#I’m not including the main cast because that’s too easy

[kathaynesart]

Replica Anniversary DTIYS!

Well, it was one year ago today that I started Replica!  It’s been a wonderful experience so far and I wanted to do something fun to show my appreciation to you all!  So in celebration I want to do my very first DTIYS, but we’re going to do this one a little differently. 

YOUR MISSION: to design a comic cover for the upcoming Replica Holiday Special that is all about the birth of Casey Jr:

The year is 2028, eight years before the start of Replica.  The Central Park Colony is still going strong and the turtles now must protect an expecting Cassandra Jones from the very people they are sworn to defend. 

As far as theme that is entirely up to you!  I’ve always found comic covers to be fun because they don’t necessarily have to show what happens in the actual story. So if you want Casey Senior holding up Junior on Pride Rock, Lion King style?  That’s great. You want to do an epic pose of the turtles battling Krang while trying to defend the Caseys?  Perfect.  You want to have Casey Junior bursting out of a Krang’s stomach like a Xenomorph???  Okay weird, but I’ll accept it so long as it’s not too gory!  Also the cover doesn’t  have to be Casey centric, I just want to see what you all come up with! (Note: please no NSFW art)

I have included character sheets and some visual development as reference for how the characters will look at this point in the story (though you do not need to strictly follow it. Feel free to give it your own artistic twist).  I will also include a PNG of the logo in case you have a vision for how you want it to be incorporated. Note you don’t have to use the logo but if yours is picked as the winner I will be putting a logo in there somewhere!

PRIZES: 3rd Place: an OC of yours will get to be a bg character in Replica (note the character cannot be an AU version of one of the main cast for obvious reasons). 2nd Place: a black and white commission of one character of your choosing. 1st Place: your cover front and center in the Replica lineup (with credit of course) as well as a 1-2 character commission w/ color (please no nsfw requests for either commission). 

DUE DATE: NOVEMBER 19 (gives you all 2 months)

IMPORTANT: please use #replica DTIYS hashtag for easy search Also please DM me with your finished cover on Tumblr (otherwise I might miss it!)

NOTE: while not mandatory you’ll probably want the piece to be around the typical comic cover vertical 2:3 ratio (10x15" for example).

DISCLAIMERS:

I’ve never done an event like this before so I’ll admit I’m a little nervous.  Don’t know if this will even gain any traction but I just want people to have good time and get creative :) 

This is all just for fun so please do not push yourself too hard!

Let me know if you have any other questions and have fun!

[mydearlybeloathed]

𝐈 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ³

𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞...

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: a ghost from your past makes a surprise appearance, dragging forth all the regrets and wishes you'd spent years trying to drown. and yet, some strange string of Fate keeps you and the future king of the pirates intertwined, for better or for worse.

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: opla!luffy x gn!reader

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3.6k

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: use of Y/N, gn reader, ANGST, alcohol, an existential crisis probably

𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬: the 1 (long pond), i want to live, son of nyx

series masterlist

If someone asked you how many years you’d been a marine, your answer would be uhm, well, less than five, because the actual number was lost to you. But you knew it’d been less than five. Being with the marines for any longer was a thought that shot nausea straight to your gut.

However long it’d been, things had reached a comfortable norm. You rarely saw Koby those days. Back when you were stationed on the same ship, you and he had grown close, finding something familiar in the soul of the other. Now Koby was a captain, you were just under him in rank as a commander, and the two of you were under different commands. 

You rarely noticed when a day passed anymore. It was all a numbing cycle of chores, reports, and arrests—repeat. Your cohorts had taken to a game they called Make-Y/N-Crack, in which they did everything in their power to draw any sort of reaction from you.

No one had won so far, your deadpan too seeped into your whole being that you’d near forgotten how to smile.

Your main indicator of a passage of time was the wear and tear of Luffy’s wanted poster, one of his very first, and certainly not his last. It was faded in some places and torn in a corner, but you held it close to you wherever you went, including the island your ship was stopped at for supplies. 

Given that the ship would be there for a few days, you and your fellows had one night to yourselves to roam the town and do as you pleased. 

“Commander—”

“We’re off duty, Nia. Call me my name,” you said evenly, cutting off the soldier girl. Nia burned bright red, mouth snapping shut. You sighed. “What do you need?”

“Well, I was just wondering why you’re going that way?” she asked, jutting her chin at the side street you’d been headed toward when she called you back. Behind Nia, a rowdy crowd of fellow marines waited for their friend to join, each casting you a contemplative kind of glower. “We’re all headed to the bar, if you wanted to come?”

They all hated you, for reasons you didn't bother to fathom. All except Nia, who was possibly too gentle to be a commissioned marine, in your opinion. “I’m fine. I know where I’m going.”

She nodded once and turned tail, jogging after her friends who nudged her shoulder with a tease you didn’t catch. You stood for a moment and watched them go; you watched their easy smiles and close camaraderie, and you missed that.

Koby flourished in this line of work, setting out everyday to make this world better. You felt you should be doing the same—that you were doing the same—but it all felt so useless. So mundane. Worthless.

You had yet to cross paths with the pirate Monkey D. Luffy. It hadn't yet been a decade, but what if ten years did pass? What then? Would you continue as you are, mindlessly walking a path you’d carved for yourself?

“I need a drink,” you muttered, turning back down the dimly lit street. 

You were somewhat familiar with the town, having been here once before around a year ago. Koby had been with you then, that being one of your last weeks together before he was promoted and moved to a different ship.

It was your intention to find the cozy tavern once again to maybe mull over some of your less-bitter memories. That thought had you running a hand over your face. What’s become of me?

Sometimes you forgot why you’d joined the marines, and then the poster tucked into the pocket of your coat burned with the reminder. Other times, you wondered why you stayed after all this time (you hadn't found a decent answer for that yet).

You found it was easier to get drunk than to wonder where your decisions had led you.

The moment you stepped into the tavern a wave of warm air hit you, along with the odor of sweat, alcohol, and bread. Not the most pleasing combination, but you trudged inside and beelined for the bar anyway. 

The bartender shot you a tight grin, stress lining her forehead. “What can I get ya?”

“Surprise me,” you muttered, setting some money down on the counter. She swiped it up and made to fetch a drink, but her eyes found your messy uniform first. She hesitated, glancing up at you, before warily continuing on her way.

You threw your head into your hands, heaving a sigh. You really should have changed before leaving the ship. Being a marine didn’t make you popular with a great many people. You liked it when town’s smiled at you even when they saw your uniform, but those occurrences were growing fewer and farther between.

If only you had Koby’s optimism. If only you had the guts to stand up. If only you’d gone with Luffy. If only, if only, if only��

He’d probably forgotten all about you, moved on with the sea in his hair and light in his eyes. 

“Here you go.” The bartender placed a drink to your right. You cast it a glance and pulled it closer, peering into the dark liquid. “Strong stuff. Ya look like you need it.”

You nodded through a huffy laugh. “Thanks, miss.”

After cracking your neck you tipped back your drink, grimacing at the sting and just plain awful taste. She chuckled as she walked away. “Told you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you mumbled into the cup, taking another swig and slamming it back down with a cough.

A figure plopped into the seat beside you, the ruffling of their coat meeting your ears. They let free a hefty sigh, and you swore you felt their exhaustion just radiating off their skin. 

“Brandy, if you please.”

You choked into your cup, this time not from the rancid burn. Stiff as a board, you stared daggers into the bar, hands tight around the cup. The bartender handed over a glass to the person beside you.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” That voice was gruff with a sly tilt to it. You knew that voice.

You didn’t want to turn, but you did anyway, wide eyes landing on the profile of a one armed, red haired pirate you thought for certain you’d never see again.

Shanks swirled around his liquor before taking a drink, slamming the cup back down a moment later. Really, you should have fled the site and gone to spend a miserable night with the other marines. But your whole body was seized up, eyes locked on Luffy’s idol.

“I—” you squeaked, cupping a hand over your mouth an instant later as Shanks cast you a side eye.

Immediately, he was curious, wondering why exactly this kid looked so familiar. He turned his head, disturbed by how you stared at him like you’d seen a ghost. scrutinizing your face, it hit him like a punch to the gut; in his mind’s eye he shrank you down a few feet, gave you a set of buck teeth, and placed you next to a little curly headed boy.

“Y/N?” He laughed. “What—You’re so big!”

