#but still the part that sticks out to me most

[koji-haru]

Time Travel AU Part: 23

A slowly warming blanket of light graced over Adam’s skin, still cool from the night’s embrace; the increasing soft shuffling and sweet melodies by birds attempting to hush the starved cries of their chicks delivered the news of the incoming day. Adam shifted in his sleep, the day’s brightening rays kissing his eyelids to open and welcome the morning. With fluttering eyes preparing to greet the morning light, Adam slowly woke up, but instead of meeting the garden of paradise’s pink-blue sky, soft feathery clouds and silken morning rays, he was instead greeted by a pair of bright green eyes staring curiously down at him.

“Oh, you are quite pretty!” 

Startled by the new and unfamiliar sight in front of him, Adam jolted up right from where he lay down, colliding his forehead hard with the new person above him. He let out a pained hiss as he felt the throbbing pain on his forehead with careful fingers, which no doubt looked very red at the moment and was most likely going to bruise. It was as if he had collided with a solid brick wall, with the other party seemingly unaffected by the accident while he carefully nursed his quickly bruising forehead.

“But very jumpy and clumsy,” the other person continued as if they hadn’t just collided quite literally head first with the first man. 

“Who..?” Adam was about to ask, but knew who the other person was as soon as he looked up and finally got a good look at them. Short, silky hair that flowed like caramel, sparkling green eyes always full of curiosity, enhanced even more by long feather-like eyelashes of brown and gold. It was another angel, specifically, the messenger of God, the archangel Gabriel. Or, as Adam used to call him: ‘the annoying, but fun parrot’.

“Hello Adam! I’m Gabriel! It’s nice to finally meet you,” Gabriel greeted eagerly as he moved closer towards Adam, firmly shaking his hands with an enthusiastic smile. 

Adam hummed in response, pulling one hand away to tend to the still painful throb on his forehead, already feeling a small bump forming on it. “Nice to meet you too, Gabriel,” he mumbled, quite annoyed to have been woken up like this.

“Oh, that looks painful. Here, allow me…” Gabriel leaned forward, placing a careless hand over the bump on Adam’s forehead, causing the first man to wince a little. A soft golden glow emitted from his hand, leaving a brief cool feeling over Adam’s forehead, and just like that, both the bump and the throbbing pain were gone. “Better?”

“Better,” Adam slowly nodded. 

“Good!”  Gabriel said as he plopped down onto the grass, patting the space beside him, an expectant look directed at the first man. 

Meanwhile, Adam remained standing in front of the eager angel, looking at him knowingly as he contemplated whether or not he should put on a nice facade in front of the angel. Unlike with Michael, Adam actually knew quite a few things about Gabriel in his previous life. God’s messenger was a curious, fun-loving angel who liked to stick his nose in everyone’s business - the gossip. In a way, Gabriel was quite similar to Lucifer; the carefree and whimsical attitude, the love and curiosity for new things, even with some of the childish antics. Unlike Lucifer, however, Gabriel was extremely loyal to Heaven; most things he tolerated until it went against Heaven, then he would be terrifyingly stern and uncompromising. For all his happy, cheerful attitude, Gabriel could be one of the more terrifying archangels when the situation called for it. 

Hence, here was Adam, carefully thinking about his next words and actions in front of the angel. Still, he reminded himself, Gabriel was generally friendly and tolerant of most things, except for disloyalty against Heaven, and was definitely way more casual than Sera. In fact, he did enjoy the few times he had Gabriel’s company back when he was an angel. 

Adam mentally took a deep breath, having made up his mind; he hoped that this Gabriel was still mostly the same as he had known before. For now, he decided to play along with the angel’s curiosity without revealing much with his words until the angel expresses knowledge of certain things. And so, he followed suit, sitting on the spot the angel had reserved for him as he met those bright green eyes with an outwardly suspicious, yet curious look. 

“So,” Adam began, “what brings you here? I haven’t seen you before.”

A small look of surprise sparked in the angel’s eyes before being quickly replaced by intrigue as a pleased grin formed on his lips. “Ah, quite the shrewd one, huh? I can see why my brother has taken a liking to you!”

Oh. A small wave of relief, that Adam didn’t even know he needed, washed over him over the knowledge that Gabriel knew of him and Michael and yet seemed to have no problems over it. Adam shuffled on his spot, slightly leaning back on his arm, now more comfortable with the angel’s presence. Still, one question lingered in his head.

“Um, how many angels know about..?” Adam asked.

“Oh, a few angels here and there,” Gabriel casually revealed with a nonchalant wave of a hand. “He’s not really one to outwardly share his privacies, but it’s not like it wasn’t obvious anyway. Especially with how eager he always seemed to visit the garden and the little trinkets he always brought back with him.”

Oh. Wonderful. Perfect. Fantastic, even. Really, it was good news for Adam to hear that Heaven seemed to permit whatever was between him and Michael, however, he also wasn’t too keen on the idea of a few angels knowing of his ‘thing’ with Michael because then that would lead to many curious eyes just like the one currently before him. 

“So!” Gabriel clapped his hands together as he leaned towards Adam, curious sparkles shining brightly in his eyes. “I’m here to see the human that got Michael so preoccupied!”

A certain kind of numbing, yet bothersome denseness already began to form in Adam’s head as he foresaw the nuisance this revelation brought to his future in the garden of paradise. He really didn’t want to deal with pesky, nosy angels…

—-

“I am not answering that,” Adam replied adamantly, an appalled look all over his face as he paused midway reaching for the teapot.

“Why not?” asked Gabriel, a disappointed pout on his lips, brows furrowed as he seemed genuinely confused. 

“Because no, and I’m not changing my mind,” answered Adam, absolutely resolute in his decision, as he offered to pour another serving of hot tea into Gabriel’s wooden cup. 

“But you skipped so many of my questions already!” Gabriel tried to argue whilst handing over his cup to Adam. “You’re too secretive!”

Far too absorbed in their back and forth, the two hadn’t heard the fluttering of wings going down from the sky nor had they noticed another presence making its way towards them until finally a calm voice called out to them.

“Gabriel, you really shouldn’t pry into others’ business,” Michael said as he made his way towards the two. “Especially if they don’t want to share,” he continued, tilting his head slightly to the side as he gave a quick look over to his younger brother. “What are you doing here anyway?”

Gabriel flashed him a grin, “Oh, I just wanted to see what got the usually stolid Michael so happily preoccupied lately. But I see it now!” He quickly finished his remaining drink and gathered the ‘supplies’ Adam had packed for him before abruptly standing up, brushing the invisible dirt away from his robes, and patting Michael by the shoulder with an annoyingly proud look on his face. 

“I’ll be leaving, then! Thanks for the restock, Adam!” he said as turned back towards Adam, both waving the pouches of tea he received and waving the human goodbye before turning back to Michael with a teasing sparkle in his eyes. “I don’t want to intrude on your privacy.”

Then, with strong flaps of three pairs of copper and teal wings and gusts of wind, Gabriel had left the garden for Heaven, leaving a very much puzzled Michael still standing on the same spot, and an Adam relieved of the burden of having to dodge unnecessary and odd questions. 

“Well that’s a relief,” Adam said as he released a tired sigh, plopping down onto the grass, feeling its soft freshness against his skin as if draining the exhaustion away from his body. It wasn’t as if he disliked Gabriel, in fact he found him and his stories rather funny, but the ever constant curiosity about him as a human was quickly draining Adam, especially when he tried so hard to evade certain questions that might reveal his secret or were simply too prying. 

“I’m assuming he talked your ears off,” commented Michael, amusement in his voice as he glanced over Adam’s dramatically supine form on the ground. 

“Ughh, I don’t want to remember,” Adam groaned in an exaggerated manner as he waved his hand randomly in the air before letting it fall back on the grass, patting the patch next to him.

“Yes?” wondered Michael as he made his way closer to Adam, looking down at his dramatic display of exhaustion. In response, Adam simply wordlessly motioned for him to come even closer, and so he did, wondering what his human wanted to tell him. And as he leaned down, Adam quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him down into a warm embrace, his face buried between the human’s chest and arms causing his pale face to become tinted with a faint gold.

“You’re late today,” mumbled Adam. 

