#but instead its comedic gold

[hummingbirdsinjune]

[novaursa]

can you please write something with the reader being the queen of a far away kingdom that is kinda similar to the targaryen house but instead of dragons they have elike either magic or something. and reader ends up befriending rhaenyra which has the reader being a very powerful ally and the greens notice this , with alicent still wanting to steal the throne but otto is like ��…nahhhh” , so rhaenyra becomes queen with the reader there and just standing all badass and stuff kinda comedic if you can please

The Witch Queen

- Summary: You arrive from faraway land to aid Rhaenyra before her rightful claim is stolen.

- Paring: female!reader/Rhaenyra Targaryen

- Note: This might be slightly darker than you asked for, but the spooky season vibes guided me with this one. I hope you still like it, dear anon. 🙂

- Rating: Mature 16+

- Next part: long live the queen

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff @alyssa-dayne @oxymakestheworldgoround

The wind carried a sharp, briny scent from the sea as your ship glided through the dark waters toward the docks of King's Landing, its shadow stretching ominously beneath the moonlit sky. The black sails of your fleet billowed against the midnight horizon, a ghostly procession that had gone unnoticed until now. No banners heralded your arrival, no horns sounded from the walls of the Red Keep. The city slept in ignorance of the storm you had brought.

At your side, your court stood with heads held high, their violet eyes gleaming in the moonlight, their pale, silver-gold hair swept back in intricate braids that mirrored your own. House Tyvarella was not accustomed to formalities that belonged to lesser kings or the pious men of Westeros. You were the Queen of a realm far older than this one, a survivor of Valyria’s doom, and there was no need for permission to make yourself known.

As you stepped onto the cobblestones, the whispers from the shadows began to ripple. The common folk had heard the tales—stories of your house, the blood mages of Tyvarella, feared even by those who once tamed dragons. To those of the Faith of the Seven, you were a creature from their darkest myths, a figure woven into the very fabric of their nightmares. And now, you were here, at the heart of their crumbling kingdom.

“The night brings ill omens,” Otto Hightower muttered, his hands wringing in that nervous, meticulous way of his. He stood by a flickering torchlight, watching as your procession marched through the streets toward the Red Keep. His face was pale, his eyes narrowed in a mixture of wariness and disgust. “They come as vultures, Alicent, like specters summoned by death itself. We need to leave, now.”

Alicent Hightower, now Dowager Queen, stood by his side, her delicate fingers gripping the edges of her gown as if holding herself together. Her emerald eyes, though wary, flickered with a strange curiosity as she gazed at your retinue. “They were not expected, not invited… What are they doing here?”

“Nothing good, I assure you,” Otto responded with grim certainty. “King Viserys is dead. They arrive just as his breath fades. They bring with them blood magic and ruin. If we stay—”

A distant sound cut through the air, carried on the wind—the solemn toll of bells echoing across the city. Viserys was gone. The king had breathed his last.

Alicent's breath hitched as the realization washed over her. Her husband, the father of her children, the king, was dead. And here you stood, arriving at this precise moment, as if heralding the change to come.

But her eyes strayed, flickering toward the upper windows of the Red Keep. Through the torch-lit chambers, she caught a glimpse of another figure—Rhaenyra. The Princess had been kept behind, confined within the castle after that last bitter feast Viserys had demanded, the one after Vaemond Velaryon met his end.

Rhaenyra stood by the window now, her gaze drawn irresistibly to you. Alicent noticed it in an instant, the way her rival, her stepdaughter, leaned closer to the glass, watching your every movement with a deep, unspoken longing. Rhaenyra’s eyes were fixed on you, even from this distance, her expression one of unmistakable hunger and fascination.

“Do you see that?” Alicent whispered, her voice tight. “She… she looks at her.”

Otto followed her gaze, his lips tightening. “Rhaenyra’s drawn to power,” he said dismissively, though a hint of concern tugged at his tone. “It’s in her blood. But this... this is different. Tyvarella’s magic is ancient, forbidden. If she aligns herself with them, it will be disastrous.”

Alicent felt a wave of unease roll through her, but before she could respond, the heavy gates of the Red Keep groaned open, and you stepped inside. The room fell into a hush, as if the very stones of the castle were holding their breath. You entered without ceremony, your violet eyes scanning the gathering of lords and courtiers, none of whom dared meet your gaze directly.

And then, you saw her.

Rhaenyra.

She descended the grand staircase, her silken black gown flowing behind her like the wings of a raven. Her silver hair glowed in the candlelight, and her lips were parted ever so slightly, as if tasting the air between you. The tension in the room coiled tight, palpable.

When your eyes met hers, the world seemed to fall away.

You had seen her before, of course. But this… this was different. Here, in this moment of death and turmoil, the connection between you felt like a thread of fire, burning through the distance between you both. Her breath hitched as she came to stand before you, her gaze never leaving yours.

“Y/N,” Rhaenyra whispered, her voice soft yet carrying a weight that pulled at something deep inside of you. “You came.”

“I did,” you replied, your voice steady, though the sight of her stirred something untamed within you. “I came as soon as I sensed it. Viserys is gone, and now… the realm will fall to chaos.”

Her lips tightened into a thin line, pain flashing in her eyes at the mention of her father, but she didn’t look away. “They’ll come for me. For my children.”

“And they’ll have to go through me first.”

Rhaenyra’s eyes darkened at your words, the weight of your promise settling over her like a shield. Her hand, pale and trembling, reached out ever so slightly, as if testing the waters between you. And then, without another word, she placed it in yours.

A murmur spread through the room. Alicent stiffened where she stood, her face pale as the dawn.

Otto watched in silence, his mind already racing, already calculating. He knew what this meant. He knew that your presence here was more than a disruption. It was a declaration.

“We should have left when we had the chance,” he muttered, just loud enough for Alicent to hear. “Now it’s too late.”

Rhaenyra squeezed your hand, her fingers warm despite the cool air. “Will you stay?”

Your lips curved into a small, knowing smile. “For as long as you need me.”

[sondheim-girly]

The Beginning

The idea to make The Outsiders into a musical first came from Francis Coppola’s company, which owns the stage rights. Fred Roos, who was one of the movie's producers, thought that the story would attract theater goers. He proposed this to S. E. Hinton, and though at first she was surprised and a bit skeptical, she let him run with it.

They then needed to find a creative team. The Araca group were bought on as producers, and they started looking for songwriters to write the music for the show. Their goal was to find someone who had never written a musical before. In 2015 they reached out to the songwriting duo from Texas known as Jamestown Revival. (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance.) They asked them to write a few songs as a sort of audition, so Jamestown wrote two songs: one was slower, and they assumed the producers would hate it. The other was more fast paced and ‘Broadway,’ which they assumed the producers would like. They sent in the second one, and the Araca Group hated it. They then decided to send in the first one. This time the Araca Group loved it. This song was called Stay Gold, and it remains in the show to this day. Adam Rapp was the next person to join the creative team. He was a novelist and playwright who had also never worked on a musical before. He wasn’t sure about joining the project at first due to those reasons, but once he heard the music, he knew he couldn’t pass up this chance. Justine Levine joined to do a variety of things, including working on the book and score. He had been working on musicals for years, so he sort of functioned as a musical theater guide to Jamestown and Adam. Liesl Tommy was brought on to direct, and Lorin Lattaro became the choreographer.

Not much is known about the first cast of the show. We do know that Josh Strobl played Ponyboy, and that Ryan Vazquez played Darry. We also know that Sky joined as Johnny in 2018. He first auditioned for Two-Bit, because he believed that he could only play the comedic relief character due to the role he was playing in Dear Evan Hansen (Jared). However Liesl Tommy (the director) knew immediately that he was Johnny. Sky only had the Two-Bit sides, and due to his dyslexia couldn’t learn the Johnny ones in the room. Liesl Tommy told him that he could just take home the sides and send in a tape, and the role has been his since. Brody Grant and Emma Pittman also had auditioned for the show at this time.

The show was set to premiere in Chicago's Goodman theater on June 20, 2020. However, due to Covid, this never happened. They were then set to premier at the Goodman on May 27, 2022. But in January of 2022, they announced that their opening would be postponed indefinitely. This premier never ended up happening. Instead, a few members of the creative team were replaced, and the show made its world premiere about a year later, at the La Jolla playhouse.

