#This doesn't mean they're my all time favourite characters though they are three of my all time favourite characters

[jacksintention]

My three favourite kinds of fictional character are Odysseu.s, Orpheu.s and Lancelo.t. Jack manages to play with the three concepts

[futurewriter2000]

My astrology observations:

Every person with Aquarius placement in their big three pisses me off for poofing away when they're sad. LET ME TAKE CARE OF YOU!

Gemini placements talk a lot but nobody knows about what. They are also so funny

Capricorns stare into my soul... They also move SO slow

Leos need a compliment, either from people or themselves.

Sagittarius just don't give a fuck.

Leo women are always late.

Aries rather moves on than fights for you.

Gemini placements can't stand still. LIKE JUST STOP FOR 5 MINUTES! Goddamn, they can be walking from their room to the bathroom 15 times to do what they could have done in one trip.

Scorpios.... There's something about Scorpios that just wants me to make out with them. So hot... And sexy... Plus the eye contact they give...

Aquarius and Pisces are real toxic together. I had witnessed too much of that.

Every Pisces man I met is a coward and a real dick.

Leos could have one friend and still be the bussiest of the Zodiac signs

Scorpios and just being attracted to them

Fire moons usually "overexaggerate" and talk too much during sports games.

Every Virgo I know has stomach issues. They feel through their stomach. They are also one of the most ambitious zodiac signs I know.

Leos are actually quite sentimental. Yes, they want all expensive but bring them a flower and they will put it in their special box of all most important things. Their attitude may be eh but their heart is gold and soft af.

Libra Venus start to become the person they like and they always like somebody so they always change their personalities.

Sagittarius Sun or Risings (not all but most) are usually tall with a dirty blonde and green eyes complex... and nice hips... and ass...

Taurus are so pissed at you and then they will just love you forever and ever and ever and you are their baby.

Pisces? Are you here or did you float away into another galaxy again?

Libra Sun and Risings want to be presented as ✨perfect✨ in society.

I’m afraid of cancers because they are so nice and sweet and all the most wonderful things but I know they can be evil and mean too so I have trust issues with them.

Aquarius are so unbothered and bothered at the same time… like how do you function?

Aquarius Moons are my favourite because they are so fun and so playful and they THINK SO FCKING MUCH.

Virgos are the most stressed out of the zodiac signs because everything has to go their way and when it doesn't they die a bit inside.

Aries moon are explosive af. Like shhhh, use your quiet voice.

Sagittarious moons are so funny to me because they are actually so self-observed but it's the cute kind, you know. I just want to be with them all the time and give them an ego boost because they are so sweet.

Capricorns will never, ever, EVER tell you their next move. They keep their plans to themselves. They keep themselves to themselves. They are here and they are gone.

Gemini placements... cannot relie on them (I have a lot of Gemini placements and I agree. I am unreliable because I think I can manage everything but then I realise I can't and have to cancel 5 plans).

Scorpios are so sharp and hardworking. Nobody realises that but Scorpios will do things AS IT SHOULD BE DONE and they will run you over if they have to. Nothing comes between them and their success.

When leos are comfortable around you, they will never shut up.

Taurus are evil af. They're cute and cuddly on the outside but they have one of the meanest characters. You gotta love them though.

Pisces will not study for an exam but will go in depth to knowing one random thing.

Cancers CAN DRINK! THEY CAN DRINK LIKE NO OTHER! Like damn... how is your liver? They are also a social butterfly and busy all the time. I don't know who said they are emotional and senstitive- they can be such a bad ass.

Sagittarious people are one of the luckiest signs but one thing goes wrong in their life and they will cry for three months about it.

Capricorn women have that alpha female power. I don't care what you say, they will go from the bottom to the top with a snap of fingers and they will be the biggest boss in town.

Virgos are the only of the zodiac signs that will see the gratest potential in you or anything really and they will force you to thrive towards that but if you don't believe in it, they will stop trying.

Scoripios and Leos are the realest friends because they will tell you everything in your face and protect you behind you back. Unless, you did them wrong... then they will tell shit about your back. They're petty that way, so choose wisely.

Taurus live a simple life. They don't complicate their lives too much.

Pisces throw great parties. They are also good cuddlers.

(That's it for now. It has been in my drafts for about two years but like if you want more or not.)

[wayfayrr]

I offer the idea of soft times with sage

Braiding hair, just cuddling with each other and overall spending time with one another.

- 🍄

(It’s been a bit lmao, college kicked me in the shins)

sorry it's been a while since you sent this, I relate with uni being a bitch though :')

I'm gonna use this ask though to put it out that I'm no longer going to be writing for Sage, however I won't stop writing totk link altogether - instead I've been creating a link that's more inline for how I see his character and for how I'm comfortable to write <3 I've been calling him Tears so far and I have to thank a lot of my mutuals for chipping in ideas with a special mention to @glowyskull for coming up with some of the best headcanons I think I've ever heard (the last three are courtesy of them) <333 @h4wari, @mushroomwoods, @sketchyspook here's the boy you were waiting for!!! (thank you all for your help too <333)

and without any more hesitation here he is!!

✦ he got the nickname tears for a reason, anything and everything will set this boy off. he's a true crybaby and will certainly use it to try and win your attention from the others. It's not always cause he's sad though, sometimes things can just get overwhelming 

✦ his memory can be a bit spotty, unlike wild he rushed through his previous quest, not that he's all that fussed about missing those memories - making new positive ones are more important to him

✦ like his counterpart, he's got a couple of different nicknames, tears is the most prominent however architect does tend to show itself fairly often. messing around to see what different kinds of contraptions he can make is one of his favourite pastimes, one he'll happily share if given the chance.

✦ wild and him have been assumed many times to be identical twins, seeing as his stint in the shrine of ressurection put a halt to most of his aging processes. not that he doesn't bring up his actual age every now and then for a little shock factor

✦ thankfully they're easy to tell apart, seeing as tears discovered how to dye his hair and paint his nails quickly into his second quest, leading to his hair forever being stained with a multitude of different colours while his nails change colour nearly every other day

✦ his cheeky side is still very much there though, ready to make the dumbest puns you've ever heard and to not stop till you're laughing no matter how hard you cringe at them when he starts.

✦ one of the most affectionate links, willing to do basically anything you ask him to and even things you didn't. give him the smallest hint you like a certain food? what do you mean it's a little suspicious he suddenly has all of its ingredients for it - he simply wanted to try it himself, can you tell him if it tastes right?

✦ He hates to see anyone crying, especially his significant other, nine times out of ten it’ll end up with him crying at your side but he’s always there at your side to cheer you up. If you can’t bring yourself to speak about whatever is upsetting you though? Luckily for him a simple kiss of your tears is enough to show him the memory that hurt you. Thankfully it also goes for the happier ones.

✦ Your smile and praise is something he simply lives for, headpats being his favourite way to receive it, leave him alone with belongings for too long though and when you come back he’s standing next to them with a blinding smile having fused a lot of them to each other or to something he thinks would be useful for you to have. Granted the journal flame thrower combination might not have been his brightest moment. 

✦ the same desire can come out in other ways though, such as giving you different nicknames with his personal favourite calling you his sundelion. Sometimes he really shows how much he likes that nickname by making you flowercrowns as surprises. Granted every now and then he takes it a little too far, telling you you’re all he needs to heal from the gloom instead of taking any real treatment.

Tending the fire is probably one of the easiest and most calming tasks I could’ve been given today, it’s nice to have something to zone out with after a whole day on the road. Not that I can complain about it though, we didn’t run into any monsters or other threats and travelling was calm. Who’s trying to get my attention by tapping me on the back though?

“[name]? Mind if I come sit with you for a bit, I'd like to get to know you better if that's alright.”

“Yeah of course Tears, If we’re going to be traveling together for a while it makes a lot of sense too.”

This man is a sweetheart I can tell, just from saying yes to him he’s already got the most coy smile on his face; it’s like his face is practically glowing from it when he sits. Shuffling closer to my side almost like he’s asking if it’s alright for him be be this close, with the way the firelight is illuminating him is making me question if the warmth on my face is really from the fire or not now. Just distract yourself with something before you get any redder. 

“Oh? You’ve got something in your hair, one second-”

The moment I plucked the stick out of his hair he froze up, his cheeks flushing before relaxing. 

“Are - are you good? Sorry I should’ve asked first.”

“No, no, no it’s alright I just… didn’t expect it?”

“Yeah I know, next time I’l-”

“Actually would you um mind playing with my hair? I ah never really get the chance to relax like this.”