Though he smiled, you couldn’t help but picture his face in a wanted poster. Your uniform felt all too hot and heavy all of a sudden. “Uh…”

“What’re you doing here, kid?” He clapped you on the shoulder and nearly knocked the breath out of you. “Where’s Luffy? I never thought I’d see one without the other.”

You hated to spoil his excitement at the prospect of seeing the boy, so you avoided the question altogether. “I’m here for work.”

He saw right through you, his smile losing some of its genuineness. “And Luffy?” You turned and tipped back the last of your drink, and Shanks finally noticed your attire, particularly the familiar emblem. “Shit—the Marines? Really?”

Annoyance crept up your mind. You held your cup in both hands, gaze hung. “Commander Y/N, at your service.”

“Commander… wow.” He shifted to completely face you, a grin working up his face. “That’s amazing.”

You had expected a shout, maybe the retrieval of his pistol. Not whatever that was. You faced him warily, catching pride flashing in his eyes. “You’re not angry…”

“Why would I be?” He waved for the bartender to bring him another drink, motioning two fingers at her. “You’re successful. Always knew you would be, Worm.”

A childish part of you fluttered at the mention of that old nickname. Bookworm. Hah. You hardly read these days, always too busy. The bartender put down two shot glasses and swept away. “But… My job is to catch pirates like you.”

He scoffed, nudging your glass toward you. “No offense, Commander Bookworm, but you’re not catching me anytime soon.”

“I wasn't going to try. Just saying.” You picked up the glass and watched him reach to clink his to yours. Letting slide a scant smirk, you accepted the cheers and shot back the liquid in sync with Shanks. 

You nearly gagged again as you set the glass back down, laughing. “God, I hate liquor.”

Shanks nudged you as he called for yet another drink. “Can’t say the same.” The conversation fell short, and Shanks cast you a glance as you fiddled with the fabric of your coat. “Mind if I ask how you got here? I mean, I figured for sure you’d be with Luffy. You’ve seen his poster, right?”

“Of course,” you snapped back, your hand passing over your pocket. “I, uhm… A while back, Luffy escaped…”

His eyes held a misty sadness. “And you didn’t.”

You found yourself shaking your head, hands closing into fists. “I chose to stay behind.”

Shanks waited for you to elaborate, blinking blankly. And when you didn’t— “Why the fuck would you do that?”

“Excuse me,” you startled.

“Why the fuck,” he enunciated incredulously, “would you stay behind? He’s gotta be beside himself.”

Straightening up, you narrowed your eyes at him. “Even if he was, it’s been years, Red Hair. He’s gotten over it—”

“Have you?” The question was instantaneous, no hesitation behind the dagger-like words.

“What?”

“Gotten over it. I doubt you have.”

You gaped at him. “You know nothing about me. Don’t think you’ve got me all figured out just because you ruined my life by giving Luffy all those stupid dreams—” You choked, huffed, and attempted to make a quick escape.

Shanks’ hand found your shoulder, gentle yet firm, and you plopped back onto your seat, eyes closed tight. “Let me go.”

“I’m sorry,” he said slowly. “Okay? I’ll back off.”

Without asking or saying anything at all, the bartender set another glass of that awful drink in front of you. You took a sip, shaking his hand off and taking a moment to breathe. “It was for the best, all right? I would only hold him back. Look how far he’s come. He couldn’t have done that with me lagging after him.”

“Why would you be lagging?” When you didn’t answer, only turning your face away, he nudged you with his shoulder. “Worm?”

That name made it hard to take anything seriously, but somehow, you managed, hissing out a sigh through your teeth. “It’s much easier to read about other people being brave.” Chewing your lip, “I like to read about heroes, mostly to remind myself why I’m not one.”

“You’re a marine. Surely sometimes you’re a hero.”

“Sometimes.” Throwing caution to the wind, you drank your whole glass in one swig, letting the alcohol simmer through your blood and turn your mind hazy. 

“What did you mean,” he asked. “When you said I ruined your life?”

“Oh. It’s nothing.”

“Tell me.”

You tried to slide off the stool again. “Goodbye, Shanks.”

He didn’t stop you this time, only shifting to watch you slowly trudge away. Shanks scoffed. “C’mon, Worm. What’re you so afraid of?”

Lots of things. You were afraid of spiders and falling, though not of heights themselves, and you quite liked the daddy-long-legs. You were afraid of losing, of failing, of being wrong. Of seeing Luffy again and having him be completely disappointed with what he saw. An all consuming fear that you can’t change what you are, that you’re too far down this road to ever think of turning back.

You hardly realized you’d stopped walking until Shanks was at your side, moving to catch your distracted gaze. “Kid?”

You swallowed thickly. “I was always content with my fate. Luffy wasn’t, and a lot of that has to do with you. The rest was his own passion.” That incessant burn resurfaced in your throat. “So I stayed because I wasn’t about to drag him down with me. He’s too good. I…”

Dammit. You’d been doing so well. You hadn’t cried in months. Trying to glare, you spat, “Goodbye.”

You made to walk past him and actually leave the building this time, but he caught your wrist. Whirling around, your curses were cut off by a quick and dangerous offer: “Come join my crew.”

Shanks was so sincere, nearly hopeful as he stared into your eyes. You wondered if this is how your father would look at you if he knew how to be kind.

Barely breathing, you shoved every word and every notion down to the pits of your mind, retracting your arm to wrap it around yourself. A singular tear fled your eye and was wiped away in an instant. Shaking your head, you backed away from him, trying not to stumble, and bolted out of the tavern. 

The worst of it was Shanks’ sad sigh you caught as you fled, like he’d expected this, like he was wondering why he bothered to ask.

Later, you found Nia and the others waltzing back up to the ship. Your face was dry and your expression a void, and Nia smiled as she raced toward you. 

“Commander!” She skidded to a stop, backtracking, “Sorry. Y/N.”

“What is it?” you said a little too harshly.

She wasn’t perturbed, grinning up at you. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Your heart held this odd numbness you had come to equate with acceptance. Luffy’s poster burned like hellfire in your pocket. “I think so.”

Nia invited you to join the rest of them in the ship’s galley, promising good conversation and cheap wine smuggled on board. You told her you’d think about it, and she chased her friends up the gangway and onto the ship. 

The sea licked at the wood of the docks and the wind bit at your skin. And you stood solemnly, watching that crumpled wanted poster become saturated by murky water till it sank out of view.

You regretted it instantly, a recurring theme for you, apparently. 

How easy would it be to walk away from the marine vessel and find Shanks again? How simple would it be it to ditch this marine’s coat and set off on your own? Your hands started to tremble at the very notion. Not easy and not simple at all. 

Casting a glance up at the starry sky, you bit back a sob, and you made a wish on the first star you laid eyes on. Please, please don’t hate me.

Stiffening, you set your jaw and cursed yourself. You had to get a hold of yourself. Being a marine was hell for you, but you’d been doing it for years. Seeing a ghost from your past and having him give you a chance shouldn’t be so crushing. Honestly, you should be cursing Shanks for giving you an offer you didn’t deserve. This was all his fault, all Luffy’s fault—

And you broke, breath seizing as a silent cry fled your lips. 

You loved him—of course you still loved him. You would until you died, you think. And that was the problem. With your arms wrapped around yourself, you thought back to the day everything changed.

Luffy’s little broken boat, disappearing on the horizon, Vice Admiral Garp leering at your shoulder. Your first moments entrapped by fear. You’d been proud of that day, once upon a time. Now you weren’t so sure.

Was there any room to turn back, with years of running from your past behind you?

“Oh, Luffy. What have I done?”

A cord in your heartstrings snapped, and your feet scrambled away from the marine vessel. A gasp ripped from your chest, eyes aflame, and your fists tightened desperately around this bout of courage.

Back down the road, back to the little tavern, you burst through the double doors, certain you looked insane as your eyes sweeped the dim room. The bartender’s eyes snapped up from where she was cleaning the many glasses you and Shanks had left behind. A fistfull of beri had been left in his wake.

“Keep going left,” said the bartender. “You might catch him.”

A thank you slipped past your lips as you raced outside, raising your hands in two L’s to pinpoint the right direction, taking off down the street that faded from cobblestone to dirt under your footfalls. 

Over twigs and leaves, under trees that grew thick further down the path, your heart thundered against your ribcage. The sloping road grew thin before it gave way to a secluded beach lit only by the moon. Your chest heaved as sand kicked up behind you.