While Michael couldn’t exactly see Adam’s expression with the way he was held, he was almost sure that his human was sulking. A gentle warmth blossomed from his chest, spilling out as a small smile gracing his lips, at the idea of Adam possibly missing his presence. 

“Sorry, I was kept busy with the mess I–,” Michael suddenly gasped, pushing up away from Adam’s embrace as he remembered what Gabriel had left with – lots and lots of pouches full of a variety of teas and maybe even more. “Adam, how much did you give Gabriel?”

Adam looked up at Michael, a little surprised by the sudden change of the atmosphere, but decided to answer the question anyway. “As much as he wanted, why?”

In truth, Adam knew precisely why Michael had asked as he watched dread creep and slowly overtake the expressions on his angel’s face. He understood from Michael’s account last time that many angels didn’t take the sudden caffeine consumption too well, and that there was a bit of a chaotic mess in Heaven as a result. But really, he just thought it would be funny if he gave them even more choices, with some containing more caffeine in them; he even taught Gabriel how to brew them so that he could get the most ‘boost’ out of them. On the bright side, at least he felt nice enough to not have provided Gabriel with coffee, not yet anyway – he wanted Michael to try the new things first. 

“Oh Father…” sighed Michael, already feeling tired just thinking of the consequences of Adam’s generosity. He couldn’t, no, he didn’t want to even think about the chaos that it would bring, especially knowing Gabriel and his tendency to somehow be everywhere and share everything.

“Is something the matter?” asked Adam, feigning innocence.

“...maybe…” was Michael’s defeated reply. 

“Aw, come here,” Adam pulled the angel back down to him in an embrace, petting his head gently, his long fingers threading between the soft wavy locks, caressing him in a way he knew soothed the angel. Did he feel bad? He did a little bit, but he just couldn’t help but want to stir a little trouble in Heaven, even indirectly. But he supposed he should ease up a little for a while, otherwise he would exhaust his angel a little too much; though he wouldn’t mind if Michael escaped to the garden more often, it should be fine to escape from one’s duties once in a while, right? Adam would know, he did it a little too often during his time as an angel in Heaven.

Adam shuffled a little bit, one hand fishing for something in one of the pockets of his new robe. He knew just how to cheer the angel up. “Here, something I made for you,” he said as he placed a small charm shaped like a star on Michael’s palm. 

On Michael’s hand glistened a star shaped charm intricately carved out of opal and carefully decorated with small sapphire stones with a fine silken thread looped around the bail. 

“Just something I thought you might like…” Adam explained, his gaze shifting randomly as a warmth crept up his cheeks and his heart began knocking against his ribs. 

“I love it,” Michael said, his voice as tender and warm as the morning rays, his blue eyes shimmering with sincere joy and appreciation like an ever expansive ocean under the bright sun as he handled the small charm with all the care and tenderness in the world. 

“It’s nothing really…”

“Thank you, Adam,” he said with a smile like the loving kiss of dawn as it brought about promises of a new day. And without even realising it, Adam slipped and fell further down.

Part 22

Part 24

[marciaillust]

What discworld books have you read so far? I've been wanting to get into the series for a while but I never now where to start 🥺

My dear best friend is overseeing the whole process as I began reading the books as a part of a pact/challenge

They made me start with Going Postal as that would introduce me to "the most shaped guy out there that you'll love" and they were right I loved the guy and the book too. It's sorta a trilogy so I wanted to immediately go into the second book (Making Money) but I was forbidden from doing so as that includes Sam Vimes which is like a whole guy from the Nightwatch books, and my friend's big fav.

So then I was made to read Guards Guards. I didn't enjooooy GG all that much but later I was informed that Going Postal is Pratchett at his high point well into writing Discworld while GG is one of the first books in the series so he is still finding his footing there. But it did a great Job of introducing Sam Vimes, Carrot, Sybil the dragon lady and all the other Nightwatch characters.

While I'm not a fan of GG I think reading it was kinda necessary to properly enjoy the next Nightwatch book aka Men At Arms (I'm still doing my prep work for Making Money). Without reading GG I don't think Carrot growing up, or the conflict between Sam and Sybil, or the whole idea that the watch is getting new recruits would be anywhere as meaningful because how would you know what the status quo even was. I am really enjoying Men At Arms, I am currently mid-book! It came out like 4 years after GG so the writing style somewhat ripened in the meantime and resembles the quality of Going Postal (it has more pathos and new lovely freaks!!).

After I finish MAA I'll finally indulge in Making Money! And I've already set my eyes on Rising Steam (third book in the series). After that I might go back to the Nightwatch books but I've also been curious about the book with the Death's assistant, I am blanking on the name rn.

So that was my journey. I was told partially it was curated like that because it gives you the "potential blorbos" on a silver plate, as my friend knows I am no bookworm and I will require something to stick around for.

I am no expert on where to start either, I just know I am neck deep in the investment pool of Moist Von Lipwig

[felassan]

David Gaider on Cassandra (the last of these retrospective character threads), under a cut for length:

"This is the last of the (major) characters I wrote during my time on Dragon Age. I could go into others, and considered moving onto Stray Gods... but I feel like fewer would be interested, and I honestly can't keep up the pace. So let's make this the last, for now. So, yeah. Cassandra. We knew early on that Cassandra would come into DAI as a companion, along with Varric, that this was part of what DA2 set up for the sequel. Now, I'd written Cassandra's short scenes in DA2, yes, but I wasn't her writer for DAI. Initially, she was Jennifer Hepler's character. By mid-project, in fact, Cassandra was more or less fully written. Jennifer did a great job - solid character, solid quest. The sticking point, it turned out, was her romance. Now, to be fair, Jennifer told me straight up when we began that writing romance wasn't her forte, but she'd give it a go. The problem with the romance as she wrote it wasn't in its execution but more a clash between the character as Jennifer envisioned her and the requirements of her being a romance. See, I mentioned previously that a romance arc inherently limits the kinds of stories you can tell with a companion. Many responses I got can be summed up as "lol skill issue", but consider this: a companion romance isn't a fic you can just throw up on AO3. It's an investment of a lot of resources. If a companion has one, most of their resources need to be devoted to it - it's not "now let's ALSO add a romance"."

"That means it needs to take priority in who they are as a character and their arc. What's more, they need to be *appealing* to a big chunk of the player base - or at least someone we can imagine being broadly appealing, anyway. Thankfully, there are still many many stories this can accommodate. 😊 This, however, wasn't one of those. Was Cassandra a fascinating character? Absolutely. Her romance, though... Well, Jennifer DID warn me. She'd written Cassandra as a serious, self-righteous, pious woman who put the Inquisitor on a messianic pedestal. Romancing her meant changing her view of you. You did this by being... pushy. Jennifer didn't mean it to, I'm sure, but sometimes it came off as, at best, negging. At worst, a bit harassy. And Jennifer would have fixed it. This was a 1st draft, and the issues - while serious - were something a skilled writer like her could handle. No problem. Thing is, Jennifer left. You may not remember, but this was around the time a bunch of GamerGate dudes decided Jennifer was somehow responsible for ALL of BioWare's faults. Oh, the power she wielded! She, a writer, could even command the combat Bio made! The result was a LOT of ugly harassment. 😞 Is this why she left? You'd have to ask her, but it undoubtedly didn't help. The important thing is, she left - and there was nobody as senior nor as superhumanly fast as her to take over any unfinished work. This is where Patrick Weekes comes in: a solid, senior writer who could fill her shoes."

"It was great timing - not only did Cassandra need a writer, I'd slowly fallen more and more behind. It was clear by that point that I'd never be able to write Dorian AND Cole AND Solas as planned. They needed to pick up two. And I let them choose the ones who interested them, like all my writers. Patrick taking Solas was no surprise, and while I had Big Plans for Solas in the future I knew at least he'd be in good hands. I was reeeeaaaally hoping Patrick would then pick Cassandra... but they wanted Cole. My baby. Who I created in Asunder. I grumped, but Patrick clearly loved the character. They had ideas for Cole which... yeah yeah, sounded cool. Fiiine. 😅 Now I had to figure out what *I* was going to do with Cassandra. We couldn't move the romance to someone else, all the other female characters were well underway, and I didn't know the character well enough to fix her with tweaks. That meant a re-write. I didn't WANT to erase all that good work, but I needed to start from scratch. Yet how? A pious, self-righteous character was already a risk in terms of romantic appeal. There are only a small number of traits sorta considered universally unappealing but they're on that list. In this instance, Cassandra already being a known character helped. I came across a webcomic (by aimo, I think? AHH I wish I could find it now) that made a joke about Cassandra reading Varric's books. Off-hand, no basis for it, but funny. 😆 And I thought: YES. THAT'S IT. THAT'S WHAT I'M MISSING."