Well isn’t that simply adorable, I would be heartless to say no to such a request. Besides, I know wild has some of the softest hair possible so the chance to play with it? No way am I going to miss that if all that visible dye hasn’t fried it to bits.

“If that’s what you want then I won’t say no.”

“Really?”Is he - no he can’t be, or maybe… is he so starved of affection that he’d tear up over something this small, the more I think about it, it does make sense. Playing with his hair is so relaxing I almost missed the fact that he was starting to tear up more, all I can hope for is that they’re not from him being upset.

[ultravhasart]

here are my animate-able redesigns for Saiki Kusuo and Teruhashi Kokomi! Lots of talking about design below the cut:

Designing for animation has been a bit tricky since it's less of a fun redesign and way more practical 😂 You want the least amount to draw possible, so all the details need a lot of impact. I was relying a lot on shapes, including the lines "lean" (like inwards, outwards, straight) to communicate character. This was easy enough with Saiki, but Teruhashi is supposed to be really pretty and she kept looking plain, so she took a bit (especially her hair).

SAIKI:

Saiki is designed to look fairly boring, if not for the stuff he can't control, like limiters, glasses, and hair colour. His limiters are also more boring than canon, although they're still designed to cover his vision from all angles.

His hair is a bit stringy because he doesn't know how to take care of it. It's also a bit long since he can't go to the barbers, he cuts it himself. (he also does NOT wash his hair enough. wash your hair saiki)

Overall, he has a lot of sharp angles (i.e. his hair and his side profile nose), because he can be a bit bristly, but it's not overwhelming since he's just a loser struggling teenager, he's not actually mean. Think of him as a wet cat.

TERUHASHI:

Since I don't think I'll draw a Teruhashi headturn, note that her bow is supposed to be visible and on the side no matter her head angle. same with all three tufts of hair (I did the same thing with saiki's tufts).

she has little hearts on her cheeks because I thought they were cute! They're not stickers, they're an artistic representation of blush lol. She has a third heart as the tuft on the top of her head, and a fourth (if you squint) as her bow.

the two hair tufts on the side represent devil horns. My Teruhashi designs will ALWAYS have lil angel / devil themes in her design (because shes awesome).

Teruhashi would also be the only character to have coloured lines in her design, to show she's "prettier" and more special even in the art style of the show.

Her eyes are also unique and have a really high contrast. It looks a bit uncanny compared to the rest of her, and she has an insanely intense glare, though she doesn't use it often.

I didn't include a glow, But I think it'd still appear at certain times (or maybe a halo). I think the coloured lines make her look unique enough as is, and couldn't find an easy way to create a pretty-looking glowing effect.

Overall, she has a lot of rounded edges and lines, because that's how she presents herself. There are still some sharp lines, like in her devil horns, to hint at a more full personality behind her public face.

BOTH:

Saiki's and Teruhashi's eye colour are actually quite close (both are shades of purpley-blue, and in-universe is considered really pretty, which is why Teruhashi has them. It's also why Saiki hides them with his glasses tint.)

After that, Saiki's limiter stems and Teruhashi's iris outline are the same colour. Same with Teruhashi's bow and Saiki's hair.

Their designs are closely linked because they're my favourite narrative foils <33

[margoshamangolord]

FOLKS I FINISHED BEAST WARS (thoughts and spoilers under cut)

1. The timeline is absolutely unique, i love how optimus and megatron aren't even optimus and megatron and how bw relates to g1

2. The graphics will never be an issue to me, it's more than enough for the time period and it's much more than watchable. I'm in love with the slimy cgi and didn't pay much attention to the quality. All i can see is designers and animators having fun

3. I think that the designs gradually got a little fucked up but it's okay

4. I really enjoyed Blackarachnia's character, she was so interesting for me! I'm not aware of the fandom's general opinion on her but she's my special girl now

5. There was like at least 5 times more on-screen gay kissing than straight kissing

6. If you didn't understand how insane i am about dinotrap from my previous posts then now i can say it's my #1 pairing,, i rarely have a fav ship when i watch something because of The Multishipper Curse that makes me think about too much characters together but for bw specifically i have a favourite. Usually I'm a little turned away from dynamics that are built on characters insulting each other but it's a special case, because they definitely share a bond and i can ramble for hours

7. Bw optimus is my 3rd place fav after tfp and tfa respectively (because they're a classic) (even though i know it's not even him) he's very much of a Some Guy who is Hungry And Needs a Nap and i like how he's just. a person. like a leader but he's just a guy come on. probably for the same reasons i love tfa op, i like seeing him get mean and angry and worried and yelling at his team and then understanding that he was wrong. my man

8. The predacons are so chaotic it's insane. The lack of a (main character i mean) Starscream is not noticed because there's not one con trying to take over, not two, not three, but I'm pretty sure everyone in the whole goddamn team has attempted it at least one time during the show.

9. And, with lack of Starscream, Megatron took all the cuntiness for himself. He stands out insanely among other continuities (again it's not him so). That voice? Thanks David Kaye!!! He's doing the whole dramatic hot villain thing that Tumblr loves, with blood baths and everything, and it deserves to be noticed. Megop is the classic tumblr dramatic villain x tired hero stuff you see in like 2016 writing prompts and everything. Megatron is insane here

10. I really enjoyed Dinobot. I cannot say this loud enough but he is my second fav after Rattrap because he's a really interesting and conflicted character. You see him as inherently evil? He does a beautiful gesture of kindness. You see him as good? He fails to disobey his nature. It goes on and on until his last eps. The betrayal? I was sobbing. That scene when he's on his knees with a sword? It fucked me up. The episode ending had me on the FLOOR.

11. I'm conflicted on dinobot 2 because on one hand, i do appreciate how it is shown how actually fucked up megatron and his schemes are. He's insane, and he's obsessed: he doesn't try to make any super soldier or whatever, but specifically wants to bring back dinobot and make him stay. And he fails, because it *is* dinobot deep inside, and that brings him down; his real sense of honor. He won't stay. His sacrifice was insane. But on the other hand, i actually didn't want Dinobot to be actually brought back. Sounds very nice but i think his actual death was really a point to his character that made me love him more. And when i saw Dinobot 2, i was kinda hoping that he would be an empty shell, an attempt, that it would be a plan Megatron put too much hope into, and that it's *not* dinobot, just a copy without a mind. Maybe im just weird sorey

12. Transmutate is gender

13. I love rhinox but it's sad that they didn't make him stand out as a character like the other maximals. He rarely got to be a main character, and even when he got to, he was just the butt of a joke and didn't get to build relationships and resolve personal problems like his teammates did. Or maybe i just wasn't looking at the screen when he did who knows. He's my big weird man

14. I enjoyed Tigatron and his conflict about the conflict so much

15. I'm actually sometimes a little disoriented/lost when watching something so i just straight up didn't notice half the character deaths??? I was just wondering where they went and then went oh.

16. who the Vok are the Vok. I wish they weren't Just Mysterious Aliens but more than that

17. Why did they keep making all of the characters so trans it's not funny im in tears

18. Beast wars was absolutely made for goddamn freaks im sorry. i loved it

19. I think everyone at the studio was gay for megatron. Why else did they animate the scene where he's in the bath wiggling his dinosaur toes

20. WASPINATOR FUCKING HAPPY AT LAST

[rmd-writes]

a love note (and some fics)

Sometimes I wonder if there's really anything bigger out there - the universe, some kind of higher power, fate - and then I think about how extremely lucky I am that I became obsessed with a certain tv show and its characters at just the right time so that I could befriend someone who then introduced me to a particular book at exactly the right time to fall in love with those characters as well. And then, because of my need to have more of those characters, I went looking for more stories about them at exactly the right time to meet a group of people (some of them together, some of them later, but that doesn't matter) who would go on to become my friends.

There must be something, right? To bring together a group of people who live in five to seven different time zones depending on the time of year. To create my safest spaces on the internet. To share not just our love for a book and its characters, but parts of our lives with each other. To have them all wedge themselves into the soft spaces of my heart and never leave.

I've been thinking about this a lot over the last two weeks, because those people conspired and collaborated to gift me a collection of 10 incredible fics for a milestone birthday (tomorrow!) - even though some of them haven't written fic for months and months, or don't write for this fandom at all anymore, or have recently been finding it hard to make words work and finish fics, or are just plain busy with other projects and life. That they took the time to find and make words for me means everything and more 💖💖

I've been absolutely overwhelmed with love these past 10 days (probably to the surprise of no one, I have cried at every single fic drop and I'm crying writing this now). So, I want to share the wonderful fics that they've written for me with you all because it's the least I can do to pay it forward and they're objectively stellar fics. If you haven't come across them already then you should definitely add them to your to read lists/open tabs/MFL. Please show my friends some love and read their work.

