#and although I don't think the art I made growing up was bad i love the phrase

[giantkillerjack]

Thank you, younger me, for drawing so many things in which the lines were never quite right. It is quite literally the only reason I ever figured out how to get them right.

[synthient]

Matrix parallels aren't the only or primary lens to read this movie through. But I gotta do the special interest shuffle (spoilers for I Saw The TV Glow throughout):

We get at least one overt matrix reference, which is the bit where Owen's movie theater is showing a sci fi movie where humans have been driven underground after machines took over the surface

There's the obvious thematic overlap of "is reality real," "are my memories real," "to what extent is my reality shaped by information/entertainment technology," "is there an Outside to escape to," "would I want to if I could," etc.

The pods and the coffin. "What if I was something powerful and beautiful, suffocating"

There's also some interesting overlap with matrix 4 specifically re "what's the line between transition and suicide," "to what extent is transition a kind of death," to what extent is not transitioning a kind of death." Along with the general stuff around nostalgia and mythologized source materials and hauntology (a term Schoenbrun has used in interviews & that I first heard in a matrix 4 podcast, lmao)

The pods and the heart/luna juice sequence both posit Being Made To Live Like This as a visceral bodily violation

Tv glow is maybe more cynical about the possibility of a true Outside/alternative to the system. Though Zion turns out to not be fully "outside." And Maddy's vision (of a slightly more magical suburbia that still can't escape the confines of "the county") is probably supposed to be less The Only Vision, and more filtered through the lens of someone young and very early transition. Generally though, tv glow is much more focused on interiorty and personal transformation (or lack thereof) than overt politics, although a critique of capitalist suburbia is certainly the background radiation

Also interesting, I think, that "how does kitsch and 'bad art' shape our identity formation" becomes a central question of the later Wachowski oeuvre. And something that's always been present in their work--and has maybe been one of the most polarizing things for viewers--is the combo of "we want to make serious art, And we want to make the kitsch we adored growing up. at the same time." The pink opaque conceit perhaps manages to draw enough of a boundry between The Art and The Kitsch to head off some of the confusion and frustration re "how much of the kitsch is intentional, and how much is an attempt at serious art that failed"

The Family (and the whole concept of having loved ones to leave behind) is basically nonexistent in the matrix trilogy, and Just Evil Robots Don't Worry About It in 4. Tv glow gets much more into this. Though both the saintly mother & and the monstrous father equally serve to keep you trapped, in the end

Anyway. Perhaps the matrix has shaped the entire concept of "trans cinema" to the extent that you kind of have to engage with it on some level. Perhaps it's simply that We Are All Having The Same Thematic/Philosophical Preoccupations. All very interesting regardless, to me

[myonmukyuu]

stream stellar stream

🎀🎙 thoughts incoming

Watching the live version of Stellar Stream reminded me - man, I really love this song.

Although I still haven't been able to watch the movie (JP exclusive ....) I've been getting little blips of context here and there and there's this repeated emphasis on Ayumu's growth and I really like it!!

Ayumu starts out the series as someone who is very uncertain and prefers staying in her comfort-zone. Her anxious tendencies kept her firmly glued to Yu's side and as she grows we get to see her gradually bloom into someone more confident. Stellar Stream is a song about Ayumu running face first into the unknown and embracing it. Something that the Ayumu at the very beginning wouldn't even dream of. As well as a demonstration of what Ayumu has become, I think Stellar Stream is also a perfect sendoff for her. If the writers are cooking up some graduation arcs, Ayumu is probably in the perfect state to receive it ahahah.

Anyways, this isn't actually an Ayumu deep-dive word dump, it's a SetsuPomu word dump oopsies HAHAHAHA. I just wanted to set some context...

Stellar Stream Ayumu is very cool. There's the pink and prettiness we'd usually associate with Ayumu with this touch of cool that emphasizes her growing confidence and ambition. The black half-cape and finger-less gloves almost come off as 'heroic' (similar to SGbNamida).

It made me think about how Setsuna would think Ayumu is probably the coolest person alive. I can imagine her radiating with admiration from the backstage.

It reminds me of this magazine page about the 2L solo songs. It's hard for me to find the page but I do promise it exists. It featured some art of Ayumu in her Say Goodbye Namida costume and had a little comment from Setsuna. Setsuna compares her to a "hero" or heroine, I don't really remember the wording, only the sentiment. And it's not the only time Setsuna compares Ayumu to a "hero" . There's also this little short where Setsuna compares Ayumu to an "unassuming hero who slips from the darkness to defeat the villain". Setsuna has also compared Ayumu to, on multiple occassions, the heroine of a dating sim. This isn't really related but I think it says a lot about Setsuna.

Anyways, it makes me think... At some point Setsuna became captivated by Ayumu and started perceiving her as someone who is cool and heroic. Which is kind of at odds with Ayumu's usual perception of being cute, pretty and pink? When Ayumu had first met Setsuna, it was watching her perform CHASE for the first time. Ayumu had her world expanded... But when did Setsuna really "meet" Ayumu? If we go by the anime timeline, Setsuna didn't really get many opportunities to meet Ayumu until the climax of season 1. Ayumu largely kept to herself/Yu for most of the season too. My interpretation is that Setsuna was quietly watching from the sidelines before trying to make friends with her as the season progresses. My yuri-goggled interpretation is that Setsuna had a crush on a pretty girl and couldn't work up the courage to get closer until the end of the season.

So why does Setsuna feel this way? What makes Ayumu "cool"?

SetsuPomu is a funny ship to me... It's very easy to explain why Ayumu might have romantic feelings for Setsuna. (ie. Setsuna being so critical to her character growth helps) but it is a lot harder to definitively claim that Ayumu's feeling are romantic since she has other "targets". (But we're here in the LL shipping community so does this even matter???) I find it funny because with Setsuna it's probably the other way around. It's very easy to claim that she has a crush on Ayumu. Like pathetically easy. (Girl, you wrote a self-insert fanfic where you were Ayumu's childhood friend and a knight with her as the princess I think she really has it down bad.) but the "why" is a little more vague. Emphasis on "a little" since Season 2 and Nijiyon really nail the Setsuna-side of things. But regardless I'd like to go into deeper detail because that's what I do as the CEO of SetsuPomu.

As a disclaimer... though honestly this disclaimer should've been at the start. This is 60% headcanon conjecture! If I kept firmly planted to the concept of "canon" I wouldn't be shipping SetsuPomu.

I think Setsuna's admiration began from something really simple.

Ayumu listened to her.

Setsuna has a lot of anxiety related to being "too much" when it comes to her passions. She believes in "shouting her love" but is also very afraid of rejection and confrontation. When the idol club disbanded, I think this would've been the height of that anxiety.

I think Ayumu's very simple act of listening to her and being receptive to her interests really kick-started their friendship. It's so easy to find bits and pieces of this.

Some games over here.... some novels over there... and Ayumu isn't just politely going along, she has a genuine growing interest and I think it makes Setsuna feel very safe to be passionately herself around Ayumu. It's a two-way street too with how Ayumu has this tendency to be hesitant to try new things until someone takes her hands and guides her a little of the way. Then, before anyone knows it, Ayumu can fall into a similar kind of obsession as Setsuna and that really fires Setsuna up!

Setsuna and Ayumu have this friendship where they both feed into each others' passions. With Setsuna's lonesome nature before becoming a part of Nijigasaki, this is really new for her so yeah. An innocent crush on Ayumu isn't hard to imagine.

Okay so it starts with admiration but when does it become "awe" of Ayumu's "coolness"?

Setsuna sees in Ayumu what she thinks she herself doesn't have. And ironically, ones of those things is "courage". Like I mentioned before, Setsuna is very afraid of confrontation and conflict. She disbanded the idol club indirectly as student council president. She lives a double life in an effort to please everyone and that whole conflict she had with Shioriko in SIFAS was broadly caused by her being unable to keep up that double life.

Courage is something that Ayumu has. Even if Ayumu herself isn't fully convinced. In general Ayumu only needs a little push to get going, but once she does get going she actually is quite assertive and brave. Even in her conflict with Yu in season 1, Ayumu herself decides to confront Yu. (Setsuna needs to be chased and cornered to be confronted).

Setsuna is also has a hard time dealing with failure. When things fall through she tends to do rash things like disband the club or idk, cancel the school idol festival maybe? I view Setsuna as a little racehorse with blinders on. As she runs at full speed, things at the wayside tend to blur and if she trips its catastrophic.

But Ayumu takes it slow.

Unlike Setsuna, Ayumu isn't afraid of mistakes. Even at the very beginning with Yume e no Ippo, she might trip and stumble but she will always move forward one step at a time.

I think Setsuna holds deep admiration of this. Ayumu is cool because she doesn't let her doubts hold her back like Setsuna does. (<- Setsuna's perspective).

Ayumu, to Setsuna, is really cool.

And when Ayumu's courage takes her to doing things like... I don't know, flying internationally to spread school idol activities because a fan emailed her, Setsuna thinks that's crazy cool and something a hero would do!!!

While Setsuna very much wants to be the hero, she admires Ayumu for that very thing

after all, Ayumu saved her too.

Anyways, Stream Stellar Stream

[fleet-of-fiction]

Jake Kiszka // Female Narrator

Part Five

After a blinding light eradicates mankind, you're left in a desolate and empty world. A year of solitude eliminates all belief that anyone else was left behind. Until a chance encounter on the side of the road. Jake is injured and fighting for his life, but his presence brings a renewed sense of hope. Touch starved and lonely, you need him. And undoubtedly, he needs you too.

"It would be the last man on earth that would end up being mine..."

Explicit sexual content Sex (penetrative & oral) /Foreplay /Blood / Injury / Hunting. / Intense emotions / Death.

Day 469 ~ Jake

The house sat at the top of a steep incline, up a winding driveway that had begun to be reclaimed by nature. Cracks in the cement where little shrubs had started to grow and leaves that were never blown away. Neglected and abandoned.

