#I might do one where I choose the frog based on what the characters actually look like

[themarginalthinker]

I think an easier way to take it could be that Star, much like most of the characters in this movie aside from the Boys themselves and them alone, is an unreliable narrator.

No one has the full picture aside from Max. Star didn't know of his existence, and given how the Boys act, I would fully believe that Star was running with some faulty intel as well. It's easy to be lied to when you know nothing of your situation, and it's even easier to be lied to by omission. David simply had to play his little games, or simply say nothing whatsoever, and let Star try to fill in the gaps, letting her run off of assumptions. Guesses. Suppositions.

And even further - David might not actually enter into this at all. You say that Star tends to make everything about herself, and you are right in a way! Star can be a little selfish, and she's a person trying to get out of a bad situation. What's more, she knows she's she lowest in the pack right now. She knows she's causing the Boys problems and she's seen what's at the end of the Boys' interest when it runs out with something. Someone. She's hypervigilant about herself.

David may not have said anything at all, and Star simply assumed it was 'what he wanted' based off of all previous knowledge she has of his personality and what she's seen of their lives so far.

Also, this is a little headcanony, but...Star may have also, at this point...been trying to find a way to justify actually wanting to kill and eat Michael to herself. Looking for someone, anyone, anything to blame it on, other than her own need to drink blood finally winning over her humanity. Divert the guilt to, when it's over, so she can feel she did not ultimately make the choice all on her own.

And.

Star herself, as you said, may also be lying. Star is not a perfect person, and at this point she's desperate. She's going to take any lifeline she sees with both hands, and Michael is that for her. He got himself involved, but was wary, he didn't cave quite all the way, and managed to make it through the bonfire slaughter without feeding, proving he's got a pretty strong will, and is just as horrified as she is. Regardless of what the reality may be - ie, two people going against four (five, if you count Max) powerful vampires fully willing to nearly kill them just to prove a point - Star sees Michael as her savior, and will do what she feels she has to in order to save herself.

I personally prefer to go with a combination of this and the 'Star is running off of assumptions' headcanon because it gives her more agency in the story, and makes her a more complex character. If you'll notice as well, her go-to with Michael is to try the 'I love you so much' gambit....and it doesn't work the second time. Michael is too freaked out, and he's angry because he remembers her saying 'I can't tell you' in the cave. Can't tell you. Not 'I don't know'. She knew they were vampires and she knew what was going to happen sooner or later. He's angry at her. And when her ploy to try and ply him with her 'love' doesn't work, she actually tells the damn truth and admits out loud, probably for the first time, that she wants Michael to save her and Laddie.

As for the thing with assuming they're going to come for her - well. Refer back to Star being hyperventilate about the Boys. She's likely used to being on the receiving end of their ire for actions they don't like, so its simply where her brain is at. And again - it's an assumption that's justified, but not really proven.

(Now I'm just thinking about when Star runs past Paul who was hiding behind the door and shuts it after her. I guess one could say that he was simply choosing the much more important target of the Frogs, planning on getting her later or letting one of the others do it, but...there is that thread of, again, 'Star is firmly of the belief that the Boys are the big bads here, no matter what actual actions they take...)

Star, just like Michael and Sam and the Frogs and Lucy, is an unreliable narrator because none of them have the whole picture, and even after the end, they still really don't. Star can be an incredibly complex character, but I think the issue comes with trying to see her as a 'good' person, rather than a potentially morally grey person.

After all. She's with the Boys in the first place.

Star said the point of Michael was she was supposed to kill him but Max said the point of Michael was to get his mom with Max.

So like... was Star lying or did David lie to Star??? Also why is Star always thinking everything is about her? They kill Marko and she's like 'they are coming to take me back' but like... No? It's about Marko not you.

Okay maybe I'm not a fan of Star and I finally realized why.

[frogsandmagic]

Julie and the phantoms characters as frogs!

Julie: Desert Rain Frog

These frogs are considered the ‘world’s cutest frog’ because of the sound of their croaks. I personally think that Julie Molina is both the cutest ever and deserves to be recognized for her fantastic voice <3

Luke: South African sharp-nosed frog

These frogs are known for having the biggest jump, and as we all know, Luke is bouncy

Reggie: Ornate Horned Frog

Known for their insatiable appetite (because half of their body is their mouth) just like Reggie and his love for Meatball subs and pizza

Alex: Horned marsupial frog

These frogs have a big pouch on them! Like,,,like Alex’s Fanny pack,,,(I’m so sorry)

Ray: Darwin frog

Known for the unique way dads take care of their young

Carrie: Beelzebufo ampinga

These frogs are nicknamed “devil frog” “devil toad” and “frog from hell” which reminded me of my fav demon :)

Flynn: Glass frog

These frogs are literally transparent and it reminded me of how much Flynn values honesty and transparency??? (Yeah this ones weak but I couldn’t think of anything else) (also I decided against a picture where you could see the frogs organs in case that’s not something you want to see)

Carlos: Paedophryne amauensis

These are the smollest frogs :D

[micromushroom]

☼ BNHA Dorm Headcanons☼

Synopsis: What I think the dorms of characters would look like 

Genre: Just general headcanons

W.K.: ~1.25k in all

C.W.: none

Characters ft: Bakugou, Tsuyu, & Shinsou

(~450 words)

This could go in so many different directions

My first thought is that if PlanetFitness™ was condensed it would be this man’s room

But honestly I see him more as a person to workout outside and do more active things whilst being productive

It’s canon that he likes hiking, so I feel like a lot of the equipment in his room would be based off of that

If anything, he probably has a few weights (like dumbbells) that are lying around

Has most definitely kicked one on accident at night walking around his room

I feel like it’s relatively plain but over time becomes more clustered

The Bakusquad will start randomly leaving or putting things in Bakugou’s room

It can be anything from Denki leaving little dollar store trinkets on Bakugou’s desk; to Kiri making random things out of garbage in class and putting it on Bakugou’s shelf

He doesn’t strike me as someone to have a lot of pictures or memorabilia, but there’s little pictures on the wall by his bed with sticky tack photos of his friends throughout the years

He’s an All Might fanboy at heart, but I doubt he has as much physical display of this as Midoriya

I headcanon that there’s posters and like some rare collectibles of action figures and merch

Inko made him a throw blanket as a kid for his birthday of All Might and he still has it at the end of his bed

Despite it being relatively clustered with small things in some places (again, courtesy of the Bakusquad), it’s still pretty clean and spacious

His curtains are usually closed, so the only possibility for plants that he could sustain are either fake or don’t survive for long

Since his parents are both fashion designers, his closet is full of clothing that he’ll probably never wear from name brands all over

His desk serves as a multiple purpose space: homework, charging station, and bookshelf

Bakugou’s bed is always made and—as much as I hate to say it—he probably only sleeps with two pillows—three on occasion

He has a speaker that he uses whenever he’s not doing homework, but it’s probably super loud (headcanoning that he’s partly deaf from his quirk)

His closet alone could be an entirely different post

Overall, Bakugou’s room is kind of dark and a tad bit more grunge themed

Kirishima leaves Bakugou lots of little notes saying things like are either:

“Hey Bakubro, can you help with math please? :D” to

“Remember to hydrate and take a break” with a little thumbs up doodle

Lots of self notes too reminding him of what he has to do and his schedule for the day

(~340 words)

Tsu canonically has all of the attributes—strengths and weaknesses—that a frog does

For this reason, I think that she has humidifiers and just temperature regulations throughout her room

Lots of plants and art prints, mainly from friends

Little lily pad shaped fairy lights strung across her room

I picture her room as having a lot of plants like ivy and vines, but also a lot of really exotic plants

Lots of pillows and blankets

Like at least five pillows and her bed is most definitely up against the wall

The blankets range from those really thin 50x50” ones to comforters to really fluffy and warm blankets

Hear me out—stuffed animals

I think that her friends go out with her to like, the mall, and end up coming back with a lot of stuffed animals

Throw pillows and rugs are main staples of Tsu’s room

Super comforting place and relaxing, but it can become kind of humid

Frequent naps at Tsu’s dorm bedroom have become so common that she has little bean bag seats that people sleep on

Color palette of greens and pinks

Think of a pastel version of kid core, with the mixed color fabrics

Her closet is also an entirely different post, but I’m picturing bucket hats and pastel overalls with different colors and patch sizes

You know those framed glass cases of bugs? Yes, those but a lot of them

Like they’re hanging up by pictures of her friends

Butterflies, iridescent winged beetles, etc.

Like the wood around them is an orangish color and honestly I might just draw this up later

I cannot stress this enough, but pictures of her friends both in and out of school as well as pictures of her family and herself growing up

Post cards from all over pinned up on her walls and cork boards

Generic, I know, but frog themed little details that are mainly jokes

Music isn’t as loud or used as Bakugou, but when she does play music, it’s most likely a shared playlist that everyone created

(~490 words)

Straight up, grunge. kid. bedroom.

Gotta put aside my biases for him for the rest of this

Either looks like a vacant room or the pure embodiment of a teenage boy’s room

I’m going with the latter for the rest of this

Clothes and trash are just all over the floor, save for a few spaces

His bed has been made once, maybe twice

But it is the most comfortable shit you would ever sleep in

I speak from experience of my own bed

Posters line the wall so much to the point where there’s very little actual wall space

These range from prints he likes, bands, movies, heroes he admires Aizawa, to joke posters like, “Live, Laugh, Love <3” and, “~Home is where the heart grows fonder~”

The LED lights desperately need a battery change because it’s more of a dim light, but that’s for another time to change

Jackets and hoodies over his chairs

Has a little gaming station beside his desk

I choose to believe his gaming chair and setup itself is the biggest thing that he has splurged on

The side of his monitor and the top of his desk are covered in stickers he’s collected over the years

Tapestry over his bed

Vintage cassette and record albums

As cluttered as everything is, it’s still somewhat spacious because the clutter is grouped together to provide a walkway

Much like myself, his closet is somewhat bare because all of his clothing he wears is from piles of clean and dirty clothing on the floor

Signature purple and black bedding and overall theme

There’s always music, like no matter what, but the difference between Shinsou and Bakugou is that Shinsou’s music is usually quiet

Wide variety of music, but at night it’s his an entirely different playlist of Lofi

He may not sleep at night 9/10, but at least it isn’t as chaotic and exhausting

Collection of bottle caps and tabs by his bed

Water bottles are everywhere, but at least the majority of them are refilled

At this point I’m just naming off how my room is rn

Half of his chargers are broken or living on 1%

Hair ties that are clinging onto life have their own little dish on his desk

Usually the curtains and blinds are closed

On the back of his door there’s a coat rack that’s used exclusively for his bag and also the capture weapon

Weights and overall workout equipment are frequently used but also so easily lost

The Grind Never Stops

I think the only pictures he would have would be of like sneaked pictures of him and Aizawa training

Aizawa’s in the back doing whatever pose and Shinsou’s either hold up a blurry peace sign to the camera or painfully imitating it

They’re a little frayed at the edges most of the time, but it just makes them more sentimental and fit in with the aesthetic

11/10, would recommend vibing in his room

[sepublic]

Meta Marcy Wu

           Marcy really does have that energy of like. Someone who doesn’t have a whole lot of ‘opinions’ on bigger matters (such as the conflict between Toads and Newts, Sasha and Anne, Maddie and her sisters, etc.) so she just sort of. Awkwardly waits and sits off to the side, kind of biding her moment for when it’s finally over. Letting others take charge so long as she gets her own little space to function in. She’s not against or for anyone in particular, she just needs people to decide for themselves who she should follow, Marcy prefers to be a follower and ONLY that- Her debut has her asserting her own control for herself, but she doesn’t seem to care much else about others, I’m afraid.

           Contrast that with Anne, who needs her own control- BUT she also has the Heart, so she cares about others, she’s proactive and has agency despite initially being told to be reactive and not stand up for herself. Even if she can’t stand up for herself, she will stand up for others… And I think she was lowkey influenced by Sasha’s obsessive desire to protect the girls, and that played into Anne being a little bit toxic, but ultimately learning and having that inner fire to take a stance on things based on moral reasons, whereas Sasha seems more concerned for power than the actual social plight of the Toads- So even if Anne isn’t with the rebellion, it’s ultimately something she WOULD fully dedicate herself towards, like when we saw her stand up for the Frogs against Bog and the other Toads.

