#don't mind her they're generally bitchy

[drekkavac]

𝙱𝙰𝚃𝙼𝙰𝙽.      “    i    extended    the    benefit    of    the    doubt    because    of    your    association    with    a    good    friend    of    mine,    but    do    not    test    my    limits,    barnes.    i    expect    you    to    answer    honestly    this    time,    what    were    you    doing    at    that    crime    scene?      ”      @urbanoath.

Focused  eyes  stared  down  the  caped  vigilante  over  Gotham.   He  didn't  scare  them  …  But  not  𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇  did  these  days  either.   Not  to  say  the  threat  isn't  realized.   He  could  take  them  down  if  he  wanted  to.   All  the  more  reason  to  stay  𝐎𝐔𝐓  𝐎𝐅  ��𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇.   Something  Anya  had  been  trained  from  childhood  to  be  good  at.

What  they  were  𝐃𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆  at  the  crime  scene  was  their  business.   Certainly  no  business  of  his  ,  but  it  was  obvious  that  was  hardly  a  thought  to  cross  his  mind.   The  goal  wasn't  to  fight  him  ,  but  rather  to  get  away  from  him  …  At  least  long  enough  to  find  out  what  𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐋𝐘  he  was  after.   Typical  behavior  for  the  assassin  really.

❝  My  job.  ❞    She  answers  bluntly.   Eyes  showing  that  there's  no  more  they're  willing  to  offer  him.     Because  she  𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓.    ❝  Last  I  checked  you  didn't  sign  my  paycheck.  ❞

[theloganator101]

I Just Wanna Make One Thing Clear

I don't hate Vaggie exactly, not in the same sense that I hate Katsuki Bakugou in BNHA, I just hate how she in general was executed in the show when she could've been a much better character.

EVERYTHING about Vaggie just doesn't work and only makes her look inconsistent and a hypocrite in the process. She doesn't work as a love interest, she doesn't work as a major character, nothing about her works.

A way I think Vaggie could've worked was keep her a Sinner where in her living life a man killed her or SA'd her to explain her distrust and hatred towards men. And that through her friendship with Charlie and the other members of the Hazbin Hotel, learns that not all of them are scum and slowly learns to put her trust in those she can. Her nagging and scolding could also be the result of having to grow up fast due to either her living circumstances or be the result of parentification of taking care of younger siblings she could've had before.

Or if you wanna keep her being an Exorcist Angel, have her arc center around trying to find herself and who she wants to be. Have her think that by helping the hotel be a success, she could feel redeemed in a way to make up for all the other demons she killed before her change of heart. Have her trying to actually connect with the other Sinners instead of being bitchy towards them and get over what's been ingrained in her mind about them, learning that not everything she's been told about them is true and that they're still human in a way.

[siderealscribblings]

i write neuvifuri fics too and can i just SAY that this DoE and all your other neuvifuri works are GODLY. they have me on a chokehold your writing is insane!!

also i hope you don't mind but the jewel/scale that neuvi gave furina inspired me so much that it took me out of my writing block and finally finished the chapter i've been stewing on for three months (and i used the idea accordingly!)

i suck at writing dialogue for these two (and in general) and i would love to hear what inspired you on your take for how they speak to each other! i definitely didn't expect snarky banter from them but it makes so much more sense given the 500 years worth of layers in their relationship

thank you for sharing your writing, i swear they're my favorite fics of all time from any fandom

Glad to hear it! I wanted to ascribe some meaning to that rock Furina wears around her neck and nothing like magical power-sharing dragon scales to make the outfit come together.

I think for dialogue I try and round characters out by expanding slightly on character traits/quirks. Like as put-together Neuvillette is, he's also a touch dramatic

Wheezes like an idiot when he laughs

And can be a touch sarcastic/bitchy at times

So I pull those out at times and let them play against his usual law-boy demeanor. It's a tight line to walk and I think years of forum RP/Screenwriting classes really helped me grow my dialogue.

...that and I have the habit of saying my dialogue out loud to myself while I write it to make sure it sounds natural. I'm glad writing is a solitary activity

[mongeese]

I'm not involving myself in the arguments again, but ep 1 Carol snaps that she "always knew Darryl would do something like this one day" and had a larger reaction to the car crashing than (her phrasing) "losing the kid".

So that's why the initial impression of Carol is that she is mean, and Matt's later dad facts + Darryl referencing Carol calling him fat and Darryl hiding his hobbies from her give a certain impression to people.

I do not care about discourse that happened probably years ago because it simply doesn't matter but I AM a defender of fictional women so I'm gonna reply to this. Know that any bitchiness in this post is not directed toward you specifically anon but rather it is directed toward general misogynistic fandom culture (which is rampant).

First point, Carol snapping at Darryl: obviously that's an imperfect reaction, but she's also just had the bombshell dropped on her that her husband crashed their car and lost their son. I think I can forgive her some anger in this moment. There's also probably built up resentment toward Darryl being expressed in this conversation, because she's falling out of love with him and he is the exact opposite of emotionally intelligent and I'm sure communication has been deteriorating between them for a while. Not ideal, but I can't particularly fault her for it. Also, literally in the same conversation, Darryl asks Carol to ask Darnell about the plays he emailed him, while his son is missing, which suggests that he is not always the most responsible! Perhaps giving some credence to her statement!

Reading the transcript, she didn't have a larger reaction to denting the hood of the car. Darryl said it last and she processed it first, but immediately after she began berating him much more intensely about losing their son. Which, again, is cruel but also understandable, given that in her mind there's no explanation for how he could've lost track of Grant other than gross negligence.

Gonna be honest and say I remember nothing about the context of Carol calling Darryl fat. I'd assume it was either a bit of a mean joke that Darryl took very personally bc his self esteem is in the gutter, or her saying he should lose weight. Neither is good, and I won't defend them, but also, compared to all the other shit characters do in the podcast? So tame.

Darryl hides everything from everyone. That's like, the core of his character. It's entirely possible that any hobbies he hides from Carol is simply because he's ashamed of them for catholic guilt/toxic masculinity/general weird repression paranoia reasons, and not because of anything she said or did.

