#he just keeps making characters that speak to me personally

[essycogany]

Sonic And Amy Are A Unique Couple

This is a quick Sonamy rant /ramble session. With a few added clarifications too. Enjoy!

This couple is more unique than you’d think. It’s cool if anyone disagrees. I'm all for a polite debate and respect your opinion. But if you're willing to hear me out, I'll be willing to explain myself as clearly as possible. Great? Awesome! Let’s get started!

Amy doesn't want to change Sonic. I will scream this until I'm not able to speak any more that Amy loves Sonic for who he is. She always has but it wasn't until IDW that she expressed it out loud. Still one of my favorite moments between them.

Does that make their relationship unique? Not really. What makes their relationship unique is what Amy loves about Sonic is kind of the reason they're not a couple yet. Sonic is an ongoing force that can’t be stopped or changed. Of course, he’ll allow someone to join him on a race, but he still keeps going. Not to say Sonic won’t stop to smell the roses (pun not intended) but he’ll do it on his own time. Amy always likes to take advantage of those moments and best of all, Sonic doesn’t mind. Even during their old chases, he’d slow down for her. Says a lot about the connection they have but there’s more

Their chemistry is…something for lack of a better term. Their back and forth is so interesting to me. Sonic does like Amy back. Notable examples here but to put it shortly, Sonic doesn’t know what he’s doing when it comes to romance. Sometimes he’s not into it and other times he’s chill. Sometimes Amy is ecstatic and other times she's bashful. I'm looking at you Sonic X.

Every time Amy’s occupied, is when Sonic wants her the most. Amy on the other hand wants Sonic to enjoy his freedom. Neither of them stops to think about how maybe they can have it both ways.

I'll also mention romance isn’t about “being tied down.” That paints romance as if it’s some kind of chain being rapt around your neck or being forced to be with the person. That is not romance. It’s keeping someone hostage. Something Amy would not do. Every time she’d joke around about marrying him Sonic didn’t take it seriously. Heroes included.

Sonic’s line in Heros: “Amy, knock it off. There's no time to play!” Dude knows Amy was messing with him. She was written to be girly, childish, adventurous, and cartoony. No, it wasn’t always executed well. Hello, Sonic Freeriders Amy! But I think this scene summons it up the best.

Important thing to mention as well is Sonic is an outspoken and honest character who rarely lies. It’s either you get the truth or you get nothing. He’s not the type to spare people’s feelings either, so if he had a problem with Amy in the past, he’d tell her directly. I do think she'd also stop if he genuinely told her to. The last thing Amy would want is to tarnish their friendship because of her actions. This loyal girl is so sweet.

Not to mention this is a popular trope in Japan too. The trope was what their relationship was based on.

Back to my original point Sonic and Amy aren’t a traditional couple. That’s a good thing. If they became canon their relationship wouldn’t change if they got together, but also they don’t need labels either. Romance isn’t or shouldn’t be a burden on you. That’s not how love works and that’s not what Sonic believes Amy to be. If that’s the case he wouldn’t be friends with her. Whether you ship Sonic with Amy, someone else, or no one, there should be no doubt Sonic values her friendship.

I’ll also add that Amy is just as up for an adventure as Sonic is. It’s why she loves him so much. They’re a power couple and love going out to travel, so there’s no staying in one place for these two.

In Sonic Adventure 2 you can tell Amy’s intuition when it comes to Sonic. Close to the end, she saw him looking a bit down and noticed his mood shifting a bit. “What’s the matter, Sonic?” “Oh, it’s nothing.” She knows him so well. I don't know what connection they run on but it’s inspiring.

These two don’t have a typical girl/boy relationship. I know some people say, “Well, why can't Sonic and Amy stay friends? Not every male and female relationship needs to be romantic.” You're 100% correct. Here are some examples.

The difference between other relationships is that Amy was created to be a Minnie to Sonic’s Mickey. Which is why these two are treated differently compared to others. Including in merch. There are more examples but I digress. The point is this specific pair is always going to have nuance even if they’re only friends. It doesn’t stop until Amy doesn’t love Sonic and even if it shouldn’t define her, it should still be a part of her. She might work without romance, but we already have other amazing female characters for that.

No one’s obligated to ship them because of this of course. Again, your opinion is still valid, and I will always stick to that point.

Last but not least is their friendship (or situationship) as a whole.

The funny thing is their friendship is what makes their romance the most compelling. The appeal to Sonic and Amy’s dynamic is how much platonic energy they have. Romance doesn’t always mean you need to be lovey-dovey. With Sonamy it’s their powerful friendship that makes the (somewhat not platonic) interactions memorable. You don’t have to choose romantic or platonic. It can be both. I wouldn't be a Sonamy fan if I didn't think their relationship was plain. I'm here because of how different they are.

And I love them to bits. Look at this panel and tell me it isn't running with situationship fuel.

Another fun detail is in recent years despite knowing Amy still loves him, Sonic hugs her back. Even the moments in Sonic X he carries her are moments he offers to. Even when it wasn't necessary.

Can’t forget about the recent asking Amy out to a dinner panel in IDW. He's never done that before. There's a familiarity between the two of them however you look at it. I LOVE them for it.

His moments of genuinely being excited to see her are not due to some development but because Sonic’s passion for Amy has noticeably increased. Why am I bringing these up? It’s because one thing that hasn’t been talked about when it comes to romance is actions. Sure, Sonic doesn't fully confess his feelings to her outwardly. But why do you have to be obvious and in people’s face when it comes to loving someone? In Japan, love is mostly shown through what you do more than what you say. That stuff can happen there but it doesn't always have to. The “Sharing an Umbrella, Amy,” line in Frontiers carries a lot more weight when you think about the implications.

Please read this post by @egalitarian-tomboy if you're interested in the implications of Sonamy in Frontiers.

The up-to-interpretation view of whatever they have together is the main reason I and so many people ship them. It’s not the fact that they are close, but the progression of their closeness. To make a long story short, the appeal of Sonamy is the fact that they don’t have to be traditionally romantic to be an interesting couple. Amy represents expressive love and Sonic represents emotional love.

Stay creative! 💜

[dindjarindiaries]

Pulling Punches

character: Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

prompt: "Look, I know I probably should have backed off and I apologize." "No, honestly it was kind of hot." "What?"

main masterlist • prompt masterlist

You sighed and set your hands on your hips, leaning close enough so that your muttered words could only be shared between the two of you. “Din, honestly. I’ll be fine in there.” You gestured with your head to the cantina’s threshold. “Just stay out here and watch my back. Okay?”

Din shifted his weight between his feet and flexed one of his gloved hands. The other rose to adjust his vambrace. With a heavy exhale of defeat and a swing of his helmet, he relented. “Fine.” His visor found you again. “Just—.”

“Be careful.” You huffed and gave his armored shoulder a playful punch. “I know. I can handle myself.” You turned towards the door and spoke to him over your shoulder. “I’ll be back in a few.”

With that, you strode forward. The door slid open for you, and you felt Din’s gaze lingering on your back until the closing door made it impossible for him to see you any longer.

You rolled your eyes. Honestly, for a man who had yet to even mention the idea of being with you romantically, he was so unnecessarily protective.

The cantina on this world was crowded that night, practically shoulder-to-shoulder as you wove your way towards the actual bar. You were soon close enough to spot the familiar blue skin of the Twi’lek bartender, and after raising your hand and keeping your eye on them, you caught their attention. The Twi’lek woman smiled and waved you forward.

“Sorry.” You smiled sheepishly as you stepped up to greet the bartender. “I know I’m a bit late.”

The Twi’lek raised an unimpressed brow, despite the glint of fondness in her gaze. “‘A bit’? It was two full rotations.”

You shrugged. “Kark happens.” You subtly scanned your surroundings and lowered your voice. “Do you still have it?”

The Twi’lek hummed a positive note as she finished pouring a drink. “It’s in the back.” She picked up the glass in her hand and nodded. “I’ll go grab it.”

Your face softened in gratitude, even as your fists tightened on top of the bar. You wouldn’t feel much better until the datacard was in your hands.

Just as you watched the blue Twi’lek disappear into a back room, the man on your left started to speak to you. “Never seen you here before.”

You huffed and cut your gaze at him. “Moved off world a few cycles ago.”

