#THE UNDERDOG QUOTE JUST.. WOW

[ikealamps]

CANNER… JUST……

[susiephone]

the internet's lack of nuance in general is always annoying but one thing i see come up over and over again is people refusing the acknowledge that book piracy is different than pirating tv or movies. and it is. it absolutely is.

unlike tv or movies, where, with some exceptions, everyone gets paid an agreed upon amount for their work, regardless of how much money the end product makes, authors make royalties- meaning how much they make is completely dependent on how many copies sell. some authors get an advance, which is a flat fee you get no matter what, but you don't start making royalties until you "earn out" your advance - so if i get an advance of, say, $10,000, i don't get any royalties for my book until it's sold enough copies to make $10,000 in royalties and paid the publisher back for the advance. most books never get that far. and $10,000 is not a number to sneeze at, but when you consider that books can take months to years to write, plus editing time, plus marketing (because 95% of that responsibility falls on the author unless you are extremely lucky) - when you break it down to how much money you're making for every hour of work you put into a book, it's really not a living wage, unless you're one of the lucky few who sells a lot of copies consistently, and/or gets large enough advances that you can live on it for a year or two while you write your next book.

i've seen some well-meaning people say that pirating from indie authors is wrong because they don't have the support or resources of a publishing house, and often don't sell a lot of copies at all - which is true. but i think a lot of people don't fully realize that most authors who are traditionally published, even ones who have had overall positive experiences with their publishers, don't usually make that much either. like i said, most people never earn out their advance, and most authors have to handle marketing mostly themselves - the books everyone's talking about, most of them probably got a big marketing push from the publisher with more money behind it. which isn't a dig at those books; publishers put money behind projects they think will make money, often because those books are good! but it is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and the books that get covered by every reviewer, get goodreads banner ads, get quotes from famous authors, end up in subscription boxes? very much the exception, and that's because the publisher can't afford to do that for every book. obviously sometimes there's an underdog, a book that didn't get a big marketing push but gets great word-of-mouth and grows that way, but if you're trying to make a living writing, you have to work for that to happen.

so with all that in mind, it really grinds my gears to see authors who say, "hey, book piracy significantly hurts my income" being called greedy, selfish, or "scabs".

i think some people think, "wow, you have a publishing deal from a big 5 publisher with a five-figure advance, and you still want more money? how greedy!" because they don't fully realize how the math actually works out for most authors.

like, pedro pascal is getting his fat paycheck no matter how many people pirate the mandalorian. no one working on dear evan hansen lost a dime because of the bootleg recordings floating around. and for the big new york times bestselling authors? yeah, most of them probably won't be hurt by people pirating their book instead of buying it. almost certainly stephen king is not going to notice if a few thousand people download an illegal pdf of the shining. but most authors, it does have an impact.

obviously, there is some nuance here - not everyone can afford books to read, and not everyone can access a library. and obviously if a book is out of print, that's a different discussion entirely. but "it's fine to pirate books because piracy is always ethical and victimless and authors who are against it are just scabs who hate poor people" doesn't really hold water for me. authors are not the bad guy for wanting to be compensated for their labor, and while it's not the reader's fault the royalties system doesn't let most authors make a good living at it, it's also not the author's fault.

if you want free books that don't screw the author over, advocate for more libraries with more funding! most libraries will also take requests for books to purchase for their collection, and, at least in the USA, "interlibrary loans" will let them temporarily borrow a book from another library system if someone wants it. see if your library is part of libby and hoopla, and if they're not, suggest they join. if you have a little extra money but can't afford new books, thriftbooks is a great place for cheap used books.

like i said, i am not saying everyone who ever pirated a book is a bad person, or that there's never a justifiable reason. i just wanted to introduce more nuance into the conversation.

[ijustkindalikebooks]

I really hope I don't read a life changing book in the next three weeks so this list is out of date, but this is a list of twelve books that have been dwelling in my head for the last year.

I quote them, I think about them, I think "holy cow someone wrote that" often about these and I can't wait to either the read the next one or the next thing that comes from this author (or both). I really hope you've had an amazing year of reading and I can't wait to see your own lists from 2023.

How High We Go In The Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu - A sort of slow burn book that has dwelled in my brain since I read it back in April, How High We Go In The Dark is a dark exploration of humanity connected by short stories that have a common thread through the book. The rollercoaster story lives in my head rent free, and not in a good way, it's a little bit disturbing, but I think we live in a dystopia more than we believe we do and maybe there's a metaphor in there somewhere.

Sea Of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel - Another book that connects via short stories, this is quite common for me as I love that sort of thing, reflecting on my list of books. I think Mandel writes so poetically and brilliantly throughout this book, she delivers on pathos and emotion to really deliver stories about people, about people in different timelines connected by a strange portal moment of magic. If you love fantasy but in a more contemporary delivery, I do recommend this book to you.

The End Of The Affair by Graham Greene - I am a collector of books as much as a reader of them and this year I've been trying to read my bookshelves a bit more as I just am buying books to make myself look clever at this point, which is just lame. This was one of the first books on my shelf, and though not perfect, and damn did she deserve better, this book delves into obsession and love and what it actually means to people. It's a weird book.

Another Day In The Death Of America by Bryan Younge - I am not American, I have never seen a gun in real life in the hands of a person I know (some police have them near Parliament, well they did once I think) so I don't understand America and their passion for ammunition, but this book should not make you proud of it. This book is a gut punch through every chapter as the author details the young lives lost to guns in 24 hours. A brilliant and sad book.

Tower by Bae Myung-Hoon - My passion for Korean Literature does not abate (I am not a Koreaboo, don't worry). There's a way Korean writers write books like their objective observers on a scene that I particularly enjoy and Tower is another good example of this. Tower again is short stories tied together about a building that is it's own country and the people who live and want to live in it. The Elephant chapter hasn't left my brain since I read it and I recommend it (unless you like Elephants, then don't, cos it's again fucked up).

Beyond The Story: 10 Years of BTS by BTS - Ahh BTS, since 2017 I've known this group and their impact of my life and music taste is so ridiculous, I feel like something's walk into your life for a reason and wow, did they. The story of the rise of BTS from a lucky break on Mnet's music show to Grammy nominations (robbed!) is incredible to read and even if you don't like them it's a fascinating insight into a group that made their name in a country that was dominated by three big music companies, and they weren't on any of them - Hybe now supercedes all of them. An incredible underdog tale.

Lirael by Garth Nix - Where has this man been all my life with these books? I'm embarassed, be embarassed for me. This series is so good so far, I'm going to read Abhorsen next year which I believe is the next one and I can't wait. I would also recommend the Booksellers Of London series too by the same author, which is every bit as good and set in 80's London/Bath. Fantastic fantasy that makes you think where is the next one, give it to me now.

The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman - Y'know, this series is so British, it should come with teabags and digestive biscuits, but I love it all the same. A series about a group of pensioners who solve mysteries, The Last Devil To Die is the fourth book in this series and it's probably for me one of the best. The storyline with Stephen is devastating and the plot is incredible with characters that come to life every time this book is opened. I can't wait for whatever this author does next and those who voted for The Housemaid on Goodreads, I'm judging you, to be honest.

Hortus Curious by Michael Perry - Plants, people. Plants are incredible, insane, incredible. There are plants who eat living things, but that's just the start of their madness. This book is an incredible exploration in fantastic plants you would think you'd only see in a Herbology classroom but here they are in real life, killing people and eating small animals. Fantastic book, if you love nature and weird stuff, this is for you.

Against White Feminism by Rafia Zakaria - I think the white women were in the house so much from this book. How women were protected in their plantations as people were treated abysmally who were just another intersection from them. I think we all need to work on our biases, prejudices and judgements we make and this is a short and brilliant book that could help you do that. I consider myself a feminist, and to be a good one you also have to shut and listen to people who don't look like you, make spaces intersectional my friends.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang - The only romance book for me with rights this year (I keep being recommend books about hockey players and I am, that's just not going to happen). The representation of autism is fantastic and the sexy times are sexy if you need that and the characters, the characters are impeccable. I really recommend all of her books to be honest (and Talia Hibbert too, actually) as they make such great books with fantastic rep.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - John Green on Crash Course said about this book 'the thing about this dystopian book is that this dystopia has already happened'. Charlotte was told by her doctors to quit all her hobbies and stay in a room and do nothing and it drove her to a deeper sickness, she wrote this book during that time of recovering from her ''recovery'' and it makes for powerful reading. The whole story is easily found online for free and I highly recommend it, probably one of the first psychological thrillers.

I apologise if some of these are a bit grammatically weird, I am working on it, I only just found out I'm dyslexic hence my difficulty with small text and need for audiobooks (smh, sometimes it's so obvious it makes me shake my head).

Please let me know what your favourite books of 2023 were.

Vee xo

[pdriesta]

this is gonna be kinda long but i was the one who wrote that reallly long message about espn a couple weeks ago and i have more to say because oml its gotten to a point where its just stupid af... im not even gonna talk about past games because i think ive said enought theres defo more but just this madrid vs atleti game from today...

first off the thumbnail of the video like really? thats the only picture they had of lenglet grabbing mbappes jersey like really? because now anyone who didn't watch the game thinks oh atleti were fouling madrid like crazy which for the record real madrid had 14 fouls and atleti had 13 so...

second this isn't on espn per say but oml how can someone say fuck off to the ref and not get a card any card? hansi just waved his hand and got a red and someone on madrid can say fuck off to the ref like 10 yds a way and not get a card.... for god sake lewa got a red card for touching his nose but ig saying fuck you to the refs isn't that bad? and then the complaining to the refs every single call...

ok now on to espn during the game ok the pen this exact same thing happened during the supercup final for the camavinga/gavi pen... to quote espn this is what they said from the final "nah barely touches him.. he was diving before it even happened.. of course he caught him didnt effect the play at all" clearly me and espn aren't seeing the same clips bcuz what i saw was camavinga kicking gavi above the knee and completely missing the ball but ok on to the game today again quoted from espn "nowhere near a pen.. lino misses the ball the contact doesn't matter.. wow hes given a penalty.. the pen was hugely controversial... (after he scored) its madness" we totally aren't gonna think about the num of soft pens madrid has gotten this season defo not...

as a stat for anyone wondering: in la liga 24/25 pen for madrid = 10, pen against madrid = 1 (atleti today) in what its been since aug 5 months none against them till today?

now on to the post game.. espn spending from 4:10 to 6:40 + more at the end (over 2:30+) just speaking about that pen and how it was wrong and then questioning spanish refs. like really? you will never hear them speaking about refs unless of course it goes against their beloved rma... they certainly i can inform everyone did not say anything about lewa's cleat being about 2 feet long at socieodad or camavinga/vini not getting a red at super cup final? do those not exist? and all they bring up is controversy this controversy that... what about the tackle on barrios at the beginning by jude? no card for that? not even a yellow nothing... weird how rma commited more fouls and only 1 person got carded while atleti commited less and had 3 cards...

anyways i could go off on espn for decades but i really needed to say this and theres defo sooo much more but that shall be saved for another time

omg hello! i actually don’t use or watch ESPN streams it’s pretty obvious the narrative they’re trying to push. it’s funny because apparently papa perez and tebas are suppose to be arch nemesis and that apparently justifies that the refs are “against” madrid. yeah okay. madrid players get away with 10x a la liga player can get away with. the media is just a prop used by the majority (madrid) to make it seem like they’re the underdogs in the title race because of their injuries well boo hoo

[botanicbookshelf]

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5 Fia is a changeling left in the place of the Queen’s daughter, trained to be nothing more than a weapon. With the weakening of the gate between realms, the Queen orders Fia and childhood friend Prince Rogan to venture into the fae realm and save her daughter. Fia quickly learns that everyone’s motives are not what they seem, and she must learn to trust herself despite what she’s been conditioned to believe. Her mission is compromised by her feelings for both Rogan and Irian, the dark fae lord holding Eala captive.

