#but it might mean that we genuinely don't know the full cast yet

[normalbrothers]

Errrrrrrr what you mean Arthur and Lizzie will not show up in the movie? Is it confirmed??

well it's not confirmed in the sense that there's any official statement been made - from the actors or anyone else involved - but likewise neither were mentioned amongst the other actors who are reprising their roles :/

seems like a slim hope atp, but maybe they are just withholding their names for some silly reason

[drenched-in-sunlight]

Your genuinely one of my favorite elden ring artists, what would you say is your favorite aspect of elden ring just in general

this might be a big revelation but i think my favourite part about Elden Ring is i... actually don't really like it until the DLC.

the way the base game presented a kinda basic and fragmented story, one i'd even say i were underwhelmed about. because i went in expecting Sekiro-level of character driven writing (they did promise that in an interview) and what i got... ehhhh. that's why my fanarts for the base game is literally just fluff pieces and shipping Malenia with another character altogether that isn't even in the game. meanwhile my AC6, Sekiro and Bloodborne art... i think you can tell i have a very deep emotional connection to those games from the kind of work im putting out for them. (hell, before the DLC i actually was thinking "well i'll probably only draw some general fanarts after the DLC then go back to draw more JJK stuffs lol" famous last words)

but holy mother of God the way the DLC completely blew everything tf up.

sorry Fromsoftware, i were not aware the Sekiro character-driven part is actually about the DLC. im sorry im still not familiar with your game yet 😭

(this turns into a mini rant so imma put it under cut OTL)

before, i were pretty "...." about Elden Ring female cast. i think Melina appears too little, i think NPCs like Fia and Roderika... i can't figure out the significance of them within the narrative at all. and it kinda upset me because it feels like they regress back to the helpless / fanservice maiden trope that was usually seen in DS franchise for no reason. i don't like how Rennala ends up as and i don't like not knowing why Radagon did that to her (which turns to me not liking the way it became a popular fanon that he actually loved her he was just bound by duty etc etc...i mean what?), i actually don't even really like how Malenia's barely-there story turns out (but that's a rant for another day).

as standalone characters, sure, i'd say they all have their own merits, but if they don't play any role within the narrative... what's the point then?

but all of that is because back then, we literally did not know what's Marika's deal either.

and so she became this cardboard that everyone pins all the crimes and bad things in the world on, which is... fine? makes sense. but the following line of reasoning that she did all that because she's just...like that drives me up the wall. if i want another "woman bad" story i'd just replay DS2 😭

and that line of thought also distance her from other characters in the game. those stories are not lining up, so we literally see no point in anything.

but by giving us Marika's story in the DLC they:

shine light on the possible division between two Numen factions (Anna & Jolan story + Sword of Light & Darkness // no one is left in Marika's home (those embraces Light/Gold/ Greater Will and its Stars children) vs the Numens in Eternal City (those embraces Dark/ Black Moon/ opposing GW and its children)

the discontent with the Moon and how there are those who will never accept it as being equal to the Stars

the other half situation

the Marika's eye colour possible reveal (link her to Roderika - Roderika as a reflection of the maiden Marika once was and probably still is deep down)

give Godwyn more agency in his ending (his personal knights are on a quest for Age of Duskborn) -> link Marika to Fia (Fia as a reflection of the mother Marika is)

draw direct parallel between Messmer - the child carrying Marika's vengeance for the past, to Melina - the child carrying Marika's hope for the future

Marika as a God full of human flaws >< Miquella as a God devoid of all human emotions. both are bad in different ways. but share a same gentle origin of a simple wish for a kinder world.

the DLC singlehandedly swipes clean every problem i have with the base game. like im actually in awe they managed to do that so efficiently 😭

all that is to say. my favourite aspect of all is truly how one's perspective of this one character could alter the entire story.

i still dislike the interpretation that Marika is cold and heartless or that's she's cruel for no reason, but at the same time, i can see how ppl viewing her that way affect how they see other events in the game. just like how my view of her changes my entire view of the story itself too. and i just love how the writers pull that off really skillfully. man. and i think that's sth so unique to videogame storytelling. it's amazing!

[koivoid]

rant thingy??? idk

might delete later, drdt spoilers

um. I don't really know how to say this but. The newest episode made me re-realize how Bad the drdt fandom can be. There are so many people both on tumblr and on youtube saying that they genuinely hate the writing choices made by drdtdev.

I get that it's difficult to see your favorite character die, but for god's sake, this is a Danganronpa fanseries. It is literally built around the premise of having to see the beloved main cast die. Your favorite characters are going to die, full stop. It’s inevitable, there’s no use whining about it. Sure, it sucks that they didn’t get more screen time, but that’s how the story goes. And hey, look on the bright side! They’ll probably be remembered for having a gruesome death or a brutal, heartbreaking execution! A lot of the fandoms I’m in are very death-heavy, and I do get upset when my favorite characters die. But I can learn to appreciate their death for the impact it has on the narrative or the other characters.

Also, I can't even say that this is from drdt getting more popular, because the same thing literally happened when ch1 ended. People absolutely hating on Teruko, on the dev, on the writing, just because they didn't like the results. I remember a hate comment on youtube getting so out of hand the dev themself had to reply. Thankfully the opinion surrounding ch1 is way better now. My point is, this is has happened before. And I really really wish I could say we changed as a community since then, but it appears not.

Please, be respectful. I'm not saying you can't have criticisms about the story, but please realize that other people, including the drdt team, can see your posts and comments.

I know that ch2 isn't as polished as ch1, it didn't have things such as animation in the argument armament and closing argument, and doesn't have a scrum debate (at least not yet...?). But still, that doesn't mean we should disregard all the hard work drdtdev put into this project.

I guess what I'm just trying to say is just be kind. It's okay to voice your dissatisfaction, but just remember to be respectful.

[sunflowerabyss]

can you write reader confessing her admiration towards lupin and being rejected and as a result, she focuses on other boys and it enrages remus?

The Art of Understanding

A/N: Okay so I didn't know if you wanted a young!Remus Lupin or an Older!Remus Lupin, so I wrote them both! (They'll be on separate posts) I love this prompt and how angsty it can get. Thank you for the request!

Find the Older!Remus Lupin story here: Jealousy

Pairings: Young!Remus Lupin x Fem!Reader

Warnings: angst, unrequited love (not really), fluff

___________________________________________________

The halls of Hogwarts were quiet as the seventh years prepared for their upcoming exams. In the middle of academic chaos, Remus Lupin found himself in the library, surrounded by towering shelves of books and the hushed whispers of students engrossed in their studies. He had been helping Y/N with Transfiguration for weeks, patiently explaining complex spells and theories, and he couldn't deny that he found a sense of peace in her company.

Y/N, with her determined eyes and infectious laughter, had grown fond of Remus over the weeks. She found comfort in his presence and couldn't help but notice the subtle ways he made her feel special – a lingering touch on her hand, a genuine smile that reached his tired eyes. She believed there was something more between them, something that transcended the realm of friendship.

As they closed their Transfiguration books one evening, Y/N gathered her courage and decided it was time to share her feelings. The library was quiet, the air thick with anticipation. Clutching a book to her chest, nervously watching Remus as he flipped through the pages of another worn tome. The dim light cast a warm glow, emphasizing the shadows playing on Remus's face. She took a deep breath.

"Hey, Remus," she began, her voice a touch uncertain but determined.

Remus looked up, offering a small smile. "Yes, Y/N? What's on your mind?"

"Well," she hesitated, her cheeks flushing slightly, "there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

Remus closed the book in his hands, giving her his full attention. "Go on."

She took another deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "I've enjoyed our time together, studying and all. You've been such a great help, and I really appreciate it. But... it's more than that for me."

Remus furrowed his brow, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "More than that?"

"Yeah," she admitted, her gaze meeting his. "Remus, I really like you. Not just as a study partner, but, you know, in a different way."

Remus's expression shifted from curiosity to surprise. "Oh."

