#This kind of builds off of a quote thing that I posted a while back for Zai

[soulsxng]

📁 Zahine

@arcxnumvitae | Random headcanons | No longer accepting!

📁- Growing up, Zahine's parents never really got along well. They chose to take Zahine in at a point when their marriage was failing, in a misguided, last ditch effort to "fix things". It, instead, only served to make things worse. As he aged, he watched them slowly grow to hate each other. Constant fighting, avoiding each other, hurting each other-- and after all of that, Zahine promised himself that he would never let himself fall into a relationship like that. He promised himself that he would find love. A true, all encompassing, whirlwind love, in which someone would sweep him off his feet, and never let him go.

...And oh, he found it alright.

He married Mattias when the both of them were still young, and while things started off exactly how Zahine had always hoped, he quickly learned that there was such a thing as too much love. For that was exactly what happened with Mattias. His love for Zahine became so much, that Mattias held him on a pedestal high above anyone and everyone else. Made him unattainable-- untouchable-- even to himself, and because of this, tried to make it so that he was the only person that Zahine had.

Mattias went too far because he loved Zahine too much, and Zahine had no choice but to kill him because of it...but in the process of all the pain leading up to that happening, he found his true loves in Melchior and Eluvias. His Braveheart and his Little Love. No matter how old they get, they're always going to be Zai's babies, and they mean absolutely everything to him.

[cosmicanamnesis]

little self-indulgent fic that I'm posting without proofreading, enjoy

steddie, modern AU, idiots to lovers | read on ao3

"It's not a big deal!"

Eddie's crush on Steve was a secret both short-lived and ill-kept. His first mistake was telling the band. Well, no, his first mistake was forgetting that Gareth and Will were dating and that Gareth had the physical inability to keep his fucking mouth shut. But Eddie telling his closest, most trusted friends about the guy he liked was definitely Up There on the list of mistakes.

Which was how Eddie found himself mildly hungover drinking black coffee in his living room while Dustin paced up and down the length of the trailer, berating him for not confessing his doomed love to his alleged "favorite child" sooner.

"HOW is it not a big deal, Eddie?" Dustin said, just a few notches too loud for Eddie's looming headache.

"Because it's not! He doesn't like me! He's never gonna like me! I'm an adult, dude, I have critical thinking skills. I know how to pick my battles."

"It's not- Eddie," Dustin suddenly went stone faced. "It's not about your chances with him. You're moving in with him. He deserves to know."

Oh yeah. There was that. Robin was starting college and there was no way she wasn't taking her Emotional Support Pretty Boy with her. The only place they could find was a 2-bed just slightly out of their budget, and had asked Eddie if he wanted to join them, finally striking out on their own in the city. The agreement was that Steve and Robin would share the bigger bedroom, and Eddie would get the smaller room to himself. Their move-in date was less than a week out when Eddie made his inebriated love confession at his quote-unquote Going-Away-Party.

"It's not about what he deserves, man!" Eddie said, sinking back into the couch. He rubbed his eyes hard to try and relieve some of the pressure building in his head and sighed. "If I don't say anything to him, nothing changes. If I tell him, everything changes!"

"Oh, please. Steve's an adult too, dude, if we tell him you like him but you're well aware that he doesn't like you, he won't make it weird!"

"Wait wait wait, hold up. Rewind. We? Who is we?"

"You and me!" The boys stared at each other in bewilderment for a moment. "Oh come on, Eddie, we both know that if I don't sit here and watch you do it, you're just gonna lie and say you told him when you actually just hid under a blanket listening to Metallica and wishing you had the balls to-"

"OKAY!" Eddie yelled, loud enough for the very shock of his volume to trigger his headache in full force. "Jesus H., kid, you don't need to call me out like that. Fuck. Fine. I'll do it right now, how about that?"

Eddie pulled his phone out and Dustin dropped down hard on the couch next to him, arms already crossed, smug satisfaction already settled on his face.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Dustin scoffed. "Here's what you should say-"

Eddie held up a hand to cut him off. "I'm not listening to you anymore. You had one long distance girlfriend ONCE, you're not some kind of Cassanova here… oh, son of a bitch."

"Son of a bitch what?" Dustin asked, scooting closer to read over Eddie's shoulder.

"I can't do this right now… The last thing I sent him was asking his opinion on the D&D movie and he hasn't responded yet."

"What the absolute fuck does that have to do with any of this?"

"Well I can't be like hey what's your opinion on this movie you know I love because I'm the one who told you to watch it, also I'm in love with you but it's no big deal. Like, what the fuck is that?"

"Oh… Yeah, you have a point." Dustin shifted back away from Eddie, covering his mouth with one hand in concentration.

"I mean… It can wait-"

"It can, but it shouldn't, dude! Shit… I mean, I could tell him, if you want."

Dustin had expected an outright "no" and was shocked when Eddie paused, apparently seriously considering the option.

"Actually… Yeah, could you?"

"Sure, but I'm not letting you see what I say until after I send it."

"You drive a hard bargain…" Eddie said, drumming his fingers on his knee. "Fine. Go for it."

Eddie stood and grabbed his coffee off the table, wandering slowly towards the kitchen, both to find some ibuprofen and to quell his temptation to watch Dustin quickly type a message to Steve.

"Okay. Sent. Now you can look," Dustin announced, beckoning Eddie back over as he downed the medicine. Eddie felt like he'd never moved so fast in his life. The message read,

Eddie wants you to know, before you move in together, he has a crush on you. he won't make it weird if you dont

As Eddie read, the three dots that meant Steve was typing popped up. Suddenly Eddie regretted ever agreeing to this, and pushed Dustin's hand and phone away so he wouldn't have to see Steve's rejection first-hand.

"He responded… Do you wanna know what he said?" Dustin said. Eddie was leaning hard against the armrest of the couch, staring into nothing, imagination running wild.

"Yeah, hit me," he said.

"Oh, alright. Thank you for telling me," Dustin read. "I don't feel the same way about him. I assume you talked to him about telling me."

"So he gets back to you right away but he won't tell me- oh. Never mind. He just responded to my text." Eddie was doing his best to not feel completely devastated by Steve's frankly predictable response to Dustin's text.

"So… What did he think of the movie?"

—

"Uh… Rob?"

"Yeah?"

"Um… Come here and… Just read this."

Steve and Robin were taking a break from packing up Steve's childhood bedroom in preparation for the move when Dustin's text came through. She quickly chugged the last of her soda and came around to Steve's side to see what he was seeing.

"Oh," she said, not bothering to conceal her surprise. "I mean… We knew this was a possibility."

"Yeah, I guess, but… What do I say? I don't like him like that."

"Then say you don't like him like that, dingus. He's probably breathing down Dustin's neck right now waiting to see what you say."

"Yeah, you're probably right…" Steve said. He typed and backspaced and typed something else until Robin got sick of watching and grabbed the phone out of his hand to answer Dustin's text for him.

"Just trust me!" Robin said, actively walking away from Steve as he sputtered indignances, chasing after her halfheartedly. As soon as she sent the text, she turned and shoved the phone roughly back to Steve's chest.

"Oh… Yeah, okay, that makes more sense than anything I was trying to say…" Steve conceded, reading the text Robin sent on his behalf.

—

Steve, Robin, and Eddie saw each other next when they were loading up the U-Haul. No one said anything, and Steve tried as hard as he could to act like nothing was different. It put Eddie's mind at ease while simultaneously driving Robin nuts.

Since Dustin sent the secondhand confession, the only thing Steve had on his mind was Eddie, and how he definitely didn't reciprocate Eddie's feelings, how he was definitely bisexual but Eddie… Eddie wasn't his type. He was pretty, sure, but he was so… Himself. He was loud and unapologetic and into things Steve had never even heard of. They had nothing in common besides their love for the kids.

But Robin saw it coming a mile away.

"It" finally came to fruition a month after they had all moved in together.

It turned out, Steve and Eddie were practically the same person. Same sense of humor, same taste in TV, they even took their coffee the same way. They really only differed in their music tastes, fashion, and theater snack preferences. 

Robin got the text in the middle of her French class.

shmuck: i think i have a crush on eddie

bobbin: FINALLY. please just kiss him and put me out of my misery

Steve came out of the kitchen, bag of chips in hand, to see Eddie just as he'd left him: cross-legged on the couch, demolishing a bag of Sour Patch Kids to the tune of the Criminal Minds theme music. He tucked his phone into his back pocket and rejoined his maybe-crush to watch trash TV until Robin came home.

He didn't know why he was so nervous. He knew Eddie liked him. There wasn't a chase here, he didn't have to flirt or try to win Eddie over… He just had to say yes and Eddie was his. It was different from any other relationship he'd ever been in. Maybe that was why it was so scary. Because it was new.

They watched the episode and bantered back and forth about it, same as always. But before the next episode could start, Steve hit pause.

"Bathroom break?" Eddie asked, hugging a throw pillow to his chest.

"No, uh…" Steve started, unable to even look Eddie in the face. "No… Can I… Can I kiss you?"

Eddie didn't answer right away, which finally inspired Steve to really look at him. His expression was completely unreadable.

