#brain vs emotional fights are weird fights

[mzcain27]

There is nothing fucking worse than the objectively worse fighter fucking winning

[kerryshifts]

hi kerry! would you like to talk about the reasons you shift for?

this conversation makes me a bit shy…….. but you asked on the right moment because i am listening to radiohead and i am a emotional. im going to over share and i’ll regret it at 3am but who cares!

so.

number one. no matter what i will say, no matter how much i talk about my drs' romantic relationships, the platonic ones are the reasons why i even started shifting in the first place. friendship is and forever will be the thing i crave for. here i was wronged so, so, so many times. what i feel for my friends it’s love. i love them like a mother loves her children….because i can’t be casual about anything. and now i am constantly angry because my love has been betrayed. everyday is a constant reminder that the people in my dr are not only friends who i am just around because we share classes or whatever, they have a piece of me in their soul like they are in mine. my heart has sections and the majority of them are about my friends…and they are going to take care of that piece of heart i gave them. i can be around them without feeling sick worrying if they are like everyone else. long live the friendships!! (especially with my girls. there’s just something about friendships with them that……i feel constantly if i am in the void. so like peace? this is not applicable for friendships breakups…ahahahah…)

number two. knowledge; and i don’t mean it in an academic way. like, i will also do that.. but i want to expand my knowledge about different kinds of human experiences. david bowie said that love dares you to change the way of caring, and this is exactly what i am going for… i want to be tested constantly so i can evolve. universe! i am easily bored. give me some suffering so i can understand what someone near (or far away) me is experiencing. this is not a very amazing mentality to have…..but what can i say. i am nothing if not a bunch of emotions mixed to each other and walking around my body hand in hand while leaving chaos in the logical part of the brain. this is also why i choose an enemies to lovers….it will challenge me. it’s absolutely perfect.

number three. my mom. i won’t say anything else, but she had to make it in the list.

number four. you know how some witches use magick to feel empowered? this is me with shifting. i wasn’t wronged only in friendships; so shifting just gives me the opportunity to…. not control, but…..something like that. if you know you know.

number five. understand. you can connect this with the second point. understand what? don’t know. but i want to understand something.

number six. food. food is about experiences and emotions and it’s a story of cultures and love and a family and inside jokes. i want all of it. because i am greedy.

number seven. well, romantic love of course has to be here. i am a lover girl. you know how i said that friendships have a piece of my heart? romance is weird for me….my body just creates a nerve that connects with everything else. and not in a toxic way. i know how to control it…sometimes. not the point. or i am crazy, or a new vein appears when i fall in love with someone (so like two times), starts trembling when i see that person and then the nerve makes everything else collapse. and then the only thing that works is my mouth used for bad jokes. but they seem to strike, so i am not complaining. but, the vein disappears when i am over it (not easy….not easy. at all. i remember it all to well) and…the nerve? don’t know. the other parts of my body fight it everyday is if it’s percy jackson vs kronos.

those are the main things. here’s a bit of my soul xxxxx

[zeke-fanfucs]

OKAY OKAY BIG IDEA AND I LOVE TO SEE SOMEONE DRAW THIS!!!

⸻

“Bastard vs. Zombie: Gamer AU”

HIPSWITCH

• Streamer name: “SwitchShot”

• Content: Western-style and survival games—Red Dead Redemption 2, Hunt: Showdown, Weird West

• Vibe: Cowboy hat-wearing, drawling commentary, always rides off into the sunset (usually after accidentally shooting his horse). Chat loves him for his moral dilemmas and soft rants about the nature of justice in video games. He’s got a loyal following called “The Switchgang” who spam tumbleweed emojis whenever he starts streaming.

• Favorite quote: “There’s a code to every outlaw. Mine just happens to include lootin’ and petting dogs.”

MAHATMA & ATTILA

• Shared channel: “ScalpelTwins”

• Genre: Medical horror, grotesque anatomy puzzle games (Autopsy Simulator, Body of Evidence, Surgeon Simulator 2)

• Setup: Mahatma tries to calmly analyze and explain the medical aspects while Attila—either over his shoulder or forcibly hijacking the stream—insults the game, the devs, the players, and sometimes the viewers. Their fans love the twin dynamic.

• Mahatma is the soft-spoken host who talks about body horror like he’s giving a lecture, sipping tea while removing a virtual lung.

• Attila screams things like, “That’s not where the liver goes, you pretzel-brained fucker!” and throws snacks at the webcam.

• Their fans are either med students or chaos lovers.

ALBUS

• Streamer name: “RagePill”

• Game of choice: Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and the occasional Monster Hunter

• Style: Absolute gremlin. Always makes cursed characters with names like “Hamslice” or “DaddyRuin” and gives them tragic backstories. He beats impossible bosses shirtless and with a fork, then turns around and gives dating advice like “Just parry their emotional distance, bro.”

• Drinks mid-stream. Half the chat doesn’t know if he’s serious. He probably doesn’t either.

• Once got banned for telling a boss, “You fight like my last ex and just as disappointing.”

• People tune in for the unhinged chaos, but stay for the bizarre wisdom hidden beneath.

KARMOR

• Streamer name: “Kamor.exe”

• Genre: Still discovering. Plays chill indie games, occasionally ventures into big-name titles like Stardew Valley, Subnautica, or Outer Wilds.

• Vibe: Soft, awkward, very “just chatting with lo-fi music,” but when he gets scared in horror games, he lets out tiny, startled “eep!” sounds.

• Genuinely unsure why people watch him but is slowly developing a fanbase drawn to his sincerity.

• Occasionally gets raided by Hipswitch or Mahatma, and it sends him into a mild panic every time.

• Known for asking “How do you jump?” far too often.

⸻

FAITH

• Streamer name: “SisterSpatula”

• Content: Cozy cooking streams with soft lighting, relaxing music, and gentle narration—her stream is like digital tea.

• Signature: Every so often, little Kerano pops in with her own “child genius” wisdom like, “If the oven beeps twice, it’s lying,” or “You don’t need a recipe if you have hands and God.”

• Video Games: She occasionally plays Stardew Valley, Spiritfarer, or wholesome indies.

• Special Feature: She’s part of the “Unholy Trinity” game night with Albus and Devlin, where the three of them co-op horror or survival games. Faith is scarily good. The boys begged her to join because they sucked at it and screamed too much.

• Her followers: lovingly called “the Kitchen Choir.”

• Favorite quote: “Just add love… and butter. But mostly butter.”

⸻

KERANO

• Not a streamer, but a recurring star on Faith’s channel

• Known for saying unnervingly wise or cursed things during cooking streams or while Faith plays games.

• Occasionally grabs the controller and wins without knowing what she’s doing.

• Meme status: her saying “Maybe the ghost is just lonely” during a Phasmophobia stream became viral.

• Once beat Albus in Mario Kart and said, “He drives like he does in real life.”

⸻

DEVLIN

• Streamer name: “PatchMeUp”

• Content: Engineering/maker streams—welds, 3D prints, or rigs bizarre contraptions like a flamethrower toaster or a potato-based motion sensor.

• Games: Streams techy survival/horror games like Dead Space, Astroneer, and Five Nights at Freddy’s (which Albus dared him to play).

• Dragged Albus in to test his DIY projects live, such as:

• The “Taser Gauntlet of Encouragement”

• A chair that ejects when you lie

• An automatic snack launcher (still in beta, launched a whole sandwich at his wall)

• Stream Vibe: chaotic genius, tech gremlin energy. Uses words no one understands. Regularly electrocuted.