“Wait!” you cried. “Shanks! Wait, please! I'll go with you! Shanks…”

A little lantern illuminated the dingy too far away to hear you as it rowed closer to the ship anchored out in the bay. A whisper of his name fell off your tongue, throat suddenly dry and stomach sick.

You hit your knees, fists grabbing at grains of sand that slipped through your fingertips. “Come back. Please…”

For the second time in your life, you watched a ship sail away carrying with it the chance of freedom, leaving you on the sand empty and helpless.

જ⁀➴

Luffy rarely dreamed when he slept. When he did dream, he never remembered it, the wild scenes fading seconds after he woke. 

Which is why he startled awake, hands clawing at his hammock, straw hat falling off his face and into his lap. He clung to the sound of your laughter, of your touch grazing his cheek, of the feel of your skin under his hands—

He didn’t dream often, but when he did, he often dreamt of you. 

He rubbed at his sleep crusted eyes and ached for the quickly fading memory. The finer details of the plot were soon lost on him, but he knew in this dream you were happy. Luffy liked those dreams much more than the more common ones where you cried, too far out of his reach to comfort.

“Luffy?” spoke Chopper, his voice hazy with sleep as he yawned. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Confused, Luffy realized he was gasping for air. “O–Oh, I’m fine, Chopper.” He glanced down from his hammock to offer the reindeer a trembling smile. “I’m good, really.”

Not buying it, Chopper huffed and stood from his own hammock, making quick work of climbing up to Luffy’s. He sat across from his captain, worry all over his furry face. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“Nah, don’t worry ‘bout it.” He reached over to ruffle the tuft of fur between Chopper’s antlers. “Sorry for waking you.”

He smiled softly. “It’s okay.” Chopper started to snuggle into the fabric of the hammock, obviously having no intention of climbing back down. “I was having a bad dream too.”

Luffy leaned back, doing his best to calm his nerves enough to go back to sleep. “Yeah?”

“Mhmm. Nami was angry at me. It wasn’t fun.”

The captain laughed, promptly shut up by a voice from the hammock underneath. “Shut up, would ya?”

Chopper squeaked, “Sorry, Zoro.”

The swordsman sighed and rustled in his hammock. “It's fine. Go to bed.”

Soon Zoro’s snores filled the mens’ quarters, and Chopper’s calm breathing soon followed. Sanji and Usopp snored in tandem as well, till only Luffy remained awake, staring at the ceiling, trying desperately to recall his dream.

You couldn’t be happy, wherever you were. How long had it been? Far too long, though he wasn’t sure exactly how much time had passed since he last saw you on the beach of Foosha Village. 

Would he recognize you? Would you recognize him? Luffy had to hope the answer was yes, and he had to hope one day he’d have the chance to rescue you, to set you free just as you freed him.

“I’ll find you,” he threatened the silence. “You can’t hide forever.”

Miles and miles away, kneeling on the sand, you swore you heard a familiar voice in the wind, but it couldn’t have been. You were halfway near drunk. That must've been it.

Luffy turned his head to look out the window of the cabin, and you tilted your chin to stare at the stars. The stars twinkled down on the both of you, promises and threats hung on the wind and sea that separated you. 

Some endings are always meant for tragedy. Some loves are meant for doom. It was how Fate worked. 

But Fate favored you and Luffy—forever working to save the other, forever aching for the day that would bring you side by side once again. 

>>

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: @its-not-too-late-for-coffee @khaleesihavilliard

[thejujvtsupost]

Filming A Sex Scene

Actor!Gojo has to film his first ever sex scene and he’s nervous, good thing his girlfriend is there to encourage him.

Notes: F!reader, established relationship, fluff, healthy communication, anxiety, and humor. So unedited.

Up until now all Satoru’s done is action films and a couple of comedies, romance films weren’t his style.

So other than a few awkward on screen kisses, he’s never had to do anything intimate.

But this movie was a huge deal with hundreds of people running around in the studio, and even though he had modesty garments on, he still felt naked.

“You pinky promise you won’t be jealous or upset about it? Maybe they can get my body double…” Satoru was slumped against you, arms hugging your middle while you stood between his legs.

“Baby this is your job. There’s nothing sexy about doing these scenes, they’re going to be directing you the entire time. But if you feel uncomfortable, then you shouldn’t do it. You have my full support.”

“Will you stay and watch?”

“Do you want me to?”

He nodded against your abdomen, “I’m the only one in the main cast that hasn’t done a sex scene so I wanna do it but I don’t want to do it alone.”

You hum and kiss his head, “Technically you’re not alone, but I understand. I’ll be right off to the side holding your robe, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Hey I’m serious, there’s nothing wrong with not wanting to do this. Your contract says you don’t have to do the intimate scene if you don’t want to. Plenty of actors never need to and it won’t change your skill. If anything, saying no increases your integrity because you’re putting down a boundary.”

“Can you see if Shoko’s out there? I think I should talk about it with her.” He knew Shoko, the assistant director, would have his back. They’ve worked on several projects together, one of them including the current director: Kento Nanami.

“Of course, I’ll flag her down.” You kiss his forehead and leave but you’re met face to face with shoko when you open the door to his dressing room, “Hey Toru, speak of the devil. I was just about to see if you were around, Shoko.”

Her brows furrowed slightly, Gojo rarely needed anything, a big perk of working with him. “Is everything alright, Gojo?”

“I don’t think I want to have fake sex with Yuki on camera anymore.”

You facepalm and sigh, “There’s so many other ways to word it and you went with that?”

“Okay no big deal, we’ll get your double ready but we’ll need your voice for the scene. Sound okay?”

“It’s that easy?”

“Well yeah, your double’s already on set from the jump scene earlier this morning. You can get dressed, we don’t reuse the garments so just toss them. Heads up though, Kento will probably want you to come in a little early on Friday to record the sound bites for the sex scene.”

A heavy breath left Gojo’s body in relief, “No one’s mad or anything?”

Shoko laughed at him a little, “No, no one’s mad. For this sort of thing it honestly doesn’t matter if it’s you or the double physically. Kento doesn’t mind either way, plus your contract has that stipulation for this exact reason.”

“Oh, then I can go home?”

Shoko confirmed and left with a wave of her hand to make arrangements. “You handled that well, baby. I’m proud of you for communicating your needs.”

Gojo’s cheeks went pink, “I don’t understand how people do it, I feel like it’s too much exposure.”

“Everyone just has a different comfort level, nothing wrong with that.”

“I guess so. Just freaks me out.” He stood up and pecked your lips before dropping his robe, “You’re the only one I want to see me naked anyway.”

“Oh my god just go get dressed so we can get dinner!” You shook your head and hung up his robe in a rare moment of silence.

The quiet didn’t last long, though, because Satoru yelled from the connected bathroom: “You know you love me!”

Thinking about making a request? Check my bio to see if they’re open! <3

[venomous-qwille]

hi qwille!!! I got questions for u! you have lots of characters planned out, and that’s super cool! but how do u usually go about that process? like all your characters are very unique, and I wonder about the design process, as well as how you make their personality distinct! how do you make character dynamics/relationships? because all the scenes I’ve read so far make the characters feel really organic, and mesh really well together! (sorry for all the questions! I’m super curious ^w^)

Hiya! Here is an answer I wrote for this question on discord recently ^^

I will try answer this as thoroughly as possible!

There was a LOT of kill your darlings involved in making characters for gitm. Originally I had a very long list of character ideas that I cut down and down based on the kind of things and themes they would give me the opportunity to write about. I love long ensemble cast stories, thinking back to ones I particularly enjoyed and the ways those characters gelled together helped me a lot. The most important thing when selecting characters was making sure they would give me something interesting to write about! I was also very keen on ones that let me explore the fics main theme of Family from a different angle. I'm not sure how helpful this all is! But yeah, I try to be pretty strict with myself about what I include. The only reason I would include two characters who were very very similar would be to emphasize a difference/divergence between them later on. Characters have to justify themselves by bringing something unique to the table, even if that thing is just a 'very different outlook on life' to the rest of the cast. Over time a lot of those character ideas became more fleshed out in my brain, and characters that were cut from the original shortlist made their way back in. They still have to be able to narratively justify themselves in order to earn a channel in the discord though!