“Makes sense.” He shuffled closer to you. “I’d remember a face like yours.”

You let out a low chuckle and glanced over at him, amused. “Oh, yeah?”

The man hummed his agreement and gave you an obvious once-over. “What brings you back here?”

You offered him a shrug. “Just visiting an old friend.” You gestured with your head to where the bartender had gone.

“Well…” The man’s hand slid closer to yours on the bar top. “I’m glad you did.”

Your eyes narrowed as you looked him straight in the eye. “I’m not staying long.”

His brow rose slowly. “I won’t need long.”

You frowned and pulled your hand closer to yourself. “Okay, then let me make myself clear: I don’t want whatever you’re trying to offer me.”

The man chuckled. “Playing hard to get? Really?”

You crossed your arms, but kept your hands pulled tight into fists, ready to punch if you had to. “I’m not ‘playing’ at all.”

The man lifted his hand as if he was about to set it on your shoulder. “Then let me help you—.”

Whatever else he was saying was lost in the shuffle of someone stepping in between the two of you so quickly that you nearly jumped into the person on your right. The flash of silver was all you needed to see to identify who it was that had grabbed the man’s wrist so hard that you audibly heard it crack.

The man gasped in both pain and surprise, but Din didn’t release his wrist, not even as he spoke. “Lay a single hand on them, and I’ll cut it off.”

The man sputtered before he tried to snatch his wrist away from Din. “Alright, alright! Relax.”

“This is me relaxed.” Din still didn’t relinquish his grip. “You don’t want to see me when I’m not. Do I make myself clear?”

The man huffed indignantly. “Yeah, yeah! Whatever. Just let me go!”

You observed the attention you were suddenly getting and sighed. You pinched the bridge of your nose and closed your eyes. “Let him go, Din.”

Din hesitated, but you soon heard movement as he dropped the man’s hand. You reopened your eyes to see the man cradling his bruising wrist and glaring between both you and Din. His words were directed towards you when he spoke again. “You could at least fight your own battles.”

You were ready to do exactly that, but Din beat you to it. He slammed his elbow into the back of the man’s head, forcing his front half to fold over the bar top, and then punched the man’s gut to make him fall back a few steps. Din’s final hit was an uppercut that had the man knocked out in seconds.

The man hit the floor, and the cantina froze for a single moment in time as Din flexed both his hands and spoke to the limp body underneath him. “They don’t have to.”

You should’ve been mortified by his actions, and part of you was, but mostly… you were hit with a rush of warmth that brought a fond smile to your lips. Din was always protective, sure, but this was something different. This was a fight to protect your honor.

Like he had said, a battle you could have fought on your own, but you didn’t have to, because he wanted to do it for you.

Din then shook his helmet as if pulling himself out of a trance and turned around to face you. He took a step closer, as if he was about to start speaking, but your attention was pulled away by the bartender returning.

“Here.” The Twi’lek woman handed you the datacard, and you thanked her quietly. Her gaze fell to the man on the floor, and her brow raised as she let out a relived exhale. “Oh, finally. Someone took care of that guy.”

You frowned in confusion. “What?”

The bartender nodded at the body. “Guy’s been harassing our patrons for weeks.”

“Oh.” You looked down at the man and kicked his limp foot with your boot. “Good riddance.”

The Twi’lek huffed in agreement and only briefly looked between you and Din. She smiled and nodded towards the door. “Be safe out there.”

“And you be safe in here.”

With those words and a small smile of your own, you turned towards the door and started making your way out. It was admittedly easier, though, with Din at your side, as he had no trouble pushing people out of the way for both of you.

As soon as you were making your way back to the ship, Din began to speak. “Look.”

He let out a soft breath as his visor glanced over at you.

“I know I probably should have backed off.” He looked down at the fist he’d punched with and flexed it. “I apologize.”

You hummed, pretending to consider his apology. “No. Honestly…” You shrugged. “It was kind of hot.”

Din’s helmet whipped towards you so fast that you’re surprised he didn’t actually trip a step. “What?”

You laughed, shaking your head as you bumped your side against his. “I’m being serious!”

Din’s helmet tilted at you. “But you’re laughing.”

“Because it’s funny.”

Din sighed. “What’s funny?”

You nodded at him. “You being so shocked that I find you attractive.”

Din stiffened in clear embarrassment as he focused on the way ahead. “Are we really doing this here?”

You pretended to be disappointed. “So, you’re saying you didn’t do what you did because you find me attractive?”

Din’s helmet turned towards you again. “I never said that.”

Your teasing smile was impossible to fight. “Then you do think I’m attractive?”

Din suddenly stopped in his tracks, letting out an exhale heavy enough to make you hold back a laugh. He took you by the arm and pulled you aside to keep you out of the way as he responded.

“Clearly. How many more people do I have to punch to make that obvious?”

You blinked at him before you burst out laughing again. "Din, there has to be a better way for you to tell me how you feel."

Din shrugged. "I was raised a fighter."

You raised an eyebrow at him. "Not a lover?"

"Jury's still out."

You snorted in amusement. Din, however, was quick to shift gears, his hand lowering from your arm to your back as his visor gave your surroundings a cautious glance.

"Now, can I please get you back to the ship safely, and then we can discuss this more properly?" He tilted his helmet at you. "Or, in your case, laugh about it."

You gave your eyes a playful roll, though the smile on your lips told a different story. "Fine." You nodded towards the way ahead. "Just try not to punch anyone else."

Din huffed and gave your back a gentle tap. "No promises."

Given what additional insight you had now regarding Din's motivations, you found your smile widening as you stayed close to his side, at last fully grateful to be within his protective reach.

[call-of-daydreams]

18th Century CoD Characters - Types of jobs they have

Before we start this, I am well aware that most of this farming was not a thing in the 18th century. While I am researching to keep everything correct, I decided to add other forms of farming to make things more interesting. This long drabble does not only talk about the type of farming they do but also possible side jobs they might do.

DO NOT copy, translate, or change this drabble in any way. This is my work and my research. I've spent a lot of time researching and I would appreciate it if it was enjoyed but not stolen. Reposts and comments are more than welcome, and feedback is always accepted.

Word count: 2,325

Estimated reading time: 9 min 18 sec

John Price-

He absolutely owns and maintains a subsistence farm. He loves to provide for you and possibly kids but he also likes providing for his community. I also feel like he dedicates all of his time to maintaining his farm and expanding it to be able to accommodate his community so he has no “side job” per say but he definitely helps his mates out with their side hustles when he needs something to keep himself busy. However he mostly spends his free time hanging out with Simon, helping Simon repair guns.

Subsistence farming is all about personal use. This is the type of farming you do to feed yourself or your family but can also be used to feed your community. Mostly done for trade not profit.

Johnny MacTavish-

Absolutely owns a dairy farm and no one can tell me otherwise. He owns just enough cows to not only provide for the two of you and maybe future kids but also to trade with your neighbors that are about a mile away but you're still close to. cough cough John, Simon, and Gaz cough cough. Anyways, since he doesn’t own a lot of cows he doesn’t have to do much other than to make sure none of them go lame and to make sure they have water and are fed. Speaking of, he does grow his own hay so he doesn’t have to buy it from anyone. It’s cheaper. He also starts to dabble in blacksmithing because he found out that he can make his own gates so he can expand his land whenever he wants to for his cows to roam. Though, you do tell him to stop before he really injures himself, he tells you and I quote “It’ll be fine lass, it’s cheaper this way anyhow.” You do also help milk the cows, it saves his back.

Dairy farmers are responsible for caring and managing the milk production process. They oversee the feeding, breeding, milking, and herd management. They also grow crops to feed the herd.

Simon Riley-

He is a Commercial farmer. He grows crops and raises animals to make money so he can spoil you. Almost every week he goes into town to sell his crops or to sell an animal for money or sometimes trade. However, there is an animal from almost every species that you made him promise he can’t sell. The hen that has pretty spots and lays the brown eggs you collect every morning for breakfast, he can’t sell. The cow that Johnny sold you years ago that’s not making milk anymore because she can’t have anymore calves, Simon can’t sell. You helped him raise that girl since she was a baby, he can’t just give her away. Anyways, when he’s not working on his farm with any free time he has where he’s not spending with you he’s being a gunsmith. He’s a very well known gunsmith in town and people are always going to him so they can fix their guns or so they can sell them for extra money.

