#anyway i'm still obsessed with this game but kind of want to be done with the main story already

[icewindandboringhorror]

I made a few new wax seal stamps out of clay (like the ones I did for my worldbuilding stuff forever ago), this time just of random symbols that I thought might look good done in the style of painting over the raised part of the wax or etc. :0c Some of them aren't carved deep enough to really show up that well, but overall they worked okay for being clay lol

[alethiometry]

what the fuck do you mean there is a FIFTH sage???

[loquarocoeur]

PLEASE make a list. For research purposes ofc🫶 (to further my obsession with yoursverse lestappen)

Sighs dreamily

Just off the top of my head this morning, I'll say some Max-isms that Charles finds cute are:

• Smacking/kicking/elbowing Charles every two minutes when Charles says something stupid, but it's so gentle it wouldn't hurt a fly

• Him saying 'Charles' at the end of every second sentence for no reason other than just to say it

• His lying voice

• His 'I'm so done with Charles' voice

• His embarrassed voice

• His voice in general

• The way he says his S's and T's and R's

• How much of a typical boy Max is

• Him being obsessed with video games

• Him checking out his own biceps in mirrors when he thinks Charles can't see him

• Him not knowing how to decorate/interior design to save his life

• Him not being able to put together a decent outfit that isn't red bull shirt and jeans to save his life

• Him not knowing what SPF is and not believing in skin care and hair routines even though he lets Charles do it for him and hasn't bought 2 in 1 again

• His wrinkly forehead when he's confused

• The crinkles at the corners of his eyes!!!

• His beauty spots, especially the top lip one

• His tendency to speak before he thinks, so even if his face wasn't expressive enough to be an open book Charles hardly ever has to wonder what he's feeling

• His tendency to hide his face in his hands when he's laughing

• Also his tendency to hide his face in whatever part of Charles he can reach when he's embarrassed

• Or how he sometimes just smacks his forehead into Charles' shoulder when he's done with Charles' antics, but he'll let them happen anyway

• Max's talent for finding things in life to be mad about

• How much Max laughs and smiles without even noticing

• How much Max is obsessed with kinder chocolates, tomato soup and carpaccio, like he will eat anything, but it's like his eyes are magnetically locked onto tomato soup and carpaccio on the menu at literally every restaurant, you can physically see when Max found it as an option and there's no hope of him eating anything else

• His love/need for forehead kisses

• The override button he has for being embarrassed to talk about his feelings whenever Charles is even the tiniest bit upset

• All the ways he tries to coax the cats into giving him attention when they just want to live their lives

• His insistence that Leo is Charles' dog and Charles' responsibility, but he keeps finding Max cuddling him where he thought Charles wouldn't catch him or teaching him new tricks which isn't working because Charles is feeding all the pets too many treats for them to still work as a reward system

• His panic response when Charles starts crying for literally any reason including sad movies, honestly even happy ending movies, any kind of tears just give him a panic oh god how do i fix it response

• Max always feeling the need to explain to Charles again that he does hate the crying, but he also doesn't want Charles not to cry because he's allowed to have all his feelings

• T-Rex typing

• His innocent look when he's trying to pretend he has no idea what Charles is talking about when he wants to start a conversation Max won't like

• The thin layer of fat Max never loses over his stomach. He likes it especially in the off season when Max gets to eat lots of chocolates and things

Idk, there are probably loads more, maybe I'll keep a list in my notes app

[ephemeral--dreams]

blood and grenadine

Scar/Reader

Word count: 1,531

Rating: M

Warnings: Scar is his own warning...!

Notes: feral cat reader who cannot accept affection is very important to me thanks. anyway I haven't stopped thinking about scar for a month. get him out of my head

☆ ☾ ☆ ──────────────────

You grit your teeth. It's getting tiring, the way he kept doing this. No, it is stressful. The way he goes around taking people you care about or causing mass destruction to get your attention. You worry that he's going to end up killing someone before you ever get there to confront him. Someone could get hurt, and it'll be your fault, because he's only targeting them because of his obsession with you. You wish he'd just come after you directly instead of doing all this. You don't like these little games he plays.

It's a typical but no less frustrating sight to show up to fire everywhere and screaming and him waiting for you expectantly. His head tilts. “What a coincidence. I've been expecting you.”

“Don't call it a coincidence when you did this on purpose,” it comes out scathing, sharp. He only smiles pleasantly.

“Why stop doing something that brings results? You should stop giving me what I want by showing up. You're conditioning me~”

“You can't-” you look away, trying not to simmer in your own guilt. It's stupid. You know it. He'd caused chaos before you and he'd do it whether you came or not. But you still feel as if it's your fault. If you could manage to stop him then these things wouldn't keep happening, but he always seems to get away after he has his fun. “What do I have to do to make you stop, then?”

It's worth a try. Maybe there's something he wants. Something you can get for him or… you don't know. Anything.

“Stop?” he laughs, as if the very idea is absolutely hilarious to him. Some thin thread inside of you snaps. You can't do this anymore. This cycle of violence. Innocent people getting hurt. The feeling of being helpless against it all.

“This is about me, isn't it? Then come after me. You want to fight? Then I will fight you. You want to hurt someone? Hurt me. Leave out the extra steps to get my attention. You don't need to involve anyone else.”

He's silent for a long moment as he stares at you. It's unusual for him to stop talking. But there's some sort of interest. That's what you're betting on. 

“Do you have any idea what you're offering?”

“I'm offering whatever you want.”

The expression that spreads across his face sends a shiver down your spine, his grin razorblade sharp conflicting with the strange infatuation in his eyes as he steps closer, heat radiating as he steps into your space. You resist the urge to step back. “You. Be mine for the night, and everyone here gets to run free! Isn't it a fair deal?”

There's all kinds of implications there that you don't like. God only knows what exactly he plans to do. Giving him free reign over you for even a night is a terrible, terrible idea. But does your safety really matter in comparison to that of others?

It doesn't. 

“...Fine. It's a deal.”

“You've made an excellent choice, little lamb. Let's not waste time,” the portal opens before you are given even a single chance to second guess, a hand on your shoulder coaxing you through. “Come, come. We'll have a good time, I promise. You'll want to join me when I'm done with you~”

☆

You're so tense. You always are. It's one of the easiest things to notice about you. Though it's rather troublesome when what he needs from you is for you to trust him, let him get into your head. 

“...What do you want me to do,” you ask the moment you're both through the portal, not even a moment to get your bearings. Straight to business. 

"Patience, dearest," Scar murmurs, hand still wrapped around yours in a one-sided grip as he leads you through the maze of halls. "First, we must prepare. Sometimes in order to experience the best in life, you have to shed the old.”

Your silence is uneasy, terse. You're waiting for the other shoe to drop, he can tell. It's like you think he's going to do something awful! As if he would, now that he's finally gotten a chance to get his hands on you in a way that isn't a mere fight. You simply don't appreciate how much effort he goes to just to get you to look at him. You act as if he's always out to torment you for the sake of it. 

Which he's not. His intentions are so clear! How haven't you realized it yet? The obliviousness is as endearing as it is frustrating. It's because you don't think of anything but the weight of the world. Stupid, overly self sacrificial little lamb. Not tonight.

He tugs you through his bedroom to the connecting bathroom. You stand in the corner watching warily as he sets the faucet on the tub running, debating which of the oils he wants to put in. What would you like? He knows so much about you but not such simple things. If only you weren't so resistant. He puts in what reminds him most of your perfume after a long moment of contemplation. Then he moved to light some candles. Too dark in here. Scar paid attention to every detail, setting the mood for the evening.