It reminded me a little of Josh's house. With pristine edges and white walls, coveted by obscure works of art. Book shelves that were gathering dust and kitchen utensils left out on the surfaces as if the owners had just stepped out of the room.

Amelia seemed to know where she was going. "I found this place a couple of months after I moved into Grandma's cabin."

She led me down a narrow corridor, flanked by a bank of full length windows overlooking a sweeping back yard that was shrouded by trees. Photo's of the family who once lived there sitting on the wall opposite, happy faces forever immortalised for no one else to ever see.

"I hit every house within a 10 mile radius. Looking for supplies, anything that I could use. Food, toiletries. And I was about to leave when I noticed this..."

She stopped at the end of the corridor, leaning against a nondescript door. Her face sincere as she ran hands up my arms, coming to rest around my shoulders.

"We have to take whatever joy we can find in this world." She said, "And if we're lucky, we'll take back some of the joys we had before."

I'd known nothing but joy since I'd almost died. There wasn't a single moment I'd had with her that hadn't made me question whether I would take any of it back to have the world filled with every other person I'd ever loved again.

It was something I'd wrestled with. The notion that I could happily exist in a world I'd come to hate simply because she was in it with me. I was thinking about Josh again when she opened the door, simply because I'd been reminded of him. And the certainty within which I knew I wouldn't take any of it back, even if it meant having him back, drew a conflict within the likes of which I'd never known before.

But it was all for nothing. As I stepped into the room she'd been eager to show me, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I loved her enough to never want the old world back.

"Amelia..." I gasped. "What in the...fuck."

Mounted on an oak panelled wall were an array of vintage guitars. A brazilian board 1959 Gibson Les Paul. Shining in the last rays of the afternoon sun. I reached out and touched it, trembling as my fingers remembered what it felt like to know strings. A custom Fender strat in dark red with a black mottled pattern that looked like spilled paint if you looked too closely. A plain red stratocaster and an acoustic Martin dreadnought with a mahogany neck.

"I know that you said you didn't play anymore. Not without your brothers. But I think you should play again. For them. To them. And maybe somehow, I don't know how insane it might be, but maybe they'll hear you. Wherever they are..."

She was nervous. Biting her lip and wringing her hands in the sleeves of her sweater. Anticipating that I'd reject the sweetness of her idea, of this perfect gift.

"You brought me here because you knew that I would love it, didn't you?" I asked, although it wasn't really a question.

"Is that so bad?" She replied, opening her arms as if I would somehow be mad at her.

The room was decked out with framed vinyls. Some were so old I'd never seen them before. There were a few more guitars leaned up against the opposite wall and a beaten up drum kit in the window. It looked as if it had been played to death, with the cymbals hanging off and the kick drum looked as if one more pound on it would tear it right in half.

"It's not bad at all, why would you think that?" I pulled her into me, her little body slotting into my embrace like it had always meant to be there. "Just because I said I didn't play anymore doesn't mean I wouldn't love this."

She rested her head against my shoulder. Let me sway her back and forth a little. Everything was so eerily quiet. Up here the wind howled a little more than it did around the cabin. It sounded like ghosts were singing to us, begging me to pick up one of those fine old ladies.

"Maybe I'm selfish. Maybe I just wanted to hear you for myself." She looked up at me, resting her lips on my jawline.

"Plenty have paid for the privilege." I replied, "What will you pay me for a private show?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I saved your life. This is you paying me, sweet thing."

She laughed and buried her face into my neck, kissing me there and holding me tight around my waist. Familiar and wholesome. Like she hadn't tried to push me away at all in the beginning.

She was the most incredible woman I had ever known. Her fears were like shadows now, she had this uncanny ability to turn them into her most beloved passions. Once she had been afraid to love me. And now, the ways in which she loved me were making me feel unworthy of it.

"Sometimes I don't think you realise how much you saved me." I told her, casting my eye on the acoustic. "Not just from that car wreck. But from a life of misery."

Of course I would play for her. If not her, then nobody. She made herself comfortable on a shaggy looking bean bag, folding herself into it and resting her head against her curled fist as she regarded me. I pulled the mahogany acoustic down from the wall, not wanting to tend to wires and amps just yet.

I considered coming up with something on the fly, but it had been so long since I had tinkered with strings that my mind began to wander so far away I couldn't make them work. I strummed a little, hearing the notes play out and something weird happened. I thought I'd never feel this ever again, this visceral wave that washed over me to the point of almost growing hard as I felt the back of the guitar against my groin.

Her eyes widened. She wasn't prepared.

"How does it make you feel, to have an audience again?" She asked softly, seductively.

The strings needed tuning a little. I turned the keys at the top of the neck, plucking out chords until they sounded pitch perfect.

"Sexy." I replied, "I always felt sexy whenever I went out on stage. They made me feel sexy. Kinda the same way you are now. Knowing they want to fuck you every time you play for them."

I didn't realise how much I missed the adrenaline. The feral cries of a crowd. Their voices rising in unison. Lights and screaming and the feeling that I might ascend with their love. I'd been someone in my life before. I'd known what it felt like to open my eyes and know I was doing something I loved completely. I hadn't felt like this in what felt like a life time.

"This is who you are, Jake." She uttered, sliding her hand down the curve of her hips. "You can't run from who you are forever."

I felt as if I didn't deserve her. For all she had done for me, for how incredible she was. There was no crowd that could ever compare to the way I felt in that moment playing for her.

"I can't sing our songs like Josh could." I confessed, "I'd be a poor imitation. But I'll try."

I couldn't hold the same power with my voice that my brother could. The part of me that had promised never to play again still sat in the shadows whispering to me that it would never be the same. But louder than that was Amelia's face watching me strum out the first chords of a song that meant everything to me.

"What's it called?" She asked.

Day 469 ~ Amelia

I knew he would love it. I'd all but forgotten about the little music room at the back of the big house on the corner of the road that led into Lafayette. It had meant nothing to me the first time I'd ventured in there. There was nothing in there that was of any use to me.

But today, it was like seeing the sun peek out from a grey cloud. I'd gone from doing everything in my power to ensure that he was never necessary to me, to doing everything in my power just to see him smile.

"It's called Broken Bells." He replied, "Josh used to say that it was about seeing that when things sometimes feel broken most of the time they're just lessons sent to help us see that everything will be alright in the end. I really wish he could be here to see that he was so fucking right."

What would I have done if he hadn't felt the same? I could feel myself dying a little inside at the melancholy way he played. His face expressing his grief. He played so hauntingly beautifully, in a way I hadn't really been prepared for. He closed his eyes and didn't even need to look at the way his fingers moved across the strings. He knew them, and they responded to him so lovingly. Almost as if they were an entity all of their own, able to come when he called.

If he hadn't have loved me in return I'd have been driven mad by it. Every rational bone in my body broken if I'd been forced to live beside him unrequited. I began to understand how lucky and fortunate I was as he began to sing. That he and I were somehow fated. And it wasn't just a coincidence that he was driving past me that day. He was creation and I was necessity. He'd made music for a world that needed to hear it and I'd treated them when they were sick. And for some unfathomable reason, we'd been left behind to exist together in this empty world.

But empty didn't have to mean broken. There was nothing but love in the world again. Nothing but this painful song that made tears spill from my eyes as I watched him and listened. What if this song was the only one being played? And the only one being listened to? I had hope that if anyone else had been left behind that they had somehow managed to find each other and find love within it.

"That was...beautiful." I sobbed, laughing at myself for crying at it.

He put down the guitar and came to me. Launching himself into the bean bag, the scrunchy sound of tiny styrofoam balls moving around as he wiggled into the space beside me.

"It always got an emotional reaction whenever we played it." He sighed, trailing soft palms down the side of my face. "It felt like people resonated with our songs for all different kinds of reasons. But with Broken Bells it always felt we were all on the same page. All of us feeling the same thing at the same time."

How could I have ever doubted him? This beautiful man with his beautiful music?

"I was just thinking, while you were playing it, that I hoped that somewhere out there that other people were listening to songs for the first time. That they'd found each other and found love, even in a world seemingly broken." I countered, feeling the heat of that familiar rush when I knew he was about to make love to me.

"If they aren't, then we have to love for all of those who can't." He said, trailing kisses down my jaw line.

Sometimes it felt silly. The things we said to each other. Things in the dead of night. In the cold light of day. In the middle of the afternoon when he was at his most sleepy, when he would linger in the kitchen looking to score a bowl of stew or soup before curling up on the couch with a book before he would fall asleep.

Even now, I could feel him nuzzle in. Our bodies entwined on the bean bag lazily tracing his thumb over my nipple as he sucked the flesh on my neck into perfect little shapes of his mouth.

"So, you really do like it?" I checked, just wanting to hear him say it one more time.

"Oh, yeah." He yawned, "That Les Paul is coming home with us for sure. And maybe I'll come back for the Strat, too."

I was wearing the black yoga pants I saved for hiking. The ones that I wore to collect fire wood. To muck out the horses and clear out the chicken coop. I never felt particularly sexy in them, or desirable. It felt almost like we'd become accustomed to seeing each other in our most desolate states.

But when he slipped them down around the curve of my ass and hitched me around so I was facing away from him, I was glad that I'd worn them. The way he pressed his hard on into my back and continued to roll my nipple around between his fingers as he breathed harder into my ear was the blessing I'd needed to know that I'd done the right thing.

We were both tired from the hike. Our bodies crying out for rest. The afternoon sun began to slip away, making room for cloud and darkness. I was acutely aware that there was no power in this house. No electricity. No running water. No heat. It was in my mind to interrupt his ministrations with these facts, but as his hand slipped below, coming up into my entrance from behind, I lost all manner of speech.

"You gonna let me thank you properly?" He asked, slaking two fingers inside me slowly. "Be my good girl and let me show you how much I love you?"

