#don't know why my brain isn't vibing with this project but it is NOT vibing at all

[the-potato-beeper]

i am going to throw myself into the SEA

[lassieposting]

So like. I've seen plenty of posts discussing CatNap's death scene, the Prototype's involvement, and whether CatNap was betrayed by his mentor or willingly sacrificed himself, but there's one detail that nobody seems to be talking about. So imma bring it up, because it's relevant, it's important, to the point that we might actually only be seeing half the interaction between them.

Prototype is telepathic.

Or at least, he's something similar. It's strongly hinted at throughout his story:

Prototype manages to befriend Theo, despite the fact that he's kept locked in the labs under constant surveillance. Theo's artwork implies he believed Prototype lived under his bed. It also shows that he was - at least partially - aware of what Prototype looked like, as he drew an accurate representation of Prototype's mechanical arm. So how were they communicating? Likely via telepathy, with Prototype reaching out to Theo from the confines of his cell, and possibly projecting an image of himself for Theo to interact with. Theo feels safe with the fearsome-looking Prototype when they meet in person, which would suggest that Prototype is, by then, a familiar face.

Prototype's influence is clear in the video tapes, such as the instructions for moving a Bigger Bodies toy or the Emergency Alert video - he overrides the original content with new instructions like "RELEASE THE GIANT" or "OPEN THE DOORS. THE HOUR OF JOY IS NOW." And it's implied that this "tampering" came hand-in-hand with some kind of telepathic hold on the Playtime workers - they do release Kissy, against all common sense, despite the original instructions being visible beneath Prototype's override, and at the cost of their lives. It makes me think that the "tampering" is actually more of a side effect - that the control Prototype is projecting is so strong that he affects not only the minds of the workers he's targeting, but also any communication media within range - the messages on the VHS tapes are the orders he was pushing into their brains, flash-framed on film. Perhaps, if a worker had picked up a phone to call for help, they would only have heard a cacophony of voices insisting release the giant release the giant release the giant.

DogDay mentions that he and the other Smiling Critters - minus CatNap - "tried to resist [Prototype's] control". It's said in a way that suggests that Bigger Bodies who weren't fully on board with the Hour of Joy were... let's say "encouraged"...to participate, willing or no, via a helpful jolt of Assuming Direct Control. Given how docile she is most of the time, this could also be true of Kissy, who we see joining in with the massacre.

At the end of Chapter Three, the player joins Poppy on an elevator to go confront the Prototype in his lair. Which is weird, because...we know he's not in his lair. We've just seen him kill CatNap, and by this point we know he's likely been tailing us for a while. The Player would know, as they got onto that elevator, that Prototype can follow them down and trap them. But they say nothing to Poppy, their apparent ally. They don't warn her. Why? Maybe Prototype isn't letting them. If he could reach Theo in Playcare from the labs, deep in the bowels of the factory, it's not unreasonable to suggest that he's also in our head, subtly monitoring our thoughts, gently nudging away any desire to raise concerns with Poppy - who, as we know, wants Prototype dead.

So anyway: we know that Prototype has some variety of telepathy. And we know he has a preexisting connection with Theo - now CatNap.

Now, onto the actual death.

Lots of people have already covered the popular theories - that CatNap willingly offered himself to his god, and that CatNap believed the Prototype had come to save him and was cruelly betrayed. But honestly, on first watching, neither of those were the vibe I got. So I'm gonna throw my theories into the ring.

1) CatNap's death was a mercy kill

The first was that it was a mercy kill. CatNap is, at the end of the chapter, electrocuted to the point of collapse, and then horribly burned. There are no scientists left who can tend to the injuries of a Bigger Body creature. CatNap would be in horrifying pain, and if - as I've theorized here - Prototype all but raised CatNap, it could be that the death he provides is intended to put a quick end to CatNap's suffering. A mortally wounded apex predator will often become the target of groups of smaller, subordinate predators - like the swarming Critters in CatNap's territory - once they are dying and unable to defend themselves. Severing the spinal cord and targeting the brain would take away the pain, and make sure the death was as close to immediate as possible. If he'd wanted to hurt or punish CatNap, he could very easily have done so in a far more agonizing way - Miss Delight says that CatNap reports to Prototype, so they seem to be in relatively regular contact with each other and CatNap has few or no reservations about entering Prototype's territory to see him.

From this perspective, it also becomes interesting that Prototype reaches down to CatNap through a vent it's highly unlikely he could fit into, rather than fully appearing in front of us. Bearing in mind their mental connection, left open in the background of their minds, this could actually be seen as Prototype having an understandable and realistic caregiver panic response to CatNap's sudden, all-consuming agony - he wants to get to CatNap as quickly as possible, and he's picked a physically problematic route because it's faster.

2) CatNap's death was the Prototype fixing a problem he created

It's a sad truth that our children - or, in the Prototype's case, the young friend he assumed responsibility for - don't always grow into people we're proud of.

I've talked before about the Prototype's "parenting" as a positive influence on CatNap, and in several ways, it is - relative to the world they're trapped in.

CatNap is spared from the utter social isolation other experiments endure - he has Prototype to play and socialise with, which allows him to grow up with improved social skills and better ability to read people.

CatNap has a protector during the early years of the food shortage, once the toys begin turning on one another. Theo is shy and gentle, not naturally inclined to violence, so Prototype's protection probably shields him from becoming someone else's lunch at least once.

CatNap has someone to teach him to fend for himself. While Prototype's digestive system is vestigial - he doesn't need to eat to survive - he's an accomplished killer and it seems as though CatNap learned many of his hunting techniques from his mentor. It's likely that he would have learned to hunt the way young animals do - at first, Prototype hunts and kills all his food for him. Then Prototype brings back mostly-dead prey for CatNap to finish off. Then CatNap starts practicing his skills on small prey under Prototype's supervision, growing in confidence and competence until he no longer needs help, and then until he's fully self-sufficient.

But let's face it, Prototype is not exactly the world's most well-adjusted or morally upstanding individual. He's been imprisoned for decades. Tortured. Experimented on. He's deeply traumatised, his worldview irrevocably twisted in the name of survival. He's got a documented history of violence and as-yet-unquantified psychic abilities - the telepathy - that could be wreaking absolute havoc on his psyche. And CatNap is a young, impressionable mind who idolises him.

Now, we don't know how Prototype feels about the cult that's sprung up around him. It's entirely possible that he's thriving on it, that he's bought into his own mystique and begun to see himself as a god with the factory as his domain. @hrhowling came up with a fantastic theory along these lines, where CatNap's death is posed as a reward for faithful service - the opportunity to become part of his god and achieve immortality. A show of favour towards a loyal high priest. And if Prototype does appreciate the worship, honestly, this seems the most likely scenario to me.

But it's also just as possible that he's...not a fan.

It's a popular theory that "Ollie" is the Prototype, known to be a vocal mimic, using a child's voice to win the Player's trust. I vibe with this theory - Ollie's speech and tone is...not quite right, and there are multiple points where he sounds like his sentences are made up of different audio clips stitched together - stitched neatly, admittedly, but stitched nonetheless. That's very similar to the way we see Prototype stitching together words in different voices in his interview tape. Ollie's stitching is far less noticeable, but Prototype has had a long time to practice, and he's using the same voice - probably Theodore Grambell's, the child he's most familiar with - so it's not as obvious.

But if Ollie is the Prototype, that sheds a very different light on his character in general. Ollie is helping the Player. Ollie is known to Poppy and Kissy as an ally. Ollie opens up about CatNap, his history with the Prototype, and expresses obvious distaste around CatNap's religious zeal and tendency to kill anyone who opposes his mentor. If Ollie is the Prototype, it seems a lot more like he's a tired old soldier who's been made the unwilling messiah of a cult driven by isolation and insanity.

