#I've had this in drafts for ages

[rosquinn]

"mutuals can ask for discord" mutuals can haunt me after they die. mutuals can paint my immortal youth in a cursed portrait. mutuals can build a 8ft tall creature in my college dorm. mutuals can watch me wake up as a monstrous vermin. mutuals can feed me soup after i commit murder. mutuals can help me kill uncle claudius. mutuals can go out with me and my girlfriend from across the bay. mutuals can hunt the beast with me. do better

[kiashieart]

you find new ways to drive me to madness

[timeskip!diego - ^_^ happy a day late 5/7 godonaru day!]

[nohr-selphias]

"I love you, Zevran. I hope you know that."

"Yes... Yes, I know that."

— commission art by @sinizade, posted with permission

[darkearthsuggestions]

I would not ask you to rot for me. I would not ask you to die. You would be like blackberries, like blood. I do not dream of scrubbing those days away, the telling red and raw. But when the night comes and the crickets mumble, I hope you hear my name- throw open the window and search the dark. I hope you sleep like a blink, your dream forgotten, but somehow, the morning aches.

I hope you forgive yourself. I will haunt you forever.

[agardenlife]

[demaparbat-hp]

I think Kyoshi Warrior Zuko and Painted Lady Katara should kiss

They should.

[inukag]

@inuvember day 19: inuyasha & kagome ღ

[folklouire]

You had to kill me, but it killed you just the same...

Taylor Swift performing my tears ricochet at the Eras Tour | Gillette Stadium,  Night 2 - May 20th, 2023

+

[turtle-down]

kelli o'hara (laura) & sylvia d'eramo (kitty), the hours (met opera)

[lilacpaperbird]

If I could free the spn fandom from one illness, I'd choose the compulsion so many people have to present Sam and Dean as opposites in every facet, big or small. There are many preferences they both share, there are many situations in which they'd both feel or act in really similar ways, and there are certain pillars of their personalities that are essentially identical. Trying to always find that "polar opposites/two sides of the same coin" energy everywhere only ends up twisting and misinterpreting their personalities to make them fit that mold. And there's usually one brother who ends up getting the short end of the stick and being transformed into a caricature that has lost any actual connection to his canon self, just so he can be presented as the opposite of his brother

[sestrahulk]

I've just flown in from New York, and the bags under your eyes wouldn't fit in the overhead bins.

Felix Dawkins in Orphan Black: Echoes 1x02 - Jules

[fallloverfic]

"Nimona" movie artbook thoughts

There's so much neat stuff here. Spoilers for the movie below the cut but just dang I love this

So many neat ideas for long-haired Ambrosius. Ponytail Ambrosius! He looks so cute!

There was going to be a magazine cover with "Goldenloin bares it all" and I like to think part of this is in reference to the two pin-ups Nate drew (Pin-up 1 and Pin-up 2). It's neat to see how much they were building up his celebrity in more ways. In other concept art, he was on more magazine covers, and he shows up as part of a parade. There are lots of concepts of Goldenloin fans.

Also this Ambrosius test is amazing. The weird Todd/Ambrosius fusion in motion lol But you can tell they even modified it later to turn it into Todd. He's a bit softer here in a way and just... fun. Todd cosplaying as Ambrosius/having a nightmare/dream about it aldkjalj

It was also interesting to see more confident Ballister. There's an animation test with him fighting some Institute guards, and it's very clear in early concept art (from that popular viral test back in 2021 as well) that he was more confident in earlier production.

More adorable Ambrosius/Ballister moments, and some cute Ambrosius. They're absolutely sweet.

And unfortunately one of the biggest losses in the movie: the amazing stuff they show for Meredith Blitzmeyer. At one point she was going to be covered in magic tattoos.

"For a long time, the character of Meredith Blitzmeyer was in the film. She served many different functions in many different iterations. At one point, she had a magical van that was bigger on the inside. In another, she was covered from head to toe in magical tattoos. And in another, she was the head of a vast underground society, called the Silver Society, comprised of all the magical creatures forced into hiding by the institute. Ultimately, the story went in a different direction, but her design and model were so beloved that she wasn’t lost but repurposed into The Queen." This all sounds so cool (except the repurposed into a character who dies in the first 10 minutes of the movie part T-T).