[starlingflight]

loml

Written for @corneliaavenue-ao3 TTPD Several Sunlit Daylights challenge.

Read on AO3 or below:

I. lesson of my life

Every illusion Ginny has ever had is shattered over the course of a single night. 

She doesn't go into the chamber willingly. She claws, and scratches and fights against Tom's commands with all her might. She cries, and she struggles, but in the end it makes no difference. She isn't strong enough. As the darkness swallows her up, her final childish hope is for a rescue she knows isn't coming. 

When she opens her eyes again it doesn't feel like a miracle. The cold from the stone floor has seeped through her skin, a chill has settled deep in her bones and she knows, with absolute certainty, it will never fully go away. 

Of course Harry is there, holding a mighty sword, a dead monster behind him. The very image of the conquering hero she's always fantasised about, but this isn't like one of Ginny's fantasies. He's covered in blood, and his eyes are wide with the same terror that's taken root deep within her soul. There's no triumph in this moment, only horror. 

This isn't a dream. It's a nightmare. One that Ginny won't fully wake up from for a very long time. 

She learns many lessons that night, but the most important one will come later. After she's spent weeks, months, years putting herself back together, because Harry might have rescued her from the chamber, but, as Ginny will come to realise, the only person who can really save you is yourself.

II. light of my life

Harry's never known a darkness like this. It starts when he watches Sirius fall through the veil, tiny tendrils of black slowly leaking out from his heart, unfurling with increasing urgency until he's overwhelmed by a cold, empty abyss that he's sure nothing will ever penetrate again. How can it when Sirius is never coming back? 

He doesn't even notice the first ray of light. It happens so quickly. He's in the hospital wing, trying very hard to let Hermione's commentary on the latest news from The Prophet distract him from the aching chasm in his chest, and the unbearable weight of the prophecy, when it happens. 

Luna says something completely ridiculous about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks – whatever they are – Harry can feel Hermione's exasperation from across the small gap that separates her bed from Ron's. Ginny's chocolate eyes meet his, and something happens that he'd assumed would never happen again. 

Harry smiles. 

It's fleeting, lasting less than a second.  There's very little time to dwell on it before they're looking away from one another, and the grief washes over him again, a tidal wave that steals the air from his lungs. 

That's just the beginning though… or maybe the beginning had been years ago. Maybe the blush he'd once thought of as the setting sun had actually been the opposite; Ginny's light rising, her warm, rosy glow beginning its ascent into his life. 

She continues to rise that summer, forcing the darkness back with her sheer brightness. Her smile turns black to grey; her laugh is powder pinks and bright oranges; the jokes she coaxes from him are pure, cloudless blue. 

When she runs at him across the common room months later, she's blazing, burning red. When she reaches him, when Harry finally kisses Ginny, the sun reaches its apex and his whole life is awash with bright, brilliant gold. 

For a few shining weeks there are only sunlit days. 

III. loss of my life

Fittingly, they're at a funeral when it happens. Ginny always knew he had great comedic timing. She's not laughing, however, as Harry lays out all his stupid, noble reasons why they can't be together. She's not crying either, though; that feels like a small mercy. The only one she's going to get for a while. 

She does cry when she finally makes it home. It's silly, she knows. Silly, foolish, naive Ginny Weasley, a familiar, cold voice whispers through her mind. For once, she doesn't try to argue with it, but she doesn't try to stop either. 

Instead, she buries her face into her pillow and lets herself sob until her eyes run dry. Her tears aren't just for her broken heart, but for everything Ginny's already had to sacrifice; her childhood, her innocence. 

It isn't until weeks later that she realises the true magnitude of what she stands to lose. 

“And then what does she think's going to happen? Someone else will kill off Voldemort while she's holding us here making vol-au-vents?” 

The fork Ginny is holding almost slips from her grasp. Her heart falters in her chest. Harry playing his flippant comment off a joke does nothing to return it to a steady rhythm. 

It plays round and round in her mind that night. Her knuckles are ghostly white where they grip her bedsheet. Vaguely, she'd known what he'd planned to do, but vague notions and knowing with absolute certainty are two very different things. The task Harry brought up so nonchalantly in the kitchen is nothing short of a suicide mission. It hits Ginny with the force of a barrage of stunning spells, knocking the air from her lungs; Harry might not come back to her. 

Two days later, when she kisses him in her bedroom, it doesn't feel like she's saying happy birthday, it feels like she's saying goodbye.

When Harry follows Ron out of her bedroom door, he takes a piece of Ginny with him, one she prays she hasn't lost forever. 

IV. longing of my life

She haunts him like a ghost. What was once screaming colour and pure unfiltered brightness is now just a memory, a pale imitation permanently stuck on repeat in his mind. 

Harry moves stoically from one hiding place to another and, though they're separated by miles, Ginny follows him to every single one. 

He can hear her laugh in the wind that shakes the canvas sides of the tent. He can see her smile in the sunlight that penetrates the thick canopy of the forests they move between. At night, when he closes his eyes, he can almost pretend the sheet brushing against his skin is her fingertips. 

It's worse when he has the locket on. Then, he's tormented with visions like the one he'd imagined on his birthday; of her moving on. Finding someone else. Living a life that can never be his. 

Horcrux or no, he can't stop himself thinking about her. Aching for her. Longing for her. 

He clings to memories of Ginny like scraps of driftwood, the only thing keeping Harry afloat when he's been set adrift. 

V. lament of my life

It's like the chamber all over again. Ginny's whole world is flipped upside down in the space of a single night. 

She doesn't see Fred go. She doesn't know the last time she sees her big brother that it's the last time.  

“Take care of yourself,” he'd shouted over his shoulder as Ginny had gone hurtling down a corridor in pursuit of a Death Eater.

“Don't I always?’ she'd called back. 

What if she'd told him to do the same? Would he have listened? Would he still be there? 

There's very little time to dwell on such questions in the middle of a battle.  Especially not when every passing second brings another devastating loss. 

Lupin. Tonks. Colin. 

Ginny's heart shatters into a million little pieces until it doesn't exist at all. Or so she thinks, until she sees Harry's body cradled in Hagrid’s arms. 

Then she knows she still has a heart, because it's in unbearable agony. She doubles over from the pain of it. His name escapes her lips on a scream, as though she might be able to call him back to life through sheer desperation. 

Tom Riddle talks; for the second time in Ginny's life, she's unable to hear him, but this isn't like the Chamber at all. This time Ginny wishes she was dead. 

When the battle resumes, she jumps straight into it with wild abandon. Ginny's lamentation is not filled with tears, or wailing. It's fire and rage for everything that's been taken from her. Tom Riddle already stole her past. Now he's taken her future. She will take everything she can from him, or die trying. 

VI. lowest of my life

He's never truly let himself imagine what it might be like to actually defeat Voldemort. If he had, Harry doubts he would have pictured it like this. 

If it's a win, why is there so much loss? 

He doesn't know whether the grief or the hope is more overwhelming. They mingle together, like waves in the ocean, swelling and breaking, threatening to pull Harry under. 

He can feel it crash over him as he stands in the great hall the day after the battle. The bodies are still there; all the people who don't get the second chance Harry does are laid out in front of him. Lifeless eyes staring, unseeing, up at the enchanted ceiling. 

The guilt and the pain sweep through him like ice water, filling his lungs; rising up in Harry's throat until there's no possible room for air. He takes a step back, desperate to flee somewhere he can sink down into the cold, lonely depths. 

Before he can, a hand, small and warm, slips into his, pulling Harry back to the surface. He releases one, long, deep breath before looking at her. 

Ginny's attempt at a smile is tinged with sadness, sunlight peeking through dark grey clouds. 

Only hours ago, he'd contemplated all the things he needed to say to her, but now no words are exchanged at all.  Only a look. It's all they need. All they've ever needed. Everything has changed. But he's still Harry, and she's still Ginny. 

Instinctively his arm comes around her. Ginny buries her face in his chest, sagging slightly against him, as though she was waiting for this moment to let herself rest. Like she needs him as much as he needs her. 