To add on to this, it's notable that Prototype doesn't seem to be hostile to the other experiments. In fact, his territory would likely be the safest place in the factory for the very small toys - with CatNap grown, he has no need to hunt or eat them, and although he's quite capable of killing anything in the factory, he seems to have no interest in attacking other Bigger Body apex predators. MLL openly hates and fears him, but Prototype has let her be for ten years, only coming to claim her once she's killed. He's openly benevolent to Huggy and CatNap. The only place we ever know him to have aimed his violence is at the scientists tormenting him and the children.

So yeah. Maybe he actually doesn't approve of CatNap's harcore religious leanings. Maybe he's disappointed at how their relationship has shifted over the years, from friendship to surrogate family to reluctant god and fanatical high priest. Maybe he's guiding and helping the Player in the hopes of finally putting an end to their collective imprisonment and misery. And when CatNap snaps - let's be honest, he does make it clear that the Player is intruding and gives them multiple warnings and opportunities to Get Out Of His Home Or Else - and tries to kill the Player, Prototype can't let that happen. He's forced to make a horrifying choice - the kid he loves the bones of, the only friend he had at his lowest points, or the instrument of his ultimate goal.

And we know the Prototype. He's willing to do terrible things in the name of what he believes is right. He massacred innocents along with the guilty during the Hour of Joy. He tells CatNap it's okay, he's done well, he can rest now...

And he does what has to be done.

3) CatNap's death was requested by CatNap

Let's be honest. CatNap is not doing well after that confrontation. He's probably mortally wounded, and he's facing a slow and agonizing death from - if not the player - his burns or his weakness or his inability to defend his own territory. I would not be surprised if the silent conversation between him and the Prototype involved CatNap asking his idol, his god, to please make the pain stop. To end it, quickly and cleanly. I think that would be a reasonable ask from anyone covered head to toe in terrible burns. And in this scenario, knowing there is no doctor that can treat, heal or gently euthanise CatNap, it would honestly be crueller for the Prototype to refuse him.

Anyway yeah I just. Think there's a lot of missing context added by remembering that Prototype is a telepath, and there is probably a conversation going on with CatNap before he dies. So this is my take on three different ways the death scene could be read.

[mecachrome]

What is the hype around jendo? I am trying to do research but I feel like they barely had any interactions?? Especially recently? Is there a primer or something cause I totally want to try to get into them!

OMGGGG well i wouldn't call myself a jendo expert or anything but i can briefly tell you why i like them!!! also soz for late reply 😭

tbh the very first thing that converted me was watching this interview forever ago because i remember being deeply intrigued by lando's demeanor + relative shyness + how hard he tried overall to appear Respectable and Mature in front of jense while answering his questions??? like the way jenson smiles at him during "are you happy?" "UMMM... kind of" wtheck T__T

jendo honestly have a lot of lore though! again i am not an expert but @cuthechicane has so many fantastic clips and gifsets if you're looking for interax that will rewire your brain chemistry ☝️ (the sheer giddinesssss of their miami interview 😭 also this is a classic moment). part of their thing is that they're both "somerset boys" (lando grew up in glastonbury / jenson is from frome) so that connection also kind of adds an extra layer to jenson having raced for mclaren / lando looking up to him and the general hero worship or cyclical nature of f1 that is palpable in their dynamic and a lot of other f1 agediff ships. ofc rossi was lando's real hero but... you know jenson is jenson

really though i think what i like most about jendo is how much jenson genuinely ADORES lando lmfao like their dynamic is so ridiculous but in a really absurdly sincere way!!! ofc it's super fun to go all in on the rancid age gap power imbalance vibes etc. and the way they flirt in public and fluster each other but jenson 100% RATES lando and hypes him up constantly to the point that it's almost embarrassing negl. lichr him going all in on lando like 4 hours ago... what's craziest to me is that he sincerely believes everyone else loves lando too like his brain can't comprehend the mere concept of someone not being obsessed with his favorite little british twink 😭 he's those innocent guys on reddit who still post comments like "lando is so nice it's impossible to hate him!!!" as if we're still in 2019 or something...... i want to live in that world

imo there's also an aspect to jendo where it's like...? jenson sees so much of himself in lando to the point of having preconceptions about lando's mentality that he projects onto him a bit which i think adds dimension to jenson's vulnerability but that goes into way more my own Meta and isn't really relevant to this post. but part of jenson's personality is that he is very charismatic and a natural speaker and also Usually Right so he loves to SAY shit and although he's not quite a nico-level professional shit stirrer he does kind of um... always speak like he knows something you don't. as evidenced by his time as lewis's teammate wherein he won the idgaf war by not acknowledging it going on in the first place. this is also why he and oscar should banter more because i feel like the comparisons between oscar and jenson are honestly so apt HLSDFH i have a jenson/oscar/lando post if that is of any interest

ok sorry i'm getting off-track but >>>all of that to me is why jendo is fun... jenson presents as very self-assured but if you do a psyche deep dive you realize he was quite sensitive growing up and Personally Victimized by briatore and has been quite open about his anxiety and the way f1 culture functioned at the time, and he's always been quite emotionally regulated but obviously there was... also a lot of glamour that accompanied that until later in his career LOL. so getting to explore those sides of him with a 20-something lando who very much mirrors him (self-reflective and sometimes overly critical and learning to live the "highly committed and industrious playboy" life) but also makes his façade crack in ways you don't often see is so fun & fascinating...!!! imo you can take them in a lot of different directions as a ship :3c

^ bonus bits i like from his book

[dramalets]

Jen's ultimate rank list

For whatever reason the brain weevils have taken over and I decided I wanted to properly rank every Y series I've watched thus far. Why am I doing this? I really don't know. It just felt like a good use of a dreary Sunday. These will be split by region and I'm not including Western stuff because it doesn't, for me, fit what I think of when I think about a Y or BL series. I've not been analytical about a ranking system, it's mostly based on rewatch factors and how much it stuck with me after it ended. Some dramas I'll rewatch but they're not dramas I'd consider in my top list so just vibes also had to play a factor. (My MDL list isn't to be trusted. Girl, why did you give My Engineer a 9. What were you smoking?)

Thailand

Moonlight Chicken

Be My Favourite

Bad Buddy

Cherry Magic

We Are

Bed Friend

My Only 12%

Not Me

Vice Versa

SOTUS/SOTUS S

My Ride

Dark Blue Kiss

My School President

Theory of Love

A Tale of a 1000 Stars

4Minutes

Last Twilight

Laws of Attraction

Knock Knock, Boys!

Dangerous Romance

Naughty Babe

KinnPorsche

Pit Babe

Only Friends

Wandee GoodDay

Monster Next Door

23.5

The Eclipse

Between Us

The Middleman's love

A Boss & A Babe

Two Worlds

Never Let Me Go

I Told Sunset About You

Together with me

Why R U

My Engineer

This love doesn’t have long beans

Cooking Crush

Love in the air

The Sign

Cupid's Last Wish

My Gear & Your Gown

Star & Sky: Sky in your heart

Only Boo!

The Rebound

Still 2 gether

Tharn Type

Love Sea

Dear Doctor I'm coming for your soul

Cutie Pie

2 Gether

Hidden Agenda

Love By Chance

Venus in the sky

Wedding Plan

Beyond the star

WaterBoyy

Phillipines (Consider any of these tbh)

Just Like in the movies

Marahuyo Project

Gameboys (1,2)

Pearl Next Door (This is a GL but shh)

Hello Stranger (Series & movie)

Boys' Lockdown

The Day I loved you

Quaranthings

Your Home

Boyband love (Honestly this is terrible don't watch it.)