Ultimately this is a pointless exercise because even if all those things WERE as bad as people make them out to be, I'd still be a Carol defender, because all 4 of the dads canonically do things which are way worse. Glen in particular is undeniably a shitty person (at least until 2/3 through the podcast, where I'm at right now), and Ron isn't much better. Yet they're both fan favorites. Why are they given the grace to make mistakes and be mean and thoughtless and flawed and still be liked, but Carol is hated? Could it, mayhaps, have something to do with the fact that they are men? And thus their shitty behavior is fine, because they're oh-so deep, but clearly CAROL doesn't have that depth, because she's just a woman, and she should be more understanding, and motherly, and caring, etc etc.

Like. I'm just fucking begging people in fandom spaces to have an ounce of self awareness and think about why, maybe, you're so ready to hate the female characters who don't act nice all the time, but you love the flawed tragic backstory men? What dominant power structure and social conditioning could be at work here? You are not immune to internalized misogyny (yes, even if you're a woman)

[wannaeatramyeon]

You hit the nail on the head! I‘ll ask for more professional assessment: honest opinion on Crystal?

Following on from my ramblings about Sally Park. Oops! Edited to add in Zoe too.

Well written female characters in Lookism? Uhh...

When the bar is at an all time low, it's really not hard to step over it.

At this point, I've been pavloved to think that any female character that expresses a personality trait other than 'simp' is pretty good. Simp is fun when it's part of a list of characteristics (Zack, Ryuhei). Not so much when it's the only thing.

Long live PTJ, the greatest feminist. Anyway.

Female characters I like

Mary Kim

Love her. Empress of 2 seconds. Queen of my heart.

Surprisingly kept a platonic relationship with Vin Jin, showing quite a healthy mixed gender friendship. Sassy and smart. Loyal. Good taste in men (Jace). Is shown having a life and interests outside of a man.

On my hands and knees praying that PTJ doesn't ruin her. Kinda glad she hasn't appeared in a while so she is kept away from his incessant need to turn everyone into a love interest.

Lua Im

Once we got over the odd Johan panels, which I heard the Korean audience didn't like and I'm quite happy about, she's fine. And it's not that I care that much about Johan staying a single dog-dad, I just needed a coherent reasoning/build up why they would be interested in one another.

Lua has potential.

Sourcing intel, even impressing the likes of Gun? A little Muay Thai knowledge? Jake and Jerry scared of her? Lol. Ok. Good. Let's build on this.

Just please don't white knight her.

Crystal Choi (meh)

And Ms. Choi, because anon specifically asked. I really don't mind her? I know she's meant to be anti-Lookism but still judges people based on their looks eh. That's fine. Pretty realistic actually. Whatever.

She can be a bit bitchy for no reason. So can I. Handwaving all that.

What I do take issue with though, is her so called title of Business Genius. Please show me the chapter where she actually does something to earn that title besides the one where other people ooh-ed and aah-ed over her in the meeting with DG.

Wow she's sooooo gorgeous. Ok good for her. If that's the route they're taking her character then at least OWN. THAT. SHIT. Use her beauty and looks to sign deals and get what she wants. GOOD. DO IT.

Zoe Park (also meh... Wait)

Sorry anon, I think 'really well written' is a bit of a reach... She does have some decent character development, starting as quite a flighty, shallow girl and then showing that she has a heart of gold, liking both Daniels and. Huh.

Wait. You're right. She is pretty well written. She's selfless and kind and loyal to her friends, putting up with Logan's bullshit. There's enough of a character arc for her from the Zoe we're introduced to at first.

And I do like that she's good at maths too.

Wasted potential

Minseong Kang (Jake's momma)

Appreciate this is the older generation and from a much more conservative culture. Saying that, I am so over the slighted and bitter housewife rotting at home while her big powerful husband cheats on her.

And then some sort of marriage redemption cos they pop out a kid. Whatever. (Sorry Jake bb, I love you).

If you were going to do that, give me the most toxic red flag shit where they are constantly at each other's THROATS. Show me how they are equals. Can't live with or without one another. That's the good kinda shit.

Leonn Lee

I just. What the fuck was this.

A girl in Burn Knuckles? A group that reeks of testerone and (positive) masculinity? Show us why she joined! Show us why she stays. SURPRISE. Main character trait?? Having a crush on Vasco.

She could have been SO interesting. And she obviously trains, why not get her to fight?

Hate for irrational reasons

Joy Hong

Listen, she's not really in enough or significant enough for me to really feel one way or another about her. BUT. The reason I HATE her is because I was trying to write a headcanon involving everyone and then I got to Joy and I was STUMPED.

Sub in a plank of wood, and it would have the same depth of personality.

Truly. Who is she apart from Jay's sister and a Daniel simp? At least everyone else has something.

Others

I don't really think about them. Sera Shin has potential I guess.

And of course a special mention to Daniel's momma. She's not exactly a unique character, but who doesn't love her?

LET. THEM. FIGHT.

Lastly. Why can't we see women fight? Like the men's fights are realistic LOL. Ultra instinct? Smashing through walls? So why are women fighting men outside the realms of this.

And yes yes. Men are SoOoOoOo strong. But can they take a kick to the balls?

Are you saying Gun Park has been training his dick and balls and would be able to eat a hit there? He wouldn't go down like a heap of shit??

HUH. TELL ME THAT.

In Summary

Mary by and large is pretty well written. Lua has improved.

I don't care much about anyone else.

And I wanna see Gun, Goo, Sammy, Vin etc. get kicked in the balls in a fight.