Harry's head rests against hers, the floral scent of her shampoo is faint, lingering beneath everything that's happened. It makes his heart falter anyway. He holds her tightly to him, something he never thought he'd get the chance to do again.  As he's come to expect, time seems to stop for her. They stay like that for what might only be seconds, or possibly an entire lifetime passes. 

Eventually, Ginny pulls out of his grasp. It takes less than a second for her hand to find his again, fingers entwining. She pulls gently, silently commanding him to follow her. Harry almost asks where they're going, but he doesn't really need to. He's free to go wherever he pleases now. He'll follow her anywhere. 

Ginny looks up at him as they walk towards the double doors. He can still see the embers of her blazing light smouldering in the dark depths of her eyes. He was right, there will be hours, days, and years in which to talk, but he doesn't need her to say a word now to know where she's taking him. He lets her pull him forward, lets her light guide him to a future he's still not sure he deserves to have. 

VII. loser of my life

For a while, Ginny thinks she'll never recover from the loss, from the grief and the heartache. It's not the first time she's felt this way, but this time she doesn't have to face it alone. Once she has Harry back, he doesn't leave her side again. 

They fall back together naturally. They stitch themselves back together slowly until one day, years later, the sun is blazing brightly in the sky, the pleasant summer breeze is ruffling the grass beneath her feet, and Ginny feels whole again. 

“Ready?” Her father asks, holding out his arm out to her. 

“Ready,” Ginny agrees, threading her hand through the crook of his elbow. Holding her colourful bouquet of wildflowers in front of her with her free hand. 

There have been times, in her darkest moments, when she wished she was someone else. A girl who hasn't dwelt in a darkness that most people don't ever see even in their worst nightmares; a witch who hasn't looked into the eyes of evil and refused to bend, refused to break; a woman who hasn't lost things that can never ever be replaced. 

Now, as soft music begins to swell in the summer air, and her gaze locks on Harry, waiting for her at the end of the makeshift aisle formed by the rows of chairs that have been put out in her parent's orchard, Ginny doesn't regret any of it. Everything she's lost is a step she's taken towards this. 

She can feel dozens of heads turn towards her, but Ginny only has eyes for Harry, and he, it appears, only has eyes for her. His smile makes the sun look dim in comparison. Still, the corner of his mouth trembles; even from a distance, Ginny can see emotion well up behind his glasses. 

‘Don't you dare,' she mouths, feeling her throat tighten as she does. Her arm stretches out, lifting her bouquet like it's a wand, miming hexing him. She's closer now. She can hear the tremor in his laugh as he puts his arms up in mock surrender. 

It's too late; the laughter she's coaxed from him doesn't stop the tear that slips down his cheek. Of course, one of her own escapes only a half a second later. 

“We look like such losers,” Ginny informs him, shaking her head, as her fingers slip from her father's arm into Harry's awaiting hand. 

“Yeah,” Harry agrees, quietly enough for only her to hear. He's still smiling as another tear slides unconcernedly down his face. His free hand reaches up, his thumb swipes away the ones that are currently leaking traitorously from Ginny's eyes. “But you're my loser.” 

It takes her a moment to regain her breath. A fleeting second in which she can't quite believe they're here; that they made it. Then she smiles even wider than before. “Not officially – not until we get through this ceremony.” 

Harry's gaze holds hers. Ginny almost forgets they have an audience. The world reduces down to just the two of them, grinning madly at one another. Harry's fingers squeeze her hand. “We'd best get on with it then.

VIII. legacy of my life

Books are filled with what many consider to be his finest achievements. Tales of thrilling battles, speculations on unsurvivable curses, and records of great victories are inked across the pages of history. 

As are the many titles thrust upon Harry; The  Boy Who Lived, Chosen One, Saviour.  To him, they're little more than noise, assumptions from people who don't really know him, and never will.

When he slips the wedding ring onto Ginny's finger, Harry gets the first title he's ever chosen for himself: husband. Her husband. 

Not long after, he gains another one, this one unplanned, but no less momentous. James, tiny, and so precious, is placed into his arms, and Harry becomes a father. 

His real legacy begins there. It's not just his, it's hers too. Their legacy. 

It's recorded in baby books and photo albums rather than history books. It's memorialised in finger paintings and handmade Christmas ornaments (made under Ginny's expert supervision) instead of plaques and statues. It's hundreds of little memories of their family that will never see the inside of a newspaper, but that doesn't make them any less noteworthy, not to Harry, who'd never dared to imagine that this life could be his one day. 

IX. love of my life

“Dinner!” Her mother calls from the back door of The Burrow, her voice ringing out across the garden. 

The sun is setting, dipping below the topmost branches of the orchard. The sky is a tapestry of pinks, purples and golds, stretching out for miles above them. 

“What do you think?” Ginny asks as her feet meet the ground, dismounting from her broom. “Could I make it as a pro?” 

Harry lands beside her. His eyes sweep appraisingly over her. Ginny's stomach swoops like she's still in the air. “I don't know,” he says thoughtfully. “The League is brutal. It requires rigorous training.” 

Ginny shrugs unconcernedly, hoisting her broom onto her shoulder as she does. “Do you know any Quidditch captains who might be interested in helping me with such an undertaking?” 

“I know one who might be able to make some time for you this summer,” Harry says as he falls into step beside her. He inclines his head towards her broom.“I can take it for you?”

Ginny's eyes narrow, prepared to tell him she's perfectly capable of carrying her own broom, but, when she turns, the way he's looking at her makes her heart race, and the words die on her tongue. without her permission, her expression transforms into a grin. “Very chivalrous of you.” 

A weight is lifted from her as Harry settles her broom beside his on his shoulder. “That's kind of what I'm known for.” 

“Only ‘kind of’?” Ginny's eyes wander to the quickly darkening sky above them as she laughs. “In that case, I'll be sure to let people know of this latest act of heroism – personally, I don't think you get enough attention.” 

“Well, if that's how you feel, you could always give me more.” 

Ginny stops midstep. Her head turns sharply back to Harry. She should keep walking, the words that are on the tip of her tongue will lead to something that neither of them planned for on this particular summer evening. 

Harry's eyebrows rise upwards; even in the dusk, Ginny can see the challenge sparking in his eyes. Unbidden, she takes a step towards him. “Are you flirting with me, Potter?” 

He doesn't back down, but he doesn't make a move towards her either. The brooms he's holding clatter together as he shrugs with just a bit too much tension in his shoulders to be truly nonchalant. “I might be.” 

Ginny's blood thrums in her veins as she takes another step towards him. “Need I remind you that I'm spoken for?” 

“How could I forget?” Harry's head lowers despite her reminder, until he's so close Ginny can see the flecks of gold in his green eyes. “I suppose he's deeply in love with you?” 

“Yes,” she nods with absolute certainty. “And I feel the same about him.” 

Harry's head dips lower, the determination in his eyes making his intention clear. Ginny rises on her tiptoes, unable to fight the pull that always inevitably beckons her to him. 

Barely an inch of space remains between them. Her heart flutters wildly– 

“Oi!” The loud, obnoxious shout comes from the far end of the orchard, making Ginny jump. She turns towards it and finds a lanky figure glaring at them from where he leans against the fence. “When you're done being disgusting, Nanna says to hurry up – dinner’s ready and the rest of us aren't allowed to start without you.” 

James doesn't wait for a response before turning on his heel and marching back towards the house. 

Ginny rolls her eyes at her son's retreating back. Her hand slips into Harry's, the most contact they're getting, at least until after dinner. “Remind me again why we had children?” 

Harry sighs, allowing her to lead him towards the gate James has just departed from. “You said they'd be cute.” 

“Well, they used to be,” she says fairly as she pushes the gate open with her free hand. “I wasn't thinking as far as them becoming teenagers.” 

Harry nods seriously. “Really, who could've predicted such an unforeseeable outcome.” 

Ginny looks up at him as he follows her through the gate. Brown eyes meet green through the burgeoning twilight. Two identical smiles bloom like flowers in spring. 

“Certainly not you, judging by your appalling Divination grades.” 

