#but. granted. i can't even really blame people who do this because we get to see very little of it on screen!

[seriouslygoodomens]

Alright I'm back. Bare with me please.

We NEEEED to be talking about this.

When Aziraphale and Crowley have their first big on screen fight/break up(how ever you want to view it) we see Crowley start yelling about how he hates the "great plan" and Aziraphale goes on to say "may he be forgiven" this leads on to Crowley having a bit of a sad rant as below, even going as far as saying "i will never be forgiven, not ever. Remember, this is the Crowley that said "I didn't even mean to fall, I just hung around the wrong people"

Now what I want to add to this is how absolutely devastated Crowley sounds after this fight and how absolutely torn Aziraphale looks.

(Excuse my poor video, I couldn't find the scene online)

My rant doesn't stop there, no, no. I have more!

The ONE thing Crowley plays into is the "I'm a demon I'm not nice or worthy of forgiveness." And I think Aziraphale is aware of that.

1. He never gets mad when Crowley pulls the "I'm not nice" cranky pants act

2. He didn't even flinch when Crowley shoved him against the wall in the first seasons(but that could be for different reasons 😉)

3. He never, assumes Crowley is behind the wrong doing until Crowley says something dumb like "I got a commendation" regarding the French head cutting. He has learned over the years that what Crowley makes "evil" is usually not something truly bad like the whole bullets instead of paint but no one actually got hurt.

Aziraphale loves Crowley so much but he can't say it because they are always being watched. So you know what he uses instead? I FORGIVE YOU. We see it twice in the series. Aziraphale understand that Crowley thinks he will never be forgiven and that being a demon, he isn't worthy of anyone's forgiveness. So Aziraphale makes sure Crowley knows rhat he is worthy and that he cares so much about Crowley that even God herself won't forgive him, at least Aziraphale has. Aziraphale uses it as his I love you because in a way, it means so much more to them.

Here is the first "I forgive you"

Crowley is pouring his heart out trying to protect Aziraphale and get him to run away with him. He even tells Aziraphale how clever he is, granted he also called him stupid. This is another moment where Crowley is really trying to explain to Az how much he cares about him. Yes there is a LOT of miscommunication here because Aziraphale doesn't want to leave earth. He wants Crowley but he doesn't want to leave. He wants to fight for what is right. Crowley just wants to protect Azirphale and himself. He wants them to have peace together. The do argue and you can see Az is hurt again but instead of breaking things off like earlier, he says "I forgive you" which we can all agree doesn't just mean he forgives Crowley for being rude, he is forgiving so much

. The rude comments

. Lack of trust

. Showing he is worth forgiveness even with such a rushed apology.

Crowley could have left! By all means he should have but he could not abandon his Angel. There is nothing Crowley fears more than losing his Angel. He knew hell was coming for him, he knew they would destroy him for such a huge mistake but he stayed because his Angel is worth risking his life for. His Angel who forgives him time and time again for having to be a "demon" and put on the act. The Angel that has been by his side for thousands of years, just them against all else. Of course he stayed, and do we blame him?

Now let's move onto the second "I forgive you" scene and boy, there is a LOOOOOT to unpack there.

I'm not going into the last 15 because there is SOOO many posts that accurately portray the meaning behind BOTH of their song and dance. Especially Aziraphale's side. So I'm just going to cover that last scene in the shop together.

. Aziraphale knows they are being watched, just like season 1 all over again. The threat is much great this time, though, it's the actual Metatron

. When he first came into the shop, he KNEW what Crowley was going to say by the first words and Az even said "I know we ought be talking about..." he then looked outside and the scene continued. The whole time he keeps glancing outside!!

. When Crowley kisses him, you see Az lose himself in it. He leans in and holds him, ever so briefly before remembering they are being watched. The kiss is all they have ever wanted but it's the wrong time as they are being watched. Just watch him grab his back and straighten slightly

. The first place Az looks after the kiss is outside to the Metabastard. Crowley never once follows his eyes though, would it have been different if he did?

. That man is broken! He loves Crowley beyond words, beyond books and would risk everything for him, that's what he is doing to protect him right now in this scene. As stated in one of the flash backs in season one "I can't have you risking your life, not even for something dangerous" which means Crowleys life is more important to him than getting into trouble with the other angels.

. If your volume is up super high(we had a loud thunderstorm) you will hear "I..... Lo..... I forgive you" now you might think I'm hearing things but I'm not. If you slow the scene down and watch Aziraphale's mouth and tongue placement he IS saying the letter L not F. He couldn't possibly say I love you infront of metatron though, could you imagine what would happen? So he says I forgive you. It's the only way he could safely say "I Love You" without making the whole thing with Metadickhead worse.

. He grabs his lip and presses into it replicating the kiss! This doesn't add much to my rant, just thought it was super cute because it shows how much he enjoyed it and knows that he won't feel that again for a very long time, if ever.

[yampidimp]

i used to think i wouldnt get upset about how other people mischaracterize answer since he's not popular enough and doesnt have enough to work with for it to be much of a problem, it means most interpretations of him are not really disputable, and very few people talk about him anyway

that is until i see how people portray his relationship with chipp. it feels like most people get it even if they know little about them but some people make it out like answer fucking hates chipp and his job and wishes he could leave

he works for chipp willingly! the reason given for him following chipp is he "fell in love with/fell under the sway of his charisma". he also has "his current way of life" listed as something he likes. he doesn't hate his job, he gets stressed out from taking on too much of a workload and at how he's treated by the people he has to deal with (he has to endure a lot of verbal abuse in his phone calls, you know how it is if you've ever had to deal with calls for your job lol) and he definitely does not hate chipp, aside from when they first met.

though the details are extremely vague, answer having immense guilt about his past was considered so important to his character that his quote about it was included in his reveal trailer. chipp found him at a low point and gave him an opportunity to start a new life* and improve himself and atone, something he absolutely needed and still canonically wants. why would he hate him for that?

chipp also isn't just his boss, he's his mentor, and though it's debatable i would argue his friend too. he shows some amount of admiration and respect for him even though it's sometimes begrudgingly and he gets frustrated with him often. even disregarding threatening to kill bedman since you could write that off as the chief of staff's reasonable reaction to his country's leader getting potentially killed, the most emotion he has shown by far was when he thought chipp was going to die

tldr; he cares about chipp he just wants to drop a cartoon anvil on his head sometimes. understanding that it's both is necessary *I do not mean by giving him a job btw. chipp is to answer essentially what tsuyoshi was to him. (narratively speaking, minus the father figure aspect.)

[skufdaddyswansea]

Mouthwashing, Dual Protagonists, and Captain Curly

While the vast majority of Mouthwashing is shown from Jimmy's perspective, the events leading up to the Tulpar's crash usually follow Curly. There are several interesting reasons for this, but there's one reason in particular that I'd like to focus on.

By setting Jimmy and Curly up as dual protagonists, we're invited to draw comparisons between them. Not only are they the lenses through which we view the story, they pass the role of Captain back and forth between their chapters.

It's easy to feel sympathy for Curly, given the state he spends the larger part of the game in. It can also be easy to gloss over his more subtle shortcomings when measuring him up against Jimmy.

In this post, I want to take a closer look at Curly's character. And more specifically, how he relates to one of the game's most obvious themes.

Is Curly able to deal with the consequences of his actions? Does he realize his own failures and how they harm the people around him? What does he do with the power he's granted over others?

Does Curly take responsibility?

Jimmy's fixation here gives us a good jumping-off point. It's certainly possible that he's only really been told this once or twice, but because he's Jimmy he's blown it out of proportion out of spite. It's also possible he's entirely making it up because he's projecting, but I think the former is more likely if anything.

And, if I had to take a guess where he heard it from, I'd put my money on The Pony Express itself.

In the eyes of The Pony Express, a "great leader" isn't someone diligent or able to meet the needs of his crew. The real reason Curly was able to rise to the top of the ladder and become captain is because he gets the job done without rocking the boat.

I'm establishing all this because I think it's worth examining by what metric he's being judged. Because, while it may be Jimmy who most often digs this point up, Curly doesn't disagree with him. Even in the depths of his ennui, it's important to him that not only is he the Captain, but a good one at that.