           And like, I have to wonder if Marcy’s more hands-off, simple follower approach is lowkey what contributed to Sasha’s belief in controlling others, because it validated that- But at the same time, we talk about how Sasha might care more for Anne than Marcy, and we see how Sasha is frustrated by Toadie, who is but an echo chamber for her. So maybe while Marcy is convenient to her, she’s just a bit too passive and thus not as ‘fun’ as a friend as Anne, who is also a concern because she has genuine motive to question Sasha not just on the basis of their friendship, but people OUTSIDE of it, which Marcy doesn’t.

           Anne being fiercely loyal and protective and sticking up for others, it also could’ve fed back into Sasha’s own tendencies as well. And of course these more proactive, in-your-face girls, always on the frontlines, are going to clash, while Marcy the forgotten follower, the wall-flower, the one in the background focused on more ‘nerdy’ things that are less glamorous, like logistics and whatnot… SHE’s the lynchpin that actually tips the scales- Because she’s the third girl who ‘sides’ with Anne between the initial conflict from Season 1. She’s the one with Andrias, flipping things up when Anne and Sasha are going to fight, contributing to that prophesized endgame.

           Marcy is the one, ironically, with the power –albeit as an extension of Andrias really- and so she’s the antagonist who’s clashing with Sasha, who is also power-hungry, but really beginning to learn as well. Marcy is caught up in her own little fantasy land and world, both literally and figuratively, happily enjoying and watching as a witness and bystander, almost detached in a sense to really participate and appreciate it as a very real thing… And being separate and an ‘audience’ member, Marcy is of course forgotten by Sasha and Anne, who play the part of characters; Fitting, because in that one flashback, they were Captain Hook and Peter Pan, while Marcy worked back-stage, literally pulling the strings (well, rope) for Anne!

           It’s Marcy who’s obsessed and fascinated with the meta of fandom and fiction, so of course she’s the one who steps back and observes it like media, takes the time to comment on it as if it were all tropes, watching and enjoying while for Sasha and Anne they participate directly without that kind of detached meta awareness, the kind someone like Andrias would have, because for THEM it’s real, there are stakes, power for Sasha and people for Anne! And Marcy is the backstage audience, fourth-wall crewmember, unnoticed by all who forget and ignore her, and she’s used to it. Maybe Marcy even enjoys and prefers it that way, and/or learned to- And it’s too late to pay attention, to see themselves as characters in that wider play and story and plot, unlike Andrias who notices and takes advantage… And may have been writing since who knows HOW early?

           If I could get into meta, Marcy playing that quiet, unnoticed support role, doing whatever’s convenient- It reminds me of how the visual basis for your typical Ninja in black garb… It came from plays where performers in black garb would maneuver props, and the audience was supposed to intentionally ignore them, see them as separate from the actual story; But every now and then, one play might have a ‘twist’ where that background actor actually IS a character, and assassinates someone to reveal themselves as the hidden Ninja!

          So maybe Marcy is like that… The background crewmember, not calling attention to herself in the acting role- In plain sight but we figure we’re meant to ignore, and so we’re utterly blindsided when she DOES strike! It’s Marcy who appreciates the little technical know-how and details, valuing the role that Frogs and agriculture play, considering Newtopian infrastructure, working back-stage in a Peter Pan play… Appreciating the writing conventions and tropes of her favorite games and fantasies, and so that in a way enables her to ‘game’ the system in a sense, play into it with her own hands, or even set up that game and story in the first place, because she knows how to make one!

          She is the drummer while Anne and Sasha play guitar and sing, not as glamorous or recognized amongst a crowd, but just as vital as the rest… She’s a very META kind of person, befitting her choice of METAmorphosis as part of her drummer costume! You don’t pay mind to a caterpillar, but then little do you know, it becomes an even more unnoticeable cocoon… Only to sprout into a brilliant butterfly! But while the BLUE butterfly is associated with Anne and her connections back home through Pearl Paddock, who is representative of familial bond, remembering who you are… Marcy is disconnected, she’s a GREEN butterfly, green like the lilypads of Amphibia, and she wants to stay there!

          And the best part, I think? I don’t think Marcy herself is even fully aware of what she’s doing… I doubt she sees herself as some clever manipulator. She’s just doing what she can, having her fun plans and machinations like in New Wartwood, but she’s not ACTUALLY approaching this as some devious mastermind- She’s literally just a kid! She gets caught up in her own things, because she is an autistic mood, and I get that! I resonate with that! And so it’s so easy for Marcy to be blindsided by HERSELF, by her own flaws and borderline antagonistic role in the story, to realize what she’s doing is kind of messed up and trivializing- Because we know that she WANTS to care, but it’s so easy and convenient for her to forget and play into the fantasy… Especially with someone like Sasha, and especially Andrias, to enable her, to provide that safety and support net that MARCY doesn’t complain about or take for granted, unlike that ‘ungrateful’ Anne, as Sasha might’ve one said!

           And if Marcy isn’t really self-aware of her own issues or even the full messed-up scope of her actions, to take a look back and critically examine herself the way she might a character or even her own friends; Then that can also make her a victim to her own antics, just as Sasha kept burying herself into a deeper hole. And it’s hard to do the right thing, if you don’t even realize you’re messing up in the first place- Recognizing your fault is kind of one of THE foundations of actual reform, growth, and redemption. I think Marcy needs guidance, and she needs to show more initiative and take a stance not just for herself, but regarding others as well… And that can lead to her choosing between Anne and Andrias.

           Andrias, whose name is like Anne’s but more fantastical, who is blue like Anne’s motif… And who looks after her like a good friend, makes things easier and promises they will be! And he’s invested into the fantasy, he doesn’t want to go home and complicate things, get into fights with Sasha, because it’s the person in charge who decides how it is, right? Which is why True Colors continues to concern me… Amidst, you know, the many OTHER issues as well.

[sallysetoncore]

this is SO many thoughts at once. keep reading for: Discourse on Animation Styles (ft. How To Kill An Animation Studio in 2009), Anna and Quasimodo's 'I Want Songs', how Elsa and Anna's vocal lines mirror their relationship, Princess DO actually love their dads, how princesses reflect the values of their era, and THERE WAS NEVER GOING TO BE A QUEER RILEY IN INSIDE OUT 2 YOU STUPID SLUTS. WE ARE NOT GETTING A QUEER PRINCESS.

okay let's talk Princess and the Frog v Tangled REAL fast. PatF was the LAST disney 2d animated movie and the first black disney princess. this was entirely intentional bc they knew it would fucking flop. they wanted her to flop. they wanted uproar over a black princess so they could never do a 2d movie again. there are a lot of issues with PatF (mostly the fact our two black leads are not actually black for the majority of the movie, but rather.... frogs. and also the fact that NAVEEN is voiced by a WHITE MAN. i only just found this out and it crushed me) but generally. cute film. good music. i cry over that goddamn firefly every time. but they knew that based on a black princess alone they would have an excuse to shut down their 2d animation studio.

this leads us to Tangled, where we have made an EXTREME shift. it is the most expensive disney movie (at its time, might still be, idk) because they had to REHIRE A WHOLE NEW STUDIO to do the animation. and yes the animation is beautiful (the animators working on the hair like, studied it for years and years and i give them their kudos) but . it's the death of 2d animation with a HANDFUL of antisemitism (but enough that you can deny its even there. people think i'm being a sjw when i point it out and it's like. you don't have to agree with me but i don't have to like this fuckass movie).

anyway . that's a rant i have in my head at all times. i also want to talk about anna and quasimodo being two of my favorite characters and how their i-want songs are so similar: anna knows she only gets one day out there, and quasimodo is begging for one. both get one and uh, shit goes bad! and it's CRUSHING. anna's plot fucking kills me. IF ONLY THERE WERE SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO LOVED YOU? i knew it was gonna happen b4 i saw the movie bc i saw it late but like. it still hits. esp with the musical's song "True Love" that she knew she'd always die behind a closed fucking door. love is an open door has that beautiful double meaning of . love metaphorically being an open door to other things such as happiness, fulfillment, etc. but also the physical thing of an open door being love; love is laying on the couch together, love is making food for them, love is an open door. this song plays during the 'love' section of the 18 minute long fireworks show in disneyworld and sometimes it strikes me as a strange choice bc it's also a villain song but. it also makes me cry sometimes.

also. no matter what metaphor you're getting out of elsa and her ice powers. queerness. mental illness. any disability. whatever. the thing that fucking gets me about it is that the ice powers themselves are not harmful. her choosing to isolate herself is what is harmful. she is TOTALLY down with isolating herself (thus, 'let it go') but the moment she realizes that isolating herself is causing pain to others ('for the first time in forever (reprise)'), she has a breakdown. there's no escape for her at this point. "stay away and you'll be safe from me" being a heartbreaking fucking line and then the realization that comes from: actually, they're not. and at no point in either 'first time in forever' can elsa and anna sing TOGETHER. even when they are in agreement (it's only for today / it's agony to wait), they cannot sing together. it's always counterpoint. and even once everything is solved, once anna's act of true love thaws her frozen heart... they still don't sing together. they don't sing at all, but they don't sing together. they can love each other now, deeply, but that doesn't mean shit is fixed. iirc... they don't even sing together in frozen 2? but i only saw that movie once (when it came out) bc i was pretty unimpressed by it (plot was convoluted and only two songs bang. i obviously mean show yourself and lost in the woods btw).

also here's my little mermaid rant that goes into my jasmine rant. ariel did not give up her tail for a man. her dream from the literal very fucking beginning was to be on land. she did not want that goddamn tail. she wanted the legs the whole time. losing her tail did not feel like a loss. the only thing she was losing was her family, and that's bc her family CHOSE to isolate her for being interested in the human world (my sibling and i chatted last night about this being a metaphor for autism, since like. essentially the human world is her special interest and everyone is shitting on her for it at all times. but i think it also works as a trans allegory since there is a physical transformation she goes through and wants to go through that everyone else thinks is dumb. NOTABLY in the end, and in the sequel, though, she gets what she wanted: her legs and her inclusion the human world, and her family's love).

my dad made a comment one time about how they should invent a disney princess that respects her dad, and they explicitly used ariel and jasmine as their examples. as mentioned, triton fucking ignored everything ariel wanted. ariel didn't disobey her dad for a man (despite the iconic 'but daddy, i love him!'), but for her dream she had the entire goddamn time. and jasmine... was 16... about to be a child bride... and um... didn't want that. so fucking yeah i hate her dad too.

and they DID invent disney princesses that respect their dads. um cindella did NOT want her dad to fucking die. merida LOVED her goddamn dad. she just had mommy issues. BELLE GAVE UP EVERYTHING FOR HER DAD. BELLE DID NOT SACRIFICE HER ENTIRE LIFE FOR MAURICE SO MY DAD COULD SAY THEY SHOULD INVENT A PRINCESS THAT RESPECTS THEIR DAD. and finally. in a complete full circle moment. Tiana Loved Her Dad So Fucking Much That It's Kind Of The Plot. my father has not seen princess and the frog. he does not know that the plot is fueled by tiana's ambition, which is fueled by her dad and her love for her dad. "i remember daddy told me / fairy tales can come true / you gotta make 'em happen / it all depends on you" is like. literally her motivation for everything she does. so do not fucking look at me and tell me they should invent a princess who respects her dad when what you mean is that they should invent a princess who blindly obeys every single thing her dad does, even when he is explicitly in the wrong and sort of opposed to her bodily autonomy.

like there's been comparisons of how each princess reflects her era's values: cinderella, aurora, snow white; all very quiet, beautiful in a very European way, elegant, good dancers. and then we move into the golden age with Belle and Ariel and Jasmine who are all headstrong, fighting against whatever patriarch they have and want to marry who they want to marry, etc. and our modern princess (rapunzel, anna, i'll put mirabel here despite not being a princess, and from my understanding, asha, but i have not seen wish yet and do not plan on it) fall into the adorkable archetype of like. always falling over and being a bit silly, and not quite sure how to socialize yet always pull it off. i'm very curious to see what the next archetype of princess looks like bc according to the patterns, we're moving into a new chapter pretty soon.

