#during cultural studies or something idk

[venacoeurva]

I thought about “man what if the tall altmer genes did get all the way through to Wren” and then thought about Tall Wren and the only way I could think about it was like the sims 3 toddler glitch where they become stretched out spaghetti monsters, and I think that sums up how disconcerting Tall Wren would be

[jebiknights]

People seem to think that a lot of Anakin's (and Obi-Wan's) problems would be solved by Anakin having a different Jedi Master, but tbh I think most of these problems could've been solved by putting Anakin in the creche for a year or two before having Obi-Wan take him on as a Padawan. It's extremely common for Jedi to "claim" Padawans and vice versa while they are still initiates, so they can both know they will be partnered together when it is time.

This gives Obi-Wan time to be a Knight on his own and it gives him time to grieve. Might be good for him to spend some time not being part of a duo. Maybe even go to therapy that I'm not sure he had time for otherwise. This gives Obi-Wan time to prepare too. We can all acknowledge Obi-Wan enjoys teaching though he doesn't feel like he was a good enough one for Anakin. So this gives him time to prepare for being a teacher, seek out advice before he is saddled with a child 24/7 as opposed to during Anakin's occasional study hall or Benduday free time.

It also gives Anakin time to not only catch up to his age mates in school and Jedi stuff but to spend time among his peers and potentially make actual friends. It's something he seemed to struggle with in canon and not being promoted immediately to Padawan but spending time as an initiate likely would've done wonders for him socially. I think having that time for them to grow and then to have Obi-Wan still decide to choose Anakin after that time would do wonders for his insecurities.

Aside from the benefits of being more immersed in the communal aspects of the culture, I think waiting for him to become a Padawan may also make it easier to hold off Palpatine, depending on which canon you consider for when he starts to groom him. Easier to justify keeping him away when Anakin is just an initiate, not a full on apprentice yet.

Idk if you asked me what my ideal fix it would be for Anakin, this would probably be my starting point.

[quartztwst]

waitt Azul doesn't like rielle? I'm sry I'm not on Jp but PLZZ tell mee I always thought he was neutral

I THINK HE HATED RIELLE he said he was cringe or smth???

I KNOW HE MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT RIELLE AND I THINK AZUL HAS AN ICK FOR HIM HE WAS LIKE “ew rielle i think he should die” or smth idk i REMEMBER IT OR WAS THAT MADE UP IN MY MEMORY WTF

I LOOKED AND I SWEAR THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT AZULBEING A HATER AND I DONT SEE ANYTHING

DID I MAKE IT UP IN MY HEAD AM I DELSUIONAL?? AM I CRAZY??? IM SO CRAZY FOR AZUL I STARTED MAKING SHIT UP IN MY HEAD.

im insane im gone what the fuck i swear

I SWEAR

anyways about my rielle teehee bc fuck azul whatever

Rielle (MY VERSION)

Second year (17)

Dude sometimes is dumb as fuck

Geninuely did not pay attention to Azul until they both went up to the surface

But he did think Azul was cool so he thinks they’re friends but Azul thinks he’s fucking cringe

the reason he didn’t even think about azul is because ermmm he’s a royal and was taught not to talk to POOR POEPLEE (azul is not poor)

but you get what i was saying

he’s the youngest and he’s mostly left behind so he spends his time alone and quiet

UNTIL HE DISCOVERED THAT HUMANS FUCKING EXIST AND WAS LIKE “yo, dad, i wanna go to the surface”

and his dad was like “what but the surface is kinda wack no”

and then he asked the TWST equalivent of Sebastian (CRAB ONE NOT THE DEMON) and RAN AWAY??? TO THE SURFACE. HE LIKE

HE LITERALLY LEFT HOME TO GO TO SCHOOL ON THE SURFACE (no contract needed)

he met azul again during the boot camp thing and wanted to make friends for the first time and was met with “ew die” from azul

he’s very curious about land and land dweller culture so he’s always trying to try everything before his dad figures out where he is at.

he’s late to class everyday bc he’s too busy researching and trying something out

his guardian basically sebastian

accidentally made meth once

his grades are actually pretty good. he’s everywhere but he also studies the night before the test and somehow gets 91%

created an essay under 7 hours and got a decent score

gets his ass scolded by Cedric (cinderella twst oc) and Sebastian bc he keeps doing that

tries to get Neige into his antics

Asked Neige to go sky-diving with him and they literally both went (Neige had fun, Rielle was screaming)

Rielle hates heights but wants to overcome them

made a contract with azul that lost his voice for the first half of the school year before leona dusted it and he gained his voice back (<- i might change this)

[eliasorchard]

Hey Vin, what’s up?

I hope that you are doing well. Anyway I wanted to share an idea that got into my head.

Imagine a situation where William somehow ends up in the modern times and meeting you. And like, you introduce him to everything in our times and at some point you end up introducing him to video games (mostly because he caught you playing a video game and ended up getting curious about what that is, lol)

But anyway, I found the idea of introducing him to video games and teaching him about how to play them and even letting him try to play really adorable.

Now, I don’t really see him as someone who would be much of a gamer but I do see him play video games from time to time. I see him being more into board games to be honest.