The water steams as he shuts off the stream. He turns to you expectantly, then moves to guide you over himself when you don't come over. “Well?” If you're not going to undress yourself he has no issue helping you along. 

You look at him. You look at the water. You look back. Suspicious. Hmph. You think a simple bath is an attempt to drown you, is that it? What a warped imagination. He's never met someone so overly cautious. “Little lamb, it's just a bath. You've got ash on you from all that chaos earlier, hm? Get in, come on.”

You look no less defensive over it, movements stiff as you obey regardless, clothing neatly folded as it is removed before you sink into the water with the kind of hesitance that feels entirely out of place for what is supposed to be a moment of relaxation. That's all it is. He just wants to ease the tension. That's it! 

He thinks that it's a good thing the tub is big enough for two, as he strips and slips in behind you. 

"Little lamb, relax," Scar's voice is quiet, his hands on your shoulders, kneading them. All the while, you remain stiff, a contrast to the warmth of the water. You really think he's going to harm you, don't you? Skittish. Perhaps that's not so surprising, but.. He lets out a soft sigh. Adorable, but so difficult. “Enjoy it. I’m not the grasping hand all the time, dearest.”

“You're a violent maniac,” is all you say in response.

“And you're too tense,” He feels a bit like he's coaxing a feral cat into accepting affection. It's as endearing as it is pitiful. Do you even know how to relax, he wonders? With how much you burden yourself with things he wouldn't be surprised if the answer was no. You almost seem more distressed when he's here being gentle with you than when he tries to attack you. As if it's all a complete and utter shock to your system. “It would do you good to let go of things. You can't can't carry so much weight forever, you know.”

You let out a quiet huff, but are otherwise silent. Is the idea really so preposterous to you? 

A little of the tension starts to ease from your body under his attention eventually, though. The slightest bit. But it is a step in the right direction. He's got his work cut out for him if he ever wants to get you to love him back, now doesn't he?

“This isn't a battlefield. I don't intend to hurt you tonight. Alright? I just wanted some alone time with you. You can calm down. You've got to give me a chance, dear~”

You tilt your head to look back at him balefully. “Maybe if you stopped causing me stress…”

“Poor little lamb,” he coos, hands still rubbing over your back. “Does it upset you that much?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Then I'll break into your house next time I want to see you. Then you can't complain. Yes?” Let it not be said that he can't compromise. 

“I- fine. Whatever. Just don't attack anyone. Please.”

“Please? Are we pleading now? How cute. But alright,” Scar leans down to kiss the top of your head. You tense again. “Shh, shh, let it happen~ Don't go all stiff again now.”

“What do you want.”

“I want you to be mine, of course. But I'll accept it if you stop acting like I'm going to stab you in the back every time I touch you, for now.”

“...A tall order.”

“We have all night.”

You sigh. “Try your best, then,” it's all the acquiescence you will offer to his intent. But Scar will take it.

He has you in his grasp now. It's only a matter of time before he gets your heart. 

[mtkay13]

-你身上有光 dyptich-

BACK AGAIN with more "Light on you" stuff! I really can't let go of this passage, haha. And I have A LOT MORE TO SAY so Let's go! (LONG post ahead)

This post will contain:

my own attachment and what I love in this scene

what lead me to depict them like this

a personal translation of the passage in the book

But to begin with, a little something about storytelling. In order to help writers, some "storytelling rules" have been set up and theorised about. Those rules are, of course, meant to be broken, and one does not need to follow them in order to write a good story; but during the storytelling course I followed, a few of those rules have stuck with me, especially this one:

The main character, the hero of the story, will be the one to shine or to "save the day" in the end.

Again--does this rule need to be respected for a good story? Not necessarily, but when struggling with how to manage an ending or a main character, it can be helpful.

Anyway. For me, this scene, the "there's light on you" scene, kind of is that scene--that one scene where ZZS is the main character, is the hero. TYK has an interesting story structure, where if you go by the book of typical wuxia stories, ZCL would be the main character; and if you look at whom goes through the biggest internal journey throughout the story, it would be WKX. ZZS's own story technically spans across both QY and TYK, which makes TYK a bit more about WKX's journey than ZZS'.

But that very scene is not only ZZS saving WKX, but also ZZS reaching the conclusion of his own journey. By the end of QY, ZZS didn't go and meet with Jiuxiao. He deliberately looked the other way, too scared to go check on him, too superstitious; and in the end, Jiuxiao died. TYK puts ZZS in a similar position: someone he loves is away, and the choice to go reach them is in his hands. He decided to respect WKX's wish to go and fight his own battle alone, yet he ultimately went against it, changed and moved on from who he was in QY, to go and fight by WKX's side.

It's no surprise that I'm very into ZZS, and this image of him bathed in light, beating the scorpion to his own game and "taking back" this main character spot... It makes me go insane. Not to mention all the incredible quotes of this passage. "His person"? "There's light on you"? Come on!! I'm also. Obsessed with how and what WKX saw. What he must have felt, as he was ready to die, when he saw his person, his husband, dashingly get rid of all the enemies, almost at the peak of his power, come and "collect his corpse"--save him? Just!! Imagine!!! Imagine being WKX and this is how it ends!!! You're the GVM, you've had the life you've had, you finally meet someone that you truly love, the guy's about to die, then maybe not, AND THEN HE COMES TO SAVE YOUR LIFE AGHHHH 😭😭😭 Sorry, I REALLY like this. REALLY.

-------

cough--So, about their expressions and what I wanted to represent. For ZZS, to me... it was a mix of closure, fondness, and satisfaction. I think that ZZS had a "good time", going back to who he was before: tailing the scorpions, going undercover, ambushing from the shadows--not to mention slowly retrieving his full power. I think that this ZZS feels quite good, especially now that he got the confirmation that WKX is still alive. Then, the feeling of having done "the right thing". He's... beyond regret, now. He was able to follow his heart, quite literally, and that also feels good. The fondness is of course because he's looking at WKX. What else is he supposed to feel?? They haven't met for 3 months! I think that he's worried, but they trust each other. He trusts that WKX will survive this, that he'll be strong, that he won't die on him. So yeah. I wanted this ZZS confident--in himself, in WKX, in the future. WKX is a bit dazed, there. Probably in pain, and a bit stunned as he wasn't expecting it. But he's also... a bit enthralled; by this light, by how impressive and efficient his husband is, and, of course, the fact that ZZS came for him. The person he loves, the person whose life matters more than everything else now that WKX has reached his goal, came for him, came to save him. This stupid guy came for him instead of going to the mountain to prepare on his own. Yet another blatant show of them being so alike, isn't it? I guess... it's just a lot of love, a bit of pride, the faintest hint of him being amused, even--and maybe relief, as well. He won't die, and ZZS is there, and he's strong, and again, like for ZZS, there's a future--which he never allowed himself to properly consider, I believe. -------- Finally, a personal retranslation of that scene. I did it not because I thought it really needed it but because the only existing TL of this part of the book doesn't allow for reposting and I figured I may as well try. So for anyone who doesn't remember the passage or hasn't read the book/reached this chapter, here it is!

The Scorpion raised his hand and was immediately handed a weapon. His smile vanished as he looked at Wen Kexing leaning against the tree, already quite injured. He said: “For someone like the Ghost Lord, I must act in person—it would be quite disrespectful to get someone else to do the job.” 

As he spoke, he raised his hook across his chest and approached slowly. He continued in a low voice: “I invite the Ghost Lord to walk ahead on the Yellow Spring road.” 

He then fell silent, raising the hook higher and higher. Wen Kexing opened his eyes, quietly looking at him, his pitch-black irises like two dark pools of murky water, calm as if he wasn’t the one about to die.