"I sat down and wrote the "fangirl" scene, just to test it out. Everyone loved it, and it served to change my image of who Cassandra was - a view of the inside, at the idealistic and awkward passion she felt, for so many things... AND the Maker. "Yes," I thought. "I could fall in love with this." Who knew Cassandra could be funny? Not anyone, coming out of DA2, yet here we were. It worked so well and her voice came so easily. Miranda Raison was game ofc, and amazing. Though Caroline did gripe that, if we ever met more Nevarrans THAT accent meant we'd have the Tali Problem all over again. 😅 Cassandra's romance is burned into my brain as the time when we THE most awkward conversation with the animators ever. See, that moment during the sex scene on the picnic blanket when she leans back and... there were suddenly these strategically-placed candles, juuuust covering the Sordid Bits. Thing is, they were so obviously placed just to do that. Plus, we'd already decided to do full nudity in DAI, hadn't we? WHY WERE THEY EVEN THERE? Turns out, the nudity thing was still pretty new to the team. They'd forgotten and put the candles there almost as a reflex. So prudish. So Canadian. 😂 I do find it kind of funny that, these days, what I mostly hear about Cassandra is from female fans upset at me because she wasn't a lesbian option. I mean, right? Who wouldn't want that? Technically not my decision, but I guess I WAS behind the companions having set preferences so... fair enough?"

"Some of them do take it to an entitled place, though, like Cassandra *should* have been a lesbian. Why? Because she looks like one, apparently, and that that's a bit of stereotyping which feels... odd? But it's not as if lesbian players are spoiled for choice left and right, so again: fair enough. It did lead to the best end credits VO perhaps ever, and overall I'm pretty happy with how Cassandra panned out. Things never end up like you expect, right? But such is game dev lyfe. 🥸🖖 Did you know Cassandra was THE most-romanced DAI character, by a good margin? Least, by a good margin? Dorian."

[source thread]

User: "Did you have any hand in her writing for Dawn of the Seeker?" David Gaider: "No, none. Nobody at BioWare had any hand in Dawn of the Seeker, outside of maybe Mike approving the script or direction? Only he could say for sure." [source]

User: "Was Miranda a specific casting choice by anyone on the team (similar to your picks for Merrill/Fenris/Solas), or was she simply a lucky find? I loved Miranda on the BBC series "Spooks", so I was very pleasantly surprised to learn she voiced one of my favourite DA characters" David Gaider: "I don’t remember how Miranda was cast. Auditioned, I expect, and she had a good “steely warrior voice” which is surprisingly uncommon among actresses. The accent she made up was all her, as well." [source]

User: "What's the Tali Problem?" David Gaider: "When Tali was the only Quarian, the actress doing a made-up accent was fine. Once there were others… do we get them all to mimic her? That’s a tall order!" [source]

User: "I'd say Solas is the most popular nowaday, but you need to be such a specific race/gender combo + most straight guys wouldn't go for him, i get hes not on top of the list, but I'd have expected Josephine over Cass." David Gaider: "You can’t go by how fans online talk about playing the game. There is almost zero correlation between the playstyles of the vocal hardcore and the masses." [source]

User: "I was a Dorianmancer. The cut content in Trespasser DLC was sad to read, it definitely felt short/abrupt for Dorianmancers. Anyway to share what was cut at all?" David Gaider: "I don’t know what was cut out of the conversation, as I never played it. I just heard about it after the fact." [source]

User: "Those end credits are truly incredible. Do you remember who wrote them? I'm guessing a combination of Mary Kirby & you?" David Gaider: "I wrote them, but I recall the entire team kind of took part in brainstorming the pieces of it." [source]

User: "I’m very curious- Do you know what direction you would have taken Cole and his story if you’d kept him?" David Gaider: "It's hypothetical at this point, but I suspect I would have been less willing to lose the serial killer aspect... or, at least, would have made that transition occur as part of his arc in DAI. Yet that's easy to say from this side of the divide. Who knows, really?" [source]

User: "With Cassandra you created one of the best characters in DA history." David Gaider: "Personally, my favorite response of hers is where she gets mocked for loving romance and she comes back with a retort about how it's a strength - how loving something and striving for the ideal takes courage. To me, that's central to her core." [source]

User: "inquiry: did you not write any of the Awakening characters?" David Gaider: "I wrote Anders, Justice, and Nathaniel in Awakening - but it was such a hurried project, my memories of it are pretty much a blur. "Yes, I worked on that" is almost all I can say about it, I'm afraid." [source]

[longsufferingcritic]

The Light Fury: A Needlessly Thorough Character Design Analysis

Let me start by admitting I'd actually quite like the Light Fury's design if only it were completely removed from the context of HTTYD. If I saw the piece of concept art below in a freelance artist's portfolio, I'd think it's wonderful; same with a lot of the fanart I've seen. And for the record, I also have a soft spot for SilkWings from the Wings of Fire series and Skydancers from Flight Rising, so it's not like I expect every dragon design to be spiky and ferocious-looking.

But in the HTTYD films specifically, dragons being spiky and ferocious-looking is consistently a key part of the art direction, so the Light Fury looks extremely out of place compared to literally all the other dragons. Toothless was always somewhat sleeker and more mammal-ish than the other dragon species, true, but not to such a jarring extent. Unlike the rest of her kind (Toothless included), the Light Fury has completely smooth skin with no textured scales or spikes; all her features (even her teeth!) are completely rounded with no pointy or rough edges; her wings are shaped more like a seabird's than a bat's; her tail fins are distinctly heart-shaped; and she literally has pink glitter on her hide, for fuck's sake. Juxtaposed to the films' art style for every other dragon species, she sticks out like a sore thumb, hardly even resembling a dragon at all -- more like an alien invader from Planet Gender Roles.

…Yeah, about that. In the art book the filmmakers explicitly stated that they didn't want her to look reptilian like other dragons, because she's a feeeeemaaaaale and therefore has to look like one. Never mind the fact that the other female dragons in the films like Stormfly and Meatlug have never had that issue.

So let me be blunt: the Light Fury's visual design is misogynistic. She is designed with the sole purpose of being "feminine" and "pretty" as a male character's love interest, and on top of defying the films' art direction just to make her more conventionally beautiful, her design checks off the majority of the clichés used to impose human gender stereotypes onto animated female animals: lighter color, blue eyes, heavily rounded features, smaller paws/claws and nose/snout, less cartoony exaggeration, and an inexplicable smoothness in the way she is drawn/rendered. (Once you're consciously aware of those clichés, you'll start noticing them in nearly every animated animal film, so HTTYD is far from unique in that regard… but that just makes this widespread pattern in Hollywood all the more concerning.)

All these design choices are also counterproductive to her supposed narrative purpose of being the "wild and untamed" foil to the "domesticated" Toothless -- if that's the case, shouldn't she look more reptilian and ferocious, not less? Many of her traits like big blue eyes and a short rounded snout are actually associated with domestication, so shouldn't she resemble a wild animal instead? Nah, gender roles are clearly the priority here.

And no, despite the popular fan theories, the filmmakers have never confirmed or even hinted that the Light Fury is aquatic or based off belugas. The head of character animation has stated that the design was largely inspired by snow leopards as a contrast to Toothless having been inspired by black panthers; this is more evident in a piece of early concept art which depicts her as pale gray with a dappled pattern, but she ultimately ended up being pure iridescent white, very far removed from the most recognizable features of snow leopards. Reportedly this was because leopard spots look too much like scars, and scars are obviously unbecoming of a giiiiirl dragon… you can't make this shit up!