Commercial farming implies that you raise animals and crops and you sell them to the open market to make profit. It performs as a large-scale production of crops and livestock. Usually, commercial farming is a full time occupation.

Kyle Garrick-

I see him as a rancher. I feel like Kyle is the one who has all sorts of animals such as cows (obviously), chickens, horses, pigs, goats, sheep, etc. (Between me and you he definitely is the one who gives Simon's wife all the animals Simon can’t sell because he likes to rile Simon up). That’s not to say Kyle is safe from you, his wife. Because there are animals that he owns that he cannot get rid of either because of you. He simply cannot say no to you. You even talked him into letting you feed and keep a stray cat even though he insisted that the two of you have enough animals to take care of. The power you hold. Also you use the wool from the sheep to make/patch up Kyles' clothes. As for his side job I believe he’s a printer. He loves it because he gets all the town's gossip to print out and distribute but you also enjoy it because you’re kinda the first one to know everything. And best believe that he validates his sources so he asks questions. He doesn’t want to be the one putting out false information. In conclusion, he loves working on his farm but he loves gossiping and could spend hours doing so.

Ranching is a large farm for raising horses, beef cattle, or sheep. Ranchers care for and manage livestock. Thet maintain the land and equipment needed for livestock care. They oversee breeding and medical treatments of their animals. And finally, they handle tasks related to farm equipment and facilities.

Kate Laswell-

Definitely see Kate as a Mixed farmer. She likes to be very hands on with his work so why doesn’t she not only take care of animals but also crops. I feel as though the only animals you two would raise on the farm would be horses and barn cats. Don’t ask me why, it’s just a feeling I have. Also there is a little garden that she set up on the side of the house just for you so you could have fresh fruit and vegetables to make delicious meals for you and her. As for a side job can we see Kate as a cobbler?? Because I can vividly see it. She makes you the most comfortable shoes she can so you don’t have to worry about your feet aching after a long walk around town, looking at all the different items being sold. Of course she has other customers than you but you're like her little guinea pig when it comes to testing new materials or a new style of shoes because she knows that you’ll be honest with her.

Mixed farming takes place when your farm comprises at least 10% and at most 49% of animal breeding. This means that your profit is made from around half of the animal products and around half of the crops you’re selling. Mixed farmers engage in agricultural practices that combine crop cultivation and livestock rearing on the same farm. This approach allows farmers to diversify their production, use resources more efficiently, and improve soil health through crop rotation and animal manure.

Valeria Garza-

She’s a hay and wheat farmer. Hay is a very high-demand product and why would she not grow it in bulk? Why would she not sell it when there’s a drought and farmers run on hay? Why wouldn’t she want to make a profit with something that’s in such high demand? And because you have wheat in supply year-round baking has become your new favorite hobby. Especially when it comes to trying new flavor combinations. She loves coming inside after a long day of work to a nice cozy home that smells absolutely delicious. She also steals a sweet treat to taste when you’re not looking. Valeria’s side job? Something with alcohol. I’m thinking about her being a tavern keeper or a bootlegger, or both. It’s Valeria, I gotta let her keep her bad girl persona in some way. She definitely runs her tavern under the guise as something else and only select people know that her tavern exists. There used to be more, I wonder where they went-

A hay farmer will always be popular, simply because the demand for hay has increased tenfold in the last couple of years or so. The more time passes, the higher the demand for livestock is. Which is why commercial farmers need more and more hay to feed their animals. Therefore growing hay is quite a lucrative means of making money. Farming wheat is about the same thing.

Konig-

Konig is also a rancher. I’m sorry but you’re telling me that when you see this big beefy man you don’t automatically think about him being a rancher. That’s like the only type of farming I can picture him being into. Even though he is so big, I can see him being extremely careful to not hurt his baby goats or to not hurt one of his chickens. He also most definitely built you a garden so you can feel helpful around the house. After all, he is a big man. And that big man has a big appetite so it’s important to him that he has fresh big meals for each of his three daily meals. I’m leaning towards Konig being a logger as his second job. I don’t really know why, but I feel like based on his size and muscle, he could cut down trees and split logs so fast. I also may or may not be thinking about him building you both a little cabin and little buildings where you can go to do your hobbies in peace.

Ranching is a large farm for raising horses, beef cattle, or sheep. Ranchers care for and manage livestock. Thet maintain the land and equipment needed for livestock care. They oversee breeding and medical treatments of their animals. And finally, they handle tasks related to farm equipment and facilities.

Keegan-

Pastoral farming. Keegan likes to keep busy and therefore he likes to keep a lot of animals. Mostly for selling their products at the market (Most of which you make). Butter, yogurt, bottling milk, eggs, and meat (which he takes care of) gets sold for profit. Yes, you and Mrs. MacTavish have a little bit of friendly competition between you both since your husbands sell almost the same thing. However, you both help each other out, especially since her husband Mr. Mactavish keeps her with child almost year round. For his side job I can see him as a cabinet maker for some reason. I don’t know why I see this but I like to imagine that he makes good profit from it since everyone needs the extra storage space or just to replace cabinets. Plus, it would be hot watching him using a handsaw and cutting wood from the kitchen window, leaning on a counter he built.

Pastoral farming essentially refers to raising livestock and poultry for mass production of animal products such as milk, chicken eggs, or meat. The animals need to be kept in special shelters, and they are usually fed every type of food out there that can get them bigger and more efficient at producing the animal products.

Phillip Graves-

Organic farming. You cannot tell me that he doesn’t seem like the type of man to only eat organic fruits and vegetables. So, why wouldn’t he also have you eating only the best? This is more of a side job for the both of you and not a full time farming job. But he has been thinking about introducing some more animals into the two of your lives instead of the 2 dogs you two own. Phillip’s side job is definitely him being a saddler. Yes, you both own horses because that's the main form of transport and he just wants to make sure that whenever the two of you ride somewhere that you're comfortable. So one day he dabbled in fixing your saddle to make it more comfortable for you and after that you urged him to make a profit off of this new found skill. 

Organic farming is the type of food that you get without the use of modern artificial additives, like for example pesticides or any sort of chemical fertilizers. On top of that, they’re natural in the sense that they’re not treated with radiation, industrial solvents, etc.

Alejandro Vargas-

Sedentary Farming. He owns a large property and he’s invested heavily in taking care of his animals. He likes this type of farming since it is very simple and it easily makes him money. Yes, he does use most of his land just to go horseback riding with eachother but without having to go be social with other people. Not that you both don’t like social interaction, Alejandro loves talking to people. In fact, you can’t take this man anywhere without him finding someone he knows but sometimes he just wants to be alone with you spending some much needed quality time with you. Outside the house that is. Alejandros side job is being a gunsmith. Like Simon, I just feel like this job is very fitting and I can’t really think about a job that is a better fit. He mostly fixes guns while asking Rodolfo to make a certain part that he’s missing so really the two of them are a partnership.

Sedentary farming is the complete opposite of nomadic farming. Instead of moving with the herd, constantly changing your location in search for greener areas, you use the exact same land every year and you don’t move the animals in the slightest. It’s a good choice if you wish to heavily invest in an area and not worry about expanding anytime soon. It is a very simple lifestyle, but it is also effective at making you a lot of money.

Rodolfo Parra-

I don’t know why but I see him as Alejandro’s farm hand. They’re best friends so why wouldn’t they help each other out? If anything they both invested into the land so they work together to raise the animals. Plus, with the two of them, it takes the workload off of both of their shoulders so they can spend more time with their wives. And something about Alejandro and Rudy being best friends and raising their kids as almost siblings does something to me. Rodolfo’s side job is being a blacksmith. Since he works as Alejandro’s farm hand most of his day is spent making sure everything is in order. He takes up blacksmithing so he can better his job.

[levi-ackerman-ds]

Valentine’s Day Disaster

Levi X Reader

Approx: 1.8k words. TW: Road Rage. Not proof read.

You knew you had plans tonight. Well, Levi did all the planning. That morning, you went to work with a smile on your face and on cloud nine, knowing that Levi would sweep you off your feet in his own way after work. Nothing could ruin your mood.

Everything ruined your mood.