Taiwan

Unknown

The On1y One

Kiseki Dear To Me

HIStory 3: Trapped

First Note of Love

You Are Mine

We Best Love (2)

We Best Love (1)

HIStory 4: Close to you

VIP Only

My Tooth your love

Japan (it must be said that none of these are truly bad. Even the bottom ranked.)

Our Dining Table

Pornographer Series

Old Fashioned Cupcake

Tokyo in April is

What did you eat yesterday (s1,2 & movie)

Ossan’s Love

Perfect Propose

Love is better the second time around

One room angel

My Beautiful Man (1,2 & movie)

Mr Mitsuma’s planned feeding

The Man who defies the world of BL (s1&2 &3)

If it’s with you

Although I love you, and you?

Living with him

I became the main role of a BL drama

Kabe Koji

Mr Unlucky has no choice but to kiss

Takura-kun & Amagi-kun

My Personal Weatherman

Candy Colour Paradox

I cannot reach you

Senpai this can’t be love

Korea

Love in the big city

Semantic Error

Boys be Brave

Our Dating Sim

Jun & Jun

The Tasty Florida

Where your eyes linger (this put me off K BLs for 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴)

All countries top (no particular order just the tippy toppy faves.)

Moonlight Chicken

Just Like In The Movies

Pornographer series (Particularly Mood Indigo)

Bad Buddy

Be My Favourite

Our Dining Table

Unknown

Game Boys

Marahuyo project

We Are

The On1y One

Love in the big city

If you actually read until this point thank you very much you're clearly amazing. Maybe give this a try for yourself? It was an interesting experiment.

[hotwaterandmilk]

No Accounting for Taste

I've never been accused of having "good taste" when it comes to, well, any type of media. However, when it comes anime/manga I find I'm accused of being contrarian or ignoring genuinely "good" titles in favour of "bad" ones fairly often.

While that's not exactly groundless, it doesn't paint the full picture of what I find interesting and why it intrigues me so I thought I'd write about it a little.

I like a lot of popular, agreed upon "good" titles where a masterful artist or team or artists executes a beautiful vision that may not get everything right, but still manages to tick the majority of boxes and leave the audience remembering the experience for years to come (something like Shoujo Kakumei Utena or Cowboy Bebop, for example).

However, these series don't tend to be the ones I obsess about and collect things from and that comes down to the fact that I just love an interesting mess. Something that catches my attention in a unique way despite not having the story weight/talent/etc. to pull it all off.

You know those series with a fantastic concept but terrible execution? Or series with a couple of genuinely fascinating characters and mediocrity across the board otherwise? Yeah, those are what I love.

That doesn't mean I turn my head and ignore these flaws (Akihabara Dennou-gumi for example has a fantastic backdrop of alchemy, but that doesn't excuse the disgusting fanservice or explain piss-poor overall production).

If anything, I find those flaws intriguing in their own right (how does something with so much promise end up failing to stick the landing? Why were these the directions these titles took?) and learning about why they happened can continue to fuel my interest in the titles years after I've first experienced them.

And of course what is "good" and what is "bad" is extremely subjective, not everyone will agree on what the "best" title of all time is no matter how many fans you survey. I think what matters to me at the end of the day is that, for whatever reason, an eclectic assortment of titles have just hit me at the exact right point in my life for me to become engrossed by their eccentricities, flaws, and yes, even their successes.

That's why you'll find me sharing the odd scan from genre-defining titles like Sailor Moon, but when it comes to tearing apart art books and tracking down obscure pieces of stationery, I reserve that kind of dedication for Wedding Peach because it just hit me different 25+ years ago and I still can't shake it (despite the series being what it is).

Anyway, Saturdays are a real brain fog day for me because Friday is when I take my weekly meds so, err, this isn't a particularly articulate examination of my interests or anything. I just got to thinking last night that I find Ryuu-ou Mahoujin more intriguing than GALS! despite the former being a short-lived, break-neck paced mess of a production and the latter being a clearly thought out and popular title from the same author.

I'm also currently re-watching Kamichama Karin and it is such a hot mess of things I can't stand and things that make me genuinely go "what was Koge-Donbo* thinking?" but these flaws compel me to keep pressing play on episode after episode.

I just feel that at the end of the day there's enough room in the world for all of us to enjoy different problematic faves and to highlight successes without pretending failures don't also exist. Every project whether it ends up "good" or "bad" has a team of individuals doing their best on it and I think that's something that resonates with me even if the end product is a total mess.

Sometimes a project veers away from the course it was meant to take and never becomes what it could have been, but those trace elements of brilliance can get noticed by someone who experienced the title at the right time and vibed with the core concepts regardless of the execution.

So creators, take heed, even if the project you work on doesn't end up an iconic series with millions of fans there will always be weirdos like me out there that love the memorable parts of what you did manage to do while also noting the bits you got wrong. Sometimes one person's trash really is someone else's treasure (and yes you'll have to pry Wedding Peach et al. from my cold, dead hands).

[spockandawe]

hello! i came across your wips button and i wonder if youll ever go do them? the transformers ones sound super good!!

That.... is an excellent question and one I'm not super equipped to answer! The boring downer angle is that I've been horribly, immovably blocked on art and writing for a long while now, and it drives me nuts trying to shake that AND i rarely have any luck. I know i can write pretty darn well, and I can do it FAST, there was a hot minute where i successfully held myself to uploading at least one piece of art or writing per day. That pace was never going to last, my art got better and my fics got longer, plus i went from languishing in the falling action of grad school to having an actual job, which was both a less flexible schedule and also more money to explore other hobbies. But that period of my life really drove home how important that rhythm and periodicity is to me, and i haven't been able to recapture that in years.

As it is right now, if i manage to finish anything, it's only going to happen with either a fandom at the VERY very forefront of my mind (svsss or the raksura core au right now), or with an idea too fresh and good and crunchy to resist, independent of fandom (there's a dungeon meshi idea lightly haunting me). Transformers is a remarkably good playground, I love it SO much, but it's been years since I reread any significant part of it, so the ideas aren't flowing. I trust my old ideas, but if the canon isn't fresh, or I'm not actively talking about it, the spark is unlikely to catch. There's an off-chance of me reacting to an idea in some other fic via a medium of transformers smut, but I'm also struggling to read right now too 🥲

But! But!!!! A thing ive noticed and that drives me bananas is that when i move, the shape of my hobbies changes. I vibed really well with writing in NJ and MA, and COMPLETELY lost the ball when i relocated to VA. I cross-stitched in NJ, faded in MA, and lost it in VA. I bookbound like nuts in VA, but i just did a local move, and I'm no longer getting the reaction of 'I'm idle, I should make a book.' I don't know where things will go, first was a rush to unpack my boxes, then was a rush to learn to paint a room, and now my home is full of jumbled furniture and objects and I'm so overwhelmed that all I want to do is lie in bed and level grind in video james.

Teal deer, i can't tell what hobby is going to take center stage now, and it's driving me nuts. But it could be writing! I'm much more confident about my writing than lots of other creative endeavors. I also want to revisit canon for a lot of old fandoms. I think the wip list predates my cnovel phase, but i have two beefy svsss wips, and at least two short ones, and two aus I'd love to flesh out. I have raksura core writing. I have a tf bookbinding project that's been languishing for. 1.5 years. But if i can find my momentum, I'll be diving back into canon. And i really think 5-10k of hard weird emotional smut really is my wheelhouse. I wish so hard i could recapture that energy! This is a response much longer than it needed to be, but just imagine me as the WHY ARE YOU CLOSED meme at my own brain, and much more confused and frustrated than anyone else that I don't write anymore 🤣

[mysticstarlightduck]

OC In 15 Tag!