Axolotls were also cited as an influence, which would explain the smooth skin and unbroken dorsal sail, but the extreme smoothness still grossly clashes with the rest of the films' dragon designs and her own supposed personality so I don't think that actually justifies it. It's also worth noting that axolotl features are much more apparent in the below piece of concept art, with gill-like head appendages and cleft wings to match, but those didn't make it into the final design either, because I guess anything even slightly pointy-looking isn't "female" enough. (Terns were the final cited inspiration, which purportedly explains why her wings couldn't have a batty shape like literally every other dragon in the films.)

As I've said before, if they just wanted to have the black/white contrast for the night/day yin/yang motif (which isn't necessarily a bad idea on its own) the least they could do is still make the Light Fury look properly dragon-like even with white scales. There have been tons of fanmade drawings and edits of what that might look like, as well as examples of well-designed white dragons both in the films themselves (Valka's Bewilderbeast) and other media (Queen Snowfall my beloved).

So why does this all matter? Is a crappy design really that important? I'd argue yes, because despite many fans looking at the franchise through rose-tinted glasses, HTTYD has never treated its female characters particularly well, and the Light Fury is the most obvious/egregious culmination of that. In addition to the sexist tropes in her visual design, she exists for the sole purpose of being Toothless's beautiful love interest and "call of the wild" to separate him from his human best friend, with no depth to her character -- "Why is she so wild/aggressive to humans?" and "How has Grimmel's cruelty affected her?" are just two examples of basic character development points the film is uninterested in exploring -- and almost no screen time to herself. She doesn't even get a canon name, supposedly because she's just so wild, but all three of her children get names despite being equally wild so that's just a cop-out. (And even if she would never live with humans, Berkians could have still referred to her by a nickname, since real wild animals are often nicknamed by the locals who see them or the zoologists who study them -- shoutout to my favorite California Condor, 1099 "Yarrow".)

This is all part of widespread misogynistic patterns in fiction: animated films designing female animals with human gender stereotypes in mind, and fiction in general constantly mistreating and neglecting female characters. I love the HTTYD films so much, but at the same time, there are some aspects that legitimately warrant criticism, and misogyny is definitely one of them… and the Light Fury exemplifies that better than anything.

[sapphic-agent]

What bothers me the most about Izuku's character is that it seems like he can't feel anything, like because he can't be angry with what happens to him, you know why he can't have negative feelings towards Bakugou? This admiration he has for the bomb boy is not normal and healthy, it reminds me of Stockholm Syndrome. Bakugou stans say that Izuku is boring, but when talking about this thing about him not being angry with Bakugou, they keep saying that we don't understand Izuku's character. What's your opinion? Am I exaggerating?

I don't think you're exaggerating. In fact, I think it's deliberate on Horikoshi's part.

I began to realize Izuku's character was regressing the minute I first came across this scene:

This is the only scene I can justify hating Izuku's character because it was such an out of pocket line coming from him. And it kind of stuck in my head for weeks because it felt so OOC. Like, Izuku of all characters pushing for Todoroki to forgive Endeavor? It made no sense to me.

But do you see how it pans to Bakugou?

To me, this is Horikoshi indirectly attempting to absolve Bakugou. Izuku's line here is trying to communicate that that's how he feels about Bakugou.

Similarly to All Might saying Izuku doesn't hold what Bakugou did against him, this is another piece of plot manipulation from Horikoshi. Bakugou's redemption is pushed through the words of others, not through his actions. Especially when it comes to how he treated Izuku.

If Izuku, at any point, was still upset or noticeably traumatized by Bakugou's actions, Bakugou couldn't have been reasonably redeemed. Because there would be no feasible reason to even have him around Izuku and the only reason Bakugou's even relevant is due to Horikoshi sticking him onto Izuku in every arc

[loopdile]

loopdile so real. i have a Vision of both siffrin and loop being Deeply Deeply Closeted Repressed Transfem and having gender envy over odile and i feel like that'd do Something to the Dynamic. Something......... Something........................... well i'm not successfully envisioning it but maybe YOU are?

i am positively plagued by loopdile gender visions!!! maybe not the exact same as you're thinking but i think you will enjoy them. walk with me, anon, through the garden of my loop gender headcanons. it's kind of a big garden but we'll get to the odile part eventually i promise.

Before they were Siffrin, Siffrin had their gender on lock: something transfem, but also tied to unique cultural elements in some way, either the specific identity or the way of thinking about it or just the particular set of presentation options. Perhaps they even started fantasy HRT! But then they forget everything, obviously, including their identity and transition plans. They decide pretty quickly that they're not a man, but none of the alternatives feel exactly correct either; if their previous identity was presented as an option, maybe it would click and they'd settle into it pretty fast, but unfortunately that is literally impossible.

So, no clear goals in mind. And because of his forgotten past, continued memory problems, and constant traveling, Siffrin starts to really value the few things he can count on to stay consistent. He'd rather wear his comfortable hat and cloak than leave them behind in favor of anything more gendered. He'd rather stick with his familiar body than risk changing it. Still, maybe there are some changes he'd be happier in the long run to have made... but the process would be stressful, and he's got enough stressful things to worry about already!

But then we get to Loop. Who has already been changed, suddenly and irrevocably and so very, very accidentally. They are not Siffrin anymore, they do not have the hat and cloak, they aren't even human. They don't even really remember who they were pre-loops. There is no familiarity for them to cling to; instead, they're desperate to find things they can control, things they can change, proof that the world moves forward and they're in charge of their place in it. The motivation that Siffrin lacked, Loop now has in spades!

However, their negative feelings are more intense as well. They struggle to face real stakes, to put effort into anything too complicated, to try anything that might disappoint them. They take risks, yes, but not about things they care about; they take risks because they don't care. And they have a lot of other things going on, too, both practically and psychologically, so gender isn't their immediate priority. "Who and what am I?" is a very difficult question for them right now on multiple levels, a difficult question with only difficult answers.

But, starting with the practical: wearing clothes is an easy way to look and feel a little bit more normal, right? So they experiment, and they decide that dresses are just similar enough to the cloak to be comfortable, but distinct enough to not be as emotionally fraught. And they like them in a frivolous way that Siffrin was never willing to lean all the way into. Siffrin didn't put much thought or energy into his appearance, but Loop's inhuman form is a constant issue, so they might as well dress it in a way they like! Something good to balance out the bad, since they can't be neutral any longer.

And of course they think about body craft, though in a different context from most people. Even the nearly-human parts of their body are lacking detail, without all the right functions behind the form, and then other parts aren't human at all. Their body feels wrong, distracting, constricting. They don't understand how it works, and it draws attention they don't want, and it's not them. And yet, isn't it? Even if they'd been put back into a Siffrin body again, they aren't Siffrin anymore, either. Loop is what the loops made them. They want to change their body, to make it something they can be comfortable in, but they can't. Because body craft is a method of changing flesh and blood and bone, and Loop is not made of such human stuff anymore.

So we've got Loop. Trying to find themself, and maybe succeeding in some ways, but stymied or uncertain in others. Desperate to change, but scared to hope. To make a long story short, they join back up with the party, which brings its own set of problems, and yet... it's also a step towards fixing some of their problems, too. Most relevant to our post, here: Odile is a craft expert with a unique set of experiences. She's got a wide foundation of knowledge, since she's familiar with all three main craft types. She used to be part of Ka Bue's underground body-crafting scene, where she not only crafted her own body but also helped and taught other people; and unlike in Vaugarde, where Houses provide resources and education, Odile and her peers had to do their own research and experiments, develop their own techniques. She even has some knowledge of wish craft from Siffrin, and the way she stopped Siffrin from looping proves that she's unusually good at analyzing and adapting to new forms of craft.

So once Loop's dissatisfaction with and ignorance regarding their own physical form comes to Odile's attention, of course she offers to help. To see if she can figure out what their body is made of, and how it works, and hopefully, in what ways it can be changed.

And this dynamic with her... it's totally different from her relationship with Siffrin, both pre-loops and post. And Loop has always admired her, and here she is, talking about the confidence and determination with which she changed her own body, not without fear or frustration but not letting herself be slowed down by them, either. Taking her fate into her own hands and refusing to be anyone other than herself. And Loop used to feel that Odile understood them best, and losing that connection felt like the end of the world, but here she is, still! Observant and caring as ever. Dedicated to figuring them out again. Unflinching as she sees them for the strange thing they currently are, but equally unshakable in her insistence that they do not have to stay exactly as they are.