The moment you sit at your desk, your co-worker just had to start with the problems they have in their life. In the beginning, you were patient and nice. You tried to listen to them, give them advice, and provide support. It didn’t take long for you to realize it was one-sided. The one time you shared something personal, somehow everyone knew about it the next day.

But for right now, in your small office, you are trapped listening to whatever relatively minor issue is absolutely world-ending. You hide your irritation with “Mmhmms” and “Oh, I’m sorry’s,” wishing they would just return to work and leave you alone. Great. Now you’re annoyed.

After lunch, you let out an audible groan as the number of one of your most demanding clients flashes across your office phone. You wanted to fire this customer so much, but money talks and your boss wants you to handle her. The phone wasn’t even to your ear yet but you could hear the speaker crackle and strain, trying to give clear audio through the screaming on the other end. Of course, her order being held up by customs is your fault. Of course, you are an idiot who doesn’t know how to do your job. You keep that fake fucking smile as you speak to her, trying to calmly explain that you have already told her the issue with customs many times.

No, you didn’t. You never told her anything!

Feeling the anger bubble up, you never wanted to “as per my last e-mail” someone so badly. But you can’t. You can’t insult this client, so you sit there and take whatever personal attack she decides to degrade you with. Great. Now you are annoyed and angry.

You try to keep your mind on the plans Levi has for you tonight. Grand gestures weren’t his forte, but for you, he would do it even if he’d grumble about it. The night will start with limousine services.

“You must get the best one! Reeeally make her feel important!” It was Hange’s idea. They seem to have an affinity for anything oversized.

Cliche, maybe, but neither of you had ever ridden in one, so why not? You had thought about that little divider that would close off the driver from whatever you were doing back there. Extremely tinted windows that no one could see into...

Levi had managed to put a deposit on a Rolls Royce Phantom 300 stretch. It was stupidly expensive. You remember his under-his-breath curses and grimaces on his face as he filled out the online form, securing it for your night. But you are his world; tonight, he wants you to feel special.

Booking the restaurant took six months in advance. It is already the hottest spot in town, but they are doing a once-in-a-lifetime Valentine’s Day event for the lucky couples who reserve a spot. Even this required a deposit to reserve seating. Dinner and a Show. You will eat the finest cuisine while enjoying an adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet.” It’s not exactly Shakespeare’s version and it should be a little spicy. Okay, very spicy.

Critics at the pre-screening left surprisingly positive reviews. “One would expect an erotic rendition of such an iconic classic that “Romeo and Juliet” is would be disastrous. I fully expected a banal show with overused tropes, actors that lack chemistry, and over-the-top “performances” that would make the most open-minded squirm in embarrassment. I can say with perfect alacrity that this show delivers in all categories. The allure and attraction between characters can best be described as a steamy passion with a deep connection. It definitely gives couples something to think about on the way home.”

Why do critics always sound that way?

“I was pleasantly surprised.” Wrote another. “It gave me tingles.” Short and to the point, at least. The ride in the limo back home might be a new stage for reenactment.

Still, you couldn’t get your client out of your head. No matter how much you tried to focus on the night’s events, that shrilling voice rang in your head. You don’t know how many times she called you an idiot while berating you for ten minutes. She got personal, insulting your intelligence, your appearance, any nit-picky thing to get a reaction out of you. You held your pleasant, apologetic tone the whole time, but as soon as you set the receiver down, you wanted nothing more than to scream your indignation to the world. You are good at your job. You know that. Right?

…Right? Are you?…

Could this day get any worse? Well, you know what happens when you ask that.

You thought you were in the clear when you finally clocked out for the day. Still angry and upset but holding on. Getting into your car, you set the stereo to play your favorite playlist. Maybe this will help your mood. Not even on the road for five minutes, and there is some asshole flying down the street behind you. He thinks you’re going too slow, but you are speeding slightly already. The entire hood of his car disappears in your rearview mirror as he rides the ass of yours. The blaring horn of his car startles you while he speeds up and slams on his brakes, suggesting he’s going to hit you if you don’t get out of his way. But there is nowhere to go. It’s a one-lane street.

When it opens to two lanes, you would think this jackass would just pass you and move on. But no. You really drew his ire. Passing you on the wrong side, he gets in front of you only to slam on his breaks. You slam yours in time, but you almost hit him. The deranged behavior coming from the other driver is nonstop. You can see him shouting in the cabin of his car even though you can’t hear it. Anger turns to terror as you realize this guy is actually trying to hurt you. He wants you to crash for having the audacity of making him arrive at his destination a couple of minutes later.

Moving lanes and pulling alongside you, he swerves his car into your lane, causing you to move into the oncoming road. Your heart races like a wild bird trapped in a small cage, desperately trying to escape. As you glance over, you can see him. Everyone thinks road rage is caused by some bug-eyed, wild-haired lunatic, but he was a perfectly normal-looking guy. Furious, yes, but completely ordinary. What could drive someone to do something like this?

Finally, he lets you back on the right side of the road, giving you the obligatory finger before speeding off. It took a few minutes for you to realize you were sucking in air like someone just rescued you from the bottom of a pool. The world was in sharp focus but felt so far away. You pushed yourself to drive home with your shaking hands and trembling muscles. You never want to be on the road again after this.

God, what are you going to do with your hair? Usually, this wouldn’t even be a problem, but you can’t focus. How dare that client suggest you were terrible at your job. You know how to do it, damn it. Should you paint your nails? One already has a chip in it. What the hell was that guy's problem anyway? You were already speeding. Why won’t that two-faced co-worker leave you alone? You know they talk about everyone behind their backs. You could have died today.

Now you are annoyed, angry, and very scared.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” Levi’s dulcet tone greets you as you walk through the door.

“What’s so fucking happy about it, Levi?” You snap sharply.

You’ll regret speaking to him like that later, but for right now, you're hanging by a thread. Like a cartoon, the last strands of the last thread are snapping one by one. Thread of a thread. After everything that’s happened today, from annoyance to anger to terror. Your mind is just a flurried mess of thoughts. The co-worker, the client, the road rage mixed with the forced thoughts of your hair, your nails… Fuck, how can you even think about going out like this? And who can blame you?

Levi didn’t. Even when you snapped at him, he didn’t say a word. He could see the look in your eyes, how tense you were like a set mousetrap creaking under stress, the flush on your face, and the fact that you still hadn’t caught your breath.

You think of all the money he spent on deposits and reservations, all the time filling out forms and making sure the night would be perfect, all the effort to pull off something Levi doesn’t normally do. But you couldn’t. You just couldn’t do it. Just the thought of being on the road again made your heart twist.

Instead, he held you in his arms on the couch while some cheesy rom-com was playing on the television. Neither of you paid attention to it. You were too upset, and he was too focused on you. Levi did precisely what you needed him to. He spoke gently when you needed to and stayed silent when you didn’t. He never once mentioned the plans he made.

You run through every emotion we have names for. And probably some we don’t. Your hair was so soft between his fingers, and your cheeks were wet under the pads of his thumbs. The rapid beat of your heart was so hard even he could feel it on his chest. The wracking sobs made the top of your head bump under his chin.

You eventually relaxed, the tenseness in your muscles and the tone of your voice melting into the warmth of his arms. A little chuckle as you caught a bad line from the movie you weren’t watching.

He even saw you smile.

The next day, you felt horrible. You treated Levi terribly from the moment you walked in the door. How could you? Levi did so much so that you would feel special and you ruined it. All that money is wasted. He can’t get it back. The once-in-a-lifetime performance you made him skip out on. All because you had a bad day?

“I’m sorry, Levi. I ruined your Valentine’s.”

There was so much more you wanted to apologize for. You didn’t even know where to start. Even the apology sounded arrogant. How can you sit here and apologize after what you did?

He didn't even have to think about his answer. “What the hell are you talking about? I did exactly what I wanted to do for Valentine’s Day.”

[nabnab-official]

Yarnaby's Tragic Untold Backstory

most information here was provided during the chapter 4 arg, which can be found fully archived here over on the Poppy Playtime wiki. THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 4

-🧶

much like chapter 3, chapter 4 had an accompanying ARG leading up to its release which provided information about the upcoming chapter, its characters, and revealed lore tidbits via puzzles.

yarnaby was one of the characters revealed during the ARG, and his backstory was actually fully revealed there before we even knew what he looked like, similar to catnap. I decided to cover it here, since his full backstory isn't explicitly said in game, and I find it very interesting.