[artist-issues]

On the Percy Jackson series, now that the season has concluded, do you have any thoughts on it, whether standalone or as an adaptation, about what worked and didn't work in it? I ask partly because I want to analyse it as its own thing but I can't stop getting hung up on the changes and I'm not completely sure why.

Of all things, Gabe is the big one for me. They turned him from a repulsive abuser to a pathetic manchild who lacks the power dynamic of his book counterpart and was so consistently treated as comic relief that I actually pitied him. The fact that he shares the fate of his book counterpart actually kind of angers me and it's hard for me to look past that. It left a mean-spirited taste in my mouth.

I don’t think I’ve talked enough about what did work, and I do think there’s a place for talking about that, so I’m glad you asked!

I think Walker Scobell could play a really excellent Percy Jackson. And I think Leah Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri are both very endearing in their roles.

I’m not going to throw shade on 14 year-old actors and actresses. There’s no shade to throw. Acting is vulnerability combined with introspection and understanding. No teenager is going to have the same level of vulnerability, understanding, and introspection, expressed with the same skill, as we’re used to seeing in adults, period. And the show doesn’t do them any favors by giving them very adult lines and very adult-behaving characters to play.

Which segues nicely into—the character’s “arcs” are completely different in the show, but they feel more like…”alternate universe” characters than “out-of-character-rewrites.” For the most part.

I already touched on how Grover is a completely different Grover in the TV show. His fear is both too serious and not extreme enough. He’s not comedic. Instead, he is a voice of reason, and he does have a maturity the other two don’t have. He’s written to talk to the other adults differently than Percy and Annabeth are—more like equals, less like teen-vs-adults. You can easily believe that Grover is a 24 year-old in a kid’s body during those scenes, like the ones with Ares.

But there’s a reason he’s not like that in the Percy Jackson books; he’s comedic, and he’s Percy’s best friend. Percy’s only 12 when they meet; it’s weird for a 12 year-old to be best friends with a 24 year-old—who BEHAVES like a 35 year-old, with all the gravity, and maturity, etc. But if the 24 year-old is a magical creature who, for his species, is still pretty young, and has a comedically immature personality, then the chemistry works much better. Anyway. Not my point.

My point is, Grover might not be Grover, but you can still see trace elements of Grover in him. Like how you can see echoes of Spider-Man in Spider-Gwen’s story. It’s an alternate-universe, not a do-over.

Grover still wants to be a seeker.

Grover still feels guilty about not taking better care of Thalia.

Grover still gets the most outraged and cares the most deeply about nature and crimes against nature.

Grover is still a peace-lover at heart, so he’s the most gentle in relational interactions.

‘That kind of stuff is still there. It’s just re-contextualized and…made less fun. That’s all. More serious. More grit.

Same thing with Annabeth:

Annabeth still wants to prove she’s the best of the best.

Annabeth’s still given up on her normal family and is most comfortable in life-or-death strategizing.

Annabeth’s still smart, but specifically wise enough to notice Percy’s heart of gold while everyone else is busy being afraid of or disappointed in him.

Same thing with Percy:

Percy still has the stubborn rebelliousness we all know and love.

Percy’s still a guy who goes with his gut first and foremost.

Percy’s still willing to sacrifice the future for the present, if the present means saving the people he loves.

Percy still makes wise-cracks at wildly inappropriate times.

And I think some of the show is really well written. Some of it. Two parts in particular stand out. The first is when Annabeth and Percy have the post-killing Medusa conversation, and they have that, “she tried to get me to betray you. What did you say? I killed her sister. What did you say? I cut off her head.” exchange. That’s great. The point of that conversation is “you can trust me because no matter how I might be tempted, this is the line I won’t cross.” But they don’t come out and say that. They have the characters say it without saying it, if that makes sense.

The second bit of good writing that comes into my brain was Luke’s conversation with Percy about being small and scary. It was such a good way to introduce the important concept of why gods need demigods/why gods fear demigods, while also lore-dropping things like “Annabeth is afraid of spiders” and “this fantasy world does have rules.” And on top of those boxes getting checked, you can also see the conversation from Luke’s point of view—he’s bitter about being thought of as a small thing to the gods, but now he’s starting to embrace the scariness part.

So some moments are good, writing-wise. Especially if you tilt your head and say “this is an alternate universe.” I just think they’re not always the right moments for Percy Jackson.

[mf-headcannontap]

MARVEL Headcannon #5:

President Loki is the result of Odin banishing Loki to Midgard instead of Thor.

Basically, Thor started the war, but Loki got thrown under the metaphorical bus and got banished under the condition of Thor having to prove himself worthy of having his sibling by his side again, and then Loki could return.

Of course, Loki, being Loki, took the first opportunity they could find to blend in and eventually amass power. It got to the point where eventually, Loki found themselves running for president against one Steve Rogers (who took one look around when he woke up and decided, if no one was gonna get their stuff together, he'd do it himself dammit, cuz if a literal alien could do it, so could he) completely by accident. But of course, Loki, being Loki, made that election one for the history books.

There's 2 versions of this singular timeline. One where Steve Rogers wins, and one where Loki wins (that's the one that got pruned) and its comedic gold.

By the time Thor proves himself worthy and Odin allows Loki back in Asgard, Loki has already established a pretty solid life for themselves, out of Odin's and Thor's shadows, so now they all have to convince Loki to come back to Asgard.

[heroictoonz]

Normally I don’t put my two cents into age discourse in fandoms cause at worse its all thinly valid homophobia or ableism or at best it’s people who have different takes of the show disagreeing and being weirdly mean about it. However, I need ppl to know my thoughts on IZ. Since I grew up with it as a kid I’ve, like, always seen Zim as a kid. Something something walks looks and talks like a duck its a duck kinda thing and also I was the same age as Dib when I was watching so idk brain latched there. I know recent stuff is like oohhh but hes an aduullllttt this that whatever and honestly even now I’m just idk I never read the text that way and I still don’t read it that way but I know in one of the like unfinished eps it showed that Purple and Red were the same age as Zim and I’m sure thats where some ppl are like okay so then CLEARLY Zim is an adult cause Purple and Red are adults right? Here the thing, you people are all overlooking comedic gold here

Purple and Red are the same age as Zim. Zim is the Irken equivalent of Dib’s age. Purple and Red are the Irk equivalent of 12 year olds leading a fucking empire.

Hear me out I’m so fucking for real here. Zim gets Miyuki killed and they’re like ah fuck who’s the next tallest dude here and they bring out Spork okay this can work he’s an Irk well versed in our ways and shit sure sure sure but then Zim gets Spork killed and they have to find the tallest Irks behind fucking SPORK and instead of being like a real war hardened and seasoned adult Irk its a couple of fucking 10 year olds who are the same height so now there’s two of them and we all have to deal with them leading our planet

This is my reading of Invader Zim now I’m like fully taking this into my canon if not for any reason than its fucking hilarious the idea that Irk the most feared species in the galaxy is lead by a couple of fucking pre-teens who just lucked out in the gene pool

[izanori]

9 more testament-related yonkoma coming right up! the previous 8 can be found here

how to read yonkoma + translation notes + etc under the cut ^^

How to Read Yonkoma/4-koma (<- means "4 panels"):

short answer:

long answer: here

-

Translation Notes:

lil hanamaru: was titled Hanamaru-kun in the original text. a hanamaru is a flower drawn on japanese kids' schoolwork when they do a good job, like a gold star. since the comic shows the flower very obviously here, i couldnt lie to you all and title it Lil' Gold Star, and i think we have no other flower-related equivalent to this, so ive decided to use this as an opportunity to teach those who dont know this little japanese culture fact. feel free to google what a hanamaru looks like!

among us: this was titled Infiltration in the original text. because im quirky, i changed it to Among Us. when people complain about translators adding in stuff that didnt exist in the original text, this is exactly what theyre talking about. im so sorry. i have to reference amogus every chance i get (fwiw: i can do this because its just comedy. i wouldnt randomly add funny references during more serious scenes)

how about a bout: original title was something like "You're Fighting!?" but uhhhh. okay, i dont even know why i changed the title of this one 😂 i think at the time i couldnt think of a way to translate the title, so i came up with something punny and related to the subject matter. just now as i reread the original text i understood it, but i like my pun better than the original and dont feel like going back and changing it. do you forgive me? 😿

memory over the material: in the very first panel, testament says in the original text something like "you can't erase me physically or any other way." because this is all comedy, i added a reference most tumblr users should get to add to the mood.

i think thats about it! tldr, i think im funny and sacrificed direct translation for comedic effect when i felt like it. common industry practice, really. i wouldnt be so loose when translating if this wasnt all comedy!