• Fans: Tech nerds and people who enjoy watching someone almost destroy their own apartment.

• Quote: “This is technically safe. If you ignore the voltage curve.”

[wendichester]

𓂃˖ ࣪ 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔟𝔦𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔶 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔦𝔫𝔤

˚₊‧꒰ა @defnot-svnshine ☆ sam winchester ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ⋆˙⟡ where sagittarius, leo, pisces meets taurus, virgo*, capricorn. ⟡˙⋆

𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐

ꔛ. meeting each other,

✧ what’s the most likely way for you two to meet?

honestly? an academic setting turned supernatural. think: library archives, cursed artifacts, a latin inscription that keeps glowing when you touch it. you were researching for a thesis. he was chasing omens. neither of you expected to bump into someone who actually knew their latin. or how to pronounce enochian.

✧ are you a hunter or a civilian?

you’re a civilian with chaotic knowledge. astrology, ancient mythology, psychic hunches — you’re not trained, but you're dangerously insightful. sam's intrigued. annoyed. impressed. probably all three. you’ve got mars in scorpio and a sharp mind that cuts through his bullshit fast.

✧ what’s his first impression of you?

“too much.” too bright, too passionate, too unfiltered. but then you hit him with a quote from an obscure text he thought only he read, and suddenly he’s paying attention. your sag mercury + venus makes you funny, bold, and utterly unafraid. and he can’t stop thinking about you for days.

ꔛ. friendship compatibility,

✧ how would the friendship be like?

a storm with a soft center. he grounds you. you pull him out of his shell. you annoy each other with how different you are — you want adventure, he wants logic. you want answers now, he needs to research it first. but beneath it? mutual respect. intellectual sparring. the kind of friendship where you call each other out and then bring soup when the other’s sick.

✧ how would it begin?

you’d help him solve a case — accidentally, loudly, and while stealing his thunder. he’d think you’re reckless. you’d call him uptight. then you’d both get drunk on hotel coffee and trauma-dump like lifelong friends.

✧ quirks and fun things about it:

✶ you constantly steal his laptop charger. ✶ he saves random quotes you say in his notes app. ✶ heated debates over facts vs vibes that go on for hours. ✶ he teaches you how to shoot. you teach him astrology — he pretends to hate it but lowkey checks his transits after every crisis.

ꔛ. romantic compatibility,

✧ are you compatible? is there a chance for friendship to develop into more?

oh absolutely. sag + taurus is a weird match, but it works if you meet in the middle. you’re idealistic, fast-moving, a little reckless. he’s deliberate, loyal, slow to open. but your venus + mercury both in sag love a big brain and bigger honesty — and that’s sam’s whole thing. he finds your chaos refreshing. you find his stillness safe.

✧ what type of relationship would it be?

one built on growth, tension, and deep emotional intimacy. you challenge him — push him out of his comfort zone. he anchors you — reminds you to pause, reflect, breathe. you’d argue. often. but never cruelly. always in pursuit of understanding. it’s soulmate vibes with occasional yelling.

✧ what are your love languages according to the charts?

✶ you: words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service that border on dramatic gestures ✶ him: acts of service, physical touch, deep conversations at 2am with eye contact that ruins lives you both show love in subtle loyalty and loud defense of each other. you’d fight anyone for him. he’d rebuild a universe for you.

ꔛ. scenario, ₊˚⊹౨ arguments, partners, and a lil date ৎ ₊˚⊹

arguments? oh, they happen. you storm out of motel rooms. he follows, quiet and stubborn. “you don’t listen!” “you don’t think!” “i feel—” “yeah, too much sometimes!” and then silence. heavy. electric. you turn to walk away. he grabs your wrist. “don’t go.” and just like that — it’s over. not forgotten, but over. you forgive fast. he apologizes slow. but you always meet in the middle.

partners? deadly. you’re the improviser, he’s the strategist. he’s precision. you’re instinct. he covers your blind spots. you give him courage. in battle, it’s like watching poetry and physics make out. you save each other more times than you’ll ever admit.

simple date idea? a dusty old bookshop in some no-name town. you’re barefoot in the aisle, reading aloud something ridiculous. he’s pretending to roll his eyes but he’s watching you like you hung the stars. after, greasy diner food and a walk under neon signs. you ask him what his rising sign is. he says he doesn’t know. you tell him anyway.

ꔛ. overall, score : 9.1 / 10

this is growth incarnate. you’re wild, mystical, brutally honest. he’s grounded, analytical, and yearning for someone who gets him. he teaches you patience. you teach him how to believe again. you’ll clash, but only because you care too hard. you won’t always understand each other — but you’ll try, every damn day. and that? that’s love in its most honest form.

ꔛ. navigation 𓂃˖ ࣪ all drabbles ; compatibility readings ; support my work .ᐟ

* since the birth time of sam hasn't ever been mentioned, I've placed him as a virgo rising, since it's the sign that makes more sense to me.

[your-dear-memmy]

Tokyo Ghoul:re ending thoughts +Juuzou meta p. 2 

[Sooo I just finished Tokyo Ghoul:re and I've got quite a lot on my mind abt the last arc bc this series has consumed my brain]

Warning: SPOILERS!!

I've heard plenty of people complain about how rushed it was, and while reading the ending I didn't think it was too huge of an issue, but man do I feel unfulfilled right now. The dragon arc went by so quick that it's like nothing ever happened at all, and most of its emotional weight was lost on me. 

But first of all, I want to talk about the Implications. 

What is up with the Dragon's orphans slowly gaining the intelligence of 5 year olds, and the characters speculating that was how ghouls were born?? what?? how was that just merely mentioned, why was it only glossed over?? My mind EXPLODED at that notion. 

Is there gonna be a new species of ghouls now that will gain the same intelligence as ghouls and humans, while still posing a threat? It became all about changing the world in the end, but it just seemed to really center around Kaneki’s own happy ending, because these implications for the world are astounding. Certainly, what Kaneki truly wanted was to keep his loved ones safe, but what I mean is that the consequences for the world as a whole aren't as positive as they're presented to be.

IT FEELS LIKE EVERYTHING WENT BACK TO THE START!!

Maybe these dragon orphans are supposed to represent a vicious cycle of life and war or whatever, but that wasn't really explained because they're just THERE. It feels like the war was all for nothing because now there's new enemies people are losing their lives for, and are being trained at academies to engage in combat with. Perhaps they're new enemies that kill parents of children that go on to become new-age "investigators" to avenge their families, like it used to be against the entirety of ghoul-kind.

It's obvious not every ghoul would play along so it makes sense there are still some harmful ghouls, but these dragon things gaining intelligence is seriously mind boggling. Wdym that's how ghouls were born?? And yall are exterminating them? Why are they attacking?? 

I feel like my time just got wasted cuz what do you mean these new enemies are getting smarter? Will they reach the iq of a real person soon enough? WHAT DO YOU MEAN they're starting to look more and more like humans? 

Is there gonna be yet another one eyed king to make peace with the dragons, the ghouls and the humans?? Is it necessary for this common enemy to still have to tie them together post-war? 

Why does it sound like a shitty set up for another sequel when we know damn well Ishida never wants to do anything with manga anymore, since he talked about how stressful working on Tokyo Ghoul has been for him? If it was a philosophical choice, then Im afraid I did not understand it, though I’d certainly love to.