"Uh… Yeah, I mean. Yes, absolutely. Um. But what happened to you don't like me like that?" It was such an Eddie response, Steve could almost laugh.

"I, um… I guess I spoke too soon," Steve laughed, trying to be cool and suave and everything else people thought he was in high school. Eddie brought the pillow up to hide his expression.

"Really?" he asked, muffled behind the pillow so that Steve almost couldn't hear him.

"Yeah, really. Just… Since you told me-"

"Dustin told you," Eddie corrected.

"Whatever… I dunno, I guess it put the idea in my head and now… I haven't been able to stop thinking about it… About you- what?"

Eddie was giggling quietly behind the throw pillow, gently rocking himself back and forth as Steve talked. 

"Nothing," Eddie mumbled into the pillow. "Go on."

"You're such a pain in the ass, y'know that?" Steve laughed again. "Can I kiss you or not?"

Eddie slowly moved the pillow away from his face to set it aside, revealing himself to be smiling like an idiot as he turned slightly to face Steve better.

"You understand I've been uselessly pining after you for like, two months now, right? Please kiss me, oh my god."

—

Dustin's phone lit up with a Snapchat notification; a message from Eddie to the D&D group chat. He expected a meme, or for Eddie to ask Jeff for a ride somewhere because his van broke down again.

Instead, it was a picture of Eddie looking smug, leaning against Steve's chest. Steve, apparently unaware he was having his picture taken, had his fingers tangled up in Eddie's curls. The text overlay simply read "hey guys guess what."

The first reply came from Gareth, a picture of him leaning against Will in the exact same position as Eddie was with Steve. "Gross," it said.

Dustin rolled his eyes. Eddie was about to get so much more insufferable.

[ape-apocalypse]

Road To The Kingdom - My Planet Of The Apes Retrospective

With the hype for Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes on the rise, I decided to do a bit of a deep dive into the trilogy of reboot movies starring the incredible Andy Serkis and the various tie-in titles.

Why ramble on about a series that most people seem to overlook? Well, I think back to an interaction I had here on Tumblr in 2017, just one week before War For The Planet Of The Apes came out. While scrolling through the POTA tags, I found a post that wondered if anyone was actually excited for the new film or if the studio hadn't gotten the message and was making it for an audience that didn't exist. I responded that I was genuinely excited for the new film, that I loved the motion capture apes and the action scenes and the surprisingly engaging story, and would be seeing it opening weekend. The other person seemed surprised by my honest answer and apologized for their snarkiness (a truly shocking turn of events in the history of the Internet!).

I explained that I'd gone into these films thinking of them like Jurassic World series; I wasn't there for a great story and deep writing, I just wanted to see dinosaurs destroy things. So when I went into the POTA films, just expecting to see fun action movies with monkey chaos and apocalyptic results, I was surprised that I was swept up in the characters and their stories. I loved seeing the life of Caesar from tiny carefree baby to resilient revolutionary to fearsome leader, and the lives of all the humans and apes around him. The other poster said they hadn't actually seen the movies, just expected them to be shallow cash-grabs on reboot nostalgia, but they might have to reconsider giving them a shot after my enthusiastic response.

So if I can sway the minds of anyone who has written off these films, more movie tickets sold might mean more films and other media told in this ape apocalypse world!

And even if you already know and love the films, I also want to give some love to tie-in materials. Books, comics, YouTube shorts, video games; POTA has a surprisingly large catalog of bonus material for a series not considered mainstream like Marvel or Lord Of The Rings or Star Trek. I don't see them get many mentions in the fandom so hope a little spotlight on them can help them shine. They have delicious tidbits of world-building and character backstory, filling in gaps between the movies. I already have my fingers crossed there will be some tie-in material covering some of the huge time jump between War and Kingdom. With three hundred years passing between them, there is so much to learn about the ever growing and changing ape societies. I'm eager for any scrap of info they'll share!

But really, even if nothing I write changes anyone's mind about this franchise, it's still fun to gush about one of my favorite fictional universes.

My brief history with POTA was that I didn't know much about the original films before going into the new Andy Serkis trilogy. I'd heard enough about the original film to know the main beats of the first movie (quotes like 'damn dirty ape', the reveal of the planet being Earth with the Statue of Liberty). I saw the Tim Burton film which didn't leave any kind of impression other than the incredibly realistic costumes/make-up, so much so that I was apprehensive of the CG apes. Since getting into the new films, I've started watching the originals and may cover those just for fun.

So whether you're a long-time die hard fan or a fresh face to Caesar's legacy, I hope you'll enjoy my thoughts on the Planet of the Apes franchise!

Links to all my posts as they are released:

- Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes Film

- Prelude and Contagion Comics

- Motherboard YouTube Shorts

- Firestorm Tie-In Novel

- Fall Of Man Comics

- Dawn Tie-In Comic

- Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes Film

- Revelations Tie-In Novel

- Last Frontier Video Game

- Crisis Video Game

- When Worlds Collide Comics

- War For The Planet Of The Apes Film

- War Tie-In Comic

- Caesar's Story Novel

[elderberries-and-honey]

𝙈𝙮 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 & 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜

A while back I received this question asking if I'd mind explaining what my creative process is like and some wanted further explanation about what goes into planning multiple generations & arcs. I do apologize that this is so overdue, and it's literally taken me months to get to. My process is always changing, and I'm constantly adding in pieces that help make the process easier. Because of this, the way I answered the question back then is also quite outdated, at least in terms of how I plan each shoot/post, and I'll hopefully provide further clarification below the cut.

However, first and foremost, I want to say I am by no means an expert and different processes work for different people. Your creative process might look totally different than mine, and that's okay! Whatever keeps you coming back and sharing your work is always going to be the best & most efficient way of doing things.

But I do think it's helpful to get insight into what works for others when you have no clue how to plan things like this, or where to even begin. So, without further ado, here is my process.

Mainly, I use a website called Milanote. It's super helpful for organization purposes, and it's mostly free. They have free templates you can use, or you can make your own. The only downside to it is you're limited on the number of "cards" that are available to you. They do have a promo that you can use where if you get someone else to sign up, you get more cards, which is what I did.

My main folder basically looks like this:

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙀𝘼𝙍𝘾𝙃

The research folder is an unorganized, organized mess and basically just looks like this:

This is where I keep all my resources, and all of the things I've researched for my story. As you can see, this includes various sources like YouTube videos, various articles, quotes, photos and even some music as well. I like having this all in one place so it's easily accessible for me, but you could just easily keep all of this in a Google or Word doc if you're low on 'cards'.

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘼𝙍𝘾𝙎

Next we have these two sections. Obviously, I had to cover them up to avoid spoilers but I did label them to hopefully provide insight. Essentially, for this decade in particular, there are going to be various arcs happening at once, especially since the children will be growing into adults and laying their foundation is going to become crucial to the story. However, I'm trying to limit myself from having too much going on at once, which is why I try to limit myself to only four arcs playing out at once.

I will also say that Plot's A through C are interconnected, or at least they will be eventually, while Plot D concerns one of the children and will impact things later down the line. This is super important for really tying different ideas together, and making sure random plots don't seem to just pop up out of the blue.

The table for myself helps a lot with this, so that I can easily see what arcs have been started, and how many 'scenes' each one has. I find this to be useful because then I know that none of the arcs are stretching too long, which ones might need more fine tuning and which ones have yet to flourish or even begin.

Each arc basically has something like this going from beginning to end, essentially following the classic three act structure. Not all of them have five components, some more or less, but generally it ends up being five. Now, this doesn't mean every plot is only five posts or anything like that. Most of the time, the timeline of events needs to be broken off into bite sized pieces and that's okay.

The resolution doesn't always mean a happy ending, and can also serve as a way for me to introduce any new arcs for a specific character, which would then start the process over. You can kind of think about this when watching a lot of television shows. We watch all this build up starting on episode one, and things get more and more intense until we finally reach the season finale. And then woah, with two minutes left of the episode, we see that the character they just thought was dead is actually alive?! Which then leads us into season two.

I do think planning this way could feel really tedious for some, but I like to map things out before I start introducing any arcs so I at least know it isn't a quick "one shot" plot, something without actual purpose or an arc that doesn't really seem to have any sort of end goal that makes logical sense. It also just helps me remember what everyone's up to, especially when there are so many characters to keep track of.

𝙎𝙃𝙊𝙊𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝘾𝙀𝙉𝙀

Before I go into the game, I basically write out a "rough draft" of sorts. This includes dialogue, any background noises (things like a clock ticking or the tapping of a pencil), a brief description of each shot/photo (including any post-editing things like adding blur effect), and a summary of what's happening in each panel.

Because I only use one document for this, and clear it out once I complete a scene, I do not have any examples to show from The Baudelaire Legacy, so I created a mock-up scenario in which Ozzy flunks a difficult test at school, as seen below.

Once I have that written, I plug it into my 'scene planning' board. However, I only include the shot/photos, and the short summary. On Milanote, I also plug in the location, time of day, attire and any pose accessories I might need (so that I remember to create an extra outfit for it). This ends up looking like the example below.

