#find the people who hype you up who show you their creations when you show them yours

[zeestarfishalien]

Same goes for writing!!! I get this all the time where people tell me I should go into writing/journalism/etc. As a career and I have to sit them down and explain to them how high school and college English almost killed my love for writing and that if I am forced, have deadlines, etc. It can be nearly impossible for me to have any motivation to write or think of any ideas.

Like I adore writing, creating worlds and characters. I look back and it terrifies me to see how close I came to losing that part of myself because I became convinced that if I hated being forced to write then I must hate all writing.

What probably saved me is that the friend group i got roped into had multiple writers, one of which became my roommate and hyped me up. Writing means so so much to me and I think a huge part of me would have died if I had lost that love.

also we fucked up as a society the moment we started telling teens and aspiring artists to conflate being an artist with building a brand as if the two things are inextricable. the name of the game if you want to share your art is to work a job and sell yourself as aesthetizied content. back in my day we could just POST SHIT. to deviantart! what the fuck!

[httpvomitello]

Hi would it be okay to request a Rottmnt with a female reader who makes pastries or maybe works a some kind of pastry shop 🍰

Hello, hello! Hope you like a it ~ ♡♡♡♡

Pastry Shop *⁠.⁠✧

Shows up to your pastry shop all the time (not when people are inside, of course)

He’s not even subtle about it—he acts like it’s a casual visit, but everyone knows he’s there for you (and maybe for the pastries)

“Oh, hey, Y/N. Fancy meeting you here… at your workplace… again.” Cue his cheeky grin

Always “samples” whatever you’re baking

He’s the type to ask, “Do you need a taste-tester? Because I’m highly qualified.”

Pretends to have sophisticated taste in desserts. “Hmm, the balance of sweetness in this éclair is truly exquisite.”

But really, he’ll eat anything you make

“For me? Your favorite customer? C’mon, don’t act like I’m not your favorite.”

At first, he’s a little shy about coming by

But once he realizes how much you love baking, he’s all in

He always compliments your creations, even if it’s just a simple cupcake. “This is amazing, Y/N. You’re really talented.”

Buys way more pastries than he can eat, just to support you(he started saving money just for that)

His brothers constantly find random boxes of cookies and cakes in the lair

Always offers to help you carry heavy supplies, like bags of flour or crates of ingredients

“No way you’re lifting that on your own. Let me.”

You caught him sneaking one of your pastries into his pocket for later, and now he’s forever known as “the pastry thief.”

Doesn’t understand the appeal of pastries at first

He’s more of a “function over flavor” kind of guy, but he’s fascinated by the science behind baking

Spends a whole afternoon in your kitchen asking questions about how different ingredients work. “Wait, so gluten development affects the structure of bread? Fascinating.”

Invents gadgets to make your life easier, like a faster mixer or a temperature-controlled rolling pin

“With this, you’ll have the most consistent dough in the city!”

You catch him sneaking into your shop late at night to try and reverse-engineer your recipes

When you confront him, he denies everything. “I was… conducting research!”

His favorite thing to order is whatever you made just for him

He insists it’s purely because of your skill, but you know he loves the personal touch.

The biggest hype man for your baking

Every time he tries something you’ve made, it’s “THE BEST THING I’VE EVER TASTED.”

Wants to help in the kitchen but always makes a mess

Flour ends up everywhere, and you have to shoo him out before he burns something

Calls you “his personal pastry chef,” even if you’ve told him a million times that you bake for everyone, not just him

Has a massive sweet tooth and keeps begging you to make custom desserts based on his wild ideas

“Okay, hear me out—pizza-flavored cupcakes!”

Brings your pastries back to the lair and brags to his brothers about how talented you are. “Y/N���s the best baker in the world! You guys are missing out.”

[mya-valentine]

Headcanon: Baker S/O

Characters: Bakugo, Satou, Kaminari, and Todoroki

Katsuki Bakugo

Bakugo respects your skills but can’t resist challenging you to see who makes the best pastries or bread. It turns into a fiery competition.

Bakugo gives honest feedback, but deep down, he loves everything you make. You can catch his rare, genuine compliments when he thinks you're not paying attention.

If anyone criticizes your bakery, they’re going to get a "stern talking-to". (We all know what I mean by that) Bakugo has no patience for people disrespecting your hard work.

Though he pretends to hate the mess, you’ll find him helping in the kitchen when you’re stressed or behind on orders. He secretly enjoys it but will deny it at all costs.

You make him spicy or explosion-themed treats just for fun. He groans but ends up eating all of them.

Rikido Satou

Your shared passion for baking is what brought you two closer. He loves brainstorming new recipes with you and adding his own twist.

You two are a powerhouse in the kitchen, especially during holidays or special events. People marvel at how smoothly you work together.

Satou is your number-one fan and the most enthusiastic taste-tester. He has detailed feedback about flavors and textures and always encourages you to try new ideas.

He loves surprising you with unique ingredients or kitchen gadgets he thinks you’d like. You once joked he’s a walking baking supply store.

You both fantasize about opening a bakery together after he retires as a hero, blending your skills into something special.

Denki Kaminari

Kaminari always wants to help, but he’s hilariously bad at it. He’ll spill flour or drop an egg, then flash you a sheepish grin.

He’s constantly hyping up your baked goods to his classmates or fans. (Depending on when this takes place) He insists that you’re the best baker in the world and brings your treats to school to show off.

Kaminari adores leaving cheesy little notes or hearts in the flour when you’re not looking. He’ll also try (and fail) to surprise you with his own baking attempts.

You make him bright-colored cupcakes or cookies with lightning bolt designs, which he loves showing off.

Kaminari jokes about being the charming barista at your bakery, flirting with customers while you run the kitchen. He’s dead serious about the idea, though.

Shoto Todoroki

Todoroki loves everything you make but doesn’t always vocalize it. However, the way he savors every bite says it all.

Todoroki is fascinated by the science and art behind baking. He often watches you work with quiet admiration and occasionally asks to learn the basics.

He offers to use his quirk to cool things faster or adjust the temperature in the kitchen. He’s surprisingly helpful when you’re in a rush.

He’ll bring your baked goods to share with his family, especially Fuyumi. They both gush over how talented you are, which makes Todoroki feel proud.

He loves your more unique creations, especially anything with subtle, balanced flavors like matcha or lavender. It’s become a tradition for you to bake him something new to try.

Whenever he has a bad day, he quietly shows up at your bakery for comfort. A warm pastry and your presence always make him feel better.

.

.

.

Masterlist

[lilbluustar]

Can you write headcanons for wish with an s/o that likes art?

hello bby, ofc! hope you like it<3 (sorry for the late reply)

nct wish with an art-loving partner

content— fluff , creative!reader, boyfriend!wish, soft moments & endless support

whether you're painting late at night, doodling in your sketchbook, or simply daydreaming in colors, each member shows their love in soft, supportive, and uniquely adorable ways.

౨ৎ Sion

⋆ he’s your number one cheerleader from day one. even if he doesn’t understand much about art, he’s so genuinely excited about everything you create.

⋆ he watches you while you’re drawing or painting with this dreamy smile, like he’s living in a movie.

“what are you working on now? can you explain it to me?” — and then he just sits beside you, happy to be close even if he’s confused.

⋆ if you ever have an exhibit or sell your art, Sion is the type to drag his friends there, proudly buy something, and maybe even tear up a little.

he’ll tell you: “i think i fall in love all over again every time i see you creating something.”

౨ৎ Riku

⋆ he’s so attentive and quietly observant, especially when you talk excitedly about colors or your favorite artists.

⋆ whenever he sees something that reminds him of you —a color palette, a texture, a random street mural— he sends it with a “this feels like you.”

⋆ loves catching you doodling on napkins, notebooks, or even on the back of his hand if there’s no paper.

⋆ keeps at least one piece of your art like it’s the most precious thing he owns (because to him, it is).

⋆ sometimes shyly asks: “can i just sit with you while you draw? i won’t talk. i promise. i just wanna be close.”

౨ৎ Yushi

⋆ a total goofball but also the biggest simp when you’re in artist mode.

⋆ loves seeing you with paint on your fingers and that serious look on your face when you're focused. says it's his favorite version of you.

⋆ he’s always asking to “collaborate” even though he has no clue what he’s doing: “you sketch, i’ll color, okay?” — it ends in chaos, but he makes you laugh and that’s what he wants.

“draw a portrait of me. but make me handsome, please.”

⋆ gets jealous of your brush sometimes: “you touch that thing more than you touch me…” then hugs you from behind and mumbles, “even if I’m not art, i wanna be your favorite creation.”

