#but also when it takes so long and i have so many ideas for different fics. only certain ones get written

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

This is referring to the "Everything we know about Neige" post. I was just going to comment, but since it became quite big I decided to send here.

Seriously, the RSA boys throwing themselves in from of the NRC always gets to me, because they essentially sacrificed themselves to a unknown treat and I love how this shows the difference between the students on each school, and how RSA is always playing as a team instead of the each men for themselves style of NRC. And especially how that strength is the exact why RSA keeps winning against NRC in the intarscholastic spell drive tournament, and has done so for 99 consecutive years!

I love how around the beginning of the manga (also in the game, but I personally fell like the manga explanation was better) Crowley says how because the mirror's choice are always magicians with big potential, that also leads for a group of people who are somewhat arrogant and refuses to work together.

This is such a core part of the story, but I don't see a lot of talk around it, and personally, I think it's one of the biggest charms.

I do really enjoy how even by telling a story though the villans side, the writers were still able to showcase the very core Disney idea that the reason the heros win is because they are working together, opposite to the villains who ,for the most part, work alone and isolated. It also highlights the importance of dialog and conversation while ALSO showing how naive and self sacrifizing most of the heros are, with Neige and Chenya without think twice throwing themselves into the flowers to save the NRC boys.

I appreciate so much the dinamic of this two schools because by that we can see the strengths and weaknesses of BOTH sides.

Sorry if that was to long and sorry for any grammar mistakes or misspellings. Hope you have/had a nice day/night. Take care. ♡

[Referencing this post!]

It was definitely a really commendable moment for the RSA students, especially when Ruggie and Idia (in the same event) wanted to abandon their asses and save themselves 😭

I feel the common sentiment is to claim RSA’s wins against NRC are “undeserving” or impossible to believe when NRC has so many powerhouses, but it makes sense when you consider the philosophies of their students are so different. Neige and the dwarves performed a popular children’s song from the Shaftlands—a song which adults have nostalgia for and kids love, a song which encourages everyone to join in singing and dancing. Vil had a new song made, but the style won’t appeal to everyone and the lyrics are hard and brag about beating down a foe and winning. You won’t win the audience vote if your performance fails to emotionally connect with people.

RSA’s 99-year win streak in magift/spelldrive is no coincidence either. Their cooperation (which is emphasized in their school curriculum as well) allows them to pull victories, whereas NRC often falls apart due to in-fighting. Ace and Grim give an example at the beginning of Stage in Playful Land. Leona also states that their team last year started fighting before the game even started. It's a consistent pattern.

With the end-of-year tournament being a team composed of one member from each dorm (dorms which have strong rivalries and think they are better than the others), there’s bound to be even more issues that arise in a match. RSA wins not only because they have talented students that can work together well, but also because NRC quite literally tears itself apart from the inside out 💀

It's interesting when we think about how the Mirror of Darkness seems to select students that have great magic potential but are also very arrogant because of that same potential. And this also reflects in their morals as well; it's not uncommon to find NRC students willing to use underhanded methods to get their way (Jamil and Ruggie controlling NBC students to be meat shields, Leona in all of book 2, Jade suggesting they use booby traps to take down their Sledathon rivals, etc.), whereas none of the RSA students we've met so far appear to have morals that deviate from that of a typical nice yet naive "hero". NRC values self preservation, independence, and ambition, whereas RSA is far more self-sacrificing and caring for the entire group. It makes me wonder if RSA has a method of enrollment that minimizes the arrogance and underhandedness in its student population (or at least boasts humility or open-mindedness)? As far as we're aware, the students at RSA also have great magic potential... so what makes the students enrolled at NRC arrogant about it and the students at RSA not arrogant about it...?

I think what separates villains and heroes in Disney films is their dynamics with others. Villains often have henchmen or partners in crime, but the villains are definitely presented as the ones in charge while the others are subservient to them. Villains give commands and/or manipulate to get their way. There is a clear power dynamic, a leader and followers behind that leader’s ambitions. Heroes are willing to compromise, and you’ll seldom see heroes bossing around their friends or allies. If people help the hero, it’s typically of their own volition and not because they are ordered to. Sometimes they help because they are moved or inspired by the hero—but ultimately, their autonomy remains intact. The hero treats others as equals and not as a means to an end. Their kindness is a virtue that attracts others to them. It’s a “me against the world” vs an “us against the world” mentality.

[kattheogcat]

Stunned and Silenced

Pairing — Jacaerys Velaryon x afab!HightowerReader

Summary — The day he saw his betrothed decked out in his colors truly did have him feel... well... you'll see...

Genre — fluff

Wordcount — 0.9k

Warnings — arranged marriage, alcohol mentioned

Rating — pg-13

A/N — I have not read the books and i have last watched the show when the 2nd season was released. For fiction purposes i also changed a few things to fit my idea so be warned that it's not canon compliant :))

Also my first post on this blog – yaaay✨️

Disclaimer: this fic is written and copyrighted by ©kattheogcat on tumblr. do not rewrite or repost on any other plattforms without my permission.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

For all that it was worth, Jacaerys had not wanted this betrothal. They were on the brink of a war that threatened the peace his house had fought so hard to give the realm. Peace that was now in danger because of his own family. A wedding was not what they needed now.

His mother, his queen, thought different.

“A reason to unite us once more and mayhaps mend bonds that appeared to be broken.”

Those had been the words the young man had been greeted with one morrow. Words that had him searching for the eyes of Baela who, just like him, had been under the impression that it was her who would one day take the position by his side. Now however these plans had changed. Not that he was mad about the change of betrothed in itself as he had never held romantic feelings for his cousin but one that left him more unsettled then anything else.

So he found himself sitting and waiting while it seemed the entirety of the realm was starring at him as his breath was stuck in his throat from the nerves this entire ordeal brought with it.

He knew you, his betrothed, not well b but enough to have exchange pleasentries once or twice and he knew you were pleasant to look at. But other than that and that you came from the very house that was trying t usurp his own claim to the throne, he knew little of what was to come.

“I still think this isn’t what we need right now…” he quietly mouthed to his mother sitting by his right while his left was still unoccupied until you would take your place there. The watchfull eyes of the court and especially Otto, Alicent, Aegon, Aemond and the most pleasant one to be around, Helaena burning as most of them either glared or seemed to be ready to eat him alive; a steady presence on his skin.

“Oh, sweet boy. I think it’s exactly what we need right now. Y/n is with Helaena actually pleasant to be around. Even with Alicents vile words through the years, she was only ever loyal to what Targaryens stood for. And that is exactly why I trust her with you. My younger sister is said to be many things but she has the kind of strenght and gentleness I wish for you to experience as wife and future queen consort.” Her words were meant to be reassuring yet all Jacaerys felt was unsettled.

“I’d rather make them see reason!” he grumbled as the queen rose from her seat, a delicate glass of their finest wine raised in her hand, making the chatter around quiet down.

“A joyful occasion has brough us all here together. The union between House Targaryen and House Hightower. A union that has long been shaken and will now strenghten our bonds once more.”

Oh how the prince prayed to the gods that she was right or this would have all been for nothing

“From this day forward, my oldest son, your prince, will be wed to y/n Hightower! It is my honor to welcome my sister as my daughter!”

The grand doors opened and for someone who had been breathless before, Jace was fascinated how much less air suddenly flowed down to his lungs. Now for entirely different reasons as he watched his betrothed step down the stoney stairs with slow, calculated yet almost hesitant steps. Head held high to eminate confidence he knew you were unlikely to actually feel yet unwilling to show weakness you moved with an elegance he had only ever seen in his mother and dressed from head to toe in the colors of his house. Not one speck of the Hightower green he came to loath with time. You h/c hair, that stood in contrast to allo of your siblings gracefully pinned out of your face in a way that brough out your best features like a shining star in midst of the darkest night.

He truly had to remind himself to start breathing again, the horrified gasp at the colors her daughter was wearing instead of green or white as would have been appropriate for a wedding, only faint in his ears as he now rose from his chair. Rhaenyra sat back down and watched with amsument how her son rounded the table and met you halfway, falling for his wife hard and fast.

“You knew this was going to happen?” Daemon whispered smugly and took her hand.

“I just know my son.” She smiled back innocently.

----------

Jace stunned to silence came to stand in front of you. Everyones eyes still heavily on him and you.

“My prince.” You greeted with your head bowed lower then he liked to see.

“Princess…” he chocked, completely stunned and incapable of forming the words fitting for what he truly felt in that moment.

He offered his hand for you to take and lead you back where you belonged by his side on the dinning table.

Sitting down one glare of his past your head let Alicent sit back down before she could berate you for going against the Hightowers by wearing his signature colors.

His.

“Let the feast beginn!”