I was in no mood to protest. I watched the light outside fade as he ran stripes up my slit and into my clit. Whispering obscenities and freeing himself one handedly as he played with me. Letting his cock rest between his stomach and the curve of my ass, leaking a little against our flesh.

"Can you feel it?" He breathed, "How much I love you?"

It was all I could feel. There was no house. No darkness. No eerie silence as the wind rushed through the trees. Howling like there was someone out there to hear it. Only Jakes breath, the bean bag as it shuffled beneath us, and the sound of my untamed scream as he penetrated me.

He didn't try to quieten me. Buffeting my wild moans with deep thrusts that came like chasms to break me in half. Each time he bottomed out, he savoured it. Taking the briefest of moments to feel me clenched around him before pulling back slowly. The need to fuck and the need to sleep battling it out for supremacy.

"Pretty fucking grateful, aren't you?" I replied, leaning my head back into his waiting mouth.

When he was like this, all in need and eager to satisfy any way that he could, I often thought back to how it had been that first time. On the ground in the mud, knees caked in it and the earth beating in time with us. And how in the time since, we'd leisurely made love on the kitchen floor some mornings. In the shower, just stroking each other to pass the time. Him, on top of me, in the bed we now shared. And me, arms around the trunk of a tree whilst he fucked me from behind out in the woods even though it was still a little cold out there.

"For this pussy? Always." He purred into my ear, like he was serenading me.

I knew that I'd never tire of it. The way he felt inside me. The way he fit so perfectly. I never felt so full, like something had been made just for me. He wasn't just rhythm and blues, he was equipped to make me quiver with the mere mention that he might take me right there and then.

I'd lament it later on. How all my lovers before him had been lacking. How I'd swiped left and right, attended blind dates and settled when I shouldn't have. For men that couldn't make me cum or men who couldn't text me back.

"Mmmmm..." I murmured softly, arching against his quickening pace. "It would be the last man on earth that would end up being mine..."

The gentle laughter that expelled from his mouth against the shell of my ear was like summer rain. Teasing my senses, touch taste and scent. His hair was sweat drenched at his temples, as it often was when he fucked me, and I could taste the salt of it in his kiss.

"She speaks so highly of me." He breathed, "Now let her know no other man will ever have her..."

He would claim me. Over and over again. Even when there was no other to counter his claim. I let his hand wrap around my throat, edging me to the distance it would take to push me over the edge of the world. Thrusting into me so hard my entire body shook. I knew the bean bag had ripped at some point, sending the tiny little white foam balls scattered across the room. But I didn't care.

I'd keep finding them in strange places for weeks afterwards. As he rolled me onto the floor and continued to pound me, vicious and unrelenting. He'd never silenced my mewling cries before, content to let them ring out into the ether.

But not this time. It was like his gratitude couldn't be satisfied until he could hear the one sound he desired. His body raged on top of mine, our clothes half on and half off. His sweaty palm came to rest over my open mouth. Muffling my cries to a dull humm. His eyes silently pleading with me to let them die. And to just listen...

"Hush." He encouraged, resting his mouth against the back of his hand as he continued.

There it was. Against the backdrop of the breeze outside. The sound of how wet I was. His cock hitting my satiated pussy. Moist flesh against moist flesh. The most inconceivable feeling washed over me. This man, the only man that ever was, wanted to silence my mouth only to better hear the sound of my pussy being fucked.

And the drop of his eyelids as he listened had me in another state of being. Half closed and fucked with desire for the way it slipped in and out, wet and completely his.

"Thankyou, my love." He whispered, before he allowed himself to cum.

I was never certain if it was for the music, or the way I let him fuck me. I didn't really care. I let my own orgasm rise moments later, the two of us breathless and spent on the gutted belly of that old bean bag.

Day 470 ~ Amelia

We hunkered down for the night. Choosing to make our way back at first light, gathering all the blankets we could find and sleeping on the couches that were, quite simply, more luxurious than any couch we could have gotten in the cabin.

Jake took the one opposite me, falling asleep first. His gentle snores lulling me into my own dreams. It felt like no time had passed at all before my eyes sprang open, the red of morning creeping in.

I rubbed my eyes and stretched. Taking a moment to recall where I was. This place was eerie, even in daylight. And I wished that there were something, anything...that would remind me that people had once lived here. The ticking of a clock, perhaps. Or the grass being cut outside. I could have laid there a little longer, still tired and drowsy, but I was eager to be gone.

I kicked off the blankets and expected Jake to be laying there, ever the one to wake up last, but my heart fell into my stomach at the sight of the empty couch. Blankets still left precisely where he had kicked them off.

"Jake?!" I called, expecting his voice to filter down the hall from the music room.

Silence.

"Jake?!" I called again, pulling on my pants and shoes as I made my way through the house.

I expected to find him gathering up all the instruments he wanted to take. Agonising over which ones to take now and which ones to come back for. But there was nothing but the aftermath of what we'd done. And all the guitars were accounted for.

"Jake, this isn't funny." I cried, checking behind the curtains like a child playing hide and seek. "Jake, I'm being serious now!!!"

Panic began to rise in my chest. My heart soaring, making me dizzy as I flew through the house. Room after room coming up empty.

"Jake!!!" I screamed, running now. "Jake please!!!"

Had I ever given myself permission to imagine this, I would have driven myself mad. That one day he would simply vanish, like everyone else had, and truly I would have walked to my death in that moment. I had no desire to live in a world void of the man I loved.

"JACOB!!!" My voice broke on his name as I fell out of the door and into the back yard. "PLEASE!!!!"

I fell to my knees on gravel. Crying. Racking sobs expelled from me as I took fists full of tiny pebbles that cut into my flesh as I squeezed. I felt as if I couldn't breathe. My chest was tight, all the horror of him disappearing coursing through my veins as tears spilled down my flushed cheeks.

"Jake, I can't do this...you have to come back..." I begged, broken and beyond redemption.

In a matter of moments I'd gone from waking up, to screaming on my knees. I'd have thought it a nightmare had I not already endured one. The reality of this feeling was one I knew. Only this time, intensified by a love that had known no bounds. I could live in an empty world before I'd ever known him.

Not anymore.

To be Continued...

.

.

.

@caprisunsister @thewritingbeforesunrise @takenbythemadness @katuschka @its-interesting-van-kleep @lvnterninthenight @writingcold @jakekiszkasbuttsweat @edgingthedarkness @velveteencatch @lyndz2names @nina-23-45 @itsafullmoon @vikingisthenewsexy @char289

[monsterpie]

My thoughts on the Pride comics:

(Below the cut is my opinions on both the Toradeen AND Spellentine comics)

Toradeen comic:

Overall, it was a cute comic. They somehow made Toralei and Clawdeen cute together, props to them. That said... it's a random-ass pairing. There is no way those two would have ever dated each other in g1. They didn't like each other and they didn't even spend time together alone if they could help it. It was very clearly a ship made because they thought dog x cat would be good. I think if it were a comic about, say, Ghoulia and Kjersti instead, it would've been better and more realistic.

The two new characters, Bridgett and Jackie, were very cute. It is VERY hard to believe that they're Monster High students, though. I thought they were college age or young adults. In my mind, they seemed around 25 years old. Regardless, they were quite endearing. I thought the lesson they taught Toradeen about respecting your partner's boundaries and understanding their needs was a very important lesson for people to learn, whether they be kids or adults reading the comic.

The comic was pretty well-paced. It did a good job with the amount of pages it was given and didn't drag things out or rush through too much. The art style was cute. There were small additions made to the world that I enjoyed, like the existence of the fire-salamanders and how they seem to be popular to catch and use to cook things like marshmallows. Overall, it was pretty solid and a relatively enjoyable read once I ignored the fact that, again, it is an INCREDIBLY random ship.

Spellentine comic:

I... honestly don't have a lot of nice stuff to say about this comic. 😬

I think Spelldon really didn't have much personality at all. I think that it is also a disservice to have Spelldon's first introduction outside of an obscure diary mention be a comic that isn't about him. I think they didn't do a good job of establishing Spelldon's personality or character or motivations or... well, anything really. If they had, for instance, leaned more into Spelldon being clumsy like when he accidentally tripped and bumped his head, or if they made him a little more judgmental like when he said Valentine's fake Southern accent was bad, maybe that would've at least made him more memorable.

I also think they made Valentine... off. I'm aware that his personality in WDGFIL was largely a farce, but his personality in the comic didn't feel like him at all, neither the suave and cool self from the movie nor the accepting and calm self from the SDCC diary. He was... well, emotional and whiny. Annoying, frankly. His entire SDCC diary was about accepting things and growing as a person, and although he seemed to have SOME of that in the comic, he was also ready to stop feeling love at the drop of a hat - something which is especially confusing when we remember that Mrs. Goblin from the diary specifically mentioned that free and true love was so important for emotional vampires, and also something that doesn't feel like a decision he would make given the fact that he's supposed to, y'know, have come to terms with and accepted the fact that things won't always go his way. Teenagers are dramatic, I understand that, but in his SDCC diary he had come to terms with the fact that Draculaura and her friends might never come to trust and forgive him, but that he still wanted to prove himself to them if it was possible. In the comic, Draculaura turns his invitation to fang out down in the kindest possible way and he reacts like...that. It didn't feel like him at all.

The comic itself felt badly-paced and rushed. It felt like they had too much that they wanted to do and not enough pages to do it, resulting in feeling rushed. Valentine's decision to give up on love forever, Spelldon's first official appearance giving him almost zero time to establish himself, a potion-making quest, a lesson about... whatever they were trying to teach (acceptance? again? I guess?)... it was just too much. Maybe a full-length comic could've tackled it better, but I think this short one couldn't do it. They should've cut out some parts (my vote is to cut the not-wanting-to-love part out and instead have Spelldon and Valentine just need to make a potion for class or whatever). Another problem with the comic was that it was largely ruled by Valentine, rather than both boys equally. Spelldon made almost zero impression because Valentine was so loud, both in personality and in amount of words spoken, leaving Spelldon to kind of flounder behind.