౨ৎ Jaehee

⋆ very quiet at first, but he genuinely takes interest in your work. he listens, observes, and always pays attention even if he doesn’t say much.

⋆ he loves watching you paint while wearing headphones. he just sits close, silently supporting you.

⋆ if you explain your process or share your ideas, he listens with soft eyes. “your voice sounds really happy when you talk about this.”

⋆ keeps every doodle you give him, even the smallest ones. they’re his treasures.

⋆ sends you random late-night messages like: “i saw this and thought you’d find it inspiring.”

౨ৎ Ryo

⋆ pretends he doesn’t get art at first, but he lowkey takes it super seriously.

“i don’t get it… but if you made it, it’s gotta be amazing.” — says with the proudest grin ever.

⋆ always looking for ways to help you grow: finding galleries, shows, or even just hyping you up when you feel doubtful.

⋆ gets a little jealous when people compliment your art too much but doesn’t say it seriously. instead, he smirks: “of course they love it. you’re mine.”

⋆ melts if you draw something inspired by him and saves it as his lockscreen for the rest of the year.

౨ৎ Sakuya

⋆ very gentle and understanding of your creative space. he gives you time and room to create but always stays close in case you need him.

⋆ he’s the type who enjoys watching you light up over exhibitions or new sketchbooks.

⋆ anytime he sees something strange or pretty, he says: “this looks like something you’d paint.”

⋆ if you ever get frustrated or blocked, he sits beside you, holds your hand, and softly says: “your art is part of you. and everything about you… is beautiful.”

⋆ sometimes stays up with you while you’re working late, covering you with a blanket or leaving warm tea nearby without saying a word.

each of them falls in love with your passion. you’re their favorite color in a world they never knew could be so full of light and warmth🎨💛

[kooldewd123]

in the midst of all the mrbeast drama, the part of his history I find myself drawn the most back to is, of all things, the pewdiepie vs t-series rivalry. that was such a pivotal moment to youtube culture. there was something there that truly felt important to a lot of people. pewds was just a Guy. a creator, like so many others from his generation of youtubers, who simply put a camera in his bedroom one day and decided to upload it onto the internet. when he became the most-subscribed youtuber, he won that title from people like smosh, ray william johnson, nigahiga, and others who, like him, were in it for fun, not fame. despite his many flaws and controversies, he became a symbol of what youtube (or even online content in general) meant for a lot people. and so to see his five-year reign as king finally threatened not by a fellow Guy in a Bedroom, but by a Company??? that was an affront to the soul of youtube, the soul of the internet.

unfortunately, the writing was on the wall as soon as t-series landed on people's radars. with the rapid growth t-series was showing and the ever-changing landscape of online video as a whole, it was clear there was no stopping them from surpassing pewdiepie eventually. the opposition that arose from their arrival was never a true attempt at holding the crown, but rather a rallying cry of the creator-driven internet showing that they still mattered, that they would still push back against these companies invading their space. and out of this pushback, perhaps the strongest voice was mrbeast. while the other big names gave shoutouts to pewdiepie and maybe made a video or two about their thoughts, mrbeast made it a core part of his identity for a while. he would plug pewdiepie at every opportunity, funnel as many of his viewers towards pewds as he could, and even brought it into the real world by putting up billboards promoting him. i think it's probably fair to say that he was the single most vocal supporter of pewds.

which makes it weird to say that in the battle between pewdiepie and t-series, mrbeast came out as the ultimate winner. sure, t-series reached that holy 100 million subscriber milestone before pewdiepie did, but pewdiepie's hype man somehow managed to catapult himself ahead of both of them and reach the top with 328 million subscribers at time of writing. which, okay, maybe seems like a happy ending on the surface? one Guy in a Bedroom reaches the top, gets overthrown by a Company, and then a different Guy in a Bedroom makes it back on top. all's well that ends well. except the mrbeast making waves today isn't exactly a Guy in a Bedroom anymore. mrbeast is a chocolate company, a burger chain, an entire media enterprise. the mrbeast channel itself has become almost secondary, merely an advertisement to bring kids into the mrbeast brand. the mrbeast that dominates the youtube home page today has become an unholy conglomeration of what both pewdiepie and t-series represented: a Company wearing a Guy's face, something that presents itself with a friendly, familiar persona while using that perception to influence consumers into feeding into it. the mrbeast of 2024 is an even more insidious version of the sort of channel that the mrbeast of 2018 was fighting against.

and it makes me wonder: did mrbeast ever truly believe in the message of the pewdiepie/t-series rivalry, or was his goal simply to ride pewds's coattails into fame? it's clear looking back that unlike most of pewds's other cohorts, fame has always been mrbeast's ultimate goal. he's been chasing trends and doing stunt videos for basically as long as his channel has existed, and for years before he actually began to gain traction. was his "subscribe to pewdiepie" campaign just another wave of trendy views for him to ride? i couldn't tell you. personally, i want to believe that he did value the spirit of creation at at least some point in his career. i don't think you can post videos online for twelve whole years without finding at least some satisfaction in the creation process. but that just makes the current state of his channel even sadder. truthfully, even despite all the exploitation, the disregard for others' wellbeing, the covering up of shady behavior, and whatever other horrible things he's done, i pity him. when pewdiepie was king of youtube, so was felix kjellberg. pewdiepie the persona and felix the man had a mutualistic relationship. each one built the other up. but jimmy donaldson? jimmy donaldson is a sacrificial lamb laid at the altar of mrbeast. it's easy to make fun of his dead smile and overly forced enthusiasm, but when you hear him talk about his life behind the scenes, it's no wonder he turned into this. he's constantly forcing himself into work. he barely allows himself any downtime. he scraps entire highly-expensive videos because he doesn't think they're good enough. jimmy is destroying himself to keep mrbeast alive. he needs to keep up this persona day in and day out, never settling for anything less than perfection lest the fickle gods of SEO cause one of his videos to underperform by even a hair. in a time of heightened mental health awareness, we are watching the biggest online influencer ever reach record levels of burnout in real time. he is a living monument to both the personal dangers of online influencers and the societal dangers of capitalism. and all we can do is watch as the hole he's dug himself into grows deeper and deeper.

[hyp3rfixation-h3ll]

>gets into new thing >sees the character who is bpd and alter/osdd-coded >sees him die and also realises

>yeah i'll absorb him into my psyche anyways hi TOME fandom . i have a lot of thoughts and opinions and my main one is "why did kirb have to die" and "so we all agree that kirb and zet are 2 different people and idc if the show says he's just an alt account he's sentient right" . so anyways here's an au where he lives via tech shenanigans and also there's kirbalpha but with like a twist + hint of yumeshipping in there. more under cut if ur interested bwehgh ... also tagging @wolf-of-hearts bc you wanted to see my art :D hai

so this au takes place in a universe where the game re-opens after having been shut down, simply so they could allow all the drama around the forbidden power to die down (and fully fix things and really just ... rework the game from the ground up.) GC/Softdi still exists and still walks around as a normal player, but chooses to still stay with Alpha's group out of safety. (they were actually picked to be bug testers and are also considered honorary Netkings!) it reopens and everything's fine, but ... kirb is still in the game. his model and his ... entire being, still left behind to persist in the aether of TOME. when kajet corrupted his model, he also basically severed him and his consciousness from Zetto, but this wasn't a problem since, well ... he was dead. but with the game being restarted, he exists again . and he realises that he's ... alone. the very game he loved so much , he was now trapped in and left to be isolation.

until Hype logs in (lil cosmic brownie bunny lookin thing!!) :3 Hype is a new player and basically winds up recreating Alpha's encounter with Kajet but its with them and Kirb, and Kirb isnt looking to destroy or anything, he just wants his friends back.

tl;dr their models fuse together and "why do i look like a FAG" "oh relax it's fine ur such a pussy" "DONT FUCKING CALL ME THAT???"

they find alpha and the gang in ;Lavendera , they meet up and ... shenanigans ensue. (aka zetto is NOT happy his own creation is alive and attached parasite-style to another player 😭) there's a bunch of other details + there's some kirbalpha stuff going on (kirb gets jelly of flame, yadda yadda , dw they end up in a cule its okay 😭) but this is really like. self indulgence for the sake of it. is it messy and doesnt make sense. yeah. is it still fun? yeauh.

anyways umm thats it i think :3 ok byeee

[sparkforart]

1, 3, 12, 13 for both!