[freaknloser]

Buff!Male x Chubby!FemaleReader

Part 2 Context: You can't stop thinking about Daniel, but he's not at the shop in the following weeks. Your life falls back into the same boring routine, same dull pop music playing overhead while you pluck things from shelves. Some time later, you go out with some friends for a much needed night of fun and—Wait... Who just said your name? ⚠ Content Warning: Adult language, friends lovingly threatening your life, fluff, slow burn. Word count: 2,066   │ part 1 │ part 2 │ part 3 (date tbd) │ follow for more! │

Hello lovelies! ♡(˘ ε˘ʃƪ) This story is consuming my life. Ahhh! I kind of wrote this part three different times because I had so many ideas on how they would meet again. This is the one I landed on because I'm a selfish little brat who is indulging my own fantasies within this story. I hope you enjoy part 2! I know it's very cliff hang-y and open ended, but keep your eyes peeled for part 3. Maybe it will be released soon. (•̀ᴗ-)✧ As always, my inbox and asks are open! I would really love to hear from you—be it just a hello or constructive criticism! I promise I'm nice!

The following weeks went by with no sign of the man who admired you like you were a goddess under the unflattering glow of fluorescent lighting. Instead, nothing happened; no dramatic turn of fate driving you into each other’s arms on the street, no spotting him at a bus stop, no surprise introduction to a mysterious friend that ended up having black hair and blue eyes.

Your weekly shopping immediately went back to the same boring lull as before. Though sometimes, when you were reaching for something on a shelf, you would catch yourself looking at the doors as they were sliding open, but it was never him.

Though this wasn’t some romcom movie, part of you secretly hoped for a kind of shift in the tide that leads you back to each other. Yet the weeks turned into a month, and you were starting to think you had dreamt him up at this point.

“I don’t know,” you groaned as you flopped back onto your bed, your phone held to your ear as you looked at the ceiling. “I’m starting to think this is the universe telling me that maybe I wasn’t meant to see him again or something.”

“Girl. Don’t be stupid.” You could practically hear your friend, Amanda, roll her eyes through the phone. “It’s been a month and a half, not a year.”

You rolled onto your stomach to let out a protesting grumble into your mattress. “But he was so hot.”

“You sound pathetic.”

“Maybe I am,” you moaned, kicking your feet against the mattress dramatically.

She scoffed, the annoyance leaking into her tone with each word. “You are not pathetic. You just… Need laid or something.”

Well, she wasn’t wrong. It had been a while—a long while—and the last guy was not impressive. It was maybe three minutes of uncoordinated thrusting before he collapsed on top of you, leaving you to take an Uber home unsatisfied and full of frustration.

You respond after a moment of silence, “Ouch… But fair.”

“I have an idea!”

You heard the sound of a door opening on the other side of the phone followed by the soft clattering of hangers. You knew what this meant, even before she said it.

“Bar?”

“No, that’s boring. I was thinking the club downtown. You know, the one that plays good music and doesn’t have that weird guy that sits in the corner staring at people.”

You laugh, already sitting up in bed, eyes moving to your own closet. You knew there was no point in protesting, your friends would show up at your door and drag you out in your pj’s if it came down to that. Also, to be truthful, you could use to let loose a bit.

“I mean, there’s probably going to be some guy like that there, too.”

“Whatever, Y/N. Don’t kill my vibe.” A moment of silence followed by a small gasp. “Oh! This is the perfect time to wear that dress I bought at the mall. You going to wear the red one you got?”

You thoughtfully hummed as you stood and padded towards your closet. “I don’t know. I feel like it hugs my belly a bit too much.”

“Don’t even,” she snipped, words dripping with almost unrestrained rage, “or I will hurt you.”

You chuckle, plucking the dress from your closet rather than protesting.

“It looked so good on you. Just put it on. I’m coming over so we can get ready together.”

You rolled your eyes, moving back towards your bed to drape the silky red fabric over the mattress. “You mean you’re coming over so I can do your make-up.”

“Duh.”

“Okay, fine. But you’re buying first round,” you said with a grin.

She agreed; then about 20 minutes later, Amanda was perched in your computer chair with her long auburn hair pulled up in a messy bun. You gossiped about some new guy that started at her job—no, not him—some blonde guy that was apparently a complete prick.

By 9 o’clock, you were standing in line with three of your friends, giggling and gushing about how glad you were to see each other. Everyone looked stunning, their tight outfits extenuating their perfectly slim figures; and you couldn’t help but feel like you stood out between them.

The unforgiving fabric of your dress clinging tightly to the curve of your tummy, the dips of your hips, and swell of your breasts. Its thin straps doing little to hide your plump arms, leaving your skin exposed to the night air. While you weren’t incredibly insecure, this dress was increasing the anxiety building in your chest by the minute.

You fell quiet, listening to the ongoing tale of the mysterious blonde man who started at Amanda’s job. Even though she was scoffing and rolling her eyes, she couldn’t seem to stop talking about him. Just as you opened your mouth to crack a joke, a voice cut you off.

“Y/N?”

It was small, unbelieving, and was vaguely familiar though you couldn’t quite place it. You turned, and like something out of a corny movie, your gaze was drawn upwards and onto blue eyes. Your heart sputtered in your chest, stomach filling with butterflies, as you look up at the man that had been invading your mind so frequently.

“… Daniel?”

He looked even more handsome than he did that day in the shop. His hair perfectly pushed back, other than the small curl that seemingly refused to fall in line with the rest—and his outfit? A perfectly ironed white dress shirt that stretched tightly over his muscles, a thin black tie hanging loosely from his collar, and black slacks gripping his thick thighs.

It was criminal how hot he was in anything from the sweatpants he wore when you first met to the cleaned up version that stood in front of you now.

His face was full of longing, his lips slightly parted as he studied you. He looked at you like you had unfairly been taken from him, like he never expected to see you again. His eyes flicked across your face, drinking in every detail all over again; and for a moment, it felt like you forgot how to breathe… Because he was real and he was looking at you.

“Y/N,” he echoed, savoring the way your eyes lit up when he said your name, his lips curling into a smile. “It’s great to see you again.”

“Mm… I was starting to think you were avoiding me,” you teased.

His eyes drifted to your dress. For a long moment, he remained silent, his face unreadable as he lost himself in admiring the shiny fabric extenuating your soft, plump figure.

“Why would I do something so stupid?”

The blush creeped up your neck as your eyes stayed on his; he wasn’t looking back in yours. No, his eyes were all over body, admiring your curves the way a man would admire a work of art.

A series of throats clearing coming from behind you snapped you out of your trance. As you turned towards your friends, you were met with eager grins. You couldn’t stop the chuckle that bubbled up in your throat before introducing everyone.

Daniel was sweet, greeting everyone with a friendly smile, but his eyes kept falling back to you. He couldn’t help himself; appreciating how your ass looked in your dress and admiring the curves of your nearly bare shoulders. It was unfair, really; how exposed you were yet completely hidden from his view.

Then he noticed it: how your hands subtly tried to hide the way the fabric clung to your navel or tried to hang at your sides just so to hide the way it gripped the dip of your hips. His eyes met yours again, and in that moment, all that existed was you.

“You look absolutely stunning,” he murmured with hearts in his eyes.

You could hear your pulse in your ears as you realized that look would absolutely be your downfall; and he was thinking the same thing about the way your face flushed and lips quirked into a smile. Only where you worried, he worshipped. Before you could reply to his compliment, he was already speaking.

“So, I know you’re obviously busy…” He paused, shooting a short glance at your friends. He had been rejected once, sure, but he would happily humiliate himself if there was a small chance you would say yes.

He cleared his throat, angling himself towards you, and leaning in ever so slightly. “But I was wondering if I could tempt you into joining me for a late night snack?”

His blue eyes glimmered under the streetlights and you could see the hope glowing in them. The small distance between you filled with the smell of his cologne: musky, deep, woodsy. You had to stop yourself from shouting your agreement and bouncing on your toes, from giggling like a schoolgirl.

But you were supposed to be going to the club with your friends. You start to turn back towards them, but Amanda’s hand found your shoulder.

She leaned in close, her mouth close enough for you to feel the warmth of her breath on your ear as she whispered, “If you don’t go with him, I’m going to murder you.”

And that was all the validation you needed. Your eyes met Daniel’s again as your smile grew. You nodded in agreement and he was sure his lips would be stuck in the stupid grin that broke out across his face for the rest of his life.

“Great!” His voice came out more eager than me meant for it to, but he couldn’t hide his giddiness. How could he when you were standing in front of him looking like that?

He put a hand out as an offering. “How about breakfast? There’s a diner just up the street that makes the best pancakes.”

“Breakfast?” You laughed, placing your hand in his—and your whole body reacted to the contact.

Your breath hitched, body tensed. His hands were rough, calloused from obvious years of hard work; the warmth from his palm seeped into yours as his fingers coiled around your hand.

“What? You don’t like breakfast?” He smirked, shaking his head slowly from side to side as he clicked his tongue. “That’s a shame.”

“Oh, you know that isn’t where I was going with that,” you playfully snipped, lightly squeezing his hand as you scrunched your nose. “Besides… What kind of person doesn’t like breakfast?”

You waved to your friends as you were gently lead away from the club. Daniel didn’t release your hand, not for a long moment, enjoying the feeling of your soft skin under his fingertips. His entire brain screamed at him to weave his fingers between yours, to pull you close to his side and never let go.