When comparing the two, that can again seem difficult to argue against. Jimmy is quick to lash out and shift blame. His resentment and insecurities often drive him to pick fights. Curly prefers to avoid conflict, but knows his position doesn't always allow him to do so. He tries to pick his battles, but when he has to get involved he focuses on de-escalating the situation.

But although their similarities are few, they do exist. And they greatly influence the narrative. Because it is from their shared selfishness, callousness, and cowardice that the entire story is born.

It's time to address the elephant in the room. We can't draw any conclusions about Curly's nature, his character, his role in the story, and his relationship to its themes without digging into his handling of Anya's assault, and the chain of events that follow.

I find it interesting that we never see the initial conversation Anya has with Curly about the assault. We simply know that she confided in him. He is the Captain, after all. The crew is his responsibility.

The thing is, we don't really need to know the exact conversation they shared, because we can imagine it went quite similarly to their conversation about her pregnancy.

She tells him how scared she is. She fears for her life. It never even occurred to him that she was upset about anything other than losing her job. He swears to her that everything will be fine. They'll fix this. All he has to do is talk to Jimmy.

He does not talk to Jimmy.

Maybe the first time he really did intend to. He just needed time. Jimmy has always had... struggles. If we want to, we can be generous to Curly, we can assume his old problems were much less vile. Otherwise, he would have never pulled the strings to get him this job, never put him in a position of power over vulnerable people. Right? But now, this was whole new beast altogether. Because he and Jimmy go way back, he had to process this, figure out what he was even supposed to say.

But at the same time, The Pony Express had just gone gone under. He'd been struggling with dissatisfaction and indecision for so long, and now his hand has been forced. He has his own problems. And Anya seems fine, doesn't she? If she hadn't said anything, he'd never have even known there was anything wrong. It just doesn't seem that important.

Anya talks to Jimmy herself.

She's scared, she fears for her life. But now she knows now that Curly won't defend her, nor give her the means to defend herself. Still, he promises her, they'll fix this. He just has to talk to Jimmy.

Things are different now. He can't sit by and wait for things to work out anymore. After all, it's not only her problem anymore.

Now it's Curly's problem too. How is he supposed to find another job with this on his record? There's only one other person on this ship who understands what he's going through.

He talks to Jimmy.

And he understands. Not that what he did was wrong, of course. Not that he'd done something horrific, irreversible, cruel. But that it now had consequences, and that he wouldn't suffer them alone.

Curly made his decision. He chose his paper-thin illusion of peace and his eroding friendship with Jimmy over the safety and well-being of his crew. And when it all came tumbling down, he decided it was better to bury them all under the rubble than to face the struggle to rebuild.

If Jimmy hadn't been there, hadn't been his co-pilot, Curly almost certainly would not have been able to bring himself to actually follow through with something so selfish and reckless.

But Jimmy was there, and Curly made sure of that.

So, it's time to ask again. Does Curly take responsibility?

Well, yes.

But it's too little, too late.

As much as Mouthwashing is about Jimmy fighting furiously against the consequences of his actions, it is also about Curly being forced to watch them unfold anyway. His silence and inaction, once a choice, are inflicted upon him by his mangled body.

Jimmy may have crashed the ship, but Curly gave him the keys. And so it's fitting in the end that Curly is made to take the full weight of responsibility by the man who he helped avoid it so many times.

[almacambiondaughterofsaleos]

Kuczo From Emperor's New Groove Refutes the Bs Sheltered Excuse For Stolas

I know people use the sheltered excuse to cover for Stolas' crappy behavior but I see another character who I think refutes Stolas should be given leeway because he's sheltered is Kuczo from "Emperor's New Groove". The reason why I say this is because why he became such a selfish pos is that he was always sheltered and spoiled to think that way. However, one thing that the narrative doesn't do is shield him from being criticized for his selfishness and callousness. The main plot happens because of his shittiness and taking people for granted like his long time advisor (although that one did have justification because she was trying times to rule behind his back).

Throughout the story he's made to reflect on the fact that his actions affect others and that he can't keep acting the way he is or he will end up alone as a result. And even at one point in the story he even tells off his own narration to feel sorry for himself because at that point we saw that he brought everything on himself and is now paying for it. That is something Stolas would never do because he will frequently deny he's not anything but the complete victim and blame everything after everyone else when it's obvious he's to blame for his own misery.

That's the difference between Kuzco and Stolas as characters is accountability from the narrative. Kuzco's ignorance doesn't give him the excuse to be a pos and he has to learn be a better person or be stuck the way he is forever. Stolas on the other hand is babied and we are supposed to find his ignorance charming rather than obnoxious. And even when it's pointed out he doubles down and claims he's done nothing wrong which shows he is adverse to actually learning to better himself. And ironically Kuzco is just a year younger than Stolas' daughter who acts more mature than her dad. And youth doesn't stop him from being someone who needs his actions corrected.

And most of all entitlement both Kuczo (in the beginning) and Stolas are both entitled characters due to their ignorance. Kuczo for example is so entitled he thinks that there is nothing wrong with bulldozing a village to make a resort for himself while leaving many homeless and when turned into a llama he demands one of the villagers who he told what was going to happen to take him back. Meanwhile, Stolas thinks nothing of extorting someone for sex and then expects to have a relationship with that person since he called it off. However, one character manages to show how toxic this mentality is and how selfish they are for it. The other is treated as deserving of it and thus doesn't get admonish for not caring how others feel until he gets what he wants. And ironically even if Kuczo had moral lapses before truly changing, he comes off as more likable than Stolas.

It's interesting that an almost 25 year old Disney movie can get this character right but a supposedly adult animated show can't. It really shows what happens when let a creator pet blind the story and allow them to get away with more and more shit.

[majeoeje]

Start over

Megumi x reader (male implied reader)

I wished we were two other people more times than everytime you had forgotten about me

"You have really pretty lashes"

Megumi has heard you uttered these words countless of times before, at first he didn't harbor a lot of opinion on this, but now it serves as a painful reminder that he had to start over with you once again. But even now he can't comprehend how to respond other than a simple thank you

"You're Fushiguro right?"

"That's correct"

here we go again, he thought

"It's nice to meet you, i hope we can get along" you gave a lazy smile before entering your shared dorm room, all beat up from your previous fight as if it was just another day.. well you pretend that it was everytime because what else can you do? You once had told him

"Yeah...it's nice to meet you too" he told you. As if he was in a same play for who knows how many times

Megumi had lost count on how many times you had introduced yourself to him, he knew everything about you. Yet you're here asking about his name once again. Your cursed technique is the one to blame for this strange dynamic

That being said, your curse technique transfers memories into curse energy and a technique which grant their wielder the power to imbue a weapon of their choice with curse energy and a guarantee that it would cut anything as if it wasn't there

A cheap cost to pay for power, some would say. But he always watches the fear in your eyes everytime it has to come down to it, afraid you might use it too much to the point you'll forget how to breath.

Afraid...yes you were always afraid. Afraid that your life would succumb to nothing but blank pages of nothing. To the point you'd write every last detail of your day until late at night so that at least your days could amount to something. Even if it were as simple as you went outside and train like how you usually do.

"I'm kind of hungry, you got anything to eat?" You said perking up your head from the non-fiction book you curiously skimmed up from Megumi's bookshelve trying to gather information from the stranger in front of you

"Gojo-sensei dropped some apples earlier, suit yourself" he said pointing to a basket from the corner of his desk remembering how the unusual white haired man hasn't change over the years

"Well don't mind me" you say, picking one up before looking for a something on your side of the room

You didn't have to go through a lot before Megumi tapped you on the shoulder making you face him

"Looking for this?" He pointed to a small knife on his hand

"Oh thanks a lo-"

you didn't even finished your sentence before he took the apple from your hand

"Your hand's fractured, Miss shoko said you shouldn't try to move it a lot in the mean time"

He said, pulling a nearby chair before he started to peel the apple for you. Just how you liked it.. a prefrence that has never changed no matter how many times you've erased your memories

"Aye you did it in one peel, impressive" you commented "How'd you know that i like my apples peeled?"

"You made me do it for you for months when you broke 7 bones on your body" he said handing you the peeled fresh fruit

"Eh, really? Tell me about it" you rested your hand on your desk as you sat comfortably on your chair as if you were getting ready to catch up to an old friend after not meeting them for years. And despite how bad he think his storytelling abilities was, Megumi couldn't disappoint that glimmer in your eyes, never.