-

i wanted to add that if you want to follow me to see when i next share a translation, you should follow @cicistash instead of this blog. ill put all translations there... and art in the future, but ill tag the art so you can filter it out.

thank you so much for reading my translations! im sorry for the long wait between the first one and this! i hope the next one comes much faster. and sorry if it looks ugly, of course, im new to editing scans and such

[bobbydagen24]

the search for piece is such an amazing little episode.

Honestly its so friggin heart-breaking and cute it really took me by surprise the first time I watched it since Trollstopia hadn't done an episode like this before. one that was actually serous and emotional ya know? plus far as I'm concerned this episode is pure Broppy supportive gold even tho they aren't canonically together in Trollstopia.

and Rhythm Holly and Synth were way better to Branch in this one episode than any of his Brothers were in the Third film like I Remember in the lead up to the Third film I rewatched this episode.

and it only served to make me more excited since I figured we'd get some sweat heart-warming moments like this episode gave us.

but instead the movie just leaned too much into Bro zone being a terrible family and then well they called it a day and didn't actually make the case for why we should want them to stay together at the end.

other than "" you only get one family no matter how shitty they are "" so yeah in my mind the friend group this episode were a better family than Bro zone were.

and this episode also took Grandma's death more seriously than the film did where it was just made into a Joke about how Clay comedically commented on her having been eaten not to mention Branch's Trauma over it not being taken seriously either.

it was brushed off by his brothers and in the end brushed off by the movie itself and none of the bros even seemed to give a crap since none of them actually asked about her nor did we see much of a reaction from any of them after they found out about her death.

Honestly I could write a Bible length Book on the many ways TBT fails at basic story writing but then we'd be here all year 😅😅😅😅

but yeah this episode is amazing Definitely one of my top 5 favourites out of Both of the Tv shows.

and I Hope if we do get a Third Tv show featuring the new characters we get a few more episodes like this one sprinkled throughout the show so we get some more cute emotional character moments.

[nedjsmlfavs]

Why I Love Ladrien

If I write a fic where the square gets together pre-reveal and I then actually write about them dating instead of skipping straight to the reveal, the side that I’m going to do it for is Ladrien. Here’s why:

It’s the side that lets them share their trauma. Most of Adrien’s struggles come from his civilian life and most of Marinette’s struggles come from being Ladybug. But Chat Noir can’t tell Ladybug about his home life and Marinette can’t tell Adrien about her Ladybug struggles. Only as Adrien and Ladybug can they be fully open about the part of their life where they need the most support.

Ladynoir is on equal footing for my favorite dynamic and its comedic potential skyrockets with Ladrien. There are so many ways to mess with Chat Noir or to give him the time of his life while Ladybug stays totally oblivious. Any Ladrien fic that I write is going to see lots of Ladynoir as a compliment. Ladynoir for the comedy, Ladrien for the fluff (see: Villainous Matchmaking)

The civilian/hero sides of the square have the most potential for identity shenanigans and I live for identity shenanigans. To me, it’s the main appeal of pre-reveal dating.

Their mutual celebrity status puts them on equal footing and allows for a myriad of setups where they get to know each other or even secretly go on a public date without attracting any suspicion. It’s just two famous people talking at an event. Nothing to see here!

The non-Miraculous stories that I write are basically all a ‘friends to lovers’ dynamic with getting together being the climax of the relationship arc, so it’s fun to change things up and write a story where the characters are in love right from the start. You still get the relationship deepening that comes in all romance stories, but doing that while they’re dating instead of having dating being the end is a nice change of pace. Dating stories are rarely all that interesting to me because the tension dies as soon as they start dating, but add in the identity shenanigans, secrets, and ever-present threat of Gabriel and, suddenly, there’s still loads of tension and the dating scenes are now the fluffy, sweet moments to temper the surrounding drama.

I like to get my characters together before putting them through hell so that they can support each other through the angst, building their relationship up through that struggle. Ladrien fics let you do that without having to do all of the hard work of getting the characters to fall in love and get together before you put them through hell, meaning that I can write much shorter stories with a much clearer focus on the struggles over the budding romance.

Ladrien’s fun! It deserves more love! I'd rank it as equal to Ladynoir on my personal preference meter, but it's so under-explored that it holds the strongest draw for me.

(Description for the linked fic: When Chat Noir is tragically unable to attend an event with Ladybug, the mayor calls in a favor from a designer ‘friend’. Now she’s attending in style, on the arm of the hottest male model in Paris. Which would be fine if it weren’t for one, tiny issue: Paris’ favorite domestic terrorist now knows how Ladybug feels about his son. This leads him to his greatest plan yet, using Ladybug’s extremely obvious crush on Adrien Agreste to akumatize Chat Noir.

Come on, you can't tell me that's not fun! Ladrien is comedic gold.)

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

I am truly overjoyed! It seems that more films are returning back to the magic of practical locations, effects and using CGI when it is absolutely necessary. When I see a master storyteller that started out that way, come back to their roots and show us why we loved them in the first place, my heart flutters as we are witnessing something truly special. That is what happened here and it was gorgeous return to the darkly comedic and macabre world created from the mind of Tim Burton. Burton returns to his most beloved film by fans and it didn't disappoint. Not only does it continue the same level reverence for the odd, but it also adds more to the lore by exploring more of the spirit realm and I loved every second of it. I loved that all of his tricks and styles were on display, especially during a discussion about the fate of a certain character. The way its done was a visual feast. This film was a bit overwhelming with the amount of characters, but I could never say I was bored. The amount of busy work each character gets could've been separated into their own vignettes, but it's all weaved together and wrapped up in a fun way. I do wish the threat for the titular character was more central and the driving force of the film though.

Winona Ryder returns as Lydia Deetz and I loved that she continued to embrace her supernatural gift. She is more tormented this time around and heartbroken as she had a loss that damaged her relationship with her daughter. Jenna Ortega was bratty, snarky and sometimes mean as Lydia's estranged daughter, Astrid. Their relationship was interesting to watch become patched in the most difficult way. She had the same attitude as Lydia when she was younger, but less morose and more angst. It worked all the way through and I loved when she finally starts to connect with her Mother on something they share. Catherine O'Hara was just as crazy, unpredictable and fun as Lydia's mom and Astrid's grandmother, Delia Deetz. Every moment with her was comedic gold and how darkly artistic it gets was great. Justin Theroux was good and slimy as Lydia's boyfriend, Rory. He was good for the purpose of where Lydia was in her life, but I almost felt he was the weakest part of the ensemble. Not in performance, but just as a supporting character that sometimes detracted from the pacing. Willem Dafoe was truly having fun as the dead action star, Wolf Jackson. I loved the throw back style of the 1950's detective he was portraying while hamming up the most hilarious and cheesy dialogue an old school detective would say. Arthur Conti was good as Astrid's first crush, Jeremy Frazier. It was a fun sliver of a possible teen romance in this weird world. Monica Bellucci still takes my breath away when she graces the screen and as the villainess, Delores LaVerge, she was truly spectacular. I loved the lore behind her relationship with Beetlejuice and I liked her creepy presence. I just wish we focused on her more as the driving force of the film instead of being lightly sprinkled around. Speaking of Beetlejuice, Michael Keaton returns as the ghost with the most and he hasn't skipped a beat. He continues to be that disgusting and loveable trickster we all love. He was hilarious, smart and very creative in his quest to get away from his ex-wife, Delores. I love that we finally get a confirmed backstory for the character and the amount of fun he has telling it was right on brand. The chemistry between him and Lydia never died and it was magical to see them together again.