The relationship itself was... fine. There really wasn't much any substance whatsoever. Person A takes care of Person B. It just didn't feel like it had much going for it. Their personalities seemed to mesh alright as friends, but as boyfriends... I don't know, to me it just doesn't work. It's not like Jackie and Bridgett where they're differing personalities that still work in the end, it just feels like... guy-who-will-inevitably-be-overlooked and his boyfriend, the guy with giant neon signs pointing him out.

Also, small gripe: I really wish Spelldon hadn't called Valentine's fake accent dumb lmfao. Valentine said he liked the accent, and I think if he had explained that it made him feel comfortable and confident around others, and also explained that he just *liked* doing it regardless, that would've been a sweet characterization moment that I could've truly believed.

A personal gripe and overall criticism: I still, even now all these years later, think it was an absolutely horrific idea to make Valentine gay. Like, catastrophically bad. The guy preyed on a bunch of innocent ghouls and stole their ability to love for centuries (for some, if not all of them, that probably meant their entire lives), but, oh, it's okay guys! He's gay! He was just doing it because he was gay! Sometimes men hurt every women in their loves because their true soulmate is gay! This isn't about his ability to change - he CAN change and he DID change. This is about the optics of it: the (at the time of the SDCC diary) ONLY "confirmed" (in loose quotes because that was bullshit back then too) gay character in the children's media Monster High was one of, and I can NOT stress this enough, the WORST VILLAINS THAT MONSTER HIGH HAD EVER HAD. Just another evil gay trope. Again, yes, he did change and get better... but how many people have read his SDCC diary? How many people even know it exists? Probably not many casual fans, probably not anybody who was a kid when the movie came out and is now seeing this comic on shelves a few years later. He should've just been straight. In my mind, he is. That way, at least, I don't have to worry about yet another evil gay in kids media.

Anyway, things I liked about the comic: Spelldon's design was really nice, I enjoyed seeing Whisp again even if it was very brief, I thought Valentine apologizing to Draculaura and attempting to befriend her was very sweet, as was her apologizing to him at the end of the comic while still maintaining her boundaries and not trying to change her schedule too much for him, and I thought it was funny that Spelldon and Valentine were going around and stealing shit for a useless potion lmfao.

[zipzapzopzoop]

There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

Chapter 17: And Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson

(Disclaimer for mild violence and I guess technically a gun?)

Lewis lay awake in his sleeping bag. 

He wasn’t sure how he was going to keep everyone hidden if their group kept growing.

On one hand, the observatory is a large building, and they had only just moved in, so most of it was still dark and cluttered or empty rooms. On the other hand… the Robinsons weren’t exactly subtle.

They already found a few of them in a largely populated city. Finding a normal person would be damn near impossible. A Robinson? Easy. Mostly. Hopefully. How many were there again?

As of right now, the makeshift camp of sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets in the observatory has grown, and everyone was asleep. Well, almost everyone. He wasn’t.

There was the sound of glass breaking downstairs. Lewis sat up. 

What was that?

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

It was the dead of night when they finally made it to the observatory.

“What do you think? Abandoned?” Art prompted, gesturing to the tall building. It looked very different, and yet still the same old home they knew and loved. Although it seemed quiet without Spike or Dimitri around.

“Can’t tell. It’s too dark,” Laszlo yawned. Wandering the city for several days straight was starting to catch up to him. 

To the surprise of both men, the door was unlocked.

“Only one thing left to do then,” Art declared. “I will sweep the house for trespassers!”

If he’d been more awake, Laszlo would’ve asked if they technically were the trespassers, but he instead kept quiet and let his Uncle go search. Muscle memory took Laszlo back to what would normally be his room, although at the moment it was just an old cluttered storage room. That’s okay. Laszlo didn’t mind. He was just happy to be home. Whenever it was, wherever it was.

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

Franny wandered the empty halls of the observatory.

Strange how you could be at home and still feel homesick…

She couldn’t shake the bad thoughts in her head. Where was her husband? Her brothers? Were they okay? What if they were hurt? What about Bud and Lucille? Or the older kids? 

Call it her caring nature. She’s in charge of the family when Cornelius is away. It’s up to her to watch over everyone and make sure they don't get into too much trouble. But now she doesn’t even know where half of them are. She’s never encountered a situation like this before. They’ve gotten separated before, but there’s a difference between losing your family at an amusement park and losing them 30 years in the past.

The sound of shuffling froze her in her tracks.

Franny knew past Bud and Lucille lived here, but they had gone to bed hours ago. Their room was the same as it was in 2037, all the way on the other side of the house.

She took a defensive stance and nudged open the door.

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

Laszlo stirred when he heard the door swing open.

A silhouette stood tall in the doorway, in a position ready to attack. The faces of his captors flashed in Laszlo’s mind, and suddenly he was wide awake. Taking advantage of the darkness, he slid off the couch and ducked behind a tall cabinet.

Fight or flight took over, and he reached for his paint gun.

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

Franny’s attention snapped to where someone ducked behind a cabinet. Her son was upstairs. She would protect him or die trying. Gaze not leaving the cabinet, she reached behind her and picked up the first thing she found - a glass paperweight.

She began to circle the room, ready to attack.

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

The paint gun rattled in Laszlo’s hands as he crept around the cabinet, trying to stay parallel with the figure.

What did they want with him? Where were they going to take him? He fought to keep his breathing quiet and calm as he aimed with shaking hands. A paint gun wouldn’t do much, but if he could get the figure away from the door or momentarily blind them, he could get by and escape. 

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

Franny’s blood went ice cold when she noticed the outline of a gun in the intruder’s hands. No way in hell was she going to let someone hurt her family.

She launched the ornament right at the intruder’s head. It narrowly missed when he ducked, causing the ornament to shatter against the wall, sending shards of broken glass scattering across the floor. In the blink of an eye, Franny was across the cabinet, attacking the intruder. All in one quick motion, she grabbed his wrist, yanked the gun away and turned it on him, pinning him to the wall.

“Wait! Please!” A voice cried out that was all too familiar.

------

Check out the chapter on my Archive!

[anxiousdreamcore]

hey I saw that lovely art you posted of an alternate first meeting between Superboy and Superman in Young Justice. I watched YJ as a teen and loved it, but I've also heard people say that they dislike how much it mischaracterized Superman for the sake of giving Superboy drama and daddy issues. I don't know much about Superman outside of YJ, but from what I know about the character, the complaint seems legit.

If you could rewrite S1 of Young Justice, how would you change Superman and Superboy's relationship? And how would it effect the rest of the plot, especially the subplot with Lex Luthor?

Oh boy I am SO GLAD you asked

First of all yes, the complaints are legit as I have just binged all of season one and…Clark was bad. The writers fumbled his character big time and underutilized all of his personality traits. I have complaints about Conner too, as I will forever be more of a fan of his punk look and his “born to be a product” character version, but we have what we have and I think DC cooked when they made him pine for Clark’s affection for once. I think it could have been a genuinely touching found family story if it was written properly.

I’ve talked to a friend of mine about this and I feel like, if I had the reigns, it’d make more sense for me to write Clark taking on the role of Young Justice’s housefather (or den mother, as the characters themselves call it😂) instead of Red Tornado. If we refer to his canonical personality, Clark would have been much more present in the team’s lives as well compared to Tornado. I can see him cooking dinners for the kids, comforting them when the world weights too heavily on their shoulders, giving out advice or a shoulder to cry on. Perhaps even following them on some more dangerous missions and when drama calls for kids to be alone, he can just be at the JL headquarters or busy with his life as a civilian.

If it was up to me and I had to add more drama to the show, I’d take on the slowburn route. Clark, although clearly shocked and definitely on some level disturbed, would’ve been excited to get to know Conner and spend time with him; teach him about his powers, about the world, and help him find his place in it. That is just the kind of character he is outside of Young Justice. He’d understand that DNA relations make them a family, but wouldn’t want to push Conner’s boundaries as he is notoriously snappy, distrusting and at times aggressive with people, even if Superman sees none of that aggression or distrust directed at him in particular.

If he only knew that it is because Conner wants his approval more than anything in the world.

Clark gives Conner the same love and care as he does other children of the team, but it’s not enough. Perhaps Conner feels like he isn’t special; rejected even, as he is no different to Superman than any other member of Young Justice.

Both sides grow to want to be a family, to be a father and son and care for each other, but they don’t know how to approach the subject in fear of pushing the other away, however their dynamic slowly progresses throughout the first season and ends in the two fully accepting each other.

In terms of the Lex subplot, I definitely see Clark getting protective and hella pissed that a man who never gave a damn about his alleged son has suddenly showed up in his life, trying to manipulate him. As my friend had said, he cold have sat Conner down for a conversation, assured him that family is not only blood, but bonds. Sure, Superman and Superboy share blood, but they have also chosen each other, and that makes all the difference.

THIS might have been A tier stuff, in my humble opinion.

[thatonewatching]

Slenderverse Icky hc's

FEAT: Eyeless Jack, Laughing Jack, Jeff t.K, 'Ticci' Toby, BEN Drowned, Helen Otis/Bloody Painter, Tim/Masky, Brian/Hoodie, and HABIT (emh).

CREEPYPASTA/MARBLE HORNETS

E.J-

He would definitely drool or have some problem speaking due to his multiple tongues. However, during his 'spring fever' as we'll call it, he grows, and his tongues fit normally into his mouth. During the rest of the year, though, they're more of an inconvenience than anything. He might have pockets in his mouth where they rest, but still somewhat have a mind of their own. Also, he has a harsh tongue if he really were to say what he thinks. If he really wanted to, he could be harsh; he could make you cry, even. He bottles up his anger and suppresses his rage until his ruts, then he lets them out however he chooses.