🫡🫡 the asks keep switching between your old pfp and the new one randomly

Thanks Tumblr ✨

1. What was the original thought that led to the creation of this character?

Don't look at me too hard, I'm spilling my secrets here 😶‍🌫️

Lydon has been kicking around for over a year on the F1 Amino community 😅 I was roleplaying with my friend and they thought it was unfair for them to play an OC while I was just a driver. And they insisted I make an OC! So, Lydon was made so we could be even 🤣

And Judas, was originally just some offhand comment because Lydon had beef with him after the first race for knocking him out of qualifying. Or something like that?? It's been awhile. All I know is he was a one sided rivalry, and Judas was a one off background character.

4. And reverse, which one of the four things (name, appearance, personality, role in story) did you struggle with the most?

JUDASSSS !! Everything about this man made me struggle. Unironically, Judas' original design looks very similar to Heath (@/sunsayrain308) with his hair style and face shape. Quite a jump his design took lmfao. Maybe I'll find that sketchbook sometime, but oh man, my art has improved so much since then. I don't want to see it ☠️

Lydon's lore, personality, role all basically fall into my lap. But I am always thinking about how they fit together.

I want them to be foils to each other. They reflect shared flaws, and show their differences as well. It took me so much time to decide who got what trait, and how they would display those traits. I want them to seem unique, and not just opposites. They still have to reasonably mesh together, and they always need an inevitable link between them.

12. Do you have a playlist for the character? What songs do you associate with them and why?

I might have a few 😅

I feel like I should say that I make playlists not on how the songs go together, but on how each song relates to the topic of the playlist!

These are my character playlists for Judas and Lydon. They are about the vibes of the characters! They are songs I listen to when trying to think about them as people.

LAM13 - Lydon in high energy, has that summer vibe!

MAD93 - Judas has a bit of a tense, growing frustration. He is also more full of himself.

MAD93 × LAM13 - This one is more about their older interactions with each other from 2022-2024, so I might make a new one to fit their current vibe 🤔

These two are what Lydon would have made for himself. Yes. He absolutely includes his own name in his mixes.

Lydon's banger beats - That is his playlist for doing most things! His go to when he's driving (in a regular car). He gets hyped, he sings, that ponytail is swinging, he gets into it 🤣

Lydon's midnight songs to cry (and rage) to - He absolutely made this curled up in his bed when Judas first dumped him.

20. Bonus question: share any additional thoughts, art, favourite scenes, anything you've been waiting for a chance to ramble about

Okay okay

So

I'm just gonna post a picture of the draft bc why not

I have an entire alternative timeline if Judas and Lydon never met! Pretty fun thing that I made during a night of insomnia

Lydon ends up as part of the U.S. army instead, as per his agreement. And Judas still ends up in F1, but there is not that hunger to win. He retires after 4 years of racing!

Lydon uh!! Yeah, pookie doesn't live the long life of an F1 driver, let's just say that !

Anyway, in their actual canon, this does come up a bit. Lydon always gets a bit uncomfortable when asked what he would do if he never became a driver.

He always shifts in his seat, adjusts his mic a bit. "Ah, well... I guess I would have joined my dad, you know."

[fabuloustrash05]

My Top 5 Favorite TMNT 2012 Ships

5) Mikey x Renet

I feel we as a fandom has come to an unanimous agreement that all the canon romances/couples given to us in the 2012 series are bad/toxic/poorly written/inc3st/etc with THEM being the only exception (I'll talk about that ship soon), however I think Renetangelo is the other exception.

They’re certainly not perfect with their first problem being Mikey kinda “cheating” on Renet with Shinigami (they weren’t together or officially dating so it’s not cheating, but it still felt wrong that it was never acknowledged that Mikey was pretty much a skirt chaser, crushing on two girls at once), but I still really love their dynamic and relationship. Mikey and Renet are undoubtedly cute together, just two silly goofballs having a fun time and enjoying the other’s company with the occasional flirting and kiss on the cheek (which btw SO CUTE). Renetangelo is that couple that I feel works great both romantically and platonically. If you told me they’re best friends, I’d believe it, if you told me they’re a couple, I’d also believe it. That's how well they work off each other. I'm okay with them being a couple or just being friends.

Season 5 also practically confirms they’re together on two occasions with Mikey saying him and Renet are in a long distance relationship in the When Worlds Collide special, and Renet hinting during the Halloween arc that she and Mikey have some kind of future together.

Overall, I really like Renetangelo and I love seeing these two together. From Mikey's puppy love expressions when he sees her to their overall personalities clashing so well together. This ship is very underrated and needs more love.

4) Slash x Alopex

Btw this edit was made by @robins-treasure <33

Yes, this is a ship that exist and I take FULL CREDIT FOR THE CREATION OF THIS COUPLE! I AM THE REASON THIS SHIP IS ALIVE AND SAILING! YOU ARE WELCOME!!

Slash x Alopex (or what I like to call them Slaopex) is my rarepair of the 2012 series and I’m so happy that I’m slowly getting more and more people one board with it. It started off as just a random silly idea of mine, like "What if Slash got a gf?" and then I thought "Well, who could I ship him with?" and then my brain went "What if Slash and Alopex got together? That would be funny". I laughed at the idea, but the more I thought of it, the more I started to like it. I began coming up with headcanons and a story of their relationship, and the more I did that, the more I fell in love with this concept and the potential of this couple. So much that it placed 4th in my top 5!

I fell so in love with them I even ended up writing a short fanfic of how I headcanon they would first meet and the beginning of their blooming romance (you can read it HERE). But in short, Slash runs into Alopex during a late night patrol and helps her beat up some crooks who were attacking her. The two get to talking, sharing a tender moment before parting ways, with Alopex now being the only thing on Slash's mind <3

I also reference this ship a few times in my fanfic Courting a Salamandrian. Consider it a continuation of that little oneshot.

3) Leo x Casey

While everyone else was shipping Jonatello, I was shipping Caseynardo! I was never a fan of Jonatello, I don't hate it, just couldn't get on board nor understand the hype around it, but then one day I stumbled across fanart of Leo x Casey and I thought "Huh... these two actually look cute together!" and quickly sunk into the rabbit hole. Looking up every little bit of fanart, fanfics and edits I could find.

Liking this ship this much for it to be ranked 3rd in my Top 5 favorite TMNT 2012 ships says a lot. This ship really grew on me very quickly, so much so that I wrote a fanfiction on them! I wrote a Caseynardo fanfic before writing a Renetangelo one (you can read it HERE), which is funny cause I've been shipping Renetangelo since the show was airing, and I didn't start liking Caseynardo till long after the show ended! That says a lot about how much these boy effected me! LOL

My whole HC for this ship is that they bonding a lot in season 3 at the farmhouse which led to a mutual romantic attraction. Eventually they secretly date without telling anyone but due to the circumstances and problems going on in Leo’s life, he was unable to keep the relationship going. They agree to just be friends, which Casey promising to wait for him. It’s basically the “right person, wrong time” trope. But I like to headcanon that by season 5, Leo and Casey finally get together officially and made their relationship known to everyone else. The only one not surprised was Raphael who knew about those two since day one, cause he was stuck being their third wheel/wingman XD

2) Karai x Shinigami

I will NEVER forgive Nickelodeon for be too cowardly to make this happen. They'd rather ship inc3st and force Shini to be straight than give us our goth kunoichi lesbians. For shame, Nickelodeon... For shame...

Not to mention that one of the writers of the show, Peter Di Cicco, shipped them! Calling them his "OTP" and referring to Shini as "Karai's girlfriend", and even pitching an alternate ending to the series where Splinter and Shredder make up but the only thing they fight over now is who gets to walk Karai down the aisle during her wedding to Shinigami XD

The moment I saw Shinigami, I instantly thought "Oh that's a lesbian and she and Karai are a thing". I really love their dynamic, their friendship and the potential they have in being a cute couple of childhood friends to lovers. You can see how much they care about each other. The fury in Shini's voice when she confronts Super Shredder, "I will destroy you, Monster! For everything you have done to Karai!". Shini is supportive of Karai and is always the one down to start chaos with you. Makes me wish we could've learned more about these two and their history. I like to think they've known each other since they were little, being childhood friends while training and growing up in The Foot Clan.

My personal headcanon is that Shinigami has had a crush on Karai since they were young, like preteens, and is so loyal to her and willing to help Karai not just because she is her best friend but also because she loves her. However, she is scared to tell Karai how she really feels because she's worried she won't reciprocate and it'll ruin their long time friendship. Luckily, Mikey is there for support!