Composer and Tim Burton's muse, Danny Elfman returns and brings back the iconic score and themes. I loved that he kept the gothic and whimsical tone of the film alive with his insanely playful score. The mixed soundtrack of jams that work in the playful nature of the spirit world was excellent and there is a prolonged musical sequence that was a bit bloated. Like I said before, everyone has something to do and that made the film more busy than it needed to be. For me, I would've gotten rid of Rory and left Lydia's heartbroken story as is anchor point for her and Astrid to reconnect. Even with all of its flaws, it still was a welcomed return to form for Tim Burton and fun excursion back into the world of Beetlejuice. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

[demonicnarwhale]

Ok so like Die, he's a pretty morbid or views death in a very "it is, what it is" and maybe even comedically. But it's only towards the death/misfortunes of others, but with his owns it's like he doesn't really want to die but at the hands of another person being the reason. If he's gonna die, he wants it to be at the hands of himself. Like he's the type to talk all big about wanting to die (in certain circumstances) but when it's time to, he resists and like realizes he doesn't want to go just yet??

HK is just squeamish with the thought of being the one to kill and death. But, like when it comes to dealing with bodies of strangers, she's managed to adjust to dealing and disposing of them. Years of The Felt just does that to one I guess lol. So of course there's more weight when it comes to the death of someone she knows (even if The Felt members will just come back later). But when death hits her then it's like, she accepts (nah she gives up fighting) and rolls with it.

OK OK OK SO THESE TWO OUAGhh a whole ass yapping session under the cut, and yes. If needed to. I will write a fucking essay on this.

Wow, Eel having a thing for opposites having/being able to learn from each other and building themselves up from that...aough

to start off, I like to view romance as a very "it depends on the people involved in it" sort. Like even troll romance not all quads are actual romantically based. SOooo maybe other relationships like moirails will have some romance while others won't. Why? Just so I can finagle different relationships teeheee.

Pots of Gold, basically, Business Partners. It can have some romance or platonic sprinkled in. Usually, it's for either everyone to get something out of it or can be one sided/only for one person's gain.

But between these two, just transactional like. As in, they both get something out of it through this "partnership". There's no sense of romance or even platonic feelings between them. Well, HK's like a hint of platonic as she tends to worry for the wellbeing of Die and genuinely can enjoy his presence for some reason.

Die, I like to think is fascinated with bodies and its inner workings. And carapacians, they're a whole new species for him! Like Snowman's there, but c'mon. It's Snowman. And I like to think that since HK's just there, then it's just so convenient for him! Like of course there's also other carapaces that The Felt come across that aren't The Midnight Crew and Die can get his grimy hands on some subjects. But again, for convenience's sake, and cuz members of The Felt can't really die-die (I headcanon Doc Scratch being able to reverse time enough to reset everyone, further explanation in a comic in the future) so Die has the ability to mess with her and can go "hey let's see if this sticks after you come back HK" sorta thing. That, and he knows HK craves being able to fulfil other's wants and needs to the best of her abilities, people pleaser ass.

HK wants to help be there for Die as she believes that as her being the house keeper for The Felt, not only is it that the manor needs to be kept in tip-top shape, but also the members. She doesn't have a desire to "fix" him, but instead to help set him on a path where he can fix himself on his own volition or something. Also, she just feels pretty bad for that fucking loser. She gets the gratification (and maybe even false pretense) that she's actually being helpful! Like, she genuinely doesn't want him to have to change everything about himself just for the sake of others (very funny coming from her) but she can't help but worry.

So in this case, you can say it's one sided as it's really HK the one showing some fondness towards Die, but Die doesn't really dabble in that sorta stuff. I like to think that he's just used to shutting people out/down as he's pretty much some sort of punching bag in The Felt. And it's not easy for him to open up and he simply just doesn't want to. I don't see Die as the type who'd actually want any semblance of a "relationship" with another, in either a romantic or platonic (? i can see with some specific members that he'd be comfortable with) sense, he's just there. So like, aromantic thing going on. But that doesn't mean he's strictly opposed to having some sort of friend/acquaintance??? It's hard to explain my thoughts on that guy. But he does manage to get along with some of the others. (I would explain but that's a whole 'nother thang) Also it could also just be him being paranoid that something will definitely go wrong??

So, with this Pots of Gold being strictly one-sided or "business partner" like where both Die and HK get (some sort) of thing out of this, it just kinda fits for them. That, and just the differences between these two make me giggle. Die being cynical and even enjoying dark humor and sometimes even jaded* while HK being a credulous or gullible, maybe even naive, because she's really fucking dumb guys come on. BUT BUT BUT switching that whole shit around??? like omg * note: Die isn't always jaded or unemotional. I like to think he can be just as petty, dramatic and animated when needed. Like overreacting and such. Hell, the guy can be quite expressive whether that be negative or on the rare occasion, positive.

HK slowly having to learn that things are different, she's no longer Historiographic Knitter or on Prospit, and having to deal with The Felt (and even Midnight Crew + others) kind of begins to open her eyes, aware of what's going on ya know? Like pretty much needing to grow a shell (hA) to deal with all this.

And with Die, oog being able to slowly be forced to adjust to someone who's got a different thing going on. AOugh how do I explain... he's slowly getting used to seeing someone who actually enjoys his presence. And like how he's not one to show some sort of "im getting fond of you" sort of reactions, he actually slowly does, in really small unnoticeable ways that probably is just like a "that's the bare minimum" sort but it's something!! Like giving HK a slight nod, like that! THAT oough. Oh HK would be entirely delighted!!! And them learning how to deal with others opposite of themselves, like HK needing to learn when she needs to stop and give others their space and not come off as overbearing when she means well. And Die to learn how to try to stop always assuming the worst will happen/out of others and their actions.

They're both in a sense stepping mats like they get walked all over and such in different ways. And are The Felt's clean up crew, Die gets to do with he wants with the bodies and HK will dispose of them (the garden/yard thing). Also, they get to rant and ramble to each other about anything really even if Die will end up telling HK to shut up, or will just shut himself up on his own and not speak to her for days hehe

Also also, oh goodness, Die being able to just be unapologetically (probably even brutally) honest with HK* when she's being stupid/too soft and her having to slowly learn or come to terms with reality through Die... and then, Die being able to be treated like another being on a daily enough basis and being listened to. Aughhh. Of course, some of the other members are concerned-ish for him, but his tendencies to disregard others make it hard for the other members of The Felt to befriend him, hell it annoys some of the others too. Being able to feel like he's just another guy, like everyone else, instead of this annoying freak. OAguh

*And to note: It's also the fact, that he knows that HK won't have to guts to tell him to shut up. But that she's going to actually listen. Whether she takes what he says to heart or not, it's him being able to just express his thoughts.

OH MY GOD AND NOT TO FORGET: Thanks to the (questionable) ways Die experiments or studies HK's innards and such, it also helps him further his fascination/satisfaction with being in control but also! it helps HK with not needing to be so squeamish and fearful of injuries and such. Like she's still gonna kick and sob but slowly, it'll be more of her dealing with it with eyes filled with tears and not trying to trash around!!! win moment

Also, I shall name this uh thing "Patchwork" because I know people like Die, and I wanna make sure that like even if this is far from a relationship between them, if people don't wanna see this sorta stuff, they can block the tag

(also Patchwork is just funny to me. Cuz like HK with her whole "used to be Historical Knitter and then Die dabbling with pins and such. And like they both need some serious work but also also also slowly patching each other up in their own wacky ways)

[takeariskao3]

Hannah, Hannah, Hannah... Harry ensures everyone crosses the finish line, especially Ginny.

Harry, my boy, made sure Ginny, my girl, finished one way or another! It’s CANON don't try to change our minds!

i think this is in reference to my harry/ginny first time headcanon (?) and if so …. i agree with you that harry figures things out very quickly HOWEVER the comedic gold mine that is them losing their virginity together is too good to say it was mindblowingly perfect from the beginning

under the cut because nsfw

There really were few things in the world Ginny loved more than the feel of Harry settling on top of her. Only, this time was different. Because this time, they weren’t sneaking a snog on the sofa or fumbling beneath shirts and trousers.