I was tagged by @tabswrites, here!

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

I'll do this one for my character Arammys from Of Starlight and Beasts, our beloved Sunshine Boi Tm! (Because he's been living in my brain rent-free ever since I started this new project lmao)

[Upon being asked "Who are you?" by Corah, when they first met. Genuinely.] "Honestly, I'm not sure."

"I may not know a lot about this kingdom, or how it works, but I can't be the only one who thinks it isn't fair for them to treat you guys like this ... this city doesn't even belong to them anyways! Or does it? I'm not sure anymore."

"Ow, that smarts, ow!" He clutched his hand to his chest, still glowing with magic as he jumped up and down slightly. At his feet, the highwayman had fallen to the floor like a rag doll. "No one told me punching someone would hurt me this much! His face was like a freaking rock, ow. Are you guys alright?"

"You're good - you almost had me falling for it there." He chuckled, but his smile promptly dropped as he noticed her lifted eyebrow and confident smirk - a look he'd come to recognize as the forebearer of terrible ideas and a lot of trouble. "Oh no. You were being serious, weren't you?"

"We spent months fighting the worst this kingdom has to offer and now in a literal festival in an enchanted forest. I, for one, am going to dance and enjoy the night until I pass out, and this is my invitation for you to do the same!"

"Why don't you get it?! You have a lifetime of memories, and you'll always have, for better or for worse! I don't have that. And I'll probably never have - someone took my past from me."

"... Did that guy just steal your bag?"

"I'm not afraid of loving you. Love, our love, is not a weakness, and it'll never be. That "Queen" is a fool if she wants you to believe that."

"We're not jumping out of this tower! No, nuh-uh, I refuse. Don't even consider it!"

"Well, not to be rude but I think you're overcompensating. Throwing us like that was a bit of a low blow."

"Whoa. That's such a funny-looking rat. Why- why does it have three tails?" He giggles, words endearingly slurred as he pointed to a discarded napkin on the floor. [Corah furrowed her brows, blinking, flabbergasted, then looked between him and the single, barely finished glass of wine he must've bought a few minutes ago, after his little moment in the spotlight. It dawned on her that he'd likely never drunk before. "Alright, that's it. Your resistance to alcohol is absolutely nonexistent. Let's go home."]

"You think being a tyrant will make you respected, Meira, and you believe hunting down those who think differently than you will prove your strength. It won't. It just makes you a monster."

"I'm sure I'm going to regret this, but alright."

"If I learned anything in this adventure is that politicians and nobles almost always want something when they summon us to their palaces. And that something is never just a nice tea party, unfortunately."

"Everyone deserves second chances - even him."

Tagging (gently, with absolutely no pressure): @lassiesandiego, @unstablewifiaccess, @hrmkingizzy, @elshells, @illarian-rambling, @meerawrites, @tabswrites, @rickie-the-storyteller, @jay-avian, @crowandmoonwriting, @writernopal, @elshells, @thetruearchmagos, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams, @clairelsonao3, @apolline-lucy, @little-peril-stories @kaylinalexanderbooks and @oh-no-another-idea

[cjcroen1393]

So I've been hyperfixating on a Vocaloid Monster AU lately.

It started with me wanting to expand on the WOEFULLY underutilized concept of the PowerFX Vocaloids being "Classic Monsters" and just kind of... spiraled out of control from there. Now I have a LOT of ideas for Vocaloids, UTAUs and other vocal synthesizer characters as monsters for this AU.

So, specifically:

PowerFX:

Sweet Ann and Big Al = Frankenstein's Monsters (canon, more or less)

Oliver = Werewolf (I was inspired by this headcanon I found over at the old Vocaloid Headcanons blog and it hasn't left my brain since)

Yohioloid = Vampire (just LOOK at him!)

Ruby = Witch (I decided to round out the "classic" Halloween-style monsters with the only one that seems to be consistently female in these situations; after thinking about it though, it still fit, especially with the little star pattern in her jacket)

The ZOLA Project (based on their Carnelian designs)

Kyo = Vampire (Carnelian!Kyo has bat wings and bat = vampire)

Wil = Zombie (I actually don't know if Carnelian!Wil is specifically supposed to be a zombie, but someone said he looked like one so I went along with it)

Yuu = Werewolf (the furry, animal-eared hat and tatters/tears on his outfit scream "werewolf")

Other Vocaloids:

Aoki and Merli Lapis = Faeries (canon, obviously)

Aurum = Ghost (their aesthetic is supposed to be "a 1930s radio producer", so I thought why not make them an ACTUAL 1930s radio producer who died and now haunts the abandoned radio tower they used to work at? And yes, I know Aurum isn't technically a Vocaloid/won't be one when they're released, but let's ignore that for now)

Avanna = Witch (she gives off "magic user" vibes to me)

Daina = Kitsune (because foxes)

Dex = Werewolf (because wolves and also his voice provider made an entire song about him being a werewolf so canon)

Fukase = Demon (mostly just vibes in this case)

LUMi = Mermaid (because she's part jellyfish)

Luo Tianyi = Angel (canon)

Mayu = Vampire (it's in her aesthetic; I like to think she tries to bite people she's in love with so they'll never leave her)

Meika Hime and Mikoto = Forest Spirits (canon)

UTAUs:

Chikune Kenta = Vampire (canon, obviously)

KYE (Fuyuki Kaisei) = Dragon (he likes reptiles and also dragons are cool)

Kasane Teto = Human/Demon Hybrid (hence, "Chimera")

Kurobousuku = Werewolf (his name is literally "black wolf")

Namine Ritsu = Witch (another one based on vibes; also it would be funny for one of the few male witches in the story to also be a crossdresser)

Scott-129 = Alien (sort of canon)

Sekka Yufu = Yuki-onna (she's speculated already to be a "snow spirit" and a Yuki-onna seemed to be the most fitting choice for her)

Yuutsukoe Karasu (Kellyn Werner) = Tengu (sort of canon)

I want to do something with this idea, and I have some plot bunnies floating around in my head, but I'm not certain if I'll get around to it.

[opuestocomplementario]

Ugh, I 👏 am 👏 so 👏 fucking 👏 tired 👏 of 👏 people.

Why can't we never have nice things when it comes to BLs?

I am complaining here because this is the only space where people have their brains working or they don't care about it. So basically there was some fan project for Ping and Nut in that place in Bangkok (Pavel and Pooh had one too at the beginning) and there are some videos and moments and all the stuff (they even had like two big ass bouquets of roses). But ofc people can't shut up and enjoy things for once. So I saw some comments on how Nut isn't as "babygirl" and "touchy" and now seems to be uncomfortable with the whole ship.

Can I just repeat what I say before about pairings? I don't necessarily hate the pairings, the actors or the company in itself when it comes to this, I just hate the fans and what they do. And half of them are international which makes me more mad for some reason.

Like, I saw the clips, and I didn't think Nut was being any different than he always is, and he doesn't need to act madly in love and be over the top with Ping at all for this thing. Yes, ofc, the project was for them as a couple (which I will talk about it later) but they were just vibing with it and making jokes with the fans. Just because Nut has said he finds Ping attractive and their characters have some tension and story going on doesn't mean he is obligated to perform a certain way.