last thought. they were never going to make riley gay. LET ALONE fucking nonbinary. "but the emotions in her head have different genders while the emotions in her parents heads all match the gender of the parents! doesn't that mean she's probably genderfluid or something?" no it means disney didn't want six of the main characters (the 5 emotions + riley) in one movie to all be women and they thought it would be funny if riley's dad's emotions all had mustaches. we are not getting a queer protagonist let alone a fucking transgender one. this is disney. snow white came out in 1937. first princess of color was 1992 which is, in fact, fifty five years later, and she wasn't even the protagonist (i'm talking about jasmine). 1998 was first princess of color who WAS the protagonist (mulan). 2009 was first black princess (72 years after snow white. SEVENTY TWO YEARS AFTER THE FIRST PRINCESS WAS INTRODUCED). disney is 100 years old (and god is there enough merchandise to remind you). we are not getting a goddamn queer princess for another 30 years, minimum. and when we do, she's not going to be a main character. it's gonna be some fucking one-off episode on a disney+ show (not even disney jr, where we got the first (and only, iirc, since nobody in encanto is a princess) latina princess). and i'm not going to give them credit where credit is due bc there is no fucking credit due. the first pride collection was in 2018 (LIKE LITERALLY SIX YEARS AGO) and that's it. we are going to get Lefous and Onward Cops and Women Holding Hands in Finding Dory forever as long as they know they can make money off of queer people (buying the pride shit) without having to do any actual fucking work. also the pride stuff is ugly and is always ugly.

anyway. hope this explains how i hate this company but love some of the art it creates. like i think you can like. enjoy disney movies. i think a lot of people put a lot of effort into them and they are often very good (especially the older ones, but we are seeing a lot LESS effort in newer ones. cough cough. WISH. cough), particularly for the music, particularly anything Alan Menken worked on . but you also cannot pretend they are more than they are. my dad always says disney is a toy company, not a media company. every movie exists just so they can sell toys. you get off a ride at disneyworld and where do you end up? gift shop, selling toys based on the ride/characters on the ride. it's getting worse. the movies are getting worse. but just. you can't go into a circus expecting an opera.

i have a lot of d*sney rants and some about the workplace but i have one that is a smorgasbord of feelings about children's animated movies. please hold.

[therealabbyham]

Racism in modern media.

A lot of controversy over the depiction of people of color (POC) in modern media has arisen. With both the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements that have happened in the last year, both new and old shows and movies have been brought forward as examples of what is not okay. Now, with some research, I'd like to go through these examples and go through what has made them controversial.

"Stock characters and slapstick tropes have always existed in theatre, from Shakespearean comedies to even something as seemingly benign as the Disney Channel show “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” (remember Esteban?). But ethnic stock characters have been tricky to write in an increasingly politically correct 21st century, despite their appearances in such Broadway classics as “West Side Story” and “The King and I." (The Muse at Dreyfoos)

”Song of the South (Disney film) - By far one of the most controversial and well-known instances of controversy. So much so that Disney never sold the movie on DVD and will not be putting it on Disney plus. Disney's most recent effort to erase the racism from their history (also see: the crows in Dumbo and the original draft of Fantasia), was to go farther in changing Splash Mountain. Originally they had gotten rid of the characters on the ride (who were all characters from the movie), now, however, they are changing the ride altogether, changing it into a Princess and the Frog-inspired ride. "Song of the South’s African American characters are treated warmly, particularly Uncle Remus, who is Johnny’s best friend and confidant, a charismatic storyteller, and, most importantly, the film’s conduit to the animated world of Br’er Rabbit... The problem isn’t necessarily what Song of the South depicts, but what it chooses not to depict. Although Harris’ Uncle Remus stories were set in Georgia after the Civil War, the film adaptation never makes it clear when the story is taking place... If you’re not a scholar or an Uncle Remus expert, it’s very easy to assume that the film is set before the Civil War, and that Remus and Aunt Tempy (Hattie McDaniel) are slaves — and that they are completely fine with that." (Quotes from Screencrush) "By stripping out any concrete details of time and place, Disney essentially turned the plantation system into a ludicrous utopia where blacks and whites live in harmony — a harmony where the only thing that’s clear is that the blacks are inferior and servile to the whites, but are content to work the fields anyway." "Several of Remus’ stories are about Br’er Rabbit wanting to run away from his problems; the moral, inevitably, is that you can’t avoid trouble and there’s no place like home. These lessons are particularly important to Johnny because he doesn’t like life on the plantation initially and wants to run away to live with his father in Atlanta. But when coupled with the African American characters’ oddly cheerful attitude about their social status, the movie seems to be arguing on behalf of complacency. Don’t leave the plantation, don’t try to better yourself. Just go with the flow."

Thoroughly Modern Millie (Broadway show) - The show is about a young girl named Millie who moved from a small town to NYC, and the show is known for having "the subplot and the peddling of outdated Chinese stereotypes". (A lot of this will be in quotes from the previous link). Although "the play is set in the 1920s... the script was written in 2000, based on source material from the 1967 film of the same name" On Playbill, another study is done, "As much as the 2002 Tony-winning Best Musical is a love story about making it in the big city, the show’s major subplot centers on “white slavery.”" An argument could be made that “To actually have real Chinese guys singing and speaking in their own language and meaning it, and to link their immigrant story to the same story as Millie ... and come to America because of the American Dream, all these people who come to New York to reinvent themselves and be modern—I think is exactly what the Chinese guys are all about." (This is irrelevant if the characters are not played by someone who's Chinese). With accurate casting then it might be "another opportunity to cast shade on racist attitudes and assumptions about us [the Chinese] and what we know and how smart we are and what we’re capable of..." However it still "can be racist if you do it racist. This show can be done racist but it doesn’t have to and actually, it can actually be anti-racist." Personally, I think if the line you walk is so fine and covered in eggshells, it may not be worth it (but of course, it's an opinion, even if it's widely accepted). Even Ashley Park, who wanted to be Millie, thought “It’s one of the characters that I’ve loved, always, but I always figured I’d never play it just because of the race stuff that’s in [the show].” because she's Korean-American.

Emily in Paris (Netflix show) - Speaking of Ashley Parks, let's talk about Emily in Paris, one of Netflix's most controversial and most hated shows. To put it simply, the show (which I have not seen) is about an American girl who moves to Paris. Yep. That simple. In a video by Friendly Space Ninja (who's French), he says "I've been insulted by this show, more than once... Emily in Paris has a huge racism problem... and it also comes up as arrogant." He goes on to say, "When people say Emily in Paris portrays French culture in a very insulting way, they're not exaggerating." "The French in this show think Americans are the greatest and they aspire to be more like them and as a French person myself... Yeah no that's not accurate." "During the entire show, Emily tries to teach the French that doing things the American way is the right way." (I highly recommend watching this video if you don't mind the swear words, it has good points, that's why I'm just using quotes). "Emily in Paris only has two characters of color... these two characters of color are made of degrading cliches..." "All of the racist things [Mindy, a POC character,] says were written by a white writer." "The other non-white character is this guy... He's one of Emily's co-workers and he's gay... and I had to read he was gay online... and his entire point of existence in this show is to be the most stereotypical gay man the writers could come up with... all he does is stand in the background and act sassy... The writers are so dismissive with him I'm pretty sure the only reason they made him black is so they could kill two birds with one stone." "Emily in Paris has two actors of color and both of them feel like an afterthought." My thoughts: Don't watch this show. It has a season two coming out, don't watch it, even if you want to see how bad it is. There will be someone online who will tell you why it's bad and you'll save time reading or watching their review instead of giving Netflix a reason for a season three.

Anyways, those are just a few (obvious) examples of how racism isn't okay, even if it isn't inherently meant to be racist. Song of the South was meant to be a heart-warming movie full of stories about morals, but it's been banned and basically erased from Disney history because it comes off as being pro-slave. Millie was meant to be a commentary on Asain stereotypes while lifting up Asain actors so they were given more opportunities, yet most schools have banned it. And Emily in Paris, despite its connections that got it nominated for awards, was such a dumpster fire, a good review is near impossible to find.

[regrettablewritings]

Can I please request B, F, and O for Benoit Blanc? I’m simping for this gentleman sleuth so hard.

I’m surprised you didn’t put DNUT just for the sake of reference 😂  Stuff is below the cut!

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?): While he isn’t against the idea to the point of fighting it, Benoit doesn’t strike me as someone actively looking to start a family, either. At least, not in the most traditional sense of what a family could be. He knows he’s not ancient, but he’s certainly not the very picture of youth, either. There’s plenty of things he’s not afraid to do in fear of appearing odd, but he can’t help but wonder if, perhaps, becoming a father at his age would appear peculiar.

Technically speaking, there’s nothing wrong with it, of course: He’s sure enough men his age have become fathers, and he knows plenty celebrities had at much older stages of life. But no matter what The New Yorker may think, Benoit knows he’s not exactly a celebrity; becoming a father at his age might appear less glamorous. And as flattering as the theory might be, he’s not so sure he’d be comfortable with the world knowing his virility in practice.

But, of course, things don’t always go the way we plan for them to. Just because he’s not actively looking to grow the family doesn’t mean it won’t somehow happen. It’ll catch him by surprise, no doubt, especially given how he’s so used to being able to predict things by calculation and logic, but it’s nothing he’s necessarily going to fight, either. If the great Benoit Blanc is to become a father to an actual baby instead of just a fur baby, then he’s going to accept that position with pride and zeal. (And much confusion, but that’s nothing a lot of research and a handful of classes and Youtube tutorials couldn’t fix.)

Benoit knows the impact a loving parent can have on a child, and he wants to assure any progeny of his is granted that chance. He won’t be a perfect father, he knows that, but he most certainly would want to make an effort to be one that they wouldn’t hate. He’s encountered way too many patricide cases to go lax on it all.

More to the point, however, he’s honestly just content with his family as it currently appears to be. He may come from more traditional and decidedly old-fashion means, but this doesn’t exclude the sleuth from possessing an open-mindedness toward the ever-changing image of what a family could be decreed and recognized to be. And sometimes, a family is just a peacockish gentleman with a thick drawl, his more grounded and snarky partner, and their handsome pet cat who is either plotting their deaths or actually enjoys it when they sing show tunes to him.

There are times when he looks back on his life so far and feels ribbons of regret, however. How might things have turned out if he’d settled down before? Would things have been better? Worse? More or less the same?

Well, whatever the case, he doesn’t intend to dwell on it too often or for too long; you’re here now, and if that’s all there was meant to be, then he’d take it without a moment’s hesitation.

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?):

He’s not sure, if truth be told. There wasn’t really a precise moment or even necessarily one singular action that offered him any confirmation. The sting of Cupid’s arrow never actually radiated through him, so much as the realization flitted into his mind as a random memory might. It was simply a matter of fact to him one day: He absolutely adored you.

Part of him wanted to go into detective mode, to use that brain of his and search for a specific date that might have triggered the sensation, or to pester Elliot and Marta by using them as soundboards for his monologues and conclusion. Benoit Blanc is a self-aware man, he’s too old to be caught off guard by his own feelings like a schoolboy. But thankfully for all, he stops himself from doing so when he considers the stance that perhaps the feelings had already been present for months now, that there wasn’t any suddenness to the realization. A sense of jamais vu, but of the emotion. Jamais réalisé. Still, the ever-inquisitive spirit in him thirsted for an answer. He tried to satiate it.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that unlike most, you appeared to enjoy his monologuing. Most people would normally just sit there, the only feedback offered being blank expressions or ones that displayed how thrown off they were about his strange analogies. You, on the other hand, were always listening even when your eyes weren’t directly on him or if you appeared to be busy with something else. Sometimes, if you deemed it necessary, you would even throw in your own input. When he joked about how invested you were, you reasoned that you tended to do the same when you infodumped.