-🧶

before the ARG, there was actually a leak that revealed the names of all chapter 4's characters. people found mobs trademarkia account, where the names of these characters were already trademarked, including yarnaby, all the nightmare critters, and doey. not really related to anything, but just kind of an interesting thing that happened.

but to start off, lets cover yarnaby's toy form. mob actually released a bunch of character bios over on their website, which includes the characters from chapter 4 like yarnaby.

yarnaby was released in the 1970s as part of a wildlife conservation campaign, and he is actually supposed to resemble a lion. it seems like he was a pretty popular toy if he got regular releases and keeps selling. it makes sense yarnaby is a cat, because the growling/roaring noises he makes reminds me of the sounds big cats make.

yarnaby also has a commercial, which can't actually be seen in game but was uploaded to YouTube. you can hear the jingle from it in game though, in yarnaby's cutout voice lines, but its very distorted and bad quality.

while not explicitly mentioned in the commercial itself, it seems like yarnaby has the ability to play music, because he does so in his bigger body form. you can hear him do it at the end of the chase here and in the trailer he was revealed in.

during the ARG, mob set up a geocache puzzle that held the first big reveal about yarnaby. YouTuber sheeprampage found one of these geocache prizes and opened and solved it on stream. heres a video he made covering it.

it was a little lunchbox with stickers, and inside was a huggy plush and a bunch of yarn. upon cutting over the plush, there were notes hidden inside of it.

the notes are gamestation assessment reports, which have been revealed in-game to be the way the scientists assess the orphans skills and determine which toy they are fit for, and if they are fit for the operation at all.

this was the first official reveal of yarnaby's name, as well as the reveal of the child used to create him, Quinn navidson. we will learn more about Quinn and his personality in future documents, so I'll refrain from speaking about it yet.

the second note has no proper scan on the wiki, so I just attached an image of the direct transcript instead. the first assessment sheet is assessing quinn while he is still human, providing average results by the scientists standards. the second one seems to take place after quinn has been turned into yarnaby, as the behaviour described is animalistic and feral. further evidence is that sawyer notes that yarnaby "[is not] able to properly handle a grabpack", which makes sense as yarnaby has paws and lacks opposable thumbs. despite this, Sawyer rewards yarnaby with a rather generous score, despite him biting the heads off the huggys in wack-a-wuggy and making a break for it and hiding in the foam pit for 15 minutes in statues.

theres also a sticky note that provides yarnaby's experiment number, 1166. its also an answer to another puzzle in the ARG, and when entering 1166 as the passcode in the terminal, more files are recovered.

accessing 1166's files gives 3 new notes, an assessment transcript, a prisoner profile and a weekly checkup. the prisoner profile actually made it into the game, and the blacked out parts are filled in in-game, so i'll add the extra transcript for clarity when touching upon this part.

the first file is a transcript of a conversation between Quinn and Harley. the document is titled 'assessment of' and then cuts off, but I assume with the information we have that this is an assessment of Quinns character and whether he would be a good fit for yarnaby.

backing this up, way back in the chapter 3 ARG, there was a several page document detailing what catnaps bigger body was supposed to be like, and at the end there was a list of possible candidates deemed suitable for catnap. I think its fair to say that this assessment was part of the process of deciding who was going to be made into yarnaby. going back to the transcript, we get more insight into Quinn's character. Harley says that the counselors in playcare are concerned about Quinn's odd behaviours, like taking apart and putting toys back together to make them 'prettier'. however Harley doesn't think theres anything wrong with that, and says he just thinks Quinn sees the world in a different way. harley also states that he thinks Quinn is holding himself back. Quote "I think you mess up to make others have lesser expectations of you." This lines up with the game station report about Quinn, where Quinn got average results, making several mistakes and even missing targets numerous times in wack-a-wuggy. based on Harleys statement its possible Quinn makes these mistakes on purpose in order to be overlooked and slip under the radar. Harley appeals to Quinn, telling him he is smart and capable, and he sees and understands him, wanting the same 'prettier world' that Quinn does. I think its fair to assume that Harley may see himself in Quinn, as we know Harley was once part of the young geniuses program and was mentored by Elliot Ludwig himself. I think this plays into why Quinn was picked to be yarnaby, as Harley likely hoped that Quinn's inquisitive, intelligent personality would carry over. i also think its important to note that Quinn says he doesn't know what the world assessment means, indicating he must be pretty young.

the next document is a prisoner profile for yarnaby, so Quinn has been turned into yarnaby at this point. as stated above I added the in-game transcript to fill in the blanked out parts of the text. this is basically Harleys assessment of yarnaby. the prison is a place where the "failed" experiments were kept, until the problems they had were either fixed or they stayed as a permanent resident. its likely yarnaby spent his whole life in the prison, especially after what Harley chose to do about him. harley states that yarnaby is animalistic. Though he is strong and nimble he has an "acute lack of higher cognitive function." we know this about yarnaby as we see his behaviours exhibited in game. this is also something that tends to be true about a lot of the earlier experiments, and we know yarnaby was created fairly early on because his number is 1166. harley also says he hoped to have a 'greater mind' behind yarnaby, which ties back to Quinn. he probably hoped that Quinn's intelligence and curiousity would carry over, but that doesn't seem to have happened.

yarnaby exhibits loyalty to some of the security staff, who feel sympathy for him. Harley compares yarnaby and the way staff feel towards him to domestic dogs and cats, and decides that because of yarnaby's behavior he is going to isolate him in the hopes of making yarnaby dependent on him. we know this works, as we see it in game. yarnaby is completely loyal to Sawyer, doing whatever he tells him to without a second thought, even when it costs him his life at the end.

essentially, Harley isolates yarnaby so he only has contact with him, in the hopes that it will make yarnaby completely dependent on and loyal to him. the reason why he decided to do this is unclear, though he states he thinks he'll get a good laugh out of it so its quite possible it was just for his own sadistic enjoyment. Harley finds yarnaby amusing in a mocking, belittling way, and seems to care little for his actual wellbeing or character. while the other staff seem to take genuine pity on yarnaby, Harley sees yarnaby's weaknesses and wishes to exploit them for his own fun.

yarnaby lacks many of his former human traits, unlike some other experiments which still retain the ability to speak, or memories of their past lives. this is common with the earlier experiments. boxy boo was deemed the first ever success, and his number was 1160. though he lacks complex thought and the ability to speak, he is perfectly physically fit. he is similar to yarnaby in a lot of ways, who is only 6 experiments ahead of him. Harley also turned boxy into a killing machine on purpose, using him to get rid of bodies and kill insubordinate employees. huggy, 1170, is deemed as the ideal because he has complex thought, is physically adept, but is also obedient and loyal [or they thought he was]. so yarnaby is somewhere in the middle.

the last note takes place after Harley is turned into the computer. this note in particular is rather sad.

yarnaby is noted to have entered a state of depression from grief after Harley disappeared. despite Harley having not cared for him at all, yarnaby bonded with him anyway, and is now suffering from that loss. the note states that he "truly just doesn't care anymore". another very interesting thing is that whoever is writing this note doesn't see yarnaby as FULLY an animal, despite his behaviour. quote "whatever boy there is deep inside, i think hes scared, broken down by isolation over too long a time for us to salvage much from what's still there." so Harley pretty much broke yarnaby. the note also states he is a "design made flawed by paranoid and ego. In that he's a failure by design." essentially, everything relating to yarnaby is Harleys fault. it is Harleys fault that yarnaby even came to be to begin with, taking away Quinn's life. its Harleys fault he decided to isolate him and take away what little humanity he has left. it is all Harleys fault.

Quinn is gone, and again it is Harleys fault. and yet he still doesn't seem content in letting it end there, and decides to torment yarnaby further with his isolation. I think its also interesting to note that the scientist in this note refers to yarnaby with much more humanity, calling him a he, and Harley refers to yarnaby in a much more dehumanizing manner, calling him an it and referring to him as a creature.

