#flame ramblings

[a-flaming-idiot]

Just a general announcement to everyone. Please, for the love of everything sacred, stop telling younger people it just gets worse.

Please know I understand and I sympathize with the fact you are having trouble yourself. But please at least pretend for younger people. Please don't tell them that things will just get worse in the future. That Life is just suffering forever downhill till you die.

I feel like we are actually putting lives at risk by telling younger people it only gets worse from here. Like adults telling me this through my whole life has sent me into multiple downward spirals. And I feel like this is the type of thing that can kick someone over the edge toward suicide.

Please. Just pretend things get better. For the sake of the future.

[flamedraco]

OCs in Fandom

This is something I've been thinking about more but why is the DSMP and MCYT fandoms specifically more OC repulsed than other fandoms?

Like this is a very strange trend I've noticed where when I introduce an unnamed, unimportant character meant to fill a role (usually to die or get droned in Aurelia's case) why does everyone ask "oh who was that btw?" or "ooo I wonder who this character was! You said she was a woman so she has to be one of these select few characters from the series!" Like. No? No that's not how that works.

In every other fandom I've been in I see art and stories surrounding the OCs that people make. Original Characters with their own powers and abilities, their own relationships to the canon characters. OCs made to fill roles in stories that other characters in canon simply cannot fill because they already have a role in the story somewhere else or because it wouldn't make sense.

This is a behavior that is present in a lot of fandoms. Especially in places like BNHA (the fandom I was in before DSMP). But for some reason not here? And I find that weird.

I'm not judging anyone for this btw I just find it strange because us viewers are CANON to a lot of MCYT mediums. My friend @emi-writings pointed out that the viewers are CANON to the DSMP. We were the ones who voted in the L'manburg election. We are The Voices in Techno's head. We're Phil's flock of crows.

And when you think about it we're canon to other MCYT mediums too. Any time "chat" is brought up in lore, that's us. Any time our suggestions make it into our favorite series and becomes part of the lore? That's us. We're here. We're existing. We're canon.

So why aren't there more OCs? I'd expect a lot more of them seeing how we are quite literally canon.

And yeah, there are a lot of characters to pull from in these mediums so maybe the need for OCs to fill plot points in our fics aren't as needed. But sometimes they are? And I find it so strange that they're kinda frowned upon or not normalized because you go to any other fandom and sometimes you can't tell an OC apart from an actual character in the lore!

In YWNTMBAH, for example, I wanted to give the readers more insight into Quackity's backstory in the AU. And so I decided I wanted to introduce a small handful of OCs as his family because I couldn't lean into the generally accepted family (head?)canon of Sam being his father because Sam already had a role in the fic. And I had already established that Quackity got his shrike wing power from his mother and there's not 'mother' character in that specific family canon. So what am I to do? Make OCs.

Right now I'm considering making a Minecraft Diaries AU as my next major multichapter fic. But Diaries has so many characters with very specific roles that half the cast of the DSMP is pretty much useless to me because they don't fit into these roles I need. Obviously a Diaries AU wouldn't be one to one because the characters are different with different personalities and temperaments, it's a completely different setting I'm throwing the DSMP characters into. But I also don't want to use certain characters unless I absolutely have to especially when the DSMP cast is so large I don't even know the lore and personalities of half the characters. And hell, some of the people whitelisted on the DSMP never even participated in lore or were just there and didn't really roleplay so I wouldn't use them to begin with. The answer here is to use OCs. In any other fandom everyone would tell you to just make some OCs to fill the roles you need or use the characters that were already present in Diaries (which isn't something I'd want to do because I want to create an AU not a crossover).

But for some reason in this fandom that's just...not a thing? Or at least that isn't a thing most people would recommend or do because I rarely see it. And readers will look at some unnamed, undescribed character, and assume I intended for it be someone in the DSMP cast. Had a specific character in mind for it.