That aside, in regards to the ending I have to say I liked the emotional weight of the discussion between Donato and Amon (what was even the point of Takizawa being there?), as Amon finally admitted he still loved his “father” despite his absolute evilness, and Donato actually loved him as well. 

The Uta vs Renji was cool ig though it didn't truly feel like there were any stakes (I can't say I mind them becoming rivals once more but it certainly could’ve been done better, as the clowns have been hyped up for SO LONG…), and I couldn't bring myself to be sad about Irimi and Koma when they were brought back for basically one panel and died the next, even though I really liked them :-(

I was kinda chilling with the Furuta fight, and I guess Furuta wishing in the end to have a normal life was a sign that it truly did all stem from his Washu inferiority, though he remains very weird for wanting to have children with an unwilling Rize. (The Dragon Rize stuff was epic) Overall, Furuta was a cool villain, so it's fine. His opaque motives and his monologue are not too bad at all.

I'm conflicted about Mutsuki’s role in the ending and how they behave after succumbing to and accepting their trauma. Their story is truly tragic and I understand the psychological reasoning as to why they’d latch onto Kaneki and lash out (they also sa’d Uta apparently, believing him to be Haise’s corpse? Uta changed his face shape another time as well, so I do believe that was him), but them suddenly being badass once they remembered their trauma isn't really my cup of tea (which is ironic considering how many times Kaneki himself got “being suddenly badass because of trauma” moments) I liked them and the portrayal of their mental instability in the island arc but afterwards I didn't care much for them.  

Also did I miss something or are Amon and Akira not in the end?? Am I tripping??? Maybe some chapters didn't load because why wouldn't they be there? I'm so confused. Amon and Akira have def been in my top 5 favorite characters of the entire series, so safe to say I'm very puzzled.

Takizawa fading into obscurity is just so sad that I don't even know what to say, he just came back to watch and then do his thing after he was tortured and sa/d by Kano into being how he is now. Not everyone's gonna get a happy ending, obviously, but damn😭

One of the best parts of :re was most definitely Urie’s character arc- everyone's character arcs, really!

Tsukiyama’s character arc was spread onto the whole series, and tbh I completely dig it, even though the Tsukiyama raid arc probably could’ve been done even better. At first I thought he was gonna groom Hinami, but he turned out to be an actual gentle”-flower-man” lol. I like him!

Arima’s tragedy was so beautifully done, I swear. Def one of my absolute favorite parts, if not my favorite. It lives in my head rent free. 

I literally gasped so hard when it was revealed who Hide had been hiding as the whole time, Ishida's foreshadowing is truly insane. I already knew he was alive, but I was still surprised. He started to feel sm more like a concept rather than another character tho, if that makes sense, haha.

And finally, my son: Juuzou Suzuya .

People were a bit harsh on Juuzou’s ending, I think, though I can definitely understand why!  

I don't think Juuzou understood what Marude really meant about making his own decisions- at least, not at first.

Juuzou is 29/30-ish I think, in the ending?? He's been working so hard all these years, just for Shinohara, to become him as if that's what he wanted from him.  Or so, that's the last we see of of his motives, though that's before the dragon war, so years back.

After the dragon war, his development feels null because it wasn't fully explained: we aren't told whether juuzou reflected on Marude’s words and decided to stick with the new ccg because he wanted to for himself. We aren't told whether Juuzou developed a sense of justice, and that's why he does what he does, or if that's what he thinks his assigned purpose is and he's simply just sticking to it because he thinks that's what shinohara would've wanted, or he simply doesn't know what else to do with himself. We don't know whether he actually embraced his scrapper/slaughterer role (as I said in my other meta) in a healthy manner or if he just stuck with it because that's what he's been all his life and he doesn't know how to be anything else.

We can speculate, but that brings it back to Shinohara. No manner how you look at it, if Juuzou hasn't reflected on himself and his motives after all these years, then meeting Shinohara once more would shatter his expectations, as it wouldn't just be happy tears and such. That's the man he's fought for for so, so long, and it's really hard to think of how their relationship would be. During those years, Juuzou idolized Shinohara a lot in his mind, which is why he initially wanted to be him. He loved Shinohara, and so what Shinohara stood for must've been, by proxy, just. So, if Juuzou hasn't removed himself from his delusion by actually maturing past the point we see him in before the :re time skip, then it's not gonna be as pretty for him because it wouldn't match his built up expectations, and that's why I find it rather bittersweet.

For someone so traumatized, I don't think Juuzou could ever fully recover, as trauma alters the brain; but, for the sake of my sanity, I'll think he chose to keep fighting for himself rather than because that was the role he was put in. I want to believe he's found how to be his own person, and just likes working together with his squad AND also sees Shinohara on a weekly basis. I JUST WANT HIM TO BE HAPPY DAMMIT💔💔

[With that said, I've been scavaging Ao3 and soon fanfic.net for fanfictiona to quench the void in my heart, but there aren't many that are Juuzou centric. I shan't give up just yet, though! Maybe I'll find one that'll make me feel less bittersweet about Juuzou and Shinohara!]

[atamascolily]

Going back to the imagery and symbolism of the doppelganger and Gothic Double, I was reminded that not only does PMMM already has a name for a magical girl's shadow self (witch), it also has one specifically for Homura's as well. To be honest, I'm kind of surprised that Homulilly's name hasn't come up more often in the speculation of who the "other" Homura might be, given their established connection.

This might seem like a stretch because the last time we saw Homulilly, she was a giant suicidal skeleton, but hear me out.

Rebellion gives us two examples of magical girls who are also witches: Sayaka and Nagisa. As a general rule, Sayaka and Oktavia appear as two separate entities, allowing Sayaka to fight on her own and have emotional moments with Kyouko while Oktavia clashes directly with Homulilly.

Meanwhile, Nagisa does the complete opposite: she embodies her witch Charlotte (both doll and worm forms), appearing as one or the other instead of both at the same time. In a scene that lives rent-free in my brain, she pulls the witch's clown mask over her face while in magical girl form, thus becoming both at once--but I don't think we ever see her split in the same way that Sayaka does with Oktavia.

Taken together, these examples imply that there are different ways magical girls and their witches can relate to each other. Though we have not yet seen a witch split from the original magical girl and take on her form at the same time, Homura, being the Devil, might have other abilities that Nagisa and Sayaka lack, or might be an exception to the general rule. (There is also the weirdness that Homulilly has dramatically different forms, depending on whether we're talking about the PSP game/Magia Records vs. Rebellion, which is unusual in and of itself.)

Homura may be the Devil, but she is also unquestionably still a witch. Not only does she still have her Clara Doll familiars, but her earcuff--her equivalent to a soul gem--says "HOMULILLY" now.

Well, actually, it says HOMUL, but you get the point. Props to the animators for hiding an important detail from the ending in the opening credits.

Rebellion makes a big deal of the fact that soul gems in ring form are marked with the magical girl's name in witch runes--and that magical girls ARE their soul gems--so the fact that Devil!Homura appears to identify on some level as "Homulilly" is fascinating. It's unclear if Devil!Homura has the same relationship to her "Dark Orb" (a name I cannot say with a straight face) that a magical girl has to her soul gem, or if it's merely a device or a tool she created to channel for her powers, but either way, Homulilly is still around.