The Scorpion suddenly felt a violent gush of wind surging from the side, charged with killing intent—electrified by an aura of death, goosebumps rising on his skin, he shouted as he lifted his hook in the air and promptly sliced through—the assailant was wearing the black robes of the scorpions, but didn’t wear a mask, had a soft blade in hand—he swiftly avoided the hook; a sudden, sharp pain made the Scorpion cry out as the soft blade wrapped around his arm which, at once, was ripped from his body and fell to the ground. 

The several scorpions standing behind their leader immediately assumed a tactical formation—but then, a dashing figure, a metallic chime, and they all stood, dazzled; one swift move for it to be settled: one man standing, several men on the ground. Whether they were dead or alive, all of those who layed still were missing the arm holding their weapon. 

Wen Kexing recognised the man. He abruptly sighed, and said in a low voice: “Idiot, what are you doing here?”

Zhou Zishu threw him a side glance and sneered: “I came to collect your corpse, madman.” 

The effects of the Nails of seven apertures and three autumns were suppressed by the medicine Da Wu had given Zhou Zishu, and at that moment his gong fu had been restored to nine parts of its peak capacity. If the Scorpion already wasn’t on par should they have a fair fight, then he didn’t stand a chance when ambushed from the shadows. 

Zhou Zishu turned to the Scorpion, the pointed end of Baiyi slightly angled down, and he sharply asked: “You dare threaten my person?”

A bit stunned, Wen Kexing watched the back of the man standing in front of him, and slight shivers started coursing through his fingers resting on the ground. 

The Scorpion’s face was deathly pale, yet he still managed to smile and painfully say: “Ah… Brother Zhou, my apologies, I didn’t expect you to honour us with your presence.” 

He briefly gauged the two men, waving his remaining hand: “Great master, we won’t counter any further. We bid you farewell———retreat!”

The few scorpions that were still alive crawled and scrambled to their feet and hurriedly followed the Scorpion as he withdrew. Zhou Zishu didn’t try to follow and just turned around to face and look at Wen Kexing.

Wen Kexing’s eyes shone brightly, but he simply chuckled: “You should be more careful for…” 

Before he could finish, Zhou Zishu’s eyes focused, he swiftly twirled, the blade that was in his hand suddenly split through the air in a beautiful arch—a tinkling sound as it hit something, and soon enough a muffled groan rose from the woods behind them. Zhou Zishu shook his head and sighed: “Using the same move against the same person twice—are all these scorpions merely one trick ponies? And they dare claim to be on par with Siji manor?”

Wen Kexing watched him, slightly dazed. His mouth curved into a smile as he suddenly extended his hand in the air, trying to catch something.

Zhou Zishu frowned and asked: “What are you doing?”

Wen Kexing said softly: “There’s light… on your body. I’m catching it to see…” 

Thanks for reading!

[knockknockitsnickels]

actually fuck it. Really rushed voices tierlist that I actually have now:

Hero: Duh. He's the obvious choice for top tier and he deserves it.

Narrator: I don't usually consider him a voice but the official poll does so I guess I will too. He's a fascinating character to me & the additions in Pristine Cut only make him even more so.

Broken: Already thought he was funny but post-Pristine Cut I appreciate him more. I'm biased bc in most of the new content he generally approaches dealing with the Princess in the exact same way I do (trying to empathize with and avoid hurting her)

Contrarian: I think a plus side to Stranger's route being so linear is the nice bit of development Contrarian gets to have. I think the way he's used to represent players who just want to mess around is funny, and I like that he actually does seem to care about both the Narrator and the Princess (in certain routes).

Stubborn: He's just like me fr (actually I do think it's interesting that he's one of the voices who - sort of - consistently seems to care for the Princess. He wants to fulfill Adversary's wish, he expresses attraction to Razor, and (correct me if I'm wrong) he's one of the only characters who wants to stay as part of the Wild.)

Skeptic: I actually think I like him & Stubborn equally but he's going down here. Anyway possibly unpopular opinion I do actually like his less-flattering portrayal in the Pristine Cut. While I do kind of miss him being on the same wavelength as Prisoner, I think him becoming so mistrustful and aggressive in Cage is a good development on the themes of that route.

Cheated: Cheated gets brownie points for being funny and being part of Razor. He gets some good moments in the Pristine Cut and has some funny lines. I honestly don't have much to say about him but i do like him ajshgdajsd

Smitten: Deeply unpopular opinion, I like that he goes through his Toxic era in the Pristine Cut. I think it adds more to his character than "the goofy love guy." However he *is* currently in jail for me not because of anything he's actually done, but because I'm annoyed with people who hated Tower/M.O.C immediately leaping to defend Smitten for doing basically the exact same thing. Still, funny character, moisturized and thriving.

Opportunist: This guy sucks but in a way I enjoy. I think he's an interesting character & adds a lot to the Witch route, and having a Voice who is just straight-up a terrible person is kind of fun. I also think he's got enough funny lines to prevent him from becoming too grating.

Paranoid: Another guy I don't have much to say about but I do like. He's so low mostly because I don't have that many thoughts on him - I honestly don't think I got him that much in any of my playthroughs?

Cold: I think Cold is an interesting character - imo he represents the type of Player who's not that invested in the game, and only acts just to see what will happen. He's edgy contrarian. I think that's interesting. I also cannot stand this man I'm sorry. "Edgy aloof guy" is my least favorite character type. Who invited voice of the cold. Get this man off the team.

Hunted: In my heart Cold is at the bottom of this very rushed tierlist but I routinely forget that Hunted exists so he probably belongs here. He gets some good moments in the Pristine cut, but I still don't find that much in him to latch onto. Like Cheated, he was one of the later additions replacing a demo voice (Voice of the Obsessed, who the creators described as "Stubborn roleplaying as Captain Ahab") and I think it kind of shows. Unlike Cheated, he doesn't really have a distinct identity to me & kind of just feels like Paranoid & Broken fused into one ultimate being.

[akechi-stole-my-heart]

I found myself rewatching the scene where the Thieves explain their plan on 11/21, and I noticed something. It's become a common consensus that the whole plan was Makoto's idea, and that's literally not true.

Futaba is the one to come up with the initial idea!

I've seen people use this to frame Makoto as the reckless and self-centered one who was too wrapped up in her genius plan to recognize the danger it put Akira in. And that's just...not even the slightest bit true? Futaba comes up with the cognitive copy idea, aka the part of the plan that requires Akira to put himself in danger. And I really doubt anyone would seriously try to suggest that Futaba doesn't care about Akira's safety. She's his little sister, of course she cares, but this is their only option left. There is no safe way out of this.

Not only that, but look at the way Makoto talks about this plan.

"This is our only option" paired with a sad sprite. Is that really the look of someone who is too obsessed with the genius of "her" plan to recognize the suffering of others? Not in the slightest. Makoto realizes this will be dangerous. She's not happy about it. But they're out of options. This is all they have left.

And I'm not done.

The game goes out of its way to have Makoto say she's glad Akira's okay after the whole things goes down! Makoto does care, you guys. She cares a lot, and this plan was not about her ego. It was about survival. Makoto and the others didn't realize the police would go so far with Akira, and if they had, I bet they would all have been a lot more hesitant to put their leader in that kind of danger.

I'm so sick of the fandom throwing Makoto under the bus for things she literally didn't do. And all the Phantom Thieves, for that matter! They aren't horrible friends for their plan!

I think people forget just how utterly fucked the Thieves are in November. They can't go public about Akechi because no one would believe them and his master would continue to remain unknown and unpunished. They can't go to Sae because she's been corrupted. They can't go to the police for obvious reasons. They're all wanted criminals, and they've been set into a trap they can't turn down by Akechi. What else are they supposed to do? It was either this, or let Akira, and the rest of them for that matter, be framed and murdered. Those were their only options.