And...no. No I didn't. That's just some dude that Wilbur killed. That's just some random ass hero Quackity plucked out of the cell to experiment on. That's just a character meant to fill out the world and make it feel more alive.

I guess the point of this really is just...make OCs more normalized in this fandom? Like it's not everyone's thing obviously and you don't have to if you don't want to. If someone in the DSMP cast fits the role you need then hey, less work for you as the writer, right?

And I'm not saying that this is a huge problem or anything because it's not. There are other people that do use OCs as writing tools or hell, collectively accepted OCs that the comment section of a fic will adopt because the concept of there being this one specific dude everyone bullies is funny. I remember a fic being inspired by YWNMTBAH and it was a story about someone's OC that they made and I thought it was cool as hell that my fic inspired someone to make an OC!

But I just think everyone should be more aware that it's okay and normal to make OCs in fandom. Hell, my take on Wilbur, Sally, and Sapnap are all pretty much OCs at this point. I made the Fridge an actual character with the help of Em. Me and Double added OCs in Arsonist's Waltz to fill out the DSMP Pantheon more because it wasn't explored enough in canon.

I think we should have more OCs. I think it should be normalized. I think the general expectation shouldn't be that every last character mentioned in the story is someone in canon. OCs are a really useful fanfiction writing tool and they aren't even hard to make really! You don't even have to name some of them! I never gave Q's parents in YWNTMBAH names, just descriptions! Half of Wilbur and Quackity's drones in Aurelia are unnamed OC characters they just yoinked off the streets!

OCs are things you can pour a lot of time into, give backstories, give cool concepts. But they can also just be easy writing tools when you need to kill something off but don't want to use one of your more major characters. They can just be there, chilling, making your world more alive and more full.

Because not every viable character in the canon cast can be used for the roles you need.

[badtzbot]

i have to say the relationship that smoker has with the asl brothers is fucking hilarious. luffy pissed him off so badly one singular time that he followed the guy halfway into the grand line and then also into the new world just to track him down. he had to accept help from his crew in defeating crocodile and luffy did it via becoming a water balloon. and then tashigi, who he's responsible for, cried about it. he hates luffy and luffy calls him smokey and doesn't gaf. ace.... do i even have to say anything. they did it nasty sloppy style. ace annoyed the fuck out of him and you KNOW it. smoker tried to confront him in alabasta and luffy SMASHED ALL THREE OF THEM THROUGH A WALL. and then luffy escaped because ace played diversion! and smoker can't even Actually do anything because ace is a wb pirate and he canNOT afford to anger them. and sabo. i just know when smoker met sabo in movie stampede he was already like fuck me why is the ra here and then sabo was like "luffys my little brother" and smoker just wanted to straight up kill himself. he was like FUCK ME theres ANOTHER ONE OF THEM ????? and then he has to fucking work with the guy for the greater good. again.

and the rest of the family too. he can't even yell at garp because he's one of the few superior officers smoker respects. smoker's life is just a constant aneurysm and you KNOW it's bad when the one he, a marine, has the least beef with is the fucking LEADER OF THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY. smoker i hope your blood pressure goes down because between this and the cigars you're gonna die before you reach 40

[anominous-user]

it ain't a hyperfixation if i can't somehow insert the FCs into it so. toppat flame-chasers.

[acoraf]

😂📚🐛🫖

[a2zillustration]

(It's ok Yurgir will respawn in Avernus)

| First | | Previous | | Next |

[[ All Croissant Adventures (chronological, desktop) ]]

[[ All Croissant Adventures (app) ]]

[memorys-skyscraper]

one of the best things about hades 1 & 2 imo is seeing how they strategically use anachronisms to adapt the source material in a way that makes it feel more relevant to modern audiences while still capturing the essence of the original

like, "lameness" is not a concept people really think/talk about often these days (usually not wrt people, anyway), so hephaestus gets a prosthetic leg & wheelchair. dionysus doesn't talk like a himbo in the original myths, but that style of speech more readily conveys his vibe as the god of wine & revelry to a modern audience. lines like zeus saying "your father hasn't called in quite some time" in an offended tone of voice capture the petty family squabbles of the olympians better than a dry retelling of the original myths ever could