So Odile helps them figure out their body. Helps them with the craft itself, too, but even more than that — through both encouragement and example, she helps them be brave enough to genuinely try. To ask themself what they really want. To strike a balance between Siffrin's complacent hesitation and Loop's miserable desperation. To experiment, and face both the chance of failure and the chance of success with head held high. To hope.

Odile is not one for platitudes and empty positivity, after all. If she says something's possible, then it is, or she will make it so, one way or another, despite any setback. Isn't she proof? She remade herself, and she can remake Loop, too. Changing them, slowly and carefully and so very, very deliberately. Loop will never be human again, but they can decide who they are and become themself.

[detta-pica]

“You need to do your oldschool detective schtick,” Satoru says, still rubbing his leg. Suguru wants to do it for him. As much as they touch, reaching out to each other constantly, he always wants his hands on Satoru’s skin. Suguru doesn’t think he’s ever felt so covetous of anything else. And Satoru knows. He must know. There’s no way Suguru has managed to hide this when his aura floods with adoration at the most innocuous of prompts. Defeated, he picks a spot he can’t see--under the bed they’re resting on--and pulls at the hidden stores of magic that make up a part of his soul. Dragon jumps up onto the mattress moments later and immediately settles against Satoru’s side, purring with the subtlety of a lawnmower. Satoru laughs, sinks his fingers into the cat’s white, fluffy fur. The touch ripples across the very core of Suguru’s being, unfairly soothing for how many boundaries it crosses. “You’re helping,” Suguru says, as sternly as he can while a piece of his soul preens under Satoru’s attention. He grabs the thick file folders from the desk, full of information about the case, and begins spreading them over the empty bed. “Use your big brain for once.” “Well shit. With that kind of encouragement, I’d better.” Perhaps sensing Suguru’s momentary weakness, Satoru summons his own familiar, a slick black cat with purple eyes. Six takes a moment to brush up against Suguru’s shins, then retreats to one of the pillows. It’s funny that the cats not only look like their human counterparts, but also behave similarly. Dragon, clingy and obnoxious, sticks close to Satoru’s side, big blue eyes unblinking. Probably it says something about Suguru, since it’s his familiar. And Six’s behaviour should be a reflection on Satoru. Suguru has his theories about why the cats act the way they act. He’d rather die than speak them out loud.

Another witch AU snippet for WIP Wednesday. It's from a pre-time skip story that I've been sitting on for months now, but can't post.

I've realised that part 8 is going to be a lot longer and more complex than I thought, and I absolutely need to have it fully drafted before I publish any further stories in the series, in case I need to sneak in foreshadowing or adjust some things. So it might take me a little while.

In the meantime, I'm planning a little something for the 7th of December and Christmas Eve.

[decepti-thots]

☕ ~ trans woman whirl?

I love trans Whirl headcanons but I think I love them for totally different reasons than I usually see, tbh? That is- I think a lot of the time the fandom just goes 'oh! Girl Holoform Spotted! now this character is girl, and we can say character is trans girl because in the comic they are called he/him' and tbh I find that attitude as fandom often implements it annoying for a couple reasons; one, it often feels like a kind of 'if character Looks Like Girl, well, character Is Girl' deal which tbh feels kinda shallow to me ngl, and two, it (and similar under-expanded upon headcanons) not infrequently seems to be a way for the fandom as a whole to justify the general lack of content for the very explicitly canon trans characters by instead being like 'all the material we make for these characters not treated as such in canon proves that we definitely love trans characters. don't think about how lug or anode or arcee don't get that same attention, or that this content only offhandedly actually deals with transness 90% of the time', you know? Bit mean, but I can't help but feel that's a repeated tendency in the fandom, tbh. I would feel less like this if the fanon trans headcanons did not just vaguely go 'oh. also ig they are trans, how nice' with no follow up and instead actually treated these characters as having opinions about being trans, but in too many cases they unfortunately... don't. (And no, them being robots is not an excuse. Anode has opinions on this. Arcee has opinions on this, a lot of them!) But we're here to talk about Whirl, and I want to talk about why I do love trans Whirl, so.

I love trans Whirl for reasons far outside of that, and I think taking that approach to the idea does it a disservice tbqh. Specifically I like trans Whirl for the same reason I like reading Verity as trans, because it adds to Whirl's character arc about being denied agency over identity and clawing it back on purpose in a way where the trans reading feels especially resonant and like it genuinely adds to the overall subtext of her arc. Whirl's entire character is one where the violent removal of agency in her life is so much a focus it changes the course of history; Whirl refusing to let the functionists that ruined her life win is why Elegant Chaos plays out as it does. Whirl is a character whose entire sense of self as a person with the ability to make any choices at all was viciously ripped away from her, and in turn a character whose response to that is to make her ability to choose exactly what she does so utterly undeniable that even if you hate her, even if you think she's repulsive, even if you want to throttle her, you cannot pretend she is not in control. In that specific context, adding in the idea that she would choose her own gender, in defiance of a Cybertronian culture that implicitly treats gender as an alien unwelcome influence, so she can have what she wants- that rules. There's also such a line to be drawn there between Arcee's arc and Whirl, I think, that is so great. That's where I see why it is so good. Being seen as just a gun to be aimed that everyone professes distaste for but still wants to stick around and do dirty work, but you insist upon your interiority being seen as just that; your interiority. And all the things the people who want to do to you which you hate being what you embrace. It's fantastic. I simply prefer that as an angle through which to view the ideas than like... haha well Whirl's holoform is Girl With Guns how funny. You know?

And one of her most "humanising" moments is when she extends that to someone else. I'm thinking of when she tells Tailgate that Cyclonus was lying about his injuries; that part where Cyclonus is trying to protect Tailgate in a way that is ultimately toxic for them both. Sure, everyone else agrees that the best way to handle this is to lie for your own good so you don't make a decision people don't want you to. But that's not fucking fair, and who gets to decide what's "your own good"? Viewing that in light of a Whirl who is not just vaguely a woman but specifically linking that to the way Whirl's rigidly defined role under a functionist heel ruined her sense of identity, because they know what's best for you whether you like it or not- damn, that is COMPELLING. And I find that just. So much more compelling than what fandom so often does with the idea. Whirl, above all else, knows how important demanding agency is. I think that makes Whirl a character ripe for a reading as trans, and I love that for her so much. she'll grab you by the throat and make you acknowledge her. and she's right every step of the way, no matter how much you want to look away. i love her.

tl;dr WHIRL TRANS WOMAN GOOD. LOVE IT. no really i just, it's so good.

[madockisser]

is it strange that i want to know what cardan like thinks abt like everything- especially mortal shit. like i want to see what he thinks of different films, music, celebrities, books, or mortal clothing, etc. like idk i just obsess over what he’d think about certain things.

Random faerie lore- specially cardan/ faeries in the mortal world

LOL i hope not because i do that! also thank you for asking this, i was hoping someone should ask something that would allow me to spew my faerie in mortal world knowledge out!

now- honestly cardan and that Alice and wonderland book is what made me fall head over heels for him

i remember seeing it on TikTok years ago, about how Alice and wonderland is a mortal book that mirrors Jude’s life, and that cardan saw Jude in Alice.

and i hadn’t even considered it before, i was young and didn’t gaf abt little details, but look at me now, delving into every little thing abt that series.

since cardan is fae, it’s natural for us to wonder at how he sees the world and Jude.

below are some things i PERSONALLY think he may like or dislike about the mortal world.

i think he’d really enjoy learning the history of human music, i think he would like classical music (seems most likely)

i love to think that he’d get obsessed w how Jude is Latina and want to learn more about that part of human culture. I feel like he’d encourage Jude to do so too, since elfhame is all about HIS culture and whatnot.