They made this plan to save Akira's life. I'm sure if it was an option, any of them would have taken his place. But they couldn't. It had to be him. Akechi knows who the leader is--if he found someone else in that cell, he'd have figured out he was tricked immediately.

And don't act like Akira didn't want to do it. You know he'd do absolutely anything for the sake of his friends. He's a daredevil, he probably got excited at the idea of putting himself at risk like that. He didn't realize how dangerous it'd be, either. Yeah, afterwards he's been traumatized as hell. But that doesn't mean he didn't put himself in that cell willingly. The Thieves wouldn't have made him do it otherwise, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

I've gotten a bit sidetracked with this, but anyway. Stop the Makoto slander, alright? And stop the Thieves slander, too. They did what they had to in an impossible situation. Write your fics about Akira's trauma, but please recognize that it's not the Thieves' fault if he refuses to talk to them about his suffering, and that none of them ever wanted to put him in any danger. It wasn't their fault!

(Like, come on guys. If it's anyone's fault, it's Akechi's? He's the only one who actively put Akira in danger here, lmao. Not that I think Akira would see it that way, ofc, but still. If we're assigning blame here...)

[distant-screaming]

GMM2025 Lineup Game

Rules: write your thoughts on all the gmmtv series pilots released today (or just the ones you plan to watch) and tag any 3 (or more! or less!) ppl whose thoughts you wanna know about!

thank you for the tag @bubbalakebrome!! I actually was writing out my thoughts for @ranchthoughts and thought this was the perfect opportunity to put em up in public too! I'm very fried from exam stuff so if these are poorly worded please forgive me <3

'dee,' you may ask, 'which of these shows are you going to watch?' no idea. I watch stuff after it's done airing, and I'm not sure how much time I'll have next year. still, if I have a positive impression of a show I'm very likely to watch it, so take that as you will!

Dare You to Death - joongdunk: it's....crowded? there's a lot going on, and it feels kind of like they mashed together two separate ideas they had for shows? but I love shows with guns because I get to kill people in my fics so LMAO!! also joongdunk are cool

Head 2 Head - seakeen and surfjava: deeply ambivalent to the actors and I've never seen them before, the plotline seems fine enough but not really my kind of thing? kind of a weird enemies to lovers I think

Burnout Syndrome - offgun + gundew(?): fascinating stuff happening here!! however. unfortunately. I don't really care. offgun are not my thing and the plot doesn't really intrigue me, it just feels dark and edgy in a way that's not my style. gun in black lipstick was something though!!

I Love A Lot of You: LIKE… OKAY GUYS… CAN WE LEAVE THE ABLEISM?? anyway. het show so I wasn't really paying attention, also has kind of split personality disorder but I'm not sure how well gmm will handle it based on their track record? anyway nanon's in it but shrug

Whale Store XOXO - milklove and junemewnich: .........shrug? sorry yuri fans I'm very ambivalent to this one, it feels like fluff the way 23.5 was fluff? not a high school gl at least! I might end up watching this, but I'm not on the edge of my seat for it

Only Friends season 2 - earthmix, ohmleng and jossgawin: INSANE. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one because (glances at season 1)......theatre kids only friends is incredibly funny though

That Summer - winnysatang, mondryu and neomint: WINNYSATANG MAINS YAY!!! the more amnesia, but it looks interestingly done at least, and it's a jojo show and I trust him. tang being a prince is... this drama has the space to either become overdramatic fanfic or really really good and I'm desperately hoping for the latter. tang's chara is an amnesiac prince. I get to write ballroom dancing scenes. I win. mond kisses a guy which is awesome, neomint is a thing and I am deeply ambivalent to mint

My Romance Scammer - juniormark, ohmfluke: this one's concept is deeply funny to me, but the execution could vary! lowkey the energy it's giving is mame show if mame was not obsessed with blurring consent? trashy fun watch energy. also, ohmfluke doing this one is great because their most well known show is like Heavy and Serious and this one is 'I marry this guy as a gay marriage scam and fall in love'. incredible no notes. also can the actors start naming themselves fluke1, fluke2, ohm1, ohm2

Melody of Secrets - forcebook: YES. YESSSS. THIS ONE'S FOR ME. LITERALLY FOR ME. CLASSICAL MUSIC, HORROR ESQUE PLOT, SEMI MURDER, ESTABLISHED GAY PEOPLE, MAYBE MISTAKEN IDENTITY? INCREDIBLE NO NOTES. also forcebook are like, solid actors for me so yay no issues there! I want my blorbos in incredible angst STAT

Love You Teacher - perthsanta: age regression. also perth's character is just a dick to kids for no discernable reason. amnesia. age regression????

Mu-Te-Luv - multiple pairings (seven I think?) gay ones are ohmleng and seakeen: I'm usually pretty chill with anthology style shows, they're fun enough! jamie's in this one and AHEM CLEARS THROAT I LOVE JAMIE JUTAPICH!!! so. the chances of me watching this are low simply because of my backlog, but it looks interesting enough! also there's ladyboy (I hope that's the right term) characters, and I don't know how good the representation is gonna be but it's there! neo is one of them (??)

Cat for Cash - firstkhao: this is just firstkhao get paid to flirt and play with cats the series, and honestly good for them!! a little supernatural element ie first can hear cats' thoughts, which I'm curious where that will go? but overall very low stakes show, seems like the kind of thing I'd binge in a day. firstkhao are fun. I hope people are capable of being normal about a low stakes show heart emoji. I personally think it's a chill watch but I'm not bouncing off walls excited. first is handsome though

Girl Rules - namtanfilm, milklove, viewmin: high heat messy drama shows I prefer to watch in gifs and skipped around eps, but we love messy lesbian representation always!! view plays a straight (soon to figure out she's not so straight) girl which I think is kind of funny. I hope they make out a lot

Boys in Love - papangpodd, lukemick, astonchokun: hello there, obligatory gmmtv high school show! I'm pretty happy with this one, because the actors are all actually young I'm pretty sure and they're all new so it's a nice start for them, very classic. I don't know any of them. papangpodd are there, and as soon as papang appeared I started crying loud and violent tears because I am deeply and unambiguously in love with him. I hope he commits hr violations on school grounds

My Magic Prophecy - jimmysea, teefranc: it's a doctor x psychic, and it feels like a vice versa but not really. the trailer was kind of boring in the sense of composition and scene choices and such. forced proximity trope, which I sometimes do not really like so this one is on thin ice. no idea who the side pairing are yay

A Dog and A Plane - taynew, marcpoon: banger cast!! I haven't seen taynew in anything yet I don't think? but I've heard good things? marc is my beloved, of course. the plot is incredibly interesting at first look, though the cheating thread kind of bothers me? whether it will win out over my enjoyment of the rest of the trailer is yet to be decided. judgement's still out on this one

Me and Thee - pondphuwin, perthsanta: overdramatic spoiled rich kid pond who is obsessed with lakorns x photographer phuwin. incredibly hilarious dynamic. I enjoy pondphuwin, and I enjoy rich kids who grow. seems interesting for sure

Wu - skynani (bl or bromance? unclear): they really looked at the skynani popularity, said bet filmed one (1) scene and stuck it in the lineup. good for them! I hope they kiss! there's golden thread of fate involved, which is fun. I don't want to watch if it's bromance though, my backlog yearns to be freed as is

Ticket to Heaven: RELIGIOUS TRAUMA AND INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA CATHOLIC EDITION THE SHOW????? FROM G4???? WILD STUFF. WIIIILD. I'm very excited for this one, it seems there's heavy topics so hopefully they're dealt with well. g4 will slay I know already. religious imagery goes hard in fanfic if literally nothing else. I will probably cry with this one. I will still watch it. I was also informed that gem went to a catholic high school. fun!