It had been Ginny’s idea, and she’d definitely sounded more confident than she felt when she’d asked if she could stay over at his place on her first weekend off after Trials.

Harry had agreed, but it had taken entirely too many rounds of assurances that she was ready and an intense bout of shameless flirting.

So, there they were. Their clothes lay scattered throughout the bedroom, her knickers the last thing to go as they collapsed onto Harry’s unmade bed. The smell and soft texture of the sheets were a comfort as she pulled his lips back down to hers.

She figured if she could just keep kissing him, everything would be fine.

“Are you alright?” Harry breathed against her mouth, effectively ruining her plan to not think and only feel.

Humming instead of responding, she let one of her hands trail down his chest to his stomach, then past his navel to lightly wrap around his shaft. She positioned him at her entrance, and at the same time, lightly sucked on the spot just below his ear.

“Ginny,” he asked, pulling back to search her face. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes,” She grumbled, done with the persisting awkwardness that had preceded this moment for what felt like weeks. “Can we please just get this over with?”

Harry’s brows knitted together. “Get it over with?”

“You know what I mean,” she growled impatiently. “Can you just stick it in already?”

The gold flecks around his pupils twinkled mischievously. “You know, I don’t think I like dirty talk after all.”

“Harry,” Ginny ordered, digging her nails into the round of his shoulders. “Get a move on.”

When he didn’t comply right away, she wiggled her hips just enough that his tip was poised just inside her.

“Alright,” He grunted. “Just-”

He pushed forward an inch and Ginny sucked in a breath through her teeth.

“Shit,” He pulled back out. “Are you alright?”

Ginny looked him dead in the eye. “If you ask me that one more time, I’m getting out of this fucking bed.”

Harry gave up on arguing and kissed her instead. His lips were punishing, his tongue rolling against hers, and Ginny finally started to feel like he understood what she needed out of this moment.

He pushed inside her again. She felt the stretch, then the pressure, and then the all consuming tension ready to snap. It was overwhelming in its intensity. Like nothing she’d ever felt before.

“Can you move, please?” She murmured. “I think that will help.”

Harry’s nose rested against hers and his eyes were clenched shut. “If I move, I’m going to go.”

“Yes,” she sighed in relief. “Please, go.”

Blinking a few times, he looked down at her in confusion. “What?”

“Please, go,” she begged. “Then we can be done.”

Harry groaned. “Ginny, if it hurts, you have to tell me.”

He made to pull out again, but Ginny grabbed his bum and held him in place.

“No, it doesn’t hurt-” she promised. She wasn’t going to let him put this off for one minute longer. “It��s just… weird.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, Harry searching her gaze and assessing her truthfulness. Whatever he found there must have reassured him because he rocked out and then back in, pushing forward and bottoming out.

Ginny felt the pressure again, but this time it was swirling instead of sharp.

“That’s not bad,” she whispered, scratching her fingers through his hair. “Do more of that.”

Harry buried his face in her neck and tried again. This time he rolled his hips against hers and let out a hoarse little grunt. She felt his muscles contract at the same time his hips gave a violent twitch.

“Oh,” Ginny bit back a laugh. “You weren’t kidding.”

Letting out a string of curses, he kept his face hidden in her hair. “It’ll be better next time.”

“Not hard to be,” Ginny responded before she could think better of it. She instantly regretted her words. She didn’t want to embarrass him, the whole ordeal was embarrassing enough as it was.

But then Harry snorted out a laugh and they both dissolved into a fit of giggles.

She grabbed both sides of his face and made him look at her. “I love you.”

Harry smiled then kissed her. “I love you, too.”

[datadegroove]

ranking tf2 death screams by their comedic value

9: Pyro. it's funny in the right context but there's just not much there. the muffled quality makes it less funny because of its lack of raw energy

8: Heavy. Lacks the "I'm being murdered" quality that the others have. Halfway to being a battle yell instead of something for death

7: Sniper. Has the opposite problem of Heavy, it's too hard on the pain side and there's not enough goof. Though it is pretty good when used correctly

6: Engineer. Depends on which one you use, some of them are very funny and others are a little dry

5: Medic. Funny but they're all a bit same-y. A true neutral player

4: Demoman. Although I want it to be higher, these screams are better used for something related to charging as opposed to death or pain. Luckily,they're the same sounds

3: Spy. The gargling sound he does in one of them is the definition of funny

2: Soldier. Soldier in general toes the perfect line of comedy in all his voice lines. The only reason he's not 1 is because

1. Scout. It's the single funniest thing ever put to tape. Did they know they had gold right away? Did it require multiple takes to get the perfect scream? Oh to be a fly on the wall when those beautiful tones were recorded for the first time

[singular-yike]

Yago Ametsukana (Revisited)

My analysis on Yago Ametsukana was the first post I've ever made here, and while I still think it holds up to scrutiny 100%, I've since found a comfortable format in which to write these, so think it'd be nice to revisit and expand on it~!

And so, here's

A Thousand Blades and a Thousand Arms — Yago Ametsukana

Name: Yago Ametsukana

Given Name: Yago

Their given name, Yago (ヤゴ), is the Japanese word for dragonfly larvae, nymphs and naiads.

This is reinforced by its official Chinese rendering as 水蠆, which is also the Japanese kanji for the word and refers explicitly to the same things.

Family/God Name: Ametsukana

Their family name, Ametsukana (天目津金) is modelled after the names of Shinto deities, like those one would find in the Kojiki or Nihon Shoki, thus it takes a bit to analyse.

This name can be sub-divided into 3 parts:

First is "ame" (天目), the pronunciation along can refer to "the heavens", though further dissecting the name reveals that "a" is assigned specifically to 天, which means "heaven(ly)".

This can be deduced from the fact that "me" is a standard reading of 目, which means "eye". Taken as a whole, "ame" here combines to give "heavenly eye".

Secondly is "tsu" (津), the word literally means "harbour", though its often used in Shinto deity names for its pronunciation alone as an attributive particle, in other words, it means "of".

Finally is "kana" (金), which could mean "gold, metal or money", though considering Yago's occupation and domain likely means "metal"

Putting the three parts together, the name probably means something along the lines of "metal of the heavenly eye".

Curiously, this surname actually seems to be moreso Yago's title as a god rather than their name, as we see Yago invite Sukune to "become the next Ametsukana" in BPoHC.

Mythological Inspiration

Like a good chunk of Len'en characters, Yago is based on Japanese mythology, not just one such figure, but three! Let's quickly go over them here:

Shinto Deity: Ame-no-Mahitotsu-no-Kami

Firstly and most majorly, Yag is based on the Shinto god Ame-no-Mahitotsu-no-Kami (天目一箇神 lit. "Heavenly one-eyed god").

Below: The Usuno Hitotsume Shrine (薄野一目神社), one of the places where Mahitotsu is enshrined. (I couldn't find a traditional depiction of him so have this instead.)

Mahitotsu's Domain & Story

He is a god of metalworking and blacksmithing, of metalworkers and miners, mirrored by Yago's own domain of blacksmithing.

A god closely associated with him is Amatsumara (天津麻羅). He appears in the Kojiki, where he helps forge the mirror Yata no Kagami, used to lure the sun goddess Amaterasu out of hiding.

In fact, in the Kogo Shūi (古語���遺), Mahitotsu is said to in fact have assumed the identity of Amatsumara during those events, and are thus the selfsame entity.

Perhaps this very event is what lead to Yago's contributions being acknowledged and their subsequent promotion to godhood.

The Hyottoko Mask

Also, Mahitotsu is sometimes said to be the origin of an archetypal character known as the Hyottoko (火男 lit. "fire man"), often acting as a comedic character during shrine festivals and other festivities.

Below: A typical hyottoko mask.

We see Yago themself wear the hyottoko mask on their head, as well as wearing the same headscarf a typical hyottoko mask wears over their eyes.

The 5-7 Paulownia Shrine Crest

As a final note, the most common shrine crest for shrines where Mahitotsu is worshipped is the 5-7 paulownia crest (五七桐紋), named so for the number of flowers on each cluster.

A stylised version of this crest is found in Yago's spell card background as well, no doubt a reference to their irl sites of worship.