[hsrlanedefencesquad]

something made me think, when I played "and the haze will take us", none of the male LIs really hooked me and I was whining in my mind like "oh man I wish this author would introduce more LIs because none of these men are doing it for me" then I thought of "tata" she doesn't do anything for me too because I don't like her physical appearance nor personality but.....I remembered there are strictly wlw players who don't even have the option of picking from 3 female LIs, like that's CRAZY 😭 idk why I'm just all of a sudden clocking this, but going through stories with just one LI to pick from must be miserable omg

Like thinking of all the strictly wlw players getting stuck with one female LI to choose from & most of them just having either the generic "acts like your friend because she is a girl and I can't write intricate female routes instead of actually acting like your lover" personality or the other extreme "insane bitchiness" personality or to even be vain, what if their appearance doesn't excite the wlw players??and the thing is they're not even expected to complain because (the whole notion here is be grateful we even added female LIs for y'all)

the way most times I'm usually more attracted to the mc than the female LIs is crazy 😭 like lane, vyxaria & evthys can have anything they want from me 🤦🏾‍♀️

I romance male LIs primarily but also female LIs, agnia did nothing for me, tata does nothing for me (but we shall see) that one girl in dracula did nothing for me....I think the female LIs I have liked and romanced was lima from kcd (my darling), saraswati, that one hot blonde in LSE & some girls from vfv and I think anna is going to be added to this list because so far she has been amazing (those are the only ones who have been able to hook me so far) but the thing is I have that option to choose either from the male or female LIs and sometimes like with what happened in reading this story, none of them do anything for me and I can't just imagine how that must feel for lesbian players

Now I wonder how some wlw players go through books without romancing anyone, this is one aspect I wish RC improves on even though I know they just got into trouble in russia for the whole lgbtq stuff but- please I'm begging give us more female LIs to choose from, or at least hire more lesbian/bisexual authors if the heterosexual authors just don't know how to write/include different female LIs in their work....

[kragehund-est]

in my opinion, women could benefit from getting more comfortable with ma'am as a term of respect. i know some people don't like it because of the connotations, but reflect on why they're in place and why they bother you.

consider the common explanation "it makes me feel old". in the past, women generally weren't entitled to much respect until they were older. ma'am is tied to respect, not age. a young man getting called sir should feel proud to have earned that, why shouldn't a young woman with ma'am? there's nothing wrong with aging, anyway.

"it makes me sound like some stuffy boss-sort" some people have a problem with women demanding the respect that's owed to them, e.i. female manager getting called "bitchy" when she does her job. why pay them any mind? why should you care about a sexist's opinion?

if your reason is something more "it's more formal than i'm comfortable with in this setting" that's one thing. but i see some situations as women passing up respect that's owed to them. who benefits from this? of course, if anyone has any thoughts of their own i'd love to hear them.

[fazedlight]

For the character ask game: Andrea - 7, 8 & 12. 😊

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I love the amount of sass Andrea has, and how people keep that in their writing. I love how we've collectively decided that Lena and Andrea were a thing back in the day. (Sometimes I forget that they're not canon.) And I love rojarias now 😌

Though in general, I feel like I don't see a lot of her in the fandom, and I'd love to see more 👀 I'm excited to see where @sssammich goes with collateral. There are also a couple of older rojarias fics that I haven't gotten around to reading yet.

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

I really don't like when the fandom is hard on her for keeping the medallion 🥺

She has that snobby rich girl thing going on - and if people don't like her, that's fine - but the medallion was a choice between betraying a friend or killing her father (who it is clear she loves very dearly). In her shoes, I'd make the same choice.

I think it's interesting that she and Kara are, in some sense, very similar - they both betrayed Lena for very understandable reasons. But Kara is a marshmallow, and Andrea has kind of a bitchy hard shell, and I think that changes how people look at the betrayals themselves.

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

I think some of her Mean Girl persona evolved directly because of the stress of the medallion/betrayal, and later the murders she was forced to do with Leviathan. The stress of that would've been incredible, and she would've become meaner and more closed off over time - Obsidian was her only sense of control when she was losing control of her own life.

Which means... with the right person (*cough* Sam *cough*, Nic this is your fault), under the right circumstance, I think she could become soft over time, kind of like we see with Lena in season 6. They're not the same characters - but they grew up in these similarly rich environments and had a lot of life trauma, so they'd unravel in similar ways. (The biggest difference between them is that Andrea is motivated by protecting family, whereas Lena is motivated by trying to undo the harms her family has done.)

But to be clear, I don't think she'd ever get as soft as Lena gets. Not publicly. She has an image she is going to maintain 😌

Speaking of being motivated by family, one thing we didn't see in the show - that I think was really important - was towards the end, where Andrea decides that she can't take the consequences of her father's actions, and realizes that he never loved her. I think that would've been an existential moment for Andrea, to realize it is not her responsibility.

If she defines herself by protecting family (literally gave up her freedom for this), that would've been a big adjustment in her own mind. What becomes important to her after that point? How does she define herself now? I think there's a lot to dig into there.

Thanks for the ask ❤️

character ask game

[panelshowsource]

If you had to pick a top three favorite episodes of any panel shows EVER, which would you choose? One of mine would have to be Terry Wogan guest hosting old NMTB, which I am dying to watch again in my lifetime. Your old-NMTB-posting reminded me just how amazing and formative those old episodes were for me. Anyway, it got me thinking… I would love to hear yours!

as long as i'm allowed to answer this totally subjectively...! because the objectively most iconic panel show episodes are probably quite different to the ones i gravitate to especially for rewatching — and especially in this difficult recent climate 🫥

this choice is almost bizarre knowing me, a huge huge huge sean lock fan, but this episode of cats does countdown — without sean! and not even golden era, probably, whatever that is in my mind — is so ridiculous and chaotic and stupid that i've watched it about 1000 times. there's something very specific about the dynamic between jimmy, jon, roisin, and joe without sean; those four have been in quite a few episodes without sean and they're like actual children without an adult in the room: jon is goofier and completely lets go of the game, jimmy throws even more to roisin (we do not talk enough about what a fucking kick jimmy gets out of her), roisin and joe's insane sibling dynamic becomes next level. anyways—this episode, which includes rly funny mascots, glory hole, the fucking hoop game and joe eating an onion and jon eating peppers???, THE UNICORN, its sheer childishness just cracks me up every time :') (if we're gonna mention the golden age, 2.02 is very iconic — from rhod killin it and always arguing with jimmy to claude to nick x susie hahaha but i have sooooo many catsdown episodes i love love love)

i really love the episode of 8 out of 10 cats following jimmy's tax scandal. it's not one of my favourite panel shows in general, but the circumstances of the news and the discussion epitomised what the show was meant to be: panel show meets reality tv meets a comedy central roast. watching that live, as the news was running it so heavily that even the prime minister mentioned it, as the press and twitter were reacting to it... wild times. it holds up incredibly well — it's hilarious watching them rip him to shreds, because he deserves every word and they're having a ball doing it to him, and i really appreciate jon grounding the conversation in just how tax avoidance hurts their country and some of its hardest workers — a really interesting, engaging mix of comedy and anger and wit and disappointment and political commentary that is not only funny but strikingly relevant no matter how much time passes. like so, so many people who were so, so disappointed in jimmy, this was the foundation of his carrying the responsibility, shame, reflection, and growth that people wanted to see — and that he truly needed to. since then he's talked a lot about not only righting the wrong (in paying back what he owed in avoidance) but just how the system is so broken — and taking the least complicated, most honest road forward since.