Tagging: @winnysatang @jojotichakorn @lamonnaie @pondphuwin @jjsanguine @cornflowershade! apologies if any of you have been tagged before <3

[ask-squidbeaks-agents]

Staring at Four and Kay and rotating them in my mind

Got any 4K bits you haven't had a good chance to share yet that I could ask for?

They are one of *the* ships of all time

// Oh I mean they may be my own characters that I'm obsessed with but I wouldn't call them that... they're just my silly idiots lol- But I do! Mainly stuff I haven't had the chance to draw or write yet- I still find it a little crazy how much some people like these two- Anyway here's a ship chart I've done for them- I've done it for 3/8 and my idol ships but- not important rn lol

// Everything under here is going to be rambles cause I'm a loser who's obsessed with their own characters lol

// I haven't shown much of their dynamic outside Four teasing Kay but generally Kay's pretty normal around Four, he just gets flustered from her teasing and what not. In fact Kay also likes to kinda tease Four- in a very friend like way for instance holding something she wants above her head till she says please.

Kay and Four met about- 4 years prior to this blog or 2 years prior to Splat3, I am attempting to write out this first meeting so once it's done it'll be posted here and maybe on AO3 (however I'm a slow writer- might take... some time lol)

Four has saved Kay's butt on multiple occasions however there was one specific time where she full on saved him from getting shot, it was during this case- Kay had been lured out for getting too close to solving it, Four had tailed him and from the shadows using a charger prevented the assailant from shooting Kay. While there are many reasons he loves Four this was the moment he realised.

The moment Four realised she loved Kay- he was helping her with a mission, and while Four jumped over the fence no problem, Kay's suspenders (that he doesn't wear properly) got caught on said fence causing him to fall and land himself upside down against the fence. Of course Four found it hilarious and it was just this kind of "Oh I love this idiot" moment.

The reason Four, who is much more confident in her feelings then Kay is, hasn't confessed is because 1. she finds him getting flustered cute. 2. she wants him to actually have the confidence in their relationship and 3. she won't admit it but she's actually scared of ruining their relationship- she worries that she isn't actually good enough (which is the same reason Kay won't confess, that and while he knows Four likes him as a friend he doesn't think her feelings are actually anymore than that)

The pair share a few interests, they have similar tastes in music- Four loves it when Kay shares his music, it might not always be her taste but it makes him happy so it makes her happy- they also both like video games- Four's more into RPG or action games akin to like Sonic or Persona whereas Kay is more into puzzles and horror like Resident Evil.

They understand and respect each others boundaries but ironically they are also the except to the rule like in Fours case- Four hates physical contact and others being in her personal space to which Kay then goes out of his way to not be too close to Four but Four actually likes being next to him but she also does very much appreciate the fact Kay understands that boundary.

OH- There's this one little story idea I had for them- something silly not really agent related- Four gets herself caught out in the rain, luckily she's slightly more water resistant but Kay runs into a very soaked Four. Obviously he's extremely worried for her despite her waving off his concerns but eventually he convinces her to at least get indoors and get dried. Four points out his place is closer and they should go there to which he reluctantly agrees. Once arriving Kay instructs Four to stay by the door while he grabs her a towel which he gently throws upon her head once returning. Four being Four then starts to a bit too roughly dry her head to which Kay promptly stops her- reminding her that she's still in very melty state and she'll hurt herself doing it like that. Kay points her to the bathroom where she can go dry herself and get changed (into one of his old t-shirt/shorts) Four complies and returns shortly after dried and with her soggy agent gear which she hands to Kay who throws it into the dryer. He says it wont take long but Four points out its really late, she might as well just- crash at his place for the night- she'll just sleep on his couch. Kay is- a bit taken a back at the suggestion but realises she's right by the time her gear will be dried it'll be super late. So he agrees, reluctantly, to which Four wastes no time in running to his living room and checking through all the games he has (cause she wants to play some) She finds that he's got a game she has been dying to play and begs him to let her try it, obviously he lets her (seeing her face when he agreed was- way too adorable for him) Kay sits and watches Four play for a bit before ending up asleep on the couch next to her, when Four realises this she turns off the game before just- leaning her head against his shoulder for a bit before falling sleep herself.

Kay definitely plays rank in his free time, he's tried to convince Four to join but every time she refuses- at first he thinks it's because she's too high a rank for him (He's like A-) but he learns it's actually because she too low a rank to join which major surprise considering the feats he's seen her do. When he finds out he actually offers to help teach her which she initially refuses, pointing out how her whole family are S/X rank and none of them have been able to teach her. Kay understands but does point out that he doesn't play like her family, they're strict and pro, taking rank very seriously where as he's just- a causal player and is much more loose about playing the games and that might be the approach she needs. Four is yet to actually agree to train with him (more out of embarrassment for herself) but she has started to consider taking up his offer.

[twig-tea]

Hi!

So Cherry Magic Thailand was amazing. Which really surprised me. I still have reservations about the next jbl adaptations by Thailand, but I guess we'll see. Anyway, because of that I have been thinking about this.

Which existing series do you think could benefit from an adaptation by a different country? That could maybe give the story a different perspective or simply because they would have different resources? Thanks

Rose💜

Thank you so much for this ask, Rose, and apologies for being so slow to answer!

The first obvious answer to this is anything from the censored era of Chinese BL being picked up by a different country. We're already seeing the benefits of that in Taiwan's adaptation of DaGe in Unknown the series, which from what I've been told is not only going to allow some intense kisses (possibly, if the actors aren't trolling us, more explicit sex scenes than are actually in the original Priest novel, though I'm not going to assume we're getting anything until I see it), but also with changes like a reduction in the homophobia of characters. Recently they announced SaYe/Chasing the Light was optioned for a film version outside of mainland China, so I'm now hopeful some of the stuff that was shelved is going to get made after all, and maybe with less censorship. That being said, a whole list of just censored dramas that were based on BL novels would be boring. So instead I'm considering what shows did I like but wanted to see done again in a different way, and which country would handle the themes and style of the original in a way that would be fun to watch?

I'm thinking about Love Stage!!! Which was a Japanese manga adaptation with a version from both Japan and Thailand, and My Dead Gangster Oppa which was adapted from a Korean webtoon, and Why R U Korea adapted from the Thai show, and how the productions in the different countries would change what we get. So, I'll be basing my answer on those as well as CMT you referenced.

[Sidenote: originally I was going to say Thailand should adapt Man Who Defies the World of BL except with Series-Y tropes and then realized that's exactly what Why R U was supposed to be in the first place--it would be neat to see a Korean version of this storyline with webtoon tropes (we kind of got that with Our Dating Sim but they went with dating game tropes instead). ANYWAY that's not really an adaptation so I'm not including it below, but putting it into the universe.]

Enough waffling, let's go!

Twig's Foreign Adaptation Wish List

Taiwanese adaptation of 2gether

Hear me out. If we're going to see this story again, I want better reasons for needing to fake date and better chemistry once they're actually dating, and I can imagine Taiwan adding in the angst and chemistry to make this show work through to the end. Taiwan would also have no problem keeping Sarawat's obsession with Tine's pecs in the storyline (critical inclusion, imho), and we know Taiwan loves a "they met before and this is fate" plot so I think this would work well. Switching Sarawat's obsession with Scrubb to something else would be a really interesting cultural shift and would help ground the series in the adaptation country.