This leads me to my other concern with the Pit Babe pairings. So, as we know in Boys Journey, the production kinda, and I mean this as in a implicit way, sold the cast as pairs. The ost of the show is sang and dance in pairs, half of the characters in EP12 were presented as working in two if they weren't explicitly meant to be romantic, they usually made groups with the same people. Even before the show was "well established" they had magazine photoshoots (like Benz and Garfield in a Kazz inteview with PavelPooh and SailubPon). And now, some pairings have events. I mean implicit because until they make something on screen I will not buy any duo.

This looks like that Domundi situation where pairs where very well known but had 0 shows. Like, I remember liking NetJames before they were Bed Friend but then think it was weird how I and many other people were more attached to the performances in real life of these people than the ones on screen.

What's my issue? Pit Babe cast is mainly out of older actors and people who have gone and go out of different shows without fixing it with one person. Making them a fix unit like GMMTV, for me, is a waste of time. They are so talented, so good and they can go in so much stuff alone or with others than marketing this whole thing as it is is just... Idk.

Not everyone needs a couple, not everyone needs to work forever in pairs. Some clearly want to do it (Pavel with Pooh) while others said they want to have many partners (Nut).

Anyway............I hope all of the people in this cast who wants to keep working get to have many events, shootings, scripts and stuff happen to them and people who shit on them get fucked 😊.

Pd: Go watch OneNightStand with Pon, Ping and Lee on Youtube

[astramachina]

WIP questionnaire tag

the indomitable @fortunatetragedy tagged me on this baby while i was away and boy howdy do i love talking about my projects.

diving headfirst into The Singularity Project (codename: T.E.S. CO) for this one, babes.

What’s the first part of your WIP that you created?

The Vibes. Last October I was being harassed by a brain worm (lol) that did not want to become concrete in any way, and the only way I could get it down was by writing "the vibes" of what I wanted. Those vibes included "hazy 60s lounge", "synth", "Panos Cosmatos' style for weird ass stuff", and "burnt orange".

If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

What Have You Become by MNQN, but more 80s-fied. And because I feel like it, it's end credits song would be I Remember by Tristam but like... slightly more melancholic.

What are your favorite characters that you made? Why?

So far, it'll have to be Verne. Neither hero or villain, he's the protagonist's father, and while he isn't physically in the story (as far as I can tell) he inescapably haunts the narrative. By "saving the world" the only way he thought possible, he doomed his son to a life no one deserves. He's also a silly guy who thinks himself a god (derogatory) and is wanted for several crimes against humanity. Second fave is Mike, our deuteragonist. He's just a guy trying to make a living but his work crush has been acting super weird by knocking back 20+ cans of soda per shift and claiming he can "hear the Mall speaking to him".

What other pieces of media do you think your fanbase would share?

Tumblrinas (affectionate, gender neutral) would probably also be reblogging some horror webseries things (SCP, The Walten Files, The Backrooms, etc), as well as more classic horror such as Re-Animator, The Thing, and The Fly.

What has been your biggest struggle with your WIP?

.......Yes. When the story started to form I struggled with the idea of capturing it in a single medium. I am first and foremost a writer, obvs, but a lot of the story relied heavily on visual storytelling. I eventually decided to turn this into a "multi-media project", which means there's a huge chunk of writing, but there are also segments that can only be experienced through audio and visuals (and maybe some fun ARG-esque puzzles). Three POVs? Each POV has its own timeline and its own medium? Did I embark on a multi-month journey to learn Blender and video editing? Am I still trying to get the story down? The answer is yes. (Help me.)

Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

Yes. Mike has an anthill because it's the only thing he can keep alive.

How do your characters travel/get around?

In the 1911 portion? Via ship. Ernest Shackleton's ship on its voyage to the Antarctic, to be exact. In the 1981 portion? Via bus. Mike's too broke to afford a car. In the 2021 portion? Via car. [Cy] is the man with the plan... and also the car to drive his crew around.

What part of your WIP are you working on right now?

Mike's journals, which covers the events of 1981 through 1983. This part is the bulk of the entire project, and the part that is mostly told through writing.

What aspects (tropes, maybe?) will you think draw your audience in?

So many morally gray characters. But also morally corrupt characters. And morally confused characters.

I hope you like your monsters goopy, and your effects practical.

Don't worry about the cult swearing they can save the soul of a poor young "confused" man.

The true friends were the transgender allegories we made along the way.

What is the point of Man vs. Machine when the Man knows not what he is.

The worm can talk and it has anxiety. I think it's gay?

What are your hopes for your WIP?

TO COMPLETE IT. LMAO. Mostly I just want to be able to stand up and say "Hey, look what I made! I made it because I wanted to and all my hard work paid off!" But I guess it would also be neat to have some sort of cult following? Would love to see fanart of what people think some of the characters look like! I wanna see fic! Give me fan songs I can blast while I drive! I wanna see certain YouTubers react/try to "solve" it so that I can sit there shaking my head. You know. The usual.

this took way longer than i expected so i'ma quick tag @ap0stle, @kairahara, @wrencatte, and YOU.

[quinloki]

Omg Quin. I always love throwing you my little brain thoughts bc you always grace me with such wonderful things to think about ily omggggggg

this is definitely going to be in my thoughts for at least the next 24 hours

ugh this kind of falls back into the same kind of idea of that other one with marco/sabo but just ace as a good friend, protective but yall aren't eachothers type really (prolly dated bc you got along really well, and you both thought of the other as cute, but not like that once you got into it). Like your slightly feral bestie. He just gives me those vibes sooo much

QUIN THAT LAST PART THOUGH OH MY GOD I am totally thinking of Sabo normally right now. TOTALLY.

.....

and then ace and sabo live together and you're over staying with sabo and he reminds you to keep quiet bc ace is home and you don't want him to hear you sounding so pathetic do you?? (nvm the fact that ace left awhile ago but sabo thinks it's more fun this way)

.....

byeeeeeee off to have sabo thoughts now <3333

Yeah that Sabo/Marco story has notes in a file and I might just organize them and get an outline going. March might be my poly-story up date spree month or something XD

I love that though.

Ace is 100% supportive, and if his brother wants tease you in ways that aren't going to hurt you, he'll back his play. So of course Ace tells you both to have fun, he's just going to be in his room with headphones on finishing up a project (or a game or whatever), and instead sets off some kind of Ferris Bueller type machine that plays random coughs, snores, causes thumps, etc.

I mean, it's the ASL brothers, Ace is going to go above and beyond.

And Sabo doesn't care if Ace is home or not, honestly, but it's certainly easier to keep his attention on you knowing his brother isn't actually home.

I can picture him getting you to sit on the edge of the bed innocently enough, and working his way closer and closer until his leg is between yours and his hands are on the mattress, and you're one soft tap on the shoulder away from laying down on the bed.

Don't worry about Ace, he's got his "headphones", and even if he didn't his precious brother falls asleep so easily, as long as you're quiet he won't hear anything. Your sounds are only for Sabo anyway, why would he share?

You can tell him to stop, he won't be mad, but isn't the possibility of being caught a thrill? Don't you want to know? Just how much sweeter do you taste when you're desperately trying to keep quiet?

Just how much better will his touch feel as he puts effort into breaking your silence? Fighting the inevitable will only make it feel that much better, certainly you're curious? And what if you can hold out - what a sweet little challenge it will be, right?

If you can stay quiet throughout he'll grant you a wish, and Sabo is ready willing and able to grant all your wishes, but this is a challenge and he's not going to hold back.

[rielzero]

I have to ask after seeing your sleep token inspired piece with A!Astarion and your Tav, I wanted to know what song you think fits A!Astarion?