“For anyone who has ever doubted if they were the main character in their own story. You are.”

First of all, wow. Lyra Selene had me hooked right from the dedication. A Feather So Black is a romantasy based on celtic mythology that gives off a dark fairytale vibe. The lyrical writing, the imagery, the lore; it’s all there. You can tell the author put a lot of thought into writing this book. Fia is an underdog who accepts her fate as being a tool in someone else’s story and I instantly found myself rooting for her. Her story is a beautiful tale of self discovery and acceptance. The characters in this story are so complex and I was absolutely here for it. I found myself not sure who to believe or who to like and was shocked at the revelations made throughout. The love triangle between Fia, Rogan and Irian is a dynamic I didn’t know I needed. I wish I could add all the quotes I have highlighted in this book, the writing is just so well done. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the advance reader copy!

“I was made of earth and sky and endless waters. I was made to be loved fully, or not at all.”

[pebblysand]

I was going through you favorite character list, and I was pleasantly surprised to see you call Hermione as who you'd consider the bravest character in the series. Especially since Harry is your favorite and boy is courage defining of him! Would you mind elaborating some more why you think so? Or if this opinion has changed if ever? I'm really curious on your thoughts about Hermione and courage.

hi! wow, that's a very old post, i'm impressed! it's such an interesting question as well, so thanks for asking!

as this goes beyond my fics and is more about canon in general, i will state at the outset that i am not a meta person. i think there are so many different ways to view/understand a character depending on where you're standing (in your life and as a person) that i really don't think i hold any bigger truth on the potter series, or on hermione in particular. i also do not pretend to have anywhere near the amount of knowledge of canon required to write good meta and frankly, there are people who know A Lot More and do this much better than i ever would. i've been tempted in the past to write peaky blinders meta but i think this is because a) i know the show much better (i could probably quote it from memory) and b) it's a show, not a book. since school, to be honest, literary analysis has always bored me. so, in short: i'm a fic writer, not a meta-er - keep that in mind. i'll answer your question but just know this is my general vision and understanding of hermione's character - nothing more. just a jumble of random thoughts, lol.

i however think question is very interesting and while i don't think my opinion has changed since then, i do think i drafted the post you're referring to a bit quickly and didn't care for my words very much. i used "brave" as a general expression as we often do, without really giving much thought about the difference between courage, and bravery.

i think, per this definition, you're probably right: harry is the bravest person in the series. we see him many times stand up against oppressors, put himself in dangerous situations to save himself and others, etc. he does these things because it's right, because he feels it in his gut, because: it's who he is. but harry is someone who a) holds very little regard or fear for the consequences of his actions (i.e. he just acts in the moment and doesn't care if he's punished) and b) feels like he doesn't have a choice. a lot of harry's actions, as perceived by himself, would be explained by: 'well, i didn't have a choice.' when he stands up umbridge, he probably thinks 'well, i wasn't going to let her say that, was i?' or, when he fights with voldemort - 'well, it was me or him.' to him, there is very little choice in fighting. it's just who he is and what he has to do to survive. there is no alternative to consider.

i don't think it makes him any less noble. firstly, because, as dumbledore often points out, harry makes a lot of other choices, which are very noble. they're not necessarily brave in the way that they don't put him in danger, but he is kind. he is thoughtful. he loves people and other humans despite everything that has been done to him. he disapproves of his father's actions in ootp. he enjoys the company of people who are underdogs, like luna or neville. he could have had a very different life, made very different friends, been much more of an arsehole. those are very important, beautiful qualities in a human being. it's not necessarily brave, but it doesn't have to be. secondly, i also think that while to him, there is no choice in the brave acts he takes part in, objectively, that's a much more debatable point. because, of course, looking at it from the outside, he could have let everyone else die. he could have run away. but, he didn't. and harry himself probably thinks he couldn't have done it any other way, but of course, that's a very biassed point of view. and, tbh, that's something i definitely explore in my writing, and something i'm very interesting in. how much of a choice did harry really have in the risks he took? how much of a choice do you have when you have a gun to your head? honestly, i don't know. i don't have answers. but that's an absolutely fascinating concept to explore and play with as a writer.

however, still per the above, i believe hermione is the most courageous person in the series. because hermione not only has a choice, but she knows she has a choice, which in my opinion sets her apart from harry. they are both willing to sacrifice everything (including their lives) for the cause, but have very different reasonings. hermione is intellectual. she draws lists in her head of pros and cons. she is incredibly clever and analytical and she wasn't born into this. she didn't have to make the choices she made, there was never a gun to her head to begin with. she made all of her decisions consciously and thoughtfully because they are right. hermione looked at the options she had, and decided. she could have very easily gone with her parents to australia, she could have gone to muggle university, lived a normal life, but she didn't. and i don't think for a second that it was because magic intellectually interested her. she is interested in a million different things that would have brought her the same amount of satisfaction. she did it because she wouldn't have been able to live with herself and with the choices she made otherwise. she chose to fight despite her fears. she chose to stay with harry despite her broken heart. because those were the Right Things. there is a line in castles where harry says: "There are tears in her eyes and he’s suddenly struck with memories of last year, when he realised that she could cry herself to sleep every night and still get up every morning and carry on." and, i think that's what's so, so interesting with hermione. she is the ultimate figure of choice in the series, in my opinion. and, i'm also fascinated with that. because: why? why do you make that choice?

anyway, this is all i'll say for now as random ramblings, but i do want to state for the record that i will be writing fic about this. there is a ROAR fic brewing about hermione, and choice, and friendship. i'm hoping to finish it and publish it early next year :).

[psychemeanscure]

PART 26

“How are you, señorita?”

The first thing the man uttered the moment her directress left them to converse. She was obliged to tour the unexpected guest while the former needed to call her attention after sensing her spaced out actions.

Picking up a random book from a shelf, the man seemed to understood her circumstance. “Is it my poor Spanish that bothered you, or were you actually expecting someone other than me? Isn’t it, Ms. Sung?”  

Right then, she awakens from her reverie as she turns with embarrassment. “M-my apologies, sir…”

Igor Oblonsky, the Russian mafia boss himself only smiled as response. Truly, she didn’t see it coming and damn Judy for planting another rumor to her. When will she learn anyway for in it comes to him, she’s always been blinded with possibilities to possibilities. Proven how she end up dealing with a related one at this time.

“How long has it been? Three years, is it? Yet, I can still remember how you purposely scold me about him after thanking me for saving your foster parents. You’re one hell of a Gal indeed, Ms. Sung. You made this elite one a puppy, what more to him. No doubt, he’s into you.”

For she can only hide her blush by its words. “Disappointed, aren’t you?”

“S-Sir?”

“Having to expect me instead being able to see him.”

She went silent. “Ms. Sung, want me to tell you a secret? Guess, I had to share this to you anyway.” Then she listens.

Putting down the book he picked out, the elite man rested his arms at its back as they continue to walk in small steps of the venue. “You see Ms. Sung, when that boy came to me, he was a wimp but he is diligent. The first time I set my eyes on him, I knew he has the potential.  Much more after learning his true intention of joining my organization. That wise underdog kid who only clasp a hand just for his own experiment of SIESTA drug.”

“SIESTA?”

“Yes, SIESTA. You somehow heard about the drug?”

She was surprised, that’s for sure. How can’t anybody know about the famous drug which occupied most of the headlines back then including the mysterious person behind it. Just for her to learn that it was her loco all along? He’s hell of a wise man indeed for how can this important thing slip through her!

She can only look down then as she admits her incompetence. “W-who wouldn’t know about it sir, it’s been a talk in town back then, but I… I didn’t know he was involved. Into just how...” stuttered by her thoughts, the elite man openly answered for her.

“A risk taker he is, yes. He might not know about this, but I’m proud of that young man Ms. Sung. Then things happened, he became stronger while I became obsessed of his work. We bond, we became fond of each other or rather was I the only.” He laughed perhaps remembering a certain moment. “You see Ms. Sung, that lad was just too reserve on his own that you’ll actually be the one to adjust for him. A closed book I thought won’t open until you came.”

“Sir?”

Her abrupt response after hearing its last word as the Oblonsky just smiled to her. “I maybe ruthless young lady but I still do care for him like my own son. I do have a soft spot for that boy that It was easy for me to grant his wish to part ways with us. Did you know what I actually wish for him as well?”

She only looks at him as an answer, thus the latter looks back at her. A knowing stare she can’t seem to understand for she finally asks for it. “What is it, sir?”

Maintaining its smile as he wanders by the sight of the orphans. “I had wished that he’ll found a life better than he imagined. And thankfully it did. Thank you, Ms. Sung.” She was left confused.  

“I… am not following, sir. Sorry?”

Igor Oblonsky can only laugh hard as she looks flustered afterwards. “Oh, Jesus. I never thought I could still witness a cheesy lovesick schemes at this age. Child, have you ever wonder how he manage to ask this elite man in front of you to save mere strangers despite his long parting? For a mafia leader being dictated by a former man, that’s a shame on the ego you know. But how can I? I’m sure you know a bit of our little rules, try guessing.”

Indeed, she does. How can’t she if she was once surrounded by corrupting officials whom majority obviously, policeman openly boasting their petty achievements as one she repetitively learned about them was the fact that you can’t easily deal with gangs, unless…

“Consequence. H-He offered, didn’t he?”