I typically will only have this open on my second monitor while I'm shooting the scene, and I just tick the boxes as I go along. This is really nice if you have to stop mid-shoot, and helps me pick up where I left off without getting confused.

I do also edit each panel in-between shooting to make sure I'm getting the shots I want, however, I don't encourage everyone to have Photoshop and Sims 4 open at the same time.

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙎

Then we have the character sheets for each of our characters. Right now, I'm only focusing on Lawrence & Winifred (though, the children's arcs are in a 'idea dump' document).

For me, this is the most important piece of the story. One of the reasons shows like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad are considered some of the best writing in television history, is mostly due to the fact that, in my opinion, they prioritize this as well. It's always good to have a strong character in mind before you begin, and this is because you don't want them to step outside themselves.

Of course, your character can change and bend within their environment or plots happening around them, and they certainly should, but you also need to ask yourself if it's being done logically. Asking yourself, 'Why did they end up this way?', 'How did we get here?' and 'How would this character specifically react to an intense situation, stress or hardship?' is crucial when writing a character that feels alive.

Having something like this helps me build their "character arc" and map it out so no one ends up being left in the dust and makes sure that everyone is important in some way. Each of the children will have a sheet created for them once they reach the teen life state as well.

I also use this page as a way to record any quirks, or habits they have. These don't have to be major or super important either. So for example, on Lawrence's character sheet, I have it written down that he wears glasses to read; a very small thing casual readers probably wouldn't even pay attention to, so it feels like an important detail to me.

𝙈𝙔 𝙎𝙋𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿𝙎𝙃𝙀𝙀𝙏𝙎

In addition to Milanote, I also Google Sheets/Docs. This is where I keep my spreadsheet and write / keep a hard copy of my story.

My spreadsheet is basically broken up into four different tabs - one for the main sims information (the Baudelaire's), side household information, my story posts and my ageing table.

My information tables look something like this:

For story posts, I use @aheathen-conceivably's method of tracking, which you can read about here. The only thing I have added in addition to what she has is a "notes" section, and this where I include any sort of post that doesn't specifically fit into any arc but is still important - things like birthdays, marriages, holidays, etc.

𝙈𝙄𝙎𝘾𝙀𝙇𝙇𝘼𝙉𝙀𝙊𝙐𝙎 𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉

In addition to all of these things, I also use Pinterest to create moodboards for each decade, as well as each character. I like to include all sorts of things like any inspiration I'm drawing from (so, things like Greta Gerwig's Little Women or HBO's Gilded Age), photos, quotes, etc.

Annnnd that's basically it! I'm hoping this provides some good insight, and is helpful in some way. I know it seems like a lot, but the more you do it, and the more you plan, the more natural it will start to feel. Again, I am not an expert in any way, and it's always difficult to explain your process in this way (and probably why I put off trying to do so for such a long time). So, please feel free to ask for clarification in regards to any part of the above.

Happy Simming ‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃

[1moreff-creator]

Happy Birthday Eden Tobisa!

Turns out our favorite clock girly has her birthday on New Year's Eve! What a nice date for such a nice girl! Let's do a character analysis, fun facts, and songs!

-We know relatively little about Eden's backstory. The most notable thing we know about her life before the killing game, apart from her fascination with clocks, is what is revealed in her chapter 2 secret: "Ever since you kissed her, you were afraid your sexuality would ruin your friendships." Which is pretty straightforward; she's canonically a lesbian and is worried it would negatively affect her friendships.

-Literally the only other thing we know about her backstory is that she lived in Japan for a small period of time when she was younger, before moving back to the US. This was revealed in a Q&A.

(... You know, I made a deranged theory in my Mai post that maybe the girl that Eden kissed was actually Mai. It wasn't very serious, since it was just a silly way to try to explain what the hell Eden's quote in the Mai page could mean. But... we know Teruko was in Japan for a while when she was younger, and it's theorized she knew Mai before being separated from her at some point. Combined with Mai's name being seemingly Japanese, it could imply Mai also lived in Japan at some point. And if that's the case, it's possible she met Eden there? To be clear, that's still an insane possibility, but I do find it a funny possibility, which is why I'm sharing it)

-Apart from that, Eden's defining trait is her optimism and her trust in others. She sticks to Teruko's side even after she starts pushing everyone away in CH 1, and confesses to her that she believes "not caring about others is the worst way to live." She's importantly not naive, she does know their situation is horrible, but still she constantly searches for an exit and tries to build good friendships with the others.

-This includes baking with Min, Rose and Teruko in CH1, inviting Teruko and Arei to make clocks on CH2, etc. Basically, she's awesome and nice and mature.

-Also she loves clocks. Regular Ultimate stuff, she can apparently spend hours and hours working and losing track of time.

-Although for such an optimistic character, her secret quote is quite ominous. "You can't go back, no matter how hard you try." We have zero clue what this means at the moment, but at least it does fit the symbolism of time always moving forward.

-Meanwhile, her quote in the Mai page is "She kept calling the number, even though no one picked it up." This is even more incomprehensible! Eden, what in the world are you talking about?

-Alright, David MV. She doesn't have a color in Color Theory, but her numeral is XII (twelve). Go to 1:48:28 in this video for an explanation. God it's so convenient to have that lol.

Alright fun facts!

-As stated, her birthday (December 31st) lands on New Year's Eve. Maybe representing new beginnings or change, which certainly goes well with her character. How nice!

-Like most of the cast, she's American and right-handed.

-She's one of the only characters with dyed hair. Her hair was originally just brown.

-Her favorite color is daffodil yellow, because it's happy, and her least favorite color is blue, because it's "kind of a downer color." Areden shippers in shambles.

-Her favorite ice cream flavor is honeycomb. I didn't even know that existed but go off queen.

-She enjoys cute fashion, but also enjoys wearing androgynous style clothing.

-She likes food which is fun to make or prepare. How nice!

-She's biracial; her mother is black and her father is Japanese. This is why she spent a bit of time in Japan when she was younger.

-Her name in kanji is 飛佐【とび ・ さ】楽【いーでん】. Gonna leave any actual meaning as homework, but it's worth noting her name was anglicized. I think that would translate to "Iden", but her mother liked the name "Eden", so they went with that instead.

Finally, songs that remind me of her!

-Positive Parade by DECO*27

-Gone Fishing by Ghost & Pals (friendship!)

-Aura by Ghost & Pals

-In Iolite by Ghost & Pals

-Magnet by minato

-Those Who Carried On by Ghost & Pals

-I'm Glad You're Evil Too by PinocchioP

And Happy Birthday! And a happy new year! Well wishes to all you Tumblr peeps. Take care!

[stormdragon23]

My Top 10 Solo Leveling Characters

Inspired by this post

I'll keep the explanations short, but if you want a more in-depth explanation, feel free to ask for more (or look through my blog. It isn't that hard to find with how much I post about certain characters)

Choi Jong-In

Gee, what a surprise-

What I like the most about Choi Jong-In is how complex his character is when you actually analyze him. He comes off as a confident, sly person who does what he wants to get something for himself, but when you read between the lines, there is a lot about him that shows nearly the opposite

One example is how he exudes confidence, nearly borderline arrogance, yet when you observe his physical actions, he almost always doing something with his hands, as if he is nervous and holds back from fidgeting. He also cares a lot about other hunters yet does so very subtly, like during the double dungeon when he was giving orders to the other hunters to try to keep them safe. He reacted like how Baek Yoon-Ho did during the Red Gate incident when he learned about what happened with the high orcs A-Rank gate, showing that he does care about his hunters' safety

Okay, I need to stop

2. Baek Yoon-Ho

This should have been expected from just looking at my blog

Baek Yoon-Ho was actually my favorite character early in the story. I love how despite his intimidating appearance, he is actually very kind and a rather sensitive person. He is one of more fleshed-out side characters in terms of his relationships with other side characters and how his backstory before the gates appeared is talked about a lot in various forms of Solo Leveling

He also has a rather complex personality with how serious he appears in public and how it is clear he cares a great deal about the hunters in his guild, yet with people he is close to, such as his friends, he is very expressive and reacts quite a bit to being teased and such

3. Go Gun-Hee

He needs to show up in the game soon

I love how caring he is with the other hunters, specifically Woo Jin-Chul and the other S-Ranks. He makes teasing remarks towards them and is quite soft with them despite his powerful aura. He definitely has the energy of a grandfather, so I like to think he gets along with all the S-Ranks very well

He also seems very protective of them as he was furious about the Japanese Hunters Association's Chairman's plan to eliminate Korea's S-Ranks. He is like that one quote

“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

4. Sung Il-Hwan

Why couldn't he have seen Kyung-Hye one last time-

I also love Sung Il-Hwan's caring nature even though it was only shown after he fought Hwang Dong-Soo and was helping people get out of destroyed buildings and fire. It was nice foreshadowing to him being a firefighter in the past

He's fairly similar to Go Gun-Hee in terms of his protectiveness of the people he cares about and his optimistic/teasing nature even though Sung Il-hwan's personality wasn't shown that much. I admire how he wanted to give up his memories of the previous timeline to properly take care of his son the way he wanted to though. It was very sweet