All this could potentially explain why Homulilly would take on Homura's form in Walpurgis no Kaiten--because on some level, they are the same. Homulilly-as-Homura's double/shadow self would also help retroactively explain why their names are so similar--unusually so for a magical girl and witch pair.

And if Homulilly is the doppelganger, then her motive for messing with Homura (whether that entails infiltrating her life, manipulating Madoka and/or destroying the world) is obvious. Because nobody hates Homura as much as Homura hates herself. Nobody would understand how best to get under Homura's skin than she would. Nobody would be able to anticipate and counter everything Homura does than her own reflection. And it would take all of the suicidal imagery from Rebellion and dial it up to eleven.

Because Homulilly is never directly mentioned by name in Rebellion (only getting a brief title card in witch runes), even if I'm right and this other Homura is Homulilly, I'm not sure that any of the characters in Walpurgis no Kaiten would ever refer to her by this name directly. She herself, if pressed, might say some variation on "I'm you" to Homura, where her identity becomes clear in context. Alternately, that name might appear again in runes (anything in runes is for the audience's benefit, not the characters).

But I'd be very surprised if Homulilly didn't turn up in some fashion in Walpurgis no Kaiten--and this other Homura seems like an obvious candidate given what we know thus far.

[blenselche]

Was rewatching “The Vault” and it had me thinking about your Shoko art. It’s a silly question but I wanted to maybe hear more about your interpretation of her (and her relationship with PB)

mmmmm well I like her as a reversed image

her dad cut her arm off vs Finn losing his clinging to Martin

Shoko releases the Ice King vs Finn fights him but winds up seeing through IK's rescue to its fullest when Simon is finally freed from the crown

she does contract work for loose criminal organizations vs Finn serving a matriarch

cat companion vs dog companion (among other obvious parallels)

we don't know that much about her for me to write like a huge meandering post, but she serves as a good way to show the viewer what Finn/the "good" comet is at its most base, how the cycle of reincarnation has a sense of humor, that "heroism" can come in different moral leanings/alignments, how your actions can be rectified/continued beyond your own existence, the butterfly effect, etc.

as for her relationship w/ PB what we see is what we get. It's a bittersweet parting of a blooming friendship that found its legs in her next life, nothing I can really add to it that isn't just headcanoning. Sorry for the loose answer lol. If I wanted to expand on conjecture I think she probably had something to do with Finn's crush on her. PB is the first bit of kindness Shoko's been shown without ulterior motives, and her faded, buried emotional response to that could've gotten mixed up with Finn's boy-brain hormones. Immediately after Finn remembers being Shoko he feels weird about it, so idk, I like to think I'm right. Or maybe Shoko had a little thing for her and Finn is conflicted about his own emotions, whether they're his, Shoko's or a mix.

basically green Finns r good, I like them.

[dumbass-duo-showdown]

DUMBASS DUO SHOWDOWN ROUND 2 BATTLE 3

Josuke Higashikata & Okuyasu Nijimura from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (ship name: josuyasu) vs Cole Brookstone & Jay Walker from lego ninjago (ship name: bruise)

REMINDER TO CHECK OUT THE PROPAGANDA UNDER THE CUT!

JOSUYASU PROPAGANDA

Josuke is fairly decent, but okuyasu, you know how in math, if you multiply a negative number with a positive one it is always negative, that is josuyasu for you. Josuke has 6 braincells and Okuyasu has -6734. Their first meeting was okuyasu trying to kill josuke, then he shows up at his house a few days later and goes "hey lets go to school! btw your mom is hot!" Josuke punches a plate of spaghetti because he thinks the chef is evil, they both fight a middle schooler who stole their cash. Okuyasu got the third most op ability in his part but he is too stupid (and kind) to realize it. Somehow they survive their entire part. They are thus far the second jojo and jobro duo to not lose each other. the second one? THEM IN AN ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE! (okay but okuyasu is swapped for koichi in that one, but still).

Josuke normally is pretty smart, but somewhat silly, but Okuyasu. Isn’t incredibly bright but he’s the best jojo character idc. Okuyasu brings out josukes stupid and then they are just besties and totally bouncing off each other’s stupid ideas. Idk what Okuyasu does to josukes brain but I’m here for it

I saw the post title and without reading anything else immediately went to submit them, only to go back and read the full post and realize they were included by default. They are THE dumbass duo. Ever. The worst protagonists for a detective story, but they dumbassed around so hard they somehow caught a genius serial killer. No matter who wins, they’ll always be the number 1 dumbasses in my heart.

they are the best of friends, which of course means they met by trying to kill each other.

They’re both so stupid. Like josuke isn’t that stupid on his own but he’s kinda dumb and when you put him with dumbass incarnate okuyasu they multiply each others’ stupidness. Together they are a menace.

JOSUKE AND OKUYASU FOR THE WIN BECAUSE THEY SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT A RANDOM ITALIAN WAS EVIL BECAUSE HIS PASTA WAS TOO GOOD

Okuyasu and Josuke share a braincell and they lose that braincell at least 5 times a day

The majority of Diamond is Unbreakable is those two getting themselves and their friends into absurd situations. There's no way the sportsboys can compete with discovering aliens are (maybe???) real and immediately trying to use the alien(??) to cheat at dice. Then they burned down someone's house

#josuyasu are DUmbass Incorporated and i love them#its literally canon that okuyasu has one of The Most Powerful Abilities In The Entire JJBA Universe#but is too dumb and good natured to put it to world ending use

this gif

don't ask about the weird space

BRUISE PROPAGANDA

They both come up with the dumbest ideas on the team and make jokes all the time

They got into a love triangle/fight because they were just dumb and missed each other. Also they’re canonical besties who are so fucking stupid but also love each other so much

They’re both just so silly… anxiety dumbass and emotional support dumbass…

They ended up in jail once because they broke a dangerous criminal out with good intentions, had a fight over a girl but in the end said that they were more upset about losing each other

part of the bruise propaganda being "they fought over a girl but actually they just missed each other too much" is RIDICULOUSLY funny to me they also were paired off at the start of season 8, resulting in jay mimicking cole, cole getting INCREDIBLY annoyed because jay doesn't understand how vows of silence work, and then the two of them getting into an argument which leads to an entire monastery of monks breaking their vow of silence. they singlehandedly caused an entire monastery of monks to break their vows of silence because they're that stupidly annoying. jay also got really jealous that the princess they meet in season 13 was interested in cole. like bro literally said "the princess seems interested in cole. i mean, he's my best friend and all, but, cole??" vote bruise.

[transgenderdoctorwhomst-old]

In Mr clever absorbing 11s mannerisms and emotions, which I just love the irony of that, I do wonder if it makes Clever & the doctor blended in a way where you can sorta tell who's who but the lines pretty blurred at this point. I wonder if it's blurred enough that a regeneration wouldn't even fully fix it.

I wonder if his mannerisms would be a little off, maybe to show to a point that at first Mr clever isn't used to a more humanoid body vs hydraulic or whatever the cybermen use, but as time goes on he learns to blend and gets used to movements and how to 'act' human.

I have a lot of thoughts but like not very in depth so I'ma be jumping around a bit.

But I am enjoying imagining just what would be the 'who is that' moment for different companions rn and how weird it would be for previous companions to see how the doctor is acting now. The yeah he acts about 80% like the doctor but there's a lot of little tipping points like you said that sort of point to something else.

Do you think we'd see a sort of return of timelord victorious with the planner? Maybe thinking he can bring the cyber empire into power using the tardis, either by changing history directly or a domino effect.