The Rae of Sunshine! collection, in order of publication (with my very short summaries):

Take It Back (4.2K) by @three-drink-amy

Henry is the head chef at a French restaurant and there's one patron who keeps sending his dishes back. How can they resolve this?

Dick, Dick Dick (You Down) (10.2K) by @everwitch-magiks

Alex runs the craft services trailer on the set of actor!Henry's latest movie. Is he the only person who sees behind the façade?

A deceptively soft story, given the title.

Precious Love (1.3K) by floatingaway4

The fluffiest follow up to one of my favourite AUs Amigos y Migas (aka the food truck au).

Midnight ice cream (5.8K) by @the-amber-fox

Emotional support Cornettos? More likely than you think.

Make it Right (5.3K) by @three-drink-amy (that's right, Ally wrote me TWO FICS)

A rogue little Tarlos fic in amongst the firstprince - a post-season 1 canon divergence that sees TK working in a taco truck while he finds his feet.

a taste of life (7.4K) by @indomitable-love

A journey through Henry's life, told through food. (This one is not my summary, indomitablelove already summed it up perfectly)

Risotto + Melanzane + Dolce (a love story) (16.8K) by @villiageidiot

Alex starts working at an Italian restaurant and is terrible at his job. Somehow, Henry doesn't seem to mind.

Cursed is a State of Mind (WIP) by @welcometololaland & @dustratcentral

A 5 + 1 treatise on cursed coffee consumption.

12 Year Starter (6.6K) by @clottedcreamfudge

When Pez can't make it to Henry's Michelin-star birthday dinner, he arranges for Henry's friend, Alex, to take his place. Featuring CCF's signature banter and fun, and a menu that I wish was real.

Pour Your He(art) Out (WIP) by @athousandrooms

A 5+1 ode to latte art (featuring actual art!)

You can find the entire collection here on Ao3.

[sleepyficss]

lightbulb & paintbrush headcanons.

poly! lightbrush x reader

authors note:

two of my favourite ii characters, i couldnt help myself :]c. also, swearing is present, apologies if you don't like that ^^

- already, these two complement each other SO WELL. so, adding a third person? you're all full of joy and whimsy.

- if you were present in the first season of ii, you probably wouldn't get together with them until season two, or the very end of season one at the earliest.

- but, when you DO get together if you were present in season one, your relationship is a lot stronger from the start – a lot of shit happened, but you were all there to experience it together, and are able to be there for each other because of it.

- lightbulb is sort of the 'comedic relief' in a sense? she's always trying to lighten the mood, and is considerably better at comforting people.

- she's also very much an entertainer, a lot of dates, or just chill-around days, are planned by her. despite how it seems, lightbulb is very aware of 'the mood', and others emotions.

- it isn't uncommon for her to act oblivious to the sour mood in a room, but she's really just trying to lighten things up in her own way :)

- although, she does understand when it isn't appropriate to act as such. instead, she'll happily offer a listening ear, and physical touch, as a comforting gesture. she may even pull out a few ideas to help you if you're in a challenging situation; no promises that the ideas won't be a little odd, though!

- paintbrush definitely struggles more in the comforting department, as they tend to let their OWN emotions get in the way of things.

- especially if you're upset because of someone else, depending on the situation, paintbrush may just end up losing their own temper on your behalf. they just appreciate you a lot, and can't understand how another person would be willingly mean to you :(

- when they do lose their temper, its usually lightbulb trying to calm them down, but with you in the mix? they find your presence very grounding, and will calm down a lot quicker with both of you around.

- just put a hand on their shoulder, or wrap your fingers around their own – it offers as a little distraction to whatever set them off.

- considering that paintbrush feels their emotions very strongly, not just their frustration or anger, they become VERY easy to fluster.

- once they've started falling for you, they're gonna fall hard.

- lightbulb's a little better at hiding their swooning, and instead just comes off as a little blushy and awkward (but not in a bad way, she's just nervous and doesn't know how to deal with your love for her).

- further into the relationship, though, lightbulb gets a grip and becomes a LOT more confident in their flirting, finding it silly when they're able to make you flustered.

- paintbrush still blushes easily, but will still attempt to make moves on you (holding your hand, any sort of kissing, physical touch, etc) while being a nervous wreck.

- but!! dates between the three of you are always so sweet.

- the number of times you've made cookies together is purely uncountable – but it's a fun activity, and you get a yummy treat afterwards.

- paintbrush and you usually only eat one or two cookies, lightbulb steals the rest.

- the three of you going outside after dark isn't uncommon, where you bring a blanket to lay upon the ground, just to sit on and stare at the stars.

- sometimes, you'll all just sit there in silence, enjoying each others presence, or quietly talking about anything and everything.

- there have been plenty of times where those talks have become serious, ending in soft cuddles and words of comfort to each other.

- there are also times where you're all in a silly mood, and end up being yelled at by someone trying to sleep, for laughing too loud, or playfully yelling at each other.

- you and paintbrush won't ever forget the pain you felt in your stomachs from laughing too hard as lightbulb attempted to stand up and act something out, only to trip and go falling down the hill. all you could see was the light emanating from her growing smaller and smaller until she reached the bottom.

- speaking of her light, it isn't noticeable during the day, but when all three of you have retreated to your bedroom, and are snuggling under the covers, lightbulb has the slightest bit of light constantly glowing from her.

- it isn't something she can turn off either, its just the built-up electricity within her, always running through her body.

- she's like your own personal, cuddly nightlight.

- none of you have set positions when sleeping in bed, either. half the time, you wake up in different positions anyways.

- lightbulb wants to be touching at least one of you all night, usually with as much of her body as she can.

- whether its you or paintbrush, she'll have an arm wrapped around you, a leg wedged between yours, and her body pressed flush against yours.

- paintbrush will usually just have an arm around your body, or a foot lightly brushing against yours.

- lightbulb is always knocked out the minute she's comfortable though, lightly snoring away.

- it takes paintbrush a while longer though, and you often find yourself talking to them quietly, tiredly muttering about your days to each other until one of you falls asleep first.

- paintbrush may prefer having you directly next to them sometimes because of this, as they like to tiredly stare into your eyes as an sloppy smile rests on your face, listening to paintbrush's account of their day.

- they like when you unconsciously hold their hand and play with their fingers in you sleepy state, eventually dropping both your hands as sleep overtakes you.

- you'll be listening to paintbrush mid sentence, start mumbling, and you're like, "what was that? you were too quiet – oh." and they've fallen asleep with their fingers tucked against yours.

- the next morning always kills you, though. as much as you love her, lightbulb is WAY too early of a riser for both you and paintbrush.

- half the time, shes jumped out of bed and opened the curtains while you and paintbrush are still groaning under the covers.

- and don't forget!! being in a relationship with these two, means coparenting their favourite crab – baxter!!

- sometimes lightbulb wants to bring him into bed with you all, but you have to remind her that he'd probably get squished in your sleep, considering how much you all move around.

- baxter does make an appearance in a lot of your dates though, remember to keep a constant eye out for him so you don't trip over him!

- you do love him, though – he's too cute not to.

- but he likes to interrupt your personal time with paintbrush and lightbulb at times, where you and paintbrush want to kick him out of the room, but lightbulb gets distracted and goes off to play with him instead.

- you all still love each other so, so much though <3

- i might have to make more headcanons of these two, i still have so much to talk about!! especially about your relationship DURING the contests >:)

[sunthyme]

Happy Black History Month!! It's time. For probably my favourite set of designs! However, please please please read about Hestia in specific, I want to make sure I handled her correctly and if not, please let me know and I'll remove her! Tyty so much for liking these, I'm so happy to continue.

Now for...

🪼Octavinelle🪼

First up is

💰Azul Ashengrotto💰

(he/him) Transmasc - Gay Asexual

I really love how he came out omg.

- Firstly, he's Hispanic. Duh. His name is literally Azul, I don't make the rules. I'm thinking Hondurian or Guatemalan and I'd love to hear what you think too.

- Made him plus-sized because GOD we need more body diversity and I think that he would have eventually come to terms that weight is simply a number and that number alone doesn't mean you're healthy or unhealthy, y'know? He exercises and whatnot and is very good at taking care of his body.

- Autistic, his special interest is THE GRIND(tm). His capitalistic ass could rant about business building forever.

- I gave him fins as ears cause I gave all the mer fins for funsies. More for aesthetic than anything else and I figure it's a general trait of most mer (I'll talk about the exceptions later lol)

- I loved how pretty his eyelashes were so I added some teardrops to the ends for some flavour. He still wears glasses, again too lazy lol.