now i want to pick 1000 different things this is why i don't make lists or rank things!!!!! while my instinct is to pick a big fat quiz, i'm actually gonna go top-level nostalgia and say this episode of buzzcocks when stephen fry was a guest. what can i say — simon, stephen, it was two intellectual, mildly bitchy homosexuals on a stacked panel including josie long, dominic cooper, and yet another skinny white rock man for simon to pretend he's not trying to flirt with. stephen saying "there is a history, in pop music, of recto-veginal insertion" and denouncing god, like, in the first 5 minutes? stephen doing the intros round?? did i mention history boys-era dominic cooper??? such a throwback!!! (not to cheat but this ep with josh groban & martin freeman is my runner up)

i want to apologise to big fat quiz, taskmaster, wilty... THE WHOLE HISTORY OF PANEL SHOWS... I WISH I COULD CHOOSE YOU ALL

[crystalelemental]

Full tierlist is here, breakdown of A-tier. A-tier is excellent. I generally have a lot to work with here, often in headcanon territory but I also maintain a lot have good canon information to work with.

Cyrus: I adore this loser. I have written so many fics about just making his life worse by offering love and support. He is so fundamentally broken and I adore that. I think part of it is just...man, I can't even say I'd do different. I get it. He's making some points. They're not good ones, but they resonate.

Carmine: Carmine is the perfect embodiment of a genuinely kind bitchy teenager, and I absolutely adore her. Tremendous confidence into shaky friendships, but is genuinely trying to be compassionate even if she's not particularly great at it sometimes.

Cyllene: mother dearest. God I adore Cyllene. She was already a lot of fun, but when you're sent out of the village and she's giving her speech about being true to yourself even when others don't understand you it's like...oh, she gets it. Like, this is someone who is tremendously duty-bound, but will follow the morally correct action over duty's demand. Also she's a swordmaster whose partner is an Abra that relays information, and she's scared to death of bugs. Perfect.

Volo: Cyrus-style vibes with next levels of unhinged religious mania. And he's got a baby egg creature that he loves so so much. Volo's such a fun dude, he's got so much going on and it all just works so well. Even his stupid hair.

Nemona: Unlike the other two friends who only made it to B, Nemona's an easy top A. I adore Nemona, she is so much fun. Girl has so much autism, and it's honestly presented in a way that makes her incredibly distinct and enjoyable. You get the quirks, but you also get the occasional frustrations people have with her over her lack of social awareness and it's so good.

Lillie: My baby girl. Lillie's interesting in that she's the only one this high up the list I've never written in fic. I really like Lillie, I think she's great fun, but I honestly cannot generate ideas for her. She's the emotional heart of Gen 7, and as such has a lot that's been done, but it leaves little to fill in for her. She's just very good to me.

Steven: my man. I love this rock nerd. His friendship with Roxanne is a huge draw for me, and I think his general attitude is just a lot of fun. Honestly, while Zinnia doesn't really do it for me, I do love that she's so antagonistic and he'd borderline "I don't even know who you are." It's just endlessly funny to me.

Winona: Fantastic vibes as a Flying trainer, absolute space case per Masters, and honestly her "Day with" segment in Masters has me headcanon her as ace. The idea that someone is romantically interested does not once cross her mind, because why would anyone think that? It's gotta be for battling. I really like her.

Erika: Cute flower lesbian, little bit of a mean girl vibe going on given her teasing of Jasmine. Her constant love of napping is a whole mood, and she just has a great vibe.

Iono: Talk about a fucking top tier character design, my god. Iono just nails it. Honestly adore her streamer energy, she's perfectly unhinged, and her partner being Bellibolt is just divine. She's an astonishingly tough fight, too, and just...I really love Iono.

Lusamine: SuMo did everything I love about Lusamine, while USUM kinda ruined a lot of it. I like my Lusamine being terrible. She's at her most interesting when she's unrepentant and cruel, but has a history that makes you think hey, we can connect some dots here on how she got like this. Similar to Guzma, it's an excellent approach to cycles of trauma, and she lands perfectly for me.

Cogita: Look. We all know my type. Cogita rules.

Darach: Look. We all know who my #1 is. Darach is here because of them. I really like Darach, I love his association with Caitlin, I generally love the really loyal ones. And I adore that his teams feel very butler-like. Empoleon, Gallade, Staraptor, Entei; those are premier butler Pokemon.

Poppy: "Are you seriously telling me Poppy is your favorite Paldea E4 member?" Please await me completing a fanfic again for the Poppy one that hopefully explains why. It's pure headcanon but I love this kid. She's nine years old and super tiny, and her ace is a trollz doll with a hammer bigger than she is. That's great.

Rika: Needs no introduction, Rika is divine. I do think people sometimes get her deal wrong, though? Like, Rika is the heavy stickler for rules. She's not particularly flexible. But that's part of her fun. She's super goofy and mains a Clodsire for god's sake, but at the same time is kind of a stick in the mud sometimes. That's good contrast, I like her a lot.

Whitney: I think Whitney exuded a lot of personality in her debut. Being the type to get really upset about losing and forgetting to give you a badge over it is a massive presentation of character most gym leaders through the series don't get. She's quirky and fun and I like her a lot.

Hassel: Listen, this is a personal preference thing, but I like when they're just like "We need a sensitive man, make him exaggeratedly over-emotional and cry a lot." I don't know, it just lands with me. I know it's supposed to be caricature, but it actually lands as sincere to me, and I like him a lot for it. Also, of all the professors, his is the only approach to pedagogy I actually liked. Like, his class feels like the one I'd enjoy being in.

Opal: Absolute lunatic in a generation that felt like it lacked those, I adore Opal. Her entire deal is just wild. She's ancient and crumbling, is literally magic, kidnaps Bede to make him become her successor, astoundingly astute about how people are given her read on Leon and Sonia. Opal rules.