"That day you saved me from a first grade curse" he started, as you bit into your freshly peeled apple

"you used up your curse technique to the point you forgot how to wield your weapon"

Megumi was not one to run his mouth, he preferred to listen most of the times. But in times like this, he feels the need to encapture every detail about that period of time as much as possible. And in turn, you'd listen to his voice, tuning in his gentle tone. Perhaps you got distracted at some point but that is surely not your fault

"We must've been pretty close" you grinned, hearing him finished his story

"We were"

You were practically attached to the hip from middle school, so it'd be a lie to say you weren't. But on the darkest pit of his heart he still wished you two was so much more even after knowing you like the back of his hand. How you'd swing your weapon in such way as if you were a dancer, how you'd give a lame excuse on how you peeled too much orange or apples just to get him to eat , how you purposely talk to him to keep him out just to watch a horror movie program in the middle of the night, how you'd play your music loud enough to cause hearing problems when he's not at the dorm, how he knew that you were just assigned a roomate to exploit your Curse technique, how disconnected you truly are from the world, how you'd laugh, how you'd cry, how your skin would make him shiver everytime it touches his

There was never enough of you for him really. Yet he'd wished for the impossible everytime

"So..what's your curse technique?" You asked and he would always answer

Just what was one more start?

[nonotnolan]

Fiverr Warlock: Holiday Magic

Christmas can be a tricky for us magic users. A lot of clients come to us, hoping for budget miracles or last minute holiday magic, so it's easy to start feeling like people just take you for granted. Plus, warlocks are notoriously difficult to shop for. Most of the things we really want for Christmas, we can just conjure something up ourselves. I was started to get really, really burnt out on the holidays until I figured out a trick to raise my spirits-- as a bonus, it's even easy to do. I just pick a random deserving person and give them some charity magic.

Take a look at Jake, here. He's one of the lowest clerks on the totem pole, but he's also the only tailor I know who sees me as a person and not a commission payout. When he told me last week that he was on his second low sales write-up and about to get fired, I decided to make him one of this season's recipients. I know he's a great guy, but I can't blame a random person off the street rejecting a tailor who can't even wear a properly fitting suit. Improving his appearance will go a long way, I think. The problem is Jake would never accept my direct help for free, so I'll have to be subtle about it.

The first step was getting rid of his facial hair. Some guys look good with scruff, but Jake's body isn't growing hair thick enough for a good beard. I'll start there, and work my way up. As far as Jake knows, I was there to buy some dress shoes. I was actually there to cast a delayed change spell on him that would remove all of that unwanted hair overnight. While I was there, I added some skin moisteners and a long-lasting fatigue remover. Finally, I added a mental shroud so that he wouldn't notice the changes to himself.

When I went back to check on my work, I was pleased to see that Jake already showed a noticeable improvement. He was clearly doing a lot better, even if he didn't know why. Could I have left it there? Sure. But I don't half-ass my charity cases.

He greeted me when I walked in, but today I deflected his attentions. "I'm just browsing today. I meant to ask you, though, have you ever considered OnlyFans?" My words hid the casting of a compulsion spell.

He blushed, and slipped his hands in his pockets. "Oh, I don't think I quite have the body for that... but thank you, sir. Let me know if you need anything."

To his credit, Jake's former body was pretty unremarkable. I say former because I cast another delayed transformation on him. This time I gave him 20% more muscle mass, a deeper voice, and increased his self-confidence. I also took a few more years off, for good measure.

The next day, I was able to find his OnlyFans account under his name. It was tempting to increase his muscle mass further, but doing so would risk breaking the mental shroud I cast over him. Besides, massive muscles and a bronze tan often went hand in hand, and I would hate to ruin his beautifully pale skin.

No, better to leave well enough alone. Otherwise I'd be casting minor spells on him for weeks. Jake was no longer struggling through life due to his disheveled appearance, and that's what mattered. Another Christmas Miracle, crafted by yours truly.

-------------------------------------------------

Want to read more by this author? Dicked (Over) by a Demon by Nolan Sempers, for sale on Amazon.

[fountainpenguin]

Rewatching A New Wish - "Stanky Danky" & "Peace of Pizza"

SDLKFJSDKLFJS, I missed that the news channel refers to Dale as "Billionaire non-philanthropist."

I missed that Hazel actually did wish "people would stop being trash monsters," but Cosmo and Wanda only heard "I wish trash monster"... In my memories, she had a nightmare about a monster that they wished to life. This is funnier because I can't really blame Cosmo and Wanda for granting that.

I like when Danky opens his lid one eyeball at a time. Also ?? his elbow pads?? He's a living dumpster and he wears elbow pads... He's safe...

Also, I've watched Dale's presentation a bunch of times because I think it's silly when he hops backwards, or kneels to talk to someone (This is what I was watching again today when I decided to take more notes).

He has some REALLY fun body language, including finger guns. I like his big-armed gestures. He really puts on a show and I think that's hilarious since he doesn't love being in front of people. But I don't know what I expected considering that he likes to dance when he's by himself.

I like that his logo here is a combination of the D for his name and two stripes like a dollar sign... which is interesting, because the logo people have on their phones is a D-squared for his alliterative name.

We do know he's advertising Dimmazon "in partnership with Dimmadome Global," so they're probably separate logos.

And I enjoy his baby talk and finger guns when he's talking to Danky later. I think I already commented this in my first-watch liveblog, but I like how Dale lures Danky in with a dog toy?? It's a squeaky bone. I have a hard time imagining this man going to the pet store, but ??

I missed the fact that he brought TWO single-use helicopters to the park... something is very wrong with him...

As much as I joke about Dale's extreme amounts of trauma, I hope he talks to Vicky like this-

- when they finally cross paths again so we can see where that gets him.

On the one hand, I think it would be hilarious if he had a complete mental breakdown because he's extremely messed up. On the other... Now that he's an adult, can he TALK to her like that??

Assuming he didn't panic when he saw her again, I feel like this is the natural direction for his character: smug and rubbing his success in her face.

I have to assume she'd wreck him since she yelled in "Operation: Birthday Takeback" about her dislike for him (That he was lazy, but went on to be rich and successful and never gave her a cut). She's unhesitatingly mean to Crocker because she doesn't have to keep up appearances around him...

But it would be funny. Against all odds, Dale is not an easily frightened man. He works hard, plunges into the unknowns with his wild risk-taking, and he's the smuggest boy... but he also has meltdowns on the floor when he loses money. I like that.

- Huh. I wonder if Timmy would've grown up to be a lot like Dale if he didn't have Cosmo and Wanda. I mean, Vicky pushed him around too. - I was gonna make a joke about how I think Dale should be as obsessive over Timmy as he is Hazel, but... It IS Dale who got himself out of his torment, not Timmy, so I guess not.

??? Tina's running every position at the news studio.

SKLDFJSLDFJSD, wait, Dale has a lemon slice, but he specifically has PINK lemonade, which he probably did not have to make considering Vicky never sold any in "Nectar of Odds"....... oh my gosh.

?? That might be another drink, but even if it is, I'm pretty sure that's a lemon?

Dale drinking lemonade despite banning Dev from drinking lemonade is the biggest "Rules for thee, but not for me" plot twist of all time... Oh I HATE HIM /affectionate.

oh my gosh, wait...

It's a LIME.

??? Somehow that is exponentially funnier. Tell us how you really feel.

His drink is very possibly a Paloma cocktail, made from grapefruit, lime juice, and tequila (No lemonade required, can be pink, and isn't weird to drink with ice cubes).

I like how both Dale and Dev like to slam dunk trash... even in different episodes... They are Related and live in the Same House...

I don't think I've said it yet, but I appreciate how the Dimmadome tower seems to reach impossibly high into the sky for no reason, considering Dale's statue seems to be the only thing inside it and the statue isn't that tall. It's a brilliant parallel of Doug's hat.

I particularly think it's funny when you see it on maps or in the distance of some scenes. It's just... there.

Geez. Say what you will about Dale, but he's a very hard worker who pulls things together INCREDIBLY fast. I mean... logically, I know him being a super hard worker who gets sucked into projects is his whole thing and that's why he's not there for Dev, but... ?? Holy one-man PR and marketing team running around this episode, Catman.