The end of the note puts this better than I can. Quote "He can sulk and spend his days wishing for a master that, I can guarentee you, didn't care for him at all." harley never cared for yarnaby, but pretended to to gain yarnaby's favor, simply taking amusement in yarnaby in a sick, condescending way. yarnaby grew attached anyway, likely comforted by some kind of positive attention in this scary place.

at the end, we know what happened, yarnaby died. and Harley doesn't care. the only thing he has to say about it after yarnaby dies is this line. yarnaby meant nothing to him, only to dance and suffer for his amusement. another interesting thing to note is that yarnaby is not in good condition. I got my screenshot from this video. he is missing patches of fur, has chipped claws and teeth, and his legs are covered in scars. Harley clearly doesn't look out for him or care for his well-being. we don't know where he got these scars from, maybe clumsiness, fighting other toys, or even Harley.

-🧶 in conclusion, yarnaby has had a very sad life, and there is no happy ending. we all know how evil Harley is, but I think yarnaby shows the height of it all, just how sick and sadistic he can truly be. its possible that yarnaby could have been different, should he have been treated with more care. whatever humanity he had left, Harley snuffed that out by tormenting him simply for his own sick amusement.

[ephemeralinstance]

Lavellan in Veilguard

The scenes with the Solas-romancing Lavellan in Veilguard are, for me, one of the writing highlights of the game. Of course there are limitations with her being an NPC, but I think that subject to the constraints of the structure of the game, the writer did a really great job of a very difficult piece of writing - creating a depiction of the character that fits with thousands of different versions of Lavellan.

First of all, Lavellan's dialogue is elegant and lyrical, matching the cadence in which Solas speaks and thus showing how in-tune they are even after all these years. One thing I loved about Inquisition was that the language was often really beautiful, so I enjoyed seeing that kind of poetic language return here, and I think the writer understood and captured the heart of what a lot of people loved about the Solas romance - the poetry and beauty of it.

In addition, we get a range of different emotions. Lavellan expresses sadness ('He meant that much'), passion ('You've felt the power of that mind'), anger ('He left me to clean up his mess'), self-doubt ('Am I the prideful one?'). Whatever reaction you personally envision your character as having, you can find it represented in what she says here. I know some people wished Lavellan could have more of an angry confrontation with Solas, but that probably wouldn't have been possible without just allowing us to directly control Lavellan; I think the writer achieved a good compromise by showing us her anger and hurt in this conversation. 

At the same time, she's shown to be mature, self-aware, and reflective. We see her questioning herself, asking 'Am I the prideful one, imagining his broken heart so I'd never have to face my folly?' Lavellan isn't deluded; she's not romanticizing what happened. If she chooses to go with him, it's clear that she isn't naive or being manipulated. She's making this choice in a fully aware, thoughtful manner. And although Lavellan loves Solas deeply, he isn't her first priority. It's important that when Rook asks her if she'd be willing to leave with Solas, she states, 'No. We have to save the world first.' We're shown very clearly that she has a life outside of Solas, and she prioritizes her duty to the people of Thedas: only once her task is done is she able to put herself first, and finally choose her own desires over her duty for once. It's also impressive how clearly she understands Solas, as evident in her speculation that he's left clues because part of him wants to be stopped. I particularly liked the fact that she's shown to have a deeper understanding of him than Rook, as seen in their exchange about 'lies of the heart.' Rook just sees one superficial version of Solas as 'god of lies,' whereas Lavellan understands that although Solas did lie to her, at a deeper level he isn't good at concealing what he really feels. Lavellan absolutely knows and understand Solas' flaws and the 'bad' side of him that Rook has seen, but she also knows a different side of him that no one else has seen. If Lavellan chooses to go with him, it's because she understands him completely: she sees all the good and all the bad in him, and she chooses him anyway.

Finally, sometimes I see people critiquing Lavellan for being passive or not having much going on apart from her connection with Solas. Now first off, this clearly isn't true, since she spends the whole game mustering the armies of the south and sending detailed missives about her military operations - no one in Thedas has more going on than this woman! 

But also, it's important to keep in mind that Lavellan isn't supposed to be a fully-fleshed out character: she's specifically left vague enough so that you can fill in the details with your own Lavellan. For example, we're not told much about what she's been up to in the last ten years, but of course that's not because she's done nothing but pine for Solas: it's simply left unspecified so it can be compatible with different headcanons. Lavellan is specifically written to allow us to fill in the details, and the measure of success is not whether she comes off as a fully-developed character to people who don't have their own Solas-romancing Lavellan (honestly, those people shouldn't even be commenting, this writing isn't for them); the measure of success is whether she works as a stand-in for all of our individual versions of Lavellan. And although of course it's never going to be possible to please everyone, I think the writer did a great job within the limitations of what was possible in the plot.

[mvrstons]

GOOB HCS!!

The requester: @bizarrosthings (won’t let me tag them for some reason)

Also a lot about his arms, since it was requested!! (Will be divided into two)

Warnings; none!

He has floppy ears the same color as his paws!! They peak up whenever he’s overly excited, or when he hears a certain word he likes.

Scraps doesn’t let him drink energy drinks, due to him already being full of energy. She made the mistake of letting Goob have an every drink one time, and he didn’t sleep for two days straight.

Goob has bad memory. If you ask him about something that you know happened and remember, he won’t remember it at all unless you give a ton of context.

It’s SO hard to get this man upset. Unless you say something HORRIBLY mean, he won’t be affected by it.

He isn’t great at spelling. If you ask him to spell a certain word that’s a bit too long for him, he’ll have no clue at all.

DEFINITELY pansexual, he’ll love anybody no matter the gender they are.

Gets bullied on Roblox by randoms. Poor thing can barely move his character right due to his claws:( same thing with any other video game.

He believes in ghosts, and at night if it’s too dark or hears a random noise he’ll start screaming at the top of his lungs and run to the nearest light source. (Made a lil drabble below !)

It was time for bed, and all the toons were now getting comfortable in their assigned rooms for the night.

Goob was also getting comfy, until he saw what looked like a person in the corner of the room. He tried to get a closer look, but it was too dark to see anything without getting up. He had a night light, but it got worn out and stopped working over time and he now had to wait a few days to get a new one.

As soon as he thought he saw it move, he started screaming, dashing off the bed and making a beeline for the door.

Goob got his sister to go check it out, and it turns out it was just a chair with a hoodie over it.

Now onto the disabled hcs!!

I think if he was ever extracting, he’d fail quite some skill checks due to his claws, so he prefers distracting instead and letting everyone do the machines to save time.

He once tried to hold a soda can for too long, and it ended up slipping out of his hands and it spilled all over the floor. He apologized a ton afterwards, and helped clean most of it up.

Speaking of holding things, he isn’t able to hold certain things for too long due to the way his paws are shaped. Some examples are; anything round, soap, controllers, bags, ect.

Has trouble keeping his arms up, and can get exhausted easily/cause pain if he holds them up higher than normal for too long.

When Goob is just walking and his arms are tailing behind him, he’ll very rarely trip someone (or almost). Whenever it happens he feels SO bad, and ends up hugging whoever it is for what feels like forever.

[pbandjeveryday]

Just watched Captain America: Brave New World and LOVED IT!

Spoilery list of things I loved under the cut

(I repeat, SPOILERS!!)

Joaquin Torres’s whole character. Seriously so well done, they made him loveable and fun and had that whole “don’t die” thing going to make me incredibly worried that something would happen to him and then something DID happen and I was so scared for him. Made me feel feelings, well done writers!

Harrison Ford’s performance. I really saw his struggle

Enjoyable callbacks with meaning/plot relevance to them - all of the Hulk things from the Hulk movie (which I honestly thought would keep getting swept under the rug forever), Elementals, Black Widow and the red room

BUCKY CAMEO! BUCKY HEARTFELT SPEECH! BUCKY AND SAM MOMENT!

Also laying the groundwork for Thunderbolts

Also though even before the Bucky cameo, that moment when Sam was all “reminded me of a friend” when he was thinking about Bucky’s trigger words, that made me feel cozy inside as well. I love Bucky and Sam’s relationship

Speaking of relationships, seeing how Joaquin and Sam openly cared for and worried about each other was so nice. When Sam was injured, Joaquin’s sincere “you good?” and Sam constantly trying to protect Joaquin from both the physical and emotional dangers of the job. Beautiful

Sam fighting the one guy at the beginning of the movie (didn’t catch the opponent’s name but the guy who scratched up Sam’s armor) reminded me very much of Steve’s fight scene at the beginning of Winter Soldier. Both times, Cap is blazing through the mission, then there’s this one person who can really fight so Cap pauses. Takes off helmet / sunglasses. Duke it out.