Ah btw, this isn’t a request (which you definitely can tell I guess. But I thought it would still be good to make it clear.) I just thought I could share my idea cause I found it really cute

Anyway, have nice day/night ✨

AUDJDJ i'm sorry that this is rather later, i was planning on answering it but i forgot. anyway, i can imagine the culture shock he'd experience. but he's someone that can adapt to situations, that's practically all he's done throughout his life 🗣️ you have a great mind

one day, william notices you engrossed in something. something fast paced, or a story driven game with deep strategy? (idk, whatever type of game you like playing) either way, his curiosity would get the better of him.

william's interest piqued when he heard the clicking of the controller in your hands. he silently approaches, standing close behind you, breath warm against your neck as he leans in —ncasting a shadow over your screen.

"what is this?" william asks, voice low. you can feel him studying not just the game, but also you.

ever the observant mind.

"it's a video game," you try to explain. "you can control characters, go on adventures, solve puzzles... people play them for fun." it'd take some time explaining how a glowing screen could take you on adventures and whatnot.

he'd watch you curiously, like a child mesmerized when going to an aquarium for the first time. it's new to him.

"fascinating," he whispers softly. "may i try?"

as you hand him the controller, your fingers brush against his in the exchange and you watch as he attempts to navigate the game. william's deliberate — calculating in his every move, but there’s something endearing in his concentration. he's so bewitched by it, trying to take all of the information in, flinching when a jump scare appears.

it's cute.

"i'm not sure this is my kind of challenge," he admits after a while, lips curving into a small smile. he places the controller aside, turning to face you. and his gaze softens.

“but i can see why you enjoy it, (name). i, however, prefer strategy with a bit more… direct engagement. perhaps a more traditional game would suit me better," he continues. "chess, for instance. do you still have that in this time?"

"yes, they're on here, too." you nod, tapping the screen. "but i could always pull out the board game from my.." you trail off. "i think i kept it in the closet? i can try finding it."

"really?" william blinks. he's surprised. perhaps it's because so many things have changed, but he's not sure why he thought chess was no longer available during this time. "oh, no, please. i wouldn't want to bother you. we could try the...'video game' version of chess, as you call it."

"i could teach you." unable to help yourself, you smile. there's a childish excitement in him that you're finding adorable. "… or challenge you.”

william's smile changes to something deeper, and there’s a flicker of something more in his eyes, "a challenge, then."

no matter how much time has passed, william is still, at his core, the same william. though he sometimes struggles to adapt quickly to the modern world we live in due to the drastic changes, his sharp mind remains as keen as ever.

[theepitomeofamess]

ok ok it's theory time bc i'm rewatching mismag 1 as a coping mechanism so potential spoilers ahoy & forgive me if it's rambly i've also had a sedative

the serpent in the storm. the one without a name and only shown as an illumination in the Tome of Nimble Working. is that what was possessing evan? like is it the amalgamation of the "demons" that were haunting him, or even just The Main Guy? i'm not sure if this creature has anything to do with the breaking of magic, I just started thinking about this today at work, but hear me out.

in Class Conflict, the manifestation of the thing haunting Evan when it emerged to protect him was the blood cobra, and the barb that Tallulah hit Evan with after potions class was that all she heard was "hissing noises." so we know that snakes are something evil & monstrous in wizard culture (as much as they were in HP) but not because they're the mascot of the "evil house" Aqarbus. so where did the serpent symbolism come from?

later, in Family on Six when Evan makes the agreement to lean on the demons to save K, the "permanent change" that Brennan describes is that out of the shadow across evan's face "just goes black and is leaking black oil and water." aabira's description of the illumination of this creature was "a mix between a snake and an oil-soaked bird of prey." oil-soaked.

this is kinda what got me thinking in the first place, because what are the things you think of when you think of Evan Kelmp? Bird Facts and Gas Station Parking Lots. this absolutely feels like something Aabria would pull to make Brennan eat the lore he created.

it's also the type of shit she would do because of K's attempts to find any sort of books about what these "demons" might be during the exorcism, only to be met with "you think you're going to find me in a book?" maybe not named. not studied. no anatomical drawings or any sort of understanding as to what it is. but yeah. they'll find it in a book.

i do think that maybe this bird snake entity has been tied to Evan since before his birth---aabria's description in the latest S2 ep: "you feel yourself and the inside of you is empty, and something that was always meant to be poured in is beginning to pour itself back in" tells me that Evan was born to be a vessel for something. now, the demons at the exorcism said that Evan was promised to them. promised by whom? promised by what? maybe by the thing that knew it was going to be held within Evan, and knew that if he were to grow up with a dark enough childhood, if he were to be haunted enough, he might become the Dark One.

now, we don't really know the mythology of the Dark One. we don't know what sort of prophecy was told about it. going off of the general trope of the thing, we've gotta assume that it's something along the lines of "this person will unleash a great terror/darkness/evil upon the world." this likely was supposed to happen as a result of evan's torment like a psychotic break, or maybe as a defense mechanism in a life-or-death situation. either way, this creature and the magic that it represents would have wanted to be released, maybe still using Evan as a vessel and working through him to maintain its unknown, mythological status. this thing isn't Tad, it can't and won't be lulled to sleep.