Korean adaptation of I Can Hear the Sunspot / Silhouette of Your Voice

@absolutebl has said this before and they're right, this is the one JBL manga adaptation that I'd love to see it done again as a series with enough time to fully handle the character development that happens in the manga. NGL in my heart of hearts I'd want Japan to take another crack at it, but for this game I'll say Korea. I know Korea has a few good disability narratives (thinking of the love for Twinkling Watermelon I've heard about recently) so I think they could do a good job. Korean media also handles silence well and that's pretty critical for this one; they could also do some interesting things to illustrate the changes in the main character's hearing.

Japanese adaptation of Love Sick

I am envisioning a reverse Cherry Magic scenario, in which the foreign adaptation follows the written source material better than the domestic adaptation did, and then adds their own flair. Now take this with a grain of salt because I haven't read the novel, but my understanding is that the original Thai novel is about Pun and Noh as the main characters with the music club all there but the dramatic side heterosexual storylines are not nearly as front and center, and they were added to pad out the show because folks weren't sure how a BL series would land. I know there is already a Thai remake but let's pretend that's not happening. Japan handles earnest and sweet school-aged first loves well, and can handle the goofiness required of the Noh character, and deeply understands and portrays found family core friendships well, and I bet a Japanese production would do a great job with that core storyline. We don't get a lot of larger friend groups in Japanese BL and I want to see a Japanese production handle that. The one thing that gave me hesitation about this was the importance of the busking subplot and I don't think busking is a big thing in Japan the way it is in Thailand and Korea but that could be another opportunity for making it feel more grounded in the adapting country so I'm keeping it as-is.

Thai adaptation of Boyband Love

I'm going to steal the idea that I've seen @lurkingshan @bengiyo and @shortpplfedup mention before and riff of it to say that Daou and Offroad should be in a boyband BL; this is a main reason why I want a Thai remake of the Filipino series Boyband Love [which I don't actually recommend but, fun fact, had an out gay couple starring in it but they were not paired together in the show--Gus, who plays the lead Danny, has 2 kids with Louie who plays the side character Rico]. Thailand is clearly desperate to do a boyband BL so that they can make money off the concerts; Boyband Love as a story is already calibrated to be cheap to make because it's about a band getting ready to debut, and Thailand can scale it up from the original show. It's also no longer a period of COVID restrictions so crowds can be brought in. The storyline is pretty much what I would want of a Boyband BL: rivals within a band to lovers, pining amongst band members, underwater kiss, industry drama, and (spoilers for a 2020 series) the decision to essentially do BGP but keep their relationship secret. Thailand would have fun with that, I think. And they can add a little more heat, it's very important to me that something happens in the practice room pls and thank you.

Japanese adaptation of Middleman's Love

Japan gets two because they can do this type of comedy so well, and I really liked the bones of the Thai version so I'd love to see it done again. Japan can also handle trauma narratives so if they wanted to do both Bed Friend and Middleman Love they would be able to handle it. Korea is really good at balancing humour and trauma, but Japan is so good at losers who don't think they deserve love, and also excellent at pining, so I'm giving this one to Japan.

Korean adaptation of Triage

We're getting Korea twice because I haven't seen Korea do much in the way of genre BL yet, and while I admit this may be slightly influenced by me watching Hospital Playlist right now, Korea can handle the fast-paced ER scenes that are throughout this show, as well as the mix of drama and comedy. I'd love to see a more highly produced version of this show, and I know Korea can handle this kind of time loop shenanigans and heavenly spirits helping the protagonist along from kdramas. I liked the original a lot but I'd love to see it done again a little more tightly!

Bonus nonsense one: Taiwanese version of Calculating Love

This one is literally just for me. Ok listen I know I'm the only one who likes this show, and that's fine, it doesn't actually deserve attention. And it's so small that it would never be adapted. But I loved this dorky little short about nerds flirting with calculus and I want more. Taiwan is fantastic at dorks falling in love narratives, and so many of the HIStory series were short school BL, so I think they'd do an excellent job tightening up the story in the back half which got a bit meander-y and keeping the heat that's already there.

Thank you again for the really fun ask, Rose! 💕

[mecachrome]

get to know me tag game

tagged by @liamlawsonlesbian 🥺 lub u

last song i listened to: lmfao so my friends and i went to a sebeuntin concert together recently and while we were hanging out got kiof stickayy stuck in our heads and would randomly burst out singing HOW LONG BEFORE WE FALL IN LOVE in public so i listened to that last night while playing with my cats... unnecessary story time. also re: apateu we did that and many other clerb classics at karaoke which was a blast

favorite colors: lilac <3 as everyone knows. and then mint/teal and sunshine yellow are up there

currently watching: new abbott season and arcane s2! this was my twitter header for like 3 months when the first season came out like das my morally ambiguous babeyyy... i'm also watching current gbbo season but i'm somewhat behind and got spoiled about my fav being eliminated so now i'm like :/ also the redditors were pissing me off about her voice / attitude / etc. like OKAY WE GET IT U HATE WOMENNNN be quiet. anyway recently finished the english teacher s1 + only murders s4 which was my fav season of the entire show so far :3c good stuff

last movie i watched: i've fallen off so hard with movies these days someone needs to hit me over the head and tell me to get my brain into gear... but i did watch Look Back (2024) which i came into with very limited knowledge and was appropriately emotionally destroyed by. need to watch anora soon!

currently reading: gorl... don't worry about it. let's just say i need to stop reading fanfiction for a fandom that hit its peak in 2013 😔

sweet/savory/spicy: exactly as jo said i'm sweet > spicy > savory all da way!!! i have the biggest sweet tooth in the world it's dangerous i literally Don't Play Around about dessert. and half my family is from sichuan so u know i love my mala :saluting_face: even if it makes my tummy hurt after...

last thing i googled: nice try FBI!!!!

current obsessions: my kitties... T__T honestly they are my whole entire world every day i am filled with so much affection over how perfect and cutieful and lovely they are :( and obvious op81/f1isms aside recent gaming obsession is playing fields of mistria is anyone else into that!!! also k-pop adjacent but i've gone full eyekon lately i need them to release a new ep + tour asap because why are they kind of the perfect group LOL... but i'll stop talking k-pop on da f1 blog soz.

currently working on: omg i really want to crochet a bib thing for my kitties i think it would be cute TT and i still have the 814 girldad comics i sketched out that i need to finish incl. some suggestions people gave me as well... and i really want to work on potential stuff for aus25 but i'm like ??? idk we'll see... i was thinking of drawing my Own f1 snoopy merch without the huge lvgp logo taking 40% of the real estate lolol but it's all very ambiguous atm. also crazy how march 2025 is much closer than it seems!!! why does time pass so fast

i think everyone has done this tbh... apologies for belated rambling 😪

[icewindandboringhorror]

Recent sky photos 

[rainbow-journalist]

Have you ever thought about doing other things other than what you are currently doing?

Good question, I'm interested in drawing other characters, although my current obsession is RAIN CODE and mainly drawing Makoto/Yuma in different situations with my alternative ideas. I like the others too, I want to show some drawings of Kurumi Wendy and I should probably practice more on drawing the Shinigami's hair. (I only drew her twice during these months...)

I haven't done this yet, because I still want to show my latest compilation of drawings I made of Makoto and Yuma, and that, some characters are difficult for me to draw, the hair and clothes, and my art is simple.

1It's also been kind of fun to answer these questions with drawings along with them. Another way for me to show my ideas. You'll probably keep seeing me post this for a while until I probably have another new hyperfocus next year, or stop enjoying what I'm doing, it's normal, right?