Yet he just smiled down at you, opening his hand for you to pull away. Though you really didn’t want to, you did; wrapping your fingers around the strap of your purse instead. Neither of you spoke on the short walk, instead enjoying a comfortable silence and stolen glances.

As the soft glow of the white neon sign for the diner came into view, you looked up at him to say something, only to make direct eye contact. You grinned, arching an eyebrow, walking closer to his side.

“Are you going to stare all night?”

“If you let me.”

It came out with no hesitation, a raw thought that he hadn’t even fully processed before it tumbled from his mouth… But he would have said it regardless.

Your face burned as pink stained your skin, even stippling the tips of your ears with color. You looked away, trying to subdue the smile that was fighting so hard to break out on your face that it made your cheeks hurt.

When you got to the diner, he held the door for you, his eyes on yours as that wide smile clung to his lips.

“After you, shortcake.”

The sight of his eager face made your stomach flutter and chest tighten. After all this time, it seemed that the tide had turned in your favor after all; but if you were to ask him, he would have confidently said that he was the real winner that night.

freaknloser.tumblr.com © 2025

[clowns0up-felix]

HII YOUR ART IS THE TASTIEST THING EVER AND EVERY TIME U POST I ASCEND TO ANOTHER REALM OF EXISTENCE

and!! What tloz headcanons have u been thinking abt lately? If u wanna talk about some brainworms :D

THANK YOUUUU !! ^_^ it seems as though you found my hidden message of wanting to talk about my hcs ,, smirks well well well

There’s so many I think about every day ehhhh which ones do I even pick , I think I’ll go w the ones my last post showcased mostly? Which would be my tfh hc, uhmm .. was gonna talk about sheikxruto but I’ll do that in another ask..!

(Putting it under here vv bc kinda long lol)

Triforce hero but it’s Mural, Wolf and Mage: A while ago I was brainstorming w two friends about tfh and they really liked my idea that the 3 guys in the game were 3 links from the lm instead of Mural + copies of mural or mural + two random other guys, and together we chose Wolf and Mage! Tfh would be happening simultaneously to hw, hw being the reason wolf and mage are in murals world for it..! For mural it still would just be his normal timeline, having it after albw.

It’d be before the lm for all 3 so they don’t know each other at all and then get to meet again later yay! It’s not a super serious hc and just fun ^_^ i don’t remember why wolf got the emo haircut

They call each other Red Green and Blue during tfh I’d think ??

Some random small ones I like:

- at the end of hw Mask gives Linkle his Bremen Mask! She has and cherishes it all the years up until the lm where they meet again ^_^

- Malon and Sailor are related , just with really really much time between them

- Marin goes to Sailors era w him and Tetra after hw

- Ravio started to put a lot of research and money into magic after albw to figure out how to create portals between Hyrule and Lorule again ! (Which he succeeded in like, a few months later) ,, when the lm happens he and Mural are chilling together and he’s experimenting w some magic stuff and then Mural , for different reasons, gets ripped away and Ravio straight up thinks it’s his fault bc he was fucking around and found out lol

- Bunny writes letters to Marin about whatever currently bothers her, mostly about the yearning 🙄 she’s also btw a bard (idk if I’ve talked about this on the blog) and travels the land to spread music that come from her adventures,, especially Marin’s song yk the drill

- Bunny meets Ralph during the lm (which is b4 ooa so they’re strangers) by falling on him and breaking his right arm

- mural, rift, sunder, and mage all know the ballad of the wind fish because of bunny spreading and making it popular in her era! Marin herself was able to teach Mask, Captain, Sailor and Linkle the song during hw!! So a lotta links know it ^.^ Captain is tone deaf af tho so he can’t sing it. By the time it’s Sunders era the song has become a popular children’s lullaby :)))

- Sprout is missing two teeth currently (milk teeth that fell out)

- when Sunder and Zelda are 6-7 Zelda sneaks away into castle town where she meets link and they spend a few hours hanging out and having fun! Zelda at that time has bangs that keep falling into his eyes so Link gifts him her favorite blue hairclips that Zelda wears to this day ! (T4t Zelink if anyone’s confused about the pronouns)

- speaking of them after botw they have a little cucco den next to their house with 3 coccos that Clavia takes care of when they’re out of town

- Mural has a pet Remlit named Rupoor

- I MUSTVE mentioned this b4 but I can’t remember so I might repeat myself ,, Dawn has narcolepsy

- Picori idolizes the hell out of the hero of the sky, has been his biggest fan ever since he was a kid

- Mask has a childish fondness of bugs, other random things he loves are fishing and cheese

- mask has a super light dialect,,,, likeee the kokiri do speak hylian but just oh so slightly different (also way more somber yk) bc usually groups thatre separate from other people speaking a language won’t speak with the exact same dialect yk ,, Also would make him seem stranger bc he speaks hylian but there’s just something very VERY slightly different about how he pronounces things! Maybe he has some different words for things

- if sailor is approached from the right (can’t see bc missing eye) he can tell bc the wind tells him

- Captain always carries hidden weapons with him, like a knife in his boots or one under his pillow when he sleeps as examples

- Sailor once broke Captains nose in a play fist fight during hw

THATS ENOUGH FOR EVER ..

[vintage-bentley]

I don’t “identify” as a woman, just like I don’t “identify” as my eye colour. Both are just things that I was born as, they’re not something I feel the need to make into an identity or to express somehow.

I know that sex is just about what reproductive parts we have. Why are you sorry that that’s all it means, when that simplicity allows so much freedom? Gender comes with strict roles. I’ve seen people defining “identifying as a woman” as identifying with femininity, or with being comfortable with misogyny, or with identifying with female gender roles/expectations. That is so restricting! I’d much rather consider myself a woman because I’m female, and have that say absolutely nothing about me except for my biological reality. Just like any other physical thing about me.

You’re assuming that everyone cares about “gender expression”. Some people don’t give a shit. For most people, we aren’t thinking about what outfit expresses our “gender” the best—we’re thinking about what outfit is most physically comfortable. We aren’t thinking about how to hold ourselves so that it validates our “gender identity”—we’re just being ourselves. I cannot stress how unimportant “gender expression” is to me. As I said already, my being a woman (adult human female) tells you nothing about me except my biology. Everything else about me is my personality, and it’s unrelated to my sex.

I care when people claim that they’re challenging sexist ideas, but end up enforcing them instead. The gender abolitionist view is that gender = sexist stereotypes. We should do away with that concept, and just be left with sex, which says nothing about a person just like any other physical trait of theirs. The gender identity view is that sexist stereotypes are good, as long as you get to pick which ones you adhere to. Even the concept of “nonbinary” enforces sexist stereotypes, as it places everyone else in a binary. It implies that there’s a limit on men and women’s gender non conformity, and once that limit is surpassed, one is considered nonbinary. I would much rather there just be no limit at all, and for everyone to just do whatever they want without any concern about what category it puts them in.

In simpler terms:

Conservative: there are two boxes, and you are born into either one and cannot change

Gender identity: there’s limitless boxes, take your pick!

Gender critical/abolitionist: get rid of the boxes

I’m glad that you’re also a lesbian and aren’t coming from a place of disgust with female same sex attraction. But do keep in mind for the future that it’s a page right out of the homophobe book to imply that a lesbian thinks women exist for her sexual pleasure, when she’s really just talking about her own personal preferences.

Anyway, the original post is just me saying that gender non conformity in women is attractive, but sexism is not. I love when women defy sexist stereotypes. I hate when they say “because I’ve defied sexist stereotypes, I’m Not A Woman.” which then implies that woman = enjoying sexist stereotypes. Which isn’t true. Woman = adult human female. That’s all. That definition leaves so much room for so many different ways of being. As opposed to gender identity based definitions, which are restrictive as they rely on stereotypes.

GNC women are so attractive until they have a gender identity. Then, instead of seeing a confident woman who’s comfortable being who she is, I see an insecure woman playing pretend. I see a performance instead of authenticity. And if that’s what they’re going for, power to them. But I think most of them genuinely think they’re giving “gender” and “sexy masc twink man”…when really they’re giving “I want you to think I’m cool so badly so I put on a costume and am going to pose like I think men do”.

[handbellanon]

Ok I might actually have enough spoons left over to get this out in more-than-bullet-point form. But I'm still so pissed about how Tim killed off Bobby this season, not because I'm against character death in general (in fact I can find it very cathartic if done right), but because of how it was done.

I talked a little bit about this right after the episode first aired, but a lot of my issue in my immediate reaction was the way the reveal happened. It could have been SO much less of a twist for shock value had they shown the clip with his ruptured line a little earlier in the episode. Build the audience tension with will-he-won't-he tell them he's also been exposed.

This wasn't a case of somebody wanting to leave and not having a better idea of how to have them permanently exit the show. There's been a universal across-the-board consensus that this was entirely Tim's idea and Peter Krause didn't want to leave and all of the other cast had to be convinced on this idea. Because we've literally had everyone emphatically reiterating the same story, I'm not inclined to conspiracy theories that something happened behind the scenes.