could this creature have been accidentally released as a result of sam's exorcism? probably, it had to have been a thing or else it wouldn't be on the orery.(besides, this ancient monstrosity would never have anticipated Sam Black). could it be that it was released after K killed Evan? possibly, idk how often gm's rearrange lore behind the scenes to better fit what's happened in the story they're playing through.

whatever the case, I do think that it's not insignificant that Evan only started getting inklings of this sort of repossession leaking in after the events on Seeganpelater. the place where he saw the creature through the serpent's watch (a scene that in illustration implies that, maybe, the serpent could see them, too). the place where he snapped his wand. the place where he killed Boudicca. where we saw him be a magic murderer, where we saw him truly tap into the darkness he's been assigned his whole life. somewhere on cannibal Island, there was a moment of reconnection, and it helps that the very next places they went to were the islands that 1) stressed Evan out beyond belief, and 2) worked with amplification. it was able to strengthen its bond either the minute they landed, or as soon as Evan leaned into his strengths to scratch the tree with his shadow.

maybe this creature is what broke the well of magic. maybe it created the storm and destroyed Gowpenny. maybe this is a version of the Dark One prophecy coming true, breaking the rules of magic to the point that the entire system is broken and the world can never be what it used to. maybe it's not involved in anything and is just reveling in the chaos. I don't know. maybe all of these are coincidences between seasons. fun to think about, though!

[bunny-hoodlum]

My brain is dead. My hand is dead. I finished Hinata but still have to do Naruto, ahahhahahaha 🤪 maybe tmw. ughhhh I need a more efficient style. 😫 And I'm stuck with these washed out colors because it's supposed to look like a dim kitchen during a house party. Maybe the final piece will look better. There's also always gradient maps and color balancing too. Editing in post type stuff.

Ah yes, so my Witchcraft AU is going to be Los Angeles-coded. Everyone is Japanese-American-coded, LA Asian Community proxy, etc. Not gonna take place in RL. Not gonna reference actual nations/races, etc. But LA food culture will be there. Other aspects of LA culture will be there, or so I'll try.

I automatically headcanoned this Naruto to be into Mexican Punk/Skacore, so it's just gonna be Skacore in writing, but maybe I'll create his personal playlist or something and share it here later.

He's a jock but he's also really punk at heart, gets hotheaded, gets into trouble but not in a delinquent way. So we got a jock that grew up next to 'Cholos', puts elote in his cup ramen or something like that. Maybe has a weird personal recipe for ramen tamales, idk, I'm throwing spaghetti at the wall here. 😂 Cultural fusion, go!

Hinata is a bi witch, soft goft girl. Big tiddy goth girlfriend. Nuff said.

I'm thinking Ino and Sakura could be witches too. Ino is a herbalist and Sakura is too focused on studying theory to actually practice or something. Ino and Sakura are together, but sometimes the witches have lesbian orgies because... occultic reasons. Just kidding. Actually, I did have a concept in mind, of course the reason is semi-ritualistic, or like, it's just normal for the girls to need to comfort each other. 🤔

I'll drop the official summary for the whole story sometime this week, just been obsessing over this art. Which I really should have just flat colored or something. Maybe I'll scrap all the coloring on Hinata that I already did and focus on a simpler coloring style. It'll be more cohesive looking anyways. 😫

I might add a drabble to the final piece, too. That'll be fun. 🥰

Hmmm... maybe Naruto's traps don't look big enough. 🤔 Maybe Hinata's boobs don't look big enough either. 😂 Oh, I still dunno what type of athlete he is. I wanna shop around before settling for football player. 😂

[thebirthofvenusfly]

i've had a handful of people ask me Things in regard to my fic and personal ISAT headcanons so here are some rapid fire thoughts and questions:

(heavy emphasis on headcanon. none of these are necessarily canon in the real game. but they are MY canon in MY fanfictions)

-i am not a fan of the narrative that the party breaks up (in general, but especially) a year-two years after the events of ISAT so i will not be writing with that as a goal or possibility in mind and that will never be my canon in any works i create

-during ISAT's duration, odile fills in for bonnie's schooling as a tutor between their missions and endeavors. i feel like there's no reason this necessarily has to change post-game ( + there's a Lot of information they can learn more from, from travelling and having new experiences with new people and cultures first-hand) so this is something i adamantly keep canon in my works

-nille is a character too!! she is not IN ISAT itself, but she is a person with her own thoughts and feelings and qualms and disagreeable traits and emotional baggage! she was forced to runaway with and raise a baby in her teens, for goodness' sake!!! so yes i will write her with just as much focus and depth as i'd write any of the characters who DID appear in ISAT, i think they all deserve the spotlight :,)