Idk, but I'd love to hear your thoughts <3

if the cyberplanner gets in the tardis, he is ABSOLUTELY pulling a time lord victorious. even if the cyberman amusement park planet is blown up, he'd definitely get to work on setting up a new army and figuring out what events he could change without accidentally deleting himself from existence. and he'd have to be keeping an eye on not changing his own timeline or the doctor's timeline, which is probably the only thing stopping him from going back and immediately changing every single loss the cybermen have ever faced. cant very well bring back the cyberiad empire if you blow up yourself and half a galaxy because of a paradox!

everyone will be very lucky the cyberplanner has the major flaw for a cyberman, of having an ego and feelings and potential for doubt. and also a flesh body that needs rest. and is constantly fighting with the doctor for control. and a tardis that doesn't always like to cooperate. because it would be an absolute nightmare for everyone else otherwise. any kind of evil doctor is an absolute force to be reckoned with.

for body movements, he seems to mirror 11, using his preexisting muscle memory, but i think over time he would make efforts to try and rewire it into more, you know, still and calm. less of 11's spinning around and waving his hands around and large gesturing. which is very odd to see on 11, because he's very active and needs to be constantly stimming. just some real uncanny valley shit.

we see they act similar enough that clara does feel the need to ask and can't tell just by looking, so long as the cyberplanner doesnt majorly fuck up an assumption about 11's behaviour. i think he would try to learn how to mimic the doctor, because it's useful if he can run around calling in any favors owed to the doctor. he just cant resist the urge to be a mean little shit to people, much more than the doctor usually is. (and 11 can be a mean little shit).

he does have the tell that he talks in a lower, more gravelly voice than the doctor, though. like he's trying to replicate the modulated cyberman voices. which is fun and definitely not something the cyberplanner is doing on purpose, i think it just sounds more correct to him.

i have no idea how a regeneration would affect, but considering 11 doesn't actually have any regenerations left until gallifrey gives him a new cycle, who knows when 11 might get the chance to try. the cybermen need physical parts installed though, so there's probably still some physical component wired inside his brain that could be burned out. the problem is not killing the doctor in the process.

[annieqattheperipheral]

Ok just watched episode 3: learning to win. sway vs. mchucky

This episode was crafted so well. Gave us the introverted intellectual vulnerable hearthrob musician vs. the boisterous popular shit-talking quarterback jock storyline.

Since i like neither the bruins nor panthers it was more like watching a fun sports movie and letting the characters make me fall in love with them with those tropes in place. I really do compartmentalize how i interact with these teams and their players so ok let's break it down, here's how my heart and head battles it out:

Bruins? A bigass boo from this leafs fan. I hate them on principle just for that, for a generational og6 rivalry. But. But i respect their locker room. Their leaders have created a cohesive unit i envy tf out of for generations past present and future. They're a good group of ppl ...with a shittastic front office of old world hockeymen. Sorry to bruins fans for having to deal with that bs

Panthers? Another huge groan but for both personal reasons and the leafs thing. Yea kicked leafs ass in playoffs '23 round 2 but that's like whatever (that was leafs own doing, didn't bring it. or anything really). It's that personally i hate their style of play, it takes the fun out of watching the skill and speed of hockey. I can't abide by the dirty shit, just makes it un-fun for me.

Ok this is where it gets weird. Let's talk about the people

mtkachuk: i love him, i loved him with the flames, i love him still. Amazing kind gracious funny personable. But put him on the ice with the panthers and who? Who dis? No sir i do not know this man. I cannot explain why my brain does this but it's the only way i know how to enjoy Matthew while also having disgust for the panthers playing style. I mean maybe this is how/why we love/hate the teams we do. It hits the right or wrong chords in your own heart. So yea, that's the logic, rational or not.

Paul Maurice: i love this man and if i knew him in real life like maybe my uncle or someone, i would chat with him for hours during a family dinner party like i do with my favourite relatives who i respect so much. His interviews hug me to the core. He fascinates me with his clarity on life. I don't agree with what he has his players do, but i respect tf outta his drive and purpose and how he leads. Once again, a battle bw my heart and head *shrug*

Swayman: honestly i never paid much attention to him. I've never been a goalie crazy person so while i had classified him as one of the elite ones in the league, i wasn't ever taken by him (yes even thru all the cutesy goalie hugs). That said, it was really lovely getting to know him and what a beautiful voice. His dad was endearing as heck, reminded me of one of my colleagues. What a sweet gentle-hearted family, but also so tough mentally to get your kid into the nhl, while holding true to their vulnerable emotional side. Pretty fucking incredible i think. Sway got thru arbitration and used it as a checklist to drive himself further. Amazing. Fuck yea he's got an element of corniness to him but Matthew's corny as heck too in 24/7 florida frat boy party mode so whatever everyone's being their own true selves I'll embrace that.

I laughed very hard at the tkachuk family scenes. Good stuff. But hell no, no ty, i could not survive in that environment lmao. I do jokes yes, I'm usually the funniest person in social settings but i don't do shitting on each other stuff (why i hate hanging out with stand-up comics. improvisers tho? my favourite ppl, all about yes and'ing each other)

But all of that was great insight into the who what how why's of matthew and brady beyond any interview ever could. Pretty great what they've got going on. god how open those tkachuks can be with one another with sentiments disguised as insults and jokes, and not have feelings hurt. Ofc that family keeps on thriving. They can say anything to each other and know that they can fight back and still be supported. Like that's fuck awesome. I'm envious as hell. Just as i am tho, with how i was raised, i wouldn't survive them lol.

Lmao this epi review got loooong. Like i said,

fun sports movie vibe

Made me love sway and hate matthew lollll. I would show this to non-hockey ppl as a gateway into hockey.

Also someone pls tell matthew to get seat belts for his golf cart wtfffff!!! He's driving that shit on the road with actual cars!!! My heart could not take it😳

[opinions-about-tiaras]

I think it's okay for people to be disappointed and feel misled and maybe even a little upset Scott Pilgrim Takes Off wasn't a more straightforward adaptation.

It's a masterwork as a piece of media, of course; a AU-that's-also-a-sequel based on both the movie AND the graphic novels, in dialogue with both, telling a tight, near-flawless story with immaculate animation and voice acting that, quite frankly, often makes the 2010 movie look poorly directed. (Tony Oliver is getting a LOT more out of these people in the booth than Edgar Wright managed to in front of the camera, frankly.)

And that's part of the problem, I think.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World oozed charm out of every shot; it's beloved by everyone who worked on it, which is always a good sign. But as an adaptation it was flawed in ways that were inevitable. Sacrifices had to be made to fit all six graphic novels that are deliberately messy and are meant as separate narrative arcs into something that runs on the big screen in less than two hours.

That meant a lot had to go missing. The original graphic novels were often leisurely rom-coms where they weren't stark, raw looks at emotional dysfunction, and a big part of their structure was the secondary and supporting cast. A lot of that had to go. Knives entire arc was cut to the bone. Stephen Stills being a hot mess and his weird and hilarious offscreen gay awakening went into the trash. The heart of Volume Four (still the best volume FIGHT ME), Lisa Miller's instigating presence, junked. Roxie Richter and the Katayanagi Twins are reduced basically to jokes. Envy Adams is given just enough to be a villain but none of what she needed to be a real person, which is a big deal in the comics. Even Gideon gets short shrift; the emotional violations and the dark, stinking, malign weaponization of emotional headspace that make him work in the comics are thrown aside in favor of him being a more straightforward supervillain using mind control chips.