Laughing Jack-

He has bowls and drawers of poisonous candy. Like, do not take candy from him, no matter what charm he uses, or what charm he even has, should I say. He would offer it to you once you meet, sweet talking his way into your naive heart, and trying to poison you. Luckily, EJ has his way with making sure LJ's victims, of which there are lots of, don't die. Or, at least making them last as much they can. He often targets the younger members who work under Slender but isn't opposed to targeting some of the older ones, so long as they haven't heard of his tricks.

Jeff t.K-

He doesn't use deodorant or cologne, and only showers after extremely bloody missions; especially if he likes their house. Often, he'll steal things from his victim's homes and give them to people he likes (BEN, E.J, Toby). Most of the things he steals consist of clothes, drinks, hygiene products (such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, and perfume/cologne), and random trinkets. Often, he gives the clothes to Toby, and the hygiene products to E.J and BEN. The trinkets are distributed between BEN and Toby. He's smelly, okay? Stinky. Musty. Mentally ill eighteen-year-old homicidal maniac. And we love him, isn't that right?

'Ticci' Toby-

He drools, mainly due to bad muscle control and his gash. Gets super jittery around certain people, mainly woman. He gets nervous around females, considering that he has never really experienced love from a anyone, let alone a female. So, when he gets the chance to be a round Jane or Natalie or even Nina, he gets nervous and doesn't really know what to say or do. He cries a lot and often hyperventilates, especially when he thinks about Lyra, but that's only when he's alone. When he gets the chance, he visits her grave, leaving flowers and telling her about his life and what he's been up to. He's asked, countless times, if Slender could resurrect her, or bring her back in any way. Spirit form, even. Slender says he won't.

BEN Drowned-

His room is a pig sty. There are clothes everywhere and it has a kind of smell. The smell isn't necessarily bad, but it smells more like him than anything else. Kind of smells like weed and body odor, but not intolerable. He keeps Funko-Pops and has a mini fridge filled with energy drinks, G-fuel, and Powerade. That's all he drinks. He doesn't drink water. Why would he? It's not like he need to. Although, it's not like he needs food or drinks, either. Very sarcastic and not attentive.

Helen Otis/Bloody Painter-

He has multiple rooms that only he is allowed in. His art studio is the only one you or anyone else is allowed in, and even then, you still have to have permission to be there, along with him accompanying you. You aren't allowed to touch his art supplies nor his art. You are allowed with permission to his studio, but only when you are used as a muse, and solely for that reason. When you are his muse, you cannot speak, whine, or object. He claims you should be honored that he's chosen you, that you are his object of desire, and painting you is a treat to him. He says you are 'akin to an angel' and that perfection has made you its vessel. God complex.

Timothy Wright/Masky-

He smells like sweat constantly. He smells like sweat or cheap cologne and doesn't give two fucks. He smokes at least a pack and a half of cigarettes a day and Brian tries to get him to get down to one or half a pack. Of course, he's tried, but it never seems to stick. It's just a stress thing, he says. Once, he tried to go cold turkey, but ended up breaking two of Toby's fingers. He did not apologize. He has a rusty ass blue truck he shares with Brian, and it smells like cigarettes and beer. Scars are all over his body, and he hates them. Is very good at roller-skating (I hope you've seen the video of him skating; it's amazing). Used to roller-skate but stopped after he nearly rolled his ankles. Brian was recording and still has the video. Shows the video on his birthday.

Brian Thomas/Hoodie-

He is a master shit-talker. Gossiping is his first language; he can and will do it anyone with no shame and has no issue saying it to their face. If you need someone confronted, then he'll do it for you in case you don't want to. He isn't judgy unless he has a reason to dislike you. Knows another language, probably Russian or Romanian, and will speak that language when he's talking to himself, which he does often. He knows how to take care of almost any animal and will do so. Rants and talks about everyone with Tim. Tim is very tired. He literally is attached to Tim at the hip; he is always with him. Tim's getting food? Brian's coming. Tim's coming to the party? Better believe Brian is there. He side-eyes the hell out of people underneath his mask; without his mask, too, honestly. Has no shame. Will be loud and obnoxious wherever he pleases. Makes a mess when he cooks and doesn't clean it up. 'I do the cooking, you do the cleaning', he says.

everymanHYBRID-

Habit-

Absolutely drools. This motherfucker has the best and worst hygiene out there. Smells horrible but his teeth are perfect. He doesn't shower. Has a hoard of Reese's in his room at all times and doesn't see it fit for anyone to know about it other than him. Hits people with his little purple and orange claw thing. Like Brian, no shame. Loud, irritating, and condescending. The perfect way to describe him. (This isn't even a hc, it's just in the show), but he constantly asks how you're feeling, but just brushes it off and says it's because of some miniscule thing you did. Picks out all your flaws but won't make a move to help you. Your hair is messy? You're ugly, but he won't tell you what's wrong with it. Something in your tooth? He'll tell you to look in the mirror until you notice. His ego is way too inflated for him to help something so fragile and pathetic; so pathetic, even, that it doesn't know its tiniest of flaws like he does. God complex.

[serial-serializednovelreader]

okay for the character ask game I couldn’t decide on characters or numbers, so I just threw some random characters and numbers together, and you can decide which apply the most to what character. Whatever you like!

SQ, Jeffers, Garrison, Nicholas, Kate, and Rhonda

1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20

What do you like or dislike about this character?

SQ - in the show, I like his introspection and that they fleshed him out to not just be Curtain's adopted son who loves art and is under his control (in both a good and bad way). My only issue is that he's not in season 2, we were robbed!! As for the books, I like that what starts out as comic relief ends up being a horrifying realization that this poor teenager is brainswept so much that he can't remember what he's saying. What I dislike is that we never get to see him grow beyond that. Yes, we see him choose kindness (which is great btw) over Curtain, but I wish we had actually gotten to see him in Riddle of Ages besides a quick mention.

Jeffers - I love that he gets to be goofy. Sure the Ten Men in the books were scary, but they let him just be whacky! And why not? I love characters that get to goof around and be silly, especially if they're not supposed to. Plus, you can tell the actor playing him is having a blast and that's how you know a character is well-done. I just wish he had been in season 1, but I'm glad you put him in S.O.S. so I can enjoy him there, Bods!

Garrison - I like that this character exists, first of all. I know book Curtain is the type to want to keep the science secrets to himself, but show Curtain needs a science person to delegate Whisperer stuff to. After all, when would he have time to do this?

(did I want an excuse to put this GIF in again? Yes, yes I did. It was too funny to resist.)

But seriously, I also love that while she does bend to Curtain, she does try to stand up to him in her own way. There's a complicated dynamic there (made more complicated by reading @nobodysdaydreams S.O.S. AU fanfic, which you should read if you haven't yet because OH BOY does it change things about Garrison for you) and it's so interesting to analyze. Also, she's just a little bit quirky and I love her for that.

Nicholas - in the show, I love that they gave him issues!!!! They made him anxious and the way Tony Hale makes his posture more stooped is *chef's kiss* lovely. His "excuse me - *cut to loud screaming montage*" is TOO RELATABLE. I think they were so right for that. Also, making him more directly responsible for Curtain's downfall was a great choice (though I don't actually blame him because he was a literal child it wasn't his fault; if anything, I blame the adoptive parents for separating twins and just not coming back for the other that's so messed up??? Who does that?????). The only thing I dislike was that they basically cut down his narcoleptic attacks to nearly nothing by the second season, almost like they didn't exist. Like, y'all, come on, don't do that!

As for the books, I love his wisdom, compassion and how he always makes time for the children. He always seems to know what they're thinking and is able to encourage them in their darkest hour. Although, I have a love/hate relationship with how they cured his narcolepsy in TPD because on one hand, I hate the "curing disability narrative", but on the other he actively hated it and wanted it gone (plus he had to suppress his emotions so much because of it) that I can't really blame him for wanting it gone...hard to know how to feel on that one!

Kate - KATE MY BELOVED!!! Again, I love everything about her. For show Kate, I love how fast-paced she is. It always makes me laugh when she says something like, "Tower. Scale it. Now!!!" It's so funny to me. Emmy did an amazing job bringing that aspect to life. Show Kate is also rougher around the edges -- I don't hate it because it's more realistic...it's just sad. :(

As for book Kate, I like that she brute forces her way to solutions. Oh she doesn't understand this maze? Guess she's running through the vents. I always admired her agility (and wished I could be that cool!!). I also like that she had to grapple with the dark urge of violence because it makes sense, she's the muscle of the team, why shouldn't she end the bad guys once and for all? A dark theme, sure, but I'm glad TLS didn't hold back on it.

Rhonda - Show Rhonda is so cool because she's so good at mediating within the group and I love that she also tries to fight in her own way against Curtain outside of their work with the society. We love to see some small acts of activism!!! No notes, amazing character.

For book Rhonda, I love how caring she is. She just always finds a way to show the group in big and small ways that she cares about them. I feel like if anyone is neurotypical in that group, it's her, and for once I mean that in a good way (let's be real, someone probably needs to be to remember things and help with social cues) /j. I wish we got to see more of her!

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

Nicholas - in the books, that he learned ASL for Violet in his prequel book! I took 3 ASL classes and while it shouldn't be a big deal for a hearing person to learn sign language for a Deaf person, many times they won't. I love that he automatically accommodated her needs, rather than trying to make her accommodate him. As for the show, the screaming scene comes to mind, but I like that he reads aloud to his friends, I think it's sweet :)

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

Garrison - Giants by Imagine Dragons

Soooo again I had to manually pick this song since I don't really think of MBS characters + music together (which is weird of my brain to do, but whatever!). The reason I picked this song is because it's about addiction and someone reflecting on what they've become because of it. I think it especially applies to your S.O.S headcanon of Garrison and how she is in season 2. Wish I had a happier answer. :(

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

Jeffers - that y'all gaslit me into thinking his name was Jeepers (s/o to @mvshortcut for reassuring me I was right) and that we have Secure the Perimeter Saturday. I think it's beautiful. 😍 ❤️

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Rhonda - I haven't seen anything I truly despise, but it definitely irks me when she gets forgotten (or whitewashed, I was worried the show was going to do that). She's such an interesting character and deserves to be included as much as possible!!!!!! Again, it's nothing I've actually seen, but if I had to pick.