I’ve seen folks say Ascensionism and the Summoning fit

But I personally think The Sacrifice is a fitting song too, and for angst, Bloodsport

I haven't listened to all of Sleep Token's music yet, but the song I'm obsessing over is Rain. It's a brainworm at this point, I wake up hearing it. There's just A VIBE about it that I love.

The opening lines are really powerful, I write poetry in a similar fashion to how this musician writes his lyrics and I'm just enthralled by it. These keep popping up in my head.

For so long, I have waited So long that I almost became Just a stoic statue, fit for nobody And I don't wanna get in your way But I finally think I can say That the vicious cycle was over The moment you smiled at me

And just like the rain You cast the dust into nothing And wash out the salt from my hands So touch me again I feel my shadow dissolving Will you cleanse me with pleasure?

AA is Astarion with mask off, no longer hiding or pretending. Loki and he don't have a relationship basked in deceit, because one of his core romantic values is honesty and that is instilled into Astarion during pivotal moments in act 2. (I will explore this in the comic)

But in act 1, Locke isn't very open, he suppresses his feelings a lot and if you noticed in my previous work or read my comic, you'll see Locke rarely ever smiles. He only smirks when he's messing around, otherwise he's the gloomiest and edgiest fucker in the series so far. Always one moment away from throwing his guts out.

The way I engorge on romance writing, I like to think that first impressions matter a lot, but what about secondary ones? Just a glimmer of something, and the way you look at someone changes entirely from that point. I want to visualize the moment Astarion starts viewing him romantically without words. A quiet realization, love at second glance.

And it lingers, and it's just.. Ugh, ''And just like the rain, you cast the dust into nothing'' With that crypt funk gone, no more acid water on his skin, he starts drowning into that feeling.

Without spoiling too much, AA (and how I write him) is intoxicated with it. It's everything, by the time we get to act 3, Loki has gone from nothing to him to ''I don't just want you, I need you. Need. I can't go on otherwise.''

Fuck tadpoles, Locke's a brainworm like how this song is invading my brain and GIVING ME GAY FEELINGS THAT ARE OVERWHELMING LIKE SIR??? I HAVE OTHER PROJECTS TO WORK ON WHY ARE WE DRAWING SOMETHING ELSE-

(cough cough, I'm normal now)

NO IM NOT I WANNA DRAW QUEER VAMPIRES DOING GAY SHIT ALL DAY- (alas I need to be disciplined, so I will tease instead)

Refracted in light, reflected in sound I'm coiled up like the venomous serpent Tangled in your trance and I'm certain You have got your hooks in me

[gregrulzok]

Hello...Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Hi !!

I wouldn't say I necessarily have a straightforward top 10 list as such ... But I'm not one to pass up and opportunity to infodump on anyone who'll indulge me !

I hope this is what you're looking for and, uh, buckle up. I'll include a TL;DR with each character to make your life easier, because knowing me, this is gonna get LONG.

Also potential spoilers for: Dungeon Meshi, Night in the Woods, Berserk, Devilman Crybaby, Arcane, Jujutsu Kaisen, Dimension 20: Fantasy High, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind.

Also note that Berserk and Devilman Crybaby are both NSFW sources. I don't mention anything explicit here, but be mindful when looking into it.

Laios Touden (Dungeon Meshi)

TL;DR: Excellent neurodivergent representation, complex and unique in how interesting he is, also just me IRL

I'll be honest in saying he isn't actually my favourite Dungeon Meshi character (that's probably Chilchuck), but he IS the one I think about the most.

I'm firmly of the opinion that Laios is intentionally written to be neurodivergent-coded, and I say this because he's incredibly nuanced and interesting in the way he portrays symptoms and signs of autism. Most canon autistic representation I see can be boiled down to "slightly quirky" with a dash of the same 3 symptoms, and the background of that, Laios is a breath of fresh air. He's socially inept, but not at all cold or inexpressive - quite the opposite, he's open and enthusiastic and optimistic. He's obsessive, not in a quirky jokey way, nor in the way of being a savant that knows everything off the top of his head - he genuinely feels like he's learning about his interest and ENJOYS learning about it, rather than being robotic in his hyperfixation. On top of that, the thing he's hyperfixated on is EXTREMELY realistic for a neurodivergent person - many of us do find interest in animals, in cryptids, in other living beings that are, well, other, because we spend our whole lives being alienated and separate from our peers and we seek that comfort in other places. Monsters are straightforward, they don't play mindgames. They are powerful, they don't let others push them around (Laios, mind, is also powerful - but he's a human, so his strength alone has never been enough to protect him). And after all, humans already hate him, they already treat him as an unwanted freak. Why shouldn't he find solace in creatures that are treated the same way he is?

I could go on and on about how amazing he is, but honestly a lot of what I have to say could be posts of their own and we'd be here all day. I'll say also that he's just ... Plain and honest relatable. I have not projected so hard onto a character in a long time.

Angus DeLaney (Night in the Woods)

TL;DR: Comfort Character Extraordinare

If Laios is good to my brain because he reminds me of myself, Angus is good to my brain because he reminds me of my boyfriend. This, I cannot deny.

He isn't the most complex character in the world, nor even in NitW - yet I think there's more to him than people give him credit for. I think he's excellent in filling the role he's given - a friend-of-a-friend, a near-stranger, the person in the friend group our protagonist is in, someone she knows, and yet doesn't, likes, and yet doesn't really vibe with. He's nuanced and deep, has a life of his own, and honestly I'm almost glad they didn't explore it fully. By having Mae only get a tiny glimpse into his life, after knowing him for so long and yet never really spending time with him, we get the sense that people are people whether or not they're in Mae's life. It gives a greater sense of depth to the world offered to us by the game. Mae's close friends she knows well aren't the only ones going through tough things, everyone has their own story, and sometimes she only gets a tiny hint of that, and sometimes she gets none at all. I think it's very true to life, and very smart.

As for Angus specifically, well. He's smart, warm, kind. He doesn't let his cynicism get in the way of his friends fun, nor does he let it stop him from taking their worries seriously. He shows affection through cooking, he makes dumb nerdy jokes, he's canonically more charismatic than you'd think, he wants to take care of everyone and doesn't know how to take care of himself, and he has a fantastic ass.

He reminds me of my boyfriend. What more can I ask for.

Griffith (Berserk) & Ryo Asuka (Devilman Crybaby)

TL;DR: Incredibly nuanced villains that I want to put on a little dish and dissect. Themes of light and purity as something evil, of good intentions (Griffith) and love (Ryo) as something horrifying.

I figure I could just combine these two, given how much they've impacted each-other's writing.

Griffith AND Ryo are both infinitely nuanced characters, in ways that are complimentary and yet still different enough.

I've made a few posts about Griffith (if only because I recently finished Berserk), and my opinion on him can be summarised as such: I think he's the best villain in fiction, in that he is afforded nuance and complexity, without having to take away his teeth and make him ultimately pathetic, unintimidating, or a sexyman. I think the most interesting part of Griffith is his politics, his drive to change the world, his willingness to sacrifice everything to the greater good to the point where it becomes apocalyptic. It's fascinating to watch a character be so wrapped in genuine and honest good intentions, to the point of destroying everything.

I don't think I've talked much about Ryo (I should rewatch Crybaby), which is really a shame because he's no less interesting. He takes an aspect of Griffith that I haven't talked much about (rather, Griffith takes an aspect of Ryo) - obsessive love and devotion to the point of destruction - and amps it up to an infinite degree. Unlike Griffith, who pushes aside his love for his political motivation, Ryo destroys everything and anything in his path to the one he loves - including that very person. He's possessive and obsessive, in a way that does end up feeling genuine, and his entire humanity is concentrated on his feelings to this one person.