And of course the biggest person to get shanked was Kim Pine. Kim had a storyline of quiet desperation, of seeking intimacy while being desperately terrified of it, romantic and sexual awakenings she isn't equipped to handle, deep and personal betrayals almost every volume that she nonetheless perseveres through. That had to go as well.

When I heard there was an animated adaptation coming, I was thrilled that I would finally get to see all of that rendered onto the screen. Scott Pilgrim was born to be an animated series more than it ever was live-action (and it's been proven multiple times over the past five years especially that animation can produce something wildly special when adapting a comic source handled properly) and it was finally going to have the breathing space to do it RIGHT.

Only it isn't that at all.

I wouldn't trade Scott Pilgrim Takes Off for the more straightforward adaptation we were expecting. The series has sunk its hooks deep into my brain, it's like I'm 29 again, driving my terrible, jank-ass car five hours to Toronto to attend the release party of the final volume. There's so much special about it; Knives and Kim's beautiful love duet is one of the most tender, pure things I've ever seen. The League of Evil Exes as a bumbling cadre of weirdos. Everything to do with Roxie Richter.

But it also means that we're probably deeply unlikely to get that more straightforward adaptation anytime soon. And that makes me feel like something has been lost.

And I respect the feelings of those who are disappointed and upset by it. Especially given that the marketing for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was deliberately deceptive. I think that's a valid way to feel.

[legacyshenanigans]

Marvolo & Rowan 🐍🐺

Subtle Differences.

I really enjoy talking about different aspects of their differences. 🥹

Emotional Suppression VS Repression.

Marvolo represses whereas Rowan suppresses.

When Marvolo is atall reminded of bad times and traumatic situations, which trigger certain emotional feelings, he absolutely loses his fucking shit. Because of his emotional repression. In general his mind will subconsciously push them away, so he can go about his daily life and not think about those uncomfortable thoughts. But deep down, he may be suffering and feeling emotional pain, but his brain simply won't allow him to think about such things. And it's a big reason why he gets some weird buzz from seeing OTHER people's suffering and pain, because HE himself is. Even though most of the time he doesn't KNOW it, if that makes sense.

Rowans mind is a constant battle of TRYING to push away bad thoughts and certain feelings, but Rowan does this the opposite of Marvolo, he does it consciously, and that's the difference. Rowan is continuously aware of his trauma and certain feelings, and has to REALLY fight to keep it out of his mind. Which he often finds extremely difficult.

Both of these can end in overemotional surges in them though. As I said above when Marvolo is pushed to be reminded of things it'll send him into a blind rage. And Rowan will reach a point where his feelings will eventually boil over or get too much, and that too, sends him into rage fit. Both of which engage in the 'activities' that they do as an escape.

Are those activities morally right?

Absolutely not.

But are they an outlet for them?

Yes.

Both are extremely unhealthy regardless.

~

[hisui555]

Hazbin Hotel thoughts : Foils 5

Masterpost here

Been a little while, I got myself into some RP for the first time ever. Managed to burn Lucifer's tower down on the first day while being a litteral little gremlin from the dumpsters. That sums it up pretty well.

Oh, and it's the first time I've RP-ed ever.

Anyway, for your inane Foils rambling of the day, my dumb brain cooked up a weird one : Adam (and Exorcists) VS Hell. Obvious, I know, but let's get more into depth about it, shall we ?

So to call Adam an obnoxious psychotic fratbro with all the emotional development of a bratty toddler would be kind of an understatement. Which in itself is an understatement too, to Inception levels. Adam is the First Man, one of the two oldest existing humans alive, turned angel to everyone's bafflement as the very first human soul in Heaven, and given the mystery that looms in the background of the show, it's yet to be seen just how in the bloody world he managed that. From the beginning, he's someone trying to impose his will on someone else, in his case Lilith, who made the utterly sacrilegious decision to stand up for herself and be an independent, emancipated person with boundaries to respect. I know, right ? Crazy.

And given how he reacts to Lucifer's taunting (if this short king really did score the two, it'll be hilarious), Golden KFC-man is tryharding to compensate. But he's also endearing in his brattiness, in his own way, leaning into it so heavily he'd topple Pisa, that he crosses back into funny, despite the genocidal tendencies (which for their part are played for all the horror necessary). And this... is kinda reminiscent of Hell in the show : it's a sordid, horrible place, but a good bucket of dark laughs are derived from it because of how horrible it is. Adam even admits to Charlie that he "likes the vibe", but prides himself on being in Heaven when he clearly didn't deserved any of it.

His own physical appearance, past the gold-blue-white color palette, has horns and shark teeth for the helmet, spikes for the rocker imagery - that, in passing, is often associated with demons and Hell too - and his color scheme dives down to dark blue in the last episode, when ready for battle. While he does look like the most average human ever underneath, it's quite interesting to see that Adam with a color swap and changing nothing else would fit right at home in Hell. Same thing for the Exorcists when in uniform : monochrome, outright more creepy looking than most demons, they actually look like classic demons (minus the tails) unlike the creative diversity of physionomies in Hell, that Heaven mirrors with its own twist on it.

It's kinda like watching a clichéd stereotype costume versus the real thing : Heaven is so out of touch with what's going on below that the Exorcists end up being a mockery of what they mass-hunt, for extra petty points (kinda reminds of what Native Americans went through. Yep. Not a happy thought). And they are just as bloodthirsty, if not more, than the demons themselves (giving you a hard sideglance, Lute), to the point of fanaticism - something that could actually be seen in HELL. Let's repeat, this is their whole activity that shows up once per year, and let's speculate that they do some training, but outside of that ? Plus, they're so confident in themselves that their fighting tactic looks more like "stick weapon into demon and move onto the next" than anything advanced, and didn't see it coming that their own weapons can perma-disconnect them from god's Wi-fi. This is suicidal overconfidence right there - again, something better seen in Hell.

Which makes it very interesting if you put Adam VS Charlie from a virtues and sins point of view : Charlie the Hellborn demon, daughter of Lucifer (who is the embodiment of a Sin himself, namely Pride), checks all virtues while Adam checks all capital sins :

He's wrathful and a revenge-seeker, hating being dismissed or put into question (seething with rage when Charlie and Emily call him indirectly out on his behavior, along Lute), while she's kind and patient, only calling onto anger in rightful situations.

He's often seen stuffing his face with food (ribs) and drinks on various photos and in person, and has a noticeable gut - something Lucifer remarks on that he "kinda let himself go". Charlie is all down for a good drink after a hard day of work, and while Husk mentions that she can get drunk to the point of spouting insecurities, it doesn't happen often and she knows that overindulging is bad. She also makes efforts to get rid of Angel's stash of drugs.

Talking about Adam's libido would be like trying to barge into open doors : he jumps on whoever he wants and even throws a tantrum when someone has no interest in him, like a certain "Virtue chick". He constantly makes crass remarks, finds Charlie and Vaggie's relationship "hot as fuck though" and basically his moral compass has a dick-shaped arrow. Charlie practices temperance and advocates the healthier parts of chastity, since losing oneself into lust isn't a good thing in the long run, but she also seems to lead a happy intimate life with her girlfriend.