Going off that, he liked when you infodumped: Your entire person would gain a sprightliness to it, particularly in your eyes. The detective truly believed in the value of all sorts of knowledge, and he genuinely did appreciate whatever you had to offer, even when it only appeared to be trivia. The only downside to this was that you almost always would catch yourself and, casting your sights elsewhere, all that vibrancy from before would snuff out like a light. It would darn near break his heart to hear you apologize for “babbling on about such silly things.” He would always insist that it was quite alright, that you needn’t apologize, but you always assumed deep down that he was simply being courteous as all others in his position would be. The truth always was that he was being genuine, you deserved that much.

Maybe he thought you deserved that much because you were relatively patient with him. He didn’t think of himself as a nuisance but Benoit knew that to many, he was more of an acquired taste. He always tried to be polite and considerate but sometimes, his more abrasive traits would come to the foreground, especially when he was on the case. But you never seemed to get especially testy with him as Elliot would. If anything, you were quick to put him in his place with a gently-worded but sternly-spoken reminder that he needed to mind himself.

“The truth can only soothe you so much when you got a foot up your ass,” as you put it once. It got a smile out of him. Of course, he always knew you had some kind of wit about you; one that, while a bit more blunt than his, never failed to make him laugh yet force him to acknowledge the truth. He might’ve been known for his rich vocabulary, but he couldn’t help but admire your own, more direct means of getting the point across. He knew damn well that you understood everything he said, and sometimes he questioned if maybe your responses to him were so straightforward as a means of taunting him over his perceived verboseness.

Even if this were true, he found himself amused every time you opened your mouth. In fact, you were quickly becoming his favorite person to speak to. And he even dared to consider the possibility that, based on how you lit up every time he came to the office, perhaps the same could be said on your part . . .

Well, whatever the case, Benoit never got as far as he’d wanted to whenever he pondered the cause of his feelings for you. Much to his dismay, every effort was thwarted by himself: Every time he came to a theory, he would quickly become sidetracked by other thoughts of you. Eventually he became distracted to the point where every consideration he made could be counted on to be accompanied by some appraisal of your character. In short, he was simultaneously coming up fruitless and fruitful.

But then maybe those were the answers he was looking for. Of course, they weren’t in the usual format he was familiar with but he supposed it was for the best: Feelings weren’t the same breed of mystery as, say, a murder investigation. He didn’t count it as a failure on his part, however (given that Benoit Blanc wasn’t one to quit). No, he decided that perhaps it might’ve been better to keep his work and his play separate. He’d spent enough of his life revolved around solving mysteries, after all; this one, he concluded, was best enjoyed just being experienced as it was.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?):

It’s hard for you to choose, really: Benoit is a rather colorful man, after all, with his bright blue eyes and lack of fear regarding certain male accessories. But you do tend to veer towards shades of green. Specifically, peacock green because not only does he own a suit of similar shading, but also because frankly, due to his dandy-like nature, you couldn’t help but compare him to a peacock in your head. Sure, he lacked the arrogance associated with the bird, but what else could you compare a man with an assortment of floral ties and pretty-patterned pocket squares to?

Similarly, Benoit associates you with the color cranberry because of something in your wardrobe: Specifically, the red cardigan you were wearing the day you both met. Admittedly, he’s a twinge embarrassed that he couldn’t associate you with something more overtly romantic: He remembers that you like pink Starbursts but still give him half of yours; he remembers how you argue that black Converses are “the only valid converses” next to glittery ones; and he has no choice but to remember that godawful brown scarf you refuse to discard because “it’s still a good scarf and you’d already had it for this long.”

But you don’t mind. In fact, you’re elated and nearly swept off your feet at the fact: He remembers all the little things from the moment you two became acquainted, even though at the time he was under no awareness or intention that you would become so important to him. You know that, technically, it’s a part of his job to just commit things to detail, but you’ve seen this man forget website passwords and his own keys. Yet, if anyone were to demand that he recall three things from that fateful day, he would immediately recite about how you had a frog Beanie Baby resting on your computer monitor; that you were stabbing your Chinese takeout lunch with one hand and typing up a report with the other; and that you were wearing a cranberry-colored cardigan.

Sometimes, the first two bits were swapped with different things he remembered (all being true), but the one consistent memory that he would always bring up with be the cranberry cardigan. And frankly, you're satisfied with that bit alone.

Thanks for your patience!

[theapathetickat]

So I finally finished the Friends design set for my Soul Eater Kemono Friends AU. (for those who don't know: Friends in Kemono Friends are animal girls* created when an animal, living or dead, comes in contact with a volcanic substance known as Sandstar, and if eaten by a Cellian/Cerulean, they revert back to being an animal and their lives are "reset" to the point just before they became a Friend, losing all memories of that time. *Crona is still nonbinary in this AU since you know, they're capable of forming/voicing their own identity regardless of assigned labels

If this gets popular, I'll make a set 2 with more characters

Art by TheApatheticKat. Please do not repost or remove/edit caption

Before I list why I chose what species everyone was based on, here's the answer to a question I might get: "where's Blair/Kim/Jackie?" (There's already canon Friends for the domestic cat and the tanuki/raccoon dog, and it wouldn't be right to include Jackie wthout Kim. Actually, you know what, they're researchers and not Friends in this AU. Don't know where Blair goes yet)

Why I chose which species for which character: (note: I only chose species that didn't have canon Kemono Friends characters as of July 2020)

Maka - Domestic Rabbit: Partially because of that one manga panel where Crona hallucinated Maka with a rabbit's face, partially because from rabbit owners I follow, a Maka-like nature is way more common than you'd think. Though I was surprised there was no canon Friend for the domestic rabbit.

Crona - Fancy Rat (Lilac color): So I actually went through more species ideas for Crona's design than any other character. Mostly thinking about animals that were pink or purple in nature so I didn't have to mess with their hair too much, but those colors don't appear often (and unfortunately not in feline species at all). I had considered the Roseate Spoonbill, Galah, Web-footed gecko, Pine Grosbeak, Rusty-spotted cat, Kodkod, Black-footed cat, and the European Wildcat, but I ended up going with the fancy/domestic rat, specifically the lilac color variation. (it's actually warm gray and not truly lilac purple, but...) Because 1) I like rats, they are very cute like Crona; and 2) snake and rat symbolism with Medusa and Crona even though I have no idea how the heck I'd work that dynamic into a Kemono Friends AU considering the fluffy, G-rated nature of that series. 

Tsubaki - Kerama Deer: The Will of Nakatsukasa represented itself as a deer. I could have made her based on that, but as The Will of Nakatsukasa is original to Soul Eater's lore and is not a creature from real-world mythology like the canon mythical Friends, I went looking for an actual deer species native to Japan. The Sika deer was the only major one I could find, and it already had a canon Friend, but not all its subspecies did, so that's why I ended up choosing the subspecies known as the Kerama Deer.

Liz - Big Brown Bat: Since the Thompson sisters grew up in Brooklyn, I wanted to use two similar species that live at least somewhere in New York, as Friends of similar/related species in Kemono Friends regard each other as sisters (because aside from a few exceptions, there's only one Friend per species at any given time).

Patty - Little Brown Bat: I thought because of their common names that the big and little brown bats were related species. Turns out they're not even in the same genus, and I had already written the species names on the paper in pen so... oops. They're still sisters by KF logic anyway in this AU because I'm just gonna say so.

Medusa - Ursini Meadow Viper: She had to be a snake. Because her name was lifted from Greek mythology, I wanted to use a snake that lives in Greece, and because of her personality/canon actions, a venomous one was preferable. Luckily there was a snake out there that fit all that criteria. Also the symbolism with Medusa being a venomous snake while Crona being a rat... yeah.

Arachne - Black Widow: The vibes

Eruka - Australian Green Tree Frog: I was looking for a frog species that was a close match to what her frog form looks like in Soul Eater. The Australian Green Tree Frog is predominantly green, has the white underside, and some individuals have the dark facial spots, so it was a perfect fit! In trying to see what frog features are present on frog Friends, I scanned through the wiki to find the only frog Friends are the Keroro/Sgt.Frog crossover Friends, and they had no frog features on them, so I used Eruka's clothes to give her an extra bit of a frog motif.

Mizune - House Mouse: I don't think this one needs explanation

Azusa - Japanese Sparrowhawk: Azusa just has the vibe of a bird of prey to me, so I knew where to start. I also wanted to use a hawk or falcon that is not only Japanese but has enough black/otherwise dark areas that I wouldn't have to change her hair color that much.

Marie - Smooth Newt: Since her jast name (Mjolnir) derives from Norse mythology, I wanted to use an animal that lives in Scandinavia, specifically in/around Norway. And then I found out about the existence of the Smooth Newt. It has a range in Norway, has yellow and black in its color scheme like Marie does, and has an incredibly appealing name. Smooth Newt. (though I did want to use a sheep at one point, all the super fluffy ones were already taken)

Mira - Saharan Striped Polecat: This one was a bit trickier, as nothing really jumped out at me from the start, but because of her name and theming (Mira being close to Miira, the Japanese wourd for mummy, and her wearing bandages all over in combat), I wanted to choose a species that lived in or around Egypt (because that's the first country that comes to peoples minds when they think of mummies). The stripe pattern of the Saharan Striped Polecat also made it easy to incorporate her bandages and create a cohesive design that blended her original design in well.

[certifiedceraunophile]

Hello! I’m your Klaroline Swap gifter👀 I am sorry it's taken me this long to reach out but I've finally gotten to it! I am excited to be writing for you and wanted to ask a few questions about your gift. Wanted to know about your all-time favorite tropes and side pairings? Any Caroline friendships you like? Any tropes or pairings you don't like? Any pet peeves with KC fic? Any smut preferences? Anything you especially want to see or any info you'd like me to know? Hope you have a great day!💖

Heyyy!! Thank you for sending me this ask, and please don't apologize, it’s all good 💖 I hope you're having a great day too! So I’ll just jump in and answer all your questions ✌🏾✨

I am so so sorry it got this long, like so long, I really tried to condense it, but I have no concept of short and concise so now I have to put this below a cut 😭🙃😭

All time favourite tropes:

[see here's the thing I dont exactly *know* what tropes are so I'm just gonna yeet a bunch of HIGHLY specific prompt-thingies that make me tingle at you and you can do w them what you wish- like take out certain parts you want to use, or base other tropes off of them anything you wish really, even if you choose to ignore all of them I won't be holding it against you dw!]

Ok so I love love the "I was just captured by the bad guys and very harshly uh demanded to sell you out, but I didnt, bc even though I might posture like you’re the scourge of the earth and would gladly see you dead, I in fact, do not want you dead and will therefore not be selling you out and will handle mild -emphasis on mild please do not hurt either of my babies too much- torture instead and oops! look at that, you just overheard this exact exchange where I stand my ground and refuse to betray you, and now you’ve gone feral over your loyalty kink and are spouting promises of never letting go of me, which honestly I cannot bring myself to be mad at."

I love love love the forced bedsharing trope which then leads to accidental cuddling, where one party [caroline] is just very very annoyed that their body sought the warmth of a cockroach fucknugget being [klaus] and the fucknugget party is just very very smug about being the other party's personal space heater, and nuzzles them and cuddles tighter and asdfghjkl I'm getting tingly just thinking about it, and like says w a husky sleepy voice “don't move” and cuddles closer. jfc please I’m a basic bitch with very basic wants.

I absolutely LOVE the "we work on opposite enemy sides, but now we have to band together to defeat one common enemy and honestly I am NOT glad that I constantly wanna throw you against a wall, and not all reasons for said wall-throwing are strictly to inflict violence on you."

I also LOVE the "fuck youre bleeding/hurt/injured and fucking hell I dont know why my hands are shaking while I attend to your wounds but god it is, and now I'm not sure exactly how deep you've furrowed into my heart and stuck yourself there like a dickheaded leech."