Not to toot my own horn, but I did write a fanfic relating to this concept that you can read HERE

1) Raphael x Mona Lisa

What have I not already said about RaMona? If you follow me then you know full well that these two are my life. I’ve written multiple fanfics based on them on AO3 (LINK HERE) and have done a few analysis posts about them as well here on Tumblr. They have consumed my life. I love them so much!

Overall, I believe they are the healthiest ship the series offered us, and the best one in canon. I know some complain that they were rushed and how they got together too quickly, but in truth I can understand why Raph and Mona got into a relationship as quickly as they did. They are both warriors with the mindset of "I might die tomorrow" so it makes sense they'd be open and honest about their feelings right from the start just in case something happens to either one of them in battle. You only live once, you know? And I like how open Raph is when it comes to his feelings for Mona. From the very start, the moment he realized he liked her, never once did he deny it. Even when his brothers and friends laughed or scolded him, Raph proudly admitted he likes her with no ounce of shame. Mikey even points out that Mona is "bigger, stronger and a better fighter" than Raph and him responding by saying "Exactly! What a woman..." The boy does not care that she will be the pants in their relationship. He loves that she's stronger than him, bigger than him, a better fighter than him. We even see how excited he gets when she suggests training with him someday. Not to mention how we also learn in the show that these two have written love letters to each other during the course of the season 4 space adventures. Their personailties clash so well together. Both being strong willed warriors who put their loved ones first. Both can be stubborn and jump to conclusions quickly. We even see that Mona can have a short temper much like Raph. Both are ready to kick some ass with anyone who talks shit (Raph defending Mona but then Mona defending herself *chef's kiss*)

It's not talked about often among the fandom/shippers, but the fact that Mona is as much in love with Raph as he is with her is what truly makes this ship great. While the other 2012 ships make it unclear (writing wise) if the love interest truly feels the exact same way towards her Turtle she's shipped with, but for Mona her feelings are obvious. She's the one who makes the first move during all of their kisses/nose nuzzles, she's the one to say "I love you" first" and do I have to remind y'all of the push up scene? XD

These two are obsessed with one another. You can tell and see just how in love they are with one another. Even with only appearing in about 4-5 episodes, they truly left a major impact on shipping in this fandom. I feel it has come to a unanimous agreement that this ship is the best (canon) couple this show gave us. I love them, I love their relationship, I love what these two have done for the show and this fandom. They were able to bring back a classic ship from the 87 series and add so much more to them! I hope we get to see more of this couple in future generations. They certainly aren't a perfect couple, they got their flaws too, but overall they are truly the best couple in the 2012 series. <333

[callsign-king]

.... Do you know the feeling, when you are hyped and want to write, and then you open your social media and... All of a sudden, you are not good enough anymore?

Tips how to get out of that?

You are awesome though and I adore you and your mun. <3

You are too kind my Liege, but yes it is quite a familiar beast. While writing is not my creative curse to bare per say, I feel that way about my paintings. It can be quite devastating to have this picture of grandeur plague ones mind calling out like a siren begging to be seen and heard and yet like a shy maiden she refuses to show. So you are left aching staring at the blankness before you. You're chest gnawing as she chews at her tail caught in a bear trap of your own mind scrapping against whatever drive one has slowly tearing even that away.

It hurts physically, bringing even I, a strong willed man, to my knees wanting nothing more then to indulge in a desire to make, but sometimes it's not the act that is the problem but rather the muse or medium. Sometimes a short story needs to become a poem. Something a painting needs to become a sculpture.

Or even sometimes you need to focus on something else entirely. Something that gets you locked not noticing as the time flies by as everything goes still. Most importantly it's okay to step away and come back later.

Of course I dare say the most valuable asset to combat such a creative block is a valiant advisor to talk your thoughts out with. Have someone to parry the ideas back and forth until it could be sculpted into something you can be proud of. Seriously the biggest blessing I have ever had is having a fellow creative to sit there and help me see where the flaws are that I know exist but cannot tell.

After all sometimes we are so often blinded by our own greatness that the glory of our creation is lost to our perception and all we can see is the flaw of it's silhouette.

Find your person or your people and listen when they praise and listen when they offer help. And of course in the most highest priorities be that person for them. Help your fellow creative see the greatness in their work and help them see where they're blocked maybe from.

(thank you! I'm glad you like me and King! Also know you are not alone. There are so many writers on this site who struggle with that self doubt who look at their writing like it was drawn by a kindergartener, but to everyone else it looks like a Renaissance painting done Michelangelo himself. I personally perceive my writing like that often where it feels lacking in so many ways.

Another tip that is incredibly helpful for me is type it up in notes app on your phone or computer.

Doesn't matter if you decide not to publish it later, just having that separate source where you can put whatever bullshit you want to text is helpful. For me it feels less like I'm writing to a large audience and more like I'm writing for myself which I often forget is ultimately who I'm doing it for.

If I like the idea and it brings me joy that's all that matters and if only one other person finds joy in my creation then it was worth publishing. And if none of that works out take a day or two breathe focus on the world around socialize with others do something silly. Grab your friend and write whatever silly thing comes to mind, doesn't matter if it's unhinged or makes sense use it as a pallet cleanser. Create with the intention to silence the critic in your head if only for a moment.)

[cookinguptales]

I really loved that scene between Howard and KT in this last episode of Only Murders. The two of them hyping each other up when no one else would, bringing out the best in each other, finally believing again in the dreams that had been squashed out of them...

Like -- the idea of the two of them entertaining a literal theater ghost while also entertaining the ghosts of what they might have been. What they wanted more than anything to be. I think that last scene with the curtains implies that the ghost very much is real, but the metaphorical ghosts feel so much more important in that scene. The ghosts of dreams and the ghost of talent never nurtured and the ghosts of the lives they felt they should have been living.

It's something so common in show biz, a person who has talent but just never quite seems to make it. But it's common in every other part of life, too, isn't it? The things that you want so badly but that you never get to do because you aren't given a chance, because the people around you never support you, because you just don't get lucky.

And you just get smaller and sadder and angrier. It hurts to shrink yourself to make room for the aspirations of those around you. It hurts to start to believe that they're right. That dreams aren't made for the likes of you.

But then you see what it's like when someone believes in you and you just mesh! And you get a chance to see exactly what you could always have been if you'd just had that opportunity.

It was really lovely to see. ;;

And like... I think they brought the idea of a ghost light into the metaphor really beautifully. Ghost lights are really for safety, y'know? A light has to be on onstage at all times. But there's also this air of superstition to them, that they appease theater ghosts and scare off bad luck.

To have the ghost light go out when they arrive, and to have it blink itself on again when both Howard and KT were finding themselves on that stage... Yes, it was probably indicating the presence of Gideon, but on a metaphorical level, it was also that light inside the two of them, long since extinguished, blinking back into life. The passion of creation, the fire of your dreams beneath your breast. It's inspiration and collaboration and hope and hope and hope.

What is a stage without light, and what are we without a light inside us? We have to keep it burning, and it's important to light it for others as well. It's safety and it's protection and boy, does it appease the ghosts.

😭

[orchideous-nox]

There is an epidemic of transphobia spreading through this fandom amidst announcements from the reboot, and this needs to be acknowledged. And to make this clear, I’m not talking about characters in skirts. I said I wasn’t going to talk about the show anymore but I no longer feel like I can tiptoe around it because of events in the last few weeks. The longer I contain my thoughts in an attempt to not come across as messy or starting drama, the more guilty I feel for participating in this fandom as if I am not aware of the implications it has. There is only so long I can pander to an algorithm that leads people to source material that I condemn. With every announcement I’m seeing more people talking about it, hyping it up, telling people to go back to the originals, and anyone trying to dissuade people from engaging with the reboot is shut down.

I try my best to use the small platform I have to be authentic and hold people accountable. This fandom is supposed to go against everything it’s maker puts out into the world, but sometimes the call is coming from inside the house and I’ve been pretending it isn’t for too long. There’s only so much sincerity people will find in calling out supporting jkr when the comments are coming from a marauders account. I have tried to use my voice to address people who have financially supported jkr, commenting on videos to explain what their money will be going to, but I am often met with nothing. With deleted comments or rebuttals or excuses. I have had people say that jkr is so rich she won’t notice. THAT IS NOT THE POINT. She sees this support for her creations as support for her transphobic message, if everyone thinks that just one scarf won’t matter, just one visit to the studios won’t make a difference, that jkr won’t notice if you buy the boxset of books from amazon just once, she might not notice but we do. If £50 doesn’t make a difference to you when you give it to her then donate it to a charity that needs it. Because she is donating thousands to charities who want to eradicate trans people from existence. As a NB person, my gender is already not legal recognised in the UK, for the foreseeable future my gender marker is stuck as it is, but at least I still have protection from hate crimes and discrimination, but I am terrified this will get taken away.