I made this drawing and there is a Context behind it, my first time drawing Desuhiko Thunderbolt, sorry if it didn't turn out very well, maybe I should draw him more to practice.

Context : "At some point, someone sends a challenge to Desuhiko on the phone about him and Yuma holding the hands of the CEO of Amaterasu for 1 whole day"

I based it on an Undertale video, where Asriel and Frisk held Chara's hand and created some cute and funny scenes with it.

I think Makoto/Desuhiko would be funny together, Yuma always being the balance of any relationship.

Tw: Makoto without mask

Yes, by his reaction, he clearly didn't like the idea, if you consider this to be post-game, he just wants to be focused on his work, and finds this kind of distraction a waste of time. But deep down, he liked it... (how would coalescence work like this? )

I don't know why I always make him look annoyed, I think it's cute because he looks like an angry cat, or one that's ready to commit a hate crime like that.

Okay, he has his justifications for always being angry, right? Desuhiko, you're really not helping yourself much... you don't even know what will happen if Makoto loses control of his anger. How can such a short and cute being accumulate so much anger ?

Anyway, I have other ideas for drawings, I just need to find cool poses for them, and draw the other characters, because it can get boring to always have the same ones, right? Sorry for this.

[jamietxrtt]

augusnippets day 17--

i'm using one of the alternate prompts for today-- wearing caretaker's clothes

Roy is trying to be less of a hardass these days. Really, he is.

It's nearly five in the morning, and Roy is huddled under an umbrella while Jamie runs laps in the rain.

He tried to give Jamie the morning off. The rain is more than just a drizzle-- the drops are fat and thick, coming down with enough force to hurt when they find your bare skin. But when he offered to let Jamie go home, the kid gave him a quizzical look. "It's just a bit of rain, mate," he said.

So here they are. Roy standing under the umbrella, his socks soaked through anyway from splashback, and Jamie drenched as a kitten in bathtime, his hair plastered all flat and unappealing against his forehead.

The still-dark morning sky flashes suddenly, the low rumble of thunder making Jamie stumble. The next time Jamie loops back around on his laps around the park, Roy grunts, "Stop."

Jamie does. "Yeah?" He keeps jogging in place, likely trying to keep warm in the chill of the wet morning.

"We're done out here."

"What?" Jamie stops moving then. "No. I can keep going."

"Nope. Come on. Come back to my house."

"Don't go easy on me, Roy."

"I'm not. I just don't wanna fucking be out here anymore. You can do fucking burpees in my living room or whatever if you're that obsessed with tiring yourself out-- just come on."

Jamie finally relents, following Roy like a duckling back to Roy's place.

To keep Jamie from dripping too long on the hardwood floors of Roy's entryway, Roy tosses him a spare sweatshirt and pair of sweatpants after changing himself. Jamie stares at the dry clothes blankly for a moment, then looks up at Roy. A strange smile starts crawling its way across Jamie's face.

"What?" Roy asks.

"You're getting soft, old man." That smile is hard to describe-- it's amused, but condescending, like Roy is some befuddled old granddad whose confusion Jamie finds endearing. "You never would've let me get out of that a year ago."

Roy shrugs. "Yeah, well." He's trying to be less of a hardass.

His first reaction, when Sam landed himself in the hospital with a sprained knee from training (training, not even a game), was to be defensive. There had been pointed questions from Rebecca, about whether Roy was pushing the team too hard to the point where this kind of accident was inevitable, and Roy was still thoroughly in his no-fuck-you-I’m-right phase of responding to the situation. It took a few sessions with Dr. Fieldstone to get him to change his tune.

“That’s how I was trained as a kid. They pushed us ‘til we dropped and then pushed us some more.” Roy shook his head. “Don’t see anything wrong with it. I’m not fucking Ted, y’know. Everyone should’ve known I was gonna run the boys harder than he did.”

Dr. Fieldstone hummed diplomatically, as she often did when Roy got himself worked up into an angry rant. When it became clear he wasn’t going to continue, she prodded. “And how do you feel about your coaches from that time?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your coaches when you were a child. That pushed you like that. When you think of them now, how do you feel?”

“Christ, I fucking hated them. Still do. If I ever see fucking Shelby again, I swear to God--”

“And is that how you want the boys to feel about you?”

She’s good at her job, that one.

Now, he turns to Jamie. “I’m… working on it, I guess.”

Jamie shakes his head as he turns to duck into Roy’s guest bathroom to change. “You’re fucking weird, man, you know that?” He calls through the door. “I can never predict what you’ll do next.”

“Thank you,” Roy says, honestly, but it makes Jamie laugh.

He reappears a minute later sufficiently less dripping, and now it’s Roy’s turn to stifle a smile. That sweatshirt is already big on Roy, which means it’s even bigger on Jamie-- his sleeves are too long, and he’s bunched them up over his hands. The Jamie-ness of the habit sparks a strange fondness in Roy, and he has to fight to re-school his expression. Despite the dry clothes, though, he still looks pretty tragic. His hair has been messed up by the process of changing his clothes, and now it’s spiking all over the place like Jamie’s stuck a fork in an outlet.

Roy elects not to tell him, hoping it’ll dry like that.

“Why are you so obsessed with training today, anyway?”

Jamie tosses him a quizzical look, like the answer is glaringly obvious. “Gotta be ready for Saturday, don’t I?”

Roy feels his face soften against his will, feels his eyebrows un-knit. “Jamie.” They’ve had a few more run-ins with City since everything with Jamie’s father went down, but he always manages to work himself up into a state whenever they’re slated to play Richmond. “You’ll be okay.”

Jamie just shrugs it off.

“So, then,” he says, brushing past Roy. “What was that you said about burpees in your living room?”

“Uh, no. I was joking.” He trails Jamie as the younger man doesn’t stop. “Jamie. You are not getting my clothes all sweaty. Hey-- Jamie.”

[sapphorror]

Now that you have read the ZimVoid arc, what are your toughts on Zib and Za2r (Zib❤Zim2[2im{twoim}])?

I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED!!! alright, maybe I was definitely going to say this all anyway, but now I have a decent excuse to braindump it all at once instead of trying to write, I don't know, coherent analysis.

Yeah, I'm obsessed with this guy. I'm still only just starting to build a proper 3D model of him in my head, so don't take anything I rave about here too seriously, but my god is Zib something else. Also, really cute. No one told me he'd be cute and I wasn't at all equipped to deal with what I got. I was operating under the assumption he was going to be at least a LITTLE cool, but this is the most pathetic wet meow meow of a character I have ever seen, and that is no small statement.

(Also also, is it just me, or does the way Zib's drawn remind anyone else of rubber hose animation like, moreso than the comics artstyle generally does? I can't quite pin down what's making it feel that way, but I like it. Gives him Vibes™, y'know?)

Anyway. Fusions like Zib are always going to be fun, just for what they imply about their component characters and the game of trying to identify what characteristics come from where. And Zib is especially fun for this because Zim and Dib are such similar people to begin with. It honestly doesn't surprise me that the Zimfluence went initially unnoticed by our Dib, not just because he's more prone to cognitive bias than he likes to believe, but because there are so many overlapping traits between these two guys that Zib wasn't so much altered by the fusion as he was exacerbated. They blend seamlessly to the point it's really hard to pick out where one ends and the other begins, and in a different kind of story, Dib might actually be forced to reflect on what that implies about him and his motivations. As is, he's just going to keep fooling himself, though.

Probably the most obvious dichotomy between them, at least where it applies to Zib, is motive, and that definitely brings up some interesting questions. When he chooses to take over the Earth, is that the Zim side disguised by Dib-passing justifications, or does it say a whole lot more about Dib's actual loyalty to the Earth against his loyalty to opposing Zim than anyone would really like it to? How about the total lack of internal conflict when it comes to decimating the Armada and wrecking the Irken Empire? What does that say about Zim's ultimate loyalties?