Onto the twins!

🍄Jade Leech🍄

(he/him) - Bi-curious Asexual

- I brought back the og concept earrings and piercings cause I thought they looked neat. I also gave them both earrings for simplicity's sake and because I headcanon that Azul gave them each a pair for their birthday.

- Longer hair because Imma be so fr, if the twins share similar expressions, I can't tell them apart lmaooo 😭😭😭. Also, felt it suited his personality more.

- Had a punk phase and while he outgrew it, he kept the piercings anyways.

- He and Floyd have matching tattoos on their biceps, Floyd's being a shrimp with sunglasses and Jade's being his favourite type of mushroom (hen/chicken of the woods).

- Also, autistic. Who's surprised at this point? Not me. This little guy and his mushrooms. 'Little guy' being like 6'5' lol.

🐋Floyd Leech🐋

(he/she/it) Unlabelled Gender - Pansexual

- He's not actually a fan of piercings but got them because Jade wanted to match.

- She has larger teeth that actually interfere with its speech and got bullied for that when he was younger, meaning all three of the Octotrio were friends kinda by default as the 'weird' kids.

- I think he has bipolar disorder and is ADHD, both are rather obvious from his character in-game.

Onto my ocs,

🎲Hestia Benoit🎲

Third Year - (she/her) Transfem - Sapphic

Okay, first is the topic of the og character. So she draws reference to the Boogeyman from Nightmare Before Christmas which was a very controversial character because Tim Burton sucks. Hate him. I wanted to hopefully reclaim the character, though it isn't necessarily my place and if anyone has a problem with that, absolutely let me know and I will remove her. The original character took heavy inspiration from black culture, specifically New Orleans and I wanted to properly represent that with Hestia. I hope I did her justice and please please please let me know if she is offence in any way. 🩷🩷🩷

- She's the older sister of the triplets and a really good one, caring a ton about them. Her favourite thing to do is spoil her younger siblings.

- She also has crazy good luck and wins any bets she makes. If you play any game of luck with her, she'll win. She's a part of the Boardgame Club and infuriates Azul whenever they play something luck-based.

💍Konane Alohi💍

(they/he/she) Genderfluid - Panromantic Demisexual

- Konane is twisted from Tamatoa from Moana! They're indigenous Hawaiian and I will be researching more into the culture as I render them out more fully.

- I gave them the bioluminiscens that Tamatoa has though I think it would only be visible in low lighting, such as in the Octavinelle dorm.

- LOVES shiny thing, obvi. Vil keeps trying to convince her to join Pomefiore but he's like, "I get paid here and can afford more stuff so pass."

- Gets along great with Cater, they constantly do collabs on their social media.

Onto...

⚓️Josephina Killian⚓️

First Year - (she/they) Demi-girl - Bi-asexual

- Twisted from, you guessed it, Captain Hook!

- I kept as much as I could from the og design and that includes the eyebags, this girlie doesn't sleep. She's only conscious from the 30mg of caffeine she drinks in the morning.

- She and Samantha met at orientation and have been inseparable since, with Sammy always following her around.

And speaking of Samantha,

🦭Samantha Chief🦭

First Year - (she/her) Transfem - Pan-asexual

- Twisted from Smee! I gave her albinism so her hair is also white naturally.

- Because of her albinism, she avoids outdoor activities for the most part. She is part of the Swimming Club (which idk if that even exists but it does now lmao).

- SHE'S A SELKIE OMG. Sorry, same up with that on the spot lol but now she is. Very shy around people because it's her first time on land so the other mer of the dorm kinda look out for her.

That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see y'all in part four!! 🩷🩷🩷

[dashielldeveron]

okay i just gotta talk about bnha's ending

and what i thought was gonna happen based on the way the narrative had been setting things up.

some light bnha meta. spoilers obviously.

i will preface with i am not concerned with ships. i would be fine with whatever, really, because ultimately, i am my favourite characters' girlfriend (and you are your fave's significant other, etc.). moving on.

1) the first major red flag for me, as a writer, was when we barely spent any time at all at shigaraki's childhood home with dark!deku. it signalled that midoriya wasn't going to fully understand what was going on with shigaraki and therefore lose some nuance/meaning to [what i thought was going to be] shigaraki's redemption. by only having the audience understand shig's tragedy but not midoriya, midoriya is not making a fully informed decision and therefore his choices weigh a bit less.

1a) additionally, with dark!deku, it sets us up to have a thorough examination of shig/deku mirroring each other. doesn't really happen. and midoriya's getting his arms back within one chapter takes away from the overarching motif of taking someone's hand to finally accept help. like captain kirk once said, the three most beautiful words in the universe are "please help me." this could've been a chance for deku to ask for help from shig or the vestiges and further blur the line between villains and heroes.

2) when nana shimura holds shigaraki--this is probably the most confusing narrative decision from my perspective, because i figured we were about to go into OFA with both shig and deku, have some sort of glorious discussion over a fight about what a hero is and saving yourself and accepting help and friendship and stuff, but we just...don't. we don't go see all the vestiges with shigaraki. i thought that was what we were building up to, this ultimate scene with all the OFA users and shig all in the same place, accepting shig as someone who was used/abused and could still move on. i fully thought this would happen and that some unfamilar, bodily form of tenko would be spat out after the discussion, a tenko who's shoved off all shreds of AFO and can begin as solely himself.

instead we get that weird-as-fuck evaporation scene where shigaraki still wanted to fight. which is weird to me, because i haven't read shigaraki as wanting to fight for a long, long time. i've been reading him as wanting to rest.

3) i didn't want toga to die, but i could feel it coming bc "bury your gays" pervades pop media. but holy shit. not even on screen? the last scene seems to set uraraka and toga up to sacrifice each other for the other, and i figured they'd survive, though both severely injured. toga's death (and other villain deaths/putting away in a box) feels contradictory to the story's themes of saving people, that anyone can change to be anything they want. killing/punishing the villains seems to be saying that villains will always be villains, and even if they showed some remorse, they have to die, because they did bad stuff once.

4) touya is more of that "punishing bc he's a villain" stuff. uh. okay. narratively, he seems to be alive to show endeavor's regret. okay. a better way of showing this would be to have touya medically healing and have endeavor supporting him every step of the recuperation. (not that i would personally want this, bc i don't think endeavor's shown enough growth to do this.) and like. how it is now, with endeavor saying that no one has to talk to him, but he's gonna come visit touya and how the others are going to visit touya as well--it feels like they're arguing over who gets touya in the divorce lol (well, it would be lol, except they're dehumanising/objectifying touya again).

4a) why set up the soba eating with touya/shouto if we're not going to see it. why do that, hori. why would you

5) the timeskip to the hospital was jarring. we spend over a year in this one battle, and then we don't see it wrap up. we're left with questions about characters that could've been answered here, in this moment, in the transitional period of getting everyone medical help.

6) okay this is me being very selfish, but as someone with a focus in disability studies, i'd like to know more about everyone's recuperation. mostly, you'd FUCKING THINK that once they're at the hospital, they'd be able to get a whole-ass edgeshot out of bakugou. that's unfair to both of them. edgeshot was taking the place of medical equipment on the battlefield, so why not replace him with actual medical equipment now that bakugou is safe? we also spend a bit talking about bakugou's damaged arm, so why don't we see him working with it?

7) weird amount of focus on new students. i understand some focus, because setting up the new generation, and all, but since hero society appears to be exactly the same, it means significantly less to set them up to be better than the mistakes this generation made. since society/worldbuilding isn't changing in a major way, the audience desire is primarily to see what's happening with the characters we care about. so this feels unsatisfying.

8) also. attached to point 2 about shigaraki being redeemed. hero society should be changed. there should be a new status quo about what being a hero means and how the whole system works in light of this knowledge. shigaraki, touya, spinner, and toga should be alive and out there doing other stuff, showing that you can grow past what you've gone through. deku should still be out there doing "hero stuff" regardless of quirk/power, because of his character and fortitude.

why the hell is the ending message that anyone with power can be a hero instead of the obvious (and more moral) moral of anyone with courage/determination/"my body moved on its own" to help others, as deku did, can be a hero, regardless of birth or status. it was right there!!!! how was this sidestepped!!!

9) no bookend to spinner? no spinner? babe. i'm not even the greatest fan of spinner, and it feels like we left him unfinished.

10) scratch that. it all feels unfinished. rushed. did something happen to end it this way?

anyway. thanks for reading. i'm confused about the writing choices.

TL;DR: recent narrative decisions make no sense based on what the manga has set up for us, particularly the evaporation/death of shigaraki bc it contradicts the message that anyone can be a hero, regardless of your past, and that it's okay to ask for help.