Lastly... apparently Dale likes to take over Dev's lounge when he's looking at profit charts, because that's where he's sitting when he has a meltdown about his stock dropping 5 million dollars... I mean, I guess it's both of their lounge, but you get me. And here's his thinking expression because it's funny:

Every time I watch a Dale episode, he gives me huge "Fandom's special boy" energy and I don't look forward to leaving my spoiler-free zone and possibly finding out that is Not True... skldfj. Look at him. He clicks his finger guns and slam dunks and he's getting by on fragments of his soul. We get him for free.

Notes from "Peace of Pizza" I thought of when I went to fetch Dev's trash scene

This vampire at Versaille:

Strat and Oppy change expressions during flashbacks, but Closer's the same... I don't know what I expected.

So ?? I keep going back to this scene because... I swear that's the April Fool, Flappy Bob, and the Sandman... Maybe not Flappy, but the only other clowns I can think of are his parents and Bobo, and none of them fit this either and Flappy already had a cameo in "1500 Minutes of Fame," so they're very aware of him. I'm gonna check.

That's such an interesting choice of characters to use as models?? I don't have anything to say about it.

Hazel specifically wished for Dev to have "extra milk he could share" for kindness day. He ends up with two (Cosmo and Wanda), but he didn't even have one milk carton on his tray because he's lactose intolerant, so... he didn't pick one up to begin with.

And we KNOW that, because he's on the way to the trash can when people stop him to talk. Also, during the close-up you can see he didn't eat his broccoli or carrots and I think that's funny.

?? So, in my 'fic worldbuilding, people generally go along with wishes if they're affected by them unless something REALLY tips them off that something's completely wrong. I like the implication that Dev instantly went on guard because he was confused as to how he suddenly had milk.

Oppy only pretends to be sad when Dev turns to look at him... He is the Optimism Captain to his core...

Strat is once again putting his hand on Oppy's shoulder... they are brothers... he loves him...

why were they even allowed to run around the school and bother children... why was no one supervising the billionaire's kid and questioning the intentions of these mysterious adults hovering around him...

Stackable:

It is their natural state of being... Also, from a budget standpoint, identical triplets whose distinguishing feature is their eyes & who are based on peas so they're simple to design was a brilliant Season 1 move. I hope we see them again someday, though I'm completely fine with them being very rare appearances.

?? Hazel has Class 104 after Guzman's class ("Multiverse of Jenkins") and Dev has it after lunch, is that what I'm getting here?

That is a different design than the other Room 104... oh :'D I guess they only have the one sign model.

Y'know........ that WOULD be weird if Flappy was at that treaty in the flashback. That doesn't seem likely... but it stresses me out that the Pe-Az have a magical briefcase that can hold large items without harming them...

... because Flappy's briefcase ALSO does that. He keeps his clown stuff, dioramas, and employees in there. It's the world's worst conspiracy... The intergalactic diplomats, friends of the Pixies who are all about paperwork and neutrality and raised Flappy... I'm connecting the dots...

omg, do you think the Pe-Az are the reason Fairies and Anti-Fairies decide who gets the godkids with an annual bake-off? They do like their treats. That WOULD be fun to work with in my war & truce 'fics. Oppy: Everyone loves cake and brownies! Strat: Brother, the Fairy King literally just lost his castle and son. Isn't celebrating with treats a bit insensitive? Oppy: Listen, I have one job in this team and I'm going to do it. Their ancestors, anyway.

I don't think I said this in my first watch, but I really like Closer. He's fantastic. Shows up, selectively mute because he's saving his voice for when he needs to throw tantrums and asking the same question repeatedly to bug people, super thoughtful and well-prepared, considered the best at what he does, gets meme'd on by a 9-year-old iPad kid and loses everything. Flawless character.

He's one of my favorites in all New Wish. They all are; I love their dorky shorts and brotherhood.

I really like how Closer insists he'll be done with negotiations in "30 minutes or less" because his whole thing is pizza. But Dev broke this man in like, 20 seconds:

BROKEN HEART!!!

Also, Strat... <3 He's such a ping-pong ball of a person.

For some reason, it's funny to me their language is themed around arrows. That's brilliantly clever for a negotiating species; it kind of reminds me of how the Yugopotamian language is in swirls patterned after their exposed brains.

Also, Some Three Guys having the ability to simply "turn pizza off" for the entire world is such an insane plot set-up and I think they played it perfectly.

Oppy kicking up his leg & Closer's expressions:

Extremely funny to me that when I heard "pea pod aliens," I went on immediate defensive expecting "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" vibes, but they're just cute little guys who like treats and bribery. why do they dress Like That... The suits and ties, the teeny shorts, the white socks pulled high above black shoes... did they get picked on in school?

??? They're just one-offs, but they have so much character and they all have unique body language and speech patterns... love that for them. I want to write something for them. I have no clue what, but I think they deserve to be children negotiating on the playground or looking after one another.

Strat and Oppy I think I can get their vibe as children - the planner and the enthusiastic one - but little kid Closer would be interesting.

What's a good thing to negotiate over when you're a kid... Were they kiddos who made graphs and presentations while arguing over which TV channel to watch or who would bathe first, y'think?

I think "baby Pe-Az in the bathtub" is exactly the type of content people follow me for.

Wanda's face here cracks me up...

... and shout-out for Dev getting instantly weirded out with stranger danger when Cosmo pats him.

I love how when the O-pairs pick the Pe-Az up by their heads and put them down again, Closer's dizzy and he sways back and forth even though his brothers are fine... lmao. I guess people don't usually mess with him?

Also, when Dev switches from playing around to serious talk, all three Pe-Az instantly put their folded hands on the table. They are ready for a Meeting...

That is all.

[kimbureh]

idk man, online fandom is just not the place for me.

"reblog my art/writing!!!11" "I'll block people who only like my stuff but don't reblog"

this is so intense. I have zero interest in talking to people who are trying to bully me into promoting them. It's as if people are saying:

"If you don't comment on people's fanwork, fandom will die because of you, specifically"

I get it, attention is nice. I'm a creator too. And it's true that current social media isn't conducive of creating and maintaining communities. But you don't build a community with aggression against your own audience.

I don't wanna hang out with people who yell at me about how they don't get enough attention. You're blaming the audience when the real problem goes way, way deeper, and this behavior of prioritizing content promotion over actual human connection is actually part of the issue. Urging people to reblog your stuff may grant you exposure, but it sure doesn't make you any friendships, at least not mine.

-

A few years back, I wanted to refine my comedic writing and started a whacky Fallout 4 blog long after the fandom had seen its peak. I knew there wouldn't be a large audience, but I wanted to see what would happen. Long story short, I regularly invited my followers to send asks I would answer in-character, and honestly had so much fun. I never bullied my audience for only liking and not reblogging. To the contrary; I respect my audience and their prerogative to decide for themselves what they do want to share on their blogs and what they don't. It's *their* blogs. I cannot grasp the audacity of some creators to demand space on people's personal blogs. I really can't.

I only had the Fallout blog for like 8 months and got more audience attention than I could deal with at times. I had such a blast, getting asks, replying to them, building in-jokes with my followers. I ended the blog with a small event and was met with a flood of lovely comments and good-byes. Today, four years later, I post on that blog maybe one or two times a year. And even though most of my followers unfollowed me when I ended the blog, I still get the occasional lovely comment. After four years, people still remember the great time we had.

Good thing I didn't block all those wonderful people who mainly liked but didn't reblog. Word got around nonetheless. I found the audience I was looking for. Dunno if I would have had the same relaxed experience with a crowd who was bullied into the interaction.

-

idk, man. What is online fandom?

I don't like how we treat each other. Fandom is not a marketplace. I am not selling myself or my creations, I want to treat you better than a simple customer. At its heart, fandom is a gift economy. You don't owe me a thing. If you don't want to give freely, I won't take it with force. I respect you and myself too much for that.

I think we can still find our people in fandom, without exploiting our audience as market-criers.

[jadeylovesmarvelxo]

His Princess 👑 🎲

You're Eddie's princess. Some people have a hard time accepting this. Eddie puts the douchebag in his place ❤️

Warnings: Jealous Eddie.

Loosely inspired by this meme

Don't reuse, copy or repost my work.

👑🎲❤️

If Eddie had to listen to this douchebag flirt with you one more time, he was going to blow.