-"what is siffrin's language based off of?" i don't know. i had specific language emphasis in mind based off ones i've studied myself, but... i don't know. i've heard in the discord that The Island is based off of guadeloupe, then i've heard that there is not supposed to be any confirmed 1-1 parallel and the island is purposely left up to interpretation. i genuinely don't know. all i was able to surmise is the island's food has some caribbean roots and that is literally it. i have been trying to do research on guadeloupe still and write from that perspective but it is a culture im very unfamiliar with and trying to write with tact and respect. i'm trying to make work what i can and would appreciate your patience with that (and if you are from guadeloupe or a similar area that shares some similar roots and influences, any help would be appreciated)

-odile is an only child, mirabelle is an only child, isabeau is a middle kid, bonnie is the youngest, siffrin was an only child with a younger sibling on the way and they've always had a natural connection with kids in their neighborhood (and around dormont!) which had made looking out for bonnie natural for them

-we don't get much information about mwudu and poteria outside of some small implications and dev notes. ex. poteria is said to be based quite a bit off italy and is a hot spot for its theatre and theatrical productions; bonnie can read mwudu (leading me to think bonnie and nille may be of mwudu diaspora) and in SASASAP odile regards samosas as being foreign to her iirc isabeau comments on them being smth only really popular near the coast (which is close to The Island + Mwudu); samosas seem to have south asian and middle eastern origins in Our World, leading me to generally base mwudu off of india from some research ive done on them. that being said, ISAT creates unique and new religions for Vaugarde, The Island, Ka Bue, etc. so idk at all what poterian and mwudu religious beliefs or influences would look like (which may not really matter, as bonnie seems to have very comfortably preferred vaugardian customs anyways? still smth im curious about though). generally, i headcanon bonnie and nille as first generation vaugardian-mwudu with their parents having immigrated to vaugarde prior to nille's birth

[thoughtssvt]

short nanami & megumi speech analysis

it's so interesting to me how nanami's speaking mannerisms translate through culture. not hating on how anyone writes him or anything, i just find it interesting.

because most of the time in fics/smaus kento speaks like he's writing a work email, right? very professional-esque, something you'd relate to a corporate setting, or just very rigid/ no slang way of speaking. when in japanese he just speaks very formally. even in fights he takes the extra time to use the polite words (which is often a longer way of saying things -- which now that i think about it would technically be how he's characterized in english if we're talking about how lengthy the sentences get i digress)

i think the only time he broke polite speech was in the fight with dagon when he called everyone to gather.

it also does make me think about megumi bc he's about the only other character who constantly uses polite speech even in the fight with dagon and any other fatal battle. with the other first years his speech is more lax and casual because they're of the same age and status but way more polite than you'd hear teenagers talk (at least in the 'verse)

in contrast he doesn't actually use polite speech when he talks to tsumiki, at least from what we saw (and i haven't fact checked myself but i also think he drops polite speech when he thinks to himself whereas i believe nanami still uses polite speech when he thinks)

this lowkey makes me headcanon that kid megumi shadowed nanami during a mission once and the way he carried himself just had megumi's eyes gleaming.

especially bc of his speech the earliest we've seen him (when he first meets gojo) he uses "あんた誰" antadare = who are you? the use of あんた anta being rude especially to a stranger. he was also in first grade so he probably just switched to using polite speech after learning, but i'm gonna stop here bc i only meant to talk about nanami but now im thinking about how itadori's speech changed just very slightly when he was talking to ozawa since he called her "ozawa-chan" and he usually only uses the suffix honorifics like -sensei--

idk how i got here

anyway good luck studying japanese, yall!

i've also been wanting to talk about the change in characters' character when they have siblings and their change in speech just across some of my favorite anime but i need to fact check myself lol

[kerubimcrepin]

Liveblog: Wakfu Season 2 (episode 17)

I find myself liking Eva a lot, during this rewatch, because I really am realizing that Eva&Joris is a very interesting and insane duo to consider.

If Ankama was wiser, they'd make them friends explicitly. Oh well.

Joris watching Adamai say this (Adamai is living through his worst nightmare of the person who loved him dying and coming back without memories, this time for real): 😬💀🚶‍♂️

This seems like some sort of waiting room for the meeting, judging from the fact that all the participants (as well as Grougal, but, to be fair, he's like a baby, it's logical that he'd be present with him until the very last possible moment, before being passed on to babysitters.)

I think it's interesting that Joris is sitting quite neutrally, looking exactly at Adamai and Armand, while Qilby is turned fully towards him.

...Studying him, perhaps?

Judging from the fact that Qilby was appealing to Sadida royalty by having studied their texts, and claiming to have met their god, he seems interested in learning more about people — maybe to manipulate, maybe simply curious.

Considering Qilby's connection with dragons and millions of years worth of memory, I could wager that he can feel/see that Joris is a bit weird.

(I know I am reading way too much into this, but let me have this lmaoo.)

This is why I find it quite fascinating that Qilby (interested in studying people around him, maybe seeking an advantage) is telling Joris (an old, dragonized Bontarian deligate) about a dragon that razed Bonta before Joris was born (Arty (Goultard's Dead Dragon Husband)).

Trying to gauge if Joris is secretly a dragon? If he knows that dragon? Trying to gauge his age? His opinions? Hmm???

This is one of the most short and uninformative Joris one-liners in the whole franchise. He's so epic for the way he dodges saying anything here.