Below: One of the layers of Yago's spell card background, featuring the stylised crest (most prominent to the left of Yago's head), with the standard version of the crest in the bottom-left corner.

Youkai: Ippon-datara

Yago is also based on the youkai ippon-datara (一本踏鞴 lit. "one-legged bellows"), who is often times said to in fact be the corrupted form of Mahitotsu after he fell from grace.

Below: An ippon-datara talisman, the specialty of Mastumoto Studio (松本工房), said to protect travellers, especially on mountains.

While tales and descriptions related to the ippon-datara vary greatly from region to region, they all generally agree that it is a fearsome being with a single leg, on which an eye as large as a dish sits.

Varieties aside, it's agreed upon that the "datara" in the name refers to tatara-shi (タタラ師), a type of blacksmith that works with Japan's historical tatara furnaces.

Based on this connection, the origins of the ippon-datara's two most consistent traits can be deduced:

It only has one eye as blacksmiths would've constantly kept one eye on the furnace, leading to its deterioration.

It only has one leg, as the other would've gone bad from working the bellows for so long.

This, by the way, would also be the same reason Mahitotsu is the "one-eyed" god of blacksmithing.

These are referenced in Yago's design as well, their left eye covered by a piece of headscarf and left foot modified to accommodate for how it had "gone bad from an occupational disease".

Shinto Deity: Kanayago-no-Kami

Finally, we come to their last basis, the Shinto goddess Kanayago-no-Kami (金屋子神 lit. "child-god of the metal house").

Right off the bat, we already note the inclusion of "yago" in her name, which is already interesting, but there is of course more~.

Below: A hanging scroll depicting Kanayago.

Kanayago is not the most consistent deity, at least in terms of her character details. She is most often said to be female, but is also occasionally cited as male.

She is sometimes said to be the same as Kanayamahiko-no-Kami (金山彦), or Kanayamahime-no-Kami (金山媛), or even Mahitotsu, all gods of mines and metalworking. Yet is other times simply a god that somehow relates to them, without explicitly being them.

What is consistent about her, is that she is a blacksmith, and is specifically a goddess of tatara furnaces, blacksmithing, fire and iron-making. These of course line up with Yago's domain quite well.

Kanayago is perhaps not as notable compared to Mahitotsu or the Ippon-datara, though I'm fairly sure that a connection exists regardless, if only a faint one.

Who knows? Maybe one day this connection will get expanded upon, and I'll get to tell you more about this goddess. (She's a very fascinating figure indeed, but that falls outside of our scope today.)

Sword: Sugari no Ontachi

Yago's goal in life is to one day make a weapon that's a perfect match for themself, but despite being a master at doing this for others, he simply cannot do so for himself.

Until that day finally comes, he instead uses the "Crested Ibis Sword", Sugari no Ontachi (須賀利御太刀).

Curiously, Yago's Sugari no Ontachi is said to be "the counterpart of another sword from the outside [world], and has lost its original owner and purpose".

We, of course, know nothing about its original owner or purpose, though the first part about it being a "counterpart of a sword from the outside" is indeed notable.

Counterpart Candidate #1: The Sugari no Ontachi

One candidate for this counterpart, is indeed, the Sugari no Ontachi itself.

Below: The real Sugari no Ontachi

That's right, the Sugari no Ontachi is not an original invention by JynX, but actually exists in reality.

The sword is one of the sacred treasures of the Ise Grand Shrine's Inner Shrine, in fact one of the most extravagant and important treasure of the shrine.

JynX titles it the "Crested Ibis Sword" (朱鷺剣) in Yago's spell Crested Ibis Sword "Sugari no Ontachi" because the sword is famous for having two crested ibis feathers decorating its hilt.

Below: A close up of the sword's hilt, showing off the pinkish red feathers of the crested ibis tied to it.

Despite the sword's sacred status, the ones you see in the above image is not actually the original sword.

You see the shrine has a tradition of being taken down and rebuilt every 20 years on an adjacent piece of land under the same exact specifications, based on the idea that new objects have greater divine power.

The Sugari no Ontachi is part of this tradition, ritualistically reforged every 20 years to retain its divine might. This would of course mean that the sword we have now is not the original, perhaps the original lies with Yago still?

Notably, the sword contains elements of its design that are anachronistic to when it should've first been forged, indicating that it must've received a redesign during one of these reforgings.

I do not know whether this should just be attributed to JynX not bothering to or not being able to copy the sword's design 1-to-1, but the sword in Yago's hand indeed features a slightly different design to the Sugari no Ontachi of our world, perhaps another point to Yago's being the original.

Counterpart Candidate #2: The Tamamaki no Ontachi

This is the other candidate for an outside world counterpart to Yago's Sugari no Ontachi, the Tamamaki no Ontachi (玉纏御太刀).

Below: The Tamamaki no Ontachi.

As you can see, the two swords are extremely similar in appearance, and are thus often considered a pair. In fact, the Tamamaki no Ontachi is also a sacred treasure of the Ise Grand Shrine's Inner Shrine and is similarly reforged every 20 years.

There's not much more tying the two swords together, but it doesn't take much investigation to see why this could be the counterpart to Yago's sword.

Yago as a God

Finally, I want to devote a small section to Yago's status as a god, as they're one of the few windows into what godhood is like in Mugenri (alongside Souko, of course).

Powers After Becoming a God

We know that Yago (and Souko too) didn't start off as gods, but instead as a "human-like" being (which I theorise to be the race that split into humans and non-humans in the future, like Hoojiro mentions).

Instead, they became gods after their contributions in certain fields got acknowledged, by a group of yet-unknown people, and they got promoted to godhood.

Alongside this, they gained incredible longevity, but is this the only power they gained as a god?

Curiously, Yago seems keenly aware of Suzumi messing with time during the evens of BPoHC, and is even able to hear the voice of Ardey, and deduce that there are two souls inside Suzumi.

It is curious that they are seemingly unable to detect the presence of Benny, perhaps it is simply because they didn't speak during that conversation, or perhaps there is something more here.

Whether this is something inherent to Yago or something that they learnt after becoming a god (personally I lean towards the later), it is still a very interesting tidbit.

Godly Spell Card Backgrounds

Now for a much more lighthearted one, Yago actually shares part of their spell card background with Souko, likely symbolising their equal status as gods.

Below: Yago's spell background (left) with Souko's overlaid on top (right).

Clouds shaped like these have long been a popular motif for wood carvings decorating Japanese Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, and so it's not surprise at all that Yago and Souko, gods themselves, would reference this pattern as well.

Below: A carving of a dragon surrounded by such clouds at the Suga Shrine (須賀神社), Yabu city, Hyōgo prefecture.

Ending

And that, I believe, concludes my revisit to Yago Ametsukana, my favourite Len'en character of them all.

I decided to really lean on the mythology side of things with this analysis, since it's what made me fall in love with Yago in the first place. Though I really enjoy them as a character too! Perhaps I'll write about that some other day~.

In any case, and as usual, I hope you enjoyed~! :)

[rauhallinen-hauki]

i miss the m&l rpg series. it was super mario at its peak imo. not too complex in gameplay or story, but still engaging and fun. like the plot in these games could get surprisingly dark at times, but without going into "trying too hard to be cool and instead coming off as pretentious and being the the most unintentionally melodramatic thing ever" territory. the writing in general is gold in these games, just the right amount of goofyness for a super mario game while also expanding the world and characters. i'm particularly fond of the characterization it gave to Bowser. threatening and powerful, but also goofy and just a plain good comedic villain/anti-villain. also Yoko Shimomura is a legendary composer but the soundtrack in these games slaps really hard, even by her standards

overall a series of fun rpgs with interesting plot, gameplay quirks and a nice artstyle and music. bowser's inside story is legit one of the greatest rpgs ever (or at least it is to me. could be just because it has been one of the more "influential" games in my life tho)

anyway nintendo i know alpha dream is dead but with you (miraculously) not censoring that much in the thousand year door remake and seeing how last year the og super mario rpg got a remake too i ask you to seriously consider giving more love to the paper mario series and hell just to make more mario rpgs in general. put Daisy in there or something please there is so much potential for fun stories in the mario universe please