he’d probably also like casually reading about human history, cross referencing it with faerie history and stuff, but also having to unlearn any biases both humans and faeries may write in their history books

i don’t think he’d like celebrities much, since he isn’t fond of “fake people” and that’s pretty much every celeb (sorry) BUT i think he would enjoy watching their drama lol, if it were like the early 2000s or even 2010s i feel like he would have fun w that sort of reality show vibe

he’d probably adore human poetry, like the old ones, and he’d probably enjoy older movies too. i can imagine him enjoying Shakespeare (bro would love Romeo and Juliet and compare it to him and Jude) and liking the ballet or marching bands or something like that (😭)

anyway i just know he LOVES Jude’s mortal underclothes, lowkey he’d probably love the thought that she’s the only one in elfhame wearing them (he’d also probably see them as sorta sexual, only because when i think of faerie underclothes i think of a nightgown and possibly a corset, which doesnt show a ton of skin, whereas a bra and panties are wayyy more revealing)

you didn’t mention food, but there’s a ton of salt in mortal food, but i still think he’d eat it anyway. i guess the way salt works is that it just dulls magics(?) like it won’t physically harm him, but his magic won’t be very strong, like a depressant drug or something (is that a weird comparison 😭) BUT it reminds me of how nevermore is like an enhancer drug, so does that mean nevermore is the opposite of salt? (Literally just spewing nonsense atp)

but he liked dumplings, i think he would like other Asian foods. he’d hate pickles bc of the salt content, and he’d hate chips for the same reason i feel like. he’d probably love a good fruit salad (giggling at this) and trying all the human fruits that they don’t have in elfhame (also deserts)

anyway faeries have to be careful about chemicals, vivienne buys all organic shampoos and body washes, so we can assume she has to be careful with the same. it’s to be noted that her and oakey eat fish sticks and chemically dyed cereal, AND also pain pills? so i guess what they consume doesn’t have to be completely natural?

Add on: in the modern faerie tales, faeries cannot smoke cigarettes or they pretty much die on the spot according to roiben, when Kaye takes a drag her eyes water she she starts choking. ALSO corny in tmft, sprays a faerie in the face w a cleaning spray and bro dies on the spot so…

personally, i think the more checmially foods they eat, the worse they feel, and the lower energy they have. faeries seem to run on the foods they eat like it’s fuel, soo eating human food is probably not too great for them. vivi seems to be doing fine tho(perhaps bc she’s half human AND she grew up eating that stuff? Same w Kaye). Makes sense why oaks a vegan as well in tsh.

anyway imagining cardan in the mortal world is funny but weird, like he totally doesn’t fit lol

what i can remember from htkoelths, he seemed used to the strangeness. like he expected it.

since elfhame seems so small compared to the mortal world, i assume that some faeries are pretty casually human like, in terms of clothing and even behaviors (based on the bomb, kaye, etc)

also a lot of them (the ones not from elfhame or living on the isles) live nearby humans, so they’re pretty used to them I’d say.

It makes sense for the fae to be used to humans, since they’re everywhere. they’re also in elfhame, whether they’re glamoured or no.

anyway, cardan had access to the mortal world, so who knows how often he really went and dropped off slaves, or just went to visit.

balekin probably took him once and was like “damn little bro, look at all this hot garbage! Humans suck so I’m gonna use them to belittle you! haha”

anyway, i refuse to put anything else in my drafts bc im scared my drafts are slowly disappearing (BTW someone sent me a Locke and cardan ask the other day, and IT GOT DELETED after i wrote half of it, so if it was you that sent it, resend it perchance bc i forgot what the question even was)

on that note, thank you for the ask! this was messy and randomly thrown together lol but i liked writing it 🫶 feel free to add on as always!!

[the-great-papyru]

(shakes a flowey plushie in front of you as bait) flowey face headcanons please. (continues to shake the plushie hoping you will take the bait)

well, for a flowey plushie…

the mechanics of flowey’s face rely on two things: magic and determination. it’s plant matter, yes, but it’s plant matter modified by the very nature of flowey’s existence. asriel’s dust had some residual magical qualities that were modified for flowey’s form. it’s how he can summon bullets, or manipulate vines, or change his face, or, heck, move.

now, determination is built on will and magic is a form of self-expression. so it’s logically sound that flowey’s face is a reflection of a.) what he wills it to look like, first and foremost, and b.) without will, natural emotion and expression of self.

when flowey woke up, since he didn’t have any particular will, his face drew on his magic rather than determination. and so, it reflected his inner sense of self, and therefore looked like asriel’s. exactly like it, in fact. a monster’s body is linked to their external sense of self, it’s a combination of magic and dust that manifests as what appears to be a physical form. that sense of self doesn’t shift after flowey’s death. not yet, at least. it’s why asgore recognized him so easily. only someone who knows asriel, is asriel perfectly could look so exactly like him.

when flowey decided it was better to start hiding his identity, he actively modified it. at first, he probably just willed his face into something simpler, that people wouldn’t recognize immediately. he had to decide on a candidate to mimic. he chose chara. it wasn’t obviously them, of course, but when it came to guidance he looked at their face for reference.

just a basic structure wasn’t enough, though. he still thought of himself as asriel, back then, and maintaining a fluid face while also keeping a false image up? it didn’t really work the best. so he settled on a handful of “sprites” that he could use interchangeably. picking and choosing the most memorable of chara’s faces and putting them on himself as the occasion demanded.

it got easier.

later on, flowey needed those faces. not really for hiding his identity any longer (that had become incredibly easy now, nearly second nature) but for keeping a poker face. a single slip-up, after all, and someone good at face reading could take a lot from it. that couldn’t happen. so he drilled the faces into his muscle memory until he could swap them out just like that.

he only really planned on having one scary face, but two couldn’t hurt! he practiced the second a lot more. it didn’t involve actually enlarging his face through magic (he’d run out of space), so it was easier. he perfected it so much, (changing the eyes was an act of genius on his part, he thought) that it became his “extra” face. a way of covering up any undesired emotion. feeling creepy? scary face. about to laugh at a joke? scary face. terrified for your life? scary face.

still with me? great!

the actual physical form of the face, however, is originally a lot like that of an ordinary flower. fairly hard to the touch, a little bit sticky. this is largely due to preservation on flowey’s part, since he sticks with a handful of pre-designed faces, there’s not a lot of natural movement there, and it doesn’t change shape at all.

see, there aren’t very many plants with naturally white centers. and in fact, if you look at any other golden flower… the centers don’t look white.

now, if you look at the amalgamates, their overworld sprites are entirely white. flowey’s face essentially functions like hardened amalgamate goo. he can shift it into various positions through a combination of will (determination) and magic (self-expression).

i mentioned before that it’s not malleable because he sticks with pre-made expressions. so, if you were to touch it, it would feel like the center of a daisy, or something similar, just maybe a bit more sticky.

this is considering, of course, that flowey sticks with the pre-planned expressions. the more shifting based on magic and genuine expressions, the more naturally malleable it could get. not necessarily super stretchy, and it would tend to stick together rather than form into strands, but it could end up slightly more flexible than a human face.

…okay, on that note, i think that wraps it up. clearly i think an unhealthy amount about the schematics of this fictional flower’s facial functions.

[maramarabum]

I can't sleep so it's tbhk theory time

Okay so this is something i have posted before, but now i'm gonna lay more examples supporting my theory

The theory being that everything (or most of) what Tsukasa does is based on Hanako's wishes, based mostly on old chapters

So situation one: Chapter 19, The one where Mitsuba dies

So in this chapter we find out that Tsukasa grants wishes of supernaturals, and we also see that he does it in very unconventional and grotesque ways, as we see him granting Mitsuba's wish of having many friends by turning him into this weird ass monster. And I think in this chapter, we also see him granting Hanako's wish for the first time in the series, but we will get to that later.

Chapter 21, The Tea Party and the door dimension

Yashiro gets kidnapped by Tsukasa and the rest broadcasting room gang to a tea party, the reason being, apparently, to kill her by drowning her in the room, but even as Yashiro herself points out, it doesn't really seem like they actually want to kill her

The weird water that they drowned her in instead transported her to the door dimension that can lead her anywhere, and this is where she goes through the door that leads her to the dimension where Hanako is a living student at her school (and then she gets transported to the current year. oh well).

I know it's a lot of talk and no explenation but bear with me we will get there soon

Chapter 32, Then Mitsuba becomes a school mystery

So 11 chapter later we get direct confirmation that Tsukasa in fact does not want Yashiro to die

And most importantly, we find out Tsukasa actually remade Mitsuba

And this is where it gets to the connection point of the chapters discussed

Kou asks why did Tsukasa remake Mitsuba if he was the one to kill him, to which he answers:

""Just because?" "There was a movie I watched with Amane with an artificial human, I wanted to make one" "But, I dunno... pretty cool, right?"