Sam continuing to not take the serum and trying to come to terms with that

But alongside that, I loved the line where Sam is facing Red Hulk and, although I can’t remember the exact words, he said something along the lines of how Bucky’s full of shit the serum would be really useful right now. Made me chuckle.

Just a couple things I wish we could have seen- first of all, Bruce Banner or perhaps Jennifer reacting to the Hulk-stuff happening. Even as a comic relief post credit scene I feel like that would have fit. Second of all, I feel like with Sam’s consistent worry for Joaquin and then the way he fell…I’m surprised there was no conversation about Sam’s first partner Riley who got mentioned in Winter Soldier. Riley, who also got knocked out of the sky on a mission (and died, fortunately Joaquin survived, but that’s got to weigh heavily on Sam). But idk, maybe I just need to write a fanfic where Sam talks to Joaquin about Riley and how he’s scared of losing another partner

However overall LOVE LOVE LOVED this movie! So excited to see how Cap and the new Falcon move forward!

[unhinged-as-hell]

I agree that there should be inclusivity, I'm all for it! Hell, I love inclusivity in any fandom I'm in being Pakistani, queer and plus sized! But nearly every post I see bout makin it inclusive is to spite Jkr. To take it back, and I mentioned it because, again, if you don't follow this mindset, many people will be against you.

Also if I might add, it is nearly never good representation. This might be being too harsh, and I'm only speaking from me. But it's simply about making the characters skin, or their body different or their sexuality, but nothing else changes. Desi James doesn't change at all from what he is in fanon, no culture is added his skin just changes to brown. Plus sized Lily is the same too, nothing that makes her relatable, none of the hardships, hell even the confidence that sometimes comes with being against beauty standards.

And when it comes to sexuality(more specifically ships), and this I've discussed with several people, it somehow becomes their entire personality. It's like say Sirius just can't exist without Remus, that everything his character is just flushed down the drain for the sake of Wolfstar.

Now I hc many characters with different sexualities, but whats the point of that if you erase everything they are supposed to be?

All the hcs I relate to(Desi James, plus sized Lily as I keep bringing up) do nothing for me because it's never good rep. It feels like one of those things people just throw up to give the semblance of the characters being relatable.

And if that does make people included there is always, always, other things that don't. 2 negatives don't make a positive and it's feels shitty.

I've seen this multiple times, how the marauders fandom is all about being included, but it never really is, is it? Not fully. If it makes you included in one way, it makes you excluded in another. I can't go on most marauders tags, even the ones that are 'safe' for me without feeling like shit.

I might be bias against fanon quite a bit though, I love the canon personalities because, as much as I hate JKR, I can't deny she wrote complicated and fascinating characters, like Regulus Black and Remus Lupin, whose canon personality I'm hyperfixating on currently, and fanon erasing that because "she has no say in canon" bothers the hell outta me.

This isn't me saying "bring back all of canon!" either. Some parts in canon are shit too. The lack of inclusivity is a major problem, and all inclusivity there is makes the minority stereotypical, or a villain, which I hate with every part of my being.

This was longer than it was meant to be I'm sorry, and my thoughts are all over the place, I've had a decently bad day, so I'm sorry bout that too. I can usually make points better than this lol. I completely get where your coming from, you likely see very different things than me, it really does depend on your content. You might see good rep, while I see bad, and I do like different povs.

Okay but a bit of a rant here. People have their spaces in a fandom I can accept that, but people on both sides go into the spaces they shouldn't be. I did this before too, I know that, but I learned something called fandom fucking etiquette, for which I have seen an ungodly amount of people(especially in the jily tag) not follow.

At this point, I've felt more hate from this fandom then anything fuckin fun anymore because if you don't ship a popular ship and follow particular headcanons for a character, you can't interact with 90% of this fandom. I have been called homophobic three times because I don't like Jegulus, and it makes me feel like shit.

I'd bet you 100 bucks that someone would call me racist if I said I didn't like the Desi James hc, or fatphobic because I don't like the plus sized Lily hc, despite the fact that I am both Desi and fat. Hell I don't like most of the 'diversity' hcs. Am I gonna be bitchy about it? No, because those hcs aren't the end of the world. I still interact with content with hcs that I don't personally hc. But some people do act like it's the end of the world, and apparently that's my fault.

Now I've noticed this fandom has "Take the characters back from JKR" mentality, hence the diverse hcs, and I will ask you this, you know that's not gonna work, right? You can't take the characters from the person who wrote them. They still belong to her, it doesn't matter if you change everything about them, they still belong to her. She's a bitch and I hate everything she stands for(i am everything she stands against), but it's not doing anything, I have trans and queer friends who recognize it's not doing anything, because they are still her characters, and you can't take them away from her.

Now I mention this because people(people like me) who don't ship ships or hc which are diverse get hate for it, even if we don't support jkr. But we're the same. We are reaching the same destination, which is nowhere. I've said it before, if the fandom ever starts dying down I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes more of a bitch to bring it back.

I genuinely don't feel safe in this fandom anymore and I've seen plenty of people that don't either.

[n0anix]

so i started Curse of Strahdanya and you'll never guess who my favourite so far is

[turtleblogatlast]

Something I like about Leo is that he’s honestly really chill? It’s easy to remember the moments where he’s being obnoxious or excitable but I feel like most of the time he’s incredibly “go with the flow” and has an overall affable demeanor.

[hawkfrostandmudclaw]

[the-stove-is-divorced]

Eagerly enjoying this entire rant, omg??? SPEAK ON IT! Ended up with one of my own 'cause I hardcore show!Mark fan and where the fuck did his guilt go????

Because TRULY, a character, including a child, CAN be endearing and likable without being SO violently Child Coded, AND violently uninteresting??? I gesture at the casually unhinged Robins in DCU, while most a young adult now (sans Damian), when they were young, they were still interesting??? Characterizations will vary wildly, but that's a rant + research deep dive I do not have the energy for, but point being, why is Oliver like this??? Like you mention, Mark has PLENTY of opportunists to self reflect and ponder, but they don't take them??? I am once again screaming at the Angstrum V. Mark fight, because him being literally stranded in the desert with a fucking corpse is the most perfect opportunity to expand his mentality, even if he gets WORSE? Actively clawing at the god damn walls for denying me Invincible's potential Storm in the Room episode.

AND LIKE YOU SAID? Why the fuck did Nolan have a whole ass affair baby? Are we ever gonna know why? Bro was married for years with exactly one kid and just ??? Did exactly what he told Mark he would during his violent meltdown ?? REPLACE THEM??? Who told you to do all that, my guy???

AND YEAH. Show having this be Oliver's personality despite DEBBIE clearly being his MAIN PARENT, istg they're lying to me. Ain't no way she'd ever have a child that's THIS murder-happy. It's Debbie. Take not shit from Nolan!Debbie. Stopped Mark from feeling higher than humanity instantly!Debbie. Either the babysitter's feeding Oliver some bullshit while they're not looking, or characters are being rewritten for a plot we don't NEED? AND TRULY SPEAK ON IT. Nolan having the actual audacity to grab his non-purple son instead of just not putting ANOTHER planet is danger is so insane to me? Mf stays ruining whole families???? Sir, who told you to do all this? WHO? Also please write that omg, I'd be cacklingggg.

ALSO THANK YOU FOR SAYING CHARACTERS FEEL RET-CONNED. I am so utterly fucking insane this season, because who are these people? Never mind show refusing to explain what the stakes for / any world building to make me feel tense when new!GoG broke up, or when Mark refused to listen to Cecil, if their entire dynamic is just living in This Place or not getting jump-scared by a man teleporting in your own home with a Task.