For the gitm guys, while I dont have a literal sheet I fill out I do make sure to answer a couple of basic character work questions: What lie do they believe about themselves/the world? How does it impact the way they interact with others? What central theme do they embody most? What do they want more than anything else? How do they feel about humans? Who are they at their best and who are they at their worst? I found that by answering these sort of questions it helped me discover more about them, which creates more questions- rinse and repeat. The more questions I answered the further away they would get from each other in terms of similarities. The thing that really helped with the gitm boys, especially because their origins are so similar, was leaning in to how different their experiences were post-fazco. They are different people because the world has made them that way. Messing around with foils has been useful too! Characters are no fun in a vacuum, it's how they interact with others that makes them interesting. I like to create ones that will bring out the best and the worst in each other. I think about opposites a lot and I really like narrative symmetry- what lessons can the characters learn from each other? I find that stuff super exciting to read so I really wanted to include it. Some examples of character foils in gitm: Fool & Noon, Sombra & Sunspot, Misuta & Sol

When it comes to finding character voice, I do a lot of test drabbles (a couple of them are on this server), which I use to just fuck around until I find something that feels right. For instance- Sol was very very easy to find the voice of, where as Misuta took weeks of rewrites. Sometimes things take time. Spending this time figuring out their voices at the start really helps fic consistence in the long run, I think. Because of all that prep, I don't really have to do anything to 'get into character' when writing their dialogue (it's fairly second nature now).

In regards to coming up with a character's arc, I look at them and their themes and ask 'what the fuck happened to you, dude?' and then 'how has that entrenched a faulty world view on you?' 'what could you be driven to do because of that world view/misunderstanding?' 'what would it take to fix this world view/misunderstanding?' (the last question is the most important one!). Then voila, you have a very loose framework of a (hopepunk) character arc.

In regards to the actual planning of the fic/character arcs, I have a very big miro board (pic attached) that I use for all this! Most of the major character beats are marked out separately to plot beats etc etc. There are still a bunch of bits that only reside in my brain, but I do try to add them to my plan as soon as they become any kind of concrete. All of the characters also have a background chapter (or rather, a series of chapters that form a short story) attached to their arc, that will recontextualise everything you have learned about them so far! I am so deeply looking forward to dropping these (I already have quite a lot written).

I would say that- for your question on character relationships- the answer does come down to being really specific about what you include. Make sure characters are meaningfully different from eachother, give them goals and experiences that clash and then force them to live/work together in the same space. If you have put time into building your characters before that, then you just need to create opportunities for them to get into conflict and bring out the best/worst in eachother. I really do believe that characters are quite boring in a vacuum- which is why I put so much emphasis on including narrative foils ^^ Tyvm for the ask <3

[sufferu]

Bravo to you for choosing not to let Rem be forgiven so easily. Honestly I've never been a big fan of Rem as a character, sometimes her endless pandering and obsession with subaru just really annoys me instead, and I've never understood people looking at her doing all that and then saying “Wow that's so hot I'm so jealous of Subaru!”

As for the ones who want her deeds to be easily forgiven by everyone, my personal guess is that they all only care about her body and the unheathy way she forces herself to act like the perfect waifu just for Subaru's sake, but subconsciously they can't stand the shit she did either, so they secretly want their favorite waifu to be a perfect being without flaws. But to me, isn't it essential to love a character and accept their flaws as well? They did wrong things, but there's no doubt THEY did them anyway, and that is part of what makes them who they are. Another thing is that forgiveness has to be earned, we're not cruel, coldhearted, or closeminded for not forgiving someone who hurts us. So I too agree with that anon who thinks WHDAA cast need to to beat some sense into Subaru on way too forgiving and tolerating the people who have hurt/killed him.

But now that you've decided to do that, beware of those rabid Rem stans coming after you and I'm worried that their harassment goes overboard and affects your personal life

I will say — I believe that Rem and Subaru’s canon dynamic is one of the most intriguing and multifaceted dynamics in the entire series. Their parallels regarding their insecurities and family members, their mutually codependent tendencies, the way they run the risk of becoming each other’s perfect enablers, the genuine sense of love and affection that runs parallel to the unintentional toxicity fostered within their relationship — it’s all really interesting stuff. In fact, exploring their dynamic through the lens of outsiders (including amnesiac!Rem) finally getting to peer under the hood is one of the main reasons I wanted to write a react fic at all.

As for why people like her — honestly, I think it’s kinda easy to guess? She’s a very cutely designed anime girl, she’s incredibly well-voiced, her insecurities are genuinely relatable, she’s got a super awesome oni power-up transformation, her morning star lends itself to some of the best choreographed action scenes in the series (or at least Season 1), she appeals to the whole “submissive maid” aesthetic that she knows Subaru finds attractive (and that also appeals to the target demographic of Re:Zero specifically, let’s be real here) — and frankly, there are so many scenes in anime where characters we’re supposed to like do fucked up shit that it’s not difficult to just…gloss over the whole “tortured the mc for several hours” part of her character. It’s understandable, especially if you’re not an insane person who spends all their time hyperanalyzing the anime they’re a fan of like I am. I don’t think it’s really that far of a leap for her to develop such a massive following, she was basically designed to be as popular an anime waifu as physically possible.

But then, that clash can become…a little uncomfortable if you’re writing a story where “Rem tortures Subaru” is a major plotpoint, and if you don’t want to reevaluate their entire relationship, it makes sense to find a way to just — get the characters to move along, much like a lot of the irl audience does.

But I really like toxic characters and angst and complicated relationships and all that fun stuff, so that’s what I’m gonna focus on. —Also Rem is WORSE in the LN. Girl starts fantasizing about whisking Subaru away while he’s practically comatose from shock (second Arc 3 loop) and then also makes a comment like “even if he had tried to assault her in her sleep, she knew she never would have resisted” like GIRL??? The idea of not tapping that insane well of potential drama is ludicrous to me lmaoo— especially because I really don’t care about maintaining the status quo ;)

(Also frankly, anyone who would start seriously harassing me over whether or not I share their opinion about a fucking anime girl is too pathetic for me to care about. I honestly don’t think I’ll get that big of a response — especially not on Tumblr “Gay Website” Dot Com — but even if I do…I don’t care, lmao.)

[boozoid-13]

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective; If I Had A Nickle...

An examination of Ghost Trick's use of fridging.

(*Please note that this was originally intended for people who have not played Ghost Trick, so their is a bit of lore-dumping when it comes to characters & the story.)

BUT FIRST!... What is Fridging?

Women in Refrigerator Syndrome, or more commonly, Fridging, is a narrative trope in which a female character is either assaulted or killed as motivation for a more important male character. The term “fridging” was coined in referral to a now infamous Green Lantern comic in which the hero returns home to his apartment, only to find that his nemesis has killed his girlfriend, and stuffed her body in his fridge.

This is obviously bad writing, but why? It's bad because it uses an often major moment for said character to focus on someone else, and it is also just sexist by nature, even if unintentional.

Fridging in Action; Exhibit A: Alma

Who is Alma? She was the wife of Detective Jowd, mother of Kamila, and possibly a detective before supposedly being killed by either her husband or her daughter. It is revealed later that Yomiel, who is a ghost, rigged the surprise-birthday contraption to shoot her as an act of revenge against Jowd.

Notice how I wrote more about her death than who she actually was as a person? That is because the game provides nothing more for me to write about; she is introduced by her death, and though her family are clearly shocked by what happened, we learn nothing new about her through their grief other than that she was kind of like Kamila… Maybe?

After the Fate-Change at the very end of the game, which prevents her death from ever occurring, she gets roughly two lines of dialogue before walking off the screen, never to be seen again, and is not included in her own family photo.

(*Apologies for the poor photo quality.)

Fridging in Action; Exhibit B: Sissel

Who is Sissel? Sissel was the fiance of Yomiel; we know that Yomiel loved her a lot, naming the main protagonist, who is his cat, after her. We also know that she was very fond of him too considering she killed herself right after his death, with Sissel’s suicide note reading: “I’m coming to you, Yomiel.”

Like Alma, she is introduced by her death, though I’d argue that Sissel's death is even more tasteless as she doesn’t even get a cutscene, instead, both her existence and suicide are revealed via a block of text in Yomiel’s sad backstory.

In fact, Sissel is such a miniscule character that she doesn’t even appear after the Fate-Change or in the epilogue, let alone have a sprite I can use to make this segment less boring. Her only purpose is to be one of the many reasons why Yomiel hates the world.

How Does This Affect the Story?

Because Alma and Sissel do not have any personality to them, and we do not learn anything about them through the course of the story, it means that their deaths lack of the gravity that the moment demands due to the player not really caring about either of these characters.