Considering the fact that Joris is 1. pretty gullable, actually, 2. generally distrustful of people he doesn't know, especially royalty, 3. sounds pretty happy about this interaction here, I think Joris's opinion of Qilby is "this is a foreign leader, and the whole thing is going to cause a lot of issues. Eliatropes' happiness is worth it, though, and also he seems nice enough. But we are not friends."

Basically, I think Qilby has Joris on his side hook, line, and sinker. Lmaoo.

HE LOOKS SO AMUSED BY THE SHENANIGANS.

Joris LOVES Sadida Kingdom.

I'm insane about Brakmar. Of course the prince of Brakmar (a capitalist hellhole) would be the only one to give a lowly servant a coin.

[wipes tear] Tipping culture is real in Brakmar because otherwise people will not survive on their wage alone. Just like in America...

While none of them are shown, this meeting implies the existence of a kingdom for every race. (I need ecaflip lore so bad...)

I love this animation error so much. How did this happen.

Sitting cutely with his hands crossed.

Guys I think Qilby might have supremacist beliefs about his people. Idk, just a hunch.

And in THIS shot, the animation error is gone.

I want so, so bad to know about whatever the Ecaflip equivalent of Cra City/Sadida Kingdom may be...

Kerubim has canonically been to Trool fair and he LOVES fishing for quaquacks, and we know this from the anniversary map commentary (despite his painful and traumatic memories from episode 48 of Aux Tresors de Kerubim. He talks in the MMO about being uneasy about quaquacks since then.)

Another error — Joris sits there quite inconsistently...

@dullard @dullard @dullard @dullard @dullard @dullard @dullard HEY DULLARD HE SAID THE LINE—-

I love this so much. He's been dealing with politics for centuries, and he's so fucking angry that he allowed himself to slip up and say something antagonizing.

This is a bunch of rich people who have not known orphanhood or living in squalor in their entire lives, talking about putting children in mines, and trying to pass off a bunch of children who lost their parents in a war like a hot potato. And one of them, from a country that his country fucking hates, says that this might lead to a war.

I think Joris, with his life story and opinions and the tragedies he's witnessed in life, must be thinking things much harsher than this. Just a hunch.

This "us" doesn't include Bonta, btw :)

While I have issues with season 4, I do like that there was some moral ambiguity to the world leaders: with hindsight, I think we can say pretty easily that Brakmar's concerns are quite valid, even if false this time.

As I've said — Joris, like Yugo and Adamai, thinks pretty simply that everyone should always do good things, and that it's so so simple to be good — you just give people what they need! :) It's literally so so simple.

And that's how he, after becoming the ruler of Bonta in Waven, got to the point of having: cannibalistic wars, using living beings as building material and weapons, having 999 prisoners of war, spies and guards everywhere, implied slavery, as well as—- [I am forcibly taken offstage]

Once again, Wakfu demonstrates that Bonta and Sadida are very closely aligned.

me and @dullard have had countless conversations about this fucking episode, and he said a lot of interesting things. Here are some highlights, which he has allowed me to include:

I literally don't even know how to put my opinions into words, besides including these screenshots.

[yeta-drewit]

Wednesday teacher au.

Ive been watching too much Abbot Elementary and I’m obsessed with Wednesday so we are combining it.

Idea- Wednesday is new English teacher at Nevermore after getting kicked out of her last school. During her first months of teaching some of the students disappeared so she decides to solve the mystery behind their disappearances. With the help of Enid her neighbor and colleague, Wednesday would play detective while trying to keep her job and uncovering the history of Jericho and Nevermore.

Wednesday

-English teacher

-Still an author just that she saw that there was a growing number of illiterate people in America so she decided to partake in the “horrible education of the English language”. It’s her first year at Nevermore after she attacked a fellow teacher in her last school. Morticia and Gomez got her the job with Weems.

-Both Enid and Wednesday are dorm mothers of Ophelia hall, in this universe Ophelia hall is the biggest dorm so it’s divided between West and East Ophelia. Enid is the West Ophelia dorm mom and Wednesday is the East Ophelia dorm mom. They live in the dorms, their rooms are right next to each other.

Enid

-yearbook teacher and social studies.

-Has a degree in politics and sociology. She is a government teacher with a little bit of culture and history of outcast sprinkle in there, she also does the yearbook (this mirroring her gossip blog). This is her 2 year, she used to work in California but she left after she refused an arranged marriage to a pack member. She left her pack after something inside her telling her she is needed somewhere with other people, other packs. (I’m basically making her wolf tell her she needs to be gay somewhere else where Wednesday is)

Bianca

-PE teacher, coach for fencing and swimming.

-She does a lot of sport classes like fencing and swimming, etc. she also coaches the fencing and swimming teams. This is her 3rd year too. She has won best teacher of the year for all the 3 years so she is the most popular and loved teacher, one would say the queen bee of the teachers. She wants to become the future principal of Nevermore. She is also a dorm mom.

-Wednesday and Bianca have fake beef because both of them want to become the future principal, so they constantly fight over who is better.