BUT WHERE IS GUILTY ASF MARK? Why is the show actively lying to me but who these people are? Mark is guilty, he is desperately trying to keep himself in control, HE IS A GUILT MAGNET. Anyone should be able to use his guilt against him in some capacity but he straight up ignores two strangers asking for help? Bro should have folded, not have been kidnapped? Mark did not fight hard enough to NOT kill people this season istg, maybe it's my love of whump talking, but bro should be SHAKING at the thought of killing anyone else, or is Angstrum + s1e8 just a foggy little memory? LIKE HUH? Bro should be SCARED of killing people, he should be blaming himself if anyone dies, he should be trying SO hard to control himself (even if that's rage!!!) and finding it harder and harder for a lovely arc! Or his guilt/fear starting to get in his way. Have him train anxiously even, trying to make sure he has COMPLETE control over his strength.

Did we just ???? forget ??? Nolan used Mark to kill people, and Mark straight up had a melt down over killing Angstrum on purpose, if they ACTUALLY stayed committed to how desperately anti-kill Mark is TRYING to be, Mark freaking out over Cecil utilizing known killers would MAKE MORE SENSE. Now, it retroactively makes less sense. It doesn't feel like a, "oh he's getting desensitized and darker", NO. I DON'T KNOW WHO THIS MAN IS. Bring my guilt magnet BACK.

Literally doing anything else with Debbie's parenting with Oliver would make more sense for HER. Like you said, her being so black and white about killing, and (if Mark as properly guilty again), Mark would double down on that. Never kill ever. Instead???? We Have???? Omni-Man's number one fan for ??? No reason ???? There are a million reasons we just went over where that just doesn't MAKE sense? ALSO YEAH ARE WE GONNA TALK ABOUT ANDRESSA? Her whole baby gone and her husband lied. How does she feel? It, again, I'm sure I'm repeating myself somewhere, doesn't make any sense Oliver never speaks about her or have some tribute to his own planet, like it's such an easy wink to Superman? Like for a show with the concept of Evil Superman + Bootleg Justice League, why aren't there more genuine winks and touches to comic media?

I will rage about Oliver being purple for years.

I cannot imagine the agony of knowing comic book knowledge and the show just pivoting from stuff they set up in their own show, or even the show point out stuff from the comics lol. Immortal insisting that making himself the ruler of a whole ass dystopia is a good idea, and suicide by Mark is SOMEHOW not the coward's way IS CRAZY. Bro had robots automatically give "power back to the people," but couldn't make them kill him if he wanted it so bad? Also remembering Mark but not Kate? Hundreds of wives are a BLUR but random ass teenager you don't even like STICKS FOR YEARS? No for real istg, Immortal is such a violently dislikable character, how did we ruin lives so long everything you love dies? I feel Immortal and Nolan are similar enough, long living, both Guardians whatever, and both had their "just kill me" moment, but I don't quite care because I don't like his ass? I see memes about how he backed Cecil after he was sure Mark left and it makes me cackle omg.

But Immortal is like??? Bro, Mark has put his life on the line at a mere 17 years old to stop his father from killing people, and tasted other people's brain on his teeth for it. Mark justifiably freaking out after he's basically being continuously tased is NORMAL. Did he escalate though? YEAH? But Cecil escalated right back. And again, funny how you invited yourself back when you wanted to? Didn't tell anybody ANYTHING? Like, shut up challenge.

ALSO: We got more from Rae is crazy. Also Kate, it does not help the argument that you left your teammates thinking you died, while taking a vacation/wedding for who knows how long. CRAZY.

And: Honesty such a good point, who do these mfs pretend they have no choices here? They do. Just don't do that stupid thing.

Viltrumites lore drop made sense too mfs killed off a bunch of all and will actively kill off anyone who has a kid too unlike ya, at some point you're digging your own grave idk. Haunted by anxiety/dread of whether something will happen is exactly I will avoid the comics like the plague. I could not tolerate that suspense!

But I didn't like the narrator. At all. They pushed comedy too much, Allen's liners did hit sometimes but not always, and falling flat on joke after joke, at least for me, wasn't fun. But I love Nolan having his "first" friend moment LMAO. Also more people should trick Nolan into doing the right thing lol, STOP AVOIDING EVERYTHING AND START PAYING CHILD SUPPORT LMAO. It did make me unintentionally snort when Mark commented how sad he would look this episode tho, because how can you tell? How? Your eyes and eyebrows are covered and don't move whatsoever. You frown often, how do you know you look miserable and not just displeased???? Eyes are often hidden, and Mark's body language isn't exaggerated enough to always tell what he's feeling as much as the VA is putting his soul into it every time, but maybe I'm being TOO much of a hater here?

Mark agreeing to go hang out on a beach w Debbie instead of refusing and the beach is Beach City (am now officially thinking too much about this crossover lol)

The way I got caught up on our back and forth I almost forgot this, lol! AND OH MY GOODNESS, IMAGINE? I forget exactly what which point Debbie makes the beach offer, but I’d love when exactly in SU/SUF-timeline they’d go? There’s something so fucking funny to me about them going during the SUF-timeline and always narrowly missing the strange, Steven-shaped mental breakdowns in the back. I know those don’t occur in a single day, but it’s tickling me. How could they miss anything? I don’t know I just think it’s funny.

Though, post-SUF is interesting if Gems can see the similar “world on your shoulders”, Mark has going on! Steven can shunt the narrative in the Gems’ minds, which I think is neat, if I’m not misusing the phrase since the guy’s on the road far away. Or maybe it’s just before Steven goes and they stumble into each other. I’d kinda love Pearl and Debbie interacting, honestly, if they could talk about loving someone who hurt you, hide things from you, even when you thought you knew them so deeply, and they left you to raise a child. Pearl being in a well adjusted space, and Debbie still grieving.

Honestly, the gems could help train Mark, they’re got experience and similar-ish powers in strength, sturdiness, and they can jump/run fast enough for flying to be vaguely similar enough to lecture about, I think. Or Lapis Lazulis, haha! Peridot with her trash can lid! Garnet, I’d love to see if she told Mark anything about his future in vague, well meaning advice. Or even giving relationship advice considering Amber. Or, importantly, how to convince an entire reign to end their colonizing ways, lol. Is Mark perhaps willing to start a war, take advantage of being related to any leaders, or fake his own death to varying results?

In general, there’s something so fucking funny to me about Nolan, in the sake of comparison, being Pink Diamond coded. Like OH, did an important or well respected of the colonizing empire come to earth and learn the beauty of its people and nature, including faking/lying/omitting things about his identity and background to being in, only to feel conflicted when his responsibility still remained, and he tried to free himself from them? Yikes! We’ve been through that before! Like gimme Pink Diamond and Nolan outfit swap rn. This is tickling me so much oh my goodness.

[theanonymousninja247]

✨ Star Friends ✨

When I found out that @chessman-protocol boy Crit liked Astronomy, let’s just say I was beyond estatic and immediately planned this little comic. Here’s to my boy Vincent doing his best to make friends with folks who share similar interests 😅💙

Funny enough, I didn’t realize I put this in Vincent character’s until I looked at the whole thing, but Vincent very much shares the lack of stranger danger the way I did/ I do to this day. To quote one of my past managers I’m “abnormally friendly” or whatever

I can’t tell you how many times even as a small child (drove my parents nuts) that I saw a cool person with whatever connecting factor and I just straight up walked to them and was like “Ok cool. We’re friends now.” And nobody’s really stopped me? So apparently I have friends now. 😆

Vincent however is just a wholesome baby boy who doesn’t realize he’s actually an intimidating hunk of a turtle and randomly walking up to strangers and not saying anything can be taken the wrong way.

Like I said, he’s trying his best. He wasn’t exactly the most socialized if you can’t tell, but he does love dearly and is certainly a boone of a friend to have once you get past the inevitable social awkwardness. He’s loyal to put because he really doesn’t know better, and I adore him for that. Anyway, dunno if Crit knows any ASL or not, but either way Vincent is just excited to meet somebody else who likes space ✨🌌 💙

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

secret third take on The Situation where i'm a yellow apologist but also don't think you can blame arthur for how all that shook out. i think they both did exactly as well as could be expected given the circumstances. by which i mean bad. the circumstances were bad and they did bad.

[skayafair]

The fact that Kayne critically misjudged John's true feelings and how much their relationship with Arthur have progressed, brings me so much joy.

Not that all-knowing and all-powerful anymore, are we?

It'd do him good to be brought down a peg or two.