I want him to be the main character, not his son-

5. Park Kyung-Hye

She should have appeared more. She's so pretty

Not much of her was shown in the manhwa, but the moments of her that stood out to me the most were how she looked out for her family before her own well-being and how she was still waiting for her husband to return

Even when she had just awakened and found out how long she had been asleep for, the first thing she did after getting a grasp on her surroundings is comfort her son. All she knew was that her son had worked hard to take care of him and could see from his hands that he got hurt while doing so. She doesn't know what exactly Sung Jin-Woo did in the years she was asleep yet still thanked him

6. Woo Jin-Chul

Of course he's on the list. Why wouldn't he be on the list

There are many admirable traits that Woo Jin-Chul has, but I think the one that stands out to me the most is his sense of justice and desire to do everything he can to make the world a better place. It doesn't get to the point where it is all he thinks about or does, but it is enough to show that he is passionate about what he believes

His demeanor is also something I like. The way he is stoic and reacts accordingly based on the situation he is in. It makes me wonder about what his personality is actually like behind the mask and when he is not working. Some of it was shown in the side stories, which was very nice to see, though I wish the manhwa had included more moments of him from the novel

He would be higher on the list, but I'm a sucker for parental figures

7. Min Byung-Gyu

The reason I have a strong grudge against Sung Jin-Woo

Min Byung-Gyu is a much stronger person the more you analyze him (I'm working on an analysis of him, so I'll be going into more detail there). The way he is clearly traumatized by the third Jeju raid and had already told Baek Yoon-Ho that he would not be going on the next Jeju raid, yet he still showed up in the end

He likely couldn't bear the thought of the S-Ranks dying without him there more than the possibility of him not being able to save them. Compared to the other side characters, he was actually fleshed out quite a bit, and he was a very unique character compared to the S-Ranks in terms of his personality

He did NOT need to die

8. Son Ki-Hoon

Most underrated character right here

I don't think much about Son Ki-Hoon as he didn't have that much of a presence in the manhwa, but I really like how he was portrayed as a good leader. After all the other raids Sung Jin-Woo had been on prior to this raid, I was really worried that Son Ki-Hoon was going to be selfish like the others. But thankfully, he chose to go the route that would be the safest for the rest of the team (I think he, unfortunately, has bad luck though)

He was also very adamant about protecting his guild members despite it seeming certain that they would die. Not in a self-sacrificial way (which is a trait I personally dislike), but in a way that would the others the best chance of survival while still doing his best to stay alive

9. Park Hee-Jin

She's so pretty alsdkfjafda

Not much of Park Hee-Jin was seen other than the Red Gate, but the game went in depth about her backstory, which I enjoyed watching. To summarize, Park Hee-Jin had "hunches" whenever something is about to go wrong, and although she doesn't know if something will actually happen or not, her instincts are usually right

However, when she tells other people, they usually don't believe her, and when something does happen, they blame her for it. Yet despite the accusations against her, she doesn't let it bother her and just ignores them, focusing on keeping herself and those who do believe her safe. Similar to Park Kyung-Hye, she also has a caring nature with other hunters, especially those younger than her.

10. Eun-Seok

I know he was only in the anime for like. 3 minutes, but hear me out

Despite Eun-Seok not being on screen for long and barely being mentioned anywhere else, the effect he had on the surviving hunters was very impactful. It clearly affected his close friends, Baek Yoon-Ho and Min Byung-Gyu, the latter of whom retired after the raid. It's not clearly stated, but in the game, he also seems to be the reason why Lim Tae-Gyu seems rather jaded at times, so I assume the two must have been close

As for his personality, he seems like someone who looks out for his friends often yet has a playful side to him as well. I hope we get to see more of him later, whether it's in the game or in a flashback in the anime, but already in the anime, they gave him a lot of features, including a whole character design along with very unique powers

I'm very weak towards selfless people who are humble in case you couldn't tell

If you made it this far, congratulations. Have a cookie 🍪 I don't know what other foods to give. Maybe a fruit next time

[solarbird]

I’m going to say one final thing about the Trump shooting, then turn the rest of this into a resource post, highlighting some useful information about Project 2025, JD Vance, and the two together, since there is some involvement.

I argued in the past that it doesn’t matter whether Trump’s ear was hit by a bullet or shrapnel, because it fucking doesn’t, it was still an assassination attempt. I’ve argued about how Democratic conspiracy theories give us more MAGA and give them something to counterbalance against January 6th.

But most importantly, going off about which happened gives Donald Trump more attention for something he wants attention about.

For a blessed few days, nobody was talking about the stinking orange buffoon, not really, and given that literally nothing changes about the story he wants to talk about if it’s shrapnel or if it’s a bullet, that was a really good thing. It was “fuckity-bye, ear” in the news and I was delighted for it.

Even talking about him overhyping the damage or whatever just gives it all more air.

Don’t give it – or him – any air. Don’t let him get up. Until and unless something actually major actually happens – not hypotheses or speculation, actually something major – keep it quiet, because it helps shift the focus back on him.

Keep the focus on Harris and on Vance. That’s what’s good for us. Not speculating about trivia nobody outside the obsessed cares about: himself, as victim.

Make sense? Good. I’m shutting up about it until and unless there’s some actual hard news, and I recommend you do too.

Have some more resources on Project 2025 and JD Vance; use them as appropriate when talking to your friends and family about the election, particularly the Trumpy ones:

This is a two-fer: Trump again denies Project 2025 — despite Vance writing foreword for chief architect’s book. This is the same book that calls progressives “unhumans” and praises the January 6th insurrectionists. So that’s fun.

You’ve heard the “childless cat ladies” with “no stake in America” quote, of course. Push comes to shove, he really doesn’t think women – certainly not childless women – should be able to vote. He doesn’t just come out and say it like the GOP candidate for governor in Nroth Carolina did, but it’s in there.

There are so many levels of Christofascism in the Project, here’s yet another one: A Jewish couple were rejected as foster parents because of their religion. This is the future Project 2025 envisions

FBI director issues warning on ‘frightening’ Project 2025, specifically its plans to make the FBI directly responsible not to the constitution but to one man, Donald Trump.

How J.D. Vance Went From Green Tech Investor to Climate Change Doubter – it’s about money and power, naturally.

JD Vance roadblocked dozens of US diplomats while he obsessed over their views on gay rights, because he really, really hates the queers.

Anybody remember the Spoils System in the Federal government? I kind of doubt it, because nobody – I mean, literally I’ve seen nobody – talks about it in relation to J.D. Vance’s radical plan to build a government of Trump loyalists based on Project 2025. Not only was it massively corrupt from top to bottom – absolute looting for the winning political party – but it even triggered the assassination of President James Garfield.

Enjoy this big collection of JD Vance being absolutely evil. He really hates women without children – no, he really hates women in general, and hating women who don’t have (white) children is only the start.

Here Vance supporting police tracking women’s periods for evidence of abortion.

There’s more, but this is getting pretty long. I’ll leave you with this last little nugget:

The AP had to take down their fact check about JD Vance never having sex with with a couch. This is because while he didn’t actually tell such a story in Hillbilly Elegy, they can’t prove a negative, so couch time is back on.

And with that, enjoy the weekend.

[ego-sandwich]

OKAY SO, with the new Soulsucker lyrics "out" (from what can be figured out from videos and things people have posted), I think the idea I had of Soulsucker was kind of wrong. But now I have more theories for St*rfucker!!! So I'll share some of them here, but feel free to contribute because sometimes this gets hella confusing!!

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

THE PROPERTY is the safe space Awsten built to protect himself from his fears or insecurities, as known as the demons.

THE SOULSUCKER comes from the part of Awsten that doesn’t want to leave his safe space. In order to protect the Property, he will destroy everything that tries to enter it (like in self sabotage when he ends a relationship before it can hurt him). However, that overprotection is also harmful, because that means Awsten won’t try to step out of his comfort zone and confront his demons. Because of that, the Soulsucker is also a demon, something Awsten needs to get rid off in order to leave the Property.

It's been a pleasure (So destroy my world, I'll tape the cracks) – you can try to ruin the property, but he'll protect it

It's nice to meet you ('Cause what you give out's what you get back) – he will destroy whatever tries to harm the property

THE ST*RFUCKER, as mentioned in the song of same title, is the only way out of the Property. If leaving a comfort zone means facing what you’re hiding yourself from, then the St*rfucker is Awsten’s alter that has learned how to face the demons, or is trying to (ex: the lusty lyrics that reject religious guilt).

To be honest, I'm still trying to figure him out, but that's what makes sense in my head for now. We mostly got Soulsucker content, such as Intellectual Property, but the next album/thing will be St*r's perspective supposedly so there's that. Just have to wait a little!

The St*rfucker and Soulsucker hate each other, but it hasn’t always been that way. They were once one, Awsten, but grew apart due to inner his conflicts. Now while Soulsucker wants Awsten safe inside the property, St*r believes he’s better off out of it.