Y/N nervously fiddled with the edge of her book. "I wanted to be honest with you, and I thought you should know. I've been trying to give you hints, but I guess I'm not very good at it. A-and as cocky as it might sound, I thought that maybe we could go to H-Hogsmeade this weekend?"

Remus, however, looked pained as he gently declined, expressing his apologies. "I'm sorry," he said, "I just don't feel the same way."

Y/N felt the crushing weight of disappointment settle in her chest, but she put on a brave face. "It's okay," she replied, managing a small smile. "I understand."

As soon as she left the library, however, her composure crumbled. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, and the pain of rejection cut deeper than she expected. Unbeknownst to her, Remus, with his heightened senses just days before the full moon, felt a pang of regret. He wanted to explain, to tell her the truth, but he couldn't bear to burden her with the knowledge of his lycanthropy.

The days that followed Y/N's confession were filled with a peculiar tension. Remus couldn't shake the image of her revelation – her candid admission that she liked him despite the challenges he faced. Yet, as much as he appreciated her honesty, the shadow of his own insecurities lingered.

Meanwhile, Y/N navigated the awkwardness with a newfound determination. A month had passed since her confession and heartbreak and she still avoided Remus at all costs. She chose to spend her time with other boys, not out of spite but as a way to cope with the lingering disappointment from the rejection. Remus, however, couldn't help but notice her newfound companions, and the bitterness within him began to fester.

The Great Hall became a silent battleground of unspoken emotions. Remus watched from afar as Y/N sat with different boys, sharing laughter and engaging in conversations that felt like needles piercing through his already wounded heart. Each friendly interaction felt like a dagger, stirring a mix of jealousy, regret, and an inexplicable rage within him.

The days leading up to this confrontation had not been easy for Remus. James, Sirius, and Peter had noticed his increasingly moody demeanor. They cornered him one evening in the Gryffindor common room.

"Moony, mate, what's got you so broody?" Sirius asked with a mischievous grin, attempting to lighten the atmosphere.

Remus sighed, his eyes flickering towards the direction where Y/N was sitting with a couple of boys, laughing. "It's nothing. Just tired from all the studying."

James raised an eyebrow, exchanging a knowing glance with Sirius. "Come on, Remus. We know you better than that. Spill."

Remus hesitated, glancing back at Y/N. "It's personal. Let's leave it at that."

Sirius nudged him playfully. "Come on, Remus, we're your mates. You can talk to us about anything."

But Remus remained tight-lipped, keeping the true reason for his turmoil locked away. As they left him to his thoughts, he couldn't help but feel a sense of isolation, knowing that his friends were unaware of the storm raging within him.

The next day at dinner, Remus found it particularly difficult to concentrate on his food. His eyes kept drifting toward Y/N, who was engaged in animated conversation with a couple of boys from their year. The laughter that echoed in the Great Hall felt like a sharp contrast to the heaviness he carried. Remus's fingers tightened around his fork, and he couldn't bring himself to eat.

James leaned in, nudging Remus with a smirk. "Jealous, are we, Moody Moony?"

Remus shot him a glare. "I'm not jealous. Just preoccupied."

But the Marauders weren't convinced. They exchanged glances, whispering among themselves about Remus's strange behavior.

The sight of Y/N with different boys became a recurring theme. Remus couldn't escape the nagging feeling that he was losing her--not to someone else but to the walls he had built around himself.

One night, fueled by a mix of frustration and desperation, Remus caught up with Y/N in the hallway. His steps quickened until he cornered her, and his words spilled out like a torrent.

"What's going on, Y/N?" he demanded, his voice laced with frustration and a tinge of hurt.

She met his gaze, her eyes flashing with a mix of anger and hurt. "What are you on about?"

Remus couldn't contain himself any longer. "I can't stand seeing you with those other guys. It's driving me mad."

"Why?" she snapped, her tone sharp. "You made it clear you're not interested."

"There's a reason I said no," Remus admitted, his guard slowly breaking down.

"Is it because you're a werewolf?" she blurted out, the words hanging in the air.

Remus was taken aback but nodded reluctantly. "How did you know?" he asked softly.

Y/N scoffed. "I might be complete and utter arse at Transfiguration, but I'm not a daft git. You would go missing once a month and came back looking like you went off to war."

Remus stayed silent, letting her words digest.

"Is that all?" she fired back, surprising him. "Remus, I wouldn't care about that! I care about you."

Remus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Y/N's blunt response left him speechless. He searched her eyes for any sign of deception, but all he found was a genuine concern and care that he hadn't expected.

"You really mean that?" he asked, his voice a mixture of surprise and hope.

She nodded, her expression softening. "Yes, Remus. I mean it. I care about you."

A weight lifted from Remus's shoulders, replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief. "I never thought… I didn't want to burden you. I thought it was better if you didn't get involved."

Y/N stepped closer, her eyes locked onto his. "Remus, let me decide what's better for me. Don't shut me out because of assumptions."

He took a deep breath, the truth hanging heavy in the air. "I appreciate your honesty, Y/N. I've been a fool."

She smiled gently. "We all make mistakes. The important thing is learning from them."

Remus nodded, gratitude filling his eyes. "I promise, I'll be more open with you. No more hiding."

She reached out, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "That's all I ask, Remus. I want to get to know all of you."

He chuckled softly, a warmth spreading through him. "And I want to get to know all of you too, Y/N. I've been a sorry sod for pushing you away."

The tension that had gripped them began to dissolve, replaced by a newfound understanding. Remus's gaze softened as he looked at her, a mixture of regret and gratitude in his eyes.

Y/N smiled, breaking the silence. "So, are you free this weekend? How about we go to Hogsmeade together?"

Remus's eyes lit up with surprise and delight. "I'd like that, Y/N. Let's start over, shall we?"

She nodded, a playful glint in her eyes. "Fresh start it is, Remus. And this time, no more assumptions."

They walked down the corridor together, the weight of the past lifting off their shoulders. The prospect of a new beginning, filled with honesty and understanding, stretched out before them. Remus couldn't help but feel grateful for Y/N's straightforwardness, and he silently promised himself to make it up to her. Until then, squeezing her hand in his would have to do.

[kamehamehamlet]

Hello!

I saw this show back at Fringe and it haunts me to this day.

I cried over a show where everybody was wearing wheelies. Amazing.

If you wanted to do a revival (I want you to do a revival) would you consider doing at at a show at a local geek convention, like CONvergance? I think it would go over really well there, and I would love to see it again.

Hi @leebrontide! I'm grateful/sorry KamehameHamlet has been haunting you for nearly a decade. But genuinely, thank you. I shared your review/reblog with the director, Shalee, and it meant a lot. I have a bit more to say about that, but I'll save it for the very end because it has mild thematic spoilers and well, this blog only exists because most people haven't seen KamehameHamlet... yet. As for your question, I've been planning to share my thoughts about a full production revival at some point, so I hope you don't mind me diving in.

To respond to your question about a proper revival:

In the grand scheme of possibilities, I haven't written off a revival production. However, we would want to make sure it is accessible via recording, and if we're putting recorded staged theatre into the world, we want to make sure the recording is professionally captured and edited. I haven't done the research, but my gut estimate is that it would be a pretty penny. Additionally, a goal across the revival project is to make sure we are ethically supporting any artists involved. Put together, this means a revival production would require significant funding on top of other logistical elements. This isn't to say it isn't a goal, but I don't see it as something we would be able to achieve this year. that said I believe one of the magic things about theatre is the nature of works to be produced by different people who each bring their own passion and points of view. This is why I'm exploring options for making the script available for others to put on their own productions. I've had at least one person reach out about possibly submitting KHH to a Shakespeare festival, and I read a handful of reblog tags where folks mentioned wanting to perform it at the schools, etc. and that really excites me. It would be my dream to see this performed across the world so everyone would have a chance to support live and local theatre. Some runs will be great, some will be bad, and some will haunt you for a decade, but that's theatre! To bring this back to the topic of a revival, I'm working on a post to share tomorrow. But I'll tease it here. While a full production isn't likely anytime soon, we are working on a staged reading with the original cast and director for this year. This will be available to watch online! Finally, (or well, finally before we talk mild spoilers) since you brought up Convergence I'm really really curious if you learned about our play because of the flyers we put up at Convergence the week or so before our show. We made a handful of different flyer designs, printed maybe 100 copies and plastered the double tree. I'll share the others in an upcoming archival post but here's my favorite!