[magnetothemagnificent]

Do you have dental advice for people who struggle to take care of their teeth due to disability, depression, etc? I'm afraid of needing dental work but oral hygiene is really hard for me.

Alright so my advice as a future dentist (current dental assistant, not a dentist yet):

1. Find a toothbrush you like. Doesn't matter what brand or what kind. What's important is that you brush. If a toothbrush with cartoon characters on it is what will motivate you to brush, get it.

(If the brush head is smaller, though, than the usual adult brush heads, just remember to spend a little more time on each tooth since smaller brush heads cover less surface area).

If an electric toothbrush is your jam, get an electric toothbrush. Just get a toothbrush.

2. Find a toothpaste you like. Doesn't matter what brand or flavor. They pretty much all have the same ingredients. I would highly recommend toothpastes for sensitive gums, like Sensodyne or Oral-B, because if you haven't been practicing consistent oral hygiene for a while, your gums are most likely very sensitive. But really, any toothpaste is good. Just stay away from the charcoal stuff, it's more likely to do nothing at best and cause damage at worst (especially if you take medication).

3. Try to brush twice a day, but no more than three times a day. Brushing a whole bunch one day doesn't make up for not brushing the day before, too much brushing can damage your enamel with the abrasion.

Brushing once in the morning and once at night is ideal. Try to brush before you eat breakfast, or at least half an hour after you eat. Brush for about 2 minutes, making sure you brush each surface of your teeth.

Your teeth have five surfaces, three that are accessible via brushing: Make sure you brush the sides that face your cheeks, the sides that face the inside of your mouth, and the biting surfaces.

4. Try to floss once a day. There are different flossing methods now, find one that works.

-Traditional string and fingers

-Handheld floss picks

-Electric water pick

There are pros and cons to each, but the important thing is that you floss. Flossing is important regardless of whether you have food stuck between your teeth; flossing helps remove plaque deposits between your teeth that can build up and cause irritation to the gums. Make sure you floss between each tooth. If flossing a certain groove brings up a large amount of debris, floss that area again until the string comes out clean.

5. Drink lots of water. Unfortunately, this isn't a "as long as you're hydrated situation". Other beverages can be great for hydration, but they're either very sugary or acidic or both, which aren't good for maintaining the pH in your mouth. This doesn't mean you have to give up your favourite drinks- just make sure you also drink plenty of plain old water, especially during and between meals. Do whatever you can to incentivize drinking water: fun water bottles, fun drinking straws, alarms, whatever it takes.

6. If you struggle with remembering to brush your teeth and/or floss, set alarms to remind you.

7. Try to reward yourself for practicing good oral care. Maybe put on a short YouTube clip while you floss and brush, or play a song. This may sound corny, but have a chart that if you reach a certain quota you reward yourself. It'll help you turn oral hygiene into a habit.

8. If you can afford it, try to see a hygienist to give you a full clean. At the very least they'll help get your teeth back to a baseline, and then all you need to do is maintain it. Some places will have free or reduced cost dental clinics, so keep an eye out for those if cost is an issue. Hygienists don't do any drilling or invasive dental work if that's a fear you have, all they do is essentially a very thorough brushing and flossing.

9. Keep a toothbrush and toothpaste in your shower if time and spoons are an issue, that way you can brush your teeth while bathing, knocking two out in one. Likewise, keep a toothbrush and toothpaste by your bed if getting out of bed is an issue. If you can, you can try to buy a bunch of pre-pasted disposable toothbrushes to keep by your bed, so that you don't need to worry about even having to apply toothpaste to your toothbrush.

10. Don't give up if you fall off the wagon. If you forget to brush your teeth one day, you always have the next day. If you brush your teeth but didn't floss, at least you brushed. If you flossed but only gargled mouthwash, at least you did something. Something is always better than nothing.

Best of luck!!!

[loonatics-b1gf4n]

LOONATICS SHIPS IN MY OPINION

!!!!WARNING!!!!

This article contains my thoughts.

Contains gay, lesbian ships and oc x canon ships. If you don't like this kind of thing, please don't read. I also ask you to be respectful.

Also, I do not own any of the characters mentioned here. Contains characters either owned by Warner Bros. or other users. Only the characters named Mylene E. Coyote ,Luna Vester, Hannah Bunny and Frankie Runner belong to me.

If you have no problems with these warnings, enjoy my article. Thank you.

-SHIPS THAT I LOVE TO SHIP OR I LIKE TO SHIP:

NUMBER ONE: TECH X REV (TEV OR OTHER SHIP NAMES YOU USE)

I think it wouldn't be a lie if I said it's the fan favorite Loonatics ship. I think you shipped it on time (If you didn't ship it, no problem). It's my favourite. And it was my first Loonatics ship. Technically my first Loonatics ship as a canon x canon ship. Hehe, I was once an oc x canon fan too. Interesting information, I used to ship Rev with the character named Mylene because I had a little crush on Rev. That's why I ship with myself. … I know it's very cringe. That's why I still hate myself. However, I learned from my mistakes and am now a Tech x Rev shipper. It wouldn't be a lie if I said Tech x Rev is the closest canon ship. They acted as if they were a couple in many scenes in the series. IF YOU STILL DON'T BELIEVE ME, LET ME TELL YOU THIS SENTENCE!! Said by Rev Runner. Season 2 Episode 5, ''Family Business'' “Thanks, Tech. If you weren't a coyote, and a guy, I'd kiss ya!” DID YOU SEE THIS?!?!? I'm still pissed because DAMN WARNER BROS ONLY MADE 2 SEASONS AND LEFT US LOONATICS FANS WITH A LOT OF QUESTIONS. AND MOREOVER, THEY DID NOT GIVE US ANY CANON SHIP. Except for married people, they're canon, so we know that. God dammit. In short, it is my favorite and I will definitely ship it in the future. NO ONE CAN STOP ME!!! NIHAHAHAHA. Sorry. By the way Rev gay and Tech pan in my AU.

NUMBER TWO: LEXİ X DUCK (LEXİ X DANGER DUCK)

Lexi x Duck ship is among my favorites, but it's not a ship I look at much. Even though Lexi and Danger Duck's relationship seems a little toxic in the series and they seem like siblings to other people, I love that they are lovers. At least in my AU they are. And they doesn't seem to ship much anymore. Excuse me, but this is the truth. Or I don't see much. This is also a possibility. It's not a ship I can talk about much, I just like them together.

NUMBER THREE: TECH X ACE

Don't attack me. I love Tech x Rev with all my heart. Still, I chose to like this ship for a change. I hated this ship before. But then I saw some of their fanart. Excuse me, but I mean a little bit, there are 2 hahahahahahaha. Anyway, I said to myself, "I think they might be cute. So why not, I ship it''. Frankly, I felt like they had a platonic love in the series. It seemed interesting and, frankly, sweet. Only in the series did I see how much Ace actually cares about Tech. Cry though, Ace, because Tech chose Rev. Hahahahahaha. I'm sorry again. An interesting information (related to real life) is that coyotes are monogamous. That's why I ship Rev with Tech in a different AU, and I ship Ace with Tech in a different AU. This helps a little more.

NUMBER FOUR: SLAM X LEXİ

I'll just say this briefly because I'm tired and I need to move on to more oc x canon and the ones I hate. They are sweet, but I see them more as brother and sister. I'M SO SORRY WHO EVER SHIP THEM!!! I JUST DON'T HAVE TIME!!! I RESPECT YOU GUYS!!!!

NUMBER FIVE: TECH X LEXİ

They can be cute but I don't prefer to ship them.

-OC X CANON SHIPS

NUMBER ONE: RİP X KİT (KİT X RİP OR KİP) OC X CANON SHIP

The owner of this ship is @segamarkiii. I don't own this ship or the Kit character. The reason I like this ship is obviously because Rip has a boyfriend. Rip is honestly a bit of an underrated character. I'm sad about this, because I think it would have made the show a little better if Rip had been a little more prominent. Also, the fanart made by Segamarkiii is amazing. I hope she makes more Loonatics fanart.

NUMBER TWO: MYLENE X LUNA (MY OWN SHIP BETWEEN MY OC'S)

I love this ship. They suit each other very well. Let me give you some AU spoilers. Mylene actually changed Luna's life. That's why she's on the team. In my original AU, I was actually going to ship Luna with Tech. YES, I TRIED TO SHIP THE CHARACTER WITH MYSELF AGAIN, CRINGE AND SORRY. Now when I say this, what do you think? ''Wait, do you ship yourself with yourself? It's disgusting.'' No, my dear friends. Mylene and Luna are no longer the characters I am myself. I have a main character and an IRL character, which are characters that reflect me. So no, I don't ship myself with myself. Do not worry. Meanwhile, Mylene and Luna are a Bi and Lesbian couple (TOH reference hah). Mylene Bi and Luna are lesbians. I love shipping them.