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

STORYLINE

We can't really pin point where exactly the story starts, but it was surely presented for us in Greatest Hits. Throughout the dreamy section of the album, we see Awsten talking about the demons and how they haunt him, as well as the presence of another character and the need of being somewhere safe.

I see his fucking face but he's not me - MAGNETIC (hinting Soulsucker)

Driving where no one can catch me Need a place to breathe and the sun is setting - Ice Bath (hinting the property)

Enough time to right my wrongs because I've wronged a lot - Ice Bath, hinting the religious guilt, another reason why he'll be hiding himself in the Property.

I won't quote the whole album, but every song show one of his fears or insecurities if you get deep into the lyrics.

What I think that happened: by the end of Greatest Hits, Awsten builds the Property (and I suppose he built it because all of the worker outfits he's been wearing to shows). The need to keep himself safe originates the Soulsucker, the protector of his safe space. Intellectual Property shows his ways of protecting the Property with destructive behaviours, such as self sabotaging (take a wild guess) or distancing himself from things that could possible hurt him (Closer). His strong prensence, especially on stage, means that he has taken over while Awsten is still inside the property, unable to leave.

St*rfucker originates from the needs of confrontation, facing what it takes to get the things he craves for. Overcoming the demons, facing his religious guilt in order to be able to love, to be loved and enjoy things that his demons wouldn't allow him to. He is the only one who can get Awsten out of the Property, and I believe the next releases from the band will show him trying to do so.

[santacarlatourism]

May I please request Kevin Khatchadourian, spending time together headcannons? I love your work so much, it’s genuinely under appreciated! Take your time ! <3

Aw, I'm glad you like my writing, tysm!!! here are some headcanons <3

⮞ one of the quotes in the book is "kevin was a shell game in which all three cups were empty" and i think about that a lot and i think it applies here. the version of kevin you're getting can vary wildly, depending on how he wants you to perceive him, and there's not necessarily a rhyme or reason for the choice he makes.

it's likely if he's voluntarily choosing to spend time with you, though, that you get something closer to his authentic self. and i think that makes him question why you're choosing his company. you're not like lenny-- some loser who idolizes kevin and is easy to manipulate.

so it creates a cycle. he keeps spending time with you to figure out why you like to spend time with him, and the more time he spends with you the more curious he is about why you keep spending time with him.

⮞ you're still initiating most of the hang outs because kevin is not interested enough in most things to suggest anything.

⮞ tell him you need to grab something at the mall and ask if he wants to run over with you. he'll agree and he'll hate it.

however, you spot a sporting goods store and suggest you two dip in there, aware of kevin's love for archery. this... somewhat alleviates kevin's mood. archery is one of very few things kevin has an interest in, and as he peruses the equipment you can probably even get him to explain some of the sport to you and answer questions like what makes a good bow, are there different kinds of string, etc.

the more specific your question is, and the more they build off of previous answers he's given you, the more you seem to really be listening... well, the less likely he is to ask if you're stupid in response to one of them. and, admittedly, the more likely he is to decide that perhaps this trip was worth it.

don't get any ideas about buying him anything though, as a friendly or romantic gesture. something about that, especially so early on, is too easy to kevin. it's too transparent what your motivations are, and he'll stare you dead in the eye, "what, you want to buy me a little surprise just so i'll like you more? my parents can buy me this shit. doesn't make them special either."

gift giving, with kevin, should come much later, where he's less likely to see it as you initiating some sort of bribe or transaction.

⮞ i think i maybe mentioned this in another post, but i think a lot of hanging out with kevin comes down to parallel play more or less. he's on his computer doing his own thing, reading his copy of robin hood, outside shooting arrows, etc. and you're nearby, doing something. and while he looks like he's paying no attention to you, he's analyzing the situation. why isn't he as bothered by your company as he is by frank's, eva's, celia's, or even his ostensible friend lenny?

eventually, kevin realizes that the reason for this is that when he's with you, he feels like he does when he's alone. by this i mean... to some extent, kevin's actions with everyone are performance. this is the case with both franklin and eva, with his sister and with his peers.

but when he's with you he feels as himself as he does when he's utterly alone. except, perhaps, less bored.

this is where, if it hasn't already, kevin's interactions with you take a turn. his fascination grows beyond why you enjoy his company-- all though it's still a question-- and more on to you as a whole.

⮞ he starts playing hot and cold more. he wants to know how you react when plans with him fall through due to him cancelling last minute. do it back so he can be surprised by how displeased he is. it's going to be apparent he's testing with you, playing with you, but not necessarily why.

he may start suggesting hang outs here, but be warned, they're things he thinks you'll hate. he's curious to see if he's right, if he knows your tastes that well. but he's also just as curious to see if you're willing to put up with something you hate for his company.

while out you notice he's not enjoying himself either, and call him out on it. you ask if he even likes this activity. "nope," he'll respond, with a little smirk. you roll your eyes.

but honestly? he grows to find that he enjoys reveling in his contempt for people in your company more than he enjoys doing it alone. your sarcastic agreement with his snide remarks, the little light swats you give his arm when he's just far too harsh.

⮞ before you and kevin are really dating, people around you would have just grown to assume that's what was going on because your hang outs and time together had grown towards increasingly romantic activities in part because those were things you two simply hadn't done together yet.

in person or on the phone, kevin mentions to franklin that he's taking you to the movies. franklin teasingly tells his son not to do anything he wouldn't do and kevin freezes for a moment, realizing the implications, but it's not going to be clear how he feels about them for awhile. but it makes sense, kevin supposes: if you two are going on dates then you are, by default, dating. he's not too perturbed by it: dating isn't the same sort of romantic commitment as a relationship.

but even when it develops into a formal relationship much of the way he interacts with you is the same. for kevin putting a name to it is more so just to officialize what's already been going on for awhile. To keep you from getting any ideas that you can just easily dip out without warning at any time. Similar to dating, by the time it becomes a formal relationship you two will arguably have been in a relationship for awhile.

⮞ once kevin realizes he actually enjoys your presence and perhaps even likes you as an individual, he becomes more indulgent at times. he may show you how to fire a bow, or walk you through some of his computer knowledge so you can get your own to work better. share some knowledge with him in return-- if you know him well enough to know what he'd actually value learning.

[fabbyf1]

I think it’s inevitable with RPF that characterizations are going to be similar. We all rely on the same basic facts and we build what we consider to be canon together, so I’d honestly be worried if characterizations were vastly different—it’s still fanfic, we’re not building brand new characters each time. People get into RPF by reading RPF, so while there’s some variation we all share a vaguely similar idea of what these characters are like and we form those ideas together whether we know it or not, and that in turn gives us a sandbox we can all kind of mess around in together. Obviously lifting whole bits of dialogue or common phrases is very different, though. I think ‘thinking with [character]’s dick’ is a common one but the other two you mentioned seem pretty specific. Again sorry, literally stumbled in off the street and am only distantly aware of what’s happening—I hope this doesn’t come off as rude

Hello, anon.

I appreciate your non-biased and objective opinion on this matter. Really, I do. You make a lot of great points that I wholeheartedly agree with. RPF is a beast. Every story is going to have "similar" characteristics if we're following canon timelines and making our characters as realistic as possible.

I also agree that, as a fandom, we tend to... make up a lot of common personality traits and use them over and over again until it’s hard to remember that they aren’t necessarily real. And they’re not based on facts. But we all continue to use them in our fics, and it helps them to be cohesive and easy to follow along from fic to fic. It helps us writers not have to character build as much as we would in an original fiction. 

A quick example of this is Max referring to Charles as "schatje". I think that's a very commonly used nickname in F1 RPF, even though Max himself has never publicly called anybody that. We have just decided, as a fandom, that that’s the dutch endearment he would use. It’s also easy to take commonly repeated phrases from Max The Person and shove them into our dialogue to make it easier for our characters to have a voice. For example, the phrase “of course” is used a lot in Max's dialogue because Max Verstappen (the person) says it a lot. 

But I think it's important for this instance, for the plagiarism that I'm speaking about, that you know the full context and don't just "stumble in off the street". You openly admitted that you're not fully aware of the situation, and that's totally okay. It's actually kind of refreshing to know not everyone is as concerned about this and that not everyone sees the copycat works as much as often as I do. 

If you’re a casual reader of F1 RPF, you probably don’t know it’s happening. 

But it’s not just me it’s happening to. Lots of other prolific authors are being taken advantage of and having their works stolen from them on an every day basis, and it really needs to stop. We all create this content for free, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have ownership over it. And the only logical reason I can see for people to steal our work is that they are attention-seeking and looking for clout. They want to be known as one of the great RPF authors. They want love and admiration. 

And it’s fine to want that. 

But you shouldn’t want it so badly that you’re willing to steal other people’s work to get it. 

That’s... disgusting. 

This is not the first time I’ve had my work stolen, and it won’t be the last. It’s not the first time somebody has been too heavily inspired by my work, and it won’t be the last. I know that is the risk I take with every fic I publish. It’s just a shame that it’s gotten so out of hand. 

I would like to correct you on one thing, though.  