Brassius: Speaking of unhinged, I adore this dude. Literally jumps off a windmill to initiate battle, and is constantly screaming about art. Like, literally screaming at the top of his lungs. He's so dramatic. I am not one to ship, but I do love him and Hassel, this feels like such a dynamic to me.

Anabel/Looker: I'm clustering them together because they are also a dynamic. They're interesting independent of one another, but it's the close devoted partners thing that takes them over many others. I really enjoy their dynamic when I see others write it. I don't feel like I have a perfect handle on all their eccentricities together, but I can safely say they've never missed.

Laventon: The dad to Cyllene's mom, Laventon is just a super cool dude. I really like this guy. He's actually dedicated to science, does his best but is kinda shit at the core mechanic he needs for research, but is fiercely protective of the kids. He's fantastic.

Lysandre: Pure headcanon territory, Lysandre is just kind of an asshole in divine ways. I can't really get into it without writing an essay, go read this if you're curious. It's the explanation for Serena, too.

Akari: Actually a character in her own story who went through stuff and exhibits some personality. Super cute design, big fan. Sometimes it's just about what I'm projecting on.

Serena: See Lysandre, I think Serena's the protagonist with the most actual character to dissect.

Dawn/Kris: Literally just favorites. Dawn has goober status per Masters, Kris has nerd and rage status per the same.

Silver: Just a genuinely excellent rival. Silver does it well, being a jerk at the outset who learns and grows alongside his Pokemon to become stronger and happier for it. He maintains his edge, never getting too non-confrontational, but does genuinely start to like...ease up and open up. He's just a strong character arc done right.

[ivyembracertifiedbitch]

FHJY Finale Thoughts: Episode 19

Disclaimer: I know I've been really negative about the last two episodes but I do actually have real criticisms, and I will try my best to not be just 'I hate this' about everything. No promises though. Also, none of this is hating the IH or Bleem. I respect that they're very fucking tired when shooting this and don't have a week in between episodes to think, and so these criticisms are made with that in mind. Also feel free to debate and discuss, I just wanted to share my opinions and try to pinpoint where the narrative went wrong, or where BLeeM could've made a better DM choice, but I love hearing other people's thoughts!

Bringing back K2: Bringing her back to have a second healer is really smart, but saying that Kristen liked having a sister around doesn't make sense. There was never any moment where Kristen and K2 seemed to get along, and honestly, I think K2 got along more with Fabian and Fig. Show don't tell is actually really good advice.

The short rest (and Ice Feast): Just nope. Nope. Not a fan, solidly don't like it. This is the big finale, and I felt more concern during the dragon fight than here. That's the problem with playing level 14 characters, I'm aware, but like. Not letting them take the short rest, actually having The Rat Grinders be skilled at fighting (If Brennan was lying about them grinding rats, you don't think he was lying about them only doing the killing blow on monsters? Plus, do you really think Porter would have his first worshippers and warriors only know how to do a killing blow?), having Kipperlilly steal the votes, anything man. Ice Feast played a big part in giving them the advantage, and I wasn't cool with that too. Taking away fire damage, making them unable to be stunned, all of that took away like the biggest threats of the fight. (I do think it's really cute that Brennan actually made Ice Feast for his friends, but allowing them to use it before the final battle, on top of the short rest was too much)

Strategy: Rewatching, it's actually fun to see them strategize because they're so good at it! It just sucks that they feel nothing but hate for these kids and we know that doesn't change after everything they've seen. And the narrative's going to reward them for it.

Squeem: Honestly? Also, not my favorite. Like, to have a short rest, and Ice Feast, and several allies on their way? What's the point of even fighting? Just skip to the victory dance. (Was so funny to have the return of hot chocolate with a shot of cortado, and lemonade cortado)

Battle Set: Once again, the art department has fucking slayed. Truly, such a work of art. 10/10, no notes.

Mary Ann: Not getting into it a lot with this episode, but see here for my general thoughts. Also, not happy with the cast's reactions to Mary Ann freaking out over getting her strawberry burned, as that's most likely her having a meltdown.

Ivy: I do appreciate Brennan trying to get the Bad Kids to be nice through the Hangman. Also, if Ivy truly does like looking good, great for her, but the only things we know about her at this time are that she's besties with Oisin, she was into Fabian, she's kinda bitchy, and some of her class stats. So the idea that just because she's a "mean girl" she'd take offense to getting called ugly feels misogynistic, especially coming from a complete stranger/someone literally not in her universe of existence. As for what Fabian said and did to Ivy, in my opinion, part of it is because he rejected Mazey at the party to impress her and feels bad, part of it is because she rejected him, and part of it is because he feels bad that he 'yes and-ed' the racist remark she made about Mazey. Also, the close proximity to the rage stars. I think he was wrong for what he said, and I'm not going to get into the virginity comment now because I still have a whole 'nother episode to get through, but I do want to say this is when Fabian/Mazey stopped being cute to me. Also, Brennan using Ivy's last moments to have her make a mean comment really feels like he's trying to cast her as the mean girl, which again, it's fine if she is. You can't convince me she's not just a kid scared for her life.

Oisin: Smart to get him somewhere he can't counterspell Adaine, and to take him out of the fight first, but why didn't we have anything directed at him? Like, I know that he never really got close enough to Adaine for episode 18 to be a full betrayal, but everything with Ivy and Ruben was so intense, I'd expect something. On behalf of Ivy and Ruben, I'm offended he was mostly left alone. As a general Rat Grinders enjoyer, this does count as a (small) w.

Buddy: So sad that Ally's insight roll on him failed, and I will not tolerate anyone calling him stupid or naive about the plan: see here. I get annoyed that Buddy was played up as a joke villain, but whatever! He's just a dumb southern hick, right?

Ruben: Saying there's no loyalty from Ruben is soo arrogant. They never emotionally connected so who would he be loyal to? The friends he's had for three years, or some random girl who had one real conversation with him? Tumblr user @rubenhopclap says it best. Fig's speech to Ruben is just *argh*. Girlie you don't know anything about him! (I do understand Emily's annoyance, because she did spend like at least one roll per downtime session on Ruben! But also... it was Wanda Childa talking to him, not Fig. He didn't have a real person to connect with, so why would he bother?) Like, out of all The Rat Grinders, we have explicit information that he is scared despite all of the rage and yet she just yells in his face? Thought the theme of the season was doubt beats anger, not war conquers rage. I'm also uncomfortable with Fig, who earlier in the season explicitly states that she think she's a monster for ruining one person's stay in hell as opposed to punishing all of them, deciding that just because Ruben was annoying and a waste of time he should be going to hell to be punished.