She has an entire spread. It's neat that she got to show up in some form (when they recycled her design for Valerin), but I love the idea of the Silver Society and her place in it and also Ballister having more friends and just ugh. These designs and world-building are so cool. I wish we'd seen all of them in the movie.

Also finally an eye dings chart! With everything clearly explained lol Neat to know I wasn't imagining some in-between diamond/square shape when Ballister is changing.

And this pride flags spread! There's a drag queen club! I just love all of this!! Seeing them spread throughout the movie is fun but it's neat to see the collection here!

Also this line: "In actuality, there has not been a monster attack since the first, so the fear and belief of the possibility is the only thing keeping the populace in check." It's neat to get confirmation of that.

Also a very much more violent Nimona was in the early/late-ish production lol.

José Manuel Fernández Oli talked on his Facebook collection of concept art about there at one point being an underground of outcast shapeshifters, and I don't know if that's what we're seeing here, but we were at least maybe also going to get more magical people (which matches the Meredith plans)??

Weres? People with fire magic? Satyrs? Demons? Elves? Or just a wider range of shapeshifter people. That would have been so cool.

There are environment designs for the Institute, Ballister and Nimona's hide-out, people designs, a few more test animations they haven't put up elsewhere, more Nimona shapeshifts (more dogs and cats, a second kind of gnome, more of her bulkier, muscular design, more types of dragons, a goat, more ancient Nimona concepts, plant monster Nimona, alien(?) Nimona, etc.). We nearly had goblin Director. Older Gloreth concepts... It's all really awesome.

All in all, a lot of really cool stuff.

[pepperf]

Okay, I’m having thoughts about Diego, and JFK, and time travel...

So, I know it’s funny to think, haha, Diego is obsessed with JFK, he had a crush, etc, and that’s a fine explanation, but there’s always something about it that doesn’t quite fit right with me. He’s never struck me as someone who’s that interested in the past. Diego’s heroics are pretty reactive, and he tends to be a fairly in-the-moment kind of person—hotheaded, impulsive, not prone to coming up with long and complex plans, that kind of thing. He’s also quick to forgive and  move on. Clearly he knew about JFK and thought it was an injustice, but I think this moment...

...isn’t Diego realising he can save his idol so much as Diego realising three things in quick succession:

1) Time travel is real and has happened to him (I think he still suspected Five was talking crap, despite all the evidence);

2) He has the opportunity here for some epic heroing; and

3) Fuck, this opens up so many more possibilities.

In the asylum, he told Five he was going to save JFK, and then go back in time and kill Hitler. Diego has Big Plans, my dudes, he probably has a list, and god help anyone who stands in his way or tells him they need to preserve the timeline or some bullshit.

No, this is it, this is his big chance. And he doesn’t need everyone to know his name (although if they whisper it in awe and fear on dark nights, that wouldn’t hurt), but he wants to save the world, he thinks it’s his destiny (thanks Reggie), his obligation, his geas, and he’s just been given an all-access pass to the workings of history.

[mushiemadarame]

god made the mistake of giving me hands and the ability to gif

⇢ Ben Bunyapol Likhitamnuayporn as Pat Phakphum Tangwatthana and Man Trisanu Soranun as Jeng Kittiphong Atthachiranon (Step by Step, 2023, EP10)

[drifting-pieces-blog-blog]

Masking in the Duat

Or: Unmasking Marc Spector.

The biggest difference we are meant to see between Marc and Steven is the fact that Steven is so open and expressive. When we first meet Marc, he is glaring, stone faced, and so stiff. He is a rock and Steven is water.

In reality, Marc is sand. Slowly breaking down beneath the brutal winds that have been beating at him all his life.

As the show progresses, we see Marc have little breakthroughs of exasperation, irritation, stress, and anger. An eye roll, a twitch of the lips, and pulling away to reset.

We see his exhausted and extreme control to control everything about his emotions. We see him fidget. We see his fingers twitch. We see him sigh and run his hands over his hair.

Ticks or someone that has been taught not to stim. Not to draw attention. Not to show weakness.

When he was younger, he probably bounced his legs till he was chastised to stop. He probably would vocal stim till he was told his voice was too much. He probably excitedly flapped his hands over his favorite show until he started to get hit.

This right here? This is a reset. A lapse in control that he catches and controls. We see it the most around Layla.

The peaks behind the curtain. The way she moves her hands when he starts to close in on himself. His hands are together pressed so tightly in on himself. Look at the way she moves to touch his fingers rather than holding him still or clasping his hands into a cage. She does this while watching his face so intently. She knows. She is opening him up, encouraging him to stim. To touch her fingers. To move.