An easy way to fix this, at least in my opinion, would be by having the people closest to Alma and Sissel talk about them more often; maybe when you first reach Lynne’s apartment, there could be a family photo with Jowd, Kamila, and Alma that you (*as Sissel) can knock over to get Kamila to examine and say some extra dialogue?

Maybe have Yomiel mention his literal fiance beyond one block of text? Just a thought.

Defence Against the Fridging Allegations

Point A: Ghost Trick has multiple male characters that are just walking plot-devices or puzzle pieces, for example: in chapter 5, there are two prison-inmates, C38 and C74, whose sole purpose is to get you from the first cell to Detective Jowd.

Point B: Implying that Sissel and Alma are unimportant to the story just because they exist inside another characters’ backstory would be false, both of their deaths have clear impact on the main cast, like in the case of Alma’s muder: of which is a major plot-point, and something that you as Sissel, the protagonist, have to help solve in the present of the game's narrative.

Point C: Ghost Trick plays with death in a comedic way on many occasions, one of the running gags is that Lynne cannot stop dying. Another played-for-laughs moment being when Missile, a tiny pomeranian, gets shot by a sniper rifle at point-blank range.

Arguing that their deaths should be more serious may not fit the tone of the game.

Defence Against the Defence

Counterpoint A: The first argument is true, however, it excludes that both prisoners C38 and C74 have backstories, personalities, and desires of their own (*their shared desire being to escape prison) unlike Alma and Sissel, of whom serve their purpose in the story, and are then promptly axed, disappearing without a trace.

Counterpoint B: I am not saying that Alma and Sissel are unimportant to the story, in fact, both of their deaths are major events in the plot of Ghost Trick, which is why it’s more annoying that they aren’t given more character beyond “Jowd’s wife I think” and “I love Yomiel!!!”

Counterpoint C: Though the game treats death rather lightly, both scenes have the standard dreery music associated with serious scenes, and are treated as tragedies by the main cast, thus, getting to know at least a little bit about these characters would impact the player in the desired way, of which I assume is shock or surprise.

I am not saying that the player needs to know Alma or Sissel inside and out, just that it would be nice to know something.

(...)

Conclusion

Ghost Trick is a spectacular game with a truly unique narrative and distinct style that makes it iconic even after the fourteen years since its debut, however, the game, accidentally or not, uses harmful tropes that worsen the quality of some of its most crucial scenes, and waste what could’ve been two interesting characters.

(*Thank you for reading, I know it's not the best lol)

[stagefoureddiediaz]

I don't really see how "i'm your first, i'm not your last" implies that buck's endgame is a man? (i mean of course i hope it is with eddie but if they don't go there,) buck could have other boyfriends, and then have an endgame with a woman. And his last boyfriend would still be his last, as in his last boyfriend ever, but with him still having a girlfriend afterwards. Just like tommy was his first in the sense that he was his first boyfriend, but he was not his first meaningful relationship 🤷🏼‍♀️

Hey Nonnie

I admit that on its own, it may not be enough of an implication, but there is a lot of other choices being made that shows this one line is part of a bigger narrative - and that is why it is relevant. It’s all about the language being used - because this is a television show and language is intentional in every scene - not just the actual words, but body language costume and colour, the setting, the lighting etc - all of it is a language that conveys meaning. There is also the context of where we are in the show’s timeline - we are closer to the end of 911 than the beginning (my guess would be we’ll get to s12 at most - which is an incredible run for a show in this day and age), we don’t know how long our mains will continue to stay with the show, it is usually at around this point you start to see cast changes happening, and this is also the point when your big slow burn romance has to come to some sort of fruition because otherwise you run out of time to give the resulting relationship time to be an actual relationship - which is the big pay off of there being a slow burn relationship on your show.

I’m not going to go into all the other aspects of the show that are playing into this same concept - I don’t have the time and it is stuff we as a fandom talk about a lot so its already out there on tumblr to read!

With the script specifically, choices to include or exclude words or phrases are intentional because they are telling a story and time is of a premium so getting you intention across with the words being used is important - you only include something if it is relevant. Scripts go through a lot of edits and revisions - even during the filming of the scene - if they decide that it isn’t providing enough intent - they may add in something or if it reveals too much they might take something away or change it.

In the real world, yes, if someone said that to you, it wouldn’t have any implications attached to it, but this is tv so it is important. The fact that they chose to have the line not include any connection to gender that is important. It would have been very easy to add a boyfriend into that sentence and have its meaning change. In fact there are many words that could have been included in that sentence to have the meaning change.

If Tommy had stated ‘I’m your first, but I’m not your last boyfriend.’ Or ‘I’m your first boyfriend, I’m not meant to be your last one.’ Or even ‘I’m your first, I’m not your last relationship. The implication is very different in each one of those. The first two are gender specific - they are clearly stating that Tommy won’t be Bucks last mlm relationship, regardless of endgame. The third option wouldn’t have worked with Tommy because he wasn’t bucks first relationship regardless of gender but I have included it because I wanted to show how the use of relationship implies either gender as well, because it does imply that Buck will have more boyfriends but that his last relationship could be with either gender.

So the fact that Tommy states he’s Bucks first but not his last without any of those qualifying words only highlights the implication that the show is trying to point out with all aspects of film making - that Bucks last will be with a man- the implication that there is only one more relationship in his future on the show (by relationship I mean long term relationship - not a fling or hook up or something that lasts a couple of weeks at most) and that relationship will be with a man.

I may not have explained myself espeically well (I’m struggling with brain fog today - yay AuADHD!), I’m sure others will hop in with their explanations and expansions if needed, but hopefully it makes some sense!

Thanks for the ask 💜

[my-pjo-stuff]

HEY DID U KNOW THAT THERES GONNA BE A NEW TOTAN ARMY OC IN THE TV SHOW!!?!!!

her name is Alison and the description is

"she went to Camp Half-Blood in her youth, but now lives in the mortal world"

Also the casting call is for actresses 18-22yrs old so how old do you think she's gonna be in cannon? im think in late teenager in her first appearance

Also what are your thoughts on the TV show? i like it so far, and i think that it is taking a much more jaded approach. It's leaning more heavily on the "gods are awful" bit and i think it's gonna be different but still awesome

To be quite honest, I have mixed feelings about the show.

Ireally like what they did with Luke and the changes they made to thale confrontation at the end! That shot of Luke’s face with these watery eyes was GOLDEN. It's my personal favorite scene, really shows he isn't a total villain and actually VERY sympathetic.

I just love the Luke scenes in general.

But I disliked the changes they made with the pearls- mostly because personally I just found it unnecessary yk ?

Another thing I disliked (probably the main thing I disliked) is Percy missing the deadline. Mostly because I just think it makes Poseidon and the gods look to good????

Like, to me a core thing of PJO is how shitty the gods actually are. INCLUDING Poseidon (If you really think about it). I don't think him giving up for Percy was really in-character for him.

I do enjoy the conflict it could bring with Luke though, where Percy only gets to really see the good side of his godly parent and thus can’t really understand Luke and his group. Thus we can have a Percy who has that slow realization over the course of the show.

I’m not sure what to think of how the show did Hermes. That whole talk about him being unable to get to Luke because of his fate or whatever….eh. Personally to me that's just a load of bullcrap and excuses- I really hope the show reveals and treats it like that too and doesn't try to make Hermes innocent.

Because frankly said? Luke was comically easy to prevent had Hermes just not sucked SO MUCH.

Like yeah Poseidon advised him not to go but A)Poseidon broke his how much advice with Percy, so it’s canon that Hermes didn’t HAVE to stay away, and B) how could Hermes genuinely apologizing and showing care for Luke and May have POSSIBLY made it worse?

So yeah, pretty mixed bag for me. I like some, I dislike some- I’ll definitely watch S2 though!

As for Alison, I honestly assume she’ll be around the same age as Luke. Possibly as a love interest for him?

Personally I don’t really care much what she’s gonna be exactly, I’m just excited for more Titan Army content!

I’m hoping we’ll get more focus on them in the show, especially when we throw Alison into the mix. The books sadly had the TA quite underdeveloped, which I hope the show can fix.

But honestly? I’m happy if they keep up the Luke scenes to the same quality they were so far. Real 10/10.