I’m becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the interactions both within this community, people are far too comfortable sending abuse based on small disagreements or personal matters and then don’t understand the effects. I’ve only been in this fandom for a year and a half, and far too often what has started as innocent conversation about headcanons or even my own Autism and how it affects me has become a personal attack on myself and my beliefs or how I talk and present myself. I shouldn’t have to just put up with this.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that this fandom takes more than it gives these days and I’m so exhausted of being told that’s just how it is and to deal with it or leave. I’ll still be lingering and my asks and DMs will stay open but I won’t be the same Nox you might be used to.

[mytchthemyth]

Monkie Kid Thoughts/Theory

Hi! So as some of you may have noticed, I have fallen down the Lego Monkie Kid rabbit hole. I finally watched all 4 seasons and specials and even checked out the season 5 trailer (so hyped!!), along with some theories made by the lovely @cherllyio and @lu-zijing, as well as the Youtuber RV Sketch. I've absorbed a lot of information and wanted to lay out my thoughts real quick on some things I hadn't seen anyone specifically address.

First off, I wanted to address MK's powers and how they relate to his creation, as I feel like some people may have forgotten some info laid out in the beginning.

As we learn in season 4, MK was created from Wukong's stone, and it was implied to have been Nuwa, the Chinese creation goddess, who did so. Master Su Bodhi also directly states to MK that he has learned his powers at an abnormally quick pace. As I believe @cherllyio pointed out in one of their theories, even Wukong had to actually work hard and train under Master Su Bodhi for a while to learn most of his powers, while his immortality and golden eyes come from several escapades he went on (eating the peaches of immortality, scribbling out his name from the Book of the Dead, burning his eyes in the trigram furnace, etc.).

MK, on the other hand, innately has these abilities. He's not just learning them at an absurd rate; I think he was created to have all of Wukong's abilities and possibly even his immortality. Looking back at the very first episode of the show, MK clearly demonstrates invincibility on a similar level to Wukong, who is only so invincible because he's immortal like 5 times over. @cherllyio has also pointed out how MK starts off with gold-vision, even though Wukong only gained that by burning his eyes in the trigram furnace. Also, when MK talks with Wukong about being unable to control his powers, Wukong volunteers to put a partial seal on them to make it easier for MK to learn to master his abilities. This is the real reason why MK "learns" his powers so quickly; he's not actually learning them, he's just figuring out how to do stuff he already could.

But if MK was created with all of Wukong's powers (and possibly immortality) being innate, why can't he control them? And why didn't he display any ability to use his powers until after picking up the golden staff? Well, because he's incomplete.

While I do think it's possible the monkey figure is just broken as a result of MK being born from it, I also believe in the theory that Youtuber RV Sketch and @cherllyio have, where something happened to Nuwa while she was creating MK that resulted in the monkey figure becoming broken.

I also learned that Nuwa apparently did not believe in having "perfect" creations and instead enjoyed the imperfections her creations had (can't find source anymore), so while she may have created MK to have all of Wukong's powers, she probably wasn't intending him to just pop out fully-formed and already equal to Wukong.

Here's what I think is the reason why Nuwa created MK:

As an important celestial being, Nuwa recognized that there was complacency/corruption within the Jade Emperor's court, with several important figures being obsessed with establishing order/complete control over the world (Azure Lion, Lady Bone Demon, and probably also Li Jing and the Underworld Traitor). However, Nuwa could not do anything about this herself, so she decided to create an Agent of Chaos to combat these corrupt figures once their plans went into motion. And who better to base her new creation off of than the most powerful chaotic being in existence, the Monkey King? (In some versions of his origins, Wukong is even born from one of the 5 colored stones Nuwa used to fix the sky, which would be even more reason for her to use Wukong's stone to create a new mystic monkey.)

And so she modeled MK off of Wukong, giving him the exact same abilities, although she probably intended for him to learn to master them over the course of his life. She may have even wanted Wukong to train MK. However, I don't think Wukong was ever intended to raise MK or knew about the birth of another being from his stone until the gang got trapped in the Scroll of Memory. I'm pretty sure every instance shown of Wukong next to the stone is meant to show him being led back to the stone as he searches for MK and him trying to figure out why. And, let's face it; Wukong would've been a terrible dad. He couldn't be a proper teacher, there's no way he would've done a good job raising a whole child.

Besides, I don't think Nuwa was intending for Wukong to know about MK at least until MK was older. If a naked, mud-covered toddler suddenly showed up at his doorstep with the exact same powers as him, Wukong would've been immediately clued in that something was up and he would've tried to figure out what (probably while forgoing proper childrearing). MK was probably meant to be more of a secret weapon against the Celestial Realm traitors, so a retired Wukong suddenly flying all over the place trying to find the person who created the child with him would have definitely tipped them off.

Personally, I think Nuwa is the one who placed baby MK in front of Pigsy's noodle shop. Nuwa successfully managed to create MK and he was born at the top of Flower Fruit Mountain, but someone disrupted Nuwa, resulting in MK's monkey figure becoming broken. In order to save baby MK, Nuwa sent him away to somewhere she knew he would be safe and hidden, to be raised by the descendants/reincarnations/whatever of the Great Companions. Otherwise, I just don't see how baby MK could have gotten all the way from Flower Fruit Mountain to Megapolis without Wukong noticing anything. I mean, there's a literal ring of volcanoes and the ocean between the city and the mountain! Plus, it's weird that the baby MK managed to find his way directly to someone directly related to the Great Companions (Pigsy) who would have already had a connection to two other people related to Great Companions by this point in his life (Sandy and Tang). Feels like divine intervention, if you ask me.

I also wanted to talk a bit about ink MK.

As stated in the show, the ink monsters in the Scroll of Memory are created by the protective curse put on the scroll to torment the prisoners trapped inside with their past. It's pretty easy for the curse to torment everyone else with their past lives/ancestors/whatever, but how does it torment MK, someone with no past and no intent to look into his past?

By forcing him to confront it.

In RV Sketch's theory video "Is Ao Lie Still Alive?" she mentions how it's weird for the Master Su Bodhi in the scroll to know anything about MK, and when MK asks how he knows about him Su Bodhi dodges the question and saying that "there's little I do not know". RV Sketch proposes that the Su Bodhi in the scroll is just the curse trying to trigger an identity crisis in MK, which I think makes sense. It's far more believable for the Su Bodhi in the scroll to know about MK because he's actually the curse trying to mess with him, while the real world Su Bodhi knows because "there's little he does not know".

So yeah, Scroll Su Bodhi gets MK started on the identity crisis train, at which point the curse transitions to ink MK. Now, MK is actually pretty smart, so I think the curse takes the Monkey MK form because MK has already mostly figured stuff out about his past (especially after talking with Master Su Bodhi), he just refuses to admit it. That's why ink MK keeps goading him into "saying it out loud" and "using his words" to say what he's clearly thinking.

But what I want to focus on is Ink MK's behavior and how similar MK acts to him while fighting Azure Lion in his Mystic Monkey form. In both instances, Monkey MK is shockingly calm and collected, refers to other people as "friend", and uses past words and actions to upset the person he's fighting and keep them off their game. As Monkey MK says, "There's nothing mindless about me."

I think while MK is dealing with Ink MK and starts glitching out, he might already be aware of the distorted personality he would have as Monkey MK. Or, the curse is simply showing MK what he will be like as Monkey MK, but that feels a bit out of scope of the curse's powers since it's supposed to torment people with their pasts, not their futures.

Monkey MK also acts very similar to Macaque during his battles with Wukong, especially in season 3. While Wukong is also known to trash talk during battles, he doesn't go after traumatic stuff. But Macaque does. This could relate back to an idea some people have had of MK actually being a mix of Wukong and Macaque, as well as the thought that MK is broken/incomplete, resulting in his personality becoming distorted when he goes Monkey Mode. There's also been the interpretation of the original Journey to the West that Macaque was born from Wukong as a sort of "shadow self", so it's also possible that we're seeing the beginnings of MK's "shadow self" being born through his Mystic Monkey form.