Yoko

-History

-She got bored being a student at Nevermore so she went to college and became a history teacher just to yap about her gossip from different decades. It’s her 3rd year working there. She is married to Divina, they fell in love their first year teaching and pretty much u-hauled that relationship, like the good lesbians they are.

Xavier

-art teacher

-Hates being a teacher, but it gives him a steady income while he pursuits art. Just like in the show he and Bianca dated, they started dating their first year of working there but broke it off during the summer before the 3rd year.

Tyler

-Normie and outcast relationships

-I felt it would be ironic he is a bigoted racist killer who happens to teach about the history and culture between Normies and Outcasts.

Eugene

-Animal teacher

-He teaches about mythological animals as well as normal animals, from history to anatomy of them. He is obsessed with werewolves and does try to hit on Enid. This is his first year teaching. He is the club advisor of the bee keeping club.

Ajax

-Health teacher

-Did some hard drugs in college and decided he would instead teach kids not to do drugs or anything bad he did. He did not give up on weed so he goes to work high sometimes, most of the time, he is surprisingly good at convincing kids not to do drugs though. They call him Mr D for dude.

Divina

-Biology teacher

-Married to Yoko. Idk what else.

Kent

-Custodian

-He just works there.

[solargeist]

Even though grian was already chosen/accepted by the watchers, did he have to go through a type of ceremony or initiation to show everyone else he was now part of the group? (it made me think of what types of rituals or rites of passage they have, especially since you mentioned them being based on angels/Catholicism)

I've played around with the idea that Xelqua is his ~baptism name phphph

The Watchers had already kept an eye on him for awhile, the ~initiation was probably just when he agreed to leave his world behind. Tho they got him set up in his own room, new clothes, and introduced to whoever Watchers' family/friends, he got a lot of attention and it made him feel special.

Watchers assumingly have their own religious holidays, based around the universe/void, ancient Watchers treated as Saints. (something abt the hermits celebrating one of these, just culturally, not religiously, and grian doesn't wanna go)

During any celebration, they drink whatever is their equivalent of wine. Grian asks what it is, but She just says "Try it", Grian says it smells strong, is it alcohol ? She says "Try it" and she's grinning a little bit. (Truly a catholic child experience is taking a drink from your older family members and its alcohol and they thought it'd be funny.)

Growing wings is also a pretty big deal, have to show everyone those ! He gets many congratulations, but he was still a bit delirious from the pain and trauma of them growing in to rly indulge in anything.

Grian's also on a pretty strict schedule living in a convent, the amount of studying and training is a bit brutal.

Watchers also probably have a version of the sign of the cross they do, whether its something new or just the Evo sign with their hands, idk

[demuresprigg]

God. I think having watched S2 of IWTV, I did love it but I just have one big caveat? Which is Madeleine?

To be clear, I did love Madeleine! Fucking heartbreaking how she and Claudia went! I love a tragedy, but god if I hadn't been happy if they'd somehow made it. I think she's an interesting study of a post-liberation french person jaded by war.

But that's also the issue?

I don't think she deserved the fate collaborators (as in those who had a gainful relationship with Nazis and Petains lot during ww2) got, and I'm sure a lot of collaborators who were just trying to survive (as in people who let Nazis stay in their home or exchanged small personal favours for food and supplies they might need to survive) didn't deserve the way the mobs treated them after liberation, but she was still someone who invited a nazi officer into her house, not because she was truly and unfortunately in love or because she needed to survive, but because, in her own words, she felt lonely.

She was with a nazi officer because she was... Lonely. And they don't even explore it! They don't delve into it! Like it was used as a plot hook to give Claudia a reason to save her without actually looking at the ramifications that shed been with a man who mightve shot (or at least tried to shoot) Claudia! You can't just... Skip over the fact that someone was a collaborator when looking at post-liberation France. That war ruined and tore apart families just like the US Civil War did as some were fine with or even directly supported the Nazis and the Vichy government and others fought and died trying to expel them from french soil.

Anyway. I just. Idk. They glossed over something with huge social and cultural weight in that setting and it's just bad taste in my mouth, I suppose. The way the show portrayed the retributions also just garners sympathy for people who sometimes sold out their own family members to the Nazis, and the only anti nazi representation are three enragé who break into a house to try and rape a woman.

Ah well! Good TV show. Just didn't love that facet of it.

[weolucbasu]

So, @da-proti-toku-grem kind of inspired me to make a lengthy post, sharing some positive vibes across the fandom, listing the reasons why I love each member of Joker Out and why I would go full mom-mode on them and cook for them and bake them gluten-free cookies.