Kipperlilly: No notes. Literally, girlie was getting w's the entire episode.

Jace and Porter: No notes. Honestly? Their fucked up dynamic carried me through the finale.

The Lava: Just another solid no. With the amount of advantages we already have, it makes no sense to let their 'being immune to fire' translate to 'being immune to magma.' Bringing in some science, magma is literally a fourth state of matter, different from water. That's not going to feel like taking a swim, it's going to feel like getting crushed by cold lava. (Yes, I understand different DM's would allow that and different DM's wouldn't allow that, but with the advantages they already have, I feel like making them roll even for just half damage would be fine. Plus, fucking common sense says 'don't jump in lava, even if you have fire immunity.')

Making fun of Porter: I adore a group of teenagers just absolutely clowning on a 40 year old teacher, but I do wish they had engaged with the themes. We know it's really fucking likely The Rat Grinders have rage stars, and yet they just completely skip the part that Porter can control anyone with a rage star. And it's not like the Academy hasn't failed them before. It's not like Aguefort himself hasn't failed them before. They should be angry about that! Just, the refusal to engage with the themes in a story is irritating.

See Episode 20 thoughts here

[apoptoses]

DANIEL -

3. What first drew you to this character? 12. If you could write effortlessly and as much as you wanted, what story (s) would you write for this character? 26. If you look for this character’s name on AO3, what tags are you including or excluding? 34. Does this character inspire you with little things in your daily life? 50. Link your fav song, playlist, aesthetic board, fan-fiction, reference pile, personal artwork, analysis post, meme, headcanon, or quote for this character. Whichever one (s) you are most comfortable with!

okay you also asked for Armand with the same questions so for the sake of organization i'm gonna do both in one post!!!

What first drew you to this character?

Daniel: I just really like what a great stand-in for the reader he can be because yeah, I'm sure EVERYONE who read these books at some point had the same thought- that they would want to be turned and they'd see immortality as a gift. I like his shameless love of these monsters, the line about liking kissing and snuggling with dead things? Made me absolutely insane. I like that he's not afraid to mouth off to something so dangerous while he's still mortal. I like his drinking issues, his weird craft fixations. Basically everything we got in the text was incredible imo, he's a fave!!

Armand: Honestly Armand didn't really click with me until QotD. In my mind he was a Louis-simp in interview, and then an angry bitchy little Jesus freak in tvl, but then he shows up in QotD and he's putting cigarettes down the garbage disposal and throwing money at Daniel to make him teach him about international calls and I was like- damn, this one is a FREAK deep down. So seeing him be erratic and out of place and curious about the world made me view him in a new light, and the moments of gentleness he shows later in the book really pulled the pieces together for me.

If you could write effortlessly and as much as you wanted, what story (s) would you write for this character?

Fuck, I really want some newly turned Daniel at Night Island for both of them. Like what went wrong? What kind of maker was Armand with all these ghosts from his past around? How long did it take for things to fall apart and what were the ups and downs of that period like? I really, really wanna work through that but I don't have even the slightest inkling of where I want to begin yet.

If you look for this character’s name on AO3, what tags are you including or excluding?

So generally I start with fic rated Explicit or Mature, not just for pervert reasons lmao But I feel like if a writer can write some smut that really gets the characters and explores something interesting about them then most likely their fics with lower ratings are gonna be interesting and not pure woobification. (also if they're writing the kind of smut I like? Then we're likely similar flavors of freak and I know anything else they do is gonna be safe)

Also while I wanna write some vampire on vampire stuff, I generally prefer Daniel to be mortal for bodily exploitation purposes 😂

Does this character inspire you with little things in your daily life?

Kacy pls you know what things have been like for me lately, every two weeks something is going on that has me feeling like I'm living the Full Molloy lmao I'll never live down the experience of sitting in my car at 10pm and having that liquor store owner come outside and wave to me while Lixx runs around inside with an armful of bottles of wine for my shot nerves.

Anyways in all seriousness I think about Daniel's speech to Armand when he's dying a lot:

“But don’t you see,” Daniel said, “all human decisions are made like this. Do you think the mother knows what will happen to the child in her womb? Dear God, we are lost, I tell you. What does it matter if you give it to me and it’s wrong! There is no wrong! There is only desperation, and I would have it! I want to live forever with you.”

The refusal to ruminate or get sucked into thinking of all the possible wrong outcomes, that at the end of the day there is no wrong decision there's only action- I think there's something poignant there and I would do better to not be like Armand, convinced everything will turn out poorly in the end.

Link your fav song, playlist, aesthetic board, fan-fiction, reference pile, personal artwork, analysis post, meme, headcanon, or quote for this character. Whichever one (s) you are most comfortable with!

The fanart of Daniel that will always live rent free in my head is @nightislandofficial's art of him in tank top and cut off shorts bitching about 'give me what I want' lmao (though honestly all of their comics featuring Armand and Daniel send me, what a fandom gift)

Your series the Usher will forever have me in a chokehold like. Fic of all time!!! Also the thing you wrote for my wedding 🥹

God, for headcanons- anything stupid. Any headcanon that is really just a shitpost.

And my favorite quote for the two of them, just off the top of my head, would be Daniel saying "let me be a lover in the savage garden with you". He really had some killer lines, despite what little he got lol

[unsoundedcomic]

Do you think your take on 'immortal' characters is the 'norm' or, in a different society, things would play out differently? How old can Jets and Coppers live anyway? And you say they run society? Could a less depressing society churn out less depressing 'immortals'? If they weren't top dog? I can't even begin to fathom what to even think about when implementing 'immortal'/long-lived characters/cultures into a story ^.^'

Jets have an upper ceiling of 250, Copper can theoretically make it to 400. I don't think they're too depressing? Mallory and Roger were doing okay; Bastion, Claggart, and Bodie are bitchy, if jovial fellows.

But it's true that the older they get, the more likely they are to fall into ennui and nihilism. It's a pattern with them.