Now I feel like I have given you many tropes, but I also feel like i didnt in fact help you at all, bc I'm not sure these are uh tropes?? but anyway those are some highly specific...scenes?? I have a very deep bias for

[you obviously dont HAVE to write ANY of them if you dont want to]

And also if I had to give you a clear cut trope to follow, I absolutely LOVE the enemies-to tentative allies-to lovers trope, in which one party is just working really really hard to get to the lovers part, and the other is working really really hard not to get to the lovers part, but caves later on, bc really the fucker grows on you. [Featuring Klaus as the "high key besotted already pursuing Caroline"-person, and Caroline is the "I am very very annoyed w this wooing, but I am more annoyed this wooing is working"-person. And also, I like my Klaus E V I L, But really really really *soft* for Caroline.]

Also if by tropes you meant settings, Like AU's, literally anything works, I have a personal bias for Crime AU's when it comes to enemies to lovers, and Canon is the ultimate enemies to lovers AU, but honestly you can use which ever one you want, I am not entirely sure myself if I have a specific preference here, AH, Fantasy, Supernatural, Scifi, it's all good.

[I however am not extremely fond of Historical Settings]

Again you are not required to follow any of these tropes at all if you don't wish to, I just require you to have a lot of fun writing and love the beauty you write yourself first!

Side pairings:

Ok I LOVE me some Kennett [kol + bonnie] but I also LOVEEE kolenzo [Kol and Enzo], I also am extremely just *heart eyes* at Bonenzo [Bonnie + enzo], but I absolutely DIE for Kennettzo [which is OT3 of Kol Bonnie and Enzo]

Kalijah is also a-ok w me, and I feel like I dont have any other side pairings I'd like die to see I guess. If you choose not to go with these side pairings its perfectly alright.

Caroline Friendships:

Ok this I can answer without rambling like an idiot, I love love love love :

Bonnie + Caroline [like i love this so much it physically hurts me, they both deserve so so so much better]

Kol + Caroline [I will literally touch a frog, and I have a phobia of frogs, to have one full conversation w these two idiots]

Enzo + Caroline [Honestly enzoline brotp makes me wanna sob happy tears bc they are so perfect together]

Katherine + Caroline + Rebekah [bad bitch meets head bitch meets super bitch, what could possibly go wrong]

Tropes and Pairings I dont like:

NOTPS:

Kolvina, stebekah, delena, stelena, datherine, steferine, Haylijah, Marcel+Rebekah, Matt+Rebekah, Bamon, Kai+bonnie, beremy.

And I think that's about it? mostly I just hate elena stefan damon and hayley and I am not fond of them w anyone, I hate all canon Rebekah relationships, and I dont like seeing Bonnie with anyone other than enzo or kol.

Tropes:

I am totally not fond of the Kill Liz for plot reasons trope, like seriously killing Caroline's mom is not ok w me, but I am totes fine if she's like already dead as part of Caroline's backstory, just don't show me Liz dying in the story as a part of the plot.

Any form of sire-bond-y or like sire-bond adjacent or like any form of deal/bargain/agreement that gives Klaus even a tiniest bit of power over Caroline's free will and choices, is just not for me, like at all, no matter how well it's done, I can't stand it.

not fond of any form of prisoner/hostage tropes, like klaus kidnapping caroline or caroline kidnapping klaus and holding each other hostage and stuff like that.

Death as a plot point doesnt work for me? and really I'd prefer if there were no major character deaths at all.

Friends to lovers trope is not for me, childhood friends to lovers trope is definitely not for me.

I don't like any sort of redemption arc really, anything that starts with Klaus as a “bad” dude and ends with him being a relatively “good” dude is not for me.

Any form of infidelity, like ofc especially in between Klaus and Caroline is just [shudder] hard pass, but like I also hate it when Caroline or Klaus cheat on anybody at all.

Also all the tropes and like themes I'm not comfy w that I mentioned in my original Gift Request still stand.

KC Pairing Pet peeves

ok This I can answer easily bc I have like a FEW,

I hate a woobified Klaus so much, like so much, I hate all TO!Klaus characterizations but this one is the worst, absolutely not here for it, I am not here to feel sorry for this mf I want to feel really deliriously GIDDY at how evil he is and how whipped he is for Caroline, but like concentrating on Klaus's manpain is not something I really wanna read.

Caroline excusing Klaus's bullshit, or like being a push over-y “it's ok, I understand why you did it” person is not for me, bc she never was one to begin w, she never did rationalize or justify Klaus's behaviour, she always held him accountable and told him what a difficult son of a bitch he is every chance she got.

I don't like arcs where Caroline is Klaus's redemption? like Caroline bringing Klaus into the "light" or whatever I am not here for it, like at all, I like Klaus staying evil while being endlessly in love with Caroline, and Caroline being able to be w a man she knows is a selfish evil ruthless grade A asshole, but will literally also choke himself to death for Caroline, cuz the man is whipped as fuck.

I also absolutely am not a fan of arcs where like Caroline remains "pure" or whatever, like that's just not for me, I am totally fine, actually MORE than fine for ruthless Caroline who is willing to do deplorable shit to get to her goal and protect her people, like Caroline being extremely almost evilly pragmatic just gives me a boner, and pretty sure gives Klaus one too. Klaus "protecting" Caroline's so called innocence is uh off putting for me personally. And her remaining this pure white light princess of good and Klaus being attracted to the *good* in her is um, nope.

Smutty Preferences

Honestly I’m very easy when it comes to smut [and u totally dont have to write me any if you dont want to]

I do not like:

non con/dub con, anal sex, Strict and/or elaborate Bdsm themes, [light undertones are ok], drunk sex, sex that’s basically infidellity [like caroline/klaus cheating on someone else w each other] , gagging, choking, Extremely rough emotionless sex, sex as a bargain, or as a part of a bargain.

Smut preferences:

I like reading oral sex, especially Klaus going down on Caroline

light bondage like being tied up [either Klaus/Caroline I enjoy both]

Sex toys are really really good, like love reading Klaus using one on Caroline, or Caroline using one on herself and Klaus watching

I do have a special love for praise kink, especially Klaus being really just in awe of Caroline during the do and expressing it uninhibitedly

Dirty Talk is GREAT

I enjoy both Klaus and Caroline in a dominant role, but I usually love it when both of them share the dominance equally, I’m just not into “Yes master” and “Yes mistress” level of dominance. I guess the word I’m looking for is Vanilla dominance lmao.

Bloodplay is also great if they're vampires.

And Klaus and Caroline leaving marks on each other is *swoon*.

I love reading possessive!klaus and possessive!caroline in equal measure so really your choice.

Hot and Dirty sex with a an undercurrent of emotion and devotion, want and need and all that nice stuff is great!

But I do have a list of words I’m not really a big fan of coming across when I’m reading smut:

Any word for vagina that’s not wetness, or folds or lips, is squicky, cunt is not a problem, pussy however is squick.

Clit is clit; little nub, bundle of nerves, all of that makes the med student in me really anxious lmao.

Any word for Cock that’s not cock is squick.

Juices, cream, semen are squicky, I just prefer come or release.

Ok these are seemingly innocent words but moist, engorged, gaping, drooling, sopping are not words I like seeing in context of smut.

So yeah that’s about it, I know hi, it’s been what, eleventy bajillion years since the beginning of this ask, I am so so so sorry for being this difficult, and really, LIKE SERIOUSLY, except for my squicks you are more than welcome to just skip past everything else, since I’m not really that hard to please, as long as the no-no’s are not there in what I read and the dynamic I asked for is even just vaguely followed I will be really really really happy and really I just want you to have fun writing whatever you feel like cooking up, I’m superrrr excited to see your interpretation of my request!!!

[Also Please please send me another ask clarifying you got my answer and also telling me I haven't frightened you with this long ass rambling list of okay’s and no-no’s bc honestly I am just anxiously debating if I should answer this ask like this or yeet half of it and vaguely rewrite the answer.]

Hope you have a great day lovely!! I am once again sorry for being this difficult. ✨💖🤝🏾

[captainrandomstranger18]

My dearest Captain,

The story of Thaddeoso is much less exciting than one might think. Basically my grandpa told a story of this huge frog that hung around when my mom was young and they called him Thaddeus. Then then my cousins and I found this huge frog by the spring and my sibling suggested we call him Thaddeoso, so we did.

1. Could you maybe stop judging others and let them enjoy things in peace please?

2. All the ones I’ve seen so far (tos, aos, tng, and voyager)

3. That’s a hard one. I like all of them Janeway and Q and Geordi a lot though

4. I don’t know, I actually haven’t thought about it

5. Yep! I like most musicals, but I think my current favorites are Sweeney Todd, Singin in the Rain, and Cats (not the newer movie though)

6. Maybe maple cus we used to make maple syrup back at the first place I lived

7. You know what should be a thing? Space mythology. Like dragons who live in black holes and hoard light and sirens that mimic distress signals to lure spaceships into asteroid fields and vampires that steal the oxygen from your lungs (I have been thinking about this a lot today)

8. It’s currently tied between a black pair with neon kinda flowery/geometric shapes and a white pair with jellyfish

9. I haven’t been in public lately and I tend to tune out most of the other people in school so I don’t really have anything for this one. I hit my creative writing word count goal though! (8,000 words (everyone set their goals at 8,000 except this one kid who set his at 8,001))

I have never had a brookie, but it sounds amazing.

Yours,

L

Dearest L,

To continue the pattern of answering my own questions:

1. I would probably do 1 of 2 things (depending on my mood). Either I would tell everybody to treat all people with respect or kindness, or I would just rick roll everyone on the planet.

2. My favorites are also all the ones I’ve seen so far (I swear it is so hard to pick a favorite Trek! They are all so beautiful and wonderful and unique in their own ways, and its hard to compare them to each other.) These include TOS, TAOS, DS9, and TNG.

3. Data would probably be my #1 favorite, and my second favorite would be everyone else because I can’t choose.

4. I relate to Data’s curiosity and not understanding humans all the time, and I relate to Julian Bashir’s awkwardness. But the character I probably relate to the most is Reginald Barclay. Like every time he comes on screen and so much as breathes I’m like “MOOD. THAT’S ME RIGHT THERE.” I also relate to Riker because I like to put my leg up on random things.

5. I like a lot of musicals. My favorites would probably be Hamilton, The Fiddler on the Roof, and Bye Bye Birdie (I was in that one for my high school’s theater program. I was a background character.) Singin’ in the Rain is also really good, although I haven’t watched it in a while. I do remember my first time watching it, though. I was a little kid and I was at my grandma’s house and she got out an umbrella so we could dance along to it. :D

6. My favorite tree would have to be the Rainbow Eucalyptus: 

I’m sending pictures of the most amazing trees, you’ll be obsessed with all my forest expertise! (Sorry that was a Dear Evan Hansen reference) (I’m not even that big of a fan of the musical, that line just popped into my head right now) (Although Sincerely Me is sincerely a bop in my opinion.) (Dang that was off topic, where was I?) 

AH, yes. TREES!

I just-look at its colors. Asfshdjkds. I kinda want one tbh. Ok, fine, I really want one. The only issue is that they live in tropical climates and I DON’T live in a tropical climate so it probably wouldn’t do too well if I were to plant one here. Oh well. At least the internet exists so I can admire them from afar.

Here’s the wikipedia article on them if you want to learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_deglupta

7. First of all, can I just say that I LOVE THE IDEA OF SPACE MYTHOLOGY. That’s brilliant. And you’re absolutely correct. Why isn’t that a thing? THAT SHOULD BE A THING!!!! (Side question: do you mind if I use your space dragon idea in that Existential Crisis: The Musical that I’m sort of on a hiatus of writing? Like that,,,, is such a cool idea. The musical mostly takes place in outer space btw. Also if I do use it I’ll be sure to credit you! Even though I’m not actually planning on getting the musical published anywhere any time soon. Side-side question: should I credit you as “Mysterious Anonymous Tumblr User L” or something else? Side-side-side question: I actually forgot what I was going to type here but “side-side-side” is fun to say. OK I JUST REMEMBERED. Actually I just forgot again. Goshdarn adhd. OH I REMEMBERED AGAIN. Would you like to hear what my musical is about in a future letter? That is all.)

Dang i just went off on a tangent there (This is what it’s like when my adhd medication has worn off). What was question #7 even supposed to be?