NUMBER THREE: ACE X HANNAH

The real reason I made this ship was because I felt sorry for Ace. While everyone on the team was in love with someone, Ace and Slam were not in love with someone. Don't worry, I have a ship in Slam. Hannah is a vet and Mylene has a desert fox (named Angel. Don't worry, a picture with my Loonatics Ocs will come soon, in late February, hopefully) While Mylene is taking her to the vet, Ace sees Hannah because he also came. Love at first sight, they get together, blah, blah, blah. So I gave Ace a girlfriend out of pity.

NUMBER FOUR: SLAM X FRANKIE

I must say that this ship was inspired by the malewife x girlboss relationship. While Slam is very shy around Frankie, Frankie tries to flirt with Slam. That's enough to say, and besides, this is my favorite oc x canon ship. IN LOONATICS!! DONT WORRY!!!!

If you have oc x canon ship in Loonatics and if I'm not say that sorry.

-SHIPS THAT I HATE TO SHIP OR I DON'T LIKE TO SHIP

Before I give my opinions, I'm so, so sorry if you ship any of these. But these are my opinions. However, I respect you all, know that.

NUMBER ONE: LEXİ X ACE

This is my least favorite ship among the Loonatics ships. Again, I'm sorry, but I don't like Ace and Lexi being shipped. If you tell me about the scenes in the series in the comments, I can't really say anything. However, remember that none of the ships in the series are canon. I think Ace and Lexi are cousins, and I prefer that. We already know that Bugs and Lola are together. In this case, the possibility of Lexi and Ace being cousins ​​increases.

''They are cousins, they are in the very distant future, can't they have consanguineous marriages? Can't they date even if they are relatives??'' Of course, but I don't like that, that's why I don't like this ship. That is all.

NUMBER TWO: ACE X DUCK (ACE X DANGER DUCK)

I will say this, this ship may be sweet to you, but it is not sweet to me. In my opinion, their relationship is mostly brotherly. They already have a competitive relationship. If we look at it according to Duck.

NUMBER THREE: REV X DUCK

I'm not telling anyone not to ship this, but I see them as a brothers.

Again, if you disagree with my thoughts, at least kindly express your opinion. If there are any ships I forgot, you can tell me.

Have a good day, good morning or good night :)

[qilingxiong]

the thing about xiao hua in the lost tomb 2 is that i would argue he's the most ruthless of all the live-action versions (at least so far). he's the one dealing with the ugly underbelly of what it means to be head of the xies, the one onscreen telling the rest of his family to fuck off or die because he won't walk away or go down without a fight. he moves quickly and cleanly and he kills people without blinking if the situation is severe enough to warrant it.

but he's also the version of xiao hua who smiles the most and genuinely means it. whether it's at his men who've stayed by his side, or at wu xie who he beams at from the first time they're onscreen together and never stops looking out for him, or at zhai xingyao, the brother who he's kept safe enough to have his back. he's got all the gravity of the burdens he's had to carry his entire life, but he still finds enjoyment in the simplest ritual of sitting in his courtyard watching opera performances on his laptop. xiao hua has restraint and control and he can click his emotions on and off like a light switch if he must, though with the emotions he's willing to share, he's so easy with making them known.

adding onto this, there's a passage from book canon that i feel is crucial to understanding xiao hua's character, and it's from volume 7 (from wu xie's pov):

“Are you a good person or one of the bad ones?” I asked.

“What do you think?” He looked at me and sighed. “Do you think a good man, upon hearing that his childhood playmate’s life and death was uncertain, would still ignore it and finish his own business first?

(...) "Do you know how many times I did such things before? I often wondered if I didn’t listen to my grandfather and went back immediately, would those people still be alive?” He also smiled. “You can’t have friends once you think like that, because you know you can’t go back and save them. If you became friends with someone and this happened, then you’d be sad. So to prevent that and be able to abandon others with ease, I decided I couldn’t be friends with anyone. It sounds a bit melodramatic, doesn’t it?”

I didn’t know how to answer him, so I just chuckled a few times.

“But these were my thoughts when I was a child.” He said. “Now that I’m older, I’ve figured a few things out.” He sighed and raised the wine bottle and motioned to me, “So, Little Master Three. With me here, you have to take care of yourself.”

(quoted from the Merebear translation)

although tlt2 xiao hua is younger than he is in this section of the books (this exchange takes place while him and wu xie are at mount siguniang, or the last arc of ultimate note), he's a xiao hua who's already been through the change his book counterpart describes in the passage. he's made it forward in reckoning with what he does in his life, and he doesn't consider himself a saint by any means for it, but he's found what happiness he can still make room for and save despite all that. i'm glad that tlt2 gave us a xiao hua who looks like he's gone through that realization, and let him shine in who he is after coming out the other side, not only in his own sideplot but also in his interactions with the other main characters.

one of my favourite moments in tlt2 is from the last battle against the jade(?) warrior, when one of xiao hua's men dies (i'm so sorry i can't remember his name) and he's angry. how xiao hua wields his anger is typically cold, calculated, he only lets a hint of it show because the self-control is more terrifying to watch than full displeasure. this time he's fully expressing genuine rage, and i think it's the most unrestrained we ever see xiao hua with it in any adaptation. one of his people died, someone he cared about and wasn't afraid to show it, and so whoever is responsible is going to lose his life next. and it's beautiful.

tl;dr i adore how tlt2 xiao hua is characterized and how that characterization drew on his book journey, even though this adaptation introduces him at a slightly younger age. hats off to everyone involved

[dragonairice]

LOWKEY BEEN INSPIRED BY @not-sure-what-im-feeling s AWESOME OCS AND LORE (Go check them out)

And it inspired me to talk about MY ocs :D

I mention in passing that I am in fact writing a novel, but I try to avoid saying too much to prevent spoilers buuuuut I think I can keep it vague enough while still rambling <3

The novel (technically a novella) is called 'The Shadow Walker' and here's a draft of a blurb:

With no friends, an absent mom, an abusive dad, and a shadow that inexplicably went missing; Nicholas Walker is convinced his life couldn’t possibly get any worse. But everything changes when he meets something (or someone) who may or may not want him dead.

(Not the best but again it;s a draft)

ANYWAY THIS IS MY BOY NICHOLAS

He's 12 years old and a selective mute and my scrungliest little blorbo who experiences the horrors™. He doesn't have any friends, is neglected by his parents, and all in all has a bad time before the book starts :(

The only source of healthy food in the house (he borrows money from his dad and goes to the store alone) but is severely malnourished from eating nothing more than reheated takeout his dad left in the fridge. Nick doesn't talk verbally unless it's to his dad (out of necessity) and otherwise converses in ASL (which I'm learning for this book <3). Loves pretty buildings and stargazing, has a dream of visiting things like Notre Dame and the colloseum some day and is fascinated by architecture. I just realised that this kid would adore Minecraft but anyway after things get better for him he's given Lego models of like the eiffel tower and he loves them :)

Gonna stop before I spend the entire post talking about my boy and move onto

HIS MOMM

You know that thing that's like, "Not a bad person, just a bad parent"? Yeah. That's her. She ran away from her abusive boyfriend and left Nick behind out of fear, since she didn't know if she could survive by herself, much less with a child in tow. She ends up leaving with her best friend and they travel around the world a lot for their job. They're a musician who plays back up for bands in different places and Rachel ends up learning to play some stuff too after watching them for so long. The two end up dating at some point and they've been together ever since. Rachel still sends Nicholas a postcard every time she travels to a new place, but she doesn't have the courage to actually see him in person yet. Also fun fact. She's descended from a woman who was killed for being a 'witch' during the salem trials. This is relevant to the story :3

Do I have to talk about his dad??? Ughhhhh fine

This is Gregory Walker. I hate him. bye.