So none of this was necessary, and Tim may be taking whatever swings he wants as a creator, but that doesn't mean that it makes for a good story (tangentially, I've been seeing a lot of good meta on my dash about this regarding Critical Role Campaign 3).

But even beyond that, the thing that pisses me off the most is that Tim explicitly said Bobby dying was "realistic," but if you know even an ounce of virology/epidemiology, you can poke so many holes in that plot. And look, I am by no means an epidemiologist, and I am not even particularly well versed in immunology. But I do have two degrees in the biological sciences and even just the internal inconsistency of the way the plot was written is just *bad.*

First off, the modified CCHF virus is presented to us by Moira as having a decreased incubation period, not as being a more lethal version. The difference is how long it takes symptoms to manifest (for the purposes of the show), not you-have-a-higher-chance-of-dying. Moira's goal was to accelerate the research process. This was explicit dialogue in the show specifying how the modified virus worked, but that just got completely thrown out later. If you're gonna have that kind of detail in a show like this, at least make sure your episode agrees with itself, what the hell.

Bobby also arguably had a decreased viral load, on account of the fact that contaminated air was coming in through his ruptured SCBA hose- he wasn't fully open-mouthed breathing contaminated air like Chimney was.

But the worst part of this whole thing (as others on my dash have pointed out) is that to do this to Bobby spits in the face of all his character growth we've seen over the past 8 seasons. He started out season 1 actively suicidal and straight up told Chimney that he was biding his time, waiting to fill the names in his book, and then he was going to kill himself. And then he met Athena, and slowly learned to live life again in the after, and build a new life and sense of purpose for himself. We saw him fight to live again and again and again.

As Eddie said in the finale, "if there's one thing I learned from Bobby, there's always another choice." But Bobby didn't even try. He just decided that Chim was gonna get the cure and that was it, nevermind the fact that CCHF only has a 40% mortality rate. They just wrote him giving up, when he could have used duct tape to minimize his exposure, let them know he needed to be quarantined, and tried to beat it with a supportive care regimen.

We're also apparently ignoring the rat that Chim took with him that was cured in the previous episode. And the fact that antibodies and vaccines can be extracted from organisms that survive an infection like CCHF and at least try to come up with a treatment while keeping Bobby on supportive care. There were just so many ways Bobby could have been ill and survived.

Hell, if you wanted to shake up the 118 like Tim claimed he wanted, you can open up space for a new captain without killing Bobby. Give him a CEI. Have him promoted up the brass so he's out of the firehouse. Force him back to Hotshots. Let him retire out to the country. I don't know, pick something. You don't have to shatter the firehouse like that for the sake of "shaking things up." This is just being destructive for the sake of being destructive.

And THEN, the follow up to all of this was that, for all Bobby was the head of the 118, his funeral was a token few minutes at the very end of the next episode, an episode in which the audience is strung along by the jailed mother's baby maybe-maybe-not being alive. Even if people weren't comparing that plot to Bobby, the show spends an entire episode building hope that this mother might be right, and her baby might be alive, only for it all to not be true. And the point is driven home by (what little we saw of) the funeral. There's no time given for the audience to fully grieve, or to really dig into how the core A-shift are feeling other than "bad."

I will also add, that for anyone who is involved any more than the GA, the April Fools' post with the leaked script page of Bobby being buried alive felt particularly cruel. It's one thing to do silly stuff, but to joke about a character being alive when you're fully planning on not doing that? That's getting into the realm of emotional manipulation, not harmless fun. Especially when there's a lot of speculation regarding them shooting multiple turnout coats on the back of the engine during the leak. Like, all in all, it was bad decisions exacerbated by bad taste.

This was supposed to be the show where we could trust that they would save each other and the victims, but that all got thrown out for the sake of making waves. And the character plots were essentially nonexistent. The things that sucked me in to this show through Tumblr and kept me watching are just...gone. I don't want an emergency drama that's all cases-of-the-week, I want a family that cares about each other and grows and loves.

Peter Krause deserved better and Bobby Nash deserved better.

[gwenyn28]

Just a few thoughts. I don‘t want to excuse any development or sound condescending. I don’t want to excuse the writing because I still stand by it being shitty and it could have been better in so many ways for a lot of storylines and characters. But I just had a few thoughts that I wanted to share. So… here they are. About season 7 and season 8. And probably the Buddie of it all.

If you are still too emotional and mad about the whole development? That is absolutely valid and I would never try to invalidate it. Be disappointed. Crash out. Curse everyone and their mom. Be angry and mad and sad and frustrated.

If you are open to read about a different approach, a different opinion and some thoughts and the last two seasons and some Buddie stuff… be my guest to read the following.

Just please be respectful if you disagree with things.

Imagine the following scenario:

Fox had the show for six season but then noticed that they can‘t do it anymore. Because it is too expensive. They also shut down Buddie permanently because… omg, no way. It was visible especially in season 6 when Buddie had barely any scenes together (though there were still some great Buddie moments with the „Do more!“/lightning and the poker date). Then, all of a sudden, abc appears, wanting to buy the show. Because they have the money and they see potential there. Especially with Buddie.

And so they try to set their plan in motion, to use the potential they saw, with starting the Buddie route after the opening disaster in 7x04. And it works in their favor. The response for bi!Buck as the first one of them coming out (excluding the few homophobic idiots) is mainly positive and euphoric. For them it is confirmed that the plan is a good one and will work out for them, bringing in fans, viewers and mainly money.

But then something unexpected happens. We remember some of the interviews from back in season 7 after the opening disaster. Especially Peter. He is talking about him being „too old“ for this kind of work. That is is tiring. That it is demanding. To carry around that heavy gear, the long hours (that led to a tragic death in real life), the stress… all of that.

Suddenly they have a „problem“ here. Peter is an executive producer and one of the main faces of the show. They can‘t ignore his complaints. (Maybe there was also a fallout with some higher ups about this or other things concerning the show like work schedules in general and/or character development but since this is just speculation I will keep it out of this text. I just wanted to mention it once that there could be other reasons for this whole „problem“ as well.)

Therefore they need to find a way to help, to solve that problem. And by doing so, they put all their focus on him and his character‘s development/storyline while unfortunately forgetting about the others and sidelining them.

This is a huge problem and there is nothing in this world to sugarcoat it. Tim has a whole team of writers working on this show. If he is not able to take care of the others and their characters he could have given this task to someone else to solely focus on Peter/Bobby. So everyone would have gotten the story they deserved.

Instead of handling it that way, we get 7x09 though that was a Bobby episode (with not even a mention of anyone else). That episode calls back to the house fire with how his story began. And the suicidal tendencies which come into play in the finale of season 7. The viewer is reminded that Bobby has had these thoughts in the past. That him dying is not a foreign concept to him and his character. That it has been an issue in the past. With bringing that up again they try to plant the idea into the viewer’s mind that they could see it and understand this being an optional and logical next step. Because they might see it not as a surprise then when he dies in the season‘s finale.

But the reactions were negative. Killing him off like that? Addressing his suicidal tendencies? With one main point for that planned death being his old guilt that has actually been resolved, kind of, since season 2? They notice their mistake that this is not the right way. The right solution. Therefore, they bring him back to life even though he should have stayed dead after being gone for 14 minutes. (Because who would and could survive that?)

So, that is their first try to solve that problem. Unfortunately, it doesn‘t work out. The problem‘s still there. And not only this. With focusing on that story, they have a whole other new problem - they neglected the other characters for that. They gave them shitty storylines that led to nothing much and didn’t get resolved because they felt like Tim had an idea but got sidetracked with other stuff. It was not cohesive at all.

Therefore, the season ends with two problems instead of just one - Bobby is still alive and the rest has crappy or barely existing storylines.

Then, season 8 is on its way. They get back on track and focus on „how to make it easier for Peter“? Again. The stupid thing is though… That is their sole focus. They forget about the others. Again. There is no development for any character in season 8. They get something small here and there but that‘s it. Nothing big, nothing connected, nothing cohesive and consistent. They bring in outsiders to create conflict instead of working with what they have and what has been the essence of 911 - their family as the core story. But yeah, it tracks. Because their main story is Bobby right now. The others are just an afterthought. Their stories fall flat and are stagnant. That sucks. But they either ignore it or they just don‘t notice. Fair? No. But that is the current situation.

And if we really think about it… a lot of people were noticing that and complaining about „why does Bobby get so much attention this season?“ That is the reason why. He has been the focus because there was an issue to solve. People might have not been able to see that back then, coming up with other explanations about „he is the male lead and it‘s Peter!“. While it might not have been about him being high on the callsheet though. It might have been just because they needed to find a solution.

In then end, they are still on the „Bobby/Peter problem“ for season 8a. That is when the idea comes up with the Hotshots plot. That is their test run for the idea of „what if we make Bobby retire? What if he is not part of the 118 anymore but still on the show?“ So, they use that story to test the waters here. How the people would react to them having (and finding) a new captain, to have a new dynamic at the 118, to still be connected to Bobby though but pulling him out of the focus. That follows Peter‘s wishes and complaints about not wanting to do all the stunts and hard work anymore that is demanding for his body and health but would keep the character. Could have killed two birds with one stone, right?