Mild thematic spoilers for KHH below!

^Lee's reblog/review for context!

Once again, thank you for the kind words and I really want to shout out Shalee here. Her direction excavated the themes of pretend/play violence that I'm really glad resonated so well with you. And speaking with her, I know it's inspired by playing DBZ with her friends outside as a kid. While this POV might not always be present in my dream of endless productions, I'm certain if she gets a chance to direct it again, it will be at the heart of that production. And if we get a chance, we'll be sure to save you a seat.

[botanikos]

Good evening!

I have some. . . . words to spill! Let's see how I do, shall we?

First and foremost, I am beyond emotional from the events of earlier today in which I was gifted absolutely stunning work of Stolas's head! At the time, I had no idea who was reaching out to me and telling me to expect this gift. I was puzzled, mildly anxious, and just. . . . in wonder. Truly, I had no idea how to feel. Even now, I am still a whirlwind of feelings! Of course, I am INCREDIBLY appreciative and just basking in such kindness!!

Words fail to capture everything I am experiencing, and how this has left a little darling imprint on me. A positive one, of course!

So, since it's Munday, and the glow of this is still surrounding me, allow me to explain a bit of why I struggle with accepting any measure of kindness or gifting — ( putting it under a cut since it's just a rambling of my feelings / explanation to some things )

There is a monster in my head that grows, grows, grows with teeth and claws and sometimes, it whispers to me: You are undeserving. Do not accept this; what have you done to earn it? Who do you think you are?

This monster never leaves. It is always at my back, looming, watching, waiting for the days I am at my lowest. Even on my best days, it casts a mighty shadow! I could use my own money to purchase something for myself and regardless of what it is, I will feel dread and guilt and regret. Every vacation I have ever taken or saved up for? Promptly after if not during, I feel guilty. Asking for or needing genuine help? Oh boy, time to feel guilty and project that I am a burden and wholly incapable of anything!

I understand and know well enough that my value as a person is not tied to anything in particular, but the inferiority complex and anxiety really like to keep me pinned down sometimes! It's something I've been working on, and I've been doing better! So, so, so much better!

But it is largely why you rarely see me participate in those memes seeking positivity, compliments, questions on portrayal, etc.. For one, I just do not do well with receiving compliments ( goes in hand with the above feelings ); I prefer to be a giver rather than a receiver! And secondly, they can be a slippery slope into dangerous territory ( worsening those feelings / inviting responses that might not be constructive ).

But goodness me. . . . Those thoughts reared their ugly head when I was gifted this incredible piece of art out of nowhere! And I'm crying yet again, as I type this. Of course, I know why Alex gifted it to me, he explained as much, but my heart is so full and also just. . . . I cannot explain it. Genuinely, I am at an absolute loss for words.

I don't come here expecting anything aside from writing, having fun, and making connections with you lovely people. The friends I have made in the RPC & bookish communities have been the best of my life. The support I have seen, the creativity I have witnessed, the passion and individuality — you are all remarkable individuals! You have absolutely no idea how much it means to me to come on here and see you having fun, getting to either witness or be a part of the good times and memories we're all making!

So please, understand that I absolutely value, appreciate, and adore each of you so entirely, and anything and everything you throw my way!! . . . . I just cannot find the appropriate words or reactions at times!

Thank you for being here, thank you for staying a part of this whacky community, thank you for sharing your craft with us, thank you for being my friend, thank you for just being you!

Love you all,

Jude

[pastel-rights]

Well I do not have anything specific I want to know but I still enjoy learning more so you can use my ask as an excuse to tell more about any of your ideas for your Aus

oho? well, i have so many of these shared aus with friends that I can't possibly talk about all of them, y'know??

but uhh, the main shared aus I'm workshopping right now are uhh... I'll toss 'em under the cut, and if any catches your eye, feel free to ask about them!

let's see, first on the list is the current au hyperfixation!! This AU doesn't have a name yet unfortunately so I'm not sure how I would refer to it. Besides, that one is a secret for now! I might talk about it eventually after I workshop it to a good sharing point if you guys are like. genuinely interested. You could also try your luck with Tae, maybe she'll tell you guys something funny about the au??? This art post is actually heavily associated with the AU in question, so... have that???? I guess??? (As for an AU name... mhm. I'm listening to Hell is Forever as I type this section, and My Love is Hellfire is a song with heavy meaning to the AU, so let's call this AU the Hellfire AU? Do you guys like that as a name?)

The next AU in the workshop is the Dark Decora Hospital AU!! You might have seen me post some of the designs here! As for the status of this AU in the workshop, this au is FULLY workshopped minus the small lore details!! That means we have a full and extended cast of characters, area maps (although they have to be drawn), official lore for the characters, and more!! There will likely be future cards and designs for every cast member? Right now, the AU is in the workshop because of there is a protagonist shift! We're moving away from the Check-Up Area and going to the Morgue... scary stuff. And, because of that shift, we're moving from the protagonist being "Narcissus" to her brother, who we'll call... "Husk", since the accident left him a "husk" of his former self. haha. I'm hilarious. /j

Also, it's technically Narcissus' birthday today... whoops!

after that, next on the AU workshopping table is... the bubble universes. This one is a little bit more of a personal side project for me as of late, but basically, these are AU bubble universes based off of video games and other digital medias. The bubble universe I'm currently working on is known as the SIM bubble universes (there's 5 of them) and the YaMaH bubble universe! Each bubble universe is it's own finite storyline, and it basically follows the timeline of its source material, just with me and my friends' muses in these universes! It's a fun little side project for when I'm bored. Of course, you guys are already familiar with some of our bubble universes! Like the Dark Deception/DSAF AU! Or the IDV x Crossover Source AU! These, though, are considered "bigger" bubbles that technically earn them their own AU titles! But they technically belong to the bubble au umbrella. These ones being workshopped are technically small enough that they don't warrant their own titles, but eventually, they'll get fully fleshed out and combined into their own AUs.

I hope that makes sense!

And... finally on the AU workshopping list... is the Roundtrip AU!! Well, to be more specific, I'm working on the first section: Golden Land! Uhh, to make this short, this section of the Roundtrip AU focuses on Aventurine and those involved in this side of the story. It's also connected **directly** to another AU involving Sparkle that I have with Tae, which is why it's getting workshopped! But, while I have it here, we might as well connect it to the other pieces/groups in the AU, you know? This one isn't very far along in its workshopping though, since it's a downtime type of work. I get ideas for it every once in a while, so I'll put it on a sticky note somewhere and dip /j

I hope that. helped??

[analtbeast]

For reference this is what I'm talking about: X

Wow Birdsong continues to get worse and worse huh? I got the feeling that Talk was an aggressive asshole from the original callout so I'm not surprised that they wouldn't give a shit about racism. (Being "ignorant" and not experiencing much racism yourself doesn't mean it's ok to ignore racism ffs. Especially antisemitism like wtf???)

But Birdsong continues to lie out of their ass. Oh you were feeling disgusted with yourself for drawing rape and incest and other illegal art? GOOD. But I don't think that's true. You literally were joking about an adult uncle raping his minor nephew days before getting rid of Toffee. I don't know what's worse, you "pretending" to be into it while being too much of a coward to stand up for what's right, or you being into it and now lying to everyone now about being better. At least Toffee has the decency to be open about their illegal ships.

Toffee may be a proshipper but even I feel bad for them here. Imagine being lied to about your friend being open and honest to you just to find out that they were lying this whole time because "boo hoo i was scared you might commit suicide". Excuse me??? I've had friends who were off and on again suicidal but I'd never just hide shit from them because of it, much less blame them for me hiding shit?? That's on you Birdsong for being a slimy, pathological liar.