The show definitely wants us to know something's wrong with Monkey MK. Not just because MK becomes scarily different and that huge frightening astral monkey appears. Wukong himself shows concern over the fight after MK creates that giant pillar of light. Up to that point in the fight, Wukong wanted MK to use his monkey form and was rooting for him as he fought Azure. However, once the true depths of his power start to appear, Wukong becomes serious and clearly thinks something's up, although he never really says anything during the special.

Edit: There's a part 2 now.

Edit 2: I actually miscredited the theory that MK was innately created with all of Monkey King's powers. It wasn't Cherrlyio but RV Sketch who originally talked about the theory.

[vitaeplaysda]

CHARACTERS MASTERPOST AND USEFUL LINKS

Where else you can find me?

◆ @diesvitae main art tumblr ◆ @karmicblackhole personal tumblr

You can find me on Twitter/X with the same names!

VEILGUARD SPOILERS TAGS:

#veilguard spoilers ; #datv spoilers

Active ask challenges I'm taking:

[Veilguard Hype Ask] - [OCs Emoji Ask] - [OCs Relationship ask] - [Florence + The Machine Lyrics Prompts]

All my Dragon Age Characters and Ships can be found below the cut!

(Images will be added on a later date...)

DRAGON AGE INQUISITION

◆ ELINAN of clan LAVELLAN Female (she/her) Dalish Elf Mage (Rift Mage)

We all know how the storyall know how the story goes. She starts at the First of her Clan and due fate she unwillingly becomes the Herald of Andraste at the head of the Inquisition all while falling for the Dread Wolf himself. What is less known is her heritage, of her grandmother falling for a mysterious tall elf with purple eyes when her clan was close to the Tirashan forest, a color she inherited among the superior height compared to the other elves. Fascinated by Solas's stories about the spirits and feeling useless in front of his pain when he lost his friend to corruption, Elinan found herself wondering if there was a way to heal demons guiding them to a road of redemption without killing them. It would later become her primary mission in life, all starting with Enfenim and Cole, bringing her to create a safe place of healing and knowledge in some elvhen ruins hidden in a secret location. As the Inquisitor, she never believed in the Chosen of Andraste idea, but was glad to play along as it gave her the power to help others. This is because she's a people pleaser by nature, working hard to the point of getting several burn outs in order to perform perfectly in every occasion. Understanding that role was no longer needed and with other goals in mind, she disbanded the Inquisition, disappearing completely in a matter of months. She spent her following years between journeying Thedas to learn the different approach to spirits among the various cultures of the world and helping those in need in her haven, and with time she ended up being known as the Shepherd, for spirits, demons and mortals alike or anyone in need of healing or guidance. Knowing that begging Solas would never move him away from his plans of destruction, Elinan decided to show him there was another way, a kinder way of coexistence between The Fade and the mortal races. Still her heart ached for him, unable to forget the love which united them. The Anchor, while removed, still poisoned her. Beside the scarring on her left arm's stump there were no visible physical issues left behind, but it changed her magic, giving her the same powers of a Somniari.

◆ ENFENIM N/A (he/they/it) Ancient Elf/Fear Demon Mage (Arcane Warrior)

Appearing first as a Fear Demon haunting the Emerald Graves, it was clear for the first moment he wasn't a corrupted spirit from a Rift but much more, he was able to wield a sword and staff just like a mage. Haunted by his lack of memories cursing unlucky travelers to the same fate and an even worse death, after meeting Elinan he starts a journey of healing and redemption by learning he could regain his memories by acting driven by his old purposes: protection of others and the pursuit of knowledge. As the years went by, his look mutated from the arachnid humanoid of his demonic form to one of a beautiful ancient elf. Apparently he was born when Arlathan fell after the creation of the Fade. A spirit of Knowledge from Vir Dirthara was driven mad by the loss of its purpose, instinct making it search for the last source of comfort it remembered: a guardian who's seen all what he had to protected gone and failed his purpose as well, possessing and corrupting him in the creature of Fear he has been for centuries and more. In more recent times he acts as bodyguard and partner to Elinan and is a father figure for Rook. He's also an Archivist in the safe haven he has been building with the ex Inquisitor.

DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD

◆ "LITTLE ROOK" NADIR Transmasc Non-Binary (he/him) Elf Mage

Nadir is the adopted son of Inquisitor Lavellan, an orphan who used to work at Skyhold until Elinan's demon friend noticed and befriended him. Despite being a mage, he fights without magic, using knives like a rogue, due to various incidents in his childhood which left him fearful of his own magic. He left his family after causing the death of his adoptive father Enfenim by mistake, starting the impossible quest to find Solas to bring him back to his mother. This journey brought him to meddle with the Antivan Crows, who took him in even if not officially, under the nickname of Lil Rook, but he ended up leaving them without an explanation the moment he got news about Solas. Fate made him meet his old friend Varric, with his team and Ariele De Riva at the site where Solas was performing his ritual. And from that day he didn't only have an elvhen god speaking in his dreams, but also started meddling with one far more powerful: Elgar'nan, with whom he develops a loving relationship despite all odds. Nadir is witty and apparently carefree, but that's just a mask he wears to hide his deep insecurities. His loyalty to the cause has no match, but he's also deeply empathic, believing there is good in everyone. He hates playing the hero role, and like his mother he tries to act the best way for everyone, but in truth he'd love to be more direct, able to speak his mind with no consequences.

◆ SULENAN MERCAR Cis Male (he/him) Elf Warrior

Sulenan's life can be described as a living nightmare since the start, his clan captured by teveni slavers killed or sold to the higher bidder when he was just a child. His salvation came from a soporati family of good heart, who took him in as if he was their biological son, giving him all they could, instruction, support, and a purpose. Sadly being safe from slavery didn't make you safe from altus mages, and in his teens he found himself kidnapped by a couple of students part of Minrathous's nobility, who decided to test their elvhen culture knowledge on Sulenan, by forcing Elgar'nan's vallaslin on his face in mockery, to remind him not even the All-Father of his culture couldn't ever be much more than an elf. With his face marked in shame from the hands of bullies and not his people, it was quite natural Sulenan grew to become a callous man with severe anger issues, despite his heart never forgetting his desire for a better future, but too lost and out of control to achieve that. Joining the Shadow Dragons was one of the steps he took to still advance toward his dreams of peace and freedom, but the road definitely isn't an easy one. And when he learned even his gods, even Elgar'nan, were monsters with no care for his people, he joined the Veilguard, hoping to make them pay for good, seeking vengeance after their betrayal. Little he knew cruel fate had other plans for him, and later in the story, he ended up becoming the host of a spark of Elgar'nan's soul, who would control his body as his own when needed. Amongst the Veilguard though, he got to grow up a lot, putting his demons behind, learning love and forgiveness.

◆ ARIELE "ROOK" DE RIVA Genderfluid (they/she) Human Rogue

To be written

◆ IRIDA ALDWIR Cis Female (she/her) Qunari Rogue

To be written

◆ ANARCA INGELLVAR Non-Binary (they/them) Qunari Mage

To be written

DRAGON AGE 2

◆ ABIGAIL "GALE" HAWKE Non-Binary (they/she) Human Rogue (Duelist)

Born to the Hawke family between both sets of twins, Abigail was the trickster of the family, always playing pranks, unable to be stopped with a tongue as sharp as their blades. Somehow they always knew a friend, always found the information needed and the way they got all these connections, well it was rarely legal or at times even sane. As they were quick to move, they were also quick to fall in love, counting people like Varric, Isabela or even the Arishok on their list of crushes. But alas between a battle and a bottle of wine, Fenris was the one to finally win their heart, his history sparkling a need to do good and help in them. After the events of Kirkwall, keeping track of their movements was hard as ever, at times they were by the side of their lover freeing slaves, some others they were in the places you would least expect them. Like Skyhold. Or the Fade. From which they thankfully escaped, traveling again to no one knows where.

◆ MARIAN HAWKE Female (she/her) Human Warrior (Reaver)

The canon female Hawke offered by the game, twin of Garrett and older sister of Abigail. She has a kind and patient soul, the only one truly able to deal with her brother's rage. She falls for Merrill, with whom she lives, helping her take care of the Kirkwall's alienage. She also takes care of the family Mabari: Holdfast.

◆ GARRETT HAWKE Male (he/him) Human Mage (Force Mage)

The canon male Hawke, twin of Marian and older brother of Abigail. While he was a sweet, shy and sensible kid in his youth, Garrett grew more harsh and angrier as he was unable to deal with the tragedies of his life. What mages had to suffer in Kirkwall fully turned him into a cynical bastard but also did let him fall in love with Anders, considering him his soulmate and his loyalty for the man unbreakable. As Anders got forced to live in exile after the events in Kirkwall, Garrett embraced the same fate, ready to follow him until the end of days. Little is known about his whereabouts but at times he still writes to his twin sister.

DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS

◆ AILIS COUSLAND Female (she/her) Noble Human Warrior (Champion)

Ailis was the last surviving scion of the Cousland family, a girl who preferred swords and training instead of learning more feminine arts, something reflected by her quite muscular and imposing look. Becoming a Warden wasn't just a way to survive the purge of her family but an honor she accepted gladly, possessing a strong sense of duty toward her people and Ferelden itself. In her journey she became a close friend of Loreen and Leliana, falling for Alistair's sweetness. He especially guided him to become a stronger man, to the point he took his rightful role as King of Ferelden with Ailis acting as Queen. With Kali vouching for Loghain recruitment as a warden and Alistair refusing to fight by his side, Ailis remained by his side, leaving the party, fully dedicating to her role of monarch for the years to come. She owns a Mabari called Grace.

◆ AERON MAHARIEL of clan SABRAE Male (he/him) Dalish Elf Rogue (Ranger)

You will hardly find among the Dalish someone so taken by their role as hunter as much as Aeron. Marked with Andruil's vallaslin, this man dedicated his full life to the hunt, almost to be considered weirdly obsessed by it. Still he's aware his lack of fear and recklessness aren't something to be proud of and he blames himself only for what happened to Tamlen. Becoming a warden wasn't a choice but his only means to survive, still it didn't come without benefits, having the chance to know Morrigan being one of them. He often jokes about how he won her over due to his good look but in truth they simply bonded by their common childhood experiences. He also got to hunt and kill monsters of every kind, fulfilling his bloody needs quite easily. In the end, he performed the ritual, and Kieran is his son, one he loves dearly despite him containing the soul of an archdemon and being forced to live away from him. Still when the time came, Aeron followed Morrigan through the Eluvians, hoping their fate was going to be better than Tamlen's. During his return to the Brecilian Forest, he tamed a wild wolf which became his main companion, and he gave him the name Harellan, as a taunt to the Dread Wolf.

◆ VALDA SURANA Female (she/they) City Elf Mage (Blood Mage)

Shy and sweet, Valda always found comfort in books and learning, interacting little with her peers first and wardens later. Despite her apparent lack of interest for others, deep inside she cared deeply about other living beings, believing she could find a way to help everyone if she focused enough on her studies. Her control of the magic arts was sublime but the fight against the Archdemon, despite ending in victory, made her fear she wasn't enough, to the point she started studying Blood Magic as well. Surprisingly she found an affine soul in the Architect, enough to make her join him in his research for a better solution both for mortals and darkspawn alike.

◆ LOREEN TABRIS Female (she/her) City Elf Rogue (Shadow)

Life in the alienage was harsh, but for a time Loreen was happy, ready to marry a lovely man, ready to contribute to her community. All until that fateful day which took away all of that from her, including her softer side, exchanging it all with a blazing rage and the need to change things for good. Nelaros's ring was always on her index finger after, and she would never took it off. As a Grey Warden she was merciless against her enemies, but able of kindness for those who truly deserved it and a strong leader for the party amongst Ailis and Kali with whom she grew close. Kali understood her pain being a dwarf commoner and Ailis seemed eager to help the elven cause despite being a human noble, ready to use her role to truly change things the best she could. Leliana became a new source of comfort first, and her lover later, one to whom she proclaimed eternal loyalty, even when she became Divine. After the battle with the Archdemon and the chaos with the darkspawn civil war, Loreen became Warden-Commander and Arlessa of Amaranthine.

◆ KALI BROSCA Female (she/her) Commoner Dwarf Warrior (Guardian)

Despite having been born a casteless commoner, Kali always had the aura of a noble with duty, honor and hard work being the pillars of her life, but most of all, she cared for her sister Rica, making sure she could life a happy life. For her, she was willing to push back her morals and work for the Carta, even if it ended up in a disaster, which would eventually change her life for good. Amongst the Warden she was able to fulfill her call, taking a role of leadership in her group. Being practical and hating to have blood spilled for no reason, she was the one to vouch for Loghain's life and even let the Architect go unharmed with Valda even if it wasn't a decision she was proud of. He found a common soul in Sten, but despite the attraction which was strong for both of them, she had to let him go to follow what his Qun demanded of him, even if the two still shared letters with each other, all formal but with much more hidden between the lines. Just like Loreen, she was promoted as Warden-Commander and is the only one in their group to fully dedicate herself to the Grey Wardens after all their adventures.

OTHER DRAGON AGE OCs

◆ HIVER Male (he/him) Qunari (Ex Saarebas) Mage (Spirit Healer)

Being born into the Qun as a mage is something no one should experience, especially when you feel deep down all is wrong. And you dare to voice it. Since his magic manifested, Hiver's life has been a nightmare. Collared, tortured, treated like an abomination, lips sewn and when that didn't work, his tongue was cut as well. Then came the war between the Qun and Tevinter. Venatori captured him like a wild beast to be used freely at their whim. Lost and suffering, his control over his magic was lost, creating a blizzard in the middle of the desert in the Hissing Wastes. That's when the Inquisition and Lavellan found him. That's when he found people who saw him as a person, not as a dangerous tool. She called him "Hiver", the word for winter in the Orlesian language due to that storm of ice he called upon. She taught him how to control his magic, how spirits weren't dangerous monsters but could be allies, many ready to help. His true nature flourished, his kind heart no longer having to hide. Elinan called a teacher to have both of them learn sign language and a spirit of Learning became his main companion, filling in as an interpreter when there was the need. After the Inquisition got disbanded, he followed Elinan, becoming one of the healers in the safe haven she built.

SHIPS

DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION Elinan/Solas - Elinan/Enfenim - Enfenim/Elinan/Solas (polycule v.)

DRAGON AGE II Abigail/Fenris - Abigail/Varric (forbidden) - Abigail/Isabela (ended) - Abigail/Arishok (in their fantasies LMAO) Marian/Merrill Garrett/Anders

DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS Ailis/Alistair (king and queen) Aeron/Morrigan Valda/theArchitect Loreen/Leliana Kali/Sten

DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD Nadir/Elgar'nan Nadir/Elgar'nan/Sulenan Nadir/Sulenan Sulenan/Elgar'nan (platonic)

[bookishtheaterlover7]

PSST: here’s some insight for you.

I work in marketing for a non-entertainment industry.

My job is content creation which means:

I write copy for social media, webinars, marketing emails, campaigns, videos, website content, and more. A huge part of my job is making sure what we say aligns with PR and legal approval.

This means, sometimes what we DON��T say means more than what we do.

It can be a bit of a thankless job because when we write something on social media or on behalf of our CEO, we have to say a lot but can’t lie but also stretch the truth just enough to sound exciting but not get us sued. And yes, we often ghostwrite on behalf of higher ups but their names are the ones quoted. Even if they do give us a soundbite, with permission we can sometimes edit it and rewrite. So even actual quotes aren’t always 100%.

Basically….wordplay.

“My wife is from PT.” - truth, but non specific. Doesn’t say a name but basically alludes to what everyone is thinking based on process of elimination.

“I had kinda two ceremonies, one on the east coast, one in PT.” - truth, but non specific. The tabloids ran with conflicting stories like ceremony 1 was held in two different areas, in one state on the east coast. But he doesn’t say specifically which one which means he’s not lying but he’s only not specifying. Plausible deniability.

“I find silence in my husband.” - no names, no confirmation but also sort of confirming.

“My dog” - same as above.

CE’s GQ article where he mentions a non descriptive girlfriend - then a line is inserted by the journalist “he got married to Xyz” not quoted by him.

Same thing with RDJ’s spread and his wife saying “CE’s wedding” - and the magazine inserts the wedding to xyz.

None of these are direct quotes from the people themselves. It’s just implied.

Scarlett in an interview says she “attended a wedding” in sept - again, non descriptive.

All of these context clues are pretty commonly done in content strategy. It’s basically to say stuff to say it for promotion reasons but also making sure we cover our asses. We didn’t SAY he said it, we just added it as an afterthought and if for some reason it’s questioned well at least we didn’t quote him on it.

For example: my company has an office outside of a major city. But we can’t say “our San Francisco office” because it’s technically not SF. It’s in the Bay Area, so we can say Bay Area/Northern California office - but not get too specific. This way we’re not LYING but we’re also kinda keeping it “vague.” Cover our asses 101.