Everyone knew you were his, granted it was more of an unspoken rule but it was well known to everyone in Hawkins High.

Then Richie the Prick, comes along and decides to test Eddie's patience. He can't blame the guy for flirting with you, you're beautiful, a goddess, Eddie's princess.

But it still doesn't stop Eddie from having the urge to rearrange Richie's teeth.

Richie was under the impression that you were Eddie's princess only in the campaigns, that you were fair game otherwise.

Most of Hellfire seemed to warn him, well except Erica who thought he was a dumbass and was looking forward to Eddie chewing him out.

Richie was finding it increasingly hard to get any time with you at all, not without Eddie glaring daggers of him, you were pretty closed off too, friendly but not giving away anything.

"So, what's Eddie's deal?" he asks Dustin and Gareth one evening, he's grown frustrated at his lack of success with you.

Eddie just sits smug as anything with you beside him, Gareth rolls his eyes at Richie's questions.

"Give it up dude, she's not interested. She's Eddie's" Richie frowns.

"You're shitting me with this bullshit right, this is just a game, she's not his princess or whatever shit he says"

Dustin laughs half heartedly, looking nervously at Eddie who hears this and his eyes narrow.

"Oh, dude. It's like you want to die or something don't you?" Dustin shakes his head wearily and hopes to god that nothing else comes of this.

He knows that it won't be long before Eddie's temper blows because of this...

Shit they warned Richie enough, maybe he really was just a dumbass. Dustin's watches the game closely and when Richie's character dies quite brutally, it's like an I told you so moment.

Eddie's smirk says it all.

❤️👑🎲

There's a knock on Eddie's door and this pisses him off, he was in the middle of something very important and he's not happy about being interrupted.

His irratation grows when he sees it's Richie who's interuped him.

"Do you mind asshole? I was in the middle of dessert?" he huffs and Richie rolls his eyes as he takes in a half dressed Eddie.

"Dude, I came here to call you out on your shit, you killed my character off! All because I flirt with" your girl" who I highly doubt is yours by the way"

Eddie loses patience by this time, draws himself to full height, towers over Richie who visibly pales.

"Let's get one thing straight. You're some rich, preppy runt who thinks he has a shot with my girl. Spoiler alert dick, you don't" Richie the prick snorts.

"Well, we will see about that Munson. You're talking shi... Richie cuts off as you come out of Eddie's bedroom.

His sheet is wrapped around you half hazardly, your lips are all kiss bitten, little love bites litter your chest and you're pouty.

"Eddie, baby. I'm cold and lonely. Come back" Richie's mouth drops and he gapes between you and Eddie.

"I'm coming sweetheart. Give me one minute okay princess?"you nod and with a smirk hold up the handcuffs.

"Okay, can't wait to use these again" You wink and head back to bed and he turn to Richie with a triumphant and cocky as shit smile.

"See? She's my princess. Just like I said. Mine. Fuck off before I get really mad" Richie rushes away with his tale between his legs and Eddie slams the door shut.

Asshole. He heads into his room and finds himself softening as soon as his eyes meet yours.

"Hi princess, he's gone now" he assures you and he strokes your cheek. You peer up at him and there's a cheeky grin on your face.

"I await instructions... Dungeon Master" You tack on at the end much to his amusement and he kisses you.

"Well, I was enjoying being between your thighs princess" you giggle as he spreads your legs wide and buries his head between your thighs.

Richie soon ends up long forgotten.

👑🎲❤️

[about-faces]

I'm still loving Gotham Nocturne and I wish it was getting the love/respect/attention is deserves. I've spoken several people who haven't been reading the current Detective Comics run because they're Batmanned Out (good lord, do I get it) and they see it as just another attempt at some kind of "ultimate Batman story with Batman fighting the ultimate evil," which I strongly disagree with.

THAT SAID... as time has gone on, and the story seems to be reaching its finale, there are a few things that stand out of me as problems with this epic storyline.

1.) It's one of the most egregious examples of "writing for the trade paperback." This simply isn't a story that's meant to be read month-to-month. It's too slow, with too little "happening," at least on the superficial level. Paradoxically, it's NOT a story that should be binged! The best comparison that comes to mind is Better Call Saul, since that's the only other example of serialized media that's meticulously slow-paced yet INCREDIBLY RICH for those willing to engage with it on its level rather than expecting it to be Breaking Bad (or in Nocturne's case, a typical Batman story.) Ram V is capable of writing super-engaging monthly issues, as the fantastic Rare Flavours proves, but that brings us to...

2.) The story is sprawling. Maybe even TOO sprawling. When it comes to people who are sick of Batman, I try to sell them on the fact that this story is about GOTHAM AS A WHOLE, right down to the villains who call it home, and how everyone there is as intrinsically a part of Gotham as Batman is. But ensemble stories like that are tricky, and it makes the focus feel all over the place at times, with alternately too much and too little attention being paid to the main players, Batman included. It's a balance that was handled beautifully with Batman: The Audio Adventures, but it seems a bit more awkward here. Again, it's hard to pull off!

Like, we have characters pop up and then vanishing without explanation. We got Azrael back in the AzBats armor for the first time in decades, like, holy shit! That should be a HUGE development! And then, poof, he vanished! There's simply no time to explore Jean-Paul's character because there's so many other things the narrative needs to explore.

This feels like it would have really benefited from a companion series, something to focus on the characters the way the backup stories have done, but just more so. I think about how Peter Tomasi would write companion books to the main big storylines written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Scott Snyder, and how he'd focus on character, which always enriched the greater "big important storyline." Which, in turn, also brings me to...

3.) The backup stories have really lost a lot of their punch since they stopped being written by Si Spurrier and were taken over by Dan Watters. Watters is incredibly capable, make no mistake, and his Cheshire/Lian Harper story is one of my favorite parts of this entire saga. But by and large, his tales focus more on the spooky and weird sides of what's happening with Nocturne, whereas Spurrier's stories were more focused on characters navigating the weirdness of the events. As a result, Spurrier gave us what I consider to be some of the very best stories about Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Victor Fries ever written. I really miss those, and how they enriched Ram V's (possibly overly-ambitious) narrative.

Ultimately, Gotham Nocturne feels like the Batman equivalent to an arthouse film, which means it's going to be appreciated by a handful of nerds while leaving most other fans cold, and I can't really blame them. If anything makes me sad about all this, it's how all this incredible character work with Bruce, Harvey, Victor, Talia, and others is going to be ignored. Hell, it already is, given the complete lack of acknowledgement we've seen in other Bat-books for what's going on in Nocturne.

At this point, I just hope it sticks the landing in the finale, because I want to be able to have a complete, satisfying epic to recommend to people who want something a bit richer than the typical "guy in Bat costume punches clown" stories we usually get.

[darkbluekies]

What would your OC’s do if their s/o cheated on them

Warnings: cutting, carving name into skin, death, isolation, very toxic, unhealthy relationships, beheading, degradation

Silas:

Basement. Immediately. You've betrayed his trust and taken his rare love for granted. He'll feel stupid and want you to realize your mistake. He'll also not hesitate in getting rid of the person who managed to steal you away from him in the worst ways possible. From now on, you'll never see anyone else. At all.

"Now, Y/N. Don't you dare look away from me. You better get used to seeing my face from now on. It'll be the only living thing I'll allow you to see. You'll stay down here until you've learned your righteous place. I own you, I love you. And I'll make sure you understand that."

Dr Kry:

Since you're not a couple, you can't technically cheat on him. But he won't care. You're his and people should know that. Dr Kry can never blame you for stuff, you're not well! How can he put the blame on someone who doesn't even know what's best for themselves? The person he saw you kiss will be wiped off the earth one way or another and you'll get even more drugs and medication to keep you bed bound.

"If I'm mad? Why, of course I am. Why did you kiss that person? What do they have that I don't? I literally care for you 24/7! No one else even cares about you as much as I do. And this is how you repay me? Y/N, please. You don't understand how much this hurts me and I don't blame you for that. You're just naive. That's why I have to make sure you don't leave your bed. We can't let this happen again."

King Edmund:

Edmund is extremely hypocritical. If he wanted to, he could choose anyone to be with for the night, but he never does that because he loves you. You don't have that choice however and when you take that thing for granted to piss him off, all hell will break loose. People will be executed, he'll start war, he'll separate families and burn down cities.