Words starts to crack for she can actually imagine his surrendering decision back then while the latter is simply impressed as he urged her with heads on. “A smart girl you are, I see. Now, I want you to try more. Let me hear it.”

Then the rest has been bestowed upon her. All what she wanted to know, the Russian leader shared it not leaving an inch as guilt eat her once again. Because of her, he had to open the box he should have forgotten. The SIESTA drug he had to endure to remember from the failure of his lifetime. Her damn fault as it is.

Sensing her self-rue, the Russian man needed to speak. “Don’t blame yourself child. I’m sure he wouldn’t like it for you either. And even I as well.”

“What do you mean, sir?”

He turned to face her as he plastered another smile. “Like what I said I should be thankful of you, child. And this? This sponsorship is indeed my way of gratitude to you.” Ear to ear, the latter even spread its arms as a gesture of his work. Before turning to rest it behind again.

“Honestly, SIESTA was just an excuse for me to stay contact with him. I never take it seriously for I know he won’t give in anyway. It brought a nightmare to him, you see. Then that suddenly happened. A request I never expected to came through. A weakness I once tried to strike out into him was simply pluck by you. Did you know what I realize back then? Wow. My little boy, the Jang Taeyoung I once raised has finally found his life. A perfect match he wanted for a lifetime.”

Distinguishing where the topic will bring her once again, she needed to retort. “S-sir, I know what you’re thinking, but we… we weren’t like that. Our relationship, or so not even one, was just a product of hurdles needed to be compensated.” Screw herself for stuttering even.

But she was only responded by its shaking head. “I’m no love guru or something but if that’s not it then what more reason he’ll risk his own will just to save you? Compensation? Please, I had known him for so long and I never once saw him went all out for someone but you. As simple as that, child.”

Speechless. That’s all she could react for. She’s not dumb to understand either for she felt it as well. They both are, but being busted like this seemed to be a big slap for her. She’s not worth it, that’s how sudden she thought for herself.

~

Reprimanding from the downcast she felt on herself, she’s thankful how the opening of the event brought her back to distractions, letting her forget from another awakening despair as they both split turning to how their separate agenda should be. Enthralled instead from the book fair’s success like she always wished for.

She thought that was it. That was the last conversation she’ll have with the Russian leader not until the event has ended and was called for her attention once again. She was block by its car as soon as she went out of the event’s entrance. Gliding down its backseat window, she waited. “Señorita! Glad I still catch you, though.”

Peeking in, she needed to respond. “Sir?”

While the latter simply handed her a book and stilled her. The same one where she found the mysterious sticky note. This time, it was a folded one. She was bewildered for she needed to look back to the Oblonsky who practically answered her questions with swiftness. “This probably the last time I’ll be a matchmaker. So please just stop chasing games you two, will you?”

~el único arrepentimiento que tendré al morir es si no es por amor~

Reading another quote from its author as her name is next to it which actually became a sentence…

‘The only regret I will have in dying is if it is not for love, Sung Eunyoung.’

The Russian man knew something. Before she realized? It was too late. The matchmaker has fled to answer her proceeding ones. For their she is again, taking a never ending hope in mind for she can only hold on to the breeze she needed to breath as the shore’s solemnity would bring her peace.

Dwelled by the shutters of her eyes, alters of the blurs, she finally released the strain of her thoughts. ‘Find me, Sung Eunyoung’ Allowing herself to guise back by the puzzles of notes in her hands. She urged to remember the past.

“Why? Why did you have to say that in the first place if you intended to play with it anyway, cabrón?”

~

‘Te amo.’

That hasn’t been voice out yet she can clearly hear it. The last words which made her shatter from leaving. His dreaded frame she cannot fade away. It was all because of it. Stupefied of waiting.

Not knowing the person who’s currently occupying it has finally decided to show himself.  Full and whole, in front of her...

“Jang Taeyoung.”            

[bigskydreaming]

So just out of curiosity, what inspired the whole Beacon Bay idea? What kind of sharks and dolphins are they? This entire thing is very intriguing to me and I can't wait to see more.

So first off, anyone who’s ever played soundingboard to my original stuff like Moukie or Adam can attest to the fact that I’m ocean obsessed, so there’s pretty much nothing I’m interested in that isn’t a mere two or three steps removed from an ocean/merfolk/sea witch AU in my head. Gimme anything and like, five minutes, and I can make it ocean themed. Space operas included. I grew up near the ocean, been surfing for ages though of course I haven’t in years, blah, but like. I’m a big fan of the deep blue sea. Its just....neat. ghaskfhalkfhla

So I’ve always had a bunch of ocean-set concepts. This particular AU came about from like, smashing a couple of them together to preserve them when my plans for doing original stuff with them fizzled out, at least for the time being. Cuz the other thing about me is the way some people like, take their fanfic and file off the serial numbers to turn it into original novels, I more often do the reverse, lmao. When I have something I can no longer do something with original-content-wise, for whatever reason, but I still like the idea, I turn it into fanfic so I can still play around with it whenever I want and like, have purpose to that, so I don’t feel like I’m wasting time by still ‘indulging’ in that concept or whatever.

Like my Batfandom fic By Lost Ways, as I’ve mentioned before....that actually started out as an original high fantasy novel set in my ‘Tales of the Citadel’ shared universe. BUT the setting ended up being similar enough to a sci-fi project I wanted I to move forward with, ‘Waveriders’ (the one with the sky pirates and the ATLA-style benders only instead of evoking the four classical elements, waveriders could each ‘hack’ a different kind of wavelength, that one) like....basically, the projects FELT similar enough in setting and various superficial elements that I started to feel derivative of myself moving forward with both, so I picked Waveriders and then recycled the setting and a lot of the plot of the sky-set fantasy novel for fanfic, just for fun.

Same thing here, though Beacon Bay is basically the mash-up of two different shelved original projects. Basically, its the plot of a CW-style show about teen sirens and the sea witch making like the Fagin to their Oliver Twists, from a pilot I wrote years ago.....it got some interest but I refused to make it less gay because lol have you met me, so it ultimately never went anywhere but I still liked the plot. 

And then remember the werewolf books I mentioned awhile back, that had the mongoose shifters in them? LOL. Yeah, so I’d written two and a half novels in that series and had this whole expansive worldbuilding of twelve different shifter clans each with their own innate magic, patron deity/creator, etc, but all my agent and editor contacts at the time were like yeah sorry, shifters are over for now, and I was like wow, can’t believe cancel culture’s real and publishing cancelled werewolves, wtf, rude, and then I was like eh, still wanna play in this universe especially with the dolphins and shark shifters which I never even really got to in those books, so I’m just gonna air-lift them out of that and drop them smack in the middle of my CW siren plot and fanfic away to my heart’s content and call that ‘being productive’ when I feel like it.

Anyway, found family was a big theme of those books and the world-building I did there in general, because again, have you met me, I’m not predictable or anything (shhh, the word is consistent), and one of my initial things there was I wanted the various shifter types to all have innate magic, because for literally no real reason that I can discern other than Whimsy, I have always been Team Werewolf in vampires vs werewolves, and I was tired of werewolves always being by default the underdogs in those narratives. Even if that does make for a good pun.

SO, I wanted to come up with werewolf magic that felt natural and organic to werewolves, like nothing too flashy or obscure, but that would make them a legitimate threat even to other supernatural creatures. And I made it so each of the shifter types were granted an active and a passive magic by the god that created their type of shifter, and with werewolves, their active magic was that of the pack gestalt. I took the idea of ‘their whole is greater than the sum of their parts’ that TW kinda briefly touched on when presenting (but never really doing much with) the idea that the more wolves in a pack, the stronger that pack was.....and I decided okay what if being part of a pack upped stats all across the board AND all shifters have a SLIGHT innate resistance to magic, being innately magical beings themselves? 

So a werewolf pack, with enough pack members, would thus not only be formidable in strength, speed, senses and speed of healing....but compound that innate shifter resistance to magic, which in a single shifter is negligible, like, just enough to make them slightly harder to track with magic or curse or whatever.....but in a whole werewolf pack, that adds up to make the pack effectively immune to foreign magic. Vampires can’t compel them, demons can’t possess them, witches can’t curse them, etc. So a lone werewolf, not part of a pack, is formidable, but nothing another supernatural being can’t take on. But a lone werewolf who IS part of a pack....different story entirely, because now most other supernatural beings, no matter what their USUAL strengths, are reduced to taking on that werewolf hand to hand, as their own supernatural gifts or spells or whatever, like, aren’t gonna do them any good against these particular foes. And werewolves are USED to fighting with just brute physical strength and attributes, which gives them the edge against opponents who are more used to being able to fall back on magic in battle.

But as much as I like sticking to a theme, I like to diversify that theme where possible, so when it came to the other shifter types, I wanted to similarly come up with ways where ‘the whole would be greater than the sum of their parts’ but in like, entirely different ways.

So with dolphin shifters, their ‘passive magic’ (in quotes cuz that’s not quite the right word for it but whatever) is that they’re all empaths, with their more active magic being weather manipulation. Their empathy is a two-way street....they project emotions as well as just feel other peoples’, which ties into the fact that their patron deity was Dionysus. Dolphin parties....legendary. But in an extremely wild, dangerous and Bacchanalian kinda way. In terms of Beacon Bay specifically, this is a bit of a problem for the BB dolphins, as the closest thing they had to an official Triton (the dolphin shifter version of an Alpha) was Peter, but they were like nope, not loving this guy, and kinda drove him out of town in the AU S1 backstory of this ‘verse, which means Scott and the others are kinda just making it up as they go along, and don’t really know the ins and outs of BEING dolphin shifters. (Derek is....elsewhere, in this. Mostly). 

So bottom line is they have reputations around school for being loud obnoxious goofs and trouble-makers, constantly playing hooky and such, but its because they don’t really know HOW to safeguard against spilling their emotions onto everyone around them so they try and err on the side of being the life of the party whenever possible, as that’s better than the alternatives in their opinion. And when they’re just having bad days and bumming hard, the whole pod will just skip school and glomp around the bumming pod member whilst self-caring, rather than like, accidentally bum out the entire school.

But their weather manipulation magic is where the gestalt idea comes into play with them, as I love weather manipulating powers, but I didn’t want to make them all Ororo Munroe, y’know? Only Ororo Munroe can be Ororo Munroe. Don’t make me scoff. I’ll do it. I’ll scoff so hard. SO I went with the idea of weather control married to manipulating storms via song and was like, okay what if a dolphin pod is like, a symphony of shifters. 