I can’t tell you how many times I have to say things like “nearly a decade of experience” - but in reality it was 8 years and five months. When I say it like this, it makes it sound like MORE rather than less.

“Over a year” - makes it sound like wow it’s been over a year but we’re not telling you just how long because we just want you to focus on the OVER part.

Marriage = stability. If you ignore the person and the pairing, it just looks like oh wow he finally got married! Good for him. Now his Wikipedia won’t show he’s just single forever because God forbid somebody turns 42 and still isn’t married. 🙄

The next time you see anything related to these two, or if you want to chance reading old articles about them - check for those little nuances in the tabloid articles. I bet a bunch of them are purposely contradicting and use “anonymous sources” as the quote to magnify the situation and hype it up to be more intense than it actually is.

Because if an anonymous source says “CE is so in love and happier than ever” - gushes a close friend of the actor, it’s not tech libel or lying because the quote is coming from a mysterious source, not CE. But the intention is inferred. You are to assume he told them this. But if someone were to directly call that out, he could simply say I don’t know who I said that to and the anonymous source won’t have or need to be confirmed. Because if it is a lie at least nobody quoted him as saying it. Nobody will be asking for a retraction.

Lastly. In marketing I often have to hype up things and use flowery language. Everything always has to be “a huge success and totally a blast” - even if the pictures we get at the events show three people standing in a booth looking bored. LOL.

“The private couple looked so in love and were all smiles!” - meanwhile the accompanying photo was two people walking in silence, one doing an Arthur fist and basically grimacing. Nobody looking at each other.

The power of wordplay, y’all. And yes, we hype everything up for a reason. And the reality is often very far from what’s being presented. It’s just business though.

(Hope you find this helpful!)

And if anyone wants to fact check my knowledge, please feel free. I have nothing to hide.

Thank you, Marketing An🫶n!

This whole thing is definitely confusing, but it's nice to know that, a. It's all business, and b. How the business works.

This is all helpful, and really quite interesting 😊 so, once again thank you, and I hope you don't mind if I and a few others will call in to ask the next time something drops 😅

[theyilinglaozus]

@hoppipolla said: I 100% agree! It is so annoying :(( Sadly how fast fan interest dies is in keeping with the fact that entertainment is part of the consumerist workings of our society so now you watch something and jump onto the next one the second it ends. Just looking at the number of series released in a year is crazy… I feel like it encourages intense but swift fan interest. It’s as if we no longer had time to let a show truly sink in once it finishes because they are just so many airing shows… It’s both a blessing and a curse. Such state of affairs can be adjusted I guess depending on one’s will but I find it quite hard: if you don’t watch a show while it airs, you don’t partake in the fandom when it is most active and then you join in later and it can feel a bit lonely? It’s a vicious circle… (I apologise for rambling. Your words echoed some toughts I’ve been pondering on for a while.)

(I had to respond to this because you have completely hit the nail on the head with what I've been thinking myself for a while now! Please, never apologise for rambling -- it is very much welcome).

I completely agree with you, and you've said it so perfectly.

Ever since the shift of complete or partial releases to shows or instant releases of films, the way fandom responds shifts, and I'm not sure I like it. It's been so obvious to me with the way shows like season 4 of Stranger Things and season 2 of Squid Game release -- whereas before these sorts of big draw shows would spark discussion and interest for months as they air, because they air all at once (or partially, in the case of how both shows are split), there's this weird case of instant gratification from binge watching. People watch the show, the interact with it for a little bit, then move along to next big thing that grabs their attention. There's rarely the staying power in some fandoms anymore that would have at one time built lasting communities and friendships.

I feel it a lot with shows, sometimes. Especially as so many are releasing all at once, people are quick to move on and after the rush dies for whatever's trending, any of those people who arrive to watch later seem to miss the community train. I've been slowly watching Mysterious Lotus Casebook in my downtime over christmas - and I'm loving it so far - but I also can't help to feel that I've missed out. I rarely follow dramas as the air - with a few exceptions, if it's something I've been following for a long while, or it's part of a series I watch. I also often feel uncomfortable with the instant hype shows draw, and like to wait for things to calm - so I don't really 'meet' with the community as much anymore. The two exceptions were The Untamed - because it was during lockdown, and the community was still active for it then, and Word of Honor - again, because I caught it whilst it was airing and built a (rather small) community myself for it to try and keep some interest alive longer / have a place where new fans could find creations.

The fandoms that I often create / return to over long periods of time are often the ones I've built my own comfort corner within or which I personally love and enjoy and want to keep sharing. But fandom certainly has shifted with the way consumerism has only grown through things like the methods streaming services use to air their shows. It always feels in a way that once certain pillars of a fandom leave or move on, unless others step up to continue to spread the love and joy they have for it, the fandom space disappears. And that's rather sad to think about, when you see how over spaces have thrived over years or decades due to the sheer love fans have poured into keeping their communities alive with creations, discussions, and sharing with others.

[chaos0pikachu]

i am a curious person at heart and i wanna know so fucking bad what that one piece headcanon is that people say is canon—if it is too spoilery (i'm on ep431 (impel down)) i would love a warning, though, because i already spoiled myself for something big accidentally and the friend i am watching the anime with might kill me if i that happens a second time, akhdjdjdj

Sup OP-Anon, no worries it's nothing spoiler-y at all.

The headcanon people say or treat as canon is Luffy being ace - alongside either all the Strawhats being queer coded canonically, or Zoro being gay and Sanji being gay/bi - but Luffy being ace canonically is the one I see most in fandom.

I want to emphasize something first and foremost, I do not have any issue with Luffy being headcanon as ace, I get it, I see it, I've read a lot of great fic that has this headcanon. But it's not canon.

Which typically would be chill, if people didn't actively try to harass others who don't share this headcanon as being bigots for shipping Luffy - typically with Zoro, I do not see the same fervor for LawLu which includes some of the smuttiest one piece fic I've personally ever seen (which is gucci live btw) - alongside giving Oda credit for something he just...he didn't do.

I'm all for death of the author, I've read some really great meta about ace!Luffy, I think it's an overall dope headcanon but it's not canon. And telling people it is is just straight up lying to them and giving Oda credit he does not deserve. This isn't the savior of queer media for shounen y'all. This is not the work of a man who's subtly implying any of his main chars aren't straight.

[Also why does Luffy only get the ace headcanon? why not nami? zoro? franky? robin? none of them have shown any interest romantic or otherwise in people?]

And I love Bon, Invankov, and another char that shows up in Wano. They are fan favorites, people are so freaking HYPED to see Bon in OPLA his casting is up there for folks excited to see Ace.

Since you're at Impel Down you probably haven't made it to Sanji on Kamabakka Kingdom or 'Okama Island'. It's rough, it's mean and it's cruel and a lot of fans tell new fans to skip or skim it entirely. It's Sanji at his worst - only topped perhaps by Sanji on Fishmen Island - and its all part of One Piece's legacy as a story.

Don't give Oda credit for making Luffy asexual in canon when he didn't. Luffy has more in common with Goku and Monkey King from Journey to the West - Oda has credited Akira Toriyama with being basically a driving force behind the creation of One Piece. Another big inspiration was the series Anpanman, which is a children's superhero that's one of the most popular anime series with children in Japan. Oda has described Luffy as his "ideal child" (source)

Oda also says in this same interview that he "wants to draw things that young boys will find cool and interesting. For example, Sanji’s not only suave, he’s perverted as well. That’s what makes him beloved and trusted by other men."

Like sorry this is not the dude who's writing queer coding into his work. He'll write queer characters, but coding? No, this is not that story - which is why I live on One Piece fanfiction! - it's great headcanon, I'm all for it please fix some of One Piece biggest flaws, the Sanji gag is fucking old and tired and beat. But it is canon.

And once you have more cultural context for Luffy as a character you can see Oda isn't actively and purposely, canonically, writing Luffy as ace. So please stop harassing ppl or posting hate in the tags that shipping Luffy with Zoro is actually evil or whatever.

[Japanese fans already actively ship Luffy - Luffy/Nami is a really well liked ship with Japanese fans for example - and also like, why can't we ship ace characters?? When did that become fandom doctrine??]

Anyway that's the fandom headcanon treated as canon and used often in fandom discourse or (ugh) ship wars. Luckily most of the time fandom is super chill in my experience ships just make ppl get in their feels to damn much.

Enjoy your One Piece journey Anon! Hit me up with your favorite arcs, the manga is doing WILD things right now for the worldbuilding and lore. I'm really hyped and staying hopeful Oda can finish the series soon (he's 50 and I worry).