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

Rhonda - yes, I think so! She'd get the worst end of the bargain dealing with my eccentricities, but I honestly think we could make it work. I'd do my best to try to make things easier for her living with me lol.

13. What's an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?

Kate - 🪣 ...sorry, I had to!

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

Kate x Reynie - Sorry not sorry, I've always been a Kaynie girlie!!!! I enjoy that TMBS didn't dive into romance at all because it's good to get a break from that. Unfortunately, I'm a hopeless romantic and, at least in the books, I saw potential for something to grow when they got older (like when Reynie gets electrocuted by Curtain in TPD and Kate holds his hand while crying...that scene BROKE ME 😭 😭 😭 ).

16. What's your least favorite ship for this character?

Garrison x Curtain - idk if anyone actually ships this (I haven't seen it, I'm just adding it to the mix for consideration), but the thought of this makes me want to barf. Just....nah.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

Nicholas - I've always admired his relationship with Milligan. If you're able to gain the loyalty and friendship of someone who's lost all of their memories, you're doing something right. :) I know Nicholas is always going to feel responsible for Curtain's misdeeds, and by extension, Milligan's memory loss (in both the books and show since Curtain is his brother and Nicholas is too much of an empath to not feel some kind of guilt), but I truly admire how he treats Milligan as someone to be taken seriously and who he wants to help.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

Jeffers - I don't know if this crossover is allowed, but can you imagine if Moocho Brazos and Jeffers became friends outside of Curtain's influence? I don't know, I just feel like they would be besties and potentially great together in a fight. Moocho would totally break out some cool helicopter fighting moves and Jeffers would do...something?

I hope you enjoy these answers. This was super fun, Bods!!

[dinosaurchurch]

It's hard to believe that there's only two months left of 2024. Looking back on the rest of the year it seems almost like a blur at this point. A lot had happened, I moved house in the spring to another town, finished the prequel arc of DIVE, and even got to spend time exploring the new neighbourhood that I live in. Summer was gorgeous this year, it's why I think my art took such a back seat (my lifting too sadly although I did get into cycling more so at least I was doing something).

I think this year is the year I really buckled down on my bad habits, even if it's been one thing at a time. Something I never really talked about was the sheer fact that over the course of the pandemic I didn't save a dime, I didn't want to admit that I used retail therapy a little too much. That's one thing that I wanted to kick this year instead of racking up my own personal debt due to my bad spending habits. It's something that even my late father was guilty of that I happened to dip in as well. Don't get me wrong, I know I absolutely could be in a worse position than what I'm already in (I do have a decent paying job) but I've come to the realization that there's certain goals that I won't be able to accomplish if I don't kick this habit so that's the main reason why I've got to nip it in the bud so to speak.

Everyone has their vice. I will admit I almost feel like someone who's going to rehab for an addiction at this point but it's got to be done. I told myself that I was going to make better habits and hold myself more responsible. I've been critical on others for breaking their word and yet I've done it myself, I don't think it's fair of me to snap at others when I'm just a guilty but I guess that's human nature. Doesn't mean I've got to make an excuse for it though, it's lovely being to buy what I like considering I grew up in a really poor family.

I remember being a kid wanting what others had, you could definitely say I was envious of those that could afford the nice things - new clothes, nice toys, live in a spacious house. Having everything second hand save for my undergarments was not something I'd ever want to put a kid through if I could help it, being poor sucked. You get bullied for it and the fact that you get very little choice of what you actually get to have is also kinda shite - I love being able to express myself how I want to, not limited to what someone else deems because I've got to take their old stuff off of their hands and that's my choices. Like I'm not knocking thrift shops or anything of the sort but it's definitely awkward when you get your older cousins clothes who's much bigger than you and the opposite gender and that was what you had to make due with.

Growing up poor was definitely a humbling experience as well, don't get me wrong, it made me appreciate the luxuries I do get to enjoy these days. Like buying real maple syrup instead of that corn syrup shite, what a blessing. Or getting to buy the nice shampoos that smell amazing instead of the dollar store 2 in 1 crap, my hair thanks me everyday for that. I think head and shoulders actually gave me dandruff instead of getting rid of it but I digress. life can definitely be a struggle.

I'm just glad that I've got the self awareness to be able to point out where I need improvement. It's going to be hard to do what I need to do but when is doing what's right ever been easy? I don't think there ever has been a time where life will be a complete cakewalk and I'll get to fully enjoy the fruits of my labour.

There's a lot that I have planned but I'm not wearing myself thin trying to accomplish what I want either to the point of exhaustion. I've done that enough in the past to know I'll crash and burn if I try, one thing at a time. As much as I need to form better habits (one being to quit grabbing lunch on the go so often) I know that I've got to take it in bite sized portions and do what I can within reach instead of trying to chew it all off at once. That's the worst thing about being as stubborn and ambitious as I am - you overwhelm yourself to where there's no possible way to complete everything on the list and some of it ends up being half assed.

Part of being kind to yourself is self discipline. It's one thing to point out someone mistakes but it's another to do it with yourself.

I know who I am and where I'm going. It's going to take a while but I know I can do it.

Wish me luck.

[zoguy1]

Here's Calli!! Also his bf Xavier.

I made Calli, and his brother Mulberry, a long ass time ago, while I was in middle school. They were a Swap Sans x Fell Sans ship children. Cringe? Very much. But have appreciation for these OCs because I didn't realized how much I projected onto them until I grew into an adult and went to therapy for a few years.

I'll start with Calli's origin story, and share Mulberry's when I post his pride art.

Callicarpa, although being a CherryBerry child, was originally from SwapFell (red). He was raised by Swapfell!Sans to be a child soldier. Big problem though, he has a problem with his fight or flight, in that he always freezes. He wasn't a bad fighter by any sense of the word. He's skilled. But he has a problem when it comes to anytime he's afraid. This caused him to be bullied relentlessly by his parental unit. As a result, Callicarpa became very fisty and argumentative. He's also blunt and often times come off as rude.

One day, he meets his alternate self, Mulberry. Mulberry is the complete opposite of Callicarpa. Mulberry is sweet, kind, and cute. All things Callicarpa has despised because of his upbringing. So he projected a lot of his internalized problems shit on Mulberry. Calling him a "baby" and "weak".

One day, Mulberry got a glimpse into Callicarpa's personal life, and saw how shitty he was treated, and because Mulberry is a daddy's boy and like 10? He told his dad, Swap Sans, about this and Swap Sans took Callicarpa under his custody.

Callicarpa very much hated this. He lived his whole life in a Fell universe and is suddenly been taken out of it, and put into an environment where it's not "kill or be killed" anymore. He had to deal with the culture shock that you don't have to be strong to survive. That you can just be yourself and people will like you. It's not something he's used to. What he *is* used to is lashing out. So he's made a fuss about this for a few years now. Not accepting his new family and very much dreams of going back.

One day, he meets Xavier, a Cross Sans x Dream Sans child, and he had a fascination at first sight with him. Callicarpa viewed all of Underswap to be weak compared to him, and Xavier was the first person who could match him in fighting skill. So Callicarpa talks about his life and how much it sucked and how much he wanted to go back to Swapfell. Xavier offers to take him back, since he has the ability to. And Callicarpa jumps at the opportunity.

Once he was back in Swapfell, he realized how much it sucked and how shitty his first father was to him. Having lived a normal life with Swap Sans and Mulberry, he had to come to the realization that life was not good back in Swapfell. So he chose to go back to Underswap.

There, he dose a lot of self-reflection with the help of Xavier. Coming to terms with his current home life, and starting to explore who he wants to be instead of what he had to be in Swapfell. He starts working on his relationship with his brother. He starts exploring his sexuality and gender presentation. He starts exploring hobbies he never got the chance to do back in Swapfell.

Because of this shift. He goes from a self-centered arrogant brat who thinks he's better then everyone else, to a self-confident cheerleader who will fuck up a bitch if they start fucking with his people.

From there, Calli assists in Xavier's story of trying to out beat his uncle, Nightmare. A story in which I didn't flesh out at all. Just kinda been a post-it note on Xavier's character.

Calli grows up to be a professional clothes maker. Learning about fashion and aims to show the world his creations. He also lives a noematic life with Xavier and eventually have a kid named Juniper.

I love Calli's story because of how much I unintentionally projected onto him. His original purpose was to be a foil to Mulberry. Mulberry was my Marry Sue character, and I wanted to give him something to have conflict. So Callicarpa was going to be someone who Mulberry would have to fight with.

But I think Calli reflects my adoption experience. I was adopted by my aunt at the age of 6. Growing up, I felt like the black sheep of the family, and had a lot of behavioral issues. I didn't like my aunt. I loved her, and was grateful for what she did for me. But I didn't like her. I didn't feel like she understood me nor was there for me emotionally. Now adays I accept that she wasn't a perfect parent. That there's no such thing as a perfect parent. And that she did her best with what she knew at the time.

I want to make Calli's story into an actual story one day. Once I get enough motivation, I will. But for now. Calli is remains a concept.

Bonus art time:

This is the gang. From left to right we have Mulberry, Flamelight, Callicarpa, Nova Flame, Cyber Hono, Fuego, and Parapsplat. All ship children. Flame, Nova, Cyber and Fuego are all Sans x Grillby children. Undertale, Underfell, Underswap, and Swapfell respectively. Nova, Cyber and Fuego are not considered Mulberry and Calli's brothers because they have different Sanses.