And it's nice to have solid proof of this group being antisemitic. Like they were obviously stalkers. Deplatform proshippers all you want but going after a minor and every single friend they have? That's fucked. If you go around attacking the same person for years you have a problem. Birdsong should have known that. But now we even have screens from Talk themselves that these people were bigots. And Birdsong knew about this?? And it took TWO times of them being bigots to leave the nazis? Wtf is wrong with you?

Keep Birdsong away from minors, keep them away from any POC especially Jewish people and keep them away from autistic people too considering the shit their sister said and how they see autism as an "excuse" rather than something they dismissed and demonized someone for.

Birdsong lured a vulnerable, mentally unstable person in with kindness and then stabbed them in the back by working with their abusers. They used someone almost 10 years younger than them for their weird fetishes and as free labor and then tossed them aside. And then falsely accused them of horrible things and called them out on them for things they both drew, pretending to be a good person and a victim. Anyone who is their friend is at risk of being another victim. Anyone who gets close to them is likely to be lied to and cast aside for their own goals or for their partner. Honestly I even think Talk should get away from them since they clearly lied about their art and about Toffee. Talk seems genuinely remorseful now that they know the truth, and the fact that they don't care that Birdsong hid the full story from them is alarming. The weird attachment these two have where they excuse each other's horrible actions but also are okay with hiding so many things from each other is disturbing.

Of course, they were never going to come clean about this if their victim didn't speak up. Sure they're all "I'm so sorry I'm just the worst" now that they've been caught. You ruined someone's life and you didn't care until it affected you? How horrible can you get? And even after being so so sorry, they didn't say anything on their blog about it. Only remorseful enough to talk in private so you can silence your victim while never having to take a blow to your reputation? You snake. They were too nice to you and yet they feel bad for being "blunt". They were just telling the truth and you couldn't take the heat. How does it feel to be accused of awful things Birdsong? Except they have proof and your own admission to support them, you had nothing but lies to support you.

I'm disgusted that they still get over 100 notes on their comic pages. That's over a 100 people that are supporting a liar, freak, and a bigot apologist. How many people support them financially? How many close friends do they have? How can anyone look at their blatant lies and betrayal and think "hmmm I want to continue supporting this person"? I really hope that people just don't know. Because this is just another thing making me lose faith in people among many MANY other things.

[gwynbleiddyn]

💥🙈💢 for our favorite princelad?

ohoho there's one in there that immediately made me go oh no

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

Maahes is not what I would call a sincere person, but he does have a lot of sincere emotions... which definitely causes a lot of internal conflict. he loves easily, he feels deeply, but everything about him is designed to maintain an image no matter the cost to his own sanity.

in that regard, he has a hard time portraying genuine love/affection in earnest, and quite frankly, anything else that comes from a similar place of raw/unfiltered emotion. he either doesn't process it (looking at you, years of untouched grief) or he is hyperaware of it and keeps it locked away, never to be acknowledged.

above all, he truly hates being put in vulnerable positions with regards to his thoughts and feelings. if his deceptive nature can't shake off any questions, he gets angry and dismissive, quite often resorting to just being a fucking mean bitch about it. sharing is only on his terms.

🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL - whats a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people?

this is a really interesting one because like we keep saying, he's very much a curated image of whatever persona he thinks is suitable for Akhenaton's throne. what that looks like might change over time, but the intention remains.

i guess similarly to the above, he's reluctant to be visibly vulnerable and his interpretation of that is showing affection or any sort of deep emotion without any filter slapped on top of it. i also think in moments where mio asks for help that isn't disguised in some sort of deal, he can barely stand to think of how he looks to the people he's asking.

while i'm on the topic though, this could be interesting?? maybe?? it's not something he would outright share but he has alluded to: Mio knows that he really, really wants a family - regardless of the necessity behind having children to continue the divine bloodline, he has so many thoughts and hopes of being a dad and protecting and loving his children no matter what - the kind of unconditional love i think Mio wonders if he was ever given, sometimes. i think again it's the vulnerability aspect playing here, i don't know that he'd feel great showing somebody this side of him.

also relating to this: one thing i don't know that Mio's realized yet, but i don't mind sharing, is i think he really protects his younger self. i don't know how to explain it fully but leaving Akhenaton the way he did felt like being shunted out of his own existence, and he was still so young when it happened that i kind of think he's got that boy hidden away inside. there's a child in him that he protects so intensely and so desperately, that i think it would be deeply uncomfortable to see any glimpses or memories of that child in the Shadowfell or even in Akhenaton - it would be an acknowledgement that he wasn't treated fairly growing up, and it will call into judgement his belief and relationship with akhen and its creator. he couldn't cope with that, and he definitely wouldn't want anybody in Talisman to see him wrestling with that.

💢 ANGER - what are some habits they have that will take some getting used to?

the way he expects luxury LMAO he is 100% an entitled bastard, he will make snide digs if things aren't up to his standards, he won't be a karen about it but he has such a passive aggressive smile reserved for the many nights Talisman have spent in camps on the road. thank god Laz has the ability to cast Magnificent Mansion.

probably another annoying thing is that he rarely tells any one person the full story of something, instead delivering bits and pieces across random scattershot trajectories. sometimes it's intentional, other times it's just because he's a fucking gossip and it's second nature to him to sprinkle little juicy tidbits into a conversation.

[feline-felon]

I posted 182 times in 2022

That's 182 more posts than 2021!

19 posts created (10%)

163 posts reblogged (90%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@demilypyro

@the-haiku-bot

@lithominium

@staffs-secret-blog

@teaboot

I tagged 147 of my posts in 2022

Only 19% of my posts had no tags

#genuine question - 7 posts

#lgbtqia - 5 posts

#autism - 4 posts

#goncharov - 4 posts

#tumblr - 3 posts

#twitter - 3 posts

#science - 3 posts

#adhd - 3 posts

#tumblr tags - 2 posts

#neurodiversity - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#to say it is always good is lying to yourself yet you cannot allow yourself to wallow in pessimism or else things will not get any better

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Why I think there is so much fanfic for a made up movie

Now I don't write fanfic, but I feel like part of the reason writing fanfic for Goncharov (which is really just regular fiction because the movie doesn't actually exist) was so popular (other than it's funny), was because Goncharov in some way does exist, not as a movie but as a writing prompt.

Like, think about it, you have the vague outline of a plot (a Russian gangster travels to Italy and deals with the mafia), you have readymade characters (Goncharov, Katia, Ice Pick Joe), you have relationships between those characters (the homoerotic tension between Goncharov and Andrey, Katia and Sophia's love affair, I.P.J. being an unstable serial killer), and so on. Most of the story's elements are laid out before you.

When I write I often find the hardest part is coming up with an idea to write about, but here the outline of a story is all there already, all you have to do is fill in the plot in between.

It reminds me of something OSP's Red said about Robin Hood and why people keep writing about him; "A bunch of fully developed characters with interesting dynamics and no ironclad plot points to work around? That's a writer's dream!", and that's exactly the same idea with Goncharov, you have a full box of pieces, now all you have to do is put them together in whatever way you want!

5 notes - Posted November 29, 2022

#4

Tumblr users when Twitter actually goes under

7 notes - Posted November 19, 2022

#3

What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall in a Twitter meeting right now.

"Employees now cannot work outside of the office, and they also cannot work inside the office. Effective immediately, all Twitter employees shall perform work in the doorframe."

11 notes - Posted November 18, 2022

#2

Why Chris Pratt as Mario might be secretly genius, actually.

WAIT, WAIT HOLD ON, let me explain before you cast your judgement. For the record, I'm not a Chris Pratt/Marvel fanboy or anything and I have no clue if the movie is gonna be any good.

Okay, so, Crisp Rat as Mario J. Mario is a weird casting choice, and from the trailer which came out in *checks notes* October, we can see that Mario is lacking his iconic Italian accent, seemingly replaced with a subtle New York accent. This, I'd imagine, would've copped a lot more flak if not for the fact that everyone was talking about how good Jack Black was as Bowser.