Immortality is a pretty fun concept to think about, I say. I cut my teeth on Anne Rice novels and her older vampire characters often lost touch with the world around them and sank into a torpor. The most successful were the ones that were determined to keep growing with the times, like Lestat. Just looking around us at how people behave as they age, I think that would be a rare attitude to find in a world with immortality. We humans tend to be very generational and to lose touch and even grow disdainful towards the young as we age past them. There are always exceptions but I don't come across too many. People tend to hang out with others their own age, to keep consuming the same media they grew up with, to find things that are too radically new rather uncomfortable.

We think we want immortality, but what would we do with it when every day most of us are just killing time and returning to old comforts? That's fine for sixty, seventy, eighty years, but two-hundred years of old comforts might not be so comfortable anymore.

Anyway I think that's what you have to study when you start tackling immortality. Otherwise you're going to wind up writing elves who magically bypass all this because they're just built different. Long-lived humans wouldn't be elves because we don't seem to have minds suited to that kind of immortality at all.

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

Hello I'm in anon but if anyone stumbles upon this and recognizes me no you don't

I've been pestering my friends about this idea of a sort of Beauty and The Beast excerpt of dialogue with Mihawk and S/O (or future S/O I don't know my mind doesn't focus on that part it focuses solely on Mihawk and sass). This isn't a Mihawk kidnaps S/O to have them the same way the movie goes (or it may, if anyone wishes for it to be yandere although that's not the vision I give to my friends 💀. My initial idea was along the lines of him having to keep S/O there because of it being part of a mission or something of the like)

S/O healing his scratches after he goes out to fetch them and gets scratched (I keep assuring them it's most likely a scratch because of thorns because there's no way the monkeys in the island try shit with Mihawk knowing him. The what causes the scratches themselves isn't important 😭 let me cook)

Mihawk, already pissed off about having had to go fetch them, dryly: If I didn't know it's useless, darling, I'd swear you're trying to tear my upper arm off

S/O, just as visibly pissed off: Well if you stopped moving it wouldn't hurt so much

Mihawk: If you hadn't run away I wouldn't have been injured in the first place

S/O: Well if you hadn't frightened me with that glare of yours I wouldn't have run!

Mihawk:

S/O:

Mihawk: Well, you shouldn't be giving me constant reasons to stare at you disapprovingly

S/O: Is that what you call your death glare?! Well YOU should learn how to stop being so bitchy!

And they're pinning for eachother so hard and they hate it MWHAHAHAHHA (I'm sorry I'm currently extremely sleep deprived and this gives me the giggles and I like sharing it with my favourite creators or people I feel might appreciate it or like the characters. This also applies to Zoro though in a different vibe hehehe).

This is very heavily the vibe between Mihawk and my OC for Hearing Problems (sole exception that she would absolutely under no circumstances ever admit she was frightened, too much pride, would just say she was annoyed), so I've thought about this general dynamic a lot.

Not the similarities to Beauty and the Beast, admittedly, but I very much like it.

And it's also my favorite way I can see Mihawk ending up embroiled in a romantic relationship after years upon years of being more or less of a hermit. A sometimes murdery hermit, yes, but still a hermit.

He's absolutely convinced that he hates future-S/O, because he's just sincerely not used to the feelings he's experiencing, and his instinct is to shove said feelings away and blame her for upending his solitary existence and making him feel things honestly how dare her he was perfectly content sipping wine and being sarcastic without any damned help.

And future-S/O is dealing with the same thing—just mad as hell that she has to deal with this ungrateful warlord with his sarcastic comments and general antisocial tendencies...but at the same time, secretly aware that he would probably just kill her if he didn't actually want her around, which is kind of sweet in a weird unhinged sort of way.

And so, their mutual, subconscious pining just slowly builds and builds until neither of them can lie to themselves about it anymore and they end up in love or something.

And they're both still low-key annoyed that it happened.

Enemies to lovers? No, enemies resigned to the fact that they're now lovers whether they want to be or not, and still wholly unwilling to admit that they like the idea of it.

Just accidentally in love and mutually irritated about it until death do them part.

[margridarnauds]

Hi,

So I finished the novel Queen's Gambit by Elizabeth Freemantle and am now extremely angry need to decompress and filter out her garbage I'm shocked that Penguin House published this book and that it is getting made into a movie. To portray young Princess Elizabeth as willingly seeking Seymour out and seducing him is vile. Parr's bitchy handmaid Dot finds them in bed together. What on Earth? No evidence for that. Then Catherine Parr gets angry, blames Elizabeth and they don't reconcile after she leaves. Heartbreaking. Plus, the portrayal of Catherine Parr is horrid there is no evidence she or her stepdaughter Meg were raped during the Pilgrimage of Grace, a devout woman like Catherine wouldn't be contemplating killing either of her husbands, or rejoicing in the prospect of being damned to hell as she puts it after Henry VIII dies. (Maybe with Henry she would think about it but not actually go through with it). I got the impression that this author had an anti-Christian as well as anti-Elizabeth attitude. Tried Sisters of Treason another book of hers but it was also bad. I want to send her an angry letter now calling out her disgusting portrayal of young Elizabeth. Did you send in a review or a note to the author after you read it?

Don't forget Dot's final monologue about Why Elizabeth Is Such A Bitch -- It's Almost Understandable That She's Such a Bitch-Slut.

It's common with historical fiction, really, to not understand the way that religion historically worked. It's very easy to put our feelings on religion, whatever they might be, onto historical figures in an attempt to make them More Like Us, but the simple reality is that they were living in a totally different cultural context. Characters are either religious fanatics so extreme that they make Frollo think "Hm, maybe they're overdoing it a tiny bit", they're Secretly Atheists, or religion just doesn't cross their mind ever (unless, in Tudor media, it's to establish them as a Cool Modern Protestant.)

As for what I did...honestly, put the book aside and thought about every single decision in my life that had led to me both reading and finishing it. As you can see by the fact that I still remember it in vivid detail, it holds a special place in my Hall of Shame. (And it isn't even batshit insane enough to be FUNNY, unfortunately.)

