i'm one of those people that's so in the middle in a debate that both sides of it have reasons to disagree with me.

i really like simon. he and grace are my favorite characters in the show. there are parts where i feel really bad for him, and parts where i want to yell at him and hit him over the head with a very large stick.

i see his death as a tragedy in universe, but also a really good writing choice on the part of the infinity train crew.

i don't think they secretly had a scheme to make us dislike him. i think it was written in such a way that it makes sense that some people would have a viscerally negative reaction to him, and others wouldn't. he's a very complex character and that's good writing!!!

i think the tragedy was the point, which is something both people who like him and people who hate him seem to completely overlook in a lot of cases. it's either "woohoo! simon died!" or "killing simon was bad writing he should have been redeemed >:/" not "oh this is really sad but i love it from a story perspective."

i don't think he was "irredeemable", per-say. the fact is, he was faced with a pivotal choice in episode five, and he picked the wrong one. he chose to double-down. i love that. i really do. i love the downward spiral. it's painful in the best way. i would not change the canon show for the world. again, 100/10, no notes.

but i can also see a universe where he made the right choice. i was writing a fic about that, once. (which admittedly has some characterization issues which i would fix if i tried it again.) i think it was possible. and i think that's a fun route to explore too. not a better route from a writing standpoint, but a good one.

i have so many more thoughts but this has already gotten really long, and i have two more questions to go, lol. but if you want to hear anymore you're free to send me another ask about it!

but, for now, moving on.

SONG I ASSOCIATE WITH THEM:

someone else on tumblr pointed out that "the moon will sing" by the crane wives is a good fit for simon @ grace and now i can't unhear it.

and, finally, FAVORITE PICTURE OF THEM:

anime villain simon my beloved.

[bethiewhimsy]

[caramelmochacrow]

happy birthday yuka! (hope she and esora enjoy the view!)

(rambling under the cut because the tags cannot contain my love for them--)

the flowers are there for a reason not just bc roses mean romance and yuka is compared to a sunflower. those roses are rosebuds and they mean pure and lovely (w red ones) while the sunflowers are dwarf sunflowers and they mean adoration and love. i chose those because the roses are like how their love is pure and lovely yk? how pure this moment is of esora just. looking at yuka. the sunflowers are bc of esora comparing yuka to them and how esora is looking at yuka w so much love and adoration it's cute ok?

the outfits are from the esora birthday drawing and this is a follow up to it! i was supposed to make a comic but i dont have time so i'll tell u how it was supposed to go: they finished the ferris wheel ride and esora wanted to show yuka something on top of the rooftop of a nice tall building. when they arrived it coincidentally (esora asked the staff) fired off fireworks at the exact moment yuka went close to the railing to see the view. yuka was surprised and turned to look at esora to ask her abt the display only to see her abt to take a picture of her.

also yeah esora hasnt taken the photo in the drawing, this is at the moment she is about to do it but still looking at yuka, taking in the beautiful she had so perfectly set up. the firework behind yuka is supposed to make her look like the sun is right behind her or she is the sun herself, it makes it look like she is the center of attention and that she deserves all of the adoration and love esora is giving her. (also because the sunflowers are looking right at her)

something about how yuka always captures the greatest moments around her of landscapes and the things around her but not herself, so esora choosing and trying to capture hers is like she's saying "you deserve your best moments to be seen as well". or something.... i DONT KNOW!!!

the flowers being around and the whole composition is inspired by yuhki kamatani's work on shounen note and our dreams at dusk! i recommended checking our their work! it's so good especially if you love visuals! (their work is so beautiful...)

another thing that inspired this drawing was the last scene of my summer with you (a manga by nagisa furuya!) where one of the main characters takes a picture of the other without him or with him knowing (idk it's been a while) behind this pretty view. the manga actually inspired me a lot when i read it to draw yukaeso related stuff (mostly because of the summer focus nothing else) so i felt it was right to put a reference to it in this drawing!

the flowers were taken from pictures and ripped out to be used for the drawing yes. was it worth it? yes. would i do it again? yes very much.

i chose fireworks NOT because of the fact esora has this weird thing of being gay when there are fireworks but it just makes sense to watch a firework display after a ferris wheel ride, you know? (i wanted this to originally be the trope where one of them will say "look at the beautiful view!" and the other, looking at them, will say "yeah it is" but EUGHGHGHHHG I GOT EMBARRASSED AND I DIDNT WANT TO DRAW A COMIC WHERE EVERYTHING IS HIGH QUALITY--)

also another reason is because in ao to natsu (original not yuka's cover) there's a firework sound effect in one part of the song and since yuka covered it it made sense to make a reference to it as well!

i learned a lot on how to choose colors and stuff with this drawing, im proud of it! (i have yet again evolved my drawing abilities w yukaeso lol--)

if i wasnt so busy with school, i couldve made the comic but this drawing says everything and what i wanted to capture, you know?

[crimeronan]

Is Darius fully aware that Luz is actually the younger sibling? Because if not I imagine it would be pretty hilarious when he finds out.

Also I really like Raine slowly finding out that new Empress is actually pretty on board with everything they want reforms and freedoms wise, but Luz is just also painfully distracted worrying about Hunter constantly which just gets in the way of Raine's suggestions. Raine realising slowly that they're dealing with a scared child who shares their goals and not an evil political mastermind.

Darius: Just how is she controlling him and inspiring this much loyalty from him? He refuses to question her at all. She must be a master manipulator.

Raine: *slowly realising with every interaction that Luz is in fact genuinely well intentioned but deeply traumatised and terrified about the possibility of harm coming to Hunter and is in need of a hug, parents and therapy*

i think that darius definitely knows that luz is younger than hunter, but that he doesn't know how much that's reflected in their dynamic, if that makes sense? like. darius sees them as a princess/empress and her subordinate, without age factoring into it. to him, this is a dynamic where luz has all the power and hunter is an uncomplicated victim. and where hunter has been manipulated to a point where he doesn't REALIZE he's being victimized

i feel like the entire dynamic would/will make a HELL OF A LOT MORE SENSE to him if and when he finds out that hunter protects luz much more like a parentified older sibling who's paranoid than like a guy with a dogshit job and no sense of self. like oh, okay. yeah. that tracks. no wonder you two Are The Way You Are. For Fuck's Fucking Sake

this whole ask is SO SPOT ON. @turretpolygamy and a couple anons helped with concepting an alternate hollow mind a few months back (idr if you were here / part of it?), where darius and raine enter luz's mindscape to figure out what she's up to after belos dies, and raine is pretty quickly like. alright. darius. you overthought this. this is a baby.

there's a certain horror to darius and raine finding out exactly what luz and hunter's lives have looked like prior to belos's death because holy FUCK. but at the same time there's So Much humor in it, like. imagine you've been playing life-or-death politics and committing treason under a fascist government's nose for years-to-decades, knowing that doing so can and will get you and all of your loved ones So So So So So Murdered, and then suddenly your biggest problem is taking care of a pair of well-intentioned kids who keep having panic attacks when asked to spend six hours apart. it's such a wild sitcom-esque setup for all four of them like how do you . how do you even approach this. you are all insane people. you are all insane people thinking up insane person solutions to incredibly mundane problems. it's DELIGHTFUL.

[unknown-echo]

goddddd the half life autism is rotting my brain save me

[the-star-and-the-smols]

I'm at the rdr2 hyperfixation. I'm at the g/t hyperfixation. I'm at the combination rdr2 and g/t hyperfixation