So, Hotshots was never meant to be a 911 meta, to poke fun at the show or to give us callbacks. It was simply there to test changing the position and role for Bobby. Theoretically a good idea. But it didn’t work out.

People are not okay with it. They don‘t like it and want Bobby back. The result? They know now that having Bobby retire, to write him off and/or out of the 118 (while still being on the show though) won‘t work out. People would not like it and they would want him back, no matter what.

So, season 8a ends. And the problem is still there. How to make it work for Peter? A lot of conversations have to be held and things are discussed. While they still have to continue with the show because it is still on and a work in progress. They are under pressure somehow.

And then the decision is made. There is only one solution. Retirement doesn‘t work. „Demoting“ him to guest or recurring? Not working either. The people want to see Bobby.

That is the moment they just have one solution - Kill him permanently.

Is it a good decision? Debatable.

Is it a good execution? Definitely not.

Could it have been done differently? Probably.

But the point stands. Their only way out at that point is the permanent death. Everything else hasn‘t or wouldn‘t work out.

Also, somehow Ryan, Aisha and Kenny cancelling the plans for the „Saving Lives“ convention could be seen in a different light now. The original story, if the retirement idea would have worked out? They would have been done by then and could have attended. But since they had to rearrange everything and write a new story? They were needed on set. Therefore, cancelling the convention.

Don‘t get me wrong. I don‘t want to excuse that decision or say that it was amazing or great or well-done. Because it wasn‘t. It was rushed and badly executed and they lacked a lot in the writing department here to make it a cohesive story to have people get the plot. There was so much missing which tracks back to my earlier statement of Tim getting sidetracked so many times and losing the bigger picture.

If it had been done differently I think a lot of people would have accepted killing off Bobby a bit more. Easier. But we already were unsatisfied and mad at all the shitty storylines and plots happening before to all the characters so… the foundation was just not there. To have a good and solid story and then deciding to kill off a character. That would have worked. Not what we got though.

For most fans the MCD was just another shitty thing that happened in a row of shitty things. Therefore there was no acceptance. If they had handled it differently, maybe it would have been a better result. But we will never know because the damage is done.

But back to the main point. The decision is made. Kill Bobby. But now they have to do that, to commit, one way or another. I assume this decision happened around February or so.

The Texas stuff was already filmed in January, 8x11 was planned and had started. Hen‘s bus storyline was on its way as well. So, they have to rearrange the whole schedule and everything from budget to permits to departments involved - the Contagion arc is born.

A lot of us felt and still feel that this was so off and random, it made no sense in the overall story. It felt weird and forced into the main story. And it actually was. We were confused about the stuff we found out through bts about them pushing around episodes (15 being 13 all of a sudden) and other things not adding up. But the root of this chaos was the „we need to put an end to the Bobby problem asap“, not a „I have no clue at all what I am doing“.

It was said in one interview that Bobby‘s death was derailing everyone‘s personal storylines and putting them on hold. And that was actually a bad thing in that moment because they had to stop everything they were doing. So, that couldn‘t be more true. Because exactly this happened. They had a plan (not that it was a good one, don‘t get me wrong) how to get through the season. But since they had to get through with killing Bobby as well they had to change the plan and shake everything up.

You might ask „why kill him then and why not doing it differently and doing it in 8x15?“. Like I said before. The problem still stands. Peter is maybe not able to do all the heavy stuff anymore (not that I would blame him, but it might be just a fact due to his age). So, they are ripping off the band-aid and are like „Okay, let‘s get through with it and accept the shitstorm for now. We have no other way out.“

And that is exactly what happened. The backlash was and still is huge. And they got and get a lot of negative feedback. They just take it. Because they knew that this would happen. But they saw no other or better way out of this situation.

Again, I don‘t want to excuse it or defend anything. It was still poorly executed and could have been better. Because let‘s be honest, Tim got even sidetracked there again with his „action“ and „I want a four minute long helicopter chase“. Two episodes could have been enough to give Peter/Bobby a proper goodbye and death to his character if done differently. But they did it in a bad way and have to live with it now, accepting the reactions while trying to see the positive side here as well with „okay, that death shakes up things for every character and we can finally develop them further. Our problem is solved.“

Let‘s have a look at the Buddie of it all then because that is the thing that probably interests us the most. They are our babies.

Like I said in the beginning, abc saw the potential and greenlit Buddie.

They take the first step in 7x04. Then the Bobby problem appears and they loose focus, being not the main plot anymore. The Buddie development gets sidelined for now, maybe with the thought of „One thing after another, let‘s solve Bobby first, then get back to Buddie“. Unfortunately, that doesn‘t work out and the problems is still there.

They admit defeat then and are okay with with sidelining Buddie for season 7 even though both Oliver and Ryan are on board (and if anyone says they, especially Ryan, are against it… this is not a safe space for you!). Let‘s push it to season 8.

And then season 8 happens and the Bobby problem is still unsolved. Because killing him in season 7? Not happening and Buddie is still sidelined in 8a. Because there are more important matters to take care of. But again, this doesn‘t work out. Hotshots as a test run for retiring Bobby is a failure. And 8a ends with still two problems at hand - Bobby alive and characters (in this case Buddie) being sidelined.

For 8b they decide to change their approach. To finally shift the focus. The Bobby problem can’t be solved quickly. They learnt that after 7b and 8a. So, the plan is to concentrate on Buddie for now. The potential is still there and that has been their original idea anyway. Maybe they can work that out first and then take care of the Bobby problem?

That is why the beginning of 8a feels like a Buddie dream coming true. The whole fight about Eddie moving, him leaving Buck behind who can barely handle this situation, 8x11 and the two Texas episodes. Great. That is exactly what they wanted. The Buddie train is back on track and thriving. The fans are ecstatic and the GA picks up on that plan.

But then… shit. Bobby. Almost forgot about him. He is still alive and the Captain of the 118. Peter still has to work and do the heavy stuff and… damn. Ignoring the problem or pushing it back didn‘t solve it. So, the focus had to be shifted again. Abandon Buddie, put it on the back burner.

I am sure that the decision to „rip off the MCD band-aid“ wasn‘t made easily. And that they had a lot of conversations and debates about it. But once the decision was made they had to stop the Buddie train again. They were not okay with it and they probably hated it, especially Oliver and Ryan who were happy that there was finally the development that both (!) anticipated. But everyone accepted it for now. Bobby was the more pressing matter at hand in that moment.

So, the Contagion arc happened. And finally they solved the Bobby problem but had to accept the backlash on that AND the sudden Buddie stagnating.

The final three episodes after this arc were used to close this storyline and I am convinced that Bobby‘s death won‘t be a topic anymore in season 9. They let them grieve (even though poorly, still acknowledging the bad writing in some parts on my end here), trying to pull the characters out of being sidelined, getting back on track with giving them development.

Season 9 can be now used again to get to tell the stories they either wanted to tell in season 8 or had no time to even think about for this season.

But what about the press tour before the finale? Let‘s say it was… bad timing? Disney‘s upfront is a fixed date and the finale aired after it. Unfortunately. The press we saw that heavily featured Buddie… was not press for the finale. It was press for season 9. If the finale had aired before that all the Buddie hype would have been seen for its actual intention. To „hype“ season 9. To promote it. To sell their show. To finally go through with what they wanted to do for two seasons now but couldn’t do because they had to take care of something else (Bobby) first.

Was it calculating and kinda rude what the outlets did, to air and publish the stuff before the finale? Yes. Because it was misleading and a lot of people thought it was about the finale. Imagine that stuff being said next week or the week after? Completely different outcome. But them airing it before the finale gave people a wrong impression.

The problem is that a lot of people, me sometimes included I give you that, have an idea and theory because we see something or get hyped by other‘s theories… and then we focus so much on that and expect something to happen. While it just doesn‘t because it has never been the plan. And that is why people get disappointed and angry so often.

I don‘t want to blame anyone for doing that. It is just an explanation for why this happens, you know? And why people react to it the way they do.

If you put the hype aside and think about it being for season 9 and not the finale? It can be seen in a different light, especially with what I explained earlier. Buddie got sidelined and partially forgotten because of the Bobby issue. But now that they are free, they can get their focus back on that. And everything in the interviews and articles and videos is pointing towards it.

Abc still sees the potential and is still on board with it. Otherwise they would have shut it down for real, the interviews and everything that happened during that press would have been different for sure. They would have given more professional answers, more open worded. They would not have been that happy and giddy about the whole think. So, we can assume that it is still the plan for the upcoming season(s). We also know that they plan to keep 911 as long as possible, like the new Grey‘s Anatomy with a shit ton of seasons to come. Abc hasn’t given up on the show.

They just had to solve a problem first. And even if they did it in the worst way possible concerning the writing, the sidelining of other characters etc.? The problem is solved. The detour they had to take? Done. They can go through with their original plan. And that is Buddie.