Even here, when we first see him, cold and trying his best to be intimidating while frustrated. He knows he fucked up here. He knows he fucked up real bad and he isn't smart enough to fix it.

It's the way he settles into that spot. The shift. It's a small shift in feet. A shift from someone that used to walk a little differently. Someone used to the off balance and toe step. A step that has been drilled out of them.

Even just his eyes, intimidating, but honestly a stare that is locked and scared. Look at his arms slowly settle into that "standing man" position he's so good at. He's halfway debating on trying to pretend to be Steven. You can see it in the way his face shifts JUST the smallest bit around the jaw.

Even here. He's in so much pain physically and emotionally. His lips are SO pulled tight. He's probably been tortured before. Used to pain. Used to being hit. Used to hiding how much something hurts. He's breathing through it and rembering his training.

But he's tired and his system stability has been compromised by this point and he's been fighting Steven up to this point (and probably Jake who probably has thoughts about this situation).

The way he goes from full grimace to exhale to a perfectly calm face. He knows how to mask to the extreme.

So what is this? And of course....

Marc is unable to mask in the Duat. Not just because of the extreme stress he is under or the fact that he is dead.

I have a few theories on why:

Being dead, he has no body and has lost the fine control he has gained over the years. Before he could feel the need to express himself and his muscles would shut it down automatically. A sort of self preservation and natural response he has honed over the years.

This of course means that in their head space, he is also unable to mask. Remember the first time he spoke to Steven? The frustration in his voice as he demanded that Steven stop looking? Even when he's seen in the reflections, you see more of Marc's expressions than when he has the body.

2. He is being judged on the boat and being prevented from masking. The duat is seeing his true self to balance on the scales. All those who pass through, might lose the ability to hide themselves. Those who are evil are more evil and easy to see. So here, Marc's true feelings are exposed. His worries, his frustrations, his confusion, his utter reliance on Steven to tend to his emotional state.

In the scene here, Marc's hand is fidgeting and twitching. Many times when Steven is explaining things to Marc in the Duat, we see Marc look to him with utter trust, adoration, and eagerness. He is unable to hide how he feels about Steven. Not the irritation or impatience he showed in the real world, but kindness and love.

Here, we see the real Marc Spector. The real reason why his scales balanced.

A theory on why he was suddenly worthy when Steven went over the edge? All of Marc's love for Steven was realized. It wasn't because he was suddenly 'whole' or 'singular'. But because he was seen to care for Steven. To do everything for Steven. He himself suddenly realized how much he needed Steven and depended on him. (just one of the theories that avoids the implied able-ism that could be taken away from the scene because I am hopeful and want to see the good in Marc and in why he was worthy).

3. He has been separated from his head-mates. Steven, who is his emotional protector is not there to help him reign in his extreme emotions. Jake, who is (in my headcannon) gate keeper and physical protector, is not there to save him and keep away the more harmful memories.

Not to say that Jake or Steven keep Marc masked, but more along the lines of they help Marc not get overwhelmed in certain situations.

4. Mirroring. This is an unfamiliar situation. He has lost his body. He has been separated from Jake and Steven as mentioned above. He is exhibiting the ultimate form of masking, by copying the energy of those around him. He has the same excitement that Steven has. The same open face and more so: When with Harrow, he shuts down and pushes out the same cool exterior while desperately trying to figure out what Harrow wants and how to please him so he can get out of the situation. Something he probably did a lot with his mother. What can he do and display to appease her so she won't hurt him.

Ironically, when Marc mirrors Steven, it shows his true side and we get to see who Marc really is under his gruff exterior: A kind and loving man.

A man that needs someone to see him. To really see him. Who has been afraid his whole life of people seeing the real him while also desperately wishing to be understood.

He still masks once resurrected and out of the Duat, but we see him smile, really smile, when he sees that Layla is alright. We hear the joy in his voice when talking to Steven. We see the fear when he doesn't understand what happened when Jake saved them.

We even see how his face twists and contorts when faced with killing Harrow with Layla and Steven there.

He is a man that does not have to be seen as the cold killer. He is starting to understand that he has found his safe people. People that maybe...just maybe... He can trust enough to be vulnerable and open around. People he can love.

[pantaloonwarrior]