"See what you made me do! Why do you let other people suffer thanks to you, Y/N? All you needed to do was to obey me. You promised to be loyal in our wedding vowels. Traitor. I'll make sure you never dare to cheat on me again. From now on, every person you glance at will get beheaded with a butter knife, got it?"

Jerry:

Her friends will have alerted her and she'll catch you right in the act. The moment the door swings open, Jerry will start to laugh. She doesn't know if it's out of shock or the fact that she now can punish you. Before you have the time to "explain", she'll have shot the other person dead and made her way over to you.

"My stupid, silly little bitch. You're really dumb, aren't you? Were you trying to make me jealous? Well, I don't get jealous, baby. I get territorial. And you're my property. I'm going to carve my name into every inch of your skin and force you to look at it every fucking day. Sooner or later that empty head of yours will get it."

Hedwig:

You can't keep anything secret from Hedwig. She knows everything. When you come over to her house one day she tells you that she has something for you in a tone that frightens you. Down in the basement, your fling is tied to a chair, gagged with a handkerchief and bruised all over. Hedwig’s sobs will bring you back to reality.

"You think I didn't know?! How could you, Y/N? I worship the ground you walk on. Isn't that enough for you? What do you want me to do? How could you do this to me? I could give you everything you ever wanted. This is not fair. But don't worry. We're not breaking up. I'm giving you another chance. I'm sure we can repair our relationship. I love you so much, honey. If you do this again, I'll have no other choice but to keep you locked in my room. If you don't want that, you better keep all of your attention on me."

[bloggingboutburgers]

Hi!! Sorry to bother you but i just want to feel like im not sick and wanted to share my thoughts with someone that wont judge me

But i feel really bad, i really feel like there’s something wrong with me i don’t like sex and every time i had sex before has been bc i was supposed to do it, i forced my self to lose my virginity bc i felt like it was about time and i was too old for keep being a virgin. Also i thought “well, maybe if i do it i’ll start liking it like everybody says” but i didn’t, i didn’t like it but i thought again “oh well, it’s the first time (im a ciswoman)they say it always hurts the first time, maybe the more i do it i’ll start liking eventually” but again, i didn’t, i had sex with different people that i felt attracted to and it ALWAYS HURTED, also every time i had to be with at least a little alcohol in my system, so actually i have never had sex being 100% sober.

Now i’m in a relationship but I don’t even like kisses and it sucks bc i really love my boyfriend, he knows about this but i kinda feel like even if he is very supportive about it and says he still wants to be with me, I think there’s this little part of him that wishes that one day i’ll change and we can have sex.

I feel bad bc is it ok to call him my boyfriend and not just a close friend? Im i even allowed to love? Do i have to force my self to do something I don’t really want to or enjoy to be loved? Am i worthy of being loved?

I'm so sorry. As a thirtysomething that had the privilege to afford never to have sex, and who doesn't plan to change that any time, soon, I can tell you from my own experience that yes, not wanting it is valid, and no one should blame you for it. No one should blame you for forcing yourself to try it (because damn the societal pressure is so real), and for never liking it either. I'm so sorry you've been so invalidated just for wanting to live as you are for so long.

Seems to me that what you have right now is something you've always deserved and it's tragic that you didn't get it any earlier, but it's such a relief you have it now. Of course it's OK to call him your boyfriend. As much as our closed-minded, stuck-in-its-own-way, can't-see-past-its-own-nose society would try to lead you to believe, you don't have to have or want sex with someone to love them, that's not a mandatory condition at all. Of course you're allowed to love and worthy of being loved. And no, you don't have to force yourself to do something you don't want to or enjoy to be loved. That applies not only to sex but to so many other things. You don't have to force yourself to do anything to be worthy of love.

It's idealistic thinking maybe, but I always think communication is incredibly important between two people, so I'd personally recommend (although take for that what you will, you were just sharing feelings here, it's not like you came into this inbox to be told what to do and it's kinda pretentious on my part to write this in the first place) to share those fears with your boyfriend, emphasizing, if you need to, that it's not that you don't trust him or don't love him, it's that with the struggles you've had to go through for so long as an asexual person, it's hard for you not to be scared of such things even if things are going great. Of course I don't know your boyfriend, but if you have the feeling he's supportive, I want to believe that he'll be there to reassure you and keep supporting you.

And heck, if it winds up being a disappointment and he actually did have sexual ulterior motives he can't do without... That's on him, not on you. There's nothing wrong with you not wanting sex. You have every right to enjoy loving someone and being with someone on your own terms. I'm fortunate enough to do so myself, at the moment (granted, in a queer platonic relationship so it's a bit different, but still), so I know first-hand it's possible. And I sincerely wish you the best. You don't deserve to be doubting yourself, your happiness and your right to happiness so much but I can't blame you for that either. Society can really fuck up an asexual's self-esteem. But fuck that noise. You're so valid as you are.

[bokettochild]

Hey! I ahev some rambled about the opera house au and just things with the chain in general.

First.

Hwo do you think legend would react to having to play a lead character for the opeing of the show and the main character he played love interest was one if the dives? Like maybe lullaby started panicking because dusk dropped out on opening night and she got sick and lullaby panicked and told legend he would play the lead daisy Buchanan (i'm just using the great gatsby musical characters bc i'm in love with it right now) and one of the dives played jay gatsby and he had to kiss them and sing powerful songs?

Second.

I don't know if it is Canon but in the linked Universe, legend is times descendent or direct successor. How do you think tike would react to finding out he had one more descendent under his nose and it's the veteran who is prickly and cold nothing like twilight his descendent or wind I think wind is his successor who is goofy ans child like but also put. Off even though in recent update we saw legend is an aboustle gremlin...well live that though.

Third

Do you think legend would ever yell at twilight? Like maybe legend is having a bad day snd twilight says somting like "time left the master sword in perfect condition I didn't have to save Mt world until I was 17" and so on just really boasting about it to legend maybe because legendhad been mean or snsrky to wild and twilightwas trying tk get back for wild. Snd legend snaps "yeah really?! Good for you well time didn't leave the master sword in good condition for me! When I found the master sword it rusted beyond belief I had to build it back up with my own 9 (or who ever years old legend was) old hands with times blood on it because time died! Well fighting ganon making my world fall apart leaving a nine year old to save it!" Had legend just yells at twilight dumping all of his trauma on twilight even bring marin into to mix, and the whole chain stands there watching their veteran yell at the ranch hand with tears streaming down his face. Well time feels horrible for birnf inccont legend into the cruel world of being a hero, and giving him that trauma.

Alright bye enjoy your day and be safe!

Legend can and has filled in for leading roles before, but he's also been cast in them! His major starring role is actually one of his more iconic (there's nothing more iconic than that, fight me) and does feature a bit of a "love story" between himself and the character that Warriors plays. Granted, Legend's character is faking the whole thing, but it's still a lot of flirting on stage. They both know how to be professional about it and behave themselves though, and anything like kissing is usually faked for the sake of the actors (when and if they can, there's no actual contact made, as long as they can make it look like there is. He's also ended up having to play a love interest (unrequited, but still) for Wild's character! They had a good laugh about it honestly and yeah, there was a moment there where people had questions, but it just turns out Legend's a good actor and very convincing :)

Honestly, I think Time would be sort of shocked to find out that Legend is also his successor, but also sort of horrified. I mean, Legend comes from a world where Time not only died, but also failed in his duties as a hero, leaving them to fall on the shoulders of another child instead. Granted, that's not his fault, but if you look at their timeline talk and all, you can't deny Time wouldn't blame himself at least a small amount. Would that guilt make it harder for him to be around Legend? Would he treat him differently, knowing that Legend might never have become a hero if Time hadn't fallen? I think he would. I think the guilt would eat at him, because while he does know there will always be heroes who rise to face evil, the fact that Legend had to rise specifically to clean up after him would devastate him. All the more so because Legend's the guy who's done the most out of all of them and is the only one to repeatedly have to fight Ganon, because the pig gained immortality as (again) a result of the Hero of Time falling.