[swemtpotamtam]

I am honestly so tired of the world being so fucking complacent with ruzzia's bs

Like, hello?? ruschist pigs have been killing us, killing civillians, bombing cities and villages, erasing our culture and our language, treating our POWs like utter garbage in their prisons (meanwhile ruzzian POWs are treated super well in our prisons), torture our soldiers and civillians

They attack our cities with missiles that have western components, meanwhile we are not allowed to strike back and defend ourselves with western weapons

That is so fucking ass backwards, it's like telling a victim of SA to just let it go or let the r*pist do what they wanna do because if you fight back you will be escalating the situation and it's better to just grit your teeth and get defiled in silence

Very fucking cool of the world to just sit idly on its ass while a whole fucking nation is getting genocided

People need to open their fucking eyes and act

[pop-punklouis]

-

[sabo-torao]

Small disclaimer before you head in: this whole post will be referencing the TCB translation. I know VIZ handled the exchange I'm discussing differently, but I couldn't find anyone who talked about the original version and as a result I don't really know who is closer to the original meaning. In any case, the "analysis" should still stand. Whether Dragon was commenting Sabo's firmness or admiring his resolution, Sabo's still putting on a mask, and that's the point I'm trying to break down. Enjoy!

This very specific interaction between Dragon and Sabo in chapter 1083 has always stuck out to me.

"My, you really are unshakeable."

which is an appropriate response to what Sabo said, of course. What kind of sensitive person reacts that way to the death of an innocent, right?

Even so, I can't help but compare the thing Sabo said to his actual, genuine reaction to King Kobra's death.

He's devastated.

Sabo brokenly screams Kobra's name, and his expression is one of full despair; he never thought about killing Kobra, let alone letting him die. On the contrary, he actively tried to save him.

Kobra told him to just let him go, that he was dead weight and he shouldn't be concerned about him, but Sabo straight up refused. In fact, Kobra's actions read way more as a sacrifice than an inevitable death; the king let himself die, knowing that this way Sabo could flee and reach Vivi and Luffy safely.

On the Lulusian ship, we see Sabo think about Kobra's last words to him and actively trying not to cry (and failing).

That's not an unshakable man. He's suffering, he's grieving. He realizes he failed his very own mission of saving the king and lets the meaning behind Kobra's actions and words sink in.

It really puts his former reaction into perspective.

Sabo's firmness, seriousness and coldness in front of Dragon and Ivankov are nothing but a façade. He acknowledges that what he's about to say might come off as harsh, and that, even if he does feel sorry for Kobra, the tragedy doesn't weigh him down thanks to the results it brought, but it all sounds like he's reassuring himself more than actually showing his indifference.

Hell, he even drinks his glass of wine right after having said that "he doesn't really care". How can anyone take his words seriously?

And we've been knowing Sabo is inclined to do this sort of thing since Dressrosa; he acted all cool and composed in front of Luffy but the second Koala called him on the Den Den Mushi he was weeping, having a hard time believing that his little brother didn't punch him or hate him for being alive all along. He even denied he was crying!

All because Sabo hates being seen as vulnerable, especially in front of the people he thinks he has to be strong for (Luffy, Dragon, etc). It's something I think goes back to how his parents treated him, since they scolded him for, y'know, having emotions and being a normal kid in need of love, but i digress.

I once saw someone describing Sabo as a very cold person in comparison to his brothers, even going as far as to say that Sabo doesn't care if people die if it means achieving the Revolutionary Army's goals (using this very interaction as proof), which couldn't be further away from the truth.