I mean, it makes sense why people were hesitant about Mario's casting, seeing as most of the time, Mr. Pratt's roles are in the "Boring Generic Action Hero" category, and the only other voice acting role he's played (that I know of), is Emmet from The Lego Movie, a construction worker whose main trait is that he's a boring generic nobody who doesn't stand out at all (remember this, it'll be important later). But what if I told you that this penchant for genericism is what makes this whole thing brilliant?

See, the thing with characters in the Super Mario games is that a lot of them aren't really "characters", per se, but tropes. Archetypes that can be fitted into whatever story you want to tell with them. For example, you have the damsel in distress, Princess Peach, who is kidnaped by Bowser, the evil dragon, before being rescued by the gallant knight, Mario. Except that Mario isn't a knight in shining armor, he's a mustached, middle-aged man in overalls. That's because Mario isn't just any old hero, he's an Everyman. The humble, hard-working, blue-collar man that people can see themselves in. He's not the wielder of the Master Sword, or a blue hedgehog that can run faster than sound, or a robot from the future with a gun for a hand, Mario is just a regular guy with a plumbing business. The whole point of this trope is that Anyone can be Mario. The baker from down the road can defeat armies of goombas and koopas, your math teacher can brave eight worlds of levels to get to bowser's castle, your little sister can save the princess, and so can the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, or even an everyday construction worker.

You see where I'm going with this now? What I'm saying is that Chris Pratt might just be perfect for Mario not in spite of his previous generic roles, but because of them, that because Mario serves as a vessel for the player to project on and relate to, this "generic guy-ness" is precisely who Mario as an archetype is.

Of course, this thesis fails to take into consideration that Mario has arguably moved beyond his initial generic roots (and by generic here, I mean relating to a large group or universally applicable, I'd be burned at the stake for saying Mario is a boring character), and has since become a beloved character archetype in his own right, as well as the simple fact that the disconnect between what we've seen so far of Prattio and the performances of Charles Martinet will take a fair bit of getting used to, but that's not what this essay is about. I am not positing that Chris Pratt is the new definitive voice of Mario, nor am I guaranteeing that Pratt's performance in the movie will 100% be good. What I am saying, however, is that it can work, and why it is completely possible that it will. Whether it actually will work still remains to be seen, but there is still a chance. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

13 notes - Posted November 14, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

By making this post have seventeen syllables, I will trick Haiku Bot into showing everyone this post. Observe:

Look what I can do I'm circumventing systems and you can't stop me

982 notes - Posted November 19, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

So, I guess that was my first couple months on Tumblr, obligatory apology to Haiku Bot again (it was for science). Also, I seemingly have a lot of questions judging by my most used tags (no surprises there, lol). Anyway, keep the memes coming and I'll reciprocate, happy holidays, see y'all next year! :D

[icaruskey]

Aaaand now to the infamous LO review that I've put off until now because I wanted to inform my own opinion and not just try to grind against hers. And yes I'm actually gonna detail my response out below even though I'm getting a computer soon and can make videos again. Yay~

She doesn't like isekai, which is fair. There's a bloat of low quality isekai hitting anime stands the past few years.

Madoka Magica - is she trying to say Princess Tutu, RGU, Sailor Moon, and Cardcaptor Sakura are all deconstructions of the magical girl genre? I can't speak to RGU but Princess Tutu is more a deconstruction of fairy tales imo, not magical girl stories. And then SU pops up on its own?

Oreimo - haven't heard of it but the fact that the younger sister is apparently an otaku with a younger sister focus is... LO why is this one of your examples

I don't like that Princess Tutu is in her S tier anime list. It means we agree on something being good. Hamtaro is harmless. I know Spy x Family is supposed to be good, but I've not been a fan of Yor Briar and her lack of character. Also, funny to note Yor's brother's infatuation with her. Princess Knight looks like it'd be really interesting and it's from a time when women's right to vote was very new in Japan. I look at the clear problems that this might bring up and look at LO's disdain for Rocky Horror and raise a knowing eyebrow.

FMA Brotherhood is brought up now. Wonder why she dislikes it.

She complains that she was different from the other boys (talks about presumed gender) by not liking Naruto or Inuyasha. A ton of girls watched Inuyasha LO.

I remember Sai mentioning that LO would criticize domestic abuse, so I'm marking this here for future scripting needs that LO straight up jokes about water boarding.

Mention of moe art style working for the wide-eyed naivete but no mention of the actual rest of the world and art style being drop dead gorgeous most of the time (yet).

Since it's brought up by LO I do wonder about how Mari is supposed to become more independent when the conceit of the show is her latching onto someone else's dream.

Interesting that LO brings up the seduce the men scene and how it's usually an instant no for her. Why wasn't it this time?

LO really does like the most childish moments.

"and for some reason makes an announcement in front of the school" because they're teenagers? this is what they represent? like that's basic ass shit here

And LO is comparing her critics to Mari's friend. Sorry you're a shit creator LO.

Also focus on the sister relationship.

Oh she brings up the underage joke too :T

I'm kinda just chilling waiting for the synopsis to be over. Apparently at minimum wage Antarctica girl would've worked at least 1000 hours to get her million yen.

It's a lot more doable than I originally thought, even if she didn't come up with the idea until she was 14.

"The haircut happens alongside the character development not in spite of it" Is... this some Mulan callout shit? idk

The fact LO doesn't know what the shrine is and that it's been there since Antarctica girl's mom's death is. Mmm. Come on.

Thinking about how LO wants to write smarmy cutesy fluffy shit so ofc she likes this. She just can't even write to this level let alone something properly 100% good.

Aaaaaand bringing Courtney into it for some reason. She really won't let stuff go even to try and created detached media analysis.

"You can skip 7 episodes and miss nothing" well now we know why your reviews suck.

The show is not nearly as dense as she makes it out to be if at all.

"reminds me of when I was 10" except they're 16-17.

She even uses the creepy frog smile pic ugh

Most of the review was genuinely just her giving a synopsis so let's look at this and go point by point

POSITIVES

A cast full of lovable girls -- yeah okay I guess.

A story about grief, loneliness, and perseverance -- There are hints of it here and there, mostly with Antarctica girl and the adults or Yuzuki's struggle with friendship, but really that's it. There's also nothing about perseverance. All the hard work is done before the show even starts.

A perfect mixture of optimistic glee, delightful cringe, and heart yanking sadness -- I don't think she and I agree on what is cringe here.

Every character is playing against some dumb archetype and I love it -- what the fuck? This isn't in her review and also what does she even mean? They're fairly flat and archetypical.

I love these adorable little shit disturbers so much -- what shit got disturbed?

Beautiful animation -- agreed.

melodrama (affectionate) -- melodrama (kinda boring)

NEUTRALS

contemporary setting -- ???

miniseries -- ??????

NEGATIVES

One scene of minors shaking their breasts at the camera -- and also constant jokes about the men on the expedition not going after them

And that's it tbh

I am gonna make a video as well as some videos about dungeon meshi and her and other's critiques.

It's not as good as she thinks it is but it's not as bad as people make it out to be. And even random examples of shit LO can't keep potential incest out of the conversation.

Okay gonna start with Mother's Basement's review. I generally trust his opinion so I am excited to see his thoughts.

He calls it the best moe style show and the best winter 2018 show.

He also calls it an action show. And adds that it justifies the four teens going to Antarctica very well. And dramatic.

I so far only agree that the show is beautiful and well animated. It's beautiful and detailed.