I don't know that Legend would trauma dump on any of his brothers intentionally. he's very guarded, an people like that tend to not be super eager to drop truth bombs that big in a moment flat. Over time though? Sure! Someone makes a comment about the Master Sword and Legend ends up revealing that he had to reforge his before it was actually fit for use, because it was left in ruin. Something else later lets them learn that it still had Time's blood on it when it was left in the forest, and that Legend, while reforging the blade, had to clean the blood-rust away, smelling the blood of his predecessor as he worked. Maybe this or that comes up and they slowly start getting the puzzle pieces of the vet's life; nothing seems to fit together one way or another, and they're not sure how much is true because there's so many things, how could this much happen to one person? But then they realize how many adventures there have been, and how long it took, and when the final nail in the coffin comes with a tired "I was eight", it really hits them all. Legend wouldn't dump it all at once, but I think his brothers are smart enough to put together what he does say to find out the truth, and I think it would devastate them. Twilight would absolutely feel guilty about having it "so easy" in comparison (no such thing, they all suffered, but hey, they all think their pain is lesser than the rest) but I think Legend would shut that down in a heartbeat, if he knew. Now, if Legend inhibitions were lowered in some way and someone set him off? We might get it all at once, with the drama you described. Legend would have to be pretty out of it to be so honest about his past, but hey! Whatever works to make fissures and pain, no?

[landwriter]

1589 got me feeling&rambling and I'm so sorry beforehand that I can't keep it short and simple, as would probably befit the thing. Feel free to ignore if not interesting to you, still you are the one that comes to mind when thinking about Hob being morally grey.

That scene is always so painful to watch, mostly because Hob is behaving like such a sorry fool. He has really decked himself out to impress his stranger and misses the mark so dramatically.

(Whereas Dream seemingly has not held back either - I mean it's easily his hottest look, you can't tell me he didn't mean to make a lasting impression. So much disappointment on both sides.)

Cringe Hob as part of the dark Hob spectrum, his self-importance/selfishness showing - of course it's not pure fun to watch, but I'm always so fascinated by that flicker of pain (foreshadowing shame) that comes right to the surface in all his put on show, just before he orders the lamb. The contrast makes for a very intense moment, imo. And I am wondering, has he really left all of this behind by 1889? Or is he simply more smooth by that time (that's what I'm getting from the show) ? In fanfics his flaws are mostly depicted as minor or serving a good end in modern times, he is always such a goodie by then (and I love him, of course). But can we imagine just a trace of more questionable/offputting Hob in the mix (if only on impulse) - to be clear, I have no idea how that would work. Or should we just be grateful that that lies behind him (it certainly makes for a much more likeable character and a nicer love story)?

(me force feeding myself more of the horrible stuff I just wanted to avoid looking at)

It's a beautiful contrast: opulence and insecurity. Success and asking still for validation. I have Thoughts on each meeting (please send me asks about them) - ostensibly the very first fannish thing I did for this show, and also in my adult life, was rewatch the meetings and pause constantly and take - oh holy Christ over 4,000 words of notes.

I propose Hob is not acting like a sorry fool. Sure, some bits are clearly played for comedy. Hob is selfish, self-important, and given to hedonism. He is concerned primarily with his own comfort and the personal pleasures of life. But I blame 1589 pretty solidly on Dream. In 1489, after being asked what his experience is like, he answers Dream with an inarticulate statement spoken by a true person who just Digs The Experience of Experiencing: it's 'fucking brilliant' and 'all changing'. Dream asks how, Hob literally looks around the room like a student who forgot an essay was due, and names chimneys and playing cards. Handkerchiefs. Simple things - still sensual things - but simple ones. Certainly no sociopolitical discourse here. What will you people think of next, says Dream, deeply sarcastic and visibly disinterested. And Dream also asks him: but what is Hob doing with his time? This, too, he is under-prepared to answer. Soldiering, banditry, bit of printing press work. Hardly enough to impress this supernatural lord, and Hob can tell.

When he is granted, explicitly, another 100 years by Dream, it is not only a relief, but I think a part of Hob squares its jaw in that moment and says: I'll show him - I'll show him what I can do in a century, I'll earn his pleased regard. Not necessarily because he's even, you know, madly in love at this point, but because he's in it for the living, does not intrinsically have great ambitions, but does have someone who has a) seemingly granted him this greatest gift and b) is unimpressed with what he's doing with it. And he's lost everyone he knew. Dream is now his oldest acquaintance, and wouldn't it be nice if he liked Hob?

He knows only the language of what impresses other men, and this is what he achieves. But to Dream, both Hob's socially-valued successes and his deeply personal ones are terrifically uninteresting. They are not New Dreams To Spur The Minds Of Men. There is no new story in a man seeking fortune and having a wife and a child he loves. He is ancient as the first dreaming thing, and he is Bored. He is, in fact, soured on this meeting from the outset, when he says "Hello, Hob," which on my watch struck me, apparently, as extremely bizarre and of having a real air of Hob being In Trouble. (The only other times Dream says his name are at the first, looming and omniscient, and in 1789, - 'I suggest you find yourself a different line of business, Robert Gadling'. He does not say it at their modern meeting.)

I mean - how would you impress someone? Someone who was interested in your deeds? Putting on a nice little dinner and catching them up on your life, talking about your family, seems a decent enough shout. It's not like you can ask him about his life, he won't offer information when asked and only sometimes will correct you if you venture your own guesses. (see also: 1889 foreshadowing) Hob is feeling proud and triumphant, feeling like he's come far. He is obviously a bit obnoxious about it, but I do think Dream shows off his flaws far more in 1589 than Hob does.

Hob's greatest sin, here, is trying to be liked. His greatest regret is almost certainly not the spread he put on, but the moment he was really, truly, earnest - not underscored even by a subsequent joke - the moment he declaims that this is what he had imagined Heaven to be like (safe enough to walk the streets; good food; good wine) - Life is so rich, he says - and Dream looks away to listen to Will Shaxberd, and we watch real time as Hob's expression collapses. He had leaned forward nearly out of his chair in enthusiasm, and now he shrinks back, reminded again of the dangers of earnestness: being alone in it. Being ignored. Better to make a joke of things, which is why he tells so many around Dream, especially after being more open - it's clearly a matter of habit. (It is also, incidentally, absolutely unappealing to Dream, who really and truly looks at him for the first time in 1689, when he is stripped of the social niceties of men and reigns nothing in.) He eats. He frets. He has had another century, and he has failed to impress the stranger.

The worst moment, I think, is that Dream does not renew their compact. He does not ask Hob if he still wishes to live, and Hob does not get the opportunity to say "Oh, yes." He was given this gift for one reason: the stranger was curious about his experiences. Does the stranger seem still curious about him now? I wonder, honestly, if Hob thought he would see another meeting.

Has he really left that all behind by 1889? No - you hear it in his own words, 'People are almost always better than you think they are.' - the earnesty, and then the joke - 'Not me, though, still the same as ever.' Except it's not really a joke, is it? Hob is saying to Dream, I know you don't think much of me, well, I don't pretend to think much of myself. He still wants Dream's validation, of course, he's just trying to earn it differently. (It goes poorly.) He's smoother, but also more frustrated, more fed up, more hungry for knowledge of his stranger; and I think that's such an interesting point in time for him. I think he leaves little behind, and what he does leave behind, he dreams of. He's changed so much and so little, and I think you could really go in whatever direction you want depicting that and be convincing.

I can't speak to the fanon on Hob's flaws because I don't read nearly as much as I wish I could. While I don't personally think 1589 Hob was actually that questionable or offputting - at least no more than most people would be in that situation - I would love to see a modern fic where has the same flaws he's always had, where they come up maybe different than they would have several centuries ago, but they absolutely exist, it does have plot consequences. Bonus points if he is not being offputting for the purposes of rescuing Dream from the fishbowl - if his flaws exist independent of his relationship with Dream altogether. Bonus bonus points if Hob is the one whose character development needs to be developed and Dream is in a better place than he is. If anyone has fic recs feel free to drop them in the comments!

P.S. 1589 Dream, wow, yes, for sure. 10/10 would babble and get walked out on

[queeniecook]

January 18 – Part 4

The spell worked. Once at the hospital, James handed Jillian over to the hospital staff and they rushed her into the ER. To his surprise, his sister-in-law Annalise was on duty. He didn't even know she worked at this hospital. He thought it was at another one, granted he hasn't paid much attention to what she does, unless it involves his wife.

He sits down on a couch in one of the waiting areas, feeling physically drained but not wanting to show it. He knows he's reached his limit with his magic for a good forty eight hours.