Also one or maybe two important things. With Bobby gone it actually plays into the Buddie canon of it all. Why? One of the main faces of the show is gone. The male lead so to speak. That is why Oliver got so much promo work this week. Because they want to build him to be the new „male lead“ (I know it is an ensemble show but I have no better way to explain it.) He will take Peter‘s place. Not as the captain (that will be Chimney). But as the male face of the show. And Buddie? Even though it sounds weird but… Buddie is planned as the new Bathena. I don‘t want to make Bathena fans mad with this but…

Let’s be realistic for a second. Bathena was a main pull for the show. People tuning in for them. But now? Bobby is gone. And Athena? She has no house anymore so where does she live? I can see Angela stepping back as well. Not leaving the show completely but being more of a guest. To be their police connection until… she can raise the next one. A rookie. This is how these long term shows work. If an actor has to or wants to leave you find a replacement, have them interact and get them some build up. Then you can slowly pull back the old character and replace them with a new one.

The same can happen for the 118. There is an open position now. So… Ravi anyone? Anirudh could become a permanent member of the team and they would have an open position for a recurring firefighter/probie. The next generation for the 118. This could also lead to new relationships because the mains are all coupled up - HenRen, Madney, Buddie. So Ravi and the new rookie and firefighter? Next generation also for personal storylines. Win-win for the show.

Also, 911: Nashville plays a role in this. Because people, mostly GA, were complaining about OG being too woke (and with Bobby dead they killed the only straight white cis male of the show). They are unhappy but like the franchise as such, the emergencies and some of the personal stories (that is their main reason to watch the show). They can simply switch to Nashville. A mostly white cast (for now), nothing „woke“ we know of yet. They can latch onto a new straight white cis male as captain with his wife and team. And OG? That will draw in more queer viewers because it is „woke enough“ with queer rep, PoCs and mainly women on their show.

In the end abc won‘t loose that many viewers. The ones that leave OG becaues of „woke“ will move on to Nashville and OG draws in more of the queers. Win-win. Again. In the ends, the numbers and the money is what counts.

Buddie brings in more queers for OG and Nashville is for the straights. To simplify it.

To come to an end (and thanks if you read until here!):

Bobby‘s death was not a creative decision, it was a problem they had to solve to cater to Peter‘s wishes and needs. They took their time and sidelined characters for it. They tried a different approach with Hotshots but it didn‘t work out. So they took the MCD out and accepted their fate. After that is done now they can go back to their original plan with Buddie and start in season 9 with a clean story. Buddie will be their flagship relationship they focus on in 9a. Buddie was always meant to happen but got pushed back because of the more urgent matter. Bobby/Peter. Now they have the time to do it.

And one last thing before you are finally getting rid of me…

I said it more than once. I don‘t want to excuse anything. I am still on board with the „they wrote shitty storylines and executed a lot of things badly“. Characters were sidelined because of too many ideas with poor decisions being made. They could have done things better. And we know they can because we got better writing in the past. So, I will still criticize the show and how they did things. I am not blindly following and praising everything they do. I still have trust issues with them really being able to handle storylines for the characters accordingly to how they deserve to be handled in the future. I am hopeful but not delusional.

How they ended things with Bobby was… underwhelming and feels undeserved after so many years. He should have gotten something better and if Tim had not been focused on the action he could have given a two-episode goodbye that would have honored Peter‘s role and character.

I simply tried to approach both seasons with taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture after they are both over now. I am not giving Tim too much credit with saying that yes, I think he had a plan. I mean he has 30+ years under his belt. He is no newbie who has no clue what he is doing. But, and that is a big but, he got lost in all his side quests that he lost sight of his main quest. He lost the red string that should have been there throughout the season, connecting episodes and characters, because there were so many other shiny objects he wanted to explore.

I am not on the „trust the process“ train because like I said. I have trust issues. I just tried to understand why the stuff that happened happened the way it did. And to me that makes sense (not only me because a lot of that stuff was discussed in a little group of wonderful people who always try to stay sane and rational). But just because it makes sense doesn‘t automatically mean that I like it. I don‘t.

I can see their plan being pushed back because of some unfortunate and unforeseen problem and I can just hope that they will get back on track with their plan concerning Buddie since that problem is solved now. That after two season they can finally do what they wanted from the beginning after they changed to abc.

[triglycercule]

Thoughts on mtt

they should travel the multiverse together and see and experience a more peaceful life than all of them ever have (⁎˃ᴗ˂⁎)

also they should get to gnaw at each other like rabies infected dogs 🧡🙏

[intramoon]

Nes + Erin: partners in crime & platonic soulmates & always dressed coded (+ Erin all grown-up. ;-;)

[longagoitwastuesday]

.

I'm only two episodes in right now, and thus far I find the show neat, but nothing unforgettable; which is a normal occurrence, I'm after all just two episodes in.

I was told the anime had both a sort of noir film and western air and I think it's interesting how the music reflects that (it so reminds me of Morricone and spaghetti westerns specifically at times). I do love the mix.

Something else I find very interesting, and the is quite common of old scifi, is how the development of futuristic aesthetic has changed through time alongside the evolution of our technology in real life. Futuristic aesthetic used to be way more mechanical and manual than it is now, not in a steampunk kind of way but in a manner that in hindsight does somewhat recall that. It makes me think about how cars' engines, while at their core remaining mechanical, have become more and more electrical with time. You can see in these old futuristic renditions that cars used to be more mechanical. I do prefer that. I like machines because of their machine part. I also find extremely interesting how one can dream up a whole new world or technology, yet it is hard to get rid of what is considered at the core of the functioning of that technology; wasn't there a Jules Verne book in which something like the Internet worked similarly to wired telephones?

Spike is neat. He's very funny and goofy in that actually-he's-sad-and-haunted way. I must say I do love those things. Pretty sure he's going to die. The very beginning of the first episode seems like a flashback, which I think is kinda confirmed by the ending's imagery. And yet it also seems like a flashforward, as if past and future converged in one, and the present were just a necessary thread stitching them together. He was there once, but he'll be there again; it will be for the same reason, and he will die again in a second death that will be but one, since it's the same. You know, that kind of deal. That's the feeling I'm getting out of him, especially given the whole "You'll meet a woman and you'll die / Again? I've already done that" scene in the very first episode.

In that regard, in a way it reminds me a bit of Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez, or some other play on repetition of one's life in which you can foresee the ending from the beginning because they're the same (in general GGM has this happen a lot through his writing). Following that same line, the first flashback, despite giving big noir film vibes aesthetically, also reminded me of the western High Plains Drifter. I rather like that film.

I think of the song "Blue", which is part of the reason why I'm watching this. I think of it now with what I've seen. Hard to tell the difference between life and death, dream and reality, once you've already died and are on borrowed time. Like a watch stuck always on the same hour, the same minute, the second hand trembling but never advancing.

[luv-again]

hi !! no, this was a very interesting read from the perspective of a long time fan ! i've only been down this track for a couple years now and i shipped shadamy as a kid (with no context to who these characters were, mind you), so hearing shadow's line in particular kind of pinged "evidence" in older me and things kicked off, haha. i always feel like such a moron when i interact from a shipper from day dot, so excuse me if i sound like a total idiot, i know nothing lol i just like to yap

i do believe you are right on that front, as i was scrubbing through the audio for lines to draw from, i was thinking, "okay, maybe. if you squint and tilt your head the right way." ultimately, that's kind of the thing with most sonic ships : you have to put on your magnifying goggles to be able to see something that might be considered 'tangible' for the ship because sega sure as hell isn't going to canonise any (or most, rather). but that's the extent of my knowledge there. shadow's not being as harsh on amy does lean towards the 'soft spot' idea most of us have established and whether that be intentional in the game or not, us shadamy fans do like to take our crumbs however and wherever we can

i find most shadamy fans do see them better paired in their adult lives (i'm not much different, i just like to ponder on varied Scenarios where they may or may not be an item, depending on the situation). from a canonical perspective, which is more so where you're coming from, shadow at this stage in the franchise definitely does not have the emotional maturity to let anyone in and be vulnerable with. from many a-rumour, i've heard the 2010s was a turbulent time for sonic. i do agree with him finding amy intriguing, and that's always been something i held onto early on. shadow 05 also does a good job of backing this up. because surely someone like her can't be that sweet and not have knives up her sleeve, right ? to better clear things up, i kind of just looked at these lines from the angle that shadamy had some substance already, as opposed to seeing it as is in canon. it's a headcanon after all ! i'm grasping at straws and dancing in delulu land, but i am well aware of my biases

and honestly, shadow is very much on his way there !! dark beginnings and shadow gens did absolute wonders for the redemption of his character from the past decade's massacre. i like to think that haughty attitude of his from that era is a defence mechanism to keep people at arm's length. shadow knows he's not perfect; he knows he's been led astray, messed things up, hurt people quite seriously. his imperfections eat him up inside. in dark beginnings he hates he's not been able to cure maria yet. despite his imperfections and failures and whatever shadow is shown to be capable of moving beyond, to pick himself up and say, "that's not who i am," and grow beyond that. i haven't talked about it in depth, but shadow is the perfect representation of enlightenment and spiritual elevation. and we've had a good few round-about plotlines to support this. but that's a sidetrack to trek someplace else