Granted, I am at this point pretty certain Zib didn't just put on the PAK and call it a day, I think he took precautionary measures to ensure that the Dib half remained the 'dominant' personality, given that in 10 Minutes to Doom we see him completely subsumed by Zim's coding, so this isn't a perfect equal split. But it is still a split—Zib clearly did not have the foresight to account for everything, if he even wanted to—and the fact he prepared himself for this is itself interesting, because it means the decision was premeditated, not done on a whim during some momentary mental break. This might even be why he's half-Irken; instead of the PAK altering his biology, maybe Zib altered his biology so it could survive the long-term integration of the PAK. And isn't it just insane to imagine any version of Dib willingly body-horroring himself like that, stripping away his own humanity? When he accused our Dib of being just another ignorant human, could that maybe be a sign that he didn't want to have anything in common with those people anymore?

None of this is what really gets me about Zib, though. This is.

Admittedly, I'm sort of predisposed here, because I have this whole Thing about Dib's unfaltering belief he can somehow prove himself to humanity, despite all evidence to the contrary, being in essence identical to Zim's delusion that he's already adored by all... that's it's whole own post, tbh, but my point is Dib's ostracization wouldn't be solved by exposing Zim, and it's fun to see that explicitly confirmed.

But it's also more specific than that. Because what Zib was forced to realize here is that he destroyed the only person capable of actually caring about him. And that's why the Zimvoid is the Zimvoid, isn't it? Zib could've used those portals to escape anywhere or lure in anything, but instead he does this. Part of that's the obsessive need to succeed where he'd previously failed and decimate the Armada (+ repeatedly 'defeat' Zim because he's still too emotionally stunted to understand that's not actually what he needs), and I think all of that is important, but there's also something to be said about how deeply driven Dib is by the desire for external validation, and here he went and fused himself with the one person in the universe who might be even more love-hungry than he is. Zib's not afraid of being alone simply because he dislikes isolation—I mean, even within the Zimvoid, he still physically and ESPECIALLY emotionally isolates himself from the other Zims. Being the only person left in his reality means there's no one to admire his greatness, and given who he's a combination of, of course that's his worst nightmare. And ridiculous as it may be, he understands that Zim is the only person who's ever given him that kind of attention. So why not make a whole planet of them? Why not trick them into idolizing him? I mean, who else could even matter besides Zim?

Also? This one's sort of auxiliary to the last point, but there is something deeply, deeply sexy and thematically chewy in Dib wanting/needing Zim so badly that he quite literally became him, and that not being enough. I mean, what is the Zimvoid but a huge collector's display? And it's exactly this that makes him the architect of his own ultimate tragedy. I have a thing for characters who damn themselves not through any single choice, but by passing up a million little opportunities to save themselves, totally confident in their decisions right up til the moment it actually is too late. He could've used those portals to escape to another timeline. He could've designed the Zimvoid as anything other than a ticking timebomb of lies, conflict, and an ever inflating population of lunatics. He could've given up on his destructive plans and just enjoyed the huge fucked up harem he built for himself. He could've quit while he was ahead.

And the really funny thing is, even after the collapse of the Zimvoid, his total isolation is still a consequence of his own actions. I mean, the Zim from his own timeline literally cannot be taken away from him through any method short of murder. He's still right there. But by winning, by possessing his Zim to the point of consumption, Zib defeated the entire purpose of having Zim in the first place. They'll never be separated, and that's exactly the reason why he'll always be alone.

As for ZA2R... hm. I'm not sure if I have much to say about them just yet, but suffice to say I am Deeply Compelled. I'm always weak for that (false) god x worshipper dynamic. It's about someone as lonely and broken and closed off as Zib finding out the hard way that they're still capable of genuine love, no matter how bad they are at it, and there's something very special in every Zim's desire to be someone's favorite being so specifically exploited. I mean, the dynamic of highest subordinate is essentially identical to the one Zim likes to imagine he has with the Tallest, only actually real. Dishonest and exploitative, to be sure, but still real. And hey, important question, but what about #2's personal Dib and the fact Zib is always going to be implicitly competing against the person actually cosmically destined for his partner, because he fucked his own cosmic destiny up so badly? Or the inevitable spectacle of Dib's semi-latent yandere tendencies being brought to bear against himself?

Also! Shameless Homestuck chatter, but I take so much joy in pale ZADR dynamics (black diamond romance my beloved), and the fun thing about ZA2R is that their default pacifier/pacified dynamic swaps. In, uh, normal person terms, they've managed to contrive themselves a situation in which Zim is actually the comparatively sane/stable one, keyword comparatively, and being worked to death about it. There's nothing I love more than a justified role reversal, y'know?

THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT FOR NOW but like I've been thinking about these guys nonstop for 24 hours already, I WILL be losing my mind about them again. I don't know when, I don't know how, but it's gonna happen.

[cbedfordart]

Hey! Question from one wannabe game design graduate who is also an artist and wants to make their own (very simple) little game one day - how is it like working on a game set to release one day? Did u feel discouraged learning a new skill (?) after already being a pro artist? Was the game a random idea or have you guys been planning this since a long time? Btw super excited for Sorry We're Closed and I'm obsessed with the retro look and artstyle <33

Firstly THAnk you so much for being into Sorry We're Closed - it's my lil bby pride and joy so I'm glad someone out there in the wider world is looking forward to it! I'll try and answer your questions in order and not ramble too much! I'm a little older now, and gotten to that point where deadlines aren't so scary anymore. There's a point in which you learn to live with what you can make, rather than trying to make something that's not what's within your ability (which is why we always want more time to get better while we work). But after a while you just realise its better for the idea to be out there in the world where other people can see what you were trying to do! Admittedly i will do a lot of hours sometimes if i REALLY want something to be a certain level or if I'm particularly stuck on something , but a deadline keeps me realistic. It allows for the thing to be good and exist, rather than perfect and existing only in my mind. Learning a new skill was actually extremely exciting. I wanted to absorb everything like a sponge. I hadn't done any 3d modelling before 2020 seriously (i tried zbrush once in like 2015 and i kept crashing my computer lol). I just wanted to keep going because it was so fun seeing my creations come to life! I always dreamed of designing game characters and it was literally happening before my eyes. Also, the indiedev community is extremely kind, helpful and resourceful. There's lots of free knowledge out there, and people who are willing to talk to you and help you figure things out! Being trained as an artist honestly only helped the modelling endeavour. Having an understanding of anatomy helped my understand how I wanted to approach the form of my models - what needed to be shaped and what I could get away with painting on.

So my knight is about 934 verts/1,861 tris (sort of like a ps2 character) but painting can give some fun depth. I've found this method to be really tricky though as it's highly prone to unflattering angles - but thats partly cause I'm still learning and relying too much on my skills as a 2d artist I guess. This model I made a bit later on, the Sorry We're Closed models I made were far earlier before i really knew what i was doing so they rely even more on my painting skills

but I felt it was okay since we were going for a nostalgic game feel which means some funny deformities like this

but it's whatever, i think it's kind of cute lol. We started planning the game in 2020 as well, literally after I saw my partner Tom make a character model move around in Unity (it looked pretty terrible) so i said I'll make models and he would code. Then I came up with a story, and from there we came up with how the game itself would play. Game design itself is something we were both lacking and real experience in so that has been the biggest wall to climb so far but its been a really fun and rewarding journey so far. Anyway sorry for the ramble!! I really hope you get a shot at working on a project you really love and want to pour everything into!