"I really shouldn't be telling you this, you're not her family member." Annalise tells him after she had helped stabilize Jillian, she was now being prepped for an emergency C-section, which would be handled by her OB-GYN- Dr. Goto. Annalise agreed to scrub in and help if needed. 

"I just want to know if they're alive, Annalise. I'm not asking for all the dirty details." James tells her, rolling his eyes. 

"Jillian is stable though unconscious, the baby is still in distress. They're prepping her for an emergency C-Section as we speak." Annalise tells him, wondering why he even cares. It stuns her that James is the one who brought the pregnant woman in. "It's a good thing you got her here when you did because if you hadn't, both of them wouldn't have made it." She leaves it at that and leaves to go get ready for the surgery. 

James sits there, digesting that news for a few moments. He pulls out his phone, seeing he has service once again. He calls his spy to get the number of Dakota. The phone conversation with Dakota goes as well to be expected and it isn't long before he and Joey are at the hospital.

Dakota wants to see Jillian, to apologize for blowing up at her but he's told that even though he's the father of the child, it's best he not be in the operating room. Dr. Goto is honest with him and tells him he isn't totally sure how it's going to go. Jillian is stable but has remained unconscious and the baby is in distress. Dakota is a ball of worry and blaming himself as James approaches him.

"Umm...thank you for....getting them here." Dakota tells him. It feels heavy coming out of his mouth. He doesn't trust the older warlock and his fight with Jillian was about her not telling him about James' visit but James had gotten Jillian to the hospital. 

James nods, feeling out of place. This isn't his usual role in the grand scheme of things.

"I don't understand what she was doing out in that weather to start with." James voices. In the middle of the night, on the outskirts of town, in the middle of winter no less -is not where you usually find a eight month pregnant woman. 

"We had a fight. About you actually." Dakota admits, it takes a lot for him not to just blame James. He kind of started it but he didn't make Jillian not tell Dakota and he didn't make Dakota yell at her instead of talking to her about it. 

James raises an eyebrow and he thinks back to what his little spy told him. So Dakota found out. Hmm. He didn't give Jillian the book to cause problems - for once - he did it because he knew she'd love it and it's rare to find someone who enjoys books like he does.

"You flew off the handle at her, didn't you?" James asks though he knows the answer. Dakota kind of reminds him of himself when he was younger. He can tell the young man has a temper. James still has one, when he was younger he let it control him at times. He's learned to manage it better with age. 

Dakota crosses his arms "Excuse me?" He asks. How in the world did James know that?

"She's eight month pregnant. Pregnancy Hormones and someone getting in your face don't mesh well." He tells the man beside him. He pinches the bridge of his nose in aggravation. Young people. "Next time, don't let her leave in the middle of the night, okay? I can't be around all the time."

And with that, James leaves the hospital. Dakota stood there, wanting to punch something or someone. He didn't understand where James of all people got off on trying to call him out on his behavior when Jillian is the one who kept something from him. But that doesn't matter right now. He still loves her and he's worried about her and his son.

Garrett and Denise arrive at the hospital shortly after Dakota's chat with James, Andrew is out of town for his first game with his team. They sit in the waiting room with himself and Joey, waiting for news. Denise goes to the Hospital Chapel for a bit to pray for her daughter and grandson. It seems like time stands still. Naturally Garrett asks questions and Dakota fills him in the best he can without fully getting into his fight with Jillian. He doesn't need her Dad trying to rip his face off in the waiting room of the Hospital. Though Garrett is usually one of the most calm people you'll meet, when it comes to his kids, it's a different story.

Annalise comes out right after Mr. and Mrs. Garrett go to get some coffee.

"How are they?" Dakota asks her. 

"It was close but Jillian and the baby made it through. The baby is doing quite well to be honest now that he's born, we will still want to keep him for a few days for observation." Annalise tells the men. If she had to guess, she'd say the baby has a magical blood coursing through his tiny veins and it's helping him survive. 

"Jillian?" Joey asks as he watches his brother thinking about what he's been told. 

"She is slowly waking up from anesthesia. Given that she was unconscious before we even placed her under, it may be a slow process. We'll be keeping her for a bit, she needs to recover from the operation and she lost quite a bit of blood during it as well." Annalise tells them.

"Can I see my son?" Dakota asks. 

"Of course, only two at a time. He's in the nursery upstairs." Annalise tells the new father. She's sure he didn't picture his son's birth going like this. 

"When can we see Jillian?" Joey asks, he's grown pretty fond of Jillian and is worried about her, as well as his nephew. He's just trying to be strong for his little brother and not think of himself during all this.

"Once she's in a room, you can see her. One at a time please." Annalise says before going to check on another patient.

By the time Dakota gets upstairs to the nursery, Jillian's parents have beat him up there somehow.

"Oh honey, our first grandbaby! Isn't he precious??" Denise asks, carefully holding the newborn up for her husband to see. 

"He sure is and to think our little Jilly Bean wanted to include her Dad in his name." Garrett boosts proudly. Dakota decides to let them have their moment before he swoops in and holds his son for the first time.

"Slade Garrett Laws. Has quite the ring to it." Denise says, cradling the little boy to her. She just prays her little girl gets to hold him soon.

<-previous

☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘☘

"McMurphy General Hospital" by rubysmile386 is up on the gallery.

[bloodinwine]

I'm curious because I tend to read dialogue out loud to myself and can never tell (in a good way) what kind of accent Effy and her family have - is it more of a Gale-ish Waterdeep accent (seeing as they're from around that area) or more rural/American? granted the only thing that would make me think the latter is how she said in the daisy field, "you don't want to hear me talk about the stars no more?". I've noticed not a lot of characters in-game have American-ized accents (the only one that comes to mind is Naaber of all people 😳) and I'd love to know your take so I can get it right in my brain 😅

Now I'm no linguist so this is a tricky one for me to answer, because I don't have one that is straightforward but I will certainly do my best! It actually kind of threw me off that the majority of characters in BG3 have a British accent when the city is supposed to be a melting pot of people from all over the world. AND PLEASE BELIEVE I am not complaining about this...but I played BG2 10,000 times growing up and I do think when it comes to accents we got way more variety in the early Baldur's Gate games including American English accents (I'm looking at you Imoen, my beloved - a main character in BG2 with an American accent, but her character was born in the Gate and raised in Candlekeep). And that made me feel that these characters really came from different parts of the world. I also understand the argument that British accents just suit a fantasy world so well and that American ones can come off too modern. But I kind of went with a more American English accent for Effy because, well, the story has its modern elements and I thought it suited the portrayal of her being a modern girl in this setting if you will. And with her family I really wanted them to have more of a rural/informal way of speaking. Again, I'm not a linguist and mostly operate on vibes. (If you've read this much and are wondering what the fuck I'm talking about - I can't say I blame you.) Now when it comes to UY - I might have definitely uh....done a self-insert here when it comes to Effy's voice in particular. Not saying I think she sounds like me (I can't sing for shit). But I'm a military brat - born in the midwest and lived in all sorts of environments growing up across both the US and Japan. Rural, suburbs, the city - and my first language was Japanese and I lost that at a point and speak only English now. I sound different when I'm with my dad's side of the family versus my mother's. I do think the way you talk can be fluid or subject to change - when you live in different places/environments it can impact the way you sound. I think Effy's voice too is a unique culmination of her upbringing and experiences. I think these things are the major influences in her speech:

She was born in and raised in Ardeep forest - a rural environment.

Mama who I definitely imagine to have a rural/southern accent.

Papa has a Kozakuran accent. And when he spoke Common I imagine he did so with a bit more formality and rigidity in his speech too.

Effy later went to university in Waterdeep, a melting pot.

(I have not reached this part in the story to really say, but I do think Effy uh...bounced around quite a bit after Waterdeep before coming to the Gate so who knows what she absorbed during this time.)

Then finally as we know, Effy is now mostly settled in BG, another major city with again a variety of different dialects, more than what I think the game could ever reflect.

She lives with Astarion lol. Sometimes I think she would kind of mimic his patterns a bit. Sometimes I intentionally even make Astarion mimic some of hers. As for the way Effy sounds exactly - Mitski is a huge inspiration <3 I hope this answer is satisfactory ;~; Thank you so much for the ask <3 <3 <3 Sending you love.