The lust thing also ties about Adam's envy issues : Lucifer literally out bow-chicka-wow-wowed him, his first wife left, and Adam is overcompensating hard, pun unintended. Whatever others have or do, he'll want better or do better. He's in for his own comfort and fun, and whenever there's a threat of something better he doesn't have, he wants it. He HAS to be on top, or else the world might as well stop functioning, and is seen seeking Sera's approval. He'll try to sabotage everything out of pettiness, just like he outed Vaggie's true identity to Charlie, because the latter pointed out the truth. Charlie, on her side, is selfless, generous and genuinely wanting to help out, no matter the sometimes litteral cost. She took in Angel and Pentious, offered them a chance to be better, and doesn't resent them for their faults. For someone born as a Princess, she'd rather be addressed as a commoner and hates using her title to force things ("But that's so meaaaan !").

Adam is a selfish bastard that's all take and no give, hinted at his first rejection with Lilith. He thinks that, as the First Man, he's entitled to everything and should be given whatever he wants immediately. Charlie is very much the opposite, even being a bit too much give and almost no take.

Laziness ? Well, goes right in hand with letting himself go. Outside of the Exterminations, he barely does anything, and when he does, he makes it all about him. He's sitting on his own laurels due to the "achievement" of being the first human soul in Heaven, and hasn't bothered adapting his behavior any bit since. Charlie on her own side is diligent, committing to her wishes and dreams to save Sinners and redempt them that she's literally outside during (or right after) an Extermination, as seen when she meets Vaggie. She's also no stranger to pulling all-nighters and go through whole boards of plans to make it work.

And finally, pride. Oh boy saying that Adam is prideful is like stating that the universe is big. His first meeting with Charlie should tell you all you need to know. He's self-entitled, a pure breed of absolute self-centered jackass, and needs to have the spotlight on him or else he'll combust. Something not going his way, as seen when he gets his "original ass" trounced by Lucifer ? He goes for a balls-out tantrum, saying that people should worship him since "all of humanity came from these fucking nuts !" Compare Charlie who's too meek to truly put her foot down when only for herself (for friends she'll do it just fine) and hates to use her status as Princess of Hell. Whenever she gains confidence, it's never in a self-centered way : Ready For This has her asking "if you'll permit me" to others for the leader role, wanting to face the threat together with her army, on equal grounds. Even against Adam she's holding back (as hinted when tapping into more power when stopping him from landing a sneak attack on her dad), and is never bragging about her abilities.

So, in the end, what do we have ? A very flawed First Man (who is an outright villain) looking very close to a demon, versus a way more humane actual demon Princess. Which raises the question : what makes a bad person, and a good person ? As seen with Helluva Boss, so far outside of Mammon all of the seen Sins are very decent people that do indulge in vice, but know the limits and only do it with the ones that can handle it : Beelzebub encourages overindulgence and gluttony for its own sake, not escapism or self-destruction. Asmodeus is very vocally against forced lust, and under the façade also doesn't mind romance. Lucifer himself is very creative and has done astounishing feats, flaunting his power in Hell's Greatest Dad, but while he's low on self-worth and confidence after millenia of seeing only the worst, also teaches his daughter to stand up for herself ("You don't take shit from other demons.") AND is willing to use said power to help.

Bottom line : they don't harm others with it. And, ain't that kinda the whole thing ? Adam literally slaughter ex-humans, his own kind, out of twisted amusement, and hurts everyone around him to come out on top. Charlie is mindful and willing to help, while not forgetting herself in the process (more or less). Adam is clearly going overboard on all his vices while Charlie, who does have some too (drinking to the point of being actually drunk), is more balanced.

What makes one a jackass ? BEING a jackass. Nothing else.

Welp, this one is kinda the odd one out, dunno if I'll have more like that one but I hope you had fun.

Again, Masterpost here.

[durgesupremacy]

durge fic writing process thoughts: guilt versus shame

Write whatever you want! Headcanon your best life! And, I noticed a pattern in how I think about durge's character arc, especially because I'm currently writing an evil-to-the-end durge. No one asked for this (though asks are open!) but here it is, some rambling on how my durge(s) feeling guilt vs shame for their urges impacts whether they choose violence / stay evil.

(apparently the brand for this blog is Long Post Only)

I have a *lot* of oc durges. I'm writing Solace (they/them wood elf rogue / fighter) because they're the only one who fully pursues Gortash pre- and post-tadpole and I want to write durgetash rn. But in my weird personal multiverse of durges, the ones who were self-satisfied and confident pre-tadpole are the ones who become more "good" post-tadpole. The durges who were the most troubled pre-tadpole are more likely to do evil things, or at least be morally flexible.

Why? For me, a durge who experienced some kind of self-confidence, fulfillment, and/or pleasure during their time as a Bhaalist murder baby enters tadpole life with a seed of self-acceptance. Though they can't remember why, their amnesiac self has some preexisting inclination to like themselves for who they are and have more trust in their own judgment. They experience their urges for a second first time with enough security in themselves to reject them. They feel guilty, but they don't think this is who they are. (The internal conflict at this point is accepting their villainous past, which will be differently fun to write if I ever do it).

But a durge who moved through their Chosen of Bhaal phase with fear, insecurity, and/or low self-worth enters tadpole life with vestiges of self-loathing. Their broken brain leaned into traumatic rewiring, and when they re-encounter their urges they're predisposed towards self-hate and identify with the urges instead of challenging or rejecting them. Being Bad makes more intuitive sense to them than being, idk, Good with a Serious Problem. Something is wrong with them. They feel shame.

But without their memories, they don't really know why. Depending on party composition they can get praised and rewarded for the things they feel ashamed of. And in time, they realize they don't have to feel shame - after all, it's their reaction. They can react differently. If they stop fighting their "true nature" they can finally enjoy themselves. They'll even get rewarded for it and more or less have what they need to survive. (There's a whole other point of analysis here on companion interactions and community vs isolation, I can write that at some point if we're into it).

Ultimately, my post-tadpole self-loathing villain-arc durge is tempted not just by the urges, but by not feeling bad about themselves. Without their memories of who they were and why they should feel ashamed of that, they have the freedom to indulge in their worst traits. It might look like self-acceptance, but it's not. They just stopped caring about anything and followed the dopamine. And the more they give in to their "true self," the more inevitable it seems to them that their only path towards meaning and worth is through Bhaal. (At least it makes Solace go perfectly with Gortash. Misery doesn't love company so much as it hates being alone).

I guess this feels worth saying because I've seen nuanced discussion about durge's capacity for redemption, but the evil arc for durge seems mostly like them leaning into misc Bhaalist insanity and/or being very comfortable in their evil. I'm curious about (and enjoying) writing an evil durge that's less unhinged and is experiencing more relatable emotional arcs, even when we can't relate to their stabbing. Hopefully.

Stay tuned for more rambling

[vindextra]

My Agents

So, like a lot of splatoon people, I've got my own takes on the Agents. They started out as just a few additional character traits on top of the canon agents, but quickly spiraled out into a lot more fully formed characters.

These characters are presented as they are in the middle arc of my story Breakpoints [insert link]. The first arc retells the stories of Splat 1, 2, and OE, if you want to know how they got to where they are, check out the story!

Agent 3: Quinn

(unfortunately Quinn does not have a ref yet, though one is currently being produced!)

Quinn moved to Inkopolis to get a new start as a new squid. It admittedly wasn't going so well until he followed a weird old man through the sewers and became Agent 3 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon. (Earning himself a surrogate grandpa, and later two surrogate sisters in the process.)