[mymarifae]

bbberdly?

favorite thing about them

i think he's a fun, dynamic character! i appreciate the depth he's given. he's not brushed off as some sort of poor excuse for comic relief. he's just as much of a whole, well-rounded person as any of the other characters! what you see on the surface isn't the whole story - which is one of the biggest takeaways for all the main characters. i love that he's genuinely brave and that he has a good heart, and how much he cares about noelle. he's just a kid, y'know!!

the pretty divisive response to his character is just kinda like... i think on the older side of the fanbase, we were all more or less teenagers when chapter 1 came out. and i think some people forgot that these characters didn't grow up with us 😭 "he's annoying" "he's embarrassing" yeah he's a teenager. that's kind of. what teenagers are. idk i mean i might just have a higher tolerance level for insufferable teenager attitude? but i mean. i adore all the kids with my whole heart but there are moments with all of them that i kinda just pause and pinch my forehead and sigh. and i mean this so positively!

as an adult observing a cast of older teenagers, you should feel some fucking secondhand embarrassment. because "oh my god once upon a time i was this kid. oh my god. oh no." but it's with a certain fondness, too, you know? like idk let's all just relax... he'll grow up and mature. it's fine. he's still a good kid. pinches his cheek

also i do like his design a lot! i know i over-redesign him when i draw him but it's not because i dislike how he looks in canon or anything. it's just fun for me to add all those extra markings and stuff ^^ and i want him to look like his mama i like how unironically cool he is in the dark world <3

least favorite thing about them

ok taking everything i just said into consideration. i am annoyed by how little he listens to noelle. and i think he deserved and needed that furious shaking moment from her. and it's only chapter 2 so i'm not too miffed, buuuuut i kind of wish the wrap up on his character development there didn't end with him just finding a new trait to flaunt and brag about. like, i wish there had been more of an understanding that it's not a competition; he doesn't have to be the best, and not being the best doesn't make him the worst. he can just simply be and exist on equal footing with his peers.

BUT AGAIN. it's only chapter 2. and that's clearly like, the path he's heading down. so it might be a little unfair for me to complain that that process wasn't rushed because it's probably paced throughout future chapters. he's got a tough mindset to unlearn and it's natural for it to take time.

but still it's hard to change my feelings here when the rest of the game isn't out and i can't see his development arc come to its full conclusion yet *grumbles and kicks a rock or hwatever*

favorite line

honestly everything he says makes me want to throw my computer into the ocean (affectionate). but i'm kind of obsessed with:

"Kris, you're tired of being the class No.3, gazing distantly at Noelle and I's fruited figures..." because what? what are you fucking talking about? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU JUST SAID

but i think him calling kris "fellow bluebird" is genuinely cute

brOTP

i will never shut the fuck up about him and noelle being besties. i stand by this being their dynamic when no one else is around

also susie and berdly friendchip forever. he says something a little snarky that she genuinely finds funny and she GUFFAWS and slaps him on the back and sends him flying. i think also that he and jockington are friends, because i'm Insisting that he does cross country too. he relaxes a little bit around jockington - not as much as he does with noelle. but, y'know

OTP

still him and kris they're sillies

nOTP

anything else

random headcanon

okay so i don't fucking have anything because much like with susie if i experience a berdly thought it's an immediate brain-to-tumblrpost pipeline SO. i guess i can share this itty bitty thing that was never worthwhile enough for me to mention:

i completely ignored that lions and most other big cats can't really purr due to the structure of their skull. cartilage. whatever it is. and i made an executive decision that giselle can purr like ages ago, because it's cute. and *throws up my hands* whatever, berdly can have little a purring, too. as a treat

he doesn't do it as easily as giselle will. he's usually gotta be like, half asleep already. and it's very quiet. the first time kris ever hears him do it is during a sleepover at noelle's. the four (susie's there too. but she passed out like 5 hours ago) of them are in her room playing video games, and berdly RESIGNS his controller after losing like 20 consecutive rounds of mario party and he watches while noelle and kris switch over to something two player and eventually his head drops onto kris's shoulder. and he's just softly purring... and they're like furiously whispering "n. noelle? noelle?? what's happening??" and noelle pauses and listens for a second and she's like oh ya he does that sometimes. and then she's like >:), but only when he's completely happy and comfortable... wonder why that is!? and it spirals into a mini bickering match between her and kris. she can be merciless with her teasing.. they're trying to be very quiet so they don't wake berdly or susie

(it doesn't work. berdly wakes up. the moment is ruined. susie on the other hand could probably sleep through the entire roaring)

song i associate with them

six feet - patent pending

musician - porter robinson

bad trick - jetty bones

math - iris lune

favorite picture of them

my own art

love and light.

[hopeymchope]

I prefer the clone theory — that the V3 cast actually were like what we saw on the monitors, but were then cloned and the clones took part in the killing game. Like Monokuma was genuinely serious about that resurrection spell, a lot more than he should have been, and Tsumugi seemed fully prepared to present Kaede’s ‘twin’ as the mastermind before being forced to improvise. It would also fit with what Shuichi said at the end about who they were before being a lie while at the same time being true (and of Keebo also being an artificial being, and this being the future). I always pictured it as if there were a V4 sequel, it would essentially be a clone rebellion thing, like Blade Runner and it’s replicants, have Shuichi and Co. inspire a revolution, upending world society. Ultimately becoming a real and noble version of what Junko Enoshima was meant to be in the narrative of Danganronpa in terms of what she actually did — tear world society to the ground in despair, resulting in something new and good, no hope about it — facts. A completion of the narrative, full circle.

I don't think there's a lot of support for this idea in the existing canon, but I mean, you're welcome to have your own headcanons, of course.

This isn't for me, personally. I mean, I think the fact that they were kidnapped and forced into this killing game (and therefore the audition videos are phony) is pretty much an absolute lock at this point. Kodaka tweeted that we should, after finishing V3, go back and review the prologue to find any inconsistencies. And you can quickly see that their memories of being abducted against their will are right there. They obviously show no sign of being pleased about being on the show (despite what Tsumugi shows them in Chapter 6 - another inconsistency with reality), either. And there's other stuff like that. Plus I think there's reason to believe the 'Ultimate' talents are based in real talents they had.

That's an interesting point about how we're in a more futuristic world in V3 than we've seen in the other games. That is, assuming you don't think it might be virtual reality again — I know that's another popular headcanon for many, and I can see where people would get that impression. But if you think it's reality, then the Keebo and the nano-kumas and the ability for them to create a fake "outside" atmosphere where people can't breathe, and maybe even the Exisals?... those would all be beyond what we've seen in the franchise before now, for sure. And yet... that could all just be symptomatic of the fact that we're in a different universe now. Maybe it's not the "future" so much as it's just how the world of V3 has always been?

But that last part... I'm not sure how I take that. I get what you're saying about how V3's outside world — if it's indeed true that a significant portion of the population is totally fine with watching real people die on camera — probably needs a major overhaul. But there's still a lot of wiggle room on how many people are really watching "Danganronpa" the show, how they're accessing it, how much they believe in the "reality" of it, and so on. We don't know a lot about the outside world beyond the Ultimate Academy's dome, so I mean, do we feel like it definitely needs to be burn downed in despair? And why would building something "new and good" have "no hope about it"?

I think V3 makes it clear that it wants to move away from Hope/Despair despite the fan expectations that that's just what Danganronpa HAS to be. But it also gives so much lip service to the old Hope/Despair dichotomy for the last two chapters that it's hard to say it totally succeeds at the attempt to grow beyond it. I think it's mostly about a new Truth/Lies conflict, sure, but they don't exactly manage to cut off the vestigial tail of the Hope/Despair conflict from the Hope's Peak Saga. They're too aware that it's an expectation/demand from the audience by then (which the game even comments on).

[help-im-a-gay-fish]

Okay I had to do some stuff, but here I am rambling about relationship between Killer and Nightmare in Colours of LOVE.

Some of this I might mention before some of it might be your and Jann or Yuri ideas... Anyway!! The way I see that:

Even though this is soulmate au Nightmare and Killer aren't perfect fit for eachother. They are perfect fit in threesome - Ccino softens rough edges of both of them, and changes their attention from being mad on eachother to carrying about Ccino together (especially at first when he is really depressed). But before that... It was hard.

Killer is really open about everything he thinks and feels. If he founds someone who is attractive he will flirt. Even when he is already dating Nightmare. And also he always shows his affection to Nightmare everywhere, in public too. That's cute and sweet, but Nightmare is really closed person so that makes him really uncomfortable. Night often got jealous with Killer flirting with anyone else, got embarrassed with his kisses and all on public, and in general is a bit annoyed with Killer's actions. Killer on the other hand doesn't really understand why Nightmare is so "tensed" (he is not, Night is just much more calm, but Killer don't get it).