[natlacentral]

STYLISED EXTREMES

RARE IS IT TO FIND A YOUNG ACTOR WHO ALIGNS SO PERFECTLY WITH THE ROLE HE’S BEEN CAST TO PLAY, THOUGH SUCH IS THE CASE WITH IAN OUSLEY. THE YOUNG TALENT, KNOWN TO FANS OF THE NEW LIVE-ACTION VERSION OF AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER AS MASTER STRATEGIST SOKKA, HAS TURNED HIS CHILDHOOD FANTASIES INTO ADULTHOOD ACTING DREAMS. HE TALKS TO US ABOUT HOW MARTIAL ARTS SHOWCASED HIS ACTING TALENTS AND FINDING LOVE WITHIN.

You’re playing the character of Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe in this new Live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender and you’re trying to restore peace and save the world with Katara and Aang. How was it to play such an iconic character?

 It was such a blessing to play the role of Sokka. I grew up on the show and it was one of my main inspirations for starting to do martial arts, so it was surreal to get the opportunity to join this project. Sokka to me has always been the voice to the audience in a way and was obviously so funny in the animated show that trying to capture the essence of the character is something I took very seriously… by not taking myself too seriously. It was a balance of being free in that space while still making it fit the live-action tone of our show. 

 

How has being Cherokee played into how you shaped Sokka and approached portraying the character?

 Building the world of the water tribe, which is based on indigenous culture, is something that was obviously crucial for us to capture accurately. Sokka is a proud member and leader of the Southern Water tribe and as a show, everything from the set designers, costume department, to props team created the physical world for us to live in, which made it easy to melt into the story we’re telling. I’m incredibly grateful to be on Team Water tribe with such a beautiful cast of amazing indigenous actors and actresses.

 It’s never easy to come into a well-established franchise. How does this live-action version remain true to the original spirit of the animated series, will there be any easter eggs in this show that fans of the original series will recognise?

 There are more than a handful of easter eggs in our show that the fans will be excited to see. They’ve already found so many of them just in the teaser, which is so fun to watch. Part of what makes this project so special is that everyone working on it has such a deep emotional connection to the show and wants to make it as good as possible, which means keeping that same breath from the show we’re basing ours on. Everyone was working their hardest to bring to life their side of the world whether that be an actor with the character they were playing or the writers' room bringing the scripts to life. For me, that meant trying to fight for as much comedy as I could every day, which is such an important part of the original show. 

 

Did you have to learn any new skills for the role and what were they?

 We did a six-week boot camp before we started shooting, which included stunt training every day, with all four of us together for most of it. That meant that I learned how to bend all four elements, and as we all know, my character can’t bend any of the four elements. In fact, when we meet him, he really doesn’t like bending at all because it was the main cause of his trauma in the past. Most of my stunt training consisted of learning how to look “untrained” as a fighter. We worked on throwing wide punches and improper hand placements for the forms with Suki and stuff like that. 

Talk to me about the costumes. Do you remember when you did your first fitting, how did it feel transforming into Sokka?

 It was one of my favourite parts of our show, getting to put on such intricate, detailed costumes daily, the costume designers really did such a fantastic job. The first time at the fitting with my wolf tail freshly cut and everything, was the first time any of it truly felt real. When I put on those clothes, especially my “warrior” look, it felt like I was living the real-life version of playing pretend in my room as a kid! Of course, when I was a kid, I was pretending to be Zuko, but still. 

 

So, how did acting come about for you?

 I got into acting through my martial arts competitions and being in the local paper for winning a state or district title. A talent scout from my hometown reached out to my mom to invite me to come audition, and being 13 years old, I’m sure I was terrible, but I was shameless. I think she saw something in me because she invited me into the class, and then I moved to Los Angeles when I was 14, (where I’m still based), and took acting classes out here. 

 You’re still working on learning your craft being so young and ready for what’s to come. Do you see yourself becoming more of a transformational or character actor? What are the dream roles for you?

 What a fun question! You’re right, I’m still working on my craft, and as an actor I don’t think you ever stop getting to do that honestly. What excites me right now is material that is going to stretch me equally as an actor and as a person. I love the research part of taking on a character, so a role where I could totally transform sounds really intriguing to me. I have always been drawn to extremes, so I love stylised films and then also, very realistic films. Tim Burton and Yorgos Lanthimos have been such inspirations to me on the stylised end of things, so the opportunity to jump into something otherworldly would be very enticing. A dream role for me right now would be to do something completely different from Sokka and play the villain of a story whether that be in a superhero context or otherwise.

 

Would you be open to playing romantic leads too, given your Instagram bio: ‘I was made for love’?

 That’s so awesome. Yes, I totally would be open to playing a romantic lead, but as for my bio, it’s meant to be more of a mission statement in a way. I think we were all made to love and truly be loved. I’ve found that sense of identity in loving God with my heart, soul, mind, and strength. 

Speaking of love, fashion is a passion of yours I see. There must be plenty of designers falling over themselves to dress you and make you their muse. Any favourites?

 Some of the brands that are really catching my attention right now are Maison Margiela and Acne Studios, but my personal favourite has been Hedi Slimane’s Celine as you can probably tell!

 

You have a clothing line called KALÓ SOIL. Tell us about that and how it came to be as well as your passion for repurposing clothing and vintage items.

 Kaló Soil is a project I joined in on with a couple of my friends. We were selling a collection of curated vintage items from the 1940s-1990s. We eventually added our own in-house collection to our brand to learn how to cut, sew, pattern, and creatively direct a brand. Some of our styles include taking patterns from our favourite vintage pieces such as a fencing jacket from the 1940s made with brand new materials with our own twist on the detailing. 

What are you wearing right now just in case your style icon is reading this? 

 Well, Denis Rodman, if you're reading this right now, I’m wearing some Hedi-era YSL boots, baggy raw denim Kaló Soil jeans that have some real gnarly heel drag on them, an old 3/4 sleeve French chore jacket and a Tiffany chain from the ‘70s that used to be my grandma’s. 

 

What about music, a fash-influencer must pay homage to the tunes too. What’s your ear porn?

 I really love music. I had a scary number of minutes racked up on my Spotify wrapped this year honestly. I’ve been listening to a lot of Blaze Foley these days. I grew up in a very musical family, so I’ve played drums my whole life. I sing every day, everywhere I go, and my friends wanna kill me for it, I’m sure!

 

Ok, choose one song that sums up your wish for the future.

 Let It Be by The Beatles

[ace-robot-has-matcha]

Things I like and didn’t like about hazbin hotel

I watched it last night with my friends. My basic thoughts are that it’s pretty good.

!!THIS IS ALL 100% MY SUBJECTIVE OPINION ON ASPECTS OF THIS SHOW!!

Stuff I liked:

Most of the songs were pretty good, and of course the singing as well. The visuals for the songs are also very cool a lot of the time as well. Visual standouts included the vox song and the husk song

I’m still sad about the loss of the original cast, but I will admit that the new cast is also good. RIP Michael though. I still miss him in this show but he’s In everything now so whatever.

Vaggie was cool. She really felt expanded from the pilot version, even though I kinnnda miss her old design. The other new designs I got used to, but hers still strikes me as weird.

Niffty was epic. Honestly just like me fr.

This show made me come around to Alastor. Liked him in the pilot, but he was never my favorite (probably overexposure). But he ended up being a very goofy character, which I liked. The mystery element of what he was doing for seven years is also interesting.

I actually ended up liking the Vees. I didn't expect to like them lol. Vox is funny and has a cool voice, Val is cartoonishly evil (and scary at times so that's neat), and I never cared about Velvette before, but she turned out to be my favorite of the three.

One thing I really like about vivziepop shows is that she puts all those hidden text stuff in that you can actually pause to read. She does this in helluva boss, and she keeps up the tradition here. I like when shows do that.

So for years I've been calling him Anthony as a joke to lovingly bully him, and then it ended up being shown in canon lol. For some reason this made me lose my shit. Oh and also the angel dust stuff was really good too yeah yeah

My absolute favorite part was unironically Sir Pentious. This is mostly due to the surprise that he actually ended up in the main cast. I had no idea that was going to happen. I thought he'd be a sort of villain-of-the-week guy who sort of joins the party, but nope this goofy idiot hangs out at the hotel for the rest of the show lol. That was awesome. I never knew how much of his character I needed until now.

I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to television. I'm willing to excuse a lot of things, which is probably why I'm one of the like ten people who still thinks Helluva Boss S2 is okay. Therefore, there were only a few problems with these episodes that I actually didn't like enough to put here.