A hell of an unsatisfactory answer, and he sounds really unpassionate and not really sure, forming the answer more like a question, almost like he's thinking about the reason at the spot, which is exactly what i think hes doing, and it's not the first time.

Chapter 21, the reason he wants to kill Yashiro. We know for a fact that's not how he views his relationship with Hanako, and he literally ends the sentence with "Well, whatever. Anyway."

Chapter 19, asked by Hanako why he turn Mitsuba into that weird ass monster, similiar to chapter 32, he starts with a "hmm..." and thinks for a minute, before actually answering (except this time, his actual answer seems more honest, in a way)

It's really easy to tell when he's hiding his actual motives. And the actual motives, what were they?

To get an answer to that, we don't exactly look for direct quotes for Hanako saying what he wishes for, we more start to speculate what he might be wishing for inside, what he doesn't say.

It's really not that hard, take for example, Hanako wishing he could have somehow met Yashiro when he was still alive, which is exactly what Tsukasa caused in chapter 21

This would be his true intentions behind sending Yashiro to the door dimension.

So how about the whole Mitsuba thing? Well, Hanako was never really happy about Kou having a crush on Yashiro. He has probably thought something like "I wish he would stick to someone else" at least once, right?

And then Kou brings over a ghost student his age to the bathroom stall, asking him how can he deal with him instead of exorcism

Hanako looks like hes getting a bad feeling about him (is he... you know...)

"I want friends. I want to stay with my friends..." Here we have the exact wish that allowed him to "kill" Mitsuba, while also granting his and Hanako's wish. If Tsukasa didn't do anything, Mitsuba would be free to go. He found a friend, and his unfinished business is done. But then, Kou wouldn't stick around with him anymore, so Hanako's wish wouldn't be granted, and also Tsukasa would have taken no part in granting Mitsuba's wish.

The actual way Tsukasa wanted to grant these wishes is by letting Mitsuba turn Kou into a supernatural similar to him, quote "If you make him just like you... you could be together forever, huh?" (THE PARALLELS THE PARALLELS UNRELATED TO THIS THEORY OHHH THE MITSUKOU PARALLELS GOD DESTROY ME SMITE MY BEING)

Directing Mitsuba, guiding him what to do, while also making it seem like it's his own choice, like it's what he wants.

But then Hanako comes over and kills him before that can happen. And he doesn't even look like his confused about whats happening, but he still asks Tsukasa, asks why is he doing this, like he want's a conformation.

Because he knows it was because of him.

Since Tsukasa could tell what Mitsuba wished for because Mitsuba already made a deal with him, it would mean Hanako made a deal with Tsukasa too, all these years ago, a wish that might have been "a little vauge". And also, Hanako doesn't know which one of his thoughts made Tsukasa do this, considering his ways of granting anything are very off the wall, and also, as we discussed before, Tsukasa won't tell him.

(Hanako touching his seal after Kou asks Yako about Mitsuba. His face looking sorrowful, like he's thinking about something)

All he knows is that this happened is because he met Yashiro. He hasn't seen his brother for 20-50 years, and he showed up right after Yashiro became his assistant.

His ghost "life" was boring, nothing really happened, and he stopped wishing for anything. He accepted that he had no future, he needed to take care of the school so he could gain god's forgiveness. But then Yashiro showed up, and his life suddenly was more eventful, he now had a girl to protect. Then after her Kou showed up, and now he had two friends who still had young hope in them.

And it rubbed off on him, it had awakened some hope in him too, made him start wishing again. And now his friends are paying the price of that.

And also it's almost 4 A.M. now as I'm writng this.

So yeah if you have any thoughts on this, other examples or something that contraries my theory please reblog and let me know, i would really like to hear it

(me right now)

[skateordiebitch]

girl i LOVE your fics.. ur such a diva i CANNOT u look so cool?!?! if i may, can i request something like dom x reader that always works late.. so basically by the time dominic is sleeping, reader gets home 😭 hear me out, i’ve had a literal DREAM about this.. like he’s just sleeping while reader comes home + cuddles him while he sleeps, if you get my point :3

i have so many ideas but i dont wanna stress u out at all by adding even more requests and stuff…

CLOSE TO YOU || D.F x reader

summary: dominic sleeps better when you’re next to him.

a/n: OMGGG this is so sweet🥹 and pls send them, i’ll write them eventually! it won’t stress me out :)

writing all of these make me feel so lonely sometimes like goddamn!!!! my turn when?!!!!! hope you guys enjoy, this one’s short but sweet <3

It was well past midnight when you pushed open the front door, careful not to let it creak too loudly. You slipped off your shoes, setting your bag down in its usual spot, and let out a tired sigh.

The apartment was dark, save for the faint glow of the nightlight Dominic had insisted on keeping in the hallway—“So you don’t trip over everything when you come in,” he’d said with a teasing grin.

You tiptoed through the quiet space, your heart softening as you approached the bedroom door.

Inside, Dominic was sprawled across the bed, his arm hanging off the edge and his hair sticking up in messy tufts.

He was completely knocked out, his slow, steady breathing filling the room.

The sight made your exhaustion melt away just a little. This was always the part of your day you looked forward to most—coming home to him, even if he was already fast asleep.

You slipped into the bathroom to change into something more comfortable, quietly brushing your teeth and washing off the stress of the day.

When you emerged, Dominic hadn’t moved an inch. He was still lying on his stomach, hugging a pillow as if it were you.

As you eased into bed, the mattress dipped slightly under your weight. The familiar warmth of Dominic radiated from where he lay, his face peaceful in the soft glow of the hallway light that filtered through the cracked door.

You moved slowly, careful not to jostle him too much as you slid under the blanket and shifted closer.

His cheek pressed into the pillow, hair messy and sticking up in every direction.

You paused for a moment to take him in, your heart swelling at how endearing he looked when he was like this—unguarded, relaxed, safe.

You reached out tentatively, brushing your fingertips along the bare skin of his arm. He stirred at the touch, his brow twitching in a small frown before it smoothed out again.

You couldn’t resist trailing your hand up to his shoulder, your fingers tracing slow, soothing patterns across his back.

His skin was warm under your touch, and you felt the tension in your own body begin to melt away.

As you inched closer, you tucked yourself into his side, resting your head against his back for a moment, listening to the steady rise and fall of his breath.

He was so warm, and the familiar scent of his cologne lingered faintly on his skin even now. It grounded you, making the day’s stress fade into a distant memory.

Carefully, you slid an arm around his waist, letting it rest just above his hip.

He shifted slightly at the movement, a low hum of approval slipping from his lips as if even in his sleep, he knew it was you.

Encouraged, you snuggled in further, pressing your front against his side. The blanket tangled slightly around your legs, but you didn’t care.

All that mattered was the way Dominic instinctively turned toward you, his body adjusting to accommodate you even while unconscious.

“Hmm,” he mumbled groggily, his voice thick with sleep as he stirred. His hand reached out, fumbling for yours under the covers.

When his fingers found yours, he intertwined them, pulling your hand snug against his chest. “You’re late,” he muttered, barely coherent but clearly teasing.

A soft laugh escaped your lips, and you nuzzled into his shoulder. “You’re asleep,” you whispered, your voice gentle. “Go back to dreaming, Dom.”

He murmured tiredly, his voice thick with sleep. “You’re home.”

Your heart twisted at the sound. “I didn’t mean to wake you,” you whispered, your fingers trailing lightly over his cheek.

Dominic turned toward you, his eyes barely opening as a small smile curved his lips. “It’s okay. I always sleep better when you’re here.”

You leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. “Go back to sleep, Dom. I’m here now.”

He hummed in contentment, pulling you closer with an arm that felt far stronger than it should have for someone half-asleep. “Long day?”

“Yeah,” you admitted, your voice barely audible. “But it’s better now.”

But instead of answering, he shifted again, this time rolling onto his side to face you. His arm draped over your waist, pulling you in closer until there wasn’t an inch of space left between you.

His leg tangled with yours under the blanket, and his nose brushed lightly against your temple.