They were braking up and coming back again a few times, because they had argued a lot about everything and got tired of this. Right now they are on their "best days" - they started to date again a few weeks ago and right now they are through some stuff, they understand eachother better, and pretty chill about eachother weird actions. Like in the second page Night is a bit flustered by Killer's kiss but he almost used to that. Same as he is worried about being late, since Killer is almost always late, but he is more or less fine by that. On next page (which you haven't seen yet), there are an interesting dialog between them, and I will definitely write some of "subtext" about it when I will post it.

Actually if they haven't met Ccino they would break up again after a few months. And maybe come back again after a week.

Also! Interesting thing about third soulmate: at the beginning of the comic (before Nigh met Ccino) Killer is 100% sure that they have third soulmate, but Nightmare is sure for about 60%. Killer is existed about that, he knew knew that he is polyamorious for a long time, but Nightmare hesitates a lot, because he can't really imagine himself in polyam relationship. It feels weird and also he is soooooo jealous about Killer paying any attention to anyone except him, that he worries to become "third wheel". Will it be different with Ccino?? Who knows (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

Hi kotikaleo!!! This was super fun to read.

Firstly I'm going to tag @zu-is-here since she started the studio verse

It's definitely an interesting insight to your comic and the characters!

It reminds me a lot of an early version of my own ideas about the studio verse nightkiller relationship! And I can definitely see the way we have bounced headcannons of each other paying off.

Them still dealing with a softer kind of lovehate dynamic is an interesting one. It doesn't seem to be as extreme as my version, but it's interesting that it's still there.

The fact that they are meant to work as a 3 makes sense as well. If they are supposed to be bounded as a 3 it makes sense that three they their relationship would be unstable. They don't work as a two, but they are soul mates and something would always pull the two of them together.

I'm also curious, since Nightmare isn't 100% sure that the lack of colour is due to them being soul mated to another person. I wonder if he ever felt like the universe got it wrong? And that he'd been mated to the wrong person? Or perhaps he felt it meant that him and Killer don't have soul mates and that's why they have some connections.

It sad boy.

Also if Killer knows he's poly by nature, is that something that causes disagreements with the 2 of them?

And now for mine and @jann-the-bean version.

This story has been something that we mostly developed in tumbler DMs but both me and Jan wrote a story about it. Jan wrote

KillerNight(s)

And I'm writing

Round and round till we all fall down

Nightmare and Killer's relationship started off baddddd, it basically started as a mutual dislike for one another. This is due to their conflicting personalities and morals.

Nightmare was originally quite excited to meet Killer, as he'd heard a lot about the actor. But almost straight away he found Killer to be rude, childish and irritating. Killer found Nightmare to be stuck up, snobbish and entitled.

The two first met at an awards ceremony and got into a yelling match after a few drinks and were separated. From there their dislike for one another was made quite well known to the public because of a social media battle back and forth.

This only went on for a few months however, as the characters of 'Killer' and 'Nightmare' were cast to play together.

Nightmare and Killer agreed to be civil in order to function while working and get the filming completed as soon as possible.

As they worked together, their dislike turned into a playful banter and respect for one another. And then something else shifted.

Now Killer has a reputation for being a player and one who likes to sleep around, as you said, he's open about his interest in people when he has it and enjoys casually flirting with just about anyone.

Which came to include Nightmare.

Nightmare paid no mind to it really, though he couldn't understand why it embarrassed him so much.

Killer comes to find Nightmare to be very attractive and enjoys his reactions when teased, he rights him off though because he was under the impression that Nightmare was straight, and he'd never try to change that.

It was a day when they were talking about Killer's eyes and how it's caused him to struggle, that Nightmare tells him that he thinks his eyes are very pretty and that they are an attractive quality, and something in Killer breaks and he kisses him.

So Killer feels like he messed up and the two avoid each other. But it causes Nightmare to start questioning things about himself.

Nightmare at this point had only every dated women. He assumed that he was straight. But after that kiss a lot of buried feelings are dragged to the surface and exposed, and he realises that he's also attracted to men.

So Jan goes into full details about this, in the fic Killernights, but basically Nightmare confronts Killer about the kiss and Killer tells him he 'has a thing for him'

The two go back to Killer's flat to talk, but their normal banter, leads to flirting and then another kiss. And Nightmare who is curious and suddenly craving new sensations becomes lost to him. Killer who finds Nightmare physically very attractive, also gets wrapped up and the two of them sleep together.

Nowwww this is getting long so I'll try to shorten it down a bit.

Basically, it's an amazing night. It's passionate, enjoyable and a lot of fun for both of them. Upon finding out Night has never been with a man, Killer guides him carefully though the process.

After that night the two can't stop thinking about each other, even though they both planned for it to be a one time thing. Again, they avoided each other until talking after a while.

And killer admits his desires for the other, and offers Nightmare a safe environment to experiment with his sexuality, where he won't be judged.

To cut a long story short, this spirals into a passionate and carnal, on and off booty call/fling with each other that spans for years.

Other that time they grow very close with each other, and come to recognise the similarities that they share, and have soft moments of just enjoying being together with one another.

For Killer, Nightmare is the first person to ever tell him he had beautiful eyes and mean it. The first person who wasn't at all put off by them.

To Nightmare, it feels like Killer is the one person that will never pick Dream over him. And he makes him feel wanted and desirable in a way few have before.

However, their are still parts of their relationship that conflict. Of course a healthy relationship will always have some conflicts. But for Killer and Nightmare the conflicts clash and fight with each other.

That along with both of their past traumas, (I wrote about Killer's back story here) means they find it difficult to talk about genuine feelings and what's bothering them. Causing things to bottle up and blow up over time.

They also find it impossible to admit that they actually love each other deeply.

They tried to be in a full on committed relationship once, (which I'm writing about in Round and Round) but it didn't work out for these issues. As well as the fact that Killer is poly by nature, and therefore gets anxious and uncomfortable in a relationship with one person only. Which he won't talk to Night about for the reasons stated above.

Enter Ccino.

Now Ccino is the missing piece for Nightmare and Killer.

He's soft and gentle spoken, which easily helps them calm down when things get heated between them. He also provides a safe and loving space to open up about what things are bothering them.

Nightmare and Killer's also, as you said, spend more energy caring for and sometimes worrying about Ccino, so they have less energy for the constant fighting.

Ccino was the missing piece. He's the person who will cuddle and read books with nightmare, but also the one who's super into affection, which Killer loveesss.

A relationship would never work between just killer and Ccino, since Ccino wouldn't be able to keep up with Killer's libido and killer doesn't know much about Ccino's mental health. And Ccino wouldn't work in a relationship with just Nightmare because Night's colder and more straight forward personality would leave him affection staved after a while.

They just work together! They are basically soul mates in this universe as well!

P. S Nightmare in this universe was also very veryyyyy jealous when Killer showed interest in Ccino. Which is something he took out on Ccino till Killer stopped it. After falling in love with Marshmallow he regrets this a lot.

I'M SO EXCITED FOR MORE. COLOURS OF LOVEEEEE

[roxannepolice]

i think the reason this framework would aggravate me so much (though who knows, there's nothing better than a writer doing something you don't want in a way that makes you like it), instead of going for a play with the medium (which might culminate in a television show reveal) is that. Well, frankly, there are few things mass culture needs more right now than reembracing the convention. Like, the stuffing it up in versimilitude (because I would't call that realism) is at the core of everything from the Battle for Dawn being all but invisible bc "well y'know, it's night, it would be dark", through actors not being given scripts so they will be genuinely surprised at the twists, to "uhm, actually, liking Palpatine means you'd vote for Hitler". I've yet to see this hot take, but it boils down to diagnosing every singe theatre character with behaving-like-a-theatre-character personality disorder (hystrionics). THERE ARE WAYS TO TELL THE AUDIENCE THAT A CHARACTER IS HYSTRIONICAL even while everyone else monlogues in rhyme, just as there are ways of conveying introverted, autistic or, damn, full-body-paralysed characters' emotional states instead of audience projecting things on what's basically a blank slate.