amy, however has been shadow's only real kick-start (other than of his own volition) to grow as a person, to see the bigger picture. rouge gives it a good crack where she can, but i think something scares to break that shell, whereas amy has no fear of that. one of my favourite things about this ship is they both give each other the space to become the best versions of themselves, no matter how many stages of metamorphosis that might take. amy has a natural knack of weaving into the hearts of the 'immovable object' and we love her for it

i fear that is very true. there's a ton of factors as to why shadow was portrayed how he was and one, a few or all of those could be correct. i stand by my salt grain statement, none of this can be taken too seriously

and exactly with his interactions with team dark. it's complicated. this game's dialogue further complicates it if you want to look at it seriously. but at the end of the day, it's just a game both in-world and to us as players, so- 🤷‍♀️

oh for sure. reducing shadow down to rude little edgelord did absolutely nothing for his character or the perception thereof. let him be snarky, sassy and silly in situations where it's not serious because i think he deserves to have some fun quips ! but characters should be multifaceted and for shadow especially it's just about remembering he has them. sa2 and 06 are always prime examples of his nature where he was less of these things and was still a dynamic character. i'm glad they're beginning to rectify this in recent instalments, it's so important for shadow to be more than a stock character in a melodrama. his essence is in what's undefined

well, callousness and aversion is hardly a good foundation for a relationship and i myself wouldn't root for them if either decided to spit in each other's faces for no good reason. but in this very specific case of the original post, i feel i've laid out where i was coming from the best i can with my tired brain so i won't reiterate in fear of being annoying. our views differ because of the angles from which we look ! (also, understandable. i feel amy is slowly being treated better nowadays but ooohhh, what i would give for an official year of amy . . .)

sorry if my response got too tangential to yours or got too rambley !! and thank you for this, i find people's different views/takes very interesting to me and it's even cooler when we can discuss them civilly like this ! love to you friend ! 💕

The “well struck Amy” is rotating in my mind. How would banter go between Shadamy?

And what would be the source for the banter?

okay. i tried to answer this at an earlier time but my entire response deleted 🤩 BUT i decided to take some extra time to put some special care in (aka adding ✨️ pictures !! ✨️). anyway, you have no idea how much this rotates in mine !! idk if this is common knowledge, but team sonic racing is genuinely the reason i rediscovered shadamy and fell into the sonic fandom in the first place. i grew up on the sonic racing games, they hold such a special place in my heart 🥹����

so behold, as bee talks, at length, about tsr and how this can best be interpreted for further shadamy banter because she has no self-control or sense of brevity

under the cut <3

shadamy banter

shadow and amy’s connection pre-tsr is only a small handful of interactions based on acts of kindness, trust and respect. but then this game comes along and gives us something else : playful banter

amy is a lot harder to speak on, as her playful jibes extend to the majority of the cast (a true feast for your multishipping needs <3) but she gets the opportunity to unleash her more competitive side, which i feel is somewhere between hardcore and social in this game. with shadow, a lot of her lines aren't too harsh on him, but when they are,, she's actively wanting him to give it back. i'll do a few little dialogue dissections further down, since what and how she speaks to him is quite interesting

as for shadow, the difference is a lot clearer and HE is the reason why i'm on the shadamy train. what he says to amy is just— i'll get to that. his wit in tsr alone is nothing short of caustic. he rips into his opponents with little care - telling them to suck it up or dishing out backhanded comments. but amy ? oh, he puts a little more care into his words with her. he knows and means exactly what he says and he's even a little smug ! he can get into teasing with her without being downright mean (actually, in retrospect i that might be a lie. in my gameplay experience he's never been rude to her). this side of shadow was almost completely lost after sa2 and heroes, so for his character alone, these little moments where he can be a little silly again is so great (my blorbo, my scrunkly <3)

now who would i be if i didn't do full-on voice line dissections (it's the english/actor kid in me, i fear). of course my word is not gospel and i am just cherry-picking lines and looking at them through the shadamy lens, so feel free to take my analyses with a grain of salt if you want :)

if you want to listen to the audio yourselves, here's some voice clips provided by TrailBlazer1 on youtube : amy // shadow

amy lines

she's so egging him on. if it were anyone else, i'm sure they wouldn't get away with it, but amy ?? oh, she can prod away with him. she wants him to retaliate in this low-stakes situation. she's inviting him to the fun !! she's the cutest <3

look at the competitive edge coming in ! maybe she's trying to tell him she's more than capable of crushing him (which i'm sure he's aware of). it's both a warning and an encouragement to face her

ooohhh boy. her tone in this one is lower, level; challenging. this girl wants the "ultimate life form" to live up to the name, to back up what he preaches and— no way this wouldn't kick him into gear. that's such a splinter under the skin type of comment. if anyone can get through to shadow, it's amy (i am very much a broken record on that one lmao). think what you want about this statement but i'm also giving it the innuendo eyes 👀

shadow lines

oh come on, shadow full well knows amy isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. shadow in any other case treats her like a lady better than most. this is a tease, a pisstake, if you will 🤭 point is, i don't think he's actually all that mad about her giving him a good one-two on the track

okay, in all fairness this seems a tad rude, but hear me out. shadow's obviously regarding amy's poor performance here. BUT. i like to think he holds amy in high regard — an equal, dare i say — and seeing her show anything that's sub-par probably disappoints him as much as it would as if it were him in her place. i want to interpret this one as pushing her to be the best she can be because he knows she's a worthy opponent / ally

when i said he was the reason i'm on the shadamy train, THIS was the comment that sold me. go ahead, tell me this isn't banter. tell me this isn't teasing. tell me this isn't a blatant innuendo. do WHAT, shadow ? want to explain that one to the class or— ? jokes aside, not only is he teasing her, he enjoys getting a reaction from her, else what does he mean by "i can do this all day" ? no, he wants to. what he'd do to get amy to react so animatedly . . . he wants to be the one eliciting these reactions from her.

. . . or something. like i said, salt grains, but that's the subtext i get

long and unwanted dribble aside, what would further shadamy banter look like ?

TL;DR : i think it best comes through where they can be competitive and not too serious about it. see reckless challenges, teasing jabs and subtle innuendos ;)

this "well-struck" comment from the crossworld previews really sits right with me overall, shipping goggles or not. shadow still shows he respects amy and treats her as an equally formidable opponent and that's something i really love about their dynamic : they never undermine or underestimate each other

all in all, i am so excited to see what crumbs crossworlds has for us !! i am itching with all the possibilities. it's so nice to see these two cut loose and interact, however briefly <3

thank you so much for these asks as always, they really fuel my chatty side hehehe >:)

[bikananjarrus]

i need the fic writing energy i had when i was 18 back

[fingertipsmp3]

Ughhhhhhh I hate writing and I hate not writing and I hate myself

[deoidesign]

A general cane guide for writers and artists (from a cane user, writer, and artist!)

Disclaimer: Though I have been using a cane for 6 years, I am not a doctor, nor am I by any means an expert. This guide is true to my experience, but there are as many ways to use a cane as there are cane users!

This guide will not include: White canes for blindness, crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs as I have no personal experience with these.

This is meant to be a general guide to get you started and avoid some common mishaps/misconceptions in your writing, but you absolutely should continue to do your own research outside of this guide!

This is NOT a medical resource!!! And never tell a real person you think they're using a cane wrong!

The biggest recurring problem I've seen is using the cane on the wrong side. The cane goes on the opposite side of the pain! If your character has even-sided pain or needs it for balance/weakness, then use the cane in the non-dominant hand to keep the dominant hand free. Some cane users also switch sides to give their arm a rest!

A cane takes about 20% of your weight off the opposite leg. It should fit within your natural gait and become something of an extension of your body. If you need more weight off than 20%, then crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair is needed.

Putting more pressure on the cane, using it on the wrong side, or having it at the wrong height can make it less effective, and can cause long term damage to your body from improper pressure and posture. (Hugh Laurie genuinely hurt his body from years of using a cane wrong on House!)

(some people elect to use a cane wrong for their personal situation despite this, everyone is different!)

(an animated GIF of a cane matching the natural walking gait. It turns red when pressure is placed on it.)

When going up and down stairs, there is an ideal standard: You want to use the handrail and the cane at the same time, or prioritize the handrail if it's only on one side. When going up stairs you lead with your good leg and follow with the cane and hurt leg together. When going down stairs you lead with the cane and the bad leg and follow with the good leg!

Realistically though, many people don't move out of the way for cane users to access the railing, many stairs don't have railings, and many are wet, rusty, or generally not ideal to grip.

In these cases, if you have a friend nearby, holding on to them is a good idea. Or, take it one step at a time carefully if you're alone.

Now we come to a very common mistake I see... Using fashion canes for medical use!

(These are 4 broad shapes, but there is INCREDIBLE variation in cane handles. Research heavily what will be best for your character's specific needs!)

The handle is the contact point for all the weight you're putting on your cane, and that pressure is being put onto your hand, wrist, and shoulder. So the shape is very important for long term use!