Together, these characters represent a trope that I personally love - purity, beauty and light as something evil, something vile, something overwhelming and possessive (as contrasted by something dirty, something crude, something rough being real and human and kind).

I just find them fascinating.

Ekko (Arcane)

TL;DR: mmmm community centric anarchist punk king.

This is possibly the most self indulgent one. Arcane is a wonderful show entirely full of fascinating characters I love, and each one of them deserves an amount of words that even I don't possess to describe their greatness.

Ekko is no less cool and interesting for having less screen time, but if we're just being honest here for a second ...

I just love his vibe.

I love that he was a rowdy, shitty little kid that antagonised everyone he could. I love that as he grew, he got more serious, took on an air of responsibility, but he didn't lose his friendliness, his humour, his artistry. I love that he prioritizes fun and growth and community, not just survival. I love that he has authority as a leader, not through fear but through confidence, through respect. I love his scene with Vi, where he bites back at her for the first time, I love their hug, I love their bond. I love his fight with Jinx, I love that for a moment they're just kids playing a game, I love seeing the reality crash over him like a wave. I love the little tidbits we get of him as a kid, playing dumb pranks, practicing his punches.

And to be completely clear: HE IS THE ONLY CHARACTER THAT WAS CORRECT.

Heimerdinger, Jayce, Silco, Vander, Mel, every single leader in this show is either too preoccupied trying to preserve broken pieces of the past or they're speeding towards a future they don't understand.

Ekko says NONE OF THAT SHIT, takes up the punk anarchist mantel, and says "I am going to take care of the injured, the indisposed, the homeless, the sick, the children, because blind ideals mean nothing in the face of real poverty and struggle".

...Which is why I say it's self indulgent on my part. It's just because I fully agree with his ideologies.

Geto Suguru (Jujutsu Kaisen)

TL;DR: Another villain I absolutely love analyzing and dissecting. Beautifully written ideology and motivation that is fully understandable even if it's something any sane human would viscerally disagree with.

I've written post upon post on Geto, so I won't get too into it, but I still wanted to mention him. Another reason I won't talk too much here is because I've ultimately fallen out of love with JJK - sad, but true. In my opinion, the most interesting part of the show was, in fact, Geto.

Geto's ideology is incredibly well written. So, so many little details end up playing into it, it's set up so carefully and expertly that in the end it's incredibly easy to see how he ended up in the place he did. The death of his friends, the responsibility of Mimiko and Nanako, the way he's treated, the way his best friend is treated... Some of these things are big, some more subtle, but they all lay a brick in the foundation of one of the best villain arcs I can name. And if you can't tell, I'm a big fan of villains that genuinely believe what they preach. There's an air of sincerity about him, despite being a manipulative asshole, he isn't a selfish one.

I just think he's fascinating.

Fabian Aramais Seacaster (Dimension 20: Fantasy High)

TL;DR: Incredibly entertaining, and has informed the way I play my TTRPG characters.

A bit of a random one, and a more light-hearted one - I just love this silly little man.

Fabian is so unabashedly loud, silly, over the top. He makes such obvious, catastrophic mistakes, often after delivering such confident speeches about how awesome he is. And then he's allowed to have quiet moments - he can be somber, soft, sad, tragic. He loves his friends, but he can't bring himself to be obvious about it, but he wants so badly to express it. He has repressed trauma that we don't really get told - instead it's expressed through every desperate cry for attention and every subsequent moment of quiet reflection.

I've been playing TTRPGs for a little while now, but Fabian has fundamentally inspired me to be more confident, more nuanced, to take up more space at my table, and to not be scared to change the way my characters act based on the scene and mood and circumstance.

I just think he's neat !

Panacotta Fugo (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind + Purple Haze Feedback)

TL;DR: An underrated character that showcases burnout, gifted kid syndrome, and abandonment issues in a way I find particularly painful.

God. Where do I even start.

Fugo speaks very deeply to some of my own trauma. The gutteral, albeit brief depiction of gifted child syndrome and the subsequent burnout that follows it felt incredibly, palpably real not only in the episodes we see his backstory in, but also in his general behaviour. In the way he still tries to act proper and composed, in the barely-restrained rage that bubbles over once in a while, in the severe guilt felt through these outbursts. Pretty much any time Fugo is on screen is a testament to his pain and his sheer desire to overcome it, which (as amazing this show is) I can't exactly say for most JJBA characters.

The abandonment issues are more personal to me than I'd like to get too deeply into - suffice it to say, being left behind without a thought, looking at people you came to think of as your family turn their backs on you and walk away, and realising for the first time that you weren't, in fact, a needed and cherished presence in their lives, but rather something easily parted with ... That shit hurts, and it hurts me very personally.

Araki has gone on record stating that he fell in love with Fugo as a character and came to see him as a personal friend. I believe him, if the genuine and subtle care poured into every crevice of his character is anything to go by.

Purple Haze Feedback isn't canon, but it is Araki-approved, and its the exact amount and type of Fugo content I was starving for after his extremely undercut role in part 5.

And I think that's it!

Was that 10? Who knows.

Either way sorry if this isn't what you were looking for - i think one look at my blog will tell you that I'm very prone to infodumping especially as it pertains to character analysis.

And if you read it this far... Holy shit, thank you !!

To be honest as I've fallen out of fandom spaces it's become incredibly hard to come up with characters I actually like, rather than ones I've projected my own stories onto and changed fundamentally.

Playing DND has NOT been helpful, it's increasingly difficult not to spend four hours talking about a PC I made that I really love instead of any actual character haha.

Either way thank you for the ask !! Like I said I love a good opportunity to infodump.

[juniperhillpatient]

For the ask meme: 4, 7, 11, 30, 47 :)

4. what is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

Honestly? Before I started Scream AU, it was an ATLA Scream AU! I held onto that idea for YEARS because I wanted to make sure I could do it right - everyone is a suspect, everyone is in danger, & there's a lot of foreshadowing but also a lot of twists. I waited until I felt prepared to do the idea justice, so I've held onto it for a long time. Like, that idea festered in my brain for at least 3 or 4 years. I guess it doesn't count anymore though, since I'm doing it.

Hm... I have a million ideas at all times but one I've had for a pretty long time is Heathers ATLA AU with Katara as Veronica, Azula as Heather Chandler, & Zuko or Jet as JD. Unfortunately, I'll likely never do this one because it wouldn't have Azula/Katara endgame & Azula would die so I doubt anyone who reads my writing wants it.

7. tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote

The first fic I EVER wrote? You guys don't need to know about 13 year old Rose's weird Family Guy fanfics, your minds aren't ready. (Also I don't remember & the parts I do remember are embarrassing as fuck lmao.)

Instead, I'll say the first ATLA fanfic I wrote. It's a mediocre high school AU that has Katara/Toph LOL. I was getting my bearings in the ATLA fandom, okay? Also, it is the fic that made the Katara/Azula dynamic take root in my brain even though it's not a focus & I didn't write my first Azutara fic until a bit later lol

11. what’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

I learned a lot about fashion through the ages when I was writing the TVD Au & giving Vampire!Azula a fun wardrobe filled with fashion from the last century or so. Do I remember anything I learned? Eh. But I did a lot of research!

I don't typically do a lot of research though for writing. My laziest trait as a writer is that sometimes I just wanna say "go with it." I entirely based the football stuff in my college AU on the TV show Blue Mountain State. That's not to say research isn't important, that's to say I'm lazy.

30. most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you.