Parasplat is an Ink x Fresh ship child. Or como child? Is it combo child if the parents of said child aren't together in the child's canon? Idk. I use "ship child" to refer to any character created with the intention of making a mixed design of two characters.

This was one of Xavier's beta design.

I noticed that pretty much everyone in the gang had hair and Calli and Mulberry didn't. So I gave them wigs.

Here's some Mulberry and Callicarpa banter. They very much fight like siblings do.

[moistvonlipwig]

fic ask please!

bullet in the proof - 8, 20, 26

laid in thine enemy's grave? - in truth, i dig it - 7, 20, 26? :D

bullet in the proof

8. What inspired the title for this fic? Is that usually how you choose titles?

it's from the dessa song "i already like you"! which i wouldn't say i associate Strongly with guardiancorp but it doesn't Not fit. (although genius.com is now claiming the line is "i'm your bullet AND the proof", which....may indeed be the real line but it makes less sense as a line because presumably the line is riffing off of "pudding in the proof". but ok.) i really had no idea what to call this fic but i like this line and it works with james taking a bullet for her. honestly how i choose titles in general varies a lot. currently i don't have any other published fics with song lyric titles though.

20. What is something you wish more people noticed about this fic?

well to be fair i haven't gotten very many comments on this fic lol so i'm not sure what people have noticed. but one detail i sprinkled in there is that james does aikido; IIRC it's never revealed what martial art he has a black belt in but i decided to give him aikido because (a) i do aikido lol and (b) it's a purely defensive martial art and i like the idea of a guy whose superhero weapon is a shield doing a defensive martial art. oh and also i included a bit about eve where i kind of 'foreshadowed' that she is being blackmailed by leviathan to spy on lena for lex but she doesn't want to because she does genuinely like lena. i like writing limited 3rd person POV fics where i have other characters say/do things that the POV character doesn't at all understand the implications of but the audience does.

26. Wild Card! I’ll tell you a fun fact about this fic!

hm not sure if this counts as a fun fact/trivia but the reveal in s4 that lex tortured james and gave him 16 scars was really one of the first things that made me super interested in guardiancorp (reminder that i watched this show spoiled & out of order lol) because i was like. ok how does he get to the point where he can see past his own hurt to who lena actually is? and part of that was thinking about how growing up with lex left its own psychological scars on lena and how i think james probably came to see that and understand that it wasn't him vs. the luthor siblings, it was him and lena vs. lex. so this fic was in large part an attempt to flesh out the crumbs of guardiancorp we got in 3a to include james's evolving thoughts on that aspect.

laid in thine enemy's grave? - in truth, i dig it

7. What inspired the idea for the plot?

well as i said in my author's note i owe a big debt of inspiration to the OUAT fic "The Long Con" by lostlilsnail. i actually kind of worried while writing it that it was Too similar? then i was like, no, the characters are tackling a similar plot from a different angle because they're different people with different motivations from a different source material. honestly i'd love a third party reality check though!

20. What is something you wish more people noticed about this fic?

now this fic does have a lot of comments so i guess i will just quote some lines that i haven't seen anyone mention that i was particularly proud of:

Lena knows all about the greater good. It’s the thing you kill brothers for.

&

Kara took Kara from Lena, and that is unforgivable.

& a moment i thought was funny:

Even Lillian comes. She sits next to James and occasionally leans over to whisper in his ear, and from the deer-in-the-headlights look that keeps crossing his face, Lena infers that her mother is probably trying to flirt with him.

26. Wild Card! I’ll tell you a fun fact about this fic!

i almost included a line about how kara & lena considered inviting oliver & felicity to the wedding but decided not to because barry & iris warned them that they were bad wedding guests LOL. but i decided against it in the spirit of not making the fic hostile to olicity fans.

[lasenbyphoenix]

get to know me 🌻

Thanks so much for the tag @strandedchesspiece 😁

do you make your bed? - almost never, my bed is only fully made when I've just changed the sheets. But I do always make the bed if I'm staying at someone else's house, that's just polite.

what’s your favourite number? - 8 & 18

what is your job? - I work for a security company and my primary job is to monitor alarms (burglary/fire/refrigeration/gas leak/panic buttons ect). I've also helped out on my bosses other businesses (guard patrols and an after-hours call centre).

If you could go back to school would you? - if paying rent wasn't a concern, happily! My ADHD would make getting assignments in hard but I've always loved being in lectures and learning.

can you parallel park? - Yes although I don't like to.

a job you had that would surprise people? - nude life model for art classes. I was in art school at the time and wished I was confident enough to do something like that, and figured the only way to get the confidence was to do it! I loved it, I was being turned into art which made me feel beautiful.

do you think aliens are real? - I think the universe is too big not to have other forms of life, in whatever forms they may take.

can you drive a manual car? - Yes! All my cars have been manual transmission, I prefer it.

what’s your guilty pleasure? - does sleep count?

tattoos? - Two, a family inspired one on my collar bone and a fandom/motivational inspired one on my inner forearm. And many more planned and partially designed.

favourite colour? - Purple and Silver.

favourite type of music? - Depends on the day! I like a wide variety of music, but two favourite genres are Jazz and Dad Rock.

do you like puzzles? - yes! They make my brain happy.

any phobias? - spiders, although I'm not as bad as I used to be. And being high off the ground like on ladders, wires or swing bridges.

favourite childhood sport? - basketball & dancing. I was never very good at basketball and our school was too small to have a proper team anyway so it was very casual. Then I took up line dancing at 14 and competed for a few years as a teenager, and since then I've tried out a bunch of different dancing styles and loved every one of them.

do you talk to yourself? - frequently.

what movie(s) do you adore? - Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, Romancing the Stone, Legally Blonde, The Holiday. (Specifically choosing with "adore" in mind. I also love ridiculous action movies but "adore" doesn't cover those)

coffee or tea? - both. This again depends on the day and what I've recently got the taste for.

first thing you wanted to be growing up - a teacher or a ballerina.

I'm not sure who's already been tagged for this so tagging @gaiahenshin @stupid-lemon-eater @mwfangirl @bladedweaponsandswishycoats only if you want to!

[destinyc1020]

By the way Hollywood is i would just b content with Kaia being in her late 20s n Austin in his late 30s bt 20 (wen they met) is just so.. young. I actually enjoy Kaias book club n she said in the last one that was told a lot that she was very "mature" n a "old soul" when she was young n i definetly get that vibe from her, i feel like she thinks shes more mature bt by her interviews she sounds like her age to me tbh (nt a bad thing though shes still seems more stable than a lot of other nepo baby models).

I did think her n JE were going to last longer, they give off the same kinda vibe imo. In his print interviews he seems pretentious/wanting to emulate old hollywood stars or Health Ledger n Kaia mentioned smthin about how an artist isnt going to sacrifice their movie for someones kid (wrong lol) cuz thats not how art is made n she wants to "make art". Just by those comments i got why they were a couple ☠️ both of them can just sound very eye rolling to put it plainly lol kaia seems a lil more geniune wen shes nt ignorant about nepotism tho lol

Im srry bt the "rent a model gf" gave me a lil chuckle lmao it def helps wen her last n current bf have been actors n she wants to b an actress now. Anytime someone mentions her its either cuz her mom or shes "_'s gf". I think shes prob going to continue to have a deal with the paps until or if her acting career takes off cuz they give her visibility in hollywood

Late 20s would be fine....shoot... even 25 would be better and just fine imo lol 😆

I've always liked the fact that Kaia had her book club, and it's smthg she's done for years. She's a VERY avid reader, so I'm not even surprised that Austin was attracted to her, coz he loves to read also! 😊 Like, I can totally understand why they clicked, cuz they actually have quite a bit in common.

While I do think that Kaia has been forced to grow up VERY quickly in the modeling world, and probably isn't a "regular person's" 21 year old, she's STILL very young (imo), and pretty naïve and out of touch.... You can tell by her interviews. The funny thing is, she doesn't even realize it yet, which is why it's so ironic.

I'm not sure of the context of what she meant by "making art", so I won't comment on that, but part of me almost feels like she's just repeating buzz words lol. At least with JE, I feel like that's who he truly is, and what he truly wants. Although they sometimes looked miserable together lol, I actually think they were better matched? They were closer in age, and seemed to have similar backgrounds.

ALL of us were more naïve at that age though, so it's not a slight towards her, it's just a reminder that she doesn't have much life experience yet. 🤷🏾‍♀️ According to Psychologists, your brain isn't even FULLY developed until your mid-late 20s!

JE grew up pretty privileged, and so did Kaia. When you've been raised around wealth your entire life like Kaia has, it's hard to know how to relate to "common folk".

Re: JE.....

I'm not even surprised he's with Olivia Jade rn lol. 😅 They've actually lasted waaaay longer than I expected, so I guess he stopped cheating on his gfs lol. 🤭

Re: Rent-a-Model-Girlfriend...

Lol I'm sorry rofl 🤣 But after dating Pete Davidson, Jacob Elordi, and now Austin Butler lol, it just seems like I'm noticing a pattern here rofl 🤣 (Hot, up-and-coming actors who are going places lol)

As far as Austin is concerned.....

I'm probably gonna ruffle some Kaustin/Kaia feathers by saying this lol, but I'll say it anyway since I'm ALWAYS 💯% honest here on my blog....

First off, I'll just say, I think Austin is actually a very nice guy, and definitely seems way more humble and in touch with reality due to his background.