Not but fr, he's a terrible father. Works at a convenience store and his co-workers fear him. Lives off of take-out and instant ramen, never checks on his son. Spends all his money gambling and buying alchohol. Literally would not notice if he missed an entire month of his life (*cough* foreshadowing *cough*)

ANYWAY ONTO TWO OF MY FAVOURITES

LEXI AND CHELSEAAA

Lexi is a single mom who grew up kinda spoiled and is still figuring out how to raise a kid. Her parents are kinda helpful about it but also she doesn't want to raise Chelsea how she was raised so hgjhrj. Chelsea was orignally planned to be autistic since this entire book is a transparent cover for neurodivergent rep but the version of her in my head is so very ADHD instead. They only show up near the end of the book so I'm still experimenting with them a bit but Lexi is a huge book worm and Chelsea loves unicorns, like, I mean in the 'mythology is cool way' not the 'stereotypical girl behaviour' way. She does love pink things and sparkles though

THERE IS ANOTHER CHARACTER BUT THEY'RE A SPOILERRRR BUT I WILL JUST SAY THEY ARE NOT HUMAN AND ALSO WHAT THE TITLE OF THE BOOK IS TALKING ABOUT

(It's a sentient shadow, that's- do you get the pun in the name- there's three references in it-)

[laufire]

may reading meme!

BOOKS

The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle. This one introduces Mary. I wish she'd gotten the treasure and become a rich heiress 😢

Inheritance by Devin Grayson. Loved it. I'm definitely gonna track down her other prose novels. I made a good guess on who [redacted] from very early in the book, practically from the first, and it was still quite gripping. The funniest thing, however, is how unequal each of the former sidekicks' sections are lol. Was she just going through the motions with Garth? Although, by virtue of being the one I know the least about, it did make me want to read his comics. Roy's and Dick's were more even, both with incredibly poignant, poetic flashbacks I adored, but you can tell DickAndBruce is where her heart is and their dynamic was showcased beautifully imo. Her characterization of Ollie is... surely controversial, and doesn't quite match how I see the guy, but it didn't bother me.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. This one is a reread, though it's been a decade since I read it for the first time. I've read it even more slowly than the first time around, pondering over practically every passage. Nabokov's prose is simply sublime, and Dolores's character is one of those that stays with you for how much you read into her.

COMICS

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees. The first issue enchanted me, and the last one was a very apt ending for the story. The journey to get there let me down.

FCBD 2024: Barda Special Edition. This is a preview for an upcoming story. A young Barda is charged to break the prisoner Scott Free, as the beginning of their romance. Theirs is a ship I've been curious about for a while, and I really dig the premise, so I can't wait to read it.

Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper. A short, gritty origin story that builds on the Selina we see in Batman: Year One, written by the same author as Lois Lane (1986). I really wish her sister was more present in Catwoman's story in general, tbh. She was featured in Selina's Knight Terror mini, which I might end up rereading.

The Bat-Man: First Knight. Three-part run set in the 40s, the original Batman setting. A tale of monsters, human experimentation, and the effects of the second world war. I enjoyed it, though not wildly, but it confirms I'd enjoy more historical settings in my comics.

War Games. Oh boy. OH BOY. My kill list grew with each page I read. The missed shot at a proper story with robin!Steph, the incredibly uncharitable way she's written... all to end in the grossest example of character assassination I've ever seen with Dr Leslie Thompkins, all to relieve Bruce of his guilt for his part in Steph's demise. I wanted to read the arc because I thought it was important for some Steph-focused storylines I want to write that build up on it (mostly by subverting or contradict him), but with few exceptions (SOME of Steph's Robin arc, the school plot, Tarantula's appearances, and the parts touching on Dick's downward spiral, for example) it was all so hateful and mean-spirited. Even the prelude to the proper arc, starting with Bruce and Cass's visit to Jason grave to use him as a cautionary tale against Steph, or that storyline about the teen mothers... death. Death to Dan DiDio for one thousand years.

Outsiders (2003). I'm including the Teen Titans crossover arcs (including both Secret Files and Origins issues, both GREAT), and the Outsiders: Five of a Kind arc where Batman is a shit xD (it also did make me wanna read the continuation in the next Batman and the Outsiders run). The art was... Mixed, by which I mean that sometimes it was fuck-ugly lol, but I loved the run. Winick gets me. I have a special place in my heart for Jason's little arc, OBVIOUSLY, but my favourite parts are, second, Dick's arc, and first, ANISSA AND GRACE. I as a lesbian owe Winick much for that one. They're the main attraction for the continuation, ngl. I also loved Shift and Indigo, btw. So damn tragic 🥲

[disneyfanboy13]

*deep breath*

Kung Fu Panda 4 was okay.

The weakest Kung Fu Panda movie by... a wide margin unfortunately due to the incredibly high standards the first three set but not bad by any means. I honestly think there were a ton of great ideas and some moments of fantastic animation that DO live up to the original trilogy. It's just that a lot of these ideas were... undercooked.

Spoilers below. I'm going to be talking about nearly the entire plot in detail.

Again, there was nothing outwardly bad about this movie, aside from a few really lame jokes and some of the characterization of the old characters feeling off at times, with Li coming to mind first. His whole arc of needing to be pretend to be brave made no sense to me as the very first time we saw him in Kung Fu Panda 2, he was bravely fighting off Lord Shen and his ARMY to protect his wife and son. He really doesn't strike me as someone who'd be afraid to fight or act tough when it's for the sake of his son, ya know? Maybe if the reason for his sudden cowardice was BECAUSE of the loss of his wife that day, like Marlin's backstory in Finding Nemo, it would've felt a little more right to me. Li is enjoyable in this movie, I loved his interactions with Ping especially, they're some of the best parts of the movie, but his arc still felt off to me.

And the same can be said about Po needing to choose a successor. First of all, the implication of the first movie to me was almost certainly that "Dragon Warrior" was a once and done sort of thing, that there was only one who could learn the secrets of the Dragon Scoll and defeat Tai Lung, and that Po just kept the title "Dragon Warrior" going forward as a symbol of that accomplishment and because it was shorter and cooler than saying "Defender of the Valley of Peace", which is what he really was.

Second, Shifu's sudden insistence that Po needed to choose a successor to the "Dragon Warrior" title because Oogway gave him his staff felt very off to me. Shifu is probably my favourite character in these movies and while he's still mostly enjoyable for what little screentime he got in this movie, the fact that he was essentially putting words in Oogway's, his dead master's, mouth felt very wrong to me. I know Shifu kind of did that in the third movie but not to the samedegree. There his words just boiled down to, "Would Oogway really approve of you doing this?" while in this movie, he's blatantly saying "This is what my dead master who's not here to speak for himself wants you to do with the staff he gave you, an event I wasn't even there to see myself so you'd better listen to me." Also, Oogway giving Po his staff having some "deeper meaning" in general is just not the vibe I got from the third movie at all and felt like Shifu was, again, putting words in the dead tortoise's mouth and honestly misunderstanding his master and friend.

Po and Ping in this movie meanwhile were perfectly fine though. I actually do like Po's arc of not wanting things to change but having to accept that they will, even if it is, again, undercooked. It's a nice message though and parallels nicely with the villain, someone wo can change form with shapeshifting but never changes on the inside. They really didn't need to pull that obnoxious "you and I aren't so different" speech thing here but Po's speech to the Chameleon afterwards felt very in line with his character. It reminded me very much of his attempts to sway Tai Lung and Lord Shen in the first two movies, but not in a way that felt like a rehash. It just felt like exactly what he would do and campiness aside, I did like it.

Speaking of the Chameleon... This is probably gonna be a hot take but I actually disagree with people calling her the weakest Kung Fu Panda villain. In my mind, that's honestly still Kai. Kai is more intimidating, sure, but while the third movie is better than this one in a lot of ways, I always felt that Kai's connection to Po was very flimsy and his backstory and beef with Oogway never made any sense to me. He always felt so flat and boring, even if, yes, aesthetically, he's a much better villain than the Chameleon. He has much more intimidation factor and better voice acting but to me, the Chameleon is a more compelling character. Yes, her backstory, on the surface, is contradicted by the existence of Viper and especially Mantis. It makes no sense, again, on the surface, for her to be turned away for being "too small."

But I would argue that in the KFP universe, there is actually sufficient enough support for this backstory to not be as much of a stretch as I've seen some claim it is. We don't know WHEN the Chameleon was turned away for being "too small", it could've easily been before Mantis and Viper, who actually WERE underestimated for the same reason (something covered in explicit detail in spin offs but was definitely still implied in the main movies). The thing with them however is that they had Tigress's and eventually Shifu's support and were given a chance to prove themselves, which the Chameleon, a similarly small animal, clearly wasn't given. And this makes even more sense when you consider that The Chameleon is from a city far from the Valley of Peace, so far that no one there even knows the Dragon Warrior and likely not the Furious Five either. She wasn't turned away by Oogway or Shifu. She was turned away by faceless and obviously less open minded Kung Fu masters who haven't heard of Viper and Mantis and just made surface level assumptions about the Chameleon. So while, on the surface, it doesn't make much sense and yes, probably needed to be explained better or depicted in a flashback, it's not this completely bullshit universe breaking thing that I've seen others claim it to be. Although yes, other instances of this movie forgetting the Furious Five are frustrating and make this movie feel cheap but ANYWAYS.