Yes, art is supposed to make you emotional and engaged, and mass produced art is not inherently worse than your starving painter eating their paint, but IT IS ART. It's ARTIFICIAL. Characters aren't "literally" anything. Casting non-white non-cis-men as protagonists is important not because IT'S A STATEMENT THAT MAKES YOU REINTERPRET EVERYTHING ABOUT THE WORK, only because non-white non-cis-men actors should be getting the same deal as white cis men in what's essentially an industry. The Doctor being a woman and then a black man wasn't a good idea because yes, it's high time to tell the stories of the downtrodden victimized babies, only because it's ridiculous to act like two-headed humans are likelier to exist than those with vaginas and higer-than-european-standards levels of melanine. Yes, the representation aspect IS important, but on the level of reception, NOT on what it does in-universe. This is the same shit that had people throwing tantrums over Fourteen being referred to as Fourteen, AS IF THE NUMERATION EXISTED IN THE TEXT ITSELF??? Those numbers are there for the audience and pr team to move around, they DO NOT affect the text itself. Calling the current season "season 1" has more to do with marking it on a viewing channel than with an era statement, Does this argument sound a bit inchoerent with my premise of embracing convention? That's because ACKNOWLEDGING convention is not the same thing as FETISHIZING convention. Fetishizing convention is when you think camerawork HAS to have a diagetic reason rather than accepting that it's probably there to focus the audience's attention on a specific aspect of the scene and create a mood. It works TERRIFICALLY in comedies, but that's... precisely because you understand the convention.

This is also why I can't undertsand the shitstorms around BUDGET OF ALL THINGS being a reason to dismiss New New Who? Yes, I agree, the shitty effects of Classic and NuWho had a lot of charm. And Monty Python having too low a budget to hire horses is how we got coconut knights. And maybe if Bruce the Prop Shark was more realistic, John Williams wouldn't be so hard pressed to write music that's fear itself. But it's not like damn expensive animatronics ruined Jurassic Park?!

And finishing the rant this is also why I can't agree the titularity names are to show the Doctor is of the same "kind" as the Toymaker or the Maestro. Like, no. Again, this is about choice versus convention. THE TOYMAKER AND THE MAESTRO ARE CONVENTIONS EMBODIED. Covnetions are the ESSENCE of games and the Doctor's the guy who UPTURNS THE CHESSBOARD. That's specifically NOT something someone bound by rules can do, just as making sure your new witch coven picks up the tooth you'll be turned into. Those are the things you do WHEN YOU'RE OUTSIDE THE GAME. And the Maestro as the emodiment of music is also pure convention. Yes, music may be the purest of arts, but it's just as conventional as language (keeping my fingers crossed for The Linguist). There is no REASON two sounds are in tune (yes, there's the whole reverberation across strings that's physics but you get me), they just do because they do in the same way that the ace beats the king and the joker beats the ace. THAT'S WHY THE MAESTRO WOULD FLOURISH MOST IF ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS "THE PUREST" MUSIC OF AOLIAN SOUNDS, unmarred by sentient lifeforms' expressing anything through it.

The Doctor is the Doctor because THEY CHOOSE to be that. They aren't ONTOLOGICALLY INCAPABLE of "First, doing no harm" in the way that the Toymaker can't cheat.

Like, I undertand wanting all of the reflections on storytelling and music to be statements about the nature of the text. But for me, they are there to celebrate their apparent pointlessness. Apparent pointlessness, and yet without being able to evoke a story out of chaos of events, we would never know what to do, and without music we would have no other way to let go off our emotions than by attacking one another.

Reading all the omg fourth wall is breaking bc the Doctor is a godddd thing and whatever works for you.

But I'm going to sit at my little altar and pray to Ortega y Gasset that the actual story crux specialest story binding character that's going to discover something special about themself is in fact Ruby. Pleaseplwasepleaepleaer PLEASE RTD free my alien from linear journey and let them be the backdrop on which linear stories unfold.

[vera-dauriac]

Tell me about Joe Abercrombie? (I was going to PM you this but I figured if you're like me you'll have a really long answer to this question and might be better suited to it being a proper ask!) - I'm curious and need a decent new (to me) fantasy author with some right long series to get into. What's he like? Where would be a good place to start? Sell me him! (if you don't mind of course, no hurry and if you would!)

Eek! I am both ridiculously excited, and sweating, because I want people to read Abercrombie because he’s amazing and omg I love him so much.

*deep breath*

(Telling people about books and why they might appeal to them is literally my job I can do this. Right? Right.)

OK. So. What you should actually know about Abercrombie. First off, he has embraced the moniker Lord Grimdark, and while he thinks it’s hilarious, it’s also entirely accurate. Which means…

He’s not for the queasy. The books are violent and graphic, with plenty of blood and torture and whatnot. If you don’t have a strong constitution, he’s not for you. Also, there’s not a lot of sex, but almost none of it is sexy. The word “squelch” gets used a lot.

The overall outlook can be bleak. “Truly, life is the misery we endure between disappointments.” One of the characters says this, and I feel it could be a mission statement for the entire world of The First Law.

And yet…

The humor. Abercrombie is one of the funniest writers I’ve ever read. The humor is dark, I mean, pitch black, but truly hilarious.

The characters. If there is fantasy out there being written with better characters, I haven’t read it. It’s not just his ability to make otherwise unsympathetic characters interesting and likable, but that they feel so distinct and lived in.

So what are his book actually about?

Let’s get this out of the way. He wrote a YA trilogy that opens with Half a King. I really like that book, but the rest of the series didn’t click with me. Others feel different.

I’m just here to talk about his adult books, which are all set in the same universe, often referred to as The First Law world. The books are the original First Law trilogy: The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and The Last Argument of Kings. This series was followed by three standalone books: Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and Red Country. After that came the new The Age of Madness Trilogy: A Little Hatred, The Trouble with Peace, and The Wisdom of Crowds (coming in September!). This is also the internal chronology of the ‘verse. (There’s also a short story collection, Sharp Ends.) It covers several decades, and there are still characters from the original trilogy who survived the standalones and are kicking around the latest trilogy, but the focus is now on their adult children.

Anyhow, The First Law world is secondary world fantasy with really good, but not watch-me-showoff, overwhelming worldbuilding. (In other worlds, the kind of worldbuilding that really appeals to me. I feel immersed, but I don’t feel like the world is the point. The characters are always the point in Abercrombie.) It’s swords and chainmail to start with. Lots of battles and fights, light on magic. But there is a Magus many of thousands of years old who is clearly fucking with everything and has his own agenda, and there are a few other magical types floating around. Slowly, canon begin to emerge in the world, and The Age of Madness is full on Industrial Revolution.

The original trilogy is good and where I started, but the books have gotten stronger. My favorite book is probably the first standalone, Best Served Cold, which I think makes a solid entry point. One of the most remarkable women in fantasy, and someone who occasionally eats my brain, Monzcarro Murcatto, is the general of the best mercenary army company in her corner of the world, and she gets fucked over and builds a team of killers to go get her revenge. She is also part of my very favorite ships in the 'verse. (Aside—Abercrombie is not necessarily an intentionally shippy author, especially early on, but you can definitely set sail.) In a world of great characters, I think BSC has my favorite cast, including the world’s funniest alcoholic general, an incel poisoner, and the start of a character arc that’s still happening in the latest books that owns my soul.

For what it’s worth, if I had to speak on behalf of the fandom, I’d say The Heroes is probably the favorite book. It’s a three-day battle, and fairly self-contained, and probably not a bad place to start. I think of it as fantasy The Killer Angels. It’s really very good.

On top of this, all of the books have really fantastic prose. The man knows how to turn a phrase and find just the right words. (Seriously, when I’m drafting new stuff, I have a hard time reading Abercrombie because I feel so inadequate compared to his use of language.) Just, every word choice sinks you a little deeper into the characters and the world. It’s a genuine feat.

I could go on. Talk more about specific characters and plots. But I wouldn’t know when to stop, and I want to leave you something to discover on your own. 😉