But boy does he have a bad woman picker lol 😂 Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the women he's been with have been "bad women" at all (I actually didn't mind Vanessa back when they were dating pre-covid 🥴), I just think that his personality doesn't always align with who he's dating. So his choices are sometimes like, "seriously?" to me lol. Almost like, he doesn't realize that he could do better. 👀

Tbh, I've often wondered if maybe he got with Kaia because after the lengthy Vanessa rlshp and breakup, maybe he just wanted smthg more low-key, easy maintenance, a pretty girl on your arm for movie premieres and press tours so you're not asked about your ex all the time 🙄, and just someone who can be private, and not rustle feathers too much, or be overly obnoxious on social media. 👀

I could be dead wrong, but I kinda get the impression that he's more so focused on his career right now. Yes, he's been in the business for almost 20 years, but he's JUST now getting his big break, so he's a bit behind than some others who got their big breaks in their early 20s or younger. He could def date an older woman again in the future, but I don't think at this moment in his life that he's really looking for an older woman who might be wanting or pressuring marriage right now.... hence, KAIA. 👀 🤷🏾‍♀️

I actually wouldn't mind Kaia too much if she were at least 25 and came from a regular background like himself. She's private, she doesn't say anything about the rlshp, and many famous ppl need you to be that way when you're dating such a high-profile man. Maybe she took notes from Zendaya lol 🤭

Anyway, I think his focus at the moment is his career. You saw how QUICKLY those engagement rumors got squashed right lol? Rofl 🤣 😂 I'd be a little surprised if he gets engaged to Kaia anytime soon. (I could be totally wrong though)

But he is def a guy who seems to prefer stable, long-term rlshps though, so they will probably last quite a while! They might even surprise everyone and get engaged one day, but I don't see it happening tomorrow, in other words. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Honestly?? I actually think Austin would do well to just be SINGLE for 6 months lol. I know that's a TALL order for a handsome, nice guy in the industry lol, but imo I think it would do him well. He's been through a LOT. Not just his mom's death, but other things in his life as well.

Relationship-wise, he went from an 8-yr rlshp with Vanessa, to then a massive breakup, to then a rebound "situationship" with his Elvis costar Olivia, to then another rebound fling with Lily Depp lol.... like laawwwd dude rofl 🤣 😂 Can't you just be single lol? 🤣

I'll give him a slight pass though, cuz 8 years is a very long time to be with someone, and then NOT have anybody.... I always say that the longer your relationship was, the longer you rebound also. I don't even think they broke up in person face-to-face. 👀

Anyway, IF he and Kaia do breakup one day, I'll be looking to see who he gets with next, cuz if it's some young 21 year old again I'm gonna be giving him the MASSIVE side-eye.

🤨

Anyway, those are my thoughts/opinions.... you don't have to agree. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[organicbabybattles]

Round 1, Side A, Poll 9

Liquorice Momomiya/Mew Liquorice ( @hikaruhoshina ) VS. Olivia Fawkes-Ramirez ( @cherry-bomb-ships )

-----

(art by hikaruhoshina)

What is your baby's name? Pronouns?: Liquorice Momomiya/Mew Liquorice (she/her)

Is your baby from a fandom or original?: Tokyo Mew Mew oc

How old is your baby?: 13

Tell us about your baby!: She was created by the aliens in the story as an artificial human, as having a human fight against the humans was seen as a “fighting fire with fire” and she was trained as a warrior for this purpose. However, a lot of the aliens treated her poorly due to her human appearance and she deluded herself into thinking she was an alien to deal with her treatment.

She came to Earth with the aliens Quiche, Tart and Pie to destroy the human race. There, she ended up becoming infused with the DNA of the Mariana Fruit Bat and became Mew Liquorice which made her very happy as she had different ears and could fly like the other aliens. She became a double agent for the aliens and joined Tokyo Mew Mew under the name “Liquorice Kuroda” and set about to destroy Tokyo Mew Mew from the inside.She joined Ichigo’s school and pretended to grow close to her.

Overtime she began to find she had actually come to care for Ichigo and Tokyo Mew Mew and began to doubt the aliens plans and whether humans were truly as bad as she had believed. After being revealed as a double agent, she leaves the aliens and fully commits to being part of fighting them with Tokyo Mew Mew. Ichigo’s family adopts her and she changes her name to Liquorice Momomiya.

She originally tries to act as a popular and friendly girl with the Mews and other humans but is two faced, being actually calculating and devious but also acts somewhat like a fish out of water. After leaving the aliens, she struggles with coming to terms with what her true personality is.

Anything else you want to add? No.

---

( art by @rexscanonwife )

What is your baby's name? Pronouns?: Olivia Fawkes-Ramirez (she/her)

Is your baby from a fandom or original?: Fandom, my fankid with Junkrat (Overwatch)

How old is your baby?: 5 years old

Tell us about your baby!: Olivia, like I said earlier, is my fankid with Junkrat. Canon-wise, we adopted her when she was 3 years old, almost four, and since then a year and a half has passed and she's aged to five years. Although we adopted her in the UK, she is actually of Irish descent. She lives with me, Jamie, and Mako in our cozy little cabin out in the English countryside (we originally built it there to evade police, but since Jamie joined Overwatch, his name was cleared.) Olivia is shy and reserved, which is a stark contrast to her parents' attitudes, but we don't let that deter us and we do our best to accommodate her. She sometimes struggles to use her words and can be nonverbal on certain days, and when she does talk she's always very polite and soft spoken. I think that she imagines herself as a little princess who has to speak and act properly, but of course like any kid, she enjoys having fun with her parents and with Uncle Mako. Her favorite animal is pigs (much to Jamie's dismay, as she's tried to convince her to like rats more many times) and her favorite thing to do is play dress-up, usually getting everyone else involved too. I definitely have more to say but I may have rambled for long enough, she doesnt have any cool powers or magic or anything but she's our daughter and we love her 🥺💖

Anything else you want to add?: I may have rambled enough in the summary part so just to recap, Olivia's our beautiful precious little girl and while she may be soft-spoken, the love our family has is anything but. 💖💜💖

[endlessnine09]

Never stop learning, improvement in every role he plays. His hardwork , persistence and sincerity is what made him today.

Excellent actor Luo Yunxi !

2015-2023 interview record: full 48 minutes video by 木偶不说谎 here:

https://weibo.com/1797547203/4917346084325235

When I got the script, I started to take notes. From the first episode to all the story lines that happened to him, I recorded them in a notebook and organized them carefully. (2018)

Runyu era 😭

I will watch and follow the drama I performed. The first is to see if there are any deficiencies in my performance. The second is to appreciate a work purely from the perspective of the audience. I think this is a way to improve myself. (2019)

Actors are like this, they have no choice but to empty themselves. If you can't infect yourself, how can you infect the audience. Maybe with the increase of acting experience, I can use more skills and reduce some damage to myself, but I can't. (2020)

In fact, I don’t want to set any goals for myself, I just hope that I can have a clear conscience, take every step well, be worthy of every work, let everyone feel the sincerity of my efforts, and hope that everyone can gain some happiness from my works. (2021)

I don't care so much what I look like, but what I act like. Because you have to be worthy of each of your roles, and then use each role to make yourself grow and improve. (2022)

I really feel that it is not that I have achieved the role, but that the role has allowed me to grow. My original intention is to treat each character with heart and be responsible for each role, this is the responsibility to the audience, and also to myself. (2023)

“Trying out of one's own safety zone is a breakthrough that an actor should make.”

“Every role I have played has more or less my shadow, or a certain characteristic of myself.”

“The most important thing for an actor is to do his job well. There are too many other things, such as the choice of the market, the choice of the audience, etc, that you cannot choose.

All you can choose is to play your own role well.”

“As an actor, I put myself into the role. Although the expression of art comes from life, it is higher than life. You have to jump out of the character itself and then you can know what the artistic creation of this scene is like outside the camera.”

“I feel that every role is like a dream. Even it has been finished, I wake up in another city and suddenly felt that something was missing. This maybe is the feeling of saying goodbye. But the things left by the characters and what they taught me will never disappear.”

“In life, you must constantly adjust your mentality, handle changes with ease and see through it while maintaining your original intention. Don’t think you are too great, don’t look down on everyone around you, give back to each other. This is my growth.”

“You have to fall in love and be able to find the charm of this character. What are his advantages and disadvantages? You have to appreciate him, see his good, but also see his bad. After falling in love with him, accept him, and become him.”

He is unwilling to exaggerate “pain” and more willing to emphasize “persistence”.

“My advantage is that I have a strong sense of rhythm, follow principles, do what I think is right, and don't pay too much attention to the pressure from the outside world.”

“Because I'm a public figure, I will definitely attract more attention. I hope that I can try my best to use this kind of influence to pass on some optimistic attitudes and concepts to others. If I can make everyone feel positive thoughts, then it is enough for me.”

“A large part of my growth comes from the characters I have played. I have been nourished from the stories of the characters themselves and gained perceptions about life.

If you can get inspiration from the character played by Luo Yunxi , I will be very satisfied.”

“It doesn't matter whether you remember #LuoYunxi or not, as long as you can remember the roles he played.”

“There is no shortcut. You have to admit your shortcomings, then learn and persevere.” He knew that he needed to learn more.

“Some people say that he has a “face that can be substituted into the hero of a novel”, but for Luo Yunxi, acting skills are more important than appearance.

“I don't really care what I look like, but how I act like.”

No matter how big or small, he will take every role seriously. Every role will have great challenges.

“You have to be worthy of each of your roles, and then use each role to make yourself grow and improve.”

“What I care about is not how the traffic is after the broadcast of this drama, how is its data, but everyone’s serious attitude towards the work.

Is this a work with heart? Have you felt the sincerity of all our creative staff? Have you felt the connotation of this work and the energy it wants to convey? As long as everyone feels it, it is very satisfying to me.”

“Every role has brought me growth. No matter what kind of role it is, it is a kind of freshness to me. Every role is something I treasure. He brought me growth and taught me some principles of life. I hope that the character and I can intertwine, that we grow and learn from each other. Not only did I play him, he also influenced me.”

“I hope I can spread my warmth to everyone.”

Luo Yunxi ‘s skills and personality is what will make you really fall for him. In their industry controlled by capital, you can find an actor like him, who breakthroughs with his own strength and hard work.