I really really didn't like Adam. His voice is good, his song is good but that's pretty much it. I don't even really like his design. He was just so irritating and unfunny. I know he was supposed to be annoying and unlikeable, but usually I still find enjoyment in those characters, and I just couldn't here. Case in point: Mammon is basically the same character but actually funny.

This is the only nitpick that really bothered me. Zestial is a cool character. BUT HOLY SHIT THEY COMPLETELY FUCKED UP HIS DIALECT. It happens a lot and it's so irritating because it does not take very long to look up the difference between thee, thou and thy. They didn't even change it to make it rhyme, it's just legitimately fucked up. This annoyed me way too much admittedly but it made me cringe in like every scene he was in, even though I liked everything else about him.

Yeah episode one isn't great. It's not very focused. This is kind of par for the course for vivzie shows though.

Spoilers I guess? I did not like the reveal of who killed the angel. It turned out to be some lady we just met five minutes ago?? It felt very underwhelming and made me angry. However, this one I'm willing to make my peace with because it's episode three, there will probably be a better payoff later. Hopium.

Write me an essay in the comments about why I'm wrong about everything or whatever. I'll read it and maybe adopt it into my perspective. There's probably other things I wanted to talk about that I forgot, but I don't care. Anyway I like this show give it like a 7.6 out of 10.

[eri-blogs-life]

The Souls Are Always Darkest

So since I have been on a FromSoft kick again (my gf and I started playing the Bloodborne board game, and that made me go back and finish Elden Ring), I decided I’d go back and replay some FromSoft games and write down some of my thoughts on them.

So, here’s my thoughts from this playthrough of Dark Souls

Obviously, generally speaking, the game’s a god-damn masterpiece. Amazing combat systems, tons of exploration and discovery, beautiful fantasy world to explore, and... there’s some kind of story there too. Something about killing Gwyn so you can become the new king or something? I don’t know. Story’s never been what I focus on in the Souls games

One of the first notes I have in my little notebook is “Poise. So nice. Also broken. Easy mode?” Which like... seems like a reasonable place to start. DS1 definitely makes the difference in light and heavy armor feel like it matters. I don’t know that I ever felt as much like it mattered in later games, but in DS1 wow what a difference light and heavy armor makes. Not just better armor reduction, but the ability to continue your own attacks or estus drinks while an enemy hits you if your poise is high enough. But you absolutely CAN’T dodge. It does actually make it feel like your choice in loadout matters.

Now, for what it’s worth, a person’s build is definitely going to impact their experience in a FromSoft game to some degree. I went with a “quality” build this time - close to evenly leveling vitality, endurance, resistance, strength, and dexterity. But the strength didn’t end up mattering a ton, cause the weapon I ended up maining was the Uchigatana. I got it early on and used it almost exclusively for most of the game. One hand was the Uchigatana, the other was a caestus I used for parrying, and it was excellent.

So, comparing the combat of DS1 to my recent experiences with, for example, Elden Ring, the combat feels so slow and deliberate. Like, in Elden Ring I felt like I was scrambling to dodge or attack or block or whatever. In Dark Souls I felt a lot more like I was in control. Attacks were slower for both sides, but that gives a little more time to process. At least, it feels that way to me. I’m not really sure if that’s actually true. That’s part of why I’m doing this series of FromSoft replays, so I can see if there really IS such a difference.

But also I might feel that difference because of what I was doing during my playthrough. Like I said, build might make a difference. In my Elden Ring playthrough I was a Faith-based character, casting a lot of spells and not being able to take many hits. But in Dark Souls, with my quality build, I was mostly parrying enemy attacks. Parries provide a nice opportunity to hit with a high-damage riposte and/or heal back up. It definitely gave me more of a sense that I was in control of each fight I was able to parry the enemies. Including the final boss. I got Gwyn in a parry-loop and killed him SO quickly and easily. Wow what a difference being good at parrying makes.

(not the best pic, but me just tanking one of Artorias’s hits while I hit him at the same time)

Let’s see. The world. Dark Souls certainly has a really cool world. The environments spread throughout are beautiful, from the dark forests to the huge castles to the towns to the lava ruins to the dark abysses where there’s nothing to see. However, the huge world also kind of sucks. Walking back and forth everywhere for everything feels bad. Sometimes.

The big interconnected world takes a long and annoying time to walk back and forth through every time you have to do that. But, finding shortcuts did make me feel very clever, which was much appreciated. I don’t know if that was worth the trade-off of the annoyingly long travel times for everything else all the time, but it did provide quite a nice feeling.

The bonfire placements, though... Dang, they suck. Like, they could certainly be worse, sure. But there are so many bosses that don’t have nearby bonfires so you have to walk all the way through a big long gauntlet of enemies, which slowly drain your resources before you even reach the boss. However, with bosses balanced around that being the case, it kind of works. Plus, it makes finding shortcuts or alternate paths even more enticing, as you might find a path that takes less of your estus in the run-up to each boss.

(these guys in lost izalith are such a cool weird lovecraftian monsters that don’t feel like they fit in but also they fit in so well with everything else in the world of Dark Souls)

And my final note: Bed of Chaos FUCKING SUCKS as a boss fight still. I hate it

------------------

Dark Souls is still one of the best games of all time. I don’t really even know what else to say. Unfortunately, it’ll be a bit before I can play through DS2 and write up my thoughts on it, but I will like to do that at some point. I always love returning to Dark Souls 2. It is, after all, one of my favorite games of all time.

[another-lost-mc]

Hi, Jes!

I saw that you haven't been feeling well lately and I wanted to say that I hope you start feeling better soon! I hope you're resting and taking care of yourself!

I also wanted to let you know that I've officially joined the Karasu Fan Club lol. I haven't finished reading all your content about him yet, but so far I am fascinated by him! I love the concept of him talking to MC through the AI. He's such an interesting character and I am quite fond of him.

You inspired me to include my own OC in the longer story I've started posting. I wasn't going to originally, but when I realized how much I enjoyed reading about your OC, I thought maybe I would do it after all. Your advice about how to write a generic MC when writing a longer story really helped me out, too.

So I wanted to say thank you! For posting your writing and for being an inspiration! I hope you have a lovely day/night! <3

Thank you so much! 💙💙💙 I think I’m on the mend but I’m being careful and taking it easy!

I’m thrilled that you’re enjoying Karasu, too. He filled a very specific craving I had when it came to the game’s LI cast and his connection to the AI is definitely a fun aspect I like exploring. (My masterlists are a bit outdated but his character tag should have everything!)

I think OCs can be so much fun. It’s nice having conflict (or friendship or romance) with characters that aren’t strictly from canon. It adds a new dynamic to the typical “the cast are all jealous of each other because of MC again” situation that gets played out a lot in the game. Besides, there’s gotta be other demons in the Devildom MC might befriend—classmates at RAD, other nobles, maybe other demons Solomon has pacts with?

(I loosely refer to Michael as an OC because we still haven’t met him properly and I fleshed out his character for myself long before NB existed.)

I really enjoy world building and fleshing out OC characters. One of my WIP Mephisto fics got derailed because the demon OC I wrote for it was “too likable.” People that read the original outline wanted MC to end up with him instead of Mephisto. LOL

I also like that OCs can have new/different conflict for their own stories too. Karasu has some tension with a few specific characters but gets along with the rest. A lot of his issues are related to his own personal growth as his life changes in unexpected ways. Azra barely gets along with any of the canon cast (literally, his story gets a little violent later on). Zekhan’s conflict is mostly with the angels and his own traumatic past. Metatron’s main issues stem from his own personal issues/insecurities. They’re all unique and honestly, they’re just fun to write about.

I’m happy to hear you’re exploring your own OCs too, and I can’t wait to read more about them!

[ericaportfolio]

The City of Hello Puppets (So Far...)

Due to popular demand, here are my thoughts on what the home city/town might be like in the world of Hello Puppets! I might update this post occasionally when we get more lore details, new games, content, etc. Pardon if I had any grammatical errors if I missed something to fix while writing this since this post is the first draft of what I listed.

Location: So we have no idea or any confirmations where Hello Puppets takes place world-wise. Where the studio is, the city is definably not in California. In an ask with @phantom-of-the-ruckus, we wonder if the city might be in the east New York area, or a Southern Eastern state. If a Southern state with religious references and the college, I think the city/town is a moderate area with a Christian population of those raised in the religion or those who became born-again Christians, and a population of college students. I think the biggest clue to where the studio is located is to look at a tree in one of Anthony's photos with Riley kidnapping an Average Joe having a night walk. The suburb in the picture is a grassy area with a large tree, maybe an Oak tree (picture below). A tree mainly found in the eastern half of America from Texas to Maine. It seems like back in the day, the city made its profits from producing goods for food like meat products and other necessities. However, since the HQ fire, it formed a homeless population meaning the former HQ is in a bad spot in the city/town where it isn't safe to go.