But, my piece of totally unsolicited advice that you are perfectly free to discard at your earliest convenience? ...when you do medieval Irish stuff. Or medieval Celtic stuff in general. You will NEVER see your field faithfully or even sensitively portrayed on page. Every single depiction you get will be based on old stereotypes, colonialist tropes, and outdated information. I've read things about my faves, in particular, that would make most people's hair stand up on end. Things that are truly, deeply vile, that are on par with the depiction of Elizabeth here, or even worse. And it is easy to be angry, it's understandable to be angry, and God knows that my friends have heard me ranting in the DMs. And when I was younger, I was, regularly. And then I got exhausted, because anger is exhausting, especially when it's you and your anger versus a tidal wave of misinformation. I didn't stop getting angry, no. But I started to use it as a tool, not as an explosive -- I let it fuel me, I used it for my scholarship, putting all these different pieces of pop culture about my field in conversation with one another and noting common trends, as well as making comparisons to trends in other areas to figure out what, in our contemporary cultural landscape, is causing us, as a general group, at this point in time, to portray these things in a certain way, as well as how we have portrayed them over time. I have built my career, at least in part, on defending the undefendable, on studying the ink blotches of historiography to see where the historical or literary records meet the popular image, specifically looking at figures who are frequently portrayed as villainous and monstrous. I don't deal in happy endings, I can't when I step in after their final death scenes, after the point where even the possibility of their deaths meaning *something* is gone, because they don't even get the satisfaction of being well remembered. I never expect to see my faves well portrayed -- sometimes, I'm surprised, but it is truly, deeply, RARE.

You send a note to an author, no matter how well-intentioned, and it's easy to write off. The author submitted that work for publication, it's done. They're still getting royalties off of them, whatever that means in the current hellacious publishing landscape, in this case, she even has a movie. They might care, but honestly? They probably won't. They can dismiss you as a crazed, unhinged fan, regardless of how much thought and effort you've put into the critique. You've wasted all that high quality, undiluted anger for something that won't have any tangible effect. My advice, instead? Feel your anger, let the hate flow through you, especially when it reflects biases like sexism, racism, and homophobia, sharpen it, and then use it -- it doesn't have to be in conference presentations or journal articles or any of the trappings of academia, but use it.

Write reviews, absolutely, put it into conversations with other pieces of Tudor and Elizabethan fiction, especially about young Elizabeth (Hell, compare it to, say, Elizabeth R, Becoming Elizabeth, Young Bess, or Lady Bess (Toho 2014/2018), just for examples of the young Elizabeth's life off the top of my head that dramatize the life of Elizabeth), see what other people have said, in journal articles, sure, but also in blog articles or GoodReads reviews online, without necessarily even talking to them, but just to get a survey of what they think and why they think it, and see what you can do. Why do we want to portray Elizabeth this way? Is it a desire to "knock her off her throne?" Portray her as a nymphomaniac bitch slut to contrast with the "Gloriana" image? Is it that we're uncomfortable with the topic of CSA? Or we don't like to think of it as something that historically occurred? (Especially when you compare it to the ongoing bimboification of Katherine Howard, even in allegedly sympathetic biographies.) Is it that we still don't want to believe that it could have happened? That we're willing to give more sympathy to a man than to a child? Some combination of all of them? And are we seeing progressively more nuanced portrayals, or are we seeing more of the same across the board? (I feel like Seymour, at least, has gone from being a romantic hero in Young Bess to being portrayed as genuinely manipulative, even if the execution is still lacking.) On the reverse side, are people more willing to defend, say, Elizabeth I and Catherine Howard than other historical women, specifically because of what they represent and because of their high profile status? Is there a double-edged sword here? Let your anger fuel you.

[jaytoons7]

Scottie's Character Relationship Post

Technically, I should be doing someone like Jay first. But I have more ideas for Scottie's relationships (And they're kinda my favorite OC rn)

I'll do other people's OCs because I have the most ideas about that, But let me know if you want their opinions on canon characters too!

Guide:

💛: Friends

🧡: Acquaintances

❤: Crush

💔: Conflicted

🖤: Enemies

💜: Family

🤝: Business

(My OCs)

Jay Benson: 💛

Scottie saw Jay sitting alone in the cafeteria and decided to get them some food. And like when you feed a stray cat, Jay stuck with them ever since. It took Scottie a while to adjust to being called a "friend", But they are genuinely happy that Jay entered their life.

Ulle Meadows: 💛

Ulle used to be really wary of Scottie, Due to her nervousness around the scarier Toppats in general. But as she came out of her shell, The two began to bond. Once Jay came along, The three became an odd yet close trio.

Tara Sammson: 💔❤

Scottie first met her during a heist that was interrupted by the Cycle Punks. Since then, The two just kept bumping into each other. Scottie grew to genuinely care about her and maybe even feel something deeper towards her, But they'd never admit that out loud.

Lynn and Anne Strickland: 💔💜

Scottie's older sisters. They haven't seen them since they were a teenager, And they're honestly afraid to see them again...

(Other's OCs)

Accordion and Violin: (@bluetorchsky ) 🧡

Scottie wasn't exactly thrilled when they saw Violin in their kitchen without permission for the first time. But they eventually kinda warmed up to the couple, Especially since Buckethat seemed to like them.

Calypso Bells: (@bluetorchsky ) 🤝🧡

They both work in the kitchen, But Scottie is a tad bit too intimidated about how she can seem to know exactly what they're thinking to get any closer to her.

Amelia Copperbottom: (@androidcharles ) 💔

The most prominent memory Scottie has of Amelia is seeing her eating a rusted knife of theirs. Speaking to her hasn't exactly been a priority after that.

Brutus Dan Gerbreaker: (@smoresthehalloweenqueen ) 💔 🖤

Scottie cannot stand Brutus. The only reason they even attempt to tolerate him is because Jay's friends with him. Will that change someday? Who knows...

Danny Felizima: (@capturecharlesau ) 🤝💔

Scottie is technically Danny's boss. When Scottie first met Danny, They did not like him at all. They didn't even have a valid reason, He just annoyed them (And Scottie was still in their overly bitchy phase). Things have simmered down since then, But there's still some awkwardness between them...

Benz Rodriguez: (@capturecharlesau ) 💔

I don't wanna spoil too much about Benz without Minerva's permission, But we have both decided that him and Scottie have some history.

(There's definitely more, But these were the ones on my mind at the moment)