You snuggled into his warmth, resting your head against his chest where you could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The stresses of work, the late nights, the exhaustion—it all felt manageable in moments like this, with Dominic holding you close, even in his dreams.

“Goodnight, loser,” you whispered, a small smile tugging at your lips as you closed your eyes.

Somewhere in his sleep, Dominic mumbled, “Goodnight, idiot,” and it was enough to make you feel whole again.

[sunshinemoonrx]

Part 2: The Alternatives

You thought you were safe just because it's been a couple months? No. Let's talk about the skirtless alternatives some seasons go for.

Neutral: just not gendering the suits in their basic construction is perfectly respectable, creates uniformity which is better for some designs, and is arguably less sexist; although as established we're not so much analysing the social implications here so much as what makes me swoon. Skirtless teams were a regular option earlier than you might think, with Goranger, Dynaman and Fiveman (and Sun Vulcan, but that doesn't count). Though it would be hard to argue that for instance the Momoranger suit isn't still very feminine. Just like with skirts, there's different colour schemes for the pants/leggings style: most commonly they use the main suit's solid colour or black, but white is also occasionally used. Which I prefer is contextual and I think they usually pick well for the individual design, though how rare white is makes me fond of it. I don't think Dynaman would be many peoples' thought for "hot sentai suits", but in motion those leggings are really flattering.

The leotard look: Part of what gives the Bioman/Changeman/Flashman trilogy its unique feeling, but it's still wild to me they've never gone back to it (the closest would be those male Jetman suits). But I'm biased, of course; if you know me, you know that I love those shows and that I love a space leotard. I do genuinely think it's a very fun silhouette compared with the long-pants look; but from a sex appeal perspective, there's something really magical to how much you can suggest with the same material by just moving a few lines around. Change Mermaid is a perennial favourite of Japanese suitfuckers for a reason. This is mostly for Changeman and Flashman, where everything is very clean and sleek and sexy, whereas Bioman is a bit more clunky by comparison, they were still working that aesthetic out and were leaning into the gadgetry theme besides. But I've come around on them recently, and it must be said the Bioman suits are using the "colours representing upper and lower layers" effect I talked about before to emulate long socks and gloves (on all five rangers!) in a way the other two aren't.

(Stray thought, but if you put a helmet on Farah Cat she'd look like a pretty convincing evil Flashman)

Bare leg: oh Battle Fever, you strange show, you. Like a lot of people, I don't really think these suits are, uh, good, per se? The big eyes and plastic hairpieces are a little haunting. Miss America especially, well, she's definitely distinctive, having both the only full-on wig and the only bare legs (in close-ups at least) in the whole sentai series. But again, memorable doesn't necessarily mean good. Still, I actually do think it would be cool to go back and explore the partial suit look sometime; if not often. After all, the complete enclosure of the human form is part of the sentai suit appeal. (I actually think exposed skin stands out less on more layered designs--Riderman and Tackle look unusual next to other Riders, but not as unusual as Miss America in a pink ranger lineup, imo)

Accessories: This is mostly a post about the actual suit construction, but as an addendum I do wanna mention that very occasionally the girl suits will have earrings, and honestly, that's never worked for me, because uh, the helmets don't have ears. Momoranger's are kind of charming in a clunky way, like the Goranger suits in general, and the fact they're detachable bombs does help. The crystalline Maskman ones actually would look pretty good in another season, but that team in particular look so good entirely because of how sleek and no-nonsense their design is. Having these objects sticking out of the helmet breaks that up. Rare point against those designs for me.

In conclusion: I'm glad we alternate between approaches, but bring the leotards back into that rotation. Three is not enough. Also keep doing the thigh-highs thing. Yes there will be one more of these, no I will not promise when.

Okay so Skirts on Sentai Suits

Part of a tokusatsu 20 questions going around recently was "do you like skirts on sentai suits?" Here's the thing: Not all skirts were created equal.

(Preface to all this: I know I am going to be unruly suit-horny here so for the record, give them to the boys too. Obviously.)

Broadly there are four colour schemes:

Suit is all its primary colour, including skirt (e.g. Ryusoulger, Denjiman)

Suit body and skirt are primary colour, legs are secondary colour (black or white) (e.g. Gokaiger, Dairanger)

Suit body is primary colour, skirt and legs are secondary colour (e.g. Goseiger, Liveman)

Suit body and skirt are primary colour, legs on the non-skirted suits are also primary colour, but legs on this suit are a secondary colour--THIS IS THE HOT STUFF BABY LET ME EXPLAIN WHY

Okay so it's about "something hidden" or "something you're not supposed to see". If the skirt and legs are the same colour, it all registers as the same 'layer'. If you have a pink/blue/whatever skirt over black or white legs, that more suggests "clothing over body". However...

The non-skirted suits also have black legs, right? So clearly, that colour/layer is also "okay to see". Symbolically, that's black pants. (Of course, tokusatsu suits aren't only hot in imitating the human form. But we're talking about tight bodysuits in this post, not big sexy monsters, so follow me here.)

But if you've got a skirt over black/white legs, and the non-skirted suits have solid-colour legs...now that's a symbolically "lower" layer than the 'costume' shape.

So thank god for ninjas. See, in Hurricane the solid colour is the 'clothing', and the grey is 'beneath'; the shoulders of the sleeves emphasise this (contrasted with the Gouraigers' black pants, whereas even they have grey sleeves). In other words, that's a colour that has to be covered on certain body parts to be 'appropriate', like skin does. In Ninnin, solid colour is 'clothing' and black is 'beneath'--extra emphasised by the thigh-highs, which as I recently posted about, Jesus Fucking Hell.

Like, this is all an illusion. Obviously, the colour 'beneath' is just a bodysuit. ShiroNinger's black legs under there look exactly the same as, say, ShinkenRed's. And let's not forget, nice legs in a tight bodysuit are nice in and of themselves. But the concealment...the suggestion of something forbidden...the whole colour scheme lining up to reinforce this...(And well, Hurricane Blue does even have blue 'panties' under there...which again, if you took away the skirt would just make the blue a leotard-style shape like the Flashman etc. suits and not feel like underwear at all, but the fact that it's hidden and you get brief flashes...)

Interestingly, there's a third season that achieves this effect a different way--Jetman:

Now, all the suits here have secondary-colour legs--but uniquely in all of sentai, here the boys get a short-shorts/leotard/something shape, not too far off the girls in, say, Bioman. This means that at least for the lower body, white is an 'underlying' colour (or pink for White Swan, a common colour-scheme-swap for white rangers in a team with white as a secondary colour). So you do get the layered/"this colour has to be hidden above the thigh so it's intriguing" effect...sort of...the upper-body colour scheme confuses this and makes it hard to equate it to an outfit shape, as I also recently posted about. (And ofc, imitating an outfit is not the only objective of a sentai suit--the Jetman suits look great!)

Potentially post 1/3 if I can be bothered to post the other two. Yes there is more to say about this. Yes you will get my opinion on every single team in the third one if I do. Yes there is something wrong with me

[coldgoldlazarus]

I think my favorite thing about Oscar Isaac's voicing for Miguel during the train chase, is not just the feral unhingedness with a bit of a vicious streak, but that underlying the whole performance is still this very tangible sense that he is panicking and freaking the fuck out when Miles strikes out on his own.

He is operating on either wrong information or at least a still pretty warped worldview, and has pulled the other Spider Society members with him into an unhealthy philosophy, to be sure. But I like that he is still a hundred percent convinced that this is how it has to be, not because any deviation is just vaguely wrong or whatever, but because he thinks that's keeping all realities from collapsing. Miles, in his eyes, is dooming millions or more to oblivion, so of course he's desparate to stop this; and that keeps the whole thing grounded in humanity despite him ultimately being in the wrong.

[uncanny-tranny]

Part of my experience with abuse is hoping I get a kid like me so I can know how easy it can be to love them, how easy it is to not treat them how I was treated, and breaking that cycle. It was only hard for them to love me as a child because they didn't love me in the first place. They wished for me to know the hate they had, and I refuse to carry their water for them like that. It was never hard to love me.

[fatuismooches]

EVEN MORE CUTE DOTTORE MOMENTS TO MAKE YOU SMILE 🙏 (because I am too tired to post anything of quality)