Another reason I find the Chameleon to be more compelling than Kai (though certainly not on the level of Tai Lung or Shen) is her connection to Zhen. I'll be honest, you can say I missed it all you want, but I genuinely didn't see that betrayal coming and was genuinely stung by it. The connection between the Chameleon and Zhen was honestly the best part of the movie for me. They could've gone even deeper with it, and if they had I would probably love this movie to be honest, but what we do get made Zhen a genuinely sympathetic character to me, which I wasn't expecting, and gives the Chameleon a lot more depth without making her soft. At all. The way she used and groomed this orphan child, how she saw "potential" in her on sight that she manipulated to her advantage, was really twisted. I was honestly pretty satisfied with he fact that Shen was the one to ultimately defeat her and found her to be a mostly pretty good villain, even if, yes, she is a complete non-presence before the reveal of this twist. Kai still has that over her but if we're just judging them based on character, I prefer the Chameleon.

I also love the parallels this twist created between Zhen and Po. Their friendship is another thing that needed more time in the oven but I can buy the connection. I think Zhen being this misguided dark parallel to Po was honestly pretty cool and I really enjoyed her training montage at the end. That was one of the few callbacks to the first movie that didn't feel like pandering. It felt like a more natural parallel and showcased the growth of both characters pretty well.

What did feel overly pandering however was Tai Lung's return, but, not for the reasons you might be thinking. I actually think it was a cool idea to have him return as a spirit (it's really not that out there after the third film) and if they could only get one of the previous three villains voice actors to return, Tai Lung was definitely the right call as he genuinely DID have a lot of unresolved... I suppose angst? The problem is that's not what they focus on. I love Tai Lung, and getting to hear Ian McShane voice him and see him fight again was enough to make me go into fanboy mode but the problem is that the movie entirely focuses on Tai Lung's beef with Po, which, yes, was definitely something that would need to be addressed and honestly was done well. I actually LIKE that Tai Lung respects him by the end, although, yes, Kai and especially Shen bowing too was complete bullshit. If I had my way, Kai wouldn't be there since his soul was obliterated by Chi and Shen would be the only one not to bow and would say "fuck you" to Po as he goes back to the Spirit Realm. Honestly the whole "the villains returning" plot was undercooked as well but anyways, Tai Lung:

Most of Tai Lung's beef and in fact reason for being evil was Shifu and I know those two had their confrontation in the first film but the idea of bringing back Tai Lung and not letting him have at least ONE scene with Shifu?! Not have either of them at least REACT to or even MENTION the other?! That's just kind of outrageous to me. The movie wants me to believe Tai Lung is at peace with the fact that he wasn't chosen to be the Dragon Warrior by the end of the movie but they only did half the work to convince me. They convinced me enough that Tai Lung respects Po now, because he freed his soul from the Chameleon and had time in the spirit world to reflect or whatever, but they didn't convince me that he's at peace with the way Shifu unintentionally wasted Tai Lung's life on something he could never have. It feels, again, undercooked.

I've said that a lot this review but it really is the best way I can describe this movie: undercooked. It's enjoyable, it has some fun action and animation and most of the time, good humour, but story and characterization wise, it feels like, well, perhaps not a first draft, it's more solid than that, but an unfinished draft for sure. This movie has great ideas but didn't properly flesh them all out and make them as compelling as they could have been. So despite overall enjoying this movie, which is more than I expected from the trailer to be fair, I can't help but feel disappointed by it, because it's in the same franchise as two masterpieces and a third movie that, while not quite to the same standard, had much more weight and scale and ended the franchise off on a high note overall. Kung Fu Panda deserved better than this but in fairness, it could have been worse.

I know this review of mine was very critical and all over the place but overall, I am happy I saw this movie. The parts I liked, I really genuinely did like a lot.

It's somewhere between a 6 or 7 out of 10 for me.. Definitely falls short of the original trilogy but I liked it more than I was expecting.

[th3houseofleaves]

well SHIT! my dad's gonna be PISSED!

but he'll bail me out anyways! anything to stay out of the headlines!

INTRODUCING milan bechtel an original character who is not based in any fandom. he is played by morgan davies.

sebastian vincent bechtel iii milan bechtel is a twenty-two year old college student, who is studying business. his real passion is art, specifically painting, but he's getting a business degree to appease his father who agreed to let him pursue art school if he at least got his initial education in something practical. he hates the thought of being in school for that long but if it means he can do what he wants in the future he'll put up with it.

he was originally born in milan, italy but he moved to go live with his father when he was a year old. he's the only child of sebastian bechtel ii and yana vasilyeva. he's cousins with the vasilyev brothers, but he doesn't meet them until they're all older. he's closest with aeron, since they're the closest in age, but all three of them are act how he wishes his actual older brothers would.

he did get his nickname because of where he was born. it was another way his biological mother made his connection to his father known, because his father – who's a well-known businessman, with an incredibly successful empire – named his other sons in a similar manner. his other sons, milan's older brothers, are all named after important places in their parents' relationship. so, when his mother decided to call him milan as a nickname, it was supposed to be a reminder to his father and his actual wife, of the affair he had that milan came from.

milan is the byproduct of a short lived affair between two of the worst people you've ever met. but he's one of the best people you could ever hope to meet.

because he was an unplanned and unwanted child – all three of his brothers were already grown and out of the house by the time he was born – his father wanted very little to do with him, even though he went through a whole mess of legal proceedings so he could have sole custody of milan and his biological mother would have nothing to do with him. (years later milan would spiral and wind up sleeping on his cousin's couch after finding out the only reason his mother even had him was so she could essentially blackmail his father into giving her whatever she wanted. or else she'd ruin the perfect image of a family he sold the tabloids.) he made sure milan had nannies to basically raise him and keep him out of the way, unless he was needed for a photo shoot that required the whole family to pretend to be as perfect as his father wished. there were times he was essentially a set piece in his father's world. this continues into his adult years and it's part of the reason he acts out so much. he wants to feel wanted.

the only person in his life, during his childhood at least, that really cared about him was father's wife, his real mom. when milan came into her life she didn't realise she wanted another child until she saw him for the first time. he made it easier to accept her husband's affair and the narrative he was spinning about them somehow having a miracle baby so late in their lives. she adored her baby and if it wasn't for her husband, who tried to encourage the rest of his family to ignore milan like he did, than she would've doted on him constantly. it was no real secret that he was her favourite (and he still is), her other sons were mostly indifferent to it, they were all fairly detached from their family.

despite how much his mom loves him, milan isn't entirely aware of it. because she wasn't allowed to constantly be open with her affection as she'd like and her opportunities to act like his mother were limited – and became even more infrequent as he got older – he assumes she doesn't care about him. he doesn't remember the days where she'd steal him away from his nanny and take him to work with her, showing him all of the things on her set and proudly showing him off to all of her staff. he doesn't remember when she'd sneak in to see him at night and read him a story before bed or how she'd run her fingers through his hair until he fell asleep, staying beside him long after he's fallen asleep just to be with him and make sure he's okay. she's the person he's most desperate to get attention from because he's scared she hates him since he's not her son, not really.

growing up how he did has lead milan to feel invisible. so he acts out. he graffitis buildings his father owns and goes on joyrides in cars he doesn't own and parties as often as possible. he's been arrested multiple times for various offenses but his criminal record is clean; it would ruin the wholesome family image that his father has spent years crafting if people found out how troubled his youngest son is. so he doesn't care what milan does, or who he's friends with, or what he takes, as long as the fallout isn't impossible to cover up. his father always cleaning up his messes has the exact opposite effect than milan wants — he wants to be seen, not swept under the rug. he wants to be more than just the youngest son, the pretty flirt that interviewers love to jokingly ask when he'll follow in his mother's footsteps and take up modeling. (he hates the way they look at him, like he's nothing more than a piece of meat.)

he's been getting better lately, especially since he's connected with his cousins. meeting them gave him a safety net and a reason to stay clean and safe. they convince him that he is a person, regardless of how invisible he feels.

and one day, a couple years in the future, they will be part of the reason he finally paints a self portrait in color; his art is so full of life and color unless he has to draw or paint himself, self portraits are always done in grays and blacks, they make him look half alive.

his mother will ask him for this first self portrait that shows the milan that she sees — she hangs it proudly on the walls of her new home, displaying it for everyone to see now that she doesn't have to hide how much she loves her youngest son.

additional link: pinterest.

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psd credit: @jessource and garlogans on deviantart