You said: “I think ‘thinking with [character]’s dick’ is a common one but the other two you mentioned seem pretty specific.” but that’s not what I said. If you’ll go back and read my original post, my direct quote was, “but maybe that was [insert characters]'s dick talking," which is a very different phrase. If you’ve ever read my work, you will see that my characters often go on and on (and on) for a paragraph or two, lusting after the other character, sometimes spiraling further and further until it no longer makes sense and will end with “... but maybe that was [their] dick talking.” 

Again, I will say that I do not own that phrase, but I wouldn’t say that was a commonly used phrase in Formula 1 RPF until I started using it. 

I would know because I’ve been reading F1 RPF since it first started getting posted on AO3. 

I have read a good majority of the (completed) F1 fics posted to AO3. 

I know what existed before I started writing and what has appeared afterward. 

And again, let me clearly say I am not claiming to own that phrase or any other combination of words. But when that phrase, along with other commonly used phrases from my fic, all appear one after another in someone’s work? It’s too much of a coincidence to say it wasn’t intentional. 

But I do not expect you to know that since, as you said, you stumbled in off the street. 

I hope that makes sense. 

I hope we can all stop stealing from each other, or this fandom will be over before you know it. 

[savelockwoodandco]

Hi Admin, hope everything is fine with you, because I truly need your insight.

Whilst I understand that we must approach a battle with high spirits, the way the world goes and with it the media industry really saddens me.

Are we really gonna get the show back?

Do we think CF or the Strouds will really tell us to stop if they think all is over?

I might be far too cynical, but for the Strouds any publicity brings more people to the books.

As for CF, it's still free publicity.

I know that of course none of them will ever be straightforward with us - if anything is happening behind the scenes - because they can't, I guess, but where does the Clowning stop and become simply Delusion?

I keep looking at CF reply for their 5000 followers, and I get it, it looks sus. But are we building a castle made of thin sand out of it?

I'm sorry, Admin, I don't want to upset you. :(

I will still support the show campaign, but I'm so, so, so sad about everything...

Hi Anon! Thanks for the question, and no worries, you didn't upset us! We've got decades of experience in this media game (and in cancellations specifically), and we understand that it can be challenging and frustrating at the best of times.

We totally get being discouraged due to the state of the media industry. It's never been a particularly kind nor relaxed space, and everything about it seems to have been heightened within the last decade or so. What's good -- acknowledging the impact that actors have, the ability to tell stories that would have gone unseen in years past, feeding fan interaction through behind-the-scenes looks while filming and the newfound safety of transformative works (i.e., fanfic) -- has become really, really good. On the flip side, the bad parts of media -- encouraging division and in-fighting, poor treatment of non-administrative professionals, the blind-eye to any profit beyond exponential growth -- have gotten worse.

This isn't a doom-and-gloom statement, though -- these things come in cycles. The Hayes Code Mentality is coming back into full swing, but at least we're past the point of forcing actors to get married in order to promote their films. Some things improve, some things fall back, lather, rinse, repeat. We get being discouraged due to the media landscape -- but remember, all problems are temporary, and bad things will come and go just as often as good things. The good things, the progress, the encouraging changes are no less good simply because they're accompanied by uncertainty.

And if we had to pick a mission statement for answering this ask, I suppose that would be it. There are so many good and encouraging things that have happened -- watch this space, as I (tumblr mod) am going to have Twitter Mod, in all her beneficence, grab me some screenshots from Twitter to show off good/hopeful/encouraging things that have happened recently, since not everyone (including me!) is on Twitter -- that, while we may encounter doubts, disappointments, and uncertainty, it would be as foolish to throw everything out as it would be to assume that we're completely in the clear.

Recency bias, negativity bias, and plain ol' uncertainty have a way of reminding us that there's still doubt and uncertainty surrounding us in this campaign; at times, to borrow a quote, we can feel like we're braving a storm in a skiff made of paper. When a day, a week, two weeks, or more pass without Absolute Confirmation of being picked up, it's easy to lose confidence, to become discouraged, and to believe that nothing we do matters.

And yes, to just simply get sad. And that's okay, that's normal and understandable.

To answer the question posed at the beginning of this ask: yes, we still firmly believe that we're going to get our show back. So many good things -- Nice Things -- have happened and continue to happen (once again, watch this space for a screenshot-heavy post about those things!), that I think it would be wrongheaded to ignore them.

Yes, CF would tell us if there wasn't a chance. It's not really 'free publicity' to encourage people to support a campaign to save a show that they don't have a stake in.

And yes, they make Lockwood and Co; but without a second season, there's no opportunity to make more profit off of it -- sales off DVDs only apply when the show will be put on DVD, after all, which is increasingly uncommon for streaming-premiered shows. Positive word of mouth of "oh they made that really good show that netflix unfairly cancelled" -- a true statement -- only goes so far when negative word of mouth -- "they led fans on when they knew there wasn't a chance" -- is the trade-off.

CF isn't a huge company, they need that positive word of mouth to draw in viewers for current and future projects. On top of all of that, they're human. It's tempting to see every business, no matter the size, as a soul-sucking machine that wrings fans dry for profit, but that simply isn't true, especially of smaller outfits.

The same goes for the Strouds -- there was so much of a rush for the books when the show first came out; people had to wait weeks and weeks for more copies to be printed and sent out through Amazon/Barnes & Noble/other booksellers, and libraries had hold lines for months. That fervor only holds out so long, though, without something concrete -- another season -- to keep it up. In this age of 'receipts', Stroud isn't going to risk his reputation (and provide a lot of clean-up work for his agent) by stringing us alone without any hope.

Everyone involved in this, from the production studio to the author to us, the fans, has a vested interest in not just creating buzz but in actually making a S2 happen. Simply from a business standpoint, it's better business to supply an in-demand product than to not. Attention spans -- and business experts' opinions of attention spans, which is almost more important -- are famously short nowadays. Businesses cannot and do not plan on a small injection to produce long-lasting loyalty and results -- and when they do, like Netflix has been, it bites them in the rear repeatedly.

The sad, sorry fact is that they can't be open and transparent with us about renewal efforts, you're completely right about that. The legalities of contracts and deals within the media industry demand absolute silence until the ink is dry, and sometimes for a bit after that. To use a recent example, the showrunner for Warrior Nun tweeted in March that the show being saved would be because of fan efforts to make it happen. A full 3 months later, he was allowed to announce that the show had officially been picked up. The wheels of media move slowly, but they move.

When does clowning become delusion? The only situation where it would would be if CF came out and told us to stop and that there was no chance. Barring that, it doesn't become delusion. We like to toss around the term 'clowning' -- and it's a fun term that we, the mods, use regularly -- but all we're referring to is the process of distilling what we see into tangible data.

I don't mean to make it sound like some scientific process, but...isn't it? Isn't this all some grand experiment in the name of a grand hobby?

We plot, we plan, we infer, we record, and at the end of the day we turn all of that effort into tangible results. Those results -- trending every single day since cancellation, usually with multiple hashtags/phrases, numerous articles written about the show, its cancellation, and the efforts to save it, a petition with nearly 25k signatures, award nominations, you name it -- are very real, and very helpful.

While ultimately we can't sign the contracts or enact the business deals that will cement our pick-up -- trust us, if we could, they'd be signed by now -- we can provide strong reasons through our engagement for business to want us. The higher we raise demand, the more of a no-brainer providing supply -- a second season -- is.

To all of LockNation, we thank you for your continued efforts. Your tweets, posts, fanart, fanfic, hashtags, signatures, articles, and most importantly, your relentless cheerful dedication, mean the world. We heartily thank you and we heartily encourage you to take breaks, to take care of yourselves. We're confident that, in the future, we will be able to look down at our little skiff made of paper and find that it was made of sterner stuff than we thought.

We're confident in the continued future of Lockwood and Co. We can do this. Look to other successful campaigns; we may have months to go, but we can get through them and come out the victors on the other end.