Basically, its like each individual dolphin shifter is a single voice in a chorus, and there’s magical equivalents of being a baritone, an alto, etc. Like, none of them can whip up a storm on their own. Its more that each of them can summon or conjure a PIECE of a storm with their song, with it being different for each of them....symptomatic of their magic as an expression of them as an individual. So for instance, Scott’s song is ‘tuned’ to lightning. He can call down a bolt of lightning from a clear blue sky.....but he can’t summon so much as a drop of rain to save his life. Literally. Its an actual plot point at one point. Whereas Isaac’s song is all about calling down rain, Boyd’s is more of an arctic wind, and Erica’s kinda summons a pressure front that in harmony with the two of theirs can whip up a mean waterspout. And then Corey’s all about conjuring fog banks with low visibility while Liam can whistle up a strong, gale-force wind but sucks at using his song as a precision instrument. Etc, etc. But the real magic is when they all use their voices and magic in concert....as a group, they can summon huge magical thunderstorms.

Also, one thing I love about using different kinds of shifters is the opportunity to explore enhanced supernatural senses that aren’t just keen sight, smell or hearing. So the dolphin shifters aren’t like wolf shifters in being able to detect chemosignals or anything like that....in fact, their sense of smell isn’t much different from anyone else’s. But they do have an ability to use what’s effectively supernatural echolocation even above water, and their sight is adapted for optimal viewing underwater, making them particularly good at seeing in the darkness even on land. 

(Also, related but somewhat tangential to both the shifter senses and dolphin ‘voices’....all dolphin shifters have a strong talent for mimicry, but this isn’t technically a form of magic, more just a combination of their control over their voice and their keen senses of pitch, etc).

The shark shifters, on the other hand, have some of the keenest senses of all shifters. Not only is their sense of smell even better than a werewolf’s, they’re sensitive to changes in pressure, for one thing. Which means on land, they can even feel changes in atmospheric pressure.....so like, the shark shifters of Beacon Bay could be in math class and then ‘feel’ a sudden drop in air pressure and thus even before some strange weather phenomenon occurs, they’re groaning like ugh fucking A, what the hell did the damn dolphins do now.

Also, their magnetic field perception is such that they can kinda ‘sense’ when people are around, just by being aware of the approaching magnetic field of another living being.

And then with the sharks, I was looking for ways to lean into the associations we have with sharks and blood, but subvert them to be less macabre and more communal. And another big theme of mine in general is like, I am DETERMINED to go to my grave shouting at the top of my lungs “Its THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT IS THICKER THAN THE WATER OF THE WOMB, NOT BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER, HOW DID PEOPLE GET THAT SO BACKWARDS ITS SUPPOSED TO BE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF HOW ITS USUALLY STATED!”

Like, that’s just...HUGE pet peeve of mine. Its like nails on a chalkboard, lmfao, that drives me nuts. That phrase is usually cited by people using it to express like, the idea that there’s no greater force than family, specifically BIOLOGICAL, ‘blood’ relations, but its literally meant to be the exact opposite, that the blood of CHOSEN bonds, of covenants, of vows or promises, is a greater force than the water of the womb, ie being born of the same womb, as in biological siblings. The entire point of the phrase is biology ain’t shit, family is what we choose. And somehow it got turned ENTIRELY around.

(Note: Okay, so for the record, its not ‘somehow’, there’s actually a very clear reason for why that particular interpretation gained so much momentum, and that’s because for a long time it was conflated with an old German proverb from like a thousand years ago that basically translates to “kin-blood is not spoiled by water.” Which basically was meant to mean that nothing can ‘dilute’ blood relations, not time, not distance, not water. So that phrase DOES correspond to the idea that ‘blood is thicker than water.’ Problem is, there isn’t a direct trace from that particular proverb TO most USAGES of ‘blood is thicker than water,’ which when you throw in the OTHER phrase, which in its entirety is “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,” what you end up with is a lot of people SAYING that one when they actually MEAN to say ‘kin-blood is not spoiled by water’ and that’s where the meanings get switched. But I fucking digress. Per usual).

Anyway. So combine that particular pet peeve with my found family fixation AND the fact that this is about magic and magic means I can do whatever the hell I want, fuck your biological connections mwahahaha.....I decided to base shark magic on the idea of the blood-ties of family....but CHOSEN blood-ties, as in blood of the covenant ties.

What I mean is okay, so it first of all just made sense to me to have shark shifter communities be heavily focused around adoption, because like....let’s be real, shark shifters going around biting people to change them into shifters, and then people magically healing from....shark bites....was going to attract a lot more attention than people turning after being attacked by other types of shifters. Not to mention the fact that not only are shark attacks always big news, part of why they’re big news is because they’re actually pretty rare.

So, shark shifter communities were never really gonna propagate via lots of random shark shifter attacks turning people. So the way they DO expand and grow is by, well, family. Both biological AND adoption...as well as of course shark shifter communities taking in people who ARE attacked by rogue shark shifters, when that does happen. 

But bottom line is, there’s an additional element in play in shark shifter communities, beyond just the gene pool....and that’s like, a magical tidepool of talents, let’s call it. Because I do love me some alliteration. But also tidepool of talents is just a cool phrase, IMO.

Anyway, the main part of shark shifter magic, and how THEIR whole is greater than the sum of their parts, is that any shark shifter can draw upon or channel the talents, skillsets or knowledge of anyone else in their communal family. And whenever that family gets added to, the talents, skillsets and knowledge of the new addition gets added to the pot, so to speak. So shark shifters are kinda all like Rogue, if Rogue’s focus was less on the superpowers of other people and more on things like Beast’s scientific knowledge, Cyclops’ strategic skills or Cable’s weapons expertise.

And then their ‘passive magic’ is a form of psychometry whenever they come into contact with blood. By touching even just a drop of someone’s blood, they can get a vision of how that blood was spilled or even get a sense of where the person who spilled it is now.

As to the types of sharks and dolphins they all are, for that I went with the thing about the shape you take reflects the person you are.....all the shifters here are full shifters, and there’s no genetic component to their shifting, its purely magical, so like....just because Peter turned the various dolphins of BB doesn’t mean they all turn into the same kind of dolphin he was. In fact, I don’t even know what kind of dolphin he was on account of I don’t really care tbh, lol. Whereas Erica’s an Atlantic spotted dolphin, Liam’s a pygmy killer whale which looks like an orca just tiny in comparison and is actually a dolphin, and I found that combination of factors hilarious, etc, etc.

Same thing with the shark shifters. Even among biological relations, there’s a ton of variety of shark types. Like the twins aren’t even the same type...Ethan’s a blue shark and Aiden’s a bull shark, Tracy’s a tiger shark and Hayden’s an angel shark. Danny’s actually a throwback to an unnamed prehistoric shark, not Megalodon big but big enough to shut up Jackson when he goes on about being a great white shark. Shark and crocodile shifters are the two oldest shifter clans, old enough that literal dinosaurs fall under the umbrella of their shifter type, and thus occasionally show up even in modern generations.

[dizzydancingdreamer]

Bucky Barnes, Darcy Lewis, and Loki for the ask game :,)

AHHHH YAY THANK YOU!!!!!

Bucky: Favourite character?

This is so hard but I’m going to say Clint Barton-- as much as it doesn’t seem like it with the attention I am giving to Bucky rn I have loved Clint Barton since day one. He’s cute, funny, jacked to the heavens, and survived like 30 catastrophes with a gun and a bow. The underdogs always have my heart and Jeremy Renner in the first Avengers movie made me realize I could feel things lmao-- the man is just so ahsgchgacs 

Darcy (I love this woman): Best fight scene?

As if I’m watching for the fight scenes The Dr. Strange fight scenes are probably my most favourite because the effects are amazing-- like just wow-- BUT I always really enjoy Thor and Hulk’s fight from Ragnorok because Thor has short hair and that streak of red down his face and his eyes literally go all electric and-- can you tell I don’t watch for the fighting?

Loki: Favourite quote?

ANYTHING FROM THOR RAGNOROK 

but here are my faves:

___

Bruce Banner: Last time we saw you, you were trying to kill everyone. What are you up to these days?

Loki: It varies from moment to moment

___

Korg: Hey, man. We're just about to jump on that ginormous spaceship. Wanna come?

Loki: You do seem like you're in desperate need of leadership.

Korg: Why, thank you!

___

Korg: Well, I tried to start a revolution, but didn't print enough pamphlets so hardly anyone turned up. Except for my mum and her boyfriend, who I hate.

___

Korg: "You rode a hammer?"

Thor: "No, I didn’t ride the hammer."

Korg: "The hammer rode you on your back?"

Thor: "No. I used to spin it really fast, and it would pull me off the..."

Korg: "Oh, my God. The hammer pulled you off?"

Thor: "The ground. It would pull me off the ground, up into the air, and I would fly. Every time I threw it, it would always come back to me."

___

(Possibly my fave)

Korg: Piss off ghosts!

[harcourthq]

❝  𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐓𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌����𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒. please make sure to go over our after-acceptance CHECKLIST and send in your account in the following TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. your story has just begun and we can’t wait to see where it takes you !

JAYDEN SUMMERS in PAGE 08: THE HUMOURIST.

GRAY, we both loved and adored jayden from the very beginning. as soon as we started reading about her childhood, her scrapped knees and wild hair, we were in love. she’s not just your typical class clown and we love that, you’ve given her a depth that we know will mesh really well with the rest of the squad!

WINONA BERKELEY in PAGE 09: THE DREAM.

BREN, from the moment we started reading about winona, we were hooked !! everything about her is so, pardon the pun, dreamy. i adored the way her story was woven and her being raised by women was such a wonderful touch. her moment on the page was so heartbreaking and i know from the way you wrote that section that she’ll fit in beautifully at harcourt. we can’t wait to see more of her!

MORRIS “MOE” DRISCOLL in PAGE 10: THE CAREGIVER.

KAYLA, wow! you had us from the moment moe learned he was going to be a big brother. the whole bit about him writing his mother’s farewell letters and receiving one on the day of her funeral? heartbreaking and sublime. moe is a beautiful character and we love how he truly embodies the caregiver. quoting you, he might not need the society but the members need him.

GAIA GUINIVERE LAWRENCE in PAGE 18: THE OBSERVER.

BEE, we’re not exaggerating when we say gaia is harcourt. not just because of the literal bits of her story, but because she embodies everything we feel harcourt is. this is her home and we’re just happy she’s sharing it with us. besides, she has a cult?! a badass bitch. gaia is such an amazing character, we’re just so glad you had time to write that app!

DEVIN DUMA-UG in PAGE 23: THE TRAGEDY.

THIA, i don’t speak lightly when i say devin had us absolutely stunned. you have created such an original and gorgeous character that there was no way we could let her slip away. believe us when we say making the choice for this skeleton was absolutely one of the hardest, but your honesty as a writer and devin’s story along with her potential to grow within the society won us over. we cannot wait to see where you take her! 