*checks previous letter* Oh, to go on a rant of any sort. I think I just kind of did that on accident. Whoops. (Sorry you had to read my stream-of-consciousness ramblings about whatever the heck that was.)

ANYWAYS, I liked your space dragon idea so much that i drew this picture based on it, here you go:

sorry the camera quality is really bad lol. I tried (and failed) to make the dragon look galaxy-printed if that makes any sense. 

But dude- space mythology is my new favorite thing now.

8. My current favorite pair of socks are a pair I have that are fluffy with unicorns on them.

9. I haven’t been in public lately either lol. But congratulations on your writing goal! That’s a lot of words! :D

Brookies are, in fact, amazing.

Now for some new questions!

1. Since you mentioned previously that you liked Unnus Annus, and since I basically missed out on most of it, what happened in some of your favorite episodes?

2. Do you think reality is a simulation?

3. Do you have any cool random facts about anything? (it can be about LITERALLY anything. I like any and all cool random facts.)

4. Do you know what your hogwarts house is?

5. Do you have a motto of any sort?

6. Am I allowed to guess who you are, or should I wait for you to tell me? (I’m fine waiting, it’s just that I have a few guesses already)

7. Would you like to read my horrible Star Trek crack fanfiction.

8. Semi-Philosophical Question Time: How would you define freedom?

That is all! Thank you for continuing to write/read these letters. I look forward to them every day! To quote another musical, “Now my life gets better every letter that you write me!” (Sorry if that was dumb lol, im bad at this)

Yours Truly,

Captain

[mrsmess]

Faves and fails of SPN (season 13):

Favorite episodes in chronological order:

13:1 Lost and found - This is a very strong start of the season, might be one of the strongest intro episodes since the early seasons. Jack is actually instantly likeable, and apart from Dean shooting first and asking questions... kinda never, the boys do good. I also like the side characters, they make it clear that this could’ve been so much worse if some shitty people were first on the scene.

13:3 Patience - Loretta! Brought back from season 1 to die instantly. Oh wow. The SPN-way. But at least I dig the story. And Jody is here. And Sam is sweet to Jack. I’m fine.

13:4 The big empty - Cass is in the upsidedown. Jack goes hunting. Incidently, this discrepancy between the brothers is the kind I can get behind because it’s based on something real - a new family member, the loss of another, not some abstract drama where one of them lets their fear get the better of them and creates drama w/o even talking to the other. Spooky space entity in the big empty. Misha Collins, everyone! Nice. A kind shapeshifter. ”Even monsters can do good in this world.” Dean communicating sincerely. ”I need you to keep the faith, for both of us.” Cass - An angel so annoying that the big empty itself spat him back out.

13:5 Advanced Thanatology - honestly the brothers, loving them extra much this season, even when they argue. Hung-over Dean. Fun. Killing yourself for three minutes... Jeez, have you learned nothing ? No? Oh ok. It’s just a little death. And Sam’s reaction is more exhasperated than anything, it’s... funny. And then: ”I saw Cass kill you!” Yeah, like that matters. Also nice that the show finally ties up that whole how-do-people-die-w-no-death-thing.

13:6 Tombstone - STOP using ”but you died” as an excuse why people shouldn’t be back! Coming back from the dead isn’t just reserved for the Winchesters you know! Team free will 2.0. Nice! ”He’s an angry sleeper, like a bear” *spits out coffee* are you trying to kill me?! ”It’s good to have you back, Cass” to be constantly baffled by you. Jeez, the cringe! And the undertaker! Looking like a retro pinup crossed w Rosie the riveter! What a treat. Dean being a fanboy (and oh technically, couldn’t this obsession with cowboy-criminals count as a true crime -fad? No? Oh well.) Dean crawling through the ghoul-paths, referencing Die Hard. Good episode. Dean forgiving Jack. Sweet. Too bad Jack’s having none of it. They *have* raised a Winchester.

13:7 War of the worlds - a torture scene is the quickest way for me to start rooting for whoever is being tortured. Even Lucifer. Hey, and it’s also the quickest way to end up- if not on the fail list, then at least off the fave list. Oh, Ketch is back. Gun, mouth, now. Noooo, a twin! Shoot me twice. Fail list. Can’t be helped. Lucifer coming to Castiel’s rescue and burnin the brothers ”with their second-guessing and whining.” And Asmodeus showing up. Luci being sassy. Oh gods. Not an evil twin. I’m changing my mind, it stays on the fave list- what’s going? Oh I know: it’s an entire season of a soap crammed into one Supernatural episode. All the soap-tropes. It’s hysterical!

13:8 The scorpion and the frog - Dean insulting Smash’s excellent shoes. I rly don’t think you are in a position to criticize anyone’s wardrobe. Smash and Grab are funny. And the setting is too. And the brothers are really excellently cast in their roles in this heist: Sam as the awkward nerd and Dean as Mr TCB. Dean putting his hand into the bocca della verita! Sam: ”Dean! He’s immortal!” Dean: *knocks Shrike out*. Oh Dean. ”I just had an idea, but it’s a little crazy.” ”I’m good with crazy.” Crazy’s the only game in town. The Winchesters and the curveballs. Rolling Shrike in front of them. Brilliant! Good ending. But Sam! You know how to kill anything but you don’t know that you don’t blow on a burning piece of paper to put it out? .... *shrugs* that actually makes sense.

13:9 The bad place - instantly liking this artist. Crazy about the premise 3 minutes in. And very upset 5 minutes in. Poor Derek! The return of Patience, I’m equally pleased and distraught, stay away, girl! And Kaia! And Dean coming around to Jack. That’s sweet. Jeez, is that a helicopter shot. Hella pretty! Omg! Finally giant monster time! *chills* i have been waiting for this my whole life.

13:10 Wayward sisters - Holy hell. This season has been frickin awesome so far, and now I get all my babies together. Saving Sam and Dean. Finding Kaia. My heart is just full of rainbows.

13:12 Various and sundry villains - Oh no! I liked Dale. See here we are again, using actors from previous seasons: it’s the chick from Twihard and apparently she’s not random enough. Ugh . Oh! So this is a goofy!Dean episode! Those are usually welcome. The setup for this is very annoying though. Thank godess for Rowena! Bringing all the truths. I think I love her. Woah. Killing the girls like that. Harsh. Sam being soft and giving her the spell. I love him.

13:17 The thing - this episode makes me realise there’s not enough tentacles in Supernatural. Gabriel! Back with the boys! I’m so pleased.

13:18 Bring ’em back alive - Charlie! Gabriel! Lucifer! This is just a deeply satisfying episode. On multipel levels. I love the characters standing up for themselves, in different ways. Charlie’s simple line: ”that’s not your call” struck a cord; not everybody chooses to join your fight, some have their own and the right walk away from yours.

13:19 Funeralia - the right amount of silly according to Mr Mess and that counts for something around here. Sam showing genuine remorse at shooting Rowena and Rowena being genuinely upset that he would. I’m moved. And Rowena’s consession. The boys giving Rowena a pep talk! My heart!

Fail episodes in chronological order:

13:11 Breakdown - Donna is always a win, but dark and gritty? And monsters on the internet. Nah. Too much torture porn.

13:22 Exodus - have I mentioned that I don’t watch Supernatural for the post-apocalyptic scenarios? If I’m expected to deal with that type of grit I’m gonna need a whole lot more kissing.

13:13 Devil’s bargain - Ketch’s mere presence is enough to put this episode on the fail list. If he’s gonna be in this show the least he could do is to regrow that beard of his. Also the fact that Lucifer simply cannot chill. Gabriel is back but alas, doesn’t make up for the episode.

Honorable mentions:

Og and Magog are two hoots and a half.

The animators making the brothers equally tall in Scoobynatural. That’s adorable!

Camo-Samo in the final episodes.

Jack saying I love you to Sam in the final episode kinda killed me.

Mediocre mentions:

The rising son - Can tell pretty early that this is gonna bore me, and it does, but any scene with Jack and the boys is good. ”What would Mr Rogers do?” Good question. ”Dean feels like he has to protect everyone.”

Unfinished business - always here for Gabriel/Loki stuff, especially when it involves both Gabriel and Loki. But idk, vengence as a theme... not my favorite. Mary is sweet though.

Beat the devil - Rowena and Gabriel, I’m just so happy. But wtf were they thinking leaving Rowena w Lucifer. That pisses me off. Almost so that I can’t enjoy the reunion of Jack and Sam. Almost.

Summing up:

The shining star of this season is Jack.

It feels a bit like this is what I’ve been waiting for, for the boys to use what they know constructively and practically and personally: when they’ve met people in need of guidence before they’ve ditched them with someone they’ve deemed as more maternal but now they take Jack with them, which allows them both to be big brothers. That’s good.

[izayoichan]

After leading him through the house, he finally opens the door, a room filled with books, posters and a general feeling of comfort appearing.

“Here you go, the den of the game master.” “You know, I have always wanted to try out this DnD stuff. But I never had any friends to play with, and the guys I hang with at school are the beer, fists and weed kind of guys so, I can't exactly suggest we go play DnD instead of going around kicking trashcans like we're so "rebel"...” “So does this mean you want to join properly, and not just be the comedy frog you were last time?”^ “I am game if you are!”

Rylan chuckles, grabbing a bunch of books, paper to write on, and a small bag that is filled with dice, putting it between them on the sofa. 

“Well part one, what would you like to play as?”

“I don't know? Warlock I guess? Oh! But the type of warlock who summons animals and stuff! Like a nature warlock, can I be that?” “Hmh. Nah, sorry in this game's rules warlocks only summon the undead.. but, but the sound of it, you want to be a Beastmaster.”

Takes one of the books, flipping quickly through the pages, handing it to River when he finds the right one. 

“Can I have a dragon companion?”  “Not at first and only if you are really lucky later on”

Hands him the book in his hands

“These are the different races you can play as a beastmaster: Human, Elf, half-elf, Tabaxi, and Arakocra, I marked them for you, so you can see which one you like the most”

Leaning back he watches River, admitting this was not quite how he imagined the evening to be, but he also had to admit, he did not mind one bit. It was actually very fun to see River like this, so into something he would never even have guessed. 

“So I can be a cat or a bird?... No half-dragons? I guess I can be a human then.” “Yes, sorry, the Dragonborn are fighters and have no spells in this game, silly I know. Now... a name?”

Holds a paper in his hand, where he writes down everything they have talked about so far, filling in his characters sheet as they go. 

“Can't we change that? or are those fixed rules in-game?

Rubs the back off his head, trying to think of a name

“Flynn River? I know, sucky name, Rapunzel “ fixed rules made by the ones that has made the game, I'd need to make a full my own version if I was to allow that, and I'm not that good at this yet. Could do that, or...”

Flips the pages off the books until they land on human names

“Maybe these would help, although I do like Flynn” “ I think you could make your own. I'd help, sure Hayden and Vy would too. Flynn it is.”

Laughs and looks over the names

“Flynn Anders? How about this one?” “Would take a lot off time though, would have to make a ruleset entirely off our own making for every class and race. It sounds like a fun challenge though... And yes, sounds good to me.

Adds it to the paper, writing up the basic stats of humans, then hands the pouch with the dies to River - 

“Now you find a d20... Ehm, just use the book and pour them all out, you'll need the set for playing later.” “ Wait, what?” “D&D uses a different type of dices for different things”

Stretches over him taking up one die.

“They are pretty much called depending on how many sides they have, this one having 20, so they call it d 20 for short. You need to throw it once for each stat so I can add that number to the base stat of your race and class.”  “Oooh! Got it. So I throw the dice for each stat and it tells me which stat points I have? Okay, I can do that. Wait. can I like upgrade stats as the story goes?” “Yep, when you gain experience you get points and you can choose where you think they will benefit you the most. You're rolling a d20 to catch you up to the rest of the group, stats-wise” “Oh! And there won't be a problem with me joining your group? And more importantly, so I get perks from dating the game master?” “Nah, I made it so I can add people along the way, just have to put your character on the way off the group, so you meet up.”