Knob handles (and very decorative handles) are not used for medical use for this reason. It adds extra stress to the body and can damage your hand to put constant pressure onto these painful shapes.

The weight of a cane is also incredibly important, as a heavier cane will cause wear on your body much faster. When you're using it all day, it gets heavy fast! If your character struggles with weakness, then they won't want a heavy cane if they can help it!

This is also part of why sword canes aren't usually very viable for medical use (along with them usually being knob handles) is that swords are extra weight!

However, a small knife or perhaps a retractable blade hidden within the base might be viable even for weak characters.

Bases have a lot of variability as well, and the modern standard is generally adjustable bases. Adjustable canes are very handy if your character regularly changes shoe height, for instance (gotta keep the height at your hip!)

Canes help on most terrain with their standard base and structure. But for some terrain, you might want a different base, or to forego the cane entirely! This article covers it pretty well.

Many cane users decorate their canes! Stickers are incredibly common, and painting canes is relatively common as well! You'll also see people replacing the standard wrist strap with a personalized one, or even adding a small charm to the ring the strap connects to. (nothing too large, or it gets annoying as the cane is swinging around everywhere)

(my canes, for reference)

If your character uses a cane full time, then they might also have multiple canes that look different aesthetically to match their outfits!

When it comes to practical things outside of the cane, you reasonably only have one hand available while it's being used. Many people will hook their cane onto their arm or let it dangle on the strap (if they have one) while using their cane arm, but it's often significantly less convenient than 2 hands. But, if you need 2 hands, then it's either setting the cane down or letting it hang!

For this reason, optimizing one handed use is ideal! Keeping bags/items on the side of your free hand helps keep your items accessible.

When sitting, the cane either leans against a wall or table, goes under the chair, or hooks onto the back of the chair. (It often falls when hanging off of a chair, in my experience)

When getting up, the user will either use their cane to help them balance/support as they stand, or get up and then grab their cane. This depends on what it's being used for (balance vs pain when walking, for instance!)

That's everything I can think of for now. Thank you for reading my long-but-absolutely-not-comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when writing or drawing a cane user!

Happy disability pride month! Go forth and make more characters use canes!!!

[gyudons]

despicable

updates as of 22 oct

Travis Dermott knew that he would draw attention with his actions in the Coyotes’ home opener against the Anaheim Ducks at Mullett Arena on Saturday. The Arizona defenseman just hoped that the spotlight might shine on the issue that he was addressing, not on him.

“You don’t really want to go against rules that are put in place by your employer, but there’s some people who took some positive things from it,” Dermott said. “That’s kind of what I’m looking to impact.

“You want to have everyone feel included and that’s something that I have felt passionate about for a long time in my career. It’s not like I just just jumped on this train. It’s something that I’ve felt has been lacking in the hockey community for a while. I feel like we need supporters of a movement like this; to have everyone feel included and really to beat home the idea that hockey is for everyone.”

“I won’t lie,” said Dermott, who is playing on a one-year, two-way contract. “From the outside, it’s easy to see that I’m putting my career on the line for something. I definitely went through some emotional ups and downs that night, not regretting anything by any means, but I’d love to have maybe done a couple of steps a little different by making sure that everyone was aware of what was going on before I did it.

“I don’t want to put my teammates or my coaches or my GMs or the equipment managers in any kind of bad light when it’s their job to kind of look out for something like this happening. It was definitely something that I did just by myself and was prepared to kind of deal with whatever repercussions the league decides to push towards that. I’m not going to back off and say that this battle is won, but we’re going to find better ways to do it.”

As Dermott noted, LGBTQ+ inclusion is an issue that he has supported for a long time. Without getting into specifics, Dermott said the issue is personal for him because it impacts people close to him.

“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t shed tears about this on multiple occasions,” he said. “So yeah, it’s something I’m definitely very passionate about.

“I’ve met a lot of people that from the outside, it looks like they have everything going right in their life and they have a smile on their face every time they talk to you. But sometimes when we get closer to people and get comfortable enough for them to open up to you, you can see that there’s some pretty dark stuff happening to some good people. It doesn’t take too many times encountering something like that for it to really change someone.

“I’ve been blessed to have some of those opportunities put in front of me to really change my view of what being a good person means; what being a good father and a good example and role model means going forward. You really see how people are hurting and it’s because of a system that maybe no one’s intentionally trying to be malicious about, but until you’ve really had that first-person experience seeing people hurting from it right in front of you, it���s tough to kind of take steps.”

It would be a surprise if the league handed down any sort of punishment. The optics alone would add to the public relations damage that the original ban created. Even so, Dermott reiterated his desire to bring the entire franchise into the fold before he takes similar actions in the future, but he also made it clear that he will not be silenced on the topic.

“It’s not like I’m shutting up and going away,” he said. “I know more questions are going to be coming. We’re just going to be as prepared as we can be to just spread love. That’s the thing. It’s gay pride that we’re talking about, but it could be men’s health. It could be any war. It’s just wanting world peace. Everyone’s got to love each other a little bit more.

“Like my parents said growing up, ‘How awesome would it be to be the guy that people look up to?’ That’s what really hit home when I was a kid, especially from my mom. You want to grow up and be that guy. You want to be the guy that’s having the impact on kids like NHL players had on you. If they had been racist or bigoted, that’s going to have an effect on you.

“With how many eyes are on us, especially with the young kids coming up in the new generation, you want to put as much positive love into their brain as you can. You want them to see that it’s not just being taught or coming from maybe their parents at home. They need to see it in the public eye for it to really make an effect.”

[maxwellatoms]

Do you think were any kind of specific aspects of the culture, industry, economy, etc that made making cartoons in 90s / 2000s better or worse than trying to make them today?

They're literally different worlds.

As a 22 year old neurodivergent, I was able to pitch show ideas directly to executives. Part of that was because TV Animation wasn't a glamorous profession (quite yet), so the higher-ups were genuinely passionate about the medium. I earned good money for the time and was generally trusted to run my show and tend to the crew. I would periodically be handed portfolios, which I would personally review and pass on to other show runners. For the networks it was always corporate, cutthroat, and ultimately about the money, but as an artist you could still have a voice and make art while being paid a living wage.

The pay for a freelance storyboard in 2005 is almost exactly what it is today, but now you're likely to have less time and be required to do an animatic on top of it. Portfolios are online, and (beyond metrics) you'll probably never know if anyone looks at it or not.

Animation got big. Too big. The executives got "glamorous", then the talent got "glamorous". By then you probably wouldn't get a pitch meeting unless you were a celebrity or knew one willing to be connected to your project. Animation eventually got so big that it popped. And that's where we are now.

Most of the people I know from Kid's TV Animation are currently unemployed. I have been off Jellystone for over a year, and I'm starting to get genuinely worried. Like, "move away to save money" worried. Most of the employed artists I do know are on long-running legacy series, and they're concerned about their futures when/if those series end. Right now is not a fantastic time for "animation as a money-making profession". The "glamorous" part popped years ago.

That being said, there are still opportunities out there. If you're just starting out, apparently there's a planned surge in adult and pre-school animation. It's also a great time (as long as YouTube remains sane) to be crafting your own content. But I think that the time of Big Studio Patronage is over for most of the industry. It's up to the individual artist now more than ever, not only to make but to promote their own content.

Back at the height of Billy & Mandy, we mostly pulled fours and fives in the Neilsen ratings, but we occasionally got a seven. For reference, E.R. consistently got eights. It's difficult to say exactly how many people that actually was due to how those ratings work, but it was a big deal for the time. Millions. Enough people that if I had a dollar for each person that just watched that one episode, I would have been set for life. Now, nobody gets a seven. A four is huge. Back then there were maybe fifteen or twenty channels of programmed content as opposed to the streaming smorgasbord we were all just enjoying (and which now also seems to have popped). Point being, even though I wasn't paid-per-view, I was able to use those views as justification for an eventual raise. In modern times, streaming numbers are seemingly deliberately kept secret. You'll never really know how well your show was doing until it's over. Or maybe never.

In modern times, a million views on YouTube is enough to get you noticed online. It's a lower bar for entry in a way, but you've got to get there all by yourself. Once you're there (hello Hazbin) a network may indeed come and scoop you up. Even if they don't, you can probably make a decent living with numbers like that if you're savvy and willing to take the time.

I feel like I could go on all day, shaking my fist at the sky, gray-ass beard blowing in the wind. Was it better or easier making cartoons in the past? It seemed that way to me, but that was a world I knew. There was no AI to sell you out to, and the media was more of a "Wild West" than it is today. I do think that AI is going to continue to displace artists (and soon others), making it even more difficult to get anyone's eyes on anything at all.

Culturally, we lack the common touchpoints that bonded our society in the 20th Century. I suspect that the media landscape will continue to become more "bubbly" and disjointed unless some powerful force swoops in to mandate a common viewpoint. Those are two very divergent, uniquely tiring futures, each presenting a different challenge for an artist's survival.

Outside of whatever our modern world is, animation was made for a century by photographing drawings. If Émile Cohl could do it in 1908, you can do it now. It's a lot of labor, but maybe that's part of what makes it special.