JUDE ALIRA SUTTON in PAGE 24: THE EXPLORER.

EM, your app was so much fun to read! the format you used to tell jude’s story was so original and fresh and it fit perfectly with what we think of the explorer. also, jude is such a fun character! reading about her lovers, her relationship with her dad and her concept of home, it was just so fun to read. and we love how she feels about the society, it’s def inch-resting and we can’t wait to see how that plays out!

KUN WOLFGANG PARK in PAGE 33: THE REBEL.

LISSA, when i was writing up the skeleton i imagined someone exactly like wolfgang, who despite everything, pushes through. his rebellion is one stemming from something and it makes his fight all the more glorious. thank you for sharing him with us and i have to say the line “but stories have always been the only thing the rebel has ever had, and he will protect them with his life, if need be.” was the cherry on top of the delicious cake! he’ll fit right in at harcourt!

DANIELLE WILSON in PAGE 39: THE SEDUCER.

EMILY, there’s no doubt about it, danielle is our seducer skeleton through and through. she is aphrodite reincarnated, she is the girl who steals all the attention in the room and the breath from your lungs. we loved the format of your app with the rumors, it was incredibly original and fun to read. what you did with the moment on the page was also so clever and everything about danielle’s relationship with the society makes us just wants to see more of her in this setting! can’t wait to see what she’ll do next! 

EWAN LARNER in PAGE 41: THE HOTSHOT.

LOGAN, ewan is chaos personified, a rich boy with destructive tendencies? more like our perfect hotshot! we loved the way you presented his bio through key words, and the moment on the page?! the fates?! you got to greek mythos hearts. we are sure ewan will bring lots of drama and chaos to the group and we can’t wait for it!

DANIEL ITO in PAGE 57: THE INGENUE.

ANNIE, the idea that the ingenue is not someone who has to be soft but rather can use that as protection or as a facade was a welcomed one and you portrayed it so beautifully through danny. he is soft despite how he feels about the word, not because he chooses to be but rather circumstances made him this way for survival and i adore that interpretation. we can’t wait to see how he grows within harcourt’s walls! also, the two leo admins understand danny’s need for attention and hate for lion tamers very well! 

LYSANDER “LYE” BELLO VASSILIS in PAGE 74: THE KNIGHT.

ALEXA, lye is the prince charming of our dreams! we love that he is not what we would usually expect from the knight, but still, he fits so well into the role. a knight in shining armor to his sister. we’re in love with him! his whole ass natal chart in there was not our favorite bit, but we forgive you because we know lye will bring the drama and the sexy!

BEATRICE “BEA” ANDERSON-YAMADA in PAGE 75: THE LOVER.

ASH, you didn’t have to go so hard with your app, pheeww! it was such a ride. there were some amazing apps for the lover but we just couldn’t look away from bea. she was the one for us. the way she shines warmth and love reached us through the screen. bea is such a beautiful character, to us, she is a lover of life and the people around her, she is light and poetry and we can’t wait to see more of her!

JULIAN ROMERO in PAGE 88: THE UNDERDOG.

ELIZABETH, julian is such a sweet boy, i just want him to succeed in everything he does and i truly am rooting for him. his story was refreshing and the idea that despite him having a harder time than most, he can still do the things they can just in his own way was really wonderful. we are so excited to see him interact with the rest of the society members and be the resident historian! we hope he has the round-frame glasses to match the look!

DOROTHEA “THEA” MARQUIS in PAGE 93: THE WILDCARD.

ELLIE, we both agree that thea is our perfect wildcard! everything about her, from her backstory with her parents, to living with her brother, to her own fall from grace make her an incredibly fascinating character. you just never know what to expect with her, as is only right for the wildcard and we can’t wait to see how she fits into the society and interacts with everyone else!

PHOEBE-MAY LANGDON in PAGE 95: THE CORRUPTER.

S, you probably already suspect it but this was one of the skeletons we struggled the most with as all of the apps were beautiful and each character had such a wonderful take on the corrupter. but phoebe. PHOEBE! we love the way she is lowkey a psychopath and goes through life as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. we have a feeling that she is so completely out of touch with reality, on her own goddess fantasy, that we can’t wait to see how she mingles with the rest of the group! also... did she ever serve time for... you know? 

EDISON “EDI” BLAIR in PAGE 103: THE INDIFFERENT.

JAX, edi’s story is so heartbreaking. the way you played with this idea of the controlling parents, doing exactly what they’d done in life in death as well. having the guilt controlling her now and that being the cause of her indifference, a shield of sorts was truly compelling. we’re incredibly excited to see how this will work within the group and what other sides of edi it will bring out!

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Moriarty 5 - 7 | HypMic 10 - 11

Moriarty 5

Saito’s Moriarty and Gentaro voices are quite similar, now that I compare them.

“…he’s a good egg at heart.” – LOL, never thought I’d be reading subtitles that said that.

Oh, so that was Frida on the bridge?

I wonder, is Moriarty like Bon and nursing a weak leg with that cane? Or is the cane just a symbol of nobility?

Moriarty 6

The Titanic? Wasn’t there a Black Butler arc based on it?

LOL, these people in the foreground are CGI.

…is that the grapefruit guy? (Beats me, I haven’t watched this in weeks and am only returning to it because Scott keeps mentioning spoilers. The only thing I’m keeping up with properly is HypMic and my Kanon watch with #AniTwitWatches…and soon I’ll add the final episodes of Sailor Moon to it.)

Found him! Sherlock Holmes! I sort of triangulated from buzz around me that he appears in this episode.

What’s with the skull ring Holmes wears?

…ah, the golden ratio!

…Oh, this is gonna get interesting! You can tell this Holmes is adept in fighting due to his build, but…how did Moriarty figure out Holmes played the violin? Calluses on his hands?

Is this Holmes a womaniser…? I thought the guy was often characterised as an asexual, or at the very least aromantic. That’s part of what makes the guy so intriguing to me - because he still has Irene.

A colliery is a coal mine. It’s been a while since I heard that word.

Moriarty 7

The anime’s sense of colour is probably one of the most striking parts of this. Not just red, but blue and green where it counts too.

Not a fan of the 1st person cam…

That knife came out pretty clean for something so blood-stained.

I wanted to say “’Right,’ said Fred”…but Fred didn’t talk, so I can’t do that. (Dangit!)

I somehow found it slightly funny that France was ahead of Britain (America?) in forensic pathology, although I dunno what made it funny exactly.

I squealed (…just a little bit) when the iconic quote came up: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” I have it memorised from my Detective Conan days still, see?

Next time: A Study in S (according to stuff I read, the S stands for Sherlock this time).

HypMic 10

…I can’t believe it’s almost over already. I’ve basically been in a dream this entire season…but then what happens once the anime is over…? Waiting for the 2nd DRB to happen, I guess.

I didn’t even realise, but Jiro’s varsity jacket has an owl on the bottom of the logo.

…”[H]it the head”? Wassat mean? *checks up* Oh, so it means to go to the bathroom…Right. It’s US slang, which might explain a thing.

Notice Ramuda uses “Jakurai” and not “jijii” or something like that during his time with Ichijiku. Also, there’s a lot of his deep voice going around…

You can see MTR on the poster behind Ramuda at one point.

*anguished noises* Ramuda!!! Please don’t do this!!!

LOL, Sadamezuka and Kazuha.

Is “bum-rush” even an appropriate word for this situation…? US slang is weird…

…Doppo’s performance almost seems like a Rosho foreshadowing. Also, I love how Doppo’s screens disappear with his motivation.

…I saw a spoiler today on Twitter regarding Dice and meat…now I get it.

“detarame” – I know this word means “nonsense”, but for some reason I memorised it as meaning “s***” at one point due to the context of Scenario Liar. I find it interesting Hifumi used a word from Scenario Liar in the first place, even though it’s not necessarily meant to be taken in that context.

“the King of Normies” – For some reason, that made me laugh pretty hard. That is an accurate translation of “riajyuu no ousama” though.

Gentaro’s smile puts a smile on my face as well.

“colours you’ve dyed” – Note Shibuya is constantly referred to by colours, including how PCCS (in the Shibuya 1st DRB team song) apparently means “practical colour coordinate system”.

I find it interesting that Saburo was the one who mentioned holding hands as a sign of camaraderie first in the anime and then the Funi translation makes Ramuda use the same symbolism here. It may have been unintentional, though.

…the subbers keep using “OMG” and I’m like ????. Is OMG outdated slang in 2020?

…wow, that holy imagery…they really went all-in on Jakurai’s godliness there.

…even when knocked down, Jakurai’s hair is still 100% gorgeous.

I noticed one of the lyrics the translators cut out of Doppo’s rap was “borderline”.

Ahhhhhhhhhh! This anime just kicked me where it hurts! (<- As in, it used the trope I love so much – where the underdog causes a sudden turn-around in the battle and they’re not even aware of it!) This is why I love you, Doppo!

LOL, FP spent their countdown gossiping. That’s such a FP thing to do.

Hifumi seems to carry the beat in MTR’s Kizuna. Jakurai gets drowned out quite a bit, although Riou (who has a similar voice) was less drowned out.

“No pain, no gain.” – That’s a good saying.

HypMic 11

2 episodes until the end! (Yikes!)

I still take some issue with subbing the laughing. Well, then again I’ve been half-deaf lately with my ears being clogged (accidentally clogged my ear up again…), so I guess I shouldn’t complain.

If I’m hearing it right, Ramuda goes “nee-san” and not particularly anything to do with “Beauties” or “Beasts”, which seems to be exclusive to the subs.

Stone guardian? I guess this has to do with jizo in Japanese. Hifumi does go “namu” (short for “namu amida butsu”) towards Doppo at the end there.

That bed is…why is it so empty if it’s meant to be the room someone’s staying in?

Is Jyuto’s hair black or brown? I’ve been colouring it a deep brown because I think that looks nice, but it might actually be black…

I have a newfound respect for Komada ever since I found out his birthday is [secret censored – maybe if you follow the hints I leave behind, you might find out what I mean].

LOL, I spotted the fire extinguisher in one corner and was immediately reminded of how someone once translated “fire extinguisher” to “hand grenade”.

…how does Jakurai’s hair work from the back? There’s this coil of hair that seems to go places it shouldn’t be…

For some reason, the subbers keep translating “sensei” as “the good doctor”…or is that the first and only time it happened?

I think it’s appropriate they discuss bonds on the day Kizuna (the ED) goes out on streaming.

…*thinks about 2nd DRB, where BB vs. DH is going to happen next month* …Yeah, you better pay attention or your daddy’s gonna come spank you boys.