Quinn is light hearted, but direct. He intends to meet problems head on, and is willing to plant his feet and be stubborn when he needs to.

Unfortunately, as a result of the partial sanitization in the metro, the connection between his brain and the muscles in his face were severely damaged, leaving him unable to emote or talk without explicit and deliberate effort.

Quinn remains doggedly committed to the NSS, staying as the only 24/7/365 active member, a trait that doesn't go unnoticed by Captain Cuttlefish.

He/Him

22 years old

Arrow Squid

Can win a blindfolded 4v1 turf fight with just a splattershot

Agency Member

1 vs Many combat specialist, Survival specialist

Known for defying odds for fun

Agent 4: Nora Sheller

Art by Nalina-nw!

Nora left her home of 5 siblings to try and make a name for herself. As a result of co-parenting her 4 younger brothers, Nora is compassionate to a fault, a trait that actually doesn't backfire when she chases a strange woman through a sewer grate. From there, she settled into a comfortable routine with this apparently famous woman, trying to save her cousin.

Nora's emotionally intelligent, save for her own emotions, which she's almost completely blind too. She's lighthearted and quick to joke around, she easily becomes best friends with Callie after she's saved. An accident on a mission leaves her leg permanently injured, which ends up causing an entire torrent of quiet self-worth issues in the background.

She/Her

24 years old

Hooked Squid

Dualies Master

Agency Member (benched due to leg)

Infiltration Expert

Known for her 'guns blazing' style

Agent 8: Clover

Art by Scratch-o!

Arai, as was her name in the domes, was a brutal, no-nonsense soldier, who just wanted to push through and get done with her service. Repeated instances of her faith being shaken in octavian society around her, as well as a particularly biting betrayal from one of her squadmates leaves her utterly disillusioned with the military.

When she falls into the metro, she loses her memory, but those negative emotions still linger. Now dubbed Agent 8, she resolved to complete the tests so that Craig can make it to the surface, but ultimately she doesn't see any worth in her own freedom. During the fight with sanitized Agent 3, nearly being perma-killed inspires a desperate need to live, which now fuels her every step on the surface.

She takes the name Clover when she reaches the surface. (Mostly) gone now is the brutal, no fun attitude from before, now Clover basks in life and all the small joys it can bring.

She/Her

24 years old

Mimic Octoling

No Weapon Preference

Agency Member

1 on 1 combat specialist

Happy-go-lucky, until it's mission time

Agent 9!?: Mavi

(Pictured here without her glasses) Art by Antsyandpantsy!

Mavi's life fell apart when her dad died. She spent several years in a mental fog until her home situation got so bad she was broken out of by sheer necessity. She still has a stutter as a result of that time, which coupled with her already timid nature paints a rather unassuming figure.

Her friends, both in and out of her turf team, helped her get her feet back under her. She lived rather passively for a while, working as a cashier at the official Squid Sister's merch store, until her close friend Nora needed her help. The world of the New Squidbeak Splatoon is revealed to her, and Mavi is left to make a choice.

She chooses to take some hold over her life, joining the Splatoon to enthusiasm all around! Now she has to learn how to catch up with the other agents, and hopefully before the octavians try to pull a new stunt...

She/Her

22 years old

Arrow Squid

Brella Master

Stand-in Agency member

New to non-turf combat

Timid and stuttering, until her temper flares

[aemiron-main]

This is Your Dream: Was TFS Patty’s Dream? At Least Partially? Did Patty Go Missing At Age 12? Are Her And Henry Hooked Up To NINA Together?

So, I’m wondering if TFS was at least partially Patty’s “dream” or her NINA simulation etc.

Because first of all, Henry keeps telling Patty “this is Your Dream,” and Patty says the same to Henry/says “it’s Your Dream,” and they have that shared church dance musical scene vision and there’s a whole Thing about how Henry claims he wasnt the only one causing that/that it was also Patty’s dream.

And what also really gets me is that Patty has to tell Henry to tell her “I love you,” and he only says it after she tells him to & then it works. And so first of all, how did Patty know that it would work??? Like why on earth did Patty think that getting Henry to tell her he loves her would get him to let go of Mr Newby??

Second of all, WHY did it work?? Is it because it’s Patty’s dream and that’s what She wanted to hear?? It’s not a matter of “Henry is in love with Patty and the Power Of Love Worked,” because instead of having a moment where Patty tells Henry all about how much she loves him etc and makes him FEEL loved, its instead HIM SAYING IT TO PATTY that stops things. It’s Patty Hearing It From Henry that stops things. It’s SO weird.

Was Patty the one killing Mr Newby??? And hence why she needed Henry to give Her a moment of love/wish fulfillment???

Which is EXTRA interesting with the context that Mr Newby gives us later- that Henry was fighting the shadow and saving Mr Newby- so, Patty stopping him from fighting (but She thought she was stopping him from killing Mr Newby) by getting him to say “I love you,” actually may have endangered Mr Newby even more.

Also, after Mr. Newby wakes up after losing his eyes, he gives Patty this huge apology about how awful and wrong he was. And sure, maybe he truly repented after getting his eyes gouged out, but the way the scene is set up, it genuinely feels like a Patty wish fulfillment moment, it doesnt feel real, it reminds me of a much tamer version of the musical number vision, it literally feels like an ideal dream moment for Patty.

And also, Henry says to Patty that she’s always known that she was stolen from her mother- which, it’s like. How would Patty know that?? How did Patty know that the “I love you” would work?? Why does Patty know so much??

And so, going back to the fact that there’s those references to being Henry’s dream/Patty saying “it’s your dream,” to Henry the same way that Henry says “it’s your dream,” to Patty, I mentioned all of this to Stav, and she brought up this post that I made about ST vs The Evil Within and NINA-esque simulations + brain syncing via shared chilhood trauma.

However, it’s not that Ruvik and Leslie experienced the same event together as children- it’s that they both grew up in very very similar family dynamics with very very similar traumatic events happening to each of them.

And so, I’m staring at Henry and Patty like. Their family dynamics are very very similar (Mr Newby and Victor both being WW2 airforce vets, Patty feeling abandoned by her mother vs Virginia abandoning Henry in the end, the emotional incest between Henry and Virginia vs the emotional incest between Patty and Mr Newby/how Mr Newby seems to treat her more like a wife stand-in than his child), and so, I wonder if both Patty and Henry are getting nina’d/some sort of shared dream space or something… I know I’ve talked before about the idea that Patty isn’t real and again im just sitting here like. Is she real?? Is she a simulation?? Is she real but hooked up to NINA alongside Henry??

Did Bob’s sister Patty go missing long before TFS? When she was 12, maybe? The age Henry was supposed to be in 1959? The age that Henry got taken to the lab?

Especially since there is that paper in TFS that talks about the principal’s daughter going missing….. and i know it’s supposed to imply, on the surface, that Patty at the end of TFS goes missing when she goes to find her mom, but like. In a subtext sense, I wonder if any of that was even real/if the paper was real but Patty was nabbed by the lab years prior & her and Henry are both hooked up to NINA.

Is Patty Bob’s lost sister?

Plus all of the references to Patty being taken as a baby?? Just like El was?? Was Patty raised in the lab & none of it was real?? Esp since so many TFS details about the newby family do NOT match with the show (ie bob’s parents are together in the show vs split in tfs)

Anyway, many thoughts!