[shipsational]

OH YEAH WYBIE I meant to send an ask for him too fjdghjfdh What made you self ship with him post movie? Is Coraline still around? I'm very curious for any bit of post-movie world building you've done

thank you emile for my life 🙏

Okay! to your questions: aging him up was actually for Plot reasons, as you'll see in a moment, Yes she is around and bitch she does Not like me lmao

at first i Didnt age him up cause im problematic but then when i started working out an actual plot for the ship, i kinda Had to

the way i have it worked out is i needed him to inherit his grandmother's properties so he was in charge of the pink palace, which obviously he could only do as an adult, because otherwise there would be no way for me to actually rent there since the jones' moved in- there was always an empty unit in the other half of the house, but i think she always left that one empty on purpose cause there's something Evil and Wrong about it, since thats where the door Should be opening up if it didnt lead to a fucked up fae realm or whatever it is, connecting coraline's unit to the one that stays empty of that makes sense

but maybe, even knowing about the beldam, wybie didnt know That specifically, and he really needed to get some money in to help pay for the funerary expenses, so he opened it up.

as for my insert, they actually Work at the funeral home, they're a mortician, and they do taxidermy as a hobby. this is useful for a few reasons: they could either have met wybie and found out about the palace that way, or maybe they know forcible and spink and actually do all the taxidermy on their 50 billion dogs- its also useful for the ship name 'little dead things', which is part of one of his quotes, as well as the dead dove nature of the ship (altho its really only kinda problematic now cause he's like 18, instead of being Truly bad)

speaking of, since it is still kinda problematic- he's freshly an adult and im 30 and coraline does Not like that One Bit, and you know what thats fair its pretty weird i cannot blame her for being uncomfortable about it

now all of this is going on, and im moving into the unit thats all fucked up, something about layered realities and lingering evil and all that, its kind of vague and amorphous

but i think it would be fun and neat and terrible if its starts really affecting me- im essentially being haunted here. it doesnt start out v bad at all, but while im getting closer to wybie, coraline is getting more upset about it, which in turn can lead to arguments between them and between me and her, as well as me starting to feel guilty about it all, basically working up a storm of negative energy, and thats when it all starts to kick in and eventually amp up

since the well is supposed to be a portal between worlds, im of the mind that they basically just put her hand right back where it was before in her domain, and its taken a few years bout the beldam is back babey- the door and well might be sealed, but she still has some influence over my apartment and she's really feeding off the negativity and she wants Revenge

so basically, im being haunted by a vengeful entity and im surrounded by dead things as decoration, and im in the middle of a frustrating battle with the neighbor over her friend who im having a complicated relationship blooming up

[shioaoi]

​*Leans back in armchair, sipping my tea*

Let me explain how both Blacksun and Bumbleby are fully canon; how Blacksun wasn’t erased to make way  for the Bees, and that actually it is an excellent showcase in character growth in an overarching narrative that we don’t normally see.

I do not think that Bumbleby was planned from RWBY’s conception – however I do believe that them being in a relationship makes sense considering the natural progression of both Blake and Yang’s character arcs.

Often, various narrative based media fall into the trap of tailoring a story and its characters to fit a planned ending – even if the characters have evolved into completely different people from when that ending was conceptualised.

The most well known example of this is happening was with How I Met Your Mother (bare with me, this is relevant). Due to the fact that the actors casted as Ted’s children were going to continue growing, they recorded many of their scenes in the earlier seasons – including the ending, which involved Ted and Robin becoming a couple at the end. The show ended up running for a total of nine seasons, and through those episodes, us as the viewers are shown time and time again the toxicity of Ted and Robin’s relationship, and the eventual build-up of Robin and Barney’s relationship. Heck, the entire final season is set during Barney and Robin’s wedding! These characters had evolved way past what had been planned for them at the shows conception, but instead of changing the ending to reflect the character’s growth, the show runners threw all that development away in order to shoehorn the characters into the planned ending.

You could also argue the same thing happened with Game of Thrones – but I digress.

So, where am I going with this in regard to Blake and her favourite blondes.

Sun is introduced in V1 to be the perfect foil to Blake (just look at their Semblance’s). Sun is outgoing, carefree and open about his Faunus identity, in contrast to Blake’s silent, untrusting and closed off nature. Throughout the Beacon arc, Sun is there to help Blake navigate things post Adam. While Yang, Weiss and Ruby teach Blake to open up, have friends and enjoy life – Sun acts as her connection to the part of her most tainted by Adam’s action, her Faunus heritage and the White Fang. It’s the classic sunshine vs grump troupe, and if RWBY was a typical high school anime then I would imagine Blacksun being endgame.

But that isn’t the kind of show RWBY is.

Beacon is destroyed, partly at the hands of Adam – the man who abused Blake; groomed her; took away the White Fang from her father, corrupting it and what it stood for. He reaffirms everything he had made Blake believe and severed Yang’s arm – her huntress partner – as payback for Blake leaving him.

In this broken state, Blake does the only thing she is capable of doing in. She runs.

And Sun follows.

Sun is the only one who could have helped Blake when she is was in this mental state. He follows her because he loves and cares for her, and he can see past Adam’s abuse to who Blake really is when she is incapable of doing so. Like I said, the perfect foil. While bless him, Sun only has one braincell and no impulse control, every single action he does is out of love for Blake.

He helps balance out Blake’s worse tendencies, and that support allows her to learn to accept herself and find what she had once lost.

And Blake recognises this. Even if in the moment she gets annoyed by him, their goodbye in V6 shows that Blake is thankful for all Sun has done and reciprocate his feelings.

But relationships are a partnership, and both Sun and Blake are treading very different paths. You can be in love and also realise when a relationship has run its course.

To quote a rather dumb show – “It wasn’t pointless. It’s just over.”

This storyline is over. Sun wants to find his own identity as the leader of SSSN and Blake doesn’t need him by her side to help her shake free of Adam’s abuse. The characters have evolved past their need for one another. Their bond is unbreakable even if their chance at romance fades away.

Sun is an instrumental part to Blake’s character arc that doesn’t get erased by the ending of their relationship. It is the unconditional love that Sun has for Blake that allows her to find it within herself to love herself and to heal.

So, now we move onto Yang.

Yang and Blake are partners. We are shown constantly throughout the show that partnerships between hunters and huntresses are just as important – if not even more so – as teams. They are forced to forge a bond and place their lives in one another’s hands time and time again.

Adam frays the bonds of this partnership by reigniting all of Blake’s trauma and self-hatred, followed by him taking away Yang’s arm and with it her confidence. Instead of having one another to lean on, Blake flees in fear and Yang is left trying to figure out who she is and what to do next that the easy path is gone.

When they are reunited at the end of V5 / beginning of V6, they are settling themselves into their new mental states post V4/V5 character arcs. They are forced to rebuild their partnership from the ground up, only this time its different. This time they are choosing this partnership and one another. There is no Ospin or Beacon Academy; they had a chance to take different roads but they choose to continue forward together. This is a much more solid base for a relationship to form, and because of their shared trauma and history, they have a lot deeper insight into one another’s strengths and weaknesses.

The formation of their new partnership cumulates perfectly with their fight against Adam, where they both face the source of their trauma and defeat it together.

From there we move onto V7. Now that the bond is fully reforged, we get to see the softer, dorkier moments like we did with Blacksun in V1-V3. The romance is blossoming to the surface and it is now noticeable for the other characters to see.

Then in V8, when the group becomes divided by ideals, Blake and Yang understand each other well enough to not take the other’s stance in the divide personally and it does not impact their love for one another – in stark contrast to Renora when it almost drives the two apart.

And now we have reached V9, where all the pieces are now in place. A strong partnership, complete understanding and acceptance of each other and love that can withstand.

In media – particularly anime style narratives – there is always the expectation that a character can only fall in love once. The inclusion of multiple love interests is often only there to add drama, backstory or angst.

But that is not the case here. Both Blacksun and Bumbleby are healthy, canon, romantic relationships. All that happened was – as the narrative developed and Blake went through her character arcs, she outgrew her relationship with Sun and grew into her relationship with Yang.

Beacon arc Blacksun is vastly different from the Haven Arc Blacksun – the same way the Beacon Arc Bumbleby is vastly different from the Atlas Arc Bumbleby.

I believe that Bumbleby wouldn’t nearly be as important a sapphic ship if it hadn’t been given the chance for the girls to evolve into the people they are now. It is happy, healthy – its earned.

And it being earned wasn’t at the erasure of Blacksun, but at the evolution of the characters.

[kendizzzzzzzzle]

okay, it’s the time that I write a whole post about kames and why I love their friendship! warning: it’s a long post.

firstly, I’d like to mention that I have nothing against kogan/jarlos/jagan etc. I just love these two tall boys caring for each other and having this love/hate relationship throughout the show.

so we start off with the pilot. the whole episode was kind of based on Kendall and James relationship, because what’s the most intense moment in the pilot? yes, Kendall defending James when Gustavo called him “untalented”. he doesn’t hesitate a second when it comes to James, he cares so much and it shows. when Gustavo came back Kendall declined the offer for two reasons: 1) he has his life here with guys in Minnesota, 2) it wasn’t his dream to become popular, it was James’. the scene on the parking lot showed that first reason was solved pretty quickly but second reason… it still wasn’t his dream but he didn’t care. he gave up his own dream and left his life in Minnesota behind his back because he cared about guys, cared about James.

we can’t forget about what James said to Kendall though: “call that guy back… he wants to make YOU famous”. he was clearly upset that his chance of becoming famous was taken away from him but more than being popular he wanted Kendall to be happy. and he tried to make it real even if it meant giving up his own dream. they were ready to do anything to make each other happy and truly cared.

when they were interacting in the show there was this weird but warm connection between them. they have completely different personalities but have so much in common (anger issues haha). Kendall is compassionate, single-minded, a little bit hot-tempered and a leader. James is confident, persistent, emotional and a little bit selfish. they are opposites - one is calm and other one is energetic, one is a strategist, other one is spontaneous, but at the same time they are very similar. James drives Kendall crazy, makes his blood boil and likes to play jokes on him but Kendall doesn’t mind at all - he loves it. “I said that I hate you with a smile on my face” - that’s what they friendship was like. while James is all cocky and sassy, Kendall is a down-to-earth kind of person - that’s what makes their friendship so interesting to watch at.

some really cool moments I noticed while watching the show:

1. James never sides with Kendall for some reason and gets mad when other guys do. sometimes they just have different opinions on things, sometimes it looks like James doesn’t want Kendall to be right all the time. maybe he’s a bit jealous, who knows?