Jakurai summoning his mic is always freakin’ cool. Aspire to be like this elegant man.

The wolf hand sign again.

There’s a pun between kizukizu (wounds) and kizuna (bonds). Update: The phrase is actually gisugisusa (stiffness, unsociability, coldness [of atmosphere] etc.), but...there’s the same rhyming scheme, so it’s not wrong.

Doppo’s bit about Jakurai(-sensei) being a kasugai (hemostat) is, surprisingly, quite faithful, as you can tell from how those words rhyme. Hifumi’s verse mentions a monkey wrench, though.

…kasumitai ore ga yoi… - that translates to “…[Jakurai is] better than us, who are like scum…” It’s a very Doppo sort of line, noting that kasu literally means “residue”.

I didn’t realise this until now, but Riou has a piercing in one ear (his right). It’s just in an unconventional place in the upper curve, so I never spotted it.

Samatoki’s death aesthetic really contrasts against Jakurai’s healing one. I can see why people really liked the MTC vs. MTR fight now.

It seems the strategy to win in this series is to keep spamming your attacks. It seems hugely suitable for my pseudo-Pokemon AU, which emphasises attack over defence.

Oh! I never noticed the blue gem on Jakurai’s mic!

Note how Samatoki said “lightning rod” – Jakurai’s name means “lonely thunder”. It’s one reason why I fell head over heels for the guy – his stupidly awesome name.

“horse/rabbit/bush warbler” – These refer to MTC. Samatoki, Jyuto, Riou. On that note, ARB currently has an event where Ramuda hangs out with MTC and he calls Jyuto “usa-chan” as a pun. I find that so darn cute!

“And the winner is…Matenro!” - *cue the song, The Champion*

Notice how they put BB and FP before MTC and MTR in the ED…it’s foreshadowing!

[robomin]

seventeen and karasuno: a comparison

hello everybody! here is my not so cursory post before I disappear once again into mere reblogs for another 2 months. I just finished the haikyuu manga and needless to say... I am devastated. I've also been following the series for 5 years..,.,,,., and I’ve noticed some similarities and points of comparison between karasuno and seventeen,,  and I decided to look into it just a lil further both to understand my own love for both teams and to unpack  my own biases and judgements! 

1. history/ past

both Karasuno and seventeen hail from previous ‘powerhouse’es - Karasuno being known as the ‘fallen crows’ and pledis having been in a slump for a bit at the time of seventeen’s debut despite having debuted previously successful groups. I think this does fundamentally set up similar foundational values in both teams, and can possibly be the reason the hunger and drive to improve is so pertinent and palpable in both teams. I’d think both teams take on critical underdog roles in their respective spheres, and this is possibly a reason for their similarities! 

2. outstanding values 

there are certain values that I strongly associate both teams with, and here I wanna unpack that a lil more and see exactly what it is that these two teams really have in common! in particular, these values are teamwork, earnestness, energy, and unpredictability. 

teamwork

I think the cornerstone of both teams is undeniably their strong strong teamwork. at the core of Karasuno is their cohesion, their ability to pick up after each other and cover for each other - their unwavering confidence and reliance on each other. think Hinata’s faith in Kageyama, Asahi’s faith in Nishinoya, their seamless synchronised attacks and the sheer amount of love and support they have for each other. and seventeen definitely also displays this! It’s a known fact that seventeen is known for their ridiculously synchronised everything, from their choreography to their mistakes (lol), and for their teamwork. think woozi supporting the rest of the members in recording, in their musicality, think about how their love for each other (when asked to describe svt,, answers like ‘my everything’ ‘my youth’ ‘family’ ,,,, pls… how can u not cry…….) and just how much they all complement each other so well (hiiing) and spend time with each other even during holidays and go for family dinners together like. do you see what I mean??? these two teams love each other so much……… 

earnestness

ok imo I think svt is one of the most genuine kpop groups out there, in their sincere focus and love for their art, in the way they (esp woozi, dk, vern, dino) are so focused on honing their skills, improving their musicianship and doing it for each other, to grow together, to continue making music and having fun with their friends… I think coups mentioned somewhere once that though they started out fixating a lot on achievements and awards, they have grown to focus more on just doing what they love w the people they love for a long time…… and …. :””””””( yeah. although this point isn’t super pertinent and present in karasuno, it’s definitely there too, somewhat! the way they’re all focused on improving, on becoming better versions of themselves and fighting it out together as a team (quote kags saying ‘but I wanted to do it with this team’,,,… cry…….) and not for the fame, not really for anything else, but to get good and play volleyball for a long time…. hiiiiinnngggggg

energy

ok I think I might be kinda biased on this one, and I think it overlaps a lil with the earnestness point, but I rly rly think both teams have this !!!! presence on the court and on the stage… it’s likely a combination of how special the individual members are and their synergy, and also how dedicated they are to putting on a good performance and winning. to me they kinda just vibe the same way, with that boundless, contained energy that kinda exudes in the form of self-assuredness and quiet, stable confidence. ya know??? ok this is rly more vibey than anything tangible so it’s a lil hard to explain but I hope you get what I mean! 

unpredictability

ok so maybe unpredictability might not be the best word, but Karasuno is always pulling ridiculous plays out of their asses in the middle of matches and bewildering everyone,, which to me is kinda similar to how seventeen always comes up with tracks that are so different, so wow (including and sometimes especially their b-sides!), and so refreshing. their performances as well, always leave an impression due to how ! woah! they are and I think that stems from a certain degree of unpredictability and flexibility - you never really know what svt’s new music is gonna sound like, what Karasuno’s next play is going to be, but you know that in both cases, they’re the only ones who can pull those off flawlessly (think the Miya twins’ imitation freak duo quick, and seventeen’s entire. discography and how immaculate and ! wonderful it is…… music analysis post for another day…) 

3. special mention for similarities between characters/ members! hehe 

s.coups and daichi: ok. i feel like this is the most obvious comparison.. like they are both tired dads and so responsible.. their thighs.. how reliable they are as pillars for their teams, but also…. how cute and actually equally reliant they are on their teammates as well (think coups’ duality, daichi’s new year eve dream (nightmare? LOL) and how they don’t take all the limelight for themselves but support the team by uplifting their teammates instead and making sure they have the space and freedom to do what they want (daichi always picking up receives on court despite being a spiker, coups always talking to the company and sitting in on meetings even when he doesn’t have to be there….. dads…) 

jeonghan and suga: both pretty faces with a penchant for stirring shit LOL like. I always thought both of them were really similar in this aspect, cause although they are definitely both core emotional pillars for their teammates and members, they also stir up a lot of shit and join in on a lot of shenanigans (think Suga riling up daichi for fun and how that is… very similar to how jeonghan screws around w coups) but they’re also v caring and sweet at the same time… we love duality and consistency……

hoshi and nishinoya: ok. I actually think hoshi’s a mix of kags and nishinoya, but def more noya….. like they both have their personal Brand - noya’s rolling thunder, hoshi’s tiger agenda, they’re both reliable and cornerstones of a certain important skill in their teams, and they both have this willpower and determination to fight it out and improve on themselves. not! to mention how they’re like disciplined but also ridiculously chaotic with the rest of their teammates as well and how they’re always both doing dumb stuff…….. (booseoksoon and the tanaka/hinata/noya circus) 

dk and asahi: I think this is a comparison that has been made quite a lot as well! clearly, both dk and asahi are the aces (dk as the main vocal and asahi…. is literally an ace) but they’re also prone to insecurity and constantly asking a lot of themselves….. although they’re not completely the same (as is for all the pairs here) I think the way they’re both kinda timid and demand a lot from themselves is p similar and! I also love them both very much

dino and hinata: ok while. I think dino’s a lot smarter than hinata, I think their work ethic is pretty similar - think dino who literally grew up dancing and how much passion and drive he has to prove himself and improve in that regard, and how much he loves it as well. this to me is p similar to Hinata’s unabashed love for volleyball - their ambition is also p similar to me, in that they don’t shy away from professing their desire to win and to become the best (dino’s artist who will go down in history ambition and hinata’s one-track determination to become the greatest) also the both of them just have a lot of energy and ! sprite! also dino’s laugh is. so sunny it screams hinata’s sunny vibe. 

ok so basically in conclusion,, this whole thing was just for me to get my feelings out a lil bit and organise some vague comparisons I had thought about. i really hope there’s a significant enough overlap between the two fandoms so more people can appreciate and understand what I’m saying so we can talk about it!! I personally think it’s super interesting how I’m the most involved in these two fandoms, and how they have so many similarities… I think it reveals the values that I value in judging others, and I’d urge you to consider and reflect on the things/ people/ shows you like and see if there are any similarities there! going a lil meta on myself has been really fun so please! don’t be shy to talk to me about this and any other similarities you might find between anime and kpop LOL 

[iggytheperson]

Professor Bigfoot’s speech in “Stephen and the Suspension of Disbelief”; compiled for ease of analysis

-henry from the comments writes in: “first time last time. tuned in for traffic + weather and got two dudes rambling about conspiracy theories like a terrible podcast. cryptids, aliens, psychic powers, GHOSTS...seriously, what makes you dorks believe in all this junk?” well HENRY - hold on, i’m gonna need the soundboard for this one...-

[ Actually, if I may...That’s an excellent question, Henry. What does make us believe in “all this junk?”

Now to me, it’s understandable why conspiracy theorists get a bad rap, but I believe what makes us believe stems from some of the simplest instincts that make us human. ]

-well professor, this sounds like a super slow burn you’re cooking up, just a really ‘round about roast, but partner if you’re down to dunk i’m up to alley-oop. ahem...what sort of instincts, professor?-

[ Well the first, I’d say, is skepticism...the basic building blocks of rationality itself. The human body is rebellious, you see. It questions. It denies authority. Despite every would-be jailer’s efforts, it is just not good at doing what it’s told.

In minds like ours, that healthy skepticism is simply heightened to its peak, the same way an Olympic athlete perfects their physical health. Through practice. For instance, most people just accept that the moon is real, but if you told me so, I’d say “how come?” And if you said there’s no such thing as Loch Ness Monsters, I’d say “not with that attitude there isn’t.” This is what it means to practice healthy skepticism. ]

-...is...is it?-

[ Ho ho, exactly, my dear friend, exactly. But yes, yes it is. And it’s a vital mental muscle to build up!

After all, you never know when having the strength to not believe in things might lead you to a cause you DO believe in. Which leads me to the next instinct...

RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Allow me to explain. Righteousness is a flame that sparks at the friction between our sense of right and of wrong. While the average person’s sense of right and wrong is limited to what their other senses can perceive, we conspiracy theorists can extend our senses further, and sense the world’s ambient wrongness without the need for evidence. ]

-wow! like, uh, spider man.-

[ No, friend. Even better than Spider-Man. But with greater power than Spider-Man comes greater responsibility than Spider-Man: the responsibility not just to rage against injustice...but to keep our rage in check. You see, with all that extra surface area inside our field of perception, the flame of righteousness we bear, unleashed, becomes a WILDFIRE.

Now, some might say that our extraordinary abilities make us larger than life, that our unmatched fury makes us monstrous, but I would argue that being superhuman make us just that: super human. We’re just as likably flawed as we are superior to normies, and sensing wrong, raging against it, does not always mean our strength’s enough to set it right.

Still, I like to think that even a little guy can tower over evil if he has the moral high ground, uses the weight of their sins against them, and gets some help from his fellow underdogs.  

At least...that’s what I like to think.

Liking to think, what’s more human than that? A conspiracy theorist knows that every answer’s found by someone looking for it. We entertain the possibilities that entertain us! Skepticism guides us, righteousness fuels us, but if you ask what makes us believe, well...to quote my favorite documentary series, the X-Files, we WANT to believe. 

We fill the unknown with our pet theories and seek the truth to greet like an old friend. Ask yourself, “what do I want?” You might find, like us, that you believe your wish could -WILL- come true...with no evidence besides what’s in your heart. ]

-in...in my heart? what i...want?-

[ That’s right, friend, what do you want? ]

-i...want...to...make...henry...feel bad?-

[ Is that really what you want? 

We conspiracy theorists might like to think we’re guided by facts and reason, but truthfully we’re following our hearts. Because of this, we might not always reach our destination, but we’re guaranteed to enjoy every step of the way. ]

-hey, professor bf...i know we...agreed not to talk about what happened at chupacon ‘99, but...if your feelings haven’t changed, do you think you’d want to--

[ ALAS. The heart, I fear, is a double-edged sword. Wishful thinking- Thinking with our hearts- It might give us direction, but...that doesn’t always mean it’s made us face the truth.

Sometimes, the world we build up in our hearts is not the one we live in. Why do we believe, you ask? Because...to err is human, and that’s all I’ve claimed we are all along. Still, a steadfast, unyielding clock is right twice a day. Are we willing to bet on those slim odds? Are we ready to face the reality of our fantasies, should they become real? 

So...that’s that. Skepticism, righteousness, a willingness to bet on what we love...I can’t say they’re always virtues, but our hearts are in the right place, at least. Our instincts, too, perhaps, if not our theories...Sometimes, listener, I suspect...that the greatest trick this world’s worst devils pulled was hiding in plain sight, and convincing us we had to search for evil.

It’s no hidden secret that the system’s filled with willing pawns of power...Those at the top grab for more control in daylight, not in darkness. We rightfully fear secretive manipulation, chemicals and waves, but the most persuasive pressure’s from our peers, the status quo need only preach “it’s with us or against us”, and one convert can make agents of us all.

Then there’s doomsday conspiracies...the many means by which our Earth could end. We’re sure they’re waiting in the wings: evil schemes, unnatural disasters hidden behind friendly faces, our leader’s secrecy, or the sheer scale of the unknown world itself.

But...I cannot help but wonder, if we focus on apocalypses covert and fantastical...

I cannot help but fear, dear listener...that we entertain a grand finale to existence just to entertain ourselves, and distract us from the mundane end in sight.

So...where does that leave us? My fellow conspiracy theorists...what ARE we? Are we shepherds heeded only in hindsight, crying wolf into our flock’s deaf ears? Or are we sheeple herd ourselves, unwittingly echoing domesticated dogma in bleating harmony with power?

If our dogged whistleblowing’s sirens of alarm serve as the dog whistle siren song that leads the system’s lambs to slaughter, then perhaps we’re more sheepdogs in lone wolf’s clothing. 

Maybe where THAT leaves us is what answers who we are...Learning your leash’s length, would you obey? Or bite the hand that holds it?

Maybe these endless questions are the truth of who we are, and our theories aren’t meant to become fact. Maybe we don’t want answers. Perhaps our path is paved with stones best left unturned. 

Perhaps...and perhaps not. In the end, it’s our choice. Knowing what we know, what we feel, and why we feel it...Knowing what we DON’T know...who we are, and where we’re headed...These opposites have undeniable attraction. 

Together, they form a theory’s essence - A root in reality. A seed of unexplored mystery. Whether the tension between the two grows into something more...THAT’S our choice. With our facts and fears laid bare...do we commit to this pursuit? Or let our truth remain conspiracy?

But I’ve rambled enough. If you have another question, I’ll be waiting. Until then..

I hope this answer will suffice. ]

-THIS has been 98.6 ‘the fever’, bringing you nothing but the best in traffic and weather, and I do mean nothing but. hahahaaa don’t snitch okay. i need this. AHEM until next time, what do we say, professor?-

[ As always...no matter what tomorrow holds, be it bad traffic or bad weather...I believe we’ll make it through. Because, more than anything else...I believe in us. ]

[wildname]

10 Favorite Characters

In no particular order honestly. I can’t group things like that. Don’t make me.

I love the whole setting for Hellboy, but of course the big guy’s the star of that. He’s tough, funny, tired of hell’s bullshit and how fucking cool is it to have something called “The Right Hand of Doom”??? Brutal.

King Robert will always be my favorite king of Westeros. He’s a deeper character then what you’d think at first glance. In my opinion, he’s a great look into a protagonist who’s story is long since over, a noble who fought a war for his friends and the woman he loved and became king because of it. Yet it’s far from a happy ending for the guy. I especially love the softer moments he has, when he’s not drinking and whoring, when we see a king be vulnerable with his friend, Ned, and even Cersei, a woman who’s never soft or nice with anyone who isn’t blood to her. And the realm honestly did pretty well under him all things considered. Ned’s a close second.

I love Varric to death, he’s the best friend a hero could ever want. Witty, charming, not afraid to call you out on your bullshit, and an absolute badass with a crossbow. But he’s also got agency in the story outside of the player’s choices, he’s got his own goals with his novels, and keeping Hawke safe. Dashing rogue with a heart of gold done right in my opinion.

Tony is more of a indulgent favorite for me. He’s of course the genius billionare playboy but more importantly, he’s just a guy. No cool powers or training. He was just a guy who used his brains to come up with a way to fix his mistakes in the world and do better by it. Plus who the hell wouldn’t want their own Iron Man suit?

Blast from the past on this one. I loved playing as Murray when I was kid in Sly Cooper. He was the strongest, had cool abilities, and was hilarious to quote from. When I got older, I sort of realized how much he was trying to help out the gang more in 2. And I really appreciated that growth they gave him in the first three games. Driver you have to help and do crappy driving mini-games with, to a valued part of the team who felt remorse when he thought he wasn’t strong enough to help, which was all he had in his eyes. Deep shit from a pink hippo.

Lancers are my favorite class in Fate, with Cu Chulainn being my favorite lancer. (Diarmuid being a close second.) He’s an absolute cocky son of a bitch who just wants to have a good fight. But he’s also still playing to his morals the whole time, even when he knows it won’t play out well for him. The guy’s got honor and is a true bro to the bitter end. We all need a Cu in our lives.

First off, Blizz did my boy dirty. Second, I still want a REAL troll expansion. Or dwarf. Vol’jin has always been my favorite racial leader in WoW, even though I’m an Alliance fanboy. He quickly became, in my opinion, the first leader to have real agency in the story. Wraith felt like they were still just, “Oh okay. Do this thing while we... sit outside the door, hero.” While Thrall was off having adventures and saving the world in his way, Vol’jin always kept sidelined to the Horde, and being one of the most vocal ones, that we see in game, against Garrosh from the start. Hell, he leads two entire in-game events personally! One to reclaim the Echo Isles, and the Darkspear Rebellion! Vol’jin’s Horde lives on in my heart to this day. Taz’dingo.

Honorable mention to Magni and Moira actually doing things for dwarves in recent years. Shame about Magni just being a meme and Moira being sidelined since Cata and MoP stuff. But whatever...

So Midoriya was actually a big inspiration for me to make Thalin. I started My Hero after high school and it really hit me with the geeky kid training to be better then he was. I’m a sucker for the underdog type stories and being a hero with what you have in a world where people can do amazing things (almost like magic hmm?) is absolutely great to me. I only wish he took longer to really get a better hold of his quirk. He jumped from bone breaking to minor control too quick for my taste but eh, he’s still a great inspiration to me.

Okay yes Kayn is edgy, but he’s the champ who took me out of bot lane and really got me to understand the game better. His kit is honestly pretty simple to understand, so after I got that down, I began to learn the game better, not just focus on “uh... what does this do?” He’s my boi and my highest mastery champ, and he’ll always be my go to in the jungle.

Okay and lastly, Ed. He was just my idle as a kid. I honestly don’t know why but yeah. Living his best life.

Tagged by: @ravensteel​ @dithaya-ffxiv​ @unabashedrebel​ thanks guys!

Tagging: whoever would like to do this! it’s fun to think about who you like and maybe why they influence you and your writing!

[divineveil-inactive]

Never ending survey

RULES: Repost, do not reblog. Tag 10 blogs!

Tagged by: @lareine-kira and @paleshadeofrose

Tagging: @hangedemperor , @istolin , @maximiloix , @trahja-tia , @eorzeasfrozenknight , @charm-in-spades , @thorcatte , @haila-wetyios , @a-sharlayan-abroad

---

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Varg Blacksoul, formerly Timur Oronir NICKNAME: Varg-Varg (given by Lareine), Stiffy and Grumpy (given by Silke) AGE:  54 BIRTHDAY:  9th sun of the 1st astral moon ETHNIC GROUP: Xaela Au Ra NATIONALITY: Othard, Ishgard LANGUAGE/S: Common, xaelic, ishgardian SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Demisexual ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Biromantic RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single and not looking for company. HOME TOWN / AREA:  Dawn Throne, Azim Steppe CURRENT HOME:  Pillars, Ishgard PROFESSION: Paladin, medic/healer at Ishgard’s service.

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Long and silvery grey. EYES: Black with white limbal rings, small irises. FACE: Angular features, long nose, high cheekbones. LIPS: Narrow, often cracked, slightly darker than his usual skin color. COMPLEXION: Grayish purple BLEMISHES: Dark circles SCARS: Lots of scars which he keeps hidden at all times. Two thick, long ones are visible and almost go across his right eye. TATTOOS: No tattoos. HEIGHT:  210cm WEIGHT: Slightly underweight BUILD: Slender but masculine, somewhat toned. FEATURES: Black markings around eyes, and naturally thick, black claws. ALLERGIES: None USUAL HAIR STYLE: At work or formal meetings it’s combed back either completely or with some locks on his temples left loose. In more casual situations he mostly just lets it be. USUAL FACE LOOK: Calm, focused, narrowed eyes. USUAL CLOTHING:  Full, dignified heavy armor or parts of it combined with a long coat, formal robes, jodhpurs, vests, blouses and high-heeled boots.