Chuckles and shakes his head 

“Nope, no perks other than maybe a kiss afterward, now finish the rolls and I will check what summons you can choose from” Mods and does as he told, getting the rest of the rolls, smiles at Rylan and sneaks a kiss from him, very quickly with a grin. Rylan just smiling, handing him yet another book as he finishes adding the rolls he just did to the character sheet.

“Okay, you can with your stats choose a main summon of a wolf, bear, snake or boar... And a scout summon is either eagle, hawk or..” 

Flips through a couple of pages, stopping at a leafy looking tiny pink dragon.

“ah look... Pixie dragon. You can use that as a scout.” “There are pixie dragons?! Okay! I totally want this! I don't care if it's pink, fairy-like and adorable! It's a dragon! Can I teach it to hoard coins and jewelry on my pouch?”  “Nah but they are very good scouts, so handy have, and the other, the one that will fight with you?” “It would be cool though. Imagine it decides to hoard flowers instead so my bag is also conveniently full of healing herbs because my pet dragons likes flowers! Can I have a wolf?”  “Yeah, either a Worgen or a dire wolf, you had some pretty nice rolls there”

Chuckles at the concept off the small dragons bringing back flowers and herbs whenever it scouts. “Hmh... I might actually allow it to bring back stuff while scouting, but only on a very high roll on a d20.” “ Direwolf then. We can call him Lobo. or maybe that's too obvious... Farkas if he turns out to be black. And cool! I hope he brings flowers I can gift the "princess" with”

Rylan just shakes his head, as the two off them finish up the last finishing touches of the character, Rylan explaining a bit of the game as they go. His attention suddenly caught by the fact that River put’s his hand on his cheek, pulling him up from the books kissing him.  

“I like seeing you like this, doing something you have fun with. It’s like a new side of you I missed out on seeing.”

Blushing slightly, he tells River how this was originally Hayden's idea, to give them things they could do together, even with him being sick a lot, this was normally something he would be able to do. 

“I’ll talk to my mom about new years even then, so we can play. And you are sure they won’t mind?”

He had asked who they played with, learning that it was friends from school as well as some family members of theirs. River slowly growing tired yawning every now and then. 

“ Maybe we should head back so you can get some sleep, I can just watch some movies or plot stories on my phone.” “I can always lay on your lap and sleep here while you plot? When did you get taller than me?" “When you lie down, I seem taller than you, dummy. And are you sure, the bed is probably more comfortable, although I admit to not knowing that fully.” “Alright, let's go try out your bed, then I can attest it's comfy or not.”

jumps up and grabs Rylan's hand pulling him up- 

“Lead the way, my fair princess.”

🎶

Beginning - Previous - Next

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Similar how we were able to choose our new wand after our old one got broken, what would be some ways you’d want to personalize your MC through the story? Possibly through certain choices?

This is such an interesting question and it really highlights a fundamental issue that I think people have with the game. The protagonist is open-ended, in a story that is basically linear. Jam City has tried to strike a balance between writing Jacob’s Sibling as a character that leads the HPHM plot, with their own background, goals and motivations, their own feelings...but they’ve also gone out of their way to let this character be someone the player can project on as an avatar. Provided as much customization as they could without disrupting the flow of the story. I personally feel like a lot of the issues people have with the writing of the game’s story, and with the lack of ability to personalize MC...can both be traced back to Jam City trying to do two things at once. The story could be a lot stronger if they weren’t afraid to give MC more canon characterization - and we could personalize MC a lot more if this wasn’t such a personal story for them, but it is. We call them “Jacob’s Sibling” for a reason, after all. 

All that said...there are a number of little things that I think could make the game so much stronger. 

More complicated choices. I once received an Ask that proposed the idea of R asking MC “Is she your friend?” About Beatrice. But the issue with that idea is that the game would only remember if I said “No.” It would take that as me canonizing that I don’t like Beatrice...there’s no room for the very real possibility that MC would lie to protect her, which I personally would. I’m not about to confirm to R that anyone is my friend, since they seem to have a vested interest in killing our friends. But to the game, if I say they aren’t my friend, it can only be that my character doesn’t see them as a friend. This is what I’m talking about - choices with more nuance. Instead of “Yes/No” how about “Yes,” “No,” and “No (Lie.)” It wouldn’t need to be crazy, but sometimes it gets frustrating when the choices offered are a simple A and B, but your answer is “A, because-” 

Let our choices matter, when you can afford to. For the most part, MC’s choices don’t actually affect the story - other than which character you bring on certain outings. The same plot plays out regardless, you can just decide how your MC feels about everything. For the main story-line, I understand that. But what about the TLSQs? What if a TLSQ was to have multiple endings, based on choices that were made? And you could get different rewards based on those choices? What if we could choose to let Rowan be Prefect instead of MC at the end of that quest? What if we could decide not to bring Merula to the Burrow, and not forgive her? What if someone else could win the All Wizard Tournament? They’ve toyed with this idea before (in the Frog Choir TLSQ, for example.) but there’s still so much further they could take it. 

MC may have a canon story-line and background, but that doesn’t answer everything. What if we could fill in the blanks? There’s been no mention of MC’s father, so maybe we could decide where he fits in to the picture? Even if it was just as simple as choosing between “My Dad is dead,” “My parents are divorced” and “I don’t know.” Like it would be simple enough, but the player could choose whichever option fits their characters’ backstory the most. Another one - where does MC live? Could be as simple as “In the country,” “In the city” or “We move around a lot.” Another one - what are MC’s summer plans? Again, the choices can be simple, “I’m going to visit the Weasleys,” “I’m going to visit Rowan,” or “I’m going to spend some time with Mum.” Like these might seem simple, but I bet that would go a long way and that fans would appreciate it.

There are other things that are simply too late to change at this point - I personally do not like that MC’s Boggart is Voldemort. I cannot stand that. Even if we weren’t going to be given some kind of choice...it should have been Jacob. That would have made way more sense on a narrative level. I used to think that they didn’t do that because they didn’t want to reveal what Jacob looked like, but that ship has obviously sailed. (Side note: I wish we could have gone into a design screen when Jacob was rescued. Our beloved egg-head doesn’t have the worst design ever, but...it could be better.) There are still some things that haven’t been confirmed - what does MC smell in Amortentia? What do they see in the Mirror of Erised? Things that could be confirmed in TLSQs even if the story had to bend sideways to make it happen. I mean, they’ve been hilariously shameless about that in the past, “Obviously, no one chooses their Patronus, but if you could choose, MC...what would it be? Just pretend this decided it.” And I really didn’t mind that minor breaking of the illusion because hey, what else were they supposed to do? I’d love to see more of that too. 

[foegold]

people be wanting to know about a lil blue bastard. this ones long as hell so its under the cut jsdhfg

Your character wasn’t an adventurer, what livelihood would they lead?

farmer! he’d just keep living the way he’d been living. it’s the sort of life he imagines he’ll return to one day, after he’s seen and done enough. ‘enough’ is a really arbitrary end goal though

Who in the party would your character trust the most with their life?

who in the party wouldn’t he trust with his life tbh. in the most literal sense he’d trust Eli with it just because he knows Eli can bring him back from dying in some stupid and ill-advised way

What are your character’s core moral beliefs?

frogs are good, try to be nice to people but if they’re mean to you first then at least a few bets are off, the rich should probably be eaten. killing is sometimes necessary but maybe try some other stuff first

What relationship does your character have with their parents and siblings?

he doesn’t have any siblings, and his relationship with his mom and recently present dad is. a little weird, and not all the way comfortable, and not like really bad, but just confusing? it’s confusing. at least he’s had more transparency from his mom recently than just about any other time. it’s a start

Does your character have any biases for or against certain races?

he trusts other tieflings a little quicker than other races but its not really saying much because he’s not smart and if you’re good at talking and sound like you know what you’re talking about he’ll just believe you. he doesn’t have the good sense to second think it without prompting

What is your character’s opinion on nobility? On authority?

so far just about every interaction with nobility has been messy or bad or scary or all three so right now the opinion is “not great”. also thats just too much money. whaddahell would you do with that much money.  he’s generally uneasy with authority figures at best, and flat out paralyzed by them at worst. he’s easy to bully when he doesn’t have anyone backing him up and he knows and hates it

Describe your character’s current appearance: clothes, armor, scars they’ve picked up along the journey, etc.

he cycles through an assortment of sweaters but the one he wears the most is the heart sweater he got in Wunjo that’s been altered a few times in the last few months. he do keep collecting those scars tho, before starting adventuring he had a handful of minor scars just from working around the farm with the animals and the equipment and from romping around in the country. now he’s got all sorts, but the most prominent ones are: the thin scar on the left side of his face, starting just below the eyebrow and curving gently below his eye (the last time Leo would leave a mark on him); the twisted angry scars across his torso from being mauled by a giant undead horse(?); and the fluid, patterned necromancy scars slowly spreading across his back, creeping along inch by inch

What location encountered in the campaign has your character felt the most “at home” in, or just generally liked the most?

besides his own house, Roman’s house has been the nicest! its warm and theres soup and friends there. there was a run down little ranch house somewhere at some point, but he’s not so sure anymore that he didn’t just dream about fixing the place up with his best friend

What deity, if any, does your character worship? What’s their opinion on other people’s worship?

he doesn’t have a god he actively worships, but he’s peripherally aware of the god in the mountains that’s responsible for some of the most brutal storms in the region. he doesn’t care much about religion but hes got the same amount of concern most people would have about evil deities and what their followers do

If your character had time to pick up any artisan’s tools, game set, instrument, etc., what would it be?

probably woodworking! its handy, it’s useful for living out in the country where you have to either make the tools or furniture or fun items to put on a shelf you want, or go out of your way and also spend money to get them. maybe an actual alchemy set and/or poison kit but 1) playing with poison just a fun hobby for him and Xan to get into when they have the time and the plants for it, and 2) man he wouldnt follow the instruction manual anyway so whats the point

What aspect of your character’s future are they most curious about? (If they could know one thing about the future, what would it be?)

will his friends be okay? will he be okay? is there an FAQ for tieflings learning that they’re much closer to fiend lineage than they originally thought? that would be convenient and helpful. is john gonna figure out more about the little men named ‘adam’ that’re allegedly everywhere?  if he could know one thing about the future, he’d like to know if everything will end out okay. if things will turn out as nice as he’d like them to.

What colors are associated with your character?

looks at the camera like im on the office

blue, white, and black are the big ones but im trying to pepper in a few other colors. reds and yellows are a close second

Who in the party would your character prioritize rescuing, in dire circumstances?

everyone sits squarely in the #1 spot on the rescue list

that aside john and roman are extremely high priority, they’re not the sturdiest and if something looked at them too hard they might keel over. baster and xan come next, he knows baster’s a shit brick house but he keeps seeing bad things happen to her and really hes just had Enough of it. eli’s a little lower priority because they can heal themselves if they’re in a tight spot, and then blu considers himself least concern. he knows he can get thrashed around some and still survive, he’d rather take a beating and know he’ll walk out of it than let someone else take it and wind up dead

Is your character the most swayed by ethos, pathos, or logos?

pathos, it’s easy to make him feel for u. legit any of them work though as long as you talk it up good enough he’ll believe you and if there aren’t any glaring conflicts between what you’re selling him and his base morals then it’s relatively easy to get him on board

If your character was granted a single use of Wish, what would they use it for?

idk probably something really simple that he put all of .5 of a second of thought into. hes not smart and doesnt have good foresight so he’d probably ask for a frog or smth unless there was something very much more pressing and present

What is your character’s favorite spell? If they don’t use spells: what is their favorite personal weapon/combat maneuver/skill/etc.?

favorite(?) spell is life transference. it hurts a bit but it keeps his friends safe so it’s worth it. invisibility is up there too, its fun and easy to steal from stores when ur not visible

How does your character feel about keeping secrets from the rest of the party?

he doesn’t like lying and also lies really poorly. he’s usually just honest from the get-go, its easier and feels better. if he has to lie its through omission, bold faced lies really just dont work

What type of creature in the world is your character the most intrigued by?

all sorts....bro the world is full of animals and lots of them like to be pet

When they were a child, what did your character want to be, or think they were going to be, when they grew up?

he thought he’d grow up and be a farmer like his mom, the adventuring thing was extremely unplanned and impromptu. he hoped he could be a kind and brave person though, the way Canna described his dad.