Bonney even says outright that it's weird seeing a "radical revolutionary" act so friendly when Sabo helps her out. Why would he do this if all he ever did was for "The Cause"?

Yes, Sabo is ruthless, rude, violent at times, and his friendly demeanor could be seen as a little more volatile than that of his brothers', but he's not heartless. He's not a "meanings to an end" guy, he proves it time and time and time again, and it's disheartening seeing people label him as such.

Sabo is kind. He may not be as warm as Ace and Luffy, but he is fundamentally a good person. A generous, kind, caring, sensitive person.

No matter how hard he tries to hide it.

[too-much-alphabet-soup]

You ever think about Ace and Sabo and the way they parallel and differ?

Like both were essentially orphans looking for better father figures, one by life and the other by choice. (If you distance yourself from your parents like that you're an orphan in my book.)

They were both violent, they both are users of the flame flame fruit but they're fundamentally different in their moods and direction.

Ace is warm, he's friendly and generally helpful. His flames are orange and red and he brings light and warmth. This is a man who's core emotions are love and joy. You can see Luffy's influence on him and he manages to find a new father and family and he lights up the life of everyone he meets. People remember him for the warmth he brought into their life.

And then there's Sabo.

Sabo's colors are blue, black and white. His flames burn hotter, it hurts. It is anger it is vengeance it is fury. They might be red/orange in the anime, but only because turning them blue would take away from the connection from Ace. Sabo is a kid who took his pain and hatred at the injustices of the world and honestly them to a cutting temperature. Sabo's flame is the flame of tempering and destruction. His use of the flame flame fruit is inherently more violent and focused with the backing of his time in the resistance, his cold and calculating direction, and his willingness to just straight up do murder.

The world government/Marines killed Ace. They killed a warm, comforting fire and in response they got the white-hot flames of revenge.

It seems fitting.

Edit: I have added at least another 1k words of this rant in a reblog

[natsmagi]

honestly the more i hear about engstars and its TLs the more i absolutely dread the inevitable release of poltergeist and what may ensue from it, bc if if the translators themselves are already invalidating arashis identity then i Really Truly do not want to see how theyll translate natsume and tsumugis microaggressions/transphobia towards her. esp since ive noticed a rise in people being comfortably transphobic towards her, and i REALLY do not wish to see natsume and tsumugi being stupid fucking morons be used as evidence to discredit her

and i think this is all the more reason why its VERY IMPORTANT for engstars to DIRECTLY ACKNOWLEDGE arashi and her gender. bc sometimes characters are STUPID and RUDE and APATHETIC. enstars is a story with NUANCED and FLAWED CHARACTERS, and when a character is being a fucking asshole youre meant to PROVE THEM WRONG. but they dont even acknowledge arashi as a girl themselves. so, if you do use engstars, please keep pressuring them bc omfg this is so bad and i can only see it getting worse

[tannnnblogs]

Can I just say you give your courier the BEST facial expressions, like, goodness.

Thank you! She's so fun to draw for me so glad you like it.

[xadenviolct]

Oh, and the very moment I heard the title, my only thought (that kept going on repeat in my head all day) was--

ONYX is the word RY uses all the time to describe Xaden's eyes! And considering how Iron Flame ended...

And of course, since all the other titles were said word-for-word in the book-- Fourth Wing (their wing at Basgiath) and Iron Flame (in the wardstone)-- I am desperately curious how the words "Onyx Storm" will be written.

Never before have I wanted 10-ish months to go by so fast!

[flames-tstuff]

goddammit, Al... I already loved you an unbelievable amount. you didn't have to do this to me 🙃🙃🙃

#canon lee!Alphonse supremacy ✊️

[acoraf]

Iron Flame,

Page 30:

"Sgaeyl doesn't like anyone but Xaden, and she only tolerates me, though I'm growing on her."

"Like a tumor," she replies...

I laughed so hard omg! Sgaeyl is a savage!

🫶📚🐛🫖