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR/S: Imprisonment, being held or tied down, physical pain, betrayal. ASPIRATION/S: To be successful, self-sufficient and powerful until the end, to bring as many as possible wrongdoers to justice, to find an heir, and catch people still on the loose who managed to escape his revenge long ago.

POSITIVE TRAITS: He keeps his word, doesn’t leave things unfinished, is a good motivator for slackers, aims for high-quality results in everything, is reasonable and logical.

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Insensible towards most of people, logic always comes before his own or other people’s feelings, very straightforward, capable of cruelty if necessary.

TEMPERAMENT: Calm SOUL TYPE/S: Thinker ANIMALS: Gray wolf

VICE HABIT/S: Smoking. He hates it, but it’s the least harmful thing that calms his nerves down, and he’s addicted. He tries to limit it though, and use it only in worst occasions, since he doesn’t want the side effects affecting his health or work. If things get especially grim, he also has full stashes of potent liquor and intravenous sedatives.

FAITH: Science usually comes first, but he’s also spiritual in some way. It’s one of those topics he doesn’t discuss with anyone. Some of his duties include working as a cleric, so it may have something to do with Halone. Or then it doesn’t, and it’s just another job.

GHOSTS?: Has seen them with his own eyes so can’t deny their existence. AFTERLIFE?: He hopes it exists, for reasons. REINCARNATION?: It’s a possibility.

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT: Generally neutral, but on demand would choose the side of underdogs: ignoble, the poor and the sick, minors etc. Wouldn’t show his alignment publicly if it was a threat to himself. Would also pretend to be supporting the oppressor, only trying to sabotage their work at every opportunity. Even I’m not sure would he actually die for anyone else or some common cause. He has fled once to save his own hide and he could do it again. Knows main points of what’s going on and where around the world for the sake of common knowledge, but is only interested in topics that concern himself. Has been a target for racists since arriving to Ishgard as a teenager, so he despises them from the bottom of his heart.

EDUCATION LEVEL: Learned

FAMILY.

FATHER : Not relevant MOTHER :  Not relevant SIBLINGS : None that he knows of EXTENDED FAMILY: Iris Ymir (patient and protege) and Arsene Dreadeois (butler)

NAME MEANING/S:

Timur is a Turkic and Mongolic name which literally means iron. In Indonesian, timur translates to east and symbolizes hope by the rising sun.

All members of the Oronir tribe believe themselves to be direct descendants of Azim, the tribe's god of the sun.

Varg is wolf in swedish. Varg was also originally a nickname given by his friends at the Steppe. It was the only thing he kept after starting his new life in Ishgard and severing his ties with his homeland.

Blacksoul was given by his comrades in the army for being so ruthless towards enemies - both the ones on the battlefield and the ones captured.

HISTORICAL CONNECTION?: None

FAVORITES.

BOOK:  Science, mythology, swordplay, alchemy, etc. Everything that has something to do with his work or hobbies. DEITY: Halone seems to share most of his values. HOLIDAY: Doesn’t celebrate any. MONTH: September and October. There isn’t many little things in life he gets pleasure from, but fall colors is one of them. SEASON: Fall and winter. PLACE: His estate, cathedrals, libraries and forges. WEATHER: Thick fog, rain and sunshine at the same time. SOUND/S: Fire, rain and musical instruments when someone who actually knows what they’re doing plays them. SCENT/S: Herbs, iron, parchment. TASTE/S:  Whisky, tea, whatever Arsene makes. FEEL/S:  Clean clothes, heat radiating from a fireplace. ANIMAL/S:  Doesn’t like animals except for his chocobo, Mori. NUMBER: Doesn’t care about numbers. COLORS: White, black, blood red, gold, silver.

EXTRA.

TALENTS: Accuracy of a chirurgeon, skillful with swords, managing to define a goal fast in any kind of surprising situation and being very patient and stubborn at achieving it.  BAD AT: Admitting he has weaknesses, comforting people, having fun, small talk, relaxing. HOBBIES: Reading, studying, weapon maintenance, alchemy. TROPES: Antihero, tragic hero and mad scientist. Definitely could also be a villain. Depends on whom you ask.

QUOTES:

“Since you seem to be so worried of my… customers, perhaps I should take you along the next time I interrogate them. You would see with your own eyes what kind of delicate, exquisite and misunderstood individuals they are, when they spit on you, mock their victims and brag about the amount of people they have raped or murdered.”

“Today it happens. Make sure she is out of here before I return tonight. I am no longer even sure which one of them is the worse one.”

“It was a mere procedure. If procedures were considered intimate, I would be close friends with half of Ishgard by now.”

“Do tell me... If you work as much as you claim, how come you are always broke when we meet?”

“Very well. Play something for me. Let us see are you a man of your word.”

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 :  If you could write your character your way in their own movie, what would it be called, what style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about?          

A1 :  He’s been busy sticking his spoon into so many soups during his life that you could probably make a trilogy of his fooleries feats. The first part would tell about his early life in Azim Steppe and how he was forced to leave from there, the second part about how he found his soulmate and adapted to his new life in Ishgard, and how it all eventually ended up into a shitstorm, and the third one would be the current storyline. No clue about the name, though. The Soulforge would be perfect but too bad it’s taken.

Q2 :  What would their soundtrack/score sound like?          

A2 : Bloodborne, Dark Souls and Amnesia the Dark Descent OSTs are absolutely the closest ones you could get to Varg. Orchestral, choir, bowed string instruments, both epic and monstrous. Even if there were more peaceful pieces here and there, while listening to them you’d still have that same feeling of dread you used to have while playing the original Resident Evil and Silent Hill games and finding a safe room: you just barely escaped death but can’t stay in the safe haven forever.

Q3 : Why did you start writing this character?          

A3 : He’s quite different compared to my Forsaken shadow priestess in WoW, whom I used to RP for... two or three years? Long story short: I wanted something else for a change. I also used to have an old Forsaken death knight, who was a lot more similar to Varg, but he was more evil. He existed pretty much only for occasions when someone needed a true villain for some plot. He was funny however and I always thought it was a pity I didn’t get chances to RP him more often.

Q4 : What first attracted you to this character?          

A4 : He’s a mixture of four different OCs of mine, with a bit of his original spice ofc. One of them came into being in, uh, somewhat obscure conditions. Kept seeing him in my dreams when I was a kid, and he became one of my imaginary friends I used to have back then. And not just one of the many, but the closest one. Also generally in entertainment I couldn’t care less about Lukes and Frodos. Villains, tragic heroes and the like are my thing. They’re usually the most multilayered and interesting characters.

Q5 : Describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse.

A5 : Perfectionism. I’m similar and it sometimes drives me nuts to watch him neglecting himself while trying to achieve perfection. If I could physically talk to him I would go and slap him and be like “EAT. SLEEP. YES THE THING IS GOOD ENOUGH ALREADY. LEAVE IT.”

Q6 :  What do you have in common with your muse?          

A6 :  Well, already kind of answered this one, but wait, there’s more: insomnia, nightmares, PTSD, misanthropy and cynicism come to mind first. And booze. How could I almost forget booze? I believe I know what misery is so I’m good at RPing miserable characters and make them look as authentic as possible. *lols like Alcyone from Magic Knight Rayearth* We both also have a strong sense of justice and nonexistent sympathy for those who use others as stepping stones. Aye I know, sounds a lot like a self-insert character, but it’s not like that. It’s more like... before meeting him/the OCs he��s based on, I used to be quite a scentless and tasteless kid. Similarities and peer support attract. And I’ve also learned from him.

It’s also a lot like me and Lareine. We became friends because we had 95% of the same interests and problems but perhaps that’s why we get along so well and understand each other.

Q7 :  How does  your muse feel about  you?          

A7 :  He would probably hate and like me at the same time. Or couldn’t decide. We both like peace and quiet, doing our job well is fundamental and our basic values are pretty much the same. We would get along well if we worked in the same place. However, unlike him, I have some horrid procrastination seasons, crippling self-esteem issues, tend to put other people’s needs and opinions above my own and keep stressing about things for 7 billion souls instead of just myself. I’m suspicious of pretty much everything else except Lareine and our plushie crow Agatha, except that Agatha creeps me out sometimes as well when she takes out a knife and sits next to my bed at night, staring at me, can’t watch Hachiko without bawling my eyes out during the entire movie, love puppies and kittens and danger noodles and I’m addicted to video games. Very likely he’d kick me out as well.

Q8 :  What characters does your muse have interesting interactions with?        

A8 : Varg would never admit it to himself, but I think he gets best along with people who are a bit silly in some way, and who get on his nerves by being too carefree and doing stupid things. Lareine and Iris, when they’re behaving. Arsene, who’s kind at everyone. Currently Shaura is my favorite. Varg himself is so uptight people like them help breaking his gray routines. Also a bonus: he doesn’t see them as a threat, so that’s probably the closest he’s able to get to relaxing among other people.

Q9 :  What gives you inspiration to write your muse?        

A9 : I’m a fan of my own characters. It doesn’t feel like I would’ve created them. I saw them with my third eye or something and I’ve just written for others to read what I’ve seen. I don’t plan RPs beforehand. I just let the hound loose and let him do whatever he wants. So far I haven’t got tired of my characters’ antics and could just write more. The only obstacles are limited hours per day, necessary evils like eating and sleeping, procrastination, trying to sort out my life, and the damn FFXIV. SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE IT OUT OF MY HANDS.

Q10 : How long did this take you to complete?          

A10 : Ehh, maybe 4-5 hours.

[bumper-boi]

DISCLAIMER: This is literally word for word something I found on instagram, I take no credit for this incorrect quote. It was with different people though, so I made it Tyrus.

Cyrus: I have been dropping him the most obvious hints for like ages now. No response.

Tj: Wow. He sounds stupid.

Cyrus: But he’s not. He’s kinda smart actually. Just dense.

Tj: Maybe you need to be more obvious? Like, I don’t know, “Hey! I love you!”

Cyrus: I guess you’re right. Hey Teej, I love you.

Tj: See! Just say that!

Cyrus: Holy fucking shit.

Tj: If that flies over his head then, sorry Underdog, but he’s too dumb for you.

Cyrus: Tj-