2. Kendall’s the one who makes him calm down faster than others. we barely see Kendall being emotional and in need of help, but in “big time movie” James was the one who calmed him down after Kendall started panicking.

3. the “big time tests” episode warms my heart. they be acting like a married couple and then James wants a divorce - basically the whole plot. interesting fact: James knows basically everything about Kendall.

4. also the ending where Kendall was reassuring him and building his confidence once again. previous time happened in “big time single” and of course Kendall finds the right words to cheer him up, who else would it be?

5. James was being VERY supportive of Kendall and Lucy going out. he had a crush on her, but so what, Kendall wanted to be with her and James didn’t hesitate to help him out.

6. I just love Kendall’s desperate and annoyed “jamESS” whenever he starts to freak out. (ex. “big time terror” and “big time girl band”) oh and one more thing: James always listens.

7. the looks and little hugs they give each other😩 we were robbed, they deserved way more screen time.

some quotes:

Kendall, about James: “you forgot to say pretty. he is a pretty idiot”

—

Kendall: “whose place is this?”

James: “does it matter?”

Kendall: “IT MIGHT!”

—

James: “do they hold the answers… TO THIS?”

James: *points light saber at Logan*

Kendall: “DON’T! we need him :)”

—

James: “please :D”

Kendall: *sighs* “I can’t believe I’m doing this”

—

Kendall: “James, a pop-tiger test is not going to answer whether you’re a good boyfriend or not. you’re a great guy”

James: “really? ‘cause according to this WE SHOULDN’T HAVE EVEN BEEN GOING OUT”

Kendall: “uhhh… we’re NOT going out”

James: “oh, just cause I’m so terrible to be around, huh? yeah, THANKS”

—

James: “tell me you have something to cheer me up!”

Kendall: *gives him an orange peel smile*

James: :)

[christiansorrell]

RPG Read-through: Himbos of Myth & Mettle

After my recent read-through of .dungeon//remastered (originally posted to Twitter), someone there was like "I really like your old read-throughs. Have you put those somewhere else for when Twitter inevitably dies?" I hadn't! So here is a read-through I did last year about one of my favorite releases from the last few years Himbos of Myth & Mettle! - Christian

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

Time to read-through one of the most fun games I've played this year: Himbos of Myth & Mettle by Maxwell Lander!

Right out of the gate, this game has such an exuberant, fun energy to it, and I like the voice throughout the writing. The concept could be done much more impersonally/traditionally, but it really wouldn't carry the same feel at all.

Straightforward d20 roll-under system with guidance to create drama and fun over everything else. I've played with the dice chain optional rule and enjoyed it! It's something I love in other games and it's fun to see its inverse here (smaller dice are better).

Interestingly, the system has a mixed success component as well - although you may not expect it with the d20 base. It takes something like your ability modifiers from a traditional game and makes that into a window of error that gets you success with a complication.

The magic system is a lot of fun here. Any himbo can use their Heart stat to attempt superhuman or supernatural things. You answer some quick questions to determine the cost and roll to see if you pull it off. There's an effect table too if things go wrong with some wild results.

The Heart system is a good encapsulation of what I enjoyed about this when I've had the chance to play it. It has this vivacious, positive, and often cartoonish energy to it where things almost always go big, in good and bad ways. It's very heartfelt (no pun intended).

Fun art (by Mary Verhoeven) and quotes throughout this book too. I wonder if these were real player characters from playtesting or maybe in-universe Legends of Himbodom?

One of the most memorable lists of player stats out there. It stresses letting players use most stats for most things. Doing something very courageous in combat? Roll Breast over Thighs. Flirting with an NPC to distract them while you pick their pocket? Roll Lips over Hands.

Death is rare, rather Himbos take Scars when they fall to 0 Heart (acting primarily as health but also "mana" to some extent). Each scar makes them more and more jaded, a bit more negative. After 4 scars, they retire - becoming a hero maybe (yes, heroes are bad here!)

There are special abilities, skills (gained from a lifepath system), and Heat (a bonus pool that reflects how sexy you are in the moment). I had a lot of fun with the special abilities in particular when I played.

D20 tables throughout help build the tone really well. It's clear what kind of characters this game is focused on after looking these over. I really like lifepath systems in games, and this one is surprisingly extensive. It's fun to roll a random character and see who comes out.

Tips section gives some guidance about trying to create a different type of story and different types of conflicts than you typically see in fantasy RPGs. I really like the take on Heroes here. It's a great twist on the genre (and is probably more accurate, honestly).

It's got two adventures in the back, including the 12th Annual Fresh Meat Games which was the adventure I got to play through at EFCon. It's a local festival and competition that the PCs join to test their mettle in front of big crowds. Lots of fun.

Nice little thing: there's a library check-out card holder on the back inside cover with little character sheets in it!

That's the game! It's a lean little book, quick to read and quicker to play. It's got a straightforward central system with fun twists and tables throughout to ramp up the drama and really the entire text just exudes a unique, over-the-top, heartfelt tone I love.

It's available digitally for $10 USD on Itch!

The hardback version is great - really nice quality, it has a ribbon and those cool sheets in the back! I'd recommend picking it up HERE.

Lastly if you'd like to hear more from me, you can do that in my monthly newsletter (includes an article, an RPG freebie, and a list of cool stuff from myself and others over the last month): https://meatcastle.substack.com

[khensaptah]

Heyo! New to kemetic paganism, and a little less new to witchcraft. But what would be your advice for newbies building praxis? I know this is probably a SUPER common question, I'm just kind of in the absorption-of-knowledge phase and was curious. Thanks!

Always feel free to ask "common" or newbie questions! We are all new to this once, and every Kemetic has a different take on what praxis should look like, and those takes will change with time. My practice as a Kemetic Humanist is a mixture of historically informed devotional work, personal mysticism, and Seen world work to promote ma'at and fight isfet.

In that vein, the three things that I suggest to new Kemetics:

Read. A lot.

Develop a gratitude practice.

Volunteer.

Reading

Even if your practice isn't reconstructionist focused, there is so much out there to learn about Kemeticism! Blogs and social media and old forum posts are everywhere; books aimed at folks with lay person interest in Egyptology are easier to come by in bookshops; and articles and more heavy reading are accessible through both physical and online libraries.

Reading is a conversation with the author. If it's your book (or an ebook!) highlight things! Leave notes! If something really speaks to you, post a quote on your blog (or other place you like to hold onto tidbits, like a journal). This is especially important for online resources, which can disappear at any time. Write reviews if that's your jam! Once you start feeling more comfortable with your basic knowledge, read things by people who you disagree with, or whose sources are only so-so. You'll be surprised what you can learn from them. I am currently learning a lot while arguing with a book on the Pyramid Texts!

You can also learn a lot by reading from adjacent practices (religions from the Levant, the Mediterranean, and from other African nations all influenced ancient Egypt; likewise ancient Egypt influences modern Coptic and Islamic practices in Egypt; ) or even vastly different religions (every time I learn something about Shinto, I feel like I learn more about Kemeticism).

Gratitude

Now, this might seem a little out there, but one of the best things I ever did for my practice was steal this neat trick from @tybarbary. Make a list of ten things you're grateful for every day (or at least, every time you have a bad day). Sometimes, this really sucks. Some days are terrible. Things can be repetitive (I cannot say how many times the ten things have been a list of every pet or lover in my life). BUT.

Listing those things is great for your mental health. Mental wellness is ma'at; it's so important to do what you can to maintain balance inside your heart. These things also become a list of offerings. In times where you might not have much to give, you will have your gratitude to offer the Netjeru, and this too will feed them.

The second thing this does is help build a daily practice. If you're checking in once a day to celebrate your victories in life, it becomes easier to add more steps. Habits build off each other. If you already have a habit of making a gratitude list, it's easier to light a candle or incense before hand. It becomes easier to work in heka or more formalized rituals as part of that.

Volunteering

The core of this religion is ma'at: the balance of the world; all that is right and true. Kemeticism is not apolitical: it is about trying to bring the Seen world back to that moment of harmony that existed in Zep Tepi, and doing that over and over again.

Pick a cause. There's millions of them, but pick just one. Get as small and local as you can. And see what you can do to help. It doesn't have to be a lot! We are all trying to survive under capitalism and facism, and we all have unique circumstances that compound the situation. But try and do something small to help your cause once a month (more if you can).

My personal favorite causes to look for, because literally every neighborhood has them are food or housing justice organizations (this doesn't have to be a formal organization, it can be as simple as a micropantry or a facebook group for folks who need a safe space to crash for a night) or mutual aid organizations (mutual aid isn't always financial. Sometimes folks need help with tasks of daily living, or to borrow an item, or someone who understands how [your niche interest or skill here] works).

Bring the light of the gods into your world. This too is an offering!

Hope some of this will be helpful for you! Thanks again for the question!