Anyway:

A Joker Out, brain-rot, appreciation post

(members listed in alphabetical order)

Bojan

First up - as someone who had the chance to see them live, he is an insane performer

His ability to enchant the crowd is insane and you can tell really well that he has great acting abilities too

Watched him in Gospod Profesor too, spot on for someone who is a so-called amateur

His singing voice is... amazing to say the least, it feels really unique

Also, the way he talks, the sound of his voice, the words he uses, his pronunciation, if there were awards for talking he would get one

The languages he speaks, I want to study him, linguistically, he is truly a phenomenon

We of course love a bilingual king

He looks like he has his priorities straight

I also respect him so much for how open he is about his mental illness

I might relate to him a bit too much at times whoops

And the fact that he can somehow befriend literally anyone??? Love that

His friendship with Jere is the main one of course

Oh yeah and the fact that he literally helped people who collapsed at their gigs a few times

Bless him, he deserves all the rest he is hopefully getting

Jan

First things first, I have a soft spot for math guys

And the way he talks about math is fascinating (but you still won't get me to like it Jan)

Cat dad???? We absolutely adore Igor and a man loving cats is such a green flag

I know people say he mumbles a bit and it's hard to understand him at times, but idk, he talks nice and slowly, so it's still really easy to understand him

He comes from my home region, so I am very biased haha

Also, every band needs a guitarist with luscious locks

He absolutely owns the colour red, that colour was invented specifically for him

The nose ring suits him so well too, this man KNOWS what fits him

And if that ends up being jackets with nothing underneath when he performs, THEN SO BE IT

I know people call Kris the lesbian icon, but from what I've seen lesbians are very drawn to Jan as well

Oh, and he gives me Klaus from the Umbrella Academy vibes (I blame the hair and the pink boa)

Jure

Holy shit, sunshine in human form????

The most underappreciated one in the band imo

His surname literally means 'cat' and I am so normal that Jan has called him 'muca'

He also comes from my region haha, bias again

He's really good at filming, he actually shot a few things for RTV (national TV station) and edited them as well, god, talent

Also playing drums... I have sang, I have played guitar, played bass, but drums is something I feel like I could NEVER do, so hats off to you

As @da-proti-toku-grem pointed out, THE MOLE ON HIS LIP? weak knees, yes

He also reminds me of a good friend of mine and I vibe with him so much, I feel like I would vibe with Jure as well

I really don't like the fact that drummers tend to get ignored and I just wish there was more Jure performing content

Though I love it how every time, during Novi Val, he comes to the front and hangs with the others

His hair also looks so soft and fluffy aaaaaa

Again, biased but he resembles my bf the most out of everyone so hmmmm

Kris

The baby of the band! (and the only one in the band I could actually call 'mulc')

In case you didn't know yet, he's half Dutch

And he speaks Dutch, which, as someone who speaks Dutch (in theory, not in practice) makes me really happy

I wish to study him linguistically as well

Also his parents' story feels very close to me, as I'm dating outside of my culture as well

According to him he was menace as a kid and I think we should normalise the fact that you can become a better person as you grow up

But pls don't honk at me on the road Kris, pls, I will cry

The songs he wrote??? NGVOT and Vse kar vem??? Oh boy, I love them, adore them

His holey sweaters are also a vibe

Dutch fans, if you don't shower him and the rest of the band with gifts at their Dutch concerts, I will be mad

Also gotta honorably mention Maks

They gotta be my fav nepo-but-not-really babies out there

Kinda like Maya Hawke?

I am ranting

He also looks like the only member of the band that I would fight, and idk why

Also, I must know if he supports Max Verstappen haha

Minus points for chemistry though, I cannot with that

Nace

Okay everyone

Here we go

We have reached my beloved

I love all of them, but Nace just a bit more

It was love at first sight, I cannot lie

I have a soft spot for bassists and he might actually convince me to try and play bass again

He has been playing it for so long too??? like wow

Oh and of course; THE TATTOOS, BLESSETH BE THE TATTOOS

I will always go feral about his tattoos

At every concert

I know he was the last to join the band but it looks like he fits in so nicely, it's beautiful

Strong mom-codded dad friend vibes

He kinda is the dad of the band haha

And he looks like he gives amazing hugs (lucky all of you who had managed to get one already)

A nice addition to the band

Oh and he's apparently shit at sports which is like... felt

Plus the fact that he wanted to be a vet?

Me too boo, me too, but neither of us is there now

Anway, I'll stop now. In conclusion, this band has my whole heart and they deserve every good thing that happens to them and so much more.

[unbizzarre]

BARRAYARAN COSTUME DESIGN

The process for costume design:

Had fun looking through a whole bunch of reference images to try to create a costume set that reflected the strong sense of tradition with midieval-esque holdovers from hand textiles that would have had to be the norm during barreyars period of isolation, while also accounting for the wealth of the current barreyaran aristocracy and their access to modern galactic trends and clothing. I also didn’t want the midieval influences to be generic-fantasy-vaguely-european-bulshit, so I also tried to find reference images with styles, patterns, and silhouettes that where somewhat reminiscent of the French, Russian, and Greek cultural heritage barnyard first settlers may have brought with them. That being said, it wouldn’t make sense for any of these traditional garments to have been preserved with 1-for-1 accuracy from there earth origins over the many centuries (cuz like, irl traditional dress in these countries is less and less common) so I didnt want to just copy exactly historical garments.

OH! And then I also had to make sure the men’s clothing also reflected the pseudo-military affectations which Bujold has mentioned in multiple books as being popular in menswear amongst the vor cast. (Ex: the formal riding boots, and the two swords carried at formal events, or less formally vor “town clowns” also wearing casual clothing reminiscent of a military cut.) but! In order to do this, I had to think of both what would have been military uniforms both in isolation-barrayar and modern barrayar, and which aspects of each set of military uniforms would be incorporated into modern men’s fashion. Would any women’s clothing also reflect this warrior trend?