The player character to your left admits that they’re passionately in love with your character. How would your character respond?

random roll says it’s Roman, he’d probably laugh because the only reason that would happen is because the party is fooling around with potions again. Roman’s very married and very in love with his husband and makes sure everyone knows it all the time

If somebody (an NPC, someone from their backstory, etc.) your character trusts/loves asked your character to do something against the party’s best interest, who would they side with?

that doesn’t seem like a very viable circumstance, the only npc thats important enough that he’d listen to for something like that is his mom and she actively encourages him to take care of himself and his friends, and lets him make his own decisions about what he’s doing with his life, so

What unusual talents does your character possess?

idk if its all that unusual of a talent but he got really good at stealing and pickpocketing and he can do a sick flip. also does some black magic sometimes

What does your character’s name represent to them? (Or: why as a player did you choose your character’s name?)

it’s his name, u kno. bluebell is his middle name, but Canna called him bluebell growing up and he latched onto it a lot more than arden, and he thinks its a nice name, and a nice flower, and it sure would be nice if people would stop laughing when he introduces himself as “Blu”,

(blu was originally a stand-in name until i named him something else but it really grew on me and it fit him so! it didnt change, he just got other names too)

What major arcana tarot card best represents your character?

The Moon. 👀

What is your character’s relationship with magic? Are they scared of it, wish to know more about it, indifferent to it?

he’s def scared of magic sometimes, especially his own. he also really wants to understand it better though, and be less scared, or at least control it better. imo it’s a healthy fear, theres been lots of magic mishaps 

How did your character learn the languages that they speak?

he learned common and infernal from mom! and he’s learning draconic from xan. it’s a nice downtime activity, sit down with ur best friend and homie and learn a new language just for fun

[twentysomethinginorlando]

This was part of the article I posted on Tuesday, but I’m pulling it out here as it’s own thing.

Early into the quarantine, I ordered two childhood PC video games off Amazon: Barbie Pet Rescue and Barbie Riding Club. Trying to get games from 1995 and 1998 to run on our computers was no easy feat, thank goodness Jay still has his laptop running on Windows 7, and I had such a good time with them. Sadly, neither one has a ton of content and it didn’t take me long to finish them.

I’m really not a gamer person normally. I’ve played Zoo Tycoon for years, but that’s about it. Jay’s been trying to get me to play World of Warcraft for the better part of four years now. The one time he got me to try it, I made it to level seven, my character got turned into a frog, I had a panic attack, and I quit.

(I have a horrific fear of frogs, which is a story I will share at some point if I haven’t already, but not today.)

However, this led to me searching the internet for another horse game I could play, since I beat Barbie Riding Club in less than three hours.  

Yes, I was absolutely one of those horse girls everyone makes fun of when I was younger, and I still love horses. One of my greatest simple pleasures in life is a show on Netflix called Spirit Riding Free. I also got Jay hooked on it, and we introduced a bunch of our friends to it in a Netflix Watch Party. It’s all that ten-year-old Chelsea wanted in life.

Turns out it is still something twenty-eight-year-old Chelsea wants in life, and I found it in a game called Star Stable. 

So, you start it, and there’s some mystical stuff in the intro, but you don’t think about it too much. It’s just you and your horse, and it’s like Barbie Riding Club but ten times better. You start doing races and doing quests to help people and taking care of your horse. You can buy pets, and different gear, and more horses. Now you’re going on adventures and meeting new people, and unlocking new areas, and you think it’s just horses, riding, smiles, and happiness.

Then somebody opens the Hellmouth.

(Hellmouth is a term from Buffy the Vampire Slayer if you’re not familiar.)

Now, you’re helping this super-secret organization trying to stop the forces of darkness. Everyone else is playing Animal Crossing, and I’m trying to help a talking squirrel prevent the end of the world.

I have to admit, it’s a little frightening how much time I’ve logged on this game. I’ve had entire days where I’ve done nothing else. Once I maxed out my free trial, I bought a month’s subscription, and then about a week later their LIFETIME membership went on sale and I went ahead and bought that.

Chelsea! You just got married! You should be spending time with your husband!

He’s sitting right behind me on his computer playing WoW or Sea of Thieves, I promise you. He’s actually really mad my game has a lifetime option. He’s been paying for WoW monthly for almost fourteen years.  

My only regret is that I didn’t choose my character’s name more carefully because I had no idea how much I was going to love this. So, until they make it an option to change your name, I’m stuck as Phoenix Seastorm. (I like Phoenix, I just wish I’d picked something besides Seastorm.) Unlike World of Warcraft, you can’t just type what you want your name to be. You have to choose from preset options to keep it safe for kids.

This is also the reason I don’t talk to anyone on this game and I’ve ignored every friend request I’ve gotten. I’m sure there are as many adults as there are kids on this game, but I don’t want to take any chances. I got Jay to play the free trial and start us a riding club, just so I could join it in order to get people to stop sending me riding club invitations.

We’re the Sea Explorers Society, because it was the closest we could get to the S.E.A.: the Society of Explorers and Adventurers.

If you’re wondering, Jay’s name is Jayla Junglebook, because of course it is.  

The only real problem I’ve had is this game is not meant to be played for so many hours a day. I’ve blown through so many of the side-quests that I really only have the main quest now until I can unlock some more stuff.

I even bought the first novel off Amazon, and I blew through that in one sitting too. When I like something, I tend to go all in. Jay’s already aware that when we eventually go back to work, there will be days he’s going to have to log in for me to feed my horses because I won’t have time after my fourteen-hour shift.

I currently have three horses, a bunny, and a spider. I won the spider after rescuing a bunch of other spiders from a freaking Spidernado, like Sharknado, but with spiders.  

Now, I have to pause because spellcheck didn’t mark Sharknado as a misspelling…

This game has lots of pop culture references, and all sorts of interesting side quests and activities. In addition to all the horse stuff, you can do archaeology, you can go fishing, you help with construction, you help with gardening, and so much more.  

I honestly wish I had found this game sooner. Not only because of how much fun I’m having, but because from May 2017 to May 2019, you could adopt Spirit from Spirit Riding Free in the game. Guess what you can’t do now. I’m still pouting.

I’m desperately hoping they might bring him back when the Spirit Riding Free movie comes out next year.

Right now, all the new content they’re releasing in game is based on Western riding because they just released this new area called Starshine Ranch. Which is awesome for a lot of people, but I grew up riding Western so it’s less exciting for me. Oh well, that means there’s more exciting things to come around the corner!

I keep wanting to start a Star Stable blog separate from Twenty Something, but Jay keeps begging me not to. “You’re allowed to just have fun. You don’t need to turn it into work.”

[ntnchamp2]

What books are on your nightstand?

George Saunders’s “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline” and “Three Women,” by Lisa Taddeo.

What’s the last great book you read?

“So the Wind Won’t Blow It All Away,” by Richard Brautigan.

Describe your ideal reading experience (when, where, what, how).

Wine. Armchair. Raining. Or reading in the same room as someone else who’s reading. It’s rare, but there’s a particular sort of peace to it.

What’s your favorite book no one else has heard of?

“I Saw Esau: The Schoolchild’s Pocket Book,” edited by Iona Opie and Peter Opie with illustrations by Maurice Sendak. It’s a collection of chants and rhymes for children that I was given by my very conservative grandmother. She didn’t realize what kind of subversive, morbid glory was in there. It haunted her for years as I learned everything by heart and recited it to her endlessly.

Which playwrights and other writers — novelists, critics, journalists, poets — working today do you admire most?

There are so many, but I’m perpetually in waiting — and I’m not alone — for Donald Glover’s next work. Kim Addonizio’s poetry gives me physical energy, particularly “For Desire” and “What Do Women Want?” Kate Tempest is our modern philosopher, Carole Cadwalladr changed the world and Natasha Gordon is one of the most exciting playwrights out there right now.

You were brought in to work on the latest James Bond script. Have you read the original Bond books by Ian Fleming — and if so, what do you think are the best and worst?

I hadn’t read them, but started while I was working on the movie. I don’t want to say which ones I was inspired by just yet.

What book would you most like to see turned into a movie or TV show that hasn’t already been adapted?

Daphne du Maurier’s “The Blue Lenses” would be a trip. You’d have to be high.

What character from literature would you most like to play?

Cathy Ames in “East of Eden,” by John Steinbeck, although Jodie Comer is perfect casting for her. I actually opened the pitch document for “Killing Eve” with Steinbeck’s description of his monstrous beauty. It’s a passage that stopped me in my tracks when I first read it. I’d never come across such a twisted female character. It was electrifying to read. Even her author was obsessed by her.

What writers are especially good on frustrated love?

Ernest Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway.

Has a book ever brought you closer to another person, or come between you?

I am always drawn to people who love “The Master and Margarita,” by Mikhail Bulgakov.

What’s the most interesting thing you learned from a book recently?

That orgasms can be brought on by art, and vice versa.

Which subjects do you wish more authors would write about?

I wish more people would write from the point of view of tiny, witty animals.

What moves you most in a work of literature?

When someone finds a new way to describe love or grief.

Or when you realize that the storyteller has been doing something to you without you realizing. Sometimes just the artistry of the writing can move me! I love being manipulated!

Do you prefer books that reach you emotionally, or intellectually?

Agh, if I had to choose, I’d say emotionally. But ideally there’s both.

How do you organize your books?

I don’t! They are all over the place!

What book might people be surprised to find on your shelves?

I’m a big fan of Charles Bukowski. He was an old dog, but I love how visceral his writing is.

Have you ever changed your opinion of a book based on information about the author?

“Frankenstein” took my breath away, but when I discovered Mary Shelley was 19 when she wrote it my head blew off.

Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine? Your favorite antihero or villain?

I do have a penchant for an antiheroine/hero. I prefer not to know exactly how I feel about a character. I definitely started walking like a badass while reading Lisbeth Salander. I was horrified yet set alight by the brutal amorality of Sebastian Dangerfield from J. P. Donleavy’s “The Ginger Man,” and I’ll never quite shake the impact of Cheryl Glickman from “The First Bad Man,” by Miranda July. Humbert Humbert in “Lolita” was the most unforgettable, uncomfortable relationship I’ve had with a character I can remember. There are so many!

What kind of reader were you as a child? Which childhood books and authors stick with you most?

I was obsessive about particular books. There’s no cool way of saying this but I was really into irreverent poetry for my first decade and a half. Most likely set off by my poor grandmother. I never went anywhere without my copy of “Thawing Frozen Frogs,” by Brian Patten. The Point Horror books were a feature, Roald Dahl was a champion, but Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy defined me as a young reader. I lived between those pages. I remember the physical ache of wanting to be deep in those worlds. I even wrote to Pullman asking if I could play Lyra. Still waiting.

How have your reading tastes changed over time?

I don’t really know. I just want to be transported. I’m still intimidated by massive tomes. Looking back, I started out feeling reading was an escape, then a chore, then a habit, then a luxury. Only now I’ve realized what a necessity it is, and how easily it’s taken for granted.

Have you ever gotten in trouble for reading a book?

Well, of course the sexy ’70s classic “Forever,” by Judy Blume, was banned from my school because a Certain Page was getting the students all sweaty. But any number of detentions were worth being caught with it and I had … one or two detentions. Not dissimilarly, years later, I picked up Anaïs Nin’s “Little Birds” while browsing Waterstones and stood frozen there, entranced, for about an hour until an employee had to remind my flushed face that Waterstones isn’t a library and I had to remind myself that erotic short stories should be read in private.

You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?

Definitely Shakespeare. I want to look that guy in the eye. I’d tell him there were other people invited, so he would definitely come. But in the end there’d just be an intense little table in a tiny room, lit by a single candle and me saying: “O.K. Come on. How the f—”

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: What book did you feel as if you were supposed to like, and didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

Ha. I’m not going to tell you that.

What do you plan to read next?

“Ghost Wall,” by Sarah Moss, and “Fleishman Is in Trouble,” by Taffy Brodesser-Akner.