Okay, I really live by the quote "if nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do" from Angel the Series which is funny because I'm barely a fan of that show. I've watched it all through once. I'm much more of a Buffy girl. But that particular quote has always stuck with me. I'm a nihilist but I'm also a compassionate person & I think this quote really sums up how I look at the world. I used to be an idealist but my belief that the world can be changed for the better has faded over time. Instead, I just believe in being kind & doing what you can & that's how I take the quote - doing what you can, even when it seems hopeless. That seems depressing but like, it's not to me. You know?

47. what story are you most proud of?

I honestly go back & forth all the time. I feel like it might actually be Happenstance (a modern university ATLA au with a sit com vibe. It takes place over the course of a school year.) I'm honestly just so proud of the character arcs, the balance of comedy & drama, & these versions of the characters & this version of the universe. I put my heart & soul into that project.

Thank you so much for asking! I love playing these games & having an excuse to ramble :)

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: STILL NOT ready to share part one of chapter six (and am not totally sure that's happening this time around). So, this is another teaser from chapter six.

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

I won't keep you. I'm 35% done w/ this chapter, and have a goal to post it to Ao3 by the last Friday of the month. So, I gotta focus on my focus, and ask for y'all to send me all the positive vibes. Until then, here's another out of sequence and context peek at chapter six.

I appreciate you!

CHAPTER SIX SNEAK PEEK 3

Before retrieving the file they were sent to pick up from Catherine's home office, Evan stops in the kitchen to grab a bottle of Pellegrino for the road. They find Jonathan Cartwright sitting in Tommy's lap, and Beth propped on the table, leaning towards them both. 

Jonathan is playing in Tommy's hair, and Evan feels like they walked in on an intimate moment between the three of them, which is emphasized by the audible gasp heard in reaction to the discovery. Beth, Jonathan, and Tommy had gone out after brunch the day before, and Evan didn't think much of it but passed on joining, with the work week resuming the next day. Apparently, they were still going strong. Not knowing what else to do, Evan quickly turns and walks back out of the room. They want to get what they came for, and to banish all other thoughts from their mind. But, they're stopped by someone tugging their arm. 

Tommy: "Why did you rush off?"

Evan: "I'm in a hurry."

Tommy: "Because of that…?"

Evan: "Look, I know I'm pretty fluid, but poly just isn't my thing. To each their own, but I personally feel like there's plenty of me to go around and prefer someone who sees me as enough."

Tommy: "Babe, I'm all yours. You don't have to worry about that."

Evan: "Being pretty doesn't make me dumb."

Tommy gets close, so he can speak in Evan's ear. 

Tommy: "Of course not. I find your big brain very attractive, but you are also very pretty."

Evan doesn't pull away, but that doesn't mean things are okay.

Evan: "I'm also not easily manipulated. Whatever you're trying to pull on all of them, count me out. I want no parts of it."

Tommy: "I would never-"

Evan: "Wouldn't you though? I find it interesting that you're so suspicious of Robyn, considering. Maybe you've always just been projecting."

Tommy: "Look, I've been honest with you. And I'll continue to be, but neither of us is going to get anywhere if we don't take advantage of our opportunities. I need you to trust me. My success will be yours too. We're in this together, right?"

Evan doesn't know what to say. Kate is important to them, and so is Mary, and Robyn too for that matter. But they can't say they feel an allegiance to the elder Hamilton Kanes, or the evil twin. Moreover, this was only supposed to be a stepping stone, and maybe Tommy was right to remind Evan of that. They might have different tactics for their pursuits, but their goals weren't entirely dissimilar.

Evan: "I don't trust her…"

Evan nods in the direction of the kitchen, indicating Beth.

Tommy: "I'm not asking you to, but she likes to talk, and she doesn't like her parents very much. I'm learning a lot that I can leverage. Proximity to her is advantageous."

Evan sighs, and Tommy places a quick kiss on their cheek as a form of appreciation for the forgiveness. 

Evan: "I do have to go. Just remember what I said. And maybe take a shower? I can name every bar you traipsed through last night by how you smell."

And with that, still not totally thrilled, Evan leaves Tommy to whatever he was plotting and orchestrating before they arrived.

~~~~~

To be continued...

I've got two Fridays to finish this chapter. I believe I can do it. Do you? Lie to me if not. LOL!

Hopefully you've been following the Writer and Actor strikes. If not, now's the time to get informed. I support the people that gave us these characters and this story. They deserve to afford to eat and have health insurance while many of them are still in between jobs since they cancelled our show. #PayWriters #PayActors #StopCancellingDiverseShows

[buck-yyyy]

BUCKY BUCKY HI HOW ARE YOU??? HOW WAS YOUR DAY??

I COME WITH GIFTS FOR YOU!! i'm not finished yet BUT i'm SO CLOSE to being done, and i made sure to write down everything to tell you on a sheet of paper (it's titled "pour bucky <3" in the floweriest rune font i could do)

i could DEFINITELY write an analysis about the twins' parallels and richard's obsession with camilla and what that means for his heterosexuality

richard ONLY likes "ebullient" girls (also bright-eyed), a word with which i was, surprisingly, unfamiliar with, but a quick check of my dictionary says that it's "cheerful" or "happy". this isn't really anything to note, except that i saw it and the "bull" part and thought it was another synonym for masculine adhbfjadf

aw francis bought richard a tie <3

"a trick i learned from henry" THE BOYFRIENDISM OF IT

richard noticing things about henry <3

"glowing" richard that is NOT how people describe sunburns. you're just gay.

francis omg what (<- i have no idea the context for this)

"lovely strong muscled legs" i mean. i can appreciate a hot muscle lady too. but richard

"masculine" THE AMOUNT OF TIME HE DESCRIBES CAMILLA AS MASCULINE AND HOW MUCH HE LIKES HER FOR IT I'M FUCKING SOBBING

parallel (this was about camilla was being described beautiful and how much she looks like charles. richard WHAT is going through your brain)

richard should've left charles in jail tbh (DFUAHDA THIS IS ABOUT HIM AND CAMILLA AND LIKE. I HOPE HE DIES IN THE HOSPITAL, SOBER AND SUFFERING)

francis and his love of charles. francis. you're great. but man do you have bad taste

did he just fantasize about life with francis???

richard. richard what the fuck (<- also don't know the context for this but it's a pretty good summary of this book tbh)

"the glow of his praise" just say you're gay for him, richard. just say you're gay for henry and that he makes you feel funny inside.

"I had never thought henry handsome" mhm sure. an offshoot of this is his later description of henry being "tigerish in his grace" and my man WHAT (<- i audibly said that "my man what" like. 5 times ahfdafdsa)

jealousy (richard asking about camilla and henry is giving such jealous vibes, but in the context it seemed like he wanted to be with henry and was jealous of camilla)

henry really living up to his name, bc this is some vecna-esque shit right here

nah bucky you're right, winterpapen is OUT, richard x francis for the win

"i put my hand on his arm" there is literally NO reason to write this. it serves no narrative purpose. i mean. why include this if not gay 🤷‍♀️

richard and his homoerotic, daddy issues-fueled obsession with julian

finally saw the cover 💀 i thought it was abstract but nope that is a whole face 💀

anyways if this book doesn't end with "looking back on this, I think i;m gay" i am going to astral project into it and shake richard by the throat

SHSJXBAKXBS KAYE I LOVE ALL OF THIS SO MUCH LMAO

AND YAYYYYYYY RICHARD AND FRANCIS FOR THE WIN FR FR!!!!!! I’M SO GLAD THAT YOU’RE LIKING THE BOOK :DDDD