Handeemen HQ: I believe the original purpose of the studio headquarters before Mortimer’s Handeemen moved into the building was a factory or plant near the city hospital of the time, Sacred Mercy Hospital. From Riley’s wing, probably a meat plant. I’m not sure how Owen got the building in the first place, but his dad helped pay for it. The HQ includes the studio, offices, locker rooms (probably left behind by the original owners the cast/crew kept in use), and an FNAF's style party restaurant for the audience went to eat and for any kids visiting having birthdays. There is also a laundry mat which makes me think other businesses were renting in the building too. People living there at the time were just Owen. Then there was the fire, and the possessed Handeemen took over the HQ, where homeless people went missing.

Sacred Mercy Hospital: On one of the stolen hospital beds in the HQs, the beds state the name of the hospital the stolen medical equipment came from, Sacred Mercy Hospital. Sacred Mercy Hospital might be the main hospital for the city if the hospital is still functioning. I believe the hospital is near the HQs because back then, if there was an accident in the factory turned studio, an ambulance would rush over and take the injured to the hospital from there. It made it easy for Riley to go over to steal the equipment. If the hospital there isn't functioning anymore, it made it easier for Riley to steal as much equipment as possible. If still functioning, the old equipment was getting thrown out, but the doctors working there noticed the old equipment got stolen. If the latter and there is a sequel game in the future, if Host makes allies in the hospital, the doctors of the time during the robbery and Host could connect the dots that could help progress the game.

College: The City College that Host, the Editor for the college paper, and maybe Owen went to for school.

Restaurants and Entertainment: This section is for other businesses in the area we know about so far.

Italian place (restaurant): A restaurant that Owen mentioned he went to once on a date.

Chinese place (restaurant): A restaurant Owen called to order food once.

Movie Theatre: The theatre that was having a preview of Dream Warriors.

That's all I could gather for this week. I'll be updating this as time goes on. If I missed something, please let me know so I can add it. Thank You!

[notquitejiraiya]

🔥choosing violence🔥

8, 14, 21, 22, & 25

Lets gooooooo

8) common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

We’re stepping outside of Naruto and we’re stepping into territory I rarely speak about anywhere. But my opinion for this is that RPF isn’t inherently creepy, and it gets entirely too bad a rep. Yes, people definitely CAN be creepy about it, and that’s yuck. But at its core, and if one doesn’t force it upon those who are “in” the story, it’s not. Certain fandoms have overwhelmed RPF to a point it is awful, but I remember writing harmless fun adventures of my fave band travelling the world when I was like 10 and that was one of my introductions to fanfics. A blanket statement of RPF is bad/gross is nonsense.

14) that one thing you see in fics all the time

Miscommunication. It is everywhere. It is like a disease. And not GOOD miscommunication. Not like genuine accidental misunderstandings but like “X thinks Y” “have you talked to them about it?” “No” “why not” “just cause”. Ahhhhhh. Miscommunication can be good, but it’s rough when it’s bad. And it’s EVERYWHERE nowadays I swear 😭

21) part of canon you think is overhyped

I literally don’t know. I am so detached from what other people like and focus on myself and what I like to notice, but I’m gonna say the only thing I can think of which is the whole war arc 😅

22) your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

I don’t think it’s necessarily ignored, but I think I have to say the part of the war arc that mirrors the sasuke retrieval arc. I never see that getting much love and I adored it.

25) common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

It will always be people complaining that there’s not enough content for X, Y or Z thing. If you think so, and if you want more, make it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to be good. But trying is better than whining.

16) you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

This is more of a “don’t know why they like DOING this thing” type thing, but I do not get the practice of forcing characters into stories when they do not fit, just because you like them want them to fit. I do not know why people like writing it and I do not know why people enjoy reading it. I know the show has a huge cast, but it’s often so hard to connect to the characters and story in fics when they do the same, and it feels so SHALLOW to me. It becomes especially tedious when including characters with fucking TINY amounts of screen time who really didn’t need to be there in the first place, and seem to just be included in fics like a stamp of: “Wow look at me, I know this insignificant character. They’re so misrepresented.” No, they’re not. They’re just not important to the masses.

Similarly (and this is becoming a general complaint now, not a “loads of people do this/like this” thing, but it’s relevant) I do not like the attitude some people give off when you don’t know that a character is from canon rather than an OC they’ve made up. Including any character is all well and good but remembering all the characters from a massive cast like naruto isn’t easy for everyone, especially non-main story characters or novel-only characters like Amagi and the like, and shouldn’t be expected. At that point they ought to be treated like an OC, because there really isn’t much to go on in canon anyway. Don’t expect too much from your readers, and give them some MEAT on characters, known or unknown. Being confusing ≠ being good.

[twistedtummies2]

Top 15 Portrayals of Christine Daae (ALW’s Phantom)

As many of you know, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” is an important show to me. As well as being my favorite adaptation of the classic novel, it is perhaps my second favorite musical of all time…and given how many musicals I love, that’s saying a lot. It’s certainly one of the most popular pieces of musical theatre ever created; it’s had numerous tours worldwide, many productions in non-English-speaking countries, has been running for decades straight on the West End in London…and, of course, it currently holds the record for the longest-running Broadway musical in existence, with 35 Years Onstage under its black belt.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. That long-running streak of shows is about to fade away: on April 16th - three days from now - the original run of the Phantom of the Opera will be closing on Broadway. While it is possible the show could return in a revival production, and of course the show itself won’t be disappearing entirely, it is sad that such a long-lasting fixture on the New York stage scene will be coming to an end. In honor of this celebrated musical, I thought it would be good to present a few lists naming some of my favorite actors who have played the key three roles in the show: Christine Daae, our main character; the dashing Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny; and, of course, the Phantom himself, known in the book as Erik. I’ll be naming my Top 15 Favorite Actors to play each part between now and closing day for the Broadway production. There are only two rules in order for performers to count. One, I obviously have to have seen or at least heard their work, and heard it in good quantity; if I’ve only heard or seen a performer do one song, I don’t think it’s fair to give them a heap of credit, because I don’t know what the rest of the performance is like. Two, I won’t be counting JUST Broadway performers: actors from the West End, Las Vegas, Canada, Australia, and many others will be included too, along with cast members from the 2004 movie and the 25th Anniversary production at Royal Albert Hall. HOWEVER, I will be counting ONLY English-speaking performers. Why, you may ask? Well, primarily, it’s because I simply and honestly just haven’t seen or heard that much from non-English versions of the show. The ones I have heard or seen have been great, but the ones who perform in my own native language are the ones I know the best. With all that said, let’s begin with Christine. Christine is a more interesting character than I think a lot of people give her credit for. Her heart, her mind, and her will itself are all put to the ultimate test in this show, as she has to figure out where her loyalties and love truly lie. For her, the events she lives through are equal parts traumatic and exhilarating. It’s not an easy journey, and while Christine never swings a sword or gives great commands, she’s a much stronger and more layered character than many likely realize. The best versions of Christine find solid ways to blend her innocence and her maturity, and all have voices that truly match that of a person whom the Phantom considers “His Angel of Music.” This will be a description-less list, as will be the other two to come: just names and pictures. This is mostly because analyzing some of these actors and performances is honestly really, REALLY hard to do, at least for me. Having said that, I think I’ve prattled here long enough: allow me to present my Top 15 Portrayals of Christine Daae from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera!

15. Jennifer Hope Wills.

14. Kelly Mathieson.

13. Claire Moore.

12. Rebecca Caine.

11. Ana Marina.

10. Emmy Rossum. (Not sure how popular or unpopular this opinion is, but I’m sticking to it.)

9. Lucy St. Louis.

8. Sandra Joseph.

7. Sara Jean Ford.

6. Anna O’Byrne. (I should point out I am NOT counting or considering “Love Never Dies” with these lists. However, when a performer has been in both shows, I do find it interesting.)

5. Katie Hall.

4. Sarah Lawrence.

3. Kristi Holden.

2. Gina Beck.

1. Sierra Boggess.

Tomorrow: My Top 15 Portrayals of Raoul!