Finally, since all of this costume design was brainstorming for the dinner party scene, I wanted to make sure that the clothes matched the personalities of the people wearing them. Like aunt Alice and Professors Vorthis are both middle aged Vor-caste women, but will have vastly contrasting style. Alice being alice, her clothing will likely be both perfect for the occasion while also a sleek and elegant combination of the leading barreyaran fashions, while also giving a nod to traditional barreyaran costume at times as she is a representative of both the state and her old-vor house. The professora on the other hand, will probably opt for something comfortable and cozy, while not especially showy, as she is more concerned with her studies and gardens and is not super involved in the Vorbarra-sultana social scene.

Some of the reference images I used:

And many many sooooo many more. So much borrowed creativity from all over the internet I feel bad I can’t more accurately site all my sources 😞

Also some random cool aesthetic modern shit that I thought had fun sci fi vibes as well as some *sigh* generic-euro fantasy clothing cuz sometimes you need to be a little basic.

Also a lot of cool art by artists I love that is just dope costume design and totally all their work. Idk the names of a lot of them cuz I’m not really active on social media and only really see the images amidst thousands of others in my Pinterest hoard but I always recognize the artsyles and creativity and wind up saving them to reference art boards 🙈

Some that I do remember and love a lot are cy-lindric, Juliette, and Celia Lowenthall

[ndcultureis]

ND culture is "Just Google it"

JUST Google it? What am I, a scientist? The people who already know something about a topic, and are sick of explaining it to the people who won't "just Google it", are like, angels for me (or us). You honestly think it's laziness and not, maybe, idk how else to explain it but like, *cue studying in the library montage scene*

It's a lot of info, and I'm gonna need some help.

Being new to a topic, and asking someone who knew something about it and have been talking about it for years until they're exhausted, of course "Just Google it" is better. However, I will still find people to talk about it during this seemingly endless research. Because that's kind of why I'm interested in a topic, to talk about it.

.

[kimbapisnotsushi]

oh please talk about kawanishi taichi i love that silly guy

OF COURSE ANON I TOO LOVE THAT SILLY GUY LET'S GET IT!!

(also i am SO sorry for taking so long oh my god i am back in action and catching up i promise!!)

i think he likes beanies in his casual wear

idk kawanishi feels like such a beanie person but not the douchebag slouchy ones he's got one that's a little snug and has something embroidered on it like a bird or something

okay that's a lie. he has ONE douchebag slouchy beanie that makes him look like how a high school romance shoujo mangaka of the mid-2000s would dress a flashy somewhat-delinquent teenage boy (honey lemon soda my beloved)

this, of course, could not be farther from the truth

the entire second year is scared of him bc they never somehow realize he's there until he says something and they're like "holy SHIT". this also means he knows a bunch of hot gossip

(the hot gossip miyagi group chat: kawanishi, watari, onagawa, and narita)

on the other hand. that means the students of 2-5 win the contest for "best cultural festival attraction" between classes bc they had the best haunted house the miyagi prefecture had ever seen

he's on really good terms with the school nurse because sometimes he sneaks into the infirmary to take naps during lunch or gym periods

knows how to lockpick BECAUSE he keeps trying to sneak into the infirmary. and occasionally the school roof for their "team bonding picnics" so that tendou doesn't have to keep swiping the key from the student council

i'm not just saying this bc i like enamel pins but i think kawanishi DOES like enamel pins. he's got a collection of these edgy sarcastic ones that he thinks are hilarious in a "started-ironically-and-now-i-can't-stop-pipeline" kind of way

he's got this whole tumblr-grunge-indie-hipster thing going on with his douchebag slouchy beanie and denim jacket with pins all over the collar and ripped jeans and converse sneakers and shirabu thinks he pulls it off unfairly well

i feel like kawanishi also really likes fantasy/sci-fi and is actually SUCH a huge secret nerd about it. and really likes cyberpunk and fantasyland settings you'd get from like idk snow white with the red hair or nivalis (i KNOW it's an indie game that's not even out yet but sue me i don't know cyberpunk all that well)

he and tsukki actually become friends while arguing about how much of akira is deep meaning and how much of it is actually just straight up bullshit because WHAT the fuck was that

also he's subscribed to a bunch of these small artists on youtube who make background music and fun art to go with them bc he can put together a great soundtrack for getting hw and studying done

likes getting lil gifts for shirabu, especially to add to his stationary collection. shirabu has sticky notes in the shape of whales and ice cream and paper lanterns and washi tape with fireworks and beach motifs and bakery stuff and it's all because of kawanishi

kawanishi just sticks to the plain solid-color square sticky notes that he uses to leave shirabu notes around his dorm. just small things, really, a reminder that this is a place shirabu belongs and it is a place he is loved. you're doing great. get some water soon. i'll bring you dinner, just text me. don't forget to sleep.

and shirabu will be hard pressed